Hi, guys! The following is a response to a challenge created by two of the lovely admins of Dramione FanFiction Forum (18+ ONLY) on Facebook. Those two ladies are the reason I got reacquainted with my muse so I owe them more than they know. The challenge was for #SuggestionSunday – and the prompt was one word and four photos. It's pretty self-explanatory; you write a story using your interpretation of the four photos and one word. My word was 'nefarious' and I've woven this ficlet around a photo of a Death Eater mask, what looks like a lake beneath the stars, a book open to a page with 'Slytherin' on it and what looked like to me a photo of a Death Eater Disapparating. If you haven't, check out the above mentioned forum and the stories by xxdustnight88 and Dramione84. And now…I hope you enjoy and please leave me feedback – this was a challenge!

LCailan

The night would have been silent if not for Hermione Granger's heavy breathing. The air was frigid and her breath came in crystalline puffs as she fought to catch her breath. She had one hand on her chest and the other held her wand aloft, the tip brilliant with white light.

"Malfoy, you have to."

She watched as Malfoy gazed down at her and it was maddening that she couldn't tell what he was thinking, his face a mask of amusement.

"I have to, Granger? My, my! Such demands!"

His voice was tinged with laughter and Hermione wanted to wipe the grin from his pale face more than she had wanted anything in her whole life.

The wooded clearing around them was dark but beyond it the moonlight shone down on the lake which was moving only slightly, the moon's reflection dancing in its ripples. The horizon was still tinged with the faintest orange huge and the fading remnants of smoke. She shivered and the events of earlier flooded her as hard as she tried not to think on them…

"Ron!"

"Hermione, why'd you come here?!"

"When you sent the owl this morning I thought something might be wrong and I couldn't just sit back waiting for you!"

Beyond the cabin that stood on the lake's edge the horizon was glowing orange against the glittering, navy sky. The serenity of the lake at midnight was shattered, marred by the burning flames set by a group of Death Eaters Ron had been tailing.

"You can't be here, Hermione! If something happened to you-"

Ron grabbed her by her arms and stared at her.

"I can't have that on my mind, Hermione. I can't be worrying about you, too. This assignment is too important to botch."

Hermione bit her lip.

"I worry about you, Ron. Don't you understand that? You mean everything to me. I've loved you half my life and we share a child," she whispered softly, reaching up to stroke his slightly stubbled face.

He looked worn and old by the light of the moon. Working as a Hit Wizard for the Department of Magical Law Enforcement was taking a toll on him and Hermione could do nothing to keep herself from constantly worrying about him for her own sake and that of their daughter.

"You're no good to Rose dead, Ron. She needs you; we both do."

Ron yanked the door of the cabin open to stare out at the glowing horizon barely affected by the mention of their child.

"Bloody hell! I was so close, Hermione! I could see them; there were six but those masks-"

His voice broke and now there was nothing but silence and their heavy breathing.

Death Eaters. Voldemort had been gone for years and still remnants of pureblood extremists continued to remind Wizarding England of the evil that would most likely always remain.

"Maybe I'm too close to this, Hermione. Maybe if Harry wasn't my best friend and Ginny wasn't my sister-"

Ron turned and gazed down at Hermione helplessly.

"I know you don't want to think about that time, but when you were with Malfoy, did he ever mention anything at all about the Death Eaters? How is it that he gets away with everything? Doesn't everyone know he's guilty?"

Hermione's stomach soured.

"No," she choked out, her eyes suddenly stinging with guilt and shame. "No, he never mentioned…we didn't talk about that, Ron, I've told you. We-"

She hated to think about her past mistakes, those ones she made with Viktor Krum but more the one she had made by confiding in Malfoy, by befriending him and then by allowing him to-

"I know he's guilty of cursing Ginny! It's because of that bastard that she's on her way to Saint Mungo's now and Merlin knows if she's ever going to wake up! I'll never forgive myself if she-"

A blast behind them interrupted anything Ron might have said and Hermione found herself being thrown backwards into the freezing snow, tumbling away from the cabin as it exploded glass and wood fragments flying in all directions. She felt a shimmering of dark magic in the air, moving all around her and the cabin and yells from within. She felt a pain in her side and nearly bit her tongue off as she landed.

