A/N: This is the last and final chapter of the story. The next chapter is
an Author's Note concerning the sequel.
*
Oh my God! I couldn't think. My mind was completely blank. What was there to say? Nothing. Nothing! I knew what he was going to do to me. And I knew that there was nothing I, nor anyone else, could do. I knew I was helpless. And it felt so wrong.
"Why are you doing this?" I asked. He stepped closer to me, his eyes twinkling.
"I already told you."
"You didn't tell me all of it."
"Well, it's not like you need to know."
"I do need to know."
"No!" he shouted. "You need to shut the fuck up!"
"Don't do this, Malfoy," I begged. "Please!"
"I don't take orders from a Mudblood. I never have and I never will." He sat down on the desk and folded his arms.
"Just let me know one thing..." A tear fell from my eyes. "Please..."
"Fine." His answer was cold and heartless.
"Why are you doing this? You don't seem like you want to..."
He was quiet. For a brief moment, we looked into each others' eyes, but he turned away. And in those beautiful eyes, I saw something. I knew that he didn't want to do this to me. I knew it.
"Please, tell me the truth," I pleaded, looking down at the ground. I felt a lump in my throat and I couldn't swallow my own pride.
"You're right, Granger. I don't want to do this. Not to you..."
I looked up. He didn't want to do this, I was right. But...what he said...he didn't want to do this...*not to me*...
We were both silent for a moment.
"What makes me so special?" I asked. I felt like I was suffocating. I wanted to die right then and there.
He looked at me. His eyes were so...warm and inviting. He was hesitating.
"You can tell me," I whispered encouragingly.
"That's what you are." He paused for a moment as I searched his eyes. "You are special. I've noticed that since the first time we spoke. Even though you did call me a few rash things..."
I laughed softly as he said that.
"Don't laugh. I am being completely serious."
The scary thing was, I believed him. I knew that it could've been another trap, but for some reason, I believed him. "Sorry," I whispered.
"And since we've talked, our hatred for each other hasn't changed. But when Voldemort summoned me, I knew it wouldn't be good. And I was right. But when he told me that it must be a Gryffindor, you were the last person on my list..." He took a deep breath before continuing. "I never wanted it to be you...I guess you could say that I had a fondness for you. But Voldemort sent me an owl, saying that it had to be a Muggleborn. And I couldn't believe it. So, you were my only choice."
By now, tears were falling from my eyes slowly. I pursed my lips and sighed. My life was so messed up.
"I'm sorry," Malfoy said, a tear falling from his eyes. He walked over to me and undid the ropes. "But this has to happen, and I am so sorry..."
As the ropes fell to the ground, I quickly stood. "Help me," I whispered, tears streaming.
"Look, I don't want to do this-"
"Then don't! I certainly won't say anything!"
"Please. Just...cooperate-"
"No! I would like my first time to be...I don't know! Romantic!"
"Well, we all can't get what we want. Life's a b*tch."
"Just like you..." I looked around, looking for a bloody window. No windows. Great.
Malfoy stepped closer. "You don't mean that."
"Try me."
He ran toward me, and pushed me against the wall. "I'm sorry."
I was so damn scared. I thought he would just remove my pants, but he didn't. Instead, he kissed me. The kiss was wonderful. It was soft and passionate. When we broke, he took my hands in his.
I felt a burning sensation in my fingertips. I looked down at our hands, and they were burning. We were both crying as the pain engulfed us. He kissed me one more time, and I felt a tear fall from his face onto mine.
Suddenly, as we broke apart, the door opened. Harry and Ron ran in and tackled Malfoy to the ground. Our hands were still burning, even as we let go. Dumbledore came in and pulled me away from the three.
Malfoy's burning hands hit the desk, causing it to turn ablaze. I looked down at my hands. They were burning ever so brightly. Someone grabbed me from behind and pulled me away from the scene. Dumbledore walked into the room and pulled Harry and Ron apart from Malfoy.
Malfoy was now on the blazing desk. The smell of burning flesh filled the air.
"NO!!!" I screamed, falling to the ground. "NO!!!" I was sobbing my heart out as I saw him lay there, burning.
*
I woke up the next morning, thinking it was all a dream. I felt so wonderful! I mean, I was in LOVE! I walked into the Great Hall to see it decorated with the Slytherin colors. I sat down beside Ginny.
"What's going on?" I asked.
"You don't know?" Ginny replied, exchanging glances with Ron and Harry.
"Remind me..." I answered.
"Malfoy's dead, Hermione," Ginny answered slowly.
I was silent. So, it was all real. All of it was real. All of it. I was in love with a dead man...
Dumbledore stood and had a wonderful speech about how wonderful Malfoy was, although a lot of the students just snickered and continued to talk to one another. They didn't care about Malfoy because they didn't know him the way I did...
I looked down at my hands and started to cry. There were scars from the burns. It was all real. Tears streamed down my face and fell onto my hands.
I will never forget Malfoy...
Right then, I just wanted to die, so I could be with him. But I knew he wouldn't let me to do that just for his sake.
Ginny placed a comforting arm around me.
