Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter
A/N: We're nearing the halfway mark for this story, and the end of part I! I tried to split this chapter into two, but I couldn't find a good place to do it so enjoy the longer than usual update. As always reviews=love.
As promised, the bandages came off two days later. Nearly immediately after, he'd disappeared leaving her a book on memory charms that she'd never heard of and a few notes he'd added to give her a fail safe; a way to reverse the charm when she was ready too.
She never got a chance to thank him.
For the weeks after that, he practically lived in the Room of Requirement. It beat him down, every time he failed to fix the cabinet and every threat he received as a result.
She tried to reassure him that he had time, but the desperation resulted in accidents. First Katie, then Ron.
They'd rowed after Ron was hospitalized, and she didn't speak to him for two weeks. The silence was only broken two days ago when he'd woken her up because of a nightmare.
She'd been startled awake by the sound of a scream. With the echo of it still ringing in her ear, she rose slowly from her bed, unsure if she should go to him. Apparently, he'd decided for her, because it was seconds after her thoughts that he'd come and begun pounding at her door hysterically calling out her name.
She remembered that as soon as she opened the door, he'd drawn her into his arms and looked her over quickly, mumbling 'you're ok. You're ok.' Along with a slew of apologies. He didn't seem completely aware that the nightmare was over, because his hysterics didn't calm. He'd collapsed against her, his thin body wracked with sobs that shook his entire frame.
When he'd finally quieted enough, she'd moved him back to his bed. The next morning, when she'd moved to ask him what it had been about, he didn't seem to remember the entire event, though he had reiterated the apology.
It was for the best. She wished she could forget it.
She'd never seen him more scared.
Her eyes refocused on her own ceiling, finally accepting that sleep would not come.
She took a breath as she rubbed her temples, forcefully trying to banish her thoughts. For Merlin's sake it was nearly three in the morning, she needed to relax, but lately her sleep cycle had gotten nearly as erratic as Draco's. Seeing the light flooding through the cracks of her door, she pushed herself out of bed.
She was surprised to see him still dressed in pajamas. He never liked to be anything less than immaculate, and it left room to wonder if that was through careful teaching or personal choice. Either way, she relished seeing him so mussed. His hair was slightly ruffled, and his thin white sleeping shirt was loosely hanging off him. He looked completely out of his element. It felt like a private moment that she shouldn't be privy too, but miraculously somehow was.
Crookshanks was lounging next to him, and the blond seemed to be absently petting her cat. She checked him for any signs that his latent allergy was peeking through, relieved when she found none. It had seemed worse lately, especially with the turn of the seasons that had led to spring, with all its warmth and pollen filled glory, finally making an appearance after a brutal winter. It was like he was popping her allergy tablets like tic tacks. He'd started taking the Immune Strengthening Potion regularly now too, as a precaution, even if he was sure he could catch when magical exhaustion was beginning to overwhelm his core.
She was at least grateful he'd conceded to the arrangement so quickly.
He still hadn't noticed her. Either that or he was ignoring her in favor of whatever recesses his mind had turned to. She wondered if he'd fallen too deep into it while in the dark confines as his room as she had. It would account for his current appearance; undone.
"Hey." She said softly.
He looked up, and stopped petting Crooks. "Did I wake you?" He shot her a weak smile that gave her the impression that he was apologizing for some folly she wasn't aware of.
"Don't you even try to sleep?"
He shot her a look. She rolled her eyes. "I was being optimistic."
"I gathered." He nodded, dusting his sleeping pants before standing.
His shirt rode slightly, as he stretched, and she caught sight of the Sectumsempra scars. She didn't even think before she reached out and traced the end of one at his abdomen. He was still beneath her touch, but not rigid.
"I still can't believe he gave these to you."
He murmured an agreement before clearing his throat. "I suppose he thought he was defending himself. He thought I was casting the Cruciatus."
"You knew Harry wouldn't be able to see through the hallucination. You shouldn't have done it." She admonished, though she knew despite her words that it didn't excuse the fact that Harry had hurled an unknown and dangerous curse when put under pressure. Her fingers continued to wander for another moment before she withdrew her hand.
