Hello my loves, I'm SO sorry for the delayed update! Things had been crazy this weekend and Wattpad had been glitching for me when I tried to update. Nevertheless, here's a chapter, and here's hoping you'll only wait less than a week for the next one. Enjoy!

x Noelle

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Conjures a snake.

Draco's cell for the rest of the night, listening to Theo's grumbling and Blaise's words of comfort to Pansy. Draco, on the other hand, was silent. She had to wonder if his sombre mood had to do with him killing his uncle right in front of her.

It was probably that.

Sometime later, the door creaked open. Luna stepped in with trays of food in her hands and two guards trailing after her. After she slipped a tray through each of the four cell doors, she set the last one down in front of Hermione.

"Shacklebolt wants to know if you'd like a room to stay for the night." Luna's voice was quiet. "He's not very happy that you're here with them but he still welcomes you all the same."

Hermione shook her head. "I'm not leaving. I'm not going anywhere."

Luna nodded and climbed to her feet. "I'll see you in the morning, Hermione," she said, and threw a last glance over her shoulder before leaving with the guards.

The door shut behind them and silence descended upon the room. Hermione picked listlessly at the food on her tray, but she couldn't summon up an appetite.

"I miss being a Death-Eater," Theo's chirpy voice broke the silence at last. He sounded so cheerful that she couldn't help but quirk her lips into a brief smile.

"For Merlin's sake, Theo," Blaise fired back and Hermione could almost imagine him rolling his eyes. "If anyone outside hears that we're going to be in trouble - "

"But it's true. At least the food didn't taste so fucking shite when we were Death-Eaters."

"In other words," Pansy mused, "you're saying that you miss Blaise's cooking."

"Fuck, no - "

"Aw, Theo," Blaise said, with exaggerated affection. "That's really sweet."

"You know what I don't miss?"

"Your face?" This snub came from Draco, and Hermione couldn't stop the chuckle that slipped past her lips. She felt Draco's fingers tighten on hers and she eased back against the wall of his cell, listening to the Slytherins bicker in their usual fashion.

And, for a moment, she forgot that they were locked up in the thick of war, with the Order turned against them. With them, everything seemed normal and safe.

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But this was not to last.

As soon as the sun's first rays streaked through the windows, the doors burst open and Kingsley Shacklebolt entered. Several members of the Order followed him, and Hermione didn't miss the way they stared at her.

"Ms Granger," Shacklebolt said. "You need to come with us. We need to have you checked for any potions or curses."

Hermione felt Draco's grasp loosen from hers as he began to pull back, but she refused to let him go. "I will if you let my friends out of their cells," she said, boldly meeting his gaze. "Otherwise I'm not going anywhere."

"Ms Granger - "

"No, I won't! They did nothing wrong! All they wanted to do was to help the Order, and if you'd just listen or give them a chance, you'll realise that they don't deserve to be locked up."

Shacklebolt turned to the guard standing next to him. "Take her away."

Hermione's eyes widened as Anthony Goldstein directed his wand at her. She twisted her body just as she heard a loud "Stupefy!". The spell zipped past, narrowly missing her by just an inch. She heard Draco swear from inside his cell and Pansy gasp.

"You don't fucking use magic against someone who doesn't have a wand!" Theo yelled, sounding absolutely livid. "You're all such assholes, and you call yourselves the bloody Order?"

"Just test her in here," came Blaise's calm voice in an attempt to negotiate with Shacklebolt. "She doesn't want to leave Draco and you're all just making things worse."

But Blaise's words fell on deaf ears as two other guards shot stunning spells at Hermione. She ducked, her hands and knees scrapping against the rough gravel as she rolled out of the way.

Amidst the buzzing in her ears, she heard Draco swear one more time in the distance. "Fuck it," he muttered and then there was a clatter as he hurled something at the wall of his cell.

What happened next was something she hadn't in a million years pre-empted. A black snake slithered out between the metal bars of Draco's cell, its movements far too swift to react to. She registered the sounds of horrified yells and screams in the background as the guards all retreated, but somewhere within her subconscious, she remembered learning that snakes reacted to movement and the wisest thing was to stay still.

For a moment, she felt fear grip her heart as she recalled how she'd seen Nagini just days ago. This snake looked nothing like Nagini, but it was a snake and it was lethal all the same. Just as she was about to start panicking, the snake swiftly transformed back into Draco, a transformation was so quick and well-rehearsed that she almost thought she'd imagined the whole thing. But he was there, standing outside of his cell, his form tall and imposing as he stood in front of her almost defensively.

"For Salazar's sake," Draco snapped. "We didn't defect to be placed into cells. Did you really think that we've been staying in these bloody cells because we couldn't get out? If you don't want us here, we'd be more than happy to leave."

"Oh, they are definitely leaving!" Came a familiar voice by the doorway.

Andromeda pushed her way through the crowd in a flurry, an appalled look on her face, with Luna trailing behind her. Luna discreetly shot a smile at Hermione, and she breathed in relief. Thank Merlin for Luna, who had probably been running around the whole night trying to find a way to help them.

