In the Cold, Cold Night

By Cedar1

A/N

Story summary:

Song fic (kind of) based on The White Stripes song, 'In the Cold, Cold Night' Will be short chapters based on events of a single night focusing on

the relationship formed between Hermione and Draco in the war. They both feel dead inside and it starts as a way for them to 'feel' again but then..........

I know I said no more new stuff till I get all the others out of the way. But everytime I listen to The White Stripes album, the idea just plagues on my mind. So I'm sorry. But that said the nxt chapter of 'Another Chance' should be posted by the end of this week, just putting the finishing touches on it. And have two stories for 'Different Paths' nearly completed, and they too should be up soon!

But in the mean time hope u enjoy this and as usual LOVE the ol' reviews, so please send them.

Cheers! Cedar1

Disclaimer: Characters JK Rowling. Song and Inspiration The White Stripes

Major thanx to my lovely beta (yup finally got one!) trinity marquise

In the Cold Cold Night

I saw you standing in the corner

On the edge of a burning light

I saw you standing in the corner

Come to me again

In the cold, cold night

In the cold, cold night

Chapter 1: I saw you standing in the corner

The stench of burning flesh reached her sensitive nose as the night air caressed her bare arms, bringing up goose pimples on her pale flesh. Although the thought sickened her, the smell brought to mind summer barbecues at her house nestled in the depths of the English countryside. Her dad would stand proud by the smoking coals, when in fact it had been her mother who had spent the previous two hours getting the darn thing to light. But her mum had always pampered her father, falsely praising him for all his hard work. That was true love, thought Hermione wistfully.

It had been a while since she had seen that sort of display of affection. There was no time to love during war. From dawn to dusk the scraps of emotions that littered the mind were placed to one side, for they were a weakness in battle. One slip of a feeling was seen as a prelude to the path of gloomy death. The sources of tenderness that she had once taken for granted were now no longer there to warm her soul. She had not seen her parents for many months, the ministry deeming that a single visit would condemn them to death at the hands of Death Eaters. As for Ron and Harry… Well. The former had died in a blurred memory of green flashes and piercing screams. Cruelly, her vision would sharpen when the image of a mangled body splattered by mud came into mind. The pale, blue skin contrasting strongly with the fire-engine red hair, the only thing that remained of her once alive best friend. She had cried. She remembered Lavender, Hannah, Parvati, and girls whose names she didn't know rocking her to sleep. Their arms wrapped round her, telling her it would all be alright. But it never was. He never came back.

While she had grieved by trying to cry the pain out, Harry had thrown himself into his work. He planned and prepared throughout the day and the night. And when he grew tired of doing that he would stare at the list of the supposed Death Eaters tacked on his wall. Some names had been violently scratched out; they belonged to the dead and whose wands were already safely locked in the cabinet by his bed. The remainder was imprinted on the back of his skull. His pain wouldn't go till there was no one left, till all the wands had been collected. The desire for revenge consumed him at the expense of his ability to love, which had long been eaten away.

So now she craved for the sweet, warming flow of passion to wash over her. Bathe her. Flood her insides. Receiving nothing meant she believed she too was incapable of giving anything, feeling anything. That's why she was here. Outside instead of in. And not dressed in baggy, clean pyjamas but a shabby, dirty robe that was soiled with the foul combination of her sweat and the blood of others. She was looking for him.

She looked at the watch on her right wrist. The fluorescent digits shone in the darkness, their garish colour offending her eyes. 00.30. She had been wandering for about an hour now. Through the tents of the troops, around the graves of those that had past, watching that she did not stand on the dying embers of the fires that had been lit earlier that night, or the flowers that lay sadly on the mounds, paying equal respect to both the dead and the living. She was just about to give up hope when she caught a flash of platinum blonde. She moved closer just to make sure it was him. And there is was again, another quick peak at gleaming strands that strayed from the confines of the black hood that had been pulled up.

It was him.

'I saw you standing in the corner'

He was positioned on the boundary that marked the furthest edge of the light side resting zone and the beginning of the battlefield. His dark clothing and the shadows of the night made it difficult for her to see him clearly. Squinting she just about made out the outline of his form. A tall figure, broad shoulders, medium build, nothing that would immediately catch one's attention. But then he shifted slightly so his back was no longer the only part of him facing her. It was then that she was absolutely positive it could be no one else.

'On the edge of a burning light'

The light produced by the bright white flame that had been previously blocked by his body danced on his features. The brilliant glow skimmed over the smooth planes of his cheekbones, brushed against his full lips and highlighted the stunning perfection of his eyes. He was never going to be conventionally good looking. His nose and chin still harsh and pointed in their shape. But to her, he was beautiful.

'I saw you standing in the corner'

He was beautiful because he gave her something she wanted. Something he needed as much as she did.

The chance to feel again.

To stop being so cold inside.

He, too, had had his fair share of the horrors of war, and he, too, had ghosts that kept him company in the lonely hours...... his mother and his father. Although he had switched sides early on while they hadn't, their deaths still hit him hard. He did not see them as evil Death Eaters but as the people who had raised him, and at times had loved him. But they were not the only ones that had led to the destructive surge of ice that had crept upon his heart. His friends had also perished in the same way, some even by his own wand.

She could have felt sorry for him.

But she didn't. That was what war did. Shit happens.

But she understood him.

She hadn't been aware of it, but she was slowly walking towards him, her feet sinking slightly in the mud. He was now within reaching distance. She stretched out her hand, aiming to grasp his in hers. But he had been conscious of the body by his side and turned round abruptly. Shocked she dropped her arm by her side.

'Come to me again'

But he had realized the intention of her gesture, and he now took the role of initiator, entwining his fingers around hers. He squeezed them gently, sparks of electricity jolting through her. She closed her eyes, enjoying the shivers that traveled along her arm. She smiled at the sensations she felt, feelings only hours ago she thought she had forgotten.

But as ever, he reminded her.

They stayed like that for what seemed like days but in fact lasted only mere seconds. No words were spoken. Their silent companionship shrouded them like a blanket, protecting them from the wind that was beginning to pick up in speed. Like his, her eyes weren't trained on anything particular. They just stared blankly at the expanse of ground that lay before them and the shimmering flickers of the green flames that marked the camp of the death eaters in the distance.

How could things have come this?

The question threw up a number of reasons in her head. But none were able to justify the numerable lives the war had used up and spat out with vengeance. The picture of Ron once more entered her head. Her ghost had returned.

She began to feel cold again

Handholding wasn't enough anymore. She released the grip on his fingers. He looked down at her, his grey eyes narrowed in confusion.

"I was feeling cold," she stated.

'In the cold, cold night'

He nodded his head. She didn't know whether that was an acknowledgement or an agreement. Either way he understood.

She started walking away from him. Her hands dug deep into her pockets, trying to warm her fingers, since they had lost the scorching heat of his. For each step she moved away from him, the weight of the feeling of emptiness that was now so familiar to her began to get heavier and heavier.

'In the cold, cold night'

But it wouldn't last long. He would always stay that bit longer after she left. Pondering what, she wasn't sure. But she was certain of one thing. Sooner or later, he would follow her path, where the coldness that racked their souls would temporarily be melted.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*End Chapter One*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N once more a pathetic plea: if uve read till here please review, it really doesn't take long!!

Ta!