Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter though I do own the poem Empty.
R&R
Summary: Post Hogwarts-Not the whole happy type of story. This is during the war where Draco and Hermione are engaged and dating, though one night Draco leaves promising to come back, but didn't return in time until he found Hermione in despair and so much more.
Empty
Never betray the one you love...
He left her again,
As he always did every night,
She whispered for him to come back,
His words promised her his return.
The moon steadied itself in the darkened sky as a light breeze blew gently upon the outskirts of the city. It was just after midnight and only few lights were lit among the city, and nothing could be seen or heard. The day ended in pure silence as it did every night. A lone figure crept out from the shadows of one of the England flats, escaping through the window and onto a wooden broom.
"Where are you going Draco?" asked a sleepy voice from the window.
He mentally cursed himself. She was usually asleep when he left her after their intimate moments. The wind ran its gentle fingers through his platinum blond hair as it swayed backwards. "No where love; I just have to take care of some business for the war."
"It's not your turn to fight," she whispered innocently while clasping her silk robe tighter around her, chestnut hair moving with the wind. "You should rest more."
"Leaving is a must Hermione," Draco pressed, his silver eyes sparkling with the moons light. "A storm is coming around and I have to go back to my home to work out some strategic plans. It might take me a while to return to you, but I'll come back."
Hermione bit her lip, her heavy amber eyes lifting to meet his gaze. "You promise?"
A thick silence settled itself between her and Draco until he spoke.
"I promise."
With that he left…like every night.
She waited again that night,
Fooling herself saying he'd be back,
Believing every word he said,
Though darkness turned in to dawn,
And he still wasn't there.
Hermione closed her eyes and with that, dawn came in a snap. She fell asleep by her balcony after watching him leave her once more. A sigh escaped her lips as she rose from her uncomfortable position. She patted her stomach tenderly cooing to the baby that was growing within her. It was a symbol of her and Draco's love; their wedding was coming up next month.
An uneasy smile reached her face as she walked back inside her flat and began to change herself. She didn't feel like going out, she never did. It was like every day since the day she told Draco she was pregnant. He seemed surprisingly excited when she had told him her big news. That was the second time she had seen him ecstatic. The first time had been when she agreed to be his fiancé.
Hermione changed into a heavier robe for warmth and made herself a cup of tea. She stared out the window at the new day that was born. A worrying thought always tugged her heart whenever Draco left. It seemed like that every time he left. She imagined him never returning to her, leaving her to support the child alone. It was how she felt now, alone and worried.
She knew he didn't usually return until the afternoon, but today seemed oddly peculiar. Hermione remembered every soothing word Draco would say to her every time he came back. She would always end in tears of regret, but they would end up making up, Draco taking a bigger part in the role. He always whispered that he loved her and the child though there was something in his voice that was a bit off, a bit hesitant.
Soon the day passed Hermione by as quickly as it came and Draco still wasn't in her arms. That feeling kept gnawing at her heart until she dressed properly and she grabbed her floo powder and wand.
"Malfoy manor," she whispered hoarsely while grabbing on to her stomach and throwing down the green dust.
Finally she went over to his home,
Calling out his name,
She then found something interesting,
A letter about her that came.
"Draco, are you here?" Hermione called out as she stepped out from the first place. The manor seemed so barren ever since Narcissa moved out into a smaller home, away from the haunting place. "Darling!"
Though no response came, but her own echo.
Hermione sighed once more and walked into random rooms until she ended up in the library. She winced in pain as her back ached to rest. Hermione sat in one of the plush chairs, relaxing and picking up a book from his desk. She pointed her wand at the fireplace and a fire emerged, illuminating the now dim-lit room.
Her heart skipped a beat as she look at the title. It held the Dark Mark on the cover, yet the book seemed so old it couldn't possibly be Draco's. She finally convinced herself that the tatty book belonged to the late Mr. Malfoy Sr. As she began to flip through the book, a piece of parchment fell out.
