A/N: As you found out in the last chapter, not just Sirius survives in my story, but Dumbledore as well. So although the main lines of the story will follow J.K's vision, it'll also be very different in a lot of ways.

In this chapter I mention Charlie Weasley and Romania, and I just want to take a moment to say that, as a Romanian, I'm so very proud that JK Rowling chose my country as a place for a dragon sanctuary. She's quite right, too! The Carpathian mountains would prove an ideal spot to have a hidden sanctuary for the magnificent beasts.

Anyway, there will be some huge plot differences from now on, so I hope you won't be too surprised about the necessary changes. This chapter is the longest so far, but given that I only have a couple of chapters left before I finish the story, I really have to cram as much as possible into each one. Also, I hope you haven't forgotten the M rating of the story. While not every chapter of the story qualifies for that rating, this one kind of does, as will the next!

That being said, enjoy this update!

Chapter 12 – Now that you know I'm trapped, sense of elation

(Draco p.o.v.)

Just as Draco was about to speak the password so he could enter the Slytherin Common Room, a voice addressed him from the shadows of the dungeons.

"Not so fast, boy! Come here!"

Draco turned around and saw that it was Sirius Black who'd called him. He approached warily, not knowing what Black wanted with him. Among everyone in the Hospital Wing, Black had been one of the people who were the most reluctant to admit that Draco had changed sides, and to accept him as an 'ally'. In fact, Draco was convinced Black hadn't really accepted him, but had just gone along with what Dumbledore said.

"What do you want?"

"Is that any way to talk to your landlord?" Black said with a smirk that reminded Draco of how he, himself, talked most of the time. "Although I suppose 'landlord' isn't the right word for it, seeing as you'll be freeloading."

"I have money, I can pay!" Draco said, insulted that Black should think he'd accept charity.

"I'm sure you do, but money's not the issue. If it were that simple, you could have simply booked a room at the Leaky Cauldron and then I wouldn't have to put up with you. But just like Dumbledore's surviving the night must remain a secret, so must your defection. Which means you're coming with me, to my house - the current headquarters for the Order of the Phoenix."

"So I don't get a say in the matter, do I?"

"What could you possibly say? Except a big, fat 'thank you' to me, for putting you up in a safe house."

It was on the tip of Draco's tongue to reply with some biting remark, but he realized that there was no winning such an exchange. Black was so much like Draco that they could probably exchange lines continuously, forever, but time was not on their side.

"Thank you", Draco said reluctantly. He regretted not getting to say goodbye to his friends, but now that he thought about it, Black had stopped him from doing something really stupid. Had Draco entered the common room, how would he have explained his presence there to his friends? Draco had not been thinking clearly but now he realized he must go into hiding just like Dumbledore... at least for now.

Later on, he could join the fight and claim he'd been under the Imperius curse so that his parents wouldn't be at risk from Voldemort.

A huge cloth was suddenly thrust over his head, which promptly interrupted Draco's thoughts.

"What...?" Draco sputtered, fighting the material into its proper position.

"You're not supposed to be seen - the story is that you've been captured while trying to escape, after you and the Death Eaters killed Dumbledore, and that you're now a hostage. The Invisibility Cloak, graciously lent to me by my godson will make sure you're not seen strutting about the castle when you're supposed to be locked up somewhere. Make sure it covers you entirely and let's head to the Headmaster's office - or rather, the Headmistress' office, because the narrative is that due to Dumbledore's 'death' she is now in charge of Hogwarts as acting Headmistress. Dumbledore will join us at Grimmauld Place, where he'll convalesce."

"Hard to make sure this blasted cloak covers me completely - it's too short!" complained Draco.

"Ron managed it somehow, so make sure you do, too!" Sirius said with a complete lack of empathy. Draco could tell he was not Black's favorite person in the whole wide world, not that he entertained such a notion to begin with, but he would have liked it if Black were a bit more courteous. They were both purebloods, after all, not to mention they were related by blood. Well, most pureblooded wizard families were related by blood, obviously, but Narcissa was Sirius' cousin, which he'd hoped would count for something. Not.

"A couple of years ago I told Hermione she's the brightest witch of her age, but I'm starting to doubt her judgement if she's vouching for you. Make no mistake, I'll be keeping my eye on you while you're under my roof - and everywhere else, if it's up to me."

Draco decided it'd be better to refrain from making a caustic comment and instead followed Sirius up the stairs and soon they'd reached the gargoyle guarding the Headmaster's office.

"Pear drops!" Sirius said the password and the gargoyle leaped aside.

Draco joined Sirius on the ascending stairs and soon they were entering Dumbledore's office... actually, McGonagall's, now. He took off the Invisibility Cloak and handed it back to Black, who didn't argue - they were safe from prying eyes there.

"Sirius, Draco, you're here. Excellent!" said Dumbledore as they entered the office. The Headmaster was trying to sound like his usual cheerful self, but his voice was a whisper compared to his normally imposing tone.

"The fireplace has been connected to Grimmauld Place, so you'd better go now!" said McGonagall, who was the only other person present there.

"I'll go first, to make sure Kreacher isn't up to God knows what", Sirius said and without further ado, he disappeared in the fireplace.

Dumbledore went next and Draco followed, and he was unpleasantly surprised by the residence of the former 'noble House of Black'. He was standing into a long hallway lit with gas lamps but despite the large chandelier hanging overhead, the place was gloomy due to the numerous cobwebs, the peeling wallpaper and the worn carpet.

Sirius was helping Dumbledore up the stairs but he called back to Draco.

"Kreacher will take you on a tour of the house, and you can choose a bedroom. I'll come by later on to make sure you've...settled in."

Draco wished he could have at least packed his school trunk and taken it with him, otherwise it was going to be really easy to settle in, not having even one item to call his own.

"Master Draco, Kreacher is so very pleased to have such a distinguished wizard in residence!" a raspy voice suddenly said, startling Draco. He saw next to him a very old and rather ugly house elf (even as house elves went, who weren't a very handsome bunch to begin with).

"For the last year Kreacher has had to put up only with mudbloods, blood traitors, thieves - now my mistress would be at peace, at last, and pleased. And Kreacher, too, is pleased to serve such a noble master. Earlier this year Master Sirius made me do something so undignified..."

Draco knew what it was about and he didn't want the old house-elf to have to punish himself for giving away Black's secrets.

"Spying on me, you mean? I already know. Dobby was asked to spy on me as well, and I caught him at it, and although he didn't outright say it, I can put two and two together. I imagine you were forbidden from revealing this to me, despite wanting to, so I don't blame you."

"Master Draco, how understanding you are." Kreacher apologized profusely and then added: "Kreacher never would have complied with it, but Master Sirius has ordered Kreacher to treat Harry Potter as another master and obey his every order."

"I figured as much... And given that Potter is Black's godson, therefore family in a manner of speaking, I think you're bound to comply, right?"

"Yes, Master Draco."

