Author's Note: I have no excuses. Life simply got away from me. I was hired to teach in North Carolina. Hated that job. Got a new job in Virginia. Here I am using my spring break to write some of this story for you because it has been burning a hole in my brain for the past month or so. This story will be finished this summer. I'm thinking a total of 15 chapters, so we're almost to the end. I also plan on working on Renewal once this is finished. My idea for that story has changed a bit. Thank you to those that stuck around. You won't be disappointed.

Disclaimer: HP does not belong to me…just this plotline. Sexual situations in this chapter. Finally.

Letting it all Go

Chapter Ten: This won't end quietly

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"You told me we were fighters, fighters.
Lover, Lover.
We ended just as lovers.
We let the night get away to somewhere better than here.
We let the night get away."
—We The Committee

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Two weeks.

It had been two full weeks since the first article had been printed about her. Since then Potter, his wife, and himself had been doing their very best to try and keep her from going under. Potter had gone to the paper and asked them to write a retraction. However, considering the author of the article was none other than Ron's girlfriend, Padma, that hadn't gone so well. Draco stared at the back of Hermione's frizzy head from the doorway to her bedroom watching as she sat perfectly still on her window seat. She hadn't said much since that night. Neither of them had mentioned the kiss—Potter had. He had instructed Draco to keep things simple for now. Draco had said he wanted to leave immediately. Potter told him to stay. At least for a few more weeks so that the story he had managed to get Luna to print in her paper to take hold.

Draco rubbed a hand over his face, ignoring the scruff that he had let grow in. He was exhausted. Hermione barely slept, which meant he barely slept. She refused to eat too, which was an entirely different battle. He should never have kissed her. He should have dropped her off, got his things, and left. Now he was stuck here allowing his feelings to get stronger. He wasn't even sure he was completely over Astoria yet. Things had really gone to hell. The worst part—he wanted to be here. In fact, he couldn't imagine being anywhere else…even if he wanted to.

He heard her sigh and watched as she turned her head to glance at him.

"You don't have to watch me constantly, Draco."

Swallowing he pushed away from the doorframe and made his way towards her. "I know."

She gave him a half smile and pushed her hair over her shoulder. "Penny for your thoughts?"

"A galleon for yours?"

Hermione gave a small laugh in reply before turning back to the window. It was raining. "I'm sorry for how everything has happened. I know it's not what you were expecting when you came here. I never meant for any of this to happen."

He shrugged even though she couldn't see it and took a few more steps until he was standing directly behind her. This was the closest they had gotten in these past two weeks. Draco would often stand in the doorway or learn against the wall and watch her quietly. He sighed as she learned back into his chest, and he allowed himself to put his arms around her. It felt nice to hold her, especially since he knew she needed the human contact. To be honest, he did too.

"I think it's going to snow tonight."

He smiled down at the top of her head. She had been saying that for days now but it had just kept on raining. Instead of answering he let go of her and moved to sit on the other side of the window. He waited until she had slid around, slipped between his legs, and had rested against him once more before returning his arms. He was going to leave in the morning. Potter had told him it was time. Draco's smile turned into a frown as he stared at the rain sliding down the window. He would have been gone weeks ago if he had known what would have happened. He didn't want to be held responsible for Hermione losing her children.

An hour passed in silence as the two watched the rain. Maybe they had fallen asleep like that. He wasn't sure, but Draco was stirred from his thoughts when he felt Hermione take a deep breath.

"You're leaving."

It wasn't a question. He didn't answer.

Instead he ran a hand through her tangled hair. She leaned into the touch so he continued that for a while. It was better if he didn't say it out loud. He wasn't sure he could leave if he did that. Draco as still so uncertain about these feelings he felt for Hermione. He knew he loved her…maybe even more than he ever had loved Astoria. That was what bothered him the most. Astoria had given him love when he hadn't felt like he deserved it. He had been a Death Eater—a monster—but she had taken his heart and then given him the best gift in the world, Scorpius. Then, in an instant she was gone. The person he had come to know as his other half was just ripped from his life. Gone. Forever.

Never in a million years did he think that love would come his way again. At first maybe it was just Hermione's caring nature that he loved, but then he got to really know her. The drinking, the secrets, her quirkiness. Even her blasted friends were starting to grow on him. If he had his way, Draco would stay with her forever, but unfortunately that was impossible right now.

Fate was tricky like that.

"I start therapy this week." Hermione turned herself so she was looking up into his face. "I have to go to my Alcoholics meeting on Wednesday and to talk to my therapist on Monday and Friday. I was hoping you could come." She didn't smile as she said this, probably because she knew he was going to say no, that he couldn't go with her.

