a/n: This chapter and especially the next are the ones I have been looking forward to (re)share forever. Hope you guys like it. I will update the next chapter also in some time. I am so looking forward to hearing all your thoughts about these! Thank you for being patient and all the love. Love you all!

Chapter 27: The Only Option

They landed on the plush carpet, Draco a little wobbly on his feet, leaning heavily on the tiny elf struggling with his footing. As his vision cleared, he let go of Shotkey and padded his way to his bed and collapsed on it.

"Master needs Shotkey to fetch him some food?"

Draco looked at the ageing elf who was staring back with concern and shook his head. "You can go back," he replied, surprising himself at how normal he sounded. "Just take care of Mother," he added as the elf bowed deeply and then disappeared with a crack.

The room with the bright light and modern furniture looked alien after the ominous darkness of the Manor, and for a while, his brain remained suspended in a haze, almost convincing him that what he had learnt was nothing more than a horrible nightmare.

Draco pulled out his wand and Accioed his flask and drank deeply, trying his best to stay awake and think rather than curl into a ball and stay in bed for all eternity. There had to be a way out of it, he hoped fervently. Destiny couldn't be so cruel to snatch away the one last good thing he had… He almost heard an incredulous chuckle at his own thought- he never really had Hermione, did he? No, he was just trying his best to hold on to a person who was clearly made for someone else. He was just ignoring the signs, hoping that some miracle would make her fall in love with him.

Why did he still want her? He asked himself. Hermione had tried to hide it for years, or perhaps she too had believed she had moved on. Clearly, she hadn't. Maybe she couldn't even if she tried. And did it not make sense that Draco took a step back and set her free? Only if he was a little less selfish, he'd have tried. But he had never learned not to have what he wanted. He had always believed that his desire to own something gave him the right. And he always wanted the best, never bothering to introspect whether he actually deserved it or not. When Potter got a best-in-class broom he wanted one better; when Potter earned his position as a Seeker, Draco made his father buy his way in the team. And now he had agreed to Hermione's proposal because it meant he'd have the girl he loved, despite knowing that she was just doing it out of guilt. A better man would have convinced her out of it and told Hermione that if she had to choose, she ought to choose Ron Weasley for he alone could make her happy. But of course, Draco wasn't that man- he wasn't a fucking Gryffindor. He wasn't Ron Weasley who'd walk away willingly, knowing well that all he had to do was give Hermione the true reasons for leaving her behind all those years ago. Draco was convinced it was some stupid-arse save-the-world kind of reason the Weasel might have had. Fuck, Draco hated that noble-hearted dimwit- and hated that he didn't have even half the courage Ron Weasley did to do the right thing even, for the girl Draco claimed to love.

He collapsed on the bed and took to staring at the ceiling.

What if he didn't confess to Hermione and got married anyway? It had been generations after all- surely the curse would have dulled by now? Who knew, Hermione might be perfectly safe or she might just fall slightly ill. Maybe they could even look for a remedy together?

He chuckled bitterly to himself as the true extent of his selfishness hit him. He was even ready to risk the life of the one person he claimed to love beyond all- just to see his dreams come true. No wonder her parents and Potter were worried about his intent. No wonder Fate had connived to snatch her away.

He sucked in a breath, his chest hurting immeasurably, as he closed his eyes.

He knew what he was going to do.

….

"Draco!" she exclaimed and hurried ahead as Draco stumbled his way out of the grate. Hermione flicked her wand and all the soot cleared off him. "What happened to you?" she asked, concerned, taking in his dishevelled appearance. His hair stuck out at odd angles and tired eyes clearly showed that he had had very little sleep. He seemed to have changed in a hurry; his jumper was inside out.

He padded his way to the couch and collapsed on it before he looked up at her, gave a weak smile and patted the place beside him. Thoroughly confused and a tad bit worried, she hurried ahead, unable to push away a very impossible thought- had Draco met Ron? What if…

She took her place next to him, turned to her left and folded one leg under her. Taking a long look at his appearance, she adjusted her hair consciously before she spoke. "What happened?"

Draco opened his mouth as if on the verge of saying something before he paused and shook his head. "Will you miss me even half as much as you miss him?" he asked suddenly and she looked away to arrange her thoughts before she met his eyes.

"What are you talking about?" she asked instead.

"Weasley… Ron," he explained, looking rather forlorn. "You miss him and I know." He exhaled and ran his fingers through his hair tiredly. "I just didn't want to believe it, you know. Fooled myself to think I can keep you for myself."

"Draco… I- I don't understand. Did you meet him?" she inquired slowly, her heart thudding away, surely Ron didn't…

"No, I didn't," he replied, chuckling bitterly. "Fucking noble he is, isn't he?" he added. "And that's why you still can't get over him."

