1Disclaimer: I do not own these characters, nor the title, which graced my presence care of James Blunt. Thank you for reading.
Goodbye My Lover
He just stood still and watched her walk away.
Watched her walk away, and was rooted to the ground, as if nothing could move him. His sight was blinded to any object save her form, her graceful goddess-like form that walked away in a rushed motion. And although he knew in his heart that she was right, was right to separate from his hold on her life; they would be happy, he told himself, without one another, happy but hollow. He saw, in the flickering lights of the hall, dimly lit as it was, he saw her lift a single hand, brush it quickly across her right cheek and lower it, in one swift motion that could have been missed, if he had not been watching her.
He tried to call out to stop her, to make her understand, to plea for one more chance to breathe in her perfume and say the three fated words, the words that would solve everything. I love you. I love you. I love you. But the ground, or his grief, would not release him from the paralyzed state that captured him. How could he be without her, for more than a minute's time, after having that connection...that connection with her that made him feel alive and real for the first time in his life?
And within that spilt minute, second, year?...she passed from his sight and around the corner. I am broken inside without her, YOU FOOL! How could you just...let her walk away! How could you let the only thing that matters, the only one who cares tell you that to continue would be folly? His right foot moved forward.
And then his left. He took another step. And then he heard it, an echoing, heartbreaking sound...a sob.
He walked, ran, he did not remember how he moved down that hall, in what seemed like no time at all, and around the corner, where he came to a skidding halt.
She sat, not two feet down the wall, curled, with her head buried in her knees, crying as though she had lost her heart, a limb, her life. He gazed down at her, his heart breaking in time with hers, and felt great sorrow within himself.
Walking slowly in front of her, he knelt, and placed one foot, then the other, parallel to hers on the ground. Lifting a single finger, he slid it up her left leg, from the ankle to the knee. She gasped at the contact, and looked up at his face in horror.
The beauty of her face was emphasized by the tears that stained her cheeks, and the red blotches that graced the skin. "What do you want?" She stammered, the words seemed to stick in her throat as she spoke.
"Oh, God, my love..." The finger gracing the left leg moved to cup the left knee, and he squeezed gently. "Oh, God...why? Why are you tearing my soul from me? What will this solve? Your friends, my family, even yours, they will be happy, right? Is that what this will solve? Does it matter that you are killing yourself, and me?" He whispered painfully. Moving from a crouching position to sit on the floor, he lifted the other hand and placed it on the other knee. Resting his head on his hands, he looked up at her and started to cry. The pain that he saw in her eyes told him that she was just as broken as he.
Flashback
"Love, what's wrong, you are so tense. Did you not read some book that you wanted to?" He teased her, and wrapped an arm around her waist, drawing her near.
"Draco..." Sh e spoke hesitantly. "Do you ever think about the future?" She bit her lower lip as she said this, as if dreading his answer. They were sitting in the courtyard, oblivious to the hateful stares of the other students. He cocked an eyebrow at her, smirking.
"The future? Of course. I plan on spending as much of my father's money as I can, and get a decent job, so no one can call me a spoiled brat who just lives off a family fortune. I plan on playing Quidditch professional, at some point, and beating Potter in the World Cup, just to see the look on his face." At this point he tapped her on the nose. "And, I plan on marrying the most beautiful witch in the world, who's beauty surpasses even Helen's...That would be you, Hermione, of course..." Smirking again, he kissed her neck, and snuggled closer into their embrace.
"But what about what the others will think? Don't you ever think, or even care about that? This is your reputation your talking about Draco..."
He cut her off. "Love, I don't care about them...I would have, a year ago, maybe two, but...the entire idea of worrying about what others think...it doesn't matter anymore. You are my life, Hermione...I couldn't be without you, I would be lost." He frowned down at her head, that was now resting on his chest. "Why are you asking all these questions? Don't worry about it, you know that I will always protect you. Did someone say something to you? Who? I kill them..." He broke the rest of his questions muttering.
"No. No one talked to me. I've just...being thinking, that's all."
"Well, stop, it's giving me a headache..." He joked. Then in a more serious tone, "Would you like to talk about it? In a more...private place then this? Where you can really talk about what's bothering you?"
She hesitantly nodded, and they both rose, hearts beating in anticipation of the looming conversation. Walking as if in dread, they swept through the halls, till they arrived at the classroom, the one place where they could really talk. Draco turned around, put a silencing charm on the walls and door, plus an extra ward on the door, in case of random students trying to enter. Then he turned to his lover, and crossed his arms, looking with worry at her strained face.
