Chapter 32

Sweet Memories

Six months later…

It was a few days into December and Hermione was at a café with her cousin Victoria after a long day of Christmas shopping. Hermione had gotten herself and Victoria two big cups of hot chocolate and turned to sit at a table by a window.

Hermione placed their cups on the table and put her bags on the floor next to the table. She sat and pulled off her hat and placed it into one of the bags.

"So how is work?" Victoria asked.

"It's good." Hermione replied while blowing into her hot chocolate to cool it.

"So, have you heard from him at all?" Victoria asked.

"No. I don't expect to. Maybe I thought he would at least show up at the beginning but he never did. It's over. Has been for a while." She paused "Although, sometimes it feels like he's still…" Hermione said before taking a sip of the hot drink shaking her head as in to say never mind. Victoria gave her a questioning look.

Before their conversation could go any farther a friend of Victoria's came into the café and she excused herself for a moment to speak to him. Hermione looked out the window. She took the cup and brought it near her lips to feel the warmth of it heat her lips. Her mind drifted to memories of the past year. Ron and Kiara were married and Hermione had served as Best Woman along side of Harry who was best man. It was amusing to see only one girl on the man side; at first her parents thought it was a wizarding custom. She however set them straight, but there was no other place better for her to be. The only problem was now what place she would be standing in Harry and Ginny's wedding that they were planning on having that summer in hopes that by then Voldemort would be gone. Ginny wanted Hermione to be Maid of Honor and Harry wanted her to be Best Woman like she had been in Ron's wedding. Ginny's argument was that he already had Ron so she should get Hermione.

Hermione, Harry and Ron had been Aurors for some time now. They were the fastest to ever go through the training in history. They had also become the leaders of the Order up next to Dumbledore of course. They each had their own job. Harry being the most powerful, Hermione being the smartest and Ron being the leader of the war tactics with his brilliant strategy skills.

Hermione watched the snow lightly fall along the busy streets filled with happy families and couples. They huddle together with the ones they loved to shelter each other from the cold. A sense of slight déjà vu swept over her and her memories quickly filled her mind as each flashed, shuffled scenes of her and Draco.

One was when they were studying for the NEWTS. They sat spider legged, with her legs draped over his thighs with his body between her legs, on the bed. She remembered the way they laughed in between quizzing each other from the books that they held between their bodies. Her mind drifted to another memory of her and Draco. She was screaming as they both laughed when he had chased her around the common room with her in a towel. He was about to get her back for a low blow she had made to him earlier that day during one of their battle of the wits during class.

Another was when she wasn't feeling well and she lay down on Draco in the common room as he ran his fingers though her hair. She remembered how safe and warm he made her feel. She had felt safe in his arms as he comforted her as she lay on his chest listening to his heartbeat, one of her most favorite sounds. Then the memories moved onto one of their most daring intimate moments when it was the night before his final quidditch match. It was for good luck. She lingered on the memory as flashes of it held her in a trance. She remembered his hand moved up her thigh, her hand moved across his arm as he did so. His hand moved to remove her cloak, her hand as she removed his. How their kisses were deep and filled with loving passion. Her hand moved up his neck and through his hair. His hand moved from her neck down to her chest. Panting as they moved together, her rolling on top of him covering him with kisses as she continued their lovemaking. Draco moaning her name as she threw her head back breathing heavily. Him rolling her back over when they were done. Him holding her and kissing softly as he said, "Thank you for loving me" and her saying, "Always".

"Hermione?" Victoria said snapping Hermione out of her entrancing memory.

"What was that I'm sorry?" Hermione turned her head to the direction in front of her where her cousin sat as they both took a sip to their now cooled Hot chocolate.

"Mmm, Nothing," Victoria said as shook her head then paused. "Are you alright?" Victoria asked concerned.

"Yes I'm fine, why?" Hermione asked and took another sip.

"It's just that you didn't really seem like you were here." Victoria replied.

"Oh, it was nothing just remembering." Hermione told her. Victoria nodded.

"You know you never really told me how your mates took the news after you told them the truth behind you and Draco." Victoria said.

"Well surprisingly they took it well especially Harry and Ginny they were actually supportive. If it weren't for them I think Ron would have blown up. He saw how relaxed about it they were and figured if they could be calm then he could be to. They did however ask a lot of questions and I of course answered them. So they know about everything except for certain details, like how it really started and me knowing about his mark before "we" all found out. They also understood why I didn't say anything, they respected it. Ginny said that it was the most romantic thing she had ever heard. I feel better that they now know even if it's not "everything". At least they now know." Hermione said.

"So what did you say when you told them you were no longer together and what did you tell them when they wanted to know how it first started?"

"Well I just told them that it was a mutual thing and that it would have never worked because of our differences, family, friends, etc. I told them that our "actual relationship" had started in the winter and that working so close got us to see a different side of each other." Hermione answered.

