This fic is set after the war. Text in italic contains memories and flashbacks. Hope it's not too confusing.

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Promise Me A Memory

"Promise me you'll wait for me." Those were the words Hermione kept remembering, the words she was holding onto to keep herself from drowning in her own despair.

She had never forgotten the day he left her, planting hope for a better life in her shattered heart. She had lost so many during the war, but throughout those difficult times, he had always been there.

Somehow, his presence had started to become a steady anchor in her life. She knew that she could rely on him.

"Granger. What are you doing here?"

Hermione looked up, her eyes glistening and her cheeks reddened by the cold and biting wind. She didn't know what to say. She was sitting at the top of the astronomy tower, all alone while everyone else was asleep, because she wanted to be alone. Because she wanted everything to go away. Because she wanted to stop pretending that everything was okay. Because she couldn't sleep. Because she was lost, and needed to be found.

He sat down next to her, and like her, looked up at the stars. And for the first time, Hermione didn't feel so alone. She didn't have to say anything, she knew that she could just sit there in complete silence with him because he didn't expect anything of her. Didn't expect her to lie, to pretend that she knew everything would be alright. He was just as scared as she was, and she didn't feel the need to fake anything.

And the words that had been burning in her mind poured out of her.

"Have you ever felt this hole in your chest, and not known what to do about it? And after a while, it just keeps growing. The edges feel sore, but you can't fix it."

The words died on her lips, and she suddenly felt embarrassed. She had never opened up to anyone like that before, never told anyone about that pain she felt inside. It was quiet for minutes, minutes that felt like an eternity to her.

"Yes" he finally whispered. "Sometimes, I can't breathe because of it. It keeps me from falling asleep at night."

He fell silent, and Hermione bit her lower lip. She didn't know what she had expected, but certainly not that.

"Yeah" she finally responded. "It keeps getting bigger, and it's as if I weren't strong enough to hold it together." She folded her arms before her chest, against the cold, against the empty space in her chest that wouldn't stop hurting.

"Do you come here a lot?" he asked.

"No, not really. Only when I feel trapped. Here, I can at least breathe in the fresh air and look at the stars."

"Sounds just like you, Granger."

She grinned. "I thought I was classified as a bookworm that never leaves the library?"

"That too. But I meant a hopeless romantic, looking at the stars and seeking alone-time. Fresh air, a nature freak. That just fits."

"Oh, thanks a lot."

"No problem."

After a moment of silence, Hermione spoke again.

"So why are you here?"

"It's nice out here, for a change."

"So you don't come here often, either?"

"No, not really. But I just might start doing that."

Hermione had loved every single encounter with him. She never saw him during the day, they never arranged meetings. But sometimes, they would meet at the top of the astronomy tower, they would sit in silence or exchange a few words, and for a few hours, everything would go away. Everything was perfect then.

She had not forgotten the way his stormy grey eyes had reflected the moon the night they first kissed, first slowly and hesitantly, then clinging onto each other, not letting go, finding solace in the other's presence. He had kept her from losing faith.

"Didn't think I'd find you here" Draco greeted as he went to sit down in his usual spot, a few inches away from her. He never knew if he'd run into her; they hadn't seen each other in the astronomy tower for a few weeks now.

"I wasn't going to be here, actually" Hermione responded, not looking at him.

"Why not?"

"I wanted to sleep tonight. But I just couldn't."

"Well. We have all night to fall asleep."

"Now I wish I'd brought a pillow" Hermione whispered, smiling lightly.

Draco looked up, straight into her eyes. Slowly, he moved closer.

"You can rest your head on my shoulder if you like."

He didn't say any more, but Hermione settled into a more comfortable position against him and closed her eyes.

"I'm so sorry" Draco suddenly said.

She opened her eyes and looked up at him in wonder, trying to make sense of his strained tone of voice and pained expression.

"What for?"

"For everything. For the way I used to treat you. For the things I said to you. And for this."

And he leaned down, gently touching her cheek, pulling her face closer to his. Just before their lips touched, he hesitated, soaking up the moment. Then his lips were on hers, and slowly, almost questioningly, he kissed her. He wanted to give her the choice, wanted to make sure that she wanted it too.

Hermione froze, unable to decide whether she was making a mistake. After all, he was Draco Malfoy. But she had already made that decision long ago. Putting her arms around his neck, the young girl lost herself in his embrace, breathing in his scent, tasting his soft lips for the first time.

