Hey guys! My plan is to update as soon as I possibly can & to keep it going! I had a few people message me and ask if I was going to finish "Forbidden", my LoL Fanfic. To answer that, yes, eventually. But, this has intrigued me even more and right now. Like I said before, this will go all the way through to the end of 7th year and the end of the battle of Hogwarts. I'm also going to skip over the month at Hermione's because it's repetitive and I really want them to start back at Hogwarts! And please please please review!

Chapter 3: Back to Hogwarts

Hermione was always an early riser, even when she was up late studying for school, she was never asleep past eight. She stretched and yawned; Crookshanks mewed softly when she scooted him to the foot of her bed so she could get up. She peeked out the window: it was a beautiful autumn day, yet she could tell it was chilly because of the wind blowing through the trees. Still, beautiful, none the less. With a sigh, she turned to her dresser and pulled a pair of leggings and a blouse from the drawers. With ease, she slipped off her night clothes and put her day clothes on. Hermione chanced a look in the mirror and decided to put her hair halfway up, then opened the door to her room. Draco's door was closed, which meant he had actually moved there for the night. She wondered how he slept…

When she went downstairs and into the kitchen to make her morning brew, she saw that he had attempted to make food. Muggle food. She had to stiffen a giggle, as he really had not a clue what he was doing. But, she couldn't let him starve, even after last night's incident. After all, he was under her watch for the next month. So, she decided to whip him up some breakfast.

Draco's nose twitched as he woke up from his slumber. It hadn't been a good one, then again, it never was anymore. But, what in Merlin's beard had awoken him? Food. He bolted in bed, his stomach rumbling. Without a second thought, he opened the door to his room and raced downstairs as fast as his feet would carry him. When he saw Hermione cooking breakfast, his hopes vanished. But, then he saw that she had set two plates. Interested, he walked over to the kitchen, leaning in the doorway. She looked up at him, offered nothing, and then went back to cooking. He placed his hands in his pockets, patiently waiting for her to say something. When he realized that she wasn't going too, he took the approach.

"You woke me up, Granger," he said with a forced scowl.

"Yeah?" she replied, her eyes on the scrambled eggs in the pan she was holding.

"You know, I would sleep better if there wasn't so much racket down here –"

"Do you want food?" she asked. He was immediately startled by her question and lowered his eyebrows. He didn't respond. "Well, I made some for you. Even though we fight, you still deserve to have a full stomach."

No matter how hard Draco tried to come up with an argument back, he didn't have one. So, he proceeded to grab the plate of scrambled eggs with toast and sit at the table in which she had all of her plans scrawled out. Taking a moment, he looked at all of them, taking everything in. He could already feel himself starting to go insane in this place… It had too much… white.

Hermione sat down beside him, her plate on the table in front of her. "So I was thinking…"

"Shocking," Draco said and took a bite of scrambled eggs. Oh, they were heavenly. The Mudblood could cook, actually cook, without magic. He shouldn't have been surprised, but he was.

"I was thinking that so long as you are here, we should keep out of one another's way," Hermione proposed. She crossed her arms and stared at him, waiting for a response. Draco didn't like the idea, he liked arguing. She wasn't like the other girls he'd argued with; as much as he didn't want to admit it, she did have a brain and she knew how to use it. "I'm going to keep out of your way and you're going to keep out of mine."

Draco rolled his grey eyes. "What floats your boat."

Hermione was impressed that he didn't respond by arguing, but it was probably because he was grateful for the food. She wasn't going to get her hopes up, and it was a good thing she hadn't. The next few weeks with him were incredibly painful. He didn't stop arguing, didn't stop fighting, only when he was stuffing his face with food was he ever quiet. Every time she left, she was met with insults, name-calling, and yelling. She had jinxed him multiple times, but had never given in. However, she still cooked for him, leaving him two meals a day and snacks when they weren't fighting. In a way, she hoped it would be a gesture of kindness towards him, but even if he knew and understood it was, he didn't show it.

