A Stranger
"What?" I couldn't believe my ears. "Say that again..."
"Hermione, Harry is missing. Gone, whoosh, poof, in absentio..." Ron said, exaggerating as usual.
I glared at him. That was the way Ron dealt with things...to make them funny. Ever since Fred and George had been kil- murdered by Lord Voldemort his character had changed.
He really stopped caring. He started wearing these Hawaiian patterned Robes, then he streaked his hair neon-green. It looked hideous and he knew it. he wanted to show Lord Voldemort that he couldn't make him unhappy.
He became a sort of concentrated version of Fred and George...always playing inane jokes.
"But that can't be true...what's going to happen? Let's go tell Dumbledore!" I could feel the panic creeping into my voice. "Ron! This is important!"
"Yeah, yeah..." He stopped and glanced behind me. His face lit up. "Harry, where've you been?"
My heart lifted and I swiveled around quickly. "Harry..." The word died on my lips. I turned around and saw Ron laughing his fool head off. "Ron! That wasn't funny!"
"Your face- ha! That was so great. Harry, where've you been and you fell for it! You should have seen yourself Hermione."
"Harry! There you are!" I exclaimed, looking behind Ron.
"Ha ha- very funny Hermione. The same joke isn't funny twice." He sounded cross.
"But it isn't a joke, Harry's really behind you."
"Yeah, yeah and next you'll be saying that he's captured You-Know-Who."
"Well, not quite, Ron." Harry said as Ron jumped.
"Oh, you really are here...oops..." He turned light pink. "By Godric Gryffindor! You've captured Draco Malfoy!"
"Just do a levitating spell, Hermie." He said, sounding tired. I complied.
"My poor Harry, are you very tired? Shall I ask Poppy to make some Pepper Up potion?" I asked, fussing. He nodded and I hurried away.
"Poppy, some Pepper Up Potion please..." I said quickly.
"Ah, nice to see you too Hermione." Poppy Pomfrey said, sarcastically.
"Sorry Poppy, it's for Harry...he's got Draco Malfoy...captured him." My thoughts ran into each other, over...like a thick sludge.
Poppy looked at me sharply as she handed over the steaming Potion. "Draco Malfoy! Have you told McGonagall?"
"I'm going there right now." I said, starting to leave.
"Are you-...all right?" She asked, uncertainly.
I looked up and said shrilly. "Of course. Thank you, Poppy."
I trudged up to Minerva's office, stopping at the Gargoyle. It was so odd for my friends and I all to become teachers at Hogwarts. I smiled, remembering the time Dumbledore was Principal and the password had been 'cockroach cluster'. Harry had just been kidding around when he said it.
"Filibusters exploding triple-flavoured ricocheting gummy bears." I said, almost laughing out loud at Minerva McGonagalls continuation of Dumbledore's tradition.
I hurried up the levitating stairway and rapped on the door. The office had changed considerably. There seemed to be a permanent random effect Transfiguration spell on most of the things in the room. I started to sit down on a chair but straightened up hurriedly when in transfigured into a Siberian Husky.
"Down." Minerva McGonagall said. She fixed the dog with her piercing eye. After a second the dog put it's tail beneath its legs and started to whine. "Now that that's done...Hermie! It's been ages..." She stopped. "What's happened?"
"Oh, Min-...Harry's captured Draco Malfoy...he's in the Gryffindor tower right now with Ron." I said.
Minerva McGonagall was like a mother to me- especially after my parents were murdered by Voldemort. Went home one day and saw the Dark Mark outside my house.
I finally understood the panic that it had caused at the Quidditch World cup, Bulgaria vs. Ireland, so long ago.
"Draco Malfoy! Hermie, are you all right?" She said, in the same tone as Poppy.
"No, Min, I'm not- I'm not ready for this, you know? I'm with Harry now but Draco was my- first love. I always feel and have felt for him...I don't know..." I buried my face in my hands.
"Shh- come on, Hermie, it'll be all right." Minerva wrapped her arms around me.
A fearful thought lodged itself in my mind. "Min...they won't...kill him, will they?" Minerva's face twisted for a second.
"I don't know, Hermione, he has done some unforgivable things..." Her voice trailed off, but I could sense the edge of bitterness in it.
She's so right...Draco Malfoy is a ruthless killer. She must hate me for loving him...he killed the person she loved. He killed Rubeus Hagrid. I don't know how I could still feel for him. HE KILLED PEOPLE! I screamed at myself.
You stupid, deluded girl! Do you think he ever loved you? Really? You were just a tool. Be smart, girl, don't fall into the same trap again. Just don't talk to him...next thing you know you'll be setting him free...besides, you're engaged.
You're going to be married, for Gryffindor's sakes! You love Harry Potter. Everyone loves Harry Potter. Maybe that's why you love Draco Malfoy...A voice in my head said. Because nobody loves him...he needs your love...Harry doesn't. Shut up, shut up! Harry needs my love, too!
"Go on, Hermie, your Pepper Up Potion's getting cold...but remember, I'm always here. Take Malfoy to the Dungeons..." Minerva released me and I walked quickly to Gryffindor Tower. "Here's your potion, Harry-...where's Ron?" I asked, handing the mug to him.
"He's gone to put Malfoy in a dungeon. Thought that would be the best thing to do." He gulped his potion and grimaced as his ears started to smoke.
He looked up and smiled at me. In a single stride he was right next to me. He gazed into my eyes, searching, looking for...something. I don't know what. A smile formed on his lips and he looked away.
"I love you, Herm." He said, softly. I stiffened and almost recoiled.
"That's the first time you've said that-..." I said, uncertainly.
He bent closer to me...his face was inches away from mine. I could feel his breath on my cheek. He touched my cheek and kissed me.
It wasn't like before...there was such a searing passion in his kiss. I had never felt that before. As he kissed me I felt somehow- different...odd.
His kiss reminded me of something...someone...
I pushed him away with all my might and wiped my mouth.
"Draco!" I hissed. "Draco Malfoy..."

