AN: Hi guys. I've written the ending already, but it's so long, I just cut it in two. Here's the first part of the last.

Please please, leave reviews. Thank you for your support!

Happy Reading! :)

"Running Away." She said.

"What?!" Ginny suddenly said incredulously, her eyes growing big and approaching Hermione immediately.

"I.. I d-don't want it… anymore." She said, shaking. She broke into tears again. She fell to the floor, her shoulders shaking, catching quick, short breaths, her tears leaking all through out her beautiful dress.

The cold air seemed to have seeped inside the office, feeding on Hermione, touching her delicate, vulnerable skin. Her eyes wouldn't open clearly, she kept them shut, tears leaking through the closed lids.

"Hermione, what happened?" Harry's voice suddenly broke the silence. His face seemed like he knew something like this would happen, as though it was impossible not to get hurt by Draco Malfoy.

Hermione looked around. She saw faces of all the people who cared about her, Harry, Ginny, Ron… Neville, Luna and of course… Albus Dumbledore. She looked at them one by one, slowly and surely, as though not wanting to look away… for this was the last time she might see them. Where was she going? She didn't know either, as long as she was… away.

She started crying harder. "Y—y-yyou!" She started to say, pointing a shaky finger, surprisingly at… Dumbledore.

Dumbledore closed his eyes, as though ready to take whatever she was going to say.

"Why'd you cure him? Huh? Why'd you have to restore his old memory, and forget about me?" She asked, with anger and hurt mixed in her voice.

"Hermione…" Ginny started to say. She tried to hug her friend.

"Don't touch me!" She said suddenly. Ginny was taken aback, not recognizing the girl crying in front of her.

No one can touch her. She did not want that again.

She spaced out. The dance. So long ago,barely a memory now. She caressed her arm, her hands… He touched this housr before… She looked away, turning down the memory.

Her eyes found Ginny's, and as she stared into her friend's fearful lookers, she broke down.

"I.. I'm s-sorry.." She trailed. "I don't even know myself anymore." She said, hugging herself. "I don't k-know what's happening… I can't even add the events up together…" She trailed. She sobbed, unto no one in particular, but herself. She hugged herself as though to keep herself from falling apart, a human touch that wouldn't leave her again.

"It's still very hard to swallow." She said to no one in particular, and Ginny came over to hug her. Everyone was listening, half with pity, half with a broken heart, sympathizing with their friend they loved so dearly.

"I.. I feel like I gave so much to him, you know? As though who I was, the person I grew up to be, I shared with him. I opened myself up to him, and during that summer it felt so good having someone to share yourself with…" She started. She looked around, and started shaking her head.

The cold air swept her face. Icy, prickly, like the sudden feel of Draco's hands. She didn't see the softness in him anymore.

"And then next thing you know it's all gone…" She started. "Next thing you know, you can't get those days back. No, it all went away. He can't even remember half the things I shared with him…" She said bitterly. She sobbed into her hands.

"And still until now, I don't understand." She started. "Why…. Why'd you have to cure him? Why'd you have to say the word and all about me was removed?" She said, her eyes now looking pleadingly at Albus Dumbledore.

"That night in the hospital wing was the hardest night of my life." She said, crying all the more, her tears spilling, heavy drops, familiar drops. "And after that night, I waited, waited waited waited for the time he'd come back again. Vain dreams. Waiting for someone who wasn't coming anyway…" She trailed, pounding her fists on the floor and shaking her head. No foolishness has she ever done, but this.

"Honestly I thought it wouldn't push through." She wasn't keeping track of her words. She was jumping from one thought to the next, it was hard to follow without chronological order.

"While I loved him during the summer, I secretly wished he never would have to be cured. Now I think late at night whether that summer was something good that happened to me, or something bad. I wish I never decided to have anything with him during that summer. What was I thinking?!" She suddenly said to herself.

"I knew it was all going to end anyway. And still I went on, not caring; not thinking of how painful tomorrow might be…" She trailed.

