Hermione woke up in the dimly lit tent with no concept of what time it was. No windows to indicate whether she had beaten the sun as she normally did. She sat up, and winced, realizing how sore she was. Lifting up the covers, she saw bruising on her hips and around her waist. His fingers printed onto her pale skin like a stamp on paper.

She felt disgusted with herself, for letting him touch her again. The same hands that had killed and bruised her were the ones that had delicately weaved through her hair and held her where she wanted it most.

"Go back to sleep, Granger. You were only out for three hours," Draco called from the desk. "I swear, you're worse than me. Just sleep."

She fell back onto the bed, her tailbone sore from Draco pounding his hard body against hers. "You don't think I would if it were that simple?"

The sound of Draco's quill being dragged across parchment stopped. "Do you need a potion?"

"They don't work on me anymore," she sighed. "I'm fine, I feel rested."

"Three hours is not enough rest. I'm not having you wave your wand around after months of not casting spells with no sleep. Either take a potion or tell me what you need so you can get at least a few more hours."

Fire whiskey was the first thing that came to mind, but having a raging hangover while attempting to navigate through a maze of traps designed to kill or maim didn't seem reasonable. Sometimes music helped, but that still took hours to work.

Then, she thought about how well she slept next to Ron. His warm arms wrapped around her, holding her close. The sound of his heartbeat and how perfectly it matched hers. How he could lull her into a slumber that was free of nightmares and…

"Merlin, you're so pathetic. Stop thinking about him."

"Get the fuck out of my head," she yelled, throwing a pillow at him. He caught it and walked over towards the bed.

"Move over, Granger."

"No." She pulled the blanket over her naked body, hiding from him.

"I said move over," he demanded. "You either do it on your own, or I'll do it for you."

Hermione rolled her eyes and scooted to the side of the bed. Draco pulled off her shirt and climbed under the covers, laying on his back. He draped his arm over his eyes and breathed deeply for a moment, then turned to her.

"You're so starved for affection you keep thinking about that worthless piece of shit. Come here," he said, pulling at her arm.

"What makes you think I want it from you?" She didn't move from her spot.

"You have bad dreams, that's what wakes you. Let me just put you to bed, then I'll leave."

"You're the cause of my nightmares, do you realize that?"

Draco sighed, wrapping his arm under her, curling her into his chest. "I know."

She felt his gentle breaths brush against the top of her head. His fingers trailed up and down her back softly, giving her goosebumps. The slow beating of his heart felt strangely comforting against her cheek. The heart that she wished nothing more than to drive a stake into. The fear in her chest was dampened each time his chest rose and fell alongside hers.

"How do I know you won't bite into my neck while I'm sleeping?" she asked.

He laughed and pulled her closer. "Don't worry, I ate before we came."

Hermione looked up at him. "Who did you kill this time? Hopefully not another one of my friends."

Draco's arm reached into a small jewelry box on the side table. "That reminds me actually. I wanted to give you this."

Between his fingers was a gold tooth, he held it out to her. All she could do was look at him with bewilderment as she took it from him.

"You killed him?"

"Trust me, the world is better off," he told her. "He's nothing."

"I didn't ask you to do that."

"I know."

"Why?" she asked.

"Because he hurt you."

She thought of all the times she had been taken to the Death Chamber, and how many more times she would have to go back. The war was the cause of many to inflict pain into her, her own best friend included. Everyone who she had loved and hated at some point damaged her.

"Many people have hurt me, Draco."

"They will pay one day, I promise you."

"What about you? Will you pay for what you've done to me?"

He looked at her, the silver in his eyes nearly glinting in the dim light. "I will give you my life, if that is what you want."

She felt her eyes become heavy and begin to flutter closed. What she saw as she drifted off to sleep was a monster that held onto her like a lover would. As much as she had hated it, it pulled her into a sense of security. In his arms, it felt safe, like nothing could touch her while she was caged in his embrace.

Several hours later, Hermione woke up feeling more rested than she had in years. The bed beside her was empty, and she was glad she didn't have to see him and deal with the aftermath of falling asleep in his arms.

Draco was on the couch, as he said he would be. The sleeping beast looked peaceful and for a second, she almost let herself think he was beautiful as he laid there.

She had her magic back. She could light him on fire, run to Ron and Harry, cut off her own finger, and leave.

"Granger, I'll have you pinned down to that bed before you could draw your wand," he said sleepily from the couch. "I'll fuck some sense into you, if that's what you'd like."

"Could you stop reading my thoughts? It's quite annoying really." She got up from the bed and covered herself with the sheet, making her way towards her bag to grab a new set of clothes. Ones that hadn't been ripped or tainted by him.

