Disclaimer: Harry Potter belongs to JK Rowling in association with Scholastic Books, Warner Bros, etc.

Part III

xxx

The truest version of this story is the one rarely told. Nonetheless, you will hear it now.

Here are some things to keep in mind: there was no talking snake, no Tree of Knowledge, and no Garden of Eden.

There was magic though. There is always magic.

Once, there was a man who thought himself a god. He amassed a large fortune capable of helping all the starving people in his town. Instead, he hoarded his wealth and moved away from the poor. He built a fortress for a home to keep the desperate hands away. Like all men with god complexes, he wished to live forever. He had a son that he raised to be exactly like himself, instilling the idea that everyone else was beneath them. So the man succeeded in his quest, for though time rendered him old and ash, he lived on through his progenies, all of whom shared his worldviews and wealth.

Until one particular descendant came to be. This boy was lonely, neglected by a busy father and an ill mother. Unable to better the circumstances, his father went down into the village and selected an impoverished girl of no background to keep his son company.

What no one foresaw was that the boy would become so very attached to the girl. Years passed and no matter how hard his father tried, the son refused to let the girl leave, revolting at the very idea that his long-time companion could be lost to him.

The boy had fallen in love.

xxx

"Again, Draco."

"You are a bloody slave driver."

"Your NEWTs are coming up. You need to practice nonverbal magic."

"It's still two years away, and not one test requires what you want me to practice." Nevertheless, he raised his wand and waved it at the chair, silently commanding it to levitate.

"Are you sure you're thinking about the spell?" Hermione asked skeptically.

She stood behind him, her critical eyes watching his wandwork. He could feel her eyes on him, watching his every move. It was slightly distracting, but he wouldn't admit it aloud. "Of course I am," he said.

"Well, this is going to take a while." She blew her bangs out of her eyes. "I'm going to go take a walk in the garden. Come find me when you figure out how to do this."

"Wait. Just wait one moment. I'll show you, and we can take the walk together. "

"It's been half an hour already. I'm getting antsy."

"Just wait there." He turned his attention back on the chair and flicked his wrist. Nothing happened. He did it again. And again. And again. Nothing.

A pair of hands covered his hand and eased it down by his side. "Relax," she said. "You're letting your frustrations get the better of you. It shouldn't be so hard."

"Says the Muggle," he muttered under his breath.

"Here let me show you." She moved to take his wand, but they both flinched away when she touched it.

"Ow!" She shook her hand. "It shocked me."

"What? No it didn't." He took her hand and examined it. "Does it hurt?"

"No, it was like a static shock. It just surprised me." She looked at him with wide brown eyes. "You didn't feel it?"

He twirled his wand. "No shock here."

"Why did you jump then?"

"Um, I just didn't expect you to grab it," he explained vaguely, his pulse still racing. She didn't know. How could she know that using someone else's wand bespoke of a high level of intimacy and trust? He shouldn't read into it so much. She wasn't even capable of using it. Still…

"Here." He extended the handle toward her.

Biting her lip, she cautiously held it, relaxing after nothing happened. "Huh, I guess it was nothing after all." She turned to the chair with a bright smile on her face. "Right. So remember, keep it relaxed and steady. Like this." She aimed it at the chair and waved the wand delicately. "Wingardium Leviosa."

The chair didn't move.

"I thought it was supposed to be nonverbal magic," he said mockingly.

"There's no harm in me saying it. I'm the Muggle, remember?"

"For a moment there, you looked like a witch."

She colored at the warmth in his voice. "Let's see if the actually magical being can manage this spell before we're old and gray," she teased, holding his wand out.

He took it from her, fingers tangling briefly with hers, before redirecting his focus on the chair. Inhale. Aim, swish and flick. Wingardium Leviosa.

The chair lifted five feet off the ground.

"Well done, Draco!" Hermione said clapping.

His smile grew larger at her praise. He gently lowered the chair onto the floor and made a sweeping bow. "I said I would, didn't I?" he smirked.

"Oh please!" She laughed, rolling her eyes.

"Let's go for that walk now." He swung his wand arm over her shoulders and led her outside. She wrapped an arm around his waist, looking at his wand.

"It would have been great if the chair floated for me," she said wistfully.

He chuckled. "If it did, you'd have some explaining to do."

A voice harrumphed to their left. Draco glared at the portrait of his great grandmother, her face pinched in displeasure at the sight of them. "Just clearing my throat, Draco darling. I think I'm coming down with something, perhaps an allergy to a foreign pest in the house."

Hermione looked down, shoulders hunched. Draco pulled her tighter against him and lifted her chin back up with his wand. "If you are bothered so much by being inside, I can have you hung outside on the side of the manor that gets the most sunlight," he threatened. They walked on, ignoring the outraged gasps and rude comments that followed.

"You shouldn't have said that," Hermione whispered. "They're going to tell your father."

"Don't worry about that. I wasn't going to let that old bat spoil our day."

She rested her head against his shoulder. "Thank you."

xxx

"I'd like to have a word with you, Draco."

