Hi! I got my hair cut, I got my hair cut *does the haircut dance and sits down*. Phew! Sorry, I had to get the excitement out of my chest. So here I'm writing as promised and I think it will be a good chapter for all those Draco luvers out there. Thanks to all the reviewers that, even though my last chapter was lame, reviewed. Without further ado, I give you this chapter! CAUTION: It might seem fluffy.

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FLASHBACK

"Yeah. But the rumors were worse. Some said You-know who attacked you and they brought you here to save you from him. And the worse rumor there is, is that, that," at that moment Parvati started laughing hysterically, earning a few looks. She stopped and continued.

"That you and Malfoy were going out!" said Parvati and she burst into a fit of giggles.

"Yeah. Now that you mentioned, not that I keep track of him or anything, but he has been looking miserable these days. He hasn't been getting good grades or anything, he hasn't even been to classes since yesterday." Said Lavender, staring off to space afar the last part.

Even though I didn't care for him or anything, I was slightly concerned… What have I done?

END FLASHBACK

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Chapter 14: Realization

DRACO'S POV

I was in total blackness, yet I could still feel the moistness of the ground (it just rained, I think) The last thing I remember doing was going inside the Forbidden Forest and tripping over a tree root. I missed Hermione like hell and I don't know what I was going to do without her. It's like someone took a big piece of my heart and threw it away. I had a feeling of emptiness that no one could fill, no one except Hermione that is.

Would she come back to me? How will she react if she knew what happened before? Does she even remember anything?

'That's a dumb question. She ran over to Potty and Weasel meaning that she did remember.'

Well, THANKS for reminding me of that horrible image. I really just want to forget it but I can't.

'Well, you aren't going to resolve that HERE of all places. You really should get out of here before it consumes you.'

What is here? Where am I?

'In your sub-conscious you idiot! You come here when you have deep emotional troubles or when you just want to be left alone to think or to talk to me of course. You can take this to your advantage of course. I mean, on the outside you look like you're unconscious but you can feel your exterior. For example: you're fighting with Potter and a teacher is coming, you just think in being alone to think and you fall down. The teacher comes and thinks Potter did something to you and he gets the blame. You get out whenever you want and it's like nothing happened.'

Perfect.

'But there's a minus side though…'

I should've guessed it.

'If you stay too much, it will partially consume you and when it does you will be unconscious but for real this time. If you stay too much time unconscious, it will over power your mind and the only way out of that is that your one true love, meaning Hermione, rescues you. How, I don't know, so don't ask.'

That's something I don't have to worry about. I don't think I like being here anyway. You're pretty annoying sometimes. So, how can I get out?

'Think of a reason to live, since that is your mayor problem right now, you have to think of the resolution to that problem to get out. If you can't you stay in.'

Well, that's not so tough. If only she thought of me as I think of her…

'So, what's the reason?'

Oh! Right, Hermione and my mum, of course.

'Well, there you go.'

I felt like I was traveling by portkey. My mind finally found its place and I could see fragments of light filtering between the trees. I was numb all over and I think various animals found my skin edible considering I had cuts all over my body, my robes were torn and some of the cuts were still fresh with blood.

I couldn't find the strength to stand up so I decided to just stay put hoping someone, anyone, would find me and soon. I was starting to feel slightly sick so I decided to drift off into sleep, hoping that when I woke up, I wouldn't be in the same place and that she would be by my side. Of course, that dream didn't come true.

When I did wake up and found the strength to stand up, I exited the forest (I was only a 1 or 2 kilometers from the lake since I had tripped and fallen down) and went to the lake to think things over before I returned to the castle.

HERMIONE'S POV

It had been 2 days since I had gone out of my 'trance', as people like to call it, and I didn't like my situation. Harry and Ron didn't leave me alone for a second and Harry was the most protective of me. He was always hugging me, trying to kiss me, asking me if I felt okay and clinging onto me like I was a rope. I hated that and to be completely sincere, I didn't want to be his girlfriend anymore. I didn't even know if I wanted to be friends.

There was a thought in my mind that made my situation worse: Draco Malfoy. Was it true that I had liked him and even dated him? Did he like me back? Most importantly, where was he? Dumbledore and all the other professors kept asking me if I had seen him around and no one had seen him since I had been back. I had recently talked to Blaize Zambini, a Slytherin boy that was friendly and kind (a very rare personality for a Slytherin), he was friends with Draco and told me that he hadn't seen him in classes or in any other place around the school. I hadn't seen him in the Common Room or in his room (in which I had been to constantly). I had a feeling inside that something was wrong with him. I was beginning to worry. So, I decided to take a walk, all the way to Dumbledore's office.

I silently opened the door (I was in my room) and looked around the Common Room for signs of Ron, since he was in duty, and went outside. I ran to the door, rushed out of the hallway, passing some 5th year prefects and opened the portrait.

