Harry's POV
The forest was still, the dying light casting a blue, surreal look over the trees and Ron was gone. Just like that, the red haze Lily often said she got when she was angry had clouded my vision and then when it had gone, Ron had gone too. Hermione had cried all night but even if her heartbroken sobs hadn't been keeping me awake I wouldn't have slept.
Hermione hadn't spoken since, not even when she'd apparated us to a new spot, after tieing her scarf around a tree to let Ron know they'd left. I'd just finished the protective charms and was staring out at the trees but my mind was elsewhere on two certain red-haired women who were always causing me so much trouble. God, I missed Ginny. I missed her straight, long hair that felt like silk between my fingers, her freckles, cute button nose, her deep brown eyes that shine with such an enthusiastic light, her funny, kind loving attitude, the days we'd spend alone together, I missed it all. I hadn't heard much of her or the rest of the Weasley's, only what Lily had said about her being safe after the wedding and about how she, Neville and Luna had tried to steal Godric Gryffindor's sword from a passing group of travellers, consisting of Griphook, Ted Tonks and Dean Thomas. But we did not reveal ourselves to them.
And Lily, I was beginning to worry about her until Dobby and Kreacher returned with Fletcher at Grimmauld Place saying how she had helped them escape from Death Eaters. All the same, it can't be easy for her, or Draco, to be behind enemy lines, closing off their minds and emotions to survive in such an awful place surrounded by people you can't trust. I'm not sure how her mentality was when she went into the snake pit but I don't doubt she'd be struggling to keep her head now.
Hermione sat down beside me and elbowed me in the ribs, breaking me out of my daydream. "You alright Harry?" She asked and I nodded in reply. "Let me guess, you're thinking about Ginny?"
"How'd you know?" I started.
"You get a twinkle in your eye, every time you're looking at her, that's how I knew you liked her last year, so naturally I assume your thinking of her now. I also think you're mind is on another certain red head."
"Lily." I supplied her answer, looking away from my best friends curious gaze.
"She'll be okay, Harry," She assured. "It's Lily, she always is . . . how do you feel about her engagement?"
I shrug, my mind hadn't really wrapped itself around that fact but the stunning emerald ring she had sported on her ring finger told the world. "It was only a matter of time." Is all I can manage but it makes me feel like a dickhead. "I mean, I don't really think I have a right to not like them being together, after everything that Lily and Draco have sacrificed for us, I'm not going to deny them this happiness by being unhappy with their choice."
Hermione studied me for a moment. "That's really selfless and grown-up of you, Harry. I think Lily would be really proud of you too."
I looked back over the ridge. "Yeah, maybe."
"How could she not be?"
"Look at all the progress we're making out here in the middle of nowhere, hiding in woods, we haven't found a way to destroy the Horcruxes, we haven't figured out or found all the Horcruxes and Lily is stuck in Riddles grip!"
"You're forgetting who your sister is."
"I know who my sister is, she's Lily Potter, one of the names top of You-Know-Whos kill list!"
"No," She said firmly. "Lily Potter is one of the twins who escaped death at the age of one, she mastered wandless magic as a toddler, produced two corporeal Patronus' while almost unconscious at thirteen, survived and won the Triwizard Tournament, is a Mage, deceived the Dark Lord to spy for us, saved your life more times than I can count and managed to get Draco Malfoy to fall in love with her . . . She'll be fine."
There was silence. "You have a point, but I still don't like it."
"Nobody likes it."
There was more silence, that wedge that seemed to come between us since he left I thought had been lifted was slowly crawling back into place. "Oh, I came out here to tell you I found something," She pulled out Tales of Beedle the Bard. "At first I thought it was an eye but now I don't think it is, it's not a ruin, someone's inked it in."
She showed me the front page of the book and a triangle, with a line going straight down the middle, with a circle in the middle of the line and the triangle, was indeed, drawn on the page. "Luna's dad was wearing that at Bill and Fleur's wedding," I remembered. "And Krum said something about it being Grindlewards sign."
"Grindleward? But why would someone draw it in a children's book?"
"I don't know." I shrugged and looked out into the night. "Hermione, I've been thinking, I want to go to Godric's Hollow, I want to see the place my parents died."
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Lily's POV
There was a knock on the bathroom door. "Come in."
Narcissa entered the spacious ensuite and a gasp escaped her. "My, Lily you look stunning."
