Synopsis: K, so we've established that Maria's a bitch.

A/N: HERE IT BLOODY IS!!!! HAHAHAHA!!! YOU CAN NEVER YELL AT ME AGAIN!!! AAAAAAHAHAHAH ~calming down~ Ooh, "I Want You Back" by NSync just came on, how apropos. Yes, well, I was feeling too wordy, so I cut most of 34 out and combined 34 and 35 for the treat of a lifetime! If you don't like fluff, I'm telling you now: DON'T READ THIS!!! Uh, if you find that the second ¾ of this fic is weird-sounding it's b/c I wrote this puppy about… I dunno… 2 months ago? So anyway, here it is! Oh, and I finally incorporated the title song, lol!

Disclaimer: HP is JKR's, "Never is a Promise" belongs to Fiona Apple

*********THIS IS HORRIBLY OOC AND I DON'T CARE! SO DON'T BOTHER REVIEWING AND TELLING ME IT'S OOC B/C I KNOW!! HEEHEE******



"Come on, hurry up!" Maria called back.

Draco and Guy sighed a bit, and picked up their pace, Jerome and Kurt followed suit.

They approached a pounding disco with a large fluorescent sign shaped like an exclamation point. This was the third time in four days that they'd been there, none of the boys were too excited, but seeing as how Maria was the only one who knew her way around, they followed her.

After about an hour of dancing with no one special, Draco went over to the bar and ordered himself a drink. Maria sat down next to him.

"I didn't know your Mudblood friend had the top scores at Hogwarts, Draco. I thought you did," she said smoothly.

Draco shrugged, "No, Hermione's a lot smarter than I am."

"I've heard you're very smart, though," she continued sycophantically.

Draco gave her a confused look, "From who?"

"My cousin, she goes to Hogwarts."

"Who's your cousin?" Draco asked, taking a sip of his whiskey.

"Pansy Parkinson."

Draco spit his drink out in shock, "What?"

"Her mother is my father's sister. She's told me all about you."

He became slightly worried at the tone of her voice. "What exactly did she tell you?"

"Oh, just that everyone loves you and you're Head Boy. She told me about what you said about Granger to her in the corridor, and how Hermione found out," she laughed cruelly. "She's really pathetic, you know. She wears this orange shirt ALL the time, and tries to act like you gave it to her."

"She wears that shirt? All the time?"

Maria nodded, "Yes, when she's in the common area with her little friends, she looks terrible in it. She's quite a little homebody, I bet all she does is study. Anyway, let's not talk about Hermione. My presentation is tomorrow, aren't you excited?"

Draco cleared his throat, "Uh, yeah… sorry, what's it on again?"

Maria pouted, "Don't you pay attention to me, Draco? It's on International Wizard Commerce, my Daddy helped my out a lot with it, so my part will be good. I don't know about Franco's, he's stupid anyway, I have no idea why he got chosen to come here, too."

"He seemed smart enough to me, Maria," Draco suggested.

"He's not, and his family is only about one step up from those Weasleys you told me about."

"They're not so bad, really."

Maria laughed uproariously, "That's what I love about you Draco, you're so funny!"

"You know, it's funny how I didn't pick up that you and Pansy were cousins sooner," he said with an internal smirk.

Maria smiled widely, and flipped her hair over her shoulder, "It's a good thing good looks run in our family, I suppose. Pretty, rich, pure-blooded… I'm sure it's what your poor, honorable father would have wanted for you, Draco," she said lowly.

Draco stared hard down at the bar, as if only just then remembering that most of the Dark Side didn't know the circumstances of Lucius' death. Voldemort didn't want anyone to know that a 17-year-old had escaped his wrath.

"Father made it quite clear to me what he wanted me to do with my life before he passed on. I certainly take his words into consideration every day," he replied stonily.

Maria placed her hand on his thigh, "That's good to know. I know many Pureblooded families would hate to see the Malfoy name tainted. I'm glad you know where your priorities lie."

Draco shifted uncomfortably, "I guess. Uh, let's go find Kurt and Jerome and Guy."

They found their friends heading out the door.

"Where are you guys going?" Draco asked frantically.

"We're going to get some food, want to come?" Kurt said.

"No! One more dance, Draco. We'll meet you back at the hotel, bye!"

Draco shot Guy a look, as Maria dragged him back to the dance floor.

Hermione was once again spending the night with her new friends. She was with Kevin, Daisy, Eleanor, and Marine. Sophie was out on a date with Alex from Durmstrang, and everyone else was tired after their long day.

