Author's Note

I just wanted to thank everyone for the views, follows, reviews and likes, they are SO appreciated and they make this worth it.

I feel like I have a big Dramione family right here :)

Thanks again.

Keep reading :)

When I look into your eyes

It's like watching the night sky

Or a beautiful sunrise

Well, there's so much they hold

And just like them old stars

I see that you've come so far

To be right where you are

How old is your soul?

"-so I can not stress enough the importance of N.E.W.T.'s and the vitality that each and everyone of you put your best foot forward because these exams will ultimately decide the future you want to live out. Healer, auror, ministry employed, whatever the case, these exams are the biggest and most important ones you will ever write. This does-yes Thomas, Finnigan-it does take precedent over quidditch, not that I don't want Gryffindor to win again but your grades come first so I expect each one of you to work for this." McGonagall finished her lengthy speech at last, Hermione drinking in every word.

She didn't need the reminder, for she was up to par on the importance of these exams. Even though through Harry and Kingsley, she had a job secured already at the ministry, she had this need to prove to herself that she had worked for this and not won it through acquaintances.

As the Gryffindor 7th and 8th years filed out, Hermione headed straight for the library intending to pick up some Arithmancy and Ancient Rune books as well as more insight into pure blooded marriages.

She settled herself into an armchair, waiting for Draco to finish quidditch practice, for their study session and tutoring in Transfiguration.

He arrived looking absolutely exhausted, like he would drop dead any moment.

Hermione pursed her lips. "Didn't Slughorn tell the Slytherin's? McGonagall told us as we should know, that these last exams take precedent over quidditch."

Draco eyed her warily and collapsed into the armchair next to her. "He did, although I bet his speech wasn't nearly as long. And how could I forget with you reminding me every second? I know Mya, I just want to win this match, it's my last chance to win the cup."

Hermione sighed and closed her book and grasped his hand. "As long as you get enough study time and pass."

He smiled squeezing her hand. "I'll manage." Seeing Hermione's disbelief rolled his eyes. "We also have that date this weekend." he reminded.

"In the middle of this?" she asked incredulously gesturing to their massive pile of homework.

"Come on Hermione, you're going to pass with top marks, and everyone knows it." he assured. She blushed looking at their hands. "What?" he asked.

"I have a job already, at the ministry. For the Department for Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures." she said blushing furiously.

Draco burst out laughing, laughing so hard till Pince came swooping over and whacking him on the head with a thick book before scowling and retreating.

Draco scowled in return rubbing his head. Hermione smiled. "Good, if she wasn't going to do it, I was." she grinned.

Draco huffed before his grin spread again. "So. You haven't got out of school, yet you have a job already before anyone else at a well known department, you're already a genius and you're still stressing over N.E.W.T.'s?" he asked raising a perfect blond eyebrow.

Hermione mumbled incoherently and Draco smiled only wider. "Impossible."

"You make it sound like a bad thing." Hermione scoffed hastily opening another book on Charms.

"It's not. It's just you being you, in fact, I find it rather attractive….." he trailed off sneaking his hand on her waist.

Hermione knew where this was heading but found her belief in rules begin to disappear as he pressed her back against a big book shelf.

He trailed little kisses from her ear to her jaw, collarbone and neck.

She felt herself tilt her head back in ecstasy. She felt herself becoming wet and grabbed his face, crushing his lips to hers. Her tongue began a well rehearsed dance with his as his hands roamed the length of her body. He gave a small moan as he pressed himself close to her.

Her hands were playing with his hair as she locked her ankles tightly around his waist. The spines and corners of books were digging painfully into her back, and as head girl and boy, they probably ought to have been more restrained in public, but she found she wasn't able to resist him.

She felt his rock hard stomach and chest press against her and felt him grow immensely hard. His right hand was tight on her waist, holding her up as the other ran up and down her legs sending her into a fiery bliss.

She gently brought her tongue down his lips and onto his adam's apple and making it's way behind his ear. His eyes were shut and a small smile was on his face as he pressed his lips more demandingly against hers.

