"Leave her be Father. Your business is with me."

Blaise and Lucius turned to see Draco standing there, his wand pointed. It would seem that he was calm – collected. But Draco was anything but calm. His insides were boiling with rage and it took nearly every fiber in his being not to shake with all the anger that was being held inside of him. He looked the image of calm – that was – until someone saw his eyes. They showed all the emotions Draco was feeling at the moment, and then some. They were the most expressive they'd ever been.

"Oh?" Lucius asked, an eyebrow raised, as he signaled for Blaise to stand near Hermione. "Is that so?"

Draco stood up straighter and when he spoke his voice was full of venom. "Yes. Don't make this girl suffer for my sins. She has done nothing to you."

"Done nothing?" Blaise asked, astonished. "She's corrupted your mind Draco. You fell in love with a Mudblood! The exact same person you swore you would never love."

Draco's eyes darted between his father and Blaise, trying to decide which one to curse first. "I never said anything about who I would love."

"It was assumed." Lucius said darkly, his own eyes narrowing.

"You should never assume. I never wanted to be like you. I wanted to love anyone I pleased. If it was Hermione what difference does it make?"

Slowly Lucius' face turned a deep red, and he yelled a disarming spell before Draco could do anything. Now on his back, Draco soon found Lucius' face near his, as the older man crouched down. "All the difference in the world." He shot back.

Draco tried sitting up, but he found that wordlessly someone had casted a binding charm. Lucius gave an evil laugh and smirked, looking at Blaise. "Now what shall we do?" He muttered, stroking his non-existent beard.

Blaise stepped away from Hermione, as he made his way over to Lucius. From what Draco could tell, he had smashed Hermione's fingers in the process. The two whispered for a few moments before they nodded their heads, and Draco felt a sinking feeling in his stomach.

Something was utterly going to go wrong if Dumbledore didn't arrive soon.

"Sectumsempra!" Lucius yelled. Draco managed to roll out of the way so that the curse didn't hit in him in the chest, but it did get the edge of his arm, causing a bright red line of blood to appear on his arm.

"Ah, you can't run from me for…" Lucius stopped, his head raised. Blaise glanced at the Death Eater, sheer panic in his expression.

Someone was coming. Someone was coming to save him. Draco somehow, (how he had yet to figure out) snapped the bonds holding him and managed to crawl over to Hermione. He picked her up gently, cradling her in his arms. His body bent over hers, his sad grey eyes closed, but leaking little droplets of water. Rocking his beautiful love in his arms he ran his fingers through his hair, sadness overwhelming him.

"You didn't deserve this."

By the time Dumbledore had arrived Lucius had Apparated and Blaise had gone along with him, via Side-Apparation. His eyes were a deep dark blue, full of anger, and if Harry had sensed it correctly : hate.

"Where are they?" His voice was thick, dangerously close to snapping.

"They Apparated sir." Harry said quietly, looking down. "But Ma…Draco and Hermione are over there." He said, pointing to the clearing.

Dumbledore walked swiftly over to where Harry was pointing, Ron and Harry following behind.

The sight that confronted them they would never forget. Hermione lay limp in Draco's arms, blood covering her robes. Draco, himself, had multiple cuts – one particularly nasty one on his arm. His head was down, holding Hermione close to his body.

Harry and Ron stopped dead in their tracks. Fear gripped Harry as he managed to ask, "Is she dead?"

Dumbledore said nothing for a moment, going over to Hermione, bending down for a moment before straightening up with an answer. "She's not dead."

The panic that had been held in Harry's heart slowly began to leave, although he felt a strong sense that there was more that Dumbledore wasn't saying.

Draco looked up and Harry gasped. The Slytherin was crying, tears streaming down his face as he held Hermione close. "I love you." He whispered, the noise barely discernable over all the sound surrounding them. "I'll love you until the world stops turning Hermione Jane Granger." He whispered, hugging her even tighter.

A shocked look crossed Ron's face, and Harry understood now. Draco really loved Hermione. It wasn't just some fling. It was pure and deep.

Hermione's eyes flickered open for a moment and then they closed, as if she didn't have enough energy to keep her eyes open. Gazing at Hermione, Harry saw something that the minute it happened he knew that she loved him back. Even in her time of horrible pain, she managed to squeeze Draco's hand.

Dumbledore bent down, almost at eye level with the two. "Draco she needs medical attention. You have to let go." His voice was soft. It reminded Harry nastily of when Harry couldn't let go of Cedric's body. Draco didn't seem to want to let her go.

"Draco…" He said, pausing for a moment to find the right words.

"She can't die." Draco said grimly.

"We'll do our best Draco. But you have to let us take care of her first."

A saddened look came across Draco's face as he allowed Professor Dumbledore to lift Hermione up, and levitate her towards the castle. "Come you three. There is much to be discussed and fixed."

Dumbledore followed beside the floating Hermione, Draco on the other side of her, holding her hand. It was then up to Harry and Ron to finish the line. It was going to be a long night. And no one said it was going to get any easier. When they were inside the castle Dumbledore got Hermione onto a hospital bed before talking to Madam Pomfrey. "She's weak Poppy. You're going to have to be very careful." The next part of what Dumbledore said Harry couldn't hear because he was whispering. However he caught something about staying, lasting and night. Did he not think Hermione was going to last the night?

After being patched up by Madam Pomfrey, Harry joined Ron and Draco behind a curtained area. Hermione lay on one bed, Draco on the bed next to her. Within minutes of laying his head on the pillow Harry was asleep. After all – it had been a pretty eventful day.

It was Ron's turn to spend time with Hermione, so Draco and Harry were sitting outside the curtained area, hands resting on their chins. It was somewhat poetic justice – that they come together in time of tragedy. Draco couldn't stop thinking about Hermione. Was she in pain? What was going through her head at this time?