"Maybe if you stopped plotting my demise every five minutes I could." Draco sat up and watched her as she moved across the tent. She ignored his eyes that followed her like a predator stalking its prey. "Why are you walking so weird?"

"Stop looking at me," she said through gritted teeth.

Instantly, he was next to her, and he pulled the sheet down to reveal her body. His eyes looked over the bruising on her hips and the marks on her neck just below her jaw.

"Fuck," he whispered. "I'm sorry. I sometimes forget my own strength and…"

"It's fine, Malfoy."

Hermione understood that there would be consequences to her weakness. She felt as if she deserved the pain for allowing herself to be with him in ways that disgusted but excited her. The pain was a reminder to her that what she was doing was wrong, deplorable, and selfish.

Before exiting the tent, he casted a few charms that would ease her soreness and lighten the bruising. She didn't thank him or acknowledge it, but was grateful that she wouldn't have any physical markings that her two old friends may have seen.

Ron and Harry were already packed, waiting for them by the lake's edge. Ron was pacing, muttering to himself. When he saw them, he shot a nasty look at Hermione.

"Can I talk to you right quick?" he asked. Hermione looked at Draco. "I'm not talking to him, I'm talking to you."

She and Ron walked a fair bit away, and Ron turned to her with fury in his eyes. Hermione almost smiled, feeling his rage radiating from him.

"You're fucking him? That fucking freak who's killed half the Order? I know Harry and I have done some fucked up shit, but this is a new low. Especially for you," he said, exasperated.

"Why am I held to a different standard? Why can't I do fucked up shit too?" she yelled.

He shook his head. "Because you're supposed to be the sensible one and now you're doing shit just to piss me off."

"Not everything I do is about you, Ronald," she bit back.

"This is sick, Hermione. And you know it. The bloke tore into Seamus, and you probably had his cock in you that morning. Can't you see how fucked that is? Only a desperate whore would do something like this."

Hermione's hand was at her wand. How dare he bring up Seamus or call her a whore after what he has done? She wanted to make him regret his words. A desire to inflict pain on him as he did to her was clouding her mind.

"Is he controlling you or something? Have you been under some sort of curse? This isn't you, Mione."

"You don't fucking know me anymore," she said, about to pull out her wand just to make him squirm. She hadn't noticed Draco coming towards them until she felt his cold fingers wrap around her wrist, preventing her from drawing.

"I think you've said your piece, Weasley. You shouldn't be upsetting our only hope of getting out of here alive with a horcrux."

Draco stared him down, but Ron's glare never left Hermione. It was silent as they made their way to the lower area of the cave system. Hermione had no idea how difficult weaving through Voldemort's traps and enchantments would be. It was extensive, and incredibly dangerous. After casting counter spells, setting up protective barriers around traps, and the grueling hours it took for them to traverse through the terrain, Hermione was tired and aching beyond belief.

She looked at Harry and Ron, and couldn't imagine that they could have done this without herself and Draco bearing most of the heavy lifting. Hermione's brains and Draco's strength powered them through many of the obstacles at hand. It took nearly half the day to finally make it to the last chamber of the cave. There was a podium that sat in the middle of a pool of water, and from a distance, a green glow could be seen emitting from it.

Hermione casted a detection spell to try to decipher what sort of magic could be hidden in the walls of the cave or the water that was surrounding the horcrux. She didn't get any sort of feedback, and looked to the rest of the group.

Ron picked up a stone, tossing it lightly into the water. The water of the pool rippled slightly before becoming still again. Harry stepped forward, placing his foot into the water. A slight creaking noise emanated from the podium. Suddenly, the cave walls around them started to crack, and water began spilling in.

Draco hurriedly ran for the podium, the water now past their knees. It was bone chillingly cold, and Hermione felt her legs go numb. She followed behind him as fast as she could, but began to get swept in the currents. She could no longer stand, and was trying to swim towards the podium.

The icy water made it difficult for her to keep her head above water, as she felt like it was freezing her limbs in place. She scanned to find Harry or Ron, but they were nowhere in sight. The top of her head was now pressed against the cave ceiling, and she took a deep breath before becoming fully submerged. She drew her wand to try to find them, but the water was deep and dark it felt impossible to see. Her lungs started to burn, and the cold water was slowing her heart.

Hermione didn't know how much longer she had.

As her vision went back, she wanted nothing more than to feel her mother's embrace to warm her from the frigid temperatures. She wished desperately to see Harry's green eyes and find the safety she once felt with him. And the last thing she wanted was to feel Draco's heartbeat against her, one last time.

There was a tug on her waist as she was ripped from the water and into the tunnel they had traversed down. Draco patted her face gently, attempting to wake her. She coughed up the cold water as her body shook.

