A/N: I really didn't want to multi-fic, but I think that I've put off this
sequel long enough. Besides, Temptation isn't far from its end and I
really want to write the sequel to "I Need You to Love Me." The way I have
it planned is that it's going to be a trilogy, with this story, "Love Was
Not Enough," as the second part. It is set approximately 5 years after
Hermione and Draco graduated from Hogwarts, but there will constantly be
flashbacks to their last year, which was full of passion, betrayal, and
heartbreak. (These flashbacks are not in chronological order.) I've taken
the liberty to create a new character, Amber, who is Hermione and Draco's 4-
year old daughter. She will play a bigger role in the last story of the
Trilogy, but has a rather cameo role here. Anywayz, I'll get on with
this.
*~~ LOVE WAS NOT ENOUGH: ~~*
-A sequel to I Need You to Love Me.- (found at: )
CHAPTER 1: A Reminder of the Past
Hermione leaned against the stone wall for support, knowing full well that she did not have enough strength to reach the end of the staircase. She closed her eyes, willing the world to stop spinning. Her time was running out. The effects of her unhealed injury were taking its toll on her, and she knew that Hogwart's defenses would not hold for much longer. The Dark Lord's army had already surrounded them, leaving only a single window of opportunity for her friends to flee.
Hermione doubled over as coughs burned her throat. She could feel the warmth of her own blood on her hands; a sign that her own end was near. If she were strong, if they had the medical supplies, if the healers had enough magic left in them, she could have survived. However, neither was true, and Hermione knew that her greatest value now lay in her death. She would buy her friends' escape with her life, but not yet. There was still one more thing left for her to do.
"Mommy? Mommy, are you alright?"
Hermione felt Amber's hand close tentatively around hers. She opened up her eyes to stare into the grey pools that reminded her each day of the pain of loss and betrayal. Only the overwhelming love she had for her daughter could make her overcome that pain and put the past behind her. But now . . . Now the only way to save her daughter's life lay in that past. She had no choice!
"Amber, darling, I need you to run downstairs and bring uncle Harry and uncle Ron here. Can you do that for me Honey?"
Her daughter nodded her head; her brown tresses flying as she rushed to find her uncles. But that was where the similarity between Amber and her ended. Amber had inherited Draco's eyes, Draco's nose, Draco's mouth. Hermione could only pray that her daughter did not inherit Draco's heart.
~~~***~~~ She rushed up and hugged Madame Pomfrey in delight. She could feel joy rushing through her, ridding her of the doubts, the fears, and the uncertainties she had held in the past few months. She and Draco were going to have a baby! A child of there own, one that would look exactly like him. Already she could imagine a younger version of Draco, a girl or boy with blond hair and grey eyes, or perhaps, one with brown hair and grey eyes. Or . .
"Hermione, dear, please. I know you're happy, but . ."
"Oh Madame Pomfrey, there can't be any buts. This is the best thing that has happened to me in this entire year! I have to go and tell Draco!"
"Hermione, wait . . ."
But she wasn't listening as she ran out of the hospital wing, heading for the rooms that she shared with Draco. She had to tell him. It wouldn't matter now what his father did, what the Dark Lord would do. As long as they were together, as long as they had their child, everything would work out just fine.
She rushed up the stairs, quickly mumbling the password to her quarters.
Then, she saw him!
Even before she saw before whom he was kneeling, even before she recognized the men surrounding him, their heads bowed in reverence, even before the stream of dark curses shot out at her, Hermione knew! The heart-rending sting of betrayal threatened to choke her as she realized that Draco had made his choice, she realized that despite the love they had for each other in their past life, despite the love she felt for him now, Draco had chosen a path that could never include her. He had chosen to stand at Voldemort's side, to one day take his place, and in that process, kill her and all that she held dear.
She welcomed the darkness that engulfed her, for it stopped her from feeling the pain. She had trusted him so implicitly, loved him so completely, and he returned her affections with a betrayal that had cost her a friend's life. As she fell into his arms, she knew that the pain she felt that day would only be the beginning. And she was right!
~~~***~~~
"Hermione! Hermione, come on, please, open your eyes." Harry said, his hands shaking as he wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth. He looked at Ron who was now holding on to Amber, a silent message sent between them. She was dying.
"Harry," Hermione whispered. "Harry, you have to help me."
"Yes, we'll get you to Madame Pomfrey right away. I don't care what the costs are, we'll get her to help you."
Hermione shook her head, trying desperately to regain her strength.
"No. That's not what I mean."
The desperation in her voice must have alerted Harry, for he frowned. However, he was distracted by Professor Dumbledore's entrance.
"Ms.Granger, let me try to heal you. I've recovered from my last attack, I feel. . . ."
Hermione shook her head. She smiled weakly.
