The train ride home was uneventful, but I broke down in tears when I had to say goodbye to Draco. He was the only thing that got me through this whole school year and I didn't know how I would last through the summer without him.
"Don't worry, baby. I'll come visit soon," he'd assured me.
And with one last kiss, we parted ways. Snape was waiting for me outside the train station and took me to a deserted alley where we apparated to his house. We landed in a small living room with rows of books lining the walls and two small couches facing each other. He showed me my room and left me to unpack while he made dinner for us.
The first month went by quickly. I got through the days by reading the many books Snape had in the study and exchanging owls with Draco and Hermione. But the letters from Draco stopped in the middle of July and I quickly became depressed. I continued to send him updates, but I never received anything from him. Instead of growing worried, though, I was becoming angry. I soon had so much anger towards him that I smashed most of my possessions.
Everything changed one day when Snape came home from wherever he goes during the day. I was lying on my bed, reading a book when the door burst open and he hurried in, quickly throwing my belongings into my trunk.
"What are you doing?" I asked, standing up and watching him. "School doesn't start for three more weeks."
"The Dark Lord knows you're here," he mumbled. "You have to get out of here."
My eyes widened. "How? How does he know?"
"Draco's father found one of your many letters and informed him of your whereabouts."
I gasped. "Is Draco ok?"
"He's fine," he paused to look at me. "For now, anyway." He lifted my trunk and grabbed my hand, pulling me down the stairs with him.
"Where are you sending me?"
"I have a cottage on a beach in France. You will stay there until I send for you," he said sternly. I nodded. "I have a portkey that is set to leave in one minute." He handed me my trunk and a chipped mug that started to glow.
"What about you? Won't they kill you?" I asked frantically.
"Don't worry about me. Just protect yourself." His face broke suddenly as the cup started to glow in my hand. "I love you, Ivy."
The room started spinning as I opened my mouth to say I loved him, too, but I found myself standing on a small porch of a stone cottage. I looked behind me and saw waves crashing onto the sand not ten feet away. I sighed and opened the door. The sitting room was cute and quaint with white curtains and a tan couch. The kitchen was small, but well stocked and there was one little bedroom with a bathroom attached to it. I unpacked and got myself something to eat, trying not to worry myself sick with what was happening to the people I loved.
Two weeks passed with no news. I busied myself with running along the beach and reading the few books that were in the cottage. I even walked down to the local village and did some shopping, but nothing could take my mind off of the question that burned my brain and haunted my nightmares. Was Draco ok?
Six days before school was supposed to start, an owl flew through my open window while I was eating breakfast and dropped a letter in front of me before flying off again. I grabbed the letter and ripped it open, tearing the edge slightly in my frenzy.
Ivy,
I have arranged for you to meet me at Kings Cross
at noon on Saturday. You will be apparating to
Hogwarts with me then.
S.S.
P.S. Bring Draco with you.
That last part confused me severely, but I didn't have time to contemplate what he meant because there was a loud pop from the living room and I fell out of my chair. I got up quickly and drew my wand, pointing it in front of me as I stepped into the living room. The wand wasn't necessary and I dropped it to the floor at once, seeing who had appeared in the cottage.
"Draco?" I breathed heavily.
He smiled sadly at me. He was hurt. Both of his eyes were adorned with dark bruises and his bottom lip was cut open and swollen. He had many lacerations on the skin that wasn't hidden by clothing. But he was alive. The anger I'd felt towards him was long gone now and I ran to him, hugging him tightly. His arms wrapped protectively around me and he breathed in the smell of my hair.
"I missed you," he whispered.
I looked up at his battered face. "I missed you, too." I touched his lip lightly with my thumb. "What did they do to you?"
"Nothing that will cause permanent damage," he assured me. "I'll be healed in less than a month."
"Oh, Draco!" I cried, tears running down my cheeks. "I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have written you so much."
"Why? I loved getting letters from you," he told me, sitting me down on the couch. "I should have hid them better."
"But it's my fault you're hurt," I cried. "I shouldn't have brought you into this."
He kneeled in front of me and pushed my chin up so I would look at him. "You didn't get me into anything I can't handle, love. I'll go through hell and back as long as I have you."
I sobbed even harder then. "But, Draco, they could kill you."
"They won't," he assured me.
"How do you know?" I demanded.
"Because I'm Lucius Malfoy's son," he informed me with a roll of his eyes. "I'm the only heir they have."
