The Dragon Variation

Half A Life And Open Doors

Olli became slower and slower in all things. It felt like watching a disaster in slow motion, completely unable to prevent or mitigate the damage.

Unexplainable was the only article of explanation healers could offer them. They had no answers, nor research, nor time to investigate it. The only shred of vindication they had was down to her genetics, more specifically her parents genetics, and even more specifically—her biological parents genetics. Credence Barebone and Natalie.

Olli knew. She thought she knew what was happening for quite a while. And she accepted it.

She had no choice but to accept that this was the price she would pay. What she didn't know was why it had to be her. Why did the blade always fall to her head?

And then it happened.

Lovelyn was somewhere back in Oxfordshire, meeting with a book editor and publisher. Silas was with her, along with Bailey.

Olli laid staring out the window at the end of the bed, admiring the green and purple hues of the night sky merge and blaze with one another. She could see why Draco was fascinated with them, seeing it move so effortlessly, like a well-timed dance of ballerinas in flowing gowns.

She rotated and lifted her head on the pillow and overlooked Draco's chin.

"Yes?" Draco murmured without opening his eyes, shifting the weight in his broad shoulders to face her.

Olli was silent for a few seconds until Draco opened an eye at her. She could see those beautiful pupils shine even in the pitch-darkness.

She just blinked at him before she said, "I did a good job, right?" it came out like a small sigh, barely a breath, "raising her? I—I did a good job being a mother, right?" she asked.

Draco opened his eyes wide and fully at her, shifting so that she was completely consumed in his arms wrapped around her.

He rested is chin on her head, "yes, Olli," he assured, "yes, you did a good job," he kissed her head, "the best,"

Olli nibbled her lip slightly before biting it. "Okay," she finally said.

It was as if Olli could feel the sand in the hourglass.

"And a good wife?" she whispered, "I loved being your wife," she added.

Draco pulled his head back to see half of her face lit up by the dusted moon and the Northern Lights. Pushing a piece of hair from her face, he saw the look on her face, the shadows in her eyes, and the dawn in her mind.

"You were mine, Olli, that's all I cared about," his tone was low and deep and ever so sincere. "I'm so happy that you were mine," he kissed her lips with each word so that they would be there forever.

They were silent for a few minutes before he heard her whisper. "Goodnight, Draco," she squeezed his hand and pressed her forehead to his sternum.

Draco swallowed the lump in his throat and held her as securely as he could to his body, hanging onto her. He felt the back of his eyes burning as he closed them.

Goodnight, Olli.

-

In the light is where he loved her, though both trapped in the darkest of places for their lives, Love opened all the doors for the light to fall through.

The darkness of her magic eventually took her in its stride, it was only a matter of time after she stopped fighting it. Olli had been fighting since the day she was brought into the world of magic. She fought even harder when her Draco fell into her hands, but a time came when it wasn't enough. Before half a life, the sand had run out.

Olli passed in her sleep in the arms of her love. The morning came and Draco was alone, she was gone this time, peacefully, kindly, and in no pain.

Ophelia was a fighter and she fought expertly. In all that she had lost along the way, she had Draco, thus she won.

She was The winner of The Dragon Variation.

The End.