Draco Malfoy paced the long rows of gravestones at Tromedlov graveyard, it
was a muggle graveyard, but unbeknown to the muggles, it was filled with
those whom had died at the hand of Voldemort and his followers.
Tromedlov. Voldemort.
He didn't enjoy walking these long rows, but it was a painful reminder to what he had taken part in.
So far he had counted one hundred twenty six graves that he recognized as people he had either murdered Murdered. or laughed with fellow deatheaters over their conquests about. He had laughed.
He was only one eighth through the vast site.
Along the third row, he saw someone. A mourner. There was always at least one when ever he went, to make him feel guilty. This girl was kneeling between two gravestones, her head bowed body raking with sobs.
He walked quietly behind her, reading the inscriptions on them as he passed over them.
Loving mother. Devoted wife. Francine Granger. 1972- 2002.
Loving father. Devoted husband. Bram Granger. 1969- 2002.
Granger? A bushy haired girl came to mind, he turned and saw familiar brown hair, but not so bushy. He half expected to see her in her Hogwarts robe, but she was wearing a black turtle-necked sweater, and faded jeans.
He noticed the girl had stopped crying, and risen to her feet. Her back still turned. 'It's sad when you can't even visit your parents without someone making you feel insignificant.'
Draco watched her walk away, the hard rain that had started flattening her hair. He watched as she wrapped her arms around herself and shivered.
'Hermione!'
Someone had called her. He had. He had called her.
Hermione stopped, turning slowly. She walked back slowly, wondering who the stranger who had called her was. Only seeing a dark figure, not getting a clear view of the face.
'Yes?' she spoke hesitantly when she was near four feet away.
An apology. He needed to apologize. Let her walk away. Not know it was him. How do you apologize. It wasn't something he was skilled at.
Sorry for being a bastard to you. No. Sorry for calling you a mudblood all those years. Definitely not. Though it was true.
'Sorry about your parents.' It was perfect. Now he had to say it. But he already had. He could see her trying to peer through the rain to get a better look at him.
He watched as she stopped suddenly, he watched her mouth form an o, agonizingly slow. He watched as her hand rose to her mouth, and he watched as her mouth formed his name. 'Malfoy?'
She asked transfixed. She knew him. The cold drawl gone, Replaced with warmth. Replaced with sincerity.
'What are you doing here?' The question she had been dying to ask. A voice, not hers had asked it. But it had been her.
'I come here often. Remember my sins.'
Sins. That's what they were after all.
'Don't you mean accomplishments?'
Ouch. That hurt. Maybe they were accomplishments. Then. Not now. No. Not now.
'Not accomplishments. My sins. The one's that decide my fate.' It was true. He'd see his father there. Be reunited with Voldemort. Hell. Woo hoo.
'I'm sorry about your parents.' He repeated. Two apologies. In ten minutes. Two apologies. In his whole life.
'Thank you.' Civilized Conversation, With him. Draco Malfoy. Permanent thorn in her side.
She had to ask. Had it been him? 'Did you do... it? To them I mean.' She asked gesturing to her parent's graves.
Granger? No. Gravdle. Grandy. Grable. Yes. 'No. Not me.'
She looked down, again shivering from the cold. Draco removed his coat. Draping it over her shoulders.
Aren't we kind? Ha. Kind. Well. He was learning.
She smiled a sad smile and pulled it tighter around her neck.
'Who are you staying with?' he asked. Stupid question. Apologize. Say never mind. Do it.
'I have foster parents. They're okay, I guess. They don't compare though.'
Draco looked again at the gravestones.
-2002. It was haunting him. The war.
He had gloated. 49 kills. The first day.
Including Ron Weasley's sister. Jenny. Or whatever her name was.
He wondered if she was here. Stupid. Of course not. She was a witch.
'I'm so sorry Hermione.' A tear. Mixed with Rain. Don't see it. Please don't see it.
A tear. Recognizable through the rain. She bit her lip. Dare she mention it?
'Malfoy, you're crying.'
Damn. She noticed. 'Is it a crime?' God. How rude can you get. Honestly.
No. No crime. 'Just surprised.' She was. Astonished actually.
With the rain stopped they both saw each other clearly. Drowned rats in a graveyard.
