Never • The Lost Daughter | A Draco Malfoy Love Story

Chapter 98 - Someday

"Your Master is dead. Drop your wands now and none of you will be harmed. Don't try to escape and that will be taken under consideration when your trial comes," I said.

Only two of them didn't lower their wands, both of which I could recognise.

"Did you hear what I said? Your Master is dead. Stand down. Now," I repeated. The lot of them dropped their wands to the ground just in time when the Aurors arrived. Soon they were all arrested.

The press arrived in no time and they all flocked around us, taking pictures and asking for a statement.

"Miss Riddle will not make any statements yet. What we can assure you is that the Ministry is once again free," said Kingsley.

"Who will become the new minister? Will it be you, sir? Will it be Riddle?"

Kingsley did not answer while he was taking me away from the crowd. The Aurors tried to keep them back but the photographs didn't stop flashing and the questions didn't stop being asked.

"I think we ought to make a statement, Kingsley! Voldemort has just died. We are supposed to tell them something. And I have to explain myself for what I stated last time I was here. I don't want anyone thinking I am his servant," I said as he was trying to drive me away from the reporters.

"Don't you want to write something down?"

"Oh, I don't need that. I'll figure something out," I said.

"Oh, very well..." he agreed and let me free. "They are all yours," he said and smiled.

I walked back to the crowd with no smile.

"A statement, Annalise! A statement!" some were screaming.

I stood there for a moment to think of what I'd tell them. Soon I realised there were not much to be said.

"A statement? Here is your statement," I said and turned around to face the huge statue in the middle of the Hall. It was marble; Voldemort was standing on top of the muggles, crushing them. I pointed at the statue and almost at once, it had turned into dust. "That is your statement. He is gone. We are free," I said steadily.

"Will you take over now?"

"We will let the people decide that. Until the new elections, Mr Shacklebolt will take over temporarily. We will announce the date of the elections and the candidates as soon as possible. But what is more important than anything else is that Voldemort is gone. He is never coming back again. Tonight every witch and wizard is free and will sleep silently. Retribution is ours," I said and gave them a slight smile.

I walked back to Draco as the reporters kept asking questions. I held his hand and I knew that this image would be on the first page in the papers the next morning.

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After a short meeting with the members of the Order and the few candidates that had arrived at the Ministry, Draco and I went back to the Manor.

I looked myself in the mirror next to the window. My blouse was still red and black with my blood. The bruises on my face hadn't even started to fade. The scars on my skin were still flaming red.

Only the one on my forearm, the first one, had started taking a pink shade. When I looked down at my fingers the silver ring with the eagle was still on my second finger. I didn't know how this was even possible, the ring my mother gave me when I was nearly killed to be real.

I walked out to the balcony to get some air. The morning was brighter today. Draco stood behind me and let his hands around me.

"It's over, Anne. It's over," he said and smiled.

"How do you move on after something like that? How do you keep the thoughts away?"

"It will never leave, Annalise. He will always be your father. But you can at least keep yourself distracted."

"How?" I asked.

"Well..." he said and turned me around for me to face him. "For starters, we can make a life together. We can live together. We can go back and finish school and then maybe we can find a nice place. And you can bring all your stuff from your old house in and we can start a life. Move in together," he said.

"You are asking me to live with you?"

"Yes. Forever," he said and paused. He held my hands and touched the ring he had given me, the emerald one that I was still wearing. "You know," he said and went down to one knee. "I've already given you that ring but I think that this is what you do when you ask this."

"Ask what Draco?" I said with eyes getting wider.

"You know, if you don't want to do it now, it's fine. We can wait a little bit. Wait a few years. But I want to know that maybe in the future we might have a chance to get married and maybe make a family and settle down?" he said nervously.

"It will happen," I answered with a smile. "Someday, it will happen," I said.

He smiled widely and then stood to kiss me.

The sun was shining above us and the smell of the trees around us was reaching us; the leaves the color of the ones you could see in the Astronomy Tower.

Draco's favourite colour.

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