I wanted to update earlier but I kept changing things. I'm entirely unsure about this chapter. If you find errors it's probably because I tried to change things even after it was beta-ed. hahaha.

WARNING : THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS DARK THEMES. No joke :O

To clear things up: when I say heart, I mean feeling and loving. I didn't mean Draco literally didn't have a heart. That's just crazy :))

I have an update area in my page, so if you want to know the progress of my stories, just check it out.

Thanks to my lovely beta POOJA, (damn, I really love her name!) murtagh799. She's bloody brilliant! Drop by her page and send her my love :D

And thanks to all the beautiful people who reviewed chapter 6. *offers pepperoni-flavored donuts*

Here you go then :)

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"What do you mean you're coming with me?" she howled in horror, her jaw hitting the ground.

Draco paid her no mind and entered her flat while she was too stunned to stop him. Not that she could have anyways, even if she tried.

He made his way to the sitting room with such ease, eyeing the place in interest. It was furnished with the occasional sofa, chairs, a table, a bookshelf and a fireplace. The walls were covered with cream striped wallpaper. It looked like a normal sitting room that was cozy, welcoming and very small.

It was like a broom closet, actually, compared to the one in the Manor.

"You—you can't— come with me. That trip is strictly for Unexhibitables only!" By this time, Hermione had finally come to her senses and stomped her way towards him. "Not to mention, you're not trained to deal with these sorts of things! Malfoy! Are you even listening to me?"

He stared at the pictures atop her fireplace, (muggle pictures, since they were not moving), and traced his fingers lightly over the porcelain frames.

"I can't come, I'm not trained, the trip is strictly for Unexhibitables only," he said lazily, not sparing her another glance. "Are you done?"

He continued to explore the rest of her flat, walking to the kitchen with supreme confidence, as if he very well owned the place.

Hermione followed him angrily, gripping his robes like a spoilt child and telling him to get out. He found it rather cute, the way she would carelessly touch him knowing what he had done in his past, what he was capable of. She was finally comfortable around him and it only taken her five years and a traditional marriage bond.

Honestly.

He grabbed the hand that was still attached to his robes and dragged her with him as he observed the other rooms of her flat. He inhaled deeply, taking in her unique scent. The whole place felt like her... her essence, her aura, her addicting smell. He felt another small pounding in his chest, one that was decidedly not his own.

Five years ago he would have jumped out of a hundred feet high window at the prospect of having a heart. His whole life had been built without it. He had been forced to conceal his emotions, for they were nothing but weaknesses that clouded his mind, hindrances that kept him from gaining more power. But when he had sealed the bond and tied their souls together, he hadn't expected to see the whole world change before his eyes. He hadn't expected to feel something again.

It had driven him mad, mad enough to want to kill himself. But not mad enough to leave Granger.

Now he relished it, his heart, he accepted it with open arms. Somewhat… Well to be honest, the thought of having a heart still disgusted him. But sharing a heart with her, that was a different thing altogether.

Of course he still killed and manipulated, but at least now he felt a little remorse. Just a little.

That counted as something, right? Right?

She hadn't carried her wand with her, and he grabbed at the opportunity to explore her little abode without having to worry about being hexed. He made his way to the stairs to her room, still dragging her along with him despite her desperate struggling and screaming. He loved the feel of her hand in his and he never wanted to let go.

Never.

The aura in her room felt a tad bit different.

He felt the magical energy shift as soon as he entered the white room. It had a different feel of magic, magic that made him feel light-hearted and lenient.

It angered him immediately.

Had she been sleeping with another man? She couldn't have. She wouldn't dare.

"What's wrong with your room?" he demanded all of a sudden, eyes flashing menacingly at her. "Who else is sleeping here?"

She stared back in alarm, knowing all too well what that look on his face meant.

Hermione could see right through him now, probably because of the bond they shared. The bond allowed them to know what the other was feeling, and since he was a numb, heartless bastard most of the time, she could feel that too. It was a frightening, cold feeling, so unlike the warmth she was accustomed to.

"No—no one," she replied, barely audible. He gripped her hand harshly and forced her to look in his eyes, causing her to shudder.

"Tell the truth," he said coldly. "The atmosphere changed when we entered."

