CHAPTER 14

A/N: first of all I would like to let you all know that I have not given up on this story! Second I would like to express my deepest apologies that I have not updated in so long. I was on vacation and then found out that my husband and I will be relocating for his job. Then I got hurt and have been in and out of the hospital and physical therapy. So I am so sorry! I hope that there are still dedicated readers that want to follow this story and I also hope that I will be able to start updating more frequently!

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A month passed and Hermione had nearly forgotten about the strange encounter she had with Draco Malfoy. Every week since she had dinner with Harry and sometimes Ginny as usual, and then she went home alone. She was working on a bill to help protect house elves. She had learned the hard way that she would need to start slow were the little creatures were concerned. She did not want to frighten them off, and she did not want to incur the wrath of her boss again. He had been most unpleased when she had brought him a draft of a bill that would free house elves everywhere. She had been worried he would fire her, but in the end he had given her a stern lecture, and then sent her on her way. Therefore, she had turned her bill into one that protected the health and wellbeing of the elves instead. She was sure that her boss would feel more generous about this proposal.

Hermione set the bill aside and stood from her desk. It was past hours, and she knew he boss, Daniel, would not be in his office. He would have left, with most of the other employees, hours ago. She had stayed late to work on perfecting her work, but her eyes were getting blurry, and she could feel a headache coming on. These were sure signs that it was time to head home. The day had dragged on too long and now she was in desperate need of sleep.

Once Hermione got home and settled in for the night, it was obvious that she was not going to get the much needed sleep that she wanted. It was going to be one of those nights where she couldn't sleep no matter what she tried. Normally she had a stock of sleeping potions, but she had let her store deplete because she hadn't needed them for months now. Maybe a walk would do her well.

Putting on her muggle attire to fit in, she headed out her front door to head to the park. Her bench was calling her name. She didn't grab a book tonight because the sun was going down. She thought that a nice walk and a short sit on her bench, watching the frogs would do her well.

The walk to the park was uneventful for Hermione and when she reached her bench she was happy to sit and look out over the water. As she sat down, the sun dipped below the horizon and an owl swooped down dropping a letter in her lap. Hermione, petted the owl softly, removing the letter from his leg and sending him on his way. She didn't recognize the owl, but she did recognize the seal on the letter. It was an official Ministry of Magic seal.

She tore into the letter and after the first few words, she wished she had not.

Dear Ms. Hermione Granger,

I am so very sorry to be contacting you with such horrid news, Hermione. I was just informed by a contact that there has been an accident. Your mother and father were killed earlier this evening an in automobile accident. I have already contacted your boss and have secured a week off in order for your own personal time. I wish that this letter was reaching you with better news, and I wish that our personal correspondence was not so sad. If you need any assistance in preparations or your grieving process, then please do not hesitate to contact me.

Your friend and Minister of Magic,

Kingsly Shacklebolt

The letter fluttered from Hermione's fingers. She gasped loudly, her voice catching in her lungs. A loud sound, that she didn't know she could make escaped her lips. Her knees hit the ground before she knew she was falling. Her fingers grasped the grass under them and loud sobs racked her entire body.

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Draco smiled to himself, pulling on his light jacket and exiting the house. His little home had been customized just the way he wanted it and he was fully moved in. His mother had pestered until the last possible minute to keep him with her, but he had insisted that he have his own space. He promised to visit often and told her that she was always welcome to visit him at his new home.

The park was beckoning him for a walk, and Draco found he could not resist. The park had become a stress reliever for him. He would walk away the troubles of the day among the trees and the green, soft grass. Tonight was no different. The park was growing quite dark, as the sun slowly set. He reached the path and began to amble quietly through, toward the pond. Once he reached the pond, he noticed that the mystery witch was sitting in her usual spot. Her head was bent as if she was reading, and he did not wish to disturb her. He turned and started to make his way back to the path that would lead him to the other side of the pond.

He had barely taken two steps before an awful sound reached his ears. Turning around quickly, he watched the witch lunge to the ground. Her body shook, and Draco didn't think twice before running in her direction. Was she chocking? Was she hurt?

The closer he got, the more worried he grew. He could hear loud, chest shaking sobs leaving the witch's mouth. When he reached her, he took notice of the brown hair thrown over her face. She hadn't noticed him, so he gently laid a hand on her back. Her face whipped up fast, a wand suddenly in his face.

"Hermione?" Draco asked. His shock was palpable, but so was hers.

"D-Draco?" She was shocked enough to stop the giant sobs that had wracked her body. She sat up into a more graceful sitting position on the grass. He was kneeling beside her, his hand still outstretched, but now just hovering over her back where he had been touching her. Her skin was warm were his fingers had been brushing her. The two of them stared at each other for what felt like minutes.

