Fly Away - Chapter One

Mercy



A/N It's a bit fluffy and nice at first, but darkness comes soon.



"Sweetheart, welcome home!"

Mrs. Granger hugged her daughter hard and smiled.

"I missed you," said Hermione. She looked around the train station. "Where's Father?"

"At work," replied Mrs. Granger. "You know your father. Always working."

"Yes," Hermione said. "Always."



"Let me help you with those bags, dear." Hermione and her mother carried Hermione's luggage up the stairs and into her room. Hermione opened Crookshanks' cage and he hopped up onto her beautifully made bed.

"Your father will be home shortly, Precious," said Mrs. Granger. "I'll start dinner." She walked from the room, leaving Hermione alone with Crookshanks. Hermione stroked her cat thoughtfully as she sat down on her bed.

"I can't believe You-Know-Who is back," Hermione said softly to Crookshanks. "I just hope that Harry can survive through the summer."

Hermione heard the doorbell ring. Crookshanks leapt from her lap.

"Must be father," she said. Hermione rose and walked down the steep, wooden staircase. She looked through the window next to the door and saw a person in a Hogwarts uniform.

Harry. The word echoed through her mind. Maybe he's in trouble. His cloak was pulled up over his head, but Hermione saw the cut on his hand that he had gotten from Wormtail's ropes. She opened the door and he dove inside. Hermione immediately shut the door behind him.

"Harry," said Hermione, "are you all right?"

"Harry?" said a familiar voice. "Granger? This is your house? Impressive." Hermione's jaw dropped.

"Malfoy?"

Draco stood and removed his cloak. There was a shallow cut on his forehead, and blood mingled with sweat as it ran down his face. He was breathing hard. His usually perfect hair was unkempt, and he was remarkably pale, bright red patches burning in his cheeks.

"Malfoy, what happened to you?" Hermione asked with a tone of worry.

"I've been running."

"Why?"

"I'm hiding from Voldemort," Draco said quietly. "And my father. I may seem a bit on the bad side at school, but I do not want to become a Death Eater." He glanced out through the window nervously. "May I stay the night? I'll stay in the backyard. Just keep me out of sight - that's all I ask." Hermione couldn't say no to the fearful look on his face.

"If I did this, you would owe me your life," Hermione said. Draco nodded, but the fright still lingered in his eyes. "You really don't care that it's me you're asking?" Draco shook his head.

"Please," he begged. He gave her a kind of puppy-dog-pout. "Please. Hermione." She looked at him and sighed.

"Dinner is starting soon," said Hermione. "You look like you haven't eaten for a while."

"I haven't eaten since the end-of-the-year feast."

"Follow me." She led him through the hallway and into the dining room. Mrs. Granger was setting a platter of potatoes in the center of the large oval table. She looked up and glanced at Draco.

"Who is this young man, Hermione?"

"Mum," said Hermione, "this is Draco Malfoy, a boy from school."

Draco gave an elegant bow.

"Pleasure to meet you, Mrs. Granger." He stood up straight, his eyes Mrs. Granger blushed.

"And you, sir," she replied. Mrs. Granger folded her arms. "So you are a wizard. You must be, if you go to Hogwarts."

"Yes, ma'am," said Draco.

"Malfoy, did you say?" said Mrs. Granger. "Not the one that called my daughter a 'dirtblood' or something."

"Yes," Draco said hesitantly. "But that was years ago, when I was an idiot. It isn't my fault that I was born a boy."

He certainly knows how to charm the people he needs, Hermione thought. Mrs. Granger certainly liked him.

"You seem like a nice lad, Draco," said Mrs. Granger.

"He needs to stay with us a while," said Hermione. "Do you remember that dark wizard I told you about - the one who wants to kill Harry?"

"Yes."

"He's after me," said Draco.

"What about your parents?"

"They are his supporters," Draco said honestly. "They are trying to get me to join the Dark Lord."

"Of course you can stay with us," said Mrs. Granger, "but I'm afraid we don't have an extra room. You can sleep on the sofa down here, if you like."

"That would be fine, ma'am," said Draco.

"Don't call me ma'am," said Mrs. Granger. "Call me Hermione's Mom, Laura - just not ma'am. It makes me feel old."

"All right," Draco said, "Laura."



After dinner had finished, rain started to pour. Mrs. Granger came back into the room.

"A lightning storm," said Mrs. Granger. "I'm going to bed. Your father just called and said he fell asleep at the office. He said that he's going to stay at his sister's house tonight, so he won't have to drive all the way back. Goodnight, you two."

Draco nodded. A bolt of lightning flashed outside, and Draco jumped.

"I'm going to bed," Hermione yawned. "There is already a blanket on the sofa. 'Night."



Five minutes later, Hermione was awoken abruptly.

"Stop shaking me, Malfoy, I'm awake!" Hermione rubbed her eyes. Draco was staring at her with wide eyes. Thunder rumbled outside, and the lightning illuminated the whole room. "What do you want?"

"I can't sleep," he muttered.

"Well why not?" Hermione asked.

