Chapter 36

Draco, Hermione, and Harry found themselves standing once more outside Dumbledore's office after yet another tension filled discussion with their esteemed headmaster.

Slowly, as though in a dream, Draco took Hermione's hand and helped her onto the turning spiral staircase. He then stepped on behind her, with Harry at his heels.

No one spoke as the enchanted stair corkscrewed slowly downward. Each of the three was thinking his or her own private thoughts.

At last, Harry broke the silence.

"We've only tomorrow to prepare…" he said softly, pulling his wand out of his jeans pocket and examining it thoughtfully.

Draco and Hermione kept their silence as the three dismounted smoothly to the flagstone floor.

"Well," Draco responded, "I suppose one never really can prepare for something like this anyway."

"No," Hermione concurred, "not really."

She and Harry shared conspiratorial smiles, which Draco immediately understood.

"The two of you have all ready seen similar action, I know," he said, smiling knowingly.

"Quite a bit, actually," Harry said mildly, without a hint of arrogance.

"We're old pros, I guess you could say," Hermione laughed, squeezing Draco's hand affectionately.

"Ron is, too," Harry said softly, eyes full of melancholy.

Tears sprung to Hermione's eyes. Harry's mentioning Ron brought a flood of memories, both good and bad to her mind. But, she smiled bravely, as Draco wrapped an arm around her consolingly.

"Well, who knows?" she said over brightly. "Perhaps this little battle will be the thing to bring him around."

Harry looked at her as though he had very little hope on that score.

"Maybe," he agreed unconvincingly, dropping his gaze to his shoes.

Hermione fired up immediately. Leaving Draco's warm embrace she moved to take Harry's hand in both of hers.

"Now you listen to me, Harry James Potter!" she began, unconsciously imitating the formidable Molly Weasley in one of her rants. "We're not giving up on Ron! Not now, not ever! He will find his way back, that is certain! And we'll be there when he does, to help any way we can!"

Draco noticed, with some consternation, that Harry looked miserably disbelieving.

Hermione lifted Harry's face to hers with one hand and fixed him with a fiery glare.

"Ron will come back to us, Harry!" she cried emphatically, even as tears coursed down her cheeks. "You just mark my words!"

Harry stared into Hermione's eyes and saw such conviction there that he could not help but be convinced she was right. Hermione had always been a force to be reckoned with when she'd set her mind to something. If anyone could believe something into being, that person was definitely this girl before him, with the blazing eyes and the defiantly stubborn expression.

Draco put an encouraging hand on both Hermione's and Harry's shoulder, trying to add weight to Hermione's words.

Harry looked at his friends appreciatively, and then slowly nodded his head.

"All right," he agreed, this time with more conviction.

A few minutes later, the three friends arrived at the Head's common room, still sober but feeling their burdens had somehow lightened.

"Are you coming in, Harry?" Hermione asked, taking Harry's arm affectionately.

Draco looked at Harry expectantly.

"No," he said, smiling. "I think I've taken up quite enough of your time today."

"Nonsense!" Draco replied with a grin. "We've got battle plans to discuss…"

"No, really, thank you," Harry returned, feeling glad to be wanted. "But, I think I'd like to be on my own for a while anyway."

He turned to go, much to Draco and Hermione's chagrin, then stopped and addressed his comrades again.

"I might come back when Draco goes to meet with Crabbe and Goyle…" he said, looking for permission to return.

"You do that!" Hermione said, beaming. "I'll be glad of the company."

Draco clapped Harry on the shoulder, and smiled his approval.

"O.K.," Harry said happily. "See you then."

Then he turned on his heel and quickly departed. As Draco watched him go, he shook his head sadly.

Hermione caught Draco's gesture, so as soon as Harry had turned the corner at the end of the corridor, she looked at him with question marks in her eyes.

"What is it, love?" she asked.

Draco looked at her, quietly contemplative.

"Oh, I just feel sorry for Harry, that's all," he said.

Then he murmured the password and stepped aside for Hermione to enter their rooms before him.

"Why?" Hermione asked as soon as Draco came in behind her.

Draco smiled at her innate curiosity.

"I believe he's lonely, my love," he said, gently caressing her cheek.

Hermione pressed his hand for a moment, closing her eyes and kissing it lovingly.

"He misses Ron, I expect," she said as she turned away slowly and headed to the window seat, kicking her shoes off on the way.

"Yes, I know," Draco answered. "But, that's not exactly what I meant."

"All right, dearest," she said, patiently smiling as she wrapped herself in her throw blanket, and curled up against the multicolored pillows. "What do you mean, then?"