He looked up for a moment at Harry and sighed. "Hey Harry?" A few hours ago, in all the hubbub of the duel he had decided to call Harry and Ron by their first names. After all – they were Hermione's best friends.

"Yeah?" The Gryffindor asked, putting his head up.

"She'll be fine. She's stronger than you know." He said, knowing full well that might not be the truth. It was dangerous to say such falsehoods, but he couldn't help it. The three were about as tired, and worried as they'd ever been in their lives.

"It makes me think…I…never mind." Harry said shaking his head. He seemed to be trying to rid the thought out of his head.

Draco said nothing, knowing not to push the already dangerously thin line between courteous and mean.

"It makes me think about my life. I mean, I never know when I'm going to be gone from this world – destroyed by Voldemort." Harry said, shuddering somewhat.

Draco blinked, understanding. "Does this have anything to do with that hiding love stuff you said?"

The Gryffindor boy looked uncomfortable for a moment, glancing at the shadows on the screen.

"Yes." He whispered.

They said it silence for awhile, just absorbing their own thoughts, and trying to sort out the chaos that had just taken place.

"If it makes you feel any better…" Draco started out slowly. "Hermione and I tried to hide the feelings we had for each other."

Harry's head snapped up again, his eyes wide. "And you know how well it doesn't work don't you?" He asked, somewhat full of energy.

"Yes."

"It's the same thing with me. I can't be with her because I know it'll be too dangerous for her. She can't be harmed. She has to be safe. I can't let her die because of my foolishness in love, and because someone has a personal vengeance against me."

Draco sighed, wanting deeply to know whom this guy was talking about, but knowing full well that it was a personal matter.

"I love Ginny mate. I can't stop thinking about her." Harry finally admitted.

The Slytherin straightened up in his chair, thinking. "Harry – she's strong just like Hermione. You will end up feeling miserable if you try to suppress those feelings. You have to tell her how you feel. Even if you can't protect her."

"I just…I just don't want her to end up like Hermione."

"While she might be in pain, she knows that someone loves her, and tried to protect her. That's all she needs in the world to survive. She would have died for me out there. Just as I did the same for her."

A thought glanced off Draco's head and he sighed. "It's never easy. Love is never easy. Especially when you've lost so much."

"Boys I have to talk to you." Madam Pomfrey said uncomfortably. The three fifth years jumped up, concern written in their faces.

Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall appeared behind her and a sinking feeling came into Ron's stomach. Something was seriously wrong. To have the headmaster there was one thing – to have both him and the Gryffindor Head of House was trouble.

"I am afraid that Hermione might not make it."

The words shattered his heart, and out of the corner of his eye, he saw Draco sink down against the wall. The silence was uncomfortable and Ron begged wordlessly for someone to break it.

"Why?" Draco asked finally, his voice shaky.

"She was already weak from her previous attack. It takes time for one to recover from such an incident. And then she was cursed for so long and so hard that we have a feeling that she might not survive, and if she does she'll most probably have brain damage."

"Brain damage?" Ron heard Harry echo scared.

Suddenly Draco snapped his head up, and from what Ron could see, his face was red, and there were the beginnings of tears in his eyes. He stood up, taller than anyone. "No!" He said sharply.

"Draco…I understand that…" Professor Dumbledore began but he was cut off by Draco once again. Ron stared at him, seeing the pure rage in his body language. No one interrupted Dumbledore…or at least, that's what he thought.

"No!" He yelled. "You don't understand. She's strong…" He started to shake, pressing his hands to his face.

Professor McGonagall walked over to him, putting her hand on his shoulder. Draco just shook the hand off.

"She can't die. She's strong." He mumbled, looking down.

"Professor I respect your opinion but like Draco said – Hermione is strong. She won't die. She'll fight through this." Ron said finally, after the words had finally sunk in.

Draco walked over to the curtained area, slipping behind it.

"Boys I wish I had better news."

Both Harry and Ron glared at the Headmaster. "You don't know Hermione like we do."

Draco kneeled by Hermione's bed, his hand clasped in hers, his head against the bed. "You can't die Hermione." He whispered, his voice filled with tears unshed.

No, Hermione couldn't die. That was just too much for Draco to handle. Ignoring everything he had been taught he began to cry. Literally let all the tears leave his body. Pressing her hand against his head he sniffed. This girl meant everything to him. And if she died….he would most definitely have a personal vengeance against his father and Blaise. No questions asked.

"Hermione I love you so much. You can't die. I cannot live without you." Draco said shakily. "Do you understand that? I love you!" He said, with more power in his voice this time.

"You can't die!" He repeated over and over again until weariness took over him and he fell asleep there, kneeling next to Hermione's bed.

Sometime in the middle of the night he woke up with a cricked next. Being careful to be silent he walked away from the hospital wing, walking along the corridors bathed in moonlight.

Sometime later he made his way out of the castle to the grounds – by the lake to be exact. Dropping down on his knees he looked up at the moon and sighed. "You have to let her live. I don't know who you are, but I know you have the power of her life. Please let her live. I'll do anything…just let her live."

Meanwhile many flights up the stairs, and a few corridors later Hermione lay unconscious, her brain fighting every effect of that curse. She was going to beat it – even if it took all her energy to do so.

The powers at will were hard at work. They had heard the cry of one who needed their help. It was time for finally the action to be taken. A life needed to be saved. A thought or two were carefully placed and they smiled at each other. Hermione would live happily ever after. It would take a while for her to wake, maybe a week at most, but she would live. And Draco would owe the Gods. And that would mean that there would be sacrifice. But what is love without sacrifice?