Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or any of the characters, or places, except I made up the safety house

A/n: Thanks for the review, I hope you like this chapter. The romance part shows up now, it is intense but only because I want to get throught this part fast so I can get to the safety house and this is my first fanfic, so please give me feedback, help me make changes. I don't know about this beta stuff but if anyone is willing to beta me I'd greatly appriciate the help! Oh one more thing please stick with the story, I'm keeping it fast paced so let me know if you'd like me to slow down some parts.

Chapter Two: Trust

The pair left Dumbledore's office in such a rush most thought that a Hungarian Horntail was chasing them! Hermione fled to her dormitory and gathered all her things, once everything she brought to Hogwarts was in the common room she rushed to a desk took out some parchment and a quill and wrote her parents about the mission that Dumbledore assigned her. She made a mad dash for the owlry and mailed it post haste. While all of that happened Draco was sitting in his dormitory, puzzled as to what he would say in his letter to his parents. They wanted him marked as soon as he graduated from Hogwarts. How was he to tell them that he was staying for another week, and then going to the safety house in London? Simple he would notify them in person when they attended his graduation this afternoon.

Draco had it all planned, he would fool his parents and Voldemort into thinking that he was on their side and then end the war unmarked and not in Azkaban. He was alright with Dumbledore's plan he knew if anyone else went with him they'd be killed but Hermione, wait Hermione? He was calling her Hermione to bug her right? So why did he just think of her using her first name? Whatever he'd figure that out later. If anyone but Granger, he reaffirmed himself, came with him Voldemort would kill them but Hermione, she was valuable. And he was not going to turn her away when she walked so willingly into his arms. No Voldemort would take her, and taunt Potter with her, that part he didn't mind. Potter would be losing his girlfriend to Voldemort and he'd be furious. That'd be the perfect time for the She Weasel to make her move on Potter. That'd show Granger, Draco knew She Weasel and Potter had been going strong for about as long as Hermione and Potter were together. There he went again calling her Hermione! Draco really needed to stop that or he might think he was falling for her. He knew the moment Hermione said yes to Potter, it was on Potter's birthday. He and Granger shared some weird connection, she always knew when he was in trouble and he always knew when she was in pain from doing something selfless. He could tell that she didn't want to date Potter but she couldn't turn him down, not on his birthday. Or at least that was how she saw it. The She Weasel saw that she'd missed her chance but that red head didn't give up so easily. On the first day of their seventh year Draco was in the dungeons looking at the new potions equipment set up for the seventh years. He was about to leave when he heard giggling coming from down the hall. It was Potter and that ginger Ginny. He looked with distain, knowing Potter to be dating Hermione, even though he was never told that, he was furious. He saw Potter and Weasley snogging, and he thought he'd go and break them apart. He walked up to them and said something along the lines of, "Potter you man whore, first Granger and now the She Weasel. You sure do get around." Draco smiled at the memory but there was more at stake than just Hermione's relationship this time.

Hermione started off towards the Great Hall, knowing she'd find her best friend Ron there. She couldn't tell anyone the plan of course but she needed to talk to him about her relationship with Harry.

"Oh thank God Ron! I really need you to do something for me!"

"Sure thing Hermione, what is it?" Ron looked like he was about to be asked to go snog Millicent Bulstrode.

"Listen and give me advice," Hermione paused for a moment. "What did you think I was going to ask?"

"Oh nothing, go on I'll listen so start talking."

"Well you know how I've been dating Harry right?" She didn't pause for him to reply. "Well I've known for about 5 months now that he's been cheating on me with Ginny. Stop, I don't hate Ginny for it, I'm actually glad, it will make it easier for me to break up with him because of it! I know your next question will be 'if you've known for so long why haven't you dumped him yet?' Well the answer to that is because I didn't know how, seeing as I figured we'd all be staying together for the war effort I'd feel awkward around Harry all the time knowing I dumped him and all. But I've recently found out that I will not be taking part in the war what so ever. My parents have informed me that I'm to live with them in the Muggle world, I'll be allowed to take a position here at Hogwarts if I so choose, Dumbledore just told me, he still wants me to feel useful even if my parents won't let me fight. So I'll be living at Hogwarts year round now. My parents aren't even coming to graduation because of it! So now I can break up with Harry! Now my question for you is should I do it before or after the graduation ceremony?"

"Before!" Ron said that way too enthusiastically, he almost gave away that he has a crush on her! "I mean the sooner you do it the happier you will be!"

"You're right Ron!" She gave him a quick hug and ran to find Malfoy. "I knew I could count on you!"

"You're welcome," Ron hollered back in a dazed state as she left the Great Hall.

…

"Draco!" Hermione called gleefully!

