We're leaving on a jet plane, don't know when we'll be back again -- Spring/Summer 1998

I still had not told anyone about the fact that Pansy was pregnant.  I just knew that I had to break Juniper's dreams of leaving.  I knew we were supposed to be secretly packing, and I was packing, just not for the reason she thought.  I went to my twin's room and knocked on her door slightly.  "Hey... it's me," I said, making sure she would not think that it was Mother or Father checking on her or something.  How was I going to tell her that I was not going to be leaving to Australia?

I had been attempting close my trunk when there was a knock at my door. My eyes widened as my head turned to the noise but I smiled when I realized it was just Draco. I lifted the ward I had on my room. "It's open now." Once he came in, I put the ward back up. "Draco." I stood up and hugged him. "I'm almost done packing." I told him excitedly. It seemed like forever ago when Draco and I came up with Happily Ever After. There were times when we didn't think it would happen but here we were, leaving for Australia, getting away from Mother and Father. Would I miss Lincoln? Of course, we were starting to talk about become more then friends but I warned him I may not be here much longer. I would miss him, but I still had Eve. I could send him letters and we could still see each other, just not as much. I shook my head, my smile widened. "I can't believe we're actually doing this. We're leaving." I never thought I would see the day we would finally leave Malfoy Manor. For good.

<< since it's close to when we said they were talking about a relationship, I thought I could put that in but I can edit it out if you want.....just let me know..... >>

<< I like it  >>

I hugged her, trying to be happy about what was going on, but how could I be?  I was backing out on the one thing that had gotten us through many years of horror.  I sat on her bed and sighed.  "June... we need to talk," I said slowly, knowing that she would realize something was wrong the instant I spoke her name.  We could read each other that well.

I was on instant high alert with the voice he was using. I didn't like it. I slowly made my way to my bed and sat next to him. "What do we need it talk about Draco?" I asked slowly. We were leaving, we should be happy about this. The tone of his voice told me he had something major to tell me and that I probably wasn't going to like it. But it's not like he was backing out, not when we had everything planned and packed. Right?

Running a hand through my hair, I looked over at Juniper.  "I can't go with you," I told her softly.  I knew that would be devastating -- we had been planning this for years.  It was finally happening and I had to disappoint her.  I felt horrible about it, but she would understand soon enough why I could not go.

I looked at him confused, what did he mean he couldn't go? We had been planning this for years. This must be a joke. After a moment I began laughing. He looked so serious about it, he almost fooled me. "Good one Draco, you almost had me. Don't tell me you're already finished packing. You need to finish that first, they'll be plenty of time for jokes in Australia." I pointed out. This had to be a joke, it was the only explanation. Right? I stood up and walked back over to my trunk. "While you're here, can you please help me close this though?"

I stood up and helped her close her trunk, only to be able to put a hand on hers while it was on the lid.  "Juniper, I'm not joking," I said, knowing that it was something she definitely did not want to hear.  "You can - and should - still go... but I just can't."

I took a few shaky breaths as I looked at his hand on mine. What was he saying? That he couldn't go? That we couldn't leave? I took my hand back, took a few unsteady steps back and shook my head. "No, you're joking. We're leaving for Australia. We're going to our happily ever after. Just like we always planned." I looked at him desperately. What could cause him to want to stay here? "Right?" My voice was so small, I wasn't sure if he even heard me.

I hated seeing the look on her face.  I wish I could tell her the reasoning why, but Pansy and I just weren't ready yet.  And I had no idea how Father would react to it.  I shook my head at Juniper and tried to keep a strong front going.  "You can still have your happily ever after," I told her, wanting her to leave.  It would be so much nicer for her if she would just go.  She could get away.

I shook my head as I put a hand against the wall to steady myself, having started to shake when I realized that he wasn't joking. I took a few shaky breaths before I looked at him. "You should know by now that I can only have my happily ever after if you're there." I shook my head slightly, how could he even think I could have our happily ever that we planned for so long without him. The only way I could be happy was if Draco got his happily ever after and I knew that wasn't happening if he stayed here. "You can't stay here Draco." I pleaded "Please."

This was so much harder than I ever expected.  If I could tell her my reason why, then maybe it woudl have been easier.  I just could not tell her, though.  There was no way.  Not yet, anyways.  I shook my head.  "June, I have to stay here," I told her.  I took a deep breath.  "And we can't always be together... maybe this is the best way for us to realize that.  We each have our own lives to live... and yours can be so much better if you got away from Father.  Take Lincoln with you."  It took a lot of strength to say the last sentence without gagging and cringing.  I knew they were close, though, and I liked the idea of someone else going with her than her going on her own.  I knew my words would hurt her, but maybe they would get her to go.

I staggered to the chair that was by my desk, I couldn't stand on my own anymore. I collapsed into it and shook my had slightly. Since when was he okay with me being with Lincoln? They still didn't really like each other, although after Lincoln helped me get over my addiction, they seemed to at least have a bit of understanding with each other. "I can't take Lincoln with me Draco, he has a job here, a flat and a life. This was supposed to be our fresh start, our happily ever after." We spent so much time protecting each other and looking out for each other how could he think I would be okay leaving him here with Father? I was too dependant on him to be away from him, even if I would be far away from Father. "But together we can do anything." I said desperately. "You may be okay without me Draco, but I can't survive without. I'm too dependant on you." I informed him sadly. "Draco, what's going on? You know we can deal with whatever it is together, we always have before. We can figure this out, deal with whatever it is and then leave. We'll just delay our departure a bit."

I stood up and started to pace.  "This isn't something that's broken or that needs fixing," I said to her, trying to find a way to explain it to her without telling her what was going on.  "This is something that's going to be permanent... I can't just run away.  We're not children anymore to rely on some abstract future..."  I would be having kids of my own that would be relying on me.  I had to have my own future set in stone now; I could not run from this.

"Happily ever after has never been abstract to me Draco." I shook my head slightly. Permanent, something that won't change. I looked up at him. "Then that's it's. We have no happily ever after anymore." I took a shaky breath "Tell me you weren't planning on backing out the whole time." I pleaded for hm to say something had happened, that's why he couldn't go, that he hadn't been planning this betrayal the whole time. But still, how could he back out when we were so close to freedom? So close to everything we planned? I took another shaky breath. He clearly didn't want to tell me what was going on. I looked at him desperately. "Together. Double trouble right?" He couldn't think that I'd be okay leaving him here alone with Father while I was free. Father may end up useing him to try to find out where I was once he realized I was gone. I wasn't leaving without my brother.

My expression softened and I shook my head.  "Of course I wasn't planning on not going the entire time," I assured her gently.  "There are just... things that I can't leave.  And it just means that I'll never be able to leave in the future, either.  Not that I'm staying here forever with Father and Mother, it's just that I can't leave England."  I hoped that would make her feel al ittle bit better.  I hated how she looked so betrayed -- but what did I expect?