Reunited and It Feels So Tense

The first night at Grimmauld Place was not as bad as Draco had imagined it would be. It turned out that the only people who would actually be staying with him were Lupin, Tonks, and occasionally Bill. He'd found out Bill was actually a Weasley and felt a little irritated at the idea of an attractive Weasley in existence. It certainly made his dormant jealousy of Ron flare slightly. If that was what the boy could grow into, perhaps he wasn't as useless a catch as Draco had figured.

Either way, Draco found that staying at Grimmauld Place was not as dire as he'd originally thought it would be upon arrival. While the common rooms (excluding the kitchen) were fairly dirty, the guest rooms were spotless and well designed. In fact, if he stuck to his own room and the kitchen, he need not even be reminded that he was on the run from the most powerful Dark Wizard in the world.

Speaking of, that first morning Snape finally returned from his meeting with Voldemort a little worse for wear, and explained that Draco was Public Enemy No. 2 (second only to Harry Potter himself) as far as the Dark Lord and Death Eaters were concerned. Perfect. Well, it wasn't like he hadn't been expecting it. At least Snape only received minor punishment for letting him slip through the cracks.

More concerning than that was the way that Lupin and Tonks were acting. Something was up, but Snape didn't seem to know what it was nor did he make any effort to ask. However, the hushed whispers that halted when either of them entered a room were disconcerting. He thought he heard Harry's name on their lips, but had to force the thought away. Wherever Harry was, Hermione was likely there too. The thought made him shudder involuntarily. Whatever was going on, he hoped it looked worse than it actually was.

Hermione choked on smoke as she landed on the ground outside her parent's country house in Wales. She coughed and let go of Harry and Ron who both seemed to be choking as well. It wasn't until she caught her breath that she noticed that they'd Disapparated a stow-away.

She screamed as a stray Inferius caught hold of her ankle and gripped it tight, trying to climb up her leg.

"Hermione!" Harry cried. The slimy creature had a good grasp of her leg and wouldn't let go. Her feet were pulled out from under her and she landed hard on her backside. The air whooshed from her lungs. "Stop!" Hermione cried when Ron tried to pull her from the Inferius' grasp. He was only making it worse. The grip of the creature tightened and she felt as if she was being pulled in two.

"Do something!" Harry cried, the panic evident in his voice but all Hermione could focus on was the searing pain in her ankle. She tried to shake the offensive being off her, but its grasp tightened and she heard her ankle snap before she felt it.

"Holy Fuck!" she screamed, tears streaming down her face. She didn't curse often, but this was a pain that seriously deserved it. "Help me, please!" she cried, the white-hot pain becoming unbearable. And then everything went black.

It was several hours before she came to, and while the pain had slightly dulled, it was still unbearable. She grunted and licked her chapped lips. Instantly Harry and Ron were by her side. "Oh Hermione, we thought..." Harry cried, holding her hand. His voice was shaking terribly. He didn't even want to voice what they'd thought.

"My wand..." she managed to squeak out. Ron instantly thrust her wand into her hand and she pointed it at her ankle. A quick pain-relieving spell granted her a sigh of relief and enough concentration to sit up and focus on her injury.

"What happened to the..." she started, but Harry answered before she could finish.

"Ron killed it."

"Too bad I didn't think to do that before it maimed you," Ron said, self-disgust laced in his tone.

"Not to worry," Hermione said, inspecting her clearly broke ankle. "It's not all that bad. The only problem is that I don't know how to heal broken bones without vanishing them completely and regrowing them with Skele-Gro, and I seem to have left that in my other trouser's pocket." she said, trying to lighten the mood. She must have looked terrible because both boys looked about ready to jump in front of a moving train.

"We have to get you inside. We couldn't break down the wards to take you in earlier." Harry explained. Hermione just nodded and motioned for them to help her up. Ron took it upon himself to lift her into his arms and carried her, bridal style, to the door. She used her wand to lower the wards and they entered the house. She explained that her parents only used the house once a year and no one knew they had it because it was still in the name of an old second cousin, so it was certainly safe from unwanted visitors. Besides, it was warded so that only a blood relative could grant someone access to it.

When Ron lowered her to the couch, Harry already had her leg elevated and a bag of frozen peas from the freezer in hand. "We really need to get you medical attention, Hermione," Harry said. "Ice is only going to numb it. If you don't set it, it will heal wrong."

"I know," Hermione said biting her lip. "The thing is, do either of you know how to set an ankle? They, along with the wrist, are some of the most delicate bones in the body."

