Behind the Veil

Pairing: Dramione
Rated: T (language)

A/N: Merlin's Beard, this is the Final Chapter!

Warning: This chapter has not been beta'd. I will post the beta'd version as soon as possible.

Chapter Twelve

April 5th, 2004
Abandoned Warehouse
AKA: Greg's business' headquarters

Draco had never seen Greg this serious before. Even during the war when they had to lead missions, he had never seen this side of Greg before. In fact, up until ten minutes ago, Draco thought Greg really only had one side, un-serious.

They already located Asteria. Jackson had been smart enough to cast a tracking spell on Glen before he passed out. They were in an abandoned housing complex on the edge of the London. They both knew that aurors wouldn't take the threat seriously. No aurors or police for that matter would try and arrest Asteria if they saw her committing a crime, nevertheless if they heard a report that she could possibly be involved in one.

Greg was gathering his employees for this "raid" as they were calling it. Draco had no idea how Greg was getting his employees to work off the clock, and not only that but put their lives on the line. Greg claimed it was because he was the best boss, but Draco wasn't so sure.

"Okay, everyone's here," Greg said.

Soon everyone began to gather around Greg's desk, where a blueprint was laid out on the table.

"Here's the layout of the location. There are three floors. One is below ground where we think the target is located. It's the most secluded area. There are no windows and only one main entrance which is most likely loaded with curses.

"Glen isn't an easy threat; he is going to have people posted at all doors and windows. Our plan of attack is here," he said, pointing to a fireplace on the second floor. "The floo connections are completely sealed, but Patrick is working on breaking in." Draco spared a glance to the man sitting on the floor with his wand concentrated on the fireplace in front of him.

"Once inside, we will split into three units. The first will be led by John, secure the third floor. Smith's group will secure the second floor, and my team will secure the lower floor and locate Granger. Is that clear?" There was a collective nod.

"Patrick, how's the fireplace coming?"

"It's ready," the boy said, "But I don't know how long I can keep it open."

"Okay everybody, remember this isn't a drill."

Greg spared a glance for Draco, as if to ask him if he was ready. Draco responded with a silent yes. Greg entered the floo first, and Draco came in right after him. He was immediately hit with a barrage of spells. He quickly jumped into the fight.

Draco never really thought he'd have to use the spells that he had learned to use during his time under Voldemort ever again, but here he found many of them extremely useful. The plan was going quite well, Greg, Draco, and a couple of his men were able to make it to the lower floor.

"My guess is she's around this corner," Greg said in a hushed tone. Draco nodded and they turned the corner.

"Gregory Goyle," the most familiar voice said welcomingly. Draco turned the corner as well to see Glen and a couple of his own people, "And Draco Malfoy, what a surprise."

"Glen," Greg responded with the same false enthusiasm. "How interesting to run into you here."

"Yes, well, one needs to keep busy."

"I'm sure," Greg said calmly. "You have something of Draco's, Glen. You may want to give it back."

"The mudblood?" Draco raised his wand to Glen. Glen smirked, "I don't know what you're talking about."

Draco didn't have time for this. He threw the first spell. Glen reflected it easily, "Well, isn't someone eager."

Draco threw another and soon everyone was in battle. Draco had never liked Glen, even when they had worked on the same side he really hated him.

The fight was long and Draco had to keep on his toes. Glen was getting paid for a reason. But, what Draco lacked in combat, he made up for in wits. He knew how to corner Glen just enough to catch him guard to sneak in a spell he hadn't been expecting.

He had to wait for the right moment, and the moment his opportunity came, he took full advantage of it. Glen flew back, hitting his head on the wall behind him, and collapsing. Draco smirked, before tying him up and snapping his wand for good measure.

When he turned, he saw only a few men left fighting. And with Draco's help, they soon eliminated the others.

When that was done, Greg glanced over Draco's shoulder at the collapsed Glen. "Nice work, Draco."

Draco smirked, "Thanks."

They searched the doors then and found only one locked. With a knowing glance, they knew Hermione was inside. Greg made a motion, and they cut the lights to the room.

They listened, and heard a voice inside. Draco let out a sigh of relief, Asteria was still there, and not only that she was talking, meaning Hermione was most likely still alive.

"Asteria Greengrass," Greg spoke, "This is the auror department, we have the place surrounded, put your wand down and come outside."

"The auror department?" Draco asked confused.

"Do you honestly think she's would open it if we told her the truth?"

Draco made to respond but he realized that perhaps Greg was right. Greg continued, "Asteria Greengrass, this is the auror department, open the door."

