A/N: I have decided to make this story beyond the seventh year. There will be a battle between Voldemort and Harry. R&R I hope you enjoy this chapter!

Chapter 13: Graduation

How could she? Does she really feel that way or is she just hiding her feelings? How will I be able to find out?

Draco was sitting at his desk in his room, thinking about what he had done to jeopardize his relationship with Hermione. Then he realized that the one thing that made it happen was his doing nothing. He did nothing to comfort her. He did nothing to try to get along with her friends. He did nothing for her. He did nothing for an apology. All he did was think about his feelings. When he was done thinking, he went to look for Hermione himself. He searched everywhere that he thought she might be, but he didn't find her. He was just about to give up when he saw her walking with 'Potty and Weasel.'

He ran up to then and the first thing that happened before he could talk to Hermione was Harry and Ron stepping in front of Hermione.

"You're not welcome here, Malfoy." Harry looked annoyed and angry when he spoke.

"I'm sorry, but I believe that I have every right to walk down a corridor as much as you do. Besides, I have to talk to Hermione."

"Why? She doesn't want anything to do with you."

"It's not your business, Weasel."

Ron stepped closer to him and their noses were inches apart.

"It is my business because you've hurt her and I'm not going to let that happen again."

"I'm not going to hurt her, Weasley. I want to talk. Nothing more."

This time, Harry stepped in. "You can talk to someone else."

"STOP IT!"

The three teenage boys looked up and realized that it was Hermione that said it. She looked at the three of them and had a very annoyed look on her face.

"The three of you have been fighting over me and I'm tired of it. You have been enemies since we were children and you won't get over it. Grow up!"

The three boys looked at each other and looked like they wanted to, but none of them were going to say it first.

"Now, Malfoy, what do you want to talk about?"

Draco looked hurt at Hermione using his surname. But he immediately changed his expression when he pushed past Harry and Ron to pull Hermione into his chest. He rested his chin on her head for a moment and then started to speak.

"I'm sorry. I'm sorry that I wasn't there for you. I'm sorry that I hurt you. I'm sorry for everything that I've ever done to hurt you. I'm so sorry." When Hermione didn't answer, he pressed on. "When I was talking to you in the library, I couldn't believe what you said. You really hurt me. But I guess I deserved it for all the things that I've done to you. I'm really sorry."

He tried to walk away, but Hermione grabbed his arm and said, "I know that you're sorry. I need to tell you something. For the most part, I lied to you. I lied about how I felt. I lied about not caring. I even lied about not loving you."

The two ex-lovers had forgotten about the two boys that were watching their every move. "What did you just say?"

"I said that I love you, Draco Malfoy. I want to be with you. It took me less time than I thought it would to figure out how I felt, but I realize that I was pushing you away because I didn't want you to hurt me again." Hermione had let go of his arm and he was standing there, with his back turned to her.

He thought for a moment at what he was about to do, but he did it anyway; he turned around, grabbed Hermione and put his lips to hers. Hermione almost collapsed in his arms from missing his touch, but she caught herself and kissed him back.

The two friends of Hermione cleared their throats to show their presence and Draco and Hermione pulled apart. They looked at the two of them and saw two adults standing behind them.

"Miss Granger and Mister Malfoy, please follow me to my office." Their headmaster had a look of anger on his face that none of them had ever seen before.

Hermione and Draco followed him and their Transfiguration Professor, hand in hand, all the way to his office.

"Sit down!" Draco pulled a chair out for Hermione and she sat down in it, with him at her side.

"The two of you have been Head Boy and Girl for the entire year and you have fallen for each other. You have given the school a new meaning to the words, 'House Unity.' And I have just decided that the two of you can put together and Graduation Ball for the entire seventh year for after the Graduation Ceremony."

"Wait. What happened to the anger that you just had?"

"I have been informed that the two of you have shared some. . .encounter with each other."

"So?"

"Normally we don't allow that in school, especially since you are not even of age yet. But we will make this one exception due to the fact that you have become so close. It will not happen again. If it does, the two of you will not be able to be Head's for the remainder of the year and you will not be able to attend graduation or the 'End of the Year Ball.' You may go."

"Professor? Can we make it a Masquerade ball?"

"Certainly. I think that is a marvelous idea."