Written for the Dramione Fanfiction Forum's 20 Years Later Fest to celebrate the 20 year anniversary of the Battle of Hogwarts. This was loosely inspired by the Dirty Head's song 'Lay Me Down' and was meant to be longer and may eventually be expanded.
Also major beta props to I was BOWTP, without whom you'd be reading gibberish. So go and read her stuff cause she's seriously a genius and an awesome chick! ;)
Disclaimer: I own nothing you recognize and make no money from anything. :)
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"You go."
She rolled her eyes and nudged him forward. "No, you, you great prat! It's your family estate!"
Draco pursed his lips and glanced over his shoulder. "But you're the best ward breaker in the world, Granger."
A beat of silence and a battle of wills followed his statement before Hermione huffed out an exasperated breath and shuffled forward, her elbow finding its way painfully into her companion's ribs.
"Flattery will not always get you your way, Malfoy." Her snarl turned to a moan as his lips found her neck.
"It hasn't failed me yet."
"Keep doing that and we'll be caught. Now back off, ferret!"
"Oh, I love your pet names for me, love."
The former Slytherin stood from his crouched position and let her concentrate. This estate had never been one of his favorites, though this room had always held somewhat of an appeal. It was his mother's 'Lady's Receiving Room' and therefore had felt a touch more welcoming than any other in the austere Italian manor house.
The seconds ticked by slowly as Hermione worked, sweat trickling down her neck as her wand wove intricate patterns over a small, specific portion of the wall.
"Ah hah!" Draco glanced up at her exclamation. "I've got it!"
Indeed, a small section of the paneling had disappeared. A gaping black hole stood in its place instead.
Hermione craned her neck to get a better look inside the hole, though the depth of the blackness made it impossible. Draco knelt down beside her and drew a deep breath into his lungs, unable to quite believe that they'd succeeded.
"What exactly did you say we'd find in there?"
He glanced sideways at her, his blonde hair falling haphazardly in his eyes as he smirked excitedly. "Everything we'll need for the rest of our lives."
x . x . x . x . x
It had taken the better part of an hour for them to empty the contents of the wall into Hermione's bottomless bag.
Draco had just crawled further into the wall, his bum poking out of the paneling in a way that had Hermione tipping her head to the side in appreciation when two loud 'pops' sounded from the front foyer.
"Shite!"
Hermione's face paled as she scrambled to help Draco crawl out quickly. "How the bloody fuck did he find us?!"
The loud crash of the door flinging into the wall behind it sent the duo scrambling for the cover of Narcissa Malfoy's antique desk as a barrage of hexes and suspiciously lethal looking curses flew their way.
"I's be calling Mr. Auror Weasleys the Greats, you disgracefuls mongrels!"
Draco groaned and slumped forward a little as Hermione slapped his arm lightly. "Which house elf is this?"
"Greenly, I used to…"
Hermione narrowed her eyes at Draco as Ron began a lengthy soliloquy about their many perceived crimes, which she promptly ignored. "What did you used to do to him?"
"I may have..when I was younger mind you!...before I knew better!...used him in place of a Quaffle?"
Ron paused in his monologue when he heard Hermione's outraged shriek. He chuckled nastily as he sneered. "Trouble in paradise?"
Her wards kept him on the opposite side of the room, though she still didn't risk sticking her head from behind the desk. "You wish, Ronald! I'm perfectly happy with Draco, just as I was ten years ago! Normal couples have arguments. You would know that if you weren't on your...what is it? Fourth divorce? Or is it fifth?"
Draco's wand stabbed the air as he worked to take down the anti-apparition wards the Aurors had put up, though he wasn't quite sure how many more people had come with the Weasel. He usually let Hermione handle the confrontations while he planned and executed the escapes. It worked out better all around.
Weaselbee still hadn't worked out that all of Hermione's babbling was to distract him long enough for them to get away. It had only been ten years. Maybe after another ten, he'd figure it out. Maybe.
"I've got it, love. Let's go." Draco's soft whisper broke through Hermione's concentration as she kept Ron ranting about their 'Hogwarts romance', and she took his hand gently.
"Well, Ronald, we'd love to stay and chat-" Hermione sang out.
"That's such a lie, Weasel!"
"Shut your Death Eater gob, Ferret!"
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Boys! As I was saying! We'd love to stay and chat, but we really must be going. Ta-ta!"
She shot two rounds of green sparks from the end of her wand, panicking her former friend as the sparks multiplied and grew in intensity to fill the room, much like the fireworks his brothers had created so long ago.
When the illustrious and celebrated Auror Ronald Bilius Weasley managed to fight his way through the magically induced sparkles, there was no sign of his fugitives.
x . x . x . x . x
Hermione and Draco appeared on the small island of Caprara, next to their camouflaged cottage.
"Well, we got it all."
Draco rolled his eyes as Hermione stumbled her way across the white sand beach, her eyes fixed on the neverending contents of her bottomless bag. "Yes, but we also got caught."
"We didn't get caught. Caught implies Ronald has us in custody, which we obviously are not. We were slightly delayed in leaving."
Draco caught his lover's hand and twirled her back toward him. The bag fell from her hands and landed in the sand with a dull thud and she crashed into his hard chest with a muffled 'oof'.
"I wish that we could stay here, love. But I fear the time to move has come once again." He stroked a finger down her cheek as her arms wound their way around his neck, her eyes crinkling slightly in the corners as her face split into a wide smile. "We'll grab the brooms and ride out in the darkness, chase the rising sun. Let's pack our bags and head south."
"If I have to ride a broom, there better be a good incentive waiting, Mr. Malfoy."
Draco winked and Hermione felt her stomach clench in that special way that never got old, even after more than ten years together.
"If we arrive there safely, Baby you can lay me down."
Hermione threw her head back and laughed.