Chapter 13

Startled by the sound of the floo going off, Hermione took a hazy look of the bedroom she hardly recognized. There was a very naked Malfoy sleeping next to her, as both their clothes and shame had ended up scattered all over the floor the previous night. The witch tried to piece together the events which had led to this but her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of flames crackling in the living room, again. Then a third time.

" ~ Mione!" Came the call of Harry's voice.

Whatever he could have wanted, Hermione knew her friend wasn't ready to see her like this, and she wasn't ready to answer his questions. So without a word the witch darted through the balcony which connected her and Draco's rooms, stealing his duvet as she went, wandlessly transfiguring it into baggy pajamas before opening her door to the living room with a huff.

"I swear to Merlin, Harry James! The sun is barely up, you can't just.." she halted in her step and word as in front of her stood not only a very tired-looking Harry but an equally frazzled Blaise and a sunk-eyed Viktor. "What's going on?" she asked her voice dropping as Draco's bedroom door opened as well.

"So?" Came his question adding to the silence.

Harry and Blaise shared looks as Viktor didn't seem to pick up his gaze from the floor.

"Ron attacked again last night." Blaise, who seemed to be in the best condition to speak, managed.

Hermione's hands jumped to her face as she tried to muffle a gasp eyes widening in shock.

Harry shook his head sadly as his friend stepped forward.

"Has anyone been hurt?" The witch asked little hope in her voice.

"He.." The dark- haired wizard couldn't find the breath to relay the doings of his oldest friend.

"Murdered my wife." Viktor finished, voice leveled but cold and empty. "And burnt down three muggle villages as he was fleeing."

"No…" Hermione was lost to words.

"Haven't the aurors any leads?" Draco asked outraged.

Heads shook sadly.

"Viktor..?" Hermione approached the man who barely lifted his eyes to meet hers before she gave him a hug "I am so sorry about Helena." She then turned to Harry and Blaise. "I am done hiding." She said determination in her voice "We draw him out and end this."

For a moment it looked as if someone was about to protest, say it is none of their 'responsibility'. But as Hermione held onto Viktor who barely held her back, and the silence in the room grew deeper, they all knew it was no one else's responsibility.

…

A new order was gathered in Grimmauld place.

The wizards and Hermione had flooed back to the once Black home and had started sending owls and patronuses to friends and family.

There were the Weasleys, the Tonkses, The Zabinis, Narcissa, Kingsley, McGonagall, Harry and Luna, Hermione, Daphne, Draco, Viktor and the Bulgarian minister of magic alongside several aurors and some friends of Helena.

"…I just don't think it is wise for a group of children to go after a wizard maniac!" Bernard was the first to protest under Cara and Bradamante's equally worried looks. "We did everything we could to keep our son out of the war we are not about to let him go off to fight now! And this extends to you two Mia!" He turned to Hermione.

"Zio, we grew up with Ron, we know him as well as anyone, and he is getting more and more dangerous, I can't just sit around and watch him hurt or kill. Especially when I know he's going after me and the people I love. He's gone after his own brothers, he's hurt the healers who were trying to help him, he killed his childhood hero's wife!" At the latter Viktor and the rest of the Bulgarians stiffened.

"All the more reason to stay protected."

"Hide? Until when? That didn't work out very well the last time there was a crazy half-blood lunatic on the loose. What if he goes after Bill or Percy next? And something happens to little Victorie or little Arthur?" Fleur and Audrey shared worried looks with their husbands as both cradled their 10 and 8 month-old children. "What if he breaks in here when Teddy is visiting?" Harry's eyes darted to the nearly two year-old bundle hugging Luna's leg. "What if next time he breaks into the Dragon reserve he causes more damage? What about the children in those burning villages? What if he sneaks back in Hogwarts?" One by one the adults in the room, who seemed opposed or reluctant at the proposed idea, backed down. "Those are the children we need to think about." The Marquise finished.

