A/N i know i don't thank each and every one of you personally, but i just want to take this time to give out a general THANK YOU! to readers in general. Every review means so much to me, good or bad. And for the people who don't review but favourite or put my story on alert, you are amazing! Im so happy that people like my story and im going to keep trying to do my best! Thank you so so much!

The expression in her eyes was almost humorous. Her pink mouth had dropped open and her eyes were huge with surprise and suspicion. He was pretty sure that she thought that he was being sarcastic or joking. But he really wasn't. He had never been more serious in his life. He felt so warm whenever he was near her, so light and happy. His whole life and been spent in the darkness, kissing her would be like kissing the sun. He wanted her pink lips to touch his own, he wanted to hold her tight and protect her from the world, he wanted sit close to her and drink in her warmth.

"Draco, be serious." She whispered.

"I am." He murmured, slightly stung that she thought this was a laughing matter. But still, she had known him for six years; she knew what he was like.

"I know you, Draco. Please don't joke about this." Hermione rubbed her chocolate eyes and went to stand up. Draco grabbed her wrist and turned her around to face him. He stood and smashed his lips to her own. He felt her gasp tremble through her body, but she didn't pull away. After a few seconds, he felt her arms wrap around his neck. The kiss grew deeper, more passionate. The strength of it rocked the garden and sent the flowers into a frenzy. He moaned as she licked his lips.

They pulled away from each other to see the other one with new eyes. For a second, he was so afraid she would leave, he really shouldn't have been so forward with her, but she grinned mischievously at him and connected their bodies again.

They came back to the house hours later, after the sun had fallen and the crickets started to sing.

"Where have you two been? You almost missed supper!" Mrs Weasley said crossly.

"Um, just outside." Hermione said nonchalantly and took her place beside Ginny. Draco sat across from her and winked then smirked at her blush.

Mrs Weasley gave them a rather sceptical look but just served them their food quietly. Draco could hardly bare to sit through this dinner and pretend that nothing had been changed. Instead of humorous, he found the evening chatter to be infuriating and it took an annoyingly long time for everyone to finish eating. As soon as the plates had been cleared, he was up in Hermione's room kissing her sweetly.

"What are we, Draco?" She asked suddenly.

"What do you mean?" He asked, confused.

"I mean, is this just casual, or are we..... together?" She looked so ashamed to say that, but Draco was horrified that she would even think that this meant nothing to him.

"Hermione." He said softly, "I have no idea what's going to happen next, but I definitely don't want this to be some ridiculous fling."

He kissed her gently and felt her long lashes flutter against his skin. He went to his own room and couldn't wipe the grin off his face. He passed a mirror and was shocked to see how different his face looked when it didn't have a scowl or a sneer on it. His mother stepped out of her room in front of him.

"Oh, mother! Hello, are you going to bed now?" He said.

"I wanted to talk to you, Draco. About today." He winced at the iciness in her voice and followed her into his room.

"I know about you and the Granger girl." Narcissa said coldly.

"How do you know about that?" Draco asked, his blood running cold.

"You two are so obvious, even a house-elf could figure it out."

"But I thought you said it would be okay for me and a muggle-born to.... you know." Draco said, confused.

She seemed to crumple under his gaze. She sniffled and said, "I know, I'm sorry. I just.... I don't know. I'm sorry. I want you to be happy, Draco. And if she makes you happy, well, who am I to stop my son's happiness?"

He kissed her pale cheeks, "Thank you, mother."

"Take care of her. She's in as much as danger as you are." Narcissa cautioned.

He nodded fiercely, "I know. She's safe with me."

Draco and Hermione had decided to tell everyone about their relationship when the time was right. They were a little nervous about what Harry and Ron would think. Narcissa already knew and she seemed fine with it, but Ron was so temperamental. One day at dinner, they decided to just blurt it out.

"Draco and I are dating!" Hermione exclaimed suddenly then cringed at the shocked silence that greeted her words.

"YOU'RE WHAT?" Ron screamed.

"Please don't shout, Ronald!" Hermione cried.

"Calm down, Ron!" Mr Weasley reprimanded.

"HOW CAN I BE CALM WHEN HERMIONE'S DATING THAT..... THAT THING?" Ron screeched.

"I'll ask you kindly to please not call my son a 'thing'." Narcissa said coldly.

"Hermione, why?" Harry asked.

"I-I love him, Harry." Hermione said softly.

Draco started in surprise. He didn't know that she felt that strongly for him. He smiled and she smiled back shyly. He reached for her hand and Ron exploded.

"YOU LOVE HIM? WHY THE HELL DO YOU LOVE THAT GREASY FERRET?" Ron was now turning a vague purple colour with rage.

"Don't shout at her!" Draco demanded.

"DON'T TELL WHAT TO DO, DEATH EATER!" Wow. Silence. That was kind of harsh.

Draco sent him a lovely little jinx that makes his pants shrink until Ron won't be able to feel his lower half. It was one of the many things Amycus Carrow had taught him.

