Hello all! I'm back with a super fast update, haha. Sooo, I know I planned on ending this fic a long time ago, but I decided that instead of doing a sequel I'm just going to wrap everything up in this fic. All the loose ends that I would have left for the sequel I am just going to work out in this fic, sooo it will be a lot longer than I planned. But I know you guys don't mind, right?  thanks always to mhaj78, wildchild1017, Pyroangel8605, xharryxpotterx, aswen, christy86, and syaoronsangel. Y'all are the best!

Chapter 15-Trying to Forget

They walked around the lake together, pacing the familiar paths that they had worn into the ground since their first walk so long ago. Soon the image of the bushy-haired girl walking with the fiery redhead were familiar, it was almost unusual to not see them together. She began to feel more comfortable around him; they started talking to each other and helping the other through their own hard times. Hermione found herself looking forward to those walks along the lake, enjoying the time that she could finally break down and be herself. She loved seeing him, she loved finally being a part of other people's lives once again.

But, however much she looked forward to spending time with her new friend, no matter how much of her attention he now took up… there was still someone who consumed her mind deeper than any other human being ever could.

Hermione sighed. She needed to forget about him, she needed to move on. It had been six months today since he had left her, which was plenty of time for her to forget. He had obviously wasted no time after leaving her, she needed to do the same.

But somehow, she just couldn't let go.

Fred noticed her unusual silence as they paced around the lake, the sun setting in the distance with a fiery red. "Hermione, are you okay? You seem awfully quiet."

Hermione sighed, "I'm fine, Fred. Don't worry." She knew it was a lie, but she wasn't sure she was ready to talk about it yet.

Fred answered, "Well, that's fine. Maybe some studying and intense research in the library would cheer you up!!"

Hermione sighed, "I don't think so."

Fred stopped and stared at her in shock, hand clutching his chest as if he was suffering a heart attack at her words. "What? Hermione Granger, refusing to study?? Now I know something's wrong, there's no getting out of it, Granger. Spill."

Hermione sat on the ground, knowing that if she tried to tell this story while standing there was a good possibility that her knees would give out from the sheer force of her own words. She didn't want to tell him the story, she didn't want to make her own nightmares real again.

Fred sat by her, expectantly looking at her, awaiting her answer. She took a deep breath, trying to calm her nerves, trying to attach words to feelings that were too deep to ever truly describe.

"You miss him, don't you?" Fred asked, reading her thoughts perfectly.

She turned and looked at him in surprise. How did he know? Was it that obvious?

Fred laughed at her shocked expression. "Don't look at me that way, Hermione. You weren't as secretive as you thought you were."

Hermione looked away, feeling a little embarrassed.

"Hey, don't worry about it. We can't help… who we love." He said, sneaking a peek at her as he finished his words.

Hermione laughed hopelessly. "I wish we could, though. Fred… I wish I could just forget, I wish I could just pretend that it never happened. But it did happen, and everyone's telling me that I should just move on, forget about him and find another guy, find someone who will love me despite my blood… but Fred, it's so hard… it's so hard to just forget…" She started to cry a little against her better judgment.

Fred pulled her into a friendly embrace. "There, there, Hermione. Just let them say what they want, you take your time. They don't know what you went through, they don't understand. So you just take your time, okay? The right guy for you will still be waiting. He will be there for you when you realize that he has been the right one all along."

She sobbed, clutching him, trying to cling to what was now real in her life. "I hope you're right, Fred. But until that day comes… how am I supposed to deal with this? How can I even begin to think about forgetting him when he's everywhere I turn? Every time I see that characteristic smirk, every time I see that hair flip that he used to do… Sometimes I swear I can feel his eyes on me, sometimes it feels like he's never really gone, and then it hits me again, harder and harder until there's nothing left to feel. Does… Does it ever go away?"

Fred sighed, stroking her hair, trying to comfort her. "It does go away, Hermione. It might not leave today or tomorrow, next week or even next year, but eventually one day you will think of him, and those familiar pains of hurt and regret won't be there anymore. You can look back on your feelings for him, and smile at the good times you had, and then move on with your life. It may not happen soon, but believe me, I'll be there for you when it does."

Hermione looked up at him gratefully. "Fred, when did you become so sensitive? I didn't know you had this side to you."

Fred shrugged. "I am a man of many talents, and personalities too."

Hermione raised an eyebrow. "So you're schizophrenic, then?"

Fred laughed, and she joined, the sound like a beautiful symphony in the middle of a storm. "No, I'm not schizophrenic. You're confusing me with Ron."

Hermione laughed comfortably, relaxing in his embrace. She looked into his eyes, thinking how this was the first time she had been truly content since… well… since Draco. She could have fun and laugh, and joke around like she used to. She knew that it was all thanks to Fred. She wished she could forget Draco, she truly did… she knew now that there was someone else who would be willing to catch her when she fell.

"Thank you, Fred. You always make me feel so much better." Hermione said, looking deeply into his bright blue eyes.

Fred smiled, gently touching her cheek. "I do it all for you, bookworm. All for you." His finger slowly traced her jaw, coming to rest at her chin. Hermione found herself closing her eyes, getting lost in a touch that had been long forgotten.

She felt him moving in closer, and did nothing to stop it. Before she knew what was happening, they were kissing. She was overwhelmed with a rush of emotion, happiness that was floating perilously in a sea of sorrow that she had tried to drain long ago. The last time she had done this, the last time she had felt this way… there was a pair of pale grey eyes for her to gaze into, silky silver hair for her to run her fingers through…

Suddenly the memories crashed upon her. It was Draco she wanted to kiss, it was Draco she needed to be near… she couldn't do this. She couldn't hurt Fred after he had been so good to her.

