Dying Wish | One-Shot | Harry Potter
Title: Dying Wish
Characters/Pairings: Draco/Hermione
Rating: PG13 for angst
Word Count: 996
It was the fireworks over the town that made Hermione realize that it was New Year's. She was holding the groceries and she couldn't open the front door of her house.
"Honey," she called. "A little help."
A few seconds later, a blond man opened the door. He was still wearing his work clothes and his eyes looked extremely tired. Hermione realized that this Draco, the one that looked vulnerable and beaten was the one she loved.
"I'll help you with that," Draco said, taking the grocery bags from her hands and carrying them inside. Hermione took off her coat and hung it in the closet.
"How long a go did you get home from work?" she asked.
Once he put the grocieries on the kitchen table he approached her, leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips. With a wave of her wand, she closed the door.
Draco smiled. "I hate when you do that," he said. Draco had been prohibited to use magic for a year. Hermione felt guilty for making him look like a fool.
"I'm sorry," she said and kissed him again. She led him to a small stool right by the bar-style counter. "I'll make you some food," Hermione offered. With a small flicker of her wrist and a murmured spell, the food in the brown bags turned int a meal for two. She took one of the plates and handed it to Draco.
"I got a call from the ministry," he said.
"Oh?"
"I talked to Ron Weasley." he said, his voice with a hint of sadness. Hermione almost dropped the plate she had in her hand.
"Ron?" Ron Weasley had been her first love. The one who ultimately left her after she confessed she didn't love him anymore. It had been hard to come to terms with it. She loved him once but the love she had felt was fleeting, goine in an instant. He had gone to work at the Ministry for Kingsley. "Is he happy?" she couldn't help asking. Not loving him did not mean she didn't care for him.
A dark look crossed Draco's face. Instantly, Hermione's heart felt heavier. This was the second time she had offended himm. She walked around the counter and closed the space betwen them. "I didn't mean it. I'm sorry," she said. Draco shook his head.
"It's alright," he said.
"What did R--I mean, the Ministry want?" Hermione asked, sitting on Draco's lap and wrapping her arms around his neck. Their faces were close together.
"They wanted to re-evaluate my case."
"What for? They can keep you from magic for so long." Hermione said.
Draco sighed. "They are convinced there are still Death Eaters roaming around. Hard as I try, I still can't convince them I'm not one."
Hermione looked into Draco's eyes. They were deep and thoughtful, remembering that dark world he hadn't wanted to be a part of.
"It'll be okay," she said, planting a soft kiss on his lips. "We'll be okay," she said in a low voice, more or herself than for him.
She hadn't thought about Ron in so long and the thoughts creeping into her mind scared her.
She closed her eyes, trying to get rid of the memories that haunted her.
"What are you thinking?" Draco asked. Hermione opened her eyes and smiled.
"About you," she lied.
"About him?" he asked. He didn't need to explain whom he referred to. She knew by the coldness of his voice that he meant Ron.
She was tired of lying to him. She had found in him something different she hadn't felt for Ron. She didn't want to ruin that. She knew she had to be honest. Taking a deep breath, she said, "A little. But I mean, it's not the same feeling when I think of you." That much was true; where Ron was loud and temperamental, Draco was quiet and reserved.
"How is that?" he said, holding her closer. She was quiet for a minute, carefully formulating an honest answer.
"I love you like I would a husband; passionate, unwavering. I loved him like I would love a friend; fickle and protective." He seemed to think about it for a moment.
"You don't love him anymore?" he asked. It wasn't accusing, but more like something that should be simply stated.
"No," she said. "I really don't." She had rediscovered herself with Draco, found in him things that she thought unimaginable.
Draco shook his head and moved as if to stand up. "What?" Hermione asked.
"But you're still thinking it. Thinking about him."
Hermione breathed, exasperated. "No, I don't. I did just now because you mentioned him."
"I've lost a lot, Hermione. It hasn't been easy. I can't believe I--" he paused, the still aire like a sharp knife.
She knew what he wanted to say. "You can't believe you married a mudblood? Is that it, Malfoy? You're just like your father. Everything's about you and your status. Haven't you thought about what I'd lost?" Hermione couldn't hold herself anymore. She felt like falling, crumbling to the floor. She wished for all this to disappear.
"You lost nothing. You had nothing," Draco raised his voice and Hermione could see the old Draco surface. She didn't want to believe what she was hearing. She didn't want any of this to be real.
"I had friends, a family, safety. I gave it all up to be with you. Don't you get it?" But she knew the Draco she loved was gone and it was too late. The walls had come down. It pained her more than she could admit.
"No," he said with such a finality. It felt like a block of ice had slapped her in the face, but she had learned to be strong. She had learned that some risks worked out and others didn't.
"Then I suppose we can't be together," she said before Disapparating, leaving behind the smell of a dying wish.
