Disclaimer: I don't own Harry…only this coffee mug with cold coffee inside of it…not very tasty O.o I have come to the conclusion that caffeine does not affect me…Draco, however, does, but he doesn't count ^_^
No Reason to Doubt
I'll Love You TomorrowBy Pensive Puddles
"But I did hear those words…" Those six words still rang in her ears even as the cemetery filled with silence again. She covered her mouth in disbelief. How was it possible? He was dead! She saw his body in the coffin…saw him lying down, hell, she had almost thrown herself into his grave! She stumbled back, her legs refusing to hold herself up.
Tears fell down her face. What kind of sick magic was this? She was already hurting! Why was someone doing this? Tripping over her own feet, she fell to the ground, her body lying on the ground, but her eyes still captivated by his piercing eyes, his blue eyes so full of life.
The man hurried towards her, kneeling down to help her. She flinched under his touch. He drew away sharply, surprised at her odd actions. He leaned down and said calm, soothing voice, "What's wrong, Hermione?"
Hermione…it sounded so good when he said it. She used to hate her name when she was younger. It was so long, nothing short and cute like Penny, or Jenny, or Brittney. It wasn't something that sounded cute. Her parents couldn't have named her Hannah, or Amanda, or Tracy. No, they had to name her Hermione. And she used to grimace at how people would butcher her name when reading her name among a list of other students' name. She could still remember how it had taken Victor Krum, star Quidditch player, a good six months to actually say her name with giving it more syllables than it already had, and make his mouth move in bizarre potions to pronounce the sounds. Draco had always said it so smoothly; giving it elegance no one else could, and making her feel proud to have her awkward name.
He leaned down to touch her and she did not flinch. He helped her to her feet, still looking into her eyes. Another fearful tear fell from her eyes. What if she was dreaming this? A wave of doubt washed over her and her eyes became downcast. What if it really was a dream? What if all the grief he had caused her was making her imagine him?
"I'm back, Hermione, I'm alive," he said as if reading her thoughts. She looked up at him, still skeptical. He reached for her hand and held it in his. "Don't you feel me?"
She did. She gasped at how warm he was against her cold her skin. She had forgotten how soft his skin was. He placed her palm against his face and she faltered. She had forgotten so much about him. She took her unsteady hand and reach up. She drew her hand away a little, once or twice and finally rested it against the other side of his head. She could feel him…
Her relief and happiness soared through her, crashing onto her so hard that she almost screamed in pain. Instead, her tears of doubt and fear changed to tears of joy. "Oh, Draco…!"
She couldn't speak, couldn't do anything. He smiled. She believed he was real. Hermione watched as his own clear tears fell from his face and he touched her face, and he leaned down and kissed her. She moaned. It had been too long since she felt his lips against her own. She held onto him and cried harder. Her cries turned into sobs and she held onto him as her chest seemed to explode with happiness.
"You're…You're alive!" she whispered, her smile so wide she thought her face would break. But she didn't care. All she knew was that her lover was alive.
"Yes. I'm back," he said and kissed her again. Warmth filled her cold body and Hermione relished his kiss. He drew away. Her body lost the heat he had given her and she begged, "Kiss me again."
He didn't object. Hermione held onto him, clutching onto his shirt. It was the same one he had worn when he had left her house, the same shirt they had found him in when he was murdered.
She pulled away, anger filling her. Stepping back, she raised her hand and slapped him. Draco staggered back, completely taken by surprise. "Hermione! What the hell?"
"That's for leaving me, you basterd! Did you realize how much pain you put me through? Did you? Where the hell of you been? Oh, I could strangle you with my bare hands!" she screamed angrily, hitting his chest with her small fists. Draco grabbed her wrists and said in a gentle voice, "Hermione! Calm down!"
"Calm down? Calm down? Are you insane?" she yelled. "I had to watch you go into the ground! I had to speak at your funeral! My life was a living hell because everything I did, I thought of you! My whole relationship with my friends completely dissolved because of you because I was so depressed! How the hell am I supposed to be calm when you all the sudden pop out of no where after almost a year! My whole life was screwed up because of you! You basterd!"
