Chapter Fourteen:

On the Outside Looking In

After Madam Pomfrey had tended to Draco's injuries, he bolted out of the hospital wing. He needed to tell Potter. Crowds of seventh year students were pouring back into the school, grumbling complaints about the postponed graduation ceremony. Draco forced his way through them and finally spotted Potter and Weasley. He felt a lump rising in his throat as he tried to find a delicate way to tell them what had happened. Potter spotted him approaching and his face paled.

"Malfoy, what happened? Where's Hermione?" That was all it took. Draco's eyes filled up with tears, and though he tried to blink them away, they were relentless. Ron's mouth fell open and his eyes widened.

"You let her die?" Guilt ripped through Draco, and he leaned against the wall for support. Harry shot Ron a glare.

"We don't know anything yet, Ron. Malfoy, is she really-" Harry broke off, unable to complete his sentence. Draco still wanted to believe that she was alive, but he needed to force himself to accept reality. Wordlessly, he nodded. Harry looked devastated, and his eyes moistened. Ron paled and seemed to be speechless. Professor Snape approached the three broken students carefully.

"Sorry to interrupt, but Professor Dumbledore wants you to come with us when we go to Malfoy Manor." Snape addressed Draco, who nodded weakly.

"What about us? We were her friends too." Ron found his voice. For once, Snape didn't feel an ounce of disdain towards the red-haired boy.

"I'm sorry, Weasley, but you and Potter should return to the Gryffindor tower until further notice." Ron looked like he wanted to argue further, but Harry grabbed his arm and ushered him away. Draco followed Snape to the dungeons. He felt like he was in a trance as he stepped into the fire and was whisked back to Malfoy Manor. He stepped out of the fireplace and saw Dumbledore was already there, examining the broken mirror on the floor. Draco's heart wrenched as he remembered Hermione screaming just before the glass shattered. He should have made sure Evelyn was properly stunned. His eyes moved to the shattered window. It didn't bother him that he had killed Evelyn by pushing them both through the window. She killed Hermione. She deserved death. Walking carelessly over the broken glass, Draco moved towards the window. He gathered the courage to look down at the corpse of the one responsible for the death of his fiance and his unborn child. A smile almost made it across his face as he recalled the moment when Hermione had told him that she was pregnant with his child. He had almost forgotten for a moment that she was trapped in a mirror and Evelyn wanted to destroy them both. Including a child that he had created with the girl he loved.

"Draco, could you tell us exactly what happened?" Dumbledore asked quietly. Draco stared into the sky blankly.

"Evelyn is my half sister. My father impregnated her mother. When he found out that her child was a girl, he threw her out. Then I was born. My father died in Azkaban. Evelyn killed my mother, and then she came after me. Because we were engaged, Hermione would be a legal heir if I died, so Evelyn had to kill her as well. Hermione had found out who Evelyn was, and she was on her way to tell me when Evelyn trapped her in a mirror. I found a note that I assumed was from Hermione, saying that she was in the Gryffindor common room for the morning. When I asked Potter and Weasley about it, they said she hadn't been there all morning. I had a feeling that Evelyn had taken her here. I don't really understand why, but I knew that they had come here. When I got here, I learned who Evelyn really was. I stunned her, but improperly, because when I left to find the counter curse for the mirror spell, Evelyn regained consciousness and shattered the mirror." Draco paused to take a few deep breaths. The sound of Hermione's scream rang out clear in his mind. He had been too late to save her. What was I thinking? Leaving Hermione alone with Evelyn was the most idiotic thing I could have done. It's my fault she's dead.

"Take your time, Draco." Dumbledore murmured quietly. When Draco was ready, he continued.

"I was so upset at Evelyn, I just lunged at her. We went through the window, and she landed on her head. I was more fortunate. I managed to walk back up here and try to piece the mirror back together in a vain attempt to bring Hermione back. Finally I just gave up and returned to Hogwarts." Draco trailed off into silence. Dumbledore and Snape exchanged sad glances. Draco looked at the floor where all of the broken glass sparkled like diamonds.
"What are the odds that she somehow survived?" Draco asked in a soft voice. But he knew that she had to be gone.

