I've suddenly become a fan of Dramione (have no idea how, though xD), and the next few days later, I found myself writing this. Hope you all like it. It's really short, though, only two chapters. So not much is going to happen.

Just in Case

Chapter One

Hermione bit back a scream as a hand gripped her upper arm. Her teeth dug into her lips as she searched in her pockets for her wand. Although it was pretty odd; wouldn't a Death Eater just try to kill you, and not try to grab you? Or maybe it was that Snatcher. That would just be worse. With that in her thoughts, she feared for the worse and was about to shout out a curse.

"Wait!" shouted a voice, quite close in her ear.

Her eyes widened, and she took a closer look at the person who had hold of her. The voice didn't belong to the strange Scabior, or even Harry, in case he wanted to talk. She was caught by surprise and tightened her grip on her wand.

"What do you want, Malfoy?" she asked somewhat acidly.

"I…I need to talk. Just for a bit," Draco replied quickly.

Something about was off, she thought instantly. His tone wasn't sarcastic and snide; rather, it seemed sincere. It was something that threw her off guard once again. But she stared at him hard. His face revealed how scared he was, more scared than when she threatened to attack him in their third year. That was nothing compared to this; it was reasonable, though, what with the situation going on.

This made Hermione in a hurry, though. "Draco, I think later is a better time to talk. I mean, we're in the middle of a war! Anytime is good…but not now. I have to go somewhere." Hermione looked behind her shoulder and over the corner she was about to pass when Draco grabbed her. Ron was gone. She felt so worried now, and her patience was wavering into nothingness the more she prolonged her pointless conversation with Malfoy.

"Where?"

"None of your business!" Hermione snapped. "But it's important. I have to go."

"Hermione! HERMIONE!"

She jumped, the voice creeping into her spine. But she relaxed once she put the voice with a familiar face together in her mind. She looked past the corner of the wall. "Ron, I'm alright. I'm right here," she said as calmly as she could force her tone to be.

"Hermione, c'mon, we have to hurry. You coming or not? …Something wrong?" Ron asked, taking gradual steps towards Hermione…and Draco.

Oh, boy. If he thought I was doing stuff with Harry before, what would he think seeing Draco! She turned to Draco, who gave her raised eyebrows. She gritted her teeth and peered back to Ron. "Ron, just go on without me!" she shouted.

Ron gave her a disapproving look. "You okay for sure? The last time you said that, you accidentally turned yourself into a cat-"

"Ron, I'm not a cat, obviously," she said, rolling her eyes. She didn't feel like laughing at the moment, though, even as the memory returned. "But I promise I'll catch up."

He hesitated, and Hermione felt an image of a clock form in her mind. Tick tock, tick tock…The longer she and Ron stood there, with Draco alongside her, the more people would die, the more the Death Eaters would be close to winning, the bigger chance Voldemort might get to killing Harry. Even though Harry had to, but still…

But then Ron descended through the corridor again, tentatively, and his footsteps quieted into complete quiet. Hermione again realized Draco was still standing there, and faced him. He kneeled down, as did she. They both began to speak in low whispers. "This better be quick, Draco," Hermione started. "What is it?"

"Well…I'm just…worried," Draco stuttered. "With the war, I might think one of us might not make it out alright."

"One of us?" Hermione echoed. She could think of so many other people besides them, especially Draco, she worried for more. She had already seen several familiar dead bodies, and more would arrive in the Great Hall, if she didn't hurry and help Ron. Tick tock. "Please, Draco, just spit it out!" she said in a hoarse voice that was more pleading than demanding.

"I just want you to know that…I'm sorry."

"Sorry?"

Draco nodded, and a smile, the smallest of smiles, pulled on his face. But it still seemed to lighten his face. Hermione took a step back. "Yeah. I'm sorry for everything…Gr-Hermione," he added, struggling with his words.

He'd never called her by her first name, and definitely not in the strange tone he was speaking in. Usually her last name, or even Mudblood. She couldn't remember when he said her name to her face and not acting like a jerk. It was nice, but it was certainly suspicious. She couldn't believe what he was saying, or what he was trying to say through his words. And she certainly had no idea where this conversation was going.

Where it was going was only wasting time. It was time she needed to help save Hogwarts and the world. She could have left, but his face was much too soft for her to leave just yet. She decided to give him more time.

"What is it that you want, exactly, Draco?" she asked a bit harshly, but her paranoia was slowly melting.

Draco was hesitant, which only drove Hermione into more impatience that was beginning to take a toll and make her go hysterical. But instead of yelling, she kept her silence and waiting with a pointed look.

Finally, biting his lip, Draco cleared his throat. "Just…I want you to know that I don't hate you. That all those things I've said a-and done to you during school-I didn't mean any of it," he continued.

This was not the path Hermione expected. She was caught off guard, losing her pointed look and changing into a perplexed one.

"Everything?" she asked skeptically, her arms crossed. How could he mean everything, after all? Did he really want her to forget all the times she went through his bullying. She couldn't count how many times he humiliated, taunting, and bullied her. If she could, she had a chance it would be a pretty damn high number. And she wouldn't believe that all of that was fake.

He nodded. "Yes."

Hermione got her guard back, and kept it that way as she asked, "Can I really believe that? You sounded pretty convincing all those times you made fun of me and Ron and Harry…" Her voice trailed off at her friends' names. It brought her back into reality, where the world was in danger. Close to impatient hysteria, she said, "Please, Draco, we have to go! I don't have any time for your ridiculousness!"

"It's not ridiculousness," Draco said. "C'mon, just give me some time."

