18. Phase Two

Disclaimer: Nope, don't own Harry Potter.

Note: Chapter title taken from Alias, season two. My favorite episode. :) Special thanks to Eilonwy for beta-ing this for me! I hope to get the next chapter out on Friday, and then another on Christmas day.

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Chapter 18 - Phase Two

Hermione's job at Flourish and Blotts was a dream compared to working at the Ministry. She loved books, there was absolutely no stress, and when the store was empty, she was allowed to read, so long as there was nothing else that needed to be done.

At first, her schedule had been erratic, but after the first week, it calmed down and she worked the day shift. After work, Hermione usually went to the Ministry Library to continue her Death Eater task. She found she could concentrate better there, away from distraction, and she could also catch snippets of information about the War.

Hermione got along well with her coworkers. Most of them were older, so she didn't know them from school. There was one man, though, who was only a year older than she His name was Andrew, and he'd gone to school in the U.S. They talked whenever they worked together, but as they days passed, Hermione caught him looking at her, and when she did, he would redden and look away.

She told Harry about him after she'd been working for almost two weeks.

"So, there's this bloke at work," she started, when the two of them were sitting outside.

"Yeah?"

"Yeah."

"And?"

"I don't know. He keeps looking at me."

"Uh-huh…"

"I don't know. I don't think I like him in that way. I mean, he's nice enough, but there's just something missing."

"Really, Hermione? Or are you just scared?" Harry, of course, would have Hermione with Draco if he could, but neither of them seemed too keen on the idea. At least, not overtly.

"I'm really not scared. There's just – something missing."

"Like what?"

"I don't know. The magic."

Harry chuckled. "There's plenty of magic, Hermione."

"I don't mean our kind of magic. There are lots of forms of magic. At least, I think so."

"Well, remember what I said."

"I know, I know. Give it a chance."

One night, the last night of November, Hermione worked until the store closed because a coworker went home sick. Andrew was working that night too, and as they locked the shop for the night, he asked her to get coffee with him. He'd thrown in a hasty 'as friends' at the look on Hermione's face, and she'd said okay.

She had guessed that he was interested in her, and while she was flattered, she couldn't reciprocate. Harry's and Ron's words to her about not rejecting chances flitted through her mind as they sat in Diagon Alley's only coffee shop, in two large arm chairs next to the fire. They got along just fine, and had some things in common, but there was nothing else. There was none of that extra thing she'd tried telling Harry about that distinguishes friends from more than friends.

Hermione enjoyed the time she spent with Andrew, but when she realized how late it had gotten, she became anxious to return home to the Edge. However, Andrew was in the middle of what she could tell would be a long story, and she didn't want to be rude. When he finally finished, she gave what she thought was an appropriate and acceptable response to the story, and told him she had to leave.

He was nice, and offered to see her safely home, but she declined.

When she was safely on the doorstep to Draco's house, she relaxed fully. She went inside, and found Harry in the drawing room.

"Hermione," he said, standing.

She could tell something was wrong. "Hey, Harry."

"Are you okay? You're much later than usual."

"Oh, I'm fine. I had to work late, and then I had coffee with a coworker."

Draco entered the room, and it was a testament to how things had changed between them that he didn't immediately start yelling.

She could feel his displeasure, however, and his scowl was alarming; she braced herself.

"Where have you been?" he asked, his voice calm but on the edge of anger.

"As I told Harry, I had to work late."

"Flourish and Blotts closes at ten, and you usually return from the Ministry at eleven. It's nearly one."

She was getting annoyed. "We stayed open late tonight because we had a special guest. The last customer didn't leave until nearly quarter to twelve."

Draco stared at her.

"Then I had coffee with someone from work. Look, what's the big deal?"

"The big deal, Granger, is that we expect you home at a certain time. When you're late, we are forced to think that the worst has happened. And we aren't at liberty to go scouring London to look for you. If you know that you are going to be late, the least you can do is owl."

"Okay. Sorry. I understand; won't happen again. Are we done?"

"No," said Harry. "We have a few things we need to talk about, Hermione. And we should probably sit."

"Who?" said Draco, addressing Hermione.

"Who what?"

"You had coffee; with whom did you go?"

She didn't want to tell him, and she had no idea why, but there it was. Reluctance. Hermione refused, at that time, to think about what it might mean, but she filed the feeling away to ponder over later.

Fortunately, Harry saved her. "Come on, Malfoy. We're all tired, and we need to get this done. Forget about it, okay?"

He scowled, though at no one in particular, and sat heavily in the chair.

"So what do you want to talk about?" she asked, sitting on the couch next to Harry.

"A few things," said Draco. He took a deep breath, and Hermione could almost see him changing trains of thought as he calmly breathed in and out a few times. "First and foremost, you need to know that we have finished with phase one of this mission, and are ready to move on to phase two."

