Chapter Ten

The rest of the holidays go by in a random blur with me not paying attention to anything that happens. I'm unable to recall if it snowed on Christmas day or what Scorpius and Lucius argued about for the whole of Christmas lunch. I didn't know it was possible to feel this bad about anything. No matter how bad my family relations have been, no matter how awful an argument I've had with a friend, nothing compares to the pain I feel now.

But that's irrelevant if it's benefiting James. He doesn't reply to my letter, so he must have seen sense too and realised there was no point alienating his family just for me. No point at all. I sit with alone on the way back to Hogwarts, keeping my head down when anyone passes my compartment just in case it's Anna or Fred. Or James.

When the train pulls into Hogsmede station and we climb into the carriages to take us to the castle, I wedge myself in with Molly, Lucy and Becky and try to act as though nothing's happened. I wonder if anyone knows James and I have broken up.

Once at the castle I dash up to the Common Room and assume I'm safe when I hear someone shout me.

'Victoria!'

It's James and he doesn't look happy.

'Oh, hi' I say feebly.

He looks even angrier now.

'What the hell were you on about in that letter?' he fumes.

'We can't be together.'

'Why?'

'Because I'm not right for you. It's destroying your relationships! And I'm not worth that!'

'Yes, you are! I don't care about that! And it's only Uncle Ron and my grandfather who have a problem with it- no one else!'

Cowardly I just shrug and turn away, heading up to the girls' dormitories.

I don't sleep that night. I just think about him, about us. I'm convinced I've made the right decision but he doesn't seem to agree. He will do though, I think. Surely in a few years if we'd stayed together he'd have realised how wrong he was in thinking that he could ever go out with a Malfoy. But something niggles at me all night. A feeling that I've made a mistake, a feeling that James and I were perfect and I've screwed it up for an invalid reason.

The next morning I head down to Herbology with Anna, neither of us mentioning James. Then something distracts us. We're stopped from passing through the gates by a cluster of students gathering round them looking at the courtyard wall opposite in wonder.

I turn round and see a banner, stretching from the battlements all the way to the floor, emblazoned with fifty foot letters:

I love you, Victoria Malfoy

My book bag tumbles to the ground. I ignore it. My attention is on the lone figure standing right beneath the banner. The figure with ruffled black hair and deep hazel eyes. Then suddenly I'm running towards him and him towards me. He smiles, I smile back. Everything is going to be alright.

This is it. James Sirius Potter and Victoria Narcissa Malfoy. And it is perfect.

So this is the last chapter, hope you liked the story. I'm not sure what to do next, do you think I should continue this but set it after they leave Hogwarts or do something different? Let me know :)