A/N:I do not own any of the characters, they all belong to J.K. Rowling.

If I did the books sooooo wouldn't be like they are.

This is book compliant, it takes place like... another 10 something years after the epilogue?

Don't know... l0lz

Oh, and the story is not beta-ed or anything because I actually don't know what that is...

So if there are any mistakes please feel free to tell me, but no flames s'il vous plait!

Oh! AND this story is voted T because a lot of people don't read M because it's apparently smutty blahblahblah...

but if it offends you please tell me and i'll take it off...

gosh this is long!! thanks for reading!!

...

I see them twirl around the dance floor.

My Rosie and young Scorpius are so good together.

Waltzing gracefully, eyes locked adoringly.

It reminds me of a once beautiful couple…

He spun me around the room silently.

We didn't speak once.

We didn't have to.

Just looking into each other's eyes was enough.

Feeling his arms around me, leading me across the floor in my light lavender dress.

He had seen me crying on the balcony after I had gotten in a row with Ron.

He didn't say anything.

Just bowed and held out his arm, still with the air that commanded respect.

I was weary at first, who wouldn't be?

Getting involved with Draco Malfoy of all people! What would everyone say! What would they do! Harry, Ron, Ginny, my parents, HIS parents!

I think that's when I realised that nothing else really mattered.

There weren't many people still at the Yule Ball, and the ones that were would hardly notice.

Viktor had been escorted back to the Ship by Karkaroff so he could get his rest.

So I went with him.

This one time I could think and do for myself, and just for myself.

I didn't think about my friends and family, his friends and family, the teachers, Dumbledor, Voldemort...

When I look at them, so happy together, able to express their feelings without any worry, it makes me so glad, yet so sad at the same time.

Rose deserves to marry the love of her life, but whenever I see them together, I always wonder... if Voldemort had not been there, would we have been able to be together?

I remember when I first found out about Draco's death.

I though they were all playing some sick joke.

He had been killed in some freak potions accident.

He was still researching the mysterious potion at the time but he just couldn't wait anymore.

For what? None of us know.

All we know is that he wrote a note saying he couldn't wait any longer.

Scorpius blamed himself and says he couldn't wait for him to get settled down with a nice high-society witch.

Antoinette blamed herself for not providing him with another child like he wanted. He had really wanted a Daddy's little girl.

Everyone comforted them and told them that he just couldn't wait for the potion, and he always was that stubborn and selfish, only thinking about what he wanted.

No-one was there to take away my grief.

I still blame myself for making him wait for me, then let him find out that I was going to stay with Ron.

I look beside me at Ron and give a faint, humourless smile.

He smiles back.

My heart gives a grief-stricken stomp.

He doesn't know me like Draco does, he's nothing like Draco.

I close my eyes and sigh.

If I were with Draco I would be on that floor right now, staring into his beautiful dark eyes.

If I were with Draco my heart would be pumping so ecstatically.

If I were with Draco... he would still be alive.

I'm wrenched back into reality.

I look across the table at Antoinette who's looking at her son and my daughter like they were the most perfect couple in the world.

He is the perfect gentleman, after they dance he bows and fetches Rose a glass of champagne.

I smile in pain, like father like son.

After the ball he took me back to his room for a drink.

I would've stopped him but all that butterbeer was going to my head, I couldn't think about my actions.

I quite liked that.

We basically had a room to ourselves because Crabbe and Goyle were half asleep-half dead according to Draco.

I would have thought that he would have taken advantage of my temporary loss of control.

But he didn't.

He got us both drinks and we sat on his bed for ages just staring at each other.

"Why did you dance with me?" I just had to know.

He smirked, "Wouldn't you like to know Granger."

I rolled my eyes.

His expression was suddenly impassive.

I raised my eyebrows at him. "I would."

He turned his gaze to the contents of his glass that he was currently swirling around.

"I didn't like to see you cry."

I snorted, very unlady-like but at the time it was the least of my worries. "It's not like you had a problem with my tears before."

He looked at me with a slight smirk, "I don't like to see Hermione Granger cry, I never said I had a problem with Mudblood Granger crying."

I rose to my feet in anger, and something else I couldn't exactly place.

I was so angry I couldn't even speak.

I just stood there huffing at him.

He chuckled at my reaction.

Full smirk now back in place, he patted the space next to him on the bed for me to sit down.

"Let me finish Granger."

He looked at me, "Hermione".

