Chapter 40 – Nothing Else Matters
20 April 2010 – 2:15 PM
DG Potions and Holdings
The Welland Valley, Northhamptonshire, England
Draco's Office
Draco Malfoy
I have resigned myself to taking my time with Mia. I want her so fucking bad. I never thought I'd have a shimmer of a chance with her again. I need to prove to her I'll never let her down again.
I can't stop thinking about her. It's only been a week since she has bee back in my life. It feels like my life was on a standstill until last week. I've waited for her for ten years, and now that she is her, I only want her. I've been preparing my meeting with her tomorrow. She had to postpone the meeting until late afternoon. I don't know if I can wait that long to see her.
I think I'll see of she wants to join Theo and I for dinner, and I suppose Sasha. I send an owl to Theo. I sit back down at my desk when Pansy crashes through my door. I look up at her. She looks frazzled. Pregnant Pansy has horrible mood swings and it's a miracle Adrian hasn't suffocated her in her sleep with a pillow.
"Draco, you need to fix this!" She plops down in the chair in front of my desk.
I smirk, "Hello, Pansy. How may I be of service to you, my dear?"
She crosses her arms and squints her eyes, "I just met with Granger. She is going back to America, Draco. What are you going to do to fix this?"
I sigh, "Pans, I have laid it all out for her. I can't force her to love me back or ever forgive me."
She huffs, "Oh please! I'm infuriated with Adrian every other day. One mistake, Draco, you made one mistake. She is starting to piss me off. First she leaves, with absolutely no consideration for any of the people that loved her. I know Neville told us what happened at that party, but Weaslette was always a cuntface. Why would one argument cause her just to bail on everyone? How did you two even get together anyway? Just do that again, but better."
I laugh, "We were friends first. She wants to be friends, I'm going to be the best fucking friend she has ever had. I can't force her to love me Pans, not after I hurt her. I knew she had a fear of how my family would react. She talked about it a few times, but I kept telling her my mother would come around."
She sighs, "Well, I need you to think about the thing that drove you together. I need you to figure it the fuck out and fix this. She's agreed to be my baby's godmother."
I laugh, "So this is about you, then?"
She looks at me like I grew a second head, "Of course this is about me! Why would I care about your feelings? I need her to come to birthdays and major events in my baby girl's life and I can't have her there if you two are all awkward. There has to be something, something that brought you two together. Get on the weblines and search that thing to give to her, and make her love you again."
What in the Merlin is she talking about? "Pansy, what the fuck is the webline?"
She huffs, "I had tea with Granger and she showed me her phone. She pushed her screen and the intersites she told me about allows one to search everything you need."
She makes my brain hurt. I ask, "Pans, do you mean the internet?"
She sighs exaggeratedly, "Yes Draco, that is what I said! The internet, you need to get on the lines and find what ever muggle bullshite you two did to bring you two together, and make her love you again. You don't listen very well."
She gets up and says, "I expect a report. Cháo!"
Muggle thing that brought Granger and I together. I can think of many things about us being together. Her skirt bunched up in the library as she riding my cock. Her lips around my cock in an alcove next to the Potions classroom. Bending her over the couch we called ours in the common room. The first time I tasted her sweet, perfect cunt and fucked her with my tongue until she begged me to stop. Those fucking amazing sounds she made when my cock was buried inside her. Fuck! I'm getting hard.
I have a feeling Pansy wouldn't refer to those things. I pick up my phone and open the browser. I think for a moment about what brought us together. I can only think of one thing. I type it in the browser and after about twenty minutes I find it. She'll absolutely love it!
20 April, 2010 – 6:55 PM
Dagworth-Granger Manor
Sussex, England, United Kingdom
Draco
Theo and I just apparated to Dagworth-Granger Manor to take Sasha and Mia to dinner. I can't believe she agreed so easily. She fucking feels this too. I know she does. It was like once she was in my life again, I can't stay away from her. Theo knows of this Italian restaurant in muggle London we are taking the ladies to.
Theo has spent a lot of time in muggle London. He lives a complete double life balancing his muggle interests with the wizarding world. He's dated a few muggles over the years, but has never committed to any of them. He has taught me a lot of what he has learned. Taught might be stretching it a bit. He talks incessantly about everything he knows, but I've picked up a few things over the years.
