Disclaimer: You can take it for granted, I am not J.K. Rowling and I own nothing from Harry Potter world, I'm just writing to get some more skill and mostly, to have fun.

A/N: Hello everybody, it's me again! I just have started my adventure on , and to be honest, that's my first fanfic written in English.
Firstly, thanks are going to patty cake rocks for kind word, it made me genuinely smile :)

And I want to ask you, if anyone would like to become my Beta? I'd appreciate it very much, because as fine I feel with foreign languages still I cannot be 100% sure about my grammar, syntax (Geez, I should be called Miss Inversion sometimes), spelling or punctuation and to be totally true with you, I'd just love someone to discuss the plot etc. :) People willing to be my Betas, please PM me.
And I've changed one detail from the first chapter: not "one and a half year" but "one year". I had to check the calendary and I had wrongly counted months, sorry for that.

Not wasting time further, here we go with second chapter (title borrowed from the great Led Zeppelin, because I feel like doing so).

Chapter 2: What Is And What Should Never Be

Hermione was drifted back to reality with the sound of laughter. Her eyes fluttered open - it was morning yet. She stretched her arms and rolled over to her side, now facing Ginny's empty bed with scattered white sheets. Sun rays streamed through the wide-opened window. Hermione rose to her feet, flexed her back to the left, then to the right and plopped her hands down on the windowsill. Beautiful weather thrown on this part of the world was like a gift, making it possible for everyone to relax just a little bit. It was day of Bill and Fleur's wedding.

She sighed. As much as all of them were thinking that's not exactly the right time, nobody dared to say that to Molly Weasley. Once, the female head of the Weasley clan, sensing the tension during dinner, gave the present human congregation a lecture even more complex on the topic than these given by Percy about the Ministry. And so, all living in The Burrow at the time just acknowledged the fact, that nothing could stop the celebration, even the obviously coming outburst from dark forces.

Her eyes wandered from the Levitating Table's Battle between Ron and George - who was shouting: "It's leviOOsa, not leviosAA!", causing Ron to laugh uncontrollably - back to the room. Casting a look on her bag residing on a nightstand, she frowned. It's been weeks now since she started collecting in there all of what she thought may be useful in not-so-distant future. According to Harry's behavior during last couple of days they may leave even the upcoming day.

As this passed Hermione's mind, she swallowed hard. The moment the four of them decides to leave there will be no coming back. For her and Harry it was definitely easier to do. They had nowhere to go back, no relatives waiting for them to come back. As much as Harry despised the Dursley family, he persuaded them to leave the house in 4 Privet Drive. Her parents, though sound and safe in Australia, didn't even had a clue that they ever had a daughter, thoroughly obliviated. Ron's case was rough, he had an entire family to worry about, especially that it was set for Ginny to return to Hogwarts for her sixth year. And there was Draco, whose situation was the most complicated one. He still had no clue if his mother was alive or his sudden disappearance caused Voldemort to take out his rage on Narcissa, considering his father's recent imprisonment. After Draco's life falling apart through last six years he still had her apron strings around his neck. He cared for his mother and wanted to be attached to her. Even under circumstances like broken faith in his parents' believes and failure in bringing back the Malfoys' glory, and this ridiculous like being considered as a sissy by for example the Weasley's younger offspring, he couldn't help it - he loved his mother.

Hermione, still deep in thought, managed to change from her pyjamas to some casual muggle clothing and toddled down the stairs.

"Good morning Hermione!" Molly greeted her as she reached the kitchen.

"Hello Mrs. Weasley" Hermione said, a little absent-mindedly, more of the habit, but with an uncontrolled sincere smile on her lips.

As the Weasley matriarch placed mouth-watering breakfast in front of Hermione, the girl was preoccupied with Daily Prophet snitched from the table.

"Bollocks!" she mumbled while shoving scrambled eggs into her mouth. Front page of the paper drained her off the attempts to read the rest. It was dedicated to Rita Skeeter's recent publication about Dumbledore. The lies that woman pumped into credulous wizard's and witches made her sick to the stomach, causing her just to stare at her plate like it just have called her some hideous name.

xXx

"Oi, Malfoy!" Charlie shouted, seeing that addressed allowed the part of the great tent slightly to drop.

"Sorry!" answered Draco and forthwith he corrected himself.

After setting up the party area he found himself being almost dragged inside the kitchen by Fred and George in order to help them with (as they put it speaking in perfect unison) "Properly testing the awesomeness level in mom's cooking", which ended up with Molly shooing them away because of the risk that there won't be any of strawberries in chocolate left for the guests.

Already exhausted, Malfoy sneaked out of the pre-wedding chaos and climbed on the old willow tree, which held the remainders of one of the many tree houses built along the years on the property.

"Running away, eh?" just as he closed his eyes and positioned himself comfortably, Bill's voice disturbed his welfare.

"Yes. And you? It's your big day, so why are you here?" Draco opened one eye and shot him a glance, slightly annoyed. He may be friends with them, but old habits die hard as they say, and redheads still weren't his favorite ones.

"Guess the same as you." Bill chuckled and got on the tree himself, oblivious for wearing a fancy wedding robe. "Just can't stay the pressure, all the girls gone completely mad. And they're madder with each passing minute."

