DISCLAIMER: WE DON'T OWN HARRY POTTER... but it'd be boss if we did.

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Hermione and Draco arrived back at Malfoy Manor, carrying the stunned man.

"Who knew bodies were so hard to carry," Hermione said.

"Yes, because a stunned man is going to carry himself."

"Shut up!"

"You started it! You ask a stupid question, you get a stupid answer."

"That wasn't a question," Hermione said, "It was a statement."

"Does it look like I care, Granger?"

"Just… shut up."

They carried him in and laid him on the table top. Malfoy removed the man's wallet from his pocket.

"Malfoy! Put that back!"

"His name is Darren. Darren Overstreet."

"What about his wand? Where's his wand?"

"Um," Malfoy flipped him over and searched his pockets, "Not here."

"It's in his coat, moron," Hermione said, pulling a wand out of the man's jacket pocket.

"I knew that."

"I knew that," Hermione mocked.

"Please shut your mouth."

"You started it!"

"Ahem,"

They turned around swiftly and looked into the face of Lucius Malfoy.

"Well, I'm glad you two finally followed directions."

"Two? I did all the work!" Malfoy said.

"You? You did not! I lured him in; you pulled out your wand and shouted!"

"If both of you would kindly shut your faces," Lucius said, pushing them out of the way and examining the man.

"This will do."

"What do you mean 'this will do'? He's a pureblood! He's good looking! I should get more praise than this! Maybe even a 'good job, Hermione!' But no! This will do."

Hermione stomped out and outside to the back of the manor, slamming the French doors behind her.

OoOoOoOoO

Harry and Ron decided to stay where they apparated and camped out there.

"Okay, so we sneak in through the back using the cloak, find Hermione and sneak her out," Ron said, "Sound like a plan?"

"It might not be that easy, Ron."

"Well, that's a given but we don't really have much to work with, do we?"

Harry was about to argue back but Ron really did have a point. Besides, what were they supposed to do? It's not like they could create some sort of elaborate escape plan… that could be even more dangerous than what they were doing now. It would be easier if they just took the simpler way.

"Fine, we'll sneak in with the cloak, get her and get out."

Ron and Harry stood up and began preparing. They packed everything up in case they needed to leave in a moment's notice. Since they couldn't carry everything they brought, they left their things there and proceeded to walk to Malfoy Manor, stopping at the front gate.

"Shall we go around the back, then?" Ron asked.

"I think that would be smarter, don't you?"

They walked around the back and were confronted by a large garden. They entered and made their way on the stone path, stopping cold when they saw a girl walk from the door.

"HERMIO–" Harry covered Ron's mouth before he could finish shouting.

"Who's there?" Hermione cried, pulling her want out.

"Us!" Ron cried, pulling off the invisibility cloak.

"What are you two doing here?" Hermione said, lowering her voice, "you need to leave. Now."

"We're here to bust you out!" Ron said.

"Shut up! Someone will hear you! And I don't want to leave."

"What?"

"I said I don't want to leave. They need me here."

"You can't stay!" Ron said, "You can't! We want you back."

"Hermione, who exactly needs you here?"

"My father does," Hermione said, "You two need to leave before I'm forced to tell everyone that you're here. I don't want you two dying trying to save me when I can't be saved anymore."

"We can save you, Hermione! Just come with us now! You don't even need your things!"

"You really don't understand, do you? I can't leave."

Hermione's eyes glowed green and green flames erupted from her palms.

"Leave. Before I hurt you."

This would have been the longest that her bursts of energy lasted. Normally, it would have died out within seconds…. this one lasted until Harry and Ron were out the gate and gone. They were the last thing she saw before darkness engulfed her.

OoOoOoOoO

Ron and Harry apparated to the campsite, picked up their things and apparated to the Burrow straight away. They ran inside and dropped everything.

"Boys… you're back!" Mrs. Weasley said, "But… where's Hermione?"

"Hermione's gone!" Ron said, running upstairs to his bedroom.

"What?"

"She's gone!"

OoOoOoOoO

Hermione woke up in her bedroom.

"What?" she said, sitting up, "I could have sworn I was in the back garden."

"I brought you back up here. You were passed out on the ground," Draco said from the chair in the corner, "I walked outside and found you lying on the path."

"And you brought me back up?"

"Yes… and you weren't exactly light as a feather."

"Shut up!" Hermione said throwing her pillow across the room at him.

"Hey, hey, hey!" he said, "Let's not get to violent, now! I brought you to your room. I think I deserve a little more respect than this."

"Yes… but you brought me up under your father's order."

"No… not this times, Granger," Draco said, "I found you knocked out on the path… as the friendly person I am, I decided not to let you lay out there in the cold and bring you inside to your room."

"But your father ordered you to watch me."

"Yes, he did. But this was my decision." Draco got up and knelt by Hermione's bed.

"Well, this is interesting, isn't it?" Hermione said, "It's a bit out of character for you, Draco."

"A bit," he smirked, "But there is a reason."

"A reason for…?"

"This," he gestured to the bed and how he was kneeling before it.

"So… what's it for?" Hermione asked.

"I want to tell you something… something important."

"Something important?"

"Yes… very important… and a tad bit embarrassing."

"Oh? Big, bad Draco Malfoy is embarrassed? This must be good!"

"Please, don't judge me."

"You just said please!" Hermione said, "Wow… I like this already."

"Will you please listen? This isn't very easy for me to do."

"About to spill your very heart and soul to me right now?"

"Just about."

"Well, don't be a chicken, Malfoy."

There was a period of silence.

"Are you going to speak up or do I have to guess?" Hermione asked. She looked quizzically at Draco. Draco sighed and looked Hermione straight in the eyes.

"I love you, Hermione."

OOOOOOOH CLIFFY.

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