Taking Hades Back To Hell
Hermione was out in her garden when she heard the floo sound. She’d been anxiously pacing about inside and had decided that staring at her woeful attempt at a vegetable patch would be better than that. She had still been fiddling with the sleeve of her cardigan, though.
As he came to sit next to her on the slightly damp grass, she immediately knew it wasn’t good news. Her stomach sank in time with his deep sigh.
“He’s invoked the contract.” Draco said softly, sounding tired. She nodded.
“Who is it?” She asked, beginning to pull at a loose strand of wool that hung from her abused sleeve.
“Astoria Greengrass.” He replied. “She was at Hogwarts, two years younger than us. A pureblood slytherin.” Hermione vaguely remembered the girl. Tall and pretty, with the inherent arrogance that came with being raised around money, she wasn’t surprised at Lucius’ choice.
“Obviously.” Hermione scoffed slightly, and he sighed again.
“I…I’ve read everything that exists on the subject. Every single thing I could find, in our library and beyond, and there’s no way out of it. It’s ironclad.”
She nodded. “I know. I’ve read it all too.” It was then that she looked at him, with a small sad smile, and saw the depth of the despair in his eyes. She furiously blinked away her tears, but it was too late. He’d already noticed.
Taking her hands in his, he turned to face her. “I’m really sorry, Hermione. I don’t want this. I-“ He looked down for a moment. “I wanted forever with you.”
She sniffed and nodded. “So did I. Maybe in another life, we’ll have it.”
Looking back at her with such pain in his face, he spoke again. “I would have fought it if the consequences were only mine. If it had just taken my magic, then I’d be ok with that, but I won’t take yours too. Our children’s magic, if we’d had them. That isn’t fair.”
She smirked at that, despite her watering eyes. “You think I would have let you give up something so important just for me?”
He shook his head. “If it meant that I’d get to keep you, I’d live happily as a squib.” He said firmly. Then he smiled. “You’d have more than enough magic for the both of us.”
They sat quietly for a moment, both turning back to look out at the flowers swaying in the breeze.
“I can’t be friends with you.” Hermione whispered, and Draco nodded immediately.
“I wouldn’t ask that of you. I don’t think I could manage it either.”
Another moment passed, before Hermione’s dog appeared from out of the house, nosing Draco’s leg lovingly. A thought crossed her mind, and she smiled.
“You should take him with you.” She said. His head whipped around to look at her, a frown on his face.
“I can’t take your dog, Granger.”
“If we don’t get to keep the life we’ve made here, then you should at least take a small piece of it with you. We both know he likes you more than me anyway.” She replied, holding out her hand for the midnight black Newfoundland to sniff. “You named him. He’s always been yours, really.”
A smile appeared on Draco’s face as he scratched the dog’s ears. “Without the men of the household, who’s going to protect you?” He asked. She rolled her eyes.
“As if I ever needed any protection.”
“That’s fair, I suppose.” He replied. “How about it then, Hades? Do you fancy a life of pomp and ceremony, surrounded by condescending arseholes?”
“You’re really selling it.” Hermione drawled flatly, and Draco chuckled.
“It’s quite apt, you know. Taking Hades back to hell with me.”
They both laughed, masking their pain with dark humour as they always did, before growing silent once more.
“When’s the wedding?” She asked.
“Two months.”
“So soon?” She looked at him again, and he shrugged.
“They’re in a rush. Father seems to think I might decide to run, when it comes to it. He definitely suspects I’m involved with someone, he just doesn’t know who.”
“And the fact that you haven’t presented her made them panic.” She said, the pieces falling into place. “They need to tie you down before you do something rash and sully the bloodline.”
“When other people have children with the love of their life, they get congratulated. When I want to do it, suddenly it’s ‘rash’.” He said bitterly, still fussing Hades distractedly.
“I’m not the love of your life, Draco.” She pointed out, but he turned to her and shook his head almost angrily.
“You are, and I want to make sure you always remember that. You would have been it for me. I was certain of that back in bloody eighth year, I’ve only grown more sure since. If there hadn’t been the contract hanging over my head like the fucking sword of Damocles, I would have proposed already. Months ago. Years, probably.” She blinked at him.
“Seriously?” She whispered. Suddenly, he was standing up and dragging her inside, up the stairs. “Draco, we can’t do this.” She got out, but once they were in her bedroom, he turned to her, determination painted across his face.
“I’m going to show you what you mean to me, what you will always mean to me. If this is the last time, then we’re going out on a high, Granger. I refuse to leave you with any doubt in your mind at all. I love you. That won’t ever change.” He said before taking her face in his hands and kissing her. She couldn’t help but cry, there was so much emotion in it. As he lay her down on the bed, she clung to him with everything she had, feeling her doubt blow away like petals in the wind.
“I love you too.” She said, wanting to make sure he knew. That he’d remember, just as she would. That it would endure.