I'd had previously thought this only to be a one shot but I thought I'd just continue it on to finish it on a more definite ending! The first chapter is obviously longer than the second because the first was a story in it's won right and the second is only a continuation.

Anyway, read on…

Everyone was staring at them. Everyone. Nobody could believe it. There was a long and deep silence. Hermione didn't really know what to do or say. She was with Draco, which was all that mattered. But she didn't want to insult all her former friends. She didn't want to see their shocked and distrusting faces staring at her like that.

She gripped on to Draco a bit more tightly. He stood by her, protectively, his stance defiant, his expression daring, his devil-may-care smirk in place. His whole stature gave out a "Go on, I dare you, give me what you got" air. He made her feel strong.

This was what she'd been dreading. For everything to just come out like this. But she couldn't keep secrets anymore. Her life wasn't a lie. Draco affected her now in so many ways and she didn't want to have to hide that.

She wouldn't have to worry about that now. From their expressions, she knew that they understood what was going on. And they didn't like it.

Ron was breathing heavily. She was glad she had slapped him. She was glad Draco had punched him. She was glad because she couldn't believe what he had just done. He had tried to kill Draco! Kill him! What he had just done, couldn't be justified. It hadn't just been a quick scrap, an innocent loss of temper. No, Ron had gone too far and Hermione had no problem in telling him so.

You wouldn't know by Draco that he'd just been strangled. Not by a long shot. He stood up tall and proud, the red hand marks at his neck slowly fading. Hermione knew he'd have finger-shaped bruises tomorrow.

Harry's expressions were rather comical. She probably would have laughed at some other time. His face kept twitching, switching between emotions, disbelief, to anger, to confusion, to sadness.

Hermione didn't know if he'd ever be able to understand.

Ginny was angry. Hermione saw her former friend's face turn a steady red and knew that Ginny would not forgive her easily.

Hermione didn't care. She didn't feel like she needed to be forgiven. She hadn't done anything wrong. It wasn't her fault who she fell for. These were her friends, her fellow classmates and yet they felt like aliens, merciless and cold.

That was funny, because that's how she used to imagine Draco.

And then the whispers started. "Hermione," Draco said through the rivers of whispers. "Shall we leave?"

She nodded. A desperate eagerness rose inside her followed by a desperate relief. She had Draco. She wasn't alone. Draco would take care of her.

Later she would berate herself on the weak thoughts she had at that moment but right now those thoughts were extremely real and strong.

He led her away as she followed him blindly. She felt as if she was walking the walk of shame.

And then they were just by the door, with every one staring at them, when she remembered what he had shouted.

"And I'm with Hermione Granger!" he yelled, "and I'm damn proud of it!"

That gave her her strength back.

"Wait," she said loudly. "Wait, Draco."

He turned back to her when she stopped walking, one pale eyebrow raised. She turned back to her former friends, her former classmates, her former life and said a silent goodbye. Then she turned back to Draco and kissed him fully on the lips.

Things will never be the same now.

She knew it from the bottom of her heart but she didn't care. She was in Draco's arms, safe, protected and her other problems seemed desperately insignificant.

''''''''''''''

Draco watched as Hermione ended the kiss and left the Grand Hall, without one glance back. Draco, unable to help himself, turned back and gave Potter and Weasley one last insufferable smirk. Just for old time's sake.

Then he left, hurrying after Hermione. They couldn't go to their step; the rest of Hogwarts would be milling out soon enough. Instead they walked outside, silently. It was a cool night out and Draco slipped his outer robe over her bare shoulders without uttering a word. She didn't say anything, didn't glance at him, but kept walking determinedly on, her face shadowed.

Draco knew she was crying. He knew without any proof, any signals. He just knew. She made no sounds, no sniffles. Her shoulders didn't shake, didn't move at all. He just knew.

He followed her for a long time as she walked hastily but finally, he turned her by the shoulders. "Hermione," he said. "This is ridiculous. We can't keep walking around all night."

Then he caught sight of her face. Long streaks were on her cheeks, the result of her tears on her foundation. Her mascara hung low below her eyes. Her eyes were large and sparkling. She was still beautiful. Her make up was completely ruined but it didn't matter to him in the least. She looked like a tragic princess, having been betrayed by her fellow toads.

