Hello all, just to say that I'm going away for two weeks on Saturday. I'm not sure when I'll be able to upload next- my dad tends to put the laptop in the attic and not bother to bring it down for a while after, so it could be a while before the next chapter. Rest assured that I'll be scribbling away in the meantime, writing new chapters!
Um, there's a few f-bombs in here, just so you know...

Hours, or maybe days, passed before anyone spoke. No one's gaze had shifted from Draco, so the owner of the first voice came as a relative surprise.
"So- what do we do?"
All eyes flicked to Neville, each bearing a different degree of disbelief.
"Longbottom?" Draco stared incredulously at the boy, young man really, stood before him, the subject of his bullying for many years. Why on earth would he want to help his tormentor? "You have a brain?"
He couldn't help it, he swore. The quips just rose to his mouth whenever he was in Longbottom's presence.
"Draco!" Hermione slapped his arm. "Play nice!"
He shrugged her off with a smirk and a sarcastic sneer. "Yes, dear."
Hermione elbowed him sharply in the side, ignoring his harsh intake of breath and smiling sweetly at Neville. "You were saying?"

Neville continued on fairly casually, bearing in mind he had just seen his friend and former enemy exchange banter like an old married couple.
"Um, yeah. We need a plan, 'cause otherwise You-" his voice wobbled a little, "You-Know-Who'll track Malfoy here through his Mark and kill us all. We need to get rid of Malfoy's Mark."
There was a long pause until- clap, clap. Everyone turned to stare at Draco, Neville with considerable trepidation.
"So far, so bloody obvious, Longbottom," Draco sneered, a smirk marring his pointed features. "Tell me, do you have any more profound statements, or can we get on with some ideas that might even be fucking useful?"
Neville shrank back, cowed, but Harry leapt to his defence, his hero-complex rearing its head once again. Hermione was torn between punching him or Draco.
"Tetchy, aren't we, Malfoy?" he taunted, coldly, much to Hermione's despair. "Scared?"

Draco span round, quickly striding over to his childhood nemesis and staring down at him.
"Fucking terrified, Potter, thank you for your concern," he replied curtly. "We're talking imminent death."
Harry raised his eyebrows pointedly. "What, like I've been facing every day since your bloody master's return?"
Hermione leapt to her feet abruptly, grabbing hold of her friend's pyjama sleeve. "Come on, Harry, that's not fair!"
He turned to her, staring at her hand on his arm until she let him go awkwardly. "Not fair? He's a bloody Death Eater, 'Mione!"
She glared at him forcefully, moving to stand beside Draco as a sign of unity and support. "He's a Death Eater in name and Mark only, Harry, as you know. I trust him- I'd trust him with my life. You'll just have to accept that, though I confess I'm upset that my word evidently isn't good enough!"

Harry stared at her, the rest of the DA fanned out behind him, wide-eyed. If it comes to a fight, Hermione realised, Draco and I are screwed. She quickly threw her wand on the ground and waited until Draco and Harry did too, albeit reluctantly. She didn't trust either of them not to use magic in a fight, and they still had the Trace. Everything would be over.

"I'm sorry," Harry said, sounding genuine. "I do trust you, honest."
Hermione smiled gently. "Good. Now, Draco and I will go upstairs. I guess you lot will want to talk. Try to come up with some useful ideas for getting rid of the Dark Mark, okay? Night."
Harry nodded slowly. Hermione scooped up her and Draco's wands and dragged him by his sleeve out of the door. Draco jerked, startled, but quickly recovered, striding in his elegant Malfoy manner by her side.

She slammed the door, and Draco turned upon her the moment it was shut. His blonde hair was dishevelled and his pale eyes wide and angry. "What the hell was that?"
Hermione stared back coolly, her flushed cheeks in stark contrast to her icy demeanour.
"What was what, Draco?" she snapped back.
He glared, grabbing her by her shoulders and pushing her against the wall. His face was so close to hers she could feel as well as hear his huffed, angry breaths.
"You know exactly what I mean!" he spat, his spittle painting her face. "I don't need defending- not by you!"
Hermione shoved him away harshly, her face contorted in fury. "By me? What, by the filthy mudblood? I was only trying to help!"
"I don't give a shit about your blood purity, " he snarled, angry in his confusion. "Why?"
"Because I'm your friend," she gasped, feeling as though her lungs had been punctured, her hurt was so great. "Aren't I?"
He didn't answer.

Draco didn't sleep a wink that night and he was certain that Hermione didn't either. His offer to let her sleep on the sole bed in his room was declined icily; instead she slumped uncomfortably on the floor, throwing him frosty glares. He wished he knew what to say.

The morning wasn't much better. She was up and dressed by the time he had stirred, though she was at least sat at the end of his bed... glaring. "Hermione-"
"What?" her voice was clipped. Draco summed up him courage and every scrap of information he had gleaned from Pansy about dealing with girls. "I'm sorry." Silence. What, did she expect him to go all emotional? One look at her scowling face was enough to tell him that yes, yes she did. Deep breaths, Draco. "I'm not used to having friends who actually give a shit about my well-being," he confessed, reluctantly. "I guess having a proper friend is new to me." He cringed. Feelings crap. Bleh.

Still, as he had hoped. Hermione had softened. She uncrossed her arms and leant over to his side of the bed. She wrapped her arms around him, enclosing his body in a tight cocoon, and rested her pointed chin on his shoulder.
"Draco," she whispered. "I'm sincerely sorry but you're going to have to get used to someone giving a shit about you because I had no desire to stop."
She squeezed him tight, hearing his constricted intake of breath and feeling his taut posture. He's not used to human contact. That's so... sad. She swallowed harshly and hugged him closer.

Not hinting or anything, but it'd be great to come back off holiday to find my inbox clogged up with reviews!
bookweasel