Hermione stared longingly at the place her four friends stood just a moment ago. They were off to fight what might be the last battle of the war. She was excited by the thought that Voldemort might soon be defeated, but terrified for the safety for her friends. She assumed that Harry was prepared to face Voldemort, but only based on her belief that Harry would not chance such an encounter unless he was confident of victory. But she had not seen him for weeks. It was very possible that he believed her dead. She could not deny the nagging memories of the many times Harry had rushed into a fight unprepared. But he had matured. He knew what he had to do. He wouldn't jeopardize the future of the entire wizarding world just because he was frustrated and angry, right? She didn't know what he felt or thought. It'd been weeks since she was with him. Never had she wanted to be by his side more than at that moment. The only thing that kept her there at that moment were Charlie's words. She was a liability if she were there. If she were in any of their places, she would protest even harder than they had. And then there was Draco. If she left, she was certain he would come too, and it would certainly be to his death. They'd struggled too hard for survival to rush to their own defeat now.

Hermione looked up at the pale pointed face of the only boy left in the room. Draco too had been staring at the empty place that the four Weasley children had been, looking just as frustrated as she felt. Draco looked up at her and his cold expression softened to a small mirthless smile.

"I know," Hermione said sympathetically. "I don't like being left behind either."

"They need us," Draco insisted. His frustration and anger were still very evident, but he kept himself calm for Hermione's sake. "They need everyone they can get, and I know so many of their weaknesses. Not to mention, if anyone of them attacks me near Bellatrix and she doesn't do anything to help me then she just drops dead from her vow. That alone is worth the trip."

"Draco…"

"All of my enemies are there. I owe them!" Draco growled.

"All of my friends are there… I owe them," Hermione said sadly.

"So do I," Draco grumbled.

"I better go tell-," Hermione started.

"No," Draco stopped his rant, softening again and put out a hand to stop Hermione from leaving. "I'll go tell Lupin and the Order. You rest."

"Draco," Hermione's brow furrowed in agitation. "I'm perfectly capable of-"

"I know you are," Draco interrupted. "Of course you are. And I'm sorry that I'm treating you like you're weak and fragile. That's not what I think of you at all. It's just, Ginny asked me… and somehow it just means something to me. Would you let me?"

Hermione's frustration faded instantly into a soft smile and she brushed a few stray strands of oily grimy blonde hair out of Draco's eyes. As filthy as he was, she still found him to be one of the most beautiful people she'd ever known. She wished she had noticed it earlier. "Of course. Hurry though."

Draco nodded, his expression void of all but cold determination, before turning to the door. He turned left immediately, knowing that it was the direction everyone kept coming from. The hallway led him down a flight of stairs. Draco stopped at the bottom of the staircase and looked both right and left, quickly deciding upon the right as this part of the hall was lit with many candles along the wall. Continuing to follow the candle lit path, Draco found himself standing outside a swinging door that could only be assumed to belong to the kitchen. Draco took a deep breath and slowly pushed it open.

Draco's eyes took in the large empty kitchen. The large table in the center had a few scrolls of parchment and some ink and quills. He gasped when he realized that the kitchen was not as empty as he originally thought. In the far corner, a slightly short plump witch with red hair, beginning to grey with age, stood silently working over a lit stove.

"M-Mrs. Weasley…?" Draco tested quietly.

The sound of his voice startled her and she turned around quickly, her hand on her bosom in her surprise. "Malfoy," she said flatly. Her hand began to slide down to her apron pocket where, no doubt, she stored her wand.

Draco extended his hands defensively. "I'm not going to do anything," Draco assured. He was not used to having to be so defensive. In the past he would never had had the patience to take a defensive position. He'd always been too proud. But he wanted them to trust him so he would do what he had to to earn it. "I just have a message."

Mrs. Weasley turned her head to another swinging door at Draco's right, but never took her eyes off of him. "Arthur! Remus!"

Draco sighed. He decided that he had been extremely naïve to believe that his message would be received without complication. Perhaps Hermione should have been the one. But then they would be angry at him for allowing her out of bed.

"What is it, Molly?" Mr. Weasley asked anxiously as he entered the room, Lupin right behind him. "Draco!" Mr. Weasley's wand instantly fell on the irritated blonde boy.

"Draco?" Lupin asked with urgent concern. "What's wrong?! Is Hermione-?"

"Hermione's fine. She's in the bedroom," Draco said quickly, making sure his empty hands were still plainly visible. "I'm just here to relay a message."

"A message from whom?" Mr. Weasley quickly demanded.

"Uh… all of 'em…" Draco said pathetically.

"All of who?" Lupin insisted.

