Disclaimer:
This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended. Which is basically: I don't own anything except the plot!
_________________________________________________________________________________________
A/N: This was supposed to be a response to a challenge. It said to write in exactly 100 words "Hermione's reflecting on the fact that she was forced to kill Draco with her own wand, or she watched Harry do it when she could have stopped him" (excluding title, notes, and disclaimer.) but then I wrote too much. So I just made it exactly 558 words. ^^
_________________________________________________________________________________________
By Silent Seishin
_________________________________________________________________________________________
The wind is cold and sharp against my bare face and arms, and the sky is clouded and dark. Even though it's cold and gloomy, I take warmth in it as I remember what I have witnessed. I can't believe I just stood there and let it happen. And now…now the man I love is gone.
Nothing can get to me now. I am too numb by the fact that he is gone, and that it was partially my fault. I could always lie and say I had no choice; that I had to let it happen; that good would not have prevailed if he had not died. But lying to myself just makes me hurt more.
There is always another way. I knew, sorry, know, that. I should've looked for that other way. But at that moment, I guess I was in shock. I froze up.
So, I watched as one of my best friends, the famous Harry Potter, pointed his wand at my love and uttered the two words that would cause this pain in my heart. The pain that hurt more than anyone could imagine, the pain that is so indescribable you couldn't even fathom what I'm going through unless you've gone through the same thing.
I feel wetness on my face, and with my finger I find a tear. More fall towards the ground on which I stand, the ground under which my love is buried. I kneel on the cold hard dirt and bow my head into my hands, crying freely as my hair covers my hands.
There is a crunching of leaves behind me, but I don't turn around or stop crying, not even when someone gently parts my hair away and speaks.
"I'm sorry Hermione, I didn't know. If I had, I wouldn't have taken him away from you. You must've loved him very much…"
Sorrowful green eyes look down at me pity. I laugh a bitter laugh. Imagine, the man who caused all this pain feeling pity, for me. He stares bewildered as my bitter laughter continues.
"Hermione," another voice speaks up. "I think you've had too much cold. Come on."
A hand reaches out to me, but I squirm away. I don't want to go with them; I want to be with him. I shouldn't have let it happen. There was another way; there is always another way. I start to think about it all over again, about how I could've prevented it by looking for another solution, but thinking that makes me hurt more and wonder why I let it happen in the first place. I'm supposed to be the smart one. If I had put my mind to it, or if I had just said one word, he'd still be here. But I was weak.
A cloak is draped over me, but I don't move until a pair of arms pick me up, sets me on my feet, and prods me along. I start to walk as if not seeing, as if I am on an automatic response.
Before I walk but five steps, I turn around to look at the engraving in marble stone marking my love's grave:
Here Lies
Draco Malfoy
Beloved Son and Lover
A Young Man Who Strove
to Accomplish Great Things
[1980 - 2003]
"Good-bye, my love, until we meet again."
_________________________________________________________________________________________
A/N2: Okay. Now, I'd like to know what you think of that. Do you have any constructive criticism, any comments on how to make it better, or you just want to leave a nice, kind, little comment? Then please review. ^^ It'll help me in my writing later on. BTW...this is a one-shot. As far as I know right now, there isn't going to be a continuation.
-Silent Seishin
11/14/2003