I own nothing but the plot. And to those who reviewed, I thank you.


October 17th, 1998

"Wait," said Bellatrix sharply. "All except… except for the Mudblood."

Greyback gave a grunt of pleasure.

"No!" shouted Ron. "You can have me, keep me!"

Bellatrix hit him across the face; the blow echoed around the room.

"If she dies under questioning, I'll take you next," she said. "Blood traitor is next to Mudblood in my book. Take them downstairs, Greyback, and make sure they are secure, but do nothing more to them – yet."

She threw Greyback's wand back to him, then took a short silver knife from under her robes. She cut Hermione free from other prisoners, then dragged her by the hair into the middle of the room while Greyback forced the rest of them to shuffle across to another door and into a dark passageway.

Hermione trembled, pure, undulating fear rolling through her as she was forced to her knees on the drawing room floor, looking up with wide eyes as Bellatrix advanced upon her, knife held out. Hermione screamed as the blade was dug into her forearm, blood welling before spilling across her skin.

"I'm going to ask you again! Where did you get this sword? Where?" Bellatrix was livid, sparks emanating from her wand, the witch dragging the blade down Hermione's arm once more, drawing more blood as she carved at her.

"We found it – we found it – PLEASE!" Hermione screamed.

"You are lying, filthy Mudblood, and I know it! You have been inside my vault at Gringotts! Tell the truth, tell the truth!" spit flew from Bellatrix's lips, hair wild, knife dragging deeper, the silver blade disappearing into red. Hermione screamed worse than ever, falling onto her back on the floor, Bellatrix wasting no time in straddling her, knife slashing again.

"What else did you take? What else have you got? Tell me the truth or I, I swear, I shall run you through with this knife!"

"Please…" Hermione sobbed, writhing as she tried to escape, pleading.

"What else did you take, what else? ANSWER ME! CRUCIO!"

Hermione's screams echoed off the walls as she convulsed, blinding pain ripping through her as the Unforgivable hit her.

"How did you get into my vault? Bellatrix screamed. "Did that dirty little goblin in the cellar help you?"

"We only met him tonight!" Hermione sobbed. "We've never been inside your vault… it isn't the real sword! It's a copy, just a copy!"

"A copy? Screeched Bellatrix. "Oh, a likely story!"

"But we can find out easily!" came Lucius's voice. "Draco, fetch the goblin, he can tell us whether the sword is real or not!"

Draco Malfoy bolted upright, his chest heaving as he gasped for air. The nightmare lingered with him, memories replaying when he slept, leaving him on edge. The emerald sheets of his bed fell to his waist, his bare chest drenched with sweat. Reaching up, he ran his fingers through his tousled blonde hair, jaw working as he clenched and relaxed. His throat felt sore, and he knew he'd been yelling in his sleep, screaming the words that he never previously uttered.

Slumping back into the pillows, he let out a frustrated grunt before allowing himself to succumb to slumber once more.


"I'm so glad to see you!" Hermione cried out as she wrapped Harry in a tight hug. The Boy Who Lived had been waiting for her at the gates to the grounds, having somehow got word about the first Hogsmede trip of the year.

"Missed you too, Hermione," Harry gripped her tight, hugging his best friend tight. He had definitely missed her, and Ginny, but he didn't regret not going back to school. Even now, he couldn't bring himself to walk through the gates, or to see the castle. After everything in the war, he didn't think he would ever be able to set foot past the front doors. Giving Hermione another squeeze, he muttered softly into her hair, "Ron's waiting in Hogsmede already."

Nodding, Hermione reluctantly released Harry from her tight embrace, only for Ginny to take over, the redhead throwing herself at him. Giving a soft laugh, Harry spun the younger witch a few times before setting her down, lacing his fingers through hers and throwing his other arm around Hermione's shoulders, content to escort the two women into the village.

