A/N: Hello my lovelies! Another Dramione one-shot for you! I'm so sorry I haven't been publishing stories in a while! School work, you know the drill. Blah blah blah. I won't bore you with that. So here it is! I have to admit, I kind of had this idea after hearing that Tom doesn't ship Dramione. When I found out, I kind of went into a withdrawal…for about 2 hours haha. I don't know. That just hit me right in the feels, you know? Anywho, I'm pretty sure after you read this you'll be like 'those two are unrelated.' You're probably right. On to the story! This is a hurt/comfort,Angst, and Romance-y story. I guess you can say it's kind of dark. Enjoy! :)
Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
Hermione smiled as she held up the small box close to her face, examining the edges of the box. It had been approximately five years since the war had ended. Her mind wandered and began to reminisce as she had remembered the day she had crossed paths with him once again.
She was about half-way through a breakthrough in finding the next horcrux when her door had suddenly burst open.
"We caught one. You might want to see who it is," Harry said, giving her an emotionless look. They descended down the stairs to find Remus and Ron holding someone by the arms. Hermione raised an eyebrow as they dropped the person.
"Found him snooping around the place," Ron said as he pulled off the bag from the person's head. Hermione gasped as she saw Draco Malfoy bound and frozen in his spot, his eyes staring straight at the ceiling. "No need to worry, 'Mione. We've already placed a tracking spell on him in case he escapes. Besides, this place is warded and can only operate with one of us doing the spells so it's okay. We're going to try and get information from him. It'll be tough, but after being around us for a while, he's bound to give in sooner or later. After that, we can Obliviate his mind," he said a bit too cheerfully.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Wonderful. Now, may I go?" The boys looked at each other before looking back at her. "What?"
"Ehm…since Ron and I are scouting the areas, we were wondering if you could keep an eye on Malfoy while we're gone? Once we come back, you can have as much free time as you can have."
Hermione sighed. I have to babysit Malfoy and do research for the horcruxes? Bloody hell. "You owe me."
The two boys ran up to her and crushed her in a group hug. "Definitely! We'll be back 'Mione." They hauled up Draco's body to a secluded and heavily warded room, dispersing the spells he was on. Once he was free, they ran out the door and warded the locks. "Okay, 'Mione! He's all yours!"
Hermione chuckled as that day was marked 'the day everything changed.' She shook her head, her lips forming a bright smile. You're in for it now, Draco. With a wave of her wand, she apparated to the hotel he was at.
(;~;)~~~~~~~~~~~~~(TT~TT)
Draco sighed as he rubbed his sleepy eyes. Another sleepless night, he muttered quietly. He forced himself out of bed, dragging each leg in front of the other. He opened the door to the bathroom and turned on the water. He stripped out of his clothes and jumped in, turning the nobs slightly so the water was boiling hot. Today is the day, he said to himself. He finished washing himself and turned off the water. After magically drying himself off, he put on a set of black trousers and a white shirt. He finished gathering his belongings in his suitcase when-
"Leaving already?" the voiced asked softly.
Draco turned and grimaced. "Yes, now if you would be so kind and leave as well."
The person rose from the bed, covering herself with a robe from the hotel. "Why, is something wrong?"
Draco clenched his jaw. "Yes, there is. I have already checked this room out. You need to get out. Ah and another thing, whatever this thing is, is over." He headed towards the door when felt a strong grip around his waist.
"Wait, don't go! What did I do wrong? I thought we were having a great time!" the person protested, gripping his waist tighter.
"Let go of me, Jade. This was all a mistake," he ripped away from his hold and faced her angrily. "You are the mistake. I shouldn't have even hired you, you filthy whore." He heard her gasp, but ignored it. "I was so stupid enough to think that I could live with myself like this, but no more. I am through with you and I am telling the love of my life about this. I will hope to Merlin and above to understand and beg her to forgive me." She watched as he continued to rant on and on and smirked. He raised an eyebrow. "What?" he spat out.
"You know..you've given me this speech over and over and you still come back for more," she sauntered back to bed and began disrobing. "You always come back."
He shivered in disgust and gripped his suitcase. "This is my final choice. Once you are back at the office, pack your things. You're fired." He slammed the door on his way out and into the elevator.
Shocked, Jade threw her robe back on. Shit, he sounds serious, she thought and ran out the door, trying to catch the next elevator.
Once the elevator doors opened, Draco walked out and began heading towards the hotel's exit when he felt another strong grip on his forearm. He turned and sneered, "I said we're done."
"If you're doing this to make me jealous, it's working!" she whispered loudly.
"I'm not doing anything, except ending whatever this is and getting the hell away from you." He pushed her grip off him.
"You said you wanted me more than you wanted her," she yelled out, causing a scene. "You told me that she didn't have even half of beauty and fire I had! And now what, you're going to go back to the bushy-haired, frigid-in-bed, ICE QUEEN, HERMIONE GRANGER?!" she shieked out. She continued to yell out obscurities, causing Draco's anger to boil over. "She is nothing but prissy Mud-"
Draco felt his rage snap and was about to retort, when he heard a loud gasp. Everyone in the lobby turned to find a beautiful young woman whose skin was as pale as a ghost. Draco looked up, his anger melted away easily as his eyes locked onto the woman's. "Hermione.."
Hermione stood there shocked beyond belief. No…no…it can't be. He…he wouldn't do this to me…She felt her head start to spin, but forced herself to stare at the scene before her.
Jade's eyes shifted between the two and felt her lips turn into a wicked smile. She walked around him, covering Hermione from Draco's view. Before he could react, she planted a huge wet and passionate kiss on his lips. She bit roughly, causing a bit of blood to dibble out. Draco's eyes widened and immediately pushed her off him. She smirked and licked her lips. "I'll see you later, Mr. Malfoy." She sauntered to the elevators and disappeared behind the closed doors.
All eyes turned back on the two, most eyes on Hermione. She stood there, still frozen from the site. She felt the little box in her hand fall out and hit the floor with a slight thud. She felt herself snap back to reality and cleared her voice a couple times, trying not to let her voice crack. "W-Well now…isn't this embarrassing. I'm just going to-" Before she finished her sentence, she turned ran out the door as fast as she could to the port key area. As she ran, she took out the coin that was created during the rise of Dumbledore's Army and brought it to her lips. "Harry…Ron…meet me at my favorite place. Don't let anyone see you nor let anyone else know." She felt the coin heat up, signaling her that the message was delivered. She continued running, twisting and turning through the bustling crowd of people. Once she got to the port key, she took hold of her wand and whispered an quiet spell. She felt a slight pull in her stomach as she disappeared into the air, a light pop echoing in the silence.
(;~;)~~~~~~~~~~~~~(TT~TT)
Draco stood there motionless, not knowing what to do. The crowd erupted in silent whispers.
That poor girl, I hope she'll be okay.
That little tart has the nerve...
That boy should be ashamed of himself.
He shook his head, trying to clear his mind. He let go of his suitcase and began running after her, only to be stopped by an old man. "She dropped this. I hope you're not too late." He patted Draco's shoulder sympathetically. Draco nodded shortly to the old man and looked at the small box. He opened the box and felt his heart stop. In it, was a thin silver band. His hands shook violently as he took the ring out and held it up to his eye-level. His eye caught a little message: My ferret. He felt his chest tighten more and shut his eyes tightly. I'm so sorry Hermione. His eyes snapped open, a large amount of vigor surging through his veins. He slipped the ring on his right ring finger and sprinted after Hermione.
He ran as fast as he could, his heartbeat ringing in his ears. Once he had finally caught up with her, he slowed down. He opened his mouth and was about to say something when she disappeared with a light pop. He sank to his knees and stared at the empty spot she last set foot.
(;~;)~~~~~~~~~~~~~(TT~TT)
Harry looked at his coin confusedly, not hearing the signal of his fireplace going off. "Hey Ron," he said without missing a beat. He looked up to see Ron, a strange and worried look on his face.
