Hermione sat in Dumbledore's office with the rest of the group, it was the next day after the battle and they had re told the story over a hundred times, each hating the part about Draco. Pansy and Ginny had no clue what Hermione was feeling so all they could do was comfort her. Ron, Harry and Blaise supported the girls. Every single time Hermione closed her eyes all she could see was Draco diving in front of the killing curse for her. 'He loved me enough to sacrifice himself for me,' she sobbed into her hands.
"Alright I think I've gotten all that I need," he looked over at her "Ms. Granger, would you like to talk, privately?"
She shook her head no and stood up. The rest did the same, but Dumbledore motioned them to sit back down as they all watched her walk out of the office.
"She needs time to herself right now," he sighed, but the twinkle in his eyes was brighter then they have ever been.
"Umm…what did Snape do with the body," Harry asked as everyone glanced at him.
"That Mr. Potter cannot be answered," he got up and exited out of the room.
"That man-"
"Irritates the hell out of me with his answers," Ginny finished Harry's sentence. The group sat there in silence until Pansy's sobs interrupted it. Ron pulled her next to him and rubbed her back.
"It'll be okay."
"No it won't! Draco's dead Ronald," she stared at him "Hermione's in the worst pain anyone could ever be in right now."
Ginny started sobbing as well "Oh Draco come back," Blaise was trying to choke back his tears now, Draco was after all his best friend who introduced them to one another. Pansy thought about all the times Blaise and him would trade off girlfriends and laughed inside. Harry and Ron couldn't help, but miss his smart remarks. They would give anything to be called any horrible name by him right now.
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Hermione pushed open the castle doors and light fled onto her face lighting up the tear stains on her cheeks, automatically she looked over by the lake for him and to her sadness he wasn't there 'Stupid thought Hermione'. She slowly walked over there taking in all their memories they've had together, all coming at her at once…
"She's Jealous because she thinks a Mud Blood is prettier than her and she can't have that, but I keep telling her that she is, I wonder why I ever told her that" Draco trailed off.
'Did he just say I was pretty?' Hermione started to smile and Draco noticed this.
"No Granger you are not pretty to me!" She frowned and they sat in silence.
She smiled, and then another one came…
"What Granger can't take your eyes off me, can you?"
"No I can't."
"And why would that be, Granger" He lifted his eye brows at her as he thought some pretty interesting thoughts crossing his mind. As she leaned closer he could feel her lips slightly brush against his ear. Quivers went down his spine before she finally spoke up.
"Your zipper's undone."
She laughed a little, but sobbed also, those were just some of the memories she had with him. Her favorite was Valentine's Day…
He held her close around her waist kissing her lightly on the lips.
"Ferret," she smiled.
"Yes my bookworm," he laughed.
"I love you."
"I love you."
'I miss him,' she sat on the rock where he fell for her and sobbed some more as she relived that memory. Draco was her everything and with him gone she felt like she had nothing else to live for. 'Hermione don't think that! Draco would've never have wanted you to think such things. You have your family and friends to live for.' She gazed across the lake and curled her feet up to her body and let her tears poor. Meanwhile Lucius and Narcissa were just standing outside the doors looking at her.
"Poor girl," Narcissa sobbed.
"I know," Lucius held Faith and his wife "I know."
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The days flew by and soon it was graduation day and everyone at Hogwarts was running around getting their gowns on, it had been 3 days ago when they held the memorial for Draco. Many tears were shed that day, but today everyone pushed all the sadness away for this fine glorious day for all the students, it was after all Graduation. Hermione was seated at the front and the head boy's seat remained empty with just the Slytherin crest on it. Everyone stood up as Dumbledore addressed the students.
"My fellow students and teachers another year has ended, but lives are just now beginning I am proud to present this class to their family and friends who are joining us today with Voldemort gone there is no need for extra protection or people living in fear," he nodded to Hermione who stood up next.
"Hello my fellow students I'm your Head girl Hermione Granger," Silence.
"Go Hermione!" Pansy yelled which caused her to smile.