She caught his gaze and saw a haunted look in them.
"What happened?"
He shook his head slightly before playfully ruffling her hair.
She sighed, the irritation clear in the action.
He didn't want to talk about it yet.
"Let's have one normal conversation for once."
He had a thin smirk on his face, though his eyes were pleading.
That's what probably got her to cave as fast as she did. This tactic of avoiding issues and burying the scars brought forth from his situation and the visions wasn't healthy. She wanted him to come to the realization himself. That it was ok to need help or acknowledge feelings. Now though, she was convinced she would have to pry them out of him, if only for his own good.
She cast another look at him.
Just not right now.
"Fine." She huffed. She turned to the kitchen. "Hot chocolate ok?"
He made a noise of agreement, but stayed in the Common Room. She heard him shuffle around, and the unmistakable sound of pages being turned.
She finished the two mugs and rejoined him.
He was browsing through his Shakespeare book, stopping every few pages to trace certain words on the page. Regret and remorse seemed to be flitting across his face at every passage.
She wondered what was going through his mind then and whether the book offered him comfort or memories about what he's undoubtedly been thinking about.
Or if he simply missed his mother.
She handed him the mug and settled across from him on the opposite sofa. He shut the book and took a generous sip from his hot chocolate. He gazed at her expectedly.
"What?" She said after a moment.
"Usually you're the one asking questions, so I'm waiting for you."
She snorted, and was happy when he rewarded her with a small smile.
She hummed, taking a sip from her mug.
"Well, I never managed to look into magical cores after you mentioned it that one time." She said.
His brow rose. "You really haven't researched it?"
She blushed. "A little," she admitted, "But the research around it is very vague. I think I need more background information."
He laughed lightly, running a hand through his hair.
"Well I don't know much."
"More than I do."
"Fair point." He chuckled before an amused expression settled on his face, "This might be one of the few things I actually know more about than you."
She shoved him playfully, but the grin remained firm on his face.
He took another sip from his mug as he seemed to consider how best to answer her question.
"Well, your core is part of your body. It acts on every one of your body's functions. With immunity, your magic boosts your immune system, covers all the things that the human immune system doesn't. That's why wizards and witches don't really suffer from many muggle maladies. They only target the purely human side of the immune system. Viruses and other maladies have to be particularly nasty to make a dent into a magical immune system."
He looked over at her to check if she was following along.
"Makes sense." She said, and he nodded before continuing.
"Genetically influenced things like disease or allergies manifest based on how severe they are." He frowned for a moment, "The only time mild allergies are particularly worrisome are during childhood. Their magical core is still developing, so it can't compensate yet."
He paused to take another sip from his mug.
She frowned, considering everything he'd told her. It all seemed to make sense logically.
"So how do healers and parents approach that? If you aren't sure, you could accidently feed your child something that they're allergic to without even realizing the danger." She asked, reasoning out loud some of the concerns that had immediately popped into her head.
He shrugged. "Our family healer did a diagnostic. At least that's what I vaguely remember."
She smiled at the image of a little blonde child, squirming under the scrutiny of a doctor. She wondered what he must have been like that young; free from worry and the shackles of responsibility.
"So how long before the core is developed?"
Draco shrugged. "I'm not sure. I just know that my mother wouldn't even entertain the notion of me going to Millie's house until I was 5 or 6."
"Because of her cat?" She said.
The corners of his lip stretched into a thin grin as he dipped his head in a slight nod.
"She was a bit over protective."
She grinned, snuggling into the couch.
"It's all actually very interesting. I never really thought to consider how magic could change how the body function."
He shrugged again, the amusement clear in his eyes. "I suppose if you didn't grow up with it, then it would be."
She grew quiet at his words. They definitely had grown up in different worlds. There was so much about this world that she had left to discover.
"Hermione, I didn't mean to…" Draco began.
"No." she interrupted him, "No I'm not offended. I was just thinking about how much I still have to learn about the wizarding world."
He nodded, though he didn't seem convinced. "And you will." He said firmly.
