Blaise was trying his best not to cry; it'd give away the news. He had to be strong for Hermione. He couldn't let her see his tears. Not until she knew, that is. His dead body was laying there, covered in blood.
His last words:

"Tell Hermione I love her, more than words can ever say, and I'm so, so, unbelievably sorry."

And Blaise watched the life leave Draco's silver eyes. He pulled the knife from his stomach and set it aflame with his wand. He watched it burn and stared at Draco longer.
His last word:

Sorry.

Sorry. What was that supposed to mean? Suddenly, white hot anger replaced his unbearable pain. Why was he sorry? It's not his fault an evil Muggle had decided to kill him. It's not Draco's fault that the Muggle threw the knife at his heart. It's not Draco's fault that his wand was not easily assessable. It was not Draco's fault that he had never seen it coming. Draco never deserved this. He was only 21.

The tears were running freely now and he tried his best to stop them. He wiped his eyes and thought of Hermione. He needed to be strong. He needed to be like Draco was while they were at school… Not show any emotion. What so ever. And, as Blaise attempted to forget what just happened, as he tried to erase all emotion, he felt a tinge of regret. Shouldn't he let Hermione see what he was feeling?

He answered himself:

No. Not yet. He didn't want to scare her. Act as you normally would, Blaise.

As he prepared to Apperate to her house, the house that she shared with Draco; the house that Blaise sometimes slept at when he was lonely at his own flat. He knew that when he appeared in the living room, that Hermione would be singing in the kitchen, making dinner and drinking a glass of red wine. He knew that the house would smell of cookies and pasta. And, if he wandered off to the hallway, he'd smell Hermione's fruity perfume and Draco's musky aftershave. He thought about Draco's scent… It would kill him. He decided not to venture further into the house. He looked at his clothes; there was blood covering them.

It'd be best to clean his clothes before returning to see Hermione. The blood would only scare her more. He whispered a simple incantation as he pointed at his clothes.

He snapped his fingers and landed in the warmth of the Malfoy home.

"I swear that I can go on forever again, please let me know that my one bad day will end. I will go down as your lover; your friend. Give me your lips and with one kiss we begin. Are you afraid of being alone? 'Cause I am; I'm lost without you. Are you afraid of leaving tonight? 'Cause I am; I'm lost without you."

Hermione's voice was heard from the kitchen. She was singing I'm Lost Without You, from Blink-182, her favorite Muggle band. He walked to the kitchen to see her stirring a pot of pasta on the stove, a glass of wine in her hand.

She took a sip of the wine and placed it on the granite counter. She pulled a spoon out of the drawer next to the stove and took a bite of the pasta in the pot. She smiled and continued to stir. Hermione pulled her hair back in a messy bun and danced along with the music.

Blaise could tell she was thinking about Draco. It pained him to see Hermione so happy, so carefree, so… whole… He hated that he'd be the one to break her. To shatter her. To break her beyond repair. He let her be happy for a few minutes more. He didn't even know how to say it.

"I'll leave my room open till sunrise for you. I'll keep my eyes patiently focused on you. Where are you now? I can hear footsteps I'm dreaming…And if you will keep me from waking to believe this. Are you afraid of being alone? 'Cause I am; I'm lost without you. Are you afraid of leaving tonight? 'Cause I am; I'm lost without you."

Blaise stood at the doorway, silently watching her. "Good evening, Blaise." She said softly with a kind and gentle smile. It lit up her pretty face, and her eyes were shining. "Where's Draco?" She asked, turning around. The way that Hermione said Draco's name… There was so much love and tenderness in it. He cringed.. Blaise forced a smile for her. He didn't say anything; he just walked over to Hermione and wrapped his arms around her.

"Blaise, where's Draco?" She asked again. He heard the note of fear and panic in her soft voice, but the strong and passionate love in his name was still there, stronger than ever. He hugged her tighter. Hermione stepped out of his embrace and looked at him, fear in her eyes. Blaise held the tears back and looked at his shoes. There was a speck of Draco's blood on them. He cringed, his heart stopped beating. What would he do without his best mate?

"Hermione, I'm so sorry." He choked out. That was all he managed to say. He stopped speaking for a moment, urging the tears to go away. When he looked up at Hermione again, her chocolate eyes were sparkling with tears, the pain was unbearable. He cringed again.

