Love Conquers All

Hermione reappeared inside Harry's apartment and instantly fell to her knees in sobs. Her eye shadow was running down her face but she didn't care. How could this happen on what should have been the happiest moment of her life? Through her crying she could momentarily hear the faint sound of explosions in the distance. However, after a few seconds these sounds were silenced and she knew Harry must have placed an Impenetrable Charm on the apartment. She really didn't care for her own safety at that moment, but instead feared for Harry's. If something happened to him she didn't know what she would do. If he were to die she would probably die soon after out of grief. Who would dare to threaten the life of the man she loved? Voldemort, she immediately thought. Yes, Voldemort would definitely do that. Oh how she wished Harry would fulfill the prophecy by defeating him. That damn prophecy kept Harry on edge twenty-four hours a day. If only it had been someone else who had to face Voldemort; then Harry and Hermione could live their lives in peace.

At that moment she threw herself down on the floor and prayed to God that Harry would be all right. She prayed that he would be the one to live in the final battle with Voldemort, and she prayed that she would be able to spend the rest of her life with Harry. If she lost him she felt like she would have nothing left to live for. Harry was her whole world and she didn't even want to imagine living without him.

After a minute or so she finally stood up, head bowed, and wandered aimlessly through the apartment. She ended up in Harry's bedroom and threw herself down upon the bed. It felt incredibly soft and warm, just like Harry, and she could smell his scent in the sheets. She sat there for a moment, taking in the sweet fragrance of her boyfriend, soon to be husband because he would be all right. Rolling over on her back she saw that Harry had enchanted the ceiling to show the universe outside, including all the stars and galaxies that spread across the vast, endless space. She smiled, imagining lying with Harry outside on warm nights and watching the sky for real. There were so many things she wanted to do with him and she knew it would take their entire life together to do them all. That's why he had to be fine.

Hermione rolled over on her side and looked across the room. Hanging beside the dresser was a picture of Harry's parents. They smiled and winked at her and she smiled back.

Yes, she thought. I'll finally be able to give Harry the family he never had.

As she lay there fantasizing about her future as Harry's wife, there was a sudden knocking at her door. She looked at the clock and realized it had been nearly thirty minutes since she had arrived there, and she could suddenly hear the noises of the outside again. Harry must have lifted the Impenetrable Charm. That must mean that it was him knocking at the door!

Hermione excitedly ran and opened the door to the apartment. Just as she had suspected, there stood Harry grinning at her. She hurriedly tugged him inside and began demanding answers for what had happened.

"Well," Harry began. "It was a Muggle fiasco. Apparently there was a war going on between two countries and that was a bombing by one of them."

Tears returned to Hermione's eyes and she threw her arms around him. It didn't matter to her if there was a dangerous war going on; she was just thrilled to se Harry alive and well.

"Oh, Harry! I'm so glad you safe!"

She kissed him hard on the lips but immediately drew back. She had not just made contact with Harry's warm, soft, inviting lips that she knew so well. These lips had been icy cold and stale. As she looked at him curiously, his lip began to curl. That smirk seemed awfully familiar, though it was not Harry's.

Suddenly, his body began to change shape. It became thinner, the broad, muscular chest shrinking steadily and the muscular arms losing shape. His nose lengthened, his face became more sallow, and the jet-black hair suddenly became an almost white blonde. A second later, the gaunt face of Draco Malfoy was staring at her with his trademark smirk across his face. Hermione screamed loudly at this sudden horrid appearance. Malfoy's face was very pale and thin and his entire body was little more than skin and bones. The normally sleek blonde hair atop his head was now disheveled and almost white. Around his scraggly frame lay tattered robes and old, mud-clad boots. The terrible grin on his gaunt face only added to his overall terrifying appearance. His appearance greatly resembled that of Sirius Black when he had first escaped from Azkaban many years ago. Of course, she remembered, the three years that Malfoy had served there was enough time to have gained this haughty appearance too.

"YOU!" she shrieked.

Malfoy grinned sheepishly at her. "You're really not a bad kisser, Granger. I think I see what Potter wants from you now. I just wonder how good you are in bed."

She smacked him across the face as hard as she could.

"How dare you!" she cried. "Can't you keep you hands off of people? I told you a long time ago that you'd better never touch me again! You disgusting little bitch!"

He glared at her with rage, his face red where she had slapped him. "You filthy Mudblood!" he screeched. "Have you no respect?"

"Not for scum like you!" she snapped.

"Watch it, Granger," he barked. "You'd better be good to me. I'd hate to have to tell the Dark Lord to torture you."

Her eyes widened with shock but she was not going to lose this battle of wits.

"Like he'd listen to you," she retorted. "You're nothing more than an insignificant rat to him!"

He growled and pushed her to the ground, pulling out his wand in the process.

"You've overstepped your boundaries, Granger! I'd kill you now if I wasn't supposed to return you to the Dark Lord himself!"

"You'll never take me alive, Malfoy!" she hollered and yanked out her own wand.

"Expelliarmus!" he muttered.

Hermione's wand flew from her grip and clattered on the floor across the room. She was now unarmed at the hand of the most ruthless Death Eater of all time. He smirked at her again but she kept her confident posture. There was no way she would plead for mercy from Draco Malfoy.

"I have no trouble amputating parts of you, however," he scowled.

"Give me your worst, rat!" she hissed.

Before Malfoy could make a single wand movement, there was a furious cry of "FESTRIO!" from behind them. Malfoy was hurled in a zigzag motion from wall to wall, banging hard enough against each one to crack the sheetrock. He banged against all four walls before flying into a crumpled position at Harry Potter's feet. The real Harry Potter. Hermione knew it. He had his wand pointed straight at Malfoy's hunched form, ready to utter another curse at any sign of trouble. But Malfoy just lay there in a heap, so Harry looked up to Hermione.

