Hermione sniffed as the memory melted into nothingness, leaving only the faint echoes of Mina's ache in her chest. Leaving Edward had felt like a physical blow, knocking Mina to her knees as soon as she'd reached Masarvas Manor. Hermione couldn't understand why she had left him, there was time to defeat Aiden and, so far as Hermione could tell, any advances the wizard had made were successfully assuaged, all they needed was time and all their plans could come to fruition. Even Mina's thoughts hadn't given her any answers, they were muddled and unclear, as though she were hearing them through static, or gazing at them through a fog, nothing was definite. Any attempt on her part to decipher them had brought on that strange sickness that now seemed to be lurking at the edge of all of Mina's memories.

"What did you forget?"

"Granger?" His hand was against her cheek, the pad of his thumb brushing away a tear she hadn't even known she'd shed. She recoiled from his touch, watching his hand as it dropped dejectedly to his side. He looked contrite, as though he knew he shouldn't have touched her, and regretted it instantly. Somehow that look hurt more than the memory, more than all the words he'd ever said to her.

"Fuck this is bad." He let out a breath, scrubbing his face with both hands, grey eyes examining her from between his fingers as she spoke.

"You would say that."

"What does that mean?" Hermione rolled her eyes as she walked towards the door. With all that had happened, she'd forgotten how easy it was to wind each other up, the pair of them always a hair's breadth away from one argument or another. How she'd expected something so naturally volatile to ever amount to anything but hurt was beyond her.

"I'm not getting into this with you." she sighed tiredly. But she didn't feel tired, she felt tense and angry because everything she'd ever felt for him was still there and she knew it really shouldn't be.

"I think the disappearing act we both just pulled means that we are going to have to get into it at least a little bit."

"I don't want to talk about it."

"Well tough titties, Granger. Don't fucking…" She'd stepped out of the door, and he'd grabbed her arm, pulling her back towards him. With a strength she hadn't known she possessed, she shrugged him off, stomping out of his reach and down the corridor. "Granger, we need to talk about this, if it happens again…"

"I'm sure if you explain the issue to the Sensieve it will be more than accommodating. You're a Malfoy after all, doesn't everything just bend to your will?"

"Fuck you, Granger. This could happen in front of people, in class for Merlin's sake. I can't wait to get front-row seats to you explaining that shit show."

"This is not my fault." Hermione paused to glare at him, poking a finger into his chest violently.

"Did I say that it was? But we need to -"

"You might want to tell your judgy tone that then."

"Judgy? A niffler can't so much as fucking fart around you without you waxing lyrical about it not being the way you've read it being done."

"So immature." Hermione shook her head slowly.

"Deflection isn't a good colour on you."

"I'm not-"

"Please, stomping away like an emotional fucking first year? Real mature. How about you suck up all that shit and we actually talk about this like grownups." Hermione lifted her nose into the air at his words but did not falter.

"Granger, come on," Draco whispered furiously after her, jogging to catch up with her.

"You know it's funny, you being difficult is forgivable, just a mishap, warranted even,"

"So, you admit you're being difficult."

"But when it's anyone else you're - urgh it doesn't even matter, my point is, I deserve my chance to walk away from this mess after chasing after you for so bloodie long."

"Cut the crap."

"No, I won't cut the crap. This is exactly what I mean. Everyone else's feelings are just make-believe to you aren't they?"

"You know that's not…"

"Non-existent little annoyances that you can just box away when they don't align with what you want."

"Oh, fuck off, we agreed-"

"No," she stopped, accusing finger pointed up at his face as she fought back the tears, "there's no we. You made that abundantly clear. You," Draco flinched at the venom in her voice, "It was you who decided how things were going to be, don't you dare drag me into your cowardice."

"Cowardice? You weren't exactly putting up a fight there, you agreed with me- we aren't good together, things aren't fucking different."

"I'm a Gryffindor, Malfoy, I would never be so defeatist."

