Hey guys! It's been awhile since I've written, and I thought that I would try my hand at something new: Dramoine! I have always been a huge fan of Harry Potter, but not so much Harry. From the time I was a young teen, I always shipped Draco and Hermione. I love the shipping because it's the realest and rawest relationship you will ever get. The way people write these stories are amazing. I can't tell you how many tears I've cried and laughs I've laughed reading through these. I can only hope I deliver as much as others before me have. This will follow "The Deathly Hallows" and the beginning through the end of the Wizarding War. Please, if you have any suggestions, feel free to let me know. As always, I love you guys. Thanks for all the continual support after all these years.


Chapter One: The Moving

The autumn breeze swayed through the branches of the trees behind Snape's cottage. It had brought a chill to the air; the first inclination of fall was chasing summer away until the next year. The leaves had just begun to change, but there was still a good amount of green everywhere you looked. Normally, on a night such as this one, the sun would be shining and the weather warm. However, it was completely opposite: the evening sky was darkened; a storm could be seen in the distance. And it was cool enough to require a light jacket.

Draco Malfoy stood in the center of the isolated yard, looking up at the sky, his grey eyes narrowed. He knew what was coming: his Dark Mark had been burning since yesterday. It stung like a thousand bees constantly harassing him. However, if there was one thing he had learned, it was that pain was just a message. And you could choose to ignore that message, whether it be physical or emotional. For the past six months, he had allowed his parents, and both sides of the coming war, to believe he was dead. Despite what they believed, he was very much alive.

When Draco had failed to kill Albus Dumbeldore nearly six months prior, the Dark Lord had ordered him executed. Luckily for Draco, Snape was able to quickly put the rumor out that he had been killed, the details of which he still did not know. Draco was quickly escorted into hiding, realizing only then that the situation was much bigger than what he had originally thought. He had learned that Snape was a double agent for the Order of the Phoenix and for Voldemort. Of course, he thought Snape was mental for doing so. But, his doing so had saved his life, and for that, he was somewhat grateful. He was hid out at a safehouse in the country of which had no name to him, charmed to keep him from escaping. Like he would have tried. It was only now, when the wind had changed, that Snape had brought him out of his refuge.

He heard the sound of two sets of footsteps behind him, but merely glanced over his shoulder. Out of his puerperal vision, he saw a man in a set of black robes and a long slender body with an elegant dark green dress. It was at that moment when he turned around slowly to see Minerva McGonagall, her hands clasped tightly in front of her, staring at him with the same sharp eyes as she always had. Snape's black eyes told him not to move or to speak, which he did neither.

"Mr. Malfoy," came the Professor's stern voice. "In order to keep you safe –"

"Oh, spare me," Draco rolled his eyes.

"In order to keep you safe," she repeated, harsher this time. "We are moving you somewhere where The Dark Lord will not think to look for you."

"Since when did you care about my safety, you old hag?" he barked. He wasn't sure why her statement had set him ablaze inside; maybe it was because he was tired of hiding. Was this truly how he was going to spend the rest of his days? Bloody hiding!?

"Malfoy," Snape cut in and held up a hand. His eyes were now back to the cold black they always were. "The decision did not come lightly to Minerva. I suggest that you listen and respect her gratitude in the situation."

"If I did not care about your safety, you would probably not be alive to have his conversation," she said shrilly. It made Draco fall silent, an occurrence that was incredibly rare to say the lease. "For the moment, everyone in our world believes you are dead except for the members of the Order who know of your situation. Now, your situation has become more complicated. We have received word that more attacks are being carried out, even in the Muggle world. It is highly likely that Voldemort has spies everywhere, and we cannot risk you being detected."

Draco couldn't hide his sneer. "So I'm staying with you, then? Think I need babysitting, do you?"

Snape and McGonagall met eyes for a brief moment, as if to calculate his response. At that moment, he knew that he was wrong: he wasn't staying with McGonagall. Since that was the case, where the hell were they sending him then?

