A/N: Okay! So according to my calculations there will be maybe 3 or 4 more chapters after this one and then this story will FINALLY be finished! Probably four … Just so you know ;-)

Also, I do not own Harry Potter. It belongs to JK Rowling.

Hermione was put on bed rest for the next few days. As much as she hated staying at Malfoy Manor, the Healer assigned to her would not let her move somewhere else. "Moving would require apparition, or Floo, or a broomstick and you are in no condition to use any of those things," she said before giving her some more of that awful potion and leaving.

The second morning after everything had happened, Phillip and Sophie stopped by on their way out of town. Mr. Ollivander was sending them to Iceland to get the heartstring of a dragon there.

"Mr. Olleevander promeeses eet ees nothing we can't 'andle. 'E says ze dragon een question is as gentle as Puff!"

"The magic dragon?" asked Hermione, chuckling.

The witches broke into an unfamiliar song while the wizards shared a questionable look. "Muggles certainly have interesting music," said Draco.

"Draco, weell you and Phillipe please go and make us some 'ot chocolate? I zink we can all use a cup before we 'ave to take off."

"Potter leant us his house-elf to help out while Hermione's here. I can just ask him to -"

"No! You!" snapped Sophie, pointing both men out of the room.

"But I'm sure he's much better at it than I -"

"Uhh … Draco. Sophie's nostrils are doing that flaring thing they always do when someone's about to get hurt. Best not be us," said Phillip, putting a hand on Draco's shoulder and guiding him towards the door.

Draco looked worriedly at Hermione, who simply smiled at him. "Draco, I'll be fine. You'll only be in the kitchen, and it's not like I can go anywhere. If any Dementors show up I'm sure Sophie will protect me."

"That's not funny," he said gravely.

Hermione sighed. "I know, but I promise you have nothing to worry about. Just go and make some hot chocolate, and Sophie and I will be in these exact same spots when you get back."

Draco finally agreed, but he did not look happy about it. He kept his eyes on Hermione the entire time while Phillip practically carried him out of there, making sure to shut the door behind them.

When they were gone Hermione looked at Sophie and frowned. "Sorry about that. He's been a bit clingy ever since … well, you know."

Sophie pursed her lips and shook her head. "I am steell so mad at myself for letting you come 'ere alone. I 'ad a 'orrible feeling from ze start. I am so sorry, 'Ermione!"

"Please, don't be. I wanted to come alone, remember? Maybe I was just asking for trouble."

"No. You deed not deserve zis. No one should 'ave to go zrough what you deed." Sophie paused and looked back at the closed door. "You look at 'im differently."

Hermione was taken aback. She cast her eyes down to the bedspread, catching sight of the flowers printed on it, which now made her think of Narcissa. "It's not what you think. Despite all of this, my feelings for him have not changed. If anything I love him more than I did before."

"Zen what ees ze problem?"

Hermione sighed, releasing a few tears that had been dancing around in her eyes. She immediately wiped them away. "I overheard him and his mother talking. She wants him to leave me and I think he just might do it."

"What? Why?"

"I don't know." Hermione shrugged. "She gave him one of those 'if you care about her you will let her go' speeches. And, as much as I hate to say it, it was pretty convincing. I think he's considering it."

Sophie raised an eyebrow at her. "Uhh, 'Ermione, ze guy does not even want to leave you alone for two meenutes, let alone forever."

"I didn't say he wanted to, but that doesn't mean he wouldn't, if he thought it was the right thing to do."

"So what does all of zis mean exactly? 'Ave you chosen Draco over Ron?" Sophie asked hopefully.

Hermione shrugged. "I thought I had. But …"

"But what?"

Hermione looked solemnly into Sophie's eyes. "But then his father tried to kill me." She gulped, her throat already swelling as she sucked back her tears.

Sophie sighed. "I'm so sorry zis 'appened to you, 'Ermione, but no one ees more sorry zan Draco. 'E loves you. Geeve 'im a chance."

"I haven't decided anything yet, Sophie. Right now … I guess I'm just going to wait and see."

"Well, alright," said Sophie frowning. "Just promise me you weell not push 'im away."

