I own none of this! JK Rowling does! I just enjoy messing with the structure.
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Chapter Three: Seeing Things Too Late
Tears gently fell onto Sarea's body. Christian was kneeling beside her, torn in so many places. He was so scared. What if he lost her? He could never bear that. On the other hand, what if there was a bigger picture? Why had she gotten the vision? Was it a sign of impending danger? He never wanted to leave her side again. Before they had left Hogwarts she had asked him to spend the last part of the summer with her. Much to their dismay, his parents had said no (actually, it was more the fact that his mother said no). That was another thing Christian cursed himself for: his parents. As much as he loved them, sometimes they just didn’t understand, especially his mother.
While his parents and Sarea's parents had been at Hogwarts they had done some dating. Seamus and Ginny had been dating and for some odd reason Lavender Brown and Draco Malfoy were seeing each other. Apparently, it had all been a set up; Ginny was dating Seamus to make Draco come around and Draco was dating Lavender to bring Ginny to him. Ginny had explained everything to Seamus who confessed he only wanted to date Ginny to make Lavender notice him. Lavender was the only one not in on the twisted web of fake dating. She fancied herself in love with Draco and when Ginny finally came around, Lavender was furious. There ended up being a confrontation between Ginny and Lavender and unfortunately Ginny wound up in the hospital wing.
"Things are different!" he said quietly to himself, "Your parents understand Sarea, why can't mine?"
"Not everyone can forgive easily," came a voice from the door, causing Christian to turn.
It was Draco who had spoken; he and Ginny were standing behind him, hand in hand. He was so grateful to the two of them; they understood. They had been more than slightly alarmed when Sarea had brought Christian to meet them but Ginny soon loosened up. It took longer for Draco to come around but now Draco is like another father to Christian. Seamus had been very understanding when Sarea came into Christian's life. Unfortunately, Lavender was not as accepting. Christian had asked his mother so many times why she could not just accept it. He didn't get an answer from her but he did get one from his father.
"She's still afraid, son, she's afraid for herself and Sarea." Christian had looked at his father quizzically as his father had continued his explanation. “She's afraid Draco and Ginny will still be mad at her for all she's done in the past. She's never forgiven herself for what she did to Ginny and how she held onto Draco, even after she knew. She's also afraid that you have the same temper she had and if you got upset enough you would hurt Sarea the way she hurt Ginny."
Christian tried to interject, but Seamus held up his hand, "I know, son, you would never hurt her, but this is your mum's thinking not yours. She doesn't really trust herself anymore, Christian. Not when it comes to Draco and Ginny and especially not when it comes to Sarea."
"I'm sorry," Christian said to Draco and Ginny.
"No Christian," Ginny breathed, stepping next to him, "this has nothing to do with you. This is what happens when teenagers get into quarrels and never talk about what was said or done."
"Does my mother even love my father?" Christian asked more to himself than to anyone else.
"I know she does," Ginny told him. "Once she knew that your father loved her more then anything, she realized she loved him too. They are bound, you know that?"
"Yes," Christian spoke, "I know they are bound."
"Are you going to be alright, Christian?" Draco asked him, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"The sooner Sarea is alright, the sooner I'll be alright," he assured them, as his hand gently rested on hers.
"Well then, let’s give her the potion," Draco said as he pulled out the vial and uncorked it.
He moved toward where his daughter's head rested. Ever so gently, he tilted her head up so the potion would go down easily. He laid her head back down on her pillow and pocketed the now empty vial.
"Silencio," he muttered, pointing his wand at his daughter's prone form.
"Now all we have to do is wait," he said hoarsely, stepping back to join his wife and Christian.
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1:00, exactly.
Christian looked at his watch for about the millionth time that night. It had been about three and half hours since Draco had given Sarea the potion. He needed her to wake up soon; he was getting worried. He gazed around the dimly lit room; Draco and Ginny were asleep. They had gone and sat down after talking to Ginny's family, which had been about three hours ago. Draco had taken a seat on his daughter’s small couch and Ginny had curled up next to him. Soon after that, Ginny fell off to sleep, wrapped warm and protected in Draco's arms. Draco and Christian had talked for a while, quietly, until Draco began to drop off to sleep at around twelve. Christian smiled at the two people who were already like parents to him. One day, he hoped he and Sarea could be as happy as Draco and Ginny. He loved Sarea with all of his heart and he already wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. He just wished some things didn't stand in their way.
He turned back to face Sarea; he was sitting in a chair next to Sarea's bed. Every few moments he had to resist the strong urge to gently kiss her lips or run his hand over her sweet face. He knew better than to touch her while the potion was working; even holding her hand in his was enough to put her in danger. He himself was slipping off to sleep and he didn't want to. He wanted to be awake when Sarea finally woke up but his eyes did not seem to agree with him. He was almost asleep when he heard a shift in weight on Sarea's bed. She was awake! It was silent for a few moments and then Sarea screamed.
"Daddy! Mum! Christian! Help me!"
Christian was at her side in a second. Draco and Ginny were also crowding around their daughter. Christian brought his hands up to cup Sarea's face and Draco flicked his wand to brighten the lights.
"Sarea," he said gently, looking into her worried and clouded blue eyes, "we're all here. You’re going to be fine; everything is going to be fine."
"Christian?" she gasped, barely daring to hope.
"I'm here," he told her gently.
She fell into his arms, crying her heart out. Christian had to fight back his own tears; he had never seen her hurting so much and it was killing him. He gathered her closely to his bo dy and held her, soothing her with words, caresses and gentle kisses.
"Christian, I love you," she cried into his chest.
"I love you too, Sarea," Christian said as one tear escaped his eye, "I was so scared."
Draco and Ginny had both taken their first deep breath all evening. Their daughter was safe and soon she was going to be happy.
"Mum? Daddy?" Sarea said breaking away from Christian after a few more minutes.
Draco and Ginny moved forward to see their baby girl. Ginny dropped to her knees and wrapped her daughter up in her arms.
"My Sarea," she whispered through her own tears, "Don't you ever scare us like that again!"
Sarea broke apart from her mother. "I won't. I Promise; I love you Mum."
"I love you too, darling," Ginny said, touching her daughter's cheek as she moved aside to let Draco through.
Her father sat down on the bed and took one of her hands in both of his. He looked up at her and smiled warmly. She could see all of the unshed tears in his eyes; her father always tried not to cry but sometimes he just couldn't help it. Draco cleared his throat and Sarea looked at him.
"Hey kid," he said affectionately, calling her by his special nickname for her. "Are you going to be alright?"
"I'll be fine Daddy," she assured him, "I just feel a little weak."
"Well, tomorrow, all of tomorrow, you'll be in bed young lady," he said, mock sternness coming into his tone. "Do you think you can tell us about what you saw yet?"
"Not now, Daddy," she all but begged him. "Please don't make me think about it yet."
"Alright, Princess," he consented.
Ginny spoke up, "Ok sweet, we'll bring up some visitors. Alright?"
"Yeah."
"Draco, you go and tell our family the news. I’ll wake up Corey and Adam."
"Right." He kissed Sarea on the forehead and followed Ginny out the door.
Christian and Sarea were left alone for the time being.
"You came," Sarea said, hardly above a whisper.
"Of course I came!" Christian said, taking her hands in his and sitting beside her.
"What about your mother?"
“Sar, you know nothing could ever keep me away from you, especially when you need me this much. I don't give a damn what my mother says or thinks, as long as you are with me; that’s what matters."
He moved his hands up to cup her face. He regarded her gently for a time, as she did him. She saw nothing but love and sincerity in his eyes. She moved her hands up to cover his.
"Yes," she sighed, "as long as we have each other."
"I'm going to stay," he told her, his tone bordering on excited, "I'm not going back to Glasgow once you’re better. I'm staying right here with you for the rest of the summer. All this time apart from you was killing me. I found myself thinking about you if my mind was not focused on a single task. You live in my very being and I could not stop the thoughts of you and me and us. I read and reread all of our owls and was so happy whenever I got a letter from you. I love you so much Sarea and I don't want to be apart from you anymore than I have to."
