The Greatest Reward

The Greatest Reward- Songfic to Celine Dion's "The Greatest Reward"

Hermione sat in her Head Girl dormitory in front of her massive fireplace, the one Ron was so jealous of because the Head Boy fireplace was so much smaller. She was satisfied with herself and the development of the up coming Christmas Ball. With just two weeks away, she and Ron had solved every possible problem that could have occurred and had the decorations set up and ready to go. And best of all, they were going together, as friends of course.

In one hand she held her cat shaped mug filled with steaming pepper-up potion and in the other the remaining plans for the Christmas Ball. She smiled to herself as she checked off yet another category, for the Entrance Ceremony.

"Now...the Gryffindor table will be there, and the Ravenclaw table will be used as the snack table," she muttered to herself as she made a clever drawing of the great hall for the ball. She even had little people dancing around to help show the available space, and when she drew food on the snack table, they even went and tried it, some however, fell over and appeared to be dying while their dates glared at Hermione from the paper.

She laughed and put the map on the coffee table in front of her. While she reached back to stretch, she heard the door to the Head Boy/Girl common room open and close. She couldn't believe Ron was back so soon from his meeting with Dumbledore. He had been sent to discuss the "suspicious things" the prefects had been doing in the prefect'.

She placed her mug down and grabbed the map so she could ask for his opinion on her plans even though she already knew he would love what she came up with. She opened her dormitory door and leaned out into the common room. "Ron," she called out into the fire lit room and received no response.

"Ron?" she tried again, this time stepping out of her room, closing the door behind her and making her way into the common room. She glanced around the room and saw a dark figure standing solemnly in the corner, looking at the notice board. Hermione reached into her robes and grasped her wand, "Harry?"

The figure turned around, proving to be neither Ron nor Harry, "Draco."

So suddenly so strange

Life wakes you up

Things change

I've don't my best

I've served my call

I thought I had it all

Hermione had flinched with she'd seen him. she hadn't even spoken to him since the night he became a Death Eater at the end of their sixth year. She had figured that since Dumbledore most likely knew what had happened, he had decided not to choose Draco as the new Head Boy. Thus, giving the honor to Ron.

"Well you don't have to sound that happy to see me, Hermione," he drawled, while ripping a picture of the happy trio off of the notice board.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" Hermione asked in a bored, exhausted tone as she made her way towards him, ripping the picture out of his hands and putting it back on the board.

"I'm surprised to see that you're not afraid of me," Draco said to her and stepping even closer. Yet she stood her ground and didn't move an inch.

"I'm not afraid of you, Malfoy," she told him, "I have no reason to be."

"You're right," Draco told her stepping closer, he put his hands on her waist and left no space between them.

So suddenly so strong

My prejudice

Was gone

You needed me

I found my place

I'm different now

These days

Hermione was expecting Draco to reply by reminding her he was a Death Eater. Though she didn't need reminding, she was there. However, what he did say was not something she expected. She also didn't like the sudden loss of space and the fact that he had his hands upon her. Though she knew he was only trying to intimidate her, and she wasn't going to give in. Yet at the same time she didn't know how to reply to his statement.

Draco brought his lips down to Hermione's face, but she turned her head so his lips only brushed her cheek. Draco grinned and moved past her, making his way towards the sofas near the fireplace.

Hermione walked slowly over to a chair next to the sofa and sat down near him. He was staring at the fire as if lost in thought for a brief moment before he looked over at her. His eyes were haunting, almost inviting, but at the same time restricted.

"You never answered my question, Draco," Hermione said to him after she tore her eyes from his gaze, noticing that he didn't remove his. "Why are you here, what do you want?"

Draco leaned back into the sofa and brought his gaze back to the fire. "I don't know," he responded, shaking his head. "I guess there are just a lot of things I want. I'm just not too sure what they are."

Hermione was utterly confused, "Then why did you come here?"

Draco smiled and crossed his arms. "Well, first I want to know why you have stopped talking to me, after everything we went through, everything we conquered together," he told her quietly in a longing sort of manner.

Hermione rolled her eyes and sank into her chair. "You devoted your life to the dark arts, to the very people that want people like me dead. And even though I repeatedly told you not to and you did it anyway-"

"Hermione, I thought we already went over this," Draco whined in exhaustion. "I didn't want you to die, geesh..."

