Contrast

A/N~ Ahh! I know it's been 3 weeks! I am so sorry guys, please don't hate me. I know I wrote that I wouldn't let the wait go past 2, but I don't know what the hell I was thinking! This writing business is hard. Thank you to those who have continued to stick with me, I hope that this chapter makes up for the wait. There is even some smut in it to help you forgive me. Also major thanks for reviewing! It always amazes me that so many people read, and like, my story.

I tried to fix the retarded punctuation in this chapter, but it didn't work. I am so sorry. Hopefully it will be better by the next one.

Nicole~ You are the coolest beta ever! Thanks!!!!!

MistressMalfoy~ I know you must get tired of my endless praise, but I don¡¦t care, because you are freaking marvelous for putting up with my whining and second guessing.

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She was silent, but deafeningly so. It alarmed Draco more than anything else, although he would never admit it. He had just told her that he and his Death Eater buddies had attacked her best mates who had yet to contact her or return home, and yet she was not reacting as how he thought she would. He knew how to manage it when she was ranting and raving like a hysterical banshee, in fact he would be lying if he said it wasn¡¦t a bit entertaining as well. It was moments like this, when she said absolutely nothing, when her face was expressionless and her eyes unfocused, that made him want to cup his hands over his private parts and turn his back to her. Instead, he motionlessly stood in front of her, studying her, waiting for some sort of clue that she had fully comprehended what he had just said to her. Still, there was nothing.

"Granger?" Draco said guardedly, fearful that anything could set her off.

Shaking her head slightly, Granger let out a deep breath and blinked her eyes rapidly before directing them to meet Draco's. She continued to show no emotion whatsoever, and had yet to speak, the fact that she was in shock becoming more evident to Draco. In all honesty, it was starting to unnerve him.

"Um, here." Draco pulled a chair away from the dining table he was standing near, not completely sure of what to do in such a situation. "You need to sit down."

Granger glanced at the chair, then back at Draco, and then back to the chair. She nodded, slowly walked a few paces, and sat down; all the while, she showed no sign of what was going on inside that too often overworked brain of hers.

With each passing quiet second, Draco became increasingly uncomfortable. He wanted to run out of the soundless room, away from Granger, away from the notion that he owed her an explanation as to why the two people who had been such an important part of her life could possibly be dead. However, Draco grabbed another chair and set it directly in front of her, her empty dark brown eyes following his every move, lowering to meet his as he placed himself across from her.

Leaning forward and looking down, Draco rested his elbows on his thighs and clasped his hands together before taking a deep breath and clearing his throat.

"Do you want me to tell you what happened?" he asked her earnestly, his gaze meeting hers once more.

Again, Granger wordlessly nodded.

"You might not fancy what you are about to hear." warned Draco.

Finally, as Granger repeated her affirmative head motion, her eyes grew watery and flashed with fear momentarily, yet she remained stone faced. Draco knew she was afraid of discovering what happened, but he wasn't going to hold anything back from her. She needed to know what occurred, and he sure as hell wasn't going to fluff it up. War was not soft and warm it was hard and cold.

"Yesterday I was told by the Dark Lord that he had been given information that Potter and Weasley were going to be in Hogsmeade last night." Draco started without hesitation.

"He said that I was to lead an attack mission on them, ambush them when they least expected it. He had already selected four or five other Death Eaters to join me and said we were to do whatever was needed to kill Weasley and bring Potter to him. Of course I had to comply."

Draco paused when he saw Granger swallow deeply, but when she made no other move, he continued.

"My group and I apparated to Hogsmeade, hid behind some trees near the road leading to the school, and waited for them to return. After a few hours, I spotted them coming down the road, and I said the first curse, aiming it towards them. They ran and took cover behind some boulders across from us. Then curses and hexes started flying immediately, from both sides. I obviously had to make it look like I was actually trying to hit them, firing behind them and next to them, but there were times when I had no idea where some of the curses landed, including the ones the other blokes were shooting their way."

Her eyes were now swimming with unshed tears, afresh with the despair she had yet to express any other way. Still, she kept her stare concentrated on his.

"I saw Weasley go down, heard him shout out in pain, but I know he wasn't dead, because the fucking tosser kept hurling curses. We must have exchanged spells for at least a half an hour. Then both of them did that Sectumsempra curse and it hit the two incompetent prats on either side of me. One of Potter's almost got me too, so I had to dive to the ground to avoid being sliced open...again."

Granger shifted in her seat uncomfortably, drawing her hands into her lap and allowing them to wring each other, and Draco knew the shock was wearing off. He went on grimly.

"Aside from myself, there was only one other bloke still alive from my team, and I figured that Potter and Weasley were going to take us out as well, but then I noticed that there were no more spells being said. When I determined it was safe enough, I stealthily went over to the rocks, made my way around them with my wand lit, and saw that they were gone. I don't know if they disapparated or what, but Granger, there was blood on the ground...a lot."

Again, she nodded as a lone tear slipped down her cheek. She let it go, either unaware or uncaring. Draco grimaced at the sight and his gaze left hers briefly, still not quite sure how to contend with her unresponsiveness. Sure, she had just shed a tear, but that was it, not nearly what he had expected, or what he was used to. Returning his eyes to hers, Draco proceeded.

