A/N: Just posted a cute Dramione one-shot! Please check it out and let me know what you think! Happy Memorial Day weekend!

Chapter 17:

The rest of the holidays passed by in a flash and the next thing everyone knew, it was back to the daily grind. Ginny went back to Hogwarts while everyone else went back to work and training continued at Grimmauld Place as well as research on the next horcrux.

The next few months were uneventful except for a few attacks here and there. News of Narcissa's disappearance had become public now and many people were beginning to question how the wife and son of one of Voldemort's most loyal followers could vanish without a trace and then how could said son die but never find a body. The questions led to suspicions and whispers about what was really going on. Little did anyone expect, but those whispers were weakening the dark side every day since it looked like Voldemort was losing control. With every ounce of doubt that began to creep in against the Dark Lord, the light became a little bit stronger every day.

One week, the Order got wind of a pirate news broadcast called Potterwatch that had been created and played at certain times on the radio that Harry had brought in to keep the public updated on what was going on surrounding information on Voldemort and the Death Eaters. It could only be accessed that through a password that changed with every broadcast so, fortunately, nobody on the dark side could get access to it. Lee Jordan and Fred were co-hosts and they would occasionally have guests on the show that included Kingsley. Draco was surprised at just how well organized the Order and the rebels against Voldemort were.

One afternoon, they were taking a break from training when a breaking news broadcast appeared on Potterwatch. It was news of attacks and deaths. Some snatchers of Voldemort's had kidnapped some muggle-borns and killed them. Unfortunately, among the dead, was Ted Tonks, who was supposed to have been in hiding for the last few months since he was a muggle-born. How he was found, no one knew.

The room fell into silence as the broadcast ended. Narcissa looked like she was fighting tears as Draco and Ron looked at each other in disbelief. Hermione felt as if the breath had been knocked out of her and Harry looked furious. Finally, the latter exploded and smacked a glass off the table causing it to shatter and bringing everyone back to life.

Hermione was the first to react. "Harry-"

"Dont." he warned. "Don't you bloody dare, Hermione."

"I'm not going to do anything, I just-"

"I can't do this anymore!" he yelled.

"What are you talking about?" Hermione asked trying to stay as calm as possible under the circumstances.

"I just can't! Good people keep dying because of me! Because Voldemort wants me! And he's never going to stop until he has me destroyed and even then, he'll continue to kill forever! He will never stop. Everything we've done is for nothing! It's pitting an army of ants against one giant boot and guess what, Hermione, he's the bloody boot! It's not worth it anymore; not if people I love and care about are going to die! We might as well just give up now since he's going to win anyway!"

Hermione hadn't realized that she had moved until she felt her hand slap Harry across the face. She was too angry to even care that she had just hit her best friend. "Now you listen to me," she said darkly, "I did not spend seven years of my life saving your two stupid asses" she pointed to him and Ron, "from all the trouble you caused and got us into just to give up now. I didn't wipe my parent's memories and send them away just for you to tell me that everything we've ever done isn't worth it anymore. Everything we've done has made a difference, one way or another. We've destroyed horcruxes, saved people's lives, fought together, defied every bloody rule in Hogwarts together. I don't know about you, but to me, that's not nothing. Harry, we've come so far from those little eleven year olds who knew nothing about the world, wizard or muggle. But that never stopped us from trying to save people and doing the right thing."

"But what good is doing the right thing when people keep dying?" he said, his voice desperate and broken.

"People die everyday!" Hermione blurted. Harry looked at her, his mouth slightly agape as his eyes searched hers trying to understand what she had just said. She refused to look away from him. "I'm sorry, Harry, but it's true. Yes, we lost Cedric and Sirius and Ted. They were all good people that didn't deserve to die. But they died fighting for a cause they believed in. And I'm sorry to say they're not the first to die in this war and they won't be the last. And until we finish destroying the horcruxes, people will continue to die until we put an end to it."

He shook his head and closed his eyes as he bent over the table in defeat. Hermione looked at Draco who was watching her intently. He gave her a small nod in encouragement before she looked back at Harry and sighed. "You think I haven't thought about giving up?" she said quietly as Harry's head to perked up to look at her. "You think I haven't thought about running away and going into hiding somewhere? Believe me, I've considered it more than once. I wanted to go with my parents to Australia so badly and just hide. But I didn't for two reasons: 1) the safety would only last so long before we were found and ultimately killed and 2) for you. We've been with you since the beginning and we'll be with you until the end. I'll be damned if I ever let you fight that monster alone."

Harry took a deep breath. "What do you suggest we do then?"

She walked closer to him. "We keep fighting. We've come so far; we only have three horcruxes left. And with every one that we destroy, the weaker Voldemort gets. So we keep going; all four of us." Draco tried to hide his surprise that she included him in their group but couldn't help but raise his eyebrows when Ron gave him a small nod in agreement with Hermione's statement. "We keep training, finding and destroying horcruxes and we don't stop until they're all destroyed and he's dead." she continued. "And we sure as hell don't back down. I mean, really, we're three Gryffindors and a Slytherin. Did you really think we'd go down without a fight?"

Harry's lips curved up a bit. "No, I suppose not."

She gave him a small smile and pulled him in for a hug which he returned gratefully. When she pulled back, she ruffled his hair causing him to smile. "Sorry I slapped you," she said.

He chuckled. "It's fine. I kind of needed it." Hermione chuckled and shrugged. Wiping away the tears that were forming in her eyes, she took a deep breath and directed their attention back to training. While Ron and Harry followed Hermione back into the piano room, Draco stayed back for a moment to talk to Narcissa.

"You okay, Mum?"

She sighed. "Not really. Ted was a good man. Andy and Dora are going to be devastated."

He nodded. "I know."

They were silent for a moment out of respect for Ted. Narcissa chewed on the inside of her cheek before speaking. "I didn't know that about Hermione's parents." she started.

Draco just looked at her. "Why didn't you tell me?" she asked.

He shrugged. "It wasn't my secret to tell."

Narcissa's eyes softened and she gave him a small smile. She kissed his temple before sending him back to training while she went to the living room to floo call Andromeda and comfort her sister as best she could.

Later that night, after everyone had gone to bed, Hermione broke down into tears. Within seconds, Draco wrapped his arms around her and rocked her back and forth in a soothing manner. Neither said a word; he knew why she was crying.

She was terrified. Ted dying made the war that much more real. They were all scared. There was no turning back now; they were all involved in this for the long haul. Draco could only pray to whoever would listen that they made it out alive.

He just held her as she cried and she clung to him as she did the day Ron got splinched. She refused to let go of him not trusting herself to even sit on her own, fearing she would collapse from fear. Draco laid her down on the bed and tucked her in as he laid down next to her to bring her back into his arms. He gave her soft kisses to soothe and reassure her. His heart broke seeing her in such a state but knew that the only way to comfort her was to keep doing what he was doing. So he did. He held her and comforted her as she cried and whimpered throughout the night. He didn't care how tired he was, he stayed awake for her. He would not fall asleep when she needed him most.

It wasn't until it past three o'clock in the morning that she finally fell asleep with him drifting off shortly after. They never once let go of one another.