M&M's: Malfoy's and Mudbloods
Chapter Eighteen: I Need You
Thoughts/Flashbacks


"Oh Hermione." Draco rushed forward and gathered her into his arms, "What happened?"

"You're still in love with him aren't you?" he avoided her eyes, the pain evident in his voice. "I could tell by the way you two danced tonight, there was something in your eyes when you looked at him, something that I've never seen before."

Hermione knew she couldn't deny it anymore, "I never wanted to bring you pain. I'd give you the world if I could." Hermione's eyes were beginning to tear as she stared at Andrew.

"Your heart was the only thing I wanted." He whispered as he wiped a tear from his own eyes.

At that moment Hermione wished that she could have lied to him and said that he already had it. But she couldn't bring herself to deceive him any more than they had both already deceived themselves. "There's nothing in this world that I wanted to give you more. I'm sorry that I couldn't." he granted her a wistful smile before kissing her one last time and Hermione knew that he was going to walk out the door for good in less than a minute.

He picked up two suitcases that she hadn't noticed earlier when she had entered the room. He paused at the door to turn back one last time. "Take care of yourself Hermione." And with that final wish he walked out of Hermione's life and on with his.

Hermione was in tears by the time she finished retelling the events of the night before. "He's gone, he's gone because I couldn't be what he wanted me to be, I couldn't give him what he needed."

Draco pulled her into his arms, feeling his heart break as the woman he loved cried over another man. "The man's an idiot to let you go."

She laughed bitterly, "That's what everyone keeps telling me, but it's not true, you told me that about Viktor, and Andrew told me that about you. Now I know there's obviously something wrong with me if you men keep leaving me."

Draco opened his mouth to protest but was cut off by the shrill sound of his cell phone. Hermione pulled away, "You answer that, I'll go make us some tea." She wiped away her tears, and headed to the kitchen.

He flipped open his phone angrily, noting the caller id. "You've got a lot of nerve calling me after breaking Hermione's heart." Draco sneered at the man who could be his twin.

"I didn't break her heart, you did." Andrew retaliated back.

"What are you talking about?"

"I never broke her heart, you can't break something that you don't have."

"You're not making any sense!" Draco roared in frustration.

"I don't have her heart Draco, you do. She loves me, but she's not in love with me. I was a fool to think I could win her heart. She even told me that he heart was not hers to give, but I kept thinking that I would eventually win it." He paused, "I love her too much to let her marry someone she's not in love with. Draco, she's in love with you she always has been and always will be."

"What?" Draco managed to get out as everything Andrew had just told him sunk in.

"Don't hurt her Draco, she deserves the best. Take care of her and tell her how you feel." And with that Andrew hung up.

Draco sat there, staring at his cell-phone when Hermione returned, "Draco, are you okay?"

He looked up at her, She's in love with me… she's still in love with me! He could feel his heart beating faster. Her puffy red eyes had returned to their dazzling state. He smiled inwardly at the concern reflecting in her eyes, here he was to comfort her and she was worried about him.

"Yea, I'm fine," he smiled softly, as she handed him a hot cup of tea. "How are you?" he mentally slapped himself at the stupidity of his question.

She returned his soft smile, with a weak one of her own, "I'm ok now," she looked down at her cup as if it held the mysteries of the world, "I realize that it wasn't fair what I was doing to Andrew, I didn't love him the way he loved me. I should have let him go a long time ago, but I kept hanging on cause I thought that in time I would learn to love him the way he loved me. I know it was selfish, but after I lost you, I thought I would never fall in love again." Her voice cracked. "I know that he had every right to leave, and that I shouldn't be so upset over it, but it still hurts, you know?" her eyes pierced his, staring intently for a moment before returning to her cup. The two sat in silence for a few more minutes before Hermione spoke up, "So what was it that you wanted to talk to me about?" Hermione turned to face him. She sounded so meek and alone, Draco hated himself for being a part of her pain and insecurities.

"I had another vision of the past last night, and I wanted to talk to you about it."

She smiled at him, fondly this time, "Yea, I had it too." She stood up and headed to the balcony, "Isn't it amazing how different the real past was from the way things are now?" she whispered once she felt Draco's presence beside her.

"Yea," he whispered back, not taking his eyes off of her.

Hermione continued to stare out at the moon, "Things were so much simpler back then, I was so happy with you." She tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear. "I can see why I asked Sybil to alter our memories."

"Really? Why?"

She turned to face him, "Because back then I wasn't strong enough to live with the fact that you weren't with me." She returned her gaze to the moon.