Draco and Hermione froze. Dinner had been unusually silent and tense. Draco attempted to ask his father about his day and was immediately silenced with a harsh stare. Hermione murmured a quiet "thank you for the food" and rose to her feet.

"Stay," Lucius said, looking down his nose at her. "This matter concerns you as well."

Hermione sat down and kept her eyes glued to the table. Draco saw her hands tremble in her lap.

"I will be taking your mother to France tonight. There's new research being done there that could cure her of this sickness."

"That's excellent news!" Draco exclaimed. "How long will you be gone?"

"Three weeks. I trust you can handle things here in our absence?" Lucius raised his eyebrow at him.

Draco straightened in his chair. "Of course. Leave it to me, Father."

"And I expect you to speak to Miss Parkinson about making the engagement official." Lucius reached into his robes and pulled out a velvet ring box. He walked around to where his son was seated and placed it in front of him. "There's no need to make the lady wait any longer."

"Of course not." Draco picked up the box and opened it.

"The family ring, passed down from generations of Malfoy women," Lucius said. "Only those worthy of the Malfoy name may wear it."

"Pansy will love it."

"I'm sure she will. However, this brings me to an ongoing issue. What to do with your little pet."

Hermione stiffened.

"There is no issue, Father."

"You don't think so? Do you think Miss Parkinson is so generous that she would allow your pet Muggle to live under her roof?" Lucius walked over the Hermione, taking her in with an unimpressed eye. "What do you think, girl?"

"Wife or not, this is my home and Pansy will respect my wishes," Draco said, standing up. "Hermione stays."

"Haven't you outgrown her yet?" Lucius asked. "Every time I come home from business, I expect to find her gone. And yet here she is, constantly stuck to your side like a leech. She's even eating at the table now."

"I want her here."

"And that's exactly the problem." Lucius turned to his son. "The portraits talk, Draco. They observe, and they talk. Do you know what they tell me? They say that my son is incapable of leaving the Muggle alone, that he's always seeking her out. All these years, I thought she was the one clinging to you when it was you all along."

"She's my friend."

"She's not your only friend. Yet you don't spend nearly as much time with Theo and Blaise as you spend with her." Lucius looked over his shoulder at the quiet girl staring down at the table. "I've indulged you enough, Son. By the time I return, the only girl I expect in this house is the one wearing that ring. I don't care where the Muggle goes as long as she is not on this property. Understood?"

Draco pressed his lips together.

"Do you understand?"

"Yes, sir."

xxx

"Your father is plotting to get rid of me," the girl said.

"Yes, he is," the boy replied, "but I won't let him."

"Why do you stay with him? He says and thinks such terrible things."

"He is my maker. I owe everything I have to him. Even you, my best possession, he gave you to me."

The girl leaned close until she rested a hand against his chest where his heart pounded beneath her palm. "He is just one man," she whispered softly into his ear, her gentle voice laced with serpentine words, "just one man in a long line of many others who has used his power to make others fear and worship him. He is as fallible as the rest of us."

"How can I betray him?" the boy asked, forlorn. "How can you ask me to betray him?"

"How can you expect me to love someone who thinks me disposable? You are free to do as you wish, but I will not be with you much longer. "

The boy gripped her by the arms, terrified she would disappear. "Why? Have I not given you all you could ever want? Am I not enough for you?"

"Your father wishes to replace me with someone else. I will be cast out soon, whether I wish to stay or not. You will forget me when your bride is here."

But the boy knew that was impossible. The girl was a part of him now, as essential to him as his heart. He struggled with his feelings for days, before finally confronting his father with the girl by his side. Furious at his son's disobedience, he cast them both off the property, into the impoverished village below.

"It feels like the sky is falling," the boy whispered, his voice tight with grief and loss.

"Let it fall," the girl said, wrapping her arms around him. "Let him take everything away. He will see that this will not break us. We can face anything as long as we stand together."

And so the boy clung onto the girl as they both entered the strange, uncertain world outside of the fortress.

xxx

"What are you doing?"

"I'm just putting some things away. Reorganizing."

"You're packing."

Hermione paused, back still facing him. "I'm leaving soon. I might as well prepare for it."

Draco felt as though the air was punched out of his chest.

She dropped something in the box suddenly and laughed. "What am I doing?" she said to herself. "I don't even know where I'm going. What's the point in dragging all of this stuff with me?"

Draco saw her body trembling as she laughed. He walked up to her and turned her around, pulling her into his arms. She clung to him, tears soaking into his shirt. "I don't know why I'm crying. I always knew this would happen. I'm not surprised. I just didn't expect to be so sad," she whispered thickly against his neck.

He couldn't stand it.

"Dobby!"

A loud crack resounded in the room. "You called, sir?"

"Draw a thick curtain around every single portrait in the manor and spell them all silent. Now."

Dobby snapped his fingers. "It is done, sir. Is there anything else?"

"Has Father left yet?"

"Yes, sir."

"Good." Draco pulled Hermione behind him as he raced back to his room and slammed the door shut.

"What are you doing?"

"You're not leaving this house. You're not leaving me alone."

"You heard what your father said."

