A/N: Once again, I am terrible about replying to comments. Please don't think I'm ignoring you! I truly do read and appreciate each and every one of them. Thank you for leaving me love!
AlphaBet appreciation to BiscuitsForPotter and DisenchantedGlow as always! They work so hard and help me get better every day.
It was a funny thing, being in love. Around them, the world seemed to crumble and darken with each passing day, but for Draco and Granger, things were light. They were happy. Blissfully so. Though they had both experienced terrible loss in the recent months, things didn't seem so bad. They had each other, and that was enough to keep even the most crushing darkness at bay.
At least for now.
In the wake of his father's death, Draco was placed on bereavement leave for the Order. He was given no missions as a courtesy so that he could grieve properly.
Granger was also on leave due to her recent brush with death. While the Order investigated whether she was still a target, she was to remain on the sidelines.
Two weeks. That's how long both of them would be together at headquarters without official assignments.
While Draco was as happy as a niffler in gold to just spend his days focusing on his new relationship, Granger quickly went a little stir crazy being sidelined. Though she wasn't allowed to go on any missions, that didn't stop her from trying to do everything she could to help the Order from Headquarters. They spent their days brewing plenty of antidotes in case there was another attack. Although they hoped that it would be unnecessary, in the first week of their leave they managed to brew eighty portions.
While they enjoyed leisurely days at Headquarters, it seemed that the Order was busier than ever. With the recent attacks on safe houses, everyone was continuously on assignment. Granger seemed to be wracked with guilt about not being able to help. She was constantly asking other people what was happening on missions and what news they had of the war. Draco wondered if she'd allowed herself to have even a day to rest since the war began. He did his best to help her with the potions so that she felt like she was contributing to the war effort.
There was very little opportunity for Granger to ask people about their missions though. With most of its typical occupants away, Headquarters was often quiet. The few others that were stationed there spent most of their down time sleeping or resting in their respective rooms. All of the news they received came from the weekly Order meetings and the occasional passing through of Potter or Ginny, who were always willing to share what they knew with Granger in private.
Draco and Granger spent their nights wrapped around each other. Now that they had confessed their feelings, everything else they'd been holding back seemed to spill out. In the darkness, late at night after the house was quiet, they opened up to one another as they never had before. Draco talked about his father and the conflicting feelings surrounding his death. He talked about his mother and his hopes for her safety.
Granger told him more about her own parents, too. About her fears of never seeing them again, or worse, seeing them but them not knowing her. To have them look at her as if looking at a stranger.
With each passing day, Draco felt himself grow closer and closer to her. He hoped that they would continue to be stationed together, but was sure that the time was rapidly approaching that they would be separated at least for a brief time.
Late in May, Bill burst into the kitchen during dinner to announce that Fleur had given birth. A girl named Victoire. Draco hoped that the name would be a good omen for their fate in the war.
The occupants at headquarters had joined Bill in a toast before he bid them all goodbye with the promise of bringing the baby and Fleur to visit as soon as they were fit to travel.
Granger was practically giddy all evening. Draco wondered once again if she ever wanted to have children. She'd evaded the question when it had come up that day in London all those months ago when he'd been on her protective detail, but perhaps she just hadn't been comfortable enough to talk to him about it then. It was rather personal, now that Draco thought about it.
For the first time, maybe in his entire life, he thought about the possibility of having children. He had always assumed that if he ever became a father, it would be out of a sense of duty. A necessary action taken to secure the future of the Malfoy line. But now, with Granger, he could, for the first time, imagine a future built not on duty, but on love.
But it was much too soon to have those kinds of thoughts.
The days passed in a haze of sex, cuddling, and laughter, and soon Draco and Granger had fallen into a peaceful routine. Draco found himself getting along with the other Order members more and more. He'd talked to most of them quite a bit, but now he found that he was genuinely enjoying their company. The days were warmer, which enabled him to play Quidditch with whoever was around.
Granger always watched, just as she had during his probationary period. But now, instead of watching him suspiciously, she smiled at him, clapped for him when he scored, and bit her lip with a smirk when he lifted up the front of his t-shirt to wipe the sweat from his brow.
Draco had come to know Granger in a way he had never known another person in his life. In their days together, he quickly noticed dozens of little details about her that he had never imagined.
