Saturday morning rose with bright sunlight and a light breeze dusting over the Hogwarts grounds. Draco awoke calmly, his pulse steady and his silver eyes lighting on the ceiling of his four-poster bed. His dream had been heavenly, a thing beyond what he normally had dreamed. If he closed his eyes again, he could picture Hermione's smile behind his eyelids. She had been happy in his dream. It hadn't been anything complicated: his dream had consisted of her lying by his side, both of them swathed in perfectly pristine white sheets, and she had been smiling, her curls tangled around his fingers as he held her, felt her warmth against his skin. She had looked healthy, like she had before she had started falling apart for whatever reason.

Shaking the remnants of his dream reluctantly, Draco arose to find the rest of his dorm already awake. Blaise and his fellow teammates were dressing for Quidditch. The match was against Slytherin today, and Draco knew he would have his work cut out for him. He'd been observing Potter and his team during training, and their skill was quite incredible. Nonetheless, Draco had confidence in his team, as well as in his skill as Gryffindor Seeker.

"Ready to kick some Slytherin tail, Draco?" Blaise asked, slapping his hand on Draco's shoulder with a grin.

Draco couldn't help but smile, feeling the familiar beginning of the rush of adrenaline that came with every game he played. "Of course, man. Potter and Weasley are going to have their work cut out for them, am I right boys?" he pronounced, looking around at the other boys.

The yell was answered, and he could hear Pansy rallying the girls in the other room. It was custom for the Gryffindor teams to get together and rally against whomever they were playing. Draco dressed quickly and grabbed his broom from his trunk, rushing out the dorm door to join his teammates in the common room, where glasses of butter beer were being raised.

"There's our illustrious Captain!" yelled Blaise, handing Draco a glass.

"Ladies and Gentlemen of the Gryffindor Quidditch team, today we face our greatest enemy - The Slytherin Serpents. And, like always, we're going to kick some ass out there. Fuck the snakes, we can beat those bastards! Who's with me?" Draco yelled, raising his glass.

The resounding yell through the common room sent a rush through Draco's blood, and despite the excitement over the game, he was more excited about another prospect: Hermione would be there watching.


Hermione woke tiredly on Saturday morning the sound of chatter outside her curtain. She felt drawn and stretched out, but she knew she had a job to do.

Her conversation with the Dark Lord had left her drained. After she had passed out, she'd woken ten minutes later to find herself collapsed on the ground in her own vomit. Reeking of stomach acid, she'd shakily heaved herself to her feet and cleaned up the mess on the floor with her wand. She'd looked briefly at the fireplace where she'd had her meeting with Voldemort, then hurried to the bathroom before anyone found her so she could clean herself up. She'd looked pale and near death in the mirror. When she'd removed her clothing to clean it and get in the shower, she'd nearly passed out again from shock: her ribs were jutting out, and she could count them clearly. Her chest bones were visible, too, and when she'd pincher her stomach she hadn't been able to grasp anything. Her collarbones cast shadows over her chest. When had she gotten so thin? She didn't even realize that she hadn't been eating enough.

"Hermione, are you coming? We need to get down to the pitch if we want good seats! Harry and Ron will never forgive you for being late," came the voice of one of the other Slytherin girls.

"I'll be down in five minutes!" she called back as she sat up.

Reaching for her wand, she realized she needed to make herself look more than presentable today. If she were to carry out her mission and get Draco into the right kind of position to get him to the Dark Lord, then she needed to make sure he fell head over heels in love with her. She knew he was already noticing her - wanting to befriend her, pushing her hair out of her face the way he had done yesterday. The thought alone made her blush at how gentle he had been, and how bright his eyes had shone, almost glowing like luminescent bulbs.

Shaking herself of the thought, she raised her wand and cast a spell that smoothed and shined her hair, making her curls bouncier and soft to the touch. Grabbing the small mirror she kept by her bed, she took a quick look at her reflection - drawn and pale. Her hair looked shiny and healthy, unlike the rest of her. With a heavy sigh, she used her wand to charm her face with a bit of makeup, making her look a little livelier. She made sure her lips were slightly pink so her pallor didn't show through.

