My Harry Potter FanFiction

It Could Have Been Different

2007-08-14T04:45:44Z

Title: It Could Have Been Different
Category: This one is not quite Romance. More General fic, possibly morbid. But there is a happy ending of sorts.
Ships: Hermione/Draco
Rating: PG
Warnings: AU!!!!!, Some facts/objects from Deathly Hallows
Series: None. One-Shot Song Fic
Status: Complete
Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns all the characters, the wizarding world she created, and the magical objects she created....Song: Probably Wouldn't Be This Way By: LeAnn Rimes...and this was completely random. no idea where it came from, but I hope you enjoy it non the less.
Feedback: Please! :) It's always nice to hear constructive criticism.

Awesome Story banner by: Alyssa aka. pixichik118 on the MNFF Beta Boards!

She walked through the red and brown leaves, which crunched under her boots. Fall had settled in. Hermione looked up at the home she had shared with him. She could barely go in there now. The house was hers, but knowing he wouldn’t be there made it almost unbearable.

“Hermione?” the girl walking with her asked.

Hermione turned to look at Ginny. She’d been staying with her for a while; so she wouldn’t have to be alone in the house.

“It’s alright, Gin,” Hermione said. “It just comes back to me sometimes. You know?”

“Yeah,” Ginny answered. “I know.”

They both walked up the path to the front door and entered. Hermione and Ginny went down the hall to the kitchen. Ginny flicked her wand and a kettle floated to the sink, filled itself up with water, and then settled on the stove which turned itself to hi.

“Some tea will be good,” Ginny said. “It’s getting chilly outside.”

Hermione nodded and looked around the kitchen.

‘So few mornings,’ she thought. ‘So few.’

“What is it?” Ginny asked when she noticed Hermione smiling to herself.

“Nothing,” Hermione said but she couldn’t shake the smile. “I used to get up every morning, and sneak out of the room so I could surprise him with his favorite tea when he woke up.”

She laughed and looked over at the kettle.

“I loved it. He was always awake half the time when I got up in the morning, but he pretended to still be asleep,” Hermione began to laugh as she continued with her story. “And his face when he’d come downstairs. He’d always make this goofy surprised look and he’d say ‘How’d you know this is my favorite tea? I am engaged to a psychic!’”

Hermione’s laughter slowed, and a frown began to form at the corners of her mouth.

“I bet that was the best part of his day,” Ginny said patting Hermione’s hand gently before flicking her wand again, which caused the kettle to float over to the table and pour the hot water into their cups.

“Yeah,” said Hermione forcing herself to produce a smile.

Ginny eyed her from the other side of the table.

“Are you sure you’re ready for next week?” she asked after a few moments of silence.

Hermione looked at her.

“Yeah, Gin. It’s been six months,” she said as she looked down into her tea. “I can only go on like this for so long.”

Ginny nodded. “How do you know him again?”

“My parents know his family. They are patients of theirs, before I went to Hogwarts I basically grew up with him.”

“I’m sure it will be fine,” Ginny said.

After they had finished their tea, Ginny said she was going to go meet Harry at the Three Broomsticks. After she left Hermione decided to take a walk.

The air felt much colder as she reached her destination. She’d been coming here everyday. She couldn’t tell if it helped or hurt more. She stopped and sat down on the cold dry leaves covering the ground.

“Hi,” she said fighting to keep the tears back. They always came when she was here.

Got a date a week from Friday with the Preacher’s son.
Everybody says he’s crazy; I’ll have to see.
I finally moved to Jackson when the summer came.
I won’t have to pay that boy to rake my leaves.
I’m probably going on and on,
It seems I’m doing more of that these days.

“I’m going on a date next week,” she said. “My parents know him. He’s a great guy. Muggle born, you wouldn’t like him…”

She looked down at her gloved hands.

“And I think I’m going to move. I know you wanted me to stay there, but I can’t anymore, it hurts too much to be there without you.”

One tear traced its way slowly down her cheek.

I probably wouldn’t be this way.
I probably wouldn’t hurt so bad.
I never pictured every minute without you in it,
Oh you left so fast.

‘Hermione.’

Hermione jumped and looked around. She was alone. She could have sworn that she had heard him call out to her.

“I’m hearing things now,” she said out loud. “I guess I just miss your voice. It’s hard you know, to remember what you sound like. If I concentrate and try to remember I can’t.”

She smiled at the irony as more tears began to fall down her face.

“Sometimes, I close my eyes and try to picture you there, and sometimes it works. I open my eyes and it almost feels like you were just standing there. Crazy huh?”

Sometimes I see you standing there.
Sometimes its like I’m loosing touch.
Sometimes I feel that I’m so lucky to have had the chance to love this much.
God give me a moment’s grace,
Cause if I’d never seen your face
I probably wouldn’t be this way.

“I love you Draco,” she said and she got up and headed back to her house.

*~*~*~

“Hermione dear, are you still going to visit his grave?” her mom asked over the phone.

“Yeah,” she answered.

“Honey, you’re not still going every day are you?”

Hermione didn’t answer.

“Oh sweetheart,” her mom said. “I know it’s been hard, but you need to start letting go.”

“Yeah, I know mum. I guess it’s just become like a routine.”

“I don’t like to see you so unhappy, please promise me everything is going to be alright.”

“It will mum. I’ll be fine.”

“Ok, I’ll see you next week then.”

“Alright,” Hermione said. “I love you mum.”

“I love you too.”

Hermione hung up the phone. He had installed it for her so she’d be able to call her parents. Getting up from the chair she had been sitting in she walked over to the door and grabbed her coat.

She walked the familiar path to the cemetery. She sat down in front of the grey headstone and stared at the inscription.

Draco Malfoy
June 5, 1980 – January 17, 2000

Loving Man
Honorable Hero

He would have turned twenty. They would have had a party last month. Hermione reached out and traced his name. They were going to get married. He was working as an Auror and everything was perfect. Then he got called to go investigate a possible Death Eater sighting. Normal as the Ministry was still trying to find the last of them since the end of the war. He kissed her and said he’d be home for dinner, but he didn’t come back.

“Hermione?”

Hermione jumped, but this time someone had said her name.

“Oh, Gin, you startled me.”

Ginny walked over and squatted down next to her.

“Hermione, I think you should stop coming here so often, it might help.”

Hermione sat quietly for a moment.

“It took so long for everyone to see who Draco really was, and then…and then, before it could mean anything he-”

“It meant something, Hermione,” Ginny said forcing Hermione to look at her. “It meant something that you saw him and helped everyone else to see what he was really like. He loved you more than anyone, just because you refused to give up on him.”

Tears began to form in Hermione’s eyes again, and she looked back at the headstone.

Mama says that I just shouldn't speak to you.
Susan says that I should just move on.
You oughta see the way these people look at me,
When they see me 'round here talking to this stone.
Everybody thinks I've lost my mind,
But I just take it day by day.

“I’ll stop coming here,” she said to Ginny. “It’s just going to take me a little longer than I thought.”

Ginny nodded and helped her up.

“Listen, Harry wanted me to tell you that he wants to meet with you before you go home.”

“I’d like that, I haven’t seen him in a while. Did he tell you what he wanted me to meet him for?”

“No,” Ginny said. “I think he just wants to make sure you’re ok. He cares about you too.”

Hermione smiled. “I know. Will you go put some tea on? I’ll be up at the house in a minute, I just want a minute.”

Ginny hugged her and headed back towards the house.

Hermione turned back to Draco’s headstone.

I probably wouldn’t be this way.
I probably wouldn’t hurt so bad.
I never pictured every minute without you in it,
Oh you left so fast.

