"Granger, wake up," Draco whispered, pulling her from a deep sleep.

Hermione sat up quickly. "What is it?"

"I don't have much time, I'm meant to meet the others at the castle," he said calmly. "I've something for you."

It was the middle of the night. Though, she would never complain about a chance to see him, no matter the hour. He looked in good condition: robes intact and there were no visible injuries on his face or neck. If she knew he was going to be back, she would have chosen a revealing pajama set rather than the worn Slytherin jumper to sleep in. Even so, she shuffled forward so she was practically in his lap.

"You're as greedy as you are gorgeous, aren't you?" he teased before sliding his hands from her bum up her back.

"You've effectively ruined me for anyone else, Draco Malfoy," she muttered between kisses, pressing her body against his in an effort to get him to lay down.

"All part of my plan," he said, placing a few more kisses next to her ear. "But I do have something for you, and I truly only have a few moments."

Hermione let him push her off his lap and onto the bed next to him. He held out his hand, and summoned an arrangement of red and yellow roses, wrapped in parchment and twine.

"Our patrol took us past Hampstead. We traveled by your old home, and I thought you might like these." He said and she accepted them. "The new owners may be a bit ticked. I about took all of them."

Hermione turned the bouquet, holding a small piece of her former life in her hands. It was early in the year for them to be blooming, but they looked just as vibrant as they did when she returned from school. There would always be an arrangement on their breakfast table to welcome her home. She couldn't remember if she had ever shared that with Draco, or if he just happened to know her perfectly well.

"Thank you," she said suddenly, remembering herself and Draco smiled in understanding. "My father planted these after I started at Hogwarts. It was a surprise when I got home… Gryffindor colors." She laughed, slightly embarrassed.

"I was afraid of that," Draco snarked and Hermione let herself smile fully. He reached out and started playing with the hem of her jumper. "Green and silver suit you much better."

"I love them. And you," she said, carefully levitating the bouquet to the table so she could get closer to him again.

"Don't do this to me, Granger. I've got to go," He protested weakly, pulling her to straddle him at the same time. He slipped his hands under the jumper again to explore her hot skin while she kissed him the way the most thoughtful, loving, beautiful boyfriends should be.

"I love you in this, but I was hoping you'd be in a jumper I could take," he said, pulling the collar to the side to reveal her neck.

"You don't think Voldemort would approve of you wearing your old school attire?"

"I think I'd tear it in half at my shoulders, it's from third year," Draco laughed. "I only wish I could keep a little piece of you with me."

Hermione thought for a moment before getting up and walking to the bouquet. She admired them with a smile again before carefully pulling off a red rose petal. Draco stood and walked beside her, and she unfastened the front of his death eater robes, just enough for her to slip the petal into the small inside pocket.

In the morning when she woke, a few more petals had already started wilting. She casted a preservation charm on them, not wanting to watch them decay any further. The petals that fell, she tucked into her bag, unable to throw such precise items away.

Hogwarts was Hermione's least favorite post for Draco to be at. Voldemort along with other residents made it one of the more nerve-racking places for him to be on extended stays. She let her tea steep as she went through her plans for the day. Occlumency was always practiced in the morning and the evening. Draco insisted that it was important to hone the skill both while her mind was fresh, and when it was exhausted by the end of the day. Wandless magic she exercised throughout the day but would perform the more challenging charms for a few hours to ensure she was not losing the skill. Transfiguration took no effort or practice at all. It was like her animagus form was just another part of her. When she wanted to go out to the pitch or into the woods, she would have to take her otter form to get past the dementor's undetected.

Meals were different without Neddy. The food she had was charmed to keep just fine, but Neddy would stay and keep her company whenever she could. It took all her courage to ask Draco what the other elves did once they took her away. There was no protocol in the wizarding world on how families should dispose of what the ministry considered property. If she had thought fairly, she would have asked sooner. Draco wasn't like the rest of his family, and she should have known he would never leave her anywhere undignified. So, Hermione also made it a note to stop by the Malfoy family plot, where he instructed the elves to create Neddy a place to rest.

There was banging on the hallway door, and Hermione nearly opened it before peeking through the spy hole. Pansy was on the other side, blood trailing down her forearm as she beat on the door with her fists.

"Draco! Let me in!" shouted Pansy, looking down the hall.

