The Purest

No sooner had she entered when her body made contact with another and she was pushed out into the hall again.

“Excuse me….oh, sorry Hermione.”

It was Harry.

“It’s okay.” She turned to go into the hall again.

“Hey Hermione, wait.”

She paused. It had been months since Harry had made any sort of contact with her. She turned her head slowly.

“Yes?”
“How are things been with you?”

“Things are fine.” She didn’t know what else to say. Again she turned to leave.

“Wait don’t go.”

When she looked at him this time she could see him struggling with himself. Inwardly she laughed. Harry never could say what he wanted, especially if he was talking to a girl.

She watched him take a deep breath. His shoulders slumped.

“Hermione, we…ugh, I…” he sighed again “I miss you.”

“Then why did you stop talking to me Harry?”

“I don’t know. Things have been kind of hard. It’s been a real difficult time, and now I don’t know I just miss and I wish that things would go back to being the same. I don’t care if your in Slytherin. You can still come and hang out with us, come to Grimald Place for Christmas. It’ll be like old time again.”

She looked down to the floor and shook her head. All of those things seemed so welcoming and yet distant and not part of her anymore. She did miss everyone but now as she thought about it she couldn’t remember one time anyone from that part of her life asking her how she was doing right now. After the events during the beginning of the year sorting there was not one owl, not one visitor. As this thought made it way into the forefront of her thinking she became upset.

Looking up at him through the haze of tears.

“No.”

“What?” he asked incredulously.

“No one, not one of you asked if I was alright. Nobody seemed to care if I was alright.” She shook her head.

“Harry I had been your friend for six years. I stood by you when everyone looked down on you. I backed you when people called you names and when they made fun of you. I was there to help you when you needed me no questions asked. And now, Now I was having an issue and at the barest hint of change you questioned my allegiances. So no Harry things can never be the same. School doesn’t last forever. You better grow up and work at keeping the friends that youstillhave.”


He looked at her, she could tell he was hurt, but she didn’t care anymore. She had spent a better part of the year being hurt. Now she didn’t want to be hurt anymore. She was going to move on.

“Hermione, please. I just don’t understand. I’m here, now, trying to tell you that I need my friend back. And you just say no. Why? Why Hermione?”

“Because Harry I needed you too. For months I was alone. No one there to talk to about what I was going through. What things were going on in my life. I waited and waited for you and Ron to come around but you never did. You were so caught up in you loss of Dumbledore and in the war. Well let me tell you what Harry Potter regardless of whether or not there is a war LIFE GOES ON! PEOPLES LIVES STILL GO ON AND THEY STILL HAVE PROBLEMS THEY HAVE TO FACE, AND THANKS TO YOU I HAD TO FACE A REALLY BIG ONE ON MY OWN!!!!”

She was crying so hard now. She didn’t even notice that someone had come through the doors and now stood there holding it open and everyone had heard her outburst.

“YOU ARE SO SELFISH. YOU TELL ME YOU NEED YOUR FRIEND BACK, WELL WHAT ABOUT WHAT I WANTED, WHAT I NEEDED A FEW MONTHS BACK. YOU WEREN’T THERE. YOU DIDN’T CARE.”

She was getting angry. Her hair was starting to bristle.


~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Draco had been sipping on his drink when he heard the commotion coming from the entrance. The sight he beheld sent his heart racing.

She was there apparently yelling at Potter for some reason or another, and she was beautiful, but that was not the only thing that got his attention. It was the fact that others had started backing away.

He made his way closer to get a better look at what was going on, and then he felt it. The tension. The air crackling. Hurriedly he made his way through the crowd.

Silently he calmed a little. She hadn’t started glowing.

*POP*

The air was starting to crackle. If she wasn’t glowing yet, it was soon to follow.

He made his to her. She was still yelling tears streaming down her face. He could see Harry looking defeated.

‘Serves him right’ he thought.

Ignoring the looks from those around him he made his way in front of her. Cupped her face with his hands and just looked at her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Her vision of Harry was cut off when Draco stepped into view. She became quiet, but was still breathing heavily. Only then did she notice the crowd, and became embarrassed. Pulling her face from Draco’s hands she turned and ran back the way she had come. Not stopping until she made it back to the Head’s dormitories.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Draco turned around.

Harry had watched her retreating back wishing there was something he could say or do to make things better, his thought interrupted when he heard.

“Don’t ever talk to her again.”

Then watched as Draco followed the path she had taken.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

She sat in front of the fireplace. Quietly watching the flames dance and flicker.

A slow squeak followed by the steady grind of the portrait door as it swung open brought her mind from the fire. Flashes of reflection coming from her hand, bringing her surroundings back into focus as she remembered her drink. The smooth clear liquid lulling from side to side as she absentmindedly tilted the glass to and fro.

She could hear the swish of his robes as he entered. The clicks of his heels echoed across the room and seemed to reverberate adding to the unease of the room.

“Are you alright?”

She chuckled. How odd that after months he would be the one to finally ask. Wasn’t this one of the things she had been arguing about?

“Well, I didn’t know it was a joke. I’m so sorry. Just disregard it.”

She sighed. Downed her drink. Got up and made her way to her door.

“I’m tired. Good night Draco. I’ll see you when you return after the holidays”

And closed the door with a soft click.

