She was standing in the pouring rain, crying, when he lent in and kissed her. Hermione felt shocked, and completely thrown by his actions. But beyond that, she felt… Merlin help her, she felt like this was where she belonged. Standing in the pouring rain, with Draco's hands holding her close to him, sharing something that no-one else at Hogwarts could possibly understand.

Wrapping her arms around his neck, Hermione pulled him down closer, feeling his teeth nibbling against her upper lip. Moaning against him, she felt him deepen the kiss, taking complete possession of her until she was almost incapable of any form of thought whatsoever. All that existed at this moment was her, Draco, and the best kiss she had ever had in her entire life.

Feeling the need for air, she pushed him away gently, looking up as she did so. Finding his grey eyes staring down at her, Hermione was filled with sudden shock and remorse at what she had done. Oh my God, she thought, I've just kissed Draco Malfoy. What the hell? How… why…. Oh Merlin I can't do this. I just… Oh Merlin.

Taking a step back from him, she held out her hand in order to put some space between them.

"Draco… About what just happened, I'm so sor-"

"Save it, Hermione," he interrupted. "I know that most people would think that what just happened between us is wrong, and I know that no-one would understand. But you feel something for me, don't you? I can see it in your eyes, and I could feel it in your kiss."

She hesitated, not knowing what to say to him. Up until this afternoon, he had been one of the people that she hated most in the world. Yes, she found him physically attractive, what kind of straight witch wouldn't, but beneath that she had believed him to be rotten to the core. But now… He had shown her a side of himself that she doubted many had ever seen. He had shown her his heart. But still… things were complicated.

Hermione looked up at him, still conflicted by the many emotions that were swirling within her. Deciding on a form of action, she spoke to him in a soft voice that was as calm as she could make it under the circumstances.

"I think that we both need some time to think about what's going on, Draco. Right now, I'm feeling more than a little bit confused, and I just need to process all of this. If you think that maybe we could be something more than what we are, or even if you're just not sure, meet me in the library tomorrow, okay?"

Not giving him time to answer, Hermione spun on her heel and ran inside and upstairs to her dormitory. Once there, she collapsed against her dressing table, suddenly unable to breathe. What in Merlin's name had she gotten herself into? This was Malfoy, of all people. The one person that she should never be able to love, and the one person she would never be allowed to love. Her heart, the one area of herself that she could not control with logic, was the area that was beginning to betray her, and everything that she stood for.

The guilt consuming her, Hermione rested her head against her knees, and began to cry.

This is me for forever

The one without a name

Without an honest heart as compass

Watching Hermione run off back into the castle, Draco thought about what had just happened. He wondered what the hell had come over him. He had just kissed Hermione Granger. The brains of the Golden Trio, Gryffindor princess, and the apparent champion of all that was good and innocent in the world. On top of all of that, she was also a Mudblood. Everything that Draco had been taught his entire life was screaming at him, screaming that what he had done was wrong.

Hermione Granger was the one person at Hogwarts that Draco knew he should not become even remotely involved with.

And yet here he was. Standing in the rain, watching her walk back into the castle, and already wondering what he was going to say to her the next day in the library. Looking down at he page in his hand, Draco felt a sickening guilt clench him in the stomach. His father had died the previous day, and all he was thinking about was a girl whom his father would have killed him for even touching, let alone kissing.

Draco began to make his way back into the castle, his mind trying to grasp all of the thoughts that were being thrown in his direction. Despite what everyone had thought, he had loved his father, more than anyone else in the entire wizarding world. Losing him was a terrible blow, first with Azkaban, and now with his apparent suicide. And the one person in the whole damned castle who could understand what he was feeling was Hermione bloody Granger. And somehow, he could understand what she was feeling too.

It was the most disturbing thing he had ever experienced.

Being able to understand her, he thought, meant that he could no longer hate her. Instead of just seeing a bushy-haired, know-it-all Gryffindor Mudblood, he now saw her for what she truly was. Intelligent. Courageous. Loyal. Passionate. All of the things he himself wanted to be, and prized in others.

If he could love her, though, how could he be loyal? In loving her, he betrayed his entire existence. He betrayed his family.

Reaching his dormitory, Draco flopped down onto his bed, thoughts going through his head like a Firebolt during the Quidditch World Cup. He was torn completely, between new found realisation, and those whom he had loved and respected his entire life.

And underneath all of that, was an uneasy sense of guilt. How could she ever love him, after what he had done to her?

This is me for forever

The one without a name

Without an honest heart as compass