Chapter one- That Day for Draco
Draco Malfoy was sitting on the Underground, waiting for his stop. He was thinking about everything and nothing in particular. Why was he on the Underground when he could just apparate? He was a full-grown and well- trained wizard. He could apparate with the best of them. It was probably because of her. Damn muggle. Three years later and he was still thinking about it. Why did she think he would allow her to do that? Merlin, she blew his mind! All those years of calling him names and hating him and then, she... Why did she have to do that?
Flashback
"Excuse me, but may I talk to you for a minute?" She ran towards him wearing a set of deep burgundy silk dress robes. Her Victorian heels clacked against the stone floor of the castle. She ran to where he was standing, slightly out of breath, waiting for his response.
"Whatever," he broke away from his 'friends' and followed her to the entrance hall. "What do you want?"
"You're not going to call me mudblood?" Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion at his bluntness.
"Why should I? It's graduation; I won't have to see you every day next fall, why should I be rude when I have been for the past seven years? I can't think of a good reason," he stated tiredly.
"Don't you have to keep up that reputation of yours?" There was a twinkle in her eye that showed she was just teasing the blonde boy. She knew he saw this, but still he answered with a simple, harsh:
"No."
"All right, then... I know you hate me and all, but I wanted to apologize for my attitude towards you since first year. I guess my doing nothing but study and almost always showing you up in grades was somewhat rude." Her eyes glistened with tears. No one would ever expect that Hermione Granger would admit that she studied too much, let alone say that it was rude for her to do so. "I was and still am just a mudblood know-it-all and I guess I deserved having you call me that. I'm sorry for all the ferret jokes and what the boys have done. I'm also sorry I never told you."
Malfoy cocked an eyebrow. "Never told me what?" he said hesitantly.
Hermione bowed her head in embarrassment. "I know you hate me and I accept that, but it really hurts to know that I could never kiss you. So before I never see you again and regret not doing it for the rest of my life..."
She stood on her toes and pressed her lips against his, wrapping her arms around his neck. Or rather, she wrapped her arm around his neck. For the first time, he noticed her left arm was missing. He also noticed her hair was singed so it was shorter than his and it had been blackened at the ends. She had holes and tears all over her robes. She looked like hell with all the cuts and bruises on her visible skin. The worst of them was on her right cheek, a gash that was still bleeding. He broke away and held her shoulders so she was arms length from him. Why had he never noticed before? She was absolutely...
"Hermione, what happened?!"
"You know my first name?" Hermione's eyes widened in shock.
He could tell she was sincerely surprised. "Of course I do! Who doesn't know your first name? You're Golden Boy's best friend and smartest student Hogwarts has ever seen, mudblood and pureblood alike! Now, what the bloody hell happened to you?!?"
"He's gone. Harry killed him. But," She hung her head and she whispered, "Your father is, too. I'm sorry, it's my fault."
"You killed my father!"
"I'm sorry."
He whispered "thank you" as he embraced her in a hug.
Her cheeks were tinged red when they broke apart. "We might want to head back inside. Minister Fudge wants me to leave as soon as possible." She started to walk towards the Great Hall as he pulled her back by the wrist.
"Wait, what does Fudge have to do with anything?"
"I used an Unforgivable Curse. It's unforgivable, hence being called an Unforgivable Curse." There was a tone in her voice that suggested she was above him, more intelligent than him.
"So, what does that have to do with ANYTHING?!"
"That's how your father died! I used an Unforgivable on another wizard, punishable by life in Azkaban! THAT'S why I'm saying all this! THAT'S why Fudge is here! THAT'S what Fudge has to do with it! He's here so that after I graduate, he can take me straight there." She collapsed in a heap of cloth and tears.
Malfoy's expression softened. He knelt down next to the whimpering girl and asked, in a whisper, "What about Potter? He killed someone, too."
She looked up. He was startled by the pain and torment that went unmasked in her eyes. She looked deep into his eyes, searching. He wasn't sure of what, but he knew, she was looking for something in his eyes. He visually tensed up when she looked away. As she did, the injured witch responded, "Yes, but Harry is Harry. And I killed a respected member of society. Harry killed the most evil and feared wizard of all time. And anyways, Harry didn't use an Unforgivable," she paused, unsure of what to say. She decided upon blunt honesty. "He cut off Voldemort's head."
"Oh."
