A Piece of Forever

Disclaimer: JKR owns all characters but Loki and I am merely borrowing them.


A/N: This chapter was supposed to be the one where Draco and Hermione try and find themselves again after what has happened. After this, things are going to get a lot better, thank God.

I hope this is good and thanks anyway, to everyone who reviewed.

You guys rock!


Chapter Thirteen:

Alyssa gazed worriedly out of the window. A minute ago, the sun had still been shining and barely a few moments later, the sky had changed to a dark angry gray.

Rain started to fall heavily and a blot of lightning shot out from nowhere.

She turned to Narcissa, quietly reading. “Mrs. Malfoy, Draco would be fine, wouldn’t he?”

Narcissa looked up briefly, her pale blue eyes wide and blank. Alyssa never liked Narcissa. In some way or the other, Narcissa scared Alyssa. Maybe it was the way her huge eyes- a ghostly pale blue- always looked empty and blank, or maybe it was how she never smiled; never spoke except for the usual civil conversation.

Most of all, it was the feeling that she got- that Narcissa never liked her and in fact, hated her.

That didn’t bother her a lot, because after all, what could she do? Lucius had all the power in the Malfoy clan and Narcissa was nothing but the beautiful trophy wife that he used to show off.

“I’m sure he can take care of himself,” Narcissa said, her voice flat and emotionless.

“Yeah, I think so too,” Alyssa smiled at the older woman, who did not smile back and merely returned to her book.

Alyssa scowled inwardly. Just you wait and see, she thought, once I’m Mrs. Malfoy, I’m going to make your life miserable, Narcissa.

~

She was a vile disgusting creature.

She made Narcissa want to positively hurl.

Narcissa watched as Alyssa paced in the hall, a picture of an anxious wife to anyone else.

Narcissa was not stupid. She was not just a pretty airhead that Lucius could show off.

She knew what her husband was up to.

She knew what Alyssa had done to her son.

In fact, she had known the whole scheme right from the start.

The papers on Lucius’ table- the ones which told the whole story, the whole plan- she had read them. She had fled the room, unsure of what to do. Should she stop them? Should she save her son?

In the end, the coward that she was, fearing Lucius’ wrath, she decided to do nothing.

She watched, unknown to Lucius, she witnessed the plan, every step of the way.

She stood, hidden by shadows in his study, silent as the grave like she always was, watching as Lucius received the pills, those drugs, which was to make her son forget whatever that and happened after consumption until the drug wore off, three hours later.

She had watched as Lucius recited the instructions to Alyssa, also providing her with the best ingredients to brew a potion, which was to guarantee her pregnancy.

And then, she watched, filled with despair and helplessness, as her son fell prey to their trap and she watched, as she seemed to see her past replay before her eyes once more.

~

“Damn!” Draco swore as he opened the door and instantly got soaked from head to toe. He slammed the door back shut.

“What the hell are you still doing here?” Hermione shouted.

“Hey, take a look out the window, ok? I’m stuck here!” He shouted back.

“What do you mean you’re stuck here? Apparate, you idiot!” Hermione said in despair.

“Right, oh yeah.” Draco nodded sheepishly.

After a moment of thought, he scowled and said, “No I can’t! I can’t apparate directly into the house remember? I still have to walk so I’m still stuck here until the rain lets up.”

“Fine,” she said.

“Do you have a drink?” He asked.

“Get it yourself,” she said grumpily.

He huffed and stormed into the kitchen, and returning with a bottle of fire whiskey and two glasses.

Hermione raised an eyebrow. “It’s not even lunch yet.”

“Whatever.”

He popped the bottle and poured the liquor into both glasses.

“You know I hate you to drink,” she sighed.

“Then why did I find six of these in your own kitchen?” He asked.

She looked down, sighing again. “I have my bad days too, Draco.”

He took a good long look at her then sat down next to her, covering her hand with his. “Hermione.”

“Don’t,” she begged, meeting his eyes. “Just don’t.”

“Don’t what?” He asked.

“Don’t do this to me anymore,” she replied. “Stop playing this little game of yours. You know I love you and I always will, no matter how much I want to let go.”

“I’m not playing a game, Hermione,” He narrowed his eyes. “You’re not a game.”

“Draco, please no,” she pleaded as he kissed her hard. “No, don’t,” she whispered. “You can’t do this again to me again.”

“I’m doing anything, Hermione, I’m trying to show you that I love you? Why are you stopping me?” He asked.

“Because it hurts,” she curled into a ball, her knees pulled to her chest.

“What hurts, honey?” Draco stood up, panicking. He knelt down in front of her, gripping her hands, trying to make her uncurl herself. “Talk to me, Hermione, please.”

He shook her gently. “Look at me, Hermione.”

“No,” she gasped.

“Please,” He said.

“I can’t,” she burst out.

“Why?” He asked in frustration.

“Because you’re going to make me love you and then break my heart all over again.”

~

Alyssa looked at the clock. It was eleven thirty.

Pansy looked up from the sofa. “Hey, calm down. Draco can take care of himself. We parted some time ago and he said he was going to buy something.”

“I’m going to look for him,” Alyssa decided.

“No, you aren’t,” Pansy said. “You’re pregnant and it’s a bloody freak storm out there.”

“Look, I’m going to go look for my husband and don’t you dare tell me what to do!” She spat at Pansy.

Pansy narrowed her eyes. “Then by all means, go.”

