I'm back! But still, nothing here is mine.

"Let go your heart

Let go your head

And feel it now…"

- David Grey, "Babylon"

"What do you dream of?" she asked in a sleepy whisper. "When you finally do sleep, you must dream. I know you are always stewing in your thoughts. What happens when they are in control?"

They lay together, her draped across his chest, him playing with their intertwined fingertips.

"Lately?" He replied, looking up at the ceiling. "Flowers. Light, and sky, and all shades of flowers. For once, it's lovely.

"Thinking too much of our own little prisoner?" she smiled slyly. He looked down to see her hair was now longer and dark, nose slightly upturned.

"Don't do that." He said sternly, as Pansy's features melted away. "It's very unsettling. And she's not our prisoner. She can leave whenever she wants."

"Hermione is convinced she'll betray us, but I don't agree. Do you?"

"No. I think she has her own agenda, but it does not involve betrayal of the order. I'm more concerned with your cousin." He said.

"I don't know what to think about him." She sighed. "I'm positive he wants the Death Eaters gone, but he's so… reckless. Never thinks about the consequences. Just dives into danger. It's like he doesn't care if he even dies or not."

"He has his own agenda as well. But for once, you two are fighting the same enemy."

"His mother never was a death eater. She was a bigot, but she would never attack if unprovoked. My mother said that much about her sister."

"He won't listen to anything I try to tell him." continued Remus.

"He won't listen to anyone. He's so arrogant, it's dangerous."

"But you trust him? He's no longer a child. None of Harry's generation are."

"He's my cousin." She replied.

"You've said this before. It's not much of an answer."

"You were witness to him taking the vow."

"But would he die to bring us down?"

"No. We are just a means to an end for him."

"But to what end?" he said in a whisper.

She looked up at him, with the expression of a frightened child.

"I don't know."

He held her then, drawing her into the crook of his neck, laying his chin on the top of her head.

"Just never leave me…" she whispered as she closed her eyes tight.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Downstairs the fire illuminated the sitting room, as two figures, no longer children, played a game.

"Alright," said the girl. "If you had one wish, what would it be? It has to be selfish too. If you could have just one day to do anything what would it be?"

He thought for a moment before saying, "Flying. I haven't been on a broom in almost a year. That's what I want. How about you?"

"I'd shop." She smiled. "All day in Oxford Circus. Just me and Sumita."

"Oxford Circus? That's full of muggle shops."

"I like muggle jewelry. And shoes. I bet all my things were destroyed when…" she winced. "I don't even know what happened to my house."

He felt uncomfortable and changed the subject.

"Who is Sumita?" He asked.

"Oh!" Pansy smiled. "She lives in India. We became friends as little girls. One thing I miss most are her letters, we wrote back and forth in school. It was nice, having a friend not in school with me." She said.

"What did you talk with her about?"

"Oh everything! Schoolwork, our mothers, friends, Draco…" she paused. "I used to be so stupid about him." She sighed.

"Was he kind to you? Somehow I can't picture him actually being nice." Said Harry.

"Sometimes." She said "But really nearly all he did was complain about everything. Sometimes I wondered if he actually liked anything! He was always going on about you, what he thought you were doing, how he could beat you out at something. It was really boring after a while. Potter this and Potter that, sometimes all I could think was, just marry him why don't you!"

He smiled. "I wasn't aware I had such a following."

"It was hard sometimes, all the Slytherin boys just trying to one up each other. It got old very fast. I just wanted to have fun. I like to laugh, not scheme. I just thought some people were so ridiculous. Like Professor Snape for example, always so brooding and ugg! I just wanted to ask him what could be so horrible! Not everything has to be so serous! Can't you really smile? Tell a joke? Take off the black and wash your hair!"

At this he laughed out loud.

"I made a mistake though. I began to make everything out as a joke. Just laugh, I told myself. Laugh or you'll cry."

"What do you tell yourself now?"

She paused before saying, "That there will be life after this."

"Where will you go?"

"I will go back to India I think. I was born there, you know. I lived there until I was six and my parents got married."

"They weren't when you were born?"

"No. That's why my mum went to India. I bet she was terrified and ran. Family trait I suppose." She sneered.

"I don't think so." Replied Harry. "Look at you."

"What do you mean?"

"You could have run at any time in the past few months. You have been free to run at any time. But you're still here."

"I need to find my mother."

"You could be out doing just that. But you're still here. That says something in itself."

"Harry," she said "Why have you been so nice to me?"

"I don't really know. It just feels good. It feels right. I'm just glad you're here and, you're so easy to talk to. I wish I could be more hopeful like you."

"Don't you have plans for the future?" she asked.

"I… I really don't know. I need to concentrate on defeating Voldemort though. I need to stop him for everyone he has hurt. I don't care if…"

"You could visit me in India." She interrupted

He grinned slightly.