"I don't care. I'll figure something out. I won't have you wandering around with no place to go."

She smoothed her hands over his shoulders, smiling at him with wet eyes. "I'll be fine. I managed before you, and I'll manage after you, too. I'm sure you'll do the same." He shook his head fiercely, staring at her with desperate gray eyes. "Yes, you will," Hermione reassured him, cupping his face in her hands to stop his movements. "You have other friends. You have Theo and Blaise. Soon you'll have Pansy, too." More tears spilled out of her eyes. "After a while, you won't even remember me."

"Impossible," he whispered, eyes bright and a little red. "I could never forget you."

She smiled brightly, miserably. She turned around to wipe her tears. "Um, if it's not too much to ask, could I possibly have the Potter's contact information? I'm sure they would know of a place where I could go."

He stilled. "Why would they know that?"

"Lily is a Muggleborn. I'm sure she can speak with her parents to find an affordable place for me to live in my world. She might even be able to help me find a job somewhere."

She's leaving, he thought. She's really leaving.

Draco felt something snap inside of him.

He spun her around, gripping her by the shoulders. "I won't give you up. You can't leave me."

"Stop, Draco," she said, gently bending her elbows to place her hands on top his. "You've done your best, but we both know this was inevitable."

Inevitable.

His eyes roamed across her face, taking in every detail. He tried to imagine his life without her, tried to picture his days without her correcting his stance, without seeing her face partially blocked by an open book, without seeing her nap underneath the fruit tree he had given her on warm sunny afternoons.

Inevitable.

He couldn't do it. He couldn't imagine it, didn't even want to try.

"No, it's not. But this is." Draco pulled her close and kissed her. He'd secretly always wanted to, though he would panic every time an opportunity came up and convince himself to hug her tightly instead.

This time, he did both. And she was kissing him back.

This was inevitable.

She moaned against his lips, pressing her body against his lanky frame, and slid her hands into his hair. Her mouth was soft and welcoming. She opened up at the first touch of his tongue to her lips and flicked her tongue against his shyly, driving him wild.

"Draco," she breathed, pulling away for air. He grunted, chasing after her lips for another kiss. "Draco, stop. Wait. What are we doing? Mmph!" He silenced her questions with another soul-searing kiss, slowly walking her backwards until the back of her knees hit the bed and they tumbled onto it.

She managed to break the kiss and turned her head away. "We can't do this," she gasped, even as her arms held him against her while he kissed his way down her throat. "You're engaged."

Draco paused and flicked his heated gaze up to meet hers. "No, I'm not. Not yet." She bit her lip and looked away. "Hermione," he rasped against her ear. He burrowed his fingers into her thick hair. "Tell me you don't want this, don't want me, and I'll stop. I swear. But know that I want you. I've always wanted you, as a playmate, as a friend, and now this." One of his hands left her hair and caressed its way down her body to her thigh, hooking her leg around his waist so that she could feel how much he wanted her.

"What do you want, Hermione?"

xxx

Hermione remembered waking up in his bed a few weeks ago, how he threw his body on top of hers to keep her in bed and the slight ache between her thighs as he'd dragged his body down against hers when she couldn't breathe under his weight.

Now, he hovered over her, his hungry eyes watching her, his lips swollen from her kisses, his face flushed with passion, his hard body pressed intimately against hers, and she ached and craved. How could she say no to him, when she wanted this just as much? How, when there was an emptiness so great inside of her that she wanted to swallow him whole to fill the void?

She licked her lips, her heart racing when she saw his eyes follow the movement and how his head ducked a centimeter closer to hers. "I want this, too," she admitted softly. "I want you, but I don't know what to do. I don't know how to make you feel good."

"I'll tell you, and you'll tell me what feels good for you, too. We'll figure it out together. Okay?"

"Okay." She took one of his hands and placed it on her breast. He could feel the staccato beat of her heart pounding beneath her ribs. "Touch me," she said, giving him permission. "Touch me slowly, like you mean it."

"I do."

So he did.

xxx

Pants filled the room, accented by the soft, rhythmic creaking of a bed.

A sharp inhalation, sheets twisting in her hands. "Ah!"

The creaking stopped.

"I'm sorry. Did I hurt you?"

"N-no. It's just…ah! I feel…so good. You feel so good."

A relieved sigh. The creaking started again, followed shortly by a high-pitched, keening sound.

"Shh. I've got you. You feel amazing to me, too. So bloody good, I could die right now."

"I didn't know it would be like this."

"It will always be like this with us." A low moan resounded through the room. "I swear it."

A hiss cut through the air.

"Are you close?"

"Yes." A breath hitched. "I think so. Kiss me, please."

Harsh breathing, louder creaking, fingers tangled in hair, and then… paradise.

xxx

The next few days flew by in a haze of heated touches and pounding hearts. When Hermione was too sore for him, they explored and learned each other's bodies in different ways.

Draco tried to curb his sudden insatiable appetite for her. Sometimes he held back, challenging himself to go a day without having her. There were times he came so close, too. But then he'd watch her eat her nightly peach, watch her lips glisten with the sweet juice from the ripe fruit, and his mouth would suddenly dry out, leaving him parched and wanting.

