A/N: Sorry I've not posted. I had a butt-tonne of work and then I got sick and then everything just was not working. So I finally got this chapter up. It's shorter than I hoped, and it's focused on about 3 hours, but I needed this to happen. I hope you enjoy it. I hope to write more very soon. If I go missing for about three weeks, it's because I am finishing up all my uni work for the semester, but after that I have eight weeks off solely to focus on whatever I want (as in this story). This is where things start getting INTERESTING!
As always, I would love some reviews. Tell me where you think I'm going with this. What are your theories?
Disclaimer: I do not own anything Harry Potter Universe related (except my box sets ;P)
Song: Human – Christina Perri
Lyrics: But I'm only human/ And I bleed when I fall down/ I'm only human/ And I crash and I break down/ Your words in my head, knives in my heart/ You build me up and then I fall apart/ 'Cause I'm only human…
Chapter Nine: Anniversary
The second day of May 1999. Breakfast in the Great Hall was melancholy. Students of all ages were spontaneously crying, and Draco spent the earlier part of the morning soothing Hermione from her own memories. Throughout the morning, various guests arrived at the castle whilst Hermione and Draco sequestered themselves in their dormitory. Lunch was held for everyone in a magically enlarged Great Hall, where the couple opted to call for Pipsy in lieu of eating with the extended magical community. After lunch, Hermione dressed in a navy-blue dress which flowed in chiffon just below her knees. The fabric cinched at her waist and stemmed upward to a high-necked opening with no sleeves. She wore a shining golden belt around her waist and fixed her hair into a high bun with a few strands framing her face for a more feminine look. As she stepped out of her bedroom in black heels, Draco stopped breathing. She was literally breathtaking. He stepped forward and greeted her with a low bow, clasping her hand in his and brushing his fingers against her knuckles. When he stood again, Hermione appraised his own outfit choice. Draco always looked good, but today he had decided to match her in navy suit pants and blazer, with a black shirt underneath, the collar button undone in an attempt at a more casual look, although the tailoring of the suit suggested anything but. Hermione stepped closer to him, noticing a shimmering golden thread in the trim of his lapel and running her fingers over the expensive material.
"Forgoing the dress robes as well?" Hermione asked with a pointed look.
"After living amongst muggles for the better part of last year, I've come to appreciate the feel of muggle clothing, and if I do say so myself, I look particularly dashing in a well-tailored suit." Draco smirked at his girlfriend. "In all honesty though, I thought I'd try and support you, even in the smallest way I could think of." He tugged at his jacket and looked down for a moment, "This way you can spot me easily in the crowd."
She smiled up at him, touched by his show of support. "Draco," Hermione breathed, stepping closer to him, "thank you." She buried her face in his chest and he dropped a sweet kiss to the top of her head.
A glance at the clock signalled their departure and they wound their way through the grounds with their hands clasped together firmly. The assembled witches and wizards congregated before the Black Lake, where rows of chairs were lining the grass and a stage had been set at the front. Hermione began to drag Draco to the front when he stopped abruptly, catching Hermione as she fell towards him from the sudden movement.
"The front is for war heroes and veterans. The front is for you." Draco had his eyes fixed on the stage and he released her hand.
Hermione frowned. She hadn't thought about this. "Wherever you go, I go."
"No, Hermione. That wouldn't make sense. You're being presented with an award and giving a speech, you need to be in your allocated seat. I will find somewhere by myself." Draco began to turn, scanning the seats nearby.
Hermione felt immediate anxiety. She didn't want Draco to leave her side. She depended on him with everything that she was. Not to mention his own safety, without his wand Draco was defenceless.
"I need you." Hermione's small voice brought Draco's eyes to settle on his girlfriend. His fingers brushed her cheek and tilted her face up towards his.
"I love you, Mi." Draco bent to kiss her and the lovers were lost in a tender kiss, full of emotion.
