Harry Potter and the Wizards of Narhassa

Chapter 20: Malfoy and the Mudblood

Hermione felt someone rapping her upon the face within the darkness. The fingers upon her face were soft, but cold... so startling cold. With a slight mumble, she could feel her body becoming more alert. She could feel a soft cushion beneath her, supporting her lower back and neck.

The prickling sensation on her face stopped. Her eyelids fluttered open as the infinite darkness dispelled itself. At first, everything was out of focus. While still rather lightless, there was more than enough light to see by. A blonde boy - must be Draco - was working on something in the side of cave within which she was in. A whistling, whipping wind howled through her ears, drawing her attention to the entrance of the cave. To her left, there was a wide opening, leading out into the bright, white day. The cave she was in couldn't have been larger than a prison cell.

And then, Malfoy turned around, his entire body rippling with the motion as the draft brought his black robe to life. While Hermione's vision was still blurred, she could see his hair, slightly disheveled and stationary, as if the wind itself made a deal with Malfoy to go around it and not through it. And then, he knelt down by her side.

"Ah, you are awake," he said.

At first, Hermione was completely confused. Why was she in a cave, alone with Malfoy? As soon as she asked herself, however, her last memories began to pervade her head... Malfoy and the woods, Malfoy and his wand... Stupefy!

It now occurred to her that Malfoy had brought her here.

Malfoy sat down by her side, his arm draping precariously over his left knee. "Are you ok?"

"Where's... Ron?" asked Hermione, her voice grinding in her throat as she fought against the aftereffects of the Stunning Charm.

"Weasley should be waking up as well, outside of Hogwarts," explained Malfoy with his usual pompous drawl. "He has a little job to do for me."

Hermione struggled to sit up, and put her hand out for support. She realized that she was resting on the top of a woolen green blanket, with the insignia "M" upon it. Malfoy watched her with a hybrid look between amusement and shame.

"Are you ok?" he asked again, his thin lips parting into a flawless smile. Even Hermione in her weakened state could see how fake it was, however.

"You tell me," said Hermione, her resolve failing as she slumped back onto the blanket. "What do you mean to do with me?"

Malfoy stood up and move to the other side of the cave and knelt down, retrieving something. "Keep you," he said as he withdrew something from a brown, burlap bag.

Hermione rolled her head to keep Malfoy in her vision. "I'm flattered, but I'd rather be kept by a one legged goblin."

The blonde haired boy approached her again and handed her a flask.

"Drink that," said Malfoy.

Hermione stared at him dourly, feeling nothing but scandalized now. She was trapped in a cave with Malfoy, being held prisoner by him! She took the flask, unscrewed the cap, and launched the contents of it into his face. What appeared to be water splashed all over Malfoy's face and robe, saturating his hair dirty blonde.

"You first," snapped Hermione, lying back down.

Malfoy grunted and stood up, extending his arms as the water dripped off of him chillingly.

"Mudblood," he said sharply, wiping off his face with his hand. "Are you just trying to provoke me? You fail to understand... your fate and life are mine, if I wish to alter them!"

Hermione maintained a beguiling stare at Malfoy, her brown eyes filled with so much anger, that it held Draco at bay. "Then go ahead," she said coldly. "Kill me."

Draco walked to the other side of the cave, sat down and crossed his arms over his chest. It was obvious the Hermione that this was not Draco's plan... she just felt it would be the perfect thing for her to say to get under his skin.

"So, where's Crabbe and Goyle?" stated Hermione. "You certainly don't have the bollocks to do this alone."

Malfoy, still looking soaked, looked to Hermione with his gray eyes. "They are back at the school. I have no need for them, now."

"How long are you keeping me here, if you aren't going to kill me?" snapped Hermione.

"Until tomorrow," said Malfoy lazily.

Hermione attempted to sit up again, only this time, was more successful as the last part of the stunning charm was successfully fought off. She reached into the folds of her robe, but predictably found that her wand was missing. Draco withdrew her wand from his robe, wiggled it in the air tauntingly, and then hid it from sight again.

"Then why!" demanded Hermione, her face becoming flustered. "Why have you done this to me?"

