Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter! No copyright infringement intended!
A/N:
Saidan, sorry for the confusion. The sequel is removed, instead I'll update Living with a Quidditch Star. I think that's what most of the readers want. Thank you so much for your loyalty! Have fun with the new chapter!
Living with a Quidditch Star
Chapter Fourty-Nine: Rot
I stepped outside on to the balcony and walked towards the deck chair, a fluffy off-white blanket in my hand.
He knew she was approaching him.
Quickly he closed his eyes and grinned.
He felt this warmth on the inside.
He was always feeling it when she was near him.
He had never felt like this before.
He felt the urge to touch her, to hug and kiss her whenever she was there.
She made him feel happy.
He knew he was really in love with her.
When I had reached the deck chair I squatted down.
Draco was taking a nap.
I watched him for a while.
His expression was tranquil and relaxed.
I reached out to touch his face with my fingertips.
Slightly trembling I touched his lips, his cheek.
He stirred.
I withdrew my hand and gingerly tucked him in the blanket.
He stirred again and took a deep breath.
Gently I pushed back a strand of his white-blond hair, that had fallen to his face.
I was just about to get up again when he slowly opened his eyes.
I held my breath, my heart was beating faster now.
Those stunning eyes were still always getting me.
I felt a tingling sensation on the inside.
His platinum gaze was piercing me.
„Hhhmmm!" Draco droned placidly, eyeing me steadfastly, just as if he had never seen me before.
One corner of his mouth twitched, he looked slightly amused, still having slight bedroom eyes.
He blinked dozily.
„Hmmm!" he hummed again.
I gave him a smile and sat down on the edge of the deck chair.
Draco took a deep breath, not averting his gaze.
He seemed to hold me captive with it.
I stroked his cheek tenderly, let my hand sink.
Draco took it.
„I love you!" I whispered, my voice trembling slightly.
„You've got me in the palm of your hand. Did you know?" I continued, fighting back some tears that were choking me.
His gaze was still set on me.
His heart gave jolt with joy at these words and he felt this warmth on the inside again.
But on the outside his face was almost expressionless.
There was a moment of silence. I looked at him.
He had a wry smile on his face and was blinking dozily, letting go of my hand.
„Hmmm!"
„I'm so glad, so relieved, that you're back. That you're alive. Unharmed. Draco, I..." I stammered in a low voice and looked down at my hands.
Abashed, I twiddled with the engagement ring on my finger.
I felt the diamond with my fingertips and tried not to cry.
I was unable to express what I was feeling on the inside.
I was happy and sad at the same time. Worried but somewhat relieved.
Afraid that he had been harmed at Azkaban.
Worried that he wouldn't be the same again.
He sat up and gave me a stern look, taking my hands.
„Ally, I've told you not to worry! I'm fine. What happened yesterday is nothing to worry about. I just had too much drinks...nothing special. You know what a...uhm...lightweight I am."
We both knew that he was fooling himself – and me.
„I look forward to our wedding and I want you to do the same. Concentrate on the final preparations. I want it to be perfect." Draco continued, stroking the back of my hand with his thumb.
„How shall I concentrate on the wedding when you give me reason to be worried sick all the time? Nothing special yesterday? I won't have a wedding if you don't stay the course!" I muttered.
Draco grinned wryly again.
„I'll do my very best!" he replied cockily and leaned forward towards me, trying to peck me on the cheek.
I leaned back.
„This is serious, Draco! Take a break!"
„Uh, come on. Don't be such a killjoy. Just a little hugging and kissing sweetheart..." he said sulkily and advanced to me.
„You know exactly what I mean. It's not about hugging and kissing a bit!" I replied and leaned towards him.
I touched his face with my hands and gave him a gentle kiss.
I wanted to withdraw but he wouldn't let me go.
He started to intensify the kiss, gently touching my cheeks with his hands.
He was exploring my mouth with his tongue more and more wildly.
Unable to resist I leaned forward and let him do what he wanted to do.
She had sent him an owl.
Maybe she had finally found out.
But why would she invite him to The Three Broomsticks to tell him off for messing up the defender's speech?
For sabotaging it.
Well, that girl was definitely having style.
Maybe she wanted to tell him off for that in a nice ambience?
He didn't know.
A nasty grin was playing on his face.
At least there was another chance for him to talk her into it.
To make her abandon this dim-witted doofus.
He wondered how to accomplish it this time.
Pondering about ways to do it he strolled towards the library, a placid expression on his face.
