CHAPTER SEVEN:

A FAIRY TALE

"I can't believe this." Harry said, as he cradled her in his arms slowly. Hermione did nothing but hug him tighter.

"Harry, I'm sorry... I should have listened to you." She cried lightly, Harry's shoulder was drenched with tears.

"Don't worry about that now." He said, standing up and helping her to her feet. He walked her to the entrance of the castle and "he" was there.

The prick, the boy who had stolen Hermione's heart then ripped it to pieces. He walked by and winked to her, as if nothing happened. Draco saw her bruised cheek as he walked by. He walked over to her with a concerned look.

"Hermione... what happened?" Draco asked sweetly and Harry gave him a glare. Hermione let go of Harry, limping a little.

"You happened, how dare you play me!" she snipped, breathing deeply with anger. Draco gulped.

"What are you talking about?" He asked, looking to Harry. "What have you done to her!" He asked in a demanding voice.

"Me... you slapped her Malfoy." Harry said, grabbing his wand's handle tightly. Hermione walked uneasy, keeping her balance by hanging on to Harry's robe.

"Me? As if Potter!" Draco snipped and Hermione threw a furious punch at him, her knuckles crashed into his jaw bone, and nearly breaking it.

Draco laid unconscious on the floor as Hermione fell to her knees in weakness. She scooted herself towards him, analyzing him slowly. In a matter of minutes, Draco opened his eyes slowly as he moaned with pain. His vision set on Hermione.

"What are you doing near me mudblood?" Draco snipped and Harry took a fierce step closer. Malfoy raised his eyebrows at him.

"You harm me, I harm you." Hermione growled, and Draco gave her a glare.

"Then you shouldn't have been in my room." He said in a relaxed voice, massaging his jaw.

"You've spent the night in hers before." Harry pointed out, crossing his arms. "Why is it any difference?" he snipped, helping Hermione to her feet.

"What are you talking about Potter?" Draco asked with confusion as Hermione began to calm down, looking at him with tearful eyes.

"You really have no idea what I'm talking about... do you?" she asked sweetly, as Harry gave her a confused look and she grabbed his shoulder to keep her balance.

"Nope." Draco said, standing up and massaged his jaw more. Harry looked at both of them.

"P.P" Hermione sneered, trying to walk away, as she limped.

"What?" Draco sneered, and Harry glared at him.

"I need to go back to the common room." Hermione begged, collapsing to the ground.

"Calm down 'Mione, I'll take you." Harry said, picking her up.

Her body laid across his arms as her head fell back; her hair nearly touched the ground. Draco shrugged as he followed behind Harry. Harry slowly walked up each step, hoping not to hurt Hermione. They approached the common room and Harry said the password.

The painting swung open and Draco, Harry and Hermione entered in. Harry laid Hermione down in a chair as she opened her eyes and stood. Her balance was better then before, she limped only a little.

Hermione walked to Pansy's door and knocked hardly on it. When no one answered, she quickly turned her body and slammed her foot into the door. The door burst open and she walked in. There sat the "other" Draco, the nice one or so she thought.

She walked to him and slapped him hardly across the face. The original Draco looked at the figure confused, for it was like a mirror. After Hermione hit the imposter, it started to form back into the body of Pansy Parkinson. Hermione growled.

"I knew it!" she hissed "You're the one disguising yourself as Draco, you are the mean one that hit me!" Hermione gave her a furious look.

"What are you talking about Hermione?" Harry asked pointing at the original Draco "Are you saying this one is the one that really loved you?" he asked, confused.

"Nope... haven't you noticed Harry?" Hermione asked, walking to the Draco she thought was original and took his hand. She bend it back, far enough to make it brake but it didn't hurt at all. She snipped. "It's a puppet under control." She hissed.

"I'm confused" Harry started, looking at both Pansy and 'Draco' with confusion. "If that's Pansy, and this isn't the real Malfoy... then where is he?" Harry asked looking around.

Hermione walked out the door, the puppet now on the ground because Pansy was unconscious and unable to control it. She walked into her room and set her fingers along the gem that separated hers and Draco's rooms.

She tugged Harry's hand, pulling him through the corridor of glass and she looked down at the floor. A bright white strip was along the floor. She pulled it up and underneath was a door.

"This way" Hermione said, taking Harry's hand and jumping down into the compartment. There on the other side of the room sat the REAL Draco, this time he was real. Hermione walked over kneeling to him.

