Disclaimer: I can only dream.

Sexyslytherin2: Okay!

Mysticsecret: Thanks. Yeah, a lot of my friends thought that was funny too.

Dracosgirl2515: I know! Poor Draco! But, as you said, it's not a story unless Lucius beats the hell out of the kid!

Iamm3: You're boyfriend's jealous of a story? Tell him that I'm very sorry. I know, I'm so jealous of Hermione! She has Draco Malfoy, perfect boyfriend! But don't tell your boyfriend that you're jealous of her! Hmm… Since I'm so jealous of Hermione, I could always make them break up and not get back together… hehe… I'm evil. Lol, jk.

Jadecowan: That's right! The plot thickens! The suspense! The humanity!

Orlilover16: Yep, that's me! Cold-blooded and evil!

AnglxDevil05: Never seen so much drama? Well, what can I say? I'm a dramatic person. Yeah, I wish J.K. Rowling would make them end up together, too.

Cupcakes-20: Thank you.

Bunnycutie: Yeah, I love ending with a song, too! But a lot of people complained about it, so I can't do it anymore. Hermione getting hot and cold about Draco? That's just to add drama and effect.

Mz122: Yeppers, I like cliffhangers. It keeps readers and draws in more.

Cassandra: Yeah, Parkinson's a slut, all right! The suspense… Doesn't it kill ya? Muhahaha!

Strawberrylemonade520: Intense… Yeah, I like intensity! Yeah, I thought it was funny too when Draco started taking housepoints from his own house. Yep, stupid Pansy! Die, die, die! And, don't we all hate Lucius Malfoy? 2nd War? I'm not sure what you're talking about.

JiminiCricket: You're throwing brownies at me, just cuz I torture you with my endings! Hmm… I like brownies… Maybe I should torture you some more… Sure, we can be buddies. I'm going to email you… right… now…

Samantha Cameron: Yeah, they'll have to go into hiding… Still, you never know what tricks Lucius Malfoy and Pansy Parkinson have up their sleeves…

Mysticsecret: Skip school? To write? GLADLY!

SuperHeroGirlByNight: Yeah, I realized that I was moving too fast in the beginning so I slowed down a little.

SweetieK: Every time I update, you'll update… Uhh, just to warn you, I update really slowly.

Confusedthoughts: Why, what did you say during AIM? I don't really know what part you're talking about. I warned you about the cheesiness. But, honestly, could you write this so it's not cheesy? I think it's almost impossible for anyone to not write a cheesy story. A chick-flick? Hmm… I guess… Cut down the kissing? Sure, lol, whatever. BTW, I never got that email. Dude, you started a whole account? Neat.


Chapter 21…

That night, so they could gain strength, Draco and Hermione stayed in Hogwarts. They slept through the day and were excused from all classes in order to pack and prepare to leave. They had guards posted around their common room in order to keep them safe.

Draco entered Hermione's room tentatively. He was shocked to find her slumped on the bed, crying. "Hermione, what's wrong?" he asked soothingly, rubbing her back.

"I-I'm so scared… What's going to happen to us, Draco? What if Voldemort actually finds us?" she wept, burying her face into his shoulder. Draco wrapped his arms around her tightly.

"We're going to be fine, Hermione. Nothing's going to tear us apart. I love you, and that's strong enough to keep us together. We're going to get through this together," he promised. Hermione's chest heaved, then suddenly she tore herself from his arms and ran to the bathroom.

Draco heard her throw up into the toilet. He quickly scrambled after her. "Hermione, are you okay? Are you sick?" he asked, worried. Hermione shook her head.

"No… I'm just nervous. That's all," she replied. "We… We better continue packing." Draco nodded, gave her one last kiss on the top of her head, and left her to do her own business.

There came a knock on the door. "Mr. Malfoy, Miss Granger, are you ready?" Dumbledore asked, coming in. Hermione and Draco were sitting on the couch tensely. They immediately stood up. Draco grabbed both his and her suitcases and followed the headmaster out.

"Several people will be assisting you on your journey. Among them are your former professors. Professor Lupin and Professor Moody," Dumbledore informed them. Hermione gasped.

They met them outside, near the Quidditch pitch. "Professors!" Hermione cried. They smiled at her.

"Hello, Hermione, Mr. Malfoy," Lupin greeted them, smiling awkwardly at Draco. Draco forced a smile onto his face and nodded curtly.

"Hello, Hermione. You're doing well, I hope. And… Ferret boy. Good day to you too," Moody said, his magical eye rolling around in his head. Draco frowned. Hermione giggled.

"Very well. I suppose I'll leave you two here. You'll be in safe hands," Dumbledore assured them. Lupin nodded.

"Goodbye, Professor," Hermione mumbled, trying to hold back tears. What if I never see him again? With that thought, she flung herself into his arms.

Dumbledore looked surprised. He blinked, then patted her back awkwardly. Draco cleared his throat, clearly embarrassed and unsure of what to do.

"Uhh… You're lucky I'm not the jealous type, 'Mione," he joked, trying to relieve some tension. Hermione sniffled and managed a small laugh.

"Miss Granger, I hope to see you again. You were an excellent student. You too, Mr. Malfoy. Hogwarts will miss you both," Dumbledore said.

"Come on, Hermione. Ferret. We don't have time to lose," Mad Eye Moody muttered. Hermione waved goodbye and, grasping Draco's hand, followed them into the woods.


It was dark. Draco quickly whipped out his wand and mumbled, "Lumos." A bright light was emitted from the tip.

