A/N: People, I realized I don't put up disclaimers. Sorry for that! I hope you forgive me for that blunder ^_^

Immortal Flame

Part Four: Lighting the Flame

I want you to stay

Never go away from me

*~*~

"H-Hermione?" he stuttered, after arguing with himself over what impression he should give the presumed Hermione. He had battled his insides as to be casual or natural or sarcastic even.

He cannot deny the unchanged untamed hair Hermione (he supposed) had, that sweet yet confident voice that rang through his ears most of the time, the same brown eyes that always spilled out what she feels and the aura she possessed that made him attracted to her in all aspects.

The girl supposedly named Anne squinted at him-recognizing the ebony hair and the mysterious eyes-and sauntered to him, calling him, "Dra-Draco?"

Draco almost leapt for joy when he heard her say his name. It has been a long time since he had heard it fall on Hermione's lips. Yet, being a Malfoy, he restrained his emotions and kept the formality. "How are you? It's quite a long time since we last saw each other. By the way, what are you doing here?"

Hermione sat on the empty chair beside him, not noticing Mr. Smith silent retreat to leave them alone. Alas! God has heard my prayers, he breathed and smiled inwardly.

"I visit this place frequently for the past months. I love their beer. It makes me forget. What about you?" Hermione had to inhale and exhale every now and then to compose herself and let her heart beat normally. She was so excited and pleased to have found Draco at last.

"Same thing. Been doing it for some years now," Draco, without thinking, drank the contents of his glass. His hands were shaking but he was trying very hard for Hermione not to see his nervousness. Only Hermione could do that to him. Make his nervous level go tip the scales.

He still was ambivalent as to which Draco he should be: should he tell Hermione how he had watched her from afar and that he still loves her or should he push her away to continue living the perfect lifestyle she had and leave him to waste as he should? He sighed as he made his decision.

"What happened to you, Draco? I've searched everywhere for you and yet to no avail. You didn't even contact me. We all thought you were dead! But I still refused to accept it that's why I continued looking for you. And now that I've found you finally, you don't know how happy I am," Hermione held his hand and squeezed it. Tears of joy were already teasing its way down her cheeks. She was so happy she could live her life with Draco in it again.

Draco retrieved his hand from Hermione and said, "I was dead before and I still am, Hermione. It's confirmed, Draco Malfoy is dead."

Hermione sighed, "I understand, Draco. I am too and now that I saw you again, I feel so alive-as if I was reborn. You're the life that made me and I'm glad to be with you again." She held out her hand to touch Draco once again but he shook his head.

"Hermione, I'm sorry but yesterday is yesterday and it has passed to never pass us by again. Whatever happened between us before cannot happen to us again now." Draco hung his head down but held it up again, fearing the tears that would flow. This scene was familiar. Ah, he remembered, it had happened five years ago, when he broke up with Hermione. He didn't know that he would see Hermione only to break up with her once again.

Hermione wished she was deaf at that moment for she didn't want to accept the words Draco had said. She is not going to waste the five, long years she had looked for Draco with this rerun of their break-up scene. She will not allow it. "No, Draco! This isn't true! I've looked for you for so long and when I did find you, what you do is push me away? I'm not going to accept what you said… I love you, Draco. You are my life…"

Draco snapped at her, "But I don't love you anymore!"

Hermione's mouth was left agape as a tear rolled down her cheek and the words shattered her to pieces. "No… Draco…that can't be true… I mean, we promised, right? We promised that if we saw each other again tha-that means we're meant for each other, right? Do you remember that, Draco? Please… this…"

Draco sighed and shook his head, "I'm sorry, Hermione but I'm engaged. I'm going to get married at the end of the year." He showed a beautiful emerald ring to Hermione and she choked a sob. Draco didn't know if the coincidence that he had worn that ring would mean what he was doing right now was the best thing to do.

That ring was actually a gift from one of his "business" partners and he had often worn it because it reminded him of Slytherin and his days at Hogwarts.

"No…no… you're joking, right? You must be joking… this can't be true…" Hermione caught her face in her hands and wailed.

Draco held her shoulders to compose her, "I know I promised but things change and I wasn't able to handle it. Hermione, you're a fantastic woman and I know I am not the only one who had realized that. A lot of men will surely appreciate you and I know that one of them will be the right man for you. I'm sorry, Hermione but this is goodbye."

Hermione lifted her head to look at Draco and held his hands, "Don't leave me, Draco. Please, don't leave like this. We promised, Draco… We did, don't you remember? Please, don't just throw me away like this… I love you so much. You're the only man I ever loved… please, come back to me…" and then she sobbed again.

Draco stood up, slipping away from Hermione's grasp and whispered, "Forgive me, Hermione but once again, this is goodbye." With one swift movement, he fled to the doors leaving Hermione sullen.

*~*~

Draco had just stepped out of the bar when an arm grabbed him fiercely. It was Mr. Smith. "Malfoy, what do you think you're doing? Get back in there and tell Hermione that you were fibbing!"

Draco felt glad that the man had such concern for him. Unfortunately, he did not have that for himself. "I'm sorry, Mr. Smith but I've made a decision and this is it."

Draco turned his back on him but Mr. Smith spat, "Well your decision sucks!" Draco sighed and faced him while Mr. Smith continued, "Draco, why do you keep telling yourself that you're not worthy of being happy with that fantastic woman? Why do you keep downing yourself? You're not a saint to do that. Malfoy, you've waited long enough and I've watched you suffer, son. Be a man now and go back to her. She needs you as much as you need her."

Draco looked up and closed his eyes then shook his head and said, "I am being a man now, Mr. Smith. I'm sorry if I couldn't be a man enough to do what you ask of me."

Mr. Smith now sauntered to him and held his shoulders, "You know, I've heard that woman's woes and only your entering that door again can make all of it go away. If you would just listen to me, Draco."

Draco squeezed Mr. Smith's hands and smiled, "Someday, she'll be thankful I did this. Someday Mr. Smith, I promise."

He then left Mr. Smith, who sighed then shook his head from Draco's actions.

*~*~

Draco swallowed hard the angry tears that anticipated to flow when he was some distance away from Oblivion. Tonight, I have made the hardest decision in my life--letting a precious thing go forever, he bit back the tears and walked on.

Am I stupid? Or am I just being practical? Will I regret my decision or will it really matter now? He pondered, No, it will not. The harm is done and the wound is irreversible, he sighed plaintively.

He had chosen the lonely path wherein he would someday waste away with his anticipating death. And Hermione will never know a thing about it. She would live the perfect life she has. She would marry Fitz Wilbur and have three children with him, watching them mature as they grow old together…

He stopped on his tracks when he heard footsteps. "Who's there?" he asked and out from the shadows came Hermione.

"Hermione? Why are you following me?" he was both surprised and anxious to know she had followed him. He had to keep his defenses on its peak now. He had to face the consequences of his decision and giving in to Hermione will not help him.

Hermione sauntered to him and sighed before saying, "I just wanted to do this one last thing before we go on our separate ways. I hope you will let me."

Draco furrowed his brows and asked, "What is it?"

Hermione was now in front of him and she whispered in his ears, "Make love to you." And with those words, she hungrily took his mouth in hers. With a click of Hermione's fingers, they apparated to her pad.

*~*~

A/N: Next part will be the sex part which will not be fully detailed nor scarcely detailed. I'll try to make it as moderate as possible. Thanks to:

Sam8- that dream stuff was actually not part of my plan but I thought it was nice… thanks for sharing my thoughts! ^_^

Paranoia_shoujo- can I ask you a favor? Please help me in my next chap! Thankies! ^_^