The Many Battles Before The War

Harry

"Wait, Draco, you need to take your potions before you do anything else." Hermione said, pulling him back into the room, as he was about to reach the door after the others and Harry turned to look at him. He had completely forgotten about Draco's wound, since he looked much better that morning, less pale and stronger than the night before. However, Hermione was quite right, he was still seriously injured nonetheless. Harry unconsciously smiled a little at that, since evidently, Hermione cared for Draco much more than he imagined before and apparently she was quite determined to keep him alive and at his best, no matter what.

"Malfoy, she's right, you need your treatment first, I'll gather the rest in the ballroom, and when you're ready, come down, then we'll keep you posted on what we've planned so far." Harry said and gently tapped Ron's shoulder, to let him know that he understood his discomfort about the sudden relationship between those two, but also to keep him from either saying something he would later regret or doing something he would regret later. Fortunately, Ron understood his silent message and followed them in silence to gather the rest of the Weasley's and the other students, who still wondered what had really happened the night before and they owe them a few explanations.

Hermione/Draco

Hermione walked to the nearby table where Malfoy's potions were located and began to mix the various bottles according to Snape's instructions and she almost released the ones she held when she felt two hands and a warm body, taller than her own hugging her from her back. While he was intimately so close to her, Malfoy took the liberty of lightly kissing her exposed neck and he watch her flushed hot red in seconds.

"Draco... I'm working on your potions, so I suggest you keep your hands away while I'm mixing this or you could end up drinking something much worse than poison once I finish this." She said as her heart raced madly inside her chest. He was so warm and the room was so cold, that his proximity alone, felt like haven, not to mention that being so close to him made her blood boil inside her veins. She had no idea that a Malfoy could be so... romantic or even sexy, as she honestly thought they were simply cold and reserved, but she was more than pleased to discover that Draco was able to show his feelings that way too. She almost laughed at that thought, but his touch felt good and welcome, and she definitely loved it, though by all means distracted her from her current task.

"You're way too smart to make foolish mistakes and there's something I need you to promise me before this war starts." He said, gently taking the potions from her hands and placing them back on the table and turning her to look at him. She was still blushing a little, but he knew she didn't really mind his touch on her, nor his kiss, since she looked... what? Pleased? Happy? Content? Delighted? It was difficult to say.

"Draco, I..."

"I need you to promise me, Hermione, that you will not risk your life a second time for my sake. When you appeared before me, so willing to engage in a full fight with the Dark Lord so fearlessly, you gave me the worst scare I ever felt in my whole life and when he directed that killing curse at you... I... It was... I felt so... Just don't do it again, okay? If I lose you... I think it will be my end too. I cannot continue living with that kind of weight over my shoulders. So, please... what I most want now is for you to survive this war. What we were in the past, I do not care anymore, because I'm different now and the present me, needs you alive, Hermione Granger. Just promise me that if something goes wrong today, you will not put yourself at risk for me, no matter what. Can you do that?" He asked, taking her in his arms, as she rested her hands on his chest and lost herself in the depths of his gray gaze.

"Can you do the same, Draco? Can you promise me that you will not risk your life for me, even if they kill me? If you can promise me that, I'll promise you the same but... Could you really let me die? Could you stay still and do nothing to stop it, if such a thing happens?" She asked him with a serious expression and he knew he had lost that argument. There was no way he would stay still while her life was in danger, so of course he could not make such a promise.

"No... I would risk everything to save you..." He said as he sighed.

"You see? I feel exactly the same as you, so I cannot promise you anything either. Whatever happens today, we do everything we can to save each other, okay? Now let me work on your potions..." She started, but Draco simply pulled her closer and kissed her senseless once more. His kisses were getting a lot better and damn right hotter, but hey, if she enjoys them, there was nothing to complain about it, even though he scared her a bit, since he sometimes kissed her like he believed it would be the last time, as if he was sure he would die shortly after.

"Draco, we will overcome this war somehow, we will survive this ... the two of us." Hermione said as she pulled a lock of his silken blond hair from his forehead. How did he manage to look so handsome right after waking? She doubted that she looked as good as him at that moment, with her mess up mass of unruly hair.

