Hey guys. I'm back with the ending of the triliogy : A Night With The Girls, An Unending Search, and now, A Never Ending Love. I'm sorry for thos who hated the cliffie at the end of An Unending Search, but that's where I decided to end it. It seemed like the proper place (for those of you who watch T.V. series, you understand). But, I'm here with the final installment of my little series, and I'm sorry it took so long, I had to get ready for the start of my classes, and was also moving the rest of the house back itno place after the end of the longest ceiling fix of ten lifetimes! I know that some of you have been waiting a while for this, so, without futher ado, I give you : "A Never Ending Love"! Enjoy! *hands out cookies*
Disclaimer : If I owned Harry Potter ANYTHING, I would be extremely rich and not living in a crap-arse apartment and going to school on student loans.
A Never Ending Love
Draco watched Hermione disappear with the activation of her portkey. Damn! Not again! He cast a variant of the Revelio Charm called the Unveiling Charm. It is a Charm that will unveil the location or whereabouts of someone.
"Unveilia!" Nothing. "Great. She must be under the Fidelius. I will never find her now!"
He paced about her flat, scouring his mind for anything that would help. His eyes rested upon a picture. Of course! Draco locked up her house and flooed home. He had a very difficult journey ahead of him.
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Hermione arrived in front of "Serenity Haven" and slipped the skeleton key into the lock. She turned it to the right, and slowly opened the door. There, a curious little House Elf awaited her.
"Hello, Miss. I'm Ancy. We are very pleased that you could come to this sanctum." The Elf bowed deeply to her.
"Erm... thank you, Ancy. My name is Hermione. Could you show me where I'm sleeping?"
The House Elf squeaked excitedly at having the opportunity to serve someone. She showed Hermione about the place, pausing to speak of the rare and ancient artifacts of the wizarding world that currently resided in the house. They went up the grand staircase to the second floor. Her sleeping quarters were beautiful. Almost as spacious as Draco's, but had a feminine feel. Off to the side of the room there was a door that lead to the biggest master bath she had ever seen. The only one she could compare it to would be the old Prefects bathroom at Hogwarts. It was very beautiful.
"Miss?"
"Hermione, please Ancy."
"Miss Hermione? There is one more thing that Ancy is to show you. Missus Ginny told us to save it for last, should you decide to arrive. Please follow me."
She lead Hermione to a set of stairs almost as equal in grandeur to the first one, but nowhere near as large. It spiralled upwards to a foyer with an extremely high vaulted ceiling. The double french doors with frosted stained glass emanated a beautiful glow. They stepped up to the doors, and with a snap of her fingers, Ancy opened the door.
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Draco apparated to the Ministry of Magic and rushed towards the lift. He stood there impatiently, foot tapping, while waiting for his stop. He barely acknowledged his peers comments, 'Good morning Mr. Malfoy', or 'How are you today Draco?', and rushed past everyone on the lift when it opened at his stop. "Auror Headquarters".
Draco ran down the hall and into a room full of cubicles. He ran past a few, ignoring the curious glances directed towards him from their occupants. He skidded to a stop and slammed his hand down onto the desk of the cubicles inhabitant.
"I need to talk to you!"
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Hemione's jaw dropped to the floor. Before her was the most spacious library she had ever seen. The only one that came close was the library that Beast shows Belle in the Muggle cartoon "Beauty and the Beast". There were so many books that she figured it would take two lifetimes for even her to read. She turned to the House Elf.
"Thank you Ancy, I'm going to stay here for a little while." She wandered to the nearest shelf, grabbed a book, and returned to the chaise lounge placed under the large window. Ancy smiled knowingly and, with a snap of her fingers, disappeared; leaving Hermione alone to her most loved thing in the world : the knowledge that lived within the ancient tomes.
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Ron looked up incredulously. "You want to talk to me? That's rich." He looked back to his paperwork.
"Yes, Weasley. I want to talk to you." He slumped into the vacant seat next to the desk. "It's extremely important."
