Lost Along the Way (Dramione)

Chapter 13

HERMIONE'S P.O.V.

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Dumbledore was dead.

I felt a tear roll down my face as I saw Harry begin to cry; that was when reality hit me.

I was unsure whether or not Draco had gone through with it. All I know was that the old wizard that I had grown to love, the wizard who seemed most indestructible, the only one You-Know-Who ever feared, lay dead before my very eyes.

•••

We stood there, looking at the beauty of Hogwarts from the Astronomy Tower.

Harry had told us everything he had seen. He had been right about everything, and no one had believed him-even though I had known from the beginning that Draco was a deatheater, and denied it up and down, and for that I felt guilty.

I hesitated before asking my question, but Harry was the only one who could answer it for me.

"Do think he would've done it?" I paused, knowing that simply saying the name would bring a pain to my chest. I lowered my voice, "Draco."

Harry didn't look at me. "No...no, he was lowering his wand," a wave of relief washed over me, "in the end it was Snape. It was always Snape...and I did nothing."

I took Harry's hand. Draco was gone. Harry, Ron, and I weren't coming back for our 7th year; we were going to hunt horrcruxes.

I tried to think about when the next time I'd see Draco was. The thought of us meeting anytime soon was quite unlikely, which saddened me, although it seemed to be the least of the problems which laid ahead.

And so I put the thought out of my mind, simply hoping for the best, and that our paths would cross...somewhere along the way.

•••

Summer neared it's close. I stood in my bedroom, all my stuff packed into a small purse.

I looked once more at the Daily Prophet: the heading read 'Muggle Family Killed' and, as if on cue, my mother called me for tea.

Slowly, I picked up my wand. I thought back to when I had erased Draco's memory. That hadn't been as complex; he simply remembered me as the girl he had despised. But now, I had to completely take myself out of my parents' memories, as well as completely change who they thought they were.

If this war ever ended, I planned to find them, and restore them back to normal. But I wasn't sure if the war ever would end, let alone if I'd live to witness it.

I took one look around my room, wondering if I'd ever return.

•••

September

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October

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November

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The days no longer mattered to us...

I lost track of what month we were in...

And none of it mattered.

Day after day slowly slipped by as the three of us wearily looked for the answers that refused to be found.

Everything felt hopeless.

Everything.

One night I had glanced over Harry's shoulder to discover he was looking at the Marauders Map.

I knew he was looking at Ginny's name, receiving a slight comfort by the thought of her being safe at Hogwarts.

I, however, did not have that comfort in my situation.

Night after night, I stared up at the roof of the tent while in my bunk, trying not to think of the terrible possibilities that Draco might be suffering through.

And then Ron left.

I had chased after him and screamed for him to come back. When I came inside the tent, I had collapsed, crying. Crying without reason, it seemed. I figured out later that I wasn't crying over the fact that Ron had left, but crying over the de já vu that I felt, being reminded of Draco disappearing into the Room of Requirements. What if it had been the last time I ever saw him? It sounds very cliché, but I hadn't even told him goodbye.

At least I had told him the truth; told him that I was in love with him, that is.

I knew he felt the same way, but at least he had heard me say it; at least if anything happened, he would've known for sure. He'd never actually said it to me out loud.

•••

Harry was outside, on watch.

I sat down by Ron's radio and started aimlessly toying with the stations.

Suddenly, through the static I heard a song.

It was the song I had told Draco was my favorite; the one he had cast a curse to make it play in my head; the one that he had pulled me in close to him and we had danced together...

I didn't realize I was crying until the song changed. Closing my eyes, I rested my chin on my knee.

I hadn't even noticed Harry come in. But when I looked up he was there. He looked down at me, and then offered me his hand. I took it, confused, as he helped me to my feet.

He took the locket off from around my neck, and I was able to relax a bit. It felt good, and I was no longer crying.

The next moment, we stood in the center of the tent. I looked directly at Harry, waiting to see what he'd do.

And he started moving my arms, as he swayed back and forth slightly, to the beat of the song.

He was the cheesiest dancer I had ever seen and I let out a small laugh, for the first time in a long time.

And for a minute, it was only us.

We danced around the tent and my heart lightened. I found myself smiling through the entire song. I forgot everything, only hearing the music; only seeing Harry.

Then the song began to fade out. Along with my smile. I had rested my hand on Harry's shoulder, and my chin on my hand.

We slowly stopped dancing and pulled apart.

Harry still had a tiny smile on his face.

I looked into his bright, green eyes. I wanted to say something. 'Thank you' maybe. He had cheered me up at a time when no one else could. He had made me forget everything else in my life: my parents, the war, Ron, Draco. But in that moment, he had forgotten some things too. Like Ginny. The two of us had been alone together for a couple of weeks now, and we had bonded in a way that no one else would ever be a part of.

I loved with Harry. But as a friend; a brother.

I looked at him for a moment longer, then turned and sat back down by the radio.

I felt his gaze on me, but I didn't look back up. I knew he understood though. He understood me better than anyone else in the world...

And the month of December continued to pass by.