"I hope so... I sincerely hope so..." He kissed her again before letting her go. "I'm glad Dumbledore sent me to you, because I really think that was his true intention behind the so-called mission to save you from certain death at the hands of my aunt. I can only guess his reasons for trying to change my destiny more than yours, but I'm very grateful. I know it's too soon for you to completely fall in love with me yet, but this... this unexpected bond between us... is very precious to me now. I just need you to know that..." He said and she smiled.

"It's also precious to me, Draco." She kissed him back, before pushing him away to finish off his potions, while she felt like a silly girl who had been presented with a very rare gift that she loved very much. Draco, however, went to the glass window to look at the unnatural storm that unleashed on the outside, while the lightning still glowed in that sky covered with skulls and he shuddered, feeling that his dark mark burned his skin once more. Voldemort was trying to find him or send a message to him that he would be waiting for him to finish what he started, but this time, even if it killed him, he would protect those who mattered to him, no matter what was needed to be done. He had failed to save Snape from his fate and perhaps Potter's was also out of his reach, but Hermione's fate and the others were still undetermined and he was going to make sure to keep them alive.

Then he realized there was still something else he needed to do. He had asked Kragkor and the rest of the house elves to honor the agreement between them, and they did, transporting their parents to safety in the sudden chaos of the night before. However, the house-elves had decided to take them to another safe place especially enchanted to prevent them from leaving or escaping from the grounds of the house. He had taken that precaution, since he did not believe either of his parents would be pleased to hear that he had become a traitor and there was the possibility that his father might try to take him to Voldemort himself in order to gain his loyalty again. So he had not seen them since last night and have no idea where his father was standing under the current circumstances. He was sure that his mother was on his side, no matter what path he chose to follow, but he was not so sure of his father. However, his mother should be worried about him.

"Draco, is something bothering you?" Hermione asked once she finished mixing his potions, approaching him, while he was absorbed in his thoughts and he gave her a sad smile.

"There's something else I have to do, Hermione. I need to see my parents, to let them know what's going on and what I'm planning to do from here on out." He said looking back at the storm, unleashing in the vicinity.

"Oh ... I was a little curious to know where your parents had been taken, since the only Malfoy in this mansion is you. Are you sure you want to meet them after what happened last night? Your mother may be worried about you and probably support you in what you decide to do next, but what about your father? Would he take it well? That you became a traitor to the Dark Lord? Will he even let you come back to us? No ... He'll probably try something, so I'll go with you if you're determined to meet them." She said coming closer and looking outside too.

"No. Just in case, I'd like you to stay here and join the others, your help will be necessary in any plan that Potter has in mind. If I don't return in half an hour..."

"Good Lord, not that again. I will go with you and that is final. Kragkor can tell Harry and the others where we went, but I will not let you go on your own again."

"Granger..."

"It's Hermione and a big fat no, will not do it this time, Draco. I think we agreed to keep each other safe a few minutes ago, right? If your father tries to stop you from coming back, I'll be there to help you deal with him." She said and he detected some bitterness in her voice. It was obvious that she did not hold some members of his family in high regard, not that he blamed her. All of them have made her life miserable after all. She had changed her mind about him for sure and probably about his mother as well, but apparently his father was quite another thing altogether.

"You hate him, don't you? I mean, my father." He asked without thinking.

"I'm not going to lie to you, so I'll admit he's not my favorite person right now, but that's not the point. I will not let you go alone, no matter how hard you insist on it." She said looking at him with the same stubbornness that he was beginning to know far too well. Just give up, Draco, you will not change her mind no matter what you say. She's Hermione Granger, after all. She bows to no one and fear no one. He told himself and sighed in defeat.

"Fine then, Kragkor!" He called to his house elf, who immediately appeared.

"Yes, Master Draco." He sighed again. Why the elf just couldn't stop calling him Master?

"Please tell Potter we'll come back after we visit my parents."

"Of course Master Draco and just so you know if the need arises, the house-elves at the mansion will help you both with any problems you may face."

"Thank you Kragkor ... for everything." He said sincerely.

"It is a pleasure to serve you, Master Draco and Madam Granger as well." Draco coughed unconsciously in that last part.

"Madam Granger?" He asked, not really sure he heard him right. Just what nonsense was he talking about? Since when did she become a Madam?

"Oh, yes… because you will marry her soon, right Master?" That devilish little elf! Draco screamed inwardly, but Kragkor simply gave them a big smile and Draco was surprised by his sudden audacity, but instead of going hot read like Hermione did, he just laughed humorously. He couldn't help it, when he saw her expression, which was priceless and it had been a while since he had laughed at something.

