Chapter 28 moving on

Chapter 28 moving on.

And so the battle had finally ended. The second war had been won by the light side once again.

It was a bittersweet ending for all of them.

She tossed and turned in her bed, she had been having a nightmare in it Draco had died. She quickly sat up sweat beads running down her face.

"Draco!"

Hermione woke to find herself in the Hospital Wing. She looked around Harry, Ron and Ginny were sitting beside her. Oh it was a nightmare, she thought to herself, so Draco's not dead, but why did it feel so real? Harry put a soothing hand on her arm.

"Hermione, you're finally awake."

"Oh yes, what happened?" She asked, her mind was dazed and she felt slightly dizzy.

"Hermione don't you remember what happened?" Ron asked.

A worried expression plastered on his face.

"No"

What did happen? I can't remember all I remember is my dream.

This time it was Ginny who spoke up.

"Hermione, you don't remember the Final Battle and Malfoy's…"

Her voice trailed of. She was about to say the word 'Death' but she felt as if she didn't want to bring that up again. Ginny shifted her gaze to the floor. The three of them exchanged glances, Hermione didn't understand.

"What happened? I remember the Final Battle and I was dragged off into the woods by Lucius and we duelled and he was about to cast the Cruciatus curse on me and…"

This was the part when Draco had stepped in the way, when he died. But Draco can't be dead. She had to make sure.

"Where's Draco?"

Ron and Ginny gave Harry a worried glance. Harry took a deep breath.

"Hermione…Malf- Draco's umm, there's no easy way to say this so I'll just say it. Hermione Draco's dead."

The truth had slapped her. Hard. Really Hard.

"What? No. Come on Harry tell me the truth!" Her voice was rising in panic.

It was a nightmare, all just a stupid nightmare. It wasn't real. No it wasn't. Ron looked at her and said.

"That's the truth Hermione, don't you remember?"

She looked at him in shock. She refused to believe it; they were just playing a sick joke on her that's all.

"NO! It was just a nightmare! Just a nightmare! Draco's not dead! He's not dead! No!" Hermione shook her head.

Ginny placed a comforting arm around her.

" 'Mione…" She began to say, but Hermione started sobbing.

"He really is gone, isn't he?" She sobbed.

The three of them nodded.

Hermione hugged her pillow crying. Harry handed her a tissue.

"Thank you…"

"Hermione, do you want us to leave you alone?" Ron asked, not really sure of what to do.

Hermione didn't answer. Just then Professor Dumbledore had walked through the hospital doors holding a letter.

"Aaahh she's awake now?" He asked, trying to be as pleasant as possible. He walked up to her bed. Hermione sat up and looked at him. Tears still streaming down her face she wiped them away.

"Is Draco really dead Professor?" she said quietly. Looking straight into his blue eyes.

"I'm afraid so, Ms Granger." He replied quietly. Hermione looked as if she were about to cry again. "But, a few days before he died he asked a simple request."

"What did he ask Professor?" Hermione asked.

A few days before he died? What did that mean?

"Mr. Malfoy was a very smart man, he told me he wanted to die with a clear conscience. The day before he left this school he came up to my office, I think Ms Granger he knew that he was going to leave us. He told me that when he died, he requested that I give you this."

Dumbledore held out a letter that was in his hand.

Hermione took the letter; on the front was one word: Hermione.

"Thank you Professor." Hermione said.

She was confused. The day before he left, wait wasn't that the day, he broke up with me? He said he didn't love me. He said he wanted to be with Voldemort. What's going on? Was that all a lie? Before he died what did he say?

Flashback

He slowly opened his mouth and with the last shred of life he had in him he looked at Hermione as he struggled to form the words.

"For…Forgive…me" he said in a strained faint whisper, and that was it his last wish and his last words to his beloved. His eyes closed, his hand dropped and he passed away.

Draco Malfoy was finally dead.
End of Flashback

Wait what did he mean? He said forgive me…was all he said just a lie? Did he really want to break up with me? Draco's last words echoed around her head. "Forgive me, Forgive me, Forgive me."

Did he want me to forgive him for breaking my heart? This all so confusing. But, he doesn't love me…

Hermione slowly opened the letter as suspense rose in her chest.

"I think we'll leave you alone, seems like a personal matter."

Dumbledore said as he instructed to Harry, Ron and Ginny for them to leave.
Hermione opened the letter and she read.

Dearest Hermione,
If you have received this then it means that I am no longer with you. I am deeply sorry that I have left you. You may hate me, for my terrible actions but please know that I did it because I love you. Know that I'll love you forever.

