Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter! No copyright infringement intended!
A/N: Here comes the next chapter, I hope you all like it - cyiusblack in particular! I hope you all have the chance to enjoy some sweet little red fruits from the strawberry fields just like I do now. :o)
Living with a Quidditch Star
Chapter Twenty: Strawberry Fields
I met Ginny and Hermione the next morning. We wanted to go to a strawberry field.
Muggles cultivated strawberry plants on it. When the strawberries were ripe they would go there and pick them.
Hermione did that quite often.
For Ginny and me it was the first time.
It was quite fun to search the small plants for the sweet little red fruits.
All of us had a punnet to put them inside. Of course we already ate lots of strawberries while picking them.
We laughed as we all had real red lips and tongues due to the juicy ripe fruits.
Meanwhile Draco stalked about his penthouse and waited for Blaise to show up.
Soon after Alessia had left, he had received an owl from him. Blaise had written that he wanted to talk to him as soon as possible and therefore would come to his place within the next hour.
Draco was relieved that Alessia wasn't there – she and Blaise had acted quite weird in the presence of the other for a while now.
'Alessia.' he thought. Finally she had recollected how to satisfy him. The last days had been filled with having lots of fun with her.
He smirked when he thought of his little wild cat.
Everything would be alright for Ally and him finally as he had got rid of Sindy.
He was glad now, that he had used this Muffling Charm on him to avoid that the sort of 'siren's calls' of Sindy would have any effect on him this time.
Fortunately he had the ability to read lips for quite a while – it had been useful several times before as it was even better than eavesdropping. That was why he could use the Charm and understand what she said to him without being affected.
He was happy that he had told her off.
He didn't want her to have any influence on his marriage with Alessia.
He finally had come to this conclusion during the reception at her parent's house.
Yesterday he had turned over a new leaf by doing so.
He had left her behind now and he was sure that this had been the right decision.
Next week he would have to go to Romania. Before he and Alessia would spend a few days in France. He was looking forward to their days off, but wasn't sure how to cope with not seeing her while being in Romania.
He felt his heart sink.
A sudden loud crack made him stop thinking about how to communicate with Alessia while he was stuck in Romania for almost two weeks.
„Ah, Blaise, good to see you." he said.
„Draco, mate! How are you?" Blaise replied, patting Draco's shoulder chummily.
„Fine." Draco replied curtly. „What is it you wanted to talk to me about that immediately?"
„Well, uhm, it's about Sindy. She came to my place yesterday. " Blaise replied.
Draco arched a brow.
„And?" he said dryly.
„I don't know, mate, she seemed a little...well, let's say, upset." Blaise went on, glancing at Draco.
He only returned his look coolly but didn't say a word. He waited for Blaise to carry on with his report.
„She seemed somewhat confused about the fact you will marry Ally. She said, she's worried for you. She said she's got the feeling Ally jinxed you and that is why you broke up with her. But she said she still loves you and will always be there for you."
„So what?" Draco replied curtly.
„She wanted me to make sure you get rid of Ally's jinx so that you two can be together again." Blaise said.
Draco gave him a bewildered look.
„Jinxed? Ally hasn't jinxed me? I truly love her and that's why I'm going to marry her – the sooner the better."
He shook his head in disbelief.
„Calm down, mate. Of course that is what you think. She's jinxed you, that's why you think you're in love with her. Got me?" Blaise went on.
„Stow it, Blaise! I know you hate Ally for any reason..." Draco hissed. „I know you're hand in gloves with Sindy. I don't know exactly what you're up to, but I can assure you that Ally hasn't jinxed or poisoned me. Regarding our little...conversation yesterday, all I wanted to tell Sindy is, that I want her to keep out of my way in the future. I don't love her anymore. I don't want to see her anymore. Full-stop!"
Draco glared at Blaise. There was a long moment of silence. Both men were staring at each other.
„Thinking of what has happened at The Wolf's Nest, I can tell you I've had it! I'm glad Ally didn't break up on account of this. Got me?" Draco finally said.
Blaise shrugged and said „Suit yourself."
„Anything else?" Draco asked dryly, not really getting Blaise's point.
Blaise shrugged once more.
„Alright, if you please excuse me then. Ally and I will spend a few days at France. I think she's going to return at any moment. I don't want her to meet you here." Draco said coolly.
„Well then, see you, mate!" Blaise replied somewhat crestfallen and disapparated with a loud crack.
As expected by Draco I soon after arrived at his place.
