"There!" Blaise yelled as he caught sight of the land where Draco's patronus led them. Draco and Ron leaned closer to their castaways and onto their brooms, sporting it to be faster.
Everyone arrived and set foot on shore, quickly coming to the aid of their friends.
"Hermione," Draco mumbled shaking as he laid her on the sand quickly brushing off strands of her hair to the side. "Hermione," He called again as he felt slow pulse on her neck. He had begun flicking his wand shakily and mumbled healing spells, and liquid began to transport itself out of Hermione's system.
"You need to pump for her heart Draco!" Harry said seriously and took out his wand. "Let me do this," He said and started to mumble healing spells.
Draco doesn't hear anything else, he felt dumbfounded. He barely heard a thing around him.
Draco placed his palms on Hermione's chest and started to pump for her heart. He counted in his thoughts, "Come on," he yelled. "Come on, Granger!" He pumped again. "Don't bloody die on me now." He cried still pumping.
In between pumps, Draco blew air inside Hermione's mouth.
"Draco! Easy! You'll break her bones!" Harry glared. Draco closed his eyes and eased his mind. He started to pump again. "Please — Please. Godric, Salazar, please. God." Draco cried, as he was still pumping by the second.
Hermione's face paled and her lips was swollen and now purple. There's no colour evident in her face. Draco's starting to snap.
Blaise held his friend's shoulder. "Draco —" He called as he lowered his gaze. "Draco — stop." He called again, now holding Draco's both shoulders.
"Get off of me!" He screamed, pushing Blaise away and immediately got back to pumping Hermione back to life. "No. You don't do this to me, Granger." He cried.
"Malfoy — stop." Harry started to cry. "She didn't make it." Harry stumbled on his words, looking over Hermione as he held two fingers on her neck. "Hermione." He whispered. "Stop. Draco. Please." He pleaded. There was no use.
Ron emerged, "No. No. No. No. Hermione. No. No. No. Hey. Hey. Wake up." He kneeled next to Harry. "Hermione, please. No. Please. Wake up." Ron held Hermione's cold hand.
Theo watched, tears welling in his eyes, as he held Astoria in his arms who's now weakly and barely awake. He lied about him not being afraid of losing friends. He damned well was afraid. Ron had managed to pump the woman in his arms back to life but for Hermione — it was hazy.
Draco was devastated in Theo and Blaise's eyes. Harry and Ron were too. They felt like their hearts were being crumpled a thousand times over. The last time they felt like this was during the war as they watched their friends die in a flick of a wand and they only had to bat an eye and back to deflecting
an incoming curse again but this was worst — because they had time to actually endure the pain and watch someone fall in deep sleep.
"You don't. Don't you dare. If you don't open those goddamned eyes —" Draco heaved a deep breath and pushed his mouth down to hers. He pumped twice again. Draco leaned closer to Hermione.
"No." He whispered near her neck. "You're not—" His brain is telling him that it's over but his heart does not. "You can't be." He whispered again. His shoulders heaved up and down, crying.
A cough.
Draco widened his eyes at the sound. He shot up his head and saw a coughing Hermione. Harry, Ron, Blaise and Theo held their mouth agape. The gape turned into a relieved smile.
"Hermione, hey, Granger." Draco whispered as he caressed the nape of Hermione's neck to elevate her body. "Hey, you're back. You're back, Granger. You came back." Draco beamed, tears streaming down on his pretty face.
Hermione fluttered her eyes open, her vision's a blur and her lungs in pain. She was surrounded by blurred figures. She wanted to speak but couldn't find the strength to. She wanted to ask if everyone's alive, if Astoria was saved too, if everyone's okay, Harry, Ron, Blaise, Theo, and if Draco's safe. She wanted to ask all of those but she couldn't barely lift her lips to open after coughing saltwater out of her system.
She felt someone hug her tight. She couldn't smell clear, her nostrils were sore.
She gave a smile.
When Hermione smiled, Harry and Ron's heart flushed and rushed. She came back to life. They both thought.
