a/n I never intended this chapter to be this long however honestly I think it explains a bit more about Hermione's meeting and her history with Draco Even something that Harry doesn't know….. If you enjoy it would greatly appreciate a review or two wink wink nudge nudge Have fun and again sorry for the length.

More reviews will get chapter 4.

I own nothing except plot. Characters belong to J K Rowling.

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Fire and Ice

Hermione arrived back at Grimanald place to hear the lovely sounds of silence. She dropped her keys in the bowl in the front hallway. She walked into the kitchen with full intentions of having a quiet cup of coffee but sitting on the coffee maker (Harry's present to Hermione. He'd learnt what she was like without it) was a little white envelope. Curious, Hermione opened it.

Dear 'Mione

Hope your meeting with Victor went well. I didn't tell Harry why you were seeing him but I stand by what I said the other night, you should tell him.

Harry and I plan on spending today and possibly tomorrow looking at wedding venues. I'm trying to persuade Harry that Scotland is the place to have it but he seems to think Fiji is better so most likely won't be back until late tomorrow. It seems my fiancé hasn't realised that it's cyclone season, in our spring, in Fiji and by Merlin this wedding will happen in spring!!!

Have fun and put your feet up. Dobby is still at Mum's, so no worries there.

Cheers

Ginny

Xoxo

Hermione sighed and put the letter down.

"Poor Harry. He'll have a fight on his hands." she stifled a laugh at the thought of Harry trying to make Ginny choose Fiji for their wedding. "Men" she snorted. They really could be such blockheads. Draco had been the same during their wedding planning. She started. After avoiding all memories of Draco she now found herself musing on him at intervals, and surprisingly she wasn't thinking of him in any evil manner. Sure during their school years he had been mean and cruel to her and her friends but on the last Hogsmeade trip he had confessed his love for her. She had had a crush on him for years. He was so handsome, smart and talented. But she had never considered it a possibility because he had so venomously bullied muggle borns or "mud bloods".

She paused remembering that day. Dumbledore had organised a party at the Three Broomsticks for all the seventh years so they all had good memories of their time at Hogsmeade. She and Ron had participated in the karaoke and were sitting with Harry listening politely to Lavender's terrible song when she spotted Draco talking to Dumbledore.

Flashback

"Thank you Miss Brown. Very….enlightening. In a surprise entry we now have Mr. Malfoy singing "All out of love" by Westlife as that seems to be the only version we have here. Please welcome him on stage."

The intro music started to play and Malfoy stepped up on stage. He dimmed the lights with his wand.

"I'd like to dedicate this song to the woman I have loved for too long fro too far away." Hermione was disgusted. Sytherins singing to each other, and look at Pansy. If she got anymore excited, she'd burst.

"I'm lying alone with my head on the phone
Thinking of you till it hurts
I know you hurt too but what else can we do
Tormented and torn apart
I wish I could carry your smile and my heart
For times when my life feels so low
It would make me believe what tomorrow could bring
When today doesn't really know, doesn't really know

But wait, he was looking at her. She shivered despite the warm air.

I 'm all out of love, I'm so lost without you
I know you were right believing for so long
I 'm all out of love, what am I without you
I can't be too late to say that I was so wrong

He was still looking. There were shivers running down her spine and if the hair on the back of her neck stood up anymore…………

I want you to come back and carry me home
Away from this long lonely nights
I'm reaching for you, are you feeling it too
Does the feeling seem oh so right
And what would you say if I called on you now
And said that I can't hold on
There's no easy way, it gets harder each day
Please love me or I'll be gone, I'll be gone

I 'm all out of love, I'm so lost without you
I know you were right believing for so long
I 'm all out of love, what am I without you
I can't be too late to say that I was so wrong

Oh, what are you thinking of?
What are you thinking of?
Oh, what are you thinking of?
What are you thinking of?

He was nearly finished. Hermione wondered what would happen next.

I 'm all out of love, I'm so lost without you
I know you were right believing for so long
I 'm all out of love, what am I without you
I can't be too late to say that I was so wrong"

He finished the full song and the paused. He seemed to be struggling with his emotions but never the less he looked at her then turned to the crowd;

"I love Hermione Granger. I have since the first day I meet her but never made a move. My father stopped me, my friends stopped me but now I don't care." He turned back to Hermione. "I love you. I'm sorry about all those years of teasing and bulling. It hurt me to know that it hurt you. I was actually happy that day you punched me. I deserved it so much. I'm so in love with you. Please just give me, give us a chance. I really do love you. I want the world to know that I don't care that I'm pureblood and she's muggle born. I don't care that she's Gryffindor and I'm Sytherin. Please Hermione I love you." he paused waiting nervously for her answer. The whole room had gone silent looking at her.

END FLASHBACK

Hermione had gone to him then and they had never looked back. They finished school and due to the war making things difficult, moved straight in together. Draco had made amends with Harry almost immediately, just for Hermione's sake. Ron had been a bit harder. Draco had never really gotten on with him and after the "Weasley is our King" song Draco had co written with Pansy in their fifth year, there was a lot of damage. Although Ron and Draco both loved Hermione in their own way and were willing to give it a go for her sake. When Ron had died they were just beginning to build bridges.

