59A/N: Here's the next chapter! Hope I didn't take too long. My computer finally crashed, and luckily I was able to upload this doc before it was lost, and I'll soon be getting a replacement =] OH, and also, because I had to upload this online before I was even closed to finished with it, there may be a few spelling errors which I sincerely apologize for =/ just bear with me. I hope you like this one, and once again, thank you all so much for following along with my stories and giving me fantastic reviews. I appreciate it soooo much. I'm actually trying to wonder if I want to write another sequal or just make an extensive epilogue lol 'cause there's so much about everyone's future that I want to put in. So as you read on to the conclusion of the story, let me know what you think!
Thanks again! Enjoyy
Chapter Fourteen
Tick-tock
In the neatly organized office, it was absolutely silent save for the repetitive ticking of the clock hanging on the wall. Alyssa sat in Draco's desk with his cloak draped around her shoulders and a mug of hot coffee sitting in front of her. There was still dried mud, blood, and saltwater all over her body. Her clothes were still damp from the cold lake. She stared into the mug, watching the charmed spoon stir in the milk and sugar. Sighing heavily, her head fell backwards hitting the back of the chair with a dull thud. Although she was glad everything was over, and unable to wait for Draco to get back so they could leave, there was only one thought that was circling over and over through her mind.
This is all my fault.
Alyssa knew that it was a Death Eater that killed her dear friend, but she couldn't help but think that if she had tried harder to keep her friends home, Trish would possibly still be alive. Trish had had so much ahead of her; she had a great career and loved every second of it, she had a huge family and group of friends that loved and supported her through everything in her life, and she had finally got together with Orlando. Alyssa should've fought harder; should've made it more clear to all of them about how dangerous the situation could've been. Instead she just… gave up. Yes, she decided, Trish would still be alive.
Tick-tock
She leaned forward, inhaled the scent of her coffee, and took a rather large sip, inviting instead of rejecting the burning she felt on her tongue. For the first time in what seemed like forever, she could feel soothing warmth spread throughout her body. Looking up at the clock for tenth time in the past three minutes, Alyssa wondered what the hell was taking Draco so long. She just wanted to leave, snuggle into Draco's warm bed, and be held by his strong arms. She stood up, tugging his cloak tighter around her shoulders and began pacing his office. She paced back and forth, biting nervously at her nails and periodically taking a sip of her coffee, for what seemed to be another twenty minutes before she finally heard the door knob turn and looked over her shoulder to see Draco stride in with a stack of papers about a foot high.
"What's all that?" She asked, jutting her chin towards the stack.
He dropped them ungraciously onto his desk. They scattered all over his spotless desk and he sighed, raking through his hair with a mud and blood covered hand.
"Bloody paperwork," he muttered angrily. "I'm going to be stuck here for ages filing all this shit."
"Paperwork?" Alyssa made her way around the desk, handing him back his cloak, only to have him wrap it back around her when she made a move to walk back. He put his hands on her waist and pulled her back against him, nuzzling into the crook of her neck.
"It doesn't matter," he dismissed casually. "Are you all right?"
Alyssa sighed as she rubbed his neck with her hand. "I'll be fine," she lied.
Draco turned her around so that she was facing him and looked into her shining eyes. He brushed strands of hair falling from her messed up ponytail and placed them behind her ear. "You're lying." He said simply.
"How would you know?"
"I can read you quite easily, you know." He countered matter-of-factly. "I think you're not fine, and I think you've got the wrong ideas clouding that lovely mind of yours." He waited for her to say something, and was slightly frustrated at her reluctance to talk about what happened. He had killed people, seen people be killed; it was not hard for him to look under the surface and see what was going through the mind of someone in grief. Especially when that person was his fiancé. "Don't blame yourself, love. Sometimes you need to accept that some things are out of your control. That Death Eater killed your friend, and I promise you, he will be spending the rest of his life rotting in a cell in Azkaban."
Alyssa couldn't find a response to this, so instead rested her head on his chest. "Can we go home now?" she asked.
"Of course," he said softly. He took her hand, leading her out of his office, and together they went back to Malfoy Manor.
