AN: Woll, woll, woll. Looky here! I have FINISHED it! And now you can read it in it's entirety and marvel at my skill with finishing things (cough)! Please review! I will love you forever and ever and ever and etc.
-
"I cannot believe you got me a detention." muttered Draco as they trailed behind McGonagall.
Hermione's face flushed.
"I got you a detention?" she whispered furiously, struggling not to hit him.
Draco sneered.
"Yes, Granger, you. You and the boy who just won't die."
Hermione seethed.
"If it wasn't for you, Malfoy, none of this would have happened, and my record would be perfectly clean."
Draco raised one pale eyebrow delicately at this statement and said; "Perfectly clean."
He didn't say anything else. He didn't need to. The disdain in his voice spoke volumes.
Hermione went pink.
"Well, mostly clean. Anyhow, I don't see how it's any of your business, Mal-"
"It most certainly is my business. You, Granger, are sullying my name by involving me in your stupid mind games with your stupid pets."
Hermione clenched her hands into fists and breathed through her nose for a moment, her eyes closed.
Draco looked at her fists and smirked.
Hermione let out an angry sigh.
"And what do you mean by that? You provoked them!"
Draco rolled his eyes.
"I merely have to look at the two musketeers for them to blow their tiny little tops. I provoked no one."
Hermione snorted.
"I very much doubt that."
Her self righteous attitude was diminished somewhat by the guilty knowledge that Draco Malfoy was quite correct.
He had actually only said "Potter" before Harry stuck the quill up his nose.
Still, he had really deserved it, she tried to convince herself.
After all, it wasn't as though one could cope with someone saying one's last name as though it were a particularly disgusting one-celled organism – at all times of the day – before one would feel the need to pour ink all over the inside of their head.
Draco opened his mouth again, ready to say something appropriately biting, but McGonagall interrupted his (sure to have been epic) insult with a cold; "Quiet."
Draco's mouth shut with a snap and the two followed after her silently.
The oppressing silence was, for the next few minutes, broken only by the sound of their footsteps.
Soon, however, McGonagall stood in front of one of the lowest dungeon classrooms, her mouth set in a steely line.
"Quickly. I don't have all day."
Draco muttered something suitably cutting under his breath and Hermione had to repress a giggle.
They stepped forwards, both feeling ominously as though they were about to be stoned to death, the feeling made even more unpleasant by the fact that McGonagall had her wand pointed straight at them.
McGonagall looked them both over disdainfully and snorted.
The noise was so unexpected from her that the other two jumped, but McGonagall now showed no sign of the uncharacteristic action and was glaring at them, her hand outstretched.
"Wands." she ordered, snapping her fingers impatiently as they made no move towards their pockets.
"Wands." she said dangerously, her eyes narrowing.
"But-!" Hermione protested, loathe to part with her only protection from the sullen boy beside her.
"But-!" protested Draco, loathe to part with his only protection from the raving she-beast beside him.
McGonagall held her hand up.
"No buts." she said firmly, eyeing them over her glasses, her hand unwavering.
"I will not have you hexing each other-"
Hermione went an interesting shade of mauve and looked at the floor, and Draco grinned. McGonagall scowled.
"- nor will I have you cheating at your task."
"What task?" asked Hermione and Draco at the same time, looking apprehensive.
"You are to clean this room. It is to be used as a…classroom-"
She grimaced, showing her obvious distaste for the idea.
"-next week, and it is sadly in need of repair. No magic, and I will be back at-"
She looked at a small pocket watch and grimaced again.
"-eleven pm, and I expect to see a great deal of work done. If it hasn't been finished, you will return tomorrow night."
Hermione's nose scrunched up in distaste and Draco pulled on his nose mournfully.
McGonagall shook her head and turned around swiftly, her cloak flying as she walked away.
"That woman is a witch." said Draco tersely, rubbing his temples.
"I think we are all aware of that, Malfoy." Hermione said in a pleasant voice.
Draco growled.
"Shut up. You know what I meant. Honestly, woman."
"I couldn't help it. You offer yourself up for insults. It's entirely too easy."
