AN: Holy crap on a cracker, Batman! Finals are less than two weeks away! What happened to the semester?! Yeesh! Also, speaking of Batman, did you guys see the Man of Steel sequel trailer? It looks better than I expected. I can't wait to see it! Anyway, here's the next chapter! Once again, it's uploaded at the early hours of Sunday morning because I'm a night owl and I like staying up late! All the creative juices flow better at night anyway. Alright, that's all for now. Thanks for all the reviews guys! Please, keep them coming!

Tallyho!

Chapter 5:

Draco was impressed. Despite her strange reaction when he asked her about it, Hermione had stayed true to her word and talked to Shacklebolt about getting Narcissa out of the Dark Lord's clutches. After the Order meeting that day, he approached Draco and asked to speak with him privately. The two spoke for over an hour about where Narcissa was, how tight security was around Malfoy Manor (where she was located), what Voldemort had her doing, what would happen if she was rescued, and any other details Shacklebolt or Draco thought were necessary to discuss. At the end of the meeting, Shacklebolt didn't make any promises to the Slytherin but promised that he would see what he could do which Draco accepted understandingly. He knew he was asking a lot from the Order but Draco left the Dark Lord's clutches in the first place to protect his mother so he would take what could get.

As for Hermione, she acted like her outburst never happened. She continued to bring Draco dinner on Order meeting nights and would give him a small smile if their paths ever crossed while in Grimmauld Place. She came by once or twice during the week to stock up the house for Order meetings and for Draco's use when no one else was there but she avoided the piano room and they hardly spoke to each other except for greeting one another.

As September and Hogwarts started, the Order meetings started to frequent less often. Security at the Ministry had grown extremely tight and everyone's work loads had increased tenfold making it difficult for Order members to communicate. Draco woke one rainy morning with the Daily Prophet by his door. He nearly fell over when he saw the headline story.

Many dead after explosion at Ministry. More missing.

At least one hundred people are dead this morning after an explosion at the Ministry of Magic last night. What caused the explosion or why it happened is still unknown to Aurors and investigators though it has been suspected that this is the work of the Dark Lord and his Death Eaters, however Aurors declined to respond to these suspicions. Those injured in the attack were moved to St. Mungo's Hospital for Magical Maladies and Injuries while those not injured were kept at the Ministry for questioning, however, many Ministry workers are missing. There has been no indication that the missing are possibly dead but no further information has been given at this time. We will continue to update readers as new information is released.

Draco sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. This is exactly what he was running away from. He had no doubt that Voldemort was behind the explosion but what killed him was that he suspected his father was among the Death Eaters that instigated the attack. He felt sick. Were his father and the other Death Eaters so blinded by their prejudices that they would willingly kill innocent people?

Crumpling up the paper in frustration, he grabbed some clothes and went to take a cold shower to clear his head but no avail. His mind kept racing from the article. He briefly wondered if anyone from the Order was injured or one of the casualties from the attack but if he was being honest, the only person he really cared if they were injured or not was Tonks. Not only was she family but she was also the only one who treated him like he was human who made mistakes from the beginning. Okay, so maybe she wasn't the only one who was treating him that way since Hermione was trying to make an effort too but Tonks was the only one that mattered. Anyway, although he wouldn't say it out loud, he appreciated his cousin and her efforts.

When he was done, he went downstairs to make himself some coffee as he wasn't that hungry after reading the Prophet. He stopped short when he got the dining room, however, but then mentally slapped himself for not thinking about it earlier.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione were in the dining room. Harry was looking over the Daily Prophet while Ron looked like he was about to burst with fury. Hermione was standing in the back of the room staring out the window biting her nail. None of them noticed his entrance. All three were completely silent; the only sound was the rain falling outside.

Not sure how to break the silence, Draco cleared his throat. All three looked at him.

"Who died?" he asked.

Wrong question. Ron practically flew over the table towards Draco but Harry pulled him back to keep him from attacking Draco though the glare from him looked like if he said the wrong thing, he'd let Ron do whatever he wanted to their school mate.

