She had intended on getting the cloak under better circumstances, but as things were, Hermione was running out of options. The issue would be getting into the boys' dormitories, which, after her stunt in the commons, would be near impossible. But, poking her head out, she noticed that Harry had gone to his room and had one last idea. She came down the stairs, ignoring the looks she was getting as she went straight to the boys' staircase. Harry was sitting on his bed, head in his hands when she came in.

"Harry?"

He looked up and frowned. "Hermione? What are you doing here?"

She sighed, sitting down beside him. "I'm so sorry about what happened earlier between Ron and I. We shouldn't be fighting like that and you don't deserve to be around when it happens."

"Hermione, I know what Ron said was wrong, but…you've been worrying all of us and we just want to know that you're okay. Ron's…Ron just cares about you differently. You know."

She blushed and looked away. "This year has been so hectic, Harry. So many things have happened…things I can't tell you."

"If you're involved in something wrong, you need to tell me. You always used to tell me things."

"I know. But this is different." She rubbed her face. "Things are so confusing."

"Something you can't tell me about, huh?" He observed her for a moment before shaking his head. "I understand why Ron's so mad. It's like we don't know you anymore."

"I'm still the same girl-"

"You're not, Hermione. You're different. You've changed."

She turned to him. "Harry…I'm in so much trouble."

He frowned. "Does this…Hermione, does this have to do with what happened on the second floor?"

Taking a deep breath, she stood. "This was a mistake."

"Hermione, no." He took her hand. "It's about that, isn't it? What's going on?"

She turned to him. "I can't tell you."

"No, you need to tell me what's going on!" He stood, taking her arms in his hands. "I saw the hallway. They have the Ministry here, Hermione! If you are involved, you need to let me help you!"

"I can't get anyone else involved. This is my problem, I have to fix it alone."

"Whatever it is out there, it's dangerous! Why are you resisting?"

"Because I can't let you get hurt!" She closed her eyes for a moment, sighing. "Harry, please. I need you to understand. This is more complicated than I imagined it would be."

"Then let me help."

Looking up into his eyes, she could tell he would not let this go. "I…I need your invisibility cloak."

His eyebrows rose but he nodded and went to his trunk. "You promise me you will be careful, Hermione," he muttered, handing the cloak to her. "And if things go sideways-"

"You'll be the first to know. Promise me you won't say anything to Ron or the others."

He nodded. "Promise. I would get going. Whatever it is that you're looking for, Charlie's going to find it soon."

Harry came down the stairs with Hermione, noticing the strange look Ron cast their way.

"What's going on between you and Ron, I think it's unhealthy."

"It's the wrong time," she told him. "We're both…I have a lot to deal with without him becoming a jealous mess."

"He's not being jealous, Hermione. He's worried."

"He has a funny way of showing it."

He rolled his eyes. "I never said he was justified in what he did. But, honestly? Have you ever known Ron to express his feelings in a rational way?"

She smiled and kissed his cheek. "Thank you, Harry."

"Yeah, just try not to get killed, okay?"

She went up to her room and closed the curtains around her bed before putting the cloak on. Of course, she had to wait around by the portrait hole for someone to open it. Then it was an easy path down to the Library. Blaise and Draco were still in the back, no longer arguing but she could tell that they had done so recently by the way they were glaring at each other. She tapped Draco on the shoulder and he fell out of his chair, eyes wide.

"What the hell?"

Smiling, she threw the hood off the cloak. "Hey."

Blaise scrambled to his feet. "Shit, Granger!"

Draco got to his feet, reaching out to touch the cloak. "Where the did you get this?"

"I don't think we have time for that. Are you coming, Zabini?"

"No."

Draco rolled his eyes as Hermione draped it over him as well. "Hold down the fort, then. If things change, cover for me."

"Yeah, Granger, you're on your own," Blaise snapped. She pulled the hood down and they took off towards the dungeons. She was conscious of how close they were to each other but she kept her gaze on what was ahead of them.

"Dungeons?" she murmured and he nodded.

"Yeah, before those damn officials get there."

When they were safely hidden in the darkness of the dungeons, they pulled the cloak off and pulled their wands.

"Lumos."

Hermione peered around. "What do we do if we find him?"

Malfoy squared his shoulders and started off. "What we need to."

"What is that supposed to mean!" She caught up to him with a worried look. "Malfoy, you can't-"

"Can't what? He's insane, Granger. And if he attacks, then I am not going to hold back."

"He's hurt. Of course he's going to attack."

"If he hurts someone, it's on our heads. We need to do something about it before that happens."

Hermione's stomach knotted but she nodded. They stayed close to each other as they tentatively made their way through the winding dungeons. Hermione would call out every once in a while, much to Draco's annoyance but he did not dissuade her. Either they would stumble upon Easter, which was unlikely, or it would come to them.

