A/N- I just want to say thank you to you guys and I hope you like this chapter!

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.

Absence

Hermione sat watching the snow fall lightly from the sky. She wondered what Draco was doing. She wondered if he was safe. She also hoped he wasn't out in the cold. And not one single letter from him yet. She let out a shaky breath she had been holding in for a while.

It was Christmas Eve and the common room was pretty quiet. Not many students stayed at the school this year, so she felt more than alone. She felt deserted.

Hermione swiveled around in her chair to look at Harry who was by the fireplace reading. She looked at the spot next to him, no Ron. She had barely seen Ron, except in classes, yet alone talked to him since the dance.

Harry felt eyes on him and he looked up from his book and met Hermione's gaze. "He'll come around," Harry said, as if reading her mind. If only he was able to do that weeks ago. Hermione sighed and looked down at her lap, pulling at a loose strand on her jeans.

"It's been a while," she said to him, in the silence the fire crackled and instead of calming her like it usually did it made her nervous.

"Well you did lay this huge secret on us." Harry closed his book and placed it next to him on the floor. Hermione took this as action to what was about to be a serious conversation. The last thing she wanted at the moment, all she could think about was Draco and his safety. "And then Lavender broke up with him. He's going through a lot."

"I'm going through a lot," Hermione said it a little more sharply than she would have liked. She bit her lip and took a slow breath. "I just mean… I would like another friend to be here for me."

"You've got a lot of friends here for you," Harry cocked his head.

"Another one wouldn't hurt." Hermione sighed, turning back around in her chair to look out the window.

"Yeah," Harry blew out a breath. Hermione heard him stand up.

"Where are you going?" She asked, not bothering to turn around and look at him.

"Dumbledore wanted to see me before he left." Hermione looked at him over her shoulder.

"To go where?" Harry shrugged.

"I'm not sure, he has really not been telling me a lot lately."

"He's kind of a shady man," Hermione thought out loud, turning her attention back to the snow. It was hypnotizing to her.

"Yeah he is," Harry chuckled. She heard footsteps getting closer to her and she closed her eyes as a light pressure was put on her shoulder by Harry's hand. "Things will change."

"For the better or worse?" She asked him, finding only part of his face's reflection in the mirror. She saw a flash of something in his eyes; it was dark but so quickly turned to light.

"Better," he said. And she knew he was lying.

Hermione had been lying on the couch in the common room for what seemed like an eternity. It was only ten o'clock, which meant she had been sitting there for an hour and a half and still no sign of Harry since he left. "Hmm," she sighed into the pillow she had cupped under her chin. She wondered what Dumbledore could possibly have needed Harry for such a long period of time for. Then again, this was Dumbledore and he did not waste people's time for no reason.

She sat up from the couch and moved the pillow next to her. For once she wanted some company; she wanted to be in the presence of another person. Hermione looked around the common room, who could she go see? She even considered a teacher.

Footsteps became known, as they bounded down the stairs that was behind her. Hermione held her breath and turned around to wait for the unseen person. She felt her heart drop to her feet when Ron appeared, with his fierce red hair, and halted to a stop when he saw her. "Oh," was all he said, putting his head down. She watched him slowly walk over to the chair she was occupied in a few hours ago and lower himself in it. "Um," he cleared his voice, uncertain he asked, "Where is Harry?"

"Still with Dumbledore," Hermione thought she answered too fast. But he did not seem to notice.

"Oh," he looked down at the desk in front of him, drawing unknown things into the desk with his finger. Hermione looked awkwardly down, trying to think of something to say. Should she ask him how he's been? If school is going okay? Does he wish he was at home? She decided with the first one. She cleared her throat as a warning so that he wasn't surprised when she spoke.

"How are you?" Her voice came out shaky and dull. "How's everything going?" She also said to make up for the failed first attempt.

"Fine," he rustled his hair, his answer sounded scared. In fact, he was acting scared. What was going on?

"Oh that's good." She said, running a hand on the pillow next to her.

