Draco/Hermione fic: A Reason chapters 15&16
A Reason update
Chapters 15&16
Chapter 15: Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Author: Hafthand (Ally)
Disclaimer: Not mine!
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Draco takes a walk
A/N: I told you I already had it written! Hope you like, big event happens here!
In honour of Valentine’s Day and all!
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He walked along the crowded street feeling more alone than he had ever really allowed himself to feel. Surrounded on all sides by life and movement, he felt as though he had come to a standstill. His future lay before him as though he were at a crossroads. Choices. Choices he didn’t wish to think about haunted his every waking moment.
Draco shook his head slowly, trying unsuccessfully to once again push these thoughts from his mind. His hair fell in front of his stormy eyes and he allowed himself to come to a stop. It was a rather beautiful day and the mass of muggles around him was a testament to such a fact. Families, couples, friends milled around him in an attempt to live their lives the best they knew how.
What they didn’t know was that a war, a long and terrible war, was finally coming to a head underneath the surface of all this living. Draco watched them all without feeling a thing.
He had fled the mansion earlier for the simple reason of wanting to be alone. He had been alone for so long, that being forced to live with others caused him to ache for loneliness. Draco allowed a low chuckle to escape his mouth, his wry smile never reaching his sad eyes. Why kid anyone, let alone himself? He had fled the mansion not just to be alone, but also to think.
Dumbledore’s untimely arrival had preceded a very important top-secret meeting that revealed nothing of great importance. Everything that had been said at the three hundred year old dining room table had already been said before. Draco had felt as though Dumbledore’s arrival should have signaled some sort of great revelation, or some great plan that would be put immediately into action. But that was not to be the case.
They had all sat in their chairs and listened to Dumbledore explain the situation. Draco was being hunted. Hermione was being hunted. Harry Potter, the-boy-who-wouldn’t-fuckin-die-or-leave-him-in-peace, was also still being hunted. He had sat patiently and almost nervously as the old bat had explained the reason behind the Dark Lord’s hunt, half afraid and half yearning for him to reveal all. But of course, Dumbledore had simply explained that Voldermort wished to seek revenge for the loss of his number one man all those years ago. He had chosen to seek out the only living Malfoy male as replacement.
That explanation had seemed to suit everyone, though Snape and Remus had each taken their turns looking at him with either contempt or worry. “Fuck um,” Draco whispered underneath his breath. No one was willing to make a move, not yet. He looked up and squinted against the brightness of the sun. A rare day to be sure. It mostly just rained in England, and in the winter, one would be lucky to ever see the sun. But today, the day he was a murdering storm inside, today happened to be the most beautiful day he had experienced in a long while.
He decided he had drawn enough attention standing in the middle of the sidewalk muttering to himself. He glanced around quickly to get his bearings and decided to cross the street. He knew this wee town well and it was one of the few places left in this world that comforted him. Small enough to go unnoticed by the masses, yet not too small that his presence would cause any great fuss.
As he crossed the street his mind once again wandered to the mansion. After the meeting Dumbledore had expressed his wish to speak to him privately before departing. Draco had remained seated, his head twisted and following the progress of Hermione as she slowly left the room. Her own head had turned briefly, her eyes meeting his, before her body disappeared over the threshold.
Dumbledore’s words were no more than a jumbled mess inside his head, but Draco knew what had been said, or rather presented to him. That was what had caused him to apparate to this village in the back of beyond. Choices. There had been too many choices of late and he couldn’t see the end coming anytime soon. Well, at least not an end that he would enjoy.
He had always known it would only be a matter of time before they came for him, he had just never cared. But now he had walked back into her life, and she, unknowingly, made him care. He had had no problem with turning himself over to them; no problem fighting his way through them till he died; no problem until now. He glanced up again at the sun and when his eyes fell back to earth they rested on an old couple sitting together on a bench.
Silence. Everything faded to silence around him as he watched them. Now he wanted that. He didn’t want to die. He didn’t want to fight anymore. He didn’t want to run. He wanted her, but not just now. No, he wanted what the couple in front of him had; a lifetime.
Tearing his gaze away, Draco felt the adrenaline rush through his body. He allowed it to take over and before he knew what he was doing, he was running through the crowds as fast as his legs could carry him. He kept running, pushing himself harder and faster as though any lost second would mean the end of him. He knew he was going to die; when Voldermort chose to mark you there was nothing else you could do but die. But he would be damned if he would die without getting what he wanted first. He was a Malfoy after all, and Malfoy’s always get what they want.
He had reached the outskirts of town but he didn’t stop. He kept pushing his legs until he had reached the forest at the edge of town and disappeared between the tall, dark trees. He kept running, letting the adrenaline flowing control him. His body suddenly stopped and before he could take a breath he apparated. In the next second he was running again, running through the halls of the house where he had grown up, if you could call what he had done, growing up.
