Disclaimer: Not mine. Don't Sue. I'm Serious.
A/N: Serious writer's block going on. Hoping one shots will help. And it starts out telling their background, so bare with me. It's say present time when it's talking about present. Any confusion, just ask. Enjoy…
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There's a place off
Ocean Avenue
Where I used to sit and talk with you
We were both
16 and it felt so right
Sleeping all day, staying up all
night
Staying up all night
Hermione Granger growled quietly to herself as she stared around the little park. She'd been out for summer break for a total of four days before her parents decided to go on a second honeymoon. They wanted it to be just the two of them, so what to do with their little daughter, the witch. Send her to stay with the Weasleys, that kind wizarding family that Hermione was so fond of? Of course not, their whole family was on holiday in Romania to see Charlie. She wouldn't be able to go stay with them until two weeks before she went back to Hogwarts. So, she was shipped off to stay with her elderly great aunt who didn't know who she was half the time.
She felt the onslaught of tears starting again, feeling unfair that she had so little time with her parents left. She fought them back. Voldemort could kill her when she went back to school, seeing how close she was to Harry Potter, and she could never see her parents again. But did that worry them. No. They said that Hogwarts was as safe as it got. She didn't even bother telling them how many times her and her two best friends had faced the evil wizard on Hogwarts grounds.
So she sat there in that park, staring up at the moon. Hermione had taken to staying asleep all day and being awake all night. It was quieter at night than during the day. Despite it being a small town. So she sat at the park, like she'd done several nights since she'd been there. She stared around her and surprisingly, didn't even realize somebody had stumbled upon her until he spoke.
"Granger?" Came that drawl that she'd hated since first year at Hogwarts. She stiffened for a second and then swung around to see none other than Draco Malfoy standing behind her, a surprised look on his face. "What are you doing here?"
"Me? This is a muggle village. What are you doing here?" She asked in return. He seemed amused by her question.
"That's
precisely why I'm here, Granger. Full of muggles. No witches, no
wizards." He told her, coming to sit on the swing next to hers.
She gawked at him for a moment and then resumed her slight swinging.
"Well, there's one witch here apparently." She glanced at him
to see him staring up at the moon as she had been only seconds
before.
"My parents are off on a second honeymoon." She
volunteered, surprising herself. "Staying with my old aunt who can
barely remember who I am most of the time."
"Don't you hate old people who go senile?" Draco laughed, smiling up at the moon. "I'm personally hoping my father's brain goes completely when he gets old." Hermione smirked at this.
"I think half of the wizarding world is hoping for that." She said quietly. He surprised her by letting out a full hearted laugh that she'd never heard pass his lips before. She turned to look at him and then looked back at the moon, a strange smile on her lips.
"Been having fun so far?" He asked after a moment of silence. She giggled quietly.
"Sure, changing my
aunt's dirty sheets and trying to cook for her at night is just the
highlights of my day." She told him sarcastically. He laughed with
her.
"I'm sure. It sounds like a riot!" He said, starting
to swing higher.
Hermione glanced at
him as he started to go higher. He looked so different to her, there
in the moonlight as he swung higher than she was. His normally
gelled hair was free and moving about his face in the wind. The
moon, shining down in its full glory, was making his pale, alabaster
skin almost glow. His eyes, when open, were beautiful silver that
reflected the stars. She noticed he was wearing jeans. She raised
an eyebrow at that thought. They hugged his hips and his bum, though
she couldn't see it. She didn't think he owned a pair of jeans.
The plain black t-shirt was strange on him, but complemented his
torso. He looked so care free as he threw his head back with the
momentum of the swing, so innocent. Suddenly he looked down at her
just after she'd looked away from him.
"Come on, Granger. I
know you can swing higher than that." He said loudly as he kept
pumping his legs. She looked up at him, confused.
"Why are you being
nice to me?" She blurted out before she could catch herself. He
kept swinging, looking up at the moon.
