Dedicated to IrishSodaBread, Mel62, Niam, and Haystack. My devoted reviewers from the beginning.

Newbies/ Tweenies (regina-terrae, Brittanysr, GaladrielQOTGW, CiCi ): CiCi I love it too. Why I put it in. Brittany sorry about the language. Regina she is manipulating people so she switches her attitude to manipulate said person. Galadriel thank you so much.

Oldies (Raine is Crazy, Magical Ferret, Shady, DeLiRiOuS aka CAPTAIN obvious, ElvenRareHunter, Muggle Lover, Bex Drake, SwurpleKitty, Haystack, Niam, Star 19, Mel62, MythGalatea, HotPinkFlamingo, IrishSodaBread, Lady Incognita): Raine yeah that is fine I just like to know cos its interesting to me. Magical Ferret hmmm.. we'll see. At the end of this chapter in fact what Luna meant. Shady I will do what I can. But you might well have to miss the end. Stop picking faults. I don't think that was a legit fault anyway. Sorry saw the film. Thanks. Cap'n Thank you very much and we'll have to see. Holly I do but sometimes they escape me still. Thank you. ML You'll get some in this chapter. Promise. Bex thank you very much your review was very helpful. Swurps, heya too, thank you very much. Men are stupid. Sorry to break it too you. Haystack I'll be good..... mwhahaha.... I mean... ::halo::..... Yeah.. I don't think you want to know what Luna meant. Niam, things can only get better. Harry and Ron do take your advice. Good on the NA front. Star Thank you very much lovely to hear your opinion. Mel you are always a pleasure. I think some things you might well pick up if you read through after you know the ending. Also I leave a couple of things up to your own mind with only a few hints. Draco is probably going to be a mystery even to me at the end of this story. Myth you are right that is not the best idea. Thank you very much. Flamingo I will attend your funeral then. No problem and thanks. Irish Bready If Harry said that to Lithliya she'd probably put the rest of her water on his head..... just a thought. I would have thought a chocolate frog card over a poloriad picture... just a thought. Lady Incognita thank you very much. And I will leave you hanging again.

AN: On the Sequel front there has been a minor setback. The writing of it will be postponed till post 23rd June I think. I'm having trouble with it but know the characters invovled. If I write it at all. I'm in doubt.

Are you scared yet? Your blood will end this.

Chapter Fifteen

Knight of Love

"Hermione?" Harry was waiting by the bottom of the steps from the girl's dormitories. Hermione looked at the floor as she reached the bottom. She spotted Ron sitting by the fire scowling.

"I'm sorry, I was wrong, Draco's a bastard, please forgive me, I'm sorry. I don't know what happened. I was mad. Sorry." She kept looking at his black trainers. Suddenly his black trainers moved forwards and she felt him pick her up in a hug.

"Of course I forgive you Hermione. I'm sorry I was such an arse. I should have talked to you rather than storming off." She hugged him tightly and felt little tears of relief falling onto his robe. She wiped her eyes with a spare hand that was not being used to hold herself up so she would not suffocate. Then she held him tighter.

"I'm sorry Harry." She whispered again. Their embrace lasted for a few minutes. When the finally broke apart all the Gryffindors had already passed down to the Great Hall for breakfast before the match. "Come on. Otherwise you won't have enough food so you won't have enough carbohydrates in you to concentrate. Breakfast is the most important meal of the day."

Harry smiled. He didn't realise he'd missed Hermione so much. They walked down to the Great Hall together arm in arm and Hermione could not help smiling like it would never end. They were greeted with a little shouting and a little applause from the Gryffindor table when they arrived; the dream team were back together or so it seemed. Ron grudgingly was clapping a little and did not dismiss Hermione when they came to sit down together.

Harry kept Hermione close when they ate. Harry and Ron, who was still keeping up a pretence of being annoyed, had talked late into the night about Hermione. Ron had heard from a Ginny that Hermione was thought to have been throwing up some nights ago as people had heard sounds from her room. Both of them had come to the conclusion that it was Malfoy who had somehow prayed on a weakness in Hermione and used it to his own end. If she were anorexic then it would undoubtedly be because Malfoy said she was fat.

