Yikes! Sorry sorry sorry. I can't even being to tell you what's been going on in my life because you probably wouldn't believe it. But here it is. SORRY! :0

The restaurant was dark inside but warm to which I was thankful. Draco still had hold of my hand as he led me to a table in the back corner. I could see that Harry and Ron were already there and had already ordered drinks. I was too anxious to even notice them when we first entered so it was a good thing that Draco was here. They looked anxious themselves and upon seeing Draco, very angry. They stood as we got closer.

"What's he doing here?" Ron blurted out a little too loudly, some of the other patrons of the restaurant cast their eyes upon us. We must have been a sight to see too. Harry Potter and his two best friends and known enemy Draco Malfoy, except one said best friend was holding hands with said enemy. It must have looked very strange to anyone who didn't know what was going on.

"Keep your voice down, Weasley. Potter saw fit to bring a body guard, a poor choice in my opinion, so Hermione chose to bring me. If that's problem then we can leave right now." He moved his eyes from Ron to Harry as he spoke telling Harry that he had no problem leaving this sad excuse of a meeting. I also didn't miss that he said I chose to bring him. The decision wasn't really up to me, although I didn't mind his presence and it did comfort me that he was here.

"Not at all Malfoy. Please, ignore Ron." I could tell it was hard for Harry to say this so whatever he wanted to tell me, it must be important. "Hermione, is there any way we could talk, you know alone?"

"No Harry. You heard Draco. Say whatever it is you have to say." I was uncomfortable and Ron was sending me death glares from across the table. He was obviously opposed to coming here.

"Ok, well, we know about your powers, Hermione. We know what they can do. This could be the answer. Dumbledore says that it could eliminate the Voldemort!" He paused and I could help but feel relieved. He didn't want to steal my powers. How silly of me to think that! How stu-"But Dumbledore doesn't think that your powerful enough to do it on your own so he wants to harness your power, kind of like a weapon, so that he can use his skill to kill Voldemort. Isn't that great?" Harry finished with a smile. My brow furrowed and I could feel Draco squeezing my hand under the table.

"Harry, you stupid selfish git! The only way to 'harness' someone's power is to drain them of it. To kill them, Harry. And it wouldn't just be me. I'm only half of the puzzle piece you idiot! You think Dumbledore is so high and mighty? He is ready to kill innocent people just so he can have the glory of having taken down the darkest wizard of all time. Well you can tell that old geezer that I'm not about to die for his glory and that he is dead wrong about my powers. I have more control over them then he could ever hope to have had. So run along, Potter. Run back to your master. We are done here." By the time I was done I was standing with both my hands on the table, leaning in. I was talking in a low menacing voice and I could tell that I had struck horror into both of them by the look in their eyes. There was a lot more that I wanted to say to them but I decided the less they knew, the better. "Come on Draco. Let's go home." I glared one more time at the two boys I use to call best friends before turning and leaving with Draco in tow.

I took Draco's had when we got outside and apparated to a hillside just outside the small village we were in. I wasn't ready to go home yet. I needed to cool off and let everything sink in. I could hear the waves crashing somewhere beneath us on the shore but the darkness swallowed any possibility of being able to see anything. I could hear Draco walk up beside me and look out over what would be the seaside. I took a deep breath and tasted the salt that was on the air.

I was right. Harry Potter wanted to offer me up to our old headmaster so that he could essentially kill Pansy and I, just so he could kill the Dark Lord himself. Even if Harry didn't know that Dumbledore needed to kill us, he still had no faith in me what so ever. Was I not called the Brightest Witch of Our Age? Did I not rank number one in all our classes at school? Why did he think I couldn't learn how to harness a new power? Just because Dumbledore said so? So much for best friends having any faith in me. I looked at Draco, who was looking at me like I was about to explode.

"Can you believe them? How selfish can they be? Just offering me up like bait like that?" If he was going to expect it then I wasn't going to hold back.

