You Promised

Promises

The pair kissed each other as if the other was an addictive drug. As if they would never see each other again. And they probably wouldn't.

"This might be our last goodbye...." he whispered hoarsely, his grey eyes searching her chocolate ones. She didn't respond, instead she grasped his hand in hers, the small gesture saying more than words ever could. I'm here. We'll be okay.

"I'll see you again." She whispered back, arms wrapped around him as if to hold him as close to her as was physically possible. "We'll win this war." Her voice was shaky, as if she was trying to convince herself of that.

"We won't see each other next year, will we?" He questioned, and Hermione could see the hidden question in his eyes.

"No...." she breathed out. "I'm leaving with Harry and Ron, we're the only ones who can stop him." He nodded gravely.

"I thought as much. Besides, those two wouldn't be alive if it weren't for you." His comment brought the desired angelic laugh from her. Slapping his arm lightly, she said,

"Draco!" He chuckled too, before becoming somber again. "Hey..." she whispered, lifting his chin so he looked at her. "We'll be okay."

He nodded. "I know. But we'll be on opposite sides of the war...." His tone held regret, though whether it was for his part with the vanishing cabinet, or his family heritage, no one could tell. She knew that he didn't have a choice, it was either serve the Dark Lord, or watch his mother die.

"Draco..." Hermione said, "you're not going to become your father. You are your own person, and a good one at that. Serving the Dark Lord won't change who you are my love, because you care about others. Never forget that." Her voice was firm, yet soft and gentle.

"Hermione...." he started, but was interrupted.

"No. Just...." she looked into his eyes. "Promise me something." He nodded his head. "Promise me that...you'll stay alive. That you'll come to me." Her voice was broken, and yet her eyes were so, so determined.

"Hermione, I don't think I can." He muttered back. She glared at him angrily and pulled away from him.

"Of course you can, Draco you have to! We both have to make it out of this alive!" She cried.

"Only if you promise me something too."

"What?" She asked.

"Promise me that you'll do the same. That you'll stay alive." She looked up into his swirling orbs and said,

"I promise."

"Then I promise too, my love." The pair stayed there for a while, simply holding each other before they moved to the bed that the Room of Requirement had conjured, and proceeded to have one last night of passion together, one final night where they would be able to forget the rest of the world.

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Draco couldn't watch, he covered his ears and prayed. Prayed for the woman being tortured by his aunt, prayed that she would live. He had wanted to help her, but he knew that would just put them both in more risk. Where were Potter and Weasley? He had wanted to do sometimes, but the second they were brought in, she mouthed, you promised and he knew he couldn't do anything.

"What else did you take you filthy mud blood!?" Bellatrix screeched, "Crucio!"

She screamed in pain as the spell was cast, torturing her within an inch of her life and yet she held on. Draco covered his eyes again, only uncovering them when the screaming stopped. I love you. She mouthed, and upon seeing that no one was looking, he mouthed back, I'm sorry. It looked as though she was about to say something back, but was stopped as Bellatrix pulled out a long knife.

"Maybe this will make you talk, Mudblood!" She cried as she pinned Hermione down with her body. Her chilling screams echoed through the house as his aunt carved the word into her arm, and it took all of Draco's willpower to stay still, and to keep his strong facade.

Just as he was about to do something, because no amount of pain was worth seeing his true love being tortured, there came a scream.

"Hermione!" Suddenly, spells were being shot everywhere, as Harry, Ron and someone else emerged from the cells below. Draco pretend to fight, but was actually inching closer to a wand less Harry, who was helping Hermione up. As he neared Harry, Ron and an elf appeared from the other side and grabbed onto him. In the seconds before they disappeared, Draco slipped his want into Harry's hand.

The boy-who-lived looked at him with shock, but he only had eyes for his Hermione. As she disappeared, she mouthed I love you.

Staring at the space where she just stood, so close to him, he dared to whisper, "I love you too."

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The Battle was over, they had won, and Harry had killed Voldemort. All around her, people were either celebrating or mourning. Even though they had won the war, they had lost so many good people. Fred, Tonks, Lupin, Lavender, Colin and countless others that deserved to live. But Hermione found that she couldn't think about any of that. All she could think of was her one true love, and their promise to each other. She had seen him, towards the end, engaged in fierce battle with two Death Eaters, but she had no way of knowing if he had won or not. If he was alive or not.

And that was the only thing she could think about as she, Harry and Ron walked over to the Great Hall, which was being used as an infirmary. And then she saw him. He was standing with his back to her, taking to Madame Pomfrey, and his clothes were ripped, hair matted with blood but Hermione could still recognized him anywhere.

"Hermione?" Harry question, as both the boys stared at her frozen figure. Before turning to see what she was looking at.

"Malfoy." Ron muttered darkly. "What is he doing here?" But Hermione didn't hear him, for in that moment, he turned around and grey eyes met chocolate ones. Before she knew what she was doing, she was already halfway across the room, as the two ran toward each other.

Meeting in the middle, they crashed their lips onto each other and Draco picked her up and spun her around. They did not care that everyone was watching, wondering, and whispering for they were in their own little world. Finally, the pair broke for air, and Hermione her hand down his cheek, as if checking that he was really there.

"You're alive..." she whispered. Resting his forehead on hers, he whispered back,

"Yeah. I promised didn't I?" She smiled widely at him, tears rushing down her face,

"Yeah, you did. I love you!" She kissed him again, with the same intensity as the last one, and he finally whispered against her lips,

"I love you too."