She ripped her hands out of his grip and punched him in the stomach. He doubled over, clutching his stomach. Either she had more strength than she realized, or there was something more than what she saw. Her anger disappeared immediately and was replaced with concern. Falling to her knees, she lightly touched Draco's back. She asked, "Draco, baby, what's wrong?"
He turned to his side and she held him in her arms automatically. He looked up at her, eyes clouded in pain. His eyes reminded her of those whom only had a few moments left of life. Don't let him die! Oh, Merlin, Jesus! Don't let him die! She begged feverishly to whom ever was listening.
Draco closed his eyes and looked at her, the pain leaving his eyes slowly. He coughed, "Since when did you get a good left hook? And since when did you resort to punching me instead of slapping?
She smiled. Still cocky, even in pain, she observed thoughtfully. She held him closer to her chest, letting her head lower to allow her lips to brush against his forehead. They stayed like that, him cradled in her lap, and her whispering her apologies and giving butterfly kisses against his face and lips.
He looked up a tiredly at her. "Can we go to your place?"
She nodded and proceeded to help him. She took out her wand and Apparated them both to her home. It felt like a quick rush, as if a part of them was holding on weakly. And then it suddenly stopped and it felt as if nothing had happened at all, although they knew it did. Draco became heavy in her arms and she panicked at seeing his white face.
Helping him to the couch, she let him lie on the soft cushions and kneeled on the ground, looking down onto his pale, perspired complexion. She brushed a strand of his pale hair away from his face. Even now, it still feels like silk…
Stretching her long sleeve shirt, she took the sleeve and dabbed the sweat away, finding any excuse to touch him. She continued to gaze down at him, still unable to comprehend that he was lying in front of her, breathing, living…
He opened his eyes, revealing blue eyes she had dreamt of for so many nights. They were more startling in real life than in her dreams. She fell into their sea. His lips moved but she didn't ear anything. When he touched her hand, sending a jolt through her did she try to remember what he had said to her. He smiled tiredly at her, "I knew you weren't listening."
"What'd you say," she asked, slowly drowning in his eyes again.
He chuckled, "I was just saying how you were looking at me like a tiger seeing fresh meat."
"Oh," she blushed. "Sorry…it's just that…"
"I know," he said. She didn't need to finish. He knew what she was feeling.
"Draco," she said. He looked at her, still caressing her hand with his. "How…you were supposed to be dead."
"Do you want me dead?" he asked, his eyes dull and emotionless. She longed to see that living spark in them again. She shook her head quickly.
"No! Of course not!" she shook her head at his stupidity. "After all the pain I went through to loosing you once? What I meant was--"
"I knew what you meant," he cut her off and smiled up at her. She smiled at seeing the spark again. Her insides turned in a painful, yet pleasing feeling. He sighed, "I don't know what really happened. I remembered everything that happened though, almost everything.
"I left you that morning. I wish I hadn't--"
"Me too," she agreed silently, and she realized why he was glaring at her. He always did hate being interrupted. He continued speaking, "I met some of the remaining Death Eaters who still longed to punish those who betrayed the Dark Lord. I…they found me. I tried to fight. I could have taken them down. I've had worse odds…but they threatened to kill you, and I had just gotten you, Hermione. I couldn't bear it if they took you away from me," he kissed her hands, closing his eyes as he painfully remembered. He didn't look at her as he kept telling his story.
"So I went with them. I exchanged pleasantries, and being the pleasant person that I was, they killed me. But I had already split apart myself. I had done it before they had attacked me. And they had taken me away by portkey before I could touch it. And I was separated from myself. I saw everything though, kinda like an inner eye. I could hear everything as well. It was like I was an observer, hearing and seeing all."
