The study still smelled of smoke when she woke up in the morning, proof that the previous night did happen. What did it matter anyways? There was no spell in the world that could clear the air between them.

Hermione hoped Malfoy would spare her just this once and apparate straight out of his room so she wouldn't have to face him.

Unfortunately, Draco Malfoy had never been one to take mercy on her feelings.

He walked out of his room at his normal time, impeccably dressed, and Hermione made a lame attempt to fake asleep. He took a seat on the coffee table right in front of her before she huffed in defeat and opened her eyes.

"Have you been crying?"

What. An. Idiot.

"No," she said, not even lifting her head to answer and just glancing up quickly.

"Your eyes are red. And puffy," he said like he was trying to prove a point.

She answered without looking up at him. "Perhaps because you hot boxed the room I've spelt in all night."

"Oh shit," he casted a quick scourgify. "Why didn't you say anything? I would have fixed it for you."

Hermione narrowed her eyes at him for a moment, but he just kept the same questioning face. She groaned and rolled on her stomach, covering her head with a blanket.

"I've got to be going," he eventually said and with another pause, got up and left the room. Hermione flung the blanket off her and turned to look at the ceiling.

She needed to get out of there.

Her temporary insanity had to be due to her interactions being limited to only Malfoy. She didn't fancy Malfoy. That much she was certain.

Sure, he was attractive enough, objectively speaking. If Blaise could mention it in passing there is no reason that she couldn't acknowledge it. She was just forgetting why she was there. What she needed to do. There was a war going on outside these walls, and she had been on the front line since she was eleven years old.

The death eaters' presence was back to normal, and she wove her way through the first level of the manor. What she would give to have a wand. To feel her magic stir within her and come back to life. She touched her lips subconsciously, remembering how they warmed and buzzed with a different feeling several hours ago. She winced, not wanting to relive the moment that came after.

She wanted to be able to send messages back through the charmed galleon. Every time she got one it would bring her joy, and she'd silently thank the person who had sent it. She knew they were a good thing. But every once in while her mind would wonder if the warming and buzzing was a warning instead of affection. That she was soothing herself with signs that were meant to be red flags. Maybe she shouldn't trust that she was understanding the messages after all.

Malfoy himself seemed completely unphased by the prior evening activities. He shared a knowing smile when he passed his friends, and it made her anxiety flare. Amidst the congregating members Hermione took notice of an unusual visitor. A goblin was walking in tow of Lucius Malfoy, unphased of activities surrounding him.

"Draco, we have business to attend to."

Hermione was already walking towards Lucius and the goblin before he summoned his son. Malfoy gave a short nod and quickly finished his conversation. The group headed down the hall into the piano room, which was now without the musical instrument, and settled into the sitting area while the goblin withdrew a document and set it on the table.

"Would you care to have this discussion in a more private setting, Mr. Malfoy?" The goblin asked Malfoy suspiciously, glaring at Lucius.

"No need," his father replied for him. "This room is perfectly silenced. I wouldn't allow something as trivial as prying interfere with my business, Odbert."

"It is not your business that brings me here today, Lucius," Odbert replied, nearly growling at Lucius. He waved his hand at the door, closing them before unrolling his last document.

"Do you sir, confirm the fact that you are indeed Draco Lucius Malfoy. Son of Lucius Abraxas Malfoy and Narcissa Malfoy; daughter of the late Cygnus and Druella of the noble house of Black?" The neglect to accredit the Malfoy family name didn't escape Lucius and Hermione wished she had a camera to capture the moment.

"I solemnly swear," Malfoy responded formally.

"Please present your wand Mister Malfoy."

"That is hardly necessary. I doubt an imposter would be holding a meeting in my own family home."

"Wand. Mister Malfoy."

He only resisted for another moment before handing it over. The goblin barely completed his verification before he snatched it back out of his hands.

"This meeting does not require your attendance, Lucius." Lucius responded with a tilt of his head. "I'd prefer to have this meeting at Gringotts. Matters of these are not to be handled with an audience." The goblin was looking at Malfoy now. "I'm afraid I must insist."

"I'll brief you on everything later." His voice shook a little and Odbert met Lucius's gaze, unphased by the fury behind it.

His next words came out like gravel and poison. "Any business involving my wife most certainly requires my attention."

"This meeting has no business with Narcissa Malfoy. Otherwise, your presence would have been entertained." Odbert replied uninterested. Lucius looked at Malfoy once more before rising from his seat.

"Very well. I'll just wait for the condensed version later this evening," he looked at his son who confirmed with a nod before exiting the room.

"Mister Malfoy, it is the duty of the keepers of Gringotts to adhere to the records for magical beings, so that they are aligned with the standards and formalities explicitly declared. As a wizarding patron of Gringotts, are you aware and knowledgeable of said standards and formalities with respect to physical wealth kept and secured within its vaults?"

"Yes."

