As Time Goes By

As Time Goes By

6:42pm

Click. Click.

The blinker flashed as he steered into the middle lane of the highway. The black jeep moved nimbly in and out of the late day traffic on its way to Heathrow.

He was mumbling under his breath in annoyance.

"Shut up, Draco," she snapped.

"I don't see why I must drive you," he growled back. "You're a perfectly competent witch."

She threw her hands in the air in exasperation. "Must you insist on being such an insufferable git!?"

"Yes."

"For the last time; I can't apparate into the crowded Muggle airport!" she spat at him.

"Then you should have taken a cab."

"Those contraptions wouldn't have fit my things; our car is magically expanded. You know this all, Draco! Why must you be so difficult?" she began to choke on her words, losing some of her angry edge.

Hooooonk

Draco slammed his fist onto the horn of the car, pouring out his frustrations on a helpless old lady in a Buick. He moved to glare at his fiancé, but she turned away to stare out the window.

"Oh grow up, Hermione."

6:43pm

BANG.

Her fist smashed into the dashboard.

"GROW UP?" she screamed in annoyance, and he winced at her words. "Rich, Malfoy, real rich. Of the two of us, you're the one that needs to learn right from wrong."

His eyes flashed in pain for a moment. "So it's back to surnames then?" Draco glanced over at Hermione sitting on his left.

"It never should have gone past them." She wouldn't acknowledge him, and continued to stare out the window watching the buildings of London flash by.

Hermione reached over across his left hand on the gear shift. Turning a knob, the radio clicked on and music filled the silence of the vehicle.

'Time runs through our veins.
(It starts and stops and starts and stops again)
We don't stand a chance in this threadbare time
(The time it takes, the time it takes to let go)
Time to let this pass.'

6:44pm

Thump. Thump. Thumpthump.

His fingers played the beat on the steering wheel, and he dared another glance at her. The sun was beginning to set, and gave her a golden aura. She looked like an angel. His angel.

Draco sighed. "'Mione, Honey," he started.

"Don't call me that," she said savagely.

He chose to ignore her comment. "Let's just go home alright?"

She snorted at his request and refused to answer, or even look at him.

"The wedding is in a week," he tried. "Think of everyone's disappointment. How am I supposed to tell them; how am I suppose to deal with it?"

"That's your problem, Draco," Hermione stated coldly. "It's no concern of mine. Maybe you should try telling them the truth."

"And what would that be?" he asked, "that my fiancé decided suddenly to start a new life, in a new country, without anybody?"

She finally turned towards him, and glared at him in anger. "You pompous jerk! It's never your fault is it? Draco is always right, everyone else wrong."

"A perfect wedding gone is going to waste," he tutted sadly.

"Why don't you use it to marry that slut you were with this morning then?" she sneered at him.

"Hermione," he groaned in exasperation.

"Shut it, Malfoy. I don't want to hear it."

6:45pm

"Where are you going to go?" he asked her quietly.

She shrugged. "It doesn't matter; as long as I get away from here - from you."

"Damn it, Hermione!" he cried. "You can't do this. You can't just run away like this. That isn't the way to deal with things."

"And I suppose your way was better then?" Hermione sighed as she turned away.

Thwap. Thwap.

Out of the corner of Draco's eyes he could see her legs stiffly crossed, right over left. Between the toes on her right foot she subconsciously jiggled the thong sandal, hitting it against her heel. He clenched the steering wheel in annoyance, trying to block out the sound.

Now there was silence, minus the radio playing in the background. Hermione stared out the window aimlessly, watching the cars approaching them from behind. Up ahead, they were coming upon a sharp turn as they made their way onto the exit ramp off of the highway. She was focusing on a white SUV moving quickly in the lane just to the left of them. Its front had just reached their back bumper, and now they were going around the turn off the ramp.

CRUNCH.

6:46pm

Draco slammed into Hermione, as he was thrown to the left. The jeep began to spin out of control, and bounced off the SUV. Skidding across the triple-laned off ramp, they slammed into the barrier.

He could feel the back of the jeep lifting up, as if everything was moving in slow motion. Draco's arms were wrapped tightly around Hermione, their heads buried in the air bag that had popped up.

His elbow came up and pushed the pocket of air down and they could see out the windshield. He could see the traffic whizzing by on the highway underneath them. Slowly, the vehicle moved closer towards vertical.

Everything suddenly sped up. It felt like he was falling, and then with a sickening crunch, it was over.

He could still feel her in his arms, even now that they had been dislodged from their seats. They were sprawled out across the roof of the car, which was now seated firmly against the pavement.

Beeeeep. Hoooonk.

The cars were still whizzing pass them, trying to avoid hitting the tiny black jeep.

His breathing was laboured, and it felt like he was suspended in time.

Drip. Drip.

Blood was seeping from a gash in his forehead, and dripping onto his hand. Everything seemed like it was stained with red.

6:47pm

Inhale. Exhale.

All Draco could smell was gasoline and the deep musky scent that was a mixture of blood, sweat, and exhaust. He could taste the red metallic substance on his tongue, but his throat was parched and dry.

Hermione was just a brown haired blob cradled in his arms. Her hair was sticky with sweat and blood, twisted and tangled about his wrists.

"Hermione?" he whispered softly, shaking her. He winced in pain as he moved his arms; the left one was broken.

"Hermione? I'm sorry. Let's just go home now, please?" his voice began to rise in pitch, he was pleading desperately with her. "Just come back."

Hermione didn't reply to him; she had already left.

6:48pm

Hello? Hello?

Somewhere in the distance he could hear sirens, and people were talking; or maybe they were yelling. Draco couldn't tell. Everything was in a dull hush. He could hear the soft grumbling of the jeep's engine still running.

He was holding onto her tightly, he never wanted to let go. Draco's eyes shut, and time seemed to slow down. The noise outside went silent.

But the radio was still on, and it dominated in the suspended silence.

'The twilight world in blue and white

The needle and the damage done'

Hands were grabbing him under his arms, and pulling him upwards. Draco opened his eyes and was blinded by the white light that hit him. He felt himself moving further and further up, the silence of the car leaving him. Red lights were flashing, horns were honking, people were screaming, children were crying.

And the radio finished its song.

'I don't want to feel this way forever

(Understanding in a car crash)

A dead letter marked return to sender'

-The End-