Draco Malfoy sat with all the other death eaters, along the table, next his father. He and Hermione had been friends secretly since their 6th year and used to meet at the black lake. He sat at the table, listening to the Dark Lord ramble on about mudbloods. He saw Scabior dragging hermione into the room, chained up with blood on her for head. All he could do was sit there and not say a word, trying to not let any tears escape him. As Scabior Dragged her across the floor she looked up at him, he tried to turn away but couldn't. "Help me!" She mouthed. he bit his lip and slowly nodded, "Er...m–my Lord, can I take the mudblood down to the dungeons and kill her myself?" Draco asked permission.

"Certainly." A high cold voice laughed "I suppose you have quite a lot of resentment towards this one, your dear father has told me that she has beaten you in every exam." The death eaters laughed and Draco's cheeks turned pink. Draco sighed and grabbed Hermione's collar dragging her out. "Ow, ow, ow," she said once they Were out of earshot. "Not so harsh!" She scolded him.

He looked down. "sorry" he said briskly. she was rubbing her neck, where he had dragged her from. He knelt beside her and undid the chains.

"How can I get out of here without them seeing?" She whispered urgently.

He bit his lip and looked around, "I will get you out of here." He whispered, looking down, knowing that the Dark Lord would make him pay for it. As if she could read his mind she asked "Will you be okay for letting me go?" He shook his head, "but it will be fine, you will be okay though."

She swallowed "I'm sorry" she told him.

he shrugged, "it's fine…" She waited as he untied her completely. he pulled the final chain off, "Go… Before they come." She briskly kissed him on the cheek before swiftly escaping. He blushed a little and watch the Dark Lord arrive.

"You let her escape." Even though he wasn't screaming, the word still struck fear keep within Draco.

He bit his lip and shook his head, "no, I tortured her harshly and then let her go. Now she will bleed to death in the cold." he lied, trying to sound convincing. The Dark Lord smiled. "Do not lie to the Dark Lord, Draco. I always know." Draco Looked down and gulped. "Crucio." Voldemort whispered. Draco screamed as the person hit him.

Hermione had escaped but she could hear Draco's echoing screams. she let the tears escaped her. She had to do something! As the curse eventually stopped, he sat up, shaking badly

"you've lost my trust." Came the high cold voice as he walked away from the boys shaking body.

He got up after being tortured, "it was worth it…" He whispered as he walked up to his room. Hermione had apparated. She was now miles away but she wanted to make sure Draco was okay, only if she was unsure of how to do so. he sighed and set down on his bed, blood now dripping from his head. Draco decided that enough was enough, he apparated to hogsmeade, bleeding even more. He walked into the three broomsticks and sat down ordering a fire whiskey.

Hermione, Now in the Forest of Dean, couldn't believe she was stupid enough to go back to Malfoy Manor. If Harry and Ron had stuck to the plan should be in the Hogs head. She looked around as to check that they weren't delayed here. Satisfied, she operated to hogsmeade. On her way to the Hog's Head, Hermione thought she saw someone familiar in the Three Broomsticks. But it couldn't be…and she was losing time, she quickly reminded herself. Draco slumped in a chair clutching his firewhisky his head still bleeding but he didn't care. Hermione quickly passed, headed towards the castle. How were they supposed to find a horcrux in which they didn't even know what they were looking for, let alone where it was concealed? Draco looked towards the window and saw a big clump of bushy brown hair fly passed 'it can't be..' he thought. He quickly healed his head and screamed out "Hermione."

She turned around swiftly. "Malfoy?!" Her eyes weren't decieving her. She ran up and hugged him. "All you all right? I heard him torturing you and i wish there was something i could do but i didn't want to get you into even more trouble and i really should have been getting back to Harry and Ron and.." on and on she went, talking up a storm. He stopped her rambling by placing a kiss on he lips pulling away when he needed breath wiping his own blood from her forehead. Her eyes went wide. "Wha.."

Draco laughed slightly "You were rambling"

She stood, still in awe. Her fingers lightly touching her lips where he had just pecked her. "I..." she was starting to fade back into reality now, determination brimming. "I have to go. I have to go to the castle." She started to run. "Sorry!" she called back. Draco stood shocked as she ran away from him, he had just saved her life and now she was still going to ditch him for the weasel and scarhead he stomped angrily back into the Hogs Head were he decided that she really just was a filithy little mudblood. The cold hit her face and she only just noticed she was tearing up. Why did it always have to like this? For almost two years they've been friends and it's been completely confidential. She wished, for once, they were fighting on the same side. He keeped drinking and drinking and drinking until he couldn't remember the reason he was angry but kept drinking anyone, soon enough, his Dark Mark burned. It was time to fight. He finished the bottle he was on and stumbled towards the castle. If he couldn't win the mudblood's heart, at least he could win this war.