She was about to put it back into the book until she caught a recent date and interestingly enough, her name. Her mind battled on whether or not to read the letter. Hermione thought of the pros and cons and decided against herself and began opening the letter.
She would later regret her choice.
She re-read every word,
Tears running down her face,
She couldn't believe what was happening,
She began crying in shame.
As Hermione's eyes skimmed the letter, her heart pounded even more than before. All she could her were the drumming thump…thump…thump…
A broken sweat spilled over her face as a dry lump began forming in her throat. She began to hyperventilate and conjured up a bag, breathing slowly into it. Her eyes darted back to the letter, the bag still over her mouth. Small, cool tears trailed down her petit face slowly as she re-read every word. Her whole mind was in denial.
'No,' Hermione thought to herself. 'It isn't possible, no this is just fake. It is a fake letter tricking me.'
But Hermione knew deep inside that she was wrong and the letter was correct. She kept going back to the same sentences that stabbed her heart the most…
My dear Mr. Malfoy, I congratulate you on your accomplishment on getting the Mudblood to wed you soon. It will follow out with our plan perfectly. The child she will produce will fulfill the prophecy to bring out the reign of a new darkness. Draco, I hope that if there was some mistake on the child's gender, it shall be killed. We don't need the blood of a girl infant, for she will be useless.
After she produces the magical, healthy child, kill her. I want you to do anything you can to get rid of her completely, and make it seem as though she was killed by one of the Death Eaters. Vincent Crabbe has already volunteered to take the kiss on the behalf of the child's birth, so don't mess this up. Consequences will be deep for you if anything goes wrong.
-Bellatrix Lestrange
Hermione began crying loudly, hiccupping occasionally, though cried more and more as she thought of how she had been fooled. She gave up her mind, body, and soul to Draco, and willingly agreed to marry him and bare the child within her. She did everything for Draco and he gave her nothing in return but empty promises and love. Shame began to overwhelm her as thoughts provoked her mind.
She went back to her home,
Screaming out every swear,
She stared at herself in a mirror,
And shook her head in disdain.
Hermione flooed back to her own flat and screamed out every swear known to man. She cursed Draconis Lucian Malfoy to hell and eternal damnation and wished he died and suffering death. She felt so used and hurt, too much that she couldn't handle it anymore. Betrayal never felt as heavy on her as she stared at herself in a mirror.
Her features became darkening, frightening almost. Her bright amber eyes were now pure black, full of malice, and her face was pale as Draco's skin had ever been. In all truth she looked dead. Hermione shook her head as tears ran down her face again, spilling the black eye make that was applied before.
Contempt and hatred filled her once warm and welcoming heart. Immoral and dastardly things filled her mind, evil things she couldn't get rid of. She wanted revenge on Draco for making her feel like this.
So shattered.
Her amber eyes became bitter and cold,
Her rigid frame so pale,
A hand skimmed down to her belly,
Petting the child within.
Hermione not only cried for the false love she was given, but for the child within her. A hand ran down to her stomach and petted it softly and slowly; she couldn't believe Draco could make her feel so dirty. Draco never loved her, or the child that was in her womb, not knowing of the evil deeds being done. Her child would grow up to be like one of them…
A Death Eater.
That was no way to live, Hermione preached every time she was in one of her classes. She always told her students that a Death Eater had no soul; it was a person consumed with darkness and was incapable of love and compassion. She was wrong.
For once in her bleeding life she was wrong. With a shake of her head, tears ran down her face again.
She took the mickey for this one.
Not only her, but her child was fooled. Fooled into thinking Draco actually loved and cared for the child. She thought he had changed for the good, yet he deceived her once again. She gave him her heart, for his soul. She lent him her life, when nobody else accepted him. He played her like the fool she was though.
And to that she apologized to her child.
She collapsed to the ground slowly,
Holding on to his every word,
Of how he said that he loved her,
Now knowing it was lies she heard.
