A/N: I own nothing.

Hermione wished she hadn't known him so well in that moment. She held every ounce of fear that was coursing through her body in check. She had packed in so much emotion into this very short window of time she was having a hard time thinking straight. She supposed it was instinctual. Muttering the counter course under her breath. She knew both sides of Draco so well at this point. Both her enemy, and now as a man in love trying to protect her from a certain terrible fate. She was now in uncharted territory. The girl who knows everything, little miss perfect whatever the world wanted to think of her was not true in this moment. She didn't have that hard of a time pretending that Draco's spell had worked.

She was paralyzed. Paralyzed by fear, the unknown, loyalty, love, hatred. Most of all, she was paralyzed by her mind. Her greatest asset now seemed to be her downfall. She had no plan. She needed him, but he needed her more. Her mind was clouded by this whirlwind romance. She listened as he threatened Greyback if he harmed her. He was risking blowing his true feelings for her. He was doing anything he could to protect her from the events of tonight.

She waited until she could no longer hear what they were saying to take a full breath. She had to do something.

Draco made his way through the castle. His heart was racing. He knew what had to happen. No matter how much he wanted to stop the inertia of his life, he knew it was always headed towards some tragic end point. It was no longer about him really, but what part of his life had been? Virtually every memory of his childhood revolved around his name. Not his first of course, but his last name. Malfoy, what weight that placed upon his shoulders. Every choice his younger self made was to gain his father's approval. What good did it do him? None. This brief freedom he found with Hermione this year was all he ever did for himself. Selfish of course to drag her into this world of his. Filled with pain and despair all for this outdated war over blood. He marched through the castle wishing things had been entirely different. He cursed his last name for he wished that he could've just enjoyed his time here. This lovely place that he never had the time to appreciate. He closed his eyes for a moment while still moving. He was thankful for her. Truly, because he would do this knowing that it's not his true self about to commit this act. No, it was just something he had to do. He couldn't let his life simply be taken. He certainly couldn't let his mother's. This was it.

Hermione had never run so fast in her life. She wasn't thinking. Her body was running on pure adrenaline. She had to help him, she wouldn't let one more second of his life be controlled by anybody else.

Draco was nearly there now. He stopped to look around himself. The whole night had an odd feeling to it. Like and end, and a beginning was hurling towards him at the same time. He was having an outer body experience as he ascended the staircase to the astronomy tower, every step brining him closer to a new life. Yet another one he truly wouldn't be a part of. He was just a piece in a machine. A pawn for Voldemort and his crazy blood war. No one needed to die. He would kill Dumbledore. And for what? Pettiness really. He wondered if any of this would really matter. If the dark side would truly win. He let a small smile slip through. A genuine smile. As a thought crept into his mind. "Not with the best muggle born witch on the light side." No they wouldn't win after all, because they were on the wrong side of things. His family, and all the poor pathetic sycophants that followed him now. They had chosen wrong. He was born on the wrong side of this fight. The chosen one of the wrong side. How strange it felt to be a Malfoy in this moment. Because maybe for the first time in his family's checkered past someone knew that they had gotten it wrong. They had chosen wrong. Not that it would matter.

He saw his headmaster in his sights as he reached the top of the staircase.

"Expelliarmus." Dumbledore's wand flew out of his hand.

"Draco…" Dumbledore said plainly seemingly unsurprised. "Good evening… what brings you here on this fine evening?"

"Is anyone else here?" Draco said, feeling defeated.

"Draco… you are no assassin."

"I've done things that would shock you sir." His eyes fell.

"Nothing you've done this year has truly shocked me Draco. Our hearts are sometimes hard to follow, but once we do it can be very hard to retreat back to our old ways." Dumbledore said knowingly.

Draco's wand lowered slightly he couldn't believe his ears, was he talking about … what he thinks he's talking about?

There was a rumbling in the distance below.

"You're not alone then? May I ask how?"

"The vanishing cabinet, I've been mending it… forms a passageway."

"Draco years ago I knew a boy who made all the wrong choices… you've already made better ones."

"I don't want your help! Or your bloody wisdom! I have to do this, or he's gonna kill me! He'll kill anyone I care about! I have no way out!" Draco yelled so hard he thought his lungs might come flying out as well. He lowered to a whisper that was barely audible. "You think this is what I wanted?"

He heard footsteps bounding up the stairs. He turned around expecting to see no friendly face, or worse a familial one in his Aunty Bella.

What he got was the shock of his life.

There she was, a mess of brunette curls in her glory. He was elated and terrified all at once.

"What the hell are you doing?! This is impossible I…I made sure you were safe." He stuttered out.

"We don't have time to discuss just how much better I am at counter curses than you. We have a fight on our hands. I've rounded up Dumbledore's Army, and we have calls out to the order. Some of them have already retreated. I've got Greyback shackled just down the stairs. Your mother has already been taken into protective custody…Tonks has her she's fine." She said all of this without taking a single breath. She looked at him worried, thinking he would be mad. He reached out to touch her face that was covered in several scratches.

"You're a real stubborn pain in my ass Granger! I needed you to be safe! I needed you to be away from me everything I touch turns to darkness! I can't let that happen to you!" Draco was beside himself with worry, but he was happy to be arguing with her again he couldn't deny.

"I'll gladly tell you all the reasons why you're wrong later! You should be thanking me you crazy arse!" she smacked him across the back of his head.

They both heard a throat clear. To which they turned their heads towards the noise. They saw Dumbledore standing with his hands clasped behind his back slightly swaying back and forth.

"Headmaster." They both chocked out realizing who they were fighting in front of.

He made his way over to the two of them after retrieving his wand. He bent down to Draco's ear.

"Sometimes even those better choices smack us on the head." He whispered with a twinkle. He straightened back up. "There will be more fights, more battles, probably more than most of us can handle. They have retreated tonight… Draco do you wish to continue down this path, with those allies?"

Draco looked at Hermione.

"You know that I want to fight with you. I would fight anyone for you. I just don't know how any of this is going to work. He's going to be after me, after anyone I love."

"Draco, he always been after me, my kind, and the people that I love." She said softly. "We can fight back….You can fight back. It'll be hard, but your life has always been hard."

"She's right Draco. Any fight is hard, but if it's what you want I believe you'll find that the sacrifices actually become worthy of something."

Draco took a deep breath. "We fight then." He looked down at her and put his arm around her waist.

The End.