Chapter Four

"No, Malfoy, we can't imperio every employee at the airport."

Draco's mouth turned down in a frustrated frown, his eyes trained out the window of the Ministry-loaned car. They were speeding down the highway at a fairly good clip, the trunk loaded with their bags. After a harrowing morning filled with an awkward breakfast, a too-quick shower, and confusion as to the exact time the plane was leaving, he had just wanted to get to the bloody airport, board the plane, and get this job underway, but Hermione had just spent the past ten minutes explaining to him, in excruciating detail, the muggle security they would have to pass through. It was ridiculous and would slow them down immensely, but good-girl Hermione had not taken kindly to his suggestion of just convincing the workers that everything was in order and letting them through.

"I don't see why it matters. Those x-wave machines are going to detect all sorts of things in our bags that aren't easily explainable."

"First of all, they're called X-ray machines. Secondly, most muggles only see what they expect to see. Their minds will come up with a reason for the objects in our bags. And thirdly, if it comes down to it, I will gently have them look the other way. There is no reason to abuse magic to get through security."

He rolled his eyes. "Sure, if you like wasting time, I suppose it's fine."

"I'm no stranger to sarcasm, Malfoy."

"Thank Merlin for that. I'd hate to have to think how long it would take to explain it to you. Then again, I'm going to have plenty of time while we're having our shoes inspected for, what did you call them, bongs?"

"Bombs! I swear, do you even listen?"

"Only to things that matter, Granger."

She crossed her arms over her chest with a huff, and turned her back, facing the window. The driver kept a stoic face as he merged into the next lane, exiting the highway towards the airport. As they pulled up to the large building, Draco was slightly dismayed to feel a churning in his gut. Put him on a broomstick and he was fine. He could apparate with ease - but these giant muggle contraptions made of heavy metal powering through the air made him feel almost sick.

His eyes trailed along the rows of soon-to-be-airborne vehicles parked on the landing strip as they pulled up outside the front doors. Merlin, but they were huge… A roiling wave of nausea threatened to journey up into his chest, but he swallowed it down. Like hell was he going to let Granger know he was uncomfortable, let alone get sick in front of her. The driver opened the door and walked around to the back, collecting their bags and depositing them on the sidewalk.

Draco opened his door and climbed out, steeling his nerves. Might as well get it over with. While Hermione thanked and tipped the driver, he grabbed a hold of his single suitcase and stepped towards the door, his other hand in his pocket with a firm grasp on his wand. Hermione had tried to warn him that some muggles might see it as a prospective weapon and that it should be packed under a concealing charm in his bag, but Draco had laughed. Even though the likelihood of being attacked in an airport, a place few wizards or witches dared to tread, was slim to none, he wasn't taking any chances.

"All set?"

He turned to face Hermione as she stepped up next to him, a bag in each hand. Her eyes were bright with excitement, anticipation, or something similar, her bottom lip slightly red where she had been chewing on it.

"Let's just get this over with."

She heaved a resigned sigh and led the way through the doors. Draco started when they slid open without being touched. Muggles must have their own magic, he mused, eyeing the doors critically as he stepped past. Hermione turned towards him, a smile on her face at the expression on his.

"Malfoy, it's just a door. Let's go."

He scowled and followed as she turned back and kept walking. His eyes were in constant motion. In crowded places like these, anyone could be an enemy. Several of his fellow Aurors thought him to be a bit paranoