Chessie – You're wonderful and I absolutely love how much you adore Draco/Cho. Thanks for all your help!
toxiclove1 – Yes I updated! And again for chapter 12! Finally, huh? Enjoy the chapter!
LiL-Miz-Chief – Thanks so much for the wonderful compliment! I'm glad the chapter kept you in suspense. :)
Emerald Jersey – Yes, my story is emotional and definitely intense. Thank you so much for reading my story and I feel so honored I helped you love Draco/Cho. :) I'm glad it's been an enjoyable read so far.
Kotori – I really enjoyed exchanging emails with you. Your review is hands down one of my best. I'm deeply flattered. It makes all the effort worth-while when an author gets a review like yours. Thanks! I hope you enjoy this chapter just as much.
Ferret Boy – Having Cedric Diggory be her captor would have been interesting, to say the least. He really wasn't who I had in mind though. It was Roger all along. And, even though it was tempting to end the fic at the end of chapter 11, like you evilly suggested, I felt like I couldn't let it end there. Just a bit more fun and then we'll call in the fat lady. ;) And thanks so much for the help with Draco. He's really difficult for me to write sometimes. Your suggestions were terrific. :D
*Cho Chang* - I hope you like this chapter too! Thanks for the compliment. :)
Pamela Eaton – These chapters of mine are crazy, aren't they? So many emotions…it's like a roller coaster. And yes, Roger did see the nasty end of Harry's wand. Harry couldn't let him get away after what he did to Cho. I suppose that's why Harry's the hero. By the way, I hope MahouMuck has been going well.
Gigi – Was it mushy? Sorry for that. I hope you don't think it's too mushy in this chapter too, though it probably is. I hope you enjoy it all the same. Thanks for reading!
JessicaLWriter – Thanks so much for being so patient. Enjoy the chapter. :)
RowenaRavenclaw96 – Hmmm...will she or won't she. Is Draco worth it? If I were her, I know I would! ;) Read on to see what Cho ultimately decides.
nunce – To one of my few reviewers who has been there from the very beginning. I can't tell you how much it means to me to see your reviews at the end of every chapter. Thanks for hanging in there and thanks so much for reading. I know it must have been difficult at times. I hope you like this chapter. :D
dRaGoNsWeEtIe13 – Thanks for the wonderful review. It was a sad chapter, wasn't it? Hope you like this one. :)
Mip Boone – Best chapter yet? You flatter me! And thanks for hanging in there. I hope you like this latest installment.
Mrs. Cho Malfoy – Yes, Cho does love that blond Slytherin. It took her a while, but she finally came to her senses. LOL! Glad to have kept you on the edge of your seat!
SlytherinChick – You win for writing the review that made me smile all day long. But, honestly, you flatter me way too much. But, I'd have to agree with you. If only we could make movies from fanfics. I, for one, would love to see Draco and Cho in action. ;) LOL!
Cordy Says Hi – Yeah, I had envisioned Roger to be the bad guy from the start. Hopefully, it wasn't too unrealistic. Thanks for the review and enjoy this chapter!
MotionOfTheOcean – Thanks for stopping by and leaving a review. I hope you like this chapter.
aZnGurLY02 – I like to keep people guessing. Thanks for the great review!
Anna Potter1 – Harry is obsessed. The poor guy…can't see past it all to see that Cho and Draco belong together.
foxy kitten – Hmm…I'll have to think a bit more about the sequel. Maybe if a really cool plot comes to mind! Thanks for the review!
Iris C – I was hoping the swear words weren't too much. Glad to see that someone thought they had a purpose. Read on to see what Draco does. Thanks for the review!
BlackDragon7037 – Thanks for reading! I'm glad you think it's realistic and that it could happen. It was kind of what I was aiming for. As for calling Harry a 'git' all the time. Yes, there are other words, but 'git' is just so much fun!
