It was stuffy under her new cloak... Being made from a thicker material than Harry's- was not something that she had accounted for when getting ready that night and she was paying the price. Sweat pooled above her brow and to distract herself from how uncomfortable she was she went over the last couple days in her head. Trying to work out how it could have been less than a week since she had gone from asking for help in the Headmaster's office to standing around impatiently waiting the night before the start of Easter Holiday.

Her life seemed to have been split into two speeds since December. One was filled with long agonizing purgatories where she was left in limbo, feeling like she was dangling over a pit waiting... Always waiting for whatever was next. And then there were the moments that flashed by so quickly she was afraid if she blinked too long she would miss them entirely. Not all of them centered around who she was waiting for but enough of them did that it was alarming.

According to her parents it was supposed to be the other way around. They were always complaining about how fast time slipped by. That one second her mother had just found out they were expecting her and in the next she was a fully formed adult, a year away from graduating. Or how it felt like only yesterday that they had met, reciting every other cliched remembrance parental figures liked to use when looking back on their lives.

According to the whispered giggles in the girl's bathroom it was a normal reaction when waiting for the next ardent meet up. A natural phenomenon that happened when raging hormones came into play. They all counted down to times when their carnal desires could be fulfilled...

According to her... She had to be batshit and desperate to be letting them get caught up in Dumbledore's plans the way she was…

Unfortunately, it was the only path available that allowed her to sedate her worry on if he was okay. Not just in the coming days but in the times ahead when he felt like cracking under what Voldemort asked of him. She couldn't stand the thought of him going through the torment from the other night alone and deliberately tried to ignore the evidence that it was a scene he had already replayed. Multiple times.

The last three days had been exceptionally hellish as she attempted to wade through fact and fiction when it came to what had happened during the hours following his provoking stunt. Everything from McGonagall finding out from a scared student and tracking him down in a fit of hexing rage to Draco walking into her office and cockily confessing had reached her ears. Both were equally improbable.

No matter how it had come about, by dinner Slytherin was missing seventy-five points and he hadn't made an appearance in public since. Of course, this generated the perfect storm for the more outlandish of rumors to gain traction (there was no universe in which the Head of Gryffindor House would transfigure a student into a warthog) leaving her number of facts to one…

He hadn't been expelled considering late that night, just before she had been about to fall asleep, the locket had heated against her breast.

Sunday Midnight

It was a small relief that he had been allowed to stay on until the start of break, even if it was spent in some kind of exile, but not enough to end her anxiety. Any objection that was voiced on the severity of the punishment by his fellow Slytherins was quickly stifled when McGonagall held to her promise and reinstated life as usual. So, Hermione wasn't able to glean information from dissenting rumblings when he straight out refused to answer the questions she sent through the necklace. Payback for her taunting reply to his inquiry earlier in the week, no doubt.

A bead of sweat finally broke free and rolled down into her eyelashes causing her to blink rapidly to avoid the sting of it making it into her eye. She had not stood there, silently baking, to out herself by moving. Only the Gods knew who was in the hallway with her... Even the map didn't list house-elves.

As the minutes ticked by, she started to wonder if he hadn't been able to escape his incarceration and she was sweltering under the cloak for no reason. There was a sort of poetic justice in the gift, that was supposed to allow her to be free to come and go as she pleased, being a new type of suffocating penance. A trivial atonement for her ever-lengthening list of sins against those she cared about.

She bit down hard on her bottom lip to stop the laugh at the dramatic and grisly turn to her thoughts. Why couldn't she just be grateful for the opportunity provided for her?

The unmistakable sound of shoe against stone reached her ears in the moonless hall, causing her to search the darkened shadows for the owner. Her eyes had long adjusted to the murkiness but it still took until the person was nearly on top of her to make out their features.

A trapped breath released from her lungs and she stepped forward so she could take in the guarded look he threw over his shoulder without him knowing. He looked better than he had since getting word of his mother's predicament. The signature dark sunken circles around his eyes had abated. Taking the wild look with them and leaving the controlled version of Draco to walk up to the small section of wall she had just been pressed against.

Hermione watched as his storm gray eyes flitted around behind him, searching in the wrong direction for where the sound of her exhale had come from. At an unexpected advantage she closed the short distance between them with another step and leaned up, whispering faintly in his ear. "Boo."

His lips lifted into a smirk, but he didn't startle like she had anticipated. Without missing a beat, he stepped back and did the required procedure to call the door to his room into existence. Quickly going to open it, she had to scramble to get out of the way so she wasn't knocked over in his haste. He jerked the door open and looked over his shoulder again, a mock showing of paranoia to give her time to slip inside.

