Lying in my bed seemed like the best way to spend my holidays. I had hardly moved from it since I had gotten there, avoiding just about everyone. I couldn’t tell anyone what was wrong because it wasn’t my secret to tell. It just bothered me that he knew that I loved him. Why wouldn’t he tell me something like that? Why couldn’t he tell me that my life would be at stake if we were to be together? I would’ve understood, but I still didn’t fully understand. Why was he a deatheater in the first place?
“Courtney?” came my mum’s voice as she opened my door without knocking. “Will you please come downstairs? Draco’s here and-“
“Tell him I don’t want to see him,” I said, pulling my blankets even closer around me. I didn’t want to see him just yet. I couldn’t see him just yet. How could I ever accept the fact that he is a traitor? “Tell him I’m sick or something.”
“He says that it’s about the project that you two have due after the holiday,” she sounded closer, and she was, pulling on my blankets. “Come on. You’ve been up here moping since you’ve got here. It’s been just about a week, and Christmas is tomorrow. The party is tomorrow, so you need to get out of this bed sooner rather than later. How about right now?”
I sighed and sat up to look her in the eye. “That’s fine. I don’t mind getting out of bed, but I don’t want to see Draco. Okay? Can you just tell him to leave or something?”
“Look, whatever it is you and him are going through, you need to talk it out,” she sat down beside me on the bed, her blonde hair bouncing. “You do understand that, right? You can’t hide from your problems. You have to face it head on.”
I’ve always loved that about my mom. You know, how she gives me advice without actually asking me what’s wrong. She lets me have my privacy. I know most girls would like to have a mom like that, and I considered myself lucky.
I nodded in response. “I know, but I’d rather not deal with him until I get back to school. Okay?”
“I’ll tell him, but I bet later you wish you would’ve done it here and not in the public eye,” she kissed my forehead and got up to leave. She did have a point. “Should I send him up then?” she smirked and turned when she made it to my door way.
I groaned. “Yes, but in a few minutes. I need to get dressed first,” I whined as I pulled the covers away from me and swung my legs over the edge of the bed and made my way to the closet. I pulled out a pair of jeans and a pink sweater. After changing, I opened my bedroom door to find Draco standing there waiting.
His grey eyes bored into mine. “We really need to talk,” he smirked, walking towards me.
I stepped aside and let him inside. I closed the door behind him. Then I turned to him and crossed my arms. He said we needed to talk, but instead he was walking around my room, taking in every detail of it so to speak. I sighed and started to tap my barefoot against the carpet, which didn’t make a thud like I was hoping it would. He picked up a picture off my dresser. It was one of many that I kept there. Pictures of my mom and dad. Pictures of Marcus and Alex. Pictures of myself and my friends. I walked over and looked over his shoulder at the one he was looking at. It was of Kam and myself. Mom took it the year before when she came over in the summer. We were laughing up a storm about something. I noticed his lips curl into a smile. I smiled as well. He then took the picture out of it and took another out of his pocket and placed it into the last picture’s spot. I gasped when I saw it.
“You kept it after all,” I sighed, beaming at the two of us on the beach, our two younger selves.
He nodded. “Of course I did. I might have acted like an ass about it, but I couldn’t just throw it away. I mean, I tried to. I wanted to forget you ever existed in the first place, but that’s not possible. I can’t ever forget about you,” he turned to me with the same grin on his face. “You are the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I don’t want to let you go. I just need some more time. I just hope you can understand. I will find you and tell you everything when I can. I promise,” he stroked my cheek with his warm fingers. My hand automatically rose and covered his.
I nodded. “I understand completely.”
I stood up on tip toe and kissed him on the cheek. He smirked at me before pulling me in for one on the lips. Why couldn’t it just be like this all the time? I knew the answer to that, but I still couldn’t help but ask it, in my head of course. I wanted to come out and ask him, but he said that he would tell me when he could. I already knew his secret and it was killing me inside. How could I not crumble?
“Draco,” I whispered, pulling away for a moment just to have his lips return and quite me.
He picked me up, not separating his lips from mine, and carried me to the bed. We continued kissing until his hand wondered to the button on my jeans. My hands automatically stopped him. I wasn’t ready, especially with my parents and little sister just downstairs. He nodded and got off of me. I couldn’t help but shiver as his heat left me. I sat up as well and ran my hand through my hair. I was all flustered but so wasn’t he.
