Disclaimer: Not mine. Not yours. Only JK Rowling's.
A/N: So, here's my update. For all those who kept on asking me what Hermione's first goal is, here's my answer. Enjoy reading! :D Oh, before that, the italicized part is a flashback, okay? Good, now enjoy reading!
Chapter Twelve: Good News, Bad News
Hermione smiled at the mirror, showing her pearly white teeth. After making sure that there were no plaques or unwanted materials stuck between them, she twirled around and sighed.
The brunette then emerged from her bathroom, yawning and stretching her arms in the process. It was way past her bedtime. She had been so immersed in reading one of her favorite books again that she hadn't noticed as the clock ticked past eleven pm.
She passed her slightly opened wardrobe, revealing some of her past Healer robes. The brunette paused, walked towards her wardrobe and closed it. A smile formed on her face as she remembered her time working at St. Mungo's. She also remembered dear James Moore who continued to visit her. They would also occasionally go out for breakfast, lunch, or dinner together. Sometimes, Draco would tag along. Fortunately, the two men were tolerating each other and no longer acted like a bunch of five-year-olds fighting every five minutes.
Speaking of Draco, Hermione hadn't seen him in a week. She was quite worried. She had owled him seven times but he hadn't responded. Hermione had wanted to apparate to his house but had been too busy to even consider it seriously. She had owled Narcissa, though, and was surprised to hear that Draco had fallen ill.
DING DONG.
The brunette jumped in surprise. 'Wow, who would visit me in the middle of the night?' she asked. Grinning, she guessed it was Draco and raced down the stairs. She grabbed her red robe that was draped on one of her couches and threw it over her shoulders.
After securely tying the lace into a bow, Hermione flung the door open. "Ferre..." The words died in her mouth when her brain caught up enough to scream 'definitely not Draco!' "Dr. Nobleman!" she exclaimed after composing herself. "What brings you here?! It is after eleven!"
Dr. Nobleman looked slightly grim, looking at his surroundings. Hermione had a feeling that he was trying to avoid her. "May I come in?" he asked softly.
"Oh, silly me!" she said, chuckling to herself. "Sorry for being rude, Dr. Nobleman. Of course you may come in." She stepped to the side, allowing Dr. Nobleman to go inside the house. "Please, do sit down," she said, gesturing to her empty couch. "Do you want something to drink? Coffee? Tea? Juice? Water? I have anything."
The Muggle doctor raised his right hand to stop Hermione from talking. "I'm fine, Miss Granger," he said. "Please, do sit down. I have an important matter to discuss with you."
Hermione looked surprised. "Okay," she said, plopping down on the plush armchair opposite Dr. Nobleman. She gulped as sweat formed on her forehead. "W-what is it?" She looked up, eyes immediately connecting with the doctor's electric blue orbs. "Is this… is this something to do with my… my cancer?"
Dr. Nobleman pursed his lips. "As a matter of fact, it is," he answered slowly.
The brunette blinked, unconsciously curling her hands into fists. "What is it?" she asked, suddenly becoming nervous.
The doctor heaved a huge breath, suddenly looking very old and wary. "I am utterly sorry, Miss Granger," he softly said… pleadingly.
"What? What is it?" she asked, suddenly frantic. Tears started to form in the corner of her eyes. "I only had one coughing fit! Just one! Am I going to die soon?!"
He sighed and shook his head warily. "Oh no, Miss Granger, no," he said.
Hermione's eyes widened. "What do you mean?" she asked. "It's March, Dr. Nobleman. The symptoms of my lung cancer have started to show. I kept them from Draco of course. The tiredness, feeling sick and the coughing fit..."
He rummaged inside his pocket and pulled out an envelope. Hermione caught a glimpse of her name written on it. "Remember the reason why your results were delayed, Miss Granger?" he asked.
"Yes," she said, nodding slowly. "There was a great uproar… a huge fire, and you had no choice but to put everything on hold."
"Quite right," he said. He mutely gave the paper to the brunette who clutched it with a shaky hand. "That was a hectic time. It was a huge fire, Miss Granger. A very huge one, I tell you. And it made all of us workers, even the patients, panicky. I left my office as soon as I heard the fire alarm." He looked up and caught Hermione's brown eyes. "I was in the midst of sealing the letter of your results."
Hermione gingerly opened the letter tightly clutched in both of her hands.
"I had other patients before you," he continued. "And surprisingly, there was also another Hermione who went to my office earlier than you to have her check-up."
The brunette's breath hitched as she stared at the words written on the paper. "No way…" she said, raising her head to stare at Dr. Nobleman disbelievingly, tears still streaming down her face.
"I am truly sorry," he said sincerely. "You do not have lung cancer at all, Miss Granger. In fact, you are perfectly healthy. A few days ago, this other Hermione, Hermione Mason, came back to my office to have another check-up."
Hermione audibly gasped.
"It turned out that she has lung cancer. I had just received the results from the laboratory," Dr. Nobleman gravely said. "Her symptoms started to show yesterday. She was surprised with the things happening to her body. She had thought ever since January that she was perfectly healthy. And so, knowing that she has lung cancer made her surprised."
He looked up and stared at Hermione apologetically. "It made me realized that I had given her the wrong results," he softly whispered. "It made me realized that I had probably given you the wrong results as well. I must have accidentally switched both of your results in my haste to escape the fire. Miss Granger, you are perfectly fine and healthy."
Dr. Nobleman pursed his lips and took a deep breath. "When you came in for the results, I was supposed to give you a CT scan, but you left before I had the chance. I couldn't contact you because my old notebook which contained some of your information got burned in the fire. I was using a new notebook when I told you about the wrong result."
Silence ensued. The only thing that was heard was the crickets outside Hermione's house.
And then, suddenly, she burst into loud tears.
Alarmed, Dr. Nobleman approached the crying brunette and sat down beside her. "I'm sorry, Miss Granger, I am so, so sorry," he consoled, gingerly patting one of her arms.
Hermione banged one of her fists against the arm of her chair and wailed. "I don't have cancer!" she cried, softly hiccupping. "Oh my God... I don't have cancer..."
