Ladies and gentlemen, I have broke up from school for two weeks. I will try and update as much as possible but I cannot make any promises. Cupcake and Mrs-Logan-H-BTR, your one-shots will be uploaded asap. Anyway, we last left this story at little Draco telling Hermione he loved her, which wasn't what he was originally going to tell her...

Chapter 37: Reactions

Hermione stood there, frozen. Draco had just told her he loved her. The big "L" word. Was their relationship moving that fast? Or was he hiding something so big that sentence sort of slipped out?

"Oh, Merlin. Hermione, I...I -," But the blonde couldn't really say anything, stumbling over his words.

"I have to go." The Muggle-born said faintly, turning on her heel, looking to find Ginny, leaving the Slytherin by himself.

By the time it took the 16 year old to get to the Gryffindor Common Room, all sorts of rumours were flying about her and Dracos' relationship.

"I heard he proposed..."

"...I heard he was planning to run away with her..."

"...I heard she was pregnant..."

"...I heard they broke up..."

Hermione scoffed at the lies, they were so untrue she couldn't even bother to deny them.

She went up to her dorm, where she heard a group of girls whispering frantically. The brunette knew instantly they were talking about her because, as she stood in the room, everyone went quiet.

The 3rd, 4th, 6th and 7th girls there left, leaving Lavender and Parvati sitting on Lavender's bed, looking guilty.

"Hermione?" A voice asked from behind. She turned and saw Ginny leaning on the door frame. "Is it true?"

"Is what true?" Hermione barely whispered. Usually she would have snapped but, there was something about how upset Ginny seemed.

"That Draco called you...the M word and you slapped him across the face and you both said...colourful things." Parvati spoke up.

"And that you were only faking your relationship to make Ginny shut up about it." Lavender added.

The bookworm knew instantly why Ginny was so upset. She went through Wizard Hell and back just to get "Dramione" the most popular couple in school, only thinking it blew up in her face.

Hermione was angry, beyond angry. That was the most ridiculous rumour she heard yet! She wanted to find who started it and rip their rate-like head of their body.

"Lav, Pav, Gin. Draco and I didn't break up, we didn't have a fight, he didn't knock me up, called me a Mudblood, propose. I didn't slap him and called him things and we're not faking our relationship to make people happy!" She exclaimed, being extra loud so the girls who were probably using the Weasley Extendable Ears to listen in.

"Then, what happened?" Lavender asked.

"Draco...Draco told me he loved me." And she slunk on her bed.

"Aww." The other girls cooed, before noticing how sad their friend looked.

"Don't you love him back?" Parvati asked.

"I do. Probably. Most deffinately." Hermione acted brightly, before sighing and slunking further down the bed. It was pointless lying to her friends when she couldn't even convince herself. "I don't know." She finally admitted, "I mean, the relationship is either going too fast or..."

"...Or?" The other three prompted.

"Or he's hiding something from me and just said it so he didn't have to tell me what's wrong."

"That's ridiculous!" The girls exclaimed, "Even it is Malfoy, he wouldn't lie about his feelings for you just so he can do something behind your back!" Lav said.

"Yeah, he doesn't seem the type." Parvati encouraged.

"Draco trusts you, 'Mione. He would tell you anything!" Ginny finally told her, smiling like her old self.

"I guess." The brown-eyed girl mumbled.

"You just gotta think, do you love him back?" One of the roomates, she wasn't sure as her head was under the covers, asked.

"I really don't know. I have know idea what love feels like." She scoffed, her frizzy hair coming from under the covers, the rest of her following.

"Do you think about him all the time?" The blonde girl asked.

"Yeah but -,"

" - Do you get butterflies in your stomach whenever you're talking to him?" The dark haired roommate interrupted.

"Of course but -,"

"Do you feel miserable when you're apart from him? Feel so happy when you're near him? Plan your future, smile at him - even if he's not looking in your direction?" Her best-friend demanded, her hazel eyes fixed on her.

"Yes, yes, a lot lately and of course I do."

The other girls let her sink in the information for a minute.

"Oh!" Hermione exclaimed, finally sure of how she's feeling.

"Oh?" Ginny asked curiously.

"I'll explain later... I have to find Draco."

And she stumbled out the dorm, crashing through the common room and running wildly through the corridors, looking for her boyfriend.

He stood on the Astronomy tower, where he and Hermione had their first kiss.

Blaise told him to get down ages ago, as it was nearly dinner time, but he didn't care. He made such a fool out of himself, he wasn't surprised if Hermione never talked to him again.

Hermione. Just thinking about her name made him sigh and his heart feel heavy.

"Draco! Draco!" A frantic voice called through the lower levels of the castle. His head snapped up. That was Hermione. Hermione, who was looking for him.

She banged on the Astronomy Tower door - which he locked earlier so no-one could come up.

"Draco? If you're up there, unlock the door now!" She cried. Automatically, he did what he was told.

She was stood there, her hair looking wilder than usual, her skin red and blotchy, sweat glistening of her face and she was breathing heavily from the running and, to the boy, she never looked more beautiful.

"Hermione, what do you -," But he couldn't finish his sentence as Hermione roughly kissed him. Fireworks exploded in their minds as they explored each other's mouths like it was the first time they ever snogged.

" - I love you too, Draco." She told him, breathing heavier than before, when they finally broke apart. "I want to be with you for possibly the rest of our lives. I want us to grow old together and have children and grandchildren and great-grandchildren if we live that long!" She exclaimed, "I love you and you make me feel about five different types of happy when you're with me and so cold and miserable when we're apart. And," she grabbed his hands lightly, trailing his soft pale skin with her elegant fingers, "And when you're ready to tell me your secret, however creepy, disgusting or downright frightening it is, I'll be here for you. To support you. I will not let our love story be a tragedy like Romeo and Juliet, or even a weird tale like Miranda and Ferdinand. Or any other Shakespeare play, or sonnet. I just want to be in a honest, trusting relationship Draco and I'll be there for life, if you want me."

Draco stood, stunned, the beautiful speech seeping into his mind and staying there permantley, "I want you to be with me, for life Hermione. I'll never shoo you off. I won't let my parent's attitude affect us. I will be with you for the rest of my life, protecting and caring for you and our future family. I really do love you."

They kissed again, under the shining moonlight, unaware someone had overheard them and was sneaking back to their part of the castle, prepared to let the information used as perfect evidence...

Ooh, who do you think is eavesdropping? What will they do? It will be an important factor in the sequel. Only one chapter to go!

- Soapie 7 x