Her eyes widened and her lips trembled. She looked both ways, avoiding his eyes. She stubbornly tried to get away from him again but his hold stifled her futile attempts. He grabbed her chin and forced her to look at him once more.

She wouldn't dare lie to him. She knew it would be unwise.

"Luna!" she said. "She cast a spell here a week ago! I'm the only one sleeping here, no one else!"

"Lovegood?" he asked while raising an eyebrow. "Potter. Now why would she do that, love?"

"She-she said she was getting rid of the Ca-Caballusi Fairies." She placed her trembling hands on the one grabbing her chin and squeezed it lightly. "There is no one else."

Satisfied, he gave her a soft kiss on the lips, drinking in her delicious fear.

"See, Princess, that wasn't so hard," he said, pressing so close that their noses were touching.

He stared at her a little longer, admiring her delicate lips as she panted under his brutal scrutiny. She wasn't gorgeous like the other women he had been with… but she was beautiful. He was mesmerized by her, her lovely cheeks and freckles, her riot of curls and dazzling brown eyes, like chocolate: sweet, addicting and deliciously decadent.

She was perfect.

Hermione eyed him suspiciously as he entered her messy room. He first went to the bed and traced his fingers on the red sheets. Then he went to the windows and checked the view. He stared at the different scrolls on her study and read a few titles on her bookshelf. Seeing him there made her feel uneasy.

She kept reminding herself that Harry had had her house warded; it was the only thing keeping her from running and screaming bloody murder right about now.

Bravery was scarce when she was with Draco Malfoy.

"Why are you even here, anyway?" she said, never taking her eyes off him. "You could have just told me the bad news tomorrow, at work."

He opened her closet, frowned, and then opened the door of her bathroom and disappeared inside.

"I wanted to see you."

Hermione shifted uncomfortably.

"Besides, I've never seen your flat before," she heard him say. "Never knew it was so… interesting."

He exited the bathroom with a devilishly handsome smirk on his face and he towered over her again. "But it doesn't matter, really." He reached for a stray lock of her hair and brushed it off her face gently. "You'll be leaving this place soon enough."

She sent him the coldest glare she could muster but he wasn't fazed the least bit.

"No, I won't."

He smirked again. "Whatever helps you sleep at night, Princess." And he was gone again.


"Dennis? Alright there?" Hermione asked, her voice laced with genuine concern for the brown haired boy who was currently sitting in front of her. They sat on the stools of the third level laboratory, discussing the sap of a Morning Glory flower, a particular ingredient that she needed for the Denovorum.

He had a dejected look on his face and he didn't have his excited, radiant aura that he usually carried about him. No, today he was quiet. He wasn't even remotely paying attention to the conversation.

Dennis jumped out of his thoughts and stared at her with wide eyes.

"Oh, Merlin! I'm sorry Healer Granger! I got distrac—" his hand accidentally collided with a glass test tube, making it fall to the ground and shatter. "Oh Merlin, I'm sorry again!"

He knelt on the ground quickly and started picking up the broken pieces, forgetting his wand that was currently lying on the table.

Hermione frowned at him. "Dennis." She waved her wand and the test tube repaired itself and flew back to the rack.

Dennis scratched his head in embarrassment and grinned sheepishly at her.

"Tell me what's wrong," she said.

Hermione stared at him and waited for him to say something. She couldn't deny that she had a soft spot for the boy. She remembered the first time she had met Dennis at St. Mungo's, when she had been volunteering as a healer. He had been a patient there and one day had wandered off to the room she'd been in and started talking to her.

.

"Sweet Godric, you're Hermione Granger!" he said, enthusiastically shaking her hand.

Hermione nodded politely. She was used to people coming up to her and knowing her name. Her part in the war had made her famous.

"I've heard so much about you!" He eyed her in amazement. "You're—"

Harry Potter's best friend, I know.

"—the most brilliant witch of our time! You've done so much! Bloody genius, you are!"

Hermione blushed in embarrassment, taken aback. She had not expected someone to praise her for her achievements or intellect, it rarely happened. She was always dubbed as Harry Potter's best friend and nothing else. "Not really, no—"

"And humble too," he said, more to himself rather than her. "I'm so glad I got to meet you!"

