Hermione anxiously waited for Draco in the sitting room. She carried a small bag with some clothes and toiletries for a few days. According to him, they would be traversing through a cave that had several barriers that prevented access to one of the few remaining horcruxes, Slytherin's locket. She went over a checklist in her head of all the things she needed, and hoped that Harry and Ron wouldn't forget something important like the basilisk fang or an extra pair of underwear.

Astoria sat across from Hermione on the armchair that was usually occupied by Draco, smiling wide, but looking tired. Draco had said he told Astoria that he was bringing her on some sort of weekend trip for Voldemort. Another thing he was lying to her about, and she was half tempted to ask Astoria what their arrangement was really like. She had only heard about their relationship from everyone else but her.

"Are you excited for this weekend, Hermione?" Astoria asked as she thumbed through a magazine.

Hermione raised an eyebrow at Astoria. "I don't think this is going to be like a vacation."

"I'm sure you're still going to have fun still with Draco in Hong Kong. Have you ever been?"

"No, I haven't," Hermione replied. She nervously cleared her throat. "Astoria, I need to tell you about something."

Astoria sat the magazine down and looked at Hermione. "What's up?"

"I don't know how to put this lightly, but Malfoy and I…"

"I know," she said. Hermione, eyes wide in horror, tried to gauge her reaction. But she still seemed the same old, sweet Astoria. "Don't worry, it's okay."

"It's not okay, Astoria. It was shitty of me to do, I was told certain things about your relationship with him and I never talked to you about it," Hermione insisted.

Astoria blushed, picking at her fingers nervously. "It's quite embarrassing for me to talk about, actually. Draco says not many people are supposed to know. It's for the best."

Her timidness made Hermione feel sad for her. Knowing that she just wanted everyone else to feel comfortable, despite never feeling it herself. She probably suppressed her discomfort to ease the mind of others, but Hermione could tell by the way she played with her hair or how she sat restlessly that she was hiding much from the world.

"You don't have to be embarrassed around me. You're always listening, it's about time someone heard you."

Astoria set down the magazine and reached her hand out towards her. Hermione took her hand and squeezed softly. The veins in her body were a dark purple, almost completely visible through her pale skin. She had lost some weight over the few months Hermione had been there, which seemed impossible already with how small she was to begin with.

"You know why Draco married me. Me and Daph would be dead if he didn't. We would have been gone with my dad. Draco, he's like my big brother really. I love him to bits. I'd do anything for him."

"Like becoming a vampire?"

Astoria nodded, her dark brown hair swaying along. "You don't understand, Hermione. The three of us, we need each other."

"But is that what you want? To live like him?"

"It might not be so bad. I'll be with them, and I will be healthy. They won't have to worry about me anymore, and can do things that make them happy instead of being sad about me. Daph can travel the world with Theo and Draco can actually rest for once. I'd live to the normal age I'm supposed to. And Draco, he said he'd always take care of me. He'll make it tolerable for me until you find a cure." She laughed a little, tears filling her soft eyes. "Think about how silly it would be, Astoria Greengrass as a vampire. Would you be scared if I showed up in your room in the night, attempting to drink your blood?"

Her warm smile tugged at Hermione's heart. How could anyone ever say no to her? They really seemed to be trusting Hermione with the task of reversing the curse. She hadn't made any progress since she had started. There were too many variables and unknowns. Too many secrets hidden away by vampires to even make it possible to understand the origins of the blood curse.

"What if I can't figure it out, Astoria?" Hermione asked, looking down.

Astoria shrugged. "Then a vampire I will be for the next 200ish years when I die of old age. I'll get used to it, I hope. I don't know." Hermione saw her shoulders drop as she continued to think about it. She wasn't convinced that Astoria was content with the outcome. "But I believe in you, Hermione. You're so smart and determined. That's why he likes you so much."

Hermione hated that she blushed, but she shook that notion away quickly. "He doesn't like me. I think quite the opposite. And I hate him too. For everything he's done."

"I've known Draco since I was a little girl. I promise you, he's good. He's just lost, Hermione. He's lost and scared." Astoria squeezed Hermione's hand with a strength that shocked her.

