Chapter 2

She whipped around and rose her hand to slap him. He caught her wrist and shook his head. "You do know that this is for your safety, right? The Dark Lord would have you executed, but Harry had another plan. If you and I would be married, appearing to be happily in love, then both sides will stop fighting. You're their leader after Harry. You can call them off so that no one has to die anymore. The Dark Lord will see you as a way to control them. This is the only way you will live."

"Draco..." She whispered.

"It will help keep the balance." Draco smirked. "So now, we play the get to know you game. We'll have to convince the Dark Lord that this'll work. We are going to have to at least pretend we're endlessly in love."

Hermione swatted his arm. "Do you think this will save the surviving Light Side?"

He nodded.

She sighed. She was not irrational. She thought through the plan once more and saw the valid reasoning behind it. In theory, it could work. She wasn't one to jump into situations without thinking if she couldn't help it. Not that being friends with Harry and Ron helped any with that. She looked at Draco, hoping to figure out how he felt about Harry's proposition.

He looked at her as if trying to do the same. He reached forward and grabbed her hand. Their eyes remained locked as he squeezed her hand tightly. "Hermione, I really think this could work." She noted that his eyes were hopeful.

She bit her lip as she glanced at their reflections. For just a fleeting moment she saw something in his eyes as he looked at her. She thought it looked like hope, but it seemed like so much more; perhaps it was desperation? Turning to look at him, she pressed her lips into a thin line.

"If I agree, I would like to have some terms set in place." She said sternly, pulling her hand out of his grip.

He cocked an eyebrow at her, but said nothing.

She took a deep breath. "No touching more than what's necessary. No insults, threats, curses or any malicious spells of any kind directed at the other or those we care about."

Draco looked at her, his eyes shining with that hopeful look once more. Grabbing her hand once more, he pulled her to him, making her stumble from the sudden force. She placed her hand on his chest in an effort to catch herself. She found herself holding her breath.

Their eyes were locked in a timeless battle. He was looking at her as if this was the first time. She was seeing kindness in his eyes, a desire to stop bloodshed. He saw apprehension in her earthy eyes. It was clear to him that she was worried, and that made him worry.

"Tell me what your thinking."

Her light voice caught him off guard.

"That if we're going to make this work, we have to be on the same page." He said simply.

She nodded, agreeing. Her eyes never left his.

"I will take the floor tonight." He stepped away from her, unable to look into her eyes any longer. He couldn't take that studying look in her eyes. Looking at his reflection, he ran a hand through his hair. His eyes darted to her reflection and he saw a confused expression on her face. Amused, he took off his robes, setting it on the counter, and turned towards her. "Granger, I'm being a gentleman and allowing you the comforts of having a bed to sleep on. What is the confusion about that?"

"You live in a mansion, why do you need to sleep on the floor?"

He turned back to the mirror and began to untie the Slytherin tie he had worn for the last seven years. "We're engaged. We have to play the part." He said as if it were obvious.

She stared at the man before her. She took in his words with his actions. She felt her face heat up.

He chuckled at her. "Relax, Granger. You are no where near ready for that. I would like to take a shower after all that's happened." He reached up and undid the first three buttons of his shirt, giving her a glance at his chest.

She gasped lightly at the scars that littered the pale expanse of flesh visible to her. He looked up at her at the sound.

He pointed to the most prominent one. "This was because I lost to you in charms in first year. Father wasn't pleased to hear that I was second, and even less so that I was second to a mudblood." He grimaced at the scar in the mirror. She gently stepped towards him, her eyes never leaving his in the reflection.

Placing a hand over his on the counter, she gave him an apologetic frown. "No father should do that to their child."

He gave her a sad smile. "I hope I don't turn into him one day." He continued down his shirt, until shedding the article completely and adding it to the pile with his robes and tie.

Smirking he moved to his trousers. "You're welcome to stay and watch, Granger, but I do need to continue."

She hadn't realised that she was watching him. Her cheeks heated up and she scurried out of the bathroom, launching herself onto the bed. She buried herself in a pillow as she heard the shower start. She stayed there for a few minutes until she heard the water stop. Standing up, she went to unzip her dress to find it just out of reach. She looked around for her wand only to realise that she had set it on the counter in the bathroom. She tried to reach again, just as Draco stepped out of the bathroom.

She watched a water drop fall from his hair, onto his shoulder, down his chest, eventually soaking into the light grey towel around his waist. He smirked at her. "Maybe I was wrong, Granger. Maybe you are ready for that."

Hermione frowned at him. She knew what he was trying to do. He was attempting to make her laugh or maybe be angry with him, but overall distract her from all of the evil in the world.

