A/N: I meant to upload this way earlier (like, two weeks earlier), but fanfiction wasn't working for some reason, and I was so mad! But anyway, there will be two more chapters after this, one of them being the epilogue. (The next one is sort of a mini epilogue, as well). And then it will be done! I should get the next one up later tonight or tomorrow since it's already written, I just need to revise it a bit. And after this I'm writing more Lily/James stuff because I miss them! :) So check that out if you want.

Happy reading!

What Makes a Monster And What Makes A Man?

Ginny sighed and leaned her head against the doorframe of Hermione's room. She looked around the mess of a place, so out of place for such an otherwise organized girl. Her bed sheets were a mess, her clothes were all over the place, and she'd left the lights on.

Maybe Draco was a bad influence on her, she thought wryly, sighing.

Then, she felt Harry's arms wrap around her waist and he rested his chin against her temple. He kissed her cheek.

"We'll find her, Gin," he assured her quietly, "Don't worry."

"I can't help it." she replied sadly.

"Draco? Where the bloody hell are you?"

Blaise came storming down the hallway, looking left and right and glancing into the various rooms. He caught sight of the couple and stopped impatiently.

"Have you seen Malfoy? He's disappeared!"

Harry and Ginny detached from each other, exchanging a worried glance.

"No, we've been in here the whole time," Harry replied, frowning.

There was a moment of silence in which they all seemed to be thinking the same thing.

"You don't suppose . . . " Ginny started, afraid to continue.

"He's gone off by himself to play hero?" Blaise finished monotonously, then shook his head, his anger rising. Then he exclaimed, "Draco Malfoy and his bloody ego! Didn't even tell us! God damn it all to hell!"

XXX

Hermione had her head hanging where she was slouched in the wooden chair. Her hands were tied behind her back and her feet were bound as well - of course, they'd taken away her wand.

'They' were the people who had been terrorizing her for the past forty-eight hours. The Cruciatus Curse had only been used three times, and Hermione knew she should be thankful for that. They'd slapped her, mocked her, used a multitude of other curses on her - luckily she'd been passing in and out of consciousness from both the curses and not getting sleep for forty-eight hours.

To make the emotional stress worse, it was in the same room of the Malfoy Manner that her last experience with torture had been endured, by none other than Bellatrix Lestrange.

However, her torture came from a rather different crowd this time. Only Lucius did she recognize from the war. The rest were younger - most obviously new recruits interested in Dark Magic.

Mrs. Narcissa Malfoy stayed out of the trouble - Hermione had only caught sight of her twice, and that was only when she needed to talk to Lucius. She looked haggard. She met Hermione's eyes once. They were dead.

Hermione knew hers weren't much better.

The only thing that surprised Hermione - and it shouldn't have - was one of the recruits. It made sense. He knew where they were going, where Draco was going, most of the time - he could've easily relayed it back to Lucius. He gave him the place Hermione lived, her address - everything he knew.

Damon. She only saw him murmuring back and forth to Lucius a couple times, and the first time didn't go so well. She had cried out to him that he was a traitor, and that was the first Cruciatus Curse that was upon her.

Damon only stared.

Lucius directly talked to her minimally. She knew he had nothing to say to her - all he wanted was his son, for whatever reason. To kill him or to force his support, Hermione did not know.

She kept her head down as Lucius walked near her. She stared at his polished black shoes. He brought his wand underneath her chin and lifted her face to him.

The room was gray to her. Everything was. Except Lucius Malfoy. His pale blonde hair shone and his gray eyes glinted maliciously as he gazed at her.

"My son's deadline is within ten minutes. If he does not come, you will die. If he does . . . " He leaned forward to whisper in her ear. "you will die."

Hermione suppressed a shiver and closed her eyes. He leaned back. She let her head fall back down and didn't say anything.

He struck her. "You filthy mudblood, you will respond when I speak to you!" he exclaimed.

"Stupefy!"

The spell flew by Hermione's head and she looked up sharply. Draco stood there, his wand pointed at his father. He'd missed, and Lucius slowly turned to face his son with a small smirk.

"Draco," he murmured, "So nice of you to join us."

The other Death Eaters snickered and started to stand from where they were playing chess. Narcissa wasn't in the room.

"Draco." Hermione whispered hoarsely.

He didn't lok at her. "Let her go. I have Aurors surrounding the house."

Hermione saw Lucius cock his head to the side. "You dare lie to your own father? I certainly thought you were smarter than that, Draco." he purred, slowly walking towards him.

His expression didn't change. "Let her go." he repeated.

Lucius stopped. "Or you'll do what, Draco? Kill me? You haven't the courage."

Draco's eyes flashed. "Do not test me, father."

"You know," he continued as if Draco had not spoken. "I think the mudblood should die anyway. Even though you are here . . . we can't have you polluting the line now, can we?"

Agreeable snickers rumbled through the Death Eaters.

"I agree as well. Damon, hold her."

Draco was boiling with anger when he saw Damon. He should've seen it - he did, in the beginning, but he let his guard down and look what happened. He locked eyes with him, but Damon made no expression. He just held back Hermione's head as Lucius held his wand to her.

Draco was also panicking. He should've known better than to come alone, but he'd been on a time limit. Blaise surely knew he was gone now. It was only a matter of time. He just needed to stall them.