"Well Kragkor, I will love to marry her right now but… do you think she will accept me?" Draco asked between laughs, to Hermione's annoyance and further embarrassment.

"Sure Master, why not?" The elf said, tilting his head to one side in confusion.

"Who knows? I'm not exactly her ideal man… I'm a member of the Malfoy family which she doesn't particularly like, after all…" He was aware that his family name and status bothered her more than he wished, so if there was a future between them, it was still far from happening.

"There is nothing wrong with being a Malfoy, Master Draco. She should feel honored to wed such a fine man…" Oh, did she just blushed even more? How could that be possible? He asked inwardly, for he felt that he loved her very much in that moment, in where her embarrassment was taking the best of her.

"Hey, that's enough, you two! It's not funny." She said, getting a little annoyed with the pair.

"She's cute, isn't she, Kragkor?" He continued.

"Very, Master..."

"Draco Malfoy, you better stop laughing right now or else prepare yourself for the consequences." She threatened him.

"And intimidating too, huh?" Oh, yes, she's going to hit a part of me soon.

"Indeed, Master Draco, you know your woman quite well." Damn it, that did it, she's really angry now. Kragkor, you went too far...

"Fine! Laugh all you want at my expense. I'll go down to join Harry and the others where I am more respected. I wish you good luck with your father, I don't care anymore." She said, turning to leave the room, but...

"Hey, wait! All right, all right ... I'll stop. Come on Hermione, I'm sorry about that. I just needed something to rejoice with... I've been living in hell for too long. Forgive me, this once, okay?" He said embracing her from behind and feeling her tension go with his touch, but her blush was still there.

"The potion is ready," she whispered, turning in his arms. "We can leave after you finish drinking it." She said, closing her eyes as he bent his head to kiss her forehead.

"Thank you." He whispered too and after swallowing the bitter potion, they held hands and disappeared a second later.

Ron

Thirty minutes of pure chaos had passed inside the ballroom, where all the people the house elves had brought in last night, gathered to hear from them what really happened the night before. Harry, Ginny, Neville, Luna and himself had tried to answer the student's questions as best they could, yet the magical storm that could still be heard inside the mansion kept many of the students nervous. It was more than obvious that something bad or strange should be happening somewhere else and his parents were determined to know exactly what they would face soon enough. Charlie and Percy (with whom they finally made up), who had also been rescued by elves the previous night, decided to accompany them, since the twins and the rest of the Weasley family were not free to leave the mansion due to the powerful magic in which Malfoy's mansion was immersed.

Apparently, once Malfoy said he was back home (the keywords to activate the magic that protected the place) the mansion was completely under his control and only those to whom he authorized, could leave there, the rest was bound to remain in the mansion until Malfoy said otherwise. Maybe it sounded a little intimidating to many, but it was really necessary, to prevent any of the students, whether out of fear or otherwise, decided to betray them and tell Voldemort their location. Only the few adults in the house, that is, his parents, Bill, Fleur, Charlie and Percy were allowed to leave the house the night before and of course, once their group made a plan to break in Gringotts and Hogwarts simultaneously, they would also leave the place, if Malfoy finally decided to come down to join them. Although he had been busy with the many students who approached him to ask him something, he was well aware that the one he wanted to be there was frustratingly absent.

"Still jealous, huh? Sorry brother, but it looks like she's out of your hands now." Bill said behind him and he tensed. Bill was there to help them with the Gringotts problem, but at that moment, Ron wished he had joined his parents as well. He was not in the mood for mockery, for he still found it hard to believe that Hermione could have romantic feelings for Malfoy. He just couldn't believe that she'd succumbed to whatever trick that Malfoy wore on her, there was simply no way she could like that traitorous ferret in just two days. Was she crazy, sick or enchanted? Damn, what the hell had happened when he left them? He inwardly asked, ignoring his brother's comment.

"Well, he cannot complain, now that she's fallen in love with someone else, when a while ago, he was passionately kissing Lavender in every hallway of Hogwarts, without thinking about her feelings." Ginny said as she passed them, pausing to look at him with a little indignation. Before, Malfoy was not exactly the boy she'd hoped Hermione would end up falling in love with, but now and after saving most of her family, including herself, she didn't really saw nothing wrong in her decision. Ginny loved Ron the same way she loved all her family, but she knew very well that he was not perfect and that in many occasions he had made Hermione suffer.

