4- Always

Hermione woke up early that morning, fretting. Despite what Draco had said, she still didn't like the idea of Professor Snape of all people being angry with her. What if he failed her for the term? What if he failed Draco?

Because it was her fault that Draco was even in this with her. She'd been the one dumb enough to run off and forget they had class. He was then forced to follow her.

But…nobody forced him; Hermione mused as she quietly climbed out of bed and began to pull on jeans and a t-shirt, despite it only being six in the morning. She could catch up on some of the work she'd left to the side. As she brushed her hair, her mind wandered back to Draco. Her new friend. It was really nice of him to follow her – she hadn't deserved to be comforted after she shoved him and screamed at him. Still…now he knew that Ron had broken her heart…that made her feel pathetic.

Downstairs, surprisingly, she found Harry, scratching away at something.

"Morning," she said, setting her bag down next to him and pulling out her Transfiguration textbook and a roll of parchment.

"Oh hey Hermione, are you okay?" Harry looked up at her, concerned and she felt a twinge of guilt – Harry would have been worried about her. She didn't go to Potions, she skipped dinner and it was late by the time she got back to the tower. She hadn't seen him at all.

"Yes," she said, smiling at him. "I am now."

She wondered if Harry would accept her new friendship with Draco, but thought it unlikely. Plus, she didn't know if when Draco said he'd changed that meant his opinion of Harry had changed too. The whole archenemy thing definitely complicated the situation.

"What're you doing?" She asked as she began to write the essay that was due in on Monday. It was a simple essay, she'd have in done in no time…just before her mind hadn't been able to focus. The pain had been too real, too there in her head. Draco…well he'd acted as a sort of plaster for the pain. A healing salve of a kind. And he had said she was beautiful which had to stand for something, because Draco dated some of the most beautiful girls Hermione had ever seen so him thinking she was attractive compared to them was amazing.

"Lines," he muttered, a black and mutinous look settling over his face.

"Oh…" Hermione said, wondering if she should risk asking who for and why.

"Snape." Harry snapped. "Stupid greasy bat. All I did was tell him to shut up about you."

"About me?" Hermione asked, pausing in her hurried essay writing. "What did he say?"

"He…he asked whether you'd decided you were just too clever to come to class…stuff like that. And it made me mad so I yelled at him to shut up. I mean, you aren't like that. I was really worried about you."

"Thanks, Harry." Hermione said, patting his hand. So Snape was angry…brilliant.

Down at breakfast, Hermione couldn't help but sneak an anxious glance at the staff table – but Snape wasn't there so with a sense of relief she took a piece of toast and settled into conversation with Harry about Ginny.

"I just don't know what I should do," Harry said, frowning. "She's only recently broken up with Dean, so maybe she's really upset about it…"

"She isn't." Hermione said.

"Yeah but what if she is?" Harry said, chewing a fingernail. "What if she cries?"

Hermione stared at him for a second and then laughed.

"Harry, Ginny isn't Cho. Not all girls cry all the time, and anyway Cho only cried because she had reason to! Believe me, Ginny has liked you for a very long time and her fling with Dean isn't going to change that. She just never realised you…"

"As…touching…as this is," a voice hissed in Hermione's ear, causing her to jump, "I would like a word with you, Miss Granger."

Harry and Hermione turned slowly, to see Snape looming above them, a furious glint in his dark eyes.

"Now." He growled. Hermione noticed Draco stood behind Snape, arms crossed across his chest. He caught her eye and smiled a very small smile, but one that she nonetheless saw. "Look, whatever trouble you get into, I get into too. We're in this together. Friends normally are." The memory of his words and the companionable afternoon allowed her to get steadily to her feet. Everybody was now craning their necks to stare and wonder what both Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy had done to get into trouble.

Professor Snape turned on his heel and stalked out of the hall, trusting that the miscreants would follow. He was furious. He was sure he knew why they had missed his lesson – Draco had at last got his prey and captured Granger. No doubt they had been making use of empty dormitories – for when he had sent a searching spell out for them he had not located them in the castle and the dormitories were the only rooms in the castle that didn't reveal who was in them – an ancient protection charm that not even Dumbledore could remove…although Snape had his suspicions that the romantic old fool hadn't really tried.

