Love Never Dies. (Draco Malfoy Fan Fiction) (Watty Awards 2013 Winner)

Chapter 34: The Meeting.

A/N: Hi everyone :) Thank you for reading and voting and for the 7,000+ reads it's amazing. Here's the next chapter. It's been wonderful and fun to write and I hope you'll enjoy it too. More POVs will be added after the whole story has been completed. Please comment on anything that can be improved on and keep voting! I expect the next chapter to be good. Thank you! :) 

Rachel's POV

I feel a searing pain in my left forearm and getting the signal, I apparate back to the Malfoy Manor from the field I was in. I needed a place to relax and just let my mind roam free for a while. I reach the house in time and all the other death eaters were there too. Bellatrix and Lucius were there too. It must be quite big considering the large numbers. I find my seat beside Draco and his face wore one of worry and anxiousness. I sit on the cold chair and lean back against the backing. A chill ran up my spine as I felt nails run across the backing of my chair. The Dark Lord was here. He found his seat at the head of the table and everyone sat up immediately, I doing the same and looking at the snake-ish man. I could feel my heart thumping against my chest and my breathing quickened as he started speaking. 

I felt Draco snake his hand around mine and I could tell that he was trying to make me feel less afraid and he was doing it right. Feeling his hand against mine seemed to slow my heart down and it felt more comforting to know that he was there. Someone I knew would be there and save me if I needed help. I seemed to have zoned out because my attention was brought back to the situation when a long pause was broken when he spoke again.

"That Potter lives is due more to my errors than to his triumphs... I have been careless, and so have been thwarted by luck and chance, those wreckers of all but the best laid plans. But I know better now. I understand those things that I did not understand before. I must be the one to kill Harry Potter, and I shall be," he snickered. "And to do so I need another wand with another core as my wand and Harry Potter's are of brothers of sorts. We cannot fatally attack each other but we can only seriously injure each other." 

With that, Snape strolled along the side of the table before stopping at Lucius. I could see him hold his breath, as if he smelled something rancid. "I require your wand," he said. 

Lucius cringed before he took his wand out hesitantly and handed it to the Dark Lord. My eyes followed the wand, moving from one pair of hands to the next. The wand had the head of a snake attached to it, giving it an elegant feel and appearance but You-Know-Who broke it off before giving it a feel. He then brought forward a lady who appeared familiar to my eyes. 

"This is Miss Charity Burbage," she cringed under his hold in an unnatural position, her arms twisted back. "She teaches Muggle Studies in Hogwarts and believes that both Muggles and Pure-bloods should be treated equally." 

With those words, everyone cringed and I did the same, keeping my eyes on the table. Her frail and twisted body hovered down the table before he killed her. There was a loud thump on the table and it shook accordingly, making my jump in my seat from the shock. The snake, Nagini, then slithered across the table, right through the centre to have the now-dead-professor as a meal. As the snake slithered past me, I kept my hands off the table and drew them closer to my body. The snake was as deadly as its owner himself for it understood every word said in Parseltongue. 

After the meeting when the Dark Lord was gone, Draco and I were sent off to our room. We use the stairs because a walk could do us good. Apparating to places could be tiring and draining. We walk up the several flights of stairs up to our room. It was the same room as the one we used in third year. The walls were still the same colour but the bed was bigger this time. It was really nice to be back in this room. Happy memories were shared here with Draco but this time, there seemed to have been a gloomy and cold atmosphere hung in the air like a heavy cloud. 

"I'm gonna go change," I whisper to Draco who hugged me from the back. 

I take my clothes and go to the bathroom. I looked at myself in the mirror and see how my collar bones seemed to have protruded more and more as the days went by. I've been losing a lot of weight I guess. This death eater status has been sucking the life out of the both of us. I sigh before turning my attention back to changing my clothes. I change into a comfortable pair of shorts and a shirt. I leave bathroom only to find Draco's face just inches from mine. 

I jerk backwards in shock but he just laughed as he closed the gap between the both of us. He kissed my forehead gently before he took my hand in his and said he wanted to take me somewhere. It wasn't long until we apparated to The Maldives as I recognised the crystal clear blue water from a few years ago when I went with my... parents. It was in the sunset when we reached the sandy beaches and the sky was a stunning shade of red and orange. 

I was mesmerised by the sheer beauty of nature and the water that lapped against the shoreline and I squeal when a pair of strong arms wrapped around my back and scooped me up so I was cradled against his chest. I swing my arms around Draco's neck, afraid to fall. He ran into the water, splashing water onto me while he took each step. 

He started laughing as I cringed when the water wet most of my clothes. I laugh at my reaction, realising how long it was since I ever laughed or felt carefree and happy. The wind blew throught his  soft blond hair and he gently put me down and I keep my arms around his neck. The water was warmer than I expected and it tingled against my skin. I liked the feeling of being open to love and to just... relax for once. 

"I thought maybe we could spend a little time alone a few days, away from all the things that's been going on," he whispered, his warm breath blowing into my face. 

"I think that's a good idea too," I smile, looking into his clear grey eyes that never seemed so beautiful before.

"Especailly before you stop being my fiance," he paused, closing in on me to create a deeper effect. "And start being my wife." 

The smile from my face evaporates when his lips met mine and I was taken to another world with him. The ring on my left forefinger never felt this light and warma against my skin. I let a smile escape to my lips as he drew me in for a hug. I was his and he was mine. Things seemed to be falling into perfect place.