Chapter Twenty-Eight
Snowflakes
It took over five hours to interrogate the twenty-seven detainees.
Hermione and Ron stayed until the end, accompanying Harry as he asked all sorts of questions to those who were the leaders of that senseless movement. Those who had used masks to hide their faces.
Each of them had been forced to drink three drops of Veritaserum, and the Aurors who had mastered Legilimency invaded the minds of those who managed to resist in search of answers.
After Gregory's murder, they received a permit signed by all the members of the Wizengamot authorising them to do whatever it took to catch the culprits, except the use of force.
Harry sighed wearily, plopping down in one of the armchairs as soon as they left the square room. Ron and Hermione sat next to him, leaning their heads against the wall. She ran a hand over her face and grimaced.
"One of them escaped."
"I know," Harry wrinkled his forehead as he shook his head in frustration. "There were twenty-four people in that basement and four watching the house. Someone's missing."
"That voice..." Hermione snorted angrily. "I can't remember where I've heard it before."
Ron turned to her.
"Do you know the voice of the one who escaped?"
She nodded.
"None of the others sound like him."
Harry looked between his two friends and placed a hand on their knees, squeezing gently.
"We'll get him. You two should rest," he murmured, standing up and putting on his glasses. "We all need it."
Hermione doubted very much that she would be able to sleep. The voice of that unknown man kept playing over and over in her mind.
Who was it?
Harry's arms wrapped around her, pulling her out of the thought spiral. He placed a kiss on her curls and pulled away, looking down at her with a small smile on his lips.
"Maybe you'll remember when you wake up."
Hermione smiled. He knew her too well.
"Maybe."
She took a step towards Ron and hugged him too, sighing at the familiar smell of his clothes.
They were all safe... but it wasn't over yet.
Hermione pursed her lips as she remembered the prophecy she had heard so many months ago. It was written that she and Draco were to join forces to finish them off, and he was still missing.
When was he coming back?
Harry patted her shoulder and she blinked.
The tension she had felt all day was slowly leaving her body and she was exhausted. And she knew they felt the same way.
"Come and join us for dinner once you are awake," Harry asked quietly.
She nodded, averting her eyes to the lifts at the end of the corridor.
"See you later."
Darkness gave way to green flames. Hermione took a step forward and stepped onto the hearth of her fireplace.
She closed her eyes, shaking her curls as she brushed the ashes away from her cheeks, and her breath hitched once she opened them again.
Draco was leaning against the stairs, staring at her with bright eyes and a nervous expression. And Crookshanks kept circling his feet, curling his long tail around his legs.
A wave of emotions swept through her in an instant. Relief, anger, sadness, confusion... and that feeling only got worse as she noticed that everything was different.
The walls were cream-coloured again, the sofa had returned to its normal size and the pictures he had hung were gone.
Hermione felt a lump in her throat. Her house was exactly the same as it had been the day her parents had taken the flight to Australia, almost four years earlier.
But what made her take a step back as her face lose all colour was the sight of the two people sitting on the sofa.
Jane and Peter.
Hermione blinked once, and again, and again. She rubbed her eyes and blinked again in disbelief.
Was she dreaming?
"What...?"
She glanced at Draco again, unable to find words to express herself. He shrugged and smiled, gesturing to her parents with a nod of his head.
Hermione looked at them again, blinking to try and hold back tears.
They were very excited and both silently crying, staring up at her as if they were seeing her for the first time.
Her parents stood up and Hermione reacted, running to them. Their arms wrapped around her and Jane hid her face in her hair, sobbing loudly.
Hermione pulled back a few inches to look at them again, wiping her tears with the back of her hand.
"Mum?" she asked in a broken voice, swallowing as Jane smiled sadly and nodded. She turned her head and the tears blurred her vision as she looked into her father's brown eyes. "Dad?"
Peter hugged them both again, squeezing until he couldn't hold them any closer.
"Hermione," her mother whispered, caressing her face. "We remember you now."
She felt like her heart was going to explode.
Were her parents really there? And did they know who she was?