"Exactly. I have to go back inside. Fudge will be furious if I stay out any longer." She paused as she stood, dusting her robes with her hands. A small grin played at her features as she stated, "I could be trying to escape, you know. Because that is something law-abiding good girl Hermione Granger would obviously do. Well, maybe you don't know that... I wish you did, though." By the time she ended, even the smallest hint of her smile was gone.
Quietly, Malfoy murmured, "I wish I did, too. Now that you're telling me all this, I wish I knew a lot more. I wish I knew your favorite color, your middle name, if you have any muggle friends. I wish I knew stupid little things like that, but most of all I really wish I could have known Hermione Granger better. I know this all sounds a little out of character for me to be saying it, but... I do."
"A LITTLE out of character? Coming from you this is very out of character. But... well, all right. My favorite colors are dark green and silver, my middle name is Jane, and no, I don't have any muggle friends. The only friend I had growing up died three weeks before I got my letter. She had cancer. Now you know what you wanted and you have things to ponder for the rest of your life. You and I both know we won't see each other again after tonight. You might as well just think me dead. It will be easier that way." Again, she turned to walk away but the blonde once more caught her wrist.
"Malfoy, I just want to get this over with. Why can't you just let me leave?" Annoyance showed through the pain and hope that lingered stubbornly in her chestnut eyes. She was still standing apart from him when she felt his hoary eyes searching hers. She couldn't and wouldn't tear her eyes from his. She was stronger than that. She didn't care that he looked through her like this. If he could tell what was possibly going through her mind, he wouldn't be able to decipher it. She was used to the look, anyways. Even though their fronts were very inconspicuous, the Grangers were highly uncomfortable with their daughter being a witch. Every time they were with her, she received this look, knowing they were looking for some hint of a reason to pull her out of Hogwarts. They were only proud of her being Head Girl because of the title. She had to try ten times harder than everyone else just to be allowed to go to the one place that allowed her dreams and friends. The one place she could truly call home in times of crisis, and when the crisis came, she protected that one place. In protecting her home, she ended up here, explaining to an old foe why she was going to be locked in a cell in the most notorious place in the entirety of the wizarding world. She wished she could have been explaining why she really needed to tell him all these things. It wasn't because this was the last time they'd speak or the only time available in her hectic well thought out life. It really was because she hated her life and she needed someone else to tell. But there was no one to tell her true pain, because everyone who cared knew and everyone else wouldn't notice. There was no one to tell, so she told Malfoy about Emile. Not even Harry and Ron knew of Emile.
Hermione was so absorbed in her world she didn't notice when Malfoy pulled her close and kissed her with such a passion; she was caught entirely off guard. Once she realized what was happening, she responded, but when the blonde pulled on her bottom lip for access to her mouth, Hermione pulled away.
"I'm serious, Malfoy. I have to go in there. I said five minutes. It's been five minutes plus an extra ten. I'm in enough trouble already, I can't stay with you, screwing around." She tugged at her wrist, but Malfoy's grip held tight.
"Miss Perfect until the end, 'ey mudblood? I just was returning the kiss you had to give. Can't be in trouble with the minister, who's a git anyways. Can't get into any trouble, can't mar that reputation. I've only known of one detention you've ever had and I made sure you got that one. I bet that was the only time you've ever broken school rules."
He stopped when Hermione made a very jerky move to successfully wrench her hand free. She looked like she wanted to rub it, but there was nothing she could have used to do so. Malfoy reached over and massaged the wrist for her.
"Thank you. I am not Miss Perfect. There's a lot you don't know. Really if people knew all that I did, I would have been in Azkaban a long while ago. Killing someone is just a little harder hide, especially when I couldn't help but admit I did it. I'm not like you, I wouldn't have been able to keep that to myself, even if no one saw me. But there is no way in hell that I could ever be considered Miss Perfect. I can't be here. I can't be with you. You'll make me want to leave and stay out here forever. I have to leave. Thank you for listening." When she turned around the last time, the one time she hoped he would hold her back, he didn't reach for her solitary wrist. She walked all the way to the entrance of the Great Hall when she stopped. She turned to see him watching her soullessly.
"I have one last thing for you to think about, Mr. Malfoy. Would you like to know what it is?" No response followed, but the battered young woman forged ahead. "I love you, Draco Malfoy."
A sparkle flickered in the flaxen-haired lad's eyes. The infamous smirk with a kind flicker to it emerged when he responded, "You know my first name?"
