Lovers' Farewell

Hermione woke to a warm feeling spread down the length of front, as she began peering through her closed eyelids; she felt a large hand shift lightly pressing on her hip, as well as mint smell blow slowly across her face, caressing her cheek. Opening her eyes wider she realised the source of the warmth, and the pressure on her hip was none other than her once enemy, more recently in time boyfriend Draco Malfoy.

Tilting her head up she could see him using his right shoulder as a pillow, much like she herself was doing, his eyes were closed and he had a steady breathing rate, and as he took in a rather deep breath she realised her right hand was resting mid way up his torso, at the top of the abdomen muscles located there. She trailed a line of blond hair down his stomach, as it went to his bellybutton before it continued on the other side into the hem of his trousers. Sometime during the night he had shed his shirt and top layer of clothes leaving him in just his boxers, as well as the covers being sat low on his hips.

The events of the previous night came back to Hermione, and she could feel her emotions bubbling to the surface. Turning around where she lay she tried to keep the tears at bay, blocking out how his hand had followed around to lie of the other hip of her waist, and how it became aware that their legs were tangled together, oh so deliciously, much like they'd awoken throughout the year.

With that thought she replayed so many memories of the year, the trial, learning to fly, their first kiss, the masquerade ball, and she was no longer able to keep the tears at bay, she dampened a sob as it made its way up her throat.

"Don't cry my little Lioness" A gruff voice spoke into her ear from behind her, the hand moving from her hip to wipe the tears away.

Hermione choked back another sob, as it ventured up her body. Her shuddering made Draco's hand tighten around her waist as he shifted her back into his chest. He carefully moved her hair away from her face, before placing a delicate kiss on her temple.

"I'll always love you Hermione, always my Lioness, just you remember that." He whispered, "And if you need anything, I'll be here for you. Always." She nodded wiping her eyes as she nestled back into his embrace.


-30 minutes later-

After another half-hour lay comfortably in each other's arms is was time for the couple to get ready for their long journey home, for the final trip on the Hogwarts Express. While Hermione put the remaining touches to her case, making sure she had picked up every last piece of her life out of the room, Draco showered and got ready in a dapper pair of black trousers, and a slate grey shirt, with a pair of black dragon hid shoes to finish the outfit off.

Hermione was just putting the final piece into her case when Draco walked into her room; she hesitated as she placed the frame on top of her clothes, as the two figures in the picture stared at her both with huge smiles on their faces, the fingers of each of their right hands laced together.

"Hermione, you ready to go to breakfast?" she nodded; shakily zipping her case to cover up the first picture the couple had ever had took.

The couple made their way down to the Great Hall for the final time, holding hands as they went. Upon entering, they each went to take a seat at what was formerly the Gryffindor table, but was now known as the Gryffindor table only if something important was taking place. Draco sat facing the old Slytherin table while Hermione sat opposite him.

They conversed with each other, throughout the toast, waffles, and English breakfast that appeared in front of them- trying to ignore the inevitable that was going to happen later. Rubbing his thumb across the back of Hermione's hand, Draco stood, snapping Hermione's attention to him.

"One minute" he said as he began walking over to the table the Slytherin's occupied.

Once over there he made his way over to where his soon to be wife Astoria Greengrass sat, he spoke quickly in her ear so that nobody else could hear, to which she nodded, before he turned towards her current other half: Thomas Nott, another Slytherin in Astoria's year and Theo Nott's younger brother.

Draco extended his hand to the younger Wizard but was unprepared for his reaction. Thomas brought his hand back, before slamming it into Draco's cheek sending the older Wizard flying backwards to the ground.

By the time Draco had managed to clear his sight he saw Hermione hunched over his form pressing a warm hand to his cheek, before she rose to her full height wand drawn holding it against the younger Slytherin, he couldn't hear exactly what was being said by Hermione but if the look on Nott's face was anything to go by it was bad.

Pansy was stood at Hermione's side, her shrill voice shouting obscenities at the younger Nott brother, followed closely by something that sounded by a severe warning for touching the "Prince of Slytherin"

Nott himself was being restrained by Blaise Zabini and another Slytherin from his year. Draco stood without so much of a word, brushing off the dust and dirt granules from his clothes. He reached over Hermione's shoulder to grasp her wand before he said, "Let him go" to the two Slytherin's holding Nott's arms.

