I do not own any of the characters or settings, just the plot, and not even some of that.

Set in book 4, right after the riot of Death Eaters invade the Quidditch World Cup.

(A/N- J.'s writing, taken from 'The Goblet of Fire')

"What happened?" said Hermione anxiously, stopping so abruptly that Harry walked into her. "Ron, where are you? Oh, this is stupid – Lumos!"

She illuminated her wand and directed its narrow beam across the path. Ron was lying sprawled on the ground.

"Tripped over a tree-root," he said angrily, getting to his feet again.

"Well, with feet that size, hard not to," said a drawling voice from behind them.

Harry, Ron and Hermione turned sharply. Draco Malfoy was standing alone nearby them, leaning against a tree, looking utterly relaxed. His arms folded, he seemed to have been watching the scene on the campsite through the gap in the trees.

Ron told Malfoy to do something that Harry knew he would never have dared to say in front of Mrs Weasley.

"Language, Weasley," said Malfoy, his pale eyes glittering.

"Hadn't you better be hurrying along, now? You wouldn't like her spotted, would you?"

He nodded at Hermione, and at the same moment, a blast like a bomb sounded from the campsite, and flash of green light momentarily lit the trees around them.

"What's that supposed to mean?" said Hermione defiantly.

"Granger, they're after Muggels," said Malfoy. "D'you want to be showing off your knickers in mid-air? Because if you do, hang around . . . they're moving this way, and it would give us all a laugh."

"Hermione's a witch," Harry snarled.

"Have it your own way, Potter," said Malfoy, grinning maliciously. "If you think that they can't spot a Mudblood, stay where you are."

"You watch your mouth!" shouted Ron. Everyone present knew that 'Mudblood' was a very offensive term for a witch or wizard of Muggel Parentage.

"Never mind, Ron," said Hermione quickly, seizing Ron's arm to restrain him as he took a step towards Malfoy. There came a bang from the other side of the trees that was louder than anything they had heard. Several people nearby screamed,

Malfoy chuckled softly. "Scare easy, don't they?" he said lazily. "I suppose your daddy told you all to hide? What's he up to – trying to save the Muggels?"

"Where are your parents?" said Harry, his temper rising. "Out there wearing masks, are they?"

Malfoy turned his face to Harry, still smiling. "Well . . . If they were, I wouldn't be likely to tell you, would I, Potter?"

"Oh, come on," said Hermione, with a disgusted look at Malfoy, "Let's go and find the others."

"Keep that big bushy head down, Granger," sneered Malfoy.

"Come on," Hermione repeated, and she pulled Harry and Ron off up the path again.
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(A/N- This part and onwards is my writing)

"Come on," Hermione repeated, and she pulled Harry and Ron off up the path again.

"I'll bet you anything his dad is one of the masked lot!" Draco heard Ron exclaim angrily, before the three were out of hearing range. He sighed in relief.

As much as he pretended to hate the Muggel-born genius of his year, he could not just sit around and allow her to get caught by the rampaging Death Eaters behind. He sighed and turned towards the tree he was standing behind, peering around it to watch the destruction. He knew that once he saw his father again he would have to fake a smug smile and act like he enjoyed the show. How disgusting, he thought as the masked fellows continued to levitate the now limp Muggels, laughing when the Muggel woman's nightdress fell again.

Turning away with a sick feeling, Draco walked away from the devastation with regret falling heavy on his shoulders. He knew that the Death Eaters were going to show tonight, his father being the leader of the riot. He could have tipped someone off. He could have persuaded his father that this was not the time. But no, he was too fearful of his father to do such things, and now innocent people- however non-magical they may be- were being hurt.

Draco sat down on the dense ground with a sigh, his head in his hands. The forest around him was quiet and dark, and he wondered if the riot had finally been tamed. Though this was not likely.

Suddenly a shrill scream penetrated the silence, and Draco scampered to his feet and took off in the direction of the scream. It was familiar, that he was sure, but to who it belonged to was a mystery.

Finally, after sprinting for a few minutes, Draco broke through the trees to a large clearing, and was met by a horrendous sight.

Hermione, who had obviously separated from Harry and Ron, one way or another, was curled up in a ball on the forest floor, jerking in pain as hooded figures stood around her, jeering and laughing as someone standing directly in front of her slashed his wand. Before he knew what he was doing, Draco shouted out to the figure.

