The Untold Story

by Equatic Puzzle

(Post HBP) Hermione is left behind at Hogwarts. However, the fall of the school forces her to leave and head to safer grounds. With patrolling Death Eaters, dangerous terrains, and unknown creatures that are immune to magic, Hermione is forced to seek the aid of her arch nemesis, Draco. Will they be able to coexist together and survive this treacherous journey?

1. Chapter 1

The Untold Story

Hello readers, I thank you for taking the time to read this work of fiction from the mind of this humble author. Now, before you get started on reading this, if you are looking for any fast shipping/courtship with heart fluttering moments that would make a sensible person go 'aw'...then you've come to the wrong place.

However, what I do offer to the readers is a chance to watch two polar opposites grow and learn to survive in a harsh, war-torn environment. And of course a grand adventure with tons of delicious plots and drama thrown in together!

Anyways, please enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter, someone else by the name of JK Rowling does, now leave me alone.

---

[So, tell me the story behind these two wands]

"There he is! Don't let him get away!"

Draco frantically scrambled to his feet before he hit the street running.

His feet pounded the pavement, with his thighs burning in exertion. A small bead of sweat was trickling down the side of his face. His ribs felt extremely sore, most likely bruised or even broken from a previous scuffle. A stray arrow bounced off of the burnt ruins of what looked to be a shop. He heard the triumphant sneers of his pursuers increasing in volume.

The familiar shades of a black robe fluttered within his peripherals.

Draco spat out some blood and cursed under his breath. Staggering over some rubble, the blonde went slip-sliding through the dried pools of blood and waste piled beneath him. The unsteady feel of concrete nipped at his shins through his boots. His feet plunged through a muddy puddle, the depth of it being deeper than he first had perceived. A hidden length of jagged debris caught him mid-stride, momentum pushed him downward, and the blonde went sprawling across the pavement.

Draco dove face first and kissed the cold, hard ground.

His breathing started to become shorter. Pain was cutting off his oxygen, and his thoughts began to stray towards dangerous territory.

Darkness enveloped him.

With each passing second, the voices of his pursuers rattled louder in his skull. They were getting far too close for comfort, and a small bell of panic began to ring in his head.

Draco managed to bring himself back to consciousness.

A huge explosion vibrated the ground beneath him.

Biting his lower lip, the blonde snarled at himself to start moving again. Draco managed to forcibly haul himself back on his feet, leaving a bloody print of his head on the floor. He groggily stumbled over a pile of marble and glass, most likely the expensive remains of a statue. His vision began to blur, and spots danced in his vision while the streets swirled out of focus. A bright red curse zipped past him and hit a collapsed building.

"You fool! Why did you cast that curse just now?"

"I thought I would be able to get him from here!"

Draco smirked and spat out red-streaked saliva. Wiping his lips with the sleeves of his own robes, the blonde hurriedly staggered away from the streets. The sounds of pain and fear followed him down the dark alleyway as the unruly creatures pounced on the retreating figures of the Death Eaters.

THUMP!

Draco clumsily fell to the floor and brandished his wand, while looking around the room in confusion. One moment he had been running from a group of Death Eaters and the next...

Right.

He had decided to take a quick nap after arriving at the meeting location, but it didn't help that he had just been dreaming about the previous encounter. Even though this was a person he used to trust in the past, the war had a funny way of changing people. He needed some semblance of control so that he would not be caught off guard by anything – even a betrayal.

Letting out another yawn, Draco shook his head and rolled to one of the empty spots near the wall. His body still felt a bit weak. He was going to get as much rest as he could before he had to take action again.

---

[What happened at Hogwarts?]

Hermione Granger.

A girl that, if it was not for Harry Potter's existence, would have become the frontrunner for the holder of the most titles given to her.

The wonder witch.
The Gryffindor Princess.
The brains of the golden trio.
The cleverest witch of her generation. [I heard this one before...]

However, she also had a damning epithet that would stick with her until the end of time.

A Muggle-born.

Hermione let out a sigh as she felt her eyes linger on the book with no real focus toward the details. There was so much going on in the world, and here she was inside Hogwarts, staring at a textbook. She felt utterly trapped and useless about her current situation.

It also didn't help that, due to her inclination to prioritize her studies, her social skills had been stunted. She sometimes wondered if she would receive a bit more respect for her cognitive ability if she was of the opposite sex. There were those that were in the same camp as Hermione was—except they were born with a different set of genitalia. She felt fortunate enough to have gained a lifelong friendship bond with both Ron and Harry.

It was these bittersweet thoughts that led her straight to a truth that put her in this predicament; they had abandoned her. Technically, Hermione had consented to stay behind at Hogwarts while her two boys went hunting for the Horcruxes, only for the reason that she should stabilize an unsteady school situation. However, she should've never allowed any of them to persuade her, soften her stance, and change her mind.

She could still remember most of the memories behind the particular day, it had started like any other conference for Order members...

[FLASHBACK]

Ron poked his head into the library and rolled his eyes when he spotted the girl that he was trying to locate up to her usual activity. Hiding behind one of the shelves, he took out his wand and carefully aimed it at one of the unattended books before quietly casting a Floating Charm on it. When he didn't see her visibly react to the floating object, he counted down from five before slamming it back down on the table. Seeing the bibliophilic witch jump in surprise, he took that as his cue to finish the small prank that he had started.

He soon paled when he heard Hermione speak up first.

"Look, Fred, I already told you that I'll polish your wand after I'm done studying this section, and if you really can't wait that long, then I'll just go and do George first for being patient!"

Ron froze at this implication and let his arms drop to his side before stuttering out, "Y-you're kidding, right? Please tell me you're kidding, Hermione."

"Honestly, Ron," Hermione said, putting down the quill that she was using. "You should stop being so paranoid about our relationship, and were you really thinking that I would be unfaithful to you with both of your brothers?"

"Sorry," he mumbled, staring at his partner for a second.

Adjusting his position, he tried to sweep around to give her a kiss on the cheek. Unfortunately, the witch's attention was drawn elsewhere, causing Ron to completely miss his initial mark. Not wanting to simmer in his embarrassment, he quickly recovered by using the momentum to carry himself over to where Hermione's book was stationed and pretended to be interested in the topic.

"So, reading more about the Founders, huh? I don't think reading about history'll help us fight You-Know-Who."

"Oh, for Merlin's sake, Ron," Hermione huffed, crossing her arms, "I already saw it, so stop pretending that it didn't happen. I know you aren't interested in what I'm reading at all."

Ron waved his hand in front of his face and replied, "What? Who says I'm not? Maybe it's the reason that I missed because I got distracted by your book."

"Ron..."

"I mean sure, I've never shown much interest in the past, and I've always preferred Quidditch over studying..."

"Ron..."

"...and I know I'm not the smartest bloke around town. But I'll be damned if I don't start showing some care about the things that my girl—"

"Ronald Bilius Weasley!"

This immediately quieted the ranting teenager, giving Hermione a chance to hold her friend's hands. "Look, you don't have to worry about me, and you certainly don't have to be so paranoid about yourself, alright? I chose you because of who you are and not for anything else."

"Sorry, Hermione," Ron answered, taking in a deep breath before continuing, "Yeah, I definitely am your friend because you're you. It's just...I don't, I mean, I'm not doing it on purpose, you know? I mean, you mean a lot to me and, Harry as well, and uh..."

There was an air of awkward tension between the two as they stared at each other in silence. It broke when Hermione giggled out loud, playfully swatting her friend's shoulder.

"Oh, you can be such a suave with words, Ron. I could definitely melt into your arms just by listening to you serenade me for hours."

"Huh?"

Hermione rolled her eyes at his typical response. "I don't know why the Sorting Hat failed to place you in Ravenclaw with your impressive usage of vocabulary and your obvious thirst for knowledge." She tugged at the young man's arms. "Come on, I'm sure you didn't come here just to bother me, right? Lead the way, my good sir."

Ron was able to regain his wit and linked their arms together, leading them out of the library. The two talked about pleasant nothings as they made their way out into the hallways and stepped around the staircase. The two stopped in front of the gargoyle and fed the password to the stone guardian, giving them permission to enter the office. When they entered the Headmaster's office, the two of them were greeted by a few familiar faces: Lupin, Arthur Weasley, McGonagall, and Harry.

"I think everyone's here now," Lupin wistfully said, keeping his eyes attached to a loose piece of parchment on the table.

Hermione inquisitively looked at Ron and tilted her head while asking him, "We had an Order meeting today? Was there a change in plans or something?"

Before Ron was given a chance to reply, a pink-haired Auror stepped through the door and boisterously made her entrance felt by the rest of the office. "Sorry I'm late! I've been really busy with all the recent attacks by the Death Eaters and the lack of manpower or support from the Ministry. We really have our hands tied and full nowadays."

Arthur shook his head, "It's alright, Tonks, we understand the pressure that you guys are under, and we didn't start the meeting yet anyway."

The pink-haired Auror nodded and greeted each person individually before situating herself into one of the corners. Once everyone had finally settled down, Lupin cleared his throat and stepped forward. "Now, the reason that this meeting has been called is due to the issue that was alluded to earlier by Nymphadora..."

"Don't call me Nymphadora, Remus," Tonks swiftly corrected him.

"...the increased activities of the Dark Lord and the Death Eaters.

Arthur nodded, taking his turn, "I've been keeping my ears to the ground, but with how chaotic and unstable everything's been, it's impossible for me to gain any sort of useful information. I would say that it's only a matter of time before He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named either completely takes over or topples the Ministry.

A round of sighs and restless murmurings could be heard coming from the participants of the meeting. Finally, McGonagall came forward and addressed the group, "I believe Mister Potter has something that he wanted to share with us."

