A/N: It's been four years since I've updated this, lol. My brain said, "It's college time," and ignored everything to do with fanfic. I was reading my old fics over the summer, nostalgically, and thought, "Yeah, I can piece together my drafts enough to finish this." So if anyone is still following this, waiting for an update, this is for you, friend.

And I'm amazed that I still get new favorites, follows, and reviews on my fics, even though I basically went MIA? Y'all have no idea what that means to me, to come back and see how those numbers have grown, how people bothered to leave amazing reviews despite me disappearing off the face of the earth. Thank you.

Please enjoy!

BTW most of the dialogue/action is canon up until Draco seeing Hermione getting tortured, that's where the DivergenceTM begins.

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"Well?" Bellatrix asked eagerly.

"I can't be sure…" Draco whispered, barely able to hide his fear as he stared into Potter's face.

"Draco. Look closely, son," Lucius said with a wicked gleam in his eye. "If we are the ones to hand Potter over to the Dark Lord…everything would be forgiven. All would be as it was, you understand?"

No, it wouldn't be as it was, Draco thought to himself. There would be no Hermione.

"Now, we won't be forgetting who actually caught him, I hope, Mr. Malfoy," said one of the snatchers cockily. Draco tensed, sensing the anger cackle in the air.

"You dare to talk to me like that in my own house?" Lucius said, his voice going from a whisper to a yell, causing the snatcher to shrink back and look towards the ground.

"Lucius," Narcissa hissed. She dragged him away as Bellatrix grabbed Draco's wrist.

"Don't be shy, sweetie. Come on over," Bellatrix breathed. "Now, if this isn't who we think it is, Draco, and we call him, he'll kill us all." She paused, panting. "We need to be absolutely sure."

Draco was desperately trying to buy time for himself, trying to avoid directly answering their questions. "What's wrong with his face?"

"Yes, what is wrong with his face?" Bellatrix parroted.

"He came to us like that. Something he picked up in the forest, I reckon."

"Or ran into a Stinging Jinx. Was it you, dearie?" Bellatrix narrowed her gaze at Hermione. Draco paled.

"Give me her wand. We'll see what her last spell was," Bellatrix ordered.

Draco forced himself to keep his eyes on Potter, not trusting himself to control his emotions if he looked at Hermione.

"Ah, got you." Bellatrix cackled, then stopped suddenly and gasped, eyes narrowed on the sword in the snatcher's hand. "What is that? Where'd you get that from?"

"It was in her bag when we searched her. Reckon it's mine now."

Before anyone could blink, she'd shot half a dozen curses towards the snatchers, their screams filling the air.

"Are you mad?" someone called out, and Draco thought briefly about what a daft question that was before Bellatrix was cursing them again, pausing briefly to yell, "Go! Get out," before shooting curses after them through the door.

She turned to Narcissa. "Cissy, put the boys in the cellar. I want to have a little conversation with this one, girl-to-girl."

"No!" Ron yelled, his voice cracking as he strained against Greyback, fighting to be at Hermione's side. "You can have me, keep me!"

"If she dies under questioning, I'll take you next. Blood traitor is next to Mudblood in my book," Bellatrix said, lip curling as her fingers dug into Hermione's arm. "Take them downstairs, Greyback, and make sure they are secure, but do nothing more to them-yet."

Hermione grimaced, a sharp exhalation leaving her body as she was thrown to the ground. The top of Greyback's head had just disappeared when Bellatrix pulled a knife from deep inside her robes. She smiled as it glinted in the candlelight, her decaying teeth reflecting wolfishly.

"That sword is meant to be in my vault at Gringotts. How did you get it?" she hissed. The speed of her voice increased, escalating. "What else did you and your friends take from my vault?!"

Desperately trying to control himself, Draco's fingernails dug into the palms of his hands. Narcissa eyed her son out of the corner of her eye, a small frown marring her stoic face.