She sensed a shift in their conversation. The temptation to fall back into the darker topics that plagued them was too much.
"Do you ever see it?" she cleared her throat, "the end of the war?"
He looked in pain at her words. She wanted to tell him to forget it. It didn't matter. That it was better she didn't know.
"No." he finally said, "but that can mean anything."
She nodded. He sat back, his eyes drifting around the room. She caught him wince, and his hand went to the side of his head.
He met her gaze. Within a second, the understanding was clear. His hand tugged at the strands of blond that brushed his neck.
"I suppose you want to talk about…" he trailed off gesturing with his hand in the air.
She answered with a nod. She hoped he wouldn't reject her inquiry; that maybe he might let her in just a bit.
"Nightmare." He breathed, "A nightmare that turned into a vision."
She leaned closer. His willingness was surprising, but most definitely welcome. For his sanity, he had to let some of it out.
"About?" she pressed.
"His snake."
She stilled. "His snake?"
He seemed to mistake her repetition for belittling his admission. He scoffed.
"In my life, being fed to that mutant is a very real possibility. I don't think it's strange that I would have a nightmare about it." He defended. She hid a smile before her thoughts pushed it to fall from her face. It was a real possibility that anyone in that monster's vicinity would die being eaten by it. Though the look of indigent irritation on his face had allowed her a glimpse into a different Draco. The one in her memories who scoffed and fought and just seemed full of life. Not the one who was run down with the weight of the world.
"I believe it." She said softly, hoping to offer some semblance of solidarity to him.
He studied her a moment. The recognition showed in the slump of his shoulders. He sighed, before continuing. "After the dream, I…I saw it die."
She furrowed her brows. "How did it die?" Context mattered, and this seemed too important for it to not mean anything. In fact, she and Harry had discussed at length the possibility that Nagini was more than what she seemed, and even if that wasn't true, Voldemort would never let his pet just die…unless he did it himself.
His eyes grew unfocused. "It just died Granger." He was firm, but his voice seemed hoarse.
He tugged at his hair again. "Why is it so hard to just talk to you?" he murmured, clamping his eyes shut. He covered his face in his hands. She stood slowly to kneel in front of him. She unhooked one of his hands and threaded her fingers through his. She squeezed, letting her words speak through her actions.
I won't ask any more questions. Please don't shut me out.
He let out a breath.
"I have a week to," his breath hitched, "to do it all."
She lay her other hand over their entwined fingers. His grip tightened, but he didn't meet her eyes.
"You've already planned." She said softly, "Snape is still…"
He nodded.
"The cabinet?"
He lifted his head slightly, his light hair falling over his eyes. He let his gaze meet hers and let out another labored breath.
"Tonight." He bit the inside of his cheek, "I'm going to fix it tonight."
He left after they'd finished their mugs. She'd been back in her room for thirty minutes before she heard the telltale sound of a door opening and closing. Never footsteps though. Not once, in all the times that he'd snuck away had she ever heard his footsteps.
She'd woken a few hours after that. He hadn't been in his room, but the discarded potion vial and empty foil of her muggle allergy medicine in the kitchen rubbish bin set her slightly at ease.
She'd then had a quick breakfast in the Great Hall before delivering several excuses that she needed to study for upcoming exams, retreating from Ginny's watchful eye to settle in the Library. It wasn't a complete lie. Her excuse was valid. She had every intent of studying until she had to go to Double Transfiguration later.
Harry and Ron had joined her later, both sufficiently behind in their work that they could no longer ignore it. After about an hour, Harry announced that he had lessons with Dumbledore scheduled for the rest of the day. Ron, to his credit, lasted a half hour after that before saying he was off to find Finnegan and Thomas.
She sighed, tugging at a loose curl before shutting her book. The clock told her she still had quite a bit of time before Transfiguration. She looked back down at her book. Perhaps she needed a change of scenery. Her Transfiguration classroom would probably be empty now. Within a minute, she'd packed up all her books and headed to the tower.
