Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Victim of the Fall	By : PrettyDesdemona Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 32726 -:- Recommendations : 5 -:- Currently Reading : 7
Disclaimer: I do not own the Harry Potter universe or any of its characters. I do not make any money off this story. Only love!

Chapter List
- 38
- 39
- 40
CHAPTER 39

HELL YEAH

“Life is a B movie, it's stupid and it's strange, a directionless story and the dialogue is lame. But in the he said she said sometimes there's some poetry.”

Hermione felt her face grow into a smile that came from the very middle of herself, from the very core of her soul. Without any conscious thought, she flung herself into Harry’s arms and sobbed.

“Hermione!” he said hoarsely, laughter in his voice, “It’s alright!”

“Is it really you?!” she cried, looking into his eyes.

He smiled brokenly, “Yes, it’s me.”

She buried her face into the crook of his neck, feeling like she’s never experienced a greater happiness than this. It was such a violent juxtaposition to the heartbreak she’d been feeling only moments earlier that her head was spinning and her hands shaking, as if she were about to fall into a panic attack. After a moment, she pulled away and wiped her eyes on her sleeve.

“I have to go get one of the healers.” she said, still smiling but her hands continued to shake.

His arm shot out to grasp her wrist, stopping her from leaving. “Wait, Hermione, I want to talk to you.”

She brushed him off, “Talk to me later, Harry. Everyone’s been dying to see you!”

Harry shook his head seriously, his eyes pleading with her, “No, I need to talk now. Before I can face whatever’s… Out there…” he glanced at the door fearfully.

“Alright.” she said slowly and sank down again into the chair beside his bed, trying to get a grip of herself.

He hoisted himself up on the bed as best he could, grimacing and groaning as his joints clicked and his muscles strained under the movement. Once he was sitting up enough to be able to look at her he said, with real pain and guilt in his voice, “I’m sorry. I’m so sorry…”

“It’s ok, Harry, I know it wasn’t you…” she said kindly, quick to reassure him. She’d had a taste of how persuasive Voldemort was after all, knew how his influence could warp and change someone’s mind. Had everything happened the way it had, but for Hermione taking Voldemort into herself, she probably would have continued to blame Harry, would have been angry with him. But she knew better now. She’d experienced it herself, even if it was only for six frightening minutes. What must have it been like for him after almost a year?

Harry grimaced, “No but it was my fault. I should never have used the wand.”

She nodded sagely. Yes. That was something to apologise for. Hermione could not help when the question burst from her lips moments later, “But why did you? How did you even get it?”

She knew she should have left it, waited until after the healers had seen him, but she couldn’t help it. She’d been burning to know how Harry’s side of events had unfolded for months.

Harry scrunched up his eyes as if trying to remember something particularly painful. “It… it was just after the final battle. They found it in the pocket of Riddle’s robes and one of the Aurors gave it to me, saying it could be like a trophy. I don’t know… I didn’t really want it but she was so insistent that I eventually agreed to take it just to get her to leave me alone. It just sat at the bottom of my trunk for weeks… then I guess I just felt like giving it a try. I wanted to know if it worked for me. And I just started using it more and more until it was the only wand I used.” he shook his head, staring down at his hands, “Ginny didn’t like it… She was always questioning it… And I don’t know why but that made me angry. I couldn’t stand her questioning me all the time. I really wanted to be left alone but she just wouldn’t. That’s why I asked her to leave.” he said thickly.

Hermione frowned, “But it wasn’t always like that. You weren’t like that at first.”

“No… I felt really free after the final battle. Like I could do anything. I was so ready to just get on with life, you know? But that stopped once I’d started to use the wand. I started to… Think things. Bad things. I thought I could rule the world. Then… Well, eventually I realised it was a Horcrux, didn’t I? But for some reason, I didn't care. By then, I’d already lost everyone. Ron was gone, Ginny was gone and the Weasley’s wouldn’t talk to me… And I’d been to see you and you’d kicked me out. Not that I think that was such a bad idea, or anything,” he said quickly when she looked like she was about to speak, “you did what you had to, but after that I felt so alone. I thought that the wand was my only friend and I didn’t care that it was really a piece of Voldemort. So I let it… enter my mind.”

