Disclaimer- I'm not in a creative mood. I don't own Harry Potter.

A/N- Hi! The answers to my guesses thing is below. Thanks for the reviews though. (Although, I must admit, I'm confused about reviews. My other story is much shorter, but has over 2x the amount of reviews. Weird. :)

Chapter 10- Locket

Draco was angry. He was throwing rocks. It was his mother who had taught him this way to vent, and he found it quite useful. Of course, if Hermione found him doing this, she would surely hex him, because he was supposed to be searching for the horcrux. But it was because of Hermione that he was mad in the first place.

He chucked another stone at an oak tree. "Stupid… Hermione…"

She hadn't really done anything, but sometimes her mere presence made him mad. It was like, he wanted to talk to her, and ask her about things, and comfort her when she would cry herself to sleep some nights, but he couldn't. Of course he couldn't do these things, he was Draco Malfoy, it simply wasn't allowed. He wanted to, but the personality he had created for himself told him that he couldn't. Draco Malfoy didn't do such things, no matter how much he wanted to. And he didn't even know why he wanted to! Even if he did try to talk to her and such, it would be dangerous. He couldn't allow her to get any closer to him.

Another rock whizzed out of his hand, hitting a boulder square on.

Wasn't it woman who were supposed to experience these… these mood swings? Was he pregnant or something? He hated her for this…

He brought his hand back, about to throw another stone, when he was stopped by an ear-splitting shriek from a spot somewhere in the forest.

Oh God… Hermione.

Draco took off at an amazing pace, nearly tripping over twigs as he ran to the place where he had heard the scream.

It came again, followed by a flash of bright green light.

"Bloody hell, she better not be…" Draco ran even faster, only slowing down to disfigure his face, so the Death Eaters wouldn't recognize him. Finally, he stopped when he reached a clearing.

"HERMIONE!" She was pinned against a tree by a hooded figure whose wand was jabbing into her throat. The figure spun around when he heard Draco's voice.

"S'this your little boyfriend then?" He rasped. "Guess we'll just take care of him first, now won't we- IMMOBULUS!"

Draco jumped out of the way, sending a quick wordless curse at the figure, who then had to turn around as Hermione attempted to stun him. His hood slipped off. It was Thorfinn Rowle, who Draco was forced to torture under Voldemort's orders. Draco's face immediately paled.

Hermione, on the other hand, didn't know this. "Confundo!"

Rowle blocked it, then gave her an evil grin. "Naughty, naughty girl. First you try to steal what is rightfully the Dark Lord's, and now this. CRUCIO!" Right as Hermione jumped out of the way, he sent another wordless jinx at her. She stumbled backward and fell unconscious to the ground.

"HERMIONE!" Draco yelled. "Why you foul… CRUCIO!"

Rowle blocked it again. The two of them were on opposite sides of the clearing, backs nearly pressed against the trees that blocked out all of the sunlight. "So this Hermione of yours… I've never heard of her. Half-blood? Or do we have a filthy Mudblood on our hands?"

Draco silently thanked Merlin that he didn't recognize her. "Neither," he snarled. "Now step away from the pillow."

"How about not? Avada Kedavra!" He screamed.

Draco ducked, missing the spell by a hair's width. "Why you… immobulus!" Rowle jumped to the side, and Draco caught him with the same trick Rowle had gotten Hermione with. "STUPEFY!"

Rowle crumpled to the ground. Draco didn't bother to immobilize him, or check to see if he was out cold enough. He rushed straight to Hermione, picking her up by the shoulders and shaking her.

"Hermione? Hermione!" He yelled. "Oh God, Hermione answer me!"

"Wha- what?" Hermione's eyes fluttered open. Her vision was distorted, she could barely tell shapes or colors from each other. "Draco? I can't see…"

"You're blind?" Draco's voice was unnaturally panicked.

"No, no, just… really blurry." Hermione was tired. Very tired.

"Oh, just a sense distortion jinx." Draco breathed a sigh of relief.

"Draco? Get the horcrux. Destroy it. Now." Hermione said. "Before anyone else comes."

"Oh, right." Draco got up, not wanting to leave Hermione there. He pulled a basilisk fang out of his pocket. He had been carrying it with him for a while, just in case they found it. He reached inside the tree trunk and, almost hesitantly, lifted out the pillow.

"Draco? You know what to do, right?" Hermione's feeble voice came from the corner. She was facing the opposite way of Draco.

"Umm… I stab it, right?"

"Well, yes, but it might talk to you. Tom Riddle might appear before you. You just have to ignore it, okay?"

"Er… sure." Draco placed the pillow on the ground, and poised the fang right above it. Just as he was about to bring it down, a voice resounded in the forest.

Draco. Are you sure you want to do this?

"Don't listen to it, Draco." Hermione said.

Draco nodded, then moved to bring the fang down again. Suddenly, a silvery head popped out of the pillow. It looked like it was made of mist, almost. And it was the head of Hermione. Draco's eyes widened.

Hermione squinted. "Draco? What's that?"

"Nothing." Draco said quickly. "Just a face."

"Don't listen to it!" she insisted.

Hello Draco. It was Voldemort's cold voice. You know, I can see what you fear. Your emotions. I can see that. I know what you want the least. I can even show you that.

Draco gulped. The hand holding the fang quavered.

I was only helping you for Harry and Ron. I never cared about you, or anything that you wanted. When we won, I was just going to run away with Ron and leave you to rot in Azkaban. And you thought I cared.

Draco gulped. Was Hermione hearing this? Would she really do that?

"Draco? Draco, just stab it!" Hermione cried.

I was planning on leading you on, then leaving you. I never cared. I never-

Draco shook his head. That wasn't Hermione. He brought the fang down, and the silver Hermione disappeared. The pillow burst into flame, and then left him with only a charred piece of fabric. He reached to pick it up, and it was only then that he realized he was shaking from fear and emotion.

"Draco?" Hermione was stumbling forward, arms outstretched.

"C'mon, Hermione, let's get back to the tent." He put his arm around her waist and guided her back to where they were camped.

~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.

"Draco?" Hermione was sitting at one end of the tent, picking at her fish and pine nuts. It had been four hours since Draco had destroyed the horcrux, and he had finally figured out a way to restore her vision.

"Yeah?"

"That was amazing, you know."

"Um… thanks."

Silence reigned for the next five minutes.

"I have something to tell you." Hermione said. "I probably should've told you long before, but I just didn't feel comfortable with it."

"Go on."

Hermione reached down her shirt and pulled a small gold locket. "Harry gave this to me," she explained. "Right before he went to kill Voldemort. He said… he said that when I really, truly needed him, I just had to open it up. And it would take me to him."

Draco's fork clattered to the ground. "And you choose to tell me now?"

"I know, I'm sorry, but I just thought that it wasn't the right time yet. But we've found the horcrux, and destroyed it, but now what?" While she was saying this, Draco was quickly cleaning up their makeshift dishes and rolling up his sleeping bag.

"What are you doing?"

"You're right Hermione. Now's the right time. Let's go."

"Now?"

"Yes now! Get up, we're going to see Potter."

A/N- Aren't I mean, leaving you like that? Review! It gives me encouragement to post my next chapter.

Answer to my guesses thing- I'm a girl, and in 7th grade. I was flattered by your answers, though. Thanks!