When they pulled back from each other, many eyes were trained on them. "If it wasn't so far away, I'd go back to our dormitory and watch the ceremony from there." Draco commented, squeezing her hands between his.
"It will be over before you know it, and I will be back by your side as soon as I can." Hermione promised, then she moved towards the front slowly, her dress flowing behind her.
Draco watched her leave before attempting to find a seat beside anyone he thought of as a friend. Harry and Hermione were both seated in the front row, and there was no one else he knew well enough to join. Just then, a flash of red hair caught his attention and he realised that the Weasley matriarch was beckoning him over. He looked around almost comically, assuring that it really was him that she was beckoning. When he was certain, he slowly made his way towards the stout redhead.
"It's good to see you, Mrs Weasley." Draco nodded in greeting at the witch, "Or, I suppose, formally meet you."
Molly pulled Draco into one of her famous bone-crushing hugs, knocking the wind out of him, but leaving him feeling warm and loved.
"Molly, dear. Call me Molly." She fussed over his suit, brushing a strand of Hermione's hair from his blazer. "You suit muggle clothing. I'm sure Hermione is pleased."
"She does seem to like me better when I'm wearing jeans than robes." Draco chuckled as Molly motioned for him to sit with her. He noticed the rest of the Weasley clan, sans Ron, taking up a row, along with an older lady who had her back turned to him, but who was clearly rocking a baby.
Molly made cursory introductions, although each member knew Draco in some form or another. No one seemed to hold any animosity towards the youngest Malfoy and Draco was starting to believe Hermione's words to him about how the Weasleys all accepted him – except Ron, and Ginny at the time.
"Molly, who's the lady at the end, if I may ask." Draco probed quietly.
"You, of all people, should meet her." Molly replied and bustled over to speak in hushed tones to the marginally older woman.
When she turned around, Draco wasn't sure whether to run, cower, or hug her. This was obviously Andromeda Tonks, and she was the perfect mix of Narcissa and Bellatrix.
"You should go and meet her." George could see Draco's internal battle, "Family is important. You don't know how long you have until…"
George trailed off and Draco felt immediately guilty, watching the pain flicker across his face. Hermione had told him about how she had been helping George grieve the loss of his twin, but it was evident that he would never fully heal.
With uncharacteristic courage, Draco strode towards the older witches and looked upon his aunt for the first time. Anything that he had thought to say stuck in his throat and died.
"Draco Malfoy." Andromeda merely stated his name and it made him want to shrink back in on himself. Her expression was unreadable, eyes flicking between his own and the child in her arms.
"Aunt Andromeda." Draco responded politely, although he felt a tremor in his voice. He knew what his mother's family had done to this woman, exiled her for marrying a muggle. Suddenly, Draco felt completely sympathetic to the witch.
"I have heard many rumours about you, Draco." Andromeda's voice turned to one of whimsy, much like Dumbledore at the start of a school year, "However, I do not take much stock in rumours. Tell me, child, are you in love with Hermione Granger?"
Draco was affronted. He gulped, sensing this was a turning point in a currently non-existent relationship. "Yes." He replied simply.
Andromeda's face broke into a warm smile, "You are much like I was at your age. You know the values that are worth fighting for." She nodded at the child she was rocking, "This is Teddy. He's your cousin."
Draco's eyes went wide. Teddy looked up at him, a small tuft of hair on his head changing from a chestnut brown to his own platinum blonde as the child smiled and stretched his arms out.
"He's a metamorphmagus." Draco stated simply.
"Like his mother." Andromeda explained.
"Would it be too forward if I asked you to have tea with me sometime?" Draco looked determinedly at the grass.
"I will correspond with you further to find a suitable time and place." Andromeda replied.
Professor McGonagall stepped to the podium and with a last smile, Draco returned to his seat. Molly placed an encouraging hand on his shoulder, and his eyes sought Hermione in the crowd, seemingly impossible to find her behind the volumes of witches and wizards.