"Yes, yes, that's right," the doctor murmured, running a hand against her arm for comfort.
"You… you…" she spluttered, pointing a finger at Dr. Nobleman. "You made me believe that I had cancer! You made me believe that I was dying! Oh God, I even made a list of the things I wanted to do before I die, damn it! I thought that I was dying when I started getting tired! I thought that my life was coming to an end!"
Dr. Nobleman enveloped Hermione into a gentle hug. "There, there, Miss Granger," he whispered comfortingly. "I'm so sorry. Truly sorry. This is good news to you, though. Am I right?"
She vigorously nodded her head. "Yes, yes, good news," she sobbed. Suddenly, she jerked and pulled her head away from Dr. Nobleman. "Draco!" she exclaimed. "He needs to know this!" She stood and ran upstairs towards her bedroom, leaving the bewildered (yet guilty) Muggle doctor behind.
He sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. Dr. Nobleman stood up and strode out of Hermione's house, guessing that he wouldn't be needed anymore.
"I think I should resign soon," he said, releasing a huge sigh. "I'm getting too old for this drama. And I've made mistakes before. I think it is best if I prevent it from happening again by resigning."
Draco paced in front of the door. Once again, he found himself in the hospital where Hermione took her annual check-up. The difference, though, was that it wasn't Hermione who was going to have her medical check-up. It was him.
Hermione wasn't with him. She would have waited patiently on one of the benches as she frustratingly watched the blond pacing back and forth. But no. Draco had decided against the brunette's presence a few minutes ago. So now, here he was, back at the same muggle hospital, alone. His hands were buried in the front pockets of his muggle jeans, nervousness evident on his face.
He was feeling guilty for not asking Hermione to come with him. But then again, he was afraid of her reaction once she discovered the real reason for his visit.
Last night, when everything was quiet and dark, coughs had racked his body. He had tried to muffle the sounds so that they wouldn't wake anyone. It was then that he had discovered that he was long overdue for a medical.
Blood…
It had made Draco afraid, as much as he wanted to deny it. But, seeing blood after coughing was never normal.
Draco was a Healer, but then, muggle maladies and illnesses were never his forte. He had a feeling that the things he was feeling right now were something muggle.
The door suddenly burst open, revealing a middle-aged, female doctor wearing rectangular glasses. She quite resembled Draco's past teacher, Professor Minerva McGonagall, with the stern look and a no-nonsense aura swirling around her body.
"Mister Malfoy, I believe," she said, sounding curt and serious. "You are ten minutes late and I presumed that you wouldn't show up at all. I'm surprised that you're here, waiting outside my office door. Did you just arrive?"
Draco sheepishly smiled and gulped. 'Better lie,' he told himself as he nodded his head slowly. "Y-yes… I'm sorry for being late. There was traffic… you know."
The stern doctor, Dr. Lucia Montgomery, looked like she didn't believe the blond. But nonetheless, she stepped aside and gestured the blond towards her office.
The Malfoy heir crossed her threshold gingerly and walked inside, looking around as if he was a lost child.
"Well, what are you waiting for?" Dr. Montgomery snapped. "Please, do sit down."
"Yes, yes, sorry," he hastily said, plopping down on an identical replica of the stiff chair from Dr. Nobleman's office. He bumped his arm in the process, cringing. Apparently, the swell that had showed a few days ago which resulted for him bumping against his huge wardrobe was still there.
"Now," Dr. Montgomery started, sitting down on her own comfy chair.
Draco glared at it. 'How come the doctors are able to sit down on comfy chairs while their patients have to suffer?' he asked himself. The blond watched as the female doctor retrieved a filler notebook and scanned it. "Hmm… Draco Malfoy… twenty-five-years-old… attended a boarding school in Scotland… salutatorian, impressive" – she shot him an amused look when the blond broke into a wide smirk – "… and a criminologist?"
Draco grinned. He had copied Hermione's lie when he was asked to state his profession. "Yes," he said. "I'm a criminologist."
"Hmm…" she said, scanning her notebook again. After a few minutes, she looked up at him again. "Your reason for this appointment is to have a blood check-up, am I correct?"
The blond nodded. "Yes," he said. "Right."
"And your reason is?" Dr. Montgomery asked.
Draco gulped visibly and scratched the back of his neck. "I coughed up… I coughed up…" He paused and took a deep breath, eyes now staring intently at the doctor across from him. "I coughed up… blood."
Dr. Montgomery didn't look surprised at all. "I see," she said, scanning her notebook again. She stood up, and opened one cabinet. She retrieved a syringe with a very sharp needle (resembling the one that Hermione received a few months ago) and walked towards the blond.
She injected it, getting a sample of his blood. After she was done, she grabbed white, clean cotton and pressed it against the small hole now gracing his pale arm.
"That is all," she said. "Your results would be given to you as soon as possible. I will give you a call for you to know the appointed date."
Draco stood up and nodded his head. "Thank you, Dr. Montgomery," he said, shaking her hand gently. With that, he turned around and walked out of her office.
Draco received Dr. Lucia Montgomery's call three days after his medical check-up. And he had been asked to come in and see her. Immediately. And so, he had hurried over.
He pursed his lips and took a deep breath. Whatever his results were, he would take it with all his heart, mind, and soul. But still, he couldn't help but cross his fingers. He hoped it was nothing at all… that the blood he coughed up was because of some rotten food he had eaten. 'Do you cough up blood when you eat rotten food?' he mused, turning the doorknob.
As usual, he found himself back in Dr. Montgomery's office. The middle-aged woman was seated on her usual chair and looked up once hearing Draco's footsteps. "Mr. Malfoy, what a surprise," she said. "I expected you to be quite late again."
"I'm sorry for that," he said, fidgeting slightly on his seat. "It was really because of traffic, I swear."
Dr. Montgomery waved a dismissive hand and stacked up all of her paperwork. Now, the only thing left clutched by the muggle doctor was a white envelope – Draco's results. It was similar to the envelope Dr. Nobleman had given Hermione.