"It's all water under the bridge now. Are you going to show me around this dreary place, or what?"

"Of course, Master Draco. It might be dreary now, but it was once a magnificent place, Kreacher hopes the young master will be able to see it. This way!"

The house-elf proceeded to show him the house, room by room, and Draco took it all in: the portraits on the walls, including the pissed off one which sprouted invectives every now and then (although Kreacher was most proud of it), the dining room, the huge kitchen with its large fireplace and long wooden table, the creepy shrunken heads of house-elves who'd served the Black family adorning the wall by the grand staircase, the drawing room on the first floor with its dirty tapestries and dusty carpet (although the fireplace and the ornate glass-fronted cabinets indicated that once upon the time the room had been quite grand), and then mostly bedrooms on the upper floors.

Unfortunately, all of the bedrooms were in a sorry state, so Draco was at a loss as to which one to choose. In the end he chose one on the second floor, which had a lot of windows and therefore could be aired quickly.

"Too bad they were all in such a hurry to throw me out of the school, it would have been nice to have my stuff."

"But your school trunk is already here, Master Draco", Kreacher croaked.

"How come?" Draco asked, surprised, but it was Black who answered.

"McGonagall arranged it. Kreacher, go make some dinner!"

The house-elf disapparated and Draco found himself alone with Black, who was giving off hostile vibes.

However, he was levitating his trunk inside the room and then he dropped it to the floor suddenly. The trunk made an awfully loud sound and Draco worried about the floor caving in. The house was in a sorry state and the floors were no exception.

"She felt guilty for almost blowing your cover, so she asked the Hogwarts house-elves to pack your things in your trunk and then get the trunk up to the Headmaster's office from where she could send it over. Your friends apparently asked what that was all about, they asked about you, but the house-elves were under strict order not to say anything."

Draco was glad to know his friends were concerned about him, but he also had no idea what Black was on about. Why would McGonagall feel like she was responsible?

"You might not remember, but back in the Hospital Wing McGonagall said 'All students please go back to your dormitories'", forgetting that you weren't supposed to be seen by anyone, and you'd almost entered your Common Room by the time I intercepted you", Black explained. "Had I not done so in time, there's no telling how complicated things would have gotten. At least McGonagall remembered to make an announcement that all students should remain in their Common Rooms/dormitories, so that you didn't run into anyone on your way to the dungeons."

"The omission is understandable, I suppose", Draco observed. "McGonagall was probably not thinking clear, what with thinking that Dumbledore had been killed, then finding out he was alive after all."

"Yes, a very eventful evening for everyone, so after you've had dinner, I suggest you go straight to bed. First thing tomorrow morning there's going to be a meeting of the Order of the Phoenix."

The dinner proved to be more delicious than Draco expected - Kreacher was a good cook, or maybe he'd just done his best for Draco's benefit, because Sirius seemed surprised by the quality of the food. Dumbledore hadn't joined them, but that was to be expected - he'd surely had his dinner in bed, being too weak to come down for the occasion. The silence between him and Black had been somewhat awkward, but that could have been on account of being drained by the eventful evening, like Black himself had observed earlier. Draco hoped things would get better with time, but he didn't much care one way or the other.

With good food in his belly and knowing that he had sanctuary in this bleak house, Draco fell asleep in his new bedroom.

The meeting of the Order was going to be a breakfast affair, it was clear to Draco due to the numerous sets of plates on the long table in the kitchen. Not only Sirius Black was already at the table, but the former Defence Against the Dark Arts professor, Lupin and the weird Auror that Draco had seen standing by his side at all times back in the Hospital Wing at Hogwarts.

"Look who's gotten his beauty sleep", Black observed with a smirk. "I suppose introductions are in order. You already know Remus, since he was your professor that year when I finally escaped from Azkaban."

"Yes, Mr. Malfoy thought my class was ridiculous, if I remember correctly", Lupin drawled, and Draco raised an eyebrow. He hadn't know the ratty professor had a sarcastic side, but that only made Draco respect him more. He already respected him because it was clear he had extensive knowledge when it came to defending against dark magic, but back in his third year, Draco had been still too cocky to admit something like that., Belittling the professor for his humble appearance was much more in tone with Draco's bad boy image that he'd been building at Hogwarts.

"I apologize for that, Professor", Draco said dutifully. "I was a bit too full of myself back then."

"You were full of something all right", Draco heard Black mutter, "and I reckon you still are."

Lupin gave his old friend a reproachful look but then he smiled as he addressed Draco.

"It's quite all right, Draco. And no need to call me 'professor' - Remus will do nicely. And this is my..." he hesitated and the witch interjected "wife".

"Nymphadora Tonks is my name", she continued and while she spoke, her hair changed from pink to bright red, "but if you call me Nymphadora instead of Tonks, we're going to have a real problem."

"A metamorphmagus... that's rare", Draco said, genuinely awed.

He wanted to talk more with Tonks, find out more about what it was like being a metamorphmagus, but they were interrupted by the arrival of other people.

The first to enter the kitchen was Alastor Moody - or Mad-Eye Moody, as he was better known.

"Professor Moody, good to see you again", Draco said, thinking it was the polite thing to do. How wrong he was!

"None of this 'professor' nonsense, boy, it wasn't I who taught you at Hogwarts, but an impostor who's now been dealt with."

This was news to Draco, and he made a point to inquire further into the matter, but Moody continued. "For the record, I didn't get a vote in accepting you in the Order and I think it's a mistake, but I'll be keeping my eye on you, so if you're up to no good, might as well give it up before you even start!"

The real Moody was, by all appearances, even crabbier than the impostor, but he supposed what he'd said was fair. Moody wasn't one of the best Aurors of all times because he trusted easily.

"It'd be pointless to swear that I'm not up to something, so only time will show that my intentions are true."

"Hmpf!" was all that Moody said as a reply, but then Draco's attention shifted to the new arrivals: Granger herself had come, with Potter and the Weasel in tow. The Weaselette was with them, and Draco imagined she was a representative for the older members of the Order who had remained by Bill Weasley's side, who surely hadn't recovered so quickly from his grievous wounds.

A very tall dark-brown skinned wizard came in the room next, and Draco recognized him because he worked at the Ministry of Magic and Draco's father had often run into him there - Kingsley Shacklebolt, Draco was able to confirm the name when Lupin made the introductions.

A strange addition to their ranks was a short and shady looking wizard who introduced himself as Mundungus Fletcher. He reeked of alcohol and tobacco and Draco wondered how this weird character fit in with the rest, but that was probably a story for another time, given that the rest of the people there knew him and accepted him. To Draco it seemed ironic that someone so shady received more acceptance than him, but Draco knew he had to leave the prejudice and the sense of entitlement aside if he wanted to have any chance of winning everyone's approval.

Hagrid joined them soon after, and he needed three chairs at the table to sit comfortably. Draco couldn't stand the great oaf as a teacher, but other than that he seemed to be a rather decent person.