Taking this to be his cue, Harry fixed his glasses and coughed into his hands, "W-well, as everyone knows, the three of us, Ron, Hermione and I, have been doing a lot of research while making plans on ways to defeat Lord Vol- I mean, the Dark Lord. Based on the information that I got from Dumbledore, I think we're ready to make our move."

The silent confidence that Harry ended his statement with all but convinced every person of his determination. This meant that they were either going to support his endeavors or get out of his way, since they would not be able to stop him.

"Harry," the Weasley patriarch hesitantly called out. "I know that it was from Dumbledore's instructions for you not to reveal whatever it is that you've set out to do. But don't you think it would be safer for you to at least tell someone other than Hermione and my son?"

"Dad!"

"Mr. Weasley?"

Before the two aforementioned teens were able to voice their protest, Harry stared directly into Arthur's eyes and spoke, "Even though the Headmaster isn't present any longer, I will keep his final commands." He then nodded at his two friends while adding, "I also trust them with my life, sir, so it won't be a problem."

Lupin let out a sigh and put a hand on Arthur's shoulder. "It seems like he isn't going to budge on this, no matter what we say."

"I know that, but...I just wish there was something more we could do Remus."

Harry shook his head and turned to face the others. "Look, rather than continue fighting over this issue, we should take action as soon as we can. The Dark Lord is still playing it safe and allowing his followers to do most of his work." Walking to the middle, he nodded and continued speaking, "We should strike now while we still have this small window of opportunity. They won't be expecting us to go on the offensive, so this is a strategic blind spot that we are hoping to exploit."

Grinning at the words coming from his best friend, Ron spoke up, "We've mapped out all the possible locations that we are going to search and also the best routes to get to them."

Hermione smoothly followed it up, "With all the information that's been gathered the past few days, we've been able to draw up all the potential areas that the Death Eaters will be attacking."

"It's a risky move, but right now they'll still be under the belief that I'll be here, getting guarded by the Order and merely defending against these attacks until the time for the inevitable encounter comes." He shook his head and tightly balled his hand into a fist. "I'm not going to stand by and let others dictate my life any longer. Since this is my battle now, I'm going to fight them the way I want to."

It became apparent from both the lack of any disapproving arguments and people's upbeat, positive body language that they were willing to pin their hopes upon this risky plan. A small chatter of excitement began to build up in the room, with everyone attempting to have some type of impact or input on what the three were going to do.

In the midst of all the commotion, McGonagall quietly walked up to her most prized student and gave her a look that informed her that she wanted to speak with her privately. The two quietly walked out of the office, leaving behind the rambunctious chatter.

"What is it that you wanted to talk to me about, Professor?"

Taking a deep breath, the former Transfiguration teacher told her, "Ms. Granger, I have a request to make of you."

Hermione blinked a few times before leaning in closer and asked in a worried tone, "What is it that you need help with? You know that I'll do anything to assist you, Professor."

A listless sigh came out from McGonagall's lips, her facial features aging with every breath that she took. Closing her eyes, she nodded and responded, "Hermione, I know that you have been planning this journey for quite some time now. But..."

"Professor?"

"As you are well aware, morale in Hogwarts has been on the decline with students living in constant fear of the upcoming war. One of the few reasons why it hasn't been a complete disaster here inside the school is because of you, Harry, and Ron."

Hermione crossed her arms and diverted her eyes away from McGonagall. She had a feeling she knew where this was going and dreaded the words that were going to leave her mouth.

"For the sake of creating the perception of a safe environment inside of these walls-" She walked over to Hermione and lightly grasped her arm. "-I implore you to forego this journey and stay here with me."

The bushy-haired witch went through a wide range of emotions before settling upon that of resignation. Even if it wasn't said, the underlying message was there, and she couldn't ignore it. Letting out a sigh, she nodded before softly murmuring, "I'll have to tell Ron and Harry about this decision so that I can help them plan out a different route without me."

"That's wonderful Ms. Granger! I thank you for making this choice, I know it must be quite difficult for you..."

When Hermione went to relay this to her two best friends, the news was immediately met with anger and disbelief. After an elongated discussion and explanation in regards to her decision, both Harry and Ron eventually relented. However, even with all the alterations that she tried to offer them, it was clear that they would be at a huge disadvantage without her.

It pained her to see the silhouettes of her friends on the day that they had set out to leave.

[END OF FLASHBACK]

Hermione bit her lower lip, conveniently skipping over the caustic fight that she had with both of them before stuffing the memory back into her mind, allowing herself to focus once again on the present.

There were times when she wondered if their little ragtag group had made the right decision in splitting up. Yes, she had given her former Head of House all the support that she could and even volunteered to continue being a Prefect and a Head Girl.

But when times were bad, it tended to distract you from everything else. Hermione found all of her classes becoming meaningless in the face of the inevitability: the upcoming war. It appeared as though every other student was feeling the same. The gravity of such imminence lingered at the tip of every person's mind.

Just looking at the students, at least the ones that had returned to Hogwarts, awkwardly attempting to get through school, was just another painful reminder of the current situation. Nobody bothered to put up a brave front as all of them scattered about, moving in a robotic manner and speaking in demoralized tones.

The present Headmistress tried her best to keep things at a familiar and consistent level: classes were held, Quidditch was played, and a sleuth of other school-like activities continued. There were even attempts at planning out trips to Hogsmeade.

Keyword: Tried.
Result: Failed.

Just about everything seemed pointless. Two events had simultaneously transpired to drain and shatter the spirits of those that attended Hogwarts. The first was how the school's wards had been breached by the Death Eaters—effectively erasing the term 'sanctuary' for those that warranted it. The second was the murder of Dumbledore—destroying the only wizard that could've held back Voldemort.

Was the other side so blind towards this superficial cause that they were willing to give up everything just to see their hateful prejudice come to fruition? Could they not see the everlasting damage that this war would have on the magical community? Hermione knew that no matter who won the war, there would be a long road of recovery ahead.

If it would ever be possible.

The ugly prejudices that many of the old families harbored had fully manifested themselves with the revival of the Dark Lord. Even if the light side were to win this exhaustive battle, there was no possible way that things could, or would, go back to what they were before.

Hermione sighed as she tried to get back to her research, but she knew that her efforts would end in futility. Her eyes had not left the first sentence of the paragraph for the past hour, informing her that it was time for her to do something else. Putting the textbook away, the bushy-haired witch decided to visit one of the professors to inquire if they were in need of assistance.

---

Draco steadily leaned himself against the large debris, making sure to blend in with the dark cover. All it took was one mistake for him to blow his cover. The worst part about the fiasco was the fact that he was still unaware of the error that he had committed. Still, even with the plan going awry, it wasn't a complete loss for him. There was a reason why a group of hostile were currently chasing him.

"Let's see, a group of lowly Death Eater recruits, which means that they most likely have a low patience threshold. If I'm reading this right, then they'll move on to the next area in three...two...one..."

"He's not here, that thief must've moved on to another location. Let's keep going!"

Draco watched his pursuers abandon their current search to try their luck in the next area. Letting out an exasperated sigh, the blonde slumped down onto the granite floor. Rolling his head in a circular motion, he took out a small, brown bag from his robes and peered into it.

"What's this..." Draco mumbled, confused by the contents that he had uncovered. They were all magazines, but none of them held titles that he was familiar with. "Fiesta? Knave? Razzle? Why would they be in such a tizzy over these? Do they hold some kind of big secret...?"

Casually flipping open one of the pictorial digests, Draco was completely unprepared for the exotic images to bombard his sight. Flushing in embarrassment, he quickly slammed it shut and averted his from the less-than-proper material. He wasn't a naïve virgin by any stretch of the imagination, but the very idea that this was what they were trying to guard baffled him. However, rather than discard the magazines, he discreetly kept some of them.

"There has to be a reason why these things were highly valued, I'll have to do a bit more research to see what it could be."

Softly yawning, Draco looked up at the sky while shaking his head. It was a horrid, monochromatic pitch black that did not hint at clearing anytime soon. The tight and almost suffocating atmosphere seemed to match the bleak and dreadful predicament that the Wizarding World was suffering from. Few, if any major cities escaped unscathed by the ruination of the grand scale battles.

Draco suddenly keeled over while clutching at the inner part of his left arm, hissing a low profanity under his breath. Usually, the pain arrived in the form of a dull ache, one that he could simply ignore from all the adrenaline that would subsequently course through his body. However, this time it was overwhelming him to the point where it was effectively blocking out his other senses. It was impossible for him to overlook it. The blonde continued to clamp down on the afflicted arm when he felt it start to involuntarily tremble. Gritting his teeth, he attempted to summon the mental discipline he'd learned from Occlumency to calm his mind; which unfortunately didn't seem to work. He grimaced at the realization that the source of agony was causing him enough torment that it was starting to overtake his consciousness.

Pain relief topped Draco's priority list with the extreme amount of discomfort becoming increasingly unbearable. He did have an emergency potion available but due to its limited quantity and the distance he still had to traverse, he resisted the temptation to use it. Still, that didn't help his current situation in which he was struggling to cope with the pain.

Draco grimaced when he realized just how vulnerable he was in this weakened state. If another person, one that was cognizant of his status, were to stumble upon him, then the likely scenario would be his immediate capture or death. Neither option appealed to his sensibility.

Taking a look around, Draco noticed a capsized cart on the side of the road and made his decision. Rolling up the left sleeve of his black robe, he tore off a piece of his worn-out shirt before tightly wounding it around his exposed forearm. Feeling his limb become numb, he closed his eyes and took a deep breath before slamming it against the toppled wagon. He groaned in pain while dragging his arm across the sharp edges.

