Hermione stared down at Draco, her eyes narrowing as she suddenly understood what he was getting at. "You think you can manipulate the wards?" she asked.
Beneath her fingers, Draco shrugged. "I've done it before," he replied.
"What?" Harry asked, sounding confused.
"What the fuck are you talking about, Malfoy?" asked Ron, his eyes narrowed in suspicion.
Draco ignored them both for a moment, still staring up at Hermione. He bit his lip before lowering his gaze, his expression turning serious. "There are blood wards on my house," he began quietly. "He killed my father so he could take them over." He shook his head, looking towards the chess board. "I can't believe I never thought of this before." With a flick of his finger, he toppled the King on Ron's chess board. "He took the King, but perhaps not the Queen."
Ron fixed him with a quizzical look. "Without the King, the game is over. What are you getting at, Malfoy?"
Draco was silent for several moments before looking back towards the chess board. "The Queen is the most important part of the game," he said quietly. "And maybe the game is over when the King is gone—but that's not how it works in real life."
"She was part of the wards—your mother?" Hermione asked.
"Yes," Draco replied instantly.
"She's not a Malfoy," Hermione continued. "Not by blood."
"The Black part of the blood wards might still stand," Draco said. He shook his head.
"It's only partial, but it might be enough to let me in—if He really didn't kill my mother."
"What the fuck are we talking about?" Harry asked, his tone frustrated.
"I honestly don't know," Ron replied exasperatedly.
"Blood wards," Hermione said, squeezing Draco's shoulders again.
"What about them?" Harry and Ron asked in unison.
"Can you both shut up for a minute and let me think?" Draco replied harshly.
Ron sighed heavily. "Your boyfriend has a bad attitude, 'Mione."
Hermione immediately glared at him.
"Hermione," Ron instantly corrected, his face reddening.
"If He really didn't kill her, I don't think I even have to manipulate the blood wards, Hermione," he continued, looking back up at her. "I think the Black part of the wards will just let me right in." Draco paused, then laughed. "All this time—every time I went there—I thought he was letting me in, but no—Maybe I was just walking into my own bloody house? How could I have been so stupid?" He stood suddenly, staring angrily at the maps on the walls.
Hermione followed him, gripping his arm. "You aren't stupid," she said quietly.
Beneath her fingers he was shaking. "But if He did kill her, then I'll get us all killed."
Hermione nodded resolutely. "We have to test it, then," she said quietly.
"Can someone please explain what the fuck we are talking about?" Harry asked harshly.
Draco neutralized his expression and turned to face Harry and Ron. Hermione was still gripping his arm. "I need clearance to leave," Drace finally replied. "I have to go to Malfoy Manor."
"No," Hermione said immediately.
"Go," Harry replied. "If you think you can get us in."
"No," Hermione repeated. "I won't let you."
He stared down at her. "I'll be safe, Hermione. I promise. If I'm right, no one will ever know I was even there."
Harry cleared his throat. "Just to be clear here, Malfoy. You will not be going alone. You will have a team, which will be decided on—well, I guess our next meeting."
Hermione knew their minds had already been made up. "Then I'm going," she said.
"You are not," Draco replied immediately.
"If this is so safe, then I'm going—"
"I never said it was safe—"
"Guys, we don't even have a plan on how to kill Him. Don't you think this is a bit preemptive?" Ron asked.
Draco shrugged. "Maybe. But I don't know if I'm right. It will give us a starting point at least."
"If you're wrong?" Ron asked.
"Then I'm wrong, and we'll have to figure something else out," Draco replied.
"If you're right?" Harry asked.
Draco grinned. "Then we have free access to Malfoy Manor any time that we want. If the wards still accept me, they always will. He'll have to kill me for full control."
"You are not allowed to die," Hermione said harshly.
Draco reached for her fingers, intertwining them. "You've told me before. I assure you I have no intention of dying, Hermione."
"So we have a plan?" Harry asked. "Since we're about to have a meeting?"