Hermione summoned the map and opened it. At first, she looked for her friends, hoping someone would be around that could help. Hermione looked down their hall to see Pansy's father was hastily making his way around the corridors. Hermione didn't let herself overthink it, and pulled Pansy in, right before her father turned the last corner.

Pansy jumped, her back hitting the door as the girls stood face to face. It took Hermione a moment to realize she still had a strong grip on her bicep and let go immediately. Pansy stared back, her panic giving way to confusion when the wards alerted Hermione that her father was outside the door. He started kicking open the extra guest rooms in the hall, and the girls stood petrified until the sound of his heavy steps went back towards the staircase.

Hermione took a step back, looking over Pansy, who was pale and fallible. She had her arm pressed against her chest, but she was still losing generous amounts of blood.

"Come. Sit," Hermione said, directing her to the couch. Pansy let Hermione guide her, face paled as if she just saw a ghost. "Wait here."

Hermione went into their bedroom and started looking through her bag. She grabbed the dittany along with murlap essence and walked back into the study to see Pansy had not moved, but her eyes followed Hermione intently as she sat on the coffee table in front of her. Tentatively, Hermione reached out and pulled her arm to take a look at the wound. Pansy conceded instantly. The girl that used to be able to take down half an army with a single look, lacking any fight to hide the wound she was clearly ashamed of.

Hermione gasped slightly. The skull and snakes were botched, and there were dark bruises forming where her father had held her arm in place and attempted to carve the dark mark into her flesh.

"Draco, why do you look like Hermione Granger?" Pansy finally asked. Hermione couldn't stop a short laugh. It really was the more likely explanation.

"Hold still, Parkinson." Hermione started testing out healing charms.

Pansy's voice cracked as she spoke. "It's not going to heal, the knife was cursed."

"I had a scar like this before. Possibly even a similar knife," Hermione said with confidence. "I didn't know this was how the mark was applied…"

"It's not," Pansy stated. "Where's Draco? Why are you here?"

Hermione didn't know where her story started and where all the secrets and risks those around her took to protect her began. There was no denying Draco was helping her, but the why was something that didn't have an easy explanation.

"How about you tell me what happened here so I can try and heal it properly?" Hermione countered instead.

"I returned from holiday this morning. My father said he was tiring of my games and would perform the ceremony himself."

"I'm so sorry, Pansy." Hermione was able to stop the bleed with a healing charm. She started adding the ingredients to her injury in the same order that she used to finally heal her own wound Bellatrix inflicted. The treatment was taking excellently, and Hermione nodded to Pansy's forearm so she could see.

"How did you do that…?" asked Pansy in disbelief.

Hermione paused her work to pull back the sleeve on her jumper. "I told you, I had a similar wound. It took me a while to figure it out, but now there are only a few visible lines."

"What was it?"

Hermione started working again, putting the last of the dittany on before dressing the wound. "I'd say something equally nasty as this."

The wards went off again and Hermione went to the door. Blaise and Theo were on the other side and knocked impatiently.

"Don't let him in!" Pansy yelled in a panic. "He'll kill us both, Granger."

"It's just Nott and Zabini," Hermione said before opening the door and inviting them in.

"Granger- where's the map?! I need to find-" Blaise abruptly stopped when he saw Pansy rise from her seat. She ran over to him and jumped in his arms instantly.

"Where were you! You're meant to meet me at the gate!" Pansy scolded him as he held her tighter. "Why is Granger here?"

Theo and Blaise remained silent, looking at one another before locking eyes with Hermione. It took a few moments for Pansy to compose herself enough to pull away, wipe the tears from her eyes, and weaponizing them at the two boys in a way only she could.

"Well?! One of you better start explaining," Pansy said, crossing her arms.

"What's this?" Theo said, pointing to her bandaged arm.

"My father didn't want to risk me getting past the Order's boundaries. No matter, he botched it up well enough that Granger healed it in a matter of moments." Pansy said, making light of the hysteria that was absolved a moment before the boys arrived. "Are we trading Granger for passage or something?"

Hermione could see Blaise's jaw clench, and Theo ran his hand over his face. Both boys looked at her again and she took their silence as a message to not say anything.

"Have you both gone daft?!" Pansy snapped again.

"No," Theo answered quickly.

"Are you going to tell me why she's here?"

"No," they both said in unison.

"Did Draco bring her here?" Pansy tried from a different angle. The only answer she got was Blaise's grunt of discomfort. "Does Lucius know there is a mudblood hiding away in his manor?"

