Cleansing Rain

She knew she should sleep. She would need her rest for the battle tomorrow, but she just couldn’t make herself sleep. It wasn’t that she wasn’t comfortable. No, the camp bed was soft, the body next to her was warm. It was that it would all end in a few hours, everything would change. Win or loose her world was changing. If they won the fight would be over, the fear gone, she could have a normal life. But if Voldemort won she would die or become enslaved. Either way the world was changing. The man sleeping next to her was proof of that. Who would have ever thought Hermione Granger would be sleeping next to Draco Malfoy? Who would have ever believed they had just made love? No one, that’s why it was all so ludicrous, she pushed her unruly hair out of her eyes and sat up. She wasn’t getting anywhere laying here. She slid out from the tumbled blankets and pulled on her clothes. She leaned against the support beam of her tent, looking out over the cook fires and tents of the Order of the Phoenix. She lit up a cigarette, taking a long drag from it, the nicotine settling into her system. She closed her eyes, the day Draco Malfoy had walked or rather ran back into her life replaying in her mind.
The day was cool, the first brisk winds of fall were blowing through the camp. A missive had arrived from Voldemort the day before stating that he would march on the Order’s hold of Hogwarts in one week. The camp was buzzing with activity, families were being moved into the castle for better protection, evacuation plans were being made, the people fighting were being broke up into teams, the leaders were devising strategies. Hermione was closeted with Harry, Ron, Lupin, Shacklebolt, and McGonagall trying to plan out how to hold the school. It was late, Hermione had gone through most of her pack of fags for the day and was on her second Firewhiskey when the shout from the other end of the camp went up. Three people were running toward the camp, curses on their tails. The “War Council” as they had come to be called bolted to see what the commotion was about. That was when they saw who it was. Severus Snape was supporting a severely wounded Luscius Malfoy and firing curses and hexes over his shoulder. Draco Malfoy was running ahead of him, in his arms his unconscious mother. Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Lupin had run to help, Draco had looked ready to collapse on the spot. Ron had taken the woman from his arms just as Shacklebolt had joined the other four. Hermione had offered Draco her shoulder, he had leaned heavily on her, no longer able to keep moving on his own. She had seen a deep gash in his side and had wondered briefly how he had come so far carrying his mother. Lupin had moved to assist Snape with getting Malfoy Sr. into the camp while Harry and Shacklebolt had gone to take care of the pursuers. Madame Pompfry had been able to heal Draco’s wounds the easiest before moving on to his parents. By that time Harry had come back wanting answers. For the next two hours the War Council had listened and questioned Snape and Malfoy until they were satisfied with their story. Slughorn had come in with Veriteserum which both men had taken. Their story was true. Voldemort had ordered Draco to sneak into the Order’s camp to assassinate Hermione, knowing that Potter could not function without her. Draco had refused. That was how he had gotten his wounds. Then Luscius had been told to torture his son until he would comply. That was when things had gotten really ugly. Luscius had refused. Voldemort took out his anger on Narcissa, nearly killing her. Luscius tried to save her, that was when Snape and Draco had decided enough was enough. They had grabbed the elder Malfoys and had made a run for it, hoping against all hope that they could find refuge in the Order. They both wanted to fight with the Light. They wanted to stop Voldemort.
In the end Hermione said nothing. Harry had asked her, their story checked out, there was nothing more to discuss. Harry allowed them to join. And so it was that four former Death Eaters had joined the Order to stop Voldemort.
It was after that when Draco was told that his mother wasn’t expected to make it. Madame Pompfry had done what she could, but she didn’t know if Narcissa would make it through. That night had been the first time. Hermione had stayed with Draco to try and comfort him, to at least be someone there for him. As it happened she had needed comfort too. They had found it in each other. It had started with him kissing her, it had led to her kissing him back. To her taking him to her tent for privacy, to slow lovemaking, to the first decent night of sleep either had had in a month.
That had been two nights ago, Draco now shared her tent. And the reason she was still awake at three in the morning the night before the battle that would change the world? Well she didn’t know if this would last. She didn’t want to think about loosing him now. Not when she had only just now found him. Who was she kidding? They may not even survive tomorrow. She took another drag from her cigarette. Why were things so complicated?
“Hermione?” his voice came quietly from the darkness of her tent.
“Out here Draco,” she didn’t speak loudly, he heard her. She sighed as his warm body came up behind her, his strong arms coming around her waist. “Cigarette?” she handed him her pack, he took one and let her light it over her shoulder for him. They stood in amiable silence for a time just watching the smoke from the cook fires and their cigarettes rise on the autumn air.
“Come back to bed Hermione, you need to rest before tomorrow.”
She only nodded, she flicked her fag-end away from her, he did the same. She turned his arms, their lips came together in desperate passion, the kind that didn’t know if it would be alive for another night. They finally slept, wrapped in each other’s arms.

