how our story ends
It has been two days after the breakup, he hadn't seen her at all. He hoped she didn't spend her weekend cooped up in her room. But Draco knew she probably did.
He'd be lying if he said he wasn't nervous to see her during DADA class. He'd normally sit two seats behind her. But right now he wanted nothing more than to sit next to her.
Selfish. He hated how much he still wanted to be around her. He should stay away, he had hurt her, broken them up. He had been selfish, before, during, and even after the relationship. For once he should think of her more. And he'll do that by staying away.
-
It has been a week now, not a single sight of her. Draco hated this. Draco hated not seeing her. Draco hated wanting to see her. This was his decision, why couldn't he get through with it?
He just wanted to see her one last time, and Merlin he promises he won't ask for anything more.
He came a little earlier to the DADA class, taking up the seat right next to the one she usually sat in. Two rows away from the professor. He would never sit this close to the front, so exposed and he can't pretend he wasn't dozing off.
Draco was only fifteen minutes early, so after seven minutes of waiting, kids have begun to take up their seats. He pushed his book to the table next to him, staking claim so no one would sit there. No one but her. A girl Draco recognised came in, it wasn't her, it was her friend. The friend who constantly tried to set his girlfriend up with male after male.
The friend raised a brow after looking at Draco in her usual spot, Draco shot her off with a glare to which she responded with a sneer. Merlin, he hated her. He hated her for not fearing him, for trying to set his beloved with others, for everything. He hated everything. He hated himself. Draco could feel his anger, his despair, his terrible anguish piling up, and this friend of her beloved is getting the brunt of it. He hates her more than he does Potter.
He hated that she was walking up to him. Maybe his beloved had told her about her breakup with him. About how much of a scum he is. He was ready to answer her with quick remarks that would hurt her, needing this swirl of pain in his chest to relieve even the slightest.
"You're in my seat." Her friend quipped, looking down at him, not a single ounce of fear in her even after Draco Malfoy glared at her.
"Your name's not on it." He decided brushing her off would probably annoy her even more. Not even looking at her.
"You can't possibly want to sit near the front, unlike you some of us actually come to school to learn." She placed her books down on his desk, she sounds so much like that mudblood Granger.
"Piss off, mudblood." It was a shot in the dark, he didn't know her, much less who her parents are.
But from the way her jaw clenched and her eyes glared with pure hatred, he knew he was right. So why doesn't he feel good about being right? About putting her in her place?
He hurt his beloved and now he hurt her friend. Draco did not want his beloved to hate him, but he sure knew how to do so easily. So much more easily than loving her the way she deserves to be loved.
He looked back at her beloved's friend, shaking his head and opening his mouth to apologise. But before any word came out she had grabbed her books and trudged towards the door, at the same time his beloved was coming in the door, causing them to crash into each other.
He watched her place her hands on her friend's shoulder, worry in her beautiful face as she asked what's wrong.
He was wrong. Draco was wrong in every person's life. His appearance in a person's life makes it terrible right away. They should make a prophecy about him. Draco the Despair Bringer.
Her friend must've mentioned his name because her face fell, sadness contorting her face. He hated her friend for making her feel that way again. She must be disgusted by him, now that he's hurt her, she must have seen him as he truly is, a terrible person. He has no happiness in his life so he has to make sure no one has any as well.
Not her, she deserves everything good in life. Which is why Draco has to get out of her life. But he just can't seem to.
Seeing her made him doubt everything.
He was wrong. He needed to be with her. He wanted to touch her, day and night, and day again, he wanted to be right by her side. He wanted nothing but her. He'd trade everything in his life for her.
She glanced at him. And at that moment everything in his body yearned for her, he needed to explain himself. Tell her he was wrong. But the look on her face stopped him.
She had stopped loving him, it seems. Her gaze was hard, traces of sleepless nights in her eyebags, her expression as though saying 'Was hurting me not enough?'.
His body froze, reminded of all the pain he caused her, the reason he had to stay away from her. She deserves everything good in life. And Draco could never bring that to her. He couldn't even bring happiness to his own life.
She has to hate him. She has to.
So he stood up and walked towards his beloved. His heart screamed no no no, tearing itself inside his ribcage. He has to make her hate him.
As soon as he got to her, he gripped her hand, pulling it upwards roughly. A desperate chance to feel her once last time, "Your mudblood friend deserves it." Every word sliced him apart.
And it did the same to her too, because her eyes glossed over again. No. This isn't what he wanted. Hate him. Don't cry. Hate him.
A fist collided with his jaw, smacking his face to the left. Her friend had punched him. And he deserves it.
Draco looked back at his beloved, noticing her friend had already left. And that everyone was looking at the commotion he created. He doesn't have it in him to be embarrassed that everyone saw a mudblood punch him. He could only look at her eyes, so beautiful, yet sad. All because of him.