"Granger, are you okay?" he frantically asked as he looked into her eyes that were darting around. She saw Harry leaning against the rocky wall, catching his breath.

"Where's Ron?" she asked, not being able to see him in the darkness.

"Down there still," Harry said. "I'm going to go for him."

"You'll die, Potter," Draco barked, wrapping his cloak around Hermione. "We need to go now, the water is still rising."

"Not without Ron," Harry said. Hermione noticed his head was cut and dripping blood. If he went down there, there wasn't a chance he would survive.

"Malfoy, you need to get him," Hermione demanded.

"I need to get you out of here," he replied. "You are my priority."

She pushed away from him, stumbling as she stood on her own feet, the water inching towards them at a faster rate.

"Get him, now," she yelled, her eyes full of panic and anger. Draco looked at her, then to Harry.

"Take her to safety," he said, tossing the locket to him. He looked at Hermione once more before he dove back into the water.

Harry draped Hermione's arm around his shoulder and they both limped to safety in the chamber above. The water had stopped flooding in, but they held their breath still, waiting for Draco to emerge with Ron.

Every second felt agonizing, as if hours would pass in between them. Hermione leaned into Harry's chest, attempting to leech the warmth from him as she stood shivering. He held her close, his heartbeat was so fast she thought it might explode.

Finally, Draco and Ron emerged from the water. Ron began to cough, clearing his lungs. She and Harry breathed a sigh of relief, seeing that he was alive. Draco conjured a fire in the middle of the room, warming the small cavern before walking away, leaning against a far wall. The three of them sat around the fire, Harry's arm was still wrapped tightly around Hermione as they sat under a blanket. Ron laid close to the fire, his head resting on his backpack, beginning to lightly snore.

Hermione was still shaking from the frigid waters and Harry rubbed her arms, trying to create some friction to warm her. She rested her head on his shoulder, trying not to think of the wrongs he's done.

"How's Ginny?" she asked.

Harry smiled, squeezing Hermione softly. "She's starting to show. Wanna wager if it's a boy or a girl?"

"Please tell me it's a girl, Harry. I am begging."

"It is. Can you believe it?" he said, shaking her shoulder in celebration. Hermione smiled from ear to ear, and she nestled her head in the crook of his neck.

"Congrats. I'm so happy for you two." She sighed, "I really wish I was there to see it all."

Then, she remembered why she wasn't there to see Ginny glowing from her pregnancy and Albus and James jump for joy at the prospect of a new sibling.

"The war is going to be over soon, Hermione. I promise you. The first thing I'm going to do is bring you home."

Home. Where was home? Was it a broom closet at 12 Grimmauld Place? Or was it the dilapidated ruins of her parents' house where she spent her childhood? It certainly wasn't the walls of Hogwarts. She didn't know anymore. Home to her was a foreign concept now, something she hadn't had in a decade.

"Where's that gonna be, Harry?"

"With me, Gin, and the kids, of course. At Grimmauld. Plenty of room."

"Sounds intrusive of me," she replied, trying to not let the sadness overtake her voice.

"We want you to be with us," he assured her.

But that didn't seem to be the case to her. He had already given her up so easily. She would have never even considered that notion if it was him. Moody and Kingsley would have had to tear him out of her arms, and she would have gone down fighting if she had to.

"We'll see when we get there," she said, standing up. She was still cold, but didn't want to continue the conversation any longer. It was too much to think about, and made her heart ache.

They spent the next few hours trekking back towards the lake. Hermione felt as if she were going to collapse, still wrapped tightly in Draco's cloak that drug behind her, catching on rocks and snagging. Though she had dried off, the chill of the water still lingered inside of her. Draco noticed her slowing down, the exhaustion overtaking.

"I can carry you," he whispered.

She looked at her two friends that were trailing in front of them, and as much as she wanted to give in, she couldn't. Not for her own pride. "I'm fine, I can manage."

Draco set up their tent, and she sat down on the edge of the bed, breathing deeply. Physically and emotionally drained, she wished she could fall asleep with ease tonight and forget what happens in her dreams when she wakes, but she knew it would be unlikely.

Kneeling down in front of her, Draco began to unlace her boots, pulling them off her swollen feet and ankles. He removed her damp socks and began to massage her sore feet, gently pressing into the soles to release the tension from the day's journey.

She moaned softly as he kneaded his fingers at all of the exact places where she felt pain, and he had stripped away her clothes. Eventually, she found herself laying on her back, her legs dangling off the bed, half asleep as he worked his way up then, peppering kisses across her calves every so often.

He lifted her up and placed her under the covers, brushing strands of hair from her face. As he pulled away, she instinctively grabbed onto his arm, but quickly let go after realizing what she had done and who she was trying to cling on to.

