A/N: Kaikuduo some wonderful guessing...not 100 accurate but warm... :) and Congrats to Deeper.into.me who guessed correctly Dumbledore's password is from rent it's my absolute favorite line from La Vi Boheme B. So credit for that line goes to the wonderful and greatly missed Jonathan Larson I'm also VERY SORRY for the long wait. I started my new semester and had the registration/advising and running around campus on my only day off for several weeks prior. I've been writing every chance I get, now that the semester's underway I can honestly say that my update time probably won't improve too much since I'm trying to graduate with honors in May so school work comes first, but I'm having a lot of fun with this story, and the fan fic experience in general so I certainly will not be giving up so no worries just please be patient with me. :) I really do love and appreciate all the support I'm getting from every one.

As always it all belongs to J.K. Rowling

Hermione felt the floor below her disappear, there was a strange spinning sensation, and then her feet hit solid ground again she was in the same office she had just left, however she was standing behind Dumbledore's desk. There was a knock on the door and the Dumbledore sitting behind the desk called out for the person to enter.

When the door opened who Hermione saw made her heart stop for an instant. She felt the hand of the Dumbledore standing next to her pat her shoulder.

"Draco it's rather late, or early I suppose since I believe dawn is approaching." Dumbledore said. "To what do I owe this pleasure."

"Sir, I'm sorry to disturb you, but this is urgent. I'm not even sure where to begin really," Draco was flustered, Hermione had never seen this before.

"I find the beginning the best place to start any story, please sit." He gestured to the chair before his desk and Draco sat with his legs open head bowed looking at the ground.

"As I'm sure you are aware, The Dark Lord is gaining power," Draco's voice was low but unwavering Dumbledore nodded, "Since the start of term my father has been 'grooming' me. He insists that I follow in his footsteps, and I must admit I had every intention of doing just that. Recently however my heart hasn't really been in my training." Draco stopped, why was he doing this, surely he was signing his own death certificate.

"If I may be so bold as to venture a guess, you say your heart has been elsewhere, would that happen to be in your heads dorm with a certain Gryffindor?" Dumbledore asked knowingly.

Draco's head shot up, "I ... How... Well... Yes sir. But how?"

"Draco while I am quite sure that no other student has been the wiser to your relationship, it is very difficult to keep young love from adults. Myself, as well as some of your more perceptive professors have noticed changes in the behavior of both you and Ms. Granger over the last few months. The loss of a rather horrible word from your vocabulary being one." The old man smiled. "What I need to know now is, why are you coming to me with this information Mr. Malfoy?"

"She'll be coming to you, in a few hours if not sooner, to tell you of an invasion of the castle by the Death Eaters and their Master. She thinks that I have gone to accept my fate, to take the dark mark, and then to participate in the invasion. I can't do any of those things. I know that what I am asking you is more than I deserve, more than I should. I just have no other way out. I need your help, your protection. I know that this will come at a price and I am more than willing to give you any information you require. I will even give you information on my Father if that's what you want." Draco looked up to the man behind the desk his steal eyes pleading.

Hermione was looking into them as best she could, she took a few steps closer her hands aching to reach out and touch his face again. But just at that moment her feet left the ground, the spinning began and her feet hit solid ground again in the dark corner of Dumbledore's office standing beside the headmaster.

"He didn't... I never thought... but where is he?" she looked up at the twinkling blue eyes and he gave her a comforting smile.

"I know that you had asked to participate in the rebuilding of the Head's dorm, and you were denied the privilege. I think that it is time for you to meet the man who was responsible for that job. You remember where it is I'm sure, the portrait has changed and the password is love. Go ahead." He squeezed her shoulder gently and she smiled up at him with tears behind her eyes.

Hermione couldn't believe what she had just seen. She made her way as quickly as she could without running to the place she knew she would find the one person she had been sure she would never see again.

She reached the portrait of Godric Gryffindor and He smiled down on her. "I was wondering when I would see you" the portrait spoke. "Dumbledore said I could expect you tonight. He also said that you may need to be reminded of the quality that I valued most in my house, Bravery. I'm assuming that means that your's has been tested."

"Faltered really" she said shamefully

"No one is perfect. You'll just have to admit to your mistake and be brave enough to make it right" He said.

"I hope I'll have the chance, thank you Sir." She said "Love" The picture swung open and Hermione walked into the room where it had all begun.

He heard voices downstairs while he was lying on his bed remembering, as he always did when he lay down for the night, the last night he had spent there before the war began. The portrait was talking to someone. He heard the voice that spoke back, it was her. His heart raced and suddenly the room felt like it was spinning. Then he heard the portrait open and close again. He sat up slowly, this had to be a dream.

Hermione walked in to find a fire burning, and the remnants of a meal spent alone. She looked around, and when she found no one she made her way up the stairs to what had once been her door. The door was open and the room looked exactly the same as it had the day she had seen it for the first time. She walked slowly to the closed door down the short hallway. She placed her hand on the knob and took a deep breath before turning it slowly.

He heard footsteps stop just outside the door and held his breath. It had to be her, no one besides Dumbledore knew he was here. Just as that thought registered th knob turned and his heart stopped. When the door opened he was convinced he was dreaming. The woman he had given up everything for was standing before him. She looked tired, sad, and anxious, and he knew that a lot of that was his fault.

Draco made his steps towards her cautiously unsure of how she would react to him. When he finally stood close enough to touch her he looked into the warm eyes he had missed for so long, "hi" he whispered.

She tried to fight the tears but they fell for what felt like the thousandth time that day. "Hi" she choked out before she reached up to touch his cheek. "Is what he showed me true." Draco had closed his eyes at the feeling of her touch and he kept them closed as he nodded. "I looked for your body, I watched the lists for your name, I thought the worst of you, I never expected you to do this, I'm sorry" she burried her face in his chest and just kept repeating I'm sorry thru her sobs.

His arms went around her and he just got lost in feeling her again for a minute, when he trusted his own voice to speak it was low, "I know you are, and I'm sorry it had to be the way it was, but it was the only way."

Harry sat before the fire in the new Gryffindor common room staring into the flames, where he always sat with Ron and Hermione, where they had planned each adventure, where each fight had been resolved, and he cried for the loss of his friend. He couldn't understand how she could lie to them, to him, all that time. Dumbledore had sent a message that he wanted to see Harry first thing the next morning, that there were things he needed to know. He was to meet him at the portrait of Godric Gryffindor on the 6th floor at 10am. He felt he had received enough new information for a lifetime but he would go, he had no choice.

A/N: Love it? Hate it?