I need to try and bust some writers block so here we are! I may add more songs to this so check back often!

This one shot is based around the song "Darkness before the Dawn" by Caleb Hyles, Judge & Jury, and Lacey Sturm, give it a listen! Happy Reading!

Darkness Before the Dawn

A Draco and Hermione Story

Prologue: Shadows of War

The wizarding world had collapsed into chaos. Death Eaters ruled with iron fists, fear infiltrated every corner, and Hogwarts, once a sanctuary, had become a stronghold of terror.

Draco Malfoy wandered the darkened halls of his home, now overrun with Voldemort's followers. In his reflection, he saw a stranger—a boy trapped by fear, clinging to fading hope.

Far from Malfoy Manor, Hermione Granger sat by a dying fire, staring into its embers. The screams of her parents echoed in her mind, a cruel reminder of the lengths she'd gone to keep them safe. Both she and Draco were bound by war, though they walked very different paths.

Part One: Draco

"Is there anybody out there?

Is there anyone that's left?

Is there any way I can make it out alive?"

Draco stood alone in the drawing room of Malfoy Manor, his hands trembling as he stared at the Dark Mark on his forearm. The mark burned, not with physical pain, but with the reminder of his failure and the weight of his family's shame.

"What is left that they've not taken?

What is left beyond the pain?

What is left of truth when I only hear their lies?"

He could hear his parents arguing in the next room, their voices low but laced with desperation. Voldemort demanded obedience, but Draco's resolve was crumbling. He was no killer. He was no hero. He was nothing.

Draco whispered to himself, "There's a fire in my heart to keep the dark at bay, but my defenses have decayed."

He sank into a chair, his head in his hands. "So I pray for a change to begin inside. For the courage to not run and hide."

Part Two: Hermione

"I can feel my body shaking

I can feel all of the fear

I can feel the demons but I can't let them win."

Hermione shivered as the cool night air seeped through her cloak. She sat by the fire, the faces of her parents flashing in her mind. She had wiped their memories to protect them, but the price was unbearable.

"And my broken heart is weary

And my broken words confess

And my broken spirit will conquer every sin."

Her heart ached with the weight of her decisions. The war demanded sacrifice, and she had given everything.

As Harry and Ron slept nearby, Hermione whispered to herself, "There's a fire in my heart to keep the dark at bay." She clutched her wand tightly. "So I pray for a change to begin inside. For the courage to not run and hide."

Part Three: A Fateful Encounter

"Is it shame, is it fear that controls my mind?

When I wake I can't tell what is right from the wrong.

But no matter what happens, I must carry on

In the darkness before the dawn."

Hermione wandered into the forest, seeking water from a nearby stream. The world around her was still, yet her senses were alert.

A twig snapped behind her. She spun, her wand drawn.

"Granger," came a familiar voice.

Her heart stopped as Draco Malfoy stepped out from the shadows, his face pale and gaunt.

"What are you doing here?" she demanded, her wand still raised.

Draco raised his hands in surrender. "I'm not here to fight."

Hermione's grip on her wand didn't falter. "Then what do you want?"

Draco hesitated. "I don't know." His voice cracked, the weight of his torment evident.

For a long moment, they stood in silence. Hermione's mind raced. Could she trust him?

Finally, she lowered her wand, though her eyes never left his. "You'd better not make me regret this."

Part Four: Allies in the Dark

Over the next few hours, Draco shared fragments of his story: how the Dark Lord's demands had grown unbearable, how he had fled the Manor. Hermione, though wary, listened.

"You don't have to fight for him," she said softly. "You can choose something different."

Draco scoffed, bitterness creeping into his tone. "And fight for what? For your side? They wouldn't trust me any more than you do."

"I trust you enough to let you sit here," Hermione countered. "That's a start."

His gaze met hers, and something unspoken passed between them.

Part Five: Breaking Walls

As the nights passed, Draco and Hermione's uneasy truce grew into something more. They shared stories, fears, and moments of quiet understanding.

One evening, as they sat by the fire, Hermione glanced at him. "Why did you stay, Malfoy? You could have left days ago."

Draco hesitated, then said, "Because… when I'm here, I don't feel like a coward."

Hermione's breath caught. "You're not a coward," she whispered.

Their eyes locked, the firelight casting flickering shadows across their faces. Slowly, as if drawn by an invisible force, they leaned closer.

Draco stopped, his lips hovering inches from hers. "Granger, are you sure?"

"Yes," she murmured, closing the distance.

The kiss was tentative at first, a fragile thing. But as the weight of the war melted away, it deepened, a desperate exchange of hope and longing.

Part Six: The Dawn

When morning came, they stood by the edge of the forest, knowing their paths would soon diverge.

Draco reached for her hand, his fingers brushing hers. "Hermione, if we survive this… will you find me?"

She smiled faintly. "I will."

As she disappeared into the trees, Draco watched until she was out of sight. For the first time in years, he felt a spark of hope—a glimmer of light breaking through the darkness.

"In the darkness before the dawn."