Draco heard the murmurs fade as his body shut down. He later opened his eyes to find the bathroom restored to its normal state and the space around him empty. She really did bring him back…what a fool she was…to bring him back after all he had done… He slowly raised his hand to the empty air where Hermione once was. A weak smile spread upon his lips as he thought of her. It wasn't until after the happiness faded that a new feeling overcame him…
Pain. It shot through his body like fire once more. He realized it was because of the pain he had just overcome. When he thought of her face…he remembered the pain he was in the last time his eyes were open. The last time she was before him…the last time he said he had loved her as if it was the last time he ever would repeat those very words. The worst feeling of all…was the fact that he knew he never really would see her again.
Draco winced and silently cursed as he slowly got to his feet. His body was still in an achy state. He slowly put one foot forward once he was on his feet. It was as if he had to learn how to walk all over again. He headed for the doors and pushed them open. The corridor that he faced seemed to be dim. It had to be after their bed time. Not that he ever really paid attention to the rules. This gave him a sly smile at the thought. It wasn't until he had returned to his sleeping quarters that he wondered…'how much time has passed since I've been out? It couldn't have been too long…'
After wandering the halls he realized that everyone was in the mess hall. It was dinner time? He walked in casually. No one really paid much attention meaning he couldn't have been absent for long. Then he heard the words…from the 'oh-so-great-wizard' named Dumbledore.
"It brings me great grief to state that someone from this school is missing and no where to be found. The Ministry of Magic believes she may be in the muggle world." His deep, slow voice spoke to the entire school.
His head shot towards her table. "No…" He whispered. He saw that Hermione was gone. "No, no, no, no, no!" He quickly got to his feet and walked out. He quickly strode down the corridors. The familiar room of his sleeping quarters was empty just as it was before. He turned his head towards his bed where his broom lay underneath. Draco whispered a spell, one that would put himself in her head so that he could find where she was.
"Why do you want me? I didn't do anything." Her voice was light, her breath wispy. She looked up but quickly looked back down. The man before her seemed pale. He seemed familiar. She obviously knew him. "You are close to him…no?" The man whispered. His voice was as vile as those of snakes. Although snakes could not speak, his voice seemed to hiss. Hermione shook her head slowly. "No…not anymore…I mean…I am…but…." She didn't want to hurt him…she didn't know what he would do to Draco if she spoke. "What are you going to do?" She asked, she sounded as if she were almost in tears. "Torture you. I'll put it in his head because he cannot find you and by the time he does…it'll be too late." The voice hissed slowly, smoothly once more. Her head shot up towards him. Voldemort. His lips curled up into a horrid smile.
Draco shook his head quickly. He wouldn't let Voldemort get into his head. No, not now…not ever. He grabbed his broom in a hurry and ran outside. He swung his left leg over the broom so that it remains between his legs. He wrapped both hands around the broom towards the top, and with that…he was off. He wasn't entirely sure where he was going, but her surroundings seemed to be oddly familiar. Once in the muggle world, Draco was completely lost. He looked around for anything familiar but since both his parents were purebloods, he knew nothing of the muggle world. Other than the fact that until you were 17, you were not allowed to use magic. He quickly landed on the ground and made his broom disappear to act civilized. Right then and there the images started…
Screeches of pain escaped her lips as she remained curled up on the floor. "Kill me now!" She cried as pain seemed to surge through her body. "Please! Kill me!" she cried. She wanted the pain to stop. "Draco…kill me!" she yelled once more. She continued to request that Draco was the one to kill her. She couldn't bare the pain. She wanted to live no longer. Though she didn't know why she wanted to die.
"NO!" Draco yelled as he shut his eyes tightly as if it was a nightmare. He slammed his body up against one of the walls close by and held either side of his head as if he were suffering from a headache. He hoped it would just go away, and it had. "What has he done…? What has he done to her…?" He whispered, he was out of breath. He shook his head once more and quickly stood straight. He started running through the alley ways, trying to find her. "Hermione…" he whispered. He couldn't lose her…he loved her.
A very old, abandoned home passed into his view. One of the windows was open. He didn't know why he thought he knew the place. He slowly walked towards it, his eyes wandering the burned wood. It was obviously burned…most of the furniture was now tiny bits. Draco walked to a bookshelf. Several of the shelves had fallen, though one stood standing. Two actually…he looked on the shelves and found old, shattered picture frames. The pictures inside seemed to have been burned while the frames were only partially. He studied one of the pictures and recognized the child in the middle. The girl had brown, curly hair. She had a wide smile upon her face. He couldn't believe it…"Hermione…" the name escaped his lips as he looked at the frame.
He wondered if she knew. Or if her parents had escaped in time. "Who would have done this?" he looked up towards the ceiling. He looked at it as if someone full of answers was there and he was expecting one. "This is horribl—"The frame fell to the ground and completely fell apart, leaving the picture alone on the floor. Draco's body fell not too long after, his hands clenching his head once more.
Voldemort took a look around the home they were in. The home was also abandoned but was empty. Bare. He looked out the window to show the street in which they were on before turning towards a screaming Hermione. "Please…go away! Leave me alone! Draco!" She yelped. She kept screaming as if he could hear her. As if he would come right away. "Aveda Kadavera." His voice hissed in a pleasant way. The body of the girl he had fallen in love with went pale and lifeless. She remained on the floor as the image slowly faded.
Sobs escaped his mouth as he lay there. His eyes were up on the ceiling. His arms spread out as if he were going to make snow angels. He didn't want to move. He couldn't. But something forced him to. He slowly sat up and started to get to his feet. He started walking slowly outside. Draco's eyes were frozen on any object that was parallel to him. Then the memories returned…
Hermione smiled her usual smile towards him. "Everyone's staring." She whispered to him as she looked down towards their interlaced hands. Draco smiled back towards her as he kissed her cheek, "They have a reason. Students from Slytherin aren't supposed to be with Gryffindor students, let alone be friends." He whispered into her ear. He gave a soft laugh as he saw a soft blush spread across her cheeks. "I love you…" He whispered, now looking into her eyes. She smiled a soft smile up towards him, returning the gaze into his gray eyes. "I love you too."
Draco broke into a run now. He started searching for the street that he had seen in the image. Once he had found it, he sprinted towards the house. He ran through the open door and up the stairs. He found her lifeless body on the floor. His tears returned, falling down his cheek as he scooped Hermione up into his arms. "You can't be dead…you promised…you'd never leave me…you promised you'd be there until the end…our end…please baby…you can't die…" He whispered through sobs as he pulled her against his chest and rocked her back and forth. Draco softly whispered a curse that he had learned from the dark lord.
"This will bring any being you kill on your way to complete your task…dear Draco…Malfoy." The voice hissed.
He watched to see if it would work. After her lifeless body remained the way it was. Draco leaned his head back. He closed his eyes and allowed his sobs to grow.
"You never were one to really see someone die…" a soft female voice whispered weakly.
Draco quickly looked down towards the body he held against his chest and saw her smile. He smiled widely and crushed his lips against hers, forcing a gasp of surprise to escape her lips before kissing him back.