Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter.





Hermione Granger walked cautiously down the road and tugged her hood closer to her face. She looked around once more before moving into a dark alley, stopping in front of a hole in the wall.

Looking around her one last time she muttered the password quietly.


"Expecto Patronum."


At these words the wall shimmered lightly and turned invisible.


Hermione walked in confidently, her heart warming at the sight of the old room, and most of all at the people currently occupying it.


There with her now were the most powerful Aurors fighting for their side.


She quickly spotted her best-friend moving towards her and she held out her arms to him.


Ron pulled her close to him in a tight hug. They fit so perfectly against one another. As always.


"It's been a while Granger." he murmured into her soft hair. They remained locked in each others arms finding comfort in familiarity of it all. The feeling of fitting together.


She could feel him smiling into her hair. He had always done that, and she had always loved the feeling of it.


Hermione grinned as she pulled away.


"And who's fault is that Ron Weasley?" she reprimanded him.


He grinned at her sheepishly.


"I was the only one for that job, you know that."


Hermione's face grew taut with seriousness. Yes she did know that. Her best friend had been sent on a first class undercover mission because he was a great Auror. One of the best now in fact. A fact that put him in high danger every day of his life now.


"I know." She answered him grimly.


"Oh come on then Granger, I'm still breathing aren't' I?" he asked giving her a great smile, punching her arm lightly before pulling her close to him hugging onto her shoulders, his eyes lighting up with mirth. " Or maybe I've turned into our old history professor hmm? Dead but still going strong with the lessons.?"


She laughed. Trust Ron to make her laugh at a time like this. She heard a slight movement coming from the other side of the wall. And everyone stopped their conversations, everyone gripping at their wands at the ready. The wall shimmered, and there appeared Harry Potter.


Everyone went back to their conversations. Harry joining Hermione and Ron.


"Back now are you?" He said to Ron pulling him in a hug.


"Still breathing." Ron confirmed. They pulled apart and nodded at each other, both understanding that their survival was always hard earned.


Ron noticing that the air was once more growing thick with sadness smiled. What had happened to them? At twenty they all acted like half their lives were over when really it was just starting.


"Honestly you two! Anyway Harry you know nothing could ever keep me from Hermione. Couldn't ever miss a chance to win her back now can I?" He asked his eyes laughing, and his face glowing red, reminiscent of the old days.


Hermione laughed, and so did Harry, although the latter did pull his wife closer to him.


Although all three were laughing the seriousness of Ron's words hung in the air. All three knowing full well that the competition would never be really over, as both men were still in love with the same woman.


Never knowing that even back at Hogwarts they had never been each other's main and most dangerous competitor for Hermione's affections.


~


She was pinned against a wall. There was no way out. And in her mind she was sure she didn't want out.


He was there. His hands on either side of her head. His eyes glittering maliciously contemplating al the wicked things he was about to do to her.


"Really Ms. Granger, you should know better than to be wandering out of your nice fluffy bed in the middle of the night. Especially around the Slytherin corridor, people might think you were looking for trouble." He said lowering his head lower until he was just barely brushing her lips. His eyes locked onto hers.


"Ah, well I guess I should go back to bed." she said smiling up at him, and made a small show of ducking past him.


His hands were too fast and they fastened her once more against the wall his body blocking her escape.


"Not before I teach you a lesson in obeying the rules." He said his voice so thick it was almost a growl.


His lips met hers with intensity as they both fought to keep their bodies in deep contact. His hands flew of the wall, and tightened around her hips pulling her soft body in closer. She seemed to melt in his hands. Her soft lips colliding softly against his dominant one, she tasted of cinnamon tonight. Their minds were completely clouded with the feel of each other, making them both dizzy.


It took a great deal of strength from Draco to pull his lips away from hers, which derived a soft moan of protest from Hermione before her eyes fluttered open.


"Alright Granger. Enough lessons for tonight." he said a small smile on his lips, but his eyes still clouded over with desire.


Hermione nodded, and smiled at him. At least he was being more cautious of the rules nowadays, she thought approvingly.


" I have to get back to my dorm anyway. Just making a final round of he school making sure no one else was doing what we were doing. " she smiled again and gave him a soft peck at the corner of his mouth, and walked away. "Thanks for the lovely lesson"


"What is she doing to me?" he quietly murmured to himself


Any other girl he probably would have taken then and there. No she was never like any other girl.


She never could be.


He shook his head to clear his thoughts and moved along the corridors continuing his own rounds. Making a mental note to take a cold shower before attempting to go to bed.


~



"Alright then as we are all here I might as well commence." Minerva McGonagall said her strong voice reverberating around the room.


Everyone grew silent as she pointed to the wall which now beared a map on it.


"As you all know we have been keeping track of the death eaters using this." She said pointing her wand once more at the map. " A most useful creation by Lupin, and Black. Whose map making skills have after all served a greater purpose than just sneaking out of their dormitories." she said her eyes twinkling knowingly at her former students.


" These dots right here signify all the known death eaters so far." she continued on, pointing to the red dots which sprinkled the map. "The number of dots have been increasing alarmingly in the last month." She said, looking down at the person at her side.


Albus Dumbledore stood now stood taking over.


"These red dots have been increasing in numbers that is true." He said his voice raspy with age. " But they have also been increasing in darkness." he said.


Hermione, Ron and Harry peered closer at the map. Some of the dots did burn brighter than the others.


"The brightness of the dots signify the amount of power that that particular death eater has." Dumbledore continued. He pointed at one dot that burned brighter than all the others. "Voldemort."


"I have been inspecting this map closely for the last two months, and have grown increasingly worried about one particular death eater. He powers have been growing, and is now to a point were he himself could challenged Voldemort's powers... As well as mine"


Everyone gasped in disbelief. A death eater as powerful as Dumbledore...Who could it be.


This wasn't happening. Hermione thought to hersefl her face growing colder by the moment. She begged Dumbledore not to utter the name of the death eater. But in her heart she knew who it was. It had always been him.


She had accepted long ago that it was his destiny.


Albus Dumbledore peered over his glasses, his face grave. He seemed to be looking directly at Hermione Granger.


"I am sad to say that I had high hopes for this particular young man. I had prayed that he could be saved " He revealed sadly, looking at Snape who wore a beaten look on his face for he also had prayed for the young man's salvation.


"Who is it Professor?" Sirius Black.


" Draco Malfoy." Hermione announced loudly standing up, as everyone turned to her in surprise.





End Chapter