"Merlin's beard Granger, where are we? This place looks like it's going to fall down on us any minute!"

Hermione rolled her eyes. "Sod off Malfoy, we'll be fine here for one night, now make yourself useful and get to cleaning."

Draco looked around. The wood shack didn't have any furniture on the main floor, though there was a fireplace to the left. In the back right corner there looked to be what he thought was a kitchen, with a wood stove and one cabinet next to it. To his immediate right were stairs and when he carefully went up them, he saw a loft with one bed (that should interesting) and a mattress that looked like it was probably infested with bedbugs at least. Great.

After many, many scourgify spells he went back downstairs to find she had conjured a crude table and two chairs. From somewhere she had pulled a sack with what looked like two dozen bottle of different potions. Where was she keeping this stuff?

"You know the dark lord is just going to follow us here once he regains his strength right?"

"That's why we're only staying one night, but if my theory proves correct, we shouldn't have to worry about that once we leave."

"Theory?"

"Yes, about how we can remove your mark."

"Good luck with that. Trust me I've tried."

She looked down at his left forearm, studying the mark. For a moment he felt the urge to cover it up, suddenly feeling self conscious. No. She knew it was there. Covering it up wouldn't change anything.

"Have you..tried to carve it out?" Ah, so she did notice the scars.

"Yes"

She looked up at him. Ugh he hated that look. "Don't pity me Granger. It obviously didn't work. These aren't the worst scars I have anyway. I have your bloody boyfriend Potter to thank for that."

She rolled her eyes, turned back to her potions and began lining them up.

"What's your theory?" Draco said as he sat in the chair across from her.

"Well, to start from the beginning, you know who created seven horcruxes during the first war. Horcruxes are items that hold a piece of a persons soul. You have to kill one person to create one horcrux. Each kill tears a piece of your soul."

"And he made seven??"

"Yes. They're Marvolo Gaunts ring, Tom Riddles diary, Salazar Slytherins locket, Helga Huffepuffs gauntlet, Rowena Raveclaws diadem, Nagini, and Harry."

"Wait..Potter holds a piece of the dark lords soul??"

"Yes, in his scar, thats why it pained him whenever you know who was around. Though my theory is he didn't mean to make Harry a horcrux, but by his mother sacrificing herself, the killing curse backfired, sending a part of himself into Harry. That's why he became the boy who lived, and why you know who came back."

"Blimey. So when I killed the snake-"

"You destroyed a piece of his soul. Harry destroyed the diary in the chamber of secrets second year-"

"What??"

"That's a story we don't have time for. Any way, he destroyed the diary. Dumbledore destroyed the ring. Ron destroyed the locket and I destroyed the cup. You killed Nagini, so all that's left is the diadem and Harry."

"So does that mean potter has to die?" He didn't like the kid, but he didn't want him to die. He was much more level headed and reasonable than Weasley.

"Dumbledore thinks so. It infuriates me how he's just kept him around, waiting for him to die at the moment that suited Dumbledore best."

"You don't agree?"

"No." Hermione moved to stand, grabbing the sword of gryffindor from the corner of the room. "Very few things can kill horcruxes. Basilisk venom and fiendfyre. After Harry used the sword of gryffindor to kill a basilisk in the chamber-"

"Why in Salazars name did i end up with the bloody sword of gryffindor?"

"It presents itself to those in need who are brave and pure of heart." Hermione gave him a small smile. "Anyway it's been impregnated with basilisk venom, so now it can destroy horcruxes."

"Ok? I don't see how that helps me, or Potter."

"I think the dark mark can also be destroyed by basilisk venom, since it contains a piece of you know who's magic, similar to how a horcrux holds a piece of his soul."

"So you're going to cut my bloody arm off?"

"No! Will you just listen?? Basilisk venom is lethal. If I just stabbed you with it you'd die. But I think if I just make a small incision and try to isolate the venom to the mark, followed by an antidote potion, it will destroy the magic in the mark without killing you."

Draco was pacing the floor at this point. "You think? You don't know for certain?"

"No"

"Fine."

Hermione looked up at him in surprise. "What?"

"Fine, let's try it, if I die I won't have to deal with this mess anyhow."

Hermione smacked his shoulder. "Don't talk like that!"

Draco smirked at her and chuckled. "Ok Granger my life is in your pretty little hands." He plopped down in the chair, placing his hands behind his head, hoping he looked more confident than he felt.

