CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

Hermione and Draco regained their friendship and finished Hogwarts the top two in their class. Both excelled in their N.E.W.T.s and got ready to join the workforce. Hermione was excited to get started helping to reform the outdated laws regarding magical creatures and Draco was going to take up an apprenticeship at St Mungo's. He hoped to be a Healer. Before either of them began to blaze their own trails, they went on a holiday together. The press had a field day with the trip, printing pictures of the two laying on the beach together, taking meals together, and even leaving their private villa holding hands. Neither were bothered by it, as they knew they were just friends. Parvati Patil, on the other hand, swore on the name of Merlin himself that she saw the odd pair kissing on more than one occasion.

They enjoyed a good three weeks on the French Riviera, drinking, eating, and just enjoying each other's company. Toward the end of the trip, Draco reconnected with Astoria Greengrass and the two hit it off. Seeing that she was about to become the third wheel, Hermione packed her things and enjoyed one last lunch with the new couple before taking a Muggle airplane back to London. She used the last week of her break before starting at the Ministry to find a flat and reacquaint her body with some sort of a normal sleep schedule.

The morning she was to start, she sat down at her newly purchased kitchen table and began to enjoy her breakfast. Just as she was buttering her toast, the news owl arrived with her issue of the Daily Prophet. She almost spit out her coffee when she unfolded it and saw none other than Lucius Malfoy with some buxom blonde on his arm. Pain lanced through her chest as she threw the paper from the table, transfigured her table mug into a travel one for her coffee, and left her building. A few days later, another picture of the wizard appeared, this time with a leggy redhead. Every couple of days, pictures of Lucius Malfoy would grace the society pages of the Daily Prophet. Sometimes he was with the same woman for a few consecutive stories, but it never seemed to take long for him to move on. There was much speculation when the same woman kept appearing alongside him. She was almost as tall as he was, hair a similar blonde, and her thin body and large breasts were often seen pressed into his side. The press was having a field day, claiming she was to be the next Lady Malfoy.

Along the same vein, the Prophet never once featured any articles or pictures of Draco and Astoria. Hermione knew that the two were getting close. Draco had come to her only last week to ask her opinion on the younger witch. Hermione, having gotten to know the girl in the six months since she had Draco had come back from France, gave Draco a glowing review. He replied to her saying that he was thinking of asking Astoria to marry him. Hermione was happy for him, for them, and even assisted Draco in his preparation for the night he would propose. If the press really wanted to see the next official Lady Malfoy, all they needed to do was to go to Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlor later that night. There they would see Draco Malfoy get down on one knee and pull a family ring from his pocket.

Hermione couldn't help but be happy for Draco and Astoria, but when the Prophet arrived the next morning with only images of the older Malfoy and gossip, she was frustrated. She'd thought she'd gone through all five stages of grief over losing Lucius, but apparently seeing him again even in print was making her start all over. Draco did his best to keep her on an even keel, but it was difficult. Between them both working, his new engagement, and her willingness to simply sulk and watch Muggle movies, he really wasn't reaching her. She was falling into a depression that Draco was hard pressed to bring her out of.

About two months after Draco's engagement, news of the couple's upcoming nuptials finally reached the public ear. There was a rather tasteful piece in the Daily Prophet about Draco and Astoria, but there was also a piece by Parvati Patil that speculated on how Hermione felt, being the jilted lover. Hermione was enjoying her lunch in the Ministry cafeteria and laughing to herself at the piece by her former housemate when a shadow fell over her paper. Looking up, she found herself staring into the familiar green eyes of Harry Potter. Next to him was Ron.

'Mind if we join you?' Harry asked.

After she moved her things around to make room for Harry and Ron, the two boys sat and began to eat their lunches. It was awkward for a few minutes, no one really knowing what to say, but Ron finally began to talk.

'Listen. I know I'm a prat. I know it shouldn't have taken me this long to talk to you after what I did back at Hogwarts, but just the thought of you and Malfoy…' Ron trailed off and gave a shudder. Hermione and Harry both laughed before Hermione let Ron off the hook.

