Chapter 1:

Hermione's POV:

Pain. There are not strong enough words for me to describe the pain I am going through. I can feel tears welling up in my eyes threating to spill. I don't know which is worse; being tortured and raped by a death eater, or having the one I love, Draco Malfoy, watch without a care in the world. I wonder if the love we shared was all a lie or simply a dream. Draco watched without flinching or grimacing. He had no expression at all. The last thing I remember before I became unconscious was something that flashed across Draco's face but couldn't catch what it was because it disappeared as fast as it came.

…

Draco's POV:

When Hermione became unconscious everyone filed out of the room, but I stayed behind. I waited to make sure no one would see me before I ran over to Hermione. I gently picked up her frail body off of the cold floor and brushed her hair out of her face. She looked peaceful although she had just passed out from pain.

I fully picked her up and apperated us both to the Heads common room. When I got there I saw Ginny on the couch, where I left her, with red puffy eyes. When she noticed me in the room she ran over to me.

"Oh my gosh! Draco, is she ok?" She asked quickly. I walked over to Hermione's room and gently laid her on the bed and performed nonverbal healing charms before I answered her.

"She should be fine. She wasn't tortured for too long. She was mostly just raped. .." Tears that I didn't feel approach started to pour down my face.

"Oh Draco… Shh…Its ok." Ginny said wrapping her arms around me and patting my back awkwardly.

"You didn't see it Ginny. You didn't see her face… You wouldn't know. She won't forgive me this time." I know Ginny agreed with me because she never replied. She just tightened her hold on me then left. Why didn't I say something?

…

Hermione's POV:

I could feel it. I could feel the man enter me. It hurt but I didn't cry out. No, I wasn't going to show weakness. I tried not to cry as well but then someone hit me with the cruciatas curse. I started to cry but bit my lip so I wouldn't scream. I looked to where Draco was standing, but he wasn't looking at me. He wasn't even trying to help. That's when I gave up. I screamed. I screamed louder than I have ever screamed before. I knew that's what they wanted because every death eater in the room started to laugh.

I looked at the face of the person who was invading me. It was Amycus Carrow.

...

I woke up to see red curtains and a soft bed. I was back at Hogwarts. Was it all a dream? Oh how I hope it was all a dream.

I heard a quite sniffle to the side of my bed so I looked over. I saw Draco who was sitting beside my bed slumped over with his head in his hands. I reached over and pulled at his hands to see his face. His head snapped up, eyes wide and puffy from crying. I try to get up only to lie back down. I ached all over. So I guess it wasn't a dream.

I can see the pain and guilt in Draco's eyes, not like the expressionless ones from before in the dungeons of Malfoy Manor. Tears started to run down his cheeks. He looked as if he had been crying for hours. I lift my hand to wipe the tears away.

"Shh Draco. Please don't cry, I hate to see you like this."

"I'm sorry. I am so sorry. Please forgive me." He says taking my hand in both of his and lifting it to his forehead.

"Shh. Draco, I forgive you." I say between his ramblings

"I know I don't deserve it but I can… wait. What did you say?"

I giggled a little before saying, "I said I forgive you."

Draco jumped up and hugged me tightly. I wince a little from the pain but don't pull away. "Thank you so much." He whispered into my hair. He looked into my eyes intently before kissing me. It wasn't a passionate kiss but a soft kiss that lingered and showed that he cared.

"Why?" he asks.

"Why do I forgive you?" I ask in reassurance. He nodded. "I don't know Draco. Why does anyone do anything? I guess it's because I can see that you regret and if you tried to help you would only get killed. I love you too much to watch you get killed. And if I didn't forgive you I would lose you and I definitely don't want to lose you." He smiled the corners of his mouth reaching his ears.

"What is that grin for?"

"You said you loved me."

I blushed. "Oh… Well yeah I guess I did." I pulled the covers up to my nose to hide my embarrassment. He laughed at me and pulled them back down.

"Don't do that. You look cute when you blush. And Hermione?"

"Hmm?"

"I love you too."

I laugh. This reminds me of the way he confessed to me. What an awkward event.

Flashback:

I was running through the corridors trying to get as far away from the Gryffindor tower as I could. I had just returned a book I borrowed from Ginny when I saw Ron and Lavender snogging.

I tried wiping away my tears when I ran into someone tall and muscular.

"Sorry." I mumbled with my head down looking at my shoes not noticing who I had bumped into. I tried to continue forward when a hand caught my arm and the person spoke.

"Watch where you're going Granger." Great, just what I needed. Although we were both heads and shared a common room we both tried to ignore each other as much as we possibly could.

"Look Malfoy, I said I was sorry. I really don't need this right now so if you could let me go on my way that would be great."

"Granger, are you crying?" He said with concern. Wait, what the hell? Why does he sound concerned?

"That's none of your business" I say blush forming on my cheeks. Even though I hated Malfoy I couldn't talk to attractive guys very well. Wait, did I just say that Malfoy was attractive? When I looked up into Draco's gray eyes, they were swimming with concern.

"Was it the Weasel Bee?" He spat out. My eyes start to tear up again and I mumble "Don't call him that."

It was, wasn't it?" I nodded my head slightly. Draco sighed and said, "Look Granger, there is no need to cry over someone like Weasel Bee. You are better than him! Besides he isn't the only fish in the sea." Is he really complimenting me?

"Why are you doing this?"

"I don't know…" He says rubbing his neck. "I guess because I like you." I snorted.

"Yeah right Draco." He smiled which creeped me out since I have never seen him smile before. "What?" I asked.

"You just called me Draco."

End of Flashback

I smiled at the memory. Although it wasn't exactly pleasant it was the first memory I had with Draco. Draco cleared his throat which took me out of my Day dream. He stood up and took something out of his pocket. He then helped sit up to where I was resting my back on the headboard.

"Well I was going to wait until after graduation but um here it goes. Hermione Jean Granger you have made my life miserable for 8 years because I loved you for so long but I couldn't have you. And now that I have you I don't want to lose you so…" At that he got down on one knee and took out a little black box.

"Oh my God, Draco! No stop!" I said tearing up.

HE opened the box to reveal a simple but beautiful black diamond ring with a sterling silver band. "Will you marry me?" He said. I covered my mouth with my hand and nodded my head.

"Yes!"

"Yeah" I nodded my head again.

"Yes of course!" This might be the happiest day of my life.