He felt his heart beating faster than it ever had, threatening to explode through his chest, but he didn’t care. He ran faster ignoring anything and anyone who might be in his path. He was pretty sure a vase had crashed back when he was on the first floor, and that may have been Snape shouting at him back on the second. But he kept running, running until a dark green door suddenly loomed in front of him. Without hesitating he burst through and barely heard the startled scream before he slowed.
He allowed his momentum to carry him forward. His arms came up and pushed her back gently and roughly all at once until she was pushed against the wall her body pressed into every inch of his. Her eyes were big and stared at him, not in worry, but in question. His hands still lay at her hips, his fingers digging into the exposed flesh. Her scent, natural and feminine drove him over the edge.
“Drac-“ she began.
“I want you,” he growled before crashing his lips down onto hers. She gasped in surprise and Draco took the opportunity and pushed his tongue lustfully into her open mouth. He groaned in pleasure as hers met his in battle. Suddenly her hands were clawing at his hair, attempting to pull him closer. His hands slid up her shirt to grasp at her bare, soft back. He felt his head spinning as her lips met his every attack, her tongue dancing dangerously with his, her hands sliding in and out of his hair. He ground his body deeper into hers and felt her moan against his mouth. She tasted so sweet; so utterly delicious. Her soft lips were bruising his, but his body begged for more. She was driving him crazy. His heart felt as though it would burst. He couldn’t breath. He couldn’t breath. He couldn’t…
He tore his mouth away from hers, his forehead resting against hers as he panted, his lungs screaming for oxygen. His mind still intoxicated with the taste of her and the feel of her hard-soft body beneath his, he leaned forward and placed a soft, almost chaste kiss against her hot mouth. “Merlin, I love you Hermione,” he whispered against her lips. She gasped.
Suddenly Draco’s eyes shot open. He saw her own eyes staring back at him in surprise and wonder. His words came crashing back into his now sober brain and his entire body stiffened.
“What?” Hermione whispered, her hands frozen in his hair.
Draco found himself once again out of breath, his heart beating horribly fast. He pushed his body away from hers. “Bloody hell,” he murmured before he was once again running. And this time he wasn’t running towards something he wanted. No, this time he was running away from the one thing he treasured. This time he was running towards his fate. He knew now he would be unable to continue losing himself in her, unable to ignore the events around him. He knew now as long as her life was still in danger, he had to finish this. He would deal with the fallout of this encounter later. Now he was decided. Now, he would risk his lifetime to give her hers.
Growling to himself and allowing his eyes to grow darker than ever he continued running until he found his prey. He could walk this road alone, or he could bring others with him towards his doom. As the quiet man looked up from inside the room, Draco made up his mind. “Remus, I need your help.”
Upstairs Hermione Granger had not moved.
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A/N: Well? I know this was short but it had to be. If it felt rushed, that was the point. They are all rushing now to an end that not many can foresee. The time for thought is over but has also never been more important! Understand? No? That’s okay, all will be revealed! Below the thank you’s are the lyrics to the amazing song by Green Day that inspired this here chapter. So thank them for what I have written above. At least read the first two paragraphs of the lyrics, they explain Draco so well in my story!
Okay now to the next bits. A little Valentine’s treat for you all above. Hope you liked it, though I must say it won’t be butterflies and cake from here on out. I want to wish you all a Happy Valentine’s Day and send my love to you all. This story is possible only because you all give me the inspiration to write it! So thanks tons! Lots of love, Ally.
(I think I said ‘all’ there like ten times! lol)
Love, Ally
"I walk this empty street
On the Boulevard of broken dreams
Where the city sleeps
And I’m the only one and I walk a…
My shadows the only one that walks beside me
My shallow hearts the only thing that’s beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
Till then I’ll walk alone!”
-Green Day
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Chapter 16: They Who Save The Day
Summary: Harry alone and contemplating
A/N: Hey there my lovely friends! Here is the next chapter! Also, three of my most amazing reviewers, Lorett-returned, Mrs. Accio-Firebolt, and Bloodrust are having problems with their accounts. For some reason their names do not show up when one searches for them, and their stories do not show up on the regular lists. They have tried e-mailing that sight, but well, no luck so far. If this is happening to anyone else, or if anyone knows how to fix this problem, either e-mail me or look in my review pages for their names and e-mail them! Thank you!
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Harry sat quietly alone at the Weasley’s kitchen table. The quiet of the house around him a testament to the strange occurrences happening in his world. This house, this home, usually bursting to the brims with noise and love, was now very empty and very quiet. Harry sat alone in the one place he had always felt completely loved.
He had arrived here earlier, having fled Malfoy Manor, in hopes of trying to understand how his world was slowly spinning out of his control. He had secretly hoped that Mr. Weasley would be at the kitchen table reading the Daily Prophet; Mrs. Weasley, cooking and knitting all at once; the children causing havoc around the house. Harry had yearned for the normality of reality. Only, reality was changing. And with it, so must he.
Harry had always been sure of a few things. The Dursley’s, though the only blood relatives he had left, would never accept him. If there was trouble of any kind, the Weasley Twins were probably the cause of it. If he had a question, Hermione has the answer. These things had always been absolute.
He had also always been sure of the outcome of his life. Voldermort would die. Whether by his hand or someone else’s, Harry knew the Dark Lord would not win. Whether Harry himself survived, well this was a bit foggy. No matter what, Ron would always be by his side. Hogwarts and the Burrow would always be his homes. He and Snape would never get along. And lastly, the final thing Harry was sure of was his love for Hermione. He had always assumed that, with time, he and Hermione would find their way into each other’s arms.
Two days ago his reality, his absolutes, his future, had come crashing down around him in pieces and he still had not had a moment to try and pick them all up. Two days ago Draco Malfoy had waltzed back into their lives. Two days ago he watched the woman he loved fall into Malfoy’s arms, his enemy’s arms, instead of his. Two days ago he realized he was sure of nothing.
He sat now at the table where he had sat a thousand times before, feeling as though he were a stranger. It was approaching sunset and instead of everyone returning home to sit for dinner, Harry was alone.
Two days ago, he had fled Hermione’s flat for the comfort of this table. Only then, things had been very different.
Mrs. Weasley had been in the kitchen checking on the food while Mr. Weasley had sat before the fire quietly pretending to read as he dozed off. A series of loud explosions could be heard from Fred and George’s room, though Harry knew it could only be George who was present. He had seen Fred leaning casually against Hermione’s wall eating sweets, before he had disapparated here. Harry remembered having heard Ginny’s sweet voice talking to her mother. Ron had bee away delivering his message to Dumbledore.
For a moment, Harry had felt as though he had been having a bad dream. He had finally awoken and everything would be back to normal. Unfortunately he had been mistaken. When Harry had relayed his news to the Weasleys, he hadn’t realized how much his reality would be disrupted.
He sat alone now, two days later, in an eerily quiet home. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had sped off to Grimmauld Place upon hearing of Malfoy’s rebirth, and were most likely still there. George, Harry assumed, was probably watching over the store as it looked like Fred would not be returning any time soon. Ron…well Harry hadn’t actually seen Ron since he had left to deliver the message to Dumbledore. Harry assumed Ron would have returned here, but from the looks of things, he hadn’t. As for Ginny…
A squeak of the stairs behind him caused Harry to reach for his wand and turn quickly to face the invader.
“Honestly Harry! You boys are so jumpy these days! Voldermort need not worry. You’ll die of fright long before he can reach you,” Ginny Weasley said while smiling softly. She walked around Harry and sat at the opposite end of the table, her legs folding up into themselves.
“Merlin, Ginny! I thought the house was empty,” Harry said while letting out a sigh and sitting back down in his seat. He placed his wand on the table next to him.
Ginny let out a tiny snort and threw her red hair up into a ponytail before reaching for a piece of bread from the basket on the table. “Sorry to disappoint. I can leave you alone if you feel I am intruding in my own home,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
“Sorry Ginny. Not what I meant,” Harry responded tiredly.
“Rough day?” she asked quietly, not bothering to look up from her bread.
“Rough life,” Harry answered. He saw a small, sad smile cross her face as she played with her roll.
“Hmmm, things not going well at all then, I take it,” she said, bringing her eyes up to meet his. She cocked her head to the side slightly, wrinkling her brow as she thought. Harry reveled in the little lines that were creasing her forehead. “Mister Malfoy even nicer than he used to be?” she asked, a devilish smile playing on her lips.
Harry growled slightly at the mention of Malfoy’s name. He gritted his teeth and cracked his neck before answering. “Actually that is the problem, my little Weasley. He is being much to nice for my liking,” Harry responded, his eyes growing darker as the image of Hermione lying on her bed with Draco Malfoy over her; both locked in each other’s embrace.
“Yes well Malfoy always had that hidden layer,” she said quietly and looked back at the bread in her hands. “Some things are not in our control Harry,” she said quietly.
Harry wondered briefly if she had some idea of the events that had transpired, but shook his head. He had to stop thinking about it all. He allowed his gaze to fall onto Ginny and noticed for the first time what she was wearing. She had obviously been sleeping. She was clad only in a tiny black camisole and a pair of red boxers, which, he noticed, were his. For some reason, the thought of her sleeping in his clothes brought a tingle to Harry’s spine. He noticed her fair skin and vibrant hair.
“You are stunning,” he said breathily before he could catch himself.
Ginny Weasley looked back up at him and smiled toothily, a light laugh escaping her lips. “I’m not meant for you Harry,” she said while shaking her head. “And you, unfortunately, you are not meant for me.” Ginny smiled sadly, her hand reaching out to gently caress his.
He looked at their entwined hands and then brought his gaze up to her eyes. “You’ve met someone, haven’t you?” he asked softly.
He didn’t need to hear her answer. The starry look that suddenly appeared in her eyes was enough.
“Didn’t think I would wait around for you forever did you Harry?” she asked playfully, though her voice was quiet.
“You never said anything,” he said, squeezing her hand lightly.
She let out a small laugh and threw her head back. “With six older brothers would you bring a boy home?”