"How wrong I was." She whispered, closing her eyes and shaking all the more, her tears spilling directly to the floor.

"Hermione…" Dumbledore suddenly spoke. All eyes went to him. "You understand why I had to have him cured." He spoke softly.

Hermione looked at him, her brown eyes suddenly so painful to look into, blurred with hurt, with bitterness and regret, blotting out the beauty that used to stay in the brown color.

"Did—did you ever consider its effects on me?" She asked bitterly, so hurt, you could cry just by looking at her.

"Hermione, of course I did." Dumbledore said, his eyes not twinkling anymore. "Of course I thought about its effects on you, it was very hard on my part to choose between what was right, and what could wait..." He trailed.

"What could wait?" Hermione whispered incredulously. Suddenly she forgot the pain, and was filled with frustration. "I was just a stop over..?" She started.

She closed her eyes. "A mistake, a mistake that happened during the summer? And then he had to go, and what, because I'll just wait again? Just some stop over he stumbled into?" She asked.

No one answered her. She looked around, she needed to be alone first.

"I'm leaving." She started, pulling herself up, fixing her dress and drawing her hair out of her face. She looked at Dumbledore, waiting for his reply.

Harry suddenly went near her. "Hermione, think of what you're doing." He said sternly.

She looked at him, not replying, not saying a word. Harry could not recognize her anymore, her eyes were tired, wet and red. She looked a total mess.

"All I want is to get away, as far away as possible from everything. I don't need to think of this anymore. For the first time, this is the only thing I'm sure of." She said carefully, then hugged him.

Harry, so surprised at this sudden gesture, stood frozen.

"Thank you Harry," She started. "I understand now why you're so particular about Draco."

"What happened, Hermione? Why were you crying suddenly?" Ron spoke for the first time, concern etched all over his face. "We went here 'cause we couldn't find you anywhere, and it's been too long."

Hermione looked at Ron, her eyes ready to give in.

"Draco asked me to wait for him outside the lawn…" She started. She then gave a little smile, and looked up at the ceiling, not wanting to keep eye contact. Don't let the tears fall. She was ashamed.

"I thought for a moment he was coming back." She said, smiling frailly and wiping her tears. "I guess I was wrong." She said, looking back at them. Smiling at her foolish dreams. Now she was shaking. "I left for a while to go to Hagrid's, I was hungry and he was taking so long…" She looked at the walls.

Bits of what she saw was flashing in front of her now, it kept coming back.

"And on my way back… I never even made it to the lawn. I was behind a bush, ready to go to him when from a distance I saw…" She trailed. She started to cry again. She shook and her vision blurred.

"Saw what, Hermione?" Luna asked tenderly.

"Draco kissing Pansy." She said as quickly as she could, the three most painful words she said that night, and finally broke to tears again.

"Oh Hermione…" Ginny suddenly said, her eyes getting wet herself, hugging Hermione as tight as she could, as if to tell her she didn't deserve this, she didn't need this, and that there were still people who were there for her, to give the love Draco failed to give.

Hermione looked at her friend. "I hope you understand why I-- I want to do this." She said slowly. Ginny looked at her, not saying anything, just nodding and hugging her again.

"I understand Hermione…" She started, sobbing into her friends dress.

"I don't want to see him first." Hermione said quietly. "I just want to get away, go to a place where he can't bother me, and I'll reinvent myself. Think of things that have happened, and hopefully forget about him…" She trailed. "Alone time." She finished, looking at the blue eyes of Albus Dumbledore.

Silence followed for a while, as though the gravity of the situation and the decision of Hermione took so long to sink in. No one spoke, no one objected nor stopped her. There was nothing else but heavy, intense, thick silence.

Albus Dumbledore suddenly stood up from his desk. All eyes followed him, anticipating his next move, wondering whether he would grant Hermione permission to leave his school's premises.

He made his way towards Hermione, he took small, sure steps. Hermione looked at him shamefully, not wanting to let him see her this weak, and embarrassed at questioning his decisions. She opened her mouth to speak, but was never able to do so for suddenly Dumbledore opened his arms, and locked her into a tight embrace.