"Blaise… What happened?" She asked. Her hands were shaking and her voice was weak. Blaise didn't say anything for a while.

"Hermione… He was…" The words were caught in his throat. If he said it out loud, it'd make it real. He couldn't stand to break her…"He was… He was…" No, not killed. "He was stabbed." He whispered. Hermione collapsed in his arms, sobbing. Blaise let the tears fall now, falling into her long hair.

Hermione screamed. Blaise cringed; not because of how loud it was, but because of the amount of pain in it. Who knew someone could feel so much pain? As he asked himself that question, he thought about how much she loved Draco; how in love she was with him. Every time they looked at each other, it was like they were falling in love all over again. Her eyes would light up just hearing his voice. His mere presence made her happy; he saw it in her face. Her eyes were always sparkling, her smile was always bright, her voice always soft and happy. He said his name with more love and tenderness and affection than he thought one person could feel. Well, Draco did the same.

Love like that was impossible to find.

When Draco saw Hermione smile, it was like she was the only thing in the world. She was his world. Hermione was everything and more to Draco. He always told Blaise that she was the most beautiful and breathtaking girl on the planet, and he'd do anything for her. He was so in love with her, it was more love than he ever thought possible. Draco had never been happier, and he had never been kinder.
Blaise knew that Draco couldn't survive without Hermione.
He knew Hermione couldn't survive without Draco.
It was impossible for her. Draco was her lifeline, and with him gone… She wouldn't know how to cope. She wouldn't be able to cope.
Even with Harry, Ginny, and Ron. Even with Blaise.
Hermione Malfoy was broken. No, not broken. Shattered.
There's nothing that any of them could do to make this better.
She was broken beyond repair… It killed him.
The amount of pain in her eyes, the amount of pain in her desperate screams… It was more pain than he thought that anyone could feel. It broke his heart.

Blaise thought about the wedding. He was Draco's best man. Harry and Ron were his groomsmen. Hermione's maid of honor was Ginny, (of course). Her bridesmaids were Emma and Lauren.

Hermione was walking down the aisle. But Blaise wasn't looking at Hermione; he'd seen her already; he had been back with the girls, helping Hermione put the dress on. It was hard to get into. She was a beautiful bride.
No, he was watching Draco.
This was his favorite thing to do at weddings; look at the groom's face when his beautiful bride was walking down the aisle. The look on Draco's face; the look in his eyes.. Blaise couldn't even begin to describe it. He was the happiest man in the world… in the universe. The amount of love that was so evident in his eyes… It was beautiful. Two people to be so much in love with each other; it was the most beautiful thing that Blaise had ever seen. Blaise could almost hear Draco's heart beating as he took Hermione's hand and pulled her close to him. He knew that Draco was doing everything in his power NOT to kiss her. He had to wait. Then Blaise focused his attention on Hermione. Words couldn't describe her. She was stunning in a white gown (there was a 2 foot train) and there was black flowers on the bodice. Blaise knew that under the gown, she was barefoot. The love in her eyes was unbearable. Blaise couldn't help but smiling along with her; her happy mood was infectious. Her eyes were shining, and her smile kept getting bigger and bigger. She was the happiest he'd ever seen her, and he'd seen her extremely happy before. Like, when Draco asked her to marry him a year(to the day) before. She was beautiful; he couldn't stress that enough. He glanced over at Ginny, Emma, and Lauren. He'd have the pleasure of walking the great Ginny Weasley (soon to be Ginny Potter) down the aisle after the magical kiss that would bond Draco and Hermione "'till death do us part". Hermione had them in semi-short black and white dresses. They were simple, and the girls were barefoot. They all had long, waist length hair, and all of them wore it up. But, it was a very simple up-do, something Ginny had probably done this morning. Then, Blaise heard applause. Draco had Hermione in a passionate kiss; the first kiss that they shared as 'Man and Wife'. Blaise saw the amount of love that was in that kiss. He was so happy for them. His two best friends.. They were now one. And…It made him quite possibly as happy as Draco. Then he scoffed as he offered the beautiful Ginny Weasley his arm. That wasn't possible. He smiled at Ginny and they slowly walked down the aisle, following the newlyweds.

