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Oh, I hated Apparating.

The bathroom door wasn't there anymore; it was a very tragic realization on my part. Draco was free to body slam me into Charlie, professional wrestlers would have been proud. His weight, combined with my own, crushed Charlie to a fine dust on my apartment living room floor. She didn't have much air to complain. In the middle of a crisis, I guess Charlie could only think of my living room. With some grunts we fell in a tangled mass to the floor, my face barley missing the edge of my coffee table. He fell on top of me, pushing my back into Charlie's ribs, his chin painfully hitting the top of my shoulder and probably choking himself as his neck slammed into my collar bone. I had been successfully sandwiched. They say that there's a first time for everything, but I would have gone very willingly without this experience.

I resisted the urge to puke as my arm wrapped with Draco's jerked forcefully into my gut. The wind had been knocked out of me, I was dizzy from Apparating, and Draco's body was crushing me. Tall people were so annoying, weighing a few thousand tons and such. I wondered if he knew he weighed a small elephant.

Oh poor Charlie! I realized suddenly. Thankfully my ill feelings and extremely throbbing body were ignored as the prospect of suffocating Charlie came to mind. I groaned with the effort of pushing Draco to the side. I ended up rolling with him, our limbs uncomfortably tangled as we were. Both of us tumbled to the side off of Charlie, my free hand unnoticeably searching all of his pockets (the natural pickpocket I was) in an urgent rush. He regained his wits fast as our tumble ended with me on top of him and his wand half way down the hall that led to my bedroom. I tried desperately to pull my arm free, to get some distance between us. But he was holding me too tight in the odd tangled grip he had formed; his other arm had already grasped my previously free one and my face had been pulled close to his, we glared at each other. I knew he was a Death Eater, but what did he know about me? What reason did he have to follow us? Why was he struggling with me now? I was too indignant to think as properly as I should have. But I was still holding back, unsure of what he knew.

Charlie moaned on the ground forcing herself to get up. Oh good, she hadn't been crushed to death. But she didn't move much, a small elephant and young woman falling on you would do that.

With a jerk I pulled back enough for his grip to slip to my wrist; I wiggled in his hold more, his upper body rising off the floor as he tried to pull me tighter. He grunted as I accomplished a quick twist of my limbs, his hand was forced back painfully. Without really thinking, I slammed my free elbow straight into his face. That would bruise horribly, it made me feel better. He yelled as I hit him again. It was his fault after all; I believe I had every right to fight his awkward hold.

One arm free, my hand quickly flew to my wand. He wasn't having it. Bastard.

Angry, he grabbed my arm again before I could get into my coat's pocket. He easily threw me off balance as he jerked my arm back to the floor, causing me to fall off him with a sudden rush. He turned with me and ended up on top of me only to receive a rather large over packed purse to the face. Thank God for Charlie. She was up and functioning again.

Pulling my upper body up before he could react, I pushed with everything I could manage and he fell off me surprised with the sudden double attack. Charlie was really getting into it, relentless with her bag to his face. My legs were unfortunately still stuck underneath him. But my arms were free.

"Damnit, woman!" he yelled at Charlie. I grinned through my efforts to get myself away from him; she was giving him a hell of a time.

Charlie had delivered a surprisingly spirited hit and caused him to start falling back, but before he could hit the floor I grabbed his shoulders seeing the dashing opportunity. He had let my hands go to protect his face long ago. I pushed ruthlessly and forced him face first into my carpet. His nose met my new throw rug with a thump. It was a lovely rug; I discovered it at a flea market last weekend when I was shopping with Charlie. A real steal.

With his face informally introduced to my carpet I was finally able to drag my legs free from under his crumpled form and quickly jumped him dropping one knee into the center of his back (he grunted in surprise). I forced his arms back and twisted them. I had the unfortunate privilege of experiencing the exact hold I had forced his arms into. I couldn't look back at the incident very fondly; it had made me feel pathetically helpless. The hold made every movement pull painfully on your shoulders forcing you to remain still. Of course Draco seemed to be a mutant Death Eater immune to the Judo hold. He thrashed and struggled most intensely, I imagined I had a mild thought of what it felt like to ride an enraged bull. I could only guess how humiliating it was to be constrained by a very small young woman. But I was trained to do this, and to his efforts, I hadn't had to struggle with anyone this much in ages.

