Warning: Character Death.

Bonded By Fate
Act I
Scene II

But I love the way you love me
Strong and wild, slow and easy
Heart and soul so completely

I Love The Way You Love Me
John Michael Montgomery

Five years later...

Hannah looked up as Hermione rushed in her face flushed from the cold and her hat askew.

"Well, there she is."

Hermione groaned and smiled at her friend her face tired and her hand on her slight bump. "I know; I am so sorry, but it took me forever to drag myself out of bed this morning."

Hannah nodded her face kind and her eyes twinkling with happiness for her friend. "It's okay 'Mione you have had a year of rather big changes. I think you deserve a bit of a lie in, especially as you are growing a little witch or wizard inside of you. How are you feeling."

Hermione laughed and then nodded ticking off the last year on her hand. "Marriage, Viktor retiring to become an Auror, and now the baby."

"You didn't tell me how you are feeling?" Hannah said side eyeing her friend.

Hermione grimaced. "I had some nausea last night that was just awful, but I feel okay now. I don't have morning sickness; I have evening sickness."

Her best friend gave her a sympathetic look and smiled at her. "Hermione I keep telling you that you should just let me do the mornings."

Hermione looked around happily taking off her coat. "Yes, well that isn't a partnership, and baby or not I don't like leaving all the early mornings to you."

Hannah laughed. "I am the morning person remember? Plus, it's not like you can cook."

Hermione glared at her friend but laughed. "Mean, Hannah."

Hannah shrugged totally unrepentant, "but true, bless you eight years and you still can't even cook an omelette. I am happy for you to show up and keep me company if you wish though, I miss our talks. Ron was snoring so loud I showed up early and got bored while the muffins baked and stocked the shelves for you with the cakes I made yesterday."

Hermione smiled, "I miss our talks too."

Hannah pulled more muffins out of the six brick ovens in their new expanded café kitchen. The book store had also been expanded, the muggle section was so popular they had a hard time keeping it stocked.

It was the amazing smell that hit Hermione that held her attention now. "Bless you, have I told you how much I adore you today?"

Hannah laughed waving at the kettle to pour them some tea. "Not today, and don't you steal that-"

It was too late, Hermione had already grabbed her favourite blueberry pomegranate muffin and danced out of the way from her friend.

Hannah laughed and shook her head at her. "You have a serious addiction problem, and don't you dare try and blame that on cravings. You just can't keep your hands off them. I won't have you blaming me when you get fat as a whale because we both know you will have two more of those muffins before we open?"

Hermione grinned and nodded eating her treat happily. "I think I will live," she said through a mouthful savouring each bite. "Your muffins are heaven, Hannah."

Hannah blew off the compliment to glare at her petite yet curvy friend. "Where do you put all the calories? I look the wrong way at those muffins and gain a size."

Hermione snorted. "Liar, you are as skinny as a stick. I have boobs that seem to think they should grow with the baby at the moment."

"You are so silly. So, how is Viktor liking his new job?" Hannah asked grabbing a muffin for herself.

Hermione sighed and paused from devouring her muffin instead staring at it a bit dejectedly. "He loves it."

Hannah paused and looked at her friend carefully. "But you don't?"

Hermione shook her head. "I thought it was hard to date a famous Quidditch player, but it is much harder to be married to an Auror."

Hannah nodded. "You worry for him."

"Every second of every hour he is gone."

Hannah walked over to wrap her friend in a hug, "oh, Hermione, he will be fine. Harry says he is a natural and don't forget, he was selected for the tournament. He is a strong, talented, and brilliant wizard."

"I know! He has already even been promoted twice just this year. I just can't help but wish he hadn't chosen a second career that was even more dangerous than Quiditch."

Hannah nodded. "I know, trust me. When Ron told me he was going to partner with George I think I cried for an hour in relief. But, what can you do?"

Hermione gave a small smile and took another bite of her muffin before she said softly, "I might be leaving Quiditch magazines around the house, three teams want him to coach for them."

