Loving the enemy
From shadow to shadow they ran weaving in one ally and darting out the other.
The air was cold and held a fowl smell to it, the rain pelted them relentlessly as they ran for what seemed like hours on end in silence there ears straining to hear any signs of those that could be following them.
The moon hidden behind the storm clouds gave them little light to go by but they dare not risk using there magic in a time and place such as that.
His breathing was straining his heart pounding ferociously in his chest and yet his guardian bid them on further.
He remembered wishing things were different: wishing Potter would have shaken his hand, wishing he were born in Andromida's family instead of Narsissa's, wishing his father were a muggle instead of a pure blood wizard.
As he pondered these things he was sparsely aware of the trash bin he and Severus Snape were hiding in nor was he all to aware of the shouts of Potter and Weasily: "We've got them on the run they cant be to far up ahead!" nor the pounding of feet.
He was running on autopilot doing whatever he needed to survive life was unfair he was just a boy, a boy with the dark mark branded on his forearm for a moment as he huddled in the rubbish of muggels he understood what it was like to be Harry Potter to have a scar that one could be identified with a scar that got him into trouble a scar he had no choice in getting.
"Hurry up Draco unless you plan on kissing a dementor in your near future." Snape snapped irritably at the dunderheaded youth who seemed perfectly content to hide out in a waste receptacle.
"Right." Replied Draco and once again the teenager found himself running through the damp streets of muggle London.
The night had progressed and it was soon the early stages of dawn and Draco found himself staring at his reflection in the mirror the echoes of Severs' s instructions ringing in his ears:
"You are to drink this potion Draco it will alter your appearance from here we part ways it is not safe to travel together any longer." He handed over a small vile with a mud looking substance.
"Snape what is this?" he had asked smirking the elder fugitive pushed open a stall door where a wizard boy with curly brown hair's body lay lifeless.
"Your knew hide out his name is Zander Strows as I understand it Granger and he were pen pals the best place to hide from your enemy's is in plan sight." He had no idea how long he stood there just stood and stared it could have been hours for all his body could tell it had been days.
The first muggle that burst through the doors of the gents room in kings cross station had been mumbling something about burritos for breakfast befor slamming open a stall and slamming shut the door sent Draco traipsing out into the crowded station each stride taking him closer to his fate.
"Where is he?" she had questioned aloud to herself as she pushed and shoved her way through squabbling couples, crying children and there frazzled parents.
"Hermione darling do be patient you've waited so long to meet each other a few moments cant be that terrible." Mrs. Granger stated her eyes searching for a mop of curly golden brown hair attached to a face with green eyes and pale skin.
"Hermione is he tall or short?" Mr. Granger asked.
"Tall definitely." She supplied as her eye's darting from here to there.
A few moments of silence went by befor her mother asked rather timidly: "Is he Thin or erm laaarge around the edges dear."
"Thin mom." Hermione responded without so much as a thought.
"And you said he's a W-I-Z-A-R-D like those Harry and Ron blokes?" her father asked Hermione paused for a moment befor nodding "Yes dad he's a wizard." Hermione's father had an odd thought that spelling the word wouldn't catch the attention of any unwanted eves droppers.
They had been waiting for a grand amount of time befor Hermione remembered the sign she had made and shrunk to fit into her pocket.
"Be back real quick have to go to 9 ¾ have to do a little you know."
Her parents nodded and Hermione sprinted into the empty barrier took out her wand and muttered an enlargement spell befor zipping back to her parents all the while holding out a huge sign with her pen pals name printed in her neat scrawl.
It hadn't been long at all until the boy had found them.
"Hermione Granger?" Draco questioned in a mock Viktor Crum accent that was slurred with an English accent.
"Depends who wants to know?" she asked somewhat suspicious and cautious of him.
"Forgive how you say Forgive me I am Zander Strowes Hermione's pen pal." Draco felt exhausted he had just used the mudbloods name twice in one minute he was sure his Father had just rolled over and praised potters birth in Azkaban. Her eyes which once held a certain McGonagal quality of scrutiny softened considerably and began to twinkle in what could only be a Dombeldore impersonation one that gave him a sense of calm a calm he hadn't felt in ages as he walked away from the crowded station with the grangers he felt a warm fluttering felling his stomach it was that bubbling eruption of true laughter in all his life he would of never thought he was happy to see let alone spend any amount of time with granger and yet there he was staring at her joyous face telling him all about there farm house in the country and he felt like he was flying he was elated he felt light weightless.
"Mum and dad work most days so its usually me and Crookshanks my familiar he's a kenizel well a kenizel and a half really." Here she paused and a look of wondering came upon her own face "Zander?" she asked slowly "where exactly is your familiar?" Draco's felling of elation and weightlessness cracked much like his fathers mental health piece by itty-bitty peace.
"Oh I left him at home I figured I'd just use an owl from the emporium in Hogsmade should I need to send a letter." He replied internally smirking but grinning smartly at Hermione until her eyes became as large as platters and she sucked in a horrified gasp her dainty hand covering her pink shapely mouth "Oh my god Zander Strows why in Godric's name would you do something so foolish? In these dark times your letters could be intercepted …and aren't you allergic to owls?" as he stared at her pinked cheeks and scornful eyes trying to come up with the appropriate answer he realized slowly that Hermione had some how unexplainable become rather good looking her teeth were straight and pearly white her lips soft and pink she had fair bone structure and demure brown eyes with thick lashes her eyebrows were also trimmed and tamed and her hair still remained puffy but for some reason as it surrounded her shoulders he thought it suited her she seemed almost angelic and completely 100 woman.
Her cheeks burned as his green eyes stared at her with such intensity she almost broke eye contact when he muttered.
"Sorry I'm only allergic to how you say some the brown and black owls are fine but for some reason the white ones really get to me." He responded disgusted with himself and cursing potter for the 10th time that day.
"Only the white ones?" she questioned with a raised brow "Yes the healers in my country say it's the natural hormone the white owl produces in its sweat and in its feathers." Hermione was quiet befor nodding "I see so it's a bit like pet allergies." He smiled and nodded some how he knew already that it was going to be a very long time befor Zander Strows became Draco Lucius Malfoy again.