Happy Memorial Day Weekend, everyone! Mine will be filled with working, but have yourself a nice beer and relax on a boat for me, okay? :D I'm almost to 3,000 views, and I want to hit that before tomorrow. And at least 15 reviews! Cmon peeps, leave it in the box below! :D This chapter we're going to learn a little more about Zac's past, and also the politics of the Ministry and how it's being shaken.

Chapter 14: Tonks

Hermione rummaged in her closet for something to wear. The air was still chilly and the sky grey, making her journey to Hogsmead a cold one. She decided on jeans and a button-up shirt with a tshirt underneath, ankle high boots, and then a jacket over top. As she stood in front of her mirror, she toyed with her hair until it looked halfway decent and then emerged into the Common Room where Draco was nowhere to be found. Even though they didn't speak much the night before, she still wanted to bid him farewell. Sighing, she approached his door, but hesitated when she almost knocked. The door swung open in that brief moment, and Draco peered down at her with intense grey eyes.

"Do you need something, Granger?" he demanded.

Hermione pressed her lips together. "I was on my way out and I just wanted to say goodbye."

"Okay, you've said goodbye, now go," Draco said. There was a flicker of anger that passed over his eyes, which she didn't understand because of their actions the previous night. All too well, though, Hermione knew not to get her hopes up when it came to him. When Draco saw the ashamed look on her face, he rolled his eyes. "I don't know what you were expecting, Granger. I'm not going to beg you to stay."

"I didn't expect you too," Hermione mumbled, even though it would have been nice. "I just didn't expect you to be this angry about me leaving."

He didn't know why he was either, especially since this time, she wasn't leaving with that prick. Draco's mouth clenched. "I'm not angry with you, you told me last night you were leaving so I expected you to just leave."

"It's polite to let you know –"

"Whatever, you've made your point," Draco said. He went to close his door, but Hermione put her foot in front of it. "What now?!"

"Why do you have to act like this? You're so incredibly bipolar!" Hermione cried, losing her temper towards the Slytherin bit by bit. Draco's eyes narrowed. "One minute, you're telling me that I am inferior to you, the next minute you're in my bed with me, and the next you're sulking in your room feeling sorry for yourself!"

"You're not that great either, you know!" Draco shouted back. "You also ignored me for five days, may I remind you!"

"I didn't think you wanted to be bothered! It's called being polite and respectful of the other person, something you obviously are oblivious too!" Hermione was shaking where she stood now, her hands clenched into fists and her hazel eyes wide with detest.

"I'm surprised you are, being raised by Muggles," Draco snarled, knowing that the comment would only instigate the situation further. Hermione drew back, taking a few steps behind her. The guilt crept up in this throat again, but he didn't back down. "I have no reason to be polite or respectful of you until you've given me a reason, and for the past seven years, you've given me no reason!"

Hermione's eyes widened to their full extent. "I've given you no reason!? Draco, I have done so much for you –"

"Have you, or do you think you have in order to indulge your fantasies about changing me?" Draco asked almost calmly, leading to Hermione smacking him across his face. Taking a moment to recover, he grabbed her wrist, bringing her close to him now. "Don't you ever fucking do that again."

"Just when I think that maybe you've changed and seen the light, you give me every reason to hate you again," Hermione whispered, now more hurt in her voice than contempt.

"You assume too much," Draco whispered back, their faces dangerously close.

"No, I don't think so."

There was a glimmer in her eyes, the same he had seen before he kissed her the first time. Draco's lips parted only slightly to rebuttal the argument, but nothing came out, due to him being transfixed in her features. Her eyes showed her Gryffindor courage and intelligence, leading Draco to believe that she truly knew how he felt. After all, Hermione was the complete opposite of an idiot. He felt Hermione's body close in on him, reminding him of the night he spent snuggled against her in her bed. His jaw clenched, closing his lips, and looked down at her, realizing that this could've been the moment of him lowering his defenses, of letting her in on him completely. He kissed her once before, so why would this time be any different?

