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Hermione pushed Draco against the wall in the nearest classroom, her lesser strength winning over him due only to his shock at their sudden leave.

"Draco…I've been thinking about what Dumbledore said…"

"About how we should tell people? No, Hermione. We can't." Hermione groaned in frustration, and Draco felt anger rise in him. How was he supposed to know what this madness was about? They were just dancing, and all of a sudden she had changed and gotten all forceful with him.

"The…the other thing he said. About Voldemort's rival…"

Suddenly, it hit Draco what she was taking about, and panic replaced his anger. She wanted to know if he loved her. How could he answer her, put her in that kind of danger? And yet he couldn't lie. He knew from the moment he woke up the morning after they had slept together, and felt her absence like a knife, that he loved her completely. But if he told her, and that bond was established, his father would sense it immediately… and would know. And no matter what his partially insane Headmaster said, he knew that was not a good thing.

"Hermione…they'll be missing us at the dance. We have to get back."

The girl looked down, and Draco saw the tears that filled her gorgeous eyes. He felt his own heart breaking, but managed to keep his emotionless face in place.

"I knew as much, Draco…I just wanted to make sure." Her voice was soft as she took in his comment, believing it to mean he didn't love her.

"Hermione, look at me." He tilted her head up, more forcefully than necessary, and saw her eyes open with startled fear. "No! No, Hermione, please. I'm not going to hurt you. I would never hurt you."

He leaned down to kiss her, and as soon as their lips touched he felt as dizzy as he had during their first kiss. But it ended abruptly as he heard a shriek behind them. He whirled around, wand out, but lowered it when he saw Pansy.

She was standing in the classroom's doorway, a furious look marring her features. Tears were streaming down her face as she realized what was happening, and a deep red was overtaking her skin. Hermione's small hand gripped Draco's arm as the reality of the situation hit her, and a low moan escaped her lips.

"How dare you, you filthy, disgusting Mudblood! How dare you touch him!" Pansy was advancing towards the pair, her intent to hurt Hermione clear in her expression. Draco quickly stepped in front of the slender girl behind him, more to prevent Pansy from being hurt than the other way around. Hermione was plenty fast with a wand, and Pansy wouldn't have had time to think before the smarter girl had hexed her into oblivion.

"Don't you call her that, Pansy. This was my choice too." At this, the girl turned her wrath on him, but was unable to say anything due to the shock of Draco's last words. He had turned on his House, and kissed a Mudblood.

"Now, Pansy…you can just leave now. I believe I was in the middle of something." His words were icicles that he drove into Pansy's heart, trying his best to hurt her as much as she had, and he once had, hurt Hermione. She spun around, and stormed out of the door.

"Oh God…she's going to tell, Draco…"

"Yes, she probably will. I'm so sorry, Hermione."

Hermione sunk to the ground and buried her head in her hands. Draco knelt beside her, and took her hand in his.

"No matter what, Hermione, I'll be there with you, even if my father finds out. We're safe here, and I'll keep you safe forever. I swear to you that." Even as he promised, his dream of tragic blood came back to him. A thousand rubies melting together…

"He'll kill you…oh Draco, he'll kill me too…" She looked at him, her soft brown eyes clouded in tears. She was a statuesque vision of grief as the thoughts of his death seemed to consume her.

He kissed her again, and tasted her salty tears. They sat like that for what felt like hours, and then he whispered the fateful words in her ear.

"I love you, Hermione. More than myself, more than my life will ever be worth."

He saw the clouds melt in her eyes, and she told him she loved him back, and would risk her life to prove it. And then they stood up, and walked back to the ball.

(AN: Ok…I know this was even shorter than usual, but I just had to end it there…but don't worry, I'll begin the next chapter right now!)

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