Chapter 16

Hermione grabbed his hand, and he looked back at her. Looking into his eyes felt so intimate…

She realized Harry and Ron were two feet away, but she didn't care. She hated seeing Draco like this. She was, of course, feeling the same way. They might never see each other again. Ron and Harry could infer whatever they wanted out of it; she didn't want to make Draco feel like she didn't care about him anymore now that her boy's were back. Not when the chances were so high that this really was goodbye…

No! She couldn't think like that! Somehow, they would see each other again.

With that thought, so pushed herself up on her toes and kissed him.

He seemed surprised, and it took him a minute to kiss her back. He quickly put his arms around her and hugged her to him. The kiss ended too soon, Hermione pulling away gently.

"Don't die." She said simply.

"You too." He answered back.

Hermione promptly turned on her heel and walked out of the cabin. Never mind that she still didn't have shoes. Or a cloak. She had to leave right then.

She didn't even think about Harry and Ron until they were right beside her, walking.

"What….?" Ron started, but words seemed to fail him.

"Er, we should apparate out of here now, work our way back home." Harry said, putting his mind to more practical matters. Hermione was sure he was pissed and confused, just like Ron, but Harry tended to just act ignorant about awkward things.

Hermione was grateful. She didn't want to explain herself. She didn't think she could stop herself from crying as it was; having her friends hate her would be too much. Would they hate her?

Within a few minutes the three of them were overseas, setting up camp so they could begin plotting their trip to Gringotts. Hermione did find one of Bellatrix Lestrange's hairs on the shirt she was wearing…which was still Draco's. Perhaps they could make a plan around that?

The three would find her some warm clothing later.

Hermione huddled around the campfire. It wasn't as cold here, even though it was winter. It was about supper by this time, yet they didn't have any food left. Hermione should have grabbed some from Draco. It hadn't been at the top of her priority list at the time.

She wrapped her arms around her knees and buried her head in them. The shirt smelled nice…

"I just have to ask…what's with the clothing?" Ron asked. His tone said 'I'm really upset but I'm pretending to just be conversational.'

Hermione sighed. "My old things were soaked and ruined when Draco found me. I didn't want to wear Bellatrix's things. I chose to wear this."

Harry coughed.

"What?" She asked.

"No one's going to say it? Really?" Ron asked, looking between them. He glared at Hermione. "What the hell was up with…whatever the hell happened back there?! How could you…ugh…kiss him?"

Hermione glared right back. "Ron, you don't have any say in who I kiss." The boy's looked stricken. They hadn't thought that she'd actually wanted to kiss him, probably.

"So…he didn't hurt you at all, did he?" Harry asked carefully.

"Cause we'll go right back and kick his ass muggle-style if he did!" Ron added.

Hermione smiled a bit, despite herself. It was good to have friends who cared about her so much. She shook her head. "No, don't worry. Draco is Draco, so he was often rude…" She thought back to her first couple of days there and smiled. "But he took good care of me while I was there, even when we didn't get along."

"Even when? There was a time when you did get along with that little prat? You defiantly check your temper better than some of us." Harry said, his eyebrows rising.

"Draco's not all bad, you know." Harry and Ron made incredulous faces, and she continued, "Yes, he is who he is, but even he can change certain faults. He saved and took care of me, and that certainly say's something about how much he's changed his belief system, doesn't it? I was sick when he found me…I could have died at his gate…"

The boy's looked down, upset at the possibility.

"We're just glad you're all right, Hermione." Ron said. Harry nodded.

She sighed, looking exhausted. "Draco is a very different person to me now that I know him…I know you two don't like him, and visa versa…but you two are my best friends, and I don't want…I don't want you to hate me." She looked over at Ron, her eye's threatening tears.

Ron's face softened. Harry looked uncomfortable, like he didn't know what to say. Neither of them had a clue what she was really talking about, and she didn't want to give them any hints. She didn't want them to hate her when she finally confessed that she was in love with Draco…one day.

"I can't hate you…" Ron said softly.

"Then please, can we just focus on the job at hand and forget all the personal stuff? I don't want to think about all this anymore…I need to focus on something dangerous and complex, or I'm going to have an absolutely meltdown."

Harry laughed a little. "Dangerous and complex? We definitely have that down. For instance, how to break into Gringotts?

***

In the next couple of weeks, several events took place. The trio went to Bill and Fleur's…well, you know what happened from there, told by a much better writer.

Harry had Draco's wand still, which was rather lucky since he needed one.

The climax of the war took place at Hogwarts, and it was then that Hermione next saw Draco Malfoy.

***

She saw him across the room, his worried parents at his side. The room was so silent, every eye on the prophesized moment in front of them. It all came down to this. Everyone in the room had a plethora of hopes riding on the outcome of this battle…

At this thought, Hermione's eye's flicked back to Draco, and noticed him looking at her.

He looked terrified and out of place. The Malfoy's had seemingly gone rogue at the very end of this long terror. On no one's side but their own. It was a step up.

When he caught her eyes he nodded, slowly. She could imagine him saying, "I hope you were right about that 'believing in Harry' crap."

As Harry explained to Voldemort everything that had happened right under his nose, because he didn't understand love, Hermione could feel everyone in the room holding their breath. And when the moment came that Voldemort fell, Hermione and Ron leapt at Harry, cheering.

Soon there were too many people wanting to talk to Harry, and Hermione found herself pushing her way out of the crowd.

Many death eaters were being rounded up. It was only a matter of time before they took the place of the innocent muggle-borns and half-bloods in Azkaban.

Hermione's joyful grin faded as she searched the room. Where was he?

She suddenly felt a strong hand on her shoulder, turning her around. It was Draco, standing right behind her. He looked fazed.

"Hermione…" he started.

She nearly knocked him over with her hug, jumping up at him with her arms around his neck. He automatically grabbed her in his arms as well, so she hung off the floor for a moment or two.

"You're ok! You made it! We both made it!" She whispered in his ear as he held her.

"Er….it's somewhat more complicated than that, you know." Draco answered, sounding slightly panicked.

What now?