A/N: Glad a few people did like this fic. Sorry for its shortness. The second chapter got done in fifteen minutes. Happy New Years!
A Moment in Time
Chapter Three: Time Flies
By DarkDracon0
8 Years Later…
"Simon, get back here!" He ran across the street, to Quidditch Supplies. She huffed a breath as she caught up to him, lugging Ali with her.
"Cool, look! The new Firebolt version! Can I get it for Christmas? Can I?" Hermione sighed. He'd asked the same question every time they went to Diagon Alley. "Simon, you're too young to get a broomstick yet. When you're older, maybe you can get one."
He continued to stare at the broom. Even Hermione had to admit it, was a very sleek one. The Firebolt had been expanded into a series, much like the Nimbus. The one Simon was looking at adoringly was the fifth in the series. "Please, mum, can I?"
"Simon, we've been through with this. No."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Draco wandered through Quidditch Supplies, waiting for something to catch his eye. He already had the newest Firebolt on reserve for him. New arm guards would be nice, he thought. His own were getting a bit frayed. Making his selection, he walked to the shopkeeper, handing him the armguards and asked for the Firebolt. Though he didn't play for any professional league, he still had time for smaller games with former teammates as well as his much younger cousins.
The clerk packaged everything into a bag and took his money gratefully. That was when he heard her voice.
"Alright, but only five minutes, okay? Simon! Five minutes only, got that?"
He turned to look at the door. There she was. Beautiful and looking harassed as a young boy dashed into the store with a look of bliss. And he knew. Immediately did it register that she had a child. No, two, as she carried another child, a girl, on her hip. Of course, you fool, his mind berated. You think she wouldn't after all these years? He quickly turned away. The clerk handed him his purchases as he drew out the galleons. "Thank you, sir. We appreciate your business." He wanted to get out of the store. He wanted to go to her and kiss her senseless. His heart trembled as he heard her call out to her son. "Simon! Be careful!"
And then he realized there was no way out without her seeing him. He drew a deep breath. He didn't want her to see him. Didn't want to look at her and feel the pain, the deep slicing pain, of betrayal.
She never betrayed you…
Because she never was yours in the first place.
He bit his lip, his back still to her. Maybe if he waited… "Sir?" The clerk looked at him curiously. Draco shook his head. "Sorry. Just got lost in thought." He turned.
She was still waiting impatiently by the door. She wasn't looking at him, but at the boy. The boy-Simon?- had run to the display of the new Firebolt and was reading the little footnote on its new improvements. His hair was the same his mother's-- brown with slight hints of red and gold. He would break hearts later, Draco thought. Just as his mother broke mine.
He drew another breath as he knew that sooner or later, they would see each other again. As he walked toward the door, she turned her head. Her eyes met his and he watched surprise and another emotion that was hidden too quickly for him to decipher. "Hello, Hermione."
"Draco." She couldn't believe that it was him standing there. Him of all people to bump into her. Politeness took over. "How are you?"
"Fine. You?" Up close, he could see that her face had grown thinner, her cheeks more prominent. Her nose was still aristocratically thin, mouth still unpainted but all the more alluring. "Same here." Silence overtook them. She shifted slightly, her eyes moving to Simon. He was still in the same spot, nose pressed to the case of the Firebolt. "He's a good-looking boy."
She turned her eyes to look at Draco. He was still looking at Simon. "He looks like his mother."
"Yes. So I've been told."
"What do you see when you look at him?" She didn't know how to answer that. Draco's tone of voice had changed. His eyes, expressive, though once cold, darkened. He could have been either talking about Simon or… him. Her husband.
"Why do you ask?" Draco inclined his head. "I know that you don't love him." Ah. Her husband. "Yet, you leave me the night when I would have given anything for you. Anything."
She looked away. "I hoped that, by now, you would have forgotten me."
"Never." It was voiced in a fierce whisper that had her looking back at him. He looked at her, his eyes clear and sure. "You were the most wonderful thing to ever happen to me. I consider myself lucky to be as close to you as I was. I could never forget you. Never in my life."
"Draco, it's been eight years-"
"It doesn't matter how long it's been. I could never forget you, no matter how hard I tried to. It would have been more simple and less painful to just forget you and move on. But you know what they say." His grin flashed. "A Slytherin never forgets."
She turned away and looked at Simon. He was still looking at the broom adoringly. She felt his hand touch her shoulder lightly. "He's a handsome boy."
"Yes." Draco then turned his attention to the young girl quietly sleeping on the crook of her arm. She resembled her mother, just as her brother did. He voiced the question with which the answer he already knew. "Your daughter?"
"Yes." She smiled and dropped a light kiss onto her forehead. "Ali."
"For Allison? Your mother?" Her eyes widened in surprise. "You remembered… You've never even met my mother." He smiled at her. "Yes, I remember. I've always known what you wanted to name your daughter." He still remembered… the thought touched her deeply in a way no other man ever could. Draco had been the only one to understand her that way. She lowered her lashes to hide the held back tears.
"I- I have to go. A meeting." She smiled. "Of course. You'd best be on your way."
They parted ways.
As he walked down the crowded road, he knew something. Time would never stop the flight of love. Its wings still flew strong and determined, seeking its mate.
I love you…
Hermione
I'm still waiting. No matter how long, I'll always wait.
A Moment in Time
Chapter Three: Time Flies
By DarkDracon0
8 Years Later…
"Simon, get back here!" He ran across the street, to Quidditch Supplies. She huffed a breath as she caught up to him, lugging Ali with her.
"Cool, look! The new Firebolt version! Can I get it for Christmas? Can I?" Hermione sighed. He'd asked the same question every time they went to Diagon Alley. "Simon, you're too young to get a broomstick yet. When you're older, maybe you can get one."
He continued to stare at the broom. Even Hermione had to admit it, was a very sleek one. The Firebolt had been expanded into a series, much like the Nimbus. The one Simon was looking at adoringly was the fifth in the series. "Please, mum, can I?"
"Simon, we've been through with this. No."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Draco wandered through Quidditch Supplies, waiting for something to catch his eye. He already had the newest Firebolt on reserve for him. New arm guards would be nice, he thought. His own were getting a bit frayed. Making his selection, he walked to the shopkeeper, handing him the armguards and asked for the Firebolt. Though he didn't play for any professional league, he still had time for smaller games with former teammates as well as his much younger cousins.
The clerk packaged everything into a bag and took his money gratefully. That was when he heard her voice.
"Alright, but only five minutes, okay? Simon! Five minutes only, got that?"
He turned to look at the door. There she was. Beautiful and looking harassed as a young boy dashed into the store with a look of bliss. And he knew. Immediately did it register that she had a child. No, two, as she carried another child, a girl, on her hip. Of course, you fool, his mind berated. You think she wouldn't after all these years? He quickly turned away. The clerk handed him his purchases as he drew out the galleons. "Thank you, sir. We appreciate your business." He wanted to get out of the store. He wanted to go to her and kiss her senseless. His heart trembled as he heard her call out to her son. "Simon! Be careful!"
And then he realized there was no way out without her seeing him. He drew a deep breath. He didn't want her to see him. Didn't want to look at her and feel the pain, the deep slicing pain, of betrayal.
She never betrayed you…
Because she never was yours in the first place.
He bit his lip, his back still to her. Maybe if he waited… "Sir?" The clerk looked at him curiously. Draco shook his head. "Sorry. Just got lost in thought." He turned.
She was still waiting impatiently by the door. She wasn't looking at him, but at the boy. The boy-Simon?- had run to the display of the new Firebolt and was reading the little footnote on its new improvements. His hair was the same his mother's-- brown with slight hints of red and gold. He would break hearts later, Draco thought. Just as his mother broke mine.
He drew another breath as he knew that sooner or later, they would see each other again. As he walked toward the door, she turned her head. Her eyes met his and he watched surprise and another emotion that was hidden too quickly for him to decipher. "Hello, Hermione."
"Draco." She couldn't believe that it was him standing there. Him of all people to bump into her. Politeness took over. "How are you?"
"Fine. You?" Up close, he could see that her face had grown thinner, her cheeks more prominent. Her nose was still aristocratically thin, mouth still unpainted but all the more alluring. "Same here." Silence overtook them. She shifted slightly, her eyes moving to Simon. He was still in the same spot, nose pressed to the case of the Firebolt. "He's a good-looking boy."
She turned her eyes to look at Draco. He was still looking at Simon. "He looks like his mother."
"Yes. So I've been told."
"What do you see when you look at him?" She didn't know how to answer that. Draco's tone of voice had changed. His eyes, expressive, though once cold, darkened. He could have been either talking about Simon or… him. Her husband.
"Why do you ask?" Draco inclined his head. "I know that you don't love him." Ah. Her husband. "Yet, you leave me the night when I would have given anything for you. Anything."
She looked away. "I hoped that, by now, you would have forgotten me."
"Never." It was voiced in a fierce whisper that had her looking back at him. He looked at her, his eyes clear and sure. "You were the most wonderful thing to ever happen to me. I consider myself lucky to be as close to you as I was. I could never forget you. Never in my life."
"Draco, it's been eight years-"
"It doesn't matter how long it's been. I could never forget you, no matter how hard I tried to. It would have been more simple and less painful to just forget you and move on. But you know what they say." His grin flashed. "A Slytherin never forgets."
She turned away and looked at Simon. He was still looking at the broom adoringly. She felt his hand touch her shoulder lightly. "He's a handsome boy."
"Yes." Draco then turned his attention to the young girl quietly sleeping on the crook of her arm. She resembled her mother, just as her brother did. He voiced the question with which the answer he already knew. "Your daughter?"
"Yes." She smiled and dropped a light kiss onto her forehead. "Ali."
"For Allison? Your mother?" Her eyes widened in surprise. "You remembered… You've never even met my mother." He smiled at her. "Yes, I remember. I've always known what you wanted to name your daughter." He still remembered… the thought touched her deeply in a way no other man ever could. Draco had been the only one to understand her that way. She lowered her lashes to hide the held back tears.
"I- I have to go. A meeting." She smiled. "Of course. You'd best be on your way."
They parted ways.
As he walked down the crowded road, he knew something. Time would never stop the flight of love. Its wings still flew strong and determined, seeking its mate.
I love you…
Hermione
I'm still waiting. No matter how long, I'll always wait.