And then, after the war had ended after a final, terrible battle, she had started to believe that everything would get better. But Draco was not one to sit quietly and wait for things to get better. And so shortly afterwards, he left. He left with a promise to return as soon as he had found a better place for the two of them, where they could have a good life, and more importantly, where they would be able to forget the terrors they had had to endure.

"I promise I'll be back. Wait for me."

So why hadn't she heard from him in over 2 years now? Time had passed, and at first, she had barely taken notice of it. When she felt alone, she lit a fire in her fireplace, made herself a cup of hot chocolate and got a good book. She would then sit by the fire, the book in her lap, and simply remember what he used to be like.

"Hey, come here."

Hermione turned away from the window and looked across the room, meeting Draco's attentive gaze.

"What are you thinking?" he asked, unable to completely hide the concern in his eyes.

She sat down next to him, and he immediately pulled her closer, putting an arm around her. Hermione loved it when he did that. She felt safe with him, and snuggling up next to him while he put his arms around her gave her a sense of being protected and looked after. It was as if he knew he could care for her, and would do everything he could to keep her from getting harmed.

"I just want it to be over. I look out the window, but instead of seeing the moon, all I see are the clouds covering it. No one ever smiles anymore. It's just so difficult sometimes…" She trailed off and buried her nose against his neck, breathing in his familiar scent.

"I know. But as long as I'm here, I promise you that you don't have to be scared. As long as you want me there, I'll be there for you." He had started stroking her hair slowly, then paused briefly before kissing her forehead gently.

Tears had started running down Hermione's face as she remembered. She quickly wiped them away and looked down at the book in her lap, but her vision became blurry again so she put it on the table next to her and grabbed the cup of hot chocolate.

It was hotter than she had imagined and she let go. A moment later, the mug shattered, spilling its contents on the soft carpet. Hermione just sat there for a second, unmoving. Why was everything going wrong when he wasn't with her?

But she told herself she'd keep on waiting, because he promised. What else could she do? She knew she couldn't be without him. He was her other half.

"Where are you going?"

"Anywhere to be away from you" Hermione smiled.

Draco caught up with her and put his arms around her shoulders.

"Don't lie" he whispered into her ear. "Though you know. One of these days, I might actually believe you and just leave."

"Now you're the one that's lying" she replied before twisting out of his embrace.

He caught her hand and pulled her towards him again.

"Guess you're right. I'd always find my way back to you."

Another year passed. Time was starting to drag by, slowly her hope faded. She visited Ginny and Harry a lot, and they were getting on with their lives. At those occasions, she also spent quite a bit of time with Ron. He started making apparent that he wanted to be more than just friends.

How could that be? To her, he was like the brother she never had. She sought out Ginny and Harry, but neither of them could give her the answer she wanted.

"Face it Hermione, he's not coming back. Whatever the reason, it's been 3 years and you haven't heard a word from him. Maybe it's time to move on."

Hermione thought about that a lot. She thought about it, but she never considered it. She wondered what it would be like, and knew she couldn't live like that.

"Hermione, would you mind cooking dinner for tonight?" Harry asked her during one of those visits. "I know we invited you round, but I have to bring Ginny to the hospital to see how she's doing. I completely forgot." He gave her an apologetic smile, but his eyes were shimmering with excitement. Hermione was so happy for him and Ginny. Ever since they found out that she was expecting, they had been happier than ever.

"Of course Harry. Just don't complain if it's too healthy for your liking."

"I knew you were going to say that. But really, as much as I appreciate it, I can't let that happen. Ron's here to help." Harry smiled, and she knew that this was not just a coincidence.

"Alright then" she replied, a slight frown appearing on her face. "Go then, I think you're late" she added with a look on her watch.

On his way out, she could hear him exchange a few words with Ron, who had just arrived.

"Hey you" Ron greeted, giving her a tight hug. "Nice seeing you again. What's for dinner?"

"I actually haven't thought of that yet" the young woman replied, starting to check the fridge for ingredients. "How about… pasta. As far as I can tell, they have everything we need in there."

"Sure, sounds good."

"Only if you cut the onions" Hermione replied with a grin.

Ron gave her a defeated look and smiled back. "It would be my pleasure."

