Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. It remains property of J.K Rowling.
Hermione awoke on the morning of September 2nd as the curtains were open and the sun was beaming down upon her room. However she was feeling refreshed and very much ready for her day of lessons and learning. She got out of bed and examined her en suite bathroom. It had a shower, bathtub, sink, lavatory and a mirror hanging from the wall. It was a cream colour in here, quite different to her dark red and gold bedroom décor.
She had a quick shower and re-entered her room with a cream coloured towel wrapped around her. She dried her dripping hair with her wand quickly but dried herself off with the towel otherwise. Once she was dressed in her school uniform she examined herself in the mirror. He was right…my hair is very wild and bushy. Grabbing her brush from her bedside table she attempted to run it through her curly bush of hair. It was a hopeless battle which left in tears of pain and frustration. In the end she just put it up in a messy ponytail, grabbed her bag and books and rushed down to breakfast.
In the Great Hall she saw Harry, Ron and Ginny sat at the Gryffindor table all laughing and talking quite happily. She breathed in deeply. Time to apologise, Hermione Granger, she thought to herself. She braced herself for the worst and approached them at the table. As soon as they noticed her they stopped talking and exchanged worried glances which worsened to frowns when she sat down next to them.
She took another deep breath and looked Harry straight in the eyes. "Harry, I'm really sorry for snapping at you yesterday. It was rude and unnecessary and I really hope you'll forgive me. I didn't mean to shout." His eyes were just staring at her blankly, almost a replica of Malfoy's yesterday except that Harry's were emerald green instead of greyish blue. She blushed at the thought of Malfoy's eyes but Harry obviously took it another way for he smiled at her.
"Of course I forgive you, Hermione. All friends argue occasionally…and some more than others," he added with a pointed look at Hermione and Ron, "so why should we be any different? And plus, I really didn't think of what this would be like for you instead I just thought about myself and my feelings and not yours. I also, kinda, over-reacted. So, I'm sorry as well, Hermione, and I hope you'll forgive me for what I said." He said helping himself to some more toast.
She smiled back at him. "Okay, I forgive you. And," she said placing a hand on Harry's hand, "thanks, that made me feel a lot better." She looked around for Professor McGonagall but couldn't see her giving out the timetables. "Where's Professor McGonagall? I haven't got my timetable yet."
Ron snapped his fingers and made a funny motion with his hands as if it would help him swallow his food faster. Wow, twice in a row now! "I have your timetable, Hermione." He said handing it to her. "Professor McGonagall gave it to me to give to you as you weren't here yet."
"Oh…thanks Ron!" She looked down at the piece of parchment in her hands. It said she had Defence Against the Dark Arts first lesson. Double period. Damn two hours of Snape! She voiced her thoughts aloud as well.
Ron choked and nodded at her whilst Harry grimaced. "Yeah," he said, "Snape for two hours!" He shook his head disgustedly then laughed coldly and humourlessly. Then he added sarcastically, "How fun!"
After breakfast, all the Gryffindor Seventh Years made it up to the first floor where the Defence Against the Dark Arts classroom was. They waited quietly and patiently for Snape to appear. Five minutes later the bell rang announcing the beginning of the first lesson. As soon as the bell had stopped ringing they heard footsteps coming up behind. Everyone turned to see who it was…Snape.
"Well, it seems Gryffindors aren't deaf and can find a classroom on time. Especially you Longbottom. You finally seem able to find your way around the castle. It only took you…what? Six years?" He smirked slightly and then wider as Neville blushed and looked at the floor. All the Gryffindors glared at Snape hating every inch of him. He snarled at them. "In."
They all clambered through the doorway as quickly as possible; rushing for the back seats hoping to be as far away as they could from Snape. Hermione, although Head Girl, was no exception from this…until:
"Oh, we have our head girl in here now don't we? Now our Head Girl should sit at the front to set a good example. Oh, and Longbottom I want you next to her. You definitely need someone to set an example for you." Hermione sent a pained expression at Harry and Ron who were sat at the back with an empty space next to them. They sent a commiserating look back at her but one that also said 'Sorry Hermione…there's actually nothing we can do except get detention.' She sighed then nodded at them. She knew they were right. She turned around and saw the place Neville was sat at. It was right in front of Snape's desk. She slowly walked towards it and sat down next to Neville giving him a friendly smile. "Oh…and Miss Granger, no whispering instructions to Longbottom in this class." He said snidely and she blushed.
