DISCLAIMER: I do not own anything Harry Potter related and while I live in the same town that Gary Lightbody hails from I do not own any of the lyrics from the Snow Patrol song below

SUMMARY: Draco/Hermione. A very OOC Draco declaring his feelings for our favourite know-it-all. Just a little thing that popped into my head while listening to my favourite song by Snow Patrol. I'm not too sure that my writing goes very well with it, but I'll leave it up to you to decide.

CHASING CARS

We'll do it all, everything, on our ownWe don't need, anything, or anyone

They stood at the entrance to the Great Hall at the head of their own house tables, glaring at each other, not noticing the stares and murmurs starting around them. He didn't want to feel like this. Not for her and not for anyone, but he couldn't help it.

If I lay hereIf I just lay hereWould you lie with me and just forget the world

I don't quite know, how to say, how I feelThose three words, are said too much, they're not enough

He never was good with his feelings. His parents fault. He knew. But dammit he cared about her. He supposed he loved her but he didn't know yet that he could say it. And that was why they were now at odds. in front of the whole school. He couldn't give a damn that they knew. He just didn't want to talk to her with everyone staring.

"Please come outside with me. We need to talk." he gestured to the doors leading out to the grounds and noticed her almost give in. He should've just told her he loved her. He realised that now, boy wasn't hindsight a great thing? She had made no move to follow him, so he turned and walked round his house table making deliberate strides towards where she stood, still holding her wand and still breathing deeply from the residual anger from their argument.

If I lay hereIf I just lay hereWould you lie with me and just forget the world

All he wanted was her. And as he approached the Gryffindor table he knew he was going to have to do this publicly. His housemates were going to kill him - most likely literally. All he needed to feel alive was her. Her beautiful smile when she teased him, her big brown eyes that really did open the window to her soul, that long, curly hair he loved to run his fingers through.

Forget what we're toldBefore we get too oldShow me a garden that's bursting into life

He reached her at last, painfully aware that all eyes in the packed breakfast hall were on them, including his Headmaster and Head of House. It was the latter's fault he was in this predicament. His Potions Master had told him to go for it. That he should stand up for what he wanted regardless of what he was brought up to believe. To follow his heart and never mind what others wanted for him. It was his life to live and he needed to do it on his terms.

"I'm sorry." he was barely audible to the rest of the room but she heard him, she eyed him warily. Too many times had she trusted him over the past few months only to have him back away. But not now. He was not going to mess this up again. She moved towards him closing the distance and it was now he saw the tears in her eyes and his heart almost split in two. He hated himself for causing those tears.

"I just want you. I want it to be me and you forever. I'm an idiot and I know I don't deserve your forgiveness, but please, I really need to speak to you. Come with me?" he was almost pleading now.

Let's waste time, chasing cars, around our headsI need your grace, to remind me, to find my own

He didn't think she was going to answer, she wouldn't look him in the eye, his heart sank to his knees, worry started to grow in his stomach, what if he was too late, what if he had pushed her away one time too many. Slowly she lifted her long eyelashes to look at him. "No" he barely heard her she spoke so quietly.

He felt like dying, "Please, Hermione. Please don't do this. I want to talk to you about this, us, everything but not here." he heard the gasps from around the hall as people realised what he was saying, he felt the daggers being thrown at his back by Pansy, and the rest of his 'friends'. He closed his eyes, breathing deeply. She was punishing him and he didn't blame her, but she had to know how hard this was for him.

If I lay hereIf I just lay hereWould you lie with me and just forget the world

He exhaled loudly, glancing at the table behind her at her friends. Surprisingly they weren't shooting daggers at him, the she-weasel was looking somewhat amused but Potter and Weasley looked curious, at least that's what he thought he saw. He knew they would kill him if he messed this up and really he wouldn't blame them, but they actually looked like they wouldn't mind him being with her.

He supposed that was difference in them and him. They had been brought up properly, not blinded by the biased opinions of their peers and influences. He did envy them.