"Once you've successfully completed therapy for three weeks, then you're allowed to keep your custody as it is now," he said instead. "That's what Potter's wife told me."

She nodded and turned back around, settling back into his body once more. This would be the last night Draco would be this close to her for quite some time. He wanted to cherish every minute with her. That's why he was irritated when he saw the phone by her hip light up, and a second later start to ring. Hermione quickly picked it up and said, "Hello?"

Draco strained to listen, but couldn't hear anything. He wanted to growl in frustration as she stood and began pacing the room. He tried to stay focused on the window, knowing that he should just get up, say goodbye, and leave now before he did something stupid. Instead he waited for her to hang up the phone. When she did and didn't return to the window, Draco turned to face her, his brow furrowed. "Who was it?"

"Ginny." The phone slid from her hand and landed with a thud on the carpet. He didn't see it hit the ground because he was too focused on the tears that had begun running down Hermione's cheeks. He stood slowly and was in front of her in two strides, his hands coming to rest on her shoulders.

"What did she say?"

"Ron won the emergency custody he asked for today."

The air whooshed out of Draco so quickly he felt dizzy. "That bastard. What happens now?"

Hermione was trembling under his touch. She swallowed thickly and shook her head, openly crying now. "I won't get to see my children until after the holidays. The judge is going out of town this weekend for the next month so there is no way to schedule a counter hearing until I finish my therapy."

Draco didn't know what to say. He helped Hermione to sit on the edge of the bed, but remained standing himself, taking over the pacing she had been doing only minutes before. Potter had sent an owl this morning warning that Weasley planned on trying to get emergency custody, but with the holidays so close, they hadn't thought it would go through. Clearly, they had underestimated the situation. It didn't help that the Weasel's girlfriend was still printing garbage about Hermione nearly every other day in the paper.

Draco stopped pacing and stared out the window with an idea blooming in his mind. Since he had gone back to work, Malfoy Enterprises had been flourishing. A smirk grew on his face—maybe it was time for his company to invest, no, buy-out some of the companies in the Wizarding world. He turned back towards Hermione feeling frantic and wanting to hurry before his idea fizzled out.

"I have to go."

Hermione looked up at him with red rimmed eyes, and his resolve dissolved. He could literally feel the wall he had slowly been building crumple inside of him. It was no use. There was no denying the love he felt for this woman. She was as crazy and broken as he was, but that didn't matter. He couldn't stay, but he wouldn't deny her the love he felt in this moment.

Shoving all his resolve aside, he took a step forward, and then another until he was right in front of her. Dropping to his knees, Draco took Hermione's face into his hands. Her eyes sparkled uncertainly at him and she opened her mouth to speak—he didn't give her the chance. Crushing his mouth onto hers, he let his feelings take control for once. At first she didn't respond to his kiss, but as his hand drifted into her knotted hair and his tongue traced her bottom lip, he felt her relax and begin to kiss him back.

Hermione opened her mouth, allowing him access to explore with his tongue. He felt her moan resonate throughout him as he guided her backwards up the bed so he could lay on top of her. This was probably the best and worst idea he'd had since arriving in this flat all those months ago, but he wouldn't change a thing. He felt Hermione's hand slide down his back and tug the bottom of his shirt upwards. He leaned back allowing her to lift it up and over his head and watched out of the corner of his eye as it fell to the floor next to the bed.

Towering over her, he watched as she smoothed her hands back around to his chest and then up to his face. She grabbed onto him and guided his mouth back to hers. He let her take charge for a while before standing up to remove his jeans. He returned to the bed, moving to lay beside Hermione and untying the robe she was wearing. It fell off her easily to reveal her body to him in the street light from outside the window. She was breathing heavily and looking at him through hooded eyes. He slid a hand up her leg towards her thigh. Continuing slowly, as if to give her a chance to say "stop", he kept going until he was cupping her mound. Her head fell back with a sigh and she opened her legs willingly to him.

Placing a kiss to her bare shoulder, he eased two fingers easily into her. He watched as her hands clenched the disheveled sheets, but she never took her eyes off of his. He continued his ministrations for a few minutes until Hermione was a panting mess above him and he couldn't help but move to kiss her again. The kiss was much more heated than before. Hermione's hands raked over his back, chest, and anywhere else she could reach. When he knew she could stand it no longer, Draco moved so he was fully on top of her.

Staring into his eyes, it was Hermione that spoke first. "Are you sure this is what you want?"

"Yes."

It was all he could manage to say. He felt choked up with emotion. Not because he was thinking about Astoria, but because he knew that this would be the beginning, and the end, for them.