She frowned. "I wasn't aware there were phases. What was the first one?"

"Training. Phase two comprises searching for the last Horcrux. You, Harry, and Weasley destroyed all of them years ago, but the Dark Lord had, and still has, no knowledge of their destruction. When Nagini was killed, and you were unable to get to the Dark Lord, he made a new Horcrux. I am certain he has made no more. I have a few leads, but they could turn into nothing. We're going to explore those leads in the coming months until we learn the identity and whereabouts of the final Horcrux."

"How do you know about Horcruxes?" Hermione asked, glancing at Harry.

"Snape, actually. After we left Hogwarts, he told me he was a spy for the Order first and foremost, and that he could no longer perform that duty because of what he'd been forced to do. He wanted me to take his place. I wasn't much in the frame of mind to hear that he was, after all, on the other side, and I wasn't at a place in my life where that option seemed viable. Plus, I was scared out of my wits of the Dark Lord.

"Severus tried to convince me that there was hope, by way of the Horcruxes, to destroy the Dark Lord, and therefore get out of the life I'd started. I listened to him, to obtain the information, but refused to do what he wanted. He was angry, but mostly, I think, disappointed. He thought that because I hadn't killed Dumbledore that I would be agreeable to turning sides. I was sixteen; I wasn't agreeable to any of it anymore, and I thought that the easiest thing was to return to the Dark Lord. He wanted to return to the Order, since I refused, and plead his case, but I convinced him to wait."

"Snape never came," Hermione said slowly, looking at him.

"No," said Draco, after meeting her gaze and then turning away. "I did not tell the Dark Lord what Snape had told me, however. My reasons escape me, but I am glad I chose to hold the information to myself. I think I still wasn't completely aware of what I had gotten myself into. Part of me still expected to wake up."

"I thought you were going to kill him, then destroy the Horcrux. That's what you told me months ago."

Harry and Draco exchanged a look. "We have reason to believe he's made a person his final Horcrux. In which case, the person is either very near to, or very far from the Dark Lord. And it's likely this person has some of the Dark Lord's more eccentric tendencies, brought on by the Dark spell and having a piece of his soul."

"Basically, we have to kill them both," Harry added. "And it doesn't really matter which one we go after first."

"In some ways, whoever is playing host to the Dark Lord's soul could be more dangerous than he is. This person would have increased powers and heightened awareness, but also a more reckless attitude. After all, the Dark Lord could simply make a new living Horcrux, should the current host be killed. And we have to figure out who it is."

"How could you possibly know all of that?" Hermione asked, crossing her arms. "You never leave this place."

"Not that you see," said Draco.

She quirked an eyebrow at him. "Sorry? You mean to say you leave, and yet you yell at me for being late?"

"It's different," he said.

"No, it's not, really."

"I can take care of myself."

Harry winced.

"And I can't?" Hermione yelled. "You have both sides after you; I'd say my chances are much better!"

"Granger," said Draco, remaining surprisingly calm. "I meant nothing by what I said. I am accustomed to hiding in shadows and remaining undetected. You are not. And it's not as if I leave every night, perhaps once or twice a month. I am in contact with the Dark Lord, as you know, and sometimes I have to do things to convince him of my loyalty and remind him that I'm still working for him."

Hermione'e eyes narrowed. "What things?"

"Like those pictures we sent a few months ago. Physical evidence that I'm trailing Potter and trying to catch a traitor. Nothing Unforgivable, if that's what you're thinking."

She relaxed visibly, and Draco was surprised to see she'd been worried about his actions. He frowned, wondering exactly what she'd been thinking, and why. He very much wanted to ask, but she spoke before he could.

"So, when you're – out – you hear things."

"Yes. Most recently, I overheard some of the Death Eaters talking. Second-tier Death Eaters, just below the inner circle. They were talking about someone who had received a very special honor. They called it transference, but they essentially described the creation of a Horcrux. The Dark Lord had put a piece of himself, of his aura, they were told, into one of his most faithful. We know it was actually a piece of his soul. I wasn't able to hear much more, however; I only know it wasn't one of those present."

"Are you frequently in situations where you overhear Death Eaters?" she asked, somewhat suspicious, and curious at the same time.

"That is not something that concerns you," he said with an air of finality.

She stared at him hard before deciding not to press the issue. Hermione had come to a point where she could tell when she could push Draco for more, and when it would be as useless as trying to push a mountain. This was one of those times.

"Do you have any ideas as to who it could be?" she asked.

"It could be anyone in his inner circle, of which there are nine, Bella and my father included."

"I know who the nine are," she said. "You were one of them, but Lucius replaced you."

Draco ground his teeth and scowled. "Not exactly. Lucius has always been there, even when the Dark Lord was angry with him. I was above the nine, so to speak, given certain privileges no one else was." Hermione started to speak, but he cut her off. "It is not important. The point is that we're going to be leaving for days – even weeks – at a time, following these leads, and any new ones that arise."