Granger loved to cuddle. Her favorite place to be was tucked into his side under his arm, her head resting on his chest with her arm draped over him. It seemed at times that she just couldn't get close enough to him, always nestling closer and snaking a leg over his under the covers.
She was also adorably affectionate. Her fingers never stopped roaming, tracing gentle patterns over his chest, arms, neck, or face. Wherever she could reach. When they were alone, she kissed him freely and often. Sometimes, as he held her, her face buried in his chest, her lips would dart out and press against his skin, as if it had just been a bit too long since she'd kissed him anywhere.
Draco wondered if anyone else had ever seen this side of Granger before, if perhaps he knew her in a way that no one else did. With chagrin, he considered that Weasley may have been granted similar treatment at one time. But then again, Draco had never seen Granger look at Weasley the way she looked at him. Happy, relaxed, adoring. As if he could chase away all of her worries if he only held her in his arms.
Despite his lingering grief over Pansy, William, and his father; the war raging on around them, and the occasional news of an unsuccessful Order mission, they were happy. It was easy to forget about all of that when Granger was pressed against him, her fingers and lips dancing lightly over his skin.
That wasn't to say that he had moved past everything he'd done, of course. He still woke gasping, seeing William's dead eyes in his dreams. He still tossed and turned with thoughts of all the ways he'd disappointed his father. He still saw Pansy's terrified face when she realized her wand wouldn't work as he drifted off to sleep each night.
But each time, Granger was there to soothe his mind and hold his hand as his racing heart returned to normal. Sometimes she asked what was bothering him, but she never pressed if he didn't want to say. She merely sat next to him without judgement, listening when he needed, distracting him occasionally, or just being with him.
Although Potter had discovered them together the morning Lucius had died, no one else in the Order seemed to know that Draco and Granger were seeing each other. Ginny certainly had her suspicions, but she was frequently stationed elsewhere or away on missions. But whenever she was around, she always seemed to be watching them, as if hoping to catch a glimpse of their hidden romance.
Ginny's chances to catch them rapidly decreased as their two weeks of leave came to an end. That didn't stop her from trying, though. The table was more crowded than usual on the last night of leave, as the next day would bring another Order meeting. Several members returned to headquarters that night, not only including Ginny, but Potter and Dean as well.
Ginny sat across from Draco, her eyes darting between him and Granger as she took small bites of her roasted vegetables. Potter and Dean were chatting about a recent mission they'd gone on together when the door opened with a bang.
George entered the room carrying an armful of liquor bottles. "New stash, ladies and gents!" His boisterous voice cut across all other conversations. He placed the bottles on the table and then danced to the cabinets to fetch some glasses. Angelina followed after him with a smile and sat down at the end of the table.
Lee trailed behind them laughing. "Don't drink it all tonight, George. It's supposed to last!"
George placed eight glasses on the table and sat down on the other side of Granger. "It will. But I see no reason why we can't partake in a little friendly drinking game to blow off some steam."
"Drinking game?" Granger raised an eyebrow, the corners of her lips turned down. "What kind of drinking game?"
George wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into him playfully. "Nothing to worry about Hermione. Just a little game of 'I Never.'"
Potter bristled. "Nothing confidential," he ordered, reaching for a glass. "That means nothing that could reveal anything anyone has had to do on missions or might currently be working on."
"Very well." George grinned. "Embarrassing personal stuff it is!"
"I'm not sure I want to play," Granger huffed, taking a bite of her chicken.
"Nonsense! You might as well play while you're eating. Scared we'll learn too much about you?" Lee pulled up a chair to the head of the table between Draco and Ginny.
"Fine." Granger reached for a glass with a roll of her eyes.
Feeling apprehensive, Draco joined the others in pouring himself a firewhisky.
"We'll start easy." George tilted his head thoughtfully. "I never… got caught skipping class."
Lee took a swig of his drink.
Everyone looked at Granger. It was her turn next. Draco watched as she bit the inside of her cheek for a moment and he wondered if she was as nervous as he was. How much was she willing to divulge to this little group? Still, she took long enough considering her contribution.
"I never cheated on an exam," Granger said finally. George took a sip with a grin and the group turned to Draco.
He cleared his throat, careful not to reveal too much. "I never kissed a Ravenclaw."
Potter, Ginny, Lee, and George all drank.
"I never snogged someone on the night of the Yule Ball," said Lee.