He walked over to her and turned her around. She took a step forward in an effort to get some distance between them. Her knees hit the baseboard and she fell forward. Face first into the mattress, Draco had her pinned down as he held her down with a strong hand placed between her shoulder blades. Carefully, he brushed her hair aside and began to unzip her dress. Pulling the zipper half way down her back, he leaned forward.

"Just so you know, ask if you need some help, Hermione."

She shivered at the intimacy of his voice in her ear. It was deep and breathy. Very unlike him.

She found herself unable to move as he felt him shift.

To her surprise, he stood and allowed her up. He offered her a hand, which she took, and shoved gently towards the bathroom "Loopy left some clothes for you on the counter. Go change. I'd like to sleep uninterrupted."

She held the front of her dress close to her as she closed the door behind her. She let out a shaky sigh as he stripped out of her dress. Setting down the gown nicely on the counter, she picked up the neatly folded emerald tank top and slipped it on before grabbing the black shorts and put them on too. She looked at herself in the mirror. The tank top hugged her figure in all the right places and she found herself feeling pretty exposed. The shorts were far too short for her liking. They barely covered her rear. Sighing, she went with it. She stepped out of the bathroom and took a confident step into the room.

Draco wasn't going to lie. He liked what he saw when Hermione re-entered the room. He could see every curve of her body and he was going to complain.

Her face cherry red when she took notice of Draco's stare. "What in the name of Merlin are you looking at?"

"Just thinking how hot my fiancé is." He smirked as he eyed her more slowly this time.

She groaned at him and pushed past him. He frowned as she crawled into bed, curling up into a ball.

He moved to the other side of the bed and laid down next to her, leaving about a foot between them. He was on his side, taking in her expressions. She was confused when it came to Draco and his actions toward her. One minute he was kind to her and then the next, he was a slightly tamer version of his old self.

Deciding it would be best to just leave her alone, Draco stood and conjured a blanket and pillow, setting up on the floor. Just as he was about to crawl into bed, he felt her eyes on him.

"It's really not that big of a deal. I used to share a bed with Harry and Ron." She turned away from him. He sensed her relax when he laid back down. Pulling the blankets over them both, he pretended to not hear the the pained sigh that escaped from her lips.

He tried not to acknowledge the sniffles.

But then came the whimpering.

He suddenly pulled her into his arms and held her as the tears came burst through. He let her cry for as long as she needed. He let her dig her nails into his shoulders in grief. He let her fall asleep in her arms in exhaustion. He let he do a lot, he mused.

By morning, Hermione had woken up in a warmth she had never experienced. She was comfortable and decided that she would pretend that all was right in the world, that she was safe, in the warmth for just a little while longer. She kept her eyes closed. She wanted just a few minutes of peace.

And the universe granted her wish. She opened her eyes when she felt the eyes of another on her. Looking slightly up, she met the sleepy gaze of Draco Malfoy. She watched his lips curve into a gentle smile.

"Good morning, love."

She felt her cheeks heat up. She wasn't naïve enough to realise how smooth and endearing his voice was first thing in the morning.

"Good morning…" She caught herself from replying in the same sort of affectionate tone.

He brushed a lock of hair from her face and gently leaned forward, placing a gentle kiss on her forehead. She blinked at him.

"Draco..?" She said softly.

He tossed his legs over the side of the bed and stretched. "Yes, love?" When she didn't reply, he turned to find her perplexed. "We're madly in love starting today. We have to sell it."

She sighed, knowing he was right. She crawled over to his side of the bed and sat next to him. "How do I do this?"

"Pretend? I don't know how." He answered. " I do know that we'll be expected to be at diner tonight and we need to prep you on some things."

"And here I was hoping that I could hide in this room for the rest of my life…" she joked grimly.

"The Dark Lord will be there," Draco continued. "He will want to be convinced you will be able to do this. Despite contrary belief, he isn't all for the blood shed that has occurred. Especially of the young wizards. If all the offspring were killed, we'd die out." He paused. "Convince me you love me."

She gawked at him. "Excuse me!?"

He smiled at her. "Don't act so undignified. It's not just the Dark Lord you have to convince, it's everyone. The ones in the camps, the survivors, and the pure bloods." He caught her chin in his hand, lifting her head and forcing her to look at him.

She found herself lost in his eyes once again. His stormy grey battling her own earthy brown. She was at a loss as to what to say.