„Draco, babe, where are you? Look what I've got for you!" I called.
I sat down in the living room and waited for him.
Suddenly he came out of the bedroom, looking absentmindedly.
„Draco, there you are!" I said cordially and jumped up to hug and kiss him.
„Ally, darling! I didn't hear you. When did you return?" he asked, looking confused, gently touching my back.
„Look, what I have here! For you, darling!" I said happily, showing him the strawberries I had picked for us.
„Uh, Ally. Where did you buy them? They look delicious. I think we should open a bottle of champagne in addition. What do you think?" he smiled at me.
„Champagne sounds good, but I didn't buy them but picked them with my own hands for us." I said, looking at him, disappointed.
„You picked them yourself? You shouldn't have, Ally! Why did you do that? That's servants work! Our house-elf..." Draco said priggishly, curling his lip with disapproval.
„It's your house-elf! I don't want one, I think we don't need one!" I cut in sulkily.
„Come on, Ally, all I wanted to say is that you don't have to do work like this. Of course I'm happy you got strawberries for us." he said soothingly and walked over to the kitchen ostentatiously to get a bottle of champagne from the refrigerator and two glasses.
He came back to the living room and took a seat next to me on the sofa.
Then he uncorked the bottle. All of a sudden champagne spilled out explosively.
„Gosh darn it!" Draco swore lividly. He shook his hand, all wet with champagne and wiped it clean at his pants to get his wand out of his pocket, holding the half-empty bottle in the other hand. Before he could do so I waved mine, grinning, and the whole mess was mopped up.
Draco filled the two glasses and handed me mine.
„To you...and me!" he said, raising his glass and looking me deep in the eyes.
„To you and me!" I replied and took a sip of champagne.
He took a strawberry and offered it to me. I bit into it and smiled. I liked the taste and waited for Draco to drink too, so that it was my turn to offer him a strawberry too.
We sat there eating strawberries and drinking champagne for a while. Finally Draco drew nearer and whispered
„Let's get ready now, I want to go to our summer residence with you. Alright?"
„That's fine with me, I'm just quickly packing my bags, babe."
„Alright, I'll do so too and then we'll leave." he smiled and pecked me on the cheek.
When I had left he ordered his house-elf to get his bags packed.
Soon after we stood in his living room again. He took my hand and with one loud crack we were off to France!
The days in France went by so fast. The weather had been perfect the whole time. Therefore we had spent most the day on the beach or by the swimmingpool.
One evening Draco had invited me on a very romantic dinner. Our table had been arranged on the Malfoy's private beach. There were hundreds of candles and we enjoyed a delicious meal after sunset.
On the last afternoon, Draco and I did a jaunt with his sports car. He told me he enjoyed driving this Muggle car – especially on winding streets, even though it was against pure-blood principles. To him it ment something like dominance over the Muggles. That was exactly what Marc had told me once about driving his car.
After what seemed like hours of speeding up and down sinuous streets, Draco stopped his car. He got out and jogged over to my side. He opened my door and helped me out.
Then he took my hand and said
„Come on, I have to show you something."
He drew me with him. We ran towards a copse. I didn't know where he took me.
After a short walk the copse thinned out a little and I could see the sea.
Finally we stood on a cliff and had a stunning view over the sea and the cloudless sky.
Draco conjured up a blanket, a bottle of red wine, two glasses, grapes and cheese.
We sat down on the blanket.
„I love this place. I'm so glad I can finally show it to you. I've spent so much time here. It's so peaceful. I love the silence. Listen, you hear nothing but the sea." he whispered.
I looked him deeply in the eyes. He looked so happy, so relaxed, so light-hearted... I had never seen him like that before, it made my heart beat faster.
I leaned over to him to kiss him. He put his arm around my shoulder and we watched the sun go down.
It turned the sea in a dark shade of orange and red. The whole scene was very romantic.
„Ally, I love you and I always want to be with you. I'm dying to think of Romania, being there without you...it's horrible. I've never met a person like you. I love you from the bottom of my heart. I know you're the only one in this world who knows what I'm feeling. I love you darling and I look forward to being your husband!" he suddenly whispered.
„Draco, I..." I whispered.
„Shhhh!" he whispered and kissed me.
I closed my eyes and we sank to the blanket in a hug while the last rays of light vanished and all I heard was the sound of the sea and his heart beating fast against my chest.
'I love you, too, Draco Malfoy. And I know I'm going to miss you terribly.'