“But why did you come to me at all, Harry? Why didn’t Voldemort make you kill me?” she asked quietly. She’d wanted to know that for such a long time, wanted to know what value he’d seen in her then.

Harry gave a mirthless, cynical chuckle, “Honestly, Hermione, the answer to that question is far stranger than you could imagine… The wand was a Horcrux Voldemort made when he was really young. About fifteen or sixteen I think, that’s why he never really counted it, because he didn’t think it’d worked. And it kinda didn’t. It wasn’t as strong as the other Horcruxes.”

Hermione nodded when he said this, she had noticed the weaker state of the fragment of soul she’d found inside Harry. It was like it was needy, co-dependent, too trusting given what she knew of Voldemort.

Harry continued, “I’ve been totally aware of everything I’ve done since I started using the wand. That’s what made me realise it was different, because I remember Ginny saying she’d couldn’t remember huge chunks of her life in her first year when Voldemort possessed her…” his voice thickened slightly at what was said next, “I remembered everything, it just warped my mind to the point that I thought it was all ok… But the reason I kept coming back to you was… Well… I know how fucked up this sounds but you’re really the closest thing I ever had to a mum.” Hermione almost choked on her own saliva at this. Her? A mother? Harry continued, “No, seriously! Think about it. The whole time we’ve known each other, you’ve comforted me, you’ve looked after me, you’ve always been there for me and you’ve saved my life more times than I can count. And Voldemort yearned for his mum when he was young, when he made that Horcrux. I could feel it. I think we always assumed that he was this cold hearted sociopath, but he still felt stuff. I don’t know if it was love or anything but he wanted his mum around and wished she was there… That’s why I always went to Godric’s Hollow first. Because I thought it might help with that yearning, being near their graves… But it didn’t. In the end, I came to you because I was feeling all the same stuff about my mum. And for both of us, me and Riddle, you were the next best thing.” he finished, with a drawn smile.

Hermione felt bits of her mind falling away like a wet cake as Harry spoke. She was sort of flattered that he thought of her like that but at the same time, her head was spinning with the fact that there was not some greater, darker purpose to all of it. It was just about Harry and Voldemort’s issues with abandonment. That was all.

“Wow. That’s… heavy. ” she breathed, taking a moment to fully absorb the new information, before ploughing on with her next question, “So what about the blood magic? Kreacher said you wanted my blood.”

Harry smiled knowingly, “Yeah I thought you might have caught a hold of him after you found me in the Forest of Dean. I’m glad he helped. Remind me to reward him.” The smile slowly faded and he shook his head, seemingly overcome by the frightening reality of his own actions, “Those books you had… I was drawn to that kind of magic and so was Voldemort, though he’d dabbled in it already. It’s more powerful than anything I’ve ever seen. But I guess you already known that.” he said with a wan smile. “I originally wanted your blood because if I could make protective enchantments with yours, there’s no way you’d have ever been able to get through them. In the end I settled for Ginny though. I bet she fucking hates me now…” he said heavily.

Hermione put her hand on his arm, her tone serious, “Harry, Ginny’s been possessed too. I think you underestimate her. She knows what it’s like. She knows what it’s like to hurt people under the influence of Voldemort. And the damage she did in her first year, compared to the damage you’ve done now is relatively on par I think. I mean, I know you tried to kill someone but, I stopped that didn’t I? And she almost succeeded. She doesn’t hate you, I promise.”

Harry nodded, sighing sadly before he said, “What magic were you using, Hermione? How did you stop it?”

Hermione shook her head and smiled, “It’s too much to explain in a few sentences. I’ll tell you about it later… In fact… I have a book you can read.”

He shook his head in awe. “Cause that day in the forest was fucking scary. I could literally feel you coming. But I didn’t know what it was and a kind of masochistic part of me wanted to see… Then you were just there, you were like a goddess. When you flicked the killing curse back at me, that was the first time I’d had real clarity in months, the first time Voldemort and me were truly separated. I realised then what I’d been doing. But it was gone really quickly. It felt like he had a stronger hold on me than ever after that.”