"Well it's the truth in some sort of way." Victoria laughed bringing out a chuckle from Hermione.

"It is, they didn't ask specific questions or for specific details, so I just didn't give them the specifics. Well," she paused while she emptied her cup." it's time for me to head home, I'll see you at Christmas." Hermione said as she wiped her mouth delicately with a napkin. She took her wand out and looked around to make sure no one was watching and flicked her wand making her bags vanish. Then turned to give her cousin a hug.

"Were did your bags go?" Victoria asked.

"I sent them home. I feel like walking home today. It'll be good for me." Hermione said with a smile.

"Alright, well see you at Christmas then." Victoria said as she gave Hermione a hug.

When outside they parted ways. Hermione realized that she left her hat in one of her bags that she had sent home, but decided to continue on.

He watched her emerge from the café and wave goodbye to a familiar girl that he had often see her with in the past. He watched her pull her coat tighter around her as she continued her walk, he wished that it were him that had his arms around her to protect her from the cold winters day as the snow descended from the clouds above.

Every time he would see her or watch her, his heart would fill all over again with pain. Following her had been really difficult to do lately. He figured it had to do with her being an Auror. He didn't no why he had to still follow her when all it did was remind him of how miserable his life had been without her. To not hold her at night, not to feel her intimately, not to talk to her and love her intelligence, and to not be able to kiss her while he inhaled her beauty.

He moved forward following her from across the street trying to blend into the crowd. She was smart and it seemed she always was aware of someone following her. She'd never caught him, nor did he think she ever would. Maybe it was because if she had caught him following her he would run off or not be there and forever be gone even if it had been just her imagination.

She paused by a park that had families playing in the snow together. They made snow angels and had snow ball fights. He watched her seeing the longing in her eyes as the sight shot a pain in his chest. He reached into his cloak and pulled out a picture of them together.

They were on the ground laughing together looking up at the camera and then at each other as Draco took the picture. Draco closed his eyes tight and lifted his face towards the sky. Letting the coldness of the flakes of snow melt upon his skin trying his best not to give into the prickling sensation behind the lids of his eyes. Taking one last deep breath he had opened his eyes to look back to where Hermione had been.

She had moved on walking closer to her destination. He gently put the picture back into his pocket and continued to follow. He pulled his cloak tighter to protect the package that he held beneath it.

Finally Hermione had made it to her building that held her flat and stopped right before the stairs to go into it. She reached into her coat and pulled out her keys. Before she had a chance to look up someone had bumped into her making her drop the keys into the snowy sidewalk under her. Suddenly feeling a familiar tingling sensation she quickly bent down to retrieve them and stood up. She looked around for the culprit but only found a green box that sat on the stoup with her name on it written in silver.

She slowly moved towards it and picked it up. Not able to wait to get inside she brushed of the stairs and sat down. She cautiously opened it and revealed the picture album she has given Draco the year before for a Valentines gift. She quickly looked around to see if he was still there watching; he wasn't at least from what she could see. She had had a feeling that he was following her and by the feeling that she had gotten from the mystery bumper. No one else has ever made her feel that way. She pulled it out of the box and started to flip through it. Even more memories, sweet memories filled her as she looked at the pages of pictures. In the very back were some pictures of her from over the last six months. She then realized that one of the pictures Draco had taken of them was missing. She smiled at the fact that he kept it. She then turned to the last page of pictures, the very last one was with writing in the snow that read glowing 'I do not regret the love we shared, may your fire forever burn. Thank you for loving me.'

Hermione closed the book and held it to her chest as she let the tears flow freely down her snow kissed cheeks. She closed her eyes and put a hand over her mouth to keep her lips from quivering.

"Dear, are you alright?" Said a voice said from above her. Hermione opened her eyes and looked up to meet the eyes of a very worried older woman.

"Sorry, yes. Thank you." Hermione said as she stood up holding onto the photo book and the box it came in. "I will be." Hermione continued before flashing the woman with blue eyes a quick smile and turned to the building and disappearing into it.

The woman watched her go into the building and then pulled her green hood down revealing her light blond hair. She wondered if the brunet recognized her. Maybe not, not with Hermione being emotionally distracted by the pictures of her only son. The woman knew why.

Hermione walked into her flat and threw her keys down on the dresser. She walked over to her sofa and dropped the book and the box down onto it. She felt the anger in her rise, from the situation to why she was unable to have the life she so rightfully deserved. She walked over to her table and grabbed the vase filled full of flowers and hurled it into the fireplace.

"Voldemort and those damn Death Eaters, they will pay!" Hermione yelled dangerously.

A/N: YAY LAST SAD CHAPTER! Now remember that the next chapter is really long! So get you popcorn and soda sit back and get comfortable! Well I am in a hurry but I wanted to get this out to you, and thank you for reviewing I really do love you guys! Keep it up and see you in 15!