Old Memories

Old Memories

"Aw, they broke up!" was what the pretty witch said when she heard of her two friends' relationship coming to an end. The remark though caused the witch who had told her about the break up to cast a sideways glance at her, which the other witch noticed.

"Sorry, I just thought they looked so good together, as if they were meant for each other."

"I think you and Draco look good together."

"Who? Draco and me! That sounds ridiculous! Can you imagine, Draco and Hermione or Hermione and Draco, it just doesn't seem right to me."

"You're just saying that because you know that Ron and Harry will get mad if you and Draco get together," cried one of Hermione's best friends, "you actually really like him, I think you actually love him but you're too scared to tell him. Come on Hermione, the whole school can tell that you like him and that you guys are meant for each other."

"I don't really think that's possible but how in the world did we get on this topic?" Let's just go meet the guys before they leave without us again." With that said, they both rushed to go meet Harry and Ron so that they could so into Hogsmeade, their first weekend since they came to school. But there was still a thought lingering in Hermione's head. Thinking to herself of what her friend just told her about her feeling for Draco, she realized that Ginny was right. She really did love Draco.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Trying to bring herself back to reality was hard for Hermione. She'd never been one to sit and daydream but recently she would start anywhere. Just thinking of how she first realized she loved him and how scared she was of anyone to find out especially Harry and Ron. She didn't want to hurt them and she knew that if they found out, their friendship might be jeopardized just for the sake of her love. She respected her love but friendship meant more to her. After all, it's friendship that's the start of every relationship, even love. Hermione found true friendship in Ron and Harry for the first time in her life and she didn't want it to end...for anyone.

*~*~*~*~*~*

"Ginny, I told you, I don't want him to know or anyone else for that matter. I don't even know if he loves me. How can I just tell him that I like him?"

"Hermione, he does love you, maybe you haven't noticed but whenever he looks at you, him eyes sparkle and you can find happiness in those eyes of his. Those eyes that are so expressionless without you."

"Well what if those two find out about us? They'll be hurt. I don't what to do anything that might upset our friendship"

"So to keep your friendship, you'll sacrifice love, is that what you're saying?"

"No, I just...I don't know..."

"Hermione, not everyone is lucky enough to have love and here you for that same chance and you're rejecting it. I'm sorry Hermione, but that's so dumb, you'll wonder 15 years from now and regret that you didn't tell him." For fear of saying something that she'll regret later, Ginny left, leaving Hermione in the common room all alone.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Ginny had been right. Years from then she would sitting thinking about what had happened, like she was doing now. Her life had changed so much since she had left Hogwarts. She never thought that she'd be running her own business and that it would be a multi-million dollar business that's doing well in Europe as well as the rest of the world. She had also gotten married right out of Hogwarts. It had been so funny to watch her family react to the news. They had never thought that their daughter would want to get married without studying more and setting up a career but nonetheless, they were happy with her decision and loved her fiancée as much as they cherished their only child. But she could still remember the countless nights that she spent crying herself to sleep hoping that the next day by some miracle either she or he would be able to declare their love for each other. Ginny had told her that he had loved her, his eyes revealed it all. She had also said that that was why he teased her, he doesn't know how to express his feelings, and he'd never had to before.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Now she was sure that he loved her but she didn't want to say anything. She felt too embarrassed to be harboring such feelings for him. But now that she knew for sure that he liked her, she was angry at him for not telling her. Why should she tell him? After all she's a girl and very old fashioned when it came to love.

She'd cried last night, not knowing what to do. Part of her wanted to sneak out of the Gryffindor tower to the Slytherin dungeons and into his room and tell him everything. Every single feeling she felt for him se wanted to display. Knowing that she couldn't possibly do this, she felt emptiness and cried so much into her soft pillow that all you saw was the darker color of the pillow caused by the profuse weeping. As the seconds turned into minutes, which in turn turned into hours, she eventually fell into a dreamless sleep.

