A/N: I am really, really sorry I couldn't update quicker. You know, writers block and with all school work I was a bit stressed. Here you have next chapter! Enjoy!

LAST CHAPTER:

"Well, when you do, tell me, Ok? Because I think I trust you more now, but it will take more skating sessions if you want me to trust me." I looked deep into his eyes " I had such a good time… I wish we hadn't wasted so much time doing that stupid thing of Parkinson and Ron, I've missed you" I hugged him as tight as I could.

"Me too, me too" he cupped my face in his hands and kissed me deeply. Very deeply. It was his way of telling me he had missed me too.

My parents' story

By: A.Lupin

Chapter 18: A speech

Next day, I woke up happily. I sang as I waited for Draco to come down. After one month and a half, I waited for him to go together to breakfast. And while I waited, why not get the best entertainment, reading?

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"Hey! What about me?" Draco protested.

"First," he grinned but it faded away when he saw her mischievous smirk, "starting from the bottom, of course."

"Oh, shut up bookworm!"

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Well, as I was saying before Draco interrupted me, I was reading a book. When he came, he snatched the book out of my hands, gave me a peck on the lips and started to walk away. "Are you coming or not? I think that there are hundreds of girls who would like to come with me in a dark corridor…"

"So arrogant" I muttered as I went with towards him. We were in a corridor with small light and it was difficult to distinguish between the shades of grey.

"I have reasons to be arrogant. I am rich, sexy, intelligent, charming…" he started dreamily.

"git, vain, manipulating and with an ego higher than him," I finished "was that what you were going to say?" I smiled cruelly.

"You know what? I think I'll go back with Pansy" he turned away to walk towards the Slytherin tower.

"If you want a stupid, dumb, without a sense of fashion and a slut as a girlfriend, go with her, but if you want the most intelligent witch of our age, the wittiest and the most beautiful, come with me." I turned around and walked away.

"Hmm. I don't know who I will choose, you know…" he came closer to me "but I think I need to taste a bit of both, and since I have already tasted her for a long time, why not taste you?" he lifted my chin with his hand and leaned down to kiss me.

But we heard voices of other students and we separated and started to insult the other, without much success. We heard the students that were about 15, mutter: "look, Head Boy and Head Girl, Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger. They have been behaving oddly, this last year, why do you think?" and then the voices faded away, together with some giggles.

I looked deep into his eyes. "Draco, I can't hold it anymore! I need to tell everyone about our relationship, I can't hide much longer! It's killing me!" I hissed angrily. He closed his eyes and leaned on the wall.

"Yeah, me too, me too," he said casually.

"You say like if you don't mind!" I hissed angrily at him.

"But I do mind, Hermione. I just don't want you to get hurt, because you know what will happen if my father finds out. And I'm sure he has spies everywhere. Everywhere." He looked directly into my eyes, looking into my soul. I stepped back a little, shocked with realisation. But I knew it. I had known it but I hadn't wanted to admit it.

"But…but…" I started, trying to reason.

"But we could get out of this together? Please! Be realistic, Hermione. We can't. What can we, a two teenagers, do against, … lets say, twenty, Death Eaters?" he looked at me, still expressionless.

"Where is the Draco I knew?" she let out, her voice breaking, "where?" I looked into his eyes, trying to find the answer "where is he? The brave Draco Malfoy who feared nothing, no one? Why this sudden change, Draco? Where is the boy with who I fell in love with?" and I walked away, to the Great Hall, where I tried to cheer up, but I couldn't.

18. Draco

Oh, no not again, please. Yes, you're right, she was mad at me again. But she must understand me! I don't want her hurt or anything, I just want her safe, and can't she understand that? No, being the Gryffindor Golden Girl she had to be brave and confront all the difficulties. Damn her and her pride! Why couldn't she just accept our relationship, even if it's 'secret'? For a reason she is Hermione Granger.

What will I do?

"Hey, what's up, mate?" Blaise Zabini asked when I sat down at his side in the Great hall.

"You know, trying to get on with the mud-, I mean, mad Gryffindork, which is quite impossible," she was affecting me too much. I couldn't even say mudbl-.

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"I can't even say it now!"

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"But she's a hot one, mate! Remember her at the ball?" he licked his lips and I did a face of disgust. Just then, someone sat by my side and grabbed my arm possessively.

