Draco Malfoy sat at his office, staring blankly at the wall. He'd finish all the work that needed to be done 2 hours before he was done with the day. He was now 27, working at the Ministry of Magic, living by himself in an apartment. He was happy, yes, but there was something still missing. Something he'd left behind long ago, but hasn't forgotten. Draco's train of thought was interrupted by his secretary, Millicent.
"Mr. Malfoy, your mail has arrived," she said, putting the letters on his desk.
"Thank you, and you know what? Why don't you just have the rest of the day off? I'm done here, and I don't think I have anything else for you to do. So, see you tomorrow," said Draco.
"Thank you, sir."
Maybe a few years ago people would have found it odd to have Draco showing such kindness. But a lot has changed in a few years. After joining the Order in his sixth year, Draco become a spy for the Light Side, leaving his father's wishes behind.
"You will be great someday, son. When it's the Master's time to pass, you shall inherit everything. And with my help, you shall succeed," his father's words coming back in his head. Draco was tired of putting on a show for him, pretending to be the son his father always wanted. He didn't want to be a Death Eater, he didn't want to help Voldemort kill innocent people, he didn't want to be some sort of trophy his father could parade around to his friends. Yes, he was a Malfoy, but he wasn't Lucius.
After joining the Order, everything had changed. They, well, Potter, finally defeated Lord Voldemort by the end of their 7th year. It was a happy time for all of them. Many of the Death Eaters were sent to Azkaban, some died during the war. Draco himself killed a handful. He was just about the kill his father when Harry killed Voldemort, allowing the Death Eaters to finally fall, knowing their master was gone. He would've done it too, killed his father. Of course, he did love his father. He was his father, after all. But the love he had for him could never overcome the hate.
Ten years later, Draco still looked pretty much the same. He stood at 5'11, with the same pale skin. The skin match his blonde hair, which was no longer slicked back. He was cut through the years of Quidditch, and he did work out. He still had that same smirk, the one that made girls weak at the knees. He did smile, more often than he did in 1st year, but less than in 7th. He was a looker, many women thought, in work and on the street. He'd never dress to impress anyone, but still dressed well, knowing the one he'd wanted to impress he'd never see walking down the street.
Draco removed himself from his daydreams and remembered the letters sitting on his desk.
Trash, trash, trash, bill, trash, trash, Hogwarts? And there it was, a beige envelope with the familiar writing he's seen too many times. He let it lay there for a few minutes, wondering why Proffessor Dumbledore could be writing to him. Of course, there could be the Order, seeing as it was still in operation for those revenge-hungry Death Eaters. But, no. If it was for the Order, the envelope would clearly state a different address, not Hogwarts. he thought. Could it be that he wants me to teach? No, that was stupid. Draco pushed all thoughts out of his mind and opened the letter.
Dear Mr. Draco Malfoy,
I see it's been 10 years since the Hogwart's class of 2004 has seen eachother has a whole class. It would be my pleasure to have you at our Hogwart's Class Reunion this Saturday at 5 o'clock in the evening. This ceremony will be held in the Great Hall as a dinner-dance. Please, it would be so nice to have you spend this time with all of us here at Hogwarts.
It'll be a black tie ceremony, so please, dress your best. I hope to see you there, as it would be a shame not to see our former Head Boy.
Sincerly,
Proffessor Albus Dumbledore
A reunion? he thought. He was completly and utterly speechless. A part of him really wanted to go. Wanting to see all his old friends he's lost contact with, his old Quidditch team, the proffesors. And it is expected of him, since he was Head Boy. Then, that nagging feeling came back. The one that reminded him of what he left long ago. He knew she wouldn't pass up the chance to go back to Hogwart's. And she would go, since she was the Head Girl during their year. And she'd do almost anything to please our former Head Master. But would she go, knowing he'd be there as well?
"Draco, can you believe it's all over? Voldemort is defeated, we graduate tomorrow and go our seperate ways. You know I'd like to take a year off and just spend it at home, with my family. I mean, I due owe them after 7 years of being at Hogwart's, only seeing them for two months out of a whole year. What are you going to do? What are we going to do?" she asked him. They were standing by the lake, his arms wrapped around her tiny waist. But, as tiny as she is, she always seemed to fit into him like a glove.
