Frowning, Hermione gently placed her hand upon the rotting gate. The path beyond was cracked and overgrown with weeds, hinting at the neglect she would find within the small, squat house. With careful steps she made her way up the path, her skirt catching in the weeds. As she reached out to knock upon the water-marked door it flew open, revealing a scruffy looking man in a pair of torn trousers.
"Draco?" whispered Hermione as she pushed his hair back with gentle fingers, her brow creasing with worry.
"Hermione?" asked Draco, his pale grey eyes lifting to meet her chocolate ones.
"What have you done to yourself?"
"You, you left. Left me," whispered Draco, his voice raspy with weeks of disuse.
"I was always coming back Draco," sighed Hermione, reaching down to twine their fingers together. There on her finger glittered the same gold band he had slid onto her finger months before.
"I love you," he whispered, his eyes filling with tears as she took him into her arms.