"I am sure you were talking about me, weren't you, Blaisy and Draky?" Parkinson looked at us both smiling stupidly. I rolled my eyes and Blaise flirted with her animatedly.

The next days were…strange, to say something. Hermione and I talked the necessary and she was colder with me than usual.

My mind had started to think of something to do to solve the problem with Hermione, and now I had found the ideal chance. It had been a week since our argument and we were ending lunch when Dumbledore stood up. He pronounced a short speech about when the N.E.W.T.' s and the O.W.L.'s were going to be held.

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"What are the news and the auls?" Beverly asked innocently.

"The O.W.L. s are exams in the end of our fifth year in Hogwarts in which I took the top marks and…" Draco started to say but was interrupted by a cough by Hermione "well, second best marks after the bookworm here," she punched his arm and smirked victoriously, "and the N.E.W.T's were in our seventh year and we both took full marks" he said proudly to his daughter.

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Before finishing, he said: "Mr. Malfoy has something to say before you all go to class," everyone looked at each other with questioning expressions.

18. Hermione

He was standing in the mini stage of the teachers steadily and with a look of determination in his face. Before he started his speech he scanned the room and his eyes settled on me.

"What I'm going to say now has nothing to do with school maters. This speech goes for a person in particular but also for the rest of this school so they don't mind other's business" He glared at a group of Huflepuff girls and another one of Gryffindor's and when he saw their scared expressions he looked to the rest of the students and teachers, "Everyone has its own personality, mine being unique," I snorted "I am clever, rich, good-looking…" I cleared my throat and he laughed bitterly "well you all know my personality. But because of the reason that each person has its own, more or less influenced by other people, each person can find people more or less friendlier than others and each person's love can be different than others." At this point, everyone was asking what was that about, and why Draco Malfoy was talking about love. He made everyone shut up as he continued "what I want to say is that I have found my perfect girlfriend" he looked at the reactions of some students, especially me. What was that about? Oh, now I knew. That argument a week ago. But he was going to tell everyone…I had to stop him! My thoughts were broken by Ron's voice who shouted so Draco heard.

"And what do we care?" most students nodded in agreement.

"I'm sure that when I say who my new girlfriend is it will affect you specially, Weasley" he smirked at the thought.

"HARRY!" Ron shouted and the whole room erupted into laughter. No, he was not gay, but after all no one wants his best friend stolen. He didn't even think of me.

"HA! I wouldn't even date him even if hell froze."

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"You know, that's what you used to say to me before you fell deeply in love with me, Draco."

"Well, I…"

"Does that mean daddy will fall deeply in love with Uncle Harry?" Beverly asked intelligently and smirked Malfoy-ly.

"You could make a good seer, you know. You're so intelligent, Bev."

"She would certainly not! How dare you say that I, Drac…" Hermione kissed him firmly on the lips and he shut up.

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"But as I was saying before Weasley interrupted me, I have a new girlfriend. But this one is different from the other ones. I'm not going out with her for her looks, her blood or for se…" Dumbledore cleared his throat this time "but it's not in my personality to be loving and we have gotten into a fight…and I've finally let on and I'm going to do what she asked, as I always do" he sighed in disbelief. "So… any of you know who she can be?"

Most girls in the room raised their hands, claiming they were his girlfriend.

"This is no joke. She is intelligent," some hands went down, "brave, independent, and stands everything and everyone" a quarter of the hands were still raised "she is bossy, impossible to control and the teacher's pet. Who knows who she is?" two hands were still raised.

"You know?" Ron asked incredulously as Harry nodded. The other hand in the air was Parkinson's.

"No one else?" I raised my hand nearly instinctively. I hate it when people think I don't know a thing. "Granger, as always. I don't think there's a thing she doesn't know" he smiled at her and everyone looked confused. Never Draco Malfoy had complimented Hermione Granger. "So Granger, what's the answer?"

"Me."

Everyone stayed silent for a moment and then they broke into laughter, all except Parkinson and Harry.

"CORRECT" Draco said loudly. Every one fell silent again and whispers started to begin "shut up!" silence again, "has everyone understood what I said? I. am. Dating. Hermione. Granger. So everyone who has contact with Lucius, go and tell him, tell everyone you like, I don't mind" he said as he went back to breakfast. Wow. That had been a speech. I got up, ignoring the circle that was forming around me and Draco and went to him. I touched his shoulder.

