Hermione heard the clock in the hallway strike eleven and they were still in the same position. Neither could come up with a solution to their situation but both seemed reluctant to relinquish the comfort they felt in this attitude. Draco softly stroked her hair as Hermione thought. "Hermione," Draco said, breaking the silence at last and pulling her back to reality, "I have to go."

"Go where?" she asked.

"I am needed."

"By who?" she let go of him and sat up straight and then it dawned on her, he was branded by the dark mark wasn't he. She knew exactly who wanted her, and she felt repelled; she was hugging a person who was at You-Know-Who's bidding, she had been told by him that he was falling for her, she had kissed him for Merlin's sake!

He got off the windowsill giving her a look that said he knew she knew. He walked into his huge wardrobe and pulled out some dark robes and the horrendous mask. Pulling on the robes, he walked to his door, "don't do anything stupid and don't leave this room. You can look at the books if you like." And he left.

Anger surged through her as she watched his retreating back and the door close firmly. Don't do anything stupid. Well, if he thought she was going to sit there like a good little girl and entertain herself with a book, he had another thought coming. She had thought it before, and she thought it again, her wand was probably in this room if it was anywhere in this house and if she didn't have her wand, she didn't stand a chance. She spied a large mahogany cabinet to the left of the bookcase and decided that that was the best place to start looking. Even if Draco had the room spelled to alert him to her touching things, he was too busy now wasn't he? And besides, maybe he wouldn't care? He was only keeping her there because he was scared of his father. And maybe Lucius Malfoy was away with Draco.

Hermione made her way over to the cabinet and lightly touched the top surface; nothing seemed to happen so she grasped the handles of the top drawer, one in each hand and pulled it open. It was full to bursting of what Hermione thought looked like rubbish; old broken quills, a sneakoscope, a revealer like she had had in second year and various other bits of what her mother would have called "tat". Quickly and carefully, she shifted the rubbish to make sure her wand was not under it all, but it was not. She closed the drawer and opened the next. This one was full of paper, what looked like correspondence with his friends at Hogwarts. She pulled out one piece and was disgusted to find it was a letter from Pansy Parkinson, and not just any old letter. A love letter. As she read it, she felt a pang of jealousy which she quickly quashed. The letter started off lovey-dovey, full of 'my little Dracy-poo's but as it went on became more and more explicit, enough to make Hermione turn red. She picked up more letters and it was more of the same. She wondered what response they had been given.

Without warning, the door shot open and Draco Malfoy stood in the doorway, looking very angry. He marched over to the guilty-looking Hermione and ripped the letters from her hands, shoved them back in the drawer and slammed it shut. "What the hell were you doing?" he demanded.

Hermione didn't want to admit it but she was a little scared by this furious Draco. "I wasn't doing anything," she lied.

He came up to her and put his face within two inches of hers, "don't lie to me," he snarled.

She blinked, feeling his hot breath on her.

He seemed to get more a hold on himself and took a deep breath while taking in a deep, steadying breath.

"Why were you looking through my drawers?"

"How did you know I was?"

"I saw you!"

"Don't give me that!" her voice escalating, "they're spelled to tell you if I touch things aren't they?"

"So what if they are? They're my things you are touching!"

"So what?! So you've got me under surveillance that's what!"

"Well, clearly you need it! What were you doing?" he repeated.

"I was looking for my wand!" she shouted.

"You stupid idiot! Do you really think I would leave that lying around?"

"Yes, if you have the whole place spelled!"

"Well, it's not!"

"Why won't you give it back to me?!"

"You know why! If Father found out…"

"I know!" she interrupted, "your skin is much more important than mine!"

"It's not like that."

"Then what, pray tell, is it like exactly because I am having a hard time figuring it out! You lock me up and then you get me out then we are locked up together then you tell me your life story and start making me feel…" she trailed off, "and then your father comes and you act like his little lap dog and you humiliate me and use unforgivable curses on me and then you tell me you are falling for me but you won't let me out!"

"I can't, Hermione, I just can't," he whispered.

"You can, you know you can, you're just too much of a coward!"

She was shocked when she saw that Draco's eyes were glistening and a single tear ran down his cheek. Suddenly all the fury went out of her and she seemed to deflate, feeling very much like a burst balloon.

"You're right, I am scared, so scared. But there is nothing I can do, no way that I can get out. I am free to wonder the house but Father suspects something and now I cannot leave the premises without his express permission. I'm a prisoner in my home. I suppose I could flee when I am out doing his bidding but I couldn't take you with me, you would be here alone and I would not be able to do anything to protect you."

"You're not doing much now; I am trapped here indefinitely, aren't I?" she said, becoming riled once more.

He shook his head, "I don't know how long you will be here, but you are alive and well and that in itself is a constant battle for me to achieve."

"Am I supposed to thank you? It's your fault I am here in the first place, isn't it?"

"Hermione, please. I don't know what else I can do."

"You got me into this, so you can bloody well get me out!"

He turned away from her as another tear trickled down his face.

"Where did you go, Draco?" she asked.

He didn't reply.

"What did he make you do?"

Draco walked into his bathroom and shut the door behind him.

Author's note: Hey :) I know I said that I wouldn't update in a while. Well... guess what? I couldn't stop thinking about this stupid story! So, I thought the best thing to do would be to get it over and done with.. so I finished it!! Bet you love me now :P erm, so yes. here it all is. Oh and also, I just want to say thanks for all the lovely reviews; it really does make my day getting them. I finished the story but was only going to post the chapters up gradually, but then I thought that wouldn't be very fair. So enjoy x