They heard footsteps padding towards them and broke apart reluctantly. Once Pince saw that they were simply reading casually in the same armchair, she whisked off highly irritated.

"I can't believe we just snogged in the public library." Hermione mumbled turning very bright pink. She had noticed that Draco's grey eyes turned stormy when angry, lighter when scared, warm when happy and fiery when lustful...

"I can't believe that old bat swooped in when we were getting close to something bigger than snogging." he pointed out. Hermione's eyes widened as she stuck her nose in the book.

All class times were spent in an intense revision as N.E.W.T.'s neared. Hannah Abott was muttering madly as she passed by on Hermione's patrol. She spotted a reluctant Theo chanting a spell from their third year rapidly in the great hall.

Hermione returned for a free period to their common room to find Draco scribbling down a DADA assignment angrily flipping pages. "Who knew we learned over a hundred spells in only DADA?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "You people all would if you'd bothered to begin studying earlier." she reminded.

"Lost track of time." he muttered rolling up the scroll. "I have quidditch at 6 tonight. Could you bring some dinner back for 8?" he asked.

"I thought you were focusing on school?" she asked hands on her hip glaring with accusation.

"I am. I cancelled practice for tomorrow for an extended practice today." he said avoiding her eye.

She sighed. "Fine. Be careful on your broom. You know," she said smirking a little smugly. "Harry never fell off his broom."

Draco glared at her mockingly. "Yes well, Potter's girlfriend was in the air with him and not distracting him in the stands."

"You admit Harry is a better quidditch player than you?" she asked pulling out her Herbology essay.

"Not on my deathbed." he retorted also pulling out his Herbology essay.

There was a sudden explosion outside to screams of terror. Hermione leapt up holding her wand and running to the window. Outside, were about 5 large dragons charging towards the school. One had surround a Care of Magical Creatures class and Hagrid looked horrified as he backed up with the fourth year Ravenclaw and Hufflepuff's.

She turned to see Draco's identical look of horror and they raced to the lower levels to teachers and students alike were in a hectic state. She spotted McGonagall flooing the ministry as teachers ushered students to the dungeons, the lowest and likely safest part of the school.

Without needing to know who the culprit was, she knew it was the revengeful death eaters.

She felt the air become sticky and hot. Glancing out of a glass window, the dragons were breathing fire angrily. She felt the tips of her hair singe as she raced out onto the courtyard, towards a dozen Slytherin third years, standing petrified beneath a tree. She yelled at them all to go to the dungeons and fired a patronus on the opposite side of the courtyard, distracting the dragon.

She tore back into the castle after checking that there were no more students in the courtyard with the ferocious dragon.

In her haste, she knocked straight into Draco who had half his robe in tears.

"Ripped when I pressed myself against the wall to avoid getting burned by those dragons." he explained. His eyes locked with hers, and they both knew the cruelty to set upon dragons on the school full of children. Question was, how did they get this far into the country without being seen?

She felt highly vulnerable standing there, knowing death was once more a breath of fire away. His grey eyes, stormy and light, angry and scared also showed how on guard he was and took in her appearance almost as if it was the last time. They seemed to be having a lot of these moments lately.

There came screams that brought them back to the present as people ran towards the safehouse of the dungeons.

A loud roar echoed off of the walls as glass shattered and a glint of gold, hungry eyes shone before fire came speeding towards them.

She felt his hand yank her against his chest. She hugged him tightly as the wind of the breath breezed by them. It became so hot and difficult to breathe that she was coughing into what was left of his sweater. He had his face buried in her hair, both hands protecting her head by pressing it to his chest. He was using his whole body to wrap around her as the second blast of fire burned the opposite wall.

"RUN!" McGonagall shouted running with her wand towards the front entrance to open it for the oncoming assistance.

He gave her one last fleeting look before she nodded and they parted ways to direct students.

Flitwick, Giurbin, Sinistra, Vector and Sprout were rushing out in hopes to subdue the dragons temporarily.

She bumped into a terrified Ernie and Hannah who looked ready to faint. "Look, round up any students you see, send them to the dungeons and cover the Hufflepuff commons and dorms and make your way to the dungeons as well." she instructed before a loud boom echoed from the courtyard and fields.

