My Soul Mate

Chapter Twenty Nine - Aftermath of the Devastation

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Let go of whatever happened,

No one can change the fate.

The deed man has committed,

Will always be repaid.

Devastation knows no time,

It knows no place,

But when it comes, it brings sorrow

For a moment called forever.

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Draco and Hermione Apparated yet again back to Africa around four o' clock in the evening a day later. They appeared in front of an old and collapsible looking cave. Ignoring its appearance, both of them stepped inside. A small wooden and dusty house materialized in front of their eyes.

However, Draco and Hermione didn't look impressed by the sudden change. Draco led Hermione to the bedroom, which in contrast to the whole house was neat and clean.

"Why did you bring me here?" asked Hermione in a sad voice, stopping near the doorway.

"I had to collect the Emancipation Potion's recipe," said Draco, walking towards the table next to the bed. "Yeah ... here it is, the last vestige of my uncle's life."

He pocketed a worn out scroll of parchment with text written in Ancient Runes.

Hermione looked at him uninterestedly. "Why didn't you get it yesterday, when we were here?"

Draco opened his shoes, socks and robes, and stretched out on the bed. "I forgot in the midst of all that happened..."

"Then shall we go back?"

"No. We'll stay here for a few days."

"Why?"

Draco looked at Hermione's broken and despondent form. He patted the bed next to him and beckoned Hermione to come and sit next to him. "Come here, Hermione..."

Hermione walked lifelessly and slumped onto the bed, next to Draco. Draco put an arm around Hermione's shoulders and brought her closer to him.

"I just wanted to bring you away from Hogwarts," he whispered. "Away from the Weasleys ... and from St. Mungo's."

Hermione shot Draco an inquiring look.

"Come on," said Draco. "The place has become hell, I won't let you stay there."

"But I need to," protested Hermione. "Harry and Ron need me."

"You can't do anything for them," said Draco firmly. "Potter's in permanent coma. And the Weasleys don't want to see his face. You know they hold him responsible for Ginny's death."

"Only Mrs. Weasley and Ron do. Mr. Weasley is more wise."

"But you said he told you this morning during the cremation, that it would be better if Potter stayed away from their family."

Hermione fell silent. She knew Draco was correct. The Weasley family and Harry were all Devastated. Mrs. Weasley has been speaking with no one since last morning, when everybody found Ginny's deceased body. She didn't even attend Ginny's funeral. She stayed up locked in The Burrow, in Ginny's room. Hermione had been in the Burrow that morning and for the first time in her life, she felt the atmosphere unpleasant there.

Loud sobbing sounds were coming from Ginny's room, where Molly was. Hermione had also heard the noises of things being thrown about. Dumbledore kept Arthur with him, consoling him. Lupin was at the Burrow, looking after Ron. Percy sat as still as a statue in the living room, holding one of Ginny's dolls in his hands. Bill was with Arthur in Hogwarts. Charlie wandered about in the overgrown garden helplessly, sometimes making sounds like a wild animal. Hermione was with Ron. Draco wasn't there, Hermione had insisted that he stayed back. The Weasley family wouldn't have been glad to see him after all that happened.

At first, Hermione was shocked to see Ron's behavior. He was all set to rip Harry from limb to limb. He was shaking with anger whenever anyone mentioned Harry, and Hermione could do nothing about it. She was herself greatly affected by Ginny's suicide, but her grief no where matched that of Ron and his family.

And then, after the burial, Hermione had gone to St. Mungo's again. She went into Harry's ward and found him laying peacefully there, his eyelids veiling his brilliant green eyes. His glasses were taken out and laid next to the bed on a table. Harry had no expression on his pallid face and his limbs lay next to him uselessly. He had looked like an exhausted angel pushed into hell.

But Hermione was disturbed even more by Sirius' condition. He moaned all the time and roamed hopelessly around in Hogwarts, muttering that he had no one else in the world. Hermione had heard him talking to himself. "I am sorry James," he had said. "I could do nothing to save your son..."

Hermione took a deep breath and rested her head on Draco's shoulders. She understood Molly's grief. She understood Ron's grief. But she felt Sirius' grief as her own. For the first time in her life, she could know how it felt like when one lost one's friends forever. Once upon a time, Sirius had lost James and Lily Potter. One of his other friends, Peter Pettigrew turned traitor. And then he was whisked away from Remus Lupin. In the same way, Hermione lost Hagrid and Harry, and more or less, Ron. She knew that she could keep relationship with any one of them. Ron would not take it well if she took Harry's side. She knew Harry's would never say anything if she took Ron's side; he couldn't speak. Hermione was tempted to take Ron's side, but at the same time, she felt she was taking advantage of Harry's silence. What a cheap thing to do, her conscience had told her.