"Cees give me your belt," I said and Draco went suspiciously still. I had used Charlie's most hated nickname and so she mildly glared at me, making my neck prickle. I was breathless and irritated, I couldn't care any less. My voice had become airy and rushed; I felt even more winded then when I had taken two elbows to the gut not moments ago. I heard her quickly unbuckle the more decorative belt around her hips, her breath just as short as my own. The buckle hit Draco's back a bit harshly and he grunted again, Charlie didn't care, I opened my mouth and Charlie obliged by placed the other end in my mouth.

I looked crossly down at Draco. I knew he couldn't see my face, but I had been romped and crushed more then any girl could handle in a single day. He had been thrashing harshly trying to free himself, but stopped as if he'd been knocked unconscious as soon as my words left my mouth. But he was still awake…Oh no, my accent. I cursed around the belt angrily, the stupid accent won again. He remembered me, freaking joy!

Using his momentary stillness, I quickly tied his hands together with the flashy belt. And why wasn't the angle I was holding his arms hurting? I'd been taught the hold because the strain on his arms was supposed to make him stop resisting in order not to injure himself further. The hold hadn't stopped Draco's onslaught of struggles in the least. Perhaps he really was a mutant Death Eater, a new thing the Dark Lord was testing out. I looked at my window suspiciously expecting a masked Death Eater in a white lab coat taking notes.

He hadn't moved even a little once I spoke. Was he tired? His breath was coming out in deep gasps against my lovely rug, his hair a tangled mess. He still didn't move as I pointed my wand at the rather shinny belt, enabling it to cancel out his Apparating abilities. I sighed as I fell back to my floor, staring at the ceiling. Gosh was I tired.

That morning I never thought I'd have a wrestling match with Draco Malfoy on my living room floor. And of course I hardly felt the victor; I was ready to sleep four years away. I heard him take a deep breath, the sound a bit muffled against the rug.

"Anna," he said simply. No distaste, no dry humor, nothing Slytherin about it. I was mildly disappointed. He had just said my name as if it came to mind that moment. Stupid accent. "Annabelle Muntrealas." A very stupid accent it was.

"What do you want?" I asked ignoring my name from his mouth. Maybe he'll think he'd been mistaken if I said my name wasn't Anna. "Why did you follow us? Why are you here?" I asked still blankly starring at my ceiling. An ugly crack was forming in the corner above my telly. I couldn't see Draco being fooled as easily as denying my name from his mouth, I threw the thought away. And man was I wiped; I hadn't had to struggle with someone like that since I first started field work my second year. It was the first time I'd gotten in trouble too because I wasn't allowed off campus yet and Mister Filch just happened to be investigating a hunch when I returned. Something about Weasly's.

"You were in Ravenclaw. We had Herbology together. You were my partner sixth year." Draco said. He ignored my questions. I past it as justifiable as I had ignored him first. "You always left forty minutes before class ended to go to another lesson." I heard him move, his clothes rubbing against the lovely rug. I rolled my head to the side and watched him pull himself to sit against the wall. A bruise was already forming on his right cheek bone. His grey eyes glanced to Charlie and I rolled my head to the other side refusing to get up, he wore me out, I didn't have to move if I didn't want to. My adrenalin rush was most definitely spent.

Charlie was glaring at him. It was understandable. She understood awhile back that people weren't supposed to notice me. It became her biggest excuse to dress as flashy as she wanted when we went out together; it made sure people wouldn't even be tempted to look at the girl with the beautiful Amazon. The ridiculous belt restraining Draco happened to be one of the many byproducts. I chuckled and she looked at me as if I'd joined the circus.

