Can You Love Me? (A Draco Malfoy Love Story)

Love, Wedding bells and Now He is Gone- Chapter 23

Love, Wedding bells and Now He is Gone

Chapter 23

            Hogwarts wasn't the same. Half the students were gone, taken home by their parents, it was a desolate place. Aris felt it as bad as anyone. Draco was gone, and since the Unbreakable vow was broken she no longer felt the strong emotional connection they'd had that let her know how he was feeling. She also had to deal with the pain of losing her uncle Tiberius on her own. Her best friend Lanie was gone; her parents having come and picked her up after the night the deatheaters attacked. Lanie had tried to get her to come with her, but Aris didn't go, she was afraid Draco might try to contact her.

            In a few days school would be out and Aris had no idea what she was going to do or where she would go. But then she remembered the glass door knob her uncle had given her at Christmas that he said was a portkey. Aris packed her things, grabbed her owl and gently rubbed the glass knob, saying the words her uncle had given her. Immediately she began spinning, speeding towards what, she did not know. She went faster and faster. She had no idea where it was taking her, but it had to be somewhere safe since it was from her uncle.

            Aris and her stuff landed in a pile in a sand dune. She looked around in shock. It was a beautiful. White sand beaches, crystal clear blue waters and warm breezes that smelled like salt, fresh and clean blow through her hair. Right in front of her was the cutest little light yellow and white cottage with a huge veranda on the front porch, complete with a hammock and wicker furniture. It was like paradise.

            Aris picked up her stuff and headed up to the double french-doors and knocked. No answer. She looked around, there were no other houses around on the beach. She knocked again and then tried the door, it opened. She took her wand out as a precaution and went inside. The cottage was lovely, done in light colors with billowy soft white curtains that caught the sea breeze coming in through the shuttered windows. She called out for anyone but got no answer, and then she saw a note on the table. It was addressed to her and she read it, and then read it again, tears building in her eyes. Her uncle Tiberius had left it for her; in fact the whole small island was hers along with a hefty amount of gold galleons in Gringotts. The cottage even had a huge fireplace in the center of the room for travel by the floo network, with a huge bucket of floo powder.

            Aris got her bags and owl and quickly sent a message to Lanie letting her know how she was doing and what her uncle had done. Then she checked out the place. She took her things to the main bedroom. The place wasn't as small as she thought. Her room had double glass doors that led out onto the beach, with its own bath. There were three other small bedrooms that shared a bath, a huge kitchen and family room where the fireplace was. The place was nice, but without Draco it was not really a home.   …....

            Aris received an owl from Lanie the very next day telling her that she needed to see her tomorrow and could she visit. So Aris traveled by floo powder the next day to visit her friend. The two friends hugged.

            “Aris, I have something to tell you,” Lanie said as they went to her room, “Draco has contacted me at least 4 or 5 times asking about you. He couldn't get a message to you at Hogwarts so he's been owling me and until I'd heard from you I couldn't tell him how you were or where you might be.”

            They went into her room. Aris could hardly contain the happiness she felt at knowing he was trying to reach her.

            “I have a surprise for you, although it's against my better judgement,” Lanie said, opening her closet door. Out stepped Draco.