In the last confrontation with my father he told me that I must join him and the Dark Lord and get rid of you. Of course I had refused. He also told me that if I do not give in to his demands, you would die. Death Eaters are watching you and even as I write this they are watching me. Understand Hermione I could not let you die, you are my world, you are my everything. You are the reason I go on living, you are the reason I am the person I am. My father made me realize that a life without you, without your love would be no life at all. I am explaining this to you so you can live on knowing that I have loved you and will love you always and forever. But explaining the reason why I have been cold towards you is no excuse for my actions. I will forever regret that I am the reason for your tears. Never feel that you are not loved, because you are Hermione, by me and by many. Even in Death remember I will always love you.
My heart is breaking at this very moment just knowing what I must do- break your heart. By now I would have broken your heart. I am sorry Hermione, sorry for all the pain that I have caused you or will cause you. Whatever I will do or say tomorrow night in the Astronomy Tower, know that it is just an act and I have never or will ever mean it. I will most likely tell you that it is foolish to stand up against my father, you may not know it but I have. All those times my father had confronted me we had argued over this relationship. I have fought for this and will forever fight for the right to be with you. God knows I have Hermione. Those arguments may have ended up with me receiving a sample of the Cruciatus curse, but it was all worth it, all worth your love.

The day after tomorrow I leave to fulfill my damned destiny in becoming a Death Eater. I have passed away but I die happy knowing that you live on, free from evil, free from me and my damned destiny shrouded in darkness. You are safe now Hermione safe from the evils in this world that dare scar your innocence and purity. You are safe now to laugh with Potter, Weasley and his sister, safe to go on living and being happy and staying strong. Hermione whatever you do, please do not mourn for me, please go on living, keep on being the woman I fell in love with.
This past year has been the happiest and best time of my life. You have opened up my world to so many possibilities, you taught me how to love, you make me feel like I am the happiest man alive, and you make me feel loved. I have never felt the same way about anyone the way I feel for you and I doubt that I will feel this way for anyone else other than you. It's funny because often I don't sleep in fear to wake and find you a dream.

Don't ever feel alone Hermione just because I am gone does not mean I am not with you. I will forever be with you watching over you and loving you. I have died happy and my conscience is clear knowing that I have had the chance to say this to you, to apologise to you. Whenever you need me just look inside your heart. I will be there…
Forgive me for my actions. Saying Goodbye, I know this is the hardest thing I will ever have to do. Goodbye Hermione,

I'll love you forever. I'm sorry

With Love for you forever
Draco Malfoy

Hermione finished the letter with tears in her eyes. He broke up with me to save my life…He gave me up so I could live…Oh My God HE LOVES ME! He loves me!

And…he's dead. He's dead, he's dead, he's dead. Hermione started crying again. But when did he write this? I've never seen him writing- then she remembered.

Flashback
"Draco? Draco it's me Hermione" She whispered gently.

"What do you want Hermione? I'm busy." Draco's cold voice came from inside.

She opened the door and walked in. She saw Draco hunched over on his desk writing something. He looked up and as he saw her he quickly stashed the parchment away.

"What's that?" she asked, seeing the now hidden parchment.

"It's nothing, and what are you doing here? I told you I'm busy."

"I just came here to ask one last time, before the Final Battle…" Her voice trailed off.

She didn't know if she had the strength to take his answer. No, I have to know, her conscience said.

"Before the Final Battle, What's wrong Draco? Why are you keeping things from me? What's with the secrets? Tell me! You know you can tell me anything!"
End of Flashback

That's when he wrote it, the day before he broke up with me, he still loved me when he did it. I said I hated him, he loved me and he died!

"He loved me and he died!" She cried. Hermione cried even harder.

Apparently Ginny had heard her and she came rushing in.

"Oh Hermione why what happened? Is it about the letter?" Ginny asked frantically.
Hermione looked at her, her eyes were red and puffy already.

"He didn't mean to…we could've had a chance…why did he have to die!"

"Hermione what are you talking about?" Ginny asked, her voice full of concern for her best friend. Hermione thrust the letter in her direction and she lay back down crying in her pillow.

"Read it." she half sobbed. Her voice muffled by the pillow.

Ginny stared at the letter, Bewildered. She began to read.

Hermione watched as her eyes darted across the page. Her face changing expressions. First she looked confused but as she read on the look of sympathy deepened and deepened. Ginny looked up from the letter, her eyes glistening with tears.

"Oh Hermione" Ginny sighed as she hugged her best friend. "At least he loved you when he, he died. He told you not to mourn for him"

"But how can I not? I love him so much and now I'll never see him again! Never tell him I love you, never tell him I'm sorry for saying I hated him!" Hermione cried again.

Ginny again spent her day comforting her grieving friend of her lost love.

The days passed slowly and painfully but it was finally day to say goodbye.

Goodbye to the school that served her well, the school where she spent the last seven years of her life and the school where she found her first love.

Hermione graduated with her friends and not surprisingly at the top of her class. It was a feeling of mixed emotions when she stepped out of the Hogwarts doors. She was relieved to finally be free of the place that torments her dreams, where you-know-what happened. She was excited to move on to the future, yet sad to leave the place she's always loved and even more sad that she has to leave the place with so many of her beautiful memories.

She took one last look at the amazingly large castle with its dark turrets and its looming figure outlined in the moonlight. She took one last look at the lake, which had reflected her memories through the years, and finally she took one last look at the forest, forbidden yet intriguing and exciting, the place where her world had changed instantly in a few moments.

She sighed with a hint of sadness in her eyes and stepped on the familiar train for the last time before she began a new chapter in her life.