Sweeping through the castle, Hermione heads to the Astronomy Tower, desperate to be alone. Feeling the prickle of tears threatening to erupt again, she quickens her pace. People do not need to see her cry right now. She's supposed to be a beacon of strength, someone that people look up to. Not a bumbling wreck of emotions.

How could he do that to her? Just show up like that?

Taking the steps two at a time, Hermione barrels out into the open, at the top of the tower. She lets her tears break free. 'How could you do that?' she screams.

'I'm guessing you're not talking to me?'

Hermione jerks around, her eyes landing on Harry, who had been sitting in the corner. 'Harry? What are you doing here?'

'I could ask you the same question. What happened?'

Hermione tries wiping at her eyes, but the steady stream of tears doesn't falter. 'I don't want to talk about it,' she mutters, the pain in her heart too deep to express in words.

'You just want to scream it at the distance some more? I can be quiet whilst you do that if you like,' offers Harry, smiling at her sweetly. 'Or a hug? I'm good at those, too.'

Hermione smiles sadly. 'A hug would be great.' She buries her head in her friend's shoulder, taking comfort in his warmth. 'Harry, when did life become so complicated?' she asks.

'For us? Pretty much as soon as we started Hogwarts... Although I guess I could say my life has been complicated since I was born.' Hermione chuckles. He's not wrong there. Between him, Ron and herself, they had experienced more in a few short years than most would in their lives.

'You sure you don't want to talk about it?' Hermione nods her head. 'Is Ron being an arse again?'

'I wish it was something as simple as that... but I don't want to talk about it.' How could Hermione explain to her best friend that the reason she's in so much turmoil is because she accidentally fell for their school enemy? A Death Eater who follows the darkest wizard alive? There was no way you could slip that into a conversation. Harry would probably hate her. Ron would definitely hate her. She hates herself. Draco was someone she knew she shouldn't put her trust in, but she did anyway. And now she's paying for her mistake.

But still, after everything that had happened, she couldn't shake the pull she felt towards him. It was like he was a part of her, dragging her from her body and towards him. It made no sense. Hermione prided herself on her rational mind. Yet here she was, having to fight the urge to run a man who had hurt her.

'Hermione?' She looks up at Harry, staring into his green eyes. 'Trust your instincts. You're not normally wrong.'

'You'd be surprised,' says Hermione, though she feels that Harry's words held a deeper meaning than that. He couldn't know about Draco, could he? They'd been careful to hide their relationship whilst around Harry and Ron. Could Harry have seen more than he'd let on? Hermione doesn't want to know.

Whether Harry knows about what happened between herself and Draco or not, he didn't understand the extent of betrayal she felt. But what did he mean when he said she should trust her instincts? Was he telling her to trust Draco, even after everything?

Hermione berates herself. Harry doesn't know what happened. And Harry is not telling her to trust Draco. That's just her heart talking, wanting to find an excuse to believe in Draco. Wanting to find an excuse to return to him.

'Anyway, I hate to break this moment, but we kinda have a war to fight. By my understanding it's half past eleven, meaning we have about thirty minutes until Voldemort gets mad and tries to kill everyone for not turning me over.' Hermione tries to smile at Harry making light of the situation but it's a struggle. 'Whatever happens, you'll always be my best friend, and I'm always here for you, Mione.' Hermione hugs him again. He's right, they do have a war to fight. And here she is, tormenting herself over a boy again. She really isn't as focused as she prides herself on being. 'Want to practice duelling? It might take your mind off of things, and help you prepare. Wouldn't want the brightest witch of her age being caught out because she didn't practice for once.'

'Sure, but watch yourself. Wouldn't want the chosen one to be caught out because he got injured practising,' retorts Hermione, pushing herself away from her friend and raising her wand. 'Expelliarmus.'

..

Draco sits on his chair and waits. What for, he's not sure. But waiting is all he can do right now. Whether he made some progress with Neville or not, he's still locked in a dungeon, bound to a chair, wandless and alone. Not his favourite situation to be in when a battle is about to commence between two sides who both want him dead.

