A/N: Heya all! How are you all doing? I'm glad a lot of people are reviewing this story. It makes me happy to see that it's successful. Something I wasn't counting on. (Don't I have so much confidence in myself?) Well, I know you are all dying for this chapter, so here is it.
'Why do you accept me with open arms? Why? After all these past years of hate, why?'
"I'm your guardian angel."
Her voice drifted through his mind as he leaned against the wall in the Room of Requirement. He sat, with her in his arms; protected and safe. Hermione's breathing was slow and her eyes were closed. She was asleep and on her lips formed a smile. Draco's gaze left the wall opposite to them and landed on Hermione.
'I can't do this. I can't changeā¦so, why are we here, together?' Draco closed his eyes. 'Why am I like this? Why do I keep bringing myself down like this?' He brought his hands to his face and wanted to scream, but didn't or he'd wake Hermione. 'I love her. I really love her, but why does she love me back?'
"I'm sorry Hermione," Draco muttered as he gently laid her on the ground and stood. He walked to the door, looked back at her with eyes full of sadness, and walked out. 'Please understand. I'm my father's son. I'm a Malfoy. I will only end up hurting you in the end.' He thought as he headed for the Slytherin Common Room. He went straight to his room and closed the curtains around his bed.
Hermione opened her eyes and looked around. She remembered falling asleep in Draco's arms, but now he was no where to be found. She frowned and got off the floor. She rubbed her eyes and walked out of the Room of Requirement, heading back to her common room.
'Why did he just leave without saying anything?' thought Hermione. 'That's weird, normally he would tell me if he was going to leave. Of course, I've never fallen asleep on him either. Maybe he was being nice? Well, whatever the reason, I'm still worried.'
A day went by, then two, and Hermione hadn't seen Draco. He went to class, but he was always the first to leave. She couldn't just walk up to him and be nice. It was too risky. She sat in class, tapping the tip of her quill against the desk. When the bell rang, she tried to best to leave first, before Draco, but he always left first and was out of the hall before she got out of the classroom.
Hermione bit her cheek as she walked down the hallway. She was a little depressed, but inside she was angry. What the hell was Draco doing? He didn't show up at their meeting place for two nights now. This wasn't like him. Normally, he was always the first to be there. She was so much in thought, she didn't even realize she has bumped into someone until she hit the ground. She looked up to see Draco. Her heart skipped a beat, she really missed him, but it was quickly over powered with anger.
"Where have you been?" asked Hermione as she jumped up, ignoring his outstretched hand. "Two night Draco. Two nights I waited and you never showed up!" She thought she was angry, but she realized she was more hurt. "I was thinking you were having second thoughts." Draco grabbed her hand and they went to the Room of Requirement. Once they got into the room, Draco sat down on a couch. "So? Is there something wrong?"
Draco closed his eyes, putting his face in his hands. "I'm sorry okay? I'm so sorry." Hermione dropped to her knees in front of him and removed his hands from his face. His eyes were full of sorrow. Hermione rested her head on his knees.
"Tell me what's wrong. I'll listen," muttered Hermione. It pained her to see his eyes full of sorrow. She might not be able to take away all of his pain, but if she could at least take some of it, it would make her feel better.
"I love you. I really do. I love you so much that I'm scared. I fear for us," muttered Draco. He heard her gasp, but she didn't say anything, so he went on. "I love you so much that I started to distance myself." He shook his head. "I don't want to hurt you. I don't want you to get hurt because of me. I'm a Malfoy." That made Hermione look up at him, a confused look on her face. "No matter what, I'm my father's son. I can't change that."
"But you are not your father!"
"What do you see when you look at me Hermione?"
Hermione looked up at him, really look at him. "I won't deny that you are a splitting image of your father, but your eyes are nothing like your father's. His are cold and full of hatred, always. Yours used to be cold and emotionless, but now, when you look at me, I see love and happiness and sometimes, if I look hard enough, there's sadness. Why? Is it because you think you are going to become just like your father?" Hermione stood up and sat next to him. "You will only become like your father if you start acting like him. You won't if you don't allow it. Sure, you're his son, but you are not him."
Draco stared at her. he grabbed her shoulders and pulled her into a hug. "Thank you." Hermione smiled warmly. 'Why? Why do you always say the things that I need to hear the most? I hope, when you need to talk, I can say all the right things; all the things that you need to hear the most.'
"So, please, don't leave me again," muttered Hermione. "If you're having second thoughts or you're depressed, talk to me. I want to know what's wrong." She closed her eyes and breathed in deeply, taking in his sent.
"Thank you. Thank you for being by my side. I'm not going to run away anymore. I'm going to be the kind of person you're going to be proud of," muttered Draco. "The kind of person who will love you endlessly."
