"Isn't this the place where- ."

"Yes, it is." Hermione was standing in front of the huge Malfoy Manor, looking at it with sour distaste. Her husband Caleb was standing next to her and their twins, Andrew and Georgia. It was the Hogwarts Reunion for the War Survivors. Hermione was 25 years old and didn't see the point in having one. She flew in from Paris especially for this, but was annoyed when she found out about the venue change. It was originally going to be at the Camelot, a famous wizarding hotel, but for unknown reasons the guests were told to go this place instead.

"Well, let's go in then." Caleb walked forward and pulled the knocker back, when he released it there was no noise, but a few seconds later the heavy doors were pulled open to reveal a very pregnant Ginny Weasley.

"Hermione! We've been waiting for you for so long! How long have you been waiting?"

"Oh, not too long." Hermione replied as her family stepped over the threshold and out of the cold.

"Excellent, follow me." Ginny walked ahead of the party down a corridor that lead to the ballroom. "It's not quite as big as it used to be before the war, but-."

"I know Ginny, remember?" Hermione walked past the woman, into the huge space beyond. Immediately she was engulfed by many people she recognized.

"Lavender! Dean! Oh my gosh! No way? You're kidding right? Parvati! Seamus? Why did I leave? I've missed out on so much!" Hermione was surrounded by friends who were all either engaged or happily married, or expecting a second child.

"So who's the handsome man next to you?" Lavender asked from her seat, looking up at the standing crowd.

"This is my husband Caleb, and our twins Georgia and Andrew." Hermione looked around smiling. No one bought that story; they were all too involved in the truth.

"Well, that's excellent!" Parvati broke the silence first. "Gosh, gorgeous little kids you have there aren't they! How old are you guys?" She turned towards the children.

"We're five." Andrew replied, holding up a hand with five spread fingers.

"Our birthday was two days ago, we came early to have it here in England." Georgia stepped out from behind her mother's leg. For children who grew up in France their English sounded no different to someone from England.

"Oh, really? Why do you think your Mummy didn't tell us about that? We could have got you both some presents!" Lavender was unconsciously rubbing her hand over a baby lump.

"I don't know." Andrew replied, and Georgia shrugged her shoulders. As she did so they were joined by a new couple.

"Hello everyone. Hope you're enjoying yourselves." Ginny's smile was meet with ones that didn't reach eyes.

"Of course we are." Hermione replied.

"Or we were, till you showed your faces." Seamus muttered. Parvati's elbow met his ribs.

"I don't believe I've met everyone here." Draco stated politely.

"No you haven't, this is my husband Caleb and our twins Andrew and Georgia." A glare was planted on Hermione's face. As Draco's eyes met Caleb's a slight smirk appeared on his face, however it slipped when he saw the twins. He looked sharply at Hermione who was looking for a reaction.

"Blonde twins? Neither of you have blonde hair."

"My parents did." Caleb replied, a frown lingering on his forehead. "Must have skipped a generation."

"Caleb?" He left the question hanging.

"Mythri."

"Ah, good to know Hermione married into such a prestigious family."

"How old are the twins?" Ginny jumped in.

"We're five. Ask someone else next time." A frown was plastered on Georgia's face as she replied.

"There goes the door, excuse me." Ginny left the group quickly.

"Sharp mouth there." Draco observed.

"What did you expect Malfoy? She is my child." Hermione bit out.

"Excuse us." Draco grabbed Hermione's hand and pulled her away from the group. Caleb went to follow, but Parvati held him back.

"Hermione never told you the truth did she?" Parvati enquired quietly. Caleb faced her slowly.

"No, she didn't. She was pregnant when I met her in Paris."

"Do you want to know what happened?" Lavender asked. Caleb looked around the group, and nodded his head. "Well sit down then, it's going to be a bumpy ride."