„Luca, he can't play next week! He won't! I insist..." I barked, getting sulky now.
Both men were frowning at me.
They were looking at me as if I had completely lost my marbles.
„Don't you two look at me like this! I don't like it. You know that I'm right!" I warned and took a sip of my tea.
Draco's gaze was piercing me.
His eyes were a dark shade of grey.
His face was set in stone, but I noticed that one corner of his mouth twitched slightly from time to time.
Luca sighed and tried a new angle,
„Ally, Draco is doing perfectly fine. He was drunk...drunk, do you understand? That's why he wasn't feeling fine yesterday. He has to play. He has already missed one match and more than one week of practice. The guys from the team are already getting nervous. They need him so badly. Why can't you understand this?"
He was pressing his lips together, that gave him a very tense expression.
His brown eyes were set on me.
I felt like a rabbit caught in the headlights.
Both men were glaring at me with a killing glance.
I rose my hands calmingly.
„Alright, alright! Before you draw your wands and have a go at me – do it! But Schwartz has to do another screening before. Don't forget, guys, there's a wedding coming up soon! And one of you will be one of the kingpins!"
I arched a brow at Draco and pursed my lips.
He threw me a defiant look.
Luca was inspecting his hands, looking slightly embarrassed.
„Well then, let's owl Schwartz!" I said casually and waved my wand to fetch parchment, quill and ink.
Draco let out a sigh.
„What is it?" I snapped, throwing him a nasty look.
My impatience was rising.
„Nothing!" he muttered and looked down at his hands too.
„What is it Ally?" Luca asked, looking slightly confused. „Is your tea...spiked?" he asked and started to laugh.
I didn't join in.
He took my cup of tea away from me and sniffed the rim of the cup.
I shook my head petulantly.
Then I threw my quill down on to the table.
„Tom! Tom?" I called.
He came to the balcony immediately.
„Would you please contact Mr Schwartz and ask him to see Draco at our place as soon as possible?"
He nodded and looked at Draco, obviously monitoring him for any signs of ill health.
„Sure, Ms De Russo. Anything else?" he said matter-of-factly, still not averting his gaze from Draco.
„Don't look at me like this, Tom! I'm doing perfectly fine!" Draco hissed and clenched his fist, banging it on the table.
I knew he didn't like to be considered weak or even ill.
I touched his forearm and squeezed it.
Luca gave him a slightly bewildered look.
„Sure, Sir!" Tom said, no emotion noticeable in his voice and went inside.
„Very well then, we'll see what Schwartz thinks about your plans to play again the day after tomorrow. I'm sure he'll be pleased to hear it." I drawled, sarcasm was resonating in my voice.
Draco threw me another livid look and got up to go inside without saying another single word.
„Uh, Ally, touchy, touchy! What is it? I thought you want him to feel better. You love him, don't you?" Luca gushed.
„Luca!"
Already being on the edge, I took a deep breath.
„I'm tired of these discussions. He has just returned from Azkaban. Yes, Azkaban! He has collapsed at your party yesterday. And, no, Luca, it was not due to the fact that he has had too many drinks! He has collapsed! Mr Schwartz has ordered strict rest. Our wedding, that is Draco's and my wedding, is coming up in two weeks. And you want him to play Quidditch the day after tomorrow! He wants to play Quidditch the day after tomorrow! Gosh darn it! Have you all lost your marbles?" I snapped in staccato and stared at him in disbelief.
„You ask me if I love him? Of course I do! I wouldn't be concerned if I wasn't in love with him, would I?" I continued, breathing heavily now.
I tried hard to control myself but on the inside white-hot rage was boiling.
I felt like being forced to defend Draco's interests to save him.
„Luca! You haven't seen what I have. He almost died! I've never seen something like that before. It was creepy, really creepy. I can tell you!" I pressed my lips together and tried to fight back the tears that were rising in my eyes.
It were tears of anger.
I frowned at him.
„And now you're telling me that you want us to do this exclusive interview with Witch Weekly. Before the wedding! And that there will be another benefit match soon and all the rest of it. I don't want him to overstrain, do you hear me? I want him to relax! I might be wrong but it appears to me that this should be your aim too!" I whined.
There was an awkward moment of silence.
Luca said nothing but I knew that he was thinking hard about my words.
I gritted my teeth.
„You're..." I stopped to find the right words. „You know what, Luca? You're impossible!"
Without giving him the chance to answer I rose and went inside too.
I wanted to look for Draco. I wanted to apologise.
Luca curled a lip while he looked after me.
