Ginny's eyes dropped down, and her mouth tensed as she saw it. “I don't just mean with Malfoy. I know you promised Harry you'd take care of James and me. I want you to know you don't have to. You've done more than anyone should ever have asked from you. You were right, it's time someone else does something. It shouldn't be you anymore. You deserve to actually make choices. That's what being free is. So don't — don't spend the rest of your life being chained up by old promises. Not to anyone. Not Harry or me — or Malfoy.”
Ginny stood up sharply. “I just needed to say all of that. I needed to say it at least once. You—” Ginny stared at Hermione, her eyes pained as they rested briefly on the undeniable swell of Hermione's stomach. “I'm so glad you escaped. You deserve to be free now. Really free. Not just as much as other people will let you.”
Ginny's fingers darted up to her face and brushed rapidly across her cheeks as she slipped out of the room.
Hermione stared down at Draco's hand entwined with hers for a moment before looking at his face. “You can stop pretending to be asleep.”
Draco's silver eyes slid open, and he stared up at her. His expression was reserved.
The corner of Hermione's mouth quirked up as she noticed it. “I didn't go to all the trouble of saving you because of an old promise if that's what you're wondering. After all, aren't you the one who said I make conflicting promises just so I can do whatever I want?”
“Grang—”
“We said always, didn't we?” she asked in a strained voice. “Always. If you don't want that promise in full any longer, I'll give it to you in increments.”
She held his hand more tightly. “Every day. I'll choose you.”
She turned to face him more fully, entwining their fingers and tracing her fingertips along the ridges of his knuckles. Her fingers stopped at the onyx ring, and she stared at it, replaying their past.
Blinding pain and burning devotion in equal parts.
“I'm sure there are going to be good days and bad days for us,” she said after a minute. “There's — there's probably too much for us to ever really put it behind us. But if you choose to stay with me, and I choose to stay with you — every day — I think we're strong enough to make it one day at a time.” She met his eyes. “Don't you?”
He studied her carefully for a moment and nodded.
The next day, breakfast appeared with a two week old copy of The Daily Prophet on the tray. The front cover featured a photo of the burned out ruins of Malfoy Manor.
Hermione snatched it off the tray and stared, her heart pounding.
“High Reeve Killed in Fiendfyre Accident.”
She unfolded it with shaking hands, in order to read the summary beneath the fold.
She looked up at Draco, giving a gasp of relief. “It worked, Draco. You're free.”
Chapter End Notes
Draco and Hermione by animusdiscidium.
Hug by istillloveyou3000.
Embrace by kalycoris.
Hermione and the High Reeve by nessi.books.
Draco and Hermione by youokwk.
Post-Flashback gifset by ectoheart.
Ginny by thegirlthatreadsfantasybooks.
High Reeve Killed in Fiendfyre Accident
Draco Malfoy, a prominent figure in the Dark Lord's government, and his father, a widower, are suspected to have died in a house fire.
Aurors are still investigating the case. The official statement from the Department of Magical Law enforcement is that the cause of the fire remains unknown, but officials speaking off-record have confirmed the fire possesses all signs of having been fiendfyre that was intentionally set and sustained.
Photos of the Malfoy Manor ruins are almost identical to the ruins of the Lestrange Manor fire from several years before. “Everyone knew Lucius was obsessed with that fire,” an unnamed source says, “he obtained all the records and files and revisited the Lestrange ruins dozens of times. It's almost undeniable that the fire was a recreation. It's so tragic: he never got over Narcissa's death.”
Close family friends say that Lucius abandoned most of his obligations following his wife's death, handing over the title and estate to Draco, who was twenty years old at the time. Lucius has rarely returned to Britain in the years following, but during his most recent visit his behavior had been notably erratic. Aurors speaking off-record confirm that Lucius is now suspected in several cases of missing persons, including Astoria Malfoy, who vanished less than twenty-four hours after returning from a summer holiday in France.