A/N: I'm glad those of you who read and reviewed enjoyed this story. It might get a little dark in this chapter and the pair will be a tad, if not completely OOC. Also something within it will be vague, but I leave that so you can picture whatever you like. And to answer 18polo...I don't think I could be that cruel, of you know what I mean. So without further ado, here's chapter two. Ha that rhymed!

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Chapter Two: Forever Mine, Forever Inked

Hermione was well aware that it was their year anniversary and they had decided to meet on the Astronomy Tower for some time together, but she was taking care of her appearance for him. Draco didn't particularly mind if her hair was curly, because he loved her for what was inside, but looking good didn't hurt. She just got her hair to be neat and got it to curl only at its ends, which rested halfway down her back, and put on her make-up. She was dressed in a rather long black dress, which had a small v-cut on the front and was backless. The dress was slender and clung to her curves, which she knew would drive her beloved crazy. She put on some black stilettos, which made her a bit taller, and some chandelier earrings.

She walked, without being detected, all the way to the Tower, with her heels clicking on the floor. She ten reminisced about the fact that their blatant hatred was a way of hiding their true feelings. And once they had both gotten over their pride and their prejudices, and had admitted their feelings, the relationship had blossomed within its secrecy. When she reached the Tower, she was awed to see the man she loves was standing on one of the edges of the Tower, dressed in all black---just like she liked it. She laughed at the thought that they were both in the same color, and her laugh made him look back and meet her gaze. They looked at each other for a few minutes and then she walked towards him. He thought she looked stunning, almost like a goddess, and he knew that he couldn't love her more than he did at that moment.

When they were close enough so that their noses touched, he said: "I love you, and I will always love you."

"I love you, and I will always love you, my darling."-Hermione replied, after which, she and Draco shared a passionate kiss. They had been planning this ceremonial date for months, because they knew that they wouldn't be able to be together much longer, due to the war circumstances. Hermione had come across the old ceremony on one of her nights in the library and once she told Draco, they both agreed to go through with it. This night was going to be unforgettable for both of them, as long as they lived.

The ceremony was named, much to their jovial mood, True Love's Pledge. It consisted on bonding the souls of two lovers, much like matrimony, without having the affair to be public. They would have a piece of each other as long as they lived when the ceremony was completed. At first, the things they had to do seemed ridiculous, but after a while, they seemed just right. They had to give each other rings, just like an ordinary matrimony, drink a bit of each other's blood, brand themselves on their significant other and lastly consummate their love, all of this after doing three spells that would bond them forever.

When they broke from their embrace, they both went to the table that had all the things they needed. On this table lay, their rings, black ink, parchment and quills. They had to give each other vows like was normal and then do the first spell and that was exactly what they did. They held hands and locked gazes, and then Draco took a deep breath and started reciting the vows the ceremony needed them to say. "I, Draco Lucius Malfoy, pledge my eternal love and give my wretched soul to you, Hermione Jane Granger. All I give to you is yours for the taking and will remain yours even in death. I will remain yours in body, mind and soul, even if time, death, hatred, prejudices, blindness or darkness consumes us and we are forced to be apart. I will remain yours even if you marry another, for I know that you will remain faithful to me and our souls will forever be merged." Hermione smiled as he said these things and she repeated them, inversing the order of names.

Then they performed the first bonding spell. When they did, they felt part of their souls exit their bodies, at which they gasped, but then they felt relaxed when the bits of souls removed, where put in their lover's body. Hermione now had a bit of Draco's soul inside her, and he had a piece of her soul. After they did this they wrote down the same vows they had just said to each other on the parchment and left it there…so it could wait for the next part of the ceremony.

After they did this, Draco took the clean quill that lay on the table and said to her: "This might sting a bit." She looked at him with warm eyes and said: "I don't care." After which he took the clean quill and created a small slit on the side of her neck. Hermione winced at the sudden sting of the quill scratching her skin and a tear rolled down her cheek. Draco looked at her with a worried gaze and said: "Don't worry, pet. Everything is going to be all right." And after he said that, he pressed his mouth on the fissure that rested on the side of her neck. The ceremony called for the lovers to consume each other's blood, from a cut they make to each other, for two minutes each. And as Draco swallowed the red liquid, Hermione moaned. Both of their souls found this act somewhat pleasurable.

