Chapter 21! I don't know how you guys will feel about it. There is a little more plot development but also a little more fun! I have finally decided where the story will go and how it will end. I think I will still be writing for a while though, so I hope everyone is alright with that! I hope you enjoy the development between Malfoy and Granger. Things are evolving and you start to see more of their true feelings. Yes, this is a fanfic so Malfoy is more open as is Hermione. I hope you guys enjoy it and I want to thank you for taking the time to read it and stick with it. Every time I get an email saying I have a follow, like, review, whatever it really brightens up my day. Thanks again guys! Enjoy!

To my lovely reviewers:

Aretee: Well I have to say thank you for reading the whole thing in one day! I feel a little intimidated knowing a teacher is reading my work lol. I knew someone would point out my tense problem. I'm sorry :(. You know I was trying to write in the present tense but that became a lot of work so I wanted to switch to past and well they got mixed up. Thanks for all the awesome reviews though! So your comment might be a little long since I plan on touching upon everything you wrote about. So the fact that you said chapter 15 was beautifully done really meant a lot. So thank you for that. You definitely brightened up my day! I also really appreciate that you think my Draco interpretation has some depth. I totally agree that Hermione needs someone clever in her life, and I think Draco provides a good dose of that. Also, I understand what you are saying about the switching back and forth thing, and I agree. I wish I hadn't started doing that but now I just like to keep the chapters organized the same way. I feel like I should just keep the outline for the chapters the same. For this one though, no character name! I'm sure you can figure it out in the first sentence lol. I also need to apologize. I'm sorry this took so long to post, I tried to hurry haha. Overall, I can't thank you enough for reading and reviewing! Can't wait to hear more from you and I hope you enjoy this one as well! Thanks a bunch!

Dani: I also need to make a shout out to my best friend who also caught up on all the chapters yesterday and gave me some great feedback. Thanks babe!

Also, sorry I left you all with a cliff hanger- here is the resolve! :)

*sorry if you guys got an additional email I had to edit something in the chapter! xox

"If it's a death eater apparate out of here," he whispered to me.

"Shut up, Malfoy," why he always wanted to do things alone I will never know. He went to talk again and I hushed him before he could say anything else. We waited anxiously and we saw hooded figures running up the hill we were perched on. I had unintentionally held my breath as I watched them approach. Our shields should hold, but you could never be too certain of the power that the other side had.

"This way, he's right up here," a voice was saying, growing louder the closer it got. I watched Malfoy to see a look of recognition register on his face.

"Time to leave, get the tent," he was still whispering but I could hear the edge in his voice.

"Malfoy-"

"Now, Granger! For once, listen to someone else. Go!" he yelled at me. I held my tongue before I could snap back at him. I turned toward the tent and flicked my wand, packing everything into the few bags we had. I picked up my two bags and the one Draco had brought.

"Hurry up, where is he?" I heard the shriek of Bellatrix. A chill ran down my spine and I looked over my shoulder to find Draco, wand still drawn. When he was certain they couldn't see us, he turned his back to his Aunt and father who were now clearly visible and ran towards me. He threw his hand around my wrist and we were apparating.

We landed near a river that I didn't recognize.

"What are we doing here?" I asked dropping the bags again. He knelt down and started rummaging through his bag.

"We don't have much time, Granger. Do you know what the reperio incantation is?"

"Of course,it's the spell that helps a wand finds its counterpart, but what does that have to do with-," before I finished he pulled out a wand from the bag.

"My father's wand has a dragon heartstring, the same as my mother's. That's how they tracked us."

He stands up and looks somberly down at the wand in his hands.

"I wanted to keep it, to have something to remember her by," he whispered and his grip tightened on the wand right before snapping it in half. He took one half and threw it into the moving current. It was carried down the stream and he tossed in the next piece.

"We have a lot to talk about. Think of somewhere in the muggle world. We'll spend the night at a hotel," he says and holds out his hand. Overwhelmed, I thought of one place and we were apparating.

"How are we even going to afford a hotel?"

"You are talking to Draco Malfoy, don't worry."

"I thought it was your family that was rich."

"Well, yes, but let's say that I got smart. I took some money and put it away in a private account. Just trust me," he said taking my hand, intertwining our fingers.

"Just act normal," he whispered.

"Me? I do fit in here, you are the one that needs to try," I say nudging him. I saw a small smirk form on his lips and he took my duffle bag with his free hand. We walked hand in hand down the muggle streets. This was a scene I envisioned many times as a child. Obviously, when I imagined this scene I wasn't running for my life and impending death wasn't around every corner, but it was close enough.

As we walked down the street I could feel the tension and fear coming to surface from everything we had just experienced. Again, Luscious and Bella were close to capturing us. If we got caught this time there would be no mercy. Malfoy would be bled out, I would be used as a sacrifice, and not long after she would capture Harry.

