In Dreams wrote the first part of this chapter; Floorcoaster wrote the second part (Three weeks later).
For several long, drawn-out moments, Draco's vision was obscured by a blinding flash of light. Bright spots hovered beneath his eyelids, and with every clamouring beat of his heart, he focused on the feel of Hermione's hand in his.
He gripped hers in return like a lifeline, breaths chasing from his lungs as adrenaline roared through him.
At last, he opened his eyes, bolstered by the idea that, no matter what happened, at least they were still together. Her wide eyes met his own, stirring some semblance of relief within his chest.
"We're in one piece," he drawled, a wry smirk pulling his lips.
Hermione released a nervous titter. "That's good news."
Drawing in a deep breath, Draco looked around, forcing himself to withdraw from the bubble of safety that Hermione's touch afforded him.
They were clearly still in the dining room of Grimmauld Place―the dreadful furnishings were remarkably similar―but the poles they'd set up to facilitate the swap were gone.
Which meant that either they had ended up in an entirely different dimension again, or…
His heart jumped. Or it had actually worked.
Draco's eyes landed on Potter and Weasley, hovering near the wall in silence, as if uncertain what had occurred. The sudden thrill of hope Draco had felt moments before trickled away.
He cleared his throat. "Hello? Is this… the right dimension?"
Potter snapped his jaw shut, scrambling forward as though Draco's words had jarred him into action. "That depends on which dimension you're referring to, but I suppose since you're asking at all―"
"Harry," Hermione breathed, her eyes welling with moisture.
"This is the dimension you were after," Potter finished quietly, a broad grin stretching across his face. "Welcome back, you two."
When Hermione moved forward to embrace Potter, then Weasley, Draco let her hand slip from his, feeling the loss of contact acutely.
After everything they had gone through to get back, the moment felt anti-climactic.
But all at once, the fear and the anxiety sloughed from Draco's shoulders, and he released a breath that had been caught in his chest ever since they drank the potion and initiated the device.
They were home.
"And the others?" Draco asked, unwilling to completely let himself relax until he knew everything went according to plan.
"Gone," Weasley said with a shrug. "We can only imagine everything went as planned. Two-point-seven pounds of steel and all." His gaze flickered to the sword holstered to Draco's back and he grimaced. "Is that a bloody sword?"
"It is," Draco said, defensiveness flaring within him on instinct.
Potter gaped at him. "We scrounged up that exact quantity of steel so you could bring home a souvenir?"
Hermione clapped a hand to her mouth to stifle a sudden burst of mirth, and her eyes met Draco's, sparkling with the relief he felt overtake him. He chuckled, shaking his head, before offering a belated, "Yes, Potter. A souvenir."
"You wouldn't believe what it was like there," Hermione said, her face lighting up. "The entire city was ravaged by war between the Muggles and wizards and―"
"The others told us about it," Potter said, incredulous. "They were completely blown away by the fact that our war here has been over for years. They spent rather a lot of time in Diagon Alley together eating ice cream. We felt a little bad about sending them back there, to be honest."
A sour twist pulled at Weasley's face; idly, Draco wondered what that said about the other Draco and Hermione.
"The good news on that front," Draco began, sinking into a chair at the dining table as everyone else followed suit. He stifled a wide yawn, though it was still early in the day. It felt strange to have Potter and Weasley's attention on him without it being negative. "The other Potter runs the Order there, and he's working with a group of Muggles that can track down and attack magic users. We filled them in on everything Hermione knew about the Horcruxes―so with some time and a bit of luck, they might be able to put an end to Riddle's forces."
"That's good," Potter responded with a contemplative nod. "This whole experience has been bizarre from this side of it―I can't even imagine what it's like being sucked into a completely different dimension. And learning that other dimensions actually exist."
Hermione's hand slipped into Draco's and he gave it a squeeze, even as he saw Potter and Weasley follow the movement.
"It was terrifying, honestly," she said quietly. A somber mood fell over the four of them. "I woke up to a bomb blasting my home apart, and London was…" Trailing off, she shook her head. "I was lucky to come across Draco at what used to be their Ministry. After narrowly escaping a group of Muggles, we found the other Harry and they were able to help us out in the end. But it took some time before we were able to focus on the device."
