I'll love you, until the end.

TwentyFive: Goodbye

The air was cold and the sky was gray, it smelled like it would rain soon so I decided to make it quick today. I placed a single white rose down on top of the head stone and took a step back, reading the words I had read every day for the past few months.
A friend, a son, a brother.
Lorenzo Berkshire
Draco clutched my hand in his and gently squeezed it.
"We should go love." He spoke gently.
I nodded at him and gave the headstone one last glance before turning and slowly walking away with Draco. It had been a few months since the war but it still felt fresh. I could still smell the smoke from the crumbled walls and hear the screams from students asking for help. I woke up often in the night, screaming and fighting the air, seeing flashes of Felix, but Draco always comforted me back to sleep. He tried to act strong but I knew he was just as broken as I was. His father and Bellatrix had disappeared for the time being but his mother visited often. Most death eaters were in hiding but Draco and I didn't feel the need to run. We did, however, move out of Malfoy Manor and into a small apartment that was just big enough for us. Pansy came to see me often and we talked about old times. Blaise sent owls but his family forbaued him from coming anywhere near the school. Everything and everyone were still healing, trying to find their places in this new world. Mother was home and healed. We visited her every Sunday for dinner. She hasn't spoken much of what happened or what they did to her. My imagination runs wild with what she might have gone through but I was just happy she was alive. Draco and I have made plans for our future but for now we are focusing on healing. Losing Lorenzo and learning who his family was took a big toll on Draco but I was working with him on opening up and talking about it. He goes between rage and heartache every time we talk but I let him. It's good to feel them and work through it rather than shut the world out and push the feelings down. We have each other and that's enough for us.
"I'm sorry." He whispered as we walked.
I glanced up at him, feeling a rain drop hit my nose.
"I'm sorry I brought you into all of this." His voice cracked. "I'm angry about a lot of things and I'm working on getting over those feelings but the one thing I will never forgive myself for is that I got you hurt, so many times."
"Draco-"
"No. I know you're going to say it's okay but it's not." He cut me off.
I thought for a moment, walking in silence.
"You're right. It's not okay, it's not okay what Felix did to me. It's not okay that Lorenzo lied to you, to us, for so long. It's not okay that they took my mother and it's not okay that they forced the mark on us. But you know what?"
He flicked his eyes to me. "We will be okay. We are healing and working on starting a new life together. A new adventure. I don't blame you. I never have and I never will. But I still want you to know, I forgive you. For anything you feel you've done to me, I forgive you. I love you Draco." I rested my head against his arm and sighed, letting the scent of mint and apples surround me.
"I love you to, Clov. Until the end."