A/N: Wow, I love reading your reviews!!! It's so great to know you love my story. Don't worry – I won't abandon it – I promise to update regularly. I have to, anyway, because on July 11th I'm going on a two-week camp and I won't be able to update... :-( I hope I'll finish the story until then, but if I don't – I promise to update just before I go there and immediately after I come back. And anyway, it's not a fun sort of camp. I go there for study. I have to do a project in biology next year, and if I go to this camp, I do it in the two weeks I'm there and I'm done with the project, don't have to do it next year. So I really want to go. So I hope you're okay with that... I'll do my best with the updates.

Emma L. Granger: Love your nickname... and thanks for the long review, I actually like long reviews and enjoy reading them. I'm sorry about the cliffhanger – but it's kind of a trick to make you eager to read more! LOL! I'm being mean, I know.

Against All Odds

Chapter Thirteen

Draco expected her to say something. Or smile. Or even repond to the kiss.

But he certainly didn't expect her to push him off her. He hadn't even considered such a possibility – he was so caught up in his passion. So when she pushed him off, he was so surprised, he almost fell off the bench.

"What are you doing?" Hermione demanded shrilly.

If only it had happened two days before, Draco would have probably apologized and backed off. But after everything that had happened the last twenty-four hours, he had no intentions of giving up. This woman was his only chance for happiness, and he was not going to let her go so easily.

"Hermione," he said hoarsely, "I need to tell you something..."

"No, no, don't," she begged, moving backwards on the bench, as far away as she could from him. "Don't say it, Draco."

"I'm going to," Draco insisted and came closer. "I have to tell you now, Hermione. If I don't, I won't be able to live with myself. I'm going to say it. And you have to listen."

"Fine," Hermione sighed, "say it."

Draco looked at her with eyes full of emotions. "Hermione," he said hoarsely, "I was stupid not to see it right from the start. I've been hiding it from myself, lying to myself without even realizing it... Hermione, I have never stopped loving you."

Hermione breathed sharply and didn't answer. Draco was encouraged and went on: "This whole fiancee-thing was just a cover to my true feelings for you, Hermione. Can you – can we – "

"W-what?" Hermione stammered. "You mean – you and me – together again?"

Draco nodded.

Hermione gazed at him for a moment, then stood up. "No," she said quickly, shaking her head. "I'm sorry. No. It's too late. It's far, far too late now."

"But, Hermione – "Draco stood up as well, looking desperate, "I told you, I'm sorry it took me so long. But I'm saying it now, I love you. Hermione, I can't live without you – please don't turn me down – I know you feel it too – "

"I don't know what you're talking about," Hermione insisted. "It's been eleven years, Draco! Eleven years! It's too late for you and me. But it's not too late for you. You'd better stay with your fiancee. You'll have everything: a lovely wife, a great son, a good job, and probably more children in the future..."

"Hermione, no," Draco said, moving closer to her, "don't you understand? None of these is worth it, unless you're there with me. I've realized it: I don't love Christine. I have never loved her. I'm not going to stay with her for another day, I promise you. And I thank you a million for letting me keep in touch with Daniel, but you are the only one who makes my life complete... who makes me complete. Think about it... we were so good together. Do you remember?... Do you remember... Hermione?"

FLASHBACK

They were cuddled together on the couch, with all their friends around them: Harry, Ginny, Ron and Luna. This was a kind of couples-night... Hermione embraced Draco, and he had his arm wrapped around her, kissing her hair.

"I've been accepted to Auror Training," Harry said.

"That's great! Congratulations!" they all cried.

"When does it start?" Ginny asked, leaning her head on Harry's shoulder.

"In October," Harry answered. "And guess what we'll start with – my favorite: Potions." He groaned, and everybody laughed.

"Have you decided what you are going to do, Luna?" Draco asked.

"My father wants me to take over the Quibbler," Luna answered, "so for now I'm the sub-editor. In a few years, he will retire and I'll be the editor."

"What's the headline of the week?" Ron asked, looking amused.

"Porlock's droppings that can turn your hair to bright-yellow if you put them on your hair, but can also cure you from very severe illnesses if you swallow them," Luna answered seriously.

"That doesn't make much sense," Hermione commented.

"Not everything has to make sense," Luna replied.

Hermione would probably started to argue if Draco weren't hugging her at that moment... The proximity of him made her feel so warm, so calm, she simply didn't reply.

END FLASHBACK

To feel that warmth again, the warmth that only Draco's proximity could give her... Hermione recalled all the times they had been so close to each other. And she could have it again. She wanted it so much.

But no. Eleven years before, that man had broken her heart. How could she be sure he wouldn't do it again? And another thing: he was engaged. He was trying to cheat on his fiancee. Of course, he had promised to break up with her, but for the moment, it was cheating. She could not support this. What kind of man cheats on his fiancee?