The last to arrive was McGonagall, who was supporting Dumbledore as they made their way into the kitchen. She helped him sit down, then sat down on a chair beside him.

Draco took advantage of the fact that Hermione was just sitting down to sit beside her, which earned him a glare from Weaselbee, who had to choose a place three seats apart, given that the two on Granger's other side had already been occupied by Potter and his girlfriend. Draco had called them on it years ago, back when the shrimp had defended Potter in Flourish and Blotts, and he was glad to see he had been proved right, albeit later than he'd expected.

Before he could speak to Granger or she could speak to him, McGonagall called for silence and their attention.

"As you all know, except very few people, most of who are in this room, the wizarding world thinks Dumbledore is dead, and therefore a funeral will be held in a couple of days at Hogwarts."

"All of you - except Draco, of course, are expected to be present, as you would be, naturally, had I really died", Dumbledore remarked serenely. "But then you'll be free to return 'home', although for some of you that's going to be impossible."

Dumbledore looked over his half-moon spectacles at both Draco and Harry.

"Draco, you will remain here because you wouldn't be safe anywhere else. And Harry, you will have to make a stop by your aunt and uncle's place, but after that, you too, will have to leave. If you're still up for it, I'd have you continue the mission we started last year."

A lot of curious looks were exchanged around the table so Dumbledore raised his hands to stop the chatter. "I'm afraid this matter is better left between those who already know about it. Suffice to say it is of utmost importance."

"Of course I'll do it, Professor!" Potter said empathically, ever the hero. Draco controlled his urge to roll his eyes.

"He won't be going alone!" Granger said, implying that she would join Potter on this oh-so-secret mission.

Draco frowned, wondering now, what this mission was all about.

"That's for sure", Weaselbee felt the need to add.

"Very well", Dumbledore said with a smile.

"One thing, though, Professor!" the Weasel continued. "Can we attend Bill and Fleur's wedding first? Madam Pomfrey said that Bill should be as recovered as possible - under the circumstances - by the date they'd previously set..." he trailed off.

"Love is a powerful form of magic in itself, so it would be a pity for you not to witness a ceremony celebrating it. Of course you can attend. As it happens, I know the wedding is set for the 1st of August. Harry needs to stay at his aunt and uncle's place while he's still underage, so I suppose that small delay won't make a difference."

"Brilliant!" the Weasel and his sister both said at the same time.

Draco still hoped he might get an invitation from Hermione - not that he particularly cared about the wedding itself, but he missed going to a party, to get to dress up, and to be there as Granger's partner, to see her in a fancy dress would be fantastic. He remembered seeing her at the Yule Ball - she'd looked incredible, although the fact that she was Victor Krum's date didn't sit well with him.

Draco was distracted by thinking about being Hermione's partner at the wedding but he also caught the gist of what the others were talking about: they were establishing what each member of the Order of the Phoenix and its affiliates would do in order to prepare for the imminent war. Everyone had a role to play: even the Weasley sibling he hadn't met yet - Charlie - had been assigned a mission, that of recruiting wizards from Romania and other Eastern European countries to join the war. It was clearly going to be a joint effort on a great scale, and Draco felt reassured that they might have a chance against Voldemort and his allies, after all. How he'd manage to be reunited with his parents considering that they were fighting on opposite sides, Draco had no idea, but he hoped he'd figure something out in due time.

"The next pressing matter that we need to discuss is exactly how and when we will move Harry from his aunt and uncle's house and into a safe place."

Now, that, he was interested in, so Draco focused his attention on the ongoing discussion.

"Harry, would you mind going up to my bedroom and waiting there for me? I'll be with you momentarily."

"Why must I go now, when the meeting's not over yet?" Potter asked and Draco understood the suspicion in his voice. If they'd been talking about moving Draco to safety, he'd want to be present and contribute, so Potter must have felt the same way.

"Considering that we're talking about your safety, I'm not sure you can be objective, so best if you sit this one out."

Draco could tell Potter was about to argue but one stern look from Dumbledore and he said a grumbled "Fine" as he exited the kitchen. Draco noticed that his plate was almost untouched, and the same could be said for the rest. Having an Order meeting during breakfast was probably not the best idea - the topics discussed were kind of dark and tended to dispense with one's appetite. That was the case for Draco, who didn't even know what was on his plate. Although he appreciated Kreacher's cooking and the efforts the old hose-elf made in order to please, now was not a moment for it. There were two exceptions to Draco's lack of appetite theory: Hagrid, who'd been eating with gusto throughout the entire meeting, and Weaselbee, who always ate like it was either his last meal or the first he'd had in a while.

"Why did Harry have to go, Professor?" Granger voiced what everyone else wanted to know.

"My dear Miss Granger, it's simply because I believe he will not like what we have planned", Dumbledore said matter-of-factedly.

"What he likes or doesn't like isn't relevant", Moody barked, "only what is safe matters and the only way we can be sure Potter is safe is if we travel by untraceable means - brooms, thestrals and perhaps Sirius' motorcycle, if he's willing?"

"Of course", Sirius readily agreed. "I'm grateful to Hagrid for maintaining it in such a good state for all those years I was in Azkaban and it's been a pleasure having it back ever since my name was cleared and I could actually go out and use it."

'And almost broke the international statute of wizard secrecy in the process', muttered Moody under his breath.

"But", Sirius continued, ignoring the rebuke, "I'm more than willing to put it to good use if it'll keep my godson safe."

"Will he be safe enough, do you think, even if the means for transportation are untraceable?" McGonagall asked Moody.

"He will be seven times safer than on any other occasion", Moody said cryptically, but then explained. "The plan is to have seven Potters out there the night that we move the real one."

"You mean with the help of Polyjuice Potion?" Granger asked to clarify, but Draco was sure that was the right answer. He'd gotten pretty familiarized with that particular brew the last year, seeing as he'd been forcing Crabbe and Goyle to drink it and turn into girls when they were standing guard outside the Room of Hidden Things.

"Exactly. I already have some volunteers - the Weasley twins have already agreed, and so has Miss Delacour, on the condition that her soon-to-be-husband will go with her as guard. And since we're talking about the Weasleys, Arthur has also agreed to be a guard. But I still need three volunteers to drink the Polyjuice Potion and turn into Potter."

"I'll do it!" the Weasel said first.

"Harry is definitely not going to like this, so I see now why it was necessary for him not to be present. I'll do it, too!" Granger said.

Draco felt like he should speak up too - after all, he had to pull his weight, wasn't that what the prophecy was about?

"I can take the last spot", he said and there were more than a few raised eyebrows around the table.

"As much as I appreciate your intention, Draco, I'm afraid the risk would be considerable", Dumbledore said. "As you should know, the effects of the Polyjuice potion can last anywhere between ten minutes and twelve hours, depending on how well it's brewed. If something happens and you're delayed the Polyjuice potion will wear off, exposing you. So I'm afraid you'll have to stay behind."

