A/N: Hey guys! I'm so sorry this authors note wasn't in here beforehand, I honestly thought it was. I'm writing this authors note to tell you all that sadly, this is the last chapter every of Quintessence. I hope you guys enjoy this chapter, for I put alot of work into making it. I was a bit disappointed from the last chapter, I only got 4 reviews. I was hoping for a bit more since that was one of the last chapters. I hope I get a few more than what I've already gotten. Enjoy the chapter, and I'll see you all for the sequel. Review please!

Quintessence

Fate

Chapter 26

Hermione threw another sweater into her bag. "Draco, where exactly are we staying?" asked Hermione, opening her door.

Draco walked in, his bag slung over his shoulder. "We'll be in Hogsmeade. Don't pack anything you wouldn't wear here."

Hermione nodded, packing an extra pair of pants. "How long will we be gone? I don't want to pack too much, or too little. Then there's the chance of sno-"

Draco cut her off. "Just pack enough for a few days. Make sure you have a cloak with you, it can get a bit chilly during the night."

"It's not like we'll be camping out," Hermione laughed. He was always looking out for her well-being. "I'm sure The Three Broomsticks has enough quilts to suffice for a few nights."

"Just pack a cloak," He grumbled, throwing his over a chair.

Hermione obliged, closing up her bag. "How are we going to leave this castle without getting caught?" Hermione asked worriedly. "I'm sure the teachers will be patrolling."

"We go to the Astronomy Tower. It's pretty close to our tower; it shouldn't cause too much trouble. When we get there, I'll conjure a rope and we'll climb down." He explained nonchalantly.

"It can't be that easy, Draco," Hermione laughed uneasily. "There has got to be something we've overlooked."

"We haven't overlooked anything," He answered. "The only thing we have to look out for are the teachers. I couldn't get a hold of a patrolling schedule."

Hermione furrowed her brows. "It's not a class schedule, Draco. They wouldn't give that information to a student."

"That's why we're going to be careful," He shrunk his and Hermione's bags. "We can't let anybody know we're leaving."

Hermione tucked her shrunken bag into her pocket, slipping her cloak around her shoulders. "I understand," She walked over to him, folding her arms across her chest. "When do you think we should head out?"

Draco shrugged. "I was hoping for midnight. Most of the teachers will be asleep at that time."

Hermione nodded. "I feel so bad, sneaking around like this."

"There's nothing bad about saving our own lives," He assured her. "The school is safer if we leave. Voldemort won't have much of a reason to attack."

"He did attack that innocent village," Hermione reasoned. "Hogwarts can be just as easily attacked."

"Not if we leave."

Hermione glanced at her watch, a loud yawn escaping her. "I think I should nap for a bit, I have some time before we leave."

"I'll be sure to wake you," He walked over to her, placing a kiss on her forehead. He rested his forehead on hers, combing her hair back with his fingers. "Get some rest, we have a long night."

Hermione nodded, turning around to leave the room. He turned her around before she left, looking her straight in the eyes. "Hermione, I love you."

She smiled. "I love you, too," Hermione giggled, walking over to him and hugging him around the waist. "Don't forget to wake me."

He kissed her softly, shutting the door as he walked out.

--

Draco walked over to Hermione, shaking her lightly. "Wake up," He whispered.

Hermione turned over, frowning noticeably. "We have to leave," She stated sadly. "I wish I could say goodbye. I really don't want anyone worrying."

"I know," He said, looking down at her. "But you know why we can't tell anybody."

Hermione sighed tiredly, tightening her cloak around her. "Do you have everything?"

He nodded. "We should go," He ushered her towards the door, arm around her waist.

Hermione looked behind her. "I hope nobody notices we're gone," She looked around the room.

"I'm sure nobody is going to come in here anytime soon," He inched towards the portrait. "It's only a few days, Hermione. We'll be back here in the comfort of the castle in no time."

Hermione sighed. "Let's go then."

Draco led her through the portrait hole, looking both ways into the corridor before stepping fully out. "I don't see anyone around. The walk should be uneventful."

Hermione shivered slightly. "There's always a draft on this floor, I hope it's not this cold outside."