Hermione barely listened to the chatters as the pair caught up, too busy focussing on the fluttering in her stomach that started when she realised that Ron was waiting. They hadn't really spoken much since term started, an owl here or there but nothing beyond pleasantries. If she was honest with herself, this wasn't what she had ever expected from a relationship, but they were meant to be together. Everything over the years had built to this, it was just the timing that was poor.

The trio made their way into the warmth of the Three Broomsticks, Harry guiding them through the crowded pub. Hermione was pulled from her thoughts when Harry nudged her side gently. Blinking a few times, Hermione stumbled over her own feet but was caught quickly by a pair of strong arms. Tilting her head to look up, she caught sight of the freckled face of her boyfriend

"Falling for me again huh, 'Mione?" Ron grinned at her, leaning down to press a sloppy kiss to her lips. Letting it go for a few moments, Hermione shifted her hands to his chest and pushed gently, her cheeks flaming with a blush from the public intimacy.

"Ron, not here…" Hermione tried to step away, blushing deeper as Ron's hands wandered along her body, sliding down to cup her ass, groping through her casual jeans.

"Oh loosen up 'Mione," Ron groused, but he did guide her into a chair, quickly taking the seat next to her, his arm draped possessively around her shoulders. Harry and Ginny took the seats opposite them, four butterbeers quickly appearing on the table between them. Reaching for her drink, Hermione took a sip and let the soothing, warm liquid fill her as she listened to the chatter back and forth, Harry and Ron filling them in on their recent adventures – renovating Grimmauld place – and Ginny rambled about school, classes and general gossip. She chimed in now and then with her own additions until the conversation turned to the upcoming quidditch match. Gryffindor were playing Slytherin to start off the season, and it would be Ginny's debut as captain.

"… Malfoy seems to be training a lot, though Hermione would know better since she shares a dorm with him," Ginny mused, the male name that fell from her lips ripping Hermione back to reality. She hadn't put in any of her letters who she shared the Head dormitory with, and by the sharp grip Ron now had on her shoulder and the complete silence around the table, she knew she'd been right to leave that information out.

"I'm sorry, what?" Ron's voice was low and deadly, ire evident in his tone. "You're sharing a room with who?"

"I don't share a room with him per-say… just the common room," Hermione shifted uncomfortably, her gaze locked on her almost empty tankard of butterbeer.

"You share. With a Death Eater," Ron was furious, his volume slowly raising, hand gripping Hermione's shoulder tight as he shifted to look at her. Ginny for her part was sitting back sheepishly, having realised that she put her foot well and truly in it this time, and Harry sat surprisingly quiet, though there was a pensive look upon his face.

"He wasn't charged as a Death Eater and honestly we barely bother each other. He sits and studies or is out training, that's it. We've worked together a few times to make the rosters for the prefects and that's it! Honestly, Ron, it's fine," Hermione shifted back in her chair, trying to put a bit of distance between herself and the volatile redhead. She wasn't sure why the first words out of her mouth were defending Malfoy, but she truly believed them, and believed that the blonde wasn't who they thought he was, at least not anymore. With the weight of the war lifted off of their shoulders, she was impressed by how dedicated to study he seemed to be, and he hadn't once mentioned blood status since they began sharing.

"Why are you defending him? HE'S A DEATH EATER!" Ron was shouting now, his hands coming down to grip Hermione's biceps roughly, shaking her slightly as he lost his temper.

"He was forced into it and cleared of charges! You were there! He's not a problem!" Hermione's voice trembled as Ron shook her, a flicker of fear in her brown eyes.

"STOP DEFENDING HIM! HE WAS THERE! HE TORTURED YOU!" Ron was on his feet, the attention of the whole pub on him.

"Ron, stop it. You're hurting me," Hermione tried to put some steel into her voice, pulling away again even as he gripped her arms. She didn't know if that phrase worked or it was just coincidence, but he released her, pushing himself back from the table and knocking his chair fully over.