"So, Hermione, how are things going with Draco?" Kevin asked.

Hermione looked up, surprised, "Uh… things? What things?"

Kevin smirked, "What things do you THINK I mean?"

She stuck her nose in the air, "I have no idea what you're talking about."

Kevin laughed heartily, "Right, right. Everyone can see it, you know… we're all waiting!"

"See what?"

"Look, Hermione," Daisy broke in, "Everyone knows, you two should just get it over with."

"'It,' as you two so eloquently put it, is never going to happen!"

Eleanor joined in, "Come on, Hermione you could slice the tension with a knife!"

"What would you do if I told you I knew for a fact?" Kevin said.

Hermione pinked, "I would say you're a liar."

He shook his head, "Listen, you don't have to believe me, but it's there. He likes you, you like him! Two plus two still equals four in my book."

"Look, I know what you all think, but, it's too complicated, and it just… won't ever happen, ok?" She was practically yelling at that point. "I'm going on a walk, I'll see you guys later, sorry," she whispered, running out the door.

Her friends sat in silence for a moment.

"K, I've got dibs on tonight," Kevin said.

"No, they won't get together till tomorrow after Maria's speech. He'll realize she's a complete moron, and sweep Hermione into his arms!" Daisy exclaimed.

Eleanor shook her had, "No, tonight's the night!"

Marine nodded, "It will, we've all been waiting too long!"

Kevin smiled smugly, "We'll see!"



Hermione was walking alone down the cobbled road in the dusky evening light. The air was chilly, but not too cold. Up ahead, she saw two people walking together, holding hands.

"Why does this city have to be so damn romantic?" she spoke to herself miserably, "It makes me sick."

Only then did she get a closer look at the couple in front of her, and when she did, her stomach lurched so far, she thought she'd vomit. It was Draco and Maria. Hermione looked all around her, there were none of those little alleys to walk through, it was either walk past them, walk behind them, or turn around and go all the way back. Hermione quickly decided that quickly walking past would be her best option. She began to speed up, and she walked over to the other side of the road. She came to about 10 feet behind them, when they stopped.

Hermione couldn't believe what happened next. She looked over, and saw them kissing. 'They look perfect,' she thought, 'Standing there under the lamp post.' Hermione hung her head and walked past. She quickly reached the hotel, and got on the elevator, her lower lip was trembling. As the lift reached her floor, she dashed off and ran to her room.

Hermione made sure that all the doors were locked before she flopped down on her bed, weeping unabashedly. 'I can't believe I was actually so stupid as to think….. I mean, I KNEW it would never have happened!' she thought, as she pounded her fists in to her pillow. Bleary-eyed, Hermione sat up and walked over the CD player that finally worked correctly, and without being charmed. She stuck in a CD, clicked it to the right number, and pushed repeat.

You'll never see the courage I know

Its colours' richness won't appear within your view

I'll never glow the way that you glow

Your presence dominates the judgements made on you

But as the scenery grows, I see in different lights

The shades and shadows undulate in my perception

My feelings swell and stretch; I see from greater heights

I understand what I am still too proud to mention to you

You'll say you understand, but you don't understand

You'll say you'd never give up seeing eye to eye

But never is a promise, and you can't afford to lie

You'll never touch these things that I hold

The skin of my emotions lies beneath my own

You'll never feel the heat of this soul

My fever burns me deeper than I've ever shown to you

You'll say, Don't fear your dreams, it's easier than it seems

You'll say you'd never let me fall from hopes so high

But never is a promise and you can't afford to lie

You'll never live the life that I live

I'll never live the life that wakes me in the night

You'll never hear the message I give

You'll say it looks as though I might give up this fight

But as the scenery grows, I see in different lights

The shades and shadows undulate in my perception

My feelings swell and stretch, I see from greater heights

I realize what I am now too smart to mention - to you

You'll say you understand, you'll never understand

I'll say I'll never wake up knowing how or why

I don't know what to believe in, you don't know who I am

You'll say I need appeasing when I start to cry

But never is a promise and I'll never need a lie

As the song played over and over, Hermione stared out at the now-black sky. 'Just a few more days,' she thought.

Draco was walking down the cobbled road with Maria, who was talking his ear off.

"…..And then I said to Franco that HE was spending too much time with the Austrian delegation. But that was unimportant, really. I went shopping today, and I got the most beautiful….. Draco, are you listening?"

