Chapter 8

He Left, He Returned, He Changed

Instead of answering or yelling back, she immediately walked away. To the corridors near the Great Hall, she sat on a corner crying her eyes out.

"Look what you two did! We were cuddling up and having a nice time until you two came in!" Draco yelled, still torturing both Harry and Ron, both lay solid on the ground until the spell wears off.

Draco hastily rushed back to the castle and spotted Hermione on a corner with her face dug in her arms. Hugging her close, he managed to comfort her. "I'm so sorry for what has happened."

Hermione wiped the tears from her burning red eyes and felt Draco's presence embrace her. She could feel the warmth in his arms and didn't want him to let go. "Oh, it's not your fault. I-It's just that too many things are going through my mind and I-I-I can't take it any longer…" she sniffed.

"Then leave me," he whispered into her ears. He got up and walked over to Ron and Harry so he could undo the spell and ran passed Hermione with out a glance at her. He arrived at his dorm before Hermione had a chance to think.

Hermione just didn't know what was there to do. She really didn't want to leave Draco. If only there was some way she can still keep her friends and her love, she'll look forward to doing so. Walking up to the Girls Dormitory was tough for her. Witches and wizards around her just couldn't help but whisper stories and lies all around her. As she reached her dorm, she drifted her self off to sleep waiting what the next day had in store for her.

o0o

The next morning, Harry and Ron got up realizing they were them selves again. Both curious as to what had happed after the spell wore off. "Hermione?" said Harry, Ron standing next to him.

Meanwhile, at the Slytherin Dungeons, Draco sat perched on the windowsill of the boy's dorm room. He watched the sunrise come up, a beautiful phantom rising behind the mountains. A tear fell from his cheek and he watched it fall down the castles many heights.

Back to Hermione, she woke up and saw Harry and Ron right near her. "What do you want from me? You already ruined my relationship and…" she stopped and almost started to cry.

"What happened? You didn't say whose side you're on?" said Ron curiously, as Harry nudged his elbow as a signal for him to shut up.

Hermione looked up and sighed. "I can't answer that question Ron. I'm sorry."

Back to Draco, he was still in his dorm and depressed about this whole situation. He sighed deeply and looked over at his luggage's. Planning to leave soon, he sent the owl to his father and was waiting his mothers arrival. He rubbed his arms and went out the dorm.

Hermione on the other hand, also got out of her dorm and headed to the Slytherin Dungeon where she saw Draco. She walked up to him, but before she could speak, she saw the redness in Draco's eyes that seemed like he had just finished crying. "Draco…I-I want to stay with you." she said as she hugged him.

"Then, then pack your bags if you really want to leave. Because I'm leaving."

Harry and Ron followed Hermione out of their common room and found her with Draco in a deep conversation. "Ron, I think we need to give them some space." Harry said as Ron agreed and they both headed away to eat some breakfast.

"I'm going back home to fulfill my dad's dream of being a death eater." Draco spoke.

"B-But why? I thought you've changed?" Hermione gasped.

"You have friends to worry about. I don't. It would be easy to love you Hermione. If it wasn't for the others who look at us like monsters. I can't stand that happening. Yesterday happened to be the best I've felt since we were handcuffed and only because I was able to torture Ron and Harry, and that's not right." Draco reply as a tear trickled from the corner of his eye. "And that's why I'm leaving."

Hermione placed her hand on his face and wiped the tear. "Please stay, if you leave then what about me? Don't you love me? Please, stay." she said in a more gentle voice.

"I have already owled my father and he has had my mum set up a meeting for me to join the death eaters and she is on her way now." he took her hand and put it down. "There is nothing I can do."

Hermione sighed. She just couldn't believe she's saying this but, "I'll go with you…" she sighed uncertain about the whole thing. She needed to be with him. "I'll go pack my bags."

"No," Draco stopped her. "You have too much potential to be wasting it. I won't let you. I know now, that I have made a wrong decision. But I'll deal with it."

"I-I want to go with you and. That's final." she said a little bit more forcefully.

"I'm not allowing you to waste your life," Draco said, tears flowed down his cheeks.

"I will…for you." Hermione replied.

"I won't allow you," he said. His voice rose, he was sobbing uncontrollably. "You are not going with me; you will find better, nicer people to love. I am not worth it."

Suddenly Harry and Ron appeared. They have just herd that Hermione was leaving Hogwarts for good. "Hermione NOOO! You can't leave!" Harry yelled as Ron nodded in agreement. "You're not serious about this, are you!"

"No she's not," Draco said, making up his mind. "She's staying here. I'm leaving"

Hermione saw Harry and Ron walk towards tem. Focusing her attention back on Malfoy she says, "You're the only one I want, there's no one like you. Just please Draco, I'm not going to take no for an answer and yes I'm serious about this."

Harry and Ron saw that Hermione wasn't going to let go. They were getting worried. "Draco, as much as we want you to leave, we couldn't stand to see Hermione so hurt! So just stay…don't leave." Harry spoke up.

"Well," he said. He moved his lips down and kissed Hermione. Holding her in his arms long enough to take in the warmth and comfort he could get before the

Dark Lord sucks it out. "Goodbye Hermione." He turned and ran.

"Hermione, it's going to be ok. Maybe it wasn't meant to be?" Harry said trying to comfort her as much as he could.

Back in the dorm room, Draco fell to his bed. He was leaving. Sobbing in his room for a few minutes until he couldn't cry anymore.

"I love you, goodbye…" she muttered under her breath, tears piled up and nothing could cheer her up but him. Not even Ron or Harry. Hermione couldn't do anything but cry. She needed to be with him so badly; she would do anything to do so. Heading back to her dorm she sat on her windowsill looking out the window. Sniffing and crying, think about her last moments with him.

Draco packed his bags and walked out of the castle doorways. His mom was sitting on her broom waiting for him. "Are you ready?" she asked.

"Yes, lets go." he said glumly.

They rode off on the brooms, and Draco bid one last fare well to the castle and Hermione.

"Hermione, Draco isn't gone yet. Maybe you still have a chance!" Harry exclaimed as he elbowed Ron. "A-a-ah yeah maybe you can talk to his father or something; you know that you're really wise so use that!

"You think his father would accept talking to a 'mud blood'?" she asked.

"That would be a problem wouldn't it." said Harry as he still tried to calm her down. A girl looked at Hermione wondering what's wrong.

"We're a little busy here…would you mind?" Ron whispered to the girl.

o0o

The next day Draco sped across the sky on his broom. He was happy for the first day, Dumbledore was informed and his dad was outraged. He was returning to school! He snuck up behind Hermione, who was studying at the Great Hall and hugged her. "I missed you a lot, Hermione." he whispered. He let her go and stood in front of her.

"DRACO! YOU'RE BACK!" Hermione yelled. "What happened?"

"I told them like it is. My father's rather outraged though." he hugged Hermione. "Bet your buds are going to be disappointed though."

"Actually, I don't think so. They we're really worried for me last night. I'm so glad to see you again." she said happily hugging him back, not wanting to let go.

Draco slowly pushed her away, "But I've got a few things to take care of before I can be with you. I made deal with the Dark Lord. You have just hugged a Death Eater."