Surprising turn - a turn for the better? Or into madness ... (Draco Ff)

Chapter 26 ~ The past is history - the future a mystery

Victoria's Pov.

I was woken up by the rising sun shining through the window on my eyes and opened my still tired eyes drowsy.
My whole body struggled, which wasn't surprising judging by my sleeping position.
I lay huddled in the hospital wing in my now blood-stained, dried clothes.
In Draco's bed.
I pushed aside the fact that I had dyed the bed sheet red with my action from yesterday and turned towards Draco.
His even breathing told me he was still asleep.
He didn't look as pale now as he did yesterday, and his face didn't have an expression twisted with pain anymore.
He looked exhausted.
Single strands of hair hung in his face.
I couldn't help but brush it off his pale face.
The touch of his cold skin made my fingertips tingle.
A pleasantly warm feeling spread through my body.

I reviewed recent events.
Replayed all those moments when I had hurt Draco.
I hated myself for always taking my frustration out on him.
Every time I struggled with my actions and Draco just wanted to help me, I would treat him like dirt and yell at him.
He was always there for me, but I had partly banished him from my life, lied to him and kept a lot from him.
He still loved me, but I couldn't understand why after everything I had done to him...

A single tear fell from my eye as I thought of the past.
But someone brushed it off my cheek.
I looked up and looked straight into Draco's eyes.
I looked down in embarrassment, feeling nothing but guilt and regret.
The Ice Prince lifted my chin with his fingers, forcing me to look at him.
He did not say anything.
He just looked at me with a loving smile and cocked his head.
My body was paralyzed.
I could not move.
Only felt Draco's hand now on my cheek.
I closed my eyes and just wanted to enjoy this moment.
Until I suddenly felt his cold lips on mine.
I returned the kiss.
For a short time I was able to forget all my worries.
I felt Draco smile into the kiss and pull me tighter.
I felt like nothing had ever happened.
Like turning back time.
Turned back to the beginning of the school year when everything was easier.
The tingling I had felt in my stomach at the time was still there.
It was just as intense as when he kissed me for the first time.

I remembered the day all too well.
When Draco kissed me without warning and I was so overwhelmed with the situation that I couldn't think of anything better than to smack him.
At that time I felt the same feeling, but it scared me.
I had never received love or affection from another human being at that point.
I couldn't understand at the time that someone loved me.
But Draco never gave up.
It means so much to me that I could always count on him, even when we had a fight.
He loves me and I loved him.

I broke the kiss and opened my eyes.
He looked at me questioningly, but I couldn't get a word out of my mouth.
I put my forehead against his and buried my hands in his hair.
"I-I'm sorry.
I'm sorry for everything.
Everything I did to you
I regret everything and hate myself for making you the scapegoat for my problems.
I shouldn't have treated you like that.
I love you..."
I didn't know how he would react, and that very ignorance was unbearable and frightening.
"You know I will always love you..." Draco admitted.
I exhaled.
A stone fell from my heart.
"But you have to promise me one thing..."
demanded the Ice Prince of Slytherin.

. . .

"No more secrets."
My face froze and I panicked.
I couldn't tell him anything about the assignments.
I couldn't tell him how many people I had killed.
And certainly not that I started to like it.
"O-okay, no more secrets from now on," I assured him and hugged him.
Part of what I just said was a lie.
I won't have any more secrets from him, but I will hide this small part of my life from him.
He hugged me back and hugged me tighter.

"What's going on here?" Madame Pomfrey asked emphatically.
Her sudden appearance made Draco and I pull apart quickly.
"Er-um um..." I tried my luck, but failed miserably to come up with a halfway meaningful sentence on how to explain why I was sitting in one of the beds in blood-soaked clothes.
"Um, we..." Draco continued, but was uninterrupted by Madame Pomfrey.
"Never mind, I don't need an explanation, but you're leaving the hospital wing now.
My patients need rest." As she said this, she pointed her finger at me.
"When I get back you'll be gone, is that clear?" the nurse said.
It sounded less like a question and more like an order.
After saying this, she staggered back to her office and was gone in a few seconds.
I looked at Draco, who started laughing.
I couldn't help it and joined in his laughter as well.
Imagining the two of us sitting in that bed was just too weird.
Once we calmed down, I got up and kissed Draco again before exiting the hospital wing.

In the hallway outside the hospital wing, I stopped and took a deep breath in and out.
I didn't know exactly what to feel.
On the one hand, I was happy that the situation with Draco was resolved.
On the other hand, I knew it wasn't going to get any easier.
The Dark Lord will not stop giving me tasks.
But I couldn't tell Draco about it.
I walked slowly towards the common room, longing for a shower.
It was becoming unbearable how the heavy clothes clung to my limbs.
When I stopped in front of the common room, I said the password and made my way to the girls' dormitories.
The room was swept empty.
Which wasn't a surprise, since today is actually a lesson.
But I don't care.
I went to the bathroom, took off my clothes and got into the hot shower.
The water turned red with blood, flushing all tension from my body.
I leaned against the wall and let the water flow onto my head.
I didn't know what the future would bring, but one thing I could say for sure:
It won't be good...