"So…" the blond started, twiddling his thumbs nervously. "What's the verdict?"
The female doctor released a rueful sigh and handed Draco the envelope containing his results. "I am sorry…"
Even though his doctor still hadn't finished her sentence, he instantly knew that something was wrong with him. He instantly knew that the words written on the paper inside the envelope he was clutching right now were bearing very, very bad news. "Something bad, eh?" he asked, strangely numb and calm.
"Worse," the doctor corrected. "Much, much worse." She straightened her back and looked directly at the blond. "You have cancer, Mister Malfoy. I still do not know where and so, I'm going to order an emergency CT scan. It will give us the information where your cancer currently is."
Cancer. The malignant disease that would soon spread in the body. Cancer. The most hated word in the modern dictionary. Cancer. The deadly disease that resided in Hermione Granger's lungs.
"Cancer," he said, slightly breathless. He couldn't believe it. He was a Healer, for goodness' sake! And he knew that it was rare for Pureblooded witches and wizards to get cancer. But… that didn't mean that there weren't any records of Pureblooded wizards who got afflicted with the damnable disease.
"I'm sorry," Dr. Montgomery repeated, a hand now perched gently on top of the blond's right arm. For a few moments, Draco saw her stern look melt and be replaced by a friendly look that he would always associate with his mother. "This is quite shocking to you, Mister Malfoy, but I am truly sorry."
Draco heaved a huge breath. "How long?"
"Pardon?" she asked.
"How long will I live?" he softly asked.
Dr. Montgomery pursed her lips into a thin line. "It actually depends on the result of your CT scan, but six months is the average."
'Six months,' he thought, his hands now starting to get clammy. "Six months."
"Yes," she said, now standing up. She clutched her filler notebook and pointedly looked at the blond. "Please follow me, Mister Malfoy. I will lead you to radiology."
Draco obliged and shakily followed Dr. Montgomery out of her office.
Draco stared blankly at the result of his CT scan. He was in his bedroom, sitting on top of his bed. His head was leaning against the headboard as he continued to stare at the result. It was a black and white image of his lungs and on his right lung; a small tumor was blatantly staring at him. It was small, but nevertheless, it was cancerous.
And so, Draco Malfoy had lung cancer.
The radiologist was surprised to detect lung cancer through the CT scan. He said that detecting lung cancer at a very early stage would be rare. And so, it only meant one thing – his lung cancer was on the late stage already.
Dr. Montgomery had also explained to him that there were three stages of lung cancer: stage one wherein the cancer is detected in the lungs, stage two wherein the cancer had spread all throughout the patient's chest; and stage three wherein the cancer is throughout the whole body. She told him that he was already on the late stage of stage two lung cancer. To prove her detection, Draco was given another set of results showing the other parts of his chest and carcinogens were there with some small, cancerous tumors.
'It's hard to treat,' Dr. Montgomery answered. Draco thanked her because she was being blunt to him. She even told him that a month or so, if the cancer didn't leave him, it would shift to stage three, making him a terminal patient.
Sighing, he placed the results beside his bed, away from his sight. He had been locked up in his house for a week now. Hermione had sent him letters but he never replied to them. Narcissa even sent him a letter but only replied that he was too sick to even go out of his house. He had expected Hermione to burst one day into his room to see if he was all right and all. But of course, his best friend was a busy body and so, he knew that she was doing some other things.
Hermione… now, they both had lung cancer. It was strange. It even made Draco consider the possibility that lung cancer was contagious. But, he knew better. Dr. Montgomery told him that his cancer had been residing in his body for at least a year ago. The symptoms were quite the same with some other maladies. The symptoms only showed a month ago. It surprised the blond to discover that the neck tenderness he often felt and the stubborn swell on his arm were symptoms. Dr. Montgomery explained to him that out of 100 plus lung cancer patients, only five percent of them have the major symptoms of a tender neck and swelling on the arms and legs.
Draco sighed. He always thought that the pain on his neck and the stubborn swell on his arm was nothing at all. He didn't know that it was an indicator that something sinister had taken hold over his body.
Dr. Montgomery had told him that neck tenderness and swelling on the arms and legs as a sign of lung cancer wasn't common knowledge at all and that the blond should not blame himself for not spotting it earlier.
Sighing, the blond lay down on his bed and pulled his comforter up to his chin. His eyes stared at his white ceiling with only one thought running in his mind – he was going to die. Dr. Montgomery reassured him that there was still a possibility of curing his cancer. But then again, she also told him it was hard to treat. There was only a ten percent possibility of going into remission. And so, he politely declined taking chemotherapy.
It was not because he was hopeless. Oh no. He knew his reason deep, deep down in his heart. Like Hermione, he would die soon. And strangely, that made him happy. Without Hermione Granger, his life would be way harder than having cancer in his body. So, why not follow, too?
Suicide never crossed his mind, no. But, this lung cancer was a perfect opportunity to be with Hermione forever and ever. He knew that even if he was healthy and Hermione died, he should still continue living for her and wait for his final day to come. But, those days would be absolutely unbearable. Like what he had thought earlier, a life without Hermione was like having cancer in his system.
He shifted on his bed, his face now facing his window. He released a huge yawn before plastering a small smile on his face. He was about to close his eyes when suddenly, his bedroom door burst open. Surprised, he sat up almost immediately.
The intruder switched on his lights immediately, momentarily blinding him. But once he adjusted his eyes to the bright light, Hermione materialized. She was wearing her usual night pajamas.
"Draco!" she exclaimed, approaching him hastily and sitting down on his bed just in front of him. "I have good news! And, oh Merlin, you'll absolutely be happy!"
He raised an eyebrow, amused. "Hermione, seriously? Why didn't you wait for the morrow to come?" he said.
"No! I can't wait to tell you!" she exclaimed ecstatically. Her smile then slightly faltered upon seeing the state of his appearance clearly. "But before that… how have you been?" She raised her right hand and pressed it gently against his forehead. "Narcissa owled me and told me you were sick. I'm sorry for not visiting you as soon as possible. But seriously, are you all right?"