"I promise."

Sophie leaned in and gave Hermione a hug. They were still holding each other when the boys walked back in several minutes later.

"Well, well, well. Don't tell me we missed all the good stuff?"

Sophie grabbed a pillow and tossed it at Phillip. He nearly spilled the hot chocolate he was holding dodging it. They both laughed. He walked over and the two shared a kiss before he handed her a mug.

"Make sure to drink fast, Soph. We gotta get going if we're going to get to Iceland before dark."

Sophie nodded and pulled a Purple Polly Flower out of her pocket, emptying its sap into her drink before chugging it down.

Draco gave Hermione hers and took a seat next to her on the bed. For the next twenty minutes the four of them chatted and laughed like they didn't have a care in the world. It was refreshing for all of them.

When they finally had to say goodbye Sophie and Phillip each gave Hermione a hug and wished her well. Draco wanted to walk them out but decided against it since he didn't want to leave Hermione. She became livid and screamed at him until he agreed to go with them, which he only did to calm her down. Still, he refused to leave her alone and called Kreacher into the room to watch her until he returned.

On their way out they ran into Narcissa in the drawing room. She seemed fairly surprised to see them. "Draco, I did not realize you had company. Who are your friends?"

"Mother, this is Phillip Prior and Sophie Labelle. They have been working with me and Hermione off and on throughout the summer."

"How do you do?" said Narcissa, holding out her hand to Phillip first - who shook it - and then to Sophie.

Sophie stared at it for a split second before crossing her arms and saying, "Oh, you do not want to shake my 'and."

"I'm sorry?" said Narcissa, not quite sure what to make of the witch.

"'Aven't you 'eard? I am a Muggle-born. My 'ands are feelthy. You would not want me ruining zat perfect manicure of yours, would you?"

"Uhh, darling, you're not really a Muggle-born. Is that Skeeter woman so good she has you believing the rumors she created about you?"

"Shut eet, Phillipe! Mrs. Malfoy does not know zat!"

Narcissa lowered her hand and narrowed her eyes at Sophie. "How dare you speak to me with such disrespect! And in my own house! I demand you leave at once!"

"Lucky for you, we are already leaving. Come on Phillipe!" said Sophie, pulling him along.

Draco stared after them, dumbfounded for a moment, before looking at his mother and saying, "I have to go and walk them out."

As he followed them towards the exit, his mother shouted at him, "Make sure that 'filthy' girl never comes back here!"

Sophie and Phillip were already outside by the time Draco caught up to them. "What the hell was that, Sophie? You can't just speak to my mother that way!"

"I know. I was out of line and I'm sorry."

"Well …" Draco didn't know where to go from here. He wasn't expecting Sophie to be so apologetic. "Where exactly did that come from?"

"I wear my 'eart on my sleeve, Draco, and zat woman ees not een ze right!"

"What are you talking about?"

"I know you love your mother, but do not let 'er manipulate you. You deserve better zan ze life she 'as planned for you."

"Sophie … where is this coming from?"

Sophie sighed. "Nowhere. Just take care of 'Ermione, will you?"

"Of course I will."

She nodded. "Good."

Sophie leaned in and gave Draco a kiss on each cheek. After he and Phillip shook hands, the witch and wizard mounted their brooms and took off for Iceland.

Once they were gone Draco took a moment outside by himself. He didn't understand what Sophie had been talking about. Had Hermione said something to her? Had she heard his mother speaking to him? He hoped to Merlin she hadn't. The last thing Hermione needed right now was to know about the doubts currently circulating in his mind.

When he finally went back inside, Hermione was laughing while Kreacher sat next to her on the bed. He had several papers and magazine cutouts lain about.

"What is all this?" he asked, taking a seat on her other side.

"Kreacher was just showing me some wedding stuff. Apparently, Ginny has asked him to take over as coordinator. She and, uh, her mother did not see eye to eye when it came to her wedding."

"And if you look here, these are the flowers we are getting! Everything is scarlet and gold since they were both Gryffindor's. And these bouquets are for the bridesmaids. You and Luna will have gold while Fleur and Angeline have scarlet. Oh! And this is the cake! Red velvet with buttercream frosting."