There was silence. "Oh, fuck this." Draco said. "Step back. Bombarda!" The room shook, but the door didn't give way, "What the fuck kind of spell did she put on it?" Draco demanded.

"Oh, step back," Greg said, and he cast a spell of his own. It proved highly effective.

The door flew open and Draco rushed in only to find an explosion. The room was ablaze. He rushed forward only to have arms hold him back. "Hermione!" He fought the arms restraining him, but they wouldn't give.

He waited as the smoke cleared, and through the light provided by the hallway they came from, he saw Hermione stand, shaking off restraints. She bent over and picked up a wand. "Forgot about wandless magic didn't you?" she said to the darkness.

Draco merely stood there in shock as the others rushed in and bound a crazed Asteria on the floor. Greg's grip on him loosened as the two of them stood there, trying to better understand the situation. She actually cast a spell using wandless magic and freed herself. "Wow," Greg said, "You picked well, mate. She's a hell of a girl." His arm fell from his shoulder. "While you two make up, I'm going to check on the others."

Draco's shock slowly wore off as he walked into the room. Hermione was leaning against the table, her hand gripping her head. Draco slinked in behind her. "And to think I actually thought you were in danger."

She turned then and looked at her in a way that he hadn't expected in the least. She immediately rushed forward and fell into his arms. He was expecting a "what the hell are you doing here?" but he'd take this over that any day. He returned the embrace, pulling her close; just thankful she was still alive and well.

But as he held her, he noticed that she was supporting more and more weight on him. "Hermione?" he asked, pulling back to look at her. Her complexion wasn't good in the least. "Hermione?!" he said louder. She didn't say a word as her eyes closed.

"Help! We need to get her to the hospital, fast!" Someone began to break the anti-apparition wards as Draco held her lifeless form in his arms, "Hold on, Hermione," he said softly, "I'm right here."

When he arrived at the hospital with Hermione in his arms, he immediately saw there were too many people to wait the proper way. "Hermione Granger is hurt!" he yelled through the lobby, emphasizing who it was, "She needs help!"

Word spread quickly and soon healers came to his aid and took her onto a stretcher. They wheeled her into an operating room and began to ask him a barrage of questions. "What happened to her?" the one in charge asked.

Draco blinked, trying to remember, "I don't know, the only thing I know is that she cast a powerful spell using wandless magic. She didn't seem to have any symptoms from it, at least that she mentioned, and then she passed out."

Draco watched them cast the basic spells on her: a diagnostic spell and a spell to keep her vitals in check. "Her magic is running extremely low," one of the nurses said.

"Anything else you remember?"

"I don't know, she had been kidnapped, and I had just found her when she fainted."

The lead doctor cast an extra spell on her, "She's been poisoned."

"Well, give her the antidote," Draco demanded.

"It's not that easy, she's been poisoned with tentacula."

"What does that mean?"

"It's from the poisonous plant venomous tentacula, the potion is highly specific since each individual plant –"

"Get to it," Draco interrupted.

"We need part of the original potion to do it."

"Shit. How the hell am I supposed to find that?"

"Without it, any antidote we deliver will be useless."

It was then Draco heard a commotion in the corridor. He looked through the window in the door to see Greg being restrained.

He opened the door, and Greg immediately started shouting, "Draco, the healers need this. I don't know exactly what kind of potion it is, but its deadly, it might help them diagnose her."

Draco grabbed the potion vial from Greg, as Greg pushed the people off him. They went back into the room. "Here's the vial the potion was in," Draco said, presenting the healers with it.

"Perfect," the healer said. "Hand me the standard antidote," he watched as immediately a nurse pulled out an antidote from their supply drawer. He then watched as the healer poured the antidote in midair and as it floated he began to add things to it. Various ingredients, some he hadn't even heard of, and finally at the end he soon added a drop of Hermione's blood, which Draco protested.

After the antidote was complete, the healer guided the contents back into the vial that Greg had found and fed it to Hermione. They waited.

"Blood pressure is lowering, temperature stabilizing. Magical levels rising."

They all took a collective sigh of relief. The worst was over.

Later…

Draco stood over Hermione in the hospital room. She was alive, barely. He didn't intend for her to know the true extent of how close she came to leaving. Asteria never did anything half-heartedly. The healer's claimed another ten minutes, and the situation might not be so positive. But that didn't matter. What did was the fact that she was still very much alive. That's all that mattered.

