Every long separation is a test: A test to see how powerful or how weak the will of reuniting is

- Mehmet Murat ildan

Draco sipped on his glass of fire whiskey as he attempted to mingle at the Ministry party, but he couldn't. All he could think of was her. The one person he never thought able to break down his barriers or make him feel love or show love. The one person he had tormented for so long was able to forgive him. Telling him it wasn't his fault, he was peer pressured into doing things he didn't want to do. She understood him. And that was something he never thought possible.

Slowly they began a friendship and with time that friendship turned into romance, one that he was thankful was not just one-sided. He had a nervous wreck when approaching her desk that day in the Ministry, he hadn't asked a girl out in so long and there he was about to ask a girl he had relentlessly bullied for years out on a date. But he swallowed his fear and put on the all too familiar Malfoy confidence, he asked her out and to his surprise she said yes. They had their first date at the Three Broomsticks, somewhere that was familiar. They enjoyed a peaceful dinner and a few drinks, it was the first time that Draco had noticed just how beautiful she truly was. He knew the war had changed her, hell it had changed everyone. But the girl that had sat on front of them that day was revived, a shell of the girl he had formerly known in school. She was care free and adventurous, willing to take a risk and see where it went.

"Life's too short to not take risks. So if we want to jump, we'll jump together" She had told him while sipping on her strange concoction called a cocktail. And he couldn't agree more.

But now here he was, alone and at a Ministry event. He had managed to royally mess things up yet again and now he was suffering the worst consequences. He had lost the only person he had truly loved and in a matter of minutes she would be getting married to someone else. It had been a full year since they had departed but there hadn't been a day where he didn't think of her. Draco was consumed by her, in his dreams and when awake. He attempted once to fix it but she wouldn't give him the time of day. He so longed to just march into the wedding ceremony, rip her from the arms of the man she 'loved' and pull her into a searing passionate kiss to remind her of what they had. But he was sure she hadn't forgotten, and he was also sure that she was just trying to settle with her so called fiance.

Draco finished the rest his drink of without a second though, he placed the empty glass on a table and watched as it magically refilled itself. He had just picked up the glass again when someone yanked it from him and placed it back down. Draco turned to find none other than his childhood friend Blaise Zabini on front of him, a knowing smirk on his face.

"What do you want Blaise?"

Blaise shrugged, "It's not what I want Malfoy. It's what you want"

"I don't know what you're talking about" Draco scoffed, snatching the glass from the table and downing the newly refilled glass of amber liquid, wincing as the burn enveloped his throat before subsiding and leaving a dull warmth.

"Bullshit" Blaise smirked, shaking his head. "You will never change Draco. Here's some friendly advice. Grab life by the balls and run with it. Don't care about anyone else with think. For once, be selfish and go get what you want. Otherwise, you're never going to be happy"

With that Blaise patted his friend's shoulder before joining Pansy Parkinson and other former Slytherin members by the drinks fountain. Draco watched as he went, knowing all too well that his friend was right. He needed to be selfish for once, he needed to become the old Draco Malfoy just for one night to try win his girl back. It didn't hurt to try at least once more.

Without another thought Draco slammed his glass on the table and stalked towards the double doors, ignoring the looks and whispers from his colleagues as he stalked out. But as he reached the door he turned his head to find Blaise and the others staring at him, knowing smiles on their faces. "Thanks Zabini" He called, Blaise nodded and saluted to him as a sign of good luck.

Draco shoved the doors open and stalked down the door. He was going to get his girl back and he didn't care whose way he was going to get in. As soon as he got outside and out of the wards, he apparated with one thought in his mind. Hermione.

I saw the sun begin to dim
And felt that winter wind
Blow cold
A man learns who is there for him
When the glitter fades and the walls won't hold
Cause from then, rubble
One remains
Can only be what's true
If all was lost
Is more I gain
'Cause it led me back
To you

Hermione stared at herself in the mirror, her eyes racking over her body which was now dressed in a long white gown. It was meant to be her dress but somehow it didn't feel quite right. She didn't know if it was just her or the wedding nerves but something was off and she couldn't quite place her finger on it. The door to her dressing room swung open and for a second her heart almost stopped as she thought it was Draco finally coming back to her. Coming to stop what shouldn't have happened in the first place. Hermione had been wrong to let Draco go, after everything that they had been through, the good and the bad, she knew she had found her soulmate within him. But the pressures they faced from the media, their families and friends was just too much for them and they cracked under the pressure. How she wished to go back to that day and change everything that happened. To just see his face once more.