"Did you really do that and in front of her, of all people?" Bill asked in disbelieve, and Ron felt remorse for that particular accusation.

"Yeah, I was that kind of jerk. Just stop putting that on my face now, I'm not very proud of that part of my life in this moment." Ron said grumpily. Yes, he'd actually hurt her feeling before, but experiencing the same thing now only made him realize how much he truly loved her and how foolish he had been before. "Just where is she anyway? I bet everything I have, that taking a potion should not take half an hour."

"Oh, didn't you hear it? That elf named Krag... something, told Harry that Draco and Hermione were going to visit Malfoy's parents somewhere else a while back." Ginny said. Wasn't he paying attention? She was sure he was there when the elf said it.

"What did you say? Has she gone bloody mad?! Why would she go to see his parents? Lucius Malfoy is a bloody Death Eater for heaven's sake! What if he tries something against her? What if everyone tries something against her? They could capture her to take her to you-know-who and..."

"Ron, I'm sure she can handle herself. You saw what she fearlessly did last night, didn't you? She challenged you-know-who and besides, Draco would never try anything against her. He had many opportunities to do so in the last two days but did nothing against her or Harry and he cares for her, much more than you give him credit. Trust me, I had seen enough of their bond and I find it very cute." Luna intervened.

"Cute?! Ha! That's a good one! She and Malfoy are far from..." A loud noise interrupted his outrageous outburst because right in the middle of the ballroom, his two parents, Charlie and Percy had returned with the elves who had escorted them out of the mansion. They all seemed to have been fighting something because they had their wands ready to cast spells and his heart begin to beat faster. Did the war begin? Were the Death Eaters nearby? Did they find out where they were hiding? That was what he thought at the sight of them, and suddenly all kinds of noise disappeared from the ballroom, while most of the students, taken by surprise, processed in their minds the possible implications of the Weasley's sudden arrival in high alert.

"Numerous Death Eaters are attacking the Muggle cities around England as I speak. Many muggles have already been injured and more have probably been killed. Get ready, all of you, the war has just begun and it is inevitable that at some point, it will arrive here." Charlie said, just before the panic broke lose.

"Damn, he's such an idiot, now we had another massive chaos in our hands." Bill said as he moved to try to calm the students who were trying to leave the room. Harry, however, instructed Cho and Seamus (whom he was speaking to just before the arrival of the Weasley's) among some other DA members, to also help with the sudden panic of the other students as well, as he approached Ron's group.

"We need Malfoy now. Kragkor! Kragk…"

"Yes, Harry Potter?" The house elf asked, as he closed the oversized doors of the ballroom with his own magic.

"Where are Malfoy and Hermione? We must act now, before more people can be hurt." Harry said urgently.

"Master Draco and Madam Granger are... hum... a little busy right now. There was a bit of... resistance from the Master's father at first, but they managed to control it. Then they had to go elsewhere, to prepare to break into Gringotts, but I'm sure they'll be here soon." He said innocently, though Ron thought he was faking it.

"Is Hermione in trouble?" Ron asked out of the blue.

"No. She is more than capable to defend herself, Ron Weasley."

"Then what's taking them so long?"

"You see… they have… an unexpected problem."

"What kind of problem, Kragkor ?" Harry asked with a little impatience. He already had enough pressure, feeling guilty about what was happening outside.

"Well... we had a small miscalculation with the barrier we cast in the Malfoy's manor and an unwanted guest was left behind, since his type cannot be called human..." Kragkor said with a shy, apologetic smile and Harry understood who he was talking about.

"Greyback? Did you leave behind Fenrir Greyback inside the manor? You know he already tried to kill Malfoy once and... Oh, forget it, just bring us there!" Harry cried, almost losing his patience for once.

"I'm sorry, Harry Potter, but right now Greyback is not exactly the problem, since Master Draco had already dealt with him. The real problem is the dark object they've come to look for in the mansion, in the first place. It's on the lowest level of the manor where Lucius Malfoy has most of his dark collection and no one can enter that place, not even us. That room is protected by powerful dark magic and has a blood seal, which can only be opened by Lucius or Master Draco himself. Only a Malfoy by blood can go inside." Kragkor said with a little concern.

"What about Hermione? She is not a Malfoy, so she should be rejected for the magic that protects the room, right?" Ron asked, a little anxious and hopeful. The last thing he wanted was for her to get involved with any kind of dark magic.