Hermione kept a calender in the kitchen of how many days until their return to Hogwarts. On August 31st, she had counted she had been with Draco Malfoy for exactly twenty-seven days. Twenty-seven days of insults, of arguments, and despair. So, when she was finally packing to go to Hogwarts, she felt a wave of relief rush over her. She packed her robes, her clothing, and a few of her material possessions. When it came to go through her dresser, she noticed Draco's wand, still setting against the front of the drawer. With a sigh, she picked it up. She felt her fingertips warm, as though they were accommodating the wand. Never had a wand wrapped its way around her before… Curious, she stared at it, wondering what it was made of… Did it have a twin core to her own?

"I see you've found my wand, Mudblood," Malfoy sneered from her doorframe.

Hermione spun around, noticing she made the mistake of leaving her door unlocked. "I've always known where it was. I just didn't give it to you."

"Give it to me now, I think I've suffered enough," he said roughly. He eyed her packing. Hermione noticed the hurt in his eyes.

"You don't want to go back, do you?" she asked, toying the wand with her fingertips.

"Why do you care?" he barked back.

"Just a question," she shrugged.

"Would you want to go back?" he almost yelled. "After everything that's happened to me there, do you think I'll be accepted back?"

Hermione sat on her bed, beside her luggage, still staring into his grey eyes. "McGonagall has made arrangements for us, Malfoy. What is the core of your wand?"

Draco looked slightly taken aback. "Hawthorne and unicorn hair. Why the bloody hell would you want to know?"

"Just a question," she shrugged. "Since we're going back tonight, and I know you'll do me no harm, I see no harm in letting you have this back."

Hermione knew McGonagall's plan for when they got back to Hogwarts, and she knew the Professor was going to confiscate Draco's wand. In an act of pure insanity, she handed Draco his wand. His mouth slacked slightly, but he snatched it out of her hand and looked at it longingly. With a sigh, Hermione stood again and resumed her packing.

"We leave this evening."

Draco's last few hours in Hermione's house felt like insanity. For the past month, he had become accustomed to the little cottage, but the white still drove him insane. He knew McGonagall was checking up on him and her, and Hermione was giving her the full story: about his arguments, his horrible personality, everything he did to annoy her. But, he had slowly began to enjoy arguing with her, enjoy her leaving and then yelling at her when she came back. It made him feel in control, and now that he had his wand back… No, he wasn't going to try to escape. But, he felt tremendous pressure to do so. To return to his mum and dad. If he did, Voldemort would kill him and them. He felt trapped, more trapped then ever. And going back to that bloody school wasn't going to help matters.

Evening fell quickly. Hermione was dressed in jeans and a sweater, waiting for Draco to come downstairs. She was half tempted to call up for him, but just when she was about too, she saw him coming down. He was wearing all black, not surprising. With sneer, he stood next to her. No words had to be exchanged. They needed to Apparate into the castle, directly into McGonagall's office. With great distaste, Hermione held out her hand to Malfoy. Visibly repulsed, he put his hand into hers. To his surprise, it was warm, soft, and smelled only slightly of orchids and coconuts. They locked eyes, this time not to fight, but to make sure they got into the school safely.

"Ready?" Hermione asked.

"Just do it already."

Draco would never get used to that feeling of squeezing through a tight tube with his lungs about to burst. Right when he thought he was going to suffocate, he landed in front of McGonagall's desk. She looked up at the two students, her glasses halfway down her nose. Draco pulled his hand out of Hermione's roughly, and eyed the Professor with great distaste. She stood to her full height, looking from Malfoy to Hermione and back again.

"Miss Granger, it is wonderful to see you again. I trust you have been getting my owls?" she asked.

He knew it: they had been communicating under his nose.

"Yes," Hermione said with a nod. "What is the plan, Professor?"

McGonagall came from behind her desk, and looked to Draco. It was the same look she had given him in the yard of Snape's cottage a month ago. It was the look of asking him to do something she knew he wasn't going to want to do. His breath caught in his chest and he tried hard not to bark at her, demand to know what she was going to say. What was she going to do with him?

