Right, here we are, almost at the halfway mark. Some of you already know this, but if you don't, here's the official announcement:

The reason is simple: I do not simultaneously post fanfiction. When I chose to repost Draconian, readers who wanted Trigger had to wait for a long time. Now it's only fair that Draconian readers wait while my other readers finally get to read some Marvel. All I ask is that you be patient. You don't have to like my decision, but you have to respect it, as my other readers have previously respected my choice to post Draconian first.

More details to follow regarding this hiatus, so enjoy this chapter in the meantime!

x Noelle

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Slows or stops target's descent.

of the telephone woke Hermione. She sat up in bed and looked around. Draco was nowhere to be found. Her chest tightened at the thought that he'd left without saying goodbye. But she pulled herself together and reached for the phone. "Hello?"

"Hermione, is that you?" Andromeda's voice was urgent.

"Yes, it's me. Is everything alright?"

"I'm afraid not."

Worry surged through her. Luna was one of the lucky few who'd escaped, but judging from Draco's behaviour the night before, she knew that the Order hadn't faired well at all.

Hermione couldn't help but wonder if any of her old friends had been captured by the Death-Eaters. Even if she didn't remember them, she worried about their safety.

"Is there anything we can do?"

"Actually, I'm calling to help you," Andromeda said. "Not you, particularly, but Draco and his friends."

Hermione swallowed nervously. "W-what's going to happen?"

"Do listen carefully, Hermione. The Order plans to fight back in two weeks' time to save their captured members. They'll send their most proficient fighters. Please let Draco know that he has to be careful and not get caught in the crossfire."

Hermione took a deep breath. The thought of Draco or any of the Slytherins being hurt by the Order made her heart sink. "I'll let him know, Andromeda. Thank you for telling me."

"You're welcome," Andromeda returned before she added, a little lighter this time, "So, tell me, how was your Christmas?"

Hermione smiled as she told Andromeda about the Christmas she'd spent with her friends. It was a memory that left her warm amidst a cold war. She never wanted to forget that.

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Hermione left the room a good two hours later, after a lengthy conversation with Andromeda and a comforting, warm bath. She found Blaise and Luna in the living room, Luna's feet propped up on the coffee table as Blaise examined her splinched wound carefully.

"...the Order's very strict about things like these," Luna was saying, as Blaise applied more Dittany on her leg. "Resources are low, you see, and sometimes we have food rationing. Otherwise we might not have enough to go around." She paused and glanced up, smiling when she saw Hermione hovering by the doorway of Draco's room. "Hello, Hermione."

Hermione headed towards them, her lips tugging upwards when Blaise turned too and shot her a wide grin by way of greeting. "How're you feeling today, Luna?"

"I'm a lot better," Luna said brightly. "What about you?"

"Er – I'm good," Hermione stammered, thrown-off by Luna's unexpected question. She turned to Blaise. "Can I speak with you for a moment?"

Blaise glanced up in surprise. "Sure. Just give me a second, Red."

Luna stared at him. "Why do you call Hermione 'Red'? Is that a Gryffindor joke?"

"No, it's an inside joke. Theo found out that Hermione blushes a lot so he started calling her that, and Pansy and I kind of jumped on the bandwagon."

"Interesting," Luna commented, sounding rather amused. "Back during Hogwarts days, some of us used to call her 'Mione."

Hermione cringed at the unfamiliar nickname, but felt curious nonetheless. It was interesting to hear bits and pieces about her past life. Sometimes it felt like an uncanny feeling, that of déjà vu; while at other times it almost seemed as though she were looking at a stranger's life altogether.

"If Theo were here, he'd call that level of affection appalling," Blaise replied, with a chuckle. He finished up bandaging Luna's leg, and stood up. "Try not to move too much. We'll check on you in a few hours to change the bandages."

Luna nodded. "Thank you."

"Feel better soon, Luna."

"Thanks, Hermione."