"Oh hey Hermione," Malfoy didn't have his usual sneer, or snarky voice, this greatly concerned Hermione, but she knew before she even saw him he was not doing well.

"Draco what's wrong?"

"What? Oh nothing, you shouldn't be troubled with my problems. Now go break up with Potter like you were planning and then we'll talk, ok?"

"Alright, meet me in the library in ten ok?" She didn't know why but she gave him a peck on the cheek and ran back towards the Gryffindor common room.

Yeah, he thought. Why did she kiss him? This made matters worse if his parents saw her being friendly with him then he'd be whisked away quicker than you could say Expelliarmus. The plan would fail and Hermione would have to face the war on her own, without Potter and Weasley. Well maybe she'd have Weasley, he did have that annoying little crush on her so he might stick around. As for Potter he'd be too busy running the bases with the She Weasel to care. Draco thought he'd have to talk to her about that when the met in the library, same old Hermione book loving, gorgeous, and with her mesmerizing chocolate eyes she would have any man as putty in her hands, except for himself of course.

…

"Harry!" Hermione's tone would have been solemn if she hadn't been out of breath.

"Oh, hey Hermione," Harry replied while trying to kiss her cheek but she took a step back.

"Harry I think we should break up."

"But, why, I thought we were good together?"

"Yeah I guess we were, but you and Ginny are better. Harry don't deny it I've known for five months, I've just been trying to figure out a way to break up with you so you wouldn't be stand offish with me when we were together fighting the war. But I'm not allowed to fight the war, my parents told me. Dumbledore has offered me a position here and my parents will not be attending graduation because Dumbledore wants me to stay here over the summer to learn the curriculum I'll be teaching. So I figured since you'd be happier with Ginny and I'd be more content being single and we won't see each other for a long time, it'd be a good time to break it off."

"Well thanks Hermione, I'm glad you understand with Ginny and I. I'm sorry I never told you but I asked you out and I didn't want to break up with you a month later because Ginny and I figured out that we were meant for each other. It seemed cruel but I didn't want to sneak around either, it was just I, I was so in love with her I didn't know what else to do."

"Harry of course I understand you're my best friend, I just want you to be happy! Oh my look at the time I've got to run, meeting Madame Pince in the Library to talk about book selection for my students!"

"Yeah by Hermione!"

…

"Draco!" Hermione yelled elatedly.

"Hermione!" Draco replied with almost more enthusiasm.

"I'm free Draco! I just broke up with Harry like I was planning, wait a second. You knew I was going to break up with Harry, how?"

"I saw you were really happy so I figured you were dumping Potter because I knew how miserable it made you to be dating him, and when you didn't break up with him after you knew about him and the She Weasel, I was shocked."

"Draco how did you know I was miserable with Harry? And why do you know that I knew about him and Ginny? Oh my gosh, you feel it too!" Hermione tried to mask her excitement, without much luck.

"What are you talking about Hermi-Granger?" He was hiding the fact that he knew what she was talking about ineffectively.

"You know when I'm happy, sad, angry and even why I have those feelings sometimes! Just like I have for you, Draco!" Hermione couldn't contain herself anymore she felt as if she was about to burst from the joy she was feeling.

"Oh that, yeah I feel it too Hermione. How long, might I ask, have you been having these feelings?"

"Well honestly I had unexplained emotions when I was a child. My parents thought I was Bi-Polar, you know because I would be enjoying something and then I'd begin to cry because I felt searing pain. Or when I was angry at someone for wronging me I'd feel and underlying tone of joy, never true jubilation though. I knew these feelings weren't mine and I couldn't figure out who's they were. I knew it wasn't anyone I knew so I knew I'd have to be patient and I'd meet the person when the time was right! And at 11 years of age I finally realized who those emotions belonged too. We were getting ready to do the sorting and you asked Harry to be friends, he refused, you were fuming. I was delighted and then I was suddenly so angry I felt like tearing every magical painting in a 2 mile radius into millions of pieces. I looked around and everyone was either excited or nervous for the ceremony, then I laid eyes on you, Draco Malfoy," she was so deliberate with the way she spoke, Draco admired her for it, she never skipped a beat, he had no plans on listening to the rest of the explanation. He cut her off with a kiss.

Hermione was stunned, but as soon as she realized what was happening she kissed back feverously. She and Harry never ever kissed so passionately when they were together. The whole world seemed to crumble and vanish around them. Nothing mattered anymore, he trusted her completely and she felt the same there was no need for them to stay at Hogwarts for the next week they were fully trusting of one another. But they'd stay because it meant a week of them being together without the threat of Hermione being injured or killed by Voldemort or his followers. Draco and Hermione broke for air after that long, passionate kiss.