He scurried off directing students as she dashed towards the dungeons, checking rooms on her way there.

She passed a spiral heading towards the north tower when she saw smoke rising from it through the window. She dashed up the stairs, to see Trelawney running down it with half a class of third years in tow. Hermione continued her way up when she heard screams and felt the air become thick and humid.

There came a roar of outrage presumably from another dragon who had likely found it's way to the north tower.

She made it to the top pulling the trap door open and took in the scene. Students were hiding under desks with a part of a ceiling half covering them. The desk being their only barrier between being crushed by the fallen piece of ceiling or moments from being burned by the dragon who was shaking it's head a few feet in the air.

She could see ministry members aiming poorly at the dragon from below. A few were summoning brooms to get better aim, but none too keen on getting near the dragon.

"Hold on! Dragon experts from Romania and the far parts of Great Britain are coming!" ministry members yelled. Their main priority seemed to be not only to subdue the dragons that would surely end up killing people but also the fire the dragons were spreading which would also eventually kill people.

Hermione used her wand to levitate the ceiling off the students and screamed them over. "Get down and away. Cover your noses and mouths and go to the dungeons! I stationed Blaise and Lara by the dungeons, they'll direct you!" she ordered watching as they stumbled down. Most were badly burned already and she suspected two had broken bones.

She surveyed the room coughing as she covered her face with her sleeve searching. When she spotted no other students, she was about to turn and leave when a cry of agony came from below the open window.

She looked out to see Draco hanging on to the edge of the breaking window, holding the hand of a small girl as they dangled from the window. The dragon had ropes attached to it's legs as they attempted to pull it down when stunners were being missed and uneffective.

She recognized it as a Hungarian Horntail that was shooting fire towards the dangling pair.

Draco looked up to see a frightened and mortified Hermione and grit his teeth before yanking the girl up and Hermione caught on and grabbed the girl under the arms pulling her into the room.

"Dungeons!" she screamed sending the girl nodding and racing down. She turned back to Draco to see the dragon emit a large breath heading straight towards him, he swung to the left and it burned his arm and he gave out a groan as his other arm became badly singed.

Hermione screamed as she fired away another blast, firing water to extinguish it.

"Hold on!" she yelled firing away another shot of fire which unfortunately burned away the side of the wall she was leaning on in an attempt to reach out to flick the fire from Draco. Her wand went toppling towards the ground where it lay uselessly. As the wall disappeared, so did her balance for she had been relying on it to ground her as she misdirected the fire. She went toppling out of the tower, only barely managing to grasp the pillar remaining.

"HERMIONE!" Draco screamed his eyes widening in fear as she only managed to grab on before falling to her death.

Another blast of fire, further away than the last shot towards them. Draco leaned away and yelled for Hermione to do so too.

"Just hold on! Pull yourself up! Come on, Mya." Draco wheezed as part of the fire singed their clothes.

The pillar was much further in the tower than the sill of the window where Draco hung on one arm and she managed to pull herself up.

She was panting as she raced back to the window using it to support her. "Give me your hand." she panted.

He looked up and met her eyes. His grip was slipping as the dragon missed his attempt to burn and it completely disintegrated the lower part of the wall on the tower.

He yelled out in pain as he lifted his wounded hand for hers. She grabbed his hand and began to pull when there was a clear and audible crumbling sound as the sill he hung on to broke off.

The last thing she saw was his startled grey eyes as he crashed towards the ground along with the wall.


Hermione had a moment where she stood horror struck at the top of the tower before she returned to her senses and raced to the main floor where aurors were milling and McGonagall was retelling the events. Ignoring them on the whole, she ran into the fields, doubling back towards the bottom of the tower. Yells came after her but she only had one thing in mind.

She had to save him. He wasn't dead. She was going to save him.

"Hermione what the bloody hell are you doing?" Harry demanded tearing after her. Hermione continued on, ignoring his threats to put her in Azkaban and to get her expelled. She finally reached the pile of rubble at the bottom of the tower and scrambled over, picking up her wand.

