Hey guys!~ second chappie is up, I decided I'd leave two chapters for you all to mull over in, then if I get positive comments, I might work on typing the other five I already finished then post it on a regular schedule, maybe once a week or once every two weeks, whichever makes me happy, but hey, please review ^^
Disclaimer: Do I seriously have to remind you guys that this is just fiction? *points to banner*
I wish I could own Draco
Chapter 2: Memento (remember)
Hermione she looked at the blonde man now lying on her bed. She managed to levitate him towards the magical tent she was currently staying in, her conscience winning against her spite. She stood up and contemplated what if this is another trap? What if the Death eaters were already on their way to where she is now? She can't even move without sending a message to Harry at Grimmauld Place, but that would be too risky. She sighed and licked her lips in frustration; looks like she's stuck with the ferret for now.
Hell, he'd be useful soon enough
"Err…" Draco grunted and opened his eyes, only to find himself lying down in a somewhat soft surface. He sat up and saw Hermione looking at him, her lips pursed and her hands on her hips, he kinda admit that she looks very appealing when she's like this.
"Alright, you can come with me, but I'll be keeping your wand in the meantime." She said, walking out of the tent, "I'll be right back. Don't do anything funny or I'll hex you." And with that, she disappeared behind the tent's flap.
Draco gingerly moved away from the bed and looked around; an empty hearth was sitting on one side of the tent, some ashes still smoking hinted that it was used just recently. There's another flap on the left wall which he guessed would be either a kitchenette or a bathroom and another one next to it, though a bit smaller. Hermione entered the tent a couple of minutes later, shaking off the snow from her coat. Draco stared as a pink tinge appeared on her cheeks, her breath coming out in little puffs of clouds from her plump, red lips. She walked past him without a word while he shook his head to erase his thoughts, "So they're not with you?" He asked, referring to Harry and Ron when noted that there's only one bed.
"Obviously" Hermione nodded, walking towards the hearth. She pulled out her wand and summoned a few blocks of firewood from outside, placing them on the center, piling them on top of the other until they're at least a foot high. She then muttered a quick Incendio and the fire blazed for a moment before settling back on the wood in a cheery haze. She waved her wand again, making the fire and wood suspend in midair, a bit larger that before spreading the warmth all throughout the tent. Draco stood and stared as Hermione put up her hands in front of the fire, occasionally rubbing them together to generate some heat. Draco admired the way the fire silhouetted her face, the soft curls of her otherwise bushy hair cascaded on her shoulders gracefully as she pulled the ponytail off and shook the snow off it. It never occurred to Draco how much she changed, not until now, she looks almost beautiful.
Heck, who was he kidding? She's gorgeous.
"Malfoy." Hermione's voice pulled him back to his senses and he couldn't help but smile, which threw Hermione off for a bit till Draco brought his smile to a sneer, 'Damn'
"Are you just gonna stand there and freeze to death? Or is this place not suitable enough to house a noble Malfoy?" She said. Draco heard the sarcasm on the word 'noble' but he bit a snarky retort; it wouldn't do him good to argue with her, not without a wand anyway. He sighed and moved forward, sitting on a chair beside the hearth and awkwardly positioning his palms towards the head, 'Damn, that felt great' As if on cue, his stomach growled loudly earning a soft snort from Hermione, "How long have you been out there?" She asked, flicking her wand towards one flap on the wall, "Accio foodtray!" She said as said objects flew in from what Draco guessed was the kitchen. Hermione then moved it over to Draco, stopping just in front of him, hovering at a comfortable distance above his lap. Draco took the tray and eyed it suspiciously before picking up a spoon to scoop the stew. Hermione rolled her eyes and waved her wand, making the cold dish steaming hot, "I won't poison you; you have to eat if you plan to live longer."
