A/N: Okay everybody! Here it is! The finale to Moonlight Shining. Yes, it was my little Mary Sue story I admit. It had no plot and very little point, but it's finally finished! I've got a loner A/N at the end! So read on McDuff!
This Chapter is Dedicated to – All my wonderful Reviewers!!!! You guys are the best!!!!
Moonlight Shining
By Amanda H (aka Niffler)
As they reached the bottom of the short staircase Harry, Ron and Ginny turned around to face them.
"Wow." Ron breathed from the bottom. "You look. . . . you look.. . ." He stumbled over his words. Hermione smiled. "You look great." He finally managed. Hermione laughed lightly and glanced at Amy who smiled.
"Thanks Ron." Hermione said, scanning his new, navy, dress robes. "So do you." He blushed.
"Thanks."
"Shall we go?" Harry asked from behind him, his arm linked with Ginny's. He was wearing his typical bottle green dress robes. Ginny was wearing a simple, but elegant, lilac gown with a low neckline and spaghetti straps.
"Certainly." Amy replied. She glanced over at Hermione and Ron who had quickly covered the formalities and very beginning an intimate snog session. Amy coughed loudly.
"Oh, uh," A flustered Hermione began, breaking away from Ron, who was blushing.
"Can't you wait until we at least get there?" Amy asked, rolling her eyes.
"Yeah." Hermione blushed, bowing her head and heading for the portrait hole. The rest followed her to the top of the staircase leading to the Great Hall. Couples milled around them now, all heading for the Hall.
"Hermione?" Amy asked, grabbing her arm at the top of the stairs.
"Yeah?" She replied.
"Can you see if he's there yet?" She asked nervously.
"Sure." Hermione replied with a smile. She peered out around the edge of the stairs and scanned the crowd. Waiting at the base of the stairs was a very nervous looking Draco. Hermione grinned and turned back to Amy.
"Yup, he's there."
"Alright. Here I go!" She grinned taking a deep breath. Hermione smiled at her.
"Have fun!" She linked her arm with Ron's and began to descend the staircase. Amy peeked around the edge of the wall. Draco was standing at the bottom with his back to her. She took a deep breath and stepped into full view. She smiled as she began to delicately descend the stairs. When she was about three steps down Draco turned around.
As he saw her his jaw dropped. Amy smiled even wider at this. He quickly composed himself and closed his mouth. She quickened her pace down the last few steps and came to a halt in front of him.
"Hi." She breathed happily. Butterflies were fluttering in her stomach.
"Why am I so nervous? I shouldn't be. It's just Draco. Draco Malfoy, with the most beautiful eyes and the cutest hair, and. . . STOP AMY!" She scolded inwardly, forcing herself to look away from his steal gray eyes.
"Hello." He returned. "You look absolutely stunning." He breathed, looking up and down her dress.
"Why thank you." She smiled, taking a step back so he could see her dress. She watched Ron and Hermione enter the hall from the corner of her eye. Draco peered around her back.
"You put your hair down!" He exclaimed, clearly surprised.
"Yeah!" She replied, happy he had noticed. She turned around so he could see. He let out a low whistle.
"Must have taken you a while to grow it so long."
"10 years of my life." She replied, turning back around. "But who's counting?" She grinned. He smiled back.
"I feel like I'm being inspected."
"I feel like I'm being inspected." She said, glancing around uncomfortably.
"Oh! I'm sorry!" He apologized quickly. "I was just thinking how absolutely gorgeous you are." She blushed.
"Thank you." She murmured quietly. "You look quite nice yourself." She replied, admiring his black robes with sliver trim.
"Shall we go in?" He asked, extending his arm.
"Certainly!" She replied happily, linking her arm with his.
They entered the Great Hall, now transformed into a ballroom. Amy could see why it had been closed for days. The ceiling still showed the weather outside, but the walls shimmered iridescently, like millions of fairy wings. The candles floating through the air each gleamed a different colour of light ranging from deep blue to magenta. There were small tables, sitting two or four, set up along one wall with refreshments and the middle of the hall had been converted to a dance floor. It had been polished and shone brightly in the colourful candlelight.
The two milled around, chatting lightly with other students, and dancing for quite some time.
Draco twirled Amy gallantly around the dance floor to a particularly upbeat song. She grinned and laughed, eyes dancing in the soft light. She noticed Draco was even laughing along with her. The song ended and the two stopped and headed for the side, quite out of breath.
Just as they reached the edge a pleasant looking blonde girl came up and tapped Draco on the shoulder. He looked at her and shrugged apologetically to Amy. She just smiled and shook her head to show she didn't mind. He grinned and followed the girl onto the dance floor.
Amy turned away from the dance floor and looked up at the ceiling. The moon had risen and was now casting its radiant beams across the hall. She smiled.
Just then someone tapped her on the shoulder. It was Harry.
"Care to dance?" He asked politely.
"Sure." She replied, smiling curiously. He took her hand and led her onto the dance floor. He wrapped his arms around her back and she copied as they began to sway to the slow, soft music.
"So how has your evening been?" Amy asked, looking up at Harry's face.