The steady trickle of water sounds from somewhere behind him; most likely a leaky wall. The dungeons were never the most glamorous place and whilst he would never admit it being a Slytherin, he was never a fan of the dungeons. Too cold, too damp, too bleak. Give him a large sitting room with a fire place any day. He feels a small pang of sadness at the thought that he will probably never again be able to curl up in Malfoy Manor's library next to the large fire place with a book. He almost laughs at the thought. He spent most of his school life making fun of Hermione for being a bookworm and here he was, possibly on the verge of death, and he's missing a library. If only Granger could see him now.

That last thought rings true to him. If only Granger could see him now. Maybe her uncontrollable Gryffindor urges to help people would cause her to set him free and maybe she'd forgive him and maybe she'd run right back into his arms, the only place he wants her to be for the rest of his life.

He smiles pathetically. If only.

Lost in thought, Draco barely notices the door to his chamber open slowly. He doesn't know who he expects when he finally lifts his head, but it's not him. Not Ronald Weasley, his scruffy ginger hair askew on his head.

'Weasel,' says Draco, nodding in acknowledgement. 'I don't expect you're here for a pleasant chat.' Ron remains eerily quiet. Draco can't quite pinpoint the look on the Gryffindor's face. Anger, sadness, jealousy, he can't tell.

Waiting for the wizard to speak, Draco watches as Ron slowly closes the door behind him. He half expects the man to attack him. If the roles were reversed, he knows he would. But that was most likely the Slytherin in him. Gryffindors were a lot less likely to attack someone who couldn't attack back. Still, Ron had plenty of reasons to hate every ounce of Draco's existence, so he couldn't be sure. Not that he could defend himself in his current predicament.

'Are you going to tell me why you're here or are we playing twenty questions?' asks Draco, impatient.

Ron eyes him warily. 'You left us, and now you're back. Why?' he asks.

Draco is taken aback slightly, not having expected the ginger wizard to be so forthcoming. He takes a moment to reply. 'I didn't leave for the reasons you all think I left.'

'Then why did you leave?'

'Why should I tell you?'

'Because if you don't, I might assume you're a traitor and kill you on the spot.'

Draco weighs up the likeliness of the truth in the statement and decides it's not worth the risk of lying. 'I did it to protect... someone.'

'I'm not here for riddles, Malfoy. Would you please answer a question truthfully for once in your life?' Ron sounds genuinely invested in Draco's response.

Draco eyes the other wizard carefully. The boy hadn't insulted him, tortured him or even shouted at him since entering the room. Draco would expect it to be someone under polyjuice potion if it weren't for the fact that there would be no point in someone pretending to be Ron to get answers out of him. 'I went to find my mother,' he answers. It wasn't a lie, it just wasn't the full truth.

'That's not the only reason,' Ron states.

'Since when did you become so bloody perceptive?' Draco retorts, annoyance in his words. Draco watches as Ron stares at him. He never knew Ron to be a good Legilimens but he would swear that Ron read something in him then. Read something deep down and hidden. Read something that Draco is sure he's managed to keep off of his face for a while.

'You love her.'

That stops Draco in his tracks. 'I, urr, of course I love my mother.'

'Not her. Hermione. You love her.'

Draco's eyebrows probably meet his hairline with how shocked he is. It's rare that someone leaves him speechless, but here he was, gawking at the statement to pass from the mouth of someone who used to be his enemy. What was probably even more shocking was the lack of anger that filled those words. For someone so well known for his quick temper, he managed to keep his calm very well whilst stating that Draco loved the same woman that he did.

