Well... our family's fourth of July got a little crazy. Sorry! Plus this was hard to write, especially the kiss.
Update on disclaimer: I now have only five bucks since I bought Les Miserables.
Hope it is worth the wait!
"So Harry?" Neville asked. "What's the plan?"
"We are searching for something that we need to win the war," Harry answered.
"What is it?" Someone called.
"Uh... we don't know," Ron looked at the floor.
"Where is it then?" Neville tried.
"We don't know that either," Harry said sheepishly.
Muttering broke out in the crowd.
"We think it has something to do with Ravenclaw," I had to yell to be heard over the noise.
"Her lost diadem perhaps?" A dreamy voice called out.
"Yes but Luna... it's lost," Someone else added.
Just then, the room's entrance opened, revealing a flustered red head.
"Ginny!" The two boys called.
"Harry!" She smiled at him. "Snape knows it was you who set off the alarms in Hogsmeade. Everyone is supposed to congregate in the Great Hall right now."
Collectively they turned to Harry for guidance.
"Well I say we give old Snapesy a night to remember," A voice shouted from right behind us.
"And maybe some conditioner," A very similar voice added.
I spun around and was met with the two grinning Weasley twins.
"Come off it. We weren't going to let you have all the fun," George laughed.
"Hey blondie!" Fred yelled back through the hole. "You were right, come on through."
After a moment Draco shoved his way past the twins. Immediately at least twenty wands were trained on him. With a sigh he dropped his wand on the ground and sneered at them.
He grabbed my shoulders and shoved me against a wall, his fingers digging into my shoulders.
"Hermione Granger! Don't ever do that to me again! I woke up and you weren't there... and it was cold just like in my dream!" He screamed at me.
The panic was evident in his voice, and a few tears were even trickling down his cheeks.
"I thought you were... I thought you... you were dead," Draco sobbed.
"What the hell is he doing here?" Seamus snarled.
"Don't ask," Ron muttered.
"You can lower your wands," Harry sighed.
I barely heard any of it.
"You're hurting me," I murmured to the boy.
Draco relaxed his fingers, but kept his hands on my shoulders.
"I'm sorry. This wasn't supposed to become a battle, but it looks like it might be, and I didn't want you to have to choose between your family and..." I mumbled.
He leaned in to whisper in my ear.
"I'd always choose you."
"Someone tell me what is happening!" Ginny screeched.
Draco and I turned to the rest of the room, snapping back to reality. He stepped back so we could stand shoulder to shoulder.
"Everything you heard about our capture was true. I ended up left behind, and Draco saved my life. He helped me escape and well..." I explained.
A few laughs of disbelief drifted up from the crowd.
"Well what Hermione?" Ron asked.
For once I didn't know what to say.
"This," Draco murmured.
Suddenly his hands were tilting my head back. I stifled a gasp at his warm lips pressed against mine. The rest of the room faded out of focus and all I could see was his soft gray eyes, urging me to return the kiss. Then my arms wrapped around him and I felt the tense, strong muscles in his back relaxing. I could taste his subtle mintiness as his hands trailed down my sides and then pulled me against him.
"Get a room!"
That brought us back to reality and we reluctantly broke the kiss. Embarrassed I tried to step back, but Draco held me against him.
"Enjoy that Hermione," he smirked.
Laughing I leaned my head against his chest.
"George, you owe me ten galleons," I heard Fred say to his twin.
Draco rolled his eyes, and we finally stepped apart.
"Excuse me, I have to go and vomit," Harry rubbed his eyes as if trying to remove the image of us kissing from his mind.
"Me too," Ron gagged.
"Not to ruin the mood but, Snape?" Ginny asked.
"I have a plan," said Harry.
"If any of you know of Harry Potter's whereabouts and do not step forward now you will be treated as equally guilty," Snape sneered.
I stood outside the Great Hall, Draco next to me. Kingsley Shacklebolt had summoned the rest of the Order, and they were behind us. This was it. Either this ended today, or went on forever. This was the final battle. Draco glanced at me before intertwining our fingers.
"Just in case I don't make it-," he started.
"You will," I insisted.
"Hermione listen, I love you, and I cannot imagine what I would have become without you. I need you!" He sighed.
"I love you too, and you will make it... because I need you just as much," I stood on tiptoe and pressed my lips to his again, just for a moment.
"You have a security problem headmaster!" Harry called. "And I believe that it is quite extensive!"
"Bombarda Maxima," Fred muttered, blowing the doors wide open.
We strutted into the Great Hall, Draco, Ron and I leading the pack. It was dimly lit, and lacked the floating candles that had been present since Hogwarts was founded. I felt a surge of anger towards Snape.
Without warning Snape hurled a curse at Harry.
"No!" Professor McGonagall stepped in front of him, while throwing up a strong shield charm.
Snape sent another curse and she retaliated.
"You. Will. Not. Terrorize. These. Students. Again!" McGonagall punctuated each word with another curse.
Snape folded into black smoke and disappeared through the stain glass window, shattering it.
Cheering filled the room.
"Silence!" My former teacher yelled. "Mr. Potter, I'm sure you have a good reason to be here. What can we do?"
"I need time to search the castle."
She nodded.
"We cannot hold him forever Potter, but we will for as long as we can. Bring your other one third over here and let's talk. Students! Seventh years may stay to fight if you choose, but everyone else follow Professor Slughorn out! As we discussed Horace," She ordered.
Most of the seventh years decided to stay, except for the Slytherins. Ginny also managed to stay, since her whole family was going to fight, even Percy.
"Professor, it's still two thirds," Harry muttered.
"Miss Granger is being held at Malfoy Manor is she not?" McGonagall asked curiously.
"I was," I walked over to them.
"Well! This is wonderful! I- What is Mr. Malfoy doing here?" Her voice grew cold as she spoke Draco's name.
"He helped me escape," I felt his grip on my hand tighten.
"Want to do a repeat of earlier?" Fred called.
"Spare me the pain please!" Ron moaned.
"They're dating if you can call it that. It's mostly snogging," George put in.
Harry pretended to throw up again. McGonagall just stared at us, our faces then linked hands.
"Well then, welcome to the Order Mr. Malfoy."
Thank you reviewers! Over 200 wow!
To the guest that was my 201st reviewer: That gave me a good laugh! I'm glad you feel honored. Haha.
To the guest that apologized for yelling at my lack of updating last time: Honestly, it's fine. It was actually your review that snapped me out of my sadness and got me to update, so thank you.
If any of you have a suggestion on a match for Ron I would love to hear it. I've debated Luna, Pansy, and Lavender, but I don't know how I feel about them... so any suggestions would be great.
Have a good day!