He let out another sigh and ate a cookie, a sulky expression on his face.
I opened the bedroom door.
„Draco?" I asked in a low voice and peeked inside.
He didn't answer.
I entered the room and closed the door behind me, then I approached him.
He was standing at the window, staring outside, his arms crossed in front of his chest.
A muscle in his jaw was jumping and his hair was dishevelled.
„Don't be mad at me, darling. Please!" I whispered and hugged him from behind.
I wrapped my arms around his stomach and rested my head on his upper back.
I heard his heart beat and him breathing.
I closed my eyes for a moment.
He didn't move.
„Play the match if you want to! And if Schwartz approves it." I whispered.
I noticed that he held his breath for a split second, obviously listening to what I was saying.
„But don't do it if you don't feel good. I don't want to harass you, darling. It's just that I'm concerned about your well-being."
He took a deep breath and said in a low raspy voice,
„I know."
I felt him touch my hands.
A smile was playing on my face now.
„Mr Grouchy, huh?" I muttered.
He whirled around.
„Say that again!" he hissed in a fake livid tone, a grin flashing his face.
„I've got good reason to be all grouchy." he growled and arched a brow at me.
I chuckled.
He started to kiss my throat.
I closed my eyes.
„Stop it! That's tickling me!" I nagged.
He drew me into a hug.
Then I heard someone knock on the door.
„Yes, please!" Draco said, sounding bored, his arms still tightly wrapped around me.
His house-elf hesitantly opened the door.
„What is it?" Draco asked and kissed my hair.
„It's Mr Schwartz fors yours Master." the tiny elf said servilely.
Its large ears were trembling slightly.
„Send him in!" Draco demanded coolly.
The house-elf nodded and left.
Draco and Schwartz had decided that it would be alright to play the match.
That was why I accompanied him to the stadium the next day to watch him practice with the others.
Unfortunately I therefore also had to cancel my date with Andrew to watch the match the day after tomorrow.
I decided to sent him another owl and – I was sure Draco would approve this – an invitation to our wedding in two weeks.
I still wanted to thank him personally for helping Draco by giving me those chocolates.
Draco was still insisting that they had made his spirits rise and that they had been the reason he was still alive.
He had admitted this plainly even though I knew that he didn't exactly like Andrew.
Quickly I scribbled down a short note and tied the letter to the leg of one of Draco's large black owls.
It looked at me with understanding yellow eyes.
I grinned.
I really liked Draco's owls for some reason.
Fondly it nibbled my finger and I fed it some owl treats.
It hooted excitedly and spread its wings.
I opened the window to send it off.
Draco was hugging me.
He wouldn't let go of me.
He seemed to be slightly nervous.
Unsure what would await him.
He hadn't sat on a broom for some days now except for the final practice yesterday.
Draco was already wearing his Quidditch robes.
His gloves and shin pads lay on a chair nearby.
„You'll be doing fine! Practice yesterday was great. You did a perfect Wronski Feint. Off hand!" I whispered calmingly.
He growled.
I had to get up on my tiptoes to meet his face.
I wanted to kiss him but he turned his head away, slightly unnerved.
I curled my lip.
„Don't you have to leave? The match starts in about ten minutes." I mentioned and tried to withdraw.
He tightened his embrace and kissed my forehead.
I furrowed my brow, wondering why he was acting like this.
There was no one else in the box.
Draco hadn't invited anyone for tonight.
„I don't want to go!" he whispered.
„What?"
„I said: I don't want to go. I don't want to play. I did a lot of thinking yesterday. You are right, sweetheart, I need a break. Badly!" he muttered and loosened his grip on me.
„Are you feeling sick again?" I asked him sternly, my head still leaning against his chest.
Admittedly it wasn't very comfortable as he was already wearing his chest protector.
There was this worry again and I knew that it was resonating in my voice too.
„No, not exactly." he sighed.
I looked up at him, eyeing him closely, looking for any sign of ill health.
But he looked good.
The circles around his eyes had vanished, he had this sanguine complexion - that was saying something as he was always rather pale - and he seemed to have regained weight.
I wondered how this could have happened within only two days.
„Ally, stop looking at me like this!" Draco hissed.
He didn't like to be considered ill or something like that.
„I'm just saying that I want to go on holiday with you. Somewhere far away from everything. I only say three words: Beach, ocean and tropical cocktails. OK, four!" he smirked. "What do you think?"
He gave me a questioning look.
I withdrew and stared at him,
„Great! When do we leave? Tomorrow?"
