A/N - Greetings, earthlings! Nah, don't worry; I haven't turned into an alien monster (though I have been compared to one), but I'm just on a 'high' after writing this chapter, mainly because things actually happen in it. Yippee! You people have been very nice and not mentioned that nothing very exciting has happened yet, but, frankly, I'm getting a little bored of the story myself, so I decided to spice things up a little. (Evil laugh)

Now for the reviews - Peronelle, I think I at least have the right to decide how to end sentences! It doesn't sound abrupt to me. You're lucky I'm so happy after writing this chapter right now, or I'd bite your head off. Ilenya, we miss you, too! Okay, please e-mail me, because I keep forgetting and I really want to keep in touch. It sounds lame, I know, but it's the truth. For all you other people, one request - please write more detailed reviews! 'Good chappie' leaves me with a thousand questions like, "Did they like it?" "Are they just saying it to be nice?" "Was something wrong with the chapter?" Even if you don't like a particular chapter, please say so and also say why, so I can, in future, avoid making the same mistake. But I must say that you are a really great group of reviewers and you make me very happy!

One note before you read the chapter, the significance and meaning of the title will be realised later on in the story. If I revealed everything now, it wouldn't be much fun, so I'm leaving it open for guesses. (Evil laugh again)

Chapter 15 – A Date With Destiny

As Hermione walked through Diagon Alley with Harry there were a hundred thoughts running through her head. Even though she had resolved not to want and expect anything but friendship from Draco, she wondered what was going to happen. Would anything even happen or would it just be a casual lunch between two friends? The shops were a blur as she passed them and she hardly knew where she was walking. If Harry hadn't been there to lead the way she might have gone anywhere. But he wasn't there for all the way; he had some things to buy for quidditch and work and then he would meet Ron and Laetitia at the Leaky Cauldron, where Hermione would join them after lunch.

Harry said goodbye to Hermione at 'Brooms and Runes', a hobby shop. "Now, listen, Hermione, try not to get too upset if he talks about the wedding and all," he told her. "I'm sure he has compulsions that force him to marry that Marissa. You just go and have a good time, okay?"

Hermione assured him she would and then walked on. Her pace fastened as she drew closer to the Café and walked in to find Draco already there.

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The first half hour or so of their lunch 'date' was spent in idle chatter. It was as if neither of them wanted to talk about what both of them were so anxious about. Finally Hermione asked, "So how's the wedding coming along?"

Draco had dreaded this question. He knew she was trying to sound casual but the pain was evident in her eyes. It made his heart ache. "It's coming along all right," he replied, trying to sound casual as well. "It's going to be a pretty big affair, though, and there're many things to be done."

"I can imagine," she said, in an expressionless tone.

Silence reigned for a few moments, until Hermione broke it again. "So tell me about Marissa. Who is she?"

Suddenly Draco wished he were anywhere but at Plusha's Café with Hermione Granger. "Her father works in the French Ministry of Magic. He's been friends with my father for twenty years and I've known Marissa for a long time."

"I thought everything had been decided just recently," she said, a slightly challenging look in her eyes.

"The engagement was fixed recently; we've known their family for a long time," replied Draco. For a moment he thought she was going to argue, but she said nothing. He knew she didn't believe him, but he didn't see what could be done about it. "So I start Auror training next month," he said, trying to change the topic.

"I know. Harry told me and so did you," replied Hermione, sounding a little irritated. She didn't want to change the topic. "Draco, how come you didn't tell me about Marissa? I mean, it wasn't very nice to just find out from the invitation."

Draco had no answer. He didn't expect her to be so direct. She seemed to sense he had no answer and took advantage of it by asking more questions. "And why do you act so different around her? And why don't you write to me? Why don't you talk to me like you used to?" Tears were running down her face now. Draco was appalled. What could he do?

Without thinking he said, "Because I don't want you to get hurt," brushing the tears away from her nose and cheeks. He couldn't stand it that he was making her cry. Nothing was worth her tears.

She blinked, but didn't look too surprised. "I thought so," she replied.

"I know what you're going through, Hermione; I'm going through the same thing, if not something worse," he said. "But you could be in great danger. If anyone found out how much you meant to me..."

"Maybe I want to take that risk!" she cried. "Maybe I don't care about the danger!"

"But I do, Hermione," he replied. "I could never forgive myself if something happened to you."

"Oh, Draco, don't you understand?" she asked. "I don't care about anything else. You don't know! It'll drive me mad if I have to live like this, wanting you and not being able to have you!"

Draco sighed. He didn't know what to say. "Draco, please! I can't love you and know that you love me and are married to someone else."

He didn't say anything for a few minutes. "My father is part of a league of death-eaters who are rising to power in Scotland," he finally said quietly. "He wants me to join but I won't. He can't do anything about it now, but if he knew how much I loved you, he would use you as bait. He would threaten your life and force me to join, but he wouldn't let you go after that. He would use you to get to Harry and Dumbledore."

Hermione looked at him with a thousand thoughts in her mind. "Your father's part of a league of death-eaters?" she asked. "And you love me so much?"

Draco didn't meet her gaze. "Yes and yes."

Hermione sighed. "I'll talk to you about the death-eater thing later. For now, Draco, I understand how you feel, but this is too much information for me. I have to think about everything. I'll talk to you later." She got up to leave.

Draco could feel the intense pain and sadness going through her and he couldn't take it. He grabbed her hand. "Hermione!" He pulled her toward him and recklessly kissed her. It was the one kiss Hermione never forgot in her entire life. It was so passionate and so loving, yet so sad and filled with so much longing. It was a clinging kiss; even though both of them were out of breath very soon, neither wanted to let go. It was like a dream they never wanted to wake up from, yet they knew they would have to, so they hung on for as long as they could. It was lucky for them that at that moment there was no one else in the Café apart from a grim-looking man, who was completely absorbed in the contents of a book he had brought. Plusha had gone into the kitchen for something and no one noticed the little drama that took place.

