A/N: Thank you very much all of you for reviewing I really really enjoyed reading all of them! I am glad you are enjoying this fic, I am too! There's your incentive for knowing I am going to keep updating. I am currently working on 4 fics, but I think this one is my favorite. For those of you who really enjoyed Emerald Fire, I have another fic on the go called Silver Knight, and it is a little bit similar, it even has some of the same scenes as Emerald Fire, so just a little heads up to that.

I would also like to respond to a few reviews that really caught my attention:

Ceylon- You suggested that Pansy should die, and I am very much thinking about it. You will find out the outcome in later chapters! Thank you for the review.

Goddess1408- Thank you so much for that compliment, it makes me very happy to hear that you are enjoying my story so much! I would love for you to keep supporting my writing.

Guppy Grapes- Thanks for all of the reviews, you are amazing -

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This chapter is dedicated to AithneGoddess, for all the support when I came back from about a year off of fanfiction.

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Chapter Seven

Stressing the Facts

Then she saw Pansy grab hold of her wand once more, and point it swiftly between her eyes.

"I never heard anything about you being crowned a Death Eater." She hissed. "Tell me why that marking is on your wrist, or I swear I will hurt you, mudblood."

Hermione just stared into the girls icy blue eyes, but did not say a word.

"TELL ME GRANGER!"

Silence.

"Stupify!"

Hermione felt her heart skip as the room filled with a terrible and blinding light. She knew that if the curse were to hit her, she would be defenseless and unable to protect herself in any way at all.

How could Malfoy be so foolish, leaving her in the same room as the bitter jealous little witch who had always despised her so?

Face covered, Hermione waited for the impact. There was a crashing sound and a terrible wail, and she realized that the curse had not been directed towards her. She looked up from her arms, trembling. Pansy was laying on the floor, crying in agony, her wand lay feet away on the emerald carpeted floor.

Draco was standing over top of her, wand pointed and ready to send another curse her way. He looked frighteningly aggressive. Hermione took a deep breath of relief, and wiped down her brown with her hand, which was covered in calluses from her capture in the tower. She looked from Draco and then to Pansy, who was still rolling on the floor in dramatic agony.

"What the hell Draco!?" She spat up at him, her eyes flashing with an overpowering malice. Draco pulled his wand away from her, and placed it back in his pocket. He did not say anything to her as he made his way over to where she was collapsed in a pathetic heap, and hoisted her up slowly. She stood, glaring at him, then smacked him hard.

Hermione covered her face once more, not wanting to see the outcome of this pureblood argument.

"What did I say?" Draco hissed, grabbing hold of both of Pansy's shoulders and squeezing them roughly. She whimpered softly, looking way from his cruel eyes and towards the fire, which crackled merrily beside them. When she chose not to respond, he shook her violently.

"WHAT DID I SAY!?" He stared at her, his eyes piercing her, cruel and mean. Hermione felt shivers when she saw this.

Pansy gave a soft sniff, finally grabbing the courage to look him in the eyes, like a puppy that had just made a mess all over the living room carpet.

"To k-keep an eye on Granger." She sobbed, her face now covered in small streams. Hermione almost felt sorry for the girl, Malfoy was frightening when he was angry. He took a deep breath, settling a little and releasing her arms. She stepped back, massaging them with her hands. She just continued sobbing, not speaking.

"Pansy, this is my house!" He snapped at her, making her cringe. "This is my house while my father is away and you are my guest! I suggest you start acting like one!"

She nodded very swiftly, eyes staring towards the ground, never meeting his own. His eyes thinned at her, as he stepped towards her and made her look at him with his hands on her face.

"Never, go against my word again." He said coolly, try to speak more calm now. "Not in this house."

The girls long black hair was falling over her face and eyes, and she was shaking violently in Draco's hands. She was pale and lonely looking. Pathetic really.

"Do I make myself very clear?" He asked her, yanking her chin up so she would look at him.

She nodded once more, still not saying a word. He released her, and she fell back into a chair, resting her head in her hands and wailing into them as though she had just lost a child. Draco sighed, turning towards Hermione, who felt a little frightened when he did. If he could do something so cruel to his fiancé, it made her wonder what he could do to her.

"Are you alright Granger?" He asked her flatly, as though this was high school and he was forced to ask the question in class.

She nodded softly, as he turned back to Pansy once more.

"Leave now." He said to the girl, taking her by the hand and hoisting her to her feet. "Before I decide to make you leave instead. Granger is very important to me right now, I need her."

"What on earth could be so god damn important?" Pansy hissed, now looking him dead in the eye. "What would your father say if he knew you were harboring a mudblood in the Manor, let alone in your very own bed? What is she here for Draco, tell me-"

"Why the mudblood is here is none of your fucking business!" He roared, making her step backwards into the wall, cowering from him. "NOW GET OUT!"