Ron nodded to him. He guessed that he was wearing the same expression Harry was at the moment. "Let's go." The two jumped into the fireplace and disappeared into the green flames.
Seconds later, the fireplace came to life and out came Harry and Ron. "'Mione! We're here!" Harry yelled out as they walked around the place. It was Hermione's old flat, a small cottage on the cliffside overlooking the sea on a secluded island far from England's Wizarding World. There wasn't much to look at considering the island was built for farming and fishing, but Hermione considered it to be the place where she could have some peaceful time to herself, away from any press or to sort out any problems.
Hermione came down a couple minutes later with a forced smile. "Hello boys. It's wonderful to see you. I've missed you two." The two gave her a couple of curious looks.
Ron dismissed his theory and went up to hug her. "I've missed you too, 'Mione!" She hugged him back and looked at Harry. He was still staring at her with an unidentifiable expression.
"Harry?" she asked softly as she walked towards him.
He shook his head, clearing his thoughts and hugged her. "I've missed you too, 'Mione." He gave her a half-hearted smile. They made their way toward the couch and sat down, staring blankly at each other.
"So…what was it that you needed to talk to us about?" Ron asked.
Her head shot up. "T-There's nothing we need to talk about. I've just missed you guys a lot."
Harry gave her a serious look. "Hermione," he started slowly. Hermione cursed herself, knowing that Harry could see right through her lie. Oh hell, he only uses my full name when he's serious, she berated herself. "Is it something to do with Malfoy?" He watched as the light in her eyes dulled at the mention of his name. He felt his anger rise. He knew that look. He had seen it before."I am going to kill him."
Ron glanced at Harry and then back at Hermione. "What? What did he do?," he asked, trying to control his anger.
Hermione opened her mouth, but refused to say anything. "It's nothing. Nevermind."
"Hermione…" Ron said softly.
Hermione's shoulders sagged. "…I…I-I found him…with another…woman…," she said softly, trying not to cry in front of the two.
Harry closed his eyes slowly while Ron took in the information. They continued to sit there, their vision turning red. "We'll be right back, 'Mione."
Hermione shot up and tried to stop the two. "No! You two can't! Remember our agreement!," she pointed out. The two stared at each other and then back at her.
"You've got to be kidding me, Hermione. This is covered by the agreement?! I don't give a damn anymore! I'm going over there right now and I am going to kill him. I don't care how the rest of my life turns out," Ron side-stepped and tried to get out of Hermione's reach.
Her arm shot out and grabbed his arm tightly. "Please Ron, don't do this. Both of you. Don't. This is my fight. Yes, I was stupid. I know you are going to berate me about that for the rest of my life so I am doing it for you. It's my fault. I was stupid, irrational, and let my stupid feelings get in the way, okay?" She felt a tear fall and wiped it away quickly. She loosened her grip on his arm and wrapped it around herself. "Please, don't do this boys. You know the consequences to our agreement."
She felt a hand on her shoulder and looked up. Harry gave her a sad look. "Hermione, you don't know how much it hurts us to do nothing for you while you sit here torn apart. You're our best friend, our sister. We love you very much…but…we'll try." He gave her a sad smile. She wrapped her arms around him and gave him a big hug. He returned the hug and glanced at Ron.
Ron sighed. "I really want to kill this guy, but…I'll accept it for now, on one condition. You will let us live with you until you get better."
"How about you two check up on me instead? You both have a family, remember?" Hermione bit her lip. The boys sighed in defeat. She's playing the 'family' card. Damn it, they both thought.
"Fine. Don't do anything stupid, Hermione." They both said.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "I never do anything stupid"
"Except give your heart to that git." Ron said without missing a beat. He felt a sharp blow to his side.
"Not helping, Ron." Harry said.
"Goodbye boys," she said as she pushed them into her fireplace. She gave them a small smile as they disappeared within the green fire.
(;~;)~~~~~~~~~~~~~(TT~TT)
Once Harry and Ron arrived back at Harry's place, Ron asked the question that had been bugging him "What was that earlier? You looked at her and then said 'I'm going to kill him.'"
Harry looked at him, "She had the look."
Ron stared at him. "Care to be a little less cryptic?"
Harry sighed and glanced at him sadly. "The only time I had seen her give that look was when it was about you: when you criticized her during the Yule Ball, when you started making out with Lavender in the Common Rooms, and when you were possessed by Voldemort's horcrux. On the outside she looks stronger, but her eyes reflect what she's feeling inside. That look shows she had given her heart freely and in return, got nothing but tears and pain."
Ron looked down, surprised at Harry's words. He looked down sadly,"I wish I had known earlier…"
Harry put a hand on his shoulder, giving him half a smile. "You two moved on. At least you two are still friends."
Ron nodded in agreement. "Yeah. I wish we could do something-"
Just then, there was a frantic knock on the door. The two looked at each other and made their way towards the door. "Who is it?" Harry yelled.
"It's Malfoy." Harry looked at Ron.
"What do we do?," Ron whispered.
"Act normal. Don't tell him of Hermione's whereabouts." Ron nodded.
Harry opened the door, allowing a frantic Draco into his home. "Can we help you, Malfoy?"
Draco made his way up the stairs and searched through every room in the house, ignoring his question. "Hermione? Hermione come out so I could talk to you," he said lowly.
"Why do you need to talk to 'Mione?"
Draco jumped as he saw the two. His eyes darted past them, "N-No reason. I'm going to go now." He disappeared out the door.
Harry looked at Ron, both shaking their heads.
(;~;)~~~~~~~~~~~~~(TT~TT)
Draco apparated back home to the Manor and began searching in each of the rooms. "Hermione?…Hermione? Hermione, please come out. I really want to explain to you about earlier," he yelled out to the empty manor. Where is she? I can't even find her at Potter's. After minutes of waiting and no reply, he ran to his study room and pulled out a list of detective agencies. For three hours, Draco had called and paid every single agency to look for Hermione. Once he was finished, he sat down in his leather chair, his arms resting on his desk. He put his face in his hands, the tips of his nails digging into his scalp. Please Hermione…
(;~;)~~~~~~~~~~~~~(TT~TT)
A few weeks had passed and Hermione wasn't doing any better. She laid in bed, staring at the ceiling while thinking about her progress so far. She ended up burning every picture she had of Draco and herself and destroyed half of her wardrobe that he had given her. I say, I'm doing a lot better…, she turned so she was laying on her side. That was her mantra ever since she got back to her place. She ended up warding the place so that it was untraceable and added extra hexes and jinxes for a good measure. Now I won't have to see…him. She still couldn't say his name. Even when Harry had asked her one morning.
"Hermione, what have you done to the place?" Harry asked as he looked around the house. There were scorch marks all over her walls. He had a hunch, but he had to make sure.
"Oh, just redecorating a little bit. Some of the decorations were a bit…too…inappropriate," she said, trying to choose her words wisely.
Harry looked at her with a raised eyebrow. He decided to test the waters carefully.
"Hmm..seems like these pictures were the ones with you and-"
Hermione shot him a look that told him to stop. "Ah…you're right. This place does look better without them." He gave her a fake cheery smile.
Hermione shook her head. No, I can't. Not yet…it brings back….that memory. That was another thing that she was having a difficult time with. Every night, Hermione would try to go to sleep but ended up dreaming about Draco. It was always the same: Her watching him and the little whore battling with tongues. Every time, she would wake up covered in tears and sweat. She would then make her way to the bathroom to take a long shower and then fix up the place for when the boys would come.
She frowned when she thought of the two. Harry and Ron had been visiting her ever since the incident, occasionally with their families. Hermione had gotten along well with Harry's wife, Pansy. She was surprised to find out that she had no idea Draco had done that to her and was determined to beat the living crap out of him for her. Hermione had even taken a liking to Lavender. She was a bit timid at first, but when she heard what was going on between Hermione and Draco, she felt regretful and asked to start over. The girls were doing wonders to Hermione. Harry had even sworn that she had giggled a couple of times.
