WEEK SEVEN

A/N: I don't know how to apologize, I know you probably all want to kill me by now for neglecting to update for so long. My excuse? Starting uni in a new country is absolutely crazy and I've been having trouble getting my head around everything, but I'm trying to settle into some sort of (hopefully constructive) routine that will allow for more frequent updates. Keep your fingers crossed that it will work, and in the meantime enjoy!

Disclaimer: Characters and the magic still owned by the one and only JK Rowling.

We do not know the value of our moments unitl they have become a memory

~ Georges Duhamel

"Where's Tyler?" Hermione asked, seeing only Draco waiting for her in front of the Ministry. He had told her they'd meet her there and Apparate to some surprise place he wanted to show her, one Tyler had assured her she'd 'absolutely love!'

"Not feeling too well, he's at home with Mother. Stomach bug," Draco explained. "But he insisted I come and that we carry on with the plan."

Hermione returned the smile he gave her then, albeit a little bit hesitantly. She was used to spending time with Draco now, but almost always Tyler was around with them - she wasn't entirely convinced it was a good idea to be alone with him. Wouldn't that resemble a date too much? Did Draco realize this? And if he did, was it his intention to make it into a date?

"Come on, I promise dhim I'd show you and then tell him what you thought about it. You don't want to disappoint him, now, do you?" Draco raised an eyebrow, simultaneiously grabbing her arm and steering her towards the Apparition point. "Hold tight, we'll side-Apparate."

And without giving Hermione any more time for second thoughts and uncertainty, he swished his wand and Hermione felt the familiar, uncomfortable sensation that pressed her closer to Draco. Seconds later, she was blinking in surprise a she absorbed her new surroundings; white sand as far as the eye could see, a turquoise ocean that abanadoned glistening shells with each breath and not another soul in sight.

"Where are we?" she asked, noticing how the afternoon sun grew redder by the minute as it travelled downwards, an unblinking eye on the horizon.

"A beach," Draco replied informatively. "It's a small island just off the French coast. Pretty much uninhabited, Tyler loves to come here in summer. My parents discovered it shortly after getting married."

"It's beautiful," Hemrione announced.

"Wait until you see the sunset," Draco grinned. "Come on, we'll have some champagne while we wait."

"Champagne? Are we celebrating something?" Hermione asked, still not moving, although Draco had already taken a few steps towards the blanket and picnic basket laid out nearby. Rolling his eyes at her endless questions, Draco turned back and took her hand, pulling her along with him.

"Do we need an occasion to enjoy a glass of champagne?" he asked her. "You ask too many questions, Hermione. Stop overthinking things and just enjoy the evening."

Not entirely sure what to reply and still deeply impressed by this magical place, Hermione sat down beside Draco on the blanket and took the proffered flute.

"Cheers," he said, clinking is glass against hers and taking a sip, watching Hermione do the same.

They sat in comfortable silence for a while, enjoying the salty breeze, the whisper of the waves and the warm colours bathing the sky in the shades of a sunset.

"You never told me what happened to Astoria," Hermione said quietly after a while. It was a topic she had been meaning to ask Draco about for a while now, but she never wanted to bring it up with Tyler around. She thought it would help her understand the boy better.

"She died," Draco relied simply, staring out to sea.

"You loved her, didn't you?" Hermione asked, already reading the answer in his wistful expression.

"Yes, I loved her. She was a great witch and a wonderful mother and wife. Tyler spent most of his time with her, sometimes we thought that perhaps he was even too attached to her, but we decided to let him grow out of it by himself. That's why he took her death all the harder. She grew sick and died quickly, too quickly... At St. Mungo's they said it was cancer, one of the few diseases that wizards haven't found a cure for yet."

"I'm sorry," Hermione said, and suddenly the image of her parents came to her mind. She sighed heavily, wishing for the upteenth time that they were still alive.

Draco, sensing that her mind had drifted far away from the beautiful view in front of them, looked at her carefully. "What's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing, I... Just remembered my own parents," Hermione replied sadly, beginnign to pick at one of the threads on the blanket.

"Did they..." Draco began, then stopped, not sure how to phrase the question delicately.

"Die? Yes," Hermione supplied. "At the end of the war, a few stray Death Eaters found them, recognised their surname and linked them to me."

Something about the bitter note in her voice caused Draco to frown slightly.

"You're not blaming yourself, are you?"

Hermione only shrugged in response. Draco touched her cheek briefly, before raising her chin and forcing her to look him in the eye.

"Hermione, it was not your fault. You're one of the war heroes, so they knew your name. But even if they didn't, do you think they'd have let them go? It was horrible, a terrible thing to do, yes, but things like that happen in war. You cannot blame yourself - I'm sure they wouldn't want you to do so, anyway, don't you?"

Eliciting a small nod from her, Draco acted on impulse and hugged her tightly, kissing the top of her head.

"Now, that's the end of such topics. Look at the sun," he said, letting her go and leaning back on the blanket.

"Thanks," Hermione said, leaning back next to him and somehow ending up with his arms around her again, feeling safe and secure, as well as comforted by his words. Draco only smiled slightly in response, and they sat side by side, enjoying th view and each other's company well into the night. When they finally returned to the Manor, in the hope of tucking Tyler in, they found the boy was already fast asleep.

A/N: And on that sweet, romantic note I'm going to leave you for the day, but I'll be back soon with more Dramione incidents. Leave a comment before disappearing back to your RL, please!