"Kingsley," Andromeda headed straight to Shacklebolt, determination clear in her features. "McGonagall promised me that my nephew and his friends were under interrogation, not incarceration. Does she have any idea how you run things around here? Because I daresay she will not be pleased!"

Shacklebolt narrowed his eyes at her. "Andromeda, they are Death-Eaters - "

"Defected Death-Eaters!" Andromeda fired back evenly. "You're going to let them out and they'll be staying with me, since they're clearly not welcome anywhere else and - "

Hermione found herself tuning out the conversation when Draco turned to pull her to her feet. His grasp was unusually gentle, as though she was a fragile doll that could easily break, and she immediately wound her arms around him tightly, burying her face against his chest. The sheer terror of having him captured for so long suddenly came crashing back down on her, and she choked back a sob, willing herself not to break down.

"Granger." Draco's voice was soft as his arms encircled her. His usual masculine scent was intermingled with blood and sweat but, somehow, that seemed fitting at a time like this. She was just glad that he was here. He pulled back, grasping her face between his calloused palms to stare at her. "Are you alright?"

She nodded frantically, glad that his body was turned to shield her away from prying eyes. Unable to help herself, she quickly pushed herself up on the tips of her toes, and pressed her lips against his. His lips were warm and intoxicating; she felt his breath hitch momentarily as her sudden action took him by surprise. It was impossible for her to rationalise why she did it, but she figured that if Draco could kiss her in the middle of a destroyed room, then she could kiss him in the middle of a tense situation.

Draco groaned low in his throat and kissed her back swiftly; nipping her lips with hot, feverish pecks until she was almost certain she had forgotten her name. It wasn't a passionate kiss by any means, just a desperate, relieved one, and Hermione eased back a little when she heard several surprised gasps from the other end of the room.

She smiled up at Draco, her eyes sparkling and bright. "I'm just glad you're here."

His gaze softened and he opened his mouth to say something more. But Andromeda stepped up to them at that moment and placed a hand on his shoulder. "Shacklebolt says it's alright for the five of you to stay with me," she said.

Draco nodded. His friends were already being let out of their cells and Hermione slipped away from his side to hug first Theo, then Pansy and Blaise.

"But we're going to have to be on total lockdown," Andromeda continued. "You can't leave the premises. I'm still in the midst of negotiating with him, so I'll discuss the rest with you later."

"So we're still prisoners, just in your home?"

"I'm sorry, Draco."

"Don't be, 'Dromeda." He shook his head, still keeping his eyes on Hermione. Her face was alight with sheer happiness as she conversed with the other Slytherins. She met his gaze across the room and the smile on her face widened in a way that seemed to brighten the whole room. "I'm sure the others will be more than pleased with the new arrangement."

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The stay in the Order's prison had clearly taken its toll on the four Slytherins. Hermione wasn't surprised to see the other Slytherins trudge to their rooms the moment they returned to Andromeda's house.

Draco, on the other hand, didn't seem tired at all. He paused by the doorway when Grus, the house-elf, brought in Teddy, and Hermione could practically see the array of emotions flicker across Draco's face at that moment. Surprise, relief, happiness and a tangible wave of guilt.

Teddy immediately struggled out of Grus's hands, causing the elf to set him down abruptly. Then Teddy was reaching for Draco, who immediately crossed the threshold to pick the boy up in his arms. "Hey, Ted," Draco said quietly, and Hermione realised that Draco had never spoken to anyone with those soft tones before except, perhaps, when he spoke to her.

"He's been asking for you a lot lately," Andromeda said to Draco. "You're probably the only other person he remembers."

Draco glanced at her. "What about the Order?"

"You know the Order isn't what it once was." She sighed, pulling off her coat to drape it on the nearby stand. "They aren't sympathetic enough to cater to a child's needs. I don't let them visit us often, so it's always just been the three of us. And you, when you drop by, of course."

There was a pause. Hermione watched as Draco tightened his arms around Teddy, looking almost guilty about his frequent absence from their lives. He wasn't to blame, though. She knew that his position as the top Death-Eater made it almost impossible to visit Andromeda.

She was pulled out of her reverie when Andromeda spoke to her. "Hermione, would you put the kettle on to boil? Shacklebolt's going to be here any moment and I want to prepare some tea, just in case. Come on, Draco. I cleared out the room on the third floor for you and I hope you don't mind staying there."

Hermione's eyes widened. Her room was on the second floor with the other Slytherins. The thought of not being in the same room as Draco made her nervous. What if she had nightmares again?

Draco seemed to notice her consternation because he bit his lips to hide a smirk as he left with Andromeda. Hermione frowned, wondering if she were that easy to read, and headed into the kitchen.

Minutes later, there came a knock on the door. When Andromeda didn't return, Hermione took a deep breath and went to answer the door.

She didn't expect to come face to face with Neville Longbottom.

He was standing beside Kingsley Shacklebolt and Luna was behind them. Hermione remembered every bit of him from the yearbooks she'd seen, as well as bits and pieces of the past. Neville had been a constant back during her Hogwarts days, but so much time had passed since then. Looking at him was both familiar and unfamiliar at the same time.

