I will follow you into the dark

"Love of mine, someday you will die

But I'll be close behind

I'll follow you into the dark

No blinding light or tunnels to gates of white

Just our hands clasp so tight

Waiting for the hint of the spark"

- Death Cab For Cutie

For many years Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger had not gotten along at all. Nobody really knew how the feud started or when it ended really. There had always been fighting between the two whether it was over Harry or the battle to show who the top of their class was.

Until, maybe, their sixth year at Hogwarts, Hermione had helped Draco with a charm or two and he had helped her on her potion making. Hermione's angst with the youngest Weasly boy had faded out after sometime afterwards since Hermione showed more interest in the darker side of Hogwarts. Sure, Ron was devastated to say the least but he began to focus on becoming an Auror along with Harry for when you-know-who returned.

In the beginning of their new interest in each other it was awkward not only for the both of them, but for everyone around them too. Quickly, though, it had come apparent that they had feelings towards each other.

Harry had no qualms about it, except that it was Malfoy, but he had other things to worry about like you-know-who and his newly budding romance with Ginny Weasly. Ron, on the other hand, was jealous of course. But he wanted the best for Hermione and he guessed it was Draco.

Draco and Hermione had spent most of their time at the library reading to each other or reading separately but in close vicinity so they could feel each other's body heat. Or especially in the courtyard, the two love birds loved hanging outside in the cool weather months. They had shared a snowball fight or two that made people watch or even join in. Those who didn't know of their relationship thought that it was the age old fight between Gryffindor verse Slytherin. It wasn't that at all, they were on each other's side all along.

But near the end of their sixth year and most of their seventh year, a lot of things had changed. Draco became a death eater on his father's accords and he was ordered by the Dark Lord to kill Dumbledore. He told Hermione right away, thinking that she would never talk to him again and he thought he was right. The day after Snape killed Dumbledore she had left with Ron and Harry to try and hunt down the last of the Horcruxes. He didn't worry though, Draco knew she would be safer with Ron and Harry. Besides, he wanted the best for her and he guessed that Weasly would be it.

Months after the golden trio had left; Draco had become darker like his father. Snape began to train him for the up and coming war. But Malfoy had thought a lot during those sessions like;

'Am I even on the right side?'

Draco was with Snape, headmaster Snape, when he had heard that Harry Potter had returned to Hogwarts. Once he had heard the news Draco was filled with joy, if Draco knew anything it was that if Harry was near, Hermione would be close behind.

So, the blond wizard had set off to find the girl of his dreams. The boy had never run that fast before in his life, ever. Witches and wizards were fighting all over the place, not to mention the mass of students running crazily everywhere in all directions. It was then, Draco had caught sight crazy brown curls in the midst of the chaos when he knew he found Hermione. Harry had told something to Ron and Hermione before he had stormed off with his best friend, Hermione set off in a different direction. Draco quickly maneuvered though the pandemonium that filled the castle towards the princess of Gryffindor –no- his princess.

"Granger!" Someone in the distance had yelled throughout the mass of people. Hermione didn't think to turn around; otherwise she would've known who it was straight away. But she couldn't stop, she had to hunt down a bloody snake.

"Hey, stop!" That same voice had come closer and louder as she left the war front of the castle and she had finally realized that the voice was calling out to her. Hermione spun on her heel and pointed Bellatrix Lestrange's wand to their chest. She had notice the black button down with all the buttons attached, she had made fun of Draco once because he looked too posh.

Yes, it was her darling Draco Malfoy.

"Draco?" Her soft brown eyes met his cold grey eyes.

"Please don't point that thing at me, I know what you're capable of." He said almost coldly, seeing he had hurt her a bit when he did say it, he had kicked himself mentally. Those were his first words to her after all they had been through, all that time apart.

'Pathetic' He thought to himself, he had planned for weeks saying something so romantic to her that all she wanted to do was kiss him. Without missing a beat, Hermione had jumped at him and landed a long passionate kiss right on his lips. Moments later Hermione separated herself from him, remembering her task.

"I should be going…: She tried to leave him but she couldn't help but to stay.

"Please, stay Hermione, we could walk away from all of this." His eyes pleaded, "Runaway with me."

Draco's hand held her wrist as if he let her go, he'd die. He had let her go so easily for so long he wasn't about to let her go again.

"I can't, I need to help my friends."

"I'll come with you then." He said immediately and cautiously tried to close the gap between them.

"It'll be dangerous and you need to go find your mum." Hermione was always right, especially in times like these. Draco indeed needed to know if she was okay.

"She's alright; she's with my father after all." They both knew that was a lie, luscious would throw her to the Dark lord before himself any day.

"Fine but we need to run." He nodded and they started running, hearts pounding but their hands had been still holding on to one another's. Hermione had barely missed several attacks but with Draco behind her, she was safe. They had gotten to the main stairwell and Harry wasn't there yet with Voldemort.

