Something had taken over her then, she didn't want to leave, but there was no sense in wasting anymore time. He was right this was going to end in them loosing each other, loosing themselves. Her heart ached as she looked into the blue eyes in front of her, they were distant, cold. No this wasn't going to be the last she saw of him. This year wasn't going to end with his death, her heart wouldn't take it. They couldn't call this love, but deep in her chest with every beat she could feel the pain of letting this go.

"Draco, Draco please look at me." They focused on her then. She placed both hands on his face and ran her thumb across his lip. He closed his eyes then as she traced the shell of his eyes with the other "Hermione" she brought her face closer to his and placed a kiss on his cheek.

"Hermione." He clipped back at her turning her back towards the table.

"This doesn't have to end here. Leave with me" she kissed his other cheek and ran her mouth along his jaw. He made a noise that sent a jolt through her stomach.

"Granger enough." He groaned. She could see the war in his eyes as he looked from her eyes to her lips. She wrapped her arms around his neck and ran her fingers lightly at the hair at the base of his neck. He pressed his lips to her neck, and she sighed into him. "I can't keep it straight with you." He looked at her before their lips met and her breath left her. She pulled him closer to her as his arms wrapped around her waist, his hands splayed along her back holding onto her. His lips parted her own and she willingly obliged melting into him further. They had found themselves in this position a few times this year, but this was different. He reached his hands down behind her knees and pulled her up and into him. Sitting her on the table behind as his lips trailed their way from hers to her neck and collar. She moaned as his teeth grazed against her and her eyes opened. The darkness of the room overtook her then. She felt the chill creep in through the heat that was radiating off her. Sending the hairs on her arms to attention. With her eyes opened the reality of this came crashing down upon her.

"Oh, this is goodbye isn't it." She could feel the breath leaving her lungs and the tears starting to form as he placed chaste kisses back up her neck until her reached over her eyes. Placing a kiss on each corner she felt him nod and rest his head against hers.

"Yes Granger, this is goodbye."

"Please, please don't do this just let me save you. I can save you." She grabbed his face again and brought her mouth back to his, but the spark was gone.

"You have to stop thinking you can save me." He smiled half hearted and placed a hand to her cheek, rubbing away the water that had stayed there. "Go, the other side is going to need you much more that I will. I'll find you when its time. You'll know when I do." He placed a kiss to her head and helped her down.

She turned and left. She could still feel the warmth of his hand against her cheek.

She could feel her heart breaking with every step. The further she got from the door the more her eyes started to well up with tears. It wasn't that she loved him, no, she wouldn't say love. It was that she had admitted the defeat that she had tried too hard to prevent from happening was inevitable. She cared for him, could even grow to love him, but could not protect him. That was what tore her apart. He had asked her to leave and she did, without looking back. He was right, this back and forth between them would never work in anyone's favor.

"Hermione? What are you doing here? Hey are you okay?" Harry grabbed her shoulders and stopped her before pulling her in closer. "Hey it's okay, what's going on?" she broke as she wrapped her arms around him and let the tears fall.

No this was not love.

This was heartbreak.

"God Hermione what happened?" he asked pulling her back. His wide eyes looked at her with concern.

"Its nothing. I'm sorry, I just ran into someone in Slytherin, you know how they can be sometimes." She looked at the sky as she wiped her face praying the water would stop its decent. "What are you doing up here?" she watched as his face screwed up and he ran his hand through his hair.

"Dumbledore wrote to me. Seems I'm supposed to meet him tonight. He said it was urgent but didn't say what was happening. He's been weirder than normal lately, I've talked to Ron about it while you've been gone, he said we're getting closer to the beginning but I'm not sure what that means. Or at least I don't want to be sure of what that means." His face went pale as he looked at her for answers she did not have. She took a breath willing herself to stop.

"What can I do to help?"

He rubbed his hand along his face as he watched the door close behind her. He had made a mistake. He ran to the door to open it and placed a hand on the knob but could not turn it. Banging his fist onto the wood he cursed himself and his stupidity.

He had said the words to finally drive her away. Something he had strived to do to for the last eight months. And she hadn't even turned to look back.

Her and Blaise had a plot against him, figures, why else would she take and interest so quickly. Why else would they be having this back and forth all year.

He turned and furiously searched through the books on the table throwing the ones he had read hundreds of times; pleasure ran down his spine with each crash of the artifacts that surrounded him. He slammed his hands down on the table before throwing it over into a pile of junk. The muscles of his back protested as the adrenaline ran through his veins.

He could feel her on his lips. Smell her on his skin. The room and its darkness had vanished for a moment while she was here, and he could feel it crashing into him now. It was easier to blame her.

He shook his head and eyed the real source of his anger. That damned cabinet was tormenting him, he ran his hands up the front of it and could feel the energy pouring from it into him. He withdrew his hands quickly and spat at the foot of the door.

The darkness laughed at him, he could faintly hear it and his heart dropped. He knew that laugh. He had heard it many times in his life. Bellatrix. He opened the cabinet doors and stared into the depth. A chill spread down his neck and the hair on his arms stood at attention.

The veil was thin.

This was it, he knew it, could feel it. This time it would work. He climbed the ladder to the last black bird that had sat perched since the others death. Its black eyes had silently watched him, the songs he had grown used to hearing had stopped. He had not mourned the passing of his love like a love bird should, instead it had sat silently and waited for its inevitable fate. It perched itself in his hand and his heart skipped a beat.

So willing to meet the end.

He opened the cabinet and sat the bird on the floor before closing the door. He rested his head momentarily on the door and breathed in and out. He could still feel her presence in the room, her light. The warmth of her skin in his hand. He released the breath he had been holding and grabbed his wand from his robes before whispered the enchantment, Harmonia Nectere Passus, He backed up quickly when the cabinet began to vibrate.

Harmonia Nectere Passus.

He repeated the charm as the shadows danced around the room.

Harmonia Nectere Passus.

Just as quickly as it came it stopped. The dust in the room floated around him as he quickly approached and flung the doors opened. The bird flew at him scratching his face before heading back to his perch.

"Guess I deserved that." He spoke into the void as he gently fingered the small cut on his cheek. He looked down at the blood on his hand and saw on the floor of the cabinet something that hadn't been there before. The blood drained from his face and he forced the breath from his lungs. He could feel the world spinning as he bent and grabbed the paper.

Tonight.

The solitary word written in Bella's script. He threw the paper and ran from the room. He had to warn her.