Hermione stumbled forward with her hands held out in front of her. It was pitch black and she couldn't see anything. Everything was silent except for her footsteps and breathing. It got colder with every step she took, and the thin red silk robe she wore didn't make her situation any more bearable. But she wasn't thinking about the cold. She wasn't thinking about the complete darkness. All she could think was that she needed to find Draco. She needed to find another mirror. Her search was taking longer than she could afford. She had had to make a quick decision when Evelyn had rushed at the mirror. There was only one way she could have a chance to live. Running into the pitch blackness behind her. As fast as she could, she bolted into the darkness. A faint light had appeared and she ran towards it. She didn't recognize the room which the mirror overlooked, but it was her safe zone. Behind her, the mirror she had been trapped in had been shattered. If she had not found another mirror, she would have shattered too. Hermione had never read much about mirrors. She had never even known that all mirrors are connected, and one could travel through mirrors. But the spells were difficult and sometimes went horribly wrong. Also, it was near impossible to find the desired mirror to exit through. Each dim light Hermione saw, she got excited, thinking that it would be a mirror in Hogwarts or another room in Draco's house. Sometimes soft voices could be heard through the mirrors. She had high hopes that she would suddenly recognize one, but she never did, and sometimes the voices spoke foreign languages. The more dim lights she came across, the more disappointed she became when she discovered that they were on the opposite side of the world. Warm tears began rolling down her cold cheeks. I can't die here. I need to marry Draco and have his child. I need to live happily ever after with the man I love. She kept telling herself. She had been absolutely thrilled when she had seen the immediate results of her pregnancy test. She could not wait to tell Draco, but every time she thought about it, she wondered if maybe he didn't want children. What if he left her because he didn't want to have any children? She had so many petty doubts, but they stopped her from telling him about her condition. Now she wished that she had told him the minute she had gotten the results. The look in his eyes when she had told him just two hours before had been incomparable. Despite their situation, he seemed proud and happy. She wouldn't take that away from him. Her footsteps increased, growing faster as she thought of her motivation. She would find a Hogwarts mirror if it took forever. But she wouldn't deny Draco what he deserved. A loving wife, and an adoring child.

Harry left Ron in the common room. Ron had been staring blankly at the fire since they had returned to the Gryffindor tower. He didn't speak, he didn't move. The only way Harry knew he was still alive was that he would blink every so often. Finally unable to stand the dead silence, Harry retreated to the dormitory. It was empty. Most of the Gryffindors were in the common room, complaining about the delay of the graduation ceremony. There was some talk of there not being a ceremony or graduation ball at all. None of those things bothered Harry. His thoughts were with Hermione. There were so many questions that he had that he needed answered. But Draco had been whisked away before Harry had had a chance to even recover from the initial shock. The thing Harry wanted to know the most was how she had died. How had someone managed to kill the smartest witch in Hogwarts? And why? Why would someone want to kill her? She was the sweetest person Harry had ever known, and he couldn't fathom why someone would want to get rid of her. Ever since their second year, Harry had decided that it should be his responsibility to make sure that Hermione was safe. He enjoyed acting as her older brother. It stopped him from feeling something more for her. After an extremely awkward conversation with Ron at the beginning of their second year, they had both come to an agreement. Neither of them would allow feelings to develop for Hermione in an effort to preserve their friendship. Harry had stayed true to his promise, and he imagined that Ron had done the same. But now that Hermione was gone, Harry felt such strong sadness that he couldn't deny loving her more than he allowed himself to admit. It was a hidden desire that he smothered with his overwhelming feelings for Ginny. It wasn't that he didn't love Ron's little sister, because he did. He just felt a little something for Hermione as well. Since he knew that he shouldn't get involved with her anyway, it hadn't been too difficult to squash the tiny voice inside of him that professed his love for Hermione. Now that she was dead, he decided it was time to face those feelings that he had shunned for too many years. Deciding a shower might help him to think clearly, Harry grabbed his towel and bath robe. Closing his eyes under the steamy water, Hermione's smiling face persistently occupied his thoughts.

