CHAPTER FOUR!

Sorry, this one's really choppy, I just wanted to get all this writing out of my system before I get tied up with some school stuff. It's a little lengthy with the dialogue, but I hope you can follow it ok.

Reviews would be greaaaat!

Disclaimer: all J.K.'s genius 3

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Draco could hardly remember the last time someone pushed back the hair from his face, grazing his forehead with light fingertips, to comfort him. Even half-asleep, he could feel that his skin was slick with sweat.

"Shush, baby," she cooed.

"Mother, it hurts…"

"I know, honey. I know. But you're strong, right?"

The little boy nodded, his blond hair reflecting the moonlight, but he had started to cry.

Pushing back his hair, she held his face in her hand, "Don't cry…" She had to fight back her own tears to put up a strong front for her son, "…remember what you father said. Malfoys never cry,"

At the mention of his father, the little boy bit his lip to stop it from trembling, "You..you won't tell him I did, will you?"

"It's our little secret,"

"you'll tell him I was strong, won't you?"

She smiled, "the strongest,"

"Promise?"

"I promise," she whispered.

The little boy choked back one more sob and fell asleep. His back still stung from where his father lashed it with a whip.

Draco opened his eyes, half expecting to see his mother leaning over him like she had done years ago. Instead, even with his blurry vision, the face on the bushy haired witch sitting on his bed, her hand resting on his head, was unmistakeable.

"AHHH!" he screamed and recoiled at her touch.

"AHH!" she screamed back as she pulled back her hand.

They glared at each at length, neither one wanting to speak first. He stared at her with contempt, while she stared back at him with shock. Finally,

"You?!" He hissed. Oh God, not her!

"Me," it was almost a question.

He looked around frantically, his eyes darting between her and the bed in the corner of the room. GRANGER?! It was Granger?!

He couldn't hide the shock and disgust in his voice, "What the bloody hell are you doing here?! Don't touch me!"

He could feel her stiffen next to him, and he almost smiled at that small success. Irritating Granger was something he loved to do. But before he could celebrate, she had slapped him hard across the face.

"What the hell am I doing here?! You ungrateful son of a—"

She didn't finish her sentence because he was now grabbing a hold of her arms to prevent her from pummeling him to death. Her face was as red as the mark she left on Draco's.

Looking at her, all he wanted to do was push her off the bed. She was a mudblood after all, so she certainly deserved it. But he had to remind himself of his mission, and he knew angering her was not his best bet.

"Listen, Granger… I don't know have the faintest clue why it's you sitting here right now. You and I both know I'm groggy as hell, so would you calm the hell down?"

She pulled her arms back and massaged her wrists. He couldn't read her face.

"Don't ever touch me again," she said flatly.

"Touch you? You touched me first!" he retorted. Lord knows I'm the one who should be worried! Filthy muggle!

"I was only trying to help you, you git!"

She gathered up her things in a hurry, all the while muttering to herself about how much of an idiot he was. He just stared at her as she picked up a bottle from the table that was filled with a shimmery pink liquid. She threw it at him and he barely had time to catch it before it nearly collided with his face, "You're due for that one,"

And she walked away, her robe billowing behind her. .

"But—" he started to say.

"Piss off," she said it without a backwards glance. So with a slam, the door was shut and she was gone.

Hermione stormed into the room across the hall, scaring a witch she only knew by sight who was organizing some files near the door.

"GET OUT!"

The girl nervously dropped what she was holding and ran out, muttering her apologies along the way. Hermione looked down the hall to make sure she was gone and shut the door. She took out her wand, pointed it at the door and said, "Silencio!" , casting a silencing spell on the room. Then she turned around, clenched her hands into tiny fists and screamed at the top of her lungs.

She ran her hands through her hair and sighed. What the hell am I even doing!

"So what, are you a banshee now?" someone quipped from behind a bookcase.

Hermione jumped when she heard the voice.

