AN: Sorry this was so late. Hope you enjoy this chapter. The flashback is in bold italics.

She wasn't an idiot. She knew Draco would be pissed about her decision. Harry had filled her in a bit before the code green was called. Harry was damaged beyond any shadow of a doubt, but if Draco was captured she was sure she would be in the same state. Going into this mission was never a question. There wasn't anyone else that could pull this off, and she knew Draco would protect her once she was in. Ginny had to get out. When they find out about Gin's history with Harry… She shuttered thinking about it. No. This had to be her mission.

The second she stood up she almost wished she hadn't. Draco's eyes burned into her, warning her to sit back down. His eyes were darting and unfocused, and she knew he was holding on by a thread. When she opened her mouth to begin the speech, she felt a shift in the atmosphere. The room got cold and the lights were flickering. The more she talked the more the room became nervous. She recognized this feeling. It was uncontrolled magic.

There was a loud crash and Draco was convulsing on the ground. The room was shaking and spinning while object flew off the walls. Windows shattered and objects were smashing against the door and walls. The room erupted in ciaos. Women were screaming and someone sounded like they were crying. All of the sound was magnified, or at least it seemed that way to Hermione. She pushed her way past Order members and headed for the eye of the storm. Draco was twitching in a semi comatose state. Mrs. Weasley was trying to sooth him as she ducked rouge flying objects. He would occasionally grunt or groan in distress. Why wasn't anyone knocking him out? Hermione whipped out her wand and pointed it toward his ever moving head. Mrs. Weasley jumped in front of her outstretched hand.

"STOP! NO! You can't stop him! If you knock him out he won't wake up. He has magical trauma. The poor boy must have been suffering for years. Why didn't he just come forward…I just- the poor boy." Mrs. Weasley was near tears and she gripped Hermione's hand. The objects of the room seemed to settle down which meant this was almost over. Everyone left in the room was crowded around Draco's body. He looked distorted and stretched out. It was like his magic was pulling him apart little by little. Unconsciously she knelt beside him and gently touched his face.

He didn't seem to react to her touch. The thought saddened her a little. After a few more moments, his body stilled. His face was still contorted in a horrific way, but his body looked less mangled. Everyone was running around trying to help. Snape was sent to work on a potion while the twins ran to fetch towels and warm water. Mrs. Weasley was digging through her medical bag to see what supplies she had on hand. Everyone was moving and racing around, but Hermione just sat down and held Draco's hand. He felt like ice, but she refused to let go.

The best thing to do at this point would be to get into his mind. The only problem was that Draco was the most skilled at legilimency. In fact, he had completely mastered it. He could slip into anyone's mind and unravel their thoughts without the person even knowing. He tried teaching her a few times, but he wasn't exactly patient and Legilimency was largely natural ability. Hermione had no real desire to learn until this very second.

Think. What the hell had he said? There was something about an aura around your mind and finding your magic. Hermione closed her eyes and squeezed his hand tighter. Look for his green coloring. She knew that his was green. She could feel and sense a shift, but his mind was so heavily guarded. It was like poking a sleeping bear with a stick. She could feel him about to open and unleash on her. With a grunt of concentration, she slammed her magic against his. His eyes shot open and her head pounded. It felt like a cement block had been dropped on her. She cradled her head and moaned out loud.

" Babe. That was pathetic." His voice was hoarse and shallow.

She would have said something back if her head wasn't bursting internally. Suddenly, the pain just shut off and she could open her eyes. She looked at Draco completely puzzled. What the hell just happened? He just smirked at her clear confusion. He relaxed into the floor and closed his eyes. Draco's tension was slowly leaving him.

" Wandless spell, love. You could have killed yourself trying Legilimency. I had to repair your brain bleed. Don't try that shit again." He didn't try to sit up or argue. The wandless spell had taken all of his strength.

Hermione scoffed at his dismissal of her skill. I just save that bastards life. Thanks should be in order. If she had left him then he might still be in a magical coma. Honestly. No manners.

Draco was drifting in and out of consciousness. He seemed far from recovered completely. With a flick of her wand she levitated him to the nearest sofa. Order members were flocking to him with medical supplies and potions. He would be in good hands now. She dropped him with a flick of her wand and headed out to meet with Harry and Ron. There was sure to be a lot of planning before her mission. They needed to talk strategy.

For the next few days there was little talk of anything outside of their upcoming mission. Ron was the order's most strategic battle analyst. When he was able to break free of his emotions and focus on strategy, he was a force to be reckoned with. The only problem was his insistence that they should use someone besides Hermione. It was no secret that they had a difficultly complicated relationship. For the first few months of the war, they were in a strained relationship. They found comfort in each other and their fiery passions led to some amazing… after hours experiences. It was great for a few months, but then the fighting stopped being sexy. The resentment towards their relationship started to even play out on the battle field. Around the five month mark they decided to call it quits, but sometimes Ron still acted like he was her boyfriend/body guard.