The blond grinned. "Never been better," he assured her, slightly ruffling her hair. "Merlin, Granger, I'm a human, too. I get sick."
The brunette just stuck out her tongue at him. "I was just asking," she retorted back.
"Yeah, yeah," he said. A frown then suddenly appeared on his face. He placed his right hand beside her cheek and rubbed the place below her eye. "You were crying," he pointed out. "Why is that? Is there something wrong?"
Hermione shook her head vigorously. "No, no," she said. "Tears of joy."
"Eh?" he asked, raising an eyebrow. "Now, please do tell me what your good news is if you don't want me to die because of curiosity."
The brunette broke into a wide grin and held up three fingers. "Three guesses," she said.
Draco rolled his eyes. "Too exhausted," he said, releasing another yawn. "Just tell me, Beaver, damn it. I'm tired."
Hermione smile faltered. "Fine," she said. She pursed her lips and looked around the blond's room at first. Finally, her eyes rested back at him. To his surprise, they showed genuine happiness. "Dr. Nobleman came to my house a few hours ago."
He raised an eyebrow. "Eh?" he asked. "At this time of night?"
"He told me something important, Draco," she pointed out. "If he made me choose, I'd rather hear this announcement of his today than tomorrow."
"Announcement?" he asked.
Hermione then looked serious. "Draco, I'm not sick," she said.
The blond rolled his eyes once again. "You don't look like you have a fever to me, Granger," he said.
The brunette shook her head, a smile slowly growing on her face. "No, not that kind of sickness, Ferret," she said. She pulled out an envelope from the pocket of her shorts and showed it to the blond. "Dr. Nobleman told me he gave me the wrong results of my medical check-up. He told me that… that I'm perfectly healthy after all. Apparently, because of this huge fire on the week when he was arranging my results, he interchanged my results with another patient of his who has lung cancer. He only discovered it when that said patient went back to his office only to be given the correct diagnosis."
Draco froze, grey eyes intently staring at the beautiful brunette seated in front of him. "W-what?" he stuttered before clearing his throat.
"Draco," she said, now grinning brightly, "I don't have cancer. I won't die… yet, of course. But still, I don't have lung cancer. It's good news, isn't it?"
"Oh," the blond said, blinking rapidly. "Yeah. Good news. Cool."
Hermione's smile instantly disappeared. A confused look replaced it on her face. "Aren't you… aren't you happy for me?" she asked, surprised with his reaction. "I… I honestly thought that you would be hugging me by now, you know." And then, she flashed him another smile.
Draco had to look away. At the corner of his eyes, he saw Hermione's surprised expression.
"Are you honestly okay?" she asked, now in a small whisper. Her right hand gingerly touched his cheek and turned his head so he was now facing her once again. "Draco, look at me. Are you all right?"
The blond blinked before meeting her brown eyes. "What's wrong?" she asked, concern and alarm evident in her voice. Her hand traveled to the back of his neck and rubbed it for comfort. "Draco, you're acting weird. What is wrong? Don't tell me… you're not happy I'll be able to spend more time with you."
"Hermione," he finally said, voice sounding desperate… anguished. "I… I'm glad you're going to live longer. Merlin, you have no idea how happy I am for you."
Hermione made a small smile.
"But…"
Her smile faltered.
"But…" Pausing, he took a huge breath and looked directly at Hermione's eyes. "But… you have to know this."
"What?" she asked, suddenly feeling slightly afraid.
"I… I took a medical check-up last Monday, that was why you haven't seen me," he started.
"And then?"
"And then… and then, a female doctor, Dr. Lucia Montgomery, took a sample of my blood," he continued, almost inaudibly.
"Why did you go to the doctor?" she asked, suspicious and afraid. "You're a Healer, Draco. Surely, you'll be able to immediately know what you're illness is. Surely -"
"Hermione, I coughed up blood," he said, cutting her off mid-sentence.
Hermione froze, mouth open widely. "You… you what?"
"I coughed up blood," he repeated. "That was why I went to the doctor for a medical check-up. Coughing out blood isn't normal at all… even in the wizarding world."
"Wh-what's the result?"
Draco looked away from Hermione towards his bedroom window. "I received the result of my blood test three days after that," he continued. "And… they detected… cancer."
Hermione's eyes widened. "No…"
"They made me take the CT scan thing," he said, still determined not to look at his best friend. "And that's when they discovered it is in my lungs… I have lung cancer, Hermione. But the carcinogens, or whatever you call them, are now scattered around my chest. Dr. Montgomery told me it will be hard to treat so I refused to undergo chemotherapy."
Silence followed. Hermione was staring at the blond who was determinedly staring at his bedroom window. And then, the brunette burst into laughter… soft, nervous laughter.
"April Fools!" she exclaimed, still laughing nervously. "Even if it's still March, that joke of yours is still funny, Malfoy."
Draco's head snapped back at the brunette. He met her brown eyes, misting brown eyes, and softly said, "I am not kidding, Hermione."
The brunette stopped her pretense and soon, tears started to gather at the corner of her eyes. "Stop joking, Draco. It's not funny anymore," she said, blinking back her tears.
"Hermione, listen," he whispered, placing a hand on her right shoulder. "I'm not…"
"NO!" she exclaimed, shrugging his hand off her shoulder. She stood up, tears pouring down her face. "No. NO! That's preposterous… absurd! No!" The brunette started to pace back and forth, her right knuckle in between her teeth to stop herself from sobbing hysterically.
Draco stood up and tried to approach the crying brunette but she held up her free hand, halting him. He watched as the brunette freed her knuckles from her mouth and then sat down at the only free corner in his room – under his bedroom window. She hugged her knees close to her chest and buried her head in between them. That was when she started to cry soundly, though, slightly muffled.
"That's not fair!" she cried, also a little muffled. "Not fair, Draco! That's not fair!"
His mask of calmness broke completely. Instead, on his face, was a complete look of pain. His heart broke for the brunette. One minute, he was quite happy with the fact that he had lung cancer so that as soon as Hermione died, he could follow without thinking of killing himself. But now, now that he discovered that his best friend didn't have any illness at all, he wanted to curse Merlin for making him sick, instead.