And confused, Hermione furrowed her brows. She could see no way out of the situation. The back of her mind said continually 'Harry or Ron?'

'Harry or Ron?'

'Harry or Ron?'

For the first time, Hermione had no answer. She wanted to run away from herself, so that she wouldn't be forced to face such a situation, but she knew she had no way.

Or at least, she thought she had none.

"Are you all right?"

Hermione jerked out of her reverie at Draco's words. For a moment, she had forgotten that he was with her. She lifted her face to look at him and met his worried grey eyes.

"Yes, I am," sighed Hermione.

Draco cupped her cheek. "No you are not ... of course you're not. What's troubling you?"

"What's troubling me?" asked Hermione in a hollow voice. "What's not troubling me?"

"Tell me, Hermione. What are you thinking about?"

After a long silence, Hermione replied, "About the future. I am worried about my future. Your future."

"What about our future?" asked Draco sharply. "You know what there is in our future. I'll get into Father's business and you'll learn Healing. And when we're old enough, I'll marry you."

Hermione smiled and placed her own hands upon Draco's. "I am not talking about that. I am talking about Ron ... and Harry."

Draco relaxed. "What about them?"

"I don't know what's going to happen to all of us. The chances of Harry recovering are slim. I have hardly heard about people coming out of this type of coma. And Sirius ... what will he do? He is supposed to officially become an Auror soon but after what happened to Harry..."

"Leave it to Black," Draco said sagely. "He's in shock now ... when he'll recover, he will be all right. He'll find a wife and get settled and have kids."

"I hope so. But Ron and his family? What's going to happen to them?"

"They'll be all right too, trust me. Bill will go back to Egypt, Charlie will go back to Romania, Percy will be back as Fudge's PA and Ron will become an Auror too one day."

Under normal circumstances, Draco would have added, "Though a pathetic one, no doubt."

But he didn't. Hermione was grateful.

"And Harry?" she asked.

"He'll stay in St. Mungo's," said Draco. "Sirius will pay for his treatment and maintenance."

Another long silence followed. Hermione dropped her gaze and let her head rest on Draco's shoulder again. In a slow and tender manner, Draco stroked her wavy hair.

They sat in a peaceful, yet disturbed silence for quite some time. At around five, a barn owl swooped in and dropped a copy of The Daily Prophet's evening mail.

"What's this?" asked Hermione in surprise and annoyance, as the owl disturbed the calm atmosphere.

"I ordered my elves to send a copy of the newspaper here as long as we stay here," said Draco sheepishly as pulled his wand out and Summoned the papers. "I just wanted to keep in touch with what's happening back in Britain."

Hermione nodded and joined Draco in reading the news. She knew something must be there about Voldemort, Harry, Sirius, Dumbledore, the Weasleys, Draco and her.

She was correct. The Daily Prophet had printed foot long news about them, with a moving picture of Harry, Draco, her and Dumbledore.

HARRY POTTER KILLS YOU-KNOW-WHO; SAVES THE WORLD FROM TERROR AGAIN.

About two days ago, Hermione Granger was kidnapped, yet again. But this time, her kidnapper was none other than the most feared wizard for a century, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named, the darkest wizard ever known. You-Know-Who had kept her caged somewhere close to the Ethiopian Highlands. Eyebrows are raised at this point - all of Granger's abductors have knack for keeping her in Africa.

It was found out that Granger was in northwestern Africa already, with none other than Draco Malfoy, who had been accused of kidnapping her earlier and committing a mysterious murder, for which, even after all these months, he roams about unpunished. Nevertheless, what Granger and Malfoy were doing alone in Africa is yet unknown. But when Granger was kidnapped, Malfoy was not with her. Yet, when he found out that Granger's had been taken away, he immediately reported the crime to the people in Hogwarts, since Malfoy had straightaway come to Hogwarts with the tragic news.

Another queer event followed this - Malfoy and Harry Potter disappeared from Hogwarts that very night. No one saw nor hair nor hide of them till yesterday morning, when they came back with Granger and a Stunned Death Eater Bellatrix Lestrange. And with news of victory over You-Know-Who.

Potter, Malfoy and Granger gave a few minutes of testimony before Albus Dumbledore; current Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry took them away. Potter and Malfoy said that they had been off to rescue Granger and ended up in killing Voldemort and Stunning Lestrange. But how You-Know-Who died is still a mystery. The fact remains that Potter killed him, but how?

