The first day of class went much smoother than Draco had anticipated. Hermione had done most of the answering when William asked a question, which Draco did not mind at all. Surprisingly, the tutor was very thorough in every single subject, especially Defense Against the Dark Arts. He had Draco and Hermione practicing painstaking and difficult hexes and spells they hadn't even heard of. But William assured them that they were on the N.E.W.T. exam as he performed them effortlessly.

After the lessons, William trudged out of the library leaving his two students a mountain of homework. Hermione didn't complain, though, and started to work on it straight away. Draco, seeing the homework as an excuse to stay with Hermione, didn't either. The workload stayed true to its name, however, being nastily exhausting. But Hermione got through it smoothly and was very willing to help Draco out with his. Sometimes, Draco pretended to be stuck on a certain part just so Hermione would continue to engage with him.

After they both finished, they walked together to the kitchen to have dinner with Isabella and William. It was the same atmosphere as breakfast; they all chatted away in easy conversation, as Draco spent most dinner stealing glances at Hermione. Once everyone was finished, Draco accompanied Hermione to her bedroom and bade her goodnight.

This then became a routine that continued for days. Draco and Hermione woke up, had breakfast, ate lunch while doing homework, had dinner, and then Draco would walk Hermione to her room and then he would walk alone to his. On paper, it seemed quite dull, but it was far from it. Draco watched Hermione blossom increasingly every single day; her grins were wider, her eyes were brighter, and she became increasingly relaxed with Draco. He believed that Hermione was finally considering him as a friend. They had a long way to go, obviously, but a mutual trust had slowly formed between the two. Hermione was divulging more about herself which included basic facts such as her birthday, hometown, and family but also more personal details like her dreams, passions, and fears.

Hermione didn't need to tell Draco about her fears, though, because he could already discern them. At times when they were casually talking and their topic landed on the War, Hermione would hastily change the subject, especially when the topic of the War consisted of Potter and Weasley or her parents. Although Hermione had already forgiven her best friends, the mention of their names coupled along with "Voldemort", "Death Eaters" or "Horcruxes" touched a nerve in Hermione. As for her parents, Draco looked back to that fateful night when he revealed himself to her. She mentioned that she was "scared shiteless" for them, and then proceeded to softly laugh it off. Draco could definitely tell that she was trying to conceal the true degree of her fear. The Grangers were parents of the most infamous Muggle-born witch, putting monumental targets on their backs. They could be tortured and ransomed as a means to get to Hermione, or they could just be tortured or even murdered for the sick pleasure of Death Eaters. Hermione probably had nightmares about what they would do to her parents. However, they still refused protection. They believed that it would draw attention to them. Their daughter, of course, objected and argued that magical wards would be as discreet as possible. But they insisted. So Hermione was left practically petrified for her parents without the ability to do anything to keep them out of harm. What made it even worse was that she was stuck in this godforsaken house with complete strangers, not even out in the world fighting.

But Hermione still played her part well; having a carefree disposition and smiling face as terror raged on in the world. Draco theorized that she did this because she wasn't ready to confide in him fully yet... or she may have been possibly doing it for herself, not wanting to face the horrendous reality outside of Number 12 Grimmauld Place. Sometimes, Draco could see small cracks in her armor. He noticed her eyes becoming glassy with tears but then suddenly furiously wiped away before they could spill. Sometimes, her smile was fake and her laugh was forced. But she still pushed on, being cheerful through the sadness.

Days turned into weeks, which turned into months, and they were suddenly in the beginning of March. Draco watched his tattoo change in unease. The snow had melted off the tree and green leaves were steadily growing. Draco's heart sank as he realized that it would be the first day of Spring in a few weeks. Time was certainly not on his side.

That morning at breakfast, Draco asked, "What are we doing today in class?"

William turned away from his cereal. "Well, we finished the normal syllabus of the classes so now we take the N.E.W.T.s"

Draco and Hermione looked at each other with shock. "You're joking, right? Are you even allowed to test us?" Draco asked.

The tutor held up a piece of paper with a Ministry seal on it. "All set. Isabella is qualified as well to test you on the practical test." At the other end of the table, the housekeeper was waving her paper as well.

