A/N: Hey! I bring good news and bad news. I have a long update (yay!) but it will also be the last of this story (whaaaaat?) so I really hope you enjoy. All will end happily, don't worry.
JK Rowling owns all the stuff.
Last Chapter:
"Of course we can. After all, you promised we would." Draco reminded her. She smiled down at him lovingly, and placed another kiss on his head.
Draco returned upstairs to his room to find a text from Blaise. It contained only an address, with no explanation and no other message. Though the street name was familiar, Draco couldn't figure out who it belonged to, so he replied:
Hey, Blaise, what's this about?
He put on some music, and sat on the edge of his bed. The reply came soon enough.
Oops, sorry Draco. That was meant for Pansy. It's Hermione's address, Pansy wanted to check on her over the weekend. Before you ask, I got it off Harry. Forget about it.
That explained it. Draco had been to Hermione's house once, to pick her up for Blaise's party, but he'd forgotten her full address – only the name of the street had stuck in his head. Ignoring Blaise's last words, Draco sent another message.
How did you get 'Pansy' and 'Draco' mixed up? They don't exactly start with letters that are close together, do they?
The reply took longer this time, and Draco was able to listen to a whole song before he got an answer. On the other side of the conversation, Blaise and Pansy were sitting in Blaise's bedroom, ready to tackle any incoming questions from Draco.
"Do you think he's buying it?" Pansy asked anxiously.
"He's suspicious, I know that. He's asking how I got your names mixed up, but that's an easy one."
"I really hope this works, Blaise." she said.
"Me too. We've given him the bait, let's just hope he gets desperate enough to take it." he replied, tapping out a message.
Draco, you know you and Pansy are both in my Favourites, I must have accidentally hit your name instead of hers. No big deal.
Another question came with the reply.
Alright, I'll give you that. So how did you happen to have Harry's number?
Blaise sighed. "Too easy, too easy." he muttered as he sent another text back.
Did it ever occur to you that Harry and I may be better friends than you thought we were, or thought we should be, for that matter? Your enemies aren't always my enemies, Draco. Anyway, Pansy wanted something, so I made it my mission to find a way of getting it for her. That's what a relationship's about, finding ways to make the other person happy, no matter what the personal sacrifice. You don't let them remain miserable just because that's how you're feeling.
It was times like this that made Draco hate his best friend, but in the most affectionate way. His completely unsubtle accusations about Draco and Hermione cut deep, so deep that only Blaise could have said it. They had known each other long enough that they could speak their minds and still retain the immense respect they had for each other.
Draco couldn't believe he'd been so selfish. Granted, he'd always been selfish, it was just part of his nature, but he thought Hermione had been the one to change that - he thought he'd found someone that he would always put first. And once again he found himself returning to that moment, that fateful moment, when he had ruined everything. He'd let that selfish side dominate, but because of it he hadn't gained anything, only lost.
All of the thoughts that he'd been repressing hit him. The flashbacks were no longer singular moments, but streams of memories flowing into each other, showing him every moment he could ever remember that had caused an extreme emotion, whether it be happiness, fear, sadness, anger, loneliness, love.
He rose and tried to find the door of his room in his overwhelming blindness. He stumbled around as if in a drunk stupor until he knew he was at the top of the stairs. He took each step like it was a mountain, concentrating impossibly hard on every single one as memory after memory tried to distract him. Somehow, in a short judicious moment, he managed to pull on his coat and call to his mother that he was going out.
The fresh chill of the late morning air sharpened his senses and cleared his head, bringing back normality. He turned up the collar on his coat, and began walking, apparently aimlessly, revelling in the overdue escape from his house.
"Blaise! Blaise, I think we've done it!" Pansy cried excitedly, looking out of the window of his bedroom onto the street below and watching Draco walk across the road.
"What d'you mean?" Blaise asked, walking over to the window. Pansy pointed and Blaise grinned, kissing her on the cheek and muttering, "I do believe we have."
He could have been walking for hours, or it could have been a few minutes, but when Draco finally stopped and looked around, he knew, after all that had happened, that he was in the right place. He looked down at the address that Blaise had sent him, already knowing that the name of the street would match the one in the text.
He walked up the path of the house, recognising the scruffy yet homely front garden and the dark green door. His hand reached for the doorbell, and as it rang he was caught between hopefulness and confusion as to what he was doing there. He was saved from his inner conflict by the door opening, revealing a woman, who was undoubtedly Hermione's mother. Her hair curled in the same way as her daughter's, framing her face with tight ringlets; the corners of her eyes wrinkled with her expectant smile at seeing this stranger at her doorstep. She was quite thin, and her clothes were motherly, and suited her well. Her hands were delicate and graceful like Draco's mother's, but, unlike Narcissa's, they were rough and worn from years of hard work.
