Chapter 1

Hermione had awaited this meeting for what felt like decades, though in reality it had only been a couple of hours since the owl had arrived at breakfast in the Great Hall. She remembered the terrifying moment when his owl came swooping down with a bit of parchment that was tinted green.


Her face had gotten rather hot as she untied the bit of parchment from the great horn owl's leg and tried to stuff it in her pocket before Harry or Ron would notice. She felt the pace of her heart quicken and she started to shake. Luckily, the two best friends had been busy opening packages that had come from Mrs. Weasley, filled with sweets and other things the two might need for the week.

Her body was still hot after a few moments, and her heart rate had died down, but she was anxious to get out of the Great Hall and to read the letter that she hadn't expected.

Hermione would never admit this to anyone, but she had a wild side. She had a part of her that she saved for herself…and him. She couldn't admit it, because then she wouldn't be classified as "The Good Girl." Everything she had worked for – the studying, straight A's, logic, common sense - would fall apart, what with her even conversing with a snake.

In her six years of being at Hogwarts, she had a secret. A secret that only one other person knew about.

The moment that the last bit of food off her plate got into her mouth, she jumped up out of her seat and told Ron and Harry that she needed to go to the library. She bolted for the great mahogany doors that led into the Entrance Hall and climbed up the first few cases of marble stairs where she knew that the corridor would be deserted.

Hermione had been going to that hidden corridor whenever she would time alone to think. She knew it would be deserted because that hall led to no classroom or bathroom. It seemed to be strategically placed there just for her.

She made herself comfortable on the floor with her back against the cold, stone wall and stared off into space. Remembering why she had gone up there in the first place, she pulled the parchment out of her pocket, unfolded it seven times, and rotated it to read:

Oh how to describe my undying love for thee?

For without Miss Granger,

This snake would cease to be.

Meet me at the place where we first locked eyes

And there you will find me

With a special surprise

Twilight should be the time of the meet

But until then, farewell

My everlasting sweet

~ Your Eternal Slave

Oh, how he could be so romantic.


As Hermione waited for him in the courtyard, she started thinking about how good it felt to sneak around. About how if they had ever gotten caught, everything would be ruined. Everything.

It gave her such a rush of adrenaline that she couldn't control her heart or wipe the enormous grin off of her face.

"Well doesn't someone look a little bit antsy? What's the occasion? You look fancy," speculated a familiar voice.

Hermione jumped, but recognized the voice to be Harry's. He seemed to be looking down at her apparel, and she looked, too. She was wearing a black blouse that brought out her eyes, and a pair of new jeans that she had bought over the summer. She then realized why she was in the courtyard, and why she was dressed like that. All Hermione knew was that she needed to get Harry out of there as soon as possible.

"Harry! I was expecting – erm – well, I wasn't expecting you to be out of the castle this late. I was just taking a short walk to take my mind off of Professor Binns' test. I thought I was studying too much. What're you doing out of the castle this late?" Hermione asked, trying to cover everything up.

Harry looked at her questioningly. "You? Taking a break? From studying?" He looked astonished. That was obviously the most terrible lie I had ever told.

Hermione felt her blood rushing to her face. Oh, not now! She thought.

Harry looked at her with a small smile. "See? I knew it! What are you hiding?" He asked her. She looked up at him, and he searched her eyes, willing her to tell the truth.

Hermione looked away, knowing that she couldn't stop the growing redness of her cheeks. "I'm not hiding anything." She lied almost innocently. "And you still didn't tell me where you were going." She pointed out.

Harry was eyeing her as if looking for the truth in her outright lie. "I was going to visit Hagrid for a while, to see what he's been up to. Haven't seen him in weeks, thought I'd give him a surprise. Do you want to tag along?"

"No, I think I'll just stay here and see if I can remember what Binns was teaching. I couldn't focus yesterday in class." Hermione said, and something silver caught her eye. She looked up, and saw a giant, pearly-white full moon. A sudden thought struck her. "I wonder where Lupin is. I hope he's safe." She wondered aloud, standing up slowly and walking towards a pillar to lean against it.

Harry must have got up and followed, because he put a hand on her shoulder. "I'm sure Tonks is keeping him safe." Hermione leaned into Harry's shoulder, then realized why she was in the court yard in the first place.

"Harry, you should go. I mean, it's getting late and if you get caught out of bed, then you may have to endure Filch's torture." Hermione said jokingly.

"Ahh, I can handle Filch. Known him for six years. He thought I killed his cat, remember? I know how to get him." Harry said, and winked. He gave Hermione a quick hug. "I'm not letting this go, you know. I'll get it out of you eventually." He added as an afterthought.

Over my dead body, she thought, but said "Thanks so much for the amount of trust you give me."

Harry could tell this was sarcasm, and he couldn't help but wonder if she was up to something reckless.