“Remember when we first started dating? Everyone told me it was a bad idea, and that you weren’t going to change. We proved them wrong didn’t we?” Hermione wiped her tear stained face. “Ginny is right, it did mean something, even though we didn’t have it for very long…it meant something.”

She closed her eyes to try and stop the tears. And without looking at the headstone again, she turned and headed back to her home.

*~*~*~

“Hermione!” Harry said giving her a hug. “How are you doing?”

“Alright, getting better but slowly.”

Harry nodded. “I know you are on your way to your parents, but I wanted you to stop by for a moment because I think I have some way I can help you.”

Hermione’s brow furrowed.

“What do you mean?”

Harry pulled a ring out of his pocket, which Hermione recognized instantly as the Resurrection Stone.

“Oh, Harry, I dunno.”

“I think it will help you, Hermione,” Harry said as he walked over to her. “To say what ever you want to say to him, that you didn’t get to.”

Tears welled up in Hermione’s eyes, as they had every day since Draco died.

“Harry, I don’t think I could handle seeing him, but knowing that its only his spirit and that he’ll have to leave again.”

Harry put his arm around her shoulders. “I’ll be right here with you.”

She looked at him. After a few seconds she took a deep breath and put on the ring. As soon as she did so she saw a form walking towards her as if from a distance. When it got closer she had to force herself to continue standing. Draco was right in front of her, smiling.

“I can hear you, you know. When you visit my grave and talk to me, I can hear you.”

Hermione smiled and sobbed. “You can?”

Draco nodded. “I love you too.”

Hermione started crying harder.

“I…miss you…so much.”

“I know, I miss you too. But you’re going to be alright.”

“How do you know? How do you know that I’ll be alright without you?”

Draco smiled at her. “Because you’re my strong Gryffindor.”

Hermione tried to smile but couldn’t.

“I love you,” Draco said moving closer to her. “I always will, but I want you to be happy. You’ll be fine.”

She looked at him greedily. She knew she would have to take off the ring soon, but she didn’t want to, he was here with her and she didn’t want him to leave again.

“Hermione, its time to take that off now.”

“I don’t want you to leave me again.”

“I haven’t left you forever, we’ll see each other again, I promise. It will just take a little while.”

Hermione cried harder, barely aware that the only reason she was still standing was because Harry was holding her up.

“I know everyone will take care of you,” Draco said. “And if you want to move, I think it’s a good idea. I won’t mind.”

Hermione looked at him. “Please don’t forget that I love you.”

“Never,” Draco said smiling, and his silver white slightly transparent hand brushed over Hermione’s as she took off the ring. Her hand felt cool for a moment before Draco’s spirit faded from sight.

Sometimes I see you standing there.
Sometimes I feel an angel’s touch.
Sometimes I feel that I’m so lucky to have had the chance to love this much.
God give me a moment’s grace,
Cause if I’d never seen your face
I probably wouldn’t be this way.

Hermione turned into Harry’s waiting hug and cried. Harry held her there until her crying slowed and then he guided her to the sofa in the middle of the room and had her sit down.

Hermione handed Harry back the ring.

“How did you get your hands on that again?”

“Aw you know me,” Harry said. “I figure out a way, especially when its to help a friend.”

Hermione smiled at him. “Thank you so much.”

“Your welcome,” Harry said hugging her one more time. “Now, get on to your parents, they might be starting to worry.”

Hermione nodded and got up to apparate. She turned and looked back at Harry.

“He said he could hear me,” she said. “All those times I went and spoke to him at his grave. He heard me.”

Harry smiled at her.

Hermione smiled back, then she turned on the spot and apparated to the front of her parent’s house. Things could have been different, but she knew wishing couldn’t make it so; she knew it was finally time to move on.

My Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Predictions!!!!

2007-07-18T18:06:21Z

WARNING TO ALL!!! Might contain some HP5 and HP6 spoilers if you haven't read those yet! Proceed at your own risk!!!

1) Who will die? (J.K.R. has said that two MAIN characters die)

Harry- I do not believe that Harry will die. Though it would be wonderful dramatic irony, the hero having to die to get rid of the evil trying to take over the world, I just don’t think J.K.R. is going to kill him.

Ron- No. Ron is such the awkward little prat that he just can’t die. I don’t believe Rowling would do this to us when Ron finally last year realized that he’s an idiot for not telling Hermione how he feels. Come on, we need some hope for a happy ending!

Hermione- same goes for Hermione. She’s the brains of the outfit, but not only is she the brains but she has the ability to perform spells with great accuracy and I believe that she would be at the very least a challenge in a duel. So I think she will be able to defend herself and live.

Hagrid- Here is a tough one. I have always had a feeling that Hagrid might die. So Hagird is my first vote. As much as I will hate it if this happens, something is just pulling me towards this possibility.

Fred and George- NOOOOOO!!!! If she kills off either of these two, I think the whole of the HP fandom will riot. Fred and George are the comedic relief, which you need especially in times of strife. So I do not think they will die

Ginny- Of course not, because Ginny and Harry need to get married in the end and live happily ever after! (optimistic to the point of foolishness ;)

McGonagall- I think McGonagall will take over as headmaster (obviously) but I do not think that she will die

Lupin- Will not die

Snape- Will not die, but will show where his loyalties lie. I am of the firm belief that Snape is good and will help Harry and the Order in the end. I also believe that since he was the one that escaped with Draco that he will help Draco

Voldemort- HE WILL DIE! One way or the other he will. I don’t think JKR would be able to stand ending the books with evil being victorious

Draco- No, I don’t think he will die, but I am torn as to his outcome. I love Draco and I hope that he redeems himself. Everyone ignores the one scene in HBP in which he was actually showing that he had some normal human emotions and wasn’t completely cold and heartless and may just be dragged into the life of a Death Eater out of fear. JKR would not take the time to write a scene in which he is CRYING to Moaning Myrtle of all others, if she wasn’t trying to make a point. The same with the scene on the tower. If he were truly evil he would have killed Dumbledore on the spot, but he couldn’t, and had he had more time I believe that Dumbledore would have been able to talk him over to their side

Neville- will avenge his parents by killing Bellatrix, but will not die

Bellatrix- Will die by Neville’s hand, in vengeance

Mr. or Mrs. Weasley- it is possible, just because their family is so large that one of them will die. I think it impossible for the entire Weasley family to survive. Bill already has a close call in HBP, if she was going to kill him he would have died in the last book. My money is on Percy

Luna- she won’t die, but I think she will help Harry discover things about Sirius (see my predictions about Sirius)

2) Will Hogwarts re-open and if it does, will Harry return?

As many others, I agree that yes it will re-open and that Harry will return. JKR has said many times “7 books 7 years at Hogwarts”

3) Is Snape good (working for the Order), bad (working for Voldemort) or in between (working for himself for whoever provides him with the most benefit)?

I am of the group of people that believe Snape to be good. He is in an awkward position, needing to be on the Order’s side but play the Death Eater role at the same time. I tend to believe that Dumbledore knew of the Unbreakable Vow, and made sure that Snape knew if it came down to it, that he would have to do it. Dumbledore is not the type that would beg for his life at the end, so he pleas of “Severus…please” in my opinion were not asking for mercy but were asking for Snape to go through with it so he would survive to help Harry in the end.

4) Which relationships will be developed?

Harry and Ginny obviously. Once Harry gets over his male “I must protect you” bullshit

Ron and Hermione. FINALLY is the word that comes to mind. After the war they will be able to further develop their relationship

Lupin and Tonks. This one is just cute and after HBP its an obvious one

Bill and Fleur are going to get married, as we are led to believe at the end of HBP

5) What does “Deathly Hallows” mean?

