To Me, From Me // DHr ✔️

t h i r t y - s e v e n

Present day

She couldn't help it – Hermione ran towards Draco, encompassing him in a bone-crushing hug that conveyed every ounce of pride that had swelled within her.

Another line crossed.

"H-how did you-" She started to say as they broke apart. It is worth noting that their hands never did.

"My family." He said simply. "Hate was all they've known but they loved me."

Sucking up a breath, Hermione closed the distance between them again and rested her head on his shoulder. She felt him stiffen. "Do you know why Harry testified for your pardons?"

He relaxed. "Because I didn't give you away at the scrimmage in Malfoy Manor."

Hermione looked up at him with a small smile. "That's one of the reasons, yes, but the deciding factor was that your mother lied straight to Voldemort's face about Harry's death. She asked him if you were alive, Draco. We wouldn't have won the war without your mother's love for you."

It wasn't that they didn't want to tell the world about Narcissa's pivotal role in the war because they did. But Harry never mentioned it at the Wizengamot hearing, only adding it on paper once the trial asked for a written statement to honor Narcissa's wishes of him doing so. Hermione suspected it was because she didn't want to draw any more attention to their family – especially not to Draco, especially not when she only helped because Draco was still breathing somewhere. And Draco didn't know.

"She never told me." His voice dropped to a whisper.

"Would it have made any difference?"

A half-hearted smirk appeared on his face. "Of course. It would've been a great chip for getting Scarhead to scrub my shoes. What with the apparent life debt to my family he owes for saving his arse."

"For someone who claims that Harry is the bane of their existence, you sure did spend a lot of time coming up nicknames for him. Thought about Harry a lot, have you?" Her eyebrows wiggled suggestively.

"I am not even going to dignify that utterly sickening allegation with a response."

"So that's a yes to seven years' worth of pining over Harry then?"

"You're incorrigible."

"I take that as a compliment." Hermione went to pat Draco's hand but immediately felt something cold and hard atop of it.

A ring. A silver ring.

"Where'd you get that ring?" She asked, her vision zeroed in on the piece of antique-looking jewelry that was decorating his left hand's middle finger.

"Been passed onto the Malfoy heir since before my time. I've made peace with my lineage now, so I saw it fit to start wearing it properly again."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "Properly?"

Draco took out a thin necklace strap from his pocket. "You've asked about it before but that was when I wore it as a necklace."

And suddenly, it was all making sense.

"There you two are. We were wondering where you were."

Theo Nott came striding into the path that leads to where Hermione and Draco were standing. She saw Theo's eyes travel to Draco's hand. "Ah, so I guess this means you know?" He turned towards Hermione.

She was about to speak and say yes when her jaw dropped instead. "You know?"

There it was again – Theo's spine-chilling clandestine smile. "Playing God was much more satisfying than I ever thought it would be."

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A/N:

Cliffhanger? WHAT? *laughs in evil* Debating whether or not I'm going to make you guys wait two days (as per my usual updating schedule) for the next chapter or add two more days on top of that ;) What do you think? Hahahahahahaha *continues laughing in evil*

Dedicated to @star-to-a-wonderer because she's amazing and supportive and is just an overall wonderful human being! The end is so so so close so hopefully, you lovely readers of mine stick around for a couple more chapters! Much love always xx