Hermione sighed."Now why is the ex-Gryffindor Princess sighing?" Hermione looked up to see the two standing at the entrance of her room.
She smiled at them. "I'm sighing because I hate the fact that I brought you two into this."
Harry rolled his eyes as Ron muttered 'here we go again.' "'Mione, it's no big deal. The wives understand completely and you know they love you just as much as we do. We just want you to get better." Ron gave her half a smile.
Hermione nodded in defeat. "Oh, there is something I wanted to talk to you guys about," she ushered them to sit on her bed. "First off, Pansy told me that there have been rumors that," she paused and took in a deep breath, "that…Draco…has been looking for me."
Ron looked at Harry as he nodded at Hermione. "It is true. Hermione, he's been on our tail about if we've seen you. Of course, we haven't told him anything, and Pansy is keeping true to her word. She hasn't told him anything either. But…we think…that…he actually very close to finding out where you are." Hermione gasped, her skin turning pale. The two boys looked at each other, debating whether or not to go on.
"He told us," Ron started, breaking the tension, "that he found a wizard who could trace anyone's magic using…the person's hair. He said that, when you and your wand bond together, some of the magic travels into your whole body. He said something to do with whatever is considered DNA." Hermione started to tremble. I didn't take out anything from the Manor...shit. Hermione started to panic. Then, she remembered something she read.
"I know what to do." The boys gave her a surprised look. "You both forget that I do love to read. I had done some research on how people disappear from the Wizarding World to live in the muggle world, especially the myths about certain famous witches and wizards."
What do you have to do?" They both asked.
"I have to break my wand." The three stood there silently. Harry and Ron looked at her as if she grew another head.
"You're joking right? You won't be able to do magic!" Hermione gave them a smirk. Harry looked into her eyes and saw something flicker. No…is that? He questioned himself. "You've perfected wandless magic." He said as a statement more than a question.
Hermione nodded proudly. "Every spell we had learned from Hogwarts, from you, and a few for fun. I can also apparate and disapparate without a wand. I've even changed my port key for this place."
"Forgot. Hermione thinks of everything." Hermione gave Ron a punch in the shoulder, refraining herself from smiling.
"When are you going to break it?" Hermione opened the drawer from her nightstand and pulled out her wand.
"I was thinking about doing it today. Now, actually. We picked a good time. Saves me being dramatic," she gave them half a smile. She ran her fingers over her beloved wand, memories of the past flashing before her. "I know I'm being rash, but there was another reason why I was going to break it. You see, I was actually hoping to continue staying here on this Muggle island for…the time…being. It's remote and quiet. I could clear my head and hopefully put myself back together. Then when I'm ready, I'll move to some place in Muggle London that is on the outskirts of the Wizarding World. I don't really want to touch the Wizarding world for a while. Not until I can unearth that Gryffindor bravery I've stashed away so long ago. I hope you can understand."
Harry and Ron gave her a nod of understanding, a look of sadness set in their eyes. "You will let us know if you are not feeling well, right? I mean it, Hermione." She nodded slightly and then ushered them to her living room. After making them some tea, Harry and Ron sat themselves on both of her sides. She took out her wand again and let her fingers glide over it once more.
"You sure you want to do this, 'Mione?" Ron asked quietly.
"I'm sure."
"On the count of 'three', okay? One," Harry said slowly.
Hermione smiled faintly as memories of with her wand began to mix with her memories with Draco.
"Two," Ron said softly.
Hermione placed her other hand on the wand.
"Three."
Goodbye old friend. Hermione gripped both ends and forced her hands to close together, a loud snap! echoing in the room.
(;~;)~~~~~~~~~~~~~(TT~TT)
"Mr. Malfoy, sir. I'm afraid there has been some bad news," Draco looked up from his paperwork, his skin beginning to pale.
"What is it?" he asked the wizard, trying to fake annoyance. The Wizard, Mr. Luke, began to break out in a sweat.
"I've been tracing Ms. Granger's magic and was very close to finding her whereabouts; however, the trace suddenly disappeared," he said quietly.
Draco stood up and grabbed the man by his robe. "What?"
"I-It's gone, sir. There are only two explanations for this: she either broke her wand or…death."
Draco immediately loosened his grip, his eyes widening. No…no. She wouldn't die…No no. Happy thoughts happy thoughts. She just broke her wand because she's mad at me. Kind of foolish, but…okay so she doesn't want me to find her. But, how would she know when to do that? Unless….Potter….and….Weasley. Of course. They know where she's at. Playing coy, are we? Well, this little game of theirs has got to end. I think it's time we had a little chat. "Thank you for your time Mr. Luke. You can show yourself out." Without another word, he made his way down the stairs and disappeared into his fireplace.
Half a minute later, a bright green flame erupted in Potter's residence. "Potter! Get down here, NOW!," he yelled out.
Minutes later, Harry came down with a look of confusion. He slipped on his glasses and tried to focus on Draco. "Malfoy. What is it? Why are you here at this ungodly hour? I have to be up-"
"Shut it Potter. Where is she?" Draco glared at him, folding his arms.
Harry looked at him, trying to mask his panic. He knows. Maybe I can throw off him off her scent a little bit. He tried to act casual. "Who? My Wife? Upstairs. Lavender?
With Ron. Ginny? With Blaise. Luna? With-"
"You know who I'm talking about Potter. Where is Hermione?" he demanded, his voice a little louder.
Harry shrugged his shoulders and walked past him. "Around I guess. Been a while since I've last seen her." Before he could react, he was thrown against the wall, a wand pointed at his throat. Harry stared straight into Draco's glare, giving him a rather bored look. "Go ahead and kill me. Then you'll never know where she's at. Ron will never tell you. Hell, he would bring it with him to his grave. All of us will."
Draco dug his wand deeper into Harry's throat. " Tell me where she is now."
Harry shoved him off roughly and smoothed out his sleep shirt. "You've got some sort of nerve, trying to pry out information from me, especially in my own home. You are pathetic, Malfoy. You know, you don't even deserve her. Never did." He began to make his way up the stairs when he said calmly, "She's in Paris. Ironic isn't it? She went to the place of love. Maybe she'll find a nice bloke that won't hurt her. Now, leave." He disappeared upstairs, leaving Draco to disappear back into the green flames.
Once Harry entered his bedroom, he took off his glasses and slid into bed. He wrapped an arm around his lovely wife and gave her a peck on her neck.
"Do you think he bought it?" Pansy asked sleepily.
"I'm sorry we woke you, love. I think he did. I heard the floo go off as soon as I disappeared. I'll have to meet up with Hermione tomorrow evening," Harry sighed.
"Don't worry about it. I'll go talk to her. I'm friends with her too, you know." Pansy felt him squeeze her slightly in appreciation.
"Thank you, love. Goodnight."
"Goodnight Potter." Harry rolled his eyes but smiled.
(;~;)~~~~~~~~~~~~~(TT~TT)
About a month had passed and Hermione continued to lock herself in her quiet cottage, still depressed over the whole incident. Pansy had come over more than once in place of Harry, talking about regular gossip and the latest update with Draco's searches.
"'Mione. You can't keep this up forever. He is going to find you sooner or later. He already searched half of Paris!" Pansy noted.
"I know Pans. Just…give me a bit more time. I'm doing better, see?" she tried to put on her best smile.
Pansy raised an eyebrow. "You do know that I can see right through you, right?"
Hermione sighed. "Pans…really. I'll be fine."