"How ...?" her voice trembled and she cleared her throat, taking a deep breath before trying again. "How is this possible?"
"It was all thanks to Draco."
She searched those grey eyes she hadn't seen for so many weeks. He hadn't moved and still had his back against the wall, keeping his distance.
"I'm so sorry," Hermione looked back at her parents and her bottom lip trembled. "I shouldn't have altered your memories without telling you."
"It doesn't matter now, sweetheart," Jane smiled, brushing her curls away from her forehead affectionately. "We're together again."
Peter undid the embrace and took a hand from each of them, leading them back to the sofa.
"We have a lot to talk about," he said once the three of them were seated. "We want to know everything that has happened in your life over the years."
"Though we already know a small part of it," her mother added, glancing sideways at Draco with a knowing smile.
He moved away from the wall when he saw that he had their attention and pointed to the door with his thumb.
"I think I should go."
Hermione gasped.
"What?"
"You need to be with your parents," Draco shoved his hands in his pockets. "I'm going home."
Home?
Did he not want to live with her anymore?
He gave her a reassuring smile when he saw her panicked face.
"We'll talk tomorrow," he added quietly, glancing between her parents and smiling again. "Enjoy their company."
"Draco, wait..."
He ignored her and opened the door, stepping outside. Hermione cursed under her breath and stood up to follow him.
"I'll be right back."
By the time she reached the threshold of the front door Draco was already on the pavement, walking towards the corner they used to apparate. Hermione clenched her fists and ran after him.
"Draco!"
His footsteps faltered and he looked over his shoulder.
"Were you planning on leaving like that?" she asked as she reached his side, crossing her arms. "After all this time?"
His blond hair was long and fell over his eyes, which sparkled every time he looked at her as if he too had been looking forward to the moment when they would see each other again.
The urge to hug him was so strong that Hermione had to dig her nails into her palms to restrain herself.
She needed to know why first.
"You just got your parents back," he said, shrugging and averting his gaze to her neighbour's house. "I don't want to intrude."
The swirl of emotions she was feeling turned to anger. Hermione made fists again, shaking her head.
"You're..." she bit her tongue and snorted, pointing at her parents' house. "Give me a minute to silence my room and wait for me inside."
She turned around, retracing her steps, and before she went inside she checked to make sure Draco was still there.
"And don't even think about disappearing again."
He smiled half-heartedly, shaking his head.
"I wasn't planning on it," he whispered once she had closed the door.
That first talk with her parents was filled with tears but also with smiles and lots of hugs.
Hermione had always thought that they would never forgive her for what she had done, and she was surprised to discover that her parents had moved on and all they wanted was to have her back in their lives.
They didn't even blink as she pulled out her wand and used several spells to help them unpack.
Hermione escorted them to their room and bid them farewell until dinner. Both her parents and she were exhausted and needed to rest.
She decided to peek into the study before going into her room and was stunned to see that everything was gone as well.
Not even Dark's cage was there. It was as if Draco had never lived in that house.
She opened the door to her room with her heart pounding. He was sitting on the edge of the bed, which was once again single-sized, and stood up at the sight of her.
Hermione approached him with firm steps and a serious face. When she stood in front of him, Draco sighed and shut his eyes.
That made her anger disappear. She reached up and caressed his cheek, smiling when he blinked and looked down at her with a confused expression.
"Did you think I was going to punch you?"
Draco pressed his lips together.
"It wouldn't be the first time."
A shaky sigh escaped her lips and she wrapped her arms around his neck, ducking her head into his chest.
"Draco," sobs choked her voice and Hermione shivered as his arms snaked around her.
"I'm sorry," one of his hands tangled in her curls and she felt his nose burying in her hair. "I'm so sorry, Hermione."
She didn't move for several heartbeats, enjoying his warmth and being in his arms again.
Finally, she lifted her head and looked into his eyes.
"Why?"
Draco wiped the tears running down her cheeks with his thumbs.
