Holy shit.

It's not that he'd never seen her smile before. She just never smiled at him before. His muscles slacked in surprise. She…had beauty to her. Her smile beamed and her eyes shone brightly, lighting up all of her features. She looked like a whole new person.

"What? That was it wasn't it?" she asked, face falling and glow dissipating.

He nodded.

"Great," she said, running her fingers over her wand, suddenly feeling uncomfortable under his gaze.

"Well," she said, opening a hand to the direction they were heading and waited for him to step ahead. When he didn't move, she muttered "okay then…" her arm making a slapping noise as she let it drop against her thigh. He looked as if he was about to throw a temper tantrum. She turned and started walking - not keen on engaging the possibility.

He couldn't believe it. When she smiled, Granger resembled a pretty woman.

A memory of second-year crossed his mind when he had jinxed her overly large front teeth to grow bigger, like those of a beaver. He snorted under his breath. Really, she should be grateful. Without him, she probably would have never got her teeth fixed to the straight, pearly whites she has today. Thanks to him, she now had half a chance at ever getting laid.

His smirked widened, eyes darting to her retreating back. Then again, all she had to do was open her mouth and all the men within a twenty-foot radius would instantly recoil. He snorted a second time. Who wants to deal with that?

Hermione paused and turned to him from up ahead.

Schooling his features, he sobered up his thoughts and followed her.

Malfoy would groan a new complaint every now and again. It was really starting to grate her nerves. At first, Hermione had answered him; telling him to suck it up and grow a pair. But after a while, she realized his whining was more of a coping mechanism and she let him vent. At lunch, they stopped and ate the last of her snacks. Draco hadn't bothered to hide his disgust as he ate, making Hermione roll her eyes. She put the paper trash back in her pouch, and they pushed on.

As the sun descended once more, so did the temperature. Malfoy had officially become quiet. The sounds of crickets and frogs in the distance filled the silence. As they walked, the forest thinned, the space between the tree's growing until eventually, a clearing opened. They stopped at the edge of the forest and scanned the area.

"I'm fine with it," shrugged Draco.

"How do you mean?" she asked, also examining the impressive grassland in front of them.

"The faster we're found, the faster I go home."

"I thought you didn't want to go home?"

"Of course I bloody want to go home," he snapped, temper already swelling.

"What's the point? I doubt you're going to convince your parents to join you on the run-"

He pointed a menacing finger at her.

"You shut the fuck up and listen to me," his expression darkened considerably, "if you tell anyone what you heard, if you tip anyone off that I even have the slightest reservations, if my family gets-"

"I won't," she said honestly.

His hand lowered in surprise.

"I mean, unless it would, by some means, save me or my friends in unavoidable circumstances. Apart from that, it's really not my business."

Though that wasn't totally true. The Order could use him. Maybe they would offer him protection in return for information. That sort of made it her business, she supposed.

"Didn't you just hear me?" He breathed, fear and rage bubbling beneath the surface of his icy stare. "No one finds out. Ever."

"I can't make that promise," she calmly replied, having already given it some thought, "but if I don't have a reason to bring it up, I won't."

He ripped his eyes from her, surveilling the prairie once more to stop himself from hurtling his hands at her throat. Mostly because she was still holding that bloody wand of hers. Not that it really mattered. Hermione-fucking-Granger would tattle on him. He'd get interrogated, cursed, tortured and finally executed if the Dark Lord felt merciful.

At a loss for words, a single, crazed, laugh of apprehension escaped him. She would get him killed. His arms flew open as if to say, "of course you would" before landing on his hips as he let out a huff. Blinking away the moisture pooling in his eyes, he tried to control his breathing. He couldn't do anything. He couldn't attack her and couldn't defend himself. She held the extra set of keys to his cage, and had the power to keep him locked in it.

Hermione decided not to say anything as she watched him lose his temper. Her own eyes shifted to the land in front of them and considered the dangers of them crossing out in the open. They would stick out like a sore thumb.

Snatchers, death eaters, government officials…everyone was out looking for them. To cross it would initiate a game of Russian roulette.