Hermione saw his eyes cloud in pain. "I watched the light hit my body and it fall lifeless to the ground. And something funny happened. I felt like I was on fire, being burnt alive. I felt like metal bands were tightening around my lungs, suffocating me. I felt as if a thousand Cruios curses were being shot at me at the same time and they wouldn't stop. It hurt so bad, Hermione. I felt…I felt as if I was in hell…"
A tear slid down his face, as the horrible memories resurfaced and the recollection of the pain add to the horrible visions. He swallowed and continued, "I blanked out. The pain was so unbearable. I woke up though, and I thought I was dead. But I wasn't. I looked around and found myself in the cemetery. The Death Eaters were gone. My body was gone. I made my way back into town and I saw the newspaper. It was weird. My death was in bold letters on the first page. It's funny to see what people said about me, how they tried not to praise me yet not say something horrible. It would have been amusing if I hadn't been so confused. They had quotes by you, and Potter. Even Weasley threw in a comment. Imagine my surprise when it wasn't something scornful.
"I went to your house first, but you weren't there. I didn't know where you were. So I waited for you. I broke in. You have horrible locks, by the way, "he added. She shot him a look, telling him to go back to his story, "And then you came home. You were crying. You looked…so sad…I've never seen you like that. And I finally tried to touch you…and I felt you. I really did. But you didn't react. You couldn't see me. You couldn't feel me or hear me. I was so scared. It was as if I was a ghost, but I knew you would have seen, or at least felt me if I were one.
"You ran into your room. I tried to follow, but I couldn't climb the stairs. I passed out on the floor. I was so weak. I sat on your couch, you know. I only could watch you. I couldn't do anything. I tried to reveal myself to you. But…it was impossible. It was worse than being dead. I hated it. I almost was tempted to kill myself. But I saw you holding the ring. And it gave me…hope, I guess. You gave me hope. You continued to love me, even after I was gone.
"I left to visit Potter's house when you went to bed. Even he couldn't see me. He was looking at pictures in an album Ginny Weasley had given him for his birthday. He smiled at some, laughed at others. And then he came to a picture of him and me. I never did smile. I never understood how he could smile, after the war. I couldn't. I mean I tried. But it felt so unnatural. But the photo-me waved at him and I smiled. My picture smiled at him and he broke down into tears. It was pitiful, to see the Boy-Who-Lived, Savior of the World, Defeator of Voldermort, cry for me, a spy. I tried to reveal myself but I was too weak.
"I went through his folders, after he had fallen asleep on the couch. I finally found the documents to the spell he had created. I picked it up and the file fell through my hands. It fell through me, Hermione," he said quietly, appalled at the thought. "I panicked. My body was fading in and out. I was slowly becoming a ghost, I think. It passed though, and I could pick the file up without it falling through my hands. Potter had only told me the words need for the spell to work, not anything else. I flipped through the file, finding out how to get back together with myself. I found out that the longer I was separated from my other half, the weaker I'd become. Potter had split himself up for almost three week before he started to grow extremely weak. He put himself back together again. I had been separated from myself for months then. I thought I was going to die, fade away into nothing that I could only watch the world before me but I could do nothing. It was horrible, Hermione.
"I took the file with me and went back to your house. If I was going to fade away to nothing, I was going to do it at your house. You were going to be the last thing I would see before I died. It would have made the passing easier. I read and re-read the files. Then I finally decided that night that I would get myself back together again. You were hurting yourself, with the alcohol and avoiding everyone. I did it for you.
"I went to the cemetery, and I connected myself back together again. I opened my eyes and I was in the coffin. It was terrible. The air was stale. It reeked of a rotten body and I felt sick. Do you know that I still had my wand? It seemed that the spell had also divided my clothes and wand into two things as well. But anyway, I brought myself back together again, appeared on the ground again somehow, and vomited. But I felt stronger. I felt alive again.
