One More Day

One more day

Once upon a year gone by

She saw herself give in

Every time she closed her eyes

She saw what could have been

- Vanessa Carlton

Hermione sighed and laid her head down on the bar in the Three Broomsticks. The Knight Bus would be coming soon to take her home. Everyone in the bar knew it and had grown to just ignoring the drunk girl sitting there all alone night after night drinking herself to sleep. This night, however, was different. People crowded the bar, more than usual for this time of night. They were celebrating and Hermione raised her head slightly and focused what little concentration she had left in her on seeing what about.

Two wizards one stool away from hers were raising their glasses. The white-bearded one in robes of midnight blue said, "To final peace in the wizard world."

The other man clinked his glass, sloshing beer everywhere and a few witches and wizards around them cheered.

"And to long life and happiness for the brave Harry Potter!" The first wizard shouted to the whole bar.

Loud cheers followed his toast and Hermione jerked her head up, suddenly wide awake. So, Harry had finally managed to do it. Standing up abruptly, Hermione wobbled slightly and made her way through the crowded bar to the door. She pushed it open and entered the deserted streets of Muggle London.

Pulling her cloak around her shoulders to fight the cold, Hermione made her way to her flat. As she crossed the bridge a loud BANG caused her to jump.The Knight Bus blundered up beside her, its bright headlights forcing herto cover her eyes with her arms. The door opened and out hopped a familiar form.

"Didn't pass out tonight, Hermione?" She asked.

Hermione lowered her arms to look into the kind, sad brown eyes of Ginny Weasley, her old friend and conductor on the Knight Bus for four years running.

"Harry did it, Ginny," she said softly.

What little light there was left in Ginny's eyes disappeared. "I know," she replied flatly.

Hermione looked up at Ginny, her own eyes glittering with tears. "I want to go and see him."

Ginny knew what Hermione meant and without another word, helped the older girl up the steps and onto the bus. She was greeted shyly by the driver, ErniePrang. Ginny helped her to a bed in the back. It would be a long ride andHermione needed sleep to sober herself. With another loud BANG, the bus wasoff and almost as suddenly Hermione was asleep.

Ginny sat next to her on the bed and gently took Hermione's cloak off. She went to hang it and an envelope fell out. Curiously, Ginny picked it upand opened it. She immediately wished she hadn't. Inside were several photos,one on top particularly painful. Grinning and waving back at Ginny were herself,Hermione, Harry Potter himself, and Ginny's brother, Ron. It had been takenthe day the latter three had graduated from Hogwart's, where they had allattended school. That seemed so long ago.

Sighing, Ginny put the envelope back into Hermione's cloak pocket and hungit up. Then, she sat on a chair near Hermione's bed and put her head in herhands. Ginny's mother had told her everyone needed to deal with their miseryon their own, but Ginny worried so much about Hermione. It was no secretthat for five years she had done nothing but drink herself to unconsciousness every night. No one should live like that, and Ginny wanted so badly for Hermioneto be happy again, or at least better off than she was now. But there wasnothing Ginny could do, especially since she was just as broken and miserable.

Just before the sun rose, they reached their destination. Ginny fetched a glass of water and some crackers and gently shook Hermione awake. Since everyone was out celebrating, Hermione had been the only passenger that night, for which both women were thankful. Hermione sat on the edge of the feather bed and stared fixedly at the floor.

"Do you want me to go with you?" Ginny asked as Hermione stood up and straightenedher hair and clothes.

"No," she answered firmly.

"All right, then. Just be careful. I'll be waiting when you're ready to go home. Just raise your wand."

Hermione turned at the stairs and looked straight at Ginny. Her eyes spoke volumes and Ginny took in a ragged breath when she realized what Hermione meant. "Okay," she said, and nodded.

"Goodbye, Ginny."

And with that, she was gone. Ginny watched as she set up the steps of Azkaban,small and fragile, but determined. When she had disappeared inside the massivestone doors, Ernie started up the bus and with a BANG they were gone.

Inside the massive, formidable prison, Hermione braced herself against the rush of cold, heartless feeling that washed over her and headed to the small booth ahead of her where a bored-looking wizard was standing in.

"Name, ID, and order of business," he asked her in a lazy drawl.

"Hermione Granger to see prisoner 771," she softly told him, pushing her ID through the small slot in the window.

The wizard peered at it and then pushed it back to her. "Very well. Here's your pass. You can pick up a Patronus Cloak at the entrance to the prison floors. A Dementor will escort you to prisoner 771's cell."

Hermione took the pass and followed his directions. She had been here oncebefore, but the Patronus Cloaks were new, invented by some wizard or another.The Minister of Magic, Neville Longbottom, had instigated their use in Azkaban.Everyone but Hermione had been surprised when Neville, the most clumsy andawkward boy in their Hogwarts class, had turned out as Minister of Magic.She knew he had it in him all along.

After pulling one of the bluish black cloaks around her, she followed theDementor that appeared in front of her. Through foot after foot of corridors, long passageways, and tunnels they traveled. Prisoners wailed when they saw her, begging for help. Some called horrible things after her, but Hermione paid none of them any attention. Finally, they turned down on particularly dark corridor where there stood only three cells.

Two were empty, but not for long, as they would soon be bringing in Harry's source of victory. The last one was occupied, and Hermione took a deep breath as they approached it. He looked up when the Dementor began to unlock the door and what she saw made Hermione want to turn around and leave.