Harry's stronger grip since his career as an auror began closed around her arms and pinned them together.

"Let me go Harry. Now." she said in a low voice, while scanning the rubble for a glimpse of the blond. He could be dying right now. He could be breathing his last breath! Or….or he could already be dead.

"What are you doing? Have you lost your mind?" Harry asked angrily as Romanian dragon experts raced out towards the Horntail who had broken 2 of the 4 ropes chaining it. Many aurors were already injured and were being led off by others.

In the distance there came the encore of screams of terror and the howls of the infuriated dragons.

"Draco is in there Harry! He could be dying! Let me go NOW." Hermione hissed tearing herself out of his grip. He grabbed her arm and held her back.

"We'll get him. If there's someone in danger of dying, I am a ministry member and head auror. But I'm also your friend, despite your choice in dating the Ferret, I'll help you." he said quietly already directing his wand to levitate chunks of the building off of Draco.

Hermione joined him feeling oddly similar to when she Ron and Harry officially became best friends. Where was Ron now? At least Harry was here. To think of it. Through her years, Harry had always been there.

Fire had narrowly missed them on several accounts but they had finally managed to rid Draco of the heavy load and there he lay. He was unconscious and paler than ever if possible. His arm and leg were at a weird angle and there was blood coming from his head.

Hermione's face scrunched up in fear as she ran to his side. She let out a sob as she levitated him out of the way.

"Hermione get him to the dungeons!" Harry barked as he blasted away fire that was speeding towards them. He ran behind them as she levitated him along, blasting away fire. Once he saw she was on her way to the dungeons he turned to leave.

"Thank you Harry." she called through her tears as she saw the burning Hogwarts.

"Get to safety Hermione. And tell….tell Ginny that I'm okay and to stay where she is...and that I love her." he responded smiling lightly before dashing back towards the dragons.

Hermione watched in despair as her best friend found himself in the midst of danger. She wiped her eyes and ran to the dungeons.

Blaise stood there alert and was gasping in horror as she came running down the hall levitating Draco in front of her.

"What-oh, Draco….mate….geeze…" he managed to get out running a hand over his hair.

"Blaise let me in there before I hex you." Hermione snarled bringing him back to reality, albeit a little rudely.

He complied by opening the door and ushering her in. "They just did a full count of the school, they're all crowded into the further extended Slytherin dorm and you and Draco were missing."

She nodded her thanks before rushing towards the small room labelled "Temporary Infirmary" where dozens of students and aurors alike lay wounded as McGonagall and a few older students bustled about attending to them.

Hermione collapsed on the ground before gently laying Draco on the small mattress in the back of the room.

"Oh dear me." Pomfrey said shaking her head as she flitted to Draco's side. She scanned him over performing a few spells before beginning to wave her wand around more certainly as bandages wrapped around his head and his arm and leg adjusted himself. Another bandage wrapped itself around his torso.

"Is he alive?" Hermione croaked from where she sat watching in a stiff wooden chair beside the bed.

"Dear, I wouldn't bother treating him if he weren't." she smiled not unkindly. "A cracked skull which is mended easily, broken leg in several places as well as arm, easily fixed, cracked rib all good as new and that old wound on his back reopened, can be healed with a few more doses of blood replenishing potion." she recited.

"Thank you so much Madam Pomfrey." Hermione said gratefully before Pomfrey rushed off.

She felt relief sag on her shoulders as she thought of the recent events. Draco had shown a great deal of bravery today. Saving that little girl like that. He had almost died, and she would murder him later for it. But for now, she was finally somewhat at peace.


Hermione awoke to the sounds of people clambering around. She looked around and saw that she was lying very awkwardly on the stiff chair. Up to her waist was on the chair seat, her head hanging off the back of the chair and her legs sprawled on the floor.

She straightened herself and took in her surroundings. Draco was still very much unconscious but knowing he would heal, she felt better.

She wandered out to the common room where students were eating a plain breakfast talking amongst themselves in grave tones. She spotted the flame of red hair sipping coffee solemnly at the corner of the room alone and staring at the murky coffee.