"Oh, it's been good." He replied. "We've been having a great time." Surprisingly, Amy didn't feel that normal pang of jealousy she usually did when Harry mentioned him and Ginny. She smiled to herself.
"The holidays here are so different from Schimeron." Amy said, glancing around her. "I mean, almost everyone went home for the holidays. I usually did, but my third year I stayed because my best friend had to, and none of our other friends were there. It was really dull. Most teachers went home too, so food was just sent to the dorms. No ball or feast or anything." She explained.
"Sounds like living at the Dursley's." Harry replied grimly. "I never got any presents or anything. Christmas dinner for me consisted of left over pizza. There was never much though, because Dudley ate most of it." He sighed.
"It must have been really hard." Amy said sympathetically. Her eyes were shining in the light.
"Yeah." He whispered. "But, then I came to Hogwarts and it was the best thing that had ever happened to me." He continued. "But I don't know where I'd be if I didn't have Hermione and Ron. Probably dead." He sighed, glancing over his shoulder at Hermione and Ron, who were also dancing near by.
"They still love you know. Just because they have each other doesn't mean they aren't your friends anymore." She comforted.
"I know. It just feels that way sometimes." He sighed.
"Just think about everything you do together. Hermione still helps you study, because you are absolutely hopeless." She grinned. "Ron and you play Quidditch all the time. You do a lot together. Besides you have Ginny. They have each other." She watched as he glanced over at them again and smiled.
"You're right. And we have you too. Don't forget you!" He teased playfully.
"You were the 'Fabulous Three' before I ever came into the picture. Don't worry about me." She grinned, though it was not sincere.
"It must have been hard for you to leave your friends in Canada." He said.
"Yeah. It was." Amy looked away as her eyes misted over. "But let's not talk about it okay?" She asked in what she hoped was a cheerful voice. Harry eyed her suspiciously, but nodded. As she leaned closer to him a tear slipped from her eye.
She quickly raised a hand and turned away as she wiped it away. Harry noticed and pulled back a bit to look her in the face.
"Did I say something wrong?" He asked.
"No." She sniffed. "It's nothing at all. Dust." They continued dancing in silence.
A few seconds later the song ended. Amy smiled at Harry.
"Thanks for the dance." She said.
"Don't mention it." He smiled back, turning and disappearing into the crowd. Draco excused himself from the girl. He came back over to her and tapped her on the shoulder. She turned to him.
"Have you bee crying?" He asked, immediately concerned.
"No. Just dust." She replied.
"Uh huh." He replied disbelievingly. Just then an incredibly loud song began. Draco said something, but she couldn't hear him over the music.
"WHAT?" She yelled back. He replied but again she couldn't hear him. She just shook her head. He put his face right up beside her ear.
"Would you like to go outside?" He asked.
"Yes, please." Amy said, nodding graciously, eager to take a break from the loud music of the ball. He took her hand and led her gently through the crowds to the open door at the back.
As they left the castle Amy breathed the clean air in deeply. She sighed.
"It gets so stuffy. And the cool winter air is nice." She smiled. The snow had been cleared off the garden patio and only covered the bushes and flowerbeds. Still holding her hand, Draco began walking along the path. As they walked Amy glimpsed more than a few couples hiding behind bushes and sitting on benches, clearly enjoying each other's company, perhaps a little too well for public.
"I hope that's not why he brought be out here." She thought nervously, glancing around to find they were moving to a more secluded area. "I've never kissed anyone in my life. Well, I guess I've been kissed by Draco, in the hall. But that doesn't count. That was not like this at all. He knew what he was doing. What if he thinks I know what I'm doing?" She thought nervously.
"Draco," she began.
"We're almost there." He said, pulling her towards a bench. The snow had been brushed off it already and he sat down. Amy nervously sat beside him, but not too close, noticing exactly how alone they were.
"Oh My God." She thought.
"The stars are beautiful aren't they." Draco said, leaning back a bit and gazing at the clear winter sky.
"I think I prefer the moon." She replied. "The stars always make me feel so alone, so small." She shivered involuntarily. Draco smiled and draped his arm over her shoulders.
"Better?" He asked softly.
"Yes." She whispered, nestling closer to him.
"I'd call this déjà vu." She thought, remembering how the last time had ended. "I can't explain it, not even to myself. But he makes me feel safe. Warm on the inside."
They sat there for several silent minutes, gazing at the stars, bathed in moonlight.
"Look." Amy whispered, raising her hand and pointing at the stars. "I think that's Aries, my star sign." Draco squinted at the stars.
"If you say so. I can never find any of the pictures." He paused. "When is your birthday?"
"April 4th." She replied. "You?" She smiled, turning to look at him again.
"January 27th. What does that make me?" He asked. Amy thought for a moment.
"Aquarius." She finally replied.
"Good thing or a bad thing?" He drawled.
"Indecisive." She smiled back then turned to the stars again.
"They really are beautiful aren't they." Draco sighed.
"The stars? Yeah they are." Amy replied.
"Not as beautiful as you though." Draco drawled. Amy rolled her eyes.
"That's got to be the oldest line in the book." She said, raising her eyebrows.