“I thought as much…” said Hermione matter-of-factly.

They sat in silence for a few minutes, each lost in their own recollections. Knowing all that Harry had told her now was like a weight lifted off her chest. She felt lighter.

Hermione glanced at her watch, noting that it almost three am. The moon outside the window of Harry’s room was low on the horizon.

After a while, Harry spoke again, “So tell me your side, Hermione. I know you weren’t entirely honest with me about your life last time we spoke… Tell me everything.”

“Alright…”

Hermione did not really need to force herself to say anything as she once had to; there was nothing she was interested in hiding anymore, not from Harry anyway. So she told it all; from her arrival at Hogwarts to the Crucio she’d cast on herself, she told him about George and what they’d done, about Teodora, the tovarasi and the bond, about how Isobel had become invaluable to her and what had happened the night on the lake, she told him about Draco and what had grown between them, of the love she’d had for him. She then gave him a full and detailed explanation of all that had happened after she’d discovered the memory, even going into a moderate amount of detail around how she and Draco had acquired it. Harry listened to all of this patiently, sometimes laughing and sometimes frowning. When she’d finished he sighed and looked at her for a long time.

“You never do anything by halves do you?” he said, laughing quietly.

Hermione grinned and shook her head, borrowing one of Isobel’s favourite lines, “Have you met me, Harry?”

He snorted jovially before his face turned serious again, “How’s Ron taking it? You and Malfoy I mean?”

Hermione was secretly glad that he didn’t seem to want to dissect much more of his own madness and the damage it had caused, though she wasn’t much more comfortable discussing her relationships. She shrugged, “I don’t know. We were a bit caught up in everything else that was going on. I don’t think he had time to react properly… Do you mind?”

Harry frowned, “I don’t know… I can’t really understand the appeal but then, you never really went for the conventional types. I reckon Malfoy’s company would have been a bit of a relief after the way it was at the Burrow… But was he different though? Than when we were at school? Did he treat you ok?”

“Yeah he did…”

“So why did it end?” asked Harry.

“We’re too different I guess… I mean I know Ron and I were different but our core values were the same. Underneath it all we were always similar. With Draco, the surface stuff was our common ground but the deeper stuff was always a little bit askew. I didn’t mind that at first, but it’s sort of an… insurmountable problem now.” she said morosely.

He nodded understandingly, “And does Ron know about George?”

“No.” she replied somewhat guiltily.

“Are you going to tell him?”

She grimaced, “I don’t know… It feels so long ago. And nothing’s weird between me and George now. It sort of feels like telling him would just bring up a whole heap of old shit that isn’t really relevant anymore. And George doesn’t want him to know… Do you think I should tell him?”

Harry shrugged and sighed, “Dunno, Hermione. That’s up to you.”

She nodded. “I know…”

Again, they sat in silence for a few minutes. Hermione studied Harry then, studied his hair and his hands, the curve of his neck and the shape of his eyes. She committed these things to memory, pushing out all of her most recent images of him, the image of Voldemort looking at her through his eyes. She wanted to think of Harry always as he was right then, whole and untainted, freshly free of the darkest of demons. This was the Harry she’d missed, the one that was her best friend in the whole world. Just looking at him made her whole body tense with excited joy. She felt it in the tips of her fingers, in her teeth and the soles of her feet.

“I love you Harry.” she said suddenly.

He looked at her and it was almost like they could see into each other’s minds. His eyes were as wet as hers.

“I love you too, Hermione.”

And that was that. He knew that he had all her forgiveness then, all of her love. They didn’t need to talk about it anymore. She stood up.

“I don’t think I can reasonably justify putting off calling a healer any longer.” she said with a chuckle. Harry nodded, smiling.

Just before Hermione opened the door though, she turned to him. “Harry?”

“Mmm?”

“Are you alright?”

He frowned for a moment. “I dunno why but… I actually am. I sort of think I should be ashamed of everything I did, that Voldemort did with my hands… But I just can’t seem to manifest it.”