He turned back to the beautiful brunette in front of him. He smiled at her. A warm genuine smile that only she ever saw. The tears that had been swimming in her eyes had now overflowed and were rolling silently down her flawless cheeks.

Forget what we're toldBefore we get too oldShow me a garden that's bursting into life

He reached out a hand and gently thumbed the tears away while caressing her face with his hand, "Okay Hermione. You win. Here. We will do this here."

She smiled at him then, through her tears, he felt her lean into his hand for a brief second before turning and gently kissing his palm. She took a step back and nodded, "You owe me that much at least Draco." He loved to hear her say his name. It just rolled perfectly off her tongue.

He heard the girls in the room first gasp at the intimacy between the two and then sigh. He supposed it did look cute but that wasn't his intention. He just wanted her to know how he felt.

All that I am All that I ever was Is here in your perfect eyesThey're all I can see

It was then he realised, he didn't care what the others thought, all he cared about was her, what she wanted and that she was happy. He looked into the deep brown orbs watching him, waiting. Telling him it would be okay. Telling him this was his first step towards a better future, with her.

I don't know whereConfused about how as wellJust know that these thingsWill never change for us at all

He took a step closer to her, reached out and took her hand, he caressed it with his thumb as he continued to stare into her eyes, the eyes that gave him the courage to eventually make his move a few months previous.

"Hermione, I know you and I got of to a shaky start." she smiled and rolled her eyes. He laughed gently, "Okay, more than a shaky start, but I admire you. I always did. From the minute we took class together in 1st year and your intelligence made itself known I admired you. I had always been told that Muggleborn Witches and wizards were inferior to purebloods but you knew a hell of a lot more than me and most of my friends put together. Sure there was a bit of jealousy there, up until you, I was number one and you threatened to take that away. For appearances sake I had to hate you. It was ingrained in me from day one. I was supposed to hate you before I even met you. But I couldn't. I tried, you and your friends know how hard I tried, but it didn't work." here he glanced over her shoulder and saw Harry and Ron nod once in agreement.

"Since being made Head Boy and Head Girl, we have gotten closer and I know at times you found it difficult to believe I was being sincere. I don't blame you. I didn't make it easy for you. At times I was confused. I knew what I was feeling but at the same time I knew I shouldn't be feeling it. I am waiting for my Dark Mark," here she cringed and the whole hall uttered gasps as shouts, "you know that. But you also know that I do not want it. I never have and you have helped me realise that there are alternatives to the life I have been brought up in. I have pushed you away over the past few weeks, and I have hurt you because of that. Please believe me when I say I didn't mean to hurt you." He paused once again here, and squeezed her hand to let her know that he meant everything he was saying.

It was silent in the hall now and he felt all eyes on him, waiting for him to continue,

" My feelings for you run deep Hermione. You told me how you feel a couple of weeks ago and I pushed you away once again. It is a fault of my upbringing, if it doesn't involve pain and hatred then it is a weakness, not what my parents want in a child. Sad but true, you know, I've told you about my childhood. Truthfully I was afraid. I know the Slytherin Prince afraid, but yes. I was afraid, not to admit my feelings for you, but of what would happen once I did."

She was smiling again, all evidence of her tears now gone as realisation dawned on her of what he was about to do.

"I love you Hermione Granger. I have loved you for a while now. And I know that as long as you love me then it will be okay. You have made me a better person and I want everyone to know that. As long as we are together then whatever comes at us cannot hurt us."

He stopped, his mouth dry, his heart pounding in his throat, terrified of what he had just done. The silence in the Great Hall was deafening, but all he cared about was her, he looked at her once again and discovered the most brilliant smile he had ever seen, she stepped forwards and wrapped her arms around his neck, "I love you too Draco Malfoy. Thank you." she leaned in and kissed him, just as the hall erupted around them.

If I lay hereIf I just lay hereWould you lie with me and just forget the world

Well what do you think? Please read and review. I'm not too sure what I think of Draco's speech, it seems too much for me at times and then at others just right.