Last Chapter 27:
'Don't...' Hermione whispered, stunned yet upset.
'I... I shouldn't have said anything... but Hermione - Malfoy!' Harry said quietly, disgusted.
'But forget him for a moment! Harry you and I have been best friends for so many years - been through so much together! So much! You may think that you love me, but you and Ginny are meant to be together, it just is.' Hermione sighed, raising her hand and rubbing her forehead.
'Yeah, well everyone says that about you and Ron, too... and you were with Malfoy, so-'
'No Harry! I wasn't! I mean... I... it's not what I want! I don't care what he - or anybody else for that matter - says. I love Ron... I... I think I do. And that's all that matters. You have to believe me Harry, and I'm sorry... I truly am. But you and I can never be more than the best friends we already are. I do love Ron Harry, and I've lost him now - there's no point in me staying. I'm sorry. You understand, yes?' Hermione asked, biting down on her bottom lip as she watched Harry with wide eyes. He glanced down to the stone floor, before nodding slowly.
'Good...' Hermione sighed, before holding out her arms for a hug. Harry hesitated, and then shook his head, stepping back, as if a child afraid of an adult. Hermione stared at him, tears rising in her eyes, but she said nothing more, her arms dropping back to her sides.
'Mia - there you are!' Ginny gasped, hurtling around the corner in a frenzy. Hermione turned to face her, her eyes lingering on Harry for as long as possible - she felt so bad. Yet she couldn't help but wonder if he had said something before... years ago... any time other than this.
'Yes, what is it?' Hermione asked, folding her arms across her chest.
'Ron and I have been looking for you everywhere! He needs to speak to you. Now!' Ginny shouted, grabbing Hermione's arm and giving Harry and knowing smile, before beginning to pull Hermione away.
'No...' Hermione stopped, pulling her arm back. 'I know it's horrible of me, after everything, but I can't face any more with him... I just can't - you've told him I'm leaving haven't you?!' Hermione suddenly breathed, and Ginny hesitated, before nodding quickly.
'Mia - he still loves you! He had to know he would lose you for ever to jolt him to his sense, which; Thank God, he's finally arrived at! Come on Hermione, even if you just say goodbye before you go...?' Ginny offered hopefully, and Hermione nibbled on her lip, looking back to Harry, who was just staring right at her.
'Ok.' She nodded, and she allowed herself to be pulled along with Ginny, fully aware Harry was just a step behind.
'Ron! I found her!' There was a sudden hush from Ginny and Harry, who both took steps back as Ron turned his back on the fire in the Gryffindor common room, to watch Hermione, looking so... hurt.
'Hi.' Was all he said right away, and Hermione smiled weakly.
'Hey...' She whispered, and Ron carried on studying her.
'Do you like me?' He asked bluntly, and Hermione tilted her head to one side ever so slightly.
'Ron of course I do!' She gasped after a silent second. The few people lingering in the common room had began to listen in to the conversation, and a ripple swept over the room as more and more became aware to be quiet.
'I love you.' Ron said calmly, looking right into her eyes. 'And if you're willing to be with me again, then I forgive you for... everything. Because it took something like this to make me realize how I couldn't let you go because of some Death Eater poinsoning your mind...' There was a hushed whisper of 'Death-Eater' that sprinkled through the common room, and people's eyes all widened.
'Really?' Hermione hardly dared to breathe, in case of shattering this fragile equilibriem.
'Really.' Ron smiled, stepping forwards, holding out his hands. Hermione smiled too as she slipped her hands into his, and he pulled her close and kissed her lips softly. With a twinge of regret, Hermione noticed sadly that there was no thudding heart. No thoughts of what would happen next. Nothing. Her mind wandered vaguely to what 'could-have-been' with Draco, but she pulled her thoughts firmly back to Ron. He was right - Draco was a Death Eater who had poisoned her mind... but whatever he was, and whatever he had done, she still couldn't deny the raw physical attraction she had to him, and what he obviously had to her... which would all come to nothing now. Nothing.