"I was about to blast the earth away but I collapsed again. It seemed the short connection had weakened me even more. I passed out. I don't remember how long I was out, but when I woke up, I was determined to be whole again. I blasted the earth away, connecting with myself again. It hurt like hell. I don't know why, but I had to separate myself quickly to ease the pain. Finally, I did it again and the pain still was there. I waited it out. And it finally subsided. But Merlin, Hermione, I thought I was going to die. The pain was practically as bad as when I was killed.
"I went back to your house and you were at work. I ate and the food had never tasted so good before. All the food I had eaten before tasted like ash in my mouth. I had been starved for all those months, parched of thirst. I at so much, I threw up. But I took a shower and I felt so good afterwards. I sat down on your couch, so excited to see you. And you came and I waited for you to notice me.
"You looked straight at me. And through me. You couldn't see me and you sighed and went to the kitchen, taking out your bottle of booze. My hopes had been crushed, and I cried. I tried to get you to notice me, really I did. I didn't understand what was going on.
"Remember that one night? You had drunk in the kitchen and then passed out in the couch, I was there--"
"I saw you!" Hermione gasped. Realization swept over her and her eyes widened even more, "You were the one who did things! Put things back into their regular place, like the tea cup and bed!"
He nodded, a smile on his face. "After that night, I wanted you to notice that I was back. But I noticed that something was still wrong. I placed my hand down to touch you when you were asleep that night and my hand was white. I had turned into what seemed like a ghost. By then, your eyes had closed, my skin turned back into it's regular color. It was odd to say the least.
"But I tried. And I watched as you screamed the next day and came to the grave again. I heard you whisper to me. And I cried. I had wiped my face with my hand and then I saw your tears. I reached up and tried to touch them, and I felt them. I can still remember the heat that filled my body when your tears touched mine. You didn't see it, but there was a small explosion of bright light and I flew backwards. I opened my eyes and everything seemed brighter than before, and I breathed and it hurt. It felt like my first breath…
"I heard you and I wished you could see me, I prayed you would see me. I walked over to you and I spoke. I had spoken to you many times before and this time, my voice was louder than before, clearer than before, more alive than before. And you turned around. You had heard me…" Draco finally came to the end of his story. Another tear fell from his eye. He smiled up at her.
Hermione smiled back and rested her head against his chest. She breathed in deep and smelled him, smelled his scent. Oh! how she had missed it!
She turned and kissed his lips gently. She smiled down at him. "Coffee?"
"Merlin, it's been forever since I've had any!" he sighed and got up, following her to the kitchen. As she went over to the coffee maker and poured water into the strainer filled with black grinned beans, warm arms circled around her waist. She sighed as soft lips caressed themselves against her neck. His hands slipped under her shirt and rubbed against her stomach. She moaned and turned around, winding her arms around his neck and leaned in for a kiss. They lost themselves in each other and were brought back to reality by the beeping of the coffee machine. They pulled apart, breathing deeply. They rested their foreheads against the others.
Hermione pulled herself away and grabbed two mugs. Her hands felt around and her eyes sparkled as she took a green mug out from the back of the cupboard. She dusted it off with her shirt and filled it with coffee. Taking the two mugs, she walked over to her small table and sat down. Draco walked over lazily and collapsed into a chair. Hermione looked at him in concern. He shrugged it off.
"It's happened so many times, I don't even notice it that much anymore," he stated as if it happened to everyone.
"There must be some sort of spell," she said more to herself than Draco. She smiled reassuringly at him, "I'll get some potions to help you from fainting. Strengthening ones."
He nodded his thanks and drunk the black liquid. He pulled a face, "Needs milk."
He disappeared into the kitchen and carried out a small carton of cream. As she watched him pour his cream into the liquid, she asked quietly, "What does it feel like now? Being back together when one of you is dead?"
He looked at her with a long gaze. He sighed and took another sip of his drink, thinking on how to answer her. "It feels…colder. I can't do as much as I used to. I'm strong, sure, but I can't do what I could do before. And my soul…Hermione, I feel as if half of me is missing, dead."
"I'm sorry," she said quietly.