.

He was really a fragile-looking boy, with a pale complexion and an abnormally thin physique. However, his personality contrasted with his frail condition. He was a lively, cheerful person in this otherwise dark, unforgiving world. He had managed to stay positive about life, despite everything that had happened to him.

.

"My brother was a Gryffindor too, you know, like us," he said happily, waving his hands to emphasize his point.

She couldn't help but smile. His enthusiasm was contagious.

"Yes, I knew him," she said fondly. "He used to take pictures of everybody with his camera."

"Yeah, he did. Mostly Harry Potter," he said eagerly and he chuckled. "There was this one time when he climbed a tree to get a clear shot of the Gryffindor Quidditch team. Bloody wanker."

"Oh yeah, I remember that one! He fell on his bum and complained he had butt issues the next day."

They both laughed.

"I miss him. Sometimes I even wonder what he felt before he—you know..." he trailed off.

"I know he felt happy, Dennis, happy for being able to stand up for what he believed in. He was a Gryffindor, through and through. We are all proud of him."

He beamed. "He was brave till the very end, wasn't he?"

"Yes. Yes he was."

.

Hermione knew he was really sick, of a nameless disease that had been passed down in magical history for quite some time now, a condition where a person of a certain disposition loses his ability to wield magic.

.

She found him sitting on the hospital bed with scraps of colorful paper and crayons in his hands. He looked up and smiled at her when she entered.

"For the children," he said, before she could even ask. He was talking about the sick children admitted in the hospital. "I've been talking to the whole lot of them!"

She grabbed a get-well-soon card lying at the foot of his bed.

"Pag-asa?" she read questioningly.

"Hope," he replied, fondly.

But Hermione couldn't help but think that no matter how much hope he had for the cure of others, he had none for himself.

.

They said it would consume you.

A small ounce of magic every minute of every waking day…

No matter how much you try to fight it, to overpower it, it would do no good. Before you know it, you'd be dead, sucked dry. Some said it was even worse than a Dementor's kiss.

.

"I'm going to die soon," he muttered quietly, catching Hermione completely off guard.

"Don't say that, Dennis," she said in a serious tone. "You know they're doing their best to help you."

"This isn't an ordinary disease, Hermione," he said calmly. "There is no cure."

"Wh-what?" Hermione said, outraged. He must be lying. "What? That's—I don't believe it! There must be something!"

Dennis shook his head and smiled, telling her to calm down. "I'm just scared of not having enough time."

She felt bile rise in her stomach. This boy was a ray of sunshine. He was always making her smile and happy. He was kind and caring.

He offered so much love to the world.

Was he really going to die so young?

.

The Denovorum was the only potion that could save him, the only cure to his condition.

So she'd started researching about it and proposed a project to get it done. She'd travelled to different parts of the world to collect the rare ingredients, no matter how tiring and life-threatening it was. She'd do whatever it took.

For Dennis… and for everyone else who was suffering through the same condition…

The boy eyed her sadly, covering his face with both hands and shaking his head.

"I lost my camera."


"Well of course, you have to do it," said the girl in front of her, haughtily. "It's your potion and I just got my nails done. I don't want to get mud all over them."

Hermione rolled her eyes at the intended insult.

She was in the first level of S.F.O.W.W. with Greengrass, trying to collect sap from a fascinating little Morning Glory with absolute caution. The 1st floor looked peculiar in every sense of the word. It looked like an empty cave: cold, dim and moist, with its pointy, jagged rocks. It was an odd place to plant a Morning Glory, a plant that lived off of the sun. But this particular flower was different from the rest.

It was special because its bushes had been cultivated on the soil of Helga Hufflepuff's grave. It had many magical properties, which they could certainly use for the Denovorum.

The flower looked harmless in every way, but it was anything but. Certain things happened when one approached it incorrectly. She had to make sure the atmosphere didn't shift when she neared it. Her magical energy could cause that to happen.

She cast a Magical Concealment charm around herself to suppress her magic temporarily. It was simple, really, much like holding your breath, but for a very long period of time.