"Yes, she should not be able to get in if she were alone, but by holding Master Draco's blood-stained hand, she could come in with him and she did, so there's nothing we can do but wait for them to come out."

"And what exactly were they looking for in the first place?" Ginny asked, approaching Harry. She had a bad feeling about the coming answer.

"The living stone, which shows its bearer what he wishes to know, but would catch you inside, if your spirit proves to be weak."

"I read a bit about that dark magic stone that was said to have killed hundreds of people, trapping their essence inside and slowly absorbing the accumulated energy, until leaving nothing of it. It is a forbidden device that is very dangerous to have around a house. Even if you are the best wizard or witch, the stone is supposed to tempt you in so many ways that it would be hard to want to leave your deepest desires behind. I wonder why they run the risk of being trapped inside a stone that sucks the souls of people. That thing is not different from a Dementor, only that instead of sucking your happiness outside of you, it gives you happiness to keep you inside. Just what did they need to know so badly?" Luna asked with concern.

"The Master said that there was no time to go and look for where the Horcruxes were, especially the one at Hogwarts, since it would be difficult to go looking for it, when the place is so full of Death Eaters and the Dark Lord himself." Harry looked down, calming down. It was true that they still had to find that particular Horcrux, but ... there was no need to go that far. They certainly could have found an easier way to find it, without putting more lives at risk.

"I think you should tell us everything they did, Kragkor. It's not that we can do anything without them anyway." Luna said.

"Of course, this is what happened when Master Draco and Madam Granger left here."

Thirty Minutes Before

Draco

A few minutes after they had reached the place where his parents were, the two Malfoy males were pointing wands at each other, while Draco was stubbornly standing in front of Hermione despite knowing that she was more than capable of defending herself.

"Stay away from her Draco, you just don't know what you're doing to us. I thought I raised you better than that, you've condemned us all! And for what? For her? A filthy mu ..."

"Don't you dare to finish that sentence! I'm done with that rubbish of yours. What has given us being pure blood, father? For me, it has only given me pain, torture, regret and shame! This girl behind me, the same one that you just ask me to give to Voldemort, had hated me for seven years and with good reasons, since I had mocked her and had called her things I now want to forget, not to mention the times I tried to hurt her and the rest of her friends. This girl, however much she hated me before, opened up to me, gave me the opportunity to redeem myself, healed me, nursed me when I was barely alive, but above all, she was willing to fight Voldemort to save my life. ME, father, her worst enemy and yet, you... You were there, watching me suffer and scream in pain, too busy cowing under his command to try to save me, your only son! Don't go talking about blood status that meant nothing to the one who kept you under his feet for so long!" Draco screamed in anger, still pointing his wand at his father.

"If I had acted in that moment, Voldemort would have killed your mother, you and me at once, he is much more crueler than you can imagine. This is not what I wanted for us, but once under his power, your mother and I had no other way. No other choice but to follow his whims."

"Oh, yeah... that's exactly right, father. If you had acted against Voldemort's wishes, he would had probably kill us all, or at least end up torturing you, himself. However, Harry Potter parents died while trying saving their son. Snape..." His voice broke a little as he said his name. "Snape was my mentor, my teacher and my savior in more than one way and he sacrificed himself to save me! None of them cowed before Voldemort!"

"And now they're all dead, while I'm still alive! Who do you think got the best way out? It was me, you fool!" Lucius shouted again. Hermione clenched her hands into fists, very tempted to punch him, but only a second after she thought that, Narcissa Malfoy slapped her husband face for the first time in her life.

"Lucius! That's enough!" She screamed as tears ran down her cheeks. "He's our son, our flesh and blood and he's right, we didn't do anything to protect him! How can you say that you got the best way out, for letting our son be tortured for our mistakes? You know Voldemort asked Draco to kill Dumbledore to punish us! He had nothing to do with what you did or didn't do in the Department of Mysteries! Our son saved us, Lucius! He took us out of his reach and protected us, even after we gave him our backs when it mattered most." She said while giving him little punches over his chest.

"Unfortunately, we're not as safe as he thinks, you know we're not safe. You can feel it too, right, Draco? The burning sensation of the mark in our skin. Voldemort is more than furious and the war has already begun. He will not forgive us, nor anyone else who crosses him. Harry Potter will die and also hundreds of muggles. It is already happening."