"I'm sorry," he said, softly. "If I'd known he was here I never would have left you. I don't know how he broke through my defense around the apartment but I should have known somebody might try."

She was still crying slightly but she went and hugged his neck, kissing his cheek.

"It's all right," she whispered. "You were doing your duty."

"I love you," he said, kissing her lips.

There came a muffled cackle from below them. Looking down they saw Malfoy smirking at them through a bruised and bloody face.

"Well," he coughed. "Doesn't this seem familiar? I try my hand at Granger and Potter comes and blasts me away. Let's see, isn't this the part where you torture me, Potter?"

Harry glared at him quizzically.

"Yes," Malfoy continued. "Go ahead then. Torture me and take your filthy little Mudblood girl!"

"Shut up, Malfoy!" Harry snapped.

"She'll always be dirt in the eyes of those wizards that are pure of blood," he hissed. "No, she's lower than dirt. She's not fit to lick my shoes clean!"

"SHUT UP, MALFOY!" Harry roared.

"Or," the Death Eater said, licking his lips. "Perhaps that's your type Potter. Foul, disgusting, and unworthy to grace the presence of the wizarding world! Maybe if-AAARRGGH!!"

Harry had grabbed Malfoy by the throat and hoisted him high into the air. Malfoy gasped for air as Harry's strong hands tightened around his neck. It was like a giant holding up a house-elf; Malfoy's scraggly body dangled beneath Harry's grip.

"I'M WARNING YOU MALFOY! IF YOU INSULT HER ONE MORE TIME, YOU'RE AS GOOD AS DEAD! YOU'RE THE ONE THAT'S LOWER THAN DIRT! HOW DARE YOU OFFEND HER!"

Malfoy continued to chuckle maliciously, even through his constricted windpipe.

"How t-touching, Potter. Always def-fending the low one. Mudbloods, Muggles, and murderers! But don't you worry. I'll make sure they all have you to thank when the Dark Lord kills them. And I'm sure he'll start with Granger,"

Harry's temper had reached its breaking point. He roared with rage and hurled Malfoy across the room. The small Death Eater screamed as he burst through the large window and the glass fell about him. Hermione screamed too as Malfoy disappeared over the edge. With one loud crash sounding from outside, Hermione and Harry rushed to look out the broken window. As they stared down they saw a gruesome sight: Malfoy lay on the collapsed roof of a Muggle car, glass stuck in all parts of his body and his leg partially severed. Harry took a sharp intake of breath as he watching blood spill of Malfoy's beaten head.

No, Harry panted. It can be.

Miraculously, it wasn't.

Malfoy stirred slightly, groaning as he shifted his body amongst the wreckage. The Death Eater put his cut and bruised hand to his forehead to try and stop the bleeding. Harry gasped as he managed to pull his thrashed body off of the car and land on the cold, wet concrete. The injured leg wiggled slightly, but Malfoy threw his cloak over it and squeezed it tight. Somehow, he managed to pull himself up to lean against the car on his good leg and then looked up at Harry and Hermione with hideous eyes.

"This is only the beginning, Potter!" he croaked, coughing up blood. "The Dark Lord will defeat you! He has a power you don't even know!"

He pulled his cloak up over his head and vanished.

Harry and Hermione gawked at the spot where Malfoy had just stood. They then drew in their heads and Hermione gaped at her fiancée.

"How did he survive that?" she wondered aloud.

Harry shook his head. "Voldemort is protecting him. But there's no need to worry. One day I'm going to kill them both. I'LL KILL THEM!"

Hermione backed away from the fuming Harry. It was clear he was angry at

Malfoy, but his temper was flaring more than she had ever seen.

"Harry, calm down, please!" she pleaded.

"Hermione, you don't understand!" he cried. "This isn't just about defeating the Dark Forces anymore. I have to protect you and the others that I love. I have to avenge the deaths of Sirius and Cedric and all the others that Voldemort murdered! And I will get that low-life Malfoy for what he sad to you!"

"Harry," she gasped, tears in her eyes. "Please stop!"

She began to cry and Harry's furious manner quickly softened when he saw her. He put his arm around her shoulder and kissed her cheek.

"I'm sorry," he said. "I'm sorry, Hermione. It's just..."

She looked up at him. Even when she cried she was still beautiful to him.

"What is it, Harry?" she asked.

"I, well, I just..."

She moved him to lay his head in her lap while she gently stroked his face.

"Tell me, baby," she whispered.

He held her free hand and laced his fingers with hers.

"I'm scared, Hermione," he confessed. "I know I have to face Voldemort myself, and one of us will die. But that's not why I'm scared. I'm not afraid to die. Sometimes it seems like it would make everything easier. But I'm afraid to lose you, Hermione. I'm afraid that I might not be able to see you before the time comes. You have no idea how much your love means to me. You've filled the void in my heart where love is supposed to go. Without you, I am nothing. With you, I am everything."

He sat up and kissed her, kissed her more deeply and passionately than he ever had before. He ran his fingers up her back and through her thick, brown hair. She kissed back just as forcefully, hugging him as close to her as possible. They broke their lips and he began to kiss his way down her neck, lavishing in the feel of her soft skin against his lips. She held him and ran her fingers through his black hair while he made his way across the top of her chest with his kisses.

"I love you, Hermione, so much that I can't even begin to tell you."

"I love you, too," she replied kissing him again. "And I want to be with you, live with you, and love you. Voldemort wouldn't dare take you because he would have me to answer to."

He grinned at her and ran his fingers down her arm.

"You're wonderful," he said.

They fell asleep in each other's arms, holding like they might never let go. And neither of them wanted to. They were inseparable soul mates, destined to be together forever.