His lips opened for a mute scream when seeing the red eyes of the Dark Lord, gazing back into his own, glinting maliciously at him – offering his treatment to his family in the form of a nice Avada Kedavra.

He sat up abruptly to the voice of another, screaming in a shrill, high-pitched tone, only to collide with that very human being. His eyes snapped open, seeing the widened, scared, chocolate eyes of none other, than the only Hermione Granger. She looked terrified.

"Granger?" he asked dumbly, massaging the spot where their forehead met. She seemed too occupied with studying him to even realize the pain they had caused for each other.

Sighing dramatically, Draco abandoned checking on the bump growing on his forehead and instead, waved his hand in front of the war heroine. She stilled at first, then shaking away the thoughts, she answered, "You were thrashing," Hermione said, not meeting with his eyes, "nearly strangled a pillow and your eyes were open suddenly, but... unseeing, you were 'sleeping' with open eyes," she explained and ran a finger through her ruffled hair, it reminded Draco to a ruffled mane of a fierce lion as the locks flew in every other way than the right.

"It was a nightmare," he admitted with a bitter taste and looked down on his forearm, the one were the Dark Mark laid, under the white sleeve of his uniform's shirt. His eyes narrowed, a storm reflecting in his irises. He just wished to be rid of his stigma.

Hermione nodded in acknowledgement and, as if noticing the forest green sofa for the first time, she snapped her head back at the man, "You stole that from your common room?"

He smirked at her bewildered expression quite smugly and with this, confirmed her suspicion, "The advantages of being the King," he shrugged nonchalantly.

Hermione simply whacked him on the head before graciously sitting down beside him, their tights touching. She crossed her hands in front of her chest defensively. She didn't need him flaunting his position and waiting for her to curtsey in front of his throne. "Have you found out anything about the unicorns? Newt Scamander's book seems useless in the matter. He just wrote down the common things – that even I knew from Muggle legends. It's kind of... disturbing," she confessed, but still holding up the facade of being an invincible warrior.

He grumbled something under his nose, vaguely resembling to fuck, Granger's bullhead-ness left me with a horn, before answering her without words.

Draco thrust his mother's letter in her hands, throwing his head back on the backrest. Hermione watched his careless movement, the way his Adam's apple bobbed up at down as he gulped. He was at ease with her – even comfortable, and for some reason, it made Hermione smile. Just after that she did take the expensive parchment in her hands, running her fingers along its smooth edges.

The beautiful, calligraphically curved words of Narcissa Malfoy were hardly readable for her – to curvaceous and the woman wrote like she'd never lifted the quill from the surface until her letter was finished. It was fascinating really, but took her more time to decipher.

"Well, she must know more than Newt ever did," Hermione concluded, with every of the written words, her interest increased in the mystery Narcissa Malfoy'd created with her finely composed sentences.

"That she does," Draco said absently, still gazing up at the ceiling of the unused bathroom. Myrtle floated there and waved at him, her smile so vibrant that should she be not translucent, Draco was sure it'd blind him. "Newt was more engrossed with dragons and different creatures that made at least ten attempts at his life."

He scowled at the ghost above him and looked back at Hermione, she was still a more delightful view.

She was nibbling on her lips, rereading the carefully crafted letter, her eyes narrowed and nose wrinkling in thought. Even if Draco tried to deny, she was adorable in her weird, messy way when thinking so hard that he could practically see the wheels turning in her head through her skull.

"What caught your attention?" he risked asking, head tilted to the side. It was eerie how fast this girl could point out things that would have slipped his attention other way.

Hermione dragged her index finger to the line, showing it in his face, "Be gentle if you ever meet one – they can turn ruthless in a second," she said, her eyes meeting his, "this is... I've found nothing like this in any of the books. Your mother either knows something wrong, or...," She left the sentence in half, looking expectantly at him. She knew he was only second best in their classes – and excelled at classes where she wasn't there to put him behind her –, but she was still curious if he was able to pick on the thread of her thoughts.

And to her satisfaction, he immediately did.

"Or she knows them too well to only know it from books," he finished in a whisper, with lips hanging open as the realization dawned on him. It hit hard. "But how? Unicorns are too proud to be held in captive. It's impossible and... and!" he stuttered helplessly, looking at Hermione for confirmation.

To his surprise, she was – yet again – nibbling on her lips in thoughts, the exact shade pof cherry pink of it was soon etched firmly in Draco's mind as he couldn't help staring at it. Even though he resisted, he felt like her lips were calling out for his attention.

Something was really wrong with his head. He either needed more alcohol or no more in his life, like ever again.

He nearly jumped in his seat, when Hermione spoke up, "Draco... Do you think...," she looked straight in the quicksilver marbles, her eyes glinting in excitement, "that she had a friend in Hogwarts? I mean, a unicorn kind of friend? Or, or was she ever in Hogwarts during the war?!" she inquired with bated breath, her face getting rosier after each passing second. She looked with the additional blush so much better.

As he used his brain not just for measuring the attractive girl in front of him, but to actually think it through, he needed to realize, that the solution may have been in front of their nose in the whole damn time.

And it was the problem – what they have the littlest of, was time.

Draco gulped and looked in Hermione's eyes. They may as well have to find Hagrid for a tour to the Forbidden Forest. If their suspicion was right, the unicorn would come out even by the mention of his mother's name.

Their next step was clear.

Just for you to know - I love writing this. There will be more ogling in the next chapters - maybe touching pinkies, too. ;D Anyway, hope you had just as much time with it as I did! Have a good day! ;D

And thank you for the more than 100 reviews! I was literally jumping 'round my room in mirth! Keep up with the numbers, guys!