Worth the Wait
By AethraCaelum
Summary: Hermione's on the fast track to everything she planned and wanted that she was sure will complete her life. But when fate takes a "little" detour, she suddenly sees her life incomplete, despite the fact that she accomplished her goals.
It was the third night before the much expected but disheartening graduation. Hermione kept silent looking up at the starry sky in the terrace of her common room. She was waiting for the comet that was to come that night as was said by local news in the muggle world; her mother informed her by owl. She looked at the sky intently, remembering a line from a song. She whispered it to herself, her heavy heart made it almost uneasy to breathe.
"Why can't you see me like I see you? Can't you feel me like I feel you?"
She paused, released a heavy sigh and sadly smiled. "Why can't he?"
It was unrequited, her love. She regretted ever feeling this way. As a girl with high hopes and dreams, she promised herself to succeed in everything she does. And this she did. She avoided distractions like trouble, men and especially love. In the past six years of Hogwarts, her life was already planned in front of her. She was the first in class, heck she was the brightest witch in three generations. She was made head girl to no one's surprise. She was accepted in the wizard world's most prominent and honored college in her sixth year, the school didn't even require her to take a test. And when she stepped into seventh year, she fell in love with Draco Malfoy.
They won each other's respect. She loved bickering with him, calling him names, and sending death glares as much as he did.
One night, they debated, well, they were practically screaming. It was like the other nights but one small detail was different. When Draco stood up ready to retire to his bedroom he said: "Just because I'm trying to kill you, doesn't mean I don't love and respect you." He left afterwards, leaving Hermione silently stunned at what he said. The next days passed silently as they awaited the test that the Arithmancy professor warned the students about. It was difficult as he said, but Hermione went through it smoothly. When the test results went out, she made only one mistake, no one really cared it was obvious she'd get such result. But then she learned Draco got a perfect score, it annoyed the hell out of Hermione. Nevertheless he won more respect from her. Oddly, her heart as well.
There was no spoken agreement that they would be nice to each other after both did a successful attempt at being nice. And as time passed Hermione fell even more. She had no one to tell to except Harry. He understood when she said Ron should know nothing of what she felt for Draco; Ron would've killed Draco and used his body parts and innards to feed Hagrid's wild beasts.
So she remained neutral and friendly towards him, silently praying that he'd look at her the same way she did. But he never did anything; it seemed to her that she was like a sister to him.
Hermione looked up at the sky again. She saw the comet and remembered to make a wish.
"Last wish about him. Maybe I could wait a little more."
Six years after, Hermione worked as a healer at St. Mungo's. She was still the brightest witch. She was living the life she wanted. But there was still something missing. She was most sought after but her heart was closed.
One summer morning, she was sitting by the window at a coffee shop in Diagon Alley. She watched the kids outside meeting their friends and shopping for school supplies. Memories flooded her mind of the days when she shopped with Harry, Ron and Ginny. Someone lightly knocked on the glass; it broke Hermione from her trance. She looked...butterflies filled her stomach and her stomach flipped as she waved back. Draco Malfoy entered the coffee shop and sat with her all day. They talked and reminisced the days when they fought at petty things like why Hermione had wavy hair, why Draco rested his feet on the coffee table and why Hermione had a Care Bear, a famous muggle cartoon character, key chain on her school bag just so they could fight with each other. They laughed and at the end of the day they promised to keep in touch with each other. That night Hermione couldn't sleep with all the coffee she drank.
Years passed. Harry stood and walked towards the podium. The cold wind played with his gray hair, he felt proud, happy and sad at the same time. Many people attended, old friends and new, they all felt the same as Harry. His tears were welling up in his eyes. He started speaking.
"Their story can't be summed up in words and sentences. I found making this speech hard to make and this was all I could think about for three days. But I guess they were by my side, like they always were.
I met them both at Hogwarts. Hermione as the brightest, Draco as her enemy in everything.
She had a good life when we were still making havoc in Hogwarts. But one day, she told me: 'Harry, I'm not happy.' I was surprised and baffled. She made me swear first to not especially get angry and not to tell a soul. After doing so, she told me "I'm falling in love with Malfoy." Short, fast, simple. I snorted and thought she was joking. But her eyes spoke so much, I understood. She told me not to tell Ron as he might trudge away and kill Draco, I remember her exact words were 'Don't tell Ron, he might kill him and use his body parts and innards to feed Hagrid's wild beasts and use his blood to paint Hogwarts.'"
Everybody chuckled. Harry continued.
"Hermione wished for him to love her back, but after a while she let go and felt completely hopeless but still wanted to wait. So she lived our seventh year dejected because of her unrequited love. She remained level headed and succeeded in everything she did. But there was one thing she didn't know at the time.
Draco Malfoy once walked up to me in our seventh year and declared a truce. It was only between the two of us, no body else knew. In fact it wasn't like him. At first I doubted the veiled friendship but as time passed it was a friendship worth keeping."
Harry paused and looked at his wife, Ron and Ginny, tears now falling on his cheeks. He continued and felt it was a privilege to speak in front of these people.
"He once told me he was sad, almost dying inside. And he told me, making me swear not to tell a soul that he was falling in love with Hermione. He told me he was so scared of rejection he didn't dare tell her. I told him it wasn't like him, and it was remarkable that he could even feel like that. You could all picture the death glare he gave me –yes the same death glare we all received back then. He told me he even wished for it on a comet. Not like Draco Malfoy right? I said so. But then love can do such things to a man. He remained the same to the public hiding all his feelings like the bloody arrogant prat the he was.
And as much as I wanted both friends to be happy I couldn't tell them that they loved each other. No, they had to find it out for themselves. And besides, even if someone told them, they wouldn't accept it as true; they had many things in common that nobody saw. Only they saw. But nothing happened. They remained friends and went separate ways after Hogwarts.
They both achieved their goals. And one day, they saw each other again. Hermione was still in love with Draco, and so was he with her. I received a letter from both of them, informing me that they had finally – finally – confessed their feelings. It was a long wait really, for both of them. They said it was worth the wait.
When Hermione walked down the aisle, I looked at both of them; they were the happiest, most contented people I knew. Their love was pure, simple, and heartwarming. And it was great."
The audiences were sobbing silently remembering Hermione and Draco.
"But in this life, all things must come to an end. Hermione and Draco passed away and they lived a good and happy life."
Harry stopped at the sentence and wiped his tears. The warm air blew again. He heard voices, one of a young man, and the other a young woman. He recognized the voices and tears fell even more.
"Thank you Harry." Draco said his voice full of happiness
Hermione kissed Harry's forehead and said, "You told our story perfectly."
End.
A/N: this is my first one shot, so, thanks for reading you, wise reader, you. By the way, the line "Why can't you see me like I see you? Can't you feel me like I feel you?" is from the song 'Dragonfly' by Sponge Cola. Sponge Cola is a Filipino Rock Band…. Yeah! Rock On!