Hermione's eyes widened. She then softened, her shoulders dropped and she allowed herself to be lost in Dumbledore's very comforting embrace.

"I'm so sorry." He suddenly spoke, in his very soft, gentle manner, so sincere, so honest. Hermione moved back a bit, so she could look him in the eye. "What for?" She smiled, trying to make him feel better. She didn't want to see such a great man look so regretful.

Dumbledore looked down and moved back. "For deciding to have him cured. I'm sorry I caused you to have a forgotten love." He said gently. "I saw you during the days that followed after that night." He said. "Your eyes turned different- you could almost see the sadness inside of them."

Hermione looked in awe at Professor Dumbledore, admiring his sincerity and feeling as though he had no reason to be sorry. "Professor Dumbledore, it's okay, really. You don't have to say sorry, I understand why you had to do it. It's my fault I can't adjust and accept things. Really, I'm the one who has to say sorry." She looked at him. "Sorry Professor." She said, her cheeks turning red and getting very embarassed.

Dumbledore merely smiled. "It's okay." He said sincerely. "Now, let us talk business. You could use my fireplace to go to wherever you want via floo powder, but then I'd like to guess you want to take your time first…? Think of where you want to go in privacy?" He asked.

Hermione was surprised at his support. "You're allowing me?!" She said incredulously.

Dumbledore smiled and went to his desk. "Oh yes, yes of course. But you do have to come back, won't you? I'll give you a three to five day leave of absence. I shall inform your teachers as well." He finished.

A wave of relief rushed through Hermione. She forgot about Draco for a while, and was immediately excited. "Great! Can I leave now?" She asked eagerly.

"You want to escape from us that quickly?" Ginny asked mockingly hurt, giving a soft giggle after.

"You just miss me already." Hermione smirked at Ginny.

Ginny was about to retort back when Dumbledore suddenly spoke. "I can have some of my ready and energetic elves to travel you by carriage to the Floo Palace, it's a place with multiple fire places where you can pick one, choose your destination and voila, you're there." He said.

Hermione winced. "Errr…. Elves?" She asked uncertainly.

Ron broke out into laughter. Neville started giggling. "Professor Dumbledore, I don't think Hermione would want to escape Prince Charming with… an elf… driving…" He said, gasping for air. "Yeah, she has that SPEW thing!" Ron added.

Hermione turned red and went ready to fire back when Dumbledore held up his hand, and spoke. "Don't worry Hermione, the elves want to bring you, they enjoy doing it." He said.

Hermione considered for a moment. Her eyes were beginning to dry. "Sure, okay." She said, finally smiling. She looked so pretty right now, smiling, no tears in sight.

"Excellent." Dumbledore said. "Now, the ride will take about 15 minutes, by then hopefully you've decided where you want to go, and if you do change your mind within those 15 minutes, you're always welcome to come back again." He said warmly, and Hermione beamed.

"Thanks a lot Professor!" She squealed.

Dumbledore nodded and clapped his hands. Immediately an opening appeared in one of his office walls, and he motioned Hermione to get in, "The elves and the carriage is waiting on the other end." He said.

Hermione said her goodbyes to her friends, hugging them and assuring she will come back and will be okay.

Lastly, she hugged Albus Dumbledore. "Thanks for everything." She said sincerely. And prepared herself to get in.

"Wait!" Someone suddenly said.

Hermione looked behind.

"Come back without any regrets." Harry said, smiling. Hermione grinned and nodded, "Of course Harry. I'll come back with food too, Ron." She said as Ron was about to speak. He just turned red.

"Goodbye 'Mione." They all said, and Hermione, with half a heavy heart and half a relieved one, said her goodbyes too.

"Hermione." Dumbledore suddenly spoke. Hermione stopped herself from entering the threshold first.

"Yes, Professor?" She asked, wondering what it was he had to say before she left.