She cut the ropes that tied him up, and the fabric that made him not able to speak. She shook him lightly as he didn't move. Harry knelt down too, seeing that he wasn't breathing or moving. Hermione tried picking him up as she set a hand on his back and a cool, sticky substance covered his back.

She slid away, horror struck. She gasped as if she had seen a werewolf. The sticky substance on her hand… was blood. Harry blinked, panting with unbelief at the dagger stuck in Draco's back.

"He's dead." Hermione cried, and hugged the dead Draco. She cried harder "he can't be dead, Draco please wake up... DRACO!" Hermione screamed; her outfit drenched in his blood and her tears.

"Hermione, come on... you can't help him" Harry tired to drag her away, confused on why she cared enough to hug a dead body.

"No... He's alive... He's alive!" She wanted to believe it, but she knew it wasn't possible. She pulled the dagger from his back, setting it on the ground. She felt like Juliet in Romeo and Juliet. But was the ending to be the same... was she going to kill herself?

Hermione was completely drenched in his blood by the time she let go. Her hair dripped with his blood. She stood in tears as she climbed out of the hole and back into the corridor. She walked through to Draco's room and out the door. She circled into Pansy's room where Pansy was now awake.

Hermione sneered at her and gave her a glare. Pansy sat up with a devilish glare and her eyes turned a reddish color, but Hermione knew it was just anger. Hermione walked to her, ready to punch her again but refrained. Hermione glared at her.

"How could you kill Draco?" Hermione said deeply, with anger and unbelief mixed. Pansy sneered.

"He betrayed the death eaters; he betrayed The Dark Lord, and all Slytherins." Pansy sneered and Hermione gave her a confused look. "He betrayed us by falling in love with a mudblood." Hermione stopped all her anger and gave her a straight face.

"The real Draco loved me?" She asked in disbelief and Pansy gave her a glare.

"So I was sent by the dark lord to make a puppet and turn myself into Draco, using to Polly juice Potion." She paused "It was my words that made him die, I told him to beg for mercy but he picked a mudblood over us all. So I made a puppet to fool you into thinking the real Draco was a lie." Hermione gave her a glare.

"You killed my boyfriend." Hermione sneered, taking her by the neck and trying to choke her.

Pansy kicked at her, trying to pry herself from Hermione's grip. It was no use for Hermione, Pansy had gotten away. Hermione was kneeling on the bed, breathing deep with anger. Pansy sneered.

"Don't touch me mudblood!" Pansy snipped, and Hermione growled.

"You killed Draco, you deserve to die!" Hermione hissed and Harry walked into the door.

Harry walked in with a face of anger upon Pansy. Pansy looked at Harry with fear in her eyes. She knew that she wouldn't be able to kill the famous Harry Potter, but she could try. She gave Harry a glare.

"So it's true… you did kill Draco." Harry said, in a clam voice and crossing his arms.

"Yes… I did, but like you would know." Pansy snipped, even though her statement made no sense at all.

"Uh… I heard everything, and…" He took out a piece of parchment from his robe. "I wrote it down." Harry smiled.

"How could you write down all that?" Pansy asked, knowing it must not be true.

"Oh… I have my ways, and Dumbledore now has a copy." Harry smiled, taking Hermione's wrist "Come Hermione, and have fun in Azkaban Prison, Pansy." Harry smiled, taking the crying Hermione out of the room.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Harry went down to dinner that night, Hermione only stayed in her room. Harry felt bad for her; he didn't know what to say. His enemy was dead, but his best friend's happiness was practically dead too. Hermione spent the last couple of days crying but she came down to dinner four nights after.

By then, everyone knew that they were dating. No one laughed, they all felt horrible… even the Slytherins. Hermione wished she could hide herself but everyone stared as she walked through the Great Hall. She heard people sending sympathies and regrets to her, and all she could do was smile.

People found this awkward. Her love had died, and she smiled? Hermione found it better that he was free. She couldn't help but smile and laugh. She walked down the hall as Dumbledore gave her a nod. She smiled and took a seat across from Ginny and next to Harry.

"Are you feeling ok?" Harry asked; confused at why she was so happy.

"Great." She laughed and Ginny looked at her confused. "I find it better that he is free, now he is happy and free from his father and the dark lord." She smiled "He's happy." She laughed.

"Yeah, I bet he is." Ginny smiled a comforting smile. Hermione began eating her dinner.