Ron looked up to see a clearly distraught, and what looked like heartbroken?, Draco Malfoy. Although it was against his better judgement, he looked like he really needed this. "What is it Malfoy?"
Draco looked relieved. "Something happened between me and Hermione. We met up at a nightclub and I took her home with me."
"Yeah and you hooked up with her and left her alone! You didn't even attempt to talk to her!"
"Please let me finish. I took her home with me and fell in complete love with her. I woke up after our beautiful night and realized I was late for work. I left her a note. Read!"
Ron picked up the parchment that was thrust into his face. He read :
My dearest Hermione,
I'm so happy that you decided to come home
with me last night. You are a wondrous creature,
and I want to see you again, very soon. You have
melted a place within my heart and are now the
sole owner of it. Unfortunately, I am late for work,
so I will not be able to see your beautiful face when
you wake up. I hope to see you tonight. I would
like to take you for dinner.
Forever yours,
Draco
He looked up into Draco's face with a completely changed opinion of the man. Draco looked at him pleadingly, and Ron sighed.
"Alright, I'll help you. I need to talk to Harry, Ginny, and Luna first. Then I'll owl you and we'll figure something out. Okay?"
"Thank you. Thank you so much Ron." And with that, Draco Malfoy left the Ministry, leaving a gobsmacked Ron Weasley in his little cubicle.
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Harry and Ginny,
Thank you so much for the key to your Haven.
I have made myself at home in your library. I'm sure
that you already knew I would. Your House Elves
have been so kind. They've certainly been
understanding when I told them that I wanted to do
my own work. I'm sure that that was your doing
Harry? But, they refused me and actually banned me
from the kitchen if you can believe that. I almost died
for laughter at the sight of them gracefully throwing
me out of their way. So, they bring me my food in the
library, and I only leave to go to the loo or to go to
sleep. The bed is absolutely amazing! I've never felt
so comfortable in my life. Even the Hogwarts beds
never compared to it. I hope that you can come visit
me soon, as my only company is that of the House
Elves and I miss home. I've contacted work and they
were quite understanding. I told them that I needed a
vacation for my health and they were all too willing to
give it to me. What? Do I work too hard or something?
I only work to my standards. Anyway, please come
visit me soon. Bring Ron and Luna too if they are
allowed to know the location of this wonderful place.
I love you both,
Hermione
Ginny looked up from the letter as Ron walked out of the fireplace. She noted his work robes and his dishevelled appearance.
"Hey, Ron. What happened? Did you just come from work?"
"I'm fine. We need to talk. I've asked Luna to join us, and Harry will be here shortly. Could I get a drink?"
"Of course."
They walked into the den and Ginny sat down. Ron poured himself a glass of Firewhiskey and sat on the couch opposite her. He downed half the glass in one shot. Grimacing slightly, he nursed the rest of his drink. Luna walked in and sat down next to Ron. Just after he finished, Harry walked in and sat down next to Ginny. They all looked at Ron expectantly.
"Okay, so, I asked you all here because someone asked me for our help today. First, read this."
He handed them the note. Luna sat next to Ginny and the three of them read it. He could see their expressions soften when realization hit.
"Apparently she never got the note. That's when she freaked out and came to us. He wants to be with her. I've never seen anything more clear. It was written all over his face. And because we hid her, he can't find her to tell her. We need to find a way to get her to come around."
Ginny and Luna looked at each other with conspiratory looks on their faces. "Just give us a half an hour and our plan with be all laid out for you guys," Ginny said to the boys.
"You might as well invite over Draco too. Oh, and order in some food for the five of us. I'm starving!" Luna smiled to the boys before half-dragging Ginny out of the room.
Ron looked at Harry. "Chinese?"
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Draco walked through the fireplace into the home of the Potters. Potter's done pretty well for himself I see. He noticed a light on in the dinning room and walked in.
"Ah! There you are Malfoy! Come in, the girls will be with us shortly. And, we've ordered in some Chinese!" Ron looked gleeful at the thought.
