#falling dark
Art used with permission. Artist credit: catmintandthyme
Draco pulled back on the throttle as soon as they left the city center behind. The bike answered beautifully and Hermione whooped at the burst of speed, her arms tightening around him.
The air blew by them in a warm stream, flapping the edges of his t-shirt and singing up his skin.
Early evening light filtered through the canopy of trees above.
He could smell dust and green things and asphalt and stone. He could feel the temperature change as they moved from sunlight to shade.
He was soaring. In every sense of the word.
~~~
https://archiveofourown.org/works/31444262/chapters/98297238
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13886657/33/Falling-Dark
2 stories, 2 years, 400k words. I can’t believe it’s done, y’all. Thanks to everyone who read along, commented, made art, discussed, recommended, etc. It’s been such a ride and I send you all love. xoxo ~SM
https://archiveofourown.org/works/31444262/chapters/98238993
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13886657/32/Falling-Dark
Hermione held it together for about thirty seconds after Theo left. Then she sank down on the step and put her head in her hands.
“Oh my petal, what’s wrong?” A palm slid over her back and pulled her tight. Hermione smelt Lavender’s distinctive perfume and burrowed toward it, clutching Lav against her.
“Theo,” she sobbed.
“He’s gone?”
“Yes.” Hermione sniffed loudly as Lavender made soothing noises. “Why do things have to change, Lav? Why do people have to go away? Why do we have to say goodbye?”
“I know, darling. It’s awful. But I think it’s part of growing up.”
“Well, it’s a shitty part!”
Lav sniffed too. “I agree. I don’t want to say goodbye to youagain.”
“Oh god, don’t make me think about that!” Hermione made a sound that was half-laugh and half-sob.
“You won’t be rid of me long. Just wait until you and Draco land somewhere gorgeous by the sea. See how quickly I show up for an extended visit. You’ll have to turf me out.” Lavender squeezed Hermione tight.
———————————————————————-
Argh everyone this is the LAST CHAPTER! I cannot believe it! Sob. I will be dropping an epilogue tomorrow and then it’s done. We are having a little send-off event in the Rolled Sleeves Agenda server tomorrow at 9pm ET – live reading the chapter through our tears and pouring one out for the babies, so if you want to join and aren’t already in the server, hit me up for a link in my DMs! xoxo ~SM
https://archiveofourown.org/works/31444262/chapters/98101701
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13886657/31/Falling-Dark
Hermione stood on the stone viaduct, the great stone castle at her back and the whole world at her feet.
Her fingers tightened around the handle of her leather case and she breathed in. A faint hint of blossoms—cherry or plum or some other sweet, spring thing—met her nostrils. She closed her eyes and breathed again, somehow reluctant to take that first step—away from here, from childhood and familiarity.
Away from home.
She sent out a pulse—from the magic that twined through her being to the answering magic that infused this place, its walls and grounds.
Thank you for teaching me. For keeping me. For letting me in.
And she swore the castle answered back. Not in words, but in the reaching sense of oneness she felt with all that this place was, and all who had gone before.
But still, she didn’t step.
Instead she closed her eyes and pictured a small girl, all buck teeth and frizzy hair, desperate to belong, terrified she didn’t. Pictured her with two small boys, one black-haired and one red. The sorting hat and the Gryffindor common room, the train rides and the library hours, laughing and crying and learning to do magic. Then the blot of evil. Fear, loss and the devastation of war and battle and death. And finally this last, astounding year with all its pain, struggle and love.
“I said I wouldn’t cry again,” she whispered to herself, half-laughing even as tears leaked from her eyes.
She wiped them away, but still hesitated over that first step. Once she took it she wouldn’t quite belong here anymore. She’d return only as a visitor. But it had to be done, didn’t it?
Everyone had to leave home.
She took a deep breath and gathered herself, then heard a tread behind her.
A strong arm slid around her waist. “Didn’t realise it would be quite this difficult.” Draco kissed her temple and she leaned against him.
“I know!”
“Feel as if I’m giving something up. Forever.”
Hermione nodded, not trusting herself to speak, and they stood for a moment in the morning sunshine, just looking out over the expanse.
“We’d better go,” Draco finally said. “We’ll miss the train.”
“All right.” Hermione wiped her eyes and took his hand.
In the end they stepped together, and walked across the bridge one last time.
https://archiveofourown.org/works/31444262/chapters/97815270
https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13886657/30/Falling-Dark
“What’s this place?” Draco gestured out the window. He hoped it was somewhere to get something to drink, and eat.
“Great little spot.” Theo was rummaging in the back of the car, pulling something out of a bag. “Hermione and I found it on one of our jaunts last autumn. There’s a nice hill walk that starts from the village.”
Draco’s teeth ground together and his hands clenched in his lap, visions of Hermione and Theo and their little outings cycling through his mind. Hermione laughing at Theo as they walked windblown into the common room. Theo leaning over to whisper in her ear something that made her blush. The two of them poring over a map at the breakfast table.
“…a good taproom and really cosy on a day like this…” Theo was rattling on, but Draco was lost in a wave of jealousy, envy and regret. He suddenly didn’t want to be in this car, in this place where who-knows-what had happened between Hermione and Theo.
“So what do you say?” Theo glanced over. “Oh.” His face went from open and smiling to shuttered. He looked out the window and blew out a sigh. Draco stayed quiet.
“Do you want to just ask me what my intentions are with regard to your girlfriend?” Theo finally asked. “Because I’ll tell you.”
“I’m not a bloody Gryffindor,” Draco ground out.
“Well, I should have been.” Theo crossed his arms. “OK, fine,” he continued after a long silence. “Don’t ask and I’ll tell you anyway.” He turned toward Draco, who continued to stare straight ahead. “I want to be her friend and support her, like I always have. Share things with her like music and books or a funny story I heard. See her once in a while—sometimes with you and Daph and sometimes not. Have Daph be OK with that. Have you be OK with it, although that’s not my problem. But I don’t want to encroach on what you have with her in any way, and I’m fully committed to my own relationship.”
He stopped and Draco continued to sit, focusing on the faded letters of the pub’s sign.
“Look,” Theo’s voice was much quieter now. “I’m not sorry for what happened and I can’t erase it. But I can tell you that it wasn’t about you—hurting you or one-upping you—it was about helping each other heal.”
“I just can't—” The words flung out of Draco’s throat, almost like the reverse of the spell. “I have a really hard time when I think about—”
“Then don’t. Don’t think about it. Move on. Be happy. You have a choice now when you bloody didn’t before. I’m telling you I’m not a threat. I’m sure she’s telling you she loves you and is committed to you. Accept it. Don’t sabotage yourself again.” Theo’s words were cold, matter of fact, and Draco felt them drop beneath the surface of his hurt and rage with the finality of truth.
Something loosened in his chest. He took a deep breath, audible in the small confines of the car.
“So.” Theo looked over again. “Shall we go in and have a drink? Or do you want to go back to the castle and be pissed off at me? I don’t care either way, but I will tell you they serve a deep-fried haggis in there that is so fucking good. And their whisky selection is completely insane.”
Draco’s lip curled. “Deep-fried haggis? That’s disgusting, Theo.”
“Mate it’s not. Trust me.”
“But I don’t trust you. Isn’t that sort of the whole problem?” Draco looked over and caught Theo’s eye.
They held each other’s gaze for a moment, until Draco smirked and Theo broke into a sharp laugh.
Then they opened the doors and got out of the car.
