Like summoning his eyes, he turned to look at her just as her gaze moved to more acceptable locations.

His eyes were soft and distant. And then a flicker. And then grey and absent. Like a reptilian blink.

He faced her fully, vanished the teacup and saucer, and slid his other hand into his pocket. "Can you move?"

"Barely." Her voice was ragged, like it had been grinded down. Perhaps she had screamed.

Behind him she could make out the sun setting. She'd lost the entire day.

He scowled at her, and before she could wonder why, he asked, "Were you trying to kill yourself?"

She blinked, laying useless on the pillows.

"No. But now that you mention it, I'd appreciate my belts and scarves back."

He narrowed his eyes at her and paced across the carpets once before coming back to the same spot in front of the windows, his lips tight.

"I should have given you a tour of the perimeter upon your arrival and cautioned you of the consequences," he said. "Tomorrow, when you can walk again, we'll do that."

She gave a sharp laugh, and her stomach muscles protested. "There's no need to walk me. I'm a slave, not a dog. I think I have the idea now." She hissed through her teeth as she shifted her legs, hating the way she lay prone before him like a ragdoll. "Why is this recovery worse than the Cruciatus Curse?"

"I believe the barrier was created with Cruciatus in mind. You may not have been subjected to Cruciatus in extreme lengths of time." His eyes drifted away from her, and she had the distinct impression that he had suffered these exact symptoms before. "Crossing the barrier should shock the tattooed person and give them a chance to withdraw themselves from the perimeter. Father said you jumped through the barrier, your entire body beyond it. You landed and rolled down the hill."

She swallowed. Yes, that seemed right. At least she'd learned something. Weaknesses in the wards were irrelevant as long as she had that tattoo on her arm. Lucius had been telling the truth.

"By the time he recovered you," he continued, "you'd been outside of the barrier for two minutes."

She frowned. "Certainly took him long enough."

His face turned back to her, lifting a brow. "Lucius doesn't have his wand at the moment. He's having it replaced."

She blinked at him. This knowledge was startling. The possibilities swirled in her mind, and she tried to find the advantage.

Draco read her face easily. "The Dark Lord requested his wand last year, for reasons of his own. He's been using a replacement, but during the Battle of Hogwarts, it finally gave up on him. Cracked."

"Oh," was all she could say. She stared at the curtains behind him as she realized Lucius Malfoy had followed her down a hill, lifted her into his arms, and carried her back to her bedroom.

She wondered if he'd run, or if he'd just let her body writhe and sizzle at the bottom of the hill.