"So I thought it would be a good idea if Miss Weasley joined you both for the flying masterclass?" Professor McGonagall was in the communal room talking to Draco, Harry and Ginny. Hermione was watching them from the sofa, not really paying any interest to the book she was holding.

"It will help the girls if I'm there," Ginny said and Harry nodded enthusiastically. Hermione watched out the corner of her eye for Draco's reaction.

"Mr Malfoy?" Professor McGonagall prompted him.

"Yes - I suppose it's fine."

Hermione tried to hide her smile at Draco's answer. So typically him! She rubbed her head which was still hurting and sighed. She'd had a terrible night's sleep and the lecture she'd done this morning had been the worst one - her mind just wasn't on it. She'd spent half the afternoon observing her friends - all of whom seemed to be able to use their magic - and the other half in the library, searching desperately for an explanation for this awful thing that had happened to her. She now knew an awful lot more now about wizard's who had lost their magic and from the information she had managed to absorb in a single sitting, no wizard had just lost his or her magic without a reason.

She desperately wanted to talk to someone about this but something was stopping her. Somehow, being without her magic made her feel vulnerable. She wanted to sort it out before she had to tell anyone but she knew that she couldn't hide it much longer. Sooner or later she would need to do something magical. The communal room was crowded tonight and Hermione wasn't in the mood for company so she went to her room. She lay on her bed and stared at the ceiling, desperately hoping for inspiration to strike but it didn't take long before she fell asleep.

When she woke it was with a jump and she opened her eyes, sitting up quickly to find the room in total darkness, her curtains still open and she was still fully clothed. She felt cold and stiff so she slid off the bed and went to have a quick wash before putting on her pyjamas. An hour later she was still lying there, having turned over a hundred times. She groaned and sat up again, leaning wearily on the wall behind her. Her mind was racing, as it had been since this had happened but it was racing in one direction now. Straight towards Draco Malfoy. As far as she could tell, they were the only one's affected and there must be a reason for that. She needed to tell him and they needed to work it out together. As much as she hated to admit it, he had a quick, logical mind and she knew he could help. Even so, why did it have to him?

She twisted her lips - despite her better judgement she would speak to him first thing in the morning. She was about to lay back down but something stopped her. Why wait until morning? She was going to get no sleep so why not tackle it now? She could imagine Draco's reaction to her waking him up but this was important. So, resigned to her fate she pulled her robe off the back of the door before stepping out into the barely lit corridor and walking the short distance to Draco's room.

She knocked quietly on the door and waited but there was no sound from within. She needed to knock louder but she didn't dare for fear of waking the entire wing. She stood deliberating for a moment before twisting the handle and quietly opening the door and stepping into the dark room. The curtains were open, so it was fairly light and she could see Draco's form stretched out on the bed. She stood for a moment, not entirely sure what to do and terrified of his reaction when he found her in his room in the middle of the night.

Eventually she tiptoed over to the bed and gently touched Draco's bare shoulder. He was under the covers, his one foot hanging over the edge of the bed and she hoped desperately that he wore something to sleep in. Her light touch hadn't worked so she touched him again, a little firmer, giving him a gentle shake. He grumbled and shuffled a little, exposing his bare chest and Hermione had the sudden urge to run from the room. This was ridiculous! What was she thinking creeping into Draco Malfoy's bedroom in the middle of the night?

She suddenly felt herself propelled forcefully downwards, landing heavily on the bed and it took a moment for her muddled brain to register what was happening.

"What do you want?" Draco was above her, holding her firmly down, his hands hurting her wrists. "How did you get in here? Who are you?"

Hermione's brain clicked into gear and she coughed, trying to get her words out. "It's me! It's Hermoine!"

Immediately, Draco's weight moved and she was free. He was across the room in a shot and the light came on, making Hermione shield her eyes from the sudden glare. Draco was standing by the door, dressed in pyjama bottoms.

"What the hell are you doing in my bedroom in the middle of the night?" he demanded.

"Sorry - I know it's strange but this couldn't wait," Hermione tried to explain, struggling to sitting position.

She saw Draco's eyes narrow. "Well I really can't believe you've crept into my room for the usual reason females do and that's the only thing worth waking me for..." Draco left his sentence open and Hermione sighed.

"We need to talk," she said.

"Right now?"

"Yes."

"In my room?"

"Anywhere."

Draco stepped closer. "This had better be bloody good, Granger because, I'm not in a very tolerant mood."

Hermione face him fearlessly, no longer worried about his reaction. This was too important to worry about that. "You've lost your magic," she said, quietly and she saw his face freeze.

"Get out!" he said, just as quietly but very forcefully.

"No! Just tell me it's true - you have lost it, haven't you?"

"I told you to mind your own business." Draco grabbed her arm and pulled her towards his door. "Leave now or I'll have great pleasure in pushing you out myself."

Hermione sighed and shook his arm off her. "Watch!" she instructed. Hermione turned away from him and looked over at a book on his bedside table. She aimed her wand at it. "Accio, book." Nothing. She walked over and picked the book up, scanning the title. Draco was still watching her silently. "Accio, Quidditch Rule Breakers." Nothing.

"Are you trying to be funny, Granger?" Draco asked.

"What? Why is this funny?"

"Pretending you can't do magic either!"

Hermione walked over to him and without a word aimed her wand at Draco's head. "Expulso!" Draco jumped back, his face filled with utter terror until he realised that nothing had happened. She nodded her head at him. "Now do you understand? You've lost your magic and I have too!"