"I've said that…" he started to yell but his face softened and his voice faded when he saw me. I smiled sweetly and slowly at him.

"You've seen what I've done for you, haven't you? I think I've won a reward" he smirked as I leaned down and kissed him. The room was quiet again, all the eyes on us. "This is not a show! Get back to your food!" the Head Boy yelled and Dumbledore looked satisfied at his both Heads.

I went back to my place and I heard everyone shout at me.

"Are all the myths true? Is Draco the best shag in all Hogwarts? What does…" Parvati started.

"And you didn't tell me? Oh, I'm so glad for you, Hermione! Is he as good as they say?" Ginny hugged me tightly.

"I can't believe it, Hermione!" Ron yelled furiously raising from his seat, "you and Malfoy? You could have chosen anyone else and you choose our arch nemesis? What's gotten into you? Has he spilled a potion in you drink? Cast a spell while you were sleeping?" he looked deeply into my eyes.

"No Ron! We are dating because of our free will! Nothing to do with spells and potions! Please understand!" I said desperately.

"What do you want me to understand?" he said hysterically, "its Malfoy you're talking about, not Seamus or Dean or me" he looked away, the colour of his hair matching his face. "Is he your soul mate? The one you saw clearly?" I nodded shyly, scared of his reaction. "But you must understand Ronald…"

"Don't ' you must understand Ronald' me! You always say the same thing!" he looked at me slowly, for the last time, with disgust and anger, "and… oh I really can't believe it… Malfoy! You… you can consider our friendship br…broken" he went away of the Great Hall. I covered my face with my hands and closed my eyes. Since we had stopped dating, our relationship had been less…trustworthy?

"Hey, 'Mione, don't worry, it'll be okay." Harry had always been comforting. He passed an arm round my shoulders and tried to make way out of the Great Hall.

"No it won't" Oh shit! "I always mess everything up!" I started to sob quietly as I went away with Harry.

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"But, mommy, Uncle Ronald is married with aunt L…"

"shhhh, don't say it, we first need to finish the story."

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18. Draco

I can't believe what I had just done. I had sentenced myself to death for her. I was crazy. I had seen her go out of the room crying in Potter's shoulder. What was wrong with her?

"Hey, have you heard that, Drake?" Blaise asked me smirking widely.

"…what?…" I asked distractedly.

"The Weasel has just 'broken his friendship' with the mudblood!"

"Good for h…what?" I turned around and faced him.

"Yes, that's why he stormed out and she started to cry." Oh no. so I had also ruined her friendship. Better for me not having to care for that traitor but I was worried about her. Would she hate me? I thought so.

I walked back to my common room trying to hide from curious students but they wouldn't stop so I cast an invisibility spell. I walked into my dear common room just to hear sobs coming from Hermione's door. I knocked.

"What!" she screamed, her voce cracking.

"Hermione, I didn't know he…" I started.

"But you did it!" she shouted from the other room, "and my friendship with Ron is now finished! All because of you…"I heard her cry again, harder.

"Let me come in, Hermione!" I yelled. But she wouldn't hear, so I muttered alohomora and entered. What I saw broke my heart. She was lying in the middle of her bed, facing the covers and sobbing very hard. I went towards her, slowly.

"Go… go away…" she managed. But I wouldn't leave her like that, I hate seeing her cry and more if I am the cause of it! I lied down on her bed, near her and encircled her back with one arm. I started to stroke her hair gently and after some time she looked up at me. Her face was tear-stroked, but she smiled slowly at me. I hugged her tightly and murmured sorry into her ear and then kissed her. It was a sweet kiss, not passionate, but full of love. I closed my eyes and smiled, savouring the moment.

Just then I heard bangs on the window. I looked up and when I saw the black owl, I closed my eyes again. No, not now. I didn't want a letter from my father now. I untied the letter from the owl's claws and it flew away. My eyes widened as I saw who had send it. I was expecting some kind of answer from my family, but not this one.

A/N: did you like it? I hope you did. I have next chapter planned, so I hope it doesn't take long to write. But now I'll focus on correcting the other chapters, the character's behaviour, and all this things that are not clear in the first chapters.

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