"Very well, Hermione." McGonagall started, seeing as no one else thought of opening an argument with the blonde witch. "I have seen you and Harry, and most the people in this room grow into the wizards and witches you now are." She said. "I know perfectly well what you are capable of, and I am immensely proud of your achievements. However," she met the worried eyes of the parents, most of them her once her students as well. "I will not have you be reckless, I will not have you be unattended. All information shared, all parties included. This has become an international matter and even with two ministers present to approve of your actions I will not have this turn into a slaughter or a witch hunt, understood?"

Nods around the room.

The Zabinis had been settled. The Bulgarians showed no oppositions and the Hogwarts alumni, adult or not, were not about to object to the mothering witch.

"I assume you called us here because you have a plan in mind, Hermione?" Arthur turned to the girl.

"Yes… there is a summoning spell…"

"We tried all spells." A younger auror protested before being hushed by Kingsley.

"This is a familial spell. Not in any textbook, even an auror one. But it requires a lot of casters for it to work. Six witches or wizards, who know the target, know well... and mean no harm."

The people in the room shared looks.

"Most of us know Ronald, Mi," Charlie said, ice lining his voice. "But I am not sure how many of us would mean him no harm. He's made rather certain that he is no longer part of this family."

"I mean him no harm." Luna spoke. "No, I don't approve of what he's done. But I mean no one harm."

"That makes two of us." Harry said, "He was my first friend. I don't want him hurting anyone. But I have no malicious intent."

Hermione nodded.

"As angry and upset he's made me. There has been enough pain already." She said.

"He may not be my son but I raised him as one." Arthur stepped in. His children looked at him, Bill and Percy protective of their families, having given Ron more than a deserving chance; Charlie, absolutely not over the havoc his youngest brother had wreaked in Romania; George having just reopened his Diagon ally shop, and Ginny remembering unsettling amounts of bullying during her school years. They understood why their father was stepping in. But none found it in them to do the same.

"I more than wish him a stern talking to and deserved punishment," McGonagall joined. "yet this would hardly be meant as harm, rather the opposite."

More looks around the room, then to everyone's surprise Draco joined forward.

"I never liked Weasel, don't get me wrong." He lifted his hands "But I also haven't meant anyone harm in a very long time."

Hermione gave him a smile as their eyes met for a moment; with the chaos the day had scrambled them into the two hadn't found the time to really talk about the previous night. Now wasn't it either.

"Alright then." The witch said counting her 6 casters "this is the spell" she levitated a parchment to each. "As you can see it has to be in a neutral location, no containment wards. And no one on the site but us."

"How are we going to apprehend him then?" Harry questioned.

"I was thinking of an open field, somewhere he can't hide. The rest can be high enough on brooms to not be caught in the spell's field, yet close enough to drop down. We could have a dragon net in the spell circle. It is a-magical and not a ward so it shouldn't interfere. And we can set up a triggered anti-apparition charm. Maybe have a magic damper at hand, just in case…"

"If I am reading this correctly, Hermione" McGonagall spoke. "There will still be a brief moment in which he will be able to retaliate before the net is dropped."

"Yes. And to what we know he is wanded… this part I haven't figured out." The witch said thoughtful. "If we only knew who's wand he's stolen and what core it has I could make a wand circle and bind it, or prep a suspension charm.. or something."

"Then you're in luck" Draco said. "He has a healer's wand. Likely still mine, if not, any other from St. Mungo's. Unicorn hair, ten inches, unbendable, Austrian wood."

Hermione hummed as her brows furled.

"Willing wands, wielderless, mass production.." something in her mind clicked "Draco, is your new work wand the same?" The wizard nodded handing in a wand just as the one he'd described, only to witness it snapped in half by the Marquise.

"Hey!"

"Aha!" Hermione pulled something from the core "Healer's wands have a safety trigger. In case they malfunction, once activated the trigger shoots a reverse spell at any same-bound wand, kind of like Priori Incantatem" She turned to Harry as he'd experienced the rare spell first hand in his fourth year encounter with Voldemort.

"He wouldn't be able to cast anything, long enough for a net." He nodded. "Brilliant!" A sigh of relief ran through the room.

People promptly got to work following the lists and spells Hermione had prepared and had started handing out as an annoyed Draco pulled her aside.

