Disclaimer: no I don't own it at all. I swear.
~*~
Thank you's (shit load of em.jeez people you spoil the hell out of me)
~*~
MellonKidd: dude! Lol, hopefully it turns out okay.
Selvagem: hehehe, Shannon you're a kick in the glass, I tell you. Damn keyboard. . .
not sure yet: hehe yay for the big bang theory! No knifes in the vicinity of woodland creatures and innocent bystanders for you, young lady!
Kelly: hmmm well I guess you found out by now, hehehe.
Amora-Ryuko: hehe, she stopped reviewing after chapter 12. I have a feeling the whole rape thing scared her away, lol. Well, if you read this, thanks for all the good reviews!
Snapegirl: hehe calm down you.
Sex & Diamonds: there you go making me laugh with your reviews again. Lol. Yes I will be writing another d/hr fic after this one, but it's going to be a bit more cheerful with this one with small amounts of angst, and alas no naughty. But maybe in the fic after that one. . .
The Lost Weasley: yup. Blaise kicks ass. Hehehe.
J.Fo: hehehe. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, he had to die, lol. Poor ickle Ronnikins
Amanda: why thank you dahling best friend of mine.
MellonKidd: have I made you restless enough?
Freak like me: aww thank you! But. . .how do you know what it's like to kill someone, eh? Hehe, jk.
Hurdlingbaybe06: well, actually I could make it more depressing. . .I think I might do that. *evil grin*
Princess Roly: aww thank you thank you thank you. Your review was so sweet! Lol, I loved I loved it I loved it!
ellie-bob: in all honesty I thought you were someone I used to know that really annoyed me. It's just that every time I get a review from you, you have no others words besides thank you. If you do review me again, seeing as how I've pissed you off, and frankly I don't blame you for being pissed, please write something more than "thank you, are you going to write anymore?" It's better for a writer if they know what to change, or what is good or isn't good. Your reviews don't tell me much on what can be changed and provide no help whatsoever. Sorry if I'm pissing you off even more. It's just the truth.
Jamie Anderson: aww there are plenty of good fics out there. You just gotta search for them. Lol. I'll miss this fic too. It's been fun writing it.
Meg: well, basically I could make that happen to hermione because I'm the one writing the story. See, I get authority over what gets written in this thing. Good day.
Little Red Raven: yes yes, rav, I did kill Ron. I'm a big meanie. So sorry. Hehe. Chipper up you.
LunaCat007: lol, sorry this chap took so long to get out. Writer's block. . .sorta.
Sweet roses: thank you so much. I feel all good inside now. Hehe.
Willowfairy: *hums silently to herself* we'll see. . .
Young Golden Unicorn: I'm writing I'm writing! Lol. Thank you for reviewing.
Kristin Malfoy: why thank you, and indeed I am.
Princess642: your review made me laugh. Lol. Lot's of words you have for lucius there.
I-LOVE-DRACO: I love draco too. . .anyhoo, mercy beaucoup for the review.
Nahima Tala: hehe. Thank you dahling.
Caroline: hehe, thank you for your lovely review. Yeah, that's why I'm only writing one fic at a time, that way I can keep my concentration on it and get committed to it. Yay.
COLDPLAYSOCEAN: aww thank you so much! That was a beautiful and humorous review. I loved it a lot. And I love coldplay so that makes it even better! Lol, thank you so much.
Little Red Raven: EVERYONE GO AND REVIEW RAV'S STORIES! THEY ARE GOOD, EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE ALL DRACO AND GINNY..DAMN YOU RAV. Anyhoo, thank you for the second review. Mwahahahahahaha.
Sweet roses: I'll have to go listen to those two songs, thanks for bringing them up. lol, I didn't know that my fic matches a couple songs. Haha that's cool. I'll check em out, I promise. Hehe, yeah you accidentally sent that twice. eets okies.
Alison50: hehe, I'm writing I'm writing, I promise.
~*~
A/N: that was a hella lot of reviews. Just a little over two pages. Jeez, lol, I love you people. Sorry to get this out so late, I had some small writer's block thing. Have fun reading my very last chapter to this fic. . .its so sad saying goodbye! I love you I love you I love you!
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Chapter 17
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Hermione woke up in the hospital wing that night at the sound of thunder shaking the whole of Hogwarts. The bed she lay in rattled slightly at the rolling vibrations and she stared out the window at the pitch-black sky, the rain pelting the window. She shuddered, drawing in a deep breath, and wrapped the blankets around her tightly.
Memories of the previous events racked her mind mercilessly. She saw Lucius hovering above her, fumbling with his robes and she noticed Draco in the corner, bound to where he sat. She shut her eyes tightly, willing the memory to go away. She remembered the excruciating pain that came with it all and she tried to fight back tears as she relived every moment. Liquid trails of salt seeped out from under her eyelids and rolled down her cheeks, dripping silently onto the fabric of the white linen sheets she lay on.