Draco made a face and stared at the door.
"Well." said Hermione, suddenly uncomfortably aware of how little protection she had against him. Still, she could always yell 'I'm a mudblood! Quick, get away! You'll catch something!' if things got too serious.
"Well?" said Draco sardonically, twirling a lock of shocking white hair around his finger.
"Shall we go in?" Hermione muttered, painfully aware of his presence behind her as they walked inside.
As the door shut behind them, they looked around, aghast.
"She expects us to clean this?" Draco cried, his eyes wide.
"Without wands?" Hermione exclaimed, her hands at her mouth.
"You should be used to it by now." Draco managed through gritted teeth.
Hermione ignored him and ran a finger warily over a nearby desk.
Her finger was covered in dust when she looked at it, and there was a deep brown furrow on top of what she had previously thought to be a black desk. She wiped her hand hurriedly on her cloak.
"How does she expect us to clean this?" Draco asked disgustedly, careful not to touch anything.
"There was some cleaning equipment by the door, remember? Nitwit." she added under her breath.
Draco turned on her, his eyes blazing.
"This is entirely your fault! Why on earth did you get involved? Potter and I could have had a nice, relaxing duel and –"
"You'd be stuck here with him instead of me." snapped Hermione, her hands on her hips.
Draco made a noise which clearly stated his disdain for both parties and leaned against the wall, his arms crossed, his face dark.
Hermione muttered something rude under her breath and Draco glared at her.
"Stop glaring Malfoy. It does your already ugly mug nothing good. Merlin, you are so sullen!"
Malfoy looked outraged.
"I am not ugly!" he exclaimed, so shocked by her audacity that he had moved away from the wall.
Hermione muttered another derogatory comment under her breath and Draco caught her by the elbows, glaring full into her face.
"I can hear you, Granger!"
Hermione glared back at him, struggling vainly to get free.
"That's kind of the point of an insult, idiot."
"Don't call me an idiot!" he yelled, shaking her roughly and then looking down at his hands as though realising what he was touching, letting go of her quickly.
Hermione made a disgusted noise.
"You. Are. Despicable."
"Better despicable than a disgrace to the name of wizard."
Hermione made a face at him.
"If you're talking about me, you should say 'to the name of witch' –"
"Ohhh, syntax. Can't live without it." he grumbled, but she cut him off.
"-and if anyone's a disgrace to the name of wizard, it's you and your family, Malfoy." Draco leant in so that they were eye to eye, Hermione quite aware that he was rather invading her personal space. Her heart sped treacherously.
"Don't you speak about my family like that, Granger. Don't you dare."
Hermione narrowed her eyes at him, leaning even closer.
"I can say whatever I like about your family, Malfoy. I shouldn't have to respect normal social etiquette – it's not as though you do. If you can call me a mudblood and make cracks about my parentage, I can bloody well say what I like about your disgrace of a family!"
Draco clenched his fists and began to speak before the ground started to shake and they both fell against each other.
Hermione clawed at him, trying to stand up so that she could get away from him, but he wasn't making things easy.
"Stop thrashing about, Granger! You're going to kill us!" he shouted, and Hermione suddenly realised that they weren't just falling to the ground, they were really falling – falling into a tunnel that she couldn't see the bottom of, and of which the top was beginning to vanish from view.
As suddenly as it had begun, their fall had stopped, and Hermione lay on a cold floor, breathing heavily, Draco's leg next to her head.
She scrambled to her feet as quickly as she could, looking around herself in horror.
Draco was lying on the ground, groaning, but she ignored him.
They were in a small stone room, freezing cold and completely bare.
And there was not a door, window or corridor in sight.
The tunnel they had fallen from was too steep to get back up, and she couldn't see the top anyway.
They were trapped.
-
Hermione shivered, her hands rubbing frantically together, trying vainly to get warm.
After a few more minutes she gave up and wrapped her arms around her knees, closing her eyes miserably.
"Nothing!" Draco cried, kicking the wall and then whimpering in pain.
Hermione didn't even bother to look up.
"I already told you, Malfoy." she said wearily, massaging her temples.