"Draco-"

"I am not blaming you," he interrupted. "Just stating the facts." Draco took to staring blankly ahead while Hermione sat wondering what she ought to say. She had no clue what had transpired for Draco to say all the things he was. It wasn't common for them to be so open about sensitive topics- they were more used to shoving everything under the rug, pretending not to see them. It wasn't healthy at all for their relationship, but the history they shared was very messed up and ignoring the problematic past and topics was the only way of keeping everything nice and smooth.

"We've got to break the engagement," he said suddenly and she gasped aloud. Her first thought was that her mother would be waiting to meet her fiance, but the second thought was more frightening- she was relieved. It suddenly felt as if someone had loosened the shackles around her ankles and now she was free.

"Draco?" she asked, wondering if he'd notice that she wasn't exactly as heartbroken as he'd perhaps expect her to be.

He turned at her and took to looking into her eyes for a very long time before he spoke. "I'm cursed." She gasped, but he continued. "The entire Malfoy male line is. I won't give you the gruesome details, you are better off not knowing. But if I marry you, you won't live for more than three months."

She let out the tiniest gasps and looked away, her brain on overdrive. "What-" she began and paused abruptly. "How did you get to know?" she inquired, realising to herself that had Ron said it, her reaction would have been very different. She'd have dragged him to the oldest wizard library in the world and not let herself rest till she found a counter-curse. But now, she could hardly bring herself to even suggest that. She wondered if it made her a bad person, a selfish one.

"They read the article by Skeeter. I was called to the Manor."

Hermione took a sharp breath at the mention of the place and looked away and felt Draco's eyes on her face.

"Mother told me late last night. And I guess it makes sense this way."

"What do you mean?" she asked. It was heartbreaking to see how miserable he was and her guilt intensified. She was truly betraying him, wasn't she?

"I have asked myself this so many times these past weeks," he went on, "Asked myself if I really love you as much as I claim to," he paused and sighed softly, "I do, Hermione. And I also asked myself if you love me-"

"-Draco,"

"And you do!" he exclaimed, "Just not the way you love him, and trust me, I don't blame you." He went on before she could interrupt again. "I don't think you can possibly love anyone as much as you have loved him- as much as you still do - even if you tried."

She bit her lip and looked away, fighting her tears. "What are you getting at?"

"Just saying that you are better off without this baggage of our relationship, Hermione. Maybe I needed this fucking ancient curse to see that- but our relationship is just not what a healthy one should be," he let out a dry, hollow laugh. "It's just as messed up as our shared history."

"I- I don't know what to say," she muttered, biting her lower lip.

Draco sighed again and took her left hand in his and slowly removed the ring. His thumb ran over the place where the ring usually sat and he let out a tiny, hollow laugh. "You are free."

"What do I tell Mum?" she gasped quietly. "We were supposed to meet her today."

"Don't think she was expecting me anyway."

"I promised her I'll get married soon, what do I tell her now?" she exclaimed, the fear of letting down her mother yet again was so enormous that she almost missed the hurt in his eyes.

"She- I don't know her, but I doubt she'd want you to rush into a wedding," he added.

"But I have to!" she exclaimed, wiping off her tears hurriedly. "You don't know how happy she was!"

Draco paused, his grip on her hand suddenly intense before he let go. "Then take the guy she really wants to see as her son-in-law."

She let out a gasp and pulled her hand away. Draco looked as if he was in pain.

"You are joking, right?" she replied angrily.

"No, I'm not. You know how much I hate him. I wouldn't joke about this."

"I- I can't go begging, asking him to take me back! You know that!" she cried angrily.

"You were getting married to me for your Mum's sake, Hermione! Just do the same. You are doing it for her anyway."

"Why are you doing this to me?!" she spat angrily, wiping off her tears.

"Because I love you!" he explained, hurt and pain lacing his words, "And I know how hard it is to let go of the person you love." He exhaled tiredly as he continued, "All these days, I was being selfish. I know that, I always knew that. I could see you pinning away for him but I wanted you for myself- despite knowing that your heart belongs to him. I was selfish - wanted to bind our lives together at the cost of your true love. Perhaps-"

"I can't," she managed, sniffing, her anger and frustration were making her incredibly teary.

"Why? Don't tell me you haven't thought about it. Don't tell me you don't want it?" he insisted.

"My pride won't allow me to!" she confessed. Draco gave her a sad smile that held a lot of understanding.

"Is it really so imperative that you marry?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Then he is your best bet."

She scoffed angrily.

"You know him, Hermione," he insisted. "You know he'll go to any lengths to keep others safe! Fuck! He was ready to go to Azkaban for life for Astoria! Ask him to do it for your mum- he won't be able to refuse."

"I don't know, Draco!" she cried, "I- I can't-"

"There is nothing to lose, Hermione. You need to fulfil your Mum's dream, and you've told her about your engagement already! I'm sure she's expecting him and not me. Your families still want you both to be together-"

"But-"

"And you want him too. No matter how much you deny it- you've always wanted him."

