"Are we there yet?" His blond hair blowing into his face and the seat leaning back some. This had been the fourth time in twenty minutes he had asked her and they were no closer to their destination then they were the last time he asked. They had been driving for hours on the deserted road and Hermione was getting tired. She sighed, it was her idea that if she and Draco were going to attend so many conferences they should drive and see the United States. It sounded like a good idea five months ago when their boss came to them about it. She was thrilled with the idea of meeting other healers. At a few conferences, she and Draco would be the stars due to their work in memory charms and unbreakable curses. In this idea of a road trip/vacation she forgot two things; one being how large America was and the second thing being she was going to do this with Draco Malfoy. Back at St. Mungo it had taken a lot of begging and threatening to get him to agree that they should drive but after two months he finally agreed it might be fun only if she did most of the driving.

"Are we there now?" His eyes were closed as the moon shone on his face. She had rented a convertible when they left Phoenix four hours ago. She couldn't pass up having the top down during October as they drove down route 60. She enjoyed driving at night and even with all his complaining she could see Draco was having just as much fun as she was. Who would have thought when they were in school she would be driving down the road with the boy that hated her the most sitting beside her. After the war, he had come back to Hogwarts and kept to himself. It was necessity that brought them together to form a friendship. They both needed help from nightmares and N.E.W.T.S. He would never be Ron or Harry but she learned to handle his moods.

"No, like I said five minutes ago we still have two hours before we get to next town. Why don't you go back to sleep." She yawned. The air had a cool wind and a sweet smell to it making her sleepy.

"I'm up." She looked over, his eyes were closed. "What is that smell? It's almost sweet and sickening."

"Don't you remember me asking yesterday, the Spanish lady said colitas whatever that is?" Hermione yawned again.

"Find a place to pull over so I can drive some you are not going to make the two hours." Draco shifted in his seat.

Hermione yawned as she spoke. "I will be fine."

"I don't want to die." Draco sat up as he rubbed his eyes as she pulled over. After two days into their trip he start taking over driving when she would get tired. The road was empty as she closed the passage side door and leaned back.

"So when does this adventure end again?" He pushed his hair out of his face.

"We should be in Los Angeles in two days and after the speaking engagement we will be portkeying back to England."

"If you repeat any of what I am going to say to anybody I will kill you." He turned and smirked at her, "I have had fun."

"I knew it." Hermione closed her eyes

"Yeah, yeah. Shut up and get some sleep."

Hermione had a feeling of her body falling and in the background, she swore she could hear the crackling laugh of Bellatrix Lestrange. She woke up with a jerk, sweat covered her forehead and she was shaking some.

"Nightmare, huh?" Draco never looked off the road. "I thought you were done with those?"

"Yeah, me too." She stretched some in the seat. "Where are we?"

"Nowhere, middle of." He laughed some.

"Hey there are lights up ahead, pull over and see if it's a place to stay."

"Yes your majesty because that thought had never crossed my mind."

"Shut it and just pull over." Hermione laughed as she took a deep breath of the deserts sweet air. The building was old and run down. The sign was faded but she could just make out the words Hotel California on it in old, worn red paint. The front door was open giving off some light as they drove up. A girl was standing in the door with a lantern just staring into the night. She had another world looked to her and for a moment Hermione thought they should just keep driving. Hermione was still staring at the girl when Draco came upped to her side with some bags.

"Are you going to get out?" He laughed some as he looked where she staring. "This could be fun." He smiled and wiggled his eyebrows at her.

"She is dressed strange don't you think."

"I really hadn't noticed her clothes." Draco opened Hermione's door. In the distance, she could hear the bells from a far off mission ringing. Draco handed her one of her bags as they made their way to the door. The girl was still standing in the doorway when they reached her, it was that moment Hermione noticed her eyes had registered they were standing there. A smile appeared on the girl as she moved some to let them in. "Welcome to the Hotel California" she started following them inside. The inside was retro, the decor done in early 1930's style. Hermione loved the look of art deco and even though the furniture looked old and worn, it was clean.

"It is a lovely place" Draco winked at the girl who blushed some, "And such a lovely face." Hermione rolled her eyes as she pushed him some.

"Follow me." The girl had moved in front of them with the lamp. Candles and lamps were lit all over the room giving the room a warm, orange glow.