"Hermione," she smiled at the sight of her. She handed her a mug that had appeared at her silent question for more coffee. Oh, she hoped the house elves were safe too. "Are you alright? I was returning with Dean as the last pair of prefects returning when Zabini and that Lara girl told us you and Draco were still missing."

Hermione retold her the events as she had already done to McGonagall before drifting to sleep last night.

"Oh my god Hermione." she said wide eyed. A small smile appeared. "You really love each other." she commented leaning her head on Hermione's shoulder.

"You know Ginny, Harry told me to tell you that he was okay and that to stay where you are and that he loved you." Hermione said softly. Ginny went still before her eyes became wet.

"He's such a bloody hero all the time, I swear it's so annoying! Yet I find it so attractive…" Ginny said sadly shaking her head. Hermione laughed and reminded her that she and Dean were on shift soon before she went to check on the other prefects.

The Ravenclaw prefects had just come off and Hufflepuff was on now.

She had circled around assuring a few students, before she wandered into a set of bunks. There were a few extra rooms magicked into the dungeon common room filled with tightly spaced bunks for the rest of the school to sleep in. It was also filled with students talking in low tones. People stared as she walked by and she felt highly uncomfortable. She had a feeling that this was how Harry felt all his time here.

There was a fork of pathways, one for boy's bathroom and one for girl's. She decided to have a quick shower in the simple and small bathroom and put back on her only pair of torn clothes before making her way back to the infirmary.

It was alive and she saw Padma and a few other girls she didn't recognize tending to patients. Pomfrey was scolding a group of boys who were chortling by the entrance. She spotted Draco's bunk, to see he was still unconscious. But he was not alone.

Pansy was there stroking his hair sickeningly and placing kisses on his forehead leaving bright red-pink marks where her lips last touched.

Hermione set her face and strode towards the pair. She glared at the girl and she looked up and narrowed her eyes at the sight.

"May I ask what you think you're doing?" Hermione demanded.

"What do you want mudblood?" she sneered nastily.

"Don't you dare use that language and tone with me Parkinson. I'll take 10 points for that." Hermione snarled feeling all the hatred for this girl fire her up.

"Whatever. Now get lost mudblood and find yourself someone who cares." Pansy said turning her back on Hermione and continued petting Draco.

"Parkinson what the hell is your problem? I've done nothing to you and since we were kids you've been nothing but mean. You know I'm dating Draco and you're still being a cow about it. So why don't you-" Hermione growled.

Draco lay innocently still as Pansy stood up shaking in fury. "He was mine long before he was foolish enough to become yours. I know every part of him, and he knows every part of me. We grew up together and I don't care if he's in this strange phase, I know you are nothing to him." Pansy hissed venomously.

"I know what Draco and I have and it is none of your business. I don't care about what you think or what you have to say so get lost before I curse you into oblivion." Hermione threatened drawing out her wand.

Pansy drew out hers too and the two glared at each other, each trying to convey their hate for one another.

"I'm going to ask you one last time civilly Parkinson. Get. Your. Arse. Out. Of. My. Sight." Hermione snarled clenching her fists in temptation to curse her every part.

"Your nothing but a mudblood in love with someone higher than you. You are nothing but scum, dirt on our shoes, filth unfit to be born, someone who is beneath people like Drakie and I. Nothing but filth." Pansy spat.

There came a bang as Pansy flew ten feet across the room and right into the door.
"You keep your fat mouth shut Parkinson, before I lose my self control and curse you with something much worse." Hermione warned pocketing her wand. To her luck, Pomfrey had escorted the hooligans to elsewhere and there were only students here who clapped for the head girl and her rebellious loss of temper.

She heard loud clapping and whooping behind her and turned to find Draco grinning madly and clapping merrily along with the rest.

"Draco," she breathed sitting down on the chair beside her. "How long have you been up?" she asked blushing.

"Good hex by the way. And your trash talk was spectacular." Draco smirked.

Hermione's blush spread across her face and a hint of remorse at her hex on the Slytherin girl.

"She was stroking you." Hermione said making a face when she recalled the memory.