"Oh, I love the way you have that part streaming out like that! It looks kind of like phoenix wings. Don't you think, Draco?"

Draco leaned down and took a better look at the picture of the cake. "Yes, it actually does. Was that your intention?" he asked the house-elf.

Kreacher beamed at him. "Yes it was! I thought it would be appropriate with the color scheme."

"I think it's absolutely perfect. Harry and Ginny are going to love it," said Hermione, patting him on the shoulder.

Kreacher spent over an hour in the room with them, explaining every little detail of the wedding. By the end of it all Draco and Hermione felt like they had already attended.

"I suddenly have a very strong hankering for some red velvet cake," said Draco while his stomach growled at the thought.

"I will make some immediately!" said Kreacher enthusiastically. He gathered up his things and immediately apparated out of there.

When he was gone Hermione looked at Draco and smiled. "I think Kreacher is really excited to be here. He was the Black family house-elf, you know."

"Yeah, I remember my mother speaking of him," said Draco, suddenly recalling another bad thing between them. If Hermione was thinking about it too, she did not let on.

With Kreacher gone she took this time to snuggle into Draco, enjoying her last night of bed rest before having to go back to work tomorrow. While she was not looking forward to it, she was at least glad to get out of Malfoy Manor. The two of them lay on the bed, holding each other, until Kreacher showed up with a giant red velvet cake for them some time later.

XXX

The two of them woke up the next morning to a knock on the bedroom door. Draco groaned before squeezing Hermione close. When the knock came again he reluctantly let her go, but not before giving her a kiss.

Draco got out of bad and pulled some pants on over his boxers, but did not bother with a shirt. He answered the door just as the person was knocking for a third time. The Healer who had been tending to Hermione since the accident - if you could actually call it that - was standing on the other side.

"Good morning," she said brightly. He hadn't noticed it before, but now that he had a moment to actually look at her he could have sworn he'd seen her somewhere before. "I've come to check on the patient. Mind if I come in?"

Draco looked back at Hermione who nodded as she sat up in the bed. He opened the door wider and let the Healer in.

"How are you feeling today?" she asked as she approached Hermione, giving a sly glance at Draco's bare chest.

"Much better, thank you. And eager to get out of this bed."

"Well, let's see how your head is first, then we can make that decision."

Draco sat in a chair and watched as the Healer took off Hermione's bandages. He had been helping her change them twice a day and they looked pretty much healed, but he secretly hoped they weren't. As long as Hermione was bed ridden she couldn't be hurt. That was all he cared about.

"Everything looks good!"

Draco grumbled to himself.

"There is still a small bump here, but it's nothing I can't fix." She took out her wand and flicked it at the wound. "Better?"

"Yes, much," said Hermione, rubbing the back of her head. "Like it was never even there." She glanced at Draco and the two exchanged an awkward look before turning away from each other.

The Healer darted her eyes between the two, not blind to the tension running through the room. Luckily, a pecking on the window broke the silence.

"I'll get that," said the Healer, moving to the window. "It's probably a get well card or something." She opened it and a familiar looking owl swooped in, dropping a letter in Hermione's lap.

She broke the seal and started reading it immediately. After scanning through it she looked at Draco and said, "Mr. Ollivander wants me to come and work in the wand shop for a couple of days, until he decides I'm well enough to go out on missions again. And he says if you want to come back you can work in the shop with me for now, but he seems to think you're not much use in there." She smirked.

Draco rolled his eyes. "He's still bitter over this incident that happened almost two years ago. He was adding the cores into some newly sculpted wands and I accidentally knocked an entire rack of finished ones on top of them. It took us two days to sort it all out. We had to test each wand to see if it worked or not and there were hundreds of them."

Hermione laughed for the first time in days. "Tell me you at least remember which ones you liked for when you're picking your new wand?"

"Of course I did. My favorite was an Ash wand, twelve and three-quarter inches with a phoenix feather for its core. I plan to test it out again at the end of the summer. See if it still fits."

"Is it still there?"

"Last I checked. We just have to make sure to get back before all the Hogwarts hopefuls," he laughed.