'NO NO NO NO NO NO!!! No, I am NOT listening to you!' his mind screamed.

"Of course I am," he lied.

"Hmm, well, lets stop here for a moment." They paused under the light of a street lamp.

Draco looked out over the canal. "Venice is so beautiful."

He turned to look at Maria, but she was already about two inches away from him.

"I think I know what you mean," she said coyly. She wrapped her arms around his neck and pulled him in to a kiss.

It took Draco a second to realize what was going on, and he pulled away, "Wha-what are you doing?"

"Well, isn't that what you WANTED?"

"Um, no, I just meant that the city was beautiful!"

"Well, you sure didn't act like that!" Maria put her hands on her hips and tapped her foot impatiently.

It was then that Draco heard rapid footsteps behind them. He turned to see Hermione's swiftly retreating figure. 'Fuck!'

"Look, Maria, I really like you a lot, but I don't like you, you know, like THAT."

"Fine."

"I'm really sorry I, uh, kind of have to go. I'll see you tomorrow. Bye, Maria."

She narrowed her eyes at him, and he turned and ran off to the hotel.

He got up to their floor, and ran in to his room over to the door that connected his room to Hermione's. He listened for a moment. He could hear Hermione's song playing, and could hear something else, faintly, underneath. He took a chance and knocked.

"Hermione?"

No answer.

"Hermione? Open the door."

Nothing.

Draco sighed and looked around exasperatedly. His eyes fell upon his wand, which he grabbed. Draco pointed it at the doorknob.

"Alohomora!" The lock clicked open.

Draco opened the door and saw Hermione lying down on her bed, her face was in her pillow, and her shoulders were shaking almost violently. He walked over to the bed.

"Hermione….."

She sat up, surprised, "What do you want? Get out of my room!"

"Hermione, I can explain!"

"I don't want to hear your explanations; in fact, I don't even know what you're talking about!"

"Hermione, I saw you down by the canal."

"Really, you seemed far to preoccupied with other things to notice ME!"

Draco looked in to her eyes. He had never seen her with a more hurt expression on her face, and it gave him a funny pain in his stomach. Hermione stared right in to his eyes, and sniffled.

"Hermione," he whispered, "Please don't cry. I hate it when you cry."

"You don't seem to have a problem being the most common cause of the tears, do you? Shouldn't you be out with your girlfriend Maria anyway?"

"How could Maria be my girlfriend… if I have the most perfect girl sitting in front of me here, ripping my heart out because I made her cry?"

This, of course, only served to make her cry even harder. "I ~sob~ hate ~sob~ you ~sob~ Draco ~sob~ Malfoy ~sob~!"

Draco wrapped Hermione up in his arms, and let her cry in to his shoulder as he stroked her hair.

"Shhhh, don't cry, please don't cry."

"Why not?" she wailed.

"Because it only makes you more beautiful, and I don't know if I can handle that," he smiled.

Hermione pulled away from Draco, "But my eyes are all red and my cheeks are blotchy. I think Maria would be a better candidate for 'beautiful' right now," she said thickly.

Draco wiped Hermione's cheek. "I hope you'll allow me to disagree. Besides, there is one huge difference between you and her that will never change."

"What?" Hermione sniffled.

Draco took a deep breath, "I am completely, desperately in love with you. You are the first thing I think of when I wake up in the morning, and the last thing I think of before I go to sleep. You are beautiful, smart, kind, and everything that I am not. You have saved my life in more ways than one, and I never show you my appreciation. I've hurt you so many times, and I don't deserve to be sitting in here with you. You are my soul mate, and I am so in love with you, Hermione Granger, and I'm sorry that I make you cry."

Hermione looked up in to his eyes, speechless. "I forgive you," she whispered.

He put his hands on her cheeks. "I have been waiting for this since the Yule Ball," he said, and kissed her softly.

When they finally broke away, Hermione looked in to his eyes and smiled. She wrapped her arms around his waist, and flopped her head back down on the pillow, bringing him with her.

"We're going to sleep now," she told him with a smile.

They snuggled under the covers, wrapped in each others arms.

"Draco?"

"Yeah, Mione?"

"I love you, too."

She felt him smile, and she settled in to his arms, and they fell asleep.





A/N: AWWWWWWWWWWW! Well wasn't that sweet? ~rolls eyes at self~ Sheesh, took me long enough, huh? But there you have it, a declaration of love and a consensual smooch!

