Chapter 13 - Reality Dream

Draco stood at his window, gazing at the gardens surrounding the manor. All these gardens layouts were designed and planted, none other by Narcissa Malfoy - with the help of their gardener, of course.

His internal angel and devil were debating at the moment, and thus, couldn't admire the gorgeous scenery with Draco. The topic was: To tell or not to tell.

Of course not, devil Draco said crossly.

She deserves the right to know, angel Draco insisted.

She will, but not from Draco, argued the devil.

She has to hear it from Draco, the angel cried.

Draco shut out the voices in his head. He sat down on the couch, thinking thoughtfully. He relieved the memory of last night and felt a tingle shoot pass him. Hermione should hear it from me, Draco told himself. I owe her an explanation.

Draco climbed back onto the bed. He watched her doze for a while. She must be having a good dream because there was a smile on her face. It lighted up the rest of her.

Maybe I'll tell her later, Draco thought, not wishing to spoil her dream.

Coward! angel Draco taunted.

He winced slightly. Draco bent forward so that his face was just inches away from Hermione's. Maybe she will wake up when she felt his hot breath.

She didn't.

"Hermione..." he whispered.

She didn't even stir.

"Hermione..." Draco tried again. "Hermione. Granger. Granger!"

Hermione's eyes flew open. She sat up immediately but hit Draco's head instead. "Owww..." Both of them rubbed their heads instinctively.

"Why were you staring at me so closely?" Hermione complained.

"I wanted to wake you up."

"Well, congratulations, here I am," she muttered. "You scared me."

"Sorry." Draco took a deep breath. And another. And another. Hermione looked at him expectantly.

"You know the dream about Weasley you had? That he..." Draco let the next word hang in the air. "It's true..."

He watched Hermione pale and stare at him blankly.

"Hermione?" Draco called gently.

Hermione's eyes flitted wildly around the room, evidently avoiding Draco's stare.

"You are lying!" she exclaimed suddenly, tears running down her cheeks.

"Hermione, why would I lie?" he asked softly.

Hermione shook her head. "You are lying..." she repeated, her face in her hands and her shoulders shook.

"I met Potter yesterday. He told me there is a funeral today." Draco paused. "I think you should go."

"We were supposed to be getting married," blubbered Hermione.

"I'm sorry, Hermione," Draco whispered, getting up from the bed and walking to the door. This was all my fault. Weasley shouldn't have died. "I'll ask Father for permission," he called quietly.

Hermione buried her head into her pillow and cried some more.

Draco knocked on the door of Lucius' and Narcissa's bedroom. The giggling he had heard a second ago stopped abruptly. He could just imagine what they were doing in there.

"Come in," came Lucius' annoyed voice from inside.

Draco stepped in with caution. "Father, Mother," he dutifully acknowledged them.

Narcissa looked at Draco kindly. "Is there anything you want, son?" she asked gently.

Draco nodded and locked eyes with Lucius. "Can I have permission to let Hermione go for her fiancé's funeral?"

Narcissa gasped and clasped her mouth. "Poor girl, she must be devastated," she stated sympathetically.

Lucius eyed Draco. "Are you absolutely sure?" Draco nodded. "What if she runs away?"

Draco's head jerked up. He had not thought of that. "She wouldn't," he said, hoping he sounded confident.

Lucius obviously had not been fooled. He arched his eyebrows and was silent for quite some time before he answered.

"You will go with her."

Draco squeezed Hermione's hand reassuringly as he drove to the destination where Ron's funeral was taking place. Both of them were dressed in black - Hermione, a black dress, and Draco, a suit. Hermione's eyes were red and puffy and she was still crying, only more subdued. Thankfully both of them were wearing shades.

They arrived half an hour later. Draco opened the car door for her and offered Hermione his hand. She took it gratefully. Both of them walked in, hands clasped.

The funeral which had been noisy of cries was now silent. On the far end, a pin could be heard dropping onto the ground. The Weasley twins stormed forward, blocking their way. The blond hair was unmistakably easy to recognize.

"Malfoy, what are you doing here?" Harry Potter asked from behind the twins.

"To attend the funeral," Draco replied coolly, as if nothing bothered him at all.

"You are not welcomed," Fred said at the same time George answered. "You are not going to wreck it."

"Do twins always talk at the same time?" Draco asked Harry, sounding annoyingly amused.

Harry ignored him and eyed the girl whose hand Draco was holding tightly, as if he would die if he let go. Harry started and stared. " 'Mione?"

Hermione quickly dropped Draco's hand when she thought how it must have looked in front of so many people. "H-hi, Harry."

Harry glared at Draco. "I thought you said you didn't know where she was!" Draco shrugged, looking bored. Harry turned to Hermione. "What the heck are you doing with Malfoy? You're Ron's - "

"Fiancée," Hermione said quietly, removing her shades. She looked very, very exhausted. "It's a long story, Harry. I'll explain when the time is right."

"Now's as good as any!" Harry shouted. He rarely lost his temper. He had not even realise that Ginny was standing beside him, gripping his arm, to give so-called "moral support".

"You heard her, Potter," Draco drawled.

"Do not test my patience, Malfoy," Harry warned.

Draco rolled his eyes. "Be quick," he whispered to Hermione, angering Harry even more. He knew that Potter boy detested him for being so close to Hermione. "We are expected home soon."

Hermione nodded, her eyes losing some of her focus. She walked past the twins, Harry, Cho Chang, Seamus Finnegan, Lavender Brown... Not one girl is not crying.

Hermione stopped in front of Ron's photo. She stared at it in silence for a moment, not knowing what to say.

"Ron, I know what you may think of me right now and I admit that I don't think quite highly of myself either. I don't really like it, even. I'm not going to deny, Ron - " She paused.

"I think I'm in love with Draco," she whispered.