"What do you expect? They've been doing it for years?" I looked at him questioningly. "Well, kind of. They use you, love. They used you for homework, for the tri-wizard tournament, and anything else they were too lazy to lift a finger for. They take everything they can from you."

"Well not anymore. Screw them and screw Dumbledore and his greed for power." I turned from the endless crashing of the waves and began pacing. "They will not strip me of what's rightfully mine. And Pansy's. And they will definitely not take my life without thinking I'd go down without some kind of fight. They are dead wrong. If I have to, I will take out Voldemort, then go after Dumbledore's sorry ass and anyone who stands in my way." I could tell Draco was a little unnerved by my last statement but by the look in his eyes I could also tell he was excited.

"Hermione," He had his hands resting on my shoulders to stop my pacing; I would have been irritated had it not been the way he was looking at me. The intensity radiating from his grey eyes was enough to make my knees go weak. "Dumbledore, or any of his minions, are not going to be able to touch you or Pansy. Trust me. No one, including myself, is going to let that happen. And I know that should you decide to wage war on the crazy old man, no matter if it is still necessary or not, I will be the first person there to back you up. I know that you lost your friends, probably for good tonight, but we have work to do and we can't let this stop us. If anything, this should motivate you more. Prove that you can kick some ass like I know you can."

"Of course you know I can, I kicked yours in third year." I had a playful smile on my lips. There was something about his little speech and the way he was holding me that calmed my worries. He clouded my mind with images of himself. At this point in time I was remembering how I slapped him when we were thirteen, but still, all I could think about was him. I saw his brow relax and his usual smirk return. He lightly shoved me away from him, a small laugh, which I imagine he was trying very hard to conceal, escaping from his lips. "Ugh!" I shoved him back, my physical strength not even close to matching his, so my strenuous effort just made him laugh more when he only fell back one step. That egged me on. I kept pushing him now, laughter coming from both of us. Eventually he grabbed both my hands to stop my little tirade. He effectively spun me around so my back was to his chest, my arms crossed over my own chest, and my wrists still in is grasp. "Draco!"

"Well, what do you expect? I can only take so much from a little pygmy puff like you." His breathe tickled my neck and cheek as he spoke.

"Pygmy puff!" I fought against him, trying to get my wrists free. "Malfoy!"

"Back to Malfoy already? What a shame." His grip tightened, but not to the point of pain. Eventually we both became still. With the new tightening Draco just exerted, I was flush against him. I could feel the heat rising in my cheeks. I wasn't sure if he was echoing my stillness or if he felt it too. I turned my head slightly to the right to peek at him and I felt his breathe hitch. He must have felt the heat also. His grip loosened around my wrists. I knew at this point if I wanted to free myself from his grasp it wouldn't be hard at all. But instead of unwrapping Draco's fingers from my wrists, I turned my head just a little bit more to the right. I need to see more of his face. It was hard to see him because he was now leaning his forehead into my head. I closed my eyes trying to process the feeling that I had coursing through me. I felt like my body was on fire but I also felt like if I had to move I couldn't. All I could feel was Draco's chest and his breathe on my neck which was giving me chills. I knew I wanted him to kiss me at that point. I wanted to feel his lips on mine again. I turned my head just a little bit more so that should he so be inclined to lean down and kiss me, he could.

"Draco…" I whispered. He knew exactly what I was asking for and willingly gave it to me. His lips were gently at first, soft. I could feel myself moving up to my tip toes so that I could press my lips closer to his. His left hand then released mine and came to cradle my head and that's when his tongue began asking for entrance. I couldn't reach him properly though. I now had to untangle my arms and turn myself around. At first Draco seemed to think I was rejecting him but as I pulled his head back down towards mine I saw his grin. His arms encircled my waist and mine wrapped around his neck as I allowed his tongue to intertwine with mine. After a few minutes, we stopped and he rested his forehead against mine, both our breathing labored. I knew that something needed to be said, but at the moment I couldn't speak.