At this, Draco had to drink, thinking miserably of Pansy. He was surprised to see Granger drink too, as well as Ginny, George, Angelina, and Dean.
He looked at Granger in surprise. "Really?"
She blushed and nodded.
"You and Krum? I never would have thought." Draco arched an eyebrow at her with a smirk.
She just shrugged, grinning as she turned back to her glass.
Ginny smirked at him wickedly at her turn, and Draco could practically see the wheels turning in her mind. He sent her a withering glare.
"I never had a fuck buddy," Ginny said with a smirk.
"Thank Merlin," George exasperated to the heavens.
Draco internally sighed in relief. He would not have to drink for this one. He was surprised to see, however, that Granger was the only one who drank for that round. No one else seemed particularly shocked though. But George and Ginny both grimaced.
"Ugh, I always forget about you and Ron." Ginny made a fake vomiting noise.
Granger flushed, but said nothing.
Fuck buddies? Draco had always assumed that Granger and Weasley had been dating. Not that he really cared what their official distinction was, as long as it was over.
It was Potter's turn next and he turned mischievous green eyes onto George. "I never tried to flirt with McGonagall to get my grade boosted."
"Oh, no fair!" George protested, but drank heartily as everyone laughed.
Dean had trouble thinking of one, but after a moment of silence, his eyes danced around the room and he shrugged. "I never shagged anyone at this table."
Ginny and Potter drank immediately, sharing grins. George and Angelina clinked their glasses together before taking healthy swigs.
Draco glanced at Granger. Her face had gone white and her eyes darted to his as if questioning if they should be honest or not. Draco smirked at her and shrugged. Why not?
With a smile and her cheeks flushing, Granger took a swig and Draco followed suit.
Dean's jaw dropped and George pounded his fist on the table in surprise.
"I knew it!" Ginny exclaimed over the sound of Lee whooping.
Granger buried her face in her hands and Draco was sure that his ears had gone scarlet with embarrassment.
Potter seemed almost as uncomfortable as Draco was, his cheeks tinged pink. Draco stared at the table, pretending to be very interested in his vegetables as everyone began asking questions.
"When did this start?"
"You two?"
"Really?"
"How?"
"Well, this has been fun," Granger said loudly, cutting everyone off. "But I'm tired. I think I'll head to bed."
"Yeah, I'll bet you're tired!" George goaded.
Hermione gave him the finger and then picked up her plate and took it to the sink. She turned back around, her honey eyes falling upon Draco with a mischievous glint. "Are you coming?"
Draco felt his face flush hot and red as everyone at the table turned to look at him with their mouths agape.
Stunned by her boldness, Draco cleared his throat. A slow smirk spread over his face as he rose from the table. "Not yet, Granger. But something tells me I will be soon enough."
Granger's cheeks flushed crimson as George and Ginny burst into raucous laughter.
Draco took his plate to the sink before turning to Granger. Her eyes were shining, and he couldn't help himself from reaching out and drawing her face to meet his in a searing, open-mouthed kiss.
The uproar from the table was a deafening array of wolf whistles, cheers, and laughs—and one miserable-sounding "Merlin's pants" from Potter.
Draco released her quickly, half expecting her to be angry by his obvious possessive claim on her. But she just smiled at him, one of her eyebrows twitching up in amusement.
"Goodnight, everyone." Her eyes barely left his as she offered a half-hearted wave to her friends at the table. And then she grabbed his hand and pulled him out of the kitchen, barely even giving him the chance to cast a wolfish grin at the people they left behind.
Draco loved waking up next to Granger. He loved pulling her body close to his and curling around her warmth, nestling his face against her mane of curls to press kisses to the shell of her ear or her neck.
The day after the drinking game was no different. Granger's body was soft and warm as he pulled her flush against him. His hand snaked around her to cup her breast possessively, and she moaned sleepily, inching herself backwards into his chest.
Her arse moved in a slow, deliberate circle, grinding against his cock in the most delicious way. Draco grinned and pulled her earlobe between his teeth.
She was nearly always randy in the morning, and Draco was all too happy to oblige her desires. He kneaded her breast gently, brushing his thumb over her nipple and feeling it pebble under his touch. When he gave it a playful pinch, he was rewarded with another roll of her hips against his groin.
He released her earlobe to drag his lips down the creamy column of her neck. "Didn't get enough last night?"