She broke their gaze, "Let me go." The words came out in another whisper. Her voice sounded so beautiful that he didn't even register what she said. She was so beautiful. How did he manage to ruin something so beautiful? That was his specialty.
She forced her hand off, leaving Draco's fingertips so cold from the warmth of her hand.
She felt the chill too, the place where his fingers had wrapped around turned so cold, memories of the warmth his touch use to bring doesn't even compare. Who is this man standing in front of her?
This wasn't the man she fell in love with. Nothing she says would ever bring her lovely Draco back. The Draco that kissed her forehead when she got the passing grade for potions, the only class she hated. The Draco that held her hair back as she puked out all her noodle dinner, soothing her back in the midst of it. The Draco that held her hand under the moonlights.
He was gone.
She had no more reason to stay.
And so she left.
All Draco could do was watch, and under his breath, he uttered, "I'm sorry."
She could still hear him because she froze just a tiny bit before continuing.
She was walking out of his life. And he let her.
Just how he wanted.
Draco had done it. He made the woman he loved find no more reason to stay.
-
It's been a month now. He hadn't seen her since her friend punched him in the jaw.
He saw her friend every DADA classes and charms classes. But no hint of her.
He wanted to go up to her friend and ask where she was, but he would probably receive another fist to his jaw before even getting his question out.
Was she sick? He hoped not.
Is she okay?
Must he come find her?
Maybe she didn't want him to find her.
Maybe she was staying away from him.
Maybe this was best for her.
-
It's been six months now. No signs of her still.
She had disappeared from his life.
This wasn't how it was supposed to be.
He was the one who should disappear. She was supposed to be happy here. She was supposed to date someone better.
And Draco would watch her smile from afar.
But now he couldn't even see her at all.
-
It's been a year since the breakup and Draco was glad he had broken up with her before he became this person. He single-handedly ruined everything.
Every single thing.
He knew every single part of him was dark, devoid of any light, and now that he's joined the death eaters it felt like he belonged.
At least every single person here was as terrible, some even worse, as him.
This was where he belonged.
Not beside his beautiful beloved. He would probably taint her with his darkness if he hadn't let her go.
He deserves to be in this darkness.
-
It's been years now. Draco is to be married to a woman called Astoria.
Astoria was beautiful despite the fact that the marriage was set up. She was kind, and Draco found himself losing his darkness every day he spends time with Astoria.
He couldn't say he loved her yet. Soon, hopefully.
His wedding is only three hours away, but everything is set. His best man had been entertaining him, calming down his nerves.
He wasn't nervous to be married.
No.
He was afraid he couldn't love Astoria.
He was afraid he'd be stuck in a loveless marriage like his mother.
He was afraid he'd turn into his father.
But maybe Astoria's goodness will prevent that.
Hopefully.
"- even if it was true, I'm glad Goyle was done with that childish habit of his." Zabini had ended his comment, whatever it was about. "Anyway is Potter really coming?"
Draco had changed. A change he was proud of. A change he knew he should've done years ago.
Draco and Potter had been keeping in touch, not too much, but enough. He actually found Ron funny these days. Granger still prefers not to get too close to Draco but Draco didn't mind it, he deserved it. Zabini enjoyed talking to Potter, not that they had much in common, but Potter didn't mind listening to Zabinni's romantic adventures with different women. Crabbe and Weasley seemed to bond over a few beers on Draco's bachelor night.
"He is, with Ginny."
Blaise raised his brows with a smile, "Man they sure are going strong."
Draco smiled, looking at himself in the mirror once more. The suit perfectly fitted him. His hair tidy on his head. This was it.
The life he wanted to have, a good woman, building a happy family.
This was it.
So why wasn't he happy?
"Malfoy?" Zabini placed his palm on Draco's shoulder. "You're spacing out man. Are you nervous?"
Malfoy took his time to answer, "Sort of." But not for the reason he should be nervous about. Attempting to divert the topic, Malfoy asked, glancing at Zabini through the mirror. "When's your date coming?"
Zabini told them he met a girl during his short visit to the US, despite his newfound fascination with muggles, Zabini met a witch. He didn't talk much about her, but she sounded great. She stopped Zabini's rampant trysts with different women each week, that's an incredible feat.
"She should be here any minute now." Zabini seemed to just remember about her. "I'll go look for her, let her settle and I'll be right back." He took his suit splayed on the back of the couch of the groom's waiting room and puts it on while hurrying off.
Draco was finally alone again, Potter won't be here anytime soon since he has to tend to Ginny, and neither would Crabbe because of his late tendencies.
Loneliness was suffocating this time.
