4

Coming to Conclusions

"Erin, I need to talk to you."

Erin looked at Harry and smiled. "About what, darling?"

"I wanted to know if you'll . . . marry me . . ."

As quickly as it came, the smile left Erin's face. "Harry, you know I can't."

Harry took her hand in his. "Why not?" he pleaded.

"It's because of this war. Once Voldemort is defeated, once this war is over, I'll marry you. But until I know you're safe, you know I can't."

Harry replayed this memory many times over the past few years.

"'Once this war is over, I'll marry you,'" he said aloud.

It was too late anyway. A few weeks after that conversation, she'd thrown him out of the flat. He spent too much time away from home, she'd said. She was awake many nights worrying, she'd said. She had shed too many tears over him, she'd said.

It was while Harry was looking for the sixth horcrux with Malfoy Erin had decided it was time for him to go. Harry was so close to beating Voldemort, so close to marrying the girl of his dreams . . .

Erin woke with a start. Harry was standing over her, a wide grin spread across his face.

"Hello, darling," Harry greeted her.

"Hello," Erin mumbled. "I'm glad you're home."

"I'm sorry I'd been away for so long."

Erin sat up and set her bright blue eyes on his. "It's been three months."

Harry put his arm around her shoulders. "I know. But I'm so close to finding it. This will all be over soon."

"No, Harry. This will never be over. Even if you manage to destroy Voldemort, you're still an Auror. You still have a dangerous job. And I'll still lie awake at night wondering if you're ever going to come home."

"That's it!" Harry cried, suddenly jerked back into reality.

"Draco, there's some dinner on the counter for you," Erin instructed her fiancée after he came home from work. "How was your day?"

Draco grabbed the plate of food Erin left him and sat down at the kitchen table next to her. "Long," he replied, sounding very tired.

Erin nodded absently and continued reading the newspaper in front of her.

"But," Draco continued, "I brought you a present."

Erin took her eyes off the paper long enough to ask, "What is it?"

Draco handed his fiancée with a small, thin box. "Open it."

Slowly, Erin tore the paper away from the box and opened it. Inside was a long, satin purple nightgown.

"I ordered it for you ages ago," Draco said. "I finally got it in from the South of France. Put it on."

Erin was eyeing the nightgown with a mixed expression on her face. She loved it that Draco gave her thoughtful gifts, but he also knew she didn't like fancy things.

"Sweetie," she began.

Draco stopped eating and looked up at her expectantly. "Yes?"

"You know I'm perfectly happy wearing your old pajamas."

Draco smiled. "I know that, darling. But I wanted you to have something nice."

"But I like wearing your old pajamas."

Draco's smile turned into a naughty smirk. "And I like it when you're not wearing my old pajamas. In fact, I like it when you're not wearing anything at all."

Erin got up from her seat and smiled at Draco. "I love you," she said before giving him a kiss on the cheek and exiting the room.

Draco promptly rose and followed her. "Sweetheart, what's the matter?"

Erin settled into the sofa and sighed. "I don't know," she replied. I think it's just pre-wedding jitters."

Draco sat down next to her and held her close to him. "Don't be afraid, sweetheart. Don't be afraid. Like I've said a thousand times before, this will all be over soon. Soon we'll be married, and you can be 'Mrs. Erin Malfoy.'"

"Oh, Draco, you know I love you."

"And I you," Draco replied earnestly.

"But . . . oh, I don't know . . ."

"What?"

Erin looked him in the eyes. "It's the nightgown."

Draco looked surprised. "You don't like it?"

Erin shook her head violently. "No, you misunderstand me. I love it, but you know how I feel about such pretension. We've known each other for nearly twenty years, and you still don't know how much I hate fancy things."

"What is it you want, darling? Do you want a smaller engagement ring? Would you like a smaller, more private wedding? Would you like to move out of this house and into a flat? Would you be happy then? All I want is to make you happy, sweetheart, and I thought I was doing everything perfectly."

"Oh, honey, you are. I'm very happy with you. I'm just rather uncomfortable with some of the things you've bought me. If we didn't have anything, I'd still be happy—because I'd be with you."

And then, Draco did something Erin would never have expected him to do. He began to cry.

"I love you so much," he said shakily. "And I'm sorry about making you feel so uncomfortable. I just don't want to lose you."

Erin smiled her first genuine smile in days. "I don't want to lose you either." She thought for a moment. "Look, why don't we go upstairs? I can put on a pair of your old pajamas, and you can have fun taking them off me."

Draco wiped his face and replied, "I think I'd like that."