A/N: Your reviews are AWESOME! I lurve them. I can't give you individual messages coz they're so many so I'll just answer the ones with questions.

Thank you to: macotee, deep blue quill, phoenixtears12, red blood black soul, doggies45, anon11, hiscefit, charmedsisters, melovedraco, Slytherin ice princess, rosemikztah, collie, ann-marie

:::PASSES AROUND CHOCOLATE BUNNIES:::

ThelovelyladyLily: Pixie sticks are a sort of candy...well sugar mostly that is packaged in a short thin tube...it's really good...I'm sure you have some pixie sticks in Australia...maybe with a different name? I love it there in Australia, by the way. I've been there a few summers ago. And I think that Hermione knew which one because they were in a sort of 'order' like third door to the left and stuff like that.

Sxcting: Good question. I think you'll have to read on till the last chapter.

Please Note:

By the way, I have decided that this fic needs an extra chapter because I couldn't possibly fit it in 2 chapters therefore, this fic will have 21 chapters instead of 20.

ON WITH MY STORY!

Chapter 19: Nevermore

Hermione and Draco spent more and more time with each other. Yes, they were connected by the bond, but they were close together in the common room, they studied together, they sat by the fire together. They did everything together, but they minimized their contact in the hallways and in classes, because people might get the wrong idea.

They've never dated each other, but they had feelings for each other beyond those who are dating. They began to feel like they loved each other. But of course, they weren't sure.

Christmas passed, the snow melted and everything on the grounds of Hogwarts became green again. Hermione had started studying, ("Finals are only four months away!") and Draco had to agree.

Their lessons were becoming quite hard. Spells were difficult to master, and lectures were hard to memorize. Aside from that, they had Advanced DADA, and they had prefect duties.

Hermione held Draco's hand whenever they sat together; they had this dazed look when they looked at each other.

Draco lost his suaveness when he was around Hermione. He began to feel nervous, and he always repeated words in his head before he said them.

They realized that they felt the same way for each other, but it wasn't only them who noticed.

Harry and Ron sat on the Gryffindor table for breakfast, just a few steps away from where Hermione and Draco sat.

"Hermione's been smiling a lot lately", Harry told Ron.

"Maybe she still has the Christmas cheer", Ron suggested.

"It's February, Ron"

"So?"

"Well I don't—"

They were interrupted when they suddenly saw Hermione, with Draco, coming up to them.

"Hey Harry, hey Ron", Hermione said cheerily.

"Hey Hermione," they said together.

"Malfoy," Harry acknowledged.

Draco didn't say anything; he just nodded his head in their direction. Harry's eyes wandered over to where Hermione's hands were. He was shocked by what she saw. They were holding hands.

Harry had never seen this behavior from Hermione.

"Hey, Hermione...why are you—"

Out of nowhere, little fairies came out spilling red, pink and white confetti all over the tables along with some silver and gold glitter. Little dwarves with wings dressed up like cupid came in from the entrance and they started swooping around the tables singing songs and delivering...

"Oh, I forgot about today", Ron said, "Did you get something for Cho, Harry?"

"Some Honeydukes chocolate"

"Well Harry, good luck", Hermione said, "We have to go...happy valentines' day to you"

With that, Hermione pulled Draco away to first period.

"D'you reckon they're hiding something?" Harry asked Ron

"Why D'you think so?"

"I think that they are", Harry said, "They were holding hands"

"WHAT?"

--

They had theory quizzes again, and they were harder this time. This time, the quizzes included everything that they had learned that year. It was a good thing that Hermione had studied up the night before, but Draco needed that mind-reading spell more than ever.

Nonetheless, he was sure about his answers on 90 of the questions since he had heard Hermione reciting incantations the night before, and he finished all quizzes just in time for the forty-minute limit that was set by each of their professors.

--

Later that day, Draco and Hermione had prefect duties. They patrolled the grounds that led into the forbidden forest, and the grounds in front of Hagrid's hut.

"Dumbledore never let us patrol this part of Hogwarts before," Hermione said, a little confused, "well except on Halloween"

"I suppose he wanted to prevent students from making out", Draco said, "It is Valentines' today after all"

"And students get that tingling feeling", Hermione smiled, acting out a lovesick girl.

"I know I get that when I'm around Draco", Hermione said to herself.

"Sort of like the one when I have around you", Draco thought, and he smiled at Hermione. She looked so cute when she had nothing on her mind. She was just happy and carefree.

