Harry and Ron hastily made their way to the head dorms; they hadn't seen Hermione for a week now. Apart from classes, there had been no sightings of the brightest witch of her age. Harry had reason to believe that she was working on something of utmost importance (not that she usually wasn't but the girl seriously needed to sort out her priorities) as she wasn't even in the library. Ron was sure she was taking advantage of the head dorms, she had been so excited to find out that she could have any book she wanted without leaving her living quarters that both Harry and him were afraid she'd never emerge from there and they would have to miserably sit outside as she married one book after another (because apparently all books had equal rights).

And so it was because of this that the male population of the golden trio found themselves in front of the scary gargoyle portrait that guarded the head dorms. It wasn't that they were scared of it, Harry and Ron just said that it was creepy how the gargoyle never changed his serious expression, let alone crack a smile (really harry, I expected you to come up with a better excuse).

"Password," the portrait hissed without moving

"Niggly wiggly." Draco thought it was funny, Harry and Ron believed that it just irked the portrait even more and made it down right petrifying eerie. Hermione had no time for such frivolities.

The portrait swung open and both the friends all but threw themselves in, the sooner they were out of sight of that gargoyle, the better it would be for their health. Panting, they looked around. The lavish head dorms were empty, no sight of Hermione and there was a fire crackling in the common room. A blond head was happily skipping downstairs from Hermione's room. Harry and Ron couldn't believe their eyes; they closed them, rubbed them and looked again. Draco was still skipping down with a smile plastered across his face, they both stood with their mouths hanging open.

"What are you two staring at?"

"Were you just smiling?"

"And skipping?"

Harry and Ron watched as the smile slipped off his face, though the mirth was not quite gone from his eyes and he wasn't being rude, yet. (the key word being yet)

"I won a bet"

"What bet?"

"None of your business boy wonder. You didn't answer my question, what are you two doing here," He said two as if it made no difference whether it was harry and Ron or just one of them, they were equally idiotic in his eyes.

"We came to see Hermione"

They both watched in amazement as his expression softened as he heard her name. It never failed to surprise them how much Malfoy had changed since he and Hermione had gotten together, since he had turned into a veela that is. They had begged and pleaded with Hermione to stay away from the dark side but she would have none of. Now they thought it was just as well, their life were much easier with the lack of Malfoy's consistent taunts though it was such a pain in the arse to hardly ever see Hermione without him (honestly, you both should use your brain. I am happy).

"She is asleep, I just gave her a potion in her lemonade right now so it'll be a while before she-"

"Did she agree to take it?" Ron interrupted him. Draco made an irritated sound but finally growled out

"No. does it look like she would ever agree to it? Ever since she started working on the ba- umm- B.A. project she doesn't do anything except study and work. She has been skipping a lot of meals too."

Harry knew Malfoy was hiding whatever Hermione was working on but that wasn't important, right now he and Ron needed to get out. Immediately. They could get amazed at Malfoy caring so much for their friend later.

"Ron," Harry tugged on his arm. Ron looked at him and they both knew they thinking the same thing. Malfoy was in big trouble.

"Why do you both look like you've seen a ghost?" Malfoy apparently was oblivious to the metaphorical sword hanging on his head (and then he says he has an instinct for danger)

"You see Hermione usually uses her wand to cast spells to stay awke-"

"Exactly why I have this," Malfoy proudly brandished her wand, although he was still rolling his eyes about the 'she uses her wand'. Obviously she would need her wand to cast a spell, dunderheads. The ginger paled even further which puzzled Draco.

"For all its worth," Harry began, already backing off toward the exit, " I hope you've done good deeds, a lot of good deeds-"

"Maybe freed a house elf or two" Ron quipped while following Harry, who only nodded vigorously in assent,

" -and maybe brought Hermione all the books she wanted from your manor"

Draco frowned, what the hell were these two going on about?

"I haven't really gotten her all the books she wanted and no way in hell ami freeing a house elf though it's not even in my power, but why does it matter?"

Both members of the golden trio looked sadly at him, they had something akin to sympathy in their eyes. No wait, it was sympathy! While their eyes continuously strayed to Hermione's door and as they consistently edged towards the exit, both of them began to speak in hurried tones simultaneously.

"It was nice knowing you Malfoy"

"We aren't the best of friends but maybe I'll miss you a little"

"We should have had that dual when we had the chance"

"Now who's going to get those Fire whiskies?"

While the two rambled to him as if they were going to be attending his funeral soon, Draco only got more confused. Why were the both of them so scared? They kept tripping over their words and feet, looked like they were going to make a run for it and seemed as if something even worse than Voldemort himself arising to take revenge for his disloyalty was about to befall Draco.

Just as the two were about to leave, a deafening crash sounded. Looking up they saw Hermione standing there in all her blazing fury. Her unruly was around her head, like a dark cloud. Her magic could almost be seen flashing through the mass of curls and frizz like lightening. Hermione was not asleep, she was awake and she was downright furious.

"Draco Malfoy!" she thundered, her voice was low but she was seething. In her furious state, it seemed befitting that she was atop the stair case.

"y-yes?" for once in his life, Malfoy looked terrified. For a split second, his eyes darted to them, they were pleading for help. But he probably saw it in their eyes, there was no hope for him. He would have to face the wrath of Hermione granger. Alone.

It had been two days. Two days since Harry and Ron had fled in terror from the head dorms without a backward glance. Two days since they saw a veela walk to be executed by his own mate. Two days since either of them had been seen.

Harry and Ron sat at the Gryffindor table for breakfast. It was Monday and they were hoping that at least one of the heads would show up. As it turned out, Blaise had bet Malfoy that he couldn't get his mate to sleep properly before she finished her project which in turn would prove that Malfoy was not as caring as he should be. Apparently it was enough to get the Slitherin veela planning. Even though all had been done with good intentions, neither of the Slytherins knew that Hermione Granger did not take kindly to being drugged and had put up charms against it so that no one would be able to do it. What was another thing they did know was that the only way to get on the bad side of the uncrowned Princess of Gryffindor was to try and separate her from her wand. The only way she responded to it was by punishing the person with wandless magic and nonverbal spells that only she could know and devise (it is certainly an advantage to know almost all the library by heart, specially the restricted section).

Both of the golden heroes of war had been hoping to see one of the heads but they were still surprised when Malfoy walked into the Great Hall. There was no apparent harm to him, but Harry and Ron knew that didn't mean anything. Upon closer inspection, it turned out that was certainly the case. Even though Malfoy walked as tall as ever, he didn't meet anyone's gaze, his lips were pressed into a thin line and he wasn't strutting like he owned the place. As he took his seat at his house table, he met their stares and his silver eyes said it all. There had been no mercy…