A/N: So Draco has just met up with the Resistance and formed an alliance, but now he must finally face Astoria. And Hermione waits to be rescued but knows that no one will come.

Read and review. I do not own Harry Potter.

After his impromptu meeting with the Resistance, and ignoring the suspicious glances and obvious stares of his co-conspirators, all plans were hashed out and responsibilities were assigned. Even now, the plan was already in motion, but Draco had decided to head home.

His nerves were shot. He had never felt this apprehensive about anything. From a young age, Draco had been taught to always be in control of any situation. He had learnt how to maintain a level head in dire circumstances and to hide emotions that others could take advantage of. His knowledge of these attributes only increased when he joined the Raiders. They taught all their fighters about military tactics and acting without remorse or regret, to fight together but for also yourself.

Draco took a deep breath and rolled his shoulders. He had to shake off this horrible feeling and draw on all his lessons. He just hoped everything would work out. Draco glanced at his watch. He only had a couple hours before his role was to start and he didn't want anything to go wrong. There would be no room for error.

He walked through the front door of the manor before going up the stairs to his bathroom. He felt he needed a relaxing shower, anything to stop the horrible feeling in his stomach. He might also need a cup of coffee but he knew this was not that kind of stomach ache.

The water was ice cold but invigorating on his skin and helped to clear his mind. He focused solely on the droplets as they cascaded down his arms, torso and legs, and the shower walls. He tried not think about where Granger could be right now, was she hurt, if she was even still breathing. He opened his mouth under the deluge and the cold water stung his throat, snapping his thoughts back the shower. He spat out the water and quickly finished. The shower not helping like he thought he would.

He walked out of the bathroom with a green towel wrapped lazily around his waist, another swiping through his wet hair. When he finally pulled the towel off his head, he heard his bedroom door open. Across the room stood Astoria leaning gracefully in the doorway. Her lacy, silver bra and panties barely covered her body, while her skin seemed to glow under the orbs that lined their bedroom walls. Draco was frozen to the spot as she walked sensually towards him. Her ref-lined mouth moved but he could not hear a word she was saying. Her body was calling to him and his was answering the call as he felt member rub against the towel.

She was in front of him now and brought him into a deep kiss. He wrapped his arms around her bare waist and rested his palms on her smooth back to pull her closer, the towel in his hand falling to the floor forgotten. She moaned into his mouth when his cool skin touch her spine before she pulled back.

She placed her arms around his neck before leaning up to his ear and saying, "I should get new lingerie more often." He growled before She moved towards the bed, leaving him standing there. He watched as her hips swung, her bottom practically exposed by the lack of fabric her underwear provided.

But then he noticed that his bed had changed, the rug had changed, the dresser had changed. All his furniture had changed. She sat on the bed and turned to face, draping one leg casually over the other. When he hadn't moved, her mouth turned into a frown.

Then he said, "Toria, what happened to the furniture?"

She laughed a little before saying, "I thought our bedroom needed a change, and with the money I got, I was able to get the most beautiful furniture, and a couple of outfits that you would love so much. Like this one." She lay back on the bed and gestured to her body. It seemed that she had specifically chosen it in order to compliment the new green bedspread.

Draco looked at her quizzically though. The changes had thrown him off and now his mind was clearer. "Toria, where did you get the money for this?" he said.

Astoria's smile fell. "When have you ever cared about money, Draco?"

"This is the money from the bounty?" he asked, thought he was sure he already knew the answer.

"Money is money, Draco," she said haughtily.

He shouts, "This is blood money! I want no part of this."

He strode over to the closet leaving her on the bed on shock. Her shock quickly turned into fury as she jumped off the bed and launched herself at him. They stumbled to the floor with her on top of him. His towel slid down and formed a peak over his groin, leaving him partially exposed.

"I see someone is still happy about my new underwear," Astoria smirked before latching onto Draco's neck.

Draco couldn't fight back the moan that erupted from his throat as she nibbled on the tender flesh where his neck met his shoulder. He saw her long flowing hair splayed across his chest. He felt her warm skin against his. She was using her body to get her way. He tried pushing her off him but she held onto tight, straddling his hips and effectively pinning him to the floor. Her proximity was making it hard for his body to resist and he cursed his male hormones. He then surprised her by grabbing her under the legs and threw her off him.

She fell onto the floor a few feet away, one of her bra strap slipping off her shoulder. She swiped a hand across her mouth which smeared her lipstick. She screamed at him, "You blood traitor! You're still stuck on that stupid mudblood and you would choose her over me? I hope she burns tomorrow and her filthy blood with her!"

Draco did not deny her claim but he looked at her incredulously. "How can you say about another human being, Toria!"

She laughed, "Just a few weeks ago, you wouldn't have thought her a human being, Draco. She was the scum underneath your boot. She has really got you hooked. I would never think this would happen to you of all people! I tried to give you an out, to just sweep this under the rug, but no!"

She rose to her feet and moved towards the door, "Now, everyone will know who the real Draco Malfoy is! Everything you worked for will be for naught! They'll lock you up and you can finally be with her. You'll burn along with her!"

He quickly got up and ran to his bedside table. Grabbing his wand, he cast a body bind curse at her retreating back. She fell back and he rushed to cushion her head. Her face was frozen in a state of shock, her bra strap still hanging loose. Draco placed her on the bed and covered her with the bed sheet.

Draco ran a hand through his wild hair and took some grasping breaths. He looked down at Astoria in disgust and then at himself for almost being trapped in her wiles. Everything she said was true. Granger was the scum under his boot but now she wasn't. He had chosen Granger over Astoria, the engagement now broken if it wasn't obvious. Granger had him hooked and he didn't mind it. He wanted her. But Astoria's words also brought him back to a startling reality: Granger would burn tomorrow. Not if he could help it.

Draco dressed quickly before leaving Astoria in the bed alone. He would deal with her later.

Hermione sits against the stark cold wall staring straight ahead at the opposing wall. She had been entertaining images of dashing knights coming to rescue from her prison. She had thought of a means to escape and go back into hiding. But images can only last so long before the last glimmers of hope are snuffed out.

She wonders how she got here, who ratted her out, but it doesn't matter really. She curses Malfoy for 'saving' her. She had been hidden for 5 years, scared but 'safe' under Mr James' watchful eye. She was alive and 'free'. He should have just left her alone, moved on and out of her life. Then she wouldn't be here. She wouldn't have been turned in. She wouldn't have felt anything towards him. She wouldn't have been given this 'hope' just for it to be gone again.

The night grows long and the new day grows closer. Her death is inevitable and she has accepted her fate. She wonders how much it will hurt, how much more intense it is than the strongest pain she's ever felt, how much more than the Cruciatus she felt hours before. Maybe she'll pass out from the initial pain, but she knows that won't happen. She knows they will draw it out as long as possible, that they will want to hear her scream out in agony, they will want her to hurt. How long will she last?

Alone with her thoughts, she had convinced herself that this is just punishment. She deserves this cell, she deserves this life and she deserves this death. She was born impure, she had fought in the war, made many enemies and killed many people, and though her side had won, the was still raged on and now she was the one losing. She was the one paying for the sins of others. She would be made an example of for others to see. And she could do nothing about it.

So she sits there and waits until they retrieve her. She waits until walk her to her death chamber. She waits until they finally take her life and she can be truly free. Her only regret is that she never got to see Harry and Ron again.