"Wait, what's that supposed to mean?" Hermione asked, facing the man herself.

"You can ask them, to those bloody traitors of yours," said Lucius, giving Hermione a disgusted look.

"Nurnott!" Draco shouted and a second later, the elf was in front of him.

"Yes, yes Master. It's true, Master. Death Eaters are attacking the muggle towns. Everything is in chaos. There are wizards battling them, but they are mostly overwhelmed by the many Death Eaters."

"See, Draco? He's forcing you out, otherwise people will die. That's the kind of monster Voldemort is and we cannot escape him any longer. Sooner or later he will find us."

"There is no need for him to force me out, I will go to him very soon. However, it will not be to bow before him, nor to plead for his forgiveness as you would have me do. It will be for one of two, to end him once and for all, or to be killed by him." Hermione's heart sank at such a possibility.

"You cannot beat him, foolish boy, no one can. He is too powerful and now has the strongest and most powerful wand ever made and for that matter, he is protected by a good number of powerful forbidden magic. No one can easily kill him, you should know that."

"Yes, we know, but we also know how to bring him down for sure, if we finish what her trio started. We just need some more missing pieces, to make him vulnerable again."

"And do you know where to find them? You're out of time, it's too late."

"No, we still have time."

"The war started Draco! The moment you step out of these protective walls, you will be killed and accomplish nothing!"

"I'm not afraid of death as much as you are, father. I've come to terms with it, when I thought my death was just around the corner in any moment."

"So, what? Do you really think that a group of inexperienced children will do what so many others, with more experience could not? Not even Dumbledore could defeat him!"

"The love of a mother did it once, it just happens that once was not enough. Goodbye, father, we may not see each other again."

"For God's sake, Draco, it's too late, he'll rise to power! He is already proving to the world just that! Don't go and sacrifice yourself for a girl, if that's the reason for this sudden madness. There will always be another one that can replace her." Anger rose inside him once more and he took Hermione's hand in his and gave his father an 'I dare you to say something more about her again' look, that took Lucius by surprise for the first time. He had never seen such determination in the eyes of his son, nor such... disappointment and anger.

"It's not about her, although I am very pleased that it turned out this way. The path of the traitor is what I choose because I had finally seen reality, (my reality) and I will not go back in my way out. I still have something he doesn't have yet. Sure, a one of a kind wand can accomplish many atrocities in the wrong hands, but what many generations of Malfoy's have collected, can do much worse than that. Although, in this case it can help us a great deal."

"Huh?" Hermione tilted her head in confusion, but Lucius apparently understood the meaning of his son's words.

"You couldn't be there for more than ten minutes. Any of that magic will crush you in a matter of seconds."

"I don't need the magic, only the knowledge."

"What? You will use the living stone? You'll only get trap inside!"

"I'll take my chances, if that means I can help end the war."

"Draco, please, don't go!" His mother begged.

"I'm sorry, mother, I think it was meant to be. I'm grateful for your help last time, it meant a lot to me, but my life is different now and I cannot be the same again." He squeezed Hermione's hand and disappeared with her, to reappear in the main residence of his family, where he was surprised to see Greyback in his living room.

It was a good thing that Hermione had quick reflexes, probably because of her way of life in the last few months, always expecting the unexpected, otherwise he would have been in serious trouble when the half-beast man rushed toward him the moment they Apparated inside the manor. She cast a spell at blinding speed, sending the werewolf a few yards away from them, but he was also quick and charged towards them once again, fiercely. This time Draco was ready and held his wand, pointing to the beast.

"As I have come home (the fireplace came to life) I cast you out, Fenrir Greyback and all of your kind, from this place. Be gone and never come back!" He cried and an invisible force took the werewolf in its grasps and pull him out of a window to who knows where. Hermione blinked in amazement, not sure what had happened just a second ago.

"Draco, what was that?" She asked, surprised.

"The spell that protects this place does what I command. Expelling unwanted guests is simply one of those things I can do. Pretty cool, huh?" She laughed.

"That was awesome! I think you will have to teach me a few things when this is over. Apparently you're more talented than I've given you credit, so we can exchange spells or something among those lines."

"Sure thing, it's a date. Just remind me never to show you any Malfoy's library, because I think I'll lose you for months." He said and she smiled giving him a soft kiss on his lips and just after, she cast a Reparo spell on the broken window and held his hand.