And despite his best efforts, his resistance would crumble. He'd find himself pinning her down on the dining table and quenching his thirst. He'd kiss her through her giggles and chase every last drop of peach juice he found, until he could swear he was the one who ate the fruit in the first place.

xxx

"What's wrong?"

"Nothing. Nothing!"

A sigh. His busy fingers stopped moving. "Hermione."

"Um, well…you always come inside me. What if something happens?"

"Nothing will happen. I've been spelled against any accidents until marriage."

"Oh, that is good news."

"Is it now?" His fingers resumed its task. "You don't want to bear my children?"

"Oh please! You make it sound so rude, like I'm some sort of broodmare."

He pressed a kiss to the delicate skin under her bellybutton. "You don't like it when I finish inside you?"

"I do." She gasped when his mouth replaced his fingers, letting out a low groan. "You know I love it when you do."

He hummed against her, savoring her sweet taste and sweeter cries for a while before pulling away. "Really? I must have forgotten. Why don't you show me again how much you love it?" He slipped inside her with one smooth thrust.

"You're insatiable," she accused tightly, digging her fingernails into his shoulders as stars exploded behind her closed eyelids.

Draco kissed her, smiling against her lips as she moaned her pleasure.

xxx

A week and a half passed before Draco received a letter from his father, updating him on his mother's condition. She was responding well to the treatment, and the doctors believed she would make a full recovery with time. Lucius also inquired about the status of his engagement, reminding him of his duties to the family.

Draco incinerated the letter to ashes.

Later, he dragged Hermione into his father's office, splayed her nude body out on top of the imposing oak desk, and feasted on her. She screamed her voice hoarse that night, and wondered if the spell on him would be enough to keep any accidents at bay.

xxx

The next day, Pansy sent a letter telling him to expect her around afternoon tea. She arrived promptly at three o'clock.

"Pansy," Draco greeted. "I trust you are well."

"As well as can be expected," she gave him an assessing look-over. "How are you?"

He ran his hand through his hair, trying to shake the feeling of Hermione's mouth on him just minutes before Pansy arrived. "I'm well. Would you care for some tea?"

"Yes please. Earl Grey. No sugar."

Draco clapped his hand twice and two cups of tea appeared on the table.

"Very nice," Pansy said, taking a small sip before placing it back down. "You must be wondering why I've called." Draco motioned for her to continue. He lifted his cup to his mouth, discreetly licking his lips to remove the last traces of Hermione that lingered. "I received a letter nearly two weeks ago from you father, telling me to expect your call within the week. When you didn't, I became curious and decided to stop by."

"I've been occupied with my studies," he said smoothly. "I had no idea Father has been in contact with you."

"Like I said, it was a while ago. Nevertheless, I'm here now. What did you want to speak to me about?" she asked, eyebrows raised expectantly.

He paused. The ring he thought. Reaching into his robes, he pulled out the velvet box. He flipped it open and stared at it.

"Draco?"

He looked up at Pansy's beautiful face. Her eyes were trained on the box in his hands, and he could just make out the hunger behind her dark gaze. The box snapped shut. "There will be no engagement Pansy. I'm sorry to have wasted your time."

She flinched back. "Well, this was certainly unexpected," she said, recovering from the news. "I didn't expect this from you."

"I'm just telling you the truth."

"I suppose it's the honest ones you never see coming." Pansy narrowed her eyes at him. "But you're not completely honest, are you? Where is she?"

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"The girl." There was a scuffling sound on the stairs, and Pansy smiled brightly. "Ah! There she is."

Before Draco could stop her, Pansy was out of the room. He ran after her, but it was too late. Pansy was at the bottom of the stairs looking at Hermione, who was standing frozen in the middle of the stairs.

"This is the girl?" Pansy tsked. "And to think I felt a little threatened."

"I think you should leave, Pansy." Draco said, trying to pull her away.

She threw his hand off her. "Mind your manners, Draco. Since you are not my intended, you do not touch me without my permission."

She turned back to Hermione, narrowing her eyes. "I recognize you from the gala. You're the girl in the gold dress, aren't you?"

Hermione nodded.

Pansy laughed mockingly. "Can't speak? What a winner you've chosen here, Draco."

"That's enough. Please see yourself out." Draco commanded.

"So brash. Fine. I won't be visiting anymore, though it does seem unfair that I don't even know the name of the little tart that stole my fiancé."

"We were never–"

"My name is Hermione Granger," she said, her dark brown eyes glaring down at Pansy, "and I didn't steal anything. He was never your fiancé. He didn't even propose."

"She speaks!" Pansy exclaimed. Draco saw her wand drop out from her sleeve. "Now, let's see you do it again without your tongue."

Hermione gasped.

Expelliarmus!

Pansy's wand suddenly jerked out of her hand. Confused, she turned to see it in Draco's hand, his wand in his other. "Nonverbal magic?" she asked.