"Miss Granger, you are obviously Head Girl, for reasons other than that you are in the Order. You must keep Hogwarts a save house, am I clear? Zacharias Smith is Head Boy." Draco snorted and McGonagall gave him a cold stare. "As for Mr. Malfoy, he will be accompanying you to your quarters until further notice. He is not to leave them, for any reason. Nor is anyone allowed to know that he is here."

"You have got to be joking!" Draco groaned. "I just spent a month with this brat –"

"Mr. Malfoy!" McGonagall barked. "That is enough. You will do as you are told or I will not help you. Now give me your wand."

"Excuse me?"

"Your wand, Mr. Malfoy," McGonagall commanded clearly. "Or did I not make myself clear?"

Draco sneered, pulling his wand out of his pocket and handing it to the Headmistress. That was the second time he had been robbed of his wand in the past month, and he had nothing to show for it. McGonagall pocketed it and turned her attention back to Hermione.

"Let's go now, before the other students arrive," McGonagall commanded.

Hermione uttered a small sigh before turning and walking out of the office. Draco followed her slowly, knowing that the Professor was bringing up the rear. On the way to the dorm, Draco couldn't help but keep his eyes off of Hermione's shoulders. Her curls were almost dancing. He'd never noticed it before until now. Being back in Hogwarts had a rather nostalgic feeling on him. Hermione, however, was happy as ever to be back, although she would've still been alongside Harry and Ron. Harry and Ron… Oh, she hoped they were alright.

None of the three spoke on the way to Hermione's new dorm. There was already enough to think about, enough tension in the air to feel three of Hogwarts. It didn't seem very long before they reached a painting with a black panther on it, roaring into the night behind him. Hermione whispered a password that neither Draco nor McGonagall could interpret. Then, she walked into the dorm. Of course, Draco followed her quickly. Merlin Forbid she be the first one to do anything.

The dorm was smaller than the house. Draco groaned inwardly… Truly, he hated small spaces, he was borderline claustrophobic, and they continually put him into smaller and smaller places. As he looked around in distaste, he realized that he seriously needed sleep, and maybe now that he was back at Hogwarts, his nightmares would ease. Without a look to Hermione or McGonagall, he spun on his heel and retreated into his room, slamming his door behind him. Hermione shuddered softly.

"I want to thank you for putting up with him for the past month," McGonagall thanked her quietly. "I hoped he would have treated you better."

"It's fine, Professor, I can hold my own," Hermione reassured her. "How long will he be here? With me?"

"Until it is safe again," McGonagall replied softly, almost whispering. "It won't be as difficult here, Hermione. You have me and the Order if you need us. If Mr. Malfoy is any trouble, you let us immediately, and we will try to arrange other accommodations for him."

"Thank you, Professor," she nodded. A part of Hermione wished McGonagall hadn't told her that statement. Inside her, something now wanted to fix him, not keep him away from her. She couldn't explain it… Womanly instinct? Her past month with him? Whatever it was, it was making her head and her heart incredibly confused.

"It's very dangerous putting them together," Snape said softly as he and the Headmistress walked together down the dark corridor. Their torches on the wall were the only illumination in the hallway, although they didn't need to make eye contact for them to communicate. "I don't know if she can handle it."

"And why do you suppose that, Severus?" McGonagall asked, her hands in the pockets of her robe that lay over her nightdress. "She handled it for the past month. Why should we begin to worry now?"

"Things can change rapidly, Minerva," Snape replied dangerously. "I truly don't believe that Draco is as far gone as Lucius, but if he is, he may attempt harm on Granger in ways that are not magical."

"If you mean his insults, Severus, I'm sure that Miss Granger is almost immune by now," she chuckled to her companion.

"Alas, there is a much more important matter at hand. The Dark Lord is preparing, Minerva," Snape whispered. "He knows that the boy is hunting for Horcruxes, which means he is on guard to the maximum. He will make his move soon, before Potter finds them all."

"Which doesn't give us much time," sighed the Headmistress. "How much time do we have?"