Two minutes elapsed and he removed his mouth from the fissure and looked up at his beloved. Her face was pale and she looked about to faint. Hermione noticed that he still had some blood on his lips and now understood why the ceremony called for a kiss in between blood consumptions. She smiled as he healed the wound and said: "I hope you kiss me passionately after that."

He laughed and replied: "Of course I will with your fire inside me." The way he said that made Hermione weak in the knees and it became worse when their lips joined in a bloody kiss. The flavor on his lips was heavenly…his lips had always tasted like strawberries, but now they had the tang of her blood and it was both heavenly and erotic.

She pulled away and took the second clean quill from the table and slit a fissure on his neck. He sighed at the sting and she giggled: "You liked that?" Draco replied her with guilt in his voice and said: "Sadly yes, but you enjoyed slitting me, so it doesn't matter" "Draco, I didn't like it. I just thought that it would be over faster." "Pet, please shush and take my blood, it's already spilling."

She complied and first licked the blood that traced his neck and then drew her mouth to the wound. The taste was surprisingly sweet and together they counted the two minutes. Just as Hermione before him, Draco moaned during the process and kissed her bloody lips after it.

The parchment they had written on was still there with vows and signatures intact. They took the blood stained quills and poked their ring finger with it. Draco with the quill covered in Hermione's blood and vice versa. They dripped the blood on the parchment and sealed the wounds. Then they performed the second spell which set the parchment on fire and making its structure remain. The parchment blackened and solidified and the words they had written turned blood red.

Next came the branding that they agreed would come in the form of tattoos. They agreed that Draco would create a dragon tattoo on Hermione's skin and Hermione would create an otter tattoo on Draco's skin; a dragon because that is the meaning of his name and an otter because that is her patronus. They just had to decide where to place them.

They embraced warmly and Draco placed his hand on the small of her back, sending shivers down her spine. Every time he touched her there, she got the same response. So that's when she said: "I think you found the spot, Draco." He knew what she meant and said in a commanding tone: "Turn around, pet." To which she replied: "Yes, my darling."

Ah she did so he admired the backless dress she wore and sexiness of her back. He kissed the spot, at which she bit back a moan and he started branding himself on her back. It took him two minutes to complete creating the tattoo and writing his name on it. When he was finished, he commanded the dragon to fly to her leg so that she could see it. She cautiously lifted the skirt of her dress. Revealing the dragon on her thigh.

"It's beautiful, Draco."-she said tilting her head back to smile at him. He smiled back at her and then looked at her thigh. "I agree Mione. It is beautiful…almost as beautiful as you."-he said and then touched the tattoo. Their gazes met and their hearts raced at the touch, but she slapped his hand away and said: "Later, darling. It's my turn to brand myself on you…the question is where?"

Draco smiled at her, one of those genuine smiles of his and remembered all the times she had ever held on to him…she favored his right shoulder all the time. "I think my right shoulder is the spot, 'Mione."

She smiled, seeming to get what he meant and said: "I guess it's your turn to turn around."

He smiled and did as she said, taking off his shirt in the process so she could be able to brand herself on him…when she was finished she commanded the tattoo to go to his chest. It did and he kissed her forehead: "I love it, my pet."

They both smiled and gently kissed before doing the third spell, which made the tattoos literally burn at the place they were meant to be and made sure that their movements only came abound when the lovers were near.

What was left to consummate the union. He already was shirtless and she was wearing a dress that was easy to take off, but they took it slow. They wanted to ensure that theirs was an act of love and not passion. When the stars in their eyes fell, they gathered their things and left…going their separate ways and still remaining together after the ritual, in which their souls merged together and never letting go.

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So I have a question for my dear readers...what would you like to see next? Shall I further explain Draco and Hermione's past or shall I just go back to what Hermione decides to tell Ron? Let me know...thanks again for the reviews. Yours, GinHermi