When she entered the classroom, she found it wasn't as abandoned as she thought it would be. She paused at the front of the room and allowed a smile to blossom across her face. Draco was hunched over a desk in the back, his head resting on his crossed arms, fast asleep. She stepped closer, taking care to leave her bag and books at her usually table.
He looked so exhausted, even as he slept. Though, the edges of his face were smooth in sleep gripped relaxation. Odd, with his features free of tension and coupled with his ethereal pale coloring, he looked angelic.
An angel surrounded by darkness.
Yet, one word out of his mouth, and the thoughts angelic and Draco Malfoy seemed incompatible.
She snorted, before immediately clasping her hand over her mouth.
He stirred, shifting his face down, before lifting it slightly. He blinked slowly. "Granger?" He said, letting out a puff of air. A thin smile formed on his face as his eyelids dropped, and he yawned.
The corners of her mouth tugged upward. He moved his arm up and rested his head in hand, eyes still closed. She took him in; the sleep lines still pressed into his cheeks and the slightly disheveled hair. Her heart clenched. He really hadn't ever looked as peaceful…as beautiful as he did then.
"Hey Granger." He said again, this time considerably more awake.
"You look rested." She teased.
He lifted the lid of his left eye, and grinned. He rubbed the sleep off his face before opening both his eyes. "I had a good dream." He murmured.
She tried not grimace at the awe in his voice as he spoke those words.
Good dreams.
Like he didn't think himself capable of having them.
"You can go back to sleep if you want. There's still time before my class starts, or I can help you get to the dorm." She said softly. She hoped he'd agree, maybe then he'd actually get something close to the normal hours of sleep his body required.
He shook his head.
"I don't think I'll be able to get any more sleep right now." He said, stretching his arms behind him. She dropped her eyes, and tried to ignore some of the sentiments that lay thick between his words. Instead, she leaned over and glanced at the book that had served as his pillow. It was a notebook of sorts, stray notes and on the opposite page she saw several doodles, many of them lifelike drawings of the towers of the castle.
He pulled the book closed, clearing his throat. "I didn't know you drew." She murmured.
He shrugged. "They're just sketches."
Beautiful Sketches.
She nodded absently, wringing her fingers through each other. "Did you…"
"Yes." He stood quickly, gathering his books.
"Draco, what are you…"
She heard voices outside the classroom. Draco paused from gathering his things, before relaxing slightly. He continued to gather his books slowly, and didn't seem the least surprised when Blaise and Theo stepped into the room.
The two Slytherins stopped at the front of the room. Theo's mouth dropped slightly.
"This isn't your class Dray." Theo finally spoke.
"Not yours either Theo." Draco retorted slinging his bag on his shoulder. The other looked ready to retort, when Blaise grasped him by the shoulder.
Blaise cleared his throat.
"You disappeared very quickly after you dropped," Blaise licked his lips, "some very damning information last night."
Draco scowled, before wincing. His hand went unconsciously to his temple. His eyes closed for a moment, and she heard him let out a shaky breath. When he opened them again, he stepped away from them all; ready to make a hasty retreat.
She resisted the urge to reach out to him, and instead called out, "Draco."
He snapped his head toward her. He seemed to debate something before turning to his two housemates. "Just…Just please." His eyes fixed on Theo, "Please think about what I said." Then he turned and briskly walked out of the classroom.
She sighed, suddenly feeling very tired.
"What were you two doing?" Theo finally asked.
"Nothing." She chewed her lip, "I got here early, and he was asleep in the back."
Theo looked guilty.
"What did he say to you?" She looked from Theo to Blaise. Both held blank expressions on their faces.
"He gave us a warning." Blaise finally spoke, just as students began to file in for class, "And he didn't like our response."
Class seemed to start quickly after that. Theo stayed, needing to complete an assignment from earlier this week that he'd missed. Harry hadn't showed, leaving her to partner with Ron. They worked in silence, moving through the motions. Really, the whole class was quiet, as though everyone was finally feeling the dark grasp that had clenched itself around the castle.
She sighed, leaving quickly once class had ended to return to her room before dinner. She paused near the hall to the library. She needed extra sources for the Transfiguration paper that was due soon, one quick stop, and then she'd see if Draco was holed up in their dorm.