"Don't we need to check in?" Draco looked over at Hermione confused.

"Don't be silly no one checks in here." The girl laughed some as she led them up the stairs. Hermione was able to see her closely for the first time. She had a long red braid that fell down her back, the red hair glowed in the candle light. It wasn't Ron red, her hair was a dark rich red. Her skin had a china doll look as it glowed in the candle light. Her dress had a high waist and long. It was almost the same color pink as her skin and hung loosely on her. Her sleeves were sheer and a bow was placed right where the top and the skirt met. Hermione noticed as the girl climbed the stairs that the end of her dress was fraying some. When they reached the top of the stairs the girl turned to them as the dark green eyes took Hermione for a moment. They were deep and sad, so much feeling behind them and such a plastered smile. "This way" She led them down a corridor.

"Did you hear that?" Draco stopped and looked around.

"Hear what?" Hermione eyes were scanning the hall.

"I heard voices."

"O…K…. What kind of voices?" Hermione eyes were wide as she looked at him.

Draco shook his head and smiled at her "never mind."

"I hope you have room," Hermione spoke up the girl who was a ways from them.

"We always have room any time of year" The girl turned to them as she stopped by a door. "Your room miss. Formal dinner is at 11pm and will be in courtyard everybody must be there."

Hermione gave her a look as she headed in the room what the girl said made no sense dinner at 11 at night and formal. She stopped and took in her room for a moment. It was large room with a pink bed in the middle of the room. A mirror was hanging from the ceiling, Hermione almost choked when she saw it. The carpet was an awful light color green that looked more like something that belonged inside a baby diaper then the floor. She placed her bag on the bed and opened the door to her left. It was a large washroom. She had to admit she loved this, the tub looked as if it could fit three to four easily. She was so running a hot bath when she heard a knock on her door. As she opened it she found Draco on the other side. He looked panicked some "What's wrong?" She asked as she let him in.

"Nothing, I mean this place is strange don't you think? Formal dinner at 11 at night, we didn't have to check in how do we know how much this cost. That girl she is hot but so strange, although I do like them strange but that is not the point. Plus, these walls are really thin I can hear the people talking in their rooms."

"I haven't heard anything." Hermione sat down on her bed, "We could leave."

"Yeah but neither of us can drive anymore tonight, its one night right?"

"Yeah we should be gone first thing in the morning" Hermione smiled as she grabbed her bag "Do you think she meant that we had to go to dinner?"

"I don't know about you but I'm hungry" Draco pushed his hair out of his face.

"Yeah me too" Hermione sighed as she grabbed her bag "Let's get dressed then and meet me in 20 minutes"

"Sounds good" Draco left her to get dressed. Hermione couldn't break the feeling she had outside that they should have kept driving.

Draco was outside her door when she was finished dressing. She forgot sometimes working with him how hansom he really was. He wasn't her type but man he could be hot in a suit. "You look nice" Hermione took his arm as they made their way down the stairs. She was hoping they were going the right way. Her black dress dragged the ground, it was the only thing formal she had brought. She had spent two months wages on it and loved it. It was black silk with black lace covering it. A lace train followed her as in the lace was black pearls and crystals. The square cut neck she thought showed off her long neck and amplified what little she had in the top part of her body. The one part she wasn't happy about was the cap sleeves but she would live with it.

"I do don't I" Draco winked at her as she rolled her eyes "You clean up ok too" She slapped his arm some. At the bottom of the stairs, the same girl was standing looking around. She had on a long green velvet dress, it was form fitting and the curved neckline Hermione could tell she had enough chest for two.

"Oh hello, how did you like your rooms?" Hermione noticed her smile seemed real and her eyes happy.

"They are fine" Hermione was quick to add, "For tonight." Draco held his arm out to the girl.

"So how long have you worked here?" Hermione asked as the girl pointed the way as he led them.

"Oh I don't work here I am here waiting for my aunt to arrive." Draco and Hermione looked at each other as they walked out to the courtyard. The music was low as people were dancing. Moonlit shone bright, vines crawled up the side of the walls and the air was sweet smelling. The orchestra was dressed in tuxedos as they played the saddest song Hermione had ever heard.

"Then why did you show us to rooms?"

"The night watchman was busy with one of Katylin's friends" the girl winked at them and let out a giggle.

