Battle of Hogwarts, May 1998.
He would find her.
He would apologize.
He would tell her that he still loved her.
He would tell her just how sorry he was.
He would tell her how much he loved her.
He would do anything for her.
Killing curses were flying around Draco Malfoy, but he would find her.
He was happy. He was the happiest. He was able to forget about every bad thing going on in his life because he was with her. He was able to forget about the pressure the Dark Lord was putting on him, he was able to forget his father's disappointment, he was able to forget how his mother was slowly wasting away. He was able to forget, if only temporarily.
Her soft, quiet giggles filled the air in the Hogwarts Library. The tall bookcases towered over them. He could smell the scent of old parchment and her rosy perfume. When he looked over to her, there was a troublesome glint in her eye. "What are you playing at?" he asked, smiling in spite of himself.
She let out a slightly louder giggle. She looked beautiful like that; sitting under the dim light, her hair disheveled, her lips bruised, her eyes shining mischievously. He knew that he would never forget the way she looked tonight. She held her huge book with one hand and pointed at his chest with the other, giggling all the while.
He slowly looked down and immediately noticed what she was pointing at… He was wearing her tie. He looked back up at her and tried really hard to pretend to be angry -because he knew it would make her laugh, and her laughter was like music to his ears-, but failed miserably. He stood from his chair and approached her, who was giggling incessantly and with growing volume. "Did you do this on purpose?" he asked, trying to keep a straight face and putting his hand on the armrests on either side of her.
She shook her head violently and was laughing now.
"Please," he heard Madam Pince call from the front of the library, "Please keep your voices down. Do your schoolwork or leave."
He looked back at her, and she seemed to be controlling her laughter better.
"Well then, I suppose we should switch," he said, bringing his hands up to her neck and brushing his fingertips against her bare skin. He slowly removed his tie from around her neck and quickly removed hers from around his. She had completely stopped giggling now. He pulled his tie on and softly pulled hers on. He brought his mouth up to her ear and was delighted to hear her breath hitch when he whispered, "I love you."
He would find her.
He was starting to get desperate.
He wanted to remind her.
He didn't want her to forget.
He knew he would never forget.
He cherished their memories like gold.
He wished she would too.
Dead bodies littered the ground around Draco Malfoy, but he would find her.
They walked down the crowded street in Hogsmeade. There were Hogwarts students everywhere, all with different destinations, and all they could see was the back of the heads on the taller ones. Most of them were doing last minute Christmas shopping for their friends and family. It was winter, and there were tiny, barely visible snowflakes falling on the heads of the unsuspecting teenagers.
She was under the borrowed Invisibility Cloak, for they couldn't be seen together. Their friends would be outraged and disgusted. They would not be accepted amongst the student body.
They were going to Honeydukes. He had promised that he would buy her a whole box of Bertie Bott's Every Flavour Beans. Both of them thoroughly enjoyed going to Honeydukes together, even if one of them was covered by an Invisibility Cloak. He had a silly grin playing at his lips.
"I wish I could hold you," he whispered in her general direction. He had to make sure than no one saw him talking to the air next to him, or they could get suspicious. He couldn't see where she was, but he could feel her shoulder pressed against his.
"You're such a softie," she whispered back, there was a silly grin playing at her lips too. Although he couldn't see it, she was staring at him longingly, wanting to hold him as well.
His small grin was now big and broad, and he might've looked like a maniac to a passing pedestrian. "And you love it," he whispered goofily, with a slight nudge against her arm.
"Shove off, you great lump," she whispered back, nudging his arm with a bit more force than he had, but he could hear the smile in her voice.
"Never," he whispered back. And he had meant it. He had meant it with every fiber in his being. He loved her and they both knew it. "I'd do anything for you, but I will not do that. Anything you want."
"Glad you know," she whispered again, suppressing a giggle this time, as he held the door to Honeydukes open for her and walked in after her, "Because you're going to have to taste the funny looking beans before I eat them."
He would find her.
He needed to ask her.
He needed to know if it was true.
He needed to know if she ever loved him.