"Uh yeah," he nodded, still not looking at her. Hermione gave up, this awkward encounter was not what she meant by human interaction. She decided to be the brave Gryffindor that she needed to be and sat up straight.

"We should talk." She told him upfront. Enough of this silly banter, she thought. She needed to know what they were to each other. And she needed to know now. She was worried enough about Draco as it was, and since he was out of reach and Ron was in front of her she decided that fate was giving her a chance to patch up one of the problems with the men in her life. After all, they were alone, it was perfect.

"Oh okay," he looked over at her. She could feel his nervousness radiating over to her.

"Ron," she got up from the couch and walked over to him. "What…" she struggled to find the right thing to say, "What are we? Are we okay?" She bit her bottom lip. Ron looked down, and Hermione took that as a sign of no. But then he got up and she watched him, a little surprised.

"I don't know," he breathed. "But I have to do something."

"Do what, Ron?" She shook her head in confusion.

"It's the only thing I know to do," Hermione let her jaw open slightly, trying to figure him out.

"I'm afraid I'm not following." She told him. And as soon as the words came out, his hands were flying out in front of her and wrapping around her waist. She couldn't move; she felt as if she was watching a movie, no control over the outcome. She slammed her eyes closed as she felt fast and hard pressure against her lips. He was kissing her. Hermione heard the wind pick up outside and gust past the window. Hermione squirmed from under him. What the hell was happening?

She managed to find her body again, and shoved him back. She stared at him in shock and horror, his face was flushed and his lips were red, she imagined she looked the same as him. But the thing was he also looked shocked. She couldn't say anything, her mouth was hanging open and the only thing coming out of it was heavy breaths, just like his. She shook her head slowly as indication for him to explain what just happened.

"I needed to see," he said breathlessly, "that if I kissed you, you would leave Draco for me again." She felt herself freeze up. "Hermione, come back to me." He reached for her hand and all she could do was stare at their hands, once again, intertwined, together.

"Wh-" the words couldn't come out. She was paralyzed.

"Don't be with him. You don't want him. You only wanted him when you couldn't have me. But now you do." He drew closer to her again and she could feel another kiss about to happen. She quickly pulled her hand free and stepped a few feet back from him.

"This is not what I want. Maybe it was when I first kissed Draco. But I love him, Ron." She raised her shaky hand and touched her finger to her top lip. "Oh my god," she felt sudden tears block her vision. Ron looked hurt and ashamed.

"Hermione," he tried reaching out for her.

"No," she moved out of his way and jogged over to the stairs. "I'm with Draco!" She yelled at him. "So please do not make this any harder for me than it already is." She felt the first tear roll down her cheek followed by another as she turned around and bounded up the stairs, wishing that she could have exchanged this one Christmas gift.

Hermione whimpered into her pillow. Sweat dripped from her forehead. Her covers were tossed onto the floor at some point in the night.

Hermione woke up frantically and shot up from her bed. Relieved that no one else was occupying the three other beds, she buried her face in her hands.

She didn't remember what happened in her dream. All that she could tell someone was that it had to do with Draco. And it was nothing short to a nightmare.

Hermione wrapped her arms around herself as she descended down the stairs in her silk pajamas. It was Christmas morning, but all she felt like doing was crying. She went into a fetal position on the end of the couch and closed her eyes. She listened to the castle creak around her. Hermione wondered what time it was, if anybody was up, did everybody disappear? She let out a light breath. The only thing she wanted for Christmas was to take back that kiss from Ron and to see Draco.

She wondered what time Harry got back at last night and if Ron had told him what he did. She opened her eyes and stared at the burnt out fireplace. "Merry Christmas Hermione," she said to herself. She felt the sting of tears threaten her eyes but she held them back. No more crying. She told herself.

Hermione sat up on the couch and looked around. It was too quiet, eerily quiet. It scared her. She stood up slowly and headed back for the stairs. She wanted to get out of the common room, it held too many memories she did not want to think about.

