"If all men count with you, but none too much,"

Thursday 1st October, 1998

"Granger! Granger!" Draco ignored the fact that it was just past midnight, and came tearing from his room, up the stairs and into Hermione's room. She sat bolt upright in her bed, tugging the quilt right up to her chin. She dropped it, however, when she saw who it was.

"What's the matter? Are you alright?" Draco waved a piece of parchment in her face; he was positively shaking with excitement. Months he had waited for this…and now…he could barely contain himself.

"It's from Snape." Hermione climbed out of the bed and took the parchment from him. She scanned it quickly, biting her lip nervously.

"You're certain? It isn't a trick, a plot to get you killed…?"

"I'll never know if I don't go and find him, Granger!" He grasped her wrists. "Come with me." Hermione looked away, trying desperately to avoid his eye.

"I…It's dangerous. And Harry…" He dropped her hands and turned away.

"I know you said that we couldn't…that you didn't want to…but I thought you would still want to help me." He heard her sigh deeply.

"It isn't that I don't want to help you, it's just that I don't want you to get hurt. We'll send the others to fetch him, it'll be safer."

Hermione promptly woke the rest of the house, showing them the letter from Snape and letting Draco explain his whereabouts. It was a ruined castle, somewhere in Wales, and Remus left to find him along with Mad-Eye and a few others. Draco sat nervously in the kitchen, tapping his bare foot against the cold floor tiles, as Hermione watched him carefully. It reminded him of when he first arrived; she had been so cold with him, yet curious at the same time. She was like that now, staring at him from the corner of her eye. Suddenly, to break the uncomfortable silence, he blurted a thought that had been coursing through his head since the day she returned.

"You're in love with Potter." Hermione stared directly at him for a moment, her face blank, before tossing back her head and laughing at him – a laugh laced with disgust.

"Of course I'm not. What gave you that impression?"

"I just cannot see why you suddenly obey his every word. You went away for two months and came back entirely devoted to him. That explains why you trailed around after him and Weasley at school – and why you wouldn't go out with Weasley. You love him."

"I love him like a brother – like a terribly infuriating brother, but one who knows better than I do." Draco wrapped his hands around the steaming mug in front of him.

"I don't believe you." She let out another frustrated laugh.

"Why ever not?"

"You have told me more than once how ridiculously controlling Potter is, how he overreacts to everything, and that you really don't pay heed to much that he says. So how is it that you go away, and come back convinced that he is always correct?" Hermione stayed silent, to which Draco laughed. "I know there is something you are hiding from me, and I will find it out eventually."

"Your paranoia is extraordinary. I'm hiding nothing. This conversation is irrelevant, anyway, because I have been quite clear on how I feel. Could we drop it, perhaps?"

After three hours of more painful silence, an unconscious and bloodied Snape was brought into the kitchen. Remus led him out on the kitchen table, as Madam Pomfrey bustled in with her medical supplies. Draco stepped back and watched, leaning against the counter for support.

"Is he alright? Will he live?"

"I should hope so, Mr Malfoy" Madam Pomfrey replied. "He has quite clearly had access to some antidotes and potions, or he has been making rough ones in the wild. In the circumstances he has been living in…he should be dead, but he has managed to keep himself alive. For that, we should be grateful."

"I don't see why." Everyone looked up to see Harry standing in the doorway, still wearing his pyjamas and looking at the scene casually. "That bastard has done nothing but hurt us all, why should we be grateful that he lives?"

"Harry, I don't think this is the right time." Hermione said calmly, to which Harry laughed.

"I wondered how long it would take you. Why is it that you befriend the people who tried to kill us, and yet ignore the advice of your closest friends? Who will it be next, Hermione? Lucius Malfoy?"

"Never." She spat harshly, her face becoming red. "I would never…You never know when to stop, do you?" She stood up and stormed out of the room, leaving both Harry and Draco staring after her.

Draco tired his hardest to stay awake as Madam Pomfrey worked on Snape but, as morning began to arrive, he had still not regained consciousness. The nurse sent Draco off to bed with a wave of her hand and a disapproving 'tut'. As he led awake and alone in his bed, the door opened and light was cast over his room - it was Hermione, and she stood there awkwardly with her arms folded across her chest. Almost silently she padded into the room, pulled back the quilt and slipped into the bed next to him. He didn't ask her questions; in fact he didn't even dare to move.

"Are you awake?" She asked quietly. He found her hand and squeezed it, as a form of reply. "I just wanted to tell you that I'm sorry. "

"What for?" She sighed gently.

"For leaving you, for saying that…that I didn't want to…that we shouldn't…"

"I'm glad you told me – you were right, it was for the best." There was an uncomfortable silence, until Draco sighed. "What made you change your mind? It was something that happened on the trip…"

"I didn't truly change my mind. I simply became…afraid."

"Of what? Of me?"

"Certainly not!" She retorted.

"Then what? What happened to make you afraid?" She covered her eyes with her hand.

"I was afraid that you would get hurt. What with you being a spy now, and being closer than ever to Voldemort, I worried that our closeness would put you in even more jeopardy. When Harry asked me to stay away from you I agreed, because…because I thought it would give me a reason. You would give up more easily if you thought I'd turned against you."

"You have terrible timing."

"It was the amulet that triggered me to finally do it! You had taken away your source of protection and given it to me! I couldn't bear it – I had to push you away and give it back."

