What Once Could Never Be...

A/N: Wow! So many reviewers! *gets dizzy; has to sit down* You guys have made this story possible, and your contributions have been greatly appreciated. Much thanks to: Adrian Pucey, Akuma Canadian Angel, I luv joe morton and chad, C, Margo, Winkernoony, PsYcHoJo, PrincessDarkness, hermioneG89, Sirena Brown - my fellow siren, partner-in-crime, and now critic, OneTurnOuttaTune, Kylee, Fiery-Chan, lilpinkbunny, thewhitediablo, mighty_molly79, natasha, glory, SophieBabe, Liz El, Mei-Hua, Krissy1, Slytherinangel922, Leggie, Flamekaat, firey fairy, Jinni, angel, Vanillastar, Random Anonymous Person x2, f0xyness39, eva, RiarAllie, Glenda the owl, Sacha, Noel, Purple People Eater, candycanekid, Corundum Advance, aire, qod15, CrystallineLily, and Pink Champagne. All you guys are awesome! Anyway, I hope you enjoy this chapter. PLEASE R/R!!!!!!!!!!

Disclaimer: The God of all things Harry Potter owns this: J.K. I don't own anything. Not even Draco. Damn the world.

What Once Could Never Be...

Chapter 12: The Trade Off

Draco held tight to Hermione's hand as they raced down the last corridor and came to stop in front of the gargoyle that guarded the entry into Dumbledore's office. Draco mumbled the password and led Hermione in behind him. They both ran up the moving staircase and burst into the office. They bent over, sputtering to catch their breath as Dumbledore turned around in his chair to see them standing before him.

Draco found his voice first. "Dumbledore! I've brought Hermione to you to keep her safe. She's safe now. She's alive and she's safe."

Hermione glanced at Draco with a puzzled expression before turning to Dumbledore. "I'm not exactly sure why I'm here, but I was hoping that Draco could explain seeing how he's the one who interrupted my studying to bring me here."

Draco took a deep breath and sat down in one of the chairs in front of the desk. Hermione joined him in the seat across from him. He began to explain what had happened in the last two days, and when he was finished, Hermione and Dumbledore both looked a little dumbfounded. Draco rose from his seat and went into the room where Dumbledore had showed him the prophecy. He extracted the book off the shelf he knew it to be on and took it back into the office. Before handing it to Dumbledore, he flipped to the page with the prophecy and pointed to it. He resumed his seat before speaking.

"That is why I had to save Hermione. I couldn't let her die so I had to find some way to save her."

Hermione reached over and took his hand squeezing it. From the story he told, he had been through a lot for her. She wanted to know that she really did love him, and she was here now.

Dumbledore read the prophecy before looking back up at the two teenagers in front of him. He fixed Draco with a stern look.

"You used a Time-Turner, did you not?"

Draco stared at the ground before nodding his head. Dumbledore's expression softened before he spoke once more.

"Since we have gone back in time, we will have to explain everything again to Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley. It is fortunate that you were able to save Miss Granger since she was not aware of the role she plays. Since half of you are already present, I will summon the other two and we will wait until they arrive."

Dumbledore scratched out a quick note on a piece of parchment before handing it to his phoenix, Fawkes, to deliver. No more than twenty minutes had gone by before Harry and Ron ran into the office.

Harry began asking questions. "What is happening with Voldemort? Why is it urgent? Has he killed somebody? Was it Sirius? Why do you need me to go on a mission? And what are they doing here?" He trailed off as he pointed to Draco and Hermione.

Dumbledore's face broke out into a tired smile. "Before you ask any more questions, Mr. Potter, may I advise you to sit down?"

Harry and Ron both moved to sit on a small couch that was set next to the desk. Dumbledore began to explain everything he had already and also what really would have happened in the last two days. Harry and Ron's eyes both grew wide as Dumbledore's story went on. After he explained the meaning of the prophecy and how each one would play a role in it, he asked if there were any questions.

Ron sheepishly asked a question. "Why am I not in the prophecy?"

"You are, Mr. Weasley. The prophecy does not mention you directly, but you are very much a part of it. You, like Mr. Potter, will become a leader for the light side."

Draco was very confused indeed. "I know that I was supposed to become the dark, but if I saved Hermione, do I still have to? I don't want to become a Death Eater."

"Mr. Malfoy, the consequences of your actions are as thus. If you do not become the dark, the Death Eaters will continue to pursue Miss Granger because of your feelings for her. You simply cannot have both. The trade off for her life is for you to join the dark side."

Hermione gasped and looked over at Draco. He seemed pained at Dumbledore's words. I wish I knew how to save him from this fate.