Alyssa sneered at her, picking up her coat and pulling it on. She yanked the door open, gasping as she was hit by a gust of wind and rain.

“I told you so,” Pansy smirked.

“Oh yeah, I’m going to find him!” She shouted.

She slammed the door shut and tottered on her heels uncertainly.

Where would she look for him? She couldn’t apparate here, she had to make her way to the gates before she could.

She would start with Diagon Alley. She was going to find Draco like she said she would and that little bitch in there who claims to know her husband better than she did, was going to eat her words.

Alyssa took a step down and another and then her three inch heels skidded on the wet surface and she slipped, screaming as she was thrown down the flight of steps, the sharp edges scraped her skin and tore her dress, and then she was flung onto the muddy grass below, her head striking the a flower pot hard.

She cried out for help, doubling over in pain and then she heard the door flying open above her and then all went black.

~

“I’m going to kiss you, ok?” Draco tried not to smile.

“Ok,” Hermione said quietly, blinking up at him with wet eyes, swollen from crying. He had promised her he wouldn’t do anything to her that she didn’t agree to before hand. “Where?”

He brushed his fingers over her eyelids. “Here. Is that ok?”

“Yes,” she mumbled as his lips caressed her eyelids lovingly.

How could she ever have doubted that he loved her?

“And now I’m going to kiss you here,” He said, and she could here the smile in his voice as he touched her lips. “Ok?”

“Ok,” she agreed as her lips parted for him.

Hermione did not resist when his tongue snaked into her mouth and marveled at the way their lips molded against each other and how perfectly their tongues danced, in sync with each other.

She sucked tentatively on his bottom lip, nibbling and heard him grunt in surprise.

He broke away, gasping. “Ok.”

“What are you going to do next?” She asked.

Draco met her eyes and his hand came up to cup her cheek. “Hermione, I’m going to make love to you.”

Hermione was silent for a long time.

She covered the hand he was cupping her face with gently, removing it. Then she leaned in and placed her lips next to his ear, her voice soft and low as she said, “Ok.”

~

Narcissa watched as Alyssa was wheeled into the hospital ward, followed by a dozen of doctors and nurses- the best in St. Mungos.

She had fallen unconscious after falling down the steps and slamming her head into a flowerpot.

Narcissa and Pansy had heard her screams and found her a tangle of limbs, bleeding profusely from the head and between her legs. There were several cuts and
Bruises on her body too but the gash on her head was the most serious one.

They had shouted for Lucius, who was upstairs and he had apparated them to St. Mungos, immediately, demanding a team of best medical personnel to fix her.

Narcissa wondered where Draco was.

Lucius was standing rigid outside the door. Pansy was sitting next to her, pale but Narcissa looked closer and detected a look of triumph in her eyes.

It was obvious that Pansy detested Alyssa as much as she did.

“Narcissa, can I have a word?’ Pansy said. “Alone?”

Lucius took no notice as the two ladies stood up and walked away, stopping at a deserted corner.

“I know where Draco is,” Pansy said in a hushed urgent whisper.

Narcissa nodded. “Yes?”

“Do you know,” Pansy said rapidly. “Hermione Granger?”

“The girl from your school?” Narcissa said haltingly.

“The one who always had top scores in exams, from Gryffindor,” Pansy jogged her memory and Narcissa recalled the curly haired brunette, the girl with those smiling hazel eyes.

“What about her?” Narcissa asked.

“Draco is at her apartment now.” Pansy’s teeth snagged on her lower lip and she blew out a long breath. “Draco should have told you a long time ago… but things happened to fast for him to take control. He loves her, and has been in love with her for a long time.”

“Why didn’t he say anything in that case?” Narcissa gasped. “How could have let things come to this?”

“No, stop, Narcissa, please. Listen to me,” Pansy hissed. “Look, Draco came to look for me today. He gave an excuse to Alyssa that he was with me and told me he was going to look Hermione up. I asked him why he was going there and he told me he was going to make her understand. I have no idea what that means but you have seen the papers recently, haven’t you?”

“No, I haven’t been keeping up lately.” Narcissa said, shaking her head. “Why? What has been going on?”

“People have been saying that Hermione is the third party in Draco’s perfect relationship with Alyssa,” Pansy said. “And God, I know that is a lie. And I know what the truth is. The truth is Draco has been in love with her since third year and I have never seen a man so in love before. If you ever get to see Draco look at Hermione, you will believe me. The way he looks at her, it’s just- it’s like he is drinking in the sight of her, not wanting ever to let her disappear from his sight.”

Pansy drew in a long breath. “It just blows you away, and I want to help him. I really want to be able to help him through this. Things weren’t meant to happen this way. So I just want to let you know that I was planning to look Harry Potter up.”

“Harry Potter?” Narcissa repeated incredulously. “Why?”

“Because I need his help,” Pansy said. “And I know he will because he wants to help his best friend as much as I want to save mine. I am going to stop this from happening.”

“Pansy, do you know what you are doing?’ Narcissa breathed, eyes wide in shock. “You are poking into business that is not in your position to pry. You don’t know what you will discover and some things are best left alone.”

“Narcissa,” Pansy stared at the older woman hard and long. “I am going to save your son, and how, Narcissa,” She pause, meeting Narcissa’s wide eyes and continuing in a low but firm voice, “How can you stop me?”

Narcissa watched as Pansy clasped her shoulder, offer her a determined smile and walk away.

~*~

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