'Go away!' her mind screamed. Her hands went to her forehead and she felt her nails digging into the flesh sharply. 'Go. AWAY!' her thoughts shouted through her mind, willing it to listen. And for once, it obeyed.
It instead directed itself wholly on Ron.
Hermione flipped onto her side on the bed and breathed heavily into the pillow, each breath shuddering more than the last. Her small pale hands tugged at the pillowcase, gripping it so hard that her fingers began to turn purple. 'Oh Ron. . .no. no, don't go. No, Ron. Come back to me!' she pleaded to the image of Ron in her head. Ron turned to her and all she saw was the blood. It flowed down his neck in crimson tides, permeating his shirt in the warm red liquid. Hermione let out a scream at the sight of him, unbeknownst to her that she had even opened her mouth in the first place.
Madame Pomfrey ran into the room from her office, panting heavily. "Miss Granger, you've awoken." She managed to say between breaths. Hermione nodded incoherently and the old nurse bustled over to her bed. She picked up a vile on the night table beside the bed and handed it to Hermione. "Drink this, my dear. It will help you sleep, fill your dreams with happy thoughts."
Hermione looked at her curiously. "Why not just give me the dreamless sleeping potion?"
Madame Pomfrey gave her a sympathetic look. "You've been through a great ordeal, Miss Granger. The sleeping draught only causes the pain you feel to go away for a bit, both the emotional and the physical. What this potion does is give you amazing dreams that are nestled deep in your heart. You will wake up happier, and a little bit more ready to face reality. I assure you, my dear. Now drink up."
Hermione complied and no sooner than she had handed the nurse back the vile, her head hit the pillow gently, her eyelids closing on impact.
~*~ (dream)~*~
Hermione stood in the ocean, the wind billowing through her hair, causing each strand to lick the sky, the sun shining down on her head giving her a warm glow all over. She looked down and saw that she was dressed in a white toga, which drifted around her as the waves encircled her waist. She brought her hand to the surface of the water and allowed her fingers to skim over the beauteous fluid.
The liquid rippled under her touch undulating gently as the waves closed in on her. She slipped under the water with ease, and came back up, her head leaning back gracefully, her hair falling to her back immediately under the weight of the water. She stood again, bringing her hands to her hair, wringing out the water, droplets cascading down her face and back. When she pulled her hands away, her hair fell in moist ringlets over her shoulders.
She looked to the shore, and for the first time, she noticed that she wasn't alone. Bringing her hand up to shadow her eyes, she squinted and saw a slight glimmer of messy red hair. The figure waved and beckoned her to come to him. She obliged and made her way through the salty ensconce of the ocean.
Moments later she felt her foot hit the warm sand just beyond the surf, and the feeling that generated from the heat tingled her entire body, causing her to shudder at the sudden wave of warmth. She was closer now and she smiled amusedly at the figure's light cascade of freckles across his nose. He walked closer until he was standing directly in front of her.
She smiled as she looked up at his beautiful blue orbs, the ones that were speckled with light traces of brown and gold. He brought his hand to her cheek and she sank into his touch.
"Just like Aphrodite. . ." he murmured.
She closed her eyes, warmth flowing throughout her, completely lost in Ron's touch. He brought his hand to her hair and toyed with it playfully, wrapping the ringlets around his finger, tugging gently. She let out a small burst of air and she opened her eyes slowly, glancing up towards his.
"Don't leave me, Ron. Come back to me." She pleaded softly.
Ron smiled at her and cupped her face in his hands. She brought her hands up to his, interlacing their fingers. "I will never leave you, Hermione. I will always be right here," he told her as he brought their hands to section themselves over his heart. "I promise."
"I need you so much, Ron." Hermione said, her breath quickening.
"I know, Hermione, I know. I will always be here for you. Maybe not in body, but I will always be here with you in spirit. Never forget that, Hermione. Never."
A small tear rolled down her cheek, and Ron lifted his finger and brushed it away, his arms encircling her body within milliseconds. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her head in his shoulder. They stood like that for a long while, until finally he lifted his head and kissed her forehead. "I love you, Hermione Granger. Goodbye."
Hermione glanced up, her eyes brimming with tears. "Don't go. . .please. Stay with me."
Ron shook his head. "I can't stay with you like you want me to. I will always be with you, I will always be that annoying pest in your head, in your heart. I will never leave you, Hermione, not spiritually at least. I do have to leave physically though."
He turned to leave, but paused for a second and faced her again. "Oh, and Draco wants to see you," he told her with a sly grin.
Hermione pulled in her breath and held it for a moment. Ron apparently seemed to notice and he looked at her seriously. "Hermione, he isn't his father. You wouldn't be alive if he were. It will be okay, Hermione, I promise."
And with that, Ron turned abruptly and made his way down the beach, disappearing suddenly in the distance. Hermione stood for a moment, unsure of what to do.
Suddenly the day turned to night, and the warmth turned to biting wind and rain. Lightening struck the surface of the water in a multitude of places under the storm's wrath. Hermione lifted her head to the dark sky, allowing the rain to fall heavily against her face, soothing her in a way nothing else could.