That was what she kept telling everyone, but it never fooled them. She had been caught a couple times overdosing on Sleeping potions and found numerous red lines on various parts of her body. Harry and Ron ended up taking away the knives and hiding all the ingredients for making any types of sleeping remedies. Hermione huffed in frustration. Well, I can't sleep without having any more nightmares. What more could they get from me? I'm already trying my best to move on and I can't! Just then, a thought came to mind. I-Wait. There is a way. Hermione dashed her way up the stairs and into her small collection of books. She began ruffling through the potions section when she came across the book. "Ah-ha!"
She set the book down and began to flip through pages. "C'mon….ah!" She lifted the book up and began reading the ingredients. "'Total brewing time: 2 months and 27 days.' Well, this is going to take a while. Might as well put up some extra spells in case someone spills the beans." She marked the book with a piece of paper and made her way to the room next door. She liked to call it her 'brewing room' since she spent most of her time creating remedies for certain organizations dealing with difficult curses. "Guess it's time to work."
She rolled up the sleeves on her sleep shirt and tied up her hair. She began setting up the ingredients beside the cauldron, double checking to see if they are the right ingredients. "Hmm…I'm going to have to ask Luna for the rest of the ingredients. Luckily I don't need them for a while. I might as well call Luna now, just to play safe."
She finished up lining up the ingredients and began working on the potion, adding the first three ingredients. Once she finished stirring, she left the potion to simmer and made her way back down the stairs. She picked up her telephone and began dialing Luna's home number. "Nott Residence."
"Hello, Luna?" Hermione paled. Oh no. I forgot to warn Luna. Theo's friends with….him.
"Hello Hermione. It's wonderful to hear from you."
"It's wonderful to hear from you as well. Um, Is Theo in the room?" she said quietly.
"No, he's at the Ministry working. Do you need anything from him?"
"Oh no, no. Listen, Luna. I know this is going to sound strange, but you cannot tell him you've spoken to me. You cannot tell anyone, okay?" she said, trying to make Luna understand.
"Don't worry Hermione, I know what happened. I won't tell. I promise." Hermione's eyes widened, unable to say anything. "Blaise Zabini told Theo who told me. There is nothing to fret over, Hermione. As much as they are close friends with him, they are on your side. I'm glad Draco cannot see the Wrackspurts floating around the two. They're practically cocooned in them. Luckily I gave Theo and Blaise the remedies."
Hermione felt a wave of gratitude from her. "Thank you Luna. Really. I owe you. Now, I was wondering if you have…" Hermione began listening off the ingredients she needed for her potion.
"Hmm..Hermione. It sounds like you're brewing something-"
"Luna…" she sighed into the phone, hoping she would drop it.
"Alright. I can give you those. I'll come over myself, okay? It'll have to be in a couple days, is that alright?"
Hermione cracked a small smile. "Any time is fine. Just make sure…you're not followed. You have to take Harry's floo network. It's the only one I've allowed to be connected to him."
"Okay. Theo might be coming with me. See you then."
"Okay. Thank you so much, Luna. I will see you in a couple days or so." She hung up the phone, her small smile still plastered on her face.
(;~;)~~~~~~~~~~~~~(TT~TT)
Luna hung up the phone, a worried look on her face. Just then, a flash of green flame erupted in the fireplace and out came Theo Nott. "Luna~ I'm home."
"In the study," she called out.
He made his way up the stairs and into the room. Once he entered, he spotted her immediately and made his way over to her. He wrapped his arms around her and kissed her head. He noticed her expression and frowned. "What is it?"
"I'm worried about Hermione," she said quietly.
Nott nodded, understandingly. Even though he was friends with Draco, he had chosen to take Hermione's side because in actuality, he preferred her over Draco. When Draco and Hermione had started dating publicly, he had tried to make an effort in befriending her. They ended up hitting it off pretty fast, especially when she was helping him in trying to win the heart of his lovely wife now, Luna. "I'm guessing she called. What did you two talk about?"
"Ingredients for some potion," she said calmly as she wrapped her arms over his.
Theo chuckled. "Maybe she's throwing herself into her work so she wouldn't have to think about Draco."
Luna shook her head. "I don't think so. The ingredients she was asking for...they're usually used for poisons."
(;~;)~~~~~~~~~~~~~(TT~TT)
Draco threw up his hands in frustration and ran them through his hair, gripping the roots. Why can't I find her? Why can't they find her?! Every single agent has told me that there is no record of her anywhere! He watched as agents continued to enter and exit his home, each shaking their head. It had been four months since Hermione disappeared off the face of the earth. After searching Paris, he decided to have a search group stationed in every city, ranging from the most populate to the most remote. Of course, he had caught on to Harry's lie, but it didn't matter to him. No one mattered at the moment except for Hermione. Only Hermione.
"Hermione," he whispered to himself as his thumb rubbed back and forth against the silver band, "I know that you can't hear me and I know you are mad at me, but I hope you don't do anything reckless. I know I was stupid…and I..Oh what am I doing? She's not…even here." He sighed as made his way to their bedroom, taking out Hermione's favorite shirt from one of the drawers. He inhaled it, burying his face in her scent. "I miss you, Hermione." He clutched the piece of clothing to him tightly, "Please come home. Come back to me…Please..."
(;~;)~~~~~~~~~~~~~(TT~TT)
"It's finished!" Hermione celebrated with glee as she peered over the potion. The potion was clear and odorless, just like the potion book described it. "Hmm…now how should I do this?" She moved out of her 'brewing room' and wandered around the house, trying to get an idea. She opened her cupboards and immediately spotted a light pink glass bottle. Once she pulled it out, a fond smile appeared on her lips. "Perfect." She went back to the 'brewing room' and put some of the potion in a small flask. "Only need a little," she told herself. She went back out again and placed the potion beside the bottle. She brought out a glass and immediately shrunk the items into her beaded and charmed bag.
She slung the bag over her shoulders and took out her new port key. She held up the port key. It was the only thing that she kept from Draco. It was a necklace with her initial 'H'. The 'H' however, was formed using a dragon; the body and tail curling in a variety of ways, creating the cursive letter. She smiled bitterly at the memory. Such irony…Such bittersweet memories…She stared at her clenched fist and closed her eyes as she disappeared with a pop in the air. Be strong Hermione…
(;~;)~~~~~~~~~~~~~(TT~TT)
Draco's ears twitched slightly at the sound of disapparition in one of the rooms on the ground floor. He moved away from his bedroom and down the stairs, his wand gripped tightly in his hand. Once he got to the ground floor, he immediately went to the library room. His heart pounded loudly as he entered the room. Could it be…? He had always checked this room multiple times to see if Hermione was hiding there. He would always find her there when she was mad at him.
He walked around quietly as he tried to listen for any movement. He sighed as he found nothing and began making his way towards the exit when a pair of hands wrapped around his neck, covering his mouth. Before he could react, he felt the familiar pull in his stomach and disappeared.
A minute later, he landed near a couple of pine trees. He looked around and instantly recognized the roar of crashing waves. I'm…at…a…beach?No…I'm near the ocean, but…where am I? His eyes settled on a form near the edge of the cliff, about five feet from where he was at, all clad in familiar clothing. His breath halted as the person turned to face him. His eyes widened significantly. "Hermione…"
Hermione clenched her hands tightly and tried to mask her emotions with a straight face. "Hello, Draco."
Draco tried to move towards her, but realized that he was bound to the tree behind him. His eyes shifted from the invisible ropes back to Hermione. "What's going-" Before he could answer, he felt a sharp sting on his cheek. He snapped his head at her and was about to yell out, when he felt another blow to his gut. He heard the light shuffle of gravel on the ground and looked at her, giving her a look of understanding. Go ahead, Hermione. I deserve it. I really do…every bit. No…more than this.
Hermione raised her hands and whispered a string of hexes and jinxes toward him, causing him to let out a groan of pain. "You…" she spat out, "evil, disgusting, little shit." She thew a stinging hex on him and then conjured up a small pile of stones. She began throwing them at him. "You have the nerve to cheat….on…me." She threw a stone at his manhood, causing him to wince in pain. "ME! The one who gave you a chance to redeem yourself!" She threw another at his head. "ME! The one who showed you love and compassion when no one else did." She threw another at his chest. "ME! The one who fought against my best friends and put my friendship on the line just so that they could accept you!" She threw another at his chest.