I think it is a fun way to say “Harry Potter and the Horcruxes” Deathly isn’t that hard to figure out, but Hallows used like this means “relics”. And in Arthurian legends, these Hallows (relics) are four objects that represent the elements. Now JKR has hinted that Voldemort would have wanted Four relics from the Four founders. Interestingly enough two of the hallows from the Arthur legends are the Sword Excalibur and the Holy Grail (which many believe to be a chalice or cup of some kind). What are possibly Horcruxes? Godric Gryffindor’s Sword and Helga Hufflepuff’s cup. I think that is a fun little connection. I don’t think that Godric’s sword is a Horcrux but the mere fact that its mirroring the legend is fun.

6) How will Pettigrew’s (Wormtail) life debt to Harry be repaid?

I think that Wormtail will save Harry’s life at the very end therefore repaying his debt and doing what he should have done in the first place and died to protect his friends instead of being a coward and revealing to Voldemort where the Potters were

7) Is Sirius really dead?

No, and after watching the 5th movie and going back to look through the book again, I believe this even more. Unlike with Dumbledore, JKR has never committed to Sirius being dead. The movie did mess up, they had Bellatrix use the Avada Kedavra spell on him. In the book neither the spell nor the color of the spell was revealed. Also in both the movie and the book Sirius has time to look at Harry before falling into the veil. Had he been hit with the Avada Kedavra spell he would have been dead instantly and would not have been able to do that. So I think he will be back

8) What role will Kreatcher play in DH?

A sinister one no doubt. I think that he is hiding at least one or two of the Horcruxes at 12 Grimmauld Place

9) General Comments about what will happen

Harry will go back and get his copy of Advanced Potion making. If anything this will help so they can at least defend themselves against possible spells that Snape knows

When he does return to the Room of Requirement to get the potions book, he will find other useful items there that will help him defeat Voldemort

When Harry turns 17 and leaves Privet Drive it will not be before he finds out exactly what is going on with Petunia. Because there is something secretive there

The students will take sides, either with Voldemort or the Order

We will finally find out why Lily Evans is so important and subsequently why it is so important that Harry has her eyes

From the information I infer from the covers, there will be a crazy ride on a dragon (citing the U.S. deluxe edition cover) how this is possible I do not know, considering dragons don’t typically hang around going “oh sure, hop on, I’ll take you”

Now given that this is J.K. Rowling we are talking about, none of these things could be even close to what will happen. But these are my predictions! :)

A Loyal Companion

2007-06-30T19:46:51Z

Title: A Loyal Compaion
Category: June 2007 One-Shot Challenge MNFF Beta Boards
Prompt: Best Patronus Ever
Ships: none
Rating: PG
Warnings: none
Series: None. One-Shot
Status: Complete
Disclaimer: I actually own Maris and Grace. Harry Potter and the wizarding world belong to J.K. Rowling.
Feedback: Please! :) It's always nice to hear constructive criticism.

Wonderful Story Banner By: Alyssa (pixichik118 on the MNFF Beta Boards)

*~*~

Palms sweaty, knuckles white around the handle of an 11 ½ inch holly wand, brown eyes flicking from side to side, Maris stood in the middle of the room, waiting.

“Alright, Maris, you’re up next.”

She nodded, stepping forward and raising her wand.

“Now, remember, concentrate on that memory,” the instructor said.

Maris nodded, swallowed the lump in her throat and closed her eyes.

‘You can do it this time,’ she thought. ‘Come on, Maris!’

“Expecto Patronum!”

A white silvery mist began to swirl out of the tip of her wand. Before it could take definite shape, it vanished.

Maris opened her eyes, a frown wrinkling the corners of her mouth.

“I’m sorry, sir, I guess I’m not concentrating hard enough.”

“It’s alright, Maris,” the instructor said, patting her on the shoulder. He then turned and addressed everyone in the room. “You must not only concentrate on the happy memory, but you must say the spell with strength and determination.”

“Mr. Potter,” a young man in the back of the room said.

“Yes, Dresden, what’s the question?”

“What do you mean ‘with strength’?”

“Well,” Harry paused. “Like when you are pushing something heavy to move it, and you bear down and heave with all your might. That added ‘strength’ helps your Patronus take shape.”

Maris stepped back in line with the rest of the students, and listened to Harry Potter explain, again, the proper way to conjure a Patronus.

Twenty years old and finally deciding that it was time for something different, she had been in the Auror training program for six weeks now, almost half way through, and she still couldn’t produce a corporal Patronus. Several of the Auror recruits had mastered the spell, and had been allowed to move to the advanced training learning how to use their Patronus to send signals to other Aurors.

“Now, Maris, pay attention,” Harry said.

Maris looked up, her cheeks turning red.

“Sorry, sir,” she said.

“Once again, I will show you, but you can gain only so much from watching. This spell is one that each person has to learn in their own way.”

Maris stood still with the others, watching and waiting. She loved when Harry produced the beautiful stag, which he had told them was named Prongs.

“Expecto Patronum!”

From Harry’s wand, the beautiful stag appeared, without hesitation, and began walking around the room.

‘He makes it look so easy,’ Maris thought.

After a few moments, the Patronus disappeared.

“That’s all for today,” Harry said. “Go home and practice. Remember, in order to graduate, you must be able to produce a Patronus.”

The class gathered their things and began to leave. Maris lagged behind, waiting for the room to empty before she left.

“Everything alright, Maris?”

She turned to see Harry standing by the door.

“Yeah,” she said. “I just get a little nervous when I have to perform a spell in front of the class.”

“Well, you’ll get over that. When it comes down to it, you’ll get it. Don’t worry,” he said with a smile, and then left the room.

Maris took two deep breaths, and looked around the room. Very plain, nothing hanging from the brick walls, which Harry had explained was necessary when learning this spell to keep from getting distracted.

She looked down at the wand in her hand, then raised it and closed her eyes again.

*~*

A cool breeze shifted some hair to the front of her face, covering her eyes. Standing in the backyard of her parents’ home, under her favorite tree, Maris watched the sunrise.

Something cold and wet nudged the side of her thigh, and she looked down at her redbone coonhound, Phoenix.

“Hey, girl,” she said, leaning down and scratching the dog behind the ears. “Have you come out here to watch it with me?”

Phoenix licked her hand and nudged her leg again.

“What’s the matter?” she asked, kneeling down to be eye level with her best friend.

Phoenix let out a soft growl, not threatening, and started walking back towards the house, stopping half way to turn and see if Maris was following.

“Alright, alright, I’m coming,” she said, and followed Phoenix back to the house.

Entering through the kitchen, the smell of freshly brewed coffee wafted to her and she found her mom and her dad sitting at the table, reading a letter written on parchment paper, in emerald green ink.

“Mom, what’s that?” she asked.

Her mom just looked up and beamed at her. Her dad got up and walked over to her, his newspaper falling to the floor in his haste, and enclosed her in a tight hug, which lifted her off the floor.

“We’re so proud of you!” he exclaimed.

She looked back and forth between her parents, unable to hide the smile on her face.

“What is going on?”

Her mom’s smile widened. “You have been offered a place.”

“A place where? Come on mom!”

“Hogwarts!”

Maris’ jaw dropped.

“What?”

“You got a letter this morning!” her mom said, excitedly. “We opened it because we didn’t know what it could be from, someone writing to our 11 year old daughter; but it’s from Hogwarts.”

“AH!” Maris screamed, jumped up and down, and ran around the kitchen, hugging and kissing her parents, and petting a now excited Phoenix who also started running around the room and barking.

