Author's Note: Yeah, you people know the deal by now. Rejoice, read, review. :)
Two Steps Forward, One Step Back
Hermione stood rooted to the spot, her mouth open, horrified at what had just passed. She had just insulted Draco worse than he had ever insulted her. Of all the names he'd called her and all the torture he had put her through at school, nothing, ever, could compare to Hermione's slur.
Her body coursed hot with shame and embarrassment. She buried her face in her hands, almost beginning to cry. Until then, he had not given her even the slightest reason to mistrust him. Once he had, she pounced on it, 'More for my own protection than anything else,' she rationalized despondently. Hermione did not want to get tricked or cheated or hurt. Trusting Draco raised all these possibilities and one more: if she trusted him, then she would have to admit to herself that her feelings towards him had changed.
'Have they?' she thought, raising her head from her hands. Her eyes fixed onto the pieces of glass near the door. They looked beautiful with the light reflecting off them, sending rainbow shards of color against the walls. But she knew they could not stay like that. With a quick "Reparo," the frame mended and hung itself back onto the wall.
It was strange, her immediate jump to accuse him. She was trusting for the most part, and even more so when people gave her reason to trust. 'And hasn't he given me more than enough reason?' she thought, pocketing her wand and still staring at the door. 'He's saved my life, comforted me, helped me…He's been everything that Harry and Ron were when we were at Hogwarts. He's been…a friend.' Her brown eyes pooled once more at the realization. 'And now he's gone…Who knows what kind of danger he might be in or who he may run into?' Panic struck her heart. 'Does he even have his wand?'
She looked to the table and her questioned was answered: no. She knew Draco was physically strong, but strength could only take him so far against those with magic. This increased her worry tenfold and she started to pace the room.
XOX
It was well into the evening before Hermione stopped pacing and settled down into a living room chair. She fell into a half-sleep, a small part of her mind remaining on the edge of consciousness, alert for a sign that Draco may be home.
At about midnight, she heard the door open. Her brain clicked on and she immediately opened her eyes and stood up. She rushed over to Draco and threw her arms around him, not thinking of anything but the fact that he was back at her house and safe. He stood still for a moment, his shoulders tense beneath her embrace, then shrugged her off apathetically.
"Draco, I was so worried about you," she said, not rebuffed by his pushing her away. "You shouldn't have-"
He cut her off. "Stop it, Granger. Just stop." His voice was drained and there were large, dark circles beneath his red-tinged eyes. He wearily walked across the living room and into his room, gently closing the door.
Hermione followed him there and leaned against his door, hearing the muffled thump of him falling into bed. She knew he would not sleep; at least, not for a while.
'And neither will I,' she thought resolutely. 'I can't. Not until I talk to him.'
So she sat down and leaned her head against the door. The hours ticked by silently on the hall clock. Hermione watched each one of them pass.
At 3 a.m., she no longer heard tossing and turning from within his room. It was then that Hermione decided to take a chance. She rose stiffly, her body aching and joints popping from her uncomfortable seat upon the floor. Silently, she eased open his door. She padded in quietly and knelt next to his sleeping form. His back was turned to her.
"Draco," she said in a whisper. "I know you're asleep, but I fear this is the only way you'll listen to me." True, she did know he was asleep. But all the same, when he did not move at the sound of her voice, she started to cry hot tears of regret and shame. "I'm sorry," she cried into her arm. "I'm so sorry."
She felt him shift and she looked up, unexpectedly locking her eyes with his. Seeing the expression on his face was like witnessing the deaths of all whom she loved: it was one of infinite sadness and misery. He looked betrayed, and Hermione had been the one to stab him in the back and subsequently give the knife a fair twist. Her tears came more rapidly now.
"I'm sorry," she choked between tears.
Draco grabbed her hand, stopping her silent sobs. He slowly brought it to his lips and planted the softest of kisses upon it. It was no more than the brush of a butterfly wing against her skin, but to her it meant the world. He moved over in his bed and pulled her in with him.
Seven years of repressed memories crashed into Hermione's mind. She saw Harry, bloodied and stiff on the battlefield, lying prone next to the world's greatest enemy. She saw Lupin's anguish while holding Tonks in his arms as she passed into death and then him being hit by the Killing Curse not a moment after she died. She saw the misery of the Weasley's as they discovered that Fred and Ginny were dead and witness Ron's breakdown first-hand.
The only thing that pulled her away from these scenes was Draco. She felt his strong arm snake around her shaking frame and hold her close to his body, protecting her from further cruelties of the past.
Her memories soon tapered off, as did her tears. She looked up at him with red-rimmed eyes, searching his steel-gray ones for a sign. He looked at her seriously, his face impassive but his eyes betraying what he was feeling. Without a word being spoken, Hermione knew that she was forgiven.
She was in his arms for the rest of the night, arms which she had previously thought held nothing but violence. Pressing her head against his chest, she heard his steady heartbeat and knew, somehow knew, that he was honest and truthful. She knew he had changed.