Hermione shot Luna a faint smile before she followed Blaise into the kitchen. He cast a muffling charm and turned to her. "What's up?"

"It's about Draco," she said. "Is everything alright with him?"

Blaise sighed and poured them both mugs of tea. "He didn't tell you anything, huh?"

"Not really," she admitted, as she remembered how Draco had clung onto her the night before.

"He didn't tell us anything either," Blaise said. "He didn't even speak to us before he left for work this morning. Theo suspects it has something to do with the Order."

"How so?"

"Well, the Dark Lord made us capture the Order instead of killing them, remember? As head Death-Eater, Draco's usually in charge of interrogating the most important prisoners. And the main method of getting information out of them is through...the Cruciatus."

Blaise seemed incapable of continuing but he didn't have to – Hermione understood perfectly. It meant that he had to torture the Order members, some of which were most likely people he knew back during Hogwarts days. Hermione began to wonder if Neville Longbottom or Harry Potter were any of the members Draco had to torture, and felt her chest tighten at the mere thought of that.

"I blame myself and Pansy for it, mostly," Blaise continued. "If we'd stuck to the plan and killed them, maybe...maybe they wouldn't have to suffer now."

"At least they're still alive," Hermione said, trying to comfort him.

Blaise didn't seem to hear her. His voice was thick with self-reproach as he continued, "We didn't think about the aftermath. We didn't realise that they'd be tortured and that Draco would have to be the one torturing them."

She fell silent. She knew that as head Death-Eater, Draco had sunk to rock bottom. He'd tortured prisoners and taken far too many lives. But he was still good. As long as he had a conscience and tried to fight this war, then he was good because he wasn't completely lost.

Right?

There were times when the war was so morally ambiguous that, just like Draco, she didn't know what she believed in anymore.

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When he returned that evening, he heard voices echo from the guest room. That was where he found them—Hermione mending Luna's bruises, Theo sound asleep in the armchair, and Blaise and Pansy listening to Luna tell them about the Order.

Hermione was the first to spot him, and she immediately jumped up, excused herself and followed him into their room. "Everything alright, Draco?"

Something in her voice made him stop. He turned to her warily. "Theo told you about – "

"Blaise," she confessed. "I asked him."

A part of him hated that her impression of him had to be tainted that much more. But the more rational part of him knew that what he did as a Death-Eater couldn't be hidden forever. No longer would she think the world of him.

Because, frankly, he didn't deserve it.

"MacNair took over today." He shrugged off his suit jacket and went to wash his hands. Clean. To rid them of all the bloodstains, although some seemed embedded beneath his skin. "And Bellatrix. I guess I should be grateful to them."

Hermione didn't reply. She simply waited until he came back out from the bathroom before she wrapped her arms around him. After a moment or two, his arms latched around her, pulling her flush against him. His grip was too tight – it always was, as though he was terrified to lose her and he didn't know that she was just as terrified to lose him.

"Andromeda called today," she said softly at last.

"What did she say?"

"She said that...the Order plans to fight back in two weeks' time."

Draco pulled back. "What?"

"She wants you to be careful. The Order will send some of their best fighters, and she thinks it's best if the four of you stay away."

But before Draco could reply, the door suddenly opened with a click and Theo barged in, an expression of incredulity on his face. "The Order is fighting back?"

Draco's face grew thunderous. "For Merlin's sake, Theo – "

"So, what, they finally grew some balls?" Theo ran an exasperated hand through his hair before glaring at the two of them. "And you weren't going to tell us? I thought we shared everything – "

"I just found out a few seconds before you did," Draco growled, cutting him off mid-rant. "I was going to tell you anyway, so just calm down."

Theo paused, glancing sheepishly at Draco's annoyed expression, before looking at Hermione's amused one. He flushed. "Oh."

"Why the hell were you eavesdropping?"

