AN: This chapter serves as bit of a time jump to move the story along. Thank you all for your continued support! It really keeps me going.

Chapter Seventeen: To Lie with Truth

"Occlude your mind, Ms. Shacklebolt, or you will not make it to this war's end," Professor Severus Snape said simply.

Hermione rested against a desk in the Defense classroom, her energy exerted. "That's a bit dramatic don't you think? Failing to shield my thoughts will get me killed?"

"It can," Snape assured her. "Again," he announced, just as harshly as before.

Hermione steadied herself as he lifted his wand to a spot between her eyes.

But instead of commencing the exercise again, Snape posed a question instead, "What are you thinking about?"

A frown appeared between her eyes. "Images I want you to see. To throw you off."

Snape lowered his wand with a flourish. "And that is why you are failing. A successful Occulumens does not shield his mind by throwing false images at the one seeking to intrude. He shows them the truth," he drawled.

The crease deepened. "I don't understand."

Snape sighed. "Has Draco shared with you why he exceeds at mind magic?"

Hermione bit her lip as she shook her head. "We've talked little on the subject, but I did not want him to teach me. I value your instruction, sir."

"Flattery will get you nowhere, Ms. Shacklebolt."

Irritated, Hermione crossed her arms. "Why do you call me that? I mean, yes, it's my name, but I don't introduce myself as her."

Snape walked around his student. "It is your truth. Again, to my original question. Draco, and others before him, succeeds at Occulumency because they have perfected the art of lying with truth."

Hermione studied the floor before her as she repeated the words in her head. "Like saying my name is Emmeline Shacklebolt? It's the truth, but not exactly accurate." She lifted her head to meet Snape's eyes as he nodded.

"Precisely, Ms. Shacklebolt. There are lies we tell ourselves all the time, so much so, that the mind begins to accept it as fact. Once you have convinced the mind, it is easy enough to convince someone else."

"But won't the lie eventually corrupt the mind?" Hermione pressed, uncomfortable where this could lead.

Snape chose to ignore that question, as he instructed her, "Again. Legilimens!"

Hermione closed the door as she left the classroom, in time to start her prefect rounds, but too late to grab dinner. The charms on her bracelet jingled as she shut the door. Examining her wrist, she admired her growing mini-collection: the bejeweled lightning bolt of her father's house, the ruby rose of her mother's house, and the newest charm of her collection, an emerald winged dragon gifted to her at Christmas.

Hermione could not stop the smile that came with the memory. Draco had gifted her the charm as a Christmas present during a visit to Crestmoor. Neither her father, nor Narcissa, missed the sweet exchange or the kiss she gave to Draco in return.

There was a sinking feeling that such sweet moments would be far and in between in the coming months. Her stomach's growling interrupted any further thoughts.

"Missing another meal, Granger?"

The smile she had been trying to tamper returned with a vengeance the moment she found Draco waiting for her at the end of the hallway. Her pace quickened in an effort to be near him, and as soon as they were close enough, she lifted to her toes to brush her lips against his. He must've have missed her as well judging by the hands that clung to her school uniform as she fell into his embrace.

Draco moved bothersome curls that impeded their kiss away from her face. "You weren't at dinner," he muttered as they broke apart, his eyes still closed from the sweeping emotions that seemed to overcome them every time this happened. Which was more and more as of late.

She nodded slowly, her eyes closed as well, savoring the cool passion that was Draco's alone. "Another session with Snape," she offered by way of explanation. "I'm making progress," she beamed in excitement, grateful she could share this with him.

There wasn't anyone she could talk to about this path she and Draco were traversing. Kingsley took her shopping during the holidays, but the opportune moment never presented itself. In the end, she was seventeen, legally an adult, and there was no changing her mind when she decided to do something. She ended up sitting back and enjoying the holiday celebration, unable to break the tentative calm between them all.

Draco pulled an apple out of his shoulder bag and offered it to his witch with a smirk. "Doesn't mean you should to starve yourself," he chided.

Hermione took the apple, grateful for something to tide her over during her rounds. Slowly, the Veela and the Slytherin made their way to the staircase, content to linger a bit longer. "Thank you. It's been a long day. Harry tried to speak with me after lunch today." She took a generous bite from the fruit.

"Let me guess. Potter still doesn't know that his best friend and girlfriend are traitorous half-wits?" Draco ventured. He caught her fiddling with her bracelet about her wrist, as she often did when she was nervous or anxious about something. His hand sought hers to still her anxiety. "I thought he'd figure it out by now."

