The morning came quickly but neither Hermione nor Draco noticed it, because both were no longer in their bodies in the infirmary of the Hogwarts school of witchcraft and wizardry. As soon as the lights awoke the castle, everyone who knew what happened on may 17th found themselves around Hermione's bed.

"Let me through! What happened here?" Professor McGonagall said making her way to the bedside. "It's a long story, Professor, but I don't want to tell it without her." answered Ron, staaring blankly at the bed. "She sacrificed herself so that Draco wouldn't get hit by the killing course. She got hit in his place." Ginny said in a whisper. "The spell hit her ring, but Hermione still received the effects." Harry completed.

McGonagall narrowed her eyes and lips till it seemed like she did't have any. "And Mr. Malfoy?" she asked continuing to investigate discreetly. "He should be fine. Why? Did something else happen?" Ginny asked anxiously, tired of all those tragedies. "Actually yes. He seems to be dead... but there is something else... . Call Madam Pomfery, please. Immediately." McGonagall ordered serious as an heart attack. Pansy immediately ran to call the nurse, and returned in her company few minutes later.

"Poppy! Thank goodness. Come here. I'm afraid something terrible as fantastic has just happened!" McGonagall affirmed with a strange indecipherable look. None of the people present could understand what was going on. "Look, the cuts on the hands..." "Mr. Malfoy has his wand near his hand, it must have been him..." "It isn't possible..." "Yes it is. I'm almost sure they did, but will they survive?" McGonagall and madam Pomfrey mumbled without paying attention to all those eyes that stared at them searching for answers.

"We found interesting developments in the situation: Draco Malfoy and Hermione Granger have tried the impossible. There is a charm, very difficult and risky: the union of blood. You need to cut the palms of both people's hands. Then you put a drop of the other's blood on your lips and kiss each other keeping your cut hands together; so the blood will unite both in the kiss and in hands. This enchantment is very powerful, it is made only for people who truly love each other. It's a bond that if created when one is on death's door, could keep him or her alive. But if their love isn't true, or it is not enough, they will both die." McGonagall explained, leaving everyone speechless.

"We can't do anything; just hope that the kiss of true love will save them. For now they are like dead. They have five days to wake up." McGonagall said leaving the infirmary, leaving all the students breathless thinking about what happened.

The days passed quickly, it was already mid-May and the sun shone bright. All the other students were passing their days in the parks and getting ready for the end of the courses. But this joy did not even touch the minds of those who waited with anxiety for Draco and Hermione to wake up. Every day they visited the infirmary, and left flowers and sweets, which, however, occasionally disappeared, because when they stopped there for a while to keep them company, they ate them.

For Draco, another bed had been placed next to Hermione's, and they had moved him there being careful not to separate their hands. The sun was high in the sky of the fourth day. The heads, Blaise, Pansy, Ginny and Neville, were sitting around Draco and Hermione's beds. They talked about everything, just to think a little less to their friends. those where the last light hours and the last night they had to wake up, if they didn't, they would never do it again.

"Still nothing?" Madame Pomfrey kept asking, every time she came to check the situation. Even McGonagall occasionally came to see if they had woken up, but none of them found results and the sun was setting by now. In the last few hours everyone was anxious, even McGonagall and Madame Cips were permanently there, staring intently.

"Students, I'm sorry, but I think it's time to go, it's late. If you want we can check tomorrow morning..." Started McGonagall. They all nodded sadly, slowly starting to leave the room, some silently crying.

The dark cloak of the night covered Hogwarts, a night without dreams, without hope... .

tick-tack tick-tack was going the clock of the hospital wing.

Tick-tack tick-tack was going the last night of hope.

Tick-tack tick-tack was going the hearts of the two students lying motionless.

Tick-tack tick-TACK! Hermione suddenly opened her eyes gasping, and getting back the breath she didn't know she ad been holding.

She blinked a few times in the dark infirmary illuminated by the usual oil lamp near her. With an hand she massaged her head while trying to seat; but she noticed that something stuck her down: her hand was locked at another. She look up at the owner of the hand and gasped.

