Chapter Two: Discovery

Author's Notes: Yeah, well, I couldn't bare the thought of making you all wait for the next one, so I hurried up and wrote it! And I'll do it at whatever flippin' pace I feel like! God! (I love Napoleon Dynamite)

Disclaimer: See previous chappie!

Draco's mouth hung open. Hermione looked just as surprised as Draco felt. Hermione rushed forward, but Draco met her halfway. Her arms swung around his neck just as his wrapped around her waist.

"Draco." She whispered, barely audible, yet he heard her. He could hear her; he could smell her; he could feel her; and he wasn't dreaming.

"Malfoy," Ron spat, his flaming red hair accented by hot-pink ears, "What are you doing here? Have you come to turn yourself in? Or does your mother need someone to remind her of poor old Lucius-poo."

Draco let Hermione go, his hands balled up into fists.

"Ronald!" Hermione shouted. She'd had it with him; she hated him. "Damn it! Just leave!" Ron looked shocked. Draco stepped aside, letting Ron exit the room without obstruction.

"Draco. I'm sorry; Ron is a bit of a peeve lately. Since he lost Harry he's been a bit obnoxious. He keeps saying he loves me, but I saved my heart for one in particular." Hermione smiled and ran her fingers down his cheek.

Draco heaved a sigh. Hermione looked at him with sad, vacant brown eyes. Oh, how he'd missed her, but why? Why was she here? This was the only place worse than death.

"Draco, what's wrong?" She questioned, reaching up to push a strand of his blond hair away from his pale face.

"Hermione," He paused, contemplating what to say, "Hermione, I'm sorry."

'Great Draco, you can't even form a real sentence!' His mind criticized him. Hermione furrowed her brows.

"Why are you sorry?" She asked. Great, he'd said something stupid and didn't have a reason why. Draco thought, but there was only one reason.

"Hermione, I shouldn't have let you go. You put yourself in danger and I wasn't there to help you." Draco stammered.

'Smooth.' His mind retorted.

Hermione sighed, "Draco, I wouldn't have let you stop me anymore, you know that."

Yeah, he knew that. She was a determined girl and there was nothing he could do to stop her.

"Come on; let's get you out of here." Draco said, taking her hand, "You can stay with me."

Hermione shook her head. "Draco, I can't leave. I don't think they'll let me; the doctors I mean. I could be dangerous. This is where I belong now. If I wasn't I might be running through the streets accusing people of being Voldemort and blowing their brains out."

Draco laughed. Hermione; Hermione Granger; blowing the brains out of the innocent passerby in Diagon Alley; the thought of the bushy-haired book work was amusing.

"Hermione, love, you know you don't belong you. There are things, other than medicine, that can fix a broken heart." Draco said, caressing her cheek with his fingers.

Seven Years Previously

"Malfoy, just move, we don't have time for this today." Hermione said as she shoved her way past Draco Malfoy; heart-throb of the century.

"Why should I? Oh, yes, we wouldn't want Miss Perfect Grades Granger to be late for class." Draco said as he smirked, blocking her way once again.

"Move Malfoy or I'll turn you into a ferret." Hermione threatened. Draco winced; everyone referenced the incident in their fourth year.

"I'll take my chances. Being around you is worth being a ferret." Draco stopped dead; even his breathing halted. Had he just told Hermione that? Hermione narrowed her eyes and tried once again to push her way past Draco, only to fail.

"Malfoy, stop messing with me and move."

"Who said I was messing with you?" Draco said nonchalantly. She doubled over in laughter.

"Please. Mr. Pureblood Malfoy. Yeah right!" Hermione gasped between spasms of laughter. He reached out and cupped her chin in his hand, Hermione quickly pulled away.

"I'm serious … Hermione." He said, using her first name. She stopped laughing; this time around it was shock that occupied her face. A bell rang through the hallways. Now they were both late.

"Great, I'm late and all because you have obviously flushed your brain down the loo several times." Hermione spat. Draco touched her cheek, she flinched at his touch.

"Hermione, I'm serious." Draco said, meeting Hermione's brown eyes with his cold ones. Hermione felt faint. Lord did he look beautiful.

Author's Notes: So ends 'Discovery' the second chapter to Our Friend: Romance. I left it at a cliffhanger in both time periods. Although, it's pretty obvious what happens after the flashback. And Willow, you won because I posted a second chapter pretty quickly.

Anyway, you know the drill. Leave me reviews and I'll write more.

From Author to You, the Reviewer:

AHelplessPyro911: Jess, thanks for the ideas (and the other random reviews on stories I know you've already read). Just remember, Flash Backs are your friend! I ended up doing a peice of that in this Chapter. So deal with it.Anywho, Ninny appreciates the review, you should publish Harry Potter fics before I shoot you! As for the "Jess-ay the Esay", you just wish you had my mad English slaughtering skills.

Amandasue06: Thanks, I tried to get this chapter up as soon as I could.

JessicaMcConacil: Dear, if I spelled the name wrong I'm sorry. Thanks for the reviews on my other stories and I'll try to return the favor to you (and everyone with a published story that has left me a review) as soon as I can.

EbonyAmandabrittney44: Hooray for using the word love in reference to one of my fics! That makes me happy!

MiSs JoVaNNa: Thank you so much. Like I said before, I tried to get this chapter up as soon as I could.

Those who did not submit a signed review: Thank you for the reviews. But I didn't want to go through each one separately and give a comment to each of you. So, in summary, thank you all so much for the reviews, and another thank you again. Especially Dragon, you were the only one to complain about the cliffhanger.