"Christian, it’s only been about a month and a half since we last saw each other," she said, her eyes filling up with tears again, "but Gods, I've missed you so!"
"The missing is over now," he stated simply.
Sarea broke down into more tears. She fell into Christian's arms, her arms found their favorite place around his neck and her face was soon buried in his chest.
"Sar," Christian pleaded, gently caressing her, "please don't cry, everything is going to be fine. Please love, don't cry, you know I can't stand to see you like this."
Sarea gently disengaged herself from her boyfriend's arms and looked him straight in the eye. She leaned forward and touched her lips to his. It felt so good, especially after so long without his touch. Ever since her birthday party which was three days after term ended, she had longed for his touch. Now she was in his arms, kissing him, and she was in heaven. Sarea tried to deepen the kiss by running her tongue along the seam of Christian's lips but he pulled away.
Sarea was hurt. Normally that little move made him weak in the knees and he couldn't resist. She looked at him, a saddened expression in her eyes.
"Don't try me Sar," he said, gently running his hands up her face. "You’re supposed to be resting and this is not resting. The sooner you get better, the sooner I can snog you silly!"
She smiled at him, and then had an idea, "Christian, I need you to stay with me. Please stay with me."
"I'm not going anywhere, love," he assured her.
"Then come lay with me. You'll make me feel much better."
Christian looked somewhat skeptical for a moment and then realized he needed to be with her just as much. He walked to the other side of her bed, removed his shoes, and climbed onto the bed. He didn't get under the covers but he did hold her close to him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and tucked her head into the crook of his neck. He smiled and in turn wrapped his arms around her. Every so often he would press a kiss to her temple or top of her head. Oh yes, he had missed her so much.
When Sarea was almost asleep again, there was a knock on the door.
"Come in," Sarea said, sitting up slightly.
A flood of thirteen people came into her room. Both of her grandmothers came bustling up to her first.
"Sarea, dear, are you alright?" Molly cooed.
"Yes, Nana," Sarea said lightly, "both of you don't need to worry; I'm fine. I'm a Malfoy; I can take a hit and keep on coming."
"Oh," Narcissa laughed, "that's right, our strong little Butterfly."
Sarea smiled at her name. Her middle name had been Narcissa’s idea. When she saw her granddaughter she had thought how delicate but strong she looked, like she could be carried off by the wind but not over-taken by it. So Sarea's middle name was Flutura, which means butterfly in Albanian.
One by one, her family members came to talk to her, wish her well, and reaffirm their love for her. Draco, however, stood back watching, just to make sure nothing would tire her out too much. Bill, Charlie, Fred, and George even brought her presents. Bill brought her a beautiful necklace he and Fleur had bought in France. Charlie gave her a butterfly made of crystal he had found on one of his adventures. Of course, Fred and George gave her sweets. She smiled widely as she looked at all of her favorite candies that she would soon be devouring.
After a few moments, they all began to disperse. Ron and Hermione left with Harry and Luna; they needed to see to their kids. Draco told them he'd owl them if Sarea's vision revealed anything critical. Soon everyone else had returned home. The only people who stayed were Bill and Charlie. Draco asked them to stay for a few reasons; Bill, due to his career with Gringotts, had become skilled in the interpreting of cryptic codes. Charlie, on the other hand, was exceptionally talented in potions work with an emphasis on healing potions. Draco knew that Sarea would need a dreamless sleep potion, as well as a calming draught. Draco also hoped that Charlie could show him how to brew the potion for Sarea's visions.
As Ginny came back through the door, two identical boys yawned and rubbed sleep out of their eyes while walking in front of their mother. Draco turned to see them and smiled. Sarea and Christian were still talking to Bill and Charlie, so Draco scooped up his sons into his arms. They looked so much like Ginny: red hair, brown eyes, and freckles. He smiled as they woke up enough to squeak, "Dad!" and throw their arms around his neck. He kissed both of them on the head and then set them back on their feet. It was then that they caught sight of their sister. Neither Corey nor Adam had ever seen her like this. She looked pale, tired, horribly worn out, older than her seventeen years and thinner than she had been before they went to bed.
Corey looked up at his father and mother. "What's wrong with Sarea?" he asked, his face puckered with worry.
Draco looked down at his son, "Sarea's very sick, Cor. Now, I want you and Adam to go give your sister a great big hug and a kiss. Be gentle! She needs rest, so don't you both go getting wild."
"Yes Dad," Adam said as he and his brother moved forward.
Christian spotted the boys first; he smiled and then gently said. "You have some visitors, Sar."
Sarea looked up and spotted her twin brothers. She held out her arms to them. They ever so slowly climbed onto their sister's lap, as she said, "They'll never be too old for me to treat them like my baby brothers."
Corey and Adam always said they enjoyed the way Sarea treated them. She treated them their age but there was always a hint in her treatment that made them seem younger than they are. Sarea gently kissed her brothers on the cheek and hugged them both with as much strength as she could muster.
"How are you feeling Sar?' Adam asked his sister.
"Better Adam, thank you sweetheart," she said, smiling.
"Good!" Corey chimed in, "We can't have you getting sick on us. Then you wouldn’t go back to Hogwarts and we wouldn't get Mum and Dad to ourselves."
Sarea pretended to look affronted but ended up tickling Corey until he was laughing so hard that he was sure he'd wet his pants.
"All right enough you two," Ginny said, "Back to bed. We need to speak to Sarea about something."
"Gin, I'll take them," Charlie offered, placing two hands on his sister’s arms, "Then I can get started on the potions."
Ginny breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you Charlie, I think I need to be with her right now."
The boys bid everyone good night and left. Charlie followed the boys out of the room and closed the door as he left. Draco and Ginny made their way back into Sarea's room. Bill had drawn up two chairs next to the one he was sitting in and Draco and Ginny both sat down. Sarea looked so comfortable lying on her bed in Christian's arms and Draco and Ginny hated to spoil her mood. Yet they knew it would have to come sooner or later.
"Sweet," Ginny began looking at her daughter. "We need to talk about your vision. I know you don't want to but Healer Whimper said it’s best to talk."
Sarea sighed, and then took a quivering breath in, "I'll tell what I saw Mum."
Christian pulled her tighter to him and gave her a gentle kiss on the top of her head. It relaxed her somewhat and let her know he was still there. Christian knew that under the mask she wore, she was scared and talking about her vision would only heighten her fears.
"At first everything was dark, so dark and eerily quiet that it scared me. I knew I had to be somewhere other than home but I had no idea what was going on. It didn't feel like a dream and it couldn't have been real. It was then that I realized I must have been having a vision of some sort. That potion not only wakes me but it also tells me what's happened. It has a calming agent of sorts to tell me what I saw wasn't real yet. It did not help much though. Anyway, I started walking and as I made my way forward things began to lighten a bit. It was still very dark and I began to trip over things on the ground; they were everywhere but I could not seem what they were. I crouched down to see better and realized I was tripping over bodies of dead and wounded people. I looked up and everything became perilously clear. Everywhere I turned I saw someone fighting; I saw everyone…"
She began to count on her fingers, "Uncle Ron, Uncle Harry, Uncle Fred and Uncle George, Uncle Charlie, you Uncle Bill, even Percy and Grandpa!" She took a shallow breath in and continued, "Then I saw you daddy; you and Lucius were fighting."
Draco slightly stiffened at the mention of his father’s name, but Ginny slipped her hand into his and he relaxed.
"Then I saw you fall and drop your wand. Lucius came after you and I thought he would kill you but after a second both of you were gone. I screamed when I thought I lost you and then I was in darkness again. The next place was even darker then the last but once again I began to walk. The only thing that appeared was a door at the end of the blackness. So I walked through and when I did, I saw," she dropped off.