Hermione's gentle breaths ticked his chin as she stood on her tip toes, and placed the hand his wrist was clutching on his cheek. Draco's eyes closed involuntarily, drinking her in, the warmth of her body, her scent, her very being. His whole body relaxed when his lips felt pressure of them: a soft and tingly pressure. Her lips. The doubts swarmed through Draco's mind, but for the first time, he shut them down, allowing her to continue to kiss him, and his lips gently pressed back. Hermione backed down after a few seconds, allowing Draco to regain his composure. As starstruck as he was, he found it in himself to let reason peak through her advances.

"This means nothing," he whispered, locking her eyes with his.

Hermione's eyes closed momentarily. "I know."

With those final words, she turned away from Draco and left the dorm without saying another word. As soon as she was gone and the door closed, Draco lowered himself onto the foot on his bed, and absently touched his fingers to his lips. They were still tingling, and his body still limp from their kiss. He laid back, staring up at the ceiling, and wondering if their kiss really meant nothing.

The walk to Hogsmead was cold and made Hermione's brain and heart hurt. In that exact moment, she had wanted to kiss Draco, and she did. He didn't pull away, he allowed her to reach up and touch his lips with hers. It was amazing feeling, but she knew, as well as he did, that it meant "nothing." The first time they had kissed, he had allowed her to loose herself within him and pressed into her like a fate-fearing man, and she was the only solid thing in his existence. This time had been different: Hermione had leaned into him without logic, and without reason. It was something she couldn't explain, but the kiss needed to happen. To end the argument? To show how much she truly cared about him? No, it was a very conscious decision on her part, wanting to lean into him, wanting him to grab her wrist, wanting him to kiss her back… And he did.

As The Three Broomsticks came into view, Hermione bottled down her thoughts and feelings and put on the bravest face she could. Even though she was only meeting Remus and Tonks, she still felt the need to not worry them with her personal issues. She managed a smile as she walked through the door to the cavern, seeing Madam Rosemarta tending to some of the locals at the bar. She spied the couple near the back, sitting at a table with three butterbeers. She wasted no time walking up to the pair and wrapping her arms around Tonks, who she noticed had a bit of a bump.

"Hermione! Oh, it's been too long! How are you?" Tonks asked. Hermione squeezed Tonks' shoulders tightly and saw Remus smiling over her shoulder.

"I'm very good!" Hermione replied and pulled away. "Oh, Tonks! How far along?"

"Five months, give or take a bit," Tonks replied, sitting back down at the table. "So what did you want to tell us, Hermione? McGonagall made it sound extremely urgent."

Hermione sat down besider her and eyed Remus carefully. He knew that Draco was staying with her, but she did not know if Tonks knew. Remus, however, nodded knowingly, giving Hermione the okay to continue.

"We believe that Voldemort is after The Elder Wand," Hermione told them in a hushed tone, looking around her to make sure no one could hear.

Tonks' eyebrows raised. "The Elder Wand? As in the fairytale?"

"Alas, it so happens it is not a fairytale," Remus told them both. "The Deathly Hallows are a very real thing, and many people have sacrificed their lives in order to possess them."

"McGonagall thinks no such things exists," Hermione said slowly.

"She would have you believe that in order not to cause panic," Remus explained and leaned closer to her. "Hermione, what is the one thing Voldemort needs to become all-powerful? Exactly, an all-powerful wand. He cannot defeat Harry without it."

"Why is that?" Hermione asked.

"Their wands share a common core, unable to destroy one another," replied Remus. "Do you remember during The Triwizard Tournament when Harry dueled Voldemort? They were unable to kill one another. Even in the Department of Mysteries, the same thing happened."

Hermione's brain waves clicked into overdrive. "But, Dumbledore defeated Voldemort in the Department of Mysteries. Oh, my God."

Remus sat back in his chair as Hermione stiffened a gasp. "Now, you see?"

"Dumbledore has the Elder Wand," Hermione whispered.

Tonks looked to Remus. "Are you sure, Remus? That's an awful lot to put on a fairytale."