I completely forgot about the wedding for a moment.
I'd leave tomorrow if possible.
He smirked, his eyes – a light colour of grey now - set on me.
„And what about the wedding, sweetheart?" Draco teased, still smirking.
I clapped my hand to my mouth.
„Merlin's beard, I totally forgot!" I gasped and felt my cheeks redden.
He started to laugh.
„How about a spontaneous honeymoon? I know I said we have to do it later because of MALFOY Inc. and all the rest, but I think we shouldn't wait. We should leave immediately after the wedding, sweetheart."
„Perfect!" I clapped my hands together and beamed at him.
„Alright then! Something to look forward to." he said, sounding relieved, giving me a flawless smile.
Then someone knocked on the door to the box.
„Yes, please!" Draco drawled in a monotone.
It was a team assistant who peeked inside.
„Draco, the match starts in five minutes!"
„Alright, I'll be with you in a minute!" Draco replied casually and turned his attention to me again, while the assistant closed the door.
„I love you, sweetheart. Be my lucky charm!" Draco whispered, his face so close to mine that our foreheads touched.
I nodded and breathed,
„I will! As always!"
He smiled, piercing me with his platinum gaze, stroking my cheek.
„I have to go now!" he continued and gave me a short but tender kiss.
Then he turned to the chair to pick up the gloves and the pads.
He hurried over to the door.
The handle in his hand, he looked at me again and said,
„Beach and ocean..."
„...and tropical cocktails." I answered, giving him a smile.
He returned it and pointed his index finger at me,
„Got it!"
Then he left.
When he opened the door, he met Luca outside.
„Draco, how do you feel?" Luca asked.
„Great! I'm aching to play! But I have to go now, I'm already late. Have fun!" Draco replied already hurrying off to the catacombs.
„Ciao Alessia, come stai?" Luca asked when he entered the box.
I winced a little as I was not expecting anyone.
„Ah, Luca! Io sto bene, grazie!" I replied and pecked him on both cheeks.
He gave me a smile and said,
„Draco looks fit. And he's told me he's aching to play tonight. It's getting better, I think."
„Yeah, he seems to be alright." I replied and took my seat again, once more astonished at Draco's capability of fooling almost everybody.
Luca sat down next to me and told me in a businesslike tone,
„The interview for Witch Weekly will be next week, Ally. You should reserve a whole day. They want to meet you at Malfoy Manor. I've already talked to Mrs Malfoy. She won't be there. Witch Weekly wants to show you at the wedding preparations. They'll do an interview and a photo shooting. I'll be there too just as the Malfoy's spokeswizard. He'll check the questions in advance. He always does. You know, Draco doesn't like interviews at all."
He drew his wand and waved it to pour us some champagne.
He handed me a glass and took a sip.
I did so too.
„Very well then, is Draco already informed about the interview?" I asked matter-of-factly and took another sip, eyeing Luca.
„Yes, he knows about it and he even seems to look forward to it. At least a bit. It's your first interview together. Did you notice?" Luca replied and gave me a smile.
Then he reached into one of the pockets of his cloak and pulled out a cigar.
He lighted it with pleasure and took a first drag.
He was right.
My first interview.
With Draco.
My heart jumped for a split second.
I returned his smile but didn't answer.
I took another mouthful of Champagne and turned my attention to the pitch where Draco was just doing the official handshake with the Captain of the other team. Then they were exchanging the team's pennants.
Soon after the opening whistle was blown and another exciting Quidditch match was taking its course.
He let the letter sink.
A cancellation!
He curled his lip.
But there was something better: She had invited him to her wedding.
'It just keeps getting better and better!' he thought viciously and looked down at the tasteful, exquisite invitation.
He felt the off-white coloured paper with his fingertips.
He felt the impressed family crest of the Malfoys and snorted snidely.
Malfoy – he didn't know anyone more conceited, more smug in the whole wide world.
Absent-mindedly he stroked the paper where her name was written.
He wondered what Malfoy had got to be proud of – except for Alessia De Russo maybe.
This dim-witted wimp would marry her!
That was outrageous!
But he would put an end to this spook, he'd overcome this...spell.
This sickly obsession that seemed to be between the two of them.
She was his girl and he knew that he would prevail in the end no matter what her brother had ordered.
He would prevail!
And Malfoy?
Yeah, Malfoy, that wimp!
He would rot.
Rot in hell!
'Or anywhere else!' he thought and grinned nastily at the thought of it.
Rot, and no one would be able to stop him...
