Draco Malfoy stood in the mansion's living room. His dad, Lucius, paced excitedly beside him. When his father heard the front door open he stood stoically beside his wife and son.

The door to the living room opened with a bang and it was all Narcissa could do to not flinch at the sight of her deranged sister. Bellatrix cackled as Fenrir and the snatchers manhandled three prisoners into the room. Draco took a silent but sharp intake of breath as his silver eyes met chocolate brown ones.

Hermione's eyes flared with defiance and her posture was straight and lofty. Her normally pleasant face was twisted between a sneer and a snarl. If the snatchers hands' on her shoulders were closer she would have bitten one of them.

"We found these three hidden in a forest. These two," the snatcher indicated Ron and Hermione, "fit the two descriptions of Harry Potter's friends. This lad, Dudley, doesn't fit any of the wizard's the boss wants."

Fenrir cut in, "So can I eat him?"

"No, the mud-blood must've done something to the boy, he has the lightning scar." Bellatrix said. She turned to Draco and inquired sweetly, "You would know who he is, since you had school with him."

The "Dudley" kid was brought before Draco. He took one glance at the enlarged face and the swelling. As Bellatrix had declared there was an elongated lightning scar on his forehead. "I can't be sure it's him."

Bellatrix looked expectantly at Lucius and Draco's father took him aside. With his arm across his son's shoulders he said conspiratorially, "If we presented Harry Potter to the Dark Lord he will clear the Malfoys' name. Just confirm that boy to be Potter. When the Dark Lord comes he'll be pleased that we caught the-boy-who-lived."

"I believe you mean that we caught him." the snatcher holding Ron said.

"What?" Lucius barked.

"The snatchers and I caught him. We get the credit, not you." Fenrir explained as he bared his fangs.

Bellatrix sent a whip from her wand and had it wrap around Fenrir's neck, "Let's just call the Dark Lord now." she said. "Lucius, call him!"

"He said to only call him if we have Harry Potter. If we aren't certain and that boy isn't him we'd be in trouble."

Bellatrix turned on Draco, "Tell me that is the-boy-who-lived!"

"I'm not sure he is though." Draco hedged. He turned to one of the snatchers. "What is that sword you're holding?"

Bellatrix looked and her eyes grew wide, "How is that possible?"

"The girl had it in her purse; since you won't give us credit I think this is payment enough."

Bellatrix shot stunning spells at the snatcher's and the prisoners. Grabbing the sword she looked it over and a new wave of wonder and puzzlement lit her features. Underlying those emotions was anger. "Wormtail, bring me the goblin. Take the two boys to the dungeon." Walking up to Hermione with a calm demeanor she got in her face and said, "The mud-blood and I need a chat girl to girl."

Wormtail followed her orders and closed the dungeon door. The goblin stumbled over to Bellatrix, his hands were tied together with rope, and his clothes were dirty. "How do you explain this? How did the Sword of Goderic Gryffindor get into the mud-blood's hands when it's supposed to be in my vault?"

"Let me inspect the sword, maybe it's a fake." the goblin said.

"You can look can't you? See," she waved the sword in his face. "Is it the real sword?"

The goblin looked at the sword and nodded. He flinched when Bellatrix's hand rose and slapped him across the face. A cut formed on his cheek. "Get him out of my sight. Let's see how you got the sword." Bellatrix turned on Hermione and grabbed her by the shoulders.

Draco looked on with no emotion showing on his face. On the inside he burned with indignant anger. He knew he couldn't do anything and that's what made him furious.

Bellatrix had Hermione pinned to the marble floor. Bellatrix murmured in her face, "Now then, how did you get that sword? Did you break into my vault?"

"No, Ron and Harry found it in a pond." Hermione whimpered as Bellatrix's hands dug into her arms.

"The filthy mud-blood is a liar. Tell me the truth and I won't use this knife on you."

The blade glinted next to Hermione's left arm. "I did, we didn't break into your vault, the boys found it." Hermione screamed as the blade cut into her skin.

"'M' is for muggle-born, if you guys didn't break into my vault then who did?"

"I don't know," Hermione sobbed as a lone tear slid from her eye.