"I didn't take anything. Please. I didn't take anything," Hermione sobbed.

"I don't believe it," Bellatrix whispered calmly.

Trepidation filled Draco's gut as he watched his aunt snarl, holding the knife high above her head-it was then that something inside him snapped. It vibrated deep inside his chest and propelled his body forward, his hand outstretched and knuckles white from the force of his grip as he pointed his wand at Bellatrix, yelling, "Expelliarmus!"

Bellatrix's wand shot out of her pocket and up into the air, away from her reach, landeding by Hermione's elbow. Hermione grabbed it as she stood, backing away from Bellatrix and standing by Draco's side. Bellatrix's knife had clattered to the other side of the room, creating the only sound that echoed within the shocked silence.

"Draco," Bellatrix hissed, her head cocking to the side as she scrutinized him. "How dare you-"

"Release the others," Draco ordered, though his voice wavered.

Bellatrix's face scrunched hideously. She stalked towards them, though she was wandless. "Blood-traitor," she spat. "Stun him, Cissy!"

Narcissa stayed where she was, frozen.

Bellatrix turned sharply towards her sister. "Cissy!"

Not wanting to wait to see what would happen, Hermione turned on Bellatrix. That was when Narcissa moved, her wand moving sharply to disarm her. She leveled her wand at her son next, her eyes soft and confused. "Put your wand down, Draco."

Draco moved Hermione behind him, jaw clenching. "No."

Several things happened at once.

Narcissa disarmed Draco as Bellatrix lunged at him, Hermione stepped forward and was pushed backwards by a blast of magic from Greyback, and Draco found his aunt's fingers squeezing his throat as the back of his head ached, bloody from banging against the floor in the fall.

"Bella, stop!" Narcissa screamed, "I'm sure he's been charmed, he doesn't mean-"

"I'll decide what he does and doesn't mean," Bellatrix hissed, hauling herself and Draco upwards. She shoved him towards Lucius, who reluctantly held him back, fingers digging awkwardly into his son's arms.

"My wand," Bellatrix said, holding out her hand nonchalantly. Narcissa hesitated before handing it over. Bellatrix immediately summoned her knife towards her, then threw Hermione towards the ground again. Eyes narrowed and flaming, she turned towards Draco.

"I will give you one chance to redeem yourself," she whispered, voice echoing dangerously. "Crusio the Mudblood."

Draco's face screwed up in pain. "No, I can't-"

"Then you're next," Bellatrix said and, with the same breath, muttered, "crucio."

Hermione screamed, her back arching off the ground. Draco and Ron's screams of protest mingled together, Bellatrix's laughter somehow resonating above all the sound. Once Hermione was limp from the repeated and increasingly intense curse, Bellatrix crawled over to her, knife glinting before she dug it into the flesh of her arm, carving out: Mudblood.

Narcissa lifted her wand towards her sister, as if sensing she was almost done with the torture-and that Draco's would be next-but Lucius pushed her arm down before Bellatrix could see, and Draco took the opportunity to break free of his father's (ableit weak) hold right as Harry and Ron come bounding up the stairs.

Curses and shields lit up the room briefly before Hermione's voice rang out above the noise, screaming, "Stop!" Bellatrix's knife was at her throat.

"Drop your wands," Bellatrix ordered. "I said drop them! Pick them up Cissy, now."

Narcissa moved slowly, as if she were calculating alternative actions. Bellatrix was oblivious to her hesitation.

"Well, well, well. Look what we have here. It's Harry Potter," Bellatrix said smugly, eyes wide and gleaming. "He's all bright and shiny and new again, just in time for the Dark Lord. Call him."

A pregnant silence hung in the air.

"Call him!" Bellatrix roared. Lucius reluctantly pulled up his sleeve, but before he could do anything, there was a squeaking noise, and everyone looked up to see Dobby unscrewing the chandelier. Not a second later it fell, and both Draco and Ron ran towards Hermione, pulling her out of the way as Harry grabbed their wands from a limp-grasped Narcissa.