"You were furious, I realized-"

"Hermione, do I need to kiss you again or do you understand I know the rest of the story. I've had the feelings just as long as you. But I knew who they belonged too much before you did. One day I chased a bird through Diagon Alley. I went through the Leaky Caldron and I found myself in a place I never knew existed. I'd known about Muggles for about two months by that time, I just never thought I'd go near them; I was 5 at the time. I ran through London trying to get back but I just ended up in some park. That is when I felt searing pain fly up my left calf, I turned and saw a girl with uncontrollable chocolate brown hair, and she was honestly the prettiest thing I'd ever laid eyes on. Then I looked down and saw that her leg was twisted in a way a leg shouldn't be twisted. The bone was poking at the skin and it scared me. I ran to you, seeing I was the only one near you when you fell from the tree. I started to scream for help and I tried to soothe you. You looked at me and smiled, then laughed. You asked why I was wearing such funny clothes; it looked like I was dressed up for Halloween. By the way you never did tell me about that dressing up for Halloween thing, you promised you'd explain the next time we met but you didn't recognize me, obviously. Well I always knew if you were needed me, but when I asked to go to the Muggle world my dad would beat me, so I never saw you again until I saw you at the sorting. I finally knew your name, Hermione Granger; it was a most unusually beautiful name. I tried to speak to you but you didn't know who I was. And then you became friend with Potter, and I was brought up to hate you so I put on an act for my father. You never did remember me though, as much as I tried to hint you never caught on."

"Draco, that was you? You were the one who helped me? You are that little blonde boy who saved me after I fell from the tree? You were the boy I was dying to see for the next two years but gave up on? I can't believe I never made the connection, and they call me the brightest witch of my age and I couldn't even recognize the boy who saved my life!" Hermione was crying, and Draco knew how to stop the tears.

"Hermione, come here," he wrapped her in a warm embrace and began to rub her back like he did so many years ago. "Hermione, no one is perfect. We all forget, and we all make mistakes. Mine was following my father's instructions and not sneaking into Muggle London to find you. 'Mione trust me you're no-"

Hermione cut him off with a tearful kiss. Right then Ron walked in, but neither of them knew until he ripped them apart demanding that Draco explain why he had been kissing Hermione.

"Look Ron-"

"No 'Mione, that boy was assaulting your lips don't defend him!"

"Look Weasel, she kissed me, not the other way around, although I did kiss her the first time."

Hermione shot a warning glance at Draco, they both knew this had to be a secret. "Ron he is telling the truth, but you can't tell anyone! It is for the safety of Draco, me and really everyone, that these two kisses between Draco and I stay unknown."

"Fine 'Mione, if the ferret is what you want then you can have him! And don't worry I'll keep your secret because 7 years of friendship means something to me!"

"Ron it means something to me too! It is just I've known Draco since I was 5 years old. He saved me when no one was around to see me fall from a tree and break my tibia, it was sticking out of my skin. He got help and kept me calm through it all!"

"Then Hermione why haven't you been his sidekick for seven years instead of Harry's?"

"First of all Ronald, I am NO one's sidekick! Second because I only recently found out that he was the boy who saved my life."

"How do you know you can trust his word?"

"How else would he know? And it actually happened Ron! We just can't come up with the same exact story on the fly!"

"Fine 'Moine, I'll keep your secret because that is how much I care about you. But in the future don't ask me to keep anything a secret that I found out about on my own, only things you tell me I'll keep a secret and if I walk in this library and see you snogging Draco sodding Malfoy again then the whole school will know, ok? Just no pda when I'm around you got that?" He shot a glare at Draco and left the library in a huff.

"Ok, I think that went well don't you?"

"Hermione are you that oblivious?"

"Draco what in the world are you talking about?"

"It's obvious Hermione. Ron would have reacted badly to seeing you snog me but he wouldn't give you an ultimatum like that. Don't you see Hermione? Weasley is in love with you! And I thought it was bad enough that we have to spend graduation apart from each other so my parents wouldn't question why I wanted to go to the safety house. But this is going to be torture! You'll be sitting by your ex and your best friend who is totally in love with you, while I'll be on the other side of the room unable to stop Weasley if he tries to make a move on you!"

"Ron wouldn't do that! And he doesn't love me, not like that!"

"Look Hermione, I'm not saying this to hurt you, trust me that is the last thing I want to do but it is-"

Hemione had cut him off with a kiss, he got the message so he stopped trying to talk and they just kissed for what seemed like a second, a second that lasted 2 minutes. Then after they were done with their make-out session they returned to their common rooms and began to move their things to where they'd be staying the next week. When all their things had been moved and they were in their graduation robes they sprinted to Dumbledore's office to tell him that they were ready to speak at the graduation ceremony together.