When her eyes found his again, Draco smirked and added, "If we hadn't learned to trust one another I doubt we would have made it back."
Potter snickered, his lips twitching. "I think the other two learned to trust each other as well."
Hermione's cheeks flushed at the implication as Draco barked a laugh; irritation flashed across Weasley's face once more and Draco fought hard to school his expression.
He failed to withhold another wide yawn, fatigue seeping in now that the immediacy of the situation had been dealt with. Hermione blinked doleful eyes at him, as if she felt the same way.
"Everyone will be glad to see you again," Potter said, and Draco felt as if the words were directed at Hermione, when Draco had exactly nothing to do with the Order in this dimension.
He still clung to the idea that certain things would change in his life, and now that they were home, he could finally let himself hope. Even still, fear swept through him at the thought that whatever existed between himself and Hermione had been borne only from the extreme circumstances in which they'd found themselves.
Draco never thought himself deserving of someone like Hermione. But having been through everything with her now, working together to pursue a cause, he'd begun to think that maybe theirs was a future he could hang his hat on.
If she still felt the same way, of course, with the comforts of home surrounding them once more.
When she stifled a yawn as well, Potter clapped his hands to his knees and rose to his feet. "I imagine you two are quite worn out from all that inter-dimensional travel. You're free to stay here for a while, and help yourselves to anything you might need."
"Thanks Potter," Draco said, as Hermione offered her friends a tight smile.
Potter and Weasley vacated the room. Hermione watched them go, her hand lingering in his, before she blew out a long breath.
"Are you exhausted?" she asked, yawning widely again.
Draco nodded. "Adrenaline crash."
She peered around the room, the air between them growing a little awkward, but Draco didn't want to be the one to bring up anything too heavy when they had only just arrived back.
"I can't believe we made it home," she whispered, at last looking back at him. Her lips curved with a soft smile. "It feels like we were growing so accustomed to life over there, and now this feels foreign. Too quiet; too peaceful."
She had managed to phrase his exact feelings on the situation. "Yeah," he said, dragging his free hand along the back of his neck. "It'll take some time I guess."
Her eyes flitted up to his, her face guarded. "At least we still have each other, right?"
Draco huffed a heavy breath of relief, the tension in his shoulders sinking. He gave her hand another squeeze, and she interlaced their fingers.
"Right." He leaned in, pressing a brief kiss to her lips. The contact felt infinitely different now that they were on the other side of the ordeal, and his heart leapt with anticipation. "I could use a bloody nap."
"Agreed." They shared a grin, and Draco rose, tugging her to her feet and into his chest. He wrapped his arms around her, breathing in her scent and basking in the quiet support that she'd come to offer him through just her presence. She kissed him again, twining her arms around his neck, before drawing back with a sparkle in her eyes. "Come on. I still have a room here."
Draco certainly wasn't of any mind to argue.
Waking up with a frisson of alarm down his spine had become familiar, and it took several moments for Draco to remember that they were back in their own universe―and that Hermione was still in his hold of her own accord.
He hadn't slept well the night before, fearing the many things that might have gone wrong, and he finally felt refreshed as they rose once more.
Potter and Weasley were in the kitchen, along with a few others who had stopped by, but the house was still lacking the hum of anxious activity Draco had come to expect. But in this universe, the Order of the Phoenix didn't have cause to actively meet, and number twelve Grimmauld Place was simply Potter's residence.
For several hours, Draco and Hermione filled everyone in on more of the details of their time spent in the other timeline as they all picked on a spread of Kreacher's hors d'oeuvres. Everyone had been incredulous to learn how many things were different.
Draco had forced himself to glance away when Potter quietly asked Hermione about his parents and Sirius.
By the time they left the house, Draco found himself ready to put the experience behind them. And while a part of him wanted to return to the Manor and seal himself away, a bigger part of him relished the idea of simply spending some time with Hermione, without some greater cause on the line.
They wandered Diagon Alley, window shopping, sharing stories, and getting to know one another without everything else in the way. Draco couldn't remember the last time he had felt so at peace.
Furthermore, he couldn't quite believe she wasn't shying away from his presence in public. When his hand nudged hers, she took it wholly into her own, lacing their fingers together. Draco's heart soared.