"I just wanted to say…" she looked at Draco's chair and blinked back the tears "I am very proud to have known all of you and even the ones I've never really hung out with probably know me by the Gryffindor book worm," many Slytherins sniggered "And others no me by other names," silence 'Get a grip Hermione. You're acting so stupid,' she thought to herself. She was at loss of words without Draco by her side.
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"Hermione's getting mutilated up there," Ron tried not to look for he was feeling her embarrassment "I mean come on…It mustn't be that hard."
"Ronald! Hermione's up there trying to make her head girl speech without Draco and as you can tell she's suffering and I bet you're not helping with that ridiculous look you keep giving her," he looked at Pansy and straightened out his face.
"Your right Pansy," he pulled her closer to him "I love you."
Ginny and Blaise kept their focus on Hermione everyone could tell this was hard on her. Blaise grabbed Ginny's hand has her speech came to an end. Ginny looked up into his eyes, but caught a glimpse of platinum blonde hair, but to her disappointment it was just Lucius.
"Ginny…"
"Blaise."
"I want to get married," he smiled.
She smiled as well and began to over look the crowd. She was going to graduate next year…she whipped her head around.
"WHAT!?"
He started to laugh "It's not a proposal or anything I just wanted to let you know I plan on marrying you when you graduate next year." She kissed him hard on the lips and giggled.
"If someone told me back in my 1st year I'd want to marry Blaise Zabini, Slytherin, and Draco Malfoy's best mate. I'd slap the shit out of that person for saying such thing, but now I'm happier than ever with you." He pulled her into a kiss as everyone threw their hats into the air. Ron grabbed Pansy and kissed her and Cho and Harry did the same. Cho came in for graduation day. Hermione looked over her class wearing their black graduation gown with the Hogwarts crest on the right side and their grad caps on with the tassel being the color of the house they belong too. She caught her friends sharing sweet kisses as the hats were being thrown and at that moment she looked up at the Malfoys who were smiling brightly at her with Faith propped up waving at her with her Father's help. She smiled back and waved, she scanned the crowd again to find her parents trying to come towards the stage.
"Mum! Dad!"
Her mother engulfed her into a big hug "Hermione we are so proud of you!"
"Really even after my horrible speech," she sighed "I've gotten everything right in Hogwarts, but I ruin the most important thing of all…Graduation."
"Oh Hermione stop it," her dad pulled her in "You were great, love."
"You both are just saying that because you're my parents."
"No I think their saying that because you truly were great," Lucius came along with his family.
"Thanks Mr. Malfoy," she turned around "Mum Dad I want you to meet the Malfoys," Her parents extended their hands and shook.
"Pleasure to meet you…I'm very sorry about your loss," her mother said which Hermione couldn't believe she said.
"Oh it wasn't really a loss," Narcissa bounced Faith up and down "This is Faith."
'Not a loss? Draco was their damn son,' Hermione thought.
"Awe she is so adorable!" Hermione's mother held her hands out and Narcissa handed Faith over. While the Fathers just looked on, Hermione left them to get acquainted with one another while she searched for her friends. Harry found her first and led her over by the seats where the rest of them were.
"Hermione!" Ginny and Pansy threw their arms around her.
"Your speech was amazing!"
"Really Ginny, what did I say?"
"Well you congratulated us on graduating and wished us luck in the future," Pansy said as she pulled her over. "Hermione stopped thinking about it. We're out of school! Time to start our lives out in the big world!" Ron grabbed her outstretched hand and twirled her around.
"Hermione you were great," she rolled her eyes "I'm serious."
"Really Ron then why were you looking at me like you were the one giving the speech and boy did you look like you were getting hit by the cruciatus curse," Everyone started to laugh.
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In the distance Snape, Dumbledore, the Grangers and Malfoys stood their glancing up at the happy crowd. Dumbledore turned to Snape.
"So how's Draco?"
"He's good," Snape came "I checked on him earlier."
"What do you mean Draco….How's Draco?"
Narcissa and Lucius smiled at one another "Our son isn't dead…He was recovering," Lucius spoke. The Grangers stood there taking in the shocking news and were happy, but then they remembered Hermione's pain.
