CHAPTER NINE: Strategies

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As I mentioned in a special note previously, the official playlist to LLDM is linked to on my profile. A list of the artists is right below the link. I'm also open to suggestions of other songs to add. I'm compiling a special fan playlist, which should be up before my birthday. Just review with the name of your song suggestion.

Can you believe I'll be turning 19 in a few weeks? I feel so old!

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"ABSOLUTELY NOT!" shouted Snape.

Dumbledore agreed but he said nothing. "Severus, please alert the Order," he said calmly. Snape grudgingly did as asked, muttering to himself on the way out the portrait hole. Hermione knew this look. It was the same expression he'd had in third year when he quietly suggested she use her Time Turner to save Sirius and Buckbeak… er, Witherwings. "I suspect Mr. Potter will have something to say on the manner."

She gave him a knowing nod and smiled wildly. Dumbledore stepped out and she quickly undid the final chain. "Are you crazy?" Draco protested. "We're going to kill each other."

She smirked. "Yea… so that's what the kids are calling it these days. Don't worry. Just take this," she joked and handed him the potion from the inner pocket of her robes. "It'll stop the lust."

He looked at the vial of purple, glowing formula and pondered whether he should take it. "I don't think I want this," he spoke as she headed for the bathroom to cross into her own room.

He didn't think to stop her. The condition of her bathroom door didn't even cross his mind. He looked to the drawers, trying to think of what he'd need, when he heard a gasp coming from the bathroom. He closed his eyes, leaned his head back, and cursed.

"Hermione, I'm so sorry about the door," he said, heading to the bathroom. "I'll fix it, I promise."

But she wasn't looking at the door. "What is this?" she whispered, running her fingers over the pictures of white peacocks that ran wild through his gardens.

"Oh," he paused, wondering whether he should hide his little gesture. There really was no point now. She wasn't stupid but he could at least bend the truth a little to sound less desperate and pathetic. "I was going to put those in your room when I saw Weasley."

He didn't know if that was sadness, shock, or remorse in her eyes but she put the pictures down on the edge of the white bathroom sink. She turned to him and slid her arms around his waist again. His heart went wild. This was better than any maid, than any caress. He felt like an idiot, getting so excited at a simple hug. He didn't think this was the curse. So far, he had been unaffected by the lust.

"Hermione…" he began but she just tightened her grip on his waist. She was so much smaller than him that he could rest his chin atop her head effortlessly. His own arms wrapped around her as he carefully took a whiff of her hair. She smelled… she smelled like Weasley.

Still, he didn't retreat.

"Thank you," she said into his chest. His shirt was all wrinkly from having to dress quickly, his shoes were stained with blood, and his hair was an adorable mess. And she wouldn't have it any other way. "I love them."

When she finally released him, she took the pictures carefully back in her hands as if they were made of crystal and placed them in the inner edges of her mirror. Draco watched from the bathroom, leaning against the broken edges of the bathroom door with his arms and ankles crossed, a huge smile on his lips.

"Listen…" he began and she snapped around. She didn't think he'd be watching her all this time. "I don't want you to come."

She gulped and stepped towards him. He put a hand out between them, telling her to stop. If she got any closer, he knew he'd change his mind. "Why not?"

"I can't have you get hurt, okay? If I go alone, maybe—"

She shot him a look of disbelief. "Draco, if you really wanted me to stay, you'd have tied me up a long time ago and escaped. You need me," she said sweetly. The words would stick to his subconscious like glue. "You need me, and you know I can help. Do you have any idea how many escapades I'm gone on with Ron and Harry? Who do you think was at the Ministry when your father was arrested? You can say a lot of things and they're cute and everything but they don't mean squat to me. I'm going."

He'd stopped listening to her halfway through her little speech. He just focused on her lips, his own mouth slightly ajar, brought down by the weight of lust. He gulped and straightened. "I think I'm going to need that potion after all," he said to himself and turned back absentmindedly to his room.