At last, they settled with a scoop of ice cream at Fortescue's, and Hermione's lips twitched with a smile.
"So, the other Draco and Hermione liked to sit here and enjoy ice cream too," she said with a wistful sigh. "I wonder how they're managing back in their wartorn life."
The thought had been niggling at the back of Draco's mind all day, and he frowned. "We didn't belong there, just like they didn't belong here." A sly grin crept across his face and he added, "And it sounds like they got to know one another better."
"Just like we did." She returned the smile. "I wonder if there's… I don't know, some sort of predisposition to that sort of thing. That you and I ended up drawn to one another in both timelines?"
"Maybe," Draco hummed. "Or maybe it was just a matter of being thrown into a parallel universe with one person, and being forced to work through everything that went along with it." Swallowing a scoop of ice cream, he added, "We could always introduce Potter to Theo and see how that plays out."
She gaped at him before releasing a quiet titter.
"Must have been why Ron looked so offended at the mention of it," she said. "I thought the other Hermione was involved with the other Ron, in some capacity at least. He might be in for a nasty surprise."
Draco snickered. "Poor Weasley." She fired him a half-hearted glare, then released a sigh and gazed around them.
"It all feels so surreal, don't you think? That I'll go back to work tomorrow, attempt to undo any damage the other Hermione caused, and we'll just carry on as if nothing happened."
"Not nothing." Draco ducked his chin as he met her gaze.
Following his intent, Hermione reached for his hand. "I can't imagine having gone through all of that with anyone else." Her eyes shone, face faltering as she offered a forced smile. "Thank you―for being by my side and for being so supportive through everything."
Her honesty wrenched him apart, leaving him raw under the intensity of her gaze. He swallowed back the sudden lump in his throat. "I'll be right here as long as you want."
She gave his hand a tight squeeze, recognising the sentiment between them.
They sat in contemplative silence for a long moment, her words stirring something in the back of Draco's mind. He could feel his eyes linger on her and at last he turned to face her again.
"I've been thinking a lot," he said quietly, measuring his words carefully. "This experience opened my mind to a lot of things. And no matter what else has happened in my past, I've been fortunate to have the opportunities I have―and the life I get to live now." He drummed his fingertips on the table top, nerves swelling in the pit of his stomach, but Hermione only waited, her smile encouraging.
"I've never needed to work," he pressed on, "and I've done a bit of part-time work in the past but nothing long-term. But I think… I've enjoyed the idea of helping out and making a difference. Of doing something with an actual purpose."
"That's great," Hermione murmured, her eyes warm.
Draco blew out a breath. "I think I want to enrol in Auror training."
"Draco!" She gaped at him, eyes wide. "That's a wonderful idea―I'm certain you'll make a fantastic Auror." Her smile softened, voice dropping as she breathed, "I'm so proud of you."
Then she leaned across the table, oblivious to the other patrons, and brushed her lips against his in a soft, chaste kiss that set his pulse racing.
Idly, Draco wondered if this was the sort of energy one could harness to produce a Patronus, as his heart leapt at the sparkle in her eye.
He offered a hint of a smile. "Something to look into now that we're back. Anyway―are you nearly set to go?"
"I don't know that I'll sleep so well on my own tonight," she admitted, snagging her lower lip between her teeth. "I think I'm so used to having you there―if you'd like to come over. I'm afraid I don't have a thin tent or an uncomfortable cot, though."
Draco's grin widened and he muttered, "We'll make do without the cot I imagine."
Hermione's flat was exactly as he might have expected, even though he'd only seen the crumbled ruins of it before. Soft, worn furnishings sat around a cozy sitting room with a floor-to-ceiling collection of books, still more tomes piled in the corners.
Aside from the overflow of books, however, the flat was tidy and organised.
But Hermione froze in the entryway, her shoulders sinking as if taking it in.
"I think other Hermione and Fake-O were here," she mused, venturing into the sitting room. "I didn't have these books out."
Draco toed off his boots and followed suit, peering around. "Would you like me to make tea?"
"Sure," she said, flashing him a smile, "that would be great, thanks. The kettle's just―"
"I'll find it."