She shook her head, angry tears rolling down her cheeks. She sniffed and wiped her nose on the back of her sleeve before she spoke, choking through her words. "What about my self-respect?! I can't keep going back to him only for him to shun me away! Not at the cost of my pride- not again," she added adamantly, knowing well that Draco was right- Ron was her last and only hope.

"He doesn't need to know that you want him."

She looked up at him in shock and he grinned bitterly.

"Weasley doesn't need to know that you still love him," he added, relishing the thought of Ron Weasley marrying the girl he was madly in love with but not having her at all. Perhaps he was just trying to torture Ron the way life was torturing him? "Don't tell him. Don't compromise on your self-respect, make him fucking beg for forgiveness if that makes you feel better, " he insisted as the jealous monster roared in his chest. "But don't let him go," he added softly.

What kind of a twisted game was he playing? he wondered quietly to himself. He didn't really know, but perhaps it was his last-ditch attempt to hurt Ron for taking away Hermione.

"No, I won't go begging to him again," she declared angrily, and Draco held on to her words, hoping. "I just don't know-" she muttered and looked at the clock and he followed her gaze. It was half-past ten. He quietly wondered how long it would be before Hermione's guilt landed her back at the Weasel's doorstep. She really had no other option now.

…...

Molly had been busy fixing lunch when Angelina arrived. She welcomed her daughter-in-law with a peck on the cheek and the women got to work.

"How's George?" Molly inquired as she placed the two stuffed chickens inside the oven and wiped her brow on the back of her sleeve.

"Busy," Angie replied, pulling the still-warm potatoes and peeling them by hand. "We are expecting a substantial crowd now that the students will start their Hogwarts shopping."

Molly nodded and waved her wand at the corn which began husking by themselves. "I'm planning to send some food at Ron's, wonder what the boy's been doing," she mused aloud and patted Angelina on the cheek as the younger woman came forward and hugged her from behind.

"Want me to take it to his place?" asked Angie.

"I was hoping you'd suggest that," Molly replied sadly. "Doesn't speak much to us nowadays and I don't blame him."

"He meets Jane pretty regularly though, doesn't he?" inquired Angelina as she levitated the kettle and set it to boil and the two women pulled chairs for themselves.

"She is very fond of him," replied Molly chuckling a little sadly before she sighed deeply. "I'm so worried about the whole episode with Malfoy. Tom is too."

"I guess-"

The rest of Angelina's sentence drowned in the loud whoosh of the Floo and a blurry form emerged and flew her way out of the grate, crashing onto Molly.

"Hermione?! " Molly gasped as Hermione broke down in tears, "What's wrong?" she asked urgently, fearfully as her first thoughts went back to her friend at the hospital.

Together, Molly and Angeline helped Hermione into a chair and Angelina fetched her a goblet of water.

"Is Jane alright?" Molly asked fearfully and breathed a sigh of relief when the girl nodded in affirmative.

"I don't know what to do!" she cried in anguish. "What do I tell Mum? Draco..."

Assuming her distress to be the result of the impending face off between Jane and Draco, Molly exhaled tiredly as she glanced at her daughter-in-law while she patted Hermione's arm gently.

"Come on, sweetheart... it will be alright," she soothed the young girl, although it was a far cry from what she truly believed.

"No, it won't!" cried Hermione, "He-he..." but the rest of her sentence was cut off as the Floo sounded again and a flustered Harry dropped in.

"I have been looking for you almost everywhere!" he yelled frantically, dusting off the soot and leaving behind a trail of dirt on the floor as he rushed towards Hermione. "You are NOT getting married to Malfoy!" he announced looking positively scary, "I don't care if I have to hex either of you or simply lock you down! YOU ARE NOT MARRYING HIM, DO YOU GET IT?"

Molly couldn't deny that she was relieved to hear that announcement and almost missed Hermione's small voice.

"He broke off our engagement, Harry," she added softly, causing Harry to stop short of another tirade he seemed to be getting ready for. He heaved an enormous sigh of relief and collapsed into a chair, took off his glasses and began cleaning them furiously with the edge his robe.

"What is happening, guys?" inquired Angelina, looking curiously between Harry and Hermione before she met Molly's eyes- there was the tiniest smile of relief the women shared.

"He is..." Hermione began, but Harry interrupted.

"-Cursed." he provided.

"Cursed?" gasped the women together.

"Yeah," Harry answered after a glance at his childhood best friend. "He came down a while ago to record a statement," he told the ladies, sighed and put his glasses back on. "Apparently the Malfoy's have a curse running in their bloodline which is fatal for any muggle-born witch who is unfortunate enough to be married into the family. Apparently, it will kill the new bride slowly within three months of the wedding vows. And-"

"And?!" gasped Molly, clutching Hermione's shoulders fiercely, dreading what else came with it. What if the curse had already touched Hermione? The wedding vows could mean a lot of things...