Draco tried to turn to walk away. His body had a different plan.
He stepped forward. Oh no. No I'm not. No sir.
Get out of here. Come on feet. Listen to me.
Now his arms. God they were lifting. Reaching.
The next thing he knew he was hugging her. Mudblood. Granger. Hermione.
She was hugging him back.
Ferret. Malfoy. Draco.
'I've got to go.' A whisper. She didn't want to go. Not really.
'My guardians will be worried.'
Nod. Say something. Anything you idiot. He nodded.
Go. Go. Home. Where's home. He had none.
'Good bye.' Good bye. Not just bye. Or farwell.
'Where are you staying Malfoy?'
She's here? I thought she'd gone.
'Where ever I can.' Park benches. Hotels. Whatever.
'Do you need somewhere to go?'
Say no. Say it. N. O. 'yes.' Stupid. God damn it.
'Come on.' She grabbed his hand. Warm. Wet. Soft.
A pull. Her hand in his. Clasped.
He followed. 'Where am I going?'
'Church.' Never been there. Heard of it. Never been there.
She was still talking. Listen. 'To confess your sins.'
My sins. All of them? We haven't the time. 'Then...' Then? Then what? 'you're coming to stay at my house.'
'no.' did I decline? I'm stupid.
'yes.' Is she fighting with me? Stupid mud- Hermione.
'Okay.'
'Father forgive me, I have sinned.' Forgive me Hermione. Please.
'Yes my son.'
'I killed countless people. In a war.'
'Protecting is not a sin. You are forgiven.'
'Father, I was on the wrong side.'
'You are forgiven son. Beliefs, whether wrong or right, Are not sins.'
'I hurt people. Emotionally.'
Forgive me Hermione.
'Did you make amends?'
'Yes father.'
'You are forgiven. Go now my son. Your soul cleansed.'
Pull back the curtain. Do it. She'll be there. Waiting.
I did it. She's looking at me. God she's beautiful.
God he's beautiful. I'm so proud. Cleansed Malfoy. Draco.
He's smiling.
A real smile. My first. She's holding my hand again. Bliss.
'come on.' Her whisper in my ear, Again. 'Draco.'
My second smile.
Tromedlov. Voldemort.
He didn't enjoy walking these long rows, but it was a painful reminder to what he had taken part in.
So far he had counted one hundred twenty six graves that he recognized as people he had either murdered Murdered. or laughed with fellow deatheaters over their conquests about. He had laughed.
He was only one eighth through the vast site.
Along the third row, he saw someone. A mourner. There was always at least one when ever he went, to make him feel guilty. This girl was kneeling between two gravestones, her head bowed body raking with sobs.
He walked quietly behind her, reading the inscriptions on them as he passed over them.
Loving mother. Devoted wife. Francine Granger. 1972- 2002.
Loving father. Devoted husband. Bram Granger. 1969- 2002.
Granger? A bushy haired girl came to mind, he turned and saw familiar brown hair, but not so bushy. He half expected to see her in her Hogwarts robe, but she was wearing a black turtle-necked sweater, and faded jeans.
He noticed the girl had stopped crying, and risen to her feet. Her back still turned. 'It's sad when you can't even visit your parents without someone making you feel insignificant.'
Draco watched her walk away, the hard rain that had started flattening her hair. He watched as she wrapped her arms around herself and shivered.
'Hermione!'
Someone had called her. He had. He had called her.
Hermione stopped, turning slowly. She walked back slowly, wondering who the stranger who had called her was. Only seeing a dark figure, not getting a clear view of the face.
'Yes?' she spoke hesitantly when she was near four feet away.
An apology. He needed to apologize. Let her walk away. Not know it was him. How do you apologize. It wasn't something he was skilled at.
Sorry for being a bastard to you. No. Sorry for calling you a mudblood all those years. Definitely not. Though it was true.
'Sorry about your parents.' It was perfect. Now he had to say it. But he already had. He could see her trying to peer through the rain to get a better look at him.
He watched as she stopped suddenly, he watched her mouth form an o, agonizingly slow. He watched as her hand rose to her mouth, and he watched as her mouth formed his name. 'Malfoy?'