Hermione beamed when she heard the response. "Until another life, Mr. Malfoy. Until then," were the passing words as she slipped through the vast oak doors.
End Flashback
"Yes, Hermione. Until then..." it was three years later and he still thought about it. He could barely remember the date, what clothes he had worn the day before, or his own name, but he remembered that last encounter. He might have tried to forget it at one point during the past three years, but that was useless. He might as well be celibate. All of his relationships were ended because the girl was either too "un-Hermione" or she left after being called Hermione one too many times. Not that he minded. No girl would ever be Hermione Jane Granger. He hated waking up in the morning to know she wasn't there next to him. He hated knowing that he didn't go after her that one last time. If he had, who knows; he might be married to a certain one-armed girl right now. But he hadn't. It was in the past now. He could only look back on it with a tear and a smile, never to change it. But he could remember the girl fondly and practically give up his entire heritage and live as a muggle in her memory. He stepped off the train with a sigh, heading to his apartment on the magic side of London. He hadn't used his wand for anything larger than unlocking his front door and defense in three years, and he was slowly forgetting everything he learned at school, all for a pretty young brunette residing in the most horrible place known to man. He needed her back. But he couldn't have her. Why did he let her kiss him? He never would have if he had known it would lead to this. He never should have let her kiss him... He should have held her so close as to never let her go while he was still alive. That's what he should have done. Damn muggle... why did she give him that beautifully horrible day? Didn't she know that he would fall in love with her? If she didn't know that, he had overestimated hr intelligence. There was no one else. There was only Hermione. And there was only him, he hoped, in her. Dear God, why had she given him that damned day? The one burned in his mind forever. Dammit, Hermione, why?
IIIIIiIiIiIiIiIIIIIiIiIiIiIiIIIIIiIiIiIiIiIIIIIiIiIiIiIiIIIII
17.05.04 Here's chapter one. The end's a little confusing, so if you have any questions, ask and I shall answer. Hope you liked it and hopefully chapter two will be out soon. Love you all and have a wonderful time having a life!
Tris
P.S. I forgot a disclaimer so it here. I don't own a lot of the stuff in this chapter. JKR does. If you want a fancier one, check out the poem thingy that's technically "Chapter 1" Bye!!!!!!!!
Draco Malfoy was sitting on the Underground, waiting for his stop. He was thinking about everything and nothing in particular. Why was he on the Underground when he could just apparate? He was a full-grown and well- trained wizard. He could apparate with the best of them. It was probably because of her. Damn muggle. Three years later and he was still thinking about it. Why did she think he would allow her to do that? Merlin, she blew his mind! All those years of calling him names and hating him and then, she... Why did she have to do that?
Flashback
"Excuse me, but may I talk to you for a minute?" She ran towards him wearing a set of deep burgundy silk dress robes. Her Victorian heels clacked against the stone floor of the castle. She ran to where he was standing, slightly out of breath, waiting for his response.
"Whatever," he broke away from his 'friends' and followed her to the entrance hall. "What do you want?"
"You're not going to call me mudblood?" Her eyebrows furrowed in confusion at his bluntness.
"Why should I? It's graduation; I won't have to see you every day next fall, why should I be rude when I have been for the past seven years? I can't think of a good reason," he stated tiredly.
"Don't you have to keep up that reputation of yours?" There was a twinkle in her eye that showed she was just teasing the blonde boy. She knew he saw this, but still he answered with a simple, harsh:
"No."
"All right, then... I know you hate me and all, but I wanted to apologize for my attitude towards you since first year. I guess my doing nothing but study and almost always showing you up in grades was somewhat rude." Her eyes glistened with tears. No one would ever expect that Hermione Granger would admit that she studied too much, let alone say that it was rude for her to do so. "I was and still am just a mudblood know-it-all and I guess I deserved having you call me that. I'm sorry for all the ferret jokes and what the boys have done. I'm also sorry I never told you."
Malfoy cocked an eyebrow. "Never told me what?" he said hesitantly.
Hermione bowed her head in embarrassment. "I know you hate me and I accept that, but it really hurts to know that I could never kiss you. So before I never see you again and regret not doing it for the rest of my life..."
She stood on her toes and pressed her lips against his, wrapping her arms around his neck. Or rather, she wrapped her arm around his neck. For the first time, he noticed her left arm was missing. He also noticed her hair was singed so it was shorter than his and it had been blackened at the ends. She had holes and tears all over her robes. She looked like hell with all the cuts and bruises on her visible skin. The worst of them was on her right cheek, a gash that was still bleeding. He broke away and held her shoulders so she was arms length from him. Why had he never noticed before? She was absolutely...
