Hermione was beginning to go mad. That was the only explanation. As she slept she'd dream horrifying dreams, always waking up in the middle of the night only to sleep again to the same thing. Ever since she'd realised that Harry was the last Horcrux, she hadn't been able to sleep properly. All day and night for three days she stayed in her room, reliving the pleasant memories she had of her, Harry, and Ron back as a trio in their school days. On the fourth day, she finally relented and went out to begin her research again. She had to stay strong, especially for Harry.

Harry had been locked up in his room all day the first day, coming to terms with his inevitable death. Then he'd come out and started talking about battle plans with Arthur and Kingsley and Neville. He'd let them in on it, and they were horrified, though they seemed to understand.

After eating, Hermione had to go back upstairs for a good cry. It was just all becoming too much to bear.

The day came when she was to meet Draco again, and she arrived at the Shrieking Shack on time as usual. He was there before her, also as usual, and she took a deep, shaky breath before going in. He turned, relieved to see her. He immediately went to her.

"You all right?" he asked, touching her arm, and she nodded.

"Thanks to you. Thank you for helping us."

"It was no problem. Look Hermione, I'm really sorry. I had no idea—"

Hermione put her hand over his mouth. "It's all right. It's not like they'd tell you they were arriving earlier." Draco felt his stomach churn. "But I'm curious; where'd you get the wands?"

Draco shrugged. "After the Dark Lord captured Ollivander again and killed him, the Death eaters sacked his shop. All the wands they took were transferred over to the manor because that's where the Dark Lord is staying now. I just took a few for you and your friends."

"Draco that was very brave of you," Hermione said with a little smile, and he nodded.

"Scared me shitless too." He pursed his lips.

"What happened after we left? Did anything happen to you?" Hermione looked very worried, and it made his heart sink a bit.

"Yaxley was too ashamed to let the Dark Lord know that we'd captured you and your friends and had let you go unintentionally. Good thing, too, or else I would've been in loads of trouble along with my Mum and Dad."

"I'm glad you're all right too," Hermione said, and she embraced him. "Merlin, this world has gone mad."

"I know. I wish everything could just be simple again. Simple and safe."

Hermione sniffed. "Me too." Hermione felt her heart swelling as she listened to his own heart beat.

She pulled her head up to look him in the eyes. "I'm sorry you got stunned."

Draco smiled. "Really, that's the least of my problems."

Hermione wiped her eyes and kissed him. They kissed for a moment before Hermione pulled back to look him in the eyes again. "Draco," she whispered. "I love you."

Draco's grey eyes widened. "What?"

Hermione sniffed again. "I love you. Really I do. I thought I couldn't love anyone after Ron died, but…I don't know, after you came I just…"

Draco pulled back and took a few steps away from her. "You can't."

Hermione frowned. "But I do."

"No, Hermione. You can't. You don't understand. I'm a Death eater."

"But you're a spy. You're helping us."

"No. I'm a Death eater!"

"But Draco," she said, approaching him, "you're good inside, and I can see that and that's what makes me love you."

Draco stared down at her, his heart conflicting with his head. He was ecstatic that she loved him, but he was afraid beyond belief of what the consequences would be. He was supposed to break her heart now. He was supposed to shatter her completely inside. He was supposed to render her incapable of ever trusting anyone ever again.

But he couldn't because he loved her too.

He swallowed. "You can't," he whispered hoarsely.

"But I do," she replied, and kissed him again.

Oh, God.

Hermione had accepted the fact that she did indeed have strong feelings for Draco. Sure, maybe not love, but she liked him quite a lot. On day three of her revelation, the disturbing thought came back into her head; how could she love Malfoy the same way she'd loved Ron? And when she thought that, the nightmares began again. She broke finally and told Molly all her problems. Molly was very sympathetic and suggested that she was really emotionally conflicted which resulted in such terrible nightmares. Hermione pegged it as the first signs of going mad.

Her most disturbing recurring dream was of Ron coming back. He would walk through her door, holding Draco by the neck. Ron looked just as he always did, and Hermione would rush to him, ecstatic, ready to cry his name, but his look always stopped her. His blue eyes would be cold, and Draco would call her name instead. "Hermione," he'd say in his desperate, cool voice, and Hermione would stare at him.