Like always, the instant she stepped across the boundary and into the room, it was as if a soothing balm had been applied to her frayed nerves. The nearly constant heavy weight of her own newly constructed mask lifted for a moment, allowing her to forget everything outside. She turned around, ready for some type of warm reunion.

What she got instead was his eyes seeing right through her as he checked over the room, reminding her of all the reasons she had needed to become invisible... She reached up and pulled the cloak from her shoulders, fighting with the guilt that was triggered as his questioning gaze fell onto her suddenly perceivable form.

"Ah... There you are." He said, smiling down at her as he walked over to where she stood. He took a chunk of the fabric in her hands between two fingers and lifted it up. "Magic..."

"Yes, magic." She replied with a nonchalant shrug of her shoulders.

"And how did you happen to get your paws on such an exemplary example?"

Another tug of guilt pulled deep in her stomach and her eyes fled from his, afraid he would catch the lie there. "... A friend."

Draco continued to evaluate the pinched material as he asked mockingly. "So this is Harry Potter's mythical invisibility cloak?"

"I didn't say that." She snapped at his patronizing tone. Her eyes narrowed at the ground and she turned away abruptly, causing him to release his grip on the cloak before she folded it up carefully. It was easier to let him draw his own conclusions than tell him outright falsehoods.

"You didn't need to." He sang tauntingly as she walked over and placed the gift over the back of the nearest chair. "Unless all of your friends have access to such rare objects?"

Her eyebrow rose in challenge as she finally made eye contact with him again, smoothing down the fabric under her hands. "Maybe they do."

He laughed openly. "So secretive."

"Says you..."

His smile slid into his characteristic smirk and he shrugged, not expounding on either of their observations. He let the silence stretch out between them, seemingly as comfortable with the quiet as with the playful teasing. The way he stared over at her, slowly taking in her appearance caused a blush to work its way up into her cheeks at her disheveled appearance.

Suddenly self-conscious. She broke their eye contact and ran her hand along the back of her neck, attempting to stop the sweat-dampened curls from sticking to her skin. "So... What have you been up to? Haven't had the pleasure of seeing you around much lately."

"Oh you know... Sitting around my dorm, enduring my punishment like the good boy that I am."

"I am sure..." She pulled her hair over her shoulder which allowed the cooler air of the room to chill the layer of sweat on her neck and shoulder, sending shivers up and down her spine. "Was it worth it?"

The same amused gleam from after his stunt slid into his stare and he tilted his head to the side, pretending to think on her question before answering. "Definitely..."

"That is all that matters, I guess."

Draco's smirk deepened as he closed the space between them and reached up to brush a stray curl that she had missed. "Why would you say that?"

"Why wouldn't I? As long as you do not regret your choice in childish past times what else matters, right?" Irritation at her hours of unwarranted concern breaking through in her tone.

"My childish past time ended up only hurting myself so I am unsure why anything else should matter." Her responding glare had him quickly continuing. "Unless you count the poor little house-elves who had to spend hours cleaning the extra stains out of your gang's clothing. I will have to remember to send them my apologies..."

"You really think you're some silver-tongued rake don't you?" She asked, her glare narrowing even further with her accusation.

"I think I had a momentary lapse in judgment." He answered stoically. All traces of joking fell from his features as he realized that she wasn't about to let up. "Which should be easy enough to pardon considering my self sacrifice..."

"Self sacrifice? So now I am supposed to be daft enough to believe the rumors that you turned yourself into McGonagall?"

"Is it that far out of character for me to discern that my actions affected the whole school and that was wildly unfair?" His serious deadpan expression lifted when another smile twitched at his lips. "I might have to admit, only to you, that I did not walk into her office and tell her to 'Suck it' though..."

Unable to stop the scoff at one of the more ridiculous bits of gossip, she rolled her eyes. "Could you imagine?"

"I don't think anyone would ever be that foolish, Kitten."

"Hmmm… Are you sure? It's almost as foolish as throwing an apple across a crowded dining room in the first place..."

His eyes held her stare for a long moment before he sighed. "Would you like a personalized apology?"

"No... I would like you to recognize the fact that risking your place in the safety of this school is not worth a stupid rivalry prank, Draco! Or what about how it was… Is unfair of you to leave me worried for days like you did!" Her voice started to rise as her tangent, triggered by his annoyance with her, went on. "Please tell me how it is acceptable that I figured out a way for us to meet again, while you pretty much ignored me for weeks and then managed to delay everything in favor of some R-and frickin'-R!"

Hermione knew that the last part was a lie but it was still strangely therapeutic to vent her built up emotions at someone. After trying so hard to keep the manic intensity in check it flowed easily, heating her belly with the underlying anger she would randomly feel towards him. Towards Dumbledore. Towards Harry. Towards the World. But mostly towards herself.