"We went back to the Dark Lord, and told him that the mission was a failure. I had to tell him about Weasley possibly being fatally injured, and while we didn't bring him Potter, he was rather pleased to hear that bit of news. He sent me back out to patrol Hogsmeade incase they were staying there or made another appearance and sent another Death Eater to watch St. Mungos to see if they showed up there. They didn't. I assumed they made it home, so when my shift was done, I came here expecting to find them, but..." Draco tailed off, not bothering to finish his last thought, fully knowing that there was no need to.

Two more tears fell. Granger's hands stopped mangling each other only to quickly swipe them away, and then laid them on her lap calmly.

"So you aren't sure if one of your curses hit them?" She asked. Her voice was surprisingly steady.

Draco refrained from responding, trying to recall if he had seen anything he fired strike either Potter or Weasley. There were so many different colored flashes flying through the air, so much shouting, and so much blood. He didn't know whose curse floored Weasley; he only paid attention to what he was doing, to keeping as many curses of his from hitting them as he could. But there were strays, ones he had no control over when he was accidentally bumped into, when he leapt to the ground.

"No." He finally told her.

"But you weren't aiming for them?"

"Not directly." He replied firmly and at once.

"Okay." She said as she stood up and placed the chair back at the table.

Draco rose as well and was in the process of putting his chair at its previous spot when he noticed that Granger's eyes were no longer shinning with wetness, but once more hard and emotionless. He had never seen such an expression, or really lack there of, from her. All of the times she had been angry, passionate, or sad, even when she was trying to hide it, her eyes always gave her away. Now, there was not anything conveying what she was thinking. It set him on edge.

"That's all you have to say? Just "'okay'?" He asked tentatively.

"Yes." She said coldly as she grabbed her wand from the counter she had placed it on and made her way closer to Draco. When she aimed it at him, his edginess turned into utter nervousness.

"What are you doing, Granger?" Draco asked curiously.

She took another step towards him as he took one back. He was debating on whether or not to draw his own wand when she swiftly came to stand in front of him and jabbed the wooden point into the side of his neck. The damn bitch had snapped and went completely mental in the span of 10 minutes.

"I want to know who the other Death Eater was." She said adamantly as she narrowed her eyes at Draco.

"Why?" He questioned, keeping his voice unconcerned as he tried to ignore the prodding stick digging into his skin.

"Because," she stated simply, "I am going to kill him."

"You can't."

"Why not?"

She lifted her head defiantly, her chin becoming stubborn, and dared Draco to challenge her with a rise of her eyebrow.

"Well, for one, you are barefoot." He told her, shifting his eyes downward at the same time she did.

"So, I will put shoes on."

"Two, you would single-handedly blow my cover if it gets back to the Dark Lord that the only other Death Eater to survive the attack on Weasley and Potter turned up dead while I remained alive and healthy."

"It could be just a coincidence."

"Yeah, what a brilliant coincidence that one third of the famous Golden Trio murdered a Death Eater that was known to be at that particular battle, and survived, while the Dark Lord and I are the only other two people who know he was there. And I am fairly certain that serpentine bastard won't be sharing that sort of information with just anyone, so that would leave only me." Draco said sarcastically.

"Do not try to make this about you, Malfoy." The tip of her wand poked him deeply as she advised him harshly.

"And three," Draco continued, dismissing her threat, "it is more than likely that you are going to get killed rather than the Death Eater you are after."

"You don't know that." She haughtily replied.

"Yes, I do."

Granger looked at him distrustfully, pushing the wand deeper into his throat, against his trachea. He stared back at her unwaveringly, refusing to back down.

"What are you going to do, Granger, curse me?" he teased.

"Maybe."

"Why are you doing this?"

Closing her eyes, she took a deep shaky breath. Draco knew she was close to what she really needed: to just let it all out. All that resentment and heartache needed to be let go. She wasn't a professional like him; she didn't know how to contain it properly.

When she opened her eyes, Draco saw the hardness in them cracking. He had to goad her, to push her to that breaking point, because if he did, then she wouldn't leave and become another casualty in this fucking war. He had just gotten around to shagging her again, and he wasn't about to lose her become of some sodding vengeance mission stemming from the fact that her mates may or may not be dead.

"I am doing this because I have to." She finally responded, her voice not as solid and unfeeling as it was moments ago.

"You can't." he told her again, this time more harshly.

Tearing her gaze away and moving it to the floor, Granger took a step back and removed her wand, leaving Draco quite sure that there would be an unsightly red mark there for at least an hour. As he rubbed the sore spot, he watched Granger cautiously, not knowing what to expect next. She brought her head up, and now the brown depths of her eyes were blazing with fury. That¡¦s more like it. Wait a tic, it might be familiar, but that didn't mean it was good.

Then, without any sort of warning, she exploded.

"Why the fuck not?" she shouted at Draco as he repressed the startled sensation that jerked though out his body.