Characters/Pairings: Draco/Hermione
Rating: PG13 for angst
Word Count: 996
It was the fireworks over the town that made Hermione realize that it was New Year's. She was holding the groceries and she couldn't open the front door of her house.
"Honey," she called. "A little help."
A few seconds later, a blond man opened the door. He was still wearing his work clothes and his eyes looked extremely tired. Hermione realized that this Draco, the one that looked vulnerable and beaten was the one she loved.
"I'll help you with that," Draco said, taking the grocery bags from her hands and carrying them inside. Hermione took off her coat and hung it in the closet.
"How long a go did you get home from work?" she asked.
Once he put the grocieries on the kitchen table he approached her, leaned down and kissed her softly on the lips. With a wave of her wand, she closed the door.
Draco smiled. "I hate when you do that," he said. Draco had been prohibited to use magic for a year. Hermione felt guilty for making him look like a fool.
"I'm sorry," she said and kissed him again. She led him to a small stool right by the bar-style counter. "I'll make you some food," Hermione offered. With a small flicker of her wrist and a murmured spell, the food in the brown bags turned int a meal for two. She took one of the plates and handed it to Draco.
"I got a call from the ministry," he said.
"Oh?"
"I talked to Ron Weasley." he said, his voice with a hint of sadness. Hermione almost dropped the plate she had in her hand.
"Ron?" Ron Weasley had been her first love. The one who ultimately left her after she confessed she didn't love him anymore. It had been hard to come to terms with it. She loved him once but the love she had felt was fleeting, goine in an instant. He had gone to work at the Ministry for Kingsley. "Is he happy?" she couldn't help asking. Not loving him did not mean she didn't care for him.
A dark look crossed Draco's face. Instantly, Hermione's heart felt heavier. This was the second time she had offended himm. She walked around the counter and closed the space betwen them. "I didn't mean it. I'm sorry," she said. Draco shook his head.
"It's alright," he said.
"What did R--I mean, the Ministry want?" Hermione asked, sitting on Draco's lap and wrapping her arms around his neck. Their faces were close together.
"They wanted to re-evaluate my case."
"What for? They can keep you from magic for so long." Hermione said.
Draco sighed. "They are convinced there are still Death Eaters roaming around. Hard as I try, I still can't convince them I'm not one."
Hermione looked into Draco's eyes. They were deep and thoughtful, remembering that dark world he hadn't wanted to be a part of.
"It'll be okay," she said, planting a soft kiss on his lips. "We'll be okay," she said in a low voice, more or herself than for him.
She hadn't thought about Ron in so long and the thoughts creeping into her mind scared her.
She closed her eyes, trying to get rid of the memories that haunted her.
"What are you thinking?" Draco asked. Hermione opened her eyes and smiled.
"About you," she lied.
"About him?" he asked. He didn't need to explain whom he referred to. She knew by the coldness of his voice that he meant Ron.
She was tired of lying to him. She had found in him something different she hadn't felt for Ron. She didn't want to ruin that. She knew she had to be honest. Taking a deep breath, she said, "A little. But I mean, it's not the same feeling when I think of you." That much was true; where Ron was loud and temperamental, Draco was quiet and reserved.
"How is that?" he said, holding her closer. She was quiet for a minute, carefully formulating an honest answer.
"I love you like I would a husband; passionate, unwavering. I loved him like I would love a friend; fickle and protective." He seemed to think about it for a moment.
"You don't love him anymore?" he asked. It wasn't accusing, but more like something that should be simply stated.
"No," she said. "I really don't." She had rediscovered herself with Draco, found in him things that she thought unimaginable.
Draco shook his head and moved as if to stand up. "What?" Hermione asked.
"But you're still thinking it. Thinking about him."
Hermione breathed, exasperated. "No, I don't. I did just now because you mentioned him."
"I've lost a lot, Hermione. It hasn't been easy. I can't believe I--" he paused, the still aire like a sharp knife.
She knew what he wanted to say. "You can't believe you married a mudblood? Is that it, Malfoy? You're just like your father. Everything's about you and your status. Haven't you thought about what I'd lost?" Hermione couldn't hold herself anymore. She felt like falling, crumbling to the floor. She wished for all this to disappear.
"You lost nothing. You had nothing," Draco raised his voice and Hermione could see the old Draco surface. She didn't want to believe what she was hearing. She didn't want any of this to be real.
"I had friends, a family, safety. I gave it all up to be with you. Don't you get it?" But she knew the Draco she loved was gone and it was too late. The walls had come down. It pained her more than she could admit.
"No," he said with such a finality. It felt like a block of ice had slapped her in the face, but she had learned to be strong. She had learned that some risks worked out and others didn't.
"Then I suppose we can't be together," she said before Disapparating, leaving behind the smell of a dying wish.