"Stupid elf. You could've killed me," Bellatrix said, scandalized.

"Dobby never meant to kill. Dobby only meant to maim or seriously injure," the elf squeaked.

"How dare you defy your masters?" Bellatrix screeched.

Dobby tall and raised his chin high. "Dobby has no master. Dobby is a free elf. And Dobby has come to save Harry Potter and his friends."

Everyone grabbed onto each other, preparing to apparate, Draco looking into his mother's eyes to see sadness and confusion swirling inside, though she and Lucius sagged with something-relief?-as Draco stood, having not been tortured, and about to leave the den of Voldemort.

Bellatrix frothed, nearly spastic from anger as she glared at Draco. "I will personally prune you from our family tree, you filthy blood-traitor," she spat.

He said nothing in return, simply met her gaze as his arms circled Hermione, everything swirling into a blur, black as night and a tugging at the navel. Two things followed them through the swirl of magic: Bellatrix's knife and Narcissa's terrified scream.

Everyone landed clumsily, Hermione falling onto Draco. They stared into each other's eyes dumbly for several moments, and then Hermione started to laugh and cry simultaneously.

It was the most beautiful thing Draco had ever seen.

He pressed his forehead to hers, a rough laugh escaping his own throat as he combed his shaking fingers through her hair. He had no idea where they were, if they were safe, but in this moment he didn't care. All that mattered was Hermione.

But Harry's muttering shook everyone back into reality. Dobby, looking smaller than usually, was blood-splattered, cradled loosely in his arms.

"Dobby…Dobby…" he chanted.

Gooseflesh erupted on Draco's skin. That elf had raised me, he thought suddenly, the blood in his veins forming into stone. Hermione buried her face deep into Draco's shoulder to smother a sob, staying firmly pressed against him as they stood up. The blood from her wound soaked through Draco's clothes, wetting his skin.

"C'mon," he whispered, "you need help."

Draco looked over to Ron who, after coming to a silent understanding, walked over, taking Hermione's other side to help her up the hill. She was weaker than she looked, which disheartened Draco, for she looked like shite already.

Two figures were waiting on the front lawn, one twisting her hands inside an apron.

"'Er-Ermione?" she called. "Ez zat you?"

"Fleur, Hermione's hurt, she needs-"

"Why the bloody hell is Malfoy here?" Bill said flatly, cutting off Ron. He aimed his wand at the spot between Draco's eyes and the three of them froze, Hermione wobbling between them.

"I'll explain later," Draco hissed, narrowing his eyes at Bill, "But Granger needs help, if you couldn't tell."

Bill clenched his jaw, wand unwavering.

"You could be tricking us."

"Bill," Hermione said hollowly, nearly unconscious, "please-"

Fleur moved forward, shoving bill out of the way, saying, "She ez 'urt, Bill, 'ave some compassion-" Taking Hermione from Draco and Ron with more strength than they thought she possessed, she murmured to Hermione as she brought her into the house, saying, "What 'appened? Tell me what ez wrong, Eye will fix 'ou..."

Bill, still with his wand up, said in a controlled voice, "Where's Harry?"

Ron held up his hands. "Harry's still down the hill, just take a breath, Bill-"

From the doorstep of the cottage, Hermione slurred, "Don't hurt him!"

Bill raised an eyebrow as if to say, "Why does she care?" but didn't comment. "Give me your wand."

"Potter's got it."

He pointed his wand at Draco anyway, clearly stating, "Expelliarmus."

Draco opened his arms wide, but nothing came at him. Bill looked slightly disappointed, though he did lower his wand. They walked the rest of the way to the cottage in silence.

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Fleur's lip wobbled as she bandaged Hermione's wound, realized too late that the blade had been cursed-and that the healing spell she'd cast had only amplified Hermione's pain, not lessened it. It would have to heal the muggle way, guaranteeing a nasty scar.