"Yes. You'll visit me in India. Bring Ginny. See how very blue the sea is there." She said. "Promise me you will."

"Pansy I…"

"Promise me!" she said, almost urgently.

"Alright." He said, slightly stunned. "I.. I promise."

"There." She said. "Now you have something. If nothing else, you have to live to see the blue Indian Ocean. You made a promise."

She smiled at him and turned to face the fire, bathing in its soft glow. And in that moment, he realized she was beautiful.

oooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

The winter grew colder. Fires were lit throughout the day and night.

One night Hermione was walking to the kitchen when she heard her name called out from behind her.

"Granger…"

Draco was standing behind her.

"I need to talk to you."

With a jerk of his head he signaled for her to enter a drawing room.

The room however, was not vacant. Pansy was sweeping soot from the fireplace.

"Still at it Parkinson? Kind of pointless, don't you think?"

"You were asked to stay away from me." She replied coolly.

"I'm not Potter's to command," he replied.

"Then I'm asking you." She said.

"And if I don't feel like it…"

"I don't give a damn about what you feel like doing and don't!" She snapped. "You arrogant, condescending… do you have any idea what it's been like for me here?"

"So the truth comes out!" said Hermione. "Can't stand to be amongst those 'lower' than yourself! Can't stand the thought of serving and cleaning up for the likes of me, a dirty mudblood! Can't stand…"

"Stop it." Pansy replied calmly. "Please just stop talking about what you don't understand. I promised I would not leave because of my mother. I clean not for you, but to keep myself sane. If I focus on that, I do not dwell on the fact my father left my family at the death eater's mercy. That's what it's been like for me here. So please, if you have nothing constructive to say to me, please just act as if I am not here."

"You are nothing but a nasty little…"

"Please Hermione, just leave me alone." Pansy replied.

She turned to leave. "And also, I never once called you that word."

Hermione started to pursue her.

"It's not worth it Granger." Said Draco, grabbing her arm. "She's not worth your energy."

"Stupid cow thinks she's so righteous, I'll…"

"Annoying isn't it, that attitude? She's starting to act like Potter."

"You're just as arrogant." She replied.

"And how about you, Miss I have all the answers and I know it." He said. "That's not arrogance?"

"It's not the same!" she yelled back.

"You're beautiful when you get mad." He smiled.

She looked up at him. "Draco I…"

At this he grabbed her by the arms, pinning her against the wall. She let out a muffled cry as he kissed her intensely, but she made no protest. Soon she found herself responding, winding her arms around his neck and drawing him in closer. He pushed her back up against the wall, her feet lifting off the ground. She gave in, hooking her legs around his waist as they continued to kiss frantically.

"A-hem." Came a voice from the doorway.

The immediately broke apart, Draco moving in front of Hermione possessively. Severus Snape was standing in the room's entrance, still holding the doorknob and looking stern.

"I just returned this evening. Interesting, Mr. Malfoy. How long has this been going on?"

"Professor please, I…" Hermione started.

"I don't see why it's any of your damn business." Draco replied.

"Still grateful as ever I see."

"I've done every bloody thing you've asked of me." Draco snapped.

Snape's jaw tightened.

"Fine." He replied. "Just know that you still walk on thin ice here. You are very fortunate I wasn't someone else."

"Miss Granger." He gave her a sharp look and a nod, shutting the door behind him.

"Oh God…" said Hermione, sliding down the wall. "What am I doing?"

"Don't worry about him. He's not exactly a gossip queen."

"What are we doing!" she asked, more to herself then to him.

"Talking." He said.

"You did not bring me in here to talk."

"Actually I did."

"But you kissed me! Again!"

"You kissed back."

He laughed at her look of pure frustration.

"What I wanted to discuss is you. It's been bothering me a long time, how unaware you are of the obvious."

"And that is?"

"How you're not suited for this. I can see it in your eyes. You're not meant to be cooped up, following orders. It pains me to watch, like a caged wild bird."

"Malfoy this is war!"

"Don't you want something more for yourself?" he continued. "So much has changed in the past few years, why does it have to go back to the way things were? Think about it. If you were the one to defeat the dark lord…"

"What are you getting at?" she stared up at him.

"You have so much power Hermione." Him saying her first name made her shiver. "Why not use it? We could do it you know, together."

Her mouth dropped. "You are mad…" she started.

"Am I? Think about it. If we were to stop the Death Eaters, think of how celebrated we would be. Think of how much influence we would gain. I know there's so much you want to change, you could finally have the power to do it."

"I… I could never do that to Harry. To anyone here"

"Do what? Save them?" He asked. "Who says Potter has to be the one to do it? Why do we all have to support what he says? And I've heard all that prophesy rubbish and I think that's all it is. Complete rubbish."

She stared up at him, fixated by the intensity in his eyes. "We could do it, you know we could."

"Why me?" she said.

"Because you're everything I need" he whispered as he brought her face to his as they kissed.