She didn't say another word, and like a bolt of lightning, she was gone down the hall way and out of sight. Hermione felt her body relaxing slightly as the girl left, though she still felt overcome with the instinct to stay alert. This was Malfoy after all, and he always had nasty tricks up his sleeve. He turned back to her, walking over to where she was and thudding himself down on the end of the bed. She watched him silently, almost afraid to speak. It was him that broke the silence.

"Don't think just because I defended you back there, that I like you in the slightest Granger." He droned, staring blankly up towards the roof of his four-poster bed. "Because I don't. If it weren't for my mother telling me to find you in her dying breaths, I would not have even thought twice about leaving you to rot forever in that tower. I despise you and I always will, remember that."

"Pfft." She said, rolling her eyes. The old Hermione Granger was beginning to wake up from hibernation. "You really think I would give a damn whether you are fond of me in the slightest? Malfoy, do us all a favor and stop flattering yourself. You haven't changed a bit."

"You really should show me some respect mudblood." He said to her, his eyes now darting into her and burning her insides. "If I had not come, you would still be up there."

"Well, it isn't as though I have anything to live for anyway." She stated, glaring at him angrily. "Besides, you didn't do it for me, you did it for you. Honestly, I would rather be back there rotting, I deserve an equal fate to the one Ron received, and no less. I deserve to die there just as he did. "

"As much as I loathe saying this, you are far better then Weasley." Draco replied, rolling over onto his side. "He was weak, insecure, and a coward. You at least have the honor and pride to defend yourself and fight. If you didn't have the instinct to fight, you would have been dead a long time ago. So don't tell me you would go back there Granger, because I know it isn't the case-"

"No?" Hermione snapped, making him look at her with anger in those Malfoy eyes. "Are you sure, because there is starting to seem a lot better then here right now. I would rather die in the hands of Voldemort, then by your silly little girlfriend's. At least dying in the cell would have honor to it, rather then being killed by a spoiled jealous little witch who calls herself a pureblood!"

Draco put his hand out to silence her.

"Firstly." He said, almost too calmly for her comfort. "Pansy, is not my girlfriend. Secondly, what on earth is so fucking honorable about dying in a prison cell? Granger, you haven't even heard the entire of why I brought you back yet!"

Hermione crossed her arms, lowering her eyebrows towards him.

"To resurrect Harry." She said coldly, glaring towards him. "How do I know that this isn't just some sort of a plot from the Dark Lord, to resurrect Harry so he can steal away the power Harry possesses. Do you think me foolish, that I do not know of how Voldemort craves to have Harry's powers?"

Draco snorted.

"The Dark Lord is long passed that stage." He replied to her, glaring right back at her and giving her chills. She looked him over, dressed in his collared white shirt and tie, as though going to an expensive party. "He has grown much more powerful, and nothing slips by him. I will be lucky if he doesn't figure out that it was me who broke into Hogwarts."

Hermione stared at him, questions flooding through her like a rush of heavy water.

"I was at Hogwarts?"

Draco blinked at her stupidly, as though completely taken back by what he had just heard. Hermione felt her heart sink, and her face drop, staring at her hands.

"I didn't know that's where I was." She said at a whisper, her hands shaking. "All must really be lost, if Hogwarts has been overrun. There is no hope then, why even attempt to go through with this?"

"Are you joking me?" He asked her, eyes wide and his face suddenly perplexed with utter confusion. "Did you actually just say that? Granger, giving up on saving the world and the legendary Harry Potter? Pfft! That prison cell has turned you into a coward, and a failure."

Hermione opened her mouth in protest.

"How dare you, you little worm!" She hissed angrily. "You have no idea what it's like up there. You think just because you had a difficult upbringing, that mommy and daddy didn't love you, that you have an excuse to put down everyone else! You are a vial creature, and I refuse to help you!"

His eyes flashed with malice, and she once more felt frightened.

"Fine Granger, we will just send you back where you came from."

She felt a wave of panic as he stood and grabbed her by the wrist, ripping her forwards towards the fireplace and pushing her against its now roaring flames. She struggled, trying to get away from his grasp. She thought of those creatures, more and more of them just waiting to have their fill of her when she got back, and it made her eyes water.

"Go on then, mudblood, jump in the fireplace!" He roared, giving her another push. She clung to him, nearly slipping to the floor. "This floo powder will take you right back into the entrance hall of Hogwarts, go now, it's what you wanted isn't it?"

She felt her eyes watering furiously at the though of going back, and realized she regretted telling him that was what she would rather. She turned in his arms and stared into his silvery blue eyes, which were thinned and cruel in appearance.

"Please, don't make me go back." She said to him, sniffing softly. "I will help you alright, I will help you. Just don't make me go back there, please."

A/N: Thanks very much you guys. Sorry this chapter is short, I'm at college right now and I'm kinda just typing this between classes. . . lol just cause I love you so much. The cliffhanger wasn't really deliberate, I just have to get to taking notes now. Love you all!