"Oh," she said, suddenly feeling very small. "So… I'll be all alone here."

"Yes. And you should be extra cautious, though I will put more protective wards on the house and grounds." said Draco reassuringly, yet firmly.

Hermione didn't say anything right away. She wasn't sure how she felt about being left alone. On one hand, she'd never been afraid of them being found out at the Edge. She hadn't seen or heard any hint of activity anywhere on the property, Wizard or Muggle, since she'd moved in. On the other hand, though, Harry and Draco had always been there with her.

"The second thing," said Harry, who'd been quiet while Draco talked, "is that we need you to learn healing magic. As much as you can."

She frowned. "Why?"

"In case of injury," said Draco, bluntly.

"Who – " she started, then stopped, slightly horrified at what he meant. "Oh," she said, feeling again very small.

"Can you do that?" Draco asked quietly, almost as if he could sense how she felt and he understood.

"Yes. I learned a little bit of healing in Auror training, and I'm sure I can find a few books on the subject."

Harry grinned. "Books. Of course."

She smiled at him sadly. "I hope never to have to use what I might learn."

"Just – learn as much as you can, Granger. You don't have to be perfect at it, just proficient enough."

She nodded, feeling slightly numb. "When do you leave for the first time?" she asked.

"Tomorrow," said Draco, studying her intently, waiting for her reaction.

Her eyes widened. "Tomorrow?!" Something caught in her throat and she felt she might cry at any moment, though she didn't know why. Perhaps because things would get hard now, and scary. Until then, the danger had seemed far away. She did her desk job, and they played dueling on the ledge. But now, her friend – and Malfoy – would be getting into dangerous situations. So dangerous, they believed it would be a good use of her time to learn healing magic. The force of what it all meant hit her hard.

"How long will you be gone?" she asked quietly.

Draco closed his eyes for a few seconds, and they were softer when Hermione saw them again. "Three days."

"Will you be here for Christmas?" she asked, dazed. "It's soon."

Harry chuckled. "Yes, I promised Ginny."

"What do you want me to do?"

Draco spoke. "Same thing you do now. Go to work, come back here, nowhere else, continue your task for us, and learn healing magic."

"At least I won't be bored," she said. She stared at the floor, trying to force the room to stop spinning. "Was there anything else?"

"Yes," said Draco. "I need your word that you won't go anywhere except work and here."

"And the Ministry. For books."

"Okay, the Ministry too. Do I have it?"

"All the time?" she asked, her head clearing a bit as she resented being told what to do.

"No, just when we're gone."

"But, what if – "

"No what ifs. Your word, Granger."

She looked at him, trying to find a clue as to why he was being so insistent. "Why – "

"Granger. When you are here, you are safe. And only when you are here. Work and the Ministry are only marginally safer than being outside in the open street. But anywhere else, I can't – protect you when I'm gone," he said, stumbling for words at the end that would say what he meant, without really saying it.

And maybe she was imagining things, but he was almost pleading. Almost. Because he would never actually plead, with her or anyone. But it was as close as she imagined he would get.

"You can't protect me, no matter where I am, especially when you and Harry are off doing whatever it is you're going to do. How can you even say something like that?"

He set his jaw. "Just – give me your word."

She waited before answering, hoping to convey to him that she didn't appreciate being told what to do. "Okay," she said finally. "Nowhere but here."

Now it was his turn to relax visibly. "Good. Now we're finished."

"Any questions, Hermione?" asked Harry.

"No. But, you'll tell me when you're going to leave, right?"

"Of course."

"And when you'll be back?"

"When we know that, then yes."

She sighed. "I'm a little tired. Are we finished?"

"Yes," said Harry.

She stood. "I'm going outside. Goodnight."

When she was out of the room, Harry said, "She took it well."

Draco nodded. "Do you think she'll keep her word?"

"Yes, unless there is truly a good reason for her to break it. She's a Gryffindor; our word means something," Harry said with a smirk.

"I'm worried," Draco said. "I need her to be where she says she'll be, and go exactly where she says she'll go, and for as long as she says. Otherwise, how can I keep my promise? Before, I could do as I pleased, and I could always watch over her. Now, I have to trust that she's not going to do something stupid and get herself into trouble. Have I mentioned I'm not good with trusting?"

"Once or twice, yeah," said Harry. "Maybe if you explained a little bit about why you're so intent on her keeping to what she says, she'll be even more likely to do it."

"No, Harry, you know why I won't explain myself. And I shouldn't have to, either."

"Except that she doesn't serve you, and therefore doesn't have to do anything you say. I couldn't believe how easily she gave in just now. That shows she at least understands you're not just demanding things for no reason, even though you don't give her one. She trusts that you at least have a reason."

