Pearl Harbored

Draco and Hermione

"They're really going to kill me now."

"Because it was highly improbable that they wouldn't before?"

"You know what I mean."

"I think I do. And that's what annoys me."

The rocking chair Hermione was seated in made her look old, about as old as the wisdom beyond her years that she already possessed. He turned to look at her and considered what she had said.

"It doesn't mean I regret this…regret us."

"Well that's the impression that I get."

"Stick to something you're good at mudblood. Analyzing spell components perhaps, or figuring out an arcane trigonometry problem. This is an emotion thing. I'm good at that."

"You called me mudblood."

Draco flinched, because he didn't really mean it. It was more out of habit honestly.

"For someone supposedly so good at emotions, you sure can come up with lousy pet names." She continued mockingly.

He lunged at her, gripping her arms, wrenching her out of the chair and against the wall. She countered by kissing him full on the lips, halting his momentum. When the kiss ended, Draco chuckled and relaxed his grip on her before saying, "They're really going to kill me now."

"Are they? I mean really. We're winning; Harry's readying the final assault…"

"And he can do no wrong can he?"

"This is He-Who-Cannot-Be-Named's last castle, his last stand…"

"You all see Lord Voldermort as a rat. But you should know, a rat is most dangerous when cornered. And even if you get him, do you think his followers will just about-face and become good little wizards and warlocks? They're gonna go after the guy who set this all up. They're gonna go after me Hermione. And they're gonna go after those I love."

"And is that me?" she asked softly.

"That's you."

"I'll be fine…both of us together, our magic…"

"No. I utterly refuse. I want you back at Hogwarts if…when this whole thing is over. I want you safe there. Potter…" It was like vile, saying that name, saying that he would rely on him… "Potter will keep you safe. So will the Weasely boy. They'll keep you safe while I'm gone."

"And just why would you be gone Malfoy?"

"Because I'll need to put my family's affairs in order. I'm the last in the line Hermione, don't you see? I'm the entire House of Malfoy now. The Order will always see me as a Death Eater, even if I've now turned, and all of Voldermort's supporters, those that survive, will always see me as a traitor."

"And how long will I have to wait for you?"

"I don't know. I'm not sure. Bloody hell I've never done this before, how should I know?"

Hermione slipped out of his grasp and returned to the rocking chair. "I don't really have a choice do I?"

"You're the genius between us. Got a better idea?"

"I'm a genius, not a miracle worker."

"I'll be back. I promise. I'll…I'll be there for your…for our graduation ball."

"And what happens if you don't?"

"Then I'll most probably be dead." He said matter-of-factly.

She got out of the chair and showed her back to him. "You better leave; I know you hate it when I cry."

Draco hugged her from behind, as the first ripples of grief surged through her body and hot tears began to drip. Then all of a sudden, it was morning, and Hermione found herself in bed. She stretched slowly, three words floating slowly in and out of her mind like a gentle breeze.

Hermione found herself wondering if it was all just a dream.

Blaise and Hermione

"You really need to stop hiding out here during the rainy season."

"And why is that Blaise?" she asked, from the relative shelter of one of the more anonymous and private alcoves built into Hogwarts.

"Because," he said, as he sat down next to her, "Sooner or later I'm not going to be able to steal one of these muggle contraptions without being caught."

"You mean an umbrella," Hermione pointed out to the object he was holding above their heads.

"Exactly. Umbrella. It's rare enough because very few of the…half-muggle students here have actually brought one with them. Then there's the fact that if I keep having to 'borrow' them to go fetch you, sooner or later, they're not going to be leaving them out in the open anymore."

"You really nicked this umbrella Blaise?"

"Yep. Why don't you believe me?"

"You don't exactly fit the type."

"Why not? I'm a Slytherin ain't I? Sneaky, underhanded, devious…"

"And here you are talking to your best friend, who is a member of the Gryffindor house. Now what about that?"

"Ah, you've got me there Hermione. You've got me."

"He's not gonna show up for the ball is he Blaise?"

"Who? That rat-face, no-good fink that makes my blood boil?"

"Blaise come on…"

"No, really Hermione, he dumps you back here at Hogwarts while he does God-knows-what. Did he even consider the fact that Harry might not come back? That Ron might not come back? That there really isn't anyone here who could protect you?"

"I've got you, haven't I?"

"Damn right you do."

"That's enough. Really, it is."

"What will you do if he really doesn't show?"

"First of all, I'm going to go insane. Then I'm going to call myself every curse word I know for about fifty times. Finally, I'm going to get a high-paying job within the Ministry of Magic and bury myself in work."

"Looks like you have everything planned out as always Herm."

"I do have everything planned out Blaise, at least I used to. Then he came along."

"I think you've been too focused on the big picture. I mean, come on, you're thinking about a job already but we haven't even graduated yet. Your nearest problem is the graduation ball right? If he doesn't show up, I'll go with you."

"You'd do that?"

"Yeah, why not?"

"What about your date?"

"I don't have a date."

"Why don't you have one?"

"I dunno. I didn't really plan on going."

"You're not just some back-up Blaise, you're a genuinely good guy. There are tons of girls out there who would love to go out with you…"

"But I don't want to."

"You'd rather be a back-up?"