Draco simpered mirthlessly. "Because it's always been my naughty little fantasy... to be alone with Hermione Granger in a cold, clammy cave."

"Well," began Hermione loftily, sitting back against the cave wall. "While you are in the business of fulfilling fantasies, why don't you fulfill mine?"

Draco rolled his eyes. "Oh, I love the direction this is going..."

"Come over here, turn around, and let me drive my foot straight up that sodding opening of yours!"

Malfoy winced. "How colorful. You are going to make this the longest day of my life, aren't you?"

Hermione stuck out her lip sourly.

* * * * * * * * * * * *

Malfoy lazily extended his wand. A plate of food slowly lifted from the ground and waved itself over the fire he had created at the mouth of the cave. It was time for lunch, an hour or two later.

It became tough for Hermione to tell the time within the cave, as it all passed by so slowly. She sat definitely upon her blanket, her arms crossed.

Malfoy looked back to her, and pointed the wand at her. The plate he warmed up floated over to Hermione.

"Thank Crabbe for the fine dining," said Malfoy slyly. "He's been taking second helpings for the past few days, saving them for this little stakeout."

Hermione looked at the plate in front of her, filled with corn beef and cabbage.

"Exactly how long have you been planning on kidnapping me?"

Draco shrugged. "Oh, a day or two. It was sort of a plan boon out of desperation... you know how it is. One minute, I was sitting in my room, and was like: Gee, wouldn't it be fun to add kidnapping to my lengthy list of accolades?"

"You don't look as proud as you sound," said Hermione coldly as Draco sent a fork and spoon her way.

Draco looked slightly miffed. "I'm let down. Kidnapping is much easier than I was hoping."

"You are never up for a challenge," said Hermione crisply. "Why do you think your friends are only those you can control like pawn pieces on a chessboard? Try another excuse."

Draco stared up at her as he picked up the utensils for his own lunch, a similar helping to Hermione's.

"Fine, I was hoping to kidnap Parvati Patil... someone halfway attractive, but I grabbed the wrong Gryffindor."

Hermione raised her upper lip in disdain. "What goes on in your head?" she demanded. "Does a little voice within your head tell you that 'insulting people is the only way of life?"

"Nah," said Draco casually. "That's what my brain tells me. The little voice says that I am really good looking."

Finding no possible retort, Hermione continued picking at her food.

* * * * * * * * * * *

A few hours later, the sun began to go down. Malfoy used both his wand and Hermione's to light up the cave with dual Lumos spells. He sat down against his side of the wall, his light blonde hair seeming to swim and shift in the shadows of the cave.

"You still haven't answered my question," said Hermione, no longer sounding all that disdainful. "Why have you done this?"

"Didn't I tell you?" asked Draco. "Later tonight, to make my fantasy complete, will you put on tight leather I have for you and give me some of that 'naughty Gryffindor' routine?"

Hermione just stared stupidly at him. "Now, that was abusing sarcasm."

Draco scowled for the first time, loosing his indifferent glare. "Look, Granger, I'm not going to tell you why. Stop pushing me."

"It must be real important," she said coldly, matching his tone. "What I cannot figure out is why you didn't just have Crabbe and Goyle do it, keeping yourself completely uninvolved."

Draco was about to speak, when Hermione continued. "It must be something you cannot afford to mess up; sort of your last chance to do something."

"And who said you weren't good at Divination," said Draco dully.

Hermione stared at him expectantly.

"Ok," said Draco, slapping his pale hands to his knees as he stared at her from across the cave. "You want to know?"

Hermione continued to stare at him... still quite expectantly.

"I need Weasley to bring me the sword of Gryffindor," said Ron. "Sorting Hat too, to prove it is official."

"Oh, now doesn't that make a whole lot of sense now," said Hermione, with a cold, methodical voice. "That is why you wanted us to think you were an Heir of Gryffindor... so we'd let you have the sword."

Draco folded his arms, looking away.

"And, I bet that was your agenda all along, wasn't it?" cooed Hermione. "You make a show of helping us to earn our trust, and then betray us by stealing the only weapon that can defeat Narhassa for good."

"Bang on," said Draco, still looking away from Hermione. "You crafty Mudblood, you figured it all out."