Draco laughed loudly. His laugh made her feel warm inside and she grinned back. "I saw your whole argument...very bad Miss. Granger….I'm very disappointed in you."

"Oh come on, you've done much worse. You saw everything and did nothing?" she asked crossing her arms.

"Ah my little lion, you handled it wonderfully on your own. Besides, Pansy deserved that. Plus it's nice seeing you scold and argue with someone other than me." Draco chuckled.

"We don't argue that much." Hermione muttered to more chortles. She whacked his good arm. "That was really brave Draco."

Draco looked at his injuries and then back up at her. "She reminded me so much of you. Sticking her face in a book at the back of the classroom, not taking in a word of Trelawney." he said smiling slightly at her. "She had been knocked backwards and was hanging where I was and then the dragon fired at us and iI ducked lower and before I knew it I was toppling towards the ground with her and I had just used my wand to levitate us back up but the fire burned my hand and I dropped my wand. That's where you come in." he smiled.

"You almost died. Again." Hermione sniffed holding his hand tightly. "One day….we're not going to be so lucky and the death eaters will have accomplished their goal and-"

"Don't say that. We're going to be fine. I'm not going to let them get you. And that's why I don't want to be a healer anymore." Draco said moving over as far as he could. "Come sit here, that chair looks dreadful." he beckoned towards the bed. She crawled into the small bed and lay her head on his chest.

"I thought you wanted to become a healer." she said fingering his shirt and looking up at him.

Draco sighed. "I did. In fact as you know, in the beginning of the year that's what I was studying for. But I've also been getting lots of letters with threats I haven't been telling you about, I didn't want to worry you. And it's made me realize how much we're in love and how much I need to do to make us safe again." Draco trailed off looking lovingly at her.

Hermione reached up to place her hand on his face. He placed his hand on top holding it there. "You make me feel safe. As long as you're here, I'm okay. You don't have to change your dream career. I can take care of myself." Hermione said a little defensively.

Draco smiled. "I have no doubt you can. But I realized that...if we ever become a family and start one….they would never be safe all because I was in something I shouldn't have been in." Draco blushed a little.

"I was in the war...they want revenge on me too." Hermione pointed out feeling her heartbreak at his proclamation.

"So I am going to become an auror. Work under Potter's hand, probably get my share of revenge from him and I'm going to find those death eaters and make sure they are far away from us." Draco promised holding her close.

Hermione's eyes glazed over. "You don't have to do that."

"I want to. To keep you safe. To give us a better future, our kids a better future. Then we can be safe and happy." he whispered.


Life in the little underground bunk went on for three days. Draco had left the infirmary on the second morning and they had found two empty bunks in between Blaise, Lara, Theo and Goyle.

There were often sounds of screams and roars outside, people grew wary of those, looking up at the ceiling in fear. Almost as if it were going to shatter and dragons would come charging down to burn them all.

Hogwarts was in smithereens. Much like after the war. Hermione sighed as she sat on Ginny's bed watching Ginny read a letter from Harry.

"Well?" Hermione asked once she finished.

"He said he's okay. There have been 60/100 aurors injured after the dragon attack and that Charlie and the Romanian dragon experts had managed to get the dragons under control soon enough. Now it would take a day of overtime for ministry workers to rebuild the parts of Hogwarts that were demolished." she said rubbing her head. "I have a feeling that he hasn't slept since he arrived here."

"He tends to get like that sometimes." Hermione smiled squeezing her shoulder.

"I have to write back. I'll see you in a bit." Ginny smiled weakly before heading towards the common room for parchment.

Hermione returned to their twin bunks to see Draco reading a letter, his face contorted with rage.

"Draco?" Hermione asked sitting next to him. Merlin, she couldn't count the amount of times that she had asked him this in cases of him reading a letter.

"A death eater has taunted me about how they almost got me. Just a few more seconds and I would have died from the building which unfortunately fell on that leg and a smaller piece on my stomach. He also threatened to find you and maybe killing you would kill me and this is just making me want to beg and kiss Potter's robes to let me hunt down this blithering idiot." Draco seethed.