A breathy moan escaped her as his tongue darted out against the sensitive spot at the juncture of her shoulder. She tilted her head back to expose more of her neck to him and he took his time kissing, licking, and nipping at it as his fingers teased her nipples.
"Draco…" His name sighed out like a prayer from her lips. It sent a jolt straight to his cock, and he couldn't help bucking his hips against her arse.
Granger turned her head to the side, capturing his lips with hers in a tender kiss. As his hand left her breasts and dragged down her stomach to dip between her legs, she sighed into his mouth.
She was already wet for him, but he still couldn't resist dipping his fingers into her folds and teasing her clit until she was writhing. Wanton gasps and mewls filled the bedroom as he rutted against her backside and made fast circles against her with his fingers.
"Please," she moaned against his lips.
Draco withdrew his hand and gripped his cock to guide it to her dripping core. As he pushed into her velvety heat, her mouth opened wide with a blissful sigh. Her back arched to grant him more depth.
He saw stars, and allowed his hand to grip her hipbone as he drew back and pushed forward again. His thumb dug into her firm arse cheek as he set a steady pace.
Granger cried out with each thrust, her hands reaching forward to grab the sheets in fistfuls. Her hips rolled back with each languid thrust. The sight of her shapely arse pushing back, her gorgeous cunt swallowing him up, and her head turning to look at him over her shoulder nearly had him losing control much too early.
He dipped his head to press kisses against her shoulder as his hand returned to her breast.
Her hand met his, gripping him tight as they connected over and over again. Turning her head further, she caught his lips with hers, kissing him through her mewling cries.
"Fucking perfect," he grunted as they broke their kiss, his fingers pinching her pert nipples in the way he knew she liked.
He could feel her walls fluttering around him already. She was close. "Come on, Granger."
Her head tilted away from him, muffling her cries against the pillow.
"Need to feel you come apart."
Granger whimpered, her hips moving erratically against his.
"That's it," he coaxed, his voice low and harsh in her ear as he thrust into her harder and faster.
"Almost…" she breathed. It was almost a promise, a warning that he'd better hold on a minute longer.
Merlin, she was sexy. How he'd never noticed until so recently seemed like insanity. Even her unmanageable curls turned him on now. He was nearly there, but he'd be damned if he came before she did.
Changing his angle granted him new depth that made him groan. After only a few thrusts though, Granger stilled, her back curving into a graceful arc. A split second later, she was gasping as she found her release. Her legs quivered and her cunt clamped down on him.
With a grunt, he came too, spilling inside of her and sinking his teeth into her shoulder.
She stilled, her body slumping into the mattress with a contented sigh. Still buried inside of her, he peppered kisses along her neck, using one hand to turn her head to kiss her slowly.
"I fucking love you," he mumbled, his head still in the clouds.
Granger laughed. "I fucking love you, too."
He slipped from inside of her and rolled onto his back. After Granger had performed her typical cleaning and contraceptive spells, she curled into his side. "Our two week leave ends today."
A cold stone of worry settled in Draco's stomach. As if he needed reminding. After the meeting that afternoon, Kingsley would dole out safehouse assignments and it was likely that he and Granger would be separated. He couldn't find words, so he just pulled her closer to his chest and kissed her forehead. "I know."
"We might be separated."
Draco nodded.
With a sigh, Granger rested her hand on his chest and draped one of her legs over his.
Their relaxing vacation together would have to end some time, and if it could end today, Draco intended to spend every minute possible with her.
The Order meeting that day brought news of a small attack on a Muggle home two days prior. One Muggle man had been killed, but the Order was able to apprehend Jugson after a brief struggle. Two Death Eaters escaped. Other than that small event, there was no news of Death Eater activities. Apparently, it had been an uncharacteristically calm fortnight. The Order had been quite busy guarding important Ministry personnel, securing houses, and seeking intel about possible Death Eater activities. But the other side hadn't been as busy. At least not publicly.
Draco didn't know whether the lack of activity was a good sign or bad. His gut told him that the war was far from over. The Death Eaters had sustained losses in the past month, yes. But their numbers were still strong—much too strong to be easing up or going into hiding.
No. To Draco, this felt more like the calm before a storm. He could practically feel the wind picking up speed in the distance. Dark clouds loomed just over the horizon—just out of sight, swirling wind sending them towards the Order.
