Bulletproof Heart | A Draco Malfoy Fanfiction | Sequel to Desolation Row

Chapter 1

It was the early afternoon of the 2nd of September. Mine and Draco's 4-month anniversary, somehow we had missed 3 months. Draco was taking me out although I had no idea where. Despite the war that continued to rage around us, Draco and I were adamant that we would enjoy ourselves, that regardless of this war, we would still have our time. I was slipping on my shoes now as Draco dressed in the spare room. I felt over all of my jewellery, each piece a gift, each piece a memory. My serpentine ring - a gift from Draco, the Christmas I realised I liked him. My winding, snake-like bracelet - Draco had given it to me on my birthday that we had our first time. My Malfoy crest necklace - possibly the most controversial gift Draco had ever given to me, on my birthday that I came of age. And my other necklace - Elisa's gift to me on my 17th birthday, one of the only things I had that reminded me of my best friend. I smiled to myself, running my hand once again over my jewellery before a soft knock sounded at my door.
"Lia? You ready?" asked Draco and I sighed.
"C-coming."
I smoothed over my dress and moved towards the door. My outfit consisted of a plain black dress, nothing fancy but nice enough. My shoes were the emerald green pumps I had worn to Slughorn's Christmas party during my Sixth Year. I felt a stab of pain shoot through me as I thought about Hogwarts. I was supposed to be going back for my Seventh Year now but the war had even taken away my education. I pulled open the door and both Draco and I gasped. He was wearing a lovely grey shirt that fitted him perfectly, bringing out the similar tones in his eyes, his hands held behind his back. He smiled at me, his eyes raking over my form.
"You look gorgeous, love," grinned Draco and I smiled, wrapping my arms around his waist.
"Right b-back at y-you."
Draco planted a kiss on the top of my head before pulling a bunch of white and red roses from behind his back.
"Happy anniversary," he smiled and I grinned, taking the flowers in my hands.
"Dray, th-they're so p-pretty!" I squealed, smelling the roses deeply.
"White for innocence and red for romance," murmured Draco in slight embarrassment.
"Thank y-you."
We made our way downstairs, Buchanan and a rather heavily pregnant Duchess prowling about the living room. I headed into the kitchen and pulled a vase from one of our cupboards, filling it with water with a quick charm before cutting open the flowers and placing them in. They were the perfect length and didn't need any trimming. I lifted up the vase and placed it on the windowsill in the living room, grinning at them.
"Ready to go?" asked Draco as he wrapped an arm around my waist.
I nodded and made my way towards the door, calling out farewell to Buchanan and Duchess. Draco and I began to walk down the road and out of our neighbourhood. We found an empty alleyway and apparated into the busy crush that was London. I was still none the wiser as to where it was Draco was taking me but I was taking in the early evening glow of London's busy streets.
"Wh-where are we go-going?" I asked and Draco took my hand and led as quickly down a brightly lit road.
"It's a secret, my dear," said Draco with a wink and I rolled my eyes.

