AN:

Originally this was supposed to be a oneshot songfic. But after having to remove the lyrics because of copyright infringement I decided, there wasn't anything stopping me from letting you all know the outcome of the story (except time - sorry the holidays and exams had me bogged down).

This will be the end of this story but PLEASE follow me because it won't be the end of my writing! I have already started another story so go by and check it out :) Strangely it didn't get nearly as many hits as this one so I wasn't as inspired to write quickly as I originally planned.

Review and show me the love!

As the heavy door to the courtroom slammed behind her, it was as if the entire room turned to see who would interrupt this important moment. Hermione could feel the weight of the moment not just in the air, but in the grey eyes that bore into hers. She wanted to look away, to hide the tears she could feel filling hers, but it was as if he could control her mind in that moment and he didn't want her looking away. He could - he was perfectly skilled at occlumency; he could delve into her mind from where he stood chained and find the memory of Harry telling her he would see what he could do. But he didn't - he was accepting defeat.

She could tell from his stance that he had given up hope. His shoulders slumped just the slightest bit and it seemed as if he was struggling to breathe. His face was strong, his head held high, but she could see his bottom lip pulled inward just the tiniest bit on one side, suggesting he was biting down on it. But what gave him away completely was the tiny tremor in his hands. As if he were reading her thoughts, Draco balled his fists and closed his eyes. The chains shifted at his ankles as he tried to turn away from her, but they kept him rooted to the spot.

"Draco Lucius Malfoy - " Kingsley Shacklebolt's deep voice resounded around the room. With each commanding word it seemed as if Draco recoiled; his hair fell into his eyes which he kept cast down towards his feet and in that moment Hermione felt he looked the more vulnerable than he ever had or would, even if he could survive until tomorrow. Hermione tore her eyes away, looking for Harry, hoping that he could stop this circus. "You have been found guilty of crimes against the wizarding community as well as aiding and embedding the criminal, Tom Marvolo Riddle, as well as death eaters and escapees of Azkaban. The punishment for your crimes is death."

With the last word out there, dangling above the heads of all the onlookers, a door opened and 5 witches and wizards that Hermione recognized not only as aurors but also as victims, survivors who had lost their families to Lord Voldemort and the death eaters. These 5 aurors would simultaneously fire the killing curse, so they would never know who fired the spell that killed the wizard in from of them.

Hermione started to race forward. She had to do something; she couldn't just stand there and watch.

The group of wizards and witches all raised their wands. "Avada K -"

Hermione jerked awake. She was covered in sweat and shaking. She snapped her fingers and the lamp by her bedside switched on. A glance at the clock showed it was just slightly after 4 AM. She had gotten more sleep tonight than she had in the 3 weeks since but that didn't help slow her heart rate down by any means.

Deciding that sleep would be difficult, she slipped out of the bed; a run, good old fashioned muggle exercise, would clear her mind. Quietly she pulled on some tights and a hoodie and tiptoed across the hardwood floor. While her lack of sleep was obvious, she still didn't want to wake him. She didn't want to be questioned about what was keeping her up, she couldn't lie. Hermione had to get that moment out of her head; she couldn't let it haunt her for the rest of her life.

Pausing to pull on her tennis shoes and put in headphones, she pulled open the door and was met with the cold London air. Yes, a run and music would surely clear her head.

He heard the click of the door and sat up quick in bed. Straining his ears in the darkness for any sounds of a perpetrator in the apartment, he turned to find the bed empty beside him. Hermione was gone, again.

Glancing at the clock he saw it was 4:20 AM. He knew she wasn't sleeping well at night, her tossing and turning often kept him awake. Several times he'd questioned her about it hoping that she would open up; he was starting to assume it was because he was here.

When she returned home an hour later, out of breath and tired but strangely rejuvenated. She headed for the bathroom for a shower. Shower, eat, then head into work early - that was her plan. That would get her through another day.