He located the kettle without difficulty, drawing two mugs from a rack and finding a basket of tea varieties in a drawer. The task kept his hands busy as his nerves threatened to encompass him.
They would be returning to their normal lives, and despite everything they had been through and Hermione's reassuring words, Draco still couldn't help but feel as if he didn't quite belong in her life.
She drifted into the kitchen as he was pouring two cups, pressing a kiss to his cheek before she added a splash of milk to her own. As they retreated back into the sitting room, Hermione fidgeted with the book her counterpart had left on the end table.
When she flipped the cover open, however, her eyes widened.
"There's a letter here." Her eyes skimmed a sheet of parchment, mouth falling open, before she looked back up at him. "It's from the other Hermione."
"That's surreal," Draco muttered, dragging a hand through his hair. "What did she have to say?"
Hermione cleared her throat and read. "Dear Hermione. If you're reading this it means the transfer went well and we're all back home as we should be. As much as Draco and I have enjoyed our time here, we recognise that this isn't where we belong. If anything, your peaceful existence has given us hope that we might not live stifled by war forever, either."
Her lips twitched, eyes glassy as she shook her head. Then she went on. "I hope you don't mind I stayed here―Harry said you wouldn't mind. I may have caused some problems with your boss―the pompous arse―but he knows the situation so you shouldn't be in any trouble."
She fell silent, reading the rest of the letter to herself.
"What?" Draco asked, leaning forward in his seat. "What else does it say?"
"You should give Draco a chance," Hermione said quietly, her gaze still fixed on the page. "Ron and I were a mess, honestly, breaking up all the time, and this time away with Draco gave me the chance to really get to know him. If you two are anything like us―and you are, literally, us―I imagine you grew up on opposite sides from one another. But I think you'll come to find that you have more in common than you ever knew. And he really isn't that big of an arse once you get to know him. In fact, he's more than I ever imagined." Her voice dropped to a whisper as she finished, "You'll thank yourself later. Best wishes to both of you."
Draco stared at her, his heart lodged somewhere between his throat and his chest, breathing shallow.
Hermione flipped over the parchment and snickered. "It says here she tried to get the other Draco to leave you a letter as well―but he only said, 'he's me―he knows what I'm thinking.'"
As Draco barked a laugh, he could almost visualise the other Hermione's reaction to such a statement.
With a soft titter, his Hermione offered him a watery smile. "It sounds like they figured out the same thing we did."
Surprise and incredulity swept through him, lost for words as Draco simply stared at her, a knit between his brows. Then he drew her closer, lips seeking hers as he buried his hands into her hair.
Pulling back, Draco laid his temple against hers for a moment before finding her eyes again, full of warmth and possibility.
The words slipped free before he could even think twice. "I love you."
Hermione blinked at him, surprise flickering across her face for long enough that instant regret swept through him, and Draco opened his mouth to say something else―he wasn't certain what―when Hermione's lips were on his again.
She drew away, an upwards tilt to her brows as she swallowed, trailing her fingertips along the curve of his jaw.
"I don't know how I could have spent all this time getting to know you," she whispered, eyes shining, "and not fallen completely in love with you."
Draco stared at her, his heart clenched tightly in his chest, before he kissed her again.
She fumbled with the buttons of his shirt, pushing the fabric from his shoulders without breaking away. Draco shrugged the shirt the rest of the way off, his heart pounding in his chest as he deepened the kiss, fidgeting with the hem of her shirt.
Wrenching away, her chest heaving, Hermione dropped her hands to his, encouraging as he tugged the shirt over her head. Realistically, he'd seen her in her underwear more times than he could count, but the experience felt wholly different as he trailed his fingertips along the ladder of her ribs.
"Come on," she whispered, biting down on her lower lip. Her fingers interlaced with his and she led him down the corridor and into a bedroom.
When she reached for his belt, Draco curled his fingers around her wrist, seeking out her gaze.
She offered a coy smile. "I thought, now that we finally made it back home…"
At the heat in her stare, his body flared to life, adrenaline clamouring, and he asked lowly, "Are you sure?"
"Yes."
A wry smirk tugged at his lips and he kissed her again, slow and patient. Draco had longed for such a moment since the first time her kisses coiled around his heart, back when they'd thought they were just pretending.
