Disclaimer: I still own nothing, or else I would be working on the 7th book! God I can't wait for that…

"Hermione?" Draco's words were soft as he leaned over her bed; his breathe stirring her hair slightly. Here eyes were rimmed with red, and tears had made their silent paths along her cheeks. He reached out and put his hand on her shoulder, only to feel it shaking softly with haunted dreams. He braced himself so that he wouldn't just throw himself on her with apologies.

Finally, she turned over with a groan. When her eyes opened, she widened them in shock, and then let them narrow in anger. The amber color he loved so much was darkened with fear and rage, and he wanted only to kiss her and make everything right. But that was impossible now. Nothing would ever be right again. He had lost any innocence left inside of him.

Her eyes left his, and trailed down to his neck, staring at the spot where his necklace should have been. He remembered waking up with it clutched in his hand, and the relief that had swept over him. The energy spent on trying to conceal his love for Hermione from his new lord had been beginning to drain him, and finally he would be able to focus on other tasks. But then, he had realized that they couldn't see the magical item, or else they would speculate too much about it.

He picked up his wand, and touched it to a spot just below his collarbone. The silver chain reappeared like a stream of glittering water, and the snake in the pendant hissed as Hermione's face was illuminated by its glow.

"It was just an invisibility charm." His voice cracked as he spoke to her for the first time in what seemed like years. She raised her eyes to meet his once again, and he was unable to read the expression in them.

"Did you get married?" Her voice was hard, and he knew she was picturing him and Pansy walking together through the common room. Not to stare at her, to drink in every aspect of her perfection had been the hardest thing he had ever done. He nodded, and she opened her mouth to ask the question he had known was coming.

"Did you sleep together?" At his nod, Hermione looked on the verge of crumpling into herself. He reached out to comfort her as best as he could, but she violently threw herself away from his embrace.

Her next question was quieter, as if she had dreaded the answer since their shared dream. "Did you kill an innocent girl?"

Draco felt the blood drain from his face as he remembered the girl's pleading face turned to him, begging for her life. It was enough of an answer for Hermione. She turned away from him, her anger drained and replaced with hopelessness.

"Then you are just as bad as them."

"Hermione…I had to. They would have known, I would have failed…they would kill you." He heard in his voice, for the first time in his life, a beseeching note.

"And an innocent girl would not be dead!"

Draco resisted the urge to shake Hermione in her naivety. "You don't think they would have killed her anyway? As soon as she was caught she was dead, Hermione. If I hadn't done it, then my father would have, simply out of spite for showing me for the coward he's always believed me to be. And then they would have tortured me until I either died or let down my guard enough for them to see how much I love you."

Hermione turned back to facing him; her anger quieted only a little. "But you're Pansy's now."

He flinched. "Yes…but not for long. It's going to be soon now, Hermione. The point where all of this ends. The point where I can be with you again. Voldemort says he is going to strike at Harry incredibly soon, although he didn't say exactly when. Doesn't even trust his own followers. With good reason I suppose."

Her eyes had widened during his speech, and she jumped up from the bed. "We have to warn Harry!" Her face was pale, and Draco realized how much her friend meant to her. He nodded, and she sprinted out of the room, leaving him only to clutch onto the warm bed sheets that she had been lying in.

Slowly, he got up, and returned to his own rooms. Pansy was still sleeping, thankfully, and he sneered at the still figure. He hated her with every cell in his body, and his silver eyes flashed as he thought about ending her life.

Suddenly, he heard his name called out softly. He spun around, and realized that one of the portraits was talking to him.

"Dumbledore wishes to see you, young Malfoy." Draco nodded curtly, and left to see his Headmaster. When he entered Dumbledore's office, he noticed Hermione's unruly curls and Harry's tousled black hair in the seats in front of him. There was an empty one on their right for him.

As he moved to sit down, Harry stood up and addressed him. "Dumbledore has told me everything, Draco." Draco glanced swiftly at Hermione, but she shook her head quickly, indicating that Harry still didn't know about them. "I just wanted to say thank you."

Draco nodded barely at the boy, but didn't accept the boy's outstretched hand. He was helping Dumbledore, but that didn't mean he had to get chummy with the Boy-Who-Lived. Harry nodded and took back his hand, his smile tightening a bit.

"Draco, Hermione, Harry…I'm afraid I have some frightening news. Ron should also be joining us soon; the house elves are retrieving him now." As he spoke, Ron walked in.

Dumbledore's eyes scanned over the teenagers in front of them, concerns making his eyes loose some of their trademark sparkle.

"Voldemort is on his way."

A/N: Not much longer now! The Final Battle is going to be a rather long chapter, though, so you have something to look forward to!