WRITTEN FOR QLFC, Book Club

These Violent Delights

Prompt:

[scenario] Romeo and Juliette

AU! Fred lives.

Warnings: death

See You Again

Draco and Hermione are star-crossed lovers who don't even get the opportunity to meet on the battlefield.

"Draco, no!" The Death Eaters and students turned their head towards the one who'd screamed, but it was too late.

The wall crumbled on top of Draco a second after he shoved Fred out of the way, and then, there was silence.

An ear-splitting scream resonated throughout the seventh floor, the piercing sound haunting everyone with the heartbreak evident in it. Hermione bolted towards the fallen wall, tears streaming down her face as she began shoving the rubble to the side. She ignored the sharp pain in her hands as rivulets of blood flowed down her fingers and wrists, too busy trying to save Draco.

"He saved me," Fred whispered to himself, his eyes wide with shock and disbelief. "Malfoy… saved me." Before he could run over to Hermione's side to help him, someone grabbed his arm and dragged him away from another stray curse.

"Draco! Draco, please… No… Please, don't do this!" Hermione wailed as she finally found him. She dragged him out from under the wall, her hands smeared with blood. Trying to find his pulse, she sobbed, "No, you can't do this to me… Come on, Draco! Please, please, wake up!"

Her attempts to get him to wake up were futile because he was unmoving, his chest motionless, his mouth slightly open. His eyes were unfocused. Hermione's shoulders shook as she dropped her head onto his chest, thumping him furiously. Hope swelled in Hermione's chest as the air left his lungs in a rattling groan, but she was left heartbroken the moment he went still once again.

"You can't do this, you bastard! No, no, no," she repeated, burying her face in his robes and sobbing pitifully. She whispered, "I love you. Please. Wake up. For me. You promised. You promised me, Draco. You said you'd stay with me."

His familiar woodsy scent wafted to her nose, and she couldn't help but bawl louder, remembering the day she'd given Draco the Muggle cologne. He'd glowered at her, but when he had goaded Harry into fighting him the very next day, she had walked past him and realised he'd used her present.

"Get away from him, Hermione! He's one of them!" She didn't know who had said that, but she knew one thing: Draco Malfoy was not one of them. He was hers. Hers to love, hers to protect, and now... hers to mourn.

"No! He's not!" Hermione sobbed, clutching onto Draco's body with both hands. She shook him once more, hoping against hope that somehow, the blond would wake up.

Luna hobbled over and gently placed her hand on Hermione. No one, except for Luna, knew the truth about the star-crossed lovers. "He's gone, Hermione," she murmured, rubbing her shoulder gently. "He's not coming back."

"No, no, you're wrong!" Hermione's eyes were half-crazed as she wiped her tears furiously. "Draco won't leave me. He can't do that, Luna. He promised me!"

"I know," Luna whispered, trying to calm Hermione down. They were in the middle of a battle, and though there weren't many people on the seventh floor, she still feared for Hermione's safety. "But you have to move. You could get hurt."

Hermione's sobs subsided, and she wrapped her arms around Draco, hauling him over to an alcove. She gently rested his head against the wall and reached out to shut his eyes. Something glinted near his collar, and Hermione tugged on the silver chain.

"What's that?" Luna asked, peering over Hermione's shoulder.

"I gave it to him before I left for the hunt. I told him it would protect him while I couldn't. He gave me his signet ring. Told me he'd marry me one day when this was all over." Her tone was hollow, broken, defeated, and Luna winced.

"I'm sorry, Hermione… There's nothing you can do."

But Hermione knew there was only one way. She took a shaky breath in and leaned closer to Draco's face. Closing her eyes, she pressed her lips to his cold ones, breathing in his scent one last time. She hadn't loved him until her sixth year, but she knew she couldn't live without him. The agonizing pain in her chest reminded her of the bond they'd shared.

"We've come a long way from where we began," Hermione whispered against his lips, her heart pounding against her ribs. She took a few moments to remember their first kiss under the mistletoe during the Slug Club meeting, the way he'd always held onto her oh-so-tight as their bodies moved as one, the time he had revealed his feelings for her, and how he had hugged her near the Astronomy Tower that fateful night. "And I'll tell you all about it when I see you again."

She pulled away from him and took in the sight of his lifeless body. Breath hitching in her throat, she pulled out her wand and went to face Death on her own.

After the battle was over and the Light had prevailed over Dark, Luna came across Hermione's bloodied form. Tears gushed down her face as she limped over to help her friend, but Hermione raised a trembling hand to stop her.

"Don't… Please, bury us together," Hermione whispered, her face streaked with blood, sweat and tears. "Promise me, Luna."

"I promise," Luna choked out, her vision hazy. She knew there was no way Hermione would allow her to help, so she gently wrapped her arms around the brunette's shoulders and sang a song her mother used to sing to her.

"I hold on to your body

And feel each move you make

Your voice is warm and tender

A love that I could not forsake."

A few seconds later, Hermione let out her last breath, and Luna whispered, "You can rest now."

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