Ch 7: Everything I am
and will be
By:
YearofDragons
Author's Note:
Hello here we are again, so if you haven't figured it out or still confused here is the timeline thus far.
It is currently:
June 18, 2001 (3 years after the final battle and 3 days away from Hermione and Ron's wedding day)
It's only been day one, yes all of 6 chapters were a span of one day; from Hermione's point of view to Draco's point of view
Draco has been released from Azkaban and went out to get sloshed that night with Blaise
Hermione found out Draco was released while she was having tea with Harry and later that night she had a hen party
Ok? Caught up? Good.
Hope you enjoy it!
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, or the fortune it came into.
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Unbelievable! Draco kicked over a bin and continued to shred the paper.
It was getting colder and Draco had forgotten his coat in the pub with Blaise. Blaise that no good son of a dog. I asked for one thing and the tosser couldn't even do it.
Draco walks toward another establishment, convinced that another bottle of Ogden's is just what he needed. Already a bit tipsy himself he didn't even notice that a group of young men were also heading his way.
"Oy watch it mate!"
Draco was just set on walking on but the group apparently wanted to fight. Just my bloody luck.
"How about you watch it," Draco turned around and it was none other than Ron Weasley himself who he had the most painstakingly unfortunate of bumping into.
Oh it just keeps getting better, Draco thought.
"Well if isn't tatter-clothed Weasley," Draco tried to keep a straight composure but he's almost positive he was leaning a bit to the left. Either that or Weasley's predominantly shorter on one side. "And what do we have here, your band of good doers. How pathetic."
Ron Weasley was beyond drunk, but not too far beyond that he can't recognize a man insulting him. Definitely not too drunk to see that of all the men that CAN insult him, it was Draco Malfoy. It was like Hogwarts year all over again. Not this time, Ron was successful, and he Draco Malfoy has nothing. Well maybe not nothing, he was still the richest bachelor in all of England. But Ron had Hermione, Ron may have been the slowest of the golden trio but he knew Draco had always had a torch held for Hermione. It was little and very subtle. One would miss it really, if it hadn't been Ron, no one would have noticed. But he noticed. How could he not, Ron was always looking at Hermione while all the while she was always looking at Malfoy.
It was bound to happen, he had meant to confront Malfoy about it for years, but things came up. With the whole war and people dying, well it was really bad timing. Then Hermione testified for him, of all the things she could have done, the favor she could have asked for, she used her hero card on him. The bastard should have rotted in Azkaban, Ron thought.
Draco Malfoy being locked up was Ron's second chance, he didn't want to mess it up with Hermione anymore. He fought real hard for her to even go out with him, give him a chance. Having a another chance was the only reason he didn't get angry or question Hermione why she testified. Deep down Ron knew that if he asked, he couldn't bear the answer. To ask Hermione would mean asking her to admit how she truly felt about Malfoy and Ron preferred Hermione to never admit it to herself, better yet out loud to him.
"What did you say Malfoy?" Ron was very proud that it only sounded slightly slurred. "How was Azkaban by the way, cozy enough for you."
"Why you dum witted…" Draco had lunged at Weasley and tussled him to the ground.
Harry left the pub after Ron and them to settle the tab, he was just rounding the corner when he heard all the commotion. Ron and another person was wrestling each other on the ground. At first he thought the guys were rough housing but as he got closer he saw Ron's unmistakable red hair and Malfoy's prominent blond hair.
Harry ran over but he didn't know what to do, he didn't know who to pull apart.
"What are you guys doing just staring, take Ron and I'll pull Malfoy!" Harry barked at his fellow friends who were all just watching. Half amused and half confused as to why the fight escalated so quickly.
Blaise was clutching onto Draco's coat when he went outside and heard Draco kicking the bins and throwing a tantrum. He was just about to go over to him when he saw Weasley and his friends run into Draco. Blaise ran over to his friends side to help.
Ron was being pulled by Dean and Fred, his hand was still flailing and face red as beet.
"Let me have at him, I say let me do it!" Ron was trying to push off but it did no good.
Harry finally got Draco up with Blaise's help and they dragged Draco further from Ron.
"Take Ron out of here Seamus, go! I'll meet you all back in my house." Harry hollered and the group finally got their wits about them and started dragging Ron.
"Yeah Ron don't worry about Malfoy, you're getting married in three days mate!" Dean patted Ron's back.
