Disclaimer: It's not mine.
Rating: G
Pairing: Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger
Summary: "Ex-Death Eaters are RELEASED" – Daily Prophet. DMHG. Post-Hogwarts. One-Shot.
Author's Notes: Random fic idea. You are warned of the ABSOLUTE ENNUI that lies ahead.
After Seven Years
"Hermione, look at this!" Hermione's colleague nudged her. Kyler was waving a copy of the day's Daily Prophet frantically before her eyes.
Hermione snatched the paper from him and held it before her eyes. The interest in her eyes slowly burnt out as dread filled her mind. "Oh." She mouthed as she got to the first few paragraphs of the news. The news made her recall the bittersweet past she had. The past of which he spent nights with her in their own dormitory with the portrait door closed tightly was hard to forget, even if they knew that they weren't meant for each other.
They were supposed to oppose each other. They were supposed to lead their own side – him, the Dark, and her, the Light. But when night came, urgency and need never failed to stop them from enjoying each other. Their only regret was that when the next morning came, their bodies had to part and minds had to focus on their hatreds towards each other. That one last year in Hogwarts was all they had for such passion.
When Hermione was done with the pleasant events, horrible images filled her thoughts. Images of how the very spell that sprouted from his wand nearly killed her. Images of how narrow her escape from death was at that moment. Images of the look on his face when he yelled 'avada kedavra' at her – the look of nonchalant. He hurt her heart… no matter how prepared she was when the Dark War came – she knew she had to face him like that one day.
Then, his 'betrayal' led to her strengthened resolve to destroy the Dark. No more Dark Wizards or Death Eaters like him should taint the surface of the Earth, she promised. It was a silent promise, a promise she finally fulfilled on the day the Battle came.
That day, she remembered, was the most glorious day of her life. A troop of Aurors and wizards under orders of Dumbledore was sent to the far, foresty edge of their country, where Muggles could not be found. She was one of those Aurors, along with Harry and some other Hogwarts Alumni.
Remembering the fact that they were facing one of the darkest and most formidable wizard of all time, a small part of her was scared. Scared that they might lose this very important battle – the battle that would decide the continual rise or complete fall of the Dark. However, her Gryffindor bravery outshone that tad bit of fear. She was in a battle and if she let the fear get to her, the battle would be half lost.
Minutes after their arrival there, their mysterious informant came and told them that Voldemort and his huge batch of followers were coming with Disillusion Charms on. It was expected. They could not be foolish enough to go to them openly. They were in the dark while the Aurors were in the light after all. Thus, they held their hidden Illusionment Powder in their pocket at ready with the left hand.
While listening to some last minute instructions by Dumbledore, Harry sensed movement from the trees behind them. Indeed, the dark wizards were coming.
Soon, shots of different coloured spells were fired from both sides. It was a terrifying display of all rainbow coloured fighting curses. Hermione found herself concentrating on the battle. Illusionment Powder was thrown and all enemies were made visible. Hexes after hexes she fired and none of them missed. So far, five were down from Hermione's vicious and forceful charms. She knew five was a small number compared to the whole army Voldemort had but she also knew that her colleagues were helping.
A white ray whizzed past Hermione's face as her back leant on a tree for protection. It left searing white-hot pain on her cheek. Damn, she thought, another's coming on me. With her wand at ready, she spun around and out of the protection of the tree to face her opponent. She was about to throw some Illusionment Powder on the enemy just in case when…
Him. She saw as she turned. There was a slight flutter in her stomach… but it was quickly replaced by anger and commitment to destroying the Dark. Just when her spin was complete, she raised her arm and fired a fighting curse whose damage was almost as good as the infamous Avada Kedavra.
It connected with his chest… and she would never forget that look on his face.
"… Are you?" Kyler chatted animatedly in front of her. He turned to face Hermione with an offended look and patted her lightly on her cheek. "Anybody home?"
"Uh… Huh? Wh - what?" Came Hermione's innocent reply as she blinked a few times.
Kyler frowned, "I was just talking about the end of the world. You know, it just happened yesterday?" He replied sarcastically. At the confused look on his colleague's face, he dropped the sarcasm, "Fine. I was asking you if you were afraid. I mean, we, Aurors, would be their first target for revenge –"
"The second paragraph already says that they are stripped of their magical powers." Hermione reminded in a 'duh' way.