"Piss off, Parkinson!" Theo snapped.

"Hmm, that's a 'no' if I've ever heard one," Pansy smirked, and Theo grabbed his chest before doubling over on the floor.

Fuck!

"Pansy, shut up!" Hermione yelled before walking over to them. "They can't answer you. They are sworn to secrecy."

"Well- why didn't you say anything?!" Pansy shouted back as Theo regained his composure.

A crack from Hermione's right caught all their attention. Draco looked from Pansy to Hermione, and then over to where Blaise was helping Theo get his footing. With closed eyes, he took a deep breath before looking at Hermione.

"Pansy was trying to question them, and the unbreakable vow was… activating," Hermione explained, like a child who got caught doing something they shouldn't. The more obvious question of why Pansy was in the room remained unaddressed.

Draco turned towards the boys. "Honestly, it's not hard to maintain the vow. Just keep your mouth shut or tell people to fuck off if they ask. I don't need you two dying in my study!"

"I was rather thorough in the wording. They can't even hint why I am here or who is helping. Even if those hints are unintentional." Hermione spoke before they could put themselves at risk again. "Maybe they should wait across the hall until Pansy leaves…"

Theo and Blaise remained still. The risk too high to even nod in confirmation. Draco turned to Pansy, who kept her face as impartial as one could with puffy eyes and tear-stained cheeks. "Go on you two. I'll get Pansy sorted."

Without trying to resist, the two boys were out the door, and Draco jumped when he turned towards Pansy, and she had already taken several steps forward.

"Are you under an unbreakable vow too?" Pansy snapped and Draco clenched his jaw tightly. They faced off for a moment before Pansy gasped loudly. "MY HAIRS! Granger has been the one imitating me?!"

Draco smirked, "Goyle couldn't resist the urge to look down."

A remnant of a smile ghosted Pansy's lips, and she turned to look at Hermione. The shock of her presence must be wearing off because Pansy started swaying a bit on her feet. Draco caught her by the arm and helped her to the couch. Hermione walked around and stood in front of the fireplace, not sure what their next move should be.

"She can enter your bedroom, Draco," Pansy said under her breath, widening her eyes. "And invite people into your study…"

"These rooms are hers just as much as they are mine," Draco explained simply. "A right she frequently exercises when admitting uninvited guests."

Hermione rolled her eyes at his chastising, and he only gave her a glance before grabbing Pansy's arm and turning it. It was bleeding slightly though the fitting. Pansy had more liveliness and interest than she has seen from her in ages, but she was slowly starting to cave in on herself.

It reminded Hermione of how Narcissa was when she was still roaming the halls of the manor.

"She can't go back down there. Let her stay until she's healed." Hermione got excited at being about to knock Pansy's father down a peg or two once she took her form. "I can take her place."

"She can't stay here forever. The vow would be no good, she'd give you up immediately and kill you both." Pansy snorted and Draco grinned. Whether the statement was meant to be a joke, it was true enough. Draco looked from Pansy to Hermione, reluctantly. "I need to get you somewhere safe… the both of you. The manor won't be much of a haven for much longer."

Pansy looked at Draco confused, but he was staring at Hermione with knowing eyes. She gave him the kindest smile before she spoke. "I think I ought to stay. I have a bit of unfinished business to tend to." Once Draco locked Voldemort in and freed her, she may never be able to return. It turned her days in entrapment into something she was starting to cherish.

"Uck!" Pansy sounded, and Hermione broke her gaze from Draco to see looking between them with disgust. "Murder me, Draco."

"Sod off," he said, nudging her a little too hard and she punched him back. "I have a place… I'll have to see that it will work first."

"Where?" Pansy perked with interest.

"You'll see or you won't," Draco said standing up and adjusting his robes. "Expelliramus."

Pansy's wand flew out of her cloak into Draco's hand. He pocketed it before turning to Hermione. "Don't let her leave the rooms. And for all that is magical in this sod-awful world, don't let anyone else in the suite."

"Malfoy how dare you-" Draco was gone with a crack before Pansy could finish her protest and she growled. "Cunt!"

The minutes passed with a mixture of Pansy practically dozing off or getting random bursts of fire where she asked Hermione questions about why she was there. Even with her leaving, Hermione refused to answer anything further incriminating. There were turncoats and spies everywhere, Theo getting tagged a few weeks ago proved that. There would always be someone to overhear, no matter where she was going.

