"You really don't have to do this."
"I insist. Come to the Manor. We have lots of room." Narcissa is trying to convince me into coming to the Malfoy Manor to recuperate. "Besides, you and Draco are getting married."
"Ugh! Will people stop saying like that? I loathe him."
"Honey, you love him. Trust me," she smiles reassuringly, which isn't so reassuring.
I roll my eyes. "What would change my mind after all these years?"
"Only heaven knows. I insist you stay awhile."
"Fine." I knew she wouldn't rest until I say yes.
My parents bring me from St. Mungo's to the Malfoys. Yippee! I'm stuck here for my recuperation! A beautiful 2 weeks. Then, in about three months, I'm giving birth! How I had sex with Draco Malfoy, I will never know, no less get pregnant.
I basically stay in my room the whole time - minus the occasional trips to the bathroom to throw up. Narcissa wants me to rest.
One day, I get bored and go to the astronomy tower. The sun sets soon and I love to watch the sky change colors and see the stars come out to play. I don't know what it is, but astrological patterns leave me in a state of awe.
I sit on the balcony watching the sun start to dip below the horizon, turning the sky a vibrant orange which turned to pink, which faded to a lavender.
When the sun reaches the point where only half is visible, I feel a hand on my shoulder.
"I thought you might be here." Malfoy sits next to me. "I'm sorry you don't remember the good times."
"What good times? When you broke your mum's vase and blamed it on me when we were six?"
He laughs at the memory. "No. I mean when you fell for me."
"I fell for you?" I ask skeptically. "I think you have it all mixed up."
"I mean literally," he says. "You were riding on your broom and Granger wanted revenge for every bad name you've ever called her. She hexed you and you fell into the Black Lake. I happened to be walking past and I saw you fall. I stripped down to my boxers and dived in. When you could breathe and see your rescuer, you practically fainted. You kissed me on the spot as a reward."
"That is the biggest, fattest lie I've ever heard in my entire life - that I remember, that is."
"Yeah, I know. It is a big, fat lie." His arm gently drapes over my shoulders. I let it go - for now - and watch the sun creep slowly downward.
Barely any sun is visible now and the sky is so gorgeous, it looks like one of those postcards. "Wish you were here!"
Draco pulls me closer. "It's beautiful, isn't it? The sunset, I mean."
"Yeah," I admire.
"Look, Collette, I know you don't remember, but can you please give me a try?"
"I don't know, Draco. I mean, what could possibly attract me to you after all these ye-What are you grinning about?" I interrupt myself, seeing his ridiculous expression.
"You called me Draco."
"What?"
"You called me Draco," he repeated.
"No, I didn't," I lie.
"Yes, you did," he says, smiling wider and wider.
"No," I insist.
"Yes."
"Malfoy-"
"This is it!" he exclaims. "This is how it happened! This is how we had our first - actually second - kiss!"
"What?" I repeat.
"You told me about Melanie Wright and-"
"Who the bloody hell is that?"
"You killed her," he says bluntly.
"I did no such thing."
"I knew it was a lie." There was a pause as the sun disappeared below the horizon, leaving a pink and lavender sky. "I know how you like it," Draco points out suddenly and randomly.
"What are you talking about?"
"I know how you like to be kissed," he replies.
"And how would that be?" I inquire skeptically. His lips gently collide with mine. I'm a little surprised at first, but the embrace is so perfect. I kiss back and press hard on his soft lips. As his tongue snakes into my mouth, something in my mind is aroused.
In an instant, the past year flashes in my mind. All forgotten memories flood my brain at an alarming and overwhelming pace. I remember the fights, the tears, the joy and the emotions I had felt during the past year. Love, lust, and passion enter the kiss. Draco follows suit.
Our mouths part when we run of breath.
"Am I that well of a kisser?" he questions smugly.
Two words come out of my mouth, neither answering his question. I have a sweet, loving smile plastered on my face and he has his oh-so-sexy-and-annoying smirk glued to his features, waiting for my answer of:
"I remember."
