fic: Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow [HP: Draco/Hermione]
Title: Parting is Such Sweet Sorrow
Fandom;Pairing: Harry Potter; Draco/Hermione (peripheral Ron/Hermione)
Rating: Harmless angst. JKR owns all.
Summary: Draco and Hermione find their relationship at a crossroads. Somewhat epilogue-compliant...maybe.
A/N: This was going to be part of a longer fic written for a fest, but the fest fell through, as did the rest of the plot. So, this little bit of angst can stand alone. Enjoy.
“I have something for you. Close your eyes.”
Hermione Granger-Weasley obliged, trying to ignore the ever-growing knot of despair in her belly. She had already broken one promise to herself in the course of the evening and she did not seem to think that obeying his purr of a command could cause any more damage than was already done. She closed her eyes with only the slightest of guilty smiles. Beside her, she felt his weight leave the bed and listened to his footsteps.
“Alright. Sit up. Keep your eyes closed.”
His hand encircled hers and drew her up into a sitting position on the bed. The silken sheets slipped down to her waist and the knot in her stomach tightened as she felt his warm breathe so near her naked breasts. Warm fingers danced along her neckline causing her to shiver. Then a cold weight dropped between her breasts. A necklace.
Without his permission, she opened her eyes and gasped when she looked down at the pendant of sapphire now latched around her neck.
“Oh….Draco! I can’t possibly accept-”
Draco Malfoy smiled and shook his head, silencing her with a finger against her lips. He sat down next to her on the bed.
“It’s a gift. You have to accept it, I hand-picked it at a mine in Sri Lanka. I saw it and knew that it belonged to you.” His fingers trailed along the length of the gold chain, down to the blue gemstone. “It suits you. Gorgeous necklace for my gorgeous Granger.” he murmured before moving his lips to where his fingers had just been.
“Thank you, it’s absolutely lovely. But Draco, we need to talk.” said Hermione, but Draco either didn’t hear her or he ignored her.
Before she could protest, Draco had covered her lips with his own in a searing kiss, leaving her breathless. The knot in her stomach started to loosen as he pushed her back onto the bed, his lips never leaving hers. Hermione wanted desperately to lose herself in Draco once again, but the nagging pull of the knot was too strong. Reluctantly, she placed a hand on his shoulder and pushed him away firmly.
“Draco.”
“What’s the matter, Granger, had enough of me already? I know the first couple times were-”
“-Draco, please, we need to talk.” Hermione persisted. She climbed out of the bed and restlessly began searching for her clothes.
Draco, sensing her distress, got up and came around the bed to hold her by the shoulders. “Hermione, what’s the matter? Come back to bed…we can talk there.”
Hermione shook her head, knowing that what she had to do was going to be more difficult than she had thought previously. “Oh for god’s sake, put some clothes on.” She said, tearing herself from his grip. She scooped up the blouse lying by Draco’s feet and slid it over her head.
When she turned back to face him, she saw that he was wearing pants and no shirt and for a moment, she thought of throwing all caution to the wind to taste his pale skin once more. She closed her eyes for only a second to compose herself, forcing herself to close her heart to emotion.
“Draco, we can’t go on like this.” She said, trying to not let her voice crack.
Draco took a step towards her, but she took another step back. She watched as his mouth turned into a serious line, no trace of his signature smug smirk anywhere. “What’s got into your head, Granger?” he said, crossing his arms over his chest.
The urge to pace the floor was overwhelming. She didn’t want to be standing right in front of him, staring into his eyes with vulnerability and yet his steely gaze kept her pinned there like a butterfly. “I’m afraid all this is just a terrible mistake. I was unhappy in my marriage. I felt so trapped and for a while you changed that for me…. But not anymore. I can’t leave Ron. I’m pregnant.”
Draco’s calculating stare only widened.
“I know what you’re thinking, but no, I’m positive it’s his. There’s no way around it, Draco. I’m sorry, but it’s over.” Hermione said, tears beginning to blur her vision.
“It’s not over. You know it can never be over between us. We have something that no one else does. You know, you’ve felt it too. Hermione,” he pleaded, reaching out to her, “you know I can give you so much more than that poor excuse for a pureblood-”
“-Don’t start with your pureblood superiority again. You know I loathe it.” she snapped, looking away from him.
“Hermione, look at me,” Draco said firmly, grabbing her by the shoulders, forcing her face to lift to his. “I am twice the man Ron is. More than that. And I’m not going to explain why because deep down I think you already know it.”
He pressed his lips to hers as if to show her how much better he could love her than that stupid git she was married to. He tasted the salt of her tears and pulled her close to him, holding on for dear life.
“Draco, please let me go.” She murmured against his lips. She wiped away the tears with the back of her hand. “If you love me even in the slightest, you’ll let me go.” Stepping away from him to gather her belongings, she felt his presence, unmoving. It destroyed her that he wouldn’t speak, wouldn’t respect her decision. She knew her choice was for the best. There was no happy ending for her here.
When she reached his door, she looked back over her shoulder to where she left Draco. He still stood there, his eyes no longer full of life. “Goodbye, Draco.” She whispered.
Then she saw it. His lips curled into that devilish smirk that had slain her in the first place. It was different now, and it took her a fleeting second to realize that a tear had slipped down his cheek and had fallen into the curve of his lips. She held her breath as he spoke his last.