Christian held fast to Sarea's waist, and rested his cheek on her head. He had a feeling of what was coming next. His support was enough to make Sarea finish. "I saw him," she gasped, tears streaming down her face, "I saw Voldemort surrounded by his death eaters and they were all cheering about how life was to be after the war and how good all the killing would feel. I kept seeing faces, so many faces I knew: Classmates, not just Slytherins, I saw Ravenclaws, too. They were all yelling at the top of their lungs, ‘One week! One week!’ Then, I saw a pile of Evening Prophet's burning, all with today's date on them. I was so afraid. Then they brought someone out as a sacrifice."
"Who was it sweet?" Draco asked, fearing for his daughter.
"I don't know; I could not see their face or anything else to give them away."
"Bill," Ginny asked her brother with a shaky voice, "does that mean anything?"
"Any images clouded or hidden generally mean that said image is one a person knows well. So the person Sarea saw is more likely then not someone she knows well."
Sarea turned her face into Christian's chest; her tears consumed her. Christian held tightly to her, willing his own tears not to fall. He never had any strength when it came to Sarea being in pain. Sarea pulled away from his tight embrace and looked at him, fear clouding her already misted eyes.
"I saw you Christian," she cried, "I saw you surrounded by Death Eaters, being hit with curses, and I felt each one hit me. I couldn't take it anymore! Before I could do anything to help you, to save you, my vision changed! Mum," Sarea turned to her mother who was ghostly pale and her father who looked more scared than ever before, "I saw you, you and daddy. You were kneeling next to him, and daddy, you… you were hurt, and Mum was crying and it looked like you wouldn't make it. That's it; that’s all I can remember seeing. Then it all just started over, except worse."
She could say nothing else. She crawled into Christian's lap and wrapped her arms around him. He cradled her body, trying to calm her. Ginny had a death grip on Draco's hand as tears of her own fell down her cheeks. Draco could not form words; he was scared and now he needed to get in contact with the other Order members. Bill couldn't think of anything to say either. There was a knock on the door that scared them all and Charlie entered with the potion. He imagined what had gone on in the room; he had heard stories from Bill about some horrors he had to interpret and anything that could put those looks on his family's faces was bad.
"Sarea sweet," Charlie said, sitting on her bed, speaking to her gently, "I need you to take both of these. This will calm you and the other will give you dreamless sleep."
Sarea nodded, and took both cups from the tray. She drank both and a few minutes later was calmly asleep, still in Christian's arms.
"Christian," Ginny said, voice still shaking, "will you just stay with her? She seems so much calmer."
"I won't let her go," he assured her. Draco, Ginny, Charlie, and Bill all left the room.
"Bill, Charlie," Draco said turning to both his brother-in-law, "We need to get to work; you two Apparate to the Burrow, and get your dad, Fred, George and Percy. I'll get Harry and Ron from their houses. Raise the alarm from the Burrow and we'll raise it as we go. All the male members of the Order have to meet at headquarters, only men for now. I don't want any of the women, especially if they have children. That's why Harry, Ron and I have forbid Gin, Luna and Hermione to fight. We don't need families being ripped apart anymore than absolutely necessary."
"Right," they both said and then Apparated out.
Draco turned back to Ginny; her tears were still coming, and now stronger then before. He kissed her hard and fast on the lips, "I'll be home when we find out what's going on. I promise." Ginny, pale and unable to speak, only nodded in response. "I love you," Draco said kissing her again, only a little longer this time.
"I love you too, Draco," she whispered, "please come home soon!"
"I promise, my love, soon."
After one last famished kiss he was gone. Ginny collapsed into a fit of tears right then and there; she had never felt so lost. After about twenty minutes, Ginny controlled her tears and got to her feet. She slowly made her way down the hall to Corey and Adam's room. She slipped inside and smiled at the site that greeted her. Corey was in bed but his head was dangerously close to the floor. Adam, on the other hand, was sprawled all over his bed. Ginny tucked them both back in and kissed them both on the head before she left. Now she was going to check on Sarea and get Christian to sleep in one of the guest bedrooms but she walked into the room and saw that it was not going to happen. Christian had fallen asleep with Sarea still in his arms. He was propped up against a bunch of pillows his arms wrapped tightly around the girl in his arms, even in sleep. One of his arms was slung over her waist and the other was supporting her at the back, her head rested on his shoulder and his rested gently on hers. Ginny was so grateful to Christian; he had rescued Sarea and not just tonight either. When Sarea had first told her and Draco about Christian, they had been more then skeptical concerning the relationship.
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Sarea and Christian had known each other since first year but they had never really been friends. Sarea ran with her crowd and Christian with his; the way they knew each other was through Quidditch. Both Christian and Sarea played for Gryffindor; she was a Chaser and Christian was the Keeper, plus they were in almost all the same classes. They spoke during practice and when they were in the halls they would smile at each other. They finally admitted they had fallen for each other in the middle of their fifth year; in truth, it had happened long before that. Every summer Sarea would come home and tell her mother about the boy with dark curly brown hair, dreamy green-brown eyes and a smile that could melt any girl’s heart. She all but swooned when she spoke of his voice. His voice had a Scottish twinge to it when he said certain words because he lived in Glasgow; it drove the girls wild. Sarea always wondered why he almost never had a girlfriend for long periods of time. About once a month since his forth year he'd had a girlfriend but every month someone new came along. Sometimes he would go back to the same girls but it didn't happen very often. Draco thought it sounded like the Gryffindor version of himself; Ginny thought he just hadn't found the girl he really wanted to be with.
Finally in fifth year, Sarea and Christian had been partnered together for a Charms assignment and he was actually free of girls at the time. One hour with Sarea and he realized how much they really had in common, not just Quidditch and being good at little known household helper charms but so many other things. They got their project on household charms done quickly and then talked for the rest of the day. They knew their parents' history and that was one reason Christian had always stayed clear of Sarea, despite his attraction to her. He didn't want to be forbidden from seeing her just because their parents had gotten into a fight years ago. Sarea told him that she didn't care; she wanted to take the risk, so they started dating anyway.
Christian and Sarea talked in the library until Madam Pince kicked them out and then they just continued to talk in Gryffindor tower. After one day with her, Christian knew their relationship was going to last more then a month. He swore he fell in love with her the first day of their project but he could never admit it that soon. Christian and Sarea found themselves telling each other secrets that not even their closest friends knew and after only one day it was like he had known her all of his life. After Sarea fell asleep on the couch in front of the fire in the common room, Christian sat in one of the wing back chairs and fell asleep himself. When Christian awoke the next morning there was a note from Sarea to meet him out on the Qudditch field. Christian remembered it was Saturday so he went. Sarea made it a ritual that every Saturday morning she went for a fly. They flew to the ground limits many times, sometimes racing, sometimes just flying along next to each other, talking about this and that. They parted after about five hours of flying but they decided to meet up again. Christian surprised Sarea with a dinner on the roof. They finally ended the night and when they said goodbye Sarea gave Christian a lingering kiss on the cheek. The next day was a Hogsmede visit and Christian wasted no time in asking Sarea to go with him. She agreed and the two spent the whole day together. They laughed and talked and had more fun than they could ever remember having. The return to Hogwarts didn't end their night. They ate dinner in the Great Hall and then rounded out the night with a moonlit walk around the lake. About five minutes into the walk Christian took Sarea's hand and laced her fingers through his own. They walked in silence for the most part, every so often sneaking glances at each other. Finally Christian turned Sarea to face him. It was perfect; Sarea had never felt so incredible in her entire life. Christian looked into her eyes for about two minutes until he slowly bent forward and kissed her on the lips. It was Sarea's first kiss, passionate and innocent, the kind that melts someone's heart. After that moment Christian and Sarea were always together.
