xii: L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N
L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N,
You've got more than money and sense, my friend,
You've got heart and you're going your own way.
L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N,
What you don't have now will come back again.
Draco rarely undertakes decisions lightly. He's an analytical, logical and thorough person – he likes to think he's a Slytherin with a bit more logic, and a little less evil. This decision though, as life-changing as it is, is something that he thinks he's been building up to daily.
He tried fighting it, tried running from it, and even denied it for a while. He's been deeply unhappy. He's been an alcoholic. He's been neglectant. The problem with this knowledge is also knowing that there is nothing that can change him here.
Draco's son, Scorpius, would be enough and more – but with school, a girlfriend and his own life, Scorpius isn't at home all the time, and he doesn't even live with him.
The inescapable fact of his life is that it's over. This life, the life that he's built for himself since after the war, the one that he's held onto with the grip of a dying trend, has come to a close. For himself, and for the people he cares about, Draco has to move on. That isn't to say he leaves everyone behind – they're wizards. Apparition, floo networks and mail can make it like he never left. His son can apparate, his mother can floo in, Blaise will be there constantly he's sure.
After all, this move is mostly down to Blaise. As loathe as he is to admit, the man had been right all along, and maybe even right about Draco. This is the perfect opportunity for Draco. This is the challenge he's been missing since his youth, since he was building Malini Enterprises from the ground up as critics said their ideas were ridiculous.
Critics are saying this idea is ridiculous and he – he, Draco Malfoy – can prove them wrong again. It's time to go back to basics. That's why he stands in his hotel room of the last three months, throwing his few, cherished belongings into a pristine, new suitcase and whistles an upbeat tune.
He's moving to France. This is where his heritage lies, where his name originates and his mother tells great tales of. Draco's always fit in there, if one is to believe the stereotype. There's no more need to sit in his memories and drink away in the shadows. Malini Enterprises France is going to take off, and he's going to be at the helm of it. While Blaise remains in the UK with his pregnant wife, Draco will be making a new life.
He's excited – a feeling it takes him a while to recognise. He doesn't think he's been this excited since Scorpius did his OWLs, which says a lot. There's a new range of positive emotions running through him, leaving him feeling almost high with the sensation.
However, even with all this, there's this one thing that won't leave him. This one person who helped him more than he ever realised – until now. She understood him when she didn't know, she listened when she didn't have to and helped him when there was no need.
Draco thinks he owes more of his life to Belle than she does to him, heroic rescues be damned.
Leaving, starting this new, wonderful life seems almost cowardly – almost mean in the face of all that. It's no secret to anyone that Draco Malfoy has never been afraid of being mean. Actually, one could say that he rather enjoyed making crass and cruel comments. For some reason, it doesn't sit comfortably with him this time.
Yes, he's creating something new. Yes, he's moving to greener pastures – but shouldn't she be, too? Hasn't she been as lost and lonely as he, craving a new start just as much, but just as unknowingly?
Doesn't she, after all the heartache and extortion, deserve this as much as he?
Banging down her door with dramatics only seen in a Shakespeare play, Draco calls out her name repeatedly. He's not frantic, nor aggressive, but his flight leaves in five hours and he rather she had some notice.
This is ridiculous and stupid.
Words echo through his mind, berating him repeatedly for the unthinking actions he's carrying out. Just as he has nearly convinced himself to leave, the door is wrenched open. Greeting him in all his austere glory, Bennett Devine glares at him through narrowed eyes. "Malfoy." He greets flatly, "What do you want? I'm not lending your father a hand this time, so you can ju—"
Draco holds his hand out, abruptly cutting him off, and places it on the door to prevent Bennett from shutting it in his face. "I want to speak to Belle."
He stares at him, eyebrows raised half an inch now. They're plucked, thin eyebrows that are still a rich black despite his age. The hair on his head fairs the same, showing no signs of grey or thinning out, but Draco strongly suspects that beauty charms lend a hand here. His dressing gown strains to tie over the weight he has put on around the middle since Draco last saw him, but he's by no means fat.
He still wonders how Belle manages to lie in bed next to him every night.
As if by magic, he hears her voice then, "D—Draco? What on earth are you doing here?" She's standing behind her husband, surprise written all over her face.
"I.." He feels very foolish then. The temptation to simply say goodbye is strong, but with one more glance at the pathetic man at the door, then the lost woman standing behind him, Draco's conviction returns to him.
