Love, Wedding bells and Now He is Gone

Chapter 23

            Hogwarts wasn't the same. Half the students were gone, taken home by their parents, it was a desolate place. Aris felt it as bad as anyone. Draco was gone, and since the Unbreakable vow was broken she no longer felt the strong emotional connection they'd had that let her know how he was feeling. She also had to deal with the pain of losing her uncle Tiberius on her own. Her best friend Lanie was gone; her parents having come and picked her up after the night the deatheaters attacked. Lanie had tried to get her to come with her, but Aris didn't go, she was afraid Draco might try to contact her.

            In a few days school would be out and Aris had no idea what she was going to do or where she would go. But then she remembered the glass door knob her uncle had given her at Christmas that he said was a portkey. Aris packed her things, grabbed her owl and gently rubbed the glass knob, saying the words her uncle had given her. Immediately she began spinning, speeding towards what, she did not know. She went faster and faster. She had no idea where it was taking her, but it had to be somewhere safe since it was from her uncle.

            Aris and her stuff landed in a pile in a sand dune. She looked around in shock. It was a beautiful. White sand beaches, crystal clear blue waters and warm breezes that smelled like salt, fresh and clean blow through her hair. Right in front of her was the cutest little light yellow and white cottage with a huge veranda on the front porch, complete with a hammock and wicker furniture. It was like paradise.

            Aris picked up her stuff and headed up to the double french-doors and knocked. No answer. She looked around, there were no other houses around on the beach. She knocked again and then tried the door, it opened. She took her wand out as a precaution and went inside. The cottage was lovely, done in light colors with billowy soft white curtains that caught the sea breeze coming in through the shuttered windows. She called out for anyone but got no answer, and then she saw a note on the table. It was addressed to her and she read it, and then read it again, tears building in her eyes. Her uncle Tiberius had left it for her; in fact the whole small island was hers along with a hefty amount of gold galleons in Gringotts. The cottage even had a huge fireplace in the center of the room for travel by the floo network, with a huge bucket of floo powder.

            Aris got her bags and owl and quickly sent a message to Lanie letting her know how she was doing and what her uncle had done. Then she checked out the place. She took her things to the main bedroom. The place wasn't as small as she thought. Her room had double glass doors that led out onto the beach, with its own bath. There were three other small bedrooms that shared a bath, a huge kitchen and family room where the fireplace was. The place was nice, but without Draco it was not really a home.   …....

            Aris received an owl from Lanie the very next day telling her that she needed to see her tomorrow and could she visit. So Aris traveled by floo powder the next day to visit her friend. The two friends hugged.

            “Aris, I have something to tell you,” Lanie said as they went to her room, “Draco has contacted me at least 4 or 5 times asking about you. He couldn't get a message to you at Hogwarts so he's been owling me and until I'd heard from you I couldn't tell him how you were or where you might be.”

            They went into her room. Aris could hardly contain the happiness she felt at knowing he was trying to reach her.

            “I have a surprise for you, although it's against my better judgement,” Lanie said, opening her closet door. Out stepped Draco.

            Aris couldn't help crying his name and she ran to his outstretched arms. Gently he took her face in his hands looking her over deeply, and then he captured her mouth with his, kissing her so deeply she thought she wouldn't catch her breath. They were so involved with each other that they didn't hear Lanie leave the room.

            Draco finally broke the kiss hugging Aris to him tightly. For a while he just held her. He'd been so afraid when he didn't know where she was when she left Hogwarts, afraid her parents might have gotten her or he'd never see her again after all that had happened at Hogwarts. When he'd found out that her own parents had tried to kill her and she'd been saved by her uncle he'd wanted to go to her then, but his mother and Snape had stopped him, fearing for his safety.

            “Aris, I'm sorry about your uncle. If I had know I might have been able to help. Can you forgive me?” he pleaded, looking at her with those beautiful silver-blue eyes.

            “There's nothing to forgive. Your not to blame for my parents or what happened to my uncle. I am just glad your alright and you weren't the one who killed Prof. Dumbledore.”

