1Sorry this is so late. It's the first story I've ever finished, so I wanted to take my time to savor the ending. Yeah.
Chapter 20: Bye-bye baby
Playing in their animal forms hadn't changed anything. Draco still wasn't sure how he felt about Hermione. No matter how Draco had treated Hermione, her betrayal had been a great one and Draco wasn't sure that he could ever forgive her.
For that matter Hermione was almost equally conflicted. After thinking logically she had realized her hypocrisy in placing all the blame on Draco. Sure, he had "cheated" on her and had lied about it, but she had been lying for their entire relationship. And Hermione was afraid of her feelings for Draco. Was she really ready to be in love with someone this much? Given the chance, Hermione was almost certain that she would be willing to spend the rest of her life with Draco. But was she ready?
Hermione was still young. She was only eighteen and she had her entire life ahead of her. Draco was only seventeen (he wouldn't be eighteen for several months) and Hermione knew that they were too young to be so serious. But how could she tell her heart that?
The year, and there Hogwarts career, were coming to a close. There was the usual flurry of end-of-year activities: the younger students were eager to get home and the older ones were conflicted. The mixture of excitement, sadness, and dread was palpable amongst all of the seventh year students. There was not only fear of leaving Hogwarts, but also the intense fear of sitting the NEWTS. By the time that the NEWTS actually came around three seventh years had had nervous breakdowns and one, who hadn't slept in at least a week so that he could study, had passed out in the middle of a very crowded hallway.
Hermione, as always, became very anxious about her tests. She studied obsessively and when she wasn't studying she was yelling at Harry and Ron to make them study. She was spending most of her time in the Gryffindor common room now to avoid Draco. Many nights, because she was studying so late, she simply slept on one of the couches in the common room.
Up until the day of the test Hermione was a nervous wreck, even studying under the table during classes. On the day of the test she was calm and focused. She sank into something almost like a trance where not even Harry' and Ron's nerves (which had finally kicked in) could disturb her. She sat the tests and when they were over she smiled in relief, knowing that she had done well. Harry and Ron were less certain, but they didn't seem to care much whether or not they had done well; they were just happy that it was all over. Now there was only a week left until graduation and life at Hogwarts would be over.
After the test Hermione, Harry, and Ron relaxed on the lawn with the rest of the students. It was a beautiful day and the sun bathed them all in golden warmth. Hermione looked around, remembering the lawn silvered with moonlight as she ran about as a lioness.
"Wanna see something cool?" She asked the boys on a whim.
"Sure," Harry replied. Ron shrugged noncommitally.
Hermione concentrated for a moment before changing herself. Harry and Ron gasped and jumped up as their friend was replaced with a lioness. Hermione grinned her feline grin at them before slowly pacing around them, purring loudly. She then sat back down and changed back into her own form.
"Bloody hell!" Ron whispered. "That's amazing, Hermione! When'd you learn to do that?"
"Remember when McGonagle tested us? I've been studying since then."
"Wow, Hermione," Harry grinned. "That's pretty impressive."
Hermione smiled and preened under their praise. A flash of silver hair caught her eye and she saw Draco staring at her. He was smiling slightly, a kinder look than his usual smirk. Hermione smiled back and nodded so slightly that Harry and Ron didn't notice. But Draco had. His smile widened. Then he abruptly turned and walked away.
"Miss Granger!" A voice cried from behind Hermione. "How long have you been able to change?" Hermione spun around to see McGonagle. The transfiguration professor had ended the animagus lessons because of her tension with Hermione. She had decided that the head boy and girl already knew enough, and that all they lacked was the willpower to change.
Hermione blushed. McGonagle was smiling at her for the first time in weeks. "A couple of weeks, I guess," she mumbled.
"Congratulations, my dear!" McGonagle embraced Hermione tightly. Hermione was pretty startled by the display of affection; even before their estrangement McGonagle had never been particularly affectionate.
"Um, thank you," Hermione muttered, rather embarrassed.
"Can Mr. Malfoy change too?"
"Uh, I guess so," Hermione looked away.
McGonagle surveyed her slowly. "Look, Miss Granger, I've been meaning to talk to you," she seemed rather awkward.
Harry and Ron, who had been watching in startled amusement, got the idea and quietly moved away.
"Yes professor?"
McGonagle looked even more uncomfortable. "Miss Granger, it's very hard for me to say this, but I treated you unfairly. Miss McKay was my responsibility, not yours, and I apologize for the way I have been treating you."
