Chapter 25
Hermione ran all the way to her house not even bothering to go to class that day. She cried and cried. She had to get out of there.
She wrote two letters: One for Headmistress Jade and one for Draco, I mean, Malfoy.
She took one last look at the house she had called home and a final look at the school then went on her way. She was not looking back. This was the end.
Draco POV
He kept mumbling to himself.
"Um… Professor Malfoy?" one of his students started waving her hands in front of his face.
"Oh! Right! Err… turn your books to page 89…"
At dinner…
The whole hall was noisy and the students were laughing and talking amongst themselves. The staff however was all silent. Draco didn't know why either. There was a looming feeling that he should stay silent.
The headmistress stood up and silence controlled the whole hall.
"Students and staff, I… I regretfully inform you, that one of our beloved Professors… have left us today. She… she told me to tell you all that she loved you and she didn't want to leave all of you."
The hall was now awaiting every single word the Headmistress was saying. Some of them were close to tears.
"Let us all hope that Ms. Hermione Granger will have a happy and peaceful life." The headmistress ended.
The whole hall broke off in screams, cries and rage. They wanted to know why.
The headmistress was wiping her tears. She approached Draco.
He sat there stunned.
She handed him a letter.
"She… she told me to give this to you." The headmistress said and left the hall.
He opened the letter and read Hermione's words.
As soon as he finished he bolted right out of the room.
She is not going away. No way. Not again.
He apparated to so many places and he even apparated to Potter's house again. It was no use.
He apparated to the last spot he did not check: The place where the final battle had taken place.
He walked around the graveyard. It was now covered in green grass and returned to its splendor even with the tombstones plopped up on its surface.
He continued walking until he spotted the sunset on a nearby cliff.
He heard a distinct pop and ran there. Maybe… just maybe… she was there.
He heard something hit the rocks at the bottom of the cliff and he ran faster. No… it cannot happen. He will not let it happen.
He was so far away! He didn't know if he can reach her in time. There was a gentle gush of wind that blew and he finally got there… But she wasn't there.
He walked up to the very edge not wanting to see what was at the jagged bottom. He was afraid. What if she jumped?
He walked a little closer and saw something hanging on a root dangling out of the rock and soil; A necklace.
He kneeled down and picked it up.
He stared it in sadness. It was the blue silver necklace he gave her. He reread the words he had magically placed inside of the diamond… the words he could never utter to her again… 'I will love you forever.'
Hermione POV
She was almost there; at the very edge of a fifty foot cliff. She stared at the Horizon.
The sun was beating down and the water seemed cold to her. The seagulls were flying around the sea looking for the last catch before they retired for the day.
What was she doing? Was this truly the end?
She took one more step and a rock fell to the bottom. It broke off on the jagged rocks below.
Her heart was pounding so hard.
Her head made a decision.
"This is the end." She told herself as she held on to something around her neck.
She pulled it off and stared at it for a second, then threw to the ground and walked away.
The wind crept slowly and picked up the small necklace. It carried it just to the edge of the cliff and let go.
She turned around just to take one last look but it was gone.
"I guess there isn't any left to go back to." She told herself and walked away.
Draco POV
He cried. It had been a while since he had cried his eyes out like that. He felt childish. Yet he felt that he needed it. He wiped away his tears and got up. He apparated to Malfoy Manor.
Pansy was there with Blaise.
"Draco! What are you doing here? I thought you were going to get Hermione back?" Pansy asked.
"She… she's dead." He told them and walked away. He needed to be alone.
"Wait! Whoa. Stop. What did you say?" Blaise asked him and blocked the door.
"She's dead Okay! She jumped off a cliff near the graveyard because of me! I'm sorry if I didn't want to say it more clearly!" Draco shouted.
He glared at them and blasted the door open.
He went over to Marco's room.
Little Marco was there drawing on the floor.
"Hey Marco." He said gravely.
Marco looked up with a sad smile on his face.
"You know she's gone too?" Draco asked.
He shook his head.
"My-own-knee here!" Marco smiled and showed Draco what he was drawing. It was Marco and Hermione playing with some jackstones.
"She was here? When?" Draco asked.
Marco laughed then pointed to his balcony.
Draco got up and looked out. There was no one there.