Now, Harry allowed himself a smile. “I doubt very much I would ever bring home a boy!”
“You doubt…so the possibility exists?” Ginny asked playfully.
“Ginny!” Harry shouted, throwing her hand away from him.
“Just kidding dear,” she said. They allowed their laughter to die down naturally before sitting in comfortable silence.
“Are you happy?” Harry finally asked softly.
She smiled before replying. “Yes. Yes Harry, I am.
He smiled at her before sighing. “Must be nice,” he said almost bitterly as his thoughts from earlier returned.
“Oh Harry,” Ginny whispered softly.
She stood and walked around the table, stopping in front of him. She reached out a hand and gently caressed his cheek. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the softness of her fingertips.
She leaned forward slightly and placed a soft, chaste kiss upon his lips. She pulled back, but Harry brought his hand to the back of her head and gently pushed her forwards, their lips meeting once again.
Ginny allowed him to kiss her softly, her own lips moving slowly with his. She figured she could give him this moment. After all, she had not been able to get him a birthday present as she had been away on business for most of the summer. The fact that she was indulging in her childhood fantasy most certainly had nothing to do with it.
Harry ran the tip of his tongue across her lower lip. She parted her lips slightly, allowed her own tongue to caress his once, ran the tip over his own lips and then pulled away.
She opened her eyes and watched him for a few moments. His eyes were still closed, his hand still on the back of her head. She smiled sadly and traced a line from his scar down to his lips with her finger.
“I’m not her, Harry,” she whispered. “And I think…I think she isn’t meant for you either.”
Harry nodded his head slightly and opened his eyes. “I know,” he said. There was no need for him to ask whom Ginny meant, or how she knew what Harry had been keeping locked in his mind.
He returned her sad smile and said, “Thank you.”
“I’d say anytime, but I wouldn’t want you getting the wrong impression,” Ginny said smiling. She pulled away and turned, heading for the kitchen door.
“He’s a very lucky man Ginny, whoever he is,” Harry called after her.
She paused, and turned her head towards him slightly. “I know,” she said before walking out.
Harry took a deep breath and stood up. It was past time for him to head back. It was past time for a lot of things.
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“What the hell was that all about?” came a cold voice from behind her. Ginny stopped on the stairs and turned to face her brother.
“Leave it Bill,” she said quietly, not feeling like getting into details about what he had obviously just witnessed. His face was set in a frown, his eyes darting back and forth from the kitchen to his little sister. “Leave it be,” she whispered again.
He must have sensed the fatigue and sadness within his sister for he simply nodded his head once before leaning against the wall behind him and crossing his arms in front of him. “So, Ginerva Weasley, who is this so called ‘man’ you are afraid to bring home?” Bill said quite seriously, though his eyes began to shine with mischief.
Ginny decided that trying to avoid the topic of her boyfriend with her brother was a far easier thing to do than trying to avoid the fact that he had seen her and Harry in a very private and personal moment.
“Damnit Bill,” she sighed before running up to her room, only to be followed closely by her loving older brother.
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Harry had barely apparated into the living room in Malfoy Manor when all of a sudden he was met with the sight of a very angry looking Hermione Granger. She stood on the opposite end of the room staring daggers at Snape, who for his part, stood with his back flat against the bookcase across from Hermione.
“Did I interrupt something?” Harry asked.
Hermione whipped her head towards Harry, her eyes blazing with fire. “They’re gone,” she said, her voice colder than the snow falling outside. Snape snorted from his corner.
Harry allowed his confusion to show on his face. “They’re gone Harry. Draco, Remus and Fred. Left. Vanished. Disappeared,” she said.
“What? Where?” Harry asked, still confused and dazed.
“Ah, now that, Mister Potter, is the question of the moment,” Snape said, his eyes flicking towards Hermione in a malicious, yet satisfied way.
“Shut up Severus,” Hermione snapped at him. “He knows, Harry. He knows where they have gone, but he is toying with me, making me beg and plead before he will graciously reveal all,” she spat.
“Well really Miss Granger, I would have thought with a brain as wonderfully praised as your, it should be obvious,” Snape said, his voice dripping with false feeling. Hermione glared death at him, and Harry’s former Potions Professor smiled a smile that most definitely reached his eyes. Harry felt a chill run down his spine at the sight.
“Where did they go Snape?” Harry asked firmly.
“Why, to find Voldermort, Mister Potter,” Snape said, and for the first time, his tone was serious, his eyes cold and twinkling with something akin to concern and fear. “They’ve gone to save the day.”
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A/N: Okay, sorry for delay, but I hope you liked the new chapter. And YES I know this was short! Next one is already started though I make no promises. The action really steps up next chapter as we get some … oh wait, I can’t say or it would ruin it. Suffice it to say I have plans! Big plans! But I did enjoy writing this chapter on the train ride to work, well at least part of it!
Well my lovelies, my bed is calling!
Love, Ally
“Doomsday is near; die all, die merrily.” -Henry IV Part 1 (foreshadowing much?)
