Disclaimer: I do not own any of the characters mentioned in the chapter below. Also, I used a poem written by Melissa Collette, named "Inside". I found it in a book which compiles of stories of love, tough stuff, family, friends, and many other aspects of life. However, I cut off and changed a few words in that poem (in italics).

~* Never Meant To Be *~

Draco got the fateful letter earlier that day, during owl post.

'Come to the Shrieking Shack tonight at eight. Come alone or you'll never see her again.'

And attached to the letter were a few strands of Hermione's auburn hair.

"Harry, I need to talk to you." Draco whispered softly, as he patted on Harry's shoulder during dinner.

Harry nodded grimly, and even though Ron protested, he followed Draco out of the Great Hall.

"What is it?" he asked Draco the moment the both of them were beyond anyone's hearing limits.

"I need to borrow the Invisibility Cloak from you."

Harry looked at Draco suspiciously. Only then did he notice the panic and fear in his voice and see the sweat-drops gathering at his temples. His hair was slick and wet, as usual, but not with any gel. It was with perspiration.

"Why?" Harry asked, wary of what Draco might do with his cloak.

"Don't ask me, please. I'll tell you after everything. Right now I just need to borrow it."

This could be the time where Harry took his revenge out on Draco. For Draco stole Hermione away from them all; for Draco teased and made fun of him and never gave him a moment's peace since first grade. Harry thought over it for a while.

Then he led Draco to the Gryffindor common room.

Making sure that the cloak was covering every part of his body, Draco sneaked past the library and avoided the suspicious and creepy-looking stare of Filch's cat, Mrs. Norris. He had worked his way through 'obstacles' like these before, but tonight, he was undeniably more afraid. Not because he was fearful of being caught. But of what he would see and encounter tonight, when he arrives at the Shrieking Shack. Would he see his Hermione? Or what?

Seconds passed on as minutes and minutes as hours. He finally reached the Shrieking Shack, as he slid his way through the secret passageway from Hogwarts. He shut the only entrance to the shack and waited fearfully and quietly for the door to open, as he sat down on the haystack.

The door opened slowly, and creaked at its rusty hinges. Draco shot up in his temporary seat and glanced around. There was no one around.

Puzzled, he was about to sit down again when his father suddenly appeared in front of him.

"Think you're the only one who has a cloak?" came the hiss of the disgustingly familiar voice.

"Where's Hermione?!" Draco nearly shouted as Lucius stared down at him. Draco was tall, but Lucius was taller by a head.

Lucius snarled. "Shut up. Do you want people to hear us?"

Draco was so tempted to shout a 'yes', but he was afraid of the dire consequences.

"Where is she?" he asked in a softer tone, but nonetheless equally dangerous, if not more.

"Somewhere. A place where I will bring you to."

"Then take me along with you. Now."

"Your wish is my command, son," came the sarcastic reply. And then, all went dark as Draco and Lucius grabbed hold of a port-key nearby and went back to the all-mighty fortress.

"Draco!" the sound of his name was like music to his ears.

"Hermione!" Draco was about to rush forward to grab hold of Hermione and get her out of this sickeningly dark and creepy place when someone stopped him. Or rather, two people stopped him in his footsteps. And it was none other than the fathers of Crabbe and Goyle.

"Slaves, are we now?" Draco sniggered. They were about to slap Draco silly when Hermione's voice cut in.

"Touch him, and you're dead."

Now, obviously they weren't going to listen to her, not unless…

"Listen to her," came Voldemort's cold voice.


Voldemort snapped his bony fingers and an unmistakable snap was heard. The dim lights of the dark room came on. For the first time in his life, Draco could get a glimpse of how hideous and ugly Voldemort really was.

He could also see how Hermione's hands were bound tightly and how she was forced to kneel in front of Voldemort.

"Hermione!" he shouted once more.


"Bring him to me."

"Don't touch me, you filthy creature."

"I won't touch you. I want to strike a deal with you." Voldemort sneered.

"Oh, really? I'd hate to think what sort of deals you mean."

"Oh, it's a fair one, no doubt. And I can tell that your little girlfriend knows all about it."

"Hermione? Know what?" Draco was truly scared now, of what he might stand to lose.

"Why don't you tell him about it, you smart little girl?" the corners of Voldemort's mouth curled up into a crooked smirk. It was plain disgusting to watch as Voldemort tried to keep in touch with his more 'human' feelings by smiling, but to no avail.

"Just get on with it, you disgusting creep." Hermione couldn't take it any longer. A few more minutes and she won't be able to see Draco again. And at the same time, she wondered if she would lose her sanity to someone equally unstable as she was right now.

"Very well. Listen up, little boy. I am willing to set you free-"

Draco couldn't believe what he was hearing. But he should have known there was a catch to what Voldemort was saying. There always was.

"- at the price of her freedom."

"Never," came the emphatic reply.

"Too bad, it's not up to you. After all, she will be the death-eater I will be grooming, not you. Not anymore."

"I-" Draco didn't know what to say; yet he knew somehow the answer Hermione would give. Please, he thought, don't let me be right.

Hermione stared at Draco for the longest time of her life, knowing that she won't be able to look at him in the eye for a very long time.

You can see it in my eyes

Read it on my face

Trapped inside are reminiscences

Of the past I can't replace

With memories that linger

Won't seem to go away

Why can't I be happier

Today's a brand new day

She closed her eyes briefly, letting the full force of her pain wash over her whole body. She tried to feel beyond her pain, for the little life growing inside her. She thought about how people kept telling her that this love was never meant to be, and about how she wanted to prove so many people wrong.

Yesterdays are over

Even though the hurting's not

Nothing is forever

I must cherish what I've got

Don't take my love for granted

For soon it will be gone

All you ever wanted

Of the love you thought you'd won

The hurt I'm feeling now

Won't disappear overnight

But someday, somehow

Everything will turn out all right

But as she opened her eyes again, the tears were obviously welling up as she said, "Then set him free."

No more wishing for the past

It wasn't meant to be

It didn't seem to last

So I have to set him free

~* to be continued *~

A/N: I think this was a pretty good chapter, especially the last part. Only one word is to be said: review!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!