It's been a while since we've heard from our boy, so here is a Draco POV for you!

Chapter 5

Draco watched Hermione Disapparate with Potter and Weasley in tow and felt a crushing disappointment gripping his heart at the realization that she was, once again, gone. Knowing he had been out of the action for too long as it was, he Apparated with a nearly silent POP! to the far side of the tent from where the four of them had sat huddled, then made his way back into the fray of the battle.

Luckily, none of the other Death Eaters were any the wiser regarding his momentary disappearance. He participated in the quickly waning battle as little as he could without drawing suspicion to himself, mainly tossing in a well-placed Incarcerous here and there, which would be explained away to the others later on as wanting to question Order members as to Potter's whereabouts.

Finally, with all of the subdued wedding guests huddled together in a group in the middle of the makeshift dance floor, Draco and the others searched the group for any sign of Potter, only to come up empty handed.

"Potter isn't here," said Theodore Nott, Senior, angrily and quite unnecessarily.

Theo's father had escaped from Azkaban that summer, along with Draco's father and most of the Dark Lord's other followers, and had been placed in charge of the raid on the Weasley wedding. He had been hoping to come back with Potter in tow, earning himself a place at their Master's right hand, but Draco was quite certain that Azkaban had addled the old man's mind quite extensively. He was clearly delusional if he thought he would be the one to catch Harry Potter, especially when Hermione was there to watch out for the bespectacled Boy-Who-Lived.

"Fuck!" the older man exclaimed crudely. "I was hoping that we would find his little mudblood pet if nothing else, but it looks like she isn't here either."

Draco was thankful at that moment for the strength of his Occlumency shields. Hearing Hermione referred to as that horrendous name, the one that he himself had once used so frequently…and after all she had come to mean to him… It was nearly more than he could take, and he had barely been able to stop his hands from clenching into angry fists at his sides. His only tell was the nearly imperceptible ticking of his jaw as he ground his teeth together.

His eyes met Ginny Weasley's, and he saw by the appraising look in her brown eyes that she had seen it. He realized that Hermione had told her friend about them, as well.

"If we find out," began Nott, Senior, addressing the guests huddled together on the floor in front of him, "that any of you are harboring Harry Potter, or that filthy mudblood of his, the Dark Lord will have no mercy for you – regardless of your blood status."

The last was directed at the Weasley matriarch and patriarch with no small amount of contempt, but Draco's estimation of them rose when they stared back at Nott with not a hint of fear in their eyes. They were not cowed by the man, and they would not bow to his will. Nott, of course, did not see their defiance. With a nod at the rest of the Death Eaters present, he turned on his heel and was gone, and the rest of them followed. Their destination: Malfoy Manor.

Hours later, after finally escaping from the gathering that was taking place in the main rooms below, Draco was at last able to be alone. The only place where he was comfortable in the Manor anymore, the only place that still felt like home, was his suite of rooms, and that was where he barricaded himself now.

Malfoy Manor. The place that had, for most of his life, been a haven for him – a place where he had been happy and loved, even if that life had been warped by terrible ideology and bigotry as he now realized. Now, it was a house of horrors. His room was the only place that still felt truly safe.

He thought about the past month. He had thought that Christmas Eve at the hands of the Dark Lord had been bad, but he had been wrong. It had been nothing compared to what the Dark Lord had done when expressing his…displeasure with Draco over his failure to kill Albus Dumbledore.

"An incompetent failure, just like your worthless father!"

The shouts had reverberated through the empty halls and rooms of the Manor. By the time the Dark Lord had decided that Draco had been sufficiently punished for his failures and had left the Manor, Draco had been completely unable to move. He had never seen his mother cry as hard as she had when she had gently levitated him up the stairs and into his bed. She had then sat with him though the entire night, stroking his hair away from his sweat-dampened face and singing songs to him quietly, just like she had whenever he had been ill as a small boy.

The diagnostic spells she had run the next morning had revealed numerous broken ribs in addition to the bruises that had covered almost every inch of flesh on his body. He had also gained several new scars following the ordeal. He had been fully bedridden for weeks, only recovering fully a few days ago. When he had heard about the raid happening on a wedding that was to take place at the Weasley's family home, however, he had immediately volunteered to join, much to his mother's displeasure.

He had known that Hermione would be there and not only had he needed to warn her about the taboo to ensure that the three of them remained safe, but he had also desperately wanted to see her. And she had looked stunning. He had felt the white-hot burn of jealousy washing over him at seeing her in Krum's arms as the Quidditch star had used his body to shield her from the spells that had been flying around them. When Krum had fallen, though, and Draco had pulled her into his own arms, the happiness that had lit up her entire face upon realizing who he was had erased any of the jealousy that he had felt only moments before.

He took a moment now, in the solitude and safety of his room, to remember every detail of that moment. Her long dress had been more modest than most of the women he had seen at the weddings he had attended in the past, but it had hugged her luscious body and made his mouth water. It had hinted at just the idea of cleavage but had caused his imagination to run wild. He alone knew exactly what lay hidden beneath the silken fabric.

Her long, shiny hair had tumbled over one shoulder in a silky, curly waterfall and his fingers had itched to bury themselves in her soft tresses. Her face had only a light dusting of makeup. It was not enough to alter her features like the girls in Slytherin did theirs, overdone and deceptive; hers mostly just made her eyes seem much larger and doe-like, and he had felt like he was falling into them when he had looked at her.

He found himself wishing he could draw the memory from his mind to preserve it, to rescue it from the decaying ravages of time, to visit it over and over again in the Pensive that sat in the corner of his father's study, but this was a dangerous game he found himself embroiled in right now. He refused to put her life in more danger by acting irresponsibly, not when he was surrounded by poisonous vipers who would turn on him in a heartbeat if they thought it would earn them even a single iota of favor from their cruel Master.

He shook himself back to the present with great effort and, with one last thought of her, he locked her back behind his shields where she would have to remain for both his safety and for hers. He didn't know what Potter and Weasley had dragged her into this time, he could only hope that they would heed his parting words to them. He hoped to Merlin that they would watch her back while he wasn't there to do so.

Taking one final risk, and only after ensuring that he was still very much alone, Draco reached up and grabbed hold of the pendant of the necklace that hadn't left his neck since Hermione had given it to him, so many months ago now. With his wand clenched tightly in his right hand, he muttered "Libera Nuntium" in a voice so low that it would have been audible only to someone standing a foot or two in front of him, and he sent Hermione a message. It was the first one he had ever risked sending her in the entire time he had worn the necklace, but seeing her tonight had broken his resolve.

"I love you. Please stay safe – for me. I can't bear to lose you."

Then he fell back onto the huge bed that dominated the room and tried his best to not think about the utter hell that his life had become.

Song Inspiration: Zombie – The Cranberries

Hopefully you all enjoyed seeing things from Draco's point of view for a bit. The majority of the chapters will take place from Hermione's POV, but when I was writing it felt important to check in periodically with Draco.

As always, that you to the people that have left reviews! It always makes my day to hear that you are enjoying the story. And for everyone that has followed and/or favorited my story...those are always my favorite notifications to receive on my phone! *air kisses*

sbz