The next day the whole school was buzzing about the attack on Ron in the Gryffindor tower. But while the whole school talked about the attack, Pansy Parkinson brought different news.

"I heard your girlfriend is leaving Hogwarts today." Pansy Parkinson hissed into Malfoy's ear at breakfast the next day.

"I don't know who you are talking about." Malfoy said coldly, his eyes snapped at Hermione, who  was having her breakfast silently between Harry and Ron, for a split second before turning his focus on his breakfast again.

"Everyone else is talking about it, The golden trio are joining the ministry. The cowards are seeking protection from the ministry." Pansy said stealing a sausage from Malfoy's plate.

Malfoy choked on his juice. He found it difficult to swallow his food as he wondered if this was true. For the first time he was relieved that Pansy continued to talk about this new development. Things between them seemed to have improved since his return from London.

"Apparently Weasley and Granger were shagging up in the boys dormitory when he was attacked. If the attacker had arrived when he was alone there was a better chance of his demise."

Malfoy gulped. He didn't like the way Pansy was telling the story. Surely they weren't shagging up- or maybe they were, after all they were together for more than a year, that however didn't stop his stomach from squirming at the thought of them together.

"So, They are leaving?" Malfoy asked trying not to sound too curious.

"So I heard. Will you miss her?" Pansy asked looking at him closely. Malfoy was taken aback. "What do you mean? Why would I?"

Pansy wasn't satisfied with this response and simply said "We have a meeting tonight, down in the dungeons. Don't be late."

Malfoy nodded nervously. This was not his first meeting since he returned from London. Almost every week the handful of Flamel's followers gathered in the dungeons to talk about their plan.

Their mission was to track down and capture or kill all the Weasleys. If Harry, Ron and Hermione were indeed leaving Hogwarts, their mission would become harder. So far they couldn't touch Ron because the DA members were always around him and if he joins the ministry, then he will have Aurors around him making him untouchable.

"Would we have to leave Hogwarts too?" Malfoy asked.

"Perhaps. Maybe if the attacker did what he was supposed to have done, we could have stayed." Pansy said with a sigh.

Malfoy gulped, turning his attention back to Hermione who was now leaving the Great Hall alone.

Malfoy made a decision immediately, pretending to grab his Potions notes from the dungeons, he quickly followed Hermione out of the great hall. His heart was thumping furiously but if Pansy was right and Hermione was leaving Hogwarts for good, then he had to just one chance to tell Hermione how he felt about her.

"Hermione!"

Hermione quickly turned around to see who called her. It was Draco Malfoy. It was still so strange to seem him talk to her like they were friends, yet she didn't even know if they were friends yet.

After their argument in the library, she avoided staying in a room with him longer than she needed to. She would often feel his eyes on her when they dine at the great hall but she would ignore it, but he didn't attempt to speak to her, until now.

"What?" Hermione asked, trying to sound cold rather than curious.

"I- erm- heard you were leaving Hogwarts to join the Ministry." He said nervously.

Hermione went pale. "How did you hear that?"

"That doesn't matter. But I wish you weren't leaving just yet." Malfoy said, mumbling like a child who didn't want to leave the toy store.

Hermione didn't reply, she looked confused. After a few moments of silence, Malfoy picked up her hand. Hermione had a tingling feeling from where their skin met as well as goosebumps on her arms. Even before he could speak her face went completely red.

"There is something I need you to know. Perhaps you already know and feel the same. Perhaps I'm wrong. But you need to know." Malfoy said stroking the back of her hand with his thumb.

For the first time ever, her mind had failed her. Hermione couldn't comprehend what Malfoy was saying. She was too distracted by his touch.  Finally she looked up to him straight in the face. He wore a look she had never seen before. He was soft but not scared. Bold and yet humble. Determined and yet cautious.

"You make me feel like there is not ground beneath my feet. Everyone and everything becomes a blur except you. Everytime go towards you I walk in a daze." Malfoy said staring deep into her eyes. Hermione's heart was beating fast! She couldn't believe her ears.

"Hermione Granger, you have bewitched my body, mind and soul. I can be yours if you so desire it. I would kill for you -even die for you" Malfoy said his face inching closer to Hermione. "Faithful and true, I will be completely under your command.."

Hermione didn't realise she was shaking. "I am not your master." She said in a low voice as she pulled her hand out of his grip.

Malfoy didn't give up. He took her hand again, wrapping his fingers around her wrist and opened his mouth to say something but stopped suddenly as looked down at her hand in his grip. He didn't know what made him look but the moment he did, Hermione saw it too.

The words 'mudblood' carved into her wrist.

It had faded considerably since it was made but the memory of it was still too painful. Malfoy hated himself for just standing and watching his aunt Bellatrix torture Hermione and cut those horrible words into her skin. He was so different back then.

Malfoy looked up at Hermione at the same time she looked at him. Her eyes looked watery. Malfoy's mouth was still open and no sound came out, so Hermione pulled her hand out of his grip again with that she turned around and sprinted down the corridor leaving Malfoy standing alone, his arm still outstretched but there was nothing to hold.

*******

By Noon, the gossip about the attack on Ron didn't die down, it only began to intensify. They had been discussing about how someone managed to enter the Gryffindor tower and then the boys dormitory. They all also praised Hermione for being there at the right time, but soon the heroic tale turned scandalous.

