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A/N Hello, thanks to everyone who is reviewing! I really appreciate it. I love writing this story, and I hope you enjoy reading it. Happy reading everyone and don't forget to review!

The Trap

The four of the gripped their wands tightly and turned to face the five death eaters head on.

"I have waited for this for a year!" Harry shouted pointing his wand at Snape. Snape merely laughed.

"Potter, I should have known it was you. Sneaking, meddling Potter." he sneered.

"Shut up. You are all going to Azkaban." Hermione said calmly. "Don't make this harder on yourselves." she said with confidence.

"Harder on us?" Wormtail laughed. "You are children. You have nothing compared to the Dark Lord."

Draco had his wand focused on Snape. It was Snape who had informed the Death Eaters of where his mother was waiting. If not for his mother he would be dead as well. Snape looked into Draco's determined silver eyes and taunted him.

"Is little Draco missing his mummy? Been on the run, hiding like common trash?" Draco straightened his stance and stood his ground. Hermione stood next to him, her one arm around his back, holding him in a reassuring way.

"And now you have the little mudblood to protect you. How sweet."

Draco could not hold back any longer.

"Stupefy!" he cried but Snape blocked it easily. Hermione leaned into him and whispered.

"Non-verbal. Do you know how?" she asked. He shook his head no.

"Just let us handle it and back us up okay?" He nodded.

"That was weak Draco." Snape mocked. "I thought your father would have taught you better than that."

"My scum of a father didn't teach me anything. And neither did you." he spat.

"Such disrespect. I shall have to teach you how to show your master's servants some reverence." Snape raised his wand and pointed it towards the group. Unfortunately for him the other three had silently stupefied the other three death eaters that stood behind Snape and Wormtail. Ron suppressed a giggle at the three large men fell like stones onto the floor. Snape turned to look at the men that were now slumped silently on the floor. The four of them kept their wands at the ready pointed towards Snape and Wormtail. Wormtail cowered behind Snape who then pushed him onto the floor.

"Useless trash." Snape muttered. Hermione pointed her wand in between Ron and Harry and attempted to silently stun Snape. He sensed her movement and whipped his wand at her, shooting a jet of light and causing her to slide to the floor. Draco knelt down and checked her while Ron and Harry started firing curses at Snape and Wormtail.

"I have a plan." Harry whispered to the others, "Only stupefy them." Ron and Draco nodded. Soon jets of light were flying all around the tiny kitchen. One of them hit Wormtail and he fell to the floor with a thud. Snape looked down and was hit with a similar shot.

"Good one Ron!" Harry said.

"Wasn't me." Ron admitted. The two of them turned to find Draco standing straight and tall, wand pointed at Snape. He had not uttered a single word.

"I thought you didn't know non-verbal." Harry said.

"I didn't. I just was angry and it kind of happened." he stated trying to catch his breath.

"Good job mate." Ron said impressed. Draco smiled for the first time at Ron.

"Enervate!" Harry whispered to Hermione brining her out of her stupefied state.

"Thanks." she croaked in a raspy voice.

"Why did you just want us to stun them?" Draco asked.

"Because, we are not going to capture them." he said.

"WHAT?" yelled Draco. "Are you mad?"

"No, listen. We are going to fix all the damage and erased their memories of this event. That way the object Voldemort is planning to hide here will arrive without suspicion. If we take them in we will never find it." he told them.

"Good idea Harry." Hermione said standing up and brushing off her clothes. "Let's get to it."

An hour later the kitchen looked undamaged and the five death eaters would be waking up soon minus their recent memories.

"The last thing they will remember," Hermione started "is walking in the house."

"Right." said Harry. "Let's go." They walked out the back door and apperated back to Harry's house. Just inside the door Hedwig was waiting with a letter from the order.

Harry,


I hope you were not planning on going to the manor alone. Let us know so that we can accompany you. I know you feel that it is all your burden to bear but remember that we are here to help you.

Remus.