Sarea knew however they could not hide forever and she and Christian decided that they would tell their parents as soon as they could that summer. Draco and Ginny had not been happy at all when they heard Christian’s last name. Sarea had told them she was dating the boy she always talked about and begged her parents to just meet Christian to give him some sort of chance. They reluctantly agreed and soon Christian was in London to meet Draco and Ginny.
The night went as good as it possibly could have been. Ginny loosened up upon meeting Christian. She thought he was a very nice boy who liked Sarea. She was not quite sure about love; Sarea had told her mother that neither of them had said those three all-important words yet. Still even if Christian was a sweet boy who treated Sarea right, it didn't mean that she was going to let Sarea continue to date him. Lavender had not been welcome toward Sarea and she had even forbid her to be in their house. Ginny just didn’t want Sarea to get hurt later. Draco barely said anything at all; he didn't like the idea of a boy taking away his little Princess. He knew it was going to happen, but he didn't want a Gryffindor version of himself doing anything to damage her in anyway. Later on that night while they were all talking in the living room, Corey and Adam came bursting in back from their friends house where they flew almost everyday. The second the two brothers saw Christian with his arms wrapped protectively around Sarea they had sprung into action. The two had begun to give Christian the third degree. Most of the questions were relatively harmless but when they had lulled him into a false sense of security they dropped the bomb. "Do you love our sister?" they chorused in unison. Christian took an audible gulp in; he and Sarea had never really broached the word love but it had always been there. Christian always found himself distracted with thoughts of her and sometimes it got him in trouble in class. The more time he spent with her the more he felt as if he were falling into something he couldn't get out of even if he wanted to. He had always meant to tell Sarea he loved her because he did with all of his heart. The words just had not gone from his heart to his mouth yet. Christian looked past Adam and Corey and his gaze met with Sarea's. Her eyes looked so intense. He saw that look in her eyes so much and he had even seen it in his own. He knew what that look was and it was about damn time he acted on it! "I do," he told the twins. "But she's going to be the one who hears me say it first." Christian got up out of his chair and walked to Sarea. He pulled her into his arms, regarding her slowly, surely, as if they were the only two people in the world. He ran his hand through her hair and then stilled it. He was looking directly into her bright blue eyes and he had never been more sincere. "I love you Sarea," he breathed, realizing how strange but wonderful the words felt on his tongue. "I've wanted to say it for so long but I've just been a stupid scared boy. I love you."
"I love you too Christian," Sarea told him, running her hand down his cheek, "I think I always have."
He dipped his head down to hers for the briefest but most loving kiss the two had ever shared. Christian left soon after that. Sarea was in a state of euphoria and did not notice her parents whispering in her father's office. Draco told Ginny how he felt; she echoed the sentiment, albeit not as strongly. They both felt that given the fact that Christian was a Finnegan, Sarea should not be dating him. After the events of that night, they knew Sarea would not give him up without a fight; Draco and Ginny were going to forbid Sarea to see Christian but she backed them into a corner.
"You both of all people should know Christian is not his mother or his father! Mum, after all your family put you through when you fell in love with daddy, you should understand. We can't choose whom we fall in love with and I've fallen in love with Christian. I have that feeling in me when I'm with him; he's all I need. I've heard your love story so many times and now I want one of my own. Please don't make this a Romeo and Juliet love because I will continue to see Christian even if you forbid me. He protects me and he believes in me. More importantly, I believe in him and in us. You both have always taught me that whatever you truly believe in is worth any price and you know I believe in love. Christian loves me. He loves me mum, dad; he loves me and that is worth everything!" Her parents had nothing to say to that. They knew she had won. As a result, Ginny became more open to Christian but Draco was still a bit uptight. That would not change until much later.
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Ginny smiled, Sarea was truly a Malfoy; she had refused to give up something she wanted. She and Christian had been together for almost two years. Ginny shut the doors doors and walked to her own room. room.om. She went through her normal nightly ritual without Draco and she lay down in her big lonely bed. She could not help the tear that escaped her eyes. After about an hour of tossing and turning, Ginny fell into an uneasy sleep.
About seven hours later Ginny woke. As soon as she wandered out of her bedroom she heard noise and smelt a pleasant aroma coming from the kitchen. She cautiously made her way into the kitchen only to see Christian bent over the stove.
"Christian?" Ginny spoke so as not to startle him, "What are you doing?"
"Oh Mrs. Malfoy, you’re awake," he turned to her and frowned. "I was going to wake everyone up with breakfast in bed."
Ginny smiled, "What are you Christian, some kind of Saint?'
"That's me," he laughed "Saint Christian of the Greens, Patron Saint of Love."
Ginny smiled wider. "Really Mrs. Malfoy," he said, returning to his food, "I just wanted to do this to thank you."
"For what?"
"Well, Mr. Malfoy said that I could stay here as long as I wanted too. You don't mind do you?"
"Of course not!" Ginny assured him. "Of course you’re welcome here, anytime. You’re so close to family already." There was a brief pause between the two of them.
"My parents wanted to help in the war, you know," Christian said, suddenly unsure of himself.
Ginny was taken aback; Lavender and Seamus had not been involved in the war effort at all. Ever since Voldemort had come back, the both of them had tried their hardest to deny it. Even while the war was at its heights they had never fought, never done anything to help either side.
"Why the change of mind?" Ginny asked him.
"It was more a change of heart," he told her, offering a cup of coffee, which Ginny took.
"But if one is killed-"
"Then the other will not be far behind," Christian finished. "I know. I'm not exactly looking forward to going home to an empty castle." He was talking about his home. For thousands of years, the Finnegan Clan had lived in the same castle in Glasgow. Castle Ainsley was a huge place and Ginny almost shuddered at the thought of Christian there alone with countless worries on his mind.
"Don't be silly Christian, you won't be going back to Ainsley alone. You will stay here with us until your family comes back. Sarea will be glad to have you here and so will Adam and Corey and I know I'll fell better having you here with them."
"Are you going to fight this time?" he asked, already knowing the answer.
"Draco hasn't let me fight since Sarea was born. He had enough of a complex letting me fight when we were first seeing each other but I told him I was going to and he thought there was enough fighting without him trying to fight me. When he did make me give it up I was glad too. The battlefield is not something anyone dreams of seeing. I would be fighting at Draco's side but he always told me that I would have to be the pillar of strength for the family while he's gone. So I've tried to be just that."
There was an Apparation pop behind them at Ginny's word and they both turned. It was Draco. "Gin, come on," he said. "You need to come now."
He looked disheveled and older then his thirty-seven years. Ginny was worried.
"Christian, make sure Sarea does not get out of bed and um, have the boys just spend the day with you. Don't let them fool around too much; Sarea needs her rest. We'll be back just as soon as we can be."
Ginny walked over to Draco and wrapped herself in his arms. Christian blinked and they were gone. Christian took the trays of food up stairs, one by one. He left them on Sarea's bed and then went to get the boys. They were more then happy to spend the day with Christian and Sarea.
"As long as you two don't snog every five seconds!" they demanded, very seriously.
Christian gently woke Sarea and she began to eat what he had fixed for her. After breakfast, the four of them got quiet and for a while none of them could think of anything to say. Finally Adam spoke, "Sarea tell us Mum and Dad's story."
"Adam you must be tired of hearing it by now," she said to him.
"Nope!" he assured his sister.
"Besides," Corey chimed in, "We haven't heard it in forever and a lot of the time you tell it better than Mum and Dad."
"Alright, alright," she finally gave in, "Once, Daddy was not as nice as he is now and…
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Ok I'm a sappy hopeless romantic! I'm sorry; I just love the characters of Sarea and Christian. I know they are both Mary Jane ish but that will change later… I hope. A lot of the things they'll say to each other come from the movie Moulin Rouge that is one of my favorite movies. It's about all I stand for and this story can get sappy, so you have fair warning. Unless otherwise noted here nothing comes from Moulin Rouge.
Hugs to my beta!
