After Saving Draco [ONGOING / REWRITING]

chapter seventeen

Tala. 130 days before May 4, 1999.

      "Merry Christmas!" Molly and Arthur cheered as they held up their cups, taking a pause from dancing.

As everyone greeted each other back, we all continued to dance to the festive music that boomed through the burrow, all wearing the sweaters that Molly had knitted for us while we all indulged in the alcohol that I had brought as gifts.

Even Percy, the red headed boy with the horn-rimmed glasses I saved outside of the Room of Requirement was letting himself loose. I've heard about how stuck up and snotty he used to be especially when he worked for the Ministry, but now he would always make jokes, being silly and fun as Fred and George would always be.

The Twins have both stolen me to dance with and we would skip in circles, my arms locked with Fred and George on each side as we laughed alongside everyone else. Ron and Hermione were being cute and cheesy like they always were, mirroring Arthur and Molly, as well as Bill and Fleur as they continued to sway happily to the music.

Charlie danced with Ginny lovingly, having missed his little sister after him being gone in Romania to work with dragons for so long. I've told him about how the trio and I jumped on one after escaping Gringotts, and surprisingly enough, the same dragon made it's way all the way to Romania. And so Bill had restored it back to health, no longer beaten and scared for it's life everyday, making my heart feel fuller, remembering how sorry I had felt for it back then.

     The dragon was free and saved.

     Just like the boy who it reminded me of, a boy who's name meant dragon too.

"Remember how we used to dance like this together back at the shop!" George reminded me and Fred as we continued to dance.

"Yeah!" Said Fred breathlessly. "One time, tiny pretty lady had laughed so hard, snot had started coming out of her little nose!"

"Freddie!" I scolded as I chuckled, Georgie laughing alongside me. "If you're gonna bring that up, remember when your pants fell down that other time we danced! Your boxes were so cute, it had little rubber duckies on it in pink and—"

"Truce! Truce! Truce!" Fred said frantically, cutting me off as his face turned as pink as his boxers from back then, George laughing nonstop, making Fred give him a teasing look over the top of my head. "Georgie, you're not one to laugh! Remember when you fell and your trousers had ripped, you had the same boxers as me but in blue!"

"I thought we agreed not to talk about it, Freddie!" George scolded from over my head at Fred, his blue eyes that were as blue as his boxers back then, piercing through Fred's that were identical.

As they began to unlock their arms from me and list off every embarrassing moment each other has had from the moment they were born, I stood and watched as I laughed nonstop, everyone else dancing cheerfully to the lively music. The energy in the room had filled my body greatly, realizing this is the first family-like Christmas I've had since mom died.

A year ago, I spent Christmas dueling with Draco before we were permitted to leave the manor for an hour to get butter beers, feeling free just for a moment after being locked in the manor for months. It wasn't a typical Christmas, but I loved it because it was with him. And even two years ago when I couldn't find the courage to attend the Christmas banquet at school that Draco invited me to as a date, he still waited for me. Even though I was too stubborn and in denial to face my feelings for him, he waited.

But I can't wait for Draco anymore.

      Because even though he said he was trying, he didn't.