Hanna laughed until she had tears in her eyes. "That, Hermione Krum, is very Slytherin of you!"

Hermione stuck out her tongue childishly and rubbed her small belly, she was only just barely ten weeks along and due between the twentieth and twenty seventh of April, but because her frame was so petite, she already had a noticeable bump. Although she hadn't mentioned anything to Viktor or their friends, she was starting to worry she was having twins and had made an appointment to see the healer later that week. She had been rather shocked to learn that most witches didn't see a healer until after twelve weeks.

The two witches gossiped and then moved to open the cafe to a steady stream of customers. Hermione chatted and smiled at all of them, even Draco Malfoy who still came in a few times a week.

"Good morning, Malfoy."

He gave her a half smile and a nod. "Krum."

She smirked at him and then laughed, "it just doesn't sound as obnoxious as Granger did, does it?"

He gave her his 'real' smile, the one that reached his eyes and chuckled, "no, not really. How is married life?"

Hermione smiled at him, a few years into her and Viktor dating, her now-husband had pulled her aside one day and dressed her down for not forgiving the wizard who was now a well-known healer and respected citizen. Hannah, had apparently, filled Viktor in on the history between her and the only remaining Malfoy. For Viktor, it was a matter of respect. Draco Malfoy had shown in words and deeds that he was remorseful for how he had treated her and had asked for her forgiveness. In his mind, it was wrong of Hermione to withhold that forgiveness without a valid reason.

Seeing as how Hermione herself had fought guilt over her pettiness in the matter; she had sat down and had a talk with Draco on a foggy fall morning. She had certainly walked away with a better understanding and respect for the wizard and his formative years. Unlike, Hermione, who had grown up in a loving home; Draco had grown up entirely differently. She had learned a lot that day about how indoctrinated a child of a Death Eater had been into the anti muggle dogma. Her Nan had always said that hate was taught and nurtured. That certainly had been the case with her classmates on the opposite side of the war.

Even Harry had made peace with Draco. Harry had ended up investing a large portion of his gold into Malfoy industries and Viktor had become a spokesperson for the new skele-gro potion Malfoy had perfected. Hermione had been right about him working on a mastery all those years ago. He had gotten a mastery in potions and then gone on to become a healer. He then had combined the two fields of knowledge for the research and development of new potions. She was on Draco's altered vitamin potion and Viktor and her only ever shopped at his apothecaries.

She wouldn't say they were friends, but they certainly were friendly now.

"It's, different, but lovely. You should try it." she teased as she handed him his prophet which had him on the front page with some tall blond witch.

His eyes shuttered and he shrugged. "All the good witches are taken," he said suddenly somber.

"Didn't you like this one? They have a whole spread about her and you."

Draco snorted and looked down at the paper. "She just wanted to be in the paper, mission accomplished."

Hermione looked at him, really looked at him, he looked haggard as if he wasn't sleeping and his eyes were dull. She saw nothing but distaste in his face as he stared at the moving picture of him with the blond.

Some instinct drove her to do something she had never done before, she grabbed his hand and offered him a comforting smile. "I am sure there is a witch for you out there somewhere, you have turned into a wizard any witch would be lucky to have," she said honestly. "The last potion you invented is saving thousands of lives; you are a catch Draco Malfoy." She squeezed his hand

His face went soft for a moment and then he nodded and looked at her his eyes a bit too bright; but then he went totally still and his smile froze on his face. "You are with child," he said softly.

Hermione flushed and her hands immediately went to her stomach not yet noticeable in her baggy jumper that she had put on over her leggings since her trousers no longer fit. "Oh, I thought I wasn't showing, I mean, how did you-"

He flushed a bit and then shook his head. "Your skin is glowing, your hair-" he gestured at her and then sighed. "I just knew. My congratulations to you and your husband."

