Disclaimer: All Harry Potter characters and settings belong to J.K Rowling.

WELCOME TO "JUST BREATHE" - Chapter 1: Heartbroken & Hurt

Summary: Whilst they had faced all evil, all wrong and all prejudiced theories, they couldn't face themselves. Nobody said forgive and forget was easy. When you have nothing but thin air around you, all you have to do is just breathe. Draco x Hermione. Post-War. Challenge entry. R&R :)

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Challenge by Violet Scarlet Lily (previously Lily. And. Alice)

Pairing: Draco x Hermione (my choice) | Prompts: Air, Divorce | Song: Just Breathe, Pearl Jam

Yes, I understand that every life must end, uh-huh

As we sit alone, I know someday we must go, uh-huh

Oh I'm a lucky man, to count on both hands the ones I love

Some folks just have one, yeah, others, they've got none

Stay with me...

Let's just breathe...

Practiced all my sins, never gonna let me win, uh-huh

Under everything, just another human being, uh-huh

I don't wanna hurt, there's so much in this world to make me bleed

Stay with me

You're all I see...

Did I say that I need you?

Did I say that I want you?

Oh, if I didn't I'm a fool you see

No one knows this more than me

As I come clean...

I wonder everyday, as I look upon your face, uh-huh

Everything you gave

And nothing you would save, oh no

Nothing you would take

Everything you gave...

Did I say that I need you?

Oh, did I say that I want you?

Oh, if I didn't I'm a fool you see

No one knows this more than me

And I come clean, ah...

Nothing you would take

Everything you gave

Hold me til I die

Meet you on the other side...

oOoOo ~ oOoOo

He was gone. As soon as she realised it was all over, he had vanished.

She kept that in mind for all those years.

The war had started four years ago and ended three years ago; that's when she fell for him. And peace should have been re-established. Love should have been the priority again. Faith should have been all they had left. And it was, for all of them, except for her.

Now, his absence was just too deep. But she had to move on. She wouldn't allow herself to mope over it again and again. Not again, not after the first anniversary of the worst day of her life. She had to move on. She wouldn't allow herself to crumble back down again.

Except, whenever she went outside, to her porch, to read before falling asleep… She would always stare to his constellation. Draco. Thinking of what could have happened if she had stopped him, if she had run after him.

She never forgot him, but she had to let him go. Forever?

oOoOo ~ Flashback ~ oOoOo

"Harry, Ron, I'm going for a walk, meet you in the Great Hall in a second okay?" Hermione told them. She couldn't be happier for their victory on the war but right now she needed to go and take a deep breath, she had to be strong, for those who didn't make it.

"Sure Hermione, let us know if you need something." Harry clearly knew Hermione also wanted to be away from Ron for a while. During those months it was just the two of them, they both realised Hermione didn't love Ron as anyone (including herself) had expected. She had seen too much on a slightly too comfortable friendship.

Hermione's thoughts weren't about Ron though. She sat on a bench next to the Black Lake. It seemed a little brighter now. However she wasn't focused on the water. She was focused on the wind, on the thin air that embraced her. One of the few things she shared with some of those who died that night. With others, she shared her whole world; her own childhood, her own experiences, her own life. Tears started streaming down her face. However, though her eyes were watery, she could tell there was a shadow moving across the lake. "Constant vigilance" – she never forgot Mad Eye's advice. With her wand ready, she approached, and who she found on that other bench changed her life forever.

Draco Malfoy sat there, with his head on his knees, bouncing back and forth, regretting every single thing he had done in his miserable life. Living with the Dark Lord himself for a few months he had become too careful about his surroundings and soon realised he was being watched. Quickly cleaning his last tears, he looked around to find the only one who hated him more than himself (or so he thought) – Hermione Granger.

To think he had once been revolted by breathing the same air she breathed, he couldn't help but wince. How could he have ever believed in any of those prejudiced theories. However, he wasn't ready to let them fall just yet; it was all too soon.

"What do you want, Granger?" he asked, not adding the amount of rudeness he had originally predicted because of the tears path that also belonged to her face.

"I just wanted to see who was standing here and I'm glad I have my wand ready. After all, you're still a Death Eater; you're still a threat to Hogwarts". She wanted to add that he was still a threat to herself but she had reminded herself to keep the memory of her staying on Malfoy Manor blocked in the back of her mind.

"Yes, because this is all I ever wanted to be! This is all I ever wanted! This is all I ever dreamt, isn't it Granger? I don't know if you have realised on that brilliant little brain of yours but I'll never be anyone again, I'll never have a life again! Not that I had now, but I won't have it on the future either. In case you didn't notice, I'm marked forever!", he spat while unbuttoning the left sleeve of his shirt to show her the sign that he had struggled to look at ever since he got it.

Malfoy had always had the ability to bring back her worst memories and he had done it again. "You aren't the only one who hates a left arm", she whispered while showing her own, "I'm marked too", she added, more to herself, while staring to her "Mudblood" scar, the one she hadn't allowed herself to look at ever since.

Astonished and surprised by her confession, Draco remembered that same night and the sickness he felt then attacked him again, even stronger when seeing fresh tears forming in her brown eyes. He had to come clean. He stepped closer to her and hold her chin until brown met grey and she could know he meant the three words he would say next, those three he had never meant before:

"I am sorry"

oOoOo ~ End of Flashback ~ oOoOo

Looking back she almost wished he hadn't been so honest that night. If he hadn't, she wouldn't be heartbroken now and even more hurt than she had ever been before.

_ . _ . _ . _

AN: Hello readers! So this is my very first fanfiction. I hope you enjoyed this first chapter, and though I know it hadn't yet reached the prompts or the song I've mentioned before, but I had to start with something, and this is more to fill you in with how everything began. I hope they're not too OoC or too "cliché"d.

I wanted to thank Rumaan for all her support and inspiration, I would have never posted this if it wasn't for her sweet inspirational PMs. Please, if you like Dramione fanfictions, check her stories because they are amazingly outstanding.

And of course, thank you Violet Scarlet Lily (previously Lily. And. Alice) again to for setting up the challenge. I hope you liked this first chapter. :)

Love, R.

(P.S. Feedback *highly* appreciated, so if you liked it, review)