Dumbledore went to his desk, flicked his wand, and retrieved a curious looking silver stick. He carried this gingerly towards Hermione, telling her simply, "Use this when you need to." He said, slipping it gently on Hermione's open palms.

"Gistenled's… Stick of Dreams…" She simply said. She was spacing out, remembering the night she spent in this same office, the first night Dumbledore revealed to her the stick, and the night she went inside a basin of thoughts for Draco.

"Gistenwho's stick of what?" Ron asked curiously.

No one minded him.

"Professor..." Hermione suddenly said. "In the ball… did you use the stick on me, or Draco? How come we were partners? And how come I somehow knew not to say my name, when he was just in the vicinity?"

Dumbledore gave a little smile. "I did not use the stick, Hermione. I guess it just happened." He said gently.

It just happened…

"Professor, why else did you allow him to be cured?" She asked carefully.

Dumbledore looked at her, his blue eyes piercing her fallen spirit, and simply said. "I was confident enough to know that he would come back to you anyway. Nothing ever happens by accident. I wanted to show, there is always hope." He said.

Hermione looked somewhere else. "Well, I guess we were wrong." And with that, she said her goodbyes, and entered the hole in the wall, ready to go anywhere else but here.

"Pansy, it's okay… You didn't need to…" Draco suddenly trailed, freeing himself from Pansy's arms and subconsciously wiping his mouth.

Pansy looked at him, hurt and pain stricken.

"You don't love me anymore." She started saying, slowly and steady, although she started cracking in the end.

Draco couldn't speak. "What are you talking about?" He asked, not sure if she was telling the truth or not, scared to find out for himself. Did he? Or did he fall for someone else?

Hermione.. Hermione… where is she? His eyes traveled the vast lawn, no sign of her still.

"You're different. You're distant. You come out here, lying to me about Snape… you're looking for somebody. A girl, I bet. Someone you like more than me." She said, bitterness etched all over her face. Her voice was angry, acidic.

Draco didn't speak. He sighed. He looked at her, his eyes really sorry, he did not know what to tell her…

No one was speaking.

Pansy started to shake; her eyes started getting wet, as though Draco's silence just confirmed everything she had said. Draco hated it when a girl started to cry. He didn't know what to do.

"Pansy…" He started to say, not knowing that breaking a heart was this hard.

"Don't." Pansy sharply said, refusing to have Draco comfort her. "I.. I already k-know what you're going t-to say…" She said, looking at him, her eyes so hurt, so expressive, Draco forgot the normally self-absorbed girl she used to be.

He was actually sorry for her.

Pansy started breathing quick, short breaths. She gasped for air. She was crying so hard, her mascara was starting to run down her cheeks. How messy and broken she looked, so lost and confused.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you earlier." Draco said, his voice so small, so cautious, he didn't want to start a crying session with her.

Pansy didn't speak. She didn't look at him, she sat down on the steps, put her head on her hands, and started sobbing into her palms.

Draco's heart felt a strange pang. This must be how it feels…

"I…" Pansy continued to sob. "I know who… who it is…" She trailed. She started shaking.

Draco's stomach fell. The cold, chilly air swept across his face. The icy wind pricked his skin. He was guilty. He was scared. He was in disbelief.

Silence covered the two lovers -or rather, ex lovers. Inside the hall there was still music, but the mood on the outside was absolutely different.

Draco's eyes were frozen on the girl who was sitting on the ground, broken and vulnerable, another heart broken by Mr. Draco Malfoy.

Pansy started talking in a shaky voice. "I s-see the way you l-look at her… You never looked at me that w-way…" She trailed, hurt and bitter, sobbing all the more into her palms.

"What a lucky girl Hermione is." She said.

Draco froze. The chilly air didn't bother him for a moment. All else was gone, only the lurching pit in his stomach, uncomfortable. He denied it.

"How do you know?" He asked her. "I don't think I like her though." He said bitterly.

He honestly did not know.

"You never wondered why I cut you during the dance?" She asked suddenly.