Chapters 15&16
Chapter 15: Boulevard of Broken Dreams
Author: Hafthand (Ally)
Disclaimer: Not mine!
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Draco takes a walk
A/N: I told you I already had it written! Hope you like, big event happens here!
In honour of Valentine’s Day and all!
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He walked along the crowded street feeling more alone than he had ever really allowed himself to feel. Surrounded on all sides by life and movement, he felt as though he had come to a standstill. His future lay before him as though he were at a crossroads. Choices. Choices he didn’t wish to think about haunted his every waking moment.
Draco shook his head slowly, trying unsuccessfully to once again push these thoughts from his mind. His hair fell in front of his stormy eyes and he allowed himself to come to a stop. It was a rather beautiful day and the mass of muggles around him was a testament to such a fact. Families, couples, friends milled around him in an attempt to live their lives the best they knew how.
What they didn’t know was that a war, a long and terrible war, was finally coming to a head underneath the surface of all this living. Draco watched them all without feeling a thing.
He had fled the mansion earlier for the simple reason of wanting to be alone. He had been alone for so long, that being forced to live with others caused him to ache for loneliness. Draco allowed a low chuckle to escape his mouth, his wry smile never reaching his sad eyes. Why kid anyone, let alone himself? He had fled the mansion not just to be alone, but also to think.
Dumbledore’s untimely arrival had preceded a very important top-secret meeting that revealed nothing of great importance. Everything that had been said at the three hundred year old dining room table had already been said before. Draco had felt as though Dumbledore’s arrival should have signaled some sort of great revelation, or some great plan that would be put immediately into action. But that was not to be the case.
They had all sat in their chairs and listened to Dumbledore explain the situation. Draco was being hunted. Hermione was being hunted. Harry Potter, the-boy-who-wouldn’t-fuckin-die-or-leave-him-in-peace, was also still being hunted. He had sat patiently and almost nervously as the old bat had explained the reason behind the Dark Lord’s hunt, half afraid and half yearning for him to reveal all. But of course, Dumbledore had simply explained that Voldermort wished to seek revenge for the loss of his number one man all those years ago. He had chosen to seek out the only living Malfoy male as replacement.
That explanation had seemed to suit everyone, though Snape and Remus had each taken their turns looking at him with either contempt or worry. “Fuck um,” Draco whispered underneath his breath. No one was willing to make a move, not yet. He looked up and squinted against the brightness of the sun. A rare day to be sure. It mostly just rained in England, and in the winter, one would be lucky to ever see the sun. But today, the day he was a murdering storm inside, today happened to be the most beautiful day he had experienced in a long while.
He decided he had drawn enough attention standing in the middle of the sidewalk muttering to himself. He glanced around quickly to get his bearings and decided to cross the street. He knew this wee town well and it was one of the few places left in this world that comforted him. Small enough to go unnoticed by the masses, yet not too small that his presence would cause any great fuss.
As he crossed the street his mind once again wandered to the mansion. After the meeting Dumbledore had expressed his wish to speak to him privately before departing. Draco had remained seated, his head twisted and following the progress of Hermione as she slowly left the room. Her own head had turned briefly, her eyes meeting his, before her body disappeared over the threshold.
Dumbledore’s words were no more than a jumbled mess inside his head, but Draco knew what had been said, or rather presented to him. That was what had caused him to apparate to this village in the back of beyond. Choices. There had been too many choices of late and he couldn’t see the end coming anytime soon. Well, at least not an end that he would enjoy.
He had always known it would only be a matter of time before they came for him, he had just never cared. But now he had walked back into her life, and she, unknowingly, made him care. He had had no problem with turning himself over to them; no problem fighting his way through them till he died; no problem until now. He glanced up again at the sun and when his eyes fell back to earth they rested on an old couple sitting together on a bench.
Silence. Everything faded to silence around him as he watched them. Now he wanted that. He didn’t want to die. He didn’t want to fight anymore. He didn’t want to run. He wanted her, but not just now. No, he wanted what the couple in front of him had; a lifetime.
Tearing his gaze away, Draco felt the adrenaline rush through his body. He allowed it to take over and before he knew what he was doing, he was running through the crowds as fast as his legs could carry him. He kept running, pushing himself harder and faster as though any lost second would mean the end of him. He knew he was going to die; when Voldermort chose to mark you there was nothing else you could do but die. But he would be damned if he would die without getting what he wanted first. He was a Malfoy after all, and Malfoy’s always get what they want.
He had reached the outskirts of town but he didn’t stop. He kept pushing his legs until he had reached the forest at the edge of town and disappeared between the tall, dark trees. He kept running, letting the adrenaline flowing control him. His body suddenly stopped and before he could take a breath he apparated. In the next second he was running again, running through the halls of the house where he had grown up, if you could call what he had done, growing up.
He felt his heart beating faster than it ever had, threatening to explode through his chest, but he didn’t care. He ran faster ignoring anything and anyone who might be in his path. He was pretty sure a vase had crashed back when he was on the first floor, and that may have been Snape shouting at him back on the second. But he kept running, running until a dark green door suddenly loomed in front of him. Without hesitating he burst through and barely heard the startled scream before he slowed.