"Stupefy!"

The voice was unknown and Hermione began to crawl down the small hill towards the water, her hands and fingers numb from the cold and her vision blurred by hot tears.

Not Ron…please, not Ron…

"Let me get this straight, Granger," Malfoy drawled, raising one eyebrow. "You want little old me to rescue your one true love, Ron Weasley from that cabin? Do I have that correct?"

He was watching her casually from beneath messy white-blond hair barely covered with a thick black cloak.

Hermione's heart began to pound furiously, her wand wavering with pent up fury. Each second that passed by was a second closer to Ron's untimely death and – damn it – Malfoy showed no sense of urgency at all!

"Yes," she seethed. "Yes, you have to! I can't- I've tried everything, Malfoy! Whatever magic they used, it counters any spell I cast and he's trapped! The roof caved in and he's going to die if someone doesn't help. I can't lift the beams, they're too heavy-"

Hermione's babbles faded away as she became too emotional at the thought of Ron dying. She would not cry in front of Malfoy, however. She hated that he had been the one to show up after the explosion which was both a blessing and a curse. Certainly, he had somehow been involved in the raid – after all they were in a secluded wood and no one else had known where to go. And yet, if he had, why was he here?

Determined to save Ron, Hermione gazed up at Malfoy again. She didn't know if the man before her was guilty but either way he was an extra set of arms.

"Please, help me."

Her pleading words were met with a smirk.

"You know, Granger, normally I would absolutely jump at the chance to rescue a beautiful woman such as yourself. I'm nothing if not the proverbial Prince Charming, after all," he said mockingly. "But here's the thing. Last time we spoke you promised you'd die trying to make sure I ended up in Azkaban and that you hated me and wished I were dead."

He shook his head in mock sadness.

"Such a shame, Granger. But we didn't part on friendly terms, did we?"

Hermione was furious, her wand shaking as she held it aloft.

"Please, Malfoy! I'll do anything…anything!"

She wasn't aware how desperate she sounded, so caught up was she with trying to save Ron's life. Nor did she realize what she had said until she saw Malfoy smiling from ear to ear.

"Anything, did you say?"

Malfoy pondered the statement thoughtfully.

"Would you do anything to save Weasley's life, I wonder?"

Hermione did not hesitate.

"Yes, I would. I love him, Malfoy. He's the father of my daughter; I can't…there is no way for me to live without him."

Her voice, although hoarse, was filled with determination even as Hermione wondered if she were about to make a deal with the Devil.

"A favor for a favor, Malfoy."

"Really, now, Granger. Such a massive favor from me requires two tiny ones from you."

Hermione's mouth dropped open.

"What sort of horrid man are you? Anyone else would already be in that cabin helping me get him out from under that rubble! I told you, they've somehow magicked that cabin so that you can't use wand magic! And he's too heavy to lift! If we don't hurry he's going to bloody die in there! Are you that callous?!"

She watched as Malfoy cocked his head thoughtfully.

"So, it's quite interesting, isn't it Granger?"

"What?" she said viciously from behind clenched teeth.

"That the life of the man you say you adore and the father of your only daughter is not worth two favors?"

Hermione's eyes widened as her mouth went dry. She wanted to howl in frustration at the fact that she had backed herself into a corner. She felt like a trapped animal; a helpless mouse to his prowling cat.

"Got to hell, Malfoy! You know the answer to that! Of course he is; I would do anything for him! I can't believe that you'd even think of manipulating me at a time like this!"

Malfoy shrugged.

"I call it being opportunistic. When someone offers you something why not try for more, eh, Granger?"

"I hate you!"

"Ah, but still you turn to me in your time of need."

Hermione felt panic begin to set in, making it difficult to breathe.

"Fine, fine! What do you want, Malfoy? Ron could be dying!"

She watched a smile play on his pale lips.

"I highly doubt that, Granger. After all, only the good die young."

"MALFOY!" screeched Hermione and he offered her a long, self-suffering sigh.

"Fine. It seems you don't like this particular game so I'll be direct. I need you to be my alibi for this evening."

"What?"

"Potter, our prestigious Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, happens to be sniffing after me like a niffler in heat."