"Katylin?" Hermione looked at where the girl was pointing. An older woman was sitting at a table with two young men sitting next to her. Her red dress was old and worn, her hair was gray and her makeup was on thick.

"Katylin has many boy that are "friends". She has been here since the hotel opened." Draco held the chair out for the girl, "Oh I'm Gwyneth."

Draco kissed her hand as he sat, "Such a pretty name to match such a pretty girl." Hermione let out a loud moan as she rolled her eyes. Gwyneth giggled some as he sat down next to her.

"So, how long before your aunt arrives I mean it's a strange place to meet somebody. This hotel in the middle of nowhere on a road that doesn't get much traffic."

"I guess in a few days" Hermione saw her eyes get sad again as her smiled faded "I have sort of lost track of time" She laughed some as a tear rolled down her face.

Draco leaned in some as the waiter brought menus to them "Are you ok?"

Gwyneth wiped her eyes as she smiled again "Yes I'm fine" Hermione watched the dance floor she could have sworn the same song was playing when they sat down and the same people were dancing. She shook her head, this trip was wearing her out. "So where are you headed?" She came back to the sound of Gwyneth's voice.

"Los Angeles, we are finishing up speaking conferences and then headed back to London." Draco was looking over the wine list.

"Oh London, my aunt has promised to take me away to London."

"That's settled when you get there you are ringing me and I'll show you around. Oh waiter" Draco waved over the man. Hermione was back looking around when she heard the waiter tell Draco whatever he was ordering that they hadn't had since the 60's. When the waiter left, Draco turned to Hermione and leaned in, "that's strange you would think they would take it off the menu."

Hermione shrugged as they turned back and watched the dancers. This was the same song and dancers but before she could comment, the food had arrived. Dinner conversation was interesting, Hermione kept the conversation going but every once in a while Gwyneth would look so sad but the next moment she would be happy again. None of what Gwyneth said made any sense during dinner, she talked about the road outside being busy and the only road. Hermione knew that the interstate was faster but Draco had chosen to use back roads. Hermione took it as the girl was young and maybe not very bright. The big thing they found out was she was a witch and everybody there was magical. Hermione didn't remember if she had seen this place on the magical map when they were plotting their route. Maybe it was so old they didn't bother to place it. Dinner was over and Hermione was ready to pass out. She must have started dozing because Draco was shaking her some. "Oh I am sorry it has been a long day."

"That's alright, dinner is over anyway" Gwyneth had the same look as when they arrived. So sad her eyes were and her smile was plastered on her face. As they headed to the stairs, Hermione could sense something wrong but she barely knew the girl to ask. Gwyneth stopped at the stairs and looked at them. "Have a good night."

"Aren't you coming up?" Draco asked as he let go of her hand.

"I will later" Her smile never wavered as she turned around and headed to the door.

Draco shrugged at Hermione as they made their way to their rooms by the next morning they would be back on the road and away from this place.

Hermione was sleeping when she heard a scream, she jumped out of her bed with her wand drawn. She could hear footsteps outside her door as she tiptoed to it. She placed her ear to the door seeing if she could hear voices. A high-pitched laugh floated down the hallway, Hermione let out a breath she when she heard Draco voice whisper "Hermione" followed by a slight knocks.

Hermione opened the door as Draco walked in "We need to go now" He looked like death. His hair was a mess, his face was pale and he had circles under his eyes.

"What happened to you?"

"Your alive right?" Draco was pacing.

"What are you talking about? Draco, you are scaring me."

"Scaring you, I thought I killed you. The voices they drove me to it all of them."

"Draco, all of who I don't understand" Hermione was scared as she watched him pace.

"Everybody I hurt during the war I can hear them Hermione. I heard them an hour ago when I strangled you." He sat down on the bed.

"You had a bad dream Draco. I get those all the time." Hermione sat down next to him. "See I'm alive you didn't strangle me."

Draco laughed some as he closed his eyes, "Yeah I guess it seemed so real. I could have sworn after that" Draco stopped midsentence and looked as if the blood had drained from his face.

"Yeah, but if you want to leave we can." Hermione stood up as the same scream that woke her up happened again. "I thought that was you." Hermione turned to the door.

"Yeah because I sound like a woman" Draco stood up holding his wand as he opened the door. "Come on let's see who is screaming."

