Save Yourself

Save Yourself, Chapter Fifteen

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That night was the longest of my entire life. Draco and I slept very little, if at all, tangled together in a mixture of limbs, hair, and tears. It was shortly before dawn when I had finally broke down and wept with him, although I’m sure for entirely different reasons; my life was now one as a mother-to-be, and his as a father-to-be, both very different roles. Once our son was born, he would still have a life away from the two of us; I, however, would be chained to our child, forced to appeal to his every want and need, never receiving a holiday and possibly forfeiting the right to the rest of my education.

”How are we going to tell my parents?” his strong voice whispered as we watched the sun slowly rise above the horizon of the hills showing through my set of glass double-doors.

”Carefully,” I answered without a hint of amusement in my voice, “tomorrow. I don’t want to ruin our wedding for them, and I most certainly don’t want all of the fireworks let out in one day.”

”Agreed,” Draco nodded, eyes glancing over to the clock as it struck eight. “Mother should be in here soon to assist you with the preparations for the ceremony. Technically, I’m not allowed to see you until the wedding.”

”Yes, I know,” I said sharply, immediately regretting my tone. He either didn’t notice or simply didn’t acknowledge it, however, as he kissed me quickly before slipping out of the sheets and making his way through my chambers and into his own, closing the door not a moment too soon.

Just as his door clicked shut, the one to the outside hallway opened, revealing a positively glowing Mrs. Malfoy. Behind her followed perhaps half a dozen young women, all carrying various supplies and the last carrying what must have been my wedding gown, covered in a jacket of the finest silk in England.

”Good morning,” I murmured, sitting up in bed and trying to wipe the redness from my eyes.

”And what a wonderful morning it is,” Mrs. Malfoy—a title that we were soon to share—bowed her head as she made her way to the vanity mirror set up against a wall in the room I was in. Soon, three of the six female attendants were busily working on my hair and makeup, leaving me no room to breathe for the next three hours.

At exactly one o’clock that afternoon, I stood in front of an astounding amount of people, my dark hair done up in ringlets and my face glowing with a sheer look I would have never been able to accomplish myself. My gown was, as predicted, made of velvet and satin; the top was cut rather low in the velvet fabric, the bare back held together by an intricate lacing of silk string. The top was sleeveless, but attached at the shoulders were two long pieces of a sheer silk, trailing down my arms all the way to my fingers, where the point of the fabric was attached to two heavy silver rings, both of which were placed on my middle fingers. The velvet made a point in front of my hips, giving way to yards of satin which hung loosely from my hips, clinging to exactly the right curves. There was an intricate pattern of black flames dancing across my hips and front section, giving the dress an amount of flair that amazed me.

”Don’t worry, darling,” Mrs. Malfoy said, mistaking my weariness for a bout of nerves. “You’ll do wonderfully.”

As she strode down the aisle to take her seat, I caught a fleeting glimpse of Draco’s blonde hair, his tresses hanging only slightly below his ears.

And then the music started.

Slowly, as I had been instructed, I made my way down the long aisle, more than quite aware of the hundreds, if not thousands of pairs of eyes on me, following my every movement. At that point in time, however, only one pair mattered to me; Draco’s.

I met his gaze and kept it as I finally made my way to the end of the aisle, all my anxiousness about our impending situation draining out of me with one glance at his perfect features. Even after so many years, I had never grown tired of his flawless looks and the grace in which he presented himself.

I barely heard a word the Minister—Fudge himself had decided to grace the ceremony with his blessing, the pompous ass—spoke, my mind too deep within Draco’s to comprehend his words. Only when he asked for my words of commitment did I snap back into reality, and with haste, I spoke:

”I do.”

Draco repeated my words shortly after, and it was then that Fudge spoke those fatal words that would forever bond Draco and me together:

”With the power vested in me under the United Kingdom, I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride.”

Slowly, Draco leaned in and gave me a kiss that lasted no more than a few seconds, but seemed to hold a lifetime of pain and joy within it. As we walked back down the aisle hand-in-hand, I could think of nothing but the sensation of his skin against mine and the child I carried inside of me, destined to be born in only a few short months.

Even years later, I couldn’t tell you anything else of the ceremony; the color of the flowers—or even if there were flowers—and the guests, the dinner afterwards and the Ball held in our honor, all gone a mere moment after they had been experienced.

All I remembered was the touch of his lips against mine, the way he held my tiny hand in his own, and the knowledge we would soon have a son.

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