Ch 12: I Love You

The sun was just beginning to set and though they knew they'd get in trouble if they were caught, two 5th years sat by the lake at Hogwarts. The young boy with slicked back blonde hair and a devilish grin had his arms wrapped around a girl the same age as he, with long brown curls and eyes deeper than the ocean blue. They sat, giggling, as the camera that they had bewitched began taking pictures. Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger seemed to be perfect for eachother.

Even though their relationship had to be kept a secret, it was a perfect one. Both knew that, given time, others would have to accept them. Even Draco's father, they hoped, would eventually learn to see things their way. That is, after they brought it out into the open. Hermione sighed and placed her head on Draco's shoulder. How had she gone from hating him so much to...loving him?

"Draco,.." she said, just barely above a whisper.

"hmm?" he responded, basking in the glory of having such a wonderful girl sitting next to him.

"I...I think I may love you." Hermione said cautiously.

Draco looked into her eyes, trying to read what was there. All he could see was sincerety. Did she just say she loved him? His head was spinning and his heart was pounding madly in his chest, threatning to break through at any moment.

"I think I may love you too." He said as she sighed and smiled.

He returned the smile and then pulled her face toward his, placing a tender kiss on her lips. The kiss then turned more passionate and they had moved to a laying down position. Draco positioned himself on top of her and spread kisses from her forehead down to the small of her neck. Both of their breath became more ragged and Draco reached under her shirt, feeling the warmth of her stomache. He didn't dare go any farther.

Hermione surprised him by moving his hand to her chest and beginning to unbutton her blouse.

"Are you sure about this?" he asked her.

She simply nodded and brought his face to hers they fell deeper and deeper into eachother's arms as they made love for the first time. . . . . . .

Ch 13: Meeting Once Again

Hermione shifted back to reality as she felt warm tears running down her cheek. She cried a lot lately and wished that she could return to the times in her life full of innocence and happiness. The times with Harry and Ron. Before Ron's sudden alter in personality. She let out a long sigh as she looked out over the clear blue waters of the lake. Near the center, tiny air bubbles seemed to drift to the surface and dissapear. She watched the giant squids 'brathing' for a long while before she felt the presence of someone behind her. She turned to find a saddened, tired face looking down at her.

"Hi" she said, "What are you doing out here?"

"Just remembering the night we had that photograph taken" Draco smiled faintly at her before taking a seat next to her on the ground. "What are you doing here?"

"Actually, I was also thinking about that night." she sighed.

Draco looked at her, once shining face and noticed in the light of the setting sun, tears glistening on her cheek. He reached his hand over and tenderly wiped them off, careful to avoid the gash on her forehead.

"You've been crying" he said sadly looking down and then up once again. "I hope that it isn't because of me. You know that I would never want to hurt you or make you cry, right?"

"Draco..." she said softly.Sadley. "I don't know anything anymore. I thought Ron loved me and would never hurt me, but.." gingerly bringing her had to her scared face "he did. And you. You, I thought you were dead, but here you are sitting next to me in the exact same spot that we..." Her words drifted off as he leaned over and gave her a tender kiss on the forehead. Her heart began to beat wildly and she could hardly breathe. How could he still be able to do this to her after so many years apart?

"You feel it, I know you do"

"Feel what?" Hermione asked defiantly, trying to resist her feelings for him

"This" Draco said placing her hand on his heart. She could feel it pounding madly and her insides turned to jello.

"I feel it." she said, pulling her hand away and prposefully avioding Draco gaze.

"I feel it more and more every time you're near. When I was watching you with Weasley, my entire body ached to be the one who had the honor of waking next to you every morning. I wanted so badley to be the father of your child. I've been longing for you since the day I met you. Then I finally had you, but everything went wrong..." A silent tear fell down Draco's face.

Hermione brought his face down to hers and kissed him ever so sweetly, but the kiss was interupted by a scream from the castle. . . . .

Ch 14: Emma's Heart

Hermione and Draco stood quickly and rushed off in the direction of the scream. They ran as fast as they could and, in front of the portrait hole to Gryffindor tower, found a small figure being taken away and Ginny in a heap of sobs on the floor. Hermione felt her heart give a terrified leap as she realized who was being carried away.

She ran to the sobbing Ginny and stooped at her side. "What happened?" she choked out between ragged breaths. Ginny looked up at her, fear and sorrow in her eyes, "Ginny,please, oh god, please tell me what happened." Hermione felt stinging tears in her eyes as she looked to Ginny for an answer.

"I...was...and...I ...found...and...OH GOD, HERMIONE! I just, I don't know!" Ginny said between sobs. "She...was...and...she...wasnt...breathing"

"oh my god" Hermione mouthed wordlessly, "god, no" She stood and, leaving Ginny on the floor, ran with all of the energy and strength she had left, to the hospital wing. Once there, she burst through the doors and found at least a dozen professors and Madam Pomfrey frantically trying to bring the small child back to life.

Hermione stared at the lifeless body of her daughter and everything else seemed to disappear. Flashes of Emma's smiles and laughter filled her head. She barely registered being pulled out of the hospital wing as she struggled to get a closer look..."NO!" she screamed as she watched the double doors shut with a loud click. . . . . .

Ch 15: Emma's Heart (cont.)

Hermione sat on the bench in the hallway outside of the hospital wing for what seemed like an eternity, waiting to find out if Emma was ok. She sat with her head in her hands, weeping softly, as the door to the wing in front of her opened. Minerva McGanagall, Hermione's old transfiguration teacher and head of house, stepped out of the opened door. She looked exausted and her eyes were filled with sorrow as she looked at her former student.

"I am so sorry," she said and Hermione screamed in agony. McGonagall walked over to Hermione and began comforting her saying "Her heart was weak, Hermione. We couldn't have saved her, but believe me, we tried. We did all that we could, but nothing helped...she's in a better place now." Silent tears began to fall down McGonagall's cheek as she sat holding a sobbing Hermione in her arms.

Suddenly, Hermione stood, catching McGonagall off guard. "WHY ARE YOU DOING THIS TO ME!" she screamed looking to the skies, "WHY THE HELL DID YOU HAVE TO TAKE HER! TAKE ME! JUST BRING HER BACK! Please, just bring her back. . ." Hermione fell to the floor in a heap, "bring her back, bring her back..." she muttered softly, unaware of what was going on around her.

Madam Pomfrey and the other professors had rushe from the open door into the hallway.

"This will help you rest dear," Madam Pomfrey said giving Hermione a blue-green potion. Hermione drank it absentmindedly and the world around her spun out of focus as it all went black...