AN: I totally had this loaded and even like placed in, but then I accidentally hit a few buttons and it went away...oopsies. Sorry if this chapter was a let down, I posted it because my Beta didn't email me back when I sent it to her like 3 weeks ago. I know I can do better, so I promise next chapter I will!!

Disclaimer: MinePlot, CharactersNot.

--Three Years Later--

Draco sat quietly in his overstuffed armchair, staring deeply into the lit fireplace. His mind was awhirl with complicated matters that he'd been dealing with for the past three years. Taking a deep breath, he reached into his inner pocket and pulled out a worn photo. The girl was smiling at him, bashfully waving and then abruptly giving him a stern look, then erupted in silent laughter.

"Hermione, we should have been together today," Draco said to the picture, touching it gingerly then setting it back into his pocket. He sighed and sat deeper in his chair, recalling how they had started.

Hermione's flushed face was inches from Draco's. He almost felt her anger escaping her ears as her eyes bore into his own, daring him to speak up against her.

"I can't believe you just did that!" She shouted, spraying Draco's face with a few drops of spit.

Draco laughed bitterly and took a step back. "You can't believe I what, exactly? The part where I told your friends off for spending too much time with everything accept you? Or the part where I told them that we were dating, then gave you a smooch?"

Hermione blew out a gust of frustrated air. "We are not going out! I have no idea where that idea came from, seeing as to how we hardly exchange a single civil word!" She shouted, her fists in balls at her thighs.

Draco raised a brow. "Well, it sure got their attention. They nearly knocked my lights out!" He chuckled, folding his arms at ease. That seemed to get Hermione even more upset.

"I just, well, I, you! I can't believer you, that they though, you and me—"Hermione said, but was quickly interrupted by gentle lips on her own. Her immediate reaction was to shove him off, give him a good kick in the no-no zone, and storm off to her bedroom, but her heart took over as she softened and was beginning to respond when he pulled away.

"I just thought that since I stole your first kiss, I'd give you an even better second one," Draco said to the stunned Hermione.

"How do you know that I've never been kissed? I spent a good long time with Krum and—"

"Obviously," Draco interrupted with a drawl, "if you had actually kissed him, you'd call him by his first name."

Hermione's jaw dropped. "Well, I...I loathe you!"

Draco chuckled. "I loathe you more, Granger."

"Impossible! I loathe you the most!" Hermione said. She quickly bit her tongue, realizing how childish that just sounded. She pulled off her thick, winter robes quickly and threw them at Draco, nearly knocking him over with surprise. He quickly retaliated by throwing his back at her, where she actually fell over. By the time Draco walked over to help her up, she grabbed his arm and pulled him down, where he landed unexpectedly on top of Hermione.

"Oof," Hermione said, pushing him off as they laughed.

"Truce, Granger?"

"Truce."

Draco's lips almost had a smile spread across his face...but memories of that blasted statue crushing Hermione returned to invade his mind. He quickly stood, knowing that tonight would be his seal to Voldemort's trust, and a key operation for the Order's advancement. Taking a deep breath, he aparated to the location where they would commence operations.

Draco looked around at the four hooded figures assigned to him. "Every one is accounted for, Sire." One of the men said, bowing his head slightly. Draco nodded grimly and stuffed all that he had left of Hermione into the depths of his mind. Taking a glance at the dimly lit shack in front of them.

Draco took a deep breath. "You guys know that his is the basic task for all death eaters; torture the people a bit, steal their money, light their house on fire. Let's just get this over with."

The men let out deep laughter and took off stealthily into the house, Draco practically dragging his feet behind him. Upon entering the house, he found his men already set to work, two cornering a man and taunting him with curses, one going through all the drawers, and the other chasing someone up down the hall. Draco winced in the darkness, knowing that as much as he didn't want to do this, these people's lives had to be sacrificed for the securing of the world's future.

Standing with his hands in his pockets, he watched as the man in the corner passed out, a trickle of blood escaping his lips. His goons slapped hands and went to the bookshelf with pictures stored in them to tear them apart.

"Boys, you need to bind him and throw him outside. Do your job completely!" He snarled, shoving them towards the man. Draco ran a frustrated hand through his hair, and slowly made his way down the hall.

Draco chucked gently at the sight of one of his goons. The stupidity of the man in front of him was exemplified while he looked like a drunk gorilla, trying madly to rape the poor woman. Not that Draco had ever seen a drunk gorilla. The term just seemed to fit. Draco sighed, and when he was about to save the woman from sheer destruction, he was taken back when she swung a solid fist in his goon's chin, sending him reeling backward.