~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The smile vanished from his lips. "Don't be silly! I'm not in the mood for jokes."
"Harry's never kissed me like that before...and Draco Malfoy is the only person that has ever called me Herm."
"He hasn't kissed you like that? Stupid boy, isn't he?" Draco said.
"What- what's going on..." My voice broke.
"Oh, Herm, please, I'm sorry, sit down." He held my hand and squeezed it gently. It felt so good...
"Did you really mean it Draco?" I asked. "Do you really love me?"
"Always...always and forever, Herm." He said, seriously, looking into my eyes. It was so strange...looking into Harry's eyes but seeing Draco's soul.
"Then come to the Light...come with me...let's be together." I said, desperately. His face clouded.
"Hermione...I love you...I don't know why because you believe such different things. Because of you I've stopped hating Mudbloods but...Herm, I can't change my soul." He stopped and looked down.
"Herm, it's like asking you to come over to the Dark Lord. To you, it's evil and wrong...you and Potter and Dumbledore are right. To me The Dark Lord is right. I believe in him, Herm...Malfoy blood runs through my veins..."
"Why do I love you?" I asked him. "Why do I love you when I know all that will result is grief?"
"I don't know...I just don't know."
"We will one day find ourselves killing each others families and friends...perhaps one of our friends will kill one of us...how will we survive, Draco?" I pleaded.
He sighed. "Not everything is made for us to survive it...maybe we will...maybe we won't...but we will always be together." He said. His voice rang with quiet passion and intensity.
Sobs wracked my body. I stopped with a shudder. "But Draco- what are you doing here?"
He looked away. "I came to say goodbye. After this, Herm, we are strangers...we don't know each other. It's become too dangerous. You ask how we'll survive...this is the only way." He glanced at me.
I could feel my face drain of colour. "But..what if- if it comes to one of...us?" My voice dropped into a terrified whisper.
"It won't." He said, shortly.
I heard heavy boots coming up the corridor. "Ron's coming!" I hissed.
"Then it's goodbye..." He took my hand. "I love you, Herm. Forever."
"I love you...goodbye."
He touched my hair softly. "I always loved your hair..."
He walked out of the room as Ron walked in.

