January 2003:
It had been a few days since New Year's eve and Draco hadn't seen much of Hermione, she'd shut herself away again. He knew that this was one of the ways she coped with her grief but it didn't stop him from being wounded each time he sat up in the piano room alone. Was she ashamed of what they did? Did she regret the passion they had shared on New Year's Eve? He knew for a fact that he didn't. He'd had the best night of his life so far with her that night, it confirmed what he already knew; Hermione was his witch and she always would be.
He was sitting in the over-sized arm chair he had conjured into the piano room just stewing in his own thoughts when the door opened and Hermione entered. Her eyes were glues to the floor and her arms limp at her sides as she walked. Draco rose from his seated position and quickly crossed the room so that he was standing in front of her.
"What's happened?" He asked as he guided her towards the arm chair. She was mumbling to herself under her breath as she let herself be lead across the room. She sat down on the arm chair.
"Haven't you heard?" Hermione asked finally looking up at Draco. Her eyes haunted with pain. Draco shook his head, he perched on the seat next to her and brought his hand up to rub circles across her back. She choked on a tear and clamped her eyes shut. Draco's heart broke as he watched her sob to herself next to him. He wanted to press her for more information but thought it best to let her reveal it in her own time.
"The raid that was planned for today went wrong. Several members of the order have been hurt but..." She paused her sentence and looked towards Draco. "Ron was killed." She said weakly before she broke down once more. Draco pulled her into his arms and kissed the top of her head after a short while she straightened up. "Draco, they think that you sold us out." Hermione admitted at last with a sob, her eyes wide with panic and fear. Draco was taken back by her words. Anger started to rise within him which he had to quickly swallow. Any outburst like that would not help his case, especially if they are already suspicious of him. He knew it, he knew things had been going too well, things had been too good for him.
"I will just have to prove to them all that it wasn't me." He said confidently. Hermione smiled weakly despite tears still running down her cheeks.
"They're not going to be easy on you, they don't see you like I do." Hermione warned him. He nodded in understanding and his stomach dropped a little.
"I love you." He said softly, he brought his hands up to frame her face. "We'll get through this." He assured her. She smiled at him and nodded her head but he wasn't convinced that she believed him.
"I love you too." She replied as she leant forward to kiss him quickly. She desperately clung to the hope that the order would believe Draco, she was even willing to stand up as a witness if they did start to be fussy. She'd only just fallen in love with the man and she wasn't going to let them throw him to the wolves that easily.
"Draco Lucius Malfoy. Do you swear that everything you say is the truth?" Asked Harry Potter from his standing position opposite the Draco who was seated on one side of the long kitchen table whilst Harry, Ginny, Kingsley Shacklebolt and Remus Lupin sat the other. Draco had to resist the urge to roll his eyes, a few minutes prior to this interrogation had started, he had taken a potion that would forbid him from telling any lies.
"Seeing as I've just taken a potion to prevent lies, I'm pretty certain that I am going to speak the truth." He replied as he glared across the table at Potter who returned the glare.
"Mr Malfoy, since your arrival here have you left the building at any time?" Potter asked. Draco's heart thumped in his chest as he knew he was about to tell them about the times that he and Hermione had disguised themselves and escaped for periods of time, he looked over Potter's shoulder.
"Yes." He replied despite him not wanting to. All eyes were on him as they awaited further explanation. Harry eyed him with a smug smirk rising onto his lips.
"Mr Malfoy, can you tell us about the first time you left Grimmauld Place and what you did?" Potter asked, his hatred towards Draco shining in his green eyes. Draco swallowed the lump in his throat, Potter was not going to like this next story.
"It was the second week of December when the snow was falling, Hermione was watching out of the window and I suggested that we go and see it for ourselves. I charmed our appearances and we came up with muggle aliases. We then walked to the park and watched the people play in the snow before returning to Grimmauld Place." Draco was relieved when he finally finished speaking that he didn't have to tell the entire truth, he kept his first kiss with Hermione to himself. It was his memory and only his memory. He looked up at the looks of displeasure that faced him. Harry's face seethed with anger as he looked at his peer.
"Have there been any other occasions when you have left Grimmauld Place?" Harry asked, he was still watching Malfoy suspiciously, he made no secret of the fact that he didn't trust the guy. He knew that Malfoy was a powerful wizard and was sure that someone of his calibre could override the effects of a truth potion.
"Yes. Hermione and I travelled into muggle London, again in disguise, to watch the fireworks on New Year's Eve." Draco replied. Again he was happy to be able to leave out what else happened that night, they didn't need to know that once they had returned they spent the night in her bed admitting out loud and with their actions that they had quickly and whole heartedly fallen in love with each other. They continued to question him on the charms he used to disguise them and he even demonstrated their effect proving that they would not have been recognised by any one. He explained how he invented the charm and how it had saved him on more than one occasion when sneaking around the manor.