"Expect the worst. We're well into the winter season."

Hermione wrapped her arms around Draco, attempting to absorb some of his body heat. She was scared, venturing into the open with only their wands for help. Voldemort could be lurking anywhere, including Hogsmeade. It scared her, knowing that Voldemort was attacking innocent people to get to her and Draco. She never really understood why Voldemort needed her so much; all she knew was that they used her to lure Draco in.

She looked up at Draco, wanting to lighten the mood. He was so quiet; he must have been in deep thought about what was going on. "I've never stayed in Hogsmeade. I feel like I'm taking a holiday."

"I assure you that it won't feel like a holiday once you step foot into the room," He grimaced, remembering his first time staying at The Three Broomsticks.

"Oh, how so?" She asked, glad he was thinking of something other than what was going on.

"It's just not the best kept place on Earth," He replied. "But we'll have to make d-"

Hermione placed her hand over his mouth, silencing him. He pointed across the corridor, her face laced with fear. "Mrs. Norris," She whispered.

Draco gently pried her hand off his mouth, trying not to make a sound. He turned to her, his mouth near her ear. "When she leaves to find Filch, run. Do not stop until you reach the tower, do you hear me?"

Hermione nodded, obviously scared. They hadn't even left the castle yet and they were already going to get into trouble. She knew something like this was going to happen. It always happened to her, every time she was sneaking around. She looked over at Draco, who was currently void of emotion. She could tell he was scared; his hand was clammy; his grip constricting her hand.

She inhaled sharply; the gravity of the situation suddenly taking force. Mrs. Norris had just disappeared down the hallway. She felt Draco let go of her hand and looked up. He motioned for her to follow as he took off running down the corridor towards the Astronomy Tower.

This is it. She told herself, sprinting down the hallway. She scrounged the hallway for Draco, her eyes just adjusting to the pitch black. She could hear him running a few feet ahead and pushed herself to catch up. She caught up with him, hearing his shallow breaths next to her.

A few minutes later, she was exhausted. Bracing herself, she finished the few feet missing between her and the door leading to the stairs. She stopped just short of the door, collapsing onto Draco. He held her up, his arm hugging her against him tightly.

"Did we honestly have to run the entire time?" Hermione asked, short of breath. "Filch isn't exactly in shape."

Draco just shrugged, unable to speak. He led them up the stairs and onto the tower. Hermione let out a high-pitched gasp as the cold air hit her face. Her cheeks were flushed from running, the cold air feeling colder against her skin.

A few minutes later, Draco took his wand out. He conjured a rope ladder, throwing it over the side of the tower. "All we do is climb down this ladder. Hogsmeade is right off the grounds."

"Didn't they place Aurors at the entrance?" Hermione asked, also taking out her wand.

Draco nodded in agreement. "We're going to have to cut through the Forbidden Forest for about a mile so we don't get spotted."

Hermione gasped. "The Forbidden Forest? Draco, this is the hunting hour. All of the creatures in the forest will be out right now, looking for food. I will not be some Centaurs dinner."

"I think you've completely forgotten we have wands," He replied. "Don't worry about it, we'll be fine."

"I'm not so sure about this," Hermione whispered uneasily. "If we get caught, we could get into huge trouble."

"Don't let that thought cross your mind," He demanded. "If you focus on that then we will get caught."

Hermione groaned, walking over to the rope ladder. "Do I just climb down?"

"Let me go down first," He offered. "You might miss a step, I don't want you plummeting to the ground."

Hermione smiled. She swung her legs over, taking a few shaky steps. She was not a fan of heights, and ladders were not her forte. She concentrated on the night sky above her, avoiding looking down at the ground.

"This is an absolutely magnificent view down here," Draco commented, plastering a smirk onto his face.

"I've been noticing that, the stars are just so bright tonight," She sighed happily, glancing at the star-lit sky.

He shook his head. "I wasn't talking about that view."

Hermione furrowed her brows, descending another step. "What else could you possibly see from here? Unless your looking down at something that I can't see then I'm sure you were talking abo-" Hermione gasped as realization dawned on her. "You perverted little man!"

