Disclaimer: If I owned Harry Potter, Hermione and Draco would be together by fourth year. -nods-

A/N: Wow...it's been nearly three months since I updated. I'm not even sure whether that's long or short. I know the updates are really irregular these days, butI promise to finish this for all my faithful readers! I will be working hard on the next chapter! Hopefully, the update would be around early July.

Transition

She hadn't returned to the Hospital Wing after that evening, he noted as he stared at the stark white ceiling.

He supposed there was no point. After all, what was done could not be undone. And men could only move forwards.

Draco wasn't surprised by her absence, nor was he offended. In fact, he told himself sternly, he would be disappointed with Hermione Granger, and her resolve to not have anything to do with him, if she had appeared in the hospital again.

He smiled to himself. Hermione was never the one to disappoint.

"What are you smiling about, Malfoy?" Remus Lupin's voice sounded from across the room. The question and the address to his name…it hadn't been asked or said with hostility but with mild curiosity or maybe confusion to how to address a war criminal he had once taught.

"Nothing." He answered stiffly and returned to staring at the plane of white above him yet again.

He hadn't noticed Remus Lupin from across the room when he'd first woken up from his coma; and he hadn't realized his presence until Hermione had left the Wing. But now that he had, there was an awkward companionship between them. The man looked healthy enough upon first glance and he had thought that he was there with the sole purpose to guard him. But after the last few weeks, he'd realized that the older man was still recovering from their previous battles; his hair was greyer than it was tawny brown and he still suffered from moments of convulsion. Two evenings ago, with the aid of the nurse and Tonks, who had happened to turn up in that morning, he had disappeared for an entire night; the next morning Lupin had returned, looking more haggard with bags under his eyes and scratches marring what was not conveniently covered by his loose shirt. His cousin had been there too, and her eyes as she helped the werewolf into bed had dared him to make a comment.

He hadn't of course, knowing how foul the tempers of those related to the Black family could be, but it didn't take much to guess what had happened the previous night. And though he had been warned not to discuss lycanthropy; he had still been quite tempted to question.

"What is it like?" he asked suddenly, unable to contain his curiosity anymore.

"What is what like?" the other man asked, looking up from a book which he'd began reading a few moments ago.

Draco pushed himself into a sitting position, carefully avoiding putting any strain on his left arm which still ached quite constantly. Lupin was staring at him neutrally, neither judging nor without reserves, and he returned the stare. He thought about the query in his head and tried to decide how to approach the topic. His eyes subconsciously darted to the purple and red scars on Lupin's hand.

"You mean, what's it like being a werewolf?" Lupin voiced his question, clearly noticing his glance at his scars.

xxXxx

It probably surprised him more than anyone that the companionship had taken a turn like this. In the due course of the last two weeks, his relationship with the other man in the room had somewhat improved and turned into something akin to friendship. With nothing else to occupy their time as they healed in the isolated room, so heavily warded that no one could stumble in accidentally or without permission, they had taken to conversation. Lupin had been surprisingly kind and conversational when Draco's curiosity got the best of him. Since then, Lupin had initiated some of the most intellectual discussions he had had in their occasional talks. Yet—

There were certain topics they stayed away from, like the War and its situation and Potter's gang.

They were having a conversation about the power of goblins over pixies, when Madame Pomfrey walked in with a tray of vials and food. Normally, Lupin would give the woman a light nod as she tended to his wounds and then their conversations would cease until Pomfrey was out again.

Pomfrey sat down by Lupin's bed and began to treat a stubborn wound on his right arm which still refused to heal. She whispered something under her breath and Draco saw Lupin's eyes widened before nodding. Draco raised his eyebrow slightly at the odd display of emotion but remained quiet. He watched as Lupin turned away from the fretting nurse and looked across the room at him.

"Hermione's coming in today." He said.

He tried not to look surprised, but gave up quickly as his expression had clearly not fooled the other man. "And?"

"You don't seem upset or concerned." Lupin noted, looking at him.

"Why should I be?" he retorted.

Lupin shrugged and got a swat from Madame Pomfrey because he had loosened a wrap of bandage on his arm.

Draco sunk back into his pillow, never noticing that he had sat up just a little bit straighter when Lupin mentioned about Hermione's visit. He could already guess the reason for her coming. He supposed that he was fit enough to be moved away from the Hospital Wing.