Hermione knew this past relationship was a sensitive subject for Draco. He was, after all, a full blooded male. When she sat him down and told him about their interesting past, he went completely Slytherin on her.

"Let me get this straight while my lunch is miraculously still in my stomach… You and Weaslebee made the beast with two backs…and you didn't immediately Avada yourself afterwards?" Draco looked genuinely sick and flushed.

Hermione was getting annoyed. Cant he take anything seriously? She decided to join him on the bed and quit pacing. If he wasn't taking this seriously than neither would she.

"Draco, you are absolutely incorrigible. I am trying to have an adult conversation about my past intimacies and I-"

"Oh dear Merlin above make it stop" He rolled over and threw the blanket over his head.

Draco was clearly over this conversation the second she mentioned Ronald. He needs to grow up!

"I thought it was common courtesy to divulge past experiences with the person…with the-… your-… well with your person."

She could not believe that she had almost called him her boyfriend! Maybe she wasn't cut out for this relationship if she couldnt title it. She needs titles and chapters and classifications. He wants white blank pages in a beautifully bond journal.

Hermione could feel his eyes on her but she was too embarrassed to look at them. She just needed to get out of this bed and think. Slowly, she started to inch her way to the edge of the bed only to have an arm drag her back. Draco wrapped his broad arms around her and pulled her into him. They sat in silence before she gently lifted her head to look at him.

"I could be your person. If I had a person it would most certainly be you." His eyes showed a deep emotion that was usually not there. She could take this.

"And since I am your person I should tell you about my experience. We can start with Pansy. She was quite limber that one. I loved to get her bent ove-" He never got to finish that statement because Hermione had shoved him head first off the bed.

"I get it. I won't bring up Ron again"

The memory of that night just made her miss Draco more. He had spent the last few days in and out of sleep. She knew he won't be so happy to see her when he fully came too. This mission was going to be a bigger sore spot than Ron.

"Hermione, I am serious about this mission" Ron looked tired and overworked. His sister was missing after all.

"I can do it and we both know that Draco wont let anything happen to me. It will be dangerous, but leaving Ginny will be more dangerous. It's a gamble I know but-"

There was a loud knock at the door. Harry jumped a little before he went to answer whoever had come. Ron seemed somewhat glad to have a distraction as his shoulders eased. The room was getting a little intense. Harry pushed the door all the way open and Draco brushed past him.

"I need to talk to my deranged…gir- Granger. Im sure you have both tried to talk her out of this to no avail," He looked at both of the boys for conformation, "now let's talk strategy since she won't be changing her mind"

The boys both looked at him like he was crazy. Harry's eyes got wide at Draco's announcement.

"Please spare me Potter. If she wasn't going to listen to me then she defiantly isn't going to listen to you. I am the one sleeping with her after all."

Hermione could feel her face turning as red as Ron's hair. Dear Lord why did he always do this?

" We..err.. we're just going to go for a few minutes. Be right back Hermione." Ron and Harry ran out of the room. She almost wished she could join them.

Draco's face looked deranged. He was beyond pissed at her.

"I really don't want to do this Granger. You have no fucking idea what is in store for you." He was pinching the bridge of his nose. The room was starting to feel very very small. She needed some courage right now.

"I know that is will be bad, but you will take care of me so there really isn't any-"

"Don't even think about finishing that statement. You do realize that I am a spy, right? What am I going to do jump in front of a crucio and act like all death eaters do that? I'm not some underdog lacky woman. I run half the organization. What the fuck do you think they are going to do when they know I have you? Smile and give me bon bons? You can't even wrap your pure and good mind around the vastness of their evil. Are you ready to deal with the death eater side of me all of the time. That taste you got the other night was me controlled. I just don't-"

Draco had sank to the floor and was running his fingers through his hair. He looked almost as broken as the other night and Hermione felt so guilty. She sighed and sank down on the floor next to him yet again. He lifted his head and met her eyes with a piercing glare.

"You are going to fear me. You will be scared of me and eventually hate me. That is a promise. "

"I can handle it. I can act and deal with whatever you have to do to me! I swear it will be fine. I-"

Draco looked down at his hands and then back into her eyes.

"I'm going to have to hurt you. Touch you. Break you. How can I protect you from myself? I am so scared. THAT is why this mission is so dangerous."

He leaned his head back against the wall and let himself shed tears that were long past due.