In hindsight, had it been any day other than our anniversary, I would not have let us go out into the capital city. I would have said it was too dangerous. I would have been scared. Today, however, I was irrational, I was reckless, I was fearless. For some reason, today I didn't care. Today was our day and no one would take that away from us. We drew level with an expensive steakhouse and Draco stopped. I looked up at it and was surprised to see that it looked to be a wizarding restaurant - I had been preparing myself for an evening out in the muggle world. Not that I was at all complaining.
"We're here," he gestured towards the building to our right and my jaw dropped.
Draco headed inside and I followed him inside incredulously, still in shock.
Stuffed, Draco and I headed back out into the now twilight soaked streets of London.
"Th-thank you for th-that," I smiled, kissing Draco's cheek.
"Oh, we're not done yet!" grinned Draco, causing me to look up at him in shock. "I'm taking you to the Globe!"
        As we arrived at Shakespeare's Globe Theatre, my feet were killing me but I didn't care. Draco pulled me into the queue that was forming by the theatre doors an I looked up at him.
"I th-thought we were j-just visiting?" I asked, confused even further now.
Draco shook his head with a playful smirk before gesturing at a grand notice board above the theatre doors.
"Hamlet's playing!"
I gasped. I had never seen the famous muggle play that had given me my name but it had been something that I had always wanted to do.
"Oh, thank y-you so m-much, Draco!" I squealed, grabbing the sides of my boyfriend's face and pulling him in for a kiss.
"Ophelia, you deserve this and you know it."
As I blushed, an elderly lady in front of us turned around to face us.
"I'm terribly sorry to interrupt but I couldn't help but overhear your conversation. Did you say that this lovely young lady's name was Ophelia?"
I blushed again and shuffled minutely towards Draco as if perhaps he could hide me. Instead, he nodded and wrapped his arm around my waist.
"I certainly did."
The lady gasped and took one of my hands in hers.
"I can't believe it! What a gorgeous name from such a gorgeous play!"
I laughed slightly awkwardly as she turned back around, no doubt to inform her husband who had not attempted to make conversation with us. I could see beyond the elderly couple a boy, about my age, with short brown curly hair and striking blue eyes watching us and I shot him a small smile before he swiftly looked away.
"And a gorgeous name for a gorgeous girl," said Draco with a smile, as I buried my face in his shoulder.
        We didn't queue for very long before we were at the doors and Draco produced two tickets from his pocket. The man at the door took our tickets from Draco's hand and checked them over before nodding and gesturing us in. We headed into the building and I was immediately taken aback, it was gorgeous! We hurried over to the bar and got ourselves a drink and some confectionary before we were ushered into the auditorium. I was excited, to say the very least.
"Draco, th-that was amazing!" I exclaimed as we headed out of the theatre into the dark. "Th-thank you so-so much!"
Draco shook his head as we wandered into a dark alleyway.
"You deserved it, Lia," whispered my boyfriend as he took my face in his hands.
The chill of the September air mingled with the hot breath that Draco and I were panting out when we pulled apart and I grinned. We clutched tightly to each other as we apparated home, stumbling when we hit the floor of our hallway. Duchess and Buchanan were sat at the top of the stairs looking extremely disapproving. Buchanan had a distinguished look of "excuse me, where were you" plastered across his feline features whereas Duchess just looked profoundly offended that we hadn't been there to tend to her every need. I chuckled and started towards them, my hand outstretched, they both, almost reluctantly, reached their heads forwards for me to stroke them. Before long, they were both purring and I laughed, turning to face Draco.
"We're for-forgiven."
I smiled to myself as I lifted Duchess carefully up to my chest. Feeling her stomach, I smiled even wider. It would only be a few months now before Duchess gave birth to her litter of kittens and even though I was excited, I was also slightly worried about the number of cats we would have in the house at one time. Duchess was likely to have between five and eight kittens and if they were anything like their parents, these kittens were going to have such big personalities. Draco and I knew we were going to keep some of them but I had frequently been wondering who the others were going to go to. I knew Elisa already had Misty but what with a baby on the way, maybe, just maybe, she might want another one? Who knew. I sighed, placing Duchess on the floor where she pranced over to Buchanan. In a way, I was glad that the only thing I was worrying about recently was strange muggle women being fascinated by my name and wondering who was going to buy my cat's kittens. It meant that I wasn't worried about anything else. Since the letter about my house being attacked, there had been no further news regarding anything. There had been no news about my family, my house, my father. I didn't know for sure how Elisa was doing. She would be 4 months pregnant now. I wonder if it had sunk in for her yet. I was worried. Of course, I was. But my worries tended to sit at the back of my mind, only really troubling me when I wasn't thinking about anything else. In a way, being so preoccupied with the mundane was the best thing for me. In amongst the war and the fighting and the death, me being tucked away in a muggle cul-de-sac was what was safe, it was what would keep me and Draco alive and right now, that was all I really cared about.

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Hey guys!!

How do we feel about the first chapter of Bulletproof Heart ??? I'm really enjoying writing it, possibly even more than I enjoyed writing Desolation Row... well okay maybe not but I'm definitely having great fun!!

Anyway, thank you for reading and I hope everyone it!! Remember, I love you all!!

- Izzy xx