"Well, what about Lupin?" Ron asked. "Dumbledore said he knew about the Horcruxes, and he's mended more than one of his own broken bones."

"But how do we get him here?" Hermione asked. "It's not as if he carries a mobile phone. And according to Dumbledore, He, Tonks, and Moody are the only ones who even have an idea of what we are doing."

"My Patronus," Harry finally decided. "I've never done it, but I know it can be done."

"Wait," Hermione stopped him. "You can't say anything about what we are doing in case someone overhears." She proceeded to coach Harry on what to say before turning her attention back to her mangled leg. Merlin, she hoped the pain-reliever lasted because the wound didn't look good.

Draco joined the others in the kitchen for an early lunch. So far, Bill had been very friendly to him-friendlier than he'd expect given his family's attitude towards the Weasleys. Lupin and Tonks were very nice, but both seemed to be preoccupied. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley treated him like a wayward street urchin in need of love and care, which was suffocating, but somewhat nice at the same time. Moody hated his guts, but he was getting the feeling that Moody hated everyone's guts. Fred and George, who'd made it in the night before did not trust him in the slightest, not that he'd expected any different. If Harry and Ron came back to Grimmauld Place, he was certain it would only get worse on that front.

But, overall, things were not as bad as he'd expected. He kept mostly to himself, only speaking when spoken to, except the two occasions when he and Bill played Wizard chess. That was how he discovered that his distant relative, Fleur Delacour, and Bill were an item. It seemed fairly serious too.

But his peaceful lunch was not to be, as not ten minutes in, a wispy blue stag trotted across the table in front of Remus Lupin. "It's Harry!" the man cried, turning his full attention to the Patronus in front of him. It was almost as if he'd been both expecting and dreading something like this.

"Remus. You have to come quick. Hermione's hurt. She said you know the place she took us. We've been here for hours. I don't know how long she can wait. Please hurry!" and with that the stag vanished. The table burst into chaotic shouting immediately. Draco couldn't digest it all because his mind was still focused on two words. 'Hermione's hurt.'

Lupin was out of his seat and in action before Draco could even blink. Mrs. Weasley was fussing at her husband to get the medical equipment from the attic and hoping, aloud, that Ron wasn't hurt as well. Bill looked confused but said nothing as the other Order members shuffled around, making way for Lupin's departure. Snape exited the room as soon as he saw the stag enter the room, and when Draco finally swallowed the bile rising in his throat he followed.

"Professor?" he said, his voice weak as he poked his into the library where he knew his mentor had gone.

"Draco, I assure you Remus has the situation under control," Snape said, his voice void of emotion.

"Why did you leave the room so quickly?" Draco asked. He'd never known Snape to care about Hermione or her friends, let alone feel the need to flee a room when their safety was in question.

"As a spy to the Order it is important that I not become aware of any sensitive information that might both hurt the Order, or my place with the Dark Lord." Snape explained. "Potter, Weasley, and Miss Granger are on a very important mission, the objective of which I am purposefully ignorant. I was worried Potter might, inadvertently, and in attempt to save his friend, relay information that I should not be made aware of."

Draco just nodded dumbly. It made sense, but it didn't change the fact that it was bizarre. How could you work so closely for the Order and yet be ignorant of a mission so important Dumbledore had enlisted Potter to perform it.

"Do you think Granger will be okay?" he asked, trying to make his voice as neutral as possible. He didn't notice the quirk of Snape's lips as he was focused on his own feet.

"I am certain that Miss Granger will be okay. Remus Lupin is better than Madam Pomfrey at healing spells. And soon she will be here, under the watchful eye of the Weasley matriarch." Snape assured.

"She's coming here?" Draco asked, his voice betraying his surprise and excitement at the idea. He blushed as he noticed Snape's smirk this time. "I mean, I figured she'd go back home to her Muggle parents," he added, trying to cover up his excitement.

"She is spending the summer here, Draco - especially now that she might be in need of wizarding medical care. She's been spending her summers with the Order for two years now." Snape drawled. As immature as it might have been, it was very entertaining to watch the young Malfoy go gooey over a girl, especially a Muggle-born. It was almost enough to restore his faith in wizarding society.

"Now," Snape said. "I'm going to Apparate back to my home until the coast is clear. Should you need to speak with me; the Floo is open on my end." Draco nodded and turned back toward the hallway and into the kitchen where many Order members must have been instructed to go home because all that remained were Tonks, Moody, and Mrs. Weasley.