"Hermione…" Her name was a whisper. His lips didn't even move, but she heard it. She heard the affection and the sadness. He cupped her cheek, bringing her face equal to his and leaned forward. Gently, he placed his forehead against hers. "Love, we're a team now. We're in this together. We need to act like it."

Her heart ached with anxiety. Her head throbbed with loss. Is this what Harry really wanted for her? A life as a glorified slave to Draco Malfoy? She frowned. She knew she couldn't fight this, but she didn't have to be happy about it.

Yet in this room, she felt strangely safe, like she can hide from the world and forget.

There was a soft knock on the door before it opened, revealing Nacrissa. She had a warm smile at the scene in front of her. Draco still had his hand on Hermione's cheek and his forehead against hers.

"I think it's time for you two to rise. It's nearly noon." She smiled as Draco place a soft kiss on Hermione's cheek and stood.

Walking over to his mother, he kissed her cheek as well before opening a cupboard full of clothes. Nacrissa smiled at them before turning and leaving the room.

Draco turned to Hermione. She seemed to be frozen in place. He kneeled in front of her and smiled softly.

"Love, you can't act like you don't exist. Play along."

After a few moments of silence, she spoke. "I don't know if I can do this."

He watched her as the grief finally began to sink in. Her eyes seemed lifeless and her body was still. She looked like a life size statue.

Draco took her face in his hand and sternly looked her in the eye. "Harry didn't want to fight the Dark Lord. He didn't want to sacrifice his life, but he did. He did it for all of you, especially you, Hermione."

He watched as some light had returned to her. He wanted to tell her it would be easy, that it was going to all work out. But he didn't know. He found her to be easy for him. She was good on his eyes. He found her intellect appealing. She had a the most determined attitude he'd ever seen in a girl and that was something that always resonated with him. She knew what she wanted and knew she was going to get it.

He didn't see that girl now. Just a shell of her former self.

The girl in front of him was hollow with the loss of the closest person she had to a proper lover. She was still with the unrelenting wonder of all her friends' fate. To him, she honestly looked like her soul had died.

Looking into her eyes, he leaned forward and gently and hesitantly, pressed his lips to hers.

He expected her to push him away or smack him, or even curse him as he pulled away. She did none of those things. Her cheeks were red as he looked at her. Her eyes locked with his.

She wondered if he knew how to make her feel better. He seemed to know. She was confused with herself, not knowing why she let him kiss her. It wasn't a bad kiss, in fact for just a moment, it felt like magic. Like pure magic. She found mind racing. Her eyes sparked back to life and searched the grey orbs returning her stare.

She felt compelled to reach out and grab his shoulders. She watched as his eyes closed as if ready to accept the consequences of his actions. She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his, searching for the magic she had just experienced.

Draco did not expect that reaction. He wrapped his arms around her waist, pulling her up from the bed and into his embrace. He had kissed many girls at Hogwarts, but none ever felt so, magical. He felt as though the word had disappeared around them. It was just them, no wars, no friends, no enemies. Just their existence.

When they broke apart, he knew she felt the same. Her eyes were so full of mirth, he would have expected she found a new area of study rather than just snogged her rival.

He watched as her eyes fell, sadness taking over once more.

"Hermione, love, what's wrong?" He asked.

"I shouldn't have done that."

He looked at her confused. "I don't-"

"Of course you don't! You didn't just snog the guy who bullied you for six years, the guy that let death eaters into Hogwarts! I don't know what to feel! Angry? Sad? Hurt?" She took a deep breath. "Or grateful? Happy? That was not what it should have been. I think I feel guilty. I shouldn't have something like that."

"And why not?"

She looked at him incredulously. "Just listen to yourself, Draco! Calling me 'love' as if we've been at this for months! You don't even know me! You've bullied me for years, yet you have this affectionate care about you! I don't understand what you get out of all this!"

He pushed her down onto the bed, pinning her against the emerald sheets. She looked at him angrily.

"I get the life I wished for."

Her angry glare softened into curiosity.

"Last night, you asked why I didn't name you."

She nodded slightly.

"I couldn't watch you die, Hermione. I needed you to live. I needed Harry to succeed and you to be happy. But I wanted to be selfish. I wanted to name you, and swoop in and save you. But I couldn't make you hate me. So I stayed silent. I was vague." He looked away from her for a moment before stilling his resolve and returning her gaze. "This is easy for me because I've dreamed of this for two years. Well maybe not exactly this. Hermione I hoped it would never come to this, but it did. I promise to do everything in my power to ensure your safety and happiness."

Her eyes welled with tears as she took in the sincerity of he words. "I think I can learn to love you, Draco."

"With your big brilliant brain, that shouldn't be too hard."