Chapter Eighteen: Draco's Fire

Draco dressed in an unusual colour at my mother's wedding. He didn't resort to his customary black on black. Instead he wore a white dress shirt, a grey tie and an almost black blazer. It was possibly the least menacing thing I had ever seen him wear. I had taken to hiding in the bathroom to prepare myself for the nuptials and he changed while I was dressing. I exited and our mirrored expressions were that of awe.

"You look beautiful!" He beat me to saying it.

I smiled, "Draco, you look…" I was at a loss for words. I didn't want to repeat 'beautiful' though that is what he was. His white-blonde hair was lightly tussled and I desperately wanted to run my fingers through it.

"That dress," Draco continued, "where did you get it? Do not say it was just something you had lying around."

I laughed, "Of course not. It was a gift from my mother for the occasion. Despite everything we have always rather had a similar taste in style, which was very surprising."

I was used to the more austere looks of vibrant blues and purples and reds. My stylist had loved the reds and how they looked against my skin tone. I preferred more muted tones and my mother seemed to agree, having chosen a dress the colour of mint-green. It was strapless but not overly tight around my bodice and fell in satin swirls around my knees. I had chosen emerald jewels to accent and pulled half my hair up. It was probably one of the most casual 'formal looks' I had ever adorned. I chose a pair of silver strappy sandals with a smaller heel than my father would have allowed.

"You look stunning," he continued, coming up behind me next as I hooked my earrings in. He wrapped his arms around my middle and looked at us standing in the mirror. Our reflections told a very different story than our actual lives.

December had been blissful, without incident and while Draco was still secretive about what he was doing for the Dark Lord, I had given up thinking about asking anything about it. I had too much to think about on my part. Did I go or did I stay? I was a threat to him now, now that his parents knew about us. I was under threat everywhere I went now, my father having been placed in St. Mungo's as predicted. That was an interesting letter to receive. But his enemies had become mine and the company would survive without me, should I decide to leave sooner rather than later. Nothing could be done until March, but I didn't think I could wait until then. Draco still had to complete this task and I still wanted to be away from that part of the world more than ever.

So I had to decide. Would I continue and finish my sixth year at Hogwarts? Or would I just go now, cut the cord, disappear from English society and come live with my mother here in Australia? I had to admit to myself, even with the ties that held me at Hogwarts, namely Draco and Racquel, the latter was more appealing to me.

How Draco had managed to sneak away from his parents during these holidays I didn't think I'd ever know, but as long as they didn't crash my mother's wedding to Flynn, I didn't care either. Draco was here with me. My mother had met him for the first time a couple nights ago. That had been fun. If I didn't know any better I would have said that Draco was severely intimidated by my mother. He even stumbled over his words a few times. But while our days were spent entertaining various guests and dignitaries that wished my mother and her fiancé well, our nights were peaceful and ours. My mother hadn't given any second thoughts to letting us share a room, for which I was very thankful. She understood me, finally.

I got to know Flynn over the few days we had before the actual marriage. He was a great man with a wonderful sense of humor. He obviously made my mother very happy, that much was clear. I didn't see myself having any issues with him. I'd told him plainly when I arrived that I wanted to live here for the next year, possibly until the war in England was over. He had agreed that it was what was best for me. He even said he'd set up the loft above the garage as my private apartment.

I tried my hardest not to think about saying goodbye to Draco. During the day I was so busy I didn't have to worry, but at night when we were together every kiss and every touch felt like it could be our last. It brought me to tears several times and Draco held me tightly until the crying subsided.

But as we looked at our reflections in that mirror on my mother's wedding day, I blinked back the tears I was fighting. I could see it; our future. It was as clear as day and when Draco kissed my cheek I smiled all the way down to my stomach. Would this be it? Would I ever feel this happy again knowing that Draco had to leave?

"Come on," he said, grabbing my hand and dragging me from the room. "You'll make your mother upset if we're late, and you know I'll blame you."

I laughed again but didn't say anything. My mother wanted to get married at home, the home she shared with Flynn when they weren't in the city. It was to be a small affair, with twenty or so people. It was quiet with light laughter coming from the terrace by the pool. An arch covered in purple wisteria and green ivy stood at the far end of the gardens. There were no chairs here. It wasn't a formal ceremony and wouldn't last any longer than the customary 'I dos'. The tables were on the opposite side of the pool, set up with flowers and candles and a glass dance floor substituting for the pool cover. It was magical and just before sunset. The back drop to my mother's wedding would be the rolling hills of Australia and the glow of the sun touching the horizon. My magical mother had made this night absolutely perfect without relying on any magic.

I stood with the rest of the guests, near the front beside Flynn's best man and sister. A lilting sound floated on the breeze and the music for the ceremony began to play. My mother walked down the aisle with her arm in Flynn's, throwing tradition to the wind. She'd told me the night before that she didn't want to be separated from him on their special day, not even at the beginning. I also had a sneaking suspicion that Flynn had also helped her select the wedding dress, which was of course beautiful. Floor length with the same swirls of satin that reflected in my dress, the lace trim and collar made my mom seem so young and beautiful. Flynn wore grey and white, reminiscent of Draco's attire. Flynn's goatee and mustache, facial hair he had grown specifically for the occasion, made him look far different from Draco's clean shaven face however, and that's where the resemblance ended.