We knock on the door to the Manor and Sasha answers. She lets us into Dagworth-Granger Manor, and she kisses Theo hello.
She looks at me, and says, "Mia will be a few minutes, she is in the middle of a debate, and you should wait for her here."
That is when I hear her from the large sitting room off the foyer. "I'M NOT DICTATING YOUR FUCKING LIFE! I'M ASKING YOU AS THE PERSON WHO SIGNS YOUR FUCKING PAYCHECKS TO SHOW A MINISCULE OF FUCKING RESPONSIBILITY!"
I hear a guy yell at her back and say, "HA! YOU DON'T SIGN MY FUCKING CHECKS BABY GIRL, MAC DOES. I FUCKING TOLD YOU, WE HAVE A PORTKEY BACK TO FUCKING LONDON AT 8:00AM. SO I DON'T UNDERSTAND WHAT YOUR FUCKING PROBLEM IS WITH US GOING TO AMSTERDAM!"
Mia yells back, "BECAUSE THE LAST FOUR TIMES YOU, MIKEY, AND JASON HAVE GONE TO AMSTERDAM, YOU'VE BEEN FUCKING ARRESTED! I NEED YOU AND MIKEY AT THAT 10:00 A.M. MEETING TOMORROW WITH THE MINISTER! IT'S WHY THE FIVE OF YOU CAME TO LONDON THIS WEEK! IT'S NOT A FUCKING VACATION. YOU ARE SUPPOSE TO BE HERE FOR WORK, NOT CONFOUNDING THE FUCKING POLICE BECAUSE THEY TRIED TO WRITE YOU A TICKET FOR PUBLIC INTOX AT A PUB, JOSHUA!"
He laughs manically, "THAT'S THE POINT OF GOING TO A FUCKING BAR, MIA! GODS!!! WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH THIS FUCKING COUNTRY?! YOU COMING BACK TO THIS FUCKING COUNTRY WAS A MISTAKE BECAUSE YOU'RE ACTING BATSHIT CRAZY!"
Mia yells, "HOW FUCKING DARE YOU! I HAVE…."
My eavesdropping is interrupted by Colton coming down the main staircase, "Sasha, who the fuck thought putting Josh and Mia under the same roof would be a good idea. Shouldn't we have learned our lesson by now? Did Bali teach us nothing?"
She shrugs, "Mia thought she'd save some money on the hotel. The Manor could easily hold all of us. She thought it would be ok."
He gets to the bottom of the steps and says, "Doesn't Princess have a whole fucking castle she could have stayed in? Fuck these fights were supposed to stop when they broke up, and six fucking years later those fuckers are still at it."
Sasha says, "Keep it down, she might realize we are listening."
Colton shakes his head, and looks at me. He holds out his hand for a shake, "Draco, good to see you, man! I warned you about the drama." He laughs.
Sasha then introduces Theo to Colton.
Sasha and Theo start snogging like teenagers. Colton and I are standing there trying to find something to talk about, while listening to Mia and some bloody wanker scream at each other in the next room. I have to say, I'm rather uncomfortable.
Colton shakes his head. "They fight like this all the time. It was so much worse when they dated. They used to call it debating, but shit, Mia gets so upset she has bouts of accidental magic."
I nod. She dated that piece of shite? How long did she fucking date him? Are they still fucking together? Is he why she won't give me a fucking chance? FUUUUUUCK! She never once mentioned that she was dating anyone. I told her my history, fuck, I told her I couldn't get close to anyone because I never stopped loving her.
Colton puts his hand on my shoulder, "Dude, chill. I see I have upset you. They are history. Mia and Josh are now good friends, most of the time. Josh and Mia just fight, that's how they communicate, fucking Josh can't cast a silencing charm to save his life."
I hear the wanker yell, "I DON'T FUCKING CARE WHAT YOU THINK MY RESPONSIBILITY SHOULD BE. AH, LOOK AT THE FUCKING TIME! IT'S AFTER 5 MOTHER FUCKING O'CLOCK, AND I'M OFF THE FUCKING CLOCK! SO WE WILL SEE YOU IN THE MORNING!"
