The next few moments went by as a blur to Hermione. She knew she heard screaming. She knew she and Draco had been separated. She could hear spells being thrown. She dodged stray spells or spells that were on target. Death-eaters had gotten in the school, but how? Hermione was in panic. She couldn't find Draco anywhere. She pulled her wand out from her purse and started to stun and curse random death-eaters in her search for Draco.
'Why here? Why now? Why do they like attacking Hogwarts?' thought Hermione. She shot a spell at a death-eater and continued her search. She looked around frantically. Her heart was beating fast in fear.
"ENOUGH!" hollered a hiss-like voice. Both the Order, most of the 7th years, and the death-eaters stopped fighting. Hermione froze and watched the extremely pale, almost white like paper, man. This was Voldemort, the Dark Lord, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, You-Know-Who, and whatever names were said that were meant for him. His red eyes were slits like a snake. His long, bony fingers clutched a wand. He whispered something to two death-eaters. They nodded and went in opposite directions. One was walking to Hermione. The other, she guessed, was going for Draco. She was right. On the other side of the hall was Draco.
"Stupify!" yelled Hermione. The spell hit the death-eater and the fighting began again. Hermione ran as fast as she could and tripped. She cursed under her breath and rolled over as a spell was aimed for her. She took off her heels, got up, and ran again. "Draco!" she cried when they reached each other. He hugged her tightly.
"Hermione," whispered Draco. "I was so scared. I thought you got hurt."
"Expelliarmus!" yelled a voice a couple feet away. Draco and Hermione were forcefully knocked backward and their wands flew out of their hands. Before the could get up, another spell was thrown at Draco. "Disgusting."
Draco's head shot up and he glared at his father. "Shut up! You don't know what you're talking about! That Bastard Lord of yours has blinded you!" Draco got to his feet and glared daggers at Lucius.
"I will not be talking to like that!" hissed Lucius. "Cruico!" Draco fell to the floor, screaming and twitching in pain. Lucius laughed.
"Stop it!" cried Hermione. "You're going to kill him!" Tears ran down her face. She got up and ran to Lucius but he threw her off him. She fell to the floor and couldn't get up.
"Don't touch me you filthy little mudblood!" snarled Lucius. He lifted the curse on Draco. "I plan to kill him. He has betrayed his father and the Dark Lord. He shall be punished. He took a square cloth from his left pocket and dug into his right pocket, and with the cloth, took out an opal necklace. Her eyes grew wide. She knew what that was!
Before Hermione realized what was happening, Lucius brushed the necklace against Draco's bare skin. At once, Hermione crawled over to her wand that Lucius had thrown it behind him, and stunned him. Draco was in the air, screaming in pain. Harry, Ron, and Hermione pulled him to the ground where he kept screaming and twitching in pain and agony. Madam Pomfrey ran to them. Harry and Ron jumped out of the way as spells went flying. One of the spells hit Hermione and she was knocked unconscious.
Hermione moaned and rolled over, finding herself on a nice soft bed. Her eyes snapped open and she sat straight up. "Draco!" She looked around and noticed she was in the Hospital Wing. All the beds here were filled with patients in a worse condition than she was. Feeling strong enough to walk, she slid off the bed and slowly walked into Madam Pomfrey's office.
"Ms. Granger, you should be in bed!" said Madam Pomfrey.
"No, I'm fine. Besides, I'm pretty sure there is someone who didn't get off so lucky," reassured Hermione. She followed the medi-witch out of the office. "But, Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Draco, where are they? Are they ok?" Panic filled her voice and her eyes.
"Mr. Potter and Mr. and Ms. Weasley are fine, barely," muttered Madam Pomfrey. She checked on a sleeping student.
"And Draco?"
"St. Mungo's," replied Madam Pomfrey. "The necklace Lucius Malfoy touched him with was cursed." She led Hermione to Harry and Ron. Ron had a broke arm and leg and had a few run-ins with a few different curses. Harry had his arm in a sling. Hermione wasn't sure what was wrong with it. They both had scratches and bruises everywhere. They both had their eyes closed. Hermione conjured a chair and sat between them. Their beds were close enough so she could hold their hands. She lowered her head and closed her eyes. She looked up a moment later when Harry and Ron had squeezed her hand.
"Where's Draco?" asked Harry in a whisper. His bright emerald eyes looking around, not finding the blonde boy. He looked back at Hermione.
"He's in St. Mungo's," muttered Hermione. "The necklace Lucius touched Draco with was cursed. I don't know what to think." She looked at Harry and Ron. "I mean, what if he's really hurt? He was in so much pain. I couldn't stand it." Tears started to fall from her eyes. "I was right there and I couldn't protect him." She let go of Harry's and Ron's hands and cried into her own.
"It's ok Hermione," said Ron. "Why don't you go see him? We're completely fine, just beat up a little." Ron smiled at her and Harry nodded. "Ginny and the others are bruised and broken like we are, more or less. They're fine too." She got up and hugged them both. She waved to Ginny and the others before leaving.
