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"Does Malfoy know all this?" she questioned, spitting out his name like poison.

"I don't think so," McGonagall shook her head. "He knows that Severus is a spy for the Order, and that makes you the fourth person to know this information. No one else knows and I intend to keep it that way-

"So why was Snape here? Surely coming here would be dangerous?"

She sighed. "He's asked me to protect Mr Malfoy from now on-

"What?" Hermione barked, her brow wrinkling with distaste. "Why the hell should we?"

"Because if we don't," she answered carefully, making sure her student would understand the importance of her words. "Then Voldemort might find Mr Malfoy and kill him-

"That's no real loss-

"And then the Vow would kill Severus," she carried on, ignoring the harsh words from the girl. "Also, if Mr Malfoy left here, then he could reveal Severus' secret and he would be killed."

Hermione faltered.

Snape is a spy. One of us...

"And above anything else," McGonagall brought her back to the damning present. "If we don't protect Draco Malfoy from harm, then Albus' sacrifice will be for nothing."

The female fraction of the Golden Trio felt something in her chest drop. None of this made sense, and yet everything seemed to slide into place in her head. She would swear to Merlin's grave that every second of this haunting night was draining away her energy. There was just too much too handle; too much to take in. Snape. A spy. Dumbledore had known...And then a troubling thought popped into her head.

"Why did you call me here?"

"Because he will be staying with you," McGonagall told her steadily. "You are my most trustworthy student and your skills as a witch are-

"How can you do this to me?" she moaned, scrunching her face with stress. "I hate him. He's evil-

"I know that this is a lot to ask," the other witch said with genuine sympathy. "But there is nobody else I can trust with this. You have a spare room-

"We'll kill each other-

"No you won't," she argued, taking some steps towards the witch to place a comforting hand on her shoulder. "I am keeping his wand and I will ward your dorm so he can't leave and you have a password for your bedroom-

"There must be someone else," Hermione pleaded. "Anyone else. One of the professors-

"You are the only person who I trust to handle this," McGonagall breathed sadly. "The other professors have too much on their plates as it is. I need you to do this-

"For how long?"

"For as long as it takes," she answered cryptically, offering the girl another apologetic frown. "I am really sorry for this, Miss Granger. If things are really that bad then I will do my best to make other arrangements, but I honestly believe that you can do this."

She wanted to protest; to tell McGonagall to let Malfoy rot in the grave he had dug himself. She wanted to point out that he would probably try to kill her in her sleep, or that she wouldn't last a day without hexing the twat until he was a pointless mess smeared against her wall. But images of Dumbledore fluttered in her brain.

If we don't protect Draco Malfoy from harm, then Albus' sacrifice will be for nothing... 

"Okay," she found herself mumbling absently. "Okay, I-I will try."

McGonagall's face instantly relaxed. "Thank you," she gave the young witch a forced smile as she handed her back her wand. "I know this will be difficult for you, and I promise that I will do what I can to make it easier for you."

Hermione released a loud and lonely breath. "I'm tired," she whispered, her body and mind overworked and desiring sleep.

"I think we all need some rest," the headmistress agreed. "I will escort you both back to your dorm and set up the wards."

"Alright," she shrugged, too exhausted too argue any more. "Let's get this over with."

McGonagall gave the girl's shoulder a reassuring pat before she headed to her kitchen and pushed open the door. "Come now, Mr Malfoy," she called, eyeing the wizard closely as he came back into the office, his hands pushed arrogantly in his pockets as he gave Hermione a bitter and intolerant look.

"Get over your little bitch-fit?" he sneered, purposefully keeping his distance.

The urge to scream at him until his ears wept blood swamped her, but she shoved it aside. Something twigged in her head, and she realised then that she had a massive advantage over him. She had her wand. She was in control.

"You still have some blood on your chin," she told him, her words drawn out and sharp.

He hid his irritation with an amused snort as he slowly wiped the back on his hand across his mouth again, keeping his stare locked onto hers. He realised then that her eyes weren't brown; they were more like gold. How repulsively Gryffindor. So, the little Mudblood thought she was in charge did she? His smirk stretched a little. Fine, let her believe that; at least he would have a little entertainment if he was going to be locked away in her room.

"Not happy to see me, Granger?" he goaded. "You look a little tense-

"And you look like shit," she retorted, trailing her tempestuous glare over his tattered robes. "I'm warning you, Malfoy. Don'twind me up-

"Or what?" he growled, bring his face too close to hers. She held her ground and cringed when she realised his breath smelled of the blood she had coaxed with her fist.

"You don't get it, do you?" she whispered, narrowing her eyes. "You have nothing. You are nothing. And now you're stuck here; forced to accept our help like some pathetic child."

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