Draco shook his head, a little hesitant to hear her reason…

"I know how a guy looks like when he's with a girl he admires." She said carefully, her sobs started to cease, and she was simply spacing out.

"The smiles, the eye contact… and your face..." She started. She looked at him, eyes full of sadness and loneliness. Draco couldn't move under the intensity of her lonely gaze. "Your face when she left… that's what gave it away." She said, looking down on the ground, hurt and empty.

Draco felt a tremendous amount of pity. "Look… Pansy… I'm really sorry…" He started saying. He approached her, sat down beside her, and he hugged her.

Pansy didn't respond, nor did she hug back. Draco felt the emptiness of having someone drift away from you, as though your touch wasn't needed anymore.

He was a stranger now.

"Draco?" Someone suddenly said.

Draco immediately looked around. "Ginny?!" He said in disbelief.

"What are you doing here?!" They both said at the same time.

Silence followed after. Awkward silence.

Suddenly Ginny spoke. "Are you waiting for Hermione?" She asked, in all honesty.

Draco froze. His eyes traveled to the girl beside him, who seemed to pretend she didn't hear anything. He was hesitant. Must he admit?

"She's not here." He said, his spirits down.

Ginny's eyes widened. "That's 'cause she's not here!"

"That's what I just sai--" Draco was cut.

"You just missed her! She left!" Ginny finished.

Draco was in shock. His heart started pounding. Everything seemed to be moving at a faster speed.

"What? Where? Why?! When?!" Was all he could say. He looked around, looking for possible sightings of her, but there was none.

"Go to Dumbledore, now!!" Ginny scolded him, and she pushed him as he hastily stood up, and ran towards Dumbledore's office, leaving the two girls alone.

Silence. Ginny looked at the girl crying at the steps.

"Broke up?" Ginny asked quietly.

"Yeah." Pansy said bitterly.

"I see…" Was all Ginny said, turning her back to enter the hall, a little smile plastered on her face.

Draco suddenly burst inside Dumbledore's office, and the Professor wasn't particularly surprised. The ones who were surprised, though, were Harry and the rest of the people in the room –aside from Ginny, of course.

"What are you doing here?" Harry and Ron spat vehemently.

Draco merely went past the two Gryffindors, -superior, too preoccupied for their petty comments. He went straight to Dumbledore.

"Where is she?" He asked, demanding, full of conviction. He was leaning on the table, his silver eyes piercing Dumbledore's blue ones.

Dumbledore didn't speak. He gave a little smile, his eyes twinkling. Draco was confused. His eyebrows wrinkled, wondering why the Professor was so happy.

"It's about time you came." Dumbledore simply said.

Draco was taken aback. Silence fell in the room. The Gryffindors in the office weren't even whispering.

"What – What do you mean?" He asked uncertainly.

Dumbledore stood up. He faced his office window, his back now at Draco.

"I've wondered many times when this day would come." He said.

"What day?" Draco asked impatiently.

"She's gone." The bearded Professor simply said. "She rode a carriage run by elves just moments ago, although I don't know where she's going. I do know, though, that she's taking a route to the Floo Palace, where she'll travel by floo to wherever she prefers." He finished, now facing Draco, his blue eyes shining as he chewed on a lemon drop.

Draco looked so handsome right now, his eyes full of conviction, silver and pure amongst the darkness the night sky placed on the office. Here he was, a sophisticated, pure-blooded Slytherin, trapped in deep thought- his damsel in distress far, far away.

Draco and Dumbledore locked gazes.

"I can lift the enchantments on the castle so you can go, just for tonight." Dumbledore merely said.

Harry, Ron, Luna and Neville were all at a lost. They couldn't understand the conversation between Dumbledore and the Slytherin.

"Done." Draco merely said, and he turned his back as he approached the door.

He opened it, and before he left, he looked back at the Professor. "You knew I would do this all along?" He asked emotionless.

"You can't avoid it." Dumbledore merely said. Draco gave a little nod, then disappeared.

The door closed, and silence filled the room. Hermione just left. And now, Draco just left too.