"I've been a right
prat all these years." He said quietly. Hermione almost didn't
hear him over the squeaking of the wheels as the top of the swing
set. "And I can't say that I'll be visibly nice to you once we
go back to school. It would look too strange. Even with my father
in jail, I'm at a lot of risk."
"Why take the risk? I
always thought you were a coward." She told him boldly. He laughed
at that.
"I usually am. But a certain potions professor had a
talk with me. And I'm starting to see things differently." He
told her, still swinging high. "We're all human. At the end of
the day, we all eat, breathe, sleep. Just because you weren't born
into a family that had nothing but witches and wizards in it, doesn't
mean that your magic isn't any better than mine. Actually, usually
you do better at me anyways."
"Draco Malfoy!"
Hermione exclaimed. He looked down at her, shocked. He dug his
heels into the ground and stopped himself to look at her evenly.
"You said something that didn't make me want to forcefully shove
your face into the ground!" He laughed at that.
"Strange
things happen when there's a full moon." He told her, glancing up
at the moon. Hermione smiled at that, thinking of Professor Lupin.
He turned back to look at her. "I'm going to head back to my
house. It's almost one AM. Maybe I can take you to lunch
tomorrow?" He asked, getting off the swing and walking a few feet
away. Hermione shook her head.
"I'll be
sleeping tomorrow. Maybe we can get together for a little dessert
tomorrow night after dinner." She said, trying to be friendly. He
smiled.
"I'd like that. You bring the dessert, and I'll
bring the wine." He told her, starting to walk off.
"We can't drink
wine!" She said loudly. He laughed out loud and proudly at that
one.
"Bull! Anybody that says different, we'll obliviate!"
He called back. Hermione scowled at his back for a moment before her
smile broke through.
"Make it white and I'll shut up!" She yelled. She saw his back shake as he laughed. He turned to look at her for a brief moment.
"You got it!" He called back. "'Night!" And then he was gone.
Hermione and Draco started something very special that summer. They spent every night at the park, just spending time with each other. They became quite the friends. They'd both learned so much about each other in that short time they had. It was the day that Hermione was going to leave her aunt's house to go to the Weasley's home when Draco and Hermione said their goodbyes.
"So we're coming back next summer?" He asked as they walked along the sidewalk by the park, arm in arm. Hermione smiled up at him.
"Wouldn't miss it for the world. I have to go, the port key is almost ready for me to leave." She told them as they approached her aunt's home. They walked up the empty driveway and stopped at the door, shielded by the hedges from all sight.
"Have fun, then."
He told her. Then he did something unexpected. He leaned forward
and kissed her full on the mouth. She froze but quickly relaxed into
the kiss. It went on for several minutes before they broke apart
smiling. He kissed her hand and then started down her driveway.
"This changes nothing in front of the others, you egotistical
bastard!" She yelled at him. He laughed and turned to see her
smiling.
"Same for you, you nosy bookworm!" He yelled. They both smiled for a moment before he left her aunt's driveway. She smiled after him and then went inside to make sure she had everything.
And nothing did
change while they were at school. Sometimes they would meet for late
night chess games in the Room of Requirement or snacks in the
kitchens. The house elves never tattled. There was always the
promise of summer to come.
There's a place on
the corner of Cherry Street
We would walk on the beach in our
bare feet
We were both 18 and it felt so right
Sleeping all
day, staying up all night
Staying up all night
They
did meet the summer after their sixth year at Hogwarts. It had been
amazing. They'd stayed friends and only shared a few kisses by the
end of that summer. Still, things were strictly platonic. That is,
until the end of that summer. They had started dating, just a week
before they were to go back to school. The war was going on as
strong as ever, so things were kept secret. They promised to keep
seeing each other, albeit secretly, while at school. And they would
meet back there for the summer after their seventh year at Hogwarts.
Their seventh year came and went with no problems. Everybody chalked Hermione's disappearances up to her being in the library. Everybody chalked up Draco's disappearances to him just being his moody self. He'd been that way since fifth year when his father had been put in jail. Nobody noticed or put things together. And then Hogwarts was gone to them, only a childhood memory.