He storms into the foyer and looks at Colton and I. He walks up to me and says, "Hey man, Josh Dahl, you must be Mia's date tonight."
I shake his hand, "Draco Malfoy."
He clenches his jaw and stomps back into the room he just left. After ten seconds I hear, "ARE YOU SHITTING ME RIGHT NOW? YOU'RE GOING OUT WITH THAT MOTHER FUCKER? FUCK! I THOUGHT YOU WERE SMARTER THAN THAT!"
Mia snarkly responds, "ARE YOU DICTATING WHAT I DO WITH MY LIFE, JOSHUA ZACHARY DAHL? IF I CAN'T STOP YOU FROM GOING TO FUCKING AMSTERDAM, YOU CERTAINLY CAN'T STOP ME FROM GOING TO DINNER WITH AN OLD FRIEND!"
He scoffs, "SOME FUCKING DOUCHEBAG YOU CRIED OVER FOR FUCKING YEARS ISN'T JUST A FRIEND, MIA! WHY WOULD YOU RISK GETTING CLOSE TO THAT FUCKING MOMMA'S BOY PIECE OF SHIT? WHY PUT YOURSELF THROUGH ALL THAT FUCKING AGONY A-FUCKING-GAIN?! YOU CAN'T BE SERIOUS RIGHT NOW! GIVE ME ONE GOOD FUCKING REASON YOU WOULD DO THAT TO YOURSELF!"
"BECAUSE HE IS MINE !!!"
I take in a deep breath because that one sentence made my heart stop. I close my eyes. Because he is mine. Because he is mine. Mine….FUUUUUUCK!
Josh comes back in the foyer, looks at me, scoffs and takes the stairs two at a time.
Colton whispers, "Dude, act like you didn't hear any of that. They have been doing this shit for years. Tomorrow it's like nothing happened, but it let's Sasha gage where Mia is, so we can help her the best we can. We all love Mia very much. She changed everything for all of us."
I smirk and I nod in acknowledgement, and for the first time in ten years I Occlude. In that fucking moment I realize, I have her. I fucking have her, AGAIN ! Like before, I only have to wait until she's ready. Once she works out everything in that great big beautiful brain of hers. Once I know for sure. It may kill me, but I'll take my time. Show her how important she is to me. Let her know how much I need her in my life. Prove to her she is my life. Then I'll make her MINE!
I ask Colton, "What do you plan to do this evening? You're welcome to join us for dinner."
He shakes his head, "I'm launching a satellite. Mia says she needs Global Thermo Imaging over Stonehenge by Thursday. I have the satellite in back ready to launch magically as soon as it's completely dark outside. Once it's done I'll be beat, man. Thanks for the invite. Raincheck?"
I nod, "We have a guys only night at The Leaky Cauldron on Wednesdays at 7 o'clock, if you'd like to join Theo and I tomorrow."
Colton smiles, "That would be great. Thanks man. Are squibs allowed at this bar?"
I smile, "Yes. There are muggles allowed, as long as a magical person accompanies them. It's the front for Diagon Alley. Non-Magical parents often like to take there magical children shopping for the first few times."
He says, "Amanda's husband is a squib. You met her yesterday, correct?" I confirm I did. He continues, "She's a piece of work. I think Chris could use some male bonding time. She's pregnant right now, and he could use a night out. I'll ask him to join us."
"Mia hired a squib to work for her magical company? I have some who handle our system at DG Potions, I thought I was progressive."
He laughs, "Squibs have a lot of protections in the States. They view it along the lines of a learning disability like No-Mags. Magical families keep their non-magical children with them and usually send them to prestigious no-mag schools. Some even go to magical schools. Squibs aren't void of a magical core it's just very weak, or damaged. They can still brew Potions, and are excellent with Herbology. Magical schools in North America also have a wide range of non-magical classes squibs can take instead of magical courses."
I nod, "The Wizengamot have started talk of changing Squib laws. It's been Theo's latest project in The Daily Prophet. The last decade his research has been implemental in social change in our society."
