Chapter Thirty-One

Draco

The Hogwarts gate opens with a creak as Hermione and I stand before it. It has only been a few days since we've been here, but it feels like an eternity. Hermione takes a deep, peaceful breath, breathing in the aroma that is exclusive to Hogwarts. A smile appears on her face.

"We should probably go see Hagrid before we make our grand entrance, if that's alright," I suggest, "After all, if it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have been able to find you."

"Of course," She replies, grabbing my hand and leading me towards Hagrid's hut. It's a chilly day, with just a few snowflakes falling from the air. Neither of us have a jacket on. Hermione is visibly shivering. I let go of her hand to put my arm around her and pull her closer to me as we walk, offering the small amount of warmth I can give.

When we reach Hagrid's hut, I knock on the door. I immediately hear clashing and barking from within as Fang warns Hagrid of the visitors.

"I'm comin'! Fang, stop yer yappin'!" Hagrid yells, the sound of his massive footsteps echoing throughout the air. He yanks the door open, and when he sees who awaits him, he smiles.

"Hermione!" He exclaims in elation, hugging her so tightly that I'm surprised she's not suffocating. "Oh, I'm so glad yer safe, I was worryin' meself to death abou' yeh! In Azkaban... That's no place for the brightest witch o' her age, now is it?" He lets go of her, the joy of her return still evident in his face. He turns to me. "And Draco, I can't begin to tell yeh just how proud I am. Long way, you've come..." He shakes his head nostalgically, but his happiness can't stay hidden for too long. "Come inside, I'm fixin' some tea-"

"Thank you, Hagrid, but I'm afraid we have to go tell the Headmistress of our return. Also, I would really fancy taking a shower. It's been a while," She laughs, and he pats us both on the shoulder.

"O' course. I'll be seein' yeh soon. Come by fer tea one day. I'd love to hear o' yer adventure."

"Will do, Hagrid. Thank you for all of your help. I truly couldn't have done it without you," I say, and Hermione and I walk off.

A few minutes later, we reach the castle doors. Before opening them, I look over at her. She looks beautiful, no matter how frizzy her hair or how dirty her face. There's a snowflake on the end of her nose. I wipe it off, and she looks at me. We're both grinning from ear to ear; most of the time, it's not until after you go through hardship that you realize just how much you have to be thankful for.

She unexpectedly throws her arms around me, wrapping me in the tightest, most genuine hug that anyone has ever given me. I hug her back just as tightly. Usually, the boy saves the girl, but not in this this time; the girl saved the boy. I might have rescued her from Azkaban, but she's the one who came to my rescue when I needed her the most. Without her, I was lost, alone, and perpetually feeling as if I was fading away. But she found me. She came into my life and made me feel loved and wanted, and that was something I had never felt before. I don't want to imagine where I'd be if it wasn't for this miracle of a girl wrapped in my arms.

We pull away from the hug after what feels like forever, and we're both still smiling. Without warning, I sweep her off of her feet and carry her bridal-style. We're both laughing as I struggle to open the large door and tote her inside of Hogwarts. The sounds of our joy echo through the corridor.

When we're about to turn the corner that leads to McGonagall's office, we hear multiple sets of footsteps coming from the adjacent hallway. We keep walking with Hermione still in my arms, affectionately laying her head on my shoulder. The sound of the footsteps gets closer until we see the owners of them: Harry and Ron. When they look over at us, the look of glee on their face is immediate. I gently place Hermione back on the ground.

"Hermione!" Harry and Ron shout in unison, running toward her. I stand on the other side of the corridor, watching the reunion with a slight grin. They hug as all three of them talk quickly, trying to catch up on what has happened in the past few days. Suddenly, they all stop talking, and Harry pulls away from the hug.

"Come here, Draco," He calls to me, "We're no longer complete without you." They arrange a spot for me to join in on the group hug, and being included makes me happier and more relieved than I can explain.

After the hug, Ron and Harry rapidly ask a copious amount of questions.

"Slow down!" Hermione exclaims, "We can't understand a word either of you are saying! And- hey, aren't you supposed to be in class?" Harry and Ron look at each other.

"Well, you're still Hermione, that's for sure," Ron shrugs, "But don't think you're going to get out of answering all of our questions!" They turn around and start to shuffle away, but Ron stops. To my surprise, he walks towards me.

"Hey, Mal- Draco. I just wanted to say, uh, I'm sorry for all that I did. I can be a little...dramatic," He says, scratching his head awkwardly. "Also, thanks for finding her. I think you two are good together."

"I appreciate it, Ron," I nod my head as he turns away to go join Harry again.

Hermione and I stand in the center of the corridor, watching Ron and Harry start their journey back to class. Not even a minute later, we hear running from the corridor they just entered. They appear once again, looking frantic.

"It's McGonagall!" Ron exclaims, keeping his voice low, "You didn't see us, okay? Please!"

Hermione chuckles, closing her eyes. "See what?" She asks jokingly. The two mutter a "Thanks!" and run off once again.

Hermione and I walk hand-in-hand down the corridor that Harry and Ron just exited, looking for McGonagall. Somehow, she mysteriously appears behind us.

"Miss Granger? Mr. Malfoy? Is that you?" Her unmistakable voice asks, and Hermione and I turn around. Upon seeing our faces, you can almost visibly see the stress she's been under go away. "Oh, I am so glad to see the both of you!" No matter how uncharacteristic it is of her, she hugs both of us. Based on how many hugs we've gotten since we returned, I suppose that's the typical reaction when people return from going missing.

"Now, you must tell me what happened. It is my duty to tell the Minister of-"

"The Minister already knows. He just so happened to be in the Leaky Cauldron when we returned from our... voyage," I interrupt her.

"Oh. Well, I'm just glad both of you are back safely," She smiles. "I would like to know what happened, though. I was quite worried. Could you tell me?"

"Of course, Professor McGonagall," Hermione answers.

"Let's go to my office, if you don't mind; no nosy students can eavesdrop there," She suggests, and we start walking towards her office.

Thirty minutes later, Hermione and I are sitting in front of McGonagall's desk. I just finished telling her the story, and she is still looking at us in disbelief.

"This is rather hard to believe, but I know it must be true. Azkaban, Dementors, near-death experiences... Oh my, I can hardly keep up. How did you do it?"

"I had some great motivation," I look at Hermione with a classic old Draco Malfoy smirk.

"Hermione- I mean, Miss Granger, I am delighted that you're safe; and Mr. Malfoy, I cannot express just how proud I am of you," For just a second, I think I see her eyes glisten. She clears her throat. "Tonight, we will have a feast in your honor, for the return of our beloved Head Girl and Boy."