"Merlin," Draco had hoped that the shock from his self-inflicted wound would somehow counteract the one that was bothering him. But, the only thing that he managed to accomplish was the furtherment of more pain. The spasms were getting worse and he was running out of options. Was he really going to let everything end like this?

"No," he shook his head, "I'm not going to let myself be turned into one of those mindless sycophants! But...Snape told me...? What did he say...?"

His mind was in shambles.

It was becoming excruciatingly intolerable.

Draco let out a low, guttural cry before blindingly bashing his head onto whatever was nearby. For some unfathomable reason, the concussive blow was enough to dull the excruciating pain. The throbbing spasms had subsided to a more bearable level while his senses were slowly returning to normalcy.

Why did it work? The only response that Draco could give was a nonchalant shrug.

Ever since he trekked across Magical Britain, all in an effort to survive, Draco had made one rash decision after another. He had learned early on that there would be times when it was better to act first, ask questions never. A short yawn escaped from the back of his head while he leaned against a dull surface to help stabilize his balance.

Drip Drip

"Hm? Is it raining right now?" Draco scratched the back of his head, wondering if he should find cover and soon. The blonde's eyes meandered towards the sky and saw the same pitch black void stare back at him. It indicated emptiness and revealed nothing- or maybe that was just an imagination from the depths of his subconscious.

Drip Drip

This time he looked down and saw that the droplets was not water, but rather blood. Tracing his fingers up to the source, he could vaguely guess that a gash had formed around his forehead. A small frown entered his face before conceding that fact that the wound was a small price to pay.

"Hey, did you hear?"

"What's up?"

Draco closed his eyes while shaking his head. He found it unbelievable just how bad his luck appeared to be during this recent stretch of his life. The only silver lining he could find was that neither of the speakers had noticed his presence. This most likely meant that they were merely halting to have a conversation.

Wiping some of the blood off his face, Draco calmed his heartbeat and silenced his breathing before knotting some of the loose laces from his boots. Licking his dry lips, he then steadily inched closer to where he heard the discussion taking place. It had been a while since he had heard of any news, so any helpful information that he could get hold of was a welcome addition to his ears.

"They said that the war is coming to an end and that the Dark Lord knows where the golden boy is hiding. So it's only a matter of time before they find him and eliminate him."

Hearing those words used in that specific tone brought back memories of a time when dodging mortality was not at the top of his priority list. If the circumstances were different, and he had heard the same statement being uttered in his presence, then there was a good chance that he would've joined them in agreement – heck, he might've been one of the loud-mouth braggarts to lead the boisterous declaration.

Now?

"War really does change a person…" Draco bitterly thought, mentally cringing at the recollection of his sophomoric behavior.

The death of Dumbledore, the escape from Hogwarts, the death sentence from the dark, the hefty bounty from the light, the harsh slap of reality – all of this predicated on the choice that he did not – no, could not make. However, even with such knowledge at hand, the nightmares did not lessen, making the prospect of a peaceful slumber a luxury.

Knowing that the rest of the talk would be nothing more than gossip, Draco tuned them out from his mind. Now that he was ready to move again, he would need to clear the path. While he could technically try to sneak by them, there was a chance that he could be spotted along the way. It was a lot safer for him to minimalize all possible risks than to pretend that he had an invisible cloak at hand.

Scanning the area, Draco spotted an unusually heavy looking rock from the corner of his eyes. Picking it up, he felt nothing abnormal radiating from the stone. The only thing noteworthy was how the smooth surface felt unnaturally rough against his callused fingers. Not having any viable reason for holding onto it, he cocked his arm back and launched it as far as he could to the opposite direction of where the patrol unit was having their conversation.

"I heard something! It came from over there!"

Much to Draco's surprise, the rock he had thrown somehow caught their attention. Not wanting to press his luck, he continued to stay hidden while observing the two to get a gauge upon when the coast would be clear. It seemed like they were angrily arguing over something, with plenty of pointing and hand gestures flying around until they came to some type of agreement. This was evident by them nodding to each other before they headed towards the location of the sound. Watching them leave the premise, he quickly popped out from his hiding spot and hunched down into a low stance before moving onto the next sector.

"Alright, what do we have here?" Draco muttered to himself in a low voice.

Ducking behind a broken wall, he rapidly scouted the area, mentally creating a map of his surroundings and the nearby Death Eaters. From what he had seen, he was able to ascertain the status of the patrol unit simply from its use of magic – or lack thereof. While there was no restriction on the usage of spells, there were certain unfavorable conditions that came upon the one that had done the casting. Unless the user was powerful and confident enough in their abilities, it was agreed upon that people would simply limit their usage within safely warded parameters.

It was downright humiliating at times to act like a Muggle, but when lives were at stake, none of it mattered.

Assessing all of the information that he had gathered, Draco knew that all of these Death Eaters were either new entry recruits or low-level grunts. Their patrol routes were predictable and they wouldn't be able to use any spells. Carefully watching the nearby guard, he waited until the person's back was turned before maneuvering around some giants craters and loose debris. He made sure to keep his physical presence hidden as much as possible, ducking and hiding behind large covers so that there would be a lower risk of being discovered by any roaming eyes.

Spotting an empty but standing building off to the side, Draco quickly made his way to the entrance and poked his head around to do a quick sweep. Aside from the usual collateral damage that everything had suffered during this tragic war, it didn't look worse for the wear. It was definitely safe enough to go in and catch a breather for a second. Sighing in relief, he rubbed the back of his head while leaning against the sturdy foundation.

"If the Dark Lord wins the war, will he clean up and repair cities like these?" Draco let out a small sigh and shook his head at the absurd thought that had passed his mind. Opening up his robe, he took out a small, brown satchel and began to do an inventory check when he heard an unfamiliar voice speak up from behind him.

"Who goes there?" Draco held his guard while pointing his wand at the location of the speaker.

"I mean no harm to you, good sir," a man wearing the garbs of those that were given to label of a merchant stepped forward from the shadows. The aforementioned clothing was essentially a nondescript grey robe with a matching pair of inoffensively drab sweats. Most of them tended to carry their commodities in a giant bag that they carried on their back, this one was no exception.

Draco rubbed the back of his neck and grumbled back, "Don't sneak up on people like that, merchant. Anyways, what do you have in stock today?"

"Ah, my mistake," the merchant raised his arms in front of his body and replied with a thick southern accent. "I'm afraid I cannot show you anything right now because if I were you, I would leave this building as soon as possible."

Without further explanation, the seller tapped Draco on the shoulder and made his exit. Before the blonde could ask what he meant by the warning, he heard a low growl coming from the dark hallway. Understanding the implications behind the merchant's warning, he immediately got up to his feet and followed suit. There was no chance he was going to wait around to see what kind of creature lay hidden within the dark depths of the empty building.

Pulling up his hood once again, Draco went back onto the streets. He coughed into the folds of his elbow and wiped his mouth off of the sleeves of the robe. It had been quite a journey thus far, but until he was able to reach the meeting point, he knew that resting would not be a viable option. Exhaling sharply, he began sprinting at a brisk pace, gaining quite a good distance before the depletion of his stamina.

Leaning against a broken pillar for support, Draco used the moment to catch his breath and calm his nerves. It was times like this that made him realize just how much he took for granted. Did Muggles really go through life using their feet? The only reason why he was unable to use any of the magical transportation systems was due to his criminal status. Otherwise, traveling in such a manner was beyond his comprehension. It was so inefficient and time-consuming, how did they ever get anything accomplished?

Feeling some life return to his body, Draco investigated the new area that he had entered. He immediately noticed a few interesting things about the sector. The first was that there was only a single Death Eater patrolling the entire place. Secondly, the specific route that the grunt was taking informed him that he was guarding something important – most likely an entrance of some kind. If this was the case, then it meant that the building behind the person had residents inside of it and was considered a pit stop or safe zone for the city's remaining residents.

"Now, the only question is, if it's so important, why would they only just one person here by themselves? Shouldn't there be an entire group?" Draco thought to himself while he surveyed the edifice. The answer came when he spotted a few marks alongside the building. By all indications, this meant that there were runes and magical wards installed somewhere around the parameter. Even if he was unable to identify them, he was willing to stake his life that they were some of the highest security systems in place.

Forcing entry into the building would be an impossible task.

Rubbing his chin, Draco began planning for a different course of action when he spotted a giant poster. It was an enlarged picture of Potter with an 'X' marked over his head and a statement on the bottom written 'Most Wanted: Dead or Alive!' The thing that caught his attention was a small encrypted insignia at the bottom right corner. To most, it would look like harmless graffiti, but to him, it held a bigger significance.

Resisting the urge to yawn, Draco pulled out a tattered scroll from the sleeve of his robe and unrolled it. Taking a look at the map, he shakily traced his fingers along a path until he came across what was specifically marked 'meeting point'. Closing his eyes and muttering an insult under his breath, he recalled the vague instructions that he was given about the aforementioned location. All he could do was chuckle mirthless while shaking his head in amazement.

"Alright, I found Potter's poster with the sign, just like he said I would. Now I have to gain access to that bloody building."

Even with the objective in mind, Draco had to admit that he didn't see any potential openings he could exploit to get inside the sanctuary. There were a few scenarios that he tried to theorize in his mind, none of them giving him any guarantees on succeeding. However, the answer came to him soon enough when the individual patrolling the streets unveiled his left forearm and idly scratched at the tell-tale design of the dark mark. His eyes immediately flashed in recognition at the pattern that was attached to the symbol. Scanning the area, he was able to spot a very familiar looking ward that he had come across in his past escapades.

