Chapter 19: Boyfriend and Girlfriend
A/N: Disclaimer in the first few chapters!

While Molly Weasely was trying to strangle her son, a passionate make out session was taking place between Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy. Slowing down the heated kisses to soft, sweet ones, Draco reluntactly pulled away from the taste of butterbeer in the brunette's mouth. A split after he pulled away, his love snuggled into his chest, rested her head on his broad shoulder and sighed blonde let his arm relax around her waist and kissed her forehead gently, her silky curls tickling his nostrils.

"I never thought this would happen," he admitted.

"Really?" Hermione hummed in response.

"I thought it was hopeless," he continued, resting his chin on top of her head."you were so in love with the Weasal all through school that you never noticed me. I can't pinpoint the exact moment when I started to fancy you," Draco furrowed his eyebrows in thought. "But...I think it was when you hit me back in third year. No one had ever done that to me, apart from my aunt Bellatrix," he went on, his silver eyes darkening in anger at the mention of his now dead relative. But with a reassuring hand on his shoulder and a pair of warm, loving, chocolate eyes pinned to his face, he held it together and his anger dissipated.

"From that moment on, I admired: your feisty, stubborn nature, your heart of gold but, most of all, your loyalty to those you love. Oh, how I longed to be one of those people! Over the years, I started to watch you and fall for you. There was a couple of reasons I couldn't pursue you but the main reason was B-bella. I...I c-couldn't let them hurt y-you! Oh, God! Hermione!"

She looked up to see tears streaming down his pale face. he buried his face in her neck and she automatically wrapped her arms around his neck. She began to trace soothing circles on his back as he continued on in a muffled voice.

"I'm s-sorry! I'm s-so s-so sorry!" the distraught blonde sobbed, wetting her neck with his tears. "E-very waking moment, I-I am haunted by the image of m-my crazy Aunt C-crucio-ing you a-and..t-torturing."

"Shhh," she whispered, gently.

"I stood there and did nothing," he said in a voice taut with pain. "NOTHING" he shouted, hoarsely.

"Draco."

The sound of her loving voice quietened him.

"It's not your fault," the witch softly mumbled, playing with Draco's blonde tresses to calm him. "None of it is. You were forced by the Dark Lord and many other bad influences. The Death Eaters and your own friends put pressure on you to follow orders, whether you believed them or remeber, your father and mother were by your side, just as sacred as you. You took the Dark Mark against your will and came to Dumbledore for help. You became a spy for the Light Side, risking your life just like Severus Snape. You are a hero, Draco." Hermione trailed her fingers across his jaw, feeling fresh stubble pass through his fingers. His breathing was ragged in her ear but the heart-wrenching sobs had stopped./p
p style="text-align: left;""And not to mention, love," she murmured comfortingly, hearing his breath at the term of endearment. "You were brainwashed from an early age. Prejudices and ideas were drilled into your mind and took root. You knew of nothing else expect that of what your relatives , excuding your parents who never believed any of that rubbish, had taught you. I was treated, like dirt by you but I don't blame you. Those awful people taught you that anyone that wasn't of pureblood status was nothing. I forgave you a long time ago, Draco." she concluded by kissing him softly on the temple.

A few minutes of comfortable silence passed before the young Malfoy spoke.

"Will you be my girlfriend?"

A/N: Hope you guys enjoyed that!