Lost Along the Way (Dramione)

Chapter 17

{ FINAL CHAPTER }

HERMIONE'S P.O.V.
----------------------------

Ron and I were trying to find our way through the Room of Requirements.
We had no idea where Harry was, and the place was so big that he could've already left and we wouldn't even know. We could be in there for hours.
After aimlessly searching for what seemed like ages, Ron suddenly stopped walking.
"Wha-" I started to ask, but he signaled for me to be quiet.
I listened. At first I thought he was just imagining things out of desperation from looking for Harry for so long. But then I heard it too.
"Why didn't you tell her? Bellatrix," it was Harry. I wondered who he could possibly be talking to. Then I considered the sentence he had just spoke. My heart beat sped up.
Next to me, Ron started to sneak over to where the voices were coming from.
"You knew it was me," Harry went on, "but you didn't say anything."
We had reached the corner now; I could see part of Harry's back from where we stood. All Ron and I had to do was turn the corner and we'd be by his side. But Ron once more signaled for me to stop walking. He drew his wand, and prepared himself, waiting for the proper moment to jump around the corner.
I could hear somebody mumbling something. I couldn't make out what he was saying, but I could tell it wasn't Draco.
That's when I heard him though. All he said was, "Easy," but it was enough to make my insides melt. Just from the sound of his voice.
But that's when Ron jumped into the scene.
"Expelliarmus!" He yelled, and the wand Draco was holding went flying out of his hand.
"Avada Kedavra!" Goyle fired back, and the curse soared by, not an inch to the right of my head.
I was in complete shock. Ron raised his wand and began to run towards the group. Goyle and Blaise turned and ran, but Draco hesitated for a fraction of a second, giving me a desperate look, like the only thing in the entire world that he wanted to do was rush over to me. After that fraction of a second passed, however, he turned and followed after the rest of his crew.
Harry and I climbed up a tower of books and boxes and various furniture, and finally reached the horrcrux. Harry snatched it up and looked at it triumphantly. Then he jumped to the ground, and turned to help me.
And then we heard Ron screaming. He came sprinting into view, a look of complete panic on his face.
"GOYLESETTHEBLOODYPLACEONFIRE!" he yelled as he approached us, slowing down only part of the way so that he could grab my arm and drag me along after him.
It took about 30 seconds for me to realize we might not make it out of the room alive. Right as this thought crossed through my mind, however, Harry and Ron's paths crossed and they crashed into each other. Ron fell to the ground, knocking over a broomstick. He started getting back to he feet, and then he realized that we had just landed on the solution for escape.
The three of us each had a broom. We were flying overtop of the Room of Requirements, which was already nearly completely on fire, when I saw Blaise and Draco struggling to make it to the top of a pile of random possessions.
I stopped my broom without even thinking about it. Harry and Ron zoomed right passed me, and had to stop and turn around.
"Are you mad?!" Ron screeched at me.
I looked at Harry, because I knew he would understand more than Ron would; I knew that he would be able to tell right by the expression on my face what it was that I wanted; I knew that he would try putting himself in my shoes...it would be like him flying right passed Ginny without giving her a second look.
"Please! We can't just leave them!" I said, so desperately I sounded like I was about to burst into tears. I kept my eyes locked on Harry's.
He didn't even reply. He turned his broom around the rest of the way, and quickly flew over to where Draco and Blaise had almost just fallen off of the pile they were on. "If we die for them I'm gonna kill you!" Ron scolded angrily, and then followed after Harry.

•••

DRACO'S P.O.V.
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After we had made it out of the Room of Requirements, I turned and looked once more at Hermione. I wanted to say something to her; I knew that she was the reason why I was now standing here and not burning up in the room.
But instead I turned and ran after Blaise, who was already halfway down the corridor.
For a moment or two, I thought I could feel Hermione's eyes on me, watching as I ran away from her.
But I couldn't be sure, because I didn't turn back around to look.