Studying it for a few minutes, Draco felt a wave of relief wash over him. While he didn't recognize many of the inscribed security measures, there was one that he knew would help him give entrance into the building. It was one that granted temporary 'permission' to those that were keyed into the wards. He wagered that the guard's mark was keyed in so that it would disarm the wards long enough to allow him through the door.

Only one problem remained, which was to get the Death Eater to cooperate with him.

"Sure, sounds simple enough. Let me just stroll up to him and ask if he'll let me in." Rolling his eyes at his own foolish suggestion, he shrugged before adding, "I would probably have an easier time convincing Pansy to stop gossiping about the latest edition of Witch's Weekly."

Inwardly sighing, Draco shoved his hand into his robe, trying to formulate a viable plan when he felt something scrape his knuckle. Blinking a few times in confusion, the blonde took hold of the object and took it out from the pocket.

It was the 'treasure' that he had pilfered from the previous group.

Draco let out an exasperated sigh and proceeded to discard the garbage when a crazy idea slipped into his mind. He gave pause and shook his head in disbelief at the very notion that he was not only about to entertain the thought, but also try his hand at executing it. He let out a sigh and buried his face into his fingers. With how things had been unraveled for him in the past, he never really had a choice in the matter, did he?

With a pseudo-new plan readily available, Draco carefully walked towards the guard and stopped a few yards short of his vision. Carefully rolling up the lewd magazine, he made sure to toss it where the Death Eater might be able to spot it. He stared at the guard for a few seconds and blinked, wondering if his estimation was wrong. Looking around, he picked up an empty can and filled it with some loose stones before throwing it near the erotic pamphlet.

"Huh? What was that?" the Death Eater narrowed his eyes in suspicion and walked away from his post to investigate the noise. "This is..."

As soon as Draco saw the Death Eater turn his attention to the magazine, the blonde immediately lunged forward from his hiding location and placed his opponent in a headlock. Using his right arm to hold the man's neck in place, he then shifted his body and placed his other one over his nose and mouth. He felt the body twitch a few times before lifelessly slumping in his hands.

This wasn't the appropriate time to rest. There were too many things to do and his window of opportunity was rather short. Dropping the unconscious body to the ground, Draco made sure to slip the Death Eater's robe off before putting it on himself. He then quickly transferred most of his belongings to black garb that he had donned. Squatting back down to the guard's body, the blonde carefully patted him down before finding the one item that he was looking for – the ration card.

Draco let out a yawn and stretched his arms into the air before lifting the unconscious body upon his shoulder. Dumping the Death Eater, he then grabbed the aforementioned person's arm before placing the dark mark against the access panel, temporarily disabling the intruder seeking wards and granting him permission for a limited time period. The Malfoy heir paused and closed his eyes, contemplating his next decision.

"I haven't cast a spell in a while, so I shouldn't suffer from any backlash." Draco let out a deep breath before picking up the fallen Death Eater's wand. Pointing it at the unconscious individual, he then used an Obliviate on him before disposing of the wooden stick. Nonchalantly shrugging, he calmly walked into the building before feeling the wards activate the security parameters again.

There was a reason why, even if they were in Magical Britain, most people placed a self-restricted taboo on the usage of magic. Even if, by some chance, the charm did not suppress the appropriate memory, the 'magic-punishing' creature would sniff out the remnants of the spell being used and quickly migrate to the area. These monsters that were labeled as 'Evolved' were not something that wizards were normally capable of handling. Blindly running into one without proper preparation would only lead to a fruitless death.

Shaking his head, the first thing that Draco noticed was that it was a very dark and musky area. The air hardly seemed clean and the atmosphere reminded him more of Knockturn Alley than a rest stop. He wasn't sure why, but he found it hard to get comfortable or to properly draw in breath. Swiping at the air in front of his face, he grimaced and took hold of his left forearm. Still, out of everything that they could've recreated or preserved, the people of this town had decided to pick a bar.

"A goddamn bloody pub? Well, a bit of shade and cover would do well for me I suppose…"

Draco did his best to avoid any unnecessary contact with another person, keeping his head and posture low while hurrying over to the darkest and most isolated corner of the room. Letting out a sigh, he then brought over an unused stool and sat down upon it. It wasn't the most comfortable of settings, but it was better than what he had been doing the last couple of days – running.

After waiting and failing to detect his contact, Draco decided to take a breather and briefly rest on one of the unused rooms of the pub.

Draco let out a soft yawn and stretched his arms while cracking the tense muscles on the side of his neck. The nap had certainly done its job of reinvigorating his body and his spirit. He was also pleasantly surprised to find that nobody had come around to bother him, or even mug him during his brief period of inactivity. Even though he wanted to sleep a bit more, he knew that he had to start moving again. It was too dangerous for him to stay in one place for an elongated period of time.

Sneaking back to the main 'hub' area of the pub, Draco once again situated himself at the corner of a dark corner. Rubbing the back of his neck, the blonde looked around before crossing his arms while arching his back against a wall. He reached into his pocket and rummaged around before taking out a cigarette and shoved it into his mouth. If there was one thing he had to admit, it was that if the Muggles done anything right, then it was this thing that they called a smoke. These were one of the rare habits that he had managed to acquire from observing and emulating the Muggleborns. Kicking his feet back, he shuffled around for a lighter when he found his brief moment of reprieve being brought to a halt by a silky and familiar voice close to his ear.

"You're late, Mr. Malfoy."

Not wanting to take any more risks, Draco unsheathed his wand and pointed the tip of it at the speaker. Staring at the other man with a cool and calm demeanor, he collected his wits and responded, "Prove to me that you are who you say you are and not just someone who has morphed themselves to look like you, Snape."

"Very well," the former Potions professor replied as he nodded. "Though I hope you realize that this exercise is futile; if I were able to identify you from a distance, then I could've easily had you captured or disposed of – that is, if it were my intentions."

Snape saw that his godson was not moving an inch so he decided to give him the information that he wanted. "As I recall, you came up to my office and complained about being transformed into a ferret…"

"Enough," Draco hissed back as a light tint of red crept up to his cheeks. Clearing his head, he opened his mouth and was about to dispute the man's claims of his tardiness but thought better of it. There was no time for him to waste. "I lost track of time and had to avoid traveling on certain roads if I wanted to keep my head on my shoulders."

Not bothering to linger on the subject, Snape raised an eyebrow before commenting, "I'm surprised that you know what those are. Cigarettes Mr. Malfoy?"

Draco shrugged while he replied back, "It's much better than a calming drought..." pausing, he then added, "...tastes better too."

The two paused in their conversation when a few people passed by their position and only continued when they were left alone.

"So, how is my mother doing?"

"Draco," Snape began to say, steering the conversation to a different topic. "I believe I have a temporary solution for your troubles."

Draco knew that Snape was avoiding the question, but he knew that time was short and that there wasn't any time to spare for pleasantries. Still, it would've been nice to get an update on his family – especially his mother. Nodding, Draco motioned for him to continue.

"Come to Hogwarts with me," Snape said in a matter-of-fact tone.

"Huh?" was the most intelligible response that Draco could come up with when he heard the answer. "Could you care to repeat that, because I could've sworn that my godfather was suggesting something absurd."

"I said for you to accompany me when I go to school."

"Yeah, I thought that's what you said and what I to ask you is, are you out of your bloody mind? Do you not remember what happened there?" Draco stopped himself before gritting his teeth and continued, "Well, no, of course you do, you were the one that performed it. But bloody hell, you think they'll just let you waltz right back in after everything you and I have done? You know that the Light is also out to capture me, right? Wait, is that what you were going to do? Was that your plan all along?"

As soon as he said this, Draco attempted to leave his seat but Snape swiftly grabbed him by the shoulder and shook his head. "You would do well to remember that we aren't exactly in the friendliest of places. Besides, do you not remember the oath that I swore to your mother? The pull of the spell is still ringing inside of me, so no; the thought of betraying you or abandoning you did not cross my mind."

When Draco sat back down on the stool, Snape pressed on further. "As I was saying, Hogwarts is considered a neutral ground by both the Light and Dark and it is still headed by McGonagall. Now, how long it will remain as such is a mystery even to me, but it would appear as though both the Dark Lord and the Light Side are in agreement to leave it alone."

The ex-potion professor then cocked an eyebrow, "I will go first to explain the situation and ensure your safety. The only thing you will have to do is most likely disarm yourself of your wand and cooperate with the forces that have taken residence inside of the school."

Draco scratched his head in frustration. There were so many questions going through his mind and it didn't help that it was Snape's instructions that he was following the entire time. He knew about his godfather being a double agent for both the Light and Dark, but, which side did he truly favor, he wondered. Was he merely being assisted and held in this position until he could be used to garner further support from either side?

Draco wanted to throw everything away, reject the proposal, and simply walk out of the dirty bar. However, he already knew that the decision was made for him, again, without his consent. Could he say that he truly had a choice in the first place? How long could he survive by trying to avoid both sides of the war on his own?

Rubbing the base of his nose, he then muttered, "Alright then… what's the plan? At least give me something so I can have a rough guideline as to what you want to do. I'm not going in there like a blind Gryffindor; Merlin knows how that ever works out for those idiots."

---

Two people popped out from the Floo Network; one was an unknown masked entity, and the other was the former Potions professor, Severus Snape. McGonagall coolly greeted the two, crossing her arms in a defensive position and stared at them suspiciously.

"Well, Severus, what brings you here?" Her tone was bitter and cold. "You realize that I'm only giving you this chance because of what you've told me. I have yet to see proof of your supposed allegiance to Albus' cause."