Little did he know that Hermione was becoming really worried, because up to now, the chain hadn't broken yet. Her pendant had been glowing non-stop, and both of them noticed that.

Draco's pendant was getting dull, the silver was tarnishing, and the Draco was feeling sorry for the diamond, which was just sitting there, waiting for nothing.

"Draco," said Hermione hopelessly, "the chain won't break, will it?"

"Of course it will", Draco said, "It's just waiting for the right time"

"What if that time never comes?"

"There's a time for everything", Draco said smoothly.

Hermione took a deep breath. "Maybe Draco's right", she thought, "there's nothing to get worked up about"

Draco took Hermione's hand in an effort to calm her down. Hermione tightened her grip and immediately felt a feeling of warmth.

They held each other's hand and watched as the sun began to set.

"Hey Hermione", a voice called. It was Ron, and Pansy Parkinson followed behind.

"Hello Ron, what are you doing here?" Hermione was suddenly thrown out of her daydreams and back to cold hard reality.

"It's our shift", Pansy called out.

"I believe I was asking Ron" an irritated Hermione said.

Draco tightened his grip on Hermione and led her out to the lake. Hermione was surprised that this was where they were going.

"Aren't we going back?"

"Back where", Draco said, "to the castle?"

"Yes"

"No, of course not"

Hermione looked at Draco in a funny way. Where was he bringing her? Her question was answered when Draco sat down by the lake.

"Hey, Hermione sit down with me"

Hermione awkwardly sat down. They faced the sun. It was beginning to go down. Slowly. Hermione rested her head on Draco's shoulder, and Draco had his arm around her waste. They were so close together.

Draco got that tingling sensation in his stomach. Hermione too.

"'Mione"

"Draco?"

"I want to tell you something"

"Yes?"

"I—"

Suddenly, as if on cue, there was a blinding flash of blue light that came out from each of their pendants.

"Hermione!"

"Draco", Hermione said weakly.

The blue light continued to shine, and Hermione opened her eyes. Their pendants were connected again. They were suddenly thrown back a few meters away from each other.

Red smoke billowed from Hermione's pendant. It made her cough, and she edged away as the bright red smoke lingered in between them.

At the same time, smoke emitted from Draco's pendant. This time, it wasn't a bright green color; instead, it was pure white. It drifted in between them. The red smoke and white smoke intertwined to form two hearts that were connected with each other.

The smoke suddenly separated then drifted beside each other. In other words, they were put together. You could've supposed the smoke would've turned pink, but it didn't. It formed two translucent, smoky light blue birds, with light blue smoke trailing from their tail feathers.

One bird flew to Hermione's direction, and the other to Draco's.

Then, the birds started to circle around their heads, and electric blue sparks shot in the sky, landing on the green, green ground beside the lake.

Then, Hermione heard a faint whisper.

"Omnia vincit amor; et nos cedamus amori. Tempus omnia revelat" a voice from nowhere said.

Draco heard it too.

"Omnia vincit amor; et nos cedamus amori. Tempus omnia revelat"

It seemed to be getting louder and louder, and they started feeling dizzy. With each chant, the birds flew closer and closer to them, and they fell back in surprise.

The chanting stopped abruptly, and the birds disintegrated into light blue smoke once more. That light blue smoke suddenly shot into their chests, and with that, they both fell unconscious.

--

A/N: Hmm...what happened here? Sorry if the chapter is pretty short but it does make a point, don't you think? Because of my tight schedule, I might not be able to post the next chapter until next week I AM SERIOUS! BUT I can probably fit in the 20th chapter tomorrow if I get motivated by enough reviews. So I still have this entire bag of chocolate bunnies...what I need is an entire page of REVIEWS! ;)

Here is what the chant means: Love conquers all things; let us too surrender to love. Time reveals all things.

Oh yeah, this is what the incantation that Dumbledore used means: I hated and I love, perhaps you ask why I do it...I don't know, but I feel it and I'm tortured

Here's the mind reading spell translated: All things are changing, and we are changing with them. The changing vine becomes the living vine.

They are Latin phrases if you were wondering.

And do you know why I chose "nevermore" as the title of this chapter?

It's because of the raven in Edgar Allan Poe's work.

On the morrow he will leave me, as my hopes have flown before."
Then the bird said, "Nevermore."

-The Raven

See? It symbolizes the birds in the chapter, although I never really intended them to be here.

NOW I'LL STOP MY RANTING...so YOU can REVIEW.