••••
••••
••••

HERMIONE'S P.O.V.
-------------------------

The fighting had ended a few hours ago. It was early morning, and I stayed close to Ron, as he tried to recover from the death of Fred.
Harry had left.
He had gone to give himself up to Voldemort, saying it was the only way to end this.
It was the worst thing I had ever lived through in my entire life; it felt worse than any amount of the Crusiatus curse could make me feel, and it cut deeper than any knife Bellatrix could use on me.
I had told him I'd go with him.
And I'd meant it.
I'd rather die with Harry then see him dead.
And if the moment did come where I had to look upon his dead body, I would not be able to mentally process it.
But that moment came closer than I had hoped it would.
I followed Ron outside of the castle. Ginny was saying something; she was on the verge of tears.
"Neville, who is that?" she took a sharp breath. "Who is that that Hagrid's carrying?"
I knew that she could answer her own question, but she was in a state of disbelief, and her facial expression read that she refused to come to terms with the fact that-
"Harry Potter..." Voldemort suddenly announced, holding out his arms and smiling evilly, "is dead."
I felt like someone had just stabbed me. I put my hand on Ron's shoulder, not sure if I was able to keep my balance.
"No." Ginny spoke, lower than a whisper, her face turned pale, as the first tear fell. Then she screamed, it was the worst sound I'd ever heard in my life. "NO!" She began to run towards Hagrid, "NO!"
Her dad rushed forward and grabbed her, pulling her back.
"Stupid girl," Voldemort said tauntingly. Ginny's whole body was trembling; she was shaking her head, not taking her eyes off of the boy in Hagrid's arms. "Harry Potter is dead," the Dark Lord went on. "From this day forth...you put your faith," he looked around at all of us, as if he was letting the feeling of victory sink in, "in me."
I took me hand off of Ron shoulder. Around me, everyone was silent; not a sound could heard except for a bird somewhere far in the distance.
"Now, you must choose," Voldemort said, raising his voice for us all to hear clearly, "Join me," he paused once more, lowering his arms, "...or die."
No one moved.
I swallowed hard.
"Draco!" Someone from across the yard snapped. I looked in the direction that the voice had cane from and caught sight of Draco's father, who was looking at someone behind me, signaling for them to come over. "Come on Draco," he demanded.
I turned around. Draco was gulping. He had a firm look on his face, like he was determined to not go over on their side.
"Draco," his mother now spoke, her voice was softer and her words sounded hypnotizing. "Come."
I looked back at Draco. His stern face had melted away and was replaced with hesitation.
He looked at the ground, then back at his parents. He nodded once, then began to make his way through the crowd.
My heart broke, and I looked away from him.
It was official now: the two of us would be separated for life. He'd join Voldemort and the death eaters, and I would stay, refusing to give in, and die under Voldemort's command.
Draco was going to stand there, and he was going to watch me die...
I tried to wrap my brain around that thought, but it was impossible to come to terms with.
I bit my lower lip, and closed my eyes as a warm tear slid down my face.
Then I felt someone's hand wrap around mine. At first I thought it was only Ron, trying to comfort me. But Ron was standing on my opposite side.
I opened my eyes, and quickly turned my head.
It was Draco.
He didn't look at me, but across the courtyard at the death eaters. The firm look had returned, as if he was saying that he had made up his mind and was not going to cross over to their side.
The smallest smile formed on my face as I glanced down at our hands, which felt so right together.
Neville stepped forward and began to confront Voldemort, telling him that he was the one who would lose it all, in the end.
As he spoke, Draco gripped my hand tighter, and I returned the pressure.
He was laying down his life to die with me; giving up his reputation by finally showing that he was in love with a muggle-born; he was mine, and I was his, and nothing, after all we'd been through, was going to change that.

•••

DRACO'S P.O.V.
--------------------

It was time they knew the truth; Hermione deserved that, after everything she had suffered through for my sake; after excepting me after I had gone out of my way to torment her for the first 4 and a half years at school; after she had to erase my memory, and watch me for months as I walked around not remembering the true way I felt about her; after all the times afterwards when she was in pain or trouble, and I just turned and walked away, or acted like I didn't know her.
But in the end, Potter was alive, and he defeated Voldemort, just like it had been predicted.
After the war was over, Hermione could not be found, which panicked me at first, but I discovered later that she was only embracing a moment of freedom from the war with Potter and Weasley.
When she finally came back into the Great Hall, I acted as if I hadn't noticed her.
She came and stood in front of me. I didn't look up at her.
"Draco..." Her voice broke, as if simply saying my name was too much for her.
He looked up and raised my eyebrows. "Granger?" I said, pretending to be confused, "Erm...can I help you with something?"
Her mouth dropped open slightly. When I said nothing else, she stared at me, confused. I kept a straight face, but was laughing on the inside; I planned to make the most of this moment.
"I, uhh...I guess not," I continued, sliding off of the table I had been sitting on. I acted as if was about to walk away but then I paused and faced her again. "Hey, you wouldn't have happened to see Pansy anywhere around here, have you? Pansy Parkinson? I've been looking for her everywhere..."
Hermione tilted her head slightly, and her forehead wrinkled. She was beginning to catch on to what I was doing.
"Malfoy, you little git," she responded, shaking her head.
I broke character, unable to restrain myself any longer.
It took two strides to reach her. I pulled her in by the waist, and kissed her on the lips, lingering there for a moment, and then pulled away, touching my forehead against hers.
"I love you Granger," I said softly. I had been wanting to say it ever since the first time I'd kissed her.
Hermione looked at the floor, our foreheads still pressed together. "I know." She whispered.
I leaned away far enough to get a look at her face. She looked up again and met my eyes; hers were beginning to water and she smiled at me.
I opened my mouth, but before I could say anything, she took my face in both her hands, and was kissing me like she had never kissed me before.
And somewhere in the back of my mind, I made a mental note to say thank you to Weasley somewhere along the way. Because if he had never slapped her that day in 5th year, (that seemed like it had happened a lifetime ago) then I wouldn't be standing here right now, the happiest I had ever been in my life.
I wrapped my arms tighter around Granger, not planning on letting go anytime soon.