A/N: First the usual, I don't own Harry Potter or anything associated to it.

Second, I know I have two unfinished stories, but this has come into my head and I'm hoping this fixes my writers block. I already have the first 4 chapters + prologue written, so hopefully I'll be able to update fairly often. Depending on comments, the story may evolve some. :) Please review, let me know what you think.

Forbidden Romance

Prologue

Night before graduation

Hermione stared at him, disbelief written all over her face. "What do you mean you're leaving the country?" She looked all over his face, looking for a semblance of a joke, a cruel joke of course, but a joke nonetheless. But she found none. His pale face was drawn, as if resigned to his fate. Even strands of his normally perfect blond hair was getting into his eyes and he did nothing to fix it.

Draco looked down, a piece of parchment in his hand. "My father wrote to inform me that we will be leaving for the continent after graduation. He feels our chances of recovering our wealth are better there." He said, raising his eyes to meet hers. "We knew that we couldn't keep this up after graduation, Hermione." He whispered. He felt the emotions welling in him, something he had never felt before. He knew that he had come to care for her, but never had he imagined that the thought of being apart would feel like a physical wound. It felt like a piece of him was suddenly lost.

Hermione felt the tears well in her eyes, but she fought them back determinedly. "I know. I know that." She said, forcefully. "But I thought that…at least, if we both worked in London, or something…" She trailed off knowing that there never was any plan after graduation. Her heart sank as she realized there was nothing to be done, nothing that she could do. She felt helpless and heart broken but most of all, she felt hopeless.

Draco took her hand in his free one, rubbing his thumb over the back of her hand. He looked at her sadly, the fire lighting up her features. Her brown hair was tamed into waves and her chocolate eyes filling with unshed tears. They sat on the couch in the Head's common room, facing each other, Hermione staring at her lap. They never anticipated that the year's Head Boy and Head Girl would fall secretly in love. Who could have given their differences and backgrounds? But somewhere between being potion partners, patrolling the halls and working on school projects the two had put aside their differences at first for their grades, and then for their tentative friendship and finally for love. But right from the beginning, they both knew that it would always be a secret. They both knew that Draco would do his family duty and rebuild his family name just like Hermione would do her war hero duty and help with the rebuilding effort after graduation. And they both knew neither would be accepted into the other's life.

"Listen, maybe this is for the best. Maybe we need to be apart." Draco said softly as he squeezed her hand gently. He was grasping for straws and they both knew it.

Her eyes looked back up at his silver ones and she nodded slightly. "This is much harder than I thought it would be." She choked out. "Even though we knew what would happen from the beginning, this still hurts."

Draco closed his eyes for a moment and took a deep breath. "I know it is." The words about necessity and duty never made it out of his mouth as he leaned forward and placed a kiss on her lips, putting all he was feeling into that bit of contact. He could feel the warm tears splash on his cheeks that she finally couldn't hold back and pulled away.

"You'll let me know if you come back, right?" She sniffed, trying to control her free flowing tears.

Draco nodded. "Of course, love." He said as he pulled her towards him.