Chapter 26
A week had passed.
Everyone was surprised at the sudden death of the once hated, once despised then loved Draco Malfoy. He had died out of love, spite and regret. But no one regretted more than… well… the person he affected the most.
She looked at the crowd before her, all in robes of black, and let a single tear escape her. She quickly wiped it away and cleared her throat.
"Draco Malfoy-"She paused and looked at the crowd once again to see most of them were staring at her and whispering to the person beside them.
She knew they blamed her. Everyone knew.
"He was the most despicable, conniving, backstabbing hypocrite that I ever had the misfortune to meet." She told them all with a defiant look in her eyes. "He hurt me more than anyone I ever knew. If you asked me about how I would feel if he died about two years ago, I would have said that I was glad that he has gone."
A lot of the people gasped. More of them glared and some even shouted for her to go home.
"But he changed." She continued. "He took all those of his bad traits I told you and turned them good. Truth be told, he saved us all."
She looked at Harry who nodded to her, knowing what she was about to say.
"Draco Malfoy saved Harry Potter last year in the final battle. Without him, the light would have never won against V-V-Voldemort." She sighed. "He… protected the one he hated most so that the rest of us can have a future. He even protected me when I was facing the killing curse." A lot of the people gasped.
"He died then and I felt inexplicable pain. I do not know how exactly I was able to save him but I did. I would give anything to be able to do it again for him now… but I can't." She was crying now. "I can't… I just can't… I tried and I cannot remember why my powers won't work anymore… I tried but… he won't wake up… he just wouldn't wake up!" she shouted now.
"He just won't!"
Harry was also holding back tears and he stood up so that he could let Hermione sit down. But she pushed him away.
"No Harry. I have to do this…. For him."
Harry nodded.
"The last thing I told him before he died was… goodbye." She cried into the crowd. "Ironic isn't it? I bet a lot of you would have loved to be able to say good bye to him… and I was able to. Except… my goodbye was what made him go away. I am sorry."
"I am now going to announce to you all what made him go away. It was because I couldn't, and wouldn't say these three words to him after we left Hogwarts… I would say over and over again to him in my mind these three words… yet I couldn't bring it to tell him myself. I have been through a very rough year and he had been there making it tougher and tougher. At times I wanted to disappear and other times I wanted him to disappear… now I regret all of this. I REGRET IT! DO YOU HEAR ME, DRACO? I REGRET IT!" she shouted into the sky.
"I regret it… not saying… I love you." She cried and fell down on her knees.
Most of the crowd was crying.
Hermione looked at the crowd and wiped her tears.
She looked at Draco's lifeless body and stared at it…
"goodbye." She whispered.
She felt faint.
She looked up to the sky and saw a familiar smirking face.
"Hermione? Hermione?" a worried voice started speaking…
He smirked at her and opened his mouth. She couldn't hear him. She had to hear him! She strained her ears yet no words were heard from him.
"Hermione!" Harry said now shaking her yet she didn't notice. She stared at him as he continued to tease her, knowing she couldn't hear him.
Everything began growing dark. Harry's face was becoming blurry.
She was smiling.
Harry was getting frightened and quickly conjured up a stretcher.
"Draco." Was all she whispered.
She was gone.
Ten years later…
"Marco!" Hermione laughed as the teenage boy smiled apologetically at her.
"I'm sorry?" he smiled.
"Oh, alright. But if your uncle Draco was here, you wouldn't get off as easy." She smiled.
The boy's smile turned into a frown at once.
"I still can't remember him, aunt Hermione." He cried. "I know he left me in your care and that he loved me but I was so young. I don't remember him. Monty does though. I wish I could to."
"Monty only remembers because of the accident he had when he was a kid." Hermione shook her head.
"I know. But still. It's hard for me. People come up to me and tell me I look exactly like him and even act like him sometimes and I wouldn't know since I don't even remember meeting him." The teenage cried.
Hermione had a tear in her eyes. Marco did look incredibly like Draco. He had the same silvery blonde hair, the same facial shape. He even sounded like Draco sometimes. He had gotten so much from his uncle… I mean, brother, and he didn't know it. He must have felt awful. But there was something Marco didn't get from Draco. His eyes. Marco's was bluer than it was silver. Draco's eyes were one of a kind. She used to think his and Marco's were the same but now she spotted the differences.
"Don't worry about it." She smiled at Marco. "When will you go back to Hogwarts?" she asked him.
"The day after tomorrow. Professor Potter gave me an extra week so I can visit Uncle Draco on his death day."
"It's been ten years already and I still can't believe it." Hermione smiled.