Her hair began twisting wildly in the harsh wind, flicking the air swiftly. She brought her face back down and opened her eyes- finding herself staring into the gray gaze of Draco Malfoy. She felt a grin tug at her lips as she looked at him. He walked to her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into him. She watched his eyes every single second of the moment and smiled softly to him. He leaned in, his lips only inches away from hers when a sudden crack of thunder jolted them away from each other.
Hermione felt her body being tugged away from Draco. She reached out and grabbed fervently for his hand. They held on for an instant, but then she felt her body ripped away from his and she saw him getting further and further away from her (A/N: end dream), and suddenly, with a small pop, she found herself back in the hospital wing, the storm still raging uncontrollably around the castle.
She sat up, her head mopped with sweat. She looked over to her bedside and jumped, startled by the fact that Draco was sitting in a chair next to her bed, his head on the soft mattress by her waist.
A small smile played at her lips and she brought her hand to his hair, and ran her fingers through it gently. He started at the touch and looked up at her sleepily. "Hey. . ."
Hermione put her finger to his lips and rested her head in her pillow again. He brought his hand to hers and entwined his fingers with hers, kissing each one of them softly as she drifted off into sleep again.
~*~
The morning of Ron's funeral was a solemn one. Even though the beautiful Scottish sky was clear and as blue as sapphires, the mood was a melancholy one, and even though Hermione had learned to let go of her best friend, she still felt a twinge of heartache.
The whole of Hogwarts attended the funeral, with an exception of one Slytherin who found herself stuck in St. Mungo's for the incurably insane, after receiving news that a certain plan to kill a certain person in order to gain another certain person's fancy had failed miraculously. Alas, Pansy Parkinson would be with them no more.
The Weasleys and Harry stood closest to Ron's coffin, each of them in their own stages of grief.
Molly had her hand to her heart, leaning on Arthur for the ability to stand, tears running down her face in large dollops, her shoulders shaking vehemently.
Arthur stood next his wife, barely able to hold her up, composing himself as best as possible as the words of condolences were read. A small tear rolled down his cheek and he brushed it away quickly before anyone could see.
Bill and Charlie stood on the other side of their mother, each with their hands folded in front of them at their waists, heads bowed in silent mourning.
Percy stood a little further away from his family, leaning solemnly on a post, occasionally wiping away a tear as he pushed the rims of his glasses back up his nose.
Fred and George stood by their father, each of them allowing silent tears of grief spill down their cheeks.
Ginny stood in between Harry and George, breathing heavily, eyes brimmed with unshed tears.
Harry had his arm around Ginny, her head resting on his shoulder. He squeezed her shoulder softly as he looked towards the casket that held his best friend. A small gasp escaped his lips and suddenly the tears came for both him and Ginny.
Hermione watched it all from the other side of Harry, her own mind filled with mourning thoughts of her dead best friend. She didn't allow herself to cry though.
She gave a solemn glance to Draco, the tears threatening to escape. She blinked them back and rested her eyes once more on the casket. Sniffling students, teachers, and other funeral guests stood all around the Weasley's, offering words of comfort.
Finally, the burial took place, and they all walked from the cemetery quietly. Not too many felt something other than solemnity.
After the funeral, everyone went there own way, Slytherins went with Slytherins, Gryffindors with Gryffindors, everyone went with there own kind. Hermione, Harry, and Ginny made there way silently back to the Gryffindor Common Room, where Hermione went straight to her prefect's corridor.
~*~
Hermione lay in the bed of her prefect's room in Gryffindor tower, staring towards the ceiling. It was night and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't bring herself to sleep.
After a long while, she gave up on trying to sleep and crawled out of bed, wrapping her school robes around her pajamas. She grabbed her wand and left the room, and then left the tower, making her way for another tower.
The journey up the flight of stairs to the astronomy tower was a long one, but she was young, she could handle it. When she reached the door to the tower she pushed on it gently, willing it not to squeak too much. She was incredibly grateful when it obliged.
She walked to the balcony and looked out to the lake, the gentle breeze blowing her hair softly. She closed her eyes and let the peacefulness of her surroundings overcome her, letting it take her breath away. She thought of Ron, and how much she missed him. She thought of what he had told her in her dream, and she let the tears flow freely. She stood there for what seemed like forever, crying softly.
A soft click came from behind her and when she turned to see the culprit, a pair of steely gray eyes had transfixed themselves among hers. Her face contorted slightly as she choked back a sob, and closing her eyes, she felt tears flood from her sockets untamed.
Draco stepped towards her and she collapsed into his arms, squeezing his body tightly as she cried into his chest. He brought his hand to her arms and brushed over them lightly, pulling her away from him slightly so he could brush away her tears. Her eyes closed reflexively and she gasped slightly, trying to hold back more tears.
