85 Years Later
DRACO had lived a long life. Far too long for his liking. He was still grateful nonetheless.
There was always this void inside his chest, no matter what he did or where he goes. Nonetheless he had to admit that it was a memorable life he lived. Filled with many familiar faces he had grown to love, strangers well acquainted, and laughter shared along with buckets of tears. Tears for the woman he hoped to see very soon.
It was more like a gut feeling. He was a healthy old man. He had no illness nor had any accidents. But tonight when he and Theo sat by his living room couch after an intense game of magical golf, he had the urge to say goodbye.
"You have been an incredible friend, Nott." His voice became much more hoarse through the years.
"So are you." Theo smiled at him.
It was valid to say both of them aged like fine wine. Bodies still straight at poise through their golden years. Blaise had gone ahead of them, along with Pansy during an accident a few years prior. Their five children raised incredibly well.
"I can't wait to meet her." The tugging in his heart bloomed with longing.
Theo looked at him warily but his smile was still in place. "She must be waiting for you too."
------
Draco woke up with a lightness in his chest. Gone was the daily pressure just to breath, along with the weight on his shoulders. His body moved with more agility, and there was no stiffness in his old bones.
He looked around him and he was in his bedroom at the Manor. His hands ripped the blanket off his body. Draco stared at his smooth hand. There were no folds of his dry skin. The rings he wore when he was young were back on his fingers. Pushing off the bed his eyes made contact with his standing mirror. The wrinkles on his forehead were invisible. His cheekbones were sharp and gone was the sag along his jawline. The crows feet at the edges of his eyes now smooth. His hair was thick and luscious, his hairline fully restored.
He was young. To the age when Catherine was alive.
He was dreaming again.
The door opened and two he could see two tails wagging, followed by barking and nail padding through the marbled floor. Major and Smalls ran so fast they tripped slightly and started to claw on his feet. Excitement radiated from their eyes.
"Well it's nice to see the both of you." Draco crouched down and showered them with pets. Major was like a madman, running circles around him, jumping up and down. Smalls just sat in front of him. He looked straight into his eyes, and whimpered. The dog was shedding tears and licked Draco's face.
He never dreamed about them before.
Smalls gave her a few more licks and raced out of the door again. Draco would've followed him but Major wouldn't let him go. He was now biting into his pants and licking his
"Draco?"
His head snapped so fast to look at the door.
"Mother..." Like a five year old child that was lost in the park, he ran towards her and engulfed her in his biggest hug. He could smell her perfume, floral and sweet. His mother cried and clawed her hand behind his back. Draco sunk his head into the crook of her neck as his own sobs began to surface.
This was so realistic for a dream.
"My son," She managed to speak in between her tears, "Oh how I've missed you."
He took his time to enjoy the comfort of their embrace and when he pulled back, his mother placed a loving hand on his cheek.
"This is too real."
Narcissa laughed, "My dear, it's not a dream. You're here now."
What is this place?
It was then he realised that her mother's eye was the shade of the ocean. Bluest of blue. The lines on her face were still present but there was no longer any torment in her smile. She was free and happy.
"She's been waiting for you for a long, long time."
Draco's eyes were on fire, and for a split second, he let his heart wander to the possibility of the the most blissful reunion in history. It's a longing that stretches beyond life.
"She's in the ballroom. Go to her. You deserve it."
Draco gave his mother one last hug and flew out of the room. He caught a glimpse of himself in the hallway mirror. He was wearing an all black suit with a black tie. The golden touches of the pin and his buttons gleamed. It was the tux he wore to the ball.
He sprinted down the stairs at the speed of light, until finally he stood right outside the velvet double doors.
There was music playing inside.
'Hold me close and hold me fast, this magic spell you cast'
His heart was beating wildly. His head dizzy from all the expectations.
'This is La Vie en Rose.'
Life has been far from beautiful since she passed away, not even rose coloured glasses could fix it. But if she was really behind that door, then he wouldn't need any.
The knob was cold to the touch, and Draco finally pushed open.
And the universe realigned.
Her dark brown hair was now up to her hips. Draco remembered exactly how soft the delicate waves were. She was in a simpler rendition of her iridescent golden ball gown. The dress hugged her body and reached just below her knees. Her soft white skin, glowing as the sunlight basked the room.
When she turned around, Draco had to fight the urge to break down and cry.
Those magnificent deep brown eyes and her smile. God how he loved that smile.