"William and I went to the Ministry over the weekend and got qualified to be N.E.W.T proctors. With the War going on, there are much more important things the Ministry has to worry about, especially with how corrupt it is now. We got the signature for only a few galleons and a couple of training sessions. I still can't believe they let us, me being a Muggle and all," Isabella chimed in.

Hermione cocked her head in confusion. "So they're just going to let you grade the tests?"

"Well I have to grade the practical but the written portion will be sent to the Ministry."

Draco and Hermione looked at each other again, this time with nervousness. "Will we have time to study?" Draco asked anxiously.

"Yes, you can take time to review. But honestly, you two don't need it. The earlier you take the tests, the fresher the information will be in your head," replied William, pressing his index finger to his temple.

There were a few moments of silence and then Hermione spoke up. "Well, let's study today and then take them after that."

Draco choked on his orange juice. One day?! That is nowhere near enough time to prepare! "Er, Hermione? Are you sure?" Draco uttered, clearing his throat of pulp.

"Yes! I've seen your work. You will do great!" she assured.

"Then it's settled!" William stood up with his cane. "Isabella and I will prepare the tests so you two should prepare for them."

The housekeeper and the tutor shuffled out of the kitchen.

Draco and Hermione made their way into the library and studied like mad. They were testing each other on terms, dates, incantations, ingredients, hexes, jinxes, counter-spells, charms, and any little piece of information that could be on the N.E.W.T.s. Hermione was like a machine, scanning through every piece of parchment she had to review as much as possible. Draco snickered. It seemed rather barking to be worrying about something as insignificant as N.E.W.T.s in the middle of the War. But oddly, it was a small comfort. It was rather nice to focus on something else. Draco watched Hermione study furiously. The left corner of his mouth went up. Her eyebrows made creases in her forehead from concentrating, and her brown eyes swept swiftly from left to right on every piece of parchment. Draco now knew why Viktor Krum was always in the Hogwarts library during the Triwizard Cup; he was watching Hermione study as Draco was now. He couldn't deny that it was rather intoxicating.

"What are you looking at?"

Draco whipped his head around as blood rushed to his cheeks. "N-nothing," he coughed out.

"Come on Aiden! We need to focus."

Draco's face was quickly changing from his normal pale tone to a deep crimson as he cracked open a book on Transfiguration.

The N.E.W.T.s came and went much faster than Hermione had expected. Aiden and she both did the written portions in the library. She anticipated being much more nervous, but the test just felt like another assignment of homework. She surprised herself at how calm she was. Hermione remembered when she took her O.W.L.s her fifth year and being an absolute neurotic harpy, she was so stressed. But this time, it was completely different. Maybe it was the beautiful library they were testing in or the mere fact that Aiden was taking the same exam as her across the table, every so often looking up at her. But when she looked back, his eyes always darted away. Either way, she felt... serene.

Eventually, William called time. Hermione and Aiden both put their quills down with a sigh, massaging their wrists from the long period of time of writing. They had just finished History of Magic. It really was nastily exhausting, and the subject matter made it even more so, but it was the very last N.E.W.T. that they were taking

"It's over," Aiden said with exasperation. "Now what?"

"Now, we will send these and your results of the practicals to the Ministry and you two have the rest of the week off," William answered.

The two students made exclamations of relief. "What are we going to do with ourselves?" Aiden asked, beaming.

"You'll figure something out," The tutor said dismissively as he hobbled out of the room.

Hermione could barely contain her excitement as she flew over to the bookshelves. The tutoring sessions with William had been outstanding and it almost felt like Hogwarts, but she was now yearning for that part of Hogwarts where she was huddled under a tree by the lake with a book while Harry and Ron skipped stones across the water. But for now, curling up on a plush cushion surrounded by books waiting to be delved into with Aiden keeping her company would suffice.

Hermione traced her finger along the spines of the books, browsing for one to pull out. She stopped in the "B" section and began to twiddle the fingers of her outstretched hand indecisively. She looked behind her, her curls swishing across her shoulder blades. Aiden had already selected one. He gripped the book with his right hand and read in a velvet armchair. His face was hard, but not cold. He appeared to be concentrating. Aiden's expression, along with twilight streaming through the window and onto his face, emphasized the sharp lines of his jaw and the brilliantly green tattoos interspersed on his pale skin.