"I am almost certain, and if I'm not, you can tell me otherwise," Remus said with a kind smile in his wife's direction. "Did you come up with the theory or did someone else, someone who is say, closer to Voldemort, than you are?"

Tonks' gaze shifted back and forth between Remus and Hermione heavily, now very concerned about what the two were obviously hiding. "What are you talking about?"

"Hermione has had a house guest these past few months," Remus explained.

"Who?" Tonks demanded, now more curious than concerned.

"Malfoy," replied Hermione softly.

Tonks' mouth dropped subterranean. "Draco Malfoy? As in my prick of a cousin?"

Remus laughed. "Yes, the exact same."

"I thought he was dead!" Tonks exclaimed, a hand to her mouth now. "Has he deflected or…?"

"Not exactly," Hermione muttered. "It's… complicated…"

"Well, we have time," Tonks said, resting her chin in her palm and gazing at Hermione.

Hermione took a staggering breath before speaking. "He is adamant about not helping The Order, but he's given me a lot of valuable insight on Voldemort. When Harry and Ron sent me the letter with Ollivander and Gregorovich on it, he was the one who told me that Gregorovitch was a wand marker and was involved in Dark Magic, which led the D.A. to find that Ollivander is missing and still is. Then, he told me to get The Tales of Beedle the Bard and explained The Deathly Hallows to me."

Tonks looked astonished, but Remus looked more impressed. "My cousin, who doesn't have an intelligent brain cell in his body, told you all of this?"

"I think he's a lot smarter than what people give him credit for," Hermione defended him weakly. "He really is brilliant when he wants to be."

"That's in my family tree," Tonks huffed. "The most noble and ancient house of Black is highly superior compared to the Malfoy's."

Remus chuckled. "Tonks, you give yourself too much credit. Draco also had influence from Severus and Hermione. There's a good chance that he is swaying more on our side. After all, he has just enough reason to hate Voldemort as anyone."

"He's still a prude," Tonks reasoned and sat back in her chair. "Hermione, if what you and Malfoy say is true, then what's our plan? We need to get word to Harry and Ron as quickly as possible."

"This does indeed complicate things," said Remus. "I will send word to the boys, but Hermione, you must be careful in the castle. It's not safe there anymore, not for you, not for anyone."

"We heard about Parkinson," Tonks nodded in agreement. "Hermione, you are doing just fine as you are. There's nothing to be worried about where The Order is concerned, trust us. The Ministry is holding for the time being, and Harry and Ron are down another Horcrux. Things are beginning to look up."

"Tonks is being optimistic," Remus shot his wife a look. "The Ministry will fall, and at that point, you will need to leave Hogwarts. I'm sure McGonagall has already explained that to you."

"Yes, she has," sighed Hermione. "I just wish there was more we could do."

"There's always something," Remus smiled softly at the young witch. "And Tonks is right, you are doing fine as you are. Keeping the panic out of Hogwarts is a huge task in itself. I hear you're organizing the ball this year?"

"Yes, but it's utterly pointless," Hermione shook her head, annoyed that they were getting off topic of the real matters.

"Maybe it's a good distraction," Tonks offered with a shrug. "Keep spirits up, you know? Who are you going with?"

"Zacharias Smith, but only because we have to go together," replied Hermione with a huff.

"Don't you like him?" Tonks asked with raised eyebrows.

"It's not that I don't, I mean, he saved my life," Hermione replied nervously. "It's just that he's so forthcoming and always pushing himself onto me, always asking me out, always looking out for me –"

"Zacharias' parents were members of the Order," Remus told Hermione. This spiked her attention greatly as she turned to listen to him. "His father died in the last Wizarding War, killed by Antoin Dolohov, I believe. Callum was a good man, a brave one. His mother, Annabelle, remarried an Auror named Tarquin Holmquest. He was raised to be a good man, and no doubt as brave as his father."

"I didn't know," Hermione whispered, finding a new respect for The Head Boy.