Hermione had leant against the kitchen sink with her coffee while thinking. She was so deep in her thoughts she didn't notice the owl tapping against the window. The huge tawny had a letter tightly rolled to it. The bird looked vaguely familiar to Hermione but she couldn't place it. Opening the window, she let the owl in. It waited patiently on the scrubbed wood table. She untied the scroll to read the name written on it. What she saw shocked her. There in Draco's handwriting was her name. Just the sight of his tight controlled writing made her stomach lurch. She paused and turned it over to check. There in black and silver was the Malfoy seal. With trembling hands she opened the letter and began to read.

Draco was shocked to see his fiancée with another man. So shocked in fact that he apperated straight to their home. He had wandered the rooms for nearly an hour. Needlessly picking up and putting down the dusty objects had no effect on him, what did was seeing their dried out Christmas tree still sitting in the corner of the study with a pile of unopened presents beside it. She hadn't been back since the night they left. Their mugs were still sitting in the sink where she'd put them after their Christmas hot chocolate, just before they went over to Potter's house. She had intended to wash them afterwards.

Draco sat in his study surrounded by the books Hermione had loved so much, looking at the blank piece of parchment and began to write. He had to tell Hermione what really happened that night and to tell her he still loved her and why he had come back. Half way though he reread it only to decide it was too sappy and throw it out. The next letter was too cold, the third too pathetic and needy but he could not find fault with the forth. He summoned Merlin his owl and posted it before all the regrets sunk in.

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Hermione,

I suspect that I'm the last person you want to hear from but I'm in England and need to talk to you. Meet me at the Three Broomsticks on Thursday night at 7pm. Don't be late and don't bother replying. On Thursday I'll tell you what really happened that night. It's the best explanation I can offer.

I know you and Potter have trust issues so just so that you know. I'll add this. We eloped the night before the last battle and were married by Dumbledore. You didn't want to say anything and we only did it because you were worried I wouldn't come back to you. That night we laughed and ate in the Three Broomsticks but later we danced in the moonlight at the edge of the village and I told you that "At this moment, I know that no matter what happens, I will always love you."

Until Thursday then, my dear.

Your husband

Draco Malfoy

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The paper fluttered from Hermione's hand and her hand went to her heart. It took her a moment to register that the laboured drawn breathing she was hearing was coming from her own mouth. She collapsed into the seat. Only Hermione, Draco and Victor knew that she had eloped with Draco before the final battle. She knew she hadn't written it and it was unlikely that her friend had either. She had had a meeting with Victor earlier this morning. She had hired him to find Draco, behind Harry's back of course, shortly after Draco's disappearance. Victor had assured her he would do his best, it was his job after all. Sadly Victor hadn't been able to trace her erstwhile husband, today's meeting had confirmed that.

Now here she was receiving letters out of the blue from someone, who could only be Draco, describing their wedding and wanting to meet. As she walked upstairs and showered she pondered what to do. Slipping her night gown over her head she came to a decision. She needed to talk to Mrs Weasley.

Hermione stood on the doorstep to The Burrow. For many years this had been known to her as Ron's home. His room was their meeting place, Ron, Harry and her. Now The Burrow was a reminder of past and Ron's room was kept as if he still lived there. She approached the door and knocked. The door swung open revelling a well kept women. Although Molly was shorter than Hermione, Hermione had the sensation of being smothered by a giant teddy bear.

"Hermione dear, how lovely to see you." The two women broke apart only for a speeding potato to hit Hermione around the legs. On closer inspection she realised it was Dobby. The house elf was crying in loud dry sobs. Hermione bent down to talk to him.

"Dobby what's the matter?"

The elf looked up at her with a tearstained face. "Oh miss. Dobby is dreadfully sad. Mrs won't let Dobby do housework." Hermione bit back a smile. "Is that so Dobby?" The house elf nodded tearfully.

"Dobby how about you go home and clean the bathrooms? I sure Harry would be very pleased." Although Hermione was still very upset about the plight of house elves she knew Dobby was only truly happy when he was cleaning, and she wanted to talk to Molly alone.

Ten minutes later she was sitting in the living room with a hot cup of tea.

"Molly, there's something I need to tell you. It's very important and I know I can trust you. Unfortunately it means saying things about Draco and Ron that you don't know." Hermione couldn't look the older women in the eye.

"Hermione dear, you are like a daughter to me and if you didn't tell me then I'm sure you had a good reason. I have accepted Ron's death and Draco's role in it so if you need to talk, talk." Molly raised Hermione's chin with her finger and looked her straight in the eye. "I mean what I said at Ron's funeral. If you ever need to talk I will listen and not judge."

Hermione took a breath and began her story.

a/n Ha Cliff hanger. Don't you just love them. It's too cold to keep writing so I'm finishing now. The flashback is a modified segment from "What am I without you?" a shot one shot by me. However that story has no relevance to this one just using that segment. Read and Review that one too……….Hermione's story is next but only if I get more reviews so take some time and push that button. It takes two minutes and every author needs to hear how well they're doing or if you think something can be made better. Sorry but it seems each chapter is just getting longer than the next……

Til next time.

Rock on.

Kiwi-messer.