Hermione rushed out of the common room, leaving a stunned group behind her. She very nearly burst into a run, trying to get back to her dorms as fast as she could. Students and teachers became blurs and she ignored everything, even Professor McGonagall calling out her name. No one could figure out why Hermione looked so happy and yet so urgent all at once.

Hermione burst through the opening of her portrait hole. Draco looked up from the book he was reading to see her flushed face. She stopped dead in her tracks, looking unsure of what she was about to say. She walked over to him timidly and nervously and sat down on the couch.

"Hey, Hermione. What's going on?" He looked at her with concern.

"Ron proposed to me," she said bluntly. Draco leaped up from the couch.

"He did WHAT!"

"As an apology I guess," she said, nodding her head. Draco began to back towards the stairs.

"And..," he said nervously. "What was your answer?"

Hermione got up from the couch and walked towards Draco. She held out her left hand. Draco's heart fell into his stomach when he saw a ring placed on the ever important finger. She was bound to Ron now, and there could be no hope. He felt like he was dying, like his very life force had been sucked from him. Draco couldn't remove his eyes from the ring, and felt himself becoming sick.

"Congratulations," he whispered, before turning to run up the stairs.

"Where are you going?" she asked confused.

"My room. Maybe it's best that you go back to your fiance for a while," came his sad reply when he didn't even bother to turn around and face her.

"Draco, you stupid git! I didn't say yes!" She climbed up the stairs faster than he did and cut him off at the entrance to his room.

"But...," he squinted his eyes at her. What was she playing at? "You're wearing a ring?" Hermione sighed heavily.

"You need to learn to pay more attention. Draco, this isn't an engagement ring." She slid the ring off her finger and handed it to him. "This is the ring YOU gave me."

Draco was even more stunned than he had been before. He examined the ring. It was indeed the plain silver ring he had given to Hermione over the summer, although it was a bit tarnished from use. The inside engraving of the dragon was still there. He knew now what her answer to Ron was, but what was all this about?

"Ok... so you are wearing my ring instead?"

"When Ron proposed to me, I looked down at my hand as if trying to find an answer. After a few seconds, I realized that I was wearing your ring... on my ring finger. Do you know why you place wedding rings on your left ring finger?" Draco shook his head.

"You put them there," she whispered, moving closer to him, "because ancients believed that the left ring finger was directly attached to the heart. It was the closest to the heart. Draco, I've been wearing your ring on the finger closest to my heart ever since you gave it to me, I just never realized it." He gulped.

"And what does that mean?" he asked, barely audible.

"Draco... I'm in love with you. I've been in love with you for so long now, I can't even begin to keep count. I've been trying to fool everyone, even myself, because I was so afraid of what didn't make sense. But now I know that the feelings I have for you make all the sense in the world. I love you Draco! And Ron made me realize that... that I'm always going to love you. Always."

They were so close that Draco could feel her breath fanning his lips. He sucked in a deep breath at what she was saying.

"So now, all I want...," she whispered against his lips," is you. I want to be with you the way we should have been together over a year ago."

On that note, Draco leant forward and captured her lips in a kiss that wasn't exploding with passion, as their other ones had been. This one was soft and gentle, a kiss of love. He gently cupped her cheek while holding her hand with his other hand. When they broke apart, Draco took his ring and placed it back on Hermione's finger.

"I hope you don't forget what this means?" he asked.

"I could never forget anything about you," she said smiling. He smiled back before asking her the question he'd been wanting to for a few minutes.

"So... what did you say to Ron?" Hermione laughed.

"I told him that he could shove the ring up his arse and that Lavender could retrieve it for him, because there was no way in Heaven or Hell I'd ever marry him. Then I punched him." Draco laughed.

"Nice one."

"In the balls," she added, and as she walked into her room still chuckling, Draco instantly stopped laughing and cupped his own.

"Note to self… never make her mad."