He almost couldn't comprehend how they had ended up at this point.
And now, with careful, covetous hands, he stripped her of the layers remaining between them, indulging in the feel of her hands on his skin.
As he laid her on the bed, heart racing in his chest, gazing upon her vulnerable before him, he could feel the weeks and months between them, leading to the emotions he felt in that moment.
And buried within her, the soft moans slipping from her lips against his ear, Draco felt as if his heart might simply burst.
Afterwards, as he laid with her in his arms, pressing a lingering kiss to her jaw, he recognised the shift between them and within himself. His heart was at peace and his soul fulfilled.
Hermione rolled to face him, a sleepy smile on her lips as she brushed a kiss to his mouth. "Good night," she whispered, bare legs tangling with his own. Within moments, Draco felt himself succumb to sleep, drifting into oblivion with a smile on his lips.
Draco strolled along Whitehall, hands shoved into his pockets as all of his hesitations converged in the back of his mind, sowing doubt and fear.
Hermione had left for work early that morning, a warm glow in her eyes as she gave him a lingering kiss.
Several hours later, he realised it was the longest they had been apart since they had stumbled across one another on this very street, yet so far away.
Idly, he wondered at how everything would play out in the other timeline between the Collective and the Order of the Phoenix. How Theo would integrate into the Order as a defected Death Eater, something tentative and new blossoming between him and Potter.
And how the other Draco and Hermione were settling back into their own world, whether they had learned anything during their time here.
Draco couldn't help but believe that everything would work out as it was meant to. The partnership between the Order and the Collective would surely prevail in taking down Riddle and the Death Eaters, ultimately restoring peace to London.
He gazed along the bustling streets around him, recalling how this very road had been destroyed by the chaos of war. That day he had stumbled across Hermione, and she had been the bright spark of hope within a sudden eclipse of darkness.
Coming to a halt, Draco peered up at the imposing structure of the Ministry of Magic.
Training to become an Auror wasn't anything he had ever envisioned for his life, but he had come to recognise it as the path he now desired. He wouldn't deny Hermione's influence in his choice; in fact, he embraced it.
The hope she embodied was contagious.
And Draco felt a flicker of it within him as he ventured forth.
THREE WEEKS LATER
Hermione sat at her desk, idly drawing circles on what was supposed to be a report. Honestly, her heart wasn't in it. After everything she'd been through—traveling to another universe, the entire adventure with Draco, the Collective, and the Order in that timeline—her Ministry job felt like nothing but drudgery. She knew there was bound to be some adjustment to life back where she belonged, but after three weeks, there'd been no improvement.
Draco, on the other hand, had completely revamped his entire life. He'd applied to the DMLE and already completed and aced the written portion of the entrance exam. He was truly going to train to be an Auror. Hermione was excited for him.
She was just about to force herself to really focus when a silvery-white stag came trotting to her desk.
"Hermione, come to mine as soon as possible. Bring Malfoy."
Knowing that Grimmauld Place had been the location where they'd handled the transportation of themselves from the other universe, Hermione didn't waste a moment. Her superiors were aware of her experience, so she knew they'd have no issue with her leaving early to answer Harry's summons. If it turned out that he didn't want her on some related matter, she'd stay late one night later that week.
She collected Draco from her flat, where they'd taken up together since returning, and Apparated them both into Harry's living room.
"And he didn't say what this was about?" Draco frowned.
"No, but I'm almost certain it's about the other side."
They didn't have to wonder long. Harry had heard their arrival and bounded in. "Good, you're here. Come to the dining room."
Hermione and Draco exchanged a glance, then hurried after him.
"As you know, we keep a piece of paper in the room, along with a few items made of basic materials. Well, we got a letter from the other side less than an hour ago." He pointed to the slip of parchment on the table. "It's for both of you."
Hermione rushed to read and Draco settled himself beside her.
ooo
Draco and Hermione,
We got your letters and think it's amusing that we both had the same ideas. Things here are going better than we could have possibly expected. Though, of course, it was a shock to return and learn all about what you two were up to here. Seems you didn't need our advice at all. We're glad. We hope you're enjoying being back where you belong.