When Draco spoke up, Hermione jolted from her thoughts to look at him.

"You might as well kill me now," he said starring into the distance, voice dripping with resentment as his features shifted, becoming calm and stoic.

His eyes slowly drifted back to her as she furrowed her eyebrows.

"I'm serious."

"I'm not going to kill you-"

"I'm going to kill you," his lips tightened, "as soon as I get the chance. Save your friends the heartbreak and get rid of me while you can."

His reply was malicious and angry. Self-destructive.

As she watched his eyes brim with hatred, Hermione found herself instantly pitying him. His situation was not easy…in some ways, she realized, he might actually have it worse than she did.

Solidifying her resolve, she took a couple of steps until she was right in front of him, where she had to tilt her head upward to face him properly.

Beyond anguish, Draco looked away at the setting sun and gave his eyes a harsh wipe with the crook of his elbow, his pride not letting him step down from her approach.

"Draco Malfoy. I have never, nor will I ever, kill someone. You know me better than that-"

"Fuck off-"

"Secondly, given the chance to kill me, I honestly don't think you would-"

"Are you purposely being daft?" He faced her once more, wondering if she had suddenly become deranged-

"You couldn't kill Dumbledore, could you?"

He paused a moment.

"I was going to."

"…but you didn't."

He waited for her to continue.

"Draco, I don't think you're an evil person, you're just…a bad one."

"I honestly don't give two shits what you thi-"

"Finally," she cut him off sternly, "if you really want to get me killed you just might get your chance. Somewhere, across this meadow, there's a fire. It could be snatchers or a member of the Order, or just some muggles out camping. I wasn't kidding when I said this could benefit you. I'm hoping to find help. Maybe you'll get your wish in the process."

He calmed, analyzing the news.

"So," she said, raising a finger and poking him square on the chest, "shut up."

His eyebrows rose in surprise, she poked him again, "pipe down, work with me," and again, this time a little harder, "and maybe, you'll get to go home," she finished, leaving her finger against his chest a second longer to emphasize her point.

It was almost humorous then; Draco's mouth fell slightly as he quickly racked his brain for an inevitable rebellious retort.

Sighing in exhaustion, Hermione dropped her hand back to her side, "you know Malfoy…" eyes sweeping the grass before landing back on his, "I want to go home too."

His lips closed and her eyes shifted to them as they thinned into a straight, unreadable line. Catching herself, she glanced back up his face. The rage was gone, and she couldn't identify the emotion swimming behind his eyes.

The way she saw it, they currently didn't have much of a choice in the matter. So she turned away from him and marched into the open.

For a second time that day, Draco was at a loss of what to say. Her boldness was truly remarkable. He clutched his aching ribcage and tried to see if the horizon held smoke. It didn't.

Hermione was already making some le-way ahead of him. Once again, he followed her until he reached her, and quietly walked beside her as they had done earlier. She seemed unmoved by his earlier threat and for some reason, that unnerved him. Sneaking a glance at her, he found her focused and determined. On what, he could only guess. They both knew they would most likely find snatchers. He would be brought home to his parents and she would be executed or held as bait for Potter. Gryffindor stupidity he rationalized.

Nevertheless, Granger wasn't stupid. He crossed his arms as he entered deep thought. She could be planning to leverage what she had eavesdropped. And he couldn't be sure exactly how much information he'd unknowingly given her. Despite her claim of quasi-secrecy, he didn't believe her for a second. It explained her composure with him. She was calm and overconfident; she thought he was going down, no matter what.

It wouldn't happen.

"Malfoy?" Hermione turned to him, noticing him fall behind.

His anger resurfaced as he looked at her. He couldn't think of another way. He didn't have a way to kill or obliviate her. His steps slowed in realization to what that entailed. He had to keep her away from Voldemort and the deatheaters until he was sure that pretty little mouth of hers could be sewn shut.

Author's note:

So sorry guys! Summer kept me really busy! But I'm getting back on track. Let me know what you think :)

- Your friendly Canadian.