The Garden
It had been about a month since they found out about Voldemort's plan. The planing had been slow low at first but as things progressed the planing became more detailed and intricate until they were to the point where all they could do was wait for the time to pass. As time went on Draco, Pansy and Blaise were getting called to the dark lord more and more often, sometimes being gone for days at a time. Because of this, when she wasn't devouring book after book in the library, Hermione had pretty much wandered though every part of the manor, admiring the old architecture and beautiful artwork. She had now started to wander into the gardens of the manor and although most of the plants were mostly dead at this time of year there were some parts that were enchanted to be warmer to grow plants all of the time.
It was now that she was walking through her favourite part of the garden when she heard voices. She rounded a corner to see Narcissa Malfoy and the little girl Emily, that Draco said could stay until they found her mother. Narcissa was showing her something about Hydrangeas. She held the bright blue plant in one hand and was digging a hole with a small trowel with the other. "The interesting thing about these flowers is that their colour changes if the acidity in the soil is different. So these could change pink next time they flower."
"Thats amazing." Emily smiled. "I love pink." They chuckled
Hermione had never in her life thought of Narcissa as the kind of person to enjoy gardening, but it seemed these days she was always finding out something new. As she walked closer they noticed her and stoped talking. She was going to walk straight past them when she heard her name called. "Hermione, I think there are some things you should know."
She turned. But stayed silent as she walked closer.
"I was much like you as a girl, I was top of my class, I was best at herbology, I never wanted fail. Then I met Lucius, and everything changed." She cleared her that and looked down as if in shame. "We never meant to get roped into this but we had the pressure of both our families, especially my family wanting us to join the dark lord, we jest ended up further and further down the rabbit hole. Draco has made a change in his future, he actually has the chance to do something good, and it's because of you, I want to thank you for that."
"Please don't feel guilty for things Voldemort has done, it's not your fault."
"No but we still made the decisions we made, I am very sorry."
"No please don't be." She crouched down to where she was and took her hands in hers. "None of you had a choice, but now you do."
Narcissa looked up at her before pulling her into a hug. "Thank you Hermione, you have saved my son."
They pulled apart. Hermione stood up to go when Narcissa said. "Can I give you a pice of advice?"
"Of course she smiled."
"Ever since Draco was a child if he likes something he becomes obsessed with it, fixates on it and in that respect he lives up to his name 'Draco', the dragon, if he thinks something or someone belongs to him he will never let them go."
Hermione nodded her head now deep in thought as she walked away.
She went to her room and sat down on the floor at the end of her bed. She was in love with him, he was in love with her. They were statements, hadn't really really been acted on, but what if they could be. Could she see herself going on dates with him to restaurants in the muggle world, could she see them getting married, her waring a white dress walking down the aisle. Could she see them living in this house, could she see herself pregnant, with kids, teaching them all she knew of the world, how to read, how to write. Could she see them growing old together. She could see it.
She remembered the night they danced at the ball. She leaned forward and opened the wardrobe, and at the bottom picked up the pair of shoes she had warn that night. "I love him." She whispered. It was just then, looking at the shoes that she noticed writing on the soul of the shoe that she knew was not there before. It said,
"When night and day are the same, the light will ask the question on the snow."
Suddenly there was a knock on her door and she turned to see as Draco entered. "Draco come and see this."
"See what?"
"The inscription on the shoe, I think after we danced that night magic must have written this on our shoes, do you remember the inscription on the last clue that we had, there were two footprints, that was a clue for this."
"What does this mean?"
"I think it means that on the day that the night and day are the same length, so the spring equinox, the light of the sun will shine on the bowl of snow and it will tell us another riddle."
"Thats why Voldemort was trying for so long to get Hogwarts under his command, so he could get the wish for the spell, so he could win the competition."
"Yes." She replied as she dipped her head. "We're too late."
"No we are not, just just have to get our plan to work and the it will be the end of him, we will win."
"What if it doesn't work or what if, what if one of us doesn't make it."
"Thats why I'm here actually."
She responded only by raising an inquisitive eyebrow.
He smirked back at her. "As you know, Blaise, Pansy and I are briefly related and share blood so we are all protected by the magic of the Manor, Emily isn't so she is going to a safe house on the night of the plan, but because you are involved but not related I have found a way for you to be."
Suddenly he was reaching into his back pocket and getting down on one knee. "I know this is probably way too sudden and this is definitely not how i had planned on doing this but..." He opened up a small wooden box to reveal the most beautiful ring she had ever laid eyes on. It was white gold metal with a tear drop shape of moss agate in the centre surrounded by diamonds in the shape of leaves on either side. "You can say no obviously, and if you do want to go along with it for safety reasons we can get a divorce straight after, but it will mean that while we are married you will be protected by the magic of the house and..."
She placed a finger to his lips. "Yes, and not because of safety or magic. Because of you."
The biggest smile she had seen was now on his face as she jumped into his arms, bringing them both to the floor.