"And how you imagine, Miss Wand-maker-wannabe, that I am to cast this incantation," he pointed to the scroll with the summoning spell. "since you just broke my wand?"

"Just use your regular one, Malfoy." The witch eyed him condescendingly, not appreciative of his comment. However, seeing the way his shoulders dropped, Hermione regretted her tone immediately.

"I don't have one." Draco said in a quiet voice, getting a step closer. "After I lost mine in the war no wand has chosen me. I go wandless for the most part and use the ones from work, but they would be caught in Priori as well."

The witch looked around the room, it would be a couple of hours before everything was ready and Charlie was back from the reserve with the net and damper.

"Come" She said, getting hold of Draco's hand and flipping a small golden coin in the air.

There was a tugging feeling and the two ended in the middle of the Marquise Library.

"How? What? Hermione!" the wizard looked around.

"Chained portkey" Hermione lifted the coin before dropping it back safe in a pocket "Takes me to the library from anywhere and returns me exactly where I last was. My work station is here, you said you needed a wand." She started walking away.

"I said there hasn't been a wand for me since the war. We don't have the time." He tried to catch up with her.

"Well, there is the family vault." They stopped in front of a wandshelf with hundreds of wands on display. "But if there isn't anything here, you can take one of mine, the more basic ones should be easily wieldable and might work." the witch spoke confidently "And if even this isn't enough I will just make you one." At Draco's expression of awe the witch put a small smirk on her face. "How's that for a wand-maker-wannabe?"

"Where do we start?" Was all the wizard managed.

…

They'd quickly gone through the possible ancestral matches but no Marquise wand would accept a Malfoy.

"At least it's certain we're not related." Hermione had joked handing Draco one of her first wand models.

As expected, none of them rejected him, but they were very weak conductors of magic and would certainly not be able to cast the summoning spell. One even burst in flames because his core was too strong.

"I can just use two!" Draco picked a second wand to the one he was already holding and waved them around. Books started flying off the shelves behind him.

"NO!" Hermione took the wands and put them back in their boxes "They don't like each other, please behave." She sat back down at her desk and picking a muggle hair tie pulled her hair in a messy bun.

"You're making me a wand!" The wizard exclaimed as his eyes sparkled with child-like glee watching her get in the now so familiar 'I-mean-business' zone.

"It seems so," Hermione was setting her materials on the desk "Now, would you say you're short, tall or average in height?"

"Average…" Draco looked at her confused; he knew little about wands but didn't imagine his height had much to do with it.

At 6ft2in, with an average 5ft8in for a male of British descend, Hermione marked Draco down as 'tall'

"Eyes?"

"Ouch! Hermione, I thought you fancied me!" The wizard played pretend heartbreak.

"Grey…" The witch noted, blush creeping at her cheeks as she fought her mind to stay on top of the task. This was hard enough as sitting across the desk with someone you shared that kind of a passionate night with was no easy task, but to top it all off, they hadn't had the chance to even mention it.

Seeing as she was taking her time with the questions Draco asked.

"We can talk about it, if you want?"

"Talk about what?"

"Last night."

"Not right now." She had to will herself to refuse, people had died.

Throwing a cautious look at the man, unable to read a single thought on his face, she asked for the date of his birthday.

"Fifth of June." He rolled his eyes lightly.

"Odd day," Hermione noted down. "You most pride yourself in your..?"

"Determination."

"Left-Sea, Forward-forest, Right-castle?"

"Sea."

"You most fear?"

"Isolation"

"Magical artefact?"

"Any scroll older than my family."

"This is all I need for now." Was the last thing Hermione said before getting to work and Draco could only stare, mouth almost agape, at the swirling magic around Hermione's gentle fingers.

"First we take the core" She spoke quietly to herself, as if remembering a school book "and we bind the seed. Fire goes to water, air meets the earth." In a small sphere a single flame as if in stasis swirled in a drop of water. The peculiar mixture was spun by controlled wind and buried in a silver pot with white earth. "Grow the wand as tall as thee, as wide as eyes can see." Without any notice a small sprout started winding up from the silver pot. "Unbendable, like mind to be." The sapling's bark hardened. "Gentle, love, a wand and not a tree." The leaves fell and the little plant stopped moving.