Slowly, the blond sat down on his carpeted floor, too, just a few inches away from the crying brunette. He sat down, Indian Style, and leaned his head against the wall. "I'm sorry," he whispered, closing his eyes. "I'm so sorry."
"You're just like them," she spluttered, face still buried on her knees. "You're going to leave me just like them."
The blond sighed while slowly opening his eyes. He looked at Hermione warily and frowned. "Now, you know what I felt when I first discovered you had … 'had' cancer," he said, attempting to joke. That only made Hermione's cries louder. "Hermione," he said, scooting slightly closer but still not touching Hermione. "I thought… I thought that He answered my prayers by giving me lung cancer, too."
"You want to have cancer?!' the brunette screeched, lifting her heads and directing her red rimmed eyes towards the blond.
"But, that was before I discovered that you don't have lung cancer!" he exclaimed back, feeling defensive. "God, Granger, do you honestly think that I want you to leave me?! I have to be with you. I want to be with you. I need to be with you!"
The brunette sobbed and looked away from him. "And now, guess what? You're absolutely wrong!" she cried, banging one clenched fist against the carpeted floor. "You are going to leave me!"
Draco sighed and closed his eyes once again. She was right after all. He was going to leave her. Soon, maybe. He didn't know if he should agree that he was being unfair to her. He didn't ask for himself to have cancer, for heaven's sake! But still, Hermione was right. He, like Harry Potter and Ronald Weasley, was going to leave her.
He moved, this time stopping in front of the brunette and without hesitating, pulled her towards his body. "Hush, love, please don't cry," he whispered softly against her ears while rubbing small circles on her back for comfort.
Hermione's hands were now tightly clenching the front material of his shirt, head buried on her shoulder. "You can't die," she murmured. "You can't die and leave me… please, don't leave me, too."
The blond kissed her forehead and wiped away the tears from her eyes. As he stared at her eyes, a jolt of electricity ran down his spine – bravery. He felt bravery. He had no idea how that had happened. All he knew was that if he didn't say it right now, he would have lost his one last chance. Funny how this sickness of his made him do it. And so, breathing deeply, he held her gaze. It was time to be - as much as he wanted to gag in disgust – a Gryffindor. "Hermione," he said, affectionately rubbing her cheek. "Do you want to know something more absurd than me having cancer?"
The brunette just pursed her lips and continued to cry.
Sighing, Draco wiped one tear using his thumb. "Granger… Beaver… Hermione," he started, smiling at all the names he had called her for six years. "I… I love you. And no, not the brotherly love thing… not the best friend love thing… but I love you. I'm in love with you. I have been for ... for years now."
Hermione's eyes widened and she blinked rapidly. Her jaw slightly dropped as she searched his eyes. A sob then escaped her lips upon seeing no hint of humor in his eyes. Just sadness. And love. "I knew it," she cried, running the back of her right hand across her eyes.
"You did?" he asked, surprised.
"Draco, do you honestly think I never noticed your hints?" she asked, sniffling softly. "We've… we've known each other for years now. And I'm sure you know that Hermione Granger is always over-analyzing things… surely, you know that Hermione Granger notices things that some normal people don't."
The blond slightly grinned. "I love you," he repeated, thumb gently caressing her cheek. "So, so much. What do you… what do you feel about me?" He sounded small and insecure, like a guilty child waiting for his mother to reply after he had just admitted to eating a cookie before dinner.
Hermione closed her eyes and cried. "I… I…" she muttered.
"What?" he asked, his voice sounding hoarse. "What, Hermione? Please, tell me. Please. I need to know."
The brunette opened her eyes and stared into his grey ones. But then, she soon looked away after releasing a broken sigh. "I… can't."
"Why?" the blond asked, now gripping her shoulders firmly, yet gently.
"I… I just can't," she sobbed, covering her face with both of her hands. She cried harder, slightly muffled by her hands.
Draco, strangely determined, pulled her hands away from her face. He bent down and captured her lips with his. At first, Hermione was surprised, and thus, she wasn't responding. But soon, she surprised the blond when she kissed him back.
He wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. She, on the other hand, snaked her hands around his neck and kissed him, finally sharing all of the sexual tension that had build up between them.
The kiss was sweet. But because of Hermione's tears, it tasted quite salty. But nevertheless, it was bliss… pure bliss.
The blond pulled her closer, if it was even possible. The first two kisses they had shared might had been an accident; something they didn't expect to happen. But this kiss… their third kiss, it was unexplainable. It was just wonderful. And of course, magical.
But then, the brunette gently pushed him away, breaking their sweet kiss in the process. Draco looked stunned, but then, tried to pull her back to him for more, but the brunette abruptly stood up and backed away from him.
"I… I'm going home," she sputtered. She struggled with the words because of her uncontrollable crying.
"No, please, no," the blond said, standing up, too. He slowly walked towards the brunette. He was afraid that if he ran towards her, he would freak her out and make her want to go back to her apartment more.
"G'night, Draco," she whispered, now slowly approaching his bedroom door. But then, Draco gently grabbed her right arm and swirled her around so that she would be looking at him.
"Hermione," he said, ignoring her slight attempt of pulling her arm away from his hands. "Hermione, please." The brunette stopped struggling and sighed in defeat. Her eyes locked up into his. "I just have to know something."
"I told you I can't - ."
"No, not that," he said. He was quite miffed with the fact that she didn't answer his previous question. It was common courtesy to answer a question after all. "I want to know… I want to know what your first goal is. You haven't told me, remember?"
Hermione looked surprised. She wasn't expecting that. But then, she looked at the carpeted floor and sighed. "Does it matter?" she asked in a soft whisper. "What's the point of doing it when I'm not going to die any time soon? I can do it someday."
Draco placed a finger under her chin and lifted it up. Now, she was looking directly at his eyes. "It matters to me," he whispered. "Remember, I promised that I would help you complete your list."
The brunette closed her eyes warily and released a soft sigh. "My first goal," she said, opening her eyes again, "my first goal is… I want to get married."
