Thank you again for all the praise. Enjoy Chapter 4.

Disclaimer: I own nothing Harry Potter.

Everyone stood there shocked. Draco had taken Hermione's hand and she squeezed it tightly. He could tell she was shaking. Hermione felt dumbstruck. The next thing she knew, Harry and Voldemort's wand's connected and the battle started, but Draco still clung to her hand. They raced away throwing curses at their enemies.

She drug him to a secluded spot. "We have to kill the snake!" Something exploded behind them and she ducked. He nodded and they turned the corner together taking down a short, fat man cloaked in black when suddenly they got separated.

Hermione made her way inside, searching, hoping the snake would just pop out at her.

Draco was ambushed. Clearly some of his ex-allies weren't too happy with him. Draco didn't know what to do. He was encircled within them.

They all spat insults at him as they came closer. "Tsk tsk Draco. No one defies the Dark Lord."

"You're as filthy as a mudblood."

"How dare you betray us?"

"That stupid Granger girl's gonna taint your blood."

"She's filthy. She has dirty blood. She's an ugly mudblood."

"She doesn't deserve to be witch and you don't deserve to be a wizard."

He tried to defend himself saying every curse he could think of but everything was blocked. Then Neville Longbottom and Ginny Weasley climbed in the middle of the circle to stand beside him.

"On three!" Ginny screamed. "Three!" All three young wizards point their wands and all six Death Eaters went flying back.

"Thank you." Draco breathed.

Neville and Ginny just nodded. Neville spoke, "Go help Hermione. We have to kill that snake!"

With that Draco ran inside. Hermione was atop the stairs, the snake coming at her head on. She was trying to fend it off, kill it. He threw the first curse he could think of at the snake but it didn't harm it. Instead the snake turned around and headed for him. Nothing they tried worked. Somehow Hermione was at Draco's side. They were backing up as fast as they could, Hermione clinging to his arm. They fell back onto the rock.

The snake was up about to attack when they saw Neville come. With the sword of Gryffindor, he sliced the snake in half.

Draco gripped Hermione tight in his arms as the wind blew into their faces.

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In the courtyard Harry was connected to Voldemort when red suddenly overcame green. Voldemort fell as ashes.

Exhausted, Harry crumbled to the ground. It was finally over. He had finally defeated Voldemort. He heard footsteps behind him so he rolled over to see Hermione. She ran towards him and embraced him.

"Hermione."

"Oh Harry. Thank god you're okay."

"We did it Hermione. It's over."

"I know."

"Everything's gonna be okay now." She looked down and away from him. "Hermione what's wrong?" She started to cry. He sat up. "Hermione." He spoke softly.

"Ron." She managed to choke out.

"What about him? Where is he?" She still didn't look at him. She only stood and he followed. She offered her hand and he took it. She led him to the Great Hall.

It didn't look normal. The tables were no longer there and everyone was either hurt or dead. Hermione looked to her right at her best friend still holding his hand. He was staring at something. He let go of her hand and started walking towards his destination. She followed hesitantly.

He came upon a group of ginger headed people. When they saw him they moved away. Harry felt a pang in his heart. He saw his best friend lying there, lifeless. He rushed to his side. Not only did Hermione see Ron lying there but to his right was Fred Weasley, dead. No. How could this happen to such loving people? Why?

As she began to cry, she felt a hand on her shoulder. She turned into him knowing it was Draco and not caring if anyone was watching. He held her tightly. When he noticed Harry getting up, he pulled apart from her, kissed her forehead, and ran the other way. He didn't want her best friend to find out about them like this.

But it wasn't for long that she was alone, for Harry came up to her and embraced her. They cried together, mourning the loss of their best friend.

"Come on." He took her hand again and he led her out of the Great Hall.

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Draco had nowhere to go. His parents had left. No Slytherins would be here. And he didn't know exactly how the people in the Great Hall felt about him right now. So he just sat on the steps with his face in his hands.

He couldn't stop thinking about Hermione. How she just lost Ron. He knew they liked each other but did anything ever happen between them? He replayed the moment he kissed her. Did she even want me to kiss her? She just lost him. It's too soon for her to be with anyone else. I was her enemy. I treated her terribly. Potter isn't going to like this. He hates me. He won't understand. Maybe she'll convince him that I'm good. Maybe she'll tell him that I fought with them for those last few moments and how I betrayed my own to be with her. What if she doesn't even want to tell him? I can't believe I walked away from the Dark Lord. I can't believe I endangered her life and my own. I can't believe she called for me and pleaded for me to stay.

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Harry leaned over the side of the building. "This is my fault."

"You can't blame yourself forever Harry."

"How can you be so calm about this? I thought he meant more to you than anything."

"Harry, I cried all I can cry when you weren't here. I talked it out then cried some more. Then when you showed up in Hagrid's arms," she turned away tears threatening to leak again, "I was so scared. I thought I'd lost both my best friends."

"I'm sorry. I should have explained." He sighed. "We should be celebrating this moment right now but I can't." He paused. "Who was it?"

"Who was what?"

"Who killed him, Hermione?" She looked down avoiding the question. "It was Malfoy wasn't it?"

"What?" Hermione was appalled that he would even think such a thing.

"Hermione it makes sense. Malfoy is a Death Eater. He hates us and would have done anything to regain Voldemort's trust again!"

"He's not like that!" Harry looked shocked. "He isn't bad. It was Bellatrix. Draco would never do that to me."

"Hermione why are you saying that?" Harry furrowed his brow. "Why did you just call him Draco?" She turned away completely not saying anything. "Hermione tell me now."

"After he," She had to pause to say his name, "after Ron died I ran and when I did, I found Draco and w-we talked. He opened up. He explained everything to me. Then Voldemort brought you back and Draco was about to cross sides to the Death Eaters but I stopped him. He was right next to Voldemort and I called out his name asking for him to stay and he did. Then he," She stopped.

"Then he what Hermione?" Harry asked furiously.

"He kissed me. Then that's when you woke up and the battle began. He fought with us Harry. I was by his side the whole time. He never let go of me except once. He helped me in trying to kill the snake."

Harry shook his head in pure rage. "He loved you Hermione. RON loved you all those years. He defended you every time Malfoy would insult you and try to hurt you! You disgrace him. You disgrace everything we just fought for." With that Harry walked away back to the Great Hall leaving Hermione cold and alone.

Thanks for reading.