"Well, Harry doesn't have what we have, does he?" Draco asked looking a bit surprised at Hermione's lack of discernment into Harry's heart and life.

He then stepped out of his shoes, too, and went to join Hermione in her favorite spot.

"I'm sorry, dearest. I see what you mean now," she answered, feeling sorry for her oversight. "No, he doesn't," she continued, a quietly saddened look on her face," and I don't think he will for some time."

Draco studied Hermione for a long moment.

"And why is that?" he said thoughtfully. "I mean, he's Harry Potter, isn't he? He must have droves of women interested in him."

"I suppose," Hermione said with a heavy sigh. "But, unless I'm very much mistaken, there is only one woman he is truly interested in."

Draco had perched beside Hermione's wrapped up, cozy form, his knees bent, arms wrapped around them.

"Who is it?" he asked interestedly.

"Ginny Weasley," Hermione said with a touch of grief in her voice.

Draco looked nonplussed.

"But, I thought he broke it off with her last year," Draco said. "Why would he do that if he still cares for her?"

Hermione gazed penetratingly at Draco.

"For the same reason that you considered leaving me, my love," she said, her eyes softly pained. "…to protect her."

Draco felt as if someone had struck him.

"Well, that's just rubbish!" he countered feelingly. "He obviously doesn't feel that way now, or he wouldn't have advised me the way he did!"

Hermione was playing with the fringe on one of her pillows absently, and remembering how difficult a time Harry and Ginny had both had with the break up. She had talked to both of them, and had seen the reality of their heartbreak. It had not been a pleasant sight.

"No, he's come to a better understanding of the truth since that time, it's true," Hermione said sadly. "But, it's too late. Ginny is with Dean now. She's moved on."

Draco sighed.

"Well, that is just incredibly sad!" he said, his sympathy for Harry deepening every moment.

"Yes," Hermione agreed softly. "I think if he had it to do over, he'd do it differently."

She paused to shift a pillow behind her back.

"After all, I think he realizes now that Ginny and her family are as invested in this war as he is. Lord Voldemort has plenty of reason to go after any one of the Weasleys, without taking into account their relationship with Harry. For instance, Arthur Weasley works for the Ministry and makes no bones about his opposition to the Dark Lord."

Draco nodded thoughtfully, his countenance downcast. He wished very much that he could do something to help Harry.

"Well, perhaps Ginny and Dean will not last," he said, feeling faintly hopeful at the thought. "Harry might have another chance, then."

He paused for a moment, smiling lovingly at Hermione. He let his mind shift subtly to their own relationship.

"I know one thing," he said, moving to take her onto his lap, and wrapping her blanket cocooned body in his arms, tightly. "If Harry and Ginny are meant to be together, they certainly will be. I mean, if the fates can bring us together, love, they can do anything!"

This last was whispered fervently, his eyes deeply probing hers.

Hermione instantly felt lost in the intensity of his gaze. She knew he was right. Their's was an uncommon love…so uncommon that it could only have been destined from the foundation of the world.

As she contemplated this revelation, Hermione let a soft, tender smile play over her lips.

"I love you," she breathed, all her heart's desire in the words.

Draco felt his heart skip a beat at the rawness of her statement. He knew she was hiding nothing from him. She trusted him completely.

"I love you, too," he answered, as he gently stroked her hair back from her lovely face.

Then, Hermione's fingers reached into his soft platinum mane and tangled themselves in it almost desperately. And, her eyes grew dark with sudden smoldering passion.

"I'm yours," she whispered emphatically, pulling him down and pressing her soft, full lips to his in a passionate embrace.

Draco felt as though he might explode, as white hot desire coursed through him. He groaned softly when he felt her mouth opening to him, thus deepening their all ready intoxicatingly intimate connection.

Soon they were wholly lost in each other.

As time and space fell away, all other cares disappeared. And, they were free to create their own all encompassing world of love and light and pure joy. Wanting only to know and be known, they took their time exploring one another.

And, when release finally came to them, it was as if the heavens opened up and rejoiced, celebrating with them the depth, the strength, and the divine beauty of their love. The very powers that be began raining down on them their most heart felt blessing.

A little while later, after many declarations of faithful and unending love had passed between them, great peace enveloped them, and they fell gently asleep in one another's arms.

It was 8 p.m. when the lovers awoke, feeling completely refreshed and at peace.

Dobby was only too happy to bring them their supper in their rooms, and it was a happy affair. Draco and Hermione laughed and played as if they hadn't a care in the world. They even had a rather rowdy food fight.

They had learned in these trying times to take each day one moment at a time, and to never rush headlong into the future, no matter how pressing it might seem.

