Hermione could not think properly. She felt more lonely than she had ever been in her life. All her friends were around her...but it was as if a huge empty feeling had engulfed her. Harry and Ginny, Ron and Luna...I should be happy for them. Hermione gulped back her tears, and turned away from Ron. God I must be so selfish. I should be grateful I'm alive. And I cant give up on Draco yet. Not now.

"Hermione, do you want me to get your parents?" Ron asked, being tactful, which made Hermione smile for half a second. Then she paused, and felt suddenly guilty for not telling her mum and dad anything.

"I'd like that, thanks." She wiped her tears and tried to sit up in the bed properly.

Hermione averted her eyes towards the ward door, and there she saw him. The unconcious Draco Malfoy. She couldn't take it; his unmoving pale face expressionless... she knew he would be alright. It was Draco, of course, he'd fool everyone and then at the last minute wake up and demand attention. Yet the gnawing emptiness inside her gave her a worrying sense of doubt.

"'Mione, sweet pea! Are you alright?" Hermione's mother and father rushed to her side and cuddled her close.

"Mum, honestly, I'm fine. And I'm sorry, I'm really sorry." She said, squeezing her hand. How can I explain this to them? "Why aren't you in Australia?"

"We wanted you to be safe, your friend Ron took us here. What are you sorry for, love? You haven't done anything wrong."

"I've made a stupid mistake and got involved with stuff which was none of my business. I almost cost my friends there lives, and it's all my fault that he's going to die!" She sobbed into her pillow, avoiding her parents' confused and shocked faces.

"Shh...'Mione, dear. It's not your fault, and who are you talking about?" Her mother whispered softly, trying to calm her down.

"Draco Malfoy, just there." Hermione didn't want to look again, so pointed to the bed. "I told you a few years ago that he was the annoying stupid idiot I always thought he was. But things have changed, and well, I think I love him."

This caused Mr and Mrs Granger to comfort her more and give each other subtle gestures not to ask anymore questions so quickly. Hermione kept crying, and rubbing the salty paths of tears down her cheeks. There's no point crying. Mum and Dad are only thinking the best of me. When two Healers came and told her parents that they needed to check her over, Hermione felt some relief that she wouldn't have to go through anything else.

xxx

"Miss Granger, you need to take this Sleeping Draught. It'll only last overnight, but you need some peaceful sleep." One of the Healers said, pouring her a small glass of potion.

"Please, I don't need it. I'm fine. There's nothing wrong." Hermione steadied her breathing and spoke calmly. They'd done so many tests on her, she wondered if she'd ever get out of St Mungo's.

"But you're in shock, and you've gone through something traumatic, so if you feel tired...just have some of this before you go to sleep. It will really help you."

The Healer smiled sorrowfully, and left the drink beside her. Hermione did not want help, she was not the one who needed it. All she could do was wait; there was no way anyone could help Draco right now. Don't give up, Hermione. A small voice said in the back of her mind. Why shouldn't I? She wondered angrily. It's not as if you can't help.

Hermione groaned frustratedly and rolled over, confused with what was going on in her head. It didn't take long before she relaxed and closed her eyes.

Dream

Draco, where are you? Hermione opened her eyes. She felt distant, as if this wasn't her own dream at all, except it really was all in her head.

She was standing in the middle of a garden. From what she could see, it was empty. Looking around her, she noticed how short she was- so she imagined that she was a little girl again. Sunlight spilled over the hedgerow, which seemed to be the only living thing.

She ran her fingers along the leaves and they burst into bloom. Red and white roses appeared, as if all they needed was her to let them grow. She ran down the long hedgerows, smiling like a child again. Turning down another labirynthine path, she froze.

"Draco?"

He looked just like him. He was younger, but still had a mischievious look in his face. Draco frowned at her, and wasn't sure if she had called him.

"Who are you?"

Hermione's smile faltered. Doesn't he remember me? She thought, looking into his innocent face.

"I'm Hermione. You can do magic, can't you?" She said, starting from the beginning, not wanting to frighten him. "Like this?"

Gently curling her hand around a rose, it blossomed, and she smiled.

"Yes, but I can do it much better than you." He pulled a face and picked a lily, while it grew tall and slender in his fingers. "Hermione's a strange name. Are you a Pureblood?"

"No." Hermione told him, biting her lip. "No, I'm not."

Hermione would have talked to him further, when his father appeared beside him. The lily shrank and died again, then Draco looked into his father's face.

"Draco, you shouldn't meddle with Mudbloods."

"I wasn't. Mudbloods are stupid, dad."

The words hurt Hermione. How can he say that? She turned and ran, crying softly.

The garden faded, and all the flowers lost their colours.

xxx

Hermione jumped. The monocolour garden had turned into the night sky. Stars shone bright above her, and she stared in awe at them, yet she wasn't sure why.

