Dark Promises (A Draco Malfoy Fanfic)

Chapter 29

"One last time..." he smirks, extending his hand out towards me. The hands I've held when I felt lost, sad, or in need of comfort. The hands that reassured me, hugged me tight, and wiped away my tears. "...you know, before the war."

I gave a small chuckle; the bittersweet grin plastered against my face as I placed my delicate hands in his, entwining our fingers together. "Yeah...one last time," my voice cracking a bit, attempting to suck up my tears, while I still forced that sorry attempt of a smile.

He pulls me closer to the center of the room, where the grand piano stood: glossy, sleek, and alluring. The jet black wood of the piano effortlessly wraps and bends around the firmly stretched strings on the inside. The black exterior is combined with bare wood and vivid bronze interiors. Two hundred and thirty strings were extended across the instrument, flawlessly enduring the strain of the tension.

"You look lovely. It seems that you have been notified about the dress code." I look down to my gown, the one which had laid out for me in the evening, with a tiny note, telling me to meet him here. The dress was quite beautiful: a shade of green, long, with a large slit, showing off my elongated legs. The heels that came with it were silver, carefully detailed-- matching to the pin that was attached to my hair.

We sit down onto the leather stool--him on the left side of me--as he raises the case to reveal the ivory and onyx. We steadily position our fingers on the keys, preparing to play his mother's song. The song that was meant to be played when feeling sorrow and despair. Was this his way of saying that this was the end?

With one small push, a sweet sound is made. For a moment, I feel, and think nothing. It was brief, yet so long, that it felt like all of my worries vanished, that I was at ease. As the notes hit my ears, I was transfixed on the beauty of our fingers dancing on the pearly white keys. My fingertips can recognize where to go, like an intuition; how each key feels and how to play the instrument in such a way that in every touch, it strikes the chords perfectly, causing a fragile sound to ring. To spill my essence into the music, to devotedly convey the rhythms of magic, rebellion, and romance.

These keys, to me, were like kisses from an enemy, a forbidden apple, which all made me more passionate and deeply in tune to song. Everything around me was a blur; nothing to distract me, an enlightenment to my reality.

And when the final exquisite note struck, the weight was lifted from my shoulder, however, I craved for the feeling to linger. To say I felt complete, would have been a lie. I exhale a heavy sigh of solace as I slip back in my seat for a moment to catch my breath. I glanced off to my left side to see that he too, felt the same.

Out of nowhere, he slowly rises from the bench to stand before me and once again, his hand stretches towards my direction. Unknowing, my fingers gently settle on his, grazing over the coarse skin of his palms, memorizing every line, cracks, features. A touch from his callous hands soaks into my brain, leaving me with a feeling of relief, a sign of content.

His grey eyes pierces through my blue orbs, in a way that tenderly attracts me. Something innocent, something eternal. "Care for a dance, darling?" he asks. My eyelashes flutter in shock as I wished for this moment to stay 'forever'.

"Why, yes, sir," I giggle.

With the flick of his wand, his mother's song began playing and a bunch of ladies and gentlemen in formal attire, evoked into a dance. Women in beautiful gowns, sweeped the backs of their dresses across the floor as the men sways with them. I turn back to see Draco's arms crossed over his chest in satisfaction and a devilish grin all over his face. I mumble, "Oh, I understand. We didn't get a chance to dance at the Christmas Party!"