Draco began laughing, finally reaching the ground. Hermione followed soon after, and began slapping him continuously on the arm. "How dare you bring up something like that when we're in such a serious situation!"

Draco grabbed her wrists, preventing her from slapping him. "I was trying to lighten the mood. I could tell you were feeling uneasy about climbing the ladder."

"I was not uneasy, I was perfectly fin-" Draco cut her off, backing her up against the wall and silencing her with his hand. He had heard something moving.

"Don't talk," He warned her. "These aurors can hear better than a trained dog. One wrong sound and they're on alert."

Hermione nodded, closing her eyes in fear. Draco withdrew his hand. "We should place some sort of camouflaging spell on ourselves. It's an open field, we'll be easily spotted."

He took his wand, waving it over Hermione and himself. "We only have a few minutes to cross the field. This spell isn't permanent."

A few seconds later, Hermione was running across the field with Draco hand in hand. She let go, his long strides too fast for her petite legs. She slowed down, her vision becoming hazy. She looked forward, noticing Draco was still running. Her body couldn't continue; her system was slowing down.

Colored dots clouded her vision as her system shut down.

--

Hermione blinked furiously, trying to block out the light that was seeping through the window. She sat up groggily, taking in her surroundings. She was in a quaint room completely decorated in wood, and she was lying on the bed in the middle of the room.

She turned over in the bed and came face to face with Draco's back. She gave him a slight shove. He turned around, a sleepy smile on his face. "You're awake."

"Where are we?"

Draco yawned loudly before answering. "We're in The Three Broomsticks, as promised."

"What happened? I don't remember anything that happened last night," She rubbed her head. She had a pounding headache. It must have been the reason she couldn't remember anything.

"Something backfired with the camouflaging spell last night," He explained, "The spell caused you to black out."

"I don't understand, you seem perfectly fine," Hermione remarked, stroking his arm absentmindedly.

"Something happened inside of your body. I'm no healer," He shrugged.

Hermione smiled, wrapping her arms around his neck. "Well, thank you for bringing me to safety. Who knows, at the pace you were running, you would have forgotten all about me."

"Never," He smirked, giving her a tender kiss. "I'd never hear the end of it if I left you out there."

"Oh, stop it," Hermione slapped his arm lightly.

Draco just got out of bed, slipping on sweatpants he had brought with him. "I'll have a house elf bring up some food. I don't think it would be safe to go down to the main hall."

She nodded in agreement, also getting up. "What are we going to do while we're here?"

"We have this room to ourselves, I'm pretty sure we can think of a few things to do with our time," He winked, slipping on a grey shirt.

Hermione scoffed. "After the comment you made last night, I assure you I will be changing in the bathroom from now until we leave."

Draco groaned, his face falling into his hands. "I haven't been polished in a long while, Hermione. I can't believe you're willing to put out."

"It's for the neighbor's sake, Draco. Be reasonable," She shrugged, magically changing herself.

Draco smiled, obviously agreeing with her. He walked over to her, wrapping his arms around her waist from behind. She giggled, and turned around. "What do you want?"

"So that's how you're going to treat me?" He arched an eyebrow.

"No," She shook her head, laughing lightly. She kissed him softly, stroking his back.

"I appreciate this treatment much better," He murmured against her lips.

Hermione pulled away slightly, a more serious look on her face. "What are we going to do while we're here?" She asked, hoping for a more serious answer this time.

Draco sighed, resting his forehead against hers. "We're going to have to stay here in our room. Nobody can know that we're here, though I doubt Hogwarts will be taking any trips here soon."

She nodded, seeming satisfied with his answer. "And after? We can't just go back to the castle like nothing happened."

"Yes, but we can sneak back in. I doubt anyone is going to look in our rooms. We're in lockdown; nobody can leave their House unaccompanied," He explained.

"You've thought this over, haven't you? You seem to have an answer for everything," She pointed out.

He shrugged. There really wasn't much to escaping; he just had to make sure nobody was in their way when they did so. "There wasn't much to it."

"I'm sure there was, Draco. I saw how nervous you were the minute we stepped foot into the corridor."

He frowned. "I wasn't that nervous. I was more worried than nervous, actually."

"Oh, really?" Hermione grinned. "Worried about whom?"