“Mom,” she said, stopping. “Grace isn’t the only one anymore! Now everyone can brag about me too!”

“That’s right sweet heart,” her mom said.

“Can I go call her?”

“Sure, and tell Grace to put her mom on the phone after, I want to talk to your aunt.”

Maris squealed again, and ran out to the living room to call her cousin.

*~*

“Expecto Patronum!”

Maris kept her eyes closed tight, concentrating as hard as she could. A silvery form began to take shape in front of her. She chanced opening her eyes and was shocked; she could almost make out an image.

But no sooner had she let her concentration slip the silvery form disappeared.

“Ugh!” she yelled, throwing her wand. “What is wrong with me?”

Maris put her hands up to her face and ran them up over her head and through her dark brown hair.

She sighed and walked over to where her wand had landed, and picked it up.

‘I’ll never get it!’ she thought to herself.

The door creaked open, and Maris turned around.

“Maris?” a tall, blonde haired woman, just a year older than Maris, asked peeking her head inside the door.

“Hey, Grace,” Maris said. “Sorry, I’m coming.”

Each new Auror in training was assigned a certified Auror to work with while learning the ropes. Maris had been lucky enough to have been paired with her cousin Grace.

“Don’t worry about it,” Grace said, entering the room. “Harry told me that you were having trouble and getting frustrated with your Patronus.”

“Yeah,” Maris said, looking down at her wand. “Hey, Grace, you ever feel like because we are Muggle born, we can’t-”

“Don’t you even suggest that!” Grace said, raising her voice to interrupt Maris. “You know that that is ridiculous nonsense. Being Muggle born has nothing to do with it. Everyone struggles at first with their Patronus.”

“Yeah, you’re right. I’m just frustrated.”

“Come on, I’ve got one call I want you to help me with, then we’ll go for a drink in Hogsmeade.”

Maris nodded, and they both left the room.

*~*~*~

The air was warm in the Three Broomsticks. Several people, taking a break from their shopping, were seated at the various tables laughing and conversing with one another.

Maris sat with Grace at a table close to Madam Rosmerta’s bar. Maris sipped her Butterbeer and sat silently, thinking about her earlier failure.

“Maris,” Grace said. “You shouldn’t be so hard on yourself. You’re going to stress yourself out.”

“I know,” Maris replied. “I’m trying.”

Grace nodded and sipped the fire whiskey she had ordered.

“Well, when you graduate the program,” she said, a smile coming to her face. “I am taking you for a week, and we are going to go home.”

Maris looked up. “You mean it? I haven’t been home in ages!”

Grace nodded. “I’ve made the port key arrangements, and-”

“Grace! Maris! Get up, let’s go!”

“What’s going on?” Grace asked, as one of her partners in the Auror office dashed by their table.

“They’re calling in everyone. There’s a situation in Diagon Alley.”

“Come on,” Grace said to Maris.

Maris put her hand into her pocket to double check that her wand was there. Her palms had already begun to sweat; this was her first emergency case.

“We’re Apparating in front of the Leaky Cauldron,” Grace’s partner said.

“What about the Muggles?” Maris asked.

“Muggle repelling charms have been placed in a one mile radius down both sides of the street.”

Maris nodded and jogged to keep up with her cousin as they headed to the Apparition point, located past the Hog’s Head.

After being pressed uncomfortably on all sides, Maris found herself standing outside the Leaky Cauldron next to Grace. Harry Potter was in the front of the gathering crowd of Aurors. Maris looked around. The street was unusually dark and empty. No cars, busses or people could be seen in either direction. She suspected this was due to the Muggle repelling charms.

A few moments after they had arrived, Harry motioned for silence.

“Alright, everyone, this is what we train for. There have been several Death Eaters seen running around Diagon Alley. They may or may not still be there, probably not as we have a report of a Dark Mark sighting, but I want everyone to be alert. You don’t know what they could have brought with them and left behind.”

All of the Aurors nodded in consent, and took out their wands.

“I want everyone in teams of two,” Harry ordered. “Trainees, stay with your assigned Auror.”

They slowly made their way into the Leaky Cauldron and out to the back of the pub where the entrance to Diagon Alley was located.

Harry tapped the brinks in the appropriate order, and they stood back as the wall transformed into the entranceway to Diagon Alley.

Harry began ushering the teams of Aurors through the archway. When Maris and Grace reached the entrance, Harry stopped them.

“Grace I want you two to be the first pair to go down Knockturn Alley.”

“Alright,” Grace said nodding.

Maris, right behind her, swallowed a large lump in her throat.

“You ready?” Harry asked her.

“Yes,” she said, taking a deep breath. “Yes, I’m ready.”

Harry nodded at the two of them, and they walked past him, Grace leading the way down Knockturn Alley.

Knockturn Alley was even darker than Diagon Alley and the London street outside had appeared. The shadows were darker and the buildings seemed to loom over them. A light mist floated over the ground, and a moist heaviness hung in the air, making the robes of the two witches cling to their bodies.

Maris could feel her heart pumping, and tightened the grip on her wand.

They walked on in silence, pausing a few times, wand at the ready, but each time it had been a false alarm; a cat knocking something over, or a rat scurrying across their path.

They neared the end of the alley, and stopped.

“Ok, nothing down here, I think we should head back to the others now,” Grace said.

“Should I lead this time?” Maris asked.

“No,” Grace said. “I’ll lead.”

Most young Aurors in training would have been offended, but not Maris. She understood that with her nervous mastery of most spells, she would be a risk leading the walk back.

Halfway down the alley, Maris saw it. One of the shadows was gliding towards them, the air around them turning cold, and a loud sucking sound reaching her ears. A dementor.

Maris heard Grace scream and tore her eyes away from the dark spector to look at her cousin.

“No…no…no!” Grace was on the floor screaming, her blue eyes wide with a far away look.

Maris felt the air drop even further in temperature around her; she saw something in her mind’s eye.

*~*

“I don’t want to leave her!” she cried, running over to her dog and throwing her arms around Phoenix’s neck.

“I know you don’t honey, but you can’t take her. You’re not allowed.”

“It’s not fair mom, she’s my friend,” Maris cried, while hugging Phoenix tightly.

“We’ll let you say goodbye, but we have to go sweetheart,” her mom said, leaving the room.

Maris looked at Phoenix who whined and nuzzled into Maris’ chest.

“I’m sorry, I don’t want to leave you,” Maris said, tears rolling down her face.

Phoenix whined again, and followed Maris as she grabbed her things and went out the door.

She could hear Phoenix howling in a melancholy tone, until they drove around the corner of her street.

*~*

“No!” Maris yelled.

She fought to push the unhappy memory the dementor had just caused her to relive out of her mind. It was getting closer to her cousin.

“I won’t let you!” she yelled.

She reached desperately for her happiest memory. She closed her eyes.

*~*

“Where are we going, mom?” Maris asked, craning her neck to look out the window of the car.

“You’ll see,” her dad answered from the driver’s seat with as smile.

Maris loved when her parents took her on random trips, but this time was different. There was something in the way her parents kept smiling and glancing at each other. This time was special.

After about ten minutes of driving, which felt like hours to the 9 ½ year old in the back seat, the car turned off the road, and came to a stop at the end of a long driveway.

“Alright, we’re here,” her mom said, and she helped Maris get out of the car.

“What is this place?” Maris asked, looking up at the big white house in front of her.

Her parents just smiled and lead her around to the back of the house.

“Hi, Jim,” her dad said to a man, who was standing next to a fenced in area.

“You’re here,” the man said, shaking her dad’s hand. “Well, take your time, just come get me when you’ve chosen.”