"All you are concerned about is revenge, Granger, and that is what is going to get you hurt. You have to go into war with a clear head and a plan, and I hardly think you have either of those right now. Do you know how I have survived so long, fighting on a side for a wizard I loathe while being a spy for the other? I am constantly in danger of being discovered, imprisoned, or killed, but so far, I have escaped it because all I think about is the mission at hand, and that is keeping my arse alive! If you go out there right now, with the state of mind you are in, you are fucked!"

"I don't care!"

"Just how fucking thick are you? We don't even know if Potter and Weasley are dead."

"But we don't know if they are alive, Malfoy!" she cried exasperatedly. "You said you saw blood, a lot of it! What else should I think!"

"Aren't you supposed to be the optimistic one?"

"No, you fucking pillock! I am the sensible one!"

She huffed loudly and looked around the room, for what Draco did not know, until she stomped her feet in frustration, looked down at her hand, brought it up quickly and threw her wand at him, hitting him square in the chest. He stared at her bewilderedly as he felt it come into contact and heard it fall to the floor. She may hit like a bloke, but she threw like a girl.

"You aren't being very sensible right now then." He told her, pointing to her wand resting in front of his feet.

"Yes, I am! I am being very fucking reasonable!"

"No, you aren't." Draco argued. "You are jumping to conclusions. You want to go out and snuff some bloke because you suspect he was one out of five that could have killed your best mates. Yeah, that is some real bloody rational thinking you got going there."

"Don't you see that I don't care about that? That it doesn't matter to me?" she screamed.

Draco watched in silent shock as she buried her head in her hands and abruptly begun heavily crying, her shoulders shaking violently and every once in a while he could make out muffled profanities in between sobs. He just looked at her, not moving a muscle or saying a word, because not only was he confused by Granger's complete mental and emotional breakdown, he also knew he wouldn't be able to stomach the sight of her weeping for much longer.

"Granger..." he started his voice placid although he was uncertain of what exactly to say. What does one say to comfort another person? He usually just pointed and laughed, but somehow he knew that wasn't the best idea right now.

Instantly Draco wished he hadn't said anything, because she seemed to take his vocalization as an invitation to cross the room and lean against his chest, dripping her tears all down the front of his now completely ruined robes. Damn, the Dark Lord gave the first set for free, but he charged 15 galleons for replacements. When she sniffed loudly, he rolled his eyes and discerned that it was hopeless. He surmised that he preferred her near catatonia rather than her blatant display of horrifying hysteria.

"There, there." He said as he brought up his arm up from where it was resting at his side and patted her back awkwardly before resting it lightly at the small of her back. He was quite tempted to bring it lower and give her bum a nice squeeze, but he refrained knowing that Granger probably wouldn't enjoy it nearly as much as he would at the moment. "I am sure they are fine. They are probably at the Weasley's poor excuse for a house getting some rest."

"Probably." She repeated, her voice not nearly as muffled or uneven, although Draco could detect a hint of uncertainty. "I just don't know what I will do if they are dead. Our friendship has been the only constant and unfaltering element of my life in 7 years. Without them, I would be lost; I would have nothing to live for."

Draco said nothing in reply. He was too focused on the strange and unfamiliar pang he felt in his chest when her words assailed him and the peculiar urge to put his other arm around her and draw her closer to him, an urge he was fighting a losing battle with. He had no idea what it meant, however, he did know that he had never been more disturbed in his life.

Just as his left arm begun to rise, almost as if on its own, a burst of green flames emerged from the unused fireplace on the other side of the kitchen, bringing his and Granger's attention away from each other and to the interruption. Potter appeared and stepped out of the hearth, his clothes dirty and torn, and looking extremely tired. Well, that was until he saw Granger still pressed up against Draco with his hand still placed on the spot right above her arse, and then his expression turned to one of suspicion and his eyes narrowed in displeasure. He opened his mouth, probably to berate Draco for being in any sort of physical contact with Granger, and Draco would have mocked Potter incessantly for being a complete tool for thinking they could really keep their hands off each other had it not been for Granger pushing herself away from him and rushing over to Potter.

"Harry!" she cried as she darted over to him and practically threw herself into his embrace.

Potter hugged her back, but his eyes had not left Draco, who merely smirked at him.

"All right there, Potter?" Draco asked the glaring tosser, not that he actually cared.

"I'm fine." He replied.

"Are you sure, Harry?" Granger questioned, withdrawing herself from him, eyeing him up and down, and visually checking him over with nothing but concern etched on her face. "Are you hurt?"

"I am okay, Hermione," Potter repeated, finally abandoning his glaring at Draco to look at his friend, "just a little sore. Ron should be coming any moment. He was right behind me."

As if on cue, the fireplace once more erupted with green flames, and Weasley shuffled out, his left arm in a sling wrapped around his neck and appearing just as filthy and shabby as Potter.

"Ron!"

And there she went, running over to squeeze Weasley in the same manner she did with Potter, except when Weasley made a sound alluding to the excruciating pain she was causing him, she back off quickly and settled for caressing his grimacing freckled face.

"Oh, I'm sorry, Ron. Did I hurt you badly?"