As it turned out, he wasn't the only one that wanted her alive. The entire auror department did as well, something about being a member of the "golden trio". Apparently, it held more weight than rich-as-hell Greengrass. They even excused the breaking and entering he and Greg did to rescue Hermione. All was forgiven because she was Hermione Granger.

But that didn't really matter. Draco would have done it again and taken any and all consequences if it meant Hermione was safe.

Draco grimaced and looked at his arm. Turned out he did suffer a little repercussion from the battle with Asteria's personnel. An old arm injury from the old days was reopened and giving him some trouble. The healers said time was the only healer for it.

"Just because you sit down doesn't mean she's going to disappear into thin air."

Draco turned to Greg who was sitting quietly on the other side of the room. "Always the attention whore Greg. Can't stand not being the center of attention for a couple minutes?"

Greg scoffed, "I'm merely saying you aren't exactly in peak condition right now, so you better sit that sorry arse of yours down before you hurt yourself."

"Is the great Greg Goyle worried about me?"

"Don't make me punch you again."

Draco smirked and took a seat on the couch next to Greg. "Thanks though," Draco said in all seriousness, "and not just for finding the vial, but for keeping my head straight earlier and helping me do what I needed to. I don't know if we'd be here like this without you."

Greg smiled and placed a hand on Draco's shoulder, "Don't worry about it mate, that's what I'm here for, to stop you from making the stupidest decisions of your life."

And at that, Draco couldn't help but smile as well.

Hermione awoke lying down, and this time when she went to rub her eyes, she was able. At that thought, she sat up quickly; what had happened? Where was she? What was going on?

"You're up."

Hermione watched as Draco stood from his seat in the corner of the room, and walked over to her bedside. She also couldn't help spare a glance at the other person in the room, Goyle.

"What happened?" Hermione asked Draco.

"She poisoned you."

Hermione let out a sigh. "I should have considered that. I'm guessing the wandless magic didn't help?"

Draco shook his head, "Another couple of minutes, and things might not be the same right now."

Hermione nodded, before she realized something, "How did you know where I was?"

She watched him take a backward glance at Greg before turning back to her. "Greg owns a business that involves watching people. I had him put someone on you."

"You two stalked me?" she demanded, raising an eyebrow and glancing at both of them.

Draco grimaced, "I was worried about you."

Hermione scoffed and sat back, and before she knew it she was hurling a pillow at him. It hit him square in the face. To her surprise, Draco merely placed the pillow back on the bed, "I suppose I deserved that."

Hermione crossed her arms and looked away. "Are they still following me around?"

"No," Draco said with ease, "there's no need for it now that Asteria's been put away."

Hermione looked back to him, "You knew how psychopathic she was?"

He nodded, "Ever since she gave me the letters back."

Silence fell upon them as Hermione absorbed all this new information. She knew she should be angry about the stalker, furious even. And she was, in part. But it was hard to be too angry when said stalker saved her life a couple of times.

"You're not angry." Draco said plainly.

Hermione looked away, willing a blush not to surface, "I am," she stated firmly. After a couple of moments though, her tone softened as her manners kicked in, "But tell whoever it was thanks… for saving my life and all."

Draco chuckled at that. "You know, I didn't think you'd want to talk to me after where we left things off."

That set something off in Hermione as the entire incident with Asteria ran through her mind, and all the things she found out, and all the things she had wanted to say to him. Suddenly the person following her around wasn't as important. "Asteria enlightened me about some things."

"What kind of things?" he asked slowly.

Hermione flicked her eyes over to Goyle, sitting there, staring at them. She didn't exactly feel like pouring out her feelings with him in the room. Draco looked over at him as well. Goyle took a few seconds before speaking, "All right, I get it. I understand when I'm unwanted. I need to go anyway, promised my boys some things for helping tonight."

When the door had closed, Hermione turned back to Draco to see him look at her expectantly.

Hermione looked down and took a breath, trying to find a place to begin.

But, before she could continue, she heard the door knob turn, and the door fly open to slam against the wall. He sat back.

When she saw who it was, a sense of comfort flooded her. "Hermione!" Katie said rushing to her bed, she gave a glance to Draco who moved from the seat beside her bed, Katie took the space, reaching over the bed to give her an embrace, "I just got back home from practice, when I heard the news, and then I rushed over as fast as I could. Are you okay?"

"I'm fine, Katie. I'm okay." She said whilst continuing to look at Draco.

She released her to look at her face, "Are you sure?"

She nodded, "Yes, I feel fine."