He shook his head. He should stop doing this. She was gone. He had to accept that.
He ruffled Marco's hair and sauntered into his room.
Hermione POV
She apparated into Malfoy Manor. She had to say good bye to Marco. That little guy really got to her. She tiptoed into Marco's room.
The small chilled smiled when she appeared. He hugged her knees and showed her the new words he learned. She was so touched when he tried to learn her name.
"Err-pi-lo-k-k-ee!" he squealed.
She laughed.
"No. It's Her-my-own-knee." Hermione instructed. She saw as his eyes followed her mouth movements and he tried to copy them.
"My-own-knee!" he squealed in triumph.
"That's good enough." She laughed.
She conjured up some jackstones and began teaching the small child one of her favorite games. Marco was a very fast learner.
She saw him staring outside his balcony.
"What's wrong?" she asked.
He drew a broomstick on a piece of paper.
"Your broomstick is outside?" she asked.
He nodded.
She smiled and left the room. She looked around and saw the small broomstick hovering a little above the roof.
She climbed up and reached out for it. She heard the door to the balcony open a little bit. She ignored it and continued; when she finally got the broomstick she jumped down onto the balcony once more and entered Marco's room.
She handed him his broomstick and ruffled his hair a little bit.
"I have to go now. Okay? I don't know if I'll see you again so I guess this is goodbye." She said and wiped a small tear from her eye.
Marco sighed and shook his head. Hermione walked out of the room and disapparated.
Draco POV
He sauntered into the room and read the letter Hermione had written him for the last time. He read it for the umpteenth time.
Draco Malfoy,
It's over. Don't follow me. This is the end. I'm sorry. I can't take it anymore. I just want you to know that I really did love you. I didn't fake anything, I didn't lie, I didn't cheat I just want you to also realize that I am selfish. I know it's not truly fair of what I made you do before. I thought about it and your right. I was selfish that night wasn't i? I don't deserve to love.
I just wanted you to know that kiss we shared for the last time meant something to me. I thought it meant something to you too but I guess I was wrong. I just wanted to say I am sorry. Forget me. I'll make it easier for you.
I know this will sound too mean or unfair but I want to tell you what you told me last year.
Goodbye.
He couldn't believe she was really gone. No more turning back. Was this what it felt for her when he said goodbye? No. His goodbye was crueler. At least she had an explanation. He didn't. He left her there. No reason, no other words except goodbye.
He didn't deserve to live. He was an evil man. He needed to die. He needed to be with her. Even just in death.
He got up, his mind made up. He apparated.
Hermione POV
She sighed as she apparated back to the cliff. She just couldn't leave it yet. Not yet.
She got down on her knees and started searching for her necklace.
"It has to be here." She told herself as her tears flowed down. "I just left it here a couple of hours ago!"
She kept searching. Even tried to do the Alohomora spell. Nothing happened. She dropped down on her knees and cried.
The she heard a noise.
"That's it world! I don't deserve you!" a man shouted. She looked up. There was a man wearing black drinking from a large bottle of firewhisky. He looked drunk.
He tripped over a rock. "Ha-ha!"
She watched as the man started to walk towards the edge.
"Goodbye cruel, cruel, world!" The man shouted.
Hermione only had a second to get up and ran after him.
"No!"
The man faced her then tripped, going over the edge. Only one name entered her mind.
Draco
Authors Note:
Okay, I am so very sorry. I have let you all down and now I am submitting a sucky chapter. My life is on a stupid fritz and I guess I am now obsessed with something other than my favorite couple DH. My best friend moved away and the thing that linked us was this anime show so I guess I sort of held on to it so that there was this bridge between us. Something I knew wouldn't crumble as long as I held on to it. We emailed and I even wrote stories about it with her. So, I am so sorry for letting this story go. I am back now and I just hope that this apology is good enough. I am going to do my best to end this story with a bang so, I am sorry but I have to ask you all to wait again for the final chapter to my first ever story.
You guys really are what kept me alive for some part of my life and I just want you all to know that. I am very sorry.
I hope you review me even though I know I don't deserve it. I hope this chapter is good enough for you and I hope the next one will also make an effect towards you. Please read and review. Any comments, suggestions and in this case, I will accept violent reactions; will help me with the next chapter.
-sam-derevko