Fight The Break of Dawn

Go on and close the curtains
'cause all we need is candlelight
You and me and the bottle of wine
gonna hold you tonight, oh yeah

"I wish that greasy-haired bat would go back to the cave he came from." Ron Weasley muttered as he turned the corner with his two friends, Harry Potter and Hermione Granger. "A detention for 'strutting'. I don't even know how to strut!" Ron threw his hands up and nearly hit a 3rd year while doing so.

"Merlin! Be careful while you're flailing, Ronald." Hermione grinned at her red-haired friend as she felt something being pressed into her hand. Hermione glanced at her hand and saw a note with a small heart in the corner and immediately knew who it was from.

"Uh… I'll catch up with you guys at dinner. I have to go… do some stuff." She gave the two boys a quick smile and ran to the library. She found the most deserted table and quickly unfolded the note.

Hermione –

Meet me in the Room of Requirement tonight at 9.

- Draco

Hermione grinned at the note and read it another time. Draco was always planning things. Just the other week he had managed to smuggle them out of Hogwarts to go out to a fancy restaurant.

Well, we know I'm going away
And how I wish, I wish it weren't so
so take this wine and drink with me
let's delay our misery...

"Hey Hermione! Could you maybe help me out with my Potions essay tonight?" Harry Potter asked Hermione with his most charming smile, hoping that it would make her agree to help out.

"I wish I could Harry but… I've got plans! Ask Parvati. She's been doing quite well in Potions lately and I'm sure she'd be more than willing to help you out." Harry looked at her quizzically, shrugged his shoulders, and turned back to his heaping plate of food.

Realizing what time it was, Hermione said goodbye to her friends and exited The Great Hall, catching Draco's eye while doing so.

Save tonight
And fight the break of dawn
Come tomorrow
Tomorrow I'll be gone
Save tonight
And fight the break of dawn
Come tomorrow
Tomorrow I'll be gone

"Draco!" Hermione called as she carefully entered The Room of Requirement. "Come out, come out, wherever you are…" Looking around she noticed candles creating a path in the room. She grinned and followed the candles wondering what Draco had up his sleeve.

Finally, she reached the end of the path and saw a tiny black box sitting on a small table.

Always getting me presents. He spoils me so much.

Hermione knelt at the table and gently picked the box up. Slowly she opened the box and found a beautiful gold ring in the box. All around the band there were tiny sapphires.

"Hermione." Draco suddenly emerged from the shadows.

"Draco! You didn't have to do this. Really, you didn't." Hermione grinned at her … well, she wasn't entirely sure what Draco was.

"I wanted to make tonight special for us. I wanted tonight to be perfect." Draco gave her a sad smile, leaving Hermione confused.

"Why…?" Hermione stood up and walked to Draco.

"I'm leaving." Draco murmured as he brought his hands to her face.

"Leaving? Why? Draco…"

There's a log on the fire
and it burns like me for you
Tomorrow comes with one desire.
to take me away, it's true

"I don't have a say in the matter. My father has decided that I would be 'better off' with a private tutor at home for the rest of the year."

"When are you leaving?" She asked, hoping that the answer would be 'in a month'.

"Tomorrow morning." He drew her towards him and enveloped her in an embrace.

"Tomorrow! How could you do this to me Draco? It's been 6 months and all of a sudden you just… you just…" Hermione couldn't continue any longer. She had only just gotten to know him, to trust him and now he was leaving.

"Shh… that's why I did all of this, love. I wanted to make tonight memorable. So that this was how you'd remember me." Draco placed gentle kisses on Hermione's forehead and cheeks, hoping to calm her.

Hermione slowly looked up at Draco, tears in her eyes and on her cheeks. "What did you have in mind?"

It ain't easy to say goodbye
darling please don't start to cry
'cause girl you know I've got to go, oh
and Lord I wish it wasn't so

Draco and Hermione slowly laid on the bed, nerves and anticipation pulsing through their bodies. In between kisses, Draco undid the buttons of Hermione's blouse. This was nothing they hadn't done before, but it was different. They both seemed to be taking forever, trying to hold on to the night.

Quite a while later, Hermione and Draco both held each other close, all of their clothes lying in a pile on the floor.

"Are you sure?" Draco whispered quietly to Hermione. Hermione gazed at him and nodded. She'd never been more sure of anything in her life.

Draco let his forehead rest against hers and he slowly entered her.

Hermione whimpered and Draco looked at her to make sure it was okay. She nodded again.

In a matter of seconds, the pain she had at first experienced turned into the most amazing feeling. She shuddered as they both climaxed and he fell onto her, holding her tighter than he ever had before.

Save tonight
And fight the break of dawn
Come tomorrow
Tomorrow I'll be gone
Save tonight
And fight the break of dawn
Come tomorrow
Tomorrow I'll be gone

"I love you Hermione. I just wanted you to know that. I know we never really decided exactly what we were and I still don't know, but I do know that I love you. And… if you're willing to wait… I'll come back for you." Draco whispered his voice breaking with emotion.

Hermione looked at him wondering if this could possibly be the same Draco she had known since she was 11.

"I'll wait. I'll wait as long as I have to, Draco. I love you and I'd do anything to have you for just another night." She mumbled.

Tomorrow comes to take me away
I wish that I, that I could stay
but girl you know I've got to go, oh
and Lord I wish it wasn't so

Draco had been gone for a week since their final night together. Harry and Ron did notice that Hermione seemed a bit quieter than usual and she was always playing with a ring on her finger.

As Hermione looked at the ring one night, she noticed something inscribed on the inside of the band.

A solitary tear slid down Hermione's cheek as she read the word 'Always' and knew that it was just a matter of time before 'Always' was for real.

Save tonight
And fight the break of dawn
Come tomorrow
Tomorrow I'll be gone
Save tonight
And fight the break of dawn
Come tomorrow
Tomorrow I'll be gone
Save tonight
And fight the break of dawn
Come tomorrow
Tomorrow I'll be gone
Save tonight
And fight the break of dawn
Come tomorrow
Tomorrow I'll be gone
Tomorrow I'll be gone
Tomorrow I'll be gone

A/N: It's been a while since I've written anything so this was my try at getting back into it. I'd appreciate reviews. The song is 'Save Tonight' by Eagle-Eye Cherry. I would recommend listening to the song while reading it. Ah… I think that's it. Please review (NO FLAMES) but feel free to point out some things that I could fix. And yes… this is a one-shot.