It was early morning by the time you left Professor Snape's office. Orange and pale yellow tints canvassed the walls as you began the walk back up to your dorm room for some well needed rest. It had taken the best part of the night to convince the Potions Master and your Head of House that you were actually still of sound mind and that this really was the best move for all concerned and eventually, he'd had to agree. Your heart was heavy, but your mind was finally clear and as you felt the fresh morning air trickle down into your lungs, you were sure you'd made the right decision.
Professor Snape watched you leave his office with mixed feelings.
What the pair of you had discussed over the last few hours had never once even entered his head and yet you'd seemed so sure. At first he'd assumed you were simply being irrational- perhaps you'd had another fight with Miss Raven and were feeling a little emotional, but the more that he'd studied and the more that he'd listened, the more he had realised that you were making a mature, logical and difficult decision and he had to admire you for that.
You'd always been a conscientious student and a worthy Slytherin and in many ways he had been tempted to dismiss your request solely to avoid such a loss but then, you had always been an adventurous sort of girl and maybe this was, as you'd claimed, 'just what you needed.'
Mia, Alex and Elaina sat at breakfast in an anxious silence. They hadn't seen you since the previous day's classes and they all knew how much pressure you were under to find a solution to your current predicament. The trouble was, this wasn't the everyday sort of school work or relationship problem that they could have helped you with. This was something far more serious and far more important and neither of them had even the slightest idea what they could do for you.
Your particular problem had, in fact, just entered the Great Hall, her fiance stalking along behind her and looking thoroughly disheartened and bad tempered. None of the three had ever really liked Malfoy in the slightest, but his current anguish and his feelings for you were obvious a mile off and so they offered him a row of sympathetic smiles as he passed, which he accepted with a quiet nod before sitting down further along the bench and staring at the food passively.
He, understandably, didn't have much of an appetite right now.
A chorus of squawks and shrieks from the high windows caused the three of them to momentarily stop their worrying as they watched the flurry of postage owls swooping down towards the rows of excited younger students.
There was something about passing 5th year that seemed to stop parents sending cookies and cakes from home.
As Mia eyed up a delivery of bakewell tarts to Colin Creevey across the room, Elaina gave her a nudge in the ribs. Turning to follow her gaze, they watched as an owl swooped down towards Gwyneth, carrying what looked suspiciously like and inter-Hogwarts sealed envelope.
Gwyneth, who looked equally confused, snatched at the envelope, shoo-ed away the poor creature in disgust and ripped open the letter like an enraged imp.
Seconds later, as Elaina fed the shunned bird a handful of bread crusts, an ear piercing scream erupted from Gwyneth's tiny frame. Mia's first thought; that a banshee has exploded from within the envelope and mauled her pretty little face beyond recognition, proved to be false hope. Gwyneth had infact launched herself into a terrified Malfoy's lap and was now showering him in unappreciated kisses whilst she clutched at her letter as if it were gold dust.
"Good news?" Blaise asked the obvious, munching away on a piece of toast and not really caring in the slightest.
"I'm staying!" Gwyneth cried happily, her emerald eyes sparkling with excitement.
"What do you mean you're staying?" Draco sneered. "Where were you going in the first place?"
Gwyneth calmed herself and put an elegant hand to her chest as she bit her lip apologetically. "Oh, I'm sorry darling, I didn't tell you as I didn't want to worry you. I was going to have to go back to France today unless a replacement exchange student was found in time. Isn't this wonderful news?"
Draco said nothing but simply looked at her with an expression that resembled pure hatred.
"I take it they've found one then?" Marcus cut in, aware that his friends sanity was already teetering on the edge.
Gwyneth tossed back her hair and nodded. "Although I never thought they would! I mean it had to be someone who could afford the fees, could keep up a grade average like the one I used to have and of course, speak French fluently. I suppose it's what you might call a miracle!"
Beside her, Draco's face had turned an odd shade of grey. "Does it..." He cleared his throat. "Does it say who they found to replace you?"
Gwyneth shook her head, oblivious to what had just made her fiance feel physically sick, and helped herself to another sugar coated strawberry in celebration. "No, not that it matters. Isn't this just fabulous news-"
But before she'd even managed to finish her sentence, Draco had bolted from his chair and took off out the hall.
Mia, Alex and Elaina, who had left as soon as they'd translated the first of Gwyneth's inhuman frequency squeals, were currently hammering on your bedroom door with mad abandon.
