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Chapter Ten. You'll Just Have to Trust Me

Hermione Granger

The screaming was nearly unbearable, and it continued for what felt like hours. I didn't have my wand, but apparently, Draco had his. He fought off Death Eaters as they came, a fire burning in his eyes that I'd never seen before…except when he'd kissed me. I put the thought out of my mind, focusing instead of how to survive it all.

I felt something whiz past me, and I knew I'd come very close to feeling an immense amount of pain. Draco obviously saw it, because he grabbed me by my wrist, his eyes focused on the Death Eaters rushing toward us, and pulled my body behind him. He pulled me against him so that I couldn't even see over his shoulder; he was much taller than me, and I could hear his heart pounding against my ear.

"Wonderful! What's your plan now, genius?" I asked, fear making my voice sound a little more malicious toward Draco than I'd intended.

"You'll…just have to trust me," he breathed, sounding tired. To my horror, I noticed blood seeping out through a cut in his arm.

"AVADA KEDAVRA!" he screamed, spitting the curse into the air. I reached out and grabbed his arm as he let it fall to his side; I saw a green light and heard another body fall to the floor. I glared at the bloody gash on his upper arm and saw that it was very, very deep. Blood coated my hands, and the smell made me sick.

I turned away from the gash, pressing my back against Draco's. I tried to think straight, to figure out a way to get out of that place, wherever we were, but I had no idea where to begin. Then I noticed a Death Eater coming toward me, one who I recognized, but couldn't place…one that Draco couldn't see. In a moment, my Gryffindor bravery disappeared, because I didn't know how to perform a spell without a wand that would not cause harm.

So I did the only thing I could've done.

"DRACO!" I screamed, embarrassed that I sounded like a frightened child. Draco wheeled around and screamed the killing curse again at the approaching Death Eater. As the green light faded and the body fell to the floor, I realized who it was.

"SNAPE!" I screamed, pointing at the lifeless body before me. "Draco—you—you—"

"It was him or you, Hermione! I had to make a decision!" He screamed another curse, and I wondered just why seeing Snape dead bothered me so much.

Maybe it was because he'd taught me for so many years, or maybe it was because he'd been Draco's trusted mentor for even longer, and Draco had chosen to kill him instead of me.

A new plan of escape must've dawned on Draco, because I felt his grip tighten on my wrist. Quickly, he slid his hand down and interlocked his fingers with mine.

"See the window?" he asked urgently, just before blocking another curse that was coming our way. He jerked his head to the side, and I saw the only window in the whole room that we could've made our way to. There were a few boards on it, but not as many as there were on the others.

"Yes…" I hissed into his ear, letting him know I was ready to run.

"On the count of three, we're going to make a break for it—" he began through clenched teeth. Suddenly, a light hit him on his side, and I heard him groan as he stumbled backward. He stepped heavily on me, though he was trying to avoid me, and I cried out in pain. He fell against me, and I collided with the floor as he fell on top of me. I shook my head and sat up quickly.

I glanced beside me; Draco had fallen in an awkward position against the floor. I swallowed hard and noticed with growing apprehension that more Death Eaters were closing in around us. I knew that it wouldn't work the same, but I didn't have time to think; I grabbed Draco's wand as he groaned in pain. Standing, I pointed it angrily at the Death Eaters and screamed "AVADA KEDAVRA!" at the nearest one. A dark color other than the normal green escaped the wand, but it did knock my attacker off his feet.

I'd just used the killing curse. Or attempted to use it. Intended with my whole heart to use it. I gasped in shock, realizing that I couldn't do it again, no matter how much I wanted to.

"Give it up, Mudblood! You're out of ideas…" one of the broad-shouldered Death Eaters hissed. A few more were coming, smiling evilly, their teeth gleaming white, their eyes full of hatred and…numbness.

They were numb to it all. I wet my lips and blinked. I needed my wand. I really, really needed my wand.

Then, Draco was up again. He was clutching his chest with one hand, but his other hand quickly grabbed mine. He began running in the direction of the window, pulling me with him. Angry Death Eaters began to run after us; we dodged spells left and right, but one caught me on the arm and a searing pain burned into my flesh.

"Draco!" I screamed, "Why can't we apparate?"

"I don't know! I tried and it didn't work!" he screamed back, running even faster toward the window. Before he even reached it, he reared back and cried, "Bombarda!" The boards exploded away from the window and the glass shattered into the outside. It was nighttime and cold, I noticed, as freezing air rushed in around us. Draco slipped his arm around my waist, warned me to hold on, and jumped out the window. I screamed my head off, hoping that he knew what he was doing. But another curse struck me in the head, and I fell unconscious; my last thoughts were of death and pain, but somehow, after what I'd just experienced, death didn't seem too unkind a fate.