Draco moved so that he stood between Pansy and Hermione. "Take your wand and never come back," Draco ordered. His thunderous expression was enough to make Pansy take a step back.

She sniffed and walked away. Pausing at the entrance, she looked back at him with an unreadable expression on her face. "I would've been a great Malfoy."

"We'll never know now, will we?" he answered coldly.

Pansy's eyes iced over. "You were the one who said so." She gave a grand, mocking curtsey and left. The door slammed behind her.

Draco turned around. "You didn't stay in my room."

"You didn't propose to her."

"Your last name is Granger?"

She flushed. "She asked."

"I've asked. I've asked you a million times over the years, and then you go and announce it to some girl who threatened to hex you?"

"Well, I couldn't look stupid in front of her."

"I thought you didn't have a last name!"

She rolled her eyes. "Now that's just silly. Everyone has a last name."

Draco growled. He grabbed her arm and hauled her up the stairs and into his bedroom. "Why didn't you tell me?"

"It wasn't important."

"Everything about you is important, especially your last name." He tilted her chin up, forcing her to meet his gaze. "Tell me."

She sighed and closed her eyes, pulling away. She walked over to the bed and crawled underneath the covers. When Draco did the same, she stared up at the canopy and started talking. She told him about waking up in a hospital one day with no parents. How one minute she was sitting in the back seat of their car when a blinding flash of light appeared, and the next minute, there was a woman in a frayed gray suit gently telling her that there had been a car accident and that she was the only one they'd been able to save.

"The nurse later told me that I died on the operating table." She heard Draco inhale sharply at those words but pressed on. "They tried resuscitating me for five minutes straight before my heart started beating again. Afterwards, I was transferred to an orphanage full of terrible children and cruel headmasters. I was there for two years before the fire. The whole building went up in flames. I was lucky to escape. I lived on the streets for a while after that before accidentally bumping into your father. You know the rest."

Draco pulled her close to him, forcing her to meet his frantic stare. "You died?"

She smiled reassuringly, though it did not reach her eyes. "Yes, but I came back."

His heart pounded beneath his ribs. She had died. He had almost never met her. He was terrified and angry. How could she be so calm? He couldn't stop trembling.

"Hey now, shush." She stroked the side of his face. "I'm right here. I'm right here, Draco."

He kissed her desperately, tasting death and divinity on her lips.

xxx

He stared at the ring box in his hands.

"What are you going to tell your father when he gets back?" she asked gently.

Draco flipped it open. "I'm going to tell him the truth, that I didn't ask Pansy to marry me."

She exhaled slowly.

"Why were you on the steps anyway? Eavesdropping?"

"Kind of."

"Jealous?"

"You wish!" She threw a pillow at him. He caught it and smacked her lightly on the leg with it. She laughed. "Okay, maybe a little."

"You shouldn't have been." He looked at her with an affectionate smile. "When I sat down with her, I decided to marry you instead."

Hermione's smile faded as her eyes widened. She sat up and stared at him. "What?"

He slipped the ring out of the box and held it out to her. "I want you as my wife. Marry me."

She gaped at the ring. It was beautiful, exquisite, and an engagement ring. She didn't know how to respond, so she said the first thing that popped in her head. "Are you asking me or telling me?"

"If I'm telling you, does it mean you have to do it?" She smacked him hard across his stomach. "Ouch! Okay. I'm asking you. Will you marry me?"

Hermione started hyperventilating. "This isn't happening. What are you even thinking asking me that? Your father will kill you, right after he kills me!"

Draco sat up and kissed her. "Will you marry me, Hermione Granger?" he asked, peppering her lips with kisses after each word.

"Mmph. Maybe?"

"Maybe?"

"Convince me a little more. Let me see how that ring looks on my finger."

He laughed out loud. "If I slip this on your finger, you've automatically agreed to do this with me."

"I guess I'm saying yes then."

"Excellent." The ring slid easily into place.

"Now what is this thing I've agreed to do with you?" she teased.

"Life." He nuzzled his nose against hers. "You've agreed to be mine, just like how I've agreed to be yours."

"Sounds boring."

"The ring is on. There's no backing out now."

"Then you'll just have to make life worth it."

"You're getting several mansions, power, and millions of galleons for life. What more do you want."

"That does sound nice, but I was thinking something along the lines of this." She threw a leg over his hips, straddling him, and pulled her shirt off.

"Oh," he breathed.

"Oh indeed," she smiled.

xxx

Lucius returned three days later, erupting out of the fireplace in a haze of ash and green smoke.

"Draco!" he bellowed. He hated to leave Narcissa's side at this crucial stage in her recovery, but Pansy's letter could not be ignored. Lucius paused, noting the lack of voices greeting him, and saw all the black drapes hung over the portraits. Brandishing his wand, he removed the covers and lifted the silencing spell, only to be inundated with hundreds of cries.

"Oh thank heavens you're back!"

"I've been rolling in my grave for weeks—"

"The things that boy did to her!"

"The scandal!"

"Positively indecent—"

"Completely shameless—"

"On your desk, too!"

And Lucius knew it was the Muggle's doing.

