Draco's POV-
She sprinted past me, her bushy brown hair flying behind her as she tried to escape from the Inquisitorial Squad, especially Millicent Bullstrode - the Slytherin female that could pass of as a guy with her muscle size and strength - who vowed that she would be the one to catch the Gryffindor princess.
I moved my foot slightly to reposition myself, but it caused a small squeak to echo in the hallway around us. Hermione abruptly stopped running and whipped her wand out, going in her natural fighting stance. Her eyes roamed over her every surrounding, the brown orbs making sure to analyse every small detail of each object lying in that hallway, but that also meant that her eyes landed on my crouched form.
"Malfoy," She said bluntly, keeping her wand aimed at my face whilst narrowing her eyes.
"Go," I whispered, unable to hold her intense gaze.
She didn't budge, but I saw her fingers clench around her wand even tighter than they were before. I knew she was still mad from the day I docked point from her house, but I knew it was more than that. Once again I called her that name that breaks her on the inside, but even though I hated to admit to myself, it broke me; regret always consuming my body after I see that glint in her alluring eyes.
"Hermione, go now, before someone else catches you," I pleaded.
"Why should I listen to anything your pathetic mouth tells me to do. And who are you to try to help a mudblood?" She spat back, inching closer.
"Granger, this is no time for our pointless fights. You need to get away now! Bullstrode's literally attempting to sniff you out, and you know what she's like when it comes to fighting. She acts like a muggle, a very dangerous one might I add. So I advise you stop trying to find an argument and get the hell out of here," I ordered.
Hermione looked momentarily stunned before the ghost of a smile flew across here features and her wand lowered. She quickly turned around and began to jog away but stopped, turning around once again.
"Thank you," Was all she said with a smile as she started jogging backwards around a corner, but right as she turned around, she ran right into the arms of the vicious Slytherin female.
"Well, well, well. Guess who caught you mudblood. I guess your not as bright as everyone assumes you are," Millicent sneered, walking back around the corner with one arm around Hermione's neck and the other pointing a wand to the back of her head.
I groaned inwardly and was about to throw a wandless curse at Bulstrode but stopped when I saw the slight shake of Hermione's head, telling me not to knock the Slytherin witch out cold for the next week. I turned around without a word and walked towards Umbridge's office, knowing that the rest of the wanted D.A members would've already been captured, but when I walked into the office, was mildly surprised when all I saw was Potter and Umbridge.
"Take his wand," Umbridge barked and Millicent was quick to snatch it out of Potter's robe pocket, "Take hers too,"
I glanced up at Hermione who tensed and instinctively held a tighter grip on her wand. She laid her brown orbs on mine as I walked closer to her, neither of us breaking the contact as I came closer to her. Her face, especially her eyes, were neutral as she put up her defence mask, one that was strong enough not even I could read through her.
"Trust me, Granger," I whispered in her ear, gently taking her wand as I stepped back.
We gave each other a brief nod but we're both interrupted by Millicent handing me Potter's wand. She walked up to Hermione and pinned her against the wall; the brunette wincing slightly. Right as I turned around, the other members of the Inquisitorial squad walked into the room with prisoners of their own.
Umbridge looked at the members of her squad and looked at each of us with pure-evil glee. I knew then that the members of the army Potter had created were done for. Especially when Umbridge was planning on using the crutiatis curse on Potter when Snape failed to produce any veritaserum.
"Cruc-"
"NO!" Umbridge was cut off by Hermione's cracked voice, "No - Harry - we'll have to tell her!"
"No way!" Potter yelled back.
"We'll have to, Harry, she'll force it out of us anyway. What's ... what's the point?" Hermione whimpered, crying weakly onto Millicent's robes.
Millicent jumped forward, looking disgusted. I desperately wanted to yell out to Hermione to keep quiet and not give in, but I knew I couldn't. She looked up before placing her head in her hands, but I noticed that there wasn't a single tear lining her brown eyes.
"Well, well, well. Little Miss Question-all is going to give us some answers! Come on then, girl, come on!" Umbridge said triumphantly.
Hermione began to cry out her story; her head in her hands. I looked around at the other members of her army and saw that they were looking at her with mild surprise and not with complete dislike for her breaking.
That was when it hit me.
She wasn't breaking at all, in fact she was tricking the toad teacher without the cat-obsessed woman even realising. But I also knew that Hermione would have a strong and dangerous reason behind it.
I averted my attention back to the brunette as she stood up; Umbridge's wand pointed at both her and Potter.
"Professor, perhaps some of the squad should come with you-"
"No, I am a fully qualified ministry official, Malfoy, do you really think I cannot manage two wandless teenagers alone?" Umbridge cut me off, "You will remain here until I return and make sure none of these -" she gestured to the two Weasley's, Longbottom and Luna "- escape."
"Alright," I said, pretending to be disappointed about it, but she didn't know what I was actually thinking.
If I wasn't able to go with Hermione and attempt to keep her safe, I was going to let the ones I knew would be able to go. So that's exactly what I did.
"Lovegood, duck!" I shouted, startling everyone.
Luna looked at me before obeying my order, allowing me to have a clean aim at the person who had their arm around her; their name still not remembered.
"Stupify," I shot, watching in satisfaction as they flew back into the wall, letting Luna go and allowing the Gryffindor's to attack the distracted Slytherins.
Ginny threw a hex at her capturer, knocking them off their feet. She threw multiple other ones before he fell unconscious with many different, disgusting things sprouting over his body.
"Weasley, catch!" I yelled, chucking Ginny Weasley both Potter's and Hermione's wands when she turned around.
She gave me a surprised look which turned into a smirk, but her attention moved to Crabbe who was charging toward her so she shot a simple stunning spell at him.
By now, the members of the Inquisitorial squad were duelling those who were in Dumbledore's army, but the Gryffindors and Luna were easily overpowering their capturers.
Soon Millicent was the only Slytherin standing, but she was taken down by Longbottom's Impediment Jinx.
"Nice one Neville! Now, let's go and find Harry and Hermione," Weasley yelled out, giving me a brief nod as he exited the office, Longbottom following, also giving me a nod of gratitude.
"Thank you, Draco," Luna smiled before swiftly exiting the room.
Now all who was left was both Ginny Weasley and I.
"Why did you do it? Help us, I mean," The female ginger asked.
I just looked at her, but she knew exactly what I was thinking.
"Well thank you," Ginny smiled, walking backwards toward the door, then turning around as she reached the exit.
"Ginny," She turned around "-keep her safe, please," I whispered, embarrassed that I was asking for something like that, especially to a Weasley.
She just gave me soft smile before muttering "I will."
She began to walk forward but stopped again, only this time on her own.
"One more thing Malfoy," She smirked, muttering something under her breath and pointing her wand at me from under her robes.
I felt my nose start to itch, which then turned into a sensation that something was trying to escape from there. Which there was. I let out a shrill scream which caused the ginger to burst out laughing; there were multiple bats flying out of my nose.
"That's for breaking Hermione's heart a few months ago, although I think she forgives you though," Ginny chuckled, "Bye!"
She left me there with bats continuously flying out of my nose, but I had to give it to her. She wasn't as bad as she seemed, and I knew that she would keep her word of trying to keep Hermione safe.
And that was all that mattered.