They had been there an hour or so and the temperature was just above freezing.
Already they had yelled themselves hoarse and Hermione had decided the best idea would be to conserve her energy for more important things.
Survival, for example.
Draco stood in the middle of the small room; his arms crossed testily, his brow furrowed.
"I can't believe this." he muttered eventually, blowing on his hands to warm them.
A bolt of icy steam flew from his mouth and he stared at it in astonishment.
He still looked slightly dazed when Hermione said, almost unintelligibly against her knees, "You'd better start believing it."
Draco ignored her and turned away. After a moment he hugged his arms about himself and shouted "Bloody hell, it's so cold!" in frustration.
Hermione didn't say anything as she watched her fingers turn slowly blue.
"What are we going to do?" she asked softly after a moment of silence, broken only by the sound of Draco's frantic pacing and the combined weight of their ragged breathing.
He didn't answer, and she started counting her breaths. They were very slow. Was that better or worse than fast? She couldn't remember.
"We're going to die down here unless we do something." said Draco eventually, turning away from her.
Hermione nodded and started humming a funeral march without thinking.
Draco sat down heavily on the other side of the room, his eyes closed tightly as he seemed to struggle with something.
Hermione ignored him, and, finishing the funeral march, started to sing in a low voice.
"Oh no, here comes that sound again. It means another day without you, my friend. And it hurts me to look into the mirror at myself and it hurts even more to have to be with somebody else-"
"Granger-"
"-And it's so hard to do, so easy to say, sometimes, sometimes, you just have to walk away. Walk a-"
Draco was at her shoulder, and she jumped.
"Granger. We're going to die unless we get warm, alright?"
Hermione looked up at him. His eyes were almost blue they were so bright with fear. She chewed on her lip anxiously. She had never actually seen him look truly frightened. It was unnerving.
"I know." she said quietly, looking away from his unsettling eyes.
"I don't particularly care whether or not you die, but I for one would like to remain in this world. Therefore, we're going to have to share body heat." Draco said, no emotion daring to show itself on his once more stony face.
"I'd rather die." Hermione said vehemently, picking at a loose thread in her robe, still smarting from his first comment.
"Well, that's a real fucking choice, isn't it, Granger?!" Draco broke out angrily, his voice echoing in the bleak space.
Hermione let out a small sob and then was silent, staring at the ground, which had decided to become extremely blurred.
Draco sat across from her, looking moodily at his hands. His eyes closed.
"Fuck." he whispered, and then stood up suddenly, beating at the walls.
"Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck!"
Hermione watched him, shrinking into the corner, as quiet as possible.
He kicked out angrily, connecting with the stone wall and hopping for a minute, muttering "fuck" every few seconds.
Hermione was silent and Draco yelled "Fuck!" once more, hitting the wall for emphasis.
Hermione stood up cautiously and went over to him, holding his bloodied hand as though it were made of glass.
"I guess…I guess we could…you know."
She couldn't bring herself to say it, so she merely nodded.
His face twisted into an almost smile and she smiled sadly back.
"You're bleeding." she said, and he looked at his hands, not seeing them for a moment.
He looked dazed and wiped his eyes.
"Did I…was that…I'm sorry."
She shrugged and he closed his eyes. Blood rusted on his face.
"D'you think we could…I mean, just while we're in here…could we…" his voice died away and she picked up the thread.
"Be civil to each other?" she asked, her hands twisting together.
Draco sighed.
"Yes. We'll never survive otherwise and much as I abhor you-"
Hermione cut him off, her eyes blazing, her hand raised.
"I get it, Malfoy. Just…don't."
They moved together awkwardly, into a mess of arms and skin.
Of cloth and legs, shoes and shins.
Hermione had a brief thought of "this is just like…" but she cut herself off before the sentence could fully form in her head.
To dispel the misery in herself and to keep her mind quiet, she continued to sing.