After the meeting, each Order member took his or her turn to meet with Shacklebolt individually regarding their assignment for the week. When Draco had first joined the Order, these assignments were read aloud at the end of each meeting, but since they couldn't be certain that they were completely secure, the list of assignments was now kept private.
After receiving his assignment, Draco grabbed a sandwich from the kitchen and sat down in a quiet corner of the sitting room. He hoped that Granger would find him after speaking with Shacklebolt.
He forced himself to eat, though each bite piled on top of the stone of worry in his stomach. Luckily, after only a few minutes, Granger entered the sitting room with a plate of food of her own and sat down next to him.
Draco looked around the room for anyone who might overhear. Several Order members were walking by, but none seemed to pay them any mind. Most were lost to their own conversations or well out of ear shot.
"Well?" He prompted quietly, leaning closer to her.
Granger glanced over her shoulder before turning back to him, her honey eyes wide with concern. "Longbottom house."
The cold stone of worry in Draco's stomach eased away, and a smile took over his face. "Me too."
Granger's eyes lit up. "Really?"
Draco nodded and leaned back in his chair to take another bit of his sandwich.
Grinning, Granger tucked into her plate of food as well.
Draco wouldn't delude himself into believing that they would never be separated, but he took comfort in the fact that it wouldn't happen this week.
The Longbottom house was larger than the Westenberg house was, with the upstairs corridors branching off from the stairs in three directions. For such a large house, it was rather quiet with only four people stationed there. While Longbottom typically stayed in the house, he had been sent on a mission in Scotland with Lovegood and would be gone for the next few weeks.
Cho was pleasant enough to be around, and although Seamus was typically in a foul mood, he seemed to be in better spirits these days. He didn't go out of his way to talk with his housemates, but seemed willing to contribute to conversations when prompted.
Although there were more than enough bedrooms for everyone, Draco and Granger were more than happy to claim a room together. Now that most of the Order seemed to know about them, they didn't feel the need to hide their relationship away.
It was another quiet week. None of them were called out on missions for the first four days. Draco and Cho spent their days flying in the garden. Granger read and brewed potions. Seamus cooked. He was a mediocre cook, but it was nice for the others to have a hot meal prepared for them.
Over the past month, Draco and Granger had brewed well over a hundred antidotes. There were emergency stores at every Order property. The majority of them were kept at headquarters, but Shacklebolt had insisted on no less than twenty portions being kept at each safe house as well in the event of an attack.
Several other security measures had also been put in place. Each Order member on sight had access to a Portkey in case they had to make a quick escape. And the ranking member would still be alerted if the first level of wards were breached.
Draco made sure to keep his Portkey with him at all times, and placed it on his nightstand with his wand each night. If they were attacked, he didn't want to be caught unprepared like he had been with Pansy.
Granger seemed to be equally cautious. He would sometimes catch her brushing her fingers over the outline of the small, wrapped button in her jeans pocket during the day. They never discussed their concerns, but it was comforting to Draco that she was staying vigilant.
On their fourth day at the Longbottom house, Cho—perhaps tired of Seamus' cooking—prepared a rather bland stew for the residents.
"Thanks for cooking, Cho," Granger chirped as she and Draco sat down at the table.
Cho waved a hand dismissively, and cast Granger a kind smile. "It's no trouble. To be honest, I don't think I could stomach another one of Seamus' dry, overcooked chickens."
"I heard that." Seamus scowled as he entered the room.
Cho blushed. "Sorry, Seamus."
"I know I'm not a great cook. Just thought I'd do something helpful." He helped himself to a bowl and sat down at the table.
"We appreciate it, Seamus," Granger piped up, a sheepish smile on her face.
Silence fell upon the table, tense and uncomfortable. They all ate quietly for several minutes before Seamus' head popped up and he looked in Draco's direction. "Hey, today's your birthday, right?"
Draco blinked. He had no idea what day it was. If he had forgotten his own birthday, how could Seamus have remembered? And how did he even know when Draco's birthday was to begin with?
"It's your birthday?" Granger's eyes were wide upon him, seemingly horrified at having nearly missed acknowledging it.
"Erm—Is today the fifth?" Draco asked.
Cho nodded.
Draco shrugged. "Then it's my birthday."
Granger's mouth fell open. "I—Well, we should celebrate!"
