All I Ask Of You (Sequel to "The Point Of No Return (Draco Malfoy)"

Chapter Fourteen

            I went home for Christmas. I pulled myself together, said goodbye to my friends, and left Draco behind.

            It was torture.

            But home is always good. Home is always nice. The familiar scent of our house and the feel of the grass between my toes never fail to pull me back in. When I go home, I feel like a true Californian. I feel the tan return to my skin and the breeze open my lungs.

            This Christmas was good… better than last year… because I knew Draco was waiting for me to return to Scotland. I knew for sure that he wanted me.

            Of course I knew. He sent me owl’s every day. How they got across the ocean, I had no idea, but it didn’t matter. The only thing that mattered was that every day we were apart, Draco told me how much he missed me and all the things we’d be doing if we were together.

            We would drink hot chocolate. We would make snow angels. We would sit together by the fire. We would lie under the sky and count shooting stars from the astronomy tower. It would be perfect.

            So here I am, wishing I could tell my friends and my sister about what I have with Draco and it’s only March.

            But I do have one good thing. I have Draco… in a weird, non-official, awkward, wonderful, perfect way.

            One particular night I got in an intense argument with Aly… over Draco. She claimed that I was obviously falling under his spell again. She was completely aware of our partnership in Potions and feared I’d be hurt a second time.

            I tried to tell her that she didn’t need to worry. I told her that I would be fine and that nothing was going to happen. History wouldn’t repeat itself. Everything would work out perfectly.

            Needless to say, she didn’t believe me. She said I just can’t see it because my hormones are all over the place and what I really should be focusing on is preparing for the O.W.L.s. So we continued to argue until she packed a small bag and stormed out to go sleep in Kay and Lucinda’s room.

            I slammed the door behind her, sighed, and then opened it again, heading for Draco’s room. I crept through the hallway quickly and when I got to his room I slowly opened and shut the door.

            He was sitting at his desk, working on some homework. I slipped my hands over his shoulders and down his chest. I kissed his neck, from right under his ear to the collar of his shirt.

            “Natalie.” He sighed.

            I pulled away and he turned to face me.

            “What’s wrong?” He asked.

            “Nothing.” I said, running my hands through his hair. I pulled him up and wrapped his arms around my waist.    

            I pushed my lips on his and he immediately kissed me back. Before I knew what was happening my back was against the door and fingers tugging on his hair. Our lips moved so quickly that I couldn’t catch my breath, but so perfectly that I didn’t care.

            Suddenly he was gone. I opened my eyes and looked at him, leaning over me with his hands against the door, on opposite sides of my head. His chest heaved up and down.

            “You don’t want this.” He whispered, somehow knowing where I’d take it. But it made me want to cry. I couldn’t tell if it was because he was saying no to me or because he was right. I didn’t really want it. Of course, I’d thought about it, but I was in no way ready for that kind of commitment.

            “I’m sorry.” I finally said.

            He dropped his hands and stood up straight. “What’s really wrong?” He asked.

            “Aly! She’s being ridiculous!” I almost shouted. He motioned for me to lower my voice and I did, fearing someone might hear me and report me to the prefect.

            “We got in a fight… about you.” I sighed. “She’s going to figure it out, Draco. She’s already started to. What are we going to do?”

            He sat back down at his desk and I sat on the edge of his bed, facing him. I watched him run his hands over his face and cover his eyes.

            “Okay,” He said, placing his hands on his knees. “Look, I’m not sure what we’ll do, but we’ll figure it out. It will be fine.”

            “How do you know that?” I argued.

            “Because we’ll figure it out together.”

            I laughed slightly. “Could you sound any more cliché?” I asked.

            “I’m serious. I’ve waited a long time to be like this and I don’t want to lose it. I was stupid and I messed up. And I’m sorry.”

            I’d waited so long to hear that. And now that he finally said it, I felt completely and totally at ease.

            Nothing could stop me.

            I was invincible.

            We were invincible.