Hermione pulled herself out of bed and put on a pair of jeans and her favorite worn grey jumper. Randomly, she thought about how the grey matched the silvery color of Draco's eyes. The thought caused a blush to form on her cheeks. She quickly wrapped her Slytherin scarf around her neck and ran down the stairs, through the nearly empty common room, and up the staircase to the entrance hall of Hogwarts.

"Hello, Hermione," came a dreamy voice behind her.

She turned and smiled when she saw Luna. "Hi, Luna. Would you like to come and sit with us for the match? Dean and I have some lollipops, and I'm sure Harry would love to have you in the Slytherin crowd."

Luna offered a soft smile. "That would be lovely, Hermione. Thank you."

"There you are!" Dean called from in front of Hermione.

"Sorry, I woke up late," she replied, as they started towards the Quidditch pitch along with a stream of other students. The noise around them was competitive but friendly, with people making bets about whether Slytherin or Gryffindor, the greatest rival Houses, would win this match. Hermione could hear people mentioning Draco and Harry's names amongst conversations, excited about the match because their competition was always the fiercest.

Luna and Dean were talking amiably about the new sweets that had been released in Honeydukes, and which ones they were to purchase upon the next Hogsmeade visit. Hermione smiled and joined in the conversation, despite her exhaustion. She needed to maintain the image that she was lively and well, not drowning in her problems.

They took their seats in the stadium just as the players started to zoom out on their brooms. Hermione yelled her support for her Slytherin's, secretly keeping an eye on the blur of platinum blond hair that whizzed around and came to a halt in front of the Gryffindor stands, a fist raised and a radiant smile on his face. Hermione went still when she realized he had turned to look at her, his silver eyes excitedly hovering on where she sat in the crowd. She felt herself blush, and broke the eye contact to yell her support for Harry and Ron.

"Welcome! Welcome to the famed Slytherin versus Gryffindor match! The weather is perfect playing condition, and we are set to start the game with Madame Hooch just about to release the quaffel to the players." The announcer was a chipper third year called Liam Frankson. His voice rang out gleefully across the crowd. "And, they're off!"

Hermione watched eagerly as Madame Hooch released the ball and the players blurred into action. Harry and Draco hovered above, their eyes scanning the crowd. She gasped as she watched Draco make a dive, pulling up just before he hit the ground to circle the bottom of the pitch, his eyes sharply scanning the grounds below for the Snitch. Harry hadn't moved, though his green eyes followed Draco's movements briefly before he returned to looking for the tiny golden ball.

The game went on, with Slytherin scoring two goals in the first ten minutes of the game. Ron was playing brilliantly, keeping each Gryffindor ball out of the rings, and making sure that they didn't gain an advantage. A shout went out from the Slytherin's when a bludger hurtled towards Ron, nearly bowling him off his broom. In that moment, the Gryffindor's scored a goal.

Thirty minutes into the game, and the players were starting to get rougher on one another. Bludgers were flying overheads and nearly nipping the Seeker's on the handles of their brooms. The scores were sitting at one hundred to one hundred and forty, with Slytherin taking the advantage.

"And it looks like the Seeker's have spotted the Snitch! The Malfoy-Potter race is on!" came Liam's voice over the speaker.

Everyone looked around the stadium, spotting a red and green blur side by side, racing after a tiny golden speck with their hands outstretched. Every Slytherin-Gryffindor game had come to this point: they always ended up head-to-head, each one yearning to feel the cool touch of that metal in his hand.

Hermione stood, anxiously watching as Harry and Draco jostled each other, each one trying desperately to get that one-inch ahead. Her heart felt like it was frozen as she watched them inch closer to the Snitch. With a blur, the Snitch arched upwards and into the sky, the two players following sharply. She gasped as the Snitch did a twist and flew horizontally off to the right, causing Harry and Draco to twirl on their brooms, flying upside down for a split second and still neck and neck. Adrenaline coursing through her veins, Hermione watched as they went for the final reach, their fingers brushing the wings of the Snitch and then...

All of a sudden, Draco and Harry were tumbling off their brooms and onto the grass of the pitch, rolling head over heels as they landed roughly on the ground, their brooms behind them.