"Headmaster, I . . . it'll take too much of our resources to help me, and even then, I would be of little help to you. I will never recover fully from this injury. I did not ask Amber to bring Harry and Ron here to save me. I asked them to come here because I have a plan. One that can save most of our lives"
Professor Dumbledore sighed, and finally nodded.
"Tomorrow morning, I'll cast Completio Protigus charm. I'm one of the few of us here who can still cast it. While I do so, you can end the anti- apparition spell, so that the rest of us can apparate away from here. I'm weak, so the charm won't give you much time, but it'll be enough for most of you to escape."
"I'll cast the charm Hermione. You're too weak, it'll kill you." Ron said.
"No. Ron, you can still fight, you can still help Harry get rid of Voldemort. I can't, not any more. Whoever casts that spell, able-bodied or not, will either die or get captured by the Dark forces. If I die casting it, you won't be loosing much."
"But Hermione . . ." Harry protested
"I'm dying Harry. Even Amber can sense that. That's why she's been shadowing me all this while. Come here honey." Hermione said and shifted so that Amber could rush into her arms.
"I don't have any regrets. This is the most logical choice, and you know it. Only Ron, you, Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, and I have mastered this charm. Only we can cast it with enough force to block out the Dark Forces completely, for a while. The alliance can't afford to loose any of you, it can only afford to loose me. Let me do this."
"Ms. Granger. You have a daughter, and she still needs you. You're asking me to make her an orphan. Do you really think that I can do that?" Professor Dumbledore asked, his voice tired. He had seen too much death, and had lost too many that were dear to him. He couldn't afford to loose another, but apparently, he had little choice.
"No, Professor, I'm not asking you to make her an orphan. What I am asking you do, before I cast the spell, is to send her to her father."
A silence took over the three men. Ron was the first to loose his temper.
"Are you mad, Hermione? You're going to send Amber to that son of a bitch? He's Voldemort's right hand, his proclaimed successor! How can you even think of sending Amber to him?"
Hermione closed her eyes. She didn't have the strength to argue, but she knew that she had to. It was the only way to save Amber's life.
"I agree with Ron. That piece of slime has never even acknowledged Amber's existence. The spell that's killing you right now was his creation. He's not the Draco you loved, he's not even the Draco you knew. He betrayed you, he betrayed all of us. It is because of him that we are so vulnerable to Voldemort's attacks. And you're asking me to send my niece to him?
Slowly, Hermione collected her strength. She could only say this once, and she needed to convince them. She tightened her arms around her daughter, hoping against all that Amber would remember her words, years from now, when she was no longer there.
"Harry, Ron, Professor. You don't need to convince me that Draco's evil, I know, first hand. The wound he dealt me 5 years ago still hurts me, and I will never forget what he did to us, to Hogwarts. But the truth remains. I can no longer take care of Amber, I'm dying."
Hermione lifted her hand to ward off Harry and Ron's protests.
"I know that Harry and Ron would be willing to take care of her, but the fact is that they can't. After tomorrow, you will all be on the run, hiding from death eaters who now occupy this entire continent. It will be years, decades, before you gather enough force to make another stand. That is, IF you survive. We have to face the fact that you simply can't escape if you have a four year old girl to worry about. It isn't possible, especially with Ginny nearing her time."
Hermione covered her mouth as another bout of coughs attacked her, and she winced at the worry in Amber's eyes. Her daughter had grown up to quickly, she had seen her slow, torturous journey towards death. She feared for her daughter's future, especially now.
"I'm alright honey. Don't worry." She said softly.
"What are you asking, Ms. Granger?" Professor Dumbledore inquired.
"Amber's best chance of survival, of a safe life, is with Draco. None of you can deny that." She said flatly.
"If that son of a bitch cared about her, he would have made a move to reach her by now. Since he left Hogwarts, he's pretending as if neither you nor she ever existed." Ron ground out.
"He has never made a move to reach her because he never knew that she existed. I never told him."
Again, there was silence. But this time, Hermione saw a flicker of hope in Professor Dumbledore's eyes.
"That's a cruel secret to keep, Ms. Granger. When he finds out, Mr. Malfoy will be furious with you." He said. However, his tone was not as dire as it was a while ago. It was clear, to Hermione, that Professor Dumbledore was agreeing to her request.
"If you help me, he will find out about her tonight. By tomorrow, when he finds me, I'll be dead." She said, all the while wiping the tears from Amber's eyes. She had thought of excluding Amber from this conversation, but decided against it. She needed Amber to remember, for the only thing that could further shatter her heart, was if her only daughter succumbed to the temptation of evil. Suddenly, she felt her breath shorten, and darkness reach for her, once more. But this time, this time she was certain that her daughter would be safe.
As Hermione slowly fell into unconsciousness, Professor Dumbledore said sagely
"Don't be so sure Ms. Granger. You and Mr. Malfoy were destined to be, and now, I think, destiny has once again come into play."