"No," said Hermione sharply. "I haven't. What I cannot figure out is why, after five years of waiting for this moment; You have me where you want me, Ron and Harry beneath your boot with little option but to give you what you want, you would feel anything but a sick sort of pride."

"Who says I don't feel it?" said Draco coldly.

"You are ashamed," said Hermione.

Draco stood up and walked to the mouth of the cave. "Yeah, the shame is so great, I'm going to end my own life and let you go free."

Hermione stood up as well, staring at his back. "And there you go again, with that stupid sarcasm that you use to cover up your real feelings. What are you so afraid of, Malfoy?"

"Afraid?" snapped Draco, turning around to face Hermione. "Let me tell you something about fear, Granger. A Malfoy does not feel fear. Fear gets in the way of logic, creating illogical situations within ones head in times of trouble. The way we have been on the top of the bloody food chain for hundreds of years is by killing those emotions at an early age!"

Hermione stared at him. "You must have had an interesting childhood."

"Oh, spare me the psych evaluation, Mudblood," sneered Draco. "Besides, I'm beyond hope of salvation; I serve Voldemort and I'm good looking and know it."

"Why?" demanded Hermione.

Draco shrugged. "Because I was born that way; and I'm certain that I have some veela within me... would explain why, if I wanted to, I can do a nasty pole dance and..."

"No!" snapped Hermione. "I mean, why do you serve Voldemort."

"Oh," said Draco, looking discouraged. "Malfoy Code 21: It is always better to serve evil than stand in its way."

Hermione fixed Draco with a look she might use to behold a demented hunchback. "You are such a coward."

"Right," said Draco with a wry frown. "You Gryffindors are all the same. Just because I'm not willing to give my life in a righteous struggle against evil doesn't mean I'm a damn coward!"

Hermione snorted dryly. "You wouldn't even give a fingernail."

Draco pouted slightly. "Of course not," said Draco stretching out his hands. "How could I ruin such beautiful works of art like these?"

As much as Hermione wanted to hate Draco for being so sarcastic and for doing what he did today, she could not help but smile weakly as she sat back down upon the green blanket.

"You aren't exactly good looking, you know," said Hermione snidely. "I don't like the prissy, blonde, fragile look too much. You look like a girl."

"Excuse me?" demanded Draco, his voice leaping an active... it was like Hermione had told him that a meteor was on collision course with the Earth and would impact in ten seconds. "Not good looking? Are you a lesbian, or just blind?"

Hermione smiled ruthlessly. "I mean, look at you... your face is pointed like a rat, you are scrawny, you are short, and... well, you have this sort of "creature of the night motif" going for you between your pasty face and your blonde hair."

"Well!" exclaimed Draco, as their conversation seemed to degrade into a mudslinging competition. "You look like a beaver-toothed mop!"

"And, on top of it all," continued Hermione. "You are a sodding prat!"

Draco snorted with contempt. "I'm not going to have this conversation with you. You are a Mudblood, and... well, buggered if it be that you are also my prisoner." He glared at Hermione coldly. "Shut it!"

Hermione fell silent, her expression a bit brighter... knowing that she had gotten under Draco's skin.

* * * * * * * * * * *

The nighttime proved to be bone-chillingly cold as a snow flurry fell upon the ground outside of their cave. Hermione, wrapped in Draco's blanket, felt warm enough, though it was clear that Draco was freezing, for he continually renewed his Warming Charm every five minutes. All he was wearing was his Hogwarts robe.

The sun had now completely set and, by Hermione's guess, it was approaching seven o' clock.

"What time are you meeting Ron tomorrow?" asked Hermione.

"S.... six..." stammered Draco, his pale cheeks looking even more pronounced in the dark.

Hermione leered at him. "Only another eleven more hours. Oh, and I do believe it will only get colder for nine of those."

"I... always miss the little details," said Draco, despite his shivering, maintaining as much dignity as possible. "Kid-kidnap you, take down Weasley, remember food, but forget my bloody blan-blanket."

Hermione looked at Draco, a very strange thought crossing her mind. She was his prisoner, and she was wrapped in his blanket. Why didn't he simply demand her to give him the blanket she currently had? Draco had not even mentioned it once, and did not even seem to think it was a viable solution.