When she allowed her eyes to open, she and Draco were inches away from one another, and led by some crazed intuition that surged throughout her body in that one moment she grabbed Draco by his neck and brought her lips crashing against his. Hermione put all her might into the kiss and she put both of their mouths into a frenzy as their tongues raged in a battle of love.
Somehow, they both sank to the stone floor of the tower, the passion surging through both of them. Draco pulled away from her and gasped for air, his eyes locking on hers in a silent, but mutual question.
Hermione nodded slightly and pulled Draco back to her, this time being gentler with the kiss. His hands went to her waist, his thumbs moving in small circles over the skin around her belly button, caressing her abdomen softly.
His fingers moved to unbutton her robes and he gazed into her eyes the whole time. When he did look he laughed slightly at the pajamas she was wearing.
Hermione scoffed, "What, do you have a problem with monkeys, Draco?" she asked teasingly. Draco grinned. "No ma'am."
Hermione smiled and moved his hands back to her waist, lifting them to the edges of her pajama top. He looked up at her, somewhat shocked, and she nodded. "It's okay."
He lifted her shirt off slowly, wanting her to feel the anticipation. She lifted her arms so he could release her from the confines of the shirt and he pulled it over her head. He smiled when he noticed she slept with her bra on.
Hermione grinned back at him and moved to do the same thing to him that he had done to her, making him wait as she pulled off his shirt agonizingly slowly. He smirked at her and she stuck her tongue out at him.
"Don't stick out your tongue unless you plan to use it, Granger," he teased. She grinned. "Oh I plan to all right, ferret boy."
Draco looked at her in mock offense. "I'm back to ferret boy, am I? What's next? Malfoy? Mal-ferret? Bleachie? Oh be some other name!" Hermione began laughing.
"Draco."
He looked to her and grinned. "What?"
"Shut up." And with that, she leaned into him again, kissing his face everywhere but on his lips. She trailed her kisses down his neck and made her way for his chest, which had numerous scars on them. She glanced up to him and smiled as she leaned to his chest, kissing every scar that had found their way to his flesh, running her tongue gently over the white lines.
Draco breathed heavily and squirmed slightly as he felt her breath tickling his skin, as he felt her run her warm tongue along his torso, so gently. She kissed her way back up his chest and neck and landed back on his lips, a fervent passion coursing through them both.
Draco turned Hermione around so that her back was facing him, and after making sure her hair was out of the way, he returned the favor she had just bestowed upon him.
After an excruciatingly slow wait, Draco turned Hermione back to him and began kissing her again, bringing her down so that her back now lay on the stone floor. She giggled slightly at the cold floor but she paid it no heed. She would be warm in a matter of seconds.
Draco pulled Hermione's pajama pants down her legs and took them off. Hermione propped herself up on her elbows and watched as Draco pulled off his own. She waited in anticipation as she felt his fingers at her waist, tugging her remaining constraints away.
Hermione sat all the way up and helped Draco with the rest of his own barriers, and they fell to the floor slowly, their mouths pressed together in an emotional union. Hermione's eyes widened in pain as she felt Draco push inside of her and she let out a small sob.
Draco looked at her and stopped pushing himself into her, waiting for her to get used to the feeling. "You okay?" he asked softly, nuzzling her nose with his own. Hermione winced a little, but she was beginning to get used to the feel of him. She nodded. "I'm all right. Keep going."
Draco nodded and kissed her lovingly, pumping slowly for the time being so as not to hurt her.
~*~
Hermione and Draco awoke the next morning at the sound of bird's chirping. Draco nuzzled Hermione's head with her nose and she opened her eyes, breathing him in. She made a small face.
Draco looked at her with a smile. "What?"
She wrinkled up her nose at him before replying. "Morning breath."
"Me or you?" he whispered. Hermione laughed and pulled her hands to her nose.
"Stop breathing on me," she said laughing. He mimicked her.
"No, you stop breathing on me!" he said in childish voice. Hermione shoved him playfully and rested her head on his elbow.
"I love you," she whispered.
He looked at her and smiled. She was so beautiful. And so. . .happy, it seemed. He leaned forward and kissed her softly, rank breath and all.
"I love you, too."
~*~
A/N: I'm done. . .my story. . .it's over. Oh me oh my. I should like to cry. I'll miss this story I will. Well. I'm about to start another one. Soon, I think, its not going to be as angsty as this one, I'm trying to do the angsty, not so angsty, angsty, not so angsty thing, you know what I mean jellybean? Anyhoo. This chapter will be my last, no sequels- none, ok? All right then. Yes, the stormy part of hermione's dream did originate from the dream draco had in chapter four. If you remember that far back, that is. I would like to thank each and every one of you who review this last chapter. You guys have made my writing so much fun. I will love you forever if you review my next story, but if you don't. . .damn you. haha, jk. Thanks you guys, again. You have made me want to keep writing when I myself had almost given up on it. Thank you. Well must be going now. Hope you enjoyed.
Review me!
Please. . .