She turned on the hot water and watched as the steam started to fill the room. As she stepped into the shower and felt the bite of the scalding water against her skin, she couldn't help but shiver as the image of his cold grey eyes met hers as the aurors said - NO! She was not thinking about it again! She sank down the wall, palming her eyes, willing herself to not cry.

When she felt the wrinkles starting, Hermione exited the shower, used a quick spell to dry and de-friz her hair, and headed quietly through her small apartment towards the kitchen. With a swish of her wand she made a cup of tea, knowing that the whistle of the tea kettle would wake him. She grabbed a bowl from the cupboard and poured herself a bowl of cereal, all the while staring out the window at the darkening sky of London.

She needed to think positive thoughts. So without difficulty Hermione pulled the memory forward of the night when Draco told her he loved her - a memory she would cherish forever. A small smile started to form as warmth filled her. Yes, she just needed to think happy thoughts to make it through the day.

He quietly watched her go through her morning routine in the kitchen from the doorway. While beautiful as ever, the lack of rest was starting to show; her eyes had dark spots beneath them and looked as if they were caving in. Worry lines were becoming a permanent feature in her face that he longed to kiss away much like the stress and thoughts that were plaguing her daily. He considered delving into her thoughts to find the root of this problem so he wouldn't have to listen to another lie. But he knew she would feel him there and his presence would make her angry; she had a right to privacy just like everyone.

As she brought her teacup to her lips he noted that a smile had started to pull at the corners of her lips, something he hadn't seen in awhile. Warmth filled him knowing that she could still manage happiness, and he hoped that he was the reason behind this slight change to her features.

"He who wears a smile instead of worrying is always the strongest." At the sound of his voice she whipped around, gasping, and almost spilling her tea.

"Did I wake you? I'm sorry. I was trying to be quiet." Color rose to her cheeks as if she were embarrassed of his presence. "Would you like a cup of tea? I'll make you one." He kept his eyes on her as she flicked her wand and a cup of tea appeared in his hands. She seemed nervous around him.

"All are not asleep who have their eyes shut."

"Two proverbs in one morning; you've been reading my books." She knew him well; or perhaps she knew the proverbs well.

"I don't have much else to do." He watched as her face scrunched up in contemplation and she pulled her bottom lip between her teeth.

"I think I can swing by Flourish and Blotts after work and pick you up something - " Uncertainty pulled her eyes towards the floor and he could tell she had more she wanted to say but was unsure how to word it.

"The muggle literature is actually quite fascinating; no need to go out of your way for me." Her head snapped up, shocked, and he could tell she was searching his face for the truth; which he'd just told her. He did like curling up in a chair by the window while she was gone to work, reading her books. So far he had read works that he assumed were famous in the muggle world, if not they should be - works from Charles Dickens, Herman Melville, and Charlotte Brontë. He'd skimmed through a book of proverbs yesterday and found them absolutely captivating; they reminded him of Albus Dumbledore.

He watched as her eyes flicked to the clock on the wall behind him. With a sigh, she looked down at her fidgeting hands around her teacup. "I ought to be leaving soon for work."

"Hermione, you need to talk about what is going on."

"I - " Stepping towards her, she took a step away from him, bumping into the kitchen counter behind her. He hated trapping her but she needed to talk to him.

"Don't say you have to leave because it isn't even 6 AM yet and I know you don't have to be at the Ministry until 8 AM. It is a 10 minute commute if you walk. Leaving is no excuse." He closed the gap between them, took the cup from her trembling hands, placing it on the counter behind her, and pulled her face up to look him in the eyes. She snapped her eyes shut as if looking into his burned her, or perhaps they chilled her down the the soul because she shivered. "Hermione - " he placed a soft kiss against her temple.

His lips pressed against her forehead as if he were trying to press the thoughts right out. "Please, let me in." His voice sounded pained, as if her silence were stabbing him through the vocal chords. She willed her eyes to open, willed herself to look into the eyes that earlier she sat in the shower trying to push far back into her memories. She looked into those grey eyes that reminded her of the fog rolling into the London streets while she ran this morning, fog that breezed against her skin and cleansed her of the thoughts that were now resurfacing.