"Hello." she spoke, and though she didn't know him, her voice was warm and welcoming.
"Hi." Draco said slowly, pausing for moment. "My name is Draco Malfoy, I go to school with Hermione." A shadow, cast on the wall by the stairs, caught his attention and Hermione's figure peered around the edge of the bannister, eyes wide with shock. She turned back to disappear into a room. Mrs. Granger was looking at him carefully, trying to figure out how she knew him, or was supposed to know him.
"I'm Hermione's boyfriend." he added, the words still sitting happily on his lips. He prayed for her to finally recognise the name. Had Hermione not told them? He thought, in a sudden panic. Hermione's retreating footsteps upstairs had paused. She was listening too.
"Oh of course! Yes, we've heard all about you – I'm so sorry that I didn't recognise the name! Come in, come in!" she ushered him inside and he didn't refuse. He removed his coat and put it over his arm, only to have it taken off him and hung up on the end of the bannister.
"Mrs. Granger –"
"Call me Jean, please." she insisted. *see A/N at the end.
"Jean, I really wasn't planning on intruding for very long. I just wanted to talk to Hermione for a moment." he said apologetically.
"Nonsense! You're not intruding at all. Have you eaten yet?" she asked. Draco shook his head. "Well, you must stay for lunch – it's just about ready. No, it's no trouble. I insist." she urged, ignoring his attempt at politely declining, still smiling at him.
"As long as that's ok with Hermione." he said unsurely.
"Of course you can stay." Hermione said, standing above them on the stairs. Draco's head filled with memories of the night of Blaise's birthday, all of which began with Hermione walking down the very same stairs. She stood there now, with a hint of confusion in her eyes, but with an undeniably sincere smile.
"Hmph. Not sulking anymore?" Mrs. Granger asked her daughter, raising her eyebrows.
"Mum!" Hermione cried exasperatedly.
"She's been so grumpy for a few days now. I doubt you would know anything about that." Hermione's mother whispered rather loudly, so that Hermione could still clearly hear her. Draco trained his eyes back onto Hermione, who was wincing, directing a look of pleading towards her mother. She saw him watching her and granted him a wry smile in return for the cautious one he sent her.
"Right, through here, Draco." Mrs. Granger said, leading him through to a room that acted as a dining room and a living room. A dining table with four chairs around it stood to his left, and a faded red sofa and two cream chairs were on his left, a TV placed in the corner. Draco smiled. It may have been small – miniscule in comparison to his house – but it was cosy and loving, not empty and cold, as he had always thought his house was.
"You're Draco, I hear." said a man, standing up from the sofa. Draco shook his outstretched hand and nodded. This was Hermione's father. Facially, he was more similar to his daughter than the mother was, but his thinning hair was straight. Draco saw the same eyes behind the glasses, and the same nose, even the same angular jaw and high cheekbones.
"And you must be Mr. Granger. It's a pleasure, sir." Draco replied formally. The man chuckled.
"If you're calling my wife Jean, then you'd better call me Martin, young man… 'Sir'…" he chortled, patting Draco on the back in a friendly way. He gestured to a seat at the table and Draco took it. Hermione sat down next to him, and Mr. Granger sat opposite her, after laying out plates for each of them. A minute later, Mrs. Granger entered, carrying a pot of something, which was omitting a heavenly smell.
Once the meal, a lamb stew, had been served out, Hermione's parents wasted no time making Draco feel comfortable. They talked constantly, telling stories from Hermione's childhood (evoking many blushes from her), asking Draco about himself, and talking about their jobs, as they were both dentists. Draco admired their relationship greatly; they were perfectly happy with each other, even after what must have been years of marriage.
While the two were discussing whether it was Mrs. Scott or Mrs. Davies who had almost swallowed her gold tooth, Draco found himself once again glancing around the house with interest. Hermione's life was almost set out in front of him; there were pictures of her everywhere. Some were recent, but in the majority she was around five and grinning madly, enjoying herself infinitely more than Draco thought was possible. Eventually, Hermione noticed his gaze and spoke.
"It's not much, compared to what you have." she said humbly.
"It's so you… all of it. I love it." he replied quietly, and she smiled, looking around also.
"Well, never mind if it was Mrs. Scott," Mrs. Granger suddenly snapped, sounding irritated.
"You know, you're right, dear, I think it was Mrs. Davies…" Mr. Granger backtracked hastily, doing his best to defuse the problem he'd caused. He shot Draco a look, and Hermione let out a laugh at the desperate expression on his face.
"That was lovely, Mrs.G- Jean. Thank you." Draco interrupted them quickly, putting on his most sincere voice. Mrs. Granger beamed at him, and Mr. Granger nodded in relieved approval.
