Last Chances

Sitting up suddenly, Draco looked around; he couldn't remember where he was. Where was Ginny for that matter? Looking around again he finally remembered, this was his real life.

His wedding, his obligations, his regular rich and fabulous life, it all came back to him.

Last night he'd lived an entire different life to the end; it had been the most wonderful night of his life.

He remembered what it felt like to be in love, and he couldn't remember why he was getting married today.

He remembered being happy, and for the life of him he couldn't understand how he'd lived all these years.

But it was just a dream.

No doubt by now she was living happily with some other man, making him smile, letting him love her. He let himself think for a few moments, of where she was now, what she was doing today just then. Who she touched and kissed at night, and who she woke up to in the morning. He couldn't help but think a bit snidely, that he'd have been better for her then whoever she was with now.

There was nothing he could do now, she was more then likely tied down now, and he had chosen the path of a Malfoy and as a Malfoy today he had a duty to perform.

Finally pulling himself out of bed, he looked down at his nightstand, a to-do list before the wedding, and the ring boxes.

Just another day.

Starting at the top of his daily doings he stepped into the shower, wondering what his mother might say at breakfast today.

After all, it is my big day, he thought sardonically to himself.

Suddenly he wanted to break the chain, he had no desire to be here, in his home, in his shoes, he wanted to do something a bit spontaneous maybe, rebellious even. He wanted to live on the edge, if even just for a moment. He searched for a rule to break, a boundary to cross maybe. Getting out of the shower he decided not to go downstairs, no, today was the last day of his free life, and he was going to live free.

With a pop and a satisfied smirk, he was gone.

He'd brought himself to a street in Diagon Alley, walking around he wondered what he'd do for the whole day the day, that is during the time before he absolutely had to be back to make his wedding. He rarely even had this much time to himself, free to do whatever he truly wished.

First on his agenda was breakfast, he decided, then maybe a few hours just walking around, sans a wife and surname.

He walked into a café he looked around the tables in search of a seat. He noticed this wasn't his kind of society. This wasn't a wait to be seated kind of place even. This was a place where you sat, and if you felt like it you called over a waitress and ordered, if not you just sat and people watched.

Perfect he thought.

He was in the middle of deciding if he was really so hungry or not, when something caught his eye, more like a person, a person from some memory of his, or less of a memory and more like a dream.

There she was, waiting for him to step in.

She'd woken up this morning, shaking and sweating from the dream sequence she'd just escaped. She needed to calm down, she needed to come back to reality.

She grabbed her bag and raced out of her apartment as fast as she could. She walked to Diagon Alley, she didn't know if she was thinking clear enough to apperate. She found her café and walked in ready for a good muddled thinking session, and possibly a tea. And so she was sitting at a table, facing a window, and looking at all the busy people going about their lives.

Looking at her was like standing behind a glass shop window, the scene behind the glass was so perfect, one wonders if it's worth it to lose site of it for a second and enter the shop.

He was being a rebel today after all.

Why not take a chance while I'm at it.

He walked over to where she was sitting, and observed her, he knew her, he knew every bit of her, but for the life of him he couldn't remember anything.

She looked up, ready to tell whoever it was who'd entered her bubble, to back off. But she saw him, and words failed her. Just like a sappy romance, she was remembering her dream, and how much she loved this man in it, how perfect it felt, how real it'd seemed and that's as far as the sap and romance got.

She turned her head from him sharply, and a bit to quickly.

It was a dream, not a reality she reminded herself. Not bothering to acknowledge him.

"I dreamt about our life together." He said almost casually, as long as you hadn't seen his eyes.

"Have you ever? It's quite nice" he continued, still watching her carefully.

Stiffening in her seat a little she looked at him almost questioningly, but not quite, she didn't want to give away what he might not know.

"Why are y—" she started to ask why he'd said anything at all.

"I'm getting married today." He said lowly, as if it explained it all.

She looked at him oddly for a second, trying to find the courage to look at his eyes.

"Dreams aren't reality Mr. Malfoy they're dreams." She said faintly, not courageous enough to complete her journey up his face, she looked away slightly.

He looked down at her surprised, he hadn't ever remembered her like this, spiteful maybe, temperamental, yes, but bitter? Cynical?

"I refuse to believe that this was just a coincidence." He stated

"I refuse to believe, that I met you right here right now, right before the biggest mistake of my life, for nothing; and I refuse to believe that you think that either" he said sharply.

She didn't answer him, she didn't turn her head, she barely shrugged her shoulders in acknowledgement of his out of character outburst.

"What are you afraid of? What are you afraid of losing" he demanded. His mind wandering to a man in her bead, that was not himself; a child in a crib, not his own. His mind flew to the image of her face, raced by a smile that he did not put there. His thoughts angered him more then he would have liked, if he could have thought about them.

"I'm not afraid of losing anything! I just don't feel like falling for some sick trick of mind." She shot back angrily, interrupting his thoughts.

"What are you doing here anyways? Haven't you got a wedding to go to! A love of your life to marry? Why don't you go do whatever it is you're out to do, and leave me to do what I please!" she rose her voice an octave, restraining herself from screaming at him in public.

"who do you love then? Who's the love of the life that popped up instead of me?" he asked. He looked at her and he knew, he smiled, she didn't have one.

She saw his smile and her face reddened, and she opened her mouth to snap at him, but he beat her to it.

"I don't love her." He told her casually, setting himself in the chair opposite her. He was taking a risk right? Living on the edge, what was more or a risk, more freeing then the chance of love?

He was ready for it too.

They sat in silence for a few moments. Then the façade dropped. And he nudged a little at her heartstrings, his oddly familiar way of speech, his smirk, she even glimpsed his smile and the layers peeled off.

He hadn't even noticed it, until he realized he'd missed his wedding. It was probably what he was trying to do anyways.

They weren't in love yet, they weren't dating, but they'd started something that should have been long ago. Perhaps today they were acquaintances, maybe tomorrow friends, and in time, they would be lovers.

Fate wasn't letting them off its tracks again, that's for sure.

-

But that's where the dream ended and Draco Malfoy woke up in his own bed, fate had left him with one last choice, but you can't leave everything to fate. In the end, the choice is still yours.