They started working quietly, which gave her the opportunity to let her mind wander. While he was cutting the onions, she was dicing the tomatoes and carrots. She felt strange standing in the kitchen with Ron, although she wasn't uncomfortable. But it wasn't what she was looking for.

"What are you looking for?"

"Salt. I can't seem to find any…"

"Well, you can always try this" Draco smirked, holding up a small jar of the white crystalline substance.

"They keep salt in jars?"

"Told you your house elves were weird."

"You should just be grateful that they're letting us use the kitchen like this. I don't think anyone else is allowed in here at midnight… Oh come on, give me that!" the brunette exclaimed, trying to grab the jar from him.

"Come and get it" Draco replied, keeping it just out of her arm's reach.

Hermione jumped, then tried tickling him, but he fended her off easily, taking hold of both of her wrists in his free hand.

"It's not fair!"

"It never is" he said, placing a light kiss on her fingertips. "But you can try again if you like."

"Just give it to me" Hermione demanded, holding out her hand.

"Watch your tone" Draco teased. Defeated, Hermione held up her hands.

"Alright, alright." She moved closer and started kissing him full on the lips. Distracted for a moment, Draco lowered his arm, just low enough for her to quickly reach for the jar and grab it.

"See, wasn't that hard" Hermione grinned.

"Not fair."

"Never is" she retorted triumphantly before turning away from him and adding salt to the cauldron that was simmering slowly above a small fire.

"Smells horrible" Draco commented without looking up from the potatoes he was dicing.

"Oh be quiet."

"It's true." Draco gave her one of his cynical half-smiles, that contained traces of his smirk. He had pulled up his sleeves to keep them from getting dirty, and Hermione found it hard to take her eyes off his muscular forearms.

"Something wrong?" His smirk grew wider.

"Yes, actually. Any first-year would do a better job at dicing these potatoes."

"If I were you, I'd worry about that cauldron…"

Hermione turned around just in time to see the contents of the cauldron bubbling over, spraying stew all over the place. A splash of burning hot liquid hit her on the palm of her hand, that she had instinctively raised to protect her face.

Hermione was suddenly torn out of her reverie by a sharp pain on her right hand. How? It was all a memory. But maybe it was real. Maybe everything else was a dream, and she was standing in the kitchen with Draco, like she should be… Looking down, she realised that she had simply cut herself. The pain itself was nothing compared to the ache that had started building up in her chest because of the longing for the past happiness.

"Are you alright?" Ron asked her, but his voice was indistinct. Tears were burning in her eyes because of the intensity of the memory, and for a moment she feared that she had actually gone insane.

"Are you alright?" Draco had dropped his knife and was by her side in a flash, dragging her away from the spluttering cauldron. It had now emptied most of its contents on the floor and onto the cupboards, but some of it was still bubbling away inside it.

He picked her up effortlessly from where she was standing and carried her to the sink, splashing cold water onto her aching hand.

Hermione tried to focus. Blood was now spilling onto the cutting board, and her subconscious noted that that was utterly unhygienic.

Ron gently took her hand into his and led her to the sink. Instead of easing the pain, the cold water only intensified it and Hermione winced.

"Better now?" Draco asked, his worried gaze fixed on her face. She was biting her lip.

He drew his wand and directed it at the reddened spot on her hand before muttering a soothing healing spell.

Ron gave her an apologetic look.

"Gotta get this cleaned up first. I can get my wand and heal this quickly…"

Hermione shook her head. "Not worth it" she mumbled.

He grabbed a piece of paper towel and pressed it onto the cut.

"Hold your hand up so that no new blood gets pumped through it and the cut has a chance to close up."

Hermione nodded, but the pain was barely noticeable at this stage. She was completely lost in her memories now.

"Silly…" Draco muttered before pocketing his wand again and kissing her on the forehead. Then, he looked at her hand and turned it from side to side.

"See. Good as new."

Hermione laughed, a liberating laugh that broke the tension, and Draco smiled too.

"Better now?" Ron asked, smiling his crooked, almost shy smile.

"Yeah" Hermione smiled. "Thanks."

Draco's smile turned into a grin.

"What?" she asked uncertainly.

His smile grew wider.

"You're a miserable cook."

Hermione looked at her raised hand and realised that Ron was still holding it in his. He noticed where she was looking and looked right at her. She found it hard to meet his eye and kept her gaze averted.

"Maybe I should go back to cutting those…"

"Give it a few more minutes." Ron's voice was gentle, but firm.