"So many people to love in my life, why do I worry about one? But you put the happy into my ness; you put the good times in my fun. And it's so hard to do, so easy to say, but sometimes, sometimes, you just have to walk away. Walk away, and head for the door. We've said the goodbyes, so many days. We walk in the same direction so that we could never stray. They say that if you love somebody, you have got to set them free, but I would rather be locked to you, than live in this pain and misery. They say, that time will, make all of this go away, but it's time that has taken my tomorrows, and turned them into yesterdays-"
Draco was completely silent as she sang, his hands unconsciously hugging her tighter into himself.
After a few moments, Hermione said "I'm warmer, are you?"
She felt him shift against her and he made a sound not unlike a sniff.
"Yes, I'm feeling a lot better, thank you. I'm…I'm glad you're warm."
Hermione stiffened a little at the unexpected comment and then relaxed against him.
"Thank you." she said in a formal tone. "I'm glad you're warm too."
Draco was silent and then said stiffly "I don't want you to die, you know. Not really."
Hermione closed her eyes, trying not to let the tears escape.
"I…I don't want to die."
Draco carefully hugged her closer, and when she relaxed into him, he changed the subject.
"What you were singing before – was it…do you feel that way about someone?"
Hermione went pink and hid her face in her robes.
"Sort of." she whispered, mortified.
Draco didn't say anything more about the object of her affection, which she was grateful for.
"What's it like?" he asked, running his fingers through her hair absentmindedly.
"What do you mean?" she asked, looking up at him in disconcertion.
He was silent for a while, and she thought at first that he had decided not to say anything, but then he looked at the roof, breathing deeply.
"Well. I've never really…never really…loved anybody."
"Oh, Malfoy, don't be silly! Of course you must have! What about your parents? Your friends? What about Pansy? All those girls? Surely…"
He sighed and she was surprised by how deep it was. He sounded so melancholy.
"I guess I love my parents…I mean…of course I do…but it's…it's not the same, is it? Loving your parents is almost compulsory…if you…do you…I mean, look, I've never…never loved someone I wasn't obliged to."
Hermione's brow furrowed.
"But you…you must love people! Even if it's not…love,love. What about your friends…?"
She twisted the hem of his cloak in her hands, the fabric surprisingly rough.
Draco shrugged, but didn't say anything and the silence thickened around them.
-
Time seemed to slow in the small room, and although both Hermione and Draco had warmed enough that they were no longer shivering, they remained wrapped around each other, neither willing to let go in case the debilitating cold returned.
Since Hermione had talked to Draco about love, the conversation, stilted to begin with, had completely petered out.
Nothing had been said for a long time, but the hours swum around each other so that it was difficult to tell how long they had been silent for.
They dozed in each others arms for minutes at a time, waking occasionally, only to let their eyes drift closed again.
Draco's hand went to Hermione's in his sleep and he held it softly, causing her to open her eyes sleepily and gaze at the sleeping boy.
Her fingers weaved into his and she closed her eyes again, a small smile playing on her lips.
Hours later, perhaps, or only minutes, Draco woke properly and was unable to close his eyes again.
He felt his hand in Hermione's and would have taken it away, but she tightened her grip and frowned slightly in her sleep.
Draco smiled sleepily and let his head fall gently back onto the wall.
Hermione woke a few minutes later, stretching upwards, her hand still in Draco's.
He watched her, amused, as she made small mewling sounds, her eyes still closed.
After a moment she realised where she was and stiffened a little, then relaxed against him.
"Still cold, isn't it?"
Draco closed his eyes briefly.
"Yeah. Better than before, though."
Hermione nodded, unsure what to say.
They were quiet for a moment longer, and then Hermione said "I can't believe this is happening. It just seems... I don't know…mad."
"At least we didn't have to clean anything." said Draco quietly.
Hermione thumped him on the arm.
Silence again.
"So…"
They spoke at the same time, voices overlapping.
"Malfoy-"
"Granger-"
A pause.
"I-"
"You-"
Both flushed a little.
Hermione broke the silence, craning her neck to look at his face.
"You go first."
Draco took a breath. His next words were a little strained.
"Granger, I – I'd like to ask…"
Hermione waited while the silence stretched between them, longer and longer.
When it seemed as though he would never talk, he made a small noise in the back of his throat.
