Peace negotiations would become a thing of the past. Lucius revealed to the surrounding members that the Dark Lord would no longer cooperate with the Confederation. Details of Goyle and the other travelers' demise were revealed in whispers. All the different sides were becoming blurry, save for two: the living and the dead. There was no room for interpretation on those fronts.

"Hey Malfoy," a Death Eater called as he approached.

He was a former Slytherin whose post was typically patrolling wizarding towns. He tilted his head and Malfoy followed him away from the others. "I heard about Goyle. I can help you take down the bastards who did it."

Draco perked up with interest and anger. "Have you heard anything?"

"Bodies were returned to the families," the Death Eater said, trying to sound bored, but the way he ground his teeth revealed his contempt. "The Order are bloody cowards. You know how they did it?"

Hermione took a step back but was unable to get out of earshot before Draco shook his head and he spoke again.

"They trapped them in a building," he continued. "No apparation or spells would work. And then they stood by and watched them bloody suffocate."

"Suffocate?" Draco asked, reflexively.

"Some kind of charm. Like bubblehead, but it keeps the air out instead of trapping it in," the Death Eater hissed. Draco's lips parted slightly before he shook his head, banishing whatever thought had just popped in. "Cunts didn't even have the balls to kill them themselves."

Once back in their rooms, the doors to the balcony slammed open as her magic cleared the way for her to go outside. The trees right outside in the garden were still slightly charred from the night of the ball when they went up in flames. The fresh air was cool and lacked the typical humidity as the sun was shining without a cloud in the sky, but it still was not enough to ease the burning in her lungs.

There was a sensation of humming on her chest, right at the dip in her collarbone, and Hermione looked up to find dementors floating toward her. The necklace Draco gifted her activated, just enough to give a warning. She stepped back into their room, her magic slamming the doors shut as she tripped over her feet and fell backwards onto the floor.

Anthony would have to leave. As important as his role was, the boys would never let him live when they found out he played a part in Goyle's death. And they would find out, because Hermione had to tell them. And they would hate her. But with any luck in the world, hopefully Draco would hate himself a little less.

She curled into herself and sobbed on the floor. Letting herself break in a way she didn't allow herself to in front of Draco since she didn't deserve his comfort. She hated Goyle growing up, but now the stab in her gut felt just as brutal as when she'd lost Harry. How awful it was to find herself in this situation a second time, and how much more unforgiving it was that it was all her fault.

She had failed.

Goyle–Draco's best friend–one of his last friends, had paid the price.

Her feet led her to the bath, the same way they did when she first arrived. As the water ran, she occluded enough of the pain away so that she didn't feel the urge to float to the bottom.

There was a vial of calming draught she didn't deserve, but she still took four drops after dressing herself and walking back into their study. She leaned her head on the arm of the couch and waited, staring at the logs that lay unlit in the fireplace.

"Hermione?" whispered Draco, waking her from a deep sleep.

She sat up, the calming draught still in her system, but the effects were mild and her mind cleared quickly.

"Hermione," he whispered again, right in front of her this time, and he followed his words with a quick kiss. His hands started to pull at her clothes, and she was bare within a few moments. They had been together so many times, the act hardly required her to think. He carried her to their bed and took his time traveling over every inch of her. He only stopped when she gently pushed him down to worship him in return.

Once they were finished, Hermione walked out of the bathroom to find Draco staring out of the window. When she'd first arrived, she would catch him studying the grounds, eyes rolling over every square inch. Now, as he looked out the trees were burnt, and the skies were infested with dementors, and there were no peacocks to strut arrogantly across the garden.

"Do you have all your things?" Draco asked, still looking outside.

"Yes…" Hermione said as she walked up beside him. She kept her bag filled with valuables on her for the last several weeks.

He tore his eyes from the window to look at her. He faced her, tucking a curl behind her ear before tightening his grip and disapparating them away.

They reappeared in a clearing. It was the same one where she and Draco had found her tent. There was a shuffling sound, and Hermione turned to see Dory was standing to the side, donned with her saddle and greeting her with a ruffle of her wings.

"What are we doing out here?" she asked, trying to keep the nervousness out of her voice.

