The End
"Hermione?" Draco whispered. Scooping her into his embrace. He was kneeling on the floor, Hermione lying across his lap, her head cradled in the crook of his arm. Draco gently smoothed loose strands of hair away from her face, it was almost a caress. His eyes were filling with tears as he looked at the damage he had done to the only one he had every truly loved.
Hermione was still looking at him with her tear drenched eyes in a way that Draco knew that meant she didn't blame him at all. Precious minutes were ticking away and they remained looking at each other spell bound. It wasn't until Hermione gave a feeble cough and a shaky breath that Draco remembered what was happening.
"Hermione" He whispered again tears falling from his eyes. "Hermione, please, please don't leave me. You can hold on your strong. I'll take you to the hospital wing where they can heal you. Just please . . . please don't leave me" He started sobbing.
"No, Draco. It's too late, I can't survive this. The cruciatus curse coupled with the knife is too much." Hermione started to cry. Draco wiped her tears away gently with his thumb. "Just carry on being like you were with me, don't turn yourself to ice . . . .please" Hermione begged.
"I – I – I promise" Draco cried. "Its unfair I didn't have enough time with you, It's not fair, I should have had more time with you, if only I hadn't been so stupid and fallen for Andre's plan . . . then the prophesy would . . . never . . . have . . . happ-" Draco stopped, he just remembered.
"I love you" Draco murmured, saying it to his knees. He listened to himself saying it. He said it!
"I love you!" Draco said again looking at Hermione, she looked at him with love in her eyes and was smiling weakly.
"I love you Hermione! I should have told you so many times before, I shouldn't have been selfish in thinking what was right. I should have told you straight away!" He said, then in a whisper he added. "I love you, stay with me."
"I . . ." Hermione was having trouble speaking. "I–lo-love you-too" She whispered back.
"You're going to be fine now!" Draco told her. "I saved you from the prophesy! I returned your love. Your going to make it!" He hugged her with joy. Then he felt her shaking against him and realised she was crying again.
"No. It doesn't work that way. I don't just suddenly get healed again." She sobbed. "Its if you do it before the moon rises. I'm just glad you . . ." Hermione coughed as blood came out of her mouth.
"I'm dying. I don't blame you . . . I . . . just . . . need . . . to . . . rest . . ." Hermione ended as she closed her eyes and let out a big breath. Her last breath, with it Draco could hear her saying faintly "I love you."
"Hermione!" Draco shook her. "Hermione?" He shook her again. She didn't react. She just lay there head lolling back and her hands like wilted flowers by her sides. Draco broke down into tears again, sobs filling his every word. "No come back. I can't do this without you. I need you! I love you! Please don't go!" Then he threw back his head and screamed into the dark. "I said I loved her! That's how it works! She should be back here and healed! Healed! Alive!" He looked back on her still form and touched her forehead with his. "I'm so sorry" He whispered his anguish becoming to great to bear. He drew her closer to towards her keeping her in his embrace as he rocked back and forth, tears streaming down his face like a water fall.
Every moment that passed felt like an eternity to Draco every moment added to his pain as he thought about her. About how good she was, how . . . innocent.
Every . . .
Second . . .
Felt . . .
Like . . .
An . . .
Eternity . . .
Wait! He thought. I can heal her. I learnt that spell ages ago from the book in our common room! I knew there was a reason why I read that book! Draco began to have a little hope as he tried to remember the right words to murmur. The spell could heal anyone who were on the verge of death. Hermione was past the verge of death but he hoped it would work.
It would take all his strength to do it. He just hoped he would have enough left. He pointed his wand at her knife wound and placed the other on the hilt of the knife. Then muttering the spell he pulled it out.
It came out easily. No blood came out with it. The knife was bloody but there was no bleeding. The dead didn't bleed. He dropped his head to rest against hers again. He had failed . . . again. He had lost her again. He didn't even know how it was noticeable if the spell worked. He didn't care because he had failed.
Or . . . not . . . a bright golden light was encircling their bodies. Blowing the hair away from their faces and getting brighter and brighter until Draco had to close his eyes and he had after images against his closed eyelids. He kept a firm hold on Hermione until it had finished.
He looked at her in hope but it was gone straight away as he saw she still wasn't breathing. She looked so peaceful . . . so innocent . . . so beautiful . . . and it was breaking Draco's heart just looking at her. He turned away his pain becoming to big again, a single tear dripped onto her face . . . and he felt something brush his arm . . .
He looked down and his breath hitched. Hermione was looking at him. Her eyes were no longer tear drenched but full of life and love for Draco.
"Hermione!" He whispered, hardly daring to believe it. She smiled at him and he laughed and drew her into a hug and gave her a soft kiss full of the love they felt for one another.
"I thought I'd lost you" He whispered looking scared.
"I couldn't leave you" She whispered back smiling again. "Plus I don't want someone to take over as Head Girl" She added.
Draco just laughed and held her close. "Still being humorous, even when you've died. How did this happen though?" He asked. "Not that I'm complaining but you should be dead" He looked at her blankly.
"Well . . . it seems you were right about me getting healed. I was in this place where . . . I don't know . . . just floating around and I heard you and what you tried to do. I felt your grief, your anguish, all your pain . . . and I knew I had to go back. So I sort of willed myself back to my body and then this golden light encircled me and I closed my eyes and woke up in my own body. I think that's the test, to see if what we feel is real . . . and I guess it was meant to be!"
Draco just smiled at her. "It sure is" He looked around as if he only just realised where they were. "Don't look. Andre's dead." He said flatly. He helped her to her feet and making sure he was blocking her from seeing Andre's dead body, they walked out of the room together. Arms around each other, sharing the pain they went through, giving each other support. Draco flicked his wand and the door shut behind them, keeping in the shadows and the pain and Andre's still form staring into the darkness.
Hermione and Draco were debating what they wanted to do first, whether to go and snuggle together, or go eat, or sleep. But in the end they agreed to get Dumbledore because they had an eternity to be together . . . right?
The End
A/N: Taa-daa! All done! That was my final chapter. You know for a minute there I thought I was going to let her die but I just couldn't do it . . . and I would have upset all my reviewers! Lol! Hope you enjoyed this story! Please read and review! Ta!
Luv Water Demon xXx