A/N: Here's a one-shot that I wrote a while ago but have finally gotten around to posting it. This story was inspired by Rammstein's song Ohne Dich, and named after.

WARNING: I'm going to go a head and tell you this is not a happy ending story. If you like your stories to end happily that's fine but don't complain to me about it. I warned you!

Disclaimer: I don't any of the characters or the song.

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Draco sat at his table writing two short letters. One was for Harry and the other to his mother Narcissa. His hand shook as he wrote the letters which made holding the quill straight difficult. He hated writing these words but he had to. He had to explain it to them some how.

Once he was finished, he folded and sealed the parchments. He scribbled the names on the outside before he rose from his chair. He crossed his room to where his owl was perched. He attached the letters to the bird's legs, "This one goes to Harry Potter first. This one then goes to my mother Narcissa. Once you deliver the letter to her, you will remain there and be hers. Do you understand?"

The owl responded with a simple 'hoot' before stretching out its wings and taking flight out the open window.

Draco stood in front of the window as he watched the owl fly. He then turned his back to the window and gazed around his small flat for the last time. There were so many memories in just about every space. The whole place was packed into boxes and divided into two piles. The smaller pile went to Harry which contained all…Hermione's possessions. Tears swelled in his eyes as her face appeared in his mind. The other pile was for his mother which contained all of his things.

Draco shook his head to pull himself out of his thoughts. There wasn't much time to reminisce and wallow in his memories. He had to hurry and leave before Harry or his mother showed up to stop him.

In the blink of an eye, Draco was gone.

Draco appeared in an empty forest. It was their forest. Hermione had found it and brought him to it a long time ago when they began dating. It was one of the most beautiful places he has ever seen and it was full of so many memories.

As Draco walked through the fir trees, he could tell the place had changed. It didn't seem bright and cheery like it used to be. There seemed to be no life to it or in it. It looked black and empty, just like how Draco felt on the inside since her death.

It was silent. Nothing made a sound. There was no wind blowing through the trees. Draco remembered how the birds always sang but the birds sang no more. Everywhere Draco looked, he could see Hermione. Almost everything triggered a memory he had shared with her. He remembered the time they played hide n' seek and other games. He even remembered the place where they first made love.

He soon came upon the clearing they would normally go and sit. There grass was always the softest here and they would lay in it for hours just talking. There was a large, smooth stone in the middle they would often sit on. Draco slowly walked through the clearing. The grass crunched under his steps. He reached the stone and slowly sank down. He no longer could contain his tears and allowed them to flow down his face. He still couldn't believe she was gone. It had been little over a year now but it still felt like it all happened yesterday.

XxX 1 year and 4 months ago XxX

It was the eve of the battle. Harry stood at the end of a long table full of members of the Order. Other stood around the room and listened intently to his battle plans. Harry soon came to the end of this plan. Some of the people showed a little fear as they gazed at him while others looked determined. Hermione was one of those. She was ready for this. Draco showed he was not scared and ready but on the inside, he was afraid. Not for his life, but for Hermione's. He knew she was highly capable of defending herself and didn't doubt her skills but he was still worried. Death Eaters would use anything and everything they had to without thinking twice. They weren't afraid to take a life with just a flick of the wrist.

"That's all for tonight. Let's all get a good night's rest so we'll be ready for tomorrow. Good night, everyone", Harry concluded.

Everyone shuffled about and all left the room expect for Hermione, Draco and Ron. Harry sank back into his chair. He ran his hand though his hair, "I'm sending them to their deaths. This just isn't right."

"Harry, don't talk like that. Some of us may die but we're all willing to go into this and do what is necessary to defeat Voldemort. Everyone here knows the risks they are taking", Hermione said confidently.

"Yeah, think about all of the Death Eater butt we're gonna kick tomorrow", Ron added.

Harry gave both of them a weak smile, "I can't wait for this all to be over so we can all have normal lives."

Draco watched the exchange between the three friends and felt out of place just watching them. He decided to leave. He quietly rose from his chair and walked toward the door but he was caught as Harry called his name.

Draco turned back to them and saw they were all staring at him, "I was just going to give you three some alone time."

"Nonsense, you're one of us", Harry said with a smile. He gestured for Draco to join them.

Draco hid his smile as he walked toward the trio. It felt nice to have a place to belong.

"Just because you haven't been with us since the beginning doesn't mean you aren't with us now. You've been with us for over a year now since you've been dating Hermione", Harry continued.

"Who would have thought I, Draco Malfoy, would become part of the Golden Trio after all the years of me being a git to you guys", Draco said.

"That's the past. It doesn't matter now. Those will just be stories to tell the grand children", Harry said with a chuckle at the end.

The four of them stayed there talking for another hour or so until they decided to go to their rooms. In their shared room, Draco and Hermione made love for the last time and held onto each other as they said 'I love you' before drifting off to sleep in each other's arms.

The next morning was crazy. Mrs. Wesley prepared breakfast for everyone and made sure everyone ate something. "You're not going into battle on an empty stomach", she said. After eating, everyone began preparing. Thanks to Snape, they knew that Voldemort was planning on attacking the Ministry. So Harry devised a counter-attack there to stop him.

Starting at six when the Ministry opened, a couple of members of the order went to there in intervals. Some went inside and blended in with the crowds of other people while others took up posts outside to watch. Certain known members of the Order remained at Head Quarters and were the last to leave. If they had shown up too early, Voldemort would know they had a trap planned. But if it was timed just right, most of the Order would be there before he showed his face. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Draco were the last ones to go.