When they arrived back to the Manor, they surprisingly found that Brad and Hermione were still there. Apparently no one had informed them that everything had ended, or what specifically had happened, and after a long explanation of the events that took place, it unsurprisingly left the two of them absolutely furious.
"You know," Brad started, pacing back and forth angrily, "I can't get over how lazy the people running the Ministry are." He paused, looking at Draco and added "No offense."
Draco shrugged his shoulders, hardly offended. Alyssa had left to go to the bathroom upstairs, trying to avoid them as much as possible. She wanted to see Brad and Hermione, of course, but she didn't feel like she had the energy to answer any more questions, or feel anymore emotions for that matter. She shut and locked the door behind her and headed straight for the mirror. Alyssa thought that from all of her previous experience, she'd get used to looking half dead with dirt all over and dark circles under her eyes. Yet her appearance was no less shocking than ever before. Her nose was definitely broken; she gave it a small pinch and winced sharply as her eyes got teary. She looked down at her broken hand to see that it was slightly purple and her fingers and knuckles were incredibly swollen. She sighed and held it to her chest as she leant forward to turn the sink on, and attempted cleaning up her face with her only good hand.
She moved over to the bath tub and turned the faucet on, running her fingers through it until she could see that it was so hot it was already beginning to steam. She added some bubbles, slowly undressed, and discarded her dirty clothes before sliding into the hot bath; her muscles instantly relaxed from the intense heat. She sank deeper into the tub and began to let her heavy eyelids droop, just as there was a knock on the door. Practically being in a trance, Alyssa shot up choking on a mouthful of water and bubbles and continued coughing up as Draco walked in.
"Jeez, I nearly drowned." She rasped, still coughing to clear her throat. She eyed Draco warily, noticing he was only in his pants. He hardly seemed troubled by her shock at his sudden appearance. He merely smirked at her and said, "Scoot."
She smiled and slid forward a bit, making him some room. He slid in gracefully behind her and wrapped his arms around her. A rush of heat surged through her body, and she highly doubted it was due to the wave of the hot water. Alyssa sighed, letting her eyes close again as Draco soothingly rubbed her shoulders.
"Are you feeling better?" He asked.
She absolutely loved feeling his voice rumble against her bare back, but pushed those thoughts away and tried to focus on what he was saying. "Physically, yes. I think I'm really just too tired to feel anything else yet, though."
"I agree with you on that." He said, and started leaving little kisses around her neck. Eventually he paused and Alyssa's eyes flew open at its absence. "Can I ask you something?"
Alyssa craned her neck to try and get a look at him but he simply looked back at her curiously until she gave a nod. "What the hell were you thinking when you apparated away like that? Where did you even end up?"
"I don't even really know, actually – to both questions." She paused for a second, "Wait a minute, you saw that?"
He chuckled, "Yes, I did. That's why I asked. I was maybe… ten feet away from you."
"Silly me," Alyssa said, rolling her eyes. "Who was that guy anyway?"
"Marcus Flint." He said, and she could sense the resentment in his voice. "He was one of my classmates; graduated before you got there. He never was a good person, even then. His parents were involved with Death Eaters as well, they were acquaintances with Lucius. I expected he would end up a Death Eater, we just never knew where he was."
"And how did he end up? Presently, I mean."
Draco hesitated, thinking back to how he had gotten to Flint just as Alyssa disapparated. Flint had had his wand raised at Alyssa's face; Draco made a grab for his wand hand and pulled back sharply, twisting as he did so until he heard the man's shoulder pop. Alyssa turned around again to see him with another smirk on his face, which, she noticed, was in perfect shape again as if nothing ever happened. She questioned him with a raised eyebrow. He inhaled a deep breath before saying: "Broken wrist, dislocated shoulder, precisely three broken ribs, a broken cheekbone and… I'm almost positive he's still unconscious."
Alyssa's jaw fell open, however was still obviously glad to hear the damages of the man who nearly killed her. "Your doing I take it?"
"The one and only." He replied with a smile, "No one hurts you, let alone touches you without suffering the consequences."
She smiled cheerfully and gave him a small kiss on the cheek. "You, Draco Malfoy, are simply my favorite."