Draco and Hermione made their way down the corridor as they heard the scream again this time coming from the room in front of them. Draco and Hermione ran to the door to find it open as they ran in Hermione gasped. A women laying on a bed with a knife stuck in her heart her red dress ripped and blood seeping into the bed. A man laid on the floor face down with scorch marks on his back

"Draco it Katylin" Hermione was panicked as she saw movement in the closet. Walking as quiet as possible and motioning to Draco Hermione opened to the door to find one of the "friends" hanging from a rope in the closet. "Oh Merlin, Draco" Hermione grabbed the body as she tried to undo the rope. She tried everything to undo the rope as Draco's hands went above hers. "Its no use he won't budge." Hermione let out a breath as she stopped "Are they.." The question hung in the air as Draco nodded. "This is awful, we need to leave and call for help."

"I agree we can't stay here something is wrong here." Draco pushed his hair back.

"What happened to your hands?" Hermione grabbed his hands. They were scratch marks all over his hand and wrist. Some were deep and bleeding some and other hardly noticeable.

"I don't know" Draco was pale when Hermione looked back at him. Before she could talk, they heard far off screaming floating down the hall. "Come on we have to tell somebody this happened." The hall was empty. The dark green carpet and orange walls glowed in the small amount candle light. They headed to the stairs and not once did they see anybody in the hall as a woman's muffled scream floated through the hotel. Two doors from the stair they could see brighter candle light coming from the door as it was cracked. Draco motioned to Hermione to follow as he opened the door.

The room was empty as the door to the lavatory was open with the sound of water running and they could see red water pooling on the dingy green carpet. Hermione let out a scream as Draco tried to block her view when they entered. Gwyneth was under the water in her pink dress. Her wrist were slit, her eyes open staring at the ceiling the water was dark red as more water entered from the tap. Hermione tried to pull the body from the water as Draco had turned the water off. Hermione was still trying but it was as if the body was plastered to the bottom of the tub. Hermione turned to Draco, her eyes went large as she opened her mouth but nothing came out, blood drained from her face. Draco turned to see what Hermione was looking at. Gwyneth was standing behind Draco looking at the body in the tub, she looked so sad as she looked at them.

"I forgot tonight for a moment" Her voice was soft and low.

Draco moved away from her grabbing Hermione off the flooded floor, "Forgot what?"

"This is how I died." She laughed some "You helped me forget, Draco. I was sent to my aunt due to some not so nice acts I had commented against muggles. She was to get me out of the country, my mother was afraid if I used magical travel the authorities would find me." Gwyneth turned and moved into her rooms. She was sitting on her bed looking at the widow, tears were running down her face "We are all just prisoners here, of our own device. Draco, stay with me." Gwyneth eyes were pleading with Draco. Hermione could tell she was lonely but to ask Draco to stay was beyond wrong. Hermione was pulling Draco to the door when the muffled screaming sounded stronger. Gwyneth's look changed to almost ghostly as she stood and made her way past them out of the room. They followed her as she floated down to the courtyard where earlier was music and dancing. Now the dancers laid on the floor their eyes were open as they lay in a heap. "Poisoned during the feast" Hermione looked around the room and back to where Gwyneth was standing, she was gone. Draco was moving through the room with his wand glowing. The orchestra was lying limp on their instruments with knives stuck in them. One of the men was near the wall hunched over with multiple knife marks in his back.

"We have to get out of here" Hermione grabbed Draco's hand as they ran for the front door. They stopped as they saw a tall man standing by the front door. He had on black robes, his skin was splotched with brown marks, his white hair shown in the lantern he held and his long yellow nails wrapped around the handle.

"Who are you?" Draco held up his wand as he placed his arm around Hermione.

"Relax, I'm the night watchman."

"What is this place?"

"I know I need to paint the sign, it's the Hotel California."

"No" Hermione moved from around Draco "What is this place."

"I guess you could say a special type of haunted house. Magical ones are always the worse."

"We are leaving." Draco made a move towards the man.

"That's fine. You are free to check out anytime you like but you can never leave." The night watchman turned and looked into the night again.

Hermione turned to Draco his eyes were dead looking as she heard the scream again. She turned and ran towards the sound. Up the stairs, she went as fast as her legs could carry her. She stopped suddenly, her room's door was cracked she knew she had closed the door when they left. She didn't want to go into the room, her mind was screaming for her to run away. She moved to the door slowly pushing it open as the door creaked. She closed her eyes when she entered the room, she knew it.