Hermione paused at his tone, which had switched back to his polite regal rather pompous one that he used on almost everyone. Well except her, he had never used that tone on her, not since school. She nodded at him worrying her lip. What had just happened?

The morning moved quickly and she forgot about her strange interaction with Draco Malfoy especially as the cafe filled up.

The next morning, he was polite again but looked like he had not gotten much sleep. She started to say something to him but hesitated, his face no longer invited friendliness.

It was a few days again before he reappeared, this time shortly before she closed the cafe at five.

She got him his tea and walked it over to where he was slumped at the table. She set down two cakes instead of one and gave him a small smile.

He looked up at her and the cakes and then sighed. "Thank you."

Hermione nodded and looked up as the bell over the door rang again, but she sank down at Draco's table as the Minister walked in his face grave.

"Hermione," he said his tone somber, but hard.

Everything in her went cold and she clutched her small bump shaking her head as she watched Kingsley walk towards her. She had just learned they were having twins, she was planning on telling Viktor that evening, this couldn't be happening.

She felt Draco Malfoy stand and move off quickly and then Hannah was rushing out her face pale. Hermione looked at her helplessly grabbing onto Hannah's hand for strength as Kingsley stood his face full of pity.

Hermione looked at him helplessly, there were only two reasons the Minister would be here to see her personally. Viktor was either injured in the line of duty or- she couldn't think it. Slowly she stood up asking in a timid tone, "injured?"

Kingsley shook his head and Hermione felt a sob move up her throat before she fainted, caught not by Hannah or Kingsley, but by Draco Malfoy.

OooOOooO

Draco sat in his study drinking and hating himself. How often had he wished the damn Bulgarian would just bugger off? But, this, he wouldn't have wanted this. She deserved happiness, not to be widowed and pregnant. He was angry, livid, of all the things the stupid idiot could do he had to go and become an Auror?

"You wanted glory and fame, not her!" Draco yelled loudly.

It was two days before he sobered up. By the time he did Hermione had disappeared to Bulgaria to bury her husband and Draco was left to worry silently and sober, he had watched what too much drink had done to his father in the end. He needed his wits about him. It would do nothing for his truce with Potter for the man to find out he had been in love with Hermione since she refused to give in to his batty Aunt that day she had been tortured.

"She's too good for you," he said to his reflection. "She was always too good for you."

His mirror looked back at him shaking his head in agreement. "Well, looking like that she certainly is, don't you bathe anymore?"

Draco snorted and went to do just that.

Author Notes:
So, a lot of the songs in this fic will have personal significance to me. You can find them all on my YouTube channel. CrystalJeanRed

This story will be about love, and grief, and how the two can break you, or make you rise from the ashes. This will not be the first time you might cry. Hermione loves Viktor and that will never change. Draco loves Hermione and that will never change. Viktor loved Hermione until his last breath. What do you do when a love that strong is wrenched from you?

I am so grateful for the follows and likes.
I do try and respond back to reviews but I will be truthful, it is hard enough to fit in writing and editing between being sick and a mom and all my doctors.
I have no excuse for not having a beta. I am working on getting one, and actually working with them, and learning from them. That was too many commas, wasn't it?

If you are new to my stories, hello!
I use these notes like small diary entries for my life. The first part is usually about the story and the second part about me. If something major medically is happening I update it here. It's just how I do things and feel free to skip the whole lot of it if you wish. I won't know.
If you would like to get to know me:
CrystalJeanRed is my Instagram. Drop a DM and I follow back.
Tumblr I am a bit less savvy on but it's the same: CrystalJeanRed.
My Facebook author page is: CJRed
And I am a mod for Enchanting the Bookworm on Facebook. So, you tag me there and I respond.

Thank you to everyone wishing me well the last two weeks. I think I am doing better today.
To those of you who have sent Christmas gifts and Birthday gifts to my family during our struggling time. THANK YOU. I am not a crier, but I have cried a lot this week.

A truly grateful,
Cjean