Draco winced and glanced at Hermione. "We have a plan to have a plan," he said. "Get me my team and I'll come up with something."
Harry nodded resolutely. "We'll do that today, then."
"I am part of your team," Hermione said firmly.
"You are not," Draco replied harshly.
"I am," Hermione argued.
"You'll never win with her, Malfoy," Harry said. "Hate to break it you."
Draco stayed silent, glaring at Harry icily.
Hermione watched as Ron flushed and his lips curled. Harry's eyes were also focused on Ron. Hermione cleared her throat. "So," she said, a bit too loudly. "We have a plan—and a meeting?"
Ron was staring at Draco, his eyes still narrowed.
Harry cleared his own throat. "Yes," he said, also a bit too loudly. "I'll get Nott and meet you all downstairs in a few minutes."
Harry slipped from the room, leaving Hermione alone with Draco and Ron, who was now practically glaring at Draco.
"Take a picture, Weasley," Draco said after a moment. "It will last longer."
"I don't like you," Ron replied.
Draco looked at Ron, his gaze cold and intent. "I don't care," he said.
"I don't trust you," Ron continued.
Draco sighed. "I also do not care," he replied, sounding bored.
Hermione's eyes shot back and forth from Draco and Ron, wondering if she was going to have to intervene.
Ron merely nodded, his face still flushed. "Just so we're on the same page," he said.
"Understood," Draco replied.
Their conversation had Hermione feeling nervous. She tugged at Draco's arm. "Come on," she said quietly. "We should go downstairs."
Draco was still staring at Ron, his own eyes narrowed, looking as if he had come to some sort of conclusion.
Hermione tugged at Draco's arm again. "Come on," she repeated.
Finally, he turned towards her and followed her out into the hallway. "He's in love with you," Draco said immediately.
"What?" Hermione asked as they walked down the hallway.
Draco stopped walking and leaned against the wall. "Weasley is in love with you."
Hermione scoffed. "No, he's not," she replied.
Draco raised a brow, his expression skeptical. "He is," he repeated.
Hermione shook her head. "No," she said. "We already had a conversation about how we never would have worked."
"Be that as it may, he's still in love with you," Draco replied.
"Draco—" she began.
He interrupted. "I'm not jealous," he said immediately, pushing a lock of her hair behind her ear. "You're mine. I know that."
Hermione bit her lip, thinking. Ron's reaction had been—odd. And Harry had been watching him. Maybe—?
Maybe Draco was right. She stared up at him. "I'll talk to him," Hermione finally said.
He nodded and kissed her forehead. "Do whatever you have to. You're mine, and I'm not fond of sharing."
Hermione stood on the tips of her toes and kissed him squarely on the lips. "I'm yours. And you'll never have to share," she said.
Draco gripped her waist. "Never?" he asked.
She could hear her heart hammering in her chest, and her blood thrumming in her veins. They'd never really discussed their relationship, but to Hermione it felt like forever. She wondered if Draco felt the same way. "Never," she murmured back. "Not ever."
"Good," he replied, kissing her again. "Come on, let's go prepare for my execution"
Hermione frowned. "No one is going to touch you," she replied.
Draco merely grinned. "No," he agreed. "They'd have to go through you first."
"That's right," Hermione said, grabbing his hand and leading him down the hall.
There were only a few people in the living room when they arrived. George was sitting on the floor, his legs crossed and a glass predictably in his hand. Ginny was leaning against the wall, her gaze fixed on the front of the room. She ignored Hermione all together. Hermione didn't want it to hurt, but it still did. Draco rested a comforting palm against the small of her back, almost as if he knew what she was thinking. She was thankful for him and his comfort.
Hermione found a large armchair which she led Draco to, motioning for him to sit. He did so, a confused expression on his face which immediately evaporated as she perched herself on the arm of the chair. His palm returned to the small of her back. Hermione looked to the side, where she caught Ginny's eye for the briefest moment. Ginny immediately looked away.