He needed it just as much as he needed oxygen to breathe.
He wouldn't be able to go on if he didn't ask her.
Hell was breaking out around Draco Malfoy, but he would find her.
They were in his dormitory, tangled around green sheets. His room was covered in Slytherin decorations, and most everything was either green or silver. She didn't mind, though. It was a Saturday night. He thought he was the happiest man alive, to be with her in his bed. To have her in his arms. To be able to touch her and having her touch him. He was sure that if he were to look in the Mirror of Erised, he would see nothing but himself right now.
She wasn't moving at all, and her breathing was slow and even. He was sure that she was asleep. He stroked her hair with his fingers. He knew that it wouldn't last long. Voldemort and his family were pressuring more than ever. He knew that he would have to take the Dark Mark eventually. He knew that he had to tell her soon. He thought that she was asleep, but she was very much awake, and she was enjoying his touch.
She shifted, to let him know she was awake. She readjusted her head to look at him and she moved her arm lazily across his chest.
He thought she looked beautiful under the moonlight, her eyes wandering sleepily, her breath hot on his bare chest, her golden eyes staring into his grey ones.
"Do you love me?" he asked suddenly, now tracing slow circles on her bare back. He needed reassurance. He needed her to say yes. He needed her so bad.
"Of course, Draco," she answered in a faint whisper.
He would find her.
He hadn't seen her for two years.
He knew she hated him.
She hated him so much, she left.
She left and she didn't even look back.
He loved her so much it hurt.
People were dying around Draco Malfoy, but he would find her.
"How could you?" she screamed, tears were forming in her eyes and her hand went instinctively to where she kept her wand, "How could you betray me like this? How could you leave me like this?"
"You think this is easy for me?" he screamed back, taking a step closer to her, "You think it's easy to take the fucking Dark Mark?"
"Shut up!' she screamed, her wand now in her hand, "Shut up! You can't do this! You can't do this now!"
"I have no choice and you know it!" he shouted, but he knew that no matter how much they shouted at each other, things weren't going to change. "I have no choice, so don't act like I do!"
She was crying now. Tears were pouring down her face and she couldn't do anything to stop them. He wanted to cry too, but he didn't want her to see him like that. He was broken, battered and beaten, but he would never admit that to her. She was the only thing keeping him sane, keeping him alright. "Fight with me," she whispered, her voice cracking, "I mean it, Draco, fight with me. We can make this work."
He looked at the ground when he answered, because he couldn't bear to look at her face when he spoke. "You know I can't do that."
She let out a loud wail, but she quickly recovered. A second later, when he looked back up, there were no longer tears in her eyes. There was a stony stare instead. "Fine," she said, pocketing her wand and striding towards the closed door of the empty classroom, "Fine! If that's what you want! Go and play villain with your Dark Lord!"
She had reached the door by then, but before opening it, she whipped around and looked him dead in the eye one more time. Her words stung, but the cold look in her eyes hit him harder than a Cruciatus curse. "Just know, Draco, that I won't be waiting for you when you come back."
He found her.
Her brown, curly hair was tousled.
The ugly scar on her forearm was showing.
Her wand was held limply in her right hand.
Her golden hazel eyes were distant and unblinking.
Her face was covered in dirt and ashes.
She had a peaceful look on her face and an engagement ring on her finger.
She was in Harry Potter's arms, and Ronald Weasley was hunched over them.
They were sitting in the dirty rubble.
Ginny Weasley was sobbing next to Luna Lovegood, whose lip was quivering unsteadily.
Neville Longbottom sat alone, looking pensive, an occasional tear falling down his cheek.
Seamus Finnigan looked like he was waiting for her to jump up and scream "Fooled you!"
Professor McGonagall looked tired and her face was paler than usual.
Potter was screaming in between tears about how it was all his fault.
Weasley couldn't speak.
Draco would never apologize for his mistakes.
And he would never remind her of their old memories.
And he would never ask her if she ever truly loved him.
And he would never tell her how much he still loved her,
and would always love her.
Because it was too late.
Because Hermione Jean Granger was dead