Hermione stared up at him with a mixture of uncertainty and disdain.

"And why shouldn't he, Malfoy? We all know you've got something to do with tonight's raid. And I swear on my life it was you who cursed Ginny tonight!"

Draco shook his head in mock sadness.

"Tsk tsk tsk, Granger. You know what they say about assumptions, yes?"

"Shut up, Malfoy and tell me what you want!"

Malfoy smiled.

"When Potter undoubtedly comes after me when these raids make headlines, I'm going to need you to tell him that I couldn't have been involved in such sordid affairs because I was with you."

Hermione snorted in disbelief.

"Harry won't believe me! He always knows when I'm lying, Malfoy, especially when it comes to something as ludicrous as you being innocent!"

"Ah, but he won't be able to prove I wasn't with you, will he? It's all I need to be cleared of all this unpleasantness surrounding Ginny Potter and these recent Death Eater raids."

She stared at him in disbelief and found herself pulling on his heavy robes.

"You realize that you're dressed like them, don't you? And that this bloody mask," she snapped as she snatched the intricately designed white mask he had been clutching in one hand. "This is one of their masks! I could turn you in this second and you'd go to Azkaban for Death Eater crimes!"

Hermione felt his eyes bore into hers for a moment, the corner of his shapely mouth turning up in a calculating smile.

"You could…but you won't, will you? I hardly think you're in any position to be negotiating with me."

He shrugged with easy nonchalance.

"No, I think you'll tell them that I was with you this evening; you'll tell them that I happened upon the mask whilst wandering this wood and came upon you after, and played the part of the Good Samaritan in saving Weasley's life. If you don't, I'm afraid poor Ron is going to freeze out there all alone and no one wants that, do they?"

His words were innocent but the smile on his lips never reached the depths of his silvery eyes. Hermione knew that she had lost.

"Fine."

Her whisper was of defeat and her shoulders dropped.

"I'll tell them you were with me. Now will you help me?" she asked, her chest nearly aching with tension now. "He's going to d-die-"

Hermione rushed towards the dilapidated cabin when she heard Draco's silky voice.

"Are you forgetting something, Granger?"

She turned to see him watching her, white hair against hooded cloak, the terrifying and vomit-inducing mask still clutched in his fingers. She couldn't believe she was making a deal with a man who was somehow connected to Ginny's horrible accident and who had most likely organized that evening's raid.

If only she could prove it!

"Don't you owe me one more teeny, tiny favor?"

Trying to stay calm, Hermione nodded.

"Fine, hurry up. What do you want?"

Draco turned his head to watch her for a few silent moments and she was unnerved by the searching look in his eyes.

"Don't you know, Hermione?"

She hated her name on his lips; hated that it still moved something within her.

"He's going to die, Malfoy! What do you want?!"

"Why, I want you, Hermione Granger."

She froze in place, eyes widening in shock. He moved forward like lightning, grabbing her upper arm to pull her against his body. He was hot – impossibly hot in such cold, winter weather.

"W-what?" she whispered.

"You heard me. And you've always known what I want, don't you? The one woman that I cannot have."

Hermione stared up at him, hating that her heart was beating so wildly and that the scent of him – musky, smoky and fresh – made her dizzy. She couldn't believe it – could he be saying what she thought he was saying?

"You can't…be serious," she managed to choke out, horrified.

"Didn't we already go over this? Opportunist, remember? Why wouldn't I be serious?"

Hermione began to struggle against him but it was futile; Draco was much stronger than she. Her horror-filled eyes met his.

"You want me to have sex with you in exchange for helping save Ron's life?"

She looked around, confusion marring her features now.

"You want to take me like some sort of whore right here?"

The words made her sick even as she uttered them but only caused him to smile slyly.

"Only you could make it sound so…dirty."

The look he gave her was so fiery, Hermione tore her eyes away to stare at the glittering lake beyond them.

"It's filthy," she muttered, her stomach roiling. "The idea makes me want to v-vomit-"

"Does, it, love?"

"Don't ever use that word around me, Malfoy!"

Her anger only made him laugh.

