flashback

"So you're leaving tomorrow huh?"

Hermione and Draco were lying in bed, with their fingers entwined. She had at one time thought she was never born with a heart, the reason behind why she never fell in love. But she had discovered she had been created with one, but the right person to open it up never came along. Until, she thought, now.

The downfall of Voldermort also brought with it the downfall of inter-house rivalry. And after graduating, she had found her way to the arms of this Slytherin. His company had asked her to break a coded journal that was thought to have a blocking spell for one of the Unforgivable curses. And after she had revealed that there had been an incantation that could stop a person from being controlled by the Imperius curse, Draco had asked her to the celebration party. And that was the beginning of it all.

"Have you put any thought into us as of lately?" Draco had asked her the week before what she thought the relationship was becoming like. To a normal person, this may have seemed like a casual acquaintance, but to the both of them that had never been in a serious relationship, this was their serious relationship.

"I don't know. I mean we can owl each other, and Apparate when we want to visit one another. I mean, I..." She was on the verge of saying the dreaded three words that every relationship-phobic was afraid of. But he cut her off.

"Do you really think this can last? Outside of this, we live in two different worlds, with our own lives and careers."

She thought she knew where this was going and decided if this was going to end, it would on her terms. "Maybe then we should make this simple. Maybe we need to move on with our lives."

There was no bitterness in her voice, just understanding. What she didn't know was that he wasn't going to ask her to break it off. He was going to ask her to marry him.

And brokenhearted, both of them would find themselves in a lonely world the next morning.

End flashback

He remembered when his godfather came to him asking if it would be all right to date his ex. He then remembered the week after when Severus came back heartbroken, saying she had just broken it off, wit no forewarning.

Draco remembered two years back, when he was only twenty-one but had seriously contemplated the idea of waking up every single morning with her for the rest of his life. Never in his life did someone take his breath away quite like her. She was a one-of-a-kind, to say at the least. But that day, when she had assumed he would break it off, he was simply miserable. She had assumed the worst and run away. She did exactly what he would have done.

He could have stopped her, but didn't. He was only twenty-one, was he really ready for marriage? It was only the next morning when he woke up without her that he realized he really had been ready for marriage, to have that chance to wake up beside her everyday. It was that morning he had discovered what a mistake he had made.

"Mr. Malfoy, Mr. And Mrs. Zabini are here."

Due to his playboy persona, many thought all of Draco's secretary's were ex-porn-stars. Of course, only those who got as far as his personal secretary knew she was instead a middle-aged woman who had been his most loyal executive for the last two years. It could have been because at that time, he was dating the most extraordinary woman in the world who didn't know that she was. "Secretary's don't have to look like porn stars you know. They can look like normal human beings."

He chuckled slightly at this thought, although not sure what brought it up. He then remembered his secretary was still there waiting for a command of some sort. "Thank you Ethel. Send them in."

Enter one of the most beautiful couples in the wizarding world. Who would have known the youngest Weasley would turn out so gorgeous?

"Malfoy, we need to talk."

Draco looked up at Blaise, who shut his eyes, looking as though he wanted to disappear. He then looked at Ginny who had both hand on her hips, looking as though she had been waiting all day to give out this lashing. "Before you yell and break a few things, may I simply point out that I haven't done anything to you in the last two years."

"What makes you think I'm angry?"

"Well, seeing how you busted in here with that 'pissed off' expression on your face, I would suspect something."

Ginny crossed her arms ad rolled her eyes. "Did you get the invitation for your year five year reunion?"

"I might have. Look in the wastebasket for me, won't you dear?"

Annoyed, Ginny grabbed the wastebasket and threw it at Draco. Quidditch had done him some good, as he swiftly and gracefully moved away before it hit him. "Temper little Weasley, temper."

Blaise cleared his throat. "Zabini. It's Zabini now in case you've forgotten. And she wouldn't have thrown that if you didn't provoke her."

Draco got up and picked up a paperweight, shifting it from one hand to the other, looking rather bored. "What is the reason for this intrusion?"