He grabbed the Slytherin's collar was he had been released and pulled him away from the crowd that had gathered around them to back him into the wall. The crowd seemed to take a step back waiting for Malfoy to throw a punch, and Hermione stood shocked watching the scene unfold, as soon as she got her wits about her she attempted to take a step forward but was stopped by a pale hand. Looking up to the pale hands owner she came face to face with Pansy, who was shaking her head, "He's not going to do anything"

Draco meanwhile was leaning in close to Thomas, "Do you think I'm happy about this arrangement Nott?" Draco reached into his pocket to pull out a handkerchief, "Trust me I'd much rather be marrying someone for love than for riches!" He paused in his monologue to wipe some of the blood around his face and nose, replacing the handkerchief when he was clean. "But my family comes first, as does Astoria's and as does yours, if they asked you to do this, you'd do the same- that's the pure-blood way isn't it? For our kin. I wish for the sake of us all it was different but it's not, so we have to deal with it."

"Mr Malfoy?" the questioning stern voice of Headmistress McGonagall spoke from behind the crowd, who slowly departed to allow the aging Witch through them.

Draco glanced over his shoulder as if only just seeing the gathered crowd, catching Hermione's eye as he looked towards her, seeing Pansy's hand carefully holding her back still, before his eyes landed on his old Transfiguration's Professor. Turning back to the Nott brother he still held the shirt of, he pushed him back letting go of his shirt before punching the wall at the side of his head, letting out a grunt as it impacted.

The gathered crowd all gasped as the punch landed, and watched as Draco turned and walked through the crowd towards the exit to the Great Hall.

"Mr Malfoy, I will meet you in my office- twenty minutes" Minerva McGonagall's voice echoed through the Great Hall following Draco's retreating footsteps. "You Mr Nott, better follow me." With that the Headmistress sent everyone back to their seats before walking out of the Hall, Thomas Nott and Astoria Greengrass following close behind, and just behind them, Hermione Granger, Pansy Parkinson, Blaise Zabini and Daphne Greengrass.

The six students remained silent as they walked behind the Headmistress, each not daring to speak, and once at the Headmaster's Tower and in front of the Gargoyle that guarded it, they waited for Draco to appear, each with their own reason. Astoria and Thomas were the first to enter the Headmistress' office, leaving the older Greengrass sister, Blaise, Pansy and Hermione to wait for either the Headmistress to call them in, or Draco to arrive. Well that was what Hermione assumed they were there for. Unbeknownst to her they were each there to make sure she wasn't left on her own, some loyal Slytherin code.

When she slumped to the floor, running her hands over her face she was surprised when Pansy sat down next to her and began whispering in her ear so only she could hear; "Have you told him?"

Hermione simply shook her head, "This is already too much for him to handle, I can't bring even more problems into the equation- it wouldn't be fair on him." The brunette sighed, "I wish there was a way."

"Blaise said there is no way out of a betrothal contract, unless both sets of parents agree." Pansy shrugged, "I know Draco tried to get his parents to break it but they refused his request, I don't think it's fair on any of you involved but it's a tradition that seems to be becoming few and far between, unluckily for you, both families are still invoking it." Pansy paused to turn towards Hermione, "I can also see things from your point of view in a way, I don't think you should keep something this big from him, but I can see why you're going to do it. I also know nothing will change your mind because you're too stubborn much like Draco is, I only ask that you do eventually tell him, preferably before he or she goes to Hogwarts. He deserves that much."

Hermione nodded, "So you promise not to tell him?"

Pansy reluctantly nodded, "I know Drake won't be happy about me keeping this from him, but we always work it out in the end, and this should be no different..." she paused, "But make no assumptions about this Granger, I'm not doing it for you, or the child, I'm doing this for Drake, I know he has a job to do, and the sooner that job is complete the sooner this whole mess can be sorted and the sooner, I can get my friend back, and not the brooding one that is likely to emerge. I may not be your biggest fan, as I've said all year, but I will suffice because you make him happy, and if that's what it takes I'm willing to push the prejudices' to the side." Pansy leaned in that bit closer to the Gryffindor, "But if you hurt him you'll have me to deal with!" she warned.

Sticking her chin up, Hermione nodded her head, "I know."

As if sensing the duo had finished their in depth conversation, Blaise walked over helping first Pansy and then Hermione up from the ground, as Draco rounded the corner, twenty minutes after he'd left the Great Hall.

Hermione hesitantly stepped forward, into his path, causing him to look up from staring at the stone floor when her feet came into his view. When chocolate met grey, they simply stared at each other, before Draco finally took a step forward, wrapping his arms around her neck, and resting his head on hers, as her arms came to circle around his waist.