Hermione burst out laughing. "I'll let Harry and Ginny know you want to kiss Harry's robes."

"You know what I mean. And you should take this more seriously." Draco huffed.

Hermione smiled and wrapped an arm around him.

"I love you, you know that? It's not the first time they've threatened us. And I feel very smug that I disobeyed teachers and aurors to save you which ultimately ruined their plans." Hermione grinned hoping to cheer him up.

"Hermione Granger. Disobeying school rules since 1979." Draco drawled stroking her hair.

"Rubbish. I only knew about this world when I was 11." Hermione reminded kissing him softly. "You should give that to Harry. He'll need that as proof death eaters were behind it as well as this case. And then maybe you can kiss his robes. Send him my love and thanks would you?" she asked. She laughed at the face he made as she headed out to do rounds.

On the evening of the third day, McGonagall announced that the ministry had fixed Hogwarts in the damaged areas and that classes resumed tomorrow. She didn't forget to remind 5th, 7th and 8th years that exams were approaching.

Draco grumbled as they entered their commons. "Bloody war could happen and she would assign us homework."

"But she's right Draco, we've got the biggest tests of our lives coming up." she reminded him. "Well it looks like the fire didn't get to our dorm."

"But it did get a lot of other places." he replied. It was true, the tower was the worst, then part of the Forbidden Forest was burned, large parts of the school and a corner of the great hall.

"I still want to know how they smuggled in several dragons without causing a scene." Hermione said repeating this question for the tenth time.

"I'm sure the whole ministry is off the hooks trying to answer that same question." Draco guessed sitting on the couch, pulling her down beside him. "At least we have classes tomorrow and Hogsmeade Saturday. Which is our long overdue date." Draco reminded.

"Can you at least tell me what to wear?" Hermione asked knowing full well he wouldn't tell what they were doing.

"Just normal clothes. We'll be outside." he smiled kissing her temple.

"Hogsmeade is outside." Hermione persisted furrowing her brow.

"Ah. Who said we were going to Hogsmeade? I just said we were having the date on Hogsmeade. Afterall, when majority of the school is at Hogsmeade, it's the best time to be alone." Draco grinned evilly before wrapping his arms around Hermione and pushing her onto her back.

She squealed as she thought over this. "Well said. But there are the innocent first and second years wandering about. And I wouldn't like to scar them with things….so young."

"We're head boy and girl, big bad death eater and war heroine, we can get them to do anything we want. Including leaving us alone for the day." Draco said in between heated kisses, he trailed onto her.

"You may have been a death eater to others but to me, you are just Draco." Hermione murmured playing with his hair.

"I'm always just going to be the death eater." Draco responded rather sadly as he kissed her sweetly. "I'm just lucky you are okay with it." he said pressing his forehead against hers.

"Draco, you are so much more than that. I wasn't just 'okay' with it. You made me okay with it." she whispered kissing him firmly, putting all her love into it.

"Hermione, I am who I am. I know what I was, I know I'm not like that anymore but I was and I can't change what I was." Draco persisted.

"But you can decide who you want to be. I've told you this before. And you have. You made yourself the man I'm uncontrollably in love with." Hermione murmured blushing a little.

Draco smiled sadly and nuzzled his face in her neck. "I love you too, but others may not ever understand this."

"I've learned that we shouldn't care. They don't know about us." Hermione smiled, repeating what he had told her so many months before.

"I will never forgive myself or forget those years." Draco shook his head pulling up his sleeve. "If I could just take it all back."

He sat them up and showed Hermione his forearm that bore the faint black skull and mark of a death eater. Hermione carefully lowered herself level with his arm and kissed it slowly. She pulled up her sleeve revealing her mudblood scar.

"Our scars don't define us, they show our strength." Hermione whispered placing her arm side by side with his.

Author's Note

A few things.

-The song at the beginning is I Won't Give Up by Jason Mraz and I think it explains their state of relationship right now.

-I have the rest of the story planned out :) There may be a few slightly M rated scenes…

-What do you think of the new cover? Not too great at editing but it shows two different sides of people who are now one.

Thoughts? Comments? Likes? Reviews?