"YOU BASTARD!" Ron bellowed. "How could you even ask that?! You think you're funny Malfoy? People are dead because your people decided to cause an explosion at the Ministry! Half the Wizarding world is terrified and in hiding now because this is officially war and you stand there like it's just another day! What the bloody hell is wrong with you?!"

"I wasn't trying to be funny, Weasley." Draco spat. "In case you forgot my cousin happens to work at the Ministry and I was concerned about her well being! You know, since she's pregnant and all!"

Ron snorted. "Concerned. Bollocks! The only person you've ever been concerned for is yourself! You haven't seen Tonks in, what, 13 years? Your family hasn't even considered her family for longer than that! You're not concerned about her, Malfoy; you don't care about her at all! You just want us to think that you care so we'll help you find your precious mother and save your ass from Azkaban!"

Now he had gone too far. Draco hadn't even realized he had moved until he was face to face with Ron. "Listen Weasel," Draco said darkly. "I don't care what you think about me or my intentions. I don't need your approval. Hell, I don't want it! But Tonks and I not seeing each other for 13 years was my grandmother's idea; not mine. You have a problem with that, you can take it up with her portrait down the hall. But do not, under any circumstances, talk to me about my mother. You don't know what we've gone through this past year and you don't know the lengths I will go to in order to protect her. So before you open your big mouth again, it would be wise to think before you speak. I may not have my wand, Weasley, but I can still crush you."

The room was silent again as the two men stared each other down. Harry was still holding onto to Ron but watched the encounter closely in case he needed to step in. Draco and Ron's eyes never left each others as they waited for the other to make a move. Both Hermione and Harry knew that Ron was probably terrified of Draco right now but he was doing one hell of a job hiding it. The silence continued for a few more moments.

None of the three noticed that Hermione had moved until she put her hand on Ron's back and gently pulled him back from his proximity with Draco. As he moved away, Draco leaned back from the table and stood up straight not losing his fierce facial expression. He watched as Hermione whispered something in Ron's ear and led him to the kitchen, not looking at Draco as she walked away. Harry watched them leave and heard Hermione put up a silencing charm around the kitchen. He then rounded his gaze on Draco. The two stared at each other for a moment waiting for the other to speak.

"Is she okay?" Draco asked hiding any concern he felt for his cousin from his voice.

Harry nodded and responded in the same tone. "Yes, she's fine. She and Lupin are hiding at one of the safe houses we have set aside in case anything like this happened."

Draco nodded. "And the rest of the Order?"

"All safe. Kingsley found out about the attack shortly before it happened at sent a message to all the Order members and everyone else he could think of to help them escape in time. Unfortunately, some of the others he sent the message to didn't make it."

The Slytherin nodded and he turned Harry's words over in his mind. The Order was safe and so were some others but people still died. His stomach churned as he thought of the Ministry. It was clear that no where was safe anymore. Not even Hogwarts, where he assumed some of his fellow Slytherins were at right now. But now the wizarding world was at war and there was no escaping the dangers that lied outside the house walls now. How he got mixed up in this whole mess, he'd never understand.

Pulling himself out of his thoughts he remembered that Harry had said that Shacklebolt had found out about the attack prior to it happening. "How'd Shacklebolt find out about the attack?" he asked.

Harry shrugged. "I have no idea. I asked him and he said he heard it from someone. That's the only information I got from him before he had to end our floo call."

Draco bit his cheek as he thought about that but didn't get very far in his thoughts because Hermione and Ron walked back into the dining room. Ron seemed to have calmed down a bit but his face still matched his hair. Glaring at Ron, Hermione walked towards Draco, grabbed his arm and led (well more like dragged) him out of the room to the piano room. Pushing him in, she cast a silencing charm over the room before turning on him and staring him down.

"'Who died?'" she asked incredulously. "Are you insane, Malfoy? You couldn't think of a better question to ask?"