Matted hair fell limply around his face, framing it in a grotesque, greasy way. He was pale as milk and thin, so horribly thin, like a pile of living bones. But it was his eyes that got to Hermione. Formerly glittering, jewel-like, and full of burning emotion, they were now lifeless and blank, hauntingly devoid of any feeling whatsoever. They stared like rocks as Hermione cautiously stepped into the cell.

The Dementor clanked the door shut behind her and hovered there, as if waiting for her to slip and drop the cloak, allowing it at her feelings. Shesat slowly down on the hard cot beside him.

"Hello, Draco," she said.

He just looked at her.

"It's been a while. Five years, I think."

She stopped, searching his eyes for any emotion at all. Hermione could find nothing. Of course, what had she been expecting? Five years in Azkaban was enough to make anyone as good as dead, but worse. Draco had nothing to live for, nothing to keep him sane. Of course he would be like death. Hermione thought bitterly back to the last time she had seen him fully alive and emotional.

~ flashback ~

"Don't you believe me? Hermione, I'm innocent. Listen to me! I love you. I don't want anything more than to love you!"

Hermione stared into his eyes. She wanted to believe him, but the mark on his arm glowed brightly like the blood on his hands. A heaviness settled in her heart and she looked back to see Harry and Dumbledore standing there. Dumbledore wore a sad, grievous look on his face, but Harry's was grim and determined. His green eyes were cold and dark, and he jerked his head at someone or something behind her.

Hermione turned back to see Sirius Black tying Draco's hands behind his back. Dementors were slowly gliding towards them.

"I didn't want this to happen! I don't want this!" He screamed, referring to the mark. "Give me a knife, I'll cut it off!"

The Dementors were close and Sirius began pulling Draco towards them. Hermione began to cry. She stepped forward and embraced Draco, then stepped away, staring at the blood left on her robes. "I'm sorry," she whispered, looking at him in horror.

Draco's eyes widened with shock and pain. Sirius wrenched him away and began to drag Draco, flanked by Dementors, away. "No!" he screamed. "I'm innocent! It was a set up! No!Hermione!"

Hermione tried to run to him, but a hand grabbed her back. She looked up into the solemn eyes of Dumbledore. Hermione sank to her knees, sobbing. Draco's frantic cries of her name echoed into the night. Harry tried to comfort her, but she wrenched away from his touch. Standing up, sheturned to face him.

"I hate you, Harry Potter. I hate you," she spat.

He looked at her unfazed, blinking slowly. Hermione slapped him and apparated, leaving Harry Potter and Albus Dumbledore alone on a hilltop with the bloodied body of Ronald Weasley.

~ end flashback ~

Hermione blinked back tears. "I'm so sorry, Draco. Every day I wish that I could go back and change it, help you escape somehow. Even when," her voice broke and she had to take a few minutes to calm herself. "Even when Harry discovered you were innocent, he couldn't stand the idea of you going free. So he kept it to himself, and of course, no one would believe me."

Hermione smiled bitterly. "I should have seen him for what he really was, how you saw him, and not what the world loved him to be. Power was too much for Harry, he couldn't do it right. He got caught up in being the hero and just couldn't let his enemy be his friend."

"When Ron was killed, our whole lives just ended. Everyone's changed ... I'm a wreck, Harry's a wreck, Ginny's a wreck, you're ... well, I don't know."

Hermione reached over and took Draco's bony, withered hand in her own. "Is there anything left in you, Draco?"

No answer came, just a long, blank stare.

"No. No, of course notI would give anything to take back what happened. Anything to have you. It's over now, Harry's a hero and the world is back to its mundane existence, oblivious to all of the innocent people, rotting away with their lives ruined all because of two people who couldn't understand power. I just want you to know that I love you. I always loved you, and I will forever."

Hermione knew her time was nearly up. "Draco, if there's anything left in you, show me now. I can give you your freedom, I can give you what you deserve, but I need to know you're worth it."

She searched his face. Just as she was giving up all hope, he squeezed her hand. Hermione's heart leapt. The Dementor was at the door, opening it slowly. Hermione stood up, Draco with her. She quickly slipped the cloak overhim, gasping as the feeling was ripped out of her heart. She pressed thepass into his hand and hugged his still-limp form, then pushed him gently to the door.

He turned back to her, his face still very blank, but questioning. "Go," she ordered.

As the gate slammed shut and the Dementor began to lead the escaping prisoner out, Draco turned his head to look at Hermione, who was clinging weakly to the bars, tears streaming down her face. She smiled in spite of the coldness pressing around her, filling her.

His eyes glittered once more.

~ four years later ~

Griffin Saylor slowly approached the small, white cross. Kneeling down, his caramel coloured hair falling into his dark brown eyes, he placed a small bouquet of roses before it. Behind him stood Ginny Weasley, a photo clasped in her hands. Looking up at the sky, Griffin slowly spoke.

"It's been four years since you gave me back my life. I would have been her sooner, but I only heard about this grave three days ago. Maybe if you knew how many times I had screamed out my hatred of you, you would never havedone it. But I always loved you and I always will.

Harry died last year. Suicide, jumped off the London Bridge. It was after he found out about you, I think. We miss you, Ginny and I. We always will. So, stay safe and watch over me because I need you."

The man formerly known as Draco Malfoy stood up and began walking back to the purple bus hovering nearby. Ginny placed the picture on top of the flowers and followed suit, their tears burning holes in the snow. The picture was on of those Ginny had found in Hermione's coat pocket that night so long ago. Smiling up at the sky were a young Hermione and Draco, their arms wrapped around each other and looks of pure happiness on their faces. As the Knight Bus BANGED into oblivion, the wind rustled softly and the picture was carried away, to a place no human could find.