"It's not your fault. It's just life, my life. And you know what?" he said.
"What?" she asked automatically. She always hated not knowing the answer.
"I would rather have half of my life, so that I could spend it with you," he smiled. Hermione smiled and grinned even wider as he leaned across the table and kissed her.
They talked for the rest of the night, the sky growing darker and the stars bright. Hermione yawned and Draco spoke, "You need to get to bed. You still have to get to work tomorrow."
She groaned. "I'll skip it."
He shook his head. "You have a job to do, Hermione. Besides, I saw your bills. You're short of cash. And anyway, I want to give Harry a good thrill tomorrow." An evil grin spread over his face. Some things would never change.
"And what if I told him that you were back before you saw him?" she asked teasingly. His eyes seemed to shine even brighter, making Hermione's own eyes grow dim in nervousness. "Draco…"
He swooped down on her, picking her out of her chair as if she was nothing but a feathery pillow and he carried her over his shoulders like a sack of potatoes. Screaming threats while laughing, Hermione kicked playfully at Draco as he carried her up the stairs and to her bedroom. He threw her on the bed and she frowned at him. He raised an eyebrow. "Granger, you knew you liked it."
"And when does a Malfoy get the privilege of saying what I liked and what I don't like?" she snapped. Draco crawled next to her, and leaned over her, his hair almost falling into her face. He leaned down, his breath hot against her face. He touched her side and felt her shudder. He smirked, "When I was able to get you to love me…"
He leaned down and kissed her. She let him kiss her, explore in her mouth. When he broke apart, she whispered against his lips, "Who said I loved you?"
She pushed him off of her and flew into the bathroom. He looked at the door with wide eyes. What was she playing at? He had heard her with her own lips that she loved him. He stopped at the door of the bathroom and opened it. She was leaning over the sink, her mouth filled with foam from her toothpaste.
"What do you mean? I heard you say that I loved you," he accused.
She spat the foam into the sink and rinsed her mouth and the sink. Wiping her mouth, she looked at him, "And what if it was a different kind of love? Like a brotherly love? Best friend kind of love?"
She walked past him, slipping off clothes and put a tang top and shorts on. She glared at him and he turned his back to her, trying to use the mirror hanging on the wall to see her body. "I know you love me, Granger."
"You can look now," she said and he turned around. She was already in bed, her bed sheets pulled up to her chin. He would have smiled if he hadn't been so confused by her. He leaned against the door frame. She raised her eyebrows, "Aren't you coming to bed?"
She looked down at the spot next to her and at him. He looked at her sternly for a second, trying to find a weak point. Finding none, he pulled off his shirt and stripped down to his boxers. She giggled and he frowned. "What?"
"Just remembering your expression when you pulled them out of the gift box," she said and he shrugged. He walked over to her and flipped the covers up so he could slide next to her. She turned on her side, back towards him. Draco looked at her, still trying to understand what she was doing to him.
He leaned in closer, her legs brushing against his and he savored the feeling. He rested a head on her shoulder. "Do you love me?"
She looked at him. "Of course I love you! What kind of silly question is that?"
"But what kind of love?" he asked. He had to know. What was he in her eyes?
She turned on her back and looked at him. "That comment earlier really bothered you?"
He blushed, hoping that in the dark room she couldn't see it. It seemed females came into the world with night vision and she chuckled, "Draco…I didn't mean anything by it. I just wanted to catch you off guard. I personally, thought it was a stupid line to say. But I couldn't think of anything else to say."
He was silent for a moment. And he laid his head down on her soft cotton covered pillow. "Good night," he said.
"Good night," she replied. Hermione closed her eyes. She smiled as she heard him fidget in the bed, and felt his arm slip around her waist, holding her close to him and against his chest. She felt his chest press into her back every time she breathed and she breathed in unison with him.
She opened her eyes and whispered, "I love you, Draco."