"I'm taking the business abroad."
"Oh, that's great! I hope you have a wond—"
"Come with me." He's pushed past Bennett then, who watches them with guarded eyes, and takes three strides over to Belle. Draco expects a hex, or even an arrest, from the older man any minute, but as the seconds pass, none comes.
"I—I can't," Her eyes are fearful, desperate for him to leave. They flicker to her husband, apologetic and worried.
"Forget about him. Forget about everything. Start something new, somewhere new – where no one knows your name, your legacy and you can be whoever you want to be. You know I can't do it alone – and I know you can't either." She's still quiet. "If you don't leave now, you never will."
"You can go now." Bennett announces coldly, "I've let this go on long enough. Belle will never leave. But you can, right now." He withdraws his wand, and Draco holds up his hands defensively. Slowly, he takes steps backwards towards the door again.
His eyes remain on Belle, hoping against reason that she listens to herself. "Don't do this to yourself."
Tears spill from her eyes, and it strikes him that he's never seen her cry before. "I love him, Draco." The words sound empty to even him. They're shaken by the tremor in her voice, in the rush of water from her lids and the tremble of her lip.
"I don't love you, and you don't love me. But this isn't love either, Belle. You know this can't be it."
"Belle doesn't need love. She needs money and social standing, the latter of which the Malfoy name has long lost. My wife belongs to me, and it isn't negotiable. Belle, go make yourself presentable for dinner. I'll call the elves and get rid of the Malfoy." The emotions passing across his face barely flicker in the face of his words, and his eyes stare down Draco with no fear or worry.
"No."
"Excuse me?"
"I—I said no. I'm not being your doll anymore. I'm… I'm worth more."
Bennett looks at her, standing proudly, chin raised and eyes steeled, and promptly laughs uproariously, "Oh – oh this is precious. You think the Malfoy cares, don't you? Oh, Belle, don't be ridiculous. The scum of those bars you parade yourself around to as a whore only want you because you're a whore. And you think he's any different? Of course he isn't. I am the only one who will take you more than once, Belle. No one else believes you're worth that," He spares Draco a fleeting glance, "Least of all him."
Her resolve weakens visibly, and Draco intervenes quickly, "Don't listen to him. You saw me the first time we met, more specifically the next morning – I'm not heroic, I don't make sweeping gestures, I don't put myself on the line for others and I certainly don't care for anyone other than blood. Yet, here I am. Are you going to believe that, or the man who has given you money and 'social standing', but taken nearly everything else?"
Bennett withdraws his wand and points it at Draco, an incantation on his lips, when Belle grabs him and pushes them both out the door. Following her train of thought, he apparates them away from the scene as quickly as he can.
Heaving heavily, while feeling around for the woman he departed with, Draco wills his heart rate to slow. "Where—where are we?" He hears a hoarse voice from beside him.
Opening his eyes, Draco curses loudly, "Oh, Jesus Christ, not again…"
"Draco Malfoy! I thought we were past this! Is this another—another one of your sluts? How dare you! To think I thought…"
He tunes her out then and smiles at Belle. She doesn't seem perturbed by his ex-wife's rants, or by anything else in that moment. Standing in front of his glorious mansion, the dull clouds dotted in the sky above them, he nods to her.
They're not in love, they're not together and they've no plan to be – but they've got something. And it's more than either of them have had in a long time.
A/N: Aaaand, it's over. I'd like to sincerely thank xXMizz Alec VolturiXx, yellow 14 and silverbirch for your consistent reviews. This is a story that, in hindsight, I wrote in retrospect of some of the things I saw happening to people going on around me - without even noticing. It's a story that I wish had garnered more attention, more readers, but I'm really very thankful that I had the three of you and your great feedback throughout the 13 chapters. It may not be my best in terms of the writing, but it's definitely one of the favourite pieces I've written.
I'm sorry the ending is so rushed, I'm aware it lets down the start of the story, but I needed it to end. I had planned for this chapter to go like this from the start, but in hindsight, maybe I should have put more into the Draco/Belle situation beforehand. That's the problem with planning your last chapter!
Though it's not the centre of this story, I'm not going to change the story.. because I think it spans over a lot.
New reviewers are of course welcomed and encouraged!
btw, the song L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N is by Noah and the Whale, I do not own it, as much as I may want to. Don't own HP either!
Thank you, and I hope you enjoyed this as much as I did writing it.
CN.
AKA, Rae.