"No, Mr. Malfoy, I have enough to handle besides babysitting you, nor do I have the time or the patience," McGonagall replied. Draco's eyebrows raised only slightly. "You will be staying with someone whom I believe will keep an eye on you so I don't have too. You will be staying with Miss Granger."

Draco felt as if the blood vessels in his forehead were going to explode. His grey eyes widened to their full capacity and his lips parted, but it took him a few moments to find the appropriate words to describe his shock. "THAT FUCKING MUDBLOOD?"

"You mind yourself, Mr. Malfoy," McGonagall hissed, pointing her finger in his direction.

"SHE LIVES IN THE MUGGLE WORLD!" he bellowed. Never in his life had he been so offended, so outraged. They knew his bloodline, they knew his family. He would be considered a blood-traitor, disowned, never would see a penny of his large Malfoy inheritance, and would go down in history as the only Malfoy heir who was to be protected by a Mudblood. No, absolutely not. They must have been totally mad. "YOU TOLD ME THERE WERE ATTACKS IN THE MUGGLE WORLD! HOW THE HELL ARE WE GOING TO BE SAFE IF THE DEATH EATERS ARE HUNTING MUGGLES AND MUDBLOODS, HMM? EXPLAIN THAT ONE TO ME!"

"This is a temporary solution, Mr. Malfoy," she continued, not breaking her tone or eye contact with the wizard. She was now standing at her full height, and in all of his experiences with her, Draco knew she only did that when she was completely serious. "If you should behave yourself, Miss Granger and yourself are going to come to Hogwarts when the year is to begin."

"COME TO HOGWARTS?" Draco couldn't believe his ears. "I CANNOT GO BACK TO HOGWARTS! I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU TWO EVEN CAME UP WITH THIS FUCKING PATHETIC –"

"Mr. Malfoy, you will stop at once or you will be escorted off these grounds and back to the safehouse from which you came!" McGonagall commanded. Her fingers were tightly gripped together, almost an ashen white now. He could tell she was trying undoubtedly hard to control her temper towards him. Something about that made him feel good, like he was now in control after being out of control for so long. However, that was not the case, and his high did not last long before he realized that they were his only chance of survival.

Once he was visibly calmed down, Snape continued quietly, "The best place to hide you is in visible sight. You will be safer with the Order's presence in the castle."

Draco didn't say a word. Inside, he was still fuming. Pissed off was hardly the word he would choose to describe his feelings at the present moment. He crossed his arms over his chest; it was heavily heaving and his heart was racing faster than the speed of light. Within a few moments, he came to his senses and decided that arguing was the better option.

"You can't force me to stay with the Mudblood," he said plainly.

"You will stop using that word at once, Mr. Malfoy," McGonagall's eyes narrowed into slits. "After Professor Snape informed me of the reality that happened on top of the Astronomy Tower that night, I made a conscious decision to forgive you. Now, I am protecting you and letting you back into the castle. You can choose to accept our help or you can choose not too. I do hope you choose the latter, as it would be much more pleasant for you."

"This is fucking stupid," Draco mused, more to himself than to the two Professor's standing idly in front of him. He knew that McGonagall was right, however. If he refused their help… Well, he didn't want to think about that. He was already permanently scarred from Voldemort… His eyes wandered down to his arm, covered by his black sleeve. All of this was just so fucking stupid.

For a few moments, the Professors, nor their former student said a word. Perhaps it was to see if Draco accepted their proposal, perhaps it was to see if he would challenge them again. He did neither. All that was surrounding them was silence, an eerie silence. The wind had picked back up again, or perhaps Draco hadn't noticed it was there all along. It shuffled between his legs, gently moving leaves between his feet. He watched them, just to focus on something, to forget his current situation. He heard McGonagall stiffen, but he looked the complete opposite direction.

"I speak on his behalf when I say that the silence means he agrees," Snape said, almost cruelly. Almost like he was taunting Draco. But, when Draco looked up angrily to meet his eyes, the look Snape gave him was cold and hard.

"Good," McGonagall said, now more business-like and less treacherous. "We will leave for Miss Granger's at once. Do you have anything you'd like to bring with you?"

