The next few days were much the same. Draco would try to talk to Hermione only to be yelled at and turned away. Christmas neared, only a few weeks away now and the tension hadn't decreased yet. Draco sat on his bed on the Saturday afternoon. He had spent most of his time there recently. Hermione just wasn't who he thought she was anymore. He knew it was because of the stress but he still couldn't help but to wonder why they were still together. He let out a frustrated sigh as he fell backwards into his pillows. What was he suppose to do? They hadn't had another good time since they flew that one night, it seemed like ages ago since he had heard the beautiful Gryffindor laugh. Part of him wanted to move on, to find someone new. But he knew he couldn't, he could never leave Hermione no matter what. He stood up and slowly made his way to the Great Hall for dinner. He sat beside Harry and Ron, Herm was nowhere in sight. The only good thing that had seemed to come of Hermione's change was the fact that now Harry and Ron would talk to Draco. They were by no means friends but they could now hold a decent conversation without hexes flying.

"Hey, where's Hermione?" Harry looked up from his plate to question the Slytherin.

"I figured she was with you I haven't seen her." He replied, indifference clear in his voice. Why should he keep track of where she was if she clearly didn't want him around. Harry raised an eyebrow.

"Something up between you two?"

"Why would something be up?" he snapped. 'Nosey Gryffindors.'

"Well, you don't seem so concerned."

"She doesn't want my concern so why should I waste it any longer." Draco coldly replied. Harry looked down at his dinner, troubled.

"You know she's just really stressed out right now."

"Well, maybe we could help her if she wasn't being such a little bitch!" Harry's head shot up.

"Don't you dare talk about her like that! She's been through a lot lately. I mean seriously, if you stopped to think about her instead of yourself for once maybe you would realize it." Draco dropped his head.

"Yea, I know, I know. It's just, I can't take much more of this. She completely ignores me most of the time and when she does notice me she acts like she would rather me be anyone else. She's always stuck in a bloody book. I just want things to go back to the way they were before, when she seemed so happy." Draco fell silent as Harry looked thoughtfully up.

"You know, Dumbledore just announced that tomorrow will be a Hogsmeade's day." Draco looked up at the boy-who-lived.

"So?"

"So, you could invite Hermione."

"She won't want to go. And I thought that there weren't going to be anymore Hogsmeade days after," His voice droned off, there was no need to say it.

"He said this was a special case, with it being so close to Christmas and all. And how do you know she won't go until you ask?" Draco just grunted and continued pushing his food around on the plate before him. "I think she will go with you, Malfoy. I'm sure she misses you just as much you miss her, she's just confused."

"Alright, Potter. This better work." he scowled at Harry who just smiled.

The next morning Draco stood outside Hermione's bedroom door.

"Come on!" He called for her.

"Draco, I told you last night that I really don't want to go! I have work I could be doing instead and just so much to do…"

"Hermione, we went over this, the teachers have not assigned anything! What could you possibly have to do?"

"Work, just work. Go on without me!" Draco sighed and leaned up against the door, running his hand through his blonde hair.

"Get your arse out here now, or I'm coming in and dragging you behind me!" The door swung open, almost knocking Draco down in the process. Out stepped a clearly angry Hermione Black.

"Are you happy now? Let's just go and get this over with. I still don't see why you have to make me go along with you. You could have just gone with Harry and Ron or some other poor soul."

"I don't want to go with some other 'poor soul' I want to go with you, now come on." He grabbed her wrist and led her out the door. The boarded a carriage and silently made the trip to Hogsmeade. Draco stepped out and held his hand to help Hermione out. She scowled and then took his hand as she jumped down. "So where would you like to go first, Hermione?"

"Back to the castle." she replied, a cold look on her face. Draco groaned and pulled her behind him. The slowly made their way down through the busy streets, glancing in windows and every so often entering a promising looking store. Draco grew frustrated after they had gone into the sixth store and Hermione had yet to even consider buying anything. He gave up as she clearly appeared to be hating the trip and lead her off to The Three Broomsticks. The entered the pub and headed for the nearest table. Madame Rosmerta came over as soon as they had seated themselves.