"You," He stated, kissing her softly.

"So we really have nothing to worry about?" She asked anxiously.

"We'll be fine. Nobody even knows we're gone," He assured her, combing her hair with his fingers.

"If you say so,'' said Hermione, disbelievingly. "I'm concerned about the castle. Dumbledore even seemed frightened when he told us."

"He was just worried about the students. I'm sure he can handle this."

Hermione sighed, leaning her full body weight onto Draco. "You know, I never really understood why Voldemort was after me."

Draco raised his eyebrows. "Really? I always thought they just wanted you for themselves, as crude as it sounds."

Hermione grimaced. "That is horrible."

"They can't have you, though. I've already claimed you," He kissed the bridge of her nose.

Hermione blushed. "You're just full of them today, aren't you?"

He nodded, sighing softly. "Voldemort just wants you so he can get to me."

"So I'm just bait?" She whispered.

Draco rested his chin atop her head. "Nothing more."

Hermione buried her face into his chest, wanting to shut this situation out of her mind.

He knew she was scared. He would be scared, too. Voldemort was after her just to get to him. So far, it wasn't working. But with him, you never know. Hermione could be bait one day, or the main target the next. Her safety was crucial, and it was completely resting on his shoulders.

He spotted some movement outside of his window. He let go of Hermione, walking over to the window curiously. He squinted to get a good look of what was going on, and inhaled sharply. Voldemort and his minions were outside, torturing an elderly man near the gates of the town.

"Draco, what's wrong?" asked Hermione, walking over to the window. She gasped when she saw the group of Death Eaters shooting curses to a small, shaking figure. "They're here?"

He nodded numbly, turning to Hermione. He knew what he had to do. "Hermione, listen to me," He demanded. He lifted her chin softly, forcing her to look at him. "I'm sure Dumbledore will be down here shortly. I'm going to help him, I need to settle this with my father."

Hermione's eyes widened, her eyes brimming with tears. She began shaking her head, denying him. "You can't leave, Draco. Those men can kill you!"

He sighed. He knew she was going to protest. He couldn't bear to see her crying; it was going to give him second thoughts in leaving. "Hermione, you know the whole ordeal with my father. I need to settle this now, while everything is unfolding."

Hermione backed away from him, her head falling into her hands. "You can't leave, you can't," She sobbed quietly.

Draco walked over, embracing her tightly. "Hermione, I love you. I would never think to do this if I wasn't positive I was coming back."

"Bullshit!" Hermione cried, detaching herself from him. "I know what these men can do, Draco. Do not mistake me as a stupid girl. You might die, Draco!" She collapsed onto the bed, crying hysterically.

He couldn't watch her cry; it was too much for him. "Hermione," He whispered gently, pulling her into his arms. "I need to do this, please understand."

"No…no," She murmured quietly, shaking her head. "Draco, please don't do this. I might never see you again."

"Then don't make our parting moment negative," He kissed her hair, he himself holding back tears. "I don't want to leave, Hermione. Not knowing you're like this. Please understand, I need to settle this now."

Hermione heaved another sob, collapsing into his arms. She leaned up, placing a watery kiss onto his lips. "Please, don't leave me," She pleaded.

Draco let a few tears fall, returning the kiss. "Hermione, I love you so much. Please know that," He felt her nod. "I promise you, I will come back. Don't forget me, I will come back."

Hermione continued crying. He was leaving her, and all she could do was cry. She couldn't think of anything to say; nothing came to her mind. "I love you, Draco. Don't go."

"Just know that I love you and that I'll be back."

Hermione wiped her face a bit, trying to clear her vision. Draco pulled back, kissing her forehead softly. He got up, walking towards the door.

Hermione let out a loud sob, her face buried into her sleeve. She couldn't bear to watch him leave; she just shut her eyes tightly, crying softly.

"I'm holding you to that promise, Draco Malfoy. I want you back when this is over."

Draco just shut his eyes tightly, trying to block out her crying. He knew if he looked back he wouldn't leave. He had to settle this, he had to. As he left the room, the last thing he heard were Hermione's quiet sobs echoing through the halls.

Fate always had a nasty way of dealing with things.