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Thank you's (shit load of em.jeez people you spoil the hell out of me)
~*~
MellonKidd: dude! Lol, hopefully it turns out okay.
Selvagem: hehehe, Shannon you're a kick in the glass, I tell you. Damn keyboard. . .
not sure yet: hehe yay for the big bang theory! No knifes in the vicinity of woodland creatures and innocent bystanders for you, young lady!
Kelly: hmmm well I guess you found out by now, hehehe.
Amora-Ryuko: hehe, she stopped reviewing after chapter 12. I have a feeling the whole rape thing scared her away, lol. Well, if you read this, thanks for all the good reviews!
Snapegirl: hehe calm down you.
Sex & Diamonds: there you go making me laugh with your reviews again. Lol. Yes I will be writing another d/hr fic after this one, but it's going to be a bit more cheerful with this one with small amounts of angst, and alas no naughty. But maybe in the fic after that one. . .
The Lost Weasley: yup. Blaise kicks ass. Hehehe.
J.Fo: hehehe. I'm sorry, I'm sorry, he had to die, lol. Poor ickle Ronnikins
Amanda: why thank you dahling best friend of mine.
MellonKidd: have I made you restless enough?
Freak like me: aww thank you! But. . .how do you know what it's like to kill someone, eh? Hehe, jk.
Hurdlingbaybe06: well, actually I could make it more depressing. . .I think I might do that. *evil grin*
Princess Roly: aww thank you thank you thank you. Your review was so sweet! Lol, I loved I loved it I loved it!
ellie-bob: in all honesty I thought you were someone I used to know that really annoyed me. It's just that every time I get a review from you, you have no others words besides thank you. If you do review me again, seeing as how I've pissed you off, and frankly I don't blame you for being pissed, please write something more than "thank you, are you going to write anymore?" It's better for a writer if they know what to change, or what is good or isn't good. Your reviews don't tell me much on what can be changed and provide no help whatsoever. Sorry if I'm pissing you off even more. It's just the truth.
Jamie Anderson: aww there are plenty of good fics out there. You just gotta search for them. Lol. I'll miss this fic too. It's been fun writing it.
Meg: well, basically I could make that happen to hermione because I'm the one writing the story. See, I get authority over what gets written in this thing. Good day.
Little Red Raven: yes yes, rav, I did kill Ron. I'm a big meanie. So sorry. Hehe. Chipper up you.
LunaCat007: lol, sorry this chap took so long to get out. Writer's block. . .sorta.
Sweet roses: thank you so much. I feel all good inside now. Hehe.
Willowfairy: *hums silently to herself* we'll see. . .
Young Golden Unicorn: I'm writing I'm writing! Lol. Thank you for reviewing.
Kristin Malfoy: why thank you, and indeed I am.
Princess642: your review made me laugh. Lol. Lot's of words you have for lucius there.
I-LOVE-DRACO: I love draco too. . .anyhoo, mercy beaucoup for the review.
Nahima Tala: hehe. Thank you dahling.
Caroline: hehe, thank you for your lovely review. Yeah, that's why I'm only writing one fic at a time, that way I can keep my concentration on it and get committed to it. Yay.
COLDPLAYSOCEAN: aww thank you so much! That was a beautiful and humorous review. I loved it a lot. And I love coldplay so that makes it even better! Lol, thank you so much.
Little Red Raven: EVERYONE GO AND REVIEW RAV'S STORIES! THEY ARE GOOD, EVEN THOUGH THEY ARE ALL DRACO AND GINNY..DAMN YOU RAV. Anyhoo, thank you for the second review. Mwahahahahahaha.
Sweet roses: I'll have to go listen to those two songs, thanks for bringing them up. lol, I didn't know that my fic matches a couple songs. Haha that's cool. I'll check em out, I promise. Hehe, yeah you accidentally sent that twice. eets okies.
Alison50: hehe, I'm writing I'm writing, I promise.
~*~
A/N: that was a hella lot of reviews. Just a little over two pages. Jeez, lol, I love you people. Sorry to get this out so late, I had some small writer's block thing. Have fun reading my very last chapter to this fic. . .its so sad saying goodbye! I love you I love you I love you!
~*~
Chapter 17
~*~
Hermione woke up in the hospital wing that night at the sound of thunder shaking the whole of Hogwarts. The bed she lay in rattled slightly at the rolling vibrations and she stared out the window at the pitch-black sky, the rain pelting the window. She shuddered, drawing in a deep breath, and wrapped the blankets around her tightly.
Memories of the previous events racked her mind mercilessly. She saw Lucius hovering above her, fumbling with his robes and she noticed Draco in the corner, bound to where he sat. She shut her eyes tightly, willing the memory to go away. She remembered the excruciating pain that came with it all and she tried to fight back tears as she relived every moment. Liquid trails of salt seeped out from under her eyelids and rolled down her cheeks, dripping silently onto the fabric of the white linen sheets she lay on.