"Granger, relax. Are you alright? You're shaking," Malfoy said looking down at me as he held open a door to a hotel I hadn't noticed we stopped at. I couldn't respond to him. I wasn't really alright, but I'd get over it. I always got over it. Just push it aside, at least you're alive.

Malfoy was a lot less helpless in the muggle world than I had anticipated. He easily booked us a room, and here I was sitting on the bed reading more about 'Dark Magic and How to Master It'. Malfoy was standing in front of the floor length mirror looking at his left arm.

I peeked over my book and watched as he lifted the sleeve, looking at the dark mark on his arm. Our eyes met through the mirror and he pulled his sleeve back down.

"Something wrong with it?" I asked moving to the edge of the bed, closing my book.

"It just feel different. Something about it. It feels like the power is fading. I think the color is even fading slightly."

"Doesn't it fade when the Dark Lord isn't in power?"

"Yes, I suppose because Bella hasn't officially become Dark Lord yet, the mark is still in Voldemort's power. Now that he's gone, it's fading."

"It's been three years. Why now though?" The pieces weren't matching up and I couldn't figure out why.

"Granger, I have no idea. I'm not a genius like you. All I know right now is that it's not nearly as strong as it usually is," there was a brief pause before I thought to speak agin.

"Malfoy, I have another question. Can Bella track you with that?"

He sighed before answering, "I'm not entirely sure. She could summon us with it, and we could do the same with her. When I was there it worked. I'm sure she could manage to track it if she had complete control of it. Not right now though."

Again, silence filled the room and I looked at Malfoy who was now sitting on the edge of my bed running his hands over his face, deep in thought. Before I realized it I was moving closer to him. Whenever I was near him it was like his body was performing a summoning charm on me. I felt a pull and I was fighting it less and less. I placed my hand on his thigh.

"It'll be alright, Malfoy. Remember what you said yesterday? We have a plan, we are going to get a team together and take down Bella once and for all."

He looked over at me and placed his hand on top of mine.

"Always the optimist, huh?"

"One of us has to be," I shrugged and he squeezed my fingers.

"Shower. Now," he demanded and I found myself inclined to listen. I stood up and grabbed my clothes and took them into the bathroom with me. I shut the door and switched the lock. I started the shower and undressed casually, taking my time.

When I got in, I let the hot water caress my cold skin. I stood there, basking in the warmth, letting my mind wander. Being in the shower made my thoughts wander back to yesterday's conversation I had with Malfoy. I told him I was a virgin. I sighed and wrapped my arms around my body protectively. I don't know why his teasing got to me so much, and why I was so mortified that he knew the truth.

He told me not be embarrassed about my virtue but I wasn't sure how sincere that statement was. I leaned my head back and let the water run over my hair, trying to wash the stress off of my body. Just as I went to reach for the shampoo the room went dark. The water continued to run but I couldn't see anything.

An ominous feeling started to settle over me and I wanted my wand. It was on the sink and I was going to step out of the shower when the bathroom door swung open. I closed the curtain again and held my breath.

"Granger, it's just me," Malfoy said and I released the breath I was holding.

"What's going on? Why is it dark? I thought we were being attacked."

"I may have forgotten the fact that magic messes with muggle electronics," I heard the bashfulness in his tone.

"So, you did this?"

"Yes, and I can't figure out how to turn the lights back on."

"Well, if you turned off all the electricity they have to switch the breaker."

"I don't understand, but you're telling me that the lights will be off for a while?"

"Exactly," I sighed and felt around for the shampoo. In the process I knocked over some other bottles that were in here.

"Are you alright?"

"Fine, it's just a little difficult because it's pitch black in here."

"Alright, relax. Lumos," I heard him say and the room lit a little.

"Turn it off or get out!"

"Calm down, damn."

"Sorry,"I whispered and bit my lip blushing.

"Nox," he said and I heard movement in the bathroom.

"What are you doing now?" I asked and tried to reach for the shampoo again, knocking it over, stopping it as it hit my feet.

"Sitting in here until your done. I can't see anything, and I figured I could keep you company and make sure you don't kill yourself in there," he chuckled.

I hesitated before speaking. Here he was looking out for me in any way that he could.

"Thanks," I whispered and squeezed some shampoo into my hand. I worked the lather into my hair and I heard Malfoy inhale like he was going to speak, but he stopped himself.

"What is it?" I asked running my fingers through my tangled curls.

"Do you ever just get tired of it all?"

"Of what?"

"Running, being scared, not living a normal life. Do you ever wish that you were ignorant to our world? Imagine if you never got your Hogwarts letter, do you think you would have been happier?"

