Sapphire (Lazuli Book #3) - Harry Potter Fan Fiction (Draco Malfoy)

Chapter Thirteen

I followed him, in awe of the beauty around me as we approached. Pretty hanging baskets hung from either side of the porch, with sweet petunias already in full bloom. "It's a spell," Draco said proudly as he watched me admire them, "the plants will never die."

I found myself once again amazed by Draco Malfoy. How did he manage to think of such tiny little details that anybody else would have overlooked, and yet despite being small they managed to tie the entire place together. I kissed him softly on the cheek as he produced a silver key from his pocket - engraved with an entwined D and J just like the one to the treehouse - and pushed it into the lock, twisting it open and giving me a smile as the door clicked unlocked.

"Madam," he teased as he pushed the door open, flourishing his arms dramatically as I stepped into the warm doorway. Draco nodded encouragingly as I looked to him, and with a deep breath, I stepped inside.

The first room of the cottage was a small foyer, with a rack of golden coat pegs hanging on the walls and a shoe rack beneath it. I peeled off my thick duffle coat and hung it up as Draco shut the door behind us, unwinding his scarf and copying me as I stepped forward tentatively. There was an open doorway just in front, and as I stepped down the small stone step into the room, I gasped in delight.

The room was perfect. The walls had been covered and wallpapered in a beautiful green brocade, perfectly matching the colour of the evergreen trees outside. Dark leather armchairs with silver claw feet sat in two of the corners, a matching sofa with soft green blankets thrown over the top sat facing the grand roaring fire which heated the entire house and cast a warm glow across the rest of the room. A pretty ornate mirror sat on the wall above the fire, allowing me to see my flushed cheeks and red nose, courtesy of the cold. A magnificent bookcase could be found along the entirety of one wall, filled with books of every topic, from potioneering to brave heroes from centuries past. A narrow staircase ascended upwards in the corner, leading to the promise of further adventure just up the steps.

Yet it was none of this that was what made the room truly spectacular. It was the long, glass window that was actually a wall, covering an entire side of the room and exposing the breathtaking views beyond. A beautiful garden with a stream that weaves between the trees could be seen from the comfort of the chairs, a garden full of herbs and ingredients for making the sort of pleasant potions that I was unlikely to be asked to make by the Dark Lord but would still make in my own time if I got the chance. The garden was beautiful, with soft green grass that seemed to grow wilder as it got further away from the cottage. It was like we were in another world entirely to Malfoy Manor, which was indubitably close by; the cottage provided the perfect escape we both needed.

"It's wonderful Draco," I breathed as he came to rest his chin on the top of my head. "You really like it? This was my mother's idea - she thought you'd like to watch the sunrise."

I smiled sincerely at his reflection in the glass. "I adore it."

"Merry Christmas, my love."

I grinned as he buried his face in my hair. "Merry Christmas, Draco."

We stood still for a few minutes, admiring the view. I felt the Malfoy locket burn even hotter than usual with our entrance to our own home - perhaps it was because, for once, we both felt safe.

"Come on sweetheart, there's a lot more to see."

Draco and I spent the next couple of hours walking slowly around the cottage, which although was quite small, I spent every moment possible admiring the smallest details, from the exquisite china teacups to the perfect silver candelabra that sat in pride of place in the centre of the dining table. The bedroom was more perfect than I could have ever imagined; a simple mahogany four poster bed sat in the simple of the white-walled room, white drapes hanging from the posters and matching wardrobes containing mine and Draco's clothes on either side of the room. This room also had large windows through which the scenery could be seen, and I found myself looking forward to many days spent lying in Draco's arms, watching the world go by. The adjoining bathroom was stunning also - a large claw foot bath took pride of place in the centre of the room, with a shower cubicle in the corner and matching his and her sinks on the other wall. The blue mosaic was warm beneath my feet, something that Draco proudly explained was a muggle invention called 'underfloor heating.'