It was raining, there were bodies everywhere, blood everywhere. Hermione backed up from her assailant and tripped over a fallen body. She didn’t have time to see who it was before the killing curse came coursing toward her. She grabbed the robes of the body under her and rolled it over her just in time for the pour dead soul to take the curse for her. From behind her shield she took out her opponent. Bellatrix Lestrange fell to the ground; unfortunately there were more of them. She couldn’t find Draco, Ron, or Harry; she couldn’t see anyone she knew in the mass of fighters. The Order was outnumbered, but they were holding their own. Somewhere off to her left there was shouting. Voldemort was screaming in rage. She ran toward the sound, jumping bodies, throwing curses and hexes in every direction. That was when she saw them. Luscius and Draco guarding Harry’s back while he confronted the Dark Lord. She ran to join them, that was her mistake. Voldemort saw her. She was nearly to Draco’s side, Luscius in between them. A terrible smile spread across Voldemort’s inhuman face. He flicked his wand, there was a flash of green and only Luscius could react. Draco and Harry shouted and the curse meant to take out Hermione Granger was intercepted by Luscius Malfoy in a final attempt to atone for the mistakes he had made. All sound seemed to have gone, Draco and Hermione ran to the fallen man and the distraction was all Harry had needed. With a flash of green the Dark Lord fell and would never rise again.

For the next month there were celebrations, dances, dedications, funerals, by the time the dedication and dance to celebrate the reopening of Hogwarts and the War memorial that would now greet the students as they entered the castle, Hermione was exhausted. She and Draco were still sleeping together; it had almost turned into a relationship. But he had never said he loved her, never hinted that he wanted more. So tonight would be the last time. Tonight at the ball she would break it off. She’d go to America and try to forget all that had happened, maybe after a couple of years she could come back, but she wasn’t planning to.
She wore a stunning black gown, it was only appropriate after all the death and loss. Her unruly hair had been left down to frame her face, her makeup was light and natural. She descended the stairs of Grimmauld Place to find Harry, Ginny, Ron, Lavender, and Draco waiting for her. Draco smile nearly broke her heart. He took her into his arms and kissed her slowly then kissed her cheek, “you’re so beautiful.” His words brought tears to her eyes. Gods she didn’t want to let him go. She took his hand and the six of them left for Hogwarts.

The ball had been going on for nearly an hour and Hermione was dreading the end of it. Harry and Ginny had announced their engagement as was expected, Ron and Lavender were leaving the next day to spend some time in France, and Hermione hadn’t told anyone her plans. She couldn’t help but smile as Draco spun her around the dance floor. “Hermione?”
“Hmm?” she smiled dreamily up at him. Maybe she could let this go on for a few more weeks, after all people shouldn’t fall in love in a month. Perhaps he just wasn’t ready to commit yet. That didn’t mean it couldn’t work, right?
“Can we go someplace a little more private for a moment? I have something I need to talk to you about.”
“Of course Draco,” he smiled down at her and kissed her lightly then led her out to the gardens that had been built for this occasion. Hermione shivered in the late November air, the snow had already begun to fall.
Draco wrapped his arms around her, “Hermione. I know that the last couple of months have been rough. I wish I had been ready to give you more of myself.”
“Draco I understand, really.”
“Please love, let me finish.” He turned her to face him forcing her to look deep into his eyes. She gasped at what she saw there, Draco Malfoy had been crying.
“I know that you plan to leave to America tomorrow. Don’t shake your head I found the plane ticket.” He sighed, leaning his forehead against hers. “Please Hermione, don’t leave. Please, don’t leave me.”
Hermione closed her eyes as the tears began to fall. He wanted her to stay.
“I know that you need more out of us. Damn it I want more too. But with mom and dad’s deaths, I just wasn’t ready to open my heart again. But Hermione, you got in anyway. I’m not ready for the commitment of marriage yet, I still need time and I think you do too. But I want to make this work.” He tilted her face up, meeting her weeping chocolate eyes with his own tear filled gray ones. “Hermione Granger I love you. Please, stay with me.”
She cried in earnest now, “oh Draco. I thought you didn’t want me that way.” She smiled and kissed him with all the love and passion that was in her. And he kissed her back. “And I love you too.”
There was loud cheering and whooping behind them causing the couple to turn around so fast Hermione was nearly knocked off her feet. Right up front was a very happy Harry Potter. “It’s about time you idiots!” He yelled at them, “now come on love birds, last I checked this was a celebration.”
They danced until the sun rose filling the Great Hall with a pink light. Hermione stood next to a quiet Draco as the sun broke over the mountains bathing the white marble fountain with the names of everyone lost in the war in glorious new light. Hermione squeezed his hand as they read the dedication plate mid way up the fountain.

Never Forget What Was Lost In The Name Of Victory
What Horrors Brought Forth To Get Peace
And Those Who Suffered For Our Lives
In Loving Memory Of All The Loved Ones Lost
Both Of The Dark And The Light
You Will Always Be Loved.

The dedication had been Harry’s idea. Families had been split in two because of the war and no one deserved to be forgotten. All around the fountain were the names of those who had died in the war, families who had donated extra could have had the names of their loved ones engraved with gold or silver. Draco had paid to have his mother and father’s names done with gold filigree as well as the names of Fred Weasley and Charlie Weasley as the Weasley family didn’t have the money to do so. They stood and watched the water splash from level to level for some time until Hermione began to shake with cold, Draco took her into his arms and kissed her. “I think they would be happy for us.” He said quietly. Hermione reached out and touched the names of her lover’s parents with a sad smile of her face.
“Yes, Draco I think they would be.”

AN: Thanks for reading. I hope you enjoyed it. Let me know if you think I should continue it, but I think I might like it where it is. Love!