Disclaimer: I own nothing, but my thoughts of AU and OC, the rest all belong to J K Rowling.

Chapter 26

Malfoy Manor, tonight looked like a graveyard. Long back, Draco Malfoy had realized that wealth could help you stick out your head while you are tossed by the high waves of your own wrong deeds, as long as it lasts. And then you are bound to drown in the depths of your own crimes and those committed by your kin.

He walked in, letting his boots hit against the marble floor, a sound that echoed through many corridors of the empty manor. Just two souls and a handful of house elves. The ministry had wanted the house elves to find new wizard houses. Many had expressed their desire to leave. Draco had gladly given away clothes to them. Only a handful stuck by their "true masters."

He had nearly made his way to the dining room when he saw his image on an ornate mirror. Looking at his tired face, he called out for his house elf.

"Tink!"

A pop later a tiny houseelf, in ironned green apron, popped in.

"Master calls Tink. Tink is here to serve."

Gracing the chirpy house-elf, with his most genuine smile, Draco knelt before it, "Could you inform mother, I would just go and have a quick shower, and that I will join her shortly."

"Tink will do that, Tink will inform the Mistress, Master looks sad…is Master needing anything?"

"Umm, Tink, could you arrange for some fresh clothes. I might have to leave, once dinner is over."

"Tink will, Master. Tink knows, Master cares. Tink will go now." The house elf vanished with another pop.

Confused at Tink's random rumbling, Draco started climbing the grand stairs. He dragged himself into his room with his heart growing heavier with every single step he took. Shredding his clothes, he staggered into the bathroom. When the door closed behind him, he felt as if the walls were closing on to him, as well. His eyes were burning, and he could feel the pin pricking sensation of tears threatening to roll down. He could still hear his father's voice in his head. Malfoys don't cry. Bastard. Coward.

A wave of his hand triggered the shower panel and soon cascades of water started filling up the magically enclosed glass cubicle. Keeping his hands on the wall, he stood under the water. And for the first time in the last 48 hours, he started crying. Yelling at the walls and at the million droplets of water to save him from this oppressive torture called love. Yes, Draco Malfoy had fallen in love with Hermione Granger. And while the witch was still battling for her life, here he was crying over his beating heart.

His mind ran back to that one night, just after the school had reopened.

The students had convinced the professors to allow them to organize a ball to celebrate the victory. They all had badly wanted to forget the gruesome past. The general thought is those early days of euphoria was, "Start thinking life was back to being all right once again."

But Draco Malfoy had stayed hidden in one of the concealed rooms of the library. He had discovered it while searching for rare resources on ways to make the Vanishing Cabinet work. He had been drinking smuggled in firewhiskey. Drowning himself, in his own sorrows, while floors below, the whole school was going crazier by the minute.

He was shocked to discover that Hermione Granger, in a burgundy party dress, was standing near the entrance. She had kept staring at him and when he had tried to utter something sensible to her, not just his usual disparaging words, she had walked in and had closed the door behind her. This time with a strong locking spell. A second later, she had also added a strong silencing spell.

Curious at the odd interest of the witch to be locked in here with him, Draco had arched his brows in question. She had come over and had sat in front of him, on the floor. Sitting like this cross-legged her dress had ridden up above her knees, exposing her milky white thighs for him. He had to gulp a couple of times to pretend he wasn't truly bothered. Though Granger seemed past caring. She had grabbed on to the bottle of firewhiskey and had taken a long swig. Drinking and spattering, coughing to get rid of the burning feeling traveling down her throat, she had laughed, "Finally something."

Draco had grabbed back at the bottle and had drank up some of the liquid, in reply. Looking back at her, he had noticed, her face tries hard not to crack into a goofy smile. But the witch could never hold it together. Hermione had giggled at him. Openly. The sound of her giggling had multiplied since the room was nearly empty.