"A week." Draco grumbled in response to her first question, hastily putting the spoonful of stew in his mouth, not minding if it's hot. Hermione summoned a clean, drinking glass and set it in the air in front of Draco's foodtray, pointing her wand at it, "Aguamenti", She murmured, watching as the glass filled with water. Draco abandoned the spoon moments later and proceeded to gulp the stew straight from the bowl. Hermione's eyes softened as she regarded him for the first time; noting his tattered dress-shirt and tousled hair, the usual platinum blonde now caked with dirt and mud. His pale skin was covered with muck and bruises, making her wonder what on earth he'd been through. He spooned up the last of the stew, the once arrogant façade abandoned instantly as he finished the food in a mere five minutes. He turned to look at her expectantly, his eyes staring at hers hungrily for a good few seconds before she turned to summon the rest of the stew in a pot and settled it in front of him. He took it in haste and began to shovel the stew to his mouth, leaving Hermione to contemplate about his eyes, such beautiful, stormy eyes.
'Damn it Hermione!' She said to herself and stood up, "I'm gonna go and finish my rounds."
"You're not going to eat?" Draco said in between gulps of stew.
"I figured you can use more portions." Hermione grinned, pocketing Draco's and her wands, "Don't do anything stupid." She called before going out.
Draco shrugged and returned to his meal, staring at the fire as the pot slowly emptied. It zoomed away after he's finished, returning to the kitchen, sounds of soft scraping and rushing of water suggested that it was starting to clean itself. Draco leaned back on the chair, taking the floating glass of water and emptying it in three gulps before sighing. What on earth did he get himself into?
He stood up and decided to explore the tent, moving towards the other flap beside the kitchen. He sighed in relief as he saw the quaint bathroom, moving inside to check a floating tap. He turned it lightly and thanked the gods at the soft rush of warm water; Hermione really is the brightest witch of her age.
He carefully striped himself of clothing, wincing as he carefully peeled the sides of clothing that were stuck to his bruises and noticed a showerhead, also floating above him. He turned another floating knob in front of him and was engulfed in soft, warm drizzles of water, the temperature remaining just right even as he opened the knob more. He stood below the warm rain, sighing as he felt the soot and mud wash away from his hair and body, slowly cleansing his skin. He looked around the little space and saw a shelf of toiletries, filled with soaps and shampoos. He reached for a bar of soap, remembering the whiff of raspberry he smelled from earlier and lathered it all over his body, groaning as the bruises came in contact with it. He reached for the shampoo, this one apparently vanilla-scented, and rubbed a generous amount in his hair, running his fingers across the blonde locks, disentangling strands that were stuck together with mud. He rinsed himself thoroughly, watching as the stream of dark water flowed away from his body and slowly began to clear, as he repeated the process until he's satisfied. He turned off the shower and groped around for his wand, cursing as he remembered that Hermione had it. Huffing, he reached instead for a fluffy towel hanging on a rack beside the bathroom's entrance and dried himself before wrapping it around his waist. He then grabbed his torn clothes and walked outside, finding a frowning Hermione seated on the bed.
"What the heck are you doing?" Hermione said.
"I took a bath, I thought you're smart?" Draco replied, moving towards her, "I need you to fix these for me."
He handed his clothes to her and she can't help but blush as she looked at Draco's surprisingly lean, muscular build, although struck with fatigue, his skin glowed in the soft light as the mud and gore were cleaned away, and his face just simply exquisite, framed by that god-forbidden perfect, blonde hair. She took the clothes and muttered a few spells, making it fix and clean itself before handing it back to Draco who chuckled and draped it on his arm, regretting it a second later as he winced in pain when the cloth came in contact with his wounds.
"Git" Hermione murmured as she stood up and moved towards him. The young man took a step backward, looking at Hermione alarmingly, "What are you planning, Granger?"
"I'm going to heal you, you retard." She mumbled as she took the clothes from his arms and pointed the wand on one of his arms, "Dermineo" She said, her wand emitting a beam of light which engulfed his whole arm. Draco sighed in relief as a soothing, cold wave wrapped his arm, looking in awe as the bruises slowly shrunk and disappeared. Hermione did the same on his other arm, his whole torso and neck, then his legs. She stood up and pointed her wand at his face, muttering again, looking straight at his gray eyes. He closed his eyes as a gentle relief washed over his entire body, lingering for a few seconds before vanishing completely. He opened his eyes and found Hermione walking back to the bed and sitting on it, sheathing her wand back in her belt.