A blush crept across my skin as I viewed myself in the full-length mirror. My figure was coated in a long, dark red dress, which swirled out around my matching red pumps covered in diamonds, with diamonds on the bottom of the skirt to match. The emerald glistened in the light and it was the perfect size to not affect the look of the dress, that Narcissa and Lucius had given me as an engagement present. The sides of my hair had been pulled back into a small ponytail so most of it hung loose and was wrapped in a glowing silver bow. I just radiated Christmas.
She took my arm in hers and together we descended the staircase that led to the main foyer. The ballroom was on the left, which had loud chattering and slow classical music oozing out of it. Just inside the doors, Lucius arrived and whisked Narcissa away, who gave me an encouraging smile before she disappeared into the crowd. The people parted once again as Draco walked steadily towards me in a suit and bowtie, looking handsome as ever.
I reached up on my tippy-toes to press a kiss to his lips in greeting before he took my hand and leant into my ear. "You look beautiful." He whispered.
I smiled. "Well, I must say you do look dashingly handsome, finally got you out of those boring plain black suits."
He beamed with a wink. "Would you like to dance, my love?"
Grinning like an idiot, I let him lead me out onto the dance floor and we started gracefully moving in time to the music. and soon the dancers moved off to the side and the crowd was watching us. My dress swirled out around my ankles, as Draco skilfully twirled us around, graceful and smooth. Soon the dancers moved off to the side to watch the engaged couple and as the song ended we bowed to each other, earning a cheer from the crowd.
I straightened up and received a tap on the shoulder, making me turn to see Blaise standing there looking practically regal in his emerald felt suit. "May I have this dance, Lily?"
I smirked at Draco who rolled his eyes but nodded, as he walked off the floor. Couples eventually filled the dancefloor up again and we blended in with the crowd. Blaise was not nearly a good a dancer as Draco, but he wasn't too bad, he was also tall like my fiancé which meant I didn't have to adjust my poor dancing style. When that song ended Draco appeared beside me once again. as tall as him and that meant I didn't have to adjust as much.
That song ended too and Draco was by my side again. "Come, it's time you meet some people." He tried to say it lightly but couldn't keep the grim look off his face.
By meeting people he meant more families associated with Riddle, supporters, most were Death Eaters who I had yet to meet, some were really old, ancient families with the power of influence and money. They smiled down at me, some curious, some unimpressed, some disdainful, congratulating us on our engagement. There were a few compliments on our dancing and I was asked to dance a few times by eligible young bachelors.
A familiar head of dusty blonde hair made its way through the crowd. Theodore Nott had been a constant pain throughout school, being one of Cassius Warrington's group, who we'd encountered on several occasions.
"Good evening, Draco."
I could feel Draco tense beside me as I was tucked into his side. An angry sneer I'd seen him wear often when quarrelling with my brother slipped onto his gorgeous face, I could see the dislike rolling off him. "Nott."
"I believe a congratulation is in order," The sleazy boy laid his keen eyes . on me, raking them over my body and I wish I hadn't worn such a revealing dress. He picked up my hand and drew it to his lips. "You have such a magnificent fiancé, who absolutely must do me the honour of a dance?"
By the way Draco stepped forward, slightly but warningly, I don't think he thought it a must. Feeling curious eyes now on us, I desperately tried to come up with a solution to resolve the growing tension that soon everyone would be gossiping about. Lucky for me, my solution came in the form of Blaise. "Apologises, Theo, but I've already asked Lily for the next dance and then she was saying how she was going to bed."
Cue my best attempt at a fake yawn. "Sorry, Theodore but I've had a very tiring night and I think I just might fall over after this dance."
"Yeah, she didn't get much sleep last night." I tried not to roll my eyes at his suggestive words that we'd been doing other things.
Sending him an unimpressed look, I turned my phony smile on Nott. "Perhaps another time?" And with that, I accepted Blaise's arm and allowed him to escort me onto the dancefloor. "Thanks."
He flashed his dazzling white teeth. "No problem, I knew as soon as he headed in your direction he was going to stir up trouble. Draco has a serious dislike for him."
"Why?" I spun under my friend's arm, catching a glimpse of Draco once again talking with his father, Nott nowhere in sight.
"Other than the fact he's a complete dickhead?" I tried not to laugh, charming isn't he? "Draco mainly hates him because he's always mouthing-off about the Weasleys being blood traitors."