"Oh Draco, don't you see? I'm very proud of you. I love you. I always will, no matter what happens. I will always love you," whispered Hermione. She pulled away from him so she could look into his eyes. "Remember that."
'Oh Hermione,' thought Draco as he placed his hand on her cheek. 'Thank you. You don't know how much you are helping me.' It was like slow motion, like the moment would last forever. He never wanted to let it end. 'You know exactly all the right things to say.' For the week and a half they were officially together, their lips hadn't met. He wanted their first kiss to be special and knew she wanted it too. He moved in and tilted her head gently. She closed her eyes. 'Why? You really are my angel. Mine and mine alone, but why? Why did you choose this lonely soul?' The moment he knew he wasn't going to miss, he closed his eyes and closed the gap between them.
His stomach clenched and he got the spark of chemistry. Her mouth opened, allowing him to explore. Hormones took over as his hands went to her shoulders, slowly slipping off her school robe. He slowly laid her down, his lips never leaving hers.
The second she realized she was about to do something that went against her morals, her eyes snapped open. "No!" she said and used all her strength to push him up. His hands went to either side of her, his eyes locked as he held himself up off her. Her hands were on his chest. His eyes looked into hers and he immediately regretted what he just did. She rolled off the couch, making Draco face-plant it. She pulled up her robe as she walked away without a word. Hermione wrapped her arms around her chest. Draco closed his eyes for a moment and got off the couch, following her.
"I'm sorry," Draco muttered as he wrapped his arms around her from behind. She closed her eyes. "I really screwed up the moment." Hermione nodded. That made him feel worse. "I-I don't know what came over me. Saying 'It was hormones' sounds like a pathetic excuse for what I did. Forgive me."
For a moment, Hermione didn't say anything. Draco thought she wasn't going to forgive him. "Of course you're forgiven," she said as she turned around in his arms. "I love you too much to hate you, but that doesn't mean I want to have sex with you. Not right now; not at school either." Her hands cupped his cheeks. His eyes were still full of sorrow and regret. "Get that look out of your eyes."
"I can't help it. When you pushed me off, the look in your eyes was fear. Now I can't get that look out of my mind. I don't blame you either, because of what happened at the masquerade ball," Draco said sadly. He was so ashamed and disgusted with himself for his actions. He nuzzled his cheek against her hands before grabbing it and kissing her palm. "Why are you still with me? Why aren't you angry?"
Hermione stared up at him. "Do you want me to leave you?" She backed out of his hold. His hands hung in midair for a moment before they dropped to his sides. He looked at her with solemn eyes. She looked down at the floor, examining a speck that had caught her attention.
Draco shook his head. "Of course not." Hermione looked back at him. "Without you, I'd be lost, like I was these past two days; like I was my whole life. I just didn't realize that I was lost until I came to love you. But why do you love me back? Me, of all people, why me?" He dropped to his hands and knees.
Hermione stared at him for a moment, then dropped to her knees in front of him. "There are questions that even the wisest can't answer. And that is one of them. I can't tell you why my heart choose you, but I'm glad it did. I'm not having doubts or regrets." Hermione hugged his shaking shoulders. "So, please, stop trying to run away. I want to be with you. I want to try and erase your pain. I want you to stay with me." Tears started to fall from her eyes as well as Draco's.
Here they were, a Slytherin and a Gryffindor, in a hug, crying with each other. No one else, Harry the exception, would ever allow them to walk around the school, hand-in-hand. A pureblood from a pureblood obsessed family and a muggle-born, a mudblood, together. Their love was greater than anyone else's.
'I always assumed that no one would ever understand me. I never thought I'd hear those words. Just like that, the ugly emotions inside me, the mud-covered anxiety, one by one, you melt them away. Why would someone like you stay near me and cry for me? How can I ask for that? I don't deserve something like that. You ended up near me by mistake. This time will be different. This time I want to care for you. I don't want us to be apart. How can I ask for that?' Draco thought as they cried with each other in the Room of Requirement, the only place in the school where they are freely express their love in their own ways. Days to come will be different, especially after this conversation. But that will be okay. They loved each other too much. Their shoulders shook together. It was hard to tell where his shakes ended and hers began.
A/N: Okay, so this is almost five pages on Word, but it didn't really make the cut. But, I don't want to add anything else to this. I already added the last part, and I might have slightly ruined it. Draco's last thoughts on this chapter is not mine. It's said, er thought,by Kyo Sohma in Fruits Basket by Natsuki Takaya. I do not own that line. I just really love that line. It really tied in with this chapter in a way.
I really enjoyed writing this chapter. Except when the kissing scene came up. I'm not very good at that sort of writing, which explains why my writing it for the younger teens. Not young people in general because the language isn't very good.
Well, not much else to say, except thank you to all who have reviewed this story. Means a lot to me!
Until the next chapter
This is Kiwi-san
Over and Out!
