The Missing Link

Caught

Pansy was none too happy once she heard the news about what had happened to Hermione. She can be a bitch, sure, but she wasn't evil. She knew when to fight and when to back down. At this point however, she was doing neither. She had hatched an idea as a compromise to her and Draco's unique situation. And she planned to pitch him.

So, she invited them out for ice cream at the shop where there used to go as kids. It took a bit of convincing, but he eventually said yes.

Now, one may wonder how Pansy came to know the location of the shop. Well, on their first anniversary, Draco took them back there as a surprise. She liked the quaint little shop, and her expression of awe had been enough to convince him. Not to mention, Pansy was a pretty good crier.

She waited for him in their usual booth, hoping in the back of her mind that she wouldn't be stood up.

Lucky for her, Draco has a little more dignity than that. Yes, he should be aware that she could be up to something. Yes, he shouldn't be meeting with his ex at all. But he figured that she at least deserved proper closure from him.

Draco was five minutes late, mostly because it took him a while to figure out Muggle money.

Pansy tried to hide her excitement once she saw him enter the shop. She was sure that Draco would agree to her plan as well.

"Hello," Pansy greeted smugly, sliding her root beer float to the side.

"I don't have much time," Draco replied. "Why are we here."

"Won't you like to order something first?"

"No."

Pansy sighed. "Very well." She took a sip of her float. "I know you, Draco. I know you're not going to stay on that throne forever."

"I don't plan to," Draco replied. "In a few years, I plan to abdicate my throne once everything's stable and I've done my end of the bargain."

"See, I knew it," Pansy said. "You see, I have a proposal for you. Once that happens, we can get married. And finally live the life we both want."

Draco was dumbfounded. "What makes you think you know what I want?"

"Because we've talked about it. Over and over," Pansy pushed. "And though we didn't imagine something like this ever happening, I'm prepared to wait for you."

"That's just it," Draco said, stopping her. "I don't want you to."

Guilt bubbling in the pit of his stomach, Draco returned home hoping that Pansy finally got the message, and silently praying that his glamour charms worked.

He was surprised to find Hermione in his bedroom, seemingly examining Alfred.

"Hello," he greeted. "Is Alfred sick?"

"Was, I guess," Hermione replied. "He had a couple of holes and I fixed it, I hope you don't mind?"

"Not really," he muttered. "Thanks."

Hermione smiled at him and handed Alfred back. Something got caught in her sleeve.

"Let me get that," Draco offered, grabbing her hand before Hermione ever got there. "I'd nearly forgotten it was still there. Maybe it's the pendant that's causing the holes."

"What pendant?" Hermione asked curiously.

Draco sat down on the bed and fiddled with a tiny chain that was hidden under the collar of Alfred's suit. It came off with a tiny click.

"Here we are," he declared. "I should keep this somewhere else..."

Hermione's eyes widened upon seeing the now-tiny bracelet that she made all those years ago. The chain was a little tarnished and the pendant looked worn, but she could still make out the letter "M". Her heart jumped to her throat. She could feel her palms shaking and her face grow pale. She didn't know that she would see this thing again.

"May I...?" she began. Draco nodded, gingerly placing the bracelet in her hand. It took all of her self-control not to cry.

She found him. He just wasn't who she expected.

"I don't think I ever told you the story of what happened before we went into hiding," Draco said. Hermione shook her head.

"I used to go to this Muggle preschool," he began. "Mother thought it was a good investment. There, I met my best friend. Her name was Minnie."

Me, she said to herself.

"Voldemort slowly rose to power from the day he murdered Harry's parents, and there came a point when we had to go into hiding. I had to leave everything behind: my home, my school, my friends, half my family. I already had to shut Dragon out. So I tried my best to keep in touch with Minnie, so I can have some semblance of home."

"But you didn't," Hermione interjected. "Didn't you?"

Draco shook his head. "At first we were able to keep up. But after a while, my father began intercepting the letters."

Hermione bowed her head letting a tear fall.

"Luckily, I found her."

"Where? How?" Hermione asked, genuinely surprised this time.

"Pansy," Draco replied. "She lost the pendant I gave her, but I could feel it, you know? She'd been telling the truth."

"Can you wait here a while?" Hermione asked. She returned the bracelet and stood up to return to her room.

Hermione wanted to be angry at Pansy. Not only did she attempt to take Draco away multiple times, she also lived part of her life. The only reason she had a hold on Draco was because of a memory that she was claiming as her own.

She couldn't not tell him, but at the same time, she knew it would break his heart.

But she's had her heart broken by him, when he stopped replying to her letters. Was it selfish to want Drake back?

She retrieved the tiny keepsake box that she'd taken everywhere with her and brought it to him.

"What is this?" Draco asked.

"Open it," she prompted, barely holding it together.

Draco had no idea why Hermione gave him her keepsake box all of a sudden. Maybe this was a sort of return for the secret he'd told her?

What greeted him upon opening the box was his five-year-old self, smiling back at him. He barely knew this little boy now. He looked so, so happy.

The box contained mostly letters, the larger stack of letters were either unsent or unopened. There was a smaller stack of opened letters. Draco recognized the handwriting as his own.

"Why do you have these?" He muttered to himself. He was slightly irritated, because at this point he was sure someone had lied to him. He still wasn't sure who.

At the bottom of the box, he found a familiar twine bracelet he'd made years ago with the help of his mother. It had obviously aged over time: the twine was fraying and the pendant was a little faded.

He took the photo again and stared at the little girl. Then he looked at Hermione.

"Drake...it's me."