Idiots, Hermione thought to herself. Both of them.
As more people began to file into the room, Hermione could feel Draco become more rigid next to her. The Order members who looked at him did so with scorn and gave him a very wide berth. Others ignored him entirely. She watched as everyone filed in, avoiding Draco in one way or another. She was surprised when a hand suddenly rested on the back of the chair. Hermione looked up to find Theodore Nott, who gave her an uncomfortable grin, which came off as more of a grimace. "Hi, Theo," she said quietly.
"Hello, Granger," he replied politely. "Draco," he said.
"Theo," Draco said quietly. "How's Astoria?"
"Fine," Theo replied. "I think the Healer is keeping her out on purpose."
"Pain?" Draco asked.
"Think so," Theo said, nodding. "Do you know why we're here?"
"Meeting," Draco replied. "And I need a team for a mission. Can I count on you?"
"You got it," Theo answered quietly.
Hermione wondered how many people Harry had in mind.
When everyone had arrived and taken their various seats, Harry stood at the front of the room and cleared his throat. "Morning, everyone," he said, giving the group a lopsided grin. "I hope everyone is a little—calmer—after last night's events. I know it was quite a lot."
The Order stayed quiet, but several glances traveled towards where Draco and Hermione were sitting. Hermione jutted her chin out defiantly while Draco leaned closer towards her, as if he were attempting to hide. She placed a hand on his shoulder in an attempt to reassure him.
After a moment, Harry continued, "But I just want to reassure everyone that has recently joined the Order has been thoroughly vetted. That being said, I need three volunteers for a mission that is going to be headed by Malfoy—"
Immediately, the Order erupted into chaos once more, people chattering angrily amongst themselves. Hermione tried to tune it out entirely, she looked at Draco and tightened her hold on his shoulder. He was sitting up straight, and his eyes were cold as he stared intensely at the wall in front of them.
Dean stood. "Harry, are you mad?" he asked. "First, you bring in two Death Eaters as Order members—and we're supposed to just trust them? I talked to Bill and Fleur last night—Malfoy is a well-known interrogator for Him, do you know that? And Nott works for the Ministry, which you know is also run by Him. You just want us to trust them?"
Hermione's blood was boiling as she stood from the arm of the chair, crossing her arms in front of her chest. "They were spies, Dean. What did you expect them to do? They had to do those things to help the Order." Hermione scoffed. "And I think you misunderstand how very little choice they had in the matter."
Dean gritted his teeth, staring coolly at Hermione. She stared back, daring him to continue speaking. He opened his mouth briefly, before promptly slamming it shut, his eyes darting behind Hermione. She turned and found that Draco was glaring at Dean, his eyes dark and murderous. Hermione caught Draco's eye and shook her head. Immediately, he neutralized his expression and leaned back in the chair.
"They're Order members now," Hermione continued. "They've pledged themselves to the cause. You all should learn to accept it. Now, if everyone is done arguing, we have an important mission to plan. Draco thinks he can get into Malfoy Manor."
"And why would we want to go there?" Katie asked.
Hermione felt Draco stand behind her. "Because that's where He lives," he replied coldly. "In my house, with that snake."
"You can get us in?" Ginny asked, her interest piquing for the first time since the meeting had begun. She had mostly been sullen and withdrawn.
Draco fixed his gaze on Ginny. "I'm not certain. He murdered my father, so he controls the Malfoy portion of the wards." Draco paused, swallowing. "I'm not certain about my mother. If she died of natural causes, I'm fairly certain that the Black portion of the wards will allow me in. If we can get in, we're one step closer to killing the Him and the snake for good."
"So, we need three volunteers," Harry continued, looking expectantly at the Order.
Hermione was the first to raise her hand, and instantly Draco turned to glare at her. She stared back at him defiantly.
Theo raised his hand next. There was a long pause, before Ginny shrugged and raised her own hand. "I'll go," she said. "What do you need from us, Malfoy?"