They walked hand-in-hand and when they passed me on their way up the few stairs towards the arch my mother reached out with one hand, searching for my hand. I grabbed her hand back and squeezed, letting her know I was there, just as she wanted. She could do this, no acting, no pretending. Why she'd needed me to do that was beyond my knowledge, but I hoped someday I would understand.

The 'I dos' were said and cheers rang through the air. When my mother and new father kissed Draco wrapped his arm around my waist again to find my fingers resting at my midsection. Our fingers intertwined and I cast a glance back in his direction. He was prepared with a gigantic smile on his sexy face and when he playfully kissed the tip of my nose I giggled.

My mother came and hugged me while Flynn shook hands with his best man and received a hug from his sister. "I'm so glad you were here, Princess," she whispered in my ear.

"You did it, Mum," I whispered back. "I'm so proud and happy for you."

"Do you think I can survive the first year? They say that the first year is the hardest." She didn't look worried.

"If I have any say in the matter, you will," I replied. "You two were made for each other."

She gave me another squeeze and looked back to where her husband stood. "We were, huh? Thanks love bug."

I didn't have many more mother-daughter moments that night but there was one in particular that stood out. Draco had disappeared inside to find us some cold water to drink. The champagne tickled my nose too much and I'd drunk far too much. My mother came over as Flynn asked his sister to dance and sat beside me.

"Oh honey," she began, "I am the happiest woman in the world."

"I can tell."

"I have to say something though."

"Oh?"

"Yes, it's about Draco. You two, you're so alike. You fit together with one another. Now I know what you've said about the situation and I completely understand. I just don't get why you can't make things work?"

"He wants to protect me, Mum. I understand. I'm not cut out for the life he leads. For all our similarities, I don't belong in his world and he isn't allowed to have a place in mine. At least not yet."

"Yet?" my mother looked surprised, "Does that mean you still have hope that he will survive and return to you."

I shook my head. "No. I mean I'll always have hope that he survives, but somewhere deep inside I know that even if he does return, he won't be the same as he is now. Perhaps this is my role in his life, and his role in mine. I'm not happy knowing that it's our fate to be like this, but I can't change it, no matter how I'd like to try." I'd told my mother about the hideaway idea and she agreed that it was very romantic and hopeful.

My mother looked at me deeply. "You're so like me, you know?"

"I know Mum."

"You'll change what you can and accept what you can't. I just hope life deals you a better future than it has your past."

"Oh Mum, that doesn't even matter. I don't care about my past or even my future so much right now. I'm just enjoying the present."

"The moment," she nodded. "Just like me." Her smile brightened when Flynn caught her eye from across the dance floor. "It's ephemeral but every second is worth it." She winked at me then and headed off towards her husband.

I jumped a little when the chair beside me scraped the flagstones as Draco sat back down, handing me a glass of water. "What do you love most about me?" I asked Draco after a few minutes.

"Hmm," he murmured over the rim of his glass. "I suppose it would have to be your wild nature and how you don't take any shit from me."

It was a playful answer, but truthful. "Do you wish I was any different?"

His hand found mine on the linen tablecloth. "I sometimes wish you were cut out for the way I live. That you could live the life I live. But when I catch myself thinking these thoughts I just shake my head knowing that if you were like that you would cease to be everything I love about you. You're wild and won't take orders and in the circles I run in, you'd have to be obedient. That isn't you. You're fragile and delicate, but strong and willful and I love that girl."

I turned to look at him. "You could ask me to pretend, like we did at the Manor. You could ask—"

He silenced me with a kiss. "Never. I will never ask you to be anything but what you are, Sadie. I tried to control you once and I will never do it again. Besides, you know I would never purposely put you in danger. By asking you to pretend just to be with me would be too dangerous. And once you pretend for such a long period of time, it begins to be your whole world. I should know. You're the only one who has ever brought me back to the light. I thought I was buried so deep. I was wrong. You made me see how wrong I was."

His hand found my cheek and he brushed away the tears that had begun to fall. I blinked them back and dried my face with a napkin.

"Do you think anyone would notice if we disappeared for a while?" Draco asked.

I shook my head, "No, they would notice. They wouldn't care though."

"Good," he smiled. "Come with me."

We rose and walked through the house and out the front door. We came to the grass and I slipped out of my heels, wriggled my toes in the blades of grass and sighed. We walked for a while, our hands linked, not saying anything. I looked up and saw a billion stars blazing in the night sky.

"I have a gift for you," Draco's voice came out of the silence beside me. "Your Christmas present."

"It doesn't feel like Christmas here, does it? It feels more like an eternal summer."

"Don't you want to know what it is?" he asked.

I turned to face him then and smiled, "What is it then?"

He held his hands out to me, offering me a tiny box, wrapped in silver paper and tied with green string. "Open it and find out."

