A/N: Hope you enjoy this chapter. I worked hard on it!

Disclaimer: I still don't own Harry Potter.

Chapter 3

2 months later

All was silent in the secluded clearing, except the dull scratching of a knife on wood. Sitting at the foot of the oak tree was Draco. Shivering with cold, Draco took the knife away from the trunk, and stood up to admire his work. One hour earlier, Draco had slipped from his house once more, only this time he was clutching the penknife he had been given by his mother a couple weeks ago. As he sat waiting for Stella, he had etched a heart, with the words Ace + Stella inside. It was a present to her, from him, and he hoped it would lessen the blow of the news he was about to give to her.

"Hi Ace!"

He turned around and there she was, beaming at him, her nose and cheeks red from the cold.

He sighed, "Hello Stella."

Hermione's smile faltered for a second at his sad tone, but it was instantly brought back when she noticed the tree behind him. She ran past him, to have a closer look.

"Ace!" she gasped, trailing a gloved finger over the heart as she spoke, "You did this, for me?"

"Yes." He said, a smile breaking out on his own face.

The next second, Hermione had him enveloped in the most heart-felt hug he ever had.

"Oh Ace," she pulled back a little and grinned at him, "I love it."

Draco's own smile began to fall. If it was anytime to tell her, it was now.

"Stella," he sighed, gently tugging her arms away from his neck and holding her hands in his own, "There's something I have to tell you."

Her questioning caramel eyes stared into his silver ones.

"I," he began, "I mean…my family and I…"Just spit it out! "…We're moving away."

Hermione swore the world stopped spinning. Her breath seemed to catch in her throat. Ace's words kept going round and round inside her head. We're moving away….We're moving away…

"Moving away…" she repeated.

Draco could only look at her. He knew how she felt. He too had been devastated when his father broke the news to him.

"Why?" she asked, her eyes beginning to sting.

"Father's got a new job. He says he'll earn better money if he accepts it. Not that we really have a choice, but me and mother have to go with-

"No!" Hermione suddenly burst out, interrupting him, "You don't have to go with him! He beats you! You aren't safe with him!"

"Stella…"

"Come live with me!" Her voice was rising in desperation, "You and your mum! My parents won't mind!"

"Stella-

"We'll live together, that way you'll never have to leave-

"Stella!"

Hermione stopped instantly, frightened by the tone of his voice. Before she could start again, Draco continued.

"Believe me, I don't want to go. I want to stay here forever, with you. But I don't have a choice. However, there is one way we can always be together."

"How?"

"Take off your glove."

Hermione took the glove off her left hand, and allowed Draco to take it. Then, from his pocket, he drew out his penknife. Hermione gasped.

"Is that a-

"Yes," he interrupted, "I read about this in a story book once. It allows the two people to become permanently bonded. This might hurt."

And with that, he drew the knife diagonally across Hermione's left palm, drawing blood, and leaving a deep cut. Hermione yelped in pain.

"Sorry." He mumbled, before drawing the knife over his left hand. He grabbed Hermione's bleeding hand and held it tightly with his.

"How does this work?" she winced, watching droplets of their blood fall to the ground, making patterns in the snow.

"Because now my blood is running into you and your blood is running into me." Draco explained, "Now, no matter where we are, we still have a part of each other, it's just inside us."

Hermione gazed into his eyes. Despite the pain, this was the most romantic gesture she had ever seen. Then, without warning, the hand that wasn't clutching his cupped his face and she gave him a chaste kiss on the lips.

Draco, despite it being the worst day of his life, had never felt so happy. Much too soon for his liking, she pulled away.

"Ace, there's something I have to tell you too." Hermione blurted out, "Stella isn't my real name." she saw his eyes widen in surprise. "My real name is-

But she was interrupted by a loud and sudden crack. The two children jumped apart and faced the direction of the noise. There stood a tall and beautiful woman. She had pale hair and silver eyes. Hermione recognised her instantly as Ace's mother.

"There you are!" Narcissa exclaimed, marching towards Draco, "I have been looking for you everywhere! Come on, we need to go." She grabbed Draco's wrist, not taking notice of his bleeding hand or Hermione.

"No!" Draco yelled, trying to wrench his wrist out of his mother's grip.

"Yes!" Narcissa yelled back, starting to drag Draco away from Hermione, who seemed rooted to the spot.

"LET GO OF ME!" Draco yelled again, digging his heels into the ground.

"Come on." Narcissa demanded.

"NO!" cried Draco. Hermione met his eyes one last time before he and his mother disappeared into thin air.

Draco and Narcissa apparated into their living room. Draco turned on his mother at once.

"HOW COULD YOU?" He screamed at her, "HOW COULD YOU DO THAT TO ME?"

Before she could grab him, Draco sprinted out the living room, up the stairs, and into his bedroom, where he proceeded to punch and kick everything in sight and scream at the top of his lungs. After he had thoroughly destroyed his room, Draco sank down onto his knees and cried. Never in his life had he felt so angry. So lonely. So heartbroken.

Meanwhile in the clearing, Hermione still stood, staring at the spot where Draco and his mother had just disappeared. Then she did what any seven year-old in such a situation would do. She too, burst into tears. Clutching at her bleeding hand, she wailed, letting out all her anger, frustration and sadness. How unfair this all was. The love of her life had been forcefully taken from her. And now, she would never see him again.

Or so she thought.