"Oh Hermione," he sighed. He immediately enveloped her in his arms and let her shudder and shake against his chest. He couldn't hear her crying, only feel it.

They stood like that for a very long time, Hermione crying until she couldn't cry anymore. Yet she still didn't move. She stayed in his arms and he was more than happy to let her.

Finally she slithered away from him and sat on the grass. He sat down beside her. He didn't move to touch her again. He knew she needed her space. He didn't look at her, didn't push her. She started out into the distance for a long time, obviously lost in her thoughts.

He let her. He surveyed the scenery with little interest, urging her silently to say something. But he knew she had to deal with this in her own way. Her friends were very dear to her. She was a very loyal person. He knew she felt many conflicting emotions at the moment and he also knew she would have to battle them out herself. He knew her well enough to know that he could not help. He wasn't loyal to his friends; he didn't really care about them. Yes, he felt a sense of loss. His reputation was in shatters and there was bound to be consequences but he was much more worried about her than for any of his problems to affect him.

He didn't really understand what she felt at the moment. He only knew that it hurt her deeply.

That night they sat in a deep silence. Not an uncomfortable one, just an apt one. They sat shoulder to shoulder, staring straight ahead. Both were content knowing the other was there. They hadn't lost the war, they had won.

They would just have to celebrate a little later.

''''''''''''''

The following day was a Saturday. No classes. Hermione awoke and was surprised to find herself outdoors. Then she remembered everything. She must have fallen asleep, she couldn't remember.

Draco was sitting up, looking around. He looked down at her as she got up and smiled. She examined him and realised how tired he looked.

"Please tell me you weren't up all night," she groaned.

"You never know what might be hanging around here, Hermione. It would have been impractical of me."

"Why didn't you just wake me?" she asked him, exasperated.

"You've only been asleep for an hour or two. I figured you needed a rest. It's really early." He gestured towards the half-risen sun.

Weren't you bored? She thought to him, but she was too tired to make her question vocal. Instead she pushed herself a little closer to him and said, "Did last night really happen?"

He caught her eye and slowly nodded.

"What's going to happen, Draco? They're all going to go mad. What are we going to do?" she asked him. Her eyes were dry. She didn't want to cry. Her head was much clearer. She had settled a few things last night in her head. She had Draco and she knew that because of him she'd be okay. She just didn't know how they were going to manage it.

"It's April now, Hermione. We're nearly finished school. It's going to speed by. They'll get bored, Hermione. Some other scandal will break out and they'll have that to gossip about."

She nodded. Not because she fully agreed but because Draco said it and there was always a high possibility that whatever he said was correct.

"Hermione, think of the positive side. No more secrets. We can see each other through the day, whenever we like, wherever we like. You don't have to worry anymore."

She looked at him as the realisation broke through. She knew that her face changed. Because he was right. No more skulking around. No more missing him. No more waiting for the sun to go down desperately.

Her face cracked into its first smile of the day. It seemed perfectly natural for her to kiss him then.

Now she felt the need to celebrate.

''''''''''''''''''

"Are you ready for this?" Draco asked. She could see the concern on his face. She was touched by it.

"Yes," she nodded. She added, more to convince herself than him, "I'm not weak, Draco."

"God bless the poor person that thought you weak," Draco joked lightly.

She gave him a reassuring smile. He kissed her on the forehead and after a minute, a sweet but meaningful kiss on the lips. His kisses always told her everything he was thinking, everything he was feeling. He was worried about her but he had faith in her. He knew she'd be okay and, because she trusted his opinion so much, she knew she'd be okay.

She stayed with him for a long time, in the small hallway leading off from the Gryffindor tower. But finally she walked away from him and told the fat lady the password, aware of his eyes focused on her, even after she had disappeared.

''''''''''''''''''''''

Draco stayed outside the Gryffindor tower, concealed in the shadows, just in case she rushed out in tears. When it became clear though that this was not going to happen, he began to slowly walk down to the dungeons.

Now it was time to find his own bravery.

He thought of meeting Hermione tomorrow. All he had to do now was get into his room and sleep. It wasn't that hard. The thought of his bed was slightly reassuring too. He hadn't slept in quite a while.

He muttered the password and stepped into the cold Slytherin common room.

"Oh, look who it is." Pansy's cold voice reached him before he had even seen her. He looked around and saw more than half of the Slytherin population of the school, sitting on the chairs, knitted together closely, obviously plotting some horrible torment for him.