"I'm sorry, Professor, but if I'm not allowed to do anything other than hide, then what was the point of me joining the Order?" Draco argued.

"The boy has a point there, Dumbledore!" Black said.

"Sirius, I know you empathize with Draco because you had to stay into hiding not too long ago, and it can be frustrating - I am about to discover that from personal experience, given that the entire wizarding world believes I am dead. However, now is not the time to act reckless. And Draco, fear not, you will have your part to play in the war."

Draco saw no point to argue any further. He'd tried.

"Well, if Malfoy is staying behind, I hope you don't mind if I stay with him, to keep an eye for... trouble...", Black said and Draco didn't know what to think anymore. The man spoke in Draco's favor one minute, only to treat him with suspicion in the next. If was baffling.

"What about you, Mundungus?" Moody asked.

"Me?" the grubby wizard asked. "What 'bout Kingsley here or, or..." he got lost trying to see who there didn't already have a role either as guard or 'fake Potter'.

"I shall be among the guards", Kingsley said solemnly.

"Remus, Tonks, Hagrid, will you be among the guards as well?" Moody asked and got consents all around. "I'll be a guard as well, so that only leaves you, Mundungus."

Mundungus started spluttering, probably trying to come up with a reason why he couldn't fulfill the task. Draco really had no clue what

"What say you?" Dumbledore asked him and finally Mundungus accepted. It looked like Dumbledore had some sort of hold over him, Draco noticed.

"We'll be moving Potter one day before he actually comes of age, to try and foil any plans Voldemort might have. But we'll be in touch with everyone for the details", Moody added.

"Now that's settled, I believe it's time we called this meeting to an end", McGonagall said, and Draco saw that she was looking worriedly at Dumbledore, who'd turned white. The meeting had taken a toll on him.

"Everyone can go", Dumbledore confirmed, but then he continued: "everyone except... you three." To Draco's surprise, Dumbledore had pointed to not just Granger and the Weasel, but to him too.

"I'd like you three to come with me so that together with Harry we can talk."

The Weasel looked like he was about to protest about Draco's presence, but Granger literally kicked him in the shins, which brought a smirk on Draco's face.

"Now, Draco, you will have a chance to have a big part in the fate of the wizarding world", Dumbledore said mysteriously and Draco was very curious to find out what that was all about.

Everyone else dispersed quickly while Draco helped Dumbledore up the stairs - Weaselbee helped as well, and for once Draco was grateful.

When they got to the bedroom, Potter jumped off the bed, where he'd been sitting and all of them helped Dumbledore down onto the bed.

"You'll have to excuse me for speaking to you while in bed, but I do believe my body needs the rest."

Draco had still to get used to seeing Dumbledore so frail, but given that he wasn't supposed to have survived at all, the old man's current state was acceptable.

"Excuse me, Professor, but why is he here?" Potter asked, and Draco gave him a scornful look. "I thought we were supposed to talk about the you-know-what."

"The horcrux, Harry, yes, and while I want to keep this discussion between as few people as possible, I believe Draco should know about it. The prophecy said he has a part to play and given that we don't know what this part might be, I want to let him in on the secret. He might know something about the remaining ones."

Draco was all ears, he was curious to know what these 'horcruxes' were and what all the secrecy was about.

"Perhaps, Harry, you could tell Draco where we are at the moment", Dumbledore asked and Potter couldn't refuse, although it was clear that filling Draco in wasn't giving him any pleasure.

Soon, however, Draco forgot all about his animosity towards Potter, because the information he found out was fascinating. He finally knew why the Dark Lord considered himself immortal, but apparently he was far from it if 2 out of 6 horcruxes had already been destroyed.

Potter also explained about his meetings with Dumbledore in which they tried to figure out what the remaining horcruxes might be, and then about retrieving the locket, at which point Dumbledore intervened.

"Did you bring the locket with you, Harry?"

Potter took a golden locket from his pocket and even from a distance Draco could see a green S glittering in the light.

"Unfortunately it's fake, sir", Potter said as he gave the locket to Dumbledore. "There's a not inside."

Dumbledore read the note carefully a couple of times, before reading it out loud - Draco figured it was for his benefit, because Potter surely told Granger and Weaselbee the contents of the note.

"It's unfortunate that I placed you in danger for nothing but a fake, Harry, but our efforts were not a complete waste."

"How so, sir?"

"I believe I know who R.A.B. is."'

"You do, Professor?" Granger asked eagerly. "I've been thinking about it all night, but haven't been able to come up with an answer."

"We're going to have to let Sirius in on our little secret if we are to elucidate the mystery though. Would you mind calling him, Harry?"

"Not at all, Professor", Potter said and went out of the room in search of Black.

"Blimey, I'm sure glad we don't have rack our brains trying to figure out who this R.A.B. figure is", the Weasel said, earning him a smile from Dumbledore, a frown from Granger and a smirk from Draco himself. Weaselbee's contribution would have been nil in any case, Draco was sure.

A moment later, Potter brought Black. At Dumbledore's request, Potter told the horcrux story one more time, for Black's benefit this time, but Draco listened avidly the second time around, to make sure he hadn't missed any details the first time around.

"I'm glad you told me about all of this, considering not many people are aware of all this information, but I get the feeling you didn't call me here just to tell me all of this."

"You're quite right, Sirius. What Harry hadn't gotten around to telling you is that the horcrux we retrieved last night was actually a fake, and this note was in it."

Dumbledore gave Black the note, who read it quickly, and he suddenly paled.

"R.A.B?" Black asked, and his voice was barely more than a whisper.

"Yes, Sirius, I believe your brother had the real horcrux", Dumbledore said.

"Regulus Black!" Potter suddenly exclaimed, which annoyed Draco but Dumbledore smiled at him.

"Regulus Arcturus Black, yes, Harry. I believe it was Professor Slughorn who mentioned him to you, back when we went to recruit him for the Defence Against the Dark Arts position."

"Actually, sir, Sirius told me about it a year before that, when he showed me the tapestry of his family tree. But I had no idea he was also named Arcturus, or it would have been clear who R.A.B was."

Draco doubted that Potter would have caught on to that fact, he wasn't that bright - after all, he and Weaselbee were two of a kind, what Granger was doing with two such idiots, he had no idea, but he planned to provide her with better company, meaning himself, once the war was over.

"So, Sirius, the question now is whether you know where this locket is", Dumbledore said and everyone looked at Black, who was thinking hard.

"I'm afraid I haven't seen it around the house. But my brother's been dead for years and I've been in Azkaban, only returning here a short while back, which I haven't felt like spending by cleaning much. "

"Cleaning!" it was Granger who exclaimed that time, and it was unusual for her to do something like that.

"We've seen the locket before, don't you remember? When we were cleaning this very house, we found a locket that we couldn't open. It was a replica of this... or rather, this is a replica of it! That was the real horcrux!"