That summer after their seventh year, Hermione had intended to go stay with her aunt. And she'd stayed with her aunt for the three days before Draco had got there. But then, he showed up at her aunt's door with a car, telling her to get her things. She had worried at first, but he laughed and told her that she was coming to stay with him. Kissing her aunt bye and grabbing her bags, she jumped into the car that he really sucked at driving and they drove across the small town and to the small house that he'd been staying at.
It was small really, two bedrooms, but still quaint. He offered her the guest room, but she slyly shook her head no and ran into his room. That was the first night that they made love. Again… and again…. And again…. And… well, you get it. Until the sun came up.
Most of their time had been spent on walking along the beach barefoot. They talked for hours, just enjoying the company. Going for an occasional tryst hidden someplace on the beach. The two, totally against their better judgment, started slowly but surely falling in love. It was hard for Hermione, so she finally got her courage up and told Draco that she was coming clean to Harry, Ron, and Ginny. He was afraid at first, but agreed when he saw how important it was to her.
Hermione called Harry, him being the only one with a phone, and told him to bring the two youngest Weasleys over to her place. She gave him the address and let him know that there was no floo connection. He agreed, eager to see the friend he hadn't seen in a few months. Hermione appeared calm while waiting for her friends to show. But Draco was a nervous wreck. He was pacing. And when the doorbell rang, he turned pale and bolted from the room.
"You better just be hiding and waiting for me to talk to them before you come out. If you leave this house, I'll hex your balls off!" She called as she made her way to the door.
"'Mione!" He whined from their bedroom. She laughed as she opened the door. She was promptly tackled by her three friends and showered with hugs and plenty of brotherly kisses.
"Nice place you got!" Ron told her, going to the open kitchen to check the fridge. He pulled out a butterbeer and came to sit on her couch. Hermione glared at him playfully for a moment.
"No thanks,
Ronald. I'll get it myself." Hermione laughed as she stood up at
the expression of confusion on his face. He then turned red as she
made her way to the kitchen. "Gin, Harry, do you want one?" They
both agreed and she brought three back for the rest of the living
room's occupants.
"So what's been up, 'Mione? Why've
you been holed up in here?" Harry asked, taking a gulp of his
butterbeer. She turned a little red.
"I'm seeing this guy. And I have been for a while. This is his cottage." She said, moving her hands to indicate the home they were in. Ron looked strangely at her. Ginny smiled and Harry waited, knowing there was more. "And I'm afraid you all will be mad at me." Ginny hugged her suddenly.
"It'll be alright Hermione. We'll always love you." Ginny told her.
"And who ever it
is we'll be as kind as possible and as understanding as we can be."
Harry told her, reaching out to touch her hand. Ron opened his
mouth to add, but Ginny held up her hand to stop him.
"Ron, you
have a bad habit of putting your foot in your mouth. Maybe you
should just stay quiet on this one." Ginny told him. Harry nearly
spit out his butterbeer as he started laughing. Hermione couldn't
even stop herself from giggling. She thought she heard a snigger
from Draco, but nobody else noticed so she stayed quiet. Ron just
turned red.
"So who is he?"
Ginny asked eagerly. Hermione nibbled on her lower lip, glancing at
everybody around her.
"Should… Should I prepare you for it,
or should I just have him come out here?" Hermione asked, wringing
her hands. Ginny watched her cautiously for a moment.
"He's here?"
Harry asked, looking around and then towards the bedrooms. "Just
bring him out." Hermione looked at Ginny and Ron who both nodded,
sitting on the edge of their chairs. Hermione turned slightly to
face the direction of the bedrooms and took a deep breath.
"Darling,
you can come out here." She called, her voice squeaking slightly.
She heard a groan and then a giggle escaped her lips. First a leg,
then the body, and finally his head came into view as he stepped into
their views. Ginny laughed and then pinched Hermione.
"You could have told me all along. Draco's not so bad! I was thinking somebody stupid… like Goyle or Crabbe or some other idiot!" Ginny told her. Draco smiled thankfully at Ginny, the tips of his ears and his cheek bones slightly red in embarrassment. Harry stood up and went over to stand directly in front of Draco. He didn't flinch, just stood his ground.
