My Father's Only Rule {DRACO MALFOY X SNAPE'S DAUGHTER}

Chapter Twenty-Four: At Ease At Last

May 1995 - Hogwarts

Draco and I were happier than ever. We weren't doing hardly anything to hide our relationship. We were only denying it. But we still openly held hands and flirted with each other. We were getting a little too careless, but as long as we denied everything, nobody batted an eye. We decked out in Hufflepuff colors for the final tournament event. Draco had dropped the "I hate Cedric" act just as I had asked him to. He was understanding of my friendship with Cedric and was glad that I could still be in love with him while being able to move on from a very important relationship in my life.

It was like we were freshly in love all over again. I caught him gazing at me. He reminded me every day that I was beautiful. He surprised me at the best moments. And best of all, he respected everything I wanted to do. He respected my friendship with Cedric. He respected that I needed to keep us a secret. It was amazing. I had nothing to complain about. He was perfect.

Blaise, Jane, Draco, and I all sat with each other at the event. We saw the champions at the bottom near the maze, and Cedric waved at us.

"Go, Cedric!" I screamed.

"Yeah, Cedric!" Draco screamed along with me. Cedric waved at us again before turning around and kissing Cho, who then waved at me. Things were finally at peace. Cedric and I were on good terms. We could stay good friends without our significant others feeling uncomfortable. He was about to win the Triwizard tournament. I just knew it. Cho and I were, well, sort of friends. It's not like we hung out, but we talked every now and then. People stopped comparing us because Cedric was proving more and more every day that he loved Cho. Jane managed to keep up her marks, and she and Blaise were a happy and unproblematic couple. I had discovered a new passion for quidditch, and I still hadn't completed a real season of it yet. Draco and I were more than happy. It was perfect. Everything was perfect. And it had taken so long to get that way. But I was so thankful we were at a point in time where every stress in our lives had finally been resolved.

Then it all unraveled when Harry returned from the maze with Cedric's dead body, sobbing endlessly.

We didn't notice what was happening at first. The band started playing as we celebrated Harry's victory. Then Fleur let out a horrible shriek and we noticed Cedric. Every ounce of breath I had in me completely escaped as my face went white and my jaw hung open. Cedric was dead.

I trampled over everyone trying to leave the stadium.

"Grace!" Draco said, attempting to run after me, but Jane pulled him back in his seat. I ran to the nearest hallway, fell to the floor, and sobbed.

Cedric was dead.

 He was gone. Forever. Just when things were starting to resolve. Just when we had fixed our relationship. Just when he recommitted to Cho. Just when we were all happy. Then I realized something that would haunt me for a very long time. I was one of the last girlfriends he ever had. And how did I spend our relationship? Cheating on him. Not being loyal. Running to Draco at any minor inconvenience. Getting into stupid fights. I was the last person to ever break his heart. His last heartbreak in life was all my fault. And suddenly, I didn't want to see Draco anymore. I didn't want to play quidditch. I didn't think I could ever look at Cho. I didn't want to do anything that reminded me of how I was such a bad girlfriend.

*

Jane comforted me as the four of us sat alone in the common room that night. It seemed like I had cried all the tears I could as I stared blankly into the fire.

"Jane," Draco said. "Would you mind giving us a minute?"

"Sure," Jane said, as she hugged me, grabbed Blaise, and retreated to the dorms. Draco sat next to me and pulled my head onto his shoulder.

"Are you ok?" he whispered. No Draco. Sorry if this comes as a surprise. But I am not ok.

"Draco," I managed to say. "I need some space." His head jerked towards me.

"What?" he asked.

"Listen to me," I said, bringing myself to look at him. "I'm serious. Please listen. I spent my relationship with him being secretly obsessed with you. I cheated on him. Frequently. With you. And that doesn't prove my love for you, that proves my inability to stay loyal to him. And now that he's gone," I said as the tears finally burst out, "all I can think about is how I could have been better. All I can think about is how I was such a bad girlfriend. All I can think about is how I could have broken up with him in a much better way. All I can think about is Cho, who felt brokenhearted to know that her boyfriend still had some feelings for someone else. And every time I look at you, all I can think about is how I did him so wrong. How we did him wrong. So I need space, Draco. I'm not saying I want to break up forever. But if you love me, please give me this." He stared at me for a second.

"Are you saying you want to go on a break?" he asked. I painfully nodded. Then he stared at me. "Are you serious? After all the shit you did you want to go on a break-"

"Cedric is dead, Draco!" I screamed. "I know you never cared for him. But I did. And he's dead. And I just can't look at you without thinking about him. And I'm sorry if that makes you mad but it's the truth." I waited for a response. I realized that Draco had been incredibly patient with me all year. I realized that I was asking to go on a break for purely selfish reasons. I realized that he may just break up with me altogether. But it felt right.

"Alright," he finally whispered to my surprise.