"I'm sorry love"

Exactly what he was saying sorry for was unknown, but Hermione understood, and replied much the same, "I am to Dragon." And understanding seemed to pass between the pair- that this was as close to a good bye as they were likely to get in private, even with their peers stood around them.

He slowly leant down until his lips touched hers, a chaste kiss, and their final goodbye.

As Hermione stood on her toes to deepen the kiss, he reluctantly pulled back, "Even we continue, I won't be able to stop myself my little insatiable Lioness," he carefully wiped a tear as it travelled down her cheek. "Remember what I said this morning, I'll always be here for you, and so will the rest of my House."

At the mention of them Hermione realised they were still there stood nearby, though they all seemed to have preoccupied themselves with a conversation of their own.

"Mr Malfoy, I see you finally showed up, as for the rest of you, you might as well tell me your versions of events also, please come in." McGonagall called from the foot of the stairs leading to her office, as Thomas and Astoria walked down the corridor to the main section of the castle.


After the meeting with McGonagall, to which all parties had agreed on the events and no further actions were to be taken, the group of five were slowly walking down the stair case to the main door when Draco stopped at the foot. He nodded simply to Hermione, to go and collect her bag from those all lined up at the door, having been moved from their dorms, for any of the personal affects she needed, before he turned to his loyal Slytherin's.

He stepped forward to Daphne first; "Daph, I'm not going to ask you to stick your neck out on the line and try and convince your parents to end the betrothal contract, because, I know my parents won't budge on the subject. So I want you to remember that no matter what, I was your friend before I was anything more, and that I will be there for you no matter what happens." The brunette simply smiled, before leaning up to kiss his cheek, before joining Hermione over at the bags, searching for her own.

He stepped up to Blaise and Pansy together, the former having his arm wrapped around the waist of the latter. "You two, I'm going to ask you as my best friends, to look after her to the best of your ability, I have a feeling she may not want to speak to me after this, she's taking it all in her stride at the moment but I know she will eventually break and I won't be there to stem the tears because I know I have a duty to up hold, even if I don't want to have to do it." He pointed over at Hermione who was mid conversation with Daphne, "Above everything I want her to be happy, and so will you do that for me?"

Blaise's hand immediately came out to shake Draco's, "Of course Drake" they exchanged a quick handshake and a brief hug before Blaise walked a few feet away to the other girls, smirking and saying something which caused them both to laugh.

When Draco turned back to Pansy she smiled a very rare smile, "I, really want you to be happy Drake"

He nodded, "I know you do Pans, but what will really make me happy, is her being happy"

Pansy smiled, "Okay then, that's all I need to know, I'll do it for you," Draco smiled before taking Pansy into an embrace, placing a little kiss on her cheek, and she repaid in kind doing the same to his right cheek.

Finally the quintet decided to head outside managing to catch the final, Thestral pulled carriage to Hogsmeade Station for their journey back to Kings Cross Station.

Once on the train they were joined in a carriage by Ginny Weasley and Luna Lovegood, as the group chatted amongst themselves Draco noticed Hermione was fixated on staring out of the window, before he saw a single tear fall down her porcelain cheek furthest away from him, unnoticed by their friends.

Sitting next to her instead of opposite her, he wrapped his arm around her shoulder, pulling her into his embrace.

"It'll all change now won't it?" she sniffed, he simply nodded sadly.

"We'll face it when it comes" he rubbed slow circles on her shoulder as she settled into his embrace looking out of the window her back to him. Waiting for the lovers' final farewell. For now.


A/N: Well, that is the finale to that little nugget, as I previously mentioned I will be writing a prequel, and possibly a sequel to this one day, but for now I'm concentrating on my other stories.

I know many of you wanted me to have Hermione tell him about the baby, but, hopefully I have a decent enough reason as to why she has kept it to herself, she's not selfish, she's thinking of both the baby and Draco, hopefully you'll see this. If you don't well, I'm sorry, sometimes it's not always the ending you hope for.

If you want to read the prequel, add me to your Author Alerts or whatever, and most importantly please REVIEW! I like to know what you think, what could be done better, what you really liked etc... I really like feedback.

Thank you to all those that reviewed, and all of you who added this story to your favourites, I hope you leave another review :) They really do make my day; especially when I wake up to a fair few of them.

Anyways until my next Dramione outing;

Scorpio219 -x-