“Thanks,” her dad told him.

“Chosen what, mom?” Maris asked, looking up at her mother.

“Ask your father.”

Maris looked at her dad. “What do you get to choose?”

Her dad smiled. “You get to choose, Maris. Come here.”

Her dad lead her towards the fenced off area, and opened the gate for her to step in. There, rolling around and playing with each other, were seven red looking puppies.

“A puppy!” Maris exclaimed.

“That’s right,” her dad said. “These are redbone coonhounds. And you can pick which ever one you like.”

Maris squealed and kneeled down as they came over to investigate the new person who had entered their pen.

She smiled and played with each one. Then she noticed that one had stayed towards the back of the group, and was trying to find a way around. She watched the puppy make it all the way around the group to her side. It nudged her with its nose and licked her t-shirt.

Maris smiled and picked it up.

“This one,” she said, smiling widely at her parents.

“You sure,” her mom asked.

“Yes,” Maris said, hugging the cute floppy eared creature, which proceeded to lick her hand.

“Well, what are you going to call her? That one is a girl,” her dad told her.

Maris looked at the small red puppy in her hands.

“You’ll be my best friend won’t you?” she asked, gently rubbing behind her small ears.

“Phoenix,” she said, after a few moments and looked up at her parents. “I’ll call her Phoenix.”

*~*

“EXPECTO PATRONUM!” she yelled, with all the strength she could.

A fully formed Patronus appeared and started straight in for the dementor. When it started barking, Maris opened her eyes.

“Phoenix?” she whispered.

Her Patronus continued barking at the retreating dementor, and Maris snapped out of her trance.

She ran over to Grace, draped one of her arms over her shoulders and began steering her cousin back towards Diagon Alley.

The further she moved from the dementor, the warmer the air started to become. She ignored all the dark shadows that kept looming out at her; forced herself to keep going.

“What happened?” Harry asked, running over to help them when she finally made it back.

“A dementor, about half way down,” Maris panted.

Harry led a team of four other Aurors down Knockturn Alley.

Maris helped Grace sit down.

“Are you alright?”

Grace nodded, but did not speak, still shivering with a lingering cold.

Twenty minutes later, Harry and the other Aurors returned.

“It’s gone,” Harry said, and then he smiled. “But, we did find this.”

Maris’ Patronus came bounding out from behind Harry. Maris’ jaw dropped.

“Phoenix!”

A tear rolled down her face as she watched the image of her old dog bounce around, barking.

She reached out to touch her, but Phoenix looked at her, barked and trotted away, disappearing.

Maris looked around. Harry was beaming.

“You did well,” he said. “You saved both Grace and yourself.”

Maris nodded, and another tear rolled down her cheek. Her Phoenix had saved her.

“I knew you could do it.”

Maris looked down to see Grace smiling up at her.

Maris smiled and helped her cousin up. They walked back into the Leaky Cauldron to await the ministry cars that had been called to take Grace to St. Mungo’s.

She still couldn’t believe that Phoenix had been her Patronus.

The cars pulled up, and Harry helped Maris get Grace into the car. Maris got in right after her.

“Oh, and Maris,” Harry said, causing Maris to turn a look at him before closing the door.

“You’ve just passed your first level Patronus course.”

With that, he shut the door and sent them on their way; Maris smiled the whole way there.

Wasted Time

2007-06-16T14:25:25Z

Title: Wasted Time
Category: Romance
Ships: Draco/Hermione
Rating: PG
Warnings: Alternate Universe
Series: None. One Shot Song-Fic
Status: Complete
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. They belong to J.K. Rowling. Nor do I own the song Wasted By: Carrie Underwood
Feedback: Please! :) It's always nice to hear constructive criticism.

Banner by me (without photoshop so it will be replaced by a better one)

She woke up, eyes heavy from crying the night before. She looked to her right to find that he had already gotten up from bed...

She got up, absently tried to pull a brush through her bushy brown hair, but she gave it up as a bad job and put it up in a messy ponytail. She grabbed a bra, put on some jeans, and threw on a relatively clean smelling t-shirt.

She left the room, and walked down the hall to the grand staircase. She had always felt like a princess walking down those stairs.

She walked into the kitchen, and found him sitting in his usual spot, drinking some coffee and reading the Daily Prophet.

“Good morning,” she said, and she smiled despite the fact that she didn’t feel much like smiling.

He had always been good at making her smile.

He looked up at her.

“Morning,” he said. He got up from his chair and walked over to her. “Hermione, about last night…”

*~*

“Where are you going?” she asked.

“Out,” he said curtly.

She watched him gather his things.

“Draco, where are you going?”

He turned from the door, anger flashing slightly in his eyes.

“I don’t have to tell you where I’m going. This is my house, I can come and go as I please.”

“I just would like to know, that way I don’t stay up worrying about you.”

“Hermione, I’m just going out, I’ll be back late.”

He then walked out the door without further explanation.

A tear rolled slowly down her face.

They had been rocky for a while now. Draco never was one to open up to anyone; she knew this. It had all started so well, but now she felt like he was closing back up; he was pushing her out.

*~*

“…I’m sorry about the way I reacted. I know you were just concerned about me.” Draco pulled her close to him and kissed her lightly on the lips.

“I know I can be a nag sometimes,” she said. “I just feel like we don’t talk as much as we used to.”

“I know,” he said. “It’s my fault. I’m going to work on it, I promise.”

He kissed her again, and then left the kitchen to head to work at the Ministry.

*~*~*~

That evening found her sitting in the living room, waiting for him to get home from work.

They had been together for nearly three years now. It had been rough, but they had made it work up until now.

She heard the front doors open, and she had to fight the tears that were already threatening to fall.

“Hermione,” came his voice from the foyer. “Hermione,” he said as he peeked into the living room. “What’s going on? There are bags by the door, is everything alright?”

She looked at him for a few long seconds, then slowly stood to face him.

“Draco,” she said, and she had to pause because her voice was catching in the back of her throat. “What are we doing?”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean us, what are we doing?”

He stood there looking at her silently, she could see some of the color begin to leave his face.
“Hermione,” he began. “We’re working on it. I know its been hard, but we’re trying…I’m trying.”

She smiled at him, as the tears welled up behind her eyelashes.

“I know you are, I know,” she said in a strained voice. “But we’re forcing it now.”

“No,” he said.

She nodded her head. “We are, you know we are. We had something…we have something, but its slipped away from us.”

“No it hasn’t,” he persisted. “It hasn’t, Hermione, we just have to try harder, I’ll try harder, I swear to you I will.”

“No, Draco, I can’t…I can’t do this anymore. We can’t fix it, we’ve tried, its just not supposed to happen,” she said, and she walked around him out of the living room towards her bags.

Standing at the backdoor, she tried to make it fast.
One tear hit the hardwood, it fell like broken glass.
She said sometimes love slips away, and you just can’t get it back.
Lets face it.

“Hermione, wait!”

For one split second, she almost turned around.
But that would be like pouring raindrops back into a cloud.
So she took another step, and said I see the way out,
And I’m gunna take it.

She stopped but didn’t turn around to look at him.

“Hermione, we can make this work,” he was pleading now. “We can do this…I love you.”

Another tear rolled down the side of her face as she took out her wand, pointed it at her bags, which shrank to a small enough size to fit into her pocket.

“I love you too, but we’ve tried, and now its time to go on,” she said, and walked out the door.

I don’t want to spend my life jaded, waiting,
To wake up one day and find
That I let all these years go by,
Wasted.

*~*~*~*

For two months he had tried. He tried writing to her, tried running into her at work, tried anything he could think of to get her back.

