"I love you," He murmured.

"I love you." She paused wheezing slightly and it drained the energy out of him. "I love you more than anyone," She looked up at him and must've seen his doubt, "More than Ron." He stared at her hoping this wasn't all a dream.

"You're the only one I've ever loved," He blurted out too loudly, as if expelling it from his body like a curse. "You're the only one I'll ever love," He added quietly as he leaned over and placed a kiss on her forehead.

"Promises, promises Draco," She teased lightly but he could feel the slight undertone of fear. She was afraid that he was lying.

"I'm willing to make everyone single one for you," He said standing up and she looked at him in confusion, he slowly knelt beside her bed, "Do you remember what I asked you before you came here?" He said watching in delight as her nose scrunched in confusion. She looked thoughtful for a moment then her face lit up, he grinned placing a finger on her lips to keep her from speaking. He reached into his pocket drawing out the black box and he saw tears start dripping down her cheeks.

"Will you marry me Hermione Granger?" He asked and she nodded simply lost for words as he opened the box revealing the ring. It was the most beautiful diamond he could find, it was cut to make it sparkle but somehow even in its earthly beauty, she far outshined it.

"Yes," She murmured her voice low and raspy.

"Would you marry me right now?" He asked playfully and she nodded grinning.

"Anytime," She said.

"Good," He said and her eyes widened as she saw who entered the room. Harry, all the Weasley's, Lupin, McGonagall, and Dumbledore stood there smiling at her.

"You could have at least gotten me a dress," She said trying to sound disapproving but the magnificent grin on her face told her true feelings.

"But I did," He said loving the look of surprise on her face as Ginny pulled out the dress.

"It's beautiful," She murmured. "Which means you didn't pick it out right?" He looked affronted and was about to reply when Ginny cut in.

"He asked me to find something that you would like," She said smirking at Draco. "Now let's get you into this." Hermione grinned nodding her head enthusiastically and he glanced back at her as he was leaving the room and her eyes caught his. She mouthed it but he felt as she was speaking clearly in his ear, 'Thank you'. He nodded smiling before stepping out with the rest of the males. They stood in the hallway for a moment, all of them shifting uncomfortably besides Dumbledore who had seemed to interest himself in a portrait.

"Well erm…." Draco turned to look at Potter whose face was an extremely violent shade of red; he just stood there for a moment stuttering causing Draco to almost suggest that he check into the hospital. "Well I suppose- er – this is the time we give our blessings." He looked at Potter and all the rest in shock.

"I was actually planning on going ahead without your blessings," He said truthfully, he hadn't ever thought that they would agree.

"Well you bloody well should just because-" As Ron Weasley advanced on him he managed to trip over his own shoe laces and go sprawling. They stood there for a moment in shock before breaking into laughter.

And somehow it seemed like an agreement.

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Draco had changed into his robes and was fidgeting nervously when he felt a hand land on his shoulder, "There's no reason to fret Mr. Malfoy," He turned to see Dumbledore's twinkling smile, "She loves you and you love her." He nodded blankly about to reply when Ginny burst into the hallway.

"She's ready," She said before running back into the room. Draco followed slowly and as she came into sight he forgot how to breathe. She still lay in the bed but the gowns fold and layers were spread around her, the neck drooping slightly to reveal the slightest hint of cleavage. The women had applied a light tinge of blush on her cheeks, and her lips shined in the light. Her hair had been smoothed down and pulled back.

But it was the ethereal glow that came from within her. He thought it had to be her happiness shining through at that moment. He moved forward unconsciously placing a gentle hand on her cheek and rubbing his thumb against her lips and he leaned forward taking them softly and gently. He felt things churning inside him and he knew he would burst if he did not pull away that instant. So he did looking down to see her eyes closed as her lips curved into a smile.

"I believe that comes at the end of the ceremony," She whispered.

"Well I don't think most brides look beautiful enough to take my breath away," He said grinning at her.

"Shall we begin?" Dumbledore asked and Draco nodded. They gathered around Hermione, Ginny going to Hermione's side as the maid of honor, as McGonagall, and Mrs. Weasley stood as bridesmaids, when Potter and the Weasley men came to stand beside him Hermione quirked an eyebrow.

"I'm still quite sane," He said, "I asked Potter and Weasley and the rest just came along." She laughed lightly looking at her two best friends.