"Now, I don't want any moving from the seats you are sat in right now." He said, flicking his wand at the blackboard behind him where a picture of the classroom and the desks appeared. "Now let's do the register."
"Miss Brown?"
"Here, sir." Lavender replied quietly. Snape looked up to see where she was sat and on the diagram of the classroom her name appeared where she was sat.
"Mr Finnigan?" Seamus replied to his name and his name appeared where he was sat. This continued throughout the rest of the register. When he was finally complete he began the lesson.
"This year we will return to our work on non verbal spells as you all seemed rather abysmal at that last year. A lot worse than all my other Sixth Year classes. But then," he said with a small cold laugh, "what else can you expect from Gryffindors?" The entire class glared at Snape.
"Now, divide into pairs and practise your Expelliarmus and Protego spells. Verbally first, as I know you are incapable of working at the same stage as the rest of your year group." They all sat there glaring at him. "I did not tell you to sit there, I told you to start working. Now!" They all stood up slowly and divided into pairs. "Oh and ten points from Gryffindor for not starting immediately."
Hermione took a deep breath. He's being even viler to us than usual. He is so unfair! She paired up with Neville, while Harry paired up with Ron, Lavender and Parvati paired up and Seamus and Dean made the final pair. Neville had really improved during the DA classes in their Fifth year, but as they had been taught Expelliarmus in Second Year and Protego in their Third this was easy for everyone. Everyone got bored after about five minutes of verbal spells and all the Gryffindors watched their Professor to see when they would be allowed to move on. Snape, however, just watched them disarm each other and shield themselves repeatedly for at least half an hour.
"Well, you seem just able enough to produce a standard disarming and shield spell. Nothing spectacular though. Now we can go onto non verbal spells. It's still Expelliarmus and Protego though, just in case you forget. I know what little brains you Gryffindors have. Longbottom is an excellent example in that department. The only thing he is and excellent example for." Snape smirked as Harry opened his mouth to say something but then closed it again when Hermione shook her head frantically at him.
"That was the worst Defence Against the Dark Arts lesson ever!" Harry complained after the lesson. All the Gryffindors nodded in agreement. They had spent an hour and a half attempting non verbal spells and when Hermione eventually managed to produce a non verbal disarming spell Snape had just ignored it. Then after the lesson he had taken twenty five points of Gryffindor 'lack of willingness to achieve'. "Why does he have such a grudge against us? I mean it's grown larger over the summer! I hate Snape so much it actually hurts. You hear that! It actually HURTS!" Harry shouted the last word making many people look over at their direction as they walked down the marble staircase to the dungeons for their potions lesson.
Hermione, Ron and Harry all said goodbye to the other Gryffindors as none of them took potions and so had a free period to, as they had discussed angrily, complete the homework they had just been set by Snape.
As the three of them made their way to the dungeons for Slughorn's lessons they saw Ernie Macmillan, a fellow Seventh Year but in Hufflepuff, making his way to the dungeons as well. As they were on friendly terms with Ernie they called him over, inviting him to walk with them. He accepted graciously and together they walked to their potions lesson.
"Well of course Snape's going to be even worse this year after last year's fiasco. I thought he'd be livid to tell you the truth, but it doesn't sound as though he was out of his element any more than usual." Ernie stated pompously. Ernie's pompous manor irritated Hermione endlessly but he was nice underneath it all. And, he was one of the only other people in her year who took the end of year exams as seriously as she did.
Outside Slughorn's classroom there were the eight other students that had passed the O.W.L in potions. There were four Ravenclaws and four Slytherins. Hermione's eyes swung straight to Malfoy though. His platinum blonde hair was sleeked back as usual, but his eyes were a morning sky blue today. She loved the way they changed colour everyday and no matter what still looked beautiful. She sighed, exasperated with herself. I can't go around thinking like that! It's Malfoy, for God's sake!
