it ends with us ✦ draco malfoy (sequel to endgame)

family ties

   "Stella", Ash said softly, gently tapping my shoulders. "Are you still asleep?"

    I groaned and forced my eyes open. The bright morning sun shined into our bedroom and beamed directly at my face. My eyes adjusted to the bright light as I pulled myself up, sitting with my back leaning against the headboard.

    Ash was standing in front of my on my side of the bed. He was still in what he wore to bed last night. Sweatpants and a plain t-shirt. I looked at the nightstand to check the time and saw that it was 7:30 in the morning. Normally, Ash would be dressed in his suit and ready for work by now.

    "You're going to be late", I said to him.

    "I told my father earlier that I won't be coming in today."

    "Ash, you're the head of the Department of—"

    "I know", he said sitting down on the edge of the bed, "but today, you're more important. We need to finish our conversation from last night."

    "Do we have to?", I pouted. "It's barely eight and I haven't had my cup of tea yet."

    Ash rolled his eyes. "Yes, Stella, we have to. What's that saying about marriage? You shouldn't go to bed with things unresolved?"

    "What's there to resolve?"

    He scoffed. "Don't do that. Don't act like you don't know what I'm talking about. You like to do that when you don't want to confront your feelings."

    "What do you want me to say, Ash? That I miss being with you? That I wish we were still engaged and that we are really married?"

    "Yes. That's exactly what I want you to say. I want you to be honest with me."

    Being honest is easier said than done. My biggest fear other than loosing people that I love and loneliness is rejection. It's what kept me from being Draco so many times before. I can't stand to hear something I don't want to. It's definitely one of my biggest flaws.

    "Talk to me, Stella. I won't judge you."

    I let out a deep sigh. "I miss you. I hate that I have to sleep next to you knowing that you've been with other woman. It feels like you're having an affair because on the outside we're one thing but on the inside we're another. I've gotten so used to calling you my husband, I started to believe it. You being with other people while I'm home alone makes me feel lonely and empty."

    "Stell", he breathed, placing his hand on my thigh. "Why did you wait so long to tell me this?"

    "Because I didn't want to spoil anything for you."

    "How could you spoil anything for me? Just because I broke off the engagement due to the long distance and our careers, it doesn't mean that I feel out of love with you. I still loved you when I broke things off. I did it because I hated seeing you choose between me and work. I didn't want to hold you back from working for my father and interning at the British Ministry of Magic."

    This is what I always love about Ash. He always takes everything into consideration. I would have dropped everything to be with him. I would have resigned from my internship at the Ministry of Magic if that meant I get to be with Ash. But Ash knows that this isn't something good for me. He knows how important my career is to me and how hard I worked towards my goals. That's how I know that Ash loves me. He understands what's best for me and doesn't make me feel guilty for making a choice for myself.

    If this were another one of my ex-boyfriends, they'd make me feel like shit for choosing work over them. They wouldn't understand how important it is for me to make my own name and make my parents proud. Ash may have made the choice for me but it was a choice I was too afraid to make.