"The punishment for your crimes is death."

She started to race forward. Several of those in the crowd took notice of her but most everyone couldn't tear their eyes away from the group of aurors who had just entered the room, the group that would end the life of the man that she couldn't live without, wouldn't live without. She didn't know how, but she had to save him. Her footsteps were loud on the marble floors, but she was certain her heartbeat was more discernible.

"Avada K - "

As she threw herself in front of Draco, the entire room went completely still. Even the aurors froze mid-curse; they wouldn't risk accidentally hitting the wrong target. Although nobody had placed a silencing charm on the room, that was how eerily quiet it was in that instant.

She turned, knowing full well the entire room was watching, and watched as the grey peeked out from between lashes in confusion. Hermione brought her hand to his face whispering "Please, let them in" but in the silence the private moment was audible to the entire courtroom. When he sank into her touch the entire room erupted into noise; he had just done the opposite of what they all thought he'd do.

"For you." He whispered.

"Silence!" Kingsley Shacklebolt's words immediately quieted the whole room. Hermione turned, dropping her hand, to face the authority figure behind the stand, making sure to keep her body as close to Draco's as possible without touching. She heard the soft rattle of chains and felt warmth run through her entire body as Draco placed his hand in hers. "Miss Granger. What is the meaning of this?"

She opened her mouth to answer but before any words could form she was interrupted by Draco's deep voice behind her. "I can explain." As Shacklebolt's attention shifted to the wizard standing behind Hermione, she too turned, wondering what he would say in front of a room full of people judging his every move. His eyes were closed and he was biting his bottom lip in concentration. When he opened him, his grey irises stared straight into Hermione's.

"I love Hermione Granger and have since the moment I met her." Whispers sounded around the room but Hermione was determined not to pull her eyes away from his. He needed her in this moment; she was rooting him to the truth and the feelings that could keep him alive. "In the beginning I was scared and embarrassed of the feelings that I felt for her; I hated myself for the warmth that filled my chest whenever Hermione laughed, the smile I had to hide when she answered a question in class. I hated that I couldn't take my eyes off her. But mostly I hated that I cared so deeply what others thought that I had to cover my emotions with disgusting retorts and comments. By the time I was mature enough to admit my feelings to myself, I also had to admit the damage I had done was irreparable; Hermione Granger would never feel anything for me but hatred and contemptment. When the Dark Lord asked me to join his ranks, she was on the forefront of my mind. I wanted to make sure that if the war ended with his rise into power, that she would be spared; I wanted to make certain that she would live no matter if it meant handing over my life to someone that I completely disagreed with."

The whispers had risen slowly throughout Draco's speech, but his eyes had never left Hermione's.

"This is absurd!" At the sound of a familiar voice, Hermione turned to meet the eyes of one of the aurors standing in front of her. "'Mione how can you believe a word that comes out of that lowlife's mouth?" Ron was shaking his head furiously as if trying to shake out Draco's words that were bouncing around inside his skull.

"Because Ronald - "

"He saved her." The entire room, including Hermione, shifted their gaze to the far door that Harry's voice sounded from. He strolled across the room to the couple everyone's attention had been on. "When Hermione was being kept prisoner, Malfoy took it upon himself to save her and care for her when he could."

"Mr. Potter are you vouching for Mr. Malfoy's feelings?" Shacklebolt questioned.

"No." Hermione's head snapped in Harry's direction. How could he give her hope then crush it in front of the entire room? "But I am vouching for his actions pertaining to Hermione. She let me see into her memories and the compassion I saw from him while he was helping her, that would be hard to fake."

"Mr. Malfoy - " The room again turned their attention to the blonde in chains. "Would you allow us to see into your mind unguarded? This will truly be the only way for us to know if your intentions were honestly to keep Ms. Granger safe."

