A/N: Hey guys! So just a heads up, I'll probably be going back into previous chapters and fixing them up, because they're crazy short and written poorly, so I'll work on fixing that up! I doubt I'll change the story up, but if you wanna check through them again please do! Also, if anyone has idea's for a title let me know! Review please please please! :)

Chapter 5

Hermione looked around the flat that she and Ron shared. This could be the last time she saw in months. Or the last time ever. She walked around it, taking it all in. She knew that she wouldn't be anywhere that could qualify as a home to her in a long time, if ever again. She took in the comfy and expensive rugs, the magical artifacts that her and Ron had collected, the kitchen she had designed, and of course all of the pictures. There were pictures of her family and Ron's (who she considered to be her family now as well), her and Ron, Ron and Harry, her and Harry, all three of them, and various pictures of them with friends. She wouldn't see any of these people in a long time either. She would be spending months with only Draco Malfoy for company. Hermione grimaced at the thought. She knew that the months would be filled with screaming and cursing and fighting. As if the mission wasn't already going to be stressful enough.

It's for everyone you love. It's so you can start a family. It's so the war can be over once and for all.

This was what Hermione constantly repeated to herself as justification for taking the mission. At time when she thought about it, she considered telling Kingsley she couldn't do it. Then she would remember what was at stake, and vowed to suck it. She repeated her mantra again before looking at her watch. It was 1:25 in the morning. She really had to be going if she was going to be at the meeting point in 5 minutes. She sighed and headed to the bedroom that she and Ron shared to say goodbye. Before Hermione could even reach for the handle, she remembered what had happened earlier that day. Should she say goodbye to him? She was still livid with him, and completely hurt. She knew that he would still be furious at her for agreeing to the mission with Malfoy still as well. But on the other hand, if something happened she would never be able to forgive herself for not saying goodbye, and for not making things right. She took a deep breath and opened the door.

"Ron? I'm leaving. I just wanted to say goodbye. And… I'm sorry." She said quietly. She knew he was awake, even though his eyes were closed. She looked at him nervously, hoping that he would at least say goodbye to her.

"Just leave Hermione." She heard him say. His voice told Hermione everything. He was still angry at her, and still hurt that she would leave him and disobey him. He also felt defeated. He hadn't accepted the situation yet, but he knew that there was nothing he could do change her mind. Hermione nodded, blinking back tears, and walked back towards the door. As much as she was angry at him for handling the situation so badly and trying to control her, she didn't want to leave on these terms. She wanted to remember him as the man she was so inlove with, not the man who was so selfish he would risk world safety to keep her home. She glanced back over her shoulder at him. He was laying with his back to her. Hermione took a shaky breath and closed the door, hoping that she wasn't closing the door on her entire relationship with Ron.

"You're late." Malfoy told her. She didn't even acknowledge his presence, as she was still trying to hold back her tears. "Don't get all emotional Granger. We need to go, and I can't have you whining because you miss your pet weasel." Malfoy didn't add on what he was thinking- that at least she had people to say goodbye to. He had considered going to say goodbye to his parents, but he knew that they would only yell at him- or worse, not even acknowledge him. He wanted to go with as clear a head as possible, and to do that, he couldn't be clouded with the emotions he would have if he saw his parents.

"Shut your face Malfoy. We had a fight." Hermione grudgingly admitted.

"And I'm sure the make-up sex was great. Now can we get a move on?"

"We didn't make up." She told him, blinking back tears. She would not let Malfoy see her cry. He wasn't aloud to see any weakness that she might have. And he certainly didn't need yet another reason to pick on her. "Let's go."

"We're to find a secluded place to apparate to in Northern Scotland. That's where the Death Eaters are." He told her.

"I know a place. Grab my arm." She commanded. Malfoy hestitated, a look of disgust on his face. "Oh my god Malfoy I'm not going to contaminate your precious pure blood by you touching me. Just grab on so we can go!" Malfoy grudgingly grabbed onto Hermione's arm. They turned on the spot and felt the familiar feeling of being pushed through a too-small tube. They arrived at their destination with a loud crack.

"Where are we?" Malfoy asked, looking around.

"I stayed in this forest with Harry and Ron when we were hunting horcruxes in seventh year." She explained.

"There's nothing around." He stated, crinkling his nose. Malfoy had always been surrounded by people, being in such a secluded face almost made him feel claustrophobic. He brushed that thought off quickly. He had no fears. Plus, was it even possible to feel claustrophobic if all there was around was open space?

"That's the point dumbass." She sneered. Hermione set straight to work on setting up camp. She magically set the tent up with her wand in about two seconds, then set about the tasks of setting up the wards. She cast disillusionment charms, anti-apparation charms, muffliato, and several extra safety charms- including confudding charms to steer people away from their camp-to make sure that no one would find them unless either her or Draco seriously messed up. "Alright, you're not to set foot outside these wards. I don't care how alone we may seem, you never know who or what is lurking around these forests."

"Yes sir." Malfoy growled as he ducked into the tent. Hermione followed, and smiled as she took in her surroundings. This tent was much more spacious than the tents she had used before. It had a kitchenette, full bathroom, two bedrooms, a sitting area and a dining area. She would still be in close quarters with Malfoy, but at least she could go into a closed off space at the end of the day- even if there was only a curtain around her bed.

