A/n: This marks the end of Part I of this story. As always, reviews=love

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter. Quote by T.S. Eliot.

This is how the world ends. Not with a bang but with a whimper.

It seemed so fitting for those words to ring in her ears all night and into the day. When Draco emerged from his room the next morning, late for breakfast but early enough to catch her leaving before lessons, it was reaffirmed.

His eyes were rimmed in red and gray, slightly swollen.

The world certainly seemed over.

He mumbled a greeting before disappearing into the kitchen. She sighed and left the room, heading to the Great Hall to grab some form of breakfast before she had to rush to Charms. She was shocked when Draco came in after her. He went to where Pansy and Blaise were sitting. Both of the other Slytherins seemed to be lecturing him, while he remained stoic and silent, grabbing a cup of tea.

He seemed so quiet, crumpled into himself as if he'd already been defeated.

He left not a few minutes later.

"Hermione?"

She turned back to her own table to meet Ginny's worried glance.

"What's wrong?"

She shook her head. Ginny turned her head before tugging on Hermione's hand until they'd put the Great Hall behind them.

"It's Malfoy, isn't it?"

She couldn't help it then. The sobs seemed to burst out of her.

"Hermione!" Ginny exclaimed, tugging her into an empty classroom and shutting the door.

She huffed, struggling but finally managing to catch her breath.

"Merlin Ginny, I…" Her voice broke.

Damn it. She couldn't hold it in any longer. Someone had to know besides the obvious, and she was selfish. He'd be leaving and no one would be able to understand why she was falling apart in the aftermath. The truth. The dangerous truth. She took a breath and met Ginny's eyes.

Ginny would know and understand easily. She had first-hand experience when it came to being left behind. She ignored the tinge of guilt in her chest at her thoughts. Her resolve strengthened though, and she re-told the story to Ginny, everything but the visions.

Ginny's face went from confusion to horror and rage before settling on sympathy.

Ginny wrapped her arms around Hermione and allowed her to cry silently into her shoulder.

"I never thought I would feel anything but rage for that slimy git." Ginny finally said when her sobs had quieted.

Hermione nodded, still unsure if she trusted herself to speak. She sniffed and rubbed her face free from tear stains.

"I…I can't help worrying that something's going to go terribly wrong, and when he fails, and they punish him for." Her breath caught in her throat.

Ginny gave her arm a reassuring squeeze.

"If he didn't think he could handle it, he wouldn't go. He's prepared Hermione. He told you he's been preparing himself."

She protested, before Ginny waved her off.

"Hermione." Ginny suddenly grew pensive, "What," She cleared her throat. "What exactly is going on between you and Malfoy?"

Hermione swallowed roughly, her throat suddenly dry. "I…" She twisted a loose curl back and tucked it behind her ear.

Friends danced on the tip of her tongue, but that seemed inadequate. While they may be friends, there was no doubt in her mind that they'd progressed a great deal further away from that particular label. Friends didn't describe the tightness in her chest or the utter despair at potentially never seeing him again. It was frightening what she could feel when it came to him, and it felt too soon to declare something so strong when all they'd had was broken conversation and stolen kisses. But then, stronger things were built on less.

"I don't know how to explain it." She finally said. An evasive answer if she ever saw one.

Ginny shook her head, a look of doubt clear on her face. Her eyes drifted to the lone clock in the room.

"Well, you may want to figure it out soon. You haven't got much time." Ginny gave her a soft knowing smile before she continued, "I've got to go. I'm late for Herbology." The red head dashed out of the room. She let out a breath. She was faintly aware that she may already know the answer to Ginny's inquiries, even if she did not want to admit to it out loud.

Hermione glanced at the clock before following the other girl out.

Late to Charms. Honestly, she was on time more often than not when she wasn't Head Girl.

She tried to forget her conversation with Ginny as she settled into her seat in class.

What exactly is going on between you and Malfoy?

Gods, the loudest question in the room, and it was only in her head.

Harry and Ron walked in a few moments before their professor. She was shocked to see Harry, but he waved her questions away, mouthing the world later.

He lasted a full five minutes after class before he let it slip that he and Dumbledore would be slipping out again tonight.

"A horcrux Hermione. I'm sure of it." He whispered as they walked briskly to their next class.

Her chest tightened, and bricks seemed to sit at the pit of her stomach.