~~~***~~~
Disclaimer: of course I don't own these characters! I wouldn't be going to school otherwise.
A/N: Dear all, please remember that an author needs reviews to motivate her to write. If you don't review, I'd think that you didn't like this fic, and I won't update as fast :-P. Remember, constructive criticism is appreciated.
*~~ LOVE WAS NOT ENOUGH: ~~*
-A sequel to I Need You to Love Me.- (found at: )
CHAPTER 1: A Reminder of the Past
Hermione leaned against the stone wall for support, knowing full well that she did not have enough strength to reach the end of the staircase. She closed her eyes, willing the world to stop spinning. Her time was running out. The effects of her unhealed injury were taking its toll on her, and she knew that Hogwart's defenses would not hold for much longer. The Dark Lord's army had already surrounded them, leaving only a single window of opportunity for her friends to flee.
Hermione doubled over as coughs burned her throat. She could feel the warmth of her own blood on her hands; a sign that her own end was near. If she were strong, if they had the medical supplies, if the healers had enough magic left in them, she could have survived. However, neither was true, and Hermione knew that her greatest value now lay in her death. She would buy her friends' escape with her life, but not yet. There was still one more thing left for her to do.
"Mommy? Mommy, are you alright?"
Hermione felt Amber's hand close tentatively around hers. She opened up her eyes to stare into the grey pools that reminded her each day of the pain of loss and betrayal. Only the overwhelming love she had for her daughter could make her overcome that pain and put the past behind her. But now . . . Now the only way to save her daughter's life lay in that past. She had no choice!
"Amber, darling, I need you to run downstairs and bring uncle Harry and uncle Ron here. Can you do that for me Honey?"
Her daughter nodded her head; her brown tresses flying as she rushed to find her uncles. But that was where the similarity between Amber and her ended. Amber had inherited Draco's eyes, Draco's nose, Draco's mouth. Hermione could only pray that her daughter did not inherit Draco's heart.
~~~***~~~ She rushed up and hugged Madame Pomfrey in delight. She could feel joy rushing through her, ridding her of the doubts, the fears, and the uncertainties she had held in the past few months. She and Draco were going to have a baby! A child of there own, one that would look exactly like him. Already she could imagine a younger version of Draco, a girl or boy with blond hair and grey eyes, or perhaps, one with brown hair and grey eyes. Or . .
"Hermione, dear, please. I know you're happy, but . ."
"Oh Madame Pomfrey, there can't be any buts. This is the best thing that has happened to me in this entire year! I have to go and tell Draco!"
"Hermione, wait . . ."
But she wasn't listening as she ran out of the hospital wing, heading for the rooms that she shared with Draco. She had to tell him. It wouldn't matter now what his father did, what the Dark Lord would do. As long as they were together, as long as they had their child, everything would work out just fine.
She rushed up the stairs, quickly mumbling the password to her quarters.
Then, she saw him!
Even before she saw before whom he was kneeling, even before she recognized the men surrounding him, their heads bowed in reverence, even before the stream of dark curses shot out at her, Hermione knew! The heart-rending sting of betrayal threatened to choke her as she realized that Draco had made his choice, she realized that despite the love they had for each other in their past life, despite the love she felt for him now, Draco had chosen a path that could never include her. He had chosen to stand at Voldemort's side, to one day take his place, and in that process, kill her and all that she held dear.
She welcomed the darkness that engulfed her, for it stopped her from feeling the pain. She had trusted him so implicitly, loved him so completely, and he returned her affections with a betrayal that had cost her a friend's life. As she fell into his arms, she knew that the pain she felt that day would only be the beginning. And she was right!
~~~***~~~
"Hermione! Hermione, come on, please, open your eyes." Harry said, his hands shaking as he wiped the blood from the corner of her mouth. He looked at Ron who was now holding on to Amber, a silent message sent between them. She was dying.
"Harry," Hermione whispered. "Harry, you have to help me."
"Yes, we'll get you to Madame Pomfrey right away. I don't care what the costs are, we'll get her to help you."
Hermione shook her head, trying desperately to regain her strength.
"No. That's not what I mean."
The desperation in her voice must have alerted Harry, for he frowned. However, he was distracted by Professor Dumbledore's entrance.
"Ms.Granger, let me try to heal you. I've recovered from my last attack, I feel. . . ."
Hermione shook her head. She smiled weakly.
"Headmaster, I . . . it'll take too much of our resources to help me, and even then, I would be of little help to you. I will never recover fully from this injury. I did not ask Amber to bring Harry and Ron here to save me. I asked them to come here because I have a plan. One that can save most of our lives"
Professor Dumbledore sighed, and finally nodded.
"Tomorrow morning, I'll cast Completio Protigus charm. I'm one of the few of us here who can still cast it. While I do so, you can end the anti- apparition spell, so that the rest of us can apparate away from here. I'm weak, so the charm won't give you much time, but it'll be enough for most of you to escape."