There was a knock on the door, and Hermione saw it was Healer Jameson. "Hermione? I came in to do a little checking up on you."

Hermione smiled and welcomed him in, while she stared at Draco, wishing for once they could be alone. She had so many things to say, she didn't know how long she could keep it all in.

Draco knew that this Bell girl was Hermione's friend. Draco also knew that what had happened was a big deal. But at the same time Draco wished the Katie girl would just leave. Just wished that she would need to use the bathroom or perhaps have some prior engagement, but as the minutes ticked by it seemed she had no intention of going anywhere.

It was starting to frustrate him. It didn't help that Bell kept giving him a look of pure disdain every five minutes when Hermione wasn't looking. And when Hermione finally fell asleep he wasn't sure what to do because on one hand he didn't have to listen to Bell's never ending worry, but at the same time he had no time to talk to Hermione himself. He still had so much to say to her and she also seemed to have another reason for trusting him again, but he hadn't been able to find out why before Bell came barging in.

But the worst part of all was that with Hermione asleep, there was no one to break the tension between him and Bell. They both simply sat watching over Hermione. After what seemed like hours, she spoke, "Can I talk to you outside, Malfoy?"

Draco was about to refuse when the girl up and left the room. Draco figured this was his chance of peace, but the girl turned and gave Draco a look that said he would definitely be hexed if he didn't oblige.

Katie wasn't pleased. She wasn't pleased at all. Here Hermione was once again in a hospital bed, and once again none other than Malfoy was responsible. Perhaps not directly, but it seemed every time Hermione was in some sort of trouble, he was involved in some way. And Katie did not intend to simply sit there and let it continue any longer. Two times in the hospital and one nearly successful attack in the past month was not acceptable, and Katie felt as best friend she needed to help Hermione out, even if it meant doing so without her knowing.

The moment the door to Hermione's room was closed; Katie made herself clear, "Stay away from Hermione."

Draco cocked a brow, "Excuse me?"

"Stay away from her," Katie said slower. "She doesn't need someone like you waltzing into her life whenever they please just to use her, play her, and then dump her onto a hospital bed."

"Who said I was using her?"

Katie laughed, "Oh please, she already told me all about your sob story of lies you made up about letters and leaving her and everything. You need to just stay out of her life for good, stop dragging her in circles and confusing her over and over again."

She watched as Malfoy closed his eyes and took a deep breath before speaking, "I'm not using Hermione. It's the furthest thing from what I want. Everything you know Bell is simply a misunderstanding."

"Spoken like a true liar." She smirked back. She could tell that he was losing his cool, but Katie didn't care, she could stand her ground against bastards like Malfoy.

"I'm not lying. Let her tell you herself when she wakes up."

He made to go back into the room, but Katie grabbed him, "No, don't even think about it, I don't want you in that room when she wakes up, clear? I don't want you owling her, or doing anything within a five mile radius of her, I want you good and gone from her life when she wakes up, Malfoy. If she's not ready to say goodbye to you yet, then I will do it for her."

She could feel the anger radiating off of him now, she dared him to do anything. "You really are quick to judge, you know that?" he demanded.

"It's not quick to judge when I know all about the act you pulled last year in Australia with her, Malfoy."

He groaned in frustration, "Is there anything I could say that would make you even quit this nonsense. I love her."

Katie scoffed; she wasn't buying it, "This love you speak of has had her crying for days and in the hospital more times than during the war."

"I didn't put her in the hospital."

"Oh no, it was only your fiancée."

"Ex- fiancée," he clarified.

"Does it matter?"

"I'm not affiliated with that woman anymore."

"Oh no, you just happened to be at the scene of the crime."

"I was saving her."

"Oh sure, and look how she ended up."

Draco threw his hands in the air, "Forget it. Tell her when she wakes up – "

"I'm not telling her anything from you." Katie interrupted.

Draco rolled his eyes, "Fine. This is ridiculous." He stormed off.

"Don't even dream about coming near her again," Katie shouted after him for good measure. He didn't make any notion to whether he heard her or not.

Katie re-entered Hermione's room with a smile on her face, glad that was taken care of.

April 6th, 2004

Hermione woke up the next morning feeling a lot better than she had when she had fallen asleep. "Hey Hermione, you're up." Katie. Hermione loved Katie and all, but at the same time, she kind of wished she'd give Draco and her some privacy. She refused to last night.

"Yeah," Hermione sat up, as she looked around, a very important thing registered in her mind, "Where's Draco?"

"I sent him away," Katie said in a tone that reminded Hermione of her mother.