"Merlin's beard, Hermione, you're right!" Potter confirmed. "We tried a couple of spells hoping to open the thing, but gave up when we couldn't."

"Yes, I remember it too", Weaselbee said. "It frustrated me so much that it wouldn't open! I think we threw it out though!" he said, appalled.

"What about you, Sirius, do you remember it? And more importantly, do you know where it is now? Was it, in fact, thrown out?" Dumbledore asked Black.

"I do remember that awful cleaning that Molly made us do, and yes, there was a locket that the kids tried to open. Ginny almost blew a hole through the floor with one of her spells. But I didn't pay it much attention back then, and I have no idea where it might be now, whether it was thrown out or it's still here somewhere. However, if there's anyone who knows its current whereabouts, it'd be Kreacher.'

Black called for Kreacher, who apparated in the room at once, though there was a resentful look on his old face, Draco noticed.

"Master called?"

"Kreacher, there used to be a duplicate of this locket somewhere in this house", Black said, showing the fake horcrux to the old elf. "Is it still in here? Do you know where it is? Tell the truth!" Black barked.

Kreacher didn't say anything for a while, but apparently he couldn't refuse answering a direct question from his master, regardless of how much he loathed that master.

"I do", Kreacher confirmed.

"Well?! Where is it?"

"Kreacher saved Master Regulus' locket before it could be thrown out and Kreacher kept it safely. It's ...in the kitchen cupboard", he reluctantly admitted.

"I should have known you'd hide it in your den. Go fetch it. Now!" Black ordered.

Kreacher disapparated and returned a few moments later, gripping the locket tightly in his skinny hands.

"Hand it over, Kreacher!"

"Master Regulus told Kreacher to destroy it, but no matter how hard Kreacher tried, he couldn't do it!" the elf wailed as he handed over the locket.

"What's this about my brother wanting the locket destroyed?" Black asked and the elf told an emotional story of how Voldemort tested his defenses of the cave in which he wanted to hide the locket horcrux and how Regulus had worked to undermine him, by replacing the real locket with a fake one, and tasking Kreacher with destroying it.

Granger was moved to tears by the story, apparently very affected about what Kreacher was made to do - she really had her heart into that S.P.E.W. business. But to be truthful, Draco, too, felt sorry for the old elf.

"Don't worry, Kreacher, we also want to destroy it, and we have the means to do it", Dumbledore assured him and, surprisingly for Draco, Kreacher seemed to believe Dumbledore and to feel appeased.

"Now out with you!" Black said, and the elf disapparated.

"Professor, what did you mean about us 'having the means' to destroy the locket?" Granger asked, having recovered from her crying. Ever the practical nature, that one, Draco thought.

"I can go back to Hogwarts and fetch one of the Basilisk fangs from the Chamber of Secrets, that's what destroyed the diary, which was also a horcrux!" Potter said, oblivious to the fact that Dumbledore had implied they already had a (different) way to destroy the horcrux.

"That's a job for a later date, my boy, but when you do go to the Chamber of Secrets, please be careful in handling the Basilisk fang. I don't need to tell you again that the venom is fatal. Also, there's no hurry because we have another way to destroy the locket: the Sword of Gryffindor."

"Because Harry stabbed the basilisk with it, and it absorbs that which makes it stronger! The sword is impregnated with basilisk venom!" Granger explained, looking very pleased with herself that she'd figured it out.

"Precisely, Miss Granger."

"Brilliant! Should I go fetch the sword from Hogwarts then?" Potter asked again, determined to play the hero and deliver their means of salvation.

"I've already asked Professor McGonagall to bring the sword when she came to the meeting", Dumbledore said and retrieved the sword which had been hidden under his pillow, no less!

Draco couldn't blame Dumbledore for wanting to keep such an important object safe and close by, but to keep it that close was a bit much, in his opinion.

"Dumbledore, do you think that perhaps I could... " Black trailed off, but Dumbledore didn't need to hear more as he nodded.

"Yes, Sirius, after hearing Kreacher's story, I believe you're the one who should destroy the horcrux. However, there is still that matter of opening it, first."

"I don't suppose Alohomora would work, I remember we tried that last time, when we were cleaning", Weaselbee said uselessly, but Granger seemed to be at a loss too, and Potter didn't look like he had any bright ideas either. Draco couldn't be very judgmental though, because he didn't have any clue about what to do in order to open the locket either.

"The locket belonged to Salazar Slytherin, and he was famous for speaking Parseltongue", Dumbledore said. "Harry, please speak a few words in Parseltongue, that might just do the trick. Oh, and Sirius, be ready with the sword, because whatever is in there will fight back - I should know, the ring horcrux almost killed me in the process of destroying it."

Black took Gryffindor's sword from Dumbledore, then placed the locket on the nightstand next to the bed.

Then he looked at his godson and Potter said... whatever it was that he said in Parseltongue.

Everyone waited with held breaths, and the locket suddenly opened. Before any of them could see what was inside, Black swung the sword with no hesitation whatsoever, hitting the locket with a strong blow. It gave a drawn-out scream together with a metallic clang, and all that was left were the shattered remains of the locket and of the nightstand which had broken into pieces under the force of the sword blow.

For a moment there was silence and then the Weasel said "Cool, so that's one more down, only three left, right?"

"Quite right!" Dumbledore said. "Finding and destroying the remaining horcruxes is paramount because only then will Voldemort be mortal again, so that is the priority, although no one else must know - we can't risk Voldemort finding out we know his secret, and the more people know, the more likely it is that the secret will be leaked."

No one spoke, they just listened, and Draco was glad that he was part of these important and secret plans. The fact that Dumbledore had included him, meant that he was about to be given a mission - not something as ghastly as what the Dark Lord had asked of him, but something which would contribute to the salvation of both the wizarding world and the muggle world.

"However", Dumbledore continued, "the matter of what will happen once all the horcruxes are destroyed must be addressed. Once Voldemort is mortal again, Harry, you will have to face him, and I do believe we've already established that even without the prophecy, you'd still want to do that. Just like I'm sure Draco here wants to contribute to Voldemort's downfall, even if there wasn't a prophecy involved."

"Of course!" Draco was quick to confirm.

Potter also nodded, and Dumbledore spoke on.

"In this case, you might be interested to know that not only the horcruxes are important, but so are the hallows."

"The what?" asked Weaselbee, but Draco didn't feel like smirking at the ginger's obvious ignorance, because no one around the room seemed to know anything about the subject, not even Granger and she basically knew everything.

"The Deathly Hallows. Perhaps I'd better start by asking who here knows The Tale of the Three Brothers."

"I do!" both Weasley and Black said at the same time and Draco, too, admitted he knew it. It was a fairytale, Draco couldn't remember much of it and as a consequence he had no inkling of why it was relevant...

