Disclaimer: All to J.K. Rowlings
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Okay, this one is between Hermione and Draco in St. Mungo's. First Hermione, then Draco, etc. Read on.
~~The Portrait~~
"You once told me you loved me."
"I did."
"I believed you."
"I know."
"They told me you didn't mean it, not really, but I didn't listen to them. Even you couldn't be capable of such a lie."
"It's good to know someone trusts me."
"So I fell in love with you, more because I felt it was expected of me rather than because we were truly compatible."
"I suspected as much."
"It was easier than I thought."
"It always is."
"And then, one not so special night, you kissed me."
"I remember."
"I never felt so alive or so cared for. I never knew that anything could make me feel so wonderful. I suppose if I had known, I would've kissed you sooner."
"Naturally."
"I remember the looks on everybody's faces when, the next morning after breakfast, I ran up to you and kissed you fully on the lips."
"It was quite amusing."
"My housemates had never given me such a lecture as what I received that day. The way they talked, one would have thought I'd considered killing the Queen."
"I imagine so."
"Even my mother scolded me about it. I don't even know how she got her hands on a Howler. I can still hear her voice echoing off the walls. She said I should learn to better control my hormones."
"Well, I was quite a looker in those days."
"Then graduation came around and both you and I received full marks. I can still remember how the beginning of the ceremony went. How proud everyone was of me and how they grumbled about you."
"No one wants the enemy to do well."
"And then the attack."
"I remember."
"So many deaths. So many wasted lives."
"You needn't go on."
"And then when Harry ended it. I'd never been more proud of him than I was at that moment."
"You always did praise him too much."
"And then you. You fought on our side. No one could believe it. I think that's when they began to really accept the fact that you could really love me and that you could truly be worthy of my affections. I don't think they would have relented otherwise."
"I didn't expect any less."
"And then, that's when I realized I really and truly loved you. I realized it at that moment, when the battle was over. Before you even checked yourself for injuries, you ran to me and held me and comforted me and cried with me. I knew I loved you then."
"The feeling was mutual."
"After that, every waking moment I spent with you. Even many of the sleeping ones. I rarely left your side. I gave you everything in those few short weeks after school ended. I let you have all of me."
"And I gave myself to you in return, you know."
"But your father. He ruined everything. He was still stuck in his old ways, crazed and desperate after the fall of his master. He hated you for abandoning his way of life for a mudblood. He despised me for stealing away his only son."
"Insane, selfish bastard."
"But we were unstoppable. We were oblivious; we were in absolute bliss, totally absorbed in one another. You were my love, my life, my religion, my home. I didn't know or care of anything but you. Even the books and knowledge I craved more than water came second to you. You were everything to me."
"I've been known to have that effect on women."
"We planned on getting married, buying a house in the country, raising a family. We planned to have a life as normal and carefree as today's world would allow. We planned on happiness, and joy, and love."
"Without love there is no life, and without life there is no love."
"Everyone was happy for us. Pleased that I could care for something more than libraries and pleased that you were something more than pure evil."
"They were pleased with me, weren't they?"
"I remember that whole year we spent together: planning, loving, hoping, loving, arranging, and loving. We hardly left each other's arms the whole time."
"Well, you were quite irresistible."
"It was then, at our most happiest, that we fell."
"I remember."
"Your father never did like to give up on his missions, did he? Always had to succeed or die trying. After that day, for the first time in my life, I actually wanted someone to die. I'd never thought that before, even after Cedric died, or after Sirius, or after all those innocents in the last battle. But I wanted him to die that day."
"So did I."
"It was our wedding day. We were getting married. It was the middle of the ceremony. He came in and--he came in and..."
"Stop, please. Don't say it again."
"He stood there at the doors, his eyes wild and his wand raised. He spoke."
"Please. I've heard it before. I don't have to hear it again."
"I couldn't understand all of it. He said something about 'traitor' and 'mudblood' and 'disobey'. The men, they all tried to stop him, to take him out of the hall, but he stopped them all with well placed and practiced curses."