"Oh, Granger why must you be so difficult?" he purred, leaning in now and wrapping a rogue curl that had escaped her hair tie around his finger. She pushed his hand away, staring furiously up at him.

"So that's it, Malfoy? I'm some prize to be won, am I? You'll force me to have sex with you just so you can say you fucked a Mudblood?"

Her words were cold and full of hatred.

"I would never do such a thing!" he exclaimed in mock-surprise. "Do you think someone like me, the epitome of virtue, would ever force you to into such acts of depravity?"

Hermione couldn't understand him but his words made her dizzy, terrified her because she couldn't figure out his angle. She searched his face in the near darkness, seeing a slow, cold smile touch his features yet again.

"I was your friend when no one else was around, Granger. I made you laugh when you were frustrated and listened when you blathered on about whatever was on your mind. Six months ago you were my confidante, my partner, the woman I called my own."

Hermione pushed at him, fighting her way out of his iron grip.

"I wasn't yours, Malfoy!" she spat. "I don't belong to anyone and it wasn't like that between us! It was a mistake!"

"Was it?" he replied in a sibilant hiss. "Either way, Granger, I'm owed more than just some pointless, if not pleasurable shag, in the woods. So no, I'm not asking you for sex."

Hermione felt relief rush through her like a flood.

"Pleasurable?" she mocked. "Only for you, Malfoy."

Moving like a shadow, Draco was suddenly whispering against her ear and Hermione struggled not to react to his words, feeling his fingers running down the side of her neck in the most delicate fashion.

"It's unfair to judge when you haven't experienced everything I have to offer you, Granger."

"You're disgusting!"

"I prefer…determined."

Hermione's eyes darted from Malfoy smug face to the cabin behind him, feeling terror wash over her again. Each second she spent in the company of the Slytherin Snake was one second from Ron's life and she couldn't let him die!

"W-what do you want?" she asked brokenly, fighting tears now.

Draco's face softened, surprising Hermione.

"You and me, Granger, alone somewhere of my choosing. Call it a holiday, a respite from the mundane life you're leading, whatever the piss you want to call it."

"What?"

"Are you deaf? Bloody hell, I swear you haven't got brains in that loaf of yours."

"No one would ever believe me if I told them I was going away with you!" she shrieked loudly. "What will I tell them?"

"You weren't called the brightest witch of your age for nothing, Granger. I know you'll think of some pretty little lies to tell everyone; of that I have no doubt."

Hermione felt like a trapped bird, her mind whirled over what seemed like impossible possibilities.

"Your mind must be addled to think I could even spend a few minutes with you let alone days! I can't even breathe when you're around, you sicken me so much!"

Draco pretended to think for a moment.

"Well, then I suppose we'll go somewhere with a nice, fresh breeze, won't we?" he replied without losing his cool.

"So then what, Malfoy?" She spat with disgust. "You get me alone and then have your sick way with me?"

He pulled away just then, gazing down at her for what seemed like a lifetime but could only have been a few seconds.

"Hermione, of all the things I might or might not have done one thing is certain: I would never harm you."

She gaped at him.

"You're not serious?" she snapped in shock. "You just forced me to lie to the Ministry to give you an alibi and forced me to go away with you to save Ron's life! How is that not hurting me? You're a deranged, heartless, soulless bastard!"

Draco laughed once again.

"I'm a nefarious sociopath, Granger. Let's get it right next time, yes? So what shall it be? Holiday with me or your turn at playing the grieving widow?"

Hermione let out a short wail, completely devastated at her situation. She needed Malfoy; he would help her with Ron and yet she knew that she had no way to deny him his disgusting requests.

"Fine! Fine, I'll agree to your sick deal, Malfoy but just save Ron! I don't care what happens to me, go help him! But just remember that I hate you more now than I ever have!"

His lips turned up in a charming smile.

"And I love it!" he said cheekily, and then moved gracefully through the night shadows towards the cabin. "How I love playing the savior, Granger. Just a few more moments and I'll be rescuing your one true love. How grand!" he mocked, kicking in what was left of the door.

Hermione followed at his heels, her heart hammering queerly within her, limbs, fingers and face frozen from the cold. She dashed ahead of Draco when she spotted Ron in the darkness, covered with rubble and lifeless.

