FORBIDDEN LOVE

Ch 17 THE TRUTH

It was now Tuesday, a few days had passed since Draco tried to kiss me. I hadn't seen him since.

He hasn't shown up to any of his classes yesterday. I doubt he will today.

I was relieved. The less I saw him the better.

In potion class, we were given an essay to do with our partners. Urquarth asked me to meet him in the library after classes, so we could work on it together.

"Hey" I said smiling at him.

"Bella" he said smiling at me, taking my hand in mockery of first meeting "How was the rest of your day?" he said laughing. 

Suddenly we heard a chair fell. We looked towards the corner of the library and saw Malfoy storming out the door, clearly looking angry.

He sighed, I shrugged pretending not to have seen anything.

"Don't tell me you don't care, Bella" Blaise whispered.

"What are you talking about?"

"I am talking about Draco, about how he got upset because I just took your hand!"

I pretended to look confused. "I know you saw him" he stated.

"And so what? let's do our work before it's too late, we don't have much time"

"He still loves you, you know"

"No, he doesn't. He never did, he was just pretending. He left me to marry that Slytherin girl so stop it, now!" I snapped.

"It wasn't his choice" he said in a small voice. 

"Oh yeah! What a pathetic excuse!"

"Bella, seriously! How can you be so blind?" he said suddenly exasperated. 

I scoffed, sitting at the table.

"Bella, you were his life, the only positive thing he had, he never chose to leave you! You were taken away from him!"

I just stayed quiet, looking at him incredulously.

He sighed. "You were not supposed to know this, but I don't care, Draco is miserable without you. He needs you, and you need to know the truth"

"The truth about what"

"About the reason why Draco broke up with you"

"Let's hear it then" 

"When he came back home at Christmas, his father told him he was to marry Astoria when she finished Hogwarts. Draco immediately refused. His mother sensed the reason why he was refusing, and when she asked him, who was he in love with, they found out you weren't a Slytherin and threatened him to find out who you were and kill you and your family. He knew his father could find you because Snape knows and if asked, he would have told them. He had to break up with you, he had to make you believe he didn't love you anymore when instead he hasn't stopped loving you. The ring Astoria has, Draco didn't even buy it, his father did. Draco refused to give her the family engagement ring. He fought so hard until his father gave in. He doesn't love Astoria, he doesn't even like her. He was just close to her enough to make you jealous because he could see you had moved on, and that a lot of guys wanted you. He still had the crazy idea that maybe you still loved him, that you were with Seamus to hide your feelings from him ... but when he tried to kiss you on Friday and you didn't respond, he was so sure you had moved on. He has been moping around, crying since then. He doesn't eat, doesn't sleep. He broke up the engagement with Astoria yesterday, she was devastated. He apparated to his manor and argued with his father. He refused to marry her. He threw the ring at his father and then ripped in two the contract and threw it in the fire ... just because he loves you, he wants to marry you, Bella, he doesn't care what his father would say. He wants you back" he said sitting on his chair, breathing heavily.

I just stayed there unmoving. I was too shocked to move or talk. I just took my bag and left.

When I arrived in my dorm, I began crying desperately.

It was Saturday now and I had Ignored Draco and Urquarth all week. Until yesterday at Potions, when the latter insisted on meeting me this morning to finish our project.

I walked into the restricted section, but he was nowhere to be found.

I sat at the farthest table and began working. After 10 minutes or so I hear a chair move.

"Finally! I was beginning to wonder where you we--" I stopped abruptly when I saw that the person standing in front of me wasn't the one I was waiting for.

It was Draco.

I had the impulse of standing up and running towards him, but I stayed put.

I just looked at him, waiting for him to say something, afterwards he was the one who showed up here.

When he didn't say anything, I spoke up.

"Where's your friend?" I asked suspiciously.

"He couldn't come. He asked me if I could tell you" He said softly not looking at me.

"Oh well, OK thanks," I said and got back to my work.

"It's not the real reason why I am here," he said abruptly.

Of course not.

"What is it then?" I said frustrated.

"I know that you know the truth. He told me that he told you. Why didn't you come to me?" he asked hurt.

"I don't know"

"You really don't love me anymore?" he asked, a few tears falling down his eyes.

I do love him. But I am scared. What if he changes his mind again and he left me. I could not take this again.

He broke my heart once, I can't let that happen one more time.

"Bella, I love you. I have never stopped loving you. I miss you, every day"

"What about Astoria, and your parents?"

"I don't care about any of them. I care about you. The only person I want in my life is you"

"I don't know Draco ... you say this now, but what about tomorrow or the day after? If you wake up one day and realise that you made a mistake--"

"No, love. The only mistake I made was letting you go. I will never forgive myself for what I did to you. You are my life, Bella. All that I care about, all that is important to me. Can you forgive me?"

I was crying by then. I loved him. I have always loved him. He did what he did for me. To protect me. He never wanted to hurt me.

"Draco ... I ..." I sighed " I forgive you"

DRACO'S P.O.V.

"Draco ... I ..." she sighed. Oh no. I feel like dying. She won't do it.

"I forgive you"

I looked at her and she was smiling and crying.

I didn't think it twice. I ran to her and took her into my arms.

I hugged her tightly.

When we parted, I took her face gently in my hands. "Bella, my love, I love you"

"I love you too, Draco"

I bent down and kissed her, feeling the happiest boy on earth.