We want you to know that we've considered your request from all angles, and as much as we hate to admit it, we've come to the same conclusion that you have. We plan to destroy the device as soon as this series of communications is complete. The problem is, once we've destroyed the device and all of Draco's notes, there's still too much at stake. We plan to remove the memories of how the device works from the minds of everyone who was involved. That includes everyone who you two spoke to about getting home. Everyone here has agreed. Once the memories are retrieved, we want to send them through to your side, so there's no chance anyone here could find them and recreate what Draco here created. It's simply too risky; the technology is too powerful to risk letting it fall into the wrong hands.
Please respond within ninety minutes of receiving this letter to let us know you got it. Then we'll send a message with an exact measure of how much mass to gather in your dining room. Ninety minutes after that, we'll switch the memories for whatever you find to send us.
Once you have the vials, we hope you'll destroy them. Nobody, in any universe, should have the ability to jump from one to another. We're almost certain you'll agree with us.
As for 'us,' we had a very rocky re-entry, but things are beginning to smooth out.
We desperately miss ice cream, and the ability to leisurely stroll down the street while eating it even more so.
Until next time,
Hermione & Draco
ooo
They finished reading about the same time.
Hermione looked at Harry. "Did you read this?" When he shook his head, she quickly filled him in.
"I'll get a quill. We should respond before we do anything else." He left to find the items.
"What do you think?" Hermione asked, biting her lip.
Draco shrugged, leaning casually on the table. "I think it's wise to destroy every shred of evidence of what they discovered. Like they said, it's too risky, too powerful. If the Dark Lord got hold of the technology? He could travel to different universes at will."
"Probably only ours." She shuddered at the thought. "Not that that's very comforting."
Draco's jaw clenched. "He can't come here; it's... just not possible."
She put her hand on his and gave a gentle squeeze. "Don't worry. We'll help them with this, then it won't be possible."
Harry came back with writing tools and parchment. Hermione got to work penning a response; it was due in less than ten minutes. When she finished, she let Draco and Harry read over it. They set it on the table inside the area designated for transport and left the room, shutting the door behind them.
A few minutes later, they saw a flash of light under the door and knew the transfer had been made. Draco hurried through first and found a repeat of the first letter, though this one had an additional line at the bottom.
ooo
P.S. if you've already replied to this note, then we will send you the mass of the memories at the next transfer in ninety minutes. All we need for that is a sheet of parchment.
ooo
Hermione grinned. "Draco, I think we should send them ice cream when they send the memories over."
He laughed. "I think that's a fabulous idea."
"Harry, do you happen to know what their favourite flavours were?"
"Are you sure we should try to send something edible?" Harry was frowning. "It could be a huge mess."
She shrugged. "That's a risk we're willing to take."
"Besides, we're not the one who'll have to clean it up." Draco smirked.
Harry did know their ice cream preferences and they decided to go out to retrieve some once they knew how much they would need.
When the next note came through with the mass of the memories, Draco and Hermione went out to Diagon Alley and got a few different flavours from Fortescue's ice cream parlor. It was the shop Harry had said their counterparts went to the most. Indeed, Fortescue recognised them both, though he had no idea he'd been serving their other versions, and he knew exactly what to get for them.
They returned to Grimmauld place with lots of ice cream, laughing and joking and enjoying their own cones.
"How often did they go there?" Hermione asked Harry. "Fortescue knew us very, very well."
"Oh, at least once a day." Harry smiled. "That Draco had quite a sweet tooth, might have been worse than yours, Malfoy."
They got right to work weighing the ice cream so that the mass matched up with what the other side was sending. Then, when the time came, they waited outside the door for the flash of light before they hurried back into the room.
Twelve vials of memories had appeared, their silvery substance swimming as if alive. Hermione wondered if that would be the last communication, but she found a note slipped between two vials.
ooo
We can't thank you enough for this. Thank you for taking our mess and destroying it. We feel so much better knowing the information is no longer in our possession.
Harry and Theo send their best. Ron is... coping. Change is hard for him, and he doesn't understand that when we returned, so much was different.
We will be destroying the devices soon. This will be our last message. The Order has started to hunt for those Horcrux things, as you called them, and Dumbledore believes our Voldemort did, in fact, create some here. It's such a relief to think that we have a path forward now, thin though the chance seems.
