A/N: The final chapter. Again, I apologize that it took me so damn long to finish this story. But I hope you've enjoyed reading it as much as I've enjoyed writing it. xx
Hermione didn't know how long she sat on the floor. She stayed there until she ran out of tears to cry, picking herself up on the floor and moving to the couch. She couldn't bring herself to go into her bedroom. Instead, she took a blanket from the back of the couch, wrapped it around her body, and fell into a restless sleep. When she awoke again it was just beginning to get dark outside. Her eyes felt swollen, her throat was raw, and she had a terrible headache. Hermione forced herself to get up and she downed a glass of water in her kitchen. She was standing in her kitchen when she heard her Floo come to life and Ginny's head appeared. Ginny's face looked alarmed at first but then when she saw Hermione in the kitchen, she looked relieved.
"Can I come through?" Ginny asked.
Not trusting her voice, Hermione nodded.
Ginny's head disappeared for a second before she walked through the Floo. Hermione had just enough time to set down her glass before Ginny enveloped her in a hug.
"Pansy called us," Ginny said, tightening her grip around Hermione. "After Narcissa called her. What happened?"
Hermione opened her mouth to respond but simply burst into tears. Ginny guided Hermione back to the couch and sat down, cradling Hermione as she cried. Hermione barely registered Harry's head appearing in her Floo. She felt Ginny shake her head no, but Hermione sat up.
"He can come," Hermione said, her voice hoarse.
A moment later, Harry walked through the Floo, sitting down on the opposite side of Hermione, wrapping his arms around her as well.
"We're here," Harry told her, his voice strong. "Whenever you're ready to tell us what happened, we're here."
Hermione absorbed the love and strength from her friends, drawing on that when she forced herself to sit up.
"I think Draco and I are done," Hermione rasped, feeling more tears burn at her eyes.
"What happened?" Ginny asked, rubbing Hermione's back comfortingly.
Hermione explained everything that had happened, pausing to choke back tears every once in a while. When she was done, she left out a deep sigh.
"So that's where we are," she finished, with a small shrug. "I'm in love with him and he doesn't love me."
"He loves you," Ginny said, fiercely. "He might have his head up his ass right now but that man loves you."
"I agree with Ginny," Harry told her. "I think he made a massive mistake in not telling you about his father but I do think he loves you."
"Well it hardly matters now," Hermione replied. "He made it clear he wasn't willing to fight for us. He didn't even try."
"Maybe just give him some space," Ginny told her. "He'll realize that he's lost without you."
"Ron and I would have probably died with you," Harry added. "He'll come around."
Hermione shrugged in response.
"What can we do?" Ginny asked. "Ron was threatening to go and kick his ass before we got here, do you want us to let him?"
"No," Hermione replied, with a half-hearted laugh. "I think I'm going to just go to bed."
"Do you want us to stay?" Harry asked. "We can stay."
"I think I just want to be alone," Hermione told them. "But thank you for coming over."
"Okay," Ginny said, getting up from the couch. "But if you need anything, let us know."
"We love you, Hermione," Harry told her, giving her a kiss on the forehead before standing as well.
"Thank you," Hermione answered. "I love you guys too."
Hand in hand, Ginny and Harry left her living room and Hermione was alone again. Drained, she wrapped herself in the blanket again and drifted off to sleep.
She awoke to the sound of her alarm going off in her room. She shifted, waiting for Draco to turn off the alarm. The continued sound of the alarm brought her back to the present. Draco wasn't there. For a split second, she had forgotten her heartbreak and now it was back in full force. Using her wand, Hermione shut off the alarm and burrowed back into the blankets. She contemplated only for a second before getting up. She was Hermione Jean Granger. She would NOT allow a man to derail her day. She showered, dressed, and made her way to work. She walked directly by the bakery and went straight to her desk. She worked hard the entire day, throwing herself into her work, and eating next to nothing. At 6pm, she walked back to her apartment and, after changing into sweatpants and a t-shirt, found herself standing in front of her open fridge, unable to find the energy to cook. She shut the fridge and opened the freezer, grateful to find a pint of her favorite ice cream inside. She took out the ice cream, grabbed a spoon, and sat down on the couch, wrapped up in the blanket.
She was about halfway through the pint when there was a knock at her door. Hermione debated for a second then decided that, whoever it was, would likely go away. But she was wrong. The knocking became more insistent so Hermione set down her ice cream and, wrapped in the blanket, shuffled over to her door. Cursing herself for not having the peephole on the door fixed, she kept her wand in her left hand and opened the door with her right.
Never in a million years would she have expected who was on the other side of the door.
"Good evening Ms. Granger, may I come in?"
Hermione didn't even manage a verbal response, she just opened the door wider allowing Lucius Malfoy into her apartment. He walked into her living room and stood in the center. Hermione followed him. She kept a tight grip on her wand and found her voice.
"I thought you were on house arrest," she said. "What are you doing here?"
"I received…special permission to come here," Lucius replied.
"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, confused.
"I have exactly five minutes to speak to you so I'm going to make this quick," Lucius answered, ignoring her question. "I understand that you are in a relationship with my son, yes?"
"I was," Hermione replied, when he didn't continue speaking. "I'm not anymore, which I'm sure you know. So if you're here to rub that in my face, I suggest that you leave."
"To the contrary Ms. Granger," Lucius continued. "I am here to ask for your assistance."
"My assistance?" Hermione repeated, confused. "What could you possibly want from me?"
