A/N: Sorry for the cliffy :) And thanks for the reviews, means alot to me. I tend to write the battle scenes whilst listening to sad music.
Just a short little chapter, I just realised this story will be longer then I expected, so I'm sorry about that :)
"Nooooooooo!" Draco moaned, falling onto his knees and dropping his wand to one side. He ran his hands through his now dirty hair and stared at the spot where his mother and Blaise vanished. He could still see the terrified looks on their faces, he had let them down, let them get taken.
"Draco?" A faint voice from behind him called. He turned round and saw Hermione, George, Molly, Arthur, Percy, Snape, Kingsley and Harry behind him, all of them covered in dust and blood, their robes torn and frayed.
Hermione ran forward and chucked her arms around his neck. Draco placed his arms around her waist and rested his head on her shoulder, she was crying and he could feel her tears going down his back.
"Hermione, it'll be ok" He lied, pulling her closer to him.
"It's Ron," She cried, "He didn't get out in time"
Draco pulled away and gazed into Hermione's eyes, then he turned to look at the others. Harry looked angry. At him? Molly, Arthur and George were all crying, and started walking back towards the rubble. Harry shot him a final dirty look and went to help them, slowly they managed to remove some of the heavier bricks and a tuft of ginger hair could be seen.
"Ronald!" Molly cried, jumping onto the rubble and pulling the bricks away with her bare hands. Arthur and George pulled her back, and pulled out their wands. Slowly the bricks were moved aside and there lay Ron, his eyes half closed and a look of surprise on his face.
This time when Molly ran up to him, the others didn't stop her. Instead they just clutched each other and watched as Molly pulled Ron into a tight hug, her face wet with tears. Draco turned and walked towards the Manor Gates, he had to find the Death Eaters and get his Mother back, and Blaise too.
Before he could move two steps however, a fist came out of nowhere and made contact with the side of his head. He stumbled back slightly, his head spinning, and black dots floating before his eyes. Turning, he saw Harry glaring at him, his fist pulled back again.
"Harry, what the fuck?" He snarled, rubbing his head with one hand. The world was still spinning and he could see double of everyone. Great, he thought, two angry Harry's.
"You, You! I lose everyone because of you!" Harry spat, he pulled his wand out and pointed it at Draco. But before he could so much as mutter a word, Hermione stepped in front of him, blocking Draco from his view.
"Hermione, what are you doing? Ron's dead because of him!" Harry growled, trying to aim past Hermione, but she kept moving so he couldn't get a fix on Draco.
"Harry" Hermione said weakly, "You and Ron volunteered to help. No one made you come here"
Harry stopped trying to get a fix on Draco, he lowered his wand and glared at Hermione instead. She flinched back slightly at the look on his face.
"So you're saying Ron deserved this?" He spat, "Ron loved you Hermione, that's why he's here. And I'm your friend, we did this for you not for him"
"It's not Draco's fault he died!" Hermione cried, "In case you didn't notice he lost his Father tonight as well, and a school friend!"
"I can't believe this, you're defending him! You've changed Hermione, you're just as bad as he now" Harry growled, pocketing his wand and turning away. Draco grabbed his arm and pulled him back, snarling.
"Don't talk to Hermione like that! After all she's done for you!" He snarled, pulling Harry close, so that they were nose to nose. He could see the Chosen One's green eyes widen in shock, before narrowing again.
He pulled himself out of Draco's grasp and stalked off towards the Weasley's, all of whom were watching the conversation warily. Molly was sat on the rubble with Ron in her lap, stroking his hair and singing quietly to him.
"How did you get out?" Draco murmured to Hermione.
"Snape grabbed me and Harry and Apparated us out. I guess the others managed to leave as well, well apart from - Ron" She broke into sobs again.
Arthur cleared his throat and they both turned to look at him, "Hermione, we're going back to the Burrow. Are you coming?"
Hermione turned back to Draco, who was watching her carefully. "You should go" he soothed, wiping her eyes with his thumb.
"I can't, I cant leave you" She mumbled, clinging onto his robes.
He smiled faintly and gently pulled his robes out of her grasp, "Hermione - I've got to find my mother, she's all I have left. And Blaise too, I can't leave them"
"What about me?" Hermione asked faintly, not taking her eyes off of his.
"Hermione - I will always love you. But you - you don't belong with me. You belong with them" he pointed to Harry and the Weasleys. "And I - I don't deserve you, Granger" He smiled more, hastily wiping his eyes with one hand.
"I wanna come with you!" she cried, tears running down her face, but Draco slowly shook his head.
"I can't. Hermione, you can go and be happy again, Mourn Ron and go on with your life. For me, this won't be over till i'm dead." He said softly.
"But what about us, we were going to be married, what about everything that happened? Las Vegas, New York, you can't throw all that away Draco! I won't let you!"
"I'm hated by most of the Wizarding world Hermione. They - " He motioned to the Weasley's and Harry again "are here for you not me."
Draco bent down slightly and kissed her on the cheek, before slowly pulling away. He backed away and pulled out his wand, silently casting a shield charm between himself and Hermione.
"You really are the cleverest witch I know, just wish I realised that 7 seven years ago" He said quietly, trying to ignore the tears running down his face, also trying to ignore his heart, which was screaming at him to reconsider and go back to Hermione.
Hermione tried to run at him, but got blocked by the charm. Before she could pull out her wand and remove it, Draco whispered,
"I love you - Be safe" and then looked up at the Weasley's and Harry.
"I'm so sorry" He murmured before he Disapparated.
The shield charm broke and Hermione fell forward onto her knees. Tears were running freely from her eyes, and fell with a gentle splat onto the gravel. Harry moved forward and put his arm around her shoulders, but she pushed him away.
"He's gone Hermione" He whispered.