Later that night after a very filling dinner provided by the elves, Draco and Hermione sat snuggled up on Draco's sofa in front of the smouldering fireplace.
"Is Ginny okay now?" Draco asked as he stroked Hermione's soft curls.
"Yeh she's okay. She thinks maybe she ate something that disagreed with her and she thought it was a feeling." Hermione chuckled.
Draco only frowned. He new it wasn't food considering the house elves were so careful in their preparations and witches and wizards didn't have allergies. Oh, and also because he knew that Harry and Ron truly were in trouble.
"Hermione… I… I got a letter this morning." Draco said nervously. He hadn't planned on telling her but he knew better than keeping secrets from Hermione as it would only backlash in the end.
Hermione looked up. "From who?"
"From my father." He said his face growing cold.
"Are you okay?" Hermione said sensitively.
Draco nodded and looked over at the fire before replying softly.
"But Potter and Weasley aren't."
Hermione stiffened before whipping around, her fear evident for her best friends.
"Show me the letter." She said, her voice as rigid as her body.
Draco pulled the parchment out of his pocket and handed it to Hermione.
She opened it quickly and read through the words which struck her like a knife.
Draco,
Your alliance with the mudbloods was an appalling decision and I would expect a Malfoy would have more brains.
You won't be protected from the Dark Lords wrath for long you foolish boy, I suggest you rethink your imprudent decision. Of course you shall be penalized but at least you will not suffer the fate that Potter and the blood-traitor Weasley are soon to endure.
How the fate of wizarding world ended up in their inept hands is a mystery to us all, considering they couldn't keep themselves out of harm's way of the Dark Lord for more than a few weeks after that mudblood girl left them for dead. You should consider yourself lucky Draco that she chose to protect you rather than them.
If you decide to return to the flanks I advise you do so before the night of Christmas Eve and bring your little mudblood whore with you. Any later and it will be too late. I'm sure the decapitation of the entire "Golden trio" instead of just Potter and his blood-traitor sidekick shall be a small enough act of generosity for the Dark Lord to spare your life.
If you opt not to return you shall die nothing more than a blood-traitor. There shall be nothing honourable about it. Choose wisely.
Sincerely,
Lucius.
"Hermione?" Draco said softly and reached his arm up caressing Hermione's arm softly. She remained motionless staring at the parchment.
"I would never do that Hermione I promise. Not even for a second did I consider returning and I would NEVER hand you over to them."
Hermione looked up and stared fiercely into his eyes.
"Yes you will." She choked out.
"What? No! No I won't!? I would never …"
"Yes Draco you have to!" Hermione cried desperately.
"This is my fault! Ginny was right they need me it's my f-fault1" Hermione said and began to cry.
"I sh-should have gone b-back w-with them!" Hermione choked out. "We n-need t-to save them! Draco we n-need to s-save them!" Hermione said as she stood and began to pace in front of the fire.
"Hermione think rationally here! I will not put you in that danger! I refuse to take you to the death eaters to be decapitated!" He yelled standing and holding Hermione roughly by the arms.
"Draco think rationally here! If you don't, n-not only will I lose my two b-best friends, but the whole of the w-wizarding world will be left open to destruction from Voldemort!" Hermione screamed.
"We don't have a choice! It has to be done!"
Draco stood silently for a minute absorbing Hermione's words.
"Damn Gryffindor's and their bravery." He muttered.
"Please Draco." Hermione said softly, her tears running freely down her cheeks.
Draco pulled her into a hug before saying softly.
"We need a plan. Or we're dead."
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"Ginny! Psst… Ginny wake up!" Hermione said shaking Ginny.
Ginny groaned.
"What Hermione, what the hell is the bloody matter that you would…" Ginny rolled over and saw the tears on Hermione's face and the fear in her eyes.
"I was right wasn't I…" She said in a barely audible whisper.
Hermione didn't reply, but took Ginny by the arm and pulled her out of the bed.
They left the girls dormitory's and entered the Gryffindor common room where a tired and anxious Neville waited.
Silently they made their way to Draco's quarters where Hermione whispered the password and they entered.
"Hermione where are we?" Ginny said.
Just then they noticed Draco in front of the fire with his head in his hands.
"Is it done Draco?" Hermione asked. Draco looked up at Hermione and the two Gryffindor's beside her. He nodded.
"Hermione what's happened! What happened to them!?" Ginny asked in distress.
"What's going on? Who are "them"?" Neville said
Hermione picked the letter up from the table in the centre of the living room and handed it to Ginny before joining Draco in front of the fire.
"What did he say?" She whispered so as only Draco could here.
"Exactly what we thought he would." Draco whispered back without looking at her.
Hermione wrapped her arms around him.
"It's okay Draco, we can do this. We need to do this."
Draco instinctively wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his head in her hair.
"What the fuck Hermione!" Neville yelled as he finished the letter. "What are we going to do!?"
Hermione pulled away from Draco and got up from her knees. Even though Ginny and Neville were extremely intrigued by seeing Hermione and Draco in such a tight embrace the letter was the first thing on their minds.
"We don't have fully laid out plan as such… but we have a vague idea of what has to be done." Hermione said sullenly as she walked towards them.
Ginny simply looked up at her teary-eyed.
"'Mione, what does he mean when he said you chose Malfoy over Harry and Ron? You didn't really did you?"
"No it wasn't like that Neville!" Hermione said quickly.
"Well it sure as hell looks like that! I mean is this where you've been all year? Huddled up in here with him? And we all thought you were just in the library!" Ginny cried.
"Ginny please I never chose Draco over Harry and Ron! I told you why I chose to stay at school instead of go back with them and it was the truth!"
Draco sat silently by the fire listening to every word. He knew that truly was the reason but he still felt a slight pang hearing her say it.
Ginny stood silent for a moment the only noise being from the crackling of the fire.
"I'm sorry Hermione." She whispered. "It's really not your fault I mean the death eaters found you the first time it's no surprise they found them again."
"Actually… The death-eaters didn't stumble upon me by accident last time." Hermione said softly.
Ginny and Neville just stood too shocked to say anything.
Hermione sighed. "That night Draco rescued you Neville, he escaped and was being chased by the death eaters. He collapsed almost dead in the field outside my tent. Unaware it was even there. But I thought it might have been Harry or Ron so I went outside to check and found him there…" Hermione looked over at Draco who had not moved.
"So I took him inside and brought him back to life. But when the death-eaters began to search the field for Draco they found the protective charm. We had to apparate out of there so I took us to my parent's house and decided I wasn't going to go back."
"So…" Ginny cleared her throat. "So that was what he meant? You saved Draco's life and didn't go back?"
Hermione nodded.
"And I don't regret it."
Draco smiled into the fire. She'd told him before that she never regretted it, but right then and there hearing Hermione say it openly to the Gryffindor's made him realise how much he truly loved her.
Ginny and Neville looked at each other quickly before looking back at Hermione.
"Will do whatever you need Hermione." Neville said.
"Whatever you have planned, the whole fucking Weasley clan will be with you every step of the way." Ginny said managing a smile beneath her glistening tears.
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