She laughed, watching him go. It felt amazing to be able to look upon him again without fear or lust. She had to thank Snape's books for the potion. She had to thank him for a lot of things. She knew Harry wouldn't like to hear it but there was a lot Harry wouldn't like about her current lifestyle.

Then she realized she'd have to tell him and that he would most probably say no.

She took the cloak out of her bag and turned her attention back to Draco. She found him folding a wide range of outfits through the air into a dark green suitcase. "What are you doing?" she said with a laugh, crossing her arms as he had done.

"Practicing ballet. What does it look like? I'm packing! The Manor's a long way away."

She laughed again, this time harder. "What, are you serious? My dear boy, have you never planned an escape from Hogwarts before?"

He stared at her, wide-eyed, a pair of four-leaf clover underpants flying over his head into the wall. "So… we're not just flying off?"

She shook her head and took his hand, pulling him out into the hallway. Liam caught sight of them as they left and said, "Yes! You're talking again! Hurrah!"

They smiled at each other as Liam started dancing in his little frame, slipping on the carpet. They slipped on Harry's invisibility cloak and kept on walking, careful around corners to avoid running into Filch and his cat. "No," she hissed on the way to the hospital wing. "We're not just flying off. Harry and Ginny will be with Ron in the infirmary. I say we talk it over with them and come up with a plan. I already have one in mind."

He nodded and followed, thinking how just an hour ago, he was contemplating how he was going to redecorate his jail cell. If he knew attacking Weasley was going to bring her back to him, he would have shot him days ago!

As promised, Harry and Ginny were keeping Ron company. She had taken the bed beside her brother and Harry the seat between them. Ron was muttering something about spiders, Ginny was stroking Harry's messy locks in her sleep, and Harry's forehead ceased to crease, even when unconscious. They all looked exhausted in their pajamas, like they'd just crashed wherever they sat.

"Why do they look so tired?" Draco inquired into her ear.

She ignored the shivers it caused and answered, "You should talk. It comes with being Harry's friend and constantly getting attacked. When people you love keep dying next to you, you want to stay awake as long as possible. Worrying, enjoying each other… it's all the same."

He gave her hand a gentle squeeze. "I'm sorry."

She smirked. "Don't be. He's worth it."

Suddenly, she slammed her hand on the wooden table by Ron's feet and the three snapped away. Ron shouted a few vulgar curses, which made Draco snicker, and looked around. "Hermione, is that you?" asked Harry, rubbing his eyes. He reached out into empty space as if trying to feel around for her in the darkness.

She pulled off the cloak and Ginny gasped at the sight of Draco standing right beside her. She tried to straighten her hair but it was pointless. Draco wasn't looking at her. He was focused on Hermione a hundred percent, on the way her face hardened ever so slightly when she concentrated. She could have been a teacher, he thought.

"Hey guys. It's us," she whispered. Draco waved lamely. Harry, who stared at him like he was the reincarnation of Judas, waved back.

"What the hell's he doing here?" growled Ron. Ginny shushed him.

Draco took in a deep breath and answered, "I need your help."

Harry turned up to Ginny and said, "Gin, I want you to go outside and check if it's raining fire 'cause I think I died in my sleep and went to Hell."

Ron chuckled and lied back down, too tired to be outraged for long. "Come on, Harry," Hermione pleaded, handing him back her cloak. "This is serious. Would I ever come to you for help if I didn't really need it?"

He shrugged but his face said she was right. "You know we've always got your back, Hermione," Ginny squealed within a yawn. "It's just Malfoy we'd like to throw off a cliff."

She rolled her eyes. "Guys, we were all doing so well. Harry, you even said he wasn't that bad of a flyer. This was all an accident and he's sorry. Aren't you, Draco?"

"Do I have to say it?" he groaned, leaning in to whisper in her ear again. This time, nobody missed the shiver.

"Yes!" she hissed.

"Fine, fine. Weasley, I'm deeply sorry for having attacked you while you were fornicating on Hermione's bed."

Ron went a little red but shrugged it off much like Harry had done. He gave some sort of retarded nod which Draco took as an apology accepted.