He searched room after room, throwing doors open violently, before finding his son in the study with his arms wrapped around that wretched creature.

Draco and Hermione broke away from each other, startled and horrified at Lucius early return. Hermione straightened out her clothes, while Draco ran a hand through his hair to smooth it down.

"Have you no decency, boy? You throw away your relationship with a perfectly respectable lady to roll in the dirt with a Muggle?" Lucius sneered down at Hermione. "Pack your things, girl. You've long outstayed your welcome. If you are not out of my house within the hour, I will turn you into a shoe rack."

"She's not going anywhere." Draco stepped in front of Hermione with shaky knees. She clutched his shoulders in a white-knuckled grip. "I never had a relationship with Pansy, Father. We were never engaged. I didn't want to marry her."

"That's the problem, isn't it? It's all about what you want for yourself. You're not thinking about the good of the family. You—" Lucius stopped, his eyes catching on the girl's hand where a familiar ring rested on her finger. "You gave that to her?"

Hermione pulled her hands behind her back. She tried twisting the ring off her finger, but Draco's words stopped her. "Don't take it off, Hermione. I meant what I said. I'm going to protect you."

"I see now that I've failed you, Draco. I never should have brought that miserable girl home with me all those years ago. She's led you astray. I'll have to be harsher with your discipline to get you back on the right path." He pulled out his wand and aimed it at his son. "Crucio!"

xxx

Draco fell to his knees screaming. He screamed and screamed as if he were being destroyed from the inside out.

"Stop it! You're killing him!"

"This is your fault, girl." Lucius said, his eyes never wavering from the sight of his only son curled up on the floor. "You forced my hand. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't have to do this."

She couldn't stand it. She had to stop him. Blood pounding in her eardrums, she impulsively reached for Draco's wand and aimed it at his father.

"Expelliarmus!"

xxx

The pain stopped. Draco dimly registered a loud crash. Body shaking with the aftershocks of pain, he managed to rise to his feet by himself. When his eyes focused, he saw his father picking himself up off of a toppled bookshelf. Draco looked behind him to see Hermione, staring in shock at the two wands in her shaky hands.

"Hermione, how did you…?"

"I-I don't know. I just wanted him to stop, and I grabbed your wand…I wasn't thinking. I didn't think it would actually work." She turned to him, eyes huge in her pale face. "Why did it work? How is this possible?"

"You can do magic?" Draco asked, his body still twitchy from the curse.

"Just when I thought you couldn't be any more disgusting, you manage to outdo yourself." Lucius dusted his robes off, before stalking towards her. "Give me my wand, you filthy littleMudblood."

The word rang in Draco's head as he stared at her.

Mudblood.

Hermione was a Mudblood. She's been lying to you all this time, a voice that sounded suspiciously like his father's hissed in his head. The words slithered around his brain in an endless loop, until he felt a rage build up inside him that almost matched his hurt.

But through it all, he saw her, terrified and shaking as she dropped both wands, completely defenseless in the face of his father's wrath.

His ring sparkled on her finger.

But I love her.

"Hermione, go to my room and wait for me there," he commanded. "Now."

She practically flew out the door, leaving father and son alone.

"You know she cannot stay," Lucius said quietly, picking up his wand with his handkerchief. "Think of the scandal it would cause if word got out that the Malfoys have been housing one of them for all these years."

Draco understood, but he didn't care. He didn't care about anything but being with her. "You can't do that. I need her."

"Spoiled boy. What use do you have for a deceitful little Mudblood?"

He couldn't explain it properly. His father didn't understand hunger, just like he hadn't until Hermione came along and dared him to find out. Draco could never have fathomed the various forms it dressed up in until she'd welcomed him into her sweet, soft body.

He was consumed by it now at the thought of never seeing her again. The dreadful tightness in his throat returned along with the aches associated with hunger, only this time the cramps were in his chest rather than in his stomach. It couldn't be assuaged without her.

So Draco said the stupidest, bravest thing he'd ever said to his father.

"If she goes, then I go with her."

His father's eyes iced over. "You dare choose that peasant over your own flesh and blood?"

"I love her, Father!"

A sharp slap split the air. "No son of mine could ever do that. Get out of my house, and don't return until you've regained your head."

Face throbbing, Draco stumbled out of the room and up the stairs to his room where Hermione was waiting. When she saw him, she immediately ran to his side.

"He hit you?" she asked, voice thick with tears. Her hands gently brushed against his reddened cheek, before he moved away from her touch.

"Grab your things. Take everything you can't live without and throw it in here." He held open a small pouch and started throwing books, shoes, and clothes inside. "We need to get out of here as soon as possible."

"You're leaving, too?" she asked. "But this is your home."

"Just do it, Hermione!"

Stung by his harsh tone, she did as he asked. After they finished, Draco pocketed the pouch and guided her into the fireplace. He looped an arm around her waist and grabbed a handful of dust.

"Diagon Alley!"

A fire roared up and consumed them. When it died down, all that remained were ashes.

xxx

They rented a room above a pub named The Leaky Cauldron.

"Are we going to live here now?"

"No."

"Where are we going to go?"