"Maybe its better he's gone, because now he's happy and I won't feel so bad about hiding behind people's backs." Everyone laughed a little, still surprised on how she could be this happy.

"Plus, you don't even know if that was the real Draco that loved you, you had a puppet and Pansy dress up as one too." Harry laughed and Hermione nodded.

She didn't want to remember this. She didn't want to spend her entire life drowsy and crying about something that she didn't even know was real. She did feel sad, but she knew that more sad things would come on the way. She began sighing and looking into the ceiling, wondering what was happening in the world of death.

"Oh, who am I kidding!" Hermione sighed and Ginny and Harry gave her a confused look. "I can't pretend I'm happy, I can't anymore." Ginny and Harry sighed.

Hermione buried her face into her arms with a cry. She wanted to be happy, but something hit her. She hadn't had anyone die that loved her, it struck her that one just did. She would never see him again and all she could do was think about him.

Harry patted her back lightly with a sigh. Harry rested his head on hers and gave her a friendly hug. Hermione cried harder and Ginny looked to her food in regret. She just sighed and her eyes prickled with tears. Ginny wiped her eyes, feeling so bad for how Hermione must be feeling.

Hermione thought the worst thing ever had happened, until the Minister walked in. The Minister of Magic: Cornelius Fudge. He walked through the Great Hall as Dumbledore stood to greet him. Fudge walked to him with a broad smile.

All they saw was all the teachers smiling in happiness. They saw Fudge's mouth move and Dumbledore's too. They didn't know what was going on, but then Fudge stepped up onto a riser type thing. Hermione's tearful eyes looked to him with sadness. Everyone's faces turned to Fudge.

"Hello all..." he started with a glorious smile on him. "I am here to inform you that Draco Lucious Malfoy happens to be alive. The women, Pansy Parkinson, made a dagger appear. Since that dagger was magical, we were able to revive him; he shall be back, most likely tomorrow." He smiled and everyone cheered. "We would also like to inform you that Ms. Pansy Parkinson will not be returning, due to her lock up in Azkaban Prison."

Hermione felt like she was flying because she was so happy. Draco was alive; he was coming back... but was this a coincidence? Hermione didn't care if it was, as long as he was alive. But, if this wasn't a coincidence... then was Pansy really trying to fool people into thinking he was dead?

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

That night, all that was on Hermione's mind was Draco. She laid in Draco's bed, hugging his pillows and things to remember his scent. She smiled in excitement for he was alive. She still had tears in her eyes, but these were tears of happiness.

No one spoke to her at all that night, or in the morning. She wanted to be alone, and think. She clutched his pillow near her. She waited for him, but she wasn't completely sure if he would really be returning. She waited, and no one showed.

She went down stairs, after staying up all night thinking. She walked down to breakfast (the next morning) and sat at the table. Tears were still in her eyes, like they were a never ending water line in her eyes. She sat at the table, playing with her fork.

Harry had sat next to her and Ginny across from her. No one said anything, just ate their breakfast. Right before Hermione took a sip of her pumpkin juice, the large wood doors opened. Everyone at the tables looked over, and in walked Draco Malfoy.

Hermione moved her head to see him clearly. She stood with tears in her eyes. Draco gave her a gentle smile. Everyone knew, so she didn't care if they stared at her. She walked forward a couple steps, and started to run.

She ran to the door and clasped her hands around Draco. He hugged her back, amazed that she didn't care that people stared. Draco wrapped his arms around her waist and kissed her gently on the lips, swinging her in a gentle circle.

"You're alive." Hermione said, silently and Draco gave a nod.

"I'm sorry Hermione." Draco said, wiping a tear from her eyes.

"Don't be Draco, don't be." She smiled as he held her close to her. "I love you." She said kissing his lips again.

"I love you to Hermione." Draco smiled, kissing her back and everyone around made a loud noise sounding like "Aww…" but it was peaceful.

Hermione and Draco laughed as they stood there, looking around. They smiled as everyone came and shook Draco's hand. They all said their occasional "Welcome backs" and Goyle and Crabb sat at the Slytherin table, jaws dropped in amazement.

"Wow…" Hermione said, after kissing Draco again.

"What?" He wondered, after shaking Harry's hand in apology. Hermione smiled.

"This is just like a Fairy Tale."

Author's Note:

This chapter might seem a bit confusing, but I thought the idea sounded kind of interesting, well I hope you enjoy and inform me if you want another chapter! R&R!

Airalynn