Well, that wouldn't do. They wouldn't miss his lessons for such things. They were going to pay on such a level that Granger would never consider spending another moment with Draco at all. Ever. He'd trusted her to be smart enough not to make the same mistake as the other girls, but he had been a fool. Now he had to force her to see that she had to stay away from him. Because there was no way that Snape was going to let her heart be broken.

What he couldn't see, was what was going on behind him. Maybe if he had, he would have been less hasty in his conclusions. Draco reached out and took Hermione's hand gently in his, squeezing it reassuringly. "We'll be ok" he mouthed and she squeezed his hand back. "I wouldn't bet on it." She mouthed back. "I'll take the blame" he mouthed. She raised an eyebrow. Then shook her head. "Together." She mouthed. "Don't argue."

"In." Snape said tersely, unaware of the whispered conversation. They walked past him into his office, not looking repentant enough for Snape's liking. "Sit." They sat. Snape didn't miss Draco move his chair slightly so it was directly next to Granger's…he raised an eyebrow. Snape wasn't stupid and Draco never treated his one night stands with any kind of affection. And the brief comforting look he saw them exchange was…interesting.

He sat down and stared at them.

"Um, sorry Professor." Granger said, biting her lip.

"Uh, yeah, me too sir." Draco said.

Snape just sat there in silence for a few minutes, wanting to make them feel suitably awkward.

"You two better hope I find your excuse good enough," Snape hissed. "Where WERE you?"

"How do you know we were even together, Sir?" Granger piped up, strangely confident in herself. Snape narrowed his eyes.

"Were you not?"

"No." Granger said, at the same time Draco said "yes."

"I mean, yes," said Granger as Draco said "I mean, no." They looked at each other and despite the seriousness of the situation, laughed.

"DO NOT PLAY GAMES WITH ME," Snape thundered, angry that his scary reputation seemed to be failing to get through to the pair. "Where. Were. You?"

"We were outside, sir," Draco answered respectfully.

"Oh I see." Snape replied. "Being outside is a perfectly acceptable reason to skip a lesson. Whose idea was it to go outside?"

"Mine." They said together.

Snape grit his teeth.

"So you both simultaneously decided to go outside?" Snape said. They nodded. Snape was silent again and then decided to change tack. From the looks that were being exchange between the two it seemed Granger was already fond of Draco…which meant he was too late to save her. Unless he was misjudging the situation, which he was beginning to believe was possible. "Draco, your father asked me to contact him if your grades were slipping or if you were in any trouble. He seems to think that he needs to keep a tighter…firmer…hand on you."

Despite appearances, Snape did have a heart and he regretted having to use Lucius against the boy, especially as he watched all colour drain from Draco's face. A look of pure fear filled the boy's eyes…and Hermione saw it.

"And Mr Malfoy, if it were your idea to miss my lesson then I think it prudent to send an owl to.."

"NO!" Hermione shrieked, almost hysterically. Snape raised an eyebrow. The girl was astute. Snape knew that Malfoy would not have told her anything of his father's rather barbaric parenting, yet she had picked up just on Draco's body language that his father being contacted was the worst case scenario.

"Miss Granger, do you have something you wish to say, perhaps less hysterically if you could?" Snape said silkily.

"She doesn't." Malfoy said. "Owl my father, it was my fault. I…I took her bag…ran off with it…" he trailed off weakly. Hermione was sat staring at him in complete shock. She'd seen the pure fear on Draco's face, see all the blood drain away, seen how his hands shook. And yet he was prepared to face something that made him that afraid…to protect her?

"Right then," Snape said, pulling a piece of parchment towards him. Hermione's eyes flicked from Snape to Malfoy and back again. Draco's hand tightened into a fist on his leg, his knuckles white. It was then that Hermione opted for the truth. The whole truth. Embarrassingly.