'I know you don't believe me, but Draco and I were never together. He's my friend, like you're my friend and like Harry is my friend. When I got back to school-'

'I get it,' Ron interrupted. 'I can't imagine what it must have been like, going back there after everything… It took me a while, and a lot of help from Harry and Ginny…and mum… But I get it. Malfoy understood.'

Hermione smiled, stood up, and went around the table to hug Ron. It was almost like coming home from that year on the run. She knew she was finally safe, finally with her friends, and maybe even where she needed to be. Where she was meant to be.

~*~*~*LMHG*~*~*~

Spring was upon them, and Hermione was helping Astoria put the finishing touches on her wedding. The event was to be held the following day on the grounds of Malfoy Manor. Hermione was serving as Best Mate to Draco, who'd opted to have her stand as witness for him as opposed to one of his male friends. As far as Draco was concerned, Hermione was a better friend to him than any of the boys he grew up with ever were. That automatically made her the most important person to him at his wedding…aside from his future bride.

Draco found Hermione in one of the guest rooms near his suite and knocked. She bade him enter and he sat on the edge of her bed and put his head in his hands.

'What's wrong?' she asked.

'If you want to leave, I'll understand.'

Hermione was perplexed. 'Why would I want to leave?'

'Father is here. He arrived about fifteen minutes ago.'

'Is he…' She swallowed. 'I mean, is there any…' She couldn't get the words out.

'No. He's not alone.' Draco paused, staring at Hermione who was staring at the floor. 'I mean it. If you want to go –'

That shook her from her stupor. 'I'm here for you, Draco. You and Astoria. Your father won't keep me away. Wild dogs couldn't keep me away!'

He hugged her and kissed her softly on the cheek. 'I love you, Hermione. I know it isn't the same, but I do love you. Without you… I don't even want to think where I'd be if I hadn't sat with you that day in the library.'

'I love you too, Draco. Now get out of here so I can get my beauty sleep!' She laughed, he chuckled, and the two hugged one last time before he left her room for the night.

The next morning, Draco and Astoria were married under a rising sun in front of twenty of their closest friends and family. Hermione kept close to the bride and groom and did her best to keep her eyes away from the groom's father. It was easier, being Draco's Best Mate, as any time she thought she felt Lucius getting close, she would excuse herself to complete some fictitious wedding duties. By the time the meal was over, the last song played, and the bride and groom ready to leave for their honeymoon, Hermione was exhausted. She hugged both Draco and Astoria, and the second they'd Apparated away, she found herself face to face with the one man she'd hoped to avoid.

'Mr Malfoy,' she began, looking anywhere but at him. 'Draco was happy that you were able to make it today. He wasn't certain you got the invitation, as it kept coming back with the owl.'

'There's no place I'd rather be today.' He looked around for a moment before he spoke again, his voice a whisper on the wind. 'Can we talk? I mean, privately?'

'Lucius!' came the call of the blonde who accompanied him to the wedding. 'There you are! I was wondering where you'd disappeared to.'

'Sonya, I was just talking to-'

'You're Hermione Granger! Oh my! I've read so much about you! Sonya Axelsson. What a pleasure to meet you!'

'Pleasure to-'

Hermione was cut off when the blonde witch turned to Lucius and began making plans for their own wedding, spouting possible dates but saying that this was the perfect location. Hermione excused herself, Apparating back into her room in the Manor, gathering her things, and leaving before Lucius tracked her down and embarrassed her again.

~*~*~*LMHG*~*~*~

She was alone again. Draco was gone on his honeymoon. Harry and Ron had finished Auror training and were now in the field somewhere. She was alone. Surely, she thought, she had to have more than just a couple of friends, but the funny thing about depression is that it makes you feel completely isolated. You know you have problems and that you should talk to someone, but there's a niggling voice deep inside of you that convinces your brain that you'd be nothing but a burden.