'Go away!' her mind screamed. Her hands went to her forehead and she felt her nails digging into the flesh sharply. 'Go. AWAY!' her thoughts shouted through her mind, willing it to listen. And for once, it obeyed.
It instead directed itself wholly on Ron.
Hermione flipped onto her side on the bed and breathed heavily into the pillow, each breath shuddering more than the last. Her small pale hands tugged at the pillowcase, gripping it so hard that her fingers began to turn purple. 'Oh Ron. . .no. no, don't go. No, Ron. Come back to me!' she pleaded to the image of Ron in her head. Ron turned to her and all she saw was the blood. It flowed down his neck in crimson tides, permeating his shirt in the warm red liquid. Hermione let out a scream at the sight of him, unbeknownst to her that she had even opened her mouth in the first place.
Madame Pomfrey ran into the room from her office, panting heavily. "Miss Granger, you've awoken." She managed to say between breaths. Hermione nodded incoherently and the old nurse bustled over to her bed. She picked up a vile on the night table beside the bed and handed it to Hermione. "Drink this, my dear. It will help you sleep, fill your dreams with happy thoughts."
Hermione looked at her curiously. "Why not just give me the dreamless sleeping potion?"
Madame Pomfrey gave her a sympathetic look. "You've been through a great ordeal, Miss Granger. The sleeping draught only causes the pain you feel to go away for a bit, both the emotional and the physical. What this potion does is give you amazing dreams that are nestled deep in your heart. You will wake up happier, and a little bit more ready to face reality. I assure you, my dear. Now drink up."
Hermione complied and no sooner than she had handed the nurse back the vile, her head hit the pillow gently, her eyelids closing on impact.
~*~ (dream)~*~
Hermione stood in the ocean, the wind billowing through her hair, causing each strand to lick the sky, the sun shining down on her head giving her a warm glow all over. She looked down and saw that she was dressed in a white toga, which drifted around her as the waves encircled her waist. She brought her hand to the surface of the water and allowed her fingers to skim over the beauteous fluid.
The liquid rippled under her touch undulating gently as the waves closed in on her. She slipped under the water with ease, and came back up, her head leaning back gracefully, her hair falling to her back immediately under the weight of the water. She stood again, bringing her hands to her hair, wringing out the water, droplets cascading down her face and back. When she pulled her hands away, her hair fell in moist ringlets over her shoulders.
She looked to the shore, and for the first time, she noticed that she wasn't alone. Bringing her hand up to shadow her eyes, she squinted and saw a slight glimmer of messy red hair. The figure waved and beckoned her to come to him. She obliged and made her way through the salty ensconce of the ocean.
Moments later she felt her foot hit the warm sand just beyond the surf, and the feeling that generated from the heat tingled her entire body, causing her to shudder at the sudden wave of warmth. She was closer now and she smiled amusedly at the figure's light cascade of freckles across his nose. He walked closer until he was standing directly in front of her.
She smiled as she looked up at his beautiful blue orbs, the ones that were speckled with light traces of brown and gold. He brought his hand to her cheek and she sank into his touch.
"Just like Aphrodite. . ." he murmured.
She closed her eyes, warmth flowing throughout her, completely lost in Ron's touch. He brought his hand to her hair and toyed with it playfully, wrapping the ringlets around his finger, tugging gently. She let out a small burst of air and she opened her eyes slowly, glancing up towards his.
"Don't leave me, Ron. Come back to me." She pleaded softly.
Ron smiled at her and cupped her face in his hands. She brought her hands up to his, interlacing their fingers. "I will never leave you, Hermione. I will always be right here," he told her as he brought their hands to section themselves over his heart. "I promise."
"I need you so much, Ron." Hermione said, her breath quickening.
"I know, Hermione, I know. I will always be here for you. Maybe not in body, but I will always be here with you in spirit. Never forget that, Hermione. Never."
A small tear rolled down her cheek, and Ron lifted his finger and brushed it away, his arms encircling her body within milliseconds. She wrapped her arms around his neck and buried her head in his shoulder. They stood like that for a long while, until finally he lifted his head and kissed her forehead. "I love you, Hermione Granger. Goodbye."
Hermione glanced up, her eyes brimming with tears. "Don't go. . .please. Stay with me."
Ron shook his head. "I can't stay with you like you want me to. I will always be with you, I will always be that annoying pest in your head, in your heart. I will never leave you, Hermione, not spiritually at least. I do have to leave physically though."
He turned to leave, but paused for a second and faced her again. "Oh, and Draco wants to see you," he told her with a sly grin.
Hermione pulled in her breath and held it for a moment. Ron apparently seemed to notice and he looked at her seriously. "Hermione, he isn't his father. You wouldn't be alive if he were. It will be okay, Hermione, I promise."
And with that, Ron turned abruptly and made his way down the beach, disappearing suddenly in the distance. Hermione stood for a moment, unsure of what to do.