Draco gasped in pain, feeling blood seep from her headshot and bruises beginning to form all over his body. No…I won't say anything. His head lulled to the side, gasping for breath.
Once Hermione was out of stones, she marched her way to him and gripped his hair tightly, forcing him to look up at her. She glared down at him, scowling lowly. "I've given everything up for you. I've given you everything that I have, everything that I am, even...no...especially my heart. And this is how you repay me?" She let
go of his hair and closed her eyes.
Her eyes snapped open and locked with Draco's. His heart clenched tightly as he searched for something. No…no…anything…anything but that. He continued to stare as her brown eyes turned black, fueled with nothing but hatred. She smirked.
"Crucio"
Blood curdling screams erupted from Draco's mouth as his body convulsed uncontrollably. He moved his head slightly, trying to lock eyes with Hermione. Her anger flared as an image of him and his whore shagging popped into her head. She reinforced the curse on him, causing Draco's head to fall back down. He continued to scream, his whole body shaking and going numb.
Hermione felt tears fall as she continued to Crucio him. No…this is wrong. I'm not this person, she kept telling herself. She knew that she was letting her anger get the best of her and lifted the curse off of him, including the binding spell she put on him. Draco slumped to the ground, trying to catch his breath. He moved his arms ever so slightly, trying to push himself up. Each time, his arms would give out, causing him to fall to the ground. He clenched his jaw tightly and pushed himself to lean back against the tree. He panted harshly as he looked at Hermione. It was the first time he was able to take in her full appearance. He felt his heart pull. Her hair that was once soft was dull. Her eyes that were full of fire were now full of bitterness and sadness. Her body which was once curvy was now thin and frail. He felt his stomach tighten at the sight.
Hermione noticed him looking at her and chuckled darkly. "Yes, Malfoy." He winced as she used his last name. "I look like this because of you. I've become," she gestured to herself from head-to-toe, "this, because of you. This…stupid…ugly…weak…pathetic Gryffindor girl." She continued to let her tears fall, not caring that Draco's watching. She let out a bitter and maniacal laugh as she wiped away some of her tears. She took out her bag and rifled through it, taking out a knife she hid from the boys. She twirled it between her fingers, her eyes locked on Draco.
Draco's eyes stared at the knife, watching it move between her fingers. His eyes snapped up to hers, realization dawning on him "Don't do it, Hermione." Please Hermione….Don't do it. His eyes began to water. "You don't know what you're doing."
"I know that I have to. You have no idea how hard it is to lay awake every night from nightmares of images of that whore fucking with the one person I considered calling 'home'. Did you know, I have taken countless sleeping potions…overdosing close to the point of death. I have countless scars I've etched into my skin with your name and a bunch of lines over it. I have even attempted to Obliviate myself, but Ron and Harry wouldn't let me. Nevertheless, here we are. It's funny isn't it? How love can drive a person mad. You know, sometimes I wish I had kept that time turner. I could have made it so that I would have never fallen in love with you. Well, no matter. I don't have to suffer any longer." Hermione draws up the sword to her heart, her shirt separating the two.
"Hermione, DON'T-"
She pushed through, her blood blooming around her shirt, dripping onto her pants. She began rifling through her bag, taking out the pink bottle, potion, and glass. She began pouring the contents of each bottle into the glass. She looked up to see Draco's face filled with tears and chuckled. "You know…this is the first time I've actually seen you show some real emotions to me. Quite sad, isn't it?"
Tears continued to fall, his body feeling even more numb.
"S-Stop…Hermione. Please. I'm so sorry. I really didn't mean it. I swear. I'll do anything. We can live in the Muggle world. You can teach me all those traditions you have with your family. We can do anything on your terms. I won't have any say. So, please…stop doing this. If you won't stop for me…stop…for Potter…Harry. Ron. Your best friends," he begged as he half-crawled/half-dragged his body closer to her.
She ignored him and smiled, holding out the glass to him. "Cheers, Draco Malfoy. May your life be full of happiness." She brought the glass to her lips and downed the whole glass. She began to move towards the edge of the cliff, her body beginning to writhe as the potion came into contact with her organs. She collapsed, her skin paling by the second. Sweat dripped down her forehead, despite the cold weather. She heard Draco scream out her name, but ignored it. She continued to move until she was just centimeters from the edge of the cliff. Once she was there, she forced herself to stand and face Draco. She breathed shallowly as she pushed her shaking body upright.
"What was that you drank?" he yelled out, his voice shaking.
She gave him a weak smile. "Remember that….that party….where we….we….we had that…champagne…? The…the straw-….berry…one?My…favorite…?" Draco could only nod. "I just…mixed it…with a bit….of…of…morti….caine…"
"No…No…NO NO NO! Hermione! Morticaine is dangerous! It will kill you! In a matter of minutes!" He screamed at her. She chuckled and then coughed violently, spitting out blood. He swallowed heavily as mustered all his strength and moved as close to her as possible. "Please…stop this…please."
Hermione slowly stepped closer to the cliff. "Move any closer and I fall," she warned him. He ignored her warning and continued to move closer to her.
He was less than a foot away when she called out to him softly. "Draco," he looked up at her, barely making out her form with his watery eyes. She gave him a bittersweet smile. "All my love…was wasted on you." She closed her eyes as her body fell into the roaring waters.
"HERMIONE!" He moved as fast as his body could, reaching out over the cliff. His fingers brushed against her arm, but it was too late. He watched as her body splashed into the ocean, waves engulfing and pulling her down below. He sat at the cliff, screaming Hermione's name into the air as hot tears gushed down his cheeks.
"HERMIONE!…HERMIONE!…HERMIONE!…HER-…mio….ne.." He continued to scream out her name until his body gave out. He collapsed, his tears clung to his lashes as he fell into a dreamless sleep.
(;~;)~~~~~~~~~~~~~(TT~TT)
A few minutes later, Ron came running out of Harry's fireplace. "Harry! Harry!" he yelled out frantically.
Harry appeared downstairs a couple seconds later. "Ron…you felt that too?" He tried to stay calm. Something doesn't feel right…
Ron nodded. "I have this bad feeling…" Harry nodded in agreement. They disappeared into an enormous green flame. Seconds later, exited out of Hermione's
fireplace.
"Hermione? Where are you?" Ron made his way up the stairs, checking each of the rooms. Harry stayed on the ground floor, checking as well. His heart began to beat wildly as he couldn't find her. He looked around the kitchen, his eyes falling on a piece of paper.
"Ron! Get down here!"
Ron ran down the stairs and up to Harry. "Did you find anything?" Harry held up a note addressed to the both of them. The two glanced at each other, both turning deathly pale.
With shaking hands, Harry opened up the letter.
'Dear Harry and Ron:
I'm sorry. I lied to you. It still hurts. Everything still hurts. This whole time, I wasn't doing well. I can't…I can't let him go. I've tried everything. I didn't want to Obliviate myself because…well…I couldn't. Even though I hate what he has done to me, I just…I can't do it. The memories are all I have left of him. I can't…I can't do this anymore. I'm sorry for doing this to the both of you but I hope you know that I will always love the both of you. I can't keep dragging the both of you into this. I've started this, and now I am going to finish it.
All my love,
Hermione xx'
Harry balled up the paper in his fist as silent tears began to fall. He glanced at Ron who continued to stare at his fist with the letter, unable to move. Harry looked around her place as his vision blurred together. His eyes immediately spotted a vase containing the dried flowers he gave her the week before. He picked up the vase and threw it across the wall, the vase shattering into a million pieces.