"I love you Hermione, marry me…"
Those were his exact words when he proposed. Hermione leaned against the wall though slowly slid down, drowning in her tears. She believed he actually accepted her into his heart. Hermione Selene Granger thought she actually broke through that cold wall that Draco held up in front of everyone. She had some little thought in her mind and consciousness telling her that Draco was no good for her, but she pushed it off.
Now she was paying dearly.
Hermione never knew that one person could make her want to die for every word he said and action he did. She gave up her virginity to him, everything she believed for him. It was all for him. She lost her close bond relationship to Harry and Ron because of him. He told her that he didn't feel comfortable with her associating with other men even though he had the utmost trust in her.
And yet she gave up the two people who were like brothers to her for him.
She couldn't turn to anyone else now. Her family was dead; her remaining relatives thought of her as a heathen for having a child before marriage, and her friends would shame her and tell her they knew he was bad.
"Draco I can't believe you could do this to a person," Hermione whispered, her voice crackling from her dry throat. She sat on the ground, knees to her chest, head to her knees, hair cascading over her head. "I thought I had finally found where I laid in your heart though it was all false along with your words."
Her breath increased into a heavy pace,
He body lying limply against the wall,
She tore off the ring that was on her finger,
Knowing her child would be evil like them all.
Hermione's eyes were lit with a fire. Not a fire of passion or devotion, but of revenge and redemption. Her breathing increased quickly as she began crying the last of her tears. She couldn't speak for all her words and unruly intentions were stuck. The emerald ring on her left hand sparkled brightly to her utter disdain. She shook her head and tore the ring of her finger and threw it at the mirror before her.
Crack…
Bits of broken glass scattered on the floor as her eyes met the shattered reflection that resembled the broken pieces of her heart. She place both her hands on her stomach a felt something stir within her. Hermione's eyes blinked and for that one moment a small look of happiness filled her.
The baby had kicked for the first time.
Although her baby had shown signs of life, it didn't matter to Hermione. Sure she was happy that her baby was able to kick and moved, but she knew in the end the child would end up evil. After the baby was born, she'd be killed for sure, and at the hands of her lover. Draco would probably go off and marry a perfect pureblood and make wonderful pureblood babies along side with their child, but maybe something else would occur.
Gods what if they tortured their child? What if the child turned out just like the Dark Lord, or even worse, deceived into thinking it was superior to others. The Dark Lord had been growing old and was soon to death, and he needed another half-blood to secure the throne of darkness. And then it clicked to her.
Once Voldemort died and the child was born, Draco would become the new Dark Lord. Their child was bound to live a life of torture and awful deeds. It would be thrown in a camp or jail, or even worse…a brothel. Maybe it was just her hormones that were thinking that way, but Hermione was known to think logistics. Hermione knew that one way or another; she would die alone, knowing her child would be suffering just as much as she was now.
And she knew what to do about that.
She slowly got up and reached for the object,
That would finally break her sins,
Yelling out a cursed spell,
Sadly thinking what her family could've been.
Hermione stood up carefully, balancing her weight on the wall, and advanced towards the vanity. She winced slightly as she stepped on the broken glass, feeling it penetrate her skin and blood seeping out. Her hands skimmed over the wooden desk until she felt it; her wand. She nodded at her choice and said a few prayers while grabbing a silver cross she had received as a child.
She whispered all her sins away and begged to be forgiven, hoping that for once her prayers would be heard. Hermione held her wand to her chest and her cross to her stomach. It was kicking again.
"Its alright baby, it'll all be over," she said to her child while crying her last few tears. "I'm sorry my child, but I can't raise you in a world where your father hates us and would rather let us die."
Hermione began thinking of her memories, remembering how she ranted to Ginny about how she would live the perfect life with Draco and her children. She talked about having a little boy and girl, picking out their names, sighting new locations for a home…
Her mind shook off those memories though. She wouldn't turn to them ever again. Her hands grabbed a pen and paper and she began to write madly in hatred and sadness. She scribbled down random things to her ex-lover and once she was satisfied she sealed the letter and closed her eyes.
"Avada Kedavra." A flash of green illuminated the house and within a second she was gone.