Professor Slughorn allowed them to enter the classroom and as everyone took their seats Hermione remembered something. "Harry," she whispered, "are you still using Snape's book this year?" Harry frowned at her. "The Half-Blood Prince! It was Snape, remember. Are you still going to use it?"
Harry appeared to think it over. "Yes." When Hermione looked shocked he carried on. "I want to be an Auror, right? That means I need to pass my N.E.W.T in potions and the only way I can do that is if I have the Prince's -" he paused "- Snape's book with me." Hermione understood this but she didn't like it. It must've shown on her face as Harry smiled apologetically at her. "I'm sorry, Hermione. You can use it too if you want?"
She shook her head. "No, no, no. That's cheating. I'd rather do it my way." He looked uncomfortably at her. "I don't mind if you use it though. You have a good reason for it this year…unlike last year when you were just being downright stupid." She smiled.
Professor Slughorn cleared his throat halting all conversations as he showed them a potion in a cauldron. "Welcome back, welcome back. Now, let's get started on today's lesson, shall we?" He indicated the potion in front of him. "Now, who can tell me what potion this is?" An expectant look was directed at Hermione.
She looked inside the cauldron, and for the first time…she was stumped. She had no idea what the potion was. Why don't I know it? Seeing Slughorn still looking at her, a slight pink tinge blossomed in her cheeks, as shook her head slightly. Harry, however, raised his hand cautiously.
Slughorn smiled and pointed at Harry. "Is that the Wolfsbane Potion, sir?" he asked almost timidly as if unsure of himself. Slughorn beamed at him, though.
"Correct, Harry, correct. Take ten points to Gryffindor. Now who can tell me what the Wolfsbane potion does, or more accurately prevents?" I know this, I know this! Hermione's hand shot right into the air. "Ah, but Miss Granger does of course. Go on then."
"Whilst-the-Wolfsbane-Potion-doesn't-cure-lycanthropy-it-does-prevent-the-extremely-dangerous-dementia-which-would-
otherwise-accompany-the-transformation-from-human-into-werewolf." She recited at top speed in only one breath. Professor Slughorn chuckled appreciatively.
"Correct. Yes, well done, Miss Granger. Take another ten points to Gryffindor. Now as Miss Granger correctly said, the Wolfsbane Potion prevents the human who would be turning into the werewolf to forget who they are. It is a rather recent discovery by a Mr Damocles Belby."
"Now, today we will be attempting to make this potion. The instructions along with the ingredients are now on the board as it isn't in your copies of Advanced Potion Making." Harry's face immediately became the stereotypical expression of shock and horror. "Now, chop, chop!"
As Hermione cut her wolfsbane carefully into little squares as the instructions said, she was concentrating so hard she didn't notice Malfoy walking towards her. She did notice however that he had stopped by her cauldron and had cleared his throat several times already. She looked up and saw amusement, real, genuine, amusement in his eyes. She blushed slightly and straightened.
He smiled slightly. "I just came over to apologise for my behaviour yesterday." Her hand went immediately to her wrist and unconsciously started rubbing it again. "I didn't mean to hurt you," She opened her mouth furiously to say he hadn't hurt her but he over rode her, "because I know I did. And I'm sorry for calling you Mudblood. I said I wouldn't anymore if you didn't call me-" he sighed, "-ferret, but I did. I hope you can forgive me so we can work collaboratively in our Head Boy/Girl duties." He smiled hopefully. Harry, Ron and even Ernie had their eyes popping out of their heads, their mouths agape.
She appraised him suspiciously. "Yeah, I forgive you Malfoy. Just don't do it again!" she warned him.
"I wouldn't dream of it." Then, surprisingly he full on kissed her. Right on the lips! Oh my God, what is he doing? But soon enough she had melted into the kiss as well.
It was the best sensation in the world. It felt like she had butterflies the size of elephants in her stomach and she was slightly scared she was going to throw up but also knew she wouldn't because she was too happy…and preoccupied.
