Three hours later, her waters were calm, and the smoke was rising in perfect spirals. Hermione put out the flame and bottled four vials of the tattoo antidote: one for Ginny, one for her, one for Ron, and one for Oliver. She couldn't forget her promise to Theo to get him out.

After cleaning up her workspace, she closed the laboratory and headed upstairs. She went straight to her bedroom, intent on preparing for Edinburgh.

The door swung open, and her feet froze. Draco was standing at her bookshelves, perusing a book like it was exactly where he was expected to be. As if it were just another evening at Edinburgh, and he'd come to give her instructions.

She'd lost count of her heartbeats by the time he finally closed the book, replacing it on the shelf. He turned around slowly, as if forcing himself. His gaze rested on her collarbones.

"Where have you been?" Her voice was hollow.

A tight shrug of his shoulders. "I told you. I checked in on Blaise and Pansy. I stayed the night at Grimmauld—"

"Why?"

Draco was silent.

Her fingers shook with the need to reach out to him. To drag his face to hers. She opened her mouth, but it felt like she might crumble beneath the weight of all the things she wanted to say.

You'll be gone by morning. I want to spend the time we have left loving you. Because I love you.

Her heart urged her on. Her mind whispered, not yet.

"I was worried about you," she managed.

A muscle in his jaw twitched. "I'm fine." His eyes fell to the glass vials in her hand. "What are those about?"

Hermione blinked down at them. She pulled Daphne's wand from her pocket and shrunk the vials to the size of a pill. "I made more of the tattoo antidote. In case I need to take it on short notice."

"Why are there four?"

Swallowing, she met his eyes. They were dark and grey. She would drown in them, if he let her. "I need to see Ginny tonight."

His shoulders sagged, and his gaze drifted over her shoulder. She braced herself for his refusal.

"I'll try," he said softly, and the breath left her lungs. "I'll put in the request for a Share, but I may not be able to confirm with Avery until this evening." He glanced up at her ceiling, and she could see the circles under his eyes. "I might not be able to leave the two of you alone this time."

"That's fine," she said, her mind working quickly. "I don't want you to leave."

It wasn't how she planned to tell him that the True Order was closing in. But this way was best, even if he did get angry at her. If he heard it in front of Ginny, then Ginny would be the third Lot able to confirm that Draco's loyalties had shifted — following her and Oliver.

"And one vial is for Ron?"