            “I couldn't do it,” Draco said roughly, tears forming in his eyes, “I didn't want to do it and all I could think about was you and how you would feel about me. You've taught me how to give love and what it feels like to truly be loved.  I couldn't find it in me to take someone else's life.”

            Aris took his face in her hands and gently kissed the tears that had fallen on his cheeks and then kissed his lips softy. They both sat on Lanie's bed to talk. Aris told him about the cute cottage her uncle had left her and the wizard money he'd left at Gringott's.

            “Let's do it!” Draco said suddenly.

            “Do what?” Aris looked at him as if he'd lost it, a smile on her face.

            “Let's get married.”

            “Now!?” she laughed.

            “Yes, now! Let's do it tonight,” Draco said excitedly, like a sneaky child up to no good.

            “I would think you would want a big wedding, and I know Narcissa would, and she's not going to like not being able to plan it.”

            “Mum will get over it,” he said, “besides, she really loves you and she doesn't care as long as you are part of the family and she gets grand-babies out of it.”

            Aris thought about it for a minute. What did it matter if they did it now or later, she didn't have any family to worry about, Draco was her only family now, “Okay, but where do we go?”

            “You leave that to me,” he said, taking her hand, “I'll take care of it.”

            Aris told Lanie her plans and thanked her. Lanie thought they were crazy, but she hugged Aris and wished them the best. Aris took Draco's hand to prepare to apperate, “Now for a little shopping,” he said, his eyes twinkling, and he took them both in a flash to Diagon Alley.

            Draco took Aris shopping in Diagon Alley for her wedding dress. He handed her a handful of galleons, which she tried to give back since she now had her own money, but he refused, and sent her into the bridal shop to pick her gown and other things she would need. While she did that he was going to get his dress clothes since it was bad luck to see the brides dress before the wedding.

            Once they had all their stuff together Draco took her hand again. This time they landed in a small lovely village in Scotland. Draco had contacted a minister who would perform the wedding that night. The little church even had rooms for the bride and groom, complete with a bath so they could get ready separately. A sweet, little elderly lady named Mrs. Wiggyton helped Aris get ready and was going to let her know when the ceremony would start. Aris was starting to get a little nervous, she wanted this more than anything, but she wondered how things were going to be for them since the dark lord was still around.

            Draco stood at the alter in his sharp black dress clothes. It was almost time and he waited for Aris to make her entrance. He knew he was rushing things, but it didn’t matter, he had to make her his. With the dark lord still around and the not knowing if he would survive these dark times he couldn’t take any chances. She was his no matter what and he wanted to make it official.

            A piano began to play softly and Draco looked towards the doors. What he saw took his breath away. He knew Aris was beautiful, but right now she looked like a fairy princess. He could feel himself getting emotional, especially when she gave him a shy smile. She was holding the beautiful bouquet of flowers he’d sent her for the ceremony. Everything in the small church was perfect. There were candles lit all over the place in various candelabras, and twinkling lights woven through all the greenery in the place. With creeping greenery of white and pink flowers flowing off the stone columns and vases filled with heather and white roses it felt like they were in some enchanted world. Draco took her hands when she reached him and they both spoke their vows, neither taking their eyes off the other. And when the minister pronounced them husband and wife Draco gave Aris a mind blowing kiss.

            “So, Mrs. Malfoy,” Draco said, breaking the kiss, a huge smile on his face, “where would you like to go for your honeymoon?”

            Aris beamed up at him, she felt the happiest she’d been in her life, “To be honest, I thought we might go to my little cottage on the beach. I really want to be there with you.”

            “How do we get there?”

            Aris went and got her stuff and took out the glass doorknob. She told Draco to hold it with her and hold on tight. She spoke the magical words and the portkey quickly spun them, faster and faster until they finally landed in the same sand dune that Aris had before. The moon was shining brightly overhead and the salty breeze coming from the ocean blew through their hair.

            “Isn’t it lovely,” Aris pointed as Draco helped her up. The little cottage was shining in the moonlight, the moonbeams making it almost look golden, Aris took his hand and her bag and started running up onto the veranda, “Just wait until you see the inside,” she started to go in but Draco held her back.