"Go to sleep," Fleur cooed, leaving a glass of water by Hermione's bed. "Please, 'ou need rest, 'ermione."

"Draco," Hermione mumbled, weakly grabbing Fleur's wrist. "Make sure nothing happens to Draco."

Fleur was quiet a moment. "Eye promise."

Rushing slightly down the stairs, thinking of her husband's tendency towards impulsivity, Fleur ran back outside to walk the boys back towards the cottage. She sighed when she saw them coming quietly, civilly, Bill's wand in his hand but not pointed at anyone.

Stepping in between Ron and Malfoy, Fleur eyed them for injuries. "Are 'ou two alright?"

Ron nodded, swallowed thickly. "I think it's just Hermione, Bellatrix-" Ron stopped, eyed Malfoy a moment. "Bellatrix tortured her."

A sadness fell over Fleur's features. "Eye see." She narrowed her eyes at Malfoy, reaching her hand towards the back of his head. "Ez zat blood?"

"Oh-I forgot," he said quietly, pressing two fingers gently into the wound, wincing when they came back red.

Fleur sighed, grabbing his elbow and pulling him ahead of the others. "Come. Eye will fix 'ou."

"Is Hermione alright?" He paused. "I mean, considering?"

"She will live," Fleur said, her voice hard. She turned around, checking to see if Bill and Ron were still in earshot, then turned to Malfoy conspiratorially, whispering, "'Ou are in love, no?"

Malfoy's face went pink. "How-"

"Eye am not an idiot," she said, lips curling into a small smile. "Et ez good to see love now, when life ez so dark…" She paused, and with a hint of sarcasm, said, "'Elcome to ze revolution."

Malfoy half-grinned, letting out a small huff of air that could be interpreted as a laugh. He was sitting at the kitchen table, Fleur patching up his head, when she noticed his hands-bleeding from crescent-moon shaped cuts in his palms from where his nails had dug in-and smacked the back of his shoulder.

"What ez zis?" she asked angrily, grabbing his wrist and holding up his hand. "Do 'ou 'ave any other injuries 'ou are 'iding?"

"No, sorry, I for-"

"Forgot." Fleur tsked. "Don't let love make 'ou stupid."

Malfoy's face grew hot as he looked down at the wood grain of the table, avoiding Fleur's strange, mother-like glare. Bill and Ron walked in as the last of her spell closed up the cuts on his hands, Bill sitting across from Malfoy and staring hard.

"You're going to explain to me why you're here, and if I think for one moment that you're lying, I'm calling the order to come deal with you."

Malfoy's jaw tightened.

"Don't be so 'ard on 'im," Fleur chastised, "'e ez just a boy."

"He's the boy that let Death Eaters into Hogwarts, if you remember correctly," Bill said coldly.

Malfoy sighed, looking up from the table to meet Bill's stare. He decided it was better to be blunt and, with a quick glance of encouragement from Fleur, he said, "I'm in love."

Bill's face crumpled, first in confusion, then in laughter. "No, really, why're you here."

The residual warmth from Fleur's teasing grew on Malfoy's face. "I'm serious," he said clearly, though quiet, avoiding the heat of Ron's stare, now, from behind Bill. "I'm in love with Hermione."

Bill opened his mouth-as if to integrate further-but Harry came in, at that moment, looking sullen and numb, ignoring everything that was going on and walking right up to Bill.

"Do you have a shovel I can use?" he asked in a flat voice. Bill nodded, cast one last look at Malfoy, then left. Never had Malfoy been so thankful for Harry's presence.

Malfoy stood up, looked at Fleur, and said, "Can I-" He paused, the weight of Ron's stare still on him. His eyes flicked over to Weasley before settling back on Fleur. "-can we see Hermione?"

Fleur nodded, leading them up to the room. Although fitfully, she was sleeping. Malfoy sighed, pulling a chair up so he could clutch at her hand. Ron sat at the foot of the bed, watching him still, as Fleur gave them some privacy.

