When Ends Meet

Chapter 2: She's Dead.

"Draco, when we get married, we'll live in a big house, won't we?"

"Only if you want to, I've lived in a manor all my life, you know that." Draco said.

"I know that silly, but I figured you're so used to it that you would prefer to live in a smaller house, just for us."

"Whatever you want,"

"You spoil me too much, you know that."

"Only for you, only you,"

Draco woke up in sweat; he was dreaming about her again; not that he didn't have pleasant dreams. But he hated dreaming about his wife because it brought back terrible memories. Everytime; he would know she was dead and would never be coming back. It was the weekend, knowing that he preferred to sleep in, but he always tossed and turned after a dream like that one.

"Draco, why aren't you there for me anymore. How could you have let me die? Why did you let me go?"

"You asked me to," Draco said. He pleaded for his wife to forgive him, why she always blamed him for her death was a mystery. She haunted his dreams, and always died. They were once upon a time happy filled life long dreams but was shattered to pieces when she would fade into nothingness.

"You should have told me to stay home, this would have never happened."

"This isn't my fault," He didn't mean for any of this to happen. She blamed him for her death.

"Yes it is Draco, what happened to us? We were supposed to be together forever!"

"What do you want me to say? That I'm sorry, how could I have predicted the future, I'm not a seer."

"I'm dying Draco, don't you see."

Lights flashed and a crash was heard, blood was everywhere. Her hair, her eyes, they became blot shot. She screamed, tears falling down her face. The police, the aurors they were too late. There was nothing they could do. She's dead.

He didn't want to have those nightmares anymore. He tried so many sleeping draughts he almost felt drowsy all the time. But nothing could stop the nightmares. His wife haunted his dreams and he couldn't shake it away. Was it his fault that he couldn't save her? He always felt it was, he should have protected her, he was her husband and he couldn't do a damn thing to save her. Ryan was always there for him, to reassure him that he wasn't alone. But it was never enough; nothing would make the pain go away.

When he heard the news, he wanted 'Avada Kedavra' himself. Why should he have to live while his wife lay in a grave? It wasn't bloody fair. He knew that even if he would never love again, never be able to really feel something towards another person. His wife would have wanted him to move on, but she wouldn't have understood how hard it actually was. He wanted to be happy, but it was just so hard.

He found himself coming into that old dingy coffee shop once a week after work, or in between lunch hours, but she was never there. He didn't know why he kept searching for her, hoping that she was working. He shouldn't care, this was Granger he was talking about, and he didn't even like her. It had been so long since he had talked to anyone from the Order.

He needed to get out, out of this manor. He walked towards the foyer, his mother and father sitting at the dining table.

"Draco? Where are you off to?" His mother asked,

"Narcissa, leave the boy alone."

"I'm just going for a walk Mother; I'll be back for dinner." Draco said, as he continued to walk to the front door.

The fresh air was extremely windy against his cold skin, making his hairs stand up on end. It was in the middle of January, Christmas had just passed where he spent the evening with his family, the only family he had left. His path of mourning was taking a toll on him, but he'd improved within the past year, at least he liked to think so. He'd been going to work, eating regularly.

His mother had repeatedly tried to set him up on dates, but he refused. He wasn't ready nor did he think he would ever be. He knew that maybe in a few years time, he would be able to. The Malfoy's had given up on the blood purity long ago, but his mother and father were strict about who would marry their son, at least for love and not for their money. His late wife was not pureblood in the slightest, but a muggle-born witch. They had been dating for quite some time before Draco had decided to introduce her. The Malfoy's had taken it quite hard when they heard the news of Draco's wife. They had grown used to her within that time, and couldn't have found a better wife for their son.

Now in search to make her son happy again, Narcissa Malfoy-Black searched for someone who would love him unintentionally. It was god's fate that put his wife in the hands of death. No one deserved to die, but if their time had come, no one could have stopped it.

Draco let his feet carry him through the streets; there wasn't much to look at. The sky was quite dark at this time of the day despite it only being three in the afternoon. Wiltshire wasn't an exactly a popular area which was why the neighborhood was so quiet. Some children were playing near a hill which was now covered in snow at this time of year. He looked at them, happy and carefree not having to have to worry about anything, just having fun. A little boy, looked about the age of five years old, was throwing snowballs at another boy, as they tumbled in the snow, laughing. He wished his childhood had been like that. He, being an only child never got to play with children his own age, but was sucked into Dark times, where his father had followed the Dark Lord. Now in his mid twenties, it was hard to watch children play in the snow, laughing as if he had once been a child himself, but never did.

He apparated to Diagon Alley, not many people shopped during this time, considering how cold the weather had been lately. But Draco hardly minded at all. People bustled inside, trying to keep themselves warm. Some of the buildings still had their Christmas decorations still hanging. He spotted Weasley Wizard Wheezes near by; he wondered if any of the Weasley's worked there anymore? He passed the shop quickly but there were too many people in the shop that he didn't want to bother going in.