"Thank you all for attending the ceremony marking the first anniversary of the end of the Second Wizarding War. As you all know, Hogwarts was the grounds upon which the final battle took place, and as you can see, from the devastation a year ago, Hogwarts has been rebuilt stronger than ever. I would like to acknowledge the Ministry workers, professors, and other experienced witches and wizards who helped to restore Hogwarts to its impressive beauty, and provide a safe and nurturing environment for all current and future students who attend Hogwarts." McGonagall paused as applause rung throughout the crowd. "Without further preamble, I would like to introduce the Minister for Magic, Kingsley Shacklebolt."
Hermione was nervous. After McGonagall's address, she spaced out the ceremony around her. When she had taken her seat, she had noticed Harry stuck in the centre of the Golden Trio, with Ron on his left. She hadn't spoken to Ron the entire time they had been at Hogwarts, with their last correspondence being the nasty letter he had sent her about her betrayal at befriending Draco. Harry attempted a conversation with both of them separately, but Ron was too busy brooding, and Hermione was glancing behind her, trying to catch a glimpse of her boyfriend, attempting to calm herself with his presence. After that, an awkward silence settled over the trio where there could never have been before. In no time, the trio was called to the stage to be presented with their awards. After stepping forward to accept, they stayed on the stage while each made their speech. Hermione spent Ron and Harry's speeches searching the crowd for Draco. Ron spoke about their friendship, the good times in the war, focussing on his personal heroic acts, such as destroying the locket horcrux and entering the Chamber of Secrets without speaking parseltongue. Harry spoke of love overcoming everything in the end, starting with his mother's love for him. He mentioned Professor Snape, and Professor Dumbledore, and their roles in his life, along with the love of his friends and adopted family. Finally, he mentioned the importance of forgiveness and moving on, explaining that love was what Voldemort was devoid of most, and that love would be what would keep us moving on.
Hermione stepped to the podium. She nervously searched the sea of hundreds of people for her boyfriend, and found him seated alongside Molly. With a ragged breath, she began her speech:
"It is with great privilege that I have been asked to speak in front of all of you gathered here today, and all members of the Wizarding World. I would firstly like to acknowledge Minister Shacklebolt and Headmistress McGonagall for allowing me such privilege. I was not born into this world. The Wizarding World was thrust upon me on my eleventh birthday, much like a great number of you. When I first began experiencing magic, I felt alone, isolated, and utterly afraid. I didn't know what I could do, and I never wanted any harm to come from my powers. It therefore comes as no surprise that I spent many of my formative years studying everything I could about magic. Throughout my schooling at Hogwarts, I learnt to control and conduct my magic in useful and meaningful ways. I never intend to harm when I cast a spell. I'm highly conscious that anyone on the other end of my wand is still a human being with a life of their own. No one knows the stories of every individual in the world. No one can tell the stories of each person who participated in the war. I know people who have lost family, friends, loved ones. I know people whose parents are in Azkaban prison. I know children who are orphaned, and others who are shunned because of their parent's bad choices. Personally, I have lost my parents. Prior to the final year of the war, I obliviated them and sent them away, knowing that as a muggleborn, I was going to be targeted, and as Harry Potter's best friend, there would be an even larger target on my head; 'Mudblood No. 1', as I have been told. There is no way for me to return their memories, and I mourn their loss as though they have passed. However I am of the mindset that through grieving is acceptance. I made a vow to myself that after the war I would learn to forgive."
Hermione paused and looked up from her notes, directly into Draco's eyes. He smiled in encouragement.