Hermione looked to Draco, who suddenly looked uncertain. He didn't know. Hermione knew he had always intended to go alone.
Helpfully, Harry answered for him, his gaze suddenly fixed on Ginny, "Malfoy said it should be a simple enough mission," he replied, shrugging. "I was thinking that our standard back-up formation would suffice."
"I literally just have to check the wards," Draco grumbled, looking at Harry.
Harry nodded. "And as I told you earlier, no one in the Order goes on a mission on their own. You'll have someone to your right, someone to your left, and someone behind you in case anything goes wrong."
Draco nodded shortly, looking aggravated.
"We are all on the same side, guys," Harry said, almost as if he were pleading with the Order. Everyone in the group, with a few exceptions, looked incredibly displeased.
Hermione had already known that its structure was fractured, but she had no idea that the arrival of Draco and Theo would have it absolutely crumbling. Her fingers found Draco's forearm, which was tense beneath her palm, but she was thankful that she could find something solid in a room that was on the verge of complete bedlam.
Harry sighed. "I know it's almost time for lunch, let's break for now. Hermione, Malfoy, Ginny, Nott—We'll follow up after lunch."
Still clutching Draco's forearm, Hermione returned to their bedroom. As soon as the door closed behind them, he leaned against it, glaring at her.
"What?" she asked.
Draco didn't speak for several moments. He sighed deeply before looking away from her and pinching the bridge of his nose between his thumb and forefinger. "Don't do this to me," he finally said quietly.
"What?" Hermione replied.
He stared at her at her again. "Do you not remember my conditions on being a member of the Order?" he asked. When Hermione didn't immediately answer, Draco shook his head. "Of course you don't," he continued. "I am to take your place on any and all missions. Hermione, that was half the point of me fucking joining the Order."
Truthfully, she had forgotten. "I want to help you," she replied quietly.
Draco shook his head. "I don't fucking want or need your help, Hermione. Not with this."
"You can't stop me," Hermione said stubbornly. "I'm going on this mission, Draco."
Draco sighed again, walking past her and sitting down on the edge of the bed, burying his head in his hands. Hermione remained where she was, her arms crossed over her chest. She was suddenly quite angry. She glared back at him from across the room.
"Did we not just have this conversation?" he asked, his eyes closed tightly.
"We did not," she replied harshly.
He stared at her. "We did," he said sadly. "You just chose not to listen."
"What are you talking about, Draco!?" Hermione demanded.
"The one thing I want from you more than anything," replied quietly, not looking at her. "I thought you understood."
"I don't need or want you endangering yourself for me. What I want is for you to be safe with the Order. I want—no, I need you to be safe. I need to not be worrying about you so that I can do my job."
Suddenly, Hermione remembered. She had promised him. She had made a promise to him, and she was currently in the process of breaking it.
But he had promised her, too, hadn't he? He had promised her that he would never go on another mission. "You made me a promise, too, Draco," she replied stubbornly. "You said you'd never go on another mission."
"I don't exactly have a choice in this, Hermione," he said quietly.
He didn't have a choice. He'd never had a choice. If they wanted to kill Voldemort, he had to do this. Her anger with him promptly faded. Time and time again, Draco had proved he was willing to do nearly anything for her, and in turn had only asked for one thing from her: to stay safe. The one thing he had asked her to do, and here she was throwing herself headfirst into a dangerous situation.
He'd asked her for one thing, and one thing only.
She climbed onto the bed, kneeling next to him. His face tilted towards her, but he was not looking at her. She wrapped her arms around him and pulled him into her chest. She dropped a kiss into his hair. "I'm sorry," she murmured, her breath ruffling his hair. "I was listening, I just—I've been busy, involving myself in everything."
"I know," Draco replied, finally leaning into her chest. "Of course you did. You have to. You're stubborn." He looked up at her. "I'd be lying if I told you that it wasn't one of the things that I love about you, but you don't have to oversee everything. You don't have to handle everything."