"Er, the Weasleys," Draco answered lamely. He wasn't sure how he was supposed to have answered that one. He knew Ginny well enough and was pretty certain he remembered the twins' names, but he never knew the older one. He quickly looked between the faces in the room, each one of them thoroughly confused. It was then that Draco realized that they had been expecting a message given by him to be from death eaters. Rather than waste more time on explaining just who the message was from, Draco decided to go ahead with the message. "Potter finished the task. There's a fight at Hogwarts. Potter's going to challenge the dark lord…" Draco stopped, allowing time for a reaction so he wouldn't have to repeat too much, as he was rather certain the response to that announcement would be 'What?'.

"What?!" Mr. Weasley exclaimed.

"Who told you this, Draco?" Lupin demanded.

"Um, er… the twins and Ginny were discussing it. She told me to tell you," Draco explained.

"Ginny! Fred! George!" Mrs. Weasley shouted through the house. Draco winced at the surprising volume that issued from the small woman.

"Th-they're not here," Draco said, still internally cringing, hoping that the woman would not yell again.

"Where are they?!" Lupin was looking more and more anxious and possessed each time he spoke.

"Once they got the message, they left. They said they were apparating to the Hog's Head. They were going to Hogwarts from there," Draco relayed.

"There are caterwauling charms in Hogsmeade!" Mr. Weasley exclaimed.

"Are you sure?!" Lupin demanded staring intensely at Draco. Draco responded with a simple curt nod.

"I'm leaving!" Mr. Weasley announced.

"I'll get details from Hermione then I'll follow. Draco, Follow me!" Lupin barked, racing from the room. Draco followed closely. Lupin's tone did not bother him. In fact, it gave him a smug proudness. Lupin's order was not angry or disbelieving; Lupin did believe him and his gruff tone was due to his panic. Draco found it surprisingly difficult to keep up with him. His muscles burned and his head spun with weakness and exhaustion.

"Hermione! Is what Draco says true?!" Lupin demanded. Draco arrived just behind Lupin and stood in the doorway. He looked stiff and proud, making sure he looked composed but his hand rested on the door frame to help him keep balanced. His weak state was catching up with him.

He looked past Lupin to see Hermione sitting on the side of her bed looking distressed. "If he said that there's a fight at Hogwarts, then yes," she said quietly, her hands fidgeting in her lap.

"Tell me all you know," Lupin said with great urgency, his eyes wild.

"The twins and Ginny got a message from the D.A. coins," Hermione started. Lupin looked ready to interrupt but thought better of it. "Ginny said it was from Neville. It said 'Harry's here. We're going to fight.' Lupin, I think Harry's finished the task. He wouldn't chance a fight unless he was ready to finish it. And if the fight is going to be there, then I think You-know-who knows what Harry's done..." Hermione took a small pause, her nose tingling as she felt she might start to cry again. "I don't think this is going to be a small skirmish... This is the battle, Lupin."

"Charlie, Fred, George, and Ginny?"

"They left as soon as they got the message. I imagine the whole D.A. is there. They're expecting the Order to come," Hermione answered.

"But there are charms in Hogsmeade," Lupin said flatly, hoping Hermione could ease this worry.

"I think they knew that. That's why they chose to go straight into the Hog's Head. They must know another way," Hermione explained her suspicion.

"I'm leaving now then." Mrs. Weasley said. Draco jumped, not knowing that the woman was standing behind him. Lupin nodded to her and placed his wand to the wedding band on his left hand. Hermione's fingers absently traveled to the burning earring. After a minute, Lupin's wand began tapping in odd patterns on his ring. Hermione appeared not to pay attention, but she already knew just what the message was about. Lupin stopped as suddenly as he started.

"I'm leaving, but I expect both of you to stay here. And I mean it," He said firmly, fixing stern stares from one to the other. Draco and Hermione nodded and Lupin turned on the spot, disapparating.

Hermione looked up at Draco. He was staring fixedly at the place Lupin just stood, his eyes distant and cold. She thought of how relaxed and relieved he was before her bath when he was alone with her and Ginny. That look had completely disappeared by the time she left the bathroom. He looked like the same Draco she'd seen at school the year before, rigid, distant, and haunted. She ached for him, seeing the pain and frustration under his composed facade.

"I'm sorry," she said quietly. Draco's head snapped up.

"What?" He asked, his brows furrowed in confusion.

Hermione slid off the side of the bed and walked over to him, looking up into his grey eyes, she took his hand in both of hers. "I know this is all really hard for you," she explained softly.

"You too," He said with a small frown. "But there's nothing to do but wait."

Hermione nodded sadly and tilted her head to the side. "Why don't you go have your bath now? It might make you feel a little better."

Draco just nodded. Hermione stepped back and Draco crossed the room, gather the towel and clothes Ginny had laid out for him, and walked to the bathroom. Hermione drew in a shaky breath and let out a large sigh. She retreated to her bed and propped up the pillow, sitting with her back against the headboard. She ran a hand through her wet curls and pulled her legs up to her chest, resting her chin on her knees. Pictures of Ron and Harry instantly flashed in her mind and the dull ache in her chest grew painful. She wondered where they were. Her imagination kept playing images of her friends with their wands drawn, throwing spells that they had practiced in the D.A. so many times before. Visions of death eaters running the halls, streams of light flying from the ends of their wands at her friends played over and over. She imagined Voldemort slowly walking into the entrance hall and Harry meeting him at the top of the main staircase. Tears began to sting her eyes.