"If you ever hurt,
'Mione, I'll slaughter you!" Harry told him. Suddenly Harry's
hand came up and surprised them all. He held his hand out and Draco
shook it. Harry's face softened and he smiled at Draco. Ron still
sat there, staring at Draco. He didn't look surprised, but like he
was thinking hard.
"The bathroom's over there, Ronald."
Draco told him playfully. Harry burst out laughing along with Ginny
and Hermione.
"Oh shut up." Ron said, staying quiet.
"Ronald, we know what Harry and Ginny thinks. But what do you
think?" Hermione asked, standing to go stand beside Draco. He put
his arm around her shoulder. Ron looked at her and Draco for a
moment.
"He's been a git, 'Mione. But if anybody can take
care of him, it's you." He told her. Hermione knew that it was
as close as a 'good for you' that she was going to get from Ron.
So she was happy with what she could get from him. She suddenly went
serious.
"We can't tell anybody else. This is a dangerous time." Hermione told them, her eyes pleading. Harry, Ron, and Ginny looked at each other, understanding dawning on them.
"We promise, 'Mione, Malfoy." Harry said, nodding at them.
If I could find you
now things would get better
We could leave this town and run
forever
Let your waves crash down on me and take me away
(present
time)
Draco Malfoy closed the door after another frantic day. He had spent all day searching. None of his contacts had come up with anything. With every passing day, he lost more and more hope of ever finding her. It had been six months since the war ended, thanks, in part, to his help. But she had left and was nowhere to be found. He had tried to locate any of her friends but couldn't. He went to ask her senile aunt, but she was dead, to Draco's horror. He liked that nice old woman.
Draco spent that night like he had every other night since the war ended. After he got in from looking for her for hours, he would eat something. Then he would go to bed, passing out from exhaustion. He missed her so much. He missed her laugh. He missed her smile. He missed her smell. He missed waking up next o her and her kisses. He missed her love. He would never stop looking. He would look until the day he died.
Hermione heard the floo and stiffly walked over to the living room, ready for anything. Harry stood there, dusting soot off of himself. Hermione smiled and walked over to him hugging him over her huge belly.
"He's still
looking, Hermione. Don't you think it's time to see him?"
Harry asked. Hermione shook her head sadly.
"I just can't,
Harry." She told him, sitting back on the couch, rubbing her belly,
thinking of the baby that she wasn't far from brining into the
world.
"But he's the father!" Harry protested. "It's not fair to keep him out of the loop."
"No, Harry. Just drop it!" She said harshly, staring up at the ceiling. She felt tears in her eyes. The baby's foot rubbed against her belly, as if trying to comfort her. She smiled rubbing it all the more.
There's a piece of
you that's here with me
It's everywhere I go, it's everything I
see
When I sleep, I dream and it gets me by
I can make believe
that you're here tonight
That you're here tonight
Draco
woke to the sun falling across his face. He scowled up at the window
and rolled off the bed. He shook his head, the dream still bothering
him. He always dreamed of her. And they calmed him down. Until he
woke up. Then he would find her not asleep next to him, and he'd
sigh and roll out of bed. He'd started to stop looking for her in
the mornings, knowing that she wasn't there. He showered quickly,
accepting his toast from the house elf on the way out. He was off
again, looking for the woman he had a score to settle with.
If I could find you
now things would get better
We could leave this town and run
forever
I know somewhere, somehow we'll be together
Let your
waves crash down on me and take me away
Draco ran, feeling happier than he had in months. He had a lead. He knew where Potter was staying with Ginny Weasley. He smiled as he caught the bus for stranded witches and wizards. He could have apparated. But he would from Hogsmede. He tried not to aparate much anymore since he might miss a sign or somebody who might know her.