-:-

"Hermione!" a deep voice cried. I felt myself being shaken furiously, and I finally opened my eyes to see Draco standing before me. His lip was cut and his cheek was bruised, not to mention his bleeding arm. I felt a severe pain in the back of my head and my arm throbbed, but I didn't say anything to him about it.

"Where are we?" I asked groggily. The words came out jumbled, and I noticed a look cross over Draco's face. "Where…are…we?" I asked again, slowly. He nodded his head, sighed, and walked away from me.

I sat up slowly, holding my head, and noticed that we were in a warm, bright room, but not one that I recognized. My head had been resting comfortably on a soft, white pillow. The bed I was lying on was covered in a patchwork quilt; it was the kind of thing a grandmother would make for her family. I watched as Draco paced back and forth in front of me, holding his head, groaning, sighing, and scowling. I tried not to be amused.

"Are you going to answer my question sometime today?" I asked, bringing him out of his fit. He seemed startled that I'd spoken, but he only sighed again and shook his head.

"We're somewhere safe, Hermione. I couldn't take you home, because I didn't want Voldemort to follow us and find Potter."

"But he said he already knows where Harry is!" I remembered, sitting up quickly, prepared to leave as soon as possible.

"There's always the chance he's lying, though…and just in case he was, I don't want to be foolish enough to allow him a chance to find Potter." Draco began to furiously pace again, but I was nowhere near finished questioning him.

"Why didn't…why didn't you kill him? All you did was immobilize him! He'll be as good as new in a few hours!"

"I couldn't bloody well kill the bastard! That's Potter's job, remember, Princess?" Draco said sarcastically, running a hand through his hair. I scowled, but noticed his bleeding arm again.

"Draco—"

"WHAT?" he shouted angrily; his eyes were full of rage and confusion. I cowered away from him and sank into the pillows.

"Your…your arm is bleeding…" I whispered, not looking at him. I stared at the quilt before me and noticed the small place where someone had missed a stitch; it was expected of any handmade item, but somehow, I couldn't tear my eyes away from it. I just couldn't look at him.

I heard him breathe a sigh of exhaustion as he sat down heavily on the bed, next to my legs. His knees hung off the side of the bed, and he rested his elbows on them, and placed his head in his hands.

"Please…" I began, but he cut me off. He drew out his wand and pointed it at his wound. He whispered curtly, and the wound completely disappeared. I gasped.

"If…if you could do that, then why did you let me take care of you that time I—I…hit you?" I asked timidly. A miniscule smile appeared at the corner of his mouth.

"I don't know. I wasn't going to let you, but then you touched me…and I liked it." He grinned wider, causing his lip to split further. He pointed his wand at it, and then it was gone.

"And I have a question to ask you, Hermione," he whispered, smiling again. "I saw how you took care of Harry when he was attacked; you know how to use the same healing spell…so why did you take care of me the muggle way that night…the one where you lost your temper?" he asked, watching me suspiciously.

I knew he had a good point. I could've just pointed my wand at him and every single one of those bruises that I'd put on his handsome face would've disappeared. But I didn't do that. I hadn't really thought about it, at least until he'd brought it up. Since I didn't have a good answer, I blushed furiously and returned my gaze to the miss-stitch in the quilt. But out of the corner of my eye, I could've sworn I saw his smile stretch from ear to ear.

"We h-have to find Harry…" I began, but I was cut off when his face came dangerously close to mine. I could smell the sweat on his brow, could feel the heat radiating off him. I could even taste the salt on his skin. His lips brushed my cheek, and my mouth dropped open in shock. He rested the side of his face against mine and took a deep breath. My heart stopped beating.

He seemed to stay there forever, taking deep breaths of me. It was frightening at first, but eventually my heart's pace began to slow, and I found myself sliding my fingers up his back, neck, and into his hair. His lips found their way to my neck, and a pleasant sensation rushed through me as I felt him begin to suck on it. I let a moan slip as his lips grazed my collarbone. I pressed my knees together unconsciously.

Suddenly, it ended. He pulled away, a very boyish smile on his face. It was a lopsided grin of sorts, the kind you see on the face of a two-year-old who just got a big piece of bubblegum. I couldn't help but smile sheepishly at him. He took his wand and carefully healed the wound on the back of my head, and then he took my hand in his and pulled me up out of bed.

"Let's go get Potter," he said with conviction. I nodded, and he pulled me toward the door. As we stepped out of the bright little room, I glanced back at the bed and saw the quilt with the few little misplaced stitches and smiled. Then I turned to follow Draco and prepared myself for the final, decisive battle that would come all too soon.

End Chapter

Ooooooooooooooooo. Yeah, but they had a mushy moment because I haven't decided who'll make it yet, and just in case I let one of them go, I wanted them to have a "last happy moment" together, you know. Review if you liked it, review if you didn't, or leave me a number between one and ten (ten's the highest)!!!