He held her as she sobbed and screamed. He had tried to be strong for her, but with the pain of losing his best mate, and the pain of watching Hermione slowly break was killing him. He let the tears flow and he didn't speak. Not a word. Because he knew that nothing he could say would take Hermione's pain away.

No, Blaise thought, It was worse than pain, what Hermione was feeling. There's no words to describe it. How can I calm her.. If even for a minute?

The answer would never come to Blaise, though. He too, was focused on his own pain.

There was a knock on the door, and Hermione jumped immediately to answer it. He saw that she wished more than anything it would be Draco at the door, smiling and welcoming her into his arms with a loving kiss. He knew that she was praying that this was all a nightmare and that Draco would be there, smiling at her.

Harry Potter walked into the house, his wife at his side. He looked at Hermione, she was still sobbing. As she threw her arms around Harry, she screamed again. He held her tight and looked at Blaise, questions in his eyes.

"Oh, Harry! I can't believe… he's gone!" She sobbed. Harry's eyes widened, and filled with pain. His arms around Hermione constricted and he said nothing. Ginny came and wrapped her arms around Hermione's waist and she cried silently into her back. Hermione screamed again. The pain was unbearable. "Harry, please… please tell me this is all a nightmare… Please tell me Draco's gonna be home any minute. Please make him come back." She whispered. Harry said nothing; he just kissed her forehead. Ginny cried harder. As Hermione fell to the floor, Blaise saw something in her eyes…

He saw the pain, but he saw an idea form in her eyes. A solution. Harry whispered something in her ear.

"Oh, Harry, I love you, too.. Bring him back!" She suddenly screamed, staring at the sky. Ginny cringed behind her. Suddenly, Ginny pushed Harry out of the way and wiped her tears. She looked at Hermione softly.

"Honey, it's going to be alright." She softly tucked Hermione's hair behind her ear, and stared deep into her eyes. Ginny cringed again. Hermione shook her head.

"Ginny, it's not gonna be okay. It's never going to be okay." She whispered. Ginny cupped Hermione's face in her hands and kissed her forehead.

"Sweetie, listen to me," Ginny took a deep breath. She was shaking slightly. "You're hurting now; I see the pain in your eyes, I hear the pain in your screams, I see the helplessness and desperation in your eyes. But, honey, nothing's gonna bring him back. Nothing. We have to keep his memory preserved," She touched Hermione's heart. "he will always live on here, Hermione. He'll always be alive in your heart; he'll always be alive by your love for him; he'll always be alive in your memory." Ginny finished by kissing Hermione's forehead again and cradling her head against her chest, combing her fingers through Hermione's hair, whispering prayers.

Harry walked slowly to Blaise.

"What happened?" He asked softly, his eyes not leaving Hermione and Ginny.

"I was with him when it happened, Harry. I did nothing to stop it." Blaise wiped his tears. "I could have saved him. But, there was just so much blood…" He trailed off. At last, Harry looked at Blaise.

"Blaise, it's not your fault. May I ask what happened, exactly?" He asked softly. Blaise took a deep breath.

"He… We were walking out of the bar, talking… We both had had a couple beers a piece, and we were laughing. Drake was telling me 'bout his present for Hermione's birthday." He stopped speaking, trying to calm his voice. "He was so happy, his idea was flawless, and he knew Hermione would love it… Drake's wand was tucked away safely in his jacket, and it was so random. So unexpected. There was no warning, and we were facing the other way… There was a shadow… And a knife was flying at Drake's chest… He had reached for his wand, but it was too late." He pulled Draco's wand out of his jacket and stared at it. Tears filled his eyes. "I could have saved him, Harry… But I was so scared, and there was so much blood. I was in shock. D'you wanna know what his last words were?" he paused, but before Harry could speak, he continued. "Tell Hermione I love her, more than words can ever say, and I'm so, so, unbelievably sorry." His voice was still ringing in his ears. "Then… the life… the happiness… the love… It left his eyes, Harry." Blaise took a deep breath and continued talking. Once he'd started, it was like he was a leaky faucet… It just came coming out, little by little. "He… He was so happy." He looked over at Hermione. She was still crying in Ginny's arms. "She was so in love with him. She is so in love with him. I'd never seen so much love before, what they had between them…it's impossible to find. I mean… I can't even begin to describe it." He glanced over at Harry again. He looked so heartbroken. Draco had been one of his best friends, too. "Harry, you've seen them together…. You know how much they loved each other." Blaise looked down. "I don't think Hermione can survive this one." He sighed. "She's strong… But not strong enough for this one. Drake was her lifeline. Look at her, Harry. She's… broken. Shattered. We can't fix her this time. I know her; she can't live without him. Literally. She's lost without him… I'm not saying she some spineless little girl; I mean, she can take care of herself… But…" Blaise finally stopped talking. He couldn't go on.