When he reached
Hogsmede, he pictured the address in his head and then was gone with
a pop. He arrived only a block from the house. He smiled and ran
forward. He felt himself cross the wards. But since he had no
intention to hurt them, only passive alarms went off. They saw it
and it was too late. As soon as Harry opened the door to see who was
out there, Draco was there, pushing it open.
"You're quite
hard to find, Potter. I've been searching for you and anybody else
who can help me for months." Draco told him. Ginny came running
down the stairs, shocked to see Draco there. She gasped. Draco
turned to look at her, nodding in recognition. "Where is she?"
"Who?" Harry asked, bending to pick up a magazine and put it back on the table.
"Don't play games with me, Potter!" Draco said angrily. "Where's Hermione?"
"I don't really know." Harry told him. Draco watched with him. Both the men glanced at Ginny. "Ginny go upstairs." Ginny was about to refuse, but saw Harry tugging on his ear. Ginny hid her smile until she was out of sight. She grabbed her extendable ears and got in position.
"Please…" Draco said after a moment. Harry turned, shocked, and saw Draco on his knees. He was looking up at Harry through pain filled eyes. "Please. Tell me." Harry felt horrible for what he was about to say.
"I'm sorry, Draco. I really am. But I have nothing to tell you." Draco looked like a man who had just been sentenced to death. Draco stood from his knees and walked to the door.
"Do you really not know, or is she hiding from me."
"The latter. I'm forbidden to tell you or anywhere else where she is at."
"Wizard's oath?"
"Just a promise from one best friend to another." Malfoy looked up at him when Harry answered. His hard gaze softened.
"When we were forced to part, I had never hurt her. I loved her so much. More than anything in the world. Why is she running from me when I would give my life for her?" Draco asked. He saw the pain in Harry's eyes and the urge to tell Draco. Draco shook his head, a single tear falling down his face as he walked out the door. Harry's heart broke for Draco.
Harry flooed through to Hermione's house not but a few minutes after Draco left. Hermione looked up from her book on the couch, startled. She saw Harry and started to smile. That is, until she saw the livid expression on his face. She stood, worried then. She opened her mouth to ask Harry what was wrong, but he stopped her with that livid look in his eyes.
"You are the worst person I know, Hermione Granger." He told her, scowling. She looked taken aback. "You aren't the Hermione Granger who was my best friend. That Hermione Granger would never purposefully harm a person who cared about her."
"What are you talking about?" She asked, her eyes narrowing suspiciously. He glared at her, feeling a surprising level of anger at her ignorance.
"Draco found me not twenty minutes ago. He begged me on his knees to tell me where you are." He told her. Hermione's face went stricken. "When I saw him cry, I almost told him right then and there and let him use my floo. He was in so much pain just because of you."
"Harry… I just
can't!" She told him desperately. Harry narrowed his eyes at
her. He stepped forward. She looked slightly fearful. "Wh…What
are you going to do?"
"I will not speak to you, Ginny either,
until you fix this stupid mess that you've got yourself into.
Ginny's owling Ron as we speak. My floo, Ron's, and the Burrow's
will be cut off from you. Don't even owl us until this is taken
care of. Because your letters will be returned, un opened." Her
eyes were wide with unshed tears. "You will be turned away from
our homes. Until I see you're our Hermione again, you are no
longer welcome in our lives." Harry spun on his heel and flooed
back home.
Hermione stood there for a second more before she proceeded to collapse on the couch in tears. She sobbed for what seemed like an hour.
"What a mess…" She whispered through her sobs.
Harry stepped back into the living room. His face was wet with tears. Ginny stepped forward and hugged him as he wiped his eyes.
"Did you do it?" She asked quietly, tears falling down her own face. Harry nodded, smiling down at her.
"Tough love is hard on everybody, isn't it?" Harry asked, stroking his fiancée's hair.
"That's why they call it tough love…"
I remember the
look in your eyes
When I told you that this was goodbye
You
were begging me not tonight
Not here, not now
We're looking up
at the same night sky
And keep pretending the sun will not rise
Be together for one more night
Somewhere, somehow
(past)
Hermione woke and
found the bed next to her empty. She looked frantically around to
see him sitting on the window sill, staring at the rising sun. She
stood and sadly walked over to him, wrapping her arms around his
middle. He brought her to the front of him and hugged her tight.
