"Hey Draco!" Pansy called from the compartment I was passing by, I stopped and slid open the door before stepping inside. Blaise nodded towards me, he was sitting beside Pansy next to the window with a book open, resting on his knee.

"Hey mate." Theo greeted me and slid over so I could sit next to him. "How was your summer? You were pretty quiet."

"Yeah, sorry. A lot going on." I said avoiding eye contact with everyone.

"Draco, I'm sorry about your father. Is the Ministry giving you a hard time?" Pansy asked.

"No. They were monitoring the house during the trial but they've gone now. The Dark Lord moved in, along with my lunatic aunt, her husband, his brother and some others." I spilled it all to them. I honestly needed to tell someone and I knew I couldn't tell Granger.

"Woah! What? He is in your house? Like actually living there?" Theo shifted so he was facing me, Blaise had shut his book and Pansy was staring at me wide-eyed.

"Well he comes and goes. He...he killed the Muggle Studies professor." I said in a quiet voice looking them all in the eye for the first time.

Pansy nodded, "I overheard my father telling my uncle."

That's right, Pansy's father had been there, Theo's too. I looked at Theo to see if he heard the news.

"My father doesn't tell me shit, you know that." Theo said, "I'm sorry mate, were you there?"

"Yes. It happened right in the dining room. I've been sick to my stomach ever since. He had that bloody snake…" I trailed off, I couldn't bring myself to finish that sentence. "He is punishing us. My father failed him, and now he is punishing us. My aunt is no help, she's in love with him, it's sickening. You know, I grew up hearing about how the Dark Lord is great, how he is powerful and how he was going to make the world better for us. I just...Merlin, I don't want this." My breathing became shaky and I was trying to get control of myself. I leaned back against the wall and pinched the bridge of my nose.

"He's ordered you to do something." Blaise said from his corner.

"Yes." I breathed.

"What is it, Draco?" Theo asked innocently.

I shook my head. No. I couldn't tell them. That was too much. I didn't want to put them in danger like that. "I can't tell you. It's not safe." I said opening my eyes and leaning forward.

"Let us help you Draco." Pansy said taking my hands. I squeezed them and shook my head, letting them go.

"Don't worry. I'll be fine." I gave her a weak smile. Theo and Blaise exchanged a look that I chose to ignore. "I'm going to try and get some sleep before we arrive, okay." I said, everyone nodded. I leaned back against the side of the compartment and closed my eyes.

xxx

I was in the library that evening. We had just gotten out of the Great Hall. After a grim speech by Dumbledore, I needed to be in my comfort space before heading to the common room. The train ride was unnerving. Harry was so convinced that Draco had become a Death Eater. Well something about Draco was definitely off. He had the same panicked look on his face as he did when we met up in Diagon Alley. I honestly didn't know where to start when I saw him. I tried to catch his eye in the Great Hall but he was sitting with his head in his hand, seemingly contemplating things far beyond which dessert he was going to have.

"Psst." A voice came from behind the shelf. I took off one of the books and jumped back as I saw Malfoy's face behind it, peering at me from the otherside.

"Draco, what are you doing?" I hissed as he started to walk around the shelf to join me.

He walked rapidly towards me, "I just need-", he cut off and wrapped his arms around me, burying his face in my hair and breathing in deeply. He started to slightly shake and he gripped me tighter. I put my arms around him and patted his back.

"Draco?" I asked quietly.

"One more minute please." He said and I tucked my face into his shoulder. He pulled back after what I am sure was five minutes and wiped his hand across his face as if to brush away any tears.

"What happened, Draco?" I held him at arm's length, trying to catch his eyes.

"When?" He asked, shrugging away my touch and glancing up at the shelf.

"This summer? Just tell me what happened?" I stepped in front of him.

He looked down at me, "What about your no personal details rule?"

"To hell with the rules Draco." I said furiously, crossing my arms.

"A lot of shitty things Granger. I really don't want to get into them, nor can I even talk about them with you." He backed up until his back hit the opposite shelf.

"What's that supposed to mean?" I asked, when he said nothing I tried again, "In Diagon Alley you told me to be careful and to watch my back. What am I in danger of Draco?"

"Oh come off it Hermione, you know it's dangerous." He flung his hands up, his voice getting louder. "I know my psycho aunt paid all of you a visit this summer. You could have been killed there, at Weasley's do you realize that?" He charged towards me again and grabbed my arms, "Our world isn't safe anymore, you aren't safe."