Hermione picked it up gently taking out its rooting. In her hands the straight sapling started to fall into a mold and spiraled into a neat wand shape. Hermione circled her fingers where branches once were and little detailed carvings wove in the bark. She stopped for a second, thoughtful, and holding onto the bottom, hard, pressed it into an intricate handle shape.

From all the magic swirling around her and seeping into the wand the air was packed with glowing specks like mist.

Draco stared amazed by this wonder of a witch that stood before him. He had seen her work on many things before, but never had he witnessed so much passion excerpt out of her. Here Hermione's movements were a dance, soft and swift, but cut with precision to which even perfection would bow.

That was the moment where with all his admiration, Draco Malfoy, knew; Hermione was too good for him.

Oh, he had known that he loved her but never had he dreamed that he would be this close with her. If he hadn't been there the previous night, if his head wasn't still throbbing with flashbacks of her emerald eyes peering into his as the two of them came together, he wouldn't have believed it possible. There was something so complete about the way they fit with one another; how her lips would lock with his, the way fingers would tangle and hold tight, two heartbeats bound to match…

There was that in Draco's mind, the undeniable attraction, the chemistry, the magic; but there was also the list of little things. How perfectly the two of them fit on the couch together, how she always got his tea 'just right', the way she subconsciously swayed under whatever melody he was humming only for her own voice to eventually join.

After the first few times it had happened Hermione had burst out laughing saying that the two of them were practically out of a Disney movie. Prompted by Draco's confusion at yet another muggle reference she'd went out and bought every possible Disney tape for them to watch. The wizard really had enjoyed the films and not a week later had he walked up to Hermione blabbering about her earlier comparison:

"I am not saying Beauty and the Beast, but… there are similarities! Unwilling roommates, moving tea sets, French royalty, magic! Find me a golden dress and call my father Maurice!"

He could still hear her crinkling laughter. They'd had so much fun together, how had he gotten so lucky…

" ~ Draco!" Hermione's voice snapped the man out of his thoughts.

"Yeah?"

"Oh, I'm sorry," She rolled her eyes with a smirk. "I figured you wanted a wand… but you seem perfectly content staring into the distance."

"Is it ready?!"

"Fingers crossed." The witch handed him her newest creation. "Precisely eleven inches, unbendable, living oak, and one of the signature cores I've been trying out – dragon flame."

Draco took the wand carefully, it truly was a masterpiece. Small vines wove around its length, the handle had a soft grip and a serpent like detailing which upon examination turned out to be a dragon carving with its tale waving around the stars of the Draco constellation;

"Come on then, give it a wave." Hermione prompted with a smile which only grew larger as white and gold sparks erupted from the tip. "You're welcome." She said contently getting up and getting her coin portkey out "We've to go back."

Draco was honestly in shock. Never had he held a wand which felt so good in his hands. They all always fought him or were too narrow spaced to tap his magic. This, this felt nice, it felt wonderful.

"You ready?" Hermione outstretched her hand and he took it.

This felt better.

"Thank you." Draco managed with all the sincerity in his heart giving the witch's hand a squeeze

"Anytime." She returned the gesture as the two of them were pulled back into Grimmauld place.

…

Everything was in place. In Draco and Hermione's absence the group had figured out that Ron was still likely somewhere in Bulgaria so they chose the Thracian Valley as place for the cast. It was vast enough to be separated from muggle eyes even without concealment charms;

Hermione, Harry, Luna, Draco, Arthur and McGonagall were ready to cast the spell as soon as everything was settled. Charlie, Bill, George, Percy, Ginny, Blaise, Bernard, Kingsley, The Bulgarian Minister, Viktor, and 4 aurors were going to fly above on brooms. Andromeda, Ted, Narcissa, Cara and Bradamante, and some healers, friends of Helena and Viktor, would make a wider circle in case anything went wrong. Fleur, Audrey, and Daphne stayed behind with Victorie, Arthur Jr. and Teddy.