"For Harry and Miss Granger's benefit, let us all remind ourselves of this tale. I have a copy of 'Tales of Beetle the Bard', so... Miss Granger, will you read it out loud?"

"Of course, Professor!" Granger said and she started reading the story. When she finished, Dumbledore explained why the story was important.

"It is commonly believed that the elder wand, the resurrection stone and the invisibility cloak are the three Deathly Hallows."

"Does that mean that my cloak is one of the Deathly Hallows?" Potter asked, and Draco rolled his eyes. There were dozens of such cloaks out there.

Dumbledore's next words made Draco reconsider, however.

"Indeed, my dear boy! You see, yours is no ordinary invisibility cloak, to have an invisibility spell cast over it which wears off in time. No, your cloak is the actual hallow, passed down to you from your father, given to James from his father, down the pureblooded line of one Ignotus Peverell. He and his brothers, Cadmus and Antioch, are believed to be the brothers from the Bard's tale - not that I'm saying the rest of the fairytale is true, all that about meeting death and whatnot. But it is clear the brothers were very talented and dangerous wizards, for having created such powerful objects."

"What about the Elder Wand and the Resurrection stone?" Black asked.

"I have them both", Dumbledore, shocking everyone in the room. "My wand is the Elder Wand as for the Resurrection Stone, it was camouflaged as a simple stone on the ring horcrux that I destroyed."

"Taking into the fact that having the three hallows is considered to make one 'master of death', I believe you should have them, Harry, if you want them."

All eyes fell on Potter, who was at a loss for words.

"Uhm... I don't really want the wand, Professor. I mean, no matter how strong it is, I don't think I could perform better magic with it than with my own wand which chose me back at Ollivander's when I was 11."

Dumbledore smiled.

"Wise of you to think that way, Harry, and I'm glad that you don't want the wand, because I would have given it to you, but it would complicate things because I believe Voldemort will also be coming for this wand sooner or later. He's surely heard about the Deathly Hallows too, and while the cloak and the stone wouldn't be relevant for him, he'd surely want what is known as the most powerful wands of all. However, since you and he are supposed to face each other eventually, I don't believe that having the Elder Wand in your possession will place you in any more danger than you're already in."

"Comforting thought, that", the Weasel said quietly, swallowing hard.

"Still, the danger would come from the fact that Voldemort will find out that I was the last known owner of the Elder Wand and if he doesn't find it in the tomb, where it should rightfully be buried with me, he'll go after Minerva or the other Hogwarts professors and torture or kill them in order to find out the wand's whereabouts and we wouldn't want that!"

"But then Voldemort will break into your tomb, Professor!?" Granger reasoned, worry in her voice. "Won't he discover that you're not dead?"

Valid point, Draco had been wondering the very same thing, but had considered it a matter too delicate for him to ask about.

"I've considered the possibility, Miss Granger, and have taken adequate action. With the help of Minerva I've enchanted a corpse to look like a dead version of myself", Dumbledore explained. "The dead death eater, in fact - Gibbons, is who we used a spell on, to accelerate the decomposition so that it would be unrecognizable but similar to my own appearance, to settle any doubts Voldemort might have. He'll find the wand and that will be the end of it."

"Not a very comforting thought though - V..V..Voldemort with the most powerful wand in existence", the Weasel commented, barely getting the Dark Lord's name out of his lips.

"Indeed - but I'm afraid Voldemort is powerful enough without the wand, so that him having it won't make much of a difference."

Potter's pale face said he thought otherwise, Draco noticed, and Granger looked concerned too, but none of them voiced their worries out loud.

Draco didn't envy Potter being the 'Chosen One'. He knew, better than most, what it was like to live with the fear of Voldemort wanting him or his family dead, and Draco wouldn't have wished it on anyone, not even Potter. And having to face Voldemort who was armed with the Elder Wand... sounded like a suicide mission to him.

"I don't see what I could possibly do with the stone either", Potter added, getting back to the original conversation about the Deathly Hallows. "I mean, it's not like it can really bring back the dead", he said both sadly and longingly, and Draco guessed he was thinking of his parents.

"It can't bring back the dead, Harry, nothing can, we've already established that. But given the hard times ahead of us, especially for you, perhaps you could use it to draw comfort from it at some point."

Seeing the wisdom in Dumbledore's words, Potter accepted the stone.

"All right, now that's all done, I do believe it's time for us all to rest. Harry, you and your friends go back to Hogwarts, attend my funeral, then each of you will go to your homes before we reconvene, to take Harry out of his aunt and uncle's house and into a safehouse. By then the other members of the Order and I will establish a battle plan, and I will also look into finding out what the remaining horcruxes might be and where they might be hidden, with the help of Sirius and Draco."

"Professor, I feel like it'd be safer for me to send my parents away to safety - they've been talking about taking a trip to Australia for a while, so I'm thinking of altering their memories in order for them to forget about me and start a new life there, until the war is over. I know, it's a ghastly thing to do to my own parents, but that's the only way I can be sure they'll be safe. And I hope I'll be able to restore their memories once the danger's passed."

"Do what you must, Miss Granger", Dumbledore said, practically giving her his blessing for what she was planning to do. "Off you go now, all of you!"

They exited the room and just as Granger was about to go down the stairs after the others, Draco grabbed her arm and pulled her back and into his new bedroom.

"Can I have a word, Granger?"

"I suppose you can, now that you dragged me in here", she said, but he could see she wasn't adverse to the idea.

He kissed her - he'd missed kissing her and he'd missed feeling something so passionate and positive, as opposed to stark fear and darkness which was all he'd known since the moment the Death Eaters had entered Hogwarts and until they'd left the school.

Granger didn't protest, but rather placed her hands around his neck and leaned into the kiss, fusing their bodies in a delightful way, that allowed him to wrap his arms around her waist and hold her there, close, where he could feel her - he could even feel her heartbeat... or was that his heartbeat? He could no longer tell the difference.

Eventually she did pull back.

"I thought you said you wanted 'a word', not a kiss!"

"You liked it, so don't spoil the moment, ok?" he said. "I did want to talk to you, specifically about what you said you plan to do - sending your parents to safety."

"Yes, what of it?"

"First of all, it's a very brave thing to do. I only wish I could so the same for my parents", he admitted, and Granger squeezed his hand, reassuringly.

"Try not to worry too much, Draco", she said and he was thrilled that she'd used his first name. He wondered whether she realized it. "Snape will be there, to make sure nothing to horrible happens, and to all the rest of the world, you're a prisoner, so Voldemort would have no reason to do something to Mr. and Mrs. Malfoy."

"What if he suspects they won't fight against the Order and Dumbledore for fear I will get killed? Won't he consider them compromised and useless and better off dead?"

"No! Because he knows Dumbledore would never sanction for you to be killed. And he's most likely to think your parents will fight more fiercely against those who dared kidnap their son."

"You have a point there, I can only hope you're right. But we were talking about your parents. When do you want to obliviate them?"

