Disclaimer

I do not own any of the characters in the chapter below. Thanks, so please don't sue me! =)

From The Previous Chapter…

"What are we doing here?" Hermione whispered, and then raised her voice, as if she had just realized that she was whispering. But she couldn't help it. Harry had led her into this dark and secluded place, and not the famous French restaurant he had promised to bring her to.

"Ssh… you'll find out soon enough." And even in the darkness, Hermione could sense his smile.

Just then, Harry snapped his fingers, much to Hermione's surprise. Then the lights lit up in the darkness of it all and Hermione had to shield her eyes from the strong and sudden incoming light. Once her eyes had accustomed to the brightness of the place, she blinked once as she took in the surroundings. Actually she blinked twice, the minute she saw Harry's self-satisfactory smile.

She walked around and fingered the many rings on display. She knew what all this meant. With a tingle of fear mixed with delight, she looked at Harry, who was suddenly standing very close to her.

Not knowing what else to say, she muttered foolishly, "Are all these for me?"

Harry smiled at the flush that had now arisen in her cheeks, tinting them pink.

"You can have all of them if you want. But just one will be enough for now." And with that, he knelt down on one knee. "Will you marry me?"

Snippets of memory flashed through her now half-conscious mind. She felt pain at the bottom of her spine and happiness radiating from her, all at the same time.

"Are you sure you want to marry me? I'm just an ordinary girl…" she asked uncertainly. The glow on Harry's face faltered a bit, in disappointment, before he answered her uncertain question with a very much certain answer.

"You're anything but ordinary, Hermione. And yes, I'm sure I want to marry you. Are you?"

Minutes passed by like light years to Harry. He waited for the answer nervously on one knee. Staying like a statue, he finally got the answer.

Out Of The Picture

"Yes." Harry's cheers echoed through the jewelry shop, as he stood up and swung Hermione round and round, holding her by the waist. And they were then mingled with Hermione's delightful laughter.

"Harry! Put me down already!" she exclaimed. Harry laughed and placed both her feet safely on the carpeted ground once more.

"Now, my future fiancée, choose the ring that will bind us both together."

Half an hour later, the both of them were settled in Harry's limousine. (A/N: Rich, huh?) Hermione snuggled closer to Harry's chest, and curled her legs up on the plush seats.

"Hermione?"

"Hmm?"

"Do you think we should tell Malfoy about this?"

Hermione sat up straight in her seat, no longer leaning against Harry's comfortable body. She looked out of the window, observing the flashes of scenery passing them by. She wondered if she could ignore this question and pretend that it was never asked. For all these years, since she was seventeen, she had tried to forget about Draco. And she had always thought that she had. Until someone brought his name up. Hermione never knew what his name could do to her. She never did understand her feelings towards Draco anymore, ever since that fateful night, the night the both of them were together for the last night.

Hermione fingered the new engagement ring on her wedding finger. She had removed Draco's betrothal gift to her the very same night. And had never put it on ever again. The logical part of her mind that reasoned that she should never have married Draco in the first place was right. The both of them were definitely too young, and it was probably a rash act on Draco's part, and an equally impulsive one on hers. Maybe Draco never loved her… maybe the 'love' that they had was just a teenage infatuation. After all, they were only seventeen when he proposed and when she accepted just as foolishly. Right now… if she was sure that she wanted to move on with Harry, and leave Draco out of the picture of her future… there was only one more problem…

"Hermione?" Harry pressed on. He hated to interrupt Hermione when she was deep in thought, just like right now, but this time, he knew it was necessary. Draco Malfoy had always been between the both of them, even though Harry never made his intentions clear during Hogwarts times. And he had regretted it all the time, especially when he found out that Hermione was to be engaged to Draco Malfoy. How Harry had hated himself for that. But now, Hermione was to be his. He had always pictured the both of them together. Now that it was finally coming true, he would do almost anything to keep things that way.

Hermione sighed. She knew this was going to be a big problem. "Harry… if you don't mind… maybe I'd like to tell him that myself…"

Harry nodded solemnly, a grim expression on his face. He slipped a hand around Hermione's shoulders, but slumped in his own seat. He had enough confidence in Hermione. But when it came to the matters of her ex-fiancé, Harry had the confidence of a warthog. He sighed and groaned inwardly, and tried his very best to tell himself that sooner or later, it was all going to be over. That he and Hermione would soon start a family of their own, leaving Draco out of the picture.

Back in her home, Hermione stared out at the windows again. She saw that it was raining hard, and the raindrops splattered onto her windows before dripping slowly down the panes. Her elbow on the ledge and her head in her hand, Hermione sighed once again. What was she to do now? She knew that this day would soon come. She just didn't expect it to be so soon. Harry thought that Draco and her were over. They weren't married anymore. But the thing is… they still were.

