hidden years

Chapter Eight

During the battle
Year seven

Hermione sat in the astronomy tower with a blank look on her face. She had just said her last goodbye to Harry, and asked Ron if she could be alone.

She wiped a tear and held her legs together. She couldn't help but feel so hopeless. Voldemort would win and she would never see Draco again.

Speaking of Draco, she missed him terribly. She wanted him to wrap his arms around her and take her to their home. She wanted him to tell her it would all be okay. She just wanted him.

She heard footsteps running up the stairs, and she didn't move. She accepted the defeat. With Harry, Fred and so many other people gone she was just another name to the list.

"Granger," She heard and popped her head up to see the one person she needed to see in that time. She stood quickly and observed him—making sure it was truly him.

He couldn't read her expression. What if she hated him?

"Granger...I know you're mad. I never meant for it to go this far." He said and she walked towards him. He expected a well deserved slap, or for her to scream at him. But she wrapped her arms around him.

He let out a breath of relief and hugged her back. He felt her body shake and recognized it to be her crying.

"I know, I know. It'll all be over soon." He whispered and she looked up at him with sad eyes, and gently kissed his lips.

Feeling grateful for her willingness to forgive him, and passionate for her, he pulled her close to him. He tasted salt on their lips and knew she was crying.

"Hermione Jean Granger," He breathed, leaning his forehead onto hers. She looked down with burrowed eyebrows.

"I love you so bloody much, please don't ever leave me." He said and she nodded laying her head on his chest.

"I never will, Draco." She said and held her ring in his vision.

"We can meet at our house after the war. Promise me you'll be there." She said sniffling. She nodded and kissed her again, pulling her body up towards him so her legs could wrap around his torso.

She found a reason to smile in these times, and he did too. They gave eachother hope and happiness.

"Lets rest in the hufflepuff dorms, they're abandoned." He said allowing her feet to reach the ground. She nodded and they secretly made it to a bed, holding each other. 

Hermione gripped onto his shirt as she felt a wave of sadness come over her. She just wanted this moment to last forever.

Draco pulled her closer, knowing she was very upset at the moment. She wrapped her arms around his neck and cried into his shoulder. She knew her best friend was alone and dying right now.

"I know," He whispered, closing his eyes rubbing circles into her back.

"Hes dying...and I didn't even go after him." She sobbed and Draco kissed her forehead.

"He wouldn't have wanted you there." He whispered and she nodded continuing to cry silently. Draco felt her breathing slow and knew she had fallen asleep. Merlin knew she needed it.

He rested his eyes wanting this moment to last for eternity. He dreamt of Hermione and him staying in their home, with smiles on their faces. He felt relaxed in his dream.

In the morning Draco woke up with a start. Hermione had still been sleeping, but shortly woke up after him. She looked outside to see Voldemort walking towards Hogwarts. And Harry in Hagrids arms.

She covered her mouth and tried to hold back a sob.

"I'm going to down. Ill see you at the house." Hermione said and hugged him once more. He lifted her head to face him and he kissed her shortly. She rested her forehead on his and broke away going down to see Harry.

She stood next to Ron and covered her mouth.

"Harry Potter is dead!" He screamed. Hermione closed her eyes and leaned on Ron for balance. He side hugged her and she sniffled.

Voldemort went on to ask people to join him. She looked back at Draco and nodded towards him. He looked visibly ill and overall scared.

"Draco," His father called. He locked eyes with Hermione again, seeing tears streaming down her face, but walked forward. Officially, he was on the dark side.

Hermione felt sick, but tried to breathe.

Then a miracle happened, Harry somehow was alive. Hermione found it sane to laugh and covered her mouth.

++

After the war was over Hermione helped people heal their injuries and grieve. She said her goodbyes to Harry and Ron and apparated to her home.

She was half expecting Draco to be there, but he wasn't. She assumed he might be at his manor probably gathering his things. So she waited on the couch and watched some muggle show.

She bit her lip as an hour passed by, but tried not to worry. As night approached she decided to send him a letter.

Draco,
I am at our home. I want to make sure everything is okay. I love you. Please come home.
Love
Hermione

She sent it and waited on the couch for him that night. But those nights turned into days. And those days turned into months, and her second christmas alone she stopped sending her letters to him.

She sipped her eggnog and opened a gift from Ginny and Harry. She looked at her ring and began to cry. What had she done to not make him want to come home?

She wiped her tears and sent her very last letter to him, explaining that she missed him and hoped he would soon come home with an explanation.

She watched the owl fly away with it, and decided to get some sleep. A part of her knew she had to accept that he wasn't coming back to her, for whatever reason. But she hated feeling lonely, and missed his eyes.

She walked up the stairs and got into bed, wrapping the covers around herself. Once again, she went to bed alone. And once more she closed her eyes dreaming of Draco Malfoy.