Hermione, who was also rather uncomfortable, smiled somewhat stiffly. It was strange to hear someone who she respected so much admit that she was human. "It's alright professor, I understand completely. I was responsible too, and I should've said something."
"Would've, could've, should've," McGonagle smiled more genuinely. "Let us leave the past behind us, dear. I would hate to end your time here badly; after all, you are the best student I've ever had. Well, good-day." With that she squeezed Hermione's shoulder and walked away.
Hermione was stunned. McGonagle was never one for over-due praise. She slowly walked over to where Harry and Ron had moved and sat down heavily next to them. "Have you ever had one of those moments," she started. "When you realize that adults are really people?"
Ron looked at her blankly, but Harry nodded solemnly. "Yeah, I figured that out about Dumbledore a while ago."
"God, McGonagle's enough for one day, I don't even want to think about Dumbledore," Hermione shuddered. Imagine, someone so all-knowing being just as infallible as everyone else. It was almost terrifying. Then she smirked evilly. "And just think, they're just like us sexually too."
"EEWWW!" Ron yelled. Harry made gagging noises. Hermione laughed.
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It was the night before graduation. They had what they called the Seventh Years' Ball, which was basically a prom. It was exactly like every other school dance, but seventh years were actually allowed to have alcoholic beverages. Of course, this always resulted in disaster because many seventh years brought younger dates and several younger students snuck in. Needless to say there was much drunken foolishness.
One of those younger students invited to the ball was Ginny Weasley: she was Harry's date. As the two planned for the dance they were ridiculously lovey-dovey and Hermione and Ron were almost constantly awkward. Hermione had no date; even if she and Draco had still been talking, they wouldn't have gone together, it was far too public. Ron didn't have a date either, so the two decided to go together, but in a strictly platonic way.
The day of the dance was spent in a frenzy of last minute preparation. There was hair to be styled, make-up to be applied, and dresses and dress-robes to be pulled on. Harry had his same old bright green dress-robes which perfectly matched the color of his eyes. Ron had dispensed with the frilly maroon robes long ago when Fred and George bought him an ordinary black pair of robes. Ginny was wearing a red ball gown which made her look lovely and which complemented her red hair very nicely. Unfortunately, when Harry and Ginny stood next to one another, they looked suspiciously like Christmas decorations.
Hermione spent a great deal of time considering what to where to the ball. It would be her last Hogwarts party, her last chance to make a statement. Her last chance to try to win Draco back. So, taking everything into consideration, she decided to return to her old style.
Harry gasped in surprise, Ron's eyes bulged and Ginny looked extremely shocked and confused as Hermione entered the portrait hole to meet them before the dance. She had snuck out of the head common room to avoid Draco: she wanted to surprise him at the dance.
"Hermione?" Ron asked uncertainly.
"Yes, dear?" She smiled sweetly.
"Um, what're you wearing?" Harry finished for Ron.
"Clothes, silly." And with that Hermione grabbed Ron's arm and swept him off to the dance. Harry and Ginny shrugged and followed, Ginny whispering, "She looks crazy. Pretty, but crazy." Harry's only response was, "She looks like Jule."
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The golden trio (plus Ginny) entered the Great Hall a little late, so that the party was already in swing by the time that they got there. They were greeted by all the eyes in the hall turning towards them. There was the usual Harry Potter excitement, but most of the eyes were on Hermione Granger, who looked exceedingly strange. Draco noticed that everyone was looking at the doors, so he looked too and froze in shock.
There stood Hermione, his Hermione, and she looked... like May. Only not. Her face was her own, but her make-up (black eye-liner, bright red lipstick and golden eye-liner) was exactly what he would have expected from May. She wore a punked-out ball gown that had a knee-length red tulle skirt, a black corset top, and short, puffy red sleeves. (A/N: the mental picture I have of Hermione's dress is my favorite outfit I've written for her so far. I might even draw a sketch and try to post it online.) She wore fishnet stockings and her good old combat boots. Her hair was straightened, cut short and ragged, colored candy-apple red with golden stripes, and worn in two spiky pig-tails. She even had short, spiky straight bangs.
Most everyone was shocked, and a few people looked disgusted or scandalized. Everyone else was dressed in their evening best and here was Hermione Granger, the Head Girl, dressed like a complete freak. Draco grinned broadly.