Oh, Naylen also sends his greetings. You two made quite an impression on him, and I don't think he'll ever warm to us the way he clearly has with you. Sounds like you had quite an adventure here in our stead.
We are eternally thankful for your assistance in our fight, and we recognize that you were under no obligation to do so—none except your own motivation and desire to help.
It's humbling.
We must close now, and we wish you all the best. Eat lots of ice cream for us.
H&D
ooo
They'd barely finished reading when there was another flash, and a single slip of paper fluttered down onto the table.
Thank you for the ice cream! It's incredible!
Hermione and Draco exchanged a look. She smoothed the last piece parchment out as though it were a precious treasure.
"You think that's it?" Draco glanced towards the note. "The last we'll hear from them?"
Hermione nodded. "It's too bad, really. I would have liked to know how their war progressed, when it ends, who wins..."
"Assuming it's the Order." Draco picked up a vial. "Think we should look at these?"
She gave him a sharp stare. "No, I don't. Nobody here knows how to make the devices, not even you and I, and I think it should stay that way. If we learned, how is that any different? They're giving up this knowledge willingly, but that doesn't mean we should acquire it."
"We aren't going to use it for nefarious purposes, you know." He nudged her with his elbow. "Or have you taken an interest in the Dark Arts that you haven't told me about?"
"Of course not." Hermione rolled her eyes. "But who here knows about this? All it would take is a slip up and someone here could learn the truth. They could travel there and bring Voldemort back here."
"That's… that's the worst possible thing I can imagine." He shuddered. "But... what if it was only me who looked?"
"Why, Draco?" She folded her arms and fixed him with a glare. "Why do you want to know?"
"It's like you said, I only want to know how their war turns out." He shrugged. "I don't know any other way to find out."
Hermione turned back to the vials, examining the labels carefully. "Something tells me if they want to get a message to us, they'll find a way."
"What makes you say that?"
"What do you see?" She pushed the box of memories over to him. "Or rather, what don't you see?"
Draco checked every vial, frowned, and did it again. Then his eyes widened slightly, and he pulled two from among the rest. One looked exactly like memories ought to look, full of shining, blueish-silvery liquid in constant motion. The other was very much like it, but it didn't shine and the color was slightly off. "Other Draco switched his."
Hermione sighed. "Which means he is the only person who knows the full truth."
"I trust him."
"You do? How?" She bit her lip in worry. "You don't even know him."
"In a way, I do. Since he's that universe's version of me."
"But his entire life was different!"
"And yet he ended up turning on the Dark Lord, going to the Order, showing more courage than I ever did. Now, he's with his Hermione, and... I know she'll keep him grounded. She'll help keep his moral compass straight."
Draco set the memories down and pulled her into his arms. She let him, eyes fluttering shut at the familiar embrace, the arms she loved to be in. "I hope you're right."
"You believed in me when we were over there. You never doubted me, not once. And I have to do that for him." He swallowed thickly. "Someone should."
"Maybe she does. I suppose you trusting him is good enough for me." Hermione motioned towards all the memories. "What should we do with these? How shall we destroy them, I mean?"
"A burning charm should do the trick, yeah?" He pulled out his wand. "Want me to do it?"
"Alright." She bit her lip, looking up at him. "This is a lot harder than I thought it would be."
"Maybe so. But there's nothing for it." He glanced at her. "This is the right thing to do."
Hermione nodded fervently. "Yes. Absolutely."
Draco closed his eyes and cast the spell. In seconds, the vials had split open, the memories running together. Fire had a curious effect on them: they turned green first, then yellow, then gold, then white, and pearlescent steam rose up and dissipated in the air. After a few minutes, every trace of the memories was gone.
Hermione put her head on his shoulder. "Well, it's officially the end of that adventure. I do wish we'd been able to hear how things turned out."
"Remember. Fake-O didn't destroy his memories. I'm guessing he kept just enough supplies so that, if he needs to, he can contact us." Draco kissed the top of her head and grasped her hand. "Something tells me it's not over for good."
Hermione turned out the light as they left the dining room. "I hope you're right."
THE END! Thanks so much for reading everyone! We had a lot of fun writing this story and we hope you enjoyed reading it!