Shooting Star

Shooting Star

The leaves under her feet crumpled by the force inflicted upon them as she paid no attention to anything besides the sky. It had something about it that caught Hermione's attention and she didn't ever want to look away.

She knew that tonight would be the last time she would be looking at the sky still as the brave and intelligent Hermione Granger, for tomorrow the Final Battle would begin.

Hermione had gone against Harry and Ron's wishes to go outside this night. They had said she would be in danger, but still Hermione didn't care. She told them tonight might be the last chance she would have to be free.

They had no choice but to let Hermione fulfill her wish. So, Hermione found herself roaming the pathways outside of Hogwarts. Still being in her seventh year, Hermione wandered around the school grounds as if she were a first year.

It was a breezy evening in late May. In a month, Hermione would have ended her school life and gone out in the wizarding world to find a career. But the war had to be done. Hermione found herself wishing she never found out she was a witch. She only became apart of the arguement against Purebloods and Muggleborns and those in between.

She sat down on a small boulder next to the lake where she remembered last year to be the place where she first got kissed. It was by Ron. She had given him a chance and later on realized that they were not right for each other. He had gotten over it soon and had gotten together with Parvati Patil earlier this year.

It was a different story for Harry. He didn't end up with Cho Chang. He actually became an item with Ginny Weasley after she got over her childish phase of having a crush on The-Boy-Who-Lived.

Hermione was truly happy for them, but as she thought more about it, the more horrible she felt on being alone. She didn't have anyone she could really talk to anymore. Ron was usually busy with Parvati and Harry busy with Ginny. Hermione had grown accustomed to staying in the library longer and walking around the lake now and then.

A faint smile crossed her lips when she remembered her first year at Hogwart's, just walking through the doors. She had died and gone to heaven. The big oak doors leading to the Great Hall had left her mesmorized. And the enchanted sky in the hall had gotten her hypnotized.

Hermione was too immersed in her thoughts to see a shadow trailing her way slowly. As the shadow was aout a couple feet away from her, Hermione heard a scrunch of the leaves from behind. She cranked her neck and was met with a dark figure, most presumably a male's.

She immediately stood up and wrapped her cloak tighter to herself. She felt inside her right pocket and felt safe when she felt the shape of her wand. "Who's there?"

Meet me in outer space

The figure didn't seem to speak. All he did was look her way, somewhat frozen. Hermione took a deep breath and spoke. "Come forward, whoever you are."

She could feel the figure obey her and stood out into the moonlight from the darkened shadows to the side. Hermione's eyes widened as she was met with a cunning Slytherin. The same Slytherin who had made her years at Hogwart's different than she had planned. And the very same Slytherin she knew to be working against the Light Side.

We could spend the night

She heard him take an intake of breath before he spoke through the night. "Fancy meeting you here, Granger."

Hermione didn't want to be tricked. She cut to the chase. "What are you doing here, Malfoy?" she asked.

Draco began walking closer and Hermione wrapped her hand tighter onto the object in her pocket. She saw the lips on the Slytherin's face fall into a smirk. This only made Hermione frown.

"No need to get scared, Granger. I don't bite." Hermione forced herself to scoff to hide the fear that was boiling inside her. "I'm not."

Watch the earth come up

He walked closer until he, too, was only inches away from the lake, next to the boulder and directly in front of Hermione. They were close enough to hear the other one breathing.

Hermione didn't understand what he was playing at. What he did next surprised her. He thrusted his hand forward and grabbed her arm before she could take out her wand. The wand was left in her pocket when her hand was in his grasp.

Her features changed. Rage built up inside her and she tried to get away from the man. "Let go," she muttered angrily when she couldn't get her hand back from him. Draco didn't even smirk.

He let his grip on her go more limp, but not enough to release. He looked at her again slowly and spoke. "What are you doing here?"

Hermione let out a hollow laugh. "I have every right to be here-"

"No," Draco interrupted, his face looked sullen. "You know what I mean. You could get killed if you were cuaght here by-"

"By who?" Hermione started to play his game. "Caught by a deatheater such as yourself?"

She had hit a nerve. The calm eyes of the Slytherin melted away and she saw rage in the gray eyes. She had actually felt something inside her stomach. Was it fear?

I've grown tired of this place

"Don't talk as if you know everything, because clearly, Granger, you don't," he growled and Hermione's face hardened. "This coming from the man who called me a book-worm and a know-it-all for the past six years?" She snorted quietly.