"Keep safe Harry." She whispered.

He nodded and then suddenly grasped her hand. At her questioning look, he leaned in and whispered in her ear.

"Are you alright Hermione?"

He pulled away to meet her eyes.

"These past few months you've just seemed so distant and distracted."

She smiled weakly. Observant but oblivious Harry. He really was like a brother to her.

"I'm fine Harry." She took a breath, "I just don't feel good about this. I think this rest period we've been enjoying is coming to an end."

He sighed, but an odd expression flashed across his face. He shook his head, and for a moment the grim despair that had lodged itself in her was clear in him.

"I think it ended a long time ago Hermione."

With that, he broke away from her and quickly dashed to his Herbology class. She folded her arms and pressed them close to her in a vain attempt to ride the cold feeling that had wrapped around her.

He was right. For all Harry's faults, his intuition was right more often than not.

She stepped toward her next class, hoping her mind would soon be too busy with Arithmancy to focus on much else.

The rest of the day blurred together. Arithmancy came and went, then Potions, and Draco for all his earlier teasing did not stay for the lesson. He had come in pale and unsteady before Professor Slughorn told him to go to the Infirmary. It took everything in her to not rush to escort him there.

When the class did end, she cornered Blaise.

"Do you know what's going on?" she asked, "This morning he was fine."

He shook his head. "Not really, though I suspect he saw something, and it's left him quite rattled."

He didn't give her time to respond, because soon Pansy was calling for him to hurry up, leaving her awkwardly standing alone and not the least bit reassured.

She stumbled back into the Heads' Dorm afterwards, grateful to finally be able to drop the cheery mask she'd adopted to last through the day. The lights were off with Draco stretched out on the couch rubbing his temples. He turned his head at the sound of her footsteps.

"You didn't stay for Potions." She said. Her voice was low, and she was surprised that he could even hear it from across the room.

He nodded and dropped his legs over the side of the couch to sit up. "I was tired."

She sat beside him and idly twisted a stray curl between her fingers. He tugged at his own hair for a moment, before his hand went to rub his forehead.

"You've done all you can." She murmured, hoping the words provided him some semblance of comfort.

He shook his head.

"No. Not nearly enough." He returned. He let out a huff. "Fuck. I just had to pick the hardest choice."

"What would have been the easiest?" She whispered.

"Death."

The response was automatic, and it sent sharp bursts of pain from her throat down to her chest.

"You will not die on me Draco Malfoy."

He turned his head in surprise at the forceful tone she'd adopted.

"Then you best not die on me Hermione Granger." He said, though his tone was considerably more gentle then her own.

She stood and knelt down, taking her hands and placing them along the edges of his face. With her eyes trained on his, she took a breath and then spoke.

"I'm serious."

His expression softened, and he turned his head to lean slightly into her left palm.

"I know, and I'm grateful for that."

His breath tickled her palm, but she found it was a rather pleasant feeling.

He pulled away from her hands, and put his own into them instead.

"Hermione." The seriousness was back on his face, "Whatever happens." He bit his lip. "Protect your mind. If anything happens, you can't let them know…"

"Of this." She breathed, leaning her head on his, "Because this is something isn't it?"

He let out a shaky breath, and she got the impression he was fighting himself from doing something incredibly rash.

She found it incredibly ironic that she wanted them both to simply stop thinking.

She pressed her lips softly against his, and his response was almost immediate. Then, just as she was beginning to forget who she was and where she was, it all seemed to end.

"Please Hermione. Protect your mind and keep safe."

He stood and brushed passed her to disappear into his room. At the click of a lock, she sunk into the couch. It still smelled of him, and she found herself relaxing into it.

She'd never been overly religious. Even when she was young, before magic, she'd never particularly put stock into the idea of deities. Now, prayers fell almost desperately from her lips.

Gods. Let everything turn out ok.

Sometime between her prayer and focusing on Draco's lingering scent, she drifted off into a fitful sleep. She blinked slowly, wondering what time it was when she felt a burning on her throat and in her pocket. She yelped and clasped her necklace away from her neck, ignoring the DA coin in her pocket. She bolted to her feet and saw Draco's door ajar. She immediately rushed in and glanced out the window, instinct the only driving force behind her actions.