He loved her, and he knew he had been the one to push her away.

“More whiskey sir?” his house elf asked.

“Yes, thank you,” he said holding out his glass. He downed it immediately, and held out his glass again for the house elf to fill. He downed the second one, and put his head back in his chair looking up at the ceiling.

A voice was there, in the back of his head, telling him that it was over and done with, and that he needed to move on.

For the past two months he had been ignoring this voice, hoping it would go away, because when he thought about it, he knew the voice was right.

“More, sir?”

“No, thank you, just leave the bottle.”

The house elf bowed, left the bottle and exited the kitchen.

Draco poured himself another glass. He held it in his hands, staring at his reflection in the liquid.

He shook his head, and downed this glass as well, pouring himself another when he was finished.

He thought about her smile, how he always tried to do things that would make her smile.

Then he heard it for the thousandth time. He heard the words she had said to him.

“We’ve tried, its just not supposed to happen.”

He looked down at the whiskey in his hands. He sat there staring at it for several minutes, replaying the things she had said to him in his mind. Then he got up.

Another glass of whiskey, but it still don’t kill the pain.
So he stumbles to the sink, and pours it down the drain.
He said, its time to be a man and stop living for yesterday.
Gotta face it.

Watching the whiskey spiral down the drain, he finally came to accept that she had been right. They had been forcing it. They had tried, but it didn’t work. It would never work. And now he had to move on.

‘Cause I don’t want to spend my life jaded, waiting,
To wake up one day and find
That I let all these years go by,
Wasted.

*~*~*~*

“Oh, excuse me, I’m so…Draco!” she said, and hugged him tightly.

“How have you been, Hermione?” he asked, smiling.

“I’ve been good, you?”

“I’m good, starting a new job with the Department of Mysteries, so I’ll probably be leaving soon.”

She smiled at him. “I’m so happy that you’re doing well.”

“Me too, for you,” he said, smiling.

“I have to go, but I’ll see you around when you aren’t busy,” she said, and she left Florish and Blotts, still smiling.

She kept driving along,
Till the moon and the sun were floating side by side.

Draco apparated home. This had been the first time they had seen each other in public outside of work since the day she ended it. He looked at the mirror that was hanging in the hall, and he couldn’t keep the smile from spreading across his face.

He looked in the mirror and his eyes were clear,
For the first time in a while.

Oh, I don’t wanna keep on wishing, missing,
The still of the morning, the color of the night.

I ain’t spending no more time,
Wasted

Stranded

2007-06-09T01:24:30Z

Title: Stranded
Category: Romance
Ships: Draco/Hermione
Rating: PG
Warnings: Alternate Universe
Series: None. One Shot Song-Fic
Status: Complete
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. They belong to J.K. Rowling. Nor do I own the song Stranded By: Plumb
Feedback: Please! :) It's always nice to hear constructive criticism.

He looked at her in the dark. They were standing by the lake; it was their usual meeting place. This however was not one of their usual meetings; this was going to be their last.

“We can’t keep doing this.”

“Why not?”

He watched as tears began to form, clouding her beautiful brown eyes. He saw that she was doing everything in her power to keep them from falling.

“You know why we can’t, Hermione.”

She looked away from him. He hated himself for doing this to her, but he was getting in too deep; he was falling for her.

“But…” she spoke and he watched her hold back her tears with pain in his eyes. “But we’re friends. It’s not illegal for the two of us to be friends.”

“What kind of friendship is this Hermione? We have to meet in secret at night by the lake. And all you do is sit here and listen to me complain about my life.” He needed to end this before she pulled him in too far.

“That is what friends do Draco! You aren’t making any sense. And the only reason we meet in secret is because you want to! You asked me not to act friendly with you during school so I don’t. I just don’t see the problem.”

“The problem is that I don’t want to do this anymore. I can’t keep doing this. I…”

He trailed off as he stared into her tear filled eyes.

“Why do you want me to continue meeting you here anyway?” he asked quietly.

He saw the confusion and embarrassment flash across her face as she broke eye contact and looked at the ground.

“Because I care about you Draco.” Came her answer; he almost missed it because she spoke so softly.

She looked back up at him, and his breath caught in his chest. He had to get out of this now. She reached to touch his hand but he backed away harshly.

“Draco,” he watched her hesitate. “…I love you.”

His head was spinning, she loved him. No one in his life had ever said those words to him and meant them. He saw that it had taken every ounce of her courage to tell him that, but it didn’t matter; he had no choice.

“No, you only think you do. The war is almost over, we will each go on with our lives, and you will forget me.”

“No, I -”

“Trust me,” he interrupted her. “That’s the way it’s supposed to be.”

She stared at him without blinking. He hoped he could leave it at that but she made it complicated.

“Can I ask you something then?”

He didn’t answer.

“Do you…do you feel anything…anything at all for me?”

“No.”

He turned and left her standing there. When he got to the oak front doors of the castle he stopped and looked back. He couldn’t see that she had lost the battle and now had tears streaming down her face. He could just barely make out the outline of her still standing there, in the dark. He opened the door, and went inside.

You know it only breaks my heart,
To see you standing in the dark, alone
Waiting there for me, to come back…

He had backed out too late. He was in love with her. She was all he could think about. When he walked by her in the hall, and saw the hurt look on her face, it was like someone had stabbed him in the heart with a knife and was slowly twisting it.

This was too complicated. He wanted to tell her that he had lied; that he loved her too, but he couldn’t. They couldn’t be together anyway. Once the dark lord found out that he had gone over to Dumbledore’s side, it would be too dangerous for him and he couldn’t have Hermione there and risk her getting hurt.

That’s what he told himself, but he knew that that too was a lie.

In truth, he was scared. He was scared that if he told her how he felt something bad would happen. If he admitted his feelings and then lost her, it would be too much for him to handle.

Leaving the great hall after lunch a few days later, he ran into someone.

“Excuse me, I -” he stopped. He had run into Hermione.

They looked at each other for a few minutes. Draco heard a voice in his head yelling at him to just tell her something, anything. He opened his mouth to say something, but then closed it again and walked away from her towards the dungeons.

I'm too afraid to show…

He couldn’t escape her. She was in half of his classes and had started creeping into his mind while he was sleeping so all he could dream about was her.

They were on polite terms with each other. Draco had been making the attempt to at least be kind to her; he didn’t want her last memories of him to be bad ones. He knew that he had been right in what he told her. Once they get out of school and the war is over she would go on with her life and forget about him. He would be left alone with no chance of her coming back; he’d be stranded.

If it's coming over you
Like it's coming over me
I'm crashing like a tidal wave
That drags me out to the sea
And I wanna be with you
If you wanna be with me
I'm crashing like a tidal wave
And I don't wanna be
Stranded, stranded, stranded, stranded…

She had taken his being nice as a sign that he wanted to actually be her friend, because she had begun to say hi to him in the halls and in the great hall during meal times. He let her, because he wanted her around; he felt safe and like everything going bad in the world would be resolved soon, when she was around.

One day while they were talking in between classes, she stopped walking. He turned and looked at her. He could tell that she was deciding something but didn’t know what it was.

“Draco,” she looked as if she wouldn’t finish her sentence but then she continued. “Will you…will you meet me on the astronomy tower tonight?”

He studied her face. She seemed determined to get him to agree. He decided not to put up a fight about it.

“Sure.” The moment he answered and she walked away towards her next class he knew that he should have answered no.

She hadn’t told him a time to meet her, but he assumed around 11 o’clock that night would be best since everyone else in the castle would be asleep. He walked as slowly as he could to the astronomy tower. He was nervous about why she had asked him to meet her there in the first place.