"No more, I beg of you..."
"He approached us, his pale hair floating about his head like a halo, but his eyes were grim and fiery. He came to me, the words of the Killing Curse on his lips."
"Please..."
"The incantation was spoken, the terrible spell on its way. Yet I did not die. I did not die, though now I wish I did."
"Please. No more, please..."
"You saved me, shielded my body with your own. The light, the horrid green light. It took you from me. Took the breath from your lungs, the warmth from your hands, and the love from your heart. It took you away from me..."
"Darling, no more. It's unbearable..."
"They stopped him, Ron and Harry did, with a multiple hit from the same curse that took you. I was safe, but you were gone."
"I can't take your pain anymore. I can't take your pain..."
"They said you'd never come back, but I didn't--don't--believe them. You'll come back to me. You'll come back."
"Darling, I wish I could. Hermione...my darling, my love..."
"I know you'll come back to me someday, my dear Draco. And then we can live our happily ever after as though nothing happened."
"Hermione, it's been nearly 30 years. You must move on. Why do you not listen to me?"
"You'll come back and we'll have children and be happy and live in the country. And then I can leave this stupid St. Mungo's room. And everyone-- EVERYONE--will feel sorry for leaving me here, locked up. And it will all be as before..."
"Oh, my dear, dear Hermione. If only you could forget."
"I love you, Draco. I'll always love you. And I'll always be waiting. Always..."
"Oh, Hermione, I wish I could come back. I would if I could. And I do love you. Really, I do. And I wish we could have lived our lives the way we meant. But, Hermione, why do you never listen to me and forget? Oh, darling, I'm only a stupid portrait. Just a portrait..."
"You'll come back to me, Draco, my love. You'll come back."
"I'm only a portrait, Hermione. Please, hear me! Only a portrait..."
~`~`~`~`~
Ok, this was one of the first I ever did. I'm not exactly pleased with it, but, eh, you know how it is. Please review!
AUTHOR'S NOTE: Okay, this one is between Hermione and Draco in St. Mungo's. First Hermione, then Draco, etc. Read on.
~~The Portrait~~
"You once told me you loved me."
"I did."
"I believed you."
"I know."
"They told me you didn't mean it, not really, but I didn't listen to them. Even you couldn't be capable of such a lie."
"It's good to know someone trusts me."
"So I fell in love with you, more because I felt it was expected of me rather than because we were truly compatible."
"I suspected as much."
"It was easier than I thought."
"It always is."
"And then, one not so special night, you kissed me."
"I remember."
"I never felt so alive or so cared for. I never knew that anything could make me feel so wonderful. I suppose if I had known, I would've kissed you sooner."
"Naturally."
"I remember the looks on everybody's faces when, the next morning after breakfast, I ran up to you and kissed you fully on the lips."
"It was quite amusing."
"My housemates had never given me such a lecture as what I received that day. The way they talked, one would have thought I'd considered killing the Queen."
"I imagine so."
"Even my mother scolded me about it. I don't even know how she got her hands on a Howler. I can still hear her voice echoing off the walls. She said I should learn to better control my hormones."
"Well, I was quite a looker in those days."
"Then graduation came around and both you and I received full marks. I can still remember how the beginning of the ceremony went. How proud everyone was of me and how they grumbled about you."
"No one wants the enemy to do well."
"And then the attack."
"I remember."
"So many deaths. So many wasted lives."
"You needn't go on."
"And then when Harry ended it. I'd never been more proud of him than I was at that moment."
"You always did praise him too much."
"And then you. You fought on our side. No one could believe it. I think that's when they began to really accept the fact that you could really love me and that you could truly be worthy of my affections. I don't think they would have relented otherwise."
"I didn't expect any less."
"And then, that's when I realized I really and truly loved you. I realized it at that moment, when the battle was over. Before you even checked yourself for injuries, you ran to me and held me and comforted me and cried with me. I knew I loved you then."