"I don't know yet. Just let me think for a moment."

She was lying in his arms on the narrow bed, but she could feel a distance between them that hadn't existed before. The ache in her chest swelled with every minute he didn't try to touch her.

"I didn't know."

He sighed, lifting a hand up to run it through her hair. "I know."

"What does it mean? Am I like you now?"

"I have no idea what you are."

She bit her lip. "I think I know who could help, but you won't like it."

"With the way things are going today, I'll take all the help I can get. It's not like things could possibly get any worse."

xxx

Draco should have known better.

He sat in the kitchen nursing a mug of butterbeer that Mrs. Potter had given him. Sirius sat across the table from him, feet propped up on the table and looking at him with a curious expression.

"Who would've guessed you would be here under these circumstances?" he said finally. "I guess karma does exist after all."

"I'm glad my misery serves a greater purpose other than making me feel as though the sky is falling," Draco said dryly.

"Happy to help." Sirius pulled a small bottle out of his cloak and pulled the cork out with his teeth. He sniffed the contents and sighed blissfully. "The finest Firewhiskey on this side of the ocean." He eyed the despondent boy across from him for a moment before leaning over to pour a dash of the dark liquid into the mug. "There you go, chap. It looks like you need it more than I do today."

Draco glanced up, unable to hide the surprise on his face. "Thanks," he mumbled. He took a sip and choked. "That stuff is awful."

"Keep drinking. We'll refine your taste buds yet," Sirius said, raising the bottle. "Cheers!"

Draco scoffed but lifted the mug to his lips again.

xxx

"What I don't understand is how you slipped through the cracks," James said, adjusting his glasses on his face. "I've never heard of a case where Hogwarts failed to deliver a letter before."

"Maybe it was a fluke. Maybe I'm not really magical." Even as she said that, something inside of her rejected that thought.

"Oh, you're magical all right. You disarmed a man while he was casting an Unforgivable. You must be incredibly gifted."

"I still don't understand it," Lily said. "You should've exhibited signs of magic early on. Are you sure you can't recall anything unusual happening to you when you were younger? Harry made an entire glass panel disappear at the zoo when he was eleven, and unleashed an African python on the poor residents of London."

Hermione shook her head.

"No unexplained fires? No bright flashes of light?"

Hermione felt the world tilt. Impossible, she thought. There's no way…

"There was a fire at the orphanage," she whispered, fingertips hovering over her mouth as if to filter out the truth from her memories. "And before that, I remember sitting in the back seat of my parents' car and seeing a bright flash of light and then waking up in a hospital."

Lily and James shared a worried looked.

Tears spilled down her face. "Did I kill them?"

"No. No, sweetheart. Of course you didn't. Don't you ever think that." Lily rubbed her back in soothing strokes.

"It doesn't explain why your letter never arrived," James pointed out.

"Maybe it's because I died." She felt both of their eyes on her and elaborated, "The doctors said my heart stopped for five minutes during surgery. Maybe my letter didn't come because they thought I died."

"That's certainly a possibility." James said.

"You poor girl." Lily pulled Hermione into a hug. "Don't you worry. We'll take care of it. I'll write to Headmaster Dumbledore right away. He'll straighten this whole mess out."

xxx

Harry pulled Hermione to the side, just as she went to go look for Draco.

"I just wanted to make sure you're okay with him," he said. "He didn't exactly make the best impression with us at the gala."

Hermione waved him off with a smile. "He tends to throw little tantrums like that. He's a very spoiled boy."

"I don't like the way he treats you, as if you were some sort of pet or toy. It's unsettling to watch."

"Again, he's spoiled. He doesn't share well with others."

Harry sucked his teeth in frustration. "You're making excuses for him."

"What do you want me to say? He's all I have."

"He's not all you can have though." When she looked at Harry with wide brown eyes, he flushed. "I-I mean, I think that you're letting your past color your view of him. From what you've told us, being with Draco was your only means of survival. Maybe your brain started to associate staying with him to mean having shelter and food. Maybe you're still doing it."

"It's not like that."

"How can you be so sure? How do you know it's not just your defense mechanism kicking in?"

"It's because I've always felt the same way. I never showed it, but I've always thought of him as mine, too."

"It's not healthy."

"Are you telling me to leave him? I'm all he has. He left his family for me."

Harry stared at her with bright green eyes. "That's not a good enough reason to stay."

Hermione clenched her fists. "You've never been in love."

He shook his head. "Regardless of what I think, I want you to know that you can stay here for as long as you'd like. Both of you."

"That's very kind, but I don't think it's a good idea. Draco practically growls every time he sees you."

"That's because he thinks I'm going to steal you away from him."

She hated that word and how everyone thought that she or Draco could be taken away so easily, as if they had no mind or will of their own.

"I can't be stolen," she snapped.

Harry practically radiated disappointment. "I hope," he began slowly, "you mean that you're choosing to be by his side because you want to, and not because he's familiar."