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Chapter Three: Seeing Things Too Late
Tears gently fell onto Sarea's body. Christian was kneeling beside her, torn in so many places. He was so scared. What if he lost her? He could never bear that. On the other hand, what if there was a bigger picture? Why had she gotten the vision? Was it a sign of impending danger? He never wanted to leave her side again. Before they had left Hogwarts she had asked him to spend the last part of the summer with her. Much to their dismay, his parents had said no (actually, it was more the fact that his mother said no). That was another thing Christian cursed himself for: his parents. As much as he loved them, sometimes they just didn’t understand, especially his mother.
While his parents and Sarea's parents had been at Hogwarts they had done some dating. Seamus and Ginny had been dating and for some odd reason Lavender Brown and Draco Malfoy were seeing each other. Apparently, it had all been a set up; Ginny was dating Seamus to make Draco come around and Draco was dating Lavender to bring Ginny to him. Ginny had explained everything to Seamus who confessed he only wanted to date Ginny to make Lavender notice him. Lavender was the only one not in on the twisted web of fake dating. She fancied herself in love with Draco and when Ginny finally came around, Lavender was furious. There ended up being a confrontation between Ginny and Lavender and unfortunately Ginny wound up in the hospital wing.
"Things are different!" he said quietly to himself, "Your parents understand Sarea, why can't mine?"
"Not everyone can forgive easily," came a voice from the door, causing Christian to turn.
It was Draco who had spoken; he and Ginny were standing behind him, hand in hand. He was so grateful to the two of them; they understood. They had been more than slightly alarmed when Sarea had brought Christian to meet them but Ginny soon loosened up. It took longer for Draco to come around but now Draco is like another father to Christian. Seamus had been very understanding when Sarea came into Christian's life. Unfortunately, Lavender was not as accepting. Christian had asked his mother so many times why she could not just accept it. He didn't get an answer from her but he did get one from his father.
"She's still afraid, son, she's afraid for herself and Sarea." Christian had looked at his father quizzically as his father had continued his explanation. “She's afraid Draco and Ginny will still be mad at her for all she's done in the past. She's never forgiven herself for what she did to Ginny and how she held onto Draco, even after she knew. She's also afraid that you have the same temper she had and if you got upset enough you would hurt Sarea the way she hurt Ginny."
Christian tried to interject, but Seamus held up his hand, "I know, son, you would never hurt her, but this is your mum's thinking not yours. She doesn't really trust herself anymore, Christian. Not when it comes to Draco and Ginny and especially not when it comes to Sarea."
"I'm sorry," Christian said to Draco and Ginny.
"No Christian," Ginny breathed, stepping next to him, "this has nothing to do with you. This is what happens when teenagers get into quarrels and never talk about what was said or done."
"Does my mother even love my father?" Christian asked more to himself than to anyone else.
"I know she does," Ginny told him. "Once she knew that your father loved her more then anything, she realized she loved him too. They are bound, you know that?"
"Yes," Christian spoke, "I know they are bound."
"Are you going to be alright, Christian?" Draco asked him, placing a hand on his shoulder.
"The sooner Sarea is alright, the sooner I'll be alright," he assured them, as his hand gently rested on hers.
"Well then, let’s give her the potion," Draco said as he pulled out the vial and uncorked it.
He moved toward where his daughter's head rested. Ever so gently, he tilted her head up so the potion would go down easily. He laid her head back down on her pillow and pocketed the now empty vial.
"Silencio," he muttered, pointing his wand at his daughter's prone form.
"Now all we have to do is wait," he said hoarsely, stepping back to join his wife and Christian.
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1:00, exactly.
Christian looked at his watch for about the millionth time that night. It had been about three and half hours since Draco had given Sarea the potion. He needed her to wake up soon; he was getting worried. He gazed around the dimly lit room; Draco and Ginny were asleep. They had gone and sat down after talking to Ginny's family, which had been about three hours ago. Draco had taken a seat on his daughter’s small couch and Ginny had curled up next to him. Soon after that, Ginny fell off to sleep, wrapped warm and protected in Draco's arms. Draco and Christian had talked for a while, quietly, until Draco began to drop off to sleep at around twelve. Christian smiled at the two people who were already like parents to him. One day, he hoped he and Sarea could be as happy as Draco and Ginny. He loved Sarea with all of his heart and he already wanted to spend the rest of his life with her. He just wished some things didn't stand in their way.
He turned back to face Sarea; he was sitting in a chair next to Sarea's bed. Every few moments he had to resist the strong urge to gently kiss her lips or run his hand over her sweet face. He knew better than to touch her while the potion was working; even holding her hand in his was enough to put her in danger. He himself was slipping off to sleep and he didn't want to. He wanted to be awake when Sarea finally woke up but his eyes did not seem to agree with him. He was almost asleep when he heard a shift in weight on Sarea's bed. She was awake! It was silent for a few moments and then Sarea screamed.
"Daddy! Mum! Christian! Help me!"
Christian was at her side in a second. Draco and Ginny were also crowding around their daughter. Christian brought his hands up to cup Sarea's face and Draco flicked his wand to brighten the lights.
"Sarea," he said gently, looking into her worried and clouded blue eyes, "we're all here. You’re going to be fine; everything is going to be fine."
"Christian?" she gasped, barely daring to hope.
"I'm here," he told her gently.
She fell into his arms, crying her heart out. Christian had to fight back his own tears; he had never seen her hurting so much and it was killing him. He gathered her closely to his bo dy and held her, soothing her with words, caresses and gentle kisses.
"Christian, I love you," she cried into his chest.
"I love you too, Sarea," Christian said as one tear escaped his eye, "I was so scared."
Draco and Ginny had both taken their first deep breath all evening. Their daughter was safe and soon she was going to be happy.
"Mum? Daddy?" Sarea said breaking away from Christian after a few more minutes.
Draco and Ginny moved forward to see their baby girl. Ginny dropped to her knees and wrapped her daughter up in her arms.
"My Sarea," she whispered through her own tears, "Don't you ever scare us like that again!"
Sarea broke apart from her mother. "I won't. I Promise; I love you Mum."
"I love you too, darling," Ginny said, touching her daughter's cheek as she moved aside to let Draco through.
Her father sat down on the bed and took one of her hands in both of his. He looked up at her and smiled warmly. She could see all of the unshed tears in his eyes; her father always tried not to cry but sometimes he just couldn't help it. Draco cleared his throat and Sarea looked at him.
"Hey kid," he said affectionately, calling her by his special nickname for her. "Are you going to be alright?"
"I'll be fine Daddy," she assured him, "I just feel a little weak."
"Well, tomorrow, all of tomorrow, you'll be in bed young lady," he said, mock sternness coming into his tone. "Do you think you can tell us about what you saw yet?"
"Not now, Daddy," she all but begged him. "Please don't make me think about it yet."
"Alright, Princess," he consented.
Ginny spoke up, "Ok sweet, we'll bring up some visitors. Alright?"
"Yeah."
"Draco, you go and tell our family the news. I’ll wake up Corey and Adam."
"Right." He kissed Sarea on the forehead and followed Ginny out the door.
Christian and Sarea were left alone for the time being.
"You came," Sarea said, hardly above a whisper.
"Of course I came!" Christian said, taking her hands in his and sitting beside her.
"What about your mother?"
“Sar, you know nothing could ever keep me away from you, especially when you need me this much. I don't give a damn what my mother says or thinks, as long as you are with me; that’s what matters."
He moved his hands up to cup her face. He regarded her gently for a time, as she did him. She saw nothing but love and sincerity in his eyes. She moved her hands up to cover his.
"Yes," she sighed, "as long as we have each other."
"I'm going to stay," he told her, his tone bordering on excited, "I'm not going back to Glasgow once you’re better. I'm staying right here with you for the rest of the summer. All this time apart from you was killing me. I found myself thinking about you if my mind was not focused on a single task. You live in my very being and I could not stop the thoughts of you and me and us. I read and reread all of our owls and was so happy whenever I got a letter from you. I love you so much Sarea and I don't want to be apart from you anymore than I have to."