"Guiseley, I swear if you're in there!" Mia shouted, pushing Elaina out of the way to squint furiously through the keyhole.
"What the hell are you doing?"
They all turned round in surprise to find you stood at bottom of the stairs, a bemused smile on your face and a bundle of papers in your hand.
"There you are!" Elaina breathed a sigh of relief, she'd spent the past fifteen minutes panicking that they'd already missed you.
"Why weren't you at breakfast?" Mia snapped, folding her arms and looking down at you knowingly.
You glanced at the paperwork in your arms and then at the floor. "I just had to finalise some arrangements." You shrugged and smiled.
"Oh you mean about moving to France?" You looked up sharply to meet Mia's steadfast gaze.
"How could you-?"
"Menston got a letter." Alex shrugged, his hands wedged deep in his jean's pockets.
"Is it true?" Elaina asked, her wide doe eyes making you want to physically shrink into the walls.
"Can we...Can we talk about this inside please?" You muttered, hurrying up the stairs towards them and unlocking your door, ushering them inside.
"Well?" Mia arched an eyebrow as soon as the door was shut behind you. "Is it true then?"
You said nothing but nodded slowly, suddenly feeling very guilty about your decision.
"When do you leave?" Alex stared at you hard.
"Tonight."
"Tonight?! Bloody hell!" He scoffed in disbelief and turned away, his hands behind his head as he faced the window.
You watched him sadly. "Look, I'm sorry, I was going to come and tell you as soon as I knew it was all sorted!"
"You could have told us you were thinking about it!" Mia cried with a look of dissapointment that you just couldn't bear.
"I didn't even consider it until about eight hours ago!" You looked back at her pleadingly.
"Oh great," She threw her hands up. "So this is another one of your mad last-minute plans is it?"
"No..." You sighed. "Look, I need to do this."
"But why?" Alex turned back round to face you with a look that literally crushed you.
"You know why." You held his gaze softly.
Mia stepped between the two of you. "If this is about Gwyneth, then I thought you were fighting back?"
"I guess fighting back isn't always the right thing to do." You murmurred. "And that isn't me giving up, that's just me being rational. It's not like I want to lose him...lose Draco..."
The words caught in your throat as you felt a hand on your shoulder and you looked up to find Elaina smiling at you, her cheeks already tear stained. You half-smiled, she always was a cryer. "I've realised there really isn't anything I can do and so the best way forward, and to try and save what little sanity I have left, is to move away."
"Out of sight, out of mind philosophy hey?" Elaina nodded thoughtfully.
"Exactly."
Mia sighed and looked at you for a long moment. "And I suppose you want help packing too?"
"Okay so drinks in the common room before you go?"
You laughed and swallowed Mia into yet another bone crushing hug. "I don't know why you lot are making such a big deal out of this! We'll all have graduated in a month anyway!"
Mia stepped back and arched an eyebrow. "Look, you gonna be there or not?"
You grinned and nodded. "Wouldn't miss it for the world."
Waving them off down the stairs, you sighed to yourself and shut the door, turning to face the array of half packed boxes.
So this was really happening. You were really going to do this.
You smiled sadly but nodded with determination, rolled up your sleeves and headed towards your over-crowded wardrobe.
Down in the prefect common room, a certain someone was waiting, fuming, as he watched the happy little trio laugh and reminisce their way through the portrait hole with a forming sneer. So you'd managed to sweet-talk your way around them had you? Well, you'd have a damn sight harder job winning him over.
A heavy knock at your door made you look up with a start. Struggling over with an armful of heavy textbooks, you swung open the door, expecting Mia to have run back for one last hug. But what you found waiting for you at the other side was a lot less cheerful.
"Not who you were expecting?" Draco growled, leaning against the doorframe, his eyes dark and his jaw clenched angrily.
"Draco..." You murmurred softly, taking in his stormy expression and dishevelled hair.
He pushed past you into the room and glared down at all the open boxes. Hidden beneath your own weight in books, you were powerless to stop him.
"Care to explain what the f*ck is going on then?" He quirked an eyebrow and looked back at you with a sneer.
You set down the books on your desk and brushed your hair back nervously. "Well I was...I was just having a clean up."
Draco's eyes narrowed further but he bit his tongue and glanced down at the nearest address marked package. "Oh I see, so do you usually send your trash to Beauxbatons then?"
You glanced down at the floor, suddenly unable to hold his gaze. "I take it you know then."