Hermione was replacing Pansy's dressing when Draco appeared again well over an hour later.

"Ready?" He said shortly.

"Almost, just finishing the last wrapping." Hermione answered.

"What is it with you all sending me away?" Pansy said with mock offense.

"Nott has crippling jealousy," Draco quipped, and Hermione shot him a look.

"Jealous of what?" Pansy asked, confused before her eyes went wide. "Oh Merlin- Does Nott fancy me?"

Draco had the decency to look completely struck. "Yes."

"You'll have to tell Zabini you're alright once you're there. He worries over you." Hermione said as she pulled Pansy to stand.

"No. If Zabini needs to communicate with you, he will go through me." Draco insisted.

"Draco…"

"We haven't time. Her arm okay?" He asked Hermione and she nodded. The bleeding had mostly stopped, it should be healed completely by morning.

"I'm not an invalid, Malfoy," Pansy snarled.

"Pans," Draco said, turning towards her. "Your mind is not strong enough to survive a memory charm, and I am not letting you walk around with the knowledge of Hermione's presence freely floating around in your mind."

"Fine," Pansy said lazily, walking over to Draco to take his arm. "Like I want to stay here anyways."

"I'll take you to the edge of the grounds, then we can walk across the portkey sight." Draco turned to Hermione. "We'll catch up the others when I return?"

Hermione nodded and a moment later, she was standing in the room alone.

Theo was relieved that Pansy was absent from the room, and Blaise was annoyed that Draco once again refused to disclose any information he asked for. The vow still had a strong hold on Theo, punishing him for giving away the slightest information. Goyle accompanied Malfoy when he returned, and to all their pleasure, brought with him several pre-rolled joints.

"Shoddy work, Greg. I can still feel my face," Theo complained. The longer Pansy was away, the easier the repercussions became, and he would probably be back to perfect health if the group wasn't partaking in illicit activities.

"You can't smoke constantly and expect the effects to keep their potency," Malfoy drawled.

Blaise was writing a letter to Pansy, using the piano to hold his ink and parchment as he wrote her no less than three full pages. Theo was battling his agitation by drinking and smoking everything in the room and pressuring the others to join in with him. When Blaise finally finished, he charmed the letter and dropped it in Draco's lap.

"Owls won't deliver where you've hidden her, I expect?" He shot at Malfoy and Hermione passed him her cup of wine as a peace offering.

"You've quite the nerve considering her condition while under your care," Malfoy fought back.

"Are you on about Parkinson again?" Goyle asked, slurring slightly. "Just tell him where she is, Malfoy. Honestly, what's the worst that will happen?"

Draco ignored their badgering and took an extra-long drag from his blunt. He dropped his head back on his exhale before Zabini ripped it from his hand.

"You've got something to say?!" Blaise snapped, standing over him and Draco shot up instantly to meet him chest to chest. "How do we even know you took her anywhere?"

"Because I said so," Draco yelled.

"That's how it works for the Malfoys isn't it? Someone poses a problem, and then suddenly they disappear." Blaise went on.

"Fuck you," Draco spat with a shove.

"Is that what happened with Nott? Afraid he discovered something and decided to have the Order get rid of him for you?!"

"Blaise enough!" Hermione intervened, pulling the back of his robes.

"Zabini probably tagged 'em himself and now he's pissed he and Pans can't get married in peace," Goyle hissed starting to step between Draco and Blaise. Draco turned to Goyle, and the two laughed cruelly before Theo hit them with a stingy jinx.

Goyle and Draco were now standing between Theo and Blaise, the coffee table and other furnishings limiting their movements as the boys started hurling hexes at one another. Blaise shoved Hermione behind him and held her in place as Goyle threw a stunning spell in their direction. Draco threw a shield charm in front of her, forcing her back several steps and out of Blaise's grasp.

Curses and hexes continued to fly, increasing in both severity and frequency. When Goyle hit Blaise for a moment with the cruciatus curse, Theo's eyes went red.

"Avada-"

"IMMOBULUS!" shouted Hermione, cutting off Theo before he could speak the rest of the incantation. The boys stood frozen, arms outstretched and pointed at one another.

"We!" Grab. "Do!" Grab. "Not!" Grab. "Throw unforgivable curses at our friends," Hermione scolded as she pulled the wands from their helpless hands. Draco was able to counter her curse wordlessly before she got to him and instantly lifted his wand out of her grasp.