"We love you Hermione," Ron said and that was answer enough for her. Fresh tears sparkled in her eyes.

Throughout the ceremony they kept their eyes locked on each other and Draco barely registered the words as his future washed over him.

He had finally been given his chance to be happy.

"Till death do us part"

"Do you Hermione Granger take Draco Malfoy to be your lawfully wedded husband?"

"I do," she said her voice clearer than it had been all day and her eyes were overflowing.

"Do you Draco Malfoy take Hermione Granger to be you lawfully wedded wife?"

"I do," He said.

"I now pronounce you husband and wife you may kiss the bride," Dumbledore said happily and Draco grinned leaning down.

"Thank Merlin," He heard her whisper and he kissed her hungrily her hand going up to grasp at his hair. They pulled apart after a while ignoring the cat calls from the twins or the sound of amused disapproval from McGonagall. He rested his forehead against her lightly.

"I love you Hermione," He never tired of hearing the words coming off his lips, "Malfoy." He added in an after thought.

"I love you Draco Malfoy," She said adding, "My husband."

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He stayed by her side for a month never leaving the hospital. He owled his mother to tell her what had happened and she sent a Howler back.

'DRACO HERCULES MALFOY HOW DARE YOU NOT INVITE YOUR OWN MOTHER TO YOUR WEDDING! I AM COMING OVER THIS INSTANT AND MEETING THIS YOUNG LADY, BECAUSE SHE OBVIOUSLY NEEDS TO BE MOVED TO THE MENTAL INJURIES WARD FOR MARRYING SOMEONE AS INSENSITIVE AS YOU!'

Apparently it had been a new breed of Howler because soon after it exploded drenching him in a horrible- goo. Hermione of course just looked on laughing as he flinched in disgust.

"Hercules?" Hermione asked barely suppressing her laughter.

"He's a distant relative," Draco murmured in embarrassment.

"Wait you mean- the son of Zeus?" She asked in disbelief.

"Yeah," He said puzzled.

"They were wizards?" She asked and he snorted.

"Of course what else would they be? Gods?" He laughed before stopping at her expression. "Gods?" He questioned in shock.

"Well I never actually believed that they existed but the Greeks and Romans have all these myths about them."

"That's interesting," He said.

"Very," She said and he groaned at the look of her face, that one that meant she was about to check out every book in the library.

"Stop, I'm going to clean myself up." He said grumpily and she grinned.

"Yeah you should you stink," She said and he sneered at her before leaving to find a shower.

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When he returned he was surprised to see Hermione and his mother talking amicably. When his mother spotted him she frowned deeply before sighing and jumping up to hug him.

"She's perfect Draco," He heard her murmur and for once in his life he returned her affection wrapping his arms around her and hugging her to him.

"Yes she is mum," He whispered.

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"Beloved husband," Hermione said teasingly poking at Draco's arm to wake him.

"Huh what?" He asked groggily rubbing his eyes to clear them of the fog.

"I think you should go sleep at home," She said looking at him warmly.

"Why?" He asked suspiciously but she only laughed quietly.

"You can't seriously tell me that sleeping in that chair is comfortable?" She asked indicating the chair in question and silently he agreed.

"It's not that bad," He said shrugging nonchalantly but she snorted rolling her eyes.

"Go home; I'll still be here in the morning." She said and he sighed leaning into kiss her. As he was about to pull back her hand went to his cheek keeping him there and it was still soft, but it was greedy as well, like she was trying to memorize every part of his mouth in that moment. When she pulled back tears were sparkling in her eyes.

She lay in that hospital bed and the blank white around her just seemed to suck all the life out of her in that moment, "Love doesn't disappear; it doesn't fade away." She murmured and even in that low tone it was raspy. Raspy like her body couldn't produce enough fluid to wet it.

That felt too much like a goodbye.

"It won't ever Hermione," He said and. "I promise it won't ever." She attempted a small smile, but it quickly disappeared, a mockery of real happiness. "I love you," He said.

"How did I ever get so lucky?" She asked and he knew the question wasn't directed at him because he had asked that same question before. She smiled then and it held, it perched on her face and it was real and lasting and he loved it so much. He leaned in then and placed a kiss on the corner of that smile. Not daring to touch it fully thinking it might just collapse.

"Good night," He said placing a last kiss on her forehead and heading for the door.