He thought he would be nervous. After all it was going to be a pending meeting with transport, interrogation…and blood and screams, a dark part of his mind reminded him of the Dark Lord's uncannily effective methods. And unconsciously he delved into the last torture he had participated in. He didn't even remember the name of the one they had captured. He'd only been told that 'he had information.' and to 'get it out of him.' He remembered doing exactly that too. Not that the information that came out eventually (it had been three days, he thought) was any useful. The captive had gargled a few words that Millicent had recorded before choking in his own blood…

A wave of queasiness shocked him. He was supposed to be used to these. But the reminder of the tangy sweat, the excretion and the coppery smell of warm blood trickling, spreading across cold damp concrete fused with the sharp smell of disinfectant from across the room. His fists tightened around the sheet while his stomach rolled in protest.

"Malfoy." A voice called from the doorway of the room, earning a very disgruntled glare from Madame Pomfrey who was checking Lupin's wound again. It had successfully dragged his wandering mind far, far away from the blood and sweat and ugliness of that escapade.

He looked towards the doorway and saw Potter. He quirked his eyebrow at the man and was given a glare in return. Potter walked up to his bedside and looked down at him impassively. "You're leaving today."

With that said, he moved away and across the room to Lupin. He began talking to the other man in low voices. There were some nods here and there, and once, a very indignant mutter from Madame Pomfrey. The hush conversation continued until the door was slid open for the second time and Hermione strode in purposefully.

"Everything's set." Her eyes focused solely on Potter, who met her gaze with a nod. She then turned her gaze in his general direction, "Why is he still in bed?"

"I haven't been told to do otherwise," he called across the room to her, "And Granger, it's rude to talk about someone else as if they're not in the room."

Hermione ignored his comment. "Harry, help me get him out of the bed."

Madame Pomfrey began protesting, but was silenced by Hermione's look. Hermione pulled at his sheets and then Potter, by her side now, pulled him out of bed. They handed him a set of robes and pointed him to a makeshift curtain to use as the changing room. Draco stared at the piece of garment shoved into his hands. It was old and rough. Probably one of the Weasley's, he noted snidely. He heaved a sigh. After all, he didn't have much of a choice. He pulled the hospital gown over his head and put the robes given to him on. It was relatively comfortable, he thought, at least material wasn't scratching the wounds on his back. He walked out from behind the makeshift changing room and saw Hermione's and Potter's heads bent together discussing.

"I think this route is the safest." Potter said, pointing to a route shown on a very explicit map of what seemed to be the school.

Hermione nodded, but then she pointed out another diverging spot. "Okay, but I think it's best if we take this cut instead of here. There is a class there. I don't want to let any student see him."

"Okay." Potter said, before tapping the map softly and muttering something under his breath. He watched in slight amazement as the map disappeared. Potter caught his eyes and gave him a rather cold look before shoving the map into his pocket. "He's here." He told Hermione, as she couldn't see him from her seat.

Hermione turned around and told him, "We'll bound you, then take you somewhere else."

He raised an eyebrow. He didn't have his wand, nor was he well enough to make a run to anywhere even if he wanted to. "I can't run away, you know." He drawled out.

"We're not taking any chances. There're students about." Hermione said, not missing a beat.

Draco shrugged and offered his hands forward. Ropes shot out from the end of Hermione's wand and wound tightly around his wrists. He watched Hermione tugged sharply at the rope and felt its rough materials scratch against his skin. He inspected the knot carefully and gave it a subtle tug. They really weren't taking any chances, he thought wryly.

"Happy?" he asked sarcastically.

Hermione ignored him and handed the rope to Potter who'd walked over. "Is it cleared, Harry?"

Potter nodded. "Yeah. Let's go."

Potter tugged at his rope and let Hermione take the lead towards the door of the Ward before following her. Draco looked around one last time. The time has came. This was probably the last time he would see Hogwarts. Nostalgia tugged at his guts with each step he took, moving him away from the place he had been staying for the last few weeks.

A/N: Evil Only Secret is leaving you hanging here. To turn Evil Only Secret into Nice Only Secret, please review! Wouldn't you just love to know where Draco is going, and what is going to happen to the budding friendship between Remus and Draco…and the seemingly impossible development of Draco and Hermione's relationship!