:: Chapter Fourteen: Deep Despair ::

For two long years the same memories haunted Draco. Those few months seemed to be nothing more than a memory. Draco sat at the window seat in his flat in London, staring at the droplets of rain. Two years couldn't heal the pain; it couldn't heal the wounds. He had watched her die, and he had denied her dying wish: to be free. He had lost his wand long ago and had never felt the need to replace it. He had strayed away from the wizarding world. As far as anyone knew Draco had disappeared along with most of the Death Eaters. Often times he wondered if anyone actually missed him. And nobody did, many were relieved. Except for one.

She ran her fingers over the ebony wand; the handsome features matched those of its owner. Hermione sighed deeply.

"Hermione, Lavender and Ron are waiting." Harry called to his girlfriend of two years. Hermione returned the wand to its spot at the bottom of the lowest desk drawer. She left their bedroom and entered the living room where Harry was waiting. They apparated to The Three Broomsticks, Harry knew that deep down Hermione wanted nothing more than escape, leave reality and drown herself in a fantasy world. Friends were the last things on her mind at the moment.

"Ron, Lavender, how are you?" Hermione asked putting on a cheerful front.

"Good and yourself?" Lavender returned the greeting.

"Please, take a seat." Ron interjected. Hermione and Harry sat opposite the smiling couple.

"I'm sure your both wondering why we asked you here." Lavender began, stealing a nervous glance from Ron.

"Well.. We're getting married."

"That's wonderful!" Hermione said. Deep down inside she wanted to scream, the last of her single friends were getting married. Even little Ginny had gotten married the previous year. In her heart Hermione knew that even if Harry did propose she would have to decline. Her heart belonged to someone else, someone that had stolen her heart and shattered it in front of her own eyes.

"Congratulations." Harry said to his best friend and his fiancée.

"Thank you." Ron blushed. "So… anyway." He cleared his throat nervously. "Quidditch, did you see the England/Scotland match last night?" The boys began a heated discussion; naturally they tuned out anything anyone else was saying.

"Hermione. you've been looking awful glum lately, everything alright?" Lavender asked nothing how Hermione seemed to zone out of reality once again.

"I'm fine, really. It's just. Harry and I have been dating now for two years and I can't help but wonder if we're going to be stuck at this point forever."

"I hope my news didn't bring this on."

"No, don't be silly. I just keep wondering what life would be like if everything was different."

"Everything happens for a reason."

"Perhaps you're right."

"I'm sorry to cut this short but Ron and I really must be getting to the Burrow. We promised Molly we'd stop by."

"It's fine. Really, go on." Hermione smiled. Ron and Lavender said their goodbyes and the two left. Hermione and Harry returned to their flat soon after.

"Harry. I'm going down to the coffee shop." Hermione said grabbing her latest novel. The little coffeehouse down the street had become Hermione's latest hang out. The coffee shop had an outdoor café where Hermione could usually be seen writing in her journal or reading a novel. Today she sat at a secluded table sipping a strawberry smoothie she had ordered.

Draco was tired of being inside of his flat, it was too easy to let his mind wander to the parts he was trying so hard to forget and yet just couldn't seem to rid of them. He walked the streets of London aimlessly, letting the little things occupy his brain, the feel of the cold wind against his cheeks to the various looks on the nameless peoples faces. However often times little things reminded him of her. Her name had become a curse, something he wouldn't dare speak. Trying to change his focus he became aware of the cold surrounding him on the street. At the corner a café stood taunting him with the warmth he knew would await inside. Continuing on his "people watching" as he made a beeline for the café he noticed something. He noticed her. He scolded himself for letting his imagination run too far. He blinked and turned to look at the spot where he had seen her ghost. Expecting her to be gone he scolded himself once more. But she still sat in the same spot. Walking toward her he felt the need to stop someone and prove to himself that no one was there.

"Um excuse me Miss." He said tapping one of the waitresses on the shoulder. She turned from her job setting the table to look at him.

"How can I help you sir?" She asked cheerfully.

"Do you see that young girl at that far table?" He asked.

"Ms. Granger? She's here nearly everyday sir."

"Thank you Miss, that'll be all." He walked toward her again. The waitress gave him a peculiar look but seemed to just shrug it off returning to her work. 'She's supposed to be dead.' He told himself. And yet she wasn't. 'By some chance maybe Potter and Weasley had been able to save her. or I'm definitely going nutters.' He stopped suddenly realizing her was now within earshot of her. He sighed deeply and sat across from her, she didn't even acknowledge his presence. He wanted to say some traditional Malfoy pun but nothing would come.

"How are you?" He squeaked out.

"I'm sorry, I'm not one for small talk." She didn't even raise her eyes to see who this intruder could be.

"Funny, I recall you saying that before and I didn't stop then either." Her eyes snapped up upon him.

"What are you doing here?" She snapped. Her voice was filled with a passion, a hatred filled passion.

"I live here. What are you doing here, Mudblood?" The longing feeling disappeared from within him and the void that had been left was filled once more, anger flowed through his veins.

"I have asked you numerous times not to call me that Ferret Boy." She set her book down on the table. Relief filled him, that book would make a wonderful weapon.

"Don't avoid the question."

"I live here. And I would really appreciate it if you would leave Malfoy."

"What happened Hermione." He stopped when he noticed her cringe. "What did I do to turn you against me?"

"You left me to die for one, you never loved me for another. Oi! And for a third. I was only a job to you!" She grabbed her book and stood from the table intending on leaving. Draco grabbed her arm and pulled her back to face him.

"None of that is true."

"Since when can I believe you Malfoy?" She drawled softly.

"I love you, you're supposed to be able to trust me." He said exasperatedly.

"Don't say that! Don't you dare say that!"

"What the bloody hell happened?" Draco fumed. 'Well this isn't how I had planned this.'

"You left me to die Malfoy, but something about your twisted father kept him from killing me."

"I told him that I love you. I have never loved anyone like this before."

"Well, that's one sided."

"You can't honestly say that."

"I can, I've moved on Malfoy, I'm in a relationship and I'm happy." She lied. He couldn't just barge back into her life and expect her to drop everything just for him.

"With who?" Draco's heart shattered.

"Harry."

"The-boy-who-just-won't-die?"

"Shut up Ferret Boy." She annunciated the insult. "At least he tried to save my life. If it was up to you right now I'd be dead!"

"You're right, you would be. Because if it wasn't for me you would have died before Potter even got there to save your sorry butt."

"You're an arse." She drawled.

"Did he teach you that?"

"Its something I've learned on my own. Goodbye Malfoy." She turned and walked away from him, a sinking feeling cascading in her stomach.