I Am A Gaunt *Completed!!!!!*

Chapter 22

Dedicated to: AvigailBook and 31122003S

- 3RD PERSON POV -

He paces the floor angrily. His mom had been gone for how long and when she returns what happens? His fiancé disappears and she tries to get him with a new one. Doesn't she get it? Draco has no interest in this Greengraw, Greengrap, Greengrass -whoever she is. He only has eyes for one girl. The one who has been missing form his life for way to long. The one he is forbidden from seeing.

"Draco, stop pacing. That is enough! You have seen the Daily Prophet! You know the truth! She has moved on. Astoria loves and cares for you and this family. Not that mu-"

"Don't finish that sentence.", the boy holds up a threatening finger and glares at his mother. Why is she like this? He wonders to himself. She supported them at first! Or was that just a hoax?

"Just...think about me. I know you don't get along with your father but you still have me. I am only looking out for you!", the aging lady watches sadly as her son begins pacing again. The girl he loves betrayed him. She left him for another man. The mother thinks as she decides, this is best. She is only looking out for her son. She never meant for him to get this hurt.

The young man thinks about it and gives a defeated sigh sitting next to his mother. He is exhausted from hours of debating with her over it. "Okay, I will think about it. Have her come in.", the mother bursts with glee and has the lady who had been waiting in the next room, join them. They all stand up and greet one another before sitting back down and preparing for the vow. His mother wanted to be sure that the decision was final. That there was no escape for Draco.

"Are you ready Draco?", the mother asks - just to be sure.

"Ye-", his sentence doesn't finish because before he can something catches his attention. A smell. One he hasn't noticed in months. It takes up his whole being and without thinking twice, he bolts up and runs for it. Down the stairs and through the stairs. He goes faster than ever before. That smell is taking over everything.

Where he ends up surprises him. It is his bedroom. Opening the door, he slowly enters it. Could it be? Is she here? When he enters however, all he sees is an empty room. Which doesn't make sense. Her smell is everywhere. Like a cloud of fog in the room suffocating him.

"Draco?", his head jerks over and there she is. Standing in front of the door to his balcony.

"Liana", all he had to was say her name. He couldn't for months. Vowing to only do it if she came for him. Only if he saw her again and she remembered.

- Draco's POV -

I walk to her and reach out to touch her. Seeing if she is even real. "Liana your here.", my voice chokes and tears start to come to my eyes. Immediately, she grabs me and pulls me close.

"Shh...it's okay", we fall into a sitting position on the floor and rock back and fourth, both crying.

After a bit we stop and lean back and stare at each other. I truly look at her for the first time in months and see that she has matured. Physically and emotionally. It looks like a serene beauty. A wilting rose being brought to life. "What happened?", I whisper quietly. One day I was reading a Daily Prophet about her being spotted with Ron Weasley acting like her old self and the next she is the Alliana I remember and then some.

"Ron happened.", when she says this, I lean back a bit. What is she saying? "He helped me remember everything. From the attack to why I forgot. It sparked something in me and it all came flooding back.", she notices my sudden distance and gets up quickly backing away. Suddenly upset, she shakes her head beginning to cry. "No. No-no-no. You don't believe me. Do you? You think I cheated on purpose? That's why isn't it? You thought I didn't notice? The fact that your ring is off? I NEVER TOOK MINE OFF!", she holds out her hand pointing at the ring.  "I WAS CURSED INTO FORGETTING! YET, HERE I AM! GOSH, I'M SUCH A FOOL! I thought you actually still cared....well, guess I was wrong.", she wraps her arms together starts crying. Meanwhile, I sit there stunned still processing what happened.

Once again, noticing everything she grows angry. "Goodbye, Draco. Guess they were right. My memories really are nightmares.", and with that she takes the ring off throwing it to the ground about to storm out of the room.

Everything clicks then and there and in in a matter of seconds, I am am besidr her, holding her arm. "Alliana"

"Draco, please let me go."

"Alliana", I repeat hoping she will stop and listen.

"Just let me go and you can have your pitiful life back.", the hurt evident in her voice appears in her sagging shoulders and posture.

"Alliana, I never took the ring off. It got destroyed in the attack.", she looks at my with wide and surprised eyes.

"W-what?", her voice cracking a bit.

"When they blasted me into the wall, it was the first thing to hit and shattered. I never took it off.", she looks at me in the eyes then down and away almost sadly ashamed. I lift her chin up facing me and we lock eyes. With my other hand I summon the ring with my wand. When it lands in my hand, my wand get set in my pocket and I take her left hand never loosing eye contact. "Alliana Gaunt, I made you a promise. That I would love you forever and never give up on us. I promised to always be there for you and protect you. Nothing has changed that. Nothing will change that.", I vow right then and there to make this my life.

"I-I'm sorry...I was just so scared...already preparing myself for you to not want me back...I just....assumed"

"Draco? Draco, where are you?", I hear the voice of mothers wannabe daughter in-law. 

Alliana looks at the door confused. "Who's that?"

"No one of importance. For now, we have to do something"

Again, she looks at me with those beautiful eyes, in the most confused way. "What's that?"

"Go home", I say and pull her into a close and tight hug. The door bursts open and my mom is standing there a surprised angry and Astoria locks eyes with me. She looks surprised and scared. I just nod goodbye, before apparating out.

In that split second my mind is made. No changing it and no going back. My path is set. If I had waited even a second everything could have been different. My mom would have tried to stop me and Alliana could have gotten hurt. I won't let that happen. She is my forever and always.

Forever and Always Alliana. Forever and Always.