"Why, Pansy, you recognised me. You must be smarter than you look." He cast her a sneering look up and down.

"Shut up, Muggle-lover," Blaise Zabini said calmly.

"Hermione," he pronounced her name quite clearly, "is a Muggleborn witch, therefore she is not a muggle."

"Her parents are Muggles," Zabini shot back.

"I have never met her parents," he said, sneering. "Therefore, I do not love them as of yet. I'm sure they are rather decent people, all right. Better than whatever monkeys raised you, Zabini."

"My father's a Death Eater. They're better than her parents are, anyway. Bloody bin men, I bet."

"They're dentists." Draco told him. "In fact, maybe you should go talk to them. You teeth aren't looking all that great. Maybe it ruins in the family, you know, from all that death your dad must eat at his oh-so-important job."

"Have you no bloody respect?" Zabini said in a quite frankly shocked voice.

"No." Draco said shortly. "Why? Should I?"

"My father's a Death Eater. Follower of Voldemort. Fulfilling the noble-"

"Quest of clearing the world of all unpure wizards and witches," Draco finished for him tiredly. "Yes, I know. I am aware of your father's strange hobbies. Why would I have respect for him about that? My bloody father was a Death Eater and I had no bloody respect for him. Not even when it put him in the ground!"

"My father's a Death Eater," Zabini repeated sullenly, obviously wondering why this didn't have the same affect on Draco as it did everyone else.

"And Voldemort's dead by blooming Potter. Your father's pretty much unemployed!"

"At least he'd have never done what you've done," Zabini said. "Run of with some Mudblood."

"He would have, had he got the chance. But nobody would go near him, pureblood or not. That's why he got stuck with a ugly mule like your mother."

Zabini would have jumped him, had he not been trained by his father to keep his emotions in. As it was, his vein was bulging in his temple and he was slowly advancing towards Draco.

"You'll take that back, Malfoy," Zabini said coldly.

"And that's why he's stuck with an ugly mule like you for a son," Draco continued as if he hadn't heard him. He'd gone too far now, Draco knew, there was no turning back.

Slowly the Slytherins were creeping up on him. Pansy was smiling wildly, her eyes bulging eagerly. Goyle and Crabbe were flexing their muscles, preparing themselves. Zabini was in front. Draco looked upon his former allies, his former partners in crime, and said the last word before they were fully upon him. "You're pathetic," he told them fearlessly, "all of you. Mere sheep. Cowards. If only you could see yourselves as I see you now."

Draco contemplated briefly on the irony of the situation and realised that only a couple of months ago, Draco probably would have been in the front with Zabini, inflicting the situation on some other poor kid.

Draco saw now what he was and what he now had become. And he was glad. Thankful. Thankful that he had got away before it was too late. Before he had turned into his father, before the effects neither could nor would ever be reversed.

That was his last thought before Crabbe or Goyle's fist smashed into his face.

'''''''''''''''''

Hermione stepped into the Gryffindor Common Room. The room went silent. Everyone looked at her, stared at her. She felt like she was naked, standing there, with a spotlight on her.

She stared back at them, defiantly, until some people looked down, somewhat ashamed. Some glared back at her.

"Betrayer…" The whisper passed by her in the air and Hermione turned to the direction at which it had obviously come from. There sat Ginny Weasley, her eyes narrowed, disgust written upon her face.

Hermione stood there, looking for a friendly face among the crowds. There was none. Harry was there, a couple of tables away, simply watching her. His face didn't portray anything. It was blank and unforgiving. Ron was beside him, writing, not looking up with an air of grim stubbornness from him, his face red.

Fine! She thought angrily. She gathered herself up and walked through her staring audience and up into her room. She slammed the door behind her.

Lavender and Parviti were already inside, talking. When Hermione stepped in, the two immediately stopped talking and turned their faces away. Hermione quickly went to her bed and drew the curtain around. She undressed, listening to the grim silence. As she got into bed, she heard the two girls start whispering. Hermione knew the whispering was about her.

She used the back of her hand to push away her one stray tear. It wasn't long before she fell asleep, dreading the time when she would wake up and see them.

She missed Draco already.

''''''''''''''''

This isn't the end, obviously. Thanks for reading so far and please review to tell me what you think!

The review button is looking forward to being pressed!