The first feeling Hermione noticed in her was the twitch of her left hand, which was laying down at her side. She moved her fingertips to touch the soft silk of the sheets. She smiled softly knowing she was in her bed at Hogwarts. She could feel her soft nightgown over her, and wondered briefly who changed her out of the bloody clothes she had been wearing when she passed out. With the peaking open of one eyelid she noticed the sun was setting outside on the Hogwarts grounds. She looked down at her arms and saw the gashes healed completely. Her skin looked as flawless as it had before. Hermione guessed that the dark orange glow of sunset had woken her, until she heard the shouting from down in the common room.
Hermione strenuously lifted herself up on her palms in order to listen better. Her body was still aching from what she could only guess was the ordeal that had been destroying the horcrux.
"I disagree." Draco Malfoy's voice floated in angrily from behind her closed door. "She hasn't moved in two days. You said yourself that if she didn't wake yesterday morning we would take her to the hospital wing. Well now it's day two. Are we going to move the deadline to day three now? What if something is seriously wrong with her?"
"No one is arguing your point Malfoy." Ron's voice seeped its way through the door. "Harry and I are just saying that we've healed her up best we can. All the blood she lost from the shattering of the mirror has been replenished with a potion, all the scrapes and bruises are gone. If we take her to Pomfrey there is no way to explain that she has been sleeping for two days with perfectly flawless skin and no external injuries. She'd want an explanation and I'm not about to tell her that three underage wizards already fixed her up best we could and then just left her in a bed to see if she'd recover."
"Exactly." Harry said, a bit out of breath. Hermione could tell he was stressed. It was the only time he paced around. "I agree with you Ron. But what other options do we have other than to take her into the hospital wing? I'm worried about her…she hasn't moved…"
"I know this!" Draco yelled. Hermione could imagine him pacing as well, running his hands worriedly through his blonde hair his eyes shining silver. "Don't you think I've thought of this! I'm just as worried as all of you are.
"I think she's completely healed though." Ron said seriously. "She seems to just be…resting it off. What you both went through…well…it seems like reason for the body to want to recuperate and sleep. We can't risk this whole operation. If we take her to Pomfrey then it's bound to get out through Hogwarts that something has happened, and we don't know who we can trust in the castle."
"Fine." Draco said giving in. "But if she's not up by tomorrow morning we take her in. Hermione's life isn't worth a simple extra precaution."
"I agree. Tomorrow is it then." Harry said solemnly. Hermione could imagine them both looking at Ron for confirmation.
After a small bout of silence Ron finally spoke.
"Okay. I mean of course I agree. I just don't want everything she went through to be for nothing if we get found out and this gets back to the wrong people. The last thing we want to alert Voldemort of is the destroying of bits of his soul."
"No one wants that Ron. You know more than anyone Hermione wouldn't want that. If she's not up by morning we'll take her –"
"ARGHHH!" A hoarse shout came from the lower level and Hermione sat up even further in her bed, ignoring the head rush it brought her from moving so quickly.
She knew that pained expression anywhere. It was Draco.
"Woah…hey are you okay?" Ron asked quickly.
Hermione threw the covers off of her and tried to move as quickly as she could to get off the bed. She wasn't moving fast enough it seemed. After not exercising her muscles for two days her body felt weak, and the lack of food didn't help the light headedness she felt. She threw herself down on all fours and began to crawl, feeling like a pathetic child. Hermione didn't care what she looked like at that moment all that mattered as that Draco was okay.
"Argh!" Another shout of pain came from the behind the closed door. "Yeah, yeah I'm fine. It's the mark. It's burning."
"Oh." Hermione could hear Harry say dully. She could imagine Harry and Ron pulling away from him, momentarily forgetting he was still a death eater even if he was now on their side. It didn't stop Hermione. She reached up and grasped the knob to her room throwing open the door from on her knees, nearly collapsing in the process.
When the door swung open she was graced with the visual of the noise she had been hearing.