The blond looked surprised. But then, a small smile plastered itself onto his lips. "I can help you with that," he whispered.
"No you can't," she said, looking away from him. "You can't help me."
"I can," he protested, making her look at him again. "Hermione, listen. I made a list, too."
Hermione raised an eyebrow in curiosity.
"The list is entitled 'The One Thing I Want to Do Before I Die'," he said, his smile growing. "And you want to know what the only thing is on my list?"
The brunette nodded, now completely pulling her arm away from his grip. Apparently, he had loosened his grip.
He looked at her lovingly, "1. I want to marry Hermione Granger."
Hermione eyes widened and her jaw dropped. She watched as he unclasped the necklace around his neck and slid a ring off of it. She watched as the blond knelt down on one knee and gazed up at her adoringly. She jolted when his hand grabbed her right hand gently.
"I told you I've been in love with you for years now, Hermione," he said. "And I admit, I was planning to propose to you for the last three years but I just can't bring myself to pop the big question. I was a coward, I know. That's why I deserve to be in Slytherin rather than you're prided House, Gryffindor." He tightened his grip upon seeing new tears streaming down from her eyes. "It's funny how I confessed I love you and propose to you on the same day. This must be the most unromantic proposal you had ever heard or seen or read. And this must be the lamest speech you have ever heard or seen or read. But here I am now. I mustered up all of my courage because I'm afraid that if I don't do it now, I'll never have a chance to."
The brunette closed her eyes and started to breathe heavily.
"Hermione Granger, will you make me the happiest man here on Earth for the remaining time of my life and marry me," Draco finished, whispering his question almost inaudibly. But of course, Hermione had heard it.
She then slowly opened her eyes and tears continuously fell. A sob managed to escape and the next thing Draco knew, the brunette was kneeling in front of him, her arms tightly wrapped around his neck. "I… I've been waiting for that a-all along!" she sobbed, pressing kisses around the blond's face.
His face relaxed in relief as a huge smile broke into his face. "Does that mean 'yes'?" he asked, already feeling quite ecstatic.
Hermione stared directly at his and nodded vigorously. "Yes… YES!" she exclaimed. "You bastard! Why did you just ask me now? I've waited for that all along. God, I even thought that the ring you always wore around your neck was for me!"
His eyes enlarged. "You've noticed!" he exclaimed disbelievingly. He pulled the brunette away from him, though his hands were firmly clutching her shoulders. "You've noticed the ring and you never asked!"
"Why would I?" she cried. "Then you'll think I'd been hoping for some proposal from you… I'm hopeless... whatsoever… you'll think I'm - ."
"Hermione," he said, grinning widely. "You're babbling."
"Of course I know, and I don't care but y-oomph." She didn't have the chance to continue her sentence since the blond briefly kissed her lips, a teasing smile plastered on his face.
"Merlin, here I am, thinking you are so hopelessly clueless of my feelings for you," he started. "I never thought that I'm the more clueless one here, thinking that you never returned my feelings."
Hermione smiled and kissed his forehead.
He groaned and placed his head on her shoulder. The blond wrapped his arms tightly around her waist and sighed. "I've waited for this," he whispered.
"I've waited for this, too," she whispered, burying her nose on top of his blond head. "I've waited for this and I'm frightened this will end soon."
"Don't say that," he pleaded, voice slightly muffled. "The future is unpredictable, Hermione. Why don't we just enjoy the present with each other."
The tears came back to her, full blast, and hugged him tighter. "I don't want to lose you," she softly whispered.
Draco's only answer was the coughs that started to attack his body. Alarmed, Hermione pulled away from his hug and dug her hand inside her pocket, searching for her handkerchief. Once she clutched it, she pulled it from her pocket and immediately pressed it against the blond's mouth.
Hermione gingerly rubbed his back. "It's all right," she whispered soothingly. "Come on. Breathe, Draco."
Soon, his coughs diminished. The blond pulled Hermione's handkerchief from his mouth and the brunette had to look away.
The Malfoy heir crumpled Hermione's bloodied handkerchief into his right fist. He grabbed his wand and burst it into flames until it completely disappeared. "I'm sorry," he said, seeing the pain written on the brunette's face.
Hermione looked back at him and sighed. She stood up while pulling him up in the process. "Come on," she said, "I think it's best for you to go to sleep now."
Draco nodded mutely and obliged, now lying down flat on his humongous bed. Hermione tucked him inside his red comforter.
"It's funny you're tucking me in now," the blond said, watching his new fiancée. "I used to do that job before, you know."
The brunette giggled despite her tears. "Yeah," she said. She straightened up and grabbed his stuffed toy beaver. She placed it beside him, earning a smile from the blond. "I better get going now."
Draco's smile faltered. "Why don't you stay here?" he asked.
Hermione thought for a moment before smiling. "Okay," she said. "I'll just ask Jinky to ready the usual guest room I - ."
"No," he said, softly laughing. "What I meant is why don't you stay here? In my room?"
"Oh," she said, laughing, too. "Okay."
Draco scooted to the left to give Hermione some room. The brunette slipped under his comforter and lied down beside him. Immediately, the blond's arms wrapped themselves around her. Smiling, Hermione scooted closer to him and buried her face against his chest.
"I can't believe I'm engaged to you," the brunette's muffled voice murmured against his chest.
The blond chuckled and kissed her hair. "Me neither," he whispered. "It's a nice feeling; to be engaged to someone you love."
Hermione gently smiled. "I love you," she whispered.
Draco just realized that she hadn't said that to him at all. And so, he pulled her face from his chest and placed a swift yet sweet kiss on her lips. "Me too," he answered back, earning a smile from the brunette. "Me too."
She sighed and closed her eyes, burying her face against his chest once again.
"Goodnight, Hermione," he said. "Sleep tight, love."
Hermione kissed his chest and sighed comfortably. "Don't let the bed bugs bite."
And with that, the two of them fell asleep.
Together.