"What do you need?" Harry asked, arms crossed. He wanted whatever this was done and over with as soon as possible.

Hermione took out the letters from Draco's mother and explained the situation, that she had been presumed dead but had been kept hostage this whole time. "If they're moving her to Malfoy Manor, that means we have an opportunity to pull her out. Who knows the Manor better than Draco?"

Harry pushed the notes back to her on the bed and definitely arrived at, "It's a trap."

Hermione shot him a look. "No shit, Sherlock," Draco growled. "But what if it's not? This is her handwriting. They were delivered by a Malfoy owl. They only answer to my parents and myself and my father's in no condition whatsoever to be sending mail."

"Handwriting can be forged."

"And the owl?"

Harry huffed. "I refuse to walk blindly into a trap. Look what happened last time. Sirius died, Hermione! I will not put the DA under danger again!" he shouted. Ginny gripped his shoulder but he pulled away. Not even she could calm him now.

They all waited a moment but Draco was honestly confused. "Sirius Black?" he asked. "Didn't he betray your parents and murder—"

Harry jumped out of his chair and punched Draco in the very same spot as last time. "Damn it, Potter! I nearly tore your friend to pieces. Do you really want to push my buttons?"

Harry sneered. Actually sneered. "You're no danger to me. I haven't fucked Hermione."

At that, Hermione turned away from Draco's jaw and slapped Harry with enough strength to send him back into Ginny's bed. "Harry Potter!" she scolded.

"It is kind of true, Hermione," Ginny added softly. The ice in Hermione's eyes could be skated on.

"Hey hey hey!" Draco interjected. "I didn't know you cared about the guy! Let's not bring Hermione and me into this."

Hermione stomped her foot. "There's no 'Hermione and me!' And no one's fucked anyone!"

Ginny, who seemed unable to get angry, clarified, "Draco, Sirius was Harry's godfather, his last real family and his father's best friend since they were here at Hogwarts. He had been falsely imprisoned thanks to Pettigrew and the Dark Lord. We helped him escape in third year. It was your aunt Beatrix who killed him so you understand if Harry's a little sensitive on the subject. He's only been gone a few months."

Draco mouthed out the words Thank You and gave her a little nod of acknowledgement. Harry and Hermione continued to bicker in the background but stopped when they saw Ginny's small smile. Harry looked at her like she'd betrayed him. "Oh shush, Harry. He's not so bad. I got over all the crap Malfoy's said about my family. You can get over it too. He honestly doesn't know better."

Draco didn't like being pitied. He felt like an infant, but it had starved off another war between him and Potter. Ron had apparently fallen back asleep and was snoring rather heavily. Ginny slapped him in the back of the head and Ron automatically shouted, "Sorry, Professor!"

Hermione, Ginny, and Draco stifled giggles. "How is it you geniuses have been able to fight off the Dark Lord for so long?" Draco asked no one in particular.

Harry looked up at him and answered honestly, "We're not geniuses. Hermione is. She's our secret weapon."

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Great. I'm Google, a freakin' library on the go."

Nobody but Harry got the joke. "Fine. We'll help. But we need to have one hell of a plan."

Hermione looked up to Draco with a devious smirk. He didn't know if he should be afraid or turned on but since the potion had pretty much cut off his manhood, he could only feel fear.

"I have something in mind," she said, doming her fingers. Draco thought she'd make an excellent evil queen but it was better not to dwell on it. Harry was still shooting daggers at him with his eyes.

"What do we need?" asked Ginny, conjuring a quill and piece of parchment to take notes.

Hermione looked back up to Draco, "What's the best way to get into Malfoy Manor? The least obvious way."

He thought about it for a second then answered definitively, "There are dungeons under the manor. They have tunnels leading into the town jail. They were built in case of overflow from the jail and for escape purposes, of course. We use it to hide dark objects from the Ministry. It's protected by certain spells but my mother doesn't know of them so, unless my father said something, neither should the Dark Lord. I should be able to lower the walls and get us inside."