Harry hugged Blaise.

"I'm so sorry." He whispered. "It wasn't your fault." Blaise started crying again. He was embarrassed, but as Harry hugged him and cried with him, he wasn't so scared. Maybe he could get through this.

Blaise wasn't worried about himself, though. He was more worried about Hermione than anything.

When he glanced over at her again, he was pleased to see that she wasn't screaming anymore, though she was still sobbing uncontrollably, she wasn't screaming. And that was something.

"Ginny, bring him back… Bring him back… Please… I'll do anything."

Her voice was hoarse and filled with helplessness and despair. Her eyes filled with unbearable pain.

"Honey, I'd do anything to bring him back. Anything at all." Ginny sighed and wiped Hermione's tears. "But, sweetie… He's not coming back. We can't bring him back." She whispered.

Suddenly, Hermione was filled with white hot anger. She was seeing red. Blaise could have stopped this. Her husband could still be with her, right now. He could be holding her and kissing her and singing her to sleep. She could be waking up to his smiling face in the morning. He could be smiling his pretty smile that was brighter than the sun. Blaise could have fixed him. But he didn't. It was his fault that Draco was dead; it was his fault Hermione was not likely to see the morning sun. It was all his fault. Every bit of it. And she had trusted him… She stood up.

"BLAISE! YOU COULD HAVE STOPPED THIS! YOU COULD HAVE SAVED HIM, HE COULD STILL BE HERE! YOU COULD HAVE SAVED HIM! YOU COULD HAVE BROUGHT HIM HOME!" She was screaming at the top of her lungs. Blaise shrunk back. "IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT! YOU COULD HAVE SAVED HIM!" She was now hitting his chest, breathing deeply. "WHY DIDN'T YOU SAVE HIM? WHY DID YOU LET HIM DIE? WHY DID YOU LET DRACO DIE?" She screamed, tears falling. Blaise cringed. The anger and pain in her voice killed him.

"Hermione, calm down." He said, holding her hands. "You don't think I tried to save him? You don't think I tried to bring him home?" He asked, "I did everything I could to save him, Hermione. I did everything. You don't think I don't miss him? You don't think I'm in pain? You don't think I loved him? He was my brother." He kept his voice even. "You don't think that I want him back?" He laughed bitterly. "I was there. I watched him die. I watched the life leave his eyes. I heard his last words. I heard the pain in his voice. I saw the blood. Oh, I saw the blood… There was so much of it…"

Hermione screamed.

"I heard him say that he loved you more than words can say, that he was sorry." He whispered. "He was my best friend, Hermione. He was my brother."

"Why are you doing this to me? Why are you telling me this? What the hell is wrong with you, Blaise?" She whispered. Blaise was scared. He had heard her use this voice only once before: when she got in a fight with the youngest Weasel boy; Ginny's brother. They didn't speak to him anymore.

"Hermione, you're not the only one that misses him." He said quietly. "He was my best friend. He was my brother." He repeated.

Harry looked like he was going to say something: That Draco was his brother, too. He'd married his sister; he was his best friend. And as he opened his mouth to say this, he saw the look on Hermione's face. It wasn't worth it.

"Blaise. You just don't get it!" She hissed. "You don't get it! You're not the one that's so desperately in love with him; you're not the one who so helplessly needs him; you're not the one that lost everything. Blaise, he was everything to me. He was my world. You don't get it." She said again. Her hands were beginning to bleed; her long nails were digging into the soft flesh in the palm of her hand. Blood was falling to the hardwood floors. She either didn't notice or didn't care. She was in too much pain to notice it anymore.