Hermione knew he was right. She had spent her entire life being proactive and overachieving. Every assignment she had ever received had been meticulously done weeks in advance. She had studied every word in every book she had ever read. She had applied the same strategy to making friends as she did to her education, which had mostly failed—she had come off as bossy and overbearing.
Bossy and overbearing. It had been the same qualities Harry and Ron had seen in her until that night at Hogwarts, with the troll—the night that they had finally seen her. She saw them, and they saw her.
But still—she was meticulous. She was careful. She took care of them, even when it came to her detriment.
She'd always taken care of everyone.
She'd always been in charge.
But Hermione had never been taken care of by anyone in return. She stared down at Draco, who was watching her carefully.
She didn't need to be in charge this time—because she had him.
She had never been taken care of by anyone but Draco, Hermione realized. She couldn't let it be one-sided. She had to take care of him, too.
"Everything in my life is a fight, Hermione," Draco said quietly. "And you know I'll fight for you, but I don't want to fight with you."
He was right about this, too, Hermione realized. She wanted to be the person who protected Draco, who kept him safe. She didn't want to be another person who hurt him. If she broke her promise to him, she would hurt him, and she did not want that. "I don't want to fight with you either," she said apologetically.
"Then are we done?" he asked quietly.
Hermione sat next to him, resting her head on his shoulder before nodding against him. "Yes," she agreed. "We are done."
The tension remaining in Draco's body seemed to evaporate at her words. He kissed her forehead.
"I've never been one to sit on the sidelines," Hermione said after a moment of silence, offering an explanation. "I'm not used to it. But—I'll—I'll go tell Harry right now. That way he can find someone else."
Hermione stood, but Draco immediately wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close. He was staring up at her. "Are we okay?" he asked quietly.
She grinned down at him, running her fingers through his hair. "We're okay," Hermione agreed before leaning down and planting a kiss to his lips. He kissed her back eagerly, his lips moving against hers. "I love you," she said softly.
Draco's fingers stroked at her waist. "I love you, you stubborn woman," he said. "I would do anything for you."
"Me too," Hermione agreed, her smile growing. "Now let me go, I have to tell Harry."
"Thank you," Draco said quietly before releasing her.
Hermione gently kissed him before leaving him, heading back downstairs. She found Harry in the dining room, sitting next to Ron who was, predictably, playing chess by himself. Harry had his head in his hands, his eyes far off as if he were thinking deeply. As soon as she walked into the room, his eyes promptly refocused. "Hey," he said, giving her a grin.
"Hey," she replied. "I need to talk to you."
His eyes immediately narrowed. "Upstairs?" he asked.
Apparently, she had piqued Ron's attention, too, because his eyes were now focused on Hermione instead of his chess board.
Biting her lip, she merely nodded before both Harry and Ron stood and they all walked upstairs to the meeting room. As soon as the door slammed shut behind them, Hermione sighed and crossed her arms over her chest. "I have to drop out of the mission," she said promptly.
Harry narrowed his eyes. "What?" he asked.
"Why?" asked Ron.
"For Draco's safety," Hermione replied simply.
As soon as the words were out of her mouth, Hermione realized her mistake, and Draco's insistence that Ron was in love with her. Her eyes shot towards Ron, and she watched as his cheeks rapidly reddened.
She wondered if Draco was perhaps right.
Hermione mentally shook herself. That wasn't important right now—she could deal with that later.
Draco, and this mission, were what was important right now. Harry was still watching her with narrowed eyes, waiting for further explanation.
Hermione swallowed. "He's concerned for my safety—he doesn't want me there."
"So we're sending our recently acquired Death Eaters away with my little sister? I think the fuck not—" Ron began, his face positively red now.
"I'll take your place, Hermione," Harry interrupted.
"Harry, you risk blowing your cover. No one knows you're alive, and we need to keep it that way—" Ron instantly argued.
"I'll use the invisibility cloak, and I'll be able to watch out for Ginny," Harry replied.