Nodding her head, Hermione sat up and cupped his cheek. She then pulled him in for a tender kiss, letting her tongue slide slowly through his mouth while gently pushing him down into the mattress. She moved to sit quietly on his body. It was his turn to explore her from below. He slid his hands over her flushed skin and cupped her breasts, flicking his thumbs over the hardened nipples. Hermione threw her head back, her hair cascading down her back. Leaning forward she placed a chaste kiss to his lips while reaching back to positon him at her opening. With one last look into his eyes, she lowered herself onto him. They both hissed at the pleasure they felt.

Draco held her in place for a moment, just treasuring the feeling before allowing her to raise herself up, then down again. It was a minute before they managed to find a rhythm that worked, but when they did, it was as if time was standing still. Draco looked up at Hermione, her head thrown back in ecstasy with the lamp light creating a soft glow on her flushed skin. She was more beautiful than he had ever seen her. He had seen her at her most vulnerable, and the love he felt was only growing.

He could tell she was getting close, and he wanted to look into those burning brown eyes of her when she fell apart. Gripping her waist, he stopped her long enough to turn their bodies so that he was on top. Startled, she tilted her head in confusion, but he just kissed her deeply in reply before starting their rhythm back up again. Breaking the kiss, Draco pushed his feelings to the front of his mind. He wanted Hermione to know how much he loved her. Reaching down, he slid his hand between them to rub against her. She moaned in reply so he did it again, and again, and again until she broke apart underneath him.

That was all he needed to help send him teetering on the edge. He kissed her again, and pumped into her three more times before coming apart himself. As he came down from his high, he opened his eyes to find her staring at him, tears on her cheeks. She looked so worried, that he suddenly realized they were not her tears, but his own. To make sure she wasn't thinking he regretted what they had done, he kissed her and rolled so she could lay against his chest. He brushed the hair from her face, and kissed her forehead.

"I love you, Hermione."

She reached up and brushed her trembling fingers across his tear-stained cheeks. "I know." She nestled into his warm embrace. "I love you too." He held her like that until she fell asleep, which didn't take long as she hadn't been sleeping well. Draco sat as still as possible waiting until she was in a deep sleep. When he knew she was, he slipped out from under her and quietly got dressed. Making sure that she was covered by the blanket, he took a pen and paper out of her nightstand drawer. He scrawled a quick message for her and then stepped into the hallway where his bag was waiting for him. Picking it up, Draco shut the door and went downstairs.

He stood for a moment in the doorway to her flat. It was still raining outside, but it was getting colder. Maybe Hermione was right. Maybe it was going to snow tonight. With one last look around, Draco stepped into the rain and closed the door, leaving Hermione sleeping upstairs, alone.

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Hermione woke up slowly, her body hurting, but in an entirely different way than it had been for the past few years. She felt warm and comfortable and like she could sleep for a thousand more years. Her face was still snuggled into her pillow so she reached her arm out from underneath to try and pull Draco closer. When her arm met with nothing but the quilt and mattress, she hurriedly sat up rubbing the sleep from her eyes and pushing her massive hair from her face.

Blinking in the near darkness, she was surprised to find the room empty. It was so quiet that she knew the rain that had plagued her for days had finally stopped. Pushing herself up from the bed, she groped around for her robe. Upon finding it in a crumpled mess on the floor, she shrugged it on and tied the front closed. The room was colder than when she had been awake before. She wasn't even sure what time it was considering her clock was broken from her episode a few weeks back.

Walking towards the window, she stopped and stared at the seat that she had occupied quite often lately. There, folded once, was a tiny piece of notebook paper with one word written on the front: Hermione. She knew immediately it was from Draco—not because of the handwriting, but because no one else would have left her a note. Anyone else would have woken her up to tell her something. Holding her robe closer around her, she reached out for the offensive note, the feeling of dread growing stronger each second. Unfolding it as she sat down, she tucked her legs under her and began to read.

Hermione,

We have both known the time was coming for me to make my departure. It was not my intention to have to leave so soon after we were together, but there are tasks that I must take care of right now. Just know that my time with you has been more healing than I ever imagined. You taught me that it was possible to love again. You taught me that life is the most precious gift there is. I want you to remember that most of all. Do not be sad that I am gone. Maybe someday we can be together, but for now, take care of yourself. Get better so that you can see your children again. Please do not try to come after me. We need to be apart right now. You are strong. Fight for what is rightfully yours. You can get through this without me. Thank you for everything.

Love, Draco

She read the letter through twice before crumbling it into her palm and throwing it against the windowpane. It was then that she fell completely apart. The bloodcurdling scream echoed through the bedroom, and the window rattled as the tears came to her eyes. She tucked into herself and let go as the sobbing took over her body. She had lost her children and the man she loved all in a matter of a few hours. Curling into a ball, Hermione allowed her sorrow to engulf her.

She never even noticed that outside, it had started to snow.