Hermione was sitting in the Library reading a book, for her Arithmancy homework, when she saw him. He was sitting a few tables away, facing her. He was reading a title Hermione couldn't quite make out. It was a strange feeling Hermione felt when she looked at him. She was interrupted when Ginny came and sat down across from her, blocking her view. Ginny's mouth was moving, but Hermione wasn't hearing anything.

o0o

It started when they met up accidentally in the corridors, bumping into each other because of the rush of students going in every direction possible. Continued when they bumped into each other when there was no one else around. Every time they touched Hermione got a feeling in the pit of her stomach. Every time they touched there was a shock that zinged up Hermione's arm to her chest.

o0o

They would sit in their common room alone, when before they used to avoid it like the plague. Soon they sat in the same area, then the couch at the same time. There wasn't any need for talking at the start. Then they felt the need to explain themselves. Words couldn't seem to form in Hermione's mouth when she was around him.

o0o

In the subjects that they took together, they were partnered up with each other. The teachers seemed to think it would help them stay civil. They didn't need much help anymore.

o0o

They were in the library looking for a book that held the ingredients to a potion Professor Slughorn wanted them to make. Hermione found it, but couldn't quite reach it. He came up behind her and grabbed it off the shelf easily, she turned around, but he didn't move. She was lost in the pools of his eyes. He leaned in, she lifted her head.

o0o

The common room was like a heaven on Earth to Hermione. They were always in there, and whenever some of their friends came knocking they were too busy to notice. After a while they didn't mind if the school saw them, they had nothing to loose. But they weren't stupid enough to enter the Great Hall holding hands; they just talked more often about meaningless things that didn't matter to them so they could stand next to each other for one more second.

o0o

They became careless; the use of spells and potions became less frequent. The news came at the worst possible moment, and it was worse than she thought it would be. The last of the horcruxes was found and was to be destroyed along with the Lord of all Evil. They had lasted past graduation, two years later and it was final.

o0o

Her best friend was killed by the explosion of the seventh horcruxe. The wizarding world was in despair, and Voldemort was overjoyed, he thought no one could stand up. But he had overlooked one tiny thing. The person who had stood in the shadows of Harry Potter, the person who gave Harry Potter the strength to keep going when he thought everything was lost. Voldemort was nothing without his seven souls, he was no longer invincible. But he was still powerful. Two people met their death that night.

o0o

Hermione was wearing black, she was sick of the endless funerals she attended. She was apparating back to the place she called home, when she felt a pain in her chest, one that wouldn't go away. Tears were in her eyes when she screamed at the person she thought she loved with all her heart. The pain wouldn't go away. Four weeks in.

o0o

She should have realised who he was, yet it was the first time she noticed who it was she loved. Draco Malfoy was never going to be anything else in her eyes. She thought he had changed, but he was still the same boy that had taunted her during school, he never became the man that comforted her when she cried. He never found out. She apparated away from England, her family, friends and people she had never met, but never wanted to.

o0o

The thing that haunted her the most was the colour red. It became her only nightmare, woke her up crying. Left her feeling so lost and betrayed. Hatred coiled in her mouth whenever the name was spoken, whenever the colour spun in front of her.


"What are you doing?" Hermione was outraged when Draco dragged her away from the group. When he stopped in a hallway Hermione recognised too well, she grabbed her hand back.

"Why didn't I ever know?" Draco's eyes were filled with hurt, she almost felt sympathy grow in her chest, and then remembered that same look in her face, her eyes, what he had caused.

"Because you never gave me the chance to tell you. After Ron's funeral I was going to tell you, but what did I come across? You and that, that, thing!"

"Hermione she's still your friend."

"Oh really? That's why she did that?"

"She had no idea that we were doing anything. She felt terrible, so did I. You weren't supposed to know!"

"Well I found out. If you felt so terrible, why didn't you try to save me from myself? Why did you leave me for someone else to find?"

"I tired, I really did."

"Well you can't have tried too hard. Because if you did, I wouldn't be standing here like this. Wouldn't be married to a man that isn't the father of my children."

"You still love me?"

"No, that feeling was replaced a long time ago. I feel nothing for you, not pity or hate. But least of all love." She turned away to go back to the party.

"I would have chosen you, you know that right?"

"No, I don't. Goodbye Malfoy."

Draco Malfoy stood in that hallway for a long time, searching through his thoughts. Was he really happy with his pregnant wife? Did he try to find the person who still holds a strong grip on his heart?