Hermione tried to open her eyes again and she met a familiar gaze. Stormy grey eyes met hers. A rush of pain, happiness, sorrow and love were evident in his eyes.
"Draco," She whispered, soft. "SHH. I'm here Granger. Don't speak." He said as he pulled Hermione to his arms, making her lean against his broad chest.
"You don't ever scare me like that, Granger. Never again." He firmly said.
"Hermione,"
She heard different voices called her name. Voices that she knew of. She closed her eyes and smiled, knowing all the voices were familiar, and for her, it was a more than enough roll call.
***
Hermione woke up in a daze feeling much better than before. Her limbs were sore but much better. "Hey," A soft greeting and familiar smell enveloped her being.
"Draco?" She asked just to be sure. She felt a pair of soft lips crash down on hers gently and she smiled against it. "You fell asleep last night, and the curse hit you around midnight, there were a couple of screams but you survived." Draco smiled. Hermione glanced at her skin and there were in fact bruises. She felt the searing pain last night but she couldn't really comprehend after what she'd been through. "We're almost there." Draco whispered and hugged her softly.
Her heart felt like it was going to explode as Draco engulfed her in his warmth. This feeling is so good she's afraid of losing it, that's why she will do everything to never lose it.
As for Draco, he held Hermione in his arms like she was the most important thing in his life — which she was. Draco knew he could never let go of this woman ever again. He would lose it if he does.
They both drove eachother insane but they were also eachother's sanity and in that balance, they found peace.
"Hey," A soft voice came from the entrance of the tent. The couple looked up to see Astoria. "Did I interrupt something?" She asked shyly. Draco smiled at her. "No — I guess I'll be leaving you two to talk." Draco kissed Hermione by the forehead and stood up and patted Astoria's left shoulder.
"Hey," Astoria said again. "Hey," Hermione replied with a smile. "I — I never knew how it felt to lose you yesterday, I — I just heard screaming and crying but my hearing was muffled as well but I knew they were devastated when they thought — they lost you." Astoria grimaced and stood awkwardly in front of Hermione.
"Sit with me." Hermione called and patted the empty bed space beside her. She never had a little sister nor a little brother growing up. Astoria was in Ginny's batch and Ginny was all Hermione ever had closest to a female sibling and back there, while she reached for Astoria's hand, she reached for it like she was protecting Ginny, like she was protecting a sister.
Astoria made her way and sat on the empty space, "I never got to say thank you Hermione. You saved me. If you didn't reach for my hand, if you hadn't made that spell for me, I — I would've been dead by now. Draco and everyone else wouldn't been able to find me amongst all those waves. I — could've been lying in the bottom of the carribean by now." She lifted her head to Hermione and lowered it again.
"I never got to say thank you too. If you hadn't come, if you hadn't bravely help, I couldn't have held together that glacier by myself. You're a strong witch, Astoria." Hermione said and held her cold hands.
"But not as strong as you," She smiled. They both chuckled at Astoria's remark.
"I really really thought I was going to die, and I really really thought you were too, back there. It makes me even more thankful for being here. In this journey with all of you." She added and tears streamed off from her face.
"We're going to find that bloody fountain, Astoria and together we'll bask in it until we could never catch anything, even a flu." Hermione joked and they both giggled like highschool girls.
Draco was listening from behind the entrance. He closed his eyes softly and smiled.
He knew Astoria would get along with Hermione. Astoria happens to be rather snob in the surface but inside, she's just a little girl. Deep in Draco's heart, he knew Astoria's heart. He knew he loved her. And he also knew that this love for Astoria is not in any way romantic, but it is truly and purely platonic.
"Getting cozy with eachother?" Theo interjected with Draco's thoughts. "What? Ah. Yeah. I never expected them to be such in good terms." He replied.
Theo chuckled, "We all know Astoria's just like that in the exterior of everything, mate. You just have to rub it in her that she's good, and she really is." Theo spoke meaningfully and Draco noticed the words. He couldn't let it slip, "Are you calling dibs on our friend?" Draco asked straight–forwardly.