They were just setting up some of the summoning runes which the spell required when Charlie made his way Hermione. He handed her a small metal spiral which the witch looked at curiously.

"Portable magic damper" He explained. "Click the two ends together and no magic will be possible within ten yards, just in case."

"Thank you." The witch said her voice slightly trembling. Anxiousness was spreading all over the group. They did not know what to expect, the Ronald they knew had given way to a deranged wizard. "I… I'm scared." Hermione admitted in a small voice.

"Mi…" Charlie pulled her into a hug. "It's alright, It'll be alright." He kissed her forehead not letting go until hear heartbeat settled.

…

The runes were finished, people in small groups were exchanging reassurance and words of encouragement. Parents held onto their children, lovers held each other tight, friends shared embraces.

The sun hit the golden hour before sunset and the six casters took their places.

Series of complex wand movements were repeated, lighting each rune one by one.

Winds howled around them and stilled for a second before a crack brought a lean dark figure to the center.

Time seemed to slow down as events triggered in a chain, just the way they had practiced.

Anti-apparition charms were placed, at least half a dozen wands held Ron on point as the wizards and witches on brooms were setting the dragon net on top.

He tried to attack. Went into a fit when his wand refused to do anything, wandless magic tried to seep out but the net was too close down. His frantic blue eyes kept refocusing from person to person, as confusion and shock were exchanged for anger. Words were shouted, most incoherent, a ramble about betrayal and threats.

A cacophony of a well-balanced ambush.

And then Hermione dropped her wand.

It had been less than a minute, it was all it took for her to notice, but the rest of the people weren't catching up. She clashed the magic damper closed and ran towards Ron, who in turn started to collapse.

Draco saw it next and dashed right after her.

Everyone else seemed to stare in shock not even lowering their wands although they were useless.

Hermione was on her knees, holding Ron's convulsing body. Draco got to her only moments later and helped her steady the red-headed man.

"We have to suspend him." She urged. "How quickly can you cast the charm?"

"As soon as you unhinge the damper" Draco said taking his wand out.

Ron quieted down under the spell but Hermione could feel the seizures still trembling under his skin.

There was blood, dried and fresh, from his left ear. His body was much leaner than the last time she'd seen him. His pupils had been scarily dilated and had kept going out of focus. His magic was unstable, his core rose very small and a dimmed dark silver.

The rest of the onlookers got closer, not really certain what was going on. Helena's healer friends seemed a bit apprehensive about helping the man who murdered her, but under their oath to help it was hard to just stand by and some of them joined Draco and Hermione; the two were discussing something urgently casting charm after charm.

"…his charts said he was treated only for PTSD and Delirium, he wasn't my patient, I was subbing that night, I don't know Hermione!" Draco was saying.

"It's obviously physical, did nobody scan his brain?" The witch lifted an open image as an x-ray scan. It showed Ron's brain, or what remained of it, under a rather gnarly looking tumour "There!" she pointed at a burst aneurism on the left side of the image.

"We have to wake him up if that's to be treated." One of the healers said.

"Calm the symptoms first." Another joined. "This much brain damage and unstable magic don't mix well. A magic restrain?"

"Magic is the only thing keeping him alive" The third cut. "We need a sedative."

"I brought some potions." Harry took out a small pouch from his robes

It was six of them now casting spells on Ron as everyone made a concerned circle around.

Even Viktor, who had to first be restrained not to snap the wizard's neck on sight now observed conflicted.

Several long minutes passed in considerable silence only with quiet discussions between Harry, Hermione, Draco and the healers and the cast spells and charms.

"Must have been growing for years." Draco observed the still floating brain scan as him and one of the healers tried to navigate the rooting of the tumour not quite certain how to begin dismantling it.

"We should have seen it, Harry! How did we miss it!?" Hermione whimpered slightly, her hand almost trembling under the charm she was casting.

"You couldn't have." One of the healers spoke. "Early symptoms would be moodiness, aggression, unprompted behaviours, all too normal for a teenager."

"And then there was the war." Draco added, "None of us were coping."