She asked transfixed. She knew him. The cold drawl gone, Replaced with warmth. Replaced with sincerity.
'What are you doing here?' The question she had been dying to ask. A voice, not hers had asked it. But it had been her.
'I come here often. Remember my sins.'
Sins. That's what they were after all.
'Don't you mean accomplishments?'
Ouch. That hurt. Maybe they were accomplishments. Then. Not now. No. Not now.
'Not accomplishments. My sins. The one's that decide my fate.' It was true. He'd see his father there. Be reunited with Voldemort. Hell. Woo hoo.
'I'm sorry about your parents.' He repeated. Two apologies. In ten minutes. Two apologies. In his whole life.
'Thank you.' Civilized Conversation, With him. Draco Malfoy. Permanent thorn in her side.
She had to ask. Had it been him? 'Did you do... it? To them I mean.' She asked gesturing to her parent's graves.
Granger? No. Gravdle. Grandy. Grable. Yes. 'No. Not me.'
She looked down, again shivering from the cold. Draco removed his coat. Draping it over her shoulders.
Aren't we kind? Ha. Kind. Well. He was learning.
She smiled a sad smile and pulled it tighter around her neck.
'Who are you staying with?' he asked. Stupid question. Apologize. Say never mind. Do it.
'I have foster parents. They're okay, I guess. They don't compare though.'
Draco looked again at the gravestones.
-2002. It was haunting him. The war.
He had gloated. 49 kills. The first day.
Including Ron Weasley's sister. Jenny. Or whatever her name was.
He wondered if she was here. Stupid. Of course not. She was a witch.
'I'm so sorry Hermione.' A tear. Mixed with Rain. Don't see it. Please don't see it.
A tear. Recognizable through the rain. She bit her lip. Dare she mention it?
'Malfoy, you're crying.'
Damn. She noticed. 'Is it a crime?' God. How rude can you get. Honestly.
No. No crime. 'Just surprised.' She was. Astonished actually.
With the rain stopped they both saw each other clearly. Drowned rats in a graveyard.
Draco tried to turn to walk away. His body had a different plan.
He stepped forward. Oh no. No I'm not. No sir.
Get out of here. Come on feet. Listen to me.
Now his arms. God they were lifting. Reaching.
The next thing he knew he was hugging her. Mudblood. Granger. Hermione.
She was hugging him back.
Ferret. Malfoy. Draco.
'I've got to go.' A whisper. She didn't want to go. Not really.
'My guardians will be worried.'
Nod. Say something. Anything you idiot. He nodded.
Go. Go. Home. Where's home. He had none.
'Good bye.' Good bye. Not just bye. Or farwell.
'Where are you staying Malfoy?'
She's here? I thought she'd gone.
'Where ever I can.' Park benches. Hotels. Whatever.
'Do you need somewhere to go?'
Say no. Say it. N. O. 'yes.' Stupid. God damn it.
'Come on.' She grabbed his hand. Warm. Wet. Soft.
A pull. Her hand in his. Clasped.
He followed. 'Where am I going?'
'Church.' Never been there. Heard of it. Never been there.
She was still talking. Listen. 'To confess your sins.'
My sins. All of them? We haven't the time. 'Then...' Then? Then what? 'you're coming to stay at my house.'
'no.' did I decline? I'm stupid.
'yes.' Is she fighting with me? Stupid mud- Hermione.
'Okay.'
'Father forgive me, I have sinned.' Forgive me Hermione. Please.
'Yes my son.'
'I killed countless people. In a war.'
'Protecting is not a sin. You are forgiven.'
'Father, I was on the wrong side.'
'You are forgiven son. Beliefs, whether wrong or right, Are not sins.'
'I hurt people. Emotionally.'
Forgive me Hermione.
'Did you make amends?'
'Yes father.'
'You are forgiven. Go now my son. Your soul cleansed.'
Pull back the curtain. Do it. She'll be there. Waiting.
I did it. She's looking at me. God she's beautiful.
God he's beautiful. I'm so proud. Cleansed Malfoy. Draco.
He's smiling.
A real smile. My first. She's holding my hand again. Bliss.
'come on.' Her whisper in my ear, Again. 'Draco.'
My second smile.