Hermione stared at Katie, did she just hear right? "What?"

"I sent him away."

"Why?" Hermione demanded.

"Do you not see where you are? You are in a hospital for crying out loud, the very place I told Ron you would not end up. And it's all because of him. He shows up in your life and instantly two hospital visits, on top of another luckily failed attack."

"That's not Draco's fault," Hermione said, her frustration seeping into her tone.

There was a knock on the door. "Come in," Hermione said perhaps louder than she had to.

Healer Jameson's face popped into the room, "Good morning, Ms. Granger."

Hermione smiled, but turned back to eye Katie when he wasn't looking. "Good morning."

"How are you feeling?" he asked.

"Better," she said.

"Good." He pulled out a clipboard and flipped through some papers, "All your tests came back negative," he then pulled out his wand and cast a diagnosis spell on Hermione. She could tell by the odd sensation that ran through her body. "Nothing is coming up, are you sure nothing's been bothering you: odd visions, headaches, things of that nature?"

Hermione shook her head, "Okay, you may check out then, there doesn't seem to be anything holding you here."

Hermione smiled, "Thanks." He then left the room.

The door was about to close when a hand reached out and blocked it. The two of them waited as the new person appeared in the doorway, it wasn't who she was expecting. "Dennis?" Hermione asked.

"Good morning, Hermione," he said, he then turned to Katie, "good morning…"

"Katie Bell," she supplied.

"Good morning, Miss Bell," he said. "May I come in?"

Hermione nodded, and he entered the room before closing the door. The privacy wards turned on immediately, Hermione could feel the magic in the room hum.

"What brings you here, Dennis?"

"I got put on the Greengrass case," Dennis said. "You're aware that she intercepted some letters?" Hermione nodded, he continued, "Well, professionally, I'm here to ask for the one's you wrote. We asked Mr. Malfoy, he said he gave them to you."

Hermione thought about it before remembering where they were, "They are at my house. I can get them to you when I get back home."

"And when will that be, exactly?" he asked.

Hermione shrugged, "Later today?"

"Great," he said. He then sighed, "There's more," he said dropping the professional tone.

Hermione figured as much, "What is it?" she asked.

"I'm doing this as a personal favor, so it can't be leaked out to the public I did this or I'd lose my job." Hermione noticed his nervous gaze at Katie sitting a few feet away from them.

"She's fine, she won't say anything," Hermione reassured. She shot Katie a look.

Dennis nodded, "Okay. Remember when we met up two years ago, and you were telling me about Draco's case and how he disappeared, and wouldn't contact you and what not?" Hermione nodded.

"They found these letters in Ms. Greengrass' quarters. I made copies of them to show you."

A strange feeling washed over Hermione as she took the package from Dennis, "Why are you giving these to me?"

"I just remember your panic when he didn't write you, and I thought I owed this to you after you hired me and all, and I gave nothing in return."

Hermione smiled, "Thanks Dennis."

He smiled in return, "I think that's all, I must get back to work then," he said re-establishing his professional tone. "Ladies," he gave a nod to each of them before walking out of the hospital room.

"Thanks again," Hermione called out as the door closed shut once more. She then turned to glare at Katie. "See, I told you he's not at fault here."

Katie looked shocked, "Wait, now I'm all confused, what happened?"

"It was all Greengrass, he didn't do anything. She intercepted all the letters between us, she admitted it herself."

"So he wasn't playing you?" Katie asked.

"No," Hermione said looking down at the parchments in her hands. "Let's get ready to go, Katie. I rather not be here if I don't have to." She didn't mention to Katie how the sooner she got out of here the sooner she'd be alone, which is all she wanted right now just so she could read the last bits of the puzzle to what had happened a year ago.

Hermione sighed, happy to be home and not only that, Katie had finally left to give her some much needed peace and quiet. It wasn't that Hermione didn't like Katie, she did, considered her a best friend even, but sometimes Hermione just needed to do things alone. She went over to the fireplace to start a fire, when the Daily Prophet caught her eye. A headline in particular, she picked it up, it read:

A GREENGRASS IN MENTAL HOSPITAL

The article depicted Asteria's mental outburst which caused her to seek rehab. It talked of her having problems in the past few months coping with everything around her, and that she had been a mess for the past few years.

It was lies of course. Asteria was not one to break down, she wasn't one to show that weakness if she did. And when Hermione talked to her, she was not insane, she had her wits, and she had used them once again to escape Askaban. Asteria had said that she was wealthy. And Hermione assumed she had bought her way into a mental hospital, as opposed to a cell with some dementors.