"Why?" his deep voice demanded. Her heart stopped for a second. She thought he was asleep. Caught, she gave him his reason, "Because you're perfect. You're handsome. You've got money--"
"Hermione…" he growled and she giggled, "Just checking your hearing!"
Sighing again, she began to list the reasons of why she loved him, "You have a cute smile. You aren't a huge snob like you used to be. You care what other people think, and listen to them when they talk to you. You're kind. You're smart. You're gentle. You have the best kisses in the world. I love how your eyes will dilate when you're thinking really hard. I love how your hair blows in the wind. I love how you dress to impress me. I love how you're so sweet to me, and make me feel special and beautiful. I love how every time you look at me, it's like for the first time in a long while. I love how you make my stomach flip every time I see you. I love how you remember everything I say…I love how you make me feel like a goddess, like I'm worth more than anything in this world…like I'm worth being loved."
"Of course you're worth more than anything!" he scoffed at her foolishness. "Why wouldn't you be? Look at you! You're perfect! And that's why I want…"
He didn't finish his sentence. He just grew silent. She looked at him, worried. "What, Draco?"
"Never mind," he said.
"Tell me!" she said, laughing at his stubbornness.
"It was just…well…Hermione Granger," he paused. He leaned over her, his bright blue eyes shinning in the night, "I want you to be my wife. Will you marry me?
Hermione opened her mouth in disbelief. She had always imagined a proposal. It always was romantic, involving candles and a fancy restaurant or something creative. But it was just plain and simple. It was just a question. It was in her bed, in the dark, and not one thing romantic about it. And yet, her heart constricted in her chest and she found herself smiling, a hand covering her mouth.
One of the handsomest, richest men in the world had asked her hand in marriage. After all they've been through…something deep inside her told her what the right answer was. She cocked her head to the side and said, "Draco."
"Yes?" he asked, his voice almost cracking in anticipation of her answer.
"I will marry you." She heard him give a little cry in victory and he captured her lips with his. She laughed, sitting up in bed in his arms and she let him kiss her. He took his wand off the night stand and muttered something. A whistling sound filled the room and Draco caught the flying object with his hand. Laughing happily, he placed the ring on her finger. He looked up at her in delight and kissed her again.
They laid back down, his arms circled around her waist. Hermione held the ring into the little moonlight shinning through her window and noticed it was the same ring he had given to her before. Forever Yours, the words glistened in the night. "Do you promise to be mine, forever?"
He kissed her head. "That's why I gave you the ring. A Malfoy can only marry once for eternity. And Granger, there's no one else I'd rather spend eternity with."
"I love you, Draco."
"And I love you, forever, Hermione," he murmured in her hair and closed his eyes. She felt his breaths deepen and she sighed. She was the luckiest girl in the world. She smiled. She couldn't wait for tomorrow.
~ The End ~
A/N: I know! What a corny ending! I felt so bad at not writing for so long! You see, I got side tracked by this contest I entered in, and I couldn't think of anything to write for this chapter! So…flame me…I'm looking forward to them… seriously. Although nice reviews are welcomed, heck, any review is welcomed!
Hope you got some type of enjoyment out of this horrible sequel. Personally, I'm ashamed that I even wrote this, almost like my poems *slaps head* But you could tell me otherwise or the same by a review! Please! Don't make me feel like such a loser! Let me know that you actually read this piece of crap! It would make me feel better to know that this sucked royally because you read it, than not to read it at all.
By the way, I've decided NOT to do the other sequel. I have other stories floating around in my mind. And considering, sequels never go very well--this story is written proof-- I'm not going to even bother with it. My apologies if you were looking forward to it…
Before I sign off, and write something a worth reading, thank you to those who stuck by me for so long! Bozena…Compellingold… Dreaming One…Mesmer…RebelRikki…Badbmidnight…Ace7…righteousgrl…sweet-77-thang…innocentrose…Bombshell…Kyra4…and Laura…Thank you guys so much! Y'all freaken rock!
Toodles!
~ Pensive Puddles