All – For those of you who are still with me, thanks. I know it's been frustrating with all the waiting between chapters, especially the last few. I can only hope they've been worth the wait. Enjoy!
Disclaimer – I don't own anything except for this silly Post-Hogwarts plot.
Chapter 12 – There is No Other
"I love you."
Cho blushed faintly at the words. She was glad the room was dark. She didn't want him to see how nervous she was. She hadn't been with anyone in so long. In fact, the last time she had been with anyone was him.
She shyly led him to the magnificent four-poster bed. She had taken care to dress appropriately tonight...an elegant black silk chemise. In its simplicity, it was quite alluring and it had the desired effect on him.
She stopped at the foot of the bed and he gently picked her up and placed her on it. On her knees, she was at the perfect height to receive his kiss. He gently lifted her chin with his index finger. From beneath her eyelashes, she could see the love, hunger and desire in his own grey eyes, and it made her heart pound with excitement. He slowly ran his fingers down her throat to the back of her neck.
He came closer and she could feel his warm breath on her. His lips gently brushed against hers and she closed her eyes and allowed a soft moan to escape. And with that kiss, the nervousness she felt soon receded. As their kiss deepened, she surprised herself when she found he was being too gentle…too reserved. She wanted him, maybe even more than he wanted her. And so she opened up and kissed him with all the passion she had allowed to lay dormant for so many years. He responded in kind and joined her on the bed.
Cho felt his tender kisses move down to her neck and collarbone and she felt as if she were in heaven. But, he was being gentle again and she didn't want gentle, she wanted passion…the kind of untamed passion she knew he had for her. She moved herself so that she straddled him and brought him up to meet her lips in a searing kiss. As he moved further down her body, Cho breathlessly moaned, "I need you, Draco."
"Ugh!" a repressed wince sounded through the stale air, waking Cho with a start. As soon as she realized where she was, she noticed Draco was no longer by her side and a rush of panic raced through her.
"Draco?" she whispered fearfully.
Once she swept her eyes around the abandoned house, she found him. Relief quickly washed over her face only to be chased away again by dismay. Draco was standing beside the window, clutching his left forearm. His disheveled locks effectively obscuring his face from view. However, she could clearly see the Dark Mark emblazoned onto his pale flesh. Voldemort was looking for him.
She immediately moved towards him. "Is there anything I can do?"
"Does it look like there's anything you can do?"
Cho flinched at his words. She hadn't expected them to be so biting and derisive.
After the mark stopped burning, Draco frowned at it and blankly said, "He's calling for me. He's wondering where I am."
Cho nodded solemnly, but then suddenly remembered his precarious condition from the day before, "Are you okay? I mean…the curse…you were out for so long. I was so worried."
"Don't I look okay?" was Draco's curt reply.
Cho nodded again and after some hesitation, guiltily offered, "I'm sorry."
"Sorry?"
"The Cruciatus…I didn't mean…I mean, I didn't know," Cho stuttered, unable to look at him.
"You were under the Imperius," Draco acknowledged resentfully. "I was there, remember?"
Cho glanced at him and shrunk a bit from the scowl on his face. "Yes, I know," Cho answered meekly.
"Look. I'm fine. I don't blame you. No one can fight the Imperius…well, almost no one," Draco finished bitterly.
Cho forced a small grin. She knew he was right. The Imperius Curse was not a curse someone could easily defy. But, she should have at least tried to fight it. It was this fact that bothered her the most and was the reason why she still couldn't quite forgive herself, even if he had.
"I have to go," Draco said abruptly before he hastily turned to leave.
I have to go? His words had taken her by complete surprise and it took her a moment to register them. What did he mean he had to go?
"Go?" Cho managed to finally get out when she noticed Draco making a move toward the exit.
"He's calling for me," Draco repeated stoically after he had come to halt, pointedly offering no further explanation.
"But, don't you want to know about Harry…Roger…how you survived?"