"Look," said Hermione. "Let's just call this whole thing off. If you just take me back to Hogwarts now, I won't tell anyone. Ok?"

Draco shook his head. "No."

"Draco," said Hermione, for the first time ever, using his first name to address him. That startling revelation made her trail off.

"Hermione," stuttered Draco, glaring at her antagonistically.

"You are going to freeze to death," she said coldly. "It has to be about ten degrees below Celsius right now!"

Draco glared at Hermione. "I'm a cold-blooded person." He then added with a touch of sarcasm in between his words. "Th-thanks for your concern tho-though,"

"That's it," said Hermione, standing up. "You are in no condition to keep me a prisoner. I could just walk out, and you couldn't do anything about it!"

"Go ahead," said Draco, managing a smirk. "We are somewhere d-deep in the Forbidden Fo-forest. You have no idea where. Do you really want to be lost at night out there?"

Hermione sighed and sat back down. He was definitely right. Whether she like it or not, she could either be kept prisoner by an attractive boy or by vampires, werewolves and giant spiders. It was her choice.

And then, Hermione bit her tongue painfully in frustration.

Attractive boy? She made a face as though she had just bit into a mucus flavor bean. Maybe the cold is getting to you as well.

* * * * * * * * * * *

Another two hours passed by slowly, as Hermione was unable to find sleep. The cold was beginning to get to her as well, despite her blanket. The temperature was dropping extremely roughly as a painful wind ripped through the cave opening, chilling Hermione to the bones.

And Draco barely seemed on the verge of consciousness, as he constantly was mumbling the words to the Warming Charm. Yet, such a spell was only helpful on properly prepared clothing, which Draco had forgotten to do. Hermione had given Harry a scarf for his birthday with a constant Warming Charm on it, and had spent the better part of a day creating it.

Still, not once, had Draco asked Hermione for the blanket. Despite him being the reason why she was in this predicament, she could not help but think that if something happened to him tonight, it would be her fault for not helping him.

More on the point, she did not have the stomach to sit there and watch someone freeze to death before her very eyes.

"Look," said Hermione finally, shaking of a shiver. "This blanket is large enough for the both of us."

"Y-y-you n-noticed?" stammered Draco fitfully, as he rocked back and forth, trying to warm himself.

Hermione wasn't sure how to take that response, but Draco continued.

"As-as much as y-y-you w-would like me-e in the s-same sheet as y-you, I will d-die before s-snuggling ne-next to a Mud-mudblood."

Hermione huffed in desperation. "A prat to the end, I see."

"May-maybe," said Draco, at last showing a bit of uncertainty.

"Draco," said Hermione again, the boy's first name ringing a bell of discordance within her. "I'm not going to watch you freeze to death. I would not get a thrill from that, seeing as I am not a Slytherin. Get over here, now."

Draco still stubbornly refused, making no move to go toward Hermione.

"Fine," said Hermione, deciding to try something. She knew the thought of taking her blanket HAD to have crossed his mind, but there was some reason he was not doing it. She unraveled herself from its enveloping embrace and tossed it to the ground. "I'm leaving."

Draco blinked and shook his head. "N-no, you aren't... you-you-you aren't that stupid!"

"Like you can stop me," said Hermione, feeling the daggers of cold prickling her exposed arms. "I'm going back."

Draco struggled up to his feet, his wand in his hand. "I-I... can... sto-"

Hermione calmly plucked the wand out of his grasp, for the boy was powerless to hold it in his weak fingertips. "Thank you."

"Doh," said Draco, slumping to the ground and against the cave wall.

Hermione, feeling the hand of winter groping her spin, lifted the blanket from the ground and sat next to Draco. She put the blanket around them both, drawing them much closer together than Hermione ever cared to be.

"A-a word of thi-this to anyone, and I wi-will..." Draco trailed off as he begrudgingly accepted Hermione's close proximity to him.

"Well," said Hermione, feeling comfortably warm next to Draco, if not uncomfortably queasy. "You obviously won't kill me..."

An uneasy pause passed between the two until Hermione picked up the slack.