"Well, I should hope so. You're only planning on mar-"
He would've finished his sentence, but Alyssa was too busy kissing him. She fully turned over so that they were chest to chest, wrapped her arms around his neck and her hand instinctively tangled itself in his soft hair. She ignored the throbbing in her broken hand and splayed her fingers across his shoulder, now wet with droplets of water. Draco sat up straighter so he could get a better hold on her waist, sending a wave of water out of the tub. He nibbled her lips to kiss her more deeply and she grabbed onto him even tighter, nearly yanking his hair out.
"Draco," she murmured against his lips, trying to press pause. Instead she moaned loudly and grabbed the edge of the tub when he pressed his hips against hers. His lips moved down her throat, sucking and biting where he could until her skin turned dark red and she shouted his name to make him stop. He pulled back, surprise and confusion showing on his face.
"What?"
"Sorry…" she said, panting for breath. "But we really need an upgraded tub; I think I'm getting a cramp in my leg." She smiled sheepishly, apologizing for ruining the moment.
"You're right." He said smiling. He looked deep in thought for a moment, contemplating on what to do before saying, "To the bedroom."
The next week went by as a complete blur. Alyssa's friends, Dan and Alex, went back to Romania to tell Trish's parents what had happened. To soften the blow, or at least make things less difficult, everyone back in England planned the funeral arrangements, sent out letters to other friends, and paid for everything in full. While Alyssa was busy working on that, she was extremely surprised to find out that Draco was working with Ginny to begin planning their wedding. She never figured Draco to be the type to plan weddings, but she was very thankful that he was making the effort. When the time actually came for the funeral, no one seemed to be prepared to face and relive all that had happened, nor to accept the reality of their loss. Before it was time to leave, Alyssa stood in Harry's house, facing her closet, completely unsure of what to wear. She felt disgusted at fretting over something as simple as clothes, but everything she picked out seemed to inappropriate for the occasion.
Draco knocked on the door; He was in an all black suit, holding his cloak in his hand ready to go. She didn't turn to answer. She held two sweaters in her hand, one black, one purple, and she was already dressed in a long black skirt with black boots. Draco walked in and sat on the bed watching her patiently.
"I don't know which one to wear." She said quietly, her voice barely above a whisper; she sounded so distant. Draco didn't know how to reply without making a comment that would upset her so he continued to sit in silence. Alyssa suddenly whipped around, a worried expression on her face and tears in her eyes. "D-do you think the black one is all right? I thought maybe the neckline was too low and I don't want to offend anyone, but now I'm not so sure." She raised the purple sweater up. "Trish really liked purple. She liked this sweater and how it looked with my eyes... but what if her parents get upset by it? What if they knew how much she liked the color purple, and seeing me in purple just looks insensitive and rude?"
By this time Draco had stood up and made his way over to her, placing his hands on her face to get her to calm down. "I think the purple is perfect," he said a few tears slid down her cheeks. "You'll look beautiful, and Trish would've liked it."
Alyssa looked at the purple sweater again, and after dropping the black one to the floor, she clutched it to her chest and started sobbing. Draco pulled her closer to him and held her as she cried it all out. He rubbed her back and stroked her hair trying to soothe her, and eventually her sobs subsided. He pulled back to look at her and wiped the tears off her face with a small smile. "Be strong, Alyssa. You can do this," he said.
She gave him an embarrassed smile and wiped a hand over her face. "I'm sorry... I'm just a wreck." She took a deep, calming breath and slowly exhaled it, "Get it together, Alyssa." she mumbled to herself. "Ugh, I need a drink." She joked, trying to lighten the mood. She put on the purple sweater and smoothed it down before looking at the mirror and smiling weakly at her reflection.
"Are you ready to go?" Draco asked.
"No, but let's just do this." She grabbed his hand and held onto it tightly. Just as they were about to leave the room, she stopped and turned to look at him. "Thank you so much, Draco. For everything. Especially all this wedding stuff; you have no idea how much I appreciate it. I don't know what I'd do without you."
Draco smiled and shrugged one shoulder. "Well, it has been a jibe to my masculinity," he said with a smile, causing her to laugh. "But considering all you've done for me, this is really nothing." He bent down and kissed her deeply, and thankfully he had a strong hold on her waist because her knees went weak. It was incredible how much passion the recent grief had sparked in them. They needed each other more than anything in the world, and the circumstances only proved that fact. As long as they were together, they could get through anything.