Determined, she turned down the corner.
She quickly found the book and made to leave when she felt someone join her amongst the shelves.
"Hello Hermione."
She let out a breath.
"Luna."
The blonde girl smiled and walked airily over to her. "I haven't seen you in a while Hermione. You look well. Much better than the beginning of the year."
She cocked her head. "Though now you have them too. Before it was only Draco."
Hermione shook her head wearily. "What them's Luna?" She felt tired, and she honestly didn't think she had it in her to deal with any of Luna's ramblings.
"The morsfilles. They sense pain and sadness you know."
She rubbed her eyes.
"He's just stressed." She said feebly.
And in pain. Probably constantly.
Luna gave her a look. "And are you also stressed?" She looked thoughtful. "Or are you sharing his?"
Her eyes widened, but when she looked up to retort Luna had already turned and was leaving.
She huffed, clutching her book before rushing out of the library and toward her dorm. Was she so obvious with her emotions, or was Luna too observant for her own good? She shook her head intent to ignore Luna's inquiries.
It's not like it mattered. It's not like it wasn't true.
Her walk to the Head Tower was quick, and the exhaustion was quick to crash on top of her as she walked slowly up the steps. Her brain was filled with scenarios and concerns ranging from homework to... well she didn't really want to think of that right now.
She stepped into the Common Room, but immediately stilled when she saw Draco was curled into their couch with his eyes closed. She quieted her footsteps and placed her books onto the table. There was a cup of tea in front of him, and a quick touch confirmed it was still slightly warm. He hadn't been asleep for long.
She took the book that he'd been looking through carefully from his hand. She summoned a blanket and wrapped him in it and left him to sleep. He must be completely knackered to fall asleep twice unaided and out in the open.
A smile pulled at her lips as she watched him unconsciously nestle deeper into the couch, pulling the blanket tighter around him. She sighed and gazed at the Transfiguration book she'd picked up. The need to suddenly finish her essay was gone. Her eyes drifted to the kitchen. She needed a distraction. Visions of cinnamon rolls clouded her thoughts. She would bake.
With that settled, she turned into the kitchen and began pulling out pots and pans, taking care not to make too much noise.
She was so caught up in her work that she almost didn't hear the knock at their door. She turned away from the oven and paused at the top of the stairs. The knock sounded again. She opened the door and found Theo leaning casually on the statue.
He immediately straightened when he saw her. She put a finger to her lips to signal him to be quiet. "He's asleep." She murmured.
Some emotion flitted across his face, before he schooled himself into a neutral expression.
"I actually came to speak to you."
She blinked, momentarily stunned. When she didn't speak for a minute, Theo cleared his throat.
"May I come in?"
She nodded dumbly and reminded him to be quiet as they climbed up to the dormitory. His gaze immediately landed on Draco, and she saw the fondness for his friend in his eyes.
"We can sit in the kitchen."
He nodded, following her silently. She took her wand and cast a silencing spell and turned back to Theo expectantly.
He cleared his throat, suddenly looking incredibly uncomfortable. She stifled a laugh at the sight. It was clear from the way Theo was fighting to remain composed that he was unsure how to act. The stiff posture and set jaw reminded her of the other boy in the dorm. Obviously, their upbringings were similar. No one could deny that the Nott's were just as aristocratic as the Malfoy's.
He finally took a breath.
"He's alright, isn't he?"
She blinked. Before she could speak, he continued.
"I mean not alright. With everything going on I don't suppose he is, but…"
"Theo." She interrupted him, "What are…"
"I know everything." He finally said, crossing his arms, "I know everything, and I know you do too."
Her heart hammered at the words, and she turned away pretending to check on her rolls in the oven. Theo may know about Draco's duties, but she doubted he'd heard of his visions. As far as she knew, the people who held that secret were still Dumbledore, Snape, Blaise, and herself. She took a breath before turning back to face him.
"The stress of it all is consuming him." She finally whispered.
He nodded, not surprised at her words. "I know. I mean how could I not notice." He rambled, "Especially after last night…"
"What happened last night?" she interrupted.