She remembered the first time she saw Aiden fully. She was not disgusted. She was, in fact, intrigued. The tattoos were strange that they were almost beautiful. But what was most intriguing about that moment was his eyes. They were a stark contrast to what she had perceived of him before, which was rash and gruff. His eyes, however, spoke of fear and vulnerability. His pale, gray eyes were practically pleading for Hermione to do something. Or perhaps, to not do something. Was he scared that she'd scream? Run? Stare in horror? She did stare, but not because she was horrified. She was staring into his eyes because they were almost uncomfortably familiar...

A sudden image of Draco Malfoy flashed through her mind.

Suddenly, the very eyes she was just thinking about looked up at her. She flipped back around, her ears turning pink and her stomach doing somersaults.

"Alright?" he called to her with a twinge of concern.

"Just can't decide!" she called back, trying to hide the shaking in her voice. Hermione snatched the book in front of her without a mere glance at the title and settled herself on the love seat opposite Aiden.

"What did you decide?"

"Er..." Hermione's eyes fell down and examined the cover. "Jane Eyre by Charlotte Bronte. "

"Ah, I love that one," Aiden replied with admiration.

"What about you?"

"Frankenstein by Mary Shelley. A classic." He was grinning warmly.

So he's well read, Hermione thought. To her chagrin and confusion, she began to blush scarlet. She looked away from him quickly as she awkwardly cracked open her book.

There was no possibility of taking a walk that day.

Hermione's mind wandered back onto Aiden. Why had she blushed? She really had no clue. It was like her body knew something that her mind didn't because it seemed to go haphazard at even the sight of him. And why? She hardly knew him! But that was false. She had learned the bare minimum about him during these past few months. He was seventeen years old. He was privately tutored in wizardry until he was fifteen, and then he ran away to become a Death Eater upon the return of Voldemort. Time passed and he left the Death Eaters when he found Dumbledore. The rest was history.

Hermione found his story to be incredibly farfetched but it still made her shudder. What could have induced him to leave his home and go join the Dark Lord's forces? Did he actually believe in their cause? Or did he feel like there was no other place to go?-

Hermione blinked rapidly and returned to her book.

There was no possibility of taking a walk that day.

-Perhaps Aiden was forced into it? Or wasn't he? Either way, it chilled Hermione to the bone that he left at the age of fifteen. When she was fifteen, the biggest concern in her life was her coming up O.W.L.s. She couldn't imagine having the burden of performing the Dark Lord's bidding on her shoulders at that age. But then again, it had happened before to a certain Slytherin boy she knew-

Hermione tore her eyes way from outer space and back onto the page.

There was no possibility of taking a walk that day.

-Maybe the more important question was what made Aiden leave the Death Eaters? Did it become more than he had bargained for? Did Dumbledore make him an offer that he couldn't turn down?... Or did he actually change his ways? Aiden had never made any snide remark about "blood" and he hadn't ever intentionally avoided her out of spite. In fact, the first few weeks she avoided him, and he at least tried to make contact with her. So it was possible that he was a redeemed man.

But then again, the last time she thought someone was redeemed she was wrong. Draco Malfoy returned to the ranks of the Death Eaters and he dragged Millicent Bulstrode with him. But there was a tiny part of her that didn't believe what Dumbledore told the school. For some inexplicable reason, she still had hope for him... So maybe she could afford it for Aiden as well.

She turned her head to look at him again. His chin was resting on his left fist which caused his robes to slip down his arm. Hermione saw his ever-present Dark Mark which was woven around an intricate tattoo tree. It was impossibly stunning. She had seen pictures similar to this tattoo in books. She couldn't quite recall fully what was written but she remembered part of the passage saying that the tattoos told some sort of story. Hermione wondered what story was behind Aiden's.

She continued to examine the tree wrung around by Voldemort's mark. Hermione then raised her eyebrows and leaned forward. The only possible way that the Dark Mark could've twisted its away around the tree like that was if Aiden received the tattoo after the Dark Mark... So maybe he wasn't born the way he looked. Not that Hermione cared about his appearance, but if she knew how Aiden became like this she could learn more about him; learn more about his story-

Aiden looked up, puzzled. "Hermione?"

But she was startled by his eye contact and went back to her book, not hearing him call out her name. Now where was she? Oh yes. This person (she assumed Jane Eyre) really didn't want to go on a walk because... it wasn't a good day for it?