"GODS! I am so stupid, I can't believe..." She clenched her fist tightly, her nails digging into the fleshy skin of her palms. A desperate attempt for the pain to distract from her chaotic thoughts before she said too much. "I can't believe... I..."

Dumbfounded, he stood there and took her outburst in stride, letting her rant until she couldn't continue coherently anymore. As she stood there stuttering under the words that wanted to come, he cupped her face in both his hands and brought his lips to hers. Effectively cutting her off, he moved his mouth against hers. Rough at first, he only relented when she relaxed under his grip. "Are you ready to shut up and listen yet Granger?"

"No..." She murmured, thoroughly distracted by the fiery desire that had replaced her fury.

His low chuckle sent another round of shivers down her spine before he stepped back far enough to look into her eyes. "That is too bad."

"Mmmmm... Is it?"

"Oh yes. I have something to say."

"Then say it."

"First off... I do apologize for you being worried. I should have known better than to think you wouldn't." He rolled his eyes. At himself or at her distress she wasn't certain but he quickly carried on. "You are right, my response to our latest hiccup was unacceptable. Would you formally forgive me?"

"That depends."

"On?"

"Why you decided ignoring me was the best course of action..."

"I was... Angry and afraid."

"Of?"

His shoulders lifted with a half-hearted shrug. "Everything..."

A smile settled onto her lips at his admission and quickly shifted into her own amused smirk causing him to ask the obvious question to such an inappropriate response. "What is so funny about that, pet?"

"I don't think you are afraid of the right things anymore, Draco."

"And what are the right things?"

"You shouldn't fear Harry, house-elves, Dumbledore, McGonagall, failure or even Voldemort." She said with a shake of her head. "Oh no, no, no... You pissed off Ginny Weasley."

His puzzled look caused her to giggle as he asked. "The Weaselette?!"

"Yes, she is gunning for you now and I highly doubt she will be as merciful as I am. And from what I understand she spent most of the summer holiday practicing hexes, by the sounds of it her Bat-Bogey is more potent than you would remember..."

The reminder of how Ginny had helped to overpower the Inquisitorial Squad the year prior caused his jaw to clench and eyes to narrow into a glare. He didn't say anything as he thought over the implications of her revelation.

She shook her head again before reaching up to pat his chest in mock reassurance and then whispered. "Was it really worth it?"

When he still didn't answer she shrugged once more. "While you think on that I am going to shower..."

Hermione stepped around him and headed towards the bathroom. At the door she heard him mumble. "I am not afraid of a Weasley."

"Then you really are foolish." She said over her shoulder as she slipped into the room, intent on washing both the sweat and remnants of her out of control emotions from her body.

-\/- -\/- -\/- -\/- -\/-

Deliberately she took her time, making one hundred percent sure that all traces of her negative state of mind were gone. She didn't want the rest of their time together to be tainted by the tumultuous spiraling of irritability that had been brewing inside of her since the beginning of March. Not when there were only hours left before they would be boarding the train and he would be sent back to his own personal hell.

So she wasted valuable minutes that could have been better spent convincing the boy to make sure he came back to her, under the relaxing spray of water. After each one of her muscles had loosened and she was confident she would be able to stay calm, she finished up and put her soiled uniform back on. Cursing the fact that the added bulk of her bag had made the cloak too short to cover her feet, leading her to have to leave her clean change of clothes.

The moment she returned to the bedroom her eyes darted around, searching for Draco. Expecting him to be lounging on the bed, it was unanticipated when her first sweep showed the space to be empty. Her eyebrows came together in confusion, thinking he had left, but upon closer inspection she saw that his feet peeked out from where they were propped up lazily on the arm of the couch.

She smirked as she made her way to the other side of the room. Sure that he had to hear the sounds of her approach but was still pouting over her teasing, she was surprised when she looked down over the back of the couch and found Draco to be asleep.

A soft sigh left her lips but she made no additional noises as she turned away. Reluctant to wake him, even to have him move to the bed... She went over and set the time on the wind up alarm clock that had appeared on the side table before grabbing the heavy black blanket from the much more comfortable and spacious sleeping quarters.

Hermione walked back over to the couch and covered him before she slipped onto the small space left and curled into his side. His arm unconsciously wrapped around her, helping to keep her from sliding to the floor. All of her troubles seemed to melt away with him safe beside her and she closed her eyes. Letting herself drift towards her own slumber, a smile of contentment on her lips for the first time in weeks instead of the overwhelming fear of what her nightmares would bring.

The opportunity to worry would be waiting for her tomorrow...