A/N: So we last left our heroes after another brush with death at Xenophilius Lovegood's house, and we found out that Ron tried to leave Draco behind! *gasp*

Here's a short little chapter. I wanted to make it longer, but I just liked the stopping point of this one and if I had continued it would have been a ridiculously long chapter and would have gotten into some other stuff that I didn't want to break up. But I hope you all enjoy it anyways.

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"I'm serious, Granger, the rat tried to drop me," Draco seethed from their bed some hours after their escape from the Lovegood house.

"Are you absolutely sure?" Hermione asked, sitting next to him to check his wounds beneath his bandages. "I know he's angry and he doesn't like you, but I doubt he'd try to have you killed."

Draco grabbed her arm and pulled her to face him. The hard look on his face caused her breath to hitch in her throat. When he spoke, his voice was deep and severe. "You threw the cloak over us. I was on the end. You were holding Potter, Potter held Weasley, and Weasley held me, until he didn't. As soon as I felt the pull of your apparation, he loosened his grip and tried to leave me behind. I'm sure of it. The bastard tried to kill me."

Rage gripped Hermione's heart. Terror at the thought of Draco being left behind with the Death Eaters, and the pain of betrayal that Ron would do such a thing to anyone, let alone someone she cared so deeply for. She stood abruptly and marched out into the common area of their tent.

Ron and Harry were standing near the opening of the tent when Hermione stalked over to them.

Before either of them could speak, Hermione pulled back her arm and slapped Ron as hard as she could across his cheek.

Harry stumbled back in shock and Ron gaped at her, clutching at his cheek.

"How dare you, Ronald?" Hermione seethed darkly. "To try to have him killed over what? Some petty childhood rivalry? You're a fool. You're both on the same side now! And even though he hates you, he would never do anything like that to you because he knows you're important to me. And you, one of my best and oldest friends, would intentionally attempt to hurt the man I've chosen to be with?

"Well, I won't put up with it. Stay away from us until you've grown up and decide you're ready to be a true friend to me again. And if you try to hurt him again, I'll cut you out of my life faster than you can say Quidditch."

Before Ron could argue, she turned on her heel and returned to Draco's side in their room. She pulled the curtain down and cast a Muffliato.

"Did you know you're sort of terrifying?" Draco asked with a chuckle.

"Only when crossed," Hermione grumbled. She was shaking in anger, but her lip was quivering slightly and she had tears in her eyes.

"Hey," he breathed, reaching out to grab hold of her hand. "What is it?"

She shook her head, willing herself not to reveal this kind of weakness to him. But it was no use, the tears were coming, and there was no stopping them now.

"Come here," he coaxed gently. "It's okay. I'm fine."

"That's not it," insisted Hermione. She sank down onto the bed next to him. "It's him. He's supposed to be my friend…my best friend. And to think that he would do something so hateful…I just feel so betrayed." She wiped tears from her cheeks in frustration.

"Well I'm not surprised. Given your…history with him."

"What do you mean?" sniffed Hermione.

"Well you slept with him, right? Before we ran off?"

Hermione blinked. "No, I didn't! What gave you that idea?"

"You didn't? I just thought I wasn't your first."

Hermione smirked slightly. "You weren't."

"Then who…?"

Hermione frowned. "Why do people always assume that Ron is the only one who has ever been interested in me?"

"That's not what I meant," Draco insisted. "I'm sure there were lots…" he trailed off, realizing how unconvincing he sounded.

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Oh, please." She knew that Draco had hardly looked at her before they had run away together; that any attraction he held for her physically had grown gradually, after many months of growing attracted to her mind. Perhaps he thought her beautiful now, but caring for a person tends to make them sort of beautiful in one's eyes.

Draco patted the bed next to him and she inched closer to his side. "Will you tell me who your first was?"

Hermione blushed and tucked a wayward curl behind her ear. "Do you remember that I went to the Yule Ball with Victor Krum?"

Draco's mouth dropped open. He gaped at her for several seconds, opening and closing his mouth like a fish. "Krum? Fourth Year?"

"No!" Hermione protested. "Well, yes, it was Victor, but not fourth year. We snogged a bit that year, but nothing more. We stayed in touch after the tournament. We wrote owls pretty consistently and after my fifth year he invited me to come to Bulgaria to visit him. We were just friends, really, but while I was there we sort of rekindled. I knew nothing would come of it. There was too much distance between us. But he was kind and gentle and I thought it might be nice, you know, to have my first time be with someone I would never have a falling out with. He and I would never have some messy break up that left us with bitter feelings. We're friends, and that experience will never be tainted for me. It was nice." A small smile graced her lips at the memory.

Draco was still staring at her with wide eyes. "You…lost your virginity…to Viktor Krum…" he said slowly, still not quite believing it.

Hermione nodded, amused by his stupor.

"You sure know how to make a guy feel inadequate, Granger," Draco remarked with a chuckle.

Hermione laughed. "Why? Because he's a famous Quidditch player? Why should that make you feel inadequate? You know I never really cared that much about the game anyways. I liked him because he was kind and strong and steady and he made me feel beautiful. No boy had ever made me feel beautiful before," she confessed quietly. Her heart was beating quickly. She looked down at her hands, but she could feel Draco's eyes on her. She felt naked under his gaze in a way she hadn't in many weeks with him. Sharing her bed was one thing, but sharing her insecurities was quite another. She always did her best to push them down and never let them show.