He had got annoyed at the caustic edge that comes with it. It reminded him of Bellatrix. She had been haunting him most of the nights. And every night, she has been killing Hermione in his dreams. And watching her die, again and again- drove him mad. He did not like hearing her screams...convulsing under his aunt's cruciatus curse… He never really hated her. Though, in the beginning, he was irritated. But he had watched her working hard and he knew how great a competitor she was. Down the years, he had grown to appreciate her.

And that day, he had marveled her. Her blood on the floor was as red as his, and her eyes had called out to his soul. To get rid of the image of her tortured body on the floor of his living room, he had started thinking of how she had been living the day of her life, that evening in the yule ball, and how she looked each time, sunlight got caught in her bushy mane.

He was quite intoxicated and he could not make out why Hermione is still looking like Bellatrix. No, Not that psycho Witch…this time he would throttle her to death. He had lunged at the giggling girl. And in no time, he had grabbed at her throat and had squeezed it. But Granger had tears in her eyes. He had realized what he had done and was about to get away, but she had toppled him and had straddled him.

Though his hand was still around her throat she had moaned and had brought her face close to him. "Please, please, make me, feel. I want to feel. Please." She had brought her lips right over his and had said the last couple of words. Squeezing and grinding herself into him seductively. And all he could do was grab her head with his other hand and hold it firmly, while he had kissed her. She tasted of punch and firewhiskey and there were other scents overruling his sense of space and time. In the meantime, she had managed to free his hands and had sat straight. Still pleading, she had removed her dress in one swift motion, the fabric had flown off to one corner, forgotten. She had next, took hold of his shirt and had ripped that apart.

In order to take matters in his hand, he had sat up. They were sitting nose to nose. Granger on his lap, rocking her hip, grinding into him. He had first caught hold of her hands, roaming over his body, then had slowly softened the aggression of her kisses, into small tender pecks. She was crying hard. And when he had managed to hold her face in his hand, she had whispered, "She made me look so ugly, then I can't look into the mirror. And I will never know what love is, now when Ron is going about romping around…"

And before she could think of anything else, and before she had the chance to change her mind, Draco Malfoy had trapped her lips in between his chaffed ones and had kissed her thoroughly, leaving no room for her to think. He had kissed every inch of her body. He had made sure his kisses were like offerings. He was like a man on a mission. He had made her forget the rest of the world, dragging her till the very edge of that sensual dance and had held her in his arms as he had taken the final dive into the abyss right away, again and again. And each time, he had jumped off, he had made sure to take her with him, screaming his name. For the first time, he had made love.

And he could not have let it be like that. The one and only. So, he had gone on and on drawing pleasure from her and giving her in return, again and again. Like lovers do. His name on her lips sounded like a siren's call… Her skin tasted like ambrosia. If she was Death personified, he would have loved to die, a million times. When they had finally squeezed out every bit of passion out of each other. They had cradled each other close and cried, letting the pain apologize for past mistakes. Over the crimes and the murders, they were forced to commit. And over a war that had forcefully raped their innocence again and again.

In the early hours of dawn, He had woken up from a blissful sleep, to find Granger all dress up. She had just mended his clothes as well. He had tentatively grabbed her hand. Gathering some more courage, he had kissed her. Soft and tender brushes of swollen lips. She had kissed back as well. Then in a cold, unfeeling voice, she had broken him into pieces. "This never happened. If you really, truly ever cared for me, then this never happened."

And she had left the room without turning back.

A lazy wave of his hand and the real world was back on battering his resolve. But he was Draco Malfoy. And he had learnt to pick himself up, after falling down, each time life had felt like tossing him like a rag doll. His stomach growled. His dinner was waiting. His mother was waiting. And the Hogwarts…his Godfather…Hermione would be needing him very soon.

A/N: Serious feedbacks on this one please! what you liked and what you did not like! I tried my hand at writing something completely new for me. And thank you, for those lovely reviews. Do keep pouring them, Writing Severus's POV in the revelation is taking a toll on my mind. Nothing is sounding feating enough for him. What a frustrating enigma.