"What can I get for you two, Mr. Malfoy, Miss Granger?"

"Two butterbeers will do, thank you." Draco ordered. She nodded her head and set off to get them. A few minutes later the butterbeers sat on the table before them. Draco looked up at Hermione, who was staring intently at the tabletop. Her eyes no longer held the glow that they once had. Instead they housed only worry and pain. Draco felt his heart lurch at the sight before him. "Hey, Herm." He started as he reached for his butterbeer and took a drink as she looked up at him. He set the bottle back down in front of him before continuing. "What's up with you lately? You know you can always talk to me."

"I'm fine."

"No, you're not." he forcefully said. "I know you well enough to know that you are definitely not fine, Hermione." She sighed.

"I assure you I am doing just fine. I've had a lot to think about lately, that's all." Draco shook his head as he watched her eyes cloud over.

"Herm, he's dead. That's that. You can't change it! You weren't this effected before. So what if he's your father, he's still gone and nothing is going to change that. You can cry over it all you want but it's not going to do you a damn bit of good. Let go of it Hermione. It shouldn't change anything that you now know. He's dead, and he's not going to come back for you. And as for this whole heir thing, it will work itself out. I'm sure Dumbledore has some scheme planned for us. And I'm sure that whatever else you are stressing out over is nothing. Let it go, Hermione! " Draco looked up and immediately realized that he had said the wrong thing. He watched as her eyes clouded over and the salty tears flowed freely down her face, leaving behind their tracks. She stood up and quickly made her way to the door, leaving behind her barely touched butterbeer and a very exasperated Draco Malfoy. "Hermione!" He called but to of no avail. He stood and ran after her. He opened the door and continued straight into the back of his girlfriend. "Her," The name died on his lips as he looked around her to see just why she had stopped in the doorway. "Bloody hell…" People were scattered around the street, running to take cover from the black cloaked men standing in the center of the street, wands ready. "Deatheaters!" He looked over to where Hermione had previously stood. She had taken a few steps toward the pandemonium. "Hermione! What do you think you're doing?" He yelled after her. He ran to her side and grabbed her arm. He spun her around to lead her back into the pub. Draco felt his grip tighten on her arm and his jaw clench as he spun to face the man whom he hadn't realized had come up behind him. He looked straight into the tip of the man's wand. He traced his eyes up to the face of him. He was met with a smirk and a pair of blue-gray eyes that were only to familiar to him. A strand of light blonde hair fell unto his face from underneath his Deatheater's hood. Draco felt his heart stop as a beam of pale blue light emitted from the wand at Hermione and him. The familiar pull behind their navels reminded him of traveling by portkey, the spinning, of floo travel. The total experience was unlike anything he had ever experienced. It was as if he was traveling by all means at the same time. He dimly felt Hermione at his side as they hit the cold hard ground. Draco raised his head to see the dimly lit room in which they had seemed to fall in to. The walls were stone, as was the floor where they now laid. A door occupied the far side of the room, bars on the slit of a window toward the top. Another door graced the wall on the left side. No windows to the outside adorned the walls, so the only light they received was through the small slit on the door. A bed was pushed up against the wall, although it looked as if it had been pulled from Azkaban. A shadow passed over the room as someone or something passed by the door. Draco looked to his side. Hermione lay unconscious with her head on her arm, curled up in his side. His vision started to spin and the edges started to blur. He felt his head grow heavy and then all went black.

AN:/ Hey there!!! I'm sorry this chapter is so short but i just had to end it there! :) I hope ya liked it and i really really hope you will reveiw:) it will make me happy and a happy me is a fast writer! :D I want to thank all my current reveiwers!!! YAY OMG 76!!! special thanks to Emma Lilianne Granger for being my 70th review!!! And seeing as how you all are just so nice i will give ya a hint, just a lil one though cuz you may be nice but i'm not that nice :P I promise things will get better between Hermione and Draco!!! I just couldn't have them all happy all the time cuz that would get boring and I dont want to make ya fall asleep! geez I'm rambling, I'm really hyper if ya can't tell so I'm gonna leave now before I scare you all away :) THANKS AND PLEASE REVIEW!!!

moseysdragon