A/N: Mkay so first day back after break and I get 950435285093 things due this week. Great?Aaaanyway. I updated Chapter 10, I thought it was a little too short so I added more to it. So if you only read the first half of Chapter 10, go back and read the second half or you probably won't understand anything about how this chapter starts out.
Thanks to Lya Darkfury and audrhole for reviewing, I appreciate the feedback! Anddd to everyone else, review and i'll try to add these chapters more quickly. If I ever finish this damn english project. Grrrr.
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Snape drawled on for about fifteen more minutes before Albus Dumbledore stepped into the room.
"Dummmmmbledore! What a pleasant surprise! Thirty-four more points from Gryffindor!" Snape slurred. He stumbled over to where McGonagall was standing.
"MinERva dear! You look absolutely fan-TAS-tic!" he drawled, "Would you like to go out sometime? Perhaps tonight?"
Dumbledore stifled a laugh and murmured a quick spell. Snape instantly fell over and began snoring.
"Alright, students, back to your activities," said Dumbledore.
The disappointed crowd scattered out leaving Draco, Hermione, and Dumbledore.
Hermione looked back and forth between Draco and Dumbledore and finally spoke. "Professor," she said, "We've got a …problem…"
Draco handed the letter to Dumbledore, who read it a bit slowly to himself.
Dumbledore sighed. "Yes, I see. Have you informed Harry of your…'vacation', shall we say?" he asked.
"No," Hermione said, "I'm going to tell him tonight. Ron and Ginny too, if that's okay."
"Mr. Malfoy, you're sure of your parents' intentions…?" Dumbledore inquired.
Draco laughed bitterly, remembering what they'd seen at Knockturn Alley.
"Yes," he replied. "My father's already in St. Mungo's for not giving us away so if he's putting on an act, he's obviously willing to kill himself for it."
Dumbledore nodded. "I shall inform your teachers of your leave. Do owl me if you have any… problems."
Hermione forced a smile. "Thank you, Professor."
Dumbledore walked down the long hallway.
Draco and Hermione started to walk to their dorms and stopped when they heard loud music coming from the Gryffindor Common Room.
"I've got to go tell them now," muttered Hermione, "Before they all get too drunk to remember anything I said." Draco shrugged and followed her into the room.
She found Harry and Ron, and grabbed them by the arms. "I've got to talk to you two and it's really important. Have you had anything to drink yet?" she asked cautiously.
"Nah, not yet. Dean's coming with the firewhiskey soon, though," said Ron excitedly. His face dropped when he noticed Draco. "What's he doing here?" he asked, giving Hermione a look.
Hermione rolled her eyes. "That's part of what I'm going to tell you now come on, I can't tell the entire school." The boys shrugged and followed Hermione into her room.
She took a breath. "Okay, look. I know how this is going to sound, but Draco and I will be staying at his house for…awhile. We leave tomorrow night."
Ron opened his mouth to object but Hermione stopped him. "Look, I don't exactly know how to be subtle about something like this. Basically, there's a large army of Death Eaters after us right now and they would probably guess that we're here. We can still owl but not as often as usual."
Draco stepped up. "We'll be staying in a couple secret rooms my parents had built inside the Manor," he said. Ron gave him a dangerous look, and he sneered back. "I highly doubt they'd find us there. Calm down, Weasel. Hermione's going to be fine," he snapped.
Hermione almost blushed. They'd been friends for awhile, but having him trying to protect her felt a bit…different.
"Wait," said Harry, "Why would they be after Hermione? Actually, why would they be after you?"
Draco looked Harry in the eye. "Because I'm friends with her, that's why. And I'm not a Death Eater, Potter, so you can stop looking at me like that now," he snapped.
Harry held his hands up in defense. "Hey, sorry. Just wondering," he muttered.
Hermione sighed. "Ginny is the only other person you can talk to about this," she said. "Other than her, we really need you guys to try and keep it quiet." She looked pointedly at Ron.
Awkward silence.
"Done," said Ron.
"Yeah," Harry added, "Owl us if you need anything. And Dumbledore..."
"Yeah," said Hermione. "He knows."
"Oh hey, you guys wanna come back to the party with us?" asked Harry.
Draco raised an eyebrow. "Are you sure...?"
"Yeah, why not. It's your last night here for awhile. Besides, I know Dean, and he probably brought enough firewhiskey for everyone to have their own bottle."
Hermione sighed but smiled and laid her head on Draco's shoulder for a minute. "Alright, this'll be the last time we can do this until God knows when."
The four walked back into the Common Room full of people. Most of them were drunk out of their minds. Lavender got up on the table and began singing at the top of her lungs. Quite badly, most would add.
Draco grinned. "So, all those stories I've been hearing about Gryffindor parties were true, then."
Hermione smirked. "Yes, well, quite understood we're not half as civilized as you Slytherins," she said, holding her head up high.
Draco laughed and got two bottles, handing one to Hermione.
Ginny walked over to Harry and, before he could say anything, kissed him. Harry was taken by surprise, but happily returned the favor. When they finally broke apart for air, Harry looked into Ginny's sparkling blue eyes.
"You aren't drunk, are you…" he asked.
Ginny smiled and shook her head, then kissed him again.
Hermione looked over to where Ginny and Harry were and couldn't help but smile.
Now if she could only find someone like that…
Draco stood behind her and noticed her staring at the happy couple. "Reminding you of anyone?" he asked. She knew who he was talking about. Viktor Krum, her ex. She sighed and turned around.
"Not really. I don't think I was in love with Krum. He was pretty hot, though," Hermione mused.
Draco smirked. "Yeah, well, I wouldn't know about your little escapades with that...OW! Hey! What'd I do?" he yelped. Hermione had punched him in the arm. She rolled her eyes but smiled.
"Oh baby baaaabyyyyyy you are my everythiiiiiiiiiiiiiinggg!" screeched a happily wasted Lavender. Hermione winced and whispered a quick spell to calm Lavender down.
Draco walked Hermione back to her dorm. "Hey, um, we could meet somewhere in Hogsmeade tomorrow, like, after dinner or something. Apparating from here would probably look too suspicious," he said.
Hermione nodded. "Alright." She smiled awkwardly. He hugged her and left for his dorm.
Hermione changed into shorts and a large white T-shirt and climbed into her bed. She knew she should feel nervous with everything that had been going on, but all she could think about was Draco.
She sighed and drifted off to sleep. She didn't really mind. The fact that he basically occupied her mind 90 percent of the time actually gave her some comfort.
Draco walked through the Slytherin Common Room, passing a pouting Pansy on the way to his dorm. He changed into boxers and climbed into his four poster. For some reason Hermione was all he could think about. He liked it, too. Thinking about her meant he didn't have to focus on the thousand-something Death Eaters that were after him and everyone he ever cared about.