Draco sat down at the table, waiting in a somewhat awkward silence while the other boys talked about trivial things such as Quidditch. They heard a noise at the door and, in moments, the girls were seated in their chairs next to their husbands and the food was all laid out. Everybody filled their plates, and the girls started to enlighten the others of their plan.
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Hermione was curled up like a kitten on the chaise in the library when the doors opened, revealing Ginny and Luna. Hermione ran up to the girls and hugged them tightly.
"How have you been 'Mione? We've missed you so much!" Luna said in a somewhat muffled voice.
"I've been wonderful dear. These books of yours, Ginny, are absolutely wonderful!"
"We knew you'd be up here the whole time hun. I've brought you your mail by the way."
Hermione grabbed the envelopes and looked through them, mentally ticking them off in her brain. Bill... bill... book club notice... charity receipt... bill... what's this? She pulled out a rather thick envelope and ripped it open. She didn't notice Ginny and Luna's smirks as she read the letter.
My dearest Hermione,
I have seen you around, and I can't help but
notice as to how beautiful you are. You've taken
my breath away with just the mere thought of
you. I've enclosed something which has
reminded me of you with it's breathtaking beauty.
Please accept this token of my feelings towards
you.
Yours always,
Silver Shadow
Hermione pulled out a rather ancient copy of "Hogwarts : A History" from within the package. Her eyes widened in awe of the stressed leather, and the gold imprinted into the cover, bearing the title. She unfastened the gold bindings and gently flipped through the yellowed pages. Every bit of script was handwritten, and there were hand drawn amps of the entire castle; secret passages included. There were hand-drawn pictures of the four founders of Hogwarts, these portraits unmoving, unlike portraits of the modern age. Hermione looked up at Ginny and then at Luna. "Guys, this is the manuscript of 'Hogwarts : A History'. A book this rare would cost at least a million galleons!" Ginny and Luna were shocked. "I can't believe that someone would send me something this valuable!"
"Herms, he must really like you. Keep it. There's no harm in that." Ginny sat down next to her and glanced down at the pages. It was an extremely extravagant gift; but Draco had to break her walls down somehow.
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Ginny and Luna returned to their homes that night. Ginny immediately sent Draco a letter telling him of how everything went. As the owl flew out of the window, Ginny went to bed and curled up with her husband.
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Hermione stayed there for days, leafing through the book that she had only owned within her dreams. There were side notes written in the margins of things that needed to be added in when the printed the copies. This copy even soke of the Chamber of Secrets, and in the margins it said that they were to leave this information out of any publishing. There was a small section devoted to the Room of Requirements, and even about the Sorting Hat. Hermione sat there, engulfed in the most wonderful book in the world.
Harry walked in and Hermione wrapped up once again in her favourite book. She only looked up when she felt him sit next to her.
"Hey Harry, what's up?"
"Nothing much, just came to check in on you. Oh. And I brought your mail."
Hermione took the mail out of his hand and flipped through the few envolopes and stopped on a small one with familiar handwriting. Her heart stopped in its tracks. She flipped the envelope over and unsealed it with her wand. She pulled out a small piece of parchment and unfolded it. It read :
My dearest Hermione,
I hope that you are enjoying your book. It
made me think of you, so of course I had to
let you enjoy it. I know it was your favourite
book while you were in school. That much
was obvious with the way you toted it around
everywhere you went. And I would hear you
talking to your friends about it as you passed
me in the hallways. See? This proves that I'm
not a creepy old man who just wants to bribe
you to get in your pants. I want to make up for
all the time that I wasted at school, and
actually get to know you. You have captured
my heart and I'm curious as to who you are. I
know the basics : You love books, and
knowledge is the fountain of youth to you; you
answer quetions with vigor, and add extra
information (which I actually thought was very
helpful in class. Unfortunately others didn't see
that); you're very passionate about friendships
and even morepassionate about setting the
scum in your life straight. You are a muggleborn
girl with no siblings, and your parents are
dentists. They are immensely proud of you.
That's what I know. I wish everyday that I
knew more about you. More about the
bushy-haired bookworm that I sat near at the
library. The girl who always smelled of lavender
and ancient books. The girl who has a fire
burning within her that could blot out the sun.