He shrugged, "Who knows if they had any connections to the dark again that could help them regain their magic." Kyler took a sip of his warm coffee. Hermione stared at him like he was the offspring of a Martian and a troll. "What?"
Harry strolled merrily into the Staff's Resting Room and caught both Hermione and Kyler slacking there. "Lazing around, huh?" He walked past the little chrome table the two were occupying and made himself an extra-strong coffee.
"Pal," Kyler sighed, "there's absolutely nothing to do out there! It's been four bloody years since the fall of Voldemort and all dark things are under control. I wonder what they still want Aurors for." Kyler complained. "I even fear losing my job, so I'd applied for a transfer to the Wizard-Muggle Relationships Department. But they never reply."
Harry, being the Assistant Head of Aurors, gave Kyler a reprimanding look, "You know the Ministry still needed a few Aurors to standby just in case. That's why so many other Aurors were retrenched! You should really consider yourself lucky to be able to stay and receive salary without even having to work as hard as the past years."
Hermione sighed, "But it is getting boring!" She crossed her arms and placed them on the tiny table surface, accidentally pushing the Daily Prophet to the floor.
Seeing the papers all scattered on the floor, Harry muttered a spell and summoned them into his hands. "Oh… So you have already got today's paper, huh? It's not even eight, Kyler!" He began reading the headline article.
Kyler grinned smugly, "I have good relations with others." Hermione snorted at this, but still remained expressionless. Kyler threw her a dirty glance.
The carefree and relaxed look on Harry morphed into one that's furious and anxious gradually. "Oh, good Merlin! You all know about this!" He exclaimed, pointing a finger to the headline that was in bold letters, screaming: Ex-Death Eaters Are RELEASED, with the word RELEASED highlighted with a larger font size. "Damn those executives, they weren't even bothered to tell me about this!"
"Look, Harry, only twenty three of them are released. They weren't even willing to join the battle at first. And –" Kyler started.
"But they fought as Death Eaters. And –"
"And they're stripped of their magical powers, Harry." Kyler continued like Harry hadn't even interrupted him at all. "At least, Hermione said they shouldn't be much threat…" He gave Harry an 'I'm neutral' look.
"Well, it's true, Harry." Hermione added from her position next to Kyler.
Harry ignored the two and continued scanning the article. His eyes instantly focused on the name 'Draco Malfoy' in the name list of people who were released. "Ha! I will never believe Draco Malfoy was unwilling to join the battle!" He beamed, proud at the discovery of the new evidence he needed to retort.
Hermione tensed her body. Her face drained of all colours. Malfoy wasn't… dead? She hadn't read the name list yet, for she had no relations with any of the Death Eaters and Malfoy was dead (at least, she thought so), so she wasn't bothered to look through. "Give me the papers, Harry! Accio Daily Prophet."
And the fact was confirmed.
!-
Draco exited a Ministry office and walked down the long hallway towards the elevator. He was cleaned and just got released. That means, he was free.
I am free. I am free. I am free… He never thought it possible to be able to tell himself that. He thought he was going to go crazy in that dirty cell. He thought he was going to regret being born to a Malfoy family for the rest of his life there. He thought he was going to rot to hell. He just couldn't believe he was actually free. Draco was, in a word, glad.
But he was also insulted, humiliated. Was stripping him of his magical powers necessary? Why reduce him to a Squib of all things? He didn't even want to join the battle then. He was forced and they knew he was forced. But look at what they'd done to him!
Powerless, penniless, homeless… pathetic. Perhaps he had been really mean in his younger days, but he wasn't evil.
As he continued strutting towards the elevator, he saw the doors of the elevator fly open and reveal a young, tall girl who was looking at her documents intently. Draco found this girl utterly familiar, like he knew her for a very long time. Suddenly, the girl looked up from the documents and her jaws went slack. He stopped short in his track.
This girl… looked like Granger.
!-
Hermione felt her arms go limp as the two thick documents of parchments dropped to the ground with a silent thud.