"I can't protect you anymore, Granger. Not even in my own home," Draco said, looking at her neck and tracing the ghosts of Greyback's bruises that were long since healed. "You have to leave."

Hermione gaped. "I- I can't. The wards-"

"The wards end at the stream," Draco said quickly, looking away.

The woods surrounding them were thick, but Hermione couldn't help but feel exposed. They were over eight-hundred meters past the stream. Hermione knew the distance well. She traveled it every morning during her stay in the forest.

"That's… that's not true," she said in a small voice.

"I studied every inch of the grounds I could in the weeks you were gone. The stream that cuts through the forest is the southwest boundary of the Malfoy estate," he corrected her factually. "The day we played quidditch, I tried to warn you- to stop you when you started flying too far. I thought you were going to crash right into the border, but you just flew right through."

Hermione took several steps back, as if the distance could prevent the truth from reaching her. She bumped into Dory and startled before looking back at Draco. "How?"

"The only person who could answer that is Neddy," Draco said bitterly, before turning away again. "She never questioned my orders. When I instructed her to grant you access to our suite… Whatever she did was much more than that."

Hermione refused to believe it. He had to be mistaken. "But- the wards. I would have notified Lucius when I crossed."

"You don't show up on any roster. I checked them all," Draco took steps towards her. "Guests always appear on the list, but you don't. Guests are also only permitted to the public areas of the manor without invitation. But you've been nearly everywhere all on your own, haven't you?"

The Death Eaters never strayed to certain areas of the manor. Hermione always assumed it was just obedience–that none of them would break Lucius' rules. But then, Neddy's words the day she and Draco were looking over the map rang loudly through her memory. "Many wizards try to go into restricted areas, sir. But none have gotten past the doors."

The kitchens.

The potion lab.

The library.

The piano room, cellar, dungeon, and Narcissa's Mistress quarters. After the attack at the ball, Hermione unlocked the door to the drawing room, even though Lucius insisted it was locked. Every door in the manor yielded to her, except for Lucius' study. But that was a sacred place, like what Draco's study was for them.

"Dory knows the way," Draco said, his voice sounding thick as he walked towards her. He grabbed her reins."You're free to go."

"What about you?" Hermione said, shaking her head.

"My place is here. This mess Cyrus made… It changes everything," Draco said bitterly. "I can use my conflict with my father to try and get in with whatever Cyrus and Dolohov were planning."

"No! I'm not leaving without you," Hermione said quickly.

"You'll be safe, Granger. I got it all sorted," Draco looked at her trying to be calm. "But I'll have to do my part, and I can't do what I have to do with you here. Not when any moment I can fuck up and kill you."

"Please, please don't," Hermione said, scurrying away from Dory. Dory felt her unease and ruffled her wings and stomped her feet in warning.

"I can't leave the grounds. I can't pass the wards," Hermione repeated, trying to reinforce the two truths she had lived by for the past three-hundred and sixty-three days. The rules that she couldn't dream of breaking if she were to remain alive.

"Darling, don't," Draco said, worried himself at her unwell state. "I should have told you the moment I realized. I'm sorry-"

"I won't leave the rooms! I promise. We'll finish this together. We're supposed to end this together!" Hermione tried bartering.

"This isn't going to end anytime soon. There are safe places for you to go," Draco said, and it sounded so cold. "You had to kill someone the other day. Do you know what that does to me, love? That you had to lower yourself to use dark magic, because I couldn't keep you safe?"

"I've hardly suffered compared to everyone else," Hermione cried.

Draco shook his head. Once he was in front of her, he grabbed her arm firmly and tried to lead her back to Dory. Hermione followed him for a few steps before the panic started to build again, and without thinking, her and Draco disapparated with a crack. They found themselves in the study when they reappeared. But this time, Hermione was the one who transported them.

"How is this possible?" Hermione muttered under her breath, looking at Draco who was at a loss for words.

She looked around the room. Walls that at one time made her feel trapped, now felt like home. The initial shock started to fade and the understanding of what Draco revealed started to sink in.

"You shouldn't have sprung it on me like that," Hermione said finally.