Hermione smiled and nodded, striding out of the room. She knew exactly why he couldn’t manifest the shame he thought he was supposed to feel. The Rusine had worked just as she had hoped it would, just as it had for her. It was the potion developed to cure shame, after all. That’s why she’d chosen it.

Two days later, Hermione stood in her lounge room looking around at the collection of people she’d gathered. The tovarasi were all looking slightly worse for wear, each for their own reasons. Only Ginny stood separately from the group, glowing with an inner radiance that Hermione could understand entirely. Ginny and Harry had talked for a long time the night he’d woken. All night as Hermione could understand it. She hadn’t been wrong when she’d told Harry that Ginny understood. The younger girl understood better than anyone and as was so true to her character, she’d forgiven Harry’s wrong easily and almost without thought.

A part of Hermione felt like maybe this wasn’t entirely healthy but then… Who was she to judge another’s relationship? There was something beautiful about Ginny’s unconditional love for Harry. He deserved that after all he’d been through. He deserved someone in his life that would never leave him, that accepted him, that loved him from the very depths of their soul. What made it glorious to watch was that he loved her back in exactly the same way.

Hermione had been there when Ginny had gotten to St Mungos only minutes after she’d informed the healers that Harry had woken. She’d seen their love standing there in the room, as tangible as the two people who shared it.

Ginny had burst through the door as Hermione leant beside the window, talking casually with Harry about some of the lighter times she’d shared with the tovarasi. The moment the younger girl entered, Hermione tried her best to blend into the wallpaper as Harry’s head snapped up and his face wore a look of fear so potent that it sent shivers down her spine. But neither of them noticed her, not once they’d locked eyes.

No words had passed between them, no confirmation, only a series of emotions flitting across each of their faces. Then, Ginny had moved like a ghost across the room, her hands visibly shaking. After only the briefest of pauses as she came to stand by Harry’s bed, the younger girl leapt on top of him, her feet leaving the ground as she hugged him with her entire body. For a moment, their embrace had been fierce, soundless and powerful. Then suddenly Harry and Ginny were both laughing and crying, kissing every part of each other’s faces. Words were exchanged then, but Hermione couldn’t make them out behind all the sobbing and laughter.

It was then that she slipped quietly from the room and the talking began.

Ginny had not left Harry’s side until that moment as the healers had asked that he remain at the hospital for observation for a few days, much to his chagrin. Ron and the rest of the Weasleys had been to see him, but that was the extent of his visitors.

Until, Hermione hoped, that day.

“So I guess you’re wondering why I asked you all to come here…” she began and the room fell silent as the group’s eyes turned to her. “I’d like for you all to meet Harry. Properly. I want you to see him as he is now, not how he was before.”

“I’ve met Potter plenty of times.” grunted Blaise. Hermione noted the drawn and pallid look to his dark skin and wondered just how much he knew of what had taken place between Harry and Ginny. Her eyes flicked to the younger girl who wore a pained expression, making Hermione guess that they had indeed had that hard conversation. And Blaise didn’t seem to be taking it well.

A flash of anger sliced through her then at Ginny’s actions. But then, Hermione reminded herself that she did not want anger to be a part of her life anymore. What Ginny, Blaise and Harry did with their little triangle was of no concern to Hermione. She would continue to love them all the same.

“I know Blaise… But you’re one of my best friends. And so is Harry. I want you all to know him like that. As my best friend.”

Blaise looked at her and Hermione pleaded with him silently. After a moment, he nodded stiffly. “Fine.”

“Where’s Draco?” asked Susan then.

“I wrote to him but he didn’t respond.” Hermione answered.

“Are you alright?” asked Padma, empathetically.

Hermione smiled reassuringly. “I’m fine. Really. It hurts, but that’s ok. If it didn’t hurt, it wouldn’t have meant anything. I like that it meant something.”

She swung her cloak over her shoulders as the rest of the group did the same and together, they left the flat.

Minutes later, the stood in the lobby of St Mungos. Hermione strode forward, nodding and smiling at the Welcome Witch on duty, and made her way up to Harry’s room, the tovarasi in tow. She knocked lightly and poked her head in.

