AHHH! All these new followers make me smile so much! You all really keep me going through my days, it's quite amazing. To show my appreciation, I'm going to reply to some of my reviewers from chapter 6. Maybe that'll make you guys want to review more *wink wink nudge nudge*

Zer0us: I think you got the right idea with Draco and Hermione's future, but I'm not gonna spoil anything. And it's ok, I used to not have anything to do (that's how I got into this). Oh! As for the cursing, yes they did, but in their later years. Also why it's rated M. Don't wanna corrupt anymore minor than I already have.

Prurient penmanship: Ah, my favorite reviewer. Thank you for the compliment, I'm glad you didn't think it was a filler. I'll try to surprise as best as I can ;)

Thug2Darnell: kohai, there already IS a love triangle. Draco and Ron both love Hermione, but Hermione only loves Draco. Maybe I could make Hermione pretend to love Ron to keep up appearances…nah. I love Dramione too much lol. Don't worry, it'll still be good.

SasoriHime05: I love your reactions! It's reviews like this that I'd kill for. Fear not my dear, tis my fanfiction. Draco and Hermione, WILL end up together in the end; for better or worse ;)

Disclaimer: Sadly, I own nothing but the plot; I barely own that, seeing as I'm using scenes from the story to twist Draco and Hermione's fate. Ah well. On to the story!

"I'm sorry…I'll miss you."

Her voice lingered in dream turned nightmare. He tossed and turned more violently as he started to yell in his sleep.

"No! Hermione…please, don't leave me! Please!" He fell off his bed and turned into a sobbing heap on his floor, from what seemed to be the thousandth nightmare this week.

"I love you." He cried out in broken sobs, muffled into his covers.

He struggles with all his might to get up and face the sunlight streaming thorugh his tent window. Finally making it out to the common area, he slumped over to the sofa and picked up his bottle, downing every last drop.

That's what his week and a half almost two weeks had consisted of since he'd last seen his belovéd lioness. Nightmares, weakness, and heavy drinking. It seemed that nothing could get him out of this depresséd state.


"Why so quiet, 'Mione?" Ron awkwardly nudged her with his shoulder.

"Just thinking about the deathly hallows; ya know, whether they could actually be real or not," she quickly fibbed.

"Oh…right. I'm just glad we got away from Luna's crazy father alive. I mean honestly, can we trust no one anymore?" He threw his hands in the air, glad they were finally filling the silence.

"Luna was kidnapped; he was desperate. Perfectly understandable." She said matter-of-factly, just to get him to shut up. It seemed to be working.

"Oh…well, I guess you're right," he looked down nervously and gave a pregnant pause. "Well, it's too quiet in here anyhow. I'll turn on the radio," he quipped, thinking it would get her out of her serious mood.

Light hearted song after song played while they sat in silence, the air fogging up with more and more timid tension between the two. As the next song started to play however, Hermione found that irony couldn't be any more evil than right now.

I'll be your dream, I'll be your wish, I'll be your fantasy

Her eyes grew wide.

I'll be your hope; I'll be your love, be everything that you need

"…yeah, I realized those words were gonna mean something to me someday…"

Her heart swelled from the tears that begged to be set free, but her Gryffindor pride wouldn't let her break down. She's tried so hard to forget him since they saw each other that night; but nothing would give her a break. If it wasn't the lack of profound conversation; the smell of breakfast that allured her every morning definitely did it.

"I still haven't gotten my eggs and bangers," she chuckled as the dam that held her tears opened up.

"Umm, Hermione?" The youngest male Weasley cocked his head to the side as he watched her sway back and forth to the muggle song he didn't know; crying and laughing at the same time.

"That muggle has made her mental," he thought out loud. Little did he know, her complex emotions that were spewing out simultaneously were due to quite the opposite of the magical spectrum.


Draco was tired of the silence. Before her, he wouldn't have minded it; he liked being alone to his thoughts. But now, all it did was drive him crazy, reminding him of the lack of her presence. He staggered over to the radio and turned it higher when he thought he recognized the melody. Oh the irony.

I will be strong, I will be faithful

'Cause I'm counting on

A new beginnin'

A reason for livin'

A deeper meanin', yea

"So you were looking for a new beginning as well…" her thoughts escaped through her lips.

"Is that why I found you laying in the woods that night?

He threw the now empty bottle of firewhiskey at the fireplace and got up, raged and still a bit buzzed.

She threw the book that was in her lap across the room and struggled to walk straight, vision blurred from her tears.

"I have to get out of here," he tottered as he threw on something to wear to walk out the tent, uncertain of his destination.