His words pierced through her, ringing with a truth she hated him for exposing. Because part of her knew everything he said was true, sort of. Hermione could see the concern as clear as day on his face and in the way his hands nervously fiddled with his robes. And if she cared to look deeper, she might've seen that maybe Draco was right to be wary of him. That, perhaps in another life, where she did get her letter and Lucius never found her, that maybe she could have...with this boy.

But she didn't look deeper. She was too busy trying to untangle her emotions, trying to find the words to tell him that yes, maybe he was right, but it didn't make her feelings wrong.

She felt a hand gently rest on her shoulder and looked up to see Harry smiling at her with a lopsided grin. "Whatever you choose, our door is always open."

He brushed past her as he walked into the kitchen. She watched him go, her heart fluttering nervously inside her ribcage.

xxx

Draco, predictably, chose not to stay with the Potters.

"I have enough money in my accounts to last us for quite some time," he said.

"Are you sure your father hasn't frozen it?" Sirius asked, and sighed at the shocked expression on the boy's face. "I have a flat in London you can use, free of charge. I stay with Remus most nights anyway. Someone should get some use out of that place."

"We'll take it," Hermione said. "Thank you."

His gray eyes flickered to Draco briefly. "I should tell you, it's in Muggle London."

Hermione hesitated, glancing nervously at Draco.

"It won't be a problem." Draco rolled his eyes when everyone in the room looked at him in shock. "I can adapt, contrary to popular belief."

Hermione beamed. "It's settled then. We're staying in Muggle London."

xxx

As it turned out, the village was not as poor as it once was. Over the years it had become a bustling metropolis filled with wonders that the boy could never conceive of and wonders that the girl had long forgotten. They explored this new world, met many interesting people, struggled against hunger, fought constantly over trivial things, and remained together and mostly content.

So where is the magic in this version, you ask?

xxx

Draco plopped down on the couch after a gruelling ten hour shift at the club serving drink after drink to people that grew progressively bolder with him as the liquor flowed in their veins. Normally he didn't mind the attention because it always meant bigger tips, but his morning started out poorly when he received a letter from Pansy along with a copy of the Daily Prophet.

Draco, it was inconsiderate of you to go and ruin your life before I could. You've taken the fun out of my plans for you and your little toy. Nevertheless, I managed to get a few chuckles here and there. You can read about it on the society pages.

The article she referenced was nothing short of a slander article, where she gave her opinions on his speculated fall out with his father and the state of the Malfoy name in the wake of it. When asked about the rumors about him being with a Muggleborn—the question laced with disapproval—Pansy merely stated that "if the rumors are true, then they deserve each other."

It had then gone on to discuss her recent engagement to Theodore Nott. She had proudly displayed her impressive engagement ring to the reporter in the picture that accompanied the article.

There was really no recovery after that. He flipped through the channels on the television with the remote control, contemplating how badly his father would curse him should they ever meet again.

"Draco!" Hermione called out. She bounced into the living room, waving a letter in her hand. "My Hogwarts letter just arrived!"

"You're awfully excited to start school with a bunch of eleven year olds," he commented, finally settling on a rather exciting football game.

"It is exciting! I'm officially a witch now." She straddled his lap and held out her left hand where his ring sat. "You have a witch for a fiancée."

"Hmm, I liked my Muggle one better. Less hyperactive." He craned his neck around her to just in time to watch a man kick the ball into the net. "GOAL!"

"I regret showing you how that thing works."

"I regret asking you to make me breakfast this morning."

"No one gets Eggs Benedict right on the first try."

"Not with that attitude."

She swatted him hard on the shoulder. "Draco, why didn't you go to Hogwarts? I've been doing some research, and it says it's one of the best wizarding schools in the world."

"My parents didn't want me to go because during their last year at Hogwarts, the headmaster announced that the school would begin accepting Mud-Muggleborns." Draco cleared his throat. He was getting better at catching himself. "Father didn't want me to go there because of it so I had tutors instead. They were all professors from Hogwarts at one point or another though, so I basically got the same education."

"Which house do you think I'm going to end up in?"

"That is an interesting question." He contemplated it for a moment, wrapping his arms around her waist. "You'd fit in with Ravenclaw."

"I thought so, too."

He snorted. "Knowing my luck, though, you'll probably end up in Gryffindor."

"Are you talking about the infamous Slytherin – Gryffindor house feud?"

"Well there's that, and the fact that Potter is in that house."

Hermione laughed. "Still insecure are we?" she teased, peppering his face with kisses.

"If I say yes, what will you do to alleviate my worries?"

"Well, I can think of a couple of things." Her hand teased the waistband of his pants. "But I doubt you'd have to worry about Harry. A little bird told me that there's this new bloke in Slytherin that might give you a run for your money. Blond hair, gray eyes, spoiled rotten," she paused, leaning in to sniff his clothes, "and reeking of booze. How many numbers did you get last night?"

"Still insecure are we?" he said, throwing her words back in her face.

She smiled mischievously. "If I say yes, what will you do to alleviate my worries?"

Draco broke out into a wide grin, staring up at her reverently as though she was the answer to all his prayers.

xxx

Well, what is the oldest magic in the world?

Love.

xxx

End