"This might seem a little, uh…odd of me to ask, but…no, never mind."
Hermione looked up at him, curious.
"Malfoy, we've been stuck down here for the last…Merlin knows how many hours, sharing body heat! I hardly think I could consider anything you say now odd."
Draco shrugged at this, smiling a little despite himself.
"I suppose that's true. I just hope you won't take this…badly."
Hermione grinned.
"Since when have I taken anything you said badly? More to the point, since when have you cared?"
Draco mouth twisted, a half amused contortion.
"Well, since thinking that my sensitive parts might be in danger of being ripped out. Or something."
Hermione grimaced.
"Eurgh. That'd be much too messy for my tastes. I think I'd prefer to go with something a little tidier. I don't know…a sharp slap or something. If it was really awful I could always knee you in the groin."
Draco grinned through the involuntary wince.
"Appealing as that sounds, I'd still prefer neither."
"I suppose I could always curse you."
"We don't have wands, remember?"
"Oh. Yes. Well, I could give you a very bad Chinese burn?"
Draco grinned.
"Somehow that still lacks appeal."
"Oh, you're so choosy."
"True. Hardly my fault, though."
Hermione snorted, tossing her head a little.
They sat in companionable silence for a moment, and then Hermione said "You completely changed the subject! What were you going to ask?"
Draco raised an eyebrow.
"I did no such thing. You were the one who went off on a tangent about your choice of pain infliction upon myself."
"To know you is to knee you." Hermione said with a small smile.
Draco shook his head, laughing.
"So, what did you want to ask?"
Draco's laughter died abruptly, and he looked soberly at the floor. His next words were quiet.
"I…well. I was wondering if you would…kiss me."
There was silence following this; a stunned silence which was broken only by the sound of Hermione's breathing. Draco held his breath, completely still.
"You what?" Hermione managed finally, staring at him in utter shock.
"Would you kiss me?" Draco asked quietly, his eyes piercing upon her own.
"Why?" Hermione asked, the words thick in her throat.
"Because we…we might die and I don't want to die without having…" his voice trailed away, and Hermione glared at him, so angry she could barely speak.
"What? Without having one last shag? Because that isn't going to happen!"
Draco looked miserable.
"That's not what I meant. I'm sorry, Hermione. Forget I said anything."
Hermione hit him on the arm. "No! No, you can't do that! This isn't a movie! You can't, you just can't!"
It took a moment, and then he realised she was crying silently.
"Hermione, no! Don't cry, come on..."
Hermione let out a sob and hit him again.
"You're vile, Draco Malfoy. I just don't understand why you always have to hurt me. I just don't understand…I truly, truly don't."
Draco held her close as she struggled against him, resting his chin on her head, his eyes closed.
"I'm not trying to hurt you. I just wanted…"
"You are! You are! That's all you ever do! Want, want, want, that's all! You want to hurt me, Malfoy, don't deny it!"
"I don't. I don't want to hurt you. This – I don't even see why it hurts you so badly. It's just…"
"Oh, don't you get it?" her voice cracked with pain.
Draco was motionless; one tear leaking out of his closed eyelid, and still he didn't move.
The salt water left a damp patch on one of her curls.
"Don't you? Don't you?" she was beginning to turn hysterical now.
"Calm down Hermione, you're going to hurt yourself." he said soothingly, stroking her hair.
She shuddered against him, with tears or revulsion he wasn't sure.
Her hands clawed against his robes and she hissed angrily at him.
"Hermione. Don't call me Hermione. You have no right."
Draco tried to ignore how much this hurt him and sighed deeply.
"You don't get it, do you?" she asked now, and her voice was flat. He was so sick of always understanding. How everybody hated him, that everyone was dead. For him. Everyone was dead to him. Everyone.
"No. What is there to get?" his voice was cool, but his hand kept up its stroking, no matter how much he knew she didn't want it.
She turned to look at him, really look at him, staring into his eyes with an intensity that made him go weak.
There was a tear which hadn't yet dried on her cheek and he brushed it away gently with the pad of his thumb.
She shook her head, holding his hand away from her face.