"Not too bad." Weasley told her, obviously lying.

"Good." She said before taking a step back and glancing back and forth at Potter and Weasley, who were standing next to each other. Without another word, Granger smacked both of them on their heads, earning Weasley's retort of "Bloody hell" and Potter's "Damn it".

"Just what in the bleeding fucking hell is wrong with you two? Did it ever occur to you that while you two were at the Burrow recovering or what ever the hell you were doing that I would be here going out of my mind with worry?"

"We're sorry, Hermione." Potter said, rubbing his hand over his skull on the spot where Granger had so ungraciously hit him. "But Ron was hurt and we wanted to wait to know he was alright before we came back."

"You couldn't have sent an owl?" She inquired bitterly.

"Things were sort of hectic, Hermione." Weasley answered, his obscenely red hair still mussed from Granger's infliction. "We really are sorry."

Granger shook her head and looked at the floor, and Draco hoped she didn't cry again. There was only so much emotion he could take. It was bad enough that he was still standing in the kitchen, being completely ignored and exposed to this sickening display of affection and love. It made him want to heave.

"I thought you were dead." She whispered.

"But now you know that we aren't. We are home, mostly in tact. Isn't that all that really matters?" Potter took Granger's hand in his own and fixed those damn green puppy-dog eyes on her, pleading for her forgiveness and understanding. What a fucking poof.

"Of course it matters." She looked up at Potter, her eyes gleaming with tenderness briefly before becoming distraught and withdrawing her hand from his grip. "Yet it doesn't make it any easier that I had to hear about the whole bloody thing from Malfoy rather than receiving any word from either of you two."

Both Potter and Weasley brought their attention over to him as well as Granger. Finally! It was about time he was acknowledged. After all, he was the one who came to Granger and told her what had happened instead of not saying a damn word in order to keep her from worrying, not giving her any specifics until absolutely necessary, as he knew Potter and Weasley have done in the past. Meanwhile, she would be entirely unaware that her best mates had been in a dangerous, possibly deadly, battle and were missing, totally blissful in her ignorance. He did all of them a favor really.

"What exactly did you tell her, Malfoy?" Potter asked, his eyes now screaming a silent warning, cautioning that he better not have revealed too much. Too late.

"Everything." Draco replied matter-of-factly.

"What do you mean 'everything'? How do you even know what happened?" It was Weasley who posed these questions.

"I was there, you fucking plonkers. I wasn't exactly at a tea party all night." Draco said, pointing to his ruined robes.

Potter shifted his gaze and examined Draco's appearance, eventually comprehending his damaged beyond repair Death Eater apparel, complete with rips, dried dirt and blood, and Granger's tearstains.

"We thought we got all of them." mused Potter.

"You got all but two; me and another bloke who shall remain nameless in Granger's company." When Potter and Weasley stared at him inquisitively, Draco added, "Prior to your arrival, she had her wand gouged into my neck, before she threw it at me, and was demanding to know his name so she could go out and knock him off for revenge."

"Hermione..." Potter started to say, his tone filled with strain and apprehension.

"Don't get your knickers in a twist, Potter. I talked her out of it." Draco interrupted.

"Well, okay then. Thanks, I guess." He mumbled.

"Yeah, I can really tell how much you appreciate it."

"Piss off Malfoy. We have had a lot of shite to cope with, so forgive me if I am in no mood to banter with you right now."

"Has it escaped your attention that I was at the same battle you were, Potter? You aren't special just because your sidekick got a little wounded. I had three dead and bleeding arseholes right next to me, and then had to go back to the Dark Lord and suffer his dissatisfaction because we failed to bring you to him. I had to go back to Hogsmeade and search the whole fucking village looking for you pricks, and then, when my shift was done, I came here and told Granger what happened and had to see her most appalling and disgracing breakdown yet. You had a fucking holiday compared to what I went through in the past 24 hours, Potter, so how about you piss off." stated Draco, now after listing all he had done without so much as a shower, a meal, or any sort of rest, was suddenly beginning to feel very shattered.

Just as Potter was about to open his mouth and probably spew out some more "woe is me" shite, Granger stepped in front of him and spoke first.

"Go sit down, Harry." She said, pointing to a chair at the end of the table. "Ron." Another point, another chair. "Malfoy." She directed him to the chair at the other end, opposite from Potter.

Without argument, Potter and Weasley went quietly to their assigned seats, but Draco remained standing, glaring first at Potter and then to Granger.

"Why do I have to sit?" he asked stubbornly.

"Malfoy." Was all she softly said, but her eyes were dark, large, and far too appealing.

"All right." He sighed and made his way to the chair, taking his sweet time before elegantly lowering himself and shifting his position until he found a comfortable one. Just because he agreed to sit down didn't mean he had to be absolutely compliant about it.

"Are you done?" Granger inquired as she sat down in the middle, with Potter and Draco on either side and Weasley directly across from her.

"I suppose so."

Rolling her eyes, Granger turned her head away from Draco.

"Harry, can you tell me what happened?"

"I thought Malfoy already did that." Potter muttered bitterly.

