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Hermione, without knowing how, had managed to convince herself that the kiss she had almost shared with her partner was the result of a great emotional storm. They had let themselves be caught up in the moment. She knew it meant something, even if it hadn't happened, but she didn't have time to think about it right now. She didn't really expect a similar situation to happen again anyway. She knew that Draco, in any case, must feel terribly confused. A Pureblood who was now able to get close, even too close, to a Muggleborn…

A soft warmth coated her chest at the memory of that amazing embrace they had shared. She was almost convinced, however, that he no longer saw her in the same way as he had at the beginning of the year. Hermione badly needed to talk to Ginny about this... Strangely, she knew that Ginny wasn't going to blame her for feeling this obvious attraction to Draco. On the contrary.

The morning after that rocky day, Hermione had feared that her relationship with Draco would now be deeply tainted with embarrassment and silence. But that was not the case. Everything had been as if nothing had happened. In fact, he was even a little more... mellow. And he was even starting to alternate between 'Granger' and 'Hermione', which was not to her discontent.

The following Monday, November 16th, a Ministry owl flew to Hermione during lunch. He dropped the envelope in front of her and left quickly.

Harry, Ron and Ginny were with her, mouth full. The brunette tore open the envelope.

Miss Granger,

I was moved by your letter last week. I'm glad you contacted me. I think of your family often. The Auror team is not the same without your remarkable brother.

It would be a privilege to assist you, Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley, in your research and to grant you access to our archives.

I will be expecting you Saturday the 21st of November at 1pm in my office.

Sincerely,

Kingsley Shacklebolt

Minister of Magic

Hermione folded the letter and announced it to her friends.

"We're making progress," smiled Ron. "Don't worry, Mione. It's all going to make sense."

She offered him a smile that didn't reach her eyes. The author of the threatening letter had clearly told her to behave. Was making an appointment at the Ministry the definition of behaving? And what if the tormentor decided to make a move against them? He had threatened them all, after all...

Without realising it, she had slid her eyes to the Slytherin table to seek some comfort in his gaze. She came upon his grey eyes. He was already looking at her, and probably had been since the owl arrived. Frowning, he nodded once, and Hermione knew how to read his gestures. He was asking her if everything was alright. Discreetly, she gave a shy thumbs up and a shy smile.

Tuesday night, Hermione and Draco were getting ready for their rounds. Blaise was slumped in a chair watching them prepare. Neither Heads needed to be reminded that the rounds were to be done by two people. The blonde Slytherin would never agree to leave her, and anyway, the Gryffindor didn't want to be too far away from him. She felt safe around him and was beginning to enjoy each of their conversations more and more, even if they were often short.

She'd made other rounds since the attack in the sixth-floor toilet, but ever since she'd received the stranger's letter, she'd been on edge. She nervously attached her badge to her shirt. She wasn't wearing her witch's dress tonight, but the white shirt and tie in her house colours. She had tied her hair up in a loose bun at the nape of her neck. She was tired and couldn't stop thinking about her parents and their double grief.

"I can see it in your face, Granger," Draco said, grabbing his wand.

They walked out of the dormitory, and Blaise followed.

"I know you're worried about them," Draco added.

She gave him a sidelong glance. Blaise walked briskly beside her. She was flanked by two Slytherins, like two bodyguards. The students weren't supposed to go on rounds, but Blaise had insisted on staying with them, and they didn't mind.

"Yes," she replied. "Of course I am."

"Just remember what I told you."

Hermione rolled her eyes. Was he really going to do it again? "Draco, if you start telling me I have to fight..."

"I'm right, though."

She stopped abruptly in the middle of the corridor, incredulous, and Draco followed suit. Blaise stopped too, uncomfortable. Were they going to get into it, right there in front of him, as if he wasn't there?

A horrible feeling of déjà vu seized her. Arguing in the corridor. Deciding to go her own way. Being attacked. "Are you serious?" she squeaked. "Are we doing this now?"