Hermione felt her legs starting to weaken as she stumbled through the never ending blackness behind the mirror. She was shivering and her teeth chattered in the frigid darkness. The only sounds were the soft voices coming from several mirrors at the same time and her footsteps. She kept going past dim lights that led out to another mirror. She knew what the odds were of her finding a mirror in Hogwarts. After looking for what seemed like years, the closest she had come to Hogwarts was a mirror in Buckingham Palace. Eight...nine...ten. She counted off in her head. Slowly she approached the tenth mirror and peered out into the room. As soon as she determined that it wasn't a room of Hogwarts, she disappeared quickly and continued walking. She caught sight of the next dimly lit window to the outside and counted off. One...two...three. Suddenly her legs gave way and she tumbled to the cold stone floor. Wincing slightly, she sat up and hugged her knees to her chest. Her whole body trembled in the arctic temperatures and her eyes filled with tears. Her search was beginning to seem hopeless. A warm tear streaked down her cheek and soon froze. When she had recovered the strength to stand, she lifted herself off the ground and glanced at the dim light. Forgetting where she was in her count, she started over again, hoping that her recount didn't affect her search. After counting out fifteen sets of ten, Hermione sank to her knees in defeat. It seemed as though she was actually dead. She was cold enough. And no matter how hard she tried, she was finally beginning to understand that she was going to die inside the network of mirrors. That's when she heard it. A voice that she recognized. She would know that horrible singing voice anywhere. Springing suddenly to her feet, Hermione rushed forward trying to follow the sound. Instead of every tenth mirror, she went back to checking every single mirror as she ran into the darkness. When finally she came to the mirror where the singing was at its loudest, she exhaled a sigh of relief and happiness. The boys bathroom in the Gryffindor tower was a duplicate of the girls bathroom. Hermione recognized it immediately, and her heart soared. A shadowed figure was in the shower, singing loudly and horribly, but to Hermione it was the most beautiful sound in the world. She took a deep breath. She had been preparing for this moment for hours.

"Harry! Harry, look in the mirror!" She screamed, desperately. He didn't stop singing, and Hermione didn't stop screaming at him. Then she finally grasped with renewed disappointment that he couldn't hear a damn thing she was saying. Her voice was probably muffled as it is, and his loud singing didn't exactly help. No matter. I'll just wait until he gets out of the shower and sees me. She breathed deeply, trying to calm herself down. It was going to be all right. Then the condensation appeared.

Harry didn't exactly care who heard him when he sang. It was no news to him that he sucked, but he didn't care. Still singing, he stepped out of the shower and toweled off. He glanced at the mirror, but it was covered with condensation from his steamy shower. He saw the outline of a dark figure, but he assumed it was just him. He dressed and left the bathroom without giving the mirror another glance. When he stopped singing, he heard a tiny voice. That sounds like...no. It can't be. Curiously, he stepped closer to the bathroom and listened.

"Harry! Harry, come back!" The tiny frantic voice was screeching. Harry shook his head and wondered if this is what happens to people after they lose someone so close to them. Deciding that it was normal to hear Hermione in his head, he walked back down to the common room. Ron was still staring at the fire. Harry sighed and attempted to have a heart to heart conversation with his best friend.

"How's it going, mate?"

"My best friend is dead. How are things for you?" He replied in a monotone. Harry rolled his eyes.

"Look, Ron. I know you're upset. So am I. But you can't stay like this for the rest of your life." Ron shifted his eyes from the fire to Harry.

"She died, and I didn't even get the chance to say that I'm sorry for shunning her like I did. She died thinking that I hated her. If only I could have told her-"

"Don't think about that now, Ron. There's nothing either of us can do about that. Just try to think about something else."

"I can't. Hell, I'm going to take a nap. Wake me up when Dumbledore calls us down for the ceremony." Ron mumbled standing up shakily and walking towards the stairs. Harry followed quickly to make sure Ron got there all right. Twice, Harry had to stop Ron from crashing to the ground. As soon as Ron was in bed, Harry decided that maybe a nap would be good for him. He settled down into his sheets and closed his eyes. It wasn't very long before both boys sat bolt upright in their beds. Harry looked over at Ron.