XOX
Draco woke up, remembering exactly what happened the night before and the precise reason Hermione was now nestled snugly in his arms. And more importantly, he remembered that he did not mind this arrangement at all. Last night, as terrible as it was to have had his past dragged up to his consciousness once more, was necessary. He had received comfort in Hermione's few words, in her tear-filled eyes, and her warm body against his own. Seven years ago, he would have never thought this possible. He shifted slightly, carefully, as not to wake her. His efforts were in vain, though, as she groggily opened her eyes and met his.
Her lids were still heavy with sleep, but the eyes behind them were alert. He knew that she was eager to discuss the rest of the file and get down to the elusive kernel of truth.
"Good morning," he said with a small smile.
She returned his expression. "We should finish going over the file today," she said.
"Yeah, we should," he replied.
They rose and took turns in the shower, ate breakfast together, and went down to work.
"So, where were we?" Hermione said with a nervous chuckle.
Draco casually smiled and said, "What does Entropy have to do with me?"
"Ah, yes," she said with a nervous smile. "Well, I don't have any ideas. Do you?"
"Not a one," he replied with a shake of his head.
"Then let's go on to what the cult actually does. We know a little bit about their induction tests."
"Right, a veritable gamut of physical, magical, emotional, and mental obstacles. They were tough too. From this we know that their supporters are the best, and therefore dangerous."
"Truly," said Hermione. "The file told us a bit about what went on inside of it as well: a meeting place for displaced followers of Voldemort. Quite honestly, it does not sound all that threatening."
"That's what they used to do," interjected Draco. He pushed the files towards her and pointed towards the bottom of the page. "Look at the year. These files are over five years old. None of this information is current. And from what I saw when I was there, Entropy is no longer just a place for old Death Eaters to meet. It's something more now, something worse."
"Well, what happened at their old meetings may be able to give us a clue as to what they are doing now."
"True, except you read the files just as I did. They contain no more information than what we have. There were only a few reports of Muggle-baiting, and the cases weren't even all that terrible. We have nothing to work with which brings us back to where we started: we need more information."
"We do," she admitted. With a frustrated sigh, she attempted to run her fingers through her bushy hair. "But how?"
Draco gave her a look and a moment later, Hermione understood what he meant.
"Oh no. Nice try, but there's no way you're going to look for trouble from these people. You nearly died twice."
"Au contraire," he said with a cocky grin, "they only shot at me once. The other time, they just tried to catch me."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Because that's so much better…" she said sarcastically. "That's even more reason for you not to search these people out. They want you alive for something, and that something cannot be good."
"Then what do you propose we do, Hermione?" he said exasperated, jumping up from the couch and starting to pace around the room.
She paused for a moment, thinking of their next step. "We wait until they make a move. Spies are bound to be sweeping the city for you. So, you go out. You get seen by one of them and they follow you here. Soon after, they're bound to do something. Then, we can go from there."
"I still spot a problem, Hermione. I would be leading them to this house, putting you in equal danger."
"And you don't see me as your equal, Draco?" Hermione questioned with a dangerous edge to her voice.
Draco looked as if he was about to talk, but Hermione cut him off.
"We have no other options. It's this or nothing."
He was silent for a few minutes, obviously still trying to find a different solution to their problem. Thinking of nothing, he acquiesced.
"Fine, I'll start that today then. But you have to have your wand on you at all times. I want you constantly prepared."
Hermione laughed. "'Constant vigilance', eh? Sounds familiar." She fondly remembered her fourth year when Mad-Eye Moody was their teacher. Judging by the angry and embarrassed expression on Draco's face, he remembered Moody too, although not so fondly.
'Apparently, he has not forgotten the bouncing white ferret incident,' Hermione chuckled.
XOX
Draco rolled his eyes at the Moody reference and shrugged off Hermione's gentle teasing. He rose, eager to somehow get in touch with Entropy. He grabbed his wand and headed determinately towards the door. Hermione followed him. He opened it and paused, taking a deep breath, steeling himself to confront the danger he knew was lurking beyond the front porch.
"Hey Draco?"
He looked back at Hermione. She looked up at him meekly, gently, almost a little afraid.
"Be careful," she said softly.
Draco smiled softly at her. The sun played off his platinum blonde hair, creating an aura of light around his head. With soft eyes, he leaned his head down and kissed her gently on the lips. Hermione felt like she was flying. His lips were soft and warm and light. Draco kissed her with tenderness that she would have thought impossible of him to possess while they were in school. Her limbs tingled, her heart raced, her mind soared.
"You too," he said, his warm breath tickling Hermione's mouth. Her eyes glazed over with pleasure and she kissed him this time, with a little more force. She felt his hands snake around her waist and caress her lower back. He broke their kiss and rested his forehead upon hers. "At this rate, Entropy will never find me," he whispered into her mouth.
"Don't be so sure of that," said a heated voice behind Draco. "Stupefy!" it shouted. Draco stiffened, then collapsed at Hermione's feet.
Hermione screamed and dodged a jet of red light as she ducked into her house for her wand. No sooner had she grabbed it off the table and whirled around than she was hit in the chest with the stunning spell. Blackness encroached upon Hermione's world and she experienced a falling sensation. She felt pain in her head as she hit the floor. A second later, Hermione's senses failed her. She felt no more.