Draco was staring at her open mouthed. For a few moments they just stared at each in silence and then Draco ran his hand through his already dishevelled hair.

"Bloody hell!"

"Bloody hell, indeed!" Hermione agreed.

"Bloody hell - couldn't you have thought of a less terrifying way to demonstrate than Expulso on my head?" Draco rubbed his head as if the spell had almost worked.

She sat back down on the edge of his bed, feeling suddenly weary. "I think we're the only ones - I've been watching everyone else all day and they all seem fine."

Draco was frowning, staring at her. "Why?"

"I have absolutely no idea. I can't find a record of this ever happening before."

"I mean why only the two of us?" Draco asked. "And why us in particular?"

"I don't know! I know exactly the same as you do!" Hermione said. "I looked in the library and there is no record of this happening to anyone else."

"You mean your beloved library didn't hold a book with an instant cure?" Draco asked.

"Why do you have to do that?" Hermione stood up and again and approached him angrily.

"Do what?"

"Have a little stab at me at every available opportunity?"

"I don't."

"Yes you do!"

Draco shook his head. "Well forgive me for not jumping to greet you with open arms at 2am!"

"It wouldn't matter what time it was, you just can't stop it." Hermione sighed. "This was stupid - I foolishly thought we might be able to help each other. I should have known better."

Draco watched her silently for a moment as she stepped around him towards the door. She thought he was just ignoring her until he spoke again and she stopped. "When did it happen?"

Hermione didn't understand what he was asking her. "Pardon?"

"When did you lose your magic?"

She blinked rapidly, surprised by his sudden change of attitude. "I noticed it first thing this morning."

"When?" Draco asked again and Hermione frowned at him.

"I just told you! First thing this morning!"

Draco stepped closer and leaned down a little. "When exactly?" he emphasised his second word. "Describe exactly what happened after you got up."

Hermione nodded, not sure where he was going with these questions but willing to go with it. He was jerk but he was a clever jerk. "I woke early and couldn't get back to sleep so I got up and made myself a drink. I broke the glass and tried to repair it but I couldn't, so I tried Wingardium Leviosa on a cushion but that didn't work either. I was trying it on a newspaper when you found me..." She let her voice trail off before she completed her sentence with 'and annoyed the hell out me'.

"So your magic wasn't working when I entered the room?"

Hermione shook her head. "No - what are you getting at?"

"So how did we manage to move that cushion then?" Draco asked. "When I stood behind you the cushion moved."

Hermione stared at him, her eyes widening as she remembered what he was talking about. He was right! When he'd stood with her they had done the spell and it had worked. Hermione's agile brain accessed the information and she bit her lip.

"Maybe you still had your magic then? You were the one saying the spell," she suggested.

Draco twisted his lips. "Maybe but somehow I don't think so. I mean, I didn't know that I'd lost my magic then but I didn't feel right as soon as I woke up...if you know what I mean..." His words trailed off as he obviously felt a little self conscious saying them. "That's sounds stupid..."

"No! No it doesn't!" Hermione said, shaking her head. "I know what you mean. I felt strange as well. In fact, I've felt strange since last night."

Draco nodded and then stepped closer, taking his robe from the back of the door. Without any explanation, he grabbed Hermione's hand and pulled her out of his room, along the corridor and into the communal room. She followed willingly, her mind running along the same lines as his own and she didn't protest when he pointed at the cushion again.

"Give it a go now," he instructed. Hermione did as he asked, aiming her wand at the cushion which unsurprisingly didn't move an inch. Draco then did the same, aiming and saying the spell. Again the cushion remained still.

"We have to try it together..." Hermione's voice was just above a whisper. She felt nervous, scared but also just a tiny bit of hope. It didn't seem as utterly terrifying when she was working through it with Draco. Draco nodded and without a hint of embarrassment he stood behind her and slid his arms around her waist. In any other circumstances, Hermione would have given him a black eye but right now she didn't care. They had to try this.

Draco lifted her arm and made a swish of the wand she was holding. "Wingardium Leviosa," Draco said the spell, very quietly and Hermione watched, fascinated as the cushion lifted easily from the sofa. "Merlin!" She heard Draco say next to her ear and she extracted herself from him and turned to face him.

"We can do it together?" she asked, although she already knew the answer. She'd just seen the evidence with her own eyes. "We should try it with your wand and I'll say the spell."

Again Draco nodded and they changed positions. Hermione touched Draco's arm as he lifted his wand. "Accio parchment!" Hermione said the spell and instantly a large roll of parchment from the table flew towards them, Draco catching it easily with his spare hand. Hermione stepped away and stared at him. "What the hell does this mean? We can only do magic together? Why?"

"Yes, yes and I have no idea." Draco answered her questions individually.

"It doesn't make sense!" Hermione said. She wasn't sure if this latest development made her feel better or worse. She supposed it was better because it meant she still had her magical ability but the implications were terrifying. "What are we going to do?"

"What time are your lectures tomorrow?" Draco asked.

"I have one first thing and I was supposed to be in the Lecture Building in the afternoon for a drop in session with the Year 7's."

"Lunch time it is then – I'll meet you in the library at 11am." Draco said this in such a matter of fact way you would have been forgiven for believing that they regularly met like this. Hermione nodded but remained silent so Draco spoke again, his words filling Hermione with fear. "It's the first Masterclass the day after tomorrow so we need to have this sorted by then or that's then end of this being kept a secret. I can hardly give a Masterclass when I can't fly a broom!"

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