"Would you like to review the formalities of wizarding wealth, as is upheld by the standards of Gringotts?"

"No. No need."

"Then let's begin."

Hermione had to fight to hold back the tens of questions that were already hovering around the tip of her tongue, and a frustrated sigh almost escaped her at Malfoy's answer. He could have asked the goblin to review a little.

"As the eldest surviving wizard in the bloodline of the noble house of Black, Gringotts awards you dominion of the Black family vaults, and all interests of physical and magical property of the estate." A quill flew as the goblin spoke, marking and signing the documents laid out on the table. "Would you like the contents transferred into the Malfoy vaults?"

"No. Transfer everything into the principal Black vault. I would like to set new standards upon the merger." Malfoy's voice formal and commanding.

Odbert did a quick tilt of his head at Malfoy's request and conjured up a set of new documents. While she was struggling to comprehend the conversation, Malfoy and Odbert were flying though like they're going through a checklist. She supposed growing up around generational wealth prepares you for moments such as these.

"I, Draco Lucius Malfoy, will be the sole authority on the Black estate and associated vaults and physical and magical property until the next heir comes of age, or upon my named delegation. Should no heir exist upon my death, all wealth previously mentioned will be awarded to Pansy Parkinson and is to be kept independent of the Parkinson estate." The quill few as Malfoy read off his demands. Once it was completed, he vanished the documents and pulled out another.

"As the godson of Severus Snape, in the absence of living heirs, Gringotts awards you dominion-"

"The same." Malfoy cut him off before he could finish his statement.

The goblin growled at him but made quick work of the agreement. All the death and war had proven quite lucrative for Malfoy. He was now the sole beneficiary of both the Black family wealth and anything Snape owned.

"Very well. These changes will be applied immediately."

"What of the Potter estate?"

The goblin snarled as a bit of his sharp teeth were borne. "You have no claim to the Potter estate, Mr. Malfoy."

"Haven't I? Sirius named Harry Potter his heir, did he not?"

The goblin growled. "Yes."

"And unless Potter took it upon himself to modify the standards in all his free time, the traditional formalities apply. The estates would have been merged, and since the Black family precedes the Potters, their estate would have conceded into it."

Odbert was deadly still, his quill floated in the air frozen.

Malfoy leaned back in his chair and crossed his ankle over his knee. "And in light of current events, it has defaulted back to me."

Hermione had read that abandoned vaults with no claimants would be up for seizure after enough time has passed. A wealth such as the Potters would be a rare prize, and it appeared the keepers of Gringotts already had their eyes on it.

"I have to check."

Draco gave a malicious grin. "No, you don't."

If the goblin had hoped that Lucius' absence would avoid the declaration of the Potter vaults, it was clear now that he was mistaken. For all his current wealth, it was clear Malfoy was just as ambitious as his father.

"Very well. I did not draw up those documents for our meeting today. We will have to do it at another time."

"No need. We can head to Gringotts now." Malfoy stood and adjusted his robes. "Well, I'll be heading there now since I can apparate. I imagine you have quite the trek ahead of you. Why don't you send along a message to Burgock to get started? I don't want to have to stand around there all day."

The goblin followed Malfoy out of the room, growling and mumbling to himself as he gathered his things.

The conversation bothered Hermione more than she can explain. The goblins had no better claim to the Potter estate than Malfoy did, but it made her feel uneasy that Malfoy manipulated the system to gain ownership of it. They were the last of the possessions Harry had, and he probably never got the change to explore the vaults to see what was inside.

Dolohov and Lestrange took over much of the afternoon as they shared the details of their plans to gain control over the resisting wizarding villages. This effort had been going on in full force the last week, and the Order had not been successful in anticipating any of the attacks. Malfoy was the leader of the latest successful mission. Taking back control of Godric's Hallow.

When the meeting was adjourned, she couldn't help but want to hear what Theo and Blaise were discussing in the corner. They were talking in whispers, and she can see Theo was trying to hold back a smile until Goyle appeared, and he schooled his face as Goyle greeted them.

"Staying for the formal tonight?" Goyle asked.

"Theo and I were just talking about heading out to Glasgow tonight, getting an early go at our mission."

"Does Pansy know you're leaving?" Goyle asked Blaise, sounding concerned.

"They're not married yet, Goyle. Blaise is still a free man," Theo answered flatly.

"Shut it, Theo. She and her father stopped by mine this morning. He asked about her taking on more responsibilities." Goyle's statement hung in the air between the friends.

"She's not taking the mark." Blaise meant to say as a statement, but his voice turned up at the end regardless.

"They didn't say for sure. She didn't seem too enthused to be there." Goyle said nervously.

"The whole bloody reason we started this in the first place was to-"

"Not here, Blaise." Theo cut him off.

"Let's go up to Draco's, it's private there," Goyle suggested.

"Can't, he's out and his elf won't open the door. Trust me I've tried to bribe the little devil before." Blaise said, trying to relax.

