by Black-Diamonds
 
 

Chapter 15
The Stars Tilt and Tumble / Suddenly Falling
 

Hermione squeezed her eyes shut, waiting for the sharp pain of the knife slashing her flesh.

It never came. Instead, she felt the silk around her wrists slip off, freeing her. Gentle hands
undid the blindfold from around her eyes. The bright sunlight suddenly hit her eyes, forcing
her to blink rapidly. Draco sighed heavily, a hand still on her cheek.

“You’re free to go.”

Hermione pulled away and looked up at him, silent...her expression unreadable.

“What? Didn’t you hear me? I said you’re free. Go.” He gestured wildly out beyond where
they were standing.

“I’m not going.” Hermione looked down at her feet, before glancing up at him again. “I’m
not leaving.”

“Look you have to,” His tone was pleading, and it only furthered Hermione’s confusion.
“Please...just run...run far away from here, and don’t ever return to look for me. Forget this
place and everything that’s happened and everything that’s been.”

“If I left, I would never forgive myself for everything that could have been. I would regret the
things that would never again have a chance.”

Draco’s eyes clouded with mild bewilderment.

“Before anything else Hermione, I just want to tell you something. What I was going to say back
in the manor is...” He paused, a thoughtful expression briefly appearing on his face. “You’re the
only one who has ever bothered to see beyond this whole masquerade...this endless deceit. I’m
a bad, bad person...if I even deserve to be classified as a person. But you somehow saw past
everything into something much deeper. You were right, I’ve run away from emotion...thinking
that insensibility was a safer way of existing than consciousness.”

His voice shook slightly. “I don’t hate you. Infact, every time I touch you everything else around
me seems to crumble. I tell myself over and over you’re a weak and worthless mudblood. But in
the end...I can’t lie to my heart.” Hermione’s heart soared at his poetic confessions. “I love you.”
At this Hermione’s stomach did a swift flip-flop and the tiny voice in her head let out a little
scream that could have been a silent whoop of joy or a shocked cry.

“But I hate myself for loving you.” Ashamed, Draco turned his face towards the sun and breathed
in a trembling breath.

“Don’t.” Hermione whispered. “You can’t hate yourself...because I love you. And I have always,
loved you.”

Draco stared at her, uncertain. He swallowed hard.

“My heart...soars to hear that, Hermione. I thought you would hate me. After all, why would you
ever love a monster? Loving you is all there is...but you must go.” He briskly and expertly wiped
a lone tear. “It is imperative that you leave at once.”

“I’m not going, because I’ll always be here with you. I love you, and that means I will be here by
your side no matter what. There is no world for me apart from here. My family are dead...everyone
I love is probably dead. Everyone that is, apart from you.”

A wry grin settled on his lips.

“Woman, I’m the Dark Lord. Slaying, blood, murder galore! Oh, fun for all the family! The
wonderfulness of being a Malfoy-” (the name was said with much antipathy) “-has brought me
to such great things in life. I beat Voldemort. I took his position...and for what? I still feel empty.
I have little power trips and I kill kill kill-” His eyes filled with a strange fire. “-but in the end I
come crashing down, feeling less than empty. I can’t feel, I can’t breathe without suffocating in
darkness, I can’t love...I can’t even allow myself to cry like anyone else.” He seemed lost for
a moment.

“Then let me cry for you.”

Hermione captured Draco’s lips in a soft kiss that tasted of almonds and champagne. All
caution and previous rational thoughts were swept into the periwinkle sky, as Draco gave
himself up to the kiss.

His tears melted into her’s as they lost themselves from the world that surrounded them.

“Now there’s only one problem...” Draco murmured almost sleepily.

“What?”

“Us. You. Me. Everything.”

“What will the world think when it finds out? Surely everyone will-”

“Let the world think whatever it bloody well wants to think. All that matters is that you
are in my arms and I have found love amongst tears. I am your’s. But...are you afraid?”

Confusion was evident in Hermione’s eyes as they met Draco’s ones of fire and ice.

“Of what?”

“I am the Dark Lord. You are an angel.”

Hermione let out a gentle laugh that tinkled like snow bells.

“I’m not afraid...because I know you would never hurt me...you never could. And I am
no angel.”

“To my heart you are.”

“You’re just going to make me cry even more aren’t you?”

“Well that will never do will it? We’ll have to make it all better.” Draco gathered
Hermione’s thin frame in his arms and kissed the tears away.
 
 
 

a/n: Fluffiness was not planned. I thought I could stray from the path of eternal fluffiness. I thought wrong.
Christy : You read my mind! I came back online a few days after writing this chapter...and your prophetic
review was very similar to how I had written it. Although, Hermione didn’t leave at all.
Sigh. Fluff galore. I will try to make the next chapter much more drama based not fluffy...unless that’s how
you want it, I guess.
Thankyou for all your amazing reviews! I honestly had no idea that this many people would like the story,
and it’s really very flattering.
P.S.--> I am sort of thinking of writing a Draco+Harry story, depending on how inspired I am to do so.
P.S.S--> Epequa, I read your story, and it’s very good. Keep up the good work!

Back to Chapter 14
Chapter 16