Seven kisses.

By femme fetal.

iii. don't stop, don't stop, telling me goodnight, just promise you'll kiss me goodbye.

Hermione/Draco

The battle raged. So much violence and horror in a sanctuary like Hogwarts was wrong on more than one level. Forgetting the fact grievous loss of life, the magic that had seeped into the grounds and the walls and the water would be tainted and angry for centuries to come.

Hermione felt the need to get somewhere, yet she wasn't sure where. It was the same desire she had felt that night with Sirius. She did not regret giving Sirius her innocence. How could she when he deserved something much more pure and delicate than anything she could offer?

She did have a regret from that memory, and that was only not telling him how much it meant to her. He had understood her so completely in those moments before and after that she felt as though she was herself once more. He had given her the power to move forward with her life, to remember the promises and kiss that she shared with Cedric but not to dwell in what might have been.

The corridors blurred together until she didn't know where she was in the castle any longer. Nothing stood out when she looked around, but strangely enough it didn't bother her nearly as much as she thought it should.

Hermione jolted backwards in surprise as the spectres of the people who had lost their lives to anger and pain began to materialize. All shared the same look of sadness. Tears filled her eyes at the vast number which blurred the corridors she walked. Why were they all back? They couldn't be back for good; they looked nothing like the ghosts that lived in the school.

A solid shape moved through the spectres and towards her. They moved aside for him, as though the reason they were truly there was to guide these two souls together.

His platinum blonde hair was what she first noticed. His sharp grey eyes in the surrounding dullness was the second. Draco Malfoy. He looked completely unfazed by the being surrounding them that Hermione wondered if he could see them at all.

"Can you see them?" She didn't mean to ask. She didn't honestly wish to talk to him, but the words were already out and his disapproving eyes were already judging her.

"Of course I can, you stupid mudblood," His words were harsh and biting, much like the cold filling the halls. "They have been brought back by the violence filling the grounds."

"But what does that mean? Can they go back to the peaceful realms?" Hermione asked, quickly forgetting with whom she was talking.

"They never were in the peaceful realms," He told her. "They were trapped by their anger, by their sorrow, in a place between. They come back during battles to try and find peace."

"You're giving me little more than additional questions, Malfoy. How do you know all of this?" Hermione demanded. Her temper flaring, perhaps for the first time since Harry, Ron and herself had set out to find the Horcruxes.

"I know, because I've heard the stories. Just as any pureblood witch or wizard has. It's something not written about, because of fear, but the stories are passed on as ghost stories to scare young ones with on stormy nights," He looks around.

The spectres closest to the pair had a sudden change in expression; a slight smile graced their faces and warmth began radiating from them. Finally they began to ascend through the ceiling and into the sky. Vanishing when reaching the clouds; only Hermione and Draco could not know that, being in a confided space as they were.

"What's happening to them?" Draco asks, fear hinted in his tone. Hermione smiled.

"They're leaving," Hermione replied. Draco looked at her, shocked.

"That's not possible. There is no way for them to just leave. You don't know anything about this, regardless of how much of a know-it-all you are in other departments," His tone turned scathing. Perhaps not his best insult ever, but Draco was far too confused by his childhood ghost stories come to life.

Hermione did understand what was happening though. Draco couldn't, he wasn't feeling as Hermione was. Hermione was only feeling forgiveness. She hadn't realised it until that moment, though. Draco had changed, his bothering to explain the strangeness was proof enough for her, and for that she forgave him for all the hurt he had inflicted upon her and her friends.

The spectres all around them rushed towards the unlikely pair. Hermione bit back a scream and took a step into Draco's arms. Draco couldn't move. He couldn't comprehend what was happening to the ghosts and holding a scared girl in his arms didn't seem to be anything worthwhile noticing in that moment.

The pair stood that way for what felt like a long time. They were unsure of what to do or say to one another. Finally, they were left alone, in the corridor in a somewhat awkward position if anyone was to stumble upon them.

They could hear the screams and yells from the battlefield clearly now. Hermione stepped back.

"I need to go," She told him.

"Do you understand what happened just then?" Draco demanded stepping towards Hermione.

"Forgiveness. I forgave you, and they were able to forgive themselves," She replied. She stepped away from him.

"You forgive me?" He asked. He appeared shocked. He thought back to everything that had happened in the past. "How?"

"I need to go now. If we both make it out of this alive, I'll tell you sometime," Hermione smiled and began walking away.

Draco grabbed her arm and pulled her back. Her eyes screamed her confusion.

"If this is goodbye, I want to thank you properly," He explained before leaning down and placing his lips on hers. Their kiss was passionate and spoke of forgiveness and sorrow.

Their breathing was heavy when they broke apart. His forehead rested against hers for a moment as he looked into her eyes.

"Don't be mistaken into thinking after this is over we're going to be friends," Draco told her. His tone wasn't as harsh as he wished it was. Corridors and spectres changed things quickly, it seemed.

"I wouldn't dream of it," Hermione smiled at him. "Stay safe, please." Hermione ran as quickly as her legs would take her. Draco stood watching her go.

A/N: I'm sorry this took so long. I was halfway through writing it when life happened, so let me know if there are any inconsistancies. Reviews are love.