Hermione glanced at the Healer, who was still standing awkwardly by the window. "Is there anything else you needed?" she asked.

"Oh … no, I suppose not. You're good to go, Hermi - umm, Ms. Granger. I'll just be on my way then." She walked to the door. Before leaving she looked back at Draco, smiled and said, "Nice seeing you again."

Once she was gone, Draco turned to Hermione and asked, "Do I know her?"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "She was a Slytherin, Draco." He looked at her blankly. "She was at the Leaky Cauldron with the lot of them the other night." Still no light of recognition. "She's the one who told Pansy to sit down."

"I have a vague memory. What was her name?"

Hermione shrugged. "I never asked. I think Daphne called her something to do with books."

It still did not ring a bell to Draco. Oh well.

"Draco … are you coming back with me?"

Draco looked puzzled. "Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

"Well, your mom, for one. She's going to be all alone here without even a house-elf to keep her company."

"So? She'll make do. She always does."

"But don't you think -"

"I'm not leaving you, Hermione! Not again!" he shouted, standing up from his chair and walking to the window. He stared out of it, deep in thought.

Hermione climbed out of bed for the first time in several days and went up behind him, hugging her arms around his waist. "Please stop blaming yourself. I can't bear seeing you like this."

"I can't not, Hermione. If it wasn't for me you never would have come here. I still don't know why I let you."

"You didn't let me, Draco. I came on my own accord. All you did was let me in."

"I left you alone in that room. I knew what happened to you there and I did it anyway."

Hermione shook her head against his back. "You couldn't have known what was going to happen in there. None of this was your fault. Please, just let it go."

"I can't!" Draco whipped around and took a step back from Hermione. "How can you even look at me right now? How could you still think you love me? I don't deserve it. I don't deserve you."

Hermione took a step forward and put both of her hands on his cheeks, holding him so he was forced to look her in the eye. "I don't think I still love you, Draco. I know I do. You keep forgetting that you saved my life the other night with the most extraordinary Patronus I have ever seen. And you conjured it thinking of me. Is that not the most definitive form of flattery?"

Draco chuckled. "Most definitive? Couldn't you just be like a normal person and say best or something?"

"Well, I could … but best really doesn't describe the way I feel. You're not the best. You're -"

"The most definitive!" he said mockingly.

Hermione let go of his cheeks and smacked his chest playfully. "How about ultimate. You are the ultimate wizard, Draco Malfoy, and I love you."

"And I love you, Hermione Granger."

Draco lifted his hand and began to stroke her cheek with his thumb while staring longingly into her amber eyes. He leaned in and kissed her. For the first time in days he did not fear he would break her.

When things started to get heated the two moved over to the bed. It was not until Draco started to pull off Hermione's shirt that she stopped him. "Draco … no. Not here. I can't do this here."

Draco stopped immediately. He nodded and kissed her forehead. "You're right. Let's get out of here."

Within minutes Hermione and Draco were dressed. He had already repacked his backpack and brought it in here from his own room, since he hadn't slept there once. He put Hermione's pajamas that Kreacher had brought for her inside of it and the two of them left the room hand-in-hand.

On their way out they passed the kitchen, where they heard Draco's mother laughing with someone. They both poked their heads inside and saw her laughing with the Healer over a cup of tea while Kreacher served them omelets.

"My sister is beyond excited about the wedding. The only thing that really has her down is that she just found out theirs is the exact same day as Harry Potter's. So much for being the social event of the season, let alone the day."

"Yes, that is unfortunate. Oh, but it really is a shame Draco and Gregory have not made amends yet. We would both just love to go."

The Healer smiled. "Well, I don't have much pull in the way of guests, but I do have an unused plus one if you would like to come. My date is a groomsman so it's only going to go to waste."

"Or you could just ditch your date and invite my son. I'm sure he'd love -"

"Mother!"

Narcissa turned towards Draco, unfazed. "Oh, good morning, darling. Astoria and I were just catching up on -"

"I really don't care what you were catching up on! Hermione and I are leaving now and I would appreciate it if you would stop trying to 'pimp me out' in front of her!"