"Forgive me, Granger, I'm not one to analyze my every thought like you do." Draco responded. "And it was a genuine question! It's not my fault Weasley lost it. And speaking of which, why the hell did you have to tell him that I was trying to rescue my mother?! I asked you to talk to Shacklebolt, not the Boy Wonder and his ginger sidekick!"

"I did talk to Shacklebolt and only him!" Hermione defended. "Ron took one of Fred and George's damn extendable ears and listened in to the conversation! Then he ran off to Harry and told him!"

"Does anyone else know?"

"No."

"Are you sure, Granger? Are you absolutely positive? Because if anyone else finds out what I'm trying to accomplish, it could get back to the Dark Lord, he'd kill my mother on the spot, and everything I've done would be for nothing." He hid the desperation from his voice well but Hermione could see it in his eyes. He'd never admit it out loud but he was scared. They all were. Everything was on the line for everyone now and Draco was no exception.

"I'm positive, Malfoy." she said reassuringly. "I yelled at both of them thoroughly and promised that I would hex them if they said anything. They're my two best friends, Malfoy, I trust them with my life-."

"So you're saying I should trust them with my mother's?! You know the track record we have! Hell, you're part of it! How the hell am I supposed to believe that they would keep their traps shut to keep her safe?!"

"In case you're forgetting, Malfoy, Harry's parents were murdered by Voldemort! I know the last thing in the world he would want would be the same to happen to anyone else and that includes you, even if your track record isn't spotless! He understands-"

"No he doesn't! He doesn't understand at all! Potter's been an orphan all his life, he doesn't know what it's like to fear for his family! He has no family!"

"I am his family! So are the Weasleys! He knows exactly what it's like to feel like to have a family at risk. All of us do, so don't you dare think, for one second, that you're alone in this! My parents no longer know that I exist! I had to wipe their memories of me and shipped them off to Australia to keep them safe! The Weasleys, who have been a second family to me for my entire wizard life, are in hiding even I don't know where! All of us are taking risks to protect the ones we love so it's time you stopped wallowing in your self-pity and manned-up! You want to save your mother? Stop hiding in your room and start fighting!"

Draco was dumbfounded. He had never been spoken to like that before and he had never expected that from the Gryffindor Princess. Her face was red, her uncontrollable curls looked like a lion's mane around her, and she had a fire in her eyes. Draco would've been intimidated had he not been infuriated. Problem was, he didn't know who he was angry at: himself or Hermione. He was angry at her because of what she had said but he was angry at himself because he knew she was right. He had been so absorbed in his own problems that he hadn't bothered to think about what anyone else might be going through. He didn't want to. He was Draco Malfoy and he didn't care about anyone else but himself (and a few select others). Worrying about other people was not in his nature. He had spent so long surviving for himself that the idea of thinking about someone else was foreign to him. The only people he allowed himself to worry about was his mother and, now, Tonks. Anybody else… well he never let himself get too wrapped up in those thoughts.

But the idea of trusting Potter and Weasley with this secret task he had given himself was downright aggravating. He wouldn't have even told Hermione in the first place had she not put him under Veritaserum. He didn't like so many people knowing, even if it was only four people. He felt exposed as more people learned of his intentions and he didn't like feeling vulnerable. It was by no means a comfortable feeling.

Yelling in anger, he punched the wall then yelped in pain as he pulled his now bleeding hand toward himself. He cursed under his breath as he felt his hand, pretty sure it was broken. Hermione sighed and shook her head at the blonde and her expression softened when he punched the wall. When she saw that his hand was bleeding she took a step forward to him, putting her hands up when he looked at her suspiciously. She cautiously took another step towards him and then another until she was right in front of him. She reached out towards him but stopped briefly when she saw him tense up.

"You might want to try trusting someone, Malfoy. It might save your life someday." she said quietly. Draco almost flinched at how soft and quiet her voice was compared to how it had been just a few moments ago. For some reason he couldn't fathom, when she reached out to him again he didn't tense. She lightly took his hand in hers and examined his handy work.