"Of course I f*cking know!" He lashed out, kicking the box beside him and making you flinch. "Gwyneth's shouting it from the bloody rooftops downstairs! A wealthy, intelligent, half French replacement student, now who could that be I wonder?"
You didn't say anything. Your throat was dry and the you could feel the sting of salty tears threatening to fall once again.
"Were you going to tell me?" Malfoy shouted, forcing you to lift your gaze to his. "Or were you just going to sneak away like some cheap whore and leave me to stumble about like a f*cking idiot the next day, trying to find you?" You stayed silent. "Well?!"
"I don't know."
Draco shook his head in disbelief and ran a hand through his hair, turning away as if it was hard for him to look at you. "You told me you loved me."
You looked up at his back in surprise, your eyes already glistening. "I do-"
"Then why the hell are you running away?!" He spat at you, turning back to face you angrily.
"Because I have to lose you!" You finally shouted, feeling the hot tears begin to roll down your cheeks. "Because if I stay, I have to watch you marry another girl! I have to watch you become someone else's husband and go off and live your life with her and not me and I can't do that!"
Suddenly, Draco's arms were around you, your head nestled in his shoulder and his lips planting heavy kisses in your hair. "You're not going anywhere." He said roughly, clutching you to him in desperation. "Do you hear me? You're not leaving!"
Reluctantly you untangled yourself from his hold and stepped back to look at him. "You don't listen do you?" You shook your head sadly. "I don't want to go but I have to. There's nothing you or I, or...or anybody can do. I've tried..." You wiped your cheeks dry and looked down at your packing. "I'm leaving...and I'm letting you go."
"No!"
"Yes!!" You screamed, frustrated that he was he making this even harder for you. "How dare you ask me to stay when you know what I'd have to go through if I did?!"
Draco looked taken aback. "How dare I? How dare I?!" He spluttered. "I don't know, maybe because I had this insane notion that you loved me?"
"Of course I do!" You threw your hands up and shook your head in desperation. "But if I ever want to stand a chance of finding my own happy ending then I need to get as far away from you as possible."
"And you think this is my idea of a happy ending do you?" He muttered quietly, obviously hurt. "Married off to Gwyneth?"
You looked away again, grabbing and tossing books carelessly into an open box. "You get your pretty bride, your big house, all the money you could ever need..." Your voice caught in your throat. "Whether you admit it or not, you have your happy ending and I'm not in it."
You began taping up the box roughly as Draco watched on silently. "I won't stay behind and cry for you Malfoy, you can't ask me to do that."
"I'm not asking you to do that! But people who love each other don't just leave Monroe."
"Oh so I must be lying now? Is that it?" You thumped the box down on the floor and turned to face him.
"Well it seems to me to be the only logical explanation."
You studied his face, his defiant eyes and folded arms. You knew that look far too well. It was his look of hurt pride, a look that usually preceeded a barrage of insults that he used to make himself feel bigger and better.
"Alright then..." You spoke calmly, unable to hide the bitterness in your voice. Here he was, breaking your heart again and trying to make you feel bad about it. "If it makes it any easier, maybe I was lying? Maybe I don't love you at all, maybe I just like making your life harder?"
Draco held your gaze for a long while. "You know something? I shouldn't be asking you to stay. I should be waving you off with a f*cking multi-coloured flag!" He shook his head angrily, his lip twitching as he resisted the oncoming sneer. "All you've ever done is mess me around, you blow hot and then you blow cold and quite frankly...I think I deserve better."
Now that one stung. "Oh I bet you do." You mumbled, trying to keep on packing with shaking hands.
"After all," Draco chose to ignore you. "It's like you said, I've got my happy ending all ready and waiting for me, so what do I really need you around for anyway?"
He gave you one last look and moved towards the door, just catching your shoulder as he did. "You don't mean that..." You spoke softly causing him to pause in the doorway.
He glanced at the floor and swallowed hard, refusing to look back at you. "Have a nice life Monroe."
You watched him, feeling oddly cold, as he passed down the stairs and left you alone for the final time.
Alrighty then, firstly I hope you are all exceedingly proud of me and my super duper quick update!! Yay me! Hope you enjoyed part 29, please leave us a little message in our gorgeous cbox below and of course- don't forget to rate! Chow for now my lovely chickadee's!
Oh Lord, the angst, the angst!!
Secondly...no that is not the finale as some people have asked but it is very very close.
Thirdly, I very much doubt this is going to become a trilogy as some other people have asked BUT more on that and other ending-related issues later!
xxxSarah and Euan The Gnomexxx
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