"Thank you for your honesty Mr Malfoy." Kingsley said. Draco rolled his eyes, he couldn't stop himself. "I just have one last question for you: Have you ever left Grimmauld Place without someone else with you?" He asked, watching and waiting for Draco's answer which was a simple no. Kingsley relaxed back into his seat, he no longer had any suspicion of Draco. He knew an innocent man when he saw one, he also knew a man in love when he saw one too.
"Thank you Mr Malfoy, we have all the information we need, you may go." Kingsley dismissed the youngest Malfoy with a flick of his hand. Draco stood up and left the room despite Potter's protest that he had more questions to ask. Draco walked smugly up the stairs and entered Hermione's room without knocking.
She sat up when she saw him enter the room and lock the door behind him, she placed the book she was reading on the night stand and smiled as Draco climbed onto the bed and pulled her into his arms. She settled onto his chest and took a deep breath. She'd never felt safer than when she was in his arms. Draco retold her what had happened downstairs and apologised if he had gotten her into trouble. She shrugged her shoulders and waved it away. She was comfortable in his arms and let her eyes flutter closed. Draco whispering words of love in her ear was all she needed to fall into a deep and dreamless sleep.
The dreamless sleep didn't last long and Hermione had woken a total of three times that night all due to recurrent nightmares. Each time she awoke, she found comfort a security in Draco's arms as he soothed her until she had fallen back to sleep.
It was just after five in the morning when she slipped from the bed and made her way downstairs to the kitchen. She made herself a cup of tea and then took a seat at the table. She sat with the mug cupped in her hand and thought about Ron. Admittedly, she hadn't seen him much after being injured but it didn't stop her heart from grieving for the loss of a best friend. As she nursed her cup of tea, a slide show of memories from when they were all back in Hogwarts played in her mind. Her chest ached as she thought about the simpler times they all had back then.
"There you are." Draco said softly as he entered the kitchen. Hermione heard him enter but she didn't open her eyes to look at him. She remained where she was with her head bowed. Draco poured himself a coffee then moved to sit down next to her. "Hermione." He said more firmly this time. Hermione slowly opened her eyes and looked up at him. "Want to talk about it?" Draco asked as his eyes scanned her face. Tears were dried onto her cheeks leaving obvious evidence that she had been crying. He reached out a hand and took hold of one of hers.
"It's just not fair." Hermione muttered under her breath. Draco nodded, that he could agree with. He drained his coffee cup and put it down on the table. He took both of Hermione's hands in his own and guided her to stand.
"Come back to bed." He instructed her. She nodded and without argument, let him lead her back upstairs.
Draco was leaving the bathroom after having a shower when he was approached and stopped by Remus Lupin.
"Can we possibly borrow you for a moment?" He asked. Draco shrugged his shoulders and followed the older man down to the kitchen.
A sinking feeling set into his stomach as he walked in to the kitchen to see the same three people that conducted his original interrogation were seated at the table. Lupin indicated for Draco to sit opposite them and he did so without argument.
"Draco, we have called you in here to talk about your future with the order." Kingsley started to speak after a few moments of awkward silence. Draco's heart plummeted, this was it; He was being thrown out. "We would like to offer you a position in the Phoenix Squad as second in command." Kingsley finished and looked up to Draco who was staring at him with his mouth open wide, a look of pure shock written over his face.
"When you are not in battle, you can return here. That is unless you would like to move?" Kingsley asked, even thought he knew the answer would be a no, he still had to ask. He wasn't stupid, he knew that Draco and Hermione were growing close, after all, they have been mostly alone here for a very long time it was bound to happen sooner rather than later.
"Why me?" Draco asked. He was still trying to understand their reasoning of offering him the position when only a few days ago they were accusing him of being a traitor.
"It has not gone unnoticed that you are a very capable wizard and due to the passing of Mr Weasley, a position had opened up in that squad." Kingsley explained. Draco nodded, he had to admit that he was still in shock. This was not the conversation he expected to have when he was called down to the kitchen.
"You will start with a few weeks of intensive training at one of our training centres and then you can join the squad on missions, if you accept the position." Kingsley had a smile on his face as he watched Draco's expression change from shock, to confusion and then back to shock.
"Yeah, yes. I accept the position." Draco said at last. Kingsley clapped his hands together and stood up to shake Draco's hand. Draco was still trying to process this arrangement. He knew that he would fight out on the battle fields eventually, he just hadn't expected it to be so soon.
Once final details were confirmed Draco was dismissed from the kitchen. He hurried upstairs to find Hermione to tell her what had just gone down in the kitchen. He was still in disbelief as he lead her up to their third floor escape so they could talk.