"Christian, it’s only been about a month and a half since we last saw each other," she said, her eyes filling up with tears again, "but Gods, I've missed you so!"
"The missing is over now," he stated simply.
Sarea broke down into more tears. She fell into Christian's arms, her arms found their favorite place around his neck and her face was soon buried in his chest.
"Sar," Christian pleaded, gently caressing her, "please don't cry, everything is going to be fine. Please love, don't cry, you know I can't stand to see you like this."
Sarea gently disengaged herself from her boyfriend's arms and looked him straight in the eye. She leaned forward and touched her lips to his. It felt so good, especially after so long without his touch. Ever since her birthday party which was three days after term ended, she had longed for his touch. Now she was in his arms, kissing him, and she was in heaven. Sarea tried to deepen the kiss by running her tongue along the seam of Christian's lips but he pulled away.
Sarea was hurt. Normally that little move made him weak in the knees and he couldn't resist. She looked at him, a saddened expression in her eyes.
"Don't try me Sar," he said, gently running his hands up her face. "You’re supposed to be resting and this is not resting. The sooner you get better, the sooner I can snog you silly!"
She smiled at him, and then had an idea, "Christian, I need you to stay with me. Please stay with me."
"I'm not going anywhere, love," he assured her.
"Then come lay with me. You'll make me feel much better."
Christian looked somewhat skeptical for a moment and then realized he needed to be with her just as much. He walked to the other side of her bed, removed his shoes, and climbed onto the bed. He didn't get under the covers but he did hold her close to him. She wrapped her arms around his waist and tucked her head into the crook of his neck. He smiled and in turn wrapped his arms around her. Every so often he would press a kiss to her temple or top of her head. Oh yes, he had missed her so much.
When Sarea was almost asleep again, there was a knock on the door.
"Come in," Sarea said, sitting up slightly.
A flood of thirteen people came into her room. Both of her grandmothers came bustling up to her first.
"Sarea, dear, are you alright?" Molly cooed.
"Yes, Nana," Sarea said lightly, "both of you don't need to worry; I'm fine. I'm a Malfoy; I can take a hit and keep on coming."
"Oh," Narcissa laughed, "that's right, our strong little Butterfly."
Sarea smiled at her name. Her middle name had been Narcissa’s idea. When she saw her granddaughter she had thought how delicate but strong she looked, like she could be carried off by the wind but not over-taken by it. So Sarea's middle name was Flutura, which means butterfly in Albanian.
One by one, her family members came to talk to her, wish her well, and reaffirm their love for her. Draco, however, stood back watching, just to make sure nothing would tire her out too much. Bill, Charlie, Fred, and George even brought her presents. Bill brought her a beautiful necklace he and Fleur had bought in France. Charlie gave her a butterfly made of crystal he had found on one of his adventures. Of course, Fred and George gave her sweets. She smiled widely as she looked at all of her favorite candies that she would soon be devouring.
After a few moments, they all began to disperse. Ron and Hermione left with Harry and Luna; they needed to see to their kids. Draco told them he'd owl them if Sarea's vision revealed anything critical. Soon everyone else had returned home. The only people who stayed were Bill and Charlie. Draco asked them to stay for a few reasons; Bill, due to his career with Gringotts, had become skilled in the interpreting of cryptic codes. Charlie, on the other hand, was exceptionally talented in potions work with an emphasis on healing potions. Draco knew that Sarea would need a dreamless sleep potion, as well as a calming draught. Draco also hoped that Charlie could show him how to brew the potion for Sarea's visions.
As Ginny came back through the door, two identical boys yawned and rubbed sleep out of their eyes while walking in front of their mother. Draco turned to see them and smiled. Sarea and Christian were still talking to Bill and Charlie, so Draco scooped up his sons into his arms. They looked so much like Ginny: red hair, brown eyes, and freckles. He smiled as they woke up enough to squeak, "Dad!" and throw their arms around his neck. He kissed both of them on the head and then set them back on their feet. It was then that they caught sight of their sister. Neither Corey nor Adam had ever seen her like this. She looked pale, tired, horribly worn out, older than her seventeen years and thinner than she had been before they went to bed.
Corey looked up at his father and mother. "What's wrong with Sarea?" he asked, his face puckered with worry.
Draco looked down at his son, "Sarea's very sick, Cor. Now, I want you and Adam to go give your sister a great big hug and a kiss. Be gentle! She needs rest, so don't you both go getting wild."
"Yes Dad," Adam said as he and his brother moved forward.
Christian spotted the boys first; he smiled and then gently said. "You have some visitors, Sar."
Sarea looked up and spotted her twin brothers. She held out her arms to them. They ever so slowly climbed onto their sister's lap, as she said, "They'll never be too old for me to treat them like my baby brothers."
Corey and Adam always said they enjoyed the way Sarea treated them. She treated them their age but there was always a hint in her treatment that made them seem younger than they are. Sarea gently kissed her brothers on the cheek and hugged them both with as much strength as she could muster.
"How are you feeling Sar?' Adam asked his sister.
"Better Adam, thank you sweetheart," she said, smiling.
"Good!" Corey chimed in, "We can't have you getting sick on us. Then you wouldn’t go back to Hogwarts and we wouldn't get Mum and Dad to ourselves."
Sarea pretended to look affronted but ended up tickling Corey until he was laughing so hard that he was sure he'd wet his pants.
"All right enough you two," Ginny said, "Back to bed. We need to speak to Sarea about something."
"Gin, I'll take them," Charlie offered, placing two hands on his sister’s arms, "Then I can get started on the potions."
Ginny breathed a sigh of relief, "Thank you Charlie, I think I need to be with her right now."
The boys bid everyone good night and left. Charlie followed the boys out of the room and closed the door as he left. Draco and Ginny made their way back into Sarea's room. Bill had drawn up two chairs next to the one he was sitting in and Draco and Ginny both sat down. Sarea looked so comfortable lying on her bed in Christian's arms and Draco and Ginny hated to spoil her mood. Yet they knew it would have to come sooner or later.
"Sweet," Ginny began looking at her daughter. "We need to talk about your vision. I know you don't want to but Healer Whimper said it’s best to talk."
Sarea sighed, and then took a quivering breath in, "I'll tell what I saw Mum."
Christian pulled her tighter to him and gave her a gentle kiss on the top of her head. It relaxed her somewhat and let her know he was still there. Christian knew that under the mask she wore, she was scared and talking about her vision would only heighten her fears.
"At first everything was dark, so dark and eerily quiet that it scared me. I knew I had to be somewhere other than home but I had no idea what was going on. It didn't feel like a dream and it couldn't have been real. It was then that I realized I must have been having a vision of some sort. That potion not only wakes me but it also tells me what's happened. It has a calming agent of sorts to tell me what I saw wasn't real yet. It did not help much though. Anyway, I started walking and as I made my way forward things began to lighten a bit. It was still very dark and I began to trip over things on the ground; they were everywhere but I could not seem what they were. I crouched down to see better and realized I was tripping over bodies of dead and wounded people. I looked up and everything became perilously clear. Everywhere I turned I saw someone fighting; I saw everyone…"
She began to count on her fingers, "Uncle Ron, Uncle Harry, Uncle Fred and Uncle George, Uncle Charlie, you Uncle Bill, even Percy and Grandpa!" She took a shallow breath in and continued, "Then I saw you daddy; you and Lucius were fighting."
Draco slightly stiffened at the mention of his father’s name, but Ginny slipped her hand into his and he relaxed.
"Then I saw you fall and drop your wand. Lucius came after you and I thought he would kill you but after a second both of you were gone. I screamed when I thought I lost you and then I was in darkness again. The next place was even darker then the last but once again I began to walk. The only thing that appeared was a door at the end of the blackness. So I walked through and when I did, I saw," she dropped off.