I forced my head to turn to Draco again with a lingering smile. Just looking at him I could tell that he had something to say, but not in front of Charlie. I sighed. His eyes had taken on a certain shine I found immensely entrancing. Unfortunately, this made me extremely curious, another fault of mine sitting up there with my accent. If I wanted to know what he had to say, I was going to have to get up to make sure Charlie thought I was up to handling him myself if anything else happened.

With a deep breath I rolled up to my feet and buried any exhaustion I felt at the moment behind another smile. Sadly, drained as I was, I couldn't come up with the best ideas for complicated things like creating the right impression on the person that knew you best. Charlie was rightfully suspicious; I hadn't planned that too well. Smiling hadn't been the best tactic to use. It was the best I could do on short notice. Though I had gotten up quickly, that had to count for something.

"Cees-" I started slowly. I tried to get in as much persuasive tones as I could into her--most hated--nickname. In response, her lip stuck out in a sign of stubbornness and she crossed her arms furthering the look. I'd insulted her, great.

"Whatever he has to say, he can say it in front of me." Okay, so Charlie wasn't the good-grades-in-school type of person, but she wasn't stupid. She had the observation skills of a freaking Chief Auror. I glared at her, ceasing my plan to persuade her to leave the room calmly and in a civilized manor. I was going to have to beg and plead with her. I gave her The Eyes. Her pout deflated. Excellent.

"You have to plan another flight and you really shouldn't hear anything that comes form his mouth, he was Slytherin you know." I stated firmly (lame excuse, I know). I back up my unreasonable excise by giving her the most pathetic look I could. Fortunately, Draco couldn't see my face because my eyes were telling Charlie something completely off the wall compared to what I had actually verbally said. In reality I was probably groveling at Charlie's feet, begging her to just leave for a few minutes. I was so tired and exhausted; couldn't she do one little favor for me? I just needed to hear what Draco had to say. Death Eaters had a tendency to spill very useful information in such situations. They try to buy themselves out of their situations or something, letting things slip that they really shouldn't have let slip to someone like me. And his eyes! I had to know.

I continued begging with my eyes. I had unwisely entered into an open ended promise to Charlie. If she would just do this for me, I would do anything. I would be banging my head into my wall in a few hours for my stupidity, but I had no idea at the moment. I was too hammered tired to be more thoughtful of my approach to handling my Charlie situation. I'd fallen into The Promise right out the gate; you never go straight to The Promise. I am very incompetent functioning on will alone. It's sad really.

Charlie rose from my small couch with such regality that I almost laughed. I seem to be witless as well. She calmly walked past Draco glaring at him and narrowly missed his legs with her sharply healed shoes. I smiled fondly after her; I couldn't wait to get her out of London. Draco's surprise "attack" only fueled the feeling more. Now if only she mysteriously forgotten my silent promise…

I heard my bedroom door shut and my muggle radio switch on, causing a muffled beat to softly reach the living room. I sighed relieved and collapsed to my knees in front of Draco. He watched me closely. I glared; it was his fault everything ached. He'd put such a strain on me and I hadn't even had a chance to stretch first, it's appalling. Now I was in for a much unsuspected twist from Charlie because of my unwillingness to be more tactful. She could pull anything from my promise. And right when I had to get her to America, too!

"What?" I asked exasperated. It was hard to look neutral with his eyes somehow shinning shine-lessly at me. I tossed my hair out of my eyes, mad at how tired I was. I could really use a nap, or coffee. Coffee! I resisted the urge to moan at the thought of coffee.

"Behold," he said blatantly. "Your sign." He didn't look too thrilled. I could easily say the same for myself. Wait, what?

"The hell..." I mumbled diverting my eyes as I thought. It's very hard to think looking him in the face, or more rather in the eyes. "My sign?" Ah, it clicked. "The sign?" He nodded. I groaned. Why him? Anyone but him! Oh curse you Dumbledore. I bet he's shooting milk out his nose in his grave. Crazy old man…

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-BS