But Hermione couldn't think like that, here she was about to get married to someone who loved her and cared for her, and she was thinking about another man. She shook her head, trying to rid the thoughts of those piercing grey eyes that she loved so much. She focused on Ginny who had appeared in the room, bouncing with excitement as her eyes laid upon Hermione clad in her wedding dress.

"Oh Mione! Ernie is going to die when he sees you" Ginny beamed but Hermione rolled her eyes

"Thanks, but I'm sure he'll not die" Hermione muttered, something which did not go unnoticed by Ginny.

"Are you okay? Are you not excited?"

No, not really. Hermione thought, wishing she could tell Ginny the truth, that she was still in love with her grey eyed dragon and that she wanted to run the hell out of this place and never look back. How she let things get this far, she didn't know. But now it was too late for her to back out, so she put a fake smile on her face and faced Ginny. "Of course I'm excited, just have a bit of cold feet as all"

Ginny nodded, knowing the feeling all too well previously from her and Harry's wedding. "You'll be fine Mione, just think about once you get seeing Ernie standing at the top of the aisle waiting for you. I don't think I've ever seen the boy look so happy in his life!"

Hermione felt her stomach drop, that was certainly not what she had wanted to hear from Ginny, but what could she do. As far as she knew Draco didn't want anything else to do with her, he attempted once to try and reconcile but Hermione declined, thinking it was best for them to stay parted and Draco must have took her words to heart because he never showed his face to her again. He even transferred out of their department at work.

"Now, let's go Mione!" Ginny squealed, practically bouncing again as she pulled Hermione out of the door and into the hallway which would lead her to her soon-to-be husband. Hermione's father gasped as he saw his little girl standing on front of him, all grown up and dressed in white. He wrapped his arms around her and gave her a big squeeze, he could feel the resistance from Hermione, that was a feeling he knew all too well and just knew that she had something on her mind.

"I can take it from here Ginny" The youngest Weasley nodded and went back into join the others in the room, waiting for Hermione's grand entrance.

"Hermione, what is it?"

"Nothing Dad" Hermione sighed, the guilt in her stomach twisting and turning so much she thought she was going to throw up

Her father raised an eyebrow at her and she groaned in defeat, "You know what's wrong Dad! This doesn't feel right. I shouldn't be here. I shouldn't be with Ernie!" Hermione cried, not to the surprise of her father though. He stood watching and listening to his daughter as she ranted and raved about her feelings, he had always known that something wasn't right. Her smile never reached the top of her eyes, and she barely read anymore. Not since her and Draco's break up. And he wasn't going to lie, Draco and Hermione were much more suited together than her and Ernie, the young boy had always held a flame to Hermione but to Hermione, at the time, it was just a rebound that had escalated.

"Calm down sweetie" He whispered, pulling her into a tight hug. "You don't have to go through with this. We can walk right out of this building and not look back. We can go anywhere you want"

Hermione shook her head, "I can't Dad" She sighed. "I can't break Ernie like that. It would destroy him"

"But you'll destroy yourself in the process"

"I can handle it. I've been broken and destroyed before. I can piece myself back together again. So now, just take my arm and we'll walk together"

Hermione was a stubborn witch and the look she was giving her father was one he did not want to argue with, so he done as she said and looped their arms together and walked towards the door as they heard the music begin to play.

From now on
These eyes will not be blinded by the lights
From now on
What's waited till tomorrow starts tonight
Tonight
Let this promise in me start
Like an anthem in my heart
From now on
From now on

Draco knew she was here, he was standing out the small church in the muggle village and he could feel that all too familiar pulling sensation he used to get when they were together. She was here. And they were about to reunite whether she liked it or not. He took a deep breath and shoved the doors open, he walked into a small hallway which was now empty. He frowned and glanced around, trying to find any signs of life. It was then he heard the music, he glanced through the open doors and saw her. The love of his life was walking down the aisle to another man. Draco felt the dragon within him rise up through his stomach and into his throat, he let out a low growl. No way was he going to let this happen. And so, when Hermione had reached the top of the alter, her hand in Ernie's, just as they were about to begin. Draco burst through the door.

I drank champagne with kings and queens
The politicians praised my name
But those are someone else's dreams
The pitfalls of the man I became
For years and years
I chased their cheers
The crazy speed of always needing more
But when I stop
And see you here
I remember who all this was for

And from now on
These eyes will not be blinded by the lights
From now on
What's waited till tomorrow starts tonight
It starts tonight
And let this promise in me start
Like an anthem in my heart

From now on
From now on
From now on

A collective gasp echoed around the hall as all eyes stared at the young platinum blonde man as he intruded, Hermione and Ernie both looked towards the doors. Hermione felt her heart begin to thump against her chest as she took in the sight of him. His hair was ruffled slightly but he didn't seem to care, his usual pale grey eyes were now ablaze, showing the tints of blue that had streaked them. He was dressed in smart, black dress robes which clung to his toned body. Hermione felt her mouth go dry just at the sight of him.