Harry scribbled a quick note back explaining what had happened and told Remus to come to number 12 for further explanation just in case the note was intercepted. Harry then tossed his cloak onto the couch and made his way into the kitchen. Ron followed. Draco helped Hermione over to the couch where she plopped down.

"That was something." he said.

"Yeah."

"Are you alright?" he asked her.

"I guess. Sore from being stunned but okay." she managed a weak smile.

"Let me help you upstairs." he said.

"I'm okay. You are the one that is still hurt." she said.

"This?" he asked pointing at his stomach. "This is nothing. Come on." he said holding out his hand for her. She accepted and he helped her up the stairs to her room. When inside she sat on the bed and looked at him. As if seeing him for the first time.

"You should rest." he said softly.

"Yes." she replied. Her heart was beating out of her chest. Something had changed. Something in him was softer. Her eyes filled with tears not knowing why. He took his finger and wiped a tear from the corner of her large brown eyes.

"Ohh…" her breath escaped her lips in a sigh. A sigh that was suddenly captured by his mouth as he drew her into his arms and kissed her. She fell into his nearness, his strength, the touch and taste of him. He pulled back and looked into her eyes. He had not felt this close to anyone in his young life. He felt as if she understood him, knew where he came from and what he had been through. He felt as if he could tell her anything. She placed her head on his shoulder and sat there for a moment as confused as she could ever remember being. This was Draco Malfoy, and yet it wasn't. He was not the prat he portrayed himself as in school, but a lonely boy who had never known love. She thought of the danger the four of them had been in earlier and how close death could have come.

"I'm sorry." he said in her ear. "I shouldn't have."

"No, I'm glad you did. I feel much better now. We should get some rest." she said lifting her head off of his shoulder.

"Right." he mumbled shyly standing up slowly and walking towards his bed.

"Goodnight Draco." she said.

"Goodnight." he replied blowing out the candle by his bedside and closing his eyes.

The next morning the four of them were awakened by a loud ringing of the front doorbell. Harry slowly made his way down the rickety steps and answered the door only to be met by a very angry looking Remus Lupin.

"Harry what is the meaning of this?" he asked holding up Harry's note from the night before.

"Oh gods." Harry moaned flopping on the sitting room sofa. "Why do you find it necessary to second guess my every move?"

"Harry I am trying to protect you." Remus said comfortingly.

"I know, but I am not a child. I am eighteen years old." Harry told him.

"But if you die doing something stupid who will finish off the Horcruxes and kill Voldemort?" Remus asked. Harry thought for a moment and shrugged his shoulders.

"Now what did you find out?" Remus asked.

"Well Snape and Wormtail are hiding something in Malfoy Manor. We think it is the mirror of Erised. Anyway we stunned them and erased their memory that we were there. In a few days we are going to go back and check." Harry told him.

"Just you and Ron went?" Remus asked.

"No, Hermione and Malfoy went as well."

"Malfoy? Draco Malfoy?" Lupin asked shocked.

"Yeah, Hermione found him injured while she was on assignment. Don't look at me like that Remus." Harry said in reference to the shocked and annoyed look his father's friend was now giving him.

"I have already questioned him with veritaserum. He is telling the truth. Death eaters killed his mum in front of him and Snape helped. He was the one who stunned Snape. He gave us access to Malfoy Manor and information that lead us to the hidden room."

"Impressive." Remus said. "Can I talk to him?"

"Look, Hermione told me what happened to him. She wasn't supposed to tell me anything but she did. He thinks the Order already knew so I don't think it would be such a good idea to ask him lots of questions. Come have some breakfast and see what happens okay?" Harry said.

"Can't resist a home cooked meal." Remus said standing up to go into the dining area.

"I'll fix breakfast." Harry said.

Ron, Hermione and Draco made their way down the steps rubbing their eyes sleepily.

"Hey Professor." Ron said. Draco just stared at Remus who had several fresh gashes on his face from the last full moon.

"Stop calling me Professor Ron. I haven't been your professor for five years. Please call me Remus like Hermione and Harry do. Good morning Mr. Malfoy." he said in an all too cheery voice.