"I couldn't tell you the truth," he admitted under his breath, his eyes sweeping over every inch of her face as if he couldn't believe she was real. "You know I can't talk about what I do in the Department of Mysteries."
Hermione sniffled and stepped back, wiping her eyes.
"What about your things?"
"They're at the manor," Draco held both her hands, stopping her from moving further away. "Your parents don't know we live together, and I don't want to give them any more reasons to hate me."
She nibbled on her lower lip, staring up at him as she thought of all the doubts and suspicions that had risen in her mind since he left.
And she remembered that newspaper story that seemed to bear his signature.
"Two months ago Lockhart emerged from St. Mungo's with almost all of his memories miraculously recovered."
His face remained impassive, but she saw a small twitch on his lips.
"You were experimenting on our old professor?"
Her heart skipped a beat as he nodded.
"I needed to try it on someone else before I tried it on your parents."
"You could have destroyed his mind!"
"There wasn't much left to destroy," Draco commented, rolling his eyes.
At least he was still the same as ever. Hermione snorted and glanced at her desk, which was now in the room.
"Your letter of dismissal arrived a few weeks ago," she whispered, her eyes fixed on the drawer where it was kept.
His hands shook for a second and gripped hers tighter.
"I've been waiting for it."
"What if they find out what you've done?" Hermione asked with a lump in her throat. "What if they don't take you back?"
Draco snorted impatiently, cupping her face in his hands and stroking her bottom lip with his thumb.
"This was more important than some stupid job."
Hermione couldn't hold back any longer. She stood on her tiptoes, claiming his lips and making them both fall onto the mattress. Draco held her against his chest, devouring her with breath-stealing kisses.
Another piece of the puzzle clicked into place and Hermione broke the kiss.
"You..." her eyes widened as the same crooked smile she'd seen on his friend so many times spread across his face. "It was you!"
He lifted his brow and his grin widened. Hermione slapped his shoulder angrily.
"You've been around this whole time and you haven't told me anything!"
"You couldn't know it was me," Draco cupped her face again, pulling it closer to his until their lips brushed. "You would have asked me questions I couldn't answer."
"That's why Blaise seemed different sometimes," Hermione murmured, closing her eyes as his lips moved down her neck, leaving a trail of kisses. "Did you know that Pansy thought he was cheating on her with me?"
She felt his smile against her skin and his lips moved up to her ear, biting gently and sending shivers down her spine.
"It was really hard to resist you," Draco whispered, squeezing her tighter in his arms.
Hermione couldn't help but smile and rested her forehead on his shoulder, tangling both hands in his blond locks and closing her eyes as she enjoyed his kisses.
"Thank you for protecting me this morning."
Another kiss on the curve of her jaw.
"You protected me too."
"But I didn't know it was you!" she protested, tugging gently at his hair until she could look into his eyes. "I missed you so much."
His expression softened.
"And I missed you, Hermione," he pressed their foreheads together, still looking at her. "I can't tell you how much."
"Don't do that again."
Draco chuckled.
"You have my word."
"I can't believe what you've done for me," she brushed back his blond hair, snorting through her nose. "You're insane."
Draco shrugged and sat up until he had her on his lap, kissing her deeply.
"And you're amazing," Hermione murmured, opening her eyes and sighing. "The best thing I've got."
"Does that mean you forgive me?"
He smiled at her nod and lifted his chin, catching her bottom lip between his teeth and pulling her against his body as one of his hands slipped under her shirt, climbing up her back.
Hermione kissed him once more and pulled away, staring into his grey eyes.
"Marry me."
Draco was busy spreading kisses and nibbles down her neck.
"Hmm?"
He lifted his head and tried to kiss her again but she placed a hand over his lips to stop him.
"Marry me, Draco."
His brow furrowed and his hands froze, pausing on her skin.
"What?"
"Marry me," Hermione insisted, struggling to hold back her tears. "Please," she added in a whisper.
She saw the change in his expression when he understood what she was saying.
"Do you mean it?"
She nodded.
"I want you in my life forever."
They both stared at each other in silence, barely blinking, and Hermione began to worry.