"It was a pleasure, Draco. You must come again some time, we'd love to see you." she said kindly. She began collecting up the plates, but Draco rose to stop her.
"No, no, let me." he offered.
"You could learn a few things from him, Martin." she said. Mr. Granger, who had been sharing exasperated looks with Hermione, dropped his childish grin and nodded, muttering an inconceivable "mhmm". Draco left and re-entered, having put the plates in the kitchen.
"I really should be going now." he said, and Hermione stood up, shooting him a meaningful look. Puzzled, Draco continued, "Jean, Martin, it's been so nice to meet you." Mrs. Granger stood up too, smiling.
"I'll see you out then Draco." Hermione said loudly, looking at her mother. Mrs. Granger, naturally conscious of her daughter's every word, took her seat again. Hermione walked out into the hallway.
"We should talk." she muttered as she passed Draco, and he followed instinctively, even as nerves flared up inside him at her words.
Once they were alone in the hall, silence settled. Hermione was looking straight at Draco, her eyes searching for answers to the questions flicking around in her head.
"Why are you here?" she whispered, finally finding the words to break the eerie stillness between them.
"To talk to you. I wasn't lying to your mother, I only wanted to talk to you." he kept his voice low, but she could hear him perfectly. Both clung to the others' words, hearts beating fast in their chests.
"So talk to me. Tell me what you're thinking, and what you've been thinking for the last few days. Tell me something, Draco, I want to know what's going on in you head." she pleaded, struggling to be satisfied with his words.
"A lot. A lot's been going on in my head. I blame myself for everything that's happened, and, naturally, I've been wanting to change that from the second you turned your back." he said.
"I shouldn't have done that, it was unbelievably stupid of me. I told myself – I told you – I would be there for you. But when you needed me to reassure you, when I should have shown you that you can trust me, I abandoned you." she murmured sorrowfully.
"No, Hermione. It was entirely me, you were right to do what you did – as usual. I'm always so selfish… so possessive, and it only ever ends up in hurting someone, and hurting me. With you, it all applies, but with even greater effect. As soon as I thought I might lose you, nothing else mattered. You see? In that moment, to me you were gone, and so I turned into the person I was when you weren't there. The 'old Draco', as you call him." His sincerity was strangely amplified by his whisper, and Hermione couldn't stop simply staring at him wordlessly.
"And as for what I've been thinking these past few days…" he continued. "All I've been able to think about is how I could make it up to you. You said I should take some time, but time never bothered me, or affected me, all I needed was some kind of confirmation that there was a chance that you might forgive me. You said I should sort myself out, but you make me 'myself', so all I needed was to find a way to get you back. Just tell me, Hermione, is there any chance…?" he tailed off, studying her face frantically. After a moment, it broke out into a smile before him.
"Any chance of getting me back? No – but that's only because you never lost me. I didn't love you for a day, Draco. And if you blame yourself for anything, let it be that – blame yourself for the fact I fell in love with you." It took a second for realisation to hit Draco, but when it did, two steps allowed him to reach her and place one hand on her cheek, one on her shoulder. She, surprised by his advance, had held her hands up to his chest, trembling very slightly. But she still leant into him naturally, and when their eyes met, they were only inches apart.
"One more thing." Draco said slowly, the warmth of his breath washing over her. She didn't dare move or speak, she just blinked up at him, waiting. "I didn't have to work out if I could trust you, because I know I can, more than anyone. But I didn't know how to make you see that, and I still don't think I can." The long breath he took stuttered nervously, but he ignored it.
"There was one thing I kept coming up with. One thing I couldn't shake off. It may be long overdue, but..." he paused, closing his eyes momentarily and then refocusing on her, with more surety. "I love you too, Hermione Granger." Slowly, blissfully, the gap between them closed and they were enveloped in one sweet, true kiss.
When he left, he felt it. For the first time, he really felt it. It pulled against his every step, more and more the further away he got from her. That invisible force. It tugged at the centre of his chest, and he yearned to go back to her. But he would be with her again soon. After all, when he left, his heart remained with her, and hers with him.
So they would never really be apart.
The END! Thank you so so so so so so much for all the love you've given me for this story, especially the regular reviewers - you know who you are :) - and I'm so happy that people have enjoyed. It's been a rollercoaster of excitement and procrastination but I finally got there. I really hope you enjoyed this final chapter, and indeed the whole story. I'd love it if you followed me as an author, I have a ton of other ideas in this little head. At the moment there is another Dramione story in the making and also a finished Divergent one-shot if that is your kind of thing. I look forward to maybe seeing you again in the future! Leave a review! It's your last chance!
*We don't know Hermione's parents names, so I made Jean and Martin up (Jean from Hermione's middle name).