Forgotten One: Love

Chapter 5: Reports and Retorts

My car stood waiting for us when we returned. And the silence on the way back was comforting instead of tense.

When we reported back, Alastair's face went ashen. We told him of the absent guards, giving suggestions as to what may have happened. When we finished our report, Alastair stared at me uncomprehendingly.

I scanned Alastair's thoughts as Draco spoke. Alastair's brain was jumbled. No consistent train of thought. She couldn't- Is she-? No. Not possible. Is it?

Draco broke off suddenly, mid-sentence. "Vivian? Are you okay?" I pulled myself back into the real world. Just before I regained my composure, I thought about my facial expression. I had been focusing intensely on Alastair's thoughts, and my face reflected my concentration. My brows were pulled together, creasing my forehead, and my eyes closed.

I took a deep breath and recomposed my face into a careful expression. Both Draco and Alastair stared at me. The former with concern and the latter with enmity. "Yes, I'm fine. I'm sorry, I just zoned out."

"Stay out of my head." Alastair hissed through his teeth.

"Like you could keep me out." I hurled back before I could think twice.

"Stay out of my head!" Alastair roared, and the walls shook.

Or maybe it was just me. I was trembling from head to toe. Draco wrapped his arms around me, holding me back as I tried to charge at Alastair. "As if!"

I struggled against Draco's grip, but he held me back. "Calm." He whispered, and I felt all the fight leave me as if the single word was its own spell. Draco's arms were no longer holding me back, but reassuring me.

Alastair went purple in the face, and I vaguely wondered if he was having a heart attack. "Get out, Malfoy." The acid in his voice was almost tangible. "Now."

"Keep your head." Draco whispered before leaving the room, shutting the door softly behind him.

Alastair exploded almost as soon as the door clicked shut. "What in bloody hell was that?! What are you doing with HIM?!"

"Chill, Al." I tried to placate him.

"No!" He roared. "I will not chill! What the hell are you doing?!"

I stood my ground. "What does it matter to you? You had your chance."

"You think I wanted to graduate?! You think I wanted to leave you behind?!" He slammed his hands down on the desk, standing up abruptly.

"What else was I to assume? You looked happy enough, and the platform was the last time I heard from you until you offered me this job. No calls, no texts, no owls. Nothing. How was I to know that you even remembered me?"

"Vivian, I would have sent you a message if I could have, but the Ministry weren't the only ones tracking communication networks. I would have led them right to you."

"You could have done something! Anything! You could have just happened to go to the bakery or the store or somewhere at the same time as me! You don't understand what it was like for me!"

"Actually, I do. I spent every waking moment in agony, wanting to find you, but unable to, knowing that they would follow me. They were tracking me. They knew I was close to you and tried to use that to their advantage. I sent them on as many false leads as possible, trying to keep them away from you."

I tried to understand what he was saying, but the words weren't fitting in my brain. Alastair stared at me as if trying to convey some message. I met his gaze then silently expanded my consciousness to include his thoughts.

I love you. I love you. I love you.

He repeated it like a chant. I stared at him, the shock probably obvious on my face. Suddenly, his lips were on mine. Just like the kisses so many years ago, the kiss was full of love. They had once made the five years age difference melt away. Now, this kiss only seemed to announce it. So much has changed since my third year nearly twenty three years ago. Age hadn't done much to our looks besides the marginal maturing. Our personalities, however... Maybe it was just me. Maybe he hadn't changed. But I had. I knew that much. I wasn't the 11,12 and 13 year old girl he once knew.

I pulled away as soon as I processed what was happening. I had to set the boundaries back. He was my employer. I was his employee. Strictly business. Nothing more. I would not let it be anything more. Aside from that, there was still the unconquerable five year age spread. I couldn't let him try to surpass those boundaries.

Even when I pulled away, Alastair tried to keep kissing me. Leaning in, until I put both hands on his chest and pushed him back. "Stop it, Alastair."

He looked at me with martyred puppy dog eyes. "But-"

I ignored the look. "No. You had your chance Alastair. You lost me. I waited for you, but there was nothing. No note, no calls, no owl, nothing. I moved on, Alastair. Now it's your turn. Move on, Alastair."

"You've... moved on?" He seemed like he was having trouble wrapping his mind around it.

"Yes, I have, and you need to."

"But, but, but whom?" All of his normal self confidence was gone.

"No one, Alastair. I learned to survive on my own. I'm a survivor and I will survive (https://youtu.be/VQLfL4JZiOU)." And then I sang.

"At first I was afraid, I was petrified
Kept thinkin' I could never live without you by my side
But then I spent so many nights thinking how you did me wrong
And I grew strong
And I learned how to get along
And so you're back from outer space
I just walked in to find you here, with that sad look upon your face
I should have changed that stupid lock
I should have made you leave your key
If I had known for just one second, you'd be back to bother me
Oh now, go walk out the door
Just turn around now
Cause you're not welcome anymore
Weren't you the one who tried to hurt me with goodbye?
Did you think I'd crumble?
Did you think I'd lay down and die?
I'm a survivor (What?)
I'm not gon give up (What?)
I'm not gon stop (What?)
I'm gon work harder (What?)
I'm a survivor (What?)
I'm gonna make it (What?)
I will survive (What?)
Keep on survivin' (What?)
Thought I couldn't breathe without you
I'm inhaling
You thought I couldn't see without you
Perfect vision
You thought I couldn't last without you
But I'm lastin'
You thought that I would die without you
But I'm livin'
Thought that I would fail without you
But I'm on top
Thought it would be over by now
But it won't stop
Thought that I would self destruct
But I'm still here
Even in my years to come
I'm still gon be here
I'm a survivor (What?)
I'm not gon give up (What?)
I'm not gon stop (What?)
I'm gon work harder (What?)
I'm a survivor (What?)
I'm gonna make it (What?)
I will survive (What?)
Keep on survivin' (What?)
On no not I
I will survive
For as long as I know how to love, I know I'll stay alive
I've got all my life to live
And I've got all my love to give
I'll survive
I will survive
Hey hey
I'm a survivor (What?)
I'm not gon give up (What?)
I'm not gon stop (What?)
I'm gon work harder (What?)
I'm a survivor (What?)
I'm gonna make it (What?)
I will survive (What?)
Keep on survivin' (What?)
I will survive."