Please let me know the woman you've become.
I want to know your beautiful nature.
Your humble servant,
The Silver Shadow.
Hermione looked up at Harry, who was reading over her shoulder. He was stunned at how much Draco really knew about her. He looked at Hermione.
"What are your thoughts on this?"
She bit her lip. "He seems really sincere. But I don't know. I've just had my heart broken, and I don't really want to get involved with anyone right now."
"Peaches, I think you should do this. It doesn't hurt to get to know one more person. And if you don't want to be with him, you can still stay friends."
"Okay. I guess I'll do it. It won't hurt if you say so. Plus, I'm in a safe house." She smiled brightly at Harry. "Besides. It's not like you guys are here all the time to talk to." She got up and hugged Harry. "Thank you, Green Eyes. I'll see you soon?"
"Of course, Peaches. We'll come by in a few days." Their embrace ended, and Harry was gone within seconds.
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It had been just over a week and Hermione and The Silver Shadow had written each other twice a day. Of course it was Hermione's owl that was being used, so it could find her when it left his place. Hermione grew to know this man, and fall in love with him. But his most recent note troubled her.
Mya,
Can I meet you in person? I would very
much like to see you once more. Please
don't say no. I have shown to you that I'm
sincere in my efforts to reach you.
Yours forever,
The Silver Shadow
Hermione asked everyone to come over to the Haven so she could run her dilemma across them. She didn't want to rush into anything. So, she waited in the den, amidst a bunch of snacks that the house elves provided (they knew Ron was coming). She paced around the room until she heard the famialiar whooshing sound that accompanied floo travel. Everyone gathered in the room and sat down. Ron started devouring everything within reach.
"So, I know you're wondering why you're here. I have a problem. The man who's been writing to me for the past few days wants to meet. And I don't know if I should."
Everyone paused for a moment. They had to make it seem like they didn't already know this after all. Ginny piped in. "Hun, you could always have us go along just to make sure you're safe. We can keep a lookout." Little did Hermione know, this was Draco's idea.
"Okay. That sounds good. I'll feel much safer that way. How about lunch tomorrow?" Everyone nodded in agreement. "Okay, so we'll go to Fortescue's for lunch and I'll meet him. Would you guys like to stay for dinner?" They adjourned to the dinning hall and waited for the House Elves to delight their tastes with yet anouther sumptuous meal.
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They arrived at Fortescue's for lunch a little early and requested a private table. Hermione sat facing the door so she could see who he was when he walked in. A man wearing a cloak with the hood over his head walked in through the door and made his way to their table. He shook hands with Ron and Harry, and hugged Ginny and Luna. Then, he knelt next to Hermione's seat and lowered his hood.
"Hermione, I know that what happened broke your heart. I never intended for it to. I left you a note that morning explaining that I was late for work and had to leave. My House Elf told me that you never saw it. Here. Please read it now. Hermione took the note that he offered and read it over. She looked up with tears in her eyes.
"Mya, if I could redo that day, I would. I would have cancelled my meeting and stayed with you so I could see your beautiful face as you woke up. I've done some severly nasty things to you in our past, but that was only because that was how I was expected to act. My parents never realized that to be a worthwhile person, you don't a have to be a pureblood with lots of money. It's our soul that makes us a unique person. And I've never wanted to be with anyone more passionately in my life. Mya, you're the one I want to spend the rest of my life with. I want to spend every day making up for being the sodding prick I used to be. I want to make you the happiest that you've ever been." He pulled out an engagement ring with a large diamond in the centre, and all along the band were stones the colour of the Howarts houses. "Will you marry me?"
Herminoe was floored. A proposal? Already? Hermione considered everything that had happened in the past few days. Her feelings for him were much, much more than lust on their night together. She knew that she loved him with everything that she had. That was why it shattered her heart into a million pieces when he wasn't there. She had come to her decision much faster than she normally would have. She nodded to him. "Yes, Draco. I will."