"Is it true? What Professor Potter told me about you?" Marco asked suddenly.
"What did he say?"
"That you saw and even spoke to Uncle Draco after he died."
"You can say that." She smiled a very small and sad smile.
"Can you tell me what happened?"
Flashback
Three months after Draco's funeral…
"Hermione." Draco laughed.
"Just because your making fun of me doesn't mean I'm having fun." She pouted.
"You know you have to go soon." He said, his face suddenly completely serious.
"No. I want to stay with you." She smiled at him.
He smiled grimly at her.
"But I'm not really here Hermione. When will you accept that?" he asked her.
She turned away from him and whispered, "When it's not true."
"It can never be that way Hermione."
"Then why did I go through all of that then?" she shouted at him.
"Because you were so desperate to see me." He smirked.
"I was. I am so sorry."
"It's okay Hermione. I don't blame you."
"But I still feel so guilty! I should have been in your place!" she cried.
"What? You mean drunk and accidentally slipping over a cliff?" Draco asked laughing at himself. "I thought I would go with a little more flair." He laughed.
"It's nothing to laugh about Draco."
"I know. But I had to make you stop crying." He smiled at her.
She smiled at him.
"You have to go Hermione." He told her.
"No. I won't you can't make me." She pouted again.
"Actually, I can." He told her getting up and suddenly walking away from her.
"Where are you going?" she asked.
"I'm moving Hermione. Please don't make me come down again." He pleaded as he was slowly disappearing from her sight.
"Don't leave!"
"I have to. I want to." He told her as even his voice sounded so distant.
"You don't!"
"I do Hermione. I want to fly. I want to leave. But that doesn't mean I am leaving you. We will see each other again… just wait."
Hermione cried.
"Can you do me a favor Hermione?" he asked as all she could make out now was his hair and eyes.
"Of course!" she cried.
"Take care of Marco for me. Don't let him stray. Bring him up to be a good kid. I know you can do it." He smiled.
"I'll raise him to be just like you!" she shouted.
"Well, don't let him be exactly like me… he might fall in love with you…" he laughed. "Just raise him to be more like you… that way, I would love the both of you like wife and son…" he said smiling. "If only we were able to do that when we were together." He said grimly.
Hermione cried. It was all her fault.
"Oh, and Hermione? One more thing." He told her as he only had his back to her.
She looked up as he turned to look at her for the last time.
"Yes?"
"Remember me."
I will remember you
Will you remember me?
Don't let your life pass you by
Wait not for the memory…
I'm so tired but I can't sleep
Standing on the edge of something much too deep
It's funny how I feel so much
But cannot say a word
Though we are screaming inside, oh
Counting hurt
I will remember you
Will you remember me?
Don't let your life pass you by
Wait not for the memories…
I'm so afraid to love you
But more afraid to lose
Clinging to a past that doesn't let me choose
Once I was in darkness but keeping it inside
You gave me everything you had
Oh, you gave me light
I will remember you
Will you remember me?
Don't let your life pass you by
Wait not for the memories…
I will remember you
Will you remember me?
Don't let your life pass you by
Wait not for the memories…
End of Flashback
"So… how did you speak with him?" Marco asked nervously as he watched his aunt crying.
"Harry didn't tell you huh?" she asked him through the tears. She was smiling slightly.
Marco shook his head. His defense Against the Dark Arts teacher and head of house did not tell him.
"I was in a coma Marco. I was in a coma for three months." She smiled.
Marco stared at his aunt. She was so hurt of losing Uncle Draco that she went into a coma for three months calling out to him?
"I miss him Marco." Hermione confided. "I haven't spoken to him ever since."
"But you were able to do the two things he told you to. You remembered him and you raised me the best you can." Marco smiled.
"Thank you Marco." She smiled. "You've grown up so much. And to think you're going to be legal in about a year or two."
"I'm already old enough to take care of myself Aunt Hermione."
"I know."
Hermione smiled and retired to her room.
She still loved Draco and would never love any man as much as she loved him. He didn't care about his explanation on why he told her the kiss was a mistake. She just wanted him back.
She changed into her night gown and lay down to sleep.
"Hermione…" a voice smiled.
She opened her eyes and gasped. There he was. Sitting down on her bed, wearing all white.
"What are you doing here?" she cried hugging him. "I missed you so much."
"I missed you too." He smiled.
"Are you going to leave again?" she asked pulling away from him.
He nodded.
She sighed, understanding. They were now worlds apart. She couldn't do anything about it.
"You look different." He smiled at her.
"Ten years does things to you." She said hiding her face since she now had wrinkles and blemishes.