"I wouldn't have expected you too," Remus replied. "I'm sure he doesn't tell anyone. That's not something you really want people to know. But, my point is, Hermione, that you should be grateful for him saving your life. Anything else, is up to you. But, he would be a smart match. No doubt of essential use to us in this War."

"Remus is right, we need everyone we can get," Tonks agreed. "We'll look into The Elder Wand theory. If that's what Voldemort is after, we have to make sure that he doesn't get his hands on it."

"Thank you," Hermione said and smiled. "It was so good to see you both. When will you be here next?"

"We don't know, with the Ministry and the Order, we don't know where life will take us next," Tonks stood to give Hermione a hug. "We must be getting back, I'm afraid. Thank you for letting us know, and keep us informed. Don't let Malfoy push you around, alright?"

"Don't worry about that," Hermione mumbled into Tonks' shoulder with a half-hearted smile. "I miss you two already."

"Have fun at your ball, Hermione, we'll catch up soon," Remus shook her hand tightly. "Give Minerva and Severus my regards."

With a few more struggled good-bye's, and waves, Hermione followed the two Aurors out of the pub and into the road. They headed in their opposite directions. Hermione felt more towards Zac now, knowing that it wasn't just an exclusive few who lost their loved ones during the first Wizarding War. She trekked back up to Hogwarts, hands in her pockets, feeling the cool breeze against her cheeks and realizing that she really did hate the cold.

Hermione managed to get back to Hogwarts before curfew, sneaking through the halls to avoid being seen. She had her wand gripped in her right hand, just in case something happened, but nothing did. She slipped into her dorm quietly, noticing that it was fairly empty and quiet, with Draco nowhere to be seen. She looked around for a moment longer, until a figure appeared in the doorway of his bedroom. She narrowed her eyes, seeing that he had a very intense look in his eyes, something even possessive glinted through them. They grey shown in the darkness, and she found herself nervous as he stared at her.

"What are you doing?" Hermione demanded as he began to move towards her.

"Shut up," Draco said, striding over to her in long paces.

He grabbed her cheeks, and placed his lips upon hers, kissing her furiously, desperately. In the time she was away, he had questioned whether or not his longing for her was a reality, and had come to accept that it indeed was. Hermione was rigid against him for a few moments, and doubt hinted into his mind, but as quick as it was there, it was gone. He pulled his lips away from her soft ones, looking at her warily, ready for a smack or a punch, but she did the exact opposite. Before he knew it, her lips were on his again, breaths heavy and panting.

He held the back of her head, entwining his fingers in her curls, and pulling her closer as he deepened their kiss. She kissed back, roughly, nibbling on his bottom lip and her hands running through his blonde hair. Draco swallowed her groan as he shrugged her jacket off of her shoulders, hearing it thud behind them. It was then when he realized that his movements were almost ferocious, hoisting her legs around his waist and pushing her roughly into the door. She didn't seem to care, as her movements were equally as ferocious, pulling on his hair and pushing her body into him as much as she could. He melted into her, keeping her pressed against the door with the possessiveness that overtook him. Her fingers were trembling against his biceps, her legs shaking with anticipation.

Draco pressed himself against her, hard, resulting in a little moan from Hermione's lips, which he swallowed. His fingers ran over her shoulders, her neck, her chest, then set themselves in her hair again, pulling back just a little to expose her neck. His lips found their way there, kissing from her cheek to her jawline to a sensitive spot behind her ear that made her shivers intensify. Hermione's eyes closed as her head leaned back against the door, her trembling hands now gripping his shoulders to support herself. He toyed with her skin, suckling on it, to hope leave a mark in his lips' wake. He could feel her heartbeat quicken as he slammed her against the door again, jerking her hips into his.

"Stop," she murmured, but continued to pull on his hair as he licked the skin on her neck. "Draco…"

His name sounded so sweet rolling off her captivated tongue, and the pit of Draco's stomach began to flutter. He had no intention of stopping, however, he pulled his lips from her neck and brought them back to her lips, where she snatched a deep kiss from him. He pulled her from the door and began to walk them over to the couch, but halfway there, realized that he wanted to enjoy this, taking it slow. He carefully removed her plaid shirt from her shoulders, and was pleasantly surprised when she helped him to do so. His fingers ran up and down her arms, his lips pecking at hers, and moving down to her jaw, where he peppered kisses up and down it.

