After The War

Our Home

Draco looked at me like I was cursed. "You're... I mean to say... you're a..." he spluttered, then whispered. "Horcrux?"

"I was," I corrected. "You-Know-Who himself destroyed it. When I went into the forest willingly, I stood there as he raised his wand and struck me down. I didn't try to defend myself, therefore allowing him to not only kill me, but also kill the part of himself living inside me."

"But if he killed you," Draco asked, looking at me in wonder, "how are you still alive?"

"How did I live the first time?" I asked.

Draco shrugged. "Nobody knows."

"I do. It was because of my mum. She threw herself in front of the curse to protect me. You-Know-Who never planned to kill her. Just me. But her love for me left a mark that made him unable to touch me. That was also how I became a horcrux. When he tried to murder me and failed, his soul split and rebounded upon the only other living thing in that room."

"You."

"Me."

Draco smiled, gaining a whole new kind of respect. "I bet that would've really put a twist in his toga if he'd ever found out."

"I reckon so," I smiled. "Ron, Hermione and I were on the run for almost a year, so I can learned a lot about survival. If you want, you can join me. I don't have a full plan, and I can't promise we'll never get caught, but we need to be on the run until I figure out my next move. Are you in?"

Instead of verbally responding, Draco took me in his arms and tenderly kissed me. "Is that a good enough answer?" he asked.

I smiled, breathless. "Yes."

"Then let's go. I figure we ought not to stay here as I kinda broke the charm."

"True. I know of a few places we can hide. Do you know of any?"

"Harry," he smiled. "The Malfoy family is one of the wealthiest in the world. We all know many places. We own many places. I know of one place we'll never have to leave."

"Where is it?" I asked, curiously.

"My birth home in Wales," he told me. "It's been abandoned for years. We can make it our home."

I smiled, loving how he said our home. "Ok. Let's do it."

It took all of 5 minutes to pack our stuff. He waited solemnly as I said goodbye to Luna, then he gently took my hand, and we disapparated.

Soon, we landed in front of a surprise. I never would've expected any member of the Malfoy family to live here. Sure, it was charming and beautiful, but it was a seaside cottage, not too much unlike Shell Cottage. A fairy-tale cottage, instead of a huge, sprawling manor. Malfoy obviously knew what I was thinking as I gaped at it. "My mother was raised here. She wasn't born wealthy. You've seen the Tonks home. It's small and quaint, but with a certain charm."

"It's beautiful," I said. "I love it. And it's all ours."

"Yes," he said. "It is."

He took me in his arms, and kissed my lips. Then my neck, then my collarbone. He started to unbutton my shirt. I cleared my throat. "Perhaps there's a bed inside?" I suggested.

Draco nodded. "But first, we need to cast the Fidelius Charm. Make sure we're safe."

"Definitely," I agreed.

We both pointed our wands at the house. We closed our eyes, and concentrated on moving the soul of the house inside us. I know that sounds strange, but it's how we had been taught in our Sixth Year. I felt a tingling, warm sensation in my chest that grew warmer and warmer, hotter and hotter, until it felt like a fire inside me. It was painful, but I held strongly onto my wand. In less than a minute, it had disappeared. I looked at Draco. "That's it?"

He nodded. "That's it. We're the Secret Keepers."

I smiled and took Draco's hand, as we walked together, for the very first time, through the front door of our home.