            “Wait,” he said, and he scooped her up into his arms, “I’m supposed to do that,” and he carried her through the door, capturing her lips in a soft kiss that quickly turned passionate. Between kisses, Aris gave him directions to the bedroom.    ……

            Aris awoke to the delicious smell of coffee and blueberry scones.

            “Good morning angel,” he was sitting beside her on the bed in nothing but his boxers. Aris couldn’t help thinking how sexy he looked, and he was all hers now. She stretched and started to get up. She had forgotten she was completely naked because of the wonderful night they had spent together last night. She had hardly gotten any sleep because they both couldn’t get enough of each other. She wrapped a sheet around her shyly.

            “You don’t have to be so modest,” he laughed, “You know I’ve seen and explored almost every inch of your body last night.”

            Aris still couldn’t help blushing, especially as she thought about how many times they had made love last night, until they were both exhausted, “Well, a woman has to have a little bit of modesty,” she said dropping the sheet and walking over to put on her robe.

            Draco couldn’t help but feel more desire rise up in him for her, seeing her in all her naked beauty, her hair falling wildly down her back. She looked like a nymph come straight from the waves crashing in the sea outside, her hair blowing from the breezes coming through the open French doors.

            Aris tied her robe and she and Draco sat on the bed eating the scones and drinking the coffee from a bed tray.

            “I didn’t know you could cook,” she said astounded.

            “It’s amazing what a little magic can do.”

            They spent the next two weeks together in the cottage, exploring the island, swimming in the sea and exploring each other. Everything was going great and Aris thought it would stay that way but then one night when they were lying in the giant hammock on the veranda Draco started wincing in pain, grabbing his arm.

            “What is it? Are you okay baby?”

            “”I’ve got to go,” Draco said sadly, quickly getting up from the hammock.

            “What do you mean?” Aris asked confused.

            “I don’t know, but I’ve got to go Aris. You didn’t forget about this did you?” he put his arm out, the dark mark showing dark black against his skin, the snake slithering on it.

            “But I thought you were finished with the dark lord,” she said stunned.

            “I’m sorry Aris,” Draco said sadly, “but as long as he lives I’ll never be finished with him.”

            “Draco, I can’t live like that,” she said, feeling the pain that was going to come because she knew she was about to lose him.

            “I don’t want you to,” he said hugging her tight, “I want you to stay safe. The only thing we can hope for now is that someone can defeat him, maybe Potter can do that.”

            “Draco we can stay together, we can hide from him. Somewhere where he will never find us,” tears were starting to roll down her face. They had found happiness and now it was being snatched away.

            “Aris as long as the mark is on me he will always be able to find me. I will not put you in danger,” he kissed the top of her head; “I love you. Please stay safe. I’ll try to contact you if I can. I don’t know how long it will be but promise me you won’t do anything to bring the death eaters attention to you.”

            Aris grabbed his face, kissing him deeply.

            “Promise me,” he whispered against her lips, “no matter what you might hear and no matter how long it takes, you will stay safe from him.”

            “I promise,” she sobbed.

            Draco winced again, the pain in his arm increasing, “I’ve got to go,” he gave her one final kiss and then stepped away from her, disappearing before her eyes.

            Just like that he was gone and Aris felt the loneliness and depression deeper than she ever had before. She moped around for a while, doing nothing, weeks turned into a couple of months and still she heard nothing from Draco. The only good thing going on in her life was the fact that she was pregnant again, but she was still lonely.

            She received her Hogwarts letter for the start of year 7 and was shocked to discover that Snape was now the headmaster, but that wasn’t all. She had read in the paper that Draco’s father had been released from prison, along with several other death eaters. There was also a new minister of magic. Everything was looking pretty hopeless.

            Well, Aris knew she did not want to attend Hogwarts pregnant. She took out her uncles letter and re-read it. He had friends in high places and so she decided to go to St. Mungoes hospital and see if she could start training to become a healer since it was something she’d been good at back at Hogwarts.