"However, since you were able to change fate by saving Hermione before the Death Eaters could capture her, you will have a chance to change your own destiny. I can help you as much as I can, but some things you will have to do on your own. I will also be protecting the other three people in this room as well as you."

Draco nodded his head to show his understanding. Dumbledore stood from his desk and made his way to the door beckoning them to follow. He led them down many corridors and through secret passageways before arriving at an unused part of the castle. He led them into a room before stopping in the center and turning around to speak.

"This is where you will stay from now on. This part of the castle was built to keep certain people safe. It cannot be reached by any use of magic and is cloaked from the others in the castle. While you are here, you will not be able to be detected at all. The only magic that can be performed here is by the four of you. Your belongings will be brought up to you shortly. You will eat, sleep, and live here as well as continue your work from your classes. Your rooms have your names on them. I want you to send me an owl when you have settled in, and I will inform you of other precautions that must be taken."

With that, Dumbledore turned to leave. The group of four looked around to take in their surroundings.

The room they were standing in was almost as large as the Great Hall. The walls were blue with gold edging and the floor was covered with an elegant rug. The fireplace looked like it had been carved out of stone, and a majestic, gold chandelier hung from the high ceiling. Stained-glass windows surrounded the room and tapestries adorned the walls. Three couches were perpendicular to each other next to the fireplace and a large mahogany table was set in the middle. Six doors went off from the room on opposite sides. It looked like it was fit for royalty.

Ron was the first to speak. "Well, it looks like we get to live the good life while we're waiting for Death Eaters to come looking for us. Wait, we already have one here."

Hermione glared at him. "Ronald Weasley! That is NOT funny!"

Harry, always the mediator, stood between them. "Look. We have to live with each other until who knows how long. That means," here he glared at Ron, "we have to get along." He turned his attention to Draco. "Okay, Malfoy?"

Draco, who had been silent up until this point, looked at Harry. "It's fine by me as long as you don't try to keep 'Mione from me. I might not like either one of you even though we share this prophecy, but I love her."

Harry nodded his head. "We might not like it, but we know you do." Then, he offered his hand to Draco in a reverse image of that first day on the train. Draco took it and they shook hands.

Hermione, glad that the boys had made some peace for now, went to look for her room. She noticed that Harry and Ron's rooms were on one side also with a room labeled 'Bathroom.' Draco's and her rooms were on the opposite side as well as a room that made Hermione cry in delight. It was labeled 'Library.'

She turned her attention away from it and went to the door that had 'Hermione Granger' engraved on a plaque. She opened it and went in to see the most elegant bedroom she had ever been in. It was done entirely in white silk. The curtains, the bedsheets, everything was pure white silk. It was a sharp contrast to the dark wood of the furniture that looked almost black. She let her fingers graze the material hanging from the four poster bed. It felt so light and smooth. She let herself sink back onto the bed for a few minutes before joining the boys in the adjunct room.

Seeing that Harry and Ron were still examining their own rooms, she directed herself to Draco's room. As she stepped through the door, she let out a gasp. His room was the exact opposite of hers. Everything was done in black silk and the wood furniture was white. She felt the material and found it was the same as her room. She sat on the foot of the bed before turning her attention to Draco.

Draco had turned from the window when he heard Hermione let out a gasp. He watched as she sat on his bed and looked up at him with those wide, brown eyes. The eyes he could feel himself getting lost in. He sat by her on the bed and took her hand, his eyes never wavering from hers.

"Hermione, we will get through this. You have to believe that we will."

Her eyes began brimming with tears, and she started to get choked up. "I know, Draco. I do believe that we will. But -"

"But, what? Everything will be fine. We'll just enjoy our time together until I will have to leave."

"But I wish there was some other way instead of you putting yourself in harm's way."

"I can look out for myself. I will be able to handle Voldemort, and Lucius, and all the rest of the Death Eaters. I have to."

Tears began to fall from her eyes, but she leaned forward and pressed her lips against his. His mouth moved over hers with gentleness as he reached up to caress her cheek with his fingertips. The salty tears mixing in as the kiss deepened, his tongue exploring the inside of her mouth. She pulled away and looked deep into the pools of gray flecked with silver.

"I don't know what I would do if you didn't come back."

"We will get there when the time comes. For now, we will be together while we wait."

A/N: So, what did you think? Not one of my best or longest chapters, but I like it. I think it serves its purpose well. In the next chapter: Draco gets unexpected news. Dumbledore takes action. And Harry and Ron dress up as girls? Stay tuned for the next installment of "What Once Could Never Be..." I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I am always open to suggestions and ideas if you have any. I'm also looking for good names for characters. Also if you have a song that can be worked into the story line. So, if you have any, put them in your review. Thanks!!! PLEASE R/R!!!!!!!!!!!