"Why aren't you sending someone else, then, like Nott or Creevey for example?"
"Because they don't know the Other Side the way we do."
"Alright." Draco inched closer. "So why aren't you sending me?"
Hermione stared at him.
"Don't be ridiculous." She said
"Why is it ridiculous?" Draco said. "Don't you trust me?"
"Of course I trust you. But it's gotta be me."
"Then I'm coming with you-"
"NO!" Hermione said, a little too forcefully. "I can't let you come."
"Well, then-"
Draco whipped out a wand but Hermione was quicker. She sent it flying across the room with a disarming spell. It clattered to a rest, a long way away from them.
"Malfoy, don't." Hermione warned.
Draco folded his arms across his chest.
"You can't go. I'm not letting you."
"Excuse me?"
"I'm the heir to the Malfoy Manor, Granger. It listens to my command. All I have to do is snap my fingers and the whole place will be locked against you. Meaning, you won't be able to leave."
"So why haven't you done that already?"
"Because I wanted you to listen to reason, first."
"This is absurd. Stand aside or I'll hurt you."
"Go ahead." Draco looked at her, resolutely.
Hermione cursed. "Damn it, Malfoy. Why do you even care?"
Draco reached across and caught her wrist.
"For the same reason you won't send me, I should imagine," He said. "Or was I just a means to warm your lonely bed at night. With the weasel gone, did you just need someone to take care of your burning loi-"
Hermione flicked her wand and the side of his face stung. Draco cried out, but did not let go of her.
"Careful now, Malfoy. Have a care how you speak," She growled.
Draco turned back to her. "I apologise. But I'm still not letting you go."
Hermione sighed. "What do you want from me, Draco? Let go, or else, I'll-"
"Tell me why you won't send me, then. Because I don't think you really trust me. Because I think you've just been using me all along."
"Do you really think now is the best time for that sort of talk? You're just stalling me!"
"Maybe I am. You better make it fast, then."
"Fine! What do you want me to say?" Hermione snapped. "That I trust you? Because I do. That I care about you? I do that, too. I might even-"
She continued, "I can't have you go, Malfoy, because I'm actually afraid of losing you.
And because the mission, the Resistance, needs you," she said. "If anything were to happen to one of us, I'd much rather it be me."
Draco grabbed her by the shoulders.
"Damn you, Granger. Is the mission really all you think about? Would you die for it? Maybe I don't care about the mission. Maybe I care more about saving our own skins. About us."
Hermione gave a small smile. "I know."
She flicked her wand a second time.
Draco did not see it coming. He stiffened as the curse took effect, and proceeded to fall backwards.
Hermione slowed him with a spell so that he gently came to lie on the floor. Another spell, and he hovered towards his bed and fell against the pillows, bouncing as he did so.
"I'm sorry, Draco, but I have got to go".
Hermione knocked at his door, but didn't wait for an answer as she entered his room.
Draco was standing near his full-length mirror, and trying on a shirt. He turned to look at her as she came in.
"Look at you all dolled up."
"I'm attending the same party you are."
"I would hardly call listening to wizened old fools a party."
Draco watched her for a moment before turning back to the mirror in front of him.
"Not a scratch on you. You got off alright, then?"
"Kreacher helped."
"Looks like I needn't have worried about you."
Hermione didn't answer.
"That's alright. I won't bother in future," He said, starting to button up his shirt.
"I don't want you to stop. Not really."
"You have a funny way of showing it."
"I did what was necessary," she said, "Here, let me."
"That's alright. I got this."
Hermione looked hurt. "I deserve that, I suppose."
Draco sighed.
"You left me there on the cold hard floor-"
"I levitated you to your bed!"
"-while you went gallivanting off.
"That was a mission-"
"You tricked me! That's pretty ruthless. Ambitious, even." He said, and then announced, "Granger, you're more Slytherin than me."
Hermione snorted, but said nothing.
"It wasn't all a trick." She said, moving closer so as to face him.
"Which part?" He said, nonchalantly.