When Harry arrived at the common room at 9:30 p.m., it was to find Hermione still in her thick, pale pink, terry cloth robe, and trying unsuccessfully to remove from her chestnut curls, no small amount of dried and flaking mashed potatoes.

Draco was in his room, getting ready for his appointment with Crabbe and Goyle.

"I'll bet your opponent looks worse!" Harry said laughingly, as he reached out to wipe at some gravy dripping down her shoulder.

"Oh, never mind!" she said in mock exasperation, while she headed to the coffee table to grab her wand.

"Scourgify," she said off-handedly, pointing at herself.

Immediately, all traces of potato and other food remnants were gone.

Harry was still guffawing as he looked around at the mess.

"Looks to me like you and Draco will need another supper," he said teasingly. "You can't have gotten anything down. It's all over the room!"

Hermione rolled her eyes, but laughed, as well.

"It was one of Dobby's meals, Harry," she said meaningfully.

"Oh, well, in that case," he replied in mock seriousness, "he must have brought up half the school stores just for the two of you."

"You're not far off, I think," Hermione giggled.

Just as Harry and Hermione had finished the cleaning and were tucking away their wands, Draco came out dressed and ready to play the role of the consummate Slytherin. He was dressed all in black with only his emerald green and silver house tie adding any color to his ensemble.

"Harry,"

Draco greeted Harry with a handshake and a subdued smile.

"Draco," Harry returned, mirroring the tone his friend had set.

It was clear that Draco did not want to go, but was determined to do his duty. He kissed Hermione quickly and headed for the portrait hole.

"You two have fun," he said with a small smile. "I'll be back soon."

With a last wave, he slipped through the portrait hole and was gone.

Harry turned to Hermione, who looked faintly apprehensive.

"It's all right, Hermione," he said confidently. "It's only Crabbe and Goyle."

Hermione smiled, feeling a little more relaxed, and the two took their places on the couches to talk while they awaited Draco's return.

As it turned out, Draco's absence only lasted about an hour, at which time he returned with all speed to regale Hermione and Harry with the story of his rather uneventful adventure.

He had not enjoyed having to put on his, "Draco Malfoy, Prince of Slytherin", act but found he was still able to do it relatively easily.

Crabbe and Goyle, had, as predicted, been terribly impressed by Draco's Mark. They were obviously jealous of his new position. Even though he described every gory detail of the after effects of the evil potions involved, they still expressed that they couldn't wait for their own turns to come.

Draco said nothing of his recent summons to the Dark Lord, at first…Or, of the evil plan he had revealed at the meeting. But, each of them had received communications from their respective Death Eater fathers, intimating that something was afoot. Remembering his father's admonition to "lean on" Crabbe and Goyle for help, and hoping to bind them to him more closely by appearing to share confidences, Draco divulged what he knew of the Dark Lord's attack plans. He had hoped, against hope, that they would have some helpful information to share with him, but it soon became clear that neither Crabbe nor Goyle had anything further to contribute.

Finally, amidst many promises of loyalty and help with anything Draco asked of them, Draco took his leave.

"You know," Draco reflected wearily shortly after his return to Harry and Hermione, "I can't help but compare my life now with what it was just a short time ago."

He took a sip of tea and looked appreciatively at them.

"Spending time with Crabbe and Goyle, seeing them with my new eyes and from my new perspective, only heightens my desire to get as far away from that old, dark life as I can."

He shivered a bit.

"I can imagine," Harry murmured darkly.

Hermione, who sat next to Draco, her head resting on his shoulder, took his hand and squeezed it in affirmation.

"Well, do you suppose Dumbledore has spoken to the Minister of Magic by now?" Harry asked, changing the subject.

"I can't imagine he hasn't," Hermione answered, moving to put her tea cup on the table.

Draco shrugged.

"Whatever the case, I'm betting tomorrow morning will bring with it the Ministry's permission for the DA to participate in the battle. Dumbledore's right," Draco said firmly. "This will be too big an attack for the Ministry to handle on its own, even with the Order of the Phoenix helping. They will need all the manpower they can get."

Hermione nodded emphatically the whole time Draco spoke.

"You're probably right," Harry agreed, yawning. "And speaking of tomorrow, we'd all better get some rest."

He put his tea cup down and stood up to stretch.

"I'm fairly sure that when Dumbledore says 'early morning', he means it!" Harry joked, his green eyes twinkling.

Draco and Hermione chuckled as they walked Harry to the door.

But, the mood suddenly became heavy again, as the three said goodnight. They knew in their hearts that they were soon to embark on a dark and dangerous journey together. When next they saw Harry, Draco and Hermione were sure that it would be in Dumbledore's office.

And they would be receiving final instructions before facing a most menacing foe.