There was a large part of her that was angry, but Draco's behavior paled in comparison to what she had done so she moved it aside. As hard it was for her to leave, she imagined it was equally difficult for him to let her go.

"I'll leave," Hermione said, breaking the silence. There was so much she still needed to tell them. And amongst all of her confessions, she owed them a proper goodbye. "But would it be terrible for me to wait just a few days, if I wanted to stay?" She needed a day, or maybe a week–enough time to help Draco and the boys to gather as much information as possible to take down the following Cyrus had collected.

Draco kissed her, holding her face gently while his lips were firm.

"You want to stay...? If this is a joke…," Draco said, shaking his head slightly in disbelief before kissing her again. "How could I let you go?"

One year. Three hundred and sixty-five days since the Battle of Hogwarts. Three-hundred and sixty-three days believing she was little more than a prisoner, and three days of knowing she had never been one.

Draco told Blaise and Theo of their latest discovery when they arrived at the manor the day before the anniversary. They stayed across the hall that night, trying to steal every minute that they could before Hermione would leave and their group would shrink by one more.

There had yet to be confirmation of Cyrus and Dolohov's deaths. There were mentions of the oddness of their absence but nothing condemning. All members were preoccupied with the celebration for the anniversary of the battle, which would be held at Hogwarts. The security measures would be at a level incomparable to anything she'd seen before.

Draco would be there, in full character, which Hermione knew meant he would not be attending alone but with Astoria. If there was any doubt, the decorative accents on his dress robes confirmed it. Silver this time rather than blue. Hermione could only imagine how much Astoria's dress would sparkle.

Draco finished putting the rest of his evening regalia in his trunk while she stood, leaning against the window. Hermione was to eavesdrop on the first floor once Draco made his announcement he'd be leaving for the castle. It was her hope that with both the Malfoys gone someone would let something slip.

"Theo should be waiting for me by the apparition point. I better be going," Draco said, walking towards her.

"What if I came, too?" Hermione asked without thinking too long about it.

Draco paused for a moment before wrapping his arms around her middle. "You can't go to Hogwarts, Hermione."

"I could try," Hermione insisted.

It was hard to imagine how different her life would be if she'd simply attempted to leave the manor. They were so afraid the wards would trap her and alert Lucius, but now she knew she'd unknowingly walked through them undetected numerous times. She was still coming to terms with the realization. It had been days since she'd learned this, and Hermione had not even flirted with the idea of crossing them intentionally.

Until now. That she felt so strongly she wanted to stay within the walls of the headquarters for Voldemort's Army confirmed it was time for her to go.

"The Order could be there," Hermione continued when he neglected to speak.

"If the Order is there, it will be a disaster. It's the last place you should be," Draco said.

Hermione crossed her arms. "All the more reason- I can help!"

"No," Draco said sternly.

"It's not your choice," Hermione snapped.

"Granger, you're not getting yourself killed. You've given enough. Just let me take it from here." Draco's voice was still firm, but she could hear the fear behind it.

"I can hold my own," she reminded him.

"You shouldn't have to," Draco said, turning and walking away from her. "Just stick to the plan and find out what you can here. There is nothing at the castle you should see."

"I've seen enough!" Hermione snapped.

"Exactly!" Draco yelled back.

There were several different facets that fed into Hermione's irritation. Draco had left the manor several times since the discovery of her freedom. The difference this time was she was going to be the only one left out–that he was leaving her behind while he paraded around with her on his arm. Performance or not, everyone in the world would look at them like the perfect, pureblood couple.

"What is it exactly you don't want me to see, Malfoy?" Hermione asked plainly. "Or should I say who?"

"Fucking hell," Malfoy muttered shaking his head as he made his way back to her. "Astoria is my friend. You are the love of my life. We know that. That's all that matters."

"I love you. But…" Hermione paused as he cut her off with a short kiss. "I don't have to stay here. I could go once the last of the members leave."

Draco exhaled deeply. "I can try to return early."

"Draco, that's not the point."

"I know!" he yelled. "It would be a mess if you went. Just- stay here."

Hermione nodded slightly. It was Draco that would be a mess if she were to be anywhere but home. There were already signs of anxiety starting to show, and it was her fault. She had killed Goyle, one of the last people he could lean on other than her.