Replies to Reviews (R-to-R, for short :D):
Hachiko06: Yeah, me neither. I'm not happy this story is about to end. And, thanks for thinking the previous chapter was 'beautiful'. :D I quite had a hard time typing that chapter. Hahaha. AND, glad you now understood this is a Dramione story. LOL! I'm sorry if the 'blood' part was difficult for you to understand. But, do you understand now? Anyway, thanks for the review!
mentarisenja: You really want Hermione to see the engagement ring, do you? Hahaha, now you know Hermione really saw the ring around Draco's neck after all. AND, hehehe, well, I like cliffies (if I'm the author of that said story). Anyway, thanks for the review!
GurlOfTheNight: Aww, I don't want this to end, too. But, I have no choice. The end is approaching. I'm so sorry if I'm gonna do that. Anyway, thanks for reviewing!
The Jazzled Author: Yeah, I'm really planning on brining Neville into the story. HAHAHA. And now you know that Hermione, too, can see the ring around Draco's neck. Aww, and nice number one. If you checked my profile, I have goals there before I die. And my number one is to fall in love. Anyway, thanks for the review!
fantasia-49: Hahaha, it's funny you think the threesome's date is not important. Aww, and please don't cry. You can punish me all you want (but of course, I wouldn't continue the story if you do that… cruel me). And now, you know that it wasn't Hermione who coughed up blood. Thanks for the review!
Jika: And now, there will only be one more chapter left. And I do understand you. I like to find the ending of the stories I like, but in a way, I don't want it to end. And don't worry, see, I made Draco confess his feelings to Hermione. I made him propose, too! And please don't cry. :D Thanks for the review!
Erilin-chan: Yeah, while typing the grave visits, I was on the verge of crying. And, Hermione won't die! So please don't send me those scary ninja teddy bears (even if I don't know how they look like)… hahaha. Thanks for the review!
lrmorena: I had a hard time typing the grave visits, you know. I mean, even if I don't really like Ron that much, I like the friendship of the trio. And don't worry, every time I read fan fictions, too, I get too involved (especially if the scene was so sad and all). Hahaha, and you're the only one who reviewed to me about the last part (which was sexless). I honestly paused a bit before that word and thinking you might realize something important… LOL! And you are so right! I know some people who didn't take medications for cancer because they didn't want to prolong the agony. Thanks for the great review!
bas1014: Aww, thank you for the compliment. And, I already got over the 'festering sore', don't worry. Anyway, I can't believe I'm almost finished, too. Thanks for the review!
S. Hunter: Ugh, I wish I can read fan fictions in school, too :D And wow, you read from Epilogue to Chapter 11 since 10 in the morning to 2? Hahaha, NOW, I really wish to do that in school. Don't worry, dearie, I already got over the 'festering sore' thing. And, thank you for the compliment. I actually think that writing ins my only talent. Thanks for the review!
Jazii26: Aww, thanks for the compliment :D And now, you already found out what Hermione's first goal is. Hahaha, and thanks for the reassurance. I was kinda worried that I haven't included the threesome's date in the last chapter. Thanks for the review!
Cee M.: Yeah, that's Hermione's case. INTELLIGENT PEOPLE ARE REALLY DENSE!!! Hahaha, and thanks. I'm actually worried because I didn't include their date on the previous chapter. And, you're totally right. I think authors like long reviews. I mean, I'm happy whenever I receive one so sometimes I leave long reviews to stories I like to make them more inspired and all. And God, Math tests sucks. I mean, I love Math. But tests… they suck. I got a bloody low score in our final test (though, I didn't fail!!!) Hahaha, and your joke made me laugh. I'm sorry if I made Hermione cry and cry to the point of drowning XD And now you know what her number one is. And yeah, it's something to do with Draco. :D And who said the symptoms that showed in the previous chapter are Hermione's? Now you know it isn't. Thanks for the great review, sweetie!
WhatDoYouDoWhenItAllFallsApart: Wow, so many 'nos'. Hahaha, I'm sorry if I have to end this story. After all, all things come to an end. And what would you do if I end this? Find an awesome Dramione story and tell me. I'll love to read it, too. I already have some plots formulating in my mind, though, I'm not sure if it would turn out as good as this story. Aww, and sorry if I'm making you frustrated because I have to end this. Thanks for the review, honey!
bitchyhelly: I can leave a cliffhanger :p Sorry, if I love my story so much, I tend to leave some chapters with cliffhanger. Mean, I know. But that's just me. :D Thanks for the review!
vernalequinox135: Aww, honey, please don't cry. But, hahaha, thanks for the compliment. I'm flattered, really. And of course you can post a link of some of my fan fictions. That would be great!!! So, if you do that, can you give me your LJ username so I can check it out :D It's so cool to know some Dramione fans out there, too :D And yeah, I'm sad that it's almost the end, too. Thanks for the review!
meandevil: As much as I want to do your request, I can't. I mean, I would love to add more chapters to this story BUT, what would I write? Hermione's list is done already. And then, there would be an Epilogue. But, I'm happy you're demanding for more :D Oh, and 'love ya', too. LOL! Thanks for the review!
flamingbunnies: So now you know Dr. Nobleman really made a mistake. See, what you had hoped came true! Oh, and Wizard Angst was funny, too! And Wizard Swears! Did you see that already? I was laughing so loud while watching it. Anyway, thanks for the review!
jessirose85: Aww, honey, nice suggestion but I can't do that. Yeah, what if Lucius and Draco were secretly working on a cure for her? Hahaha, sorry. Thanks for the review!
Binxs1: Thanks for the compliments, honey! Even if the story's categorized as 'Drama', I want to lighten things up. Proofs are the situation between Draco and Neville. And of course, the playful banter between Draco and Hermione. Hahaha, and don't worry… MY WHOLE FAMILY looks at me weirdly every time I laugh out loud because of some funny scenes I found in some fan fictions. And of course, you're always welcome. Thank you for your great review!
gitgit: Yes, dear, there is an epilogue. To know if it's a happy ending, wait for the next chapter :D And yeah, I also found the previous chapter sad. I mean, I had a hard time typing that chapter! And now you know that the room scene wasn't Hermione at all. Thanks for the review!
mandita: Sorry, honey, I'm an author who loves cliffhangers. BUT, if I'm the reader, cliffhangers definitely suck. Anyway, thanks for the great review!
rosepop: Aww, thanks for the compliment. I greatly appreciated it. Oh, and Hermione's perfectly fine so that means I won't kill her. Now, can I get my cookie? Hahaha, anyway, thanks for the review!