"He doesn't know I'm going to talk about him because if he did, he would have stopped me, but it was plastered all over the news at the time. Draco Malfoy was at the top of the list of people that I would forgive. I sat through every single trial of every single Death Eater and not once did I feel the compulsion to stand up for someone as much as I did for Draco. He has since apologised countless times for everything that he has done to me, claiming responsibility for my own involvement in the war due to his bullying. On the surface, Draco Malfoy has been branded as a Death Eater, and to this day some of the people I used to call my closest friends, and people he used to hold dear to him, have turned against him because of the stigma surrounding the mark on his arm. I can't speak for every person in Voldemort's army, but I know Draco, and if I hadn't given him a chance and forgiven him, I wouldn't know how complex a situation he has been in for his entire life and we would have never become close. Forgiveness is the first step to healing this world. There are no sides in a war anymore, and no matter who ended up on which side, remember that everyone is a human being and everyone has a story. Take the time to listen. Love. Forgive. Thank you."
Hermione met Draco's eye once more before she left the stage. She could see a sombre smile on his face and if she knew him well enough, she assumed that he was holding back tears. He told her to add something personal, and she did. Draco was the closest person she had in her life, and if their relationship would further her cause of promoting forgiveness in this broken world, she would use it again in a heartbeat. Hermione was certainly not afraid to flaunt her relationship with him.
The trio returned to their seats and Professor McGonagall returned to the stage to conclude the ceremony. As she looked out into the crowd, her facial expression changed, becoming somewhat confused and concerned. Hermione craned her neck to see what had caught the professor's eye and found herself staring at a patch of complete darkness. All hell broke loose as Aurors and Professors jumped into action.
"Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder." Harry muttered as Hermione gripped his arm.
"I can't see Draco!" Hermione fretted. She trusted Molly and the other Weasleys to protect him, but Draco was defenceless and in the thick of pitch blackness, she worried that he would be lost or forgotten.
Hermione leapt from her chair but Harry pulled her back, "There's no finding him now. Wait for the powder to dissipate."
She walked calmly towards the wall of blackness, Harry by her side. Both had their wands drawn and were nervously waiting for the powder to clear.
"What do you care anyway, Hermione?" Ron called at her from a few seats away. "It's obvious now you don't really care about him, you're just using him to promote your way of thinking."
Hermione whirled on her heel and marched directly up to him, landing a punch square on his jaw. Harry wasn't sure whether to stop her or allow it. It had obviously been a long time coming.
"How dare you, Ronald Weasley." Hermione spat, "Of course I care for Draco. It's time you learnt to forgive too."
"Come off it Hermione. It may work for all the dolts out there," He gestured to the audience, "but I know you."
"If you knew me half as well as you claim to, you'd know that I've been in a serious relationship with Draco Malfoy for four months now. We love each other. I consider him one of my best friends and closest family, sharing that place only with Harry." Hermione continued, using his shock to further her argument, "The rest of your family has learnt to accept Draco, in whatever form that may be. They might not all be best friends, they may still even secretly hate him, but forgiveness is the first step."
She turned and strutted back to Harry before Ron could continue the argument. In her mind, there was nothing to argue about. The powder was clearing up and they forged forwards, Hermione pulling Harry to the place she remembered Draco being.
"Draco?!" Hermione called out amidst the chaos.
"Hermione!" Molly's voice came from the crowd.
The pair rushed toward the sound of Molly's voice and happened upon the source of the crowd. There, lying bruised, bloodied and broken, was Draco Malfoy.
"Stand back!" Hermione bellowed, and the crowd parted.
She expertly set about summoning tinctures and potions from her bedroom and mending his bones and open wounds. Harry sat by her, helping where he could. Whilst she worked, Harry talked to the Weasleys.
"Do you know what happened?" Harry questioned.
"The Peruvian Instant Darkness Powder." George frowned, clearly unhappy. He didn't want to be the cause of Draco's death. "I don't know how they got it. We discontinued it after the war and all product was recalled. The only stock I know of is locked in the Burrow, although we didn't get every sale returned."
"After it had been set, I heard nothing from Draco. I think they silenced him, whoever it was. And the noise of everyone's panic drowned out anything else." Ginny explained.