When it was time for the Quidditch teams to leave, Ron and Harry both satisfied that Hermione had eaten a satisfactory amount, left her under the charge of Ginny. Ginny had been talked to again a bit before Hermione as she had also had to cope with a public Howler from her mother on the dangers of Slytherins. The Slytherins had quite enjoyed it. But Ginny had been accepted back in on the sufferance that she kept a strict eye on Hermione.

Hermione rose with Ginny, following the trudging mass of red and blue down to the Quidditch pitch. The Slytherins were naturally against Gryffindor but jeered at both teams for good measure. Hermione sat in a gaggle of girls with Ginny. Ginny had attended so few practices Harry had temporarily replaced her until Luna was well again. There was an ear-piercing scream when Harry was announced. The Gryffindor team streamed out into the winter's sunshine. The air was moist with potent rain and the players breath could be seen from a while away. After only being outside for two minutes Harry was seen to blow on his hand to warm them up.

The Ravenclaw team took slightly longer to come out. One of their beaters had problems with their uniform until it was discovered that the seeker and beater had accidentally switched. "So much for Ravenclaw intellect." Ron muttered. Harry and Ron had come to talk whilst they waited for the opposing team to arrive. Ron was shaking vigorously.

"Nervous?" A 5th year friend of Ginny's asked. Ron gave her an odd look before replying.

"No, it's bloody cold." Hermione sniggered. Ron shot her a glare and she shut up hastily. That set Ginny off along with quite a few of her friends.

"Come here." Hermione placed her hand on Ron's blue ones. She waved her wand in a strict pattern muttering. Ron's face instantly flushed as she let go. Harry flew over a little closer looking hopeful. Hermione rolled her eyes. "Honestly if you boys paid attention in Charms you might know this." Both boys pointed out that if she knew they had absolutely no reason to. Hermione did not bother replying and instead performed the charm on Harry. By this time the entire Gryffindor team had flown over and were putting on the best puppy dog faces that teenage boys and girls could do with their features frozen to their faces.

When eventually the Ravenclaw team appeared they were all shaking violently and turning blue within the first five minutes. They seemed irate that the Gryffindors were acting like it was a boiling hot day, Ron, by the goals, was even fanning himself with his hand. The game started.

To be truthful Ravenclaw never stood a chance. Their seeker once caught a Quaffle by accident and their beater managed to knock one of their own chasers out. As Hermione put it 'It was the Hufflepuff team on a bad day'. The explanation they gave was that they were so cold their aim was off. The game ended when Harry took mercy and caught the snitch that was hovering by the opposing seeker's head. Final score 320-20.

The Gryffindor celebrations that night, although involving no alcohol, were grand and the best Hermione had ever experienced. She slept in Harry's room that night with Harry on her left and Ron snoring on her right. By the Gods she was happy again with only that remaining dull ache telling her she was missing something.

--

"MERRY YULE!" The hustle and bustle of students packing their clothing was resounding throughout the entire castle. The train left early the next morning so many students were putting away the last of their belongs into the suitcases that remained hidden for most of the year. For the prefects this was a side issue. The Banquet took over rational thought.

The younger year prefects had disappeared hours ago. Harry, Ron and Hermione were gathered round the fire on the sofas ignoring the fact they had to get dressed for the evening's activities. Harry was silently eager. Ron was silently bored. Hermione was silently panicking. She wasn't ready to face Draco yet. She was not sure she was strong enough to say no again. He was a person you couldn't say no to... twice.

With only an hour until the evening officially began and the darkness laying a thick blanket over the surrounding world the three could no longer deny the night ahead. "Come on." Harry pulled Hermione off the couch and kissed her gently on the head before pushing her off to the dormitories. He turned to face Ron, whose encounter with the couch left him with his eyebrow hair sticking up. Ron looked confused. "What?" Harry asked confused.

"Do you like Hermione?" Ron asked suspiciously. Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah." Harry said wondering where this was going but thinking he already knew.

"Do you like like her?"

"Do you mean do I fancy her?"

"Fancy her, think she's fit, think she's fine, like her more than friends?" Ron supplied coming closer to Harry who looked blankly.