“No, Granger, it’s not goodbye. Just you wait and see.”
Fandom;Pairing: Harry Potter; Draco/Hermione (peripheral Ron/Hermione)
Rating: Harmless angst. JKR owns all.
Summary: Draco and Hermione find their relationship at a crossroads. Somewhat epilogue-compliant...maybe.
A/N: This was going to be part of a longer fic written for a fest, but the fest fell through, as did the rest of the plot. So, this little bit of angst can stand alone. Enjoy.
“I have something for you. Close your eyes.”
Hermione Granger-Weasley obliged, trying to ignore the ever-growing knot of despair in her belly. She had already broken one promise to herself in the course of the evening and she did not seem to think that obeying his purr of a command could cause any more damage than was already done. She closed her eyes with only the slightest of guilty smiles. Beside her, she felt his weight leave the bed and listened to his footsteps.
“Alright. Sit up. Keep your eyes closed.”
His hand encircled hers and drew her up into a sitting position on the bed. The silken sheets slipped down to her waist and the knot in her stomach tightened as she felt his warm breathe so near her naked breasts. Warm fingers danced along her neckline causing her to shiver. Then a cold weight dropped between her breasts. A necklace.
Without his permission, she opened her eyes and gasped when she looked down at the pendant of sapphire now latched around her neck.
“Oh….Draco! I can’t possibly accept-”
Draco Malfoy smiled and shook his head, silencing her with a finger against her lips. He sat down next to her on the bed.
“It’s a gift. You have to accept it, I hand-picked it at a mine in Sri Lanka. I saw it and knew that it belonged to you.” His fingers trailed along the length of the gold chain, down to the blue gemstone. “It suits you. Gorgeous necklace for my gorgeous Granger.” he murmured before moving his lips to where his fingers had just been.
“Thank you, it’s absolutely lovely. But Draco, we need to talk.” said Hermione, but Draco either didn’t hear her or he ignored her.
Before she could protest, Draco had covered her lips with his own in a searing kiss, leaving her breathless. The knot in her stomach started to loosen as he pushed her back onto the bed, his lips never leaving hers. Hermione wanted desperately to lose herself in Draco once again, but the nagging pull of the knot was too strong. Reluctantly, she placed a hand on his shoulder and pushed him away firmly.
“Draco.”
“What’s the matter, Granger, had enough of me already? I know the first couple times were-”
“-Draco, please, we need to talk.” Hermione persisted. She climbed out of the bed and restlessly began searching for her clothes.
Draco, sensing her distress, got up and came around the bed to hold her by the shoulders. “Hermione, what’s the matter? Come back to bed…we can talk there.”
Hermione shook her head, knowing that what she had to do was going to be more difficult than she had thought previously. “Oh for god’s sake, put some clothes on.” She said, tearing herself from his grip. She scooped up the blouse lying by Draco’s feet and slid it over her head.
When she turned back to face him, she saw that he was wearing pants and no shirt and for a moment, she thought of throwing all caution to the wind to taste his pale skin once more. She closed her eyes for only a second to compose herself, forcing herself to close her heart to emotion.
“Draco, we can’t go on like this.” She said, trying to not let her voice crack.
Draco took a step towards her, but she took another step back. She watched as his mouth turned into a serious line, no trace of his signature smug smirk anywhere. “What’s got into your head, Granger?” he said, crossing his arms over his chest.
The urge to pace the floor was overwhelming. She didn’t want to be standing right in front of him, staring into his eyes with vulnerability and yet his steely gaze kept her pinned there like a butterfly. “I’m afraid all this is just a terrible mistake. I was unhappy in my marriage. I felt so trapped and for a while you changed that for me…. But not anymore. I can’t leave Ron. I’m pregnant.”
Draco’s calculating stare only widened.
“I know what you’re thinking, but no, I’m positive it’s his. There’s no way around it, Draco. I’m sorry, but it’s over.” Hermione said, tears beginning to blur her vision.
“It’s not over. You know it can never be over between us. We have something that no one else does. You know, you’ve felt it too. Hermione,” he pleaded, reaching out to her, “you know I can give you so much more than that poor excuse for a pureblood-”
“-Don’t start with your pureblood superiority again. You know I loathe it.” she snapped, looking away from him.
“Hermione, look at me,” Draco said firmly, grabbing her by the shoulders, forcing her face to lift to his. “I am twice the man Ron is. More than that. And I’m not going to explain why because deep down I think you already know it.”
He pressed his lips to hers as if to show her how much better he could love her than that stupid git she was married to. He tasted the salt of her tears and pulled her close to him, holding on for dear life.
“Draco, please let me go.” She murmured against his lips. She wiped away the tears with the back of her hand. “If you love me even in the slightest, you’ll let me go.” Stepping away from him to gather her belongings, she felt his presence, unmoving. It destroyed her that he wouldn’t speak, wouldn’t respect her decision. She knew her choice was for the best. There was no happy ending for her here.
When she reached his door, she looked back over her shoulder to where she left Draco. He still stood there, his eyes no longer full of life. “Goodbye, Draco.” She whispered.
Then she saw it. His lips curled into that devilish smirk that had slain her in the first place. It was different now, and it took her a fleeting second to realize that a tear had slipped down his cheek and had fallen into the curve of his lips. She held her breath as he spoke his last.
“No, Granger, it’s not goodbye. Just you wait and see.”