"I always pictured you as the type who... knew what they were doing," she began, as if trying to put the words delicately.

Draco turned his head toward her, barely less than a foot was between their faces. From this close, Draco no longer possessed that creature of the night motif Hermione had noticed before. His pale face stood out pronouncedly from the darkness around them, showing him to be little more than a scared fifteen-year-old boy, and not the ruthless monster Hermione had always thought him to be.

"I know what I'm doing," said Draco at last, the shiver having been taken from his voice. "I just happened to forget warm clothing and a blanket."

Hermione shook her head. "You are the best Potions student in the fifth year class," said Hermione truthfully. "Little details like that don't just 'slip your mind.'"

Draco snorted and turned away from her, but he could not evade her... not being this close to her.

"My mind was on other things," said Draco coolly.

Hermione looked at Draco with her hard 'I-know-you-aren't-telling-me-something' glare. "Your father put you up to this whole thing, didn't he?"

Malfoy looked back to Hermione and locked eyes with her, peering into her soul... as if trying to find something that he was not sure existed within. She had often locked eyes with Sean and had felt this same sort of feeling. He often looked beyond her, as if she were a clear, see-through pane of glass. It made her feel naked, yet intrigued all at once. The same sort of feeling was present with Draco, for she knew he was looking through her, and while she did indeed feel naked, there was no trace of the warm pleasantness she had felt with Sean. Instead, Draco's stare seemed more invasive and awkward.

"No," said Draco at last. "My father told me what I needed to do," he continued. "It was my choice on how to do it."

Hermione maintained her lock on Draco's eyes, despite the unpleasantness of his gaze. She would not back away from him now.

"Then, why are you ashamed?" she asked.

Draco licked his lips with a nervous sort of tension. "Because," said Draco. "Once this task is complete and Voldemort rises to a new level of power should Narhassa fall into his hands, I will be made a Deatheater."

Hermione curled her upper lip. "Isn't that what you've always wanted?"

"Yeah," said Draco, with a shrug.

"Then, I fail to see your conflictions," snapped Hermione, still maintaining a painful stare upon Draco's face.

"It's what I've always wanted... until now," said Draco firmly, and to Hermione's delight, he severed their eye contact, looking away.

Hermione was completely stunned at first. What was he trying to say?

"All my life," said Draco softly, looking toward the cave entrance where bright white flurries of snow were visible in the moonlight, "I wanted to do something that would change the world."

Hermione stunned expression did not faltered, as the words simply did not come to her mouth.

"My father knew this and... well, he encouraged it," he continued, his voice nearly lost to the howling of wind outside. "When I was a child, before Hogwarts, he always found the time to help me live these fantasies." A trace of a smile appeared on Draco's face. "One day, I came to him and told him I wanted to be like Robin Hood one day... he sent me off to archery camp that summer, just to make me happy."

"This doesn't sound like the Lucius Malfoy I know," said Hermione crisply, almost regretting the words as soon as they came off her tongue.

Yet, Draco ignored them.

"He sent me away to fencing camp when I said I wanted to be a knight... he fostered my dreams and made them real, until the age of ten."

"What happened then?" asked Hermione, scarcely able to believe she was interested in Draco Malfoy's past.

"He told me that once a Malfoy's age reaches double digits," he said in a patronizing voice. "He told me I would never be Robin Hood, I would never be a knight... unless I made it happen."

Hermione winced as he continued.

"He told me that dreams, like the ones I had been raised on, are fickle little things, and that if I wanted to realize them, to be complete again, I would have to work for them," he spoke, his pointed face seeming indifferent to the words coming out of his mouth.

"And so," said Draco calmly. "He introduced me to Crabbe and Goyle... two sons of fellow Deatheaters. He told me it was my charge to make sure they got through Hogwarts and graduated. I was to never leave their side."

"So, that is how your little group got together," said Hermione with a slight smile. "Malfoy, the merciful helper."

Draco frowned wryly. "That's not to say I did not like it," he said. "While the two of them are stupider than half-giants after ten pints of guinness, they are loyal, cruel and excessive. My father was quick to tell me that, in exchange for what they needed, they would pledge their loyalty to me. And they did."