"How could you keep this from her?" Mrs. Granger waved towards Hermione "She's been crying her eyes out ever since the day it happened!"
"Draco gave us orders. He didn't want her to know," Snape sighed "Draco was to be the Dark Lord's heir. He got tricked into taking a powerful forgetful potion. He went through several tests to make sure he wasn't on the light side and when he was sure Draco wasn't faking the potion he transferred some of his powers into the boy. When Draco dove in front of that killing curse for Hermione it was because he was in love with her. Love I guess does concur all, but when he got hit by Voldemort's killing curse instead of hurting him the curse just pulled out all of Voldemort's power back into his body. Thus making Draco hit the ground with such force knocking him unconscious leaving everyone thinking he was dead and left Harry to kill Voldemort."
"I'm not sure I get it. Why wasn't Draco harmed I mean he DID get hit by the killing curse, am I right?" Mr. Granger held onto his wife.
"Yes he did, but instead of it killing him it lifted everything dark inside him out included his memory loss, he's back to normal, and Harry had killed him..." Lucius came in.
"Yes by the time his spell hit Draco he was already dead making the spell weak," Snape sighed "YOU MUGGLES ARE SO IRRITATING!" He stormed off.
"Don't mind him," Albus laughed "He's just sad to see his favorite year leave."
"So when will Draco tell Hermione?"
"That I do not know, but I have a feeling he'll show up soon," he smiled at the Malfoys and Grangers and made his way back inside followed by the rest.
Hermione smiled and laughed while her friends talked about their future. Ron and Pansy were planning to move to Paris since she inherited the Parkinson Manor after her parent's disappearance. Harry and Cho were going to travel the world. Blaise and Ginny were just going to be back and forth between Blaise's Manor and the burrow. Hermione sighed as she looked across the lake wondering what she and Draco's plans would've been. Ginny beamed up at everyone before she spoke.
"Blaise said he wanted to get married after I graduate…what you guys think!" She wrapped her arms around his waist while he pulled her in and kissed her forehead.
"Well he has to get by dad first," Ron chided in.
"We think that's wonderful Ginny, Congrats."
"Congrats aren't in order yet Potter I haven't popped the question it's just something that's been on my mind," Blaise smiled.
"Hermione…what will you be doing?" Cho asked making everyone now turn their attention to Hermione.
"I don't know," she whispered "I think I'm going on a walk. You guys can go enjoy the feast without me, I'll be fine, I promise."
Harry and Ron threw her a worried look, but led the group inside while she made her way over to the lake, sitting on the rock she began to think about the future. For some reason she felt extremely sad when Ginny mentioned getting married. She always felt like it was her and Draco who would've been the first.
"Oh Draco I wish you were here," she said as a tear fell down her cheek "I miss you Ferret."
"I miss you too bookworm."
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Harry and the rest ran into the Malfoys and Granger's who were arching their necks trying to see something so they did the same.
"NO WAY!" Ginny yelled.
"I THOUGHT HE WAS DEAD," Pansy began to run back, but Ron pulled her back.
"Let them be for a little bit, alright," Ron smiled.
"How is it possible Mr. Malfoy?"
"Your Potions professor could explain better," he pointed them towards Snape.
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Hermione jumped as she heard the voice respond.
"Very funny Blaise, but you can't be my Draco so just stop," she laughed.
"Okay then how about you settle for the real Draco."
Still not turning around "Just stop it was cute at first, but…"
"Granger!" she whipped her head around and found herself staring at…
"Malfoy, There's no way you're alive? I saw you die! This isn't a funny game. HARRY! RON!" she began to panic "Why would anyone play such a cruel joke on me," she began to cry."Hermione stop no need to cry over me," he knelt down and beside her "It's really me."
"Okay if it's really you then what happened on this rock?"
"I fell for you… literally," he laughed "That was the day I got jealous of Krum, remember," she laughed, but tried to hold it in. She didn't want to get her hopes up if this was just some illusion. He sat down next to her and pulled her close to him.
