We stood there for a long time, not saying anything, until finally I asked;
"But why did you pick me? I'm not ... I'm not a pureblood. And Mal- I mean Draco- pretty much hated me."
Narcissa let go of me, and walked back over to the chair. She stood behind it, resting her hands on the top.
"I believe there is a time when old prejudices must be put aside" she stated. "My son's life was in danger, so I believed that that time had come."
I nodded, slowly.
"So all of the images ... they've all been you?"
"Yes. At first ... I must admit I might have gone a little over the top, but I was worried sick. Lately they've been on a more, shall we say, need to know basis" she gave me a pointed look, and I felt my cheeks redden.
If she was practiced in occlumency, practiced enough to have been able to conjour those images in my mind, she would certainly know about ... whatever it was between Malfoy and I.
She must have noticed my discomfort, and she smiled at me, weakly.
"I just ... I thought you ought to know. Where the visions were coming from" she said.
"So does that mean I won't be having them anymore?" I asked, and she shook her head, still smiling.
"Need to know basis" she repeated, with a wink.
---
I awoke with a start, the picture of Narcissa Malfoy winking at me still seemingly hovering in front of my eyes.
After all that time ... I finally knew what had been going on. I felt as though a weight, one that I had been so used to carrying that I barely thought of it, had been lifted from my shoulders.
I glanced at my alarm clock, and saw that it was going to go off in fifteen minutes anyway. I pressed the snooze button, and padded off to take my shower.
---
When I came down to breakfast, the Gryffindor table was still in mild celebration. I couldn't find a seat anywhere near Harry, Ginny or Ron, who were all still being adored by all of the quidditch fans.
Just as I was about to take a seat by myself, I noticed that Malfoy was hovering in the doorway. I caught his eye, and made a motion for me to come over to him. When I reached him, he grabbed my arm and dragged me away from the people going into the great hall.
"I heard you ... talked to my mother" he said, avoiding my eye. His tone suggested that he was deeply humiliated by this. I smiled.
"Yeah, I did. I can't believe it was her, the whole time! I would never have-"
"What? So, you mean ... you're not mad?"
I blinked at him.
"Mad? Why would I be mad? She was just trying to help you."
"Well, yeah" he looked uncomfortable, and ran a hand through his hair. "But she was mucking around inside your brain. Isn't that kind of ... weird?"
I thought about it for a moment. It was definitely a bit strange to know that somebody could read your mind that easily, but I knew that it had all been for the best.
"It IS kind of weird. But she meant well and ... you're still alive. That's all that matters, right?"
"Why, Granger, I didn't know you cared" he said, a familiar little smirk spreading on his face.
"Yes you did."
With that, I grabbed his tie and pulled him down until his lips met mine.
I was just showing him how much I cared when I noticed Ginny standing behind Malfoy, her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open.
I pulled away automatically, and felt my cheeks heat up.
Malfoy, however, didn't miss a beat. He stood up straight ,placed one arm around my shoulders, and smiled a winning smile at Ginny.
I swallowed.
"Hey, Ginny. While you're here ... I'd like you to meet my boyfriend, Draco."
---
THEEEEEEEND
---
A/N: Thank you so much to all my wonderful reviewers! I'm sorry it took so long for me to post this, and sorry it's such a short chappie, I had it written a few days ago but came down with a really bad virus and had to wait to be able to post it.
Hehe ... according to my word processor I've spent a grand total of 101.5 hours on this story !!!!
In the future I may or may not be posting a sequel, so keep an eye out!!
XoXoXoX
"But why did you pick me? I'm not ... I'm not a pureblood. And Mal- I mean Draco- pretty much hated me."
Narcissa let go of me, and walked back over to the chair. She stood behind it, resting her hands on the top.
"I believe there is a time when old prejudices must be put aside" she stated. "My son's life was in danger, so I believed that that time had come."
I nodded, slowly.
"So all of the images ... they've all been you?"
"Yes. At first ... I must admit I might have gone a little over the top, but I was worried sick. Lately they've been on a more, shall we say, need to know basis" she gave me a pointed look, and I felt my cheeks redden.
If she was practiced in occlumency, practiced enough to have been able to conjour those images in my mind, she would certainly know about ... whatever it was between Malfoy and I.
She must have noticed my discomfort, and she smiled at me, weakly.
"I just ... I thought you ought to know. Where the visions were coming from" she said.
"So does that mean I won't be having them anymore?" I asked, and she shook her head, still smiling.
"Need to know basis" she repeated, with a wink.
---
I awoke with a start, the picture of Narcissa Malfoy winking at me still seemingly hovering in front of my eyes.
After all that time ... I finally knew what had been going on. I felt as though a weight, one that I had been so used to carrying that I barely thought of it, had been lifted from my shoulders.
I glanced at my alarm clock, and saw that it was going to go off in fifteen minutes anyway. I pressed the snooze button, and padded off to take my shower.
---
When I came down to breakfast, the Gryffindor table was still in mild celebration. I couldn't find a seat anywhere near Harry, Ginny or Ron, who were all still being adored by all of the quidditch fans.
Just as I was about to take a seat by myself, I noticed that Malfoy was hovering in the doorway. I caught his eye, and made a motion for me to come over to him. When I reached him, he grabbed my arm and dragged me away from the people going into the great hall.
"I heard you ... talked to my mother" he said, avoiding my eye. His tone suggested that he was deeply humiliated by this. I smiled.
"Yeah, I did. I can't believe it was her, the whole time! I would never have-"
"What? So, you mean ... you're not mad?"
I blinked at him.
"Mad? Why would I be mad? She was just trying to help you."
"Well, yeah" he looked uncomfortable, and ran a hand through his hair. "But she was mucking around inside your brain. Isn't that kind of ... weird?"
I thought about it for a moment. It was definitely a bit strange to know that somebody could read your mind that easily, but I knew that it had all been for the best.
"It IS kind of weird. But she meant well and ... you're still alive. That's all that matters, right?"
"Why, Granger, I didn't know you cared" he said, a familiar little smirk spreading on his face.
"Yes you did."
With that, I grabbed his tie and pulled him down until his lips met mine.
I was just showing him how much I cared when I noticed Ginny standing behind Malfoy, her eyes wide and her mouth hanging open.
I pulled away automatically, and felt my cheeks heat up.
Malfoy, however, didn't miss a beat. He stood up straight ,placed one arm around my shoulders, and smiled a winning smile at Ginny.
I swallowed.
"Hey, Ginny. While you're here ... I'd like you to meet my boyfriend, Draco."
---
THEEEEEEEND
---
A/N: Thank you so much to all my wonderful reviewers! I'm sorry it took so long for me to post this, and sorry it's such a short chappie, I had it written a few days ago but came down with a really bad virus and had to wait to be able to post it.
Hehe ... according to my word processor I've spent a grand total of 101.5 hours on this story !!!!
In the future I may or may not be posting a sequel, so keep an eye out!!
XoXoXoX