I Say Yes
Summary: Kagome Higurashi had only ever wanted to have a normal life. Get married, have kids, go to work, nice friends...normal. Easier said than done...right? Wrong! In fact, it was simple, well, most of it was. With a newly placed Marriage Law placed between her world and the magical world...what can she do though...life isn't a fairytale, and dreams don't come true...do they?
Anime: InuYasha/Harry Potter
Pairing: Kagome/Lucius – Hermione/Draco
Genre: Romance/Hurt/Comfort
Rated: M
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Draco leaned against the lookout in the Astronomy tower, having arrived early, he was having second thoughts about the location. Playing back the death of his Headmaster, he sighed. Dropping his head forward, he played with his sleeves as he waited for Hermione to arrive. 'What am I doing?' He glanced back at where he and Severus had stood a few years ago. Last time he'd seen Dumbledore...his Godfather had killed the old man to protect him. Was he thankful? Yeah...sure. Did he feel sick thinking about it? All the time. More than that, the days that followed Dumbledore's death had left him a little more broken and emptier than the days prior...until Voldemort took Severus from him. That had almost killed him and his mother, even his father had felt the loss of his friend. It hit them all hard. "Blasted fool..." the words slipped out just as a head of caramel light brown hair came into view.
A finely raised brow became a knowing sign of an unamused Hermione. "Fool? You couldn't possibly be talking about me."
Her doe brown eyes met with his silvery blue, and he found himself unable to speak. He was solidified by her stare.
"Well? Are you going to say something, or just stare at me?"
He wondered the same thing. It had been...what? Barely four months since he'd seen her last. School hadn't started yet...in fact, the last time he'd seen her, he'd turned his back on his classmates. Walking into the arms of Voldemort, he had resisted the urge to throw up when the Wizard had hugged him loosely. All that he had done, all that he was doing...was for his family. It was for his father...his mother...and it was for Severus. Hermione would never understand that he was fighting a different war altogether. Somehow, he knew that she would never understand, yet...a small part of him hoped, maybe...just maybe, she would.
"Malfoy!" Hermione waved a hand in front of the platinum blonde, "you're starting to worry me."
"Ah...sorry about that." He broke his gaze from hers and turned to look back outside. Some minor restorations were still being implemented with the help of the Ministry of Magic, but the school was at least put back together again. "Granger, if you could change anything, would you?"
"Are you talking about the Marriage Law, or the War?" Her eyes strayed past him and out the window he stood in front of.
"...I'm not sure. Both I guess."
Shaking her head, she let a small sigh escape her, "I don't know that I could. The War left the wizarding world in shambles, true enough. However, as many as we lost, if I were to try changing something, I could make things worse. I spent countless weeks thinking about it, thankfully, the remaining time turners were destroyed, so I couldn't act out on my feelings. As for the law, without a positive change in the War, there would be no change to the passing of this law. I signed it, because I found no other way to preserve the Wizarding World. Draco...we are a dying breed...I understand that, do you?"
He closed his eyes as silence followed her lengthy response. He was surprised that they were talking, and not simply insulting one another. Perhaps he never had a problem with the Know-it-all, maybe it was school that brought out the worst in him. Or maybe, it just doesn't matter to him anymore. Why did he bully her? Was it because she was a muggle-born? She was the smartest and most talented Witch of their year! He turned around and stared at her, her eyes still looking out the window. He stepped forward and tilted his head a bit, "the choices I made-"
"I don't fault you, Malfoy." Her attention turned back to him, "we all did what we had to do to survive. You were dealt a bad hand."
"...a bad hand?"
"Surely you know what Poker is." She shook her head at his confused look, "never mind that. Listen to me...what happened, happened. It can't be changed. The choices you made, the people we've lost, the lessons we've learned...take it in. You can be so much more than that Cowardly Ferret that you were... why does your past have to define you?"
Tears burned at the corner of his eyes, and as he felt a heavy weight begin lifting from his shoulders, he let out all the heartache he'd been feeling for the last three years. Bowing his head, he made to turn around and hide his tears. Trying to maintain some semblance of his dignity, but Hermione would have none of that. To his disbelief, a pair of arms found him and held him in a warm hug. Something he hadn't felt since his mother left him and his father. He didn't want to cry, to feel this broken or helpless, but it felt like his emotions had completely turned against him. He had no control anymore, still...in these arms, he was being shielded from societies oppressive judgement. There was some solace in that.
"Cry. Forgive. Learn. Move on. Let these tears water the seeds of your future happiness." She pulled back and a small smile found her lips, though did little to reach her eyes. "One of my father's favorite authors, Steve Maraboli, said that. He is a Behavioral Scientist. Believes that wanting, hoping and wishing for change and success...isn't enough. Desire doesn't change lives...behavior does. Draco...you have the chance to have a better future, you need only make steps towards it, and then follow through. Once you have the future you want, never let it go...hold on to it...no matter what."
"Granger..."
She shook her head and smiled, "you are aware that I have a first name, right?"
"Tch, of course I am!" He moved out of her arms, wiping his tears away in a motion that was disguised as he turned his back to her. In a show of pompous disregard for her kindness, he shrugged his shoulders and waved her off. "However, you will always be Granger to me. No marriage law will change that."
Though, even as he said it, a stifled chuckle from behind him gave off the impression that, Hermione wasn't buying what he was selling.
"Draco," somber, her tone changed from solace to solemn. "I don't want to be unhappy. I...want to make this work. I know, I'm not your first choice...I'm not even your first ten choices. Still..."
A disheartened laugh met his ears. He felt torn, listening to her speak as if he thought she wasn't good enough for him. True, he never gave her reason to think he respected her...she had always respected herself. She empowered herself. "We can make it work. To be honest, I never had a list...now I don't need one. I have, the brightest witch of our year...a hero, martyr, the only female of the Golden Trio...and soon to be Hermione Malfoy. I just hope, you don't mind being tied down to me. After all, I am a Malfoy...we've been known to be a stubborn bunch." He held his hand out cautiously, uncertain if he was making a fool of himself, or if maybe he was doing more harm than good. He smiled as she tentatively took his hand in hers and settled next to him in the window.
"I think...I can handle a Malfoy or two."
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Me: Here is chapter eight, I hope everyone enjoyed!