CHAPTER 33: BE A PUREBLOOD! BENEFITS INCLUDED

The worst thing about things like this, Draco soon realised, was that no matter what happened, life tended to move on.

Potter was with the She-Weasel, Weasel was with the other Weasels, Pansy was back in her own home, and Blaise was with Astoria. They were all still trying to research, trying to find a way to waker Hermione up, but their lives continued.

Hermione's name had been cleared completely by now, his too. Of course, people being people, had decided that two years' worth of chasing after her was nothing, and that they'd known all along that Hermione wasn't the murderer. The articles about how the Ministry was to blame for it all, or that even the Daily Prophet knew all along that Hermione was innocent, had only made Draco angrier than he already was.

They'd given her two years of hell and now they were blaming everyone else but themselves.

They were all moving on, but he wasn't.

He was stuck. He didn't want to move on...he couldn't. Hermione was still in hospital, her heart still beating, her lungs still breathing, but she was still in a coma. Where else was he supposed to be, but next to her? Waiting, hoping, that she would just wake up and that it would all be alright?

That somehow, someway, he would get to see her smile again.

"Draco? Draco!"

He glanced up at the gathered people before him and scowled at them, squeezing Hermione's fingers in his own to assure her that everything was fine. It was just their idiotic friends. "What do you lot want?" he muttered, looking back at the muggle machines they'd bought in to keep tab on her heart rate.

The four of them, Potter, Weasel and Pansy and Blaise all looked at each other warily, aware that he was already on a short fuse. Just this morning, they'd heard that he'd punched another Healer for asking him to move his hand so that he could check her pulse.

Pansy sighed heavily, the other three with her weren't going to say anything for sure. They might have been war heroes or whatever, but they were cowardly as mice when it came to stuff like this. "How is she doing?" she asked gently, watching the forlorn expression on his face deepen.

"I don't know. I don't understand these muggle machines. The belly-pinion was bad enough...but this is..." he trailed off.

Hermione's heart rate was erratic and unnatural. Sometimes it would even out, and her breathing would return to normal and it would look like she was on the brink of waking up, but just as they would get hopeful, it would return to the way it was before.

Three weeks and nothing changed. Draco didn't leave Hermione's side for more than ten minutes. He barely ate, and barely spoke, but he was still quick to anger, and most of his frustration was to himself.

"If she hadn't...it was aimed at me! Why did she?" he ran a hand through his hair, his form so defeated that even Harry looked affected. Then again, Harry had never seen Draco Malfoy so broken like this before. And the fact that it was because of Hermione...

"Because she loves you." Blaise stated calmly, crossing his arms to stare at his best friend, "that's what people do when they love others. They become willing sacrifices for the sake of the one they love. She didn't want to see you die, so she did what she could to stop it. She saved you. Plus, she's a Gryffindor to boot, that's what they do."

Pansy winced, waiting for Draco to get mad, but the man just stared at Hermione and kept quiet.

A week afterwards, after Pansy managed to convince Draco to take a break, the black-haired woman sat next to Hermione Granger and sighed heavily. Knowing Draco, he would be back in less than two minutes, so she leaned forward and regarded the brunette woman carefully before sighing once more.

"You know Hermione, I was rather hoping that you and Draco would end up together." She hesitated feeling stupid for talking when she didn't even know if Hermione was listening at all, but she needed to get this off her chest. "He loves you so much, and if I didn't already ship you two, I would've been jealous! Ha! Me, jealous! Who would've thought!? I...I wish you would wake up, and I wish I could do something, anything to help, but I don't know what to do either."

Pansy bit her lip, her heart suddenly aching. This hadn't been how she'd wanted their story to end. They were supposed to get married, and have kids and live a happy life...that's what she'd wanted ...but now...

"Draco's like my best friend, weird I know...since I used to think that I was in love with him and all...but it hurts me that he's hurting because he can't be with you. I wanted to...I wanted to thank you for looking after him and for changing him. I'm glad that we were friends in our final year at Hogwarts, and I hope you know, that no matter what, I love you for loving him. He needed you, and you were there. I will always be grateful to you for that. If worse comes to happen, and I don't want it to, I'm going to keep searching until the end, but if it does, then know that I will make sure that nothing happens to him. So, don't worry about him, focus on yourself and please, please...wake up."

Draco came back in time to see Pansy leaving, tears running down her face.

It was almost a month later that things suddenly got worse. Draco had been sleeping in his chair, his hands still interlocked with Hermione's, when the beeping and flashing lights of the muggle heart machine woke him suddenly. The machine seemed to be going haywire, flashing red and white lights and making noises that were so loud, he felt like his eardrums were going to explode.

The Healer's rushed in, pushing him away as they hurried around her, casting spells and yelling things that Draco didn't understand.