She slowly pushed away. "I'm sorry."

It was all she needed to say.

Fred sighed. "I understand. You're not ready yet."

Hermione nodded. "Right."

Hermione stood up, feeling the sudden urge to go somewhere where she was truly alone. Maybe the library, maybe her dormitory. Anywhere but here. She needed to be left with her thoughts.

She was too far away to hear him whisper, "Maybe someday, Hermione. Maybe someday."

Unbeknownst to the two who had been so involved in each other by the lake, at the moment their lips touched, a sword in Dumbledore's office gleamed with ferocious violence and life as a bright-haired boy streamed through the night, suddenly overcome with jealousy and rage the likes of which he had never known.

XXXXXXXXX

"My lord, what is the meaning of this emergency gathering? What has happened?" A hidden face asked from the depths of a black hood, one of many in the dark circle that now filled the forbidden hideout.

Draco paced ferociously, not bothering to hide his agitation. He had watched her, ever since he had left. He saw her every day, it was so painful being so close to her but not being able to simply reach out and touch her. He wanted to make sure she was safe, he wanted to see that no one would hurt her because of her connection to him. And how had she repaid him?

She had kissed a Weasel.

Draco couldn't see anything but red. Fury danced in violent flames in front of him, torturing him into further madness. How could she do this? After all those words of promise, all the talk of belonging to each other, all the talk of love… it was all a lie. He knew it now, it was nothing more than a game to her. Nothing but a challenge, a way to toy with his feelings.

"My lord, what's wrong? Please tell us." Another dark, anonymous voice asked.

Draco whirled in the direction of the speaker. They could see the fury dancing ferociously just beyond the seemingly calm exterior of his cool, grey eyes. They could almost witness the betrayal that he had experienced, all because of the sheer force of his emotions.

"Mudbloods… all manipulative little devils, every last one of them!" He took back to pacing, trying to work his scattered, furious emotions into some sort of comprehendible language.

Snape twitched just a little bit at his words. "What happened?" He said, with much more concern in his voice than the others.

Draco turned to him. When Snape looked in his eyes, looking deeply as only Snape could, he saw not anger, but hurt. Sadness that transcended all understandings, pain that came only from those who were truly anguished. He saw the same feeling that he had felt himself, so long ago, when he had lost love.

Draco turned to them, looking them all in the eye. "Listen to me, all of you. Up until now, we have been prejudiced against Mudbloods because it is what we were told to do. Honestly, they had never done us any real harm. However, times have changed. I have been wronged by one, hurt beyond physical pain…. They are nothing but the scum beneath our feet. You are forbidden to interact with any Mudbloods except on the basis of torment. We have acted this way for many generations, only now are we putting this into a law instead of a mere prejudice. This is for your own good, this is to spare you much pain."

The death eaters glanced at each other in confusion, wondering who in the world he could be referring to.

Draco turned away from them, looking suddenly like a very small, lonely child. "I must leave you now. I have things to attend to." With a loud pop, he vanished from their sight.

The death eaters looked at each other in confusion. "What is this about? Obviously someone has caused our dear lord pain." One of them speculated. Snape assumed it was Goyle from the guttural, awkward voice.

"We must… help him." An eerily familiar voice said.

The others looked startled at the voice. Despite the fact that it had been several months since her addition, they still couldn't quite get used to her.

"Yes. This despicable mudblood who has hurt him must be put in her place."

Snape looked around frantically. What were they planning to do?

"But who is it?" Goyle asked again.

"Her…mione…. Granger…." Barely more than a whisper came out of the mouth of the shortest member, but it was all that was needed.

Snape's eyes darted from member to member. No, this was not what Draco wanted! He was sure of it.

"Find her, and kill her. The one who does… will surely be loved by the Dark Lord." Crabbe said.

"Show her what happens to those who hurt our lord!" Another one bellowed.

With a thousand loud pops, they were off. Only Snape remained, standing in the middle of the room with a pit of dread growing inside his stomach.

XXXXXXX

Draco paced around his room, furiously trying to rationalize his thoughts. He hated her, he hated her so much, why would she…. After everything they did, after everything that they had… why… why did she throw it all away?

"My lord. Why are you so upset?" The small voice that had become so familiar to him asked.

"Not now." Draco coldly responded.

"But I live… to serve you. There must be something." She answered in that same meek tone.

"Unless you can heal my pain." Draco answered, looking forlornly out the window.

She glanced downward, a lock of red hair falling out of her cape. She hastily tucked it away, it was a symbol of her old life. It was something she needed to forget, something that would hinder her in her future.

"Love… will kill you. It isn't worth it, my lord." She said. "End her, before she ends you."

Draco turned to her with shock written all over his face. "What? You want me to kill her?"

She cackled, a laugh that held only the slightest memory of true joy. "They will find her. They are going there now. They will save you, they will do what your love prohibits you from doing. They will make up for your weakness."

Draco stormed over, gripping her shoulders violently. "What? What have you done? Are you going to hurt her?"

"Not me… them. They only want what is best for you, my lord. Once she is gone, you can finally move on with your life." She said, his hands gripping her arms not scaring her in the least. "Love is nothing but a trap, my lord. And we will set you free."

"You know that's not true." Draco said deliberately. He looked in her eyes and saw a flash of memory there, something that could almost be called happiness, but soon it was gone, replaced by the blank stare that consumed her life.

"You are disappointed." She said, disgusted with her failure.

"I won't be if you can help me stop them." Draco said purposefully. "Are you in? Can you redeem yourself?"

She looked so hopeful at his words, so excited it almost made him sick. "Yes. Let us go."

With a pop, they apparated as close to Hogwarts as they could, running the rest of the way.