"Will you stop -" she drew to a stop as he grasped her arm, "You can fuck off with that house trait dragon shit, you were right there with me."

"Would anything I could have said actually changed things?

"That sounds pretty defeatist to me."

"It's called dignity, Malfoy, I'm not going to get on my knees and beg for someone to want me when they clearly don't."

"That's not what I said."

"Isn't it? Because I'm pretty sure that's exactly what you said."

"Don't put words in my mouth. I'm not imagining shit, we both said that this wouldn't work, fuck you even brought up OWLs for Merlin's sake."

"I was hurt," she yanked her arm from his grip with gritted teeth. "I have never felt - this is the first time I wanted…" Her head drooped as she sighed heavily "it doesn't matter, as always you've made not caring an art form." She angrily wiped her tears, ignoring the way her words had made Draco flinch.

"I didn't…"

"Save it. Turning emotions off isn't easy for some of us but give me time, I'll get there."

"Easy? You think any of this is easy?" She held out her hands as he stepped towards her.

"Please don't. I can't - I won't - just leave me alone." She turned, the action feeling final. She only hoped the darkness would swallow her up before he could follow her.

"Granger, wait…" She lowered her head, biting back a sob, "Hermione."

She nearly stumbled as she came to a halt, sucking in a shuddering breath, wanting to both curse him and throw herself into his arms. She turned and gasped because he was already there, stepping into her space. His hands cradled her face as he pressed her against the nearest door, his lips searing hers.

"Stop…" she mumbled it half-heartedly, breath catching when spoke against her lips.

"None of this is easy," his fingers ran the hem of her shirt, slipping beneath and trailing a heated path all the way up her stomach. He tasted her neck, humming in her ear as she shivered, skin alive with sparks. The press of her hands against his shoulders eased as she gave in. "All I fucking think about is you," his thumb swiped the underside of her bra and Hermione arched into the touch, "how you laugh, merlin, how you roll your eyes. I just want to - " he paused, grey eyes meeting hers as his hand slipped beneath her skirt, "all I ever want to do is touch you." His words were punctuated by the press of his palm between her legs. Hermione gasped, head thumping back against the door.

"Fuck Granger, I've never wanted anything - " he gulped, vulnerable and uncertain but still touching her in the most wonderful way, he buried his head in her neck, kissing it gently, "as much as I want you." One finger slipped inside her and Hermione's mouth dropped open, a jumble of sounds leaving her that she'd hoped would be words. But there were none. None that would or could do justice to the warmth in her chest and the feelings coursing through her.

She ran her fingers across the expanse of his chest, fumbling to loosen his tie, undoing the buttons of his shirt with shaking fingers. It reminded her of Christmas, pressed against the kitchen counter and scared of the flood of feelings overtaking her. Now she welcomed them, wanted them. She felt like water, free and bursting out of herself, all of it too much to contain, too much to understand. Hermione gasped as his hand found an exquisite rhythm and she was forced to kiss him hard to stifle a loud moan.

He pulled away, grey eyes watching her closely, "Fuck Granger, you're…" His hand stilled and his gaze shifting to down the corridor.

"What-"

"Shit, shit shit, Filch. Why is he always showing up?"

Hermione pressed a finger to his lips, her stomach flipping as she watched his grey eyes darken.

"Come with me." She took his hand, leading him down the corridor, deeper into the quiet of the castle.

Each step down the darkened corridors felt lighter than the last, the heavy burden of worry that had pressed her shoulders into a constant ache lifted and she felt like she was floating, her skin still tingling from all the places he had touched her. Sparks still singing around where their hands joined. It felt like they were Mina and Edward, leaving behind everything just to be together, just to feel one another. She felt like she needed that. The back and forth, him blowing hot and cold, it was all so exhausting, but when they crashed together, it was so beautifully simple.

They wound their way up the steps to the astronomy tower, Hermione pressed against the cold stone wall as he reached for her, matching her desperation as they collided. His hands were tugging off her shirt and she let him, the chill air not bothering her as she felt the warmth of his breath right before he lavished her skin with kisses that left her breathless.