"Oh Merlin, Draco!" Hermione's scream awakened Draco, who jumped up sitting on the bed. "What the...?!" "Draco are you okay?!" she shook him grabbing him by his shoulders. "Yeah, yeah, but please stop." "oh sorry." They managed to seat leaning against the wall behind the bed, they sighed deeply and closed their eyes a moment resting; then Hermione's eyes suddently widened and she gasped loudly.

"I'm alive?! Why am I still alive?! I should be dead! I mean, the killing curse! I-" "Wait what?! You're alive! I'm alive! We're alive?!" Draco gasped quite shocked. "Why am I alive?!" she was totally freaking out. "Ok, ok, now calm down or you'll have an heart attack. I'll explain you. So... when you got hit, we thought you were dead, but then Potter noticed that your ring got hit instead of you so you received only part of the curse; but McGonagall said you wouldn't pass the night. I fell asleep here, and in a dream I met professor Snape, that told me about a special charm that could save you. The union of blood... .

Yeah, you know; that pact between two person who really loves each other, that cane save one from death if made before it. But I think you know everything about that, isn't it?" she nodded shocked by what he did. "you really... but it works only with true love..." She jumped in his arms. "My hero." She whispered before kissing him.

"I'm not a hero. you are the hero who sacrified herself to save me." he sighed after breaking away from the kiss. "yeah, I'm awesome." Hermione chuckled. "but you are a hero too. You used one of the most difficult and risky charm; even if you didn't know if ours was true love. You made available your own life for mine. You tried the impossible to save me."

She look up at him with the head near his chest, resting on his crossed harms. She could clearly hear his heart beat in his chest, a repetitive, relaxing sound. Now she could surely affirm that Draco Malfoy had a heart. He wasn't anymore the boy with the heart of stone she met at the beginning of the year.

They stood there a few minutes, just relaxing and then, Draco spoke. "oh, get up, I wonna take you in a beautiful place." He said getting off the bed and helping Hermione to get down too. They walked through the silent castle, and then out in the park. Stars where shining in the sky, full moon illuminated all as sun, and spring wind moved trees producing a soft sound.

The walked up to the great lake, than Draco took of his shoes and with a twist of his wand, enchanted the lake. Slowly he stepped foreword and his feet left the shore and stepped onto the water, then, he turned to face Hermione. "Do you trust me?" he asked with his hand waiting for hers. She nodded putting her hand in his and with naked feet joined him on the water.

A sudden euphoria got control of them, and they started running on the water in all directions like childrens. Feeling alive. "Expecto patronum!" they yelled, wanting to give schape to their happiness. Hermione's otter dived into the water swimming around her feet and Draco's eagle flew over they heads touching the tops of the trees around the lake. Then it flew down to the water, and with its claws picked up the little otter flying in the sky with her.

They twirled in the hair and an incredible thing happened: the two patronus illuminate themselves of a blinding light, and then, they started to deform till they become just one thing, much bigger than before, and totally different. A dragon flew over their heads its wings touching the tops of the trees and then the water. It then dived into the water and disappeared.

They stopped a moment in the center of the lake. The moon seemed ten times bigger than normal reflecting herself on the water. Draco bowed to Hermione and left his hand in front of her. "May I have this dance?" "Sure." She answered letting her hand on his. With the other, he took out his magic wand and enchanted the water again.

They started dancing and a few moments later, the water under their feet started to levitate above the lake; at every step, at every twirl, the water accompanied them and they were now dancing in the hair with water supporting them and playing with the light all around the dancing couple. It was really magical.

At some point, clouds suddently crowded in the sky preparing for a spring strom, still not covering that wonderfull moon, and slowly it started raining. But they didn't care about it and kept dancing under the rain with drops soflty falling on their faces. Some people say you have to find someone who will dance with you under the rain, not someone who will bring you an umbrella.

The laughed and danced under the stars and then the rain, watched by the bright moon high in the sky upon them, till they could no more. Sunrise lights colored the lake when they finally crossed it hand in hand and they returned to the castle.