"I suppose the sooner, the better", Granger said with a sigh, "although of course I am tempted to postpone the moment for as long as possible, so that I have more time with them in case... in case..."

She couldn't finish her sentence, and Draco wrapped an arm around her shoulders, puling her close into his side and kissing her hair. He had no idea where such tenderness had come from, but it was what she needed at the moment, and he wanted to soothe her.

"What are you going to do after you send them away? I suppose you won't stay at your place, it'd be dangerous!"

"That's true - but Mrs. Weasley told me I'm welcome at the Burrow anytime, so I'll spend the rest of the summer there, until it's time to get Harry."

Draco had expected that answer - and he wasn't about to let her stay under the same roof as the Weasel for weeks on end, not if he had any word to say about it. So he decided to use her empathy against her and play the part of vulnerability.

"Would you consider coming to live here?" he said, taking her by surprise, as expected.

He added his excuse.

"I feel truly ill at ease with only Black, Dumbledore and Kreacher in this bleak old house, so it would be an immense relief to have you here with me - you're the one who I trust is on my side."

"Because of the prophecy?"

"No! I don't really believe in prophecies either, so that's not the reason. It's just that you've come to me even after I removed the cursed choker, and that is ultimate proof that I can trust you."

"Oh, all right. I suppose you need me more than Harry or Ron do. After all, they have each other and all of the other Weasleys will be at the Burrow."

"Besides, Potty and the Weasel have had you by their side for 6 years and didn't appreciate you as much as you deserved. It's my turn now, isn't it?"

"Don't call them that!" Granger said sternly, but her frown only lasted a minute. "And yes, I suppose it's your turn. I have to ask Sirius if he'll let me stay, and if he agrees, I'll have to let Harry and Ron know. I'll tell them once we're back at Hogwarts... which should be any minute now, so I'll go, before they organize a search party or something."

"You tell your friends, I'll talk to Black, make sure he's OK with you staying over", Draco proposed and then he kissed her one more time, and while she didn't resist, she was frowning again.

"And the next time we see each other alone, we'll have to talk about this", she said, motioning between the two of them.

She was out the door then and Draco already missed her.

The following morning he talked to Black about Hermione coming to stay in his house and although that fact took him by surprise, Black had no objections.

A few days passed and Draco was waiting eagerly for Hermione to arrive after having sent her parents to Australia. He'd had very little news, among which that Dumbledore's funeral had taken place without incidents, that it had been a very emotional affair, by all accounts, a lot of people and other magical beings had turned up to show their respect. Draco wondered how they'd all feel when they eventually found out that Dumbledore had been alive all this time.

That fact didn't interest him all that much. He was pacing nervously back and forth in the hall on the ground floor, waiting for Granger to make an appearance. She'd sent word that she'd arrive before noon, but it was already 11.45 and Draco was thinking of dreadful scenarios in which she'd been captured. What if Death Eatrs were already waiting for her at her parents' place?

His worries turned out to be moot, as she finally came in, but she was looking rather rattled.

"Did something happen, were you attacked?" Draco asked, checking her for injuries from head to toe.

"No, everything went exactly according to plan."

"Then what's wrong?"

"It was hard... SO hard, to say goodbye to my parents and then make them forget all about me", she said with a sob and Draco drew her into his arms.

He didn't say anything, he just let her cry and get all that sadness out of her.

"Sorry about that, I didn't mean to, but although I thought I'd made my peace with my decision of sending my parents away, actually going through with it was much harder than I thought. I also sent my cat with them, and I already miss Crookshanks!"

"Understandable!" Draco assured her.

"I'm better now, thank you! Where is everyone?"

"Dumbledore is resting - it's what he does most of the time, he doesn't even come down for meals, Kreacher takes them to his room."

"Considering how close he was to dying, it's not surprising. I'll ask Kreacher to let me bring his lunch, that way I can visit for a bit and let Dumbledore know I'm here."

"Oh, he probably knows already - he has a way of staying informed even without leaving his room!"

"Of course he does. What about Sirius, where is he?"

"He left a while back - said he was going to talk to a wizard named Giggle or something..."

"Diggle, Dedalus Diggle", Hermione corrected.

"That's the one... Given that Black won't be there when they move Potter, he wanted to make sure everything would be ready for when that time comes, and I understand this Diggle fellow will have a part in it, evacuating Potter's family or something like that. So basically he's fishing for information to make sure nothing was overlooked."

"Sirius needs to feel that he's useful, he wants to do as much as possible to bring about Voldemort's destruction, considering that it was Voldemort who killed James Potter, Sirius' best friend, and Lily, who was also a good friend of his. What of Kreacher, where is he?"

"Preparing lunch, most likely. But I wouldn't advise going to see him, I'm afraid he's not very fond of muggle-borns."

"I know, but he is the resident house-elf, I feel it's the polite thing to do, making my presence known."

"He reluctantly prepared for you the bedroom next to mine, because both Black and I insisted, but Kreacher muttered the entire time."

"I don't care. I'm going to the kitchen to greet him anyway."

Draco followed her.

"Hello, Kreacher!" Hermione said cheerfully, but the elf looked grumpily at her and, predictably, starting mumbling. "The mudblood is here, the mudblood greets Kreacher as if they were friends."

"Kreacher!" Draco warned. "You've been told you're not allowed to use that term."

Kreacher had already used a knife to make a cut on his arm as punishment.

"You were told to stop that too!" Draco urged, seeing how distressed Hermione was.

"It was a bad idea after all, you were right", she said. "I'll just go unpack. I'll see you at lunch, OK?"

Draco wasn't pleased at being dismissed, but he understood her need to be alone and regroup.

So he practiced spell casting in his room until it was time for lunch. Draco practiced both defensive and offensive spells, basically every charm, hex and jinx he could think of and which might prove most useful in battle.

He was a bit spent when he came down to lunch, but seeing that Granger was already there cheered him up. He hoped Kreacher had refrained from being too nasty with his comments about her.

"How was Dumbledore, did you see him?", he asked her.

"I did. I think he was happy to see me, and that I've decided to stay here, although you know it's hard to tell with him."

"He's looking a bit better, don't you think?'

"Yes - he's not quite so pale anymore. I think Fawkes is still helping Dumbledore heal with his tears."

While they ate, Draco and Granger talked about the remaining horcruxes, and what they might be.

Draco explained that the snake, Nagini, was probably going to be impossible to get to before the battle, because Voldemort usually kept her by his side.

Neither Granger nor he had any ideas as to what Gryffindor object Voldemort might have chosen for a horcrux - if he'd been able to get his hand on one to begin with. The sword was safely in their possession, and other than that the only other famous object was the Sorting Hat, which was safely back at Hogwarts.

"Although for how long, I wonder?" Granger mused. "The Sorting Hat might not be safe for much longer because the way I understand it, Snape and the Death Eaters will probably take over the school once the new school term starts."

