Disclaimer - nothing's mine except for the plot & perhaps some unknown character I might make up later in the story. JKR owns it all.
A/N - hey guys, this is my first story. Please R/R it would be real helpful. Thank you so much for the reviews guys! I really appreciate it. Thanks! Here's the next chapter.
Summary - The news of the death of the one girl he truly love shatters Draco's world. Years later, the almost forever lonely Draco Malfoy takes a stroll down the London street, never expecting to find what he lost five years ago.
.: Chapter Three :.
It was late into the cold dark night when Lucius Malfoy discovered an owl outside his window. He carelessly opened the window to let over joyed black owl in.
"Who could be sending an owl at this hour?" he asked himself.
He was soon to discover that the owl belonged to the Parkinson family. After reading the nametag at the owl's collar, he took the piece of parchment from the owl.
Dear Mr. Malfoy
Hello, it's Pansy Parkinson here. You must be wondering why I'm writing to you at this hour. Well I would just like to inform about some matter that is rather important concerning your son, Draco.
Over the past months or so, I have heard rumors from a reliable source that your son Draco is having associations with a mudblood. Seeing the fact that Draco comes from such an admirable & respectable family, I did not believe it at first. But early this very night, I witnessed myself the disgraceful event. You see, I Pansy saw Draco Malfoy kiss Hermione Granger, a Gryffindor Mudblood.
I thought that it is for Draco's good that I inform you at once, because Draco is so lucky to come from such a decent family that I cannot just sit here & watch him make the mistakes.
I hope you'll be able to guide Draco through his mistakes.
Pansy Parkinson
After reading the letter, Lucius was none other than furious. He had torn the letter into pieces before throwing it with all his might into the fire.
"How dare he!" He whispered angrily. "Perhaps I shall visit his little Mudblood girlfriend!".
With that, the fuming Lucius was left to come up with a plan to 'help' Draco, his son from the biggest mistake he's made, Falling in love with a mudblood, not just any mudblood, Potter's Mudblood.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hermione woke up in the morning with a sleepy groan. She could clearly hear Lavender & Parvati fighting over the bathroom.
"Oh god, not again. Is it really that hard for them to shut up?" she asked herself, still half asleep.
Hermione had decided to give in, she hid under her pillow, hoping to get a few extra minutes of sleeping. She, however failed miserably to regain to her sleep conscious after Lavender shaking her violent, asking her where her mascara is.
"Get up!! Hermione, you're going to be late!" Lavender said, pulling away Hermione's pillow, letting Hermione's face to be exposed to bright sun light.
After about few minutes of nagging, Hermione finally had given up. She threw on her pair of cords & a black top. After a proper dose of cold water running down her face, Hermione was fully awake. She made sure that all her belongings are neatly packed in her trunks before going off to breakfast. When she entered the Great Hall, a blend of excitement & agitation filled inside her. This was her last moment at Hogwarts, she was happy & gloomy at the same time, Happy that she would be given the opportunity to conquer the world, sad that she had to leave this place where she had grown attached to in the past seven years. Now, she had to leave, was she ready? She truly did not know.
Hermione seated herself down next to Harry on the Gryffindor tables for the last time. She watched as everyone from seventh year chatted away happily. A grin split her face, for her to see everyone especially Harry so happy after the dark war, was something that she couldn't help smile about. She was later joined by Lavender & Parvati (finally after their brawl over the bathroom), who were busy talking about their future husband.
"What about you Hermione? Any expectations of your husband?" Lavender asked.
Hermione looked up from her cereal, she instantly gave them the answer they were expecting.
"Nope" she answered, going back to her breakfast. When Parvati & Lavender were going back to their own conversations, Hermione quickly glanced over at the Slytherin table. She smiled looking down at her ring, she knew exactly what her husband would be like.
~~~~~~~~~~
After a not so short time in the bathroom, Pansy finally went down to breakfast. Pansy looked over to the Gryffindor table, the mudblood was there, talking to that damn potter boy. She smirked, Pansy knew exactly what was going to happen when she receives a visit from Mr. Malfoy.
"Such a pity, she had to mess with me." Pansy said in a mocking sympathetic tone, as she smirked & headed off to her Draco.
"Morning" She said sitting opposite Draco.
"Morning Pansy" Crabbe & Goyle said in simultaneously, without looking away from their food.
Pansy glared at them, they knew perfectly well that all her 'good mornings' & other flirtatious comments were only made to Draco. She looked up to find Draco in some sort of daydream again. Pansy was enraged, how dared someone ignore her.
"I said Morning Draco!" She snapped.
But to her already building fury, Draco didn't respond.
"DRACO!" She said, waving her hand in front of her face, hoping that this might get his rather divided attention.
"What?" Draco said, still in a dreamy tone, looking towards the Gryffindor table.
"Wait till he visits her!" she snapped, before storming out of the great hall, causing lots of unwanted stares.
"huh? Who visits who?" Asked Draco, but he instantly shrugged off Pansy's comment, underestimating the importance of it.
