Left to you

Chapter 22- Full-Moon Precipitation

They were running. The wind was in their hair and so was her name. Hermione... It whispered. With every step, and every flick of her hair and giggle and playful poke in the ribs. Soon they were outside, and it was late. The dew collected in his socks as they ran onto the field and he glanced up to see a full moon. How poetic. Soon they reached the goal posts, and they both leant up against them, smiling at each other. They talked a bit of small talk, about the classes they didn't have together and other boring stuff.

Soon the conversation slowed down to silence. He stared at her. She was beautiful, even with her hair messy and her face only lit by the moonlight. He winked at her playfully and she poked out her tongue. They didn't have to talk. It was like they could read each other's minds.

"Draco?" Hermione's voice pierced the silence, practically a whisper. You could tell she was nervous by the way she stared out onto the pitch.

"Yes, Granger?" He finally answered, looking off into the distance, admiring the sky.

"Why did you kiss me in class? To show off?" Her voice was curious, like a journalist. She turned back to face him.

He snapped his head back towards her.

"No! Of course not." His voice softened. "I'd never do that to you."

Draco slowly walked towards her and cupped her cheek. She shut her eyes and pressed her face into his palm for a few seconds, but then moved away.

"Then why?"

Her eyes were glistening with tears. He was shocked she was so close to crying.

"Hermione..." He took her by the shoulders and looked into her eyes, but she wouldn't look at him.

"Then why, Draco?!" She shouted at him, flicking back around suddenly to glare at him.

"What is all this for?!"

It started to rain on the pitch. The grass was wet and sodden. His heart was heavy.

"Hermione..."

It was only a whisper.

I'm such a fucking idiot. I can't admit my feelings for her? I'm afraid. I'm weak.

"Fuck you, Draco."

Anguish flowed from her eyes onto her cheeks, to meet the rain there. And courage flowed straight from the cold drops on his face, into his heart.

"I'll give you the next best thing."

He grabbed her shoulders again and pressed his lips to hers. A tender kiss, full of passion. He moved his hands to her waist and held her close, deepening the kiss and she kissed him back, her hands in his sodden hair and on his shoulders. The kiss was wet. Not because of saliva but because of rain. Their clothes were squelching and their hair was soaking.

Holy fucking shit. I'm kissing the girl that I really...

Like.

He pushed the thought out of his head and focused on her soft lips. Eventually they both pulled away, out of breath with the stars in their eyes. This time it was a real kiss. Different from last time.

"For the record, it was not to prove a point." He put his arm around her and pulled her close.

"Good." She rested her head on his shoulder, her soaking, incredibly smooth hair touching his face.

The silence resumed again, a content and happy silence. Last time he was on this field it was the night he had found out Hermione was his 'secret admirer'.

This time he was holding a beautiful girl in his arms, and standing in the rain,

And loving it.

~

They were sitting under one of the nearby trees, avoiding the rain. They had been out for so long that their clothes had nearly dried, and it was getting cold. Her head was in his lap and he was looking off into the distance, even though you could barely see a metre ahead. All Hermione could think of was that stupid nursery rhyme.

Draco and Hermione, sitting in a tree. K-I-S-S-I-N-G! She giggled at the thought.

"What are you laughing at?" He sounded amused, looking at her face from above, making her blush.

"Nothing."

Hermione paused, as Draco played with her hair.

"What are you thinking about?"

"About how I got here. How I got to be so lucky."

"Well, how did you?" She shifted out of his lap and crossed her legs to face him.

"After the war, my parents and I ran away. I had no idea where we were, they wouldn't tell me. We stayed there for a long time, and then the Ministry came and took me and my dad away."

"You and your Dad?" She was confused.

"In the courtyard, people saw me cross over to hug... him. They thought I was on his side."

He looked Hermione in the eyes, a sad look on his face.

"I wasn't though. Those people thought I was a criminal. They thought I was... one of them."

"But you weren't-"

"I did horrible things, Hermione. And they made me do them. I hurt Katie. I nearly had to kill Dumbledore. I tried to kill Dumbledore. And I failed that too."

A tear dripped down his face.

"I'm a bad person, Granger. You don't deserve an evil, Slytherin like me."

He tried to get up and walk away, but she pulled him back down and wrapped her arms around him. She rocked side to side like he did when she cried.s

"Let me tell you a story."

"...Okay." He sounded reluctant.

"There was once a beautiful Gryffindor girl, coming from a non-wizard family, with crazy hair. Who loved a lonely, Slytherin boy. They spent lots of time together, talking. They were very close. And despite the odds, and their houses, they were meant to be."

A look of realisation appeared on his face.

"You're talking about Professor Snape and Harry's mum?! How is that supposed to make me feel better? Snape was bitter and Lily ended up with Harry's dad!"

She smiled knowingly.

"That's where you're wrong, Draco. Snape saved your life and did many other good things. He always loved her and deep down I think she loved him too."

Draco was quiet for a while, thinking over everything that she had said. His face slowly changed from anguish to content.

"We're meant to be, Draco." She said, her voice barely audible as she shifted closer to him.

"Star-crossed lovers, are we?" He asked, sounding very amused.

"We're together, and that's all that matters."

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------A/N

I'm back!!! This chapter goes out to my bae (you know who you are)! I hope you like the picture, since originally both the scarf and headband were red so i spent like an hour editing it. Also I hope you like the song choice. This is a very emotional chapter and i hope you enjoyed! Keep up the good reads! Vote, comment or do whatever! Love you guys!!!

-ash