Ron watched as Harry began tearing up Hermione's flat. He moved to where Harry was at and gripped his arm tightly. Harry whipped his head around, his eyes ablaze. He immediately caught Ron's sad gaze shaking his head at him and stopped what he was doing. The two hugged each other tightly.
"Harry," Ron started but Harry cut him off.
"We don't know what's happened for sure. All we know is that she's loose and susceptible to anything at the moment. Let's check the cliffside. Let's hope someone saw her…" He lowered his eyes and walked out of the house. Ron followed close behind, wiping his tears away.
They continued down to the cliffside, when they found a pool of black at the edge of the cliff. They ran up to it, hoping for some sort of miracle. "Herm-" Harry stopped as he caught a glimpse of the platinum blond hair. Harry's face hardened, his jaw tight. He looked around and then sighed. "C'mon. Let's take him inside." With an arm over both boys, they made their way back into Hermione's cottage, laying him on her couch. They sat across from him and sighed, waiting for him to wake up.
Hours passed when Draco began to stir. He blinked multiple times, trying to rid away the remains of his sleep. He moved his head back and forth, observing where he was at.
"This is Hermione's secret flat." Draco looked up to see Harry and Ron towering over him. He said as he pushed and sat himself upright. He placed his hands together and waited, unable to say anything. He looked around, noticing the scorch marks all over her walls.
Harry snapped his fingers, causing Draco to look back at him. "Focus, Malfoy. Where is Hermione?" He watched as Draco began to fidget, mumbling under his breath. "What was that?"
"She's…gone…" The two took one step back, unable to comprehend what he had just said.
"W-What…what do mean 'she's gone'?" Ron asked quietly, their worst fear confirmed.
"She…took her life in front of me…I couldn't save her…I…" his body shook violently as images of her falling into the ocean resurfaced his mind. Suddenly, he felt a sharp blow at his head. He looked up to see Harry's eyes fuming with uncontrollable rage.
"Look what you've done, you stupid arse! LOOK AT WHAT YOU'VE DONE TO MY BEST FRIEND! MY 'SISTER'!" He yelled out at him.
Draco's pain snapped. "I'M SORRY, ALRIGHT? IT'S MY FAULT. YOU THINK I DON'T KNOW THAT?! I KILLED THE LOVE OF MY LIFE BECAUSE OF MY STUPIDITY. WHAT MORE DO YOU WANT? WHERE WERE YOU WITH ALL OF THIS? HOW COME YOU COULDN'T HELP HER?"
"What do you want us to tell you, ferret? We have done everything we could to help her, but the damage was already done. You had broken our best friend's heart beyond repair. Did you know, we have caught her multiple times taking in large doses of sleeping potions? She would just reply to us saying 'I must have gotten the measurements wrong,'" Ron said angrily. "We should have never trusted Hermione's opinion. Now look where that has got her! She is dead and It's all your FAULT!"
Ron moved so that he was face to face with Draco. "I gave up my love for her because I saw how much she loved you. I wanted to see her happy, even if it was with my worst enemy. I've sacrificed things beyond your imagination for you two and you just fucked it all up with one bint. I swear to Merlin I should kill you right now…but I won't. I can't. Instead, I will let you live. Live with the fact that it was you who drove Hermione to this point. It was you who made her that way. But most of all...it was you she wasted her heart on."
Draco buried his head in his arms. He knew he had done every single thing they had mentioned, but hearing it from them made it much more unbearable. "I know…I know…I know…" he mumbled continuously.
Harry sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Look…we couldn't do anything because…well, we made a promise. Pretty much an Unbreakable Vow." The two held up their forearms, showing the criss-cross scars. "We made it for you actually. We agreed that we would not judge her opinion in staying with you. We had also agreed that whatever happens, we will not interfere. You were right Ron, we should've stuck to our hunches." Both Harry and Ron turned and walked away, leaving Draco to wallow in his sorrow.
(;~;)~~~~~~~~~~~~~(TT~TT)
It was a difficult time for everyone. Harry had to break the news to the Grangers, whom wanted nothing more than to kill Draco Malfoy themselves. The wives Ginny, Pansy, Lavender, and Luna had to step away multiple times when anyone mentioned Hermione's name. Blaise and Theo had put their 'friendship' with Draco 'on hold', right after they had broken a couple ribs and fractured his skull. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley broke down in tears, feeling that same emptiness double in size since Fred's death. As for Harry and Ron, once they had spread the news to their friends, they locked them selves in a room in the Burrow. It was the room Hermione once slept in when she visited.
"Hey Harry, remember first year when she was telling me how to say Levi-OH-sa instead of Levi-oh-SA? I wish I didn't say what I had said about her afterward," Ron said, reminiscing.
"Yeah, but that was how we became friends." Harry explained. They continued to sit in silence, thinking about their adventures together.
"Sometimes, I wish that things were different. I would've been nicer to her. I would've listened to her without snapping at her. I would've paid more attention…" Ron continued to list off the things he could've done.
Harry nodded in agreement. "Now that I think about it, we actually…never paid any attention to her. You and I were having a grand old time with our adventures, agreeing with each other about going off and doing our own thing but, we never looked at Hermione…never asked her how she felt about this. We only had her around…so that she could help us. I don't think I could ever forgive myself."
The week ended with a small funeral ceremony held at Hermione's favorite and ironically, death place. Everyone said a few words about her, each throwing her favorite flower into the ocean. When they finished, they joined together at her cottage, a large meal of her favorite foods spread on her kitchen table. They talked of nothing but their most fond memories of her. What they failed to notice was a dark shadow lingering behind the trees, watching silently at the scene before him.
(;~;)~~~~~~~~~~~~~(TT~TT)
Draco let his tears fall freely as he watched the ceremony. He knew he wasn't invited, but he felt that he had to. Despite the pain, he watched as everyone held each other tightly, trying to ease the pain of Hermione's death. Once they disappeared, he looked around to see if anyone else lingered. When it was safe to go, he emerged from his hiding spot. He stood at the edge of the cliff, staring down at the ocean.
"Hermione," his heart leapt at her name, giving him an even harder time to speak, "You let me go, just like you wanted…but…I'm not ready to let you go. I was never ready. I'll never be ready. I'm so sorry for what I have done to you." He waved his wand around him and disappeared with a light pop.
Once he arrived back at the Manor, he stripped off his clothes and crawled into bed,
making sure Hermione's side was still clean and untouched. He placed an arm under his head, his body facing her side of the bed. After she had disappeared, it became difficult for him to sleep so he decided to sleep with a piece of her clothing to calm his nerves. However, that day had made sleeping nearly impossible. Her death impacted him to the point where he had turned into a hollow zombie. He would get up, shower, eat, and spend the rest of his day staring into space, daydreaming about Hermione.
Once Draco arrived home after taking a few of Hermione's things back to the Manor, he ripped off his clothes, lit them on fire, and threw himself into a long scrubbed his body until it was raw and pink, small cuts oozing out blood from all the scrubbing.
He tried to wash off all the dirt and guilt, hoping that it would bring Hermione back. He chuckled maniacally, "Now Hermione will come back to me. She'll forgive me. She loves me. She'll come back…she'll come back."
With his other hand, he slipped it under his pillow, pulling out one of Hermione's shirts filled with her scent. The previous article of clothing had run out of her scent, causing him to reawaken memories of her death.
He was walking through the Manor's garden when a familiar giggle caressed his ears. He began making his way closer to the owner of that giggle, his lips curling into a large smile. He stopped immediately when he spotted the owner running around. Chocolate brown waves. The sweetest lips. The warmest eyes. Hermione. He watched as she continued to chase what seemed to be a little child. The closer he got, the more familiar the child looked. Then, it occurred to him who it was. Brown wavy hair and grey eyes. It was theirs. Elated, he ran to Hermione and tackled her to the ground, hugging her tightly.
Hermione erupted in a fit of giggles, "Draco! What are you doing?"
He sighed in happiness. "I was afraid I was never going to hear you saying my name ever again."