He stormed from the house, Ron's angry screams chasing him out. So did Hermione.

"Draco, Draco! Are you alright?" She asked.

"I'm fine. How are you?" He asked her kindly.

"Good." She was blushing. She was obviously thinking about her confession.

"Do you really love me?" He asked. The colour in her cheeks bloomed pink.

"Yes." She whispered in such a small voice that Draco had to lean in close to hear it.

"Good. I'm glad my feelings are returned." She glanced up quickly and he smiled at her hopefulness, "I love you, Hermione."

She gasped with delight and through herself into his arms. He held her tight and kissed her head.

"Ignore them, 'Mione. They're morons." Draco said comfortingly.

"Who?" She asked.

"Weasley and Potter. Especially Weasley." He said viciously.

"They're my friends, Draco! And even though they're a bit protective, I still love them!" She cried.

"I thought you loved me." He said sourly.

"It's different! Stop being so difficult! It was a very big thing to just spring on them like that! They had a right to be a bit shocked!" She defended.

"They had no right to call me a Death Eater!"

"That may be true, but you can't keep talking about my friends that way! I love you Draco and I want this relationship to work but I'm not going to give up my friends for you!"

"You won't have to. We're over." He said coldly and stalked off towards the house. He didn't hear her follow him.

He went around through the front door because he really, really didn't want to talk to anyone at that moment. He couldn't believe that he broke up with her. He loved her so much but she could be so damn stubborn sometimes! He wished he hadn't done it, but he wouldn't be spoken to that way. He didn't see her come inside until it was after midnight and everyone had gone to bed. He didn't sleep that night.

The next morning, he ate breakfast earlier than anyone and dressed then went to the study. A little while later in the afternoon, he passed by Hermione in the hall by accident. Her eyes were puffy and red rimmed from crying and her hair was even more of a disaster than it usually was. Draco didn't let himself cry, not even for her. She avoided his eyes and Draco thought he could hear a little whimper as he passed her.

Narcissa, Mrs Weasley and even Ginny had tried talking to him many times about Hermione but he refused. This was too personal. A week went by and he was in agony. He so badly wanted to talk to her - screw his pride - but she was going out of her way to avoid him. He missed her terrible and couldn't think what to do to get her back. And then it hit him.

A plucked a single white rose from one of the bushes and laid it on Hermione's pale blue quilt. It was an apology and he knew that she would know it. He then went to the garden.

He could hear her before he saw her. She was running towards him than threw herself into his arms. She sobbed onto his t-shirt and clutched the rose.

"I'm so, so sorry!" She cried.

"It's alright, I'm sorry too." He said soothingly and stroked her hair. He kept murmuring to her softly until he heard the first giggle. He whirled around quickly, moving Hermione so that his body blocked hers.

"What the hell is this place?" Weasley snorted as he shoved through the delicate bushes, Potter and Ginny trailing after him.

"What are you doing here?" Draco growled angrily. This place was his and Hermione's and no one else was allowed in.

"We saw Hermione running this way, and we just wanted to see if she was alright." Ginny said mildly, stroking a rose petal.

"It's very nice." Potter said politely.

"No it's not! It's bloody gay!"Weasley was absolutely roaring with laughter.

"How'd that pants-shrinking-hex feel, Weasley? Want it again?" Draco mocked and Weasley's eyes narrowed.

"You bloody pervert! Why are you interested in him, Hermione? Or is this something different? Is he forcing you into something?" He said to her.

"No!" She cried, shocked.

Draco was seething with anger. To imply that Draco was abusing Hermione was severely punishable. Draco would never do that, even if they weren't together. He had always been very protective of women. The Dark Lord had always liked to..... have his way with women, and Draco would listen to their screams of horror as they were taken by the snake-like man and wish that he could do something.

"Get. Out." He spat out.

"Make me, Malfoy!"

Fine. Draco knew this would hurt Hermione's feelings but right now he really didn't give a shit.

"INCENDIO!" A burst of flame shot from Draco's wand and lit Ron's t-shirt on fire.

"Aguamenti!" Ron said and the fire was put out.

Ginny, Harry and Ron were all staring at him in disgust, shock and..... fear. The fire spell was not meant to be used on another person.

Draco heard a whimper behind him and turned to see Hermione with tears in her eyes and positively shaking with fear. He realized too late that she was afraid of fire.

"Hermione..." He said softly and reached out towards her. She slapped his hand away and jumped back a few feet. He wanted to throw up. She was so afraid of him right now. He took a look at the garden, now singed with smoke and ash from the fire he had created and the four people who were disgusted and scared of him. He didn't know what else to do. He bolted.

He sprinted for the front gate to be able to disapparate from Blossom Manor and the people in it. He thought he heard someone calling his name, but he focused only on his feet pounding against the ground. He shoved open the gate and apparated to the first place he thought of. Malfoy Manor.

A/N so what do you all think of this one? Dracos been quite bad, hasn't he? Please review and tell me what you think! xoxo, wish.