I sat, shocked.

He continued to smirk.

Smirk and chuckle.

Chuckle and smirk.

A whole new expression.

It could be called smirkle.

Stupid smirkling arse that was taking advantage of my situation.

I glared at him. "Explain."

"You are Hermione Granger."

Second snort of the evening. "And you are Draco Malfoy!"

Smirkle! Smirkle! Smirkle!

"You are not Mudblood Granger. Not anymore."

I recognised the other feeling this time.

It was hurt. Why was I hurt?

That's when I realised.

He hadn't called me Mudblood in quite some time now...not since third year I think...

At my confused look he continued, "You stopped being Mudblood Granger when you punched me third year."

He stopped smirking.

"That day you punched me, you gained my respect. No one had ever dared hit me before, let alone doing it like a muggle."

"You could have just walked away..."

He looked at me with a smile filled with pain.

"Could I? I don't think I could have Granger."

I frowned at him, "It's very easy to do Malfoy. You just lift your feet like so..."

The smile faded.

He didn't say a word.

Just took my untouched drink and set it on the table.

He then picked me up and carried me bridal style all the way back to the Gryffindor common room.

When I was sure it was his footsteps that I could hear walking away I turned to go to my room.

That's when I heard him nearly whisper, "There are some things that you just can't walk away from Hermione."

Next thing I knew his lips were on mine.

It wasn't gentle; I didn't really expect it to be.

But it was heated, it was passionate, it was forbidden.

And I loved it.

We finally broke apart when he bit into my bottom lip and I tasted blood.

I stood there stunned, and breathless.

After a few seconds I gathered myself and ran past the portrait, straight into bed.

"Mum!"

I break out of my reverie when Rose engulfs me in a bone-crushing hug.

"Oof! Honey!"

She released me grinning, with her eyes shining brightly.

Scorpius came and kissed me on my cheek.

"Thank you for coming Ma'am."

I grimace, "How many times do I have to tell you Scorpius! Call me Hermione!"

He smiled, "Hermione."

I remember a time when another person with grey eyes and blond hair smiled and said my name with the same polite respect.

Damn him!

I saw him approaching.

I closed my eyes.

If I couldn't see him he wasn't really there right?

Wrong.

I could smell him.

I could smell his cologne, his shampoo, his tailored suit, his leather shoes, his own manly scent...

"Mione you alright?"

I smile weakly at where I guessed Ron to be.

I opened my eyes.

Oh shit.

He was right in front of me.

I couldn't do this, not tonight.

Draco, the ever well-mannered was the first to say something.

"Good evening." He nodded to each of us.

We said hello back.

"I would like to introduce you to Antoinette du Champs."

Only then did I realise that someone was with him.

She smiled at us and jabbered on in French about how wonderful it was to meet us.

'Merlin' I thought, 'this Antoinette something or rather is pretty.'

I felt like she'd stabbed me with her 8 inch heel.

She was here with MY Draco!

I knew I had no right because I was with Ron, but it just made me so angry!

Thankfully years of concealing my real emotions meant no-one noticed.

Apart from him.

He was introducing everyone individually now.

"...and this is Ronald Weasley..."

"Ronald!" She kissed his cheeks with a flourish, leaving them and his ears very red indeed.

"...last but certainly not least this lovely lady over here is..." he stared into my eyes and smiled, "Hermione Granger."

I hardly responded to Antoinette's exuberant kisses to my cheeks I was overcome with fury.

I wasn't upset that he smiled at me, who would be?

No I was furious, because he smiled at me, POLITELY!

The nerve of the git.

After everything, he only smiled at me like any other girl!

I would give him a piece of my mind later.

But for the time being, I'd just have to smile graciously through my pain and bear it...

Now it's time for the mothers and fathers of the bride and groom dances.

Ron waits for me to start walking before following me to the center of the floor.

We smile at Antoinette and Blaise who's filling in for Draco.

The music starts playing and both Antoinette and my eyes start to water.

This was Draco's favourite song.

We start to sway.

Well, Ron and I start to rock; Antoinette and Blaise are spinning around the dance floor with the grace of a pair of gazelles.

My feet are hurting already, and it's not from the heels.

Ron keeps stepping on my feet.

Honestly, even after all these years of trying to teach him to dance properly, he's still as clumsy on the dance floor as Neville used to be in potions.

Draco was an amazing dancer.