His lips were so warm, not what she expected from Malfoy with his cold personality and stature that he made everyone see. One hand was around her waist, pulling her closer to his body; the other was making a journey up and down her back repeatedly tracing her soft, smooth skin. She placed one arm around his neck; the other was ruffling his hair slowly.
Then there was the kiss itself. He was inviting and not demanding at all…unlike Viktor. He had been very demanding. This was comfortable but passionate, safe but risking, familiar but different, wonderful and sensational. It was so wonderful she never wanted it to end but eventually they had to come up for air.
They broke apart both slightly out of breath, both with smiles on their faces. Everyone in their class, however, had little creases between their eyebrows as they were frowning and staring at both Malfoy and Hermione as if they were aliens and tentacles had just emerged from their heads. They both looked around sheepishly, but no one said anything. Everyone just stared at them.
They glanced at each other and went back to work.
"What the hell, Hermione?" Ron shouted. After potions Ron and Harry had pulled Hermione up to the deserted Gryffindor common room. Deserted as everyone else was at lunch. "What the HELL! You were kissing Malfoy! A full on snog! It was revolting! It was disgusting! It was unnatural! I can't believe you would do that in front of so many people. It's demeaning! It's –"
"How dare you?" she interrupted, "How dare you shout at me for kissing someone in front of people. You are so hypocritical, Ronald Weasley. You sit in here, in the Great Hall, anywhere with Lavender, both of you sucking each others face off and then you have the nerve to shout at me for one kiss! One kiss, Ron!" She really felt like slapping Ron. Shouting at me! I don't shout at him for kissing people. And so what if it was Malfoy that I kissed? He's still a human being.
Harry was sat silently in front of the fire staring into it. He hadn't said a word since Potions class. It was really starting to unnerve her. She watched him for a few seconds as Ron thought of something else to say. She'd made a decision.
"Why aren't you saying anything, Harry?" she asked him.
He didn't turn away from the fire, so she couldn't see his eyes but somehow she could tell he was thinking. About what, though, she didn't know. Finally he began to talk.
"Because I don't know what to say, Hermione. I don't understand why you would choose to kiss Malfoy of all people, but I also know there's no point arguing with you. You've made your mind up already."
Hermione sat in her and Draco's apartment listening to the radio. Draco had gone out for a few hours. Hermione and Draco had officially been a couple since the kiss in Potions five years ago. Since then…well, she hadn't really been in contact with Harry or Ron, but she knew that they didn't mind the relationship anymore; not now that they could see what an honourable and wonderful person Draco could be.
The radio was playing one of her favourite songs: Anywhere. It was by Evanescence, on their first album Origin. It really was a beautiful song. It had only just started playing when Draco unlocked the door and stepped in. He went over to Hermione and kissed her. She looked up at him with a little frown creasing her forehead.
"What was that for?" asked Hermione. Draco caressed her cheek with a small smile on his face.
"Do I need a reason to kiss you?"
Hermione smiled up at him. "No, not at all." Draco sat down on a chair opposite her and looked at her with a slightly nervous expression. "What's wrong, dear?" she asked feeling slightly worried by his odd behaviour. Just then some of the words to the song penetrated her mind deeply.
'Forget this life. Come with me.'
'Draco took a deep breath. "You know I love you with all my heart don't you?"
Hermione frowned. "Of course I do. Draco, what's wrong?" She was really starting worry about him now.
'Don't look back you're safe now.'
Draco took another deep breath and stared Hermione in the eyes. "I need to ask you something really important."
Hermione looked deep into his eyes and saw the seriousness in them.
"Well," she asked, "what is it then?"
'Unlock your heart. Drop your guard.'
"Hermione Jane Granger, I love you and I really want to spend the rest of my life with you…"
'No one's left to stop you now.'
"…and so I was wondering whether you…"
Now the song had a male singer singing at the same time.
'Forget this life. Come with me.'
"…would do me the honour of…"
'Don't look back you're safe now'
"…making me the happiest man alive…"
'Unlock your heart. Drop your guard.'
"…and giving me your hand in…"
No one's left to stop you now.'