"He did, but I heard it from his perspective, not yours. I want to know how Ron's arm ended up in a sling."

"Okay. We were coming back from Hogwarts with the Horcrux and before we knew what was going on, a curse was sent our way. We got behind some rocks and sent some of our own spells in the direction of where they came from. We were fighting for a while, doing really well too, when a wayward Severing Charm caught Ron on the arm. It sliced him up pretty badly."

Potter paused and Draco saw three sets of eyes, green and accusing, blue and suspicious, brown and questioning, all focus on him.

"I don't recall casting a Severing Charm. They were mostly Expelliarmus and Crucio."

"Nice to know you weren't trying to hurt us or anything." Weasley grumbled as he clutched his injured arm.

"I was supposed to be trying to hurt you, you git. I just aimed above your heads and to the sides of you. Not that it mattered anyway. I was the most powerful, and accurate, of that bunch, and yet you still managed to get it from one of the gobshites who probably couldn't even tie his own shoe."

"Yeah, it was only two against five." Potter added sarcastically.

"And you managed to off three of them, so I don't know why you are complaining. It could have been a lot worse."

"Shut up, Malfoy." Granger said. "Go on, Harry."

Potter cleared his throat.

"Even though Ron was hurt, it wasn't his wand arm, so we continued to fight. We both sent off a Sectumsempra at the same time, and when we saw two of the Death Eaters go down, and we didn't see any more hexes coming our way, we knew it was a window of opportunity to escape. Ron was getting weaker by the second, bleeding all over the place and in a lot of pain, so I apparated us both out of there. I brought him to the Burrow, knowing that it was probably the safest place to go at the moment. Mrs. Weasley fixed Ron up the best she could, and insisted that we eat and get some rest before we came back here. And that is pretty much it." He said as he shrugged.

"And when, during all of your eating and resting, did you decided not to contact me?" Granger asked acidly.

Throwing his head back and groaning, Potter ran his hands through his messy hair.

"Honestly, Hermione, it¡¦s not that we forgot about you, but we were sort of disoriented, what with Ron being hurt, not to mention totally exhausted and hungry. We didn;t think you were going to know what happened, so we didn¡¦t want to worry you."

Granger nodded her head in understanding, and Draco was a little disappointed that she could forgive them so easily. This just proved to Draco that friendship was overrated. He was about to share his thought, but Potter continued as he glared at Draco, his expression turning from one of guilt to irritation.

"Of course, we didn¡¦t count on Malfoy being one of the Death Eaters we were battling or him coming here and telling you everything. Otherwise, we would have let you know right away."

"I would have rather known and been worried than not know anything at all, Harry. I don't like being kept in the dark, especially when it comes to you and Ron and this bloody war. You above anyone else should know that."

"I do, Hermione." Potter said taking her hand that was lying on the table in his. "If anything like this ever happens again, you will be the first to know."

"Do you promise, Harry?" Her gaze was completely fixated on him, her eyes meeting with his. If Draco stood up on the table and danced a jig right now, she would hardly notice.

"I promise." He responded.

Smiling softly, Granger let go of Potter's hand and shifted to look at Weasley in the same exact way, but she did not hold his hand, because the girl's blouse was still holding on to his impotent arm. He hadn't let go of the appendage since arriving. It wasn't as though it was going to fall of if he wasn't constantly babying it. Although if it did, Draco would take great pleasure in laughing jovially at both Weasley and his detached freckled arm.

"Ron?"

"I promise, Hermione."

"Fantastic. Now we are all best mates again." Draco interjected. "I still don't understand why I had to stay for this. If I had any appetite it is now utterly destroyed."

It wasn't true, he was used to their often warm and fuzzy declarations and conversations, and it still sickened him, but not enough to ruin his hunger. Draco was just tired of being ignored and said the first thing that came to mind.

Granger stood up from her seat, and Potter and Weasley mirrored her actions. Draco, on the other hand, stayed seated as she finally glanced at him, her eyes no longer awash in a sea of sorrow, but the small smile she still wore didn't reach them either.

"I had to know it wasn't you who caused Ron's injury, and only you could confirm it."

Draco smirked, propped his feet on the table, leaned back on the rear legs of his chair, and brought his hands behind his head. Oh, this was too good to pass up.

"So you needed me?" He drawled.

Granger sighed impatiently, but her smile widened.

"I suppose so."

Still smirking at her, Draco lowered his chair and stood up, his stare never leaving hers. Out of the corner of his eye, Draco could see Potter alternating his calculating scrutiny between the two of them, but Granger was oblivious. She hadn't said anything about keeping their reformed relationship from Potter and Weasley, and Draco had assumed that she wanted to keep it ambiguous again, but if she continued to look at him that way, they were going to know before they either caught them again or heard a bed banging up against a wall that wasn't their own. Not that he gave a damn about it, but he didn't want Granger to cut him loose again when Potter decided to throw another tantrum.

"Oi, Potter," Draco said, abruptly turning his head and ending the heated staring contest by bringing his attention to the man-boy he addressed, "have you given any thought as to why every time you go to retrieve one of these Horcrux thingies you end up in a battle with the Dark Lord's arselickers?"