When he got there he saw her looking into the dark depths of the sky. She was so beautiful. He didn’t think he could take much more of this. He couldn’t keep seeing her and feeling the way he did about her, and having to walk away each time.

“Hi,” he said.

She turned and looked at him.

“Hi,” she looked around. “Come sit with me?”

He walked over and sat against the tower wall with her, and looked up at the sky. He waited, but she didn’t say anything. He felt something small and cold brush his hand. He looked down and saw her hand twitch slightly at the light touch between them.

He looked back up at the sky. He shouldn’t be here.

He felt her lift his hand slightly to slide hers under it; she intertwined her fingers with his. Then she shifted slightly and rested her head on his shoulder.

He swallowed hard. He shouldn’t be here with her, he was leading her on. His own tears were threatening to fall as he remembered her words to him ‘I love you.’

He had to stop this. He didn’t deserve love; it was wasted on him, and she deserved to love someone better. He stood up abruptly, not bothering to wipe the rouge tear that had escaped his eye.

“Hermione, I can’t do this.”

“Why?” she pleaded.

“Because…I’m not strong enough.”

He left the astronomy tower, letting the tears fall freely down his face.

But I can only take so much
These tears are turning me to rust
I know you're waiting there for me to
come back…

“Wait!”

He turned to see Hermione running after him.

“Do you love me?”

He did. He loved her more than anything else in the world, but he couldn’t tell her that. He had never felt this way about anyone else ever, and he didn’t want to lose it; he was scared to lose it.

“No.”

I'm too afraid to show…

“You do, I can see it in your eyes. That and you are crying.” She reached up and wiped some of the tears from his face. “Why won’t you tell me?”

“It wouldn’t work.”

He left her standing alone, again. He was fighting it. He was fighting everything he felt. But he had to; he had to do it, even if he felt pain because he wanted her to find someone better who wouldn’t put her life in danger. When he got to his room, Draco Malfoy cried.

If it's coming over you
Like it's coming over me
I'm crashing like a tidal wave
That drags me out to the sea
And I wanna be with you
If you wanna be with me
I'm crashing like a tidal wave
And I don't wanna be
Stranded, stranded, stranded, stranded…

A year had gone by since they left Hogwarts. Draco had only seen Hermione a few times from a distance. She had looked happy so he assumed she had moved on. He was glad that at least she could.

He had tried desperately to get rid of his feelings for her, but he could never manage it. He couldn’t even bring himself to find a girlfriend because he would only see how she wasn’t Hermione.

He knew he was a fool, but he wanted to be with her. After all the fighting he did, in the end he ended up exactly where he didn’t want to be. He made up his mind. He would write to her, and see if she still loved him, or if she didn’t if she would at least give him another chance.

I miss you, I need you
Without you, I'm stranded
I love you so come back…

She had written back saying that she would come to see him at his house like he had asked. He didn’t know how he was going to say any of it, but he would figure it out; he had too.

She arrived and he lost all the words he had rehearsed so well in his mind. They sat down for tea, and drank it in silence.

“Draco,” Hermione spoke first. “Why am I here?”

He looked at her.

“I just wanted to see you.”

“Oh.” He hoped he wasn’t imagining it, but he thought he saw a look of disappointment cross her face. The silence between them returned. Suddenly Hermione got up.

“I have to go.” And she rushed out of the parlor they had been sitting in.

“Hermione wait!”

“No, Draco. I can’t. I can’t be here, around you. You are teasing me.”

“I have to tell you something.”

“What?”

He looked into her eyes. He couldn’t find the right words. “I love you” just wouldn’t do it.

Tears began to form in her eyes, and she laughed sarcastically.

“Just like old times.”

She turned to leave, but he grabbed her arm and spun her around.

“No”

I’m not afraid to show…

He leaned in and kissed her.

If it's coming over you
Like it's coming over me
I'm crashing like a tidal wave
That drags me out to the sea
And I wanna be with you
If you wanna be with me
I'm crashing like a tidal wave
And I don't wanna be
Stranded, stranded, stranded, stranded…

I Don't Want the World to See Me

2007-06-05T03:20:47Z

Title: I Don't Want the World to See Me
Category: Romance
Ships: Draco/Hermione
Rating: PG
Warnings: Alternate Universe, Violence, Character Death
Series: None. One Shot Song-Fic
Status: Complete
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. They belong to J.K. Rowling. Nor do I own the song Iris By: The Goo Goo Dolls
Feedback: Please! :) It's always nice to hear constructive criticism.

He saw her, really saw her. She was beautiful with her brown hair; which wasn’t quite so bushy now that they were sixteen, and her intelligent brown eyes. He couldn’t understand why he was feeling this way towards her, but he was sure that he was digging himself
into a hole.

He was a servant to the Dark Lord, her enemy, yet he was falling for her. He wanted to tell her everything, to confide in her. He knew that of all people she would be the one to understand him. He stopped his ridiculing, teasing, and cruelness towards her. He would suffer for it later, but he didn’t care, he wanted her to notice him.

Weeks went by and he would catch her stealing glances at him from across a room or the Great Hall. He was throwing her off balance; intriguing her. She even went out of her way to try and run into him, he noticed, but avoided actually having to explain himself to her. He knew she was curious about his change in behavior, and hoped that it would be enough to bring her closer.

‘Please, let it be enough,’ he thought to himself.

And I’d give up forever to touch you,
‘Cause I know that you’d feel me somehow.
You’re the closest to heaven that I’ll ever be,
And I don’t want to go home right now.

One night while he was out trying to further the Dark Lord’s plans, he saw her. She had obviously been out looking for him again. How she knew that he was out of his common room he didn’t know, but there she was. She walked up to him and just stood there looking at him.

“Do you want to talk?” she asked, and he saw a look of genuine concern in her eyes.

He wanted to talk to her. He wanted to talk to her about everything that had gone wrong, and was still going wrong in his life, and he wanted to tell her that he had fallen for her. But he was evil; her enemy, a Death Eater. He couldn’t talk to her, it would push her away.

“Would you just walk with me?” he asked quietly.

“Sure.”

That night she had found him in the hall and walked with him, made all the difference. They hadn’t said anything to each other the entire time, but that didn’t matter. The fact that she had been there, walking beside him, was all that mattered to him.

Now their walks became a nightly occurrence. She would meet him, and they would walk. Just walk in silence together. Sometimes they would go sit together at the top of the Astronomy Tower. After a while, they would just get up and head their separate ways; neither of them saying anything.

And all I can taste is this moment.
And All I can breathe is your life.
And sooner or later it’s over,
I just don’t want to miss you tonight.

In public, it was the same as it has always been; they were never seen together. He wanted to walk with her to class, to hold her hand, to tell her that he loved her, but the war was beginning and they were on opposite sides. She would be loyal to her friends and see him the way everyone else did; as a Death Eater.

He decided to stop whatever it was that he was doing. He rationalized it as not even being anything in the first place, because they never spoke to each other, so one night instead of waiting for her like he always did, he hid behind a statue to see what she would do if he wasn’t there.

He watched as she walked up the corridor and stopped. He silently watched as a look of confusion crossed her face as she looked around for him, possibly thinking that he would be coming any minute. He hated himself when he saw the realization that he wasn’t coming hit her. For a moment he thought she was going to cry, but she mouthed something to herself and he saw her inhale deeply. Then she looked up, directly into his eyes. He froze in place, unable to believe that she could see him where he was hiding. She apparently hadn’t seen him however, because she turned around and headed back down the corridor.