Finally they broke away. They were both completely out of breath. Neither could think of anything but the intensity of the kiss and the desire for more. It was reckless and foolish, but they had kept themselves apart for so long that they weren't really thinking about the consequences, as long as they were together. Draco held his hand out to Hermione, who took it, and they silently walked out of the Café into a deserted alley. There they resumed their kiss and shared many more. When they broke apart, they were both so contented that they fell asleep.

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When Hermione woke up an hour later, she found Draco next to her. For the first time she noticed their surroundings. The alley was dark, smelly and dirty. It was amazing neither of them had noticed earlier. She saw Draco's face, his eyes closed and a content expression on his face. She was happy, but it was a different kind of happiness. It wasn't an excited, bubbly kind of happiness; it was like a sigh, a relieved, contented sigh. She moved the arm that encircled her and got up. The movement woke Draco and he opened his eyes with a groan. "Ouch!" he said, getting up to reveal a large plank of wood that had been under him. He looked at Hermione and smiled a silly smile at first, but then his face clouded over.

"Hermione?" he asked, as if he wasn't sure she was real.

"Yes?" she replied a little uncertainly.

He looked around the alley; his expression growing more and more amazed every moment. "We didn't...we didn't – did we?"

"No," Hermione reassured him, a knot growing in her throat.

"But then we...Oh my God!" he exclaimed, remembering all that had happened.

Hermione was beginning feel as if she were waking up from a dream into a nightmare.

"Oh my God!" exclaimed Draco again. "I'm so sorry, Hermione. I don't how..."

She felt as if she were about to cry.

"It's my fault; I was so foolish, but I didn't want you to be upset...I..." he said, trying to string together his thoughts.

"Do you regret it?" asked Hermione, her voice shaking a little.

"Regret it! Well, yes, how could I be so careless?" he got up and moved toward the main street. He looked in all directions and then came back. "I don't know if anyone was following me. Can't see anyone, but that doesn't count for much."

He sat down beside her, lost in his thoughts. She was growing steadily more and more upset and she was feeling angry with herself for believing everything was now okay. Draco realised she was upset and began, "Hermione, I don't know..." but she interrupted him. "Don't. I don't want to hear it." She got up. "I'll see you around, Draco." Without another word she left, leaving him staring after her with a stunned expression.

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How she made it to the Leaky Cauldron Hermione never knew. She reached there half an hour late and found Harry, Ron and Laetitia waiting for her. She didn't bother to explain, but just sat down and burst into tears. Harry and Ron, both shocked and worried, put their arms around her to try and comfort her and Laetitia, realising she was now intruding on a private conversation, quietly said goodbye to Harry and left. It was fifteen minutes before Hermione could stop crying and in the mean time, realising she was going to take a while to calm down, Harry and Ron took her up to Ron's room. There she sobbed like a baby and told them everything that had happened. They listened in shocked silence, particularly Ron, who didn't really know about the whole Draco problem. When she finished he blurted, "Malfoy? You made out with Malfoy?" Harry shot him a warning look, but it was too late. Hermione turned to him, her eyes blazing, "Yes, I made out with Malfoy! With Draco Malfoy! And I don't regret it, unlike him!"

Ron coloured and mumbled something about not meaning it that way. Harry said, "Hermione, he doesn't regret it; he's just worried about you."

"Why is everyone always worried about me? Why can't I do anything I want? I'm not a china doll, who'll break at the slightest touch!" she cried.

"It's not about that; it's just that the death-eaters are really dangerous and I'd be worried too," he replied, trying to calm her down.

"Death-eaters? Everyone seems to have forgotten that I've battled Voldemort face-to-face! Who kept you alive while you were regaining strength after you'd suffered the Curse? Who duelled Voldemort for you, just to buy you time?" she demanded. "I think I can handle a couple of death-eaters after that!"

Harry said, with the patience of a saint, "Yes, Hermione, you were very brave and we all admire you for that, but you have to understand his point of view. He's just so scared that they'll hurt you and he'd feel responsible then."

Hermione's face softened and so, Harry could see, did her anger. "Would you want him to be in danger because of you? In his position, would you allow him to be harmed?"

"No, I suppose not," said Hermione quietly.

"Of course not, Hermione, because when you love someone, you'd rather do anything than let them get hurt, even give them up," he said gently.

"But-but that doesn't excuse his behaviour completely," she said, sounding very much like a child.

"No, it doesn't," replied Harry, his face hardening a little. "He shouldn't have made you believe that you were going to be together. That was his fault."

There was silence for a few moments and then Hermione turned to Ron, who had been sitting silently with a very red face. "Ron, I'm sorry I yelled at you. It wasn't your fault; you didn't know."

Ron looked relieved and said, "Hermione, if I'd known..."

"If you'd know then what?" Hermione laughed. "You would have been just as disgusted!"

"Yeah, that's true," replied Ron. "But, Hermione, couldn't you reconsider? I mean, Malfoy?"

"Ron!" warned Harry.

"Okay, okay, all right!" he consented, but looked dubiously at Harry. He opened his mouth to say something, but changed his mind.

"Well, Hermione, it's late, but we could still make the game if you're up to going," said Harry. "It might do you some good to think about something else."

"Yeah, it might," agreed Hermione. Ron looked a little morose. "Why so glum, Ron?" she asked, but immediately regretted it. In her sadness she had forgotten that Ron, too, had had a disappointment in the past week and was feeling bad about it. "I mean, of course, of course you are! But, listen to me, Ron, those Speedy Bees..." she started off, taking his arm and walking out of the room, Harry following with a smile and relief on his face.