"Father, stop!" his voice rang through the clearing and all the figures surrounding the wounded girl spun around in sync to stare at him. He gulped.

"Draco," the tall man that was torturing Hermione swiped his wand across his face, removing his mask in doing so. Lucius Malfoy stepped forward to stare curiously at his son. Draco had drawn his face into a mask of bravo and smug pride as he stared at his father.

"Father, I wish to . . . take over from you. You see, this filthy Mudblood has caused me a lot of hindrance during my last three years and now I wish to repay the favour," he sneered down at Hermione with fake disgust. The girl in question looked up pleadingly at Draco, silently begging for release. But Draco couldn't risk being caught by his father or the other Death Eaters so his face remained cold.

Maybe it was due to the way of the gods, or maybe it was just luck, but after a few more questions and comments between the father and son, Lucius gestured to the group of followers to leave and they all filed out of the clearing.

Glancing around, Draco made sure there was no one around, before his face transformed into worry and he dropped to the ground beside Hermione.

"Hermione, I know that you don't trust me, but please, just this once, please do. We have to move and get you out of the clearing as soon as possible before Father changes his mind," Draco rushed as quickly as he could, grabbing Hermione's hand and helping her to stand.

Once he let go, she seemed to collapse again, and Draco darted forward to stop her fall. Putting his arm around her waist, he pulled her against him and then staggered off in the opposite direction of his father.

Together, the Muggel-born and Death Eater's son fled from the clearing in quick haste, Draco half dragging Hermione. After few minutes of stumbling, Hermione seemed to gain her strength back and she drew away from Draco, still holding onto his wrist to avoid falling. Draco flipped his hand over and laced their fingers together, before hurrying faster through the forest

They ran and ran, deeper and deeper into the dark and un-naturally quiet forest, until Hermione fell forward tiredly, dragging Draco down with her. Hermione groaned and tried to sit up, but flopped down to the ground again. Lifting her head into his lap, Draco searched her face and body for open scratches and cuts, fixing the ones he could with his wand. Finally finding the strength to sit up, Hermione rested her head on Draco's shoulder and cried. She was obviously scared and petrified and Draco felt a jolt of remorse shot through him as he wrapped a protective arm around her.

He hated this. He hated that it was his father that did this to the beautiful Muggel-born that fit snugly in his arms. Pulling her closer still, Draco Malfoy apologised; an act that was both foreign and new to him. Hermione gasped as he did so; she had never heard him ever say a kind word to anyone, little own a 'Mudblood'. So, summoning up her Gryffindor courage, Hermione Granger leant forward and kissed Draco Malfoy.

At first it was just a light brush of lips, but Draco leant forward and pressed his lips harder against hers. A soft gasp escaped Hermione's mouth, and he used the opportunity to slide his tongue passed her lips and explore her mouth. Hermione's hands found his silky blonde hair while Draco's hands went to her waist, massaging circles on her thighs.

Draco and Hermione pulled away to breath, leaning their foreheads against each other, their eyes closed. Draco opened his first and looked into the peaceful face of the muggel-born he was meant to be torturing. She was beautiful, and Draco found it hard to believe that he had not seen this before.

He soft, now slightly swollen lips were plump and light, pink in colour, her eyes were a perfect chocolate brown and her hair was thick and now slightly tamed.

Leaning down again, he pressed his lips to hers and was amazed when she groaned lightly in anticipation. Suddenly, voices sounded through the silence.

"Hermione? Hermione! Hermione, where are you?" an obnoxious voice called loudly and Hermione and Draco sighed. A perfectly good moment ruined by Ron Weasley. Harry Potter's voice soon joined Ron's and Draco pulled Hermione to her feet, pushing her towards he friends. She turned around.

"Please come?" she asked desperately, although she already knew what the answer. Draco shook his head.

"I can't, they will kill me." He quickly silenced her protests with a short kiss. "No," he whispered against her lips, and she sighed, pecking him on the check with one, last wistful glance. Then she dashed out to meet her friends.

Tell me, should it be a One Shot, or should I make it a story? I have some pretty good ideas but . . . you guys have to tell me what you think!

xx