"I know I've failed. That is enough. The sooner I face his wrath, the sooner it will be over," Draco responded calmly, although there was a slight tremble detectable in his voice. Once again, he turned to leave.
After everything that had happened, Cho couldn't understand why he was behaving so coolly, as if yesterday had not happened at all…as if he had not just put her through the most physically and mentally tumultuous months of her life. A surge of anger rushed through her and she exploded, "Damn Voldemort and damn you, Draco Malfoy!"
Her outburst successfully stopped him again. This time, however, he merely turned his cold eyes onto her and said nothing.
Cho refused to cower under his penetrating glare. "That's right. Damn you and your Dark Lord. You are the same coward from all those years ago. Go! Go and run to your Dark Lord. Run away," Cho yelled, tears threatening to come forth, exposing the true state of her emotions.
"And, pray tell, what exactly am I running from? As far as I can see, there is nothing here to keep me," Draco said, poison lacing his words. To further emphasize his disdain, his thin mouth curled into its trademark smirk.
Cho's lower lip quivered slightly and she could feel a small tear pool at the corner of her eye. She mentally scolded herself. She needed to be strong, not weak. But, Draco always had a way with words. Simple yet so well-placed, he always managed to manipulate them to best serve his needs, whether it was to ridicule, or more often the case, to scold. This time, his words pierced her heart like icy knives. And, as a result, a part of her didn't want to reveal what she was, in truth, dying to tell him. She didn't want to give him any more ammunition to fire back at her. And yet, another part of her was telling her the only reason why he was saying such hurtful things was because he didn't know.
Gathering what little courage she had, Cho broke the tense silence and softly whispered, "Me."
"You?" Draco asked with amusement as he arched an eyebrow. "And just why are you still here, Cho? Why are you not back at Potter's side, where you belong?" Placing more knives into her already fragile heart, Draco chuckled cruelly and added, "I hope for your sake it wasn't for me. Was that it? Did you feel the need to stay by my side? To nurse me back to health? Didn't the fool tell you I would be all right? I suppose not, as it's clear you still let emotions get the best of you."
"It was for us," Cho corrected him, trying her best to ignore his slight as more unshed tears appeared.
"Us? There is no us," disgust now evident in his cruel voice.
"There is," Cho began with confidence, only to have it quickly wane, "I…I –"
"You what, Cho?" Draco snapped, obviously annoyed he had been retained to discuss emotional dribble.
His voice was so harsh and so unsympathetic, Cho immediately stopped her stuttering and instinctively recoiled. This was not how she had envisioned telling him. She wanted to tell him of her own volition, when the time was right. She didn't want to tell him while she was crying, and worse yet, when he was the one causing the tears. But, what if she didn't tell him? What then? What other time would she have? After all, there was a good chance she would never see him again if she allowed him to escape. She had no other choice. She couldn't wait for another or better opportunity to come along. It had to be now.
Through watery eyes she looked at him and tried again, her voice shaky, "I know I told you I didn't. But when I saw you lying there…you were barely alive…and…and he wanted to kill you. I couldn't let him. I couldn't fight for Cedric's life, but I could fight for yours. And, I finally realized it…realized my love for you. And the truth is, I think I've loved you all this time. It never went away. As much as I had wanted it to…as much as I had wanted to believe it had died, it never did. I was lying to myself the entire time."
And there it was. Somewhere buried in the midst of her ineloquent rambling, she had finally told him. As the tears slowly trickled down her pale cheeks, she nervously stood there waiting for his response. But, none came. Initially, she felt relief because he finally knew. But, now, with each passing second, the relief quickly gave way to dread. She had never felt so utterly vulnerable as she did now.
"I stayed because I love you. I stayed for us," Cho whispered again apprehensively, slowly making her way closer to him, "we can be together now. There's nothing to keep us apart any more."
When she carefully reached for his hand, Draco violently jerked it away once he felt her touch. His gray eyes, unreadable mere moments ago, now told a tale filled with loathing and in a cold tight voice, he snarled, "Don't stand there and lie to me."