"Yes, it's the most likely course of action. Voldemort would want to have control over the school", Draco agreed.

"Dumbledore told Harry about how Voldemort always wanted the Defence Against the Dark Arts job and although now he has more important things to do, he'll surely want to control the school and the next generation of wizards."

"More important things like taking over the wizarding world", Draco said glumly.

"Not if we can help it!" Granger replied fiercely, making Draco smile. He admired her bravery.

They spent the rest of the day speculating that it was much more likely that Voldemort had chosen something of Hufflepuff's and Ravenclaw's for his last two horcruxes, and while the Hufflepuff one was probably the cup that Hepzibah Smith used to have, the Ravenclaw object was still a mystery.

After dinner, Granger was done with all the speculation.

"I think I'll turn in early and we can start brainstorming ideas again in the morning. I miss doing some light reading, to take my mind off from horcruxes and Voldemort and the war."

"What you call 'light reading' is probably a tome", Draco observed.

"It's just the 'New Theory of Numerology'. Harry gave it to me for Christmas a couple of years ago and although I've already read it several times, I feel like reading it again. Studying the properties of numbers has a strangely calming effect on me."

"Really? Don't let me keep you from it, then", Draco said, although him letting Granger retire to her room was just his means of luring her into a false feeling of security.

He had altogether different plans for the evening. Draco quickly went to his own bedroom, changed into his dark green silk pajamas, and then simply went to her bedroom and entered, not bothering to knock beforehand.

"What are you doing here?" Granger asked, startled.

She was sitting in her bed, her back against the pillows, her lower half covered by a blanket and the tome she'd mentioned earlier in her lap.

Draco admired the upper half of her body which was covered by a pale blue lacy nightgown.

"Thought I'd drop by", he said casually as he approached her bed.

Granger pushed the book off her lap and raised the blanket to cover her up to her neck.

"What happened to not keeping me from my reading?"

"Changed my mind", Draco replied, shrugging it off as if it weren't a big deal.

"This is highly inappropriate!" Granger protested primly, as Draco sat on the cover of her bed.

"Only if you scream or something, then Black will probably come running in, Kreacher too - imagine if Dumbledore himself would make the effort to get out of his bed to check out what happened... we'd never live down the embarrassment!" Draco teased, as he backed up until his back was resting against the pillows too, the left side of his body flush against her right side.

"Embarrassment is the least of my problems right now", she said as she fidgeted, trying to get further away from him while at the same time not falling out of the bed.

Just in case she'd get the idea to run away, Draco took her hand and intertwined his fingers through hers.

"Don't tell me you didn't miss our meetings!"

"With everything that's been going on lately, how could I think of something like that?"

"Perhaps you're right. I, on the other hand, had plenty of time to reminisce about better days - so don't mind if I try to reenact some of that stuff", Draco told her, while he rolled over to her side of the bed.

Granger was not on board with his seduction routine, because she tried sliding down to avoid him but it only made it easier for Draco to cover her body with his own.

"What if I do mind?" she asked as Draco was busy nibbling along the neckline of her nightgown, tasting her skin and enjoying every minute of it.

"You don't, so the point is moot", Draco whispered, his lips still against her skin. "Oh, I almost forgot!" he exclaimed and then removed the item he'd previously stashed in his pajama bottoms' pocket. "This should help us reminisce better!"

"A Slytherin tie? Really?" Granger said, rolling her eyes.

"Precisely! Now be a good girl and let me tie it", Draco asked nicely but he wasn't really asking, because he was already in the process of tying up her hands together above her head and onto the vertical bars of the bed headboard.

"Now there's just one thing missing, if only..." he trailed off, looking around and finding what he wanted on her nightstand.

"Aha!" he said retrieving the eye-mask. "I was hoping you'd have one of these."

"Usually I don't need it, but sometimes it helps me sleep better, especially when I'm in an unfamiliar place", Granger explained.

"Glad you brought it, whatever the reasons", Draco said as he placed the mask over her eyes. "You see - or rather, you don't see right now, but the fact that your eyes are covered makes it easier for me to speak to you honestly... I suppose that's rather cowardly of me, but then again, there's a reason why I'm a Slytherin and not a Gryffindor. Bravery is not exactly my strong suit."

"Oh, I think you're brave enough for Gryffindor, but twisted things like this tying up business are probably what placed you in Slytherin. In any case, what is it that you want to tell me that you can't say while looking me in the eye?"

"Well, you've already figured out that I'm fifty shades of twisted, so that, at least, is out in the open already. Since you like confessions, here's one: despite knowing I don't deserve you, I still want you. No matter how hard I tried, I can't get you out of my head, it's like I'm in a permanent state of intoxication. You might as well have imprisoned me by simply being yourself, because I'm a prisoner of my desire for you. Now that you know I'm trapped, you probably have a sense of elation."

"You're trapped?" Granger said with a giggle. "I think if anyone is trapped here, it's me. But you do have a point - I feel 'elated' by this confession of yours. Well, not the part where you feel like you're in Azkaban with me for a Dementor, because that's what you made it sound like, but the part where you can't live without me."

Draco knew she was right - he no longer could imagine his life without her. She was his light, his beacon of hope and the only thing he was holding on in preparation for the war. But now that he'd confessed, he kind of regretted it, especially since she hadn't said anything similar back. So he tried backtracking and distracting her by changing the subject.

"That's quite the extrapolation, Granger, better not get ahead of yourself. And when I talked about being trapped, I wasn't referring to our situation this very moment, but how typical of you to take my words at their literal meaning."

She pursed her lips, clearly displeased at being called too 'literal'. Draco ignored her displeasured and kissed her neck, making her shiver.

"In any case, enough talking, wouldn't you say? The war will start soon - and before that we'll need to hunt down horcruxes, so we should make the best of this reprieve because the end of July is just around the corner."

"And here I thought there were several weeks left!" she said teasingly, but her voice trembled from Draco's arduous kisses that had wandered lower, to the mounds of her breasts that had been half uncovered by his previous nibbling.

"Stop taking everything literally!" Draco said, as he suddenly changed tactics and tickled her over the ribs, making her giggle and wriggle, trying to avoid him.

"I think I prefer this punishment to your previous ones", she admitted, breathlessly.

"Oh, I'm not so sure about that. Let's test that theory, just to be on the safe side, shall we?" Draco proposed and then suddenly turned her over which elicited a shout of pain from her, because the tie binding her hands had probably bitten into them. He'd made sure the tie wasn't that tight around her arms as to cut off circulation, so even turned on her stomach, her hands would still get proper blood circulation.

Draco gave her a sharp slap on her rounded bottom, getting another yelp from Granger, this time probably just from surprise. He'd made sure that the blow didn't land very hard on her soft, warm flesh.

"Would you stop that?" she said, her voice a whisper now, having realized that if she kept up the yelping, someone might hear and come to investigate.

"Not a chance, Granger. In fact, we're just getting started!" he said darkly.