AN: I love all my reviewers! Thank you for your support. Anyway, to one of my reviewers (the one who hit her elbow thingy): Yes, the title doesn't have any relationship with my story, but it's too late to change it … but I appreciate your suggestion!

Anyway, here's chapter Nine!

ALL FOR YOU

By Rage

Chapter Nine

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They were already nearing the Hall. Hermione gulped. Her knees were already shaking and her teeth were chattering. Draco noticed this so he put his hand on her shoulder to calm her.

"You're a Gryffindor, right?" he said.

Hermione nodded.

"Then why are you scared? You're supposed to be brave!"

"Well, I'm sorry!" she snapped. "I'm just worried about losing MY life!"

Draco rolled his eyes and smiled. "Well, don't worry because I'M here."

Hermione gave him a blank look. "Well, I feel relatively safer," she said sarcastically. "Because the great Draco Malfoy is beside me and he'll protect me from harm and he'll—"

"Ssh—wait." Draco raised his hand, signaling her to keep quiet. "It's here," he whispered, taking out his wand.

Hermione gasped silently. She glanced around the corner, her eyes wide with fear. "What am I going to do?!" she panicked. "What am I going to—"

Draco smiled gently. "We've got a plan, remember?"

Hermione nodded and took a deep breath. "Y-you're right." She took out her wand and gripped it tightly, her eyes full of determination. "Come on, Draco. Let's get going."

Draco smirked and nodded. "Come on."

They jumped out into the Hall, their wands raised. The dragon, which had just appeared seconds ago, turned around and roared.

Hermione lost her balance and fell down on her knees. Draco glanced at her. The dragon's wail affects her… he thought. "Hermione!" He helped her up and held her arm. "Hold on. Don't collapse like that!"

She nodded slowly, as she rubbed her temples. "Let's do the spell, shall we?" she said weakly, pointing her wand at the dragon. Draco grinned and raised his wand. "Ready on three. One," he said, "Two—Three!"

"IMPEDIMENTA!"

The dragon spew ice blue flames at them. A strong gust of Arctic wind came upon them and the Hall. Everything around them froze and the flames were about to reach Draco and Hermione when it slowed down. Finally, seconds after, the dragon halted. It had been frozen.

Draco sighed in relief. He waited for the dragon to disappear like before, then he turned to Hermione. "Are you alright?" he asked.

"Yes," she replied. "Let's look for it now."

Draco nodded and smiled. They both scattered around the Hall and tried looking for secret compartments hidden in the walls. Draco tried feeling the sides of the statues while Hermione studied the walls. She tapped it three times and said, "Aparecium!" However, nothing had happened.

Draco smirked. "I think Gryffindor would have put more complicated spells to protect the stone, Hermione."

Hermione stuck her tongue out and looked around. "It must be here somewhere!" she said desperately.

She smacked her head several times as she said, "Think, Hermione, think!"

Draco snickered.

"If I were Godric Gryffindor," Hermione muttered thoughtfully, "Where would I hide that Stone?"

Draco sighed heavily and looked around the Hall as Hermione talked to herself. Where would I hide the stone if I were Gryffindor? He wondered, looking down. Either he hid it in an unseen place…or—

Then it hit him.

"In such an obvious place that no one would think of finding it there…" he said excitedly. "Hermione!"

Hermione looked up at him questioningly. "What?"

"Start looking around the places that are obvious!"

"What?"

"Just follow me!" Draco looked around insanely. Hermione raised her eyebrow and gave him a weird look. Nevertheless, she obeyed him.

~

The moon shone brightly through the window, shedding some light in the hall. Draco and Hermione were already sitting down on the cold floor, hopeless and tired.

"So much for the researching," Hermione uttered irritably. "It might be hidden somewhere else… or it didn't exist at all!"

"It does exist!" Draco exclaimed. "How do you explain the Erythros dragon?"

Hermione opened her mouth to speak up, but closed it right away. She sighed heavily and looked around. "Look. Why don't we just try another time, okay?" She suggested, standing up. "It's almost midnight… and we're both tired and—"

She stopped. Draco stared at her. "What's wrong?"

Hermione turned to him and smiled excitedly. "Look, Draco! Look!" she said hoarsely in excitement, as she pointed to something. "It—it's there!"

"What?!" Draco stood up and approached her.

"Look!" Hermione pointed to a corner, which was lighted by the moonlight. "It's there!"

Draco went closer to the corner. "It's not here, Hermione," he said to her, kneeling on the ground. "See?" he pointed to the empty space. "You must be hallucinating or somethi—"

Then he remembered their research. She's the only one who can see it! He thought. He looked up at her then to the corner. Then, in a second, he noticed an extremely light tinge of red in the moonlight. "It IS here!" he exclaimed, laughing triumphantly.

"Hermione, can you see it?"

She nodded. She kneeled beside him and put her hands beneath the moonlight, looking as if there was something in her hand. "It's beautiful…" she said softly.

Draco put his hand on her shoulder. "Is it?" he asked, smiling.

Hermione nodded. "Give me your hand."

Draco hesitated, but then extended it anyway. "Why?" he asked.

She smiled and put her hand in his. Draco turned red, thinking that she wanted him to hold her hand. However, he didn't feel her hand.

He felt the stone.

Hermione put her hand over his. "I want to show it to you."

"But…how?"

Hermione grinned. She lifted her hand off his. Draco looked down. It wasn't there.

"Hermione—"

He stopped. He stared at his hand, for something was happening. The stone was materializing. After a few seconds, the Heart of Gryffindor was undeniably in his hand, shimmering brightly.

Draco gaped at it in awe. "It… is beautiful!"

Hermione nodded in agreement. "Yes, it is. And it's yours."

He looked up. "What?"

"Its. Yours."

Draco blinked several times. "But—"

"I don't want it."

He looked at the stone. Come on, a voice said, take it. It'll be much easier that way. However, another voice spoke up. You know you don't want it. Give it to her.

Draco closed his eyes for a while. Finally, he knew what to do.

"No. I don't need it." He shoved it into her hands and stood up.

"What?" she exclaimed. "A-are you sure?"

Draco smirked. "I'm always sure."

Hermione frowned. It seemed like she was reluctant. But afterwards, she smiled up at him. She stood up as well, then put the stone in her robes. "You're quite generous." She said.

"Yeah, I am," He replied, smiling. "Well, goodnight, Hermione."

"See you tomorrow."

They grinned at each other and went their separate ways. Draco turned the corner and smiled. He was relieved that everything was over.

However…

He frowned. His father would know about it. He was certain. There would be trouble in the future, and he'd have to face it.

But, at the moment, he erased the thought and proceeded to the Slytherin Tower.

****

AN: He he… I made this chapter in a hurry, so I apologize with full sincerity that it is not good as the others. ^__^ Anyway, tell me what you think about the story! I want to know your opinion, so come on and grab that mouse! Move the arrow down to that button, which says GO, at the lower left side of this page and review, k? Thanks!!