Chapter Five: Rescued

On the morning of day seven on the island, Hermione woke to the sound of the drone of an airplane. "OH MY GOD, DROACE WAKE UP!" She shouted shaking him violently, and then sprinted for the beach marked H-E-L-P.

"What, what is it?" Draco called stumbling after her.

"They found us finally, look!" She cried, tears of joy streaming down her face as she hugged him, and pointed at the barrage of air craft and boats approaching them.

"You mean we're rescued? That's fantastic, oh god Love, we're finally getting out of here. Hermione, please, promise to write to me the rest of the summer?" he asked looking her straight in the eyes.

"Yes, of course I will, will you?"

"Every day Love, I swear it," he hugged her again and kissed her one last time before the first boat came ashore. "I…love you." He whispered in her ear.

"And I love you." She sobbed as their hug ended.

"HERMIONE ARE YOU ALRIGHT?" Harry and Ron yelled as they ran to their friend's side and tackled her in a group bear hug.

"Yes, I'm fine thanks to Dra- I mean Malfoy. He saved me when I fell over board." She explained wiping away the tears she had in her eyes.

"What, Malfoy saved you?" Ron was in pure shock. There was no more time to explain, because the paramedics and other rescuers had finally arrived on shore and were examining Hermione and Draco for injuries.

"We thought the two of you were goners for sure, but a fishing skiff saw your fire last night." One paramedic explained.

"We got lucky then," Draco remarked stiffly trying not to stare at Hermione, and draw Ron and Harry's attention to his actions.

They boarded a coast guard ship in single file, and although Hermione was happy to be rescued and see Ron and Harry she didn't want to make the trip back to civilization with them. Luckily after she boarded the boat they didn't have enough room for Ron and Harry to join their vessel. Hermione let out a sigh of relief. "We will be together again soon won't we?" She asked Draco feeling a sudden pang of separation anxiety from her new best friend, as they left the island together.

"Of course Love, summer's nearly over and we will be returning to Hogwarts soon. We'll be together then, and we'll have Hogs Meade and holidays. I told you, things won't be the same as before this ordeal, I promise Love." He comforted her putting his arm around her to help block the sting of the cool breeze.

They could see the port before they spoke again. "Hermione, promise me that we will get married sometime after school is over…I'm not complete without you, and I won't be myself if you don't…" he begged quickly falling to his knees in front of her.

"Of course I will." She blurted out before thinking about what she was saying first, then she pause momentarily before she said, "I wouldn't have it any other way."

Their boat docked, and they shared one last long kiss before anyone else was in sight to see and before they would have to go their separate ways. "I will come and see you as soon as I can," He whispered as he helped her out of the boat and urged her back to her worried friends.

Ginny and Mr. And Mrs. Weasley, along with Fred and George where waiting at the end of the dock for them. They all embraced Hermione and as they left chattering up a storm, firing one question after another at her she looked back at Draco one last time before they left to go back to their hotel. Their eyes met, and she waved to him, he waved back and winked at her, then he was gone.

"So Malfoy saved you then huh? Must have been bloody hell living on an island with him for a week." Ron announced loudly.

"I hardly noticed him," Hermione lied shortly, not wanting her thought to linger on the man that she loved for too long.

"How's that possible, when you notice everything that everyone is doing?" Harry teased trying to ease the tension he could sense in Hermione.

"We just kept to ourselves that's all; I'd rather not talk about it if you don't mind." She snapped.

"Let her be." Ginny and Mrs. Weasley hissed at the boys in unison, as they all piled into their enchanted car.

"Hermione dear, are you hungry at all?" Mrs. Weasley wondered as they entered Honolulu.

"No not particularly, I ate some fruit this morning." She lied again as she looked out the window.

"Well, if you do end up getting hungry before we eat, just be sure to let me know," Mrs. Weasley remarked quietly.