"Okay," she whispered. "I'm sorry."

Draco walked up to her, kissing her cheek quickly. "I have to go."

He disappeared with a crack a moment later. Hermione did a quick glance at the map to confirm Draco was walking to the apparition point with Theo before heading downstairs.

Someone would have to let something slip about Cyrus and Dolohov. There was no retribution for the deaths she caused, but preventing more was the only thing she could do.

Anthony was in the sitting room indulging in the drink cart. Without Hermione there, the Order would surely want him to stay. It wouldn't be an option though once Hermione told the others of his involvement. She would try not to name him directly, but if they demanded, she wasn't sure she would hold out answers they deserved. It would be best for him to be removed anyhow. Everyone was at risk if he were to let something drunkenly slip.

They met in the alcove they had the first time after the ball, and it felt nostalgic in a way. Hermione appreciated it for a moment before he arrived. The few minutes she spent in the small room, hidden away, and how impactful it made her feel to have assisted in the war in the only way she could.

"Hi," Hermione said softly as she took off the hood to her cloak for the last time. Anthony's eyes were already bloodshot and glassy. "It's only ten in the morning, Anthony."

"If I'm to die, I'll die. At least this way it won't hurt as much," Anthony said lazily. His thoughts seemed to get away from him for a moment before he asked, "Do you think the killing curse hurts?"

"I don't know," Hermione huffed, irritated. "Listen, I'm not going to be staying here much longer. And I think it's time for you to go too."

Anthony snorted. "We've had this talk a million times. Are you really going this time? Going to avada Malfoy's old man?"

"Yes really. I can leave at any time now. I only need to tie up a few loose ends," Hermione said.

"Really?! Brilliant!" Anthony said with drunken cheerfulness.

Anthony lost his footing and nearly fell to the floor. She leaned back against the wall and sighed, and Anthony rested a hand above her to try to keep himself balanced. The other hand was playing with the material of the invisibility cloak.

"Can I keep this when you go? Bloody marvelous this. I'll keep good care of it," Anthony said, hiccupping slightly.

"No," Hermione said, swatting his hand only for him to start playing with the hood, watching his hand disappear. "Are you even listening to me? You can't keep going on like this-"

Anthony hiccupped again, hanging his head and laughing, and Hermione wanted nothing more than to slap him sober. His breath drifted down, and it smelt like sniffing right from the top of a whiskey bottle.

"Oh my god," Hermione grunted, letting her head fall back against the stonewall in frustration.

"What the fuck is this?!"

Hermione jumped to stand straight, pushing Anthony back and causing him to take a few stumbling steps.

Theo and Draco stood before them. In Draco's hand, hanging by his side, was the manor map. Theo's face was furious as he turned to Draco, expecting answers. When he saw Draco's blank expression, like his mind couldn't make sense of the scene before him, Theo's face fell. It only lasted a moment before Theo's anger was back in tenfold, and he locked eyes with Hermione.

"Bitch," Theo spat. "It's you."

"No!" Hermione yelled, feeling a cold sweat shoot through her body. "Theo, I would never hurt you."

"Not for lack of trying, I'm sure," Theo said as he shook his head. "Goyle wasn't so lucky, though. Was he?"

Hermione's eyes dropped. She opened her mouth to speak, but the guilt was clear on her face as she met eyes with Draco.

"He wasn't… I didn't mean to…" Hermione whispered.

Draco turned around, running a hand through his hair and looking up at the ceiling. He paced in a small circle, and Theo grabbed his shoulder to try and help steady him.

"You fucking slag," Theo hissed cruely to Hermione. "A shame you never got to meet Zabini's mother. You would have got on."

Theo took a step closer, and Anthony reflexively stepped to put himself in front of her. "Back off Nott. And watch your fucking mouth!"

"Anthony's on our side. I swear it! He's been helping me communicate with the Order," Hermione said quickly.

"You're Cyrus' Order contact! I'll fucking kill you!" Theo tried to charge toward Anthony, and Draco had to hold him back.

"Nott, be quiet!" Draco finally said, hardly more than a hiss.