"Draco! Aci Nox!" Hermione whispered urgently, giving him a scolding look. The light dimmed just enough to not attract attention but still give them light. "There could be people looking for us. The last thing we want to do is give them a signal!"

"Well, sorry I didn't think of that," Draco grumbled.

"Be quiet, Ferret. There could be people listening for us. The last thing we want to do is give them a signal," MadEye Moody echoed. Draco glared at him.

They continued their trek through the forest without another word, although a few mutters could be heard from Draco.

Finally, Professor Lupin said, "Okay, we're here, I'm pretty sure. Hmm…" Draco wrapped an arm around Hermione's waist.

"You okay, love?" he whispered into her ear. Hermione nodded. Draco could feel goosebumps on her arm. Her skin was deathly cold. Quickly, he took off his jacket and draped it over her shoulders.

"Okay, I have it. We're using a Portkey. Everyone grab hold of it," Lupin ordered. They did as he said. "Any minute now… Okay! Three! Two! One!"

Hermione felt the familiar tugging at her navel. Without realizing it, she grabbed Draco's hand, just as the world began to spin before her eyes.


Draco felt his feet thud against the floor. He opened his eyes and blinked. Where the hell am I? He felt Hermione's hand in his.

"Oh my gosh! Grimmauld Place!" Hermione gasped. Lupin grinned. Even Moody managed a small smile.

"Grimmauld Place? What the he – What's that?" Draco quickly corrected himself, eyeing his old professors warily.

"This is where S-sirius used to live," Hermione stammered, glancing around the place. "It… It looks exactly the same…"

"Yes, we haven't cleaned it out yet. Everytime we try, Black's mother starts shrieking her head off. Why don't you show Ferret around, while we fix something to eat?" Mad Eye Moody growled.

Hermione dashed up the stairs, Draco at her feet. "It's been so long since I've last been here…" she murmured, slipping her hand into Draco's. "I… I want to go into Sirius's room first…"

She slowly walked to the end of the hall. Pausing, her hand rested on the doorknob, she turned to Draco. Draco flashed her a small smile and squeezed her hand. Hermione swallowed and silently opened the door.

Hermione gasped. Sure, it was a normal bedroom, but it had a bit of… Siruis-ness in it. The bed was rumpled; not exactly made, although the covers had been thrown on it in a sloppy way. A few Quidditch posters were on the walls.

Hermione slowly walked into the room, trying to embrace everything as it hit her. Something on his desk – messy, no surprise – caught her eye. She bent down to study them. They were photos.

The first one was of Sirius, James Potter and Remus Lupin. Hermione breathed in deeply, shocked at the sight of Sirius.

Draco snuck up behind her. He examined the photo too. "Hell, is that Potter?" he asked. Hermione shook her head, and then nodded.

"No and yes. That's not Harry. That's his dad, James Potter… And Professor Lupin, of course. They were best friends during their years at Hogwarts," she explained.

The next picture was familiar. Too familiar. It was a picture of Sirius, Harry, Ron and Hermione, with Buckbeak in the back. They were all laughing and having fun. Sirius had his arm around Harry.

Draco wrapped his arms around Hermione from behind. "Hey, 'Mione, you okay?" he asked gently as a sniffle escaped her. She nodded, then spun around and buried her head in the crook of his arm.

"I miss him… God, this place even smells like him!" she cried.

"Shh… It's okay… Come on, Hermione. We should probably, err, go eat now," he reassuringly suggested. He led her out of the room.

Once downstairs, Draco quickly pulled out a chair for Hermione. Hermione sank into it tensely. Draco gave her hand one last squeeze before hurrying off to the kitchen to bring her her lunch.

Hermione breathed in deeply. Oh, God, I miss him. Sirius… I never knew him like Harry did, but still…She wiped her eyes with her hands and exhaled slowly.

"Here, 'Mione, your sandwich. I talked to Lupin, and he said that we'll probably be here for the next two weeks, or so," Draco reported, coming back into the room. Hermione nodded absent-mindedly.

"Hermione, are you okay?" Draco abruptly questioned, sliding into the chair next to her. Hermione looked up.

"What?" she asked. Draco sighed and raked his fingers through his tousled, snowy blond hair. He shrugged, his eyes flashing with concern and distress.

"I dunno. You just seem… side-tracked. Is it… Is it Sirius?" he asked. Hermione paused. She smoothed out her wavy, brown hair.

"Yes… and no… I'm scared about this… And… this whole place reminds me of Sirius, and I can't breathe, like I'm smothered in him… What about my family? And Harry and Ron and Ginny and… They have no idea where I am… I have no idea what's going to happen, and…" Her voice trailed off.

"Hermione, we're going to get through this together. Nothing is going to happen to us while we're here. Lupin said that they have special guards around here. Nobody will find us. Nobody can hurt us. We'll see our friends and our family soon," Draco reassured her. Hermione nodded.

"Well, it looks like we're going to be stuck in this hell hole for the next couple weeks. I wonder how many house elves would be willing to become my personal slave," Draco joked, trying to lighten the mood.

"Draco! Absolutely not! Oh my gosh? Where's Kreetcher (sp? I'll look it up later)?" Hermione exclaimed, jumping out of her seat.

Draco cursed silently under his breath, muttering, "Damn. I forgot about Spew."


A/N: I know, horrible ending, horrible chapter, but it will get more exciting in the next chap, I promise! Meanwhile, do me the favor of reviewing. Flame me, for all I care, just press that purpley button! My goal is to get to 500 by the end of the story, but, apparently, I'm not gonna make it. But you could at least try to get me there!