Welcome to the penultimate chapter! The final one has been written so it will be posted by the end of the week. I hope you enjoy, thanks to all those who have reviewed! I don't own anything, have fun! xxx

Chapter 8

Hermione and Draco sat curled up together as the last three hours approached. They sat peacefully, holding on to each other.

"Draco?"

"Hmm?"

"When did you realise you loved me?" Draco smiled at the wide chocolate eyes, gazing up at him. He smiled, kissing her on the tip of her nose.

"Well, I'd say I had a bit of a crush on you since first year, and it has slowly progressed from there. Although, I don't think I loved you until you made me breakfast, showing you know your place." Hermione elbowed him, slightly harder than she should have, but her sweet eyes stopped him feeling even slightly annoyed. Great, he thought, Weasley's ex and a staunch feminist. He would have to watch his mouth. On second thoughts, he liked it when she was mad at him. "Why do you ask?"

"Well, no-one has ever said that to me before, not even Ron."

"Frankly, my dear, I'm amazed. You are brave, clever, funny and rather gorgeous. Admittedly, you've grown into the gorgeous thing. And I do believe that is the single most amount of compliments I have ever given in a single sentence." He smirked at her, that smouldering mix of arrogance and sheer Adonis like beauty. "How about you? Have I always been your pin-up or is this some rare strain of Stockholm syndrome?"

Hermione elbowed him again, slightly softer this time. "Don't be ridiculous, you are, and have always been, the bad boy heartthrob. The enigma, the boy I'm supposed to hate, but who I have always felt has more to him than anyone knows. The boy I could never take my eyes off, although I was much more surreptitious than most in our year, Satisfied?"

"Definitely. But you know -" Draco was cut off by a thunderous crash from the floor above. The pair sprang to their feet, the defence instincts their very different orders had instilled into them mirroring each other. They looked at each other, confused and terrified at the chaos they could hear from upstairs.

"You don't think they've come to rescue me?" Hermione's voice was tinged with hope.

"For you sake, I pray it's them." Draco looked even more worried now, despite the possibility of rescue.

"Draco, what's wrong? This could be our chance to live!"

"Don't be ridiculous Hermione." His voice was sharp. "I am a collaborator of the Death Eaters, I was a month away from bring branded a slave. If they don't throw me in Azkaban or torture me until I betray everyone I ever knew. And they will certainly keep us apart. My life is not worth living either way." He paused and stroked her cheek, his voice softening. "Liberation is not always the freedom it promises to be."

"Don't say things like that. They are my friends. I won't let them touch you," she smiled coyly, "That pleasure is all mine."

"I think I could live with that. Just as long as you aren't as much of a know-it-all at home as you are at school."

"Oh, I assure you, I'm much much worse. Although I'm sure there are a few things you could teach me."

Draco laughed softly as he wrapped his arms around her waist. He kissed her way up her neck. "Your rather irresistible use of blatant innuendo would work on lesser men, but I can see right through your plan of distracting me because you honestly don't believe your friends will leave me alone. But, I do appreciate the effort."

Hermione blushed, a deep rose blooming through her dirt stained cheeks. "I could have been seriously flirting there and you have just dismissed it. Or is it that I'm just that bad at it, you could see straight through it?"

"Finally! We have a fault! Although, I think your flirting is just perfect. There was always a subtle undercurrent of that beautifully seductive femme fatale when ever we would have verbal sparring matches."

"So you are saying I have yet another natural talent?" She kissed him on the cheek. "You are very sweet."

"I really am, and I must say you are improving. I forgot that I will soon have to grovel at the feet of Potter for survival for, ooh, a whole minute, maybe even two! A marked improvement, 50 points for Gryffindor."

"Draco, there is no need to be quite so condescending," Hermione played with the torn and frayed collar of his shirt. "And anyway, the decision will not be Harry's. He is not in charge, although he likes to think he is. Remus and the rest won't allow it."

Draco kissed her softly. "That's one of the things I love about you. This world is falling apart at the seams but you still have blind faith in all your friends, no matter what."

Hermione smiled at him. "It's not that special a trait; you just refuse to trust anyone."