Lost and scared, like a cornered dog, baring it's teeth, willing to bite to defend itself. That was Draco Malfoy.

Astoria stood up, balancing herself of the arm of the chair. Hermione stood, attempting to help her. Astoria sat on the couch next to her, looking into her eyes. "I know you're lost and scared too, Hermione. I hope one day, you'll find a home. I want nothing more than that for the both of you."

Hermione wrapped her arm around the frail witch, pulling her close. Astoria rested her head on her shoulder, intertwining her fingers with Hermione's. They held hands for a while, nestled into one another. There was a way that Astoria had made her feel seen for once, like she understood everything Hermione was feeling inside.

She wanted to protect her. To prevent her living a life of pain and misery. Astoria deserved to be comfortable, and Hermione was determined to make that happen.

"You're tired, aren't you?" Hermione asked.

"I think you are too," she whispered back. "I'm going to miss you. Come back soon, okay?"

Hermione's stomach dropped. Though she had told Draco she wouldn't leave, she was considering it. She wanted to rid herself of that evil, but looking at Astoria made it harder. How could she doom someone to a fate worse than death? Especially someone like Astoria.

They both ignored the sounds of Draco's bootsteps marching down the stairs. They stayed intertwined, feeling a sense of solace in each other's embrace.

"Ready to go, Granger?" he asked. Hermione nodded. Draco walked over to them and kissed Astoria on the top of her head. "We'll be leaving soon. You'll be okay?"

"Just five more minutes with Hermione, please," Astoria giggled. "And yes, I'll be okay. Pansy is going to be here all weekend."

Hermione patted Astoria on the leg before standing. She and Draco walked outside of the manor quietly. She didn't want to speak to him, knowing now he really was the cause of her capture. Well, half of the cause. But she didn't feel betrayed by him, he was nothing to her. It was expected of him to do something cruel and evil.

Harry on the other hand? That was betrayal in the deepest form. If he had just told her, asked her, gave her some sort of autonomy in the situation, things may have been different.

But now she was scared to see him.

"You're mad at me," Draco said as they stood in front of the manor under the cloud cover.

"You trapped me here. You're the reason why. And now you're using Astoria to hold me to you."

Draco scoffed, a slight smirk on his face. "Anything Astoria says or does is of her own volition. I have no sway over her."

He grabbed her hand and slipped a silver ring over her pointer finger. She felt it chinch to her skin, and tried to pull at it. It was stuck to her, and she was unable to remove it.

"What's this do?" she asked, pulling at it more.

"Prevents you from Apperating unless I cast it and bring you to me if you're too far. Just as a precaution, I'm sure you'll understand."

"How much did this cost you?"

"No price is too high to keep you, Granger." He slipped his hand into his coat pocket before pulling out her wand. "You'll probably need this too. They're worthless without you."

Hermione's hand was shaking as she reached for it. When her fingers wrapped around the wood, she felt whole again. As if a missing limb had been reattached. Though she was still within the barrier, she could feel the slight twinge of magic slip into her.

"You do anything stupid though, and I'll kill Weasley. I don't need very much to be convinced to."

"Me either," Hermione said subconsciously. Draco laughed as he laced his fingers in between hers. "What are you doing?"

"Don't you want to piss him off just a little bit?" he asked, a grin on his face. He snapped his fingers and they appeared outside the mouth of a cave. The forest floor surrounding it was moss and covered in foliage.

Hermione could hear their voices distantly inside the cave and became nervous. Her heartbeat was in her head as she tried to calm her breathing. She would have to face them, the two people she had loved the most that threw her aside like she was fodder.

"Calm down. They aren't worth getting upset over," he said, feeling her pulse in her fingertips. They entered, and Hermione could hear the dripping of water and the fluttering of bats and the voices she's wanted to hear so desperately for months.

Harry and Ron went silent as they approached. Ron's eyes stared at their interlocked fingers, looking disgusted.

"Hermione," Harry called happily. She let go of Draco's hand, folded her arms in front of herself, shielding her chest that was aching. His smile fell, and he took a step towards them.

"That's far enough, Potter," Draco called. "Let's set some ground rules. Granger is coming back with me . Any funny business, and I will kill you all."