"Lie to you? What –"
"YES! TO ME…TO YOURSELF!" Draco roared, unable to keep his voice even, the rage soon joining the loathing in his cold eyes.
Startled, Cho took a few steps back, all the time shaking her head.
She hadn't really known what to expect of his reaction when she finally told him. He was such an enigma, she never was good at predicting him. Of course, she had foolishly hoped he would receive the news well and in turn confess his love for her as well. But, in reality, she knew there was a greater likelihood he would reject her as he was now. And yet, somehow, this knowledge did nothing to abate the hurt and disappointment she felt as a result of his irate reaction.
"YOU DON'T LOVE ME! YOU LOVE HIM, DON'T YOU?" Draco continued to roar at the top of his voice, making her shudder. He then forced himself to lower his voice and, through clenched teeth, said, "I saw you…I heard you! How can you stand there and deny it?"
Cho was confused. His angry words weren't making much sense. What had she done to warrant such outlandish charges? "Draco. What are you talking about? I never said –"
"Do you think I'm stupid? I was there. I heard you. I heard the way you cried for him when he came to the clearing. The way you defended him and scolded me. The way you were so willing to die to save his miserable life. If you love me as you claim, you would have never…" Draco drifted off, unable to continue, lest he revealed his carefully guarded torment.
Cho was speechless. This was all about Harry? Even though Draco had never said it, she had honestly thought he no longer regarded Harry as a threat for her heart.
In the momentary peace, Cho's mind raced through yesterday's events until she finally recalled her last private moment with Draco at the abandoned house. She remembered her desperate kiss, his piercing look he shot back at her, and her frustration as a result. At the time, it confused her because his behavior completely contradicted his actions…before Harry had come to the clearing. At this realization, Cho inwardly sighed and was on the verge of waving her white flag in defeat. No matter how vehemently she had denied his claims, Draco's fixation with Harry would never die. She was fighting a losing battle and she didn't know whether she had the energy to convince Draco once and for all of her non-existent romantic feelings for the Boy-Who-Lived.
After taking a few deep breaths and a moment to regain his composure, Draco continued, his voice reverting to its tight and controlled tone, "You love how he's the hero. You love how he's so good. How everyone looks up to him. How he puts his friends above him!" But as hard as he tried, he couldn't control the anger and his voice, thick with fury, continued to escalate in volume, "Don't stand there and tell me you don't! Don't tell yourself you could love a manipulative Death Eater! You love Harry Fucking Potter. You always have and you always will."
"Stop, please. Stop," Cho pleaded, already tired of the never-ending argument.
"Why should I? I think this is exactly what you need to hear. Potter – the savior of the wizarding world. Me – the dark and evil Death Eater who has no scruples and will continue to manipulate you and use you for his own gain. Is that what you want? To be by my side when Potter bows before me? Wouldn't you rather go down in history as his revered queen than the mistress of a ruthless Death Eater?" Draco finished, but not before adding more salt to her wound, "besides, I already have one. You do remember Blaise, don't you?"
At the mention of that Slytherin tramp, Cho's eyes immediately tightened. But, she wouldn't let herself be goaded by his blatant attempt to insult her. She couldn't explain it, but somehow, she knew he didn't mean it…he couldn't. And to prove to him how unaffected she was at the stinging comment, she made a mindful decision to outright ignore it and instead addressed his other ridiculous and unfounded accusations.
"If all you claim is true, why did I callously abandon him when he was calling for me to go to him? Do you want to know why? It was you. As much as I hated myself for deserting Harry when he called for me, I knew, in my heart, how much more I would have never forgiven myself if I didn't give you and us a chance."