They all gaped. "Thought about it, have you?" Ron said.

Draco shrugged. "I got the first note over a week ago. I'd been planning to go retrieve some things from the tunnels then heading to Spain. That's where I was kept, in the home of a fellow Death Eater."

Ginny gulped. It was still strange to be standing so close to a real Death Eater, talking strategies. These were the monsters she'd been warned about from birth. But then, she remembered that Harry was even closer. He had been the Prince Charming in all her nightmares. As long as he was there, she would have no fear.

"What do we do if we get captured?" she asked, terrified despite Harry's presence.

"We won't," Hermione affirmed. "You're traveling with werewolves, remember? But if we do get split up for whatever reason, we pick a spot to meet at. If we get captured, nobody talks. Same as always."

"What if Voldemort knows I'm coming?" Harry asked, grim as ever. Hermione realized that he must have suffered a great shock tonight. After all, he had just lost his godfather and now he had to watch his friend get carried away covered in blood.

"We'll pray he doesn't, Harry. You're welcome to stay behind."

He shook his head, determined to steer through this. "If he captures me again, I'll know what to expect."

Draco agreed. "We both will. For all I know, he's tagged me like a wild animal."

It suddenly occurred to Harry that Draco would know. He had been tortured. He hadn't just been forced to watch Cedric die or tied up or attacked here and there. He had been tortured. And survived! Maybe he wasn't such a sniveling coward after all.

"We'll need maps of Malfoy Manor," Hermione told Draco. He conjured them up in an instant and spread them on the bed by Ginny's feet. "Holy crap! It's huge!"

He smiled and absentmindedly stroked her back. "I get that all the time."

Ron was about to growl at him but decided maybe it was best not to taunt the werewolf again. His wounds hurt just from thinking about it.

"How do we get out of Hogwarts though?" he asked.

Everyone looked around as if something in the room held the answer. "Hogsmeade," Hermione finally declared. "The first trip of the year is tomorrow. We get Fred and George to help us escape detection for a few hours and then we use their fireplace to floo out to London. We grab the Knight Bus from there and nobody should be the wiser."

It was Draco's turn to gape. "You people really have done this before, haven't you? Dumbledore lets you practically get away with murder."

Hermione snickered and began rolling up the blueprints. "Well," Ron said, his eyes half-closed. "If you all don't mind, I need me some bloody rest before I can be up tomorrow. Pomfrey's orders. Get the hell out."

The others laughed softly. "Alright Ron," Hermione said, messing up his hair. "We'll all go back to bed."

Ginny and Harry watched Hermione and Draco walk off awkwardly back to bed. Something was different. Now that they could stand to be in the same room, it was strange to be apart. They slipped on the cloak and walked slowly back to Liam, their nerves on fire being so close together under that hot, sweaty cloak.

Liam's portrait hole was special. They had to say the password and he'd open to either room, not both. Hermione gulped and said her password, feeling a little strange as if she and Draco were already married and were now driving home after a long dinner party with friends. Of course, reality was a lot less romantic and a lot more terrifying but it was nice to dream, she thought.

He said, "Goodnight," and headed through the broken bathroom door to his room, shutting the door behind him.

"Night," she replied to her own empty room, now too large. Had she hoped he'd stay over? She dared not dwell on it, should the purple potion falter. They changed into their nightwear and slipped into bed.

An hour passed and neither could sleep. Draco got out of bed and opened the remaining bathroom door. Hermione sat up, startled to hear him walking around. "Draco?" she whispered. "Do you need something?"

After he opened his door, he went back to bed. He moved his pillow down to the footboard and looked through the bathroom, straight into her room. She realized what he was doing and did the same, moving her pillow to the foot of the bed.

"Better," he said with a smile and – able to see and know the other was all right – they quickly drifted off to sleep. This was as close to being in each other's arms as they would get for now.

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More cuteness coming soon. Lots and lots of tension on the trip and they have to make a stop somewhere. Actually, they make a few stops but it's really not their fault.

Reviews are better than Draco's flying underpants.