In The Library

Sorry this one's slightly shorter. I didn't want to have to cut it off during an important moment which I'll now be putting in the next chapter. Please review! You know I'll always love you if you do!

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Draco could hardly breathe as he paced outside the library. He had been thinking about this moment for an entire week now and couldn't hold it off any longer. He knew that Hermione would be exiting any minute and wasn't going to risk missing her. He had to talk to her. He couldn't let their argument go any longer.

"You fight alone this time."

Draco did his best to push Hermione's words from his mind, but they stuck as if they had been super-glued to his soul. She couldn't possibly mean it. She was far too nice and as soon as she realised he was sorry she'd apologise as well. All Gryffindors were the same. It was that very thought which Draco was holding onto so desperately.

The door opened and Draco immediately stopped pacing, turning to face whoever was walking out. The intense concentration, stress and worry was etched onto his face.

"Oh!" Hermione gasped and took a step back as she looked up into his face, having almost walked into him. They were both silent for a few moments as they stared at each other, but just as Draco opened his mouth to speak Hermione beat him to it. "Should have been watching where I was going, sorry."

She looked away from him and took a step forward.

"Hermione-"

"Malfoy, please leave me alone." Hermione begged, her voice quiet and pleading as she moved to walk past him. He could see the pain on her face as she stared at the ground and before he could stop himself he had grabbed her arm and swung her back round to look at him again.

"Come with me for a moment." he whispered.

"You've lost your chance, Draco..." Hermione mumbled, avoiding his eyes and trying to stop her tears from falling.

"If you come now I will tell you everything I've been doing and why." Draco said, swallowing nervously as soon as the words left his mouth. Hermione glanced up at him and a stray tear spilled over.

"I don't want to know!" she gasped, pulling away from him.

"Hermione, please!" he persisted, holding tightly. "If I don't tell you now I never will!"

"Then don't!" Hermione said, glancing around for anyone who might be able to come and help her. "Let me go, Draco. Forget we ever had something!"

Draco's eyes widened and he stared at her, his grip tightening on her arms until she was wincing and biting her lip from the pain.

"You felt it too." he said softly.

"Draco," Hermione whispered. "Draco, you're hurting me."

It was as if Draco had been pulled out of a trance as he suddenly noticed what he was doing and released his grip on her.

"What did you say you wanted me to forget?" Draco asked.

"Everything that happened between us!" Hermione said, massaging her arms gently where he had been holding on. "We were never meant to be together Draco, there's no way it would work."

"Who ever said I was falling for you during our meetings?" Draco pressed, taking a step towards her. Fear suddenly flared up in Hermione's eyes and Draco couldn't help but smirk as he watched her flounder around for the right words.

"I just... I thought..." she swallowed hard and turned away from him, squeezing her eyes shut and not even trying to wipe away the tears that fell.

She didn't need to. Draco slowly reached up and with one finger swiped them off her cheeks, staring at her in a way he had never allowed himself to before. He was allowing his love to show plainly on his face and felt incredibly vulnerable because of it.

Open your eyes, Hermione... look at what you've done in me.

"I felt it too." Draco murmured aloud, the remains of a smirk still on his face. It looked much more like a smile now and as Hermione's eyes flickered open and gave him a look at her beautiful brown irises he could no longer fight against the feeling within him.

Leaning in, he pressed his lips against hers.

An explosion. That was what he felt when he kissed her and slipped his arms around her waist. He felt her tender response as she kissed back and carefully wrapped her own arms around his neck.

The power of it all made him feel suddenly weak and he felt a tear on his own cheek which he could not deny was his own. He knew he could not keep her. There was no way her friends would accept him after everything he had ever done to them. Nor would his family and friends accept her. It was precisely as she had said.

They just weren't meant to be together.

Hermione was suddenly pulling away and Draco held onto her tighter again, fearing that she would bolt and he would be left alone again.

"I never thought..." Hermione began, breathing heavily. "I never thought you loved me."

"It's impossible not to." Draco replied quietly.

"Why now?" Hermione asked, her eyes betraying all of her emotions to him as clearly as if they had been written on parchment. "Why are you only telling me now?"

"I was scared." Draco told her quietly. "I only ever snapped at you all those times because I was worried about, about what I have to do."

"And why have you decided to let me know what you're doing?" Hermione asked in an equally quiet voice.

"I owe you that much." Draco admitted, as much to himself as to her. "I thought that if you knew you'd hate me. And I still worry what you'll do once I tell you... I wonder how hard you'll fight to make me give up."

"You're not planning on giving up, then." Hermione stated softly.

"If I tell you what I have to do, you need to promise me that you won't try to stop me." Draco said. Hermione was silent as she stared down at the ground and considered what he was asking her to do. The risks involved were huge.

Finally, Hermione looked up at him again and moved one of her hands to the side of his face, stroking it gently as she stared into his pale grey eyes.

"I promise."