The four of them arrived just after Voldemort did. The Order was already hard at work trying to get rid of the Death Eaters. After Harry arrived, all the entrances and exits were closed and blocked so no one could get in or out until it was over. Many of the Ministry employs were able to escape in time. Some stayed and joined the Order.

The four of them were soon separated as three Death Eaters charges at them. Ron, Hermione, and Draco each took on one of them to allow Harry to go after Voldemort.

Draco quickly got rid of his. He was trained to be a Death Eater and knew exactly what they would do. He immediately searched for Hermione. He spotted her and started to run to her side but was stopped by another Death Eater jumping in his path.

Hermione was defending her self very well but the Death Eater was too fast for her to get a spell in. She looked around for Draco but saw he was busy himself. An explosion of some kind went off, shaking the entire building. Hermione almost lost her balance but she caught herself before falling to the floor but in the process she dropped her wand. The Death Eater took his shot and shouted 'Avada Kedavra' but Hermione jumped out the way just in time and grabbed her wand. As she turned back to him she was hit in the chest with a stream of green light.

The next few minutes for Draco seemed to go by in slow motion. He soon finished his current Death Eater but wasn't fast enough to save Hermione. He watched her lifeless body fall to the floor. Draco screamed 'You Bastard!' as he charged at the Death Eater responsible. The Death Eater has a smug grin on his face for killing on of Harry's close friends. He didn't notice Draco running at him. Draco punched him in the face sending him to the floor hard. Draco pointed his wand at him.

Draco had murder in his eyes as he glared down at him. He came here knowing he had to fight but wasn't really intending on killing of the Death Eaters like they did. But this one was going to die and it wasn't going to be quick either. "Crucio!"

A red light hit the Death Eater and he howled in pain. Draco didn't let up. Ron saw what was going and ran over to him, "Draco, what are you doing? We don't have time for this!" Ron yelled, not seeing Hermione's dead body.

Draco looked at Ron. He stopped the curse and glared back down at the Death Eater. With a flick of the wrist and a couple of words, he was dead.

Ron starred at Draco worried, "What was that for?"

Without looking at the red head he responded, "He killed…her."

Ron starred at Draco for a second and looked down at the floor and finally saw Hermione's body. He immediately burst into tears and ran to her body. Draco wanted to do the same thing but he dragged Ron away. He slapped him across the face to get him to focus on him. Draco didn't know why he was so calm right now but he knew Hermione wouldn't want them to fail because they were too busy mourning for her.

They continued to fight and Harry was able to finally defeat Voldemort. He was ecstatic. Everyone cheered and began rejoicing. The Aurors present began rounding up all the Death Eaters still alive to be taken to Azkaban.

Harry soon found Ron and Draco smiling but when he saw the look on their faces and no Hermione, the smile disappeared. They took him to where she was and Harry fell to his knees beside her. He cried and cursed himself. Ron knelt beside him as well and both men cried for their fallen friend. Draco stood over them and watched. He wanted nothing more than to be lying in her place.

Hermione was buried two days later. Many people showed up to pay their last respects to her. Harry, Ron, and Draco were the last ones to remain after the service. Each one took their own turn saying their last good byes to her. Ron went first and left as soon as he was done. Harry went next but waited for Draco. He didn't want to leave him alone at a time like this.

Draco finally approached her grave. He began to speak but soon broke down in tears. He had never cried this much in his entire life. He remained there for fifteen minutes crying. Before he left, he pulled up a ring box and opened the small velvet box. Inside was the engagement ring he was going to give to her once the war was over. He placed the ring on her tombstone and said a spell to permanently keep it there.

Harry watched Draco. There was no doubt about his change and how it was all because of Hermione. Harry was worried now about Draco.

Once Draco was finished, he wiped his tears away and turned away. Harry walked toward him and patted him on the shoulder. "I'll always be here for you, both me and Ron. Hermione brought us together so let's keep it that way."

Draco stayed in contact with Harry after the funeral. He didn't care for Ron that much but still talked to him when he tagged along with Harry. Draco never saw another girl after that either. He couldn't betray Hermione like that. She would always have his heart. After a few months passed, Draco quit his job and only had contact with Harry and Narcissa. He became a hermit, locked away in their flat. Harry made sure to visit Draco often, usually multiple times a week just to make sure he was doing ok.

XxX

Draco glanced around his surroundings one last time. The sun was setting for the night. People always said he was a coward. Hermione told him all the time that he wasn't but they were all right.

Breathing was becoming a task for Draco, "I'm sorry, Hermione. I'm just not strong enough to be without you. I love you", Draco said out loud as he pulled out his wand.

And the birds sang no more.

~~Song Lyrics~~

I'm going into the fir trees

There where I last saw her

But the evening is throwing a cloth upon the land

And the forest it is so black and empty

Woe is me, oh woe

And the birds sing no more

Without you I cannot be

Without you

Without you I am alone too

Without you

Without you I count the hours without you

With you the seconds stand still

They aren't worth it

On the branches in the ditched

It's not silent and without life

And breathing becomes oh so hard for me

Woe is me, oh woe

And the birds sing no more

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A/N: Yes this is a sad story and I meant for it to be. I wrote this a down moment in my life and was mainly for me but I decided to share it. It's not the best but I still like it.