"Should one of us be keeping guard?" Malfoy asked, looking outside warily. Hermione considered this for a second, weighing their situation carefully.

"I don't think so. We're in a remote area, and no one is looking for us. Even if some one does get through the wards, we're not wanted this time. Death Eaters think we're at the ministry, and the ones who know we're on a mission don't know where we've gone. Even if they did know, they aren't a-"

"Shut up Granger."

"You asked me!"

"It was a simple yes or no question. I didn't need a fucking speech on it."

"I was just backing up my answer." She said somewhat sulkily.

"Whatever. I'm hungry. I'll expect supper in 10 minutes." He said, walking into what he was apparently claiming as his room.

"Who says I'm cooking? What if I don't want to?" She said stubbornly. Malfoy stopped and turned to look at her. The expression on his face told her that he thought she was the stupidest person in the world.

"I say you're cooking because you're inferior to me in every way and inferior people do what superior people say." Hermione's anger started rising at Malfoy's cocky and rude attitude.

"Oh really? Because I'm pretty sure my grades were superior to yours. And I'm pretty sure I helped save the wizarding world, while you tried to destroy it. Everything points to me being the superior one here." She told him. Malfoy felt about ready to kill her. He didn't like to admit is flaws or failures, especially to a mudblood. The fact that a mudblood had done better than him at school had always been a sore spot for him as it went against everything he had been trained to believe in. Mudbloods were supposed to be less talented in the ways of magic, and everything about Granger went against that. His past with the Death Eaters was now a source of shame for Malfoy, as he realized that such radical means were not right. Sure their opinions were right, but did muggle-borns really need to be exterminated? But Hermione didn't need to know any of this. She could keep on believing that he was proud of his past. Maybe it would be better if she feared him. Malfoy plastered a sinister smirk on his face.

"You might have higher grades Granger, but I have higher blood status and a higher kill count." He told her, knowing that she would perceive this as a threat. Malfoy was satisfied when Granger had no reply, and turned back to walk into his room. "Now that we've got that settled. I'll be ready for supper in 5."

"That actually smells decent Granger." Malfoy said with a tone of surprise. He walked out of the room as soon as smelled whatever it was that Hermione was cooking up as he was absolutely famished. "Where's mine?"

"What do you mean?" Hermione asked, seemingly innocently. She smiled to herself when she saw the anger flash across Malfoy's face. His threats had done nothing to her. She could call a bluff when she saw one, and she called his. If he killed her, the ministry would have his head and he'd be wanted by both sides. Plus, he wasn't likely to complete this mission without her.

"My food Granger. Where is my food?"

"Oh you wanted me to cook for you! I thought that you'd be ready to start cooking in five minutes. I was famished so I decided to go ahead and cook something up for myself. Sorry!"

"No you didn't Granger. You'll make me food, or I'll-"

"You'll what Malfoy? Call me a mudblood again? I've heard that enough times for it not to bother me. I know you wouldn't kill me, even you aren't that stupid. You'll make your own food, or you can go hungry." She said dismissively. Hermione grabbed her plate of food and headed off to her bedroom. She could hear Malfoy yelling a colourful string of insults at her, but she tuned him out and cast a quick silencing cell on her room to completely block him out. She grinned, knowing that she had beat him in this fight, and that she had gotten the final word in. Despite her happiness that she had won an argument with Malfoy, she started to have doubts about them working together. They'd only been together a couple of hours and already they were at each others throats. How in Merlins name were they supposed to work together? She sighed, knowing that she would have to go back and make peace- well, as much peace as her and Malfoy could ever have. She got up off her bed and walked back out into the common area. Malfoy was wrinkling his nose at whatever it was that he was eating- Hermione couldn't really be sure what it was.

"Malfoy?" She said timidly. He looked up and scowled at her. She gave a small smile and pointed her wand at his food, transfiguring it into spaghetti.

"Was that really so hard Granger? You couldn't have done that for me 15 minutes ago?"

"A simple 'thank you' would have sufficed. Besides, that wasn't the point. The point was I'm not your slave. I won't do your bidding for you, especially after you've spoken to me in that way."

"Whatever Granger. Point made. Doesn't mean I'll be paying attention to it." He sneered, digging into his new food.

"I was just thinking about something." She said, ignoring his attitude. He looked at her, as if telling her to go on. "We've been stuck together for a few hours at most, and we're already at each others throats. How're we supposed to work together when we can't even have a civil conversation?"

"It's not my fault that you're a stuck up bitch."

"I'm the stuck up one? That's hilarious coming from Mr. 'I'm so superior because my ancestors only banged other purebloods'." She yelled. Then she caught herself, realizing that she was being counter-productive in making her point. "See! This is exactly what I mean. All these snarky comments escalate into full blow outs! We'll never be able to find the horcrux if we can't talk to each other. So please, for the rest of the world's sake, try to be civil towards me, and I'll show you the same courtesy." She pleaded. Malfoy seemed to be considering this, as if he wasn't quite sold on it. Then he slowly nodded his agreement and continued eating. Hermione smiled, relieved that they had finally agreed onsomething. She knew that they would never be able to get along completely, but it was a start.