|| Star-Crossed ||

95

CAROLINE POTTER

It was quiet for a while after Max finished explaining. I was holding Draco in my arms and silent tears streamed down his cheeks. Theo was sitting on the couch and his leg bounced up and down with anxiety. Harry simply paced back and forth over and over again. "Harry, are you ok?" I asked. He stared at me for a moment, almost examining me. Like he was trying to decide if this was real or not. "It's real, Harry. I'm real." I said. "How did you know she'd stab herself?" Theo asked. Max sighed. "I gave her the knife." he replied. Theo's face faltered. Then he just nodded. "I need a drink." he mumbled. Max chuckled. Then they went into the kitchen. "Harry-" I started. "I need a minute." he said. Then he walked outside before I could speak. Draco was clinging tightly to me and I could feel him playing with my hair. "Draco, love...can you look at me?" I asked. He shook his head. I sat back and cupped his face, pulling him to face me. "I'm sorry. I really am. But it had to be like this. It was the only way." I said. "You told me I had to let you go, that you were ready to die..." he said. "And I was. But now that Max brought me back, I'm glad I'm still here." I said. More tears fell down his cheeks. "I know I told you to fall in love again but I lied. I want you to be happy and live a good life but I want you to do it with me." I said. He kissed me again and we stood up. "I've missed you, Line." he said. Theo and Max walked back in and so did Harry. "I have to do it." he said. I looked at him with confusion. "Your family is here and so is mine so I have to do it now because if I don't I know I'll lose you again." he said. He pulled a chain out from under his shirt and unclipped it. He slid the ring on the chain off and smiled at me. He dropped to one knee and held out the ring I once wore around my neck. "Draco-" I started. "Caroline Lily Potter, I never believed in love at first sight. But I do believe in seeing someone and knowing that they will change your life forever. I never thought I would love someone the way I love you. And everyone told us that we would never work. That we were star crossed lovers. But they were wrong. They were wrong but I'm here right now, down on one knee, proposing to you so I can spend the rest of my life loving you." he said. Tears fell to my cheeks. "I made mistakes. Big ones. But the biggest mistake I ever made was losing you. And I'll never make it again. Please marry me." he said. I looked at Harry and he smiled. "Yes, yes, I'll marry you!" I exclaimed. He slid the ring on my finger and I kissed him. He picked me up and spun me around. "I love you and I always will." he whispered. "I love you too, Draco Malfoy." I said.

1 WEEK LATER...

"How do you feel?" Draco asked. I laid down with him and he traced shapes on my back. "Relieved." I said. He nodded. Everyone knows I'm alive. I told my closest friends and family first, then the Order, then the Ministry. It was in the Daily Prophet this morning. "I feel guilty." I said. He looked at me with confusion. "Why?" he asked. "I was supposed to be the sacrifice. The death that saved everyone." I said. "You did save everyone." he said. "But I came back. Fred, Remus, Tonks, none of them did. Why am I here and they aren't?" I asked. He moved the hair from my face and smiled. "Their deaths saved people too, Line. Tonks died saving a first year who got trapped in the Great Hall. Remus died protecting a group of students from death eaters, Fred pushed his brother Percy out of the way of a crumbling building. They were all heroes. They all died heroes." he said. Tears fell to my cheeks. "I miss them." I said. He nodded. "When can we go see your mum?" I asked. His face fell. "Merlin- I- I never told you." he said quietly to himself. "What?" I asked. "My mum- she's gone. She didn't make it." he said. My stomach lurched. I hugged him and buried my face in his chest. "Draco, I'm so sorry." I said. He nodded. "I know she wasn't the best mum in the world but she tried her best. And I loved her." he said. "She was a kind woman." I said. He nodded. We should get some rest. Funerals begin tomorrow." he said. He was right. I planned to attend every funeral out of respect. There were 50 people including students, teachers, and members of the orders. I knew the hardest ones would be Remus, Tonks, Fred, and Snape. But I had to go. They died so we could live. I had to honor them. The Battle of Hogwarts may have ended but the grief is still there. But what is grief if not love persevering.

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