In the morning, she thought that maybe he'd tell her that he loved her. Believing that he'd tell her was how she was able to get up every morning and face the world. Though it wouldn't happen, she'd still hope that maybe he'll tell her that he loved her and they would live happily ever after but he never did.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Tears were streaming down her cheeks as she thought of herself as a teenage witch, hoping for some love. She wanted to go back into time and tell the witch that her future would be good, that she shouldn't cry, or wait around for someone. She would end up having a great life and she didn't need to cry anymore.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Then came Valentine's Day, her very favorite holiday. She had always cherished this day, even when she had no one to be with. The smell of roses, the pretty jewelry displayed in store windows, the yummy chocolate, and the fuzzy teddy bears made it the perfect holiday. Hermione always enjoyed either watching a romantic movie or reading a romance novel, curled up on the coach with a box of heart shaped chocolates with her. It seemed so magical, like a dream. But like every Valentine's Day for the past three years, she was waiting her Draco to tell her what every person tells his or her lover. She longed to be in his arms, to take in him smell, to feel the warmth of his body, and to stare into his eyes.

This Valentine's Day was important, there was a full moon tonight. She'd watched a movie one time that said that if Valentine's Day fell on that day, and then surely before midnight she'd find her soul mate. Of course, after finding this out, she'd anticipated for this day to fall when the moon would be complete.

*~*~*~*~*~*

She thought with a sad smile how disappointed that witch would be when the one she admired wouldn't come and tell her. She had felt so lost and was so distressed. She didn't know what to do with herself. She wished that she could cry but her tears were used up, leaving her face dry of any.

*~*~*~*~*~*

It was late and he hadn't come. As she got ready for bed, she tried to keep the tears, which had refused to fall earlier in the day, from streaming down her cheeks. She knew now that he wouldn't come. She had had false hopes and now that she was over it she knew that the miracle that she'd wished for would never come true. This made her feel even more miserable and she was heartbroken. Like every night, she cried silently in to the pillow, soon falling asleep with the best dream she had ever had.

There was a tree branch hitting the window so she went to see if she could fix it but soon realized that it was someone knocking on the window. It was too dark to make out who it was but as soon as she noticed the slivery blond hair shining in the moonlight she opened the window. It was of course Draco on his broom.

"Hi," he said. "You going to ask me in or will I have to do all the talking from out here."

"Oh, sorry, come in."

After he was settled in a chair he started.

"Hermione, I know I haven't been the nicest person to you for the past few years but I really can't help myself. I've never experienced love and have never known how to respond to it. I have always learned to hide my feelings, whether happy or sad. I always hid my feelings from you by acting like a jerk. I also knew that if my father knew of my feeling he would have you killed. I..."

"What are you saying?"

"Hermione I love you, I always have from the day I saw you, and I couldn't help myself but fall for you."

Knowing that she was dreaming, she didn't want it to end. She wanted him to tell her that he loved her. She wanted this to last but she knew that soon this dream will fade away and she would be brought back to reality. Ignoring this, she told him what she'd been waiting to tell him for what seemed like forever.

"Draco, I love you too," she said as tears went down her cheeks, falling onto her white silk nightdress. Her heart felt so light after this but she knew that this was because the dream was fading, to be put in the back of her mind never to be revisited again. She wanted to hold onto it but she knew she couldn't. But after speaking those beloved words to him, she felt like she could live for another ten years because she had told him she loved him, even if it were a dream.

She bit her lips to keep any more tears from falling. She bit so hard that she could taste the blood in her mouth. Slowly, she realized that this was not a dream; it was real. She had told him and he told her. They would be happy from now on. She glanced at the clock on her wall and saw that it was 11.58, two minutes before midnight. Draco was her soul mate; she just knew it.

*~*~*~*~*~*

Smiling now about that wonderful day, she thought of her husband. How magical it had all been. They had been together for a long time and were expecting a little girl. She had known that Mr. Draco Malfoy and Mrs. Hermione Granger-Malfoy would live happily ever after.