It took him a moment to realize what she had said, about seeing him when he got back. He had thought that she had accepted his parent invitation and that she was going to be going with him. Apparently he was mistaken. A problem he was going to rectify.

In a few strides he was at her door. Opening it.

“Why?”

She had barely been able to sit on the edge of her bed when he had come bursting through.

“Why what?”

“Why aren’t you coming to the Manor for the holidays?”

“I just don’t. Now get out so I can get ready for bed.”

“Nothing I haven’t seen Phoenix. Now about the holiday, Your going and that’s that.”

She turned to look at him full in the face.

“That’s that? Just who do you think you are? I’m not one of your house elves you can order around or some silly bint who asks ‘how high?’ when you say ‘jump’. “ She sighed “Look. I’m just not in the mood to argue with you right now. Could you please go so I can get ready for bed.”

“Like I said nothing I haven’t seen before. And you are going even if I have to carry you over my shoulder.”

Defeated she threw herself back on the bed, and closed her eyes laying down while her legs dangled off the edge.

“Malfoy just give it a rest. I don’t want to go.”

She heard him move closer. Then felt as he lifted her and pulled her the rest of the way up the bed. After a few minutes of maneuvering he had managed to get her under the covers, and tucked in.

“We’ll see.”

As he turned to leave he felt her grab his hand. When he turned to look she had sat up and was pulling him closer.

“What now Phoenix? You know we have a long trip tomorrow and I for one would like to get some sleep before hand.”

Without a word she had pulled him to her. Their lips met. It took him a second to register her boldness. Something he wasn’t used to. Most of the girls he had been with played coy innocents, that is, until they were in bed. Yet she was different. Months before he had still looked on her with disdain, but now she was something. That something he wasn’t sure of yet. Pulling back.

“What are you doing?” he asked eyebrow raised.

“Trying -- to--get you--to --stay--with me---tonight.” she said in between kisses.

Thinking he could use this to his advantage.

“Only if you agree to come to the manor for the holidays.” he stated staring at her pointedly.

She looked a bit disappointed. Then brightened.

“Only if I can stay in your room while I‘m there.”

He smirked.

“I think that can be arranged.”

And kissed her.

She scooted over to make room for him on her bed. When he lay down she snuggled up under his arm and rest her head on his shoulder. She felt safe with him. So at ease. Relaxing she fell into a deep sleep.

Draco lay there awake listening to her even breaths. Thinking again on the past months. How had he just given in so easily, and why was it so important for her to go to the manor with him. Never had he acted without reason and yet here he was doing and saying all kinds of things he never would have to anyone. But low and behold here he was cuddling with an ex-enemy, who was now the biggest question mark in his life. Draco did not have question marks in his life, he knew what he wanted when he wanted.

“DRACO!!!”

He jumped. Looking wildly around.

“What in hell?” he yelled.

“Expeliarmus!”
“Sectumsempra!”

She jolted. And started thrashing.

“LET GO OF ME RON!!”

Draco’s blood froze. He remembered her saying that the last time he heard her talk in her sleep. When she had glowed red.

“Avada Kadavra!”

Draco knew those curses before, be knew the out come of them all. He looked at her, she was still sleeping. Whatever kind of dream she was having now she sure as hell meant business. But this time it was different. The last time she didn’t say that. She changed it. She must have subconsciously anticipated what was going to happen and changed it. Even during sleep she was insufferable.

“My love are you alright?”

He raised his eyebrow

‘My love?’ he thought. ‘Did she just refer to me as her love?’

“Come on we have to hurry. The Lord needs us to get the others so he can get to Harry!”

‘She’s fighting? For the Dark Lord?’

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

They were running through the cemetery.

Hermione had a vague sense of Déjà vu. Something bad was going to happen. All of a sudden her lover was gone.

Looking wildly around she spotted him being attacked.

“DRACO!!!!!”

She had seen this before knew what was going to happen.

Quickly she turned and saw him coming. Wand out stretched. She stood her ground.

“Expeliarmus!!”
“Sectumsempra!!”

But it didn’t stop him from coming he tackled her to the ground. Her wand tore from her grip.

‘No’ she thought this can’t be happening. She knew something was going to happen to Draco. Something she dreaded. She had to stop it.

“LET GO OF ME RON!!”

All of a sudden she felt her attacker being pulled off of her. Looking wildly for her wand she found it a few feet away.

“

Turning to the attacker on her lover she raised her wand again pointed it at the enemy.

“Avada Kadavra!!!”

She ran to him. She saved him.

“My love are you alright?

“I’m fine.” he pulled her close in a tight embrace.

“Thank you I don’t know what I would have done without you. I love you so much!”

She held him tighter breathing in his scent.

“I love you too, Draco.”
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Draco watched her features. Relief crossed her face.

He lay down again. She snuggled closer. Breathing deep she sighed.

“I love you too, Draco.”

And fell into a peaceful sleep once again.

He tilted his head to look down on her. Again with that. The way it implied that he had said it to her.
Thinking about what it might mean to her. Lost in thought he didn’t realize that he put his arm protectively around her, or the way he tilted his head to rest against hers. He didn’t remember when he fell into the most peaceful sleep he had in years.