He allowed his momentum to carry him forward. His arms came up and pushed her back gently and roughly all at once until she was pushed against the wall her body pressed into every inch of his. Her eyes were big and stared at him, not in worry, but in question. His hands still lay at her hips, his fingers digging into the exposed flesh. Her scent, natural and feminine drove him over the edge.
“Drac-“ she began.
“I want you,” he growled before crashing his lips down onto hers. She gasped in surprise and Draco took the opportunity and pushed his tongue lustfully into her open mouth. He groaned in pleasure as hers met his in battle. Suddenly her hands were clawing at his hair, attempting to pull him closer. His hands slid up her shirt to grasp at her bare, soft back. He felt his head spinning as her lips met his every attack, her tongue dancing dangerously with his, her hands sliding in and out of his hair. He ground his body deeper into hers and felt her moan against his mouth. She tasted so sweet; so utterly delicious. Her soft lips were bruising his, but his body begged for more. She was driving him crazy. His heart felt as though it would burst. He couldn’t breath. He couldn’t breath. He couldn’t…
He tore his mouth away from hers, his forehead resting against hers as he panted, his lungs screaming for oxygen. His mind still intoxicated with the taste of her and the feel of her hard-soft body beneath his, he leaned forward and placed a soft, almost chaste kiss against her hot mouth. “Merlin, I love you Hermione,” he whispered against her lips. She gasped.
Suddenly Draco’s eyes shot open. He saw her own eyes staring back at him in surprise and wonder. His words came crashing back into his now sober brain and his entire body stiffened.
“What?” Hermione whispered, her hands frozen in his hair.
Draco found himself once again out of breath, his heart beating horribly fast. He pushed his body away from hers. “Bloody hell,” he murmured before he was once again running. And this time he wasn’t running towards something he wanted. No, this time he was running away from the one thing he treasured. This time he was running towards his fate. He knew now he would be unable to continue losing himself in her, unable to ignore the events around him. He knew now as long as her life was still in danger, he had to finish this. He would deal with the fallout of this encounter later. Now he was decided. Now, he would risk his lifetime to give her hers.
Growling to himself and allowing his eyes to grow darker than ever he continued running until he found his prey. He could walk this road alone, or he could bring others with him towards his doom. As the quiet man looked up from inside the room, Draco made up his mind. “Remus, I need your help.”
Upstairs Hermione Granger had not moved.
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A/N: Well? I know this was short but it had to be. If it felt rushed, that was the point. They are all rushing now to an end that not many can foresee. The time for thought is over but has also never been more important! Understand? No? That’s okay, all will be revealed! Below the thank you’s are the lyrics to the amazing song by Green Day that inspired this here chapter. So thank them for what I have written above. At least read the first two paragraphs of the lyrics, they explain Draco so well in my story!
Okay now to the next bits. A little Valentine’s treat for you all above. Hope you liked it, though I must say it won’t be butterflies and cake from here on out. I want to wish you all a Happy Valentine’s Day and send my love to you all. This story is possible only because you all give me the inspiration to write it! So thanks tons! Lots of love, Ally.
(I think I said ‘all’ there like ten times! lol)
Love, Ally
"I walk this empty street
On the Boulevard of broken dreams
Where the city sleeps
And I’m the only one and I walk a…
My shadows the only one that walks beside me
My shallow hearts the only thing that’s beating
Sometimes I wish someone out there will find me
Till then I’ll walk alone!”
-Green Day
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Chapter 16: They Who Save The Day
Summary: Harry alone and contemplating
A/N: Hey there my lovely friends! Here is the next chapter! Also, three of my most amazing reviewers, Lorett-returned, Mrs. Accio-Firebolt, and Bloodrust are having problems with their accounts. For some reason their names do not show up when one searches for them, and their stories do not show up on the regular lists. They have tried e-mailing that sight, but well, no luck so far. If this is happening to anyone else, or if anyone knows how to fix this problem, either e-mail me or look in my review pages for their names and e-mail them! Thank you!
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Harry sat quietly alone at the Weasley’s kitchen table. The quiet of the house around him a testament to the strange occurrences happening in his world. This house, this home, usually bursting to the brims with noise and love, was now very empty and very quiet. Harry sat alone in the one place he had always felt completely loved.
He had arrived here earlier, having fled Malfoy Manor, in hopes of trying to understand how his world was slowly spinning out of his control. He had secretly hoped that Mr. Weasley would be at the kitchen table reading the Daily Prophet; Mrs. Weasley, cooking and knitting all at once; the children causing havoc around the house. Harry had yearned for the normality of reality. Only, reality was changing. And with it, so must he.
Harry had always been sure of a few things. The Dursley’s, though the only blood relatives he had left, would never accept him. If there was trouble of any kind, the Weasley Twins were probably the cause of it. If he had a question, Hermione has the answer. These things had always been absolute.