"Draco, dear, maybe you should..." but before Mrs. Weasley could finish what she was saying, Lupin came barreling into the house, Hermione in his arms and Ron and Harry following close behind.

"I'm taking her upstairs!" he shouted, and Tonks and Mrs. Weasley immediately went into action. Draco stayed planted on the spot, afraid to look at her. She looked tiny in the other man's arms and he wasn't even sure if she was conscious. He shook the thought from his head.

His instincts kicked in, and he began to follow them up the stairs, but two wands in his face stopped him in his tracks. "What the bloody hell are you doing here?" Harry's voice bit out, pushing his wand into Draco's neck. His voice was deadly, and Draco couldn't help but visibly swallow.

"Answer, Ferret!" Ron snapped, his own wand hovering between Draco's eyes.

"I...I..." Draco started, cursing himself for his weakness. However, if he'd been in their position, he knew he'd be lethal, so his fear seemed warranted.

"Let him alone," Moody drawled, his voice gruff but bored. "He's on our side, or so he says." He sounded skeptical, but his tone also warned the other two boys to lower their wands. They did, but still kept them trained on Draco.

"What are you on about?" Ron asked irritably.

"It's a long story and one that we should probably tell after Granger is mended. Until then, keep the boy alive or Dumbledore will be very displeased." Moody's voice was laced with disgust, and Draco could have sworn he heard him mutter the words, 'Malfoy scum', but he remained silent.

He turned his attention to Harry and Ron and felt the need to say something. It was not in his nature to lower himself to asking for their understanding. He did have some pride left. Nevertheless, the silence was uncomfortable.

"Is Hermione...okay?" he finally asked.

Ron's face turned up in disgust as he sneered at the blonde. "What's it to you?"

"She's fine," Harry ground out. "No thanks to your Lord." Draco growled at that. Voldemort was not his Lord and he certainly didn't want to have blame for her injuries placed on him.

"Ron, Harry, she's asking for you!" Lupin called from an upstairs bedroom. Immediately, the two boys rushed up the stairs. Draco itched to join them, but knew it would only cause more trouble. He hoped she wasn't seriously injured, and if she was asking for her friends it was likely that she wasn't.

His stomach turned in knots with an unfamiliar emotion. His skin itched with the need to see her and make sure she was okay, but his brain held him on the spot for his own self-preservation as well as hers. Because, the truth was, if he went up to that room while everyone else was there, she'd have to admit that she'd known he'd changed sides months ago. How could she explain that?

Moody was shuffling around the kitchen behind him but he was focusing all his attention on holding himself to the spot next to the stairs and listening for any change in Hermione's room upstairs.

Finally, Lupin, Tonks, and Mrs. Weasley descended the stairs. They weren't smiling, but they didn't look like there was mortal danger upstairs so he counted that as a good sign.

"She's fine," Lupin answered his unasked question. "Broken ankle, but it's all fixed up. Now we just need her to go to sleep so the potions can kill the infection. She should be good as new in a day or two."

Draco nodded and breathed a sigh of relief. He didn't even notice Moody, Tonks, and Mrs. Weasley giving both him and Lupin strange looks. In fact, Draco didn't even think twice about his former professor taking it upon himself to inform him of Hermione's condition without even being asked. He was too relieved that she was okay. Of course, now a whole host of new questions like, why was she hurt to begin with, flooded him.

It was the middle of the night before Hermione woke up again. She had a splitting headache, but her leg felt as good as new. Her mouth felt like it was filled with cotton. It was similar to that one time last summer that she and the boys had broken into Mr. Weasley's Firewhisky. She assumed whatever potion Lupin gave her must have had similar side effects of drinking.

She groaned as she flipped her legs over the side of the bed. The clock read 1:30am. She hoped everyone was in bed because she didn't want to deal with them hovering around her. All she needed was a headache potion and a tall glass of water. Her body was stiff but it felt good to move.

She walked slowly down the hall and to the stairs, grateful that Lupin had placed her in her usual room on the second floor. No matter how long she lived in the Wizarding world, she was amazed at how quickly a broken bone could be healed. She had no difficulty placing her weight on her previously injured ankle, and was grateful for that. The last thing she needed was to tumble down the stairs alerting everyone that she was awake.

She noticed that the light was on in the kitchen and swore under her breath. Well, it was quiet. Maybe it was only Lupin. She was sure Ron and Harry would be asleep because they were just as tired as she'd been. However, when she entered the kitchen and saw Draco's silver eyes staring back at her she nearly lost her balance.

Draco moved swiftly to her side when he saw her wobble on her feet. "Whoa, are you okay?" he asked, his arms slipping around her waist as her hands went, instinctively around his neck. They stared at each other for a long moment before Hermione finally found her voice.

"Wha...What are you going here?" she asked.

"This is the safe house," Draco said, a small smile playing at his lips. And considering that Hermione would be there all summer too, he was glad for it. Those infernal butterflies began flying around in his stomach as he felt her fingers against his skin.

Hermione chuckled and moved out of his arms, immediately regretting it as she felt the lost of his warmth around her. However, the tingling she felt in the pit of her stomach made it impossible to concentrate. "Well, I guess we'll be seeing a lot of each other then," she said somewhat awkwardly.

"Yeah, I guess," Draco replied, shuffling his feet. "What are you doing out of bed, by the way?"

"The potion gave me a hangover," Hermione said, indicating she had a headache.

"Come here," Draco said, pulling her toward the kitchen table where he gently pushed her into a chair. First he placed a tall glass of water in front of her then busied himself in the cabinets.

Hermione drank the glass down in one gulp before looking up and asking, "What are you looking for?" But as soon as she asked, he'd found it.

"It's a headache tonic. Snape makes them and leaves them here for anyone in the Order who might need them," he explained, placing the vial next to her empty glass. She drank it immediately.

"You know, it's bad business to drink something a Wizard hands you without checking to see what it is," Draco said, a smirk playing at the corner of his lips.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "I trust you. Besides, you found it in a cabinet here at Grimmauld Place. Since all the Dark items have been removed, it would mean you'd have to conjure a curse from thin air, and I simply don't have that kind of faith in your magical prowess." She grinned up at him, her headache already gone.

Draco smiled back at her and slipped into the chair on the other side of the table from her. "So, are you okay now?" he asked.

"Yes," Hermione said. "Remus is a miracle worker."

"Remus, is it?" he asked, quirking an eyebrow up at the girl. "Didn't know you were so close."

Hermione stared back at him for a long moment. Was he jealous? The idea was ludicrous, both because Remus was nothing more than a father figure to her and because Draco couldn't possibly care about her that way. Still, the way he asked seemed to suggest he wasn't fond of her being familiar with the older man. "You'll find, Draco, that I'm pretty close to everyone in the Order."

"I see. So, it's Draco again?" he asked. Was he flirting? God, it was embarrassing, but the pretty smile she gave him knocked the embarrassment right out of him.

"Well, considering we will be spending the summer together here, and everyone knows your true allegiance, it seems ridiculous for me to call you Malfoy. Especially after..." but she immediately stopped herself from finishing her sentence. She wanted to say, 'Especially after you took my virginity', but seemed to think better of it.

Draco desperately wanted to know what she'd intended to say, but didn't press the issue. "What are you doing awake anyway?" Hermione asked, redirecting the conversation.

"Couldn't sleep," Draco said, leaving it at that. The truth was, he'd been trying to work up the courage to visit her in her room, but he didn't know how he'd be received or if, God forbid, Weasley was in there with her.

"Well, tomorrow will be a very long day for you I imagine," Hermione said. "So, you probably ought to head up to bed. You'll regret it later if you don't," she grinned. It was true, of course, but she really hoped it would also keep Draco from asking her where she'd gotten hurt because she knew she couldn't tell him, even though part of her wanted to share the burden with him.

Draco sighed heavily. "You are probably right. Potter and Weasley almost challenged me to a duel when you got back. I imagine it won't be much easier tomorrow."

Hermione looked at Draco for a long moment after that. Her brown eyes were warm and soft as she smiled kindly at him and said, "No matter what, I'll be on your side. They are stubborn, but eventually they will see it too."

Draco wanted to thank her, but he found his tongue was stuck to the roof of his mouth and his throat was instantly dry. He just nodded dumbly and tried to smile back. The truth was, in his whole life, no one had ever said something so incredibly sweet to him.

When he was finally able to use his brain and mouth again he moved out of his seat and offered a hand to Hermione. "Shall I escort you back to your room on the way?"

Hermione's heart fluttered and she nodded, taking his hand and allowing him to hold it as they walked up the stairs together. It was such an intimate action and both of them felt the intimacy but said nothing. Draco itched to rub her soft skin with his fingers but feared it was too bold a move.

When they reached her room, which was closest to the stairs, she bid him goodnight and watched him walk back toward the stairs and up to his own room. Behind the closed door, Hermione allowed herself to sigh with happiness. It didn't matter that what they had was probably nothing. He was there and he wanted to be her friend. For now, that was enough.