His legs moved on it's own accord. Just a few long strides and stopped right in front of her. Her scent was real, the concoction of cherries now true to his senses and not from a silly love potion. She blinked a few times and leaned forward, inching closer. The disbelief evident in both of their faces.
Tears began to pool in her eyes and Draco had to place a hand on her cheek. She leaned her head almost instantly. Her other hand circled his wrist.
A single touch from her and now he was finally warm again.
"Dear God, if this is a dream I don't want to wake up." He whispered, afraid that if he was too loud, she would disappear. Surely God or whoever was in charge wouldn't be this cruel. To give him salvation only to have him wake up on his own.
Catherine chuckled, "It's not."
His lungs forgot how to take in air. Her voice, her laugh, the movement of her lips.
"But in case you're still wondering."
She leaned in and Draco thought she was going to kiss him, but instead he felt a sharp sting on his left cheek as it made contact with her hand.
"What the..." It was not a hard slap, but enough to make his senses boil.
She's here. She's really here. His Catherine.
"I watched you every day for eighty five years.... eighty five years I watched you live. I was waiting, preparing myself over and over for the day that you love someone else, because that would have been better than seeing you on your own."
He smiled and for the first time in eighty five years, it didn't hurt to.
"So the thing with Astoria, it was all you?"
"Trust me it wasn't an easy thing to do, but I thought anything must be better than seeing you live by yourself. You hard-headed twat."
Draco laughed. How he had missed their everyday banter. Catherine pouted and Draco ran his fingers over her lips.
"You really thought I could be with someone else? I would rather die early and meet you, instead of having to hold another woman in my arms."
Her lips quiver at her words.
"And what about you? Don't think I'm letting it go so easily. We promised to stay together and you..."
Her eyes softened and she grabbed both of his cheeks, pressing their foreheads together. His hands now wrapped tightly around her waist. "I'm sorry. I'm so sorry. I don't regret doing it but I will forever hate myself for letting you suffer-"
Draco couldn't help it anymore. He lets his eyes water however they like. "It does not matter now, my love. Having you here with me right this second is enough."
Catherine choked back her tears. Her hand was now playing with the hair on the nape of his neck. Everything was so familiar. It was where it should be.
"Oh Draco..." No words seem to be able to explain this moment. Catherine was rendered speechless.
"Eighty five years... I would have waited a million more just to hear you say my name again."
He gave her a soft peck on her nose. Their bodies shaking from the momentum of their feelings. "My love." He places another peck on her right cheek, "My Catherine." Blessing her with another on her left cheek, "Ma cherie." He wiped every single tear away with his lips.
Both of them were as close as they could be. Draco cupped her face with his hands, his thumb stroking her cheek like it was meant to do.
"I am going to kiss you." His voice, breathless.
Catherine has been waiting eighty five years as well, and she couldn't wait any second longer. "Nothing is stopping you now."
In his dreams, he has kissed her lips a thousand times. Some were so vividly true and some just a memory brought back to life.
But this kiss was to make up for all the years they missed, all the time they lost and all the distance they have been apart. A kiss that ignited a fire that roared from deep within, it melted all the injustice of life. He would do it all over again just to feel this kiss.
Finally everything was right.
"Welcome home, Draco." Her voice heavy from their kiss.
Home filled with endless kisses.
~ The End ~
To my beloved readers,
To everyone who read this book, may it be a word, a sentence, a paragraph, a chapter or the whole damn thing.
I love you.
This book was meant to be my getaway and an assignment to prove myself that I could pour my thoughts into words. But it was you all that made me strong till' the end. I am grateful for you no matter what your opinions are, because each and every one of you played a monumental role in the completion of this book.
Now I know the ending can be quite sad, maybe a let down. Even for someone who's a hopeless romantic and a sucker for happiness like myself I cried so hard when I wrote it.
But I wanted to depict reality. Where sometimes you find the person, and they are not meant to be with you for more than you bargained for. Sometimes life can be so brutal, that they take away those who made your life so worth living. Remember that in the end, they will be there waiting for you with all their love and more.
May the story of Draco and Catherine remind you to not take anything for granted and that you are never alone. Let them inspire you to live life without regrets. And if you did lose someone you dearly cherished, fear not. For I can promise you that the reunion will be so much sweeter than honey. Only when its time, His time.
Once again, I love you all.
Hugs and Kisses,
Genevieve 🌻
P.S. If I were to write another book, not a fan-fiction, more likely my own fantasy romance, would you all still be interested? Let me know what you think!