Hermione nodded, this story making enough sense to her in her mind.

"And so, when Voldemort rose last year, my father explained it in the exact same terms. In exchange for my pledge of loyalty to him, Voldemort would make sure all of my dreams would come true. By getting Crabbe and Goyle through Hogwarts, I will make their dreams come true... and they will give me their loyalty."

The girl sighed. "Draco, Voldemort isn't going to make your dreams come true."

Draco looked at her with sincerity written in his gray pupils. "Tell me something I don't know. When I had Crabbe and Goyle put you down in this cave, away from everything... that is when I knew this was for real. I could no longer be Robin Hood, instead, I feel like the Sheriff of Nottingham... I will no longer be a knight; just a blackguard."

Hermione swallowed a rising lump in her throat, despite her own revolution. She was actually feeling sympathy for this creep?

"My dreams will never come true," he said dourly. "And I've been forced to accept that."

"But..." began Hermione.

"Now, the whole deal with Voldemort doesn't sound seem so good," he continued. "I pledged my loyalty, but what am I going to get in return?"

Hermione glared at Draco. "If that's how you feel, then what are you doing... giving away the only weapon that can stop him!"

A heavy tension passed between the two of them as Draco heaved a sigh.

"I don't know... and that's what is making me ashamed," he said at last.

* * * * * * * * * * *

"Hey," said Draco's voice, breaking the tension of the frigid night. Hermione had fallen into a tired trance as the hours had slipped by. Outside, the flurries had stopped and the wind had died down. It was clear that sleep was not coming to either wizard this night. "Are you still awake?"

Hermione, over the course of the last few hours had begrudgingly taken to leaning upon Draco for both warmth and support. To her dismay, she found that her head had been resting on his shoulder, without her even realizing it.

"How could I possibly sleep?" said Hermione angrily. "You are single-handedly responsible for the worst night of my life, yet I'm forced to be this close to you out of desire to survive."

"Fair enough," said Draco sarcastically. "Look, for what its worth, I'm sorry. Ok?"

"Do not resuscitate me," said Hermione with one of her feminine grunts. "If you apologized, that means I've just frozen to death... and I'm going to that place in the sky with all the attractive guys."

"Cute," muttered Draco. Hermione could almost hear him rolling his eyes. "It's almost over. The sun will be rising shortly."

Hermione blinked the fatigue out of her eyes. "Let me ask you a question," she began. "If you had the choice... you know... between good and evil..."

"You want me to choose between you and Voldemort?" Draco asked slyly.

Hermione felt she had been slapped. "Heck no!" she spluttered. "Look, just because I didn't want to let you die does not mean I feel anything but contempt for you!"

Draco smirked in the darkness humming annoyingly. "Hmm, you were holding me pretty tight. I've been held by many girls before, and yes... that was tight."

Hermione glared at him in the darkness. "I was trying to absorb the heat energy that is emanating from your useless hide."

Malfoy considered this for a moment, blowing some icy smoke from his lungs.

"Nah, you want me and you know it."

Hermione curled her lip. She was not going to loose this battle of willpower to Malfoy, especially after saving his life. To spite him, she rested her head back on his shoulder.

"That's right," she said angrily. "Get hot under the collar. You will produce more heat that way."

"I'm hot all over," said Draco loftily. "Your presence is irrelevant."

"Mmm," said Hermione, stifling a yawn. "Maybe you should keep dreaming, Robin Hood."

Draco chuckled slightly... not the cold, hard, malicious chuckle of Malfoy, but a chuckle of humility that she had never heard from him before. Without preamble or hesitation, he put his arm around Hermione.

"And what is that unscrupulous detachment of your body doing around my shoulders?" demanded Hermione, staring up at Draco lividly.

Draco glared down at her, his mirth fading quickly. "If you want to use one of my shoulders, it will cost you two of yours. Call it Pureblood/Mudblood ratio."

Hermione shrugged immaturely, and accepted Draco's arm. "Oh, that's original. I would tell you to go drown yourself in a snow bank, but I need your body heat."

Despite how much Hermione told herself that Draco Malfoy's arm around her was like being constricted by a boa, she could not help but find comfort in this position. And, amazingly enough, sleep was soon to follow as she (there was only one word to describe it) snuggled against Draco.

