CHAPTER FIFTY-FOUR ───── ⋆⋅☆⋅⋆ ───── "We can end this all, and I can let go, if you tell me right now that you don't love me."
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─── Y/N POV ───
"Y/n, come downstairs," My mother called from the living room. "Now."
Five months have passed since I last saw Hermione, Harry, or Ron. Last time I saw them, they left to go find Voldemort's last Horcruxes. And Draco? It had been eight months since I'd seen him. Each day without him was a struggle, a relentless ache that never went away.
I was forced to stay here, serving for the Dark Lord. Every ounce of me wanted to just escape it all, but I know I would never make it. Especially not alone. I've thought about talking to Draco, but I have no idea how. He's gone.
How do I tell him exactly how helpless I feel, standing by like a puppet while everyone is at war with each other?
With a heavy sigh, I made my way down the main stairwell, walking elegantly, shoulders back, head held high. I remembered my mother's voice guiding me, the words a mantra in my head: "Don't let anyone see your weakness. Stand up straight and keep your head held high."
I made my way over to her, not bothering to look at the three silhouettes standing in the faint lighting of our front entryway.
"Yes, mother?" I asked, flashing an expressionless look at her.
"We have guests." She said, an evil looking grin plastered across her face.
I barely turn my head, and found that the entire world froze in time.
There he was.
Draco Malfoy stood before me, his straight blonde hair tousled, as though he had been raking his hands through it in frustration. The bags under his eyes were dark and pronounced, molded into his skin from sleepless nights filled with worry.
He manages to compose himself enough to offer me a slight smile and a bow. "Hello, y/n."
"Hello, Draco. What are you doing here?" I asked, my eyebrows furrowing.
Before he could respond, a firm hand grasped his shoulder. Lucius Malfoy stepped forward, his polished shoes glinting in the dim light, his expression dark.
"That is none of your concern," he said, a half-smile creeping onto his lips that sent a wave of unease coursing through me
"Actually, it is because you are kind of in my house and—" I was cut off by my mother swatting my arm.
"Y/n!" She yelled, giving me a look of disgust.
I shrugged off her reprimand, casting a quick glance at Mr. Malfoy, who was watching me intently.
"Harley, can you escort y/n and Draco to a different room? I need to talk privately with the Malfoy's and I've been having some distractions." My mother said, giving me a glare of anger.
"As you wish." Harley said, nodding at me and Draco to follow her.
I glanced over at Draco, then quickly looked away because the feelings that were stirring up in my were too much to handle. Why do I still have feelings for this one boy? After everything I've been through, why are my feelings for him still so strong?
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I closed the door behind me, the soft click louder than it should've been in the quiet. My chest tightened as I took a shaky breath, forcing myself to turn around. And there they were—those eyes. Grey, with the faintest hint of blue. They used to be full of wonder. Now, they looked tired. Hurt. Like they'd seen too much.
"Why?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper as I leaned back against the wall, staring down at my shoes.
I tried to keep the crack in my voice hidden, but it slipped through anyway. I missed him—so much that it hurt. Looking into those eyes again was almost too much to bear. For a moment, I thought he was going to yell, maybe say something sharp and final. Or worse, turn around and walk away without another word. But then, he moved.
One step.
Then another.
Suddenly, he was standing so close I could feel the warmth of him, just inches away.
"I'm sorry," he said softly, his voice low. "I thought ending things would make it easier for both of us. That putting distance between us would help me move on. But...it didn't. Hell, it only made everything harder."
"Then why didn't you come back?" I asked, looking up at him, my eyes watering.
"Because I didn't think that a person like you should be with a person like me. I'm no good for you, y/n. I've never been a person that has been loved. I never cared about anyone, until I met you—" By now there were tears in his eyes.
The sadness in his voice broke my heart.
"Why do I do this to myself? I think I'm going to be okay, and then I see you and feel—" He paused, and grabbed both of my hands and held them in front of me. "Do you really love me?"
We were inches apart, each of us holding onto each other as if letting go meant leaving forever.
"If you don't love me, just say it. It would probably be better off if you did. Maybe it's for the best...." he trailed off, but not breaking eye contact. "We can end this all, and I can let go, if you tell me right now that you don't love me."
I take a deep breath and cup my hands over his fragile face.
"I can't do that, Draco. Because I love you. I'm in love with you, and I will always love you." I say, looking at his teary eyes.
"I'm so afraid of what will happen. What if—" Draco starts, but I silence him by pressing my fingers against his soft pink lips.
"Shhhh," I say, wiping a tear off of his face.
Before he can say anything else, I press my lips onto his. He falls into my kiss with helpless urgency. I feel his hands wrap around my body and pull me closer, and I wrap my arms around the back of his neck, running my fingers through his hair. The moment makes me feel alive. Something I haven't felt in so long that I'd forgotten what it had felt like.
We move together in sync, like a spell is binding us together, and right now, in this moment, this is all I want. No matter what happens to us in the future, no matter where our roads take us, this moment will forever be ours.
We both break the kiss and look deeply into eachother's eyes. And in that moment, I realized that he is here, and this is real. He is real.
He breaks the silence when he moves closer to my ear and whispers, "I love you."