"Hey! It's not my fault if it's true!" Draco said, raising his arms in mock surrender. Amy sighed and shook her head. They sat in silence again.
"There are so many of them too. All clustered together, so many close neighbors." Amy choked on her words and stopped speaking. Draco looked at her curiously. The silence returned.
"You miss your family?" He asked suddenly. Amy looked at him in surprise.
"Yeah. Yeah I do. A lot." She choked.
"Just picking up and leaving for another country must be hard. You have to leave all your friends behind. You must miss them too." Draco said.
"Yeah, I do. But my mom promised we'd go back for a while this summer." She said hopefully. Draco smiled.
"It's just not fair that they get to go back to Canada for Christmas. I mean, the holidays are when you really begin to miss people, and. . . and realize how much they meant to you." She explained, tears forming in her eyes.
"I know. I've never been home for Christmas. Not that my family has much of a Christmas. I guess I really wouldn't want to be there anyway." Draco replied sadly. Amy wiped away the solitary tear that had creased her cheek.
"Don't you miss your parents?" She asked.
"I miss my mum, if that's what you mean. There's not a whole lot to miss about my dad." He replied coldly. Amy nodded. They sat in silence again, longer this time.
"What's your favourite part of Christmas?" Amy asked suddenly.
"My favourite part?" He looked at her questioningly.
"Yeah!" She smiled.
"I like the food." Draco replied shrugging.
"Seriously!" Amy said, rolling her eyes.
"I am serious! All the Christmas foods, and the cookies." He grinned.
"Funny, I never would have pictured you as a cookie person." Amy replied thoughtfully.
"Oh?" He asked.
"Nope." She shrugged.
"So what's your favourite part of Christmas?" He asked, grinning.
"The music. The carols and the singing! It's so beautiful." She sighed.
"So sing me a carol." He commanded, leaning back against the bench.
"Here? Now?" She asked astonished, glancing around them.
"Yeah, why not? Please?" He asked.
"Well . . . alright I guess. But you've got to sing too!" She demanded.
"I can't sing!" He exclaimed. Amy rolled her eyes.
"And what makes you think I can?" She asked. He shrugged.
"Besides I hardly know any words." Draco said, settling against the back of the bench.
"Well, pick your favourite and sing the parts you know." She compromised.
"I don't have a favourite, and I know the chorus to 'Jingle Bells'." He replied.
"Seriously Draco," Amy began.
"Seriously Amy, that's all I know." He shook his head. "Sing your favourite." He commanded again.
"If it means that much to you." She shrugged.
"It does." He replied, satisfied.
"My favourite is 'In the Bleak Mid-Winter'." She sighed. Then, she began singing. Her voice filled the air, rising upwards, towards the heavens like angels' songs. The blissfully sweet melody filled the air as she sang. Draco stared at her in amazement then slowly closed his eyes contentedly.
Amy finished the song, holding the last note, then letting it float away on the winter breeze, it's essence still lingering in the air. Draco sighed.
"That was gorgeous. Like an angel's voice." He said, slowly opening his eyes. "I didn't know you could sing like that."
"I know from experience if you say you can sing, you are constantly asked to sing, therefore I didn't say I could." She replied quietly, looking down into her lap.
"Well, it's beautiful." Draco said, taking her chin in his hand and tilting it up so he could meet her eyes. "And you are beautiful."
"Thank you." She whispered softly.
They moved closer to each other, their faces coming closer and closer. Amy closed her eyes, and Draco his.
Amy felt her lips meet his as he drew her into a passionate kiss. It wasn't the same as in the hallway. It was more controlled, peaceful, and emotional. Draco was surprised as Amy suddenly began returning his kiss, kissing him as passionately as he was kissing her. No longer afraid she would back away, he let go of her chin and moved his hand to her hair. She unclasped her hands from her lap and put them around his back, pulling herself closer.
Amy felt content. Her fear ebbed away and she felt safe in his arms. Draco loved the feeling of holding her and never wanted to let her go. Finally they broke apart and Amy smiled at him. Draco smiled back. He leaned closer to her again. She felt her lips tingle as they met his and she was drawn into the kiss. It felt as though their magic and their minds were flowing between them as they kissed.
The two held each other in their arms while around them the world was silent. The world was silent as the stars glittered brightly overhead and the snow reflected the light onto them. The two held each other in their arms inside a glowing aura of moonlight shining.
A/N: Ta Da! Everyone proud of me? *grin* I hope you enjoyed reading this as much as I enjoyed writing it. And I got Draco in the end!!! *sigh* If only this was real life!!!!
If you're looking for more work by the great me (Niffler) please have a look at my ff.net person's page. I've got a bunch of one-time things plus another novel/story. It's called Seventh Sphere (plug plug!). It's not a Mary Sue and it has plot!!!! (hooray for me!) Thanks again guys! All the reviews were great! You're all great!
My sincerest thanks to:
· Bonnie Ha – there's the end! Double quick just for you!!!
· LilyAyl - feel honoured just to have a review from you. I love your stories!!! Thanks!!!
· Kat – Thanks for the review! Sorry the chapter took so long.
· Sizarie – Thanks for reviewing!