"I love you," they said, practically in unison as they broke apart.
A few days later, Alyssa found herself in Harry's guest room, re-packing her clothes into her giant suitcases. She finally decided it was time to move into the Malfoy Manor; things had finally started to settle down. The funeral, although depressing as it was, sort of changed the mood of the entire group. Through their loss of a beloved friend, they found hope. Hope to live fuller and happier lives, to be fully grateful for the days that they were given, and appreciate that they all had each other. Together they stood as a family, and through thick and thin, fights and wars, together they could conquer any trouble that came their way. Alyssa thought that finally moving in with Draco was an excellent opportunity for the next step. They had also finally found a place and set a date for their wedding; they would be married in two weeks and it ironically would be held at the Manor. They figured it'd be the easiest, it was built to hold occasions like these, and it would be a great time to add happy memories to the place.
She moved to the extra bathroom to grab her toiletries and put them in her bag, before moving on to pack her shoes away. She was startled as there was a knock on the door and she turned to see Harry standing in the doorway. He had the entire weekend off so he was completely in his comfort zone, still wearing his pajamas, at two o'clock in the afternoon.
"How's the packing going?" He asked cheerfully.
Alyssa smiled as she dropped a pair of sneakers into her suitcase and stood to her full height, leaning back to crack her back. "It's going all right, I guess. I didn't realize how many things I brought," she gave an appraising look around the room, "Good thing, though, right?"
Harry took a few steps in the room and nodded in agreement. "It hasn't looked so empty in a while," he commented. "You will be missed."
She frowned visibly. She hadn't really thought of how much she would miss living with Harry; he was her best friend. Not to mention, he was probably the easiest person to live with. The obvious would've been Draco, but he was a bit of a neat freak and she did have her sloppy moments. Harry was extremely down to earth. "I'm really gonna miss you, Harry," she replied, "I seriously appreciate you giving me a place to stay."
He shrugged slightly, "It's nothing, anytime you need anything, just say the word."
Her expression lifted back into a smile and she stepped over her suitcase to give him a tight hug, which he more than happily returned. "Please promise me something," Alyssa started, "Even though I'm moving out and I'll be married soon, please promise me we will always be best friends, forever."
Green eyes met violet and Harry kissed her forehead softly, ruffled her hair and said, "Always."
She pulled away before she let herself get too emotional. "Besides," he continued, "life wouldn't be nearly as tolerable nor entertaining without you."
Alyssa laughed as she grabbed another set of clothes to fold. "I'm glad my ditziness suits your fancy."
Harry chuckled and made his way over to sit on the bed and watch her fold clothes. It brought back memories of the last time they were in this same exact position; when she was packing to leave Hogwarts. He was extremely thankful that this time, she was leaving under much better circumstances, and to go live the life she intended on living with the love of her life.
"So," he said, changing the subject. "How have you been doing?" He wanted to add 'since the funeral' but he didn't know if it was too soft of a subject. She pretty much took the hint, though, and gave him a soft smile.
"It still hurts, but I know she wouldn't have wanted us to sit around moping forever. She would've wanted us to carry on. And she's not completely gone," she glanced skyward as if looking through the ceiling, "She'll always be watching over us, and one day we'll meet again."
Harry nodded but added, "Not for another eighty years, though."
She laughed, nodding as well, "Yes, hopefully." She looked around the room, and noticing she was almost finished, she said "I'm taking a break, let's go back downstairs."
They headed back downstairs and into the kitchen, Harry moved to the fridge to make himself something to eat, and Alyssa continued into the living room to join Jamie on the couch, who was also still in her pajamas. Since they returned from the fight, Harry and Jamie completely hit it off, and Alyssa couldn't have been more happy for them. They seemed perfectly in sync, always knowing what kind of mood the other was in, having almost the completely same interests, and they had the same exact type of humor. It was as if they were made for each other. It looked as if Harry had finally met his match.
Jamie looked up as Alyssa sat down next to her. "How's it goin', girl?" she asked.
"Taking a break," Alyssa replied with a sigh, "My back is starting to ache from all that up and down, up and down."