Hermione held her breath along with everyone else in the stadium, awaiting the announcement of who had succeeded this time around. And then she saw a platinum blond head raised, a sparkling smile across his face, his eyes shining like the stars as Draco stood and raised his hand, the golden wings of the Snitch glittering and flitting between his fingers.

An enormous yell went out from the Gryffindor stands, where they threw their scarves into the sky along with confetti of red and gold paper. The Slytherin's surrounding Hermione groaned and sat back in their chairs, some already starting to leave to go back to the Hall for brunch.

Hermione didn't make a noise, though internally she was celebrating Draco's win. She knew it would be strategically better for her. She'd been there to see his win, something that was crucial to her mission.

Her eyes quickly went to Harry, who was sitting on the ground where he had landed with his head in his hands, gripping his hair tightly between his fists. She knew what was coming - the rage. She glanced at where Luna had been sitting and realized she was already gone, on her way down to the pitch to get Harry in the clear. Looking back, she saw Ron kneeling in front of his friend, gesticulating as he desperately tried to get through.

This was Harry's curse. Along with his fame and the damn scar on his forehead from the explosion that made him so noticeable, he was cursed with a chemical imbalance in his brain. Muggle psychologists would call it bipolar disorder, Hermione knew.

When triggered, Harry could fall head long into an anger and depression that knew no bounds. He would hurt inside; she'd heard him say once. It was true that he was on a potion to help balance the chemical in his brain, but like everything, it was never one hundred percent. When Harry had a good day, he was either stable and happy or euphoric, depending on how far he was swinging. Today, however, the loss in addition to the Dark Lord's request for his interview with the Prophet had combined to make him dangerous.

Luna had made an appearance down below, her head next to Harry's and her hands resting around his shoulders as she hugged him close into their own little world, where only she and him existed, where he could be safe. From afar, Hermione saw the tension leaving her friend and she let out the breath she hadn't realized she'd been holding. He would be okay for now, at least.

Glancing back over the celebrating Gryffindor's on the pitch, she saw Draco's blond hair amongst the rabble of supporters. They had hoisted him onto Blaise's shoulders, and she could see him glowing with pride and happiness from where she stood, alone in the Slytherin stands that had emptied out rapidly.

She couldn't help but feel very alone in that moment, realizing that her friends were okay without her, and no one had noticed her absence.

It was then that Draco looked up and saw her, his silver eyes meeting hers over all those meters. Her breath caught in her throat, and time seemed to slow around her as Draco's radiant eyes glued on to hers. Draco seemed to forget the celebration that was going on around him for a moment, focused only on Hermione. She saw his lips form her name, and then he was distracted again by Pansy Parkinson pulling on his sleeve, excited as they headed towards the Gryffindor changing rooms, yelling Draco's name.

The moment broke and Hermione felt the world come back to her again, her focus returning to her. What was that? What was it about this particular boy, this stupid Gryffindor she needed for her mission? She shook her head, ignoring it, knowing that if she did feel anything it was forbidden and wrong, so wrong, given what she was going to drag him into.

"Hermione!" came a quiet yell.

Looking down, she saw Harry, Ron, Luna, and the rest of the Slytherin team looking up at her from the pitch.

"Are you coming back to the common rooms?" yelled Ron, cupping his hands so she could hear him.

She waved and nodded, turning quickly towards the stairs and running down to meet her friends, a plan forming in her mind as to how to see Draco again today and start work on her mission. Desperation made people do desperate things, she realized.


"I knew you'd be able to beat Potter," said Blaise for the fourth time in ten minutes. His speech was slurred, as they'd begun drinking Draco's fire whiskey in the middle of the afternoon. They were nearly through the entire bottle, and Draco was aware of pleasant warmth in his gut where the alcohol was sitting.

He smiled stupidly at his friend and raised his glass, then took a large swig of whiskey. They were sitting by the common room fire, just the pair of them, as was per tradition. The afternoon had been filled with Gryffindor celebrations and congratulations. It was now early evening, and Draco and Blaise were following their tradition of getting ridiculously drunk together - Chaser and Seeker, downing whiskey like water as a congratulations to themselves.

"When are you seeing Hermione again?" asked Blaise lazily, stretching his long legs in front of him as he slouched back in his chair.