"Look I just thought of it okay? I really wasn't planning to go but if you need me, I'll be there for you."

She looks at him, trying to read his stoic expression. She takes his hand in hers and gives it a gentle squeeze. "I appreciate it. Really I do."

"It's nothing."

"No, really, you've been doing this a lot for me this past year. Without all of them…"

He laughs. "Without your boys…"

"Yeah, without my boys, it's been a struggle here."

"Well you've got along great, I think."

"Thanks to you."

"Even…?"

She pauses for a heartbeat, before giving his hand another squeeze. "Especially that."

They stare at the droplets of rain hitting the grass and the stone buildings. The rain shows no intention of stopping anytime soon, and this dawns upon them.

"I better get going…I still have that last Charms test to pass."

"To ace you mean."

"Not without studying."

"With or without studying, Hermione."

She gives him a warm smile as he helps her up.

"It's just as well," he continues. "I better get this umbrella back before the owner notices that it's gone.

They walk silently, but hand-in-hand, towards the Gryffindor house. The paintings are silent as they pass the hallways, something that has become familiar ever since the end of the war.

She hugs him before entering the Gryffindor common room, and he's left there, staring at the wake of her walking. Finally, he whispers three words that float too gently to pierce the thick walls and reach her ears.

Draco and Blaise

"You're the welcoming committee then?"

"It depends."

"On what?"

"I don't know really. I just haven't decided whether you should go see her or not."

"Which her are we talking about?" Draco asks, never skipping a beat.

"Herm told me everything Draco. Surprised? Well she doesn't have a lot of people to talk with. Potter never returned. Ron too."

"And so you moved in on her? Is that it? Never figured you as a vulture Blaise."

"I'm not. Would you believe that she reached out to me?"

Draco stops. "Liar."

"Dammit Draco you're so fucking pissed off about this then why the hell did you leave her alone here then? She had no one else to protect her, to give her support, you know, to do your job?"

"Listen you cocksure sonuvabitch, do you have any idea what I had been through this past year? I had to kill people. People who were friends of my family. To protect her, you understand? You think I would have left her if I had a choice?"

"And you never thought of contacting her to tell her that you loved her? Or at least that you were alive?"

He hit him, hard. Blaise only laughed. "Yeah, real mature, hit me again Draco, since you're so good at stuff like that. You see? This is why towards the end, even I didn't believe you would come back."

"Well I'm here aren't I?"

"Yeah, I know. It's a surprise. Really."

"And so now what? I hit you some more times?"

"No. No. No fighting. I came here just in case you would show up…to see if you were really what she had in mind."

"And that is?"

"Isn't it obvious? You're supposed to be her knight in shining armor, gone far away on a crusade, but now returning victorious. Chivalry, virtue, sacrifice, blah, blah, blah."

"Well, am I what she had in mind?"

"That depends."

"On what dammit? Must you be so damn cryptic?"

"Fine, I'll tell you."

Blaise leans forward, whispers into Draco's ear. When it's over, he sees Draco count slowly to a hundred, before taking a deep breath.

"Draco it wasn't her fault," he says softly.

"Oh really? So all your talk about me leaving her behind…means it's my fault right?"

"Partly. It's my fault as well. I never meant to…I mean do you remember that story Snape told us?"

"Which one?"

"The one he told all of the male Slytherins in our year, before our first Winter Ball."

"Good grief. 'Why You Should Not Date A Griffyndor.'"

"'And that's when it came off in his hand,' do you think Snape was just shitting us? Or did that guy really chop the other guy's…"

"Is that what I'm supposed to do to you?"

"No…I don't know. Maybe I should have just paid more attention to it. Draco, let me tell you, in all honesty, I didn't mean to come out here and pick a fight with you. I told you, she wants you to be her knight in shining armor, and I'm here…I'm here to check if she's got the right man."

"And how do you propose you do that?"

"By telling you what I just told you. Then I'm gonna step aside. If you still want her…If this time you're gonna take care of her…no strings attached, then I'll gladly erase myself from the picture."

Blaise and Hermione: A Flashback

She was sick with a high fever. "Too much stress," the nurses said. He wished he could agree with them when they said that she was studying too much, but that was only part of it. She was worrying herself about him as usual. She felt that it was her fault, if she hadn't fallen in love with him, maybe one of the notes she tried to send him got him in trouble…

It was foolish really, because it was never up to her. It was always up to Draco, and this frustrated Blaise to no end.

And maybe he too was sick, delirious like the girl who breathed slowly on the bed next to the chair he was hunched over.

She asked him if he would stay with her forever. Well perhaps she was asking for someone else, but he said "yes" anyway, even though he knew that there might come a time when he would have to break that promise.

And when she asked him to warm her, he didn't refuse. He didn't think he had it in him to.

This was two months ago.

Epilogue

Hermione went with Draco to their Graduation Ball. They married two weeks after.

Blaise did not return to Hogwarts after that evening. He was never seen again by either Draco or Hermione.

Hermione gave birth seven months after her wedding.

Draco returned took up a teaching job at Hogwarts. One year after his return, he assumed the vacant post of "Potions" professor, and Faculty Advisor to Slytherin, both positions previously held by Severus Snape, who retired.

Hermione resides with Draco at Hogwarts, where she has a substitute teacher post.