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She tried to touch him, but he flinched away from the contact.

“Granger—” His voice was cold. Unyielding.

I'll take care of them, as long as I live.

Anything.

“I'll leave the war,” she said, her voice desperate. “I'll stop — everything. If you get Ginny for me, I'll do anything you want, I swear. I'll leave. I'll never come back. Whatever you want — anything you ask — if you get Ginny for me.”

She touched the back of his hand, silently begging him to look at her.

She was met with silence.

She could almost feel Draco weighing it, evaluating her offer.

“Will you?” he finally said, turning to look at her, his eyes intent.

She met his gaze and gave a short nod. “I will.”

He studied her, his eyes narrowed and calculating. “Those are your terms? The Weasley girl, and you'll go?”

“I'll go. I swear.”

His eyes flickered, triumph and something — something else.

He looked across the room and nodded slowly. “Alright. If those are your terms, I'll get her for you.”

Hermione gave a low gasp as relief flooded over her. Her chest jerked, but she forced herself to stay composed. “Thank you. Thank you — Draco.”

The corner of his mouth quirked.

Hermione squared her shoulders and studied him. “What do you need me to do?”

He eyed her and his expression twisted derisively. “Stay here.”

She drew her chin down and furrowed her eyebrows as she stared at him. “Are you sure? I brought some things”—she gestured towards her bag—“I could—”

“It will draw less attention if I enter alone,” he said, cutting her off sharply. “If you want me get her out, you'll stay here and let me work without succumbing to your desperate need to insert yourself into everything.” His tone was cool and every word clipped.

He walked over to the far corner in the room and traced a series of runes into the wall. He slid his fingers across the wood paneling until there was a click. He pulled, and the wall shifted away, revealing a large selection of weaponry and dark artifacts.

He pulled several items off the wall and slipped them into his robes before turning to look at her again, his expression cold.

“I'll be back within an hour. Stay here.”

That was all he said before he vanished.

Hermione waited. She organised the contents of her bag. She went through Draco's healing supplies.

She ignored the weight in her chest. If she paid attention to it, it would crush her to death.

If she didn't keep herself preoccupied, she suspected her guilt would swallow her whole.

She was leaving everyone behind. The Order, The Weasleys, DA, The Resistance. She was leaving them all behind.

“Do you really think we'll just die? Angelina, they're not going to shut down Sussex when they win the war. We're livestock. You didn't see the prisoners they brought from the last curse division. They were — They were dissolving, rotting, skinned and still alive, there were things crawling inside them — The ones that could still speak begged me to kill them.”

She was leaving them to that. The lucky ones might die under interrogation, but Sussex would be the fate of everyone else.

Her stomach wrenched, and she pressed her hands over her mouth as she struggled not to panic or vomit.

She couldn't think about it. She couldn't. Draco couldn't risk his cover by trying to save them.

He and Severus were crucial for finding the remaining horcrux. Trying to get anyone at Hogwarts out would endanger the Order's only hope of actually defeating Voldemort.

Once Ginny was safely away, the horcrux had to be the priority.

Her hands shook, and she rummaged through Draco's supplies until she found a Draught of Peace.

The air moved, soundless, and Draco reappeared in the middle of the room, Ginny's limp body in his arms.

The glamours on Ginny's skin and stomach were gone.

Hermione flung herself across the room, pulling Ginny away from Draco and running dozens of diagnostics on her as she knelt on the floor, gripping her tightly in her arms.

There was no trace locked around either of Ginny's wrists.

“What happened? Did you knock her out? Where was she when you found her?”

“She was in a lab. They'd just removed the glamours when I arrived. I contained it.” Draco's voice was calm. Flat.

Hermione cast a diagnostic on Ginny's stomach and watched the large, fluttering light with relief. Ginny's unconscious expression was frozen terror. She'd been dosed with a type of temporary stasis potion. Hermione cast several more spells to ensure nothing had been done to her.

“Once you've confirmed she's unharmed, we need to go. It will take a few hours to get you to the safe house and ensure everything is arranged.”