He had also always been sure of the outcome of his life. Voldermort would die. Whether by his hand or someone else’s, Harry knew the Dark Lord would not win. Whether Harry himself survived, well this was a bit foggy. No matter what, Ron would always be by his side. Hogwarts and the Burrow would always be his homes. He and Snape would never get along. And lastly, the final thing Harry was sure of was his love for Hermione. He had always assumed that, with time, he and Hermione would find their way into each other’s arms.
Two days ago his reality, his absolutes, his future, had come crashing down around him in pieces and he still had not had a moment to try and pick them all up. Two days ago Draco Malfoy had waltzed back into their lives. Two days ago he watched the woman he loved fall into Malfoy’s arms, his enemy’s arms, instead of his. Two days ago he realized he was sure of nothing.
He sat now at the table where he had sat a thousand times before, feeling as though he were a stranger. It was approaching sunset and instead of everyone returning home to sit for dinner, Harry was alone.
Two days ago, he had fled Hermione’s flat for the comfort of this table. Only then, things had been very different.
Mrs. Weasley had been in the kitchen checking on the food while Mr. Weasley had sat before the fire quietly pretending to read as he dozed off. A series of loud explosions could be heard from Fred and George’s room, though Harry knew it could only be George who was present. He had seen Fred leaning casually against Hermione’s wall eating sweets, before he had disapparated here. Harry remembered having heard Ginny’s sweet voice talking to her mother. Ron had bee away delivering his message to Dumbledore.
For a moment, Harry had felt as though he had been having a bad dream. He had finally awoken and everything would be back to normal. Unfortunately he had been mistaken. When Harry had relayed his news to the Weasleys, he hadn’t realized how much his reality would be disrupted.
He sat alone now, two days later, in an eerily quiet home. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had sped off to Grimmauld Place upon hearing of Malfoy’s rebirth, and were most likely still there. George, Harry assumed, was probably watching over the store as it looked like Fred would not be returning any time soon. Ron…well Harry hadn’t actually seen Ron since he had left to deliver the message to Dumbledore. Harry assumed Ron would have returned here, but from the looks of things, he hadn’t. As for Ginny…
A squeak of the stairs behind him caused Harry to reach for his wand and turn quickly to face the invader.
“Honestly Harry! You boys are so jumpy these days! Voldermort need not worry. You’ll die of fright long before he can reach you,” Ginny Weasley said while smiling softly. She walked around Harry and sat at the opposite end of the table, her legs folding up into themselves.
“Merlin, Ginny! I thought the house was empty,” Harry said while letting out a sigh and sitting back down in his seat. He placed his wand on the table next to him.
Ginny let out a tiny snort and threw her red hair up into a ponytail before reaching for a piece of bread from the basket on the table. “Sorry to disappoint. I can leave you alone if you feel I am intruding in my own home,” she said, her voice dripping with sarcasm.
“Sorry Ginny. Not what I meant,” Harry responded tiredly.
“Rough day?” she asked quietly, not bothering to look up from her bread.
“Rough life,” Harry answered. He saw a small, sad smile cross her face as she played with her roll.
“Hmmm, things not going well at all then, I take it,” she said, bringing her eyes up to meet his. She cocked her head to the side slightly, wrinkling her brow as she thought. Harry reveled in the little lines that were creasing her forehead. “Mister Malfoy even nicer than he used to be?” she asked, a devilish smile playing on her lips.
Harry growled slightly at the mention of Malfoy’s name. He gritted his teeth and cracked his neck before answering. “Actually that is the problem, my little Weasley. He is being much to nice for my liking,” Harry responded, his eyes growing darker as the image of Hermione lying on her bed with Draco Malfoy over her; both locked in each other’s embrace.
“Yes well Malfoy always had that hidden layer,” she said quietly and looked back at the bread in her hands. “Some things are not in our control Harry,” she said quietly.
Harry wondered briefly if she had some idea of the events that had transpired, but shook his head. He had to stop thinking about it all. He allowed his gaze to fall onto Ginny and noticed for the first time what she was wearing. She had obviously been sleeping. She was clad only in a tiny black camisole and a pair of red boxers, which, he noticed, were his. For some reason, the thought of her sleeping in his clothes brought a tingle to Harry’s spine. He noticed her fair skin and vibrant hair.
“You are stunning,” he said breathily before he could catch himself.
Ginny Weasley looked back up at him and smiled toothily, a light laugh escaping her lips. “I’m not meant for you Harry,” she said while shaking her head. “And you, unfortunately, you are not meant for me.” Ginny smiled sadly, her hand reaching out to gently caress his.
He looked at their entwined hands and then brought his gaze up to her eyes. “You’ve met someone, haven’t you?” he asked softly.
He didn’t need to hear her answer. The starry look that suddenly appeared in her eyes was enough.
“Didn’t think I would wait around for you forever did you Harry?” she asked playfully, though her voice was quiet.
“You never said anything,” he said, squeezing her hand lightly.
She let out a small laugh and threw her head back. “With six older brothers would you bring a boy home?”