Draco started walking again. No, he didn't want to get into it with her again, but he wanted so badly for her to understand how important it was for her to toughen up and pick herself up. He wanted to see her defiant. He knew she could be, fierce as she was. She had all the resilience in the world already brewing inside her to overcome the obstacles this fucking stranger threw in her path.

Hermione resumed her walk too, and Blaise followed her lead. They turned the corner of the corridor. A few lit lanterns cast eerie shadows on the walls.

"I want to make him pay, you know," she admitted after a moment, teeth clenched.

"There!" exclaimed Draco. "That's what I wanna hear!"

"Okay, stop," Blaisa cut in. "I need to know exactly what we're talking about."

"Draco seems to be telling me lately that I need to bottle up all my emotions and roll up my sleeves, because I'm a witch and I shouldn't let anyone walk all over me."

Blaise, with his hands in his pockets, turned to his fellow Slytherin and laughed. "I wouldn't have said it that way!"

"I didn't say it like that either," Draco grumbled.

"Almost," said the brunette. "What do you think about it, Blaise?"

"Keep him out of this!" Draco ordered.

Blaise raised his hands in front of him in defence. "If I answer, am I in danger?"

The Gryffindor elbowed him lightly.

"Alright, alright, alright," he sighed. "It depends."

Hermione and Draco remained silent, waiting for the next part.

"Of course it's normal to feel a storm of emotions after all you've been through, Mia. And with the last letter you received, we don't even know if we're tracking one or more people, since he only did one of the three things we're trying to figure out: the theft, the murder, and the attacks. It's like chasing a shadow, not knowing if you're actually chasing a forest of shadows..."

The Lioness swallowed hard. Blaise was putting the right words to this traumatic situation. Draco rolled his eyes.

"So I get it," Blaise continued. "It affects you. It would affect me a lot too. I think what Draco is trying to say is that at some point, AFTER crying and processing what's happening to you," he added, making big eyes at Draco, "you have to stand up. You have to be ready to fight."

"I know," said Hermione. "I'm not cowering in my corner either! I take initiative, I go here and there for clues or leads! I try to demystify what's going on…"

"And Malfoy knows it, of course," smiled Blaise.

"Wow, always the pretty words, Zab," sighed Draco.

They were now approaching the Ravenclaw tower. The History of Magic classroom was actually at the end of the corridor.

"Is he right?" Hermione asked her partner.

The blonde shrugged. "He only stated in fuller sentences what I was thinking."

"Are we going to walk by the kitchens?" Blaise blurted out. "Cause I'm hungry."

A smirk stretched Hermione's lips. Bloody Blaise. She had come to like him quite a bit over the last few weeks. Suddenly, the sound of a door closing echoed through the corridors. The trio stopped dead in their tracks, and Draco instinctively raised his arm behind him to the Lioness' waist level to prevent her from advancing.

Blaise had drawn his wand in a flash. Draco, wand held out in front of him, could not see the end of the darkened corridor. Footsteps were heard. Hermione's breath quickened and fear clung to her. She was flanked by two Slytherins. It would be alright. It was probably nothing. Everything was under control, maybe it was a teacher paying a visit... She would be protected if anything.

"Hey, guys!" shouted the figure who had just emerged into the lantern light.

Ron had a huge smile on his face. "Why are you three staring at me like that? You look like you've seen the bloody Giant Squid."

Hermione let out a sigh of relief and loosened her grip on her wand. The two Slytherins, however, did not move, wand still held out before them.

"Hermione, don't move," Draco said through gritted teeth, his gaze fixed on Weasley.

"What are you doing here, Ron?" said Blaise, his face focused.

"Guys, it's Ron…" Hermione gasped, making a move to lower their wands.

Draco pushed her back behind him with a swift motion, and Blaise took a step to plant himself at his blonde friend's side, both hands on his wand. A few feet away, Ron frowned, looking as if he didn't understand the suspicion he was receiving.