"Wait." Draco came to a stop. "Do you hear that?"

Hermione listened intently. A soft rattling breath filtered down the corridors towards them. As they moved closer to the noise, it got so loud that it shook the walls. Then it stopped. Everything got so quiet that Hermione could hear her own trembling breathing.

"Can you see anything?" she asked him.

"No…wait, something-"

She was knocked into the wall as something shot out of the darkness, wrapped around Draco, and dragged him down the hall. She scrambled after him, grabbing his arm. He started yelling in pain.

"My leg! God, let GO!"

"Reducto!"

Draco was released, but a bone-chilling screech followed after. Draco shoved Hermione forward, limping as he followed after her. They got as far as ten feet before being bowled over, wands knocked away from them. Hermione gasped at the glowing gold eyes that stared down at her. Great silvery fangs appeared.

"MALFOY!"

"Avada Kadavra!"

Screeching, it stumbled away as the jet of green light hit it but did not die. Draco snatched Hermione's arm and they were off again. They were knocked down again and Draco screamed as it clamped its jaws down on his already injured leg. In the dark, Hermione could not see him but she heard his cries of pain. She could hear herself crying and screaming as well as she stumbled around trying to find him. Her fingers brushed against flesh and she took hold of it, pulling hard. But she released him immediately when a familiar thin furred cord encircled her neck and began to tighten. She was lifted up off the ground, clawing futilely at the tail as her lungs began to burn.

She must have lost consciousness because the next thing she knew she was on the cold floor, coughing and gasping for air. Down the hall she could hear snarling and screeching while the walls shook with impact.

"Hermione!" came Draco's ragged voice. She felt wet hands on her face and felt her way towards him. His breathing was shallow and she could tell he was trying not to cry.

"What happened?"

"I don't know…it just let me go."

She tried to pull him to his feet, but he groaned and slumped back against the wall. "I can't…my leg is gone…just go on without me…"

Hermione shook her head. Neither of them could find their wands, the lights were gone, and the snarls were getting louder. If she left him there, he would bleed out or Easter would come back to finish the job.

"Put your arm around my shoulders."

"Hermione-"

"You are not becoming a martyr for something I did!" she gasped, pulling him up again. She slipped her arm around his waist and started dragging him down the hall. He gasped and groaned in pain, but used his working leg to help them along. The floor shook with an approaching attack and Draco shoved Hermione ahead of himself, falling to the floor.

"Just go!"

"Draco-"

"Damn it, Granger, RUN!"

She took off blindly, tears streaming down her cheeks as she stumbled through the corridors in her escape. She finally reached a lighted area and collapsed against the wall, looking back into the dark corridor. Her heart was racing and she clutched her chest as she struggled to breathe.

"Oh God…Oh God, Draco!"

"Hermione?"

She spun around just as Harry appeared at the bottom of the stairs. He rushed to her side, eyes wide at her appearance.

"Hermione, what happened? Are you okay?"

"Draco!" She pointed down the hallway. "He's going to die! Oh God, Harry, he's…this is all my fault!"

"You're hurt-"

"He's dead!"

Harry pulled her to her feet. "Hermione, what happened?"

A loud huff kept Hermione from answering. Harry pushed her behind him, drawing his wand at the blazing gold orbs floating in the darkness beyond. The huffing continued and the two backed up as Easter slowly materialized before them. The cat was in much the same physical condition as it had been outside the lavatory but he was no longer enraged. Hanging loosely from his mouth was an unconscious Draco Malfoy. He set Draco down, whimpering as he nuzzled Draco's ashen face. Hermione rushed forward, slamming her fists against Easter's head.

"Get AWAY!" she screamed as the creature shrunk back, still whimpering. "You monster, GO AWAY!"

When Easter began huffing, she snatched Harry's wand and pointed it at Easter. "Avada Kadavra!"

The green jet hit Easter in the center blue spot. He stumbled back with a harsh scream. Tail dropping to the floor, Easter snarled and then disappeared into the dark.

Hermione got to her feet quickly. "Mobilcorpus," she whispered, waving the wand over Draco's body. Harry took the wand away from her.

"I'll take care of this, Hermione."

She gripped Draco's hand tightly. "We have to take him to Madam Pomfrey's."

"No." At her sharp, shocked look, he shook his head. "No. You're too involved. We take him to the Room of Requirement."

"But his injuries!"

He opened her bag and pulled the cloak out. "I'll help you, Hermione. Just trust me, okay?"

She lowered her gaze to Draco, pushing his hair out of his scratched face. "Okay, but we have to hurry!"