DISCLAIMER: I don't own Harry Potter, nor am I affiliated in any way with J.K. Rowling.

"Well, that's put me off my breakfast," Ron grumbled as Hermione finished recounting last night's dream. He pushed away his food and gazed at it mournfully.

"Thanks for your concern," Hermione answered icily. "It's so nice to know you care."

"I care," Ron reassured her. "I'd just care more after a hearty breakfast."

"So what's the plan for today, then?" Harry cut in before Hermione could retaliate. "I thought we could all walk around the grounds for a bit, maybe see Hagrid?"

"I can't," Hermione sighed. "I need to tell Malfoy about Zella and her missing tongue. The sooner he knows, then the sooner he withholds help, and the sooner I get it out of him then the sooner I can get my life back on track."

"Will this be happening soon, or…?"

"Shut up, Ron," Hermione told him with a slight frown. "And if you're so concerned, ask him yourself."

"We might just do that," Harry mused thoughtfully.

"What?" Hermione asked sharply.

"Yeah, what?"

"Think about it," Harry urged Ron.

"Think about what?" Ron asked, dumbfounded. "Sorry mate, you've lost me. Talk to Malfoy willingly? I don't think so." He turned to Hermione. "I hope you're happy. Your dream made Harry reject his breakfast and now he's gone insane."

"It was bound to happen eventually," Hermione mock-sighed.

"Oi, come on you two," Harry frowned. "I'm serious. We could keep an eye on Malfoy while the two of you are researching. I'm sure Hagrid won't mind us not visiting and it's not like we've got anything better to do."

Which was how, ten minutes later, they stood in the Great Hall and waited for Malfoy. He strolled through the doors about five minutes later, alone. Without a glance sideways, he made his way up the staircase.

"Ignorant sod," Ron muttered. Harry nodded his agreement.

"Malfoy!" Hermione called after him, not listening to her friends.

Malfoy turned around slowly and descended the few steps that he had climbed. There was a smirk on his face as he reached them.

"Family outing?" he asked Hermione, his grey eyes flickering to Ron and Harry. "Make sure they wrap up warm, it's cold outside."

"Actually, they're joining us today," Hermione told him coolly.

Malfoy's smirk vanished.

"Why?" was all he managed to ask.

"Because we don't trust you as far as we could throw you," Harry answered. "For all we know, you could be leading Hermione right into some sort of trap."

"If I were to spend time and effort into making a trap, I'd be sure to make my target something more than a Mudblood," he said harshly. "And anyway, this is a private party."

"We already know about what you'll be researching," Ron told him scathingly. "It's not like it's some big secret or anything."

Malfoy scowled and rounded on Hermione.

"You told them?" he demanded.

"Why are you surprised?" Hermione asked, still, though she should be used to it by now, stung from the Mudblood comment.

Malfoy paused for a moment. "I don't know," he admitted.

"Off to the library it is then," Ron said. He turned to Hermione. "That is where we're going, right?"

"Yes," Hermione smiled. "Come on."

"You three seem to have everything in hand so I'll just-"

"You too, Malfoy," Hermione cut him off with a glare. "I had another dream last night. A big one."

"Did you dream about Weasley finally asking you out?" Malfoy asked maliciously as they began to walk. "Touching, but I really don't want to hear about it."

"Do you think anyone would blame me if I pushed him down the stairs?" Ron wondered loudly.

Malfoy was quiet after that.

"And that's when I saw that her tongue was missing," Granger concluded with a sigh.

"Missing?" Draco asked with a frown, leaning forwards onto the table.

"As in, cut out," Granger clarified. "Which is why she never spoke in any of my dreams. She couldn't." She shuddered slightly. "There was so much blood."

Draco felt a jab of sympathy for her before he hastily quashed it.

"Right, so she was stabbed and her tongue was cut out," he concluded with clinical detachment. "Are there any spells that require a human tongue?"

"What're you asking her for, you're a Slytherin aren't you?" Ron called from the table next to them. "Didn't you have those types of spells as your nursery rhymes?"

"Yes, 'Twinkle, Twinkle Tongueless Star' was always popular in our house," Draco shot back sarcastically. He turned back to the table only to see Granger trying and failing to stifle a smile. "What?" he asked bitterly.

"Nothing," she answered unconvincingly. At his continued glare, she shrugged. "I didn't know 'Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star' existed in the wizarding world."

"It doesn't," Draco replied shortly.

"Then how do you know about it?" Granger asked curiously.

"My uncle bought me a Muggle nursery rhyme book when I was young," he answered, staring determinedly down at the book in his hands. "Thought it'd amuse me."

"It obviously did if you remember some of the titles," Granger pointed out with a smile. "Do you know any more?"

"No," Draco lied. "Go look for books on Dark spells."

"Yes, because they'll just hand a book like that over to a student?" Hermione asked, surprised at his lack of intelligence. "I don't think so."

"You're the golden child around here, make them," he shrugged, as if it was no big deal.

"Don't be ridiculous," Granger snapped. "The only way we'd have access to those types of books is if we were…"

"If we were…?" Draco prompted irritably.