He laughed and pulled the arm covering her face. "You look beautiful."
The clock stroked twelve.
"I guess it's time for you to go?" she asked sad.
He nodded sadly. Then he smiled. He extended his hand towards her.
"Come with me." He said.
"I can't." she cried.
"You can." He smiled. "Just take my hand. I'll take you there."
She smiled.
"Let's go."
"Whatever you do, don't let go." He smiled.
"Who are you now? Peter Pan?"
"Well, I didn't grow up." He smirked.
"No, you didn't." she smiled.
He smiled at her then wings grew from his back. He flew at incredible speed and Hermione felt her body slip away. She closed her eyes. When she opened them she looked down. She was turning younger. She was nineteen again. She smiled at Draco.
She saw her older body in her bed looking fast asleep.
"Thank you." Draco said interrupting her thoughts.
"For what?"
"For remembering me… and for raising Marco. He turned out great."
"He did."
He suddenly put his hands over her eyes.
"Ssshhh." He told her.
When he finally let her open her eyes she smiled.
Love is a very unusual thing. You look for it, then you find it, sometimes you loose it only to find the craving to search once again. Then when you find it again, it is hard to let go even if the love was never really lost. Pain and heartache are alike yet different. They are both factors of misconception, fate and distrust.
The world is your enemy, fight for your love since when one does not it is like throwing it over a cliff to find you need it once again. We live in regret and heartache once the love that lasted is finally ended with a death… yet it didn't really finish for it is alive in both their hearts even if the others' isn't beating. She learned that.
But sometimes, love gives you another chance at it. You get and fall another time, and sometimes it involves the same man. Yet he fell for her as well only he never got up. She regretted it. Now love is giving her another chance. This time it is sweeter but each time it also gets more and more painful.
Love will give a second chance at the second time around… and if you're lucky, you will have a third, fourth and even fifth chance. For love is eternal, love is forever, all you need is to realize this before your luck runs out.
The young writer stared at the sequel she was writing from her first book. She had sadly made her characters die… but she had no more room to put them. They were in a doomed world. Her story was finished. She was sad to see it finally end.
Hermione sighed at her last sentence. Oh how she wished she had realized this as well.
"Hermione!" a man's voice had called.
"Yes?"
"Marco and Monty are back from Hogwarts! Marco has officially entered second year!" her husband smiled.
"And Monty is officially an adult." She reminded him.
"He has grown so much! Already the body and mind of a seventeen year old! Even though he is officially twelve." He laughed.
"And whose fault is that, dear husband?" she joked.
"Mine, dear. Mine."
The two lovers looked into each others eyes and smiled. They were together.
"Are you done writing that book of yours, Hermione?" Draco Malfoy, husband of Hermione Malfoy, asked.
"Yes." She smiled at him.
"So… did Draco and Hermione end up together?" he asked her smiling slightly at her very… uncreative use of their names.
"Yes… but in death." She said sadly. "She didn't use her second chance at love."
"Well, Hermione, good thing we did." He smiled at her.
"So… is this the end? For us, I mean. Is this where our story ends?" she asked him.
He smiled. "No. We have a whole new story to write… the story of the rest of our lives."
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
But the rest is still unwritten
Feel the rain on your skin
No one else can feel it for you
Only you can let it in
No one else, no one else
Can speak the words on your lips
Drench yourself in words unspoken
Live your life with arms wide open
Today is where your book begins
The rest is still unwritten
The rest is still unwritten
The rest is still unwritten
Authors Note:
Finally. It's done. I am so sad to see it go. This was my first fic... well the sequel of my first fic and im so sad to see it go... its like finally finishing something ive been working on all my life... im not too sure about the ending when i was writing it and heck, im not even sure of it now that i uploaded it but this was the ending i was thinking of when i first finished 'Bitter Sweet Symphony.' I'm not sure if this is good enough for all of you or if its satisfactory but this is how i choose to end the story that has been playing in the back of my mind for more than a year now and i only have one thing to say to all of you and the heroins of my story: I LOVE YOU ALL!
If you don't understand what happened Please read.
Hermione was a writer who created the whole story of Bitter Sweet Symphony and Second Time Around. She is actually now married to Draco Malfoy and Marco and Monty are their children. Monty, really being put into the aging potion Draco Malfoy was making. Draco and Hermione married right after Hogwarts. Everything else was just in Hermione's novel.
Oh yeah! I have a mistake I am countlessly reminded of about Severus Snape! Sorry guys! Error on Draco making the potion for him! He's dead! Bwahahaha!
Please review! ;)
If you still have any questions on how it ended, please review!