Draco took her into his arms and spun her around. He placed kisses all over her lips, cheeks and neck. He put her down and held her tightly. "Mya, I will never stop loving you." He kissed her with all the passion and love that he felt for his only love. He pulled her back. "Mya, I want to tell you something. Earlier this morning I asked Harry if I could buy the home that you're staying in. He told me that he would sell it to me only if you said yes. I'm leaving Malfoy Manor and having an orphanage placed there instead. One side of it can house muggle children. And the other half can house children with magical powers. They deserve something wonderful in their lives. And I think that Malfoy Manor has housed prejudiced and unhealthy ideas for way too long. This will have my dead parents rolling in their graves, but, I want to do this for you."
Hermione felt completely overwhelmed with all that's happening. "That sounds like a wonderful idea my love. I'll help you to do that."
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Everyone went home after lunch, and Hermione took Draco to their new home. Hermione sold her flat to a realty company in the wizarding world, and moved her things into their Haven. After several weeks together they started wedding plans. They set the date for a few months ahead and sent out invitations. They were back at work, although they made sure that they made enough time for each other. They were the happiest they had ever been. The months flew by as if by a Time Turner.
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"Ginny! Where is my veil?" Hermione was frantically searching for the item. Ginny stopped her and placed it on her head.
"Calm down, hun. This is your wedding day. Don't spoil it," she cooed as she smoothed her veil into place. "Deep breaths hun." Hermione closed her eyes and did as she was told. "There you go. Now, it's time to go. This is the day that you will become Mrs. Draco Malfoy! I didn't think that I would ever say that last year!" The girls both laughed at the thought. Luna walked in. Bothe Ginny and Luna were wearing dresses made of a beautiful fowing fabric, Luna was wearing sapphire, and Ginny wore crimson. The dresses were to just past their knees. They both wore little heels to match, and silver pendants and earrings with rubies and sapphires embedded within them. Their hair was smoothed into a sleek french twist and their makeup was light and tasteful.
"Mione, it's time." Luna led the way to the doors.
The music started playing, and Luna started down the aisle with Ron. His tie matched her dress and he wore a black suit. They reached the end of the aisle and Ron stood next to Draco but left a space for Harry. Luna stood across from Ron. Ginny started walking down the aisle with Harry. They passed the people in the seats and Harry stood by Draco and Ginny stood next to Luna.
The music changed. Hermione stood in the archway and Draco fell in love all over again. She walked towards him wearing a white dress that hugged her curves and fell to the floor elegantly. The bodice was halter-styled, and the back of the dress was laces up the back. She walked towards him with tears in her eyes. She reached him and the Minister for Magic, Arthur Weasely, started the ceremony.
"I understand that these two have written their own vows. I would like to ask Draco to start."
"Hermione, it has been a long search to find you. Everything about you; your voice, your touch, your smell, your presence; makes me feel at home. I've regretted every day that I never got to know the amazing person you are, while we were in school. I'm a changed man, and it's all for you. You are the light in my darkness; the joy of my day. I would be honoured to become your husband, just so I can show you every day that I love you."
"Thank you Draco. And now for Hermione?"
"Draco, there have been so many years where I could not stand to be near you. You were the complete opposite of me in every way. But, with that said, you also intrifued me. Over the years you have shown that you are not your father; that you are a good person, and that you don't believe in wizarding bigotry. You are the kindest, most gentle person I know. You're passionate, and loving, and just. You challenge my mind, touch my heart, and nuture my soul. You are truly the perfect fit for me. You have made me the happiest woman in the world, just by showing me the love and tenderness that you have. I love you, Draco."
"Thank you. Now, place the rings upon each others finger please."
They said a whispered 'I love you' while doing as was asked.
"Now, place your left hands within each others, and your right hand together under them, and I will say the incantation."
They did as were told and held each other's gaze the whole time.
"Conjualis, perpetuosis!"
The pair was surrounded by an unearthly golden glow. The crowd gasped at the spectacle for none of them had seen such power that radiated between them. It was the power of eternity, the power of soulmates.