A young girl came out from behind the bookcase, her flaming red hair tied up in a ponytail. Ginny had grown up a lot in the past few months, and had become Hermione's only confidante now that Harry and Ron were always gone.

Hermione's face turned even redder than it already was, and she stammered, "Ginny! I..I..I thought…was alone…nobody…"

Ginny walked over to her friend and put her arm around her. They both sat down on a pile of squishy purple pillows left there for late-night research. She pulled out a canteen from the folds of her robes and offered it to Hermione.

"here, you're going to need some of this,"

"What is it?"

Ginny grinned, "Well, it's not pumpkin juice,"

Hermione couldn't help but smile at her mischievous friend before she took a big swig out of the canteen. She could feel the firewhiskey burn down her throat, and she grimaced at the pain. It was a welcomed one.

"So I heard about Malfoy," she said casually.

"You and the rest of the world, apparently,"

"So is he what that was all about?"

Hermione rolled her eyes, "something like that, yes,"

Ginny just smiled at her, before continuing, "Ron called me to come right away. he said it was an emergency—that you'd lost your head,"

Hermione snorted, "Bastard,"

"Well, from the looks of you, I'm thinking he might be right,"

Both girls managed to laugh.

"Oh Ginny, I don't know what I'm doing anymore,"

Ginny's hand flew to her head in mock despair, "Say it isn't so! Not Hermione!"

"Ha ha, very funny. I'm serious here, Gin'!"

"I know, I know, just trying to lighten up the mood."

"I can't believe I told everyone at the meeting this was a good idea,"

"Isn't it?" Ginny's question was gently, sincere.

"I thought it was, until he opened his stupid mouth. Then I remembered what a dimwit he was (and still is, mind you)"

"But Hermione, you still brought him back, didn't you? I mean, everyone's in an uproar around here about all this, but nobody can give me an answer when I asked them why you did. I reckon that's what's got everyone all riled up. Some people said it had something to do with the information you guys got from the school, since it's been classified---secrets do eat people alive don't they? Anyway, others think you've simply gone mad, right up there with Mad Eye. Which is it?"

"I hardly know myself, " she answered, before taking another swig of the canteen.

Ginny furrowed her brow at the vague answer.

"Well, has he said anything so far? About what happened?"

"No, he was acting really strange when he woke up, like he had no idea what was going on,"

"What?"

"Yeah, he kept looking around and asking me what the hell I was doing there. He kept looking at me like I was dirty,"

"But—but they told me you said he asked you for help!"

"He did! That's the problem! I don't think he even remembers asking for it. Instead, he just kept freaking out about me being in there,"

"What an ungrateful son of a—"

"I KNOW! That's what I said!"

"So what does this mean? Are you giving it up then??

Hermione sighed.

"No, I can't just do that,"

"Nobody would mind, you know. He's Malfoy for christ's sake. The world could do with a little less of him,"

"I know. God knows he infuriates me more than anyone else around here! If he makes any more jibes at me for being Muggle-born, I could just—UGH!" At this, Hermione made a gesture like she was choking someone. She threw up her hands and looked back at Ginny.

"I don't like it anymore than everybody else does, I really don't. I hate him just as much as the next sane person would…but I felt like I have to help him,"

"Why? You don't have to!"

"because he deserves a chance!"

"But why him? Of all people?"
"Because I have faith in him!" she didn't realize that she was yelling.

Ginny stared at her, confused. Hermione blushed when she realized how she must have sounded, stammering "…in the information. Not in him. The information he has in him. The information he has…" she cringed at her own pathetic excuses, "…because, you know, whatever information he has is valuable to the Order, so…yeah"

Ginny pushed back the hair from Hermione's face, looking at her with an amused expression. Hermione pouted.

"You won't tell anyone I said that, will you?"

"It'll be our little secret."

"Promise?"

"I promise,"

And they both laughed at the thought of it.