"If you ask me, I say you got lucky baby brother. Who would have thought you got Hermione to say yes into marrying you!" George jokingly jibes Ron as they all start heading in the opposite direction.
Harry was really struggling with Malfoy's weight, a drunk man is dead weight, and it seems as if Malfoy drank his weight and some.
"I can stand on my own Potter." Malfoy tries to shove Harry off.
"It looks like you can't Malfoy," Harry is struggling to keep Malfoy up.
"Draco mate lets get you out of here," Blaise strong arms Draco to lean on him more, taking him off Harry's arms."I'll take him home Potter, you can go back to your friends." Blaise hoisted Draco by his waist and started walking towards an apparition point.
"Thanks again Potter, and have fun at Ron's stag party."
Just as they were almost out of earshot…
"Blaise, she's getting married…"
"I know mate, I know…"
"I love her…"
A faint pop breaks the night's silence, just like that Blaise and Draco were gone.
Harry stood still and couldn't believe what he's just heard. Harry's not stupid, he can at least put two and two together. Harry knew that Malfoy paid particular attention to Hermione back in school but he's always thought it was just to annoy his bushy haired friend. The way Malfoy looked at Harry when he held him was eery, his eyes held clarity. It pained him to see that much pain in Malfoy's eyes but Harry couldn't quite figure out why. His eyes was full of sadness, but not just any kind of sadness, it was filled with content. As if he knew that there was nothing he can do or say to change anything and therefore he was content with whatever the cards fate dealt him. Malfoy's eyes showed deep regret, a pool of unhappiness that he can't swim out of and instead of fighting he's given up. Malfoy's eyes says he is drowning and instead of fighting he's choosing to drown slowly, and eventually drown in his own despair.
But this is Draco Malfoy we are talking about, the same boy who constantly fought with Harry during school years, so why should he care? Why does Malfoy's eyes haunt Harry so much.
"Hermione…" It all suddenly clicked with Harry.
Malfoy's eyes were eerily disturbing because he's seen the same thing lately in Hermione's eyes. How could he have missed it. Because he's a terrible friend that's why, this whole time Hermione has been struggling and she wasn't able to tell anyone. Not even him, and they were suppose to be best of friends.
Harry realizes that Malfoy and Hermione were both drowning and perhaps only they can pull each other out.
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"Oh Harry, what are you still doing up so late," Luna walks over to her husband and plants a gently kiss on his forehead. "You have got to break the habit of drinking in the dark, haven't you heard of the Kamutanan."
Harry could only smile at his wife, some of the things she knows are just that, only things she knows.
"I wanted to stay up for you," Harry grabs Luna by the waist and sits her on his lap. With her back in front of him, he can easily take a whiff of her hair. Her scent has always been intoxicating to Harry, it was the best calming draught there it. "You girls must have had a really exciting night, it's nearly morning."
"Oh we left the pubs hours ago." Luna absentmindedly rubbed Harry's strong forearms. "I was at Hermione's."
"Hermione's?" Harry stopped sniffing Luna and whirled her around to look into her face. "What's wrong with Hermione?"
"Oh she just needed to talk to someone, she was a bit conflicted you know." Luna plays with Harry's hair, she was about to tell her husband a bit of a shocker and she needed him as calm as possible.
"Luna is there something you know and aren't telling me," Harry swats his wife's soft hands away from his face. He knows her very well, he knows her tactics, she is after all his wife.
"I'm afraid I can't say anything to you my love, it just wouldn't be right. Plus it's not my place to say, who am I to judge unrequited love." Luna resumes her stroking Harry's hair, this time he left her dainty hands alone.
"This wouldn't have to do anything with Malfoy wouldn't it?" Luna's hand froze and her eyes got bigger, and it advertently answered all of Harry's suspicion. "Trust me love, my night was crazier. From what I can see, it definitely isn't unrequited. It seems Draco Malfoy fancies himself in love with Hermione Granger."
Luna jumped off Harry so quick he almost fell over himself.
"Oh Harry, oh Harry, what do we do. It's rather put us in an awkward situation don't you think?"
"Yes, I guess you can say that my love. Let's not think about it some more tonight, let's get some sleep. Tomorrow, we can think of what to do ok."
"Would that be before or after the rehearsal dinner?"
"Definitely needs to be before, come on love, lets go to bed."
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Blaise was looking at his friend sprawled out in his very expensive wedding gift rug. Ginny was going to kill him if she finds out. Knowing that if his wife was going to be put in a rather off-putting situation Blaise sent a patronus to Ginny advising her to spend the night at the Burrow.