"AVADA KAVADRA!" She shouted, a bright green light escaping from the center of her palm. Draco's jaw dropped in amazement. Not even Dumbledore could do that complicated of wandless magic. The woman stood shakily, wiping the blood that was oozing out of a cut from above her left brow. She sheepishly looked up at Draco, and a shock of electricity shock up his back. The cinnamon eyes...he'd seen them somewhere.

The woman took a tentive step forward, not fully putting her weight on her right leg as she stepped. Her wavy hair was cut to her chin, long bangs sweeping to the right side of her face. Dirt smudges weren't scarce across her nose and cheeks, and a bruise was becoming vividly evident on her right cheekbone. He looked at her ragged clothes, worn and torn. Then he looked again at her eyes.

"Hermione," He barely breathed out, afraid to reach for her in fear that she'd disappear. Hermione glanced over his shoulder and quickly gave him the sign of peace and pulled out her wand.

"One step closer and I'll blow your boss to dust," She hissed out cruelly, in a voice hardly her own. Draco saw the hardness in her eyes as he heard his men shuffling side to side, eager to do something. Hermione quickly locked eyes with Draco, sending messages untold as he quickly feigned pain in his stomach. One of his men leapt forward, slapping the wand from Hermione's hand.

"Let's see you do without that, filthy witch!" He said, chuckling in an unintelligent drawl.

"Would you really like to see?" Hermione taunted. With no warning, a green ball built in the palm of her hand. "Avada Kavadra!" She snarled, and the man flew back, his body cold. The others gasped and started to run. "Don't you dare run, you despicable, horrid, loathsome people. You dare move a step and I will personally kill your families one by one, with a long, acutely painful death, followed by yourself."

"How would you know who our families are?" One asked cleverly.

Hermione chuckled. "No need to find yours," She said, knocking him out with a wave of her hand. Not wanting to deal with the other two, she followed suit, causing the three men to lie on top of one another. Draco, seeing that the others were knocked out, quickly stood.

"Hermione, how are you still alive?" Draco asked, quickly taking her in his arms.

Hermione winced at the strength in his grip around her. "I'm sorry Draco, but we just couldn't tell you that part...we really had to have Voldemort believe that you had no idea what was going on. He was suspicious of you for a while and it was Snape who reported so. We had to take those drastic measures to save your life and the operation."

Draco felt all his calm and reserve dissolve into undeniable anger. "How could you not tell me? I loved you Hermione! I thought we could make it through everything together! After all the changes that I went through for you, I can't believe you didn't trust me enough to allow my emotions to be shown had I known. I would have gladly risked my life, at least to know that you were safe these past three years. Especially when this is all I have to remember you by!" Draco said, shoving the worn picture towards Hermione. She gasped at the small snap shot of her, how pretty she had once been. Her now chopped hair was silky and long...how she wanted her hair back!

"At least your not the only one," Hermione said, returning the picture to him and pulling out her own. Draco quickly seized the pictures from Hermione and stared at a young picture of him. The scowl on his face was absolutely atrocious, but his picture of three years ago occasionally winked and flashed a grin, then continued scowling and smirking.

"At least you knew I was alive." Draco murmered, handing her the picture back.

"But I didn't know if you had found another, or if you would take me back, or even if you would forgive me."

"Hermione, I—"

"No Draco, no. This is not the time or place. I need to find the Order. I didn't know where I'd be sent after being buried by that statue, but I went to some place that was cold and always snowy...well, there I learned how to do wandless magic. I can do anything and everything without a wand, but it's not as powerful without one. I've been searching for them when I decided to break into this house and sleep here the night. That's when I heard your fools come and that one was all over me...I feel so violated."

Draco knew he should take sympathy, but something in his heart hardened. He couldn't believe she'd been alive all this time, and as happy as he was, he just couldn't believe that she had lied to him. His Hermione, his girl...

"Well, I guess you can come to my place. You'll get cleaned up, then I'll send you to the Order. I think it's best that we don't live in the same place..." Draco said, letting Hermione's arms go. Hermione, not expecting the sudden release of support, felt her knees go weak as she fell to the floor. Draco quickly helped her up, then wrapped his arms around her in a protective manor. Hermione mistook the moment as a symbol of redemption when she felt tingles, and together they apparated to the Malfoy Mansion.

hope you guys will forgive me for it not being my BEST chapter. REVIEW POR FAVOR!!!

-VBC