Hermione snuggled up against Draco's chest, feeling thoroughly content. The exams were over and she knew she had done extremely well in all of them. No one else in her year was surprised, but Hermione knew very well about the long, hard slog working up to each exam, always trying to live up to her previous standards, topping them, always setting higher expectations of herself. Hey, being smart was no picnic.
Her head on Draco's chest, she could hear the thump thump of his heart up against his ribs, the rhythmic rising and falling of his chest is he breathed in... And out. His arm was draped around her shoulder, pulling her into him. His chin was rested on the top of her head. He was sitting up against one of the many ancient trees that surrounded the lake. This particular one was hidden from the castle, so you could only see them if you tripped over the couple.
It was a funny story how they got together really... Well, not exactly funny, more tragic, really.
Hermione had been passing the Forbidden Forest one day after her extension Care of Magical Creatures class, when she heard a sobbing coning from inside the forest. Wondering what on earth was going on; she had wandered into the forest. The sound had got louder and louder until...
"Malfoy?"
He had whipped around, his expression wild, his wand drawn, but had relaxed when he saw who it was. "Oh, it's you," he had said, holding back tears.
"What are you doing here? Aren't you on the run with Snape?"
"He abandoned me as soon as we got into the forest."
"You've been surviving here for six months?" She gaped.
"I don't want to talk about it."
"Come on, tell me." She said softly, sensing that the ex-Hogwarts student needed someone to talk to. "I'm surprised you haven't cursed me into oblivion yet."
"I'm surprised you haven't rushed back up to the school and told everyone I'm down here." He retorted.
"Cos I know you need someone to talk to." She replied.
He looked up into her beautiful brown eyes and knew that he couldn't resist them. He broke down and told her everything.
Of Voldermort's secret promise to him that if he didn't kill Dumbledore, Voldermort would kill Narcissa, Draco's mother. Of how he was sure that his mother was now dead. Of his grief and guilt.
Their relationship had grown from there. She came down once a week, bringing him food and sympathy. She could remember their first kiss under the stars, of the warmth and security she felt when he held her, of her increasing periods of time spent in the forest.
Hermione was bought back to reality with a thump when she heard raucous laughter winding their way towards her and Draco's hiding spot. They had just had time to stand up and jump apart when...
"HERMIONE?" Ron and Harry burst into the clearing. Then they spotted Draco.
"Malfoy..." Harry snarled, whipping out his wand. Ron followed suit.
"We've got you, so don't even think of escaping." Ron said.
"Harry, Ron, you don't understand..." Hermione cried.
"I think I do," snarled Ron. "This slimy git is hiding out in the forest since last year, waiting for some chick like Hermione to walk into here, so he can murder them. You'd think murdering his own mother would be enough..." A sharp intake of breathe from Draco. "But I guess no one really cares, she wasn't much of a loss..."
Draco started towards Ron, but Hermione got there first.
BAM! Hermione had punched him straight in the face. "Never mock someone's dead mother, Ronald Weasley! Do you hear me?"
"Yes I hear you," Ron said through gritted teeth, "But I don't want to, you filthy mudblood!" And he was on top of her, pinning her to the ground, punching her face, her stomach, trying to inflict as much pain possible. She heard screaming... It was her screaming, her voice pure and shrill, piercing the clear night...
" LOCOMORTOR!"
Then suddenly, the weight on top of her lifted was thrown off her. With her final ounce of strength she sat up...
Draco had thrown Ron off her, but not continued with the duel. Ron was lying about ten feet from Hermione, red faced.
"Don't you ever attack a girl, you bastard!" Draco yelled at him. "Never ever punch a girl, d'you hear me?" And then Draco was beside Hermione, sat her up against him, got out his wand with one hand, held her hand with the other, and muttered a spell that cured any broken bones, though she still had various bruises and cuts. No matter how much magic he used, she would still have the pain, both physical and emotional.
Harry was surprised at the amount of tenderness Malfoy had used, especially towards the 'mudblood' Gryffindor he had attacked verbally with venom as long as Harry could remember. It was a shock; and rather romantic to see Hermione leaning up against Malfoy, tears falling down her cheeks, his arms wrapped around her.
"Now I see why you didn't do to the Spring Breaking Ball with me!" Ron spat, livid with rage. "No one ever wanted to go with you to the ball, and I see why. You're a buck toothed, filthy little mud blood!"
It seemed that this was too much for Hermione. She dissolved into tears, body shaking with the might of her grief.
Malfoy started up towards Ron. "How dare you... " he started, but Ron was too quick.
"FREMANATE!" Malfoy was slammed up against the tree and bound to it by long, snaking chains from the end of Ron's wand. Ron approached Malfoy, leering at him.
"Never..." He slashed his wand in a sweeping movement across Draco's chest. A deep gash appeared there.
"Come..." Another slash, another gash...
"BACK!" This time a slash across Malfoy's cheek. Blood splattered down Draco's cheek, and onto his robes.
"Now, I'm going to get Professor McGonagall. Hopefully they'll let me finish you off... You both off." He looked, disgusted, at the sobbing heap of Hermione.
With that, Ron stalked out of the clearing, and Harry, resentfully, followed him."
As soon as they were out of earshot, Hermione rose and staggered towards Draco. Are you OK?" She murmured.
"I've been better."
Wait, I'll help..." Hermione used the same spells to knit his wounds together as he had used on her a few minutes earlier.
"Thanks," he said, smiling weakly.
"No, thank you," she replied, and standing on tiptoes, she kissed him softly on the lips.
"Let's get out of here," she said, and vanished the chains.
"But... you... NEWT's..." He said.
She shook her head at him and smiled. "None of that matters."
And, holding hands, they walked off, the perfect image of love into the growing darkness of the forest.
So? What do you think? Should I write another Chapter? Please Review!