"No. I like Hermione as a friend. Besides, I already have a..." He smiled a boyish smile at Ron who nodded understandingly at Harry with an equally boyish smile.

"Whose Harry got then?" Ron jeered walking up the staircase to their rooms. They were both getting ready in Harry's room.

"Lithliya. Well I haven't asked her out but you know." Harry smiled and pushed open his door. He glanced at Ron. Ron was smiling and nodding.

"Ginny said she's alright. Best Slytherin there is." Ron said. Harry let out a sigh of relief. Their clothes were on the bed. Both grimaced and avoided each other's gaze. Ron because his were his shabby old ones. Harry because his were his horrendous new ones.

--

Hermione smiled. Her hair hung in a soft halo round her head, curls falling down framing her face. A small chain hung around her neck with her birthstone framed hanging just above her dress. Her dress was more romantic than she remembered it, and it fit her like a dream.

Hermione pulled herself out her dream and examined her real self. Her hair did not hang like a halo. It wasn't that bad. She had pulled it back into a bun because she couldn't do anything else to it. A few small bits of hair hung around her face. Colour had returned to her cheeks just in time for the banquet; it was a shame she reasoned. She was pink of face colouring and the red of her birthstone hanging round her neck didn't help. A freckle or two marred her pale skin.

"Get use to it. This is you. You are not perfect. You are not pretty. But you are Hermione Adiadne Granger. And you are worth anything you believe you are." With that she held her head up high and walked out her room, down the spiral stairs, her dress brushing the corridor on either side. At the bottom of the stairs her date fidgeted awkwardly, his hands coming out and in of his pockets. He looked up at her and a small smile graced her lips. "Come on, Ron. We don't want to be late."

--

"Hi." Harry met Lithliya outside the Slytherin dungeons. Waiting outside their he'd had lots of Slytherins coming out to stare at him. Luckily Lithliya came quickly. Crabbe had just come out the common room and he was looking particularly murderous. Goyle was just behind. Harry swallowed and looked over his date. She looked drop dead gorgeous.

"Don't stand there gawking." She took his arm and half dragged him down half the length of the corridor in the space of a second. She glanced back over her shoulder. Her hair was loose around her shoulders. She looked like an angel. "Come on. It's a bloody good thing you're wearing a mask and hat otherwise they might have recognised you." She yanked him again.

"You didn't tell Malfoy you were going with me?" Harry questioned. Lithliya snorted and yanked him again. When they were twenty foot from the Great Hall Lithliya finally relaxed and allowed Harry to walk her at a graceful pace to the Hall. They arrived to a scene of beauty. The hall was in shades of purple. The round table at the far end of the hall upon the stage, where the teachers normally had the high table, was covered in a lilac. Deep purples reflected through the black of the ebbing night that surrounded the walls of the hall. It was like it was night but will a purple light lighting up an area.

"I think we're wearing the wrong colour." Lithliya confided in him laughing quietly. Hannah Abbot and some of the Hufflepuffs were already at the table. They were early. Music played softly. Harry felt Lithliya sway to it. He spun her and she almost fell. She scowled at him and he once again felt like a prat.

Hermione and Ron arrived just as the Ravenclaws poured into the hall as a group. The 5th years, the youngest year present, were skipping about the hall investigating the dark corners. Harry was keeping a watchful eye on them. Harry and Lithliya walked forwards gracefully to meet the new couple. "Good evening." Harry bowed courteously. Hermione was having a hard time keeping a straight face at them. Lithliya had also caught the infection of the giggles and both boys made a hasty exit talking about Quidditch and leaving the girls to laugh at the boys and each other.

Harry and Ron walked carefully round the dark corners together already catching a couple snogging in a bush. "And the Slytherins haven't even arrived yet." Ron added as they watched the bashful couple disappear back to the main body of people. The music was getting louder. Harry and Ron came across the source rather unexpectedly. A Muggle band of classical musical instruments were playing with no players in the back corner.

Draco Malfoy entered the Great Hall, Pansy and Dethcous either side of him. He looked drop dead gorgeous. Blonde hair pulled into a messy ponytail, silver rings adorning two fingers, cold dead eyes. A figure of unfeeling power. He looked like the prince who came to steal the princess. Rather daring and fun until he stole Your princess.

