Narcissa was sitting at the dining table, leaning over a stack of papers spread out before her, with Theo and Neville flanking her sides. "Draco! Good, you're here," she said, glancing at him quickly before resuming her previous actions. "We need to discuss what we're going to do."

"Whatever it is, I'll go," he replied quickly.

Ron huffed in annoyance. "Of course. Gotta make up for lost time, huh?"

"This is my home, Weasel," he snapped, clenching his fists. "I'll be damned if I'm talked down to while we're here."

Ron straightened, walking until he was nearly chest to chest with Draco. "Try and stop me, if you don't like it."

"Both of you, calm down!" Narcissa barked, causing the two boys to eye her sideways. "This. Is. My. Home. You all are guests. Act accordingly." She pointed a finger at the papers, flicking her eyes between them. "Tomorrow night, a group of you will go to Malfoy Manor. Blaise is already there, so he and I will get you down to the basements unnoticed. Draco, correct me if I'm wrong, but according to Blaise and Theo, my husband keeps the formula there along with the prisoners. Getting in and out is all that needs to happen."

Draco listened silently, considering the options. It was a simple plan, in and out, but with his luck, something was bound to go wrong.

Neville gestured to the papers, which Draco realized were the original blueprints of Malfoy Manor. "If we can make it to the hedges, we'll have a chance. How many people are down there again?"

Draco paled, realizing everyone's attention had turned to him. "Cho Chang, Maisie Catermole, Penelope Clearwater, and Molly Weasley," he answered, his tone icy, watching the tips of Ron's face redden.

"The fuck are they doing to my mother?" he bellowed, and inwardly Draco winced. "The fuck are they doing to Cho? Why her?"

Draco shrugged, afraid if he did speak, the answer he would give would be an incorrect one.

"Ronald, from what I can recall, your mother is a fighter," Narcissa cut in, rubbing the bridge of her nose with her index finger. "Can we stay focused so we can assure that everyone will get out?"

Hannah walked into the kitchen, followed by Pansy and Hermione. Draco stared at her, hoping he could fix whatever he had just broken. She looked between him and Ron, then rolled her eyes before looking away.

"I want to go, too," Hannah quipped, folding her arms defiantly. "I need to rescue Penelope."

"And we will," Narcissa promised. "But we need some people here in case of an attack."

"I'll stay," Pansy said quickly, her head cocked slightly as she peered at Theo. "I can take care of Teddy."

"Hermione and Hannah should stay, too." Draco added, and found Hannah glaring at him. He shrugged helplessly. "You might be a liability, since Penelope means something to you."

"And you're not?" Hannah shot back, and Hermione put a hand on her arm, before leaning in and whispering near Hannah's ear. With a huff, she stepped back, staring hot daggers towards Draco while she unfolded her arms.

Neville, Kelly, Theo, and Ron piped up that they would go as well, which made Draco roll his eyes when he caught Ron smiling a little at Hermione. Typical Weasley, always making a decision based off of what someone else thought.

Draco tried not to think about how he did the same.

He noticed how Pansy was intensely talking to Hermione, her mouth moving quickly. From this distance, he couldn't hear what she was saying, but he knew that look. It was the same look she wore whenever they headed home for the summer, right before she had to see her parents again.

It was the look of utmost anxiety.

-

Draco anxiously paced the living room as he waited for the bathroom to be empty. Ginny was taking her sweet time, but if he was honest, he was dreading going to bed without reconciling with Hermione. The future seemed slim, and he just wanted to talk to her once more without her hating him.

"Hey, you got a smoke?" Kelly asked from his place on the loveseat.

Draco shook his head distractedly. "I don't ever remember you smoking," he mused, cracking his knuckles.

Kelly laughed, crossing one leg over his knee. "You're oblivious to a lot of people, Malfoy."

Wet and teary-eyed, Ginny walked into the living room, her hair tied into a knot and plopped down on the seat. The two boys blinked at her, to which she gave them a sneer expression in response

"Times are changing," she stated coldly. "I don't care if you hate me. Let me sit in peace without a comment from either of you. Let me fucking mourn, for Merlin's sake."

They said nothing.

Kelly eventually stood and walked out the back door, and Draco shifted awkwardly on the balls of his feet as he watched Ginny robotically dry her hair. He coughed, and when she didn't react, he slowly sat next to her.

"Ginny, I am...sorry for your loss," he attempted to say with empathy, cringing at how ridiculous it sounded. Almost her entire family had been wiped out, and all he could give her was a half-assed apology.

"It isn't your fault, Draco," she assured him in a tight tone. He couldn't remember her ever using his name. "Let's just get this over with. I need this to be over with. Harry would want this to be over with." She tripped on the last word, her voice wobbly, which caused Draco to look away.

Hermione walked into the living room and paused, her hands still tying her hair into a large and unruly ponytail, taking in the odd scene.

After a moment of silence, she spoke up. "Come on, Ginny, let's go to bed."

Draco shot up from his spot. "Hermione, could I have a word?" he asked, a bit hesitant in doing it. Please say yes.

Before she could answer, Ginny stood as well and yawned slightly. "I'll be waiting for you upstairs."

Hermione nodded her head. "Okay."

Once she strolled out of the room, the two stood alone, tension beginning to rise.

The flames of the fireplace licked at the wood with a slight crackle. Draco silently counted the freckles doting her face as she glared at him.

"Listen, I understand you hate me but I...I never regretted it," he said, the words tumbling out of his mouth. Hermione stood silently, prompting him to continue. "I'm no good at this. I'm downright awful at being a boyfriend."

Hermione blinked, her eyes wide as Draco flushed at his own words. "Boyfriend?"

He quickly shook his head. "No, I didn't mean because we slept together, that makes us official. I just meant..." he paused, and she was staring at him with something other than disgust, so he continued. "I want you. I want you to be healthy, alive, and...happy." The word 'happy' felt odd on his tongue, but he persisted. "I want to hold your hand and keep you safe and hear about your day. I don't know how you managed to squirm your way into my heart, but you're here now." He pointed at his chest, jabbing his shirt with his finger. "You're here now, and I need you to stay."

Hermione looked at him, her hands hanging limply by her hair. She opened her mouth for a moment before quickly shutting it again. "Malfoy, you can't keep stringing me along," she responded.

He sheepishly nodded his head in agreement. "I know. I'm sorry." He ran a finger over his opposite hand. "I shouldn't have done that."

"Things are so uncertain right now," she said, and she took a step towards him. "How do I know you'll still be here when the dust settles?"

"Because I've made many mistakes in my life," Draco whispered, his heart hammering. "And I know now that you're not one of them."

Taking a deep breath, he stepped forward and cupped her face, pulling her to him. Hermione yelped in surprise as he pressed his mouth against hers. For a moment, she was still as stone, then melted into his embrace, and he inhaled her scent. Raking her fingers through his hair, he moved his hands to encompass her waist, feeling her damp skin beneath her clothes.

"Granger?"

They jumped apart, and Draco turned to find Luna standing in the doorway.

"Oh, erm..." he trailed off, not knowing what to say.

Her head turned slightly to the side, peering at them curiously, with a broad smile on her face. "I'm going to call her Granger," Luna said, and her smile widened. "So you can call her Hermione now."