Astoria was her partner today. She had wanted someone else, anyone else, but Madam Dumass had noticed that they weren't getting along very well, which was, quote, "inappropriate behavior for Unexhibitables". She had been trying to get them to work together ever since the meeting. The two of them were disgusted with the idea, but unfortunately neither had a say in the matter.

So now they were stuck here, until she had managed to collect the sap from the Morning Glory, which was the only plant in the otherwise empty cave.

Greengrass really wasn't as dumb as she seemed to be. She was very intelligent and cunning and everyone liked her. She had half the people at work wrapped around her beautiful, manicured finger.

Hermione couldn't count how many times Greengrass had tried to get her fired, arrested or even injured. One time, she had even messed with one of Hermione's elixirs, purposely spilling an ingredient that had caused the mixture to sprout fire everywhere.

Unsurprisingly, because of her beauty, brains and cunning she always got away with it.

The only reason why Hermione had agreed to the arrangement was because she was sure Astoria wouldn't dare try anything today, not when everyone knew she was responsible for Hermione's safety.

At least, Hermione hoped she wouldn't.

Hermione shrugged the nasty thoughts off her mind and tried to focus. She had to have total concentration to keep her magic at bay. She took a few steps forward to the little plant placed in the center of the dimly lit cave.

Each step was like a death trap. One wrong move and this beautiful little Morning Glory could explode and kill her. She wasn't sure what kind of trap would be set off if she screwed up, since they were different almost every time. The last time an Unexhibitable tried to get near the plant without nullifying her magic, the plant had sent poisonous fumes that almost ended her life. Hermione shivered at the idea.

"Hurry up, Granger," Astoria said irritably in a high-pitched voice that lacked its usual perfection. She always used that tone when she was alone with Hermione. "I don't have all day."

"Well then shut up," she responded angrily. "I can't concentrate with you blabbering about."

She heard Astoria snort somewhere behind her. Hermione could tell the cow was just waiting for her to mess up. She mustn't give her the satisfaction.

Hermione was already far from the safety of the wards. She felt her body tremble as she inched farther away from Astoria, felt slight perspiration form on her forehead.

The plant was within arms reach now and pretty soon, she would be able to touch its leaves. She stopped a bit to admire the flower, fascinated by its blue and purple petals. It really is a wonder how something so small could be so powerful and dangerous. Carefully, she extracted the sap with the tip of her wand.

She took a vial from her pocket and transferred the sap within.

Thank Godric.

Hermione sighed in relief and started making her way back, when she felt a familiar shift in the atmosphere.

"What?"

Her Magical Concealment Charms had just collapsed!

She felt unbelievably stupid. Really, she couldn't even cast a proper Concealment charm! What the hell! Astoria was probably guffawing at her stupidity right about now. What was wrong with her?

Frightened, Hermione looked back at the flower.

She didn't have time to think as the ground beneath her started shaking violently, and to her utter horror, it began to crack. Not just small cracks either, massive ones, with thunderous echoes bouncing off the cave walls and dust and debris spreading everywhere. She ran as fast she could to Astoria, to the safety wards, as the solid earth plummet into a pit.

She almost made it, but she hadn't been fast enough. The ground buckled beneath her and she jumped managing to grab onto the edge of the safety point for dear life.

"Help!" she yelled at Greengrass, trying hard not to look at the bottomless pit beneath her and praying that her hold would not slip. She felt her heart hammer at an exhilarating pace, felt her limbs stretch painfully with her weight. Astoria stood above her, perfectly calm about the whole situation. She looked down at Hermione and nudged her head.

"Oh look, leeches."

Hermione swallowed a lump in her throat and willed herself to look down. Sure enough, huge, black, blood-sucking leeches formed at the bottom of the once endless pit. Were they even there before? Of course not, this was all part of the Morning Glory's magic! If she hadn't been so scared she would have been fascinated.

"I really did just get my nails done," Greengrass said mockingly, examining her already flawless nails. "Hmm. Let's see… I'll come crying to everyone and tell them how I tried to save you, how I tried to hoist you up from the depths but I just wasn't strong enough. I couldn't use magic, of course—"

"This is insane!" Hermione shouted. "Stop fooling around and help me!"

