The battle of Hogwarts had just ended. The Dark Lord was with them no longer. Raising his head from the table, Draco realized that he was free; he no longer had to follow orders and live out of fear. Just as Draco was beginning to feel hopeful, Pansy Parkinson sat down beside him.
*WHAM* his head hit the table again.
"What's the matter with you?" Parkinson asked.
"You're here" he responded.
"Ha," she said, thinking he was joking.
"No, seriously. Go away"
Pansy wouldn't budge. She was busy looking around the Great Hall. She noticed the Weasleys, huddled together, still mourning the loss of Fred. She noticed Potter and the Weasly girl were sitting away from the rest. She noticed Ron Weasley, who was also looking around the Hall, as if he too was searching for someone. As Pansy looked at the doors, she saw who she was looking for.
"It's a shame that the Mudblood wasn't killed" she said.
"Which one?" Draco asked her, not really caring. He still had his head down, so he didn't see where Parkinson was looking.
"Granger," she told him. "That pathetic excuse for a witch. I was hoping that at least she would have been killed in all that"
Furious, Draco stood up. "Say that again," he said to Parkinson. "I dare you"
"What's come over you, Draco? It's just Granger."
Instead of responding, Draco got up and walked towards the door. As he passed Hermione, he motioned for her to follow. She did. They found a deserted corridor, and Draco pulled her close to her.
"I'm done hiding this," he said into her hair. "I don't care what they think."
"Are you sure?" she asked him, pulling away to look into his eyes. "Your father will be furious, you'll lose your friends, and no one will ever look at you the same"
"I don't care" he repeated.
They started walking back to the Great Hall. This was his Hermione. The one whom he had secretly cried about when she had been petrified in second year. The one who had visited him in the hospital wing when Buckbeak attacked him in third year. She was the one who went to the Yule Ball in fourth year with that Bulgarian ugghhhh. His Hermione, the one who had been battling Death Eaters for the past three years, leaving him to worry about her, day after day. She was his.
Just before they reached the Great Hall, she stopped walking.
"Are you sure, Draco?" Hermione asked him.
"Yes" Draco said, as he grabbed her hand.
They walked into the Great Hall...