Sasha walks up and looks at Colton and they seem to have a silent conversation, then glares at me and says, "Don't fuck this up, Malfoy!" She didn't call me a douchbag? She then launches into a conversation with Colton about work. They talk for a few more minutes and then Mia walks into the foyer.
She looks amazing, and there are no visible signs she had any kind of argument. She's wearing an elegant black cocktail dress. She walks up to me and wraps her arms around my waist in a hug and I pull her close to me. She says, "I apologize for the delay, are we ready?"
I squeeze her close to me and say, "Of course."
20 April, 2010
Caravaggio
Bankside House, Leadenhall Street
London, England
Draco Malfoy
"Theo, can you please help tell me how you gained access to Ophelia's vault 1109?" Mia asks.
We are still in the middle of our entrée at Caravaggio. It's a lovely restaurant with an elegant vibe. Mia is seated to my right rather close. Some part of her has been touching me throughout dinner. We use to sit this way at Hogwarts. I'm left handed and she is right we both used our secondary hands to explore each other under the table. She has placed her hand on my thigh a couple of times and then remembers herself and removes it. I started caress her leg just at her hem line and she hasn't moved away. I remember doing this once in Potions before we were together, and she didn't shy away from me. She also wouldn't look me in the eye for two days. Hopefully that won't be the case now.
Theo takes a sip of wine and begins his tale. "In 2000, Ophelia visited me to research the history of the Wizengamot and asked me to compare it to the Muggle Government. She also asked me to research other magical governments to compare the two. During our meeting she told me a long history about wizards origins being in The British Isles and they left and explored the world. They used magic to control humans and became the mythological gods we know today."
Mia hums, "Interesting. In your research did you find proof the wizards were the gods?"
He laughs, "Mia you underestimate the size of that vault and the amount of books that are there. The vault is about the size of The Great Hall and lined with bookshelves that are about 30 feet high. Oddly there is one bookcase in the back that is completely empty. It appears to be made of gold. It's probably worth a fortune."
Mia laughs, and says, "That doesn't surprise me. Theo would you be willing to show me the memories of your meetings with Ophelia."
He sighs, "I can show you the major meetings the spurred massive changes. These meetings usually featured her talking too much and me bursting into tears or having a panic attack, but I'll give them to you if you need to see them."
Mia smiles. She says, "That would be lovely. I have quite a bit of reading I need to do. I thought I would do so over the weekend."
He nods, "I'll give them to you during our meeting tomorrow."
"That would be perfect Theo, thank you. I have a great deal to get through." She pauses and then asks, "Does anyone know any folklore about fairies? I don't seem to recall much about them in all my readings."
I look at her, "Fairies have been recorded to have existed since the beginning of time." I answer. "They have a mischievous nature and tend to mislead humans. It was once believed to be incredibly unlucky for a fairy to learn your name. Once they know your name they can gain power over you. Don't except food from a fairy because it will cause you to never want human food again. You'll starve yourself to death because human food will never satisfy you again. You should never stand in a fairy ring such as Stonehenge because you could be transported to another realm or time. Never accept a gift, because then they think you owe them a favor. Never be rude to one because they will punish you in a variety of ways including death."
Mia is pensive for a moment, "I see. I was only curious."
Sasha looks at Mia, "You're up to something. Your brain is going nuts, what are you planning, Mia?"
Mia straightens and lifts her chin, her tell. She is hiding something. "You know I have a very curious mind Sash."
Sasha eyes her for a few seconds. "You have more secrets. Aponi said you were more special than the rest of us. You know something. I won't push, but Jesus Christ, Mia, let someone take your burdens. You have so many people who love you."
Mia sighs, "I was given some news while we were at Gringott's. It's not like the years I had the silencing charm. I promise, this isn't bad. I love you. Please don't worry."
Sasha sighs, "Alright Mia. Does this have to do with why you asked Colton for images of Stonehenge?"
Mia nods, "I can at least share that. I am trying to see if I can find ley lines with Global Thermo Imaging."
Sasha smiles, "You know I can see them, right?"
Mia says, "No, I didn't know. We'll look at this later. I wonder if we go live on the satellite, if you can see them through a camera."
Sasha says, "I'm not sure."