Draco never signed the divorce papers. He never wanted to. Of the few times that Hermione had actually braved herself to meet him to make him sign them, he had always walked away, leaving her with the exact same desperation and relief. Letting himself have the last word, "no".

That was then. Now Hermione, who was a famous bookworm and beauty in her school days, now is a famous journalist, and has an equally famous boyfriend who is a famous Auror.

Fame is what she had gotten. Now, she wondered what Draco was. She had not kept in touch with him for years. She didn't want to. Maybe he is a Deatheater now, thought Hermione. Just what his father wanted him to be, just like his whole family of scoundrels. Maybe…

Then, her thoughts were interrupted by two moving figures below, out on the big grass patch near her apartment. She squinted in curiosity but still couldn't see anything. So she fetched her wand and muttered, "Lumos".

The flash of light immediately shone upon the two figures, which Hermione found out to be a boy and a girl. The guy was probably blonde, but his hair was now slick with rainwater, making it look darker. The distance was too far for Hermione to really notice his eye color, and the same goes to the girl. The girl on the other hand, had dark hair, almost black, but Hermione supposed the color change was probably due to the water pouring down on them. They were a handsome couple, no doubt.

But right now, the guy was desperately holding onto the girl's hand, but the girl kept on shrugging it off. The guy finally succeeded in holding the girl tight to his side, by grabbing her by the waist and pulling her close to him. The girl's strength seemed to falter a bit, and she looked as if her knees had gone weak, but the guy couldn't see the expression on her face; his face was buried deep in her wet hair.

Finally, the girl pulled herself away from the guy and looked so distraught that Hermione wanted to go down there and slap the guy for making her feel the way she did. In fact, the guy really got a tight slap across the cheek, but Hermione sure didn't give it. The girl started running, but not before she shouted in his face. Through the torrents of rain, Hermione swore that she could see the girl shout "Liar", right in the guy's face.

Hermione turned away from the window, the sight of the two unfamiliar strangers together brought familiar memories. Painful ones.

But this encounter did give her a new start. She flipped open her notebook and went onto the Internet almost immediately. She clicked on "auto search" and typed in "Draco Malfoy". There were no records. Hermione was disheartened to find the results to be so.

Suddenly, just as she was about to call of the seemingly hopeless search, an idea struck her. The idea was sort of absurd and ridiculous, but it was definitely worth a shot.

She typed in "Lucius Malfoy".

In the end, about ten results were found, and all of them seemed to be for the same purpose. Hermione scanned through all the headlines and caught words like "caught", "punished", "crimes" and "Azkaban". A smile lit her otherwise dull face.

Passing by a group of Dementors, Hermione couldn't help but feel a slight chill flowing from her neck to the bottom of her spine. She hated the way they sucked the happiness right out of her. The last time she had been at Azkaban, she was only there to interview some criminal behind bars. Michael said that it was worth it, yet he was just too cowardly to make the trip himself.

Hermione finally stopped at one particularly huge cell. She looked in behind the bars and saw a tall figure huddling its cloak closer to his body. His gray flowing hair had lost the radiance it used to have. Hermione knew from the haughty air the figure possessed as he paced the cell back and forth, that she had found what she had come looking for.

"My, my, no more jewels encrusted on the robes?" Hermione's tone held a bitter edge to it.

Lucius Malfoy swerved around at the sound of someone's voice.

"Well, if it isn't the filthy Mudblood," he spat with pure venom in hatred undoubtedly in his voice.

"Yes, but this Mudblood isn't the same person you insulted from the moment I was born."

"Ah, yes, you're the famous journalist with a bright future now. And a famous boyfriend, whom I see has finally made his move and has proposed to you?" Hermione immediately, automatically, felt for the diamond ring on her wedding finger. Lucius saw the panic in Hermione's eyes and continued.

"So, what, pray tell, is the reason for your grand arrival, then?"

"Where is your son?"

To Hermione's utter disgust and surprise, Lucius Malfoy barely raised an eyebrow when he said, "Which one?"

"I don't care how many illegitimate bastards you have fathered, I just want to know the whereabouts of your most beloved one: Draco Malfoy."

Lucius made a derisive noise at the back of his throat.

"Funny. You're asking me where your own husband is?"

Hermione was about to clarify that Draco would soon not be her husband, but she decided to ignore his comment and just settled for nodding.

"I do not know and I do not care as much either. Doesn't he work for the Ministry now?" He all but snarled.

"I don't believe that I haven't seen him all these years if he is truly working for the Ministry of Magic."

Seeing that she wasn't going to get another reply from Lucius again, she turned and was about to leave when she heard Lucius cackle evilly.

"Oh, and by the way, how's your dear mother doing now?"

Hermione swerved and shouted, "Don't you DARE ask me how she is now! You know perfectly what your son did that landed her in St. Mungo's! You know perfectly WELL!"

Lucius Malfoy had the audacity to look surprised for a second or two, before sneering knowingly. "Oh, you mean, the little accident where your father was killed?"