"Aren't you just chipper today," Ron said, shaking his head. "Least she's still human."

Harry put his hand out to silence him. "Let's get moving. It's about a days walk through the tunnel system, we'll camp at the lake and then get an early start to start working through the enchantments in the second half of the cave."

Hermione silently nodded, not wanting to look into his green eyes. Ron led the way, and Harry walked next to Hermione, with Draco trailing behind.

She hadn't casted a spell in what felt like forever, but it felt so natural for her illuminate the tip of her wand. As much as she had gotten accustomed to not using magic, she desperately missed the feeling of the tingle in her hands as she felt magic flowing through her again.

There was several times Harry looked as if he were going to say something. He'd open his mouth and look at her but turn away. After the fifth time she caught him doing it, she had enough.

"What is it, Harry?" Her voice was harsh.

He looked down. "I'm sorry. I wish I could explain, but I can't. It was a mistake."

"It's not a mistake if it gets rid of Voldemort," she said. "I just wish you would have consulted me."

"Would you have gone?" he asked.

"No, but I could have figured something out," she replied.

"Kingsley and Moody…"

"Don't, Harry. Don't make excuses."

He leaned closer to her and whispered. "We're going to get you back, I promise."

"You didn't even ask if I wanted to go back. Am I just an object to you? Something you can pass back and forth until the war is over?" She stopped walking and turned to him, her arms in the air. "Are you really that fucking daft that you think after everything you and Ron have done to me that I'd want to go back with you and pretend like you both haven't broken my heart over and over again?"

He tried to reach for her, but she backed away. "Hermione, I'm so sorry. I know nothing I will say can ever make things better. But you are my best friend."

"No, Harry. I'm not," she pointed at Ron. "He's your best friend. And sadly, you were my best friend. I stuck with you through it all. I gave everything to both of you. I've bled for you, and when that wasn't enough, you sent me to be slaughtered."

Hermione's chest felt heavy, and she turned to see Draco, a smile on his face with his arms crossed. She walked to him, using him as a barrier between herself and Harry.

Someone she hated but knew their intentions was much easier to be around than someone she loved that held a knife to her back.

They walked for hours through the channels of caves, weaving through small openings and making their way down precarious pathways. Draco held her waist to help her from high ledges and lifted her over deep pools of water. Hermione caught Ron muttering to himself anytime Draco touched her, making her feel slightly better despite her heart still aching.

Eventually, they came across a large lake under the cavern. It emitted a light blue glow that allowed them to sheath their wands.

Harry and Ron conjured a tent for themselves. Draco pitched a simple black tent and held it open for Hermione. When she passed through the fabric, she was met with an elaborate interior. A king sized bed sat in the middle of the tent, to the side there was a sitting area with couches, and opposite that was a desk with books.

Hermione's feet were sore, and she went to the couch and unlaced her boots. "You couldn't afford two beds?"

"I don't sleep much, you take the bed, I'll have the couch," he said, sitting at the desk. She made her way over to the bed and ran her hand along the silk sheets. The large full length mirror in the corner of the tent caught her attention, and she stood in front of it, looking at herself.

The bags under her eyes were nearly purple, and though she had been spending more time in the sun, she still felt she was much paler than normal. Her hair was a mess in the braid she had put it in. Her fingers went to untie it, but she paused when she saw Draco come behind her.

She put her hands down as he started to slowly unravel her hair, brushing his fingers through the strands. He tilted her head to the side and kissed her ear. Cold lips trailed down to her neck, and he paused when he felt her pulse.

"Malfoy…" she said breathlessly.

"Shhh…" he whispered on her skin. "Don't you want to drive him crazy? I bet he'd have a real fit if he heard you screaming my name." He kissed her shoulder, pulling up at her shirt. "I bet it would make him hard hearing you moan your pretty little moans"

Draco took off her shirt, and looked at her in the mirror, his cold fingers were pushing down at her bra straps. He palmed her breasts over the thin fabric. "How could anyone ever want anything other than this?"