"Well, that's just it. I don't know what we're going to do. You know that I love you, and nothing can or will change that, but I'm not sure about this," Draco said. He pulled away from her, his back to her. He didn't want to see the expression on her face.
"Not sure about what?" her voice was getting worried.
"You know I want to start something with you, a family. But you're not ready. I don't know after this, you'll be away in muggle England and where will I be? Here. Not with you."
She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Then come with me. We could be together. We could live in muggle England, so we could be together and I could still be with my parents." He looked into her eyes. He knew she was happy with how things were, them being together. And it killed him to say what he had to say.
"You know how you're parents feel about me. They may accept the relationship you have, but they'll never accept who you're having it with. They know about our past and what I've done, who I've been. But see, I need to change that. To them, for us. I need to show them that I'm not the same 12 year-old boy who made their daughter cry. Marrying you and starting a family could show that to them. But obviously, you're not ready," Draco said. He knew that her parents were her idols. Their opinions mattered as much as their relationship did. He knew her parents not accepting him threatened their relationship, and she knew that too.
"When were you planning on telling me this?" tears threatening to fall. She knew he was right, and wouldn't lie to him by saying that what her parents thought didn't matter. But she wouldn't let him see her cry. Not now. Not yet.
"Tomorrow, after we graduated. I thought it would be better, with us seperating. But, I just felt like I couldn't lie to you anymore, I had to tell you now." He noticed the tears forming in her eyes. He didn't think he could hold his back either.
"So what? Just because of one year away, you're going to forget what we have? What we've given to eachother? How could you? I have nothing, Draco! Nothing! Nothing, but love for you! And I've done it, I've given it to you. I've given myself to you. And what? You're going to give that up because of something that I need to do, to be with my family. You selfish, arrogant, pompous prick! Thinking you can go and end this tomorrow. Well, I'm not going to wait for this pain to come again tomorrow. Good bye, Malfoy."
And like that, she was gone. He'd let her go, not going after her. He knew she was right. He was going to end it, scared of what their future would be like. Scared that she was leaving him. He couldn't blame her to end it. Who would want to wait for pain? Not her. She was a fighter. She could take anything right there. Wouldn't want to prepare herself for such pain. That's what he liked about her. She could handle anything right out of the blue. She could handle it and overcome it. But he knew, he saw it in her eyes, she could never overcome them not being together.
Should I go? Draco thought. He wanted to see her. Needed to see her, no doubt about that. Ten years later he hasn't seen her, spoken to her, written to her. Wait, that part isn't true. He returned home right after graduation. Everyday for a year he'd wrote her a letter. He wrote that he was sorry and that he loved her. That he wanted to see her, to be with her. There or here, it didn't matter where they were, as long as they were together. Then the next 333 letters were letters telling her about his days, what he was doing, what's been going on with his life. He'd written about how his mother was doing, how he'd moved out, how he'd gotten a new job at the Ministry, but he never wrote how happy he was, for he was never with her. The 365th letter was his final one. His good bye to her. He was tired of thinking of words to win her over by. After all, the 365 letters were never answered. He hadn't recieved a single one from her. For the next 9 years he's spent them alone.
Well, he hasn't really been alone. Of course, he had his mother. He loved her with all his heart. She had been there when he was abused by his father when he was a mere child. She'd protect him, only to be beaten by Lucius. But no matter was the beatings were, she'd still been there for him, and is still there for him. And of course, there was Liz. She was in Slytherin, but was two years younger than Draco. They'd met last year at Diagon Alley. She'd lost her first boyfriend in the war, and he'd lost his love because he was afraid, and they were both in need of love. But, they did not love eachother. They were just there for eachother when one got lonely.
