Discovered in Hiding
Ch. 2: Moving Into Reading
Harry met with Hermione at the Royal Berkshire Hospital, where Draco had been moved to next in preparation for the move to a home. The last bags for the move filled the trunk. "Your parents are already there moving in the furniture. It's a good house. I think it is about an hour or so from your father's work." Harry tried to give Hermione the key highlights. "The railway station will take you right to London if you need. There are several malls for shopping, even Seersway Alley. That's a little like Diagon Alley or at least they are trying to be. I'll show you how to get there after you are all settled in. There's an Aviation museum if you want to really confuse Draco." He smirked trying to ease the tension and stress of this whole affair. "Here's the real kicker. There are lots of schools and even a university. Mrs. Granger is now Professor Melanie Granger of Ancient and Medieval History. You are an understudy of Professor Stanton at the University of Reading. Pardon if I will forever be amused by the name of this city."
Hermione made a face at Harry. He helped her help Draco into the car. Draco still bore the bandages and stitches about his neck and in the back where he had been stabbed, even after two more weeks in hospital. He could walk, but was so drugged against the pain that he had no balance and wasn't very aware of his surroundings.
Draco's medication was starting to wear off when they reached the house. The front yard was sizable and plain with just grass and a small young tree that had been freshly planted. There was no garden as of yet. The driveway led to a large garage with two cars already clogging its entrance. Hermione recognized her father's car as one of them. Harry informed her that the other was her car. There was a side door to the house that had a moving truck parked up to it. The house itself was plain and simple with two floors. The main floor was much larger than the upper floor. The roof of the main floor served as round running balcony to the second floor.
Draco definitely was not pleased with the arrangement. It hurt his dignity a great deal. Not only could he not really take care of himself at the moment or do magic, he was being thrust into the foreign world of muggles and worse, thrust into a peasant or commoner's home where he would have no servants. He had no idea how to live like that, at the mercy of other and yet obliged to fend for himself in the basics of life. He understood the danger he was in, and that all this was necessary. But he sure didn't have to like it, didn't have to like feeling as if he were a burden tying Hermione down.
He watched hollowly as Hermione hugged her parents and was drawn into the house for a tour by her mother. Harry carried in the baggage from the trunk leaving Draco to make his own shaky way to the house from the car. He was met at the door by Hermione's father. "Good to see you on your feet, young man." He guided Draco on a small tour of the house seeming very aware of Draco's energy or lack thereof. "Sitting room and den to the left. Dining room and kitchen to the right. Laundry and bathroom at the back." He pointed out the back door at the large backyard. To Draco everything was small, all too small. Her father led Draco up the stairs. "The master bedroom is here on the left. It has its own access to the bathroom. It will be your room. My daughter's room is right across the hall. There is a spare room here that might make a good guest room. The doors at the end of each hall lead to the balcony outside."
In Draco's mind, the house was small, but defensible. There was no way to approach it without notice. Neighbours were not too far either. He teetered a little and was caught by the arm and guided to sit in a chair in the master bedroom. "I know this is hard. This war has been hard on everyone. I hope this is a good enough hiding place for you both. Draco. I am trusting you with my daughter. She means the world to me. Please, look out for her. She needs to stay hidden as much as you do. She just doesn't think so." This Draco could understand. Hermione was headstrong and often forgot safety in her rush to know and do things. Draco might be wounded now, but he won't be forever. This father, this incredibly loving father, wanted his daughter as safe as Draco's mom wanted him safe. He met the man's eyes and put his hand on the almost shy shoulder. Draco hoped her father understood the intention that he would do his best.
Hours later, after his next dose of painkiller wore off, after the noise of moving had faded with the people, Draco sat on the back side of the balcony surveying the yard. It seemed so barren compared to his estate. He corrected himself. I am now Jake Granger. I have no claim to the Malfoy estate, at least not till my father is dead. I can't believe they arranged for me to take HER name! A muggle name! This was stranger than strange for him. He was just eighteen and now married to of all people Hermione Granger, now Melanie Granger. Those were the names they would use in public.
They were married on paper, living a lie to save their lives. Married, but they would not share a room. It was a reminder that they were not really that close. He doubted his last acts made up for any of the shameful things he did to them all growing up.
A gentle hand touched his shoulder as Hermione stepped beside him and leaned on the balcony railing. "Supper is ready. Do you feel like trying some real food?" She wanted to try to be friends, but all she felt was awkward. His silence only made the awkwardness pronounced. She wondered what kind of person he would be. Would he be the asshole he had always been, out of habit? Would he be like he was in the shared rooms of Head Boy and Head Girl? Would he behave as he would have in his own home? What was that like? Or would she see the sides of Draco no one ever saw? The real Draco deep down inside, whoever that was?
A/N – Got tired of editing a book review for an academic journal. Yay! I will be published… for something kinda dumb, but beggars cannot be choosers.