She saw the corners of a familiar mark littering the sky, and without a second thought her feet sprang into action as adrenaline took over. Her wand made its way into her hand, and soon the Astronomy Tower was ahead of her. She ducked into a corner, casting silencing charms over herself and a weak disillusionment charm.

It was chaos, bodies swarming in, but those two words were clear over the noise.

Avada Kadavra

Her heart stilled, and she lurched forward out of her hiding space, only to be immediately pulled back in. A hand went over her mouth.

"Hey. Hey."

She stopped struggling against her invisible foe at his voice.

He dropped his Disillusionment charm, but kept his hand over her mouth for a moment. "You shouldn't be here."

She tore his hand away.

"The charm burned and woke me. Then I saw the mark, and…" The weight of those two words dug into her, and her eyes began to water.

"Oh Gods Draco."

His arms went around her.

"You didn't even…You weren't going to say anything." She murmured, lost in her despair.

His grip tightened.

"I didn't think I'd go through with it if I saw you right before." His voice was hoarse, and his own body was trembling against hers.

"Hermione, we don't have much time." He pulled away, and lifted her chin up to look into her eyes.

"The Order Members are arriving. You have to make sure no Death Eaters get near the dormitories. Ok. Hermione. Ok."

She nodded, unable to speak. His eyes. She could focus on them; on the gray whirlwinds that had first clued her on the cracks in his seemingly impregnatable façade. After a moment, her breathing somewhat normal, she nodded again, letting out a soft puff of air.

"Ok." He breathed. His arms dropped.

"Is this it?" Her voice cracked as she spoke, and a tear fell from the corner of her eye.

His thumb immediately went to her cheek to wipe it. The storms seemed to be raging in him, flaring in his magic and playing out in his eyes until they abruptly cleared. He bent his head low, with his breath dancing along her skin.

"Fuck it." He whispered.

Suddenly his lips were on hers, and after a moment she was attacking him with similar intensity.

"I'm." kiss. "Sorry."

She pulled away. His eyes were shining, and the trembling had returned.

"I'm sorry for everything I've ever done, and for everything I will do." He whispered.

"No." she pushed away, "Apologize when you get back."

He shook his head, but she yanked him by the collar for one last kiss; his protest dead when her lips closed over his. She moved fast over them, but took care to commit each dip and curve of his mouth. Their bodies molded into each other; heat enveloping them as she simply relaxed into his embrace. It seemed to stretch forever, while still not lasting nearly long enough, but she took advantage of it to spring back into action.

"When you get back." She repeated before shoving him away.

"Ok." This time a ghost of a smile on his face. "Just remember me like this." He kissed her quickly before reapplying the charm.

She pressed her hand to her mouth, before the shouting a corridor away snapped her into action. Immediately, she turned on her heel and disappeared into the castle. No Death Eaters would get anywhere near the other students if she had any say in the matter.

It wasn't until later; after Pomfrey had healed her notable scratches and Bill was given the clear that he would not become a werewolf that the realization of everything that had occurred threatened to drown her.

Ginny extracted her, pulled her toward the Head dormitory. Before they reached the statue, she stopped.

"No." She pulled out of Ginny's grasp, "I can't go in there. Not when…"

Not when he's not there.

"Ok." Ginny soothed, and they re-routed to the Gryffindor dorms. By the time she crawled into Ginny's bed, she was openly sobbing with Ginny equally as tearful beside her.

When the tears stop, and her mind was slowly starting to turn its gears, the questions replaced the flood.

She hadn't even asked who his liaison within the order would be.

She woke up the first night feeling that her throat was on fire. She quickly unclasped the necklace, and waited for hours until the burning sensation seemed to fade. When it did, she was disappointed to find no message, not daring to think about what punishment had prompted the flaming sensation. It was 3 days after that before she caved and tried to contact him. Clutching her necklace, she waited for what seemed like eternity until his message appeared on the metal.

I'm alive

Her response was automatic, and his reply was almost immediate after that.

Thank Merlin.

Her hands shook and she read his words quickly.

Tired. Still sore. Can barely stay awake. Wish I could talk.

She bit her lip.

Just stay alive.

His answer came after a minute.

Don't die on me either Hermione Granger. You promised you'd keep safe.

She smiled and pressed her lips closer to the locket and spoke her next message. She wanted him to hear it.

I won't. Just come back.