“Harry? I’ve got some visitors for you.” she said, grinning as she saw Ron, sitting on the end of Harry’s bed with what looked like the Daily Prophet’s sports section open on the blanket in front of them.

Harry ran a hand through his hair in what Hermione recognised as an attempt to flatten it. “Sure. Bring them in!” he said, grinning.

Hermione gestured for the tovarasi to follow her as she entered the room properly. Harry’s eyes widened at the size of the group.

“Harry, this is the tovarasi.” said Hermione lightly.

Harry waved wanly at the group as Ron got off the bed to shake hands with Eli and Blaise.

“So you already know Ginny and Luna, obviously, uhm…” Hermione craned her neck to see over the small crowd, pointing at them as she introduced them. “This is Susan Bones, Juliet DeMarco, Blaise Zabini, Isobel Holub, Padma Patil and Eli Jackson.”

Harry laughed, “So you two are together now, right?” he said, gesturing between Padma and Eli and looking at Hermione for confirmation. She nodded. “Well I’m glad she landed herself a decent bloke after that horrific date I took her on the night of the Yule ball in our fifth year…”

Padma’s face turned red and dropped into her hands and Eli roared with laughter.

After that, conversation flowed easily. The tovarasi made themselves comfortable around the room, which quickly became filled with chatter and mirth. There wasn’t even a tense moment when Harry had told Isobel that she was trying to ‘supplant him as Hermione’s best friend and he would fight her for it’. Isobel had simply giggled and told him he was welcome to try.

Hermione could sense his nervousness behind the jokes though. He had already gleaned from her and Ginny just how important these people were to them and he wanted to impress them, wanted them to like him. After everything they’d been through because of him, she could understand his edginess.

After they’d been there for a while, Hermione sensed the need for libations. “Does anyone want a coffee or a tea?” she asked, standing. Orders were immediately called out to her from all sides. After reassuring everyone that she knew them well enough by then to remember how they took their tea, she left the room.

The corridor outside was busy but Hermione was used to it. She stuck close to the wall as she made her way down to where the kitchenette was located.

“Hermione!” a voice called out from behind her. She spun around to see Blaise jogging towards her, weaving between the healers and patients that littered the hallway. His cloak was in his hand.

“What’s wrong?”

“I’m going to go.” he said, sounding like he was having difficulty breathing. “I can’t do this.”

Hermione took a moment to think about this before she decided that his need appeared to be far greater than those back in the room and said, “Hold on. I’ll come with you.” and with that, she strode back up the corridor before Blaise could protest and re-entered Harry’s room.

“I’m just going to pop off for a moment, alright? Everything ok here?” she said hurriedly as she grabbed her cloak and beaded bag, without waiting for an answer.

“Where’s my damn tea?!” Ron demanded jovially and Hermione waved her hand dismissively and grinned as she swept back out of the door where Blaise was waiting for her.

“Alright?” she asked breathlessly.

“Yep.” he answered through clenched teeth and they left St Mungos together.

Rather than apparating to somewhere else, Hermione suggested they just walk. It was a beautiful day in London and she didn’t want to waste it.

They moved slowly through the streets in silence, taking in their surroundings and breathing the fresh air. Hermione felt like she should say something to Blaise, the wizard was clearly in deep distress, but she could not think of anything. He seemed almost happier to just have her company and for a while, she gave him just that. If she was honest, it was nice not to talk for once, nice to just be able to enjoy the environment.

She did not know how long they walked but eventually, they came upon the banks of the Thames and decided to stroll along it. The water lapping against the river’s edge combined with the dull thrumming sound of the constant traffic that was always prevalent in London.

It was then, that Hermione finally decided what she’d like to say, “I know it’s not much, but I’m sorry about all this.”

“It’s not your fault.” he responded shortly.

“I know but… Maybe I should have said something… I don’t know.” she said, shaking her head and squinting in the sunlight.

“Like what?”

“Maybe I should have told you more about Harry, about how they felt for each other.” she answered sadly.

