"-As my chosen family, I know that you blame yourselves for all the angst and pain we've been going through. I want you to know that no matter what happens to me, we will see each other again. There is nothing that could tear us apart and our foundation is unshakeable. I will return to get you both when the Aurors deem it necessary but for now they believe it to be the safest course of action to move me out of Hogwarts. I'm sorry that I can't tell you where I've gone but just know that I will try and give you updates when I'm able. I love you both. –Harry," Hermione's voice was strong up until the end, cracking on that simple four letter word that held such emotion for them all. She slowly raised her head to look at Ron who was staring at the flames in the grate. His gaze watering as he heard his best friend break down into quiet sobs before him, her hands flopping into his lap and grasping at his cold pale hands. Her grip tight and almost painful, she laid her head on his knees as her body shook. He felt numb again, the brief peace shattered in them both. Hermione could feel her anger rising inside her belly as she tried to push down her tears.

"I told you-" Draco stopped dead in his tracks as he entered the Head Dorm Common Room, Blaise crashing into his back.

"What's the deal mate?" Blaise growled but froze when he caught sight of Hermione and Ron.

"We should leave," Draco turned to push Blaise back the way they came.

"No, you can stay. It's your Dorm as well," Hermione's voice was tight but calm as she swiped at her eyes before getting up off the floor and squaring her shoulders.

"Yeah, I was just about to leave," Ron's voice was light but empty as he also rose from the overstuffed couch. He brushed past Hermione, she watched him go with little emotion on her face. Blaise looked around at them all before hurrying after his boyfriend.

"You're not alright, you don't have to pretend around me," Draco told her. He watched as her fists balled up tightly at her sides, a deep flush spread over her cheeks before she let out a deep, rolling scream that came from the depths of her soul. He caught her as she started to drop to the floor, bending at the waist as she let out every last bit of air in her small frame. He rocked her softly as she gulped in air, noises and growls expelling from her body as she clung to him, all the strength draining out of her.

"He's gone, isn't he?" Draco murmured as she started to quiet down. She produced Harry's letter and handed it to him, he glanced over it before hefting her up in his arms. She yelped as she was suddenly pulled into the air.

"Don't fret now," Draco snapped as he started towards her room, her struggles died down as she realized where they were going.

"I'll fix you a cuppa and return shortly," Draco told her smoothly as he tucked her into bed, smoothing her forehead with his fingers and placing a light kiss there. She looked up at him with questioning eyes but didn't say a word as he left.

***!***

Blaise caught up to Ron as he was hurrying down the corridor towards the Gryffindor common room.

"Ron-" Blaise started as he grasped the tall red head's elbow. Ron wrenched out of his grip and kept going.

"I need to be alone," Ron told him, not even looking at him.

"No, you need to stop," Blaise pleaded, trying to grab him again but the other deftly dodged him.

"Leave me alone Zabini," Ron growled menacingly at him, his eyes blazing as he turned towards the Italian.

"Zabini-" Blaise drew himself up to his full height which was still dwarfed by Ron.

"No, my best friend is off fighting for us while I'm here like the coward I am. Waiting for someone to come along and tell us the fucking war is over. I'm a fighter, I take action. That's what I do but I'm here, like a snake in a hole!" Ron shouted at him.

"With the rest of us snakes," Blaise crossed his arms over his chest.

"My family is dying," Ron's voice held so much pent up emotion, so much pain, Blaise reached towards him but he pulled back again.

"No, I'm going. I don't care how I do it but I can't sit here anymore watching Hermione destroy herself-" suddenly screaming started from the levels below them. A loud boom rocked the castle, shaking the foundations underneath them.

"All students stay in their dorms! I repeat, all students stay in their dorms. All prefects and Heads stay where you are. Faculty to the main hall, I repeat, all faculty to the main hall!" Prof. Mcgonagall's booming voice flowed through the echoing hallways.

"Holy shit!" Blaise exclaimed, his hands over his ears. He looked over at Ron but he was already running down the hall.

"Ron!" Blaise ran after his retreating figure, he was heading towards the staircase leading down, which was definitely not towards the Gryffindor Dorms.

***!***

Draco had just handed Hermione a steaming mug of tea when Prof. Mcgonagall's voice reached them. They both looked up and around before going to the window, Hermione quickly setting the tea down on her nightstand. They opened the window to witches and wizards whizzing through the air around the castle, down below a group of black robed Deatheaters were advancing towards the front doors.