Hermione took twenty minutes getting dressed and grabbed the handle of her door about to walk away when there was a light tapping on her window. She looked over at it and her heart sped up. An owl waited outside the window for her and she rushed over to open it. The cold air nipped at her cheeks and nose, but she didn't notice. She took the letter from the owl and waited for it to fly off before quickly closing the window and hopping onto her bed.

Maybe it was a letter from Draco? She hoped. It would be good enough.

She waited no longer and began tearing open the letter and reached in to pull out the slip of paper. Her hands shakily flipped over the other half of the paper and she scanned it with her eyes. Her face dropping. It wasn't from Draco, but from her parents.

Dearest daughter,

We are so sad that this Christmas we will not be spending anytime with you. We wish you were with us more than anything right now. But we understand that you need to focus on your school work.

She read over her mother's familiar handwriting, a small smile playing on her lips. Maybe this would help her, somehow the letter made her feel less alone.

We wish you a very merry Christmas, a happy New Year, and to stay safe and warm. We send all of our love along with a few gifts that will be coming to you shortly. We hope that you are enjoying yourself but not too much!

She could see her mom's playful smirk in her head as she read this.

We love you so much Hermione and we hope to see you soon!

Love, Mom & Dad

P.S. "The best and most beautiful things in this world cannot be seen or even heard, but must be felt with the heart." –Helen Keller

And somehow, her mom knew, and that was the greatest gift she had ever gotten.

Hermione put the letter back into the envelope and stuck it in her drawer with a smile on her face and tears in her eyes. Every doubt she had about Draco, every fear that crossed her mind, any questions about their love that Ron brought back last night did not seem to matter anymore. Her mind was cleared, she knew she loved him. She knew she wanted him. And no one could change that. Her doubts were gone. And she felt a huge weight lift from off of her chest. She could breathe again.

Hermione left the common room, with a spring in her step. She wanted to go over to the library and write a letter back to her parents but she needed to think of the perfect thing to say. After all, she had to thank her mom. She rounded the hallway, already writing different versions of the letter in her head when she saw a figure by the entrance of the castle. She stopped and squinted at the dark hooded person. She watched as he flicked back his hood and her mouth went dry.

That couldn't be…

Hermione gasped. It was. Draco.

She started out with a slow walk to him and by the seventh step it turned into a jog and then a sprint. She was going so fast that she was afraid she might bump into him. But the next thing she saw halted her movements and she felt her feet go numb; she was only five steps out of his reach. He stared at her, not moving or saying anything. He looked cold and hard, like the Draco she knew all the years before their romance. A worried expression crossed her face. And her head raced with thoughts. She had to say something. They couldn't stand there like that forever. She forced her tongue to move and her mouth to make a sound.

"What are you doing here?" She asked breathlessly. She saw his chest rise faster and a flash of darkness in his eyes. She finally settled on the part of his face she was trying to ignore. There was a bruise of all colors on his eye; it could barely keep itself open. "Draco," she reached out to him but he snapped back. Frightened, Hermione pulled her hand back and took it in her other one like it had just been burnt. He saw what he did and he dropped his head.

"Sorry," he mumbled. Hermione let out slow breaths, trying to put two and two together.

"Draco, what are you doing here?" She asked again.

"I left," he looked at her. "I couldn't stay there."

"They did that to you?" He looked away clearly ashamed. "Why?" She whispered.

"I think you know," he walked past her and turned around to look at her again. Hermione watched him. "Things are really fucked up for me right now. I'm not safe anywhere."

"What do you mean?" Hermione's heart sped up. He didn't seem to want to talk right then. "Here," Hermione grabbed his hand. "Let me fix up your eye, come on." She led him to the Gryffindor common room.