"'U' is for useless, like every muggle-born. You have six more tries, use them wisely. Who gave you the sword?"

"Harry and Ron never mentioned anyone. I told you, they found it."

"'D' is for the dirt that runs through your veins. How did they find it?"

Hermione paused and she heard Ron scream her name over and over. "I don't know."

"'B' is for bane you irritating brat! You have to know!"

Hermione screamed as the letter was cut into her arm. "But I don't," she gasped as the pain seared her flesh.

"'L' is for languid, you spiritless she devil. Three more tries."

Hermione screamed in pain and hot tears streamed from her eyes. It took all of Draco's willpower to not cry out. "'O' is for oaf, stop the sniveling! Two more to go."

Hermione grit her teeth and shut her eyes. She grew numb and her ears rang. She bit her lip to silence a scream as Bellatrix hollered, "'O' for obscene, answer my questions! Last chance to be spared. How did they find the sword?"

"They… didn't tell… me." Hermione gasped between stifled sobs.

"'D' is for dunce; you're not as bright as everyone says." Bellatrix smiled sadistically and Draco shuddered on the inside. "I can't wait to drive you mad, you won't even recognize the blood traitor, and St. Mungo's could always use test subjects."

There was a creak from above and Bellatrix looked up into the tennis ball eyes of Dobby the free elf. As the chandelier fell Draco grabbed Hermione from the waist and leaped away from the debris that crashed all around them. "Get your hands off her Malfoy!" Ron barked as he ran up the stairs from the dungeon. Harry was close behind and firing spells left and right.

"You could've killed me!" Bellatrix shrieked at Dobby.

"Dobby didn't mean to kill, he meant to seriously hurt or maim," the house elf said sheepishly. He stood taller and added, "I will always help my friends!"

Dobby took a hold of Ron's and Harry's wrists and started to apparate. Bellatrix threw her knife at the place they were disappearing and the knife went along with them. With a manic smile she cackled. She looked towards Draco and Hermione and started to clap. "Way to go Draco, take her to the dungeon. Keep a watch down there; we don't want anyone coming back for her. She'll be a great bargaining chip in the war. Give up Harry Potter in exchange for the mud-blood. Too perfect."

Draco took Hermione and placed her arms behind her back. He pushed her forward and into the dungeon. He lifted Wormtail's dead form up and off the stairs with magic. Closing the door he lifted Hermione's limp form into the wedding position. She held on tightly to his neck, (to his pleasure), and he could feel her tears soak his shirt. In the farthest corner of the dungeon he set her down. Her eyes fluttered open and she jumped back, hitting her head on the wall. "Easy, I'm sorry for earlier." he said weakly.

If looks could kill he would've been gone on the spot. "Sorry that you weren't the one torturing me? You sick twisted boy! If I weren't so shocked right now I'd hit you." she grimaced at the sight of her bloody arm. Draco was about to close up the wound with magic but she covered the spot with her hand. "I don't need your help; all you have to do is make sure I don't escape. Wouldn't want to make your master angry now, would you?"

"He may be blinding my dad but my mom and I don't believe in his plans." Draco whispered.

Hermione sneered, "Yet you lower your voice in fear."

"He would kill me, like he'd kill you. My family already messed up once if we do again-"

"That's why you saved me right?" she inquired vehemently.

Draco was silent for a moment. He sighed and ran a hand through his platinum blonde hair. "You wouldn't believe I saved you because I care?"

"What do you care about exactly? Your family's self-preservation? Pleasing the Dark Lord? Your-"

"Be quiet and listen!" when Hermione's mouth shut he went on softly, "All those taunts, all of that teasing, was because that's the only way I could talk to you in front of people. At first I said all those things out of spite, but after the Yule Ball and the Krum thing… I knew it was because I care for you." he smiled ruefully.

Hermione stared at him for a long time. Finally after her scrutiny she frowned. Her eyebrows pulled together as she questioned, "That's all true?"

"Why would I lie?"

Snorting she answered, "Because you want to mess with my head. You find it funny when I'm confused."

"You're smart but you're overthinking it. Do you think Weasel loves you?"

Hermione's eyes went wide at the random question. Draco's lips twitched, he was enjoying this. "He's my friend; he cares about me, but not in that way."