"Thanks Granger." Draco said, getting his clothes and walking back to the bathroom. He pulled his clothes on and returned to the room, seating at the chair beside the fire, "Granger, why are you helping me?"
"Why? Would you rather I don't?" Hermione snapped.
"No, that's not what I meant, I really want to know why." Draco replied. He really was curious; the Granger, the Hermione Granger he knew would not think twice and leave him lying unconscious on the floor or even hex him to oblivion or just let him get caught by those Snatchers. HE would do it if ever their situations switched; but something inside him screamed that he wouldn't even have the guts to do it.
"I'm not like your friends. I don't leave people helpless like that, especially if they mean no harm. Friend or Foe." She said
"Even if they might be planning to harm you?" Draco asked.
"Why, are you planning anything?"
"Not at the moment, no." Draco answered, smirking. Hermione rolled her eyes, "Git.' She murmured, laying on the bed and turning her back on Draco.
"Where am I supposed to sleep?" Draco asked walking towards her. Hermione pointed her wand to a part of the tent beside the hearth, not bothering to look, and with a pop, another bunk bed appeared.
"Why so far? Are you scared of me?" Draco teased, walking towards the newly conjured bed.
"Why should I be scared of a bloody ferret?" Hermione said in a huff, covering herself with a blanket, "That's just assurance that you won't do anything stupid."
"I wouldn't touch you if my life depended on it, Granger, if that's what you're thinking." He said, sliding underneath the bed's covers and laying on the soft surface, groaning in relief.
"Drop it Malfoy." Hermione growled sleepily and closed her eyes. Draco grinned but was too tired to utter a response, surrendering himself to the bliss of the pillows below his head.
Hermione opened her eyes, painfully aware of the male presence lying across from her at the far side of the tent. She turned around and faced him, looking at the back of his head, watching the rise and fall of the covers as he breathed. She sighed and turned on her back, staring at the ceiling of the tent, asking why she let the pompous bastard come with her. Sure, it had been days, weeks even, since Harry and Ron left her, telling her to stay put and all that jazz, but it has been way too long, too long without letters or signs.
She can't help but entertain that nagging feeling that maybe they had abandoned her.
'No Hermione, that's absurd.' She told herself, a frown decorating her lips, 'I'm sure they just have a plan'
A slight whimper caused her to sit upright, grabbing her wand by impulse, "Lumos" She whispered, the light from her wand illuminating the room. She frowned when she found nothing unusual until her wand reached Draco's bed. He was shivering, the blanket lay forgotten at the foot of his bed. Draco was sweating profusely, his eyebrows furrowed and his face a mask of fear. He was whimpering and shaking, his knuckled turning white as they clenched in tight fists. Hermione panicked and proceeded to shake him awake, slapping his face in the process. Draco shot up and frantically clutched Hermione's wrist, his eyes mirroring pure terror
"Mother" He whispered, his voice shaking. He closed his eyes and leaned forward, burying his head on Hermione's shoulder, "Mother" He mumbled, soft sobs cracking in his throat. Hermione froze, too shocked to grasp what was going on. She looked down at the young man hugging her waist, couldn't believe that this was the same, arrogant oaf that bullied her back at school; the same man that almost killed their headmaster, the foul, loathsome, evil, little cockroach who made their stay at Hogwarts a little less pleasant.
She remained seated at the edge of his bed, moving to adjust his head so that it rested on her lap, gingerly turning the trembling man over to face upward. She brushed the stray hair off his face, feeling sorry for him; what could have possibly happened to make someone as smarmy as him turn to this?