"I'm not fooling around, Granger," Astoria said. Her face suddenly darkened. "Is it so wrong to want you dead?"

Hermione paled at her words. She wasn't serious, was she?

The look on Astoria's face answered her question for her.

"They'll know you did this on purpose," Hermione hissed. "They know how much you hate me."

Her high-pitched laughter echoed in along the cavern walls.

"Yes, Granger, I hate you. No, I despise you," she spat. "I hate that everyone thinks you're so bloody perfect, that you're a bloody war hero and you're Harry fucking Potter's best friend! Like fuck! If I have to listen to another one of Creevey's rubbish stories about your rubbish greatness, I'll go barking mad!"

Merlin, aren't you already?

Hermione felt her hand slowly losing its grip on the edge but she clutched on harder and ignored the pain as the rough rocks dug into her skin, drawing blood. Hold on, Hermione. I am not going to let myself die like this.

"And then there was Krum! The bastard! He chose you over me."

"Astoria," Hermione said calmly, making the mistake of looking down again and seeing the leeches. She suddenly felt nauseous. "You have to calm down. Just pull me up and—"

"You ruined everything for me! I made it in! I made it in here and I'm a bloody Unexhibitable for the love of Merlin! BUT NOBODY CARED BECAUSE THEY FUCKING WORSHIPPED YOU!"

Hermione couldn't believe what she was hearing. She had always known that the girl hated her, but to hate her so much as to want her dead?

"I hate that you get everything you want! I hate that they look up to you and see you as a perfect little angel, when the truth is all you'll ever be is a filthy little mudblood."

She stood up and grabbed her wand from her robes and aimed. Hermione was absolutely horrified then, it must have showed in her face because Greengrass began to laugh hysterically again.

She looked like a raving lunatic.

"Well, when you're gone they'll forget about you eventually, won't they? Won't they?" she said, excitedly. She had a positively deranged look on her pretty face now. It reminded Hermione painfully of Lavender Brown. "They won't miss you. And then they…they'll love me." She laughed maniacally again, clutching her head. "They'll love me! Not a piece of mudblood scum! ME! THEY'LL LOVE ME!"

She raised her wand at Hermione who could do nothing but shut her eyes tight and brace herself for the impact. "Confring—"

"Crucio."

An earsplitting scream left Astoria's lips as she writhed and convulsed on the ground. Hermione panted, scared stiff, confused at the turn of events. She gaped a few more minutes at Greengrass before her brain finally registered what had happened.

Oh no.

She felt the familiar cold emptiness inside her again. This situation would not be looking good for Astoria.

"Draco, stop!" Hermione shouted.

She tried to lift herself up again, desperately. She had to help Astoria, who was still screaming at the top of her lungs and rolling on the ground in misery, out of her line of vision.

Then the whole cave turned silent, as if she had temporarily gone deaf. She heard nothing, save for Astoria's ragged breaths.

Draco's tall frame appeared before Hermione seconds later, his eyebrow raised. He stood above Hermione, who was still dangling off the edge. His handsome face was masked with impassiveness again but Hermione could tell he was angry.

"She tried to kill you."

There was a dark promise lingering in his stony greys, a malevolence that told her he was about to do something extremely unpleasant.

She shuddered.

Something similar had happened before. Hermione remembered the night in the Restricted Section with three particular Slytherins who had tried to hurt her with the curses from a dark book and how Draco had reacted violently when he had found out. They had died a couple of weeks later. Now she doubted if Lavender Brown really had been responsible for their deaths.

"No, she didn't!" she lied. "My Magical Concealment charm collap—"

"Because she tampered with it," he interrupted in a harsh tone.

Hermione gaped at him in confusion. He clucked his tongue at her and made no move to help her up.

"She lifted it off?" she asked incredulously. "Why that bint—"

The screams behind him started again, rich timbres flooding her ears. For a split second, Hermione wanted it to continue. Let her suffer for trying to kill me. She deserves it. She—

"ENOUGH!" Hermione shouted. She mustn't let her hatred control her mind. Revenge was never the answer. She mustn't think like this. She mustn't think like him. "Just—just stop!"

He continued to stare at her with a blank expression.