He wanted to laugh with relief. She didn't hate him; she had not turned against him! He turned onto his side to face her and she did the same. Their bodies moulded together as they embraced.

"Hermione, I –" She put a finger to his lips and smiled.

"I know what you're going to say, trust me I feel the same way too, but don't say it." He looked at her questioningly.

"I don't understand."

"If we don't say it, it can't hurt us." She replied smiling. He kissed her, wanting to capture her sweet smile with his lips.


Thursday 8th October 1998

"Draco! Draco wake up!" Draco opened his eyes and saw Hermione standing over him wearing her dressing gown. Her hair was tousled from sleep, and she had a streak of mascara on her cheek. He smirked at her and stretched.

"Good morning to you too! What a vision of loveliness you are." He reached out a hand to her. "Care to join me?"

"I'm not here for that!" She gasped. "He's finally woken up and he wants to see you! Madame Pomfrey is tending to him, but she says that if you get up now you can have some time alone with him!" Draco clambered out of bed quickly, throwing his dressing gown on over his bare chest. His heart was pounding; he was going to speak to Snape after all these months.

They were keeping him in Sirius' old room, much to Harry's chagrin, as it was one of the largest inhabitable rooms. Hermione knocked twice on the door, opening it when Madame Pomfrey's high-pitched voice rang out. Snape was sat upright in the bed, propped up with pillows, and he looked sallower and sicklier than usual. Draco stepped into the room, but not until Hermione had grasped his hand and squeezed it. The two women left the room, leaving the two men to stare at one another without speaking. Draco made the first move. He stepped forwards towards the bed, and sat on the wooden stool beside it. Snape spoke first.

"When I received your letters, I believed them to be frauds. I could not believe that Mr Draco Malfoy had fallen in love with the Know-It-All-Gryffindor. Yet here I see that it was all true; the evidence is here before me." Draco jutted out his chin.

"And do you disapprove godfather?" Snape stared at him with his black, blank eyes.

"Yes. Yes I do."

They stared at one another for a moment. Snape seemed cold and distant, whilst Draco was angry and on the brink of exploding. He was angry at Snape for returning to his life so suddenly and automatically disapproving of what he had done with it. Draco clenched his fist then unclenched it, making sure that his face remained impassive.

"Where have you been?" Snape sneered at him.

"On the run. Not all of us can afford such comforts as you, Draco."

"Your comment about my 'comforts' is unfair. They have not been great and you could have come too…"

"I could not." Snape barked. "Do not be ridiculous! Your comforts have been very great, Draco! You do not know what it is like to be hunted, to have your steps followed doggedly, and to dodge death at every turn – "

"Of course I do!" Draco interrupted, leaping to his feet. "My father killed my mother and he's after me! I have rejoined the Death Eaters as a spy, and have endured countless violent meetings with the Dark Lord and my father! You cannot tell me I do not know how it feels to be hunted!"

In a sudden movement, Snape had leapt out of the bed and pushed Draco against the wall. He had him by the neck, his spindly fingers digging into the flesh. Draco squirmed, desperately trying to get free. Snape's face was close to his; his breath was bitter and it made Draco recoil in disgust.

"You foolish boy! How could you do that? After all I did to keep you safe; you walked straight back into the danger! You have let a woman sway your thoughts Draco; even after all of the warnings I gave to you!"

"What, I let her sway me like Lily Evans swayed you?" Snape's grip tightened.

"Never…ever mention her. Do you hear me? NEVER!"

As Snape shouted, the door burst open and Madame Pomfrey rushed back inside. Hermione stood at the door, watching anxiously. She looked pale and concerned as Snape let Draco go.

"Severus, I think you should get back into bed. This isn't good for your health." The nurse said, earning herself a glare from Snape.

"You will regret this Draco!" Snape yelled wildly. "You will regret giving everything to a woman! She will leave you, and then you will be left like me – with nothing!"

Hermione firmly gripped hold of Draco's hand, dragging him away from the room. She took him to the attic; shutting the door and muffling all outside sound, all whilst keeping hold of his hand. She led him to the sofa and let go.

"Sit down and wait here. I'll make us some tea." She left the attic and returned ten minutes later, bringing with her two steaming mugs. She handed one to Draco, before sitting next to him. "He shouldn't have spoken to you like that." Draco stared into his cup moodily.

"No….I don't know why he said those things."

"Because he's a bitter man! He finally regrets his actions and blames them on you!" She let out a frustrated sigh. "You mustn't take any notice of him. He understands nothing."

"He was in love with Lily, you know. He woke up one night, screaming that he'd killed her – it was a nightmare. He told me everything; how they had somehow fallen in love, how she had jilted him for James Potter and how his actions had led to her death." Draco looked at her with a pointed look in his eye that caused her to sit back.

"And what? You think it will end the same with me?" She sighed and shook her head, taking the amulet out from under her shirt. She squeezed it, as though it were supporting her. "It won't end that way for us. Things are different this time around…and I won't let it happen."

"But how can you be sure?" She took his hand and squeezed it gently, smiling sadly.

"How can we ever be sure of anything?"


Author's Note: Once again I must apologise profusely for the gap between the chapters! Things have just been manic these past few months - busier than i expected them to be! As you can probably tell, this story will soon be drawn to a close! Two more chapters left to go, and i do intend to have them done for Christmas! Please leave a review for this chapter - whether it's to congratulate, commiserate or to complain about how long it's been! :) Thanks!