A/N: Hi, this is my entry to Hawthorn and Vine's Treasured Tropes fest which was held recently. It is a one-shot and I worked off the graphic prompt by BoundBooks. For readers of What Can't Be Broken, I will leave an A/N at the bottom about it along with info about some of the places mentioned in this fic if anyone is interested in it :)

I hope you enjoy :D

O.o.O

Looking across the sapphire-blue water, Draco took another swig of his firewhisky, contemplating his dilemma.

He needed to marry, and soon. Problem was, he hadn't found the right girl yet. His parents had held balls in his honour, women had been throwing themselves at him, yet none of them were for him. They were only after his money, his name, and his 'sex god' reputation. Blaise had married Pansy two months ago, and they'd just announced they were expecting, Goyle married Millicent last week and Theo got married to Daphne today, for Merlin's sake!

He was the only one left standing, and he despised it.
With a sigh, Draco chucked his bottle into the bin and sat down on the smooth, earthy-toned rock as he watched the sun set over the horizon, his feet squishing into the stark white sand as the beginning of a waltz was masked by the thundering crash of waves twenty metres away.

He wanted love.

Real love, with the girl of his dreams. He just hadn't found her yet. All he had were flings and one-night stands in the Astronomy tower during school, his 'sex god' reputation making him a hot commodity everywhere he went in the wizarding world, and he was growing tired of it.

As he continued to mull over the situation, the loud splash of a wave and a splattering of salt water upon his imperial-black robes made him look up to the giggling face of a young woman, covered in only a drape that you would find on the cheap rack in Madam Malkin's. However, the glowing smile he received from her struck him still. The setting of the sun created a lovely pink and orange hue, leaving him breathless. She quickly turned around, the breeze whipping up her golden-brown hair as she ran a short distance away from him in a cheeky manner. Turning her head once more, the sunset picked out the light green and honey brown pigments in her hazel eyes, further capturing Draco's attention. She gave him an alluring smile and flounced farther away from him.

Captured by her beauty, Draco ignored the cheers and clapping coming from the nearby tent and followed her down the beach.

"So, you decided to follow me after all. Good choice," spoke the heavenly beauty as he neared her. Hermione smiled and sat down on the water's edge, the waves rolling and receding a couple of metres away.

"Why wouldn't I?" Draco asked as he sat down next to her.

Hermione gave a shrill laugh and glanced at him sideways. "Did you ever think that I was leading you into a trap?" she whispered, as her voice took on a husky tone, leaning close to his ear.

Draco gave a slight gulp, his body shivering as her delicate hand cupped his face.

"I know who you are, Draco Malfoy. I know what you are. And I know you are missing something in your life. But are you willing to sacrifice a part of yourself to find what you are looking for?"

Her tone was like nothing he had heard before, she drew him in, enticed him, and he found that he was leaning closer and closer towards her. As she received the response that she desired from him, she in turn pulled him further and further into the ocean, a dangerous look crossed her face as her legs turned into a tail.

"To have what you most desire, you must first join me," whispered Hermione.

As if he were in a trance, he nodded his head in agreement. Hermione smiled and drew him down farther into the water. However, just after her lips met his, Draco's eyes widened as the shock in the water temperature woke him up. Disoriented, Draco gasped for breath. But it was too late.

He had already been transformed.

O.o.O

After the sun had set, the raucous wedding party gathered at the edge of the beach, waiting for the 'Staircase to the Moon' to happen. It occurred every month, between March and October when the moon was full and the tide low, creating the illusion of stairs on the exposed mudflats.

Adhering to the rumour about this event, Lucius scanned the crowd. There were kids running around making a mess of their attire, the bride and groom staring lovingly at each other, but there was one person missing.

Draco.

A loud cheer erupted as the moon made its graceful appearance, glowing brighter than ever before.

There had been a sacrifice, and Lucius knew exactly who it was.

O.o.O

A/N: First off, The setting for this fic is in the Northern part of Western Australia in a beach/country town called Broome, the beach where the 'Staircase to the Moon' is at a beach called Roebuck Bay. A fun fact about Broome is that it also has dinosaur foot prints fossilised in the ocean floor and you are able to go out and see the imprints when the tide is low, there are two sets one harder to find than the other :)

Secondly, for my other Dramione story 'What Can't Be Broken' I currently have writer's block which is incredibly frustrating, I know what I want to write, it just won't come out the way I want it to, and I'm bit of a perfectionist and want it to be right the first time I post :)