Ok, THIS is my depressing one-shot. I had this idea on my mind for awhile... I just never bothered with it. I made a variation of it with a different song, my one-shot Untitled (I’ve Made My Mistakes) was similar to what I had in mind for this but not the same.
I’m pretty sure most of you know of this song, if not, no worries.
Anyways... I hope you do need at least one tissue for this one... because I didn’t
Tell me what you think =)
I nearly cried at some parts as I wrote and read them... and there were a few parts I just had to add to lighten the mood a bit (those’re mainly the memory parts).
This is nothing more than a one-shot of memories, the ‘present’, and a song.
~Sarah

Song: Slipped Away by Avril Lavigne

**********

Hermione sat in the front of the crowd that circled around the tombstone that was being driven into the ground. She was glad she wore a black veil; she didn’t wish to let her friends and family see the tears that fell from her eyes, seeming to have no end. The past few days were agony as she recalled what happened, everything before the Final Battle to what is becoming of its recoveries.

“Hermione!”

Spinning around, Hermione ducked and avoided a Killing Curse by a hair of a second. Another flew overtop of her and hit the Death Eater that had attempted to attack her. She looked around and stood back up.

“Thanks,” she said to Draco, who now stood by her side.

As soon as she spoke, Five Death eaters started to circle around them, jeering and giving off bursts of bright light. They both ducked and managed to avoid three bright green lights that flew in their direction.

“Merlin...” Hermione muttered. She let loose a Killing Curse of her own, and it hit a Death Eater. The four remaining kept shooting Killing Curses and Cruciatus Curses at them.

“Who shall be the one to watch their so-called love die?” a dark, female voice cackled.

Suddenly, Draco crumpled to the ground, a red light ensnaring his twitching form as he screamed in pain. Hermione froze momentarily in shock, bit her lip, and then thought the word ‘Expelliarmus’. As soon as she did, the Death Eater, Bellatrix Lestrange, quickly blocked to spell and removed the Cruciatus Curse from her nephew.

“It appears we’ve made a choice,” she jested. “Avada Kedavra!” she yelled, aiming the spell at Hermione. Her life flashed before her eyes, every word around her melding into one, loud voice. Within moments, she had realized what had happened...

Draco lay limp, his grey eyes lifeless, before her.

“Mr. Potter has a few words to say,” a voice cut into Hermione’s thoughts. She didn’t even raise her head at hearing Harry’s name.

“Everyone knows I never got along with Malfoy, not even when he was in the Order,” Harry started. Hermione merely looked up from the green ground below her feet. “Despite how we never truly put our differences aside, I’ll miss him... and never forget how...” he started to add, his tone changing drastically.

“Thank you, Mr. Potter,” the preacher cut in quickly, his voice still rather solemn. He then located Hermione, and asked, “Would you like to bring forth some of the ashes?”

Silently, Hermione stepped forward and opened the jar of ashes she held in her hands. She bit her lip and slowly put her gloved hand into the jar, trying to repress the memories that kept pushing into her mind.

It’s a girl!

Hermione smiled when she saw the banner that had been placed on the open kitchen wall. Her eyes then fell upon a small pile of gifts on the table.

“I told you all...” she started.

“Can’t we just celebrate something without you scolding us?” Ron cut in as he put a cake on the table. Hermione walked up to the table, Draco close behind her, and looked at the cake. She chuckled.

“Congrats on Ur-New... Poo,” she read aloud. She looked up and saw Fred and George smiling at the parody of their product name. “You guys...”

“Thank you,” they cut simultaneously.

“Speaking of ‘ur-new-poo’...”

Mrs. Weasley whacked Ron in the arm. She then came up to Hermione and looked into the bundle that she held in her arms.

“She looks just like you, dearie,” Molly said.

“You haven’t seen her head or eyes yet,” Hermione joked.

“It’s not a bad thing, is it?” Draco cut in with a smirk.

“You’re lucky my hands are full.”

Draco came up to her side and managed to carefully remove the bundle of blankets that wrapped around his newborn daughter. As he did so, her eyes half opened, revealing the almond-shaped, pale grey orbs mirroring her father’s.

“They aren’t now, are they?” he responded as he walked away with the woken newborn. He walked away and to the opposite side of the table where nearly everyone was grouped. Hermione smiled; he surprised her with how well he was doing and caring for their day old daughter, Tara.

The ashes of Draco’s essence slowly fell onto the grass before his tombstone. The last of the ashes she held in her hand had blown away in the wind, taken in a new direction. A tear slid down Hermione’s cheek when she thought of this as Draco starting a new life in a new place.

“I also... have a song I wanted to play,” Hermione said, her voice once cracking. She put down her iHome, iPod in it, brought the volume up to maximum, and let the sombre piano echo across the filled graveyard.

Na na, na na na, na na
I miss you, miss you so bad
I don't forget you, oh it's so sad
I hope you can hear me
I remember it clearly

The day you slipped away
Was the day I found it won't be the same
Oh...

Na na la la la na na

I didn't get around to kiss you
Goodbye on the hand
I wish that I could see you again
I know that I can't

Oh...
I hope you can hear me
Cause I remember it clearly

The day you slipped away
Was the day I found it won't be the same
Oh...

I had my wake up
Won't you wake up
I keep asking why
And I can't take it
It wasn't fake it
It happened, you passed by

Now your gone, now your gone
There you go, there you go
Somewhere I can't bring you back
Now your gone, now your gone
There you go, there you go,
Somewhere your not coming back

The day you slipped away
Was the day I found it won't be the same
No...
The day you slipped away
Was the day that I found it won't be the same
oh...

Nah nah, nah nah nah, nah nah
I miss you

By the end of the song, everyone in the crowd was in tears.

“Would you... wish to say something?” the preacher asked, stopping momentarily to clear his throat from the crack that had interrupted him.
Hermione shook her head and walked back. She went through the rest of the funeral, and even stayed behind.

“Mommy?”

Hermione looked down at her 7 year old daughter, Tara.

“Yeah?”

“Daddy isn’t coming back, is he?”

Hermione bit her lip momentarily and shook her head. She then was able to respond, “No.”

“Where’s he now?”

Two tears slid from Hermione’s bloodshot brown eyes. “I don’t know.”

“Tara!” a voice, sounding much like Harry’s, called.

She looked back up at her mom.

“Go ahead, I’ll meet up with you at home,” Hermione told her. Tara then ran to Harry and they Disapparated. As soon as they were gone, tears blurred Hermione’s vision. She kneeled down in front of the tombstone and read over it.

Draco Malfoy
June 8th, 1980 – June 7th 2007
Here lies a brave man. He defied his ‘destiny’ and sacrificed his life for the good of love. May he rest in peace.

“You had too much to live for...” Hermione whispered, choking on her words as she looked down at the jar of ashes. “I... I will never forget the day you slipped away.”