"Hermione, what happened?!"
"You know my first name?" Hermione's eyes widened in shock.
He could tell she was sincerely surprised. "Of course I do! Who doesn't know your first name? You're Golden Boy's best friend and smartest student Hogwarts has ever seen, mudblood and pureblood alike! Now, what the bloody hell happened to you?!?"
"He's gone. Harry killed him. But," She hung her head and she whispered, "Your father is, too. I'm sorry, it's my fault."
"You killed my father!"
"I'm sorry."
He whispered "thank you" as he embraced her in a hug.
Her cheeks were tinged red when they broke apart. "We might want to head back inside. Minister Fudge wants me to leave as soon as possible." She started to walk towards the Great Hall as he pulled her back by the wrist.
"Wait, what does Fudge have to do with anything?"
"I used an Unforgivable Curse. It's unforgivable, hence being called an Unforgivable Curse." There was a tone in her voice that suggested she was above him, more intelligent than him.
"So, what does that have to do with ANYTHING?!"
"That's how your father died! I used an Unforgivable on another wizard, punishable by life in Azkaban! THAT'S why I'm saying all this! THAT'S why Fudge is here! THAT'S what Fudge has to do with it! He's here so that after I graduate, he can take me straight there." She collapsed in a heap of cloth and tears.
Malfoy's expression softened. He knelt down next to the whimpering girl and asked, in a whisper, "What about Potter? He killed someone, too."
She looked up. He was startled by the pain and torment that went unmasked in her eyes. She looked deep into his eyes, searching. He wasn't sure of what, but he knew, she was looking for something in his eyes. He visually tensed up when she looked away. As she did, the injured witch responded, "Yes, but Harry is Harry. And I killed a respected member of society. Harry killed the most evil and feared wizard of all time. And anyways, Harry didn't use an Unforgivable," she paused, unsure of what to say. She decided upon blunt honesty. "He cut off Voldemort's head."
"Oh."
"Exactly. I have to go back inside. Fudge will be furious if I stay out any longer." She paused as she stood, dusting her robes with her hands. A small grin played at her features as she stated, "I could be trying to escape, you know. Because that is something law-abiding good girl Hermione Granger would obviously do. Well, maybe you don't know that... I wish you did, though." By the time she ended, even the smallest hint of her smile was gone.
Quietly, Malfoy murmured, "I wish I did, too. Now that you're telling me all this, I wish I knew a lot more. I wish I knew your favorite color, your middle name, if you have any muggle friends. I wish I knew stupid little things like that, but most of all I really wish I could have known Hermione Granger better. I know this all sounds a little out of character for me to be saying it, but... I do."
"A LITTLE out of character? Coming from you this is very out of character. But... well, all right. My favorite colors are dark green and silver, my middle name is Jane, and no, I don't have any muggle friends. The only friend I had growing up died three weeks before I got my letter. She had cancer. Now you know what you wanted and you have things to ponder for the rest of your life. You and I both know we won't see each other again after tonight. You might as well just think me dead. It will be easier that way." Again, she turned to walk away but the blonde once more caught her wrist.
"Malfoy, I just want to get this over with. Why can't you just let me leave?" Annoyance showed through the pain and hope that lingered stubbornly in her chestnut eyes. She was still standing apart from him when she felt his hoary eyes searching hers. She couldn't and wouldn't tear her eyes from his. She was stronger than that. She didn't care that he looked through her like this. If he could tell what was possibly going through her mind, he wouldn't be able to decipher it. She was used to the look, anyways. Even though their fronts were very inconspicuous, the Grangers were highly uncomfortable with their daughter being a witch. Every time they were with her, she received this look, knowing they were looking for some hint of a reason to pull her out of Hogwarts. They were only proud of her being Head Girl because of the title. She had to try ten times harder than everyone else just to be allowed to go to the one place that allowed her dreams and friends. The one place she could truly call home in times of crisis, and when the crisis came, she protected that one place. In protecting her home, she ended up here, explaining to an old foe why she was going to be locked in a cell in the most notorious place in the entirety of the wizarding world. She wished she could have been explaining why she really needed to tell him all these things. It wasn't because this was the last time they'd speak or the only time available in her hectic well thought out life. It really was because she hated her life and she needed someone else to tell. But there was no one to tell her true pain, because everyone who cared knew and everyone else wouldn't notice. There was no one to tell, so she told Malfoy about Emile. Not even Harry and Ron knew of Emile.