"Aren't you going to say anything?"
His eyes flew to the door behind her.
"Your parents are asleep, aren't they?"
At her confirmation, he stood up with her in his arms and laid her on the mattress.
"Come to the manor in fifteen minutes," he ordered, stepping back as he pulled his wand from his pocket. "Fifteen, Hermione. Not one less."
Draco disapparated with a crack before she could answer.
Hermione was sure she was going to burn a hole in the floor of her room from pacing around so much. She glanced at the clock again and sighed in relief. The required fifteen minutes had passed.
She focused on the metal gate of Malfoy Manor and closed her eyes, finding herself in front of it when she opened them again.
A small elf on the other side leapt at the sight of her, stepping through it as if it were made of smoke and grabbing her right hand.
"Miss!"
Hermione crossed the gate with her help and smiled as they made their way to the front door.
"Hello, Minsy."
"Master is back and waiting for you!" the elf announced cheerfully. "Minsy is very happy, and the masters will be too when they return!"
Hermione put her wand back in her handbag and looked at her again.
"Do you know why he made me come here?"
"Minsy can't say anything! It's a surprise!"
The wooden doors opened and Hermione stopped as she saw a trail of rose petals leading off down the right-hand corridor.
The elf gave her a wide smile and snapped her fingers, disappearing.
Hermione stepped into the manor, swallowing as the doors closed behind her. Her heart was about to jump out of her chest as she walked down the corridor, following the scarlet petals.
She tugged at her bottom lip with her teeth once she reached the doors she knew all too well. Hermione opened them and her gaze swept over the book-lined shelves in awe, as it did every time she entered the gigantic Malfoy library.
The trail of petals continued up the spiral staircase that led to the upper floor and the scent of roses grew more intense with each step she climbed.
Her heart skipped a beat when she saw what awaited her at the top.
Dozens of bunches of red roses adorned every corner of the room, crowned by books that reached the ceiling and lit by candlesticks scattered across the floor. Small piles of snow accumulated on it and brushed her skin as they fell. And right in the middle was Draco.
He held a rose in his hand and had changed into one of his black suits.
She hadn't detected his cologne in her room, but the citrus scent was unmistakable. Hermione felt a knot in her stomach as she remembered what the smell meant.
The magical snow crunched under her shoes as she stepped closer. Draco smirked and placed the rose in her hair, above her ear.
"I've been thinking about this ever since we left Hogwarts, and I had planned to do it this summer," he whispered, wrapping one hand around her waist while the other held her face. "But you beat me to it."
Hermione smiled back at him and took a step closer, placing her hands on his chest and closing her eyes as she smelled him in all its glory.
Veela's scent didn't lie. He really was her perfect match.
"Hermione," she opened her eyes, holding her breath as she saw Draco kneel down and pull a small square box from his pocket. "Do you want to give me the honour of being my...?"
She pounced on him and Draco gasped, grabbing her and hissing as they both landed on the marble floor. Her lips crashed against his, preventing him from speaking.
Draco grunted as he felt her fingers unbuttoning his white shirt and held her wrists, searching her gaze.
Her cheeks were flushed, her lips half-open and swollen, and she was looking at him as if she wanted to eat him. There were snowflakes tangled in her hair and the candlelight was pulling golden glints from her curls.
"Let me finish."
She let out a nervous giggle and jumped on him again.
"Yes," she whispered against his lips, still kissing him. "Yes, yes."
Draco smiled, rolling to lie on top of her. He grabbed her left hand and slid the ring onto her finger, which magically adjusted to the perfect size.
Hermione lifted her hand and looked at it. White gold and diamonds with a small emerald in the centre. He took her hand again, kissing the ring as he looked into her eyes.
"Forever," he whispered, resting an arm on either side of her face and leaning closer until their breaths mingled.
She nodded, every cell in her body burning for him.
"Forever."
It's hard for me to write chapters this cheesy, but I think after everything they've been through they deserved it. I hope you liked it!
All that's left is the epilogue, which I'll try to post soon.