"Harry," Granger said, completely ignoring him and standing up to address her friend. "Do you think we could borrow your invisibility cloak?"

"This was a bad idea," Hermione whispered, many hours later.

She and Malfoy crept down the silent, shadowy corridors towards the library. Malfoy cautiously held up a lantern to light their way, making sure not to burn the cloak they huddled under.

"This was your idea," he reminded in a hiss.

"I know," she hissed back. "It was a spur of the moment thing."

They carefully made their way towards the library doors, ignoring each other determinedly. They had to be in close proximity in order for them to fit underneath the cloak and it was an uncomfortable journey for both of them.

"If my father ever found out about this…" Malfoy muttered as they reached their destination.

"He'd disown you, you'd forever be a laughing stock in the wizarding world, you'd never be able to marry a Pureblood and die a lonely disgrace," Hermione finished for him in a bored voice, shivering slightly as his breath warmed her neck. "That about sum it up?"

"You missed out the part about the cat," Malfoy told her after a moment.

"What?" She turned her head around, not realizing how close it would make their faces. Her cheeks coloured and she quickly turned back around.

"I wouldn't die alone, I'd get a cat or something," Malfoy shrugged after the awkward moment was over.

"I pegged you as more of a reptile person," Hermione frowned.

"Because I'm a Slytherin? How original."

"Shut up."

"Make me," was Malfoy's mature retort.

"Alohomora," Hermione whispered, tapping her wand lightly on the thick library doors.

"Why do they lock the library, anyway?" Malfoy wondered as they made their way inside. "Afraid someone might steal a book?"

"Probably," Hermione nodded as she relocked the door and shrugged the cloak off herself.

"I was kidding," Malfoy said in disgust, also removing the cloak and slinging it over his shoulders. "And I can't believe that Potter hasn't had this confiscated."

"Good thing he hasn't, otherwise we wouldn't have been able to get in here and this whole thing would've taken a lot longer," Hermione replied waspishly.

"Heavens forbid," Malfoy said dryly. He held the lantern aloft and swung it around slightly. "It's pitch black in here."

"Well, it is half an hour from midnight," Hermione reminded him absently.

"I meant, how are we supposed to find our way around?" Malfoy said, his voice tense in the darkness.

"Afraid of the dark?" Hermione taunted lightly.

"Of course not," Malfoy snapped back, a little too quickly. "Let's just find what we're looking for and get out."

"Sounds good to me," Hermione agreed. "There's some windows on the other side of the library, that should give us some moonlight to work with."

"And until then?"

"Don't trip," was the only advice Hermione could give.

"That's the most insightful comment I've ever heard," Malfoy muttered. "Thank you so much for sharing."

Hermione scowled into the darkness as she took careful steps.

"Do you always complain so much?"

"Yes."

His short and truthful answer had her smiling…but only because she was sure he couldn't see her.

When they reached the Restricted Section, Hermione exhaled quietly and tried to gather her confidence.

"Never done anything like this, Granger?" Malfoy asked, amused.

"I'm friends with Harry Potter," she answered scathingly. "Of course I have."

Without another word, she slipped the cloak away from Malfoy and threw it over both of them. It settled neatly and swayed with them as they crept into the Restricted Section. Though she would never say it, Hermione was glad that there was someone else to go with her into the shadowy, usually forbidden section of the library. Even if it was Malfoy.

"Just start scanning the shelves," Hermione whispered once they were surrounded by towering bookcases. "If a title looks promising then take it, read the back cover, but don't open it."

"That's the stupidest thing I've ever heard," Malfoy said with a scornful laugh. "How are we supposed to read a book if we can't open it?"

To prove his point, he selected a book at random and made to open it. Hermione quickly but firmly put her hand on top of his to stop him. She glanced upwards in a reproaching manner, but her scolding died on her lips as she found Malfoy was looking straight back down at her. Her breath caught in her throat as he quirked up an eyebrow and she retracted her hand as though his touch burned her. She quickly turned her back on him in order to scan for more books. Thankfully, it seemed Malfoy had taken her advice and put the book back without opening it.

For minutes they stood in silence, their tired eyes drifting over the book titles illuminated by the moonlight and the lantern Malfoy held wearily aloft.

"I think I've found something," Malfoy murmured after an age.

"Really?" Hermione asked, surprised.

"I'm not completely incompetent, you know," he muttered. "And yes. Well, it's not about tongue removal or anything, but it could relate to Trayton." He realized that he hadn't told Granger the name of his ancestor. "He's my-"

"I know who he is," Hermione cut off with a nod. "Zella showed me. And I still have yet to meet him, by the way."

"He's a ghost, he's not used to meeting new people," Malfoy told her, entirely unconvincingly.

"What's the matter, can't trust me with him?" Hermione asked, starting to get annoyed.

"More like the other way around," Malfoy told her darkly. "Do you want to look at this book or not?"

"'The Secret Societies Of Hogwarts'," Hermione read, squinting as she did. "Trayton was in a secret society?"

