The Grey In His Eyes! Dramoine Story (Draco & Hermione)

Chapter Four ~ Checkmate

Draco wasn't sure how he felt about Hermione Granger.

He didn't like her, that was a known fact. He was attracted to her, that was an unknown fact that he prayed no one would ever know. And also, he liked her; To some extent. Maybe it was that she was particularly easy to converse and joke with, or more so than everyone else in the Order of the Phoenix. But maybe it was that she cared about him, and he cared about her... There was a fine line, and it wasn't infinite care, but it was there. Barely.

Their last conversation stirred something inside him. 'You aren't a bad person either'. Six simple words that had kept him wondering about her for hours. Why had Granger said this? Of all people, she should be the one saying opposite as she had for the many years before. But then again, everything had changed since then.

Another person he had grown to like was Potter. As much as he hated Potter in school, he was just as easy to talk to as Granger and quite less argumentative. He was also most trusting and forgiving. There was a lot to respect about him, really. Much more than there was for anyone else.

Life with the Phoenix was becoming easier, but not quite yet simple. He still wasn't trusted. He was still the outcast; The black sheep.

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Though battle was often, it would never be familiar. It was always hard. It was difficult to go in brave, no matter who you were. It was easy to fear that you or your friends would be the ones killed this time. Every battle proved that.

Hermione stood behind a hill somewhere in a forest clearing; She was still unsure on their exact location. She was doing what she'd done so many times before; dueling Death Eaters. It was something that had become so casual and yet it was still out of the normal.

She looked over to where Draco was standing. He made it look so easy. His jinxes and curses were all shot out with a lazy flick of his wand. He looked almost... relaxed. But then she remembered the things he had said. He hated himself, really. She wondered who else he had confided that little known fact in. His outward shell was different.

"Hello, pretty" came a snarling voice standing merely feet behind her.

She turned around. Dolohov. The same Death Eater that had near killed her with a curse in fifth year. The same Death Eater that had found her, Harry, and... Well, it was best not to think his name, at a Muggle coffee shop. "Dolohov" she said tonelessly.

"Yes, Mudblood, that's my name" Dolohov sneered.

"Why do you still say Mudblood?" she inquired. One of Hermione's weaknesses was morals, and thinking other people could be persuaded. In war, it didn't serve her very well. "Surely you've learned by now that Blood Status doesn't make a difference".

But in the midsts of her motherly lecture, there was a cry of 'Incarcerous', and she felt ropes bind her. She lay helpless spread in front of Dolohov, who was still sneering at her. "Let's finish what I couldn't finish last time" he said coldly. He flicked his wand and soon enough, a familiar curse came forth form his wand, and an evil gleam came forth from his eyes.

The same purple streak of flame from the Department of Mysteries slashed across Hermione's chest. She whimpered before falling into unconsciousness.

At the sight of the purple flame, Draco knew what had happened; Antonin Dolohov's signature curse. He broke into a run and collapsed right at her side. "Granger" he muttered. He lifted her shirt slightly to see a harsh burn across her torso, stained a purplish red. "Dammit".

He had to think quickly. They each had a Portkey out of where they were standing, all arranged to arrive back at Headquarters at different times... He was leaving in minutes, Granger was set to leave in an hour. He pulled out his own Portkey, which was a Knut, and placed it in her hand.