Ginny, of course.
Hermione felt the corner of her mouth quirk. Perhaps this was going to work out for the best after all. Harry and Ginny were going to have to talk to each other if they were going to be on a mission together.
"Since when do you back out of stuff, Hermione?" Ron asked harshly, his face still red. "That doesn't sound like you at all."
Oh, fuck, Hermione realized instantly. Draco was right.
"Ron, mate—" Harry began.
Ron immediately interrupted. "No," he said, waving Harry away. "Furthermore, since when is Malfoy in fucking charge of the Order?" he continued, staring at Hermione.
Hermione merely stared back, crossing her arms over her chest. "He is not in charge," she replied.
Ron laughed darkly. "Sure seems that way," Ron said. "Ever since you've shown up, it's Malfoy this and Malfoy that, and suddenly he's everywhere. He knows the last Horcrux and now he's in charge of a mission. Do you not remember that guy from school? The guy is evil, Hermione."
"You don't even know him!" Hermione shot back.
"No, but you think you do?" He asked, scoffing.
"Guys, this is not productive—" Harry began, looking apprehensive
Ron immediately looked down at the floor, his face still blood red. He shook his head. "You're right," he said angrily. "This isn't productive. I'm going to go. I'll see you guys later." Immediately, Ron turned on his heel and left the room, slamming the door behind him.
As his steps reverberated down the steps, Hermione turned to Harry, who looked bewildered. "That—" he said after a moment. "I did not expect that."
"Harry, I need to ask you a question," Hermione said.
Harry's face promptly flushed, as if knowing exactly what Hermione was about to ask. He merely nodded.
"Does Ron—" she paused, taking a deep breath. "Does Ron still have feelings for me?"
Harry stared at Hermione questioningly. "Are you seriously asking me that?" he asked.
"Well, I just asked you, so—"
"Of course he still has feelings for you, Hermione. He's always had feelings for you—I don't think he's ever stopped," Harry replied.
"We talked," Hermione said quietly. "I thought we both agreed that it wouldn't have worked."
Harry nodded, considering her seriously. "I think it's difficult for him to see you with him," Harry replied. "You guys are a bit—intense."
"Of course we are," Hermione argued. "Everyone wants to fucking kill him."
"Hermione," Harry began gently. "I didn't say that I didn't understand it. I'm just telling you what Ron sees."
Hermione sighed, feeling some of the tension leaving her shoulders. "I see your point," she said quietly. "I'm not trying to hurt him, you know. I just—I've been over him for a long time."
Harry nodded before taking several steps forward, giving her a brief hug. "I know you aren't," he replied. "He'll get over it. Just give him some time."
Against Harry's shoulder, Hermione nodded. "Okay," she agreed.
After a moment, Harry pulled away. He looked down at her. "Lunch should be ready soon," he said. "Go get some food for you and Malfoy and meet me back here in an hour. I already have the plan drawn up—it should be straightforward. I want to get it done tonight, if possible."
The tensions returned to Hermione's shoulders. Tonight.
Draco would be going on a mission tonight.
It was too soon.
It had to be done—they didn't have a choice.
Hermione forced her thoughts away. Worrying would not do Draco—or Harry—any good.
Straightforward. Simple. She forced herself to focus on those words as she left the meeting room and traveled downstairs to the kitchen, which was already full of Order members filling their plates with food and chatting amongst themselves. Hermione ignored everyone as she grabbed her own plate and filled it with enough food for both her and Draco.
With every step she took, the words straightforward and simple echoed inside of her brain.
She took a deep breath before opening the bedroom, quickly neutralizing her expression. She and Draco had a lot to discuss, but that would have to wait for another day. Tonight, Draco was going on a mission, and she had to take care of him the only way she knew how: by staying safe and not making him worry about her.
So when she opened the door and he smiled at her, she forced herself to smile back.
a/n: Once again, I apologize for my lateness. It's been a busy few weeks, but I should be all caught up now. Next update 10/6.