"I have, but haven't really come up with anything."

"Do you really think it is just a coincidence that he happens to know where you are going?"

"What are you implying, Malfoy?" asked Potter.

"I am implying that there is a spy in the Order. The Dark Lord told me he had information that you were going to be in Hogsmeade, but he didn't say how he got it. He can't be trailing you, you apparate or floo everywhere. There is really no other explanation."

Slowly an expression of enlightenment donned Potter's scarred face, as he finally understood.

"It makes sense." Weasley stammered when Potter didn't reply.

"How many members are in the Order now?"

Potter looked up at the ceiling, probably counting in his head because Draco could see his lips moving slightly. The sodding tosser was supposed to be the leader of the fucking army that was going to take down the most powerful dark wizard in the world and he didn't even know how many soldiers he had. Bloody brilliant.

"We are at around 50." He finally told Draco.

"Do you tell anyone else where you go when you disappear for days at a time?"

"Well, no. I don't exactly keep it a secret either. I never mention the Horcruxes though, only a select few know about those."

"Has anyone been acting dodgy lately?"

"Not that I can think of, but I am usually heading up the meetings, so I tend to be a little busy to pay such close attention. Have you noticed anyone out of sorts, Ron?"

Weasley just shook his head wordlessly.

"Hermione?" Potter asked.

Granger was quiet for a moment before saying, "No, Harry, but I haven't been concentrating on it."

"We can call an emergency meeting tomorrow and I will mention the repeated ambushes." announced Potter. "Hermione, I want you to watch for any sort of shady business while I am talking, but don't make it noticeable."

Granger shook her head in confirmation.

"Malfoy," Potter pressed on, "see if you can get any information on an informer in the Order from your Death Eater pals."

"What did I tell you about giving me orders, Potter?" Draco warned, but Potter went on as though he hadn't been interrupted.

"Thankfully you have only been at the small meetings without all of the members. We haven't had a big one since before we ousted you as our man inside. He probably doesn't even know you are a member of the Order. Just to be safe, stay hidden during the meeting tomorrow. You could see if anyone looks, or even sounds, familiar from the Death Eater gatherings."

Now he was pacing with his hands clasped behind his back, his face contorted with profound concentration. Draco deeply desired to trip him.

"We can destroy the Horcrux tomorrow." He said looking at Granger and Weasley. "Right now I need to develop a plan, a shower, and some more rest. You too, Ron."

Weasley took that moment to proclaim that he agreed with Potter and immediately made his way out of the room, sending Draco a glare when he said that he sure was lucky that it was his left arm that was injured and not his right hand. Everyone in the house knew that Weasley was a chronic wanker, literally, and Draco had used that sweet bit of information to take the piss out of Weasley as often as he could. However, it didn't make the thought any less disgusting.

"Has Voldemort given any hint as to knowing that we are searching for his Horcruxes, Malfoy?" Potter inquired seriously enough to cease his incessant striding.

"Not yet. He thinks you were at Hogwarts visiting with Dumbledore, but sooner or later, if his informant continues to give away your whereabouts, he is going to figure it out." Draco replied.

"Thankfully, we only have a couple more Horcruxes left to find. From now on, we won't discuss when and where we are going unless we know we are in the company of completely trustworthy people."

"What happens when we find who the spy is?" Granger asked quietly. If she hadn't been so damn shagable just standing there doing absolutely nothing, Draco would have forgotten she was even in the room.

"I don't know." Potter's response was just as hushed as Granger's question.

Changing the subject before Draco could suggest they do the same as the Dark Lord would and torture the traitor, Potter spoke yet again.

"Malfoy, can you go back to where ever it is you go and do some recon work?"

"No, Potter, I can't. I was planning on getting cleaned up, eating a huge meal, and relaxing. And after that I fully intend to..." Draco was going to say fuck the brains out of Granger, but he was halted in mid-sentence by the familiar, and annoying, burning in his left forearm.

Damn it! Couldn't he get one fucking hour of relief? The bloody nut case was needier than that 4th year he deflowered when he was 16. He could only imagine what outlandish mission he was going to be sent on, or if it was just for one of the extravagant and irrelevant meetings that the Dark Lord was fond of having, only to watch his hordes of followers participate in the worst kind of lewd activities. At least with that prospect there was the promise of a well-prepared and opulent dinner. Draco hoped for the latter.

When he brought his eyes up after glowering at the offending extremity, he noticed Granger and Potter staring at it as well.

"On second thought, I will go to the mansion and see what I can learn. There is really no point in relaxing just yet when I have all this energy and cunning to spare."

Potter raised an eyebrow at Draco and smirked. Granger nodded and smiled. They knew damn well that Draco now had no choice in the matter, as he was being summoned to consort with the Death Eaters and their leader anyhow.

"Right." Potter said sardonically.

"Mmhmm." Granger added, not bothering to hide the tone of humor in her voice.

Draco hated them both. He hated the fact that the moment he felt that damn sensation he had to drop whatever he was doing and adhere to whatever he was told to do...well, to a certain degree. When this fucking war was over, Draco wasn't going to take any orders from anyone anymore. He was no one's bitch.

