Hermione was the first to wake. She slowly prized her eyes open, to be hit with the overwhelming brightness of the spring morning. She sat up, clinging onto the bedsheet to keep her naked body covered. Draco lay beside her, and she smiled down at him, blonde hair splayed out across the white pillow. She leant over him, and kissed his delicate lips, being careful not to wake him.

The sheet was left abandoned as Hermione tip toed across the bedroom and out into the living room. Giving a silent prayer that Blaise was not to be found there, she headed into the bathroom.

As Hermione turned the various dials on the shower, causing a warm jet of water to caress her body, thoughts of Harry and Ginny plagued her mind. She knew Harry to be careful and knew he would be able to see a way out of this. But she knew also knew that she was the thinker of their trio. She was the brains, Ron had become the brawn and Harry had been the hero. However she could not see a way out.

Whatever way she looked at it, either Harry was going to have to face Voldemort, or Draco's mother would be killed. Though Hermione wasn't sure just how much Draco cared for his mother, she could sense he would not be happy with giving her up if there was a way around it.

Suddenly she realized she had not moved since stepping into the shower, so lost in thought she had been. She lathered shampoo into her long, wet curls, and ran soap over her body. She only did it to be sociable, as she never felt dirty after sleeping with Draco.

There was a knock on the door, and a voice called out, "Hermione? Can I come in?" She called back, and Draco stepped into the room. She grinned at him through the glass of the shower stall, for some reason calmer knowing the details of her body were blurred by the frosted glass. She continued to rinse off the soap and conditioner in her hair, as he sat and didn't hide his staring.

"Listen." He said eventually, after she gave him a rather contemptuous glare. "I was thinking. We need to tell Potter right away about this mess." Hermione nodded distractedly, hinting he was simply stating the obvious. "Hermione." Draco said, the tone of his voice finally managing to capture her full attention. "I don't want my mother to die."

Hermione stepped out of the stall, wrapping a towel around her, and picking up her wand and fixing the towel in place. She bent down to Draco and kissed him. "I know you don't." She left the bathroom, and he followed.

Draco watched as she dressed. She took her time, enjoying the attention. "Draco, we'll find a way out of this." She told him. Doubt was filling her, nipping at her for her dishonesty, but she couldn't let him see she was at a loss as to how to solve this situation.

After Draco had also showered and dressed, they stood side by side in the kitchen, silently eating breakfast. Both knowing today they were about to destroy a man's happiness with the most awful of news.

Harry was used to Voldemort being after him, both Draco and Hermione knew this, but not for a long time had he been forced to give himself up to save another.

Hermione could barely taste the cereal she ate it.

The buzz of the previous night was still just about evident when they entered number 12, Grimmauld Place. Though the house was now missing the vast number of visitors who had littered the rooms before, the aftermath of the party remained.

Firewhiskey and butterbeer bottles where lined up like soldiers along the kitchen surface. A couple of strong willed "Weasley's Wild-Fire Whiz-Bangs" still bounced sleepily from wall to wall. Hermione tutted a little at the scene but grinned despite herself.

"I don't think anybody's up yet." Draco whispered.

Hermione rolled her eyes at him. "Well observed." She headed back towards the front door. "Maybe we should come back later." She was reaching for the doorknob but Draco held her back.

"We can't put this off any longer." She nodded, defeated.

Hermione ascended the stairs, after a brief conversation with Draco in which they had decided it would be more appropriate for her to be the one to wake the newly engaged couple.

She pushed open the door to the room she knew Harry and Ginny shared, squinting towards the bed through narrowed eyes in order to avoid anything she'd rather not see. However, all she saw was the couple sleeping peacefully, curled around one another. Admittedly, neither was clothed, but everything was covered. On each face she could see a hint of a smile, and she felt a warm glow of happiness for the pair of them.

She stood watching them for a moment, before the task she had been sent to carry out finally broke through, back into her brain.

Hermione crept over to the bed, and nudged Harry. He mumbled stupidly, face screwing up in annoyance, but Hermione continued to prod him until he finally opened his eyes. Harry looked up at her, confused.

"Morning." She whispered, giving a little wave.

"Hi." He replied, a little grumpily. "To what do I owe this very early visit?"

She did not answer, but instead motioned for him to follow her as she left the room.

Downstairs she found Draco sitting uncomfortably in one of the kitchen chairs. "It's just a chair." She told him, mouth twitching. "It won't eat you." Just as she said it, the chair directly opposite Draco gave a loud snapping noise before crashing in on itself.

Draco hastily stood up and Hermione laughed. He held his arms out to her, and she sank into them, grateful for his strength. She was stood, back to him, his arms around her waist, had intertwined with hers. He kissed the top of her head and leant to whisper in her ear. "It'll all be alright, you know." She bent her neck to look up at him, and he smiled. She did love it when he smiled. "I'll make sure of it."

They stood together, whispering to one another until Harry finally stumbled into the room. His dark hair was even more untidy than usual, and though he now wore trousers, his chest was still uncovered. He yawned and sighed when he set eyes on the pair. "So." He said, pointing his wand at the kettle, causing a large amount of steam to burst from it. "You going to tell me why you interrupted my peaceful slumber?" He poured them all coffee, and leant lazily against the kitchen surface. "Who sat on the chairs?" He asked, pointing at the pile of splintered wood on the floor.

"Me." Draco said, his voice humorless.

Hermione broke away from Draco, feeling it would be more tactful to deliver their fateful message whilst not lounging in one another's arms.

"Harry…" She began, not really knowing where to start.

"Voldemort's after you." Draco said, bluntly. Harry just took a sip of his coffee, raising one eyebrow at Draco.