Hermione traveled by Floo Powder to get to St. Mungo's. She dusted herself off as much as possible and headed for the Welcome Witch. "Um, excuse me?" The witch looked up from her magazine. "Can you tell me what room Draco Malfoy is in?"
The Welcome Witch took out a notepad and flipped through the pages. "Malfoy…Malfoy…Malfoy…" she said, running a finger down the list of patients. "Ah, fourth floor, last door to the left." Hermione smiled a thank you and walked to the elevator.
When Hermione got to his room, she paused by the door to take a deep breath, preparing herself for the worse. She closed her eyes, took another deep breath and opened the door. There were four patients in here, though Hermione couldn't see them because the curtains were drawn around the beds. A healer walked up to her. "Can I help you?"
"Um, I was told Draco Malfoy was here," whispered Hermione. The healer nodded and led Hermione to the last bed, farthest from the door. The healer stopped and turned around to face Hermione.
"Before you see him, I should tell you," whispered the healer, "he can't talk back. We're not sure if it's can't or won't yet. Also, he can barely move and he's deathly pale." Hermione blinked and nodded an understanding. The healer opened the curtain and closed it behind Hermione.
Hermione stood still for a moment. Just hearing his condition was nothing compared to seeing it. He was already pale before, but now…now it looked like he was dying. His lips were almost as white as his skin. His eyes were closed and he was breathing slowly. With watery eyes, she quietly conjured a chair and pulled it close to his bed. She grabbed his hand and waited to see if he would wake.
Draco opened his eyes when she grabbed his hand. He looked at her. She was ok. He sighed a sigh of relief. Draco weakly smiled at Hermione. She smiled back. He didn't have to say anything. His eyes told her he was happy to see her.
Even though he wouldn't or couldn't talk back, Hermione talked to him. She told him of Harry's and everyone else's condition, reassured him that she was alright, and told him she loved him. When visiting hours were over, she kissed him good-bye and left.
It went on like that for two months. Everyday she were visit him for an hour. Telling him news, what she was up to, and whatever else came to her mind. By that time, he could move a lot more, his color was slowly coming back, and could talk to her, but only her it seemed. She took Harry and Ron and the others a couple times too.
Then, after the two months, a week before he was to be released, Hermione came to visit and found someone else who looked like Draco, but older and younger than Lucius. Draco saw her first, his eyes flicked to her. The older man turned around and immediately glared at her. Then, the man started to shout.
"WHY WOULD I LET HIM BE WITH YOU, YOU DIRTY LITTLE MUDBLOOD! WHAT IF DRACO'S NEVER THE SAME! WHAT IF HE'LL NEVER BE ABLE TO WALK!" yelled the man. Hermione's eyes widen. Three healers had to hold him back. "IT'S YOUR FAULT! IT'S YOUR FAULT! IT'S ALL YOUR FAULT!" Tears started to fall from Hermione's eyes.
"Brother…" whispered Draco.
"Ms. Grange, please, leave. This man will attack," ordered a healer as another stunned the man. Hermione fled, unable to look at Draco again because it was her fault. She caused him to go into the hospital. It was her fault. Or so she thought. And that was the last time she visited him in the hospital.
After Draco was released from the hospital, he went to her house. He needed to see her. she hadn't come back. The door opened. It was Harry. He moved and let Draco inside.
"She hasn't done anything for a week. She's fallen ill. She muttered, 'It's my fault,' over and over again," Harry shook his head. "She's really sick." Draco blinked and without a word, headed for Hermione's room. All the lights were off and in the corner, a barely visible Hermione sat. Her knees were pulled to her chest and her head was down.
"Hermione," Draco said turning on the lights. "You can't do this to yourself. It wasn't your fault," He kneeled down beside her.
"It's my fault Draco!" cried Hermione. "Don't tell me otherwise! I know it's my fault!" she cried harder and buried her face in her knees again. Seeing as the conversation was over, Draco left.
And that's how it was for a week. Draco would try to console her, trying to convince her it wasn't her fault, without success.
Draco sat on his couch, deep in thought. He didn't even noticed that someone had apparated in front of him.
"What's hurting her now is her memories of you. Her love for you," said his older brother. Draco jumped at glared at him, hatred burning in his eyes.
"Shut the hell up! You're the one that told her it was her fault!" growled Draco. His brother held up a hand to stop him.
"Isn't it your final duty to free her from that pain?" he continued as if he hadn't been so rudely interrupted. "I think she truly wants to be released. She wants to forget." Without another word, he apparated out of Draco's house. Draco blinked and was deep in thought again.
After he told everyone what he was planning to do and told them his reasons, he went to Hermione's house alone. He went into her bedroom and kneeled next to her.
As if she read his mind, she said, "I think…I think it might have been better if we had never fallen in love. It would have been better if we had never fallen in love…" Tears fell from her eyes and hit the floor.