"I trust you completely." His grey eyes shone silver as Hermione kissed him. Suddenly, a tremulous crash from above rang out. Hermione jumped at the noise. Draco's arms closed around her tightly as the sounds of battle floated down to them. Hermione clasped Draco's hand, her knuckles white as the screaming became louder. The spells echoed off the cold stone walls as Draco pulled the shaking girl closer. He placed soft, reassuring kisses on the top of her head, whispering positives he did not believe were possible.

"No matter who comes through that door, I'm going to protect you Draco." The way she could speak so confidently, despite shaking with fear astounded Draco.

"I though it was me who was supposed to do the protecting." This earned him another elbow to the ribs, but it lacked any power, it was just a well practised reaction to being told that "the boys" would keep her safe. "Damn, you do limit my choices of where to show off my masculinity if you demand these equal opportunities." The gentle goading seemed to calm her nerves as they stood together, waiting for the door to burst open.

And burst open it did. The blast knocked Hermione and Draco to the ground. He instinctively rolled on top of her, to protect her from falling debris. Two figures emerged from the dust cloud, coughing. "Jesus Ron, can't you remember how to use Alohomora?"

"Harry, mate, I don't care if I blow this place to smithereens, as long as I find her."

"A nice sentiment, I'm sure. Pity you almost blew Hermione up with the house." Draco's snide comment seemed to echo through the room. Hermione lay still, she couldn't move, the fall had sent her to the edges of consciousness.

"Malfoy! Where are you, you filthy creep?" One of the boys muttered 'lumos' and their wands flickered into life. Hermione, still barely conscious, groaned at the sudden light and grabbed Draco's wrist.

"I was getting so used to having a first name," he whispered to her. She half-smiled, as if hearing his words in a dream.

"Ron, Harry?" She murmured, "I'm over here!" Her voice was cracked, and she still couldn't move.

"Hermione! How did we miss you?" The boys rushed towards the sound of her feeble voice.

"Maybe it's the ton of rubble the covered you in," Draco whispered to her.

"Hermione, thank Merlin your alive!" Ron's voice was jubilant as he approached the two lovers. "Malfoy? What the hell are you doing?" His face fell and his voice sharpened as he saw Draco, his body still protectively draped over Hermione.

"Allow me to explain, Weasley. You see it really is a touching story." Draco began, not being able to help taunting Ron and Harry. All things considered, his current position was not going to be helped massively by any flippant comments.

Ron lunged forward and dragged Draco up. No sooner was he standing, when Ron punched him savagely, knocking him down again. Harry joined the fray, hitting Draco every time he tried to stand. Hermione could barely move, the impact of the blast still playing havoc with her senses. She closed her hand and realised it was empty, she couldn't feel Draco anymore. It took his cry of pain as his nose snapped to give her the drive to stand. She looked over at her friends. She was almost sick. There stood her closest friends, her knights in shining armour, wands raised as they stood over a blood stained Draco. "Harry! Ron! Get the hell away from him! Are you out of your minds? He is completely unarmed – you are as bad as the Death Eaters!"

Harry and Ron looked at the girl they had tried so hard to save. She had had the nerve to use her "you-are-not-copying-my-homework-just-because-yours-is-threee-weeks-over-due" voice on them! They stood incredulous as Hermione ran over to help Draco. She tenderly helped him to his feet. "Are you ok, Draco?"

"I've been better, at least this time I'm being attacked by people I genuinely dislike and have always disliked."

"Draco, don't." She almost threw him back down when he smirked at her worried expression. Almost.

"Oh, you are my hero Miss Granger!"

"Oh, do shut up Mr Malfoy."

"Only if you make me."

She wiped away the blood from his lips and kissed him softly. She turned round to see an open-mouthed Ron staring at her. Harry was trying his best to look every where but the other occupants of the room. Hermione blushed scarlet. Draco had made her totally forget they weren't alone. She made a mental note to keep an eye on that particular talent of his. She looked back at Draco and he winked at her. He had known exactly what he was doing. Ron was still staring at her as if she had grown another head. "Ronald, don't stare. Oh, I am so glad to see you two!" Her face lit up as she realised that she was free! "You two came and saved me!" She ran forward and caught an unsuspecting Harry in a bear hug. "Are the rest of the Order here? Let's get out of this place, its hellish." She grabbed Ron's hand, giving it a quick squeeze to let him know that she was real and not some strange ghost. She linked arms with Harry and half dragged Ron over the rubble and out into the corridor. Draco was left to swagger out, savouring the memory of the Weasel's face when Hermione kissed him.