This stumped me. "That's why he doesn't like him? Because he's a git towards Ron and Gin?"
I spun out of Blaise's hold for a second before clasping his hand once and was once again in his arms. "You'd be surprised about the sort-of things that boy says, he's horrible, calling them blood traitors, abusing them for being poor, gets encouragement off his father who makes Arthur's life a living hell at the Ministry, and always accusing them of incest."
"Incest?!" He silenced me with a sharp look. "But that's ridiculous."
"Yeah, he justifies it with the red hair and number of siblings." We didn't speak any more of the matter as my mind jumped from thought to thought landing on the gallant fact Draco hated him because of his nastiness towards my friends.
It had been a long and boring night, apart from the moments I was dancing with Draco but now we retired to his room. My feet were killing me from dancing all night in pumps. Groaning, I slipped them off and chucked them into the bottom of the wardrobe. A light chuckle came from behind me, Draco pressing his soft lips to my neck, his fingers slowly working at the intricate tangles of the corset on my back. Slipping the straps off my shoulders, the dress fell away from my hips, revealing the matching dark-red lacy number I'd worn under that dress the whole night.
Glancing in the mirror, I noticed my figure and thought it funny how a few years ago I didn't think I was beautiful enough for the handsome man who now watched me in the same mirror with lust-filled eyes. His hand snaked its way around my waist, causing my muscles to tense as his fingers ran over the sensitive skin.
Turning into him, I shoved the suit jacket off his broad shoulders and it fell to the floor, completely forgotten as I worked on undoing his belt. As he tugged his shirt over his head he smashed his lips onto mine and I met him with just as much vigour. He gently pushed me back so I fell onto the bed and he was hovering over me in a second.
I ran a hand down his chest and slipped them under his belt, finding his hard manhood. He let out a small moan and I locked the door with a flick of my hand and then put a silencing spell over the room. Tonight was going to be more than just a burning desire.
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The next day I was exceptionally sore, in a good way, a way I'd never been before. At some point it had become obvious to me that some dark possessive part of Draco wanted to mark me, make it know that I was his as he ploughed into me from behind, demanding I scream his name, so loud I doubt Silencio would have any effect, no doubt due to the encounter with Theodore Nott. Not that I minded at all.
I did mind though, that Draco wasn't in our bed when I woke. Slipping on a white tank top and denim shorts, I made my way downstairs for Christmas morning. There would only be the four of us here today, the others not sticking around, and the sole and only reason we were having a Christmas at all, was due to the efforts of Narcissa.
The Christmas Tree stood decorated in the corner of the living room, near the fireplace, presents strewn underneath it. An arm wrapped around my waist, startling me as Draco pressed a kiss to my temple. Narcissa came bustling happily into the room, followed by a more despairing looking Lucius and she ushered us over to the couch before handing out presents.
Narcissa and Lucius' present had been a matching set of earrings to my ring, which she said they'd had specially made. Draco had gifted me a charm to go on Pansy's bracelet, a heart with 'L&D' engraved onto it in italic writing.
After a quiet lunch, Draco took me on a stroll through the 'garden', which was the expanse of forest of oak trees, that stretched for a couple of miles before the tall fence that surrounded the manor. We silently walked through the undergrowth, it was brighter than I remembered when I'd walked through here with Snape. The sunlight streamed through the treetops in rays, creating an enchanting look that reminded me of fairies and I wouldn't have been surprised if we saw one.
But we weren't here because it was the only thing to do whilst trapped in this big old manor. "What's on your mind, my love?"
He shook his head looking around as he stopped. "I hate this place, Lily. I honestly don't care what happens to it after I take you far away from this foreboding house. Darkness, sadness and anger dwell here and it's no place to raise a family."
"Whoa, hold up. Raise a family? Getting a bit ahead of ourselves aren't we?"
I smiled up at him as he rolled his eyes, pressing his lips to my forehead. "Okay, we can wait a year or so."
This made me laugh and not happily. "Draco, I wouldn't bring a child into this world as it is, not even if we were growing old and I could not bare one for much longer. Who knows how long this war is going to go on for? No way would I endanger my child with the precarious position we're in."
Kissing me once again, he sighed. "And I completely agree."
We stopped on a raised part of the small forest, looking back at the house just peaking over the treetops. "I'm sure we can find a house, on the beach somewhere maybe, where we will be safe."
He smiled. "I think that's a marvellous idea."
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