"Just go." She said.

"All right! Fine. I'll go. But we'll talk tomorrow." He said. Without another word, he walked away.

Hermione took a moment to catch her breath from the close call, and then she started to dream.


She could feel his hot breath upon her neck as she traced her hand along the hard, bare plates of his porcelain chest, their hearts beating as one. She placed multiple kisses on his neck and he groaned softly with pleasure as he brought his lips to hers. His hands were full of her brown curls and the kisses were passionate. He had her pinned up against a tree and her heart beat quickened. She couldn't stop herself. She pulled him close, and each time the kiss deepened, she let out a soft moan…


"Not thinking about someone else, are you?" Hermione had heard that voice many times. It was the one she desperately wished to hear.

She smiled. "Oh, but don't you know by now? I've fallen desperately in love with the Great and Powerful Albus Dumbledore. Our wedding is next July." She said smugly as Draco Malfoy pulled her into his arms.

All Draco could do was laugh. He couldn't do much else, as the love of his life didn't know a thing of what he was being forced to do. So, he just pressed his lips lightly to hers once, and started to talk.

"Well that is slightly painful," he joked. "I never thought he'd choose you over me." Draco smirked.

"Oh, come off it. We all know that I'm the most amazing person around. Get over yourself, Malfoy." Hermione teased.

"No way, Granger." He replied. "Why would I ever sacrifice my ego over a girl?" He said with mock disgust.

Hermione plastered an innocent look on her face. "Why, Draco dear, it's because you've fallen completely in love with me, and there's no turning back."

Suddenly, Draco became serious. His eyes softened to the point where Hermione thought she would melt. His whole face became so tender and open. When he spoke, his voice was full of emotion.

"That, dearest, is entirely true." Draco bent down to kiss her again, more passionately. Hermione never wanted it to end. She moved her hands from his chest, up behind his neck, and into his almost white-blonde hair. She wanted to be as close to him as possible, so she pulled herself closer into his body.

"Now why on Earth would I be thinking of someone else, when you're the only one for me?" She said softly into Draco Malfoy's ear as she broke away from the kiss, remembering the question he asked her.

Draco's grey eyes bored into her chocolate ones, and they exchanged a short, but simple message that can only be truly seen through eyes. I love you.

"I am just so glad you're here." He said softly, leaning his forehead on hers. "I was afraid you wouldn't be able to get away."

"I almost couldn't" She replied. "Harry just left a minute before you got here."

Draco ignored that and just stared at her. He cupped her face with his right hand, grabbed her waist with his left, and kissed her softly once more. "You look absolutely beautiful. How could you ever fall for a man like me?" He asked sincerely.

She tiptoed for another breathtaking kiss, let go and said "That's how."

He pulled her into an embrace of pure love, and she pulled him closer so that there was no space between them.

"We should get out of here. You go first…we can't be seen together." Hermione said anxiously.

"Okay. I'll be down by the lake. Leave here in precisely two minutes. Hurry to me, my sweet." Draco said playfully. He kissed her lips softly, and left.

Hermione couldn't imagine the possibility of leaving Draco's side. Even in the face of death, she knew that she could never love a human being as much as she loved him.

So she waited two minutes, and followed where her secret love had gone. She would follow him to the ends of the Earth if it meant she could stay with him. She'd do anything for that boy.

As she made her way through the Entrance Hall and down to the Black Lake, she was searching the grounds, making sure there was no one else around. The night's breeze was very calming and she couldn't picture a better place to be, except in the arms of Draco.

Hermione went and sat on a very large boulder and took another look around. "Well where could he be?" She asked herself.

"I would think you'd notice that I would be behind this rock-type thing. Then again, it is rather big." Draco joked.

Hermione let out a giggle. Teenage love was made for laughing, and if he couldn't make that happen, then it wasn't meant to be.

"Yes, it is. And you're a little small." Hermione said with a laugh.

"Ouch! That hurt the pride a little bit. Am I really that short?" Draco said with a half serious look on his face.

"Well, to be fair, I am only a little bit shorter than you, so to me, you're tall. You're actually the perfect height and shape for me. We fit together like two pieces of a jigsaw puzzle."

Draco let out a short but loud laugh. He knew how she liked puzzles. Hermione kissed him to quiet him down. As she pulled away, she whispered "No one has ever loved the way I love you. I can feel it in my soul." She looked up at him, only to find that he was staring down at her.

"I'm surprised you didn't research that. It would be a quite interesting fact. It is just like you to have your nose glued to the inside of a book. But that's a part of what I love about you. You're smart, funny, brave, faithful…oh I think I'm missing something." Hermione smiled and giggled like the lovesick teenager she was. "Oh yeah! You have the most beautiful smile I have ever seen." And he kissed her again.