People began to question why Hermione was there in the first place. That's when the rumours began to spread that she was already in the boys dormitory, sharing the bed with Ron. Some of the students were childishly puckering their lips at her when she passed them, causing her to go flaming red.

"It's not any of their business, what Ron and I do." Hermione snapped at Harry when he told her about the rumours. "I'm can visit my boyfriend anytime I like."

"Although I must say, you have never come up to see me before. What brought you to the boys dormitory last night?" Ron asked. Before she could respond, McGonagal arrived in the great hall, looking upset.

"Mr Weasley!" McGonagal said walking towards them in a hurry. "I only just heard the news! Are you alright?"

"I'm fine professor, really." Ron said going slightly pink.

"I must insist you visit the hospital wing once before you leave. I cannot send you to the ministry damaged." McGonagal said and she almost dragged Ron with her to the Hospital wing.

"You knew about the attack didn't you?" Harry said to Hermione the moment Ron disappeared from site. Hermione's face fell immediately.

"Yes, An owl dropped this for me and I knew something was wrong and went to check on Ron immediately." She said pulling out a note from her pocket.

"After this night, his soul will haunt these halls forever."

"Who sent this?" Harry asked

"I don't know." Hermione said sadly. "When I entered the dormitory I saw a shadow, his arm outstretched over Ron, I could see him turning blue. I hit him with a stunning spell but he jumped out the window and managed to escape."

A few students passed them giggled and pointed at Hermione, who ignored them. But as she turned to leave, she accidentally bumped into a Ravenclaw girl with dark curly hair who was sniggering particularly hard.

"I'm sorry I didn't-" Hermione began and then she froze. The girl looked familiar but she couldn't recall her name. The Ravenclaw girl didn't seem to hear Hermione's feeble apology, but she continued to giggle as she walked away leaving Hermione feeling strange.

Just outside the great hall was Malfoy. He seemed to have been standing there a while and waiting for her.

Hermione didn't look at him but just walked past him. Malfoy followed her.

"I won't pressure you to do something you don't want to do." He said jogging to keep up with her.

"I just want to know what happened at the Gryffindor tower last night." He said.

Hermione frowned. "Ofcourse you would have heard that story."

Malfoy blinked in confusion for a moment before he realised what he was talking about. "No! I mean I heard about the attack. I'm just glad you are ok."

"They attacked Ron in the boys domitory, not me. I'm fine." She replied and turned to leave.

"I heard you were the hero. You stopped him, whoever he was." He said putting his hand on her shoulder, stopping her from leaving. Hermione instinctively shrugged his hand off her shoulder, but she turned around to face him once more.

"Was that your plan? Tell me about the attack so that I could be there on time but then you spread a vicious rumour about Ron and me?" Hermione said suspiciously. Malfoy's mouth dropped.

"I didn't know about any of this until this morning." Malfoy said. "And I came to you immediately instead of telling anyone else." Hermione scoffed in disbelief

"I'm not an enemy!" He said angrily.

"Then prove it!." Hermione said equally angrily. "I see you with your death eater friends, I know who you follow now that Voldemorts gone!"

"I- I " Malfoy spluttered. Hermione studied his face. "See! You can't even deny it!"

"Only a Gryffindor could have entered the tower." Malfoy said trying to steer away from an admission. "I think you and I both know someone in Gryffindor capable of this." Hermione's expression changed.

"You can trust me. I will never betray you no matter how you feel about me." Malfoy said before he left.

*******

The Hogwarts express had arrived to take Harry and Ron back to London. It was strange to have the entire train to themselves but this was a short trip. It was a few hours to a small town, Foxwill, just outside of London, the train will be making an usual stop specially for Harry and Ron.

As per Kingsley's letter, from Foxwill, a man named Danny Bifford is to escort them to the ministry of magic. Bifford is to be their guard as they stop at the Burrow to get ready for their first day as Aurors.

"Write to me the moment you reach the Burrow." Hermione told Ron as an gave him a peck on his cheek.

"I want regular updates, especially if you get anymore fan mail!" She added. Harry gave a small laugh as he heaved his trunk into the train.

"We won't have to worry about the compartments being too full!" Harry laughed dragging his trunk behind him as he went to find a seat.

"I promise I'll write to you every day." Ron said wrapping his hands around her waist, pulling her in for a kiss. It was long as passionate and they only broke apart when Harry shouted from the window of the train at them.

"Oie! The train is about to leave!"

"We are the only two passengers, surely it can wait a moment." Ron shouted back, his arms still around Hermione who giggled. Just then the train blew its horn. Sighing, Ron gave Hermione a short gentle kiss before hopping on the train.

Hermione blinked back tears as she waved at Harry and Ron goodbye. As the train disappeared from view, her thoughts moved to Malfoy and everything he said to her that day, she could handle any attacks that came her way, she could even handle the rumours about her but she didn't know what to make of Malfoy. Suddenly felt glad that Ron was leaving. She could imagine how he would react if he knew of Malfoy's feelings and that would not end well....

*******

This is by far the longest chapter I have written!! I hope you guys enjoyed it!

There is so much happening and so much more to happen and I hope you will stick with me through the next Book too!

Thank you all for your dedication ❤️❤️
I'll be posting the second part just as regularly as I did for this part!

See you again soon!
Cheers!! - Anna