"You're not the one who can't survive without him 'cause he's your everything; you're not the one that's in so much pain, you can't bear it, that you can't describe it, that it's crushing you, that it's so horrible; so unbearable; so strong that you can't breathe, it takes a tremendous amount of effort to breathe. I don't even want to be breathing if he's not with me. You're not the one that lost her heart. It feels like my heart has stopped beating. No, worse. It feels like I don't even have a heart anymore; he took it with him. You're not the one that has to live without your other half. You're not the one that can't live, that can't see, that can't function, that can't stop crying 'cause he's not here to hold you and kiss you and talk to you and comfort you. You're not the one that's dying inside; you're not the one that's broken beyond repair. You're not me. " She was yelling now.

"You will never understand the pain that I'm feeling. You will never feel the love that I held for him… The love that I still hold for him. You will never understand the true meaning of what it's like to be broken. You will never understand what it's like to die when you're still struggling to live. You will never know what it's like when you lack the willpower it takes to breathe. You will never understand anything!" She screamed. Blaise cringed.

"You're not the one who had to see him die."

He regretted the words as soon as they left his lips. She picked up her glass of wine and threw it at him. It shattered against his chest and he staggered back, but remained standing.

"You're not the one that saw the life leave his eyes."

He wished the words would stop flowing. She threw a vase at him. He felt blood underneath the red wine, but he did not back down. He stood his ground and looked at her directly in the eye.

"His last words were about you."

Hermione stopped in her tracks.

"What did you say?" She whispered.

"His last words; they were about you. They were for you."

She said nothing, but she looked at him with confusion etched on her face. The glass she was holding in her hand that she was planning to throw, shattered. Hermione was holding broken glass in her fist. She didn't feel the pain, though.

"He said that he loved you more than words can say… And that he was sorry." He whispered. Hermione narrowed her eyes at him, but her heart was racing like crazy. Was he lying? Wait… Was he lying about Draco being…. ?

"How do I know you're not lying?" She asked. She wasn't referring to the 'last words' comment. What if Blaise really was lying about Draco being... ?

"Hermione, would I really lie about something like that?" Blaise said softly. He knew she wasn't asking about his last words. Hermione wiped her tears and shrugged.

"How would I know that, Blaise?" Her voice was rising. Her anger was coming back. "I wasn't there. I wasn't the one that watched him die. I wasn't the one that let him die. I wasn't the one to watch the life leave his eyes. I wasn't there." She screamed at him. Hermione looked like she wanted to strangle Blaise.

Rain was falling in the house.

Hermione was making it rain.

She dropped the broken glass in her fist and stared at Blaise. Her hands were sticky and hot. She wiped her eyes again. Blood was now smeared across her face.

It mixed with her tears and black streaks were running down her cheeks. Her pretty chocolate eyes were bloodshot and puffy. Her nose was red and her throat was hurting from all the screaming and crying. Her hands hurt because she'd dug her long nails in her palms all night. Her hair was wet and fell before her eyes. It was making it hard for her to see.

She stared down the hall that led to her bedroom that she shared with Draco. Hermione cringed as she slowly walked forward. She'd sleep with one of his robes tonight; she'd sleep decently and maybe forget this ever happened.

Until she'd awake.

Well, maybe… Maybe she'd wake up in her husband's warm embrace and realize it was all a horrible nightmare.

She made a mental note to tell Blaise that she's really sorry.

But.. If she woke up… And Draco wasn't there…

Then it'd all be too real, too powerful, too painful. She wouldn't be able to move tomorrow. Or speak.

Hermione placed her shaking hand on the doorknob and turned the handle, her eyes closed. His scent overpowered her.

She could never describe the exact way he smelled, 'cause it was natural to only him. It was intoxicating, and she was swimming happily in it now.

Hermione was dreaming.