"Morning." Draco said reluctantly.

"It's been a while since I have seen you. How have you been?"

"Fine." Draco mumbled.

"Good, good." Remus said as Harry approached with a tray of assorted breakfast foods.

As it was Draco had not slept well the previous night. He had visions of Hermione falling to the ground at his feet and not being able to revive her. He had gotten out of bed several times and walked to her bed to make sure she was still there and breathing. Draco piled some eggs and sausages on his plate and sat quietly listening to Harry and Remus plan the next trip to Malfoy manor.

"Draco, may I call you Draco?" Remus asked. Draco nodded.

"Alright, Draco when do you say the Death Eaters normally meet at your former residence?"

"Not on any regular basis. Just at night. I was shocked that Snape and Wormtail were there during the day." Draco said.

"Maybe they had an inkling that the order knew their meeting times and switched to daytime. I think we should set some members to watch the comings and goings of the manor before we return." Remus said.

"We?" Harry asked an eyebrow raised.

"Yes Harry, we. Tonks, and myself at least will be accompanying the four of you. She will be here in a few anyway."

"Good!" Hermione shouted. "It will be nice to have another girl in the house. Living with boys can get on your nerves." she said smiling at Ron and Harry who knew she was joking.

"She might bring Ginny with her as well. She has wanted to see Harry." Ron scowled. "And her favorite brother." he added quickly.

"Well, we will need more beds." Harry said. "We can make the sitting room into a bedroom for Ginny and Tonks, Remus you can bunk with us."

Draco had been inadvertently staring at Hermione all morning. He remembered kissing her last night, consoling her. It felt good to have someone to trust. She looked up at him and her eyes locked with his. She smiled faintly before clearing the breakfast dishes. Draco stood to help.

"Go sit, you need your rest." she insisted.

"No, I'm fine. How are you feeling?" he asked with some concern.

"Fine." she said smiling.

He watched her scrape the dishes into the rubbish bin and then with a wave of her wand they were clean. His stomach was doing flips inside of his body.

'Am I this desperate for companionships that I would consider a mudblood?' he thought before pushing that thought and those words out of his mind. She was a kind, goodhearted person. Something that was hard to come by in his old circle of friends.

"What's the matter?" she asked breaking his concentration. Her hands were on her hips and her chocolate brown eyes were looking at him oddly.

"Nothing." he replied in a hoarse voice. He cleared his throat and looked away, his face was burning. It had been so long since he had felt someone's soft caress. Last night her lips on his had been the most wonderful feeling he had felt in years.

"Do you feel alright? You look fevered." she said walking over to where he was standing. His throat tightened.

"I feel fine." he said. She reached up and touched his forehead with her hand.

"You feel warm; you had better go upstairs and lie down. I will be up to check your wound in a minute.' she smiled and he walked up the stairs to the room they shared.

He sat on the edge of the bed and put his head in his hands.

'What in the name of Merlin is the matter with me?' he thought. Soon after he heard footsteps nearing his room. Hermione walked in carrying a bowl of water and a washcloth.

"Lie down." she commanded. His stomach did a flip.

She lifted his shirt and peeled back the bandage before dipping the washcloth into the water and wringing it out. He closed his eyes and felt the coolness touch his stomach.

Hermione washed and re-dressed his injury quickly. She had dreamt of his gentle kiss the previous night and was trying her best to avoid any intimate contact. Something she was failing miserably at. As he was pulling his shirt back down his eyes connected with hers again.

"Thanks." he said.

"Your welcome. You don't seem to be running a fever. I can't explain why your face was so flushed earlier." she replied, brow furrowed in concentration.

"I…uh," he stuttered.

"I will look it up; maybe something in the library will help. A book about infections maybe." she said pondering.

"It's nothing." he said. "Don't waste resources on it. I will be just fine."

"No, it could be serious." she insisted.

"Granger, it's not an infection!" he shouted, face flushing all over again.

"Fine." she said leaving the room slamming the door behind her. He flopped back on the bed mad at his words.