* * * * * * * * * * *

The floor, suddenly rushing up to meet her, awakened Hermione with a start. Lacking much grace, Hermione landed upon the stony floor of the cave with a grunt.

"Rise and shine," said Malfoy, leaning over her slyly. Apparently, he had suddenly stood, ridding Hermione of his arm and his presence at the same time.

"Prat," muttered Hermione as willed a strange dream, involving Draco running from a Hungarian Horntail ridden by Ron, out of her mind. It must have been her idea of what Ron's reaction would be if she ever found out how close Draco and her had been that night.

"Come on," said Draco, offering his hand to her.

Hermione looked at it for a moment, and stood... without his help.

Draco withdrew his hand with a smirk. "Still not smitten by me?"

"Go kiss a cobra," muttered Hermione, as she began to work out the cramps in her legs and lower back.

Draco smirked and withdrew a comb from his robe, as well as a small vanity mirror.

"Yes," said Draco firmly, looking into the mirror as he worked on his hair. "Despite Mudblood contamination, I am still a sexy beast."

"You have the beast part right," snapped Hermione. "Wouldn't bet the other parts, though."

"Ugh," said Draco as he withdrew two mints from the front pocket of his robe. "Your breath stinks... quick, save the planet and suck on this."

Draco flipped one of the mints over to Hermione and popped the second into his mouth. She was as close to slapping him as she had been the entire time, but amazingly, she held her cool.

"Oh yeah," said Draco, withdrawing Hermione's wand from yet another pocket in his robe. "Your wand isn't going to do me much good... and you have mine. How about a trade?"

Hermione withdrew the wand she had taken from Draco last night and handed it over to him without much concern. Draco handed hers back, without a thought.

And suddenly, both froze.

Hermione looked at Draco, for now she had the power to repay everything he had just done to her. She could curse him so badly for their night together and make sure he'd have so sort of permanent reminder.

And Draco could once again subdue her and bring her under his every whim once again. Both wizards locked eyes with each other, yet, there was no trace of competition within Draco's eyes.

Hermione lowered her wand first, putting it into the folds of her robe. She refused to comment on this situation, but Draco also lowered his, apparently sharing an unspoken exchange with Hermione.

And without much further adieu, Draco lead them out of the icy cave, a backpack slung lazily over his shoulders, holding his blanket and cooking pan. Despite the cold temperature, there was a light fog that obscured far-reaching vision in the forest. They were apparently not as deep in the forest as Draco lied, for the trees were fairly sparse.

Draco took the lead by about five feet, leading them through the newly fallen snow. Hermione followed behind, stepping in his footsteps to avoid the few inches of snow that had fallen last night. Apparently, the cave they had been staying in was little more than a pile of rocks that led underground into the small chamber in which they had stayed for the better part of fourteen hours.

"You aren't truly going to go through with this deal, are you?" demanded Hermione as they walked through the forest.

Draco nodded and looked back at her for a second, before continuing forward. "Of course I am."

"After all of your bold words... you are still going to betray me?" asked Hermione. "Look, Draco, let's just go back to Hogwarts. I won't tell them what you did and I'll force Ron and Harry to secrecy, ok?"

Draco scoffed, and didn't even turn around. "Granger, you think we bonded last night or something? You think I'm more human now that you've touched me, held me and snuggled against me for seven hours?"

Hermione's face became stony. "I guess not. I had hoped though."

Draco rolled his eyes as he pushed a branch out of his way. "You waste hope on me, Granger, and in this sodding world, it is not to be distributed lightly."

"I guess you are your father's pet," said Hermione sharply. "Keep jumping through enough of his hoops, and maybe you'll get a treat."

Draco whirled around, pointing a finger at Hermione angrily. "That's enough, Mudblood. I'm a patient guy, but no sleep and freezing cold tends to make me rather erratic. "

Hermione fell silent for the rest of their trip.

Finally, their destination came into sight, a clearing about a mile away from Hogwarts, by Hermione's best guess. She thought it looked familiar, as her extremely skillful long-term memory remembered a clearing from her first year, when she traveled into the woods with Hagrid.