Christian held fast to Sarea's waist, and rested his cheek on her head. He had a feeling of what was coming next. His support was enough to make Sarea finish. "I saw him," she gasped, tears streaming down her face, "I saw Voldemort surrounded by his death eaters and they were all cheering about how life was to be after the war and how good all the killing would feel. I kept seeing faces, so many faces I knew: Classmates, not just Slytherins, I saw Ravenclaws, too. They were all yelling at the top of their lungs, ‘One week! One week!’ Then, I saw a pile of Evening Prophet's burning, all with today's date on them. I was so afraid. Then they brought someone out as a sacrifice."
"Who was it sweet?" Draco asked, fearing for his daughter.
"I don't know; I could not see their face or anything else to give them away."
"Bill," Ginny asked her brother with a shaky voice, "does that mean anything?"
"Any images clouded or hidden generally mean that said image is one a person knows well. So the person Sarea saw is more likely then not someone she knows well."
Sarea turned her face into Christian's chest; her tears consumed her. Christian held tightly to her, willing his own tears not to fall. He never had any strength when it came to Sarea being in pain. Sarea pulled away from his tight embrace and looked at him, fear clouding her already misted eyes.
"I saw you Christian," she cried, "I saw you surrounded by Death Eaters, being hit with curses, and I felt each one hit me. I couldn't take it anymore! Before I could do anything to help you, to save you, my vision changed! Mum," Sarea turned to her mother who was ghostly pale and her father who looked more scared than ever before, "I saw you, you and daddy. You were kneeling next to him, and daddy, you… you were hurt, and Mum was crying and it looked like you wouldn't make it. That's it; that’s all I can remember seeing. Then it all just started over, except worse."
She could say nothing else. She crawled into Christian's lap and wrapped her arms around him. He cradled her body, trying to calm her. Ginny had a death grip on Draco's hand as tears of her own fell down her cheeks. Draco could not form words; he was scared and now he needed to get in contact with the other Order members. Bill couldn't think of anything to say either. There was a knock on the door that scared them all and Charlie entered with the potion. He imagined what had gone on in the room; he had heard stories from Bill about some horrors he had to interpret and anything that could put those looks on his family's faces was bad.
"Sarea sweet," Charlie said, sitting on her bed, speaking to her gently, "I need you to take both of these. This will calm you and the other will give you dreamless sleep."
Sarea nodded, and took both cups from the tray. She drank both and a few minutes later was calmly asleep, still in Christian's arms.
"Christian," Ginny said, voice still shaking, "will you just stay with her? She seems so much calmer."
"I won't let her go," he assured her. Draco, Ginny, Charlie, and Bill all left the room.
"Bill, Charlie," Draco said turning to both his brother-in-law, "We need to get to work; you two Apparate to the Burrow, and get your dad, Fred, George and Percy. I'll get Harry and Ron from their houses. Raise the alarm from the Burrow and we'll raise it as we go. All the male members of the Order have to meet at headquarters, only men for now. I don't want any of the women, especially if they have children. That's why Harry, Ron and I have forbid Gin, Luna and Hermione to fight. We don't need families being ripped apart anymore than absolutely necessary."
"Right," they both said and then Apparated out.
Draco turned back to Ginny; her tears were still coming, and now stronger then before. He kissed her hard and fast on the lips, "I'll be home when we find out what's going on. I promise." Ginny, pale and unable to speak, only nodded in response. "I love you," Draco said kissing her again, only a little longer this time.
"I love you too, Draco," she whispered, "please come home soon!"
"I promise, my love, soon."
After one last famished kiss he was gone. Ginny collapsed into a fit of tears right then and there; she had never felt so lost. After about twenty minutes, Ginny controlled her tears and got to her feet. She slowly made her way down the hall to Corey and Adam's room. She slipped inside and smiled at the site that greeted her. Corey was in bed but his head was dangerously close to the floor. Adam, on the other hand, was sprawled all over his bed. Ginny tucked them both back in and kissed them both on the head before she left. Now she was going to check on Sarea and get Christian to sleep in one of the guest bedrooms but she walked into the room and saw that it was not going to happen. Christian had fallen asleep with Sarea still in his arms. He was propped up against a bunch of pillows his arms wrapped tightly around the girl in his arms, even in sleep. One of his arms was slung over her waist and the other was supporting her at the back, her head rested on his shoulder and his rested gently on hers. Ginny was so grateful to Christian; he had rescued Sarea and not just tonight either. When Sarea had first told her and Draco about Christian, they had been more then skeptical concerning the relationship.
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Sarea and Christian had known each other since first year but they had never really been friends. Sarea ran with her crowd and Christian with his; the way they knew each other was through Quidditch. Both Christian and Sarea played for Gryffindor; she was a Chaser and Christian was the Keeper, plus they were in almost all the same classes. They spoke during practice and when they were in the halls they would smile at each other. They finally admitted they had fallen for each other in the middle of their fifth year; in truth, it had happened long before that. Every summer Sarea would come home and tell her mother about the boy with dark curly brown hair, dreamy green-brown eyes and a smile that could melt any girl’s heart. She all but swooned when she spoke of his voice. His voice had a Scottish twinge to it when he said certain words because he lived in Glasgow; it drove the girls wild. Sarea always wondered why he almost never had a girlfriend for long periods of time. About once a month since his forth year he'd had a girlfriend but every month someone new came along. Sometimes he would go back to the same girls but it didn't happen very often. Draco thought it sounded like the Gryffindor version of himself; Ginny thought he just hadn't found the girl he really wanted to be with.
Finally in fifth year, Sarea and Christian had been partnered together for a Charms assignment and he was actually free of girls at the time. One hour with Sarea and he realized how much they really had in common, not just Quidditch and being good at little known household helper charms but so many other things. They got their project on household charms done quickly and then talked for the rest of the day. They knew their parents' history and that was one reason Christian had always stayed clear of Sarea, despite his attraction to her. He didn't want to be forbidden from seeing her just because their parents had gotten into a fight years ago. Sarea told him that she didn't care; she wanted to take the risk, so they started dating anyway.
Christian and Sarea talked in the library until Madam Pince kicked them out and then they just continued to talk in Gryffindor tower. After one day with her, Christian knew their relationship was going to last more then a month. He swore he fell in love with her the first day of their project but he could never admit it that soon. Christian and Sarea found themselves telling each other secrets that not even their closest friends knew and after only one day it was like he had known her all of his life. After Sarea fell asleep on the couch in front of the fire in the common room, Christian sat in one of the wing back chairs and fell asleep himself. When Christian awoke the next morning there was a note from Sarea to meet him out on the Qudditch field. Christian remembered it was Saturday so he went. Sarea made it a ritual that every Saturday morning she went for a fly. They flew to the ground limits many times, sometimes racing, sometimes just flying along next to each other, talking about this and that. They parted after about five hours of flying but they decided to meet up again. Christian surprised Sarea with a dinner on the roof. They finally ended the night and when they said goodbye Sarea gave Christian a lingering kiss on the cheek. The next day was a Hogsmede visit and Christian wasted no time in asking Sarea to go with him. She agreed and the two spent the whole day together. They laughed and talked and had more fun than they could ever remember having. The return to Hogwarts didn't end their night. They ate dinner in the Great Hall and then rounded out the night with a moonlit walk around the lake. About five minutes into the walk Christian took Sarea's hand and laced her fingers through his own. They walked in silence for the most part, every so often sneaking glances at each other. Finally Christian turned Sarea to face him. It was perfect; Sarea had never felt so incredible in her entire life. Christian looked into her eyes for about two minutes until he slowly bent forward and kissed her on the lips. It was Sarea's first kiss, passionate and innocent, the kind that melts someone's heart. After that moment Christian and Sarea were always together.