"What are you even doing, father? Trying to take Voldemort's place?" Draco spat, staring straight into his fathers cold gray eyes. "You are a fool."

"No, you are the fool, Draco," Lucius suddenly seethed, his eyes blazing as he strode toward his son, "I have taken over the Dark Lord's power, restored our family's honor! And you stand there and tell me you don't want it?"

"The last time I was here you were scared out of your mind with paranoia."

Lucius smirked. "Let's just say it was an epiphany of sorts. All it took then was recruiting. Which was not very hard. They all already had an interest in Dark Magic. I simply had to teach them the ways of Lord Voldemort. He is smiling in death."

Draco grimaced. "You're going to rot the rest of your days in Azkaban."

Lucius smiled a cruel smile. "And you'll be there right beside me."

"I will never join you."

"Even if it depends on your dear Hermione's life?"

Draco's eyes finally fell on Hermione. She looked miserably fatigued. Her face was deathly pale and she was breaking out in cold sweats. He could see her trembling. Draco eyes darkened as he wondered how many times she'd underwent the Cruciatus Curse.

But her eyes were the same. They were tired, but they were those same beautiful brown eyes. They begged him to run.

Draco opened his mouth to speak, but suddenly the door flew open. They all looked back and saw Narcissa Malfoy there. Her blue eyes caught her son and she let out a relieved breath.

"Draco." she sighed, starting towards him.

"Narcissa." Lucius warned darkly, and she looked between him and Draco for a moment. Then, she went to stand by her husbands side.

"Mother. . . ." Draco whispered, a sense of betrayal wafting over him.

"Enough of this, Draco," Lucius exclaimed, stepping forward, "You've heard the facts, and you've had time to think - decide. If you do not join us, I will kill her. Take your pick. Now!"

Draco searched for any chance of escape for both of them. Anything.

"Now, Draco!"

There was none. They were trapped. It was his fault. His fault for not bringing anyone with him. Not even letting anybody know where he was going.

"NOW!"

There was simply no other way.

No other way.

"I will join you." he said quietly, bowing his head.

"No!" Hermione exclaimed.

"Shut up!" one of the Death Eaters hissed, slapping her.

Draco's gut wrenched.

Lucius smirked. "Very good. Now, your first order - kill her."

"You said you'd let her go!" Draco shouted.

"No, I did not," he said, obviously pleased with himself, "I said if you did not join, I would kill her. Now, I never said she would be set free and I never said I would not make you do the deed. Now, do it."

"There is nothing on this earth that would make me." he hissed.

"FINE! I will do it," he screamed, shoving his wand to her neck. "This is because of you, Draco! You did this to her!"

"NO - "

Then, all the glass in the windows shattered simultaineously, and in came the Order members and various Aurors, all of their wands at the ready. The Death Eaters were outnumbered three to one.

"Surrender." ordered Blaise, stepping forward.

The recruits were most obviously uneasy, exchanging nervous glances. Some dind't even raise their wands.

"This is your last warning." Blaise warned, training his wand upon them.

The 'Death Eaters' immediately obeyed, dropping their wands and putting their hands up - including Damon. Lucius' head whirled around madly.

"No! No, what are you doing? Fight! Fight!"

"Stupefy!" Draco yelled. The spell hit Lucius' chest and he toppled to the floor.

The Aurors immediately surged forward to arrest the Death Eaters and finally lock Lucius Malfoy up for good. Draco felt no remorse. Even as he locked eyes with his mother, he felt nothing. She'd betrayed him.

Hermione still sagged in her chair, nearly unconscious. He ran forward, untying her hands and feet, and took her in his arms, rocking her gently.

"I'm here, 'Mione," he whispered into her hair, "It's alright. I'm here. You'll be okay. . . ."

XXX

Lucius Malfoy and Death Eaters Locked Away In Azkaban

Draco Malfoy a Hero?

Malfoy and Granger Finally Reconcile!

Hermione Granger Makes Swift Recovery

Hermione recovered a week later. It was easy for her brain to heal with the absence of emotional stress. There was no Lucius Malfoy to worry about, or the worry of Draco being chased, or having to fake their relationship. All of it was gone, and they could live their lives out together peacefully.

So, of course, there was no reason for them to be apart anymore. They agreed they were both being daft when Draco left, and Draco was going to move right back in. And, of course, that's when the bickering started - because that's what they did.

"What do you mean we're not sharing a bedroom? We're an official couple now, are we not?"

"Draco, there's an extra room, and I am not putting it to waste."

"You seemed just fine before I got here."

"Well, I've decided I like it better this way."

Draco and Hermione stood in the living room and his bags were strewn around him. He had his hands on his hips and she tried to look as intimidating as possible while being a good seven inches shorter than him.

Suddenly, he raised an eyebrow and she became uneasy. "What?" she asked irritably.

"You're afraid to share a bedroom with me, aren't you?"

"What, why would I be afraid?" she scoffed.

"Because I'm messy."

"Yes, you are rather messy. . . ."

"But you are, too."

"Not as much as you."

"And I am a light sleeper."

"Merlin, even the tiniest creak. . . ."

"And I'd want to have sex every night."

Hermione punched his arm, laughing despite herself. "Draco! What is wrong with you!"

He snickered, pulling her into his arms. "I'm only joking, love."

"I know," she muttered against his lips before kissing him deeply. "Well, we don't have to every night, but . . . "

He laughed out loud.