Draco was slumped on the floor just as she was, but in the middle of the common room. He was grasping his left forearm carefully. He looked calm, but Hermione could tell he was in pain, and a flash of panic seemed to be hiding behind his eyes.
Harry and Ron were standing over him unsure, just as she had imagined them. Ron looked a bit scared, and Harry seemed to not know if he should console Draco or take the lead on what to do next, seeing as he was being summoned.
However, all three looked up immediately when Hermione's door slammed open. She was a pitiful sight to them she was sure. Her hair was in tangles from too much rest and she was on her knees in front of her door, now trying to crawl down the three steps into the common room. It took a few moments of stupid staring before Draco rushed over to her first. He scooped her up, hugging her to him tightly. The other two boys moved out of his way as he rushed her into the common room and lightly rested her on the couch.
Hermione wouldn't let their worry of her overshadow her concern for Draco.
"Are you okay?" She whispered hoarsely as her head softly hit one of the pillows on the couch. Days of not speaking rested harshly on her vocal chords. "I heard you yell. Is it just your arm?"
Hermione pathetically scrambled her weak limbs over his face and body. Draco grabbed her hands lightly and placed them back down at her sides.
"You're okay." He smiled at her, staring directly into her eyes. Hermione watched them swirl from gray to silver and couldn't help but smile back.
"Of course I am. Are you?" She asked earnestly.
"Yeah. It's nothing. I'm just glad you're okay." Draco said deeply, grabbing her cold hands in his and kissing them lightly. "We all are. We were so worried."
Draco moved away from her close proximity enough so that Harry and Ron were in her vision. They both beamed at her. Harry happily, and Ron a bit timidly. She remembered their last words together, but she was too elated to be by Draco's side again to care. She was just as happy in that moment to see Harry as she was Ron. They were her oldest friends, and heated words between them weren't enough to keep them apart. Especially when she could tell by the guilt ridden look on Ron's face that he never meant them. He deserved a good cold shoulder from her for awhile, but not just then when everyone was too happy to see her awake and well. In her euphoric state she nearly forgot that the reason she had moved into the common room so quickly was Draco's arm.
"Oh!" she cried suddenly, looking away from her friends and squeezing Draco's hand tighter. "You need to go!"
"I do." He said solemnly. She could tell he was just as elated as she was to be with him again. However, she noticed the edge of panic in his voice at the idea of being late to a death eater meeting.
"What is it about?" Hermione said, referring to the meeting.
"I guess I'll find out."
"You don't think…that he knows about the horcrux being destroyed do you?" Ron asked hesitantly.
"He can't have." Hermione said quickly, remembering a passage in one of the books she snagged from Dumbledore's office. "I read that it's nearly impossible since he has so many, but it's possible that once we get down to the last few horcruxes he might notice something. The more you split your soul, the less you feel of that piece. I expect he'll notice when we get down to the last two or so."
"Either way," Draco said turning from the others and facing Hermione. "I am so…relieved to see you doing so well. You need more rest. I'm so sorry I need to leave you just as you've woken. It kills me that I have to."
He kissed her forehead gently, but kept a firm grasp on her hands.
"It's fine." She said taking a lightheaded breath. His kisses here making her dizzy, and she nearly forgot Ron and Harry were in the room likely exchanging awkward glances. "You should go. Please be careful."
"I love you." He whispered quietly to her, kissing the back of both of her hands before he brought himself upright and grabbed his dark cloak off the rack by the door. "We can all talk more when I get back. I should have more to add to the conversation after this meeting."
Draco added the last part for Harry and Ron's benefit.
He stole one last tragic glance at her before he threw his cloak over himself and exited the room. He didn't give Hermione a chance to say 'I love you' back.
Hermione guessed that he still thought it was a one way ordeal, but when they had been trying to destroy the horcrux there were points where Hermione had feared for Draco's life. She had feared for it so much that when she thought of the possibility of a life without Draco, she was shaken for a moment. Hermione laid her head back down a few moments after he left the room, and felt a sharp stab in her heart at his absence.