Blaise laughed mirthlessly, “I knew, Hermione, I knew. I just ignored it. Every time he was mentioned it didn’t take a genius to see how affected she was. And even if I didn’t see it before, don’t you think I would have begun to suspect something when she sat by his bed for three weeks?”

“I guess I didn’t think about it like that.” she acknowledged. He did not respond and after a moment she asked lowly, “Was she still sleeping with you through all that time?”

Blaise smiled desolately, “No. She’s not as bad as that.”

Hermione turned to look at him then and realised with a shock that there were tears in his eyes. “Are you in love with her?”

He sniffed and shook his head, “I don’t know. Sometimes it feels like I am but at others I just don’t care. Whether I love Ginny or not depends on what mood I’m in… But on the whole I think I’d have to say yes. It’s like you said, it hurts so it must mean something. And it hurts like all hell… What about you? Are you in love with Draco?”

“Yes… And no… I love what he was before all of this started, but the person he’s become now is someone I just don’t know anymore. I don’t understand why he changed, but he did.” she reflected, staring down at her feet as they carried her along the grass.

“He’s in war mode, Hermione.” he said with a shrug and she looked at Blaise in confusion, “To you, war mode is this swords blazing, we ride at dawn, ready to die fierceness. For him it’s total and utter chaos and confusion. You’re focussed during battle, he’s not. He’s running around like a headless chicken trying to find a hole to crawl into so he can hide from it all. He doesn’t know what he’s doing.” he explained directly.

“I can understand that.” Hermione conceded, “And what’s your war mode, Blaise?”

Blaise laughed, “Well, mine’s changed. At first it was as simple as doing whatever the bad guys told me to do, then it was total inactivity, and now it’s just… Do whatever the good guys tell me to do.”

Hermione chuckled along with him at that before she exhaled wearily, “Well, it’s over now I guess. I plan on forgetting very quickly what my war mode looks like.”

He grinned, “I can understand that, though it’s not really an option for me I’m afraid.”

“Why’s that?”

“I’m planning on joining the Aurors after the summer.” he responded with a hint of pride.

“Oh wow!” Hermione exclaimed, “That’s brilliant Blaise! You’ll be fantastic, I know it.”

There was something thankful in the smile he flashed her then. “And what about you? What’s after Hogwarts?”

She laughed, “Oh, I don’t know… Suicide?” she jested sarcastically.

Blaise’s face fell and he looked away from her and across the Thames. Hermione felt instantly guilty when she saw tears again building in his eyes.

“Oh god, I’m sorry Blaise. That was insensitive…” a red blush of embarrassment was rising in her cheeks and she laid a hand on his arm as they walked. “You’re really not alright, are you?” she stated in a way that made it sound like it wasn’t a question.

“Neither are you.” answered Blaise, dashing the tears from his eyes with a quick swipe of his hand. Hermione made to protest but he cut her off. “Don’t. I know you Hermione. You’re not alright. You might pretend that you are for a while, but what happens when it all goes back to normal? When Potter’s better and everyone’s getting back to their lives? What happens when the silence hits?”

She could offer no answer to this at all. She didn’t know if he was right or not, but she’d learnt not to dismiss things like that anymore. What he said might have been true. After all, experience did dictate that it was possible. That’s what had happened after the final battle anyway.

“There was something my mum used to say,” she said after a while, “That I think would work here… The definition of insanity is repeating the same behaviour and expecting a different result.”

“That’s probably the truest thing I’ve ever heard.” said Blaise reverentially.

“So what do we do different this time, Blaise? How do we change it?” asked Hermione, her voice distressed.

“Don’t shut everyone out. We both do that…”

Hermione nodded, knowing that he was unequivocally right. “And realise that it’ll feel bad again, that it won’t stay good for long… And we’ve got to do something about that.” she hastened.

“I’ve an idea actually…” he said suddenly.

“What?”

He stopped and looked at her, his hands on her shoulders as he turned her to face him, “We could see mind healers. We could book appointments at the same time and… and go together.”