"I think there's a bottle of elf-made wine in the cupboard," Cho suggested as Granger rose to her feet. "How did you know?" she asked Seamus.
Seamus' shoulders lifted a fraction. "I heard someone at Headquarters mention it."
Draco's brow furrowed. Who would have known when his birthday was? Perhaps Shacklebolt had it in a personnel file. It made him feel odd to know that people had been discussing his birthday when he hadn't even given it a single thought.
Granger tapped the bottle of wine with her wand and the cork lifted out with a pop! She summoned four wine glasses to the table and filled them all. After handing out the glasses, she lifted hers and smiled. "To Draco."
"Cheers!" Cho lifted her glass with a grin. Draco and Seamus followed suit and they all drank together.
Granger sat back down next to him and pressed a kiss to his cheek. "Happy birthday, Draco."
He smiled and tapped his glass against hers. "Thank you."
"Did you really forget your birthday?" Cho asked, her brow furrowed skeptically.
"I honestly didn't have any idea what day it was. They all blur together after a while."
Granger nodded. "That's true. Besides, it's not like any of us can celebrate anything the way we'd like to these days."
Draco turned to Granger. "When's your birthday?"
"September nineteenth."
He furrowed his brow. "Surely we were together that day. You were my probationary mentor for weeks after I arrived."
Granger's cheeks flushed slightly. "Erm… yeah. We were at the Westenberg house. I just didn't want to turn it into a big thing."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"Well, we weren't exactly friends back then. What would you have done differently?"
Draco's stomach dropped. She had a point. If she had told him it was her birthday back then, he likely would have scoffed and made her day even worse. "Sorry."
Granger just placed a gentle hand on his arm and offered him an understanding smile. "It's okay."
Frowning, Draco looked around the table. He wondered if everyone's last birthday had been just as disappointing as Granger's. "Hey," he began, raising his glass again, "Instead of making tonight about me, let's drink to all our birthdays."
Cho grinned and lifted her glass against Draco's. Seamus and Granger joined suit, and they all sipped their wine together.
After dinner, Draco and Granger curled up on the couch in the sitting room, and Cho settled in the adjacent chair. Seamus retired early, but came back downstairs an hour later saying that he'd received a message from Shacklebolt. He was to return to Headquarters for the remainder of the week.
They all bid him goodbye, and he hoisted his bag over his shoulder and disappeared through the Floo.
As the sun set, Granger and Draco made their way back to their bedroom. Draco shut the door and Granger immediately locked and silenced the room with her wand. He turned to her, lifting an eyebrow playfully.
She smirked at him, walking over and standing on tiptoe to kiss him lightly. "I know you said you wanted everyone to be celebrated today, but it is your birthday. I have to give you a gift."
"Oh?"
She nodded, and her hands ran down his chest to his belt. Biting her lip, she sank to her knees...
Draco woke with a start. It was still the middle of the night, judging by the darkness outside the window. And yet he was instantly alert. Something had startled him into consciousness.
A cursory glance around the room told him that everything was fine. Granger was still curled into his side, sleeping peacefully. The door was closed, darkness beyond. It was quiet.
There were no looming shadows, no ghouls lurking close to their bed. In fact, nothing seemed to be amiss at all.
And yet, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was very wrong.
He couldn't be sure what it was. A noise? A flash of light? Had it been a dream, or was something wrong?
The pounding in his heart told him that he should be awake. That he should not dismiss this feeling and go back to sleep.
"Granger," he hissed, giving her a little shake.
She stirred, protesting against being awoken with a little groan. "What?"
"Wake up." His tone was dark and stern.
Granger lifted her head, blinking at him blearily in the pale moonlight. "What is it?"
"I don't know. Something's wrong, I think."
Sitting up faster, Granger grabbed hold of her wand and lit it, casting the beam of light around the room. They were certainly alone. "What makes you think that?"
Draco shook his head as he sat up. "I don't know. Just a feeling. Get dressed. Fast as you can."
Granger looked skeptical, but stood up and pulled on her knickers, denims and a shirt. "Do you think the wards have been breached?" Her voice was low, barely a whisper. "Cho would have been alerted if they had."
That was true. Certainly Cho would have come to get them if she'd sensed the wards falling. But as Draco dressed, he couldn't shake the feeling that they were in grave danger.
