Chapter 7:

Draco awoke with a yell coming from downstairs. What the fuck?, he thought, where am I? Trying to remember the events from last night, he came up with one name. "Hermione!" he yelled jumping out of bed and sprinting out of his room.

He ran into the dining room and found his mother, sitting at the head of the table, her head in her hands, sobbing.

"Mother? What's wrong?" he said.

She lifted her head to look at her son with tears welled in her eyes, stuttering her words, she managed to say,

"It's the Dark Lord, he's coming to collect you."

Draco took in her words, and felt uneasy. The room around him spun and before he knew it, he fell to the floor, unconscious once again.

Upon returning home, Hermione was hysterical. She threw pillows at the window and sobbed in her mother's arms. The next morning she looked at herself in the mirror and her eyes were noticeably puffy and red. The events from the night before came back to her like someone had hit her in the head with a brick,

"Fine. My father was right, I could never be with you. You're just a...mudblood."

She never thought she would hear that word again from him, and when he said it, it only broke her heart further. She sat on the bathroom floor and cried for what felt like hours. All their plans, marriage, the cottage, and the love. It was all real, wasn't it?, she thought.

Determined to forget what happened, she thought of the one person who could make her feel better. Ginny.

Every time she came to the Burrow, it was always thought of as a second home. The smell of the grass and the open air was natural, something that wasn't common in London. She entered the kitchen and saw the charmed pans washing themselves in the sink, and the knitting needles knitting their own sweater. She heard voices upstairs, and as she approached them, she bumped head first into none other than Ginny Weasley.

Getting up from the floor, she was quickly embraced by the redhead.

"Hermione! Where have you been all summer? We've missed you!" she shrieked.

"Oh, you know, spending sometime with my mum and dad." she replied hugging her back.

"Well, nothing much has happened around here, considering everyone now spends their time at Grimmauld Place."

"Oh," why hadn't I thought of that?, "So nobody's here except you and your mum?"

"Yep, Harry and Ron have been there for quite sometime, but they should be coming back soon."

"Actually, I came to see you. I wanted to talk to you about...something." she said, taking a seat in an armchair and Ginny seating herself on the couch.

"So, did something happen? Wait, don't tell me," Ginny said, pausing a moment to examine her appearance.

"It's a guy, isn't it?!" she yelped.

"Yes, it is a guy,"

"Oooh, so that's what you've been up to lately! I didn't believe that 'mum and dad' story for a second!"

"Yes well, last night, I guess you can say we had quite a row, and I don't know what to think of it."

"Well, what happened?"

"Last night, I met his parents, and they didn't really like me."

"How could anybody not like you, Hermione? I mean you're, Hermione Granger!"

"Yes, but they told me I wasn't...good for him and...I believed them."

"What?"

"And then we had argued about it for a while, before we decided," she said, holding back tears, "...before we decided that it was over."

"Oh," was all the redhead could sputter before Hermione fell into her arms and cried, not being able to fight it. Ginny patted her back and stayed this way, comforting her as much as she could.

"Hermione? I know it may seem bleak right now, but believe me when I say that you are a good person. And if his parents don't believe that, screw them! If you really want this relationship to work, fight for it." she said.

Hermione absorbed her words and thought, We love each other, don't we? We had a future all planned and ready, why shouldn't we be allowed to pursue that? It was only one word and I shouldn't let it affect it the way it has already done. He loves me, and I love him, that's all that matters.

"Hermione?" Ginny called, breaking her reverie.

"Yes?"

"Is this person someone I know? Does he go to Hogwarts?"

"...No. You've never met him, he's a muggle I met at a fair."

"Well, whoever this person is, he means a lot to you, doesn't he?"

You have no idea, she thought.

Again, Draco awoke to another sound, this time, it was his mother's voice.

"Draco, dear wake up! It's time to go!"

"What?" he said groggily.

"We need to leave soon, the Dark Lord is calling you."

Standing to his feet, he answered, "Mother, where is Hermione? What happened to her last night?"

Hesitantly she replied, "She left after an argument you two had last night, she hasn't returned. Now get dressed, we're leaving in a few minutes."

"Mother, I need to see her."

"Draco, now is not the time. It is over between you two."

"No it is not! We love each other! And I will find her."

Narcissa thought for a moment before replying, "Son, think before you act. If the Dark Lord were to find out about this, it will not only hurt us, but her as well. Would you be willing to risk her life for whatever relationship you have?"

Draco opened his mouth to rebut, but then closed it. I couldn't live with myself is anything happened to her, he thought.

"At least, let me say goodbye," he said.

"Alright, you may go, but afterwards you are to never see her again, understand?"

"Yes, mother," he mumbled before apparating away.

He knew her parents were at work and would not be here, so he let himself in. He looked around the room and noticed the disheveled pillows, which made quite a mess.

"Hermione?!" he yelled, running to her room.

Upon entering, her room was no better than the living room. It was clear she was just as upset as he was. After searching the whole house, she was nowhere to be found. Where could she be? The only other place is..., he thought before apparating once more.

He stormed into the cottage, hoping to find her there, but she was once again not there. He trembled and fell to the ground, prepared to sob.

"I'm sorry, Hermione, I'm sorry." he muttered.

"Draco?"

He stood up and spun around, wanting nothing more than to see Hermione standing there with open arms. But to his disappointment, it was his mother.

"How did you..." he said.

"There's no time for that, son. It's time to go, your father is with the Dark Lord at the moment."

"Oh" was all he could say before he turned to look at the place once more, and walked towards the door and into a world of darkness.

Hermione went to the first place she could think to look for Draco, the cottage. She ran into the house, and her heart felt as empty as the room itself. He's not here, she thought. Her eyes grazed the room, and she sat on the window seat, awaiting his return.

Hours had passed before it was clear, he wasn't coming. She moved towards the door, and drained from her tears, she whispered, "I'm sorry, Draco," before apparating home.