"No, Harry doesn't understand why I'm upset with Ron and Ginny, though I gathered Ron would have told him by now," Hermione growled the last part, every bit the lion of her House. "I had thought to tell Harry myself over the holidays, but this arrangement with Snape and Dumbledore changes everything. And as much as I hate to say it, perhaps it could serve to our advantage."

Draco studied the curly-headed witch chewing nervously on her lip as she pondered potential avenues. "This isn't pretend, Hermione. There won't be cloaks of invisibility to hide under. And with your father serving as the Minister, this is assured to get out. Are you sure you don't want to step back? Disentangle yourself from falling in even further?"

Hermione gave him a sly smile. "As if the possibility of my father finding out would be enough to dissuade me?" She leaned against his shoulder and teased, "You'll have to try harder."

Draco knew she had to get started on her patrols, but halted before they were due to separate for the evening. "I'm serious, love. There shan't be an opportunity to course-correct once we've started."

She sighed as she released her bottom lip. "I know. I've thought about it for quite some time." Switching the subject slightly, she explained, "I visited my parents over the holiday break."

"Yes, Mother was quite cross you couldn't stay longer at Crestmoor."

"Between my father, my adopted parents, and my God-mother, there wasn't enough time to visit everyone properly. But, as I was talking with my parents over my mother's famous goose, I realized there aren't really do-overs in life. And despite everything my adopted mother and father learned about how I came to their care, they wouldn't have changed a thing. And when it comes to you and me, I wouldn't change a thing either. It will be hard, what's to come for you and me, but I think we can do it."

Draco tried and failed to hide his grin. "You think? Not exactly reassuring."

Hermione smiled back. "I know. It's why Professor Snape has been so relentless in his Occulumency tutelage."

"He knows the stakes."

"It's not proving as easy as I imagined it would be."

Now, that had him full-on grinning. "Finally, something the brightest witch of her age doesn't immediately excel at."

"I didn't say I couldn't get it," she quickly gave back. "The complexities that comes with shuttering one's mind, a lifetime of memories, isn't as easy as repeating an incantation. Professor Snape called it 'lying with truth'. Have you heard of it?"

"Ah yes, the old Slytherin adage," Draco joked. He laughed at her expression. "I'm kidding. But it is known that Slytherins are more familiar with the practice than others. It takes a certain willingness you won't find in other Houses to accept that one can both lie and still tell the truth. Before you know it, it becomes easy enough to do so."

"So, I should focus on telling myself that it's okay to lie, is what you're saying?" she asked, completely perplexed.

"No, I'm saying you first have to focus on your truth. Once you've done so, lies around that become second-nature," he replied to her utter dissatisfaction.

More satisfaction was had from the kiss he dropped onto her forehead. She seemed to crave his physical touch more than ever these days and he seemed to know this. It was her Veela, she knew, desperate for more intimacy with the blond. Though she supposed it was for her as well. "How are you doing otherwise?" he whispered.

Even though they were not yet bonded, Hermione insisted on taking things slow between them. After he had accepted being her mate, ashamedly, she wanted to do things she had never thought to do with a boy before. The very idea of carrying out fantasies she had dreamed about was enough to paralyze her with both fear and anticipation. But Draco seemed in tune with her state of being, which was currently in flux, and never pressed her to do more than what she was willing to do.

Then there was the possibility that the magnet in her moral compass was dangerously close to being corrupted. Her lessons with Professor Snape outlined her need to master Occulumency, and quickly.

It was a lot for Hermione to process these days. She summed the multitude of emotions into a short phrase, "Alright, I suppose. My Veela seems content, if that makes sense, but there is always an underlying sense of 'more'. I want more." She blushed fiercely. "Circe, I sound like a complete ninny."

He smirked, a wicked gleam in his eye. "I can't blame you, Granger. Snogging me alone could never satisfy one witch."

"Prat!"

"Your mate," he corrected, pulling her closer to him.

That had her smirking in agreement. "Mine," she agreed before she melded her lips to his.