Without hesitation, Draco replied bluntly, "You remained at my side because you're disillusioned and stupid…Merlin, we're both guilty of such stupidity." He then turned away and moved closer to the window. After a few moments, he uncharacteristically bowed his head as if in resignation and proceeded to scold himself, "I was so stupid…so foolish to believe you could. I can't believe I allowed…I wanted to believe it so much…I almost did. I told myself you didn't love Potter. I was blind. But, I'm not anymore. I will never make that mistake again. The truth is you do love him and because of that, I could never love someone like you. Someone beneath me…Potter-loving filth not even fit to kiss my feet. Father was right. You disgust me."
Cho was speechless again. For a brief moment, she wondered whether she had heard him correctly. His words were like riddles. Had he just admitted feelings for her? For a fleeting moment, she had thought it. But his next words…Potter-loving filth…disgust…tore away any hope he might have given her.
"Why do you say such things?" Cho whispered sadly.
"I'm doing you a favor. Apparently you need me to spell it out for you. You don't love me and I most certainly don't love you," Draco repeated again, giving Cho the odd feeling, the real reason why he was saying it so adamantly was to convince himself of it rather than her.
Cho decided to test her hunch and challenged him, "Why, if you don't love me, did you apologize to me? If you don't love me, what were you going to say just before Harry appeared at the clearing? If you don't love me, why were you willing to sacrifice your life to save mine? If you don't love me, why were you so livid with Roger? If I'm such filth…and so disgusting, did you allow me to remain in your bed? Why?"
This time it was Draco's turn to be struck speechless. For long moments, he just stared at her, his expression growing more quiet. In a neutral voice, he finally responded, "I don't know. All I know was having that impertinent git kill you was never part of the plan. You weren't supposed to get hurt."
"I heard you, you know," Cho blurted out, deciding to throw all her chips on the table and push him a little further.
"What?"
"I was there that night you visited your mother. I heard you confess your love for me. I heard you tell her you loved me then and that you lied to me all those years ago just to make me leave you. It worked then, but it won't work now. I'm not giving up, Draco. As hard as you push me, I'll push right back…just as hard."
Cho mentally apologized to Narcissa. Draco was never supposed to learn of their relationship. But, Cho needed to tell him. At this very moment, she needed all she had in her arsenal to win this battle. She was sure Narcissa would understand. Actually, Cho was certain Narcissa would have volunteered the information herself had she been here.
When Draco did not immediately come back with a response, Cho was relieved she had that one trump card. He couldn't deny it now.
"Has it ever occurred to you I knew of your and Mother's rendezvous the entire time? Don't forget. I know all that happens around the Manor. I only told her that lie just to appease her at the time and to get her to drop the subject," Draco countered easily, effectively crumpling her trump card.
"You knew? You knew the entire time? Why did you allow us to carry on? I thought you would be livid."
"I was livid. But, you seemed to have a positive effect on her. She pulled out of her depression. I don't pretend to believe she did it all on her own, as much as I would like to. That's why I allowed you to remain in my quarters. The bed I had the house-elves make-up for me each night in Father's study, although comfortable enough, was a far cry from my own, as I'm sure you would agree," Draco revealed smugly. "I love my mother. That's the only reason why I condoned it. I will do anything to make her happy. Even if it means having to lie to her about my feelings for you and having filth contaminate my bed."
Cho looked away and shook her head. His confession had seemed so genuine. "I don't believe you. Everything you've done tells me you care for me. You wouldn't have put up with so much of my…my impertinence if you didn't." Turning back to face him, she added with conviction, "That day…in your father's study…you told me you would allow me to trade places with Harry if he wasn't the only reason why I was willing to stay. At that moment, yes, I was only willing to stay to save Harry. But, now…everything's changed. I want to be with you because I love you."
"I told you to stop! Don't say things you don't mean!" Draco shouted at her again.
"Why can't you accept the fact that I love you?" Cho shouted back.
This time it was Draco's turn to look away. "I told you!"
Cho refused to back down. "All I've heard are excuses. Give me one good reason…just one reason why it's so hard for you to believe me."