"So...tell me, what's wrong?"
"I don't know...I'm feeling all these new things, I mean, I love you, but I don't know if I believe the rest of our lives together would work...can you really tell me that it would?" She looked up at his shocked face, and continued. " I know this seems sudden, but it really isn't, Draco. I really don't think I can continue with this. I can't live the rest of my life wondering if I will be in danger of your father coming and killing me, you...our children. Oh GOD! Draco, I couldn't live if something happened to our children!" She broke down sobbing. He sprang to her side and drew her into an embrace.
"Hey, hey, it will be alright...It's natural to think these things, but they won't happen. My father is a ruthless man, but he wouldn't hurt you if he knew I truly loved you, and our children, he wouldn't dare hurt them, I wouldn't let him. Hermione, believe me, I won't let anything ruin our future, because I plan on spending the rest of my life with you, I plan on dying with you, and I won't let anything happen, I promise."
"No!" Wrenching away, she looked at him with a wild look in her eyes. "I won't live in constant fear, Draco. I can't...I can't do this..."
Dropping the wards and charm, she ran out of the room, with him close behind.
"What do you mean? Hermione, I love you, I can't breathe without you, it hurts to think of my life without you. Don't you understand, I won' t let you be hurt, I promise!" He grabbed her arm in an attempt to bring her closer. She slapped his hand away.
Then she seemed to become another person.
"No...it's over, get over yourself, Malfoy, don't be caught looking like a blubbering baby...don't be a pathetic mess."
Then she turned on her heel. And he just stood still and watched her walk away.
End Flashback
"Don't ever think that I will let you go...do you see it, love? Our souls are entwined now, you can't escape me..." he whispered as his left hand lifted and brushed her tears away. "I'm in your blood. I'm in your heart. I'm in every fiber of your being. You know this is true, as do I. I know this, because you are everywhere for me...I can't breathe without you, Hermione; you are the oxygen that helps me live...I'll die without you."
"But...I'm just so scared..." she gasped as more tears slipped from beneath her eyelids.
"So am I, love, so am I..."
"Draco...?" She looked up at him, and gazed into his piercing eyes. "Hold me?"
"Forever, my love, I will hold you forever. Just promise me something: never say goodbye again...I thought that I was going to die."
She smiled, hesitantly and shyly. "I promise. No more goodbyes, despite my insecurities."
He held her, and they both cried, right there, in the middle of the hall, where anyone could have found them. In truth, two did find them, and as the pair solemnly looked down at the lovers, they regretted interrupting the reconciliation.
"Hermione, I'm sorry, but..." Ron stammered.
They looked up, startled, both wiping away the streaming tears. "No, no, it's alright, Ron. What do you need?"
Harry and Ron looked at each other, then at the sitting pair in anguish.
"Well, spit it out, you two, what did you feel was so important that you needed to interrupt us?" Draco was getting angry at their presence, due to the current situation with his lover.
"Sorry, it's just that...Hermione...the results are in. She said it was positive." Harry sighed and peered warily at his friend.
She began to tremble, and the tears began again.
"What is he blabbering about? Hermione? What's wrong, love?" Draco stared at his girlfriend in confusion.
"I'm...pregnant, Draco...but..."
"Really? That's...brilliant!" He broke into a bright grin.
"It's not yours."
He slowly stopped smiling, and a cold stony look placed itself on his face.
"Don't blame her, Malfoy, she doesn't want it anyway..." Ron broke off as Harry hit him in the ribs.
"Draco, I'm sorry!" She sobbed. "I wanted to forget, just forget..." She began to rock back and forth, with her head held between her hands.
He still looked at her without any emotion.
"I don't want it...but he just wouldn't leave me be, I only ever wanted your children, but he took that from me, took everything from me...I can't breathe..." She was shaking violently now, and Harry, seeing Draco's emotionless reaction, bent down and placed his arms around her.
"What is she talking about?" Draco seethed through tight lips.
Harry looked up at him helplessly. "She was raped...she couldn't tell you...she was so scared..."
Draco slowly began to react...a fire began to burn in his eyes, a dangerous glint sharply contrasting his pale skin. He began to tremble, slightly, then he rose, and looked down at his lover his burning anger. He couldn't breathe properly; her leaving him hurt less than this. The only this he could think of was: Who had dared to even touch her skin without her permission?
"I'm so sorry, Draco..." She sobbed up at him.
Then everything in his sight went black...
A/N: YAY! I've never done a one shot before...that was fun! Hope you enjoyed it! Have a great day!