"…marriage."
He finished still looking her in the eyes. Hermione's eyes widened. She didn't know what to say.
"Um…"
'We're leaving here tonight.'
"…I don't know what to say…"
'There's no need to tell anyone.'
"…big decision to make, to tell you the truth…"
'They'd only hold us down.'
"…I'm speechless…"
'So by the morning light.'
"…but definitely flattered…"
'We'll be half way to anywhere.'
"…I um…"
'Where love is more than just your name.'
"…Oh what the hell…yes I'll marry you!"
"Come on Hermione, just one more push she said. Just one more push." Draco whispered in his wife's ear. "You're doing great, hun! And hurting my hand, but really, you're doing great. Coping with this pain really well. Don't get stressed out because everything is fine. Nothing to worry about at all. I mean -"
"Draco, hunny, please shut up!" Hermione shouted at him. "You're babbling and it's not really -" she cut off there with a shriek of pain. Her face was contorted with concentration and pain as she gave her last push.
She heard a lot of bustle around her, but she had no idea what they were doing. Thoughts were whirling through her brain. I've just had a baby! I'm twenty four and I've just had my first child. With Draco Malfoy: my husband. In Paris! This is amazing.
Distantly she heard crying and looked up to see Draco cradling a baby in his arms. Hermione laughed softly. Back in school imagining Draco Malfoy with a baby in his arms would've been unthinkable, ludicrous, but it actually suited him. It looked right with him.
He had obviously heard her laugh or seen her sit up because he turned around still cradling the baby lovingly. There were tears of joy and happiness in his eyes as he looked at Hermione.
"It's a girl." He stated simply. "It's our little baby girl."
"Amy, will you please tell your brother to hurry up!" Hermione shouted upstairs followed by the sounds of someone rushing up stairs and the shouts of a teenage girl shouting for her brother to hurry up, and the yells of a boy yelling back at his sister.
"I'm coming, mum! You don't need to shout!" the boy shouted downstairs. Hermione rolled her eyes at his behaviour. He takes after his father. A minute later a boy with platinum hair down to his shoulders was running down the stairs carrying his caged owl and Hogwarts trunk.
"Finally!" Hermione muttered. In a louder voice she turned to her son. "Now where's your sister gotten to? You two are going to miss the train, and don't think that I'm finding a way to get you there…you can just wait on that platform until it returns and find a way to get there yourselves, or just stay there for a year!" A car-horn sounded outside signalling that they were running late. Hermione looked at her watch. It was 10:45, and it took ten minutes to get to the station and a couple more to get on to Platform 9 and ¾. "Matt, go put your trunk and owl in the car and tell your dad to wait a sec, will you?"
The boy rushed outside eagerly; it was his first year at Hogwarts and so he was very excited. Hermione smiled fondly after him then turned to the stairs again. "AMY MAY MALFOY; WE HAVE FIFTEEN MINUTES UNTIL THE TRAIN LEAVES, WILL YOU PLEASE GET DOWN THESE STAIRS AND INTO THE CAR NOW!" She shrieked.
A fourteen year old girl with long straight dark brown hair ran down the stairs, glared at her mother and rushed outside without a word. Her mother followed closing and locking the door behind her as she ran to the car. She opened the passenger seat door and sat down. "Seatbelts on, you two." She said to both her children who both shared significant and bored looks. Hermione glared at them. Sharing looks between them now, are they. Annoying children! "Have you two got everything?" They both nodded. "Good. Now, let's go…and we'd better be quick, Draco." She added to her husband.
He smiled at her and started the car. Soon they were parking and finding trolleys for their luggage. She looked down at her watch again; it was now 10:56. They had four minutes to get on to the platform. The whole family sort of ran to the barrier between platforms 9 and 10. They got through quite quickly considering the usual amount of time it usually took. Draco and Hermione helped their children put their luggage on the train. They had one minute to say their goodbyes.
Hermione hugged her daughter and kissed her on the forehead. She saw Draco and Matt talking off to one side, then hug quickly before Matt ran over to his mother. She hugged him tightly.