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"In the name of-! What's happening? Hermione!" I saw Ron emerge from one of the lower dungeons and grab my arm. "Draco Malfoy just turned into Harry!"
"What?" I said, trying to seem surprised.
"Yes, apparently Draco was masquerading as Harry and left Hogwarts without arousing suspicion...he didn't try to, you know, hurt you or anything?"
"No."
"Strange...oh well...probably just having a spot of fun." Ron said, back to his old, easy self.
"They're letting Harry out now...you sould go see him. Cheer him up."
"Huh? Oh, yeah..." I walked disconsolately down the stairs. Minerva had just let him out of the dungeon.
"Hermie!" He exclaimed and held me tightly. I didn't resist. "Hermie...you're all right..."
"I'm fine." I said, perhaps a little too sharply.
"Is anything wrong?" He asked, gazing into my eyes. I saw love in his eyes. True, deep love.
Draco Malfoy and you are strangers. You must move on. You mustn't dwell on him...Harry loves you. You love him, too...in a friendly sort of way.
It's better than nothing. You can learn to love him. He has none of Draco's faults or beliefs.
You and Harry are suited to each other...it was meant to be.
I kept talking to myself, trying to sound convincing when I said that I loved Harry. Yet everytime I said 'love' the word 'Draco' kept forming itself in my mouth.
I had no control over it. Draco, Draco, Draco. I love Draco Malfoy. I love a killer.
It is beyond irrationality. It's intense passion. It is boundless and isn't controlled by Life's petty twists. It doesn't care about a battered body and a heart to filled with sorrow to go on.
Why us? Well, why not?

~*~*~*~*~*~*~

"Hermione! Hermione...help!" I heard Ron shout.
I scrambled over, avoiding the spells ricocheting in the air. Bodies littered the ground and the air smelled acrid. A Wizard War was taking place.
"I'm coming Ron!" I yelled and ran towards him.
A strangled noise came from his body and he crumpled to the floor. In front of him stood Draco Malfoy. His wand was out and, because I had stepped behind Ron, pointing at me. His face was flushed.
To the right of me I saw Harry and Lord Voldemort, wands out, glaring at each other.
The four of us formed a circle...My wand shook.
You said it would never come to this Draco. You said that this wouldn't happen! I yelled mentally. You promised!
Harry edged in closer to me. "It's going to be all right, Hermione."
No it wasn't. It wasn't. Draco had just killed Ron. My best friend...was dead. But you killed Goyle, didn't you Hermione? Didn't you? I gulped.
I could not kill Draco Malfoy. I glanced at his face. He winked and made a quick movement with his hand. A wave of lightness washed over me. I understood. I would aim a spell at him and he would duck.
"Avada Kedavra!" I yelled. The Unforgivable Curses were commonplace now.
Any second now, any second- what's happening? Draco!
He hadn't moved. My spell hit him square on the chest. He smiled reassuringly at me and then his features froze. He did that on purpose...I realised, with horror.
Voldemort let out a yell of rage and bent to look at his closest confidant. Harry seized the oppurtunity and grabbed my arm. He pulled me away from the only thing that mattered in my life.
I had to get back to him. I had to get back to my Draco. I couldn't just leave him there...lying alone...
I couldn't just pretend like- like we were strangers...strangers...that was what he said we had to be.
Strangers...never knowing or caring. Indifferent to each other.
A sob rose in my throat.
I am probably the only girl in the world to have loved...a stranger.



~*~*~*~*~

Authors note: These characters are all JK Rowlings. This is just fanfiction based on the HP series by JK Rowling and is copyrighted by her and her publishers. We do not claim or imply to own any of these copyrights. THIS fic, however is copyright Midnight Star and Dragonfire.
Like it...or not??? Please r/r...any indiscrepancies?? We claim artistic license, and please, we don't care about typos or storylines, but we do care about how our fic is. R/r cuz we'll be eternally grateful!!
Yeah for all those D/H fans! Draco/Herm 4evah!