His suit was getting tighter by the second, his breath shorter each time.
He needed air.
Something wasn't right.
Is this what he wanted?
His feet brought him to the backyard of the building, a beautiful building rented out for events. And today it was for his wedding.
This wasn't how he wanted his wedding to be.
He could feel the fresh air, but his breath was still short. He starts shrugging off his suit, leaving him in just his dress shirt. Not even the pang of cold air against his thin dress shirt made a difference.
He's supposed to have a quiet wedding with the person he loved. A special moment between the two, sacred vows not for the crowd, but for the lovers.
With the woman he loves. Never stopped loving.
He shouldn't have stopped searching.
"Draco?" The sweet voice stopped him from his anxious trance.
Maybe he never stopped searching. Or maybe true love will always find a way back.
He turned around and was met by the answers to his prayers. Nothing could ever prepare him for the beauty before him.
She found him.
"I'm really happy for you." She smiled, eyes glistening, not tears. She was truly happy for him. That smile was genuine, beautiful, the smile he looks for in his dreams. Her face was a little more defined, she had lost all her childlike features. Now stood a beautiful, strong woman.
The love of his life.
Those eyes. Merlin, those eyes. They were the ones that bring him comfort. He had forgotten his shortness of breath, the cold air against his skin, all he could think about was her. Her under the moonlight.
This is how it should be.
"We can run now." He sputtered, "We'll apparate... somewhere. We'll get married there." He strode towards her, the words rushing off his lips like he has no time to waste. Because he doesn't. He only has two and a half hours now. He can have the life he's always wanted. With her.
Any life so long as it's with her.
"We can go to the beach, for now. Get a beach house. Or live among the muggles, a city life? That sounds new. Or someplace exquisite we couldn't ever imagine. Anywhere, you say it, and we'll leave." He closed the distance between them, taking her hand in his, clutching them for dear life.
Because she was his life.
"Or we'll simply come back to the Manor, we'll find out how to tell everyone -"
"Draco." She sounded so gentle, her hand gripping his own back.
His name sounded so incredible on her lips.
"Just say the word," Draco whispered, begging her.
She smiled and shook her head, her hair moving like liquid, shining under the moonlight.
She was beautiful under the moonlight.
Gently she pried her hands off his, then placed one on his cheek. "Draco I'm in love."
He smiled, his heart bloomed.
Everything was falling into place.
Before it shattered to pieces. There was a diamond ring on her finger. His heart was torn out of his chest.
This couldn't be real.
He had lost her.
"I wasn't really surprised I fell in love with him. Some parts of him reminded me of you after all." She spoke of this person so delightfully, like she's never been happier. "I met him in Massachusets. Apparently he had some business with a professor in Ilvermorny. He remembered me, which I found surprising. Oh, and I'm teaching at Hogwarts for two months."
Draco sobered up, not enough to muster up a proper response. "Hogwarts?"
Her hand left his cheek, and she grinned, "I'm a teacher now. You might want to guess what I teach."
He couldn't. He couldn't think of anything but her. She was in front of him.
After all these years. Here she is. Maybe he can call off this wedding. Maybe time will fix things. She'll find her way back to him.
"Potions." Draco must've taken too long to answer, so she answered herself.
Somehow a laugh ripped out of Draco's throat, a genuine, happy laugh. "No way."
"It sounds impossible, I know." She shook her head again. "But I find potions quite fun now, so I'm guessing I just didn't enjoy Professor Snape's potion lessons."
It seemed like no time has passed. And it felt like an eternity has passed.
They talked like they use to, but she was a different person now.
"My love, there you are." A voice came from the exit of the building. "Ah, Malfoy, nice of you to keep her company."
His best man strode towards them.
"I thought I lost you." Zabini placed a kiss on her lips. She smiled, gazing into his eyes.
She was in love.
Draco stopped staring at her, his chest still in a swirl of emotions he can’t figure out. He stared at the ground for a bit, took a deep breath and mustered up his happiest smile, "No problem, we just had a short chat. You two should head back in, and help her settle in the crowd. Maybe introduce her to Ginny so Potter can come to my room soon." Draco said lightly, his tone a tease.
"Sounds good, I'll be there in a bit as well." Zabini grinned.
"Nice to see you again, Draco." She smiled once more, the sweetest smile he's ever seen.
Before Zabini followed his lover, he seemed like he was about to say something to Draco. Then decided he shouldn’t, gave Draco a pat on his shoulder and caught up to his lover.
She was looking back at them.
Looking at him. Draco’s best man.
The person that was able to put that smile on her face.
Waiting for him.
She giggled as Zabini wrapped an arm around her waist, and gave her a kiss on her temple.
She seemed happy.
There it was.
That was all Draco ever wanted.
She finally got the love she deserves.