.A/N: New chapter up! And news: I have outlined the ending for this story. It's going to be 14 chapters and an epilogue...so the end is near. Endelss thank you for all the support! Here we go again:

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Turn the page I need to see something new
For now my innocence is torn
We cannot linger on this stunted view
Like rabid dogs of war
I will let the memory heal
I'll remember you with me on that field

When I thought that I fought this war alone
You were there by my side on the frontline
And we fought to believe the impossible
When I thought that I fought this war alone
We were one with our destinies entwined
When I thought that I fought without a cause
You gave me the reason why

~Poets Of The Fall, War~

The plan:

1. They'd take his blood and with muggle medicine-gear inject it into her vanes. She had said something about some bloods not mixing and something about blood types and something about how they had to just take the chance. He hadn't understood much of it though.

2. She would tell the order lies about how she had figured out a way to get past Malfoy wards. And hope no one would question what her ways were.

3. She would borrow Potters invisibility cloak, sneak into the Manor and take the wards down. Hoping that his blood mixing with hers was enough…

4. Potter would apparate in, followed by the rest of the order and kill Voldemort to the spot.

5. They would capture the rest of the death eaters and the war would be over.

If only it was that easy.

He thought the plan was filled with holes. There were so many things that could go wrong.

First of all: they had drawn the layout of the manor based on his memory. Of course he remembered his childhood home in detail, but the place, where the wards could be activated, was just a lucky guess. If they got it wrong, her task would be millions of times harder.

"This is the best we've got." She assured him again.

He could think a bunch of questions, that they hadn't thought about. For example, what if it wouldn't work and she would not be able to get out?

But she was not going to back off. He knew it by the look on her face and the grit on her teeth. She would force it through. That was, how hard she wanted to end the war.

"I've fought this fricking war ever since I entered the wizarding world." She explained, "I entered this beautiful world, and for the first time, I felt like I belonged somewhere. But ever since, I've fought for the right to be a part of it. I want to be able to live a life, and not be frightened all the time!"

He understood her point and truthfully, felt guilty about his part in her fight for her rights.

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Time was mocking him. Hours flew by and day turned to another without his consent.

Most nights he lay awake, holding her as close as he dared, trying not to wake her. But most nights she, too, seemed to be unable to sleep.

Then they lie facing each other, mostly silent, but sometimes talking in quiet voices.

Sometimes she sang, songs he didn't recognize…muggle lullabies her mother used to sing to her, when she was a little girl.

And if it hadn't been the war and battles looming in the background, maybe he would have described himself happy.

"Funny" She said one of those nights, caressing his jawline with her soft hand, "Back in the days I always thought your face was so hard…"

He didn't say anything.

"Then I saw you smile, like genially smile, and I thought you were so beautiful."

"When was that?"

She shrugged, "I guess fifth year. You were practicing on a quidditch field…Ginny had forgotten something in the locker rooms and we came to get it. She went in and I watched you fly. I've always thought Harry and Ginny were good flyers, but you…you were a human form of grace that day."

To be honest, he felt quite smug

"You never told me this before…"

He tried to remember that day, but it had been so many years ago and he flew so often back then.

"Just remembered it. Can you imagine how shocked I was, when I caught myself thinking about you that way. I think, I was in so much denial, I tried to just forget everything. But somehow after that, I couldn't see you as pure evil anymore. Maybe my brain wouldn't except, that someone evil could smile so pure…or maybe I understood, that you were just a boy… but something definately changed that day."

He tried to process her words and suddenly, the bet Theo and Blaise had made, popped into his mind.

"You know, Theo and Blaise were right…about the yule ball. That was the day something changed for me."

Her eyes lit up so beautifully, when she looked at him.

"I heard Weasley talk you down and I had this strange urge to strangle him! Even more than usual, I mean."

She chuckled.

"And Pansy…She kept trying to get my attention, and all I could think of was how she irritated me! I had planned to take her virginity that night, and you ruined everything! I was so mad!"

Now she laughed out loud, "Oh, poor teenage Draco! So caught up by another woman, that you couldn't even perform!"

"It was not funny back then! I had planned it for months." He pouted, "I planned to run after you and make you pay for what your mere presence did to me!"

"But you never did…"

He shook his head.

They fell silent for a while.

Then she said thoughtfully: "What would have happened if you did, run after me, I mean?"

He shrugged.

"You think, we would have faced the truth earlier?" her eyes were serious.

"The truth?"

"That we are, like Theo and Blaise so kindly put it, two sides of the same coin?"

Would they? Or was this the result of everything they had gone through? Would fourteen-year-old Draco and Hermione have been even able look past the differences and see each other the way they saw now? If he had had her, would Dumbledore be alive and Voldemort dead?

"I think not…" He said quietly, "I was too spoiled, too biased and too much of a prat, to admit anything I was taught, could be wrong..."

She smiled, "Lucky you grew up."

He nodded, "lucky, despite all the pain and horror it took."

"I believe it will pay up!"

He really wanted to believe her.

"I hope so, too."

She leaned closer to him and pressed their lips together…

There are so many ways you can describe it: You can fuck…or shag…or bang…or screw…or even have sex…

He was pretty sure they had done all of them before.