"What's going on?" he asked, trying to look at his Gryffondor friend. "Hermione, why are they—"

"What are you doing here, Ron?" repeated Blaise loudly, jaw set.

"Answer, Weasley!" ordered Draco sternly.

Hermione's heart raced as she looked more closely at her best friend. He looked confused, but why wasn't he answering? She swallowed hard and waited. Against all odds, Ron drew his wand. She tightened her fingers on her own wand instinctively and pushed aside all thoughts begging her not to attack her friend.

A sadistic smile stretched across his face. His features were perverse. He was unrecognisable. "There's only one thing I had to do..." he whispered, his eyes set on Hermione. "STUPEFY!"

"PROTEGO!" she shouted, ready.

Everything happened very quickly after that. Ron cast spells without even saying them, and Draco and Blaise leapt forward to strike back. Red, blue, purple and yellow lightning bolts shot down the corridor. Ron was able to parry them all and was moving so fast that she couldn't follow him with her eyes.

"Ron!" she shouted. "Ron, stop!"

She wanted to rush towards him, but Draco pushed her back to stop her. She tripped and immediately stood up.

"HERMIONE!" bellowed Draco. "IT' S YOU HE'S AFTER!"

"I DON'T CARE! I CAN STOP HIM!"

Deep down, it wasn't stopping him that worried her. She knew a myriad of spells that would make her job easier. She couldn't have Draco or Blaise hurt in the crossfire just because she was the target. She had to get them out of here, not the other way around.

Ron burst into a wicked, evil laugh. His features were contorted with rabid excitement. "Your time will come! he shouted, more than happy, before pointing his wand at her.

Blaise threw a Protego in front of her and the spell crashed into the translucent barrier in front of Hermione. He retaliated with stunning spells.

"Don't hurt him!" she begged. "Draco! Blaise! It's Ron! Leave him to me! JUST GO AWAY!"

The blond Slytherin dashed after Ron as the latter turned to flee, throwing spells over his shoulder. Portraits were hit in the fray and crashed to the ground. He didn't fucking care if it was Weasley. He was going to cripple him if he had to... Ron had run into the History of Magic classroom and was now throwing chairs at them with incredible force. He began to cast spells again.

"DRACO!" exploded Hermione. "I CAN HANDLE THIS! DON'T HURT HIM!"

"MIA, GET OUT OF HERE!" shouted Blaise angrily, looking at her for just a second.

"SHUT IT, BLAISE! IT'S ME HE WANTS!"

That second was enough for Blaise to be hit in the chest with a spell that Ron had not verbally uttered. Perhaps a Stupefy? Blaise was thrown backwards and crashed into a desk. A wail of pain escaped from him. Hermione rushed towards him in panic, ducking to avoid Ron's spells.

"HERMIONE, GET THE FUCK OUT!" shouted Draco, enraged at the spell that had hit his friend.

She ignored him and leaned over Blaise. He pushed her away roughly. "Mia, I beg you, get out! I'm fucking fine!"

"Winter is coming!" laughed Ron, his gaze crazy. "You know what you've done! AND YOU KNOW WHAT YOU ARE!"

Hermione stood up, glowering with anger, and pointed her wand at Ron, hand shaking. Yet she was calm. She didn't want to hurt him. She knew how to defend herself. She wouldn't allow Draco to get hit with a spell too, and take a bad fall, and hit his head, and—

"Who's talking through you, Ron?" she asked sharply. "WHO CURSED YOU?"

He spat right in front of him. "Shut your bloody mouth, Mudblood! You know what you did! You know what you've done!"

"WHAT THE FUCK DID I DO!" she barked, now holding both hands on her wand.

"Hermione..." Draco growled in warning, his eyes shifting to her for just half a second before dropping them back to Ron.

"QUIET," she admonished him. "Let him answer. What did I do, Ron?"