Theo and I are watching the exchange. Mia is hiding something. Sasha and I had been asked to leave Ricbert's office Saturday morning. While we were waiting I'd asked Sasha how she knew Theo was her soulmate. She said she was strong in Spiritual Magic and could see bonds, auras, and magical cores. I scoffed. She lectured me for 15 minutes on what a douchebag I really am.
Mia found out something, but I can't even begin to imagine what that could be. I move my hand higher on her thigh. Fuck, I want her!
"Drake, you want the tiramisu?" Theo asks.
I look at the server whom apparently came back to the table while I'm feeling up Mia, and say, "Yes, please."
Mia takes my hand on her thigh and interlaces our fingers. Because he is mine. Will she really give me a chance again? Fuck I'll do anything, I go anywhere to be with her, nothing else matters, only her. Because he is mine.
24 February, 1999
Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry
Hogsmeade, Scotland
Draco
"Gods Draco, it was awful! His name was Cletus Grossweiner. The man was in his thirties and had the worst case of acne I have ever seen. There are potions that can help him. I wanted to send him to Madame Pomfrey so I could stand to look at him. UGH! I bet his wiener was gross, indeed. That's not the worst part of the interview. He basically glossed over all the fucking things we said. It's like he was fed what should be said and was really only there for a photo op. The whole interview with Time Wizard was a waste of time."
Mia came in to my room about ten minutes ago. I was finishing up some homework. She, Potter, and the Weasel met a reporter with Time Wizard, an American magazine, in Hogsmeade after dinner this evening. When she walked into my room she practically ran to the bed and curled up beside me, and buried her head in my side. I put my things away and wrapped her in my arms. Then she started complaining about the interview.
When she's done talking, I laugh, and caress her temple, "Love, did you expect anything less? You knew the Ministry was behind this interview."
She rolls her eyes, and sighs. "No, I didn't expect anything else. I was hoping I was wrong."
I kiss her forehead, and pull her closer to me. She looks up and meets my eyes, "Since when is my incredibly brilliant," I kiss her cheek, "gorgeous," I grab her arse, and kiss her lips, "supremely sexy girl friend ever wrong?"
She pushes me on my back and straddles me. She takes my hands and places them over my head. I smirk at her. She laughs, and leans down and kisses me. Fuck! I'm never going to get enough of her.
In the background my CD player is playing the Metallica Black album. I always play it while doing homework. The song is about to change and I maneuver her off me and I stand up. I reach my hand out, and say, "Miss Granger, my I please have the pleasure of this dance?
She smiles brilliantly, and takes my hand and says, "It would be my pleasure Mr. Malfoy."
I cast a silencing charm in the room and lock the door with my wand. I turn to the CD player and turn up the volume. I take her in my arms and we begin dancing.
This is the slowest song on the CD. I'm not sure I've ever paid attention to the lyrics before. I really just wanted a reason to remove Mia's clothes. I am never going to get enough of her.
" So close, no matter how far Couldn't be much more from the heart Forever trusting who we are And nothing else matters" (Footnote 1)
It's true, nothing else matters, but having her in my arms. She has brought out a love in me I never knew existed. I trust her explicitly with every part of myself. I made love to her the first time four days ago. It was the most profound experience of my life. I never knew it could be like that. My magic reacted to her, my very soul connected to her, and I fell in love with her all over again. Every moment that lead up to her pales in comparison to every moment with her. Nothing else matters, until her.
"Never opened myself this way Life is ours, we live it our way All these words I don't just say And nothing else matters"
I never open myself up to anyone, like I have her. We spent so many nights talking about everything and nothing. She knows me better than anyone else. I've told her about things I never shared with anyone. At first she was just a safe person to talk to. I could tell her about my dark, because I thought she had so much light, it would never touch her. I realized she had plenty of dark and it felt we could take each other's dark. I began to crave her mind. I wanted to know how she felt about the things I told her. I needed her to understand me, and she did. We talked about everything. I want to leave Hogwarts and take her with me and never look back. Live a life with her beside me, without worrying about any of the bullshite anyone says about it.