The unexpected question caused Draco to raise his eyebrows in surprise. "I'm not sure. I think I'll be seeing her tomorrow. Why?"

Blaise smirked. "Saw you guys having a nice moment there on the pitch, all intense and full of eye contact."

He hit his friend clumsily with a pillow, laughing. "Yeah, so what?"

"So, it seems like she might be a bit into you, man."

Draco shrugged. "I don't know, man. We've only just started talking properly. Maybe I ought to go see her after dinner then, what do you reckon? Ask her to meet me up at the Astronomy tower?" he joked, suggestively raising an eyebrow.

Blaise sobered for a moment, then glanced back at Draco. "Maybe you should," he replied carefully.

Draco sat up and gave Blaise as much of his attention as he could muster through the haze of the fire whiskey. "Why?"

"Because, I think you might benefit from moving this forward. You've been after her for years, man. If she's starting to feel something, don't lose it. Talk to her tonight. You guys have only studied together, it'll be better if you talk as friends."

"You know," said Draco amusedly, a slight slur in his words, "for someone who's had as much fire whiskey as you have, you're surprisingly wise."

Blaise laughed and downed a bit more of his drink. "I just know how that goes, man."

"You do? How?" asked Draco, incredulity in his tone. Blaise had never had a girlfriend, and had never mentioned the fact that he liked anyone to Draco.

His friend shook his head. "It is a secret best kept to myself for now, my friend. But drink up. And cheers again, to a brilliant win!"

They clinked glasses, and Draco wondered exactly who was worth shielding for his friend, but the thought was soon forgotten when he realized he would see Hermione tonight. The thought made him grin, and he let the fire whiskey burn its way down his stomach. He'd probably need the liquid courage to ask her to see him after dinner.


At dinner, Draco's alcohol-affected eyes roamed over the Slytherin table until he spotted Hermione's luscious caramel curls. She looked more radiant today, healthier than yesterday for sure. The thought made him smile, and he watched as she talked with Harry and Ron, a smile lighting her face as Weasley talked animatedly about something or rather.

He willed her to look at him, the way she had at the pitch today, as if nothing else existed but the two of them in that moment. As if she could read his mind, she looked up and caught his glance, her eyes widening in surprise.

He nodded his head towards the doors of the Hall, silently suggesting that she should excuse herself so he could talk to her for a moment.

Hermione's brows creased but she looked to her friends and said something with a smile, then stood from the table and walked out the doors.

Draco looked to Blaise beside him, who had been surreptitiously watching from the corner of his eye, and gave him a nod, slowly standing from the table as his head span slightly.

Out in the corridor, he saw her standing on the first step of the grand staircase; her lovely curls over one shoulder and the light of the torches reflected in her prefect almond-shaped eyes.

"What is it, Malfoy? Something about the assignment?" she asked curiously, cocking her head to one side as he approached. She offered him a small smile as he came to a stop in front of her, his eyes level with hers where she stood one step above him.

Draco grinned and shook his head. "I was wondering if perhaps you'd like to come up to the Astronomy tower with me tonight. To celebrate my win, as friends," he offered. He smiled stupidly at her, the alcohol affecting his thinking. "You look really pretty in this lighting," he blurted, his brain obviously not taking into account that that was not the right thing to say.

Rather than be offended as Slytherin's usually were, Hermione laughed and blushed slightly. The sight of her laughing made his heart soar.

"You're drunk, Malfoy. I can smell the fire whiskey on you!" she exclaimed teasingly, a smile lighting her face.

"You're not going to tell me off, are you?" he asked cautiously, not wanting to overstep any boundaries with her.

She shook her head, and her curls bounced around her shoulders. In that moment, he realized just how gorgeous she was when she wasn't looking pale and withdrawn. Her lips were slightly pink, matching the blush that had spread over her face. Though she was still thin and frail, her face glowed in the torchlight, her brown eyes looking almost luminous in the flames.

"Of course not, Draco," she answered softly.

He felt a shiver run up his spine at the sound of his name on her lips, and realized he'd never heard her call him Draco before. It had always been Malfoy.

"So will you come to the Astronomy tower after dinner?" he prompted, hope filling his chest.

She thought about it for a moment, her eyes drifting over his face, which he was sure was flushed with the effect of alcohol.

