Hello! I do apologise for the delay, GCSE's are not conducive to creativity at all. My English teacher is quite merrily putting me off all forms of the written word, but I shall persevere. Hope you like this latest chapter, and I promise I will update quicker next time. An reviews always make me smile, just a little hint. Oh, and J.K owns all characters, places and generally everything. xxx

Chapter 7

When Hermione regained consciousness, she was back in the cell. A pale Draco was sitting beside her, clutching her hand. His gaunt face lit up as her eyes flickered open. "Now then dear, do you need you ten minutes this morning?" The gentle teasing would have been so much more effective had his throat not been choked with tears.

Hermione's hand traced his jaw line. "We are going to die today." She was quiet and calm.

"We have about six hours of life left, Hermione. Just six." Hermione looked at him.

"You lied to me yesterday. You made me hate you, made me think you hated me." Her voice was still soft.

"I had to. I didn't want you to make the wrong decision. I know if I was you, I would have sacrificed the world to save you, that's if you love me as much as I love you."

Hermione couldn't breathe, the room began spinning. He loved her. He truly did. But she still could not believe what he had done to her. "I wanted to die! On that long walk I prayed that I was to be killed!" She started shouting, beating his chest with weak fists. "I though I was hideous, that I was so stupid and weak to fall for your charms!" The tears were falling thick and fast, as the punches became more and more feeble. "I tried to save you – my life in exchange for yours, but it was no good. They were going to kill me anyway." She collapsed against Draco's chest, his arms wrapping around her, his body's pathetic attempt to protect her.

"I'm glad you chose your friends. I could never live without you. You make me feel things I thought it would be impossible to feel. Death next to you, well, the idea makes me feel more alive than I ever have."

They lay there, pressed together in the middle of that room, in the calm before the storm. Hermione sat up, wiping her face. "You know, it's daft, but I keep thinking of all the things I'm going to miss out on. I'm never going to pass my N.E.W.T.S. Best predicted grades in over half a centaury and I'm never going to know the final result. I'm never going to have a job or feel the satisfaction of paying off a mortgage, or help my kids with homework," She stooped, her voice cracking. "Draco, I'm never going to have children, or get married. I have my wedding planned. Red roses and white lilies everywhere. Hell, I haven't even had sex. Well, I guess I'm living up to expectations, dying a bloody virgin." She buried her head in Draco's shoulder, shedding silent tears for the ghosts of a future she would never have.

Draco sat, placing gentle kisses on the top of her head. He knew he could do one of those things for her, but it would be wrong. She was emotionally unstable and besides, it would be such a poetic ending – the pure angelic girl walking hand in hand with a demon into the flames.

Draco had no family or friends to cry for. He had no future he would miss. His world lay in his arms. He felt ridiculous. The boy who had so vehemently argued that true love did not exist. The foolish boy whose true love lay with the enemy.

Hermione took a deep breath and straightened up. Her face was dry, her eyes free of tears. She smiled at the boy who was trying his best to be her hero. "I feel I have been a bit pathetic this morning. If I only have a few hours left, I want to be of some use to the world."

"How are you going to do that?" He stroked her cheek, revelling in the bright sparks that were dancing in her eyes.

"My final resort. Send my wand back to headquarters. It's a risky and complex spell, but I'm rather good at it." She grinned.

"My dear, I doubt there is anything you cannot do."

"Quidditch," she answered, still smiling, "now are there any messages you would like to pass on?"

"Who would I possibly give a message to?"

"Yes, good point. Well here goes." Hermione whispered an ancient sounding incantation under her breath. "Right, hello all. I have information regarding the current whereabouts of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. He and the highest ranking Death Eaters are residing at Malfoy Manor to watch an execution that will take place in approximately five hours, "She paused, glancing at Draco for reassurance, "namely my execution. I don't know how long they will stick around for after that. So, I will sign this message with a fond farewell to you all. Firstly, to the order – I thank you from the very bottom of my heart for giving me a role, something to put my talents to use to stop the atrocities taking place. Mr and Mrs Weasley you are like my second parents. To all the staff from Hogwarts, I give my deepest gratitude. You taught me so much, something I value massively. Could someone please tell my parents I love them so much? And, and to Harry and Ron. You saved my life that day in first year in so many ways. You boys are my heroes. Make sure you get them!" Another glance at Draco, who had turned away to give her some privacy for her goodbyes. "Make sure Lucius Malfoy dies last. Make it slow. Make him suffer." She whispered another spell and her wand simple vanished.

Draco took her hand and pulled her towards him. "You didn't have to add that last bit. But I'm glad you did." He kissed her lips, softly and gently."Five hours left in the world."

"I hate knowing that." Muttered a Hermione, much more like the lioness who had entered the cell. She felt her haert flip as she looked up at those beautiful silver eyes.

Draco moved back and dipped into a deep bow. "But those five hours will be spent with the best man in the whole wizarding world." He looked at her, a new version of his old arrogant smirk on his face. This one was still self-absorbed and condescending, but it had softened around the edges and it reached his eyes now. "Now then Hermione, we need to sort you out, tick of some of those to-dos. Starting with something I think is ridiculously important." He paused for dramatic effect, Hermione's breath caught in her throat. She had no idea what he was about to suggest, she simply knew it would be impossible to resist. "You need to learn to dance! I saw the spectacle you made of yourself at the Yule Ball and I doubt you have had the time since then to learn."

Before Hermione had time to protest, Draco had swept her up into his strong arms and began humming a waltz.

And so, Hermione approached the last four hours of her life tripping over her feet, Draco's strong arm around her waist refusing to let her fall. Draco sang to her as she stumbled, a beautiful mix of muggle and wizard music. Draco smiled to himself, she was a hopeless case. He pulled her close and began to sing a soft rendition of "The Air That I Breathe" while they slow-danced in the semidarkness. It was so perfect, despite their squalid cell. Only four hours of heaven left, he thought as her head rested in his shoulder.

Draco brought the song to a well practised end. "Co-ordination is not something you are destined to learn in the life time, Granger."

"I am perfectly co-ordinated thank you. It is just rhythm tends to knock me off balance."

Draco couldn't help but laugh at her. She immediately pretended to take offence and pulled her face into a ridiculously over-the-top pout.

"You know, you shouldn't make those ravishingly beautiful lips of yours so prominent. You are encouraging me to behave very ungentlemanly."

"As if you need any encouragement."

And they fell into another deep kiss, gentle but desperate. They lost their cares in each others touch. In the pauses, when they caught their breath, they would ask each other a pointless question, devouring each others life between kisses. "Your most embarrassing moment?" Gasped Draco, as they emerged from another passionate embrace.

"Harry and Ron catching me coming out of the shower." Hermione's cheeks went scarlet at the memory.

"Some people have all the luck" murmured Draco as he placed kisses along her collarbone.

"And you?" Hermione could barely breathe as he nipped at her neck.

"Mother walking in on me."

"You and Pansy?" asked a horrified Hermione.

"Much worse," answered Draco, biting her ear lobe softly. "I was on my own." His wicked grin spreading across his face as he returned to her could feel herself melting into his embrace. Draco's hands felt like old parchment, the kind the best books in the Hogwarts library were made from. She shivered ubder his touch and Draco felt like nothing he had ever experienced before.

Death itself could never end such love and passion. At least that's what they hoped.