Of all places, she had to see him here. She took a quick scan of him, scrutinizing his every feature. God, he was still so handsome. He looked too dull and depressed for his age, his hair was touching the collar of his shirt and he was really skinny. But he was still handsome. Still so desirable.
Instantly, a tear fell from the corner of her hazel eye. It was strange how nostalgic she felt. If only there weren't Voldemort, life would be so much better for her and Draco. And now, she almost felt sorry for him, thinking of all those torment a young man like him must have been through.
But she knew he deserved those. He deserved those when he joined the Dark side even when he promised her that he will come to the Light and help fight away the Dark. He deserved those when he fought for the Dark.
"Granger…" He acknowledged with that same low, monotone.
Hermione swallowed hard and wiped the tear stain away in small movements, hoping that he would not notice from the distance he was standing at. She felt obliged to speak back to him, somehow, but she couldn't do it. The words were stuck in her throat and her lips were still unclosed. Blinking a few times rapidly, Hermione summoned her parchments back into her arms.
!-
She carried on walking after that, head hung low as she walked nearer and nearer to him. A terribly painful lump formed in his throat. She wouldn't even acknowledge him. Was he so gone from her life that… that she wasn't even bothered by the fact that he was released from Hell?
He still loved her… he recognized this fact. Even though it was her who fired the spell that nearly killed him, even though he nearly killed her too, even though he wasn't fit to be next to her – he knew this when he obliviously received the Dark Mark… he could still sense that little warm fuzzy feeling in his stomach when he saw her.
She was about to pass by him… just a few more steps and she would be gone. Think, Draco, what can you say to her?
Draco reached out his left arm and stopped Hermione from walking anymore further.
!-
"How have you been?" Draco asked as he turned to her.
Hermione bit her lower lip, forcing herself to keep check on her emotions at all time. Slowly, she made herself look into those pair of steely grey eyes. "Fine, I think." The faintest hint of a smile crept onto her lips. He had been through things that were bad enough and he certainly didn't need to worry about her emotional issues.
Draco sighed, nodding at the same time, "Good, then… Uh…"
She searched deeply into those eyes… He once attempted to kill her. But what about now? Did he still hate her now? And… what about her? She didn't even know if she hated him. "So," Hermione broke the awkward silence, "what are you going to do next?" She did not know what to say, actually. She was afraid that she might accidentally touch some raw nerves regarding his ex-inmate and powerless status.
He looked exasperated at this and mussed his own hair while he thought. To think a full-grown adult like him could still do such childish but adorable action. "I… I don't know…"
That same feeling of pity resurfaced, leaving her torn. She thought she had let go of her feelings – after all, she was with Harry now. However, just the sight of his charming face managed to make her heart got caught in her throat. She didn't expect things to turn out like this. She predicted that they could become strangers and move on with their life. Maybe they could even not stop and look back at their past. But how wrong she was.
He kept his gaze on her and vice versa. There was the certain something that remained in his eyes… it remained after such long time had passed.
"Are you fine, Granger?" He approached, leaning over so slightly, he might as well not move.
Hermione snapped out of her thoughts and decided that a talk was all they needed. "Are you free? Um, I'm finishing my work now and… would you like to dine with me?"
The look on him registered shock, confusion and what Hermione hoped was pleasant surprise. "Of course…"
Relief overwhelmed her as she nodded, "Great! Wait for me here, ok? I just want to hand this to Mr. Silvertone…"
!-
Draco drank the warm apple tea as his eyes focused on the beauty before him. She certainly had matured into an elegant swan. "So… you want a talk or something?"
Hermione sat up straighter, coughing ever so slightly as she lifted the little teacup to her lips. After soothing her rusty throat, she began, "Actually, yes. It's just that, I know things are a bit more… sensitive now… and I think, maybe you want to clear up certain parts of the past years?" Hermione stared at him with that intense look that was boring bloody holes in his eyes. "I – I mean, there are things going on and the – our past is weighing me down. I don't know. It just haunts me. I think, that day when you –"
"Hermione." He calmed, "Hermione, I'm so sorry. Did you really think it was me? Did you?" At the numb nod of Hermione, Draco continued, "Look, all those time I was rebelling my father… it earned me a dark spell from Lucius. He could control – manipulate me, even. It was a kind of advanced Imperious Curse… something so powerful I don't think even Potter can fight it... Don't be mad… I…" The words got caught in his mouth. Did I just want to say 'I still love you'? Gee...