Draco, for his part, had to take a sleeping potion to get to sleep that night. Hermione was right, he needed his rest, but the idea of Hermione sleeping several feet away from him the whole summer was enough to send his heart beating into overdrive.

"You have got to be kidding me!" Harry shouted. "What kind of moron believes this cock and bull story!"

"I do," Hermione said. Her voice was clear and steady, as to make no one question her judgment.

"Hermione, be serious," Ron reasoned. Harry, Ron, Hermione, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley, Fred, George, Bill, Lupin, Draco and Snape were all assembled in the sitting room discussing Draco's true loyalty. Draco had hardly been allowed to get in a word edgewise. Hermione had remained silent until this point, hoping Harry and Ron would see reason after the other Order members confirmed Draco's loyalty. No such luck.

"I am being serious Ronald," Hermione said, her voice cold as ice. "I know Draco to be telling the truth because..." she faltered slightly, looking to Draco to ask silent permission for her next admission. He nodded slightly at her. "I know because I am the one he confided in. I'm the one who took him to Dumbledore," she finally admitted.

Harry's mouth fell open but he remained silent. Ron, on the other hand, lacked the restraint. "What the hell do you mean, he confided in you! What were you doing even alone with the ferret? I don't like this. He obviously did something to get you to believe him, now he's got us all covering for his ass while he collects all the information he can about the Order!"

Hermione's glare turned to ice. "He did not, as you say, do something to me. I am not a moron, Ronald. In fact, I believe that out of the three of us, I've shown the best judgment. You certainly would not win that title. Now, if you don't believe me, at least believe Dumbledore. He trusts Draco, as should we all."

Draco wanted to say something but couldn't find the words. He hated that Hermione was taking all the heat for him, but he knew that the quieter he was the easier this would go for everyone.

"Yeah, well Dumbledore trusts him too," Ron pointed in the direction of Snape who was struggling to keep a deep sneer off his face.

"Yes, he does. And if you will recall, Professor Snape has saved our arses more than once," Hermione pointed out, her voice now bored.

"Enough," Mrs. Weasley finally said, turning to Ron and Harry. "Draco is under the Order protection and we all are convinced of his loyalty. You will treat him with respect Ronald, or you'll be in big trouble."

It seemed that, that was all Ron needed to shut up, but he still looked far from convinced. "Hermione, a word," Harry said, his voice calm but serious. Hermione swallowed but followed him, Ron trailing behind. Draco glared at the raven-haired boy from behind. Who did he think he was to order Hermione around like that? However, she wasn't his responsibility, so there was little he could do.

Harry led them to the room he and Ron shared and closed the door behind them, using a silencing charm to ensure no one heard their conversation. "Hermione, he's Draco Malfoy," Harry finally said.

"Yes, I'm aware of that," Hermione shot back, irritated by his tone.

"How could you not tell us, Hermione?" Harry asked, the hurt showing through for the first time. Hermione bit her lip and looked at her feet. She did feel bad about keeping Draco's admission from them, but it wasn't her place to tell.

"Dumbledore made me swear not to say anything. Draco was in great danger if anyone found out about his coming over to our side and to keep him safe until they could find him a place to stay, he had to keep up the act. If you had known, it would have ruined everything," she explained. Harry didn't look convinced but he didn't say anything.

"Yeah, so he's still a bloody Malfoy!" Ron reiterated. He couldn't argue with her logic. If she'd told them the truth, they would have likely blown his cover. That was if he was even on their side, which Ron very much doubted.

"Yes, and Harry was raised by the Dursleys but he's not an overweight spoilt brat with a hatred of all things different!" Hermione shot back. "Don't you see? If you turn your back on Draco when he's trying to do the right thing, you are just as prejudice at those Death Eaters who think I don't deserve to live because of my blood," Hermione explained.

"That's not the same thing at all!" Ron sputtered, but Harry held up his hand to quiet the redhead.

"Fine," Harry said. "You trust him. I don't. He can stay here where we can keep an eye on him. But if he steps out of line, I will not stick my neck out for him."

"And if he comes through in the end?" Hermione asked. "Will you put aside your petty differences and welcome him into the fold?"

"I don't know," Harry answered honestly. Hermione just nodded and turned from the room. It was likely the best she could expect for now. Ron would be a harder sell, but if Harry at least treated Draco with indifference, Ron could probably be counted upon to follow his example. At least that's what she hoped.