"Yeah," Malfoy answered, looking away uncomfortably. "Look, it's probably midnight now and I really think that we should take the book and just quit while we're ahead."

"Alright," Hermione said, slowly and suspiciously.

She secured the cloak above them again as Malfoy tucked the book protectively underneath his arm. They began to walk once again in sync, only stopping when they were about to exit the Restricted Section.

"What's wrong, why are we stopping?" Malfoy frowned.

But Hermione barely heard him. The room was spinning and there was a dreadful pain in her abdomen. She reached out for something and clutched it, before losing both her grip and her consciousness. She fell to the floor, dragging the cloak with her.

"Granger?" Draco asked, alarmed.

He fell to his knees and removed the cloak that made half her body invisible, throwing it roughly to the side. Panicking, he prodded and shoved her but she didn't wake.

"Stupid Mudblood," he fretted as loudly as he dared. "Wake up! Granger!" Deciding there was nothing else for it, he slapped her face. "Granger! Hermione!"

He swore under his breath until the dread that seized his stomach eased ever so slightly.

"Don't you dare leave me to carry you back to the Gryffindor dorms, I won't do it," he threatened her unconscious (but, thankfully, breathing) form. "I have more pride than that." He waited for a moment before running a hand through his hair in agitation. "Come on, wake up!"

He sighed. He could either wait here under the invisibility cloak and let the librarian find Granger in the morning or hide them both under the invisibility cloak and wait for her to wake up. It didn't occur to him to just leave her there until a minute later, which concerned him. When did he become so selfless? But she could be seriously hurt, and just leaving her here could cause long term damage.

"I hate you for this," he muttered, placing the book they were stealing on her stomach. He put one hand under her knees and the other under her neck and lifted her up. Thank Merlin she wasn't heavy. Of course, there was the problem of the invisibility cloak that lay strewn over the floor beside them.

"Oh, for the love of…" he muttered, placing Granger rather unceremoniously back onto the floor and scooping up the cloak. "Right, how is this going to work?"

He got under the cloak and picked Granger back up, arranging it so that they were both hidden. It took a lot of effort and a great deal of frustration had to now be vented.

"When you wake up, I'll knock you out again myself for all the trouble you're causing me," he warned Granger.

Her hair tickled his wrist and arm but he gritted his teeth and bore it. It took even more time and effort to get out of the damned library, so much so that Draco swore he would never step foot in the bloody place again.

He walked down the corridors which seemed a hundred times more menacing now that his only companion was an unconscious girl. If he didn't need her for research and her necklace…

As he carried her down towards the hospital wing, he wondered what he would tell her when she woke up. More importantly, he wondered what he would tell Madam Pomfrey in approximately two minutes when she asked him what he was doing with an unconscious Gryffindor. It wouldn't look good. Maybe he could just leave her there…? No, he had to make sure she was found.

He reached the hospital wing doors and was suddenly very conscious of waking people up. Leaning Granger against the door carefully and keeping her there with one hand, he used the other to knock. Realizing he still had the cloak on, he hastily tore it off and shoved it under his arm, along with the book.

"Come on, come on, come on," he whispered impatiently before knocking again.

After an eternity, the doors clicked open to reveal a tired Madam Pomfrey in her nightgown.

"Mr. Malfoy, what…?" she asked sleepily, before Draco almost shoved Granger through the door. She immediately snapped to attention. "What happened?"

"I don't know, I found her like this," he lied.

"Help me get her onto a bed," Madam Pomfrey said, unable to cope with Granger herself.

When this had been accomplished, she turned to glare at Draco.

"It's none of my business what the two of you have been up to this evening, but I will need you to be truthful about her condition."

"I don't know anything about it," he told her, actually being truthful. At Madam Pomfrey's continued glare, he shuffled uncomfortably. "I know that she's been having bad dreams that have been keeping her up recently."

Madam Pomfrey raised her eyebrows at him but said nothing, instead bustling off to find a remedy.

It didn't hit Draco about what he'd said until a few seconds later. Madam Pomfrey couldn't honestly think that he'd…with Granger…?! If she told anyone…!

His silent concern was broken when the healer came back with a small bottle.

"A powerful sleeping potion," she told him, wafting the bottle under Granger's nose. "This'll make her sleep properly."

"Thanks," Draco answered awkwardly.

Should he stay awhile longer or should he go? First he had to clear things up.

"About tonight-"

"I won't say a word about the two of you," Madam Pomfrey said with a sly smile.

That was it.

Whether Granger needed him or not, he was out of there like a shot.

A/N:

Hello, hope you enjoyed the latest chapter.

I tried to incorporate a lot of the panic that goes on when someone around you faints. My friend had a fit and almost fainted once (in the middle of a concert, no less!) and it was the scariest few minutes of my life. I slapped her, I yelled at her, I poked her…just like Draco did with Hermione. Again, this was in the middle of a concert so it was pretty embarrassing, but hey. My friend was fine in the end.

Thank you very much for your reviews, they're greatly appreciated (:

Have a great week!

- Momo