Hermione fell to the floor gracefully like a fallen angel. The letter fell out of her hands along with the cross and wand, and tears leaked out of her eyes. She finally had her one true cry…
He returned the following day,
Reaching her home, he called out,
Having no response he explored the scene,
And discovered her body, her alive…a doubt.
Draco rubbed his tired eyes as he reached her flat once again. He had been stuck kneading to the Dark Lord's every deed since he was close to death. His genuine smirk graced his face as he thought of what would become. His dreams of taking over were finally going to come true. Draco put up the façade of love and tenderness and began to call out Hermione's name. When she didn't answer, he searched in her room and in the bathroom.
"Hermione! It's Draco," he yelled while searching every inch, thinking she was playing a trick. "I'm back love!"
When he got no response, he began to search thoroughly as he left her room. He looked into the kitchen and finally came to the hall way, immediately regretting what he saw. His silver eyes widened in shock as he saw the body of his fiancé on the floor motionless. He ran to her side and fell to the floor while shaking her body.
"Love, love wake up," Draco said desperately while shaking her lightly. "Are you hurt, love what's wrong."
But nothing came from her mouth. Draco began to breathe raggedly and shook his head. She couldn't be dead, she just couldn't. His heart sank deeply as he finally gave up and searched the area. The mirror was broken, and something shinned near the shattered mirror. He crawled towards it, occasionally wincing at the glass sticking to his palms and picked up the object.
It was her engagement ring.
He found a letter addressed to him,
ripping it open he began to read,
Tears spilled down his face silently,
And he laid a hand on her stomach.
Draco turned Hermione's body slightly and found two letters scattered on the ground. One was addressed to him and the other seemed to be in different hand writing. As he began to read, anger filled him up quickly and he screamed out in frustration. It was the letter Bella had written to him last week when he finally informed to the Dark Lord Hermione was pregnant.
He then realized Hermione must've searched his manor when he was gone for so long. She was always fond of his library, and he cursed himself for being so foolish. He opened the letter written to him and noticed it was Hermione's hand writing this time. He began to read the letter slowly and tears began to sting his eyes until they finally fell down.
Draco took his eyes off the letter and rested a hand upon Hermione's stomach while praying for the child. Her body was bitter cold, along with her stomach, and he knew that both his lover and child were dead. He glanced at the cross that was parallel to her stomach and he fingered it. Draco picked it up and placed it around his neck as he got up slowly and began writing an owl to the ministry about what happened. Once he was done, he nodded and sent it out.
He picked up the letter addressed to him once more and read it once more before awaiting his face. The letter began whispering her voice…
He re-read the letter and sadly sighed,
And he began to shake his head,
He betrayed her and her heart,
Whispering, the letter said…:
"I waited for you day and night,
And found out why you lied,
You still are affiliated with the dark,
And used me for the child inside.
After all that time we spent together,
I've finally figured you out.
The words you said to me?
Empty.
The way you held me?
Empty.
But worst of all, your love for me and your child?
Empty.
But you know how I hope you feel?
Hurt, lost, pained, sorry…
And you know how I'll feel,
When you cry and beg for forgiveness?
Nothing, for I'm empty just like you."
He left her home with sadness,
Never to return to that wicked place,
He mourned for his lover and unborn child,
Feeling like such a disgrace.
He prayed one day she would forgive him,
When he died and met her some day,
Though in the present he knew he failed,
Because everything in life and death became…
Empty.
Draconis Lucian Malfoy felt empty after reading the letter that was given to him. He awaited the Auror's to take him away, for in his letter he said he murdered Hermione and his child. Draco cried in sadness and kept staring at Hermione's lifeless form. He discovered many things today.
He found out the Dark Lord died and the Death Eaters were caught.
He found out that he would no longer be the new Dark Lord.
He found out that he did truly love his fiancé and child.
And he found out that his suppose to be male child was actually a bountiful girl.
As the Auror's arrived, Draco said farewell to Hermione Selene Granger and his unborn daughter Anahella Selene Granger Malfoy.