Short fic. Just a little drama I wrote on a whim. And yes, more Dramione. OoC 7th book. I hope you guys enjoy it. (:

xxxxx

Draco Malfoy Apparated just outside the Burrow's magical boundaries and ran inside, his face the picture of desperation. He burst into the house, breathing hard. "They've –they've found one of our safe houses." He paused, clutching at his side in pain. "I just heard Yax- Yaxley telling Voldemort they'd be dispatching some Death Eaters to clear… it out." He sat down, grimacing as pain shot through his side. He hadn't run that much in a while.

When he looked up, the room had gone quiet. Tonks and Lupin had been chatting privately in one corner; now they were looking at him, eyes wide with shock. Fred, George and Ginny had been playing Exploding Snap in front of the fire, but they had stopped, their game exploding without their notice. Mr. and Mrs. Weasely had abandoned their cocoa, and Harry was just staring at Malfoy, mouth agape. Finally, Lupin broke the silence.

"When?"

"Just- just now. I just left. I had to run, though, and I'm not-" He cut off, panting. "I'm not sure if they saw me leave. I just wanted to make sure you all...knew."

"And which—which safe house?"

"Tonks' house," Malfoy said, looking around. Ron had entered the room, clutching a cup of tea; he now looked as if he had seen a ghost. They were all here, everyone except… "Where's Hermione?" When he received no response, he looked at everyone again. Everyone was looking at him with pale faces. Ginny had stood up, horror written all over her face. "Why's everybody looking at me? Where-" Malfoy paused, blood draining from his face. In barely a whisper, he repeated his question. "Where's Hermione?"

A long silence greeted his question. Then Harry whispered, "She went to Tonks' house."

Malfoy felt as though his heart had stopped. Harry started toward him, and noise erupted around him, but he noticed nothing. He turned around and ran outside and once he had passed the magical boundaries he Disapparated.

xxxxx

"Hermione! Hermione where are you?" Malfoy tore into the house, looking around frantically. "Hermione! Hermione, answer me please, Hermione, where are you?" He ran up the stairs, his heart pounding. No, no, no, please no. "Hermione!" He could barely contain his desperation.

"Draco, I'm right here. What's wrong?" Hermione appeared on the top of the stairs. "I was in Tonks' room, looking for a book. What's wrong?" she repeated, staring at him.

"Hermione." Draco sighed with relief and closed the distance between them, enveloping her in his arms. She was alive. "Oh thank Merlin." He pushed her away and grabbed her hand. "Come on, quickly. We need to leave. Now."

"But –why? I mean, I haven't found what I need yet and- Draco, what's going on?" Hermione asked as Draco ran to the window and looked around, fear written all over his face.

"We need to go, Hermione. Now. Before they figure out—"

"Figure out what, Draco? Hm?" A chill ran down Draco's spine as the cold voice came from behind him. Merlin. Of all people, why her? Why did the Dark Lord have to send her? He turned around and saw the face of Bellatrix Lestrange at the foot of the stairs, smirking at her prey. She approached them slowly, languidly; a lioness smug at the knowledge that she had cornered her prey.

"Perhaps you were worried we'd figure out what side you really played on now? Or perhaps worried that we'd figure out your true feelings for this piece of filth standing next to you, soiling my air? Why do you think the Dark Lord thought it was safe to discuss the new attack in front of you?" Bellatrix laughed manically, turning her wand on the two of them. Draco instinctively pulled Hermione behind him, but she pushed him aside and raised her wand in response. "He knew where this filthy Mudblood was and he knew you would go to her once you realized she was in danger. We just had to lie in wait, and you acted just as he thought you would. So predictable," she spat.

"How did you know?" Draco asked, raising his wand as well.

"It was easy. Gone so often, taking too long on espionage trips, flinching at the punishments the Dark Lord elaborated for this so-called Golden Trio. You were never very good at hiding your feelings." She laughed derisively.

"But honestly, Draco," she continued, pacing toward them, a disgusted look scrawled across her features, "contaminating the family like this trash?" She raised her wand. "No matter. He may be merciful if you claim you were enspelled. The Dark Lord has ordered a cleansing of the family ties and soon, we will be cleansed. Scum like this will no longer be associated with a Malfoy." A manic sort of happiness spread over her face. "AVADA KEDAVRA!"

"NO!"

And suddenly more voices burst into the room, shouting curses and names. Bursts of light filled the room as spells were cast. But one voice rose above the others in an anguished scream as the green light from Bellatrix' curse faded.

xxxxx

Harry stood panting in the doorway of Tonks' ruined house. They had followed almost immediately after Draco had Disapparated, only to be held up at the magical boundary (or where it used to end) by some Death Eaters. After a brief struggle they had raced into the house just in time to hear Bellatrix scream the Killing Curse. They'd manage to wound her, but she had escaped alive, leaving behind the damage she had caused.

The damage…

Harry turned back to the house, a heavy weight on his shoulders. He had come outside, if only to briefly escape the grief that lay inside the house. He couldn't bear another minute of seeing his friend like this. The heartbreak was so palpable it affected them all. Draco… So new, so new to the Light, and already he had suffered. He hadn't deserved to be torn apart like this.

"Harry?" He looked up to see Ron there, despair written all over his face. "You need to come back inside, mate. We need to…" Ron gulped. "We need to move the body. I don't think… not alone…" Harry could tell Ron was trying hard not to cry. He just nodded and followed Ron to the back of the house.

There it was, the picture of anguish. Sobbing, head resting on the chest of their former comrade. Screaming, over and over. At first Harry could only hear a voice, then incoherent sounds. After a while, Harry realized what the words were. That torn, heartbroken voice being ripped from a sob-filled throat was saying, again and again, "Wake up."

And there was Ginny, hugging, trying to console. When the voice finally exhausted itself, too overcome with sadness even to cry, Ginny just tightened her hold and said, "I'm so sorry Hermione, but he's not going to wake up. He's gone."