"Draco," Lucius Malfoy smiled at his son. "So good to see you," His father said for the hundredth time. Draco sat at a chair in front of his father's desk. He felt like he was being interviewed. Draco nodded and nervously wrung his hands together. "I've been meaning to talk with you." He'd been dreading this the minute he got home a few days ago. It was Christmas Eve and he had managed to keep all conversations short with his parents till his dad had cornered him and led him into his office. "I suppose you know why you are here." Lucius raised an eyebrow. Draco averted his eyes to the curtains. "Hmm," he heard his father say.

"I'm really quite tired," Draco tried, pushing himself up from his seat.

"Ah ah ah ah," his father motioned for him to sit back down. "I'd like to speak to you about something very important son." Draco followed orders. "I'm proud to say that the Dark Lord is ready to welcome you into our circle." Draco pursed his lips.

"Maybe I don't want to be welcomed." Lucius rose from his seat and circled around Draco to the back of his chair. Draco stiffened.

"I know you don't mean that." His father said from behind him. Lucius placed a hand on his son's shoulder. "It's time Draco for you to join us." Draco mentally shook his head, what a cult thing to say. He dare not look at his father.

"I don't think I'm ready," he said.

"If the Dark Lord thinks you are, then you are!" Lucius leaned over and found Draco's eyes. "Don't be difficult boy. They will come for you if you don't say yes. Just make this easier on us and come now." Draco stood up from his chair and Lucius watched his son.

"I think we're done here."

"Draco," his father said sternly, watching him head for the door. "Where do you think you're going?"

"I'm not going to sit here and be forced into this." He was surprised with his braveness. So Gryffindor of him, it was disgusting. He was beginning to think Hermione was rubbing off on him. Hermione…

"Draco!" He heard his father call as he slammed the door shut, heading down the long hallway in Malfoy Manor looking to find confinement.

"There, like it never happened." Draco watched Hermione smile at her work. She had fixed up his eye with a spell and he could see again. His face wasn't throbbing and he reached his hand up to touch his eye. It wasn't swollen, or bleeding. He was impressed by the witch.

"Thanks," he said to her. Hermione nodded and sighed.

"It's so good to see you." She frowned. "But not particularly in the condition you were in." Draco looked away. He didn't like sympathy. He let his eyes travel around the Gryffindor common room. The colors made him a little sick but he held back any comments. At first he was resistant about coming in but against Hermione's protests she had won. After all he did want his eye fixed. This was the first time for him being in there. It was strange to think how he ended up in here. He looked back over at Hermione, who was observing him.

"What?" He asked.

"You still haven't told me the part on how you got the black eye."

"I was trying to hold off on that."

"Well don't," she stared at him. "I want to know." Draco sighed.

Draco watched his parents from his seat taking stiff bites of their food. Knowing full well he created the awkward silence. He shifted uncomfortably in his seat, choosing his next words carefully; he set down his fork and cleared his throat. He watched his father quickly glance over at him and then look back at his plate. His mother eyed him. "Something you would like to say Draco?" She asked.

"Yes actually there is." He tossed his napkin on the table. "I have an announcement."

"I don't think right now is the appropriate time." He heard his father say.

"Right now might be the only time," he knew full well his parents were not pleased with him, at least his father. They both exchanged an uncertain glance before giving their attention to their son.

"Make it quick," his mother folded her hands on her lap.

"Right, okay," Draco scratched his head. How could he go about this without there being a huge scene? "So I am in love with someone." He watched his mother look over at Lucius and then back at him, her mouth slightly open. His father peered over at him.

"What does this have to do with anything?"

"Lucius," his mother scolded at him. "Draco," she looked at her son. "Who is she? When did this happen?" He could sense her mothering concerns coming on.

"Well that's exactly it." He figured he could ease them into it. Lucius arched an eyebrow.

"Do we know her, dear?" Narcissa asked.

"What's exactly it?" His father asked slowly.

"I don't think you will be too pleased." Narcissa threw a nervous glance at Lucius.

"Well who is it?" His mother pressed.

"Hear me out," he began. "We fell for each other and I really do love her. You guys must give her a chance, she's a great person and she makes me happy." He watched his parent's faces. "It's…" he took a deep breath, "Hermione Granger." His mother rapidly blinked.