And, don't worry, Maria still has hers coming… f'ing bitch! Heeheehee

Thanks to all who r/r'd All I Want! Now, on to thanks!

~Arime Setta, Midnight Auror, Beauty Full, Draco'z Chick, Blue-Chick 89, michee, kitty, Chrissy, Azalai, Roxy, lukestwin, moon, Gryphon, Porkypop, Jessie, DarkAngel009988, Volcana, Serenity, Kristina, Camilla, LilyAyl, DMRox, lovinhp, starbrite, cad, Lain, A Malfoy, steph, Veronica, HpRuLz4eVa, Caetlin Vermeer, Silver Starlight, Dasani Black, Caroline, Angelicgirl, shinoda's baby girl78, Elizabeth Choi, LJ, Christine, 'mione, Kstarr74, mimi, Ruth Owl, Aradia, Rugi Gwena, Epequa, mjc, citywitch110, AmiAmiNSusu, Jenna Malfoy, Jordan, Fearless Kitty, Alanna Roseguard, HarryPotterCC1, Gryffindor Quidditch Angel, Icy Stormz, Madame Padfoot, The Charmed One, Jax, Mrs. Amanda Malfoy, =), p.e.n.n.y, catchytune, Kat097, kikimachi, DarkIllusion, blueearthgoddess, akiri pie-chan, lion1990



Seeker4reality- Ooh, I have a banner? How fun!! Lol… you freaking kill me, lol.

Ayod Botla- I kiiiiiind of have a beta, I send all of the chaps to Squin when I finish writing them, and I only have about 7 more chapters of this left in me, so ~shrug~ If I ever redo it, I might get one. I also might get one for "All I Want" but I don't know about that either… we'll see, lol.

Rhiannon Greenleaf- LOL, I haven't forgotten! Don't worry!

Elizabeth L. Digby- Ooooh!! Thanks for advertising! I'm glad I compel you to write reviews, lol!

Ryoko- yeah, she did say Prada backpack, I was just going off on random tangents. "You see, there's a difference between like and love. Cause, I like my Sketchers, but I LOVE my Prada backpack! But I love my Sketchers… That's because you don't HAVE a Prada backpack! Ohhhh." Ahem, sorry.

Fleur- I am never going to forgive you!!! Lol, jk. I dunno what it is about P/O, but I LOVE them!! I might even love them more than S/Hr, which is my current fave b/c I'm sick of D/Hr, lol (even though most of my faves are D/Hr). But Percy and Oliver are PERFECT for each other… Note that I didn't' say anything about ~drool~ Sean Biggerstaff. He doesn't have to be gay, lol, just Oliver :^P

Arwen- I'm thickening, I swear!! Just not yet, I had to get that over with.

Nedesico- Aw, I'm sorry you had a crap week. If it makes you feel better, I have a 10 page paper due on Descartes' "Meditations" in 2 days that I haven't started. Don't EVER take philosophy, ok? Just don't.

PRIYA-CHAN- I'M SORRY!!! I FORGET SOMEONE ALL THE TIME AND THEN I COMPENSATE BY TYPING IN CAPS LOCK AND MAKING MYSELF LOOK LIKE AN ASS!! THANK YOU SOOOOO MUCH FOR THE REVIEWS!

Dragonrider Sakura- do you still need those chapters??

Nuada- Ha! See, I updated right after you so now I get to threaten you some more! Jk jk, great job on both the stories! You know I love them!

Firefaerie96- AH!! NO!!!! This is SO not better than Their Room!! Lol, I'll let you have your own opinion, but that's like saying Trelawney is cooler than Snape! Lol, I'm a dork.

Noelle- Je sais, je sais! Oh, j'aime le français, c'est meilleur que l'anglais, n'est-ce pas?

D Suzanna L.- LOL ! Since when am I "everyone's favourite D/Hr author"? That's v. flattering! Thank you for saying so, but I must humbly and honestly disagree :^P

RebeccaSl8- I'm 18 and I live in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania in the US.

Johnny Apple Chunks- lol, you spelled it right. I am SUCH a stickler for spelling and grammar. Oooohhh…. It drives me nuts! ~calming down~

Christine- Ch. 1 of my Snape fic is up, it's called "All I Want"

Aaaaaaaaaaaaand

Squinny- Soooooo, ahem, how's the weather? Dark-skinned babies!!!







And in the words of Jenna Malfoy, "Stay tuned for the next episode of 'Never is a Promise'!"