"It's definitely broken but I think you did more damage to the wall than your hand." she muttered. He looked at the wall and noticed that there was a hole in it now where he had made impact. He chuckled to himself but was cut short by a sudden pain in his hand.

"Argh!" he exclaimed looking between the brunette and his hand which immediately felt better as the pain passed.

"Sorry!" Hermione said quickly. "I figured it would hurt less since you weren't focusing on it. It worked when I broke my toe once. Anyway," she summoned a cloth and wrapped it around Draco's hand, "keep your hand wrapped for a while and the bleeding should stop shortly."

As she continued to mend Draco's hand, he couldn't help but ask a question that appeared in his mind. "Granger."

"Hm?" she asked not looking up.

"The day I asked you about talking to Shacklebolt about getting my mum out… was that the day you sent your parents off?"

Her hands froze. Taking a deep breath she bit her lip and nodded. He nodded in return. "You'll probably hex me for this but," he began, "I have to admit, Granger, that is extremely impressive that you pulled off that difficult of an obliviation charm. Not many experienced wizards can do that."

She looked up at him in disbelief for a moment before the corner of her mouth went up a bit as she tried to control the nervous laugh that was bubbling behind her lips. "Um… thanks."

The two stood there in silence looking into each other's eyes, silver searching chocolate brown. They both seemed to be searching for something, though neither knew what that something was. It wasn't until now that they realized how close they were to each other; Hermione was still holding Draco's damaged hand as well. With what seemed like a lack of self control from both parties, they started to lean in to each other. Just as their lips parted, a tapping on the window startled them back into reality and causing Hermione to jump.

They both looked to the window and saw a large barn owl tapping on it with its beak. Hermione dropped Draco's hand and walked to the window to open it. The owl dropped off what looked like a roll of paper, Hermione gave it a few treats from the bowl by the window and it took off again. Picking up the paper the owl dropped off, Hermione opened it and began to read the front page of what Draco assumed was the Daily Prophet.

"What is it?" he asked.

Hermione took a shaky breath. "I-It's the Prophet. New information has been released about the explosion at the Ministry." She handed it to Draco, careful not to touch him, so he could read the headline. He heard Hermione utter a quick reparo charm to the wall to fix it and then cleared her throat so he would look at her.

"I think you should tell Harry and Ron what you told me about the Horcruxes." she said avoiding his gaze.

Draco scrunched up his face in disgust of the idea. "You knew it would come up eventually, Malfoy." she said putting her hands on her hips. "It might as well be sooner rather than later."

He rolled his eyes. "Fine."

And with that, Hermione broke the silencing charm around the room and walked past Draco without looking at him. "Granger." he called when she was in the door frame.

She reluctantly turned towards him.

"Thanks." he said awkwardly. "For fixing my hand, I mean."

She nodded and turned to leave again but was stopped short by his next words.

"You're right." he said, though why he was admitting this to the Gryffindor Princess, he had no idea. "I won't win this by hiding out in my room and hoping that it will end without my involvement. I'm tired of running away. I meant what I said when we met at the cafe; I want to fight. I want to help. And I'm ready to do what it takes to end this nightmare. But trust... trust is difficult for me, Granger. Always has been. So asking me to trust someone or vice versa, is like asking a Hippogriff to tap dance."

She looked at him a moment before speaking. "Trust takes time, Malfoy, just like everything else. For you, it may be harder than for most people. But it is possible. For now, try to trust me." she offered.

"Do you trust me?" he challenged.

She smirked. "We'll find out, won't we?" she said cryptically. She left the room with Malfoy following close behind, Daily Prophet in hand, back to the dining room where he would explain what he knew about Horcruxes and they would read the new developments in the paper about the explosion both of them putting their almost kiss into the back of their minds for the time being.

PS: This is not a Ron bashing fic, for anybody who was concerned. I love Ron, he's one of my favorite characters in the series. So worry not, my fellow Ron lovers! I won't put a bad light on our favorite Ginger (even though he's tied with Ginny in my book).

Stay Golden!