"Minerva," Snape calmly began, meeting her gaze unflinchingly, "I don't have much time to stay, there's much work at hand, and the Dark Lord requires it to be finished. But speaking of the deceased Headmaster, grab a Pensieve and I shall share that particular memory with you later, but for now, I have some news to share."

"Ah yes," McGonagall dryly retorted back, her voice laced with venom, "I'll view it at my own disposition, but I'm willing to bet that he said some nonsense about the greater good and trying to see the good in everyone and how everyone deserves a second chance, am I correct in this?"

The spy's face betrayed nothing. "If you already know, then you should realize that I had to do what was necessary for his plans to come to fruition."

"Even at the cost of his life while making you do it, Severus?"

"Plans can always change," Snape coolly replied back, his unchanging demeanor holding steadfast. Walking over to one of the living portraits, the double-agent stared at it for a moment, ignoring the tightening tension inside the room. Taking a deep breath, he opted to continue carrying the conversation.

"More than anything he wanted to keep his students, all of them, from going down the wrong path."

"Students? The only ones I can think of that were in any jeopardy are your snakes, Severus," McGonagall's shakily responded. It was clear from the visible strains from her neck that her patience was being stretched quite thin.

"Especially your godchild that you pander and dote on so much, Draco Malfoy. I wouldn't be surprised if he joined ranks with his father and is causing havoc at this very minute." The headmistress' quiet, yet stern voice bellowed within the room, any thought of light pleasantries being replaced by caustic bitterness. It would only take a single comment from the other speaker to ignite the underlying tension.

"He deserves a second chance, he didn't know what he was doing," Snape said with no regard to the atmosphere. It was either he cared not for the situation or was ignorant of the atmosphere, but regardless he boldly pushed the conversation forward.

"Who? You mean that child, Draco?" McGonagall exploded in an uncharacteristically intense manner. It was unnatural for her to lose her cool, and yet all the stress and anxiety that had piled up finally manifested itself. "He's main reason that our school was attacked in the first place! If it wasn't for that boy-"

"I can tell you first hand, Minerva," Snape coolly said with a slight rise to his voice, "That when the Dark Lord sets his sights upon you and gives you a task to accomplish, you're given no choice but to comply."

McGonagall grimaced at the implications and let out a tiresome sigh. The added weight of all responsibilities in the short period of time had seemingly added a few years to the Headmistress.

"You know that Albus would've done anything for the safety of his students."

The Headmistress mulled the information, wanting to state an opposition but knew that Snape was correct in his assertion. Relenting to this fact, she shook her head and muttered about the follies of her action. Before she could relax, she pointed to the other Death Eater and asked, "Are you sure it was safe for you to reveal everything that you've told me here?"

She then looked at the still, masked individual standing behind Snape. "You know, you still haven't answered the question, Severus. What brings you and your fellow Death Eater here?"

The former professor took a quick glance backward and smoothly drawled, "Minerva, I won't do anything that requires me asking an oath of you, however, I want your word that no harm comes to this person while they are to stay at Hogwarts."

This raised McGonagall's curiosity as she pursed her lips, replying brusquely, "Have you gone mad Severus? How could you possibly think that keeping a Death Eater near the students here would be a good idea?"

Snape merely raised his arm and gave a nod to the aforementioned masked individual came forward. McGonagall made haste to her wand, keeping it readily available in the case of an attack. Instead, the only thing that occurred was the unveiling of the face that hid behind the mask.

Draco Malfoy.

Draco noticed that his former Headmistress had tightened her grip on the wand—knuckles whitening, arms shaking, eyes shuttering. If he wasn't standing next to his godfather with the assurance that he would be kept safe throughout the meeting, he would've immediately sprung into action. However, keeping the words in mind, along with his own series of promises, he silently sat down on the chair, waiting for McGonagall's next response.

"This... this is madness..." McGonagall muttered to herself, slumping down in a chair. It appeared as though she was contemplating her previous decision and was unable to make up her mind. It was only mere seconds that ticked off the clock, but to Draco, they felt like an eternity.

Bullocks.

Draco mentally cursed at himself. He hated the precarious situation that he was currently placed in. He had learned an early, harsh lesson during the time that he had spent being on the run whilst trying to survive. Never allow yourself to become confined without having the option to escape. It was an excruciating lesson, one that he had locked away in his mind, and also something that he kept close to his heart to ensure that it would not be repeated again. Hence his desire to escape from the room at the very moment.

If it wasn't for his godfather promising him that this place would provide him a warm meal and a safe place to nap, he never would have taken up the offer. He allowed bodily temptation to override his instincts. Now, all he could do was waiting for judgment to pass upon him by the woman that had replaced Dumbledore.

The Malfoy heir closed his eyes, leaning back in his chair. He figured that at best, she would kick him out of the school, forcing him to go back to the dangers of the street; which was fine with him. Worst case scenario was that both he and Snape would be taken by the Order, never to see the light of day again. Draco waited with bated breath as he noticed that McGonagall was finally ready to announce her decision.

"I'll do my best to create an arrangement for Mr. Malfoy's temporary stay here at Hogwarts," she finally said in her usual professionally stern tone. "However, there are some conditions that I want him to agree upon, or else, I'll have no choice but to hand him over to the Order."

Before Draco could tell her to stuff the offer, he was cut-off by his godfather answering for him, "Of course Minerva, what're the conditions?"

"First of all, I've called in an additional person to join us for this meeting. Arthur, could you please come over now?"

Draco sighed as he buried his face in his hands and muttered something inaudible under his breath. Once again, he was stripped of the right to make this decision and now he was facing the consequences of being a prisoner for the Order. Dread began to fill his senses as he heard the telltale signs of the Floo coming alive. He knew that he couldn't blame anyone except himself for agreeing to come to the school in the first place.

Now it was only a matter of them organizing his prison sentence without his consent.

[She told me that the group talked about a few more things, the contents itself could not be found, but I was also told that they were not important]

Draco yawned while stretching his arms in the air and leaned back against the chair, unloading his feet upon the nearby desk. Aside from a few safety stipulations, for both himself and the students, there wasn't much that they demanded from him. It went against all expectations and frankly it was a nice surprise. Sure, McGonagall was going to temporarily confiscate his wand, and he had to be in his Death Eater mask at all times. But it was a small sacrifice that he was making in exchange for a chance to rest his weary body. He wasn't going to admit it, but all the running and traveling that he was doing had started to wear thin on his sanity.

It was going to be a short reprieve, but he was going to make the most of it.

"Minerva, there's still some information that I'll share about the Dark Lord's plan." All eyes turned to Snape. "You-Know-Who is going to invade Hogwarts and transform it into a school like Durmstrang, at least similar to it in its darkest times."

The occupants in the room stared in disbelief as they digested the information that was given to them. Arthur was the first one to break the tension as he piped up, "We have to do something about this! I'll call some members of the Order so that we can resist this movement. We also need to start doing some kind of evacuation plan and maybe have-"

Snape whipped out his wand and pointed it at the Weasley patriarch. "You will do no such thing," he sneered. "As Minerva already knows, I only divulged such information under strict confidentiality. You must realize that if we're to take any visible action on this plan, then there will be consequences; very dire consequences."

Arthur mimicked the movement, brandishing his wand and aiming it at Snape's face. "We can't just leave the children here! There's no doubt that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named is going to do such unimaginably horrible things to everyone here. No, forget that, think about the children!"

The Malfoy heir looked at the tense exchange between the two men and wondered if he would bear witness to some spectacular bloodshed. It wouldn't surprise him if the fight extended to those that were outside of the room. Draco fished around his robe and tightly gripped his wand as he eyed the former Transfiguration professor. Even if he got the first move on her, would he be quick enough to make any difference? His mind went beyond the fight and wondered if he would be able to use this commotion to escape Hogwarts.

However, before the tension could escalate to such proportions, Snape answered in an almost bored voice, "You-Know-Who is not a proponent of simply murdering off a single population of our world. He may have a lot of negative connotations attached to his being, but if the one attribute that you cannot use against him is that of his intellect."

This time, it was McGonagall that spoke up. "Severus? What're you trying to say...?"

Snape shook his head and slowly started to lower his arm. "Yes, people do fear the magnitude of power that he holds, however, that one emotion is not enough to capture people's hearts. You have to realize that he's quite intelligent and charismatic as well, good enough to hold a permanent sway in a human's heart. He pulls you in with his words, charms you with his aura, and blindly gets you drunk in the vast pool of his dark magic."

Draco looked away as he heard the description of the Dark Lord come forward. As much as he wanted to deny the words coming out from his godfather's mouth, he knew that there was truth to what he was saying. The overwhelming feeling that crushed his senses was fear, and he would say that it was because of this that he had been forced to go through with his regretful actions. But the reality of the situation was that a part of his subconsciousness wanted to obey and please the Dark Lord—to be the sole focus of the man's praise.

Maybe that was why his aunt Bellatrix became insane.

"The only people he has murdered," he continued, "were those that opposed him and the child of the prophecy." He quirked an eyebrow as he added, "Yes, people that continue to stay on neutral territory are eventually considered to be the enemy as they're given plenty of warnings by both him and the Death Eaters. And indeed, Death Eaters have murdered and tortured those that might be considered innocents, but the Dark Lord has not strayed from what I've mentioned."

The leap in logic was mad, yet brilliant, and Draco could see McGonagall and Arthur, struggling to contradict the argument. The double agent quipped up before anyone could provide a counterpoint. "Back to the original discussion. Nobody here will make mention of the upcoming invasion; but, there's a small issue that must be dealt with."

