A/N: Hey guys, I felt like posting another chapter, so there you go! I would really appreciate a review so I know what you guys are thinking. I'm still on the fence about the direction this story is going and your input would really help me!

Chapter 23

When help finally arrived, lured in by the screaming, they found two bodies, laying in the blood soaked snow. They found their queen, clutching at their king's chest, her body shaking with every sob. They whispered to her as they tried to get her to let go of his body, but she blatantly refused. Help finally came from an unexpected corner. It was the queen mother that came rushing to the garden, gasping as she saw her son laying on the carpet of soft sank down next to Hermione, a hand resting on Draco's chest.
"Hermione," she whispered softly, as soft as she ever had heard the woman speak. "Hermione, he's gone, we have to let them take him," she stated, blinking away the tears that stung her eyes. The girl shook her head, grasping the fabric of his shirt and combing her fingers through his white hair. "Hermione," the older woman whispered again, letting go of her son to turn Hermione's face towards her. "Let go," she whispered. Her hand grabbed the back of the girl's neck and pulled it against her. She wrapped her arms around her tiny frame and nodded to the guards. They took his body as she held onto the crying girl in her arms.
"My queen, what about the other body?" one of the guards asked.
"Burn it," Hermione hissed in between sobs. "Burn it and don't give him a funeral. Bury the ashes on a crossroads." She remembered that someone once told her that was what they did to people who would go to hell. She wanted him to be in hell, she wanted him to suffer for what he did.
The queen pulled her to her feet as soon as Draco's body was out of sight. She looked terrible, her face, hands and dress covered in blood. The queen mother beckoned for Hermione's ladies maid to come over. Anna looked at both queens and bowed her head.
"Take the queen to her chambers and give her a bath. I'll call the physician for something calming and be there in a while." Hermione felt the girl wrap her arms around her and gently guide her from the gardens, where a large bloodstain remained painted on the ground.

The entire day, or maybe even week went by without Hermione noticing. She remembered having a bath and eating. She didn't remember sleeping, but apparently that's what she did. When she finally woke up from the daze, she was told that she had slept for days, on and off.
"What day is it?" she whispered, asking the woman who brought her food.
"It's the day of the funeral, my lady, they'll come and help you get ready in a second." Hermione bit her lip, she had forgotten. For a second, she had forgotten that he was gone, she had forgotten that he had left her all alone here. She had forgotten that she would never see her again. She was shaken from her thoughts when she felt something odd in her belly. She felt worry overtake her and pressed her hand against her stomach.
"Something is wrong," she insisted, looking at the maid.
"What is it, my lady?" the woman asked, seemingly sharing her worry.
"I don't know, there is a weird feeling going on." Hermione grabbed the woman's hand and pressed it against her belly. The woman waited for a second before smiling broadly.
"This isn't bad, my queen, it's very good," she smiled. Hermione insisted on more answers. "Your baby is kicking," she explained. Hermione gasped and pressed a hand to her mouth. The woman grabbed her hand and pressed it against her belly again, leaving the room. Hermione cried quietly as she felt her baby kick against her hand. Draco's baby, their baby. He would never get to feel this, he would never get to meet him or her.
"Hey there, little baby," she sobbed softly. "I know it's bad right now, but I'll protect you." After a while, the baby calmed down as she kept talking to it. Anna came in.
"Are you okay, my queen?" Hermione nodded.
"The baby was kicking," she explained.
"That's good news," Anna helped Hermione get up. "Let's get you ready for the funeral." Hermione nodded, not looking forward to it at all. The girl dressed her into a simple black dress that hugged her frame but flared out at the bottom. The dress had a turtleneck collar that clung to her skin tightly. The girl tied her hair in a loose braid and placed a black veil over her face and head. The veil reached down to the floor in the back and then some. The finishing touch was her crown which was placed on her head and atop the veil.
"Are you ready, my queen?" she asked.
"I'll never be ready for this."

They walked to the courtyard where the carriage with the coffin was waiting. It was dressed in a beautiful velvet black fabric and there were roses atop it. Hermione walked over to the coffin and everybody bowed to her. The queen mother was standing on the sidelines. Hermione placed her hand on the coffin and she felt tears fall from her eyes.
"I love you," she whispered against the wood. "I'll always love you." A man came to tell her to get into a carriage but she shook her head. "Bring me Rogue," she whispered. When others protested the queen mother made them shut up. "I'll protect our child, I promise." She pressed her hand against her belly. "I'll tell him about you, I'll tell him how kind and sweet you were and how much you loved him before he was even born." Tears were rolling down her cheeks. "I'll be strong for him and I will find you again." A servant brought her Rogue and Hermione lifted herself into the saddle. She dug her heels in the horse's sides and both she and the carriage jolted into movement, towards the cemetery where he would rest for the rest of time.

Draco awoke with a start, sitting up in his bed. His body coated in sweat. He was alive. His hands searched his abdomen for a wound or at least a healing one but he found nothing but a faint white scar that could be overlooked if you didn't know it was there. Had he been dreaming. He looked to the side to find Hermione but came up empty handed. There was no other side to his bed and there was no girl there. He found green velvet curtains around his bed and cast them aside. The room was dark but he would recognize it anywhere. He was back, somehow he had gotten back. Blaise was snoring next to him and there were several other boys stirring a little while further. How did he get back? What had happened between now and when they went back in time?

The next morning, he followed suit. His friend talking to him about classes and Potter and Pansy. They were talking to him about everything and nothing while walking to the great hall for breakfast. He wasn't listening. None of it seemed real, it seemed foreign and he felt like he wasn't supposed to be here.
"How are your parents?" Blaise asked his friend, catching Draco's attention. He hadn't thought about them for so long.
"I don't know," he answered honestly.
"You're acting odd, you sure you're feeling alright?" he asked. "Perfectly fine," he answered. As they entered the great hall, he immediately looked for her at the Gryffindor table. Desperately trying to find her unruly head of hair. She wasn't there, none of them were. Potter and Weasel were nowhere to be found and even the Weaselette seemed to be missing.
"Huh, looks like the golden trio is still missing," Blaise smirked. Draco's stomach twisted.
"What do you mean?" he asked his friend, hoping he could hide the worried look in his eyes.
"Don't you remember? Weaselbee was poisoned so they're holed up in the infirmary," his friend looked at him funny.
"Oh right, that," Draco tried to sound as calm as he could. She was here, she was fine and he would see her again.
"I forgot something in our dorm, be back in a sec," he turned and left a confused looking Blaise behind.

Draco rushed to the hospital wing, where he would find her. His heart was racing and his feet carried him as fast as they possibly could. He was pretty sure he almost ran over McGonagall in the process but he was too occupied to care. He arrived minutes later and jumped into an alcove when he heard the doors open. Potter and the Weaselette came out, looking rather dreadful.
"Don't worry, Hermione will take good care of him," Potter whispered to his friend.
"I know she will," Draco's heart seemed to grow bigger when they mentioned her name. She was in there, the woman he loved was in there and she was fine. He was fine, from this day on everything would be so different. He waited for Potter to round the corned before throwing the doors open. He found her sitting at the Weasel's side, her hands clutching at his.
"Granger," he whispered. She jumped at the sound of her name and turned towards him.
"Malfoy?" she asked, standing still and looking at him. He walked over to her and wrapped his arms around her. For a second he thought everything was fine, that was until she started fighting against him. Her tiny frame struggling against his grip. When he finally let her go, her hand collided with his cheek, filling the room with a slapping sound.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?"

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