The clasp of her bra was undone and the undergarment fell to the floor. It was uncomfortable to be undressed in front of anyone. She felt her breasts hung a little too low and her arms went to cover her stomach. Draco pushed her arms away, his fingers at the button of her jeans. "Look at how fucking beautiful you are."

His arm wrapped around her waist and he lifted her up to push her jeans to the floor and kicked them away. He kissed her neck and shoulders again as his finger found her clit over her cotton underwear. She moaned loudly as his other hand pinched softly at her nipples. Her eyes closed, feeling his cold body press against her.

"Look at yourself," he demanded. She watched as he ripped her underwear off and pulled her closer to him. Hermione felt the outline of his hard cock in her back, and her jaw almost dropped at how large it felt. "I want you to see how pretty your lips are when you're begging to come on my cock."

Drunk. She was drunk off every word he said. Her head was spinning. Hermione couldn't resist, she was drinking up his every touch. Draco reached into his pants and pulled out his erection. He nestled it against her ass, as his silver eyes looked at every inch of her.

"Cross your legs," he said against her ear. A chill overcame her as she moved her right leg over her left at the knee. She felt the cold tip of his cock squeeze in between her thighs, right up against her wet cunt. In the mirror, she saw the head push through the tight space, grazing her clit. She would have fallen to the floor if he wasn't holding her upright. His cock twitched as she squeezed tighter on him. "Fuck. You are so wet, Granger."

He pulled back slowly, feeling her quiver against him. This time, his hands held her waist and pulled her back, and she let out another moan.

"Malfoy…"

"You are so..:" he thrust into her things again, digging his fingers deep into her hips, "…fucking… warm."

Hermione's body vibrated each time his cock skated against her, she was dripping down her legs, past her knees that were shaking. Every time his teeth raked her shoulder or neck she would buckle under him.

She hated how much she loved feeling his cold skin against her. How she desperately wished that he would bury his cock into her throbbing cunt. The burning desire to turn around and kiss his lips, just to know what he tasted like was becoming too much to bear.

"Do you want to come on my cock, Granger?" he asked as his hand went to her stomach and gripped onto the small bit of fat that she always tried to hide. The way his fingers kneaded into it made it feel like the most erotic thing about her to touch.

"Y… yes…." she choked out between breaths.

His hand went to her throat and he tilted her head back to look directly into her eyes, keeping the consistent pace of sliding between her wet thighs.

"You better ask nicely," he said, grinning a twisted smile. It enraged her how much power he had when she felt his touch.

"No," she said, her mouth hanging open as she looked up into his eyes. He tightened his grip on her throat.

"What the fuck… did you just say to me?" he slammed harder into her, looking at her lips that were parted..

"I… said… no…." she muttered between each of his thrusts. The look in his eyes became crazed, hungry, feral. She loved it, she wanted more. "I hate you… I hope every day… I wake up… and you're gone…"

His fingers were pressing into her throat, feeling her heartbeat. "Do you know… how hard it is… not to fucking… bite you? …I want to… drain you…."

"Do it then," she said, feeling his hand restricting her airways while she felt his ice cold cock sliding between her thighs. She couldn't hold on any longer. The edges of her vision were blurring; gasping for air as her body seized against him.

"Fuck," he said, holding her close to him, still clutching onto her neck, his other arm wrapped around her waist. His cum shot onto the mirror and dripped down her legs as he breathlessly held onto her, holding her face forward to watch.

When he released his hand from her throat, he wrappped it over his other arm, kissing her temple. She pushed away from him, grabbing her shirt off the ground and wiping herself off.

"What's your deal, Granger? Can't humor me in some light aftercare?"

"Not with you," she mumbled, crawling into the large bed.

"You are such a brat." He leaned over her, smirking, pushing her head to the side and kissing her neck again.

"Oh fuck off, Malfoy. I need to sleep. Big day tomorrow, if you hadn't remembered."

He kissed her clavicle, showering it with his lips in between words. "You're… just… so… fucking… distracting."

Draco moved back to her face, he was so close the tips of their noses almost touched. She felt his icy breath against her cheeks and his lip twitched. For a moment, she thought he was going to kiss her.

"Sweet dreams, Granger. We've got an early morning."