Draco frowned. "She's something, isn't she?"

"Yeah."

ooo

After an hour, Draco went outside to speak with Hermione. She was sitting in her usual seat, staring blankly at the tempestuous sea, wearing no outer cloak. She was shivering, but didn't seem to notice. He frowned and went to her, concerned as she'd been outside for over an hour. She took no notice of him as he knelt in front of her and touched her hand, which was cold as ice.. She snapped out of the trance she'd been in when she felt the surge of energy as he touched her. He stood and once again wrapped his cloak around her. She looked up at him while he made sure the cloak was snug.

His eyes were incredible, and they reminded her of something. They were alive, yet hard, full of pain and fear. They seemed to constantly move, searching and not finding. Waves of emotion flowed through them. She was surprised to see anything so complex and vast in his eyes; they were deep and unending – like the ocean.

She gave him a small smile. "They're grey," she said.

Draco looked at her thoughtfully, then sat down in the chair next to hers. "You only noticed now?" he asked softly, remembering she'd once thought they were blue.

"I guess I haven't looked to really remember before. Or there's something about the light right now that makes them remarkable."

He shifted in his seat and was silent for a moment. Then he reached into his robes, pulled out a thick envelope, and handed it to her. "I have something for you."

She went to open it, but he quickly said, "No, don't try to open it."

"What is it?"

"My last wishes."

Hermione dropped the envelope as if it were cursed and her heart sprang into her throat. Last wishes? So these missions were going to be more dangerous than they had led her to believe.

"If I die, the will is charmed, and will alert you," he said, as casually as if they were discussing the weather. "I leave all of this to you," he said, indicating the house and the grounds.

"Me?" she asked, surprised.

"You like it, don't you?"

"Yes, but – "

"The property is currently under ownership of the government. It wouldn't do to have a large tract of land under my name, would it?" He had a slight sparkle in his eyes; it was the moon, reflecting off their surface. "There's a letter in there which you will take to the bank to claim the land. It's nearly two hundred acres. All ownership of the house and its protections will fall to you."

She was momentarily speechless. He was going to leave her a house if he died. If he died. There was a small part of her screaming in protest at the notion of his death, and she didn't understand it. Why would she care if he ended up dead? It surprised her to feel the weight of just how much she did care, despite everything. He'd killed her parents, and many others, not to mention the hundreds who were killed or hurt because of him, if not directly by his hand. The world would say he deserved death; she'd believed he did too, at one time. But she didn't anymore, she knew it with all of her being.

"Why me?"

This time, he spoke much more quietly, "Who else is there? Just promise me one thing." She nodded, feeling numb. "Use it to defeat Voldemort. Whatever it takes." She slowly nodded again, then turned to look at him.

"What about – your island?" She still wanted to know why he'd done all this, gone to all this trouble with her and Harry in an effort to defeat his Master.

"Everything will be explained, it's all in there. Oh, and if you get curious, don't bother trying to open it. Only with my death can it be unsealed."

For some reason, unknown to Hermione, she wanted to cry for the second time that night. This man, who'd killed her parents, would leave her everything he had because he had no one else to leave it to. But what alarmed her most was his resigned attitude. He was okay with dying, which told her he didn't have anything to live for.

Me! Something inside her screamed. She was shocked at the little protest inside her head.

I need you to live! shouted the tiny voice. She shook her head. Why would she need him to live?

To forgive him.

She closed her eyes. Deep inside her heart and her mind, Hermione knew she wouldn't be a whole person again until she could put her parents' murder completely behind her, and that included forgiving their murderer. She had tried, once, with no success. Maybe she had been brought into this situation with him and Harry to provide her a final goodbye to her parents, and a chance to let go for good. In forgiving Draco, she could forgive herself for not being there, for not helping them, for leaving them alone. She could move beyond the hole left in her heart and slowly start to mend it.

But there's more… The voice was relentless. And she didn't understand what it meant this time. It had been screaming about "more" for weeks now, but she'd refused to allow herself to dwell on its meaning.

Draco stood to go inside. Hermione's heart twisted around itself harder and harder with each step he took toward the door. Suddenly she needed him to know that there was something to live for, that she needed him to come back alive, though right now she couldn't voice that need or understand it.

"Mal – Draco," she called. He stopped with the door half open and looked at her, his expression unreadable but his eyes shining. "Please," she said, and she had to pause. "Don't die," she finally whispered, silently pleading with him to understand her request, and everything it meant, even though she didn't fully understand it herself.

He said nothing, but a fire erupted briefly in his eyes, then returned to their former luster. He nodded almost imperceptibly and went inside.

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A/N: In this chapter, I paid homage to D&D (hiding in shadows) and Lord of the Rings (with the nine). I LOVE my reviewers! You make my days brighter:) Hope you like this one, and I hope you let me know!