"Trust I seek and I find in you Every day for us something new Open mind for a different view And nothing else matters" (Footnote 1)
I trust her and seek her out for everything. She opened my mind and discredited everything I was taught. She gave me a unique perspective. She listened to my perspective without judgement. I cried in her arms more than once and she never made me feel like less of a man than I am. She just held me, and made it all seem normal. Then she would talk about her experiences and she normalized being vulnerable to her. I fell in love with her for that. I fell in love for her amazing compassion. She brings something new to my life. I want nothing more than to share a lifetime with her.
"Never cared for what they do Never cared for what they know And I know" (Footnote 1)
I pull her close to me, and really look in her eyes. They are so full of love, it catches my breath. I twirl her in my arms, and when her eyes meet mine again, I know nothing else matters. I lean down and devour her lips. She whimpers and starts unbuttoning my shirt. I remove her jumper and bra and I step back, and look at this perfect woman. I remove her trousers and knickers and lay her on the bed. She is spread out for me like a buffet. I turn down the CD player so I can hear all the glorious sounds I'm going to force her to make. I remove my trousers and pants and climb on the bed with her. Her eyes are full of love and trust. Fuck if that look isn't the most amazing thing I've ever seen.
I smirk at her, "Mia, Nothing else matters but us. You're my everything. I love you."
She grabs the back of my neck and pulls me down for a kiss.
20 April 2010
Caravaggio
Bankside House, Leadenhall Street
London, England
Draco
My thoughts are interrupted when I feel Mia squeeze my hand, and ask, "Draco, are you ok?"
I look at Mia, and smile, "Of course, Love. I was caught up in a thought, is all. Pardon me."
I look at Sasha, and she's smirking at me.
Fuck, she can see auras. I smile, and look back at Mia. She asks, "Once dinner is over will you come with me? I think Theo and Sash would appreciate some alone time."
She looks nervous. "I'm at your service, Milady."
She smiles.
We shortly finish our meal and we turn down an alley to the apparation point. A man jumps out and before I can register the knife he is holding, Mia steps up and waves her arm. He's petrified. She walks up to him and I hear her whisper, " Legilimens." After a few minutes she whispers, "Obliviate." She then casts a sleeping charm on him.
She turns back to us and is smirking. I ask, "What did you do?"
She shrugs and says, "Mr. Clive Chesterton is going to be making some very positive changes in his life choices starting in about twenty minutes, so we should go." She then walks to Sasha and says, "9:30 AM. Love you!"
Mia turns to me and takes my hand, "Ready?" I am a little shocked about what happened. How can she act this is an every day occurrence? Fucking Merlin, what just happened.
I realize I'm just staring at her. I regain my composure and say, "Of course."
She smiles, takes my arm, and disapparated us away.
20 April 2010 – 10:00 PM
Dagworth Castle
Cornwall, England
Draco
We land in front of a fairytale castle, the likes I have never seen. The main part of the Castle appears to be four stories tall. There a several torrents of various sizes surrounding the main part. There is a giant raven carved above the door. It's the only details I can make out in the dark. We enter the foyer of the castle and she takes my hand and leads me to the room on the left. The room is about the size of a ball room with various seating arrangements and at least a 30 foot tall ceiling. The walls are covered in paintings of various shapes and sizes similar to the grand staircase at Hogwarts. She leads me close to the fireplace. She waves her hand to start a fire, then takes a seat on the settee. She gestures for me to join her, and I do.
She turns to face me. "Are you alright?" She asks. She takes a deep breath, and continues, "I know you heard Josh and I arguing. We don't even bother with silencing charms anymore, because someone always cancels them. It's only you've be quiet this evening, and I wanted to gage what you overheard."
I lick my bottom lip and she follows the movement with her eyes. I scoot closer to her grab her face so I know she's looking into my eyes. "Did you mean it? Am I yours."
She looks down, and back up and sighs, "Yes. I want to show you something. Will you use Legilimens on me."
That surprises me. "Mia…"
She smiles, "I want to show you something, and it's the only way for you to see."
I lean in to kiss her forehead and look into her eyes. "Legilimens."
She is standing in the vault we visited Saturday. She is with Bill Weasley and he is talking about how amazing it is she has the Gryffindor sword. She looks to the left and skips ahead to a large mirror.
