Reveries of Autumn Leaves
Warnings: I’m sorry to say but this is a sad one. It just kinda felt right.
The blistery and eerie aesthetics of October have finally made their presence: from the vibrant decay of the leaves, to the harsh wind which accompanies the icy splatters of rain.
Distractedly striding through the dewy grass, Draco makes his way towards the Forbidden Forest. He looks to the sky for guidance, for any sign that would give him peace. However, a thin mask of childishly secretive clouds obscures the heavens above; leaving him with only another wave of despondence and frustration.
As Draco enters the darkened expanses, he attempts to reign in his thoughts and focus on his surroundings. Naturally, to no avail. Everything is too familiar. Too safe and too much like her.
A strangled sob escapes his mouth as he halts in the middle of the pathway. Like a doll casted to the ground, Draco’s limbs go slack and he falls to the leave-strewn floor.
Fisting the damp soil painfully tight with his pale hands, Draco let’s out an agonising scream. Thick hot tears cascade down his raw cheeks like a free-flowing waterfall.
“Make it STOP!” he screams. The pain in his chest is too much for him to bare. The suffocating restlessness encages his heart in an impenetrable isolation.
Draco brings his soil clenched hands to his face and lets every memory of her flit through his mind like a film reel: the way her hair became a tornado in the wind, the day they first met in the Library, so long ago, her tinkling laugh and inspiring optimism, her joyous eyes that took all the stress away, her plump lips that were his alone, her life-inducing smile, her untainted moral, everthing.
“Draco. Draco, sweetheart it’s okay, I’m here.” A gentle, soothing voice calls out to him.
His head snaps up and he stares dibelieving at their perfect figure. “(Y/N)…? (Y/N)!” he pushes himself to his feet and stumbles towards her.
“No..No, you’re not real, you’re not real.” He repeats adamantly; shaking his head in attempt to dispell her image.
“Perhaps not…” the rueful woman mumbles, “But look in your hand.”
It takes him a while to process her words; still in a state of mindless shock. Shakily, he opens out his right hand and picks out a sculpted stone. He peers up through his wet eyelashes at her. “What is it?” he croaks.
She smiles softly, “The Resurrection Stone. It seems…Harry left it here during the war.” A saddenend, heart-broken looks flits across her features momentarily.
Turning it over and examining it closely, Draco continues to conflict with reality. “I need her. I need her so much. Bring her back.” he begs. A fresh wave of tears falling.
“I can’t do that, love. But you’ll be fine, Draco. I promise. Remember our favourite song quote?” she murmurs out of the blue, “The moment you doubt whether you can fly, you cease forever to be able to do it? Be sure to bear it in mind.” She laughs softly.
“Its you, isn’t it?” he whispers while extending a hand to cup her face. His hand fades through her ‘body’. An imprint on this world, much like a ghost, though seemingly alive.
“In a matter of speaking…yes.” she smiles almost shyly.
“Even in death, you always try to keep everthing together.” he smiles through his hot tears. “Never breaking down, never letting anyone in. It took a long time before you even told me when your bloody birthday was.” he chuckles reminiscently.
“I didn’t need you buying me the whole of Diagon Alley and Hogsmeade combined!” she shakes her head while grinning wildly. “And I feel like I have to…you know that.” She sighs, “and hopefully that’ll teach you not to bottle up all your emotions?” she asks amusedly.
“Ah you know I can’t resist a Princess.” he winks. “I’m a Malfoy…you know that. I can’t help but do that.”
“You’ll find another who will be for you as I was. Just give it time.” she mumbles; trying her best to keep a positive face.
“No. You can’t leave me, not again. I need you, (Y/N).” he steps forward.
“You have to let me go, Draco. I am not for this world.” she says quietly. “I love you. I love you so damn much. Don’t ever forget that.” she laughs in attempt to keep some form of happiness among the whirlwind of heart-ripping emotions.
“I’ll be with you forever, Draco. In your heart, in our places and in your memories. The time will come when we’ll see each other again.” she smiles. “Just not yet.”
She glides soundlessly towards him, as though she is an angel. One of her delicate hands hovers over his while the other floats against his cheek. “Let it go.” she whispers. The light flow of what could only be described as ghost tears, webbs across her cheeks. “Let me go.”
He shakes his head frantically; clenching his fist tighter. “No, please, no.” he begs. She envelopes her arms around him, careful not to touch him directly. He stills in morbid realisation and focuses solely on her. She’s his world, his everything. He can’t let her go.
“I love you.” she mumbles into his ear and pulls back to stare into his cobalt irises for the last time in this life.
“I love you more.” he whispers back. He squeezes the small stone tightly in his fist as a last attempt to hold on, before letting it fall to the ground. He expects it to happen in slow motion, to loose her slowly once again. To watch it fall like a feather. But as soon as he blinks, she’s gone. Faded away into the brisk air.
The wistful trees dance in sync with the melodic gusts of wind; recollecting every thought, every memory and every last kiss ever to have been shared between them.
Draco takes one last look towards their favourite hidding place and lets one final, mourningful tear fall. The next whisper carries through the zephyr and up to the heavens themselves,