His attention was focused on the love of his life because all too suddenly...he couldn't see her breathe anymore.

Her form was still. Pale. Unmoving.

"She's not..."

Draco pushed past the Healers and knelt at her side, his heart frantic as he checked her pulse, her breathing.

Nothing.

No beating heart. No breathing lungs. She was...she was...

"Hermione. Hermione! Wake up. Wake up now!"

He didn't notice the Healers leaving, running off to inform the necessary people, all of them grim and saddened. But Draco didn't notice any of that. He couldn't. His focus was on her, and her only.

And that fact that she wasn't breathing.

"Granger! No! You wake up now! I'm not saying goodbye to you, no way! I don't believe in goodbyes, I believe in promises, and you promised me a forever and ever. Don't you dare break that promise. You Gryffindorks are supposed to keep your word, right? So, wake up!"

She looked so peaceful, so beautiful. If it wasn't for the fact that she was ice cold and bone pale, she could've been sleeping.

Draco took a shuddering breath in, grabbing her hands and holding them to his lips. She was so cold...so cold.

She didn't respond at all, and his heart broke. It shattered into a million pieces, and the glass like shards travelled all over his body, slicing everywhere, making it hurt everywhere.

"I'm not going to say goodbye, because even if you break your promise in this life, I'll make you keep it in the next. Forever and ever means forever and ever, Granger. No matter what, I'd chose you in hundred lifetimes, in a hundred worlds, in every version of reality there is, I'd find you and I'd choose you because no matter what, I love you."

He hadn't known this kind of pain before. It was indescribable. It hurt so much that the only thing he could think about now was how much it hurt. It hurt to breathe, to think, to be even aware that it was hurting, hurt him.

To finally find someone you love, only to lose them so suddenly. His mind refused to accept that she was gone, but she wasn't breathing at all, and as every second passed, she got paler and paler.

He was crying...he could feel tears running down his cheeks, but he didn't wipe them away, holding her hand tightly and sobbing instead, not knowing what else to do.

And just like that, Hermione Granger was dead.

Or that was so, until she suddenly sat up in bed and gasped, breathing in suddenly and coughing, blinking at the lights around her.

Draco fell off his chair and gaped up at her in horror, wondering if he'd finally lost his mind with grief, but she looked around and upon spotting him on the floor, gave him a smile, "Draco!"

That smile. That gentle smile, the one that made her eyes light up and her nose scrunch up.

He wasn't imagining this, right? Draco stared at her dumbfounded, wondering if hallucination were part of mental illness. Had he gone mad after all?

"Draco, why are you on the floor?"

"I'm not imagining this, right? You're...you're alive?" he whispered, getting to his feet and taking a step towards her.

Hermione blinked in surprise before looking around herself and then at herself, "I don't think you're imagining this. I feel quite alive...am I supposed to be dead?" she asked, grabbing his hands and pulling him towards her.

He sat down beside her on the bed, his eyes still wide in confusion and wonder. "I don't want you to be dead. And I don't want this to be my imagination." He told her, hesitantly reaching for her face.

Hermione smiled, and taking his outstretched hand, placed a kiss on his palm, "well then, I'm not dead, and you're not imagining it. I feel quite fine. And anyway," she pulled him forwards to lean her head against his, her eyes closing and her smile relaxing, "I don't believe in goodbyes either. I hate saying goodbye. Besides, I did make you a promise of forever and ever, and us Gryffindorks, we like to keep our promises."

She opened her eyes and Draco felt the million shards of his broken heart suddenly gather back to his chest and begin to heal, the pieces fitting together like puzzle pieces until it was whole once more.

"I love you too, you ferret!" she whispered.

Draco gazed at her with a deep longing, before cupping her face in his hand and drawing her in for a deep kiss, refusing to let her go. If this was his imagination, then he never wanted to leave.

And that was how everyone found them.

The Weaselys, the Potters, Blaise, Astoria, Pansy, and the various Healers who'd informed them of Hermione's death found Hermione Granger upon her death bed looking like she'd just come back from the dead, kissing Draco Malfoy, who was sitting next to her, looking like he'd seen Hermione just come back from the dead, holding each other like they hadn't seen each other in months or something.

By the time Hermione and Draco broke up for air, their arms still around each other, the found a large crowd watching them, most of them bawling their eyes out at the fact that she was alive and well.

The Healers spent hours checking her over, and to their surprise she didn't have any after effects of the Crucio, she didn't feel any pain, she was perfectly fine, asking them when she was going to be discharged. They managed to convince her to stay for one more night, just to make sure that everything was well, and went off, scratching their heads, trying to figure out how this was possible.

She'd been dead for sure.

She had no recollection of being in a coma, though she had could hear things that had been going on around her, she couldn't recall everything. There were lots of tears and hugs and kisses, especially from Molly Weasely, but no matter who was around her or what was happening, she didn't let go of Draco's hand once.

They did notice that, but chose not to comment on it. Now was not the time to figure out what was going on between them. Not when Hermione had just been returned to them safe and sound.

Ron, however, didn't seem to understand the memo, and asked Hermione almost immediately, when she'd gotten engaged, to which she'd tersely replied, "I think it was a couple of days after you died," which had shut him up.

Soon enough, most of them left, deciding to let the girl rest before she was to be discharged.

Pansy, Blaise, Harry and Ron stayed back however, all of them curious at what had happened and needing to know how it was possible. Hermione was given a potion to send her to deep sleep, the Healers insisting that she rest up before the next day, and Draco sat next to her, his hands around hers, watching her sleep.

For the first time in a long time, he relaxed.

"Draco." Pansy called, snapping her fingers in front of his face to get his attention.

Draco scowled at lot of them, irritated. "What?" he snapped, scowling.

Pansy tsked. Merlin! Why were all the men in her life so frustrating? "We figured it's about time you told us what you know about Hermione's family. Clearly with the heirlooms you're both wearing, Hermione is somehow a pure-blooded witch too, if we know more about her, then we can figure out how she woke up, right?" she said, seating herself opposite him.

"Wait, so you were serious about that? Hermione really is a pureblood?" Ron asked, looking at Hermione as if that was supposed to make her glow or something. Harry regarded Hermione carefully, trying to understand how that was possible.

Draco stared at them blankly, and then down at the ring on his finger, "who cares why she woke up or who her family is. As long as she is fine, I don't care about the details." He muttered, waving them away.

"Well I do." Pansy stated, crossing her arms, "I need to know that details. I need to know about her family and I need to know why she made it. I'm not saying that I'm not pleased she did, but its important to know why, so if something happens, we will be prepared."

Draco frowned, before sighing, "fine. Whatever. I don't know much anyway, and I don't know how much she'll want you lot to know, but she's related to you Potter, I think. She's a descendant of one of the three brothers of the Deathly Hallows."

Harry jerked back in surprise, "the deathly hallows, huh?" he glanced at the rings on Hermione and Draco's hands and frowned deeply, his eyebrows furrowing.

"What are you thinking, Potter?" Blaise asked the man, seating himself beside Pansy and crossing his legs.

Harry licked his lips in thought, "well... Cadmus Peverell passed the Resurrection Stone to his descendants in a signet ring. Dumbledore used to have that ring, before he gave the stone to me."

He paused to gently take Hermione's hand and scrutinise the ring on her finger carefully, "but when I finally got the stone, it was chipped. I thought it was because he used the sword of Godric Gryffindor to destroy the horcrux, but maybe it was already a bit chipped after all..." he trailed off, his eyes widening as he pointed at one of the eyes of the eagles. The little black stones that seemed to shimmer with an unearthly glow.

The others stood up, looking intently at the ring in awe. Draco glanced at his own ring, refusing to let Hermione's hand go.

"Wait, that's a piece of the resurrection stone?" Pansy asked, her mouth hanging open. Harry hesitated, and shrugged, "I don't know, maybe. But that would explain her miraculous recovery."

"Plus, remember what...um...never mind who said it, but Hermione has strong blood, right? Filled with magic? Maybe that and the shard of the stone managed to keep the killing curse at bay?" Blaise cut in, nodding to himself like it all made sense to him.

Ron frowned, "but I thought the resurrection stone drove the brother mad because it didn't really bring people back to life, just their souls or something, and he ended up killing himself, right? Then how come Hermione is actually alive, and not a soul?"

The silence lasted only seconds, "because being a Pureblood has its benefits. Family heirlooms aren't just jewellery passed down generation to generation, it's jewellery beaten and woven with magic stronger than the magic we have now. The Peverell's especially were gifted in magic, one of them probably did something to the stone and the ring to ensure that if the wearers were ever in danger of losing their life, the magic would activate enough to bring the person back wholly, not just their soul. Or at least, that's the theory I have now."

Everyone glanced at Hermione who smiled at them cheekily, "Granger, you're supposed to be sleeping." Draco stated, only now noticing that the potion that she'd been supposed to take was still on her bedside table.

"Oh please, I've rested enough. Plus, how am I supposed to sleep with you lot talking about me right in front of me?" she murmured, stretching as she sat up before grabbing Draco's hand once more.

"Hermione..." Harry started, but she glanced at him sharply. Harry gulped, but settled his mind, he couldn't avoid this any longer, "Hermione, we need to talk." He finally stated, his voice shaking slightly. Ron nodded in agreement, wringing his hands.

Hermione narrowed her eyes at both, biting her lip in thought, "Pansy, Blaise, Draco, could you please leave us? I want to talk to them too," she told them, her voice strong and settled. She'd already made up her mind.