But as always, Theodore Nott was never caught off guard. He scoffed, "Like I really want to settle down like the rest of you." He said in sarcasm and left whistling.
There was always something odd about Theodore. He keeps on fixing things for other people, a keen observer of one's true self, helping others by the shadows of his snide remarks but maybe — that's why they were friends in the first place.
Draco walked towards the bonfire. "She awake?" Harry asked. Draco nodded in reply. "Thanks over there, Potter." Draco avoided his ex nemesis' stare. Harry did help Draco snap out of his frustration and so did Blaise.
"Thanks, mate." He glanced sideways to his left. Blaise smirked, "That was a hard push, if I were to really feel about it, I must say I was hurt by your outrageous action, my friend." Blaise replied in sarcasm as he stretched.
Draco just gave him a roll of his eyes.
"I'm off to bed." He stood up and strided his way back to the tent. They all shared in a tent alike on what Hermione used during the war. It appeared small outside but was really big in the inside. It had hammocks and bunk beds, a dining table and all sorts.
"Where do you think we are, Malfoy?" Harry asked. Draco glanced at the night sky mapping the constellations in his head. "We're still on a caribbean island. Just a deserted one." He wrapped his thought. "Do we fly from here? Tomorrow?" Ron chimed, as he emerged from the shadows.
Draco nodded his head, "I'm afraid so. Thanks for having Astoria, Weasley." Draco didn't forget to thank the redhead as well. Ron nodded and gave a small smile and sat across the two men, placing his hands over the warmth of the bonfire.
About half on hour just basking in silence and the bonfire's warmth, Ron suddenly stretched his long neck and peeked from Harry and Draco's behind. The two looked over their shoulders as well.
Hermione was walking towards them with Theo.
Draco stood up, making Harry and Ron do the same. Hermione smiled at the three. The trio the world never had. She thought to herself. "Sit down. You guys look like you've seen a ghost." She chuckled. The boys shot back to their seats except Draco who made his way to his wife.
"Hey there, it's cold out here." Draco said. "I'm fine, Draco Malfoy." Hermione scoffed. Draco eyes Theo and he shrugged his shoulders, "What? She wanted to leave that bloody tent and Blaise was already snoring and Astoria was sound asleep."
They all chuckled at Theo and sat around the bonfire. "Thank you guys." Hermione said. "For being with me." She said and the boys smiled at her. She leaned her head on Draco's shoulder as Draco wrapped her in his arms.
***
"We go North?" Hermione asked Harry who was holding a compass as she was scanning the map they figured from the books. "Yes, and that's magnetic north." He pointed. Hermione furrowed her brows, "That — looks too cliché." She eyed the direction. "When you look at it, there, there's nimbus clouds everywhere, that looks terrifying, that truly is magnetic north. But there, it's calm, almost, odd." Hermione pointed to a slightly different angle.
"How can you possibly have two different weathers in just a little distance from eachother? I mean, it does rain in the great hall's ceiling but we're still on the muggle trans, Harry." Hermione insisted.
"True North," Draco interjected.
"Come again?" Harry asked furrowing his brows. "We should go true north." He firmly said. Hermione quickly widened her eyes. "Exactly! We must not go magnetic north Harry, we go true north." Hermione exclaimed.
"I'm sorry, but what? Why true north?" Harry asked. Hermione quickly showed them the map that has greek letters inscribed.
"That's why true north is familiar because it's already written on here in Greek, I've managed to translate it last night, it says, True that is true, you seek where, you'll find what." Hermione said pointing at the map.
The map had different letters, words, phrases inscribed around it, like a background, it was in hue of brown and it looked like coffee was spilled on it from a long time ago.
Blaise, Theo, and Ron packed their stuff and Astoria was counting seashells. Harry, Hermione and Draco are trying to locate which direction they should fly.
"Yes, that looks terrifying but that is magnetic north, Hermione." Harry insisted.