It was a long while before anyone spoke again. Hermione's eyes were still fixed on the door as if Draco would reappear any moment.
"Let me get you something to eat Mione. You must be starved." Harry's voice woke her from her trance and she turned to smile at him.
"That would be wonderful."
"I'll be back in a few minutes."
Hermione's smile faltered and she glared at Harry suddenly.
"What? You both have to talk about it sometime!" Harry said exasperatedly, gesturing to Hermione and Ron.
"Fine. Just go. A cup of hot cocoa would be nice too."
"Yes, your highess." Harry said, mock bowing himself out of the room.
Hermione couldn't help but giggle as the door shut for the second time that evening.
Ron stared at Hermione awkwardly from his position in front of the fire. He stood with his hands in his pockets, the balls of his feet rocking him back and forth.
"Just sit down Ron." Hermione said rolling her eyes.
"Oh! Yeah..okay."
Ron quickly moved to the arm chair to the left of where she was laying, rearranging it to face her.
"So." He said wringing his hands uncomfortably.
"Yes?" Hermione asked already annoyed.
"Damn it Mione….I'm an ass. A huge ass."
Hermione nearly let Ron see her smile at his words, but quickly composed her face back into a glare.
"Tell me something I don't know."
"Okay I will. I was jealous. I was jealous and worried about you, and I was still pissed off that you rejected me." Ron took a deep breath. "I know I really blew it last year with Lavender and all the fights we went through, but I really thought that I could pull it together this year and give it a shot with you. I was upset when I learned that I already used up my chance and you were no longer interested. It makes sense, and it's my fault. For what it's worth I am sorry."
"Ron I already knew thi –"
"I know, I know" Ron said tiredly. Hermione took a second to notice the deep blue bruises of sleeplessness under his eyes. He must have been up worried sick about her for the past two days. "I feel like all I do is apologize to you lately. I hate that Hermione. I shouldn't ever have to apologize to you because I shouldn't be a twat in the first place. I've been horrible this year, Harry punching me in the face was really a wake up call. If he hadn't gotten there first, I probably would have punched myself in the face. I can't believe what I said to you. I was just…in so much shock. I was kept in the dark, and all the sudden we come in after being so worried about Harry all day and there he is, just sitting with Malfoy all buddy buddy. Then you just…you're all…in love with him and I just…I freaked."
Hermione suddenly put herself for the first time in Ron's shoes. She imagined Harry and her looking for Ron, worried sick all day, then finding out he was just in the common room snogging someone like Pansy Parkinson and Harry knew about it but she didn't. Of course the idea was a little ridiculous, but it did make her understand where Ron was coming from.
"You're words to me were completely inappropriate and disgusting. I'm still angry with you Ronald Weasley, but…I do see where you're coming from. I'm sorry I kept everything from you. It's all been so very…very last minute lately. Did Harry fill you in on everything with me and Draco?"
"Yeah, the veela thing."
"I just found out about it too. Just after the Halloween debacle. I mean I had a theory, but it was confirmed that next day. It's all been so sudden, I was still thinking it all through really. I only told Harry because Draco had saved us from the manor and he had a right to know. Not to mention I wasn't speaking to you at the time so I wasn't ready to confide in you."
"It's my fault. If I had been more Ron-like and less wanker-like I would never have angered you in the first place for you to keep things from me." Ron said earnestly. Hermione could see the sincerity in his face. "Mione your friendship means the world to me. You and Harry's both. I haven't exactly been the best to Harry either since we got back to Hogwarts. I already apologized to him, but I've been even worse to you. I promise it won't happen again. I'm still a little…confused about you and Malfoy, but I can tell he really cares for you and I do trust him to be on our side."
"Thank you Ron." Hermione said reaching out her hand to squeeze his.
"It's petty of me to be fighting my two best friends like this withe everything else going on." Ron said, placing Hermione's hand back at her side with a smile. "We should be focusing on fighting Voldemort."
"I agree." Harry interjected, carrying a tray full of food back into the room.