Theo rolled his eyes. "I wasn't eavesdropping. I was going to knock on your bloody door because I wanted to borrow a book and just happened to overhear, that's all." His lips suddenly curled upwards in a mischievous smirk and his eyes glinted. "I was actually hoping to hear some dirty talk. Don't disappoint me next time, alright, Red?"

Hermione flushed, and Draco shot him a deadly look. "What do you want?"

He shrugged and sat down on the desk. "I want if what you said about the Order is true."

"What about the Order?" A familiar voice sounded by the doorway.

Blaise.

And it wasn't just Blaise. Draco's eyes narrowed when he realised that not only had Blaise overheard, but so had Pansy and Luna, who were standing behind him with matching curious looks on their faces.

"The Order's finally fighting back," Theo said. "And, apparently, it's best if we stay away because they'll send in their best fighters. That's all I heard."

"They want to save their captured members," Hermione added, her voice small. "In two weeks. That's all we know."

A startled silence followed. Finally, Blaise broke it as he turned to Hermione. "Where'd you get this information from?"

"From a reliable source," Draco returned in a flat voice.

A brilliant smile spread across Blaise's face. "Let's do it!"

"Zabini – "

"Draco, you knew I'd suggest this anyway. It's the perfect opportunity. With the Order returning in full force – "

"Hardly any force – "

" – it's better than nothing. They're fighting again and that's good enough for me. You know that this was never a permanent thing. Not for me, at least – "

"Hold on," Theo interrupted. "What the hell are you two going on about?"

Blaise paused, casting a brief look at Draco, who simply sat down on his bed in resignation. "I'm saying," Blaise began, slowly, carefully, because there was really no easy, quick way to break the news. "I think we should defect to the Order."

Everyone fell silent. Hermione's head reeled at Blaise's words. She knew that he'd always been the one with the biggest moral compass, and that he'd struggled all this while. But to defect to the Order?

Hermione wanted to support Blaise, but it honestly seemed like a death wish, particularly for someone in his position.

Theo was the first to break the stunned silence, staring at Blaise like he'd just sprouted three heads. "Are you serious?"

"It's the perfect time! We can finally meet the Order, return Luna to them and even help – "

"Okay, can someone check him for the Imperius curse?"

"Actually," Luna cut in, her voice lilting and cheerful, "I think it's a splendid idea."

Theo shot her a glare. "Yes, it would be splendid. Splendid to have Blaise betray the Dark Lord, have a bounty put on his head and his friends bound by their Death-Eater duties to hunt him down!"

"We're not going to hunt him down," Pansy interjected.

"So you agree that his idea is bloody insane?"

"No," Pansy stepped into the room, a placid look on her face as she looped her arm through Blaise's. "I'm defecting too. I think we all should – all four of us. You'll come too, Hermione."

Theo's mouth fell open, and Hermione's eyes widened. Only Luna seemed pleased, while Draco didn't react at all. Hermione wondered if he'd already anticipated that this day would come. Perhaps it was just a matter of when.

"Have I fallen through a bloody rabbit hole?" Theo shouted, sounding utterly appalled, and Hermione was sure that if she weren't so alarmed, she would've laughed at Theo's reaction. "What's wrong with the both of you?"

Luna stepped forward. "They just want to help – "

"Stay out of this, Loony – "

"You know," Blaise began to sound annoyed now, "it would be nice if you could at least be a little supportive, Theo. I thought we were in this together."

"You're asking a lot out of Draco and me," Theo snarled. "Draco's the top Death-Eater. He'll be at the top of the Dark Lord's hit list if he defected!"

Theo's words sent a shiver down Hermione's spine. She glanced over at Draco, but he was watching his friends with a calm expression. She slipped her hand into his and he shot her a tiny smirk before he turned back to them.

"You've forgotten that the Order is in pieces right now," Theo continued. "Let's say we defect, do you honestly think they'd let us fight with them, let alone keep us safe from the Dark Lord?"