"Ok, just lay your arm out here, perfect. Now I'm going to have to petrify you to stop the venom from spreading. Once you know who's magic is gone I'll undo the spell and give you the antidote." He nodded and next thing he knew he couldn't move. Here goes nothing.

He felt the burning pain as soon as the sword cut his skin. Hermione made a cut the length of the mark with surgical like precision. He was thankful he was petrified. He probably wouldn't be able to sit still enough for her to do this. It felt like liquid fire was flowing through his veins. He could feel the dark lords magic fighting the venom. Black smoke rose from his arm. Suddenly he felt cold. The magic. He couldn't feel it anymore. He felt her undo the spell and before he could get a word out she shoved a vial at him. "Drink this, quick!" Her voice was shaky but he followed her orders. This stuff was nasty. He didn't feel much different, just very tired.

"Did it work?" He said groggily.

"I think so, but we'll see for sure later. That antidote is very potent and will make you very tired. I have a dreamless sleep potion and a pain potion, sometimes basilisk venom can have after effects. Now I'll go make the bed upstairs, and you can lay down there and rest, tomorrow we'll have to move."

"Granger there's only one bed up there, where will you sleep?"

"On the floor, though I think I should be in the same room to keep an eye on you, make sure nothing goes wrong during the night-"

"Absolutely not"

"Malfoy, if you're still disgusted by my blood status after all this-"

"No, it's not that at all. I just, I can't let you sleep on the floor. Come on granger we're both responsible adults. We can share the bed, I won't bite." He raised his eyebrows with a smirk. "Unless you want me to."

Hermiones mouth fell open and he shot her a wink as he ran upstairs. He spun around and pounded his forehead with his hand. "Way to go Malfoy, now you've done it, stupid stupid stupid!" he thought sarcastically.

When he came upstairs she once again had that small bag. She reached and pulled out bed sheets, blankets and pillows.

"How do you fit all of that in there?"

"Honestly Malfoy were you really raised by wizards? It's an undetectable extension charm."

"Undetectable charms are illegal"

"I know. But desperate times call for desperate measures."

"So Gryffindors Princess has a dark side after all."

"I would've thought that would've been obvious after I tortured your aunt and killed her the slowest way I knew possible, in cold blood."

"Well I for one thought it was magnificent."

Hermione looked up at him surprised. "I supposed you enjoyed seeing the golden girl fall off her pedestal."

"Not at all. I think I'd prefer the term 'fallen angel'. Anyway I was just glad to see you act human for a change. To do something for you. To feel something. It was one moment you weren't following procedure or textbook instructions, you didn't have to worry about following Potter and the weasel around, making sure they don't kill themselves."

She stopped what she was doing and glanced up at him. She then quickly looked at the floor.

Well, Draco thought, he already made a joke about biting her, can't do much worse than that. He shrugged, "I also found it extremely hot to see you exhibit your power like that. Confidence looks good on you Hermione." He said her name again. He loved how it flowed perfectly off his tongue.

He saw her blush brightly as she once again reached into her bottomless bag and pulled out what looked to be pajamas.

"I'm going downstairs to change. I have some of Harry's clothes in here, if you'd like to borrow them, though they maybe a bit short."

"No thank you, I'd rather die than wear Potter's rags."

Hermione scoffed. "Ok then suit yourself. Oh and no peeking!"

"Wouldn't dream of it love." He winked at her and saw her blush again. This was too much fun.

When she came back upstairs he had already made the bed and sunk in it. The sheets weren't the quality he was used to, but they weren't bad either. He also scourgified one more time and cushioned the mattress.

"I didn't know you knew how to put sheets on a bed." Hermione stood over him with her arms crossed.

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Well I just figured you had house elves do everything for you."

"At home sure, but before I left for hogwarts mother had Dobby teach me how to do a lot of domestic tasks. You be surprised I can also wash and iron my own clothes, and am a pretty decent cook if I do say so myself."

"Pfft yeah right"

"No really! I actually enjoy cooking, it's a lot like brewing potions. When this is all over Granger I'll cook you dinner and it'll blow your mind!"

"You do that Malfoy."

Hermione went around to her side of the bed and crawled in. It's funny, he thought, they didn't discuss who would sleep on which side, they just automatically picked one. It felt…right. Like sharing a bed with her was the most normal thing in the world. He's always slept toward the right side even though he always slept alone. He wondered which side she normally slept on. Well he wasn't about to ask her that. He'd done enough flirting for one night AND offered to make her dinner. She probably thought he was mental at this point.