Hermione was so absorbed in her world she didn't notice when Malfoy pulled her close and kissed her with such a passion; she was caught entirely off guard. Once she realized what was happening, she responded, but when the blonde pulled on her bottom lip for access to her mouth, Hermione pulled away.
"I'm serious, Malfoy. I have to go in there. I said five minutes. It's been five minutes plus an extra ten. I'm in enough trouble already, I can't stay with you, screwing around." She tugged at her wrist, but Malfoy's grip held tight.
"Miss Perfect until the end, 'ey mudblood? I just was returning the kiss you had to give. Can't be in trouble with the minister, who's a git anyways. Can't get into any trouble, can't mar that reputation. I've only known of one detention you've ever had and I made sure you got that one. I bet that was the only time you've ever broken school rules."
He stopped when Hermione made a very jerky move to successfully wrench her hand free. She looked like she wanted to rub it, but there was nothing she could have used to do so. Malfoy reached over and massaged the wrist for her.
"Thank you. I am not Miss Perfect. There's a lot you don't know. Really if people knew all that I did, I would have been in Azkaban a long while ago. Killing someone is just a little harder hide, especially when I couldn't help but admit I did it. I'm not like you, I wouldn't have been able to keep that to myself, even if no one saw me. But there is no way in hell that I could ever be considered Miss Perfect. I can't be here. I can't be with you. You'll make me want to leave and stay out here forever. I have to leave. Thank you for listening." When she turned around the last time, the one time she hoped he would hold her back, he didn't reach for her solitary wrist. She walked all the way to the entrance of the Great Hall when she stopped. She turned to see him watching her soullessly.
"I have one last thing for you to think about, Mr. Malfoy. Would you like to know what it is?" No response followed, but the battered young woman forged ahead. "I love you, Draco Malfoy."
A sparkle flickered in the flaxen-haired lad's eyes. The infamous smirk with a kind flicker to it emerged when he responded, "You know my first name?"
Hermione beamed when she heard the response. "Until another life, Mr. Malfoy. Until then," were the passing words as she slipped through the vast oak doors.
End Flashback
"Yes, Hermione. Until then..." it was three years later and he still thought about it. He could barely remember the date, what clothes he had worn the day before, or his own name, but he remembered that last encounter. He might have tried to forget it at one point during the past three years, but that was useless. He might as well be celibate. All of his relationships were ended because the girl was either too "un-Hermione" or she left after being called Hermione one too many times. Not that he minded. No girl would ever be Hermione Jane Granger. He hated waking up in the morning to know she wasn't there next to him. He hated knowing that he didn't go after her that one last time. If he had, who knows; he might be married to a certain one-armed girl right now. But he hadn't. It was in the past now. He could only look back on it with a tear and a smile, never to change it. But he could remember the girl fondly and practically give up his entire heritage and live as a muggle in her memory. He stepped off the train with a sigh, heading to his apartment on the magic side of London. He hadn't used his wand for anything larger than unlocking his front door and defense in three years, and he was slowly forgetting everything he learned at school, all for a pretty young brunette residing in the most horrible place known to man. He needed her back. But he couldn't have her. Why did he let her kiss him? He never would have if he had known it would lead to this. He never should have let her kiss him... He should have held her so close as to never let her go while he was still alive. That's what he should have done. Damn muggle... why did she give him that beautifully horrible day? Didn't she know that he would fall in love with her? If she didn't know that, he had overestimated hr intelligence. There was no one else. There was only Hermione. And there was only him, he hoped, in her. Dear God, why had she given him that damned day? The one burned in his mind forever. Dammit, Hermione, why?
IIIIIiIiIiIiIiIIIIIiIiIiIiIiIIIIIiIiIiIiIiIIIIIiIiIiIiIiIIIII
17.05.04 Here's chapter one. The end's a little confusing, so if you have any questions, ask and I shall answer. Hope you liked it and hopefully chapter two will be out soon. Love you all and have a wonderful time having a life!
Tris
P.S. I forgot a disclaimer so it here. I don't own a lot of the stuff in this chapter. JKR does. If you want a fancier one, check out the poem thingy that's technically "Chapter 1" Bye!!!!!!!!