Author's Note: At the end of this story, I hope for you to let me know your views and also the answer to the question asked below. With love, I present this story.

I AWAIT AN ANSWER

There are probably thousands of people in this world who are better suited for her than I am. There are probably hundreds of people who will keep her happy her whole life. There are probably tens of dozens of people who will love her and who she will love. So why did she choose me? Good question. But whatever the answer is, I am glad she did.

Dear Journal,

This is definitely not a diary or journal of any kind. It is more of a story I hope to write, a story about my life, a story about our lives.

Our story, to people who know it, is as clear as day. There is nothing special about us. We are just two people, who saw each other and then we fell in love. Of course, there was the hate part in between.

Our lives at Hogwarts could be described in just two words: rivalry and hatred. It has taken us a long way to reach here and it all started quite simple. It wasn't that I suddenly woke up one day with the intention to woo her. It wasn't that I had a secret crush on her for years. It wasn't that it was all a dare. It wasn't that I wanted to date her in order to hurt Scarhead and Weasel King.

It was all just about her habit to come to the library. It was all about her smile, her eyes, her hair, her dedication, her hard work, her determination, her selflessness, her forgiveness and most of all, her love. She is one of a kind. There is no one on this earth better for me than her.

Previously, I had said that I hadn't woken up one day with the intention to woo her right? Well that is not entirely true. Our story so far was only possible because she woke up one day with the intention to woo me. It was her who had a secret crush on me for years. Of course, I don't like to brag about it. It was her who had the courage to do all this because of a dare.

And Weasel King was not too psyched about it, obviously. If there was one thing that red-head hated more than spiders, it was probably me. But now that all the obstacles are behind us, I can say with assurance that he is a great guy to have as a friend, ahem, an acquaintance.

On the first day of school at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry, some students had returned for their eighth year, of course with a lot of trepidation. It was not the fear of another year at school, it was more that sudden fear of returning to normalcy. I myself feared for how the War had affected the relationship between the Gryffindors and Slytherins and also for the relation among the Slytherins itself.

It all started with how the death of my father in Azkaban, had driven me and my mother farther apart. We had not talked to each other, or seen each other, in weeks. She hadn't even been there to wish me goodbye when I left for Hogwarts. I didn't care much for school after all that had happened to me. I couldn't understand how people came back, not just to become normal again but also to laugh. For me, the world was immersed in only colors of grey and white.

That was until my behavior to act out and disregard the wishes of the Professors came to the attention of Headmistress McGonagall. After the death of Albus Dumbledore in the hands of Severus Snape, Minerva McGonagall took it as her personal responsibility to see to it that I should be looked after for I was as good as an orphan. I saw her more during the past few months than I cared to admit. I knew the reason only to be that she didn't want Dumbledore's death to be in vain.

So when I showed complete disinterest in all my homeworks and classes, she did the one thing that at that time, I was too prideful to admit, but now am thankful to have had in those dark times. She saw to it that I would be tutored on a daily basis in the library by none other than Hermione Granger. It wasn't that she wasn't a mudblood anymore. It was more that that word didn't matter when compared to the actual torture she had gone through back in the Malfoy Manor.

I didn't hate her, at least, even if I had once hated her, that feeling was trumped by a feeling of heartfelt apology and sympathy. For I had gone through all the sessions of torture that my dear Aunt could offer to me.

In the beginning, all there was, was awkwardness. After the war, there were better things a person felt other than hatred. But I guess she respected McGonagall a lot, for she came regularly and went through the trouble of teaching me. She certainly didn't make the lessons fun but I guess she made them bearable. Those lessons are a lot easier to work on and like if you are in an environment outside a classroom filled with students who are on the verge of sleep and more.

But soon, we came to talk of the little things. She was the first to talk about unrelated topics. I apologized, and that probably made a lot of difference.

"So, on an unrelated topic, not that I don't think it matters, I just wanted to apologize for, you know, everything that I said to you in the past." I said to her that day.

Her eyes, I still remember now, for the first time showed me an emotion other than contempt or any day to day expression.