Draco refused to look at her. "Why? What good would it do? This is so pointless!" he cried out in exasperation.
"No. It's not. Draco, look at me. I love you."
She reached for his arm only to have him pull away. Cho didn't know what to do. Of course, the easiest thing to do was to just walk away. Her life would be so much more sane and normal. But, it would also be empty. A life without Draco would be full of regret. She had to try again.
"Draco, please. Don't push me away," she pleaded.
But her pleas fell on deaf ears. Again silence overtook the small old house. With his back to her, she couldn't even see his face to gauge what kind of thoughts and emotions were running through his stubborn head.
He was behaving like a bratty child and, frankly, she was tired. Maybe to the point where all she could do was just walk away. She knew she had told him she would never give up. She had believed it herself at the time. But, the reality was she was only human. Her resolve was only so strong.
Maybe he was right. What was the point? She couldn't be the only one to build and sustain this relationship. She needed him to help her. And right now, he wasn't willing. And the last thing she wanted to do was force him.
But what was the alternative? Could she go back to Hogwarts? Would they even take her back after she had abandoned them to side with the enemy? She knew certain people, like Ron, would never forgive her. Sure, they would take her back. But, the awkwardness and the bitterness would always be there. In fact, the only person who would welcome her back with open arms would be Harry. His final words told her he would always take her back…without judgment…like a true friend would. As her thoughts settled on her friend, the overwhelming guilt reared its ugly head. How could she call herself his friend?
As she mentally chastised herself, Draco raked a hand through his hair causing Cho's eyes to flicker in his direction. Suddenly, guilt of a different kind tormented her. What was she doing? How could she have even allowed Harry to enter her mind? Her tendency to run to Harry and use him as her crutch was the reason why she was in this predicament to begin with. And besides, it wasn't fair to him. If she continually went to him every time she had a problem…every time she hit a bump in life, there was little chance he would move on with his life. She didn't understand this before. But, she did now. Ron was right. As long as she was in Harry's life…even if it was just as a friend, he would never give up hope of being with her. She didn't want to hurt her friend anymore than she already had.
She supposed the best thing to do was to go away…for good. Maybe she could find that small remote wizarding town to settle in. She could still follow that dream and lead that modest life she once yearned for. But, she knew it would be a life in solitude. She had given her heart away. She didn't have another one to give.
But, could she really move on knowing she had given up? True, she couldn't force him to love her and she couldn't force him to live a life with her. But she could force him to tell her so in his own words.
With new found determination, Cho finally broke the long silence and said, "If this is what you want, fine. You win. I'm not going to force you into anything you don't want. But, I'm not leaving until I hear you say it. If you hate me that much, tell me and I will leave…forever."
Like a predator stalking its prey, Draco waited for the perfect opportunity to pounce on her words. He slowly turned around and scathingly retorted, "Really? And where will you go? Back to Potter's arms, no doubt. Should I expect to see the wedding nuptials in the Daily Prophet within the month?"
For a long moment, Cho could do nothing but stare coldly at him in disbelief. Till the end, he still had to throw Harry back in her face. "This is between you and me, Draco. Leave Harry out of this."
Draco's mouth curled into a smirk and his eyes glittered with spite. "Avoiding the question, I see. That could only mean that you are. Well, let me be the first one to offer the happy couple my best," Draco drawled derisively.
Ignoring his sarcastic well wishes, Cho narrowed her eyes and replied angrily, "Me? You're accusing me? You, Draco Malfoy, perfected the art of avoiding anything that might…that might make you appear human!"
Draco clenched his jaw and balled his hands into fists. Cho knew she had hit a nerve. "I'm not avoiding anything! I've told you all you need to know!"
"No, you didn't! If you want to prove me wrong, tell me. Tell me why you can't accept my love! Until then, don't you dare stand there and accuse me of avoiding questions!"