"The riddle says it, Potter. True. We go true north. In my years studying magic patterns of the galaxy, true north is rather, accurate when you're looking for something magical as well." Draco added, eyeing the odd weather on the true north's direction.
Harry rolled his eyes. "Fine. I trust Hermione's gut more than ever." He said and closed his compass, and walked towards his backpack. Draco smiled to Hermione and she gave him an apologetic look.
"Where do you suppose you'd ride?" Ron chimed to Astoria. Astoria widened her eyes, "I — I don't know. Maybe Blaise? He's my future but failed brother in law after all." Astoria said. Ron chuckled while nodding and was about to turn his back — "Ron, thank you. Ah, Theo, he said you saved my life. I owe you one." Astoria said shyly.
Ron smirked, "Perhaps you want to pay it now."
Astoria gave him a look of confusion. "Ride with me." He offered. Astoria's cheek went full red. "I — I —" She mumbled nervous. "Nah, it's okay if you're uncomfortable about it. You can ride with Blaise." Ron said and smiled. "Here's your stuff by the way. I fixed it again for you." He handed Astoria a reduced in size, backpack. "I bewitched it, but if you want the original size, you can just alter it." He said and walked away after Astoria got her bag.
"Ron?" Astoria called. Ron stopped in his tracks. "I—I'd love to ride with you." She said shyly and walked towards the Ron Weasley who was grinning.
"Hold on tight, firecracker." Draco looked back his shoulders to see a very afraid Hermione. "I better be — Oh my god!" Hermione screamed as Draco soared above the sky.
They were all flying now, mounting their brooms.
Draco laughed at the frantic Hermione that bore her face to his back. "Granger, relax. Your husband is one of the best seekers in history, I got you." Draco was still laughing.
"Be a little closer to the ocean!" Hermione screamed, reprimanding Draco. "And what? Be jumped and eaten by a whale or something? No, I don't want to be in a whale's belly, Granger."
"But at least not this high!" She cried. Draco took that as chance to tease her more, Draco suddenly shot lower causing Hermione to tighten her grip and clenched her jaw as she felt her stomach turn in the sudden fall.
"DRACO MALFOY I SWEAR ON YOUR —" Hermione was cut off short when she saw dolphins prancing with them in the water.
"Flying is beautiful, Hermione. Just not as beautiful as you." Draco whispered. Hermione's cheeks was flushed, from the rush, from Draco's words, she doesn't know.
"Losing your fire, Malfoy?" Harry called from behind as he zoomed faster than Draco. Draco smirked and zoomed following his number one arch nemesis, seeker on the quidditch pitch.
"Oh, seven hells." Hermione muttered under her breath, closing her eyes again as the childish men went in for a little competition.
"It's not a race, without the Theodore Nott!" Theodore called out and zoomed in fast too, Blaise laughed, "Really, mate?" As he said, flying faster than Theo.
Harry and Draco with Hermione were like lightning bolts im the air, following them were Blaise and Theo also closing in distance.
"Children," Astoria muttered. She was not afraid of flying on a broom, she had flying lessons in their manor ever since she was just a little girl. It's just that, Daphne excelled more.
Ron laughed, "Oh yeah?" He asked and zoomed in too. Astoria held tighter at the sudden change of speed, her heart racing.
"Hermione, open your eyes." Draco yelled.
"No! I won't! You're going too fast!" She cried. "Open it, Granger!" He yelled again laughing, and Hermione did open her eyes as she saw all of them flying in the same pace, same speed, aligned.
Theodore, Blaise, Draco, Harry, Ron with Astoria.
It was a beautiful thing to watch. She always wondered how Harry, Ron, Ginny and even Draco felt like when they were on their broom in the pitch. She was just always on the stands, cheering for them.
It was her first time flying without her life at stake because they had to free Sirius Black, or they had to polyjuice themselves into Harry, or because they're trapped in Gringotts, or because Goyle set the bloody room on fire.
This was a different flight, and she never thought in a million years she'd see this sight.