"I'm off my rocker," she said aloud as she grabbed her purse and made sure her wand was in her pocket, speed walking out the door. "I'll be back!" she yelled out the boys still occupying the room, leaving them with dumbfounded faces. She knew exactly where she had to go.

"Oi! Where the bloody hell do you think you're going?!" Harry called out; realizing what just went down as he popped his head from the fridge. No response; she was long gone.

"She said she'd be back," Ron stupidly piped up, unaware of the severity of the situation.

"Yeah, if snatchers don't get to her first."

The two boys grabbed their wands and bolted out the door in search of their endangered friend.


She looked for any signs of familiarity in the forest; trees near open spaces, human made trails…anything. She smiled when she thought of an excellent idea.

"I'll be your dream, I'll be your wish

I'll be your fantasy

I'll be your hope, I'll be your love

Be everything that you need…"

Was it just him or was that bloody song following him? He looked around with a sense of paranoia, the firewhiskey still lingering throughout his body.

"I'll love you more with every breath

Truly, madly, deeply do—" she hummed the in-betweens of the song.

Wait. Was that a female singing? The beautiful voice compelled his body to search for it's origin.

"I will be strong, I will be faithful

'Cause I'm counting on"

"A new beginnin'," he sang along.

"A reason for livin'"

"A deeper meanin',"

"Yeah…" they harmonized as they looked into each other's eyes across the forest.

"Hermione." He gave a goofy grin.

"Draco. Well, well, well," they both quickly turned over to see Scabior, a head snatcher, and his lackies not too far from them. "I see you disappeared not because you were a blood traitor, but to redeem your loyalty by becoming a snatcher by yourself. So who's this tall glass of water ?" he smirked in her direction, getting closer and showing off the decay in his teeth.

"Hermi-oof!" The two boys stopped in their tracks at the sight of the infamous Draco Malfoy and a group of what seemed to be snatchers standing not too far behind.

Their reunion had quickly drawn to a close. Draco looked towards an open part of the forest and Hermione sadly took the hint.

"Run!" Hermione yelled as she started to run herself, away from her beloved; for her safety and his.

"Well don't just hang about," Scabior grinned, "snatch 'em."

Draco followed suit with the snatchers, mostly to keep an eye on Hermione; but also to keep his reputation. He had a lot of explaining to do if this ended like he thought it would.

The chase became heated as spells were thrown back and forth, stupefys and expelliarmuses alike. The trio hopped over branches and logs as the snatchers got closer behind on their trail.

Draco stumbled over tree roots and barely caught up with the hostile group, still trying to decipher what just happened between everyone and what was to become of him and Hermione.

Harry tripped over a rock and went tumbling down a hill, all while having one of his telepathic moments with Voldemort. Hermione quickly acted and sent a spell towards Harry's face as she ran towards him.

"The elder wand, it exists! A-and he's l-looking for it!" Harry whispered in a panicked state. Her eyes widened at his discovery. Two snatchers separated them from each other and examined Harry's face. "What's your name, ugly?" the snatcher lackie yelled at Harry, breath smelling of death and old fish.

"Dudley. Vernon Dudley." Scabior grabbed him by the front of his hair and smirked when he saw a light lightning bolt scar under his tuft of hair. "Change of plans…we're not taking this one to the ministry."

"Draco!" Scabior gritted his teeth, demanding his prescence.

"Oi! I'll have you know that I will not have some lowlife imbecile that's trying to prove himself to the Dark Lord boss me around! I am still a Malfoy!" he slurred and hiccupped as he staggered over to Scabior, sticking his finger in his face.

Scabior grabbed the drunken ferret by his robes and looked him straight in the eye. "Very well then. Will you do the honors of taking us to the Manor?"

Draco sobered up real quick. Taking them to the manor meant Hermione, Ron, and Harry were in grave peril. Especially Hermione, with her "tainted" blood. Voldemort loathed her kind the most. But he had to keep an appearance. He'd find a way to free them when they got there. Hopefully.

Her panic attack elevated as she heard what Scabior just said. The manor? As in Malfoy Manor? They were as good as dead; especially her. She could just see Bellatrix jumping for joy at the thought of killing another mudblood.

"You two, grab them," Draco now took charge as he got everyone ready to apparate, "I got this one," he grabbed Hermione from behind and held her lightly by the neck, looking hostile to keep up the façade.

"Don't worry," we whispered in her ear, "We'll find a way out of this."

She pretended to put her head down in defeat, her hair in her face. "You promise?"

He kissed the flesh at the back of her neck softly, "I promise."

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