"What are we doing now?" He was confused, they had ran and almost died to wait upon Potter and his date with the Dark Lord?

"We're waiting, harry told me that the snake is one of the last Horcruxes and while he is distracting Vold-" she stopped unsure if she should say his name in front of Draco but when he didn't flinch or protest she carried on. "Voldemort, I will kill the snake."

"Sounds easy enough." Draco somberly chuckled but he had realized the seriousness of her tone and stopped. Now that the Slytherin prince had gotten a better look at the Gryffindor princess, he had realized she was now twice as skinny before she had left him, her hair was mostly dead from lack of nourishment and her eyes had sunken into her skull from a lack of sleep and guilt. "Granger…" He said softly and Hermione turned back around to meet his gaze.

"Yes?" She looked innocently back at him and it broke his heart. He noticed in those deep brown eyes of her, she was hurt.

"I'm… sorry" Draco's throat had tightened a bit. "I'm so sorry for what I put you through before we started dating, I'm so sorry for all this. I'm just so sorry." His shoulders sagged and he looked for a response, any response in the eyes of the young woman he loved so much.

"I love you too." Hermione smile and was about to move towards him when they felt that they were being watched. Draco and Hermione turned towards the staircase and found Bellatrix Lestrange along with insignificant follower of Voldemort's.

"Oh, touching!" The evil creature began stepping down the stairs towards her nephew and… a mudblood. "Star-crossed lovers I see?" Draco put himself in front of Hermione, protecting her as much as he could but she stood more to the side to see what was happening. Bellatrix made a face as if she could think before talking and tapped her replacement wand to her chin three times.

"Draco, Draco, Draco. Does this mean you are betraying the Dark Lord?" She gave them both a look. "Oh, come on! We all know you're Hermione mudblood Granger who's best friends with Harry Potter. And Draco your father already fled from everyone's sigh with your mother and it seems that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree." The witch gestured to the teens and the man behind her chuckled deeply.

"I'm not like my father! He is weak and he is a coward!" Draco stood firmly before Bellatrix as she circled the two.

"Draco, dear boy, we all know that's a lie." She eyed him evilly, then turned to see the girl behind him trembling with fear. Hermione was recalling her torturing sessions with her that Draco had to watch, he didn't sleep right after watching it. Noticing that Bellatrix was getting too close to Hermione for Draco's liking, he had put a hand on her

"Don't. Touch. Her." he said slowly through his teeth

"Why not? Don't you hate mudbloods? Why does she get special treatment?"

"Because I love her." His grasp in Hermione tightened and she tried to squeeze back but she didn't have the strength. Bellatrix had laughed like it was the funniest thing she's ever heard.

"Is that some sort of sick joke you kids are doing to each other these days? Saying 'I love you' whenever it's convent?" she threw her head back and cackled some more. Draco pushed Hermione back creating space between the evil thing and what she might do. "After all your father had taught you? Pity, really." He was about to attack the sonofabitch when he was held back by a weak and small hand that belonged to Hermione. Draco was unarmed but Bellatrix indeed was dangerous with a wand.

"Acco wand!" She announced and her wand that Hermione was about to give Draco flew into her clutches. "You had my wand all this time!" Hermione didn't dare answer as she was reminded by the word 'mudblood' that was carved into her arm. Bellatrix held the wand close to her face and began to talk to it. "Oh it's so good to have you back!" Everyone gave her an odd look, as if she wasn't already crazy. But then she flicked her wrist and her wand had followed, it had executed the most unforgivable spell.

"Avada kedavra!" the spell slipped off her lips and flung through the air past her nephew. Hermione had fell limp into Draco's arms, still holding his hand with all her might. But the pressure faded with every passing second. She was lifeless.

"You bitch!" Draco screamed, his eyes were overflowing with tears and his words were incoherent for his heart was breaking. "You killed her!" He stroked Hermione's soft face and cradled her in his arms.

"Obviously" she stated blatantly, as if killing someone wasn't a big deal "Do you want me to show you how I did it?" Bellatrix rolled her eyes as she turned around to the man behind her and brush of her wand he was dead too.

"You killed her!" Draco's once cool pale skin was now a splotchy red and was burning up. "Might as well kill me too!" His sobs had been heard throughout the castle, if you weren't dueling of fighting that is.

"Oh, quit your whining you pratt!" Nothing could stop the water works. "Fine I never like you anyways, just like your father. Weak. Avada kedavra!" A green light bolted towards him and Draco Malfoy's body lurched towards the ground, right next to Hermione Granger's. Laying there lifeless, no one seemed to notice that they had still kept their hands laced together.

(A/N: if i decide to continue, itll be on AO3 -sorry- its just easier to post on there. thank you for reading! please leave feedback :) )