Hermione’s tongue suddenly felt like sand paper in her mouth as her throat ran dry. “I don’t know…”

Blaise threw his hands in the air, his voice rising to a frustrated pitch, “Looks at our lives Hermione! The war fucked everything! I know what you had with Draco because I had the same thing with Ginny! I thought that nothing was ever going to be ok again! Some days I felt like I’d rather chew glass than get out of bed!”

“I never knew you had it that bad…” said Hermione quietly.

“I never showed it! And you did a pretty good job at hiding your feelings too! But then they came along. And everything seemed like it would be better then didn’t it? 'Cause you didn’t have to spend any more time thinking about you, there was always them… But now… You love Draco, but he doesn’t love you back and…”

“And you love Ginny, but she wants to be with another man.” Hermione finished for him, her voice cracking slightly.

“Yes.” he breathed.

They began to walk again. Hermione’s head was chattering away madly, as it always did. Arguments and counter arguments zipping from one synapse to the other at a speed she could not keep up with no matter how hard she tried.

“Wouldn’t it be nice to be able to learn how to turn off all that talking in your head?” asked Blaise reflectively, totally unaware of the fact that he had just appeared to read her mind.

And that occurrence seemed to snap something into place inside her.

“Alright.”

“What?”

“Alright. Let’s do it. Let’s… get therapised.” she chuckled, a tad manically.

Blaise grinned at her, looking as if a weight had been lifted off his chest.

They stood still for a moment before Hermione held out her hand to him and he took it, a silent acknowledgment of their decision and their mutual pain. Their understanding and their friendship.

And so they walked on, hand in hand through London until the sun set and the red glow of the horizon made the shadows long.

A/N Not the end yet! Don't freak out haha. But we're almost done. Just wanted to let everyone know that there is still a trailer for Victim of the Fall coming! I'll either post it with the final chapter OR with the final Author's Note which will be posted separately.

Only two more to go lovelies...

xx

Desdemona

Green_Eyed_Mist - You and Kain should message me privately on FF.net so that we can exchange le details of Skype! And then booze shall be had!! And trust me, I've been having a coronary pretty much the last four days while writing the last chapters...

Polfso - Ah! What an enthusiastic review! Warms my heart :D thank you so so much. I'm glad you caught up in time too :)

Tabitoo - I'm so glad you liked it. Honestly I was not in the happiest of places when I wrote that lol, owing much to a guy who is annoying similar to the Draco I've written.

ideefixe77 - Thank you for that beautiful review, and thank you for sticking with me. :)

Aranel - Haha I get the feeling that if it were up to you, Hermione would fuck EVERYONE! Lol. Oh wouldn't that be so nice... Perhaps after Victim of the Fall there will be a harem fic. Wait... Didn't I already promise you that?? Thanks for the review lovely. xx

Bogarto - No no! I'm not frustrated. I only get frustrated when people imply that the story is shit because Draco and Hermione might not end up together. Your concern is entirely understandable!!! But don't worry. I won't disapoint you :D

Cat - I have A LOT up my sleeve, still concerning this story, darling. Don't worry. xx

DB1 - Eep! It is a bit sad isn't it? I'm scared honestly. This whole thing has been so huge but... Ugh. I don't know lol. Thanks for the review!

lisha - Sorry to tear that away from you! It hurt me too. *tear*

Kain - See Green_Eyed_Mist's review response above! WE WILL MAKE THIS HAPPEN! You know what would be brilliant though? If we could set it up so that you guys are skyping with me when I post the final chapter... Then I could see your reactions!! I'm sorry to hear about your computer though. Mine seems like it's about to die too but I am HOPING AND PRAYING that it will last just a few more days so that I can get the final chapter to you!! Also, yes. Sequel. Mmm...

HellYeah - How weird is it that the first time you review, on the very DAY that you review, I'm posting a chapter that bears your screen name?? I'm glad you gave it a go! And thanks for sticking with it! :D

The quote at the beginning of this chapter is from Ani Difranco's song Hell Yeah. Her music has served as a huge inspiration for this piece. I own nothing. Thanks Ani!
- 38
- 39
- 40
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Victim of the Fall