"We can wait to leave until tomorrow and offer to have her join us to Glasgow. Maybe some time out in the field is all they need to be satisfied," Theo whispered to his friends. Blaise looked thoughtful and slightly what she presumed was disappointment.

Back in the rooms, Hermione recorded her notes and tucked them in her bag. She had been successful in distracting herself all day, but as the minutes ticked by before Malfoy's arrival, she didn't know where to be or what to do. With Malfoy estimated to be home at any moment, she caved and decided to take a bath to give herself a few more minutes of hiding. Her nerves were consuming her, so she took the last couple drops of calming draught before stepping into the water.

She had read over her wandless magic text and was trying to summon small items to herself while she was in the bath. After several tries, she was able to make the cap to her toothpaste move a few inches and though it had exhausted her, she couldn't be happier with her progress. She added more bubbles and oils to the bath before leaning back to relax.

A hand pulled her face to one side, and her head was no longer laying comfortably against the bath. She furrowed brow, eyes still closed, and tried to readjust her head back in the former position, but the hand grabbed her face again hard.

Her eyes fly open.

"Malfoy!" She yelped, arms flying to cover herself while she pulled her knees up.

"What the fuck are you playing at, Granger?" He snapped back, removing his hand from her face and grabbing her arm when she tried to back away.

"Get out!"

"Answer me!" His eyes were pure rage, and it made her lose her thought.

He must have found something out. How much can she tell him without revealing anything new?

When she neglected to answer, he pulled the empty calming draught vile from the floor and held it up to her face.

"Explain this," he demanded.

The potion? His fit was over her taking some of his bloody potion.

"Oh my god. Get out." She tried to pull her arm away, but his hold did not let up.

"So you can pass back out and drown yourself? Not likely." His fury had not relented.

"Oh, for god's sake, there was barely any left. Four drops at most."

"Four drops? You know how sensitive you are!"

"Fuck off, Draco!" She yelled again at him, this time getting angry herself. He didn't get to lose his temper every time he misunderstood her actions.

They stared off for a few more moments before Malfoy released her arm and she yanked it away, covering her body again. The bath has enough bubbles that her body was completely concealed except for her shoulders and knees that popped up out of the water.

"Why are you just barging in here anyways? It's inappropriate." She scolded him.

"I didn't just barge in here. I knocked, multiple times. And then tried again before opening the door and calling for you." Hermione moved herself closer to the side of the tub, using the barrier to help hide herself but consequently moving her closer to him.

"I yelled at you again once I was inside. You didn't ever stir when I checked your pulse."

Malfoy's anger was diminishing, but he did not sound the least bit apologetic. She thought that the wandless magic was what tired her out.

"Well, I'm alive and well as you can see. Now please leave." Her voice shook a little as her adrenaline wore off. She was still feeling the effects of the potion and couldn't fight off a couple long, heavy blinks.

"Hey," Malfoy reached out his hand and shook her knee. "Hate me all you want. I'm not leaving you in here like this. So you can either get out now, or get used to bathing with a babysitter."

Hermione wanted to say something quick back, but she was just so tired. She leaned her head against the side of the tub, letting her eyes rest for just a moment.

Malfoy's hand was still on her knee, and he tried to shake her awake again, but there was no use. He was still for a few moments, and she drifted further into sleep before he stood to walk away. She reflexively reached out to grab onto the thing that was just holding her and bring it back. It was so nice.

She heard something break the surface of the water and her body was surrounded by a large, drenched bathrobe. The feeling was unpleasant, and she tried to push it off, but something kept pulling it down to wrap around her as the water was drained from the tub. Once empty, she was surrounded by hot air that dried herself and the robe.

"Icalidous." She mumbled the incantation, and she heard a chuckle in response.

The next moment she was lifted from the bath with one arm surrounding her back and the other under her knees, her arms automatically surrounding his neck like she used to do when her parents carried her to bed as a child. As she breathed in, the smell of him was so pleasant, she nuzzled closer against his neck and breathed in deeply. He smelled a little like her because they use the same soap but mixed with a different scent that was distinctly him. She pulled her arms tighter around his neck and let out a small hum as she took in another breath.

She heard him mumbling something under his breath as she continued to rest against him, her lips and nose brushing against his neck. He set her down on something that was much softer than the bathtub and she let out a sigh as her body fell even deeper into sleep.

He tried to pull away, but she still had her hands around him, not wanting to let go. He gave a frustrated grunt and stilled, and she thought she had won. But then he reached back with one hand to unhook hers and laid them to rest on her stomach. She didn't like it. Her arms felt empty. She reached out to grab him again, but he stopped her.

"We can't, my darling."

Those two words. 'We can't.' They were too familiar to ones that hurt her when she was awake. Her mind was mostly lost in sleep, and she decided to give herself over to it completely. Never wanting to hear the words again.