"Lemon Drop, anyone?" The happy Professor suddenly said.

Where is it?! Draco thought frantically to himself, as he shoveled and rummaged among his baggage and things inside his dormitory.

He was thankful everyone else was busy in the hall. He could search in privacy.

Suddenly, his fingers felt something thick, hard, -wooden. "Ah! There you are." He said as he pulled out his beautiful, well groomed looking broomstick.

He looked at it for a moment, wondering whether he really was going to do this, but he never felt this sure and so confident before.

He made his way out, but as he passed by his desk something caught his eye.

He looked at it for a moment, his heart beating, non-stop, as loud as heavy drums –pounding non-stop inside of him.

Memories started flooding inside of him. Apprehension got the most of him.

Shall I…? He thought for a moment.

Then with sudden confidence he reached for it, grasped it tightly in his hands and left his room. He went out to the lawn, hand in hand with a broomstick, and a little brown notebook.

Pansy was there, sitting all alone, still sobbing into her palms, until someone touched her shoulder. She looked back, marvelous grey eyes looked longingly at her.

"Draco…?" She squeaked. "Where did you go?" She asked softly.

Draco gave her his hand, and pulled her gently up. They were inches close, and Pansy shivered as Draco spoke.

"I went to the dorm, I got my broomstick and… a notebook." He finished.

Pansy's eyebrows furrowed. "Broomstick? What for? And.. a notebook?" She asked curiously, she reached for the notebook, and Draco hesitantly let her see.

"There's nothing written…" Pansy trailed.

Draco inwardly smiled. "I know, I just thought of bringing a notebook…" He said. He looked at her, her eyes were still stained with tears.

"I'm going to go search for her."

His voice went through the night air, cold but sure. He wasn't looking at Pansy, but at the entrance towards the hall.

From where Draco and Pansy were standing, they could still see people dancing, singing and laughing, as the violins and pianos were playing endlessly. Fairies and pixies zoomed in and out just to spread endless light.

How joyful and festive was the night, yet distant still for Hermione wasn't here, thought Draco.

Pansy wasn't speaking. The words Draco said shot right through the heart, leaving her jaded.

She looked at the festivities, the dancing, the food, everything. The fountain and lights before them looked so magnificent. The prettiest lights though, no matter how bright, wouldn't bring Draco back.

Her eyes danced in sadness among the lights. She looked up at the boy next to her, who, just days ago was her beloved. But now, a stranger, -someone else's, but not hers.

"You would leave all this, for her?" She asked quietly, looking up to the handsome boy beside her.

Draco looked at her. Her eyes were glistening, glossy and sincere. His heart sank to see how broken she was, and how bad he felt to leave her like this, in search for someone else.

The glow of the hall and the music filled the air. The lights reflected upon Pansy's eyes, staring longingly back at Draco's. His heart was racing. His stomach went cold, wondering the million reasons why Hermione ran away. Was she hurt, the way Pansy is now? Did she look anything close to the way Pansy is now?

His heart started beating even faster. He couldn't afford to have Hermione so much as shed a single tear. He wanted to zoom out of the castle grounds already, chase her madly, reach her before it was too late.

His mouth went dry, his eyes almost glistened with the fear of being too late, and the certainty of what he said next.

"I would." He said simply, and even he was surprised at his words. He didn't speak anymore, his eyes, focused on no one in particular, as though gazing only at space, or the possible imaginary figure of Hermione.

He got gracefully on his broomstick, flicked his wand to mini-size the notebook, and stowed it away in his magnificent emerald coat.

Pansy looked distantly at him, she watched as he got prepared to fly to someone else.

"I never thought I'd be running after a girl I tried to push away." He simply told her as his goodbye, and kicked off from the ground, zooming thousands of feet up, propelling his way towards his lady's heart.

Flying against the chilly night air, with nothing but the stars and the moon as his source of light, Draco Malfoy was racing against time and fate to catch one beautiful Muggle-born Gryffindor. He was thousands of feet way, way up, though that was the case,

He was already falling.