"You heard it too?" Ron nodded, wordlessly. Harry jumped out of his bed and headed for the bathroom; Ron was right behind. Harry stopped short in front of the mirror. Ron crashed right into Harry's back and cursed.

"Why'd you stop so fast, Harry? I could have fallen over." Ron grumbled angrily. Harry couldn't say anything. He just kept staring at his reflection. It's your mind playing tricks on you, Harry. You and Ron are both bloody insane.

"Answer me honestly, Ron. Does my reflection resemble Hermione at all?" Ron was about to tell Harry that he was a nutter when he caught sight of the mirror.

"You know what, Harry? I think I've gone off the deep end."

"No you haven't, you gits! It's me! Hermione! Get me out of here, please!"

"You're supposed to be-"

"Dead? Well does it look like I'm dead to you? Go get McGonagall. NOW!" She exclaimed when neither of them moved. Harry and Ron scurried off faster than Harry's Firebolt. They charged out of the portrait hole and were dashing down a corridor when they slammed right into Professor McGonagall, knocking her to the floor.

"Potter! Weasley! What are you two doing?" She demanded quickly. Harry and Ron both grabbed her elbows and helped her up, breathing heavily. Then they both started talking at once, trying to explain everything as quickly as they could. McGonagall silenced them.

"Potter, explain yourselves."

"You see, professor, Hermione is alive. Ron and I heard a voice in our bathroom. When we went to check it out, there she was in the mirror! She looked like she could have been dead though. Her lips were blue, her face was pale, but she yelled at us to go get help." McGonagall paled and headed swiftly towards the portrait hole. Harry and Ron followed behind as she entered the bathroom. They heard her gasp suddenly as she saw the mirror.

"Hermione? Are you all right?"

"I w-will be if you'll g-get me out of here." Hermione shivered. McGonagall wasted no time in pulling out her wand and muttering an extremely long and difficult counter curse. Then the professor reached her hand through the mirror and grabbed Hermione's, dragging her out. McGonagall hurried into the boy's dormitory and found a cloak. She wrapped it quickly around Hermione's shoulders and started ushering her down the stairs.

"You need to get to the hospital wing, quickly."

"No! I need to f-find Draco! Where is he?" Hermione whispered, stopping suddenly. McGonagall grabbed her arm and pulled her down into the hallway.

"I'll inform Mister Malfoy after you're safe in the hospital wing."

"I need to t-talk to him now." Hermione ripped her hand out of McGonagall's firm grip. Having an idea of where Draco was, Hermione bolted away, running as fast as her numb legs could carry her. She only hoped that she wasn't too late.

It was the third time Draco was staring longingly at the ground that was far below him. This time, he was certain that he would jump. After all, he had nothing else to live for. He was now completely alone in the world. His whole family was gone. Hermione was gone. He had no friends...no one. Nothing that would make him want to live. Not wanting to experience anymore pain or torment, Draco hopped up onto the wall and looked down. Then he looked up into the heavens and sighed.

"I'm coming, love." He whispered. The first few moments during which he was falling, a shrill scream pierced the air. A familiar voice.

"Draco! NO!" Hermione shrieked, arriving just as Draco let his weight drag him forward, over the wall. She rushed to the edge and looked over. He was still falling, but he had twisted when he had heard the scream. He saw her. He saw her eyes filled with fear and pain. He saw her hair blowing in the soft summer breeze. He saw deep into her soul, where she was thinking over and over, I can't lose him again. Realizing the idiotic mistake he was making, he quickly searched his pockets for his wand. The ground was coming ever closer. There wasn't much time left. Hermione left the tower and bolted quickly down the hall ways. She bounced down the stairs, trying desperately not to trip and fall. Students who were lingering in the halls stared at her as she passed. She burst through the front doors and sprinted across the open field. Tears came to her eyes as she saw a crumpled heap on the grass. The warm summer sun slowly warmed her body, but she still felt cold.

"No, no, no, no, no..." She muttered over and over again as she came ever closer to Draco's body. She slowed as she approached, and dropped to her knees. His eyes were closed and his mouth was parted. Too afraid to check for a pulse, Hermione just sat numbly in the grass, crying.