Hermione knew it was impossible to argue with him because he was too stubborn to listen to anything anyone had to say that wasn't something he agreed with. So she just brushed this off and stared into the fire.

Now the greatest reward

Is the light in your eyes

The sound of your voice

And the touch of your hand

You made me who I am

"Is that the only reason you came here, to ask me that?" Hermione asked getting a little impatient with the visitor

"No," Draco told her, receiving a curious glance from Hermione. She could see the child she had managed to unleash once before, before all of this chaos happened. The little light that only she had manage to find hiding in his eyes was beginning to shine through again, and this was somewhat of a comfort to her. "I also wanted to ask you another question, something you told me...that night..."

Hermione took in a deep breath and stood from the chair, she didn't want to remember that night. She walked a little ways away from Draco and stood with her back to him. She heard him stand too from the sofa and make his way towards her. She had a feeling this was going to be painful.

"Hermione?" he asked gently while placing a hand on her shoulder. "You said something to me," he told her, "I just wanted to know what you meant by it."

Hermione turned around to face him. "I'm listening," she replied reluctantly.

Draco took a deep breath, and Hermione could see the slightest shake of his hand, he was nervous. "You told me that you loved me."

Hermione smiled, "Yes, I did. And you want to know what I meant by that?"

Draco laughed nervously, "Er, yea..."

You trusted me to grow

I gave my heart

To show

There's nothing else

I cherish more

I stand by you

For sure

"What do you think I meant, Draco?" Hermione asked gently.

"I wasn't sure," he replied, "I thought maybe you meant like the love you have for Potter and Weasley."

"Oh," Hermione said and looked down at the ground. She could feel her old feelings start to uncover themselves, and Draco could see that in her eyes. "Well Draco, you're wrong. It would be kind of weird for me to love Harry or Ron like that."

Draco stumbled over his words, yet couldn't manage to hide his smile as Hermione took a hold of his hand. "Like a brother?"

Hermione laughed and Draco took her other hand, "They are like my brothers I suppose. They are just as protective as any other brother would be."

"Yea," Draco agreed and moved slightly closer, "so is this the kind of love that no one can really explain?"

Hermione nodded, "I guess that's one way to put it."

"Do you still feel that way?"

Hermione thought for awhile before answering his question. Draco's smile started to fade in the growing silence. "You know Draco, you are a Death Eater, you go against everything I believe, but I think that's why I find you so attractive."

A smile erupted over Draco's face, "So is that a yes?"

Now the greatest reward

Is the love that I can give

I'm here for you now

And for as long as I live

You made me who I am

"Yes," Hermione whispered into his ear as she held him close to her. She felt safe again, wrapped in his arms.

"I love you too."

So suddenly it's clear to me

Things change

Our future lies here and now

We made it through somehow

When they ended their embrace, Hermione found Draco staring into her eyes with a new found passion. Like a little child that has just discovered his first hobby. Draco had discovered Hermione.

"This is all your fault," Draco laughed.

Hermione laughed too, "What, you falling in love with me?"

"Yes," Draco told her with all seriousness.

"Why do you say that?" she searched.

"You and your...you...youness, that's it, your youness."

"That's not even a word," Hermione told him with her hands now on her hips.

"Sure it is," he defended himself, "you always told me to try new things."

"Making up words doesn't count."

"It's new isn't it?"

Now the greatest reward

Is the love that I can give

I'm here for you now

And for as long as I live

You made me who I am

Hermione sat down on the sofa Draco had just recently been in and pretended to ignore him. "I don't believe this is how it works," Draco told her while standing in front of her, imitating her classic I'm-going-to-prove-you-wrong stature.

Hermione glanced up from her map, "What works?"

"Well usually after someone tells the other that they love them after a long period of hating them-"

"I didn't hate you."

Draco continued, pretending he didn't hear her, "they end up receiving a nice little kiss."

This didn't seem to faze Hermione, "So?"

"However, you end up scolding me about making up new words."

"Draco?" Hermione said softly, reaching her hand up for Draco to take.

"Yes?" replied a very happy Draco, following the pull from Hermione's arm down next to her.

"Shut up."

"Ok."

We made it through somehow