"I'll cast the charm Hermione. You're too weak, it'll kill you." Ron said.
"No. Ron, you can still fight, you can still help Harry get rid of Voldemort. I can't, not any more. Whoever casts that spell, able-bodied or not, will either die or get captured by the Dark forces. If I die casting it, you won't be loosing much."
"But Hermione . . ." Harry protested
"I'm dying Harry. Even Amber can sense that. That's why she's been shadowing me all this while. Come here honey." Hermione said and shifted so that Amber could rush into her arms.
"I don't have any regrets. This is the most logical choice, and you know it. Only Ron, you, Professor Dumbledore, Professor McGonagall, Professor Flitwick, and I have mastered this charm. Only we can cast it with enough force to block out the Dark Forces completely, for a while. The alliance can't afford to loose any of you, it can only afford to loose me. Let me do this."
"Ms. Granger. You have a daughter, and she still needs you. You're asking me to make her an orphan. Do you really think that I can do that?" Professor Dumbledore asked, his voice tired. He had seen too much death, and had lost too many that were dear to him. He couldn't afford to loose another, but apparently, he had little choice.
"No, Professor, I'm not asking you to make her an orphan. What I am asking you do, before I cast the spell, is to send her to her father."
A silence took over the three men. Ron was the first to loose his temper.
"Are you mad, Hermione? You're going to send Amber to that son of a bitch? He's Voldemort's right hand, his proclaimed successor! How can you even think of sending Amber to him?"
Hermione closed her eyes. She didn't have the strength to argue, but she knew that she had to. It was the only way to save Amber's life.
"I agree with Ron. That piece of slime has never even acknowledged Amber's existence. The spell that's killing you right now was his creation. He's not the Draco you loved, he's not even the Draco you knew. He betrayed you, he betrayed all of us. It is because of him that we are so vulnerable to Voldemort's attacks. And you're asking me to send my niece to him?
Slowly, Hermione collected her strength. She could only say this once, and she needed to convince them. She tightened her arms around her daughter, hoping against all that Amber would remember her words, years from now, when she was no longer there.
"Harry, Ron, Professor. You don't need to convince me that Draco's evil, I know, first hand. The wound he dealt me 5 years ago still hurts me, and I will never forget what he did to us, to Hogwarts. But the truth remains. I can no longer take care of Amber, I'm dying."
Hermione lifted her hand to ward off Harry and Ron's protests.
"I know that Harry and Ron would be willing to take care of her, but the fact is that they can't. After tomorrow, you will all be on the run, hiding from death eaters who now occupy this entire continent. It will be years, decades, before you gather enough force to make another stand. That is, IF you survive. We have to face the fact that you simply can't escape if you have a four year old girl to worry about. It isn't possible, especially with Ginny nearing her time."
Hermione covered her mouth as another bout of coughs attacked her, and she winced at the worry in Amber's eyes. Her daughter had grown up to quickly, she had seen her slow, torturous journey towards death. She feared for her daughter's future, especially now.
"I'm alright honey. Don't worry." She said softly.
"What are you asking, Ms. Granger?" Professor Dumbledore inquired.
"Amber's best chance of survival, of a safe life, is with Draco. None of you can deny that." She said flatly.
"If that son of a bitch cared about her, he would have made a move to reach her by now. Since he left Hogwarts, he's pretending as if neither you nor she ever existed." Ron ground out.
"He has never made a move to reach her because he never knew that she existed. I never told him."
Again, there was silence. But this time, Hermione saw a flicker of hope in Professor Dumbledore's eyes.
"That's a cruel secret to keep, Ms. Granger. When he finds out, Mr. Malfoy will be furious with you." He said. However, his tone was not as dire as it was a while ago. It was clear, to Hermione, that Professor Dumbledore was agreeing to her request.
"If you help me, he will find out about her tonight. By tomorrow, when he finds me, I'll be dead." She said, all the while wiping the tears from Amber's eyes. She had thought of excluding Amber from this conversation, but decided against it. She needed Amber to remember, for the only thing that could further shatter her heart, was if her only daughter succumbed to the temptation of evil. Suddenly, she felt her breath shorten, and darkness reach for her, once more. But this time, this time she was certain that her daughter would be safe.
As Hermione slowly fell into unconsciousness, Professor Dumbledore said sagely
"Don't be so sure Ms. Granger. You and Mr. Malfoy were destined to be, and now, I think, destiny has once again come into play."
~~~***~~~
Disclaimer: of course I don't own these characters! I wouldn't be going to school otherwise.
A/N: Dear all, please remember that an author needs reviews to motivate her to write. If you don't review, I'd think that you didn't like this fic, and I won't update as fast :-P. Remember, constructive criticism is appreciated.