A/N Hm, well this is my first Draco/Hermione fic, so...I tried. :P

This was written for the Just another romance quote challenge, challenge by witchwithwings24.

"Ever has it been that love knows not it's own depth until the hour of separation" -Kahlil Gibran

The rain beat down on the teenager. His white gelled hair was now falling and sticking straight around his face. He watched her leave. His love; his life. He couldn't believe how much he could have royally screwed up in just twenty minutes.

Twenty minutes ago had been like none other. He was holding Hermione, the person he loved, and the world seemed to stop around them. He gazed into her big brown eyes, and knew he had never seen such a beautiful sight. He entangled his fingers in her hair and pulled her face to his. It had been the most passionate kiss either one of them has ever received.

He took in her scent, her taste, everything. He didn't want this moment to end. She threw her arms around his neck and deepened the kiss.

But she knew she had to stop; get the unanswered question out in the open. She pulled away and looked into the beautiful gray eyes that were looking at her in confusion.

"Draco.." She started. "Do you think that...this, us, will ever truly have a future together?"

He stared back at her in disbelief. Had she really just asked that? "Of course. Why wouldn't this? You know I love you."

"Yes, but why do we have to keep this a secret? I don't think I can keep it a secret for much longer. It's just nobody knows about us, not even your own mother. I just...I don't want to keep doing this if we have no future. I love you too much to know that this isn't going anywhere."

Draco's eyes widened. He knew where this was going and he tried not to let it get that far.

Hermione Granger. She was his life. He loved her more than anything on this planet, but even with the war over, he couldn't put her in the position for people to know they were together. After everything, his family was looked down upon, and he couldn't drag her into it, and have people look down on her as well.

"Look Draco, I love you, not for what you are, but for what I am when I am with you. I don't care if you are 'pure-blood', I don't care about all those whispers I hear about your family, I don't care about our past together anymore. This thing we have isn't out of pity, at least for me, and it's just I know I am a completely different person when I'm with you, and I love it. I just want you to know that."

Those are the words he has wanted to hear for years. They may have been on opposite sides during the war, but all he wanted most, was her. But now it seems he can't even keep her happy.

"I know. You are the reason I'm still alive today Hermione. But I just can't drag you into this. My family is still facing horrible consequences. I just..."

"You just what?" She asked as she stood up. "You just can't love me can you?"

'Where did that come from?' Draco thought.

"You selfish little...I just confessed my heart and soul to you, and you are still so thick to even get that I don't care about any of that? Are you sure you even love me at all? Are you sure this little...what ever we have isn't just a distraction from the hell your family is going through?" Hermione started to yell as tears strung down her face.

"Hermione...I..." Draco was speechless.

"I knew it. You don't love me. This was just a fling. You have been lying. Say it." She said as she started to back away.

Draco stood up very shakily; his legs barely even strong enough to support his weight. His world was crashing down before him, and he didn't know how to stop it.

"Fine Hermione. I lied. All of this was a lie."

'Wait what? Why did he just say that? This wasn't a lie. This was never a lie!'

"Yeah...I figured."

'No, cuz it wasn't true.'

"Some little mud-blood like me could never deserve someone as high and almighty as the one and only Draco Malfoy."

'No, it was me who doesn't deserve you.'

"I love you...how could you?"

'I love you too, more than anything, but this is for your own good...'

"I guess, I'll be going then. I'm glad I could entertain you for a little bit. Have a nice life, truly." Hermione said as she turned to leave.

He watched her leave. He would stay strong, at least until she was out of his sight.

Draco stood there motionless. He started to run out of the tent they made together, their little secret hide-out. He ran out not caring, or perhaps even noticing that it was raining. All he cared about was getting her back. 'Why did I say those things? I didn't mean it. Why did she believe me?' All these thoughts were running through his head. Maybe it was because he needed to say something to protect her? She is strong, she will forget him one day, move on, have a family of her own that she can be proud of. She didn't need him, she deserved better. He knew all this but then why? He knew, himself, he would never get over her, he would never be able to move on and start a family. Not without her.

"Hermione! I love-" He was cut short by the small popping noise that occurs when someone apparates, and he noticed Hermione Granger was gone. Gone forever.

And he knew this is never going to be simple, never easy, never a clean break from her. Now there was no one there to save him. She was the one who saved him. Nobody else ever took the time for him, ever in his life. Until she came along. She saved him from everyone, all the glares, whispers, and even himself. She was a part of him now. He knew he would never see those brown eyes, smell her perfume, hold her small hand, ever again.

He stood and let the rain wash his emotions away, maybe even wash him away. After all, he knew his life will never be the same. He knew this was all a mistake. If he never met Hermione, never talked to her, never fell in love with her, he wouldn't be feeling this now.

But he couldn't convince himself to feel that this was a mistake. He loved the time they had together but wish it couldn't have ended. He made the mistake, he knew. He was her mistake.

All he could do now was take steps forward, attempt to live a normal life, live with his one mistake of letting her go, and maybe one day forget all about everything he had with Hermione Granger.