Saturday was just 2 days away. He decided he'd go to see her. The one he's loved since the beginning of their 7th year. The one he'd left but hasn't forgotten. He needed to feel her fingers linked with his, her embraces, her kisses, her, all in all. And damn, he was sure as hell that was going to happen. He just wanted to scream out to the world that she was his again. His Hermione.
"Mr. Malfoy, your mail has arrived," she said, putting the letters on his desk.
"Thank you, and you know what? Why don't you just have the rest of the day off? I'm done here, and I don't think I have anything else for you to do. So, see you tomorrow," said Draco.
"Thank you, sir."
Maybe a few years ago people would have found it odd to have Draco showing such kindness. But a lot has changed in a few years. After joining the Order in his sixth year, Draco become a spy for the Light Side, leaving his father's wishes behind.
"You will be great someday, son. When it's the Master's time to pass, you shall inherit everything. And with my help, you shall succeed," his father's words coming back in his head. Draco was tired of putting on a show for him, pretending to be the son his father always wanted. He didn't want to be a Death Eater, he didn't want to help Voldemort kill innocent people, he didn't want to be some sort of trophy his father could parade around to his friends. Yes, he was a Malfoy, but he wasn't Lucius.
After joining the Order, everything had changed. They, well, Potter, finally defeated Lord Voldemort by the end of their 7th year. It was a happy time for all of them. Many of the Death Eaters were sent to Azkaban, some died during the war. Draco himself killed a handful. He was just about the kill his father when Harry killed Voldemort, allowing the Death Eaters to finally fall, knowing their master was gone. He would've done it too, killed his father. Of course, he did love his father. He was his father, after all. But the love he had for him could never overcome the hate.
Ten years later, Draco still looked pretty much the same. He stood at 5'11, with the same pale skin. The skin match his blonde hair, which was no longer slicked back. He was cut through the years of Quidditch, and he did work out. He still had that same smirk, the one that made girls weak at the knees. He did smile, more often than he did in 1st year, but less than in 7th. He was a looker, many women thought, in work and on the street. He'd never dress to impress anyone, but still dressed well, knowing the one he'd wanted to impress he'd never see walking down the street.
Draco removed himself from his daydreams and remembered the letters sitting on his desk.
Trash, trash, trash, bill, trash, trash, Hogwarts? And there it was, a beige envelope with the familiar writing he's seen too many times. He let it lay there for a few minutes, wondering why Proffessor Dumbledore could be writing to him. Of course, there could be the Order, seeing as it was still in operation for those revenge-hungry Death Eaters. But, no. If it was for the Order, the envelope would clearly state a different address, not Hogwarts. he thought. Could it be that he wants me to teach? No, that was stupid. Draco pushed all thoughts out of his mind and opened the letter.
Dear Mr. Draco Malfoy,
I see it's been 10 years since the Hogwart's class of 2004 has seen eachother has a whole class. It would be my pleasure to have you at our Hogwart's Class Reunion this Saturday at 5 o'clock in the evening. This ceremony will be held in the Great Hall as a dinner-dance. Please, it would be so nice to have you spend this time with all of us here at Hogwarts.
It'll be a black tie ceremony, so please, dress your best. I hope to see you there, as it would be a shame not to see our former Head Boy.
Sincerly,
Proffessor Albus Dumbledore
A reunion? he thought. He was completly and utterly speechless. A part of him really wanted to go. Wanting to see all his old friends he's lost contact with, his old Quidditch team, the proffesors. And it is expected of him, since he was Head Boy. Then, that nagging feeling came back. The one that reminded him of what he left long ago. He knew she wouldn't pass up the chance to go back to Hogwart's. And she would go, since she was the Head Girl during their year. And she'd do almost anything to please our former Head Master. But would she go, knowing he'd be there as well?
"Draco, can you believe it's all over? Voldemort is defeated, we graduate tomorrow and go our seperate ways. You know I'd like to take a year off and just spend it at home, with my family. I mean, I due owe them after 7 years of being at Hogwart's, only seeing them for two months out of a whole year. What are you going to do? What are we going to do?" she asked him. They were standing by the lake, his arms wrapped around her tiny waist. But, as tiny as she is, she always seemed to fit into him like a glove.