Sarea knew however they could not hide forever and she and Christian decided that they would tell their parents as soon as they could that summer. Draco and Ginny had not been happy at all when they heard Christian’s last name. Sarea had told them she was dating the boy she always talked about and begged her parents to just meet Christian to give him some sort of chance. They reluctantly agreed and soon Christian was in London to meet Draco and Ginny.
The night went as good as it possibly could have been. Ginny loosened up upon meeting Christian. She thought he was a very nice boy who liked Sarea. She was not quite sure about love; Sarea had told her mother that neither of them had said those three all-important words yet. Still even if Christian was a sweet boy who treated Sarea right, it didn't mean that she was going to let Sarea continue to date him. Lavender had not been welcome toward Sarea and she had even forbid her to be in their house. Ginny just didn’t want Sarea to get hurt later. Draco barely said anything at all; he didn't like the idea of a boy taking away his little Princess. He knew it was going to happen, but he didn't want a Gryffindor version of himself doing anything to damage her in anyway. Later on that night while they were all talking in the living room, Corey and Adam came bursting in back from their friends house where they flew almost everyday. The second the two brothers saw Christian with his arms wrapped protectively around Sarea they had sprung into action. The two had begun to give Christian the third degree. Most of the questions were relatively harmless but when they had lulled him into a false sense of security they dropped the bomb. "Do you love our sister?" they chorused in unison. Christian took an audible gulp in; he and Sarea had never really broached the word love but it had always been there. Christian always found himself distracted with thoughts of her and sometimes it got him in trouble in class. The more time he spent with her the more he felt as if he were falling into something he couldn't get out of even if he wanted to. He had always meant to tell Sarea he loved her because he did with all of his heart. The words just had not gone from his heart to his mouth yet. Christian looked past Adam and Corey and his gaze met with Sarea's. Her eyes looked so intense. He saw that look in her eyes so much and he had even seen it in his own. He knew what that look was and it was about damn time he acted on it! "I do," he told the twins. "But she's going to be the one who hears me say it first." Christian got up out of his chair and walked to Sarea. He pulled her into his arms, regarding her slowly, surely, as if they were the only two people in the world. He ran his hand through her hair and then stilled it. He was looking directly into her bright blue eyes and he had never been more sincere. "I love you Sarea," he breathed, realizing how strange but wonderful the words felt on his tongue. "I've wanted to say it for so long but I've just been a stupid scared boy. I love you."
"I love you too Christian," Sarea told him, running her hand down his cheek, "I think I always have."
He dipped his head down to hers for the briefest but most loving kiss the two had ever shared. Christian left soon after that. Sarea was in a state of euphoria and did not notice her parents whispering in her father's office. Draco told Ginny how he felt; she echoed the sentiment, albeit not as strongly. They both felt that given the fact that Christian was a Finnegan, Sarea should not be dating him. After the events of that night, they knew Sarea would not give him up without a fight; Draco and Ginny were going to forbid Sarea to see Christian but she backed them into a corner.
"You both of all people should know Christian is not his mother or his father! Mum, after all your family put you through when you fell in love with daddy, you should understand. We can't choose whom we fall in love with and I've fallen in love with Christian. I have that feeling in me when I'm with him; he's all I need. I've heard your love story so many times and now I want one of my own. Please don't make this a Romeo and Juliet love because I will continue to see Christian even if you forbid me. He protects me and he believes in me. More importantly, I believe in him and in us. You both have always taught me that whatever you truly believe in is worth any price and you know I believe in love. Christian loves me. He loves me mum, dad; he loves me and that is worth everything!" Her parents had nothing to say to that. They knew she had won. As a result, Ginny became more open to Christian but Draco was still a bit uptight. That would not change until much later.
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Ginny smiled, Sarea was truly a Malfoy; she had refused to give up something she wanted. She and Christian had been together for almost two years. Ginny shut the doors doors and walked to her own room. room.om. She went through her normal nightly ritual without Draco and she lay down in her big lonely bed. She could not help the tear that escaped her eyes. After about an hour of tossing and turning, Ginny fell into an uneasy sleep.
About seven hours later Ginny woke. As soon as she wandered out of her bedroom she heard noise and smelt a pleasant aroma coming from the kitchen. She cautiously made her way into the kitchen only to see Christian bent over the stove.
"Christian?" Ginny spoke so as not to startle him, "What are you doing?"
"Oh Mrs. Malfoy, you’re awake," he turned to her and frowned. "I was going to wake everyone up with breakfast in bed."
Ginny smiled, "What are you Christian, some kind of Saint?'
"That's me," he laughed "Saint Christian of the Greens, Patron Saint of Love."
Ginny smiled wider. "Really Mrs. Malfoy," he said, returning to his food, "I just wanted to do this to thank you."
"For what?"
"Well, Mr. Malfoy said that I could stay here as long as I wanted too. You don't mind do you?"
"Of course not!" Ginny assured him. "Of course you’re welcome here, anytime. You’re so close to family already." There was a brief pause between the two of them.
"My parents wanted to help in the war, you know," Christian said, suddenly unsure of himself.
Ginny was taken aback; Lavender and Seamus had not been involved in the war effort at all. Ever since Voldemort had come back, the both of them had tried their hardest to deny it. Even while the war was at its heights they had never fought, never done anything to help either side.
"Why the change of mind?" Ginny asked him.
"It was more a change of heart," he told her, offering a cup of coffee, which Ginny took.
"But if one is killed-"
"Then the other will not be far behind," Christian finished. "I know. I'm not exactly looking forward to going home to an empty castle." He was talking about his home. For thousands of years, the Finnegan Clan had lived in the same castle in Glasgow. Castle Ainsley was a huge place and Ginny almost shuddered at the thought of Christian there alone with countless worries on his mind.
"Don't be silly Christian, you won't be going back to Ainsley alone. You will stay here with us until your family comes back. Sarea will be glad to have you here and so will Adam and Corey and I know I'll fell better having you here with them."
"Are you going to fight this time?" he asked, already knowing the answer.
"Draco hasn't let me fight since Sarea was born. He had enough of a complex letting me fight when we were first seeing each other but I told him I was going to and he thought there was enough fighting without him trying to fight me. When he did make me give it up I was glad too. The battlefield is not something anyone dreams of seeing. I would be fighting at Draco's side but he always told me that I would have to be the pillar of strength for the family while he's gone. So I've tried to be just that."
There was an Apparation pop behind them at Ginny's word and they both turned. It was Draco. "Gin, come on," he said. "You need to come now."
He looked disheveled and older then his thirty-seven years. Ginny was worried.
"Christian, make sure Sarea does not get out of bed and um, have the boys just spend the day with you. Don't let them fool around too much; Sarea needs her rest. We'll be back just as soon as we can be."
Ginny walked over to Draco and wrapped herself in his arms. Christian blinked and they were gone. Christian took the trays of food up stairs, one by one. He left them on Sarea's bed and then went to get the boys. They were more then happy to spend the day with Christian and Sarea.
"As long as you two don't snog every five seconds!" they demanded, very seriously.
Christian gently woke Sarea and she began to eat what he had fixed for her. After breakfast, the four of them got quiet and for a while none of them could think of anything to say. Finally Adam spoke, "Sarea tell us Mum and Dad's story."
"Adam you must be tired of hearing it by now," she said to him.
"Nope!" he assured his sister.
"Besides," Corey chimed in, "We haven't heard it in forever and a lot of the time you tell it better than Mum and Dad."
"Alright, alright," she finally gave in, "Once, Daddy was not as nice as he is now and…
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Ok I'm a sappy hopeless romantic! I'm sorry; I just love the characters of Sarea and Christian. I know they are both Mary Jane ish but that will change later… I hope. A lot of the things they'll say to each other come from the movie Moulin Rouge that is one of my favorite movies. It's about all I stand for and this story can get sappy, so you have fair warning. Unless otherwise noted here nothing comes from Moulin Rouge.
Hugs to my beta!
To Be Continued.
Nakita is the author of 2 other stories.
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