He needed to complete his task. The Dark Lord was becoming angry with him and he had no choice. If he didn’t do this his family would be killed. She presented a distraction, one that wouldn’t turn out the way he wished it could.

*~*~*~

“Do you want to talk?” This was the second time she had asked him this.

She had come up behind him without his realizing, and now he was standing there at the top of the Astronomy Tower looking into her eyes as he forced his own to remain cold and distant.

“Why are you here?” he asked.

“Because you need me to be here.” Her eyes showed her concern for him, and he was sure it was genuine but undeserved.

“You don’t want to be here.”

“How do you know that?”

“Because…” He hesitated and looked down at the floor. “Because-”

He stopped when he felt her gently place her hand on the side of his face. On tip-toes she leaned towards him and kissed him softly on the lips. He stood there as she kissed him, but he didn’t return the kiss. When she backed away from him he saw tears forming in her eyes. He watched her turn and walk away, wishing that he could stop her and knowing that this was the way it had to be.

And I don’t want the world to see me,
‘Cause I don’t think that they’d understand.
When everything’s made to be broken,
I just want you to know who I am.

He was lying to her. He was lying to her about everything; about his being a Death Eater and about him being in love with her. The Dark Lord was starting to lose confidence in him and would be planning an attack any day now. He knew that he would be killed and he couldn’t put her at risk. Why admit to love and lose it? No, he would hide it and save her, that would be enough.

She had continued to try to talk to him. He knew because he had seen her attempts to get him alone, or to find him at night like she used to. But he avoided her. She would find out the truth eventually, and that was what scared him.

The night Voldemort attacked took everyone by surprise. Draco heard the commotion in the castle and left the common room to see what was going on. He saw Death Eaters everywhere and Dumbledore was rallying the teachers for the fight, and of course Potter was right with him.

‘Hermione!’ he thought suddenly. He had to find her, he had to keep her safe.

He ran through the corridors, avoiding all the spells flying around, towards the Gryffindor common room. Outside he saw several of the Weasleys and Longbottom taking on two Death Eaters. Hermione was no where in sight. Suddenly it hit him. He changed directions and headed for the Astronomy Tower.

She was there, looking out over the lawns at the many battles taking place between Death Eaters and teachers. She turned to look at him when she heard him come up the tower steps; she had tears in her eyes.

“You’re one of them, aren’t you.” She wasn’t asking him.

This is what scared him more than anything. He could deal with any torture Voldemort threw at him, he could even face his death; neither would have an impact on him. But losing Hermione would break him; out of all the people he had ever met, even his family, no one had ever shown him genuine concern…and love. She didn’t even know who he was; she didn’t know all the horrible bad decisions he had made, and she still loved him, he could see it.

“I am,” he said, and rolled up his sleeve to show her his Dark Mark. “But, Hermione, you have to trust me, you are in danger, I have to get you to Dumbledore.”

He grabbed her hand and started leading her down the steps of the Astronomy Tower. She didn’t fight him.

And you can’t fight the tears that ain’t coming;
Or the moment of truth in your lies.
When everything feels like the movies;
Yeah you bleed just to know you’re alive.

They weaved in and out of the miniature fights taking place in the corridors. The older students had now joined in the fighting; some for Voldemort, others against him. He continued to lead her on, he had seen Dumbledore near the Great Hall and that’s where he was headed.

They arrived in the Great Hall to see an unconscious Harry in the corner being guarded by Fawkes, and Dumbledore face to face with Voldemort.

“Ahh, the traitor arrives,” Voldemort hissed. “With his mudblood too, how sweet, you can die together.”

Voldemort attempted to cast a spell in their direction, but was thwarted by Dumbledore. Feeling that Dumbledore could keep Voldemort from them, they made their way over to the unconscious Harry, and Hermione kneeled next to him while Draco watched Dumbledore and Voldemort duel.

“Crucio!”

It came out of nowhere, but his vision went black and all he could do was scream. Someone was using the Cruciatus curse on him, and they weren’t stopping. His bones felt like they were on fire, and his heart felt like it would explode. It seemed like years to him before the pain stopped. He was barely conscious and he felt something warm on the side of his face.

He blearily looked around. The Great Hall was empty save for an unconscious Death Eater a few feet away from him and Dumbledore, who was leaning over Harry and Hermione. He panicked. He almost threw up from the effort it took to move over to them, and nearly collapsed on the floor beside them.

“They are alright,” Dumbledore said calmly, though with a pained and sorrowful expression on his face.

Dumbledore performed the reviving spell on Hermione, she had only been knocked out, and he took Harry to the Hospital Wing.

“No!” Hermione exclaimed when she saw him.

He touched his face where he felt warmth, and felt blood flowing from his mouth. He knew why Dumbledore had looked at him like that, the Cruciatus curse had lasted too long…he was dying.

“Hermione -” he coughed, and more blood spilled out of his mouth. Hermione had tears running down her face as she knelt there holding him.

“You can’t,” she sobbed. “You can’t leave me, I love you.” She gave in to her tears. She found her wand and cleared the blood from his face, though more was slowly appearing at the sides of his mouth.

He smiled at her, she didn’t know it but she was his angel, her love saved him. Death no longer brought fear. Someone loved him.

He brought up his hand weakly and placed it on the side of her face. It was getting harder for him to breathe now, he needed to tell her before it was too late.

“No,” he said gently. “Don’t cry, everything is going to be fine now.” She only cried harder when he drew a breath and winced at the pain that came with it.

“You…you saved me Hermione. No one, not even…my own mother loved me…you saw me…” He was barely getting his words out between gasps.

“I love you,” he said, and with his last ounce of strength returned the kiss she had given him that night on the astronomy tower.

She looked into his empty blue eyes, and cried.

And I don’t want the world to see me,
‘Cause I don’t think that they’d understand.
When everything’s made to be broken,
I just want you to know who I am.

Your Eyes: The Beginning

2007-06-03T13:40:19Z

Title: Your Eyes: The Beginning
Category: Romance
Ships: Draco/Hermione
Rating: PG
Warnings: Alternate Universe, Violence, Character Death
Series: Part 1 of a three part series
Status: Complete
Disclaimer: I do not own any of these characters. They belong to J.K. Rowling.
Feedback: Please! :) It's always nice to hear constructive criticism.

BEAUTIFUL story banner by Alyssa aka. pixichik118 over on the MNFF Beta Boards!

This story can be viewed on Mugglenet Fanfiction through this link:

http://fanfiction.mugglenet.com/viewstory.php?sid=30862

Addition to my Welcome note!!

2007-06-03T03:19:50Z

I have added a new link to my link list!

I am a memeber of a Supernatural and Stargate board called *appropraitely* Supernatural Altantis.

Its run by some friends of mine, and its a really great site to find some great fanfictions, graphics, vids, and other crazy fans to chat with!

So if you are a part of any of those fandoms, please check out the site! They put a lot of hardwork into this site, it is really great! But if you join, be sure to post post post! We love ACTIVE members of the boards!

~GryffindorsHeir

P.S. another Link has just been added to my links list.

Pixar Planet!

If you love Pixar and Disney and the things that are created when the two come together, then this is the place you want to be!

My friend runs this site, and has also put a lot of work into it, so check it out if it interests you!

Hello and Welcome! :)

2007-06-02T20:19:39Z

Well, welcome to my Harry Potter FanFiction Page!

Here I will be posting my various fanfictions for your reading pleasure!

I am also a newly accredited Beta Reader at Perfect Imagination. See my User Info for more information regarding that.

Remember! When reading a fanfiction please leave feedback! Every author loves feedback, it helps to build their writing skills!

~GryffindorsHeir