And within the clearing, stood a very concerned looking Ron Weasley, who was spinning every which way. In his left hand, the Sorting Hat dangled by its hood.

"Malfoy!" he shouted desperately, "Where are you?"

Draco turned around and looked to Hermione, holding his wand to her. "Go out, take the Sorting Hat, and bring it back to me."

Hermione sighed and, desiring for this to be over, walked out onto the clearing.

"Hermione!" shouted Ron, as he rushed over to her and lifted her off the ground in a massive embrace. "Are you hurt? What happened? Did he do anything? Where is he?"

"Can't... breathe..." stated Hermione.

"Oh, sorry," said Ron, hugging her with less firmness, but the same passion. "I was so scared."

"It's fine, Ron," said Hermione softly. "I need to bring Malfoy the Sorting Hat... he has a wand pointed at both of us."

Ron looked around angrily. "Where is he?" he roared.

"Ron," said Hermione cautiously. "Now is not the time for heroics... please."

"It's fine," said a voice from the direction Hermione had just come from as Draco Malfoy stepped out from behind the tree. "I don't hide from people, let alone weasels."

Before Ron could retort, Malfoy curled his lips up slyly. "Draw the sword of Gryffindor from the hat."

Ron hastily complied, seeing Malfoy's wand trained on him. He reached his hand in, and a moment later, the shimmering white sword was produced from within. Ron then placed it back into the hat.

"Good," said Draco smartly. "How'd you manage to get it?"

"I went into Dumbledore's Office early this morning and took it," said Ron shamefully. "Before he got in. He'll probably never again, thanks to a scumbag like you."

"Now, now, Weasley... don't provoke me," said Draco, waving his wand chastising. "Throw it here."

Ron angrily tossed the Sorting Hat to Draco, barely making it halfway to him. Draco swished his wand in the air as it landed upon the snow.

"Accio, Sorting Hat!" said Draco, as the hat flew the rest of the distance to him and landed in his free hand. "Thanks Weasley... good morrow then."

Yet, before he could retreat back to the woods, Malfoy felt a sturdy object pressed to the back of his head... a pointy, wooden one. He was amazed at the person's stealthy foot and concealment, for he did not consider himself all that easy to sneak up on. He turned his head around to see who it was, but saw nothing more than a disembodied hand with a wand aimed at him. His archrival removed his Invisibility Cloak, showing how he snooped up behind Draco easily. Malfoy froze, as he held his own wand tightly pointed at Ron, and very much not at his new enemy.

"I should have suspected," said Draco. "Weasley would not try a thing without you holding his leash. Draco turned back to his forward position, Potter's wand directly behind his head.

Harry glowered at Draco, his emerald green eyes boiling over with bridled rage. "Sneak attacking my two best friends, kidnapping one of them, and stabbing me in the back..." he said softly, in his calm 'I-think-killing-you-might-not-be-a-bad-idea voice'. "What am I going to do with you, Draco Malfoy?"

Malfoy shrugged, a smirk upon his face as he subtly turned his wand backwards between his fingertips, facing Harry's chest, which was behind him. Harry did not see this action, for Malfoy's body was in the way.

"Harry," said Hermione, looking over to Malfoy and Harry. "Don't hurt him, please! He's caught."

Harry looked back to Hermione, his voice very calm in place of his controlled anger. "Can I just hurt him... a little bit? I mean, after all he has done... I think he needs a bit more than a slap on the wrist!"

Malfoy smirked slyly at Harry, angling his wand into alignment with his arch nemesis' chest, while he looked at Hermione.

"Do what you have to do, Potter."

* * * * * * * * * * *

Next Chapter: I think we are pretty much set up for a fight here... eh? But, I'm keeping my mouth shut on that point. The next chapter will take us up to the day of December 1^st and Ben Nevis, so expect a bit of substance to it.

I hope you all didn't mind a quick Draco/Hermione subplot here. I know I didn't have to spend so much time on it, but, I had a blast writing it even if it really could be almost a stand-alone chapter without too much plot development. Could it be that Hermione has taken a fancy to Draco? She defended him in the last scene. Does Ron have another obstacle in the way of having Hermione? Stay Tuned.