Hermione sighed placing the paper aside; she turned back to her couch, once again noticing the letters Dennis had given her. There were only a few. Not as many as she had written him but at this point it didn't matter. Opening the package, Hermione read them one by one.

xx

Morning Sleepy Head,

Have to take a quick trip to England. Mum's come down with something.

Should be back by tomorrow the latest.

XxX

I think the trip is going to be longer than I expected. The sickness is a lot more serious than I thought. You okay back home? Write back. Miss you.

XxX

Where are you? Are you okay? Still dealing with stuff over here. Are you upset because I didn't warn you or take you with me? I didn't think it be this long. Still

miss you.

XxX

I'll be back later today. Can't wait to see you, I really need to talk to you about some things. I don't think things are going to be smooth from here on out. At least I can

rely on you. I really hope you're not still upset. Taking the first portkey available. See you soon.

XxX

Waiting in the Ministry. They claim my portkey got delayed. Don't know why. Are you okay? Why haven't you written back? Is something seriously wrong over there?

Even if you're upset you could have just sent a howler. Oh got to go. See you in 10 minutes.

xx

The letters ended there. And if Hermione thought of what he had told her, it made sense. He had come home to think she was dating Dennis out of all things, and hadn't done anything else about it. It matched his story.

But she still couldn't help but sit and read the letters over and over again. She could feel the tears prickling at the corner of her eyes. It wasn't what was written in the letters that overwhelmed her. It was the fact that he wrote. It undid all the times she had thought that he had moved on without her, that he was using her, playing her, in love with someone else, living a lie.

It was the final piece to the puzzle. A seal on the envelope that proved that indeed everything between the two of them that been the doing of some spoiled brat wanted to be let back into her social circle.

And when Hermione went beneath that surface, the letters proved something even more than that. It proved that his feelings for her were real. It proved that everything he had done in the past few weeks had been genuine. It proved that he wasn't the selfish, prejudiced bastard that had used her because he was bored in a foreign land. And what was most important is that it proved that he loved her.

Hermione put the letters down. She needed to find him.

But, where was he? He wasn't at the hospital this morning. Did he really scare off that easily because of what Katie said?

Her mind raced as she suddenly realized the pattern in his behavior. In this cycle that the two of them were a part of the next part of the cycle seemed all too obvious. No. She refused to let him leave again.

She stood, hastily grabbing her wand she fled out the door. She would find him.

Draco looked down at his schedule for the day. He still had another three meetings before he could be off work. He looked at his wrist watch. It was only 10:30. He wondered where Hermione was. What was she doing right now? How was her head? How was she feeling? He hoped she was okay.

He wished he hadn't let her bullying best friend push him out of the ward last night. He didn't want to leave; only he knew that her best friend wouldn't have accepted anything and wouldn't have let him stay without making a bigger scene in the hospital corridor.

But now he regretted it; he'd rather be sitting in her hospital room reading the daily prophet, which he no doubt heard the headlines for, as opposed to sitting here listening to his finance department tell him how sales were doing this month.

"And so as you can see we've been up this month compared to last month by –"

The door burst open. Everyone, including himself jumped at the surprise of it all. It would have been a nice moment to laugh at the charts and graphs of his finance department collapsed, had it not been who actually stood in the door way.

"Miss Granger, you really can't go in there!"

And there she was standing there, hair in disarray, clothes a mess, huffing and puffing and yet, still looking as beautiful as ever.

Hermione stood in the doorway, ignoring the presence of one of Draco's seemingly endless secretaries and bodyguards behind her. Relief flooded through her veins. He was still here. That was all that mattered. He was still here. She needed to talk to him now, before he had any time to think and run away again, to disappear without her acknowledgement, or someone else to dismiss him from her life. She needed to do this now.

They stood there staring at each other as all the distractions around them seemed to fade. As she locked eyes with him, she silently communicated to him that they needed to talk now. She felt an arm pull at her. She ignored it, training her eyes on him; sending the message she knew he'd read loud and clear.

And as if on cue, "Stop." She could feel all eyes turn to him; a small smile crept up onto her face despite herself. "Give us a moment."

Hermione watched as everyone turned to leave, and the presence at her side faded. Hermione stepped into the room further and for the first time took her eyes off him to close the door.

It was silent for a few moments, Hermione suddenly not knowing how to begin. They still stood at opposite sides of the room, neither one of them moving, "So, how are you feeling?"