Hermione inwardly groaned. She hadn't even gotten past the first bloody sentence! It was all Aiden's fault; he was occupying her mind so she couldn't concentrate. He was like another Draco Malfoy. Hermione cringed and immediately took back that thought. The last thing she needed was another Draco Malfoy in her life-

"Hermione!"

She dropped the heavy book onto the floor. "Oh shite," she muttered as she picked it up, once again turning a deep shade of red. Why was it that Aiden suddenly made her lose all cognition? Thank Merlin that this was happening after the N.E.W.T.s.

"Er... yes?" she responded, placing the book on the side table as gracefully as she could.

Aiden chuckled, still looking bewildered. "I think we need to address the horse in the room."

"What?" mouthed Hermione. She saw that he was looking past her so she followed his gaze and turned her head. A ghostly horse was standing by the window, pawing its hooves at the ground.

"Ginny!" Hermione jumped off the couch and ran to the window to open it.

"Ginny?" Aiden inquired, standing up.

"...Weasley. The horse is her patronus," Hermione clarified, wrenching the glass up and letting in the evening breeze. "We send our patronuses as a heads-up that a letter is coming and that we're safe."

At that moment, a tiny owl flew in through the open window, clutching a letter much too big for it. The Snitch-sized owl landed on the arm Hermione was holding up. "Thanks, Pig!" she said brightly, taking the letter from the owl's beak. The bird then hopped over to Hermione's hand and nipped a finger.

"Oh yes! The window is open in my room since Hedwig is expected soon. There are treats in there."

Pig hooted nervously, probably hoping that he wouldn't have to run into Harry's Snowy Owl, and glided out into the sky.

"What did you call that owl?" Aiden chortled, a smirk forming on his face.

"Pig. It's short for Pigwidgeon," Hermione made clear. "He's Ron Weasley's owl but Ginny uses him now that he's out with Harry looking for..." she trailed off. The reminder that her best friends were on a suicide mission without her there to help still sent a dull pain to the pit of her stomach. She was expecting Hedwig to come that night with a letter from them, but there was always the chance something went wrong. Two weeks prior, Harry wrote that they were going on a mission with other members of the Order that consisted of trailing a group of Death Eaters. They hoped that they would be able to intercept the Death Eaters safely and still acquire knowledge of their destination before they got there. Harry predicted that if everything went perfectly, they would be done and safe by the end of two weeks. Hermione prayed that she would get a status update that night informing her of just that.

She cleared her throat and sat down whilst opening the letter. Hermione read the parchment silently. At the same time, she was catching glimpses of Aiden ogling at the horse. He appeared to be enthralled by the spectral animal, running his hand through its mane. Hadn't he ever seen a corporeal patronus before?

Hermione then got out a fresh piece of parchment and a quill with some ink. She dipped her quill and then wrote a quick response to Ginny:

Dearest Ginny,

Thank you for your letter. Things are definitely... different since the last time I wrote you. I've been attending tutoring sessions with Aiden and we were actually able to take the N.E.W.T.s this week. Speaking of my ex-Death Eater of a roommate, he actually isn't that terrible. In fact, he's quite the contrary. But I'm not sure I completely trust him yet, though I hadn't expected for him to come this far in the first place. I may even consider him a friend. You should see him right now; he's absolutely dumbfounded by your patronus. He looks like a third-year on his first visit to Honeydukes. I wonder why that is...

Anyway, I hope all is well at Hogwarts. Send my love to Neville and make sure Seamus isn't giving you any more trouble, that git.

Love, Hermione

The golden-haired girl slipped the letter into an envelope, sealed it, and labeled it. She then stuck her head out the window and called for Pig. He swooped into the library and landed on the windowsill. Hermione placed the letter in his beak as the horse beside her evaporated into thin air. She heard gasp at the disappearance of the patronus.

Hermione let a soft giggle escape her lips. She then extended her wand, summoned a happy memory in her mind, and chanted "Expecto patronum." A wispy otter came shooting out of her wand. Aiden gasped again, wonderstruck at the sight. The otter swam a lap around the library and then out the window, Pig flapping his wings in tow. The witch and the wizard then stood side by side, watching the otter and the owl fly into the night, disappearing with the light on the horizon.

"I didn't know you could do that," Aiden said.

"Harry taught me."

There was a moment of silence, and then Aiden filled it. "So your patronus is an otter."