"Severus..." McGonagall said in a slightly shaky voice, "Tell me... just how well known are those that are involved in the Order? Those that are part of the light side?"

"That is why I'm here. As long as they are to follow the guideline that the Dark Lord will place in this school, the children here would be safe from any harm. You as well, Minerva, have not been placed on any list and will be considered as a neutral party when Hogwarts gets taken. However, I do know of a particular person that will be in dire straits if they were to continue to stay here."

The blonde jumped up from his chair when he heard Arthur slam his fist onto the wooden desk. Just the fact that the Weasley patriarch had physically demonstrated a modicum of duress was telling of just the amount of inner frustration the man must be feeling. There was no time for contemplation as Draco was able to ascertain the immediate danger this news would have upon his welfare.

Arthur sighed and rubbed his eyes. "Yes," he sounded defeated. "As much as I hate to agree with you, if the Death Eaters and the Dark Lord know of their identity, then she certainly isn't safe here for much longer."

The mention of a female piqued his ears, bringing Draco's attention immediately back to the conversation. There was someone here that was so important that they were personally identified? He wondered what this person had done that would draw such consideration. Was she a former Death Eater that was in a similar position as himself? Could it be a woman that held some type of damning secret? Now that his curiosity had been touched, he needed for it to be quenched.

There were some suggestions as to what they would do to solve this particular predicament. Members of the Order would be unable to assist as they would not arrive in time, and also they were thin on manpower and could not afford to bring any extras for the moment. Arthur was also unable to do anything as he had to finish an important assignment before the next meeting.

"Then how about we have Mr. Malfoy escort her to the meeting point? The way I see it, this will solve most of the problem that we have right now."

Draco rolled his eyes when the room deteriorated into another cacophony of babbling arguments. Even though they were supposed to be responsible adults, all they managed to do was continuously waste time. He knew that it was time for him to stop staying back and to be proactive with his own involvement. So far, most decisions had been made for him, without his thought or input, especially when he would be directly associated with the choice. The Malfoy heir took matters into his own hand as he raised his wand and asked in a loud and clear voice.

"Would it be good enough if I took a magical oath? I'd like to get a meal and take a nap before I run out of time and have to leave."

This had the intended effect that Draco wanted as silence reigned supreme. He looked into his godfather's eyes, imagining the long tirade that he would have to suffer through. However, it never came as the only words that came were, "You sure?"

Draco paused for a second and carefully chose his words before replying, "From what I understand is that I can't be trusted with such a task, considering my past history. Instead of wasting time trying to figure something else out, I'll give a magical oath upon the safe deliverance of this person. Wouldn't that be alright?"

The Headmistress exhaled and shook her head before saying, "Mr. Malfoy, as much as I despise your previous behavior and cannot find myself to forgive you for your transgressions, nonetheless, we are forced to entrust you with this task." There was a small pause before she continued, "However, if I so much as hear that harm came her way through your hands, then not even Merlin or the binding contract of the magical oath will save you from me, understood?"

Draco held his tongue, knowing that this was not the time to be making any of his usual snide remarks. His survival instincts were screaming at the presence of the woman in front of him, the powerful witch that Dumbledore had trusted to be one of his close advisers. Still, his desire to know who this person had now reached its apex. Who was this person that was able to pull out such a powerful and maternal emotion from this woman?

He couldn't wait to meet this influential individual.

"Arthur," McGonagall said as she turned to him, "I'll stay behind to ensure the binding of the magical oath, and that he fulfills his end of the bargain for his stay at Hogwarts. I know how busy you are, so please find the Head Boy and forward a message to him for me."

"And I must be on my way, Minerva, take care. Until next time," Snape said as he used the Floo system to leave Hogwarts ground.

---

The Great Hall was bereft of its usual multitude of giggling school children and the jovial mood that permeated the huge room. All that remained were a handful of students that were all closely sitting together, the mood being quite somber and tense.

"...Greengrass?"

"Merlin! You kidding me? I would definitely want to have a chance at going into the broom closet with her, I probably wouldn't mind trying to go beyond just a snog, you know, with the war going and all. Never know when you have another chance, right?"

Of course, no matter how strained the atmosphere might be, there were some that didn't take the situation too seriously.

"Okay, that one was easy, what about...Parkinson?"

"What, you mean Pansy Parkinson? That one girl who clung to Draco everywhere he went? I'm willing to bet she followed him into the bathroom and even helped the little bugger wank-off at night."

One of them eye-rolled before continuing, "Well? You didn't answer the question, would you, or would you not?"

"I'm not THAT desperate Justin."

The two of them began to snicker before a female interrupted their conversation.

"Hey now, that's not nice guys."

This time, Kevin rolled his eyes and replied, "Oh come off it Parvati, you know what a nasty bitch she's been for the entire time that she's been attending Hogwarts. Why would you try to stick up for her?"

Parvati shook her head, "It's just that...I feel sorry for her, you know? I've known her since we were kids, and she's had everything planned out for her. She's basically been groomed to be a pureblood housewife, you know? You do know that there's a reason for her being so obsessed with Draco, right?"

While the two boys stared intently at Parvati and shook their heads in unison, another more sensible conversation was taking place on the other side of the table.

"You alright, Hermione?" Neville frowned, looking at the Head Girl. "You're unnaturally quiet today."

There were numerous things running through her mind, most of them revolving around the war itself. Of course, she couldn't voice any of her concerns as she knew that most of the school population unconsciously looked towards her as a source of support. Even if it felt as though most of the student body was going through the motions of school, it was better than having a panic attack seize them.

"Ah, I'm just thinking about the Runes essay that's due soon. Don't worry, I'll be fine Neville."

Hermione managed to smile back at her friend as she stared back down at the textbook that she had brought with her to the Great Hall. Her friends meant well, but they couldn't provide her comfort in the same depth that her two best friends could.

The problem was in the fact, aside from Harry, none of them had Voldemort before his revival, so the news of his triumphant return had shocked them. Sure, some had been serviceable when they went to the Department of Mysteries, and when the Death Eaters broke into Hogwarts. Those were under circumstances when Dumbledore was still alive; a situation totally different from the current scenario where a full-fledged war was waging without the oversight of the powerful wizard.

Ginny, Luna, Seamus, and Dean had soon joined them at the table and they attempted to make small talk. She was appreciative of their efforts, but it greatly irked her that they were trying to have a conversation, all while skirting around the main issue that was plaguing everyone's mind. It was times like this that she missed having Ron's blunt nature to push these sensitive topics to the front.

Hermione sighed when she recalled that the Order meeting was the last time she had a proper interaction with him. She didn't know if, or when she would see him again, and she didn't like how they had departed on a bad note.

"We've been through so much, we really shouldn't have fought there but...he can just be so infuriating sometimes!" Hermione thought to herself. Closing her eyes, she rubbed the base of her temples before shaking her head. With that being said, the next time they met, she would apologize to him properly, and maybe after that, they could...

"...is what I heard happened the past hour or so."

The bushy-haired witch blinked a few times as the rumor flew past her ears. Usually, she paid little heed to such gossip since her mental acquisitiveness could not bother to retain puerile information. However, she had collected enough words swimming around the rumor mill to have her mind become piqued by this one.

"Wait, could you repeat that Seamus?"

The Irish wizard shrugged repeated the circulating gossip, "So...I heard from Cho, who heard from another fifth-year Hufflepuff, who then overheard from a painting, who just so happened to get this information from a ghost, that Snape had somehow brought a group of Death Eaters to Professor McGonagall's office and had taken her out!"

Hermione couldn't help but roll her eyes since that was one of the more absurd ones that she had heard thus far. If the Headmistress of Hogwarts went down, then all of the school would know of it. She bit her tongue as she knew that there was always some sort of truth hidden in these wild theories.

"Well, it was said from the vineyard of Nargles, and told by the Wrackspurts, that a double-sided Galleon that was lost with debts was going to be collected by an angel. An angel of death~"

None of those that were sitting at the table bothered to ask or translate what the girl meant and merely chalked it up to Luna simply being Luna. Hermione looked over to Ginny and raised an eyebrow hoping that the signal was enough of a cue for her to start.

"I'll just tell you everything since I'm just as confused as the rest of you guys. Basically, it's agreed that Snape was inside of the office, having a meeting with Professor McGonagall."

Hermione allowed a smile to grace her lips when she heard the red-headed Weasley go into 'gossip mode'. Ginny had the rare gift of taking all the gossip floating around the school and retelling it in a comprehensible manner.

"It's not clear if he went in alone or brought a group with him inside, but I do know that all they had was a meeting. Heck, if our Headmistress really did get killed then I think everyone inside the school would know, right?"

Hermione nodded in agreement when the youngest Weasley managed to voice her previous thought.

"It could also be said that members of the Order were ready for this, and they are now holding them for interrogation so that there could be a final confrontation with You-Know-Who."

She could tell that this was going to get out of hand and fast. Not wanting the conversation to deter any further, Hermione cleared her throat as she asked an innocent question. "So, did you get any news back from Harry?"

Just the mention of her boyfriend gave way to a subtle shift in Ginny's jovial mood. The change itself was quite small and hard to recognize since, at least outwardly, there was nothing to indicate that the subject was bothering her. However, after being in the constant company of the red-head, she had come to identify some of these signs. A slight sagging of the shoulders, a light blush of the cheeks, and the unfocused dilation of the pupils. No matter how hard the youngest Weasley tried to assure the group that she was 'fine' with the situation, Hermione knew that she was anything but what she had claimed.

"So," Hermione said, listening to Ginny wrap up the summary of the rumor mill. "The only thing that can be ascertained from this is that there is a 50% probability that Snape is, or was here, and that the office was used as the main location."

