The Ring

I crawled around on the beach, squinting in the sunlight. I didn't see any remotely worth my trouble. I stood up quickly and started to yank on the short, yellow sundress I had brought for the occasion. My reading glasses fell off, and I picked them up out of the sand.

The beach was full of people today. Small children and seniors strode the beach. Guys with great tans and surfboards had asked me on numerous occasions if I needed help learning to surf. I declined, knowing my balance was what you might call the most terrible thing on earth.

And I tried it this morning. I found out that gravity was most definitely not on my side. I had tumbled off at least a million times.

"Hey, glad to see you could make it!" I heard a familiar voice behind me just as I had pulled on my sneakers.

I spun around to see none other then Blaise Zabini- one of my best friends since forever. He was waving and walking over, wearing a loose shirt and some swim trunks. It looked I smiled, running toward him and throwing my arms around his neck for a quick hug.

"You hungry?" he asked, letting me grab my bag.

"You bet!" I replied. "I haven't eaten all day!"

"How about some ice cream?" Blaise asked, draping his arms around my shoulders, guiding me to the small bar at the corner of Luce Beach. He told me news about his family, and made me laugh. But as we neared the destination, I saw a mop of bleach blond hair sitting at the bar, and stiffened.

"Blaise…" I warned, despite his need to press me on further.

"What a coincidence!" Blaise encouraged, pushing me toward the hell boy anyway.

"Not at all a coincidence! In fact, I think this is the worst set up in the world!" I hissed, but was forced to go over anyway.

As we approached the bar, the mop turned toward us with a great smirk. But that smirk disappeared fast as he noticed the person being pushed by his best friend. He snapped back toward the bar and huddled over, as if we hadn't seen him and he was trying to disappear before we did.

"I do not want to talk to him," I growled. "He's a pompous, arrogant git who-"

"Just shut up already!" Blaise practically slammed me into the seat closest to none other then Draco Malfoy, my fiancé.

"So, Draco! Look who I brought to see you! It's none other then Alexa, remember her?" Blaise prompted as he plopped right next to me on the other side.

"Why wouldn't I remember her? We've met on a few occasions," Draco was very interested in his glass.

A few? More like being a couple for five years.

"Why is she here? I was certain you said this was a guy's day out from all the girls and stuff I told you I didn't want to deal with," Draco glared at Blaise, spinning his glass around in circles so the liquid looked like it would spill over.

It never did.

"Come on you two!" Blaise pleaded. "It's been three weeks since you two talked. You guys are engaged! Or are you? Did you ever call it off?"

I did not even glimpse at Mr. Draco Malfoy, the Stare-at-Other-Girls-While-Out-with-my-Girlfriend Extraordinaire. Instead, I just fiddled with my left hand

"I'll talk to my fiancé," Malfoy spat out the word as if it was poison, "when she starts to trust me again."

"And I'll talk to my soon-to-be-husband when he's worth the trouble," I snarled, playing with my ring finger.

"Please guys," Blaise tried again. "You love each other, I know you do. And this is making me feel like a freaking match maker! Just get back together and have fun! I know that's what you really want!"

When we didn't respond, he slammed his fist on the table.

"I'm going for a walk," Draco stood up. He pulled himself up out of his chair and jammed his hands into the pockets of his jeans.

"Wow, that went better then I thought," Blaise exhaled.

"What the hell!" I yelled, slapping him on the arm. "That falling out we had obviously happened for a reason! Maybe we just weren't meant to-"

"I personally thought you would start a fist fight," Blaise cut me off and took out a pack of cigarettes. "Want one?"

"You know I absolutely hate those assinine muggle things," I seethed. "Now I'm leaving."

"Yeah, not so fast, hot shot," Blaise lit up, taking a long drag. "I promised you ice cream."

"Okay, but if he comes back, I'm leaving," I replied, looking at the menu.

"I don't think he will come back," Blaise raised an eyebrow, staring just above my shoulder.

I turned to see what Blaise was staring at.

I did not like what I did see.

And what I did see made me want to punch something. Preferrabley that sleek girl talking to Draco, abviously trying to hit up his phone number. He was talking back, sitting on the sand, and had the infamous smirk on.

"I'm leaving!" I announced.

"Alex-" Blaise tried, but I had disapparated before he had finished his sentence.

I appeared right in front of my apartment, and crashed through the door. I fell on to my couch and picked up a flower.

I picked off petals saying, "he was flirting, he wasn't flirting, he was flirting, he wasn't flirting." Petals drifted to the floor with ease as I started shouting my lines, "he was flirting, he wasn't flirting."

"You know, you don't have to finish that flower. I wasn't flirting," I felt cool hand on my shoulder.

"Why were you talking to her?" I asked, placing my hands on top of his.

"I was asking if she had seen this," Draco dangled a ring in front of my face.

It was my engagement ring! I had lost it that morning before I had gone surfing. It still had that huge green sapphire in the middle, with little diamonds lining it.

"How did you know I lost it?" I asked.

"You were wearing your glasses while at the beach with no book, and you kept playing with your ring finger," Draco sighed. "You promised never to take it off."

"We did have that falling out…" I replied, finally looking in his eyes.

"I don't know who you thought I was looking at," he smirked.

"You were looking out the window at those girls!" I glared.

"No, I was looking at your reflection in the glass. I saw the ring and thought how every guy must be jealous. After all, you think there was a reason I hadn't talked to you in three weeks?" he asked.

"Why?"

"Because I was busy buying this," Draco whipped out a picture.

A small house in the city was in the centre. The trees blew, and flowers faced the sun. It was cute, and just my dream house.

"It's our house," Draco hugged me from behind. 'Cause I can't stand being apart from you any longer."