"Wait!" Hermione said suddenly.
"What?" Harry asked alarmed stopping his stride over to them suddenly.
"Is there hot cocoa?"
"Aw Hermione!" Ron breathed. "Seriously? You scared me."
"You deserved it!" Hermione said smiling in spite of herself.
"That's true." Ron agreed.
"Well you almost made me spill your hot cocoa all over the floor. Then where would you be?"
"Hot cocoaless." Hermione smiled, taking the cup from Harry.
She was in such a good mood. The food, the atmosphere, sitting around the fire with her best friends. She almost forgot to worry about Draco being gone. Almost.
…
….
…..
"My lord, forces are already infiltrating the ministry. We have spies in every department. We are weeding out traitors and mudbloods at a consistent pace."
"Very well Rockwood. Thank you for your report." Voldemort hissed, his fingers playing around the edges of his wand that was resting on the oak table in the dining hall of the Malfoy Manor. "And how far along are we with the trolls, Avery?"
A short sweating fellow inclined his head respectfully toward Voldemort. His hands were shaking slightly in his lap.
"M-my lord. The trolls are proving difficult. I have…I have tried several times to gain their alliance with you for the battle that you plan to carry out. However, they are requesting more than you have told me I can provide them."
"I see." Voldemort said dangerously.
"But…well if I could offer just a bit more incentive for them. They would gladly join your forces."
"What did I tell you Avery when I gave you this mission?" Voldemort said turning his red eyes over to the now cowering man.
"Y-you said that…that I was to make no promises to the trolls than what was in your first offer."
"Yes, Avery. That is what I said. And if I'm invading your mind correctly, as I believe I am now, then you have told them that you will ask me for a better offer. Is this correct?"
"My lord! I only thought that you might be willing to reconsider your first offer and-"
"I TOLD YOU THE FIRST TIME I WOULD NOT RECONSIDER!" Voldemort shouted. Several death eaters around the table sank back in their chairs, wishing to go unnoticed.
"My lord! I-"
"Crucio!" Voldemort's high voice echoed in the chamber followed by the screams of Avery.
Draco clenched his fists down by his sides in the middle of the table, he would never get used to the torture, no matter how long he witnessed it. He heard his father yawn in boredom next to him, and Draco's stomach tightened sickly. He could only remember bits and pieces of his brief stint of polyjuicing into Lucius' mind two nights prior. He seemed to drift in and out of himself in his conscious mind while the potion was in effect. He was still horrified as he remembered himself as Lucius stab the glass into Hermione's arm. Draco shuddered quietly as the screaming from Avery stopped.
"Let that all be lesson to you." Voldemort said quietly, and was met with silence.
Avery was twitching on the floor, and the other death eaters were glancing downwards, hoping to go unnoticed.
"Draco." Voldemort spoke in a cold voice. "What news from Hogwarts?"
Draco put on a brave face, clearing his mind skillfully with occlumency.
"Things are all normal on the surface. McGonagall thinks she still has control of things…for now. She's interviewing the new DADA teacher tomorrow, who if you still have lined up will be Amycus if my memory serves correctly. McGonagall will soon realize that it is unwise to deny Amycus employment as he will teach her I am sure." Draco paused as Amycus laughed darkly. "Then Snape can make his next move. The students seem to think they've entered a safe haven for now, even Harry Potter is completely unaware that Hogwarts won't be safe forever. I've been watching him lately. He seems lost without Dumbledore. Unsure of how to move forward, and he doesn't seem to be in full contact with The Order."
"Very well." Voldemort said, a sickening pleasure creeping into his voice. "This is excellent news Draco."
Draco let out a breath he didn't know he was holding in.
"It might be time for a new mission for you then past simple observation and report."
"I would be honored to serve in any other way I can." Draco said trying to sound earnest.
"Wonderful." Voldemort said, bringing the tips of his fingers together in a scheming manner. "What can you tell me about Potter's mudblood, Hermione Granger?"
The blood drained from Draco's face.
A/N: PLEASE REVIEW!