So she kept to herself. If she wasn't at the Ministry, she was alone in her flat. More pictures surfaced of Lucius with Sonya Axelsson, more speculation on when there would be wedding bells. Logically, Hermione noted that there was no ring on the older witch's finger. There had been no engagement announcement in the social pages. Hermione also noted that Lucius never seemed overly thrilled at being photographed with the leggy witch. Depression was a funny thing, though.

By the time Draco returned, Hermione had lost a stone. Her hair was lank, and her flat was a mess. When he let himself into her flat, he found her sat on her sofa with a pint of ice cream melting in her hands. On the table before her was the Daily Prophet open to an article saying that Lucius and Sonya had purchased a property in Sweden together.

'Granger! What in the name of Merlin's sweaty football socks are you doing in here?'

Draco, having gotten no more than a grunt in reply, Floo'd Astoria and told her what was going on. He told her that he would be home later and to not wait on him for dinner. She understood, sent her love, and disconnected the call. Draco then stood, gathered Hermione in his arms, and carried her to the bathroom. He set her on the edge of the tub and ran the bath. Then he helped her out of her clothes and lowered her into the steaming water. She sat there, hugging her knees to her chest, as he washed her hair for her.

'What happened, Draco? How did I get here?' she cried into her knees.

'Well, I did carry you…'

She splashed him with water. 'That's not what I meant and you know it, git.'

He laughed and splashed her back before returning to rinse her hair and apply conditioner. 'That article you had open-'

'I don't want to talk about it.'

'You don't have a choice. If I have to silence you, you will hear me out. He doesn't love her. All of that, all the articles, they're all being fed to the Prophet by Sonya. Father is one step away from filing a restraining order against her. He's livid.'

'Huh?'

'He came down and gatecrashed my honeymoon' he answered, annoyance obvious in his tone. 'Said he had been trying to get ahold of you since the wedding, but was unable to find you. He was distraught. I've never seen him like that before.'

'It's alright, Draco. You don't have to say those things to me. I understand the way the world works. In fact, I would say that I know better than most the way things really go. I don't live in some fantasy world where the handsome aristocrat comes back for the Plain Jane girl next door. It just doesn't work that way, and I'm alright with it.'

'Hermione, you can't –'

'Just stop. I mean it. I know you think that I'm sitting here feeling sorry for myself, but I'm not. Really!' she added at his disbelieving look. 'He left. He's gone and I know that he won't come back for me. I hold no delusions that a man like him would ever settle for someone like me, no matter what sort of history we share. Hell, with all the other women out there, I wouldn't even choose me! He has hundreds of beautiful women throwing themselves at him, all vying for the title of Lady Malfoy. Women with perfect hair, perfect bodies, perfect teeth… Well, I have perfect teeth, but that's neither here nor there.'

Draco and Hermione chuckled at her moment of humour, remembering their fourth year and the hex he had placed on her before Hermione turned serious again. 'I know I'm not beautiful. Don't get me wrong,' she added in a rush, 'I know I'm not ugly, but I'm nothing spectacular either. I'm not tall and leggy, I'm not petite and dainty. I don't know who is related to whom and which families are the most important in our world. Being a socialite and playing hostess at a party would drive me completely batty, and I honestly can't see how some of those women could spend so much money on gowns and robes and jewels…'

Hermione heaved a great sigh, taking a few moments in silence to organize her thoughts and get back on point. 'I am nothing like the witches he's been seen out with since your mother left. Nothing like Sonya Axelsson. My breasts are too small, my hips too big, and my hair…' Hermione laughed. 'Let's just say that I've been considering just cutting it all off just to be shot of it. I know a few straightening spells, but they don't work well on longer, thicker hair like mine, and I don't want to be constantly reliant on Sleekeazy's Hair Potion. I –'

'You're exactly what Father wants,' Draco said, cutting her off. 'Honestly, Granger, for someone so smart, you can be really daft. Haven't you ever heard the phrase "beauty is in the eye of the beholder"? Well, it applies here.'

'Yeah. Whatever,' came her snarky reply.

'He's right, love. No one is more beautiful and precious to me than you.'