"I would give it until after Christmas, but our previous assumptions about him may be wrong. The Dark Lord moves quickly, Minerva, he may not wait that long."

"When that time comes, we need to be ready," McGonagall said firmly. "Everyone needs to be ready."

"I've already informed Shacklebolt, but Thickneese is making things very difficult in the Ministry," Snape informed her. "I don't know how long until it falls. For that, I would give it a few months, at the most, Minerva. As soon as the Ministry falls, he will come to Hogwarts."

McGonagall stopped walking and sighed to herself. "We will have to move the boy again."

"When the time is right, Minerva, we won't have to keep him in hiding anymore," Snape reminded her. "Remember what the goal of this was."

"I wish we didn't have to keep Miss Granger in the dark. I had her thinking this was all for the greater good," McGonagall murmured to herself.

"It was the only way," Snape replied softly. "He is a very valuable asset, if he was fully turned to our side. Then, there will be hope of saving Narcissa and Lucius."

Their first night together in their dorm was quiet, almost too quiet. Hermione had laid awake in her bed, becoming aware that Draco had not left his room since they came into the dorm. Mildly worried about him, she pushed herself up off the bed and shuffled out of her room to the large common room between both of their rooms. His room was quite a trek across the kitchenette and passed the bathroom. Her body passed in and out of the moonlight streams as she made her way across the carpet. When she came within a few inches of his door, she stopped. Whimpers. With her eyes narrowed, she quietly turned the knob on his door and peeked inside.

He was thrashing, quite violently. The moonlight coming in through his window shown the beads of sweat trickling down his forehead and the sides of his cheeks. His white-blonde hair was unkempt, his eyes closed tightly. Hermione couldn't make out the words of his whimpers, but she knew she wanted to help none the less. Maybe if she knew what was causing them… She had made a vow to herself never to invade another person's privacy, but in her mind, this was different. For the past month, she had listened to him toss and turn, whimper and whine, without so much as asking why. Deeming herself heartless for not caring, even about Malfoy, she raised her wand and whispered, "Legilimens"

Draco knew immediately when Hermione had dove into his head. Not only was he familiar with how to do Legilimency, he had his head poked into one too many times before. An eerie feeling washed over him, and he knew she was searching for what happened to him. She saw the hundreds of goblins slain in Malfoy Manor last year, all the blood… She saw when he was attempting to repair the Vanishing Cabinets and when Voldemort had threatened his mother with the Cruciatus Curse if he wasn't able to do it. She saw when he was branded with the Dark Mark on his arm, something he had never allowed her to see. She saw when he was overwhelmed, rushing into the bathroom, Potter close behind. She saw their duel, and then his pain when he laid on the floor, covered in blood, dying. How scared he was. She saw when he was on top of the Astronomy Tower, wand held to Dumbledore, threatening him. And then his empty promise: that Dumbledore would protect his family.

That was it. She had seen too much.

His grey eyes snapped open and he threw himself up in bed, pushing the covers away, taking long strides to the witch, who had lowered her wand, a look of pure anguish on her petite face.

"HOW DARE YOU!" he roared. "To think you can just dive into my head like I'm so pathetic little wanker –"

"You were having a nightmare again! I wanted to know why!" Hermione retorted sharply. "I've only had to listen to you have them for the past month!"

"What business is it of yours, Mudblood?" he spat. "I don't interfere in your personal business!"

"Actually, you do! All the time!" Hermione said. Their eyes were locked on one another's now, staring into their souls. Both were incredibly livid.

"Get out of my room! Now!" he yelled. His eyes narrowed, his lips pursed, and he looked like if he had a wand, Hermione would be flying across the room by now.

With a huff, Hermione turned on her heel and walked through their shared common room and back to her room. She didn't hear footfalls behind her, but she could feel his eyes burning into her back. Perhaps she did go too far tonight. Regardless, she knew now why he was the way he was. She whispered the password to her door, and locked it behind her, just in case. Dropping to her bed, she replayed the memories she had just seen. Maybe she had misjudged him, maybe he was just mislead after all.