Hermione just nodded her head and tried to sleep so no one would bother trying to pester her about the island, and more importantly about Malfoy, and what happened between the two of them. When they finally arrived at the hotel Ginny helped Hermione to their room as Mrs. Weasley announced that there would be no disturbing of Hermione about the island until she was good and ready to talk about it, and she reminded them that Hermione might never want to discuss it; because of traumatization. "Can I get you anything to eat Hermione?" Ginny asked softly as their door shut behind them.

"No, I can wait until dinner I believe," Hermione replied.

"Are you sure you're alright?"

"I'm fine, just overwhelmed with joy that's all." Hermione smiled at Ginny, "WE were wrong Gin, and he's not a Death Eater."

"Every inch of him is tattoo free, or any kind magic or Muggle." Hermione giggled.

Ginny raised her eyebrows in surprise and had an enormous grin on her face, "Oh really, and her I was under the impression that you two didn't bother much with each other." Ginny teased sarcastically, "So what's Malfoy really like then?"

Hermione blushed, "Clearly he's not the person that we though he was…what are those…EXTENDABLE EARS?" The door flew open and Hermione found that Ron, Harry, Fred, and George were trying to listen in on their conversation.

Ginny was there and bellowed, "YOU BLOODY WANKERS! Mind your own business, you foul gits don't need to know everything we girls talk about, now leave us be or I'll let mum know you've been using the extendable ears again."

The four boys scattered in terror of Mrs. Weasley finding out they still had extendable ears. Ginny closed the door and the girls moved to the opposite side of the room. "Anyway, his father died a few weeks ago, and he's changed a lot since sixth year ended." Hermione continued.

"But what about Malfoy's clear involvement in Professor Dumbledore's murder, he's still guilty isn't he?" Ginny asked.

"Apparently, Dumbledore recruited him as a part of the Order of the Phoenix. He was supposed to be an act to draw out the traitor in our presence." Hermione answered.

"You believe him then?"

"He saved my life Ginny, I owe him that much at least."

"True enough, do you like him then?" Ginny asked poking Hermione's arm.

"We've agreed to keep in touch over the rest of the summer," Hermione admitted "We'll see how it goes from there I guess."

"If I were you I wouldn't tell Ron or Harry about this. I know I'm going to be keeping this secret so I don't die a death as painful as a thousand deaths. So what else happened then?"

"Nothing, I swear it, you know I would tell you if something serious had happened!" Hermione assured her best friend with a huge goofy grin smeared across her face. "OH alright, I kind of sort of kissed him."

"WHAT ARE YOU BLOODY MENTAL?" Ginny screamed in shock.

"It was an accident, well sort of… I just couldn't stop myself."

"That was bloody scary, Ginny's turning into mum." Ron whispered to Harry.

"No she's not quite that bad and not nearly as loud, but she does have the ferocity of your mum though." Harry laughed as they sat in the kitchen of the Weasley suite.

"What do you suppose is so bloody secretive of their conversation?" Fred pondered.

"Who knows, but Hermione was ready to blast us all to hell with that look of rage on her face." George chuckled, "So Ron when are you going to tell her?"

"Tell who what?" Ron questioned pretending not to know what George was talking about.

"Granger that you're in love with her you lousy sod." Fred and George announced in unison.

"Oh, that, well I was going to wait a bit longer until we went home…" He stammered not wanting to admit that he was pushing the task off until the last possible moment.

"Puck up and be a man or Krum will get her first, and you don't want that know do you?' Harry agreed with what Fred and George were saying.

"No, but what if she won't have me?" Ron whimpered when from Ginny and Hermione's room they heard, "WHAT ARE YOU BLOODY MENTAL?"

All four of them dashed to the girls' door and pressed their ears against it. They couldn't here any real words, all they heard was mumbling, and that was when the door creaked and once again flew open from the weight of the boys leaning on it.

They all toppled onto the floor in a giant tangle of arms, legs, and heads. "Good to know that you all respect my privacy so much," Hermione growled venomously, as she walked out of her room and out to the balcony of the suite.