"And now?"

She took a deep breath in and closed her eyes, "Now… now I'm ok with it. I'm ok with us not being together," her words unknowingly stabbed him, "Even if you did promise to find me and marry me," she opened her eyes and nudged him playfully. "I understand that we're different people now, with different lives, we're not Harmonia and Darien anymore." She sighed, "It was stupid of me to think that our love would survive." Her eyes sparkled as the gathered tears, which she blinked back. Not wanting to let Draco see her cry anymore she turned her attention back to the moon.

"But it did survive." He whispered softly.

Hermione turned around to face him once more, "What?"

"It did survive," he reiterated, this time louder, "At least it did on my part," he took her hand in his, "Darien is still in love with you."

"And Harmonia will always be in love with you, but that was then, this is now. That was them, this is us." She slipped her hand away from his, "You're not Darien anymore, and I'm not Harmonia, we're different people now." She caressed his cheek softly. "Harmonia and Darien will always be in love, but that's not us, it's not who we are."

"It might not be who we are anymore, I might not be Darien and you might not be Harmonia, but they were a part of us. And all I know is that I love you."

"Are you sure it's not the part of you that's Darien that's in love with the part of me that's Harmonia?"

He stepped closer to her, and cupped her face tenderly, "All of me Hermione, all of me is in love with all of you. The past me, the present me, and the future me. We're all in love with you." He wiped away a tear that fell from her eyes, "I made a promise to you as Darien Malloy, and as Draco Malfoy, I intend keep that promise." taking her hand in his, "Hermione Granger, my Harmonia, will you do me the honor of becoming my wife, in this life and all the lives to come?" he pulled a three stoned diamond engagement ring from his pocket, one stone for their past, one for the present, and one for the future.

She stared at him, there was such hope in his beautiful blue eyes, hope that quickly turned to pain as her hand slipped away from his, "I'm sorry Draco, I can't." she turned away from him, "You're just confused," she tried to rationalize, "You've had all these intense memories, and you're confused." She gripped the balcony railing tight.

"I'm not confused." He whispered as he turned her to face him, "I know exactly what I want," moved in to kiss her, "You, it's always been you, and will always be you." She blinked as he went down on one knee in front of her, looking up at her earnestly. There was a small glimpse of blind panic on his face, but it was masked quickly, Draco took another deep breath before continuing. "I love you Hermione. I know I'm not the best guy in the world, that I can be inexplicably stupid most of the time and that I don't deserve you," he grinned sheepishly. "But I can't live without you." His expression became serious. "I tried before, to be happy without you, but it wasn't enough, and I don't want life to be that way again."

He stared at her intently, his eyes locking with her own. "I need you."

Hermione stopped breathing in that instant, moved beyond words, beyond thought. Draco could want, he could hope for, but he had never allowed himself to need.

"And if you need me too," he took her hand in his and placed the ring at the tip of her ring finger, "please marry me."

Hermione knew he loved her, and that she loved him, there was no denying it. She knew she couldn't deny her heart anymore.

She leaned towards him and kissed him tenderly; "I'll take that as a yes." He smiled as he slipped the ring on her finger. It glittered beautifully in the moonlight as she buried her hands in his silken white-blond hair.

The world around them faded away as they became lost in the touch of one another. When they pulled apart they were surrounded by their friends, "May I present to you all, Mr. and Mrs. Draco Malfoy." The minister announced as the two walked down the aisle, hand in hand, heart to heart, for all eternity.

"They really are adorable together aren't they?" Harry commented to his newly pregnant wife.

Pansy nodded, as she watched Draco kiss Hermione once more, "Yup, their love is the type that fairy tales are based on."

Draco smiled down at his blushing bride, "I'm in love with you Mrs. Malfoy, for always."

Hermione smiled back, "And I'm in love with you Mr. Malfoy, forever."

And so Mr. and Mrs. Draco Malfoy lived happily ever after.

The End


Well there you have it folks, the fairy tale has come to an end :) I hope you guys enjoyed reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it... I think my muse and I have a little romance left to write an extended ending... so who knows, I just might have one more chapter in me after all!

I just want to say thank you to all of you who've read this story and left me reviews even if it was just to say 'hurry up with the next chapter' any type of response helped my motivation into finishing this story. I hope you guys have enjoyed reading this as much as I've enjoyed writing it... It's kinda sad knowing that it's come to an end... I don't know if I'll write a sequel or not, who knows, if there's enough interest perhaps :) Thanks again to all my loyal reviewers! You guys are the best!

One Love,
NelStar7

August 22, 2006