Draco found himself staring numbly at the ground. No, he did not. Ever since he went into hiding, he hadn't a penny to his name, just the clothes on his back. Snape would occasionally bring him a change of robes, but they weren't to his fancy. But, they did suit him. He wondered why she had even asked, maybe to make him feel pain, guilty…

"No."

"Then we will be going," she said pointedly. "Any last words you'd like to share with Mr. Malfoy, Severus?"

Snape's black eyes locked onto Draco's grey ones, but there was nothing to say. The pair has spent the majority of the past six months together, and he was Draco's only connection to the outside world. In a way, Draco had learned to appreciate him, and everything he had done to protect him. Now that they were going their separate ways, even if it only was for a month, it seemed as if the cape that kept Draco locked away and alive had burned away.

"This is your only chance," Snape said clearly. Draco may have imagined it, but his tone was an octave louder than it usually was.


Hermione heard a loud pop outside of her door. She had been sitting in the living room of her family's home, enjoying a nice cup of herbal tea before she was to go to sleep. The pop had startled her to say the least. Quickly, she grabbed her wand off the coffee table, and jumped up. She turned around to see no one in sight. Her pet cat, Crookshanks, looked at her quizzically. When she was sure that she just imagined it and nothing was out of the ordinary, she straightened her pink cardigan and began to descend back upon her couch.

Then came three loud knocks at her front door. A sickening feeling crept up into her stomach as she gripped her wand. Slowly, she rose to her feet and with her wand outstretched, she peeked outside from the window overlooking the bushes outside her home. Two people were standing there; one was in an elegant gown. Confused, she walked over to the door, a little less alarmed, yet still feeling sick to her stomach. She opened the door to see Professor McGonagall, and… Malfoy.

Her hazel eyes narrowed, and Draco had just a moment to realize that Snape nor Professor McGonagall had told the Mudblood about their "arrangement." This frightened him, as it should have. Within a second, her arm was up and her wand pointed directly under his chin.

"You're lucky I don't hex you where you stand," she breathed, her eyes wild, and her lips twitching.

"Shut your face, you fucking –"

"Stop!" McGonagall barked. Hermione refused to put down her wand, and at that point, Draco had raised his own, just in case the Mudblood decided to be irrational. "Miss Granger, put down your wand this instant."

Hermione's wand trembled, but she slowly lowered it to the ground. She felt the warmth of her magic on her fingertips and a spurt of fire shot out of the tip of her wand, hitting Draco in the calf.

"Fuck! What the fuck, you stupid little –"

"I'm stupid? I fail to see how that is even –"

"Fucking Mudblood! You will regret that!"

"Oh, so we've resorted to name calling? How mature of you!"

"That is quite enough!" McGonagall said shrilly. For the second time that night, she had to use that tone of voice. Hermione looked at her, her eyes still wild, her mouth hanging halfway open.

"NO! He was going to kill Dumbeldore! How could you even be with him after that? Why are you with him? What the hell is going on here!?" Hermione stood on the spot, tears now in her bloodshot eyes. "He was supposed to be DEAD!"

"No, I can assure you, Granger, I am very much alive," Draco sneered. Hermione's eyes narrowed as they darted back and forth between him and McGonagall.

"May we come inside, Miss Granger?" McGonagall asked, her tone even.

"NO! I refuse to let HIM into MY home!" screamed Hermione.

"Hermione, you must listen," McGonagall said sternly. "We cannot have this conversation out on your doorstep."

"Like hell we can't!" she spat back, her eyes still darting wildly from the woman who she once thought she trusted and her worst enemy, Draco Malfoy. When her eyes landed on Draco, his bore back into hers, narrowed and full of rage. Obviously he did not want to be there, so why did McGonagall drag him along with her? There were so many answers she wanted before anything happened.

"Hermione," McGonagall began again. The young witch realized that the Professor was using her first name, maybe even trying to sympathize with her. With sense overfilling her, Hermione stepped to the side, allowing the Professor to pass. However, when Draco took a step forward, she raised her wand again. He scowled.

"You are going to stay outside," she told him coolly.