Why? Why was he suddenly asking me all of this? Before I could reply with a snarky comment I found myself, once again, inclined to give him what he asked for. I started speaking as if veritaserum was poured down my throat.

"Of course I get tired of it. I'm tired of running, of watching the people I love die. I'm not really scared though,in the conventional sense. I mean I'm scared of dying, but I can't really be scared anymore. I just have to be happy that I'm alive for the days that I am. Sometimes I think about if I hadn't gotten my letter, if I had just lived a normal life with my parents. It would have been nice to have lived a 'normal' life, but this is my normal now. I wouldn't trade it for anything. I know this is where I'm supposed to be, what I'm supposed to do. I wouldn't want to live in ignorance. I'd want to fight to the very end, like I am now."

He was quiet, very quiet. I let the water wash out the shampoo I had lathered into my hair. I stood in the water waiting for Malfoy to say something. He asked the question, if he didn't want the answer then damn it he shouldn't have asked! Well fine, let's see how he liked it.

"What about you? Would you change anything?"

"I'd like to say that I'd change everything, but that isn't true. I didn't know any better. All I wanted was to make my mother happy. I wanted to make my father proud and when I couldn't I wanted to be around to protect my mother. I failed at that, and now I'm here. I get what you were saying. I wouldn't change anything because I'm where I'm supposed to be right now. I'm fighting for the right side, only because I made the wrong choice first. I wouldn't want to be anywhere but here."

I smiled a little and started conditioning my hair.

"I do have one regret."

"What's that?"

"The only thing I would have changed is the way I treated you. I didn't know at the time how badly I was hurting you. Maybe if I wasn't trying to fit into a mold, we could have been friends. Maybe."

I giggled, "You told me before you don't regret treating me the way you did, just that you were sorry for hurting me."

"Well, I've changed my answer. If I could change anything, I would have wanted to be your friend," he said with a bit of taunt in his voice.

"Well let's be honest, Harry and Ron wouldn't have taken lightly to the idea. Plus, who would call me a mudblood if you didn't? School would have been a lot less interesting, don't you think? You fueled Ron's hate fire," I giggled and let the water finish washing out the product in my hair. Malfoy went quiet, again.

"Did you love him?"

"Excuse me?"

"Weasley, did you love him?" My heart rate started to pick up and I bit my lip nervously.

"Why do you-"

"Just answer the question."

I took a deep breath, eventually this needed to be said,"He was my best friend and I loved him like I love Harry. I want to say that there was something more but I don't think there ever was."

I switched off the shower and stood there, the noise of the water dripping from the faucet the only sound. I moved the shower curtain just enough to stick my hand out, reaching for the towel. I was met with Malfoy's hand. His fingers intertwined with mine and he kissed my fingertips. He let go and passed me a towel.

With my heart fluttering like a hummingbird I wrapped the towel around my body. I opened the shower curtain all the way and Malfoy's fingers found mine again. He wrapped his arms around my waist and lifted me out of the shower.

"Every time I'm near you, I want to be closer. What kind of spell do you have over me, witch?"

I couldn't control the smile that was clearly painted on my face, thank Merlin we were in the dark. I also found myself unable to respond to his words.

"Thank you for being honest with me. I have one more confession though," he whispered into my ear. I felt so vulnerable being in my towel, yet oddly safe being held in his arms.

"If I had the chance to change anything, I'd get this damn mark off of my arm. I saw you looking at it today, and I never want to see you looking that repulsed again," he whispered and ran his thumb over my bottom lip. I hadn't realized that I was looking at his arm with such disgust. That symbol had just represented so much evil, I guess I couldn't help it, it was a natural reaction.

"I'm really sorry," I said and he hushed me, and leaned closer.

"One thing I won't ever regret though, is doing this," he continued and pressed his lips to mine. I smiled into the kiss and wrapped my arms around Malfoy's neck. His hand made its way into my wet hair and he held me tightly. I felt my towel slipping and Malfoy's free hand moved quickly. He held it up over me, never letting my body be exposed.

"Whatever you think of me is fine, just know that I really do value what you said yesterday. I won't push you into things you aren't ready for," he whispered and kissed my forehead. He handed me my wand and left the bathroom. He always walked away so quickly. Trying to clear my mind, I lit my wand and got dressed by the dim light.

Suddenly, my whole dynamic with Malfoy had changed. The truths we just shared were weighing heavily on my heart. Then, there was the statement he had left me with. 'I won't push you to do things you aren't ready for'. The thought of doing 'things' I wasn't ready for was a very enticingly terrifying idea.

Yay! Hope you all enjoyed. Remember if you review I'll answer you. I love hearing from you guys. I'll try and get another one up this weekend, I don't really want to study for accounting and microeconomics. Love you all. Until next time!xoxo-Allie