She had made her choice - she remembered carefully thinking of Ron as cold and almost frozen... and thinking of Draco as hot and fiery... well she had chosen ice. The safe option. The option that would leave her with a happy life, no doubt a happy family... and a safe, secure, planned and reliable life. It was a shame it wasn't what she really wanted - no matter how much she tried to convince herself.
She wished, with annoyance, there was a way for her to have both; a kind of Frozen Fire. But she knew such things were impossible. Completely impossible.
Ron let go of her, and she turned with a fake smile to greet the slowly clapping crowd. And Harry was watching her. Harry. She stared at him for a second. Maybe he was the 'right' one for her. Or maybe her imagination was playing tricks, maybe she was thinking too much. Way too much. She pulled her eyes away from his as Ginny leaned into him happily, and he slowly put an arm around her shoulders, his eyes never leaving Hermione though.
They went hunting for Horcruxes. Right that next day. Hermione said pointedly that, whatever had been sorted between her and Ron, she still didn't wish to remain in Hogwarts. Because of Draco, really, of course. She mumbled something about 'bad memories', but what really scared her was that the memories weren't bad - they were too good. Too intense. She knew she had to leave, to get out of there, otherwise she and Ron wouldn't stand a chance, not while they were around others... around Draco. The simple fact was - she didn't trust herself. She looked back and saw how easily mislead she had been, how lucky she had been to escape before it was way too late. She didn't see Draco after that. Not once. And part of her was glad; but a bigger part was sorrowful.
Things changed. And not a second too soon. It took months, fifteen of them to be exact, to gather the Horcruxes and track down Voldemort. It took Harry losing his life, along with others, to finally bring down The Dark Lord. Yes, Harry was killed - but he was killed whilst killing Voldemort: When Harry fell, Voldemort fell.
And Hermione knew not to be sad. She knew that Harry had fought so long for this. And she also knew that Harry had resigned himself to the fact that the chance of him dying on this journey were high. But it was what he had wanted, it had been his destiny to rid the world of such a powerful evil. So, instead of mourning Harry's death, Hermione's persuaded as many as she could to rejoice of Voldemort's. And it worked. For long enough, anyway. It worked for long enough so as she didn't break down crying whenever she heard the mention of Hogwarts. Whenever she saw a picture of him. A statue, a memorial to the one and only Harry Potter. The only wizard to ever survive the killing curse - but only once.
Ginny survived - and after many, many years of distress and mourning, she found comfort in the arms of an old friend - Neville Longbottom. After more years, they married, but never had children, and Hermione suspected rightly that Ginny only ever truly loved one man. Harry, of course.
Hermione and Ron were married at the age of twenty one. Their first child, a baby boy named Oliver, arrived a single year later. Their second child, a girl named Tia, arrived two years after Oliver did. And they were raised in a 'happy' family, just the four of them. But of course, there was always one other person lingering in Hermione's mind... she often wondered how different her life would have been if she had dared to follow her heart and stayed with Draco. Because as much as she hated to admit it... she knew she had fallen in love with him over those few months at Hogwarts. And she knew she would never forget it. Ever. Ron was a perfect husband, almost too perfect, and that only made Hermione fell constantly guilty as the years passed... but there was nothing she could do about it. Of course.
'MUM! DAD! I START SCHOOL TODAY!' Came the screech of a girl's voice, and then a girl with bushy blonde hair and hazel eyes came hurtling into Hermione and Ron's bedroom, looking hyperactive and unbelievebly excited. She launched herself onto the bed as Hermione laughed and struggled to sit up beneath the covers.
'Yes you do! You're all grown up now Tia!' Hermione smiled sadly, pulling her daughter into a hug and kissing her cheek.
'Why do you look sad, Mum?' Tia asked, tilting her head to one side and watching her Mother.
'I don't honey, it's just going to be very quiet without you around here!' Hermione shrugged, as Tia scrambled from the bed while Ron sat up, yawning.