A few moments later, Draco's face relaxed, his whimpers and mumbles died down, and his breathing slowed, hinting that he had fallen back to sleep. Hermione absentmindedly stroke his hair, looking at the far end of the room, still deep in thought. This is all his fault, that Voldemort. She looked back down at Draco and tried to ease herself off from under him, feeling him twitch for a bit. She panicked and tried to disengage faster, earning a grunt from the man. Hermione froze as the gray eyes opened, looking up at her in a haze, the pupils dilating before focusing on her brown orbs. He opened his eyes in surprise and sat up, scooting farther from the brunette, "What are you doing Granger?"
"You were having a nightmare." Hermione replied, clearing her throat, standing up from the bed and going back towards her own. Draco moved to lay back down, wiping his face and closing his eyes. He heard some sheets ruffle from Hermione's bed and looked in time to see her get in and turn her back from him.
"Thanks." Draco said before he can stop himself. He knows it's humiliating to even express gratitude towards Hermione, a muggle-born, a mudblood. But what did it matter? He's not going to bring honor to his name anyway. And what's the point of honor? He lost the only person he cared for all his life.
"What it is…your dream?" Hermione asked, turning to look at Draco, a bit perplexed to see that he's facing her, his gray eyes training over her brown ones. He looked away and sighed, mumbling the same phrase he said to those who asked him anything sensitive, "None of your business."
"You said something about your mother." Hermione's gaze softened, sitting up to properly hear what he's going to say. She expected him to be defensive, but seeing the falter in his gaze, she knew that he'd tell her what happened.
"Voldemort, he-." Draco stopped himself, cursing a little too late. He got up and ran to her, pulling her on her feet, "Damn! We have to go! They'll be on us in a minute."
"Wha- oh!" Hermione exclaimed, remembering what he said. She ran out of the tent and, sure enough, there are hooded figures encircling them, wearing dreadful masks. Hermione grabbed Draco, drawing her wand out and firing a hex at the nearest Death Eater before sprinting in that direction.
"Are you insane? Let's just apparate!." Draco howled, dodging a curse that whizzed past his left ear, running with all his might to keep up with Hermione's surprisingly agile sprints.
"We can't we have to pass my barrier." Hermione called out, firing a Jelly-Leg curse at the Death Eater behind them, causing him to stumble and trip the next one that followed him.
"Almost there!" Hermione said, willing her legs to go faster. They felt the familiar sensation of passing through a wall of air and the change in temperature before Hermione turned with Draco and disappeared with a pop.
They arrived on the streets of Muggle London, the first light of dawn beaming on their tired bodies, as they gasped from the aftershock of the uncomfortable sensation of Apparition. Hermione let go of his hand, facing him angrily, "What are you playing at? Be more careful!" She said, walking up the street, motioning for Draco to follow. He trotted towards her and followed silently, busily regarding the suburbs. Hermione stopped by a house and went up the stairs, pointing her wand at the door and closing her eyes, "Fidelius"
The house was enclosed in a bright light, disappearing bit by bit before Draco's eyes. Hermione hastily pulled a scrap of parchment from her pocket and waved her wand over it, handing it to Draco, "Memorize it." She said, walking up the stairs and disappearing. Draco hastily memorized the paper and looked up, watching as the door of the house slowly materialized until the whole house reappeared. He opened the door and handed Hermione back the parchment, which she promptly burned and she proceeded to cast wards and protective spells.
"Where are we?" Draco asked as Hermione moved to the various rooms in the house, with him following closely. He noticed pictures hanging on the walls of the stairs when they went to the second floor; a couple, middle-aged, dressed in the peculiar white robes with smiles on their faces. Although, Draco noticed that they were awkwardly seated apart, leaving a noticeable gap in the middle; he was fascinated by the fact that the portrait isn't moving. Hermione reappeared at the head of the stairs, finding Draco looking at the picture, she cleared her throat and walked down the stairs, "They're my parents."
End Of Chapter
Wew! So this is it, I'm going to wait for your reviews before I update another chapter :D Just a little motivation if I should continue this fic or let it burn to ashes, I have some great things planned along the way and it would be a waste if my block gets the better of me.
Thanks for reading! Please review! *offers magical cookies*
-Silverlining