"Professor, that's not true. Draco found me in the Owlery…I was upset and sort of talking out loud about –no Draco, shut up – how I was upset about…about…about Ron and Lavender. Anyway," she blushed red and hurried on. "Anyway, I realised he was there and I was already upset and I got really mad at him and ran off, leaving all my stuff behind. I ran outside, and I forgot I had Potions. Anyway, Draco followed me, to bring me my stuff and he…he made me feel better. Just by talking and stuff. So don't punish him please Sir, it was all my fault really, he was only trying to be nice and take me my stuff and cheer me up, he didn't mean to skip class."

Snape blinked. Interesting. Very interesting. That definitely explained his concerns about Granger being upset…and explained the crying on the fourth floor corridor. But he hadn't believed such kindness to be a trait of Draco's and he surveyed the boy with an odd look on his face.

"Very well," he said. "However, you shall both serve detention with me today for missing the lesson. What on earth would you rather do on a Saturday?" He grinned nastily at them.

"Will we be catching up on what we missed, Professor?" Granger asked eagerly. Snape had to fight not to roll his eyes.

"Amongst other things," Snape nodded. "For now, Miss Granger, you have an essay pending. Go into the classroom and get started on it, I wish to talk to Draco…about something concerning him alone."

Granger looked at Draco, concern in her eyes again. Blasted, interfering girl, thought Snape. Draco smiled slightly at her and motioned to the door with his head. Hermione sat tight though, nibbling her lip.

"Granger, if you do not wish for Mr Malfoy here to be part of my next potion I suggest that you LEAVE."

She jumped at the angry tone and after a slight wrist squeeze from Draco exited the room and sat down with her essay. It wouldn't take her long…but she wondered if Snape knew that and was using it as an excuse to get rid of her. Was he going to tell Draco's father? And why was Draco so afraid? As Hermione started writing she vowed that she would find out what was wrong with her friend.

In the office, Snape perused Draco in silence over the desk. Draco sat in the seat and squirmed, unable to read the Professor's expression. Snape looked like he was about to speak a few times but stopped himself.

Finally he did, and his voice was oddly calm. Almost friendly, were Snape ever inclined to be friendly.

"Draco, what is going on in that head of yours?" He asked, drumming his fingers on the table.

"Uh…" Draco said lamely.

"Is Miss Granger another of your…pass times?" Snape enquired, raising an eyebrow.

"No." Draco answered firmly and slightly miserably. "It's too late for that. Far too late for that."

"How so?" Snape enquired. The boy was being odd.

"Well Sir, my 'pass times' as you put it are just that. Hermione…" he smiled, "Hermione is so much more than that. I think I may love her Professor." Draco looked at Snape and shrugged. "I think I might. I wish I didn't, I mean she's a mudblood and a Gryffindor and a know-it-all and my father will explode but…I don't even care. I'd give anything just to see her smile. And she just thinks we're friends but I'll settle for that, just to be able to look out for her."

"Draco…are you sure about this?" Snape asked, astounded at the depth of feeling he sensed from the boy. He's always found Draco to be arrogant and callous, like his father. "Your father.."

"Professor, my father is wrong about lots of things. I don't…I don't wish to stand by his side any longer. I've been his puppet for too long now and what I feel for Hermione is spurring me to cut the strings by which he controls me. Because she is everything he hates, yet how could anyone hate her?"

"How indeed." Snape conceded. Granger, although insufferably smart, was lovely and kind. He wouldn't deny it. And he wouldn't deny the power she had to change the life of the boy in front of him. "Well….you see to it that you treat her right young man, or you'll have me to deal with."

Draco grinned.

"I'll always be there for her. Always."

Snape felt something tug in his chest but ignored it and he sent Draco out to write some lines. Later in the day, he wrote the potion they should have made yesterday on the board and retreated to his desk to mark papers while they brewed. He couldn't help but notice the cheerful, happy tone of Granger's voice and wondered if, given time, her young heart would heal whatever hurt Weasley had caused it and…love Draco the way he loved her.