"Merlin, no!" she whispered falling to her knees before him. "Ron, you've got to hang on, darling! I've found help; I'm going to get you out of here!"

Behind her, Draco stood, wand raised and she watched him anxiously as he tested the wards. His face was steely and determined but Hermione caught a glimpse of confusion as he realized what she had – he was unable to cast any spell within the small cabin.

"Malfoy!" she screeched. "I told you already, you can't cast in here! They did…something-"

Draco dropped his arms, glaring down at her.

"Bugger, Granger. Stop your screeching; you're giving me a bloody headache."

"You monster! I loathe the sight of you!" she spat tearfully, gripping Ron's lifeless hand in hers, trying to warm him.

"Be that as it may, I'm a monster with considerably more upper body strength than you. And if you don't shut up I might not rescue Ronald in distress after all."

Hermione fell silent, staring down at Ron with shock. Moving quickly, she felt Draco rush across the room and begin to grunt as he moved the ceiling beams that had trapped Ron. It seemed like ages but Hermione knew it had only been a few moments when the man in black stood again.

"And the Weasel is free!" he said dryly. "Imagine that, I'm the hero of this story!"

Hermione ignored his taunting and wrapped her arms around Ron, trying to pull him close.

"Everything's fine, Ron. You'll be all right, I promise," she whispered, trying to wrap him in his cloak to get him to warm up. She pressed a kiss to his icy forehead, her mind and body filled with so many emotions Hermione could not think straight.

A second later, Draco dropped down next to her, grabbing her chin so that she had to look up into the depths of his icy eyes.

"Potter and his motley crew will be here any moment, Granger," he rasped. "I've held up my end of our little deal so now it's your turn. If I get brought into the Ministry for suspected involvement with the raid tonight, I'll know you didn't do as you promised."

Hermione steeled herself against her shaking body.

"I said I would, didn't I? I'll make sure they know you were never here."

In the darkness, Draco smiled. It was as beautiful as it was menacing.

"Brilliant. And as far as the other half of your agreement…it's a shame we don't have a third to do a binding. I'd love to have your make the Unbreakable Vow but alas…it wasn't meant to be."

He leaned in so that Hermione could see nothing but his face.

"Promise me. On the life of your pretty, little Rose. Promise me that when I come for you, you'll be ready."

Hermione wanted to argue, was feverishly thinking of a way to get out of her earlier promise made in the panicked thought of losing Ron – but she was terrified at what Draco might do when pushed far enough.

"Say it, Granger. Swear on the life of your daughter," he said again, focusing on the life of the one person Hermione would never trifle with.

"I swear it," whispered the defeated witch. "I swear I'll go away with you."

Beyond the cabin the sound of yelling was nearing and Draco stood swiftly, pulling the hood of his cloak up over his platinum hair. Hermione felt herself being pulled with him so that they were standing now in the middle of the room, mere inches from each other.

"So we have a deal. Shall seal it with a kiss?" he purred.

Hermione opened her mouth to argue weakly but Draco was quicker, leaning down and pressing his mouth against hers. He tasted of smoke, heat and mint; his possessive caress made Hermione dizzy. She struggled against him even as she returned the kiss but it was he who pulled away first.

She swiped at her mouth vehemently, trying to forget the intoxicating taste of him.

"You're disgusting, Malfoy!"

He was grinning.

"And you, dear Hermione, are perfect. Always."

She stumbled backwards as he advanced on her like a wolf.

"Did you feel it? Something about you draws me and I know you feel the same way."

"No, I only feel disgust."

"Something about me makes it hard for you to resist, eh? You're drawn…like a moth to a flame."

"Never!" she responded shrilly but Draco only laughed and then ran out of the cabin. Hermione followed him.

"Until later, love!" he said as the voices in the wood drew nearer. "Dream of me, won't you?"

Hermione was speechless as Draco flung the long black cloak around himself and disapparated with a pop and a burst of thick, gray spoke that billowed for a moment and was gone. She fell to her knees in the icy snow and reached down to take up the mask he had left behind.

Yes, it does seem open-ended and there's potential to continue but I just don't know. Please let me know if you want more! Thanks for reading! :)