He stayed away from Hermione for most of the night, but he never took his eyes off of her. He watched as she drank punch, ate dance snack foods, and danced with Ron and Harry. She stood out from the rest of the crowd very easily. She was almost like a dandelion in a bed of roses: technically she was a weed, but she was still exceedingly pretty.
Since Draco wasn't with Hermione, and he was fairly sick of his house-mates, he spent the dance in solitude. He danced a couple of times when girls asked him, but he quickly lost interest in them and wandered off so that he could get more punch.
Even though the students could technically drink, for the most-part they were too scared to get anything. McGonagle and Snape took turns standing by the bar to ensure that the younger students at the ball couldn't drink. The result was that very few seventh years were brave enough to get alcoholic beverages and almost everyone ended up drinking punch. At least, at first. But as the night wore on the students became much bolder and the student population degenerated into drunkenness.
For once Draco and Hermione stayed sober at a party and didn't end up waking up naked in the same bed. But Draco did eventually ask Hermione to dance.
Hermione was seated quietly next to Harry and Ron, who were engaged in a drinking contest. They were trying to see who could drink more shots, but neither was doing well and they were already rather smashed. Ginny had her face down on her arms and was drowsing lightly after Harry had snuck her a few cocktails. Hermione was primly sipping a martini, but other than that hadn't had any other drinks all night.
Hermione spun around at a light tap on her shoulder and there was Draco Malfoy, dressed in deep black dress robes and looking like a dark angel with his perfect pale-blond hair and silver eyes. "Wanna dance?" It wasn't really a question. Hermione could only nod mutely and take his hand.
It was a slow song and Draco held Hermione close against him with her head on his shoulder and his arms encircling her. They didn't need words. About half-way through the dance Hermione pulled back enough so that they were face to face. As they looked into each others eyes Draco leaned in and kissed Hermione deeply, neither caring that the entire seventh year student body could see them.
After a time the song came to an end and the two stepped off the dance floor to sit at a table in the corner, out of sight of most of the dance.
"So," Hermione started, suddenly feeling awkward. "What does all this mean?"
"I don't know," Draco shrugged. "Can't we just enjoy the evening and not think about it?"
"Draco, we're leaving the day after tomorrow. It's not exactly like we'll be interacting on a regular basis after graduation."
Draco frowned. "I don't have an answer for you." There was a long silence.
"Fine," Hermione decided at length. "Do what you want to do. Just know that I love you. I don't think that I'll ever love anyone like I love you." She stood to leave.
"Wait," Draco caught her hand. "Where are you going? Are you going back to the Gryffindor common room like you have been?"
"Why?" Hermione looked at him through her eyelashes. "Do you want me to?"
Draco shook his head mutely. "I want you to come back to our common room. With me."
Hermione nodded and followed him out of the Great Hall. They walked in silence, hands linked, through the empty halls of Hogwarts until they reached the common room. Draco spoke their password and guided Hermione into his room where they made love. For some reason Hermione knew that this was a good-bye, and she almost cried when she realized that. She was able to keep her tears at bay until Draco had fallen asleep and then she sobbed silently, curling up against Draco's warm body and savoring this last opportunity to be close to him.
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Hermione woke early and pulled herself away from Draco's sleeping form. She pulled her clothing together and stumbled through her bedroom and into her bathroom. She removed the charms on her face and, after a moment of thought, left her hair the way it was. After a quick shower she pulled on her usual uniform and robes, left her short, ragged hair down and proceeded to graduation.
The professors were erecting grand-stands on the lawn outside along with a stage with a podium at its center. A couple of parents had already arrived by apparating into Hogsmeade and walking up to the castle and the train would be arriving in a couple of hours with all the muggle parents. Spotting Dumbledore, Hermione walked over to him.
"Good morning, Professor," she smiled broadly at him, although the smile didn't quite reach her eyes.
"Ah, Miss Granger!" Dumbledore's blue eyes twinkled brightly, almost to the point of tears. "You're extremely early, good, good! Sherbert lemon?" He held out a candy to her. He looked so excitedly sad that Hermione took the candy, and upon eating it realized that it was actually rather tasty. "Excellent! Are you nervous at all, my dear?" Dumbledore continued.
Hermione shrugged. "Not very, sir. I've been dreading leaving, but now that the moment is here, I'm actually a little excited. Whatever the future holds, I think I'm ready to face it."