Theo shifted uncomfortably.
"He snapped. He just, at some ungodly hour, mind you…waltzed into the common room, and I was just asking if he wanted anything before I went back to bed like a sane human being when he just went off."
She felt the blood rush from her face.
"What did he do?"
Theo sighed. "Nothing too drastic. Broke some glass. He seemed to calm a bit after that." He snorted.
He bit his lip, not meeting her gaze.
He cleared his throat. "You know, I used to be jealous of Draco."
She frowned at the change of subject, though her mind went back to Blaise. He'd adopted a similar strategy before, talking around the subject before making his point. It seemed to be a shared Slytherin characteristic.
She bit her tongue. She'd hear it out, if only to know how it ended. With a slight dip of her nod, she encouraged Theo to continue.
"We grew up together you know. Practically brothers in all but name." He scratched the back of his neck then. "I wasn't jealous of his life. Merlin knows I would never want Lucius Malfoy to be my father, but Draco always seemed to have it figured out. He was smart. He knew how to get girls before the rest of us. He was talented. People noticed him."
Theo pursed his lips. "I could see through it easy enough; his little façade that I think even you've managed to breach, but it didn't make the jealousy go away."
She let out a breath. "But what did?"
Theo looked away, but not before she caught a glimpse of pain flash in his eyes.
"I would never want to do or see half the things he's had to these last few years."
She stilled. The implication was completely clear.
"So it's harder for me, seeing everything I've seen too, to just accept what he was going on about yesterday." Theo continued, seemingly in a rant.
She walked closer and put her hand on Theo's arm, and was pleased when he didn't shift from beneath her grasp.
"What did he say Theo?"
He bit his lip.
"He told us to leave."
She dropped her hand.
"He doesn't like where all this is going, and I, for one, know it's going to get worse when he." His voice broke, and she watched as he struggled to pull the mask back on. "He told us to disappear or run to the continent."
"You couldn't do it." She whispered.
He nodded absently.
"Fuck. I wish I could. I couldn't give a damn about my father and his idiot ideals, but I can't leave Draco to face this shit alone. I know how it's going to be when he can't go through with it, and they debate whether to kill him or keep him around."
She stiffened at Theo's callous remarks.
"They'd kill him?" She suddenly felt faint. Her chest had tightened, and air refused to get into her lungs.
Never once had she considered the possibility that he'd be executed for his failings. Though, now that Theo had spoken it, she realized it could all to easily become a reality. Was that why Voldemort had burdened him with such an impossible task? So that if he failed he could be punished in a manner that would serve as a demonstration to both his family and the rest of his supporters?
Her stomach churned, and she was in great danger of spilling her lunch all over the kitchen floor.
Theo stepped closer to her.
"Well to be fair, they might just do it because he's such a dick when it comes to authority."
She looked up to see Theo smiling weakly down at her. She felt grateful for his attempt to lighten the mood. Though, she couldn't really appreciate it, not with her stomach alternating between knots and summersaults.
"Draco's been there for me, and I just." He took a breath, continuing, "I think he'd listen to you if you told him to keep safe."
She bit her lip and turned away as the oven timer chose just then to go off. She opened the oven and carefully extracted her rolls before turning to the icebox to get out the icing.
She paused her quick movements to look back to Theo. He was regarding her with a mixture of curiosity and confusion.
"Why do you think he'd listen to me?" she finally asked.
"Because you're not one of us." He said, "You're outside of it, and you're smart Granger. He respects that."
He cocked his head at her.
"And I think the two of you have reached some sort of agreement that lends itself perfectly in this situation."
She couldn't help the slight blush from spreading across her face.
She turned away and made a show of pulling a spreading knife to begin icing the cinnamon rolls.
"You're a good friend Theo."
He waved her off.
"Please, I just want the honor of offing Drake myself. Especially since he keeps nicking all my firewhiskey. Honestly, he can afford to buy his own."
She cracked a genuine smile, pleased that at least some lightheartedness could manage to sneak its way into their conversation.
He looked at her then, the curiosity back on his face.