Moonlight painted the stone silver as he lowered her to the floor, one large hand slipping her underwear down her leg with a slowness that had Hermione lifting her hips off the floor impatiently.

"Please…" The word echoed into a moan as his head disappeared between her legs, letting out a strained groan as he tasted her. She arched to meet him, her heart nearly beating out of her chest as all the delicious spells he'd ever traced on her skin, he retraced with his tongue, and they were so agonisingly beautiful. She reached for his shoulders, tugging at his shirt till he hovered over her. Impatient, her hands were on his trousers, eagerly undoing them and gripping him lightly as she looked up into his eyes. She wondered briefly if they would look at her so adoringly when all the light flooded in, and morning made him realise that nothing had changed between them, but pushed it away quickly, leaning forward and pressing her lips to his.

"Granger?" Gentle movements of her hand had made him melt into her, but now he paused. She was guiding him towards her, and she could see it worried him.

"It's okay."

"You want this?" Hermione was amazed at how such gently whispered words could make her ache so profoundly, how his eyes searching her face could make her hope for things so desperately.

"Yes." Her own voice in that moment felt powerful, stilling the blonde Slytherin and stealing sound from the rest of the world till it was just their breaths, just their heartbeats. Then he was kissing her with a slow aching sweetness that made her moan again, letting him lower her gently back to the cold of the floor. But she didn't care, everywhere he was felt warm, felt wonderful.

He moved into her, and it hurt. His fingers gripped her thigh harshly as he let out a hiss and stopped moving. She didn't mind the pain though, instead, she focused on it, let it flow through her. The pain was her choice, was hers to control, and she let it flood her entire mind till there was no space for all the messiness of their relationship. It was just how he made her feel and it was perfect. When he began to move she just held him, relishing how breathless he was - warm air that she felt against her neck as he buried his head there. As long as she could have this moment, stinging and purely physical then it would be fine. Maybe it was what they needed. To get it all out of their system and then leave it behind.

"Hermione." He stilled, lifting his head and pressing his forehead against hers, grey eyes the most vulnerable she had ever seen them. He traced her bottom lip with his thumb, licking his own lips as she let out a shuddering breath. The gravity of it hit her, crushing any delusion she'd managed to form in her mind. She could feel him inside her and the rightness of it was so much more than just physical. She felt as if their souls were connected and she was finally seeing it, eyes wide at its magic. When he began to move again something beautiful bloomed around the dull ache and she gasped.

"Draco." It was so natural on her lips as if she'd always been meant to say it. She watched his eyes darken.

"Say that again."

"Draco." He pressed his hand between them, finding a spot that had stars bursting into glorious explosions of light behind her eyes.

"Again."

"Draco." She moaned it, shifting her hips and moving against him, chasing the burn of pleasure as it burned within her. She felt him shake above her, gently biting her shoulder to keep from crying out. They stayed there for some time; breaths laboured. She didn't want to speak, didn't want to move, didn't want it to end. Draco gripped her tighter and mumbled something softly against her skin.

"What?" He slowly lifted his head and looked at her. His hair was a mess, cheeks red, and lips swollen, and he looked defeated. Hermione almost didn't want him to speak, didn't want him to kill the moment before they'd really had chance to relish it. But then his thumb brushed her cheek, and he was smiling, softly, warmly.

"I'm in love with you." Her eyes widened, shaking her head in disbelief.

"You don't - you can't…" He cupped her cheek and kissed her once, pressing his forehead against hers and gazing into her eyes.

"I'm in love with you and I'm going to make things different." He'd said so many things he didn't mean over the course of their tenuous relationship, hollow half-truths that landed as lightly as he took them. But something in the way he looked at her, the way his fingers shook against her cheek as he said them, made the confession heavy, weighing down on her with all its truth and Hermione found that she believed him.