"Fuck off." Draco told them before taking his mask out of his robe pocket and stomping out of the kitchen. He walked out of the decaying house, making sure to slam the door as hard as he possibly could, and apparated to the mansion, his stomach grumbling through out the whole process.

* * * * *

Draco trudged up the dark stairs at close to midnight; his tired feet feeling as though they were encased in cement rather than his expensive dragon hide boots. The night, it turned out, hadn't been a total waste. The Dark Lord had called for an impromptu celebration commemorating the violent, and most welcome, demise of Delores Umbridge as well as two other Ministry officials. Draco didn't feel bad in the least toasting to the crime with good food and wine, because even though he had been a part of the toad-like witch's Inquisitorial Squad, it had purely been for the slight amount of power it offered him. In all honesty, he hated her as much as the rest of the students at Hogwarts did, and now that she was dead, Draco couldn't help but think that the wizarding world was much better without her.

Not only did he achieve a full stomach, but he was also given his brand new Death Eater robes at half price because of the Dark Lord's rare good mood. He even offered Draco use of one of the many private rooms in the mansion to clean up and change into his fresh attire. Of course, Draco gratefully accepted and took pleasure in a long hot shower as well as the Pepper-Up potion that Snape had provided. It gave him enough energy to not only enjoy the feast, despite the company he was in, but also socialize with his sauced colleagues. Unfortunately, not only was he completely exhausted by the end of the night, but he was unable to obtain any information. If one thing was clear, it was that the Dark Lord kept his secrets to himself. If anyone was a spy, absolutely no one knew it but him, with Snape being the exception obviously. The worst of it was, as Draco climbed the last set of stairs to the third floor landing, although he was drop dead tired, he still wouldn't be able to fall asleep for another few hours.

Draco opened the door to his room and was debating on whether or not he should sneak into Granger's room and have a shag or two when he noticed that the bright moonlight was spilling into his otherwise dark quarters, which meant the curtains hanging over his window, wasn't shut. He never opened them. That was when he saw Granger sitting on the edge his bed, her hair down and spilling down her back, wearing a black tank top and some dark colored pajama shorts that Draco couldn't quite make out, her long slender bare legs crossed at the ankles, and looking out the window, which also happened to be ajar. She had yet to realize that he had entered.

"What are you doing here, Granger?" he asked, shutting the door softly behind him.

If she was startled by him sudden appearance, she didn't show it. She only turned her head and gazed at him. Draco wished he could see her eyes, to know what was hidden beneath their depths, but the shadows concealed them from him.

"I was waiting for you." She answered casually.

"Shouldn't you be sleeping?" Draco replied as he toed off his boots and socks, setting them next to his door.

"I couldn't."

"Why?"

She was silent while Draco crossed the room and stood near the side of his bed in front of her. Although he couldn't make out her eyes, he could feel them following his every move. When he positioned himself next to her, Granger shifted on the bed, bringing her legs underneath her and rising to her knees, her face still shrouded in the darkness.

"I wanted to talk to you, and I couldn't wait until the morning. Whether you want to admit it or not, you protected Ron and Harry and kept them from being killed. Thank you, Malfoy."

Draco shrugged off the acclamation.

"I was just doing my job, Granger, that's all. Don¡¦t make it any greater than it is."

She laughed softly and shook her head causing her hair to ripple sensuously, but said nothing in return. She made no move to get off the bed and leave the room. Draco knew that if she had, he wouldn't let her.

"You are staying with me tonight." he stated.

"I know." Her voice was quiet and heavy.

Leaning his head down, Draco's lips found hers in a slow and passionate kiss, his tongue sliding into her parted mouth, tangling with hers. They snogged hotly for only a moment before she pushed herself away, breaking the kiss abruptly and annoying Draco.

"What did you do that for?"

"I can't kiss you while you are wearing those." She said scornfully, pointing to his new robes, illuminated by the strip of moonlight he was standing in.

"And why not, Granger?" he asked, unable to keep from smirking at her.

She did not answer straight away, frustrating Draco because not only he still couldn't see her expression, but he knew she was thinking up an excuse. He was on to her.

"It is what the enemy wears."

"I am the enemy."

She shook her head again.

"No you aren't. You are only pretending to be."

Chuckling, Draco took a step closer to the bed so that his knees were brushing against the frame.

"I have always been the enemy, Granger, ever since first year. I just never had a uniform. I think the reason why you don't want to snog me while I am wearing it is because it gets you off. It's wrong, just like it was at school. I bet that before you found out I was a member of the Order, when you thought I was a full blown Death Eater, you still wanted to fuck me."

She didn't answer. Draco, who was fed up not being able to study her features, sighed loudly and grabbed her shoulders, forcing her to shuffle her knees and scoot forward. Her face slowly came forth, gleaming brilliantly from the blue glow of the moon. Then he saw it, the heat, the desire, and the guilt shimmering in her eyes as she nibbled on her bottom lip

"You would have let me, you have before, and that is why you are here now. I may be on the 'good side', and Potter and Weasley may trust me, but they still hate me. So you see, I am the enemy, always will be. And you will always let me fuck you."