"No, that's it," Harry finished abruptly as if he wasn't sure about mentioning the rest.

"Are you sure there is nothing more?" she asked of him.

Harry met her eyes in understanding. "No," he exhaled. "Nothing that will impact Hermione. It only affects the person after the wedding vows are sealed by magic."

Molly collapsed on the chair, breathing heavily, clutching Hermione's hand. "Oh, dear… thanks Merlin… goodness dear…" she muttered to herself.

"Didn't he know earlier?" asked Angelina and Molly looked back at her son-in-law but it was Hermione who answered.

"No, his mother told him last night, when... when she got to know about us," she managed in a small voice.

"Seems at least one of them has a heart," Molly pointed out before leaving the chair and hurrying off to the kettle that had begun to whistle furiously.

"Is Ginny home?" inquired Angelina, and Harry nodded a little. "I'll call her," suggested Angelina and proceeded to make a Floo call.

As Harry took a seat next to her, Hermione whimpered softly, "I told Mum, I am engaged! He was supposed to meet her today. I don't know what I'll tell her now!" she sobbed.

With a glance at her son-in-law, Molly poured tea and carried the tray to the table. She handed one steaming cup to Hermione and added two lumps of sugar. "I understand your dilemma, love, but I'm not sure how happy Jane would have been with the news anyway," she said softly as she stirred the cup.

"But she was so happy!" insisted Hermione. "I'm going to break her heart again," she whimpered.

"I am surprised he didn't look in for a counter curse and let you go so easily." said a voice behind them, and they all turned to find Ginny hopping out of the grate.

"Not sure if it would have worked as he is an adult, Gin," Hermione replied slowly, and Molly couldn't dare hope but it was hard to miss how little affected she seemed about it. It appeared as if Hermione was more concerned about breaking her Mum's heart than distressed about her own broken engagement. She couldn't deny it was a ray of light.

"Now what?" asked Ginny softly.

"I don't know... what do I tell Mum?" Hermione inquired, wrapping her fingers around the cup.

"Well, you have to tell Jane the truth, dear." advised Molly softly, "Or take someone else along..." she added in almost a whisper.

"Mum!" admonished Ginny and Angelina together, and Molly shrugged a little sheepishly.

"I am not telling her she has to. I'm just saying she could."

"Take someone else?" Hermione muttered quietly, looking around at all the faces.

Molly sipped on her tea, distinctly remembering the evening of her daughter's wedding and the conversation they were having at the table, and how happy Jane seemed at the prospect of their children's wedding.

"Someone, I know for sure, Jane wished to have as her son-in-law," Molly provided, looking carefully at the young girl. Molly had seen Hermione heart-broken after Ron left and as she looked at the young girl now, it wasn't hard to make out how different her demeanour was in both cases.

"No," Hermione declared firmly, looking away, not meeting her gaze.

"Why not?" inquired Harry. "You told me you had no choice but to marry. So why not Ron?" he asked.

"I can't," she replied, shaking her head furiously, "He won't," she added after a while.

"Let's ask him before you make that assumption," provided Molly.

"I won't marry him!" Hermione said firmly, "No."

"You don't have to. That's what we've been telling you. No one here is forcing you to get married," Ginny added, patting Hermione on the arm, glaring at her mum and husband.

"But I have to, Gin!" she cried. "I won't marry Ron," she said after a while.

"I think you already said that," said Ginny softly.

"But I have to find someone!" she bellowed madly.

"Come on Hermione! You can't be serious!" snapped Harry. "What do you intend to do? Pick up a random name from the list? Are you barking mad? This is a wedding you are talking about not a date for the Slughorn's Christmas Party!"

"Don't rush for a wedding, Hermione," provided Angelina softly. "It's okay, I'm sure Jane will understand."

"I can't do that!" she replied looking at her best friends. "You know it, Harry!"

"Well if you absolutely must, I suggest, let's talk to Ron, sweetheart. We can tell him if you wish?" Molly suggested quietly, ignoring the glares of her daughter and daughter-in-law.

"Well, it seems Ron is your only option now, Hermione..." added Harry.

"You'll make Jane very happy...and all of us too..." Molly muttered quietly and patted Hermione on the arm.

"Mum, Harry, please!" snapped Ginny. "Hermione, you don't need to do this if you don't want to. Ron may be an arse at times, but he wouldn't want you to be forced into a wedding either!" she added, gritting her teeth and glaring at her Mum and husband.

Hermione took to staring at her cup for a very long time before she pushed her chair back and scrambled up. She sniffed and wiped off the moisture from her cheeks. "I-I'll think about it," she muttered to no one in particular before turning on her heels and rushed out through the Floo.

….