"You remind me of…" he began before a thud sounded from the Common Room.
"Fuck."
They both heard.
Hermione grinned as they both peeked from the kitchen to find Draco stumbling to get off the floor, tripping on the blanket that was still tangled at his feet.
He straightened, feeling their gaze on him. He turned to step, but wound up tripping and falling back onto the couch.
"Fuck." He growled again.
She laughed, unable to contain it. He was normally so graceful and composed, and now he seemed to be flailing; his movements anything but elegant. Out of the corner of her eye she caught a smirk on Theo's face.
Theo cleared his throat. "Do you need some help mate?"
Draco grumbled something unintelligible, and proceeded to extract himself from the blanket. He sighed when he was done, tossing the cover to the side and rubbing the remaining sleep from his face.
He took a breath and opened his eyes to look at them.
Her breath caught in her throat. His eyes drifted from her, but it wasn't quick enough for her to not catch the apparent turmoil in them. He must have seen something.
He scowled at Theo before picking off pieces of imaginary lint off his uniform.
"What are you doing here Nott?" he said.
Theo draped his arm around her shoulders. "I was just," he paused, "chatting with Granger here."
"I see." Draco said before standing and walking toward them.
She shoved Theo. "Actually, Theo was just telling me about the interesting night, or rather early morning, you had in the Slytherin dorms." She crossed her arms.
Draco blinked before glaring at Theo. He didn't speak as he pushed passed them into the kitchen, pausing to look at the half iced cinnamon rolls on the counter.
"Well." Theo cleared his throat, "You two have a lot to catch up on. Granger. Draco." He turned quickly to escape.
"Nott." Draco said turning away from the cabinet he was rummaging through. They stared each other down for a moment before Theo flinched and turned away.
"Only looking out for you mate." He muttered before continuing his exit.
When the door clicked shut, Draco grabbed a potion vial from the cabinet and one of the iced cinnamon rolls before settling at the table to eat it.
She took the seat opposite him.
"Why did you go to Slytherin?"
He shrugged opening the vial and drinking the contents.
He caught her eye before sighing. "When I finished, I couldn't come back here. Not that going to the dungeons was a much better idea." He grumbled the last bit.
"Draco."
He turned away from her and grabbed another cinnamon roll.
"These are good." He said.
"Thanks, but,"
"Did you just make them?" He continued.
She let out a breath in frustration.
"Draco." She said sharply.
"I'm giving you a compliment." He said with a cheeky smile.
She folded her arms and glared at him.
"Fine, no compliments then." He grumbled, focusing on the cinnamon roll in his hand.
She shook her head and took his free hand into hers.
"Draco." Her voice softened.
"Mmm." He said taking a bite from the cinnamon roll. He pulled his hand from hers, and bent his head to avoid her eyes.
"Theo told me what you said."
He finished eating and stood to wash his hands at the sink.
"I don't know why he felt the need to come and snitch to you." He said, turning around and leaning on the counter.
"He's just worried." She murmured, "And he thinks you'd listen to me."
Draco said nothing.
"Would you?" she pressed, unsure why his response to the question mattered so much to her.
"I told him to run."
She bit her tongue in frustration at his abrupt subject change.
"He's been moving his money out of Gringott's. He doesn't have any family left that he cares about." He shifted in place, "I told him to go and not look back. Same with Blaise and Pansy. I even tried to get Daphne to pack up Astoria and her cousins and get the hell away from here."
He looked at her.
"You want them to be safe."
He nodded absently.
"And I can't keep them safe." He tugged at his hair, "I'm trying to do the right thing. I'm trying to be better. All those accidents and curses and…" he let out a breath. "I can't protect anyone. They have to run, not stay because of me."
She bit her lip.
"Slytherin preservation my ass." He murmured with a weak smirk.
"It's their choice." She finally said.
"It's idiotic." He retorted, folding his arms. "If I could, I'd run."
She stood and walked until she was directly in front of him.
"You don't think that this is something worth staying and fighting for?" she asked quietly. He took a breath, and cupped his hand around her cheek.