"Alright, I will," she answered. "Only if you bring me some fire whiskey, though."

Draco raised his eyebrows in surprise. "I didn't realize you drank, Granger."

She smiled at him in a cheeky manner. "There are a lot of things you don't know about me, Malfoy. I'll see you upstairs at eleven o'clock."

With that, she breezed past him, her hand subtly brushing his fingers as she walked back to the Hall to rejoin her friends. He closed his eyes and inhaled, relishing her smell of cinnamon and dark chocolate as it shrouded him for a moment.

He couldn't believe his luck. He was going to share a drink with Hermione Granger, the girl he had been watching for years, on a beautiful night up in the Astronomy tower. With a huge smile plastered on his face, he waited a few moments and then walked back into the Hall, sitting down next to Blaise and falling into the conversation that was going on with ease, though he didn't really hear a word - all he could think about was Granger.


Hermione exhaled heavily when she sat down again with her friends, where Ron was still raving about the match. She wasn't paying attention to what they were saying; she was busy thinking about how her encounter with Malfoy would go. Had she come on too strong just before? She felt so heavy, so exhausted, but she knew she couldn't crawl into bed and pass out from exhaustion like she normally did. She would have to go and talk to him, alone, face-to-face. Thank goodness she'd thought to ask him to bring alcohol for them to share. Not only would it help her sleep, but also it would make her less nervous around him.

Something about the way his silver eyes rested on her made shivers run up her spine. It was nothing sexual, it was just so... intimate, as if he could see inside her soul.

It had taken so much of her energy, to act animated and charming in front of him. She'd nearly faltered when he'd said that she looked pretty, but that was evidently just the alcohol talking. Or was it? Draco's eyes had indeed followed her for years, she'd always noticed that, but she'd always thought it was because he despised her for beating him everywhere he turned. His kindness in the light of their assignment, and the way he looked at her when he thought she wasn't looking when they were working together, suggested that there was something else there.

Her stomach roiled at the thought, because she knew she'd have to take advantage of that, whatever it was, to complete her mission. The thought of her parents steeled her, but the thought of the way Draco would look at her when she turned him and his family over to the Dark Lord for slaughter weighed her down.

"'Mione?" came Ron's voice, breaking her thoughts. "Are you with us?"

She looked up at her friends and smiled. "Of course."

"Great, because we need to talk about the Malfoy's and Harry's interview," Ron said in hushed tones, leaning in towards Harry and Hermione where they sat to his left.

"What about it?" she sighed. The thought of discussing both those things only served to exhaust her further.

Harry pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose, then met his eyes with hers. "Ronald needs more information on Malfoy to report to his parents by the end of the week. Is there anything you can give him?"

Hermione nodded. "I'll be working with him for the next few days, so that will be fine. We're meeting in the library tonight," she lied. "I'll get more information from him then."

Ron grinned and grabbed her hand under the table in silent thanks.

"What was this about your interview, Harry?" she asked quietly.

Her friend sighed. "It's been arranged to happen in a month's time. But a new order came through, something that I can't discuss here." His eyes flicked around the Slytherin table, and the anxiety was clear on his face.

Hermione knew what new order it was, and she was surprised Harry wasn't freaking out a bit more. Voldemort had already informed her of his new plans for Harry.

Nonetheless, she nodded, creasing her brow so she appeared concerned.

"We'll talk about it back in the common room. Just let me finish my dessert," said Ron through a mouthful of trifle.

Hermione smiled internally. She was glad that some things, at least, didn't change.


Back in the Slytherin common room, the trio had taken their usual place in front of the backfire. Hermione, as per usual, sat with her back to the fire, letting it warm through her clothing. Harry and Ron were sitting on the chair in front of her, hunched over their knees so they could speak in hushed tones between themselves.

"I got a letter delivered by owl to my window last night," Harry started, brushing a trembling hand through his tangled black hair. Hermione hadn't seen him this nervous since the Triwizard Tournament, where she'd held his shaking hands before he entered the maze in the third task.

"From whom?" she asked, knowing she really needn't.

"The Dark Lord. He's asked me to do something completely fucking off the charts, this time," Harry spat in a low voice. The stress was starting to appear now. He'd always been good at masking things. "I can't even tell Luna this one, it's so huge."