"Oh please, he bellowed your name and he's probably trying to find a way back to the manor right now."

"No, Harry would go on with the mission, and Ron would help him."

Draco's eyebrows' went up, clearly stating are-you-really-that-ignorant? "Do you want to be more than his friend?"

"How could you ask such a question?"

"Should I take that as a yes?"

"No, Ronald is a good friend of mine."

"Then you must like Potter."

"Again, as a friend."

"Then it's Krum."

"That ended a long time ago."

"So you like Cormac?"

"Don't make me gag."

"Oh, you must like Longbottom then!"

"Don't be stupid, Neville is a good friend."

"One of the Weasel twins then?"

"You're so annoying!"

"Hmm, did you like Cedric and now since he's gone you can't love another?"

"Shut up, I'm not sure who I like!"

"So you need a little persuasion." before she could scoot away his lips were moving on hers. A haze fell over her brain and sparks flew behind her eyes. There was growl of pleasure deep in Draco's throat and he softly nipped her lips. She answered with a few bites of her own. His hands ran through her hair and rested on her hips as her hands twirled his blonde locks. More sounds of pleasure emitted from the two interlocked teens.

Hermione pushed Draco away to his irritation. "You're a good actor, Malfoy, I'll give you that."

Draco pounded his fist on the ground and hissed, "What will it take for you to believe me? I've wanted you ever since fourth year, I was actually going to tell you sixth year but the Dumbledore business got in the way. I was protecting you from the Dark Lord by not paying much attention to you. But you had to go with Potter and Weasel to save the Wizarding World. Look where that got you, you're lucky Bellatrix didn't do any permanent damage. Oh, don't give me that look, you'll have a scar unless you let me fix it, but you're too stubborn to even let me do that."

"You're right, I am, and do you know why? Because you are my enemy. Keep your friends close, but keep your enemies closer. That's what you're trying to do isn't it?"

"You seriously didn't feel that spark, the connection that we have? You are ignorant." he touched her waist and grabbed her hand. "Did you feel the electricity, I did. Do you need me to make out with you so you feel what I feel?"

"No, I don't feel anything, you slimy git!"

"Your prejudice is clouding your mind. You don't listen to your heart do you?"

"No, hearts lie and can be broken. Your mind can see past the cloud of happiness and into the reality of how hurt you could end up being."

"Wouldn't you regret not following your heart?"

"I never have before."

"You're impossible."

"Funny I could say the same thing about you, Draco."

"So we're on a first name basis Hermione? I've always wondered how your name would taste on my tongue, it's quite refreshing."

Hermione smacked his chest, silently relishing the feel of one of his pecs. "Malfoy!"

"Granger… nope that doesn't have the right ring to it."

Hermione huffed in annoyance, but allowed a small smile to lift the corners of her lips. She quietly acknowledged how good looking the Slytherin is and how attractive his smirk and half smirk are. Draco caught her staring and the smirk lit his face. She cleared her throat and asked, "What about Pansy?"

Draco grimaced, "That pug faced… she was only my girlfriend so the other purebloods would stop fawning over me. Well, at least not as obvious as it used to be, love."

"That's a pet name, I'm anything but yours."

You're in my care, in my father's dungeon, there's not much to say on the matter."

Hermione huffed and crossed her arms. "You unbelievable bastard!"

"On the contrary, my parents were suprisingly abstinent until their honeymoon."

"And lewd to boot!"

"Begging for details?"

"Ew, I should use my wand to…" she felt in her jacket and jeans pockets and gasped. "Who took my wand?"

"It rolled and Potter picked it up before they left. You can use my wand."

Tears pricked the young witch's eyes. Because of the ice cold dungeon she started to shiver uncontrollably. Draco placed his jacket-he called into the room-around her shoulders. "You know if you catch hypothermia-"

"Use a warming spell or I'll hex you."

Draco chuckled and Hermione giggled in spite of herself. "What's to like; I'm a busy haired know-it-all. Definitely not your type." she said after a long silence.

"That's it you're not. You don't care about money or stature. You don't care about how you look. Just beautiful, your confidence, and indifference."

6