For a few seconds, Draco just stood there and seethed. The smirk was gone and in its place was a thin line, tightly bunched tothether to illustrate his displeasure and frustration of being made to look like a fool, "You think you can trick me into answering? By challenging me to prove you wrong? Fine. I'll tell you. But, only because I want to put an end to this. Don't think for a second you tricked me into telling you anything."
"Fine. You're right. I couldn't trick you," Cho nonchalantly conceded and then demanded, "just tell me."
Draco was now pacing back and forth. He threw her hateful looks everytime he turned to pace the other way. It was clear to Cho he would rather cut off his arm than tell her. But, Cho wasn't going to let him get out of it and she waited patiently for him to start.
With bitterness tainting every word, Draco finally spoke, "You want to know why? Why your words mean nothing to me? Why your profession of love only causes me to become more suspicious? How all it does is cause me torment? Did you honestly believe your profession would make me fall at your feet? Let me tell you something. It accomplished quite the opposite."
He was doing it again. He was using his words to hurt her and it was working. "Draco, I know you don't mean what you just said. You're just saying these awful things to punish me."
Despite being so visibly uncomfortable, Draco continued, "It's the truth. That's what you wanted, right? And you wanted to know why? Jealousy. The jealousy…it's a demon. A demon that kills a part of me everytime I see you with him…everytime you defend him. It's so powerful, I can't believe I was able to conquer it."
Struggling with his words and his feelings, he had taken to pacing again, every now and then raking a hand through his hair. "But you…you were so good. Your lies and your deceptions…your claims of having no feelings for him. And, I started to believe you! When you told me you wanted to stay with me, for a fleeting moment, I was actually happy. But, then I quickly realized why you were offering yourself and the happiness I felt left as quickly as it had come. Do you see now? Do you understand why it's so hard for me to believe you?"
At first, his words were so abstract and vague, Cho was having a hard time understanding what he was saying. But, she eventually understood why he was hurting so much and why it was so difficult for him to accept her.
In her most calm and reassuring voice, Cho again tried to make his demon go away, "I know I told you that. But, things have changed. I want to be with you! Not because I need or want to save Harry's life. I want to be with you…for who you are. I don't expect you to change. If you did, you wouldn't be the Draco I fell in love with all those years ago…the Draco I fell in love with again yesterday."
Cho didn't know if her words were reaching him, but she hesitantly moved closer to Draco anyway. When she got close enough, she slowly reached her hand out to take his. She was fully aware of his suspicious eyes on her, scrutinizing her every move. However, to her pleasant surprise, he didn't try to move away or resist when she finally took hold of his rigid hand. Feeling more confident, she squeezed it gently and brought it to her lips. As she brushed a tender kiss against it, she whispered, "I want you to be the one to hold me, to kiss my tears away, to take care of me, to make love to me. It's you who I want to love me. Believe me when I say there is no other. There could never be another."
And before she could declare anything else, Draco roughly pulled her to him and crushed her lips with his. His free arm wrapped itself possessively around her waist and allowed no escape, effectively claiming her as his. His lips fervently kissed hers and she accepted his kiss, timidly parting her lips to allow him the access he sought for. Their kissing grew so passionate and ardent, she was quickly becoming dizzy and unaware of anything but him. If truth be told, she was so lost in their kiss, she didn't even hear the soft moans escaping from her lips.
Cho knew this was Draco's way of surrendering…admitting his love for her. He was too proud and stubborn to allow her the luxury of hearing him declare his love. But, Cho didn't care. Right now, his actions were telling her all she needed to know.
When he finally let go of her lips, her eyes remained closed and she didn't dare pull away. In fact, she never wanted to leave his embrace again and wrapped both arms around his neck. It felt so good to finally be close to him. To encourage him further and assure him of her sincerity, she again breathlessly vowed, "There is no other."
Draco moved his other arm to wrap around her waist and drew her even closer to him. She smiled softly and again lost herself in his warm tight embrace.
