A/N: So, here is the official prologue. I didn't get any feedback on that little bit I posted, but I did get a few people that added it to their Story Alerts, so I took that as a positive thing and went from there. I wrote this with hopes that it will earn a little more faith from you guys and maybe some feedback. It would be greatly appreciated. Thanks for reading.

Disclaimer: J.K. Rowling owns everything but the plot.

Information passed through this school like a tornado, quickly and with a lot of destruction.

A few brief stares. A smile. A few kind words. All shared with her enemy, and suddenly they were lovers. For once, the students of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry had it right, but only by a stroke of luck and a few misheard whispers. It sickened her. The way girls could be your best friend one second, and the next you're their dirtiest dish of gossip to their new best friend. They guys were no better, really.

Now, thank you to the brilliant minds of this school, most of the students hated her. All but one. She could feel their glares coming from all directions, each and every house, with the exception of the Slytherins, funnily enough. Or maybe it was just that she was used to those glares. The only reason their hate wasn't renewed was because they didn't believe the latest nonsensical student blather. They knew better. Or so they thought.

Her best friends had turned against her. She was the butt of many cruel jokes. She kept quiet. Mostly to keep it from him. She knew what would happen if he were to find out. It had already happened too many times before with many who were insignificant too her. Their deaths stilled weighed heavy on her shoulders. She couldn't let it happen to her friends. Her former friends, she constantly had to remind herself.

Unfortunately, while fuming from the latest taunts, she let a name slip. While in the Room of Requirements. With him.

"What did he do to you?"

"Nothing."

"If you don't tell me, I'll kill him right now."

"You'll kill him anyway," she muttered, knowing the only possible outcome.

"Tell me what he did, and maybe I'll make it less painful for him. Don't let my imagination run wild."

"He called me a traitorous slag. That's all. It was no big deal." It came out quickly, hoping that would make its effect less dramatic. She wished she had never even mentioned the man's name.

"That's a huge deal. I'll be back in a little while. Don't wait up for me, love." He was so calm. For now. He grabbed his cloak and turned to the door.

"Please don't go…"

"You know I have to."

"You don't."

"I do," he said, with a gentle kiss to her forehead. It soothed her, but also frightened her as she knew its contrast to what was to come. She swept the silver blonde hair out of his eyes. She sighed in resignation.

"There's nothing I can say, is there?"

"No, my love. I'll be back soon." With that, he was gone. She fell to the floor on her knees; all her strength had left her, just as he had, quickly and completely. Tears poured out of her eyes, knowing Seamus Finnegan's death was soon to come, and it would be on her hands.

He arrived back at the Room of Requirements late that night with a calm facade. Although, as he spotted Hermione curled up on the bed, obviously coming down from a long, hard cry, any semblance of calmness he once had was long gone. He was across the room and had her in his arms in seconds.

"What happened? Who did this?" he growled. Hermione buried her face in his chest, incapable of answering as the sobs overtook her once more. He roughly pulled her away from him and looked at her face. "Tell me who did this!" he demanded.

"You."

"What?" His voice was quiet, and confused. "No, love. I want to know who hurt you." He tried to speak soothingly, as he thought she was confused due to her distress.

"It was you. You hurt me. You hurt my friend." She tried to pull away from him. Why couldn't he understand?

"You call that filthy Irish half-breed a friend? After what he said to you? It wasn't me that hurt you. It was that fucking, useless waste of space." His rage was causing his whole body to shake. His hands were in fists; his knuckles had gone white.

"You hurt me more than you'll ever know when you hurt the people around me." By hurt, she meant kill, but she was still unwilling to say it out loud.

"I'm only trying to protect you, my beautiful, little girl." He truly believed it.

"Stop protecting me. Please."

"We both know I can't do that."

"I don't need your protection. Besides, they're not worth it." She tried convincing from a different angle.

"But you are worth it. And I will do everything in my power to make sure no one can ever hurt you again."

"So you're going to eliminate anyone who's ever said a few unkind words to me?"

"If that's what it takes."

"Is this your sick way of making up for what you've done to me over the years?" He chose not to answer. She was fairly certain her suspicions were correct.

"I love you, you know." She crossed her arms over her chest, and stubbornly sat in silence, refusing to look at him, knowing she would melt. "You know I do. And you know you love me." She could feel his strong arm wrap around her waist. She closed her eyes and took in a sharp breath. There was no resisting him. Her body was leaning into his, wanting him. Needing him.

"I know. I love you, too."

"That's my girl. Come to bed with me." She allowed him to scoop her up and lay her into their bed. He slowly undressed her, with such love and care that it reminded her why she was still here. Why she would never be able to leave him. He covered her with the silk sheets, and placed a soft kiss on her exposed neck. She whimpered at the loss of his touch as he made his way around to the other side of the bed, where he undressed and slid himself between the sheets next to her.

He wrapped his arms around her and pulled her cold, naked body in close to his.

He made sweet love to her over and over, each time bringing her to climax and tears of pure joy. Her agony from before had completely disappeared. They fell asleep in each other's arms as the sun rose -dawn had arrived.

Her last thought as she drifted off to sleep was that this beautiful man was hers. All hers. Right now, in his arms, she could forget all about the terrible news she was sure to receive tomorrow.