"Draco…" she murmured again, and it was enough for him to set her down on the couch and kneel in front of her, taking in her disoriented face. Both of their breaths were heavy now, with their chests heaving up and down. He looked at her eagerly, waiting for her to speak, but she didn't. He leaned forward to satisfy his cravings for her, and captured her lips in his.

Draco pulled himself between her legs, laying her down on the couch all while his hands explored her curves, pulling her into his body. She let out tiny little groans that made his stomach explode with tingles, and he was determined to never allow her to emit those groans to any other man. Draco pulled back his lips and stared at her contentedly, her fingers running through his hair and tracing onto his cheeks.

"You missed me," she whispered softly.

"No," Draco said, leaning his forehead against hers. "You annoy the piss out of me, why would I miss you?"

"I can tell," Hermione smiled and kissed his lips quickly.

"You're mistaken, Granger, I most certainly did not miss you," he replied, taking that their moment was over. He pulled himself up from between her legs and sat next to her on the couch, eyeing her as she did so as well.

"Did you like kissing me?" she asked him innocently, trailing her still trembling fingers up the side of his biceps. The shivers intensified, even after he was finished kissing her.

Draco thought for a moment. "It's like betraying everything I've ever grown up with knowing."

"I like kissing you," she offered and now she was drawing closer, as if he hadn't already given her enough… "And I think you are changing."

"You talk too much after you do shag guys, don't you?" Draco asked, his gaze now rough and accusing on her. Hermione blushed. "You just don't know when to shut up."

"I could say the same thing for you!" Hermione shot back and crossed her arms.

"A few kisses isn't going to change me, Granger," Draco said evenly, resting his forearms on his legs. "It's not going to change the way I think about you, or Muggle-borns, or the Order –"

"You didn't say Mudblood," Hermione whispered carefully, still not quite believing her ears.

"What?" Draco spat, not realizing that the vile word hadn't come out of his mouth. For a moment, he was speechless, not sure of how to react to her statement, so he didn't.

"See? That's a start –"

"Granger, just stop," Draco rose to his feet and looked down at her. "I am not changing, not for you, not for your bloody Order. Like I said, a few kisses that I was desperate enough to –"

"There you go with that desperate crap again," Hermione rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.

"What do you expect? Do you see any other women around this place –"

"So I'm convenient? The second you get out of here, you'll just go back to your old ways of hating me, huh? Forget about your 'desperate kisses'?" Hermione retorted, rising to her feet now. She stood up to him, and it shouldn't have made him so angry, but it did. "I'm not letting you mess with my heart like this!"

"Mess with your heart?" Draco roared, his words so cold that she found herself almost in tears. "Do you have any idea what you're doing to me, Granger? No, you don't, so just shut up and sod off!"

"Draco –"

"No, do not do that!" Draco yelled. "Don't try to get me to change my mind, it won't happen! Just leave me alone!"

Draco stole one last look Hermione, refusing to get lose in her beautiful eyes, before tearing himself away from her and stomping to his room. On his way, he eyed the loose pieces of clothes that were lying on the floor and a low growl emitted in the back of this throat. There was nothing he could do now, now that his realization was kicking in. If she had just let things be, maybe then he would've been able to get over his cravings for her and go back to hating her. As he slammed his door, something told him they would never go away and he would never go back to hating her.

Hermione struggled to regain her composure as she picked up her jacket and shirt off the ground and walked back into her room. She was messing with his heart? No, how could she be? If Draco truly didn't feel anything for her and still hated her… But, even that wasn't plausible anymore. She threw her belongings on the floor and realized that the kiss was everything she had wanted out of the past few months. Their tension was high, but maybe that very tension wasn't tension from anger. Regardless of what it was, she convinced herself it was over now, and slammed her door shut, hoping he heard it and it shook him as much as he shook her.