Suddenly the day turned to night, and the warmth turned to biting wind and rain. Lightening struck the surface of the water in a multitude of places under the storm's wrath. Hermione lifted her head to the dark sky, allowing the rain to fall heavily against her face, soothing her in a way nothing else could.
Her hair began twisting wildly in the harsh wind, flicking the air swiftly. She brought her face back down and opened her eyes- finding herself staring into the gray gaze of Draco Malfoy. She felt a grin tug at her lips as she looked at him. He walked to her and wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into him. She watched his eyes every single second of the moment and smiled softly to him. He leaned in, his lips only inches away from hers when a sudden crack of thunder jolted them away from each other.
Hermione felt her body being tugged away from Draco. She reached out and grabbed fervently for his hand. They held on for an instant, but then she felt her body ripped away from his and she saw him getting further and further away from her (A/N: end dream), and suddenly, with a small pop, she found herself back in the hospital wing, the storm still raging uncontrollably around the castle.
She sat up, her head mopped with sweat. She looked over to her bedside and jumped, startled by the fact that Draco was sitting in a chair next to her bed, his head on the soft mattress by her waist.
A small smile played at her lips and she brought her hand to his hair, and ran her fingers through it gently. He started at the touch and looked up at her sleepily. "Hey. . ."
Hermione put her finger to his lips and rested her head in her pillow again. He brought his hand to hers and entwined his fingers with hers, kissing each one of them softly as she drifted off into sleep again.
~*~
The morning of Ron's funeral was a solemn one. Even though the beautiful Scottish sky was clear and as blue as sapphires, the mood was a melancholy one, and even though Hermione had learned to let go of her best friend, she still felt a twinge of heartache.
The whole of Hogwarts attended the funeral, with an exception of one Slytherin who found herself stuck in St. Mungo's for the incurably insane, after receiving news that a certain plan to kill a certain person in order to gain another certain person's fancy had failed miraculously. Alas, Pansy Parkinson would be with them no more.
The Weasleys and Harry stood closest to Ron's coffin, each of them in their own stages of grief.
Molly had her hand to her heart, leaning on Arthur for the ability to stand, tears running down her face in large dollops, her shoulders shaking vehemently.
Arthur stood next his wife, barely able to hold her up, composing himself as best as possible as the words of condolences were read. A small tear rolled down his cheek and he brushed it away quickly before anyone could see.
Bill and Charlie stood on the other side of their mother, each with their hands folded in front of them at their waists, heads bowed in silent mourning.
Percy stood a little further away from his family, leaning solemnly on a post, occasionally wiping away a tear as he pushed the rims of his glasses back up his nose.
Fred and George stood by their father, each of them allowing silent tears of grief spill down their cheeks.
Ginny stood in between Harry and George, breathing heavily, eyes brimmed with unshed tears.
Harry had his arm around Ginny, her head resting on his shoulder. He squeezed her shoulder softly as he looked towards the casket that held his best friend. A small gasp escaped his lips and suddenly the tears came for both him and Ginny.
Hermione watched it all from the other side of Harry, her own mind filled with mourning thoughts of her dead best friend. She didn't allow herself to cry though.
She gave a solemn glance to Draco, the tears threatening to escape. She blinked them back and rested her eyes once more on the casket. Sniffling students, teachers, and other funeral guests stood all around the Weasley's, offering words of comfort.
Finally, the burial took place, and they all walked from the cemetery quietly. Not too many felt something other than solemnity.
After the funeral, everyone went there own way, Slytherins went with Slytherins, Gryffindors with Gryffindors, everyone went with there own kind. Hermione, Harry, and Ginny made there way silently back to the Gryffindor Common Room, where Hermione went straight to her prefect's corridor.
~*~
Hermione lay in the bed of her prefect's room in Gryffindor tower, staring towards the ceiling. It was night and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn't bring herself to sleep.
After a long while, she gave up on trying to sleep and crawled out of bed, wrapping her school robes around her pajamas. She grabbed her wand and left the room, and then left the tower, making her way for another tower.
The journey up the flight of stairs to the astronomy tower was a long one, but she was young, she could handle it. When she reached the door to the tower she pushed on it gently, willing it not to squeak too much. She was incredibly grateful when it obliged.
She walked to the balcony and looked out to the lake, the gentle breeze blowing her hair softly. She closed her eyes and let the peacefulness of her surroundings overcome her, letting it take her breath away. She thought of Ron, and how much she missed him. She thought of what he had told her in her dream, and she let the tears flow freely. She stood there for what seemed like forever, crying softly.
A soft click came from behind her and when she turned to see the culprit, a pair of steely gray eyes had transfixed themselves among hers. Her face contorted slightly as she choked back a sob, and closing her eyes, she felt tears flood from her sockets untamed.
Draco stepped towards her and she collapsed into his arms, squeezing his body tightly as she cried into his chest. He brought his hand to her arms and brushed over them lightly, pulling her away from him slightly so he could brush away her tears. Her eyes closed reflexively and she gasped slightly, trying to hold back more tears.