"You don't understand, do you? You really don't."
Draco felt a lump grow in his throat, and he swallowed. Painful.
"I know I'm not as smart as you are. Just tell me."
Hermione sighed, letting her gaze fall from his face.
"Malfoy, you don't know what it is to love someone…I can't tell you anything more than that it hurts so badly that sometimes I wish I was dead. And other days, there is so much joy in just loving that person that I feel like nothing could ever be wrong. It's…I can't explain it properly…I'm not…"
Draco's eyes tightened and he gathered her into him.
"You have to understand how difficult it is for me to love someone when everything has gone cold. Merlin, if I could love someone, I would. I know who I would love. I know why I would love them. I know I would, but I can't."
"This isn't a game, Malfoy. You don't choose who you love. Merlin knows I know that better than anyone. It isn't logical."
"No." said Draco slowly, stroking her hair as she breathed him in, "No, it isn't."
"And that's why…" she said, and her voice had become small.
One heartbeat of silence. Another. A lifetime of heartbeats. A lifetime of silence.
"That's why…"
"Why?"
"I have to tell you. That's why I have to tell you, even though it isn't logical, even though you'll use it against me…even though everything could – will – go wrong."
His voice was urgent now. "Why?"
"I can't believe you don't see it. Hadn't seen it. Why did I react to your question? Ah, Malfoy. Such innocence!"
She laughed, a little hysterically, and he smiled nervously.
"Can't you see it?"
She lowered her voice so that when she spoke the crucial words they were hardly more than a hiss of steam.
"I love you."
A sharp intake of breath for one, a sigh for the other. So little, and yet, so much.
-
There was silence in the room for a long time.
Neither were sure of what to say, and even, with the minutes lengthening and shortening at will, whether they slept or not.
The quiet around the words that she had said was unbreakable.
What could he say to it? What could she say?
And still they held each other, soft in each others arms, until Draco took a breath. Deep breath, unsure of what he was going to say, he launched headlong into it with no forethought.
"There isn't really anything I can say to that, Hermione, but I can tell you that if I was able to love somebody, that somebody would probably be you. Like you said, it isn't logical, and I apologise if I hurt you. I think…I think you know, truly, that I didn't mean to hurt you. There's this…the wall around us. Do you know what I mean? Because of who we are, there isn't any way for it to be possible. But what I want to know is, if we're stuck here…we can have now. It isn't much, but it's more than nothing. Maybe not better than nothing, but it is more. Don't be angry at me…I just…I think it's the only way. For either of us. And I think it might…maybe, just maybe…do us some good. We're both…you know that we're both starving for love, emotion of any kind, really. And maybe it can help us. I don't know."
She was quiet, and for a moment he wondered if she was asleep and he had just spilled his thoughts for nothing. But she sighed heavily, and he knew that she had been listening.
"Malfoy…Draco. I don't know what I can say to that. It's difficult for me to open up like this, you know? Maybe we shouldn't…maybe we should. It's…you can't tell what's right until it happens. Maybe we should take a chance with it. Push our boundaries. Just stop thinking. Just do it."
They were silent again, and then Draco put a finger onto Hermione's chin, lifting it gently up until her eyes were looking straight into his. He leant down and kissed her softly, then pulled away, still watching her intently.
"Are you still thinking?" he asked, and she smiled sadly.
"Maybe a little bit."
Hermione let her head fall softly onto his chest, and she gazed up at him.
"Do you want me to kiss you again?" he asked, and she hesitated for a moment, before nodding slightly.
"I wouldn't mind that."
He leant down to her and kissed her again, her lips soft on his.
She flicked her tongue out a little and he opened his mouth, letting her in.
He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her into him as the longing they both felt bubbled over. Hermione pulled him down so that they were both lying on the ground, and he kissed her collarbone. When even that wasn't enough, he started to unbutton her shirt, his eyes on hers as pushed the material away.
"You're not cold, are you?" he asked, pulling his own shirt over his head.
She looked at him for a moment, not speaking, and then said in a small voice "I feel as though I'll never be cold again."
He laughed lightly and she smiled.
