Draco returned to Hogwarts with Snape. He was now officially a death-eater. He would never be with her. She was too good, pure and strong. His arm seared in agony, but it would be nothing compared to making sure she stayed away from him. He would have to revert back to his old ways, cold, unresponsive. It would be what was best for her.

Worst for him, best for her, that's how their lives seemed to play out. She was good, he was evil. They would always be at opposite ends of the world. There was no bringing them together, no matter how he wanted it, and he had a hunch she wanted him to, if only a little.

But none of that mattered now; he wouldn't get her caught up in all of this. He would miss teasing her the most. The way her breath would hitch when he spoke to her up close. He would miss being close to her. He would get as far away as possible. He would be the same old Malfoy he had been the past six years, same old bastard.

It would be hard for him to do now, he didn't want to hurt her in any way he has hurt her so much in the past. But he knew it was what would be the best in the long run.

As he was walking back up to the castle accompanied by his godfather, he stopped to look at the sky, a storm was coming. How appropriate he felt as if one was raging inside his soul, but he knew which side would win, he was a Malfoy after all. He stopped to scratch at his left forearm, it burned immensely.

"Your mind is fighting it, therefore it is causing you pain." Snape drawled.

"Well great how am I even supposed to concentrate with this blasted thing?" He sneered.

"I suggest you resolve whatever inner conflict you have going on."

"Oh sure, that's easy." Draco replied sarcastically.

"It should be because whatever it is might jeopardize your very life, not to mention your fathers."

"Please, I hope he drops dead."

"Your mother's life Draco." He continued, and Draco seemed to go silent as it began to rain.

"You go inside, I'm staying out here." He knew he might run into her he couldn't face her yet. He sat down in the grass watching as the weather depicted his life so accurately.

He sat there for hours, just thinking about her, kissing her feeling her, watching her blush. She was his solace. He was faced with losing her, and suddenly he didn't know which thing he was being forced to do was the worst.

That night Hermione was on prefect duty. She was walking through the dark hallways, making sure no one was out of bed. It was storming pretty badly out. She always hated thunder storms. They always seemed so ominous to her. The crashes of thunder echoed through the castle, and the sky was lit up by the bolts of lightning. She stopped to look out at the sky as it lit up.

The cracks of lightning lit up the entire landscape, and she noticed platinum blonde hair outside in the storm, sitting cloaked in black.

Draco. She felt her stomach flip. What was he doing out in this storm.

She walked through the nearest doorway being instantly soaked in the downpour. She headed towards him. The wind whipping her soaked curls as the howling echoed in her ears.

He was just sitting in the storm. Glazed over eyes, she finally reached him.

"Draco what the bloody hell are you doing out here? It's awful out."

"It's Malfoy." He replied icily avoiding her eyes.

"What?" She asked confused.

He stood up slowly walked over so that he was towering over her petite rain soaked frame. He placed his strong hand on her shoulders roughly, his cold steel blue eyes meeting her warm chocolate ones locking on as he bowed his head to meet hers.

This was killing him. She looked so beautiful.

"I'm Malfoy to you. Forget everything that has happened between us. Forget the kiss, forget the book, and forget me. Don't come looking for me, don't talk to me, and don't even think about me." His words ripped him apart.

His eyes stayed on hers she felt the electricity between them, and it was like they were magnets, power around them. He removed his grip on her tantalizingly slow, and she felt as if all her energy drained from her. He turned on his heal and began walking back through the storm up to the castle.

"Draco!" She yelled angrily and frustrated. He kept walking quickening his pace. She ran to meet him and ran in front of him her breath rapid. "You don't get to do that! What may I ask has changed so dramatically from this very morning, a mere few hours ago? You, you don't just get to morph back into the git you love everyone to believe you are."

He watched her in agony. He was trying to do what was best. He hated being so cold to her. He had to do it, but every fiber of him hated it. He attempted to side step her, failing as the small girl stepped in front of him yet again.

"Look at me!" She demanded loudly. Her warm eyes met his cold ones, rain pouring over their faces, droplets hanging over their eyelashes. He saw her eyes welling up.

"Ok you know what I don't know how to deal with you, I don't, but I won't pretend that none of those things happened. You make me nervous and I feel out of control for the first time in my life and I like it. I know you feel something to-" He cut her off moving closer to her, again towering over her.

Her words were breaking him apart inside. Like a thousand shards of glass going to town on his insides. He indeed felt something for her, he always had. It was repressed from the beginning, boiling in the inner most part of him. He was like a dormant volcano, and he feared he was about to erupt. He couldn't take much more of this. But he knew he must fight, it was in her best interest for her to be away from him. He was dangerous.

"Well you need to! Stay out of my way." His words sounded with the thunder, he swiftly picked her up by her waist and removed her from his path. He was going to have to say the one thing he knew would get her to stop, as much as it killed him. "Mudblood."

"You don't mean that, I can hear it in your voice, I-I think I always have." She called after him desperately. "Kiss me!"

The tall masculine figure that was Draco stopped in his tracks.

She continued, "You're the Malfoy that doesn't break promises right." She slowly walked in front of him. "Be the guy that was brave enough to kiss me in that classroom. Be the guy that sent me that book. Be the guy that is so confident with me it drives me wild. Be the guy you've been told not to be you're entire life." Her voice softened looking into his steel blue eyes. "Be the guy you want to be. I'm asking you to kiss me."

He stared into her chocolate brown eyes. She never looked more beautiful, soaked to the bone. It was like she was vocalizing all the thoughts he had long since repressed inside of his mind. And then he heard the sweetest words come out of her mouth, in a fiery independent tone that drove him mad. Still he stood motionless in front of her.

Thunder crashed, and lightening cracked the midnight sky lighting up their surroundings. "Kiss me!" She screamed at him.

Without any hesitation in him he crashed his lips down upon her. He couldn't do it, his mind screamed he was a fool but something made him kiss her. Her entire body was on fire from his contact. She wrapped her hands around him pulling him to her harder. He grabbed her by her hips and pulled her body into his. He ran his tongue along her bottom lip and she parted her mouth allowing him to explore her mouth. Years of pent up feelings filled the two entangled in what had to be the world most passionate kiss.

He pulled his lips away from her, gaining a small whimper from her. He rested his forehead on hers. "I keep my promises." He whispered before again attacking her rosy lips. To his surprise she was the one who was begging for entrance to his mouth which he happily granted. She was the best kisser he had ever experienced. She was so utterly sweet; his entire body ached for her. He wished he could stop time right here and now and never leave.

She was lost in his embrace, he tasted heavenly. She loved the feeling of his hands on her body, his tongue running across her lips, hers on his. She loved everything about this moment in time she wished it would never end. Draco Malfoy was the hottest thing she'd ever experienced. She wanted him, she needed him.

TBC