Hermione'sBFF454: Whoa, honey, calm down. See, I made Hermione well. As for lymphoma, I think it kinda sounds familiar. And dear, remember this, not all cancer patients are as lucky as you are. Anyway, thanks for the review!
TMRC: Hurrah, I updated earlier than the weekends! Are you happy now, dear reader? And haha, I can feel the love, don't worry :D Anyway, thanks for the review!
Roxie Black: IT TOTALLY AGREE!!! 'The one who suffers the most is the one who lives to remember the other person'. That was quite good, dearie. And hehe, if I were Hermione too, I would have jumped at him a long time ago. I mean, seriously. If a guy asks me that question, I would pass out right there and then (before kissing him, of course)… teehee. And, you now know Hermione's number 1. Are you satisfied with her first goal, dear reader? Thanks for the review!
Inknerd: It's cool I made you speechless… hehehe. And yeah, I love 'A Walk to Remember', too. C'mon! I've read it for the nth time but it still never fails to make me cry! And, here's Hermione's first goal! Do you like it? Anyway, thanks for the review!
Gryfferin Princess: Wow, you really dislike James, eh? And, oh man, you know, it's kinda awkward for me to be called 'Miss'. I'm fourteen-years-old, for heaven's sake! And no, I'm not really following the FF's time. I mean, it's just coincidence that I started this story last January and Hermione took her medical check-up with Draco on January, too. Oh, and let me re-melt your heart! Hahaha, and yeah, the lines 'Aren't I enough?' and 'You're more than enough' are one of the sweetest lines I'd ever typed (I think). Hahaha, and I actually got over the 'festering sore' thing. And, it felt like yesterday when I just started posting the first chapter in FF. As always, thanks for the lovely, long review!
LunaLovegood1117: I won't kill Hermione, I promise. I mean, how can I kill Hermione when she's perfectly fine? Aww, and please don't cry. It would be horrible for me, too. Anyway, thanks for the review!
samxlove: Wow, feeling quite emo, eh? Hahaha, 'make Draco suicidal'. You're amazing, dude (… dudette, I mean :D). Anyway, thanks for your review!
SlytherinPrincessVu: Hurrah, I did update sooner! I should update on Saturday or Sunday but I just feel like posting this chapter earlier. Anyway, thanks for the review!
writersz cramp: Aww, I'm so sorry if you hate me (please don't punch your computer monitor! You're still not done reading! Hahaha). And calm down, honey. I won't kill Hermione. Aww, and thanks for reading this story even if you have a feeling it would end it a bloody tragic way. And yes, you're quite right. Who says life is fair? Anyway, thanks for your review!
Umbridgeskitty: Yeah, the café part was pretty sad, right? And, now you know the symptoms from the last chapter are not Hermione's. Thanks for the review, by the way!
redandblack 4eva: Hahaha, now you know that Hermione DOES notice the ring around Draco's neck. She's just… err… too shy to point it out. Anyway, thanks for the review!
WinnieThaPoo92: Now, honey, one more chapter to go… Aww, and thanks for telling me the last part of the previous chapter was perfect. Hahaha, and yeah, Draco's more than enough. As for your question, why don't you wait for the next chapter? Anyway, thanks for reviewing!
CookieMonsterxx3: Okay, honey, BREATHE!!! Hahaha, anyway, thanks for your review!
(Someone Anonymous): Aww, honey, dry your tears! Quick! I don't really like it when some of my readers are crying. It makes me sad, too, you know. Aww, and like what I've placed ever since the first chapter, even wizards and witches (most especially muggle-borns) can be afflicted with cancer… okay, so I totally made that up but still… Anyway, thanks for your review!
.Poisoned Scarlet.: Sorry, I really get carried away. Sometimes, I like putting cliffies. Anyway, before I end this reply, what's with 'Panda'. Hahaha, you've been my reviewer ever since the story started (I think) and I always get curious because of the word 'Panda' after your review. Anyway, thanks for the review!
pepperluck: Thank you for loving my stories (even though I think some of them sucks). And, isn't that what the goal of some authors are? To make their characters realistic? As for your request, I'm gonna think about it. I was having a hard time typing the part about the threesome's date so I decided not to include in the previous chapter. If you want me to post a one-shot, I'm gonna try. 'A Walk to Remember' is really one of my most favorite books ever. Aww, and thank you. By some miracle (like what you are hoping), Hermione's completely fine. :D Thanks for your compliments and your review!
WHOA.
Once again, I received 38 reviews from the previous chapter. Thank you everybody! You really love me and of course, I love all of you, too. Flying kisses everywhere!
Now, about this chapter, I think some of you are probably plotting to dispatch me. Hahaha, I'm sorry. If some of you read my profile, you most probably read my comment about '11 Things'. AND, see, I said there will be a twist in this story. AND, Draco's sickness is the twist.
Now, I know you really want to kill me!!! GAH, even my dear beta reader's scolding me for making Draco sick! (hi, dearie, I still love you, don't worry). Her exact words in her last PM were 'And it looks like you are going to do what most of the readers want… not
kill Hermione... if only they knew :)' Hahaha. I really do love that girl.
Anyway, I'm already done typing the epilogue. T-e-h is already in the process of editing my story (I think… since she has some tests and all).
So, that's all. I granted all of your wishes – not kill Hermione. :D But, I think I shocked all of you when I MADE Draco sick. So, the room scene in the previous chapter was actually him. On a brighter note, I MADE THEM ENGAGED. Aren't ya happy? :D
Anyway, that's all. I'll miss you all if I already posted the epilogue part.
That's all. CIAO FOR NOW!
Hugs and kisses,
2booklover4