"Go on." Hermione prompted. Her big watery eyes were overflowing with concern.
Draco took in a deep breath. "Hermione, do you remember seven years ago? That night before Graduation?"
Draco watched as Hermione's eyelids fluttered to close while her face paled. Still, there wasn't much emotion that could be detected. She had really learnt to protect herself well…
!-
Why make me remember? Of course I remember! I just don't want to... With much effort put in, Hermione was able to keep her tear tap off. "Yes." She replied with a cold voice.
"I meant what I said. I truly was about to do what I promised you. Why would I want to lie to you, right? You are the last person on Earth I want to lie to…" Sincerity. She needed to see sincerity in those pair of masked cool grey eyes. She didn't know if she could find them. It felt like trying to find needle from a haystack... maybe worse.
Unexpectedly, a tear rolled down, across her cheek. Memories flooded her mind. It's like she was looking into the Pensieve and reliving that night's sweetness.
"Granger, I want you to know this... I've decided." Draco murmured into her ears as his arms wrapped around her waist securely. They were sitting on the couch that was facing the warm fireplace, with Hermione leaning on Draco's chest from his front.
Hermione turned back and titled her head up to face him, her heart filled with hope. Maybe… he wanted to confess or declare something. Something pleasant... "What, Malfoy?"
He grinned and declared simply, "I'm going to sever all ties with the Malfoys and I'll be coming back to you. Right after tomorrow's Graduation Ceremony, I'll go back to The Malfoy Manor and tell him." Draco's face turned solemn, sad. "But whether, I'll make it out to get back to you... I don't know. But, Granger, I'm going to do what I can to come back... Trust me."
Hermione kept her eyes focused on his, struggling to keep the tears from blurring her vision. "Malfoy... You don't have to. I..." She started to sob, out of the blue. Draco looked pained at this and leant forward to kiss her at the corners of her eyes. "It's – It's just that I know we weren't meant to – to be together. I'd been try – tryin' ta accept it. I know you would not be mine anymore." She closed her eyes in a futile attempt to stop the tear flow as she continued, "Not after tomorrow..." Hermione grabbed Draco's neck and pulled him closer to her. Her soft sobbing muffled by Draco's broad chest.
"Hermione," a tingle of pleasure at his calling her first name ran down her spine. "Hermione, I love you. I'll be back to your side. Promise."
At this, Hermione buried her head deeper into his chest, crying harder than ever.
A month later, there was a fight between the Dark and Light at a secret meeting place of Voldemort's followers. Hermione was in charge of that team that went there. Draco was in charge of the Dark followers at that meeting. It was then Hermione realised she was lied to. To think she had been looking forward to each day, hoping that he would return. The anger she felt towards his lies fuelled her determination to annihilate the Dark – to annihilate him.
And when she faced him in that very fight, his face betrayed no emotion or recognition. Her heart felt like it was hit with a brutal Cruciatus Curse. The screaming pain worsened when he shot a green ray of Avada Kedavra at her...
"Seven years ago. So it'd been seven years?" She let out a small sarcastic chuckle as her hand reached up to wipe the tear away. Her anger, frustration and confusion were getting the better of her. "I just remember things well, Malfoy. I remembered what you said to me and then… I still remember what you did to me. And that was all I needed to see what was in you." Her lips began to tremble. The accumulated regret of being with him seven years ago made her furious at him – but mostly at herself. How could she had let herself got seduced by him? Why was she so dirty – so dirty that she even made love with him?
Hermione thought of how life would be like without him. The life would be so happy and bright without his face tainting her thoughts. She would be delightfully relieving scenes of how she helped fought and won the battle – not crying in the lonely dark for having to kill her once beloved.
Hermione took in a calming breath and said, "I'm sorry, Malfoy. I didn't mean to… to be like – like this."
"It's okay." Draco soothed. He reached a hand over to hold Hermione's but she moved her hand away, rejecting any physical contact with him. Draco looked at the spot where her hand once laid and sighed. "I know. You are angry with me… You don't really understand, do you?" He asked gently.