"What is he doing here?!" Ron yelled, standing up from the crowd but was soon pulled back into his seat by Harry, he was surprisingly the only person who had seemed to be rooting for the couple, even after everything Draco had done to them during their time at Hogwarts.

"What am I doing here?" Draco drawled, the large crowd remained silent as they watched him make his way to the top of the aisle. "I'm here to get the love of my life back"

Hermione's mouth fell open at his words, he wanted her back? But why now, why couldn't he have done this sooner? She felt her hand being tugged at by Ernie, she turned to glance at him but his eyes were narrowed at Draco who was inching ever so close to them now.

"You see, I remembered something tonight while I was stuck at that ball full of uptight and prissy witches and wizards" Draco smiled, his eyes not leaving Hermione's. "I remembered a few words that the brightest witch of her age told me on our first date. She told me that life's too short to not take risks. So if we want to jump, we'll jump together. And Granger, I want to jump with you. I want to spend every single second of my life with you, through the good and the bad"

Draco was there now, he walked up the last few steps as he finally came face to face with her. He stepped closer to her, letting her scent of strawberries and coconut cloud his senses. He had missed that smell so much. "When I think about you with him, it guts me. I feel like you ripped open my chest and tore out my damn heart. Do you even realise that? I know I should want you to be happy, but I can't wish it for anyone else other than me. I belong to you, and that's never going to change. I know that I don't really have a right to be saying all of this right here and right now. But I was a coward, I ran after you rejected me after our break up. I thought you never wanted to see me again. But I'm here now and I never want to leave your side again"

"Don't you think you're forgetting about something, or someone?" Ernie hissed, trying to push Hermione out of the way to get to Draco but that was a mistake. Draco growled and took a menacing step towards Ernie, gloating in the fact that the Hufflepuff now looked down right scared and had began to back off.

"Oh, I haven't forgot about you Macmillan. But if you don't mind, I'm trying to win the love of my life back. I'm interested in her as a person, not her name or history. And certainly not because she's a third of the Golden Trio" Draco frowned, he had been keeping up with the tabs that the tabloids were printing and he had even checked a few sources for himself to see if Ernie was being legit in his advances of Hermione's and sure enough, he wasn't. Many were saying that Ernie was marrying Hermione to get his foot in the door at the Ministry, others were saying he wanted the press. But all were correct in saying that he was just using Hermione.

Ernie backed down at Malfoy's words, ignoring the angry looks he was receiving from Hermione. She slowly turned back to face Draco, the scent of his cologne now drifting to her nose and she inhaled deeply, trying to memorise the scent in case she woke up and this was all a dream.

"Draco" She whispered, it felt good to say his name again

"Don't say anything" Draco smiled, grabbing Hermione by the waist and dipping her so low that her loose hair was almost touching the ground. Their eyes met and in that moment they both felt that familiar pull, fate was bringing them together again. Without saying another word Draco captured Hermione's lips with his own, the contact sending shockwaves through their body as the contact became real. Hermione dragged her fingers up Draco's back, onto his neck and finally into his hair where she gripped the long strands between her fingers and pulled gently. She smirked in success as she heard Draco groan slightly, they teased each other back and forth before they both needed to break for air, and also remembered they were in a public place

The crowd hadn't said a word and were still entranced at the events that had just transpired. Draco chuckled and pulled Hermione back to her feet, steadying her first and making sure she could stand before turning back to the crowd. "Listen up and listen up good. My name is Draco Lucius Malfoy, and I am irrevocably in love with Hermione Jean Granger. Anyone that has any comments, snide remarks or negative responses may forward these to Malfoy Manor, addressed to Lucius Malfoy as..." Draco paused, glancing at Hermione and giving her a sly wink

"My father will want to hear about this"

From now on!
These eyes will not be blinded by the lights!
From now on!
What's waited till tomorrow starts tonight!
It starts tonight!
Let this promise in me start
Like an anthem in my heart

From now on!
From now on!
From now on!

And we will come back home
And we will come back home
Home again!

With that Draco grabbed Hermione's hand and pulled her down the aisle as they began to run together, on the way out Hermione caught her father's eye who was giving her a look of approval and happiness as she got what she had longed for so long.