Sometimes I wonder how you can lie when you are looking straight into my eyes. You touch my face, but your hand has lost the lovingly warm touch it used to have. I asked you if there was something wrong. You told me, "Nothing." You were lying.

You run your fingers through my hair, like you used to. But you were distracted. I held your hand and asked you to tell me what was wrong. But you waved my concerns away with the word 'Nothing'. I was hurt by the way you refused to let me into your heart.

The sky turned dark and it was time to leave. Disappointed, I turned and started to walk away. You grabbed hold of my arm. I could feel the tears welling up in my eyes. Then you bent down and kissed me, your fingers gripping my arms tightly. My tears fell, not because of the pain your fingers were causing, but because your lips felt cold and different. I realised. I understood.

I broke away and ran. I ran as fast as I could...away from you. But you came after me, grabbing me and securing me in your warm embrace. I broke down in your arms, and you whispered in my ears, "I'm sorry." And I reply, "Was everything you told me a lie?" You did not answer.

Upset, I tore away from you and ran back. This time, you did not come after me, but continued to stand there, rooted to the ground. The tears flowed freely down my cheeks. And I could not help but wonder why you were doing this to me.

I heard you call my name, but I pretended not to hear. I continued running towards the castle.

"Hermione!" You called my name again. I ignored you, wiping away the tears that were rolling silently and quickly off my cheeks. 'Leave me alone' the thought kept echoing over and over in my head. But God knows how much I want to be in your arms again. To feel your soft lips on mine once again.

It was not until I was back in the castle when you finally caught up with me.

"Hermione."

"Is that the only word you can say to me?" I said, looking at you tearfully.

"I'm sorry," was your soft reply.

"That isn't what I want to hear. You know it isn't."

"I don't have a choice, Herm. Me…my family…" you trailed off weakly.

"It's all an excuse," I said.

"I--"

"Do you love me?" I said, cutting you off.

"Of course I do."

I looked at you. "You're lying."

"I'm not," you said.

"Get away from me. Get away from me or I swear I'll hex you."

"Hermione…"

"Go. Away." The tears wouldn't stop flowing. I simply could not control them. Even my tears refused to listen to me.

"Hex me if you want, Herm, but I'm not leaving." The determination in your voice startled me.

You bent down and pressed your lips onto mine again. This time I felt it. I felt the warmth of your love coming through those cold lips.

"Why do you still try to convince me you love me even though you're leaving? Why are you torturing me like this…letting me know that you still love me although you're gone?" I whispered, pulling away.

"I…Herm…I didn't think that my love would be a burden," you said, looking in my eyes.

"It has, and it will always be," I said, staring at you. "Your love makes me breathless and pressurized. I feel so stressed out just trying to love you, but I still can't help but succumb to my love for you. Why? Why are you doing this to me?"

You said nothing, but continued to hold me in your arms.

"Why?" I whispered again. I buried my face into your chest, my tears falling again.

"Shh…" you said. "Just let me hold you quietly and softly. Who knows? It might be the last time I ever get to hold you like this again."

Your last sentence made me recall that you were leaving. "Can you not go? For my sake?"

"I can't. It's in my blood, Herm. I can't do anything else. The moment I was born, this was my destiny. I didn't have a choice, and I don't have one now."

"You said you would love me forever. Was it all a lie?" I said, knowing that I was being unreasonable. But how could I be rational, knowing that you, the boy I loved, were heading towards certain death? How could I stay calm?

"It wasn't a lie. I will love you forever, Hermione. I promise. It's only that I'll be in another place, loving you the way I always will. But if I don't come back--"

I interrupted you. "Of course you will come back. You said that you'll be with me always and I'm holding you to your word. I don't care. You must come back."

"I might be a changed person when I come back, Hermione," you said quietly.

"As long as you come back, I don't care what you become."

"Hermione. You must understand. One doesn't go…over there and come back the same person. I might not be the person you used to know. I will be changed, Hermione," you look sternly at me, your eyes boring into mine.

"Why can't they wait until you've graduated? Why can't they wait until tomorrow, when you're graduated? Why do you have to go now, when you're not willing to? Why do you have to do it when you don't want to?"

"So many 'why's… you're still the inquisitive little girl I knew in first year. But unfortunately, all I can tell you is that it's my destiny," you responded.

"Destiny. Stupid word," I said bitterly.

Then suddenly…

"It's time to go," said an adult voice. I looked up, and I saw…him. He was going to take you away. He was going to bring you to a place far away from me.

"No…not yet…" I said, my voice shaking.

He grabs hold of your arm and pulls you away from me. You caught my lips one last time with your soft, sweet kiss, and then you get pulled away. A single tear falls from your clear blue eyes.

"Goodbye, Hermione," you said unwillingly, as you followed him and walked away.

And I just stood and watched as your father leads you away to be given the Dark Mark. You were only 17 and they were going to give you the Dark Mark. You were still so young… Why?

I knew the reason why. The blood that runs in your veins is the Malfoy blood. And you didn't have a choice. I turned away, trying unsuccessfully to blink away my tears.

"Goodbye Draco. I love you."

But you were already too far away to hear it.

-The End-