"We don't have any time, Draco!" she shouted, arms spread out widely. "We're in a war. All us good wizards and witches in the world are trying to save this school-and even the world, for Merlin's sake-from people like you!"

That seemed to sting Draco, yet she wasn't pleased. And she didn't understand the hurt he felt about that. It was true. Draco was a Death Eater. She didn't want to believe it during their sixth year, because she believed in him. But it was now the truth. His father was a Death Eater, and he was carrying on the tradition…

"Hermione, you don't know what it's like for me!" Draco defended himself sharply.

"No I don't," she admitted, though still guarded. "But why should I? I know you're a Death Eater, and that's the end of it. You're like…like you're father."

Draco's eyes widened. "I never wanted to be a Death Eater," he said through his teeth.

"Why should I believe that?"

Draco pulled out something. Hermione instinctively, became to search her pockets for hers. But Draco stopped her with a hand out to protest. Tentatively, she put her wand back, wondering what Draco was planning to do.

But she saw it wasn't his wand like she thought. It was a knife. She touched the arm where Bellatrix carved Mudblood into her arm a while ago. Seeing that weapon made that mark burn slightly.

Draco put the knife close to his arm. He pulled up his black sleeve, where the Dark Mark was etched into the lower part of his arm. The snake danced in its place while coiling down towards his wrist. She stared at it, knowing that was the answer to her question if he was a Death Eater. Although it was the first time she saw his arm, she still knew.

She glared at him, her expression questioning what he was doing.

The knife gingerly touched his elbow.

Hermione gaped, but didn't protest whatever he had in mind. She covered her eyes, worrying for what was to come.

There was a gruesome sound, followed by an agonized scream that wasn't too loud. It wasn't too loud, yet it still made Hermione shiver once it came.

She opened her eyes again and saw that the Dark Mark was gone. The entire thing of his skin was cut off, and was now on the floor. His arm was covered in blood that was beginning to glow black.

Hermione was nauseated, and she grabbed her bag. She found the Dittany and took it out. She showed it to Draco, and finally couldn't hold in her shock. "Wh-why did you do that, Draco? What were you thinking?"

Draco pulled away, ignoring the Dittany. But it was too disgusting for her to look at. She began to drop the liquid of the bottle onto the large cut he slashed into his arm. The blood was beginning to crust, but she found it easily.

Draco groaned in pain. It died away in a few moments, and he turned to his arm. It was beginning to grow back skin where he cut. He stared at it in amazement. "You're amazing," he said.

This caught her by surprise. She couldn't count how many times Ron and Harry said this to her…mostly Ron. "It's nothing. It was the Essence of Dittany. But why did you do that?" she asked again.

"To show you you're wrong," he answered.

"Wrong?" she echoed.

"I don't want to be a Death Eater. I'm not mean. I'm not who you think I am. There's more to be behind all the horrible stuff I've did. Don't you believe me?" Draco went on.

"Why…why are you telling me, though?" she prompted. Tick tock. "Why not Harry, who you've-you've been horrible to! Why do you care about what I think?"

Draco shook his head, now smiling. "That's complicated."

"How's it complicated. Draco, I want-no, need-an answer! Why do you care about-?"

Draco cut her off in the most shocking way Draco pushed himself toward her, and their lips met.

She blinked for only a millisecond, but through her closed lids, multicolored stars exploded. A strange sensation and confusion detonated through her body, staring from her lips. Her hands reached out for Draco, only her fingers had suddenly fallen numb. She pressed them together, realizing they were vibrating.

Hermione backed away just two seconds later, but even that short time seemed to last an eternity in her mind. Her eyes didn't open until she could think this all would be an ominous dream that took an unexpected turn. She blinked, but Draco was still there, and war was still everywhere. She could hear screams from beyond hallways.

iTick…tock…/i Now the clock was slowing, because she couldn't care less about it. She felt like everything was tilting, even the walls. Everything was moving in ways it would have been impossible. While they were alone, she feared that the world was watching. Those she loved, those she despised, watching as someone she thought hated her kissing her in the middle of a war. Someone not only thought hated her, but was the enemy. It was someone she doubted was a regular human who could be decent. She wasn't sure what to think of him anymore. Her heart raced fasted against her chest, and she had to breathe carefully, fearing she'd pass out.

She breathed heavily, trying to catch up and absorb what just happened. It was impossible, and she turned to the hallway Ron ran into. It took a moment to realize that she was growing cold, and sweat was emanating from her forehead. She just wasn't if it was from the terror going on or kissing Draco…

Draco gave her a worried look, and now she knew.

What he said was the truth. He really did have feelings for her. Why else would he even think of kissing her, let alone actually do it? After all those years, he never meant anything. She just had no idea why he did it, but she didn't ask. She didn't want to. It made so much sense…and so little sense at the same time, if it were possible.

"Draco…I have to go," she said. Her voice was hoarse and dry, and so was her mouth. She got up, and her legs felt numb. She struggled to stand straight for a few moments.

"Hermione!" he shouted, just like Ron did before.

And she didn't give him a chance to reply. Just as he even opened his mouth to speak, she was already heading towards the Chamber of Secrets. She hoped Ron would be there, maybe waiting for her, or already did the job. Either way, she wouldn't mind; Hermione just wanted to be with Ron.

"Hey, what happened?" Ron asked once she met him at the entrance. Nothing was in his arms, and it looked like he hadn't even spoken to open the door. She knew he was waiting…for her. She blushed lightly at this.

But she couldn't get Draco out of her head. His soft expression, his quiet and sweet tone, his lips on hers… She shook her head. "Just…something distracted me. It's nothing-nothing."

Ron nodded, but was obviously still not going to let this go. Yet he didn't say anything as he began to help their plan unfold.