"Do you think that's why the horcrux affected him so much?" Harry asked.

"That would make sense…" Hermione started but was interrupted by one of the healers.

"We can wake him up."

"Wait." The witch stopped them and stealing an empty vial from Harry's pocket potion's kit extracted some memories from Ron's mind. "Obliviate." She followed quietly a tear running down her cheek. "We don't want him to wake up wherever his mind has had him since he escaped the hospital." She explained.

They took off the suspension charms and Ron's eyelids fluttered weakly.

"It… hurts.." He mumbled. "My head.."

"You'll be alright, mate." Harry spoke quietly.

Ron's eyes opened, still hazy but a bit brighter than they had been.

"Woah" He said. "Harry was right! You are alive!" The dark haired wizard was taken aback. "Did you get Sirius out? There were dementors! The kiss!"

"He thinks were back in third year…" Hermione whispered, "I took away everything affected by the tumour… didn't imagine it would go back this far."

"Wait, this isn't the hospital wing…"

"Ron, we need you to calm down." Hermione spoke and the man stilled.

"My head hurts." He complained lifting his left hand to rub his forehead. "What's this?" he noticed he was clutching onto a chocolate frog card. He tried to focus on the images, completely distracted from the healers still running diagnostics and spells. "Woah, that's Hermione! Look, look, Mr. Potter, this is our friend!" He tugged at Harry's robes, still thinking he's James. "She's a real bad ass, punched Malfoy square in the face." In the feat of everything there were some chuckles heard. Then Ron pressed his head harder and squirmed in pain. The healers started casting faster. A painful scream tore the valley. No spell was holding up. The redheaded wizard was going into seizure fits. Barely getting a breath in-between, yet still trying to make out words.

"'Ermione… I've to… 'Mi…"

"It's okay Ron" The witch tried to soothe him.

"No!" He struggled under the pain, nothing about the blonde, green-eyed, grown up witch reminding him of his friend "I've to… I'm sorry…" another seizure hit. The convulsion broke every last charm. Blood started oozing out again. The healers dropped their wands. The onlookers stilled. Harry and Draco tried to get Hermione's attention, but the witch was holding onto Ron's body in shock, tears streaming down her cheeks.

The sun fell behind the horizon.

Ron's heart stopped.

…

It took almost half an hour for everyone to break out of the initial shock. Somehow all the anger against the wizard had steeped down to sympathy and sorrow.

He hadn't stood a chance. Not with that much brain damage. The wizard which had wreaked havoc was so far from the Ronald they knew that despite the devastation he had caused, it didn't feel right to hold all the blame.

Ways were parted.

Viktor and his friends still had to settle the last details over Helena's funeral which was to be the following morning. The aurors and the Ministers returned to their jobs, as well as McGonagall.

The Weasleys, the Zabinis, The Tonkses, Narcissa and Draco, Harry, Luna, and Hermione remained in the Thracian Valley a little bit longer.

Harry and Hermione were taking the loss of their friend the hardest. The latter perhaps more so being still covered in blood from where she had tried to still his head.

It had been decided that given the circumstances it would make most sense to bury Ronald in a nearby meadow, make it quiet. Yes, he had suffered, but to the wizarding public he had become a raving lunatic and a mass murderer almost overnight.

It was the time for other families to grieve and making a scene out of this would have largely been disrespectful. Yet, still, a small ceremony was held between family and friends.

Valley of the Dead Kings is what they call the place. For all the great Thracian kings were buried there, under hills in carved tombs with lavish ceremonies. And there, under a willow, on march 23rd of the year 2000 one Ronald Weasley was laid to his final rest as well.

No long eulogies, no adoring fans ran with devastation, but a small group of people, offering bits of forgiveness and bidding a final goodbye marked somewhere under the Balkan sky.

…

It had been very late that evening when everyone had made it back to their homes. To Hermione and Draco, walking back to the flat they shared seemed to come a whole eternity after the events of the day, let alone those of the previous night. It didn't help that it had been a quiet journey.

The blonde witch hadn't spoken much since Ron's final words to her. There was something in her mind which gave her face a deeply troubled impression, but Draco just couldn't place it.

