Draco's frenzied eyes darted between his mother's lowered eyes, unable to meet his, and his father's hostile ones- grief flickering through the anger.

"You understand now." Lucius' voice was hard. "You break me in order to mend yourself. You rob me of my heart, the very air I breathe. You would take your mother from me by being with her."

Draco finally looked at Hermione. Her hands covering half her face, tears streaming down her glistening eyes.

"Lucius, please, he robs you of nothing. I made this choice. I chose our son over my own happiness," Narcissa pleaded.

"A choice you excluded me from," his voice cracked with wretched sorrow. It was almost excruciating to hear the repressed pain from the usually indomitable man. "You tore my heart out, Narcissa."

Draco was still stunned into silence. He loses his mother, the one person who has always stood by him, for the love of his life. It was cruel. It was a cruel cruel joke and he didn't know how to process that.

"I should go," sobbed Hermione as she proceeded to dart away from the garden. Her dark curls bouncing in the air behind her.

"Granger," called Draco. He glanced back at his parents and ran after her.

He was much faster than her and caught ahold of her wrist as she rounder the corner of the gallant French home.

"Where are you going?"

"I- I can't let you lose your mother, Draco. I couldn't do that to you. I know what it's like to lose your parents. I can't let your father hold that against you when he'll be all the family you have left."

Draco furrowed his brows, the hold on her wrist firmer. "What makes you think that you'll save her by leaving? You started the hourglass the day I fell in love with you."

He watched as hurt flickered through Hermione's face, "I started the hourglass? I did not know, Draco. We both didn't know. You blame me for your mother's condition. Deep down, you've already decided that to some degree it's on me. If you didn't meet me again this would never have happened to you."

"Granger, that's not what I mea-"

"And no, I do know that it'll save her. Her spell dictated enduring happiness. If I leave, it'll stop. She'll get better."

Draco's face lit up slightly with hope, and he immediately regretted it when he watched Hermione's face fall. He knew that as much as she wished his mother would remain alive, that there was still a part of her hoping he would fight for them. And he had just shattered that hope, it now lay on the ground next to the glass he dropped. It was not fair. How was he supposed to pick? His mother or his love? It was an impossible choice, and one that he felt was slipping away from his grasp every second. Hermione was about to make it for him.

She leaned forward and pushed the stray strands from his face. Her soft hand found its way to her cheek, the warmth of her touch made him look at her. Her eyes had become puffy from the tears and a light blush tickled her face. Even in her grief, Draco could not imagine a more beautiful creature to behold. For a moment, he forgot. He forgot about the darkness, the choice. She was all he could see. Her brown eyes bright from tears and sunlight were swallowing him up as if he was drowning in a pool of golden honey. He felt her lips against his, soft as a petal, the tenderest of kisses. He closed his eyes and let himself sink. Then, without warning, the absence of warmth. The sun had gone out.

"Goodbye, Draco."

He opened his eyes.

A crack, and light.

"Granger, wait."

Hermione had apparated to the nearest Floo and went back to her home. She could hardly see as she stepped through her fireplace and stumbled into her kitchen floor.

She didn't understand her own grief. She felt as if her own body was protesting against her choice and begging her to turn back. Her own skin is crawling as if she was itching to get away from herself. Her heart beating frantically from her chest, pleading to break free. Her sobs have only worsened and she was now hyperventilating. She unsteadily got up and summoned a glass of water. Deciding water would not suffice, the Gryffindor decided she needed liquid courage to ease the pain tonight.

The strong smell of cinnamon and whiskey soon whiffed through her nose and several glasses of the amber liquid soon reached her lips.

That smell was the last thing she remembered before everything went black. A couple hours later, not that she would know, she would be awaken by a familiar scent, even for a few moments.

"Merlin, Hermione!" Ginny had just passed through the fireplace, Ron and Harry behind her. "Boys help me with her. Let's get her to the bedroom."

After she was levitated in, Ginny asked Harry to bring lots of water.

"Hermione?" The redhead gently shook her, "Merlin, what happened, where's Draco?"

As the brunette was fast asleep, Ginny got no response.

"That fucking slimy bastard, I'm going to kill him," seethed Ron. "I knew he'd do nothing but hurt her."

"You don't even know it's about him!" countered Ginny.

"What else could send her into this state, besides he asked you if you've heard from her" yelled Ron as he pointed towards her practically paralyzed figure, "look at her! She's a mess Ginny!"

"Ok guys, will you stop! We don't know what happened, we just need to take care of her right now and figure out what happened later. Ginny come on, let's go get something to sober her up," came Harry's voice.

"Harry's right. Ron, you stay with Hermione. We'll be right back."

Ron nodded and sat down on her bed. He laid a pillow on his lap and moved Hermione's head on it. He started brushing out her tangled curls.

"How could you pick him, Hermione? I would never do this to you. I would never make you feel this way. I could never hurt you. I love you." Hermione shifter in her sleep.

He continued to weave his fingers through her wild mane and he didn't even notice the soft pop from the living room a few moments ago, and the watchful mercury eyes lurking from the doorway.

As fate would have it, Draco would only hear the redhead confessing his love. He would watch from an angle where the love of his life's face was obstructed from view. When Hermione moved in her sleep, Draco would soon perceive that as her being awake and inching closer to Ron.

There has never been such loud violence in the silence that occurred. A quiet thud hit the floor as a box of green velvet fell, and two soft pops simultaneously occurred.

As the first pop echoed, you could almost hear the shattering of a dragon's heart.