A sound at the door pulled Hermione from her nightmare visions. An agonized whimper escaped her lips as her eyes fell upon tall woman with a sharp pointed face and high cheekbones and thin lips, her hair and eyes dark. Bellatrix! "Draco!" Hermione shouted in terror.

"It's okay. Please calm down," The woman said in soothing voice, her eyes sympathetic. Hermione's breathing slowed but her heart still pounded in her ears. This wasn't Bellatrix. Though at first glance the woman strongly resembled the cruelest of death eaters, only a second later, Hermione felt silly for believing this woman might be her. Her hair was lighter, a deep brown, her eyes were softer, her cheeks slightly rounder with a gentle pink tint. Although she stood tall and proud, everything about her seemed much softer, including her dress. In her arms was a tray of food that appeared heavy in her arms. "My name is Andromeda Tonks. I'm Nymphadora's mother. And I'm sorry I frightened you."

"No...no. I'm sorry," Hermione shook her head, feeling her fear continue to drain away. "I shouldn't have reacted like that. It's just that I-"

"I know who you thought I was," the woman replied. She seemed a little bitter at this, but none of it was aimed at Hermione. It felt as if it were aimed at the creator who caused her to look so much like her older sister, or Bellatrix herself. "You've been through alot. You have every right-"

The bathroom door flew open suddenly and Draco stepped into the room dripping wet, a towel held closed around his waist with his left hand. "Hermione?!" His eyes flew to the door and a blue fire burst to life in his right palm.

Hermione had completely forgotten that she had screamed for him just a few seconds ago and was startled by his entrance and even more by his ferocity. "Draco, Stop!"

Draco's head snapped to Hermione then to the woman in front of him. "Draco." She greeted with a stiff nod and cold eyes. The fire in Draco's hand vanished and he adjusted himself, straightening from what could only be thought of as an attack position to match the woman's haughty formal stance.

Draco inclined his head courteously in stiff acknowledgment. "Andromeda." Hermione looked confused at the exchange. Both of them looked so courtly and imposing, their greeting one of spiteful civility.

"I am sorry I startled you." Andromeda did not return to the soft kind voice that she used with Hermione when she entered. She spoke mainly to Hermione, her voice now flat and stolid, allowing a side glance at Draco every few seconds. "Molly told me that they were going and asked me to bring up the food she prepared for you both. There will be no one else here to startle you. If you need anything at all, I'll be either down the hall or in the kitchen. Please don't hesitate to ask if-" The woman stopped as a weak far off cry reached their ears, the cry of a baby. "That will be Teddy." At the mention of the baby's name, Andromeda dropped her formal act, her eyes softened again and she seemed to glow. "Just let me know if you need anything."

"Wait, who's Teddy?" Hermione asked.

Andromeda's smile grew. "Dora and Remus's son."

Hermione smiled sadly. Of course they would have had him by now. "How-how is he?"

"He's very healthy, very beautiful. Three weeks old now." The cry grew louder and Andromeda almost pouted. "I've got to see to him." Without another word, Andromeda left the room ,closing the door behind her.

Hermione looked up at Draco. His face was like stone. Water from his hair was running in fast beads over his steaming flesh, dripping from his stiff form like rain off a statue. "I'm sorry," she said earnestly. "I didn't-"

"No," Draco interrupted firmly. "You didn't know her. You were right to call for me. I would have been very angry if you hadn't."

"How-how do you know her?" Hermione asked.

Draco's eyes widened with shock, as though she should have known the answer. But by the time he spoke, his surprise worn off and did not linger in his tone. "She's my aunt. Mother's older sister," Draco informed. "I've seen her before, but we've never spoken. She was removed from the family before I was born. She married a muggle."

"Oh..." Hermione responded quietly.

"I never thought I'd be like her," Draco said, an unreadable scowl on his face. "But I'm glad to be rid of them. If you only belong to a family because you become who they want you to be, then it's not a family worth belonging to."

Hermione didn't know how to respond. She was afraid speaking might intrude upon his thoughts. Finally he looked back at her and snorted a small chuckle. "I guess I should probably get some clothes on."

"You were only in there for a couple minutes," Hermione protested. "Finish your bath." Draco fixed a scrutinizing stare on her, as if trying to read her thoughts. "I'll be fine," Hermione laughed in exasperation. "Finish your bath."

Draco nodded. "But if anyone comes in, even Andromeda, call for me," he said severely.

Hermione nodded again. She used to get so upset when Harry and Ron used to get protective of her, but it was different with Draco. Draco was very protective of her, one might even call it fiercely possessive, but rather than feeling upset or irked she felt grateful and comforted. And what felt even stranger was that she felt the same way toward him.