"I'm afraid of lightning," Draco said. Even in the dark, Hermione could see his face go pink. She laughed. Draco glared. "Like you weren't once."

"I still am," Hermione admitted. "But I'm tired. Just go to sleep."

"And I overheard my father say that there's a serial killer that strikes only during storms."

She gave a start. "Don't scare me," Hermione said.

"And he only kills witches and wizards and steals their magic - "

"What do you want me to do, Malfoy?"

"Can I stay up here?"

"I feel like I'm babysitting you," Hermione murmured. Draco shuddered when lightning flickered again. "Okay, I'll sleep downstairs." Draco plopped down on the bed when she got up.

Hermione walked down the stairs and saw a man at the window. She froze and waited until he disappeared before she sprinted back to her room

"There is a man outside."

Draco's face sent white.

"Now you've got me afraid." Draco sat upright when Hermione sat down next to him. A thunderclap boomed, and Draco threw his arms around Hermione, who did the same. Draco fell asleep that way, leaving Hermione in a bewildered state. Eventually, after the lightning had subsided, she drifted off to sleep.



Hermione gave a start when she opened her eyes in the morning. She struggled out of Draco's arms and sat up, somewhat surprised to see his face in her room.

Hermione got dressed quickly and quietly, afraid Draco just might wake up. She made it just in time, for he awoke just as she pulled her shirt over her head.

"Morning, Draco," said Hermione. Draco blinked around and seemed to remember where he was.

Draco hopped out of bed. He was still wearing his uniform, and it was looking rather wrinkled. His hair was beginning to look as uncontrollable as Harry's.

"Look at your hair," Hermione laughed. "You look like you just came out of a tornado." Draco smirked.

"Well, look at yours," he said. "Do you by any chance have any Sleakeasy's Hair Potion?"

"Yes I do," Hermione said. She snatched it off of her dresser top and handed it to Draco. He sprayed some onto his hair and slicked it back with his hand. He glanced into the mirror and gave himself a satisfied look.

"You could use some." Draco handed the bottle to her, but she shook her head.

"No," she said. "It takes much too long. I want to go into town and see my old friends. Would you like to come?"

"Not r - " he hesitated. "All right, but first," Draco seized his wand from inside his robes. "Erigo nodus." Hermione's air suddenly became long and wavy, and fell almost to her waist.

"What did you do?" Hermione hissed.

"Straightened your hair a bit."

"You know we can't use magic - "

"Unless there's an emergency."

"Exactly! We're going to - "

"And that was an emergency," Draco said. Hermione folded her arms over her chest.

"Let's go." Hermione began to walk out the door of her room.

"Wait," Draco said. Hermione spun around.

"What? Are you going to play with my hair a bit more?"

"No," he said. "I just - does your father have any clothes I could borrow?"

"I'll go get some."

Hermione walked down the hallway to the end room and opened the closet door. She screamed. A translucent version of her father stood before her.

"Good morning, Hermione," said Mr. Granger. "I trust you slept well."

"Father, what's wrong with you?" said Hermione. "You - you're a ghost!" Mr. Granger wrung his see-through hands.

"I'm afraid I am," said Mr. Granger, a weary look on his silvery face. "And so is your Aunt Emily. I'm so sorry, sweetheart. These men came in, said they were looking for you, and I wouldn't say where you were. There was some green light, and I rose up out of my body." Hermione was too petrified to say anything. Mr. Granger tried to hug her, but his arms fell through. Hermione winced. It felt as if someone had poured a bucket of ice water down her back.

"Daddy?" Hermione muttered. She sat down on the bed with a blank look on her face. Draco walked into the room.

"What's wrong? I heard you - " He saw Mr. Granger. "Who're you?"

"Dr. Charles Granger," he answered. "You must be a close friend of Hermione's to sleep - "

"He's afraid of lightning, daddy," Hermione said. Draco blushed and gave her a look that plainly said Well you don't have to broadcast it to the entire world.

"Well, I'll go talk to your mother in the kitchen," said Mr. Granger. "And don't cry, sweetheart. I'm not going without a fight." He disappeared through a wall. Draco watched Hermione, who glared at the same spot on the floor for a minute or so, before looking up at Draco.

"Well, pick out some clothes," Hermione said bluntly. "We'll go see my friends."



After Draco had managed to dress himself in a black T-shirt and jeans that were six sizes too big for him, Hermione led Draco down the stairs and out the door. It was a beautiful day, and the sun shone brightly overhead. Hermione's house was somewhat secluded from the rest of the town, as it came with a large forest surrounding it. The trees were each about eighty feet tall. Hermione loved to stroll down the dirt road to town, as it cut straight through the woods, and was just wide enough for one car to pass through. The thick treetops overhead shaded nearly every inch of it, and it gave her the feeling of freedom. She would often go into the woods and explore. She had even discovered a cave the previous summer.

"How far is it to your friends' houses?" Draco asked.

"About a mile," Hermione said. "Fancy a stroll or a run?"

"A stroll will be fine."

A/N Plot coming soon! R/R Plz! I luv reviews!!!