"Listen Hermione, I'm sorry for the way I treated you when I was on that potion. I couldn't think or anything at all," she nodded "But deep inside I knew I loved you that's why I jumped in front of the killing curse for you. When I got hit by the killing curse Harry who was on the other end had already killed the Dark Lord making his spell weak and all it did to me was pull out the dark magic he placed in me which included the potion rendering me unconscious. Leaving everyone to think I was dead." She sat there contemplating what was just said and stared into his eyes.
"Draco…" she touched his face "It really is you."
"1,000 points to Miss know- it- all Granger," he pulled out something in his pocket and held up her hand as he slid her promise ring back on "Lose it another time and I'm not going to retrieve it."
She started to cry tears of happiness as she pulled him into a sweet sensual kiss "I love you Hermione."
"I love you too."
"The graduation speech," he cringed "It was the worse I ever heard," he laughed as she playfully slap his arm "I should've been up there making it look good."
"Shut up Malfoy!"
"I'm telling you the truth that's all. I thought you wanted an honest relationship?"
"I do," she leaned up and kissed him "So now that you're here…what your plans are for the future?"
He leaned back on his arms and stared across the lake and sighed "Well I was planning to go back home maybe take a break, have a couple of parties at the manor since Mother and Father are taking Faith to Paris to visit the Grandparents…"
"That's it," he nodded "Oh well I plan on applying for the Ministry of Magic and maybe getting a roommate so I can move out to London."
"Roommate? Why don't you just move in with me…Your boyfriend?"
"I don't believe in moving in with a boyfriend unless were engaged," she laughed "Something my Mum always taught me. I don't want them thinking I'm a sleaze."
"They're not going to think that," he laughed "Hermione I love you more than anything you know that, right?"
"Of course."
"I want you to have the best that anyone could ever offer and I believe I could be the one to give you that," she laughed "Hermione I'm being serious. I fell in love with you... I want you in my life forever," he shuffled around and got to his feet. He pulled her up as well and they stood facing one another. "I know it's been only a couple of months, but I know Hermione US… were a sure thing," he dropped down to his knee and she claps her hands on her mouth "Hermione Granger, I love you more then I love myself," she laughed as he pulled out a platinum ring with a single diamond stud in the middle "Will you marry me?"
She stood there taking in his features; his platinum blonde hair, his piercing silver eyes staring directly into hers, his smile that had melted many girls' hearts here at Hogwarts and now here he was proposing to the person that hated him many years before. She smiled as she thought about all the times they've shared together and hard times they went through. She too wanted him in her life forever as well….
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I want to thank every single person who has reviewed my story and loved it to death! I am so very sorry that it took me FOREVER to write it's just I DID get that new job I wanted (yay) I love it. Right now my boyfriend left for basic and won't be back for 14 weeks so I'll be writing more stories to get my mind off of him. So if you have any ideas let me know! I enjoyed writing this story VERY much and I hope ya'll enjoyed reading it. I thought about doing a sequel…but that's just up in the air right now. I want to take the time and thank my reviewers from my last chapter:
Max Ride Fan 13, Purpleite, Wendyandhayden-bffs1027, Secretly in Love, Anastasia Parkinson (I'm really happy you enjoyed the story and even shed a couple tears, don't worry I did too) q8iya (Thanks so much for being there for me since the beginning it meant SO MUCH to me! To have a faithful reader like you!) The Princess Wolf (where would I be without you, thanks so much for your reviews and I hope your no longer confused.)James-Louise(I'm not sure about a sequel yet I have to see how many people respond to this one, hopefully it's good!)C.Kiss, Jade wildcat, XxTareXx,Isadora120(I know beach resort in Jan..it feels like spring right now here in FL. Smile.) Hermione D (I am so glad that you started to read this story!)
Draco-lovur- Lover! Haha How could I stop with you always behind my back. Thanks so much for everything and you've proven to me even on Fan fiction you can make great friends! I'll always be here for you and ANYONE ELSE!
Thank you again for reading my story ' She was meant for me' and I hope you take the time to read all my other upcoming stories as well!
Xoxox
Your Imperfection