There was a creak beyond the door, far down the corridor toward the stairs. Both of their heads snapped in the direction of the sound. Granger's eyes went wide. She turned back to Draco, who pressed one finger to his lips.
They shouldn't panic. Not yet. Perhaps Cho had gotten up to use the loo or to get a late night snack.
"Put your wand out," Draco ordered.
Granger did, and they were cast back into darkness.
Creeping closer to the door, Draco crouched down to stare at the gap at the bottom of the door. It was dark beyond the door, only the palest light from the window at the end of the corridor. He listened intently, but heard nothing but Granger's and his own breathing.
Granger placed a hand on his shoulder and he jumped in surprise.
"I'm sure it's just Cho. We can check if it will put you at ease."
Draco nodded and gripped his wand. She was probably right, of course, but he knew he had to check to be sure.
Granger had her wand out as well, and stayed close behind him as he straightened up and placed his hand on the doorknob. He cast a quick spell to silence the hinges of the door. He glanced over his shoulder and pressed a finger to his lips again. She nodded, and he opened the door an inch.
The corridor was dark. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he stepped forward, opening the door wider to peer out and glance around the corridor. There was no one there that he could see, so he stepped beyond the threshold, Granger just behind him.
He made his way toward the stairs, keeping his footsteps quiet. He didn't make it far, however, before his foot collided with something on the floor.
His instincts knew what it was before he saw it, but he crouched down, murmuring, "Lumos minimus."
A dim light illuminated the end of his wand and he moved it toward the object. Granger gasped.
Cho lay on the floor. Her eyes open and unseeing.
Dead.
His heart pounded in his chest. Someone was in the house with them. Someone had killed Cho.
Granger made to lunge for Cho, certainly bent on saving her life, but Draco knew it was too late. He grabbed her by the arm and dragged her back down the corridor and toward their bedroom. Once inside, he closed the door, and locked it with as many warding spells as he could perform quickly.
Granger was breathing fast and loud behind him. He cast a muffling charm before turning back to face her. He pulled her toward the wall and had her crouch down where she would be initially out of sight if someone broke inside.
"We have to go back out," she whispered, her voice thin and high in panic. "We have to save her.
"Granger, she's dead. You can't help." His voice was even and firm. "We have to get out of here."
He crossed the room and grabbed hold of his wrapped Portkey. He opened the wrappings and looked at the crumpled Chocolate Frog card within. Then he moved to the other side of the bed where he knew Granger kept her Portkey at night. The wrapped button was in the top drawer of her nightstand. He picked it up and carried it over to her. "Let's go."
He would wait for her to go first. He had to make sure she could get out.
Granger unwrapped the button and let it fall into her hand.
Nothing.
Fear gripping him, he grabbed her hand and pushed his Portkey into it, hoping that it would take her away. She gasped, but it seemed that his act of valor was fruitless.
His Portkey had not worked either.
They were trapped.
Granger eyed the Portkey with confusion and fear before she shoved it into her pocket, setting her jaw with determination. "I'll send a Patronus," she offered, lifting her wand.
"Expecto Patronum." A silver otter erupted from her wand and scurried in a quick circle before looking at its owner. Granger leaned in and whispered instructions to it before it scampered across the room.
Draco had seen this done before. Typically, the Patronus would pass through the walls or windows of the home without issue and disappear to deliver its message.
The otter, however, reached the wall and stopped, bumping into it over and over again as it looked for a way out.
Somehow, the Death Eaters had ensured that their Portkeys would not work and that they couldn't send messages for help.
They would have to fight their way out.
"Oh, Merlin," Granger whimpered as her otter flickered and disappeared, its message for aid lost.
Draco took a deep breath to steady himself. He would have to be calm and level headed if they stood a chance of surviving the night.
"Granger, listen to me very carefully." He knelt before her and grabbed hold of her arms. Fearful honey eyes met his and he knew she wasn't ready for what was about to happen. What would need to happen.
"We are being hunted." He hardly recognized his own voice. It was cold and mechanical, coming from a place that Dolohov had created and crafted. "We will need to fight our way out."
Panic was evident all over Granger's face, her eyes wide and tearful, and her lip quivering. She wasn't trained for this.
But he was.
