Hope you like it! A lot happens :) Couldn't resist the Half-blood Prince (movie) reference later in the chapter, haha.

Infinite thanks to JK Rowling.

Hermione felt faint from shock. No, scratch that, she couldn't feel faint because she was absolutely numb. One moment she had felt as though she was soaring—Draco liked her, he felt as though he didn't deserve her. Happy images of them dating—talking, laughing…kissing...danced before her eyes, the memories of their wonderful evening still fresh in her mind. In the next instant, reality hit her cold and hard as Draco snarled at the onlookers and hurled insults at her. The word 'mudblood' was seared in her mind and heat flooded her face as she was acutely aware of all of her peers witnessing her embarrassment and heartbreak.

She felt as though she was an observer watching the scene unfold around her as though from a distance. She heard Ginny screaming at Malfoy's retreating figure, saw Harry and Ron jump to their feet and chase after him, drawing their wands. She knew that with their tempers and loyalty they would try to inflict serious damage and she couldn't have that. Partly because it would give them a bad mark in Adjustments (she was Hermione Granger!) but also because she didn't want Draco hurt. Not that way anyway. Even though he had inflicted excruciating pain to her heart of hearts, she still cared. She now knew what he was capable of, both at his best and at his worst, and she believed that he was capable of redemption. No. He was hers to deal with. Lurching to her feet, she ignored the concerned voices around her and shook off the consoling hands. She too drew her wand as she ran out of the room of requirement and after the three boys she cared most about to stop them from dueling.

xxxxx

As Harry and Ron drew level with Draco, Ron pointed his wand to curse him, but was stopped by Harry pushing his hand out of the way, causing his curse to deflect and shatter a window.

"What the bloody—" Ron began, glancing angrily at his best mate. He fell silent however when he saw what Draco had exposed when he had turned to face them. His pale face was streaked with tears. This slowed Ron down momentarily until he remembered the grief etched on Hermione's face after Draco's cruel words. This boy had caused much of the pain in Ron's life, and he had now more than crossed the line. Lunging at Malfoy, he landed a well-placed right hook, causing Malfoy to stagger back, a bruise already blooming on his cheek. Ron jumped back, ready to defend himself both magically and physically. Yet to his surprise, there was no retaliation.

"How dare you," Harry demanded Malfoy, fury making his voice shake. "After all she's done for you, all the chances she's given you, how could you?"

Draco finally said something. "Don't you see that this was for her own good?" his voice gave the distinct impression of belonging to someone who was broken.

Harry's infamous temper finally got the best of him. "HOW THE HELL COULD WHAT YOU DID BE FOR HER OWN GOOD?" He bellowed.

"How would it serve her well to be with someone like me? To be mocked and despised by the other Slytherins?" Draco retorted.

Harry seemed to pause and size Malfoy up before responding in a surprisingly quiet, almost disappointed voice. "You're right Malfoy, you don't deserve her, and you aren't good for her. But not for the reasons you think, but because you're a coward. Those reasons aren't for Hermione's own good but for yours."

Shaking his head, he dragged away a bloodthirsty Ron from a shocked Draco.

"Gerrofme! I want to make him pay!" Ron snarled.

Harry was stopped from responding when a new voice joined the cacophony.

"Potter! Wait up!" Blaise Zabini called out.

"What do you want Zabini?" Harry asked coldly.

Blaise looked taken aback at the hostility.

"I just wanted to see if there was anything I could do to help," he said meekly.

"I think we've had enough of Slytherins for a very long time," Harry snarled. "Are you just setting me up to humiliate and hurt me?"

Blaise immediately went on the offensive. "You Gryffindors, with your supposed goodness and chivalry are really just a bunch of hypocrites who are quick to stereotype and slow to forgive. What have I ever done to you? What do you think is making Draco reluctant to confront his feelings for Granger? Slytherins aren't the only ones not changing you know." Tapping the side of his head, Blaise stalked off saying "Think."

xxxxx

Draco retreated toward his room, Potter's words playing over and over in his mind. Suddenly, he felt sharp pain on his neck and back of his head to go hand and hand with the throbbing of his jaw. Raising his wand, he whirled around to come face to face with Hermione, who was busily conjuring more yellow birds to attack him once more.

"What the Hell?" Draco gasped out.

"Don't worry, you're not special. I've used this attack before!" Hermione said, tears leaking out of her eyes. "You bloody ass!" she sobbed, finally breaking down. Not wanting to give him the satisfaction of seeing the pain he had caused her, she hurriedly turned away, shoulders heaving. To her shock, she felt warm arms envelop her and his head on her shoulder as he murmured desperately,

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry! Don't you see this is for the best? I can't do this to you!"

Whirling around, Hermione stated, "No, I don't see. I should have some say as well. I'm not some weak little girl. I've lived through more Hell just last year than many of our classmates have in their entire life. I've put up with you Slytherins trying to make my life miserable my entire time at Hogwarts. I don't think this is for the best and I'm ready and willing to face the consequences, because I think that you, Draco Malfoy, are worth it!" She once again turned away from him at the end of her rant, this time to hide the blush that coloured her cheeks due to her proclamation. Draco had had enough. Spinning her around, he leaned in and kissed her.

He had kissed many girls in his life, more than he cared to admit. He had in fact done more than that on more than one occasion. But none of those numerous encounters held a candle to this, because this was a real kiss. This kiss meant something. They kissed softly but tenderly, simply wanting to revel in being in each other's arms.

Until very recently, if someone had told Hermione that she would one day be kissing Draco Malfoy, she would have signed them into St. Mungo's. But now, it felt like the most natural thing in the world. She had never experienced anything so amazing. She could have kissed him for hours.

As he kissed her, Draco thought about nothing but the feel of her in his arms, of her soft lips moving against his own, her wild hair tangled in his fingers, her unique scent. He didn't think about blood purity, or his heritage, or his judgmental classmates. As soon as they finally broke apart however, reality hit him hard.

"I'm sorry Hermione, but I just can't do this. I care for you too much—"

"No!" Hermione interjected. "You don't care for me enough. I was ready to risk my neck and my reputation. Do you think my friends would have looked any more kindly on me dating you after all the cruel things you've done to them over the years? I was willing to put up with that though. But this, I refuse to put up with however," she said, gesturing at Draco. "You say that it's for my own good, but really you're just too scared to put your reputation on the line. I can't keep doing this, having you love me in private and then feed me to the dogs in public. It hurts too much, and quite frankly, I have too much self-respect for that. So you know what? I'M ending whatever this is."

Her voice broke at the end, but she determinedly turned with her head high and walked away, leaving a confused and hurting Draco to watch the one girl he'd ever truly cared about and who had ever genuinely cared for him to slip through his fingers. He didn't know if this pain could be adjusted to.

Yay! They finally kissed! …but things would never just be that cut, dry, and happy between them just yet, so you'll have to stick around! ;) Please review! There, I said it. :P