𝐬𝐮𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐫 𝐨𝐟 '𝟗𝟔 ; 𝐝. 𝐦𝐚𝐥𝐟𝐨𝐲 ✓

𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐲-𝐟𝐨𝐮𝐫

8:09 pm
July 12, 2008
10 years later...

Here we were once more, the midsummer ball.

It had been 10 years since I awoke from my coma, and I was currently living with my best friend, Pansy. And boy, were we living the life. Balls, almost every night. We would hold extravagant parties, and sip champagne. Sparkly dresses made of pure diamonds. Plenty of men offering us a lifetime of money.

No matter how old I got, and how tempting it became, I refused to let myself move on, I was determined to find Draco again.

Pansy and I strutted into the ballroom, but a host retained us from entering.

"Summer ball starts at 8:30, there's a wedding that's currently being concluded."

And then, past the host, I saw him.

His beautiful blond hair.

Those stormy, grey eyes.

His stunning, glowy pale skin.

His expensive green tuxedo, his favorite color.

It was Draco.

And he was marrying another woman that wasn't me.

What would my father think about this? For Draco had asked him to marry me, and promised to protect me the rest of his life, and treat me with proper respect, and even die for me. And after all that, he was okay with my death? He was okay with marrying someone else?

She was gorgeous though. Her carmel hair fell perfectly curled to her shoulders. She had grassy, emerald green eyes which twinkled when she gazed into my long-lost love's eyes. Her face was ideal, finely structured, plump red lips, strictly arched brows. The girl was everything I longed to be.

The wedding sign waited still by the entrance.

Astoria Greengrass and Draco Malfoy.

Astoria. Her name was even perfect, but did their names connect? Was both their names tied together? Did he tell her that the stars in the constellation in which he had been named after was for her? Did he run with her through the woods, shouting behind him and telling her how much he loved her? Did he call her his beautiful angel? Did he love her since he was five? Did he love her?

A woman with ebony hair, with two blond streaks in it haltingly twisted her head around and saw me standing there, in complete and utter distress at the sight before me. It was Narcissa Malfoy, and she was just as appalled as I was.

Soon more heads turned after Lucius noticed me as well, him and Narcissa with the exact same expression.

Then, Astoria saw. She had to have known it was me, for the elated expression on her face faded into a timid one.

My love noticed everyone glancing behind them, and saw the stunned grimaces on the audiences faces.

"Is there a problem?" He requested, his stormy eyes flickering around the room.

God, his voice was even more grown and masculine now, it sent soft chills down my spine, because I was still so in love with him.

"Draco, don't look." Astoria snapped, dragging his face towards hers. "Don't you dare look!"

Draco seemed pessimistic, for I could understand why. This girl was lovely, but she was a bitch.

All of a sudden, I heard a rambunctious voice coming from behind me. Pansy.

"Draco Malfoy. It's Estelle. Yeah, Estelle. She's standing here right now, watching you marry another woman. You know? The girl you asked her father for his blessing in marrying her. The girl you fell madly in love with the summer of 5th year, after years of demanding her notice you. The girl you let down your guard for. The girl you called your beautiful angel. The girl you fell in love with when you were five, your first love. And you'd sworn she'd be your last, no matter what had happened to her. Even though she had been trapped in a coma for six months."

Astoria clamped Draco's face more, compressing it to face her as he struggled to look.

"Draco Lucius fucking Malfoy don't look at her."

"Astoria—" Narcissa boomed, "If you want to be a Malfoy so bad, never, ever use our last name disrespectfully. Let go of my son."

Astoria freed her heavy grasp on Draco's face that now had red hand marks on his flushed cheeks. Along with the crowd, he gazed from Astoria to me with his teary, silver eyes. The tears dripped down his and my faces, as we stared at each other once again, our hearts wizzing.

"My star." He whispered shakily, his lips shivering while he began to sob.

"My love." I replied, beginning to walk up to aisle, as he moved closer to me.

"Oh hell no! Get this selfish bitch out of my daughters wedding!" Who I'm assuming was Astoria's mother.

"Oh, Go to hell, Beth." Narcissa shot back.

Draco gently cupped my face with his callused hands, and began intensely bawling. I stretched mine gently to his cheeks, and wiped his tears away with my thumbs.

"I'm sorry—" He murmured, "We're leaving, be prepared to run."

"To run?"

The handsome blond glanced to his mom, who nodded with approval. "Whatever your heart desires, Draco. You were always meant for Estelle."

Draco pulled me into his embrace and stared back to Astoria, who looked as if she was about to kill me.

"Astoria Greengrass, if you love me like you say you do, you'd do anything to see me happy, even if it meant I was with someone else." 

Soon enough, my hands were enclosed in Draco's, and we were running. Not through violent flames, not through thousands of brutal killers, but through the woods. Just like we had always loved to. His hand in mine, me following not too far behind. We ran through the woods, bound to nowhere. No set destination.

But this was how I wanted it. Needed it. 

Him and I.

After decades of wracking sobs, and exile. Denying. Grief. Loneliness. 

I never forgot Draco Malfoy.

And Merlin - did he never forget me. 

The End.