When she allowed her eyes to open, she and Draco were inches away from one another, and led by some crazed intuition that surged throughout her body in that one moment she grabbed Draco by his neck and brought her lips crashing against his. Hermione put all her might into the kiss and she put both of their mouths into a frenzy as their tongues raged in a battle of love.
Somehow, they both sank to the stone floor of the tower, the passion surging through both of them. Draco pulled away from her and gasped for air, his eyes locking on hers in a silent, but mutual question.
Hermione nodded slightly and pulled Draco back to her, this time being gentler with the kiss. His hands went to her waist, his thumbs moving in small circles over the skin around her belly button, caressing her abdomen softly.
His fingers moved to unbutton her robes and he gazed into her eyes the whole time. When he did look he laughed slightly at the pajamas she was wearing.
Hermione scoffed, "What, do you have a problem with monkeys, Draco?" she asked teasingly. Draco grinned. "No ma'am."
Hermione smiled and moved his hands back to her waist, lifting them to the edges of her pajama top. He looked up at her, somewhat shocked, and she nodded. "It's okay."
He lifted her shirt off slowly, wanting her to feel the anticipation. She lifted her arms so he could release her from the confines of the shirt and he pulled it over her head. He smiled when he noticed she slept with her bra on.
Hermione grinned back at him and moved to do the same thing to him that he had done to her, making him wait as she pulled off his shirt agonizingly slowly. He smirked at her and she stuck her tongue out at him.
"Don't stick out your tongue unless you plan to use it, Granger," he teased. She grinned. "Oh I plan to all right, ferret boy."
Draco looked at her in mock offense. "I'm back to ferret boy, am I? What's next? Malfoy? Mal-ferret? Bleachie? Oh be some other name!" Hermione began laughing.
"Draco."
He looked to her and grinned. "What?"
"Shut up." And with that, she leaned into him again, kissing his face everywhere but on his lips. She trailed her kisses down his neck and made her way for his chest, which had numerous scars on them. She glanced up to him and smiled as she leaned to his chest, kissing every scar that had found their way to his flesh, running her tongue gently over the white lines.
Draco breathed heavily and squirmed slightly as he felt her breath tickling his skin, as he felt her run her warm tongue along his torso, so gently. She kissed her way back up his chest and neck and landed back on his lips, a fervent passion coursing through them both.
Draco turned Hermione around so that her back was facing him, and after making sure her hair was out of the way, he returned the favor she had just bestowed upon him.
After an excruciatingly slow wait, Draco turned Hermione back to him and began kissing her again, bringing her down so that her back now lay on the stone floor. She giggled slightly at the cold floor but she paid it no heed. She would be warm in a matter of seconds.
Draco pulled Hermione's pajama pants down her legs and took them off. Hermione propped herself up on her elbows and watched as Draco pulled off his own. She waited in anticipation as she felt his fingers at her waist, tugging her remaining constraints away.
Hermione sat all the way up and helped Draco with the rest of his own barriers, and they fell to the floor slowly, their mouths pressed together in an emotional union. Hermione's eyes widened in pain as she felt Draco push inside of her and she let out a small sob.
Draco looked at her and stopped pushing himself into her, waiting for her to get used to the feeling. "You okay?" he asked softly, nuzzling her nose with his own. Hermione winced a little, but she was beginning to get used to the feel of him. She nodded. "I'm all right. Keep going."
Draco nodded and kissed her lovingly, pumping slowly for the time being so as not to hurt her.
~*~
Hermione and Draco awoke the next morning at the sound of bird's chirping. Draco nuzzled Hermione's head with her nose and she opened her eyes, breathing him in. She made a small face.
Draco looked at her with a smile. "What?"
She wrinkled up her nose at him before replying. "Morning breath."
"Me or you?" he whispered. Hermione laughed and pulled her hands to her nose.
"Stop breathing on me," she said laughing. He mimicked her.
"No, you stop breathing on me!" he said in childish voice. Hermione shoved him playfully and rested her head on his elbow.
"I love you," she whispered.
He looked at her and smiled. She was so beautiful. And so. . .happy, it seemed. He leaned forward and kissed her softly, rank breath and all.
"I love you, too."
~*~
A/N: I'm done. . .my story. . .it's over. Oh me oh my. I should like to cry. I'll miss this story I will. Well. I'm about to start another one. Soon, I think, its not going to be as angsty as this one, I'm trying to do the angsty, not so angsty, angsty, not so angsty thing, you know what I mean jellybean? Anyhoo. This chapter will be my last, no sequels- none, ok? All right then. Yes, the stormy part of hermione's dream did originate from the dream draco had in chapter four. If you remember that far back, that is. I would like to thank each and every one of you who review this last chapter. You guys have made my writing so much fun. I will love you forever if you review my next story, but if you don't. . .damn you. haha, jk. Thanks you guys, again. You have made me want to keep writing when I myself had almost given up on it. Thank you. Well must be going now. Hope you enjoyed.
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