"I kept to jinx!" He half laughed as Hermione tried to jump and grab his wand.

After a few missed hops Hermione huffed in defeat. Draco reached out and pinched her cheek in a way that told her she must have been pouting. She turned towards the other boys, all business and arms crossed.

"Finite."

The boys nearly fell out of their stance before looking at one another.

"Leave it to Granger to take us all out at once even when she's pissed," Blaise mumbled to Theo from across the room and to Hermione's horror the boys all laughed.

"Easy, Granger. If Goyle can't block a killing curse when he sees it coming a mile away, he deserves it," Theo joked and Goyle threw one of the couch pillows at him.

"Already had my shield up, prick," Goyle laughed.

"See!" Theo said, more sheepishly as Hermione failed to find any humor in the situation.

"Allowing a rivet to come between us all would only benefit Cyrus and Voldemort," Hermione insisted. "Fighting like that isn't normal."

"It is when you have friends like Malfoy who hide everything from you. Fiancés included." Blaise said. "His only redeeming quality is having you vouch for him."

Draco rolled his eyes and fell on the couch. Theo cursed under his breath and reached into his breast pocket.

"Here," Theo said, dropping pocket journal carelessly into Draco's lap. "Give it to Parkinson."

"Theo!" Blaise looked at his partner horrified.

"The link is inseverable. Wherever you've taken her it should still work." Theo reached his hand to Goyle who provided him another pre-wrapped joint.

"I… No. You need to keep it." Blaise said desperately.

"Don't you need to communicate with Parkinson?" Theo exclaimed before taking a large drag.

Blaise clicked his tongue and looked away. "Not as much as you, Nott."

There was a sweet moment between them, and Theo smiled shyly around his joint until the sound of Draco choking on a laugh got their attention.

"Mon trésor?" Draco drawled, and all eyes went to the journal in his hands.

"Oh fuck," Theo said, the joint falling from his lips.

Blaise sprinted across the room, but Draco was up and over the couch before he could get his hands on him.

"Que nous soyons cachés ensemble ou séparés," Draco read hastily with a thick, exaggerated French accent as he fled from Blaise and jumped onto the piano. Blaise tried to climb up and reach the journal, but Draco held it up and kept kicking him away.

"Give it here, Malfoy!" Blaise shouted.

Goyle was laughing next to Theo who shook his head with a slight smile.

"Laisse mon cœur parler au tien, afin que je puisse toujours te trouver. That's quite lovely, Zabini. You come up with that yourself?" Draco said holding the book to his chest.

"You're a royal prick, you know that?!"

"Je n'appellerais pas les bites des autres hommes "royales" avec ton trésor dans la pièce." Hermione knew whatever Draco said was rude, but that didn't stop the fluttering in her lower stomach from how lovely the words rolled off his tongue. Blaise flipped him off and Draco hopped off the piano and tossed the journal back to Theo. "I'll get his letters to Pans. Don't throw this away again."

Theo pocketed the journal quickly. There was still a nagging energy in the room, and not for the first time Hermione felt guilty that they were all confined to the suite because of her. Theo took a long drag as he slung an arm around Hermione's shoulder. The gesture was friendly, but it still caused Draco to glare in their direction.

"Hear something you like, pet?" Theo asked her with a smug grin. He brought the blunt up to her lips, and she took a long pull, mostly just holding the smoking in her mouth rather than inhaling it into her lungs.

Goyle groaned. "Merlin, must you all go after each other like bunnies?"

"Bunnies!" Hermione leapt out of his grasp, the best idea of the night coming to her. "Sorry, hare I mean." She clarified, waving dismissively at Theo quickly before addressing the group. "Anyone want to get some fresh air?"

They transformed quickly once Draco apparated them to the lake; running and enjoying the freedom the Malfoy grounds granted them while dementors drifted unknowingly above. As they raced around the lake, Hermione wondered whether their friendship in animal or human form would be the most unlikely for those on the outside to understand. There were no words to describe it after all. She yielded to losing race after race around the lake, the small canary landing on her suddenly when she didn't even notice it was there. The people on the outside would never truly see these pureblood, death eater, illegal animagus for who they truly were. They would never understand how she was the lucky one to know them for herself. And no one but her would understand how desperately she never wanted to be without them.