But, this didn't mean she was lost to reality. She knew who he was. There were no disillusions he was a ruthless Death Eater, a dark wizard capable of such evil and wreaking such terror. But, ironically, she felt safe. In Draco's arms, she felt as though no one could touch her or harm her. She knew he would be there to protect her.
Her happy thoughts were violently and suddenly interrupted when his body stiffened and he reflexively jerked his left arm from her waist.
"He's calling again."
Cho shifted her gaze from the summoning mark to Draco's troubled expression. "You're not going back, are you? We have each other now. We can leave and never come back. He won't know. We can start a new life," Cho said, hope apparent on her face.
"I can't," Draco replied simply.
"We can if we're careful."
"The Dark Lord will never let me go. My life will be spent serving him. I will only be free of him in death," Draco said darkly.
"But, he may very well think you're dead already. This is our chance," Cho tried again.
"You don't understand. He has powers beyond imagine…he will find me. What then? I don't want to live a life of fear and endanger yours. And even if I could, I couldn't leave my mother. She's all alone. He would surely kill her to punish me for my insolence. I have to go back," Draco replied resolutely.
"Then I'm going with you," Cho declared, just as resolutely.
"No. I can't -"
"My home is where you are. If you go back to Malfoy Manor, I'm going back with you. You can't get rid of me."
"Cho, it's not that easy. As much weight as I have, I cannot guarantee your safety and well-being. At the very least, you will have to pledge complete allegiance to our cause. Do you understand that? There would be no going back. And even then, there would be no assurances."
Cho kept quiet. She knew this moment would come. She was far from proud of her decision to abandon Harry and the Light side. But the truth of the matter was she needed Draco in her life, at any cost.
Draco, misinterpreting her silence for her reluctance to go back with him to Malfoy Manor, offered, "You don't need to tell me. I already know your answer and I don't blame you. As I've said before, our paths lead us in different directions. There is no sense in trying to force them to do differently." And although he said it in a composed and accepting manner, there was a twinge of disappointment in his voice.
When he finished, he let go of her hand. But, before he could fully retract it, Cho grabbed it again and held onto it tightly. "No. You've mistaken me. I want to go back with you. I admit it won't be easy. But, if you're willing to give us a chance, the least I can do is the same."
"Are you sure?" Draco asked evenly with some skepticism, but was unable to hide the flicker of happiness in his eyes.
Cho smiled and nodded, "Yes. Being with you is the most important thing to me. I don't know what the future holds for us, but, as long as you're there with me, I know I'll be all right."
Cho then stepped closer to Draco to close the gap between them and leaned up to capture his lips again. She smiled and deepened their kiss when she felt Draco's arms envelope her tightly once more. She had fought the good fight and this was her reward. It truly was all about their love and nothing else.
When they broke their kiss, Cho looked up at him and smiled softly, "I love you. You know that?"
Draco glanced down and lightly smiled and pulled her closer still. And with a sudden loud crack, the old abandoned house was once again empty.
THE END
A/N: "THE END?" you ask? Well, yes. It had to end somewhere. And I figured this was a good place to do it. **ducks flying tomatos** Okay! Okay! You win. Expect an epilogue…coming soon to a fanfiction site near you. ;)
By the way, some of you may be saying…"How could Cho do that? How could she choose Draco? He's a Death Eater! That's not right! Is she mad?" Well, dear readers, love makes people do crazy things. It's a bittersweet ending…one I had planned all along. Also, I apologize for all the sappy parts, especially towards the end. It was inescapable.
As always, feedback of any kind is wonderful. When you do review, could you guys humor me and tell me which chapter you enjoyed the most and the reason why? Just one or two sentences should suffice. There's no real reason why I want to know other than curiosity. Thanks to everyone who has read this story. And an extra special thanks to anyone and everyone who has reviewed. You guys really rock. I sincerely appreciate it. :D
Oh yeah! One last thing. If you want, check out 'All About Our Love' by Sade. It's beautiful!