A/N: Hello, everyone. Seems its been a long time since I've written a story here, and I'd like to apologize to all my readers if you've been waiting for an update from me. This idea hit me out of nowhere, and just had to write it down. Yep, it's another Dramione ... hehehe. I've been so busy, I might out of my loop here, but I'll give it another shot. For those that have been following my other story, Mudbloods and Purebloods, I am sorry for not updating, but it's permanently set aside, until I figure out where it will be going and how it's going to end. I'm sorry to everyone there, but you have this one to look forward to.
Summary: Hermione has witnessed the death of her two best friends, Ron and Harry, and is slowly destroying herself from the pain. Draco Malfoy seems to understand her pain and attempts to make seven years of torture right again. Will Hermione find solace in this new found side of Malfoy?
Disclaimer: I, sadly, do not own, the Harry Potter Empire, otherwise we'd all be going to Hogwarts and sending Malfoy to Pigfarts.
From Pain to Love
Chapter 1: Fallen Heroes
"You'll be next mudbloods..."
His voice sneered inside her head as she rolled through the years of memories, while standing at the coffins of her two best friends, Ron and Harry. Her eyes glazed over the crowd of people that showed up to pay their respects. His angular face caught her eye. The sun gleamed off his pale white skin, and blonde, stringy hair. She turned away, forcing down the bile threatening to come up.
She looked down, letting her eyes glaze over and the last forty eight hours replay itself in her mind. The tears did not come out yet, she kept a brave face on …
"Hermione, move!" Harry shouted out while fighting off three death eaters.
"Harry, NO!" Hermione equally shouted sending stunning spells in every direction, trying to get to Ron who was stuck in his own battle.
"Not a chance in hell, you two!" Hermione tried to run over, while yelling random spells, until it all fell in slow motion.
"HERMIONE!" Ron screamed as he was hit with a killing curse. A loud, high cackle filled the air, and a whoosh of a cloak said that he was gone.
Hermione ran over, and realized it was too late. Ron laid there in a pool of blood, spread eagle-wide, and his eyes open and vacant. Harry was also on the floor, but this time, bleeding from every pore in his body. Crawling over, Hermione kept a blank face as she tried to stop the blood, but it was no use.
"Hermione," Harry rasped out weakly, "Don't hurt yourself over us, we always loved you, don't do anything, don't … hurt … yourself." Harry took one last shuddering breath, before his hand fell limply in Hermione's own.
Hermione gently closed both Ron and Harry's eyes, before levitating them out and putting them with the rest of fallen.
"Hermione, it's time to start," said Kinsley gently.
Standing up, she flicked her wand toward the two coffins. The coffins rose into the air slowly, before righting themselves vertical, for the whole crowd to see. Hermione flattened her skirt down and approached the podium, ready to speak.
Her gaze searched the audience again, and once again, lingered on a certain blonde. Clearing her throat and staring at the lonely shadow of a phoenix in the horizon, she began to speak.
"My dear fellow wizards and witches, and to all those of the wizarding community. We stand here today to commemorate the lives of two fallen wizards, who risked their lives for our own freedom from this war. You all know one of them, it was driven into our minds from the day he drove Lord Voldermort into hiding. Yes, Harry Potter was killed by a death eater."
A loud, collective gasp resounded, some had a tears pouring down their eyes. Whispers floated about.
Hermione quieted down the crowd, and continued speaking, "Today is a tragic day, but I'd also like to comment on the other wizard who died. My best friend and fiance, Ronald Weasely. He fought bravely alongside Harry Potter, but a death eater took his life also, and died right in front of me. Let us give a brief pause and remember these two honorable wizards."
The crowd fell silent and Hermione kept a stoic face. Her gaze fell again on the blonde. His face was bent down, the sun still gleaming off his blonde hair. She could hear his voice reaching out to her, "Granger always hanging out with Potty and the Weasel. You'll be next, mudbloods."
She caught the blue-gray eyes on the blonde and they flashed back, and he turned away. Hermione turned her head back to the crowd and raised her wand in the air.
"To Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley! Lumos!" Hermione shouted out.
One by one, each witch and wizard raised their wand and a bright, yellow glow illuminated from the tip of the thousands of wands in the air. The sun continued its downward spiral into the sky, and night closed in rapidly. The Dark Forest grew darker, and the full moon rose in majesty. The lonely howl of wolves and the fluttering of birds resounded, filling the silence of the crowd.
A group of centaurs, Firenze in the lead, arched arrows, that when they hit the sky they exploded into small fireworks, the ashes floating down harmlessly among the people.
Hermione drew her wand down and floated the coffins back down to the ground. She walked over and touched each of their hearts with her wand. A wreath formed and settled brightly against both Harry and Ron's skin. Closing the lid, she said once again, "Let us never forget our fallen heroes."
The crowded repeated after her, and each guest walked up to pay their respects. Mrs. Weasley lended a supported hand to help Hermione during this time, as her own tears for her son trickled down. Hermione forced a smile and offered all she could for the Weasleys, they were of course, family to her. She could not, however, promise them anything, nor could she even promise Harry's last dying wish. She wanted to die, to join them, they belonged together, the Golden Trio. She felt betrayed, she felt hopeless, she felt it was completely her fault that they died.
"I'm sorry they are gone, Granger," an oily voice slithered in from behind. "Though I detested those two, it was a tragic accident."
Hermione turned around slowly, wishing that voice would go die as well. Set clenched her jaw, and said in a monotonic voice, "Thank you, Malfoy." She walked away to the other side and busied herself with getting her belongings before apparating back to her flat.
"Don't think you can hide, Granger. I'm always watching you."
"You'll be next, mudbloods."
Hermione felt sick, his voice ached in her heart, and she wanted to scream. Seven years of torture from him, and she still couldn't get his disgusting voice from out of her head. The insults, his face when he found her next to their dead bodies.
Swallowing hard, Hermione said her goodbye's quickly, and apparated to her lonely flat. She sat down on the couch and watched the flames flicker and lick up the logs in the fireplace all night long.
Well, there is chapter 1 ... does it catch your attention?
READ AND REVIEW PLEASE...it makes my entire day when you do. :)
Again, a TERRIBLE SORRY for those that followed MUDBLOODS AND PUREBLOODS, I'll try and update that one soon, but I can't guarantee it.
I'll update this again, sometime later tonight, depending on how many reviews I get.
So, until then ... CRUCIO! *cackle*
~bananapanda2010~