Draco grabbed hold of her hand gently. "And Potter and Weasley…do they know?"

"No. I've never told anyone about it until now," admitted Hermione. "I'm not ashamed of it, but I just liked having the experience be just for the two of us. No one has ever asked me about it to be honest. And he's the only person I was with before you. Alright, I told you. You tell me. Who was your first?"

Draco shrugged. "I'm afraid it wasn't as poetic and meaningful as yours. It was with Pansy last year. She was asking a lot of questions about what was going on with me, so I kind of did it to shut her up."

"That's a horrible reason to sleep with someone," frowned Hermione.

"I know. But she really wanted to; it was so obvious. And I'm a bloke. I wasn't strong enough last year to resist her when she came to seduce me. I tried, but then she started asking me what was going on with me. I couldn't have her figuring out what my mission was. So I slept with her. She quit asking questions after that."

Hermione turned his hand over in hers, her fingertips delving under his shirtsleeves to dance across his Dark Mark. "How did you hide it from her?" she asked quietly.

Draco shifted uncomfortably. "A simple glamour charm. It didn't last long, and it doesn't really work if you already know what's there, but she didn't. I never bothered to hide it from you because I was sure you knew it was there."

Hermione thought for a moment that this was likely his greatest insecurity. He was a jealous man, yes; but that paled in comparison to his shame at becoming a Death Eater. This ugly mark on his arm was a painful reminder of his choices. She couldn't help but think that her insecurities were fairly stupid compared to his. And after all, she didn't feel so plain when Draco was looking at her.

January brought a thick blanket of snow to the Forest of Dean. The weeks dragged on in cold shades of grey and blue. Gradually it was clear that their tent was divided. Most days Harry and Ron kept to themselves and Draco and Hermione kept their distance. Hermione did her best to stay on good terms with Harry, but it was difficult when Ron was always by his side. Whenever the four of them were all together they discussed the horcruxes and where they might find them. They discussed the potential of the Deathly Hallows and the idea that Voldemort might be searching for the Elder Wand.

Despite Hermione's best efforts, Harry remained obsessed with the idea of the Deathly Hallows. He even seemed to be hoping for the moments when he saw glimpses of Voldemort's thoughts.

"Alright, Occlumency. Now," said Draco to Harry one afternoon.

"Excuse me?" Harry grumbled, raising his eyebrow skeptically at the blonde.

"Granger says you're still having visions or whatever and you're putting us all in danger by letting him in. I'm good at Occlumency. I wouldn't have survived last year if I weren't. I'm teaching you. Get ready." Draco pulled his wand from his pocket.

"Listen, Malfoy, I'm not…" Harry began.

Draco wasn't listening. He raised his wand. "Legilimens."

In a rush, Draco saw the wand maker Ollivander cowering before him, screaming and writhing under the influence of the Cruciatus curse. Then the wand maker Gregorovich in a similar situation, though he met with an unpleasant end after his questioning. He saw himself standing in the Astronomy Tower; wand trained on Dumbledore and removed the spell instantly.

Harry was breathing hard. "Who said you could look around in my mind?" Harry seethed.

"You agreed to this," reminded Draco, trying his best to pretend not to be shaken by the sight of himself in Harry's memories. "I wouldn't be able to look around in your mind so much if you would just block me out. Divert my gaze away from the information you want to keep most secret." He paused as Harry straightened up. "Get ready," he said before hitting Harry again with the spell.

The memories Draco saw this time weren't as long this time. Just glimpses of moments before he could feel Harry attempting to block him out. A flash of the Slytherin common room, mermaids and grindylows in the black lake, a great snake writhing in pain as he thrust a sword through its skull, a giant chessboard, and a girl with shining red hair leaning forward and her eyes fluttering closed.

"No," breathed Harry. Draco saw nothing else. Harry had blocked him out.

"Better," commended Draco. "Much better. Again."

"Wait, just a moment to rest,"

But Draco didn't wait; he hit Harry again, seeing a brief flash of Dumbledore falling over the railing of the Astronomy tower before…

"Protego," cried Harry.

Draco was still seeing flashes of memories, but they were his own. Hermione's fearful eyes just before she grabbed his hand and ran into the forest, Hermione's laugh as they shared the cake, Hermione throwing herself back to save him from Yaxley, Hermione's wide eyes just before he kissed her for the first time, the look in her eyes after she saw his patronus, Hermione's look of bliss as he made love to her, Hermione, Hermione, Hermione…

"Stop!"

Harry's mouth was agape in shock. "I…I'm sorry. I didn't mean to…"

"It's fine," Draco said shortly. "Let's just get back to it, yeah?" His cheeks were a little pink. How could he have let himself get caught off guard like that?

"Yeah," Harry agreed. "Malfoy, I…" he paused, shifting his weight between his feet awkwardly. "I'm glad she had you all those months."

Draco blinked in surprise, before forcing a smirk. "Don't get all soft on me now, Potter. You ready?"

Harry nodded with a smile, and their lessons continued.

A/N: Reviews keep me going! Thanks for reading!