"See, I can't certainly say that I forgive you because even though what you once said isn't something that still hurts me, it is something that did hurt me in the past. Even now, it is not easy for me to look at you and not think of the fact that we weren't always like this." she had said.

"Of course I understand. I mean, I look at you and my first thought is that, in the past, I was expected to have shouted at you and yell some insult but not what I want to do now." I replied.

From then on, I worked hard for her forgiveness. I earned it too. It started with the fact that I started enjoying her company. That I started paying attention in classes but continued with a similar behavior just so that she would come everyday. I made sure that out of the few hours we were together in a day, I would try my best to use that time to get to know her better.

It was only after we had grown closer together and began to desire each other's company, that she took the lead and kissed me. It was only the next day that she revealed to me that though the tuition had been McGonagall's idea, it was she who had volunteered for it. Turns out I had earned that forgiveness before I had even asked for it.

So I guess things just went on from that. The most embarrassing day of my life was when I had to swallow my pride and declare to the entire Great Hall that I was sorry for fighting with her for the first time. Of course that was also one of the best days of my life, as she not only forgave me for our fight on what exactly the relationship between us was, she also went on to ask me, in front of the said Great Hall, whether I would like to be her boy friend. Things couldn't have been better.

That was when Scarhead and Weasel King lost their cool. We both were so immersed in each other that we forgot about how this would not only tell the school about what we meant to one another but would also tell her best friends the truth. But I would like to say, that over the few years that have passed between then and now, they both have begun to tolerate me. Now, surprisingly, I see and talk to them on a daily basis.

I owe this life I have now, this happiness, love, joy completely to her. There is no me in this world without her. More like, I would exist and go on with my life but I would never live my life if she wasn't by my side. I understand if this was not the story you were expecting. It is probably just like all your other love stories but what makes this better is she was meant for me and no one else.

And though there are others who are good from the inside out, unlike me, that she could choose from, she chose me, all those years ago. I have made sure to tell her everyday how much she means to me, I tell her and show her how much her choosing me means to me. She is a brilliant witch, she probably deserves someone better than an ex-Death Eater.

She probably deserves someone better than someone who used to call her a mudblood years ago. She deserves someone better than the one who was responsible for jump starting the war itself. She deserves someone better than the reincarnation of evil itself. She definitely deserves someone better than a Malfoy. That's right, Malfoy..

So maybe ours isn't a special love story, it is probably one that takes only a few pages in this diary of mine, sorry journal. But it is a story that is ours. My life didn't mean much until she came. I cannot imagine where I would be if not by her side. She is this one person in my life who I am ready to bow down for despite the fact that Malfoys don't bow down to anyone. She is the one person whose tears of happiness or sadness could make me cry and show my weakness and emotions despite the fact that Malfoys don't show weakness. She is this one person I am ready to follow, through the darkest parts of my life.

But do you know the highlight of this story? It is that this journal means a lot to me not because I am writing down the love story. It is because this is my way to propose to that special girl of mine. And I will be waiting for that yes. What makes me nervous is not that she will not say yes. I know she will, what makes me nervous is that she might not mean it.

What gives me confidence is this one moment we shared just yesterday while sitting on our couch. Her eyes were just beautiful and full of tears and the situation was perfect for me to pop the question but I wanted to do it right and show her that I mean it enough to work for it. I mean it enough to spend hours on it. The rest of the pages won't be blank, I assure you. It will be the pages that will soon be filled with sweet memories of just us both.

I look forward to proposing to her. I look forward to her having our children. I look forward to spending lifetimes with her because forever is too short a time to be hers.

So Hermione Jean Granger, I hope that as you read this, you know that you mean a lot to me. I want you to know that you have changed me from the inside out. That for the first time in years, I wake up with hope for a new day. Everyday with you is nothing short of an adventure. So how do you say to having our own adventure, full of love and happiness.

Will you, Hermione Jean Granger marry me, Draco Lucius Malfoy, and make me the happiest man in the universe?

I await an answer as I sit across you at the dinner table...

Author's Note: Let me know what you feel Hermione's answer should be after reading this story. I want this to be just a one-shot unless I get good ideas to continue.