"D-don't s-save her!" Greengrass yelled, despite still being under the Cruciatus Curse. "D-don't you realize she's a m-mudblood? She's staining our—"

"Do you really think it wise to insult my wife in my presence?" he mocked, his voice dripping with venom.

"W-wife?" she growled, her face draining of all color. If possible, she looked even more deranged. "Y-you m-married her?"

Astoria screamed louder, along with Draco's cold, humorless laughter. Hermione was certain her ears were bleeding now. Draco showed no signs of stopping.

It was absolutely terrifying.

"Draco," Hermione tried again, her voice shaking. She pushed away all thoughts of Astoria finding out about their marriage. She could deal with that later; right now she had to save her from Draco's wrath. "Don't do this. She doesn't mean any—"

"Don't make excuses for her dearest," he said in a deceivingly calm tone, but Hermione knew better. His menacing eyes scared the shit out of her.

"Draco, please."

"No," he said condescendingly.

"Draco—"

He growled in frustration.

He lifted the curse off again, but Hermione could tell he wasn't satisfied at all. She gulped when she saw his wand hand twitch ever so slightly. He was undoubtedly trying to control his anger. He stared at Astoria with deep loathing and fury, causing the girl to cower in fear.

He was speaking to Astoria again but Hermione hardly heard it, she felt herself start to slip. She groaned in pain as her palms were chafed against the jagged rocks.

"Always so vulnerable," Draco said, turning his attention back to Hermione's now descending form. Finally, he pulled her up to safety, as if her weight were nothing. She landed on her hands and knees and sighed deeply in relief, taking a few more minutes to catch her breath.

She had never been so happy to see solid ground.

"Look at this, you're allowing your enemies to hurt you." He grabbed her roughly towards him, examining her bloodied palms in clear disapproval. He carried her in his arms before she could even protest.

"Put me down!" She struggled in his hold but he was much too strong. "It's not like I had a choice!"

His grip tightened, crushing her soundly against his solid chest.

"Pull away from me and I'll kill her."

He nudged his head towards Astoria, silently daring Hermione to continue struggling.

He said it so nonchalantly, as if he were only joking.

But she knew he was dead serious, without a doubt. Hermione stopped squirming and snapped her mouth shut. This seemed to help lessen his rage and he smirked.

Hermione huffed in indignation, her face flushing red. Her gaze fell on Astoria, who was now frozen still on the ground.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

The girl was too scared out of her wits to even reply, but thankfully she seemed like she'd be fine.

Hermione glared at Draco. "I can't believe you just used an Unforgiv—"

His lips crashed into hers before she could finish and she stiffened immediately. "Hermione," he whispered so faintly, she almost didn't hear him. Hermione felt her stomach flutter at his awkward closeness. "Wasn't there something you wanted to tell me?" His intoxicating scent flooded her senses, soft feathered breaths against her skin…

"Huh?" she whispered, in a daze, feeling the sudden need to taste him again.

"I just saved your life, love."

Oh.

Realization dawned on her and she felt her face heat up in embarrassment. Grudgingly, she muttered something that sounded like, "Thanks," under her breath.

"Good girl."

UGH. He had saved her life, again! She felt like a dreadful damsel-in-distress, always getting herself into trouble and always needing someone to save her freaking arse every single time. It was pathetic. Sweet Godric, why did this always have to happen to her?

She buried her face in his chest and groaned in frustration.

Consequently, Hermione never noticed him hiding her wand in his robes, nor did she notice the red flash from Draco's wand that blasted Astoria Greengrass off the edge of the safety ward and into the pit of leeches.

His smirk widened in satisfaction.

Astoria's terrified screams resounded once more, like music to his ears. Finally, he was contented.

He continued to walk pleasantly with Hermione's delicate form in his arms, ignoring her useless struggles and shouts to save the poor girl who was now drowning in a sea of leeches…


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He really is cruel :O

I actually feel sorry for Astoria now... tsk2.

Atmosphere shifting – caused by ones magic. Every wizard and witch has a unique magical energy, like fingerprints. :)

Magical Concealment charm – Invented. Spell that conceals magic and magical energy temporarily.

Morning Glory - a flower that lives off of the sun.

Pag-asa – means hope in Filipino.

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I hope I hear from you :)