"Have fun, don't get in to trouble and be good." Hermione whispered into his ear.
"All aboard." A voice yelled. "All aboard the Hogwarts Express."
As Amy and Matt both ran to the train someone opened a door for them to enter through. They both waved through the window and Hermione and Draco waved back.
Whilst Draco was at work Hermione always decided to clean one room of her house to make her feel as if she had achieved something each day. Today it was time to clean their bedroom. It was always her favourite room to clean. She started with the bed, then the wardrobe, the drawers (to make sure everything was neatly folded) and finally the fireplace. They had a fireplace in each of the rooms in the house just in case anybody needed to call somebody urgently about work or something. As she turned towards the fireplace to start cleaning it, the flames turned green. It was always a bad sign when the flames turned green in her bedroom fireplace.
She rushed over to kneel beside the flames and found she didn't recognise the face in the fire; major bad sign.
"Hermione Malfoy?" the face asked. Hermione nodded quickly.
"What's wrong? Who are you?"
"Oh, sorry," he replied, "I'm Mark Polothus. I'm a Healer at St. Mungo's." Hermione's fear intensified. "I'm afraid I have bad news. Your husband, Draco Malfoy, was brought into St. Mungo's today at twelve minutes past ten this morning," Hermione looked up at the clock above the fireplace to see that was five minutes ago, then returned to staring worriedly at this man, Mark, who was still speaking. "apparently after having a heart attack."
"Now, don't worry yourself," he added seeing the horrified look on her face, "as it was only a minor attack. Unfortunately, there is no way to determine what caused the attack, but we think that it may have been stress."
Hermione nodded, thinking of how stressful her husband's job could be at times as he was the Head of the Department of Magical Accidents and Catastrophes.
"Can I come down and see him, then?" she asked. The man nodded.
"Yes, yes, that is why we called you to tell you to come down. He's been asking for you. Come when you're ready." He added before popping away.
Hermione frowned, thinking about what the man had added; then she looked down at herself. Oh, that's what he meant, she thought. She was still wearing an apron, and holding a duster. She got rid of them, picked up some Floo Powder and threw into the fire, turning the flames emerald green. After stepping into them she shouted "St. Mungo's" loud and clearly, and then she was zooming through the Floo Network and eventually ended up in the clean and tidy, but unusually empty, entrance with the floor guide and Welcome Witch. Hermione rushed over to the Welcome Witch, who was, as usual, reading her Witch Weekly magazine.
"Um, hello. Can you tell me where my husband is please? Draco Malfoy." The Welcome Witch looked up at Hermione with a frown on her face, then placed down her magazine and picked up the clipboard of all the names, tracing her long slender finger down the list as she looked. Hermione waited for a few moments before the Witch looked up again.
"You said Draco Malfoy, yes?" she asked Hermione. Hermione rolled her eyes.
"Yes, yes, Draco Malfoy. My husband."
She just smiled at Hermione. "I'm sorry, but there is no Draco Malfoy on my list." She put the list down again, and resumed reading her magazine without another glance at Hermione. Hermione just stared at her for a few minutes. What? They said he was here!
"Well, I just had a face appear in my fireplace telling me that my husband was here. He came in with a heart attack." The Welcome Witch was still ignoring Hermione and turned a page in her magazine. "A Healer called Mark Polothus just told me my husband was here." She turned another page. "Hello? You still in there? Can you hear me? Oh my God, this is not happening." Hermione whirled around, intending on finding Draco herself, but found she didn't need to. He was stood there in front of her.
He smiled at her and began to caress her cheek. "It's time, Hermione," he whispered.
She frowned at him. "What?"
"It's time," he repeated.
"What? What's time? What are you talking about, Draco?" She was starting to get frustrated now. Sure he'd just had a heart attack, but that didn't mean he had to talk in riddles.
"It's time!" He said once more, and as he did his hand stopped caressing, but instead started to disappear, slowly fading away. She tried to grasp onto him, but he was gone. She turned around and found herself in a pitch black room of nothingness. Everything was gone. Everyone was gone. All there was: was nothingness, and herself.