Finally, Draco placed his backside on the grass and sat right next to her. "What's wrong, Hermione?"

The feelings crashed back to Hermione, and she felt herself start gasping for air. She found she couldn't stop the tears that poured down her cheeks from her eyes, and she tried to hold in the sobs, but they didn't listen. She was sobbing in front of Draco Malfoy. Draco Malfoy who had tortured her all through school. Draco Malfoy who had called her ugly, ruthless names. Draco Malfoy who had apologized for his mistakes. Draco Malfoy who had grown into the most interesting man.

Draco watched the witch gasping for breath. She was making the most heartbreaking noises. Noises he had never heard before in all his life. He reached past her and picked up the fallen parchment. Reading quickly, his eyes widened and he became fully aware of the reasons for her tears. He was quite sure that her heart was breaking. Draco had zero idea how to comfort someone who was in this kind of pain. He figured human contact would be the first step. Gently he laid his arm around her back and down to her waist. He was shocked when she turned and leaned into his body. Her body was shaking and quivering, and he wished he knew what to say. They sat like that for a very long time. Draco holding the crying witch and Hermione leeching any comfort she could get from him.

When her sobs started to slow, Draco, wracked his brain to think of the right thing to say. Her hand was clutched tightly to his robes, her head rested on his chest, and his arm was holding her securely. Draco whispered in to her hair, "I am so sorry." It was the best he could manage. The only person he had ever comforted was his mother, and he always knew the right thing to say to her.

Sniffing could be heard from her. He felt her hand slowly unclench and she lifted her head from him. She didn't meet his eyes as she backed up a bit. He could see how red her eyes were and how wet her face was.

"I'm the one who is sorry. I didn't mean to cry all over you." Hermione sounded bashful and embarrassed.

"No need to be sorry, you needed a good cry."

The two of them sat there on the grass in silence for some time. Neither knowing exactly what to say. The silence was not awkward, but it was exactly comfortable either. Hermione was grateful that someone had been there to hold her, but she didn't know how to feel about the fact that it was Draco Malfoy. The man was confusing. He seemed like a completely different person, but could people really change that much? She was confused by him. She would have rather been with Harry for this kind of news and the outburst of tears that it had caused, but she had to admit that he had handled it well. He did just what Harry would have. It was strange because he knew that Draco didn't know her well enough to know that she would need to cry it out. She was glad that he hadn't tried to talk to her about what had happened. She was better at dealing with things on her own. She was much better at working this out for herself on her own time, and in her own mind.

And in this case that was her parents. She had accepted that she would never be in their lives again, but she had been happy to know that they were happy and living free. But now….now she had no family. They were gone. Hermione could never go watch them from afar; she had no hope of seeing them ever again. A single tear dripped from her red eyes. How was she going to move on knowing that they were not living happily abroad? She had done this. It was all her fault.

"I'll never see them again," Hermione whispered.

Draco turned slightly, so that he could look at her face. "No, but they will always be with you."

Hermione snorted. She never really believed in that, and just because her parents were gone didn't mean that she was suddenly going to believe it.

"I'm not talking about guardian angels, Granger. I mean that they will live through you. You were part of them, meaning that they are a part of you. They will always be with you. In your smile, your eyes, your heart."

Hermione smiled softly. She did have her father's smile, and every time she looked in the mirror, she saw her mother's eyes looking back at her.

"Thank you. I lost them once, you know. I erased their memories, so that they wouldn't be killed in the war. I sent them away, and I understood that I might not ever get them back. After…after we won, I went back. Found them, but it was too late…the memory charm was too strong. I said goodbye to them that day, but I always knew that when I missed them, I could watch them from afar….but now…now they are really gone." A few tears dripped down Hermione's cheeks.

Draco reached up, slowly, unsure, and whipped the tear away from her cheeks. He didn't have words to comfort her, but instead grabbed her hands and held them tight.

"After the war…after all the death, I guess I just thought that it was all over. That all my friends and loved one's were safe."

"No one is ever completely safe; sometimes life has different plans for us. Life just had plans for you parents. I'm sorry that it had to be like this," Draco tried to comfort her with words that he was not sure he believed himself. She did so much good; she should not have to deal with more death. She deserved a good, long, and happy life; she should be away from death and killing.

Draco watched her blinking back more tears. She looked down at their joined hands, staring at them with a strange look on her face. She stared for a long time, before gently retracting her hands and standing slowly.

"Thank you, Draco. I am going to head home; I think I need a good night's sleep."

"Good night, Hermione," Draco murmured.

He watched her walk around the bend and then closed his eyes, trying hard to process all that had happened. He, Draco Malfoy, had held her, Hermione Granger, while she cried. He had comforted her, and it had felt completely natural.

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A/N: thank you for reading this chapter! Feel free to leave me a review to let me know what you think!