"You see my son is distraught," Lucius replied. "Because he thinks that he has to choose between the woman he loves and his family."
"Doesn't he?" Hermione asked, cautiously. "I can't imagine you approve of your son dating a mudblood."
"I admit, it is very difficult for me to understand the relationship between the two of you," Lucius told her. "And I cannot pretend that I am thrilled by it."
Hermione opened her mouth to speak but Lucius pressed on.
"But Ms. Granger, I had a great deal of time to myself. It allowed me to do something that I have not done for a very long time – think for myself. To think about what truly mattered to me. At the end of the day, it's my family and I told myself that I would do whatever it took to get back to my family. I will not lose my family."
"I don't understand," Hermione said.
"Quite simply Ms. Granger, I believe if he had to choose, at the end of the day my son would choose you," Lucius said, matter-of-factly. "And I won't lose my son. I'm willing to try Ms. Granger. I want to get to know you. I want to change my mind, the way my wife and son have changed theirs. So the assistance that I ask is this – will you help me change?"
Hermione gaped at him, completely in shock.
"Ms. Granger?" Lucius asked. "I'm afraid I'm running out of time."
"Yes," Hermione stammered. "Yes, yes of course. Yes."
"Will you come back to the Manor with me?" Lucius questioned. "I believe it will go a long way to my son believing me if you're there to corroborate our conversation."
"Okay," Hermione said, still in awe.
"Might I suggest that you do something with your appearance?" Lucius said, his tone a bit snooty. "You cannot go out like that."
"I'll just be a moment," Hermione replied, rushing into her bedroom. Forcing herself to keep calm, Hermione quickly changed her clothes, and putting up her hair. She emerged a minute later and found another surprise.
"Harry?" she asked, perplexed to see her friend speaking to Lucius Malfoy.
"Ron and George can only scramble the wards for another minute," Harry replied, looking to Lucius. "We need to go, now."
Lucius linked his arm through Harry's and Harry held out his hand to Hermione. Hermione took Harry's hand. He gave her hand a squeeze before Hermione felt the familiar tug of a portkey. She closed her eyes and when she opened them, she, Lucius, and Harry were in the formal living room she had been in the day before.
"Mr. Potter, thank you," Lucius said. "Ms. Granger, if you don't mind waiting here, I'll send my son in as soon as I'm done talking to him."
Lucius swept out of the room, pulling the door shut behind him, and Hermione turned to Harry.
"Hi?" she said, questioningly.
"Hey," Harry replied, grinning. "So I'm guessing you have a question or two?"
"Yeah," Hermione answered, with a small laugh. "What the heck is going on?"
"I helped transport Lucius from Azkaban back to Malfoy Manor," Harry explained. "When we got here, Draco was waiting with a packed bag and Narcissa was crying. Lucius barely got to say hello before Draco told him he was in love with you and Lucius could either get on board or get the hell out of his life. Narcissa stunned Malfoy and I left the room."
"Merlin," Hermione breathed, trying to calm her now rapidly beating heart.
"Yeah," Harry replied. "So a bit later, I'm summonsed back here and Lucius is asking me how to get him to you. After he explained to me why, I got Ron and George to help me figure out a way to get him in and out without him violating the terms of his release."
"That's…wow," was all Hermione could find to say.
Before Harry could answer, the door to the room flew open and a desperate Draco Malfoy appeared in the doorway. Harry barely managed to get out of the way before Draco ran to Hermione, banding his arms around her in a tight hug. Hermione wrapped her arms tightly around him as well and they stood there hugging, Hermione with her face buried in Draco's chest. When they separated, Hermione realized they were alone. Draco cleared his throat, drawing Hermione's attention back to him.
"Hermione, I am so sorry," Draco said, taking Hermione's hands in his. "I should have told you what was going on with my father. I know that the two of you reached some kind of understanding but I was ready to stand up to him, I was ready to walk away. I couldn't let him be the reason I didn't get to be with you. Can you ever forgive me?"
Hermione let Draco's words sink in before she answered. "Yes," she told him, watching the relief wash over his face. "Yes I can forgive you."
Draco released Hermione's hands and wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her toward him as he kissed her. Hermione slid her arms around his neck, arching into him and kissing him deeply. When they pulled apart, Draco rested his forehead against hers.
"There's something else I've been keeping from you," Draco said, lifting his head to look directly into Hermione's eyes.
"What is it?" Hermione asked, a nervous pit settling into her stomach.
"I need you to know that I've been keeping this to myself for a long time and I don't want you to feel like you need to say it back but…"
Hermione smiled as she listened to him ramble, the pit in her stomach being replaced with hope blooming in her chest.
"…so if you could just not react if you don't think you'll react in a good way or…"
"Draco," Hermione cut him off. "Just say whatever you want to say."
Draco stared into Hermione's eyes, silver meeting brown, and taking a deep breath, he said, "Hermione Granger, I am so completely in love with you."
Hermione went up on her toes and pressed a quick kiss to his lips before replying, "I love you, too, Draco Malfoy."
"You love me?" Draco repeated, as a grin spread across his face. "You love me."
"Yes," Hermione replied, grinning as well. "I love you."
"I love you," Draco said again, wrapping his arms around Hermione's waist and swinging her around the room.
Hermione laughed as he spun her, happily pressing her lips to his when he returned her feet to the ground.
"So now what?" Hermione asked, her arms around Draco's neck while his rested around her waist. "Where do we go from here?"
Draco smiled down at her and said, "back to our routine."