"I can't believe you. I can't believe you're defending that scum. You're moving back into Gryffindor tower, I won't have you around Death Eaters," Ron had stopped yelling at least, not that he needed to as the entire pub remained silent, eyes locked on the spat. Storming off, Ron pushed a few younger students out of the way as he made his way to the steps at the back of the pub, stomping up the stairs, his footsteps heard along the floorboards until a distant door slam was heard.

Trembling, Hermione sank back into her seat and conversation slowly resumed around them. Ginny cast her an apologetic look as Harry leaned forwards, his larger hands coming to rest over one of hers.

"I can't say I'm happy about it either, after all the crap over the last few years but I trust that you know what you're doing and if you say he's fine… then he's fine. McGonagall wouldn't have let him into the castle if he was still dangerous. Just… promise me you'll be careful?" Harry's green eyes swam with worry, but he knew that if anyone could look after themselves, it was the witch in front of him. "I'll talk to Ron later, when he's had a chance to cool down. We're staying here for a couple of nights."

Hermione just nodded, not trusting herself to speak right now. Conversation slowly started to flow again between Harry and Ginny, the pair trying to draw her back into conversation, but she couldn't find herself getting into the mood anymore. Finishing off her drink, Hermione slowly stood from the table and pulled her jacket around herself.

"You two have fun… I think I'm going to go back to the castle, I've… I've got a lot of homework to do," Hermione mumbled, hating that she wasn't her usual, confident self, and hating that Ron had stolen her control with that outburst. Slipping from the pub, she bumped against Lavender Brown as the other witch entered, earning herself a wicked glare.

"Watch where you're going, Granger. Some of us have dates to go to," Lavender snarled, shoving against Hermione before pushing through into the crowded pub, disappearing from view, the top of her head appearing again a moment later, disappearing up the stairs to the rooms above.

Shaking her head, Hermione drew her cloak tighter around herself before making her way back to the castle. Her walk back was brisk, no one around to interrupt her, or no one who wanted to interrupt her. She barely noticed anyway, lost in her own thoughts as she trekked back based on memory alone, Ron's words about forbidding her to stay in the Head dormitory echoing in her mind. She barely registered as her feet carried her to the portrait guarding the common room, having made her way back to where she was meant to be.

She couldn't believe that he had tried to forbid her from doing anything, she was her own person, and not his property to boss around. She wouldn't stand for it, she wasn't just some helpless female. For all Ron went on about being a war hero, she was a war heroine and was just as heavily involved as the boys. Giving the password (astrum) she stepped through the portrait and into the welcoming warmth of the common room. Glancing around, she admired the neutral, warm tones, no house loyalties visible in the common area. A frustrated groan gathered her attention, and she turned towards the sound.

Malfoy was haunched over his desk, books and parchment strewn about, a small cauldron resting on it as vials of ingredients cluttered the surface. His shirtsleeves were still down to his wrists, though the top few buttons were undone. A small, silver knife rested against the desk amongst a pile of mangled sopophorous beans.

"You should try crushing it with the flat of your blade, rather than cutting…" Hermione didn't know why she was giving him this advice, she didn't even know what potion he was making. None of their recent homework required sopophorous beans, or brewing after class.

Blinking a few times, Malfoy looked up at her, a surprised look crossing his face before he pulled a fresh bean closer, gripping his knife before doing as she suggested, laying the flat of the blade against the bean and pushing down with his palm. His eyes widened as the bean resisted before bursting, crushing after the blade and releasing a gush of liquid.

"Thanks, Granger," he scooped up the bean and it's juice, pouring the lot into the slowly bubbling potion, grabbing a quill a moment later to scrawl down the successful method. Pushing back from the desk, he stood and stretched, turning a moment later to look properly at the witch. Frowning, he noticed the dishevelled state of her clothing, and a sad look in her chocolate brown eyes. "Are you okay, Granger?"

Hermione didn't answer, the concern in his voice enough to push her over the edge, tears welling in her eyes. Turning on her heel, she ran up the stairs, disappearing into her room before the tears could spill out, leaving Malfoy standing alone.