A Serpent's Heart

Chapter 32. Flying Volantes and Swiss Castles.

~ a few weeks later ~

"My mother thinks it's repulsive," Draco laughed. "For some reason, that made me want it even more, though."

I giggled. We were soaring through the sky in Draco's brand new Aston Martin Volante, which was a very sleek car indeed. Draco had made it wizard-proof by adding a flying-gear to it. After working on the Vanishing Cabinet the previous year, he had gained some handiness with magical objects.

"And what does your father think of it?" I asked.

"He thinks it's a well deserved toy for me after such a rough time. Despite his usual aversion to Muggle things, I reckon he's secretly dying to have a go in it," Draco chuckled.

To my surprise, his father had not been sent to Azkaban. At first, Daco had feared his father would still lead the family the usual way, which meant still living up to Voldemort's beliefs. Surprisingly, however, he could quickly conclude that his father was actually trying to reform his life, despite some stubborn old-fashioned ideas. Life at the Manor had become much more pleasant now it was no longer crowded with Death Eaters and Lucius was no longer terrorising people to please the Dark Lord.

My father hadn't been locked up either, because there was enough evidence he had been Imperiused for the most part of his stay at the Manor. His strategy to scare off rather than attack students at the Battle of Hogwarts had also worked in his favour. When he came home, he immediately banished all his books regarding the Dark Arts to a dark, dusty corner in the attic.

The scenery below us consisted of lovely villages with colourful houses, majestic mansions, vast mountains and the most beautiful sparkling lake. To be back at this place, which I could pridely call the homeland of the Tacendi family, filled me with joy. Of course, I would never forget the gruesome events of the recent battle, I would never forget the friends I had lost, or the courage everyone had shown, but letting the wind blow through my hair as Draco nearly hit top speed, letting everything pass by in a sunny haze, made me forget about it all.

We left the lake behind us and the car slowed down. We ascended to an estate in the hills. As we neared the driveway, Draco commanded: "Open the gates, darling."

I drew my wand and said: "Alohomora." The majestic gates swung open, granting us access to the Tacendi estate, whose only inhabitant was my grandmother and her house-elf these days. The car gently touched down on the gravel and Draco parked it under a large pine tree.

Excitedly, we jumped out of the car and ran up to the castle in the style of the nineteenth century, complete with a flight of steps and battlements. For a Swiss castle, it was extraordinarily aesthetically pleasing.

After running up the flight, once again I said alohomora and the heavy door with the family crest on it (an owl holding a key), opened. Draco kissed me in my neck and I nearly lost my balance, but he skillfully caught my arm and ushered me inside.

"We're home!" I called.

"Shall I make you some tea, dears?" my grandmother called from the living room. Draco grinned. He found her Swiss accent quite comical.

"No, don't bother. We can manage," I said with a smile. My grandmother was old and spent most of the day reading in her armchair. That meant Draco and I nearly had the entire place for ourselves.

Draco slithered his arm around my waist and pulled me along to the stairs. "You're really making yourself at home already, aren't you?" I laughed.

"It's smaller than Malfoy Manor, but it's an agreeable pied-a-terre, you've got here," he smiled mischievously.

I playfully poked him and he softly bit my ear in return. After clumsily stumbling up the stairs, we entered one of the bedrooms and Draco locked the door while raising an eye-brow at me. My cheeks flushed as he slowly approached me. When our faces were just inches away and I was looking into those captivating, grey-blue eyes, I noticed this was the first time I saw no pain, or fear, or anger in his eyes. All of that was behind him. And behind me, as well. He was free now. He'd never have to fear anyone ever again and no one would ever force him to commit crimes again. He could be whoever he wanted to be now.

"What are you thinking of?" he asked. Apparently he had noticed my wandering thoughts.

I smiled at him. "You look happier than ever," I replied. "And it's not just the effect of our trip to Switzerland."

Draco bit his lip and looked at the floor. When he looked up again, he said: "When I found you in the corridor with your throat cut, I thought I had lost you." Thinking back of that moment, I felt a lump in my throat. "You were the one who got me through all my darkest times, but after I saw what my own family had done to you, I decided it was time to stand up against them. With little success, but at least they lost in the end." He reached for my throat and gently rubbed over it with his cold thumb. "I can finally live without fear. But you know what makes me most happy? That you're alive and you love me, despite my former- mistakes."

"If I had been in your position, I'd probably have made the same," I comforted him. "But you didn't lock the door to talk about unpleasant events in the past."

Draco grinned and finally filled the final inches between us with his lips. I enjoyed the chills that ran down my spine as his cold hand was still on my throat. While kissing him passionately, I pressed myself closer against him. Being close to him always comforted me. Draco's hands trailed from my throat to my collarbone and all the way down to my hips. I broke the kiss and started unbuttoning his shirt. Draco eagerly looked down on me and let the shirt fall on the floor. I unbuckled the straps of my heels and Draco reached for the zipper of my dress. The champagne-coloured frock slid down my shoulders and fell on the floor.

I traced Draco's chest with my fingertips, while he kissed my neck, which made me throw my head back in delight. We slowly made our way to the canopy bed. Draco lifted me and before I knew it, I was laying on a pile of pillows.

***

I smiled at the little breaths of air that tickled my face, everytime Draco exhaled. As our breathing slowed down I nearly drifted off to sleep, if a sudden burst of thunder and the sound of rain hadn't startled me. The curtains blew in the wind and I got off the bed to close the window. Draco followed me and draped his silk shirt over my bare shoulders. Lovingly, he put his arm around me.

"Ah- the scent of rain. Reminds one of home, doesn't it?" said Draco hazily.

"I can't wait to go back to Hogwarts, to be honest," I replied.

Draco snorted. "I'm not sure if I'll be welcomed back warmly."

I looked up at him. I understood his presentiment, but he hadn't done anything wrong. He had even stood up against his father in front of our classmates and teachers. "Draco, there could be no better moment to make a new start than the coming school year. Everyone will be a different person after the War and if you show everyone how likeable you are by being kind, rather than showing off, even the Gryffindors will accept you," I explained.

"Am I likeable?" Draco asked faithlessly.

"You made me fall in love with you, and I used to hate you. So you must have some sort of charm," I smiled.

Draco nodded thoughtfully. "I'll start by thanking Potter," he said.

"For saving the world?" I asked.

"No, for bringing us together. If he hadn't tried to kill me, you wouldn't have saved me and I would've never developed an interest in you," Draco explained with a smile.

I smiled. "All thanks to Potter..."

Draco pulled me in a hug and as we stood there in front of the window, the sun came out from behind the dark clouds. The warm light on our skin, the gorgeous landscape in front of us and the lovely, light-headed sensation made it feel like a dream. I realised this could very well be my favourite moment with my favourite person.