"Draco…" Hermione said, trying to step around Anthony.

"Don't you fucking speak to him! I trusted you!" Theo's shouting got the attention of other members down the hall.

"What you got there, Nott?" a voice called, followed by the sound of several sets of footsteps.

Draco had Anthony by the neck the next moment, panting through his nose as he tightened his hold and Anthony choked for breath.

"If I ever see you again, Goldstein, I will deliver you to the Dark Lord as a traitor myself." Draco released him, and Anthony folded in on himself, gasping for breath. Hermione blinked slowly, letting herself feel a moment of relief.

A push sent her stepping back, and she looked down to see Draco had shoved the map at her chest. She grabbed it reflexively and held it against her as he pulled his arm back.

"Get the fuck out of my house," Draco said coldly, finally looking in her eyes.

"Goldstein isn't going anywhere," Theo said nastily, pulling out his wand and pointing it at Anthony's chest. "Avada-"

Hermione acted without thinking, grabbing tightly onto Anthony's shoulder and apparating away.

They reappeared on the edge of the grounds near the apparation site. Anthony seemed to sober and began pulling her behind him hastily toward the portkey site.

"Anthony! Let go!" Hermione yelled, dragging her heels.

"They were going to kill us. We need to leave now!" Anthony protested.

"I need to explain!"

"We can't stay! I was three syllables away from being a dead man."

Anthony picked up the pace to a slight jog until he finally reached the site that Hermione had never thought she was able to reach. Then he dug into his pocket and pulled out a small, wrapped item. He pulled the string of twine to reveal a bolt which Hermione quickly deduced was an emergency portkey.

"You can come back later, alright?" he said again when he saw her hesitation. "Bloody hell, you can apparate within the grounds… Just give them time to get the murder out of their system and then go speak with them if you must."

Hermione swallowed. She turned to look back at the Manor, not wanting to leave the home, nor the people inside it. She felt something cold and round in her palm as Anthony grasped her hand, and then the manor was spinning away.

They landed ungracefully on the hard ground, sticks and leaves providing a small amount of cushioning. Anthony looked just as taken aback as she was.

"Where are we?" Hermione asked cautiously as she stood. These woods were wrong. They weren't the ones she knew.

"I've never been here before. The portkey was only for emergencies," Anthony said, looking through the trees for any sign of their destination.

"Granger?" an Irish brogue sounded from behind her. Hermione turned and saw Seamus right as he was lowering his wand. "Granger!"

Hermione was in his arms the next moment, holding onto him back as he nearly knocked her over.

"Godric! You're here! You've got to come in-" Seamus' words cut off, mouth stopping abruptly, and he growled slightly at the effect. "Give me a moment. You can't see the- I can't talk about the- fuck!" he yelled frustrated, though he still had a huge grin on his face. "Wait here!"

Seamus disapparated with a crack. Hermione and Anthony shrugged at each other before two more cracks echoed around them.

"Anthony! Oh, It's you. Are you well? Arthur said you missed your last rendezvous. We were so worried, but that's what the portkey was for," Mrs. Weasley said before her eyes finally landed on Hermione.

"Hermione dear," Molly gasped, placing a hand on her chest. Seamus shook Hermione slightly by the shoulders in excitement, and a shocked laugh escaped her. Mrs. Wealsey rushed to her side, and pulled her from Seamus. She grabbed her face, looking her over and her eyes started to well..

"You gave us a terrible fright, young lady!" she scolded softly with a teary smile before pulling her in tightly. Hermione hugged her back, still in disbelief but smiling beside herself and made eye contact with Anthony over her shoulder. Seamus had disappeared somewhere into the trees again.

"Oh! Oh! I've lost myself. Come, come, you two! We shouldn't linger out here," Mrs. Weasley said, waving her arms for them to gather around. Once she had Hermione and Anthony on either side of her, she turned them to face an unimpressive group of trees.

"Welcome to Potter Manor, dearies,"Mrs. Weasley sang with a huge smile.

At her words, the trees faded away. Before her was a large mansion, sitting in a meadow with a bright garden and a water fountain in the center of the drive. Coming towards her from across the garden was a crowd of people, several with familiar heads of red hair.