The sound of the front door startled both of them, and Hermione would've taken a step back if she hadn't been standing against the sink, but Ron didn't move.

Moments later, Harry poked his head into the kitchen. It took him a second to take in what he was seeing, but if he found it strange, he didn't let it on.

"Sorry you two, I left something upstairs." He disappeared again.

Hermione had taken the chance to push past Ron and to bring a little space between them again. Ron simply smiled; he knew how to be patient.

The rest of the evening was uneventful. Ron and Hermione finished cooking dinner, all the while having an easy and uncomplicated conversation until Harry and Ginny came back. After eating, Hermione decided to have an early night and wished all of them goodnight.

"I'll show you to the door" Ron offered, and she graciously accepted.

"Goodnight, Ron" she smiled and was about to turn around when he leaned down and kissed her on the cheek.

"Night. See you soon."

That night, Hermione found it hard to fall sleep. She hadn't done anything wrong, had she? And she remembered the last time she had really felt that way, for a completely different reason. Under completely different circumstances.

"I feel guilty. So many bad things are happening right now, and here we are… Having fun, while others are suffering."

"Look at me" Draco whispered, gently grabbing her chin and turning her face towards him. Hermione hesitantly looked up at him, getting lost in his grey eyes. "Don't worry about that. We all deserve a little happiness, especially you Hermione. And you never know what tomorrow might bring. Just enjoy what you have while you can."

"I know… Yeah, I guess so."

"It's all going to be fine. Trust me."

"How do you know that?"

"I just do."

How she wished that he would be there, telling her that everything was going to be okay. Because he believed in it, he just knew. It had been a long time since she had felt sure of anything. Had she really stopped believing in his return?

Harry's words were replaying in her head, drowning out all of her other memories. "Face it Hermione, he's not coming back. Maybe it's time to move on."

Was it really time for a change? She knew that she couldn't just let him go. Insane hope flared up in her as her mind was frantically searching for a plausible explanation. Something could've happened. Maybe he'd message her soon. Something. Anything.

But he didn't come. Days passed, weeks, months. Ron was always there, persistent in his pursue of her affection, always considerate. He hadn't always been like that. The war had changed him, too. He was now more thoughtful, and more reserved.

At first cautious, then resigned, Hermione grew to know him as someone who was more than just a friend. And with his steady advances, her resolve crumbled. Draco was never forgotten, just pushed aside. Banned into the darkest corners of her mind. Only at night, when she was alone, only then did she allow herself to remember.

A few months later, Ron invited Hermione over for dinner. The evening passed in a blur; Hermione didn't think it would be very memorable. Just another one of those dinners.

But then, Ron pushed her chair back and knelt before her. Time froze, and for a second, Hermione thought that she was dreaming. She would wake up any moment and find herself in her own house. But this was all dreadfully real.

Ron looked into her eyes and took hold of her hands.

"Hermione. Will you marry me?"

She didn't know what to say. She couldn't say that she hadn't been expecting it. At the same time though, she really hadn't. Wasn't it much too soon? Wasn't there more time?

Ron looked at her, could see the contradicting emotions playing across her face. He took a deep breath.

"Look Hermione. I just want you to be happy. I know that I'm not perfect, far from it. But I want to take care of you. I want to look after you, spend the rest of my life with you. I love you, I always have."

And as Hermione looked into his eyes, so different from his, she saw that he wasn't lying. Wasn't going to break his promise. She couldn't speak, couldn't get herself to say the word.

He looked at her, hopeful, and she couldn't find it in herself to disappoint him. Slowly, she nodded.

A large grin broke on his face and he picked her up and whirled her around. Then he set her back down and placed his hand on her cheek, and kissed her.

Six months later:

"I'm going for a walk." Hermione took her coat from a hanger and put it on. It had started getting windy outside.

"Alright. See you in a bit, love" Ron smiled.

Hermione liked going on walks alone, and Ron respected that. The leaves were falling from the trees, the sun was bathing the houses into a golden afternoon light.

She looked down at her shoes, smiled lightly at the sound of the crunching leaves.

Someone bumped into her and she apologised automatically before looking up. Grey eyes met hers, and she froze. Had she been carrying anything, she would surely have dropped it. As it was, she simply raised her hand and covered her mouth, eyes wide.