And with that gateway, all her inhibitions disappeared, "Where were you this morning?" she demanded.

"Here, at work," he said an expression of amusement on his face.

Hermione let out a pout despite herself, "You weren't there when I woke up."

"Your little friend kicked me out," he said.

"You could have stayed if you wanted to," she reasoned.

"And cause a fiasco in the hospital corridor… I'd rather avoid it." She nodded slightly in acknowledgement, "Why, did you want me to be there?" he asked in jest.

Hermione let the topic drop as she walked up to the edge of the table directly across from him, looking down at her hands, "I got your letters." She looked up and watched as his expression melted to one of confusion, "The ones you sent before all of this…" she gestured between them, "…happened."

"How?" he asked.

"I have connections too." She said simply, "I'm sorry I didn't believe you."

He shook his head. "I didn't believe it myself." It was quiet once again before, "Did you burst into my meeting just to tell me that?"

Hermione shook her head, "No. I was worried."

"About what?" he asked. She was worried that he'd be gone, but seeing as he was here, she knew she couldn't say that. "I want to know something." She moved around the table toward him. "I've noticed a pattern in your behavior, Mr. Malfoy, and I don't like it."

He was eying her now, suspicious, "And what's that…Miss Granger?"

Hermione stopped when she was inches from him, "You're a runner."

He smirked, "What do you mean by that?" he asked.

Hermione merely shrugged, "You always run from me. You didn't confront me when Dennis was eating dinner with me back in Australia, you never confronted me in front of Ron, after that terrible night at your place you left for Lancaster, and when Katie asked you to leave, you did."

Hermione didn't realize it until she stopped for a breath, but at some moment he had reached up and taken her hand. "Are you here to lecture me about it?" he asked.

"No," Hermione said in all seriousness, as she inched closer to him. "I was just worried that you were going to leave again."

"Is that why you ran here?" he asked smirking.

Hermione smiled at their entwined hands. "Who said I ran?"

He reached up his other hand and stroked it through her hair, "Your messy curls would second my assumption."

Hermione slapped his hand away, but he caught it in midair, entwining those hands as well, "I'm not going to go anywhere. I left for Lancaster that day to break off my engagement. I only left last night because Bell was causing a riot in the hospital corridor, and I knew she wouldn't believe me even if I explained to her the situation." A weight felt like it was lifted off Hermione. Relief flooded her by just hearing him say it. "Were you that worried?" he asked.

Hermione shook her head, "N-"

But she never finished her sentence as he had stood up and placed a kiss on her lips.

"Does that reassure you?"

Hermione hid a smile behind a face of suspicions, "No, I think I'm going to need a little more reassurance."

He leaned in to kiss her again.

When they broke off he continued, "Be mine again, Hermione. Forget what people say. What they'll do. I don't care what people think, I really don't give a damn anymore what anyone else wants. I just want to be like we were in Australia… just together."

Hermione smiled up at him and reached a hand to run through his hair, "Together?" she asked hesitantly, "Permanently?" He nodded. "What if my letters to you disappear?" she asked in all seriousness.

"I'll still come back," he re-assured her.

"What if I'm on a date with someone else after you disappear for three days?" she asked.

"I'll come in and hex the bloke's balls off."

She grinned at that. "What if your parents engage you to someone else?"

"I'll call it off. I'll elope with you." Hermione smiled. He smiled back at her, "You can't run away from me even if you tried Miss Granger, we're going to be together forever."

"What makes you so sure of that?" Hermione demanded half-heartedly.

He smiled, "Because I love you."

Hermione looked up to him surprise, but he effectively ended the conversation with another kiss.

Rumors spread around quickly. By the end of the day, Hermione was getting owls constantly about how she had interrupted a meeting at Malfoy Industries, and about being seen at various places with none other than Draco Malfoy.

She didn't care though. Not anymore. He told her they weren't going to be afraid. And with him at her side, she felt she had the strength to.

At the end of the night, they appeared in front of the building where her flat was. Hermione took a step onto the porch, with his hand in hers. But she felt a resistance as she took the next step. She looked to him. He was still standing on the cobblestone road that led up to it. "What's wrong?" she asked.

"I think this is where we should say good night."

Hermione frowned, knowing he was trying to respect first date protocol. But this wasn't their first date, this was different, and she didn't want him to go, and a part of her was worried that if he left, she might not see him again for a while.

She tugged on his arm. He looked up at her, surprised, "I want you to stay."

He smiled at her, and ran a hand through her uncontrollable hair, "Are you sure?"