As if from another world entirely, her name shouted out from the clouds. She spun around, and saw Draco. They ran towards each other; they had both wanted to see one another so much...but there was a problem. They could not get any closer. Feet away from each other, they stared, as if they were both a mirage, or a figment of their imaginations.

"Hermione." Draco spoke softly, yet his words sounded distant. "Hermione, are you dead?"

"No, or at least I hope not." She tried pushing away the invisble shield-like gap. "So was it you?" She breathed, smiling at the fact he had not forgotten her. "You saved us?"

"'Mione, listen, it's- well, it's...I'm not sure how, but yes. If you're sure we're both alive anyway." He gave her a sad smile, and tried to push the gap, but it forced him back, so he tripped.

"Draco, what happened?"

"I think I cast a spell, a really powerful one...but I didn't have my wand...and my hands were- well, burning, sort of." Draco struggled to make sense of it all. It was difficult to remember everything.

"Wandless magic? Draco...I don't know. Only really powerful wizards can do such things...I doubt Dumbledore could pull something off like that..." Hermione thought out loud.

"So it is possible? Well, then it must have happened. I was thinking of you...I was thinking of how much I love you." He spoke clearly, so his voice was much more distinct than it was before.

"Draco, I love you means, wherever we are, that I don't want you to go." She looked around, realising she was lying on an opaque cover of cloud. So this must be like heaven. She sighed, knowing that whatever Draco wanted would be for the best for him.

"I'm not going to die." He said bluntly, smirking, even though it was a completely serious point. "You were worried, weren't you?"

"How can you say that?!" Hermione was instantly furious that he had said such a thing. "I've been worried sick since I woke up in St. Mungo's! You know you could have been killed!"

Draco covered up a laugh and made a totally sombre face, knowing it wasn't the way to deal with things around Hermione.

"Hermione, honestly...I don't know what I should do. It's not as if anyone will miss me. And won't the Ministry be asking questions? What about the Death Eater? What happened to her? She had our wands."

"Oh! So now you're interested?" Hermione tried not to smile, but a grin spread across her lips. "I don't know what happened, but I think she fled. She finished cursing me before you did whatever you did. Ron found our wands."

"Weasley? I didn't really think he was much use. I might as well thank him." He sighed, and lay down properly, gazing up into the stars above. "I wish I told you earlier. You know, that you were part of the Death Eaters' plan all along. That's why I left them, you saved my life...so I thought I might as well stop them from getting you."

"So are you going to wake up or not? Because I can't stay asleep for long." Hermione said, noticing a large cloud rumble, as if a giant wave would lap her up soon.

"No-one's going to believe that I saved you, Potter and Weasley. Would they be better off without me?"

"Draco, can you just call them by their first names? You don't know how annoying it is... but please, if you don't do it for me, at least think of Narcissa, and everyone who now owes you their lives now..."

Draco smiled sadly again, and faced her. "You'll know when you wake up."

"What? You're just...just..."

End of Dream

Hermione lay on the soft pillows for a few minutes before daring to open her eyes. If Draco had given up, she would know he wasn't worth worrying over, but she knew she still would. A soft hand held hers gently. It had to be Draco.

"Draco?"

Harry smiled weakly, wearing a cast on his leg, and Hermione fought back her disappointment. If only it was Draco?

"Hermione, there's someone here to see you."

Harry turned his head towards the other occupied bed. Draco lay there, smiling back at her, and gave a small wave.

"Draco!"

She stretched out her hand, as did Draco. Their fingers interlocked and Hermione smiled, grateful he had made the right choice. But there isn't a wrong or right answer is there? Draco let Hermione read his thoughts for a while, but he still seemed quite weak. There was no need for words though. They had already said them all.

So, whoopdeedoo! Finished this story! Like it? Please, I'd love as many reviews for this last chapter as poss, because I'll be taking a short break before starting the sequel. So, as I promised here are my thank-yous!

Thank you so much to... jenniluz, sexxydemon, mjmusiclover, A.N Ravencroft, Vampire love and then broken, MrsEmmettCullen-Bamber, voldyismyfather, Queen Farli, jessirose85, Heidi191976, Rita593, Laura JN, hinata115, Niners, murtaghxblaiseyum, ASBOOM, fanfic-fanatic1197, mistriss of darkness, callmedaynuhh, DaichiDia, Rebecca, EastAngels2009, Sugarlover, theaterinspired, LiveLaughLovePotter, musicmagic7, CrazzyChilddd, firstEveningStar, Lightning-Strike-Lover, Samantha Henry, Angel Sheldayl, christy86, Nolita Faerietale, fatyellowrat, starlitseductress, and last but not least, randomprose!

Thankyou, and goodnight! (Applause!) I promise I'll put up the name of the sequel soon, when I enter my first chapter! Thanks again everybody!