"Draco mate," Blaise crept up to Draco with a vile of pepper up potion. "Here mate you might want to drink this."
Draco grunted and swatted Blaise's hand away, but being drunk was his downfall. What seemed like ninja speed was truly a lazy sway of his hand. Blaise swatted his hand away and tilted Draco's head, shoving the potion down his throat.
"You'll thank me for this I promise."
"Sod off, wanker." Draco continued to massage his head, but as he's sitting there calling Blaise every foul name in the book inside his head; he started to feel the calming tingle that you got from this life saving potion. "I forgot how much of a mother hen you can be Blaise."
"Oh you know you need me," Blaise sat down across Draco and handed him another tumbler. "Now to ward off that minty buzz."
Draco takes the tumbler and twirls it around, taking a slow long sip, Draco can't help but stare at the fire slowly burning.
"What happened Blaise, how did that Weasel face end up with Granger?"
"Draco, mate what'd you expect, you never wrote her back wanker. I heard she tried to see you and you didn't even bother to see her. What was that all about? Mate, you know how hard it was for her to pull those strings, to keep it hidden from everyone, even Ginny doesn't know. To this day!"
"I know, I'm horrible…"
"She came to me you know. Granger must have been desperate that she sought me out, I thought she would never speak to me after giving her your letter. She asked me what she should do Draco. Granger, Hermione Jean Granger, brightest witch of our age, asked me what to do about you, the enigma that is Draco Malfoy."
Draco took a sip of his brandy, "and what was I suppose to do Blaise?"
"What do you mean? Are you mental? You should have told her how much she meant to you before being locked away. Or maybe you should have written her back after receiving letters from her for a year. Wait, wait how about coming out to see her. For goodness sake mate she petitioned to come see you, under false pretense to protect you! So what did you expect? For Granger to wait, all the while not knowing that if you got out, you would take care of her. She did exactly what you wanted right, moved on and found love. In a way it's her fairytale ending, Hermione with the most eligible bachelor of the year. Ron's good to her, she has a normal life with him. He sure as hell can take her out in public without being crucified. And you, what exactly did you do, you ignored the girl. Did you even love her? Do you love her?"
Draco shot up and threw his tumbler to the fire.
"And what Blaise, what exactly can I offer Granger. I'm a convicted death eater, a pariah to the world, Granger doesn't need me! Want to know why I didn't write back? Because she needed to forget about me, she needed to forget about the tosser who toyed with her. I needed her to live Blaise, I needed her to live for the both of us. If I wrote back it would all have been despair and if I did manage to write something close to happiness she and I would know that it was fake."
Draco walked over the the book case and started running his hand over the spines.
"We first met at the bookstore you know," Draco smiled remembering the fond memory. "Hermione has always been a helpless romantic, but I couldn't do that to her. I couldn't be the man that she saves, or she would just loose herself. You can't save a man who doesn't even know if he wants to save himself."
Draco sat back down and looked at his haggard friend.
"I was in a dark place Blaise, I didn't knew if I could make it. I didn't want to take her down with me as well. I thought maybe, just maybe, I can forget about her. You see, I couldn't come see her, I couldn't have her see me! She was everything that kept me going in that horrid place, if I saw her I'd see how she truly feels. You know Hermione was never good at hiding emotions from her eyes. I just knew if I saw her, it would have broken my resolve. I thought that I was doing her a favor, stupid I know. I thought I was doing it so that she can move on, she can go on with her life. On without me…"
"It makes sense mate, but I don't think it was the right thing to do."
"It's too late anyways, she's getting married to that Weaselbeaver."
"Well, it might not be," Blaise was looking at Draco like he had something sinister planned. "How badly do you love her mate?"
Draco looked over his glass and saw his friend's eyes gleaming with mischief.
"I love her mate, oh I love her enough to steal her away from a dreadful life with ginger freckle Weasel."
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authors note:
Do you want Draco to win Hermione back? Should he? OF COURSE THIS IS DRAMIONE!
I really hope you like this chapter and I hope it shed a few light on why Draco just chose to ignore Hermione while he was in Azkaban. I really appreciate all of my readers who've stayed with me so far. REVIEW. REVIEW. REVIEW.
Next chapter will be the rehearsal dinner! (The next chapter will be to set light on Ron and Hermione's relationship.)