"I was hoping I could find you here" a familiar voice was saying. Hermione barely noticed that she was staring. She couldn't get herself to say anything and remained quiet.

"I've been here for a few days" Draco continued, "and I asked around. Someone told me you live here?"

"But. But. No. How?" Hermione completely ignored his words and stared. Somewhere deep within her chest, she thought she could feel her heart stop beating.

Instead of answering, Draco reached for her hand, but she snatched it away from him. How could he do this to her? Suddenly appear out of nowhere, as if nothing had happened, as if everything was alright. And although her mind was screaming that she was being silly, that this was that she had been waiting for and that she should just go ahead and hug him tightly, and never let him go, she knew that it was too late.

And suddenly, she was angry. Angry at herself, for not having waited a little longer. Angry at Draco, for only coming now, for never having written a single letter. Angry at life, for having done this to her. She was furious.

Tears formed in her eyes, tears of rage, despair and great loss.

"Why did you never write?" she asked sharply, her voice trembling with the intensity of her emotions. "Not a single letter. Not one word. Nothing."

"I did" Draco whispered. "Every single day."

"No. Don't lie. Don't do this to me now."

"I never stopped thinking about you. I found the perfect house. It's right by the sea. I have a job, I can take care of you, finally. I can get us out of this miserable place full of bad memories. We can start again, together."

Hermione's lips twisted bitterly, and she shook her head.

"You're too late. Oh, Draco…" she whispered, her voice thick with tears as she threw her arms around his neck and started sobbing uncontrollably, her face buried in his shoulder.

"It's alright, Hermione. Everything is going to be perfect. I'm just sorry it took me so long."

His words only made Hermione cry harder. He picked her up in his arms, like he had done so many times before, and carried her to a bench at the side of the alley. They sat there for a while until Hermione calmed down enough to look up at him. He wiped the tears from her cheeks.

"You never got my letters?" he asked after a moment.

"No. I tried sending you an owl a few times, but they always returned with no answer."

"I never got them. After the war, many things were lost. Guess everyone high up thought that their letters were more important than anyone else's, and gave them priority."

Hermione bit her lip, trying hard to suppress fresh tears that were forming in her eyes. It simply wasn't fair.

"I thought you wouldn't come back" she whispered.

"Didn't I promise?"

Hermione knew that she should tell him. Tell him now, rather than later, that he was too late, that she was married. That she hadn't waited.

"Why did it take you so long?" she asked instead. She had to prolong this short moment of happiness, as much as it hurt her at the same time.

"It took me a while to find a good job, and a good home. At first, they wanted to send me straight back here, because of my background." He chuckled darkly. "But then I convinced them otherwise. I proved that I could work just as well as anyone else, if not better. And then I found that house. You should really come and see it."

Hermione listened to the softness of his voice, to the way it had slightly changed in those 4 and a half years she hadn't seen him. It was less arrogant than it had been, instead she could hear a new-found respect and a maturity that he has been lacking before. He had grown. She wondered if she sounded different too, or looked different.

Looking up into his stormy grey eyes, Hermione realised that they were exactly the same. He was still Draco.

She turned away; she couldn't bear looking him in the eyes now.

"Draco." She felt his gaze on her, knew that he had caught the different tone in her voice. "I…" She faltered. "I'm married."

He looked down, and the treacherous ring on her left hand confirmed it. He wanted to tear it off her finger, destroy it and everything it stood for, but he knew he wouldn't. Couldn't.

"Come with me. It doesn't matter."

"How can you say it doesn't matter? Did you hear what I just said?"

"Yes. It doesn't matter."

And he leaned down to kiss her, so softly that she thought she might start crying again. Hermione didn't know how much time passed before she finally pulled away.

Draco immediately saw that she hadn't changed her mind. His face was set, almost cold, but his eyes burned with a passion she missed.

"You'll always be mine."

She didn't know what to say. She couldn't have said anything, even if she had wanted to. And as to not destroy Ron's life, she stood up and walked away.

Walked away from the only person who could've given her happiness. He was the only one who truly knew her, who could really challenge her

And everything that was left was the love she felt within her that she would have to bury deeply, because it would probably never let her go. And then she had her memories, along with the one promise he hadn't broken.

Right. Yet another DMHG, I know...

I do realise that this one is wildly OOC.. Kinda. But the war changed a lot of things, so I thought it'd be acceptable.

Reviews would be much appreciated :)