Now, Harry allowed himself a smile. “I doubt very much I would ever bring home a boy!”
“You doubt…so the possibility exists?” Ginny asked playfully.
“Ginny!” Harry shouted, throwing her hand away from him.
“Just kidding dear,” she said. They allowed their laughter to die down naturally before sitting in comfortable silence.
“Are you happy?” Harry finally asked softly.
She smiled before replying. “Yes. Yes Harry, I am.
He smiled at her before sighing. “Must be nice,” he said almost bitterly as his thoughts from earlier returned.
“Oh Harry,” Ginny whispered softly.
She stood and walked around the table, stopping in front of him. She reached out a hand and gently caressed his cheek. He closed his eyes and enjoyed the softness of her fingertips.
She leaned forward slightly and placed a soft, chaste kiss upon his lips. She pulled back, but Harry brought his hand to the back of her head and gently pushed her forwards, their lips meeting once again.
Ginny allowed him to kiss her softly, her own lips moving slowly with his. She figured she could give him this moment. After all, she had not been able to get him a birthday present as she had been away on business for most of the summer. The fact that she was indulging in her childhood fantasy most certainly had nothing to do with it.
Harry ran the tip of his tongue across her lower lip. She parted her lips slightly, allowed her own tongue to caress his once, ran the tip over his own lips and then pulled away.
She opened her eyes and watched him for a few moments. His eyes were still closed, his hand still on the back of her head. She smiled sadly and traced a line from his scar down to his lips with her finger.
“I’m not her, Harry,” she whispered. “And I think…I think she isn’t meant for you either.”
Harry nodded his head slightly and opened his eyes. “I know,” he said. There was no need for him to ask whom Ginny meant, or how she knew what Harry had been keeping locked in his mind.
He returned her sad smile and said, “Thank you.”
“I’d say anytime, but I wouldn’t want you getting the wrong impression,” Ginny said smiling. She pulled away and turned, heading for the kitchen door.
“He’s a very lucky man Ginny, whoever he is,” Harry called after her.
She paused, and turned her head towards him slightly. “I know,” she said before walking out.
Harry took a deep breath and stood up. It was past time for him to head back. It was past time for a lot of things.
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“What the hell was that all about?” came a cold voice from behind her. Ginny stopped on the stairs and turned to face her brother.
“Leave it Bill,” she said quietly, not feeling like getting into details about what he had obviously just witnessed. His face was set in a frown, his eyes darting back and forth from the kitchen to his little sister. “Leave it be,” she whispered again.
He must have sensed the fatigue and sadness within his sister for he simply nodded his head once before leaning against the wall behind him and crossing his arms in front of him. “So, Ginerva Weasley, who is this so called ‘man’ you are afraid to bring home?” Bill said quite seriously, though his eyes began to shine with mischief.
Ginny decided that trying to avoid the topic of her boyfriend with her brother was a far easier thing to do than trying to avoid the fact that he had seen her and Harry in a very private and personal moment.
“Damnit Bill,” she sighed before running up to her room, only to be followed closely by her loving older brother.
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Harry had barely apparated into the living room in Malfoy Manor when all of a sudden he was met with the sight of a very angry looking Hermione Granger. She stood on the opposite end of the room staring daggers at Snape, who for his part, stood with his back flat against the bookcase across from Hermione.
“Did I interrupt something?” Harry asked.
Hermione whipped her head towards Harry, her eyes blazing with fire. “They’re gone,” she said, her voice colder than the snow falling outside. Snape snorted from his corner.
Harry allowed his confusion to show on his face. “They’re gone Harry. Draco, Remus and Fred. Left. Vanished. Disappeared,” she said.
“What? Where?” Harry asked, still confused and dazed.
“Ah, now that, Mister Potter, is the question of the moment,” Snape said, his eyes flicking towards Hermione in a malicious, yet satisfied way.
“Shut up Severus,” Hermione snapped at him. “He knows, Harry. He knows where they have gone, but he is toying with me, making me beg and plead before he will graciously reveal all,” she spat.
“Well really Miss Granger, I would have thought with a brain as wonderfully praised as your, it should be obvious,” Snape said, his voice dripping with false feeling. Hermione glared death at him, and Harry’s former Potions Professor smiled a smile that most definitely reached his eyes. Harry felt a chill run down his spine at the sight.
“Where did they go Snape?” Harry asked firmly.
“Why, to find Voldermort, Mister Potter,” Snape said, and for the first time, his tone was serious, his eyes cold and twinkling with something akin to concern and fear. “They’ve gone to save the day.”
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A/N: Okay, sorry for delay, but I hope you liked the new chapter. And YES I know this was short! Next one is already started though I make no promises. The action really steps up next chapter as we get some … oh wait, I can’t say or it would ruin it. Suffice it to say I have plans! Big plans! But I did enjoy writing this chapter on the train ride to work, well at least part of it!
Well my lovelies, my bed is calling!
Love, Ally
“Doomsday is near; die all, die merrily.” -Henry IV Part 1 (foreshadowing much?)