True look of horror on husband-to-be's face almost convinced Draco to believe him.

"Spit it out" Draco said in grave voice, causing Bill to sigh in surrender.

"Always so discerning, aren't you, Malfoy?"
"To the shore, if you please."

"When the four of you is planning to leave?"

Draco's insides twisted. Oh, if they only knew what was in quartet's plans. Sweet, sweet unawareness. Carefully choosing words he answered.

"It is not set date. But I can assure you, that when time comes you'll all know."

"Don't play with me, Malfoy. Each of you keeps on feeding us with evasive words. I've tried with rest of them, but-"

"But I, on the other hand, am not at least as involved as they are and I shouldn't care to spill?" Draco cut his words this instant, anger slightly puncturing through his tone. Men were facing each other, both wearing composed facades.

"It's not my own interest, it's for my mothers sanity."

This struck Draco. He slowly took a breath before answering.

"Don't count on anything more than a week."

At this the blond slipped graciously off to the ground and started towards the house without looking back. He darted upstairs and got to Ron's room, which was now occupied by himself and Potter. Draco changed in some muggle suit which they purchased as a part of preparation to their mission, to eventually blend into the Muggle World. He stopped in front of the mirror, looking deeply into his own, hollow eyes, tired expression and slightly sunken cheeks. Closer to the date more haunted he was.

"Look what's left of you. Hopeless."

After examining his look once more, with a heavy sigh he decided to go downstairs, taking on slightly amused expression for sake of the guise.

"Draco, where have you been?!" Mrs. Weasley emerged suddenly from his left, snatched his arm frightening him to death and dragged him to the gathering. "They're almost beggining!"

Indeed, the perceptible tension in the air was overflowing with anticipation. As the woman seated him (to Draco's utter astonishment in the first row, with the closest family and friends) the band started playing wedding tune and Fleur started walking down the aisle. Monsieur Delacour held her hand, looking more proud than the all white peacocks from the Malfoys' estate. And there, at the altar stood Bill Weasley, his face beaming though distorting scars.

Draco shivered and immediately clutched his left forearm. There was the reason for his current locus in life. There was the key that allowed him escape from Voldemort. There were his doom and redemption.

"Draco? Are you okay?" whispered Hermione inclining to him slightly.

"Yeah. It's nothing," came the answer while he bore his sight in direction of the ongoing ceremony.

Soon he relaxed, and as the pair kissed sealing their union he forgot about the stress and clapped with the rest of wedding guests, a little smile creeping on his lips. Everybody proceed to the tent, the band played dance tunes, the food was served, the bottles cracked open and the wedding party set in motion at the drop of a hat. Some time later Draco found himself speaking animatedly in French with Apolline Delacour, the bride's mother. After the woman excused herself, Draco roamed around the tent, occasionally sipping champagne or nibbling on some food until Ginny approached him.

"Haven't the Phlegm's younger sister ensnared you in her arms yet?" she asked, voice abundant with sarcasm.

"Nope, Weaslette, I'm still waiting for you" teased Draco and feigned sending her kisses.

Ginny just rolled her eyes and left him in peace. He searched the party for any interesting occurrences, as he spotted Hermione, sitting alone at the table. Not wasting a second he sat by her

"Weasels and Potty left you alone" Draco stated, eyeing her and plopping a grape to his mouth.

"So?"

"So I think you need an entertainment adequate to your level, because as I assume the are not able of that" he said staying up and extending his hand.

Hermione stared from his hand to his face and back to his hand. Slowly she took it and allowed him to steer her to the dance floor. Currently the band initiated a slow song and they started slowly swirling.

"I really can't dance" she articulated gently ashamed.

"Quiet" he snapped smiling, taking the full dancing liability. As he put her in pirouettes, moves and figures Hermione laughed more and more as she couldn't almost move more. Draco took her into embrace waiting as she calms herself, still swinging slightly.

"Thank you" she managed to say.

"What for?" blond furrowed his brow.

"I've just... I've been so occupied by thinking about you know what that-"

"Stop it," Malfoy disturbed her and withdraw a bit to look her in the face. "You kept on distracting me during my worst moments for quite a time now, so let me do the same."

"Thank you."

When she smiled the blue-silver light emerged in the tent, and a patronus in the shape of lynx appeared in the middle of the floor. Everybody froze mid-dancing and all the heads turned towards the animal as it spoke in deep voice of Kingsley Shacklebolt.

"The Ministry has fallen. Scrimgeour is dead. They are coming."

After lynx disappeared few seconds of enceinte silence persisted before everything went to chaos. People started screaming, sounds of apparition coming from everywhere. Glass shattered, drinks were spilled. Hermione screamed for Harry and Ron gripping Draco's arm so strong that he almost had no circulation there. Just as she spotted them and caught Harry's arm the dark, racing mass appeared and materialized into somebody Draco wished to never see again. There, behind her back acceding other Death Eaters, stood Bellatrix Lestrange, laughing raving.

"RON!" Harry shouted.

Weasley jumped to him in just a second, clinging to his arm, but that was enough for Bellatrix to catch a glimpse of Draco, face mirroring the astonished look on of her nephew's.

And then Hermione apparated, trailing three of them into the swirling chasm.