The Unthinkable

The Rain Of Retribution

Malfoy

"Alright, guys, let's get this done quickly, so we can match the timing with Ron's team as soon as possible. Hermione, you deserve to finish what you started a few days ago, so this pleasure will be all yours, to destroy this thing with your own hands," Harry said as he placed the cursed cup on the ground and stepped away from it, to give her room to get her revenge on the Horcrux that had made her hesitate in emotional shock and surprise the last time she faced Tom Riddle. And just like before, as soon as the Horcrux sensed danger, it manifested itself in a more corporeal form for everyone to see the smoking figure of Tom Riddle, even without Malfoy's enchanted glasses.

"She doesn't have the guts to even scratch me. She fears me, my power, my dominance in every corner of this magical world! None of you will escape your fate even if you try! I am invincible!" Tom Riddle shouted to try to intimidate the girl once again, but Malfoy smirked as he watched Hermione take Gryffindor's sword and stab the cup with enough force to shatter it into hundreds of pieces, sending them flying everywhere.

"Shut up, you bloody ghost! I've challenged the older, stronger version of you and lived to tell the tale. We all survive this quest and you won't succeed even if you try." Hermione said to the dissipating ghostly figure before it disappeared completely. Last time she had hesitate because it have been too much to take when things went wrong right and left and exposed to the influence of the Horcrux for months, but not anymore. Then, she heard Malfoy clap his hands in approval.

"Masterly done, Hermione, not that there was any doubt you wont be able to do it, because we all know how fierce you are. To be honest, I pity anyone who dares to stand up to you, especially when you're angry," Malfoy said with a wider smile on his face.  

"Is that a compliment or an insult, Draco?" Hermione asked with a raised eyebrow as she removed the sword from the remains of the cup and Tom Riddle, causing Harry to roll his eyes in a "here we go again" gesture and Malfoy raise his hands in surrender while visibly amused.

"A compliment, of course, you deserve nothing less, my fair lady." Malfoy said as he gave her a soft kiss on the lips.

"Idiot, come here," Hermione said as she hugged him, which he tenderly responded back, slightly kissing the curve of her neck and pressed closer.  Watching that warm exchange, Harry had to admit that the very way Malfoy flattered Hermione, even when he teased her rather than simply pissing her off, was the real reason Ron lost his place in Hermione's heart. 

It was obvious that Draco and Hermione were definitely far more compatible than she was with Ron, so Harry was now relieved to know that this time, Hermione would truly be appreciated by someone who knew her worth and how to expertly handle it. Harry knew that Ron had genuine feelings for Hermione, but he had to admit that the way he showed them wasn't the best. 

More often than not, they backfired, making it painfully clear that he just didn't know how to make her happy, how to make her feel less upset or at least better understood and less hurt whenever he felt like throwing a harsh comment at her, a taunt, an inconsiderate act towards her feelings, or the most recently, asking her to choose between him and her best friend. 

Although the old Draco Malfoy wasn't that much different from Ron in the beginning, the new, more mature version of Draco was, in fact, the perfect match for what Hermione needed in a romantic relationship, because he knew exactly what she needed and he was willing to gladly give it to her.

However, shortly after that brief moment of triumph and tenderness, things took a turn for the worse, just as Malfoy had feared earlier. This was because after they destroyed the Horcrux simultaneously, they heard an explosion coming from Hogwarts, closely followed by Voldemort's amplified scream throughout the Forbidden Forest, along with a sudden magical storm that filled the night sky with green lightning that flashed like twisted snakes. Then it began to rain under the greenish  magical clouds and the temperature dropped considerably.