"I love you, Draco..." I whispered as I continued to cry.
*
Oh my God! I couldn't think. My mind was completely blank. What was there to say? Nothing. Nothing! I knew what he was going to do to me. And I knew that there was nothing I, nor anyone else, could do. I knew I was helpless. And it felt so wrong.
"Why are you doing this?" I asked. He stepped closer to me, his eyes twinkling.
"I already told you."
"You didn't tell me all of it."
"Well, it's not like you need to know."
"I do need to know."
"No!" he shouted. "You need to shut the fuck up!"
"Don't do this, Malfoy," I begged. "Please!"
"I don't take orders from a Mudblood. I never have and I never will." He sat down on the desk and folded his arms.
"Just let me know one thing..." A tear fell from my eyes. "Please..."
"Fine." His answer was cold and heartless.
"Why are you doing this? You don't seem like you want to..."
He was quiet. For a brief moment, we looked into each others' eyes, but he turned away. And in those beautiful eyes, I saw something. I knew that he didn't want to do this to me. I knew it.
"Please, tell me the truth," I pleaded, looking down at the ground. I felt a lump in my throat and I couldn't swallow my own pride.
"You're right, Granger. I don't want to do this. Not to you..."
I looked up. He didn't want to do this, I was right. But...what he said...he didn't want to do this...*not to me*...
We were both silent for a moment.
"What makes me so special?" I asked. I felt like I was suffocating. I wanted to die right then and there.
He looked at me. His eyes were so...warm and inviting. He was hesitating.
"You can tell me," I whispered encouragingly.
"That's what you are." He paused for a moment as I searched his eyes. "You are special. I've noticed that since the first time we spoke. Even though you did call me a few rash things..."
I laughed softly as he said that.
"Don't laugh. I am being completely serious."
The scary thing was, I believed him. I knew that it could've been another trap, but for some reason, I believed him. "Sorry," I whispered.
"And since we've talked, our hatred for each other hasn't changed. But when Voldemort summoned me, I knew it wouldn't be good. And I was right. But when he told me that it must be a Gryffindor, you were the last person on my list..." He took a deep breath before continuing. "I never wanted it to be you...I guess you could say that I had a fondness for you. But Voldemort sent me an owl, saying that it had to be a Muggleborn. And I couldn't believe it. So, you were my only choice."
By now, tears were falling from my eyes slowly. I pursed my lips and sighed. My life was so messed up.
"I'm sorry," Malfoy said, a tear falling from his eyes. He walked over to me and undid the ropes. "But this has to happen, and I am so sorry..."
As the ropes fell to the ground, I quickly stood. "Help me," I whispered, tears streaming.
"Look, I don't want to do this-"
"Then don't! I certainly won't say anything!"
"Please. Just...cooperate-"
"No! I would like my first time to be...I don't know! Romantic!"
"Well, we all can't get what we want. Life's a b*tch."
"Just like you..." I looked around, looking for a bloody window. No windows. Great.
Malfoy stepped closer. "You don't mean that."
"Try me."
He ran toward me, and pushed me against the wall. "I'm sorry."
I was so damn scared. I thought he would just remove my pants, but he didn't. Instead, he kissed me. The kiss was wonderful. It was soft and passionate. When we broke, he took my hands in his.
I felt a burning sensation in my fingertips. I looked down at our hands, and they were burning. We were both crying as the pain engulfed us. He kissed me one more time, and I felt a tear fall from his face onto mine.
Suddenly, as we broke apart, the door opened. Harry and Ron ran in and tackled Malfoy to the ground. Our hands were still burning, even as we let go. Dumbledore came in and pulled me away from the three.
Malfoy's burning hands hit the desk, causing it to turn ablaze. I looked down at my hands. They were burning ever so brightly. Someone grabbed me from behind and pulled me away from the scene. Dumbledore walked into the room and pulled Harry and Ron apart from Malfoy.
Malfoy was now on the blazing desk. The smell of burning flesh filled the air.
"NO!!!" I screamed, falling to the ground. "NO!!!" I was sobbing my heart out as I saw him lay there, burning.
*
I woke up the next morning, thinking it was all a dream. I felt so wonderful! I mean, I was in LOVE! I walked into the Great Hall to see it decorated with the Slytherin colors. I sat down beside Ginny.
"What's going on?" I asked.
"You don't know?" Ginny replied, exchanging glances with Ron and Harry.
"Remind me..." I answered.
"Malfoy's dead, Hermione," Ginny answered slowly.
I was silent. So, it was all real. All of it was real. All of it. I was in love with a dead man...
Dumbledore stood and had a wonderful speech about how wonderful Malfoy was, although a lot of the students just snickered and continued to talk to one another. They didn't care about Malfoy because they didn't know him the way I did...
I looked down at my hands and started to cry. There were scars from the burns. It was all real. Tears streamed down my face and fell onto my hands.
I will never forget Malfoy...
Right then, I just wanted to die, so I could be with him. But I knew he wouldn't let me to do that just for his sake.
Ginny placed a comforting arm around me.
"I love you, Draco..." I whispered as I continued to cry.