She nodded, "I'll make you tea," she said coaxingly, "I'll even put two lumps of sugar in it, just like you like."

He smiled before leaning in for a lingering kiss, "Only if I get to make you hot chocolate."

August 2004

The rumors didn't cease, nor did the looks. Hermione noticed that no matter where they went, people were insistent on looking at them like the oddest thing they'd ever seen. People acted as if both of them were sprouting extra heads. The ones that bothered Hermione the most was Draco's parents. They weren't happy at all that Draco was dating her, but seemed to stop trying to separate them. When Hermione asked about it, he merely said that he found reasons for them to stop meddling in his personal business, which Hermione translated to being some kind of blackmail.

Asteria was permanently in a mental hospital it seemed. And one thing Hermione did notice was that no one was giving him any bad publicity for breaking off that engagement, which seemed to make sense all things considered.

But even without Asteria to give him bad publicity, it seemed that Hermione was able to accomplish that on her own. People seemed to give the two of them a huge berth of space, wherever they went. They just didn't fit in with anyone. The magical world was still just as prejudiced as they always were.

The two of them didn't fit with the purebloods, because Hermione was definitely on the "Not Allowed" list. And they didn't fit in anywhere else, because it seemed everyone else was worried that she was under either some sort of love potion, or they were afraid of Draco outright for the role he played in the war.

Even tonight, at the Ministry party, everyone stood away from them. They had their own table at the edge of the dance floor. They sat staring at the people dancing, Draco watching silently. She wondered how this was for him. How it was to be the outcast. He never was being the pureblood with money to back him up for that matter. He wasn't like her with the muggleborn status stamped onto her forehead, always looking to prove herself.

At some moments she felt sorry for him, wondering what he was thinking, and how society was no doubt probably treating him now. She continued to stare at him, but he caught her eye, he turned to her smiling, "What are you thinking about?" he asked.

Hermione sighed, looking at him, "It must be tough for you, huh?"

"What?" he asked.

"Being like this…" she said, gesturing around them, "so isolated from everyone."

"What makes you think that?" he asked her.

Hermione frowned at him, "You're a pureblood, of perfect status, and wealth. I bet you usually have loads of people come up to you at these parties."

Draco laughed at her. Hermione only stared. He continued to laugh, "You aren't serious?" Hermione didn't understand. He reached up stroked her cheek, "You think being a pureblood makes life all daisies and butterflies?" Hermione looked to him, not comprehending, "You think after the war people looked to me like some hero? Like some great noble person who fought against Voldemort? I was almost thrown into Askaban, remember?"

Hermione smiled, that was right, he did know what it was like all along. "So this," she said gesturing to the empty space around them, "Doesn't bother you?"

"Bother me?" he asked, "I thought it was bothering you."

Hermione turned to him, "What? Why would it bother me?"

He looked to her in surprise, "You're Hermione Granger, part of the golden trio, the smartest witch of your age; I thought you'd be the one that gets all the attention at parties like this."

Hermione smiled, "And here I was worrying about your ego." Draco rolled his eyes, and Hermione continued,"I guess it was just one big misunderstanding then."

Draco nodded, before Hermione stood abruptly. She saw the shock cross his face as he lowered his arm off the chair which he had been keeping around her, "What are you–"

Hermione smiled, "If you have no problem being the outcast, and I have no problem being the outcast, why are we here playing the role of depressed outcasts?" Draco's confusion turned into a smile, before Hermione continued on, "Let's dance, Draco," she said gesturing toward the dance floor behind them.

He looked to her incredulously, "What?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, "It's just one dance, Malfoy." A smile escaped her lips before she could finish the sentence.

He raised a brow at her, as Hermione offered him a hand, and a raised eyebrow of her own.

He broke into a smile, and Hermione smiled in return as he took her awaiting hand and stood. Hermione smiled as he took the lead and guided her to the dance floor. She didn't fail to notice that he placed them in the middle of said dance floor. She also didn't fail to notice the wide space that was put around them soon after.

Hermione internally sighed as he placed her arms over his neck, and positioned his own on her hips. No one wanted to be seen with the outcast. But Hermione didn't feel like an outcast when she had Draco by her side, which she realized with a smile she always would.

xx

The End

A/N: Thanks for reading :) This story has been in the making for a long time now, so I thank you so very much for coming along the journey with me. I still can't believe that it's all over. I hope you enjoyed the story, and if you did, I would really appreciate it if you'd leave me a review. I'd love to know how you felt about everything!

Thanks again! :D