"Goodbye. See you tomorrow," She called and he looked back standing in the doorway for a moment just to watch her, he chuckled at her look of exasperation. "Go home Draco," she said lightly and he nodded.

"Of course," He said back heading out of the room and going home.

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He returned the next day feeling suitably relaxed after spending a night in his own bed and sipping contently on a coffee. He made his was through the halls of St. Mungo's with practiced ease nodding to all the Healers that had become familiar. He walked into the small waiting room near Hermione's ward and stopped suddenly.

Albus Dumbledore was sitting there and Draco just knew that he was waiting for him.

"Ah Mr. Malfoy I was expecting you," Dumbledore said in a quiet greeting and Draco blamed his Slytherin upbringing but he was immediately suspicious.

"Hello Professor," He said and his nervousness didn't dissipate with that small smile he received in return.

"I believe you are wondering why I am hear." He said and it wasn't a question, his voice tired and weak. And Draco Malfoy for the first time in a while felt scared. Albus Dumbledore wasn't supposed to seem weak. No matter how much he had detested the man, he had no right to talk like he was tired, too tired to go on.

"What is it?" Draco said forgetting all social niceties in that moment.

"Perhaps you should sit Mr. Malfoy," Dumbledore said but Draco had already dropped his cup striding down the hallway to Hermione's door. He sobbed as he saw the empty bed and he turned around to see Dumbledore looking at him apologetically.

"There was nothing they could do-" Those words registered in his mind and he felt himself drifting away to the day before and that sentence that had sounded far too much like a goodbye. He closed his eyes hand reaching out to rest against the wall and slowly he let himself fall into it, head resting against the cool plaster. His hand clenched and he let himself be taken over by the extreme anger he felt and he picked his fist of the wall before slamming it, taking a dark pleasure in the pain he felt and the way the white chipped off the wall sprinkling his shoes in a fine dust.

He had once thought she looked beautiful surrounded by the dust.

"Although she managed to survive the curse, it affected her organs greatly. Her kidneys failed first and it moved slowly to her lungs and then her heart. It was painless. I am sorry." Draco couldn't summon the strength it would take to look at the other mans face because he could only hope to see a fraction of the brokenness that he felt. And that was somehow so completely unfair.

"Painless?" He heard himself murmur, "I believe she would have preferred to die in battle rather than silent and still in a hospital bed." But then he would never know. He felt a shiver run through his body. There were so many things he would never know.

And possibly that hurt quite a bit yet so much pain was assaulting him at the moment that he wished he could die painlessly as well.

Yet again she had cut down all his walls, and had left him powerless. But he could not manage to hate her for it. He began to sob then the sound echoing through the hall and distantly he realized that he was doing this is broad sight of too many people. He should go grieve in private but he knew if he tried to stand away from that wall he would never be able to collect the pieces.

"Malfoy," He heard someone say. "Malfoy. Draco," He turned his face to see Potter standing there. "I can't, I'm-" He stopped unable to continue as his body shook with suppressed sadness. Draco knew what Hermione would do but he couldn't muster the courage to do it. He watched Potter near him and suddenly his arms folded around Draco and he found his face on Potter's shoulder, and Potter's on his. And nothing else seemed to matter and it all dimmed. The day turned to night and white turned to black.

Draco knew that he would never be able to let go.

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All he could think were those words she had said to him, 'Love doesn't disappear, it doesn't fade away….It sticks with you forever because it was deep and vibrant and it was all you had for a while….'

And he thought now that he would never be able to forget because love may have been all those things. But it had been so much more as well.

Love was her hair in its state of complete disarray.

Love was her eyes sparking in anger.

Love was that twitch at the corner of her mouth that told him that she wanted to laugh at his witty insults to her friends.

Love was her.

Love was Hermione Granger.

And without her, without love the world seemed a little too dull.

He had lost his Diamond in the Ruff, and no matter how long he searched or how hard he tried he would never be able to replace her.

Because love to him would forever be Hermione Granger and nothing would ever change that. For a moment in time he had had her deep and vibrant, and though she was dead, the memories would stay in his mind, in his heart for eternity.

He made that one promise.

He would never break it.

"Goodbye"

A/N: I was going to have a happy ending but this just seemed to fit so much better. Reviews would be appreciated. Also I love the reviews with interesting and sometimes strange predictions of what was going to happen in this story.

Till next time,

Wonderwall