Hermione turned around and faced him. She placed her hands on his cheeks and gave him a chaste kiss. "You worry about the silliest things." He let out a light chuckle and closed his eyes, his forehead resting against hers.
When he opened his eyes, the scene changed. White. Everything was white. White flowers. White tablecloths. He looked down and noticed he was wearing a tuxedo. His heart leapt higher. He was getting married to Hermione. He walked towards the bride's room and opened the door.
"Hermione! I couldn't wait! I just had to see you-" He stopped short as everyone
looked at him with strange looks.
"Why are you here, Malfoy?" Ginny hissed out.
"I'm here for Hermione. We're getting married." He watched as Pansy chortled.
"Not even, Draco. I'm surprised you're even here. You two aren't even on talking terms. You're married to that bint, Jade." Pansy spat out.
"No! No, that's not what happened-"
"Save it, Draco. Now is not the time. Hermione doesn't need the stress." Luna started to usher him away, but evaded her and moved closer to Hermione.
"Hermione, please. I love you. I'm marrying you. That's why I'm here!" He watched as Hermione chuckled humorlessly.
"Please…Those words won't work on my anymore, Malfoy." He placed his hands on her shoulders, trying to make out what she was talking about.
"What do you mean?" he asked.
"Ahhh. Playing dumb are we? Here, let me sum it up for you. Five years into our marriage, we had a baby. I was happy, but you weren't so you decided to have a little fun. You ended up letting your little mistress live in the Manor, right under my nose. Luckily, our house-elf loves me to death and notified me quickly. I filed for divorce and a month after, you married that little bint. While you were having your affairs I had my own and now, I am marrying him so if you would please move out of the way before I punch you like I did our third year." She side-stepped and gathered her bouquet from Ginny. She exited her room and made her way down to the isle.
Without a second thought, Draco followed after her. He stopped when he noticed a mop of red hair at the end of the alter. "No…no…not him."He watched as the smile he adored so much was on her lips, directed at Ron instead of himself. He shut his eyes tightly, wishing for the nightmare to end.
When he opened his eyes once again, he was in the middle of a forest. He glanced around. "Hello?" He heard a chuckle. "Hermione?"
"Try and find me, Draco~" His head whipped around toward the direction of the voice. He began running through the thick forest.
"Hermione?" Another chuckle echoed in the air. He stopped to listen, turning towards Hermione's voice once again.
"You're so close, Draco~" Hermione chanted out quietly. He spotted a small opening, recognizing it as the exit. When he was close to the exit, Hermione's voice rung in his ears as if she was right beside him.
"Hurry up and catch me, Draco~" he exited out of the forest, slightly out of breath. When regained his breathing back to normal, he noticed an all too familiar scene in front of him. "Hermione…"
She turned around and gave him a small smile, blood leaking out at the corner of her mouth. "You didn't catch me.." All of a sudden, the ground underneath him gave way, his dream mixing with images of Hermione's death.
Draco woke up in a cold sweat, his heart beating frantically. This was what he had to deal with during the nights when the scent of her was gone. He looked at his arms sadly. They were searching for her warm body wrapped up in his arms like before. Instead, he held up the new piece of clothing up to him tightly, inhaling as much of her as possible as tears began to fall.
(;~;)~~~~~~~~~~~~~(TT~TT)
For the next few months after Hermione's funeral, Draco had locked himself in his home, refusing to go out. He would always sit in his study, writing down everything he did wrong to Hermione and what she had done wrong to him.
One evening, he was finally finished. He stared at the long list with a heavy heart. He sighed and glanced at the moving picture that sat on his desk. In it was a picture of Hermione. He remembered when he took that picture.
"Granger, I don't know why I have to do this." He huffed, half amused. They were three months into their relationship and they still haven't taken a single picture together.
"C'mon Draco. You have NO pictures of us together. Some might wonder if I am actually with you," she raised her chin. Draco rolled his eyes. He wasn't looking forward to this, but he knew he had to give into her pleas sooner or later.
"Fine, but just one." He watched as a large smile appeared. She set up the magic camera a few feet away from where he sat and set the timer. He rolled his eyes and kept his eyes on the shelf beside him. Once the timer started going off, Hermione made her way beside him and smiled for the camera. She glanced at Draco and scrunched up her face in irritation.
"At least smile." Draco scowled and continued to look at the shelf.
Hermione crossed her arms and was about to snap, when she got a better idea. She put one arm around his shoulder and pulled his head towards her. He turned and was about to yell when she cut him off with a sweet kiss. When she ended the kiss, she giggled at the dazed look on his face. He gave her a small but warm smile and captured her lips for another kiss.
He took it and rubbed his fingers lightly over her. He knew that he didn't treat Hermione like how he had pictured it in his dreams, but also seeingit on paper had torn his heart in two. "Why did you forgive me for everything Hermione? Why didn't you just…no…you did leave. You left everyone…for me. You left this world because of me. You sacrificed everything for me. And I…I never got to say anything in return. I never got to do anything for you in return. You didn't even let me explain what you saw that day, even though it was pretty…stupid of me…to think that you would consider giving me another chance. You know, I searched every day for you when you disappeared. I had even sent private investigators to find you. Not once have I ever stopped looking. And…when you finally showed yourself to me, you have no idea how relieved I was. I was so happy that you were still alive and that you were okay…but, you really weren't. I saw how much I had affected you. I wanted to tell you how much you meant to me on that day. I wanted to tell you every secret that I had been holding from you since the beginning. I wanted to tell you that I wanted to be yours and yours only, just like you were mine. I wanted to tell you that I…that I love you. I have always loved you…that I always will love you…and now…I'll never be able to tell you." He continued staring at the picture, not knowing that one of the muggle songs Hermione introduced him to was playing softly in the background. His ears twitched, hearing his love being sung through the words. He clutched the picture tightly as drops fell onto the picture.
When I can't sleep at night without holding you tight
Girl, each time I try I just break down and cry
Pain in my head oh I'd rather be dead
Spinnin' around and around
Although we've come,
To the end of the road
Still I can't let go
It's so natural
You belong to me
I belong to you
Come, to the end of the road
Still I can't let you go
It's so natural
You belong to me
I belong to you...
(;~;)~~~~~~~~~~~~~(TT~TT)
One evening, Draco laid awake in his bed, thinking about Hermione as usual while looking at the silver band. He sighed sadly as he glanced at the words. "If I had one wish, I would wish that I could turn back time." His eyes widened and jumped out of bed. "That's it!" He rushed to his study room and opened the desk drawer. He pulled out a small box, opening it carefully. His eyes land on the little note and unfolds it slowly.
'Dear Draco,
This is my most prized possession ever since Professor McGonagall gave it to me. I no longer have any more use for it, seeing how I passed the NEWTs with all O's. I hope you will put this to a better use than I did. Wipe off that arrogant smirk I've come to love.
Love,
Hermione xx'
Draco's heart squeezed tightly at the note and smiled sadly. He had seen in countless times, but this time meant a lot more to him than any other. "Thank you, Hermione. You really do think of everything. That's my clever girl." He began calculating the amount of turns he needed to get back to the time he has chosen to go back to. "I hope my old self will listen. Merlin knows how much of my stubbornness Hermione had to deal with." He watched as his memories of his past flashed before him. When he got to his pointed destination, he took off the time turner.
He took a look at his surroundings. His eyes snapped to the clock on the wall. Perfect. 15 minutes. He made his way to the front door of his office carefully, making sure no one spotted him. He walked through the front door and put up locks and wards on the door.