"Well, that's just it. I don't know what we're going to do. You know that I love you, and nothing can or will change that, but I'm not sure about this," Draco said. He pulled away from her, his back to her. He didn't want to see the expression on her face.
"Not sure about what?" her voice was getting worried.
"You know I want to start something with you, a family. But you're not ready. I don't know after this, you'll be away in muggle England and where will I be? Here. Not with you."
She wrapped her arms around his neck. "Then come with me. We could be together. We could live in muggle England, so we could be together and I could still be with my parents." He looked into her eyes. He knew she was happy with how things were, them being together. And it killed him to say what he had to say.
"You know how you're parents feel about me. They may accept the relationship you have, but they'll never accept who you're having it with. They know about our past and what I've done, who I've been. But see, I need to change that. To them, for us. I need to show them that I'm not the same 12 year-old boy who made their daughter cry. Marrying you and starting a family could show that to them. But obviously, you're not ready," Draco said. He knew that her parents were her idols. Their opinions mattered as much as their relationship did. He knew her parents not accepting him threatened their relationship, and she knew that too.
"When were you planning on telling me this?" tears threatening to fall. She knew he was right, and wouldn't lie to him by saying that what her parents thought didn't matter. But she wouldn't let him see her cry. Not now. Not yet.
"Tomorrow, after we graduated. I thought it would be better, with us seperating. But, I just felt like I couldn't lie to you anymore, I had to tell you now." He noticed the tears forming in her eyes. He didn't think he could hold his back either.
"So what? Just because of one year away, you're going to forget what we have? What we've given to eachother? How could you? I have nothing, Draco! Nothing! Nothing, but love for you! And I've done it, I've given it to you. I've given myself to you. And what? You're going to give that up because of something that I need to do, to be with my family. You selfish, arrogant, pompous prick! Thinking you can go and end this tomorrow. Well, I'm not going to wait for this pain to come again tomorrow. Good bye, Malfoy."
And like that, she was gone. He'd let her go, not going after her. He knew she was right. He was going to end it, scared of what their future would be like. Scared that she was leaving him. He couldn't blame her to end it. Who would want to wait for pain? Not her. She was a fighter. She could take anything right there. Wouldn't want to prepare herself for such pain. That's what he liked about her. She could handle anything right out of the blue. She could handle it and overcome it. But he knew, he saw it in her eyes, she could never overcome them not being together.
Should I go? Draco thought. He wanted to see her. Needed to see her, no doubt about that. Ten years later he hasn't seen her, spoken to her, written to her. Wait, that part isn't true. He returned home right after graduation. Everyday for a year he'd wrote her a letter. He wrote that he was sorry and that he loved her. That he wanted to see her, to be with her. There or here, it didn't matter where they were, as long as they were together. Then the next 333 letters were letters telling her about his days, what he was doing, what's been going on with his life. He'd written about how his mother was doing, how he'd moved out, how he'd gotten a new job at the Ministry, but he never wrote how happy he was, for he was never with her. The 365th letter was his final one. His good bye to her. He was tired of thinking of words to win her over by. After all, the 365 letters were never answered. He hadn't recieved a single one from her. For the next 9 years he's spent them alone.
Well, he hasn't really been alone. Of course, he had his mother. He loved her with all his heart. She had been there when he was abused by his father when he was a mere child. She'd protect him, only to be beaten by Lucius. But no matter was the beatings were, she'd still been there for him, and is still there for him. And of course, there was Liz. She was in Slytherin, but was two years younger than Draco. They'd met last year at Diagon Alley. She'd lost her first boyfriend in the war, and he'd lost his love because he was afraid, and they were both in need of love. But, they did not love eachother. They were just there for eachother when one got lonely.
Saturday was just 2 days away. He decided he'd go to see her. The one he's loved since the beginning of their 7th year. The one he'd left but hasn't forgotten. He needed to feel her fingers linked with his, her embraces, her kisses, her, all in all. And damn, he was sure as hell that was going to happen. He just wanted to scream out to the world that she was his again. His Hermione.