Ron said nothing, but his smile became more evil. Hermione, with extreme precision, fired a spell that grazed his shoulder and shattered a world globe on the professor's desk. Ron's nostrils flared in anger.

"WHO CURSED YOU?" she demanded again.

"Think about it, Granger... Do you really know who you're dealing with?" He too cast a hex at her, which she dodged with a sideways step.

Draco took a step forward, while Blaise began to stand up, silent and on guard.

"Draco," she said slowly through her teeth, not breaking eye contact with Ron, "get out of the classroom."

"No."

"GET OUT OF THE CLASSROOM!"

"HE WILL NOT GIVE YOU ANSWERS, HERMIONE!" shouted Draco without looking at her.

"You don't know that!"

They were close to one another, but she couldn't afford to look at him. She turned to Ron again. "I know you're cursed, Ron! I don't want to hurt you! I just want answers!"

"Actually, your boyfriend is right," Ron smiled. "I'm not here to give answers."

He pointed his wand at Draco in such a quick motion that Draco couldn't cast a Protego in time, too focused on Hermione. But the brunette, who had been watching Ron carefully, was already pushing her partner violently before Ron had even finished his sentence. Blaise yelled something. Draco fell to the ground at the same time as the non-verbal spell hit her full force. She collapsed on top of him, and stopped moving completely.

The young blond man screamed with rage, moved Hermione and jumped to his feet. Ron laughed victoriously and Draco took advantage of the moment to stun him. Blaise imitated him at once and Ron toppled backwards under the onslaught of the two spells, and fell unconscious to the ground.

"I'LL KILL YOU, WEASLEY!" bellowed Draco as he rushed towards the Gryffindor.

Blaise held him back forcefully. "He's unconscious. Draco… Mia…"

Draco rushed towards the body of his partner who lay on the ground. She whimpered faintly as thick, dark stream of blood flowed from her mouth. Blood stains covered her white shirt and grew larger and larger. A huge puddle of blood was visibly forming under her. Draco lost his breath and all rational thought.

"Oh my God," muttered Blaise. "Fuck, fuck, fuck..."

Draco was not reacting, his eyes fixed on Hermione's bloodstained face. Tears were streaming from her eyes and down her temples. She moaned but was unable to speak. The blonde wizard was trembling violently in shock. He had sworn to protect her... She was bleeding to death right in front of him...

Several chairs toppled over around them. Draco was panting.

"MALFOY!" shouted Blaise. He drew his wand and began to cast healing spells that he had rarely practiced. But the bleeding was not subsiding. Hermione was turning white dramatically.

"MALFOY, DO SOMETHING!"

Draco finally twitched and gritted his teeth. He imitated Blaise, and cast every healing spell he knew. Nothing worked. Her eyes were starting to roll back in their sockets. She was losing consciousness. And they couldn't get her back if she did, he was sure.

"IT'S NOT WORKING, FUCK!" cried Draco in terror. "BLAISE, IT'S NOT DOING ANYTHING!"

Several desk legs broke off and they crashed to the ground noisily. His eyes grew hot. A terrible pain and fear gripped him deep inside. The idea of losing her... like that, on the floor... Because she had pushed him out of the way and received the spell instead... The whole classroom shook.

Blaise, noticing that his friend's magic was starting to act out, put a hand on his shoulder. "Draco... Draco, look at me!"

His friend stared at him, his gaze blank.

"Control yourself!'

Draco noticed that around him, small objects were beginning to break and that several desks and chairs had shattered. He closed his eyes and tried to concentrate. He grabbed the Head Girl's hand and squeezed it. His knees on the floor were slowly soaking up the blood that was spreading to him.

Suddenly Blaise let out a loud gasp. "MALFOY! DOESN'T THAT LOOK LIKE THE FUCKING SNAPE SPELL THAT POTTER CAST ON YOU IN SIXTH YEAR?"