"Okay… Now, let's go down. Just be prepared to witness the most dangerous things ever done by man in a huge room that will probably disgust you as much as it disgusted me when I was younger."

Hermione

As Draco guided her inside the mansion, Hermione began to wonder what kind of dangerous artifacts the Malfoy family had in their possession for generations. She knew about the dark collections, but she had no idea how deadly everything could be.

"Draco ..." she whispered, feeling a little anxious.

"I will explain everything in our way. Most of what you will see down there is strictly prohibited by the laws of the Ministry and only being near the lowest level of the mansion can give an idea of why. Malfoy's first wealthy families were rather eccentric and loved rare things, especially those made of dark magic and money was not really a problem to get them, so they were free to do whatever they wanted. The Ministry more or less let them be, especially because they had power at high levels and much influence in the political world. In addition, it seemed that the family, while eccentric, was seemingly harmless because none of them tried to use what they bought to hurt others so the Ministry simply ignored their peculiar taste."

"For some reason, my family was not exactly interested in governing the world, but manipulated it behind the scenes and so the collection began and grew and continued to grow with each new generation to what it is today. My father added his own things to the already disturbing huge collection and one of those things he added was the living stone. Have you heard of it?" Draco asked as they began to descend some stairs to the lower levels.

"Not really ... I did some research on the Philosopher's Stone in my first year at Hogwarts, but I never read about a living stone."

"Well, it's not surprising you have not read of it. If there was any kind of information in the Hogwarts library, it would have been in the Restricted Section, although I had the feeling that perhaps you were there anyway, no matter that it was forbidden without the authorization of the Professors." She smiled at that, as he was of course right.

"You're right, I was there in my second year. It was when I found the book Moste Potente Potions, which contained instructions on brewing the Polyjuice Potion. You remember that one, right?" She asked as she approached him, since that part of the mansion was strangely colder than the rest and she was freezing.

"Yes, it was disgusting enough to remember it for the rest of my life and I hope the day when I find myself forced to drink it again never comes." He said as he put a hand on her waist to give her some of his warmth. "I should have told you it's colder down here." She simply held him back.

"So, what does the living stone do?" She asked with curiosity.

"It shows you all you wish or need to know. It can show you things in the past, the present and the future, where to find missing possessions, places, people, magical creatures, forbidden objects or even Horcruxes. Whatever you need, it can show it to you, but with a high price. The stone steal life from the ones who use it in a similar way a Dementor would, with the only difference that the stone will tempt you by showing you all those things you desire most to keep you trapped. The scary thing about the stone is that it can read the minds of the people and that's why it has stolen hundreds of lives, since it can be difficult to leave behind your deepest desires and while inside the stone, everything you see becomes your reality. It is very dangerous if you have nothing to hold onto, to get you back to reality."

"Maybe it will be better if you don't use it." She said, unconsciously putting one of her hands over his heart.

"Why? We need to know where the Hogwarts Horcrux is. Are you afraid that I will be trapped inside the stone?" He looked at her with a raised eyebrow and she looked away, which confirmed his suspicion. She was worried about him, he knew, but she'd done far more dangerous things in the past than he could do for the rest of his life.

"It sounds like a risky thing to do at the very least. How do we even know it's accurate, anyway? All dark magic and everything that comes from it, had its tricks, is not the most reliable one out there."

"This one is very accurate, I assure you."

"How do you know that? Have you used it before?"

"At the matter of fact, yes. I used it once, when my father brought it home, I was nine years old and the stone interested me because it looked like a normal glossy black mineral, not the usual scary artifact my father loved so much and I touched it without realizing it. I heard my father yell at me for something, but I could not hear what it was because everything around me disappeared, leaving me in some kind of empty void. I was afraid and wanted to get out, but I heard a voice asking what I wanted to know, I frowned without a clue as to what was happening, so I unconsciously thought about what had happened hours earlier when Astoria and her parents were at my house."

"Astoria?" Her name sounded familiar, but she could not place it from where exactly.

"She's Daphne Greengrass's younger sister, she's a year behind us, but you should have seen her sitting next to Daphne at the Slytherin table." Hermione mouthed a silent 'Oh, that one'.

"She's pretty." Hermione murmured softly and Draco smiled a little.

"I suppose, I had more urgent issues at hand to really be interested in girls that way. I was trying to stay alive." He added.