"Well spotted."

Hermione stepped forward, not wanting an argument to break out between the two men. The friendship she knew Draco and Harry had was still new, fragile, and so early in the morning, really quite explosive.

"What Draco is trying to say," She said. "Is that Voldemort has ordered Draco to deliver you to him."

Harry set his mug down on the surface beside him, inviting her to elaborate. "When we were at my parents' house yesterday, Draco was… summoned by Voldemort. We don't know how this was done, but he was gone for hours…" She trailed off.

"Whilst I was in the Dark Lord's pleasant company, besides torturing me, he ordered me to deliver you to him." Draco continued Hermione's account.

Harry laughed a little nervously. "You're not going to do it though. I mean, what's Voldemort got on you?"

"He has my mother." Harry's pitiful laughter was stopped short.

"Oh, that's bad." He said.

"Yes." Hermione replied, unable to meet Harry's gaze. "We have no idea what to do." She glanced up at him apologetically.

Harry seemed to be thinking hard, his tired mind sharply awoken by this dilemma. Draco was looking around the room interestedly, feigning unawareness of the intensity of the situation. Hermione too was wracking her brain in an attempt to conjure up a solution.

"So… what you're saying is, you hand me over, I die. You don't hand me over, Draco's mother dies, and if you turn up without me…"

"Draco dies." Draco finished, distastefully.

"And there's no chance of negotiations?" Harry asked, hopelessly, already knowing the answer.

"No."

There was a pop from out side the room, and all three of them swung around to see Blaise coming into the room.

"What's up, homies?" He asked raising a hand in greeting as he stepped past them.

"Excuse me?" Hermione asked, the tension in the room was suddenly broken. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Blaise shrugged, pouring himself some coffee. "No idea, heard some muggle kid say it on my way over here." He went to sat down on one of the kitchen chairs. He was squatted down just above it when he stopped and looked to Harry. "They hungry today?" Harry nodded. Blaise stood up again and stepped back. "So what's the topic of discussion today then?" He looked around at the grim faces around him and it jolted back into his memory. "Right, right, right. Lord Voldemort and the Hunt for Harry, yes?"

The three around him all nodded. Blaise felt his cheerfulness was highly inappropriate around these three, but couldn't help himself. "Um, this may sound stupid, but couldn't Dra just give up some guy who looked like Potter?" When he failed to get any reaction, Blaise continued heartily. "I mean, just feed some auror, Moody probably, he's the best, some polyjuice potion, then send him in to finish off old Voldy?" Still none of them refuse to look up. "Oh, come on. It may be simple but it's a better idea than any of you've got, isn't it!"

Hermione finally turned to him. "Blaise, we have one shot at this…"

"I know, I know, but…"

"If it went wrong, if the auror was found out, then everybody would die, Narcissa, Harry… Draco and me…"

"And me too probably, so at least we'd all die together."

Draco seemed to suddenly snap. "Blaise for god's sake!" he rounded on his friend, squaring his shoulders threateningly. This only made Blaise stand up straighter and follow suit. He was not much taller than Draco, but his muscular and hulking frame made it appear he was towering over Draco. This only drew a smirk across Draco's face. This was such a familiar situation it was almost old. "I don't think you realize the complexity of the situation." He told Blaise sourly.

"I think I understand the situation a lot better than you're giving me credit for." Blaise said in a low, threatening voice Hermione had never heard him use before. It was scary.

Draco continued to smirk, unmoved by Blaise's response. "Well, maybe we could give your idea a go. You volunteering?"

"Draco!" Hermione snapped. "Don't be ridiculous. "If Blaise's plan were to be taken into effect, we could only use the best."

Draco looked at her, brow furrowed. "What are you saying?" He asked. "You think it could work?"

"I'm saying we should consider it as a possibility, perhaps even a starting point." She sighed. "On it's own, it's not the best plan at all, but if we added to it. Put in some extra offensive power, then it could work. Maybe, just maybe..." She trailed off, losing herself in thought.

Finally, Draco backed away from Blaise, though he did not take his eyes off him. Blaise was still smoldering, the unfamiliar danger about him seemed to be affecting everyone in the room. But then he relaxed, and grinned at Draco. "So, I'm genius of the day then?"

"You really are something, Zabini, you know that?"

Harry spoke at last. "Would you guys mind if we didn't tell Ginny about this? Only we just got engaged and…"

"Don't worry. We won't." Draco promised, smiling weakly at Potter.

"Though she may want to be a part of it." Said Blaise. "Brave girl that Ginny."

Harry smiled. "Yeah, she is."

"Congratulations, mate." Blaise slapped Harry jovially on the back. "You picked a good'un."

Draco wondered over to where Hermione was stood. He wrapped his arms around her and she looked up. He kissed her, and she wound her arms around his neck drawing him in closer. Whilst Harry and Blaise talked, they stood lips locked together. Draco drew away, keeping his face so close to Hermione's there nose's were touching. "Do you think could do that one day?"

"Do what?" She asked, confused.

"You know…" He said, cheeks burning a polite shade of pink. "Get engaged."

Hermione's mouth dropped open. "Draco Malfoy, did you just propose to me?" She was completely stunned. A mass of thoughts a feelings suddenly coursed through her until she noticed Draco's looked of shock.

"No! I mean, not no, but not yet, you know, just, I was just saying it's maybe a possibility, you know?" Hermione smiled at him, and brushed her lips against his softly.

"Good, because we have a world to save first."

Well, the end is nigh. I'll aim for thirty chapters though I quite like this one.

Please review

JustADoll

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