A/N: PLEASE R and R!

Discaimer: I do not own HARRY POTTER


Blood was trickling down her chin from the slap Draco had given her. She felt her hair uproot from her scalp when Draco made her look at him. She wanted to cry, really, but pride took the best of her and decided not to. She just looked at him in the most piercing stare she could muster.

"What? Are you going to cry on me now, Granger?" He smirked at her as he wiped the tear that escaped her left eye. She heaved a breath loudly before speaking.

"No,"

"Then, why are you tearing up? Huh?" He pulled her hair harder to prove his point and looked at her in a most usual manner. Her head was hammering. She didn't know how evil a person should be to be able to look so ordinary and nonchalant in doing a tremendous job of hurting or maybe even killing people.

"Cat got your tongue, Granger?" She spat at him, the very least thing Hermione Granger had ever thought of doing to a person. If she had a list of things NEVER to do to people, good or evil, this was one of the top five. Why? Because, she was Hermione Granger, and spitting at someone even if it were Malfoy was not right.

"Why you filthy-"

"-little mudblood. Yeah, I get it. Same old, same old. Don't you have any new quips up your sleeve? I'm getting tired of the mudblood theme. I suggest you try a new one, because it doesn't sting as much anymore." Hermione didn't know what made her say that. She was just tired of it, of everything. If he was going to kill her by saying those words, she'd be happy to say it over and over until she was dead. It was hopeless anyway. Harry and Ron, or the Order wouldn't be able to find her, so why waste time? If they wanted to kill her, they could kill her right then and there, she won't mind.

Draco smirked at her and threw her against the wall by her hair. Her neck almost snapped, she prayed it would, but it failed her. She landed with a thud on the floor. She could feel blood trickling at the back of her head. She winced in pain and bit her lip.

"Just tell us what you know, Granger." Draco's voice suddenly became soft. So soft it made Hermione's stomach turn.

"I feel sorry for you, Malfoy. You take orders from a mad-man half-blood who calls himself lord! And you say you're the epitome of purebloods! You're sick, all of you!" Hermione braised herself for another beating but Draco turned away and banged his head across the wall.

Hermione was confused. She didn't know what Draco was doing and why he did it. He was clutching his platinum blonde hair as if out of wits and leaned on the wall. He was shaking his head from side to side madly.

Hermione decided to step towards him and took his wand from his pocket. She jumped ten feet from the ground when Draco's head snapped in her direction. He looked wild, his silver grey eyes raced as if he wasn't in control.

"Malfoy, what's wrong? Malfoy?!" Hermione placed her hands on his shoulders and shook him. She looked around. She couldn't decide whether to escape or to help Malfoy. Surely his parents won't allow him to be slain by Voldemort? He was a pureblood, and Voldemort wouldn't allow the purest of all purebloods to be killed. He needed purebloods to build his new world.

With that notion, Hermione loosened her grip on Malfoy's shoulders. He grabbed her wrist and looked at her eye to eye before he pulled her to him and kissed her with passion and heat. He invaded her mouth and Hermione obliged. It lasted long until they broke apart heaving for breath.

"G-go!" Draco hissed through clenched teeth. She ran, ran up to the Malfoy's study, away from the dungeons. She Disillusioned herself to prevent being seen. She waited for the front door to open and not long enough when she stood beside it, two Death Eaters came in. She carefully slid out of the door, ran across the lawn and out of the iron gates to apparate into Shell Cottage.

Dmdmdmdm

"You are weak!" Voldemort yelled at Draco and pointed his wand at him. Lucius and Narcissa stood at either side of Draco. Narcissa was on the verge of tears. She never wanted things to go this way. She treasured her son and seeing him being Crucioed was just heart-wrenching.

"My Lord, spare the boy, we have much need of him," Bellatrix tried to reason to hermaster. Draco was the only nephew she really favored of and she only had the welfare of this one nephew in mind.

"You were already under the Imperius Curse. You could have done what I have said. But no, you decided to free the mudblood. I take it our young Malfoy like the girl mudblood?" Voldemort said in a cold shrilly voice. Bellatrix's face contorted in what seemed like disgust and horror. Narcissa and Lucius both shook their heads while Draco just stood there looking directly at the spot between Voldemort's neck and shoulder.

"And did you think your disgust of having me in your home, young Malfoy, will subside when she comes back for you? When she and her Order of the Phoenix friends come and defeat me, Lord Voldemort?"

"My Lord, never. We are ever so grateful to serve you, my Lord. We only have your welfare, your contentment in mind, my Lord," Bella said in behalf of the Malfoys

"Really? But I see otherwise. Either way, my concern is the young Malfoy. Lucius, what will you do if your son marries the mudblood? Like your niece who married the werewolf?" The Death Eaters inside the room sniggered and chuckled at this remark. Lucius, Narcissa and Bella paled at the comment.

"My son will do no such thing, my Lord. He knows better and I made sure of that." Lucius answered.

"But don't you think we must make precautionary measures in case he forgets them?" Lucius Malfoy had no time to answer because Voldemort already raised his wand and Crucioed Draco again and again.

Hghghghg

Fourth Floor of St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries

"Happy Christmas, dear!" Hermione called out from the double doors.

"Happy Christmas, Mr. and Mrs. Longbottom! Happy Christmas Neville!" She greeted the three others inside the ward. She looked at the blonde sitting up on his bed.

The blonde smiled at her and stretched his arms wide to make her hug him and she did so. He handed her a roll of tissue paper and he smiled wider when she took it.

"Thank you dear. Here, look at this," Hermione took a picture frame from her bag and handed it to him. There was a boy with soft platinum blonde hair and a girl with curls of blonde both riding a small broom hovering two feet off the ground smiling and waving at the camera.

Hermione smiled at Draco whose eyes watered. He felt the glass of the frame like it was velvet. Hermione knew he wanted to say something, if only the curse permitted it. And someday he will. Someday, she hoped, she or any other Healer would find a way to counter the effects of the curse and she, Draco and their children would live happily ever after.


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