"I doubted it, before," Ron said quietly, "your intentions."

Malfoy looked up, face going blank, guarded. He said nothing, waiting for Ron to explain himself.

"But now-" Ron paused, let out something like a bitter laugh. "Now it's pretty obvious." He swallowed. "Sorry I was a shite to you about everything."

Malfoy shook his head. "I didn't make it any easier on you, mate."

Ron snorted, jerking his head in a nod. "Yeah, I guess that's right." He looked at Hermione's form, somewhat less fitful now that Malfoy was holding her hand. "I suppose I'll put up with your ugly mug, though, if it makes her happy."

"I appreciate that," Malfoy said carefully, realizing that he had passed a threshold from purposeful taunting to casual teasing.

Ron let out a breath as he stood up, turning away as he rubbed his neck. "I'm off to see if Harry's alright, then. And I'll make sure Bill leaves you alone, he's just paranoid."

Malfoy nodded, the two boys sharing a tense, somewhat awkward half-smile as Ron left, gently shutting the door behind him.

Malfoy sighed, reaching out a hand to rest on Hermione's cheek, eyes hardening as he saw the blood start to seep through her bandages. Mudblood.

It had been his aunt that had done this-inside his own house. And he had been powerless to stop it. He closed his eyes, leaning forward to rest his forehead on their clasped hands.

He would give anything to reverse their places, to take her pain for himself. But he couldn't do that. All he could do was sit and hold her hand while a rotting sense of guilt built up inside his gut.

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Hermione started when she woke up, then relaxed as she realized the head resting on her abdomen was Malfoy's. She traced her finger down the bridge of his nose, delighting in the way his eyelids fluttered open.

"There's a whole other side to this bed, you know," she said softly.

He smirked at her. "I thought I'd avoid giving your friends a heart attack."

Hermione smiled back, for a moment, before a deep crease formed between her eyebrows, and she made an effort to sit up.

"Woah, slow down there Granger," Malfoy warned. "You're going to hurt yourself."

Hermione frowned at him. "I'm fine, honestly, just needed a rest." She made to sit up again, and though she wobbled, she stayed up, pushing herself up to rest her back against the headboard. Closing her eyes as she inhaled deeply, she swung her legs over the side of the bed when she opened them, and tried to stand.

"Hermione, you need to rest-" Malfoy hissed, though her glare cut her off.

"I said I'm fine." She paused. "Although, if you're really concerned, you can help me find Ron and Harry. I need to talk to them."

Malfoy stood up, holding out his hands. "Why don't I bring them to you?"

Lips pressed tightly together, Hermione shook her head. "No, I need to get moving, I need to get ready in case we need to leave-"

"Which is why you should be resting," Malfoy said coldly, pushing her back onto the bed. "If you overexert yourself, you'll only get worse." He paused. "You know that."

Hermione scrunched her nose in annoyance. "Fine."

And so Malfoy walked the halls of the cottage, alone and slightly afraid for the first time, looking for Potter and Weasley.

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Word Count: 3,201

I skipped a lot of events from the seventh book because there isn't a lot of room for Dramione to happen. I didn't want to slap in useless scenes from the book that you've (probably) already read.

This fic was intended as a one-shot, originally, so I don't really have an alternative plotline or anything like that. I'm just going to touch on important scenes from the books and insert Dramione into them. This chapter breaks off from canon more so than the others.

P.S. for the plot from the books to work: Narcissa takes Draco's wand (and thus the power of the Elder wand or whatever) and Harry disarms Narcissa (thus taking the power of the Elder wand or whatever).

I'm thinking there's going to be 2-3 more chapters? Not sure yet. I have everything planned out, I just don't know how long certain scenes are going to get.

Anyway, I love all of you, and I hope you liked this update from nowhere.

Until next time,

-GG222