"You are right; you are the enemy, but to which side? You have done things against and for both. Maybe it thrill me that you are dressed like that, not only because it is your reasoning, but it reminds me of what you sacrificed when you made the decision to join us. I don't know which turns me on more."

Granger smiled seductively as her sultry eyes roamed up and down his body, her hair now falling slightly over the right side of her face, emitting a provocative aura that had Draco's breaths coming in short and shallow surges and the blood in his body rush to his groin. Her chest was raising slowly and deeply, each inhale thrusting her barely covered breasts out, taunting him.

"Why didn¡¦t I notice how dishy you were before we started shagging?" he contemplated.

"Because I was the enemy, too."

Draco didn't hesitate in crashing his lips onto hers once more, his kiss no longer soft, but hard and urgent. Granger kissed him back with matched enthusiasm, her hands clutching bunches of his robes, pulling him to her as Draco's own hands journeyed down her back and grasped her perfect round arse, sending her body up against his.

"Take this off." She whispered, yanking on his clothes.

Reluctantly letting go of her, Draco divested himself of his robes, shirt, trousers, and boxers quickly while she did the same, sending their garments to various parts of the floor in the small room. He took the time to cast not only a contraception charm, but a locking and silencing charm as well.

He stood in front of her again while she returned to balancing on her knees on the mattress. She lifted her hands and ran them softly over his body, starting at his neck and moving down to his shoulders, his arms, pausing briefly at his Dark Mark before moving back up and advancing to his lean chest and stomach, her fingertips tracing the long scar over his ribs and down his side. Draco watched her, enthralled with the expression of admiration and rapture on her face. It was unlike anything he had ever experienced and he grew harder with each caress.

Granger smiled at him, taking her hands off him, and laid her gloriously naked body on his bed, her thighs already spread and waiting for him. Draco lowered himself onto the bed and over her. He poised his stiff cock at her entrance, her heat and the aroma of her excitement telling Draco that she was just as ready as he was.

With his arms on either side of her, his arms bracing himself, he pushed into her brutally, her wetness and tightness enveloping him was so heavenly it made his head swim. As he pumped into her, his groans of pleasure matching his fast pace, he looked down at her, her radiant face alight with bliss turned to her right, her eyes alternating between his face and the Dark Mark on his arm. It occurred to him that this was the first time she had seen it up close, and now it was right next to her line of vision, while he was fucking her no less.

Then she did the most erotic, arousing, mind-blowing, spine-tingling thing Draco had ever witnessed. She smiled at him deviously, stuck her tongue out, and licked the length of the tattoo while gazing at him lustfully. The moment he felt her hot saliva coating him, he pounded into her harder, growling "Fuck, Granger. You're such a fucking whore."

Her back arched at his words, and he felt her walls clinch around him while she moaned, "Fuck you, Malfoy" loudly, the sound and view causing Draco to border on the edge of climax. He continued fucking her vigorously, watching and feeling her come two more times, their bodies becoming wet from their exertion despite the cold air that breezed in through the open window. She met him thrust for thrust, lifting her hips and curving her body so that he could feel her ample breasts and hard-pebbled nipples pressed against his bare chest. When she raked her nails down his back and grabbed his arse roughly, hissing "deeper" and "harder", he most willingly obliged, coming intensely, grunting "Granger" one last time.

Draco rolled over and laid on his back next to her, trying to regain his normal breathing pattern, staring silently at the ceiling and cursing the too small bed. When he finally turned his head to look at her and tell her to give him another 10 minutes so they could do that again or go back to her own bed, and saw that she had fallen asleep. Damn! He couldn't blame her really. She had an emotionally exhausting day as much as he had a physically exhausting one.

Glancing at the clock on the table next to him, Draco read the time as being 15 minutes after one in the morning. He assumed that he would be awake another few hours, at the least. Granger shifted her position, ending up on her side, her arm draped across Dracos chest and her head resting on his shoulder. He tried to push her gently off so he could at least have some sort of personal space, but it worked to no avail. Sighing in disgruntlement, Draco brought his arm to wrap around her small torso, and closed his eyes. For the first time in 8 months, he fell asleep before dawn.

* * * * *

A/N~ There you have it. How was it? If you aren't mad at me, please review! I have a good feeling that this next chapter won't take as long to write. I will even give you some hints as to what happens next if it helps.

We find out who the snitch is, and the betrayal will not be taken lightly. Also, an old friend will make an appearance. Any guesses as to who that is?

On a different note, I was reading my first few chapters, and I have to say, this story has gone in a totally different direction than what I originally intended. It has evolved so much, but I am not sure if it is a good evolution or a bad one. It got angstier and is a lot longer than I thought it would be. I still try to keep it funny and interesting though. Is it working? Please share your thoughts with me. After all, it is you that I am writing the story for. My readers are the most important part of this whole thing and I want nothing more than to make you happy.

So keep an eye out for the next posting and I will try to do so as quickly as possible while keeping the story good.

Roberta