"Ah, home sweet home." The wizard had said crossing the flat to the couch. "Finally some peace!"

Hermione walked slowly past him, barely a nod to acknowledge she'd heard his exclamation, and headed to her bedroom.

Draco watched her pass, raising a brow. This wasn't how it was supposed to go. No, no, not at all, he had planned it. They'd get home and cuddle on the couch and watch muggle films and he'll tell her how he feels and he had spent entirely too long planning this out in his head to let the moment slip away. This had been too horrible of a day to be allowed to seep into a bad night.

So there was a deep breath, and the Slytherin prince very bravely got up and walked to Hermione's door giving it a tap.

" ~Mhm?" Was all that came through the door.

"May I come in?" Draco didn't give up.

"Sure." The door flung open to a weird looking room with bits and bops flying about.

"What's this, Granger?"

"Packing."

"We're going on a vacation?" The wizard offered, somewhat doubtful.

"I'm going home."

"But…"

"Finally some peace, right?" She didn't meet his eyes and her tone was cool.

"Hermione.." She still didn't look at him "Can we at least talk about it? I know it's been a long and difficult day, but…"

"What's there to talk about? You got cold feet before you betrothal, I was a catalyzer, we spent the evening rebounding, the morning plotting against an old school mate, took an afternoon break to make you a wand, watched said school mate die, now I no longer should be in need of protection so I am getting out of your way." She'd said all that in what seemed one breath and Draco stood shocked.

"Where on earth did you get any of this!? Hermione!"

"Well, erm," She flustered slightly. "You didn't really say anything all day.."

"We were a bit busy! And it is not like I didn't want to." He took a step closer to her and placed a hand on her arm "Talk to me, Granger, please."

"Just a bit over 24 hours ago you were getting ready to pop the question to Isobel, Draco. I dare not assume what happened between us meant anything."

"And you're right about that." The wizard said and the witch's shoulders dropped sadly. "It really didn't mean anything. It meant everything." She finally looked up at him, searching his eyes for the truth. "I… I love you, Hermione…" He pulled her into a tight hug as if she was about to turn into dust and be taken away by a gush of wind. "I've been in love with you since forever, I just never dared dream you'd see me the same way." He whispered against the crown of her head. "I never dreamed I would be good enough for you. And life got in the way, in every possible way. And, yeah, maybe it took me dying to get closer to you, maybe it took me nearly giving my life away to another woman, twice, to admit my feelings for you, but I will be damned if I let you leave without hearing this!" His voice was soaked with sincere passion, as if something burning in his chest melted and rained down his words on her.

"I am not sure I can stay here right now…" Hermione said, but pulled herself closer in his embrace.

"I am not asking you to stay here right now; I am not asking anything of you." He lifted her chin to meet her eyes "I am merely pleading you to stay in my life... 'Cause I don't really have a life anymore without you in it."

Hermione lifted herself on her toes and kissed him. Straight, square and with no other purpose but the joy she got out of it. Draco in turn met her lips with eagerness, it felt as he had been holding his breath and now he was finally complete again.

When they finally pulled apart, Hermione's eyes were bright and a small smile danced on her lips.

"I'm not sure I am ready to talk about love tonight. And, I do want to go home." His heart skipped over several beats there. "But I also no longer can think a life reasonable without you in it." The witch admitted quietly as her cheeks reddened. "So, maybe, I finish packing tomorrow and we spend some more time not talking about things?"

As if he needed another invitation.

Their lips met with longing. It had been just a day since that evening, since their evening, but it had felt like weeks.

Worlds and lives had collapsed and bloomed anew since the moment he last held her.

A new universe had dawned since she last touched him.

And that feeling they had in their chests, so familiar, yet so wonderfully new, that feeling, was unlike any other.

Oh, yes, they were saying goodbye.

She had every intent to leave and he would make no real attempt to stop her, this is what they both were certain of.

Still, somehow, as they made their way to bed and rested quietly in each other's embrace, as they meant to bid their last goodbye, Draco Malfoy and Hermione Marquise kissed their first goodnight.