Title: Betrayers
Written: July 13th, 2004
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. I never have.
Pairing(s): Draco/Hermione
Summary: Post-war Draco and Hermione reminisce about what they did for the war effort.

Hermione sank down onto the grass. "Things have changed."

"For the better," her companion replied, fiddling with her hair.

"Things have changed," Hermione repeated, turning to Draco with a sigh. "It isn't fair, is it?"

"What?" Draco asked, putting Hermione's head in his lap.

"This." Her hands moved, birds taking flight. "I have this and Harry and Ron have graves."

"Nothing's ever fair, Hermione. I didn't think it was fair for all those years that they had one of the most kind, beautiful girls in our year for their friend and all they did was take advantage of her."

"Don't speak ill of the dead," Hermione scolded, taking his hands in hers.

"People don't seem to mind speaking ill of my dead father, Granger."

"Malfoy," Hermione corrected. "I'm a Malfoy now."

"But you're so much cuter as a Granger."

Hermione laughed. "Malfoys are survivors. Grangers are dentists. I'm more a Malfoy than a Granger. I wouldn't like touching other people's teeth day after day like my parents did."

"Do you ever regret it?" Draco asked softly, inclining his head to the point where their foreheads touched.

Hermione shook her head. "No. I regret sometimes how it we went about it, but I don't regret it."

"You got the easy job," Draco laughed.

"Easy? Hardly! Killing Voldemort was not easy, Draco Malfoy!"

"Well, I assure you, killing those two friends of yours was harder."

"You were only supposed to kill Harry," Hermione whispered, turning over so that she wouldn't have to meet Draco's eyes, but rather his pant leg.

"I didn't expect Weasley to come barreling up to save Potter. I had to. If I had let him live then everyone would know what we had done. You know that."

"Yeah, I know, but that doesn't make it any easier to deal with. As Harry became more distant Ron and I became closer. He was like my brother."

"He understood, Hermione. He understood. We just did what everyone wanted. We ended the war. We made it fair, equal. No one turned out on top - no one won."

"But us. We won, Draco. We won."

"Yes, I suppose we did, but the dark didn't win and neither did the light." Draco paused. "The wizarding world is better off for it."

"Even if I get lonely sometimes?"

"Even if you get lonely sometimes."

Hermione sat up, taking Draco's face in her hands. "I love you, Draco Malfoy," she said, giving him a kiss.

"I love you too," Draco replied, standing up. He put down a hand to pick Hermione up. "Now we better all get dressed or we'll never get the kids to Mother's on time and we'll end up missing the ball."

"Again," Hermione giggled.

So the Minister of Magic and his wife, traitor and turncoat, walked off towards Malfoy Manor to get ready for a night of dancing with all their closest friends in a now peaceful wizarding world.