“I should go,” he said standing.
“What?” I said, not moving from my position on my bed. “Don’t you want to stay and work on the project?”
He shook his head. “I wish I could but…” He trailed off and looked away from me. “I just can’t. We’ll work on it later. I promise. I just have so much to do, you know? My dad expects it from me to do so much. Well,” he started towards the door. “bye.”
“I love you,” I whispered, hoping that he heard. He didn’t answer me, so I hope that it was the case.
“And Court?” he called, stopping in the doorway. “Don’t go to the party tomorrow, okay?”
“Why not?”
He sighed. “Just don’t. Understand?”
I nodded, still not understanding. Why wouldn’t he want me there? I wondered for a while after he left. I hadn’t left my room to ponder it, even though mom would’ve expected me down there. She wanted me down there with her, Adeline, and dad. So, I went downstairs when they called me down for dinner. I had braided my hair by then and changed into black pants and a white sweater. I don’t know why, I just did.
“It’s about time,” dad said, obviously in approval.
I sighed and took the seat next to mom. “I guess so.”
“So, did you get everything settled with Draco? I saw him leave early and rather flustered too,” mom stated, raising an eyebrow at me.
I nodded. “As much as we could fix. He had to leave because his dad was expecting him back.”
“That’s good to hear, seeing as the party is tomorrow. It would be hard to come up with an excuse of why you’re not there when they’ll perfectly know why,” dad said.
I rolled my eyes. “Yes, because that’s the most important thing.”
He ignored me and continued his banter about the party. “You know, I heard that it was an engagement party.”
My eyes widened as I looked up from my plate, which I hadn’t even thought of touching. “An engagement party?” I mumbled.
He nodded. “I have no idea whose engagement it is though. Draco’s way too young to even be getting married. So, who knows? I just heard it. It’s probably just a rumor. It’s on Christmas, so obviously it’s a Christmas party.”
I looked back down at my plate. “Yeah,” I agreed, hoping he was right.
“So,” mom went to change the subject. “When are you and Draco going to be working on your project?”
I shrugged. “Who knows?”
“You’re grades are important, Courtney. You better be finding out,” dad annoyingly added.
“I will,” I mumbled.
A glittering caught my eye and led me to mom’s left hand. There was a ring there. It wasn’t the one the Lupin had gotten her either. Actually, it was the engagement ring that dad had given her the first time that they had been married. It was still as huge as I remembered. Dad always bought her the biggest gems that he could find. Wait, why was she wearing that ring?
“Mom,” I started slowly.
“Yes, dear?” she smiled at me.
“Why are you wearing that ring?” I asked and she looked.
Dad looked appalled. “You didn’t tell her?”
She shook her head. “Not yet, I was waiting until tomorrow, but I guess it can’t wait.”
“Tell me what?” I looked from one to the other, not liking what I was hearing. “Surely you can’t be…”
“Getting married?” Mom laughed. “Of course we are. I never fell out of love with your father that’s why I’m divorcing Lupin. Besides, he’s in love with a new member of the Phoenix. You remember Tonks?”
I nodded. “Yeah, but this doesn’t make any sense. Why did you two divorce the first time?”
“That was because of me. I wanted to the divorce,” dad said and left it at that. “So, that was that. We’re getting back together now so everything is fine. Your family is back together, Courtney.”
“What about Adeline? Isn’t she Lupin’s? You’ll still see him,” I pointed out.
Mom shook her head though. “That’s another thing. Adeline was never Remus’s. She is your father’s child, your full blooded sister.”
“So, you cheated on Lupin with dad?” I asked, very surprised by what they were telling me.
She nodded. “I’m not proud of it, but at least we’re back together now. At least we can still be a family. You, your dad, Marcus, Alex, Sophie, Adeline, and me. We’re all back together now.”
I couldn’t take it all in. First, I find out that mom and Lupin are getting a divorce. Second, I find out the love of my life is a deatheater and is distancing himself from me. Lastly, I find out that mom and dad are back together. My life was so weird and messed up. If they thought that I was going to that party with them the next day, they were crazy.
A/N: Okay, so this isn't the best chapter in this story, but its needed. be sure to tell me what you think and vote! good news: been number one for almost a week now, thanks guys! it really means alot. oh, and cover change because i have changed the plot (for like the millionth time!) the other cover didn't go with the change. okay, enough of my rambling. go comment! ;)