A/N: Hi I'm Kim and this is my second story on this username and my first story in a really long time. I'm hoping you all like it and review and I will try to update as much as possible! R/R
She remembered the day so vividly. It was a hot summer day and their black robes were stifling under the sun. Her bushy brown hair had not helped in the hot sun either. Even a ponytail holder wouldn't keep the heat away. She had just finished her Head Girl speech, reminiscing on the good times, and the bad times they had all faced together. She commented on how they were still a strong bunch of individuals, but together they made up Dumbledore's Army. She smiled thinking of the late Headmaster, and his twinkling blue eyes. As she looked around at her classmates, she began hearing their names being called, and her eyes stopped at him. He had been nervous and preoccupied all day, and she couldn't even begin to think of what would be causing it. He hadn't smiled or even smirked at her all day, which was so unlike him.
"Hermione Granger." She heard her name and felt her feet moving. She couldn't believe this moment had arrived. It seemed like just yesterday she was in Diagon Alley shopping for her books, and buying her first wand. She looked out into the crowd, smiling as she heard all the yells for her. She saw her parents, so proud of something they never got to do. Her mother crying, as her dad comforted her mom. Mrs. Weasley crying into a handkerchief. She finally reached stage, and with each stair she climbed she thought of everything that had happened over the years. As she shook each of her professor's hands, she thought of one good thing about them, and how each of them had inspired her in one way or another. She reached Professor Slughorn and couldn't help but think, that a certain greasy-haired professor should be in his place instead. She looked behind the stage, and saw the giant squid watching the ceremony with interest.
Hermione reached Headmistress McGonagall, and shook her hand with her right hand, as she received her diploma with her left hand. McGonagall beamed with delight as her star pupil graduated. When Hermione would recount the story later, she would swear that she heard her whisper, "I am so proud of you."
She walked back to her seat, and let her thoughts take control of her mind again. Certain names would pull her out of her daydream, but she would be lost again. It wasn't until she heard, "Draco Malfoy," that she looked up again. He had changed from the scrawny boy from first year. The torturing and killing he had witnessed in his own house, had aged him at least ten years. She felt her heart skip a beat, and knew that she liked him more than a friend, but wasn't sure she felt love for him.
Hermione watched him walk across the stage, and knew only she could see how much it hurt him to take each step. Graduating was the one thing he had been dreading, since he came back to finish his schooling. He had come back, to stall the inevitable. Once he had the diploma in hand, he was expected to take over the family and rebuild the tarnished image that his father had worked so hard to destroy. As a young child he had wanted nothing more than to become his father some day, but during the war he had seen his father for what he truly was. A coward. Draco had confided all of this in Hermione dead in the night at the top of the astronomy tower, that held so many unpleasant memories.
Hermione watched him receive his diploma and thought of the first time he kissed her. It was April and they had seen the most rain they had seen in a long time. It had been raining for almost a week straight. They had just gotten into a huge fight, about something she couldn't even remember the next day. Hermione ran from the castle into the rain, and just sat down next to the lake. She couldn't tell if she was crying or if it was just the rain making her face wet. Draco ran after her, and yelled her name as loud as he could over the pouring rain.
"What? Come to tell me I'm just another mudblood, that you feel dirtier for ever knowing?" She asked screaming over the rain. Now she could tell that it wasn't just the rain making her face wet.
"You know I don't think of you in that way anymore." He answered, not understanding why she would even think that way. He hadn't though of her in that in a long time.
"Then what else could you possibly say to me? I'm a bushy-haired buck-toothed know-it-" and before she could finish her rant, he kissed her.
Whether it was just to shut her up so he could tell her what he wanted, or whether it was planned, it was the start of something great and something her friends would never understand. Their kiss was nothing like the ones her and Ron had shared, it contained so much more passion. From that moment on she was hooked on him. She smiled thinking of the memory, as Professor McGonagall's voice brought her back to graduation day.
"Now I would like to present to you, the class of 1999!" She announced and the now former students shot sparks in the air, in celebration.
Before anyone could blink a tent appeared, and there was food and party favors everywhere, for the greatest graduation party Hogwarts had ever seen.
Hermione couldn't believe her eyes, as she looked around an hour into the party. She had been bombarded with congratulations from every single person she had ever met, and even some she had never met. She finally took the time to have a breather and drink a butterbeer. She then realized there was one person who she hadn't seen, the one person who she actually wanted to see. She looked through around and didn't see him within eyeshot. She finished her butterbeer and began pushing herself through the crowded tent. After ten minutes and a couple trips around the tent she still couldn't find him. She asked everyone she saw, but nobody seemed to know where he had gone. She looked outside the tent and saw that it was raining. She faintly saw a figure walking away from the tent, and knew deep down that it was him. She ran after him, calling his name. Her robes getting soaked from the pouring rain. As he reached the gates, he turned around, and Hermione knew she didn't have the wrong person. He nodded, walked out the gates and dissapparted. She didn't understand, she thought he had told her everything, but he never said anything about having to leave. Her heart was breaking into a million pieces, and then was when she realized that, she did love him, and she never got to tell him. She laid down in the grass sobbing, not caring that her robes were ruined and that she looked a drowned rat.
Two hours passed, although they had felt like minutes, and she heard Ron and Harry calling her name. They finally found her and let her sob in their arms. They had no idea what had happened, and Hermione would never tell them. From that day on she hated the rain. She let them take her to the burrow and she slept for 3 days. She had never been depressed like this. After a week of moping around the burrow she knew he wasn't going to come from her, and decided to lock her heart, and forget everything about him. Five years later, he would appear again.