"Don't get smart with me, Granger." He brought her closer to his face and put more force of her forearm. She gritted her teeth together and did not even bother to get out of his grasp.

"I know you're one of them, Malfoy, so why fool me?" She spoke with all the truth she knew. In a quick glance, she looked at the castle and back to the blond Slytherin in front of her face. The lights were all off in the school and she knew that Harry and Ron would probably asleep by now, building up energy for the upcoming events.

Draco let go of her and Hermione looked up at him with questioning eyes. He sighed and shuffled his hand through his light-colored hair. His eyes were still hard though.

"Yes, Granger, I may be one of them, but you don't know the half of it." Hermione quickly talked after he finished the statement. "Oh, no, Malfoy, I don't know why you would ever do such a thing? Was it out of stupidity? No, it was because of your good-for-nothing father."

Before she could even get her idea clear, Draco had pulled out his wand from his cloak pocket and had pointed it directly in the middle of Hermione's forehead, just daring her to go on in some way.

Won't you come with me?

"Do finish, Granger. I really have all night." He was in fact incouraging her to speak against everything he was about. He wanted to take out all of his emotions on someone. Here was his first victim.

Hermione conjured up some strength. She swallowed. "Really? Don't you need to report to daddy dearest soon to warm up for tomorrow. After all, rumor has it that you are Voldemort's top member."

Hermione felt the tip of Draco's wand seep further into her skin and she winced before she heard him address her. "Granger, you really do know too much for your own good."

We could start again

It took all her pride to smile at the comment she took as a compliment. "Thank you, Malfoy. A compliment from you? How is it so bad if I get to hear something good come out of you?"

He answered her without a second thought. "Because that mouth of yours is going to get you in so much trouble." And before Hermione could answer him back, he had taken his wand away from her forehead and had dived down to her level and placed his lips on hers in a solid, warm kiss.

How do you do it?

Hermione felt almost a million feelings at once. what was going on to her? Her body was reacting to this random act as if it had been touched by an angel. She gave in after the first seconds and realized she was enjoying herself absolutely. Not like she'd ever admit it. Nor would he.

As soon their lip-locking had come to an end, Hermione had taken a deep breath. She brought her hand to her lips as if trying to feel the kiss. She didn't know what to think. She wouldn't want to think about it.

"What?" she asked him unsteadily. She was about ready to fall over from shock. Draco only looked down at her from his height. He was about five inches taller than her, but it seemed more. When her eyes had locked with his after the kiss, she had seen a micture of emotions only from his eyes. Just imagine what he was feeling. She couldn't make out the emotions though.

Without another thought, the two leaned forward and their lips locked again for the second time that night. This kiss was not like the first one. This kiss was full of need and passion. More like they were fighting each other with thier mouths.

Make me feel like I do

The emotions had gone haywire. She didn't know what was happening until her head bumped the boulder on the ground. They were both on the grass caught in an embrace that both found welcoming.

Hermione looked into his eyes and for once in many times did not see loathing looking back out at her. She didn't feel the smile crawl onto her lips, but Draco did see it. She was about to stand up when he pulled her down and held onto her hand.

His hand felt warm. She always thought it would feel cold, like his heart. But his heart wasn't ice. Not compeltely, at least.

How do you do it?

"Stay," he whispered into her ear and she nodded to him, afraid her words would deny her thoughts. She rested her head on his chest as he wrapped his arm around her waist. His arm felt protective and for the first time in many years, Hermione felt safe. Right here in Draco Malfoy's arms tonight, Hermione Granger felt safe.

It's better than I ever knew

His other hand had gotten to her hair, which was still it frizzy self. It had gotten a bit more curlier though. She felt his hand get tangled in its depth while he played with her hair.

Hermione didn't know what was wrong with her. Before the battle that would end all battles, she was spending the last night free with her long-time arch rival.

Hermione said, "It's strange, isn't it?" Draco shifted in his position slightly. "What is?" he asked. "This," Hermione answered quietly, "What we have here."

Draco propped up one elbow and let his chin be lifted on it as Hermione rested her head on the grass, looking at anything else but him.

Meet me in outer space

The stars caught her eyes once more. Draco spoke to her again. His voice seemed to calm her nerves that were acting up only moments ago.

"Maybe we are crazy. But what we have here, I think, is an act out of want."

"Want?" Hermione asked, thinking it was the most crazy idea she had ever heard. "That's all you can come up with?"

She looked back to him and when she saw he didn't have anything to respond, she paid her attention back to the sparkling stars.

