The Sweetest Downfall

Fire and Ice

[AN: A HUGE thanks to antiques_ who made me such a beautiful cover I cried.]

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In the beginning there was nothing but fire. The world was made up of destructive flames, the kind brought to life by war. As the world was being consumed by fire, there was light and dark; those trying to save what could be saved from their world, and then there were those who added fuel to the devastation. It was one or the other, there was never an in-between. With that, sides were clearly defined and no one ever crossed over.

She was twelve when she met Draco Malfoy and their hate for one another commenced, transpiring beyond petty and childish rivalry as they grew. She was a Mudblood, everything he hated and supported to eradicate. He was cruel to everyone during their time at Hogwarts, even to his fellow, bigoted Slytherins, but he especially enjoyed tormenting her. He had a knack for insulting her, hexing her when he could get away with it, and openingly teasing that her end would come one day from the hands of one of his pureblood kind.

During the first year at Hogwarts, Hermione managed to significantly ignore Malfoy at all cost. In that time, he hardly ever crossed her. (There was even a time he sat beside her at a library table and they both did their Charms homework in silence). She knew he was a malevolent boy; she of course heard and saw his bullying, but he hardly seemed to notice that she existed. That didn't last long, though; Second Year began his reign of persecution. What followed after made her feelings towards him transform from pity to hate.

Everything that Malfoy was, Hermione tied it with ignorance. He hated all muggles, mudbloods, and certain half-bloods because that's what he was taught from a young age. That didn't excuse his behavior, nonetheless, but it simply made him blind in her eyes. All his aggression towards her was not justified either, she had cried and resorted to retaliation against him, but she always thought that if he got to know her, if he just learned about those he hated, then he'd see that they were all people, too. She pitied him, that was obvious, but that changed in Sixth Year when he allowed the Death Eaters in and Dumbledore was killed. She hated him because he was a vital piece of the war that she knew was going to burn and take everything.

Her perception of Malfoy only shifted slightly in the days following the end of war. When it was just her and Harry camping out, her best friend shared a conversation with her involving Malfoy's hesitance and clear panic when he had Dumbledore corned in the Astronomy Tower. Then, when they were imprisoned in Malfoy Manor, Draco also hesitated in identifying her and her friends to his Death Eater family. During her torture session with Bellatrix, Hermione recalled a few painful seconds when Draco cried silent, terrified tears and looked remorseful for her suffering. When the final battle was going on at Hogwarts, after there seemed to be no more hope when Voldemort proclaimed Harry dead, Malfoy surprised everyone when he threw Harry his wand and played a part in Voldemort's defeat.

Trials for all those with the Dark Mark came soon after the war was over. Harry had gotten no rest as he was in and out of the Ministry, identifying and helping the Aurors track down all Death Eaters who fled after Voldemort's fall. Shortly after, Hermione was torn away from the comfort of her parents to help Harry in a case in defense of Draco Malfoy. She had not exactly given the Slytherin much thought, for her entire focus was in finding her parents after the end of war, but she agreed to help. She testified with the absolute truth, stayed until the Wizengamot gave their verdict, and once they had given him a year of probation and a lifetime of scheduled Legilimency sessions, Hermione went on to rebuild her life.

Unlike Harry or Ron, Hermione went back to Hogwarts to finish her education. She was surprised to see Malfoy's platinum-blonde head in the sea of returning students in the Welcoming Feast, but she didn't quite bother with him after that. She frequented him in class, seeing as they were one of the very few 'Eighth Years', but they never spoke a word. Quickly, the end of year came and Hermione went straight to a muggle university. She spent two years there, earning her degree in criminal psychology at record speed, and then applied for a job in the Department of Magical Law Enforcement in her beloved wizardying world.