Disclaimer: Here we go again. JKRowling owns everything. I'm just amusing using her characters as a creative outlet.
Shipping is Draco/Hermione. If you don't like, don't read. Unless you're Alice in which case, you have no choice.
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Before Hermione could say a word, Draco left the room, closing the door quickly behind him. She sat down on her bed, not quite knowing what to think. Draco Malfoy, who had spent seven years of their lives taunting her, calling her names and trying to make her life a misery had just kissed her. She didn't know how to feel. One part of her told her that she should have slapped him and told him exactly what she thought of people like him, but her heart told her otherwise. She fell asleep that night with a smile on her face.
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She woke up late the next morning and smiled to herself again as she remembered what had happened the night before. She got out of bed quickly, washing and dressing in a hurry. She brushed her hair neatly and added large quantities of a potion that sat in a bottle on her bedside table. Her hair straightened out and shone in the light from the window. Hermione did not use the potion often as it was difficult and time consuming to make. The ingredients were not cheap either. She saved it for special occasions.
Hermione went downstairs to breakfast and found to her disappointment that Draco had got up early and gone for a walk.
"There's a letter for you" Belinda said, holding out an envelope. "Draco had one the same"
Hermione took the letter from Belinda, and was surprised to see that it bore the familiar Hogwarts Crest. She ripped it open, filled with curiosity as to it's content. She pulled out a sheet of parchment and unfolded it.
"Dear Miss Granger
A special memorial service has been arranged for a former student of Hogwarts, Mr Harry James Potter. The memorial will take place on Friday the 7th of August. All students that were in Mr Potter's year at school are invited to attend. A small selection of students from other years who knew Mr Potter well have also been invited. All students wishing to attend the memorial may arrive at Hogwarts anytime from Wednesday the 5th and may stay in the castle until Sunday the 9th.
We do hope you will be able to attend.
Albus Dumbledore
Headmaster"
Hermione read the letter right through several times before putting it down on the table. She knew at once that she must go, however painful she would find it. She would be expected to go.
Hermione ate her breakfast quickly, then ran outside in search of Draco. There was no sign of him, so she sat down on the garden bench to wait for him. It was no long before she saw him, making his way back towards the cottage. When he saw her, he quickened his pace slightly and soon reached her.
He looked uneasy, as though wondering how she had reacted to what had happened the previous night. A smile from Hermione soon put him at his ease. He sat down beside her and put an arm round her shoulders.
"Are you going?" He asked and Hermione did not need to ask what he meant.
"I must" she replied and he nodded, showing that he understood.
"I'm going too" he said. Hermione smiled, relieved to hear him say so. She had been hoping he would, knowing that it would be difficult for her. He was the best thing for her.
They sat together for a while, not speaking, but each glad of the other's presence. Draco broke the silence first.
"Are we going to tell anyone?" he asked. Hermione frowned. She had been wondering about exactly the same thing. She did not want to try and imagine Ron's reaction if she told him that Draco Malfoy was her new boyfriend. She did not imagine that Ginny would like the idea too much either. She paused. She did not want to hurt Draco by admitting that she did not want to tell her friends. Thinking back to their schooldays however, she decided he would understand.
"I don't think they'd take it too well" she said gently and Draco grinned.
"I have to agree" he said and pulled her closer to him. "We'll keep quiet about it."
Hermione was relieved that he took this attitude to the situation. She had not looked forward to the scene that might follow admitting their relationship to Ron and she was thankful that it would not have to happen.
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They decided to go to Hogwarts on Wednesday the 5th, thinking that it would be best to have some time to settle into Hogwarts. If they stayed as long as they could, it would make it more worth going and give them a change of scenery. Despite Belinda's kind personality and good cooking, both Hermione and Draco were started to feel rather isolated in the little cottage.
Hermione packed up all her belongings into the bags she had used to take her things to Kneazle Cottage. She seemed to have twice as many things as she remembered having before and it took her a long time to track everything down and fit it into the bags. She was just finishing when Draco appeared on the landing outside her room. The door was wide open and Hermione had been retrieving belongs from almost every room of the cottage. He walked in and she turned to face him. In one hand, Draco held a small package, which he held out to Hermione.
Hermione took the package and thanked him, wondering what he was giving her. She undid the wrapping carefully and took out a photo in a beautiful silver frame. Two people sat beside a campfire, toasting marshmallows on a toasting fork, laughing. They looked as though they hadn't a care in the world and Hermione knew that on that particular evening, neither of them had felt like they did. They had sat by the fire, talking and laughing until only the embers were left. They had been reluctant to come inside.
Her eyes left the photograph that sat in the frame to read the words along the bottom of the frame.
"Thank you for seeing me through. Love from Draco"
She felt a lump form in her throat. She couldn't find the words to thanks him, so reached up and hugged him instead. Letting go of him, she turned to her bed and picked up the only thing that had not been packed in her case. It was a package very like the one Draco had just given her.
Draco took the package and opened it. He took out a snow globe. The never ending snow fell all around two small figures. Each wore black robes, one with a scarf of red and gold, the other with one of green and silver. The figures twirled and danced together on the snow. Across the bottom of the snow globe was Hermione's own message.
"I love you Draco"
She was surprised to see tears in his eyes as he pulled her close to him once more.
"I love you Hermione" he said softly and kissed her affectionately. Hermione felt she could almost burst with happiness.
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Author's Note: Ok I was half asleep when I wrote this and I don't like it much. Hope my readers aren't as critical of my writing as I am. Hope you enjoy it. Please review. The more reviews I get, the quicker I update.
FakeDoll: I like Draco/Hermione and I like nice Draco. huggles Draco :P Bloodthirsty person lol
Rizahawkeye21: When people review, it makes me want to write more so you did the right thing lol. I'm really pleased you're enjoying this. Hope you liked this chapter. Reviews are appreciated.