"I was too late." She whispered, wanting to smack herself for not being faster. A tear drop hit his face, and he flinched. Startled by the sudden movement, Hermione stopped sobbing immediately. She stared silently at Draco's face.

"Draco? Draco, sweetie...are you awake?" She whispered carefully, leaning towards his face to examine him closer. Before she knew what was happening, Draco had leaned up quickly and claimed her lips with his. When he pulled away, Hermione just stared at him in shock. He smiled weakly back at her.

"I missed you." He murmured, reaching up to brush hair out of her eyes. Hermione couldn't find her voice at first. When she did, it came out as a whisper.

"I missed you more." Draco managed a chuckle.

"You wish."

It was dusk when the graduation ceremony finally ended. Immediately after Hermione had recovered in the hospital wing, Dumbledore started the ceremony. The sun was just beginning to disappear over the horizon. Hermione glanced at the massive building she had spent most of her past seven years at. Each year had its own special place in her thoughts. This last year, her seventh year, had been her favorite. Not only was she leaving Hogwarts engaged to Draco Malfoy, but she was leaving only to return in September as an intern. On their way down to the Quidditch field, McGonagall had proposed the idea. Hermione had stopped walking in surprise, and she quickly accepted the offer. Sighing with a mixture of sadness and excitement, Hermione entered the school for the last time as a student. The masses of graduated students suffocated her as she tried desperately to find Draco. He was doing the same, and finally he caught sight of her. He smiled faintly as he watched her standing on the tips of her toes, looking around. Pushing through the sea of people, he tapped her on the shoulder.

"Looking for someone?" He asked. She grinned at him.

"Can you believe we're done with Hogwarts?" She looked around at the paintings and tapestries that hung from the walls, noticing them in detail for the first time.

"You're not. You get to come back here."

"You could become a teacher as well. Then you could come back here with me." Draco shook his head.

"Nah. My passion lies with potion making. Snape said that there's a potions ministry office that I should look into." The crowds began to thin as more and more students disappeared down different hallways, heading towards their designated towers. Soon, only Draco and Hermione were walking back to their dormitory. The knight in their portrait nodded to them.

"Although I hate to admit it, I am going to miss you, sir." He glanced down at Draco, who bowed slightly. "And you, m'lady, I wish you happiness." Hermione curtsied and walked forward into the common room.

"I always liked him." Hermione commented, heading to her room.

"I'll meet you back out here in fifteen." Draco replied, walking towards his own room. Hermione was happy to be able to wear her masquerade costume again. She loved it just as much the second time she put it on. She twirled around in front of the mirror a few times before picking up her wand to style her hair. As she went to charm her mask to her face, she spotted a flash of white. Looking again, she smiled at Draco's feathered hat. She picked it up and carried it out to the common room. Surprisingly, Draco spent more time preparing than Hermione did. When he finally emerged, they both smiled at each other, remembering the first time they had encountered.

"I never got a chance to tell you how beautiful you look in that dress." Draco looked her over as he had in September. Hermione blushed and handed him the hat.

"I never got a chance to give you your hat back."

"Well it doesn't matter now, does it? What's mine is yours." Hermione smiled and took his hand. They walked down the stairs to the Great Hall, which had been prepared for the ball. There weren't as many whispers as they walked into the hall hand in hand. Many people stared, and most girls looked on in jealousy. Ginny came up to the couple and threw her arms around Hermione's neck.

"You scared the crap out of me, Hermione!" She squealed, tightening her death grip. Hermione hugged the younger girl back, struggling to breathe.

"Sorry, Ginny. I have something to ask you that might make up for it." Ginny let go immediately and her eyes sparkled with excitement.

"What?"

"Would you do me the favor of being my maid of honor at my wedding?" Ginny's jaw dropped. Hermione smiled at her. "Would you?"

"Of course I would, Hermione! Thank you so much for asking me!" Ginny squealed excitedly, throwing her arms around Hermione's neck again. "Owl me for details, okay?"

"Actually, I was thinking that maybe you could come to Malfoy Manor for a few days before the wedding so you can help me with the preparations." Hermione glanced quickly at Draco to make sure that it was all right for her to come. Draco nodded. Ginny gasped.

"Really? Oh that would be awesome! I'll talk to my mum about it when I get home and I'll owl you back."

