A/N: Urgh! these bloody tears. Thank you so much you beautiful, beautiful people!! I'm so honoured by your enthusiasm! Your reviews!!!! Gosh, they make me smile wider than when I'm devouring a pizza or munching on a chocolate bar. I love you guys! Here's the second last chapter! [Part 28 is an epilogue! ]

Chapter 26: The First Date

"Hermione dear! Come down, Draco's here!", Mrs. Granger yelled from the bottom of the staircase.

"Coming, mum!", Hermione quickly applied some lipstick and checked her appearance in the mirror for one final time before taking a deep breath and descending the stairs.

Draco was playing with Scorpius when he heard the clacking of heels against wood. He looked up and his mouth dropped open.

"Perfect", he whispered.

Hermione blushed and walked towards him.

" Hello to you too", she teased him with a smile.

Draco gave her one of those smile. Those rare ones- the precious ones.

" You look beautiful. ", he took her hand and kissed it.

" You look quite handsome too. ", she said with a smile.

Draco laughed and began to lean in when Hermione placed a hand on his chest.

"Who kisses their date before the actual 'date'?", she asked him in a whisper.

" You're such a tease.", he almost whined.

Hermione laughed.

" And you love me."

" Now who tells that they love their date before the actual 'date' ?", Draco mocked with a smirk.

Hermione glared at him playfully and then straightened up.

" Let's go shall we ?", he asked and grinned.

" Where are we going ?"

" That, my darling, is a surprise. ", and there was that smirk again.

And with a pop, they were both gone.

OooOooO

They appeared in front of a garden and Hermione adjusted her dress and looked at Draco with raised brows.

" Is it a picnic ?", she asked.

Draco shook his head with a chuckle.

He pulled her into his arms and leaned in until his mouth was in level with her ear.

"Turn around", he whispered.

Hermione turned around and gasped.

There in front of her, in all its glory, stood the Eiffel Tower.

"Oh my God", she put her hand on her mouth. Her eyes were wide and for a second Draco thought that they turned glassy.

"Draco this is...This is beautiful! !", she turned to him and kissed him square on the lips.

Draco smirked and Hermione knew what he was thinking.

" Oh no that was just a one time giving since this surprise has me speechless. No more kissing until we reach home.", she held up her chin proudly.

Draco laughed and grabbed her hand. " Well then let's go home.", he grinned and she hugged him.

" This is seriously very amazing, Draco. Thank you so much!", she hugged him again.

Draco sighed. " No, Hermione, thank you. Anyways, let's leave this all for after dinner, shall we ?", he grabbed her hand.

And together the two lovers walked hand in hand.

In the City of Love.

Towards the Tower of Love.

Hermione sat down nervously as she glanced around and saw what other girls were wearing. She couldn't help but feel a bit jealous. As if sensing her insecurities, Draco placed his hand on top of hers and looked at her.

" You are the most beautiful woman I've ever seen. And no, not just today- like this all dressed up, but every hour of the day when I see you, especially when you wake up beside me with no clothes, no accessories, just that smile of yours and you. Just you.", he kissed her hand and Hermione got up from her seat and kissed his forehead.

" Thank you. I needed that.", she whispered and blushed.

" Let's order shall we ?", Draco grinned.

OooOooO

It was 8 30 pm and they had just finished their dinner.

"I wish this night would never end.", Hermione sighed.

" I want it to be over already.", Draco mumbled.

" Did you say something ?", she asked him.

"Er yeah. We still have some time left, don't we ? Come with me.", he said and held out his hand which she gladly took. He lead her outside and Hermione gasped. The view was incredible. It was breathtaking.

" Wow", was all she was able to form.

"It's beautiful, isn't it ?", she whispered while observing the view.

"Very", he whispered while eyeing her.

She turned around and was about to hug him when he placed a hand up to stop her. Hermione frowned and leaned back. Draco cleared his throat nervously and began to speak.

"Just so you know, this is very hard for me. I'm no good in this. So just bear with me.", he told her with a sheepish smile.

" I don't understand...what...Draco? ", Hermione asked confusedly.

"Hermione today I'm going to tell you something that I haven't told anyone before."

"I love you. Not since yesterday, not since our night at the Astronomy Tower, but ever since you stepped into my life."

Hermione gasped.

" I loved you but I didn't know that it was love. I had never experienced that feeling before. I would feel guilty every time after hurting you- after calling you names that now I can't even imagine hearing. I loved getting punched in the face by you. ", he chuckled nervously. He was holding her hand. Her left hand.

" You are so kind Hermione that it hurts me. It hurts me because I was a lazy, arrogant and self centered git who did nothing, but hurt you. I realised what my feelings for you were when you walked down that marble staircase at the Yule Ball. ", he closed his eyes and relived that moment.

"It was like seeing you for the first time. I fell hard for you, Hermione Granger. So hard that it was painful for me to see you and Krum dancing. So hard that it was painful for me to see you crying over Weasley. It hurt me with every step I took towards my dorm. I cried. And that was just the beginning.", Draco sniffed but he wasn't crying...yet. He looked into her eyes and continued.

"I tried to hide and control my feelings. And I somehow managed to, all these years. But when I heard that Weasley broke up with Purple, all my feelings for you resurfaced. Hermione I was so overwhelmed that I can't even put it into words. I cried because it was all getting too much. I was a death eater by then.", a single tear rolled down Draco's cheek and Hermione wiped it away. She was crying too.

" I don't know what I did to deserve it, but somehow you found me when no one else had. Somehow you came to me. And somehow I gathered the courage and pulled you into that empty corridor. And when you kissed me", Draco smiled at the memory.

" And when you kissed me, I felt all my worries and tensions leave me. I felt like I was in the air. Flying. High. I can't even describe it. And gradually, I fell even more in love with you. I wouldn't even be here without you. You gave me hope, Hermione, when I had no one. You picked me up and pieced my heart together. You shared my burdens and worries and you unknowingly took my heart. I don't know what I ever did to deserve you. But just know that; Draco Malfoy would've been long dead if it wasn't for you."

"You showed me the light- No, You ARE my light. I love you.

I always have.

I always will."

He got down on one knee and Hermione gasped and a sob escaped her lips.

" Will you, Hermione Granger, make me the happiest man on Earth by becoming my wife?", he asked as he pulled open the black velvet box.

Hermione cried and cried. She looked at Draco and felt so much love that she almost cried again.

" Draco!", she gasped and pulled him up. Draco was looking at her with big nervous eyes. Hermione placed a hand to his cheek and that's when he understood.

She was rejecting him.

Ouch. Review?