When I was dancing with him, I didn't have to think about what I was doing at all.

He was the male and he led me wonderfully around the room.

Dancing with Ron, I'm always the male, and I try to lead him around the room.

However we always end up moving 5 feet at the most.

So unlike when we're together.

Ron always insists on doing it in bed, probably because he thinks that's what I like, but to be quite frank, it gets quite boring.

Ron's so gentle, and slow, and nice... I hate it.

He opened the door and I walked right past him with angry, purposeful strides.

As soon as he closed the door and turned around I slapped him.

"How dare you be polite!"

H stood there flabbergasted, "You come here without as much as a hello and you ask me how dare I be POLITE?! What the bloody hell is wrong with you!"

"That's right! How dare you after everything we've been through together, bring your girlfriend Antoinette to the Ministry ball to meet everyone!" I said her name with plain, unconcealed contempt.

He gave a humourless "Ha!"

"What was I supposed to do! WAIT FOR YOU?!"

"Yes!" I yelled at him.

He glared at me, "Oh, so you're not moving in with the Weasel now?!"

I stared at him.

"You didn't think I wouldn't find out did you! I'm very disappointed Granger, I thought you were smarter than that! Or is it Weasley now?!"

I was speechless, "Draco...I...I'm sorry..."

He smiled at me in pain, "No you're not. You should be but you're not."

I reached over and put my hand on his shoulder.

He put his hand on mine and took it to his mouth and kissed it.

He kissed his way up my arm and across my collarbone to my neck.

"Do you know why?"

I whimpered as my knees gave out, "Draco..."

He bit down on my flesh and I gasped.

He sucked on the mark that was forming, "Answer me."

"Because you hurt me?"

He smirked down at me. "Very good Miss Granger, 10 points to Slytherin."

I glared at him; he raised an eyebrow as he began attacking my neck once more.

"Oh come now, surely you don't think this sort of behaviour is very Griffindor-like, shagging the enemy and all that."

I tried to think of a rebuttal but it just felt so good...

So I just shrugged and wrapped my legs around him.

The next morning I woke up and used a concealing charm to hide the bruises and scratches from last night.

I was just about to leave when I heard him whisper "Hermione."

I turned to look at him.

"Yes Draco?"

He smirked, "Do you have the answer yet?"

I didn't know what he was talking about, but just to humour him I told him I didn't.

"I give you pain Hermione is that true?"

I nodded slowly.

"Hermione I have learnt that pain is like oxygen, water, or blood."

I raised my eyebrows at him.

His smirk grew even wider, "Now tell me Hermione, why is it pain like those things?"

I shook my head, "I don't know."

He smiled, "Goodbye Hermione."

I stared at him, "You're not going to tell me?!"

"Why should I?" he walked right up to me until we were inches apart. "GRANGER? Hm?"

My heart tore in two, he knew. I could see the pain in his eyes, they probably reflected mine.

"Goodbye Hermione." He turned and slammed the bathroom door behind him.

I apparated back to Ron and mine's house.

I walked down the hallway and into the living room.

All my girl friends were there and so was my mother.

They all came rushing over to me and fussing with my hair etc.

Ginny came over and squealed, "I still can't believe you're getting married to Ron today! Eek!"

I smiled through my pain, "Neither can I."

We get back home and shower.

By the time I get into bed Ron is already asleep.

He's having a dream, I can tell because he's muttering.

"Stupefy... Chocolate frogs... 10 points to Gryffindor..."

A lone tear slides down my cheek as I remember Draco's voice.

That night... It was the last time we saw each other as us.

After that it was just Weasley and Malfoy.

I can recall so clearly everything that took place that night.

Every touch, every feeling, every word...

I never answered him.

I was too scared to think about it.

But now as I stand alone in the kitchen holding my Potions knife.

It is embossed with an emerald on the stainless, goblin-made silver handle.

It was a gift from Draco.

I smile...Draco.

"Draco...I love you. You know that though right? You know everything. You know that you cause me pain. You know that pain is a part of life. But Draco what you probably don't know is that you took away the pain too. You took away my life Draco. Now I just have to take away the rest...Thank you for waiting for me. I'm finally coming. I'm coming to you Draco. I want you back. I want to feel pain again Draco. Thank you for showing me pain Draco... Thank you for waiting... I'm leaving Ron for good, and I'm doing it the Muggle way."

A/N:Yay!! finished!! reviews muchly appreciated!!