"Well, what is it mate?" prompted Ron. "You can trust us with your life, you know that."

Harry nodded, and then looked both of them in the eye. "He's asked me to kill the Minister for Magic when I have my interview. Fudge is going to be present, and I've been asked to murder him."

Hermione and Ron sat in stunned silence for a moment. Despite already knowing that Harry was going to be asked to do this impossible task, it didn't change the shock that registered deep in Hermione's core.

"What the fuck?" said Ronald, his eyes widening until they looked like they were going to pop out of his face.

Harry's eyes had taken on the measured, stony look that they had when he was forcing himself to hide his emotions, though his hands were still shaking. "I have to do this. This was his plan all along, don't you see? Get me to murder the Minister, and then take over through me. I'm his gateway into power. Voldemort will finally rise."

The trio sat there quietly, none of them quite sure how they should be feeling. This was their Lord and Master, the person who had been intertwined in their lived for so many years, the person who had been whispering secret commands into their ears for as long as they could remember. It made Hermione go cold, thinking about what Voldemort would do to this Wizarding world when he came to power. She still maintained the hope that her parents and herself would be safe, though it was becoming more and more apparent to her that that was an unlikely case. But how could she disobey? One step out of line and her parents would end up slaughtered in their home in cold blood, and it would be her fault.

Distantly, she heard the clock chime eleven o'clock, and it awoke her from her daze. "Shit! Guys, I need to meet Malfoy in the library," she murmured, waking the other two. They looked at her blankly, both equally in shock.

Hermione was used to having to act under extreme circumstances, so she was able to force herself to function. The other two, even Harry, weren't as lucky. She took their hands and squeezed, forcing them to look at her. "We need to keep going, all of us, alright? We had a month until this interview. We'll talk later about this. For now, go to bed, the pair of you. I'll see you in the morning." Planting gentle kisses on the tops of both of their heads, she raced out of the Slytherin common room and towards the Astronomy tower, where she knew Draco would be waiting for her. Forcing the thoughts of Harry's interview and her own mission aside, she focused on the color of Draco's eyes - that slate grey with a shine of silver. Oddly enough, she calmed, and felt a cool level-headedness come over her. She could do this. She had to.


Draco stood against the bars of the Astronomy tower, letting the cool wind whip his hair back from his face. He had downed more fire whiskey in the Gryffindor tower before coming here. Liquid courage, he liked to think. The thought of standing here with Hermione, sharing the view of the endless black sky, drinking together, made his heart rate rise slightly. He was nervous, but the alcohol dulled it away to a pleasant afterthought in the back of his mind.

"It's beautiful up here," came a soft voice over his shoulder.

He nearly jumped out of his skin, turning to see Hermione standing behind him, having climbed the stairs and approached without him noticing.

He felt his face flush just at the sight of her. She had her caramel curls loose around her face, the wind gently wafting through the strands of hair. Her face was slightly pink, as though she had run here, and her eyes shone in the moonlight pouring down from the dark sky. She was still frighteningly thin, but she looked elegant rather than scarily gaunt as she had the other day.

They stood there for a moment, just looking at one another. The silence wasn't awkward, but rather curious as they took in the person in front of them.

"Can I have a drink?" Granger asked, finally breaking the silence. "I could use it after today," she said with a laugh.

Draco smiled and handed her the fire whiskey bottle, feeling thoroughly impressed when she downed two gulps and handed the bottle back with a smile.

"You know how to drink," he observed, taking a swig himself.

Hermione drifted over the stand with him next to the bannister, her hair flying back from her face as the breeze got stronger. "It helps me sleep, sometimes," she admitted with a shrug. She reached across Draco and grabbed the bottle out of his hand.

Draco inhaled as she leaned close, the smell of cinnamon and dark chocolate over-powering his senses for a moment. He let her have the bottle of fire whiskey.

"Think you've had enough, dearest Draco," said Hermione with a smirk as she downed another two gulps of the burning alcohol.

He inclined his head in agreement, feeling the buzz in his brain that was evidently the alcohol.

Hermione leaned towards Draco, resting her arm against the bars, her caramel eyes resting on his with a soft intensity.