Hermione chuckled. "I was surprised myself when I first conjured it." She turned toward the pale boy. "What is yours?"

Aiden's eyes narrowed and he looked down. "I don't know."

"So you've never-"

"I've never learned the Patronus Charm."

Hermione raised both of her eyebrows in shock. She could see that he was a little embarrassed. So that was why the horse and the otter enchanted him; he had never seen anything like them before.

It was silence once more, but Hermione ended it this time. "Well, I could teach you if you wanted."

Aiden looked at her with a twinkle in his eye. "Really?"

"Of course!"

They moved away from the window and to the middle of the library where they had more space. "Now, you know the incantation?" Hermione asked, with an air of a professor.

"Expecto patronum," Aiden answered.

"Yes, but that's the easy part. The hard part will be coming up with a memory."

"A memory?"

"A happy memory. This charm is used mainly to defend against Dementors. Since Dementors feed off of positive emotions, they leave people in darkness, making them relive their worst memories. A patronus is a sort of positive force that repels them, so the only way to conjure it is to think of a positive memory."

Hermione then realized that maybe the reason why Aiden never learned the charm was because he never needed to. Dementors were on the side of the Dark Lord so Aiden wouldn't have worried about them when he was a Death Eater.

"That's it?" Aiden asked, looking nervous.

"That's it!" Hermione repeated. "But it's much more difficult than it sounds. The memory has to be powerful; it has to fill you up."

She then proceeded to demonstrate. She planted her feet and closed her eyes to summon a memory. She pictured that morning in the Hospital Wing... Harry walking in through the doors... Hermione crying as she wrapped her arms around her best friend...seeing him for the first time in what seemed like an eternity...

Hermione's pointed her wand. "Expecto patronum." An otter came flying out of her wand, floating in midair and circling the people in the room.

"Okay, you try."

She saw Aiden swallow and then plant his feet the way she did. He exhaled deeply and shut his eyes. She observed the way his eyebrows furrowed and the corners of his face wince. He raised his wand. "Expecto patronum." A thin wisp of light sputtered out of it and then vanished.

Aiden moaned in frustration.

"It's alright! I didn't expect you to get it the first time," Hermione coaxed. "If I may ask, what was your memory?"

He clenched his jaw. "There wasn't one."

"What do you mean?" she said lowly.

Aiden paused and then glared at the rug. "You said that I need a happy memory to produce a patronus. I don't have one."

Hermione's voice caught in her throat. She did not know how to respond. She fixed her gaze upon him, watching him glower at the ground, looking dispirited. This man... this boy... didn't have one happy memory to pull from? Not one thing? What could have he gone through so that it completely erased any trace of happiness in his life? What demons lurked behind his gray eyes, consuming him from the inside? Hermione then had a sudden desire to learn this boy, demons and all. She wanted to understand everything. His thoughts, passions, ambitions. She wanted to help him. She couldn't change him because she learned from before that you can't change anyone; they did that themselves. But maybe she could inspire him or just be there for him.

Hermione's heart rapidly filled with something that she couldn't quite place- something like compassion, tenderness, affection- and reached for his hand. She laced her fingers with his and simply looked at him. He slowly turned from the ground and to her and didn't say a thing. For the moments they silently stood there, she hoped to Merlin that she communicated to him what she wanted to just by staring into his eyes.

Aiden then let his eyelids fall and stretched out his wand. "Expecto patronum."

There was a sharp intake of breath from Hermione as she watched an animal burst forth from his wand. Aiden jumped, and let go of her hand to witness what he had produced. A fox was encircling the room, eventually joining Hermione's otter.

"I- I did it," Aiden remarked, apparently still shocked.

Hermione squealed with joy. "You did, you did!"

They watched the two animals play with each other as they flew around the room. Eventually, Hermione asked, "What was the memory?"

Aiden looked down at her with a crooked smile. "Not telling."

"What?!" Hermione was taken aback. "Why not?!"

"You'll figure it out soon enough."

Hermione smirked and then turned back to their patronuses. They stayed like that for awhile, merely watching the otter and the fox sail together throughout the library. But Hermione swore that from the corner of her eye, she could see that Aiden wasn't looking at the animals. He was looking at her.

A/N: So what do you think about Draco's patronus being a fox? There was no accepted headcanon for it that I could find so I just made it up. Do you think it suits him? R/R :)