She held her breath as he scanned her face.
"This is war Hermione," he murmured, "Can you promise, without a doubt, that it will end up ok?"
She felt her chest tighten as his thumb circled to caress her cheek.
"All we can promise is to be cautious." He said and let out a breath.
"But I…Can you at least promise to try and keep safe?" He continued, "Even if you, Potter, and Weasely have a different task, there's still danger."
She opened her mouth to ask how he knew that, but found her protests dead on her tongue. His eyes were pleading, and the answer to her inquiry was obvious. The visions. She clenched her jaw, and felt her eyes begin to water.
Numbly, she nodded.
"Good." He breathed. He leant down and pressed a chaste kiss to her forehead.
"Draco." Her voice shook. "If you fail will they…"
"Kill me." He finished. He shook his head, "I'm not sure, but if I continue to prove I'm more trouble then I'm worth, probably."
Her breath hitched.
"Then run to us." She said gripping his hand.
He shook his head.
"I don't know where my mother is." He whispered, "And until I can get to her, I have to go. Otherwise, he won't hesitate to kill her."
"But your father."
"Will have someone else to focus his grief and anger on if that happened." He interrupted.
Her grip tightened.
"Would he really?"
"I don't know." He said flatly, "He's not the same. He hasn't been since he came back to us."
"Draco."
"Enough Hermione." He said pulling away from her. The exhaustion was clear on his face. "Enough for tonight." He turned and stalked toward his room, shutting the door.
She stumbled until her back was pressed at the counter. Her hand went tentatively to her forehead before she dropped her head into her hands and began to sob.
She wasn't sure how long she stood in the kitchen sobbing, but sometime into the night (perhaps it was morning), Draco rejoined her. "Hush." He murmured, pulling her hands away from her face.
"Stop crying Hermione." He sounded desperate.
She pulled away and tried to wipe her tears with the backs of her hands. "I want to, but all of this. I just." She took a breath, trying to calm the race of her heart. "And you." She said somewhat accusingly. She let out a breath. "You confuse the hell out of me."
It was dark, but she could almost make out a light blush on his cheeks.
"I don't mean too." He said after a moment.
He led them both into the Common Room before they collapsed on the couch.
"Draco."
He hummed in response.
"Why did you tell your friends to run last night?" she chewed her lip, "You had all year to do it, get them used to the idea, but you only did it last night."
He looked away from her, idly examining his finger nails.
She wrung her hands together.
"The deadline's changed hasn't it."
He let out a puff of air, and she took that to mean a confirmation.
She felt tears pool at the corners of her eyes, but she blinked them back viciously.
"Today." He finally muttered.
She nodded, and was surprised when his hand rested on top of hers. Emboldened, she threaded her fingers through his.
"Draco."
"Mm."
"Have you seen the end of the war yet?"
He sighed.
"No, but I wish I would."
It was ironic when he was the one to eventually coax them both to go to bed. Their hands were still clasped, and he gently tugged them both to their feet.
"How will anyone know about you, after…after it happens?" she said, hoping to evade sleep for a little longer. Hours were left, and it didn't feel like enough. She'd barely begun to know him, and yet, here she was already missing him.
"I signed a contract." He said as he continued to lead her forward, "It will go to his…his successor."
She shot him a look.
"Lupin will know for sure, as for anyone else." His voice trailed off.
"The less the better." She sighed.
He nodded in agreement.
They stood at his door, their hands still loosely hooked at their fingers.
"I'll see you tomorrow then." She finally said as they both dropped their hands away. He nodded with a slight smirk on his lips. "My last Arithmancy lesson." He mused, "I don't think I'll miss that."
She allowed a half smile to cross her face. "And Potions." With her.
He nodded, with a sad sort of smile playing at his mouth."Night." He said turning to his door.
She reached out then, grabbing his shoulder. He cocked his head and waited. She bit her lip and in a single motion kissed his cheek before he turned and captured her with his mouth.
"You're brave Draco Malfoy." She murmured when they pulled away, before quickly disappearing to her room.
His low response seemed to echo through the silence.
"No. I'm really not."