The answer could not be achieved due to Potter's sudden mental attack, which ended in a coma. Potter is apparently in a ward in St. Mungo's, unable to speak or move. On questioning some people concerned, it has been found out that Ginny Weasley, daughter of Arthur Weasley (Head of the Department of Muggle Artifacts) committed suicide yesterday morning for reasons unknown. Potter is not in a condition to tell us and the Weasley family whisked the reporters away from them and their house, they have been cut off from everybody and Mrs. Molly Weasley didn't even attend her daughter's funeral at Hogsmeade this morning. Healers suspect she is going medically insane.

Malfoy and Granger were unavailable for answers during the funeral and now yet again, they have disappeared somewhere in Hogwarts. The others don't seem worried; perhaps they know where Malfoy and Granger are, and are not too interested in letting the wizarding world know the truth. Had they been interested, they would have perhaps given us the truth right away. We only hope to find out everything right now, says Minister for Magic, Cornelius Fudge. But if Dumbledore doesn't want it disclosed to the wizarding community, then I am afraid it shall be so.

Our community may be in the dark about this issue might be perhaps forever, says

The Daily Prophet's editor, David Parker.

Draco flung the newspaper nonchalantly. Hermione noticed an odd sort of satisfied in his eyes. She didn't ask him about it, however.

After another long silence, Draco spoke.

"Hermione," he said slowly, "I want you to know something."

Hermione lifted her head again from Draco's shoulder and looked at him confusedly. "What about?"

Draco took a deep breath. "Look here," he said. "I ... I want you to reduce your relationships with the Weasleys ... and with Potter."

"What are you saying!" exclaimed Hermione in horror. She withdrew from Draco's embrace and looked at him in astonishment.

"Please, Hermione, listen to me. Potter may not recover till his life is through. Black will be upset till his life is through. The Weasleys will be forever mourning Ginny. I don't want these to haunt you forever too."

"I don't get you. What are you trying to say?"

"I don't know how to frame it into words," said Draco exasperatedly. "I am not exactly telling you to break your relationships with them, I just want you to stay away from them. You'll be in the muggle world after Hogwarts when you'll be learning Healing. Automatically, you will withdraw from the wizarding world, except of course me. Yes, coming to that, make sure you connect your fireplace to the Floo Network, all right? Anyway, as I was saying, Weasley will never forgive Potter. And you'll be torn apart between them."

"I know," said Hermione. "You're reading my mind."

Draco would have liked to chuckle but he was more interested in pushing his opinions forward. "Right," he said. "You will never be able to choose between them, and even if you do, I guess it would be Weasley. But think about it, wont you be cheating Potter?"

For someone, who despised Harry always and knew that Harry was more or less the actual cause behind the Devastation, speaking on Harry's side was unimaginable.

Hermione nodded. She knew Draco was correct.

"Well, this is the solution," went on Draco. "Just don't be close to Weasley anymore. He can manage without you. You'll still be visiting Potter in St. Mungo's regularly and will have contacts with Weasley, but not as much as it used to be. This is the only way out, and you have to listen to this."

Hermione had never seen a bossy Draco, but it gave her a feeling of companionship and care. She liked it and besides, she knew Draco was correct.

She leaned forwards hugged Draco. "All right," she whispered in a choked voice in his ears, trying to stop the tears that had already started flowing. "But things will be so different in the future, won't they? Harry wouldn't be with us when we graduate from Hogwarts. He wouldn't be there to give the NEWTs. He wouldn't be there to become Head Boy. He wouldn't be there to be the Captain of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. He wouldn't be there to catch the Snitch. He wouldn't be there to go to Zonko's. You know something, Draco? He always wanted to be like Viktor Krum. But he wouldn't be there to be even greater than Viktor. He would be no where..."

Draco pulled Hermione to himself and wiped away her tears. "Many things will change in the future," he agreed. "You would become a great Healer, I'll become twice as rich as my father was. You would be called Mrs. Malfoy and we'll have ten blonde kids who'll look like me."

In spite of herself, Hermione couldn't help but snigger. She started laughing loudly until she started crying again.

"Hermione," said Draco soothingly, "that's fate. No one can change it. Whatever has to happen, will happen. And anyway, a girl I desperately want to bed says that whatever happens, happens for the good."

Once again, Hermione laughed. She laughed and didn't notice Draco unzipping her dress from behind. She only realized it when her dress slipped down to her breasts.

She stopped laughing and looked at Draco, forgetting to breathe. But Draco didn't see her. He had his eyes closed as he pulled Hermione towards him and started kissing her, wildly and urgently. His tongue battling with hers, trying to go as deep as possible into her intoxicating mouth. Draco broke the kiss to trail down her slender neck and to bite into his favorite spot - on the base of her neck, where innumerable hickeys had earlier formed. He didn't spare any part of her body. He licked and sucked each inch of her skin.

Even after years, Draco Malfoy still wanted more of Hermione. Each night. Hermione called him often teasingly a nymphomaniac.