He raised his wand. "Homenum Revelio Charta." He was grateful, once again, that he had never shared his invented spell with any of his fellow Death Eaters before he defected. A small rendering of the Longbottom house appeared and, to his horror, several blue dots were inside. He could see himself and Granger in one of the upper bedrooms, huddled close together.
There were also six other dots in the home, all spread out at various points. None were coming down their corridor yet. There were two in the office downstairs, likely ransacking it for valuable information. One at each of the two entrances, and the last two dots slowly but steadily moving throughout the house. Those two were likely the assassins. One was on their level in the next corridor over, going from room to room in search of more targets. The other was coming up the stairs.
It seemed they weren't in much of a hurry. And why should they be? They'd sealed the exits and made sending for help impossible. As far as they were concerned, anyone inside the house was as good as dead.
Draco wondered if they knew that he was there.
He let the map disappear and turned back to Granger. "Did you see that, Granger?" He had to be sure she knew the seriousness of their situation. "There are six of them. It's important to me that you know what that means. If we hex any of them, the others will be alerted. They're connected on tasks for safety reasons. It's standard procedure for a mission like this for them. If one of them is stunned, the others will know and come to revive their partner. Do you understand?"
Granger's mind didn't seem to process what he was saying. Her brows were furrowed and her hands were shaking. He would have to make it abundantly clear.
"It means, we're going to have to kill them, Granger."
Her eyes went wide. She had told him once that she had never killed anyone before. How could she have? She was too good. Too pure. She was a Healer, not a killer. Her soul was still intact—unmarred by the scars murder left behind. And while he didn't doubt that she was powerful enough to do it if she needed to, he would do anything to keep her from damaging her beautiful soul with murder.
"I—I—" She stammered, her voice trembling. "Cho… How can you be so calm?"
"It's the training," he said coldly, turning away from her to reach for his rucksack. Within, he found the small leather carrier he needed and withdrew it. Inside were several knives and various Muggle weapons he'd been trained to use. He pulled them from their case and began placing them in his pockets and belt loops.
"What are those for?" Granger asked, wide eyed.
"Muggle weapons don't alert the others to danger. We can go longer undetected this way. It's also a good idea to have something on hand in case you're disarmed."
"Do I need one?"
His stomach twisted at the thought of her taking a life with her bare hands, but if he was killed and she was disarmed, he couldn't leave her without a weapon. He handed her a sheathed knife, looking her sternly in the eye. "Go for the throat and strike hard and fast. Keep pushing even if you hit resistance. Don't pull back until they stop struggling."
Granger swallowed, looking more unsure of herself than ever. But she nodded and placed the sheath of the knife in the waistband of her trousers.
Draco checked the map again. There were still no Death Eaters in their corridor. They had another moment.
"Listen to me very closely," he hissed, pulling her to her feet and looking her sternly in the eye. "They are here to kill us. They will not stop until the task is done. Stunning will do no good. It's them, or it's us. Do you understand me?"
Granger nodded quickly, gripping her wand tightly. Her pupils were blown wide in terror.
"I'm trained for this," Draco continued. "I don't want you to kill anyone unless you have no other choice. I'll handle the dirty work, but—" He shook his head, pushing his fear aside. "But if I die, I want you to promise me that you won't hesitate. Leave me behind. Kill the bastards and get yourself to safety."
A tear rolled down Granger's cheek.
"Is that clear?" Draco squeezed her arm tightly.
"Yes." Her voice was no more than a whisper.
"Do you promise?"
Granger closed her eyes as more tears escaped, but nodded. "I promise."
Draco took her face in his hands and brushed her tears away with the pads of his thumbs. He leaned down, his forehead resting against hers. He wanted to tell her that he loved her one more time… but it felt too much like goodbye. And his voice wouldn't form the words.
"Are you ready?" His voice was softer now, less cold.
She tilted her chin up, pressing her lips to his desperately. For one blissful moment, they melted into each other, saying what they couldn't with words.
With a strangled sob, she pulled back and took a shuddering breath. "I'm ready."
He checked the map one last time. There was a Death Eater at the end of their corridor. The blue dot floated into the first bedroom and Draco knew that this was their opportunity. With one final glance at Granger, he nodded and turned to the door.
Granger gripped his arm tightly with one hand, and a knife in the other. Draco took a deep breath to steel himself, to prepare for what must come next. He opened the door, and they stepped out into the dark house.
A/N: Updates every Monday
Next chapter posts: August 3rd
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