He reached out to her from his hiding place before he could even consider what he was doing and pulled her close to him. She stumbled, falling into his chest with a startled gasp, but as he was standing in an alcove in the school's corridors it wasn't that either had far to fall. His back slammed against the stone wall, and the brunette's fingers curled into his jumper as they both managed to steady themselves. She looked up at him, hesitating before pulling away, banging in the wall behind her. She didn't have time to question him though as his wand was out and he was muttering something under his breath. Before long there was a wall, blocking them in and she was just about to scream at him and demand to know what he was doing before his cool, long fingers were against her lips and he moved closer. "Shut up, Granger." He growled at her, his gaze flicking to the illusion of the wall at his side and Hermione frowned as she heard footsteps run past and the manic laughter of Bellatrix and that only served to make her frown more. He had saved her, because surely if he hadn't grabbed her she would have ran straight into the path of the Death Eaters, but she couldn't understand why. He was one of them. He had the black mark on his arm and while it was hidden she could almost see the ugly thing mocking her.

Hermione pulled away from him, disgusted. She didn't have time for this, she had to find Harry and Ron. His mind games would have to wait until later. "I don't care what you're up to Malfoy, but I don't have time for this. They are here because of you and I need to find my friends." She muttered, slipping past him. He moved to grab her arm again but she spun on her heel and had her wand out before he could stop her. He didn't so much as flinch and just held her gaze. Everything could come crashing and burning down around him, he wanted nothing more than to lose himself in those fierce eyes of her.

Hesitantly he reached out and took her arm, gently pushing the sleeve up to show him the still healing wound that Bellatrix had given her. She watched in him wary silence, feeling threatened and disgusted by his touch but yet it sent thrilling shocks through her that she knew she shouldn't be feeling.

"I suppose it amuses you." She snapped, trying to tug her arm away again but he wouldn't let her, and instead he raised his gaze from her arm to look at her and Hermione found herself a little surprised by the look he gave her. It was a mix of shame and anger. Draco covered the awful word that had been carved into her arm with one simple touch of his palm and held her gaze.

"Its disgusting." He said softly, and Hermione then pulled her arm back from him and took a step away from him.

"Yes, as are all mudbloods. Right, Malfoy?" She snapped, turning her back to him. He was the reason that so many of her loved ones were dead. He was the cause of so much heartache and misery and pain throughout her time in Hogwarts.

"That's not what I meant." He muttered, looking at her and then glancing back at the corridor when he heard his name. His mother, and she sounded panicked. He knew that she wouldn't see in here past his illusion, but he left then she'd wonder why he was hiding behind the illusion. He didn't have time to consider it because Hermione dashed out in his lapse of concentration.

Draco watched as she was hit by a spell and sent crashing into a statue that shattered from the force. He moved then, running over to the girl – a sick feeling of dread settling in his gut. What if she was badly hurt? He looked up at his name and saw both his parents. His mother was always more genlte. He could have easily explained his growing attraction to the strong brunette that lay dazed at his feet; she would have grew to understand. His father was different and it was his wand that was still drawn. He would kill her.

"Draco. Move away from her." Lucius snapped at his son. "That filthy mudblood dies now."

Draco looked down at Hermione, who was watching his father fearfully and he knew then that he would betray his family to save her. He would die to save her if that meant he would finally do one thing right. He looked back at his father and then to Hermione again, who turned to meet his gaze. Ignoring the hatred, fear and dread that she looked at him with, Draco leant down and pulled the girl to her feet. He was about to move away when she stumbled, clearly dizzy and fell against him. He wrapped a protective arm around her and pulled his wand from his pocket, glaring at his father.

"No, she doesn't." Draco said, glancing to his mother who only offered him a small – and yet privately proud – smile. She could so easily read him, and she knew why he was helping her. Regardless of his mother's silent acceptance, his father never once lowered his wand.

"Son, move. Do not become a traitor." Lucius shouted and Draco let go of Hermione then, stepping in front of her. Behind him he heard running footsteps and glanced over his shoulder to see two of Hermione's friends. The strange blonde one – Luna, and the school's golden boy, Harry himself.

Draco took one glance at Hermione who stood watching him with confusion, before he gently pushed her towards her friends. "Go." He said softly, turning his attention to his father then and casting a quick disarming charm. Lucius blocked it naturally, but it provided enough of a distraction to let Hermione run towards her friends. Draco risked a look back, seeing the brunette run into a hug that Luna offered, while Harry watched him the entire time.

The next thing that Draco knew, he was crashing into the wall at his side and the world swam before him. He heard his mother's shocked shouting and then more footsteps. Beyond that, he was aware of the sounds of a duel. Through blurred vision he saw Harry, Luna and Hermione warding off his father. His mother was at his side, healing the cut that was seeping blood into his eyes.

When Draco was healed and on his feet again he fired a disarming charm at his father, allowing Harry to send him crashing back into one of the walls. Harry and Luna then ran and Hermione moved to follow but she turned to him. His mother placed a gentle kiss on his head. "Go with them, Draco. She is a strong girl and I'm proud of you." She said, moving back to her husband who was lying in a heap but beginning to right himself and clearly seething with rage.

Draco didn't hesitate after that. He ran over to Hermione and grabbed her arm, dragging her around the corner into a separate corridor. "What the hell are you thinking just standing about?" He snapped at her when she pulled him to a stop. "Do you have any idea the damage that he can do?"

"He attacked you." She said softly, reaching a delicate hand up to brush her fingers through the drying blood on his forehead. He grabbed her wrist and gently moved her hand away as she glanced at the blood on her fingertips and then into his eyes again. "And you saved me. What game are you playing?" She asked, catching a glimpse of the Mark on his arm. She reached forward and tugged his sleeve up, seeing that the Mark. It hadn't fully healed, but she didn't get a close look at it because he pulled his arm away, covering up the mark. "You're rejecting it..." Hermione said, mostly to herself.

