Disclaimer: I do not own either the book or movie or the characters of the Harry Potter series.

Just in Case

Two

Throughout the war, through torture and pain and horror, Hermione had finally made her decision.

Her head was spinning, and everything felt like a blur. She thought there would be more, but there wasn't. Everywhere, people, dead or alive, stood in the Great Hall. Debris decorated the walls and floors. While some were cheering over the victory, others were remorse over lost ones. There were so many things going on in her mind, and she didn't know what to feel.

She searched the room, trying to miss all dead bodies that meant something to her. Right now, she had to let something out of her mind, and she needed Draco.

She thought she had seen Draco leave with his family, but she instead found him sitting on a bench, his head looked sideways. A blank face was composed on his face, but something in it showed that he was despondent. He was alone, his parents obviously elsewhere. No one was around to comfort him.

Hermione looked around. No one was looking, including Harry and Ron. She ran up to him, touching his shoulder with a finger. "Draco…?"

He looked up slowly, and his eyebrows went up. "Granger…how you doing?" he asked.

She was shaking, she was ready to burst into tears, she was glad this whole thing was over, and she was conflicted inside over thunderous emotions raging in her. But most of all, she was glad Draco was still around. She had much to say. "Fine," she muttered, sitting down beside him. She looked absentmindedly at her hands. She then caught a glance at Draco's arm, which was bandaged that was a little red stained but otherwise seemed fine.

She smiled weakly. "Madam Pomfrey helped with your arm, too? I'm glad it's alright," she said.

Draco looked at it, too. "Yes, a little. But you helped a lot, too, Granger," he pointed out.

Hermione nodded without really knowing it, or why she was nodding. Silence entered the air around them for a few minutes. Hermione's gaze switched to her feet, which tapped against the floor. For a second, she even wondered if that kiss was simply a part of her crazed imagination.

"Just so you know," Draco began, tugging her from her thoughts, "I didn't mean to…you know, join Voldemort. I mean, my parents-my dad is a Death Eater, and he pretty much forced me to join. It wasn't fun."

"At Malfoy Manor, you looked miserable," Hermione recalled, thinking of his horrified face in his own home, like everything going around him was traumatizing. Considering all that happened, perhaps it was.

"Yeah, that wasn't much fun," he said, with the smallest of smiles, but he nodded in agreement. His eyes fell into hers, and then she remembered why she came over here. Also, he put his hand on top of hers. "But I'm just glad it's all over."

"I know." She moved her hand away. It felt warmer at his touch. She rubbed it against her other hand because she was growing nervous…or to cool it off. She took in a breath, ready to say what she was thinking of after he kissed her-even while she was kissing Ron. Now he was not something she wanted to think of while being with Ron. It just felt wrong.

"Draco…I don't want to be with you."

There, she said it. She cleared her throat, intertwining her hands together as they began to sweat. And she didn't feel horrible. She knew it was the right thing to say for her. It shouldn't have made her feel so bad.

But he turned to her. His face fell, and now she just felt guilty. "Really?"

She nodded, and she wanted him to know. She sighed and knew that an explanation was not wanted, but needed. "Yes, Draco. It's just…please don't feel bad or anything. You didn't do anything, I guess."

"Maybe that's it! I didn't do anything. I never really said anything until now. It's not fair," Draco muttered, mostly to himself. "For years, all I did was make fun of you and treat you like dirt. So you'd never think I-I'd like you or anything! I'm an idiot!"

"No Draco, don't say that," Hermione defended him. He looked at her with very innocent eyes, and she felt even more regret telling him this. "I guess…I guess you just didn't know how to handle…liking me?" Oh, how could she clarify this to him? Why was she telling him what he should be saying? Why was she doing anything for him? She wanted Ron or Harry, to be around people who have been kind to her more than Draco ever had.

Her feet were planted in their place, however, and her body was staying against the seat. She even put her hands on Draco's lap, to get his attention. "But I don't…I don't feel the same way like you feel about me," she told him slowly, feeling tears burn her eyes. But why was she crying?

Draco reached out, his fingers caressing her cheeks as the tears slid down. He wiped off the tears. "Sorry," Hermione whispered, meanwhile curious as to why she was saying this.

"Nothing to be sorry about," Draco said, and his smile grew.

But she could still he was disappointed, the emotion etched through his smile. She sighed, knowing that despite a sudden flutter in her chest, this couldn't last long. "I have nothing against you…now that I know. It's just that-well, Draco…I kissed Ron."

"When?"

"When-when I ran off, after…we kissed. Ron and I went to the Chamber of Secrets-I'm not going to say why, though. While we were in there, we just…did," Hermione explained, feeling the depression of two boys in love with her now coming to her. She could only choose one.

But that question had an instant answer. She looked into Draco's eyes, ignoring how handsome they looked. "I love Ron. I always will. It won't change-and definitely not because of you." She paused. "That's why I'm sorry."

Draco nodded, and Hermione felt the huge stress fall off her shoulders. "It's alright. I understand."

Hermione pulled out and kissed him on the cheek. Very quickly, but it could have been forever in her heart. She turned back to see his eyes. "Thanks, Draco. Do you think you'll be alright? What about your dad? Your mother?"

"My dad might be taken into Azkaban because he's a Death Eater." He shook his bandaged arm. "Not sure about me-I think I'll be fine anyway. And I think my mother will be alright. And you? Your parents?"

Hermione faced away, toward the door, where the sunlight became to illuminate the dark Great Hall. She wondered about her parents. Even though Draco didn't know it, that question stung her a bit. Her parents didn't know the proud actions she had taken. Maybe she'd find them someday.

But not now. She twirled back to Draco and sighed. "I'll survive. Now…I'm going to find Ron and Harry. I really want to see their faces right now."

"Bye, Hermione. At least…we'll still be friends, right?" Draco asked hopefully. "After everything, at least friends?"

Hermione let out an exhale of relief. "Of course. Friends."

Hermione got up, searching the halls for Ron or Harry-or both would be great. Her mind, however, couldn't stop thinking about Draco. She kissed him again, on the lips…just in case. However, there were no stars, no combustion of colors or music or sparks.

She found herself quickly. She found the reality again and knew why she was on her feet and where she was going. Her eyes remained closed for a little while, even after she let go again-she wondered again if it was all a scary, bemusing dream. And she went to find Harry and Ron, ready for the rest of her life, the one where Draco existed little, where all this drama suddenly didn't exist. Her moment with Draco was touching, but it was too much. Being with Ron and Harry would be much better for her, she believed, and with Draco added in or not, she wanted that.

She hugged Ron upon seeing him again, tears falling down her face. He had no idea about what she was going through with Draco, and she didn't want him to. Because it was all behind them.

[I wasn't sure how to end this, although I had an idea that it would be happy for Dramione fans. Sorry. :o Thanks for the few people who probably read this, and thanks to my one replier; I even accept that happily, thanks! I enjoyed writing this, but perhaps in the future, I'll consider writing a longer Dramione story. But don't get your hopes high. School starts for me tomorrow, so writing will be complicated a little]