"Don't be a bloody idiot," Draco started but the tip of Hermione's wand began to glow a burnt orange, and Draco took a step back. "Whatever then."

As soon as McGonagall was inside of the threshold, Hermione turned to face her, wand down, yet still full of rage.

"Why is he here?" she barked. Out of all the things that could've possibly happened tonight, this was probably the worst. She was not about to let her questions go unanswered, even it was the Headmistress of Hogwarts inside her home.

"Hermione, you must listen and you must not interrupt. You cannot repeat this to anyone, not even Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley. It is of the utmost important, Hermione. Do you understand?" McGonagall asked, her eyes fixed on the young witch's. Hermione gave the tiniest nod. "Voldemort gave Draco the task of killing Albus, but as you know, he did not kill him. That was Voldemort's plan all along. Albus asked Professor Snape to kill him if Mr. Malfoy could not –"

"How do you know any of this?"

"Albus told me, Hermione. Snape killed him, and to protect Mr. Malfoy from certain death, Professor Snape began telling everyone that Mr. Malfoy had died. He hid Draco away from everyone for months –"

"But why would he do that? And what does that have to do with us?"

McGonagall took a deep breath. "Severus is a spy. He is working for the Order."

Hermione flinched. She didn't believe it… How could she? The man who killed Albus Dumbledore, the man she had loathed all these years, was helping them? It didn't seem plausible, it didn't seem right, it didn't make any sense. But, then again, somehow it did.

"That still doesn't explain why Malfoy is on my doorstep."

"Professor Snape made an Unbreakable Vow with Narcissa Malfoy, Draco's mother, almost a year ago. It was to protect him. Now it is up to us to protect him."

"What? Why?"

"Because Voldemort is getting too close. If he finds Mr. Malfoy, he will torture him, and he will kill him in the most evil of ways. He will make an example out of him to the young Death Eaters, and to his parents."

"I thought his parents were Voldemort's biggest supporters." Hermione's hazel eyes narrowed.

"That is not entirely true. However, do you remember when Lucius failed to retrieve the prophecy for Voldemort in the Ministry of Magic? Voldemort's way of punishing Lucius was to put his son on a suicide mission, knowing that whatever the outcome, if Mr. Malfoy killed Albus or not, Mr. Malfoy would die."

"That's incredibly barbaric! But, that still doesn't explain why he is here, on my doorstep."

"Hermione, you are going to protect him. He is staying with you for the next month, and then you will be coming back to Hogwarts as Head Girl—"

"Head Girl? Thank you, Professor, but I don't see –"

"You can do more of your research to help the Order there, plus the increased presence of the Order in the castle will be useful in your protection and Mr. Malfoy's, as well."

"The attacks on Muggles have been so high, Professor. I don't think this is wise, even if it's for a month and besides, I hate him. I hate him, Professor, and he hates me. You don't understand, it's almost pure rage I have for him. I can't do it, I'm sorry. There has to be another person, someone in the Order who can do this…"

"Hermione, you are a brave and strong woman. That is why I'm giving this task to you. I have too much to do with the Order and with Hogwarts to risk throwing Mr. Malfoy into the mix. Please, do this for the Order, for the greater good, and for Albus. You know he would've wanted you too."

The way McGonagall used Professor Dumbledore's wants against her like that made Hermione want to cringe. But, she understood now, even if it was only partially. Malfoy was human too… Even if he didn't act like one or treat others with the same amount of dignity. Her bottom lip quivered as she remembered Dumbledore, remembered the oncoming war, remembered the fighting… But, most of all, remembered how the names Malfoy called her once hurt her, remembered the pain and the anguish she had felt for most of her childhood knowing him. She didn't know if she could do this…

"Okay," she whimpered. "Okay."

"It'll be okay," McGonagall assured her.

At that moment, Hermione was not convinced at what the older witch had just told her. Even as she looked out the window and saw the white-blonde hair that always made a pit of fire grow in her stomach, she was questioning why she was doing this. But, for the greater good… That's all she had to keep telling herself. This was for the greater good.