Dumbledore's eyes became even glossier. "I am very happy to hear you say that, Miss Granger. And I am very proud of you, by the way. I heard just this morning that you had received that internship I told you about."
"Really?" That was news to her. But then again, Dumbledore knew everything, so him finding out about her job before she did wasn't really all that surprising.
"This is always a difficult time of year for me," Dumbledore continued. "I am always proud that my students are growing up, and I wish them well, but it always feels as though I am losing a few more of my children."
Hermione looked at Dumbledore again, realizing that he really did consider every single student his own son or daughter. "Did you ever have any children, sir? Other than the students, I mean." Realizing what she had said, Hermione hurriedly continued, "Not to be rude, sir."
"Not at all, Miss Granger," Dumbledore paused. "I did have a child once, a daughter, but she died long ago."
"I'm sorry, sir."
"Oh, it's quite all right, Miss Granger," Dumbledore smiled sadly. "Some creatures, and people, are too good for this earth, and I truly believe that my daughter was one of them. Better for her to be at peace than to face the difficult times ahead, and difficult they will be."
They stood in silence for a moment, both feeling extremely depressed. They were brought out of their gloom by McGonagle striding purposefully towards them, black robes flapping about her. "Miss Granger, what has happened to your hair?" She demanded.
"Professor, didn't you see it last night?" Hermione asked in wide-eyed innocence. "I wore it this way to the ball."
"Yes, but I thought that you would have fixed it by this morning," McGonagle seemed dismayed. "You do know how, don't you?"
"Of course, professor, but I like it this way," Hermione smiled widely.
"It is the House colors, Minerva," Dumbledore added. "And I think it looks delightful."
"Thank you, sir," Hermione graced him with her most charming smile.
McGonagle's mouth opened and closed in bafflement for several moments. At last she shrugged, "Very well then. You do have your speech written, don't you?"
Hermione nodded. As the top of her class in every subject, Hermione had been chosen to give a speech after everyone had received a diploma. She had put a lot of effort into the speech and she was fairly happy with how it had turned out.
"I'm just going to sit down for a little while and look over it," she excused herself, feeling low again. Her mood had been jumping up and down all morning. It was true that she was confident about the future, but she was also very sad now. It really was over with Draco. All she wanted to do now was lie down and cry.
She read over her speech a few times, but eventually she ended up just sitting on one of the bleachers and staring blankly at the parchment it was written on. There was nothing to do until the parents arrived, so she sat there, staring at the speech and thinking about Draco.
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Draco woke up alone. So, another Hermione one-night-stand type deal. At least they had been sober this time. In classic Hermione fashion she was gone, but Draco wasn't exactly upset. It was better that he have some time to plan what he would say to Hermione, especially since he still had no idea himself. He wasn't ready to say good-bye, but he wasn't ready to be with her either. Opting not to worry about Hermione until he had to, Draco showered and got dressed for graduation.
He had woken much later than Hermione, only a half-hour before the actual ceremony, so as soon as he was ready he made his way down to the lawn. Many parents had arrived to watch their children graduate and the bleachers were full of them and the younger students. The seventh years got to stand. They all wore their uniforms and black robes, but as Draco joined the line he was given a silver stole to drape over his shoulders. The rest of the seventh years all had stoles too, each in the secondary color of their houses. He was shuffled into alphabetical order with the other "M"s and only had to wait a moment before the ceremony began.
"Welcome, all," Dumbledore began. "To the graduation of the class of 2004!" There was a bit of cheering. "Now, let's get this show moving," Dumbledore continued. "Let us start with Abbot, Hannah." And so it continued down the line. Everyone received a few claps, but Hermione, whose stole was gold and edged in purple signifying that she was first in the class, received extra applause. Draco, a little later, didn't receive nearly as much applause, but he did get a lovely scrolled up diploma and a handshake from Dumbledore. Harry, of course, received the most applause of anyone and even merited a small hug from the Headmaster. A little later it was time for Blaise Zabini to receive his diploma and then they were done.
"And now," announced Dumbledore. "A speech from our top student, Miss Hermione Granger."
Hermione made her way to the podium accompanied by polite clapping and a bit of muttering for her absurd hair. Draco saw that several pure-blooded parents in the audience were scowling, including his mother. Smiling, he clapped loudly and hooted. Hermione noticed and shot him a brief smile.