Overwhelming joy enters his eyes and his smirk morphs into a genuine smile. Before he can do anything, I plant another kiss on his soft lips. I wrap my arms around his neck and deepen the kiss. He holds me close as the sky fades to darkest black. We sit and watch the stars twinkle against the black velvet sky.
The next day, I wake to soft lips gently pressing on mine. I open my eyes to see Draco straighten up into a standing position in my silver and green room.
"Morning, love." He lays down next to me, grabs a tray from the nightstand and places it on his lap. He picks up a forkful of eggs and places it in my mouth.
"You really don't have to do all this," I say swallowing. "You and your folks don't have to cater to me. I don't have a broken a leg or anything. Plus, you've already done so much for me already."
"It's fine. Mum and I want to do this."
"What about Lucius?" I ask, noting how he left his father out of it.
"Well, he's okay with it." He shoves another forkful of breakfast into my mouth so I don't press the subject.
"Draco, I can feed myself." I make a grab for the tray, but he seizes my wrist.
"A-a-ah. No."
"What am I? A dog?"
"No. You're injured. Now, eat," he commands.
Three bites later, I repeat, "You really don't have to do this."
"I know. That's what makes me so nice."
"Oh, really? And this is coming from the biggest egotistical jerk known to man a.k.a. Draco Malfoy."
"Sticks and stones, love." He puts the tray aside and leans closer to me. "That is the exact reason you adore me."
"You wish." Our arms instinctively wrap around each other as his lips claim mine.
"Whoa, baby!" Here we go again. Erica.
Draco is so surprised by the interruption, he attempts to jump back in shock. "What the bloody he- Ow!" Unfortunately, he just falls right off the bed.
Erica looks at him for a second and laughs. "Hey, Collette." Erica, who had materialized in the middle of my room, bounds over to the bed, carefully stepping over my fiancée. "How are you doing?"
"I'm fine. I just wish people would stop babying me." A few grunts are audible until Draco's head pops up beside my bed.
"You're lucky you're the maid of honor in two months. Otherwise, I'd be hexing you into oblivion," he threatens my friend.
"Sure you would," she says, ruffling his hair.
"Hey! Don't touch the hair!" He quickly fixes his now messed up hair. "You're complaining about being babied?" he whines at me. He does sound like a baby, now.
"So, anyways, Collette," Erica resumes, ignoring Draco. "I'm the maid of honor? I'm honored the be the maid of honor." We laugh. "Oh, and - uh - I ran into Potter after the big battle."
"Oh, really? He won? No surprise there," I joke.
"True, but I was so relieved to see him alive, because he had seemed dead, but I don't know but...well... I told him..."
"You told him you liked him?" She nods. "What did he say?" Now, I'm interested.
"'I've always liked you too, but only as a friend. Besides, I love Ginny.'" Aw. Poor Erica.
"I'm sorry."
"You liked Potter?" Draco sneers from behind me.
"You always know how to kill a mood, don't you?" I ask him. He gives me a mocking look. "That's why I love you," I sigh. He smirks then leans in to kiss me on the forehead.
"Ew! PDA! Get it away!"
"Aw. You're just jealous because you don't have a boyfriend," I tease.
"I'll make you feel special." Draco leans to kiss her too, when fear enters her eyes. She remembers when he had used her to get information and to get me jealous.
"Not from you!" She gets up hurriedly and goes to the center of the room again. "Got to go," and she's gone.
Draco slowly turns to me. "Alone again," he says seductively. He crawls into the bed an under the covers, getting super close and making my pulse race. His lips connect with mine and my stomach does flip flops, along with the occasional kick from the baby. It is moments like these when Draco lets loose a dose of lust in just a kiss where I feel like the luckiest girl in the world. Despite the want singing in his veins, there is a pureness in his actions, a gentleness in the way his lips dance with mine that tells me that he truly loves me in every possible meaning of the word. When we run out of breath, he holds me close and rests a hand on my stomach to feel our child respond to his touch.