"Well, hello Hermione." Said Hufflepuff in her cheerful tone.

"Hi, bye. Sorry I got to go, if you see Ron or Harry tell them I'm in the library or something. Thanks!" I said, not noticing the look of panic they exchanged before rushing out the portrait.

When I finally arrived at the gargoyle that leads to Dumbledore's office, I blurted out the password, which I knew by the blackboard in the prefect's Common Room, and stepped onto the spiraling staircase. As soon as t stopped, I knocked on the door, heard no response and decided to enter. I silently opened the door and looked inside.

McGonagall was sitting in a chair in front of Dumbledore's desk; her back towards me and Dumbledore was standing up in front of her.

"How are you planning to tell her?" said McGonagall in a somber voice.

"I don't know yet. I don't think she should know yet. She has been through a lot in these past months." Dumbledore said, in a sad tone.

"Yes, how do they say they died?" McGonagall said.

"Well, they say that he went to her house, drunk, looking for Hermione and when he didn't find her, he shot her mother and then killed himself…"

I didn't hear more. I put 2 and 2 together and ran with the destination clear in my head: the lake. (AN: For those dimwits out there that still don't know what happened: Hermione's dad killed her mother then killed himself. I know it was needless to say but bear with me.)

As I ran, I received a lot of weird looks but I didn't care. I just wanted to get out of the hellhole you call life. Every single bad thing seemed to happen to me, I had nothing else good in my life. Once I got to the lake, I couldn't hold back the tears so; I bawled my eyes out, not noticing a certain someone looking at me.

DRACO'S POV

I heard someone approaching my silent spot. I had been there for the day, making a resolution to just block out all my feelings for Hermione seeing as it would never work out between us. That is until I saw her.

She was crying and, even though it must have been for something bad, she looked SO CUTE! For a moment, I just sat there, wondering if it was my eyes playing games with me or f it was true. I knew it was when I saw the look in her eyes.

She looked like she had heard the most horrible thing in her life, like she could die and feel nothing. I was in the verge of tears by just looking at her. I stood up and walked over to her. She looked up with her red puffy eyes, stood up and hugged me.

I couldn't believe that she was hugging me, I couldn't move for a second then I returned it with all that I had and started crying myself. Hey, I've gone soft what can I say?

When she calmed down and stopped crying, I looked into her eyes and saw that she was really REALLY hurt.

"What happened?" I said in a soft comforting tone.

"My parents, they they…" and then she started crying again.

"It's going to be okay. Sh, it's all right." I said while rubbing her back. Now when she REALLY REALLY stopped crying, we just stood there and everything else in the world just flew away and it was just this moment. It was complete bliss being able to feel her pressed in me, to feel her breath in my chest and to just have her in my arms, even if this was the last time.

"What happened between us?" she said not moving from her position.

"I fell in love with you and I think you did too." I said, not realizing I had practically said that I loved her.

"How?" she said, finally looking up.

"Well, I really don't know. You changed me and I really missed you. When you finally woke up, I just wanted to be with you but you went with Potter and Weasley and I just couldn't take it anymore so I ran away." I said in a low voice.

"I'm sorry." She said in a voice that I could barely recognize.

"It's okay. You didn't know."

"I know but I'm sorry." She said as she laid her head once more in my chest.

I watched the sun set and looked down to find Hermione asleep. I didn't want to wake her up so I just carried her to the castle, to put her in bed (Although it sounds corny, it's romantic).

When I entered the castle, I found out that no one was in the halls, meaning that it was dinnertime. When we reached the portrait, I received quite a tell-off.

"Malfoy! Where have you been! Everyone's been worried sick and" said Hufflepuff until I interrupted her.

"Just open the door or you'll wake her up." I said in a soft, yet harsh tone, if that is possible.

It opened immediately and I entered the hallway, then the door to our Common Room. When I did, I met another obstacle.

"MALFOY! YOU ARE SO DEAD FOR WHAT YOU DID TO HERMIONE! WHERE IS SHE? WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HER?" screamed a beet red Weasley.

"Well, Weasley if you aren't blind by now you would see that she is HERE and she is safe and sound." I said, not realizing that she had woken up.

"Hermione, are you okay? What did he do to you?" he said in a calmer voice after seeing her.

"Well, RON, I am better off with HIM than I have ever been in my years with YOU and HE DIDN'T DO ANYTHING SO WOULD YOU JUST LEAVE US ALONE!" she screamed. Then she stood up (remember I was carrying her) and dragged me to her room with a strength I wouldn't have imagined in a girl. Guess there are other sides to Granger.

AN: Ok so please review, even though it sucks and I know it does. So give me your opinion and in the next chapter:

Hermione and Draco will try to get back what they had, Harry starts getting jealous….

'Till the next one. Ciao, Alannah