There was one thing that stopped her from claiming this as a fact, and that was how the traitorous murderer had come back to Hogwarts. Not only that, but he presumably had a meeting with McGonagall. If she were to presuppose that the previous statements were true, then what had happened between those two? She was missing a crucial piece of information, and she wasn't going to simply accept the fact that the former professor had somehow been able to waltz back to the scene of the crime with no repercussion.

"Hey Hermione, the Headmaster... I mean Headmistress McGonagall wants to see you."

She had been drawn out of her mind when she saw the Head Boy hand her a piece of paper, "Thanks, Anthony." She stood up from the table as she turned to her friends, "I'll see you guys in class later."

She began to make her way to the office with many thoughts and scenarios circulating in her mind. However, she was going to quell her Gryffindor tendencies and allow her inner Ravenclaw to manifest itself this time. She would gather all the facts first before giving in to her impulses. For now, she would trust McGonagall to be safe and that all of what she had gathered was just that - rumor.

Hermione unfolded the paper and read the password etched onto it before repeating it to the gargoyle. Making her way up the stairs, she then knocked on the door before hearing a familiar, matriarchal voice call out, "You may come in."

!

As soon as Hermione entered the room, she got into an alert stance, pointing her wand at the Death Eater that was standing off to the side. She had to give credit to everyone that was involved in keeping the gossip system alive, it seemed like there was some substance to these things after all. Still, this didn't make any sense to her. If the enemy had breached Hogwarts again, then why wait for her to make an entrance? Also, above all else...

Where was McGonagall?

Imbuing her wand with magic, Hermione gave it a flick before casting a Protego and cautiously stared at the nearby Death Eater. She found it strange that this one hadn't bothered to prepare or even take out their wand. Whatever the reason may be, it seemed that this one was underestimating her.

"Where's the Headmistress?" Hermione asked in a desperate tone, getting herself ready to immobilize the enemy. "I asked you where she is, you-"

"That's enough Ms. Granger," McGonagall's voice sharply cut in before she was able to finish casting the spell. Looking slightly confused, Hermione looked over at the speaker and noticed that her favorite professor was still alive, and breathing. Letting out a sigh of relief, the young woman put her wand down and placed her hand on her hips.

"You do not have to concern yourself over this one as he's a mercenary that was called here to help us with a few things. The...mask is merely a cover that he is using for safety purposes. Anyways, I called you here to go over some major plots which would directly affect you."

The disguised wizard leaned back against the wall and crossed his arms before growling low in his throat, "Thank Salazar for the strong wards in Hogwarts. I'll leave you two alone for now, but I want to redo the deal since I had no idea I'd be dealing with... her."

Hermione held her tongue and ignored the rude remark while she waited for the mercenary to leave the room. Letting out an exasperated sigh, she shook her head and said "I can't believe that you'd be hiring such a rude fellow to be helping you! Why don't you just use one of the members of the Order to come and assist you with this problem?"

"I'll tell you all I can within the allotted time period. But for now, Ms. Granger, please have a seat and listen to what I have to say."

As the witch took a seat on one of the chairs, she stared in wonder at McGonagall. She had just seen her not long ago, but the time that had elapsed between then and now seemed to have aged her favorite professor considerably. The war was definitely taxing, both physically and mentally, on many people, and it didn't help that there was no immediate end in sight.

"Professor? Is everything alright? Did something happen to Harry and Ron? Could I help you with anything?"

McGonagall let out a long, exasperated breath as she turned her attention to the young woman before responding, "There are many things that I have to share with you, including some news that I was able to receive from an informant."

Hermione watched her former Head of House take out two cups as a kettle poured hot tea into them. Giving her appreciation for the warm beverage, she gave it a small sip as she waited for more information to come towards her.

"Did you know Ms. Granger, that one of the main reasons I stayed behind and kept this school open was to give you students a place to call a safe haven? I had hoped that this sanctuary would last until the war was finished and that none of you would be exposed to any of the dangers outside. But, it seems as though I've failed in this endeavor, for I've been told that either some Death Eaters of his inner circle or even He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named will finally come and bring down the wards."

It was not a matter of 'if' but 'when', as she already knew that they had previously infiltrated Hogwarts. The gravity of the situation and the significance behind it quickly hit her as she stood up from the chair.

Almost as if she had used an art from the field of divination, McGonagall sadly smiled as she shook her head. "No Ms. Granger, the school will not put up any resistance to the upcoming invasion from the Dark Lord. This has already been discussed, but for the sake of all those that are involved, Hogwarts will not put up any opposition. However, that is not the cause of my consternation, as I have been assured that the children and teachers here will go relatively unharmed."

There was a moment of a peaceful lull between the two, with McGonagall spending some time sipping her tea before finally saying, "I'm sorry Ms. Granger, I truly am. I wish I could keep you in Hogwarts but..."

A spark of outrage clipped at the corner of Hermione's senses as she slammed her hands down on the table. "What? Why must I retreat? I wish to stay here and help support you! Even if we aren't going to fight, surely I should be staying here as that was the original agreement that I had with Ron and Harry. I refuse; I won't abandon you or those inside of Hogwarts. I am not going to be the only one running away from You-Know-Who."

"Please calm down," McGonagall gently said, her lips beginning to quiver. "There are so many things that have changed or become warped due to the war. I had really hoped that I could keep you sheltered until it was safe for you to go outside again. The reason why you must run from this building is because of who you are. Although some of the Order members are still operating under anonymity, the more prominent ones have had their identities discovered by the dark side."

"So then..."

The Transfiguration professor walked over to the brilliant-minded Gryffindor and wrapped her in a hug. "I am so sorry... not only did I fail Albus and all of the school, but I have also failed you. Please forgive me..."

Hermione couldn't help but shake and lightly sob into McGonagall's robes, while she tightly clutched onto her. What could she say at this point? Yes, she was frustrated at the fact that she was the one that would be retreating to safer grounds while everyone else around her would be fighting. However, realizing the painstaking lengths that she must've gone through, and sacrificed, then for all of the efforts to be in vain. It must've been equally painful for her professor to admit her failures.

After the solemn and depressing period had passed, they wiped the tears from their eyes as the elderly woman slowly detached from her student.

"Now Ms. Granger, there are many things I must fill you in before your eventual retreat. However, I do believe that we have kept the mercenary outside waiting for quite some time and if the briefing is correct, then that person will want to eat and rest before his mission. So please guide him to the kitchen and then to the temporary guest room. Once you are finished, please return to the office, and we can further discuss this situation."

Hermione simply nodded after receiving the instructions and began to leave, when she heard the former Head of Gryffindor house speak, "Oh yes, I forgot to mention that the mercenary will be the one to help keep you safe once you are outside the walls of Hogwarts."

---

"I heard of the circumstances that have placed your services at our disposal, and I am... grateful for it." The pause was strenuous and the giving of thanks sounded forced. "I uh... I will take you to the kitchen and ask the house elves to make some food for you if that sounds agreeable with you mister...?"

The masked mercenary's eyes were unmoving, looking straight at the speaker without betraying a hint of his emotions. It was hard to tell just what he was thinking as he stood in the dark corner of the hallway, unwilling to budge an inch.

"Listen here," Draco growled back at Hermione, his voice dissimulating that of its usual timbre and tone. "Remember that this is just a job for me. Nothing more, nothing less. The only thing I have to do is keep you alive, so piss off with that jovial attitude, princess."

Usually, she was able to brush off such rude remarks since they were petty and beneath her notice. However, for some reason, Hermione was unable to ignore the scathing tone of the mercenary. It was most likely a combination of her meeting with McGonagall, and feeling emotionally drained from the day's event, but she was not in the right state of mind to deal with this sort of attitude.

"Look, you daft pillock," Hermione irately stated back. "I don't know what your problem is, and I don't like this situation any more than you do. But if you are going to be doing this job, then it should be professional courtesy to at least be tolerable to the client, do you not think so?"

It took a while before the disguised Malfoy heir peeled himself away from the wall and grunted back, "Dragon."

"What?"

"Name. Dragon." It was curt and to the point, which Draco hoped allowed him to avoid further unnecessary interactions with the Mudblood. Shaking his head, he began to walk down the hallway.

Hermione was about to once again open her mouth in objection when she second-guessed herself and squinted in the direction the mercenary was going. She had seen him unarmed so there was no real danger to any of the students in the school. It was when she noticed him maneuvering around Hogwarts and going straight for the portrait that made her take note of this person. His fluid movements through the corridors indicated to her the familiarity that he had with the school.

"Hold on, who are you?"

Draco closed his eyes muttering, "For Salazar's sake..." before waving her off while responding, "Dragon." A sigh escaped from his lips before he started to reach into the inner pockets of his robe when he felt the tip of a wand dangerously close to his face.

"Granger..." he threateningly hissed, "What is the meaning of this?"

"Just what do you think you're doing?" Hermione said in an accusatory tone.

The blonde wizard raised his free arm in the air to indicate his position of surrender. He slowly extracted the other ligament to unveil a black card. The same ration card that he had managed to steal from the patrol officer before arriving at Hogwarts.

"What...what is that?" the witch asked as her curiosity was beginning to get the better of her. "Are you trying to pay with a credit card or something?"

Draco found the question absolutely preposterous. How could anyone survive without depending on one of these things? Easily getting frustrated by such a simple question he snapped back, "Don't tell me you don't know what a ration card is? For fuck's sake, you can't eat without having one of these things."

Hermione shook her head as she answered, "Hogwarts provides for its students just like it usually does. Well, the amount isn't the usual standard of the piles of food that we're used to, but I don't think many people have an appetite these days."