Pansy and Blaise nodded, leaving immediately, but Draco hesitated for a little longer, looking at the two boys in warning before placing a kiss on her forehead "I'm right outside. Call if these idiots try something." He told her seriously before growling at the men and leaving.

Hermione smiled after him before switching her attention to Harry and Ron, "okay then, let's talk."

They gulped.

.*.

Three hours later, Harry Potter and Ronald Weasely left the hospital room, looking like someone had kicked their puppy in front of them. Dejected and moody, both didn't bother saying a word to the three people outside and left almost immediately.

Pansy followed Ron, sighing at the fact that she was going to have to give him a pep talk or buy him a large amount of chocolate to get him talking again, and Blaise trailed after Harry, deciding that he wanted to know what Hermione had told them to make them act so abandoned.

Draco rushed inside, checking her over with his eyes to make sure that nothing was wrong before seating himself beside her, "how was the talk? What did you say to make them look like rejected teenaged girls?" he asked, watching as she settled into her bed, her fingers finding his and interlocking automatically.

"I told them what they needed to hear from me." She told him simply, smiling.

Draco frowned, "does that mean you forgave them?"

"No matter what they did, they are my friends, and I will forgive them, but for now, I just want to be with you without them rushing in and out to bother me." She told him, squeezing his fingers. Draco smirked, "you're far too nice to people, Granger."

"That's why I have you, obviously! To even it out! I'm too nice and you're too harsh, between the both of us, we're perfect!" For a second Draco stared at her, his eyebrows raised as she flushed red at her words and hid her face underneath the blanket, making him laugh.

"Perfect, huh?" he muttered to himself, laughing as she crawled further under the blankets to hide her embarrassment.

.*.

Hermione was discharged the next day, and only some people were made aware of it. She'd already had visitors wishing her the best, and Molly Weasely had promised to visit her again later, as had Ginny and Luna. Blaise had come by early in the morning to drop off both their wands, which had been found in the forest and school respectively, and though she'd been told to go easy on the magic use for now, Hermione felt complete with her wand within reach.

Thanks to Neville's ague answers of her recovery to the press, she and Draco managed to leave Mungo's without them finding out and bothering them.

They apparated back to where the Manor used to be, willing the house, with their minds, to become visible once more. It took a while for the front steps to materialize, but it was soon followed by the rest of the house appearing in front of them as if a giant invisibility clock was being lifted off it.

Draco opened the door nervously, though he wasn't sure why he was nervous, it was his house, and Hermione was by his side too...his parents had no reason to yell at him, but there was a part of him that worried that somehow, things were going to get chaotic from the get go.

Hermione squeezed his hand, "relax Malfoy, no need to be so nervous!"

"Shut up Granger, I am not nervous!" he muttered, ignoring the smile on her face at his words.

Hermione held tightly onto his hand as they made their way over to the living room. "Umm, we're home?" Draco called out, wiping the sweat from his brow quickly.

"Draco, is that you?" Narcissa made her way to the portrait on the living room wall, and was greeted by a sight that melted her heart and made her grin widely, motioning to her husband to come over too in excitement, "Lucius, look, they're home!"

Narcissa looked over them both, making sure that they were alright. Hermione looked as pretty as ever, her smile was bright and happy, happier than it had been the last time, and she was holding onto Draco hand like she never meant to let go.

And Draco was smiling, actually smiling, and not bothering to cover up his dimples that he'd hated as a young boy, though for some reason, he looked a bit nervous too.

"Lucius, I said come look who is here!" Narcissa called, crossing her arms in impatience as her husband trudged over slowly and nodded at them in greeting, though even he couldn't hide the relief he felt as seeing them both alive and well.

"Can I assume that you both being here means everything has worked out for the best then? You're no longer on the run and in hiding from the world?" He asked as he stared contentedly down at the couple. Lucius had seen the engagement rings, but decided not to comment on it until they did, he didn't recognise the rings himself, they weren't the Malfoy heirlooms, and he was sure that there was another story behind that, but he didn't care right now.

As long as they were both safe, nothing much else mattered.

"Yes, everything is okay now." Draco said, grinning at Hermione.

Lucius tried to think back to the last time that he'd seen his son smile so brightly, but no such memory came to mind. He'd always been a gloomy boy, but now, with Hermione present, even the house felt like it was getting brighter. It appeared as if things were going to change in the Malfoy family, and Lucius couldn't have been prouder.

"So, what's going to happen now?" Lucius asked as Narcissa clapped her hands in excitement after finally noticing the rings on their fingers.

"Well, that all depends on this idiot," Hermione stated, pointing at Draco who gaped at her in confusion, "but don't worry, I like the idea of happily ever after."