Instead of waiting for Draco to respond, Ron continues. 'And she loves you too... I could see it. I tried to ignore it, tried to make excuses, but I saw it. I know because... because she used to look at me like that once.' Ron runs his hand through his hair and sighs. The sound is so pitiful that Draco almost feels sorry for the heartbroken man. 'Don't get me wrong, I've no fucking clue why she would even take a second glance at you, but... but she could never keep her eyes off of you. And you would always return her stares. Never would have expected a bigoted prick like you to care about someone as amazing as her, but-' Ron sighs again. 'Stop me from continuing, will you? Tell me I'm wrong. Tell me you betrayed us and that you never cared for her and that she never cared for you. Tell me that you're not in love with the love of my life.'

Draco doesn't know what to say. 'I- I wish I could.' He looks down. He means that. His life would be so much simpler if he hadn't magically developed emotions that used to be far beyond him.

Ron groans. 'You have no idea how much I wish I could rip your guts from your body right now.' Despite the threat in his words, his voice carries no anger. It was almost as if all the emotion had been drained from him. It was probably the calmest Draco had ever witnessed Ron to be.

'Why don't you?' asks Draco with genuine curiosity. Ron laughs without humour. Draco continues, 'I'm serious. It's not like it's the first time you've wanted to kill me. I'm sure it won't be the last. And here I am, tied up and helpless, and yet you've not even thrown a punch at me. Why not? I'm genuinely intrigued.'

Ron pauses. 'I don't know. Maybe I realised a little while ago that you're not as much of an asshole as I always thought you were? Don't quote me on that, because I'll deny it until the day I die... You're still an asshole, don't get me wrong, just... not so much of an asshole. And maybe because I know how much it'd hurt Hermione, although I'm sure she'd deny it, too. And maybe because I need your help.'

'My help?' Draco almost laughs. 'You'd trust me again, after everything that has happened?'

'I wouldn't say 'again'; I never really trusted you in the first place.' Draco actually laughs at that and even Ron lets out a small smile. 'But if anyone will try as hard as I will to make sure Hermione makes it through this battle, it's you. Because I know you'll put her safety above your own during the fighting. And I'd much rather you die for her than me die for her, because that means she's all mine again when you're gone.' Draco laughs again. 'Hey, I never said my intentions were honourable.'

'So... you're setting me free?' asks Draco, trying to keep the hope out of his voice.

'I- I haven't decided yet... I guess I didn't really think it through. I think I was mostly hoping you'd deny everything I said and it would turn out that you really are a traitor. I didn't really plan further ahead than confronting you.'

'Okay... well then I have a question.' Ron looks up expectantly. 'So, let's just say that you do set me free, and let's say that we fight this war and we win and somehow we both survive... what then? What about Hermione?'

Ron pauses, contemplating his answer. 'I guess... that will be her decision.'

Draco smiles sadly. 'I don't think you have anything to worry about then. She hates my guts right now.'

'That doesn't mean she doesn't still love you.' Draco goes to interrupt but Ron continues, 'Neville told me you were here. He told me how Hermione reacted when she saw you. No one reacts that strongly to someone they don't still care about...' Ron trails off. His words are clearly paining him. Draco can't imagine how much it hurts to come to the realisation that the girl you love might end up with a man you hate.

'I'm sorry, Weasley. I never meant for this to happen... if I could go back to being an emotionless asshole, I would. Life was a lot simpler then.'

'Yeah, it would be.'

The two wizards fall silent again. Suddenly an explosion sounds from above and the two immediately look up. It's Midnight.

'Well, made your decision yet? Are you releasing me?' asks Draco.

Ron takes a moment to contemplate, another blast resounding from the world above, before flicking his wand at Draco's restraints. 'Don't make me regret that, Malfoy. And try to protect her.' Ron throws Draco a wand; his wand.

Catching it, Draco responds, 'with my life.'

Author's Notes: Oooh aren't I good to you! Told you I'd keep up with the quick updates!

I know I always say it, but please leave a review! I took a risk with this chapter, with the exchange between Ron and Draco and I really want to know what you all think about it. And if you hadn't guessed, we're getting into the final battle next chapter so I hope you're all looking forward to it!