"I'm at Hogwarts, I am perfectly safe." I tried to assure him but he shook his head, "And your aunt wasn't after me, she was taunting Harry."

"Oh please Hermione, you're smarter than that." He said with a sardonic tone and stepped back, "You know my family hates muggles. It's not like she would have hesitated if you were standing in front of her."

I breathed in sharply at the way he was speaking of death so casually. "Draco, I need to ask you something." I said, trying to keep my voice calm. He looked at me. His expression turned from anger to sadness quickly. He shook his head.

"You once told me that you weren't a Death Eater, that you didn't subscribe to their values anymore. I need to know if that is still true." I said reaching out to him.

He shook me off. "Granger, I-"

"Just tell me," I pressed, "are the words you said last year still true?"

After several moments of thought he whispered a faint, "Yes." He swallowed, "Yes, it is true, but life is more complicated now. The world is darker." He stepped forward and took my hands in his and squeezed them tight. "I didn't get the dark mark." He told me, and I nodded.

"Okay. That's all I need to know." I replied, there was so much more I wanted to ask, but I knew it would take time to get it all out of him.

I pressed upwards until my lips touched his. He hesitated at first but then slowly pressed his lips into mine. He let go of my hands and wrapped one arm around me pulling my body until it was flushed against his. His other hand dove into my hair, pulling my head closer and deepening our kiss. I wrapped my arms around his neck.

He moved us towards the stone wall between the cases. I emitted a moan as his tongue swiped across my lips. He groaned in return as I opened my mouth to let him in. In an instant, his hands dropped and took hold of my thighs pulling me up so I had no choice but to wrap my legs around his waist to stabilize us. My skirt bunched up, I could feel my left stocking slipping down. His left hand was holding me up, pressed into my bare thigh beneath my skirt, it was the first time I had ever felt his hands on my skin like that.

His mouth started to trail down my jaw onto my neck. With one hand I loosened my tie and undid the top buttons to give him better access. He flashed me a smile and pressed his lips on that sensitive part of my skin, causing me to moan.

"Gods I've missed you." He said against my skin, "I've missed your soft skin and the way your kisses taste." I moaned some more, I was definitely feeling wetness in my knickers, that sensation took away from any worry I might have had over someone hearing me. "And your moans, yes, I think I missed those most of all Granger." He nipped at my skin a little, not hard enough to leave a mark but just the right amount that I moaned again. I pressed my mouth into his shoulder as I did to hopefully drown out the noise. "Did you miss me?" He asked as he kissed my mouth again. I nodded, not being able to get my brain to form the words. He chuckled. "Your skin is so soft Granger, even right here" He moved his thumb that was under my skirt across my arse and I gasped and squirmed. He gripped my legs tighter, keeping me in place.

"That tickles." I murmured against his lips.

"What this?" He asked and did it again. I swatted his shoulder and he laughed in my ear. He gently lowered me to the ground, helping to straighten my skirt out.

I bent down to pull my stocking up and only then did I notice how tall he had gotten since June.

"What?" He asked, catching me staring at him, his face had more colour in it then I had seen recently.

"You got taller." I commented.

"Yes, it seems so." He grinned at me. He stepped forward and smoothed out my hair with his hands. "Did you really miss me Granger?" He asked, looking down at me.

"Yes." I said, offering him a smile. While I did try my best to forget what his kisses did to me, and after the encounter with his aunt and all of the letters with missing information in them this summer I decided it was a good idea not to continue this illicit affair, but, my heart won out over my mind...or rather my body did. Why did it feel so strongly towards him, of all people.

"Good." He replied and brushed a soft kiss against my lips, his hands cupping my face. "We should probably get to bed." He said.

I nodded in agreement and went to gather my things. I offered a small wave and smile before departing the library.

xxx

I watched her walk out of the library, her curls bouncing as she went. I closed my eyes and focused, finding the vault inside my mind that I stored all these memories in. I open it and deposit our encounter inside, locking the vault, closing the door, sealing up the wall. I let out a deep breath and walked out of the library, book in hand. She didn't seem to see it, thank Merlin, but I would need to be more careful next time. I knew it was only a matter of time before she would come for answers to her questions and wouldn't be so easily distracted as she was this time.