"What the-" Draco's eyes widened as he recognized the long flowing silver-blonde hair belonging to his father among the crowd.

"We better move," Hermione slammed her window closed and ran to grab her wand sitting by her bed.

"Where do we go? Mcgonagall said to stay here," Draco told her, she gave him a deadly glare as she moved towards the door.

"And be murdered in our rooms? No thank you," Hermione told him before leaving, he followed close behind.

"What makes you think they'll even get past the front doors?" Draco asked her.

"Because they're already inside," Hermione told him as another explosion rocked the castle, she gave him a meaningful look before they ran out into the hallway.

"We have to get to the dorms, make sure the students are alright," Draco told her.

"What? We need to get down there, see if we can help," Hermione gestured to the stairs leading down as he stood by the way leading to the dorms.

"Hermione, we are the Heads of our Year, we have a responsibility-" Draco snapped at her.

"We have a responsibility to fight! We can't just cower like we've been doing all this year!" Hermione shouted back.

"Well, well, well," A soft, female voice interrupted them, they turned towards the wild looking witch leaning against a railing overlooking the castle behind them. "Lover's quarrel?" Bellatrix Lestrange smirked evilly at them.

"Aunt Bella-" Draco started.

"No no no, your allegiance is clear young nephew. You have been extended little protection in this advancement. The Dark Lord has deemed you unworthy to proceed in our ranks and have labelled you just another pureblood. You will be placed among the others for detainment. If you're lucky you will escape eradication. Now, run along down to the Slytherin dorms," Bellatrix gracefully fluttered her hand in a dismissive gestured, her eyes trained hungrily on Hermione the entire time.

"No," Draco told her, finally her eyes slid over to him and narrowed dangerously.

"Don't be an idiot, it's beneath you," Bellatrix growled at him, he could tell her body was tense underneath the casual elegance of her stance. She wasn't going to underestimate him and that made him rethink his calculations. He was hoping to distract her by drawing her into a fight but now, her clarity through her perceived madness might make this a losing battle, and a quick one at that.

"She needs me to get to Harry," Hermione spoke up, interrupting their staring contest.

"Perceptive girl, yes. I was sent specifically to fetch you, you dirty little mudblood and I don't think anybody cares in what state you reach the Dark Lord. So long as you're breathing," Bellatrix snarled, drawing her wand out from her skirts. Draco drew his own wand and caste a disarmament spell which only served to piss Bellatrix off. She threw a hex which he barely managed to deflect. Hermione snapped a quick hex at her while she was distracted but threw a shield up just in time.

"You shouldn't mess with me," Bellatrix hissed at them, pulling back into a full fighting stance. She rapidly fired off hex after hex at them, drawing them away from the stairs and further back towards their dorm. The two Heads were barely holding their own when suddenly Mcgonagall appeared at the end of the hall, her wand raised.

"Time to go pretties," Bellatrix latched onto Hermione suddenly and apparated away.

"No!" Draco reached towards them but they were already gone.

"We better get you down to the infirmary," the Headmistress murmured, steering him to the stairs. So many aches and wounds suddenly flared up. He didn't realize how badly they were losing until just then, his left arm was broken and at least one of his ribs were cracked. His right half of his face felt swollen and bloody and he couldn't see out of that eye.

"We have to go after her!" Draco exclaimed.

"We have no clue where Lestrange took her and you are no use to her dead," Mcgonagall calmly reasoned as they made it to the packed infirmary. Draco barely glimpsed Ron leaning over one of the beds where Blaise was laying, the Italian was still which scared the hell out of him. Madam Pomfrey was treating a bloody Professor Sinistra as other apprentice healers from St. Mungo's cared for more injured students and faculty.

"Where are the healers?" Draco asked, looking up at the grim Headmistress.

"There was another attack on the Ministry as well as here. They sent us what they could," She answered, helping him to sit on one of the beds.

"Where's Hermione?" Ron asked, coming up to them, he was bandaged up but didn't look too badly injured.

"Bellatrix Lestrange took her," Mcgonagall answered, Ron looked between her and Draco before sitting down heavily next to his once long time school rival.

"And Harry? Any word on him?" Ron looked up at the Headmistress who's face was carefully blank.

"He's safe, that's all you need to know right now," she answered, Draco felt the anger start in the redhead beside him.

"We'll figure this out," Draco lightly touched his arm, looking meaningfully into his eyes.

"We will," Ron stood up and returned to Blaise's side.

"I'll fetch a healer, stay here," Mcgonagall turned and went off deeper into the infirmary.

TBC