Draco realized that his friend was right. He had told Blaise and Pansy about the whole thing after it had happened and Snape had healed him with a counterspell... that he clearly remembered. With lightning speed, he held his wand over Hermione's body.

"Vulnera Sanentur…"

Nothing happened for the first few seconds, but after a moment, the pool of blood on the floor began to shrink, and the blood-soaked shirt slowly regained its whiteness.

"Vulnera Sanentur…"

Blaise moved to lay Hermione's head between his knees. He imitated Draco's spell and applied it over the Gryffindor. Her cheeks were getting more colour.

"Vulnera Sanentur…"

Hermione opened her eyes and took a deep breath of air. The pain was unbearable. She felt as if she was being slashed with a million blades that cut into her skin like scalpels. She couldn't help crying under the pain.

"You're gonna be fine, Mia..." Blaise reassured her. "Vulnera Sanentur…"

"Vulnera Sanentur…"

Gradually the pain lessened and Hermione became numb. The taste of blood filled her mouth. She could hardly comprehend what had just happened. It had all happened so fast...

"Ron..." she whispered. "Ron!"

"He's fine," Blaise said, as Draco continued to repeat the enchantment with extreme concentration. "I think."

A choked breath escaped her lips and she fought back more tears. Ron... She looked at her partner, still leaning over her. She could feel his warm hand in hers. His face was tense with concentration. She felt better. The pain was almost gone. She tried to sit up, but her body felt heavy and stiff, as if a truck had run over her.

"Hermione," Draco finally breathed as he put his arm back down. "I'm sorry... I tried to... but fucking Weasel..."

She blinked and managed to sit up, and her face came close to his. Immediately, Blaise stood up and walked a few steps away, starting to repair the mess in the classroom. His trousers were stained with blood. Draco stared at her and felt a huge wave of relief. More than that... She was there. In front of him, with him. She had saved him first, and now he had saved her...

"I'm fine," she whispered.

Imperceptibly, he leaned slightly towards her, so that his forehead almost touched hers. But he stopped a few inches away and enjoyed the warmth he felt flowing between their skin. She should have run away when he had told her... She had put herself in danger, and all that for Weasel?

He stood up abruptly, knees trembling. His trousers too were stained with her blood. "Why didn't you get out when you were told to?"

She struggled to her feet and stared at him, a little ashamed. "It's Ron..."

"You could have died!" he yelled angrily.

"He's my friend! I told you I could handle him!"

The blonde massaged his forehead and shook his head. He gave up. He had no desire to argue with her when she had just gotten hit with a spell for him... He had more important things to think about. Hermione walked over to Ron's inert body, still feeling a general pain. Draco joined Blaise.

"We certainly didn't miss the classroom..." Draco spat at his friend, raising his wand, ready to fix the broken objects that littered the floor.

Blaise gave him a sideways glance. "You did the most damage, Malfoy... I told you to control yourself."

"What the fuck are you talking about?"

Blaise lowered his wand and leaned towards his friend. "It's your magic..."

"What the—"

"It's your magic that's been acting out all along. Not Hermione's."

"What are you talking about? That's bullshit!"

"Think about it, damn it!"

Hermione looked up at them as she heard the tone rise. But the boys paid no attention to her and faced each other.

"Malfoy!" continued Blaise. "It's YOU. You were always there whenever those magic bursts were happening! Fucking think about it!"

"NO! IT WAS GRANGER WHEN SHE WAS FEELING—" Draco paused, confused. Memories appeared in his mind, scrolling like multiple pieces of a puzzle that began forming their final shape.

He walked away, returning to sit down to his homework, but he found it on the floor. He couldn't remember dropping it.

The mental image of a hand clasping her jaw, four fingers on one side and the thumb on the other, flashed through his mind. Her window flew open and the air rushed in.

Anger flared up in him from head to toe like a wave of fire that licked every joint in his body. He saw himself going back and cursing Grayson… The rain began to fall heavily and Hermione protected them with a drying spell.