They strolled up the hall talking amongst themselves. Pansy was desperately trying to get Draco's attention. Halfway down he pushed her into a 6th year Hufflepuff's arms. Amazingly she stayed there. The Hufflepuff looked alarmed but realising this was his fate he escorted her up to the table where all were converging.

Harry and Lithliya sat at the head of the table. Ron put Hermione in the seat one along from Lithliya and made to sit next to Lithliya himself. Draco had different ideas. He smoothly sat down in between Lithliya and Hermione. "Oi, Malfoy. I am sitting there." He interrupted. All conversation in the hall ceased and all faces turned to the red and blonde hair.

"I don't see your name on it." Malfoy pointed out lethargically. Harry was looking concerned, Lithliya unconcerned, Hermione resigned to be insane.

"Well your name isn't on it either. Now get out of my seat." Ron was turning red. Everyone else was sitting down quietly and glancing at each other worriedly. Both boys had hands near their wands...

"I think you'll find that says 'Draco Malfoy'. And I do believe that is my name." Malfoy held up a nametag that had been resting on the table. Ron saw his on the other side of Hermione. With no ground to stand on he stormed off and took his seat, as soon as he sat down engaging Hermione in a Malfoy bitching session. Malfoy spent the first minute talking to Lithliya in something that sounded like Latin.

"I didn't know you spoke Latin." Harry said to Lithliya just as the food arrived. Rich roast dinner smells flavoured their nostrils and some uncouth people (Ron) cheered.

"It's a useful skill." Lithliya said popping two crispy patatoes onto her plate. Harry contemplated this. He couldn't see how a language that had been dead for 2000 years could be useful to anyone but shrugged it off in favour of eating lots.

When all were full to bursting the first couple rose to start dancing. It was an overeager pair of Ravenclaws who couldn't dance for knuts. Harry was cautious about dancing. Lithliya seemed to share his opinion so they contented themselves sitting in their high backed chairs presiding over the others. Ron and Hermione had grudgingly got up to dance after realising that not all four of them could sit doing nothing... Hermione was pointedly ignoring Draco's whirling around the dancefloor with every girl there.

They danced awkwardly and where immensely grateful that the song was only a short one. They both broke apart and made their way back to the stage. Hermione felt a hand on her wrist. She jerked around a sick feeling in her stomach. She turned round. Malfoy was there smiling at her. Smiling his real smile. She shivered. "You weren't thinking of sitting back down again without dancing with little old Draco were you now, Hermione?" His voice was like silken poison.

"Let go of me." Draco shot a glance over her shoulder, smirking at Ron. He then pulled her to him and began to move to the opening bars of the new song. She tried to wrench back once but he was too strong. "Draco!" She trod on his foot. He kicked her legs out from underneath her in return and held her up until she could find them again.

"Behave little one." He was smiling down at her. She was not looking up at him to see it. "Come on now. I'm not that bad."

"You're a murderer!" She whispered furiously at him, forgetting her vow to not look at him. She felt even more venerable when she did. Was he always that tall?

"Every man is a murderer, Hermione. I am just a good one." He brushed some of her hair away lightly. With the weakened hold on her she tried to pull away but the other arm was like a wall. He was just amused by her efforts. "I killed so that less will die tomorrow."

"You killed because you wanted revenge."

"For your parents." Draco finished and heard her hiccup. Anything but tears. He cupped her chin and drew out that sensitive Draco. "Come on, Hermione. You know you are special to me. And you know what I have to do. I'm just sorry you have to be a part of it." He stroked his thumb down her lip and his breath tickled her hair. She wanted to stay. She wanted to run. She wanted to kiss him. She wanted to never look back.

"Why do you have to do it? Why can't you just leave it?" Hermione asked, trying to not cry. She cried far too much. Draco looked amused by this suggestion.

"There is no where to hide in the wizarding world Hermione. There is no escape except in death." She had stopped resisting so much and they danced through the silence between songs picking up again when a new song started. They had no noticed everyone's eyes on them. They had not noticed Lithliya holding Harry and Ron back. They had no noticed Lithliya and Harry's argument.

