O Holy Night, the Dark Lord is returning; this is the night that the Order is restored

"Unless you tell me what I mean to you, what I honestly mean to you. Harry I need to know. I've spent all these years thinking I wasn't good enough for you, but then you acted like the daftest fucking prick in the world…and I just…I need to know." She lowered her glistening eyes, letting her hair cover her face. Harry gently lifted her chin with his hand and let his thumb graze softly over her cheek.

"You mean everything to me." He leaned down and skimmed his lips against her cheek. "You're my rock, Hermione. You don't know what your disappearance did to me." He leaned in close to her and whispered faintly in her ear. "When I saw you this morning in the grocery store, at first I didn't realize that the beautiful girl in front of me was my best friend. When I looked into your eyes, I knew it was you, and I knew that I could never lose you again."

Draco watched the scene with a feigned indifference, but there was nothing he wanted to hear more than what Potter was whispering in his sister's ear. It had always been so obvious to him that Harry was two things: a) completely head-over-heels, hopelessly and undeniably in love with Hermione and b) entirely and absolutely oblivious to it.

"Hermione…" she looked up into his mesmerizing green eyes and unknowingly held her breath. "You gave me peace in a lifetime of war." She looked away from him at Draco, with eyes that pleaded him to try and understand what she'd done, what she'd had to do. He sauntered his way over and grabbed her by the shoulder.

"I think you've partially redeemed yourself Potter, now go enjoy the party. Don't find her, she'll find you." With that, he pulled Hermione away. Harry sadly watched her form retreating from the Malfoy Ballroom; he could only guess where they were going.

Walking into their joint study Draco's grip on Hermione's shoulder tightened and she clenched her hands into fists.

"DRACO! Let go, you're hurting me. FUCK! Draco, let go!" he let go and slightly pushed her down onto one of the many leather couches in the room.

"Fucking hell, Hermione! Jesus fucking Christ, why did you do that? Why did you do that THERE?! For fuck's sake, the rumours that are going to spread because of that. And what the fuck did fucking Potty fucking whisper in you ear?" she glared at him.

"Stop being so dramatic Draco, and for FUCK'S SAKE stop saying fuck!" She crossed her legs and looked indignantly at her brother, so like her and yet so different. "You are one of the most arrogant people in the world. You foul, loathsome little cockroach!" He looked taken aback and sat down in a chair opposite her. For a few minutes, his grey eyes bore into her brown ones. Her expression was hard, but he could read it easily.

"Hermione…what happened?" Tears flooded to her eyes as she told her brother every word that had been said out of earshot…and he burst out laughing. "What a fucking load of…"

"It was not Draco! You don't know Harry like I know Harry. I can tell when he's lying almost as easily as I can tell when you're lying. He meant what he said Draco."

"You're such a silly girl sometimes!"

"Better a silly girl full of love than a silly boy with a bunch of twigs to keep him company!"

"Hellooooooo, it's called a broom. Not that it matters to you anyways, not like you could fly it."

"I can fly just as well as you can, and you know it."

"I taught you everything you know about flying. Before me, you were almost as bad as Longbottom."

"I didn't like heights okay, just like you don't like vampires. Harry meant every word he said, and that's why I'm going to find him now." She stood up and quickly walked out of the room. Draco sat there staring after her.

"What a fucking mindless-bitch she can be." He rose and ran after her.

When he got to the ballroom, an unforeseeable sight was in front of him. Not only was there Death Eaters standing on the balcony and Voldemort in the ballroom by the windows, but also the entire Order of the Phoenix was there. The last time they had all been assembled was the 'defeat' of Lord Voldemort. Once Voldemort had killed Hermione's parents. The Order knew it wouldn't be long until he returned once more.

"Potter must die, Potter must die" Chants were coming from the Death Eaters outside and Draco looked at Harry. He stood defiantly, clutching Hermione's hand and staring at Voldemort's red snake-like eyes.

"We meet again, Mister Potter."

A/N short, I know, came to mind fast…I have more planned, might take awhile. Hope you like it! And I don't own any HP…wish I did though. Toodles.

Kaccee