'You'd better get ready quick - can you imagine if you missed the train?' He joked, and Tie squeeled, before twirling back out of the room at top speed to go and get ready. Hermione grinned as she watched her.
'You remember your first day at Hogwarts?' She asked quietly, watching the closed door that Tia had slammed.
'Vividly. I met you on the train. You told me I had dirt on my nose.' Ron laughed, and Hermione smiled while she remembered with a nod.
'That's right... I did. You think Tia'll settle in ok?'
'Of course she will!'
'Which house?'
'Gryffindor all the way!'
'Oliver is in Ravenclaw...'
'I'll never get over the shame...' Ron sighed, but he was only kidding. 'I know, but we have to get one kid in Gryffindor, don't we?'
'I suppose.' Hermione nodded.
'Wow - isn't it amazing? Which carriage do I get in Mum? Where is everything Dad? What do we eat on here cause I know I'll be hungry soon! And who will my friends be, how do I speak to people. Ugh that sounds stupid, but I want to be popular, and-'
'Tia, take a breath.' Hermione laughed at her daughter's enthusiasm. 'You'll be well liked, but there are more important things than being popular. Besides, only people who love you for who you are are worth spending time on.' Hermione shrugged, as she watched other children scuttle around the platform.
'True.' Tia agreed wisely.
'Come on then Frog Face, I'll get you settled somewhere before I find my mates.' Oliver, Hermione and Ron's eldest child, who was in third year now, beckoned to his young sister. Hermione pulled him back a second.
'Take care of her, and make sure she doesn't find too much mischief... you know what she's like...'
'I know Mum, I won't promise.' Oliver glanced around, checking for his friends, before kissing his Mother's cheek very quickly, and then running to grin at Tia, who was still staring at the red engine longingly. Hermione stared at it too, wishing she could go back to her youth, wishing she was getting on the train again.
'Bye Mum!' Tia rushed at her, and hugged her waist tight.
'Goodbye Darling - have a good time. And study-'
'Oh come on Hermione - there's no pressure Tia, just do your best.' Ron nodded firmly with a smile.
'That's all I meant. Anyway, study, have a good time, stay out of trouble, and write every day!' Hermione grinned, and Tia pulled a face.
'Every week?' She bargained.
'Deal.' Hermione nodded, getting to her knees and hugging her daughter again, kissing both her cheeks.
'Mum - don't; potential friends watching!' Tia laughed, but she kissed Hermione's cheek once too.
'Sorry Madam!' Hermione joked, standing up again.
'Mum...' Tia whispered, as Oliver greeted some of his friend.
'Mmm?' Hermione replied.
'Who's that strange man watching you?' Tia nodded over Hermione's shoulder, and she turned - her breath instantly catching in her throat. An all too familiar pair of ice blue eyes stared back at her, blonde hair fell into his gaze. Hermione's stare became uncertain, and she dropped it to the ground, before looking back up. Draco was standing with - obviously his wife, a tall woman with long brunette hair, and large and startling grey eyes. His son was waving goodbye to them, boarding the train. Draco's hand was still raised in the motion of saying goodbye, but his eyes were firmly on Hermione.
'No one... I... I don't know...' Hermione lied, turning slowly back to her daughter, who had forgotten her question anyway and was now backing away towards the train. Hermione glanced back over her shoulder to see Draco's wife walking away towards the train with her son, while Draco hung back, still watching Hermione.
'Bye darling - have a wonderful time! Write, and we'll see you in the holidays!' Hermione called, as Tia was guided aboard, mesmerised, by Oliver, who was also waving.
'Ron - go give Tia this, quickly!' Hermione grabbed a blank piece of parchment from her bag and folded it so Ron wouldn't see it had nothing on it.
'What is-'
'Quickly before she leaves!' Hermione pleaded, and Ron took it, looking panicked, and he ran off towards the train. Hermione turned to see Draco standing alone now, too. He walked towards her with an old smirk. He reached her, and Hermione felt almost faint at being this close to him yet again, after so long... He spoke coldly... his smile remaining on his lips...
'Remember me, do you, Granger?'
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