"So what happened? Did you have a fight with her or something? I mean, back when you were kids."

"Not exactly, at the time my parents were looking for a future bride for me. Arranged marriages are quite common among wealthy families and my father was considering marrying me with Daphne or Astoria. My father liked Daphne, since she was my same age and we would be in the same year at Hogwarts, but my mother liked Astoria more, so she invited her and her parents to a 'chat'... I overheard them, considering my future union with Astoria and I... well... I fled, a little angry and disturbed by the whole affair. I was nine years old and although I had nothing against Astoria, as she was a perfect girl, I didn't like that they chose for me."

"So, you two are engaged?" She asked as she stopped.

"No, after my mind was dragged into the stone, they forgot about it. However, I was still troubled by what I heard, so the stone showed me my possible future with Astoria, but as I was not convinced nor temped to stay there, the magic tried to show me another future, with another girl."

"Huh? Her sister, Daphne?" She asked, narrowing her eyes.

"No. It showed me someone I didn't expect, not in a million years."

"Who, then? Maybe Pansy Parkinson? She certainly has a thing for you." She asked with more curiosity and a bit of jealousy, while he smiled.

"No, not her either. I'm now convince that it was you, Hermione Granger." She widened her eyes in surprise.

"What?!" She screeched.

"The stone showed me a girl with a big mass of rebellious brown hair and... well... big teeth (she had big teeth a few years back). She was wearing Muggle clothes (a uniform) and was sitting under a big tree with a huge book in her lap and smiling as she read. Then she looked up suddenly, as if she could see me, but instead she was looking at a group of boys intimidating another and of course, she went to help the unfortunate weaker one. She threw her book among those who were intimidating and threatened to tell the teachers, but one of the boys became angry and pushed her to the ground and end up hurting her in the process. I think the fall broke your arm, right?" He asked as she opened her mouth in even more surprise.

"It was not broken, just a little splintering, but... how did you..? Lord, this is so... unreal. That happened when I was..."

"Nine, just like I. Fortunately for me, your muggle status makes me angrier and as I didn't have enough interest in anything in particular to be trapped inside, the stone let me go after a few minutes. I honestly had forgotten about that particular incident, but as you just confirmed, I really saw you as a child, which means it's the real deal and it can show me this time, what I really want to know. The Horcruxes and how to get them all at once." He said as he put his hands on both her shoulders with a triumphant smile.

"Draco... that's great for us, but what if..."

"There's no need to worry about me, I will not get caught this time either."

"That's a lie, you were a kid back then, but now you have more things that could tempt you to stay inside."

"Yes, I'm sure of it, but at the same time, having you with me will also remind me that I need to come back to you, to end the war, to save people." She sighed lowering her head in resignation. Was there any other choice? Just like Draco's father had told him before, they had little time left before the war went too far.

"Alright, but I'm going in with you." She said looking at him with determination.

"No. Just me is enough."

"You should know me by now, Draco. I don't take a no for answers."

"Not this time, Hermione." He looked at her again, with even more determination than hers, in his eyes. He really was not going to let her in with him.

"Fine! You go, and get yourself trap inside that thing."

"It will not happen." He said and took her hand to resume their walk until they reached an iron gate. Just being close to it made Hermione gasp for air, for the overwhelming oppression of the black magic. The magic gathered there, was in more than one sense, incredibly strong. She could even say it was too heavy.

"Draco... I change my mind, you can't go in there." Hermione said a little frightened.

"I have to, wait here..."

"No! No... I... I'll go with you..."

"Are you sure? Is more intense in the inside."

"Yes, I will not leave you in there, on your own." He smiled and released her hand, to go and pick up a small dagger that hung from a snake-shaped knocker.

"Wait, what are you..." She gasped in horror when she saw him make a long cut in his left hand with it. "Draco!"

"This door had a blood seal, only a Malfoy by blood can enter."

"That's... that's crazy!"

"Yes, I agree, I hate this place as much as you do, so let's do this as fast as we can." He said and ran his bloody hand over the seal, causing the iron to move by itself to let him in. He then, turned to face her. "I'm afraid you'll have to hold my bloody hand, to get in." He offered her, his left hand and she took it without minding the warm red liquid in her hand and they both entered, into a world of nightmares.

AN: It's getting crazy, so I hope there is still someone out there who likes this. The war is coming, be ready.