Hermione turned once again, for she was afraid that her mind would go ballistic if she stayed near that loony guy one more minute. The Dementors were really working on her now.

"Draco didn't do it. I did." And with that, Lucius laughed that evil laughter once again, leaving Hermione lost and nowhere to run to.

Alone in her apartment, where she had stayed in for the rest of the afternoon after requesting for leave from Michael, Hermione sat down on her bed, staring into space.

What was happening? She really didn't understand. What was it with Lucius now appearing in her already messed up life and claiming that he was the one who killed her father and indirectly made her mother go mad. She sighed, thinking back on that fateful day when she had gotten back from Hogwarts, after spending her last wonderful and blissful day there.

Flashback

Hermione walked along the snow covered path, kicking tufts of white fallen snow playfully as she fingered the ring on her wedding finger. The ring that proved everything. Her love for Draco; and Draco's love for her, no doubt. Now, nothing could stand between them and break the strong bond they had.

It was just too bad that Draco had suddenly received an urgent message from his mother, saying that there was trouble at home, needing him to get there immediately. Draco had complied reluctantly, while wondering what could the urgent message be about. He had given Hermione such a sweet kiss before he left.

Now, Hermione's eyebrow's narrowed as she herself wondered what trouble he would be facing at home. But her thoughts were rudely interrupted by a shrill scream. From her house.

She broke into a run and just as she was about to reach her front porch, she caught a glimpse of a silvery blonde head running out of her front door. She gasped at the familiarity of the way the person looked from where she stood and the way the person ran.

No, it couldn't be… she thought desperately, racking her brain for some – any – logical explanation for what she just saw as well as what she was about to see.

She pushed the already slightly ajar door open tentatively and looked inside. Everything looked the same, and for a moment there, Hermione thought that she was imagining things previously, that she was deluded by the happiness she had felt earlier on on the train ride home. But, once again, her doubts were confirmed, as she heard faint sobbing coming from the kitchen.

She raced to the kitchen and gasped audibly as she saw the white tiles of the kitchen room splayed with reddish paint. Wait a minute, Hermione thought with dread, that doesn't look like paint… it looks like…

By then, Hermione's mother had heard Hermione's loud gasp and had sobbed even more loudly when Hermione staggered uncertainly forward. She kept her eyes down on the blood stained floor, where a body laid. The body wasn't moving and by the way Hermione's mother held it close to her own body, blood and all, Hermione knew then, that the body on the floor belonged to none other than…

Her father.

A shrill, ear-piercing scream echoed through the otherwise empty kitchen. No, this can't be happening. It just can't be. Hermione thought frantically.

But it was… and some logical part of her mind told her so. And she hated it for the confirmation. The last confirmation on Earth which she wanted to hear.

Almost two hours later, when Hermione was back from the police station, from all the interrogation. To her ultimate despair, her mother was declared unstable and was sent to St' Mungo's, until she could prove herself safe. So, now… Hermione was all alone. And every minute of silence was no doubt adding to her hurt and conclusion that she was all alone in the world.

She sat down on the now clean kitchen floor. She automatically fingered the ring again, hoping to seek the only comfort from it. Standing up and wiping the tear streaks on her cheeks, she cleared her throat and got rid of the huskiness in her voice for not using it too long.

Picking up the receiver and hearing the dull tone made her realize that Draco didn't even have a phone. In Pureblood families… those things simply weren't available. So, without anymore hesitation, she dialed Harry's number. At least she was sure that in his house, there would be a phone. Right now, she needed anyone. And it would take far too long, by her standards, to deliver her heartbroken message through owl post now.

Harry promised that he would get there as soon as possible. But right now, Hermione was slumped against one of the kitchen floors, shoulders hunched forward, with defeat written all over her face. How could this happen, she thought. Within a few hours, total bliss had been killed down to nothing but unhappiness.

Nothing else.

Hermione closed her eyes briefly and thought silently, God, please just give me a sign. And when she opened her eyes, the first thing she caught sight of was a piece of note stashed between the cupboard doors. She stood up quickly and wondered why she was the only one who noticed it. Not even the police… which only led her to believe that someone had come into the house when there was no one around and when her mother and her were at the police station.

Which also means… that it was… someone who had the keys to her house. And the only one who had the keys were…

She read the note over and over again, especially when it came to the signature below.

With that, she fainted.

End Flashback

That was Harry had found her, and how he read the note clutched tightly in her fist. He had promised her never to leave her side ever, and he had kept his promise well. That was one of the two long-time promises Harry had ever promised Hermione.

The other one was… never to tell anyone that the person who killed her father and made her mother crazy was Draco Malfoy.

A/N: I just recovered from a short termed writer's block, and right now, I'm not even sure that I have totally recovered from it… so go easy on it, all right? How about 10 more reviews? =) please please pleeeeeeaaassseeee. =)