But now, when she pushed herself flush against him and tangled her hands in his hair. When his hands gripped her ass and he travelled kisses down her body. When her soft whimpers filled the room. When he joined their bodies together kissing her deeply. When she straddled him, and he gripped her hips, urging her to move faster, staring into her lust filled eyes. When she screamed his name as she came…

When this was all of him, and this was all of her…

He was pretty sure, this would be called making love…

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The night he had feared came too soon.

She came home and told him it was time. Pulled out the things they stole from the hospital and made him sit down.

"Don't look." She said as she pierced his skin with the needle.

It didn't exactly hurt. The feeling of blood starting to drip out, was very weird, like someone pulling the veins in his hand.

She gave him blood restoring potion, as the bags filled up "Drink up, so you won't drain out of blood"

After five bags she seemed to be satisfied.

"Ok, now we need to put a needle in my hand and keep the bag above my heart for the blood to go in." She sounded more confident than she probably was, he reckoned.

This was just crazy! If they survived, he would never ever do this again!

"Draco, if something happens to me during this, if I pass out or something, take me to the muggle hospital. Tell them we were doing some ritual and I got your blood in my system. They'll know how to fix it."

"How dangerous exactly is this?" He suspected she hadn't told him everything.

"It's just the blood types… But we have no time to think about that now! Others are waiting for me!"

She rammed the needle in her vain and made him keep the bag above her.

He stared at her, trying to locate any anomality in her behavior.

Except of the blood dripping slowly into her, nothing happened.

Their blood, mixing into one…It felt symbolic. His pureblood fusing into hers...like he had fused into her world…like he had fused into her…

"Whatever our souls are made of, his and mine, are the same." She whispered, as if talking to herself.

He glanced her, "What?"

"Nothing, just a literature quote that I remembered…" She shook her head, "Can I call myself a halfblood now?" She smiled trying obviously to lighten the mood.

He didn't feel like joking. Instead he was deep in thought, thinking about her quote…his and mine, are the same… And there it was again: the overpowering feeling, that made his heart race, but that he couldn't quite put a name on.

It took quite a bit longer to get to blood into her, than it took, to get it out of him. But finally, they were ready.

"How do you feel?"

She shook her head, "Little weird, but otherwise fine."

They were standing face to face.

"So, this is it? final showdown?" He asked, trying to ignore how heavy his heart felt.

Suddenly he was faced with the reality that she was leaving to fight again. And he was of no use…

"It's not like it's happening today." She stated, "But I need to be there…for the final preparations."

"So you're leaving now?"

TOO SOON!

She nodded, "If everything goes like it's supposed to, I will be gone for a week, at most."

"And me?"

Why hadn't they planned this part through?

Please don't make me stay here!

He was sure, that after a week not knowing if she was alive, his sanity would be gone.

"Draco, I need you to go to Andromedas first thing tomorrow morning," She said steadily, "you'll be safe there with the others, but if something goes wrong…"

He shook his head, "Don't…"

"No, you need to listen! If I don't come back, take Theo and Blaise and run! Leave country, go somewhere, where no one would think to look for you. Change your identity, color your hair…anything to make it harder to find you. Please Draco!"

What could he say to that?

How he wished he had the power to make her stay.

"If I don't come back, don't doubt! There's nothing you can do for me, but to stay alive and carry on." Her eyes were watery, but her voice fierce "I saved you to give you another chance! I will not let you waste it!"

"I didn't sign up for this!" He tried to reach her, but she didn't let him.

"I have one more thing to ask from you: If this goes to hell, take Ginny with you. She will not want to come, she will fight tooth and nail, but I know you can handle it. I need you to promise me Draco!?" She was pleading him.

He didn't want to just give up and agree. He didn't want to promise her, that he would just leave her behind, possibly not knowing what had happened…

"Please Draco, Promise me?"

"I will, but I need a promise from you, too."

She nodded hesitantly.

"Come back, so this can be the last promise for you, I break."

She laughed sadly and nodded again.

"I'm so sorry we didn't have more time…" She took his hand.

She was really going…Every second, the moment she'd be gone, ticked closer, and every second his mind felt darker.

"Draco, I…"

"Don't!" Suddenly, he didn't want her to finish that sentence, "Don't say it, if it sounds like a goodbye."

He pulled her to him and kissed her hard. Trying, and failing, to not to kiss her like it was goodbye. Willing to memorize every part of her… the feel of her against him, the smell of her hair, the taste of her sweet lips, the beat of her heart.

"I wish we had found each other sooner." She said when they pulled little apart, "I wish I had seen you, the real you, sooner… I wish I had more time to tell you how much…"

But he cut her off again, because he feared, that with her words out, but her gone, he'd lose his mind… "You will have time after Voldemort is dead!"

They shared one more crushing kiss. He felt like part of his soul was ripped away as they parted.

She gave him slow nod and a brave smile.

"Don't look back…" He whispered.

She let go of his hands and walked away.

And he was left there, feeling like all the light, all the warmth…all the love…had exited the room with her.

He sat on her sofa, staring to nothingness, for most of the night, flinching every sound, secretly wishing she had returned.

At sunrise, he took the portkey and gathered all his self-control.

Don't feel

Conceal your emotions

Mask them with indifference

Take a deep breath

Go…