"Thank you, Professor," Hermione shook Dumbledore's hand once again. "Good morning parents, classmates, and friends. When Professor McGonagle told me that I was meant to write a speech, I spent a great deal of time thinking about what to say. What would I say, how could I possibly sum up everything that I've learned here into one speech? So I thought about everything that I've learned, everything that I've experienced. I've made friends here that, I believe, will last a lifetime. I've grown up from an awkwardly bookish little girl to, I think, a more confident, more secure woman. I've learned more than I ever thought that I possibly could, about magic and life. I've fallen in love here for the first time," here she paused to look straight at Draco. He felt his heart stop as he looked back. "I think that when I say this, most of my classmates can agree; Hogwarts has not only been a school: it's been a home. We have spent nine months out of the last seven years in this building, on these grounds, and no matter where we go, or whatever more we learn, Hogwarts will always be a true home.
"But, surprisingly enough, I'm not afraid. I'm headed to a good job with the ministry of magic, and, although I have no idea what else, the future looks bright. I may be leaving my home, but I know that the things that I have learned here will always be with me. And so, with thanks to my devoted professors, and a very fond farewell, I would like to say congratulations to the graduating class of 2004! And good luck!"
The crowd applauded, like they were supposed to, and Hermione bowed her head. She then strode off the stage to stand near Harry and Ron.
"Thank you, Miss Granger, very much!" Dumbledore was smiling broadly. "And now, if you would care to stay, there will be lunch served in the Great Hall very shortly. Thank you everyone!" And with that graduation was over.
Draco wandered aimlessly through the crowd of students who stood about chatting and hugging tearfully.
"Draco!" A voice called from behind him. "Draco, dear!" Groaning inwardly Draco turned around to be hugged by hid mother. "Oh, sweet-heart, I'm so proud of you!"
"Thanks, Mother," Draco limply hugged her back.
"My little boy's all grown up," she dramatically wiped her eyes with a silk handkerchief.
"Yes, Mother," Draco sighed. A flash of candy-apple red hair caught his eye as Hermione walked by, smiling and talking animatedly with her parents, Harry, and the entire Weasley clan. She spotted him and gave him another of her secret little smiles.
"Look, Mother, I'm pretty hungry, so I'm going to go to lunch." Draco turned to go.
"Would you like me to come with you, sweety?"
"That's all right, you just go home."
Draco left without bothering to see if she had gone. He ran after the group of Gryffindors and tapped Hermione on the shoulder. "Come talk to me," he whispered. She nodded and continued off with her friends and family. Draco dropped back.
"Um, I have to go to the bathroom, I'll see you guys at lunch," Hermione excused herself and joined Draco. They were so distracted that they didn't even notice that she had walked away from the castle, rather than towards it and the closest bathroom.
"What's up?" Hermione asked briskly.
Draco was taken aback. "Didn't you want to talk?"
Hermione shrugged. "I did. There's nothing to talk about anymore, though, is there? We're leaving; it's over."
"Well that's news to me," Draco was getting angry. "I thought we were going to discuss things."
"Draco, do you want to be with me?" Hermione demanded abruptly.
"I don't know," he answered honestly.
"Fine, then I'll see you around, I guess," Hermione started walking away.
"How can you be so calm about this?" He cried, grasping her hand.
"Because, Draco, I've known since last night that that was the end of us: it was a good-bye. And yes, inside my heart is breaking, but I can't deal with that right now Draco, and I can't deal with you. So good-bye, Draco. I love you, and good-bye."
And with that she was gone, walked right out of Draco's life. She didn't go to the Great Hall, and neither did Draco. He sat under a tree by the lake to grieve his first love and she retreated to the astronomy tower to cry herself out.
The next time that they saw each other was as they were leaving the Hogwarts Express. Hermione was exiting the train station and Draco was staring intently at her back. Feeling his gaze, Hermione turned around. Smiling sadly, she blew him a kiss and waved good-bye. Before Draco could even wave back she was gone. And that was that.
THE END.
Of course, there is a sequel that I will start posting extremely soon, so ha! You can't get rid of me that easily!
Ugh, so much Drama. A lot of this chapter may seem random, but it all makes sense to me. So, thank you all for being so very dedicated and I hope that you've enjoyed the story. I know the ending is awful: writing this right now practically makes me want to kill myself. But there is the sequel, so it's not really the end. The sequel will be called "Reunion" which happens to be the name of one of my old stories. But, if you've read that before, don't worry: the name and the general concept is the same, but the new version is more directly linked to this story. READ IT!