"Then die. Let Draco Malfoy die. Make a new life in the Muggle world." with me.

Draco smiled. That definitely would be an end to Draco living in the Muggle world. "And leave everything and everyone you know and love?" He had known what she had meant. Damn him. She looked down and looked away. She did not try to pull back. He let her go and stepped back himself. "No." He spoke as a man; honest and with humanity. Don't be ridiculous Hermione. The Malfoy genes eradicated Humanity centuries ago.

--

"You're on his side!" Ron accused loudly. The rest of the Hall's audience were now avidly split between the heads and Ron and the deputy heads.

"No I think they need to talk." Lithliya answered smoothly.

"Talk about what? You saw what he did to her!" Harry answered just as smoothly. He was getting the hang of this arguing with Lithliya thing.

"He did to her? There is only one thing he has done to her and that only contributed half to what you boys did to her." Lithliya answered her eyes flashing.

"What did we do to her?" Ron answered still shouting.

"Ignored her! She needed her two best friends most and they ignored her! What do you really think set her into depression? Draco, or lack of help?" Lithliya answered now slightly irate. The argument paused as the entire hall watched Hermione storm out. Draco was standing dead pan in the centre of the dancefloor.

"Now look what he's done!" Ron shouted. Lithliya glowered at him before turning on her heal and storming out afterwards, gathering up her skirts as she ran. Harry and Ron turned back to each other both contemplating how much worse the evening could have gone. All objectives failed and an upset Lithliya to boot.

"You stay here and keep an eye on the 5th years. I'll go after her." Harry said darting off, taking his mask off as he went. He looked up just in time to see Draco slipping out the door ahead of him. Harry doubled his speed but everyone was lost to him in the cloak of night.

--

Draco heard a girl ahead. She was storming up and down through various branches, tearing fabric and hysterics running amuck. He slowed down and took his breath. He knew Potter wasn't far behind and that he would find Lithliya and she would be safe, though not unmolested, with him. He knew this was Hermione by the fact she was muttering to herself, something too cute for Lithliya to bother with. He took himself to listen to a bit of it.

"I can't believe you fell for a guy. Not that you were going for a girl but a guy at 17 years old. Your too young to be feeling like that Hermione. And you've never been one to go out with dangerous 'bad boy' types either. I don't know what you were thinking. You picked the worst of the worst. You could never marry the guy." Wow, did she ever breathe? "You definitely could never raise a family with him. And he'd never ever tell you he loved you."

Ahh, point of entry! "Good thing too, Hermione. Wouldn't want me to get soft now would you." He moved out the shadows to where the moonlight had highlighted a little clearing. The Forbidden Forest looked rather tame in the moonlight. Hermione looked up at him as if she expected him to be there. Well she was beginning to get to know him then. "I don't believe in love." Draco told her walking up to her. He stopped two feet away, back towards the castle, facing her dead on.

"Don't you?"

"No. I believe in lust." He eyed her up and down and she blushed. "And I believe in respect. But love, my darling, is a fool's game of trickery and strife." She looked sad. She looked... Draco smiled. He didn't know how she looked but whatever it was he liked it. Rather roughed up, rather dreary, rather wild. Her dress looked better with tears at the bottom. "And I think I believe in people. Certain people who you know, who you can depend on. Who have their uses."

She remained silent so he continued. "Blaise. He has connections over the world. All the girls love him and most of the boys. He's a natural charmer. Endless uses." He stepped forwards to her, taking her chin in his hand. "And you, beloved, have intelligence. Strength, even when it comes to me. And beauty. You're not beautiful, but you have a beauty that I shall never ever forget." He was inches away from her face, whispering now, the smirk still present on his pale moonlit face.

She was shaking with cold and emotions. There was a shriek on the night air. Neither looked up. "And I tell you tonight, Hermione, that if I ever married, I would marry you. Because you have never looked more beautiful then you do at this moment." She was crying now. Little tears fell on his hand. And he smiled. And he kissed her. A beautiful kiss in the moonlight that lasted forever.

Malfoy drew back. He never once looked back at her. When he spoke his voice was a monotone. "Hello, Lucius."

--