Since Draco, waking her up she knew in the back of her mind he had come into her room and strangled her. The muffled screaming was herself, the starches on his hands and wrists were her fighting. She closed her eyes for a moment, she had forgotten this is how she died. She let go of a breath she had been holding since walking in and turned from the vision. She couldn't see herself any longer. Her hair wild on the bed, her eyes open staring at the mirror on the ceiling, bruising starting on her neck. She closed the door to her room and opened Draco's. He was lying face down on his bed, his blond hair stained with red, his wrist were slashed the whole bed was stained red. A note was on the night table Hermione moved carefully around the room to the nightstand. The note only said I'm sorry Hermione. She smiled as she held it. His voice made her jump.

"I am sorry" Draco was standing in the door-frame looking at her. "I don't know what happened, one moment I was sleeping and the next I was strangling you."

"I know" Hermione placed a fake smile on as she turned to him.

Harry and Ron were beside themselves. Hermione and Draco had never made it to the portkey, she never got in touch with them and there was no sign of either of them. They both headed to the last place they had been and see if they could find some clues. The local magical law enforcement blew it off as if they had fallen in love and ran off. It was ridiculous to believe that Hermione would fall in love with Draco Malfoy. Friends yes, lovers they knew better. An older woman had told them that Hermione had rented a car that was overdue and that they headed down Route 60. Harry and Ron had made enough noise that the Sheriff, Mr. Davis, had agreed to travel down the road with them. He had admitted it did seem strange that even if they had ran off after a month they should have heard something. The drive down the road was long, the sun was bright that day. It was four hours in when they spotted a car that matched the description of the one Hermione had rented. It was parked on the side of the road in front a worn down old building. Mr. Davis, Harry and Ron got out and started looking around.

"There are haunted stories about this place. Lights in the night, screams when people drive by and a women in white standing in the door." Mr. Davis was talking as they walked through the building. The roof had caved in, the stairs were crumbling and wild animals were moving around.

"Do you think it is?" Harry moved a door that fallen down.

"It has a long history when it was open for ill fortune. It was a whorehouse when it opened and a jealous lover killed the madam and her john. It had different murders from time to time. In the 1930's it was turned into a high-end hotel. It closed in 1947 when one of the orchestra members had gone insane and poised everybody's meal. Then he stabbed everybody in the orchestra. It was discovered the next day when somebody stopped and saw it all. They said the beast of a man was stabbed over 15 times before he died."

"Who stabbed him?" Ron was leaning against the counter.

"They say the night watchmen but they never found him. From time to time somebody will go missing on this road and locals will say it was the hotel." Mr. Davis removed his hat and wiped the sweat from his brow. "A girl went missing in the 1960's a follower of you know who. Her mother swore the hotel killed her. I think she took off from the law. More than likely living in Mexico somewhere and the mother made the story up to hide that fact. Man its hot today. I would say your friends aren't here."

"No it doesn't look like it." Harry sighed as they made their way to the car. "I don't know why the car is here then."

"Somebody might have found it and is playing a trick" Mr. Davis got into the car and cranked the air-conditioner "We will do everything we can to find your friends, I promise." Harry nodded as he turned back to the worn down building. In one of the windows on the top floor for a moment, he could have sworn he saw Hermione. He closed his eyes and shook his head, when he opened again it was just the suns glare on the window.

The night air was cool and the road long when a black jeep pulled over in front of a rundown hotel. A girl was standing in the door in a black evening dress holding a lantern. Her chocolate brown hair was moving in the cool evening breeze. He smiled at her as he came closer. It took her a minute to register he was standing in front of her. She noticed him and smiled as she moved out of the way "Welcome to the Hotel California." He winked at her as she walked him past a blond man and a red head girl holding each other on a red couch in the lobby. They were deep in a passionate kiss and didn't move when the girl with the lantern kicked the man's foot.

"Don't I have to check in?" The man had stopped and looked at the counter.

"Nobody checks in here." The girl was standing on the first step on the stairs "This way to your room."

The man slowly nodded as he followed her "What's your name love."

The girl stopped for a moment and turned to him, her eyes were sad as she smiled. A tear ran down her face as she lifted the lantern high. "My name is Hermione, what's yours."