Draco was in their closet; getting dressed and ready for a party. As soon as she could really open her eyes(they had taken quite a long nap), Hermione walked to the closet and joined her husband. It was Friday; so, she chose a green and silver dress with her heels. Three inches tall, and she still had to stand on her tiptoes to kiss Draco. She threw off the three inches and slipped on her one inch heels. Like it made a difference. She'd have to stand on her toes anyway. She pulled him in for another kiss and Draco picked her up and spun her around in the sunlight that was reaching their room. Hermione pretended to be angry, when really, she was having the best time of her life. He requested a kiss in order for him to let her down, and she put up a fight, before finally giving up and granting him his wish.

"Thank you," He whispered as he followed her into the bathroom to watch her do her makeup.

"I dunno why you bother with that," He whispered, wrapping his arms around her waist while she tried to put her eyeliner on, "you're beautiful enough." He laughed. "Are you trying to kill us all?" He said with a grin. Hermione laughed and denied his words.

"I'm not beautiful," She argued as she put her lipstick on. Draco smiled and shook his head.

"You're right, I'm sorry. You're not beautiful," He whispered in her ear, causing her to shiver. "You're more than beautiful." He kissed her neck. "In fact, there aren't any words to describe you." She giggled and he smiled.

"Oh, Mrs. Malfoy," He said playfully, "You're going to be the death of me someday." Then she took her wedding ring out of her jewelry box and attempt to put it on before Draco snatched it from her.

"Ah, ah, ah," He said, taking her left hand and softly kissing it, "I believe I'm supposed to put that on you… I mean, I am your husband." He smirked and got down on one knee and slid the ring on to her narrow finger. He looked up and playfully asked,

"Hermione Granger, will you do me the honor of marrying me?"

She laughed and said, "Well, Mr. Malfoy, I do believe you're a bit too late for that." She giggled. "You see, I'm already married, to a man by the name of Draco." She said. He pulled her down to his height and kissed her.

"How's that, Miss Granger?" He smirked

"That," She said, completely breathless, "was quite possibly the best kiss I've ever experienced." She smiled.

"Well, what do you think? Could you ever leave this man… Draco, was it?" He looked at her, smirking. Hermione nodded her head. "Well, yes, do you think you'd could ever possibly leave this man for me?" He asked jokingly. Hermione pretended to ponder his question for a moment.

"I suppose I could." She smiled against his lips. And he kissed her.

"Oh, Hermione, I do believe I'm helplessly in love with you." Draco kissed her neck. "I do believe I desperately need you, more than anything in the world." He kissed her cheek. "I do believe I could never live without you." He kissed her full on the lips. She giggled.

"I love you, too, Draco. I dunno what I'd ever do without you." She wrapped her arms around his waist and put her head right above his heart; she was listening to the strong beat, it was racing like crazy. "I'd be lost without you."

Hermione opened her eyes, looking around the room. Draco wasn't next to her; but his place in their king sized bed was warm. She jumped up and ran to the closet. He wasn't there, either, but a set of his robes were missing from the closet, and so were a pair of his shoes. She ran to the bathroom. He wasn't there, either. But, his toothbrush was laying on his sink. And, it smelled like his cologne. She smiled at herself in the mirror before turning out of the bathroom. She dashed downstairs, praying he'd be in the kitchen. He wasn't there, but there was a single green apple sitting in the middle of the table, a glass of iced tea next to it. She scurried to the living room. He wasn't there, either, but there was a single red rose laying on the coffee table. She ran to the patio.

She saw platinum blonde hair peeking out from a chair. She squealed in excitement and ran to him.

"Good morning, Hermione," He murmured, taking her hand and pulling her to his lap. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him.

"Oh, Draco, I had the worst nightmare!" She cried. He rubbed her back soothingly.

"Tell me about it, love." He whispered.

"It was horrible!" She choked out, "Blaise came home and told me that you had…" Tears were falling now. Draco pulled her closer and kissed her forehead.

"That I had, what?" He asked softly.

"That you had… died!" She whispered. Draco ran his fingers through her hair.

"Don't ever worry about that, Hermione, I'll never leave. Unless you're there with me." He smiled. "I love you." He whispered softly.

"I love you, too, Draco." She smiled.

He leaned in closer to her.

"More than you know," His voice was husky and it sent shivers down her spine. She bit her lip. "More than words can ever say." He kissed the skin under her ear. "I will never leave you, Mrs. Malfoy. Never." He held her hand. "Not unless you're there, right beside me." And he turned her around to kiss her passionately.