Heated kisses did little to starve off the January cold nights that bled into weeks. As Hermione's lessons with Snape progressed, her prowess in mind magic grew. She saw it as a new chapter in her book of life, the pages waiting to be filled in. As she strengthened her mental walls, she tapped into the residual anger Kingsley held onto over Marie's attack and used it as her own. She learned she was quite adept as fostering anger, true and pure, into a proper mental shield. She used Kingsley's words as a shield, 'If you truly wish to change our world for the better, use the Malfoy name, connection, and yes, their influence to break the mold. You could do it as Hermione Granger. But you would be nigh unstoppable as Emmeline Shacklebolt Malfoy'.

She didn't fully understand what he meant the first time he told her, but as she, Draco, Professors Snape, and Dumbledore continued to meet here and there in the early months of the new year, the pieces began to fall in place.

It was why heated stares from Ginny and Ron did little to perturb her any longer. In fact, she welcomed it. She swallowed with difficulty whenever she sat down to class, and Harry across from her. But she purposely sought Draco or another to partner with on assignments instead of facing off against Harry's wounded stare.

"Tell him the truth or move on, Granger," Draco whispered to her one afternoon after Potions. She huffed in frustration, hastily wiping away a tear, before gathering her text and exiting the classroom.

Harry waited for her after Potions and ambushed her when she emereged from the classroom. "Snape seems awfully chummy with you nowadays," Harry offered tersely.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

Draco motioned for Blaise and Theo to walk ahead without him. He wearily eyed the Boy-Who-Lived before approaching the Gryffindors. As he sided up to Hermione, Draco ghosted an arm around her waist. "Everything alright?"

Some of Hermione's ire settled now that Draco had returned to her side, but she still reserved some frustration for her friend. "I'm fine, Draco. You were saying, Harry?"

Harry eyed the non-existence space between Hermione and Draco. "Just wandering when you and the Slytherins become such good friends?"

"Since I've gotten to know them," she explained diplomatically. "It starts with a normal conversation."

"You mean like the one you refuse to have with me and Ron since the holiday break?" Harry accused.

"I'm sure Ron has had plenty to say in my absence?" she hedged, as she adjusted her shoulder bag. Draco rubbed encouraging circles on the small of her back.

Harry's eyes were wild as he took in the relationship he didn't know existed. "I don't understand what's going on between you two, but I'm sure if you just speak to him…"

Hermione huffed, feeling cold anger lap up her spine. "I've said all I needed to say to him. Why don't you ask him to tell you the truth, Harry?"

"He told me how you upset you were when he made mention that he was seeing Lavender. I didn't expect you to get so upset that you'd hex Ginny…."

"He what?!" she screeched.

"Potter, you've been had, you know that?"

Harry turned flashing eyes to Draco. "Stay out of this, Malfoy!"

"I don't think I will," Draco challenged back.

After a bit of shock, Hermione righted her breathing. "Ron can try to manipulate this to his advantage all he likes, Harry, but you have to know that I wouldn't have done something as drastic as hexing Ginny over Ron dating Lavender! You know me better than that."

Harry indicated to Draco's arm on her waist before crudely retorting, "Yeah, I thought I did. See you around, Hermione." He shook his head in disbelief as he walked away.

Twisting her hand into her cloak, she hesitated on following her oldest friend. The pain of watching him walk away was almost too much to bear.

The hand at her back rose to caress the back of her neck. "It serves to our advantage, Hermione," Draco carefully repeated her words back to her.

She nodded, unable to respond, as she willed the tears to not to fall. "I know, but it doesn't mean it hurts any less."

Harry would not speak to her from that point on.

However, none of this strife was captured in her letters to and from home. She received letters from Kingsley on updates on the Ministry's actions against Voldemort. In turn, he begged her for updates, claiming Dumbledore was willfully keeping him in the dark. She wrote back on trivial matters, without betraying Draco, Professors Snape, or Dumbledore, but even that was a fine line to walk.

Hermione sat back at her desk, running a weary hand through wild curls, the bangling of her charms the only sound in the quiet dorm. Crookshanks ran in between her ankles. Leaning down, she scratched the Kneazle's head.

"Only three months left, Crooks," she sighed aloud. "I made a wager with myself if I can go through with it. Does that make me mad?"

Predictably the Kneazle, did not answer, but she took solace in the comforting mews her beloved companion provided. "I'm scared," she admitted in the dark of her dorm. She couldn't admit her fear to Draco, he had too much on his plate already. Professor Snape probably saw it in her in weekly Occulumency training, which made her training even more crucial. She wore her anger and courage like a shield even if it had cracks in it, and for the next three months, she prayed it would be sufficient for what was to come.

More is coming! Til next time~L