"Draco," Hermione said. "I needed you to stay. You're the only one here that I can actually trust-"
"Are you confessing to using me, then?" Draco interrupted.
"What? No!"
"But that didn't stop you from catching me off guard and casting the bloody body bind curse on me."
"That was necessary. You were trying to distract me from the mission!"
"Ah, yes. We all know how you love your mission." He said, addressing the room.
"I care about the Resistance, Draco," she hissed, grabbing his collar, so he would look at her, "because I want to make the world a better place. One where we could have a possible future."
"How noble of you."
"It's the truth!" Hermione almost tugged him closer.
Draco said nothing.
Looking down at his shirt, she started to button it herself.
Draco didn't stop her. He watched as her fingers worked across his chest.
No one spoke as Hermione finished them one by one. When they were all done, she carefully smoothened the shirt with her hand. Satisfied, she rested her palm on over his heart.
They looked at each other for a moment.
"Do you, err, think a lot about, you know, us, then?" Draco asked, his voice soft.
"Sometimes. But most times, I just wake up in a cold sweat and wonder what I'd do without you."
Draco tried again.
"So you, err, admit there's an us, then?"
Draco watched as realisation of what she had just said hit Hermione and she froze.
"Hermione?"
"I don't know!" Hermione turned away from him.
Draco looked offended.
"It's fine, you know. It's nothing. You're not big on commitments, I get it."
"It's not nothing."
"What is it, then?"
Hermione closed her eyes, and pulled at a lock of her hair.
"I'm not the most emotionally available person," she said, finally. "And I don't know what this is, exactly," she said, gesturing to Draco and herself. "But I know I don't want it to stop.
"And I know I care about you."
Draco considered for a moment.
"You have said that already earlier today."
"And I meant it, then, too." Hermione said, quickly.
Draco moved forward so they were only inches apart.
"Would it help if I made a little confession of my own?"
Hermione gazed at him silently, and the corners of her mouth twitched.
Draco took a deep breath and continued, "I care about you, too, Granger. I have cared since a very long time. Perhaps even as far back as our Eighth year together..."
Hermione gave a broad smile.
"Good."
Draco absently threaded through her hair. Hermione leaned in to his touch.
"Did it hurt?" Hermione reached up to touch his cheek.
"A bit," he said.
"I'm sorry."
Draco shook his head.
"Doesn't matter. Let's just not make a habit of it."
He took her hand in his, and pressed his lips to it. Hermione closed her eyes, enjoying the familiar sensation.
Draco leaned in to kiss the side of her face.
Hermione turned her face up towards him and he planted a kiss on her jaw line.
She stood on her toes and reached up to brush her lips against his face where she had stung him with the hex.
Draco snaked an arm around her waist to steady her. The feel of her lips took a lot of the sting away, as she kissed it better.
He then pulled her up against him, just as Hermione wound an arm around his neck. She clutched at his hair and pulled him closer to kiss him fully on his lips.
Draco kissed her back as his other hand buried itself in her hair.
They broke away.
Hermione fingered the top most button of his shirt. "You know, I'm almost in the mood to skip this dumb party and do something else worth our while."
"So what's stopping us?"
Draco grinned. He leaned in as if to kiss her.
Hermione felt something prod her in the back. Her eyes flew open. But before she could react-
"Petrificus Totalus."
A scowl froze on her face as her body stiffened. Before she fell backwards, however, Draco caught her.
"I might not be an expert in the non verbal version, but I do know how to time it."
He picked her up, carried her to her room through the secret portal, and deposited her on the bed.
He looked at her. "So you will be out till tomorrow. Better get some shut eye in the mean time."
Hermione glowered at him.
"Aw, come on, Granger, have a sense of humour. It's just a dose of your own medicine. We'll see how you like it in the morning."
As she continued to look daggers at him, Draco leaned in and kissed her on the forehead.
"And don't worry. I'll tell the others that their much decorated leader is taking a much deserved nap. I'm sure they'll understand."
He tucked a lock of her hair behind her ear, and rose to leave.
She might even what? He hadn't asked. Besides, he might even, too. Plenty of time for that later. He smirked.