Against all odds, the Slytherin placed the scarf on her and wrapped it twice around her shoulders. The rain started to ease and the clouds were getting lighter.

Suddenly realising that Hermione might be undergoing another 'attack', he rushed to her table and tried to look at the contents of her potion and the ingredients on the floor. The window closest to her work table exploded with a loud clatter.

"What do you wanna know?"

"What did she tell you? You know what I fucking mean."

Behind him, his chair fell loudly. He glared at Blaise, who noisily placed his books on the table where all three were already gathered.

"Could you just watch where you're going?" he said to Blaise.

"I didn't even—"

He came up behind her and read a few snippets of the paper she held in her hand. He snatched it from her hand, frowning, and read furiously. An icy wind swept through the room, lifting the curtains and knocking over a few light trinkets.

"What the fuck..." he huffed, shuddering under the massive realisation he had just made.

Hermione, speechless, had heard everything, and had straightened up on her feet, arms limp at her sides. She was dizzy. She had never paid attention to the strange little things that happened around her when she was in a difficult situation, precisely because she didn't think about them. Was Draco losing control of his magic? She slowly approached the Slytherins and stood next to the Head Boy, her face dazed.

Draco covered his face with his hands, his wand stuck between two fingers. He was terribly ashamed. Blaise wasn't stupid. So... Hermione had been in control all this time? How could he not feel anything when his own magic was acting out? No, you felt everything, on the contrary... That dreadful anger that wanted to bring everything down, that deadly worry that tore at your stomach, that protective instinct that kept you from even resting. He took a long breath in and out. Was it really Granger that had him so worked up? Do I care that much about her? The clear, palpable, sharp image of the brunette in his arms popped into his head. His stomach immediately knotted up. Yes... When had he started to become so gentle, so protective, so... abnormal, with her?

She deserves everything.

He moved his hands away from his face, his features set.

"I know what you're thinking, Malfoy," sighed Blaise. No, you're not a weak wizard. On the contrary... I think your magic is so strong that it's leaking out of you and manifesting its full power."

"I—" Draco looked down at the ground, his head filled with a thick fog. "I don't understand why..."

"I know why," Blaise replied, giving Hermione a subtle look.

Hermione was still looking at her partner. She didn't judge him. She'd read about this kind of magic that could act out of wizards before, but it happened especially when they were children, when the first sparks of their magic manifested in them. It was accidental magic, but it didn't diminish the wizard's experience or skills. She couldn't imagine how confused Draco must feel... She vowed to help him control his episodes.

Blaise began to clear the space around him again.

"We should get him to the infirmary," Hermione advised as she glanced over at Ron's body.

"Honestly, I think he'll be fine," Blaise said, shrugging. "He'll wake up."

"He'll be hugely confused when he wakes up! I want to be near him so I can explain to him myself what happened."

"We'll take him to the fucking infirmary, Blaise, it doesn't matter," Draco cut in, expressionless. "And you will go too."

Hermione started to protest, but he interrupted her. "You need a medical examination. You've received a very dangerous curse. I'm not letting you walk around the castle without getting checked first."

"I'm with him on this," Blaise said without looking at them.

"Fine," Hermione grumbled.

And then, at last, he took a step towards her and gently rubbed his thumb over her chin, wiping away the damp blood that had dripped from her mouth earlier.

"At least you're alive," he said quietly. "I don't know what I would have done if…"

He sighed and stopped, then walked around her without another glance and joined Blaise to clean the classroom. Hermione swallowed and touched her chin with her fingertips, where Draco's touch had left a burning, stinging imprint. Magnetic.

"So, are we still going to go through the kitchens?" Blaise asked. "I'm still hungry."

"Oh, but you must travel through those woods again and again... said a shadow at the window... and you must be lucky to avoid the wolf every time...
But the wolf... the wolf only needs enough luck to find you once."

Emily Carroll, Through The Woods