Draco leaned down close to her, running his fingers through her hair against her scalp, brushing his thumb against her forehead. "Are you still considering leaving with them?"

Hermione lifted her hand, looking at the silver band on her index finger. "I don't think I have a choice."

The ring didn't give her an option, and she was almost glad to have it. Having the decision made for her made her life much simpler. She didn't have to consider leaving Astoria with the monster, the ring was forcing her there. Guilt wouldn't overcome her for not going with Harry because she couldn't, not because she didn't trust him. It was as straightforward as that.

But Draco touched his finger to the ring and it unbound from her. He pulled it off and held it in his hand.

"Tell me, Granger, are you going to leave me?"

She looked up into his eyes, they were harsh and intense, prodding through her, trying to read what she was going to say next.

"I don't know," she softly said.

"You still love him, despite what he's done to you," he said as a fact.

"Ron?" she asked, confused.

Draco shook his head, "Potter."

Of course she loved him. They had been through it all together. She would blindly follow him into the gates of hell just to keep him safe. But she was now realizing he may not do that for her, which made her stomach twist into a knot.

"I do love him."

Draco sat at the edge of the bed, turned away from her. His shoulders seemed tense, and his hands gripped tightly at the sheets. "So many have sacrificed themselves for him, and he continues to let it happen. Look at what he's done to you and to everyone around him."

Hermione knew what he was talking about. It wasn't just about her. It was his mother.

She sat up, inching closer to him, gently resting her chin on his shoulder, feeling his cold body nearly tremble with anger and sadness.

"I'm so sorry about what happened to your mum," she said, wrapping her arms around him, remembering that he was also dealing with grief. Remember the boy with blue eyes who was just as scared as the rest of them. "He doesn't know what happened, Malfoy. No one knew. We would have never fathomed what happened to your mother because she helped us. She's the reason why most of us are alive."

"But she is gone now because of him. Turned into a vampire, forced to kill her only son, and then left in the sun to melt away. All because of him." His hands were shaking, and Hermione felt unease as she held onto him, fearful that he would burst out in a frenzy. "Now, you'll be taken away from me because of him too. And for some reason, you've justified what he's done to you. You deserve better than that."

"What Harry is doing is for the best to end the war," she tried to convince herself.

Draco shook his head. "He's using you like a pawn. If someone told me that they wanted Astoria for Voldemort's head on a silver platter, I'd kill them for even suggesting it."

"He isn't you. And you aren't him."

"And yet, we all are suffering at his hand as well as my own, but you act as if his causes are more noble than mine," he scoffed.

"You've killed people I love at the hand of Voldemort. Do you think that's noble?"

Draco stood up, running his hands over his face in frustration. "Get it through your thick fucking skull, Granger. If I had the choice, I would have died that day instead of coming back like this. Do you know how painful it is to keep from killing people that you love? The compulsion to drain everyone you see of their blood? You couldn't begin to imagine it."

Hermione was speechless as she sat and listened to him. His desperation was palpable, his voice was breaking as he spoke, and all she could do was listen.

"And you want to know why I need Astoria so desperately that I am willing to turn her? Because she's the only person who never saw me as a fucking monster," his voice cracked, nearly straining under the weight of it all. "She was the first person that held me after I had turned. Everyone else ran from me, even Cornelius. But Tori? She clung on to me so tight they had to pry her away. The reason why I was ever taken in by the Greengrasses after was because she convinced them that I was still me. Everything I am doing is for her. That's as good enough cause as anything Potter will fight for."

"Why would you subject her to live in the pain you feel?" Hermione asked.

"I would kill everyone in the world if it kept her fed. She will never go hungry as long as I am around. And I will be around as long as it takes for you to cure her."

Their eyes met, and she knew he meant every word of what he said. Despite it all, she understood him. She understood why, because she would have done the same for those she loved, casting aside her morals to keep them safe. Sending a killing curse or wiping their mind to prevent their death.

"Have you ever felt that anyone would go to those lengths for you, Granger? Or are you happy bleeding yourself dry for those who wouldn't give themselves a paper cut for you?"

Hermione grit her teeth, not wanting to hear what he was saying, not wanting to convince herself that it was true. Her body buzzed with anger. She was jealous of the way he spoke about Astoria that made her wish that someone, anyone would feel the same about her. "I'll stay with you, because of Astoria and to end this war."

Draco's lips curled into a smile, and he held the ring out for her. He had won once more, her heart getting the better of her. "I knew you'd come to your senses."

She slipped the ring back over her finger, feeling it tighten around her. "I want you to know that this doesn't mean anything, that I still hate you, and I still want you gone."

Hermione thought that if she said it out loud, she would believe those words herself, but as she looked at the monster before her, she couldn't help but to feel that she meant those words less and less.

"I know."