"I'm sure something can be arranged," said Luna. "I'll let the Order know that you aren't a bad lot."

Blaise smiled. "See? Luna's going to put in a good word for us. We'll be fine."

"'We'll be fine', he says. You know what, Zabini – " Theo stopped and cast a wary glance at Luna.

Draco finally spoke. "Lovegood, could you leave us alone for a moment?"

"Alright," Luna returned easily, and slowly hobbled out of the room. "I do hope you choose to defect, though. It would be nice to have some Death-Eaters on our side."

"Bugger off, Loony – " Theo began, only to subside when Blaise jabbed him with his elbow.

Pansy shut the door behind Luna and cast a muffling charm before she turned back to Theo. "You were saying?"

"This isn't what 17-65's supposed to be. We wreck havoc from within, not from outside in."

"Things change," Blaise fired back. "With the Dark Lord knowing about the Order's existence, they're going to need all the help they can get."

"Do you even comprehend the consequences if we actually chose to defect? Since when did you two start harbouring these kind of ideas that'll only get you bloody killed?"

"Since always!" Pansy cried, in exasperation. And she sounded so aggravated that Theo stopped mid-rant to stare at her in surprise. She sighed, and looked pleadingly at both Theo and Draco. "I am tired of being in a war that never seems to end," she said, her voice choked and weary. "I am tired of waking up every bloody morning and knowing that I'm going to have to use the Cruciatus or the Avada on someone. I am tired of numbing myself with spells and potions just so I can continue to do horrible things without feeling guilty."

She paused to take a deep breath. "Blaise and I know how this ends," she continued, sounding far calmer this time. "We go down fighting, whatever the outcome of the war is. But since we're going down fighting, we'd like to at least fight on the side of good. Just so we don't forget what goodness is, because in this war, it's so easy to forget sometimes."

"Exactly what she said." Blaise wrapped his arms around Pansy's waist. "So are you two with us?"

There was a glimmer of hope in Blaise's eyes as he waited. Theo stared at them for a long moment before letting out a sigh. "I'm with Draco," he said at last, before glancing at his friend. "Mate?"

Draco's gaze sharpened and he slowly got to his feet. "It's far too great a risk," his voice was flat, the expression in his eyes carefully blank. "And in a war like this, I'm not sure if we can afford to take that risk."

"What're you saying?" Pansy's face fell when Draco shrugged. She turned to Blaise, who looked as disappointed as she was. "We should go."

She and Blaise left the room and Theo, after a moment's hesitation, turned to go too. He paused briefly before he left to shoot a quick wink at Hermione. "See you tomorrow, Red."

Hermione smiled; glad to see at at least one person wasn't thoroughly shaken up after the heated debate. "Goodnight, Theo."

He grinned and shut the door. Finally, the room was silent once more. She took a deep breath and turned to Draco. "What're you going to do?"

"Haven't a bloody clue. Didn't you notice my evasiveness earlier?"

"I thought you were just thinking."

"No, I was evading," he smirked briefly before falling back against the pillow, letting out a deep sigh and closing his eyes. "What do you think I should do, Granger?"

She stared at him in surprise. His face was calm as ever, but she sensed a hesitation in his tone. He sounded just as lost as she was. "I don't know," she said quietly. "Here, the Order, wherever – it doesn't matter to me as long as you're safe. That's all I want for you."

His eyes opened slowly and they were a silvery dark in the moonlit room as he watched her with an expression she couldn't quite decipher. "Come here," he murmured, reaching up to grasp her arm firmly, tugging her down onto the bed next to him.

She readily obliged, curling up against him and revelling in the way his arm wrapped securely around her waist. "Honestly – it doesn't matter where you go. Just take me with you," she told him. "I'm a part of this war now just as much as you are."

He didn't say anything. But a moment later, he shifted, pressing his lips gently to her forehead. She shut her eyes, feeling the steady thrum of his heart beneath her cheek and wondering what the future held in store for them.