"Do you mind if I…" Draco gestured hopelessly at her bra. Hermione blushed lightly, and pushed herself up a little. She pulled his hand to her back, gazing fully into his face as he unfastened the strap. He drew the bands over her arms, staring at her for a long moment in silence. Feeling awkward at how intensely he was gazing at her, she fixed her arms around his neck, drawing him in to kiss her again.
They were quiet as they kissed softly, although both felt themselves falling slowly.
Draco's hands wandered down to Hermione's breasts, and he cupped them gently.
He stopped kissing her for a moment, and sat back, looking at her.
"What is it?" she asked, and he leant back in to kiss her again.
"Nothing. I'm just a little…scared, I suppose."
Hermione smiled, resting her hand on his cheek.
"I never would have guessed that you would admit to being scared."
Draco closed his eyes tiredly and she kissed his nose.
"Don't worry. I won't tell anyone."
Draco laid his head briefly on her chest, his eyes closed, as he listened to her heartbeat.
"Thank you. Do you mind if I just hold you for a while longer?"
Hermione ran her hands through his hair, kissing the top of his head softly.
"Of course not. Just stay here."
He smiled, his eyes still closed, and eventually pushed her gently down to the floor.
Working his way softly down her body, he pulled her skirt from her legs, kissing his way down her bare skin as he did so.
She moved readily against him, and sighed.
Her eyes were closed, and he pulled himself back up to kiss her neck.
"I never would have imagined…" she whispered, and then they didn't need to speak for a long time.
-
The feeling of being joined to someone at the soul was one that neither Draco nor Hermione had ever experienced, and it was an almost pleasant surprise to find that they had found it in each other. Here and now, of all times and places.
They had found that talking was unimportant, now. All they needed was the others touch.
Hermione sighed and leant into Draco's bare chest. His fingers drifted through her hair.
Even after everything, it was nice to know that some things were still capable of change.
After another long moment of silence, Draco said softly "could you pass me my shirt?"
She handed him his top, reaching for her own and pulling it on.
He drew her skirt on for her, and she smiled, feeling slightly dizzy.
They looked at each other, and Draco leant down to kiss her nose.
"We'll always have this, Hermione. It doesn't matter that we can't have it out there. We'll always have this."
Hermione nodded, trying not to let the tears spill.
She knew that he was right. She almost wished that it had never happened, because then she would never know how much it hurt to lose him. But she couldn't turn back time, and if she was honest with herself, she didn't want to. At least they had what they had.
She turned her head, and as she did, she noticed a tiny fracture in the wall that they had been unable to see from their previous searches.
Pulling Draco gently to his feet, she walked over to it, kneeling down so that she was at eyelevel with the fissure in the wall. A tiny beam of soft light issued from within.
She placed her hand upon the split, wondering if they could use it to get out.
Draco knelt down beside her, placing his hand over hers.
"Here," he said, and she removed her hand from his regretfully. He smiled winningly, and, without thinking, she leaned up to kiss him again.
Running his finger along the seam in the wall, he muttered something, and it began to widen until they could see a tunnel big enough for them both to walk along.
Draco looked at her, smiling sadly.
"Looks like we have an escape route."
She ran her hand down the side of the wall, wondering if he would hate her if she made him stay anyway.
"It isn't logical." she said in a small voice, to herself more than to him, and he nodded.
"It isn't practical." he answered her, putting his arm around her shoulders. "But here we are."
She nodded sadly, letting a few tears fall. He brushed them away gently.
"We have to go, Hermione."
She looked at the floor, and he raised her chin with his finger, gazing into her eyes for a long moment before planting a searing kiss on her lips.
She brushed a stray hair from his eyes, and they began to walk down the tunnel.
As they went further along it, the space between their bodies enlarged, as the space between their hearts diminished.
"We'll never speak of this." said Draco, not looking at her as the light brightened up ahead.
Hermione looked over at him sadly, knowing he was right.
His grey eyes were shining with unshed tears.
"Yes." she said softly, and their fingers caught together for a moment as they stepped out into the sunshine and the sharp cries of their friends.