~~~~~~~~~
The seventh year's train ride had been rather exciting, with all the planning of their futures & all the promises of keeping in touch. Hermione received many hugs & promises from her friends, even Parvati & Lavender had promise to keep in touch (Much to Hermione's disappoint, They were planning a make-over outing, however, Hermione accepted the offer).
When finally Harry & Hermione had received visits from everyone (All the Gryffindors), they were almost at King's Cross.
"It's strange isn't it? Without him." Harry said, it was the first time he had spoken about him, after Ron's tragic death.
Hermione gave a faint smile & nodded. She could hear a melancholic tone in his voice; Hermione knew it how much it hurt for Harry to talk about Ron. It hurt her too, but she had moved on. Something that Harry needed to do.
"Hey, listen Harry. You need to move on. Stop blaming yourself for it. It wasn't your fault. Ron wouldn't want you to be like this. Harry, you need to move on" Hermione gave Harry a pleading look.
Harry's eyes met Hermione's. He could tell from the sadness in her eyes that she dearly missed her friends. He did too, he missed both Ron & his old self. Harry was about to answer when Hermione continued.
"Harry, I've moved on, it was painful at first but I did it. But, I still feel him with me, yes Harry, all the time." Hermione was in tears by now. "He's not gone, he's here" She said placing a hand on her chest. "He's here, in my heart."
After all this time, it was Hermione's words that shredded him into tears. She was right.
"Harry…"
Harry didn't let her continue, he hugged her. Her words, they were so painful to hear but yet they were right. She was right, he thought. Ron isn't gone, at least in his heart, Ron Weasley will always be Harry's best friend.
"He's here Harry, here forever." Hermione whispered.
~~~~~~~~~~
Draco had finally managed to get rid of Crabbe & Goyle, when the food trolley had arrived. He was glad to be left alone for awhile. They had been constantly bothering him with useless & dim questions. He managed to sneak out of the compartment when they were busy ordering food.
Draco was searching for an empty compartment when he walked past Hermione's compartment. She was crying, his Hermione was crying. As much as he wanted to go in there to comfort her, he couldn't.
Seeing the sight of her crying made Draco forlorn too. He knew exactly why. Over the past year, ever since Weasley's death, he often found Hermione crying all alone. It wasn't until Draco confessed his true feelings, she had come out of her dark depression.
:: flashback ::
Quidditch season had just begun. Draco, being the captain of the Slytherin team had been training almost every single day. The first game was approaching. No matter how many points Snape tried to take off other houses, it just wasn't enough for Slytherin to win the house cup. It has been years since Slytherin last won. Draco had to make sure he played his best in the upcoming Quidditch game. Draco had trained until it was completely dark & it was almost impossible to see anything.
As usual, it was the sky was in complete darkness. Draco had just came back from Quidditch practice, he was already running late for his prefect duties. After changing as fast as he can he began to roam around the corridors of Hogwarts, in search of disobedient students wandering freely.
When Draco arrived at the astronomy tower, he did not expect a solitary figure sitting by the window, crying. After his few seconds of alarm, he realized who it was. He took a seat beside her, he knew exactly why she was crying.
"Malfoy? What…what are you doing here?" She looked up, her wet face full of despair.
Ignoring her question, Draco took a seat beside Hermione. He handed her a tissue.
"Why do you torture yourself like this?" Draco asked, looking straight into her soaked brown eyes.
"What? I don't know what you're talking about." She replied, looking away as if she's trying to avoid the question.
"Come on, you know exactly what I'm talking about Granger. I hear you every night, crying to yourself."
Hermione looked away, she didn't want to be confronted by Draco right now.
"Look, I know it's hard. But you shouldn't do this to yourself. It's not healthy." He paused for a moment, hesitating whether to say what was on his mind. "My…my sister, she passed away last year. She was the only thing that actually mattered to me other than mother. When I found out that she had passed away, I didn't know what to think. It was hurtful. I was just like you, but you what? The difference between you now & me back then, was that I moved on. Hermione, I've moved on, it was painful at first, but I did it. My sister, she's not gone. She still here, with me, in my heart. She'll always be in my heart. It's about time you do the same thing Hermione."
For the first time, Hermione took a good look at Draco. At this point, he too looked away. Then she saw it, in his eyes was despair. Hermione reached out her hand to brush off his tears.
Draco grabbed her hands before she was about to withdraw them.
"Hermione, I know I'm not him & I'm not trying to be him. But, please will you give me a chance?" Draco asked, looking into Hermione's eyes.
It was there, when Draco helped Hermione come out of her Depression, it was then they had shared the incredible view of the lake, in each other's arms.
:: End flashback ::
Over the year now, things between Draco & Hermione had never been better. Sure Draco had to admit sometimes Hermione is still miserable about Weasley's death, but he couldn't blame her because he knew exactly how she felt. Sometimes he still wished his sister, Venus Malfoy was still alive.
With that, he had decided to return to Crabbe & Goyle's compartment.
A/N – sheesh, that took awhile. Anyways, I'd just like to thank my reviewers.
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