"Well, you gotta get going some time, you have a wedding to prepare for!"
There was a moment of a burst of exciting giggles between the girls, "I know!" Alyssa practically squealed, "Man, I haven't even picked out a dress yet!"
"Are you kidding me?" Jamie asked, trying to keep her jaw from dropping. "Alyssa, we need to change that ASAP."
"I know, I know," Alyssa agreed, shaking her head at herself. "We'll have to get the girls together on Monday to go dress shopping."
"So it's settled, then." Alyssa nodded, practically beaming; she was one step closer to her wedding.
Later on, Alyssa was back at the Manor moving her stuff in. She was pleased to see Draco had accommodated to her by doubling the size of his already enormous walk-in closet. She smiled happily to herself as she hanged her clothes and put her shoes away. She walked back out of the closet holding an empty suitcase in her hands to find Draco in the bedroom; he had just come back from a meeting and was dressed nicely in a white button up shirt, and dress pants. Now he standing awkwardly, scratching the back of his head with a funny expression on his face.
"What is it?" She asked curiously.
"Er..." He paused and kind of laughed to himself, anticipating her reaction. "My mother wants to meet you."
Alyssa dropped the suitcase to the floor. "Huh?"
"My mother wants to - "
"Yes, I heard what you said." Alyssa snapped, only to be laughed at some more by Draco. She sat on the edge of the bed and nibbled nervously on her fingernails. "But-but why?"
Draco looked oddly at her and quirked his lips at her, "Well, you are marrying her only son. I think that may cause for at least an introduction."
"She won't like me!" Alyssa started; she stood up from the bed and started pacing back and forth across the room. Draco rolled his eyes at her and walked over, and grabbed her shoulders to stop her from moving.
"There's no way she couldn't like you, she'll love you." He paused to let go of her shoulders, yet waited to see if she would start pacing again. When she didn't, he continued. "I mean, if I'm marrying you there has to be something to like."
Alyssa scoffed, "Well I would hope so!"
He shook his head, realizing how bad that sounded, "You know what I meant. I just meant that she supports me and the decisions I make, and honestly there really isn't anything to not like about you... except for maybe your ridiculous and stupid uncertainty." He added the last part quietly, smirking at her as he did.
"But she just seems so... so proper, and elegant, and well... proper."
"Your point being?"
"You don't think she'll think I'm ridiculous, or that I don't have manners? Y'know, I do have a reputation for speaking with my foot in my mouth sometimes."
Draco looked at her skeptically, "Like you're doing right now?" He laughed at her expression and said, "I'm only joking!"
"What if she doesn't think I'm good enough for you?" She shook her head at herself and her eyes dropped for a second to stare at the floor, "You are kind of perfect... and wipe that smug look off your face, I can just feel it radiating off you."
He sighed and wrapped his arms around her waist to pull her against his chest. He couldn't believe Alyssa was acting this way; she was always confident in herself and she had never tried hard to impress anyone, except for maybe himself. This was just completely out of character. "Alyssa, listen to me... I am far from perfect; I've made horrible decisions in my life and I've hurt more than a fair share of people. If any one of us is not deserving of the other, it's me who doesn't deserve you. I've seen you at your best and at your worst, and I can tell you that each side is just as great as the other." Alyssa's heart squeezed in her chest and as she looked into his eyes, she was beginning to feel lightheaded. "You're the best person I've ever met, and my mother would be insane not to like you."
He smiled at her encouragingly and she couldn't help but return it. "Besides, even if she doesn't - which won't happen - what does it even matter? It's not going to change a thing. No one in this world could ever change my mind about wanting to spend the rest of my life with you... Not even you."
Alyssa's smile brightened, and she reached up on the tips of her toes to kiss him softly. She couldn't believe that this man was going to soon be her husband. She didn't think she could get any happier than she felt at that moment, and it wasn't even the day of their wedding. She looked down at the diamond ring on her left ring finger and beamed.
"So..." He said, breaking her reverie, "Are you still nervous?"
"How do you do that?" She asked; he cocked an eyebrow, not knowing what she meant. "How do you always have the ability to get rid of any worries in my mind?"
Draco smirked at her, sending chills down her spine and said, "Lots and lots of practice."