"Where'd you get him?" Hermione would ask, frightened of Ron's gaze.

"I found him in your heart, Hermione," Ron said coldly. "What's he doin' in there?"

Hermione didn't know what to say. Ron threw Draco down and stepped dangerously toward her. "Hermione, I thought you loved me. You can't love one person and move onto another just like that. Did you ever really love me? Did you?"

Hermione would falter under his gaze, whispering, "Yes, yes, I loved you. I love you! I still love you."

And Draco, on the floor, would stare up at her, hurt, and she wouldn't know what to say.

"Good," Ron would say. "Then you won't miss him." And he'd raise his wand and shout the curse Hermione never, ever wanted to hear him say. "Avada Kedavra!"

And she would wake up, panting, in a cold sweat. "I love you Ron, I do," she'd whisper to herself in the dark, and she'd make sure Ginny, her roommate, didn't stir before lying in the dark, thinking.

Draco, on the other hand, was just as conflicted between his head and his heart, though perhaps more than Hermione. He had to break her heart in order to complete his mission so he and his family would be safe, but he didn't want to. He'd never been in love, really, and it felt…good. Good didn't even encompass the feeling of love. It was horrid, but at the same time, wonderful. He felt like he could fly, but he thought of the Dark Lord right after, and he felt horrible. On Christmas Day, Draco grew sick. He became so ill that he had to go to St. Mungo's and was kept there for a couple days. The Dark Lord had no idea of the confliction Draco was going through, and so allowed him to take a rest. It was a rest Lucius had begged for. Draco felt sick to his stomach the way his parents had taken to groveling at the Dark Lord's feet for even the littlest things like getting extra hours of sleep or going to the hospital. It was pathetic.

Hermione was beginning to worry when Draco didn't contact her after two weeks. The new year had passed her without a sound. Well, a little sound anyway. Harry had reminded her of the date, to which Hermione had nodded and wished him a happy one, though really it seemed stupid to be wishing someone a happy new year when really they knew it wasn't going to be a happy one at all. It was madness, all of it.

The creeping thought that he had betrayed her came to mind, but she quickly cast it off. He wouldn't do that. He loved her too much. Hermione sighed, tired of being in her room. The Order had to get back on the offensive, not waiting for some attack from the Dark Lord.

Right at that thought, Harry called her down. Hermione walked down the stairs and saw Harry looking a bit frazzled. "Yes, Harry? What is it?"

"Hermione, Arthur and I've decided. We've got to have a confrontation with the Dark Lord. He's got the Elder Wand, and so that means I've got to meet him head-on and allow him to…you know." He clenched his teeth and Hermione felt tears come into her eyes.

"Oh God, Harry," she cried and embraced him fiercely. "I don't want to lose you too."

"Stop it, Hermione," he said angrily. "It can't be helped so stop crying." He was trying to be strong, but Hermione still felt put out by his reaction. She sniffled and pulled away, wiping her eyes.

"You're right," she said, trying to control her voice. "You're right." She took a deep breath. "Where do you want to meet him?"

Harry took a deep breath himself. "I was thinking at Hogwarts. Might as well make it end with a bang where I've always felt at home, eh?"

Hermione slapped his arm, on the verge of tears. "Harry James Potter! How can you make a joke like that right now?"

Harry looked uncomfortable. "Just trying, geez. Lighten up a little."

Hermione couldn't see how he could be so nonchalant about all this, and so went off in a snit so he wouldn't see her tears. It didn't last very long, however; she was back in a short time to hug her best friend again and to make out the plans with him, Neville, Kingsley, and Arthur. She didn't have enough time with him to be angry. Oh Merlin, this was all going much, much too fast. First Ron, now Harry…

Hermione had to break away from the plan-making to have a good cry before going back to work. Madness, that's what this all was. Madness.

A/N: Thank you for reading, my lovely readers! Don't forget to review, now, and tell me your thoughts! I hope you all don't think it's going too fast now. Review and tell me your thoughts, criticisms, anything! Thank you! :)