"So," she said softly, "Tell me more about yourself."

Draco couldn't help but smile. His eyes roamed over her face, from her eyes to the gentle curve of her lips as they arched into a gentle grin. Her curls waved over her face in the breeze, and her eyelashes cast a beautiful shadow over the tops of her cheekbones.

"Well, you know my father works for the Ministry. My mother is a socialite, and often invites people over. Normally work friends from my father's work and their wives, the usual. They accept nearly everyone to their afternoon teas on Sundays actually." Draco glanced at Hermione, who was watching him were those gorgeous eyes. "You should come some time," he blurted unthinkingly.

He felt the heat rise in his face and quickly took another swig of the fire whiskey. Hermione giggled next to him, but looked at him with interest. "Maybe I will," she said, taking the bottle from him.

His heart leapt in his chest at the idea of spending a day in his own home with Hermione. "Our manor in Chiswick is quite nice, actually. I'm sure mother and father would love to have you over some time."

Hermione grinned, her eyes sparkling in the moonlight. "I'd love to. For now, however, I will have to love you and leave you, I'm afraid. Ronald and Harry are waiting for me back in the common room. They're in need of help with their Potions assignment."

Draco frowned, but nodded nonetheless, trying not to let his disappointment show. Of course Potter and Weasley would steal her away from him at this wonderful moment in time.

"Don't look so put out, Draco," she said with a smile.

The way his name rolled off her tongue sent a shiver down Draco's spine, and he had to refrain from asking her to say it again.

"Will I see you tomorrow?" he asked, taking a step towards her. He was very aware of being in her personal space, but he didn't care. The whiskey had made him bold, and she didn't waver.


Hermione looked up from under her lashes at Draco, meeting his molten gaze. "Of course, Draco. Potions first thing in the morning, then the library in the evening."

His mouth twitched up into a smile, lopsided and charming. Her heart stuttered, the combination of his close proximity and that smile making her feel like a snake under a charmer's spell of song. She could smell him - apples and fresh, crisp male cologne that she thought was perhaps Giorgio Armani. The whiskey made her forget herself, and she stepped closer to him so their chests were nearly touching. He was fairly taller than her, and her eyes were level with his chin.

She looked up and saw curiosity and burning intensity in his eyes. They stood there, looking at each other, taking each other in. She felt like she was drowning in his presence, and she forcibly shook out of it. Ron and Harry were waiting, and she had desperate things to see to.

"I have to leave," she murmured, reluctant to depart from the breezy astronomy tower.

Draco huffed a sigh. "If you must."

"I'll see you tomorrow," she replied, forcing a smile to her face.

She leaned up and planted a gentle kiss next to his perfectly shaped mouth, then rushed past him and out the astronomy tower door, rushing down the staircase.

It was only when she was at the Slytherin door that she realized she hadn't even thought of Voldemort's task when she had kissed his cheek, it had just been her own instinct. The idea made her worry. She was to betray this man, and yet she found herself captivated. As if her situation could get any worse.

Muttering the password, she hurried into the abandoned common rooms and up the stairs to her dorm, where she was quick to shutter the curtains on her bed. Thankfully, Ron and Harry had decided to retire early for the night. She sat for a moment, deep in thought about what she was to do the next day. She would have to tell Ron of the news on the Malfoy's and their weekly lunches, and hope that the Weasley's would be able to make use of this information. She would also have to report to her Master with the news of what had transpired with Draco, and inform him that she was well on her way to making him like her, at the very least. The invitation to his Chiswick estate she would keep to herself, however. No, that would be hers to keep. For whatever reason, she was compelled to keep this for her own. She would protect him just a little, even if she weren't aware of it. Hermione would protect him for a little longer.

With this thought, she fell asleep, spiralling into dreams of silver eyes and a lopsided quirk of a smile.


A/n: Hey all! Thanks for reading this chapter, would love some reviews so I know that I'm headed in the right direction. Is the romance between Draco and Hermione developing appropriately? Some feedback would be glorious. The next chapter will be up in a few weeks once my assignments are out of the way. Uni has been hella busy lately.

Much love to all of you, and feel free to drop me a message on tumblr also if you have anything you want to mention: .com

Love, Ella