"Now, Draco, don't be like that. Let's talk about this."

The two of them continued to argue as they walked into the next room, leaving Hermione and Astoria alone in the kitchen. The two witches stared around the room awkwardly while Kreacher hummed over the stove.

"So … your name is Astoria?" asked Hermione, trying to make casual conversation.

The other witch smiled. "Yes."

"And you're … Daphne's sister?"

"Uhuh."

"I'm sorry I never asked your name before. Everything's been kind of crazy here, you know?"

"It's fine. I didn't take it personally. I actually thought Draco might have already told you my name."

"Oh … umm … we never really talked about it," she lied. The girl didn't need to know he didn't remember her, let alone her name.

"I wasn't going to ask him, by the way. Just so you know."

"Oh! No! It's not … I mean, we're not … uhh, well …" Hermione sighed. "It's complicated."

"I can see that," said Astoria, taking another sip of tea. "So, if I did ask him …"

"I'd have to hex you," Hermione said instinctually.

Astoria smiled. "That's what I thought. That's fine. I'm going with Blaise, anyway."

"Hermione, let's go!" said Draco, marching into the room. Narcissa was nowhere to be found. He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the front door, stopping before the doorway leading into the drawing room. "We can go around," he said, already pulling her back the way they came.

Hermione pulled back. "Draco, no! It's fine. I want to go this way."

Draco looked into the room reluctantly, but when he saw the pleading look in Hermione's eyes he knew he had to agree. They walked into the room together, not stopping until they reached the spot Hermione had been laying when Draco finally got through the door. Kreacher had managed to get all of the blood off the stone, but something about it still stood out. It was like an energy was emitting off of it to remind everyone something bad had happened here.

Hermione looked down at the spot and sighed. "I need you to know that once we walk out the door … I'm never coming back here."

Draco closed his eyes. "I understand. And what about us?"

"Well, we're still figuring that out, aren't we?"

"I suppose we are."

Draco opened his eyes and looked at Hermione, who was also looking at him. He put his arm around her shoulders and pulled her close while she wrapped hers around his waist. Even in Draco's warm hold, Hermione could not drown out the noise of the ticking clock. The very one she had heard when Lucius first tried to kill her. She needed to get out of here soon.

"Draco, wait!" Narcissa ran into the room. She didn't even seem to notice the way her son had his arms wrapped around the young witch. It was like Hermione wasn't even there. "I know you're angry with me but, please, take this." She held out an old pocket watch.

"Where did you get that?"

"The house-elf found it tossed into one of the spare rooms. I don't know why you put it in there -"

"Hermione couldn't sleep with the ticking," he said quickly.

Tick tock. Tick tock. It seemed to be getting louder. Hermione's palms began to sweat.

"Oh," said Narcissa, looking at Hermione for the first time, noticing the way her eyes kept darting to the old clock in the corner. She opened up the back of the pocket watch and stopped it. "All fixed. Now take it."

"I don't want it."

"But it was your fathers."

"I don't care."

Tick tock. TICK TOCK.

"How can you be so disrespectful?"

"How can you be so disrespectful? Stop trying to manipulate me and let me make my own deci -"

"Draco, please just take the watch so we can get out of here!" shouted Hermione, throwing her hands over her ears.

Draco looked at her worriedly before reaching out and taking the watch from his mother.

"Thank you," said Narcissa, half-glancing at Hermione.

"AHH!" someone screamed from the other room.

They all exchanged nervous looks before running into the hallway they had just come from. Astoria was standing in the middle of it with her wand pointed at the ground.

"What is it?" asked Narcissa frantically.

Astoria looked at all of them curiously. "Oh, sorry. There was a beetle crawling down the hallway. I think it came from the room you were staying in," she said looking at Hermione. "But don't worry. I took care of it." She smiled proudly as a small puff of smoke scattered at her feet.

Hermione and Draco looked at each other with wide eyes. What were the chances Rita Skeeter was trying to find a loophole in the deal she made with Draco and spying on them anyway? They both already knew that it was pretty good. Guess they would find out in a couple of days if she came up as a missing person.

It was funny. Neither of them felt as remorseful as they thought they should.