She stares at the mirror for a few minutes and then whispers "I show you not your face, but your hearts desire." Then she is focusing on the mirror and I'm able to see what she sees.
She is alone. She's more mature, with pronounced laugh lines around her eyes. She's still the most beautiful creature I've ever seen. I watch as all the people join her. I realize, this is the family Aponi told me about. The daughter would be a Black and apparently marry a second son of Black descent, Hy Potter. Potter's grandmother was a Black. Our son would marry Sasha's daughter. He looks just like me with Mia's eyes. The twins would be challenging. I watch them smirk, my smirk. The youngest would inherit perfect duplication magic from Mia. It's her heart's desire.
I pull out of her mind and I realize I have tears in my eyes. "Th-that's your hearts desire? What Aponi described? Merlin Hermione, they are so beautiful."
She's tearing up too. I take her hands, "Mia…"
"I'm so fucking mad at you. I want to not trust you. I want to hate you. I want to not choose you, but I can't do any of it. I have always trusted you, I have always loved you, and I will always choose you. I am however very mad at you, and I'm scared to trust you with my heart again. You've only been back in my life a week, and it all feels too soon." She caresses my cheek. "I was around the corner when Aponi spoke to you. She probably knew it." She laughs, "She told me the same story eight years ago. Only she said, I had a journey to complete, before any of it would come to fruition. Since I have arrived back Home, I have been inundated with thoughts of you. I have tried to deny what is between us. I can't, it's you, Draco Malfoy, you are my heart's desire."
FUUUUUUCK! I love her so much. I take her in my arms and hug her. Is she really letting this happen?
She pulls away from the hug. I lean in to kiss her and she stops me. "You and I have a lot to sort out. If I kiss you now, you know as well as I do we will be a mess of limbs in seconds. I need to be clear headed as we learn to know each other again. I loved the boy you were so much. He was my everything, but I need to get to know the man. We may decide we don't much like who we have grown into. What if we get close again and decide we can't sacrifice who we are to make this work. What if…"
I place my finger on her mouth. "Shhhh. Mia, you can have all the time in the world to ponder all the what ifs in that big beautiful brain. I'll take whatever scraps you give. You said you've always loved me. That is all I need. All I want is a chance to show you how much I love you."
She smiles, and it brightens her whole face. "What I propose is a courtship, the old-fashioned kind, with no physical intimacy. I'll be in England until at least until the 15th of May. It will give us a chance to get to know each other until we need to make big decisions. I can't fight this anymore. I am tired of warring with myself, when I know I still love you with every part of my heart."
I can't believe I'm given this chance. I feel the tears streaming down my eyes. I look at hers full of tears, as well. She's so fucking beautiful. "Mia, I owe you an apology. I am so sorry for not choosing you when I had the chance. I'm so fucking sorry. You were my everything too." I wipe my eyes so I can see her, "By the time I decided nothing else matters, but you, I lost you. I went to your flat about three weeks later to tell you, I choose you. You were already gone. I looked for you. I hired Private Investigators, I begged Potter, I tried everything I could think of. It's the biggest regret of my life turning my back on what we had. I'm so sorry for ever making you believe for one moment you weren't my entire world."
She flings herself into my arms and holds me tight while she bursts into sobs. I hold her close and rock her gently. I'm crying to. I love her so much. I'm full of regrets in my life, but I'll never regret loving her.
We hold each other for a while and when she calms down she gets on her knees in the settee, and is now eye level she leans in and kisses my forehead. "I forgive you, Draco. I'm sorry I left. You asked for time, but it hurt too much to give you what you asked for. I am so sorry for assuming the worst of you. I thought for years you married Astoria. I could not even bare to hear your name. I am so sorry for not trusting what we had was just as real to you as it was to me. Gods, we were both so young and naïve. I promise, I will never assume the worst of you again."
I grab her waist and pull her to me and cry onto her neck. I don't think, I'll ever forgive myself for losing her. "Thank you, Mia." I love her so much. I promise, I'll always choose her, nothing else matters.
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Footnote 1: Nothing Else Matters by Metallica
Songwriters: Lars Ulrich / James Hetfield
Nothing Else Matters lyrics Creeping Death Music