"Mummy, can we please go back in that store, I want that broom." Draco heard from a distance.

"No, it's too expensive. Maybe another time okay?" Draco knew that voice, he was sure of it. He turned and walked towards the voices and caught sight of them. Ginny Weasley now known as Ginny Potter, married for three years, and had a son who was two. They were standing near a clothing store. He didn't want to intrude, he hadn't spoken to anyone since the battle, and it would have been too weird to ask how they were.

He started to walk away when he heard his name. He turned around and Ginny Potter was standing near him with a curious look on her face. "Malfoy?" She repeated.

"Hi, it's been awhile hasn't it?" He didn't know what else to say. He scratched the back of his neck absentmindedly.

"Yes it has," She answered. "I'm sorry about what happened to your wife." He was too shocked that people who he hadn't gotten along with in the past were feeling sorry for him. It was a strange day.

"It's been hard, but I'm slowly moving on." He took notice of her son standing behind her mother nervously. "Is that your son?"

"Yes, this is James, James this is Mr. Malfoy."

"Hullo Mr. Malfoy."

Draco went on his knees to greet the boy since he was so small. "Pleased to meet you Mister Potter." James had a polite smile on his face, as he shook his hand.

He thought it would have been hard to see these people again. The Weasley's in which he had made fun of them throughout his years at Hogwarts. Ginny looked older now, becoming the mother he always thought she would be. It figured that she would marry Potter, everyone knew it.

"So how are you?" She had asked him.

"I've been better." He answered her honestly; there was no point in lying to himself anymore. "So what have you lot been up too since we left Hogwarts?" Draco asked her, curious.

"Well as you already know Harry and I got married three years ago, Harry's an Auror, I coach the Harpies since I have to take care of James, I can only do so much. Ron works with his brother in the joke shop."

"Weasley never married Granger, I'm surprised."

"No, they didn't marry. They had dated, but Hermione, I don't know, they were fighting a lot, constantly. They broke it off and they remained friends. Ron's dating Luna now."

"Luna, as in Luna Lovegood?"

"Yes, it surprised me too but they seem to get along quite fine."

"And what of Granger?" He asked, since she was the only remaining Trio member.

"You haven't heard?"

"Heard what?" As Draco was mildly confused.

"Hermione's in St. Mungo's." Ginny had a sad expression on her face, but Draco still didn't quite understand.

"Is she a healer?"

"Yes but she's been hospitalized for almost two years now. She's in a coma."

Surprised wasn't exactly what he had expected. He saw her in that coffee shop three weeks ago, he was sure he wasn't imagining things. "A coma? What happened to her?"

"For someone who was so involved with the Wizarding world, you sure know so little." He gave her a pointed look, but she continued. "No one knows exactly what happened. Hermione was working as a healer, she'd been overworked, they were giving her extra hours, and she hadn't taken a break for hours on hours. I asked her to come over for dinner once she was finished but she never showed up. The muggle police found her, and told us she'd been hit by a drunk driver, only she lived. The coma's the only thing keeping her alive right now." Ginny sighed, hating talking about her best friend like this, remembering. "I miss her so much, but I know that if she were here right now, she wouldn't want me walloping in pity. I blame myself for it, I shouldn't have asked her to come over that night."

"Even if you hadn't, you wouldn't have been able to prevent it from happening."

"Thanks Malfoy, I should get going though, James is in need for a nap. You should come over and have dinner with us."

"I don't think that's the wisest idea Ginny, you do know that we were bitter enemies in the past don't you?"

"And yet here we are, four years later. We've changed, we all have. Please come to dinner, tomorrow night? I promise if Harry or Ron is out of line, I won't hate you for hexing them." She smiled at him then.

He didn't know what to think. Dinner with the Gryffindors, he knew he was walking into dangerous territories, but what did he have to lose? "Fine, I'll come. Although I'm sure that Potter and Weasley will not take it lightly me being there."

"Don't worry; I'll take care of everything."

"Alright, see you tomorrow then." He gave a small nod, and waved and started to head back to the manor.

After the initial shock, he was still perplexed. Granger was in a coma, how was that possible, for two years no less? He'd seen her in that coffee shop, and she had looked at him, recognizing him. Something was wrong, and he was going to figure it out. He hadn't gone insane, he wasn't crazy and he certainly hadn't been seeing things. It was her. Granger wasn't dead to the world, she was living and somehow he would get to the bottom of it.

Author's Notes: Another chapter finished, hope you like it!

Ps. Ginny has never seen a picture of Draco's wife, nor did she ever meet her. The papers hadn't told her the name either; just that she had died unexpectedly. You'll soon find out who Draco's wife is.

Please read and review.

Natural-malfoy.