AN: So heres a new chapter. This one is a little emotional, and i just want to tell people now that NO, this is not a Blaise/Draco story. They're friends, as you learn later. for now, just hang tight and enjoy! (Pssst. Reviews help the mind grow strong!)
Draco walked purposefully back to his tent. Once inside, he sealed it from the inside out. The others could sleep outside. He was supposed to be alone anyway. He wanted to be alone. Anger was seeping into his blood. He didn't want this. He wanted Ginny. But he had given her up. He gave her and any chance of a life with her up so that she could be happy and safe. He knew that as long as she was safe, his happiness would never matter.
He sat down on his makeshift bed and put his head in his hands. If he really wanted to, he could leave right now. Grab a horse and ride out the gates as fast as he could. But he would never make it. For the first time in 6 years, the reality of his situation struck him with full force. This was his life. He had given up a life with Ginny, as an Auror, with real friends. He had chosen this, no matter how much he blamed his father.
The tattoo burned into his arm was a symbol of everything he had given up. Now, his life was as a Death Eater, married to his only friend, Blaise Zabini. He would have to come to terms with that.
He spent the rest of that night reading the Diary over and over, until a voice he recognized only slightly called from outside the tent. He realized then that it was daylight.
"Draco! It's your mother! Let me in!" She pleaded. Draco thought about letting her in, but decided against it until later.
"I'm not ready mother. Come back later." He called. He heard nothing else from her. He spent that entire day in his tent alone, as he was sure Blaise was doing. She however was probably getting ready with her mother and young sister.
Blaise's sister was much younger than she. Carteni Zabini was only 9 years old and just maybe she would never have to join the war. If it ended soon enough, there were many who would not be put to the same fate as so many he knew.
Draco flipped to a random page of the Diary.
"Dream lofty dreams, and as you dream, so shall you become. Your vision is the promise of what you shall one day be; your ideal is the prophecy of what you shall at last unveil." - James Allen
Dear Diary,
I had a strange dream last night. I didn't spend last night with Draco, but instead in my own dorm. It was a very white dream. Not like a racial slur kind of white, just white. There was me, and Draco, and lots of flowers. And we were just lying there, happy. But he kept kissing my stomach. I don't know why; it isn't a very pretty stomach.
Ginny
"What if nothing exists and we're all in somebody's dream? Or what's worse, what if only that fat guy in the third row exists?" - Woody Allen
Draco often smiled when he read that entry. It would be nice to believe this was someone else's nightmare.
"You be good to her, you understand? But just like all mothers tell their son's, know when to give her the hard hand. Make sure she knows who's in charge. And if she fights back, then you've got an understanding." Narcissa Malfoy was helping Draco into his green dress robes.
She had brought a mirror with her so he could see how everything looked. He didn't like what he saw. He hadn't looked at himself in months, maybe years now. His hair was still its platinum blond, but it was shoulder length and it had been very dirty before his mother had cast a cleaning spell on him. The scar over his right eye seemed to leave a little missing from his face. There was a scar across his neck as well, and there was a split in the left side of his lower lip. He didn't notice any of these things normally. None of them bothered him.
"Oh my darling." Narcissa turned him towards her. "I realize this probably isn't the kind of wedding you want. But just think, in a few years, once the dark lord has won this war, things will be good again. We'll have Malfoy Manor all to ourselves." She seemed to stare at him wistfully for a moment before bringing a white cloth to her nose. "You look… very much like your father did, on our wedding day." She paused, and he waited patiently. "Well, you're ready. Let's go."
They headed out of the tent and up to the castle, where the private family ceremony was being held. Draco had never imagined himself being married, but if he had, he certainly wouldn't have thought the Dark Lord himself would be performing the ceremony. Apparently if something was happening in this camp, he was the one making it happen.
If was simple really. Lucius and Narcissa walked up to stand on Draco's side, and Blaise's parents Blain and Teryn along with her sister Carteni all walked up to stand on her side. Then Draco and Blaise walked up together, not touching or looking at one another.
They stood facing each other and looking downward.
Voldemort was smiling. "My faithful followers, you have come here as two separate beings, and now are being joined together by the bonds of magic and whatever god you worship…"
He continued talking, but his voice seemed to be drown out by Draco's own thoughts. He heard him ask for their hands, and Draco held out his left hand as Blaise held out her right.
He took a knife and made a small slit in both their palms.
"Now place together the bond of unity!"
For the first time, Draco and Blaise looked at one another. They locked sad gazes and slowly clasped their bleeding hands together.
"Together in life and death. Mr. and Mrs. Draco Malfoy." Voldemort turned and began to walk up the steps to the towers looking extremely pleased.
Draco let go of Blaise's hand and they turned to face their families. He shook hands with his father and Blain Zabini. His mother kissed his cheeks, and so did Teryn and Carteni. Blaise kissed each of their cheeks.
Then it was over, and they were being led to a large tent for the wedding night.
After they entered the tent it was sealed from the outside. Draco sighed and rubbed his face. Blaise took off her veil and set it down, sitting on the bed. She was starring off into space, like she always did. Draco removed his cloak and tossed it aside before sitting down next to her.
They sat that way for a long time, unspoken thoughts mending the distance between them. Confusion turned to sadness, sadness turn to regret, and regret turned to understanding. It was Draco who finally broke the silence.
"I do love you Blaise. And you will always be my friend." He said calmly, turning at last to look at her. Her face was calm, but a small smile was beginning to spread across her face.
"And you will always be mine." She answered. While it seemed that nothing had been really said, they had said everything in those simple sentences. Their friendship was changed only by a title, and they both understood that. Some things would not change.
Draco sighed and let his hand fall against the book tied to his leg. He felt in some way that he had betrayed her, even though he knew she would probably never find out.
"Do you think you'll ever see her again?" Blaise asked slowly, seeming to know what was on his mind.
Draco, amused, shook his head. "No. But my heart belongs to her all the same." He gave her a meaningful look. Blaise nodded with the tinge of her lips turned upward.
"I hope you find her." Without another word Blaise stood from the bed and changed from her ceremonial robes back into the regular robes she normally wore. She sat down on the floor and pulled her legs up to her chest and began to meditate.
Draco sighed once more before changing out of his robes and into his regular clothes. He lay down on the bed and blew out the light in the tent and closed his eyes for sleep.