"The war's almost over. This is hard for me to say." He
told her. She looked up at him. "I got the letter just a half hour
ago. When the sun is up, I'm gone." She continued to look up at
him, tears falling down her cheeks. "This is goodbye." She
buried her face into his front, sobbing. He cooed for several
moments until she sat up and looked at him pleadingly.
"Not tonight…" She sobbed pitifully. "Not here, not now."
"I have to, Hermione." He told her, kissing her. Tears were falling down her own face. "I have to go to help Harry."
An hour later, Draco was gone, leaving Hermione feeling empty. She placed her hand on her stomach. She had wanted to tell him that she was pregnant. She had wanted to so bad. But one time, a while before they started dating, he had mentioned that he didn't want children. That he would never want one. Hermione had agreed at the time. But she was pregnant. And the moment he left, she knew she wanted this child more than anything. And he would never know, even if they all survived this war.
If I could find
you now things would get better
We could leave this town and run
forever
I know somewhere, somehow we'll be together
(present)
Hermione stepped out of the floo and looked around. She was in their place. But it looked like it hadn't been used in a very long time. Sighing sadly, she checked the rooms, just in case. He was still not there. She left and looked all over the town, hoping that she would find him. She was huffing and puffing, holding her huge belly, when she decided that he might be at their park. It was a feeling in her gut. She laughed as she started over there as she rubbed her tummy. She was hungry… And she wanted ice cream. By the time she got to the park, she was exhausted. She turned the corner and then saw him. He was sitting on the same swing they first started talking on the summer before their sixth year.
Hermione couldn't help but smile when she saw him. He looked so handsome. The war hadn't aged him a bit. He still looked young and unscarred. But he looked so miserable. His eyes were closed, but when he looked up at the moon, only a crescent at the moment, Hermione could see the tears on his face. She felt them start running down her own face. She walked forward. After a moment, his eyes fell on her. They went wide for a moment.
"Hermione?" He asked quietly. When she smiled at him and nodded, only a few feet away, he jumped off the swing. He was kissing her all over her face. Then her neck, and back up to her lips. He hugged her tight and then froze. He backed up and looked down at her stomach. She looked up at him, fear in her eyes.
"So this is why you were hiding from me." He said quietly. She nodded nervously. "You've found another man and are pregnant by him." He started backing away. She reached out and latched onto him.
"No!" He stopped
and looked at her, confused. "I…I knew that night that when you
left, that I was pregnant." His eyes widened incredulously. "But
I knew that you didn't want children." She looked down. Draco
touched her face, making her look up at him with tears in her eyes.
"I wanted no children with a woman that I didn't love." He
told her. Her eyes widened happily. "I love you, Hermione. Is it
my baby?" She glared at him for a moment and then smacked him on
the back of his head.
"Of course it is, you git!" She
shrieked at him. He looked at her with a smile on his face.
"Then marry me. Let's have dozens of babies!" He told her, taking her in his arms. She looked up at him surprised.
"Are you serious?" She asked, her mouth agape.
"Well, maybe one or two more. But I don't know if I can handle little smart ass kids like you." He looked thoughtful with his hand under his chin. She smacked him on the back of his head again.
"I mean marriage!" She nearly yelled at him. He laughed.
"I love you so much, Hermione. I'm never letting you go again!" He told her. "And I you don't marry me, I'm going to kidnap you and force you to marry me!"
She looked at him for a moment and then her eyes went wide.
"You're serious! You'd really kidnap me!" She said, shocked. "You egotistical bastard."
"Such sweet words, m'dear." He said sarcastically. Arm in arm, they left the park and made their way back to their old home, the future awaiting them with open arms.
Let your waves crash down on me and take me away
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Endnote: Well, I was a little stuck on the ending, so I'm sorry if it sucks. Now tell me what you think in a review. With some reviews, my writer's block might ease up for me to do some writing.
Review plz!!!