I took the gift from him, pulled the ties and took off the paper. It was a velvet box and when I lifted the lid my breath caught in my throat. It was a silver, circular pendant, like a ring on a chain. Embedded in the ring were dozens of tiny black diamonds. Draco's nimble fingers found the chain and clasp. Following his lead I lifted my hair and let him hook the necklace around my neck. He removed the one I had been wearing for the ceremony at the same time.

"I hope it reminds you of me," he said quietly.

My hand fiddled with the pendant at the hollow of my throat. "It's perfect."

"It originally held white diamonds, but I had them replaced."

I couldn't speak. Instead I leaned forward and kissed him. It was all I ever seemed to be doing; kissing him because he made my so happy when I was with him.

We went to bed that night, my head resting on his shoulder, his arms wrapped around me. I didn't take the necklace off.

The next morning the house was quiet and I slipped from the bed, from beside the sleeping Draco, knowing my decision had been made. Like ripping off a band-aid it had to be done quickly. It was less painful that way. I couldn't go through another six months knowing that something could happen to mar this beautiful state we had found. I wouldn't do it. I didn't want things to end at all, but if they had to end, there was no better time than here and now.

I curled myself into one of the cushy chairs in the living room and smiled at Flynn when he passed through gathering cups of coffee for him and my mother. "Hey Flynn?" I called just as he was about to leave again.

He turned, "Yes?"

"I'm really happy for you. And I'd like, if it's okay with you…can I call you Dad?"

He paused and sat down across from me, setting the coffee mugs on the table. He was smiling. "I've never had any children, Sadie. My first marriage was cold and loveless and for convenience. I would be honored if you called me Dad, knowing what little I do from the treatment you received from your real father."

I'd told both my mother and Flynn all about what had happened at BC Towers and while it had shocked them, it hadn't really surprised them. "He got what he deserved," my mother had said.

"I'd like to call you 'Dad'," I reiterated. "It's like being given a second chance."

"To second chances," he agreed. He rose and in a surprisingly warm gesture I had not been expecting, kissed me on the top of my head before picking up the cups again. He winked at me and retreated back to the bedroom, where he would no doubt relay our little chat to my mother.

"Second chances," I whispered.

Draco entered the room a little while later, a somber look on his bed-ruffled face. He rubbed his eyes and sat down in the chair beside me. "You've decided, haven't you?" he said.

"I have Draco." I played with the pendant around my neck again. I just knew that it was going to become a nasty habit of mine.

"You're not coming back with me, are you?" He looked so lonely.

I nodded. "I'm going to ask my mother to formally request I be withdrawn from school and I'm going to move all my things here as soon as I can."

"I understand," he said quietly.

"You do?" I was a little confused. Did he know all my reasons?

He pulled me from my chair and drew me into his lap. I latched my arms around his neck letting my forehead rest on his. "I do. This, what we have now, is perfect. Perfection doesn't last though. It's ephemeral."

He startled me by using the exact same word my mother had the night before. "You heard our conversation?!"

The corners of his mouth turned up in a small hint of a smile. "Yes, your mother knew I was standing behind you."

I fought the tears welling up in my eyes. "I'm becoming such a cry baby."

"I hate seeing you cry, Sadie. That's how I knew this was ending far sooner than I thought it would. You keep crying, thinking that everything is going to end. I won't let you keep thinking that. These past few months have been…well they've been the best of my life. I will hold them and the thought of you for the rest of this bloody war."

Our embrace tightened. "I will write to you if you want," I told him. "But it might not be the safest idea."

"No, no letters. The only physical evidence of our relationship belongs with you, around your neck."

"I won't say goodbye to you," I cried softly. "I would hide you from the world if I could."

"I can't run away, despite how much I want to."

I leaned back and forced him to look at me. "You remember what I told you," I said firmly. "You'll know where to go. I won't ask anything of you, save one thing. Survive Draco."

"For you," he agreed quickly.

"No! Not for me. For yourself. Your spirit longs to be wild and free. Do your duty and then break free when the moment is right. Do you understand?"

"I do. I know. I will." Our kiss was fierce reminding me of our first kiss. It had tingled and made my dizzy, just like this one. Only this time it wasn't an itch I could cure with more kissing, or a sickness I could make better by making love to the man in my arms. This kiss meant farewell and I ached all over knowing what it meant.

"Draco, Draco," I said, putting a stop to our feverish kissing. "Tell me, why did you kiss me all those months ago?"

"You were tangible fire. It danced around you, on your skin, I could see it. I had to taste it, feel it. I wanted to feel…something. I had grown so cold that kissing you made me feel like I was on fire. You were wild and wonderful."

"Thank you," I kissed him again. "Oh thank you for coming into my life."

"Sadie, thank you for saving my life. For giving me something to live for."

We kissed. We didn't say goodbye, not even when he stepped into the fireplace to return home. He even threw me his old cocky smile, the one that made me weak at the knees, departing without another word. He returned to his world and I prepared to make a niche in a brand new one, without my father, without BonneChique, without every person who walked into my life trying to control me, and without Draco.