"Great. Thanks, Ginny." Ginny smiled at the couple and skipped away to her group of friends. Hermione watched her tell them enthusiastically about her position in the wedding of the century. Draco kissed Hermione's cheek.

"I like her." He decided. Normally he didn't take much of a liking to the Weasley's, but the girl was sweet. Hermione nodded.

"She's an adorable girl. I knew you wouldn't mind my picking her to be my maid of honor."

"Even if I didn't like her, that's not my decision to make."

"Who's your best man going to be?" Hermione asked as they continued to walk towards the buffet table. Draco sighed.

"I don't know. I don't have very many friends, if you haven't noticed." Hermione squeezed his hand sympathetically.

"You don't have to have one." Draco nodded, but was silently thinking of everyone he knew and considering them for the position. He wanted their wedding to be perfect. Everything had to be just right. Without a best man, the ceremony wouldn't be picturesque. His eyes scanned the Great Hall, and landed on Harry Potter. He almost stopped walking at the thought. Ask Potter to be my best man? That's absurd. Then Draco looked at Hermione, who was smiling at some of her fellow Gryffindors. It would make her happy. Draco thought. Finally he decided that he would ask Potter to be his best man. Maybe it would be the end of a long lasting feud between them. And that would make Hermione even happier.

Draco danced with Hermione almost the entire night, but he was watching Potter out of the corner of his eye. The poor hero looked lonely next to a pale looking Ron Weasley. Draco didn't know what was the matter with him. Hermione was alive. That should have fixed the red-haired boy. But he was still depressed. It was starting to bother Draco. If he was going to ask Potter to be his best man, he should start being civil as soon as possible. Another song ended, and Hermione looked up at him.

"You're distracted, Draco." She murmured, staring into his eyes. He sighed. She knew him too well. Probably better than he even knew himself.

"Go dance with Harry." Draco made a point of speaking Harry's first name. He could see that Hermione noticed, because her eyes widened slightly.

"Are you sure?" She asked, dropping his hand. Draco wanted to shout out no. If he had it his way, she would never leave his arms. But he knew that that was being selfish, and that was the old Draco Malfoy. The new Draco Malfoy knew how to share.

"Yeah. We're spending the rest of our lives together. There will be plenty more dances to share." He replied, pushing her towards the sullen looking Harry Potter. She smiled and kissed him gently on the cheek before approaching her best friend. Harry looked up as she approached. He gave her a slight smile.

"You and Draco look good together." He commented. Hermione smiled at Harry's effort to accept her fiance.

"Thank you, Harry. That means a lot to me. Would you like to dance?" She asked, making Harry blush and look down at the floor.

"Uh, well I don't really...dance very well." Harry stuttered. Hermione waved this away with an impatient hand.

"Oh who cares? Come on. I'll help you. Besides, you danced with me at the masquerade ball in September."

"That was different." Harry interjected. Hermione raised her eyebrows at him.

"How?"

"It just was, okay?" He grumbled, but smiled at her. She sighed and grabbed his hand, dragging him to the dance floor.

"This is your last chance to dance with me at Hogwarts. Make it good." She reminded him, and he grinned sadly.

"It's hard to believe, isn't it?"

"Yeah. I can't believe it was seven years ago that we went after the Sorcerer's Stone." Hermione replied. Harry laughed.

"That was only seven years ago?"

"Shouldn't you, of all people, remember?"

"I suppose. Well when's the wedding? I need to know when to rent a tuxedo."

"June 21st. And I really appreciate you coming. Do you know if Ron is coming?" She asked the last part timidly. She was almost afraid to hear his response. Harry sighed and glanced over at Ron.

"You'd think that after he almost lost you that he'd find it in his heart to accept your marriage to Draco. But I don't think he's come around yet."

"I hope he does in time for the wedding. I really want him to come."

"I'll talk some sense into him, Hermione. Don't worry. Even if I have to stun him and put him in a straight jacket, I'll get him to your wedding." Hermione laughed.

"Thanks Harry. I'm so glad we got to be friends for all seven years here."

"Me too, Hermione. Promise to keep in touch after your wedding?"

"An owl a day."