Draco nodded and it was as if the whole room gasped. Shacklebolt moved to stand next to Draco and Hermione watched, like the rest of the courtroom, as Shacklebolt stood quietly, roaming through Draco's mind and memories. Occasionally he'd murmur something that sounded like "hm" or "oh wow" but the blonde standing quietly chained to the floor remained still, as if the blonde hair on his head was snow keeping everything beneath it frozen in place. After what seemed like hours, Shacklebolt shook his head, and opened his eyes, looking at Draco with a look of understanding. He whispered a few words to Harry then turned to the stands full of witches and wizards. "My colleagues and I will need a few moments to process this new information." With that several wizards exited into the hallway with Harry and Kingsley.

Draco looked spent so Hermione conjured a chair and pushed him into it. He still hadn't moved. "Draco - " she quietly questioned him, crouching down in front of him, as the room exploded into conversation. "Draco, what did he see?"

"Everything." He was so motionless that Hermione could swear she imagined his response. She took a deep, wavering breathe and when she opened his eyes his pierced into hers like a knife through chocolate. Before she had time to register his movement, he pulled her face to his and kissed her passionately in front of the entire courtroom. Hermione felt warmth in every crevice of her body; there was tingling in the tips of her nails and it felt as if every hair on her body was tingling with electricity. She pushed closer to him, feeling that his heartbeat was hers and that if they pulled apart she would surely stop breathing. They were one and she felt if he were gone in the next hour or the next day she would never be complete again without him.

A loud ahem, alerted them to the entire room, as well as the group that had left to discuss Draco's memories, watching. Kingsley Shacklebolt had resumed his position behind the stand and it was clear by the wand amplifying his voice that he had been the one clearing his throat. She jumped from his lap and stood by his side, keeping her hand latched in his.

"Draco Lucius Malfoy -" The room fell silent and Hermione felt Draco's hand tense in hers. "After receiving useful and important new information. The Ministry of Magic deems that your actions as a death eater were done under good intention. Under occlumency, it was seen that you never willingly killed another witch, wizard, or muggle, instead going out of your way to ensure the safety of those you'd been sent to kill." Hermione's head jerked towards Draco. Was it true? He had saved more than just her? "While you were still forced into some actions, you did so with a heavy heart. Your remorse and the pain you feel for the actions you couldn't avoid, is a form of punishment that you will endure the remainder of your life. With that being said, the court has decided that your life should be spared much like the lives of those you saved." Draco's eyes hadn't risen from his lap. He stayed completely still under Hermione's gaze, waiting for Shacklebolt to tell him what was to happen next. "We cannot expunge your record of being a death eater completely, as we cannot ignore the fact that you are still guilty of some charges. You will be placed under house arrest until you are deemed safe to the entire wizarding community; during this time you will visit the Ministry weekly for therapy and you will have no wand. Do you have any questions?"

"I have no home - " Draco started. He still hadn't lifted his eyes from his lap and it was as if Hermione could sense he was embarrassed; someone of such means suddenly didn't even own the clothes on his back.

Harry's voice sounded around the room suddenly. "Well you will be staying with a Ministry official so you will be guarded most hours during the day."

"We figured since the two of you seem so keen to keep the other alive that Miss Granger wouldn't mind volunteering for the position." A smile stretched across Kingsley's features.

"I - " Her voice was quiet and he could tell she was trying to figure how best to continue. He stayed still hoping not to scare her off but she pulled away from him. "I almost lost you! And I just can't stop reliving that moment."

"But I'm right here and even if I could, I'm not going anywhere!" She wasn't feeling trapped knowing he was bound by law in her home and that gave him a small sense of relief. But knowing that she was plagued with nightmares and thoughts of him - it left a tiny crack in his heart that he knew only she'd be able to heal.

"I know"

"Then stay with me." He pulled her into his embrace and felt her body sag into his. In that moment he could feel the weight of her worries. They hadn't lost each other, but they could have. He never wanted her to leave the house again, leave him again, even if for only a couple hours. Time with each other would be all that could heal the couple and he was determined that together they'd make it through even the darkest of times.

AN:

I hope you all enjoyed! Please read and review!