"She wants to forget."Draco stared at her. 'I never thought I'd erase anyone's memories…especially the memories of the person most important to me. The memories most important to me…' Draco pointed his wand at her forehead.
"I'm sorry. I couldn't protect you…I'm sorry…I'm so sorry…I'm so sorry Draco!" cried Hermione. With tears down his cheeks, he muttered the spell, memories of them together flashed through his mind and he knew she would never remember them.
"I didn't know you can dance," muttered Hermione when the only the piano and guitar were playing. He twirled her gently. When she was back into his arms, she looked up at him.
"There's a lot you know about me," muttered Draco after a moment. He led her around the floor expertly and gently. She followed without holding back. 'You're a great dancer too,' he added to himself, not wanting to say it allowed.
At the call of his name, Draco turned to see Hermione running to him. He looked questionably at her. He set his glass on the nearest table and turned back to her just in time to catch her. She actually jumped into his arms, cupped his checks with her hands, and kissed him, She was lucky she was so petite or they would have fallen to the floor. He had to swing around once to keep his balance.
Draco sat at the desk and stared out the window. He sighed, making Hermione looked up from her homework. She walked over to him and wrapped her arms around his neck. He rested his head against her arm, closing his eyes. Hermione kissed the top of his head before resting her chin on it and closing her eyes too. They stayed like that for a few moments.
"Draco," Hermione finally whispered, breaking the silence. "You seem troubled, what's wrong?" she moved to face him. He turned her around and sat her on his lap. He hugged her around the waist the rested his head on her back. "Draco?"
"I'm scared," answered Draco. When she didn't say anything, he continued. "I'm afraid of losing you and afraid of…my father…" he never told anyone this. He led people on, thinking he was fearless, but that wasn't true. Before Hermione, he was afraid of just his father. Now, now he was afraid of him and losing her. "If my father finds out about us, he'll be furious. He'll find out by some other Slytherin's parents. I wouldn't be surprised if he doesn't know already. Hermione, I don't know what I'd do without you." He suddenly chuckled. "I must sounds ridiculous. I'm only 17, and that came out of my mouth."
"I don't think it was ridiculous! I think it's sweet! The way we care for each other at our age. It's nothing to be ashamed of," protested Hermione, making Draco smile. That was so like her.
"We're in Hogwarts, under Dumbledore's care. Nothing can harm us."
"I hope you are right," muttered Draco. He gently pushed her off and yawned. "I'm going to go to bed. Goodnight." He kissed her on the cheek and went into his room. He sighed as he got into pajamas and climbed into bed, closing his eyes.
"I love you Hermione," whispered Draco when the singing stopped and just music played.
Hermione smiled. "I love you too Draco."
'No, I'm the one who should apologize. I'm the one who couldn't protect you,' Draco thought as he apparated back to his home. 'But despite that, you though of me till the end.' Draco sat down on his couch, crying. 'If that is the depth of her love…if that was why she become so sick…then it's not right for her to suffer.'
"There's nothing there to hurt you anymore," muttered Draco. 'Oh God…Please…let her find someone who can make her happy. I pray. Even if I die lonely…I don't care…please…please…'
Two Years Later
"We were wondering why you suddenly came back to England."
"Next you'll be talking to your parents about the ceremony right?"
"Why didn't you bring your fiancé? I wanted to meet him!"
"Well, he's buy with work. And we're having the ceremony in America," said Hermione. She walked with her two friends, smiling and laughing.
"Hey, what kind of guy is he?"
"The kind who can't lie. And I feel so calm when I'm with him," replied Hermione. Draco sat on the bench near her. The Daily Prophet covered his face. He couldn't have a row with her. It would break his heart even more.
' I haven't seen her in two years. She's smiling the same way she did back then. I see, so she's…happy now. I'm glad,' thought Draco. He put the paper down as she passed and stared at her. "Congratulations." He muttered.
"On what?" asked Jake, his friend he met a while ago.
"No…it's nothing…" muttered Draco. 'Time passes slowly but steadily. I would be lying if I said that I wasn't shocked…but I'm happy…to know that it was a good thing…to let her go. I'm glad…'
A/N: YAY the last chapter. I hope you all like it. Okay, the last part is from Fruits Basket vol. 2, I just messed with it to fit my story. I was reading it and was like, "This is wonderful!" so I used it. Just changed characters, setting, and that's about it. The quotes are from there too…more or less. It's the same…but not? Get it? Lol…so I hope you guys have enjoyed this story. The next chapter will be disclaimer and thanks…um…stay tuned for another story of mine…don't know when that would be. I start school on August 22…I'm not sure if I'd start one before that. I might…the chapters would come slower than normal ((which is pretty slow anyway…heh…)) because of school. Gawd…I don't want to go back. About the two years later ending part…I like this ending…but as I reread it…it seems a little incomplete? I don't know…maybe I'm just sad that this story is finally over…well, I hope you, my readers, like it. That's all I have to say...until next time.
This is Kiwi-san over and out