"What we have here isn't nothing. I know that, Granger. But maybe it is supposed to mean something."

"Something like what?" Hermione asked, still not looking at the pale faced man next to her for she was too scared to show her emotions to the man that could destroy her in only seconds.

"It's nothing like hate, that's for sure. I'm sure I've never hated you." Hermione couldn't believe her ears. "Really?" she asked, her eyes still looking at one star to the next. "Then why did you fancy calling me names of all sorts?"

She heard Draco chuckle. "That was out of pure jealousy." Hermione looked at him fiercely, but with a small smile. "Well, I could have told you that, Malfoy!"

She shook her head and laid her head back down against the smooth waves of grass. She looked up directly. "You always let your jealousy get in the way of your other feelings."

She heard him sigh and then saw from the corner of her eye, that he had sat up and was taking something out of his cloak pocket. She sat up as well and saw a miniature broom in his hands.

He smiled at her for the first time and asked her, "Want to go for a ride?"

She had accepted his offer and they were in the air in only a matter of seconds. In that one moment, Hermione had forgotten she was afraid of heights. But he held her close and she felt all her worries fall away.

I will hold you close if you're afraid of heights

She was in front of him on the broom, and he was behind her holding her so that she wouldn't fall. This was the first time she had ridden a broom since their lesson in first year. She didn't have such a good time on a broom, but tonight it seemed to turn out a different way.

At the same time, the two were met with an exquisite sight. It took Hermione's breath away. A ball of white sparkle, reflecting the moon's light, was flying from one end of the galaxy to the other. "Wow," Hermione whispered against the wind.

I need you to see this place

Hermione felt the broom pick up speed. They were following the star as quickly as they could. Hermione held her breath and smiled throughout her fear. "What are you doing?" she asked him, even though she wasn't looking at him.

"You'll see." That was all she heard before she was launched into a shockwave of fear, energy, and excitement all at once.

It might be the only way that I can show you

Hermione giggled. She felt drunk. She didn't know how that felt. But she figured it would feel like this. Happy and upset all at once.

She felt the broom slow down when they were in front of a view of millions of stars. Hermione couldn't breathe. "What?" she asked him.

"I thought you'd like it." He saw he nod to his statement and he grinned. "I knew it." "Yeah..." was all Hermione could reply. She was staring at the millions of balls of gases. Each one looking bigger and more shiny than the other.

How it feels to be inside of you

Hermione felt time stop right then and there and she knew she would sleep well tonight. Maybe tomorrow would never come and she would never have to battle against the man whom she had fallen in love with. She knew it wasn't just in the past moments, but somehow through the past six years, the blond Slytherin had been an infatuation of hers.

Draco knew nothing would be the same anymore. After this night, he would have to battle the only thing he had grown to care for in all his years at Hogwart's. He knew she was against all he had been taught and that was why he was making the best out of it now. It was all he had after all. It was all the chance he had to show her.

How do you do it?

Make me feel like I do

How do you do it?

It's better than I ever knew

"Thank you, Draco," she whispered. Draco caught his first name come of her mouth and couldn't fight off the smile corrupting his face. It reached his eyes. "...You're welcome, Hermione." How long he had wished to say her name to her for once. Not always what he had called her like mudblood and her surname, but her real name given to her by her parents.

She smiled. "I don't think we're enemies anymore, Draco." Her voice sounded like honey. He knew just how to answer her.

How do you do it?

Make me feel like I do

Oh...

He wrapped both arms around her middle and placed his chin on her shoulder. For once, she knew that he wouldn't let her fall. Not now. Not like this, when they were caught in this embrace.

You are stellar

You are stellar

After a while, he had chosen to answer. "I think we're more than enemies."

This had confused Hermione. Her eyebrows knitted together and she was urged to ask him what he meant. "What are you saying exactly? What are we?"

He smiled and was happy that she was looking the other way and not at his face. She might have caught him blushin before. After all, this was the first time he had been this close to her before. Maybe except for the time in Flourish and Blott's in their second year.

But he was foolish that year. Instead of admitting to himself that he felt a connection with the witty Gryffindor, he had tried to hate her with all his insults.

Now he knew he wouldn't be able to figth off his feelings or emotions. Not even when it came time for the battle.

How do you do it?

Make me feel like I do

How do you do it?

It's better than I ever knew

So, just as the night was ending, and they were still in the air on Draco's broom, he held her close and whispered in her ear. "We are nothing more than star-crossed lovers."

How do you do it?

Make me feel like I do

How do you do it?

Make me feel like I do