Since Ginny was still a bit steamed, Blaise decided it would have been better if he spoke. "We're here to make sure you go to the reunion."

"And why, pray tell, would I go back to that sordid little past of mine?"

"It's only sordid because you made it so. You have to admit, you were a bastard back then." Ginny pointed out.

"Even if that were true, I really don't have much of a wish to go back to the past."

"What if this is the chance for you to reconnect with Hermione?"

Draco flinched a little, nearly dropping his paperweight. "Why would I want to do that?"

Ginny was at this point livid. "You worthless little git! I can't believe I'm even trying to help you. Why in God's name am I trying to help you?!"

Draco was taken back by her outburst. She must certainly know that it wasn't he who broke off their relationship and they had only dated for a month. There was no need for such an outburst, or at least, so he thought.

"Dear, he doesn't know." Blaise reminded Ginny. She then got visibly calmer and her eyes softened.

"Oh yeah..."

Draco was at this point extremely confused. "What in God's name is going on?"

Ginny turned to Draco and bowed down her head. "I'm sorry. I forgot."

At this point, he was ticked off. "If you don't tell me what is going on, I think I'll blast you both to next century. Now if you don't tell..."

"I don't think I should be the one to tell you." Ginny quickly interjected. "It surely isn't in my place. If she saw fit to tell you, then she would have, but since she didn't, I shouldn't be the one to tell me."

Draco wasn't one to be out of the loop and pounded this fist onto the desk. "Do you have any idea how hard it is to get in touch with that woman? Now tell me!"

"Well if it counts," Blaise interrupted, "you are too."

"Blaise, you may be my friend, but I swear upon my mother's grave that I will..."

Ginny finally remembered that she had something in her pocket. "Oh yeah, I met with her yesterday afternoon."

Draco pissed expression softened a bit at the mention of her again. "How is she?"

Ginny took out a letter in her bag and handed it to him. "She wanted me to give this to you."

And with that they left. Grabbing his letter opener, he tore it open.

Dear Draco,

I know it must be strange to hear from me. First, I wanted to say I am well and I hope you are too. Although I can't say you will stay well after this letter is over...

The day I reached Africa, I had been given several books to look through to see if I could possibly decode any old discovers made by the old dragon keepers of the 16th century. What happened was that one of the books was cursed to throw back the person opening it as far away from it as possible. I think I flew back a good hundred meters before I landed on my stomach and lost consciousness.

It wasn't until I woke up that the doctor told me I would be fine, but my 'little friend' didn't make it. I suppose if I hadn't been so stubborn as to not go to the doctor and ask about my horrible morning nausea sessions I would have known I was pregnant. But I didn't and it was too late.

I tried to reach you but by then, it was impossible to even catch a glimpse of you. Security was so tight that I couldn't break in even if I tried. A few months and eleven magazine covers of you later, it seemed better for me just to keep it to myself. By this time, you were at the height of your success and I didn't want to bother you with something like this. It wasn't like I had the child or anything, so I figured it wouldn't affect you. So I kept it to myself, as well as my two closest friends, as you would expect.

I know you should have been the first to know and I'm terribly sorry, but it just seemed like the smart thing to do. Then this invitation came and I found out that we were to have a five-year reunion. I don't really expect you to come to such a small get-together as this; I know how you hate to make small insignificant appearances that don't much benefit you. But I am hoping you will. Since I can't much reach you, I thought this would be a nice opportunity for us to get together so I can answer a few questions. That is, if you have any.

The thing about it is, and I know Ginny will be thrilled to hear; you were my only true relationship I had, ever. And I don't know if that was the right time to break it off since nothing was going wrong then.

If you don't come, I hope you know that the time I spent with you, I will cherish forever. And there is a great chance I might love you.

Yours truly,

Hermione Granger

He was speechless. He was simply rendered speechless. Only she had been able to do that to him, and that could still be said now. Not only did they produce a child together that was ripped away from the world soon after, but she truly did love him.

It was times like these that he wished he wasn't such a scared little ferret back then.