"Who?" She said first.

"Hermione Granger?" Lucius rose in his seat, throwing his napkin across the table. "That no good Mud-blood?" Draco pushed himself away from the table and stood up.

"Wait," Narcissa looked panicked. "Potter's friend?" She asked, looking in between her son and husband.

"Precisely," Lucius shot his wife a look. "Muggle born," his mother slightly gasped.

"I forbid this," Lucius walked over to his son. "You will never see that worthless Mudblood again, I will make sure of that. And god dammit you will join us you have no choice anymore. Seems you are too incapable of making your own decisions."

"You can't do that!" Draco yelled at his father. "I can decide for myself who I work with and who I date."

"You will not be with a Mudblood!" His father snapped, coming up to his son. Draco clenched his fists.

"I don't care what you say," Draco shook his head. "I'm through here." Draco turned around and began to head out of the room.

"Don't you walk away from me!" Lucius grabbed his cane and followed Draco.

"Lucius!" Narcissa stood up from her seat. "Draco! Please!" She hurried to them. Lucius brought a hand to Draco's shoulder, stopping him. Draco turned around to face his father.

"You will do as I say," his father warned one last time.

"Go to hell," Draco spat back. Lucius took his cane and smacked Draco in the face.

"No!" Narcissa grabbed her husband's arm. "Stop!" She yelled at them.

"You are banned here," he heard his father say. Draco peered over at him, he covered half his face with his hand. "Now leave." Narcissa frowned and looked between the two of them.

"Lucius," she whispered.

"I will not have a Muggle born in this family."

"Then I guess you won't have me either," Draco straightened up, ignored the throbbing pain in his face, and left the Malfoy Manor and into the cold snowy night.

Hermione frowned, staring at Draco. This was her fault. This injury, the disownment of his family, all on her. He didn't deserve this. "Draco," she pushed herself up from the couch, walked over to the fireplace and faced him. "I'm so sorry," she said.

"For what?" He watched her.

"This is my fault."

"Hermione," Draco stood up from the couch and walked over to her. "It's not your fault." He put his hands on her arms. "It's theirs, and their dumb way of living."

"But-"

"Listen, I don't care about them. Frankly, I wouldn't want to be anywhere but here. This is the best Christmas present." He told her. "Being here with you is all I want." Hermione sighed, a frowning forming on her face.

"I have something to tell you and I don't want to keep it from you."

"What?" He asked.

"You should sit down," she led them back over to the couch and he faced her.

"What is it?"

"It's about Ron," she grabbed his hand.

"Okay," he said.

"Last night he came down here and we talked."

"About what?"

"That doesn't matter." She shook her head. "What matters is what he did."

"Which was?" Hermione took a deep breath.

"Please don't freak out," she pleaded.

"Hermione," he shook his head in confusion. "What did he do?"

"He… kissed me." She said. Draco stared at her.

"He's dead," he stood up from the couch and Hermione grabbed his arm, getting pulled up along with him.

"Please don't, I haven't even seen him since last night." She tried to stop him from walking away. "He did it because he was confused and he didn't understand what was going on with us." Draco looked down at her. "Please just let this go, please," Hermione put her hands on his chest. "Just let me be with you," she laid her head down in between her hands. "I was so worried." Draco put his hands on her back. "I hadn't heard from you and-"

"I'm here now," Hermione looked up at him and smiled.

"Yes you are."

"Now kiss me, I can't stand the fact that I wasn't the last guy to touch your lips." Hermione grabbed his face without hesitation and pressed their lips together. Draco devoured the kiss, and when they finally pulled back, their cheeks were flushed with color.

"Come on," she said, grabbing his hand and leading him over to the stairs.

"Where are we going?" He asked.

"I'm going to give you your Christmas present." She smirked, leading him up the stairs and into her room.

A/N- Thank you for reading and reviewing and sticking with this story. It means a lot!

As always, tell me your thoughts!

Brittany