He walked up to his past self and slammed his hands on the wooden desk. His past self looked up in shock. Before he could say anything, Future Draco cut him off. "Before you say anything stupid, let me get this out. Yes I am you in the future. Yes, I am violating any parallel universe code or whatever. I don't care. I'm here to warn you about your future mistake. A woman will come in here in about 15 minutes for an interview in the position of your secretary. She has a body that you can say is pretty much a dirty whore. She will seduce you and when the next company party arrives, you will be drunk to the point where you two will shag. You, being the stupid, arrogant, and pompous git you are, will think that it is okay to have a little fun seeing as how Hermione has been 'busy' lately and you two will continue to meet. However, there is a problem to that." He paused sadly as tears started to swell in his eyes. He cleared his throat and continued to talk. "You will eventually break it off after realizing you love Hermione more than anything."
"I don't see anything wrong with that," his past self said as he raised an eyebrow.
Future Draco gave him a glare as he pretended to ignore him. "Hermione will happen to see you with the woman and break it off with you. She will move into a flat that you will not be able to find because it is secluded on an island on the outskirts of England. After a while, she will find you and kidnap you. She will bring you to a cliffside where she will torture the living daylights out of you for breaking her heart," he said as his heart clenched at the memory, "Then…she'll-"
"This is Hermione Granger we are talking about. She wouldn't let emotions get away with reasoning. Besides, we aren't even serious-" Past Draco felt a sting on his cheek.
Future Draco glared at him as his angry tears fell freely. He took his past self by the collar, his eyes meeting his past's eyes. "Don't think for one second that she sorts out everything with a chart. She may do that at times, yes but it is for a good reason. It's what made us fall in love with her. Plus, you and I both know that we loved her long before that. Eighth year in Hogwarts. Ring any bells? What you will do with that bint is simply out of insecurity and the fear of Hermione rejecting your proposal." He let go of his past self and walked toward the end of his office, staring at the window. Past Draco continued to stare at his future self.
"…Hermione…When she is done torturing you…she-" Future Draco sighed deeply and put his face in his hands. "She's going to kill herself, in front of your own eyes."
Past Draco stared at him in shock. She's…going to die? Because of me? No, that can't be right. She- his thoughts were interrupted by his future self.
"The bitch is coming. The choice is yours to make. If really do love her with all your heart, then you have nothing to fear." Past Draco began to feel a tingling sensation, his signal that his time is up. He mumbled a few words and then disappeared.
Past Draco looked at the door. He replayed the last words his future self told him. She told me that all her love was wasted on me….on us. All she really wanted, was your heart. Our heart. If you choose Hermione, promise us something. Promise…that…you will treat her like you wanted to treat her. Don't let rationality choose for you. Don't be the git you are now. She deserves that much and so much more... He closed his eyes as he took a deep breath. As he heard the doorknob to his office open, he heard the faint click of high heels. Once the woman sat down, he exhaled and opened his eyes.
"How may I help you?"
(;~;)~~~~~~~~~~~~~(TT~TT)
Draco watched as his life flashed before him. He watched how the love of his life had crumbled the day she caught him with the girl in slow motion. His eyes began to close, his mind drifting off into a heavy seamless sleep.
(;~;)~~~~~~~~~~~~~(TT~TT)
He woke up with a start, his breath knocked out of him. He wiped off the sweat from his forehead and ran a hand through his damp hair all while trying to catch his breath. He looked around and took in the familiar surroundings. He sighed sadly. I'm in my room. He…I…still chose that route. He looked at the clock. 2:43am. Time is really not on my side. He brought his knees to his chest and wrapped his arms around them, burying his face on his arms. Hermione…love…I'm so sorry-
All of a sudden he felt a small hand on his shoulder. "Draco?" the voice asked softly. "What's wrong? Still having nightmares about the war?"
Draco froze recognized that voice. He lifted his head slowly out of his arms and turned towards the voice, his heart clenching tightly. In front of him was a sleepy but worried Hermione. His eyes widened as he continued to stare at her, speechless as she continued to look at him.
She brushed his shoulder again, her face full of worry. "Draco? What's wrong? Are you ok-," she was cut off as Draco crush her to his chest.
Draco squeezed her to his chest tightly, relishing every dip and curve of her body. He buried his face in her wavy hair, breathing in the familiar scent. Each time he would exhale, he would tighten his hold on her by just a hair. She's here. She's alive. She's with me. He did it…we did it. He peppered her neck and face with kisses, relishing the taste of her skin.
Concerned, Hermione pressed on his chest trying to face him properly. He refused to let go, shaking his head against her neck. "No. Don't leave me. Not even for a second. Please."He felt her arms move up and wrap around his neck, running her fingers through his hair. He smiled weakly before he loosened his grip on her. He looked at her, his eyes tracing every part of her face. He felt her hand on his cheek and put his hand on top of hers, his hand coming into contact with something wet. He touched the rim of his eye and looked down. He was crying.
Hermione placed her other hand on his other cheek, wiping away the tear tracks. "Draco, tell me what's wrong. You're scaring me. The only time I've seen you cry is when it was about Voldemort and what he had done to your parents." She watched as he shook his head.
Draco brought up her hands to his lips, kissing every part of her fingers slowly and thoroughly. "It was all a nightmare…just a nightmare. You're here…with me." He brought his hands up to her face, his thumbs tracing over her face. "You're really here…I thought I had lost you forever."
Hermione placed her hands over his and kissed his fingers lightly. "I'm never leaving you, Draco. We are kind of…engaged, remember?" She giggled slightly as she turned the back of her palm toward him. She watched as his jaw hung open slightly. "You mean, you don't remember?" Her voice faltered slightly, her hand falling back down to her lap.
Sensing her distress, Draco re-wrapped his arms around her, caging her. "It's not that," he started slowly. He hated it when he was weak in front of Hermione, but it was something she cherished greatly when he did. "Hermione, I had a…dream…where you killed yourself in front of me because of my stupidity. I went crazy. It was so scary because…it felt so real," he said softly.
Hermione felt her heart break as he continued to talk about his nightmare. Once he was finished, she began to speak. "Draco, look at me. It was just a nightmare. I love you and only you, Draco Lucius Malfoy. Nothing can separate us, not even death. I'll always be there for you, through thick and thin," she gave him a small smile.
Draco exhaled, not even knowing he had been holding his breath. He leaned his forehead on hers, his eyes closed. "Thank you Hermione." With his arms still wrapped around her, he pulled her down with him while making sure his body was possessively close to hers. He pulled up the blankets and wrapped around them.
Hermione wrapped her arms around Draco's torso, her head resting on one of his arms. He looked at his hand, surprised to see a silver band around his finger, similar to Hermione's except for the diamonds and emeralds.
"Erm…Hermione? Why do I have a ring on? Isn't it supposed to be just you?" He heard her scoff and bent his head down.
She looked up at him with fake bored look on her face. "You really don't remember? I should make you sleep on the couch for that…anyway, it was simple. You were waiting too long to ask me, so I asked you first. Then, it turned out you were going to ask me the same day. It was at my favorite place-"
"On a cliffside near the ocean," he answered automatically. She nodded with a warm smile. He chuckled softly. "You always think of everything. That's my clever girl," he whispered softly.
She giggled and nuzzled into his chest. "Goodnight, Draco."
He placed a kiss on top of her head. "Goodnight, Hermione….I love you. Always have, always will." He felt her lips against his chest curl into a smile and smiled triumphantly. He closed his eyes and drifted off to sleep.
He dreamt of himself standing in a black clean-cut tuxedo with a white flower pinned to it. He felt his heart beat faster as his bride-to-be appeared beside him. He turned and lifted the veil and gave her a bright smile. Hermione returned it with a smile of her own.
"Ready to be tied down to me for the rest of your life, Mr. Malfoy?" she asked cheekily. "Sorry, but it's too late to back down."
He chuckled. "I've been ready for the past 5 years.'" Hermione chuckled quietly as the ceremony began. After a share of vows, the ceremony ended as the two shared a sweet kiss.
'"I love you, Draco." Hermione whispered as they ended their kiss.
Draco leaned in and gave her a quick chaste kiss. "And I love you, Hermione."
Always, my love. Always.