"I'm sorry, Draco," she repeated, not recognizing her own voice, "but it's too late. Eleven years have passed – you've had your chance with me, and you missed it. So you'd better stay with your fiancee, because I will never be yours again. Never."

She turned to leave, but Draco caught her wrist.

"What are you doing?" she demanded.

Draco turned her around to face him. His eyes were so full of pain, she almost gave in... After all, she loved him, and she knew that. She loved him more than her own life. She didn't want to hurt him that bad...

"Are you sure you're doing the right thing?" Draco asked, his voice trembling.

Hermione didn't answer. She was already crying softly, unable to control herself. Draco pulled her closer and hugged her; she clung onto him and cried into his shoulder.

"If you're sure," Draco whispered in her ear, "I'll go now. But only if you can tell me that you're one hundred per cent sure it's the right thing to do."

"I'm sure," Hermione whispered back, "because I can never trust you again. Your departure broke my heart eleven years ago – what if tomorrow they offer you a new job in France or in Brazil? You'll go there and it will start all over again!"

"Hermione..." Draco caught her hands in his, "I will NEVER go again. EVER. I live here now. Everything I have is here. My friends – my son – you..."

"Well, I was here eleven years ago as well, and so were your friends, and you still left," Hermione replied. "Fine, then Daniel wasn't. But what if they offer you a huge raise, how will I know you will not abandon me again?"

"I will never do it again," Draco promised. "Not to you and not to Daniel. I can't live without you two anymore – you are the most important people to me in the world. Think how happy he'll be to see his parents together, Hermione!"

Hermione knew he was right – Daniel wanted the two of them to be together more than anything else.

But she was still afraid. Silently, with eyes full of tears, she shook her head no.

----

"Have I done the right thing?" Hermione sobbed half an hour later. Luna and Ginny had come to her apartment, and Daniel had gone to spend the night at Ryan's.

"I think you did," Luna said softly. "You don't know. If he did it to you once, who can promise you he won't do it again? Why take the risk? Moreover, if you two got together and it didn't work out, how could you do this to Daniel? He'll be heartbroken."

But Ginny thought otherwise: "And what if it did work out? And what if it were really, really good? You can make Daniel's life completely different, and much better. Not to mention how happy you will be."

"But what if he leaves again?" Luna claimed.

"He promised not to," Ginny answered. "Don't you trust him, Hermione? If you trust him with your child, the most precious thing you have, why can't you trust him about that?"

"Because I'm afraid to!" Hermione cried. "I was so hurt the last time he did this. I don't know if I can face this all over again, in case it happens!"

Ginny shook her head. "I don't understand this, Hermione!" she declared. He loves you, he wants to be with you, and you love him too, but when he offers you his heart – you turn him down just because he MIGHT leave the country again? I don't see any reason why they ask him to go abroad again. And even if they do – how do you know he'll accept the offer? Maybe he'll do everything he can to stay?"

Hermione sighed deeply. "I'll think about it," she finally said, "and I'll let you two know soon."

----

I have to break up with her today. We cannot go on like this. She's driving me crazy. And I also promised Hermione. So what if she turned me down? I'll break up with Christine, and when I tell that to Hermione, maybe she'll reconsider.

"Christine," Draco said in a voice he didn't recognize as his own, "I'm sorry, but this is over."

"What's over?" Christine looked at him with wide eyes.

"This. Us. It's over. I'm sorry."

Christine looked as if she weren't sure she had heard him correctly. "W- what?" she stammered.

Draco tried to feel sorry for her. He knew this must be a hard shock for her – but he couldn't. "Again, I'm truly sorry," he repeated, "but I can't marry you. We have to cancel the wedding. It's not going to happen."

"B-but why?" Christine asked, horrorstruck.

Draco shook his head. "It's just... not what it used to be," he said, trying to be gentle. "I thought about it and realized that this is what I feel, and I cannot change it. It's over."

Christine looked so helpless, that Draco started pitying her. "B-but you said you loved me," she stammered. "Yesterday! You said you loved me!"

Draco did not answer.

Christine got to her feet. "I can't believe it!" she cried, tears starting to roll down her face.

"Look, Christine, I – "

"Shut up!" she screamed. "You liar! You lied to me! How could you?!" sobbing hysterically, she ran to their bedroom.

Draco felt bad. He bit his lip and closed his eyes. He hadn't meant to cause her that much sorrow. She didn't deserve it – there was nothing wrong about her. It was not her fault.

"Christine," he tried, pressing himself against the closed door, "I know it sounds banal, but it's really not you. You did nothing wrong. It's all my fault, you're absolutely right to be angry and – "

"I said shut up!" she yelled from inside. "Now get out! And don't ever come back! I don't want to see you!"

"If you ever need anything – "Draco tried for the last time.

"Don't worry, I won't need anything. Not from you!"

Draco sighed and turned to leave. What am I going to do now?

----

A/N: I'll update soon. Review and tell me what you think!