I frowned. "So, what? This was just to teach you a lesson?" He nodded. I snorted. "A lot of good that did." He smiled. "Wait! How are you here then?"
"Snape's in the Order of the Phoenix. They're protecting us now," he told me.
"The Order of the Phoenix?" I raised an eyebrow.
"Dumbledore's Army, I guess," he shrugged.
I nodded, taking in every line of his beautiful face. He looked even more gorgeous than he had when we'd left each other at the train station even though he was bruised up a little bit. I assumed he was doing the same to me because he was silent as his eyes roamed all over me.
"What are you wearing?" he asked suddenly, with a smirk on his lips.
I blushed. "Um, I kind of stole a pair of your boxers and a shirt."
He laughed. "You could have just asked."
I looked at the floor. "Sorry. I wanted them to remember you and the way you smell."
"Do I smell good?"
"Very," I said, smiling.
He leaned in then, pressed his nose to my neck and inhaled deeply. He leaned back again with his eyes closed and a smile on his lips. "Mmm," he said, opening his eyes again. "You smell wonderful, yourself." I stood up and started to walk away. "Where are you going?" he asked, confused.
I pulled the shirt off of me to reveal my bare chest and turned back around to face him. I dropped the shirt on the floor and then pulled the boxers down and kicked them over to him. His eyes roamed hungrily over my body. "To see how we smell together," I mumbled huskily with a seductive smile.
He smirked and walked quickly to me, picking me up and wrapping my legs around his waist. I ripped off his shirt as he walked us to the bedroom. My back pressed against the closed door as we kissed each other hungrily, my hands tangling in his hair, trying desperately to pull him closer even though he was already flush against me. Draco opened the door and continued towards the bed, laying me on my back and then standing to pushing his trousers down to the floor. He climbed on top of me and entered me quickly.
Two loud moans echoed in the room as our hipbones met. I whimpered when he stopped and closed his eyes. "Draco?" I asked, squirming underneath him.
"Just trying to remember how you feel, love," he mumbled, opening his eyes again before he pulled out and then crashed our hips together again.
He lifted me up and pressed my back against the wall next to the bed and continued his ministrations while I moaned his name loudly. I couldn't even begin to explain how he made me feel when he made love to me like this. It was a powerful feeling mixed with the greatest kind of love and passion. He made every bad feeling I'd ever had go away with just a simple kiss. If I died, I hope I would die as happy as I was at this very moment.
"Draco?" I said as we lay in each other's arms several hours later, totally spent from the morning activities.
"Hmm?" he asked with closed eyes as his hands played with the ring on my finger.
"I want to do it," I said quietly.
"Do what, love?"
"I want to marry you," I said, rolling onto my stomach to look at his reaction.
He smiled. "What happened to your bet?"
I shrugged. "I was scared then."
"And you're not scared now?"
"No. I want to marry you," I said yet again. "I'm in love with you, Draco Malfoy. You make me feel safe and wonderful and strong. You make me feel things no one else in this world could ever do. I want to marry you."
He smiled and pulled my face to him to kiss my lips tenderly. "Then we'll go to Hogsmeade when we get to school and you can pick out a ring."
I smiled, and then pressed my lips together as I suddenly got nervous. "There's one other thing I want."
"Let's hear it," he said, tracing small circles into my lower back to comfort me. He could always tell what my emotions were.
I swallowed and continued to look at the sheets beneath me. "I want to give you an heir," I whispered so quietly I was afraid he hadn't heard. Draco's hands froze and my eyes darted up to look at him. His face was unreadable. "If- if you want me to," I stuttered, looking back down to the sheets.
I was beginning to get scared that I'd said the wrong thing, but his hand finally pulled my chin up so I would look at him again. He wasn't smiling. "Are you sure you want to give me that?" he asked seriously. I thought I detected worry in his tone.
I bit my bottom lip lightly and nodded. "You told me last year that you want children," I reminded him quietly. "I want to give you that."
Draco stared at me for several long moments. "But you don't want children, remember."
I shook my head. "That used to be true, but then I fell in love with you, Draco. Now I want exactly what you want."
"And what's that?"
"A family," I said, sitting up and taking his face in my hands. "I want a family with you, Draco."
After several long moments, he pulled me to him and hugged me tightly. "I want you to give me an heir, Ivy," he whispered in my ear. "But I want to marry you first."
I nodded. "When can we start?"
"As soon as we graduate," he promised.