"I felt another presence." Molly continued, "It must have been his attackers. I am truly sorry. If I had known that he was in danger I would have tried harder to protect him. I know he doesn't have a wand."
"It's not your fault, dear." Arthur soothed.
"Really, Molly. It's not. Whoever did this, we will find them." Harry's eyes were filled with fire.
"I need Madam Pomfrey. I think there's internal bleeding and I can't tell where it's coming from." Hermione spoke methodically.
Harry shot sparks into the air with his wand to alert a professor. Professor McGonagall and Madam Pomfrey bustled through the crowd, yelling "out of my way!" and occasionally sending out a wave of magic to wind their way through the crowd. Once they reached Draco, Hermione explained what she had done and what she had found.
"Dark magic." Madam Pomfrey whispered as she waved her wand over Draco's body. "The internal bleeding isn't coming from one place. It's coming from everywhere."
Hermione held his hand and continued working through every spell she knew, whilst Madam Pomfrey continued her own spellwork. A crumpled piece of paper fell and she paused, picking it up and unfolding it.
You don't belong here, Death Eater scum.
She felt tears prick her eyes and instantly burnt the note, allowing the ash to fly away with the breeze.
Hermione stood and cast a powerfully malicious glare at the crowd of onlookers, "Listen to me, all of you. If anyone else so much as looks at Draco the wrong way again, I will hunt you down. Draco has been targeted by his friends, his family, and complete strangers. No one knows the struggles he's been through and you cannot judge him. Stop with the attacks. He told me not to say anything, not to do anything. Draco thinks it's what he deserves and that it will help others to grieve. I think differently. No one deserves what you are doing to him. It's torture. Stop."
By the end of her impromptu speech, Hermione was breaking down. She swivelled back to Draco's body and continued her incantations. She summoned more powders and potions, drawing runes in the grass around him, coaxing healing and blood-replenishing potions down his throat. Madam Pomfrey stood back and watched Hermione's runes. Powerful light magic could dispel the darkness at work inside him. He had been exposed to a lot of darkness growing up, especially with Voldemort living in his house, and whatever dark magic seemed to have taken to him faster than it would have an ordinary person. Madam Pomfrey believed that, if their bond was truly strong enough, Hermione's magic may work better than her own for this particular case. Love is the most powerful magic of all.
Hermione had her eyes closed, Harry sitting just behind her with a supportive hand on her back. She muttered spells in Latin, moving through the names of each rune spread around his body and flourishing her wand in intricate patterns. After she spoke each rune and traced its pattern, the symbol seemed to burn with a white light, beams meeting over Draco's body, centring over his heart. After the final rune, Hermione placed the tip of her wand at the centre of the light beams, guiding them towards Draco's body. She looked down, reaching for his talisman and ripping it from his neck, handing it to Harry as she worked the light closer to him. Once it was in his chest, she placed her palm over the top. Her magic hummed with his, feeling his lifeforce, his magic, soothing and mending him. With a final muttered incantation, Draco's entire body glowed with the same white light as before, rising slightly off of the grass. Onlookers gasped and muttered amongst themselves.
Draco's body fell limp to the grass with a graceful elegance, as if he was merely a feather. Hermione checked his pulsed and pulled his head into her lap, cradling his face and whispering to him, asking if he could hear her. Madam Pomfrey returned and ran several diagnostic checks.
"It seems your magic has worked. He is, by all accounts, healthy." She looked down at Hermione, "You should consider a career in healing. That was quick work back there, Miss Granger."
Hermione sighed in relief and allowed her emotions to spill out. Her tears tracked down her cheeks, splashing onto Draco's body.
"Love," a croaky voice came, "I thought you were trying to save me. You'll drown me with all those tears."
Hermione laughed breathily as she brushed the tears from her face, only to be replaced with a fresh wave.
"I can't lose you, Draco. I refuse to lose you." Hermione clutched him like a lifeline.
His weak arms encircled her, bringing her closer. "You'll always be here to save me, Mi. I love you."