He desperately wanted her to tell him that this was all a cruel joke that the Mudblood was playing just to see his reaction. However, he could tell that she wasn't kidding, and this alarmed him. Just how sheltered and covered was she from how the world operated now? He hoped that much of this could be clarified, along with the renegotiation of the oath.

"I never signed up for this," Draco spat out as he didn't bother waiting for the vile female to open the portrait. "I'm going back to Prof- I mean McGonagall and going to talk to her about this. I was tricked."

When he started to walk away, Hermione quipped in. "Oh! I was told that she would be quite busy and wouldn't be able to take guests and visitors. She told me that if you were concerned about this deal, then to remind you that you did this from your own discernment."

The Malfoy heir gritted his teeth in frustration as he heard a hint of mockery in that statement. He knew that he had nobody else to blame except himself for this predicament. Draco had a mission to fulfill, but he would be damned if he continued to play by their rules, or anyone else's. He wasn't sure how he was going to exact his revenge just yet, but he had plenty of time during the journey to plan something out.

Draco shook his head as he ran through his Occlumency, smoothing out his shields and ebbing out any unnecessary emotions from his mind. Sharply exhaling, he calmly fixed his mask and then informed her. "I'm a bit knackered, you mind pointing me to the private quarters where I shall be resting?"

"What about your food?"

The wizard shrugged before answering, "Leave it somewhere nearby, I'll eat it after I get some sleep." He knew that if he attempted to take his meal under the wretched Muggle-born's gaze, then he would quickly lose his appetite. As Draco started to take a few steps, he suddenly found himself unable to properly move his upper body, feeling something poke his spine.

"Please don't go off on your own; you aren't allowed any free movements within the walls of Hogwarts. Just to ensure your cooperation this time, I shall be guiding you from behind, so please Mister Dragon, make haste to the guest room."

Draco couldn't help but let out a small snort when he noticed what she was trying to imply. Rolling his eyes behind the mask, he begrudgingly began to make his way towards the particular section. The school must really be low on either enrollment or qualified individuals if they let a lowly Mudblood become Head Girl. Then again, if McGonagall became Headmistress of Hogwarts, then he could see her playing favorites and allowing her prodigal student to take up the particular mantle.

The walk was silent and short, yet filled with dread and anxiety for the young witch. While the two made their way around, Hermione constantly flicked her eyes through the hallways, ensuring that the corridors would be empty of any lingering souls. Luckily for the pair, that appeared to be the case as nobody bothered to interrupt them during this small trek. Draco made the final turn and patiently waited in front of a set of drapes for the Muggleborn to unveil and open the portrait.

As Hermione made her way around the masked mercenary, she gave the disguised young man a funny look and pulled aside the covers to reveal a portrait of an ancient tome. Leaning closely to the frame, she whispered the password causing the picture to whip to the side. She then jabbed the wand at the other teenager as he stumbled into the quarters.

"The room to the left is unlocked and has a ready-made bed there. You can either use that or the sofa in the main room. I shall have one of the elves bring up the food here. And as for me..." A smirk formed at the corner of her lips as she watched the portrait between them begin to close. "I believe the Headmistress still has some business to finish with me, so I shall be quite busy until then."

"Ah, where are my manners?" Hermione stopped in her tracks and called out, "Welcome to Hogwarts, I hope you enjoy your stay here, Dragon."

"Bloody Mudblood..." was the last thing Hermione heard as the picture frame sealed itself shut.

---

Draco couldn't help but let out a lazy yawn while he tiredly splayed his body on the sofa. He combed his fingers through his messy, damp hair and fiddled with the wet towel. It had felt like an eternity since he last took a shower, and, Merlin, did it feel incredible. Just the sensation of the water cleansing his body, even if it was temporary, was a luxury that he could not afford. The quiet emptiness of the room, combined with the lush furniture began to lull him toward a suspension of consciousness.

Pop!

The half-naked wizard hurriedly scrambled to his disguise before noticing a tray of warm food appearing near the table.

"Bloody house elf..." Draco murmured as he let out a sigh. Sitting back down on a chair, he rubbed the back of his head and stared at the meal before him. It was a simple mishmash of bread, potatoes, fish, and tomato soup. He took a bite out of the bread and swirled some of the chunky, red soup on his tongue, relishing the warmth.

A shower on top of a free meal.

"They had it quite easy," Draco snorted at the passing thought of just how oblivious they were to the forsaken world.

After the meal, he would check his inventory before going into the room to get some much-needed rest. Since he didn't have his wand readily handy he would have to be cautious in safeguarding his identity; at least until he was properly equipped and ready to handle any tantrums that she might throw. He took in some starch and protein while wondering how his parents were doing; not so much his father, but his mother.

Even though Lucius had fallen from both the favor of the Dark Lord and his position of the inner circle, Draco knew that his father was at least safe inside of the wretched hellhole that was Azkaban. His mother, on the other hand, was a different story. While she wasn't a huge proponent of the pureblood movement, she did have her own set of beliefs that she firmly wanted him to carry.

The family traditions of the Ancient and Noble House of both Black and Malfoy.

Letting out a sigh, Draco erased these tiresome thoughts from his mind before he started to stuff food down his throat.

---

Hermione frowned when she put the book down on the desk. There were so many more questions that she had concerning the war, yet she had been dismissed earlier than she would've liked. After receiving a history lesson on what had occurred between the revival of Voldemort, his declaration of war upon the Light side, and the damage that it had done upon the magical world, she had been given some warnings on what to expect once she stepped outside.

Don't carelessly use magic.
Don't turn your back to a stranger.
Don't ever lose hope.
And lastly, do trust the masked mercenary...to an extent.

None of these were expanded upon as the Headmistress was whisked away to another location, leaving the young witch to stew in her thoughts whilst studying upon the subject of Horcruxes. A twinge of anxiety knotted in the depths of her stomach. Goosebumps lightly tingled across her skin as she narrowly eyed the window. She didn't have to use magic to know that something was wrong.

"Tempus." Hermione checked the time as she hurried out of the classroom. Whipping her head around, she checked to see if there was anyone else hanging around the hallways. Even as her brain was still processing this 'mysterious' force, she let herself get carried by her legs. Before she was able to realize it, her legs had instinctively taken her to the Headmistress' office.

Knocking on the door, Hermione went into the room to find her favorite professor staring out of the window.

"You feel it as well?" she asked, coming around to stand by the Headmistress' side.

"Yes," McGonagall replied. Hermione could hear the undertone or worry in her voice. The Headmistress's hands were tightly gripping the rails and her eyes were entirely focused on studying the darkened clouds. "Something is wrong here, and I am not sure what it is."

The pair of witches stood by and looked out over the field, trying to gauge what the ominous feeling of foreboding was. Both of them suddenly caught a glimpse of an incandescent sphere of light heading towards them.

"What's that?" Hermione asked in wonder as she took a few steps back, the light bounding onto the walls before bursting into a stunning doe Patronus. Blinking a few times, she wanted to ask whose this brilliant corporal animal could be when she heard McGonagall speak up.

"That is our warning." The Headmistress shut her eyes and shuddered with dismay.

"They are coming, Minerva," a familiar male voice echoed. "Make haste, for they are coming." The shimmering Patronus disappeared as fast as it had appeared, erasing almost all traces of it inside the room.

McGonagall locked eyes with Hermione and gave her a grave stare. "Listen, Ms. Granger, I'll be alerting the other professors of this news and try to keep everything under control. You on the other hand..."

Hermione's eyes grew wide as she shook her head. "I changed my mind! Let me stay and help, I don't want anyone to be left behind at Hogwarts when the Dark Lord arrives."

"Quiet, Hermione," the older witch immediately hushed her. "Don't make this harder than it already is. Please, stick to the plan and escape while you still can."

The bushy-haired female bit her lower lip as she tore her eyes away from the Headmistress. She was right; this was no time to be playing the martyr. There was too much at stake for the Light for her to be caught here at Hogwarts.

"Here, Ms. Granger, inside of this storage box you will find necessary items that will help you on this journey. Some medical potions, ration cards, and a few other trinkets that may come in handy when the appropriate time comes. I have also placed the young man's wand in here."

Putting the container to one side, she desperately reached out and hugged her mentor. Wordlessly releasing her grip on McGonagall, she then nodded before leaving the office.

---

Knock knock knock

Silence.

Knock knock knock

Draco opened the door to the guest room as he stared at Hermione. She looked worse for wear, emitting a disheveled and worrisome body language. Still, it wasn't any of his concern, since he was merely 'hired' to guard her. Nothing more, nothing less. Straightening himself out, he crossed his arm before asking, "Is it time?"

The witch nodded as she discarded her robe and put a loose-fitting sweater over the rest of her clothes. Taking a deep breath, she then shakily responded, "Let's go Dragon."

The disguised Malfoy let out a 'tsk' as he grabbed hold of Hermione, briefly stopping her in her tracks.

"Ow! What are you doing? We have to hurry and leave now!"

Draco shook his head as he tightened his grip and hissed at her, "Are you bloody mad? You want me to leave these wards without a wand? If you want to step foot outside in this condition, then we might as well wait for the effing Dark Lord to kill us. Because there is no way—"

"Here," Hermione said, tossing the wand at the masked male. "Now, let's go, shall we? Headmistress McGonagall outlined a secret passage for us to use so that we can escape through one of the tunnels and come out onto the village."

As the Malfoy heir followed the girl, he couldn't help but ask, "Where?"

The young witch spun around as a door magically appeared before them, giving them entrance into the Room of Requirement.

"Hogsmeade."

[She confirmed that the two had managed to escape from the school]