"Yes, I don't understand all these craps you put in my life! I don't understand why you had to bring my hopes to soaring heights and letting it drop to the concrete ground with a deadly thud! I don't understand why you must make a mess of my life!" Hermione raged, her volume was a little too high. She was panting faintly and was sure that she looked like a ridiculous wild lion.
!-
Draco felt his heart squeeze hard. The organ threatened to shrivel up and die of pain from seeing what emotional tortures he had put her through. Both parties suffered a lot, he was sure. It was actually expected that she would get mad and berate at him. However, all these things that had happened – they weren't in Draco's calculations. He didn't know that Lucius would set such a spell on his son – his own flesh and blood – and destroy him.
"Hermione, how could you not know those things – those hateful things – were all not done by me? Don't you know about what manipulative charms are, huh? You were the valedictorian, for Merlin's sake! I wasn't me since the day after the Graduation Ceremony. I didn't return back to myself until that day you hit me with that spell. Your spell seemed to have knocked off the one Lucius cast on me and immobilized me for days. I swear I did try everything I could to beat my father and go back to you on the night of my arrival at the Malfoy Manor. I just didn't have what it takes. I'm sorry I let you down… I really am so sorry..." Draco defended and apologized with a pleading look.
Hermione still gave him that same hard stare that thoroughly pierced his heart. "Do you expect me to believe you and we can just start all over again? Naïve, Malfoy. You are too naïve. None of us can make up for the lost time, especially since it's a span of seven years."
Draco shifted his chair closer to Hermione's side of the table. "No, I didn't expect things to work just fine upon my return. I just want you to know I'm innocent and that I never betrayed or lied to you. Hermione – Hermione look at me. Look into my eyes." He fixed his serious stare on her watery eyes. The excess fluid in her eyes threatened to pour down again. "Do you think I'm still lying? Feed me Veritaserum. You hear me talking about the same thing."
Hermione sniffed softly, almost inaudibly. "You think I still don't believe you? But so what if I do? It's not going to make any difference…" She dropped her head. "Maybe… Maybe I should go now…" She shot up from her seat and ran towards the glass door.
Draco took off after her. "Hermione, wait up!" He chased her with her long legs. Due to being locked up in the cell for too long and there really wasn't a need to run in that prison, Draco found himself panting hard after running down a street.
She was about to Disapparate when Draco heard himself yell, "Hermione, I love you! Don't go!" This earned Draco quite a few stares from the passer-by's in this Diagon Alley but he didn't really mind. Because finally, Hermione stopped and turned to face Draco.
He never stopped for a single moment, although his legs were screaming for him to stop and just shut down… he needed to get to his beloved.
!-
Hermione didn't know if she made the right choice by letting him catch up with her. She was still afraid that he'd deceive her if she heard any more of his words. She could tell he was telling the truth just now, in the cafeteria, but what about in the future? Who knew?
But those simple three words were melting some part of her heart. That part where she had frozen long ago to prevent people from entering her. She found out that it was that part that made humans vulnerable – because it determined the degree of love one felt towards another.
Gasping for air, Draco flailed her arms around Hermione, pulling her tightly against his sweaty self. "Hermione, this is also the truth. I really love you." Hermione blinked. A crystal-like drop of tear dripped onto Draco's robes.
Draco brought her head into his vision as he observed her features. She could already feel the passion in his embrace. It had been so long since their last hug like this. Seven years were such a torture.
Although she was still debating if she should give herself back to him, she let him lean close to her as the tips of their nose touch. Then, slowly, Hermione closed her eyes as she felt his gentle lips grazing hers. They finally locked lips. The feeling was like all the other kisses they had in their seventh year. The feeling of pure, sweet love.
After only seconds of kissing, Draco brought his head back, "Hermione, you wouldn't mind my status now, would you?" He asked worriedly.
Hermione smiled, "I think there's a way to regain your magic… I'll try looking up the books again. I think you'll just need to prove something to the Ministry… But no matter what, Draco… I can tell you this: I love you too."
The ecstatic look on him was contagious and then, they leant in and kissed so passionately, it seemed as if they wanted to make up for all the time they lost during the last several years just like that.
Fin-