"The feeling was mutual."
"After that, every waking moment I spent with you. Even many of the sleeping ones. I rarely left your side. I gave you everything in those few short weeks after school ended. I let you have all of me."
"And I gave myself to you in return, you know."
"But your father. He ruined everything. He was still stuck in his old ways, crazed and desperate after the fall of his master. He hated you for abandoning his way of life for a mudblood. He despised me for stealing away his only son."
"Insane, selfish bastard."
"But we were unstoppable. We were oblivious; we were in absolute bliss, totally absorbed in one another. You were my love, my life, my religion, my home. I didn't know or care of anything but you. Even the books and knowledge I craved more than water came second to you. You were everything to me."
"I've been known to have that effect on women."
"We planned on getting married, buying a house in the country, raising a family. We planned to have a life as normal and carefree as today's world would allow. We planned on happiness, and joy, and love."
"Without love there is no life, and without life there is no love."
"Everyone was happy for us. Pleased that I could care for something more than libraries and pleased that you were something more than pure evil."
"They were pleased with me, weren't they?"
"I remember that whole year we spent together: planning, loving, hoping, loving, arranging, and loving. We hardly left each other's arms the whole time."
"Well, you were quite irresistible."
"It was then, at our most happiest, that we fell."
"I remember."
"Your father never did like to give up on his missions, did he? Always had to succeed or die trying. After that day, for the first time in my life, I actually wanted someone to die. I'd never thought that before, even after Cedric died, or after Sirius, or after all those innocents in the last battle. But I wanted him to die that day."
"So did I."
"It was our wedding day. We were getting married. It was the middle of the ceremony. He came in and--he came in and..."
"Stop, please. Don't say it again."
"He stood there at the doors, his eyes wild and his wand raised. He spoke."
"Please. I've heard it before. I don't have to hear it again."
"I couldn't understand all of it. He said something about 'traitor' and 'mudblood' and 'disobey'. The men, they all tried to stop him, to take him out of the hall, but he stopped them all with well placed and practiced curses."
"No more, I beg of you..."
"He approached us, his pale hair floating about his head like a halo, but his eyes were grim and fiery. He came to me, the words of the Killing Curse on his lips."
"Please..."
"The incantation was spoken, the terrible spell on its way. Yet I did not die. I did not die, though now I wish I did."
"Please. No more, please..."
"You saved me, shielded my body with your own. The light, the horrid green light. It took you from me. Took the breath from your lungs, the warmth from your hands, and the love from your heart. It took you away from me..."
"Darling, no more. It's unbearable..."
"They stopped him, Ron and Harry did, with a multiple hit from the same curse that took you. I was safe, but you were gone."
"I can't take your pain anymore. I can't take your pain..."
"They said you'd never come back, but I didn't--don't--believe them. You'll come back to me. You'll come back."
"Darling, I wish I could. Hermione...my darling, my love..."
"I know you'll come back to me someday, my dear Draco. And then we can live our happily ever after as though nothing happened."
"Hermione, it's been nearly 30 years. You must move on. Why do you not listen to me?"
"You'll come back and we'll have children and be happy and live in the country. And then I can leave this stupid St. Mungo's room. And everyone-- EVERYONE--will feel sorry for leaving me here, locked up. And it will all be as before..."
"Oh, my dear, dear Hermione. If only you could forget."
"I love you, Draco. I'll always love you. And I'll always be waiting. Always..."
"Oh, Hermione, I wish I could come back. I would if I could. And I do love you. Really, I do. And I wish we could have lived our lives the way we meant. But, Hermione, why do you never listen to me and forget? Oh, darling, I'm only a stupid portrait. Just a portrait..."
"You'll come back to me, Draco, my love. You'll come back."
"I'm only a portrait, Hermione. Please, hear me! Only a portrait..."
~`~`~`~`~
Ok, this was one of the first I ever did. I'm not exactly pleased with it, but, eh, you know how it is. Please review!