Draco felt the low growl build in his throat and he glowered at her. "Shut up Granger!" He snapped, pulling his sleeve down to cover the Mark. "What part of my father being a death-eater that is trying to kill you did you not understand?" He snapped at her, glancing down the corridor. They wouldn't have any time to run that way now. Draco flinched when he felt Hermione grab his wrist and pull him into an alcove. This alcove was smaller than the previous one; there was barely enough room to fit them both in the small space.

Draco watched the brunette witch as she mumbled a cloaking spell and then step back just as his father charged down the corridor with his mother at his heels. Draco couldn't focus too much on the rage on his father's face because most of his concentration was almost exclusively on the brunette who was holding her breath in front of him.

When she'd stepped back she had bumped into him and now she stood with her back against his chest and trying to force her pulse to stop its jumping beating from the closeness. She turned to face him, and saw that he seemed just as confused as she did. They were fighting for opposing sides, but there was a spark between them, some kind of inappropriate and unguarded want. "Draco..." She mumbled and watched him blink his surprise at her use of his given name.

He wasn't sure how it happened, or what had compelled him into thinking that it was a good idea, but he bent his head so that he could brush his lips to hers. She hesitated only for a moment before she allowed the kiss, and matched his efforts. She pushed him into the wall behind him as his hands moved to her waist, holding her close – but not too close. He turned them around so that he could hold her against the wall and deepened their kiss. It was rough and needy and forbidden. He didn't know if it was her, or if it was because he had so much frustrated emotions floating about but when he pulled away he was forced to catch his breath.

Draco pressed his forehead against Hermione's as she let out a small, hearty sigh. His left arm was pressed into the stone wall above her head, allowing him to tower over her, while his right hand was clasping hers and holding it to the wall. There was a brief moment of silence behind them, and then the sound of the chaos and the fighting started to seep in. "We need to go. I need to help them!" She said softly but urgently but Draco couldn't make himself let go of her. "Malfoy, move!" She snapped.

"Shut up Granger." Draco mumbled and she blinked at him, stunned. "Just shut up and kiss me." He muttered, looking down at her slightly swollen lips and then back to her eyes. "I know you need to help. I want to help too. I want to do what I can to help make things right, but just for one minute, forget all that." He whispered the words, words that he knew were true, words that he needed to say but they all still tasted like dirt in his mouth. "Just... For one minute forget all the fighting and forget that you hate me and just kiss me." He said in a rush, taking her mouth with his own again, swallowing her gasp and pressing against her.

She tasted delicious, despite the metallic hint of blood that he could taste on her tongue. She wrapped her free arm around his back, pulling him even closer so that their bodies were pressed against each other. She could feel all his hard, tense muscles beneath his clothes, pushed into her chest. When she gripped his shoulder hard, he let out a low groan and picked her up, keeping her pinned to the wall. She responded by wrapping her legs around his waist.

Draco let go of her hand, pressing his hand to the wall while his other snaked under Hermione's thigh to keep her up. She pushed her hands through his hair and he shivered when her fingers touched the top of his spine and he bit her lower lip. She let out a soft moan that he muffled by kissing her further. He slipped his tongue into her mouth and flicked his tongue against hers. Her fingers found a sensitive spot behind his ear and he let out a soft groan. God, she was intoxicating. How had he never noticed this before? The spicy, yet floral scent she had that was entirely her own. How silky smooth her hair felt beneath his fingertips despite its dishevelled look.

Footsteps echoed up the corridor and they finally pulled away from each other. "Hermione?" The voice was Harry's, and clearly worried. His call was followed by Ron's voice, and Draco sighed before gently putting her down onto the ground again. She met his gaze and reached up to brush her thumb along his bottom lip and had to force back the urge to nibble on it more. It was slightly swollen and she now craved it more than anything.

"My mum used to always say that young boys bully the girls that they have crushes on." She said softly, looking up into those impossibly grey eyes. He didn't comment on her thoughts. He didn't want to admit that at some point all his teasing and cruelty towards her had been for a different reason. He had started to grow doubtful of the issue with her blood. He had started to respect her strength and her intelligence. After that everything just struck him, he couldn't help but steal glances of her in classes. Her answering every question stopped being so annoying. He found that she had began to star in some of his more adult dreams.

At first he was ashamed of his attraction towards her, but as time passed he became more accustomed to the tightening of his groin as he awoke from a dream of her. Draco stepped to the side and let Hermione slip past him, although she did it reluctantly.

"Harry. Ron. Thank goodness you're both okay." She said, running over them both and hugging them. Draco watched them silently; watched her. It was then that Ron spotted him and he had his wand aimed at Draco before the blonde could argue his gaze. It was Hermione that stopped Draco from being hexed to hell and back. She placed a gentle hand on Ron's wrist and shook her head.

"Ron, its okay. Draco saved me. He's..." She paused and glanced over her shoulder at Draco and offered him a small smile. "He's not like them."

"Like hell he is Hermione." Ron snapped, though he did lower his wand. "He's a death-eater. He's just as evil as his father." Ron then looked at Hermione and took her arm. "Come on, we need to go help them. Leave this tosser to rot."

Draco watched them leave, and met Hermione's gaze as she turned to him. He didn't follow them, instead he turned and headed down the corridor. If he lost himself in the hallways and the fighting then he could maybe get out of the building, or somehow help them win this fight. Mostly he had to just avoid his father. The golden trio would make things better. They always did, and Draco knew that his mother would calm Lucius down. In time, Draco would be able to face his father with nothing more than his father's usual cold attitude, disgust and disappointment.