"Hermione?" Neville gasped, his eyes wide and round. "Luna said you were - but...I don't understand, when - "

Hermione smiled. "Hey, Neville."

His mouth was still ajar as he stared at her. She wanted to remember everything about Neville, but he was so much a person of the past that she knew this was going to take time.

Thankfully, Shacklebolt took matters into his own hands and stepped into the living room. "Is Andromeda here?"

"She's upstairs," Hermione said. "She'll be down in a minute. Would you like some tea?"

Shacklebolt agreed and Hermione led the three of them into the house. She was glad for Luna's presence. The blonde witch helped her to ready the cups of tea and slices of cakes. Hermione could feel Neville's eyes on her throughout, as though he could hardly believe that she was right in front of him.

"Kingsley!"

Hermione let out a sigh of relief when Andromeda rushed down the stairs, with Draco following her at a leisurely pace. Neville's eyes practically bugged out of his head at the sight of Draco, and Hermione almost laughed.

"Thank you for coming." Andromeda took a seat at the table. "I believe I owe you an explanation regarding Draco and his friends."

"As well as Ms Granger's unexpected arrival," Shacklebolt returned. "After all, we believed that she was killed a long time ago."

"Yes, of course, that too," Andromeda said, casting a warning glance at Draco when he made a furious sound. "Hermione, could you please show Neville and Luna to the living room? And take Draco with you."

Hermione nodded and led the others out. She had to reach for Draco to pull him away, and she didn't miss the way he glared at Shacklebolt.

Once in the living room, Hermione waited until Neville and Luna had settled down on the loveseat adjacent to the coffee table. Then she sat down on the longer sofa, casting an amused glance at Draco, who still hovered a good distance away.

"Draco, come over here," Hermione patted the empty space next to her. "Neville's a good sort, you don't have to be afraid of him."

Draco looked so offended that she almost wanted to laugh. "Granger, clearly you do not know me well at all if you think I'm afraid of Longbottom."

Neville's eyes widened, but he put on a brave front. "Yeah, well, you're not that intimidating yourself, Malfoy."

"I beg to differ," Draco drawled and sat next to Hermione. He leaned back, draping an arm over the back of the sofa and staring at Neville with a lazy smirk playing on his lips. "So, what brings you to these part of the woods, Longbottom?"

"Actually, you're in our part of the woods now," Luna returned, with a smile. "Neville's the new leader of the Order."

This wasn't news to them. Ever since Draco had siphoned the information out of a prisoner at Malfoy Manor, they all knew that Neville was now the face of the Order. But Hermione couldn't figure out why Neville was the one leading.

"Why not Harry?" she blurted, when curiosity got the better of her.

Neville seemed to hesitate and Luna nudged him. "It's okay. You can trust Draco."

Hermione smiled at the blonde girl. It seemed that Luna was proving herself to be an extremely loyal ally when they needed her the most. Her words seemed to convince Neville, who nodded and started to speak.

"Well, the truth is," he said, "after Harry lost the war the previous time, there's been word going around that he's not the Boy who Lived. And that's the reason why he lost."

"What?" Draco asked sharply. Too sharply. Hermione glanced at him in surprise, but he was calm, save for the sharp glint in his eyes.

"You've heard of Professor Trelawney's prophecy, right?"

When Hermione looked confused, Luna leaned forward to explain. "There's one with the power to vanquish You-Know-Who, born to those who have thrice defied him, and born as the seventh month dies. Harry fulfils the requirements of the prophecy. But so does Neville."

"Ah, so the Other Boy Who Lived," Draco deadpanned.

Neville looked sheepish. "When I learnt from Harry that I could be the other Chosen One, I thought that it was worth a shot. Ron and I spent a long time trying to locate the rest of the Order. It wasn't an easy task, but - well, here we are."

Neville proceeded to tell her about what they did in the Order. Their conversations skirted around certain topics, like Harry Potter or Ronald Weasley or even the fact that Hermione and Draco were sitting in such close proximity. It was clear that Luna had laid down some strict ground-rules before she allowed Neville to visit. And Hermione was grateful for that. She couldn't imagine what she'd do if Neville personally asked her to join the Order.

They left sometime later in the afternoon with Kingsley Shacklebolt. And then Hermione finally had that much needed silence with Draco. She thought of pulling him back upstairs and letting him rest; but he seemed more than content to sit with her, his head tipped back against the back of the sofa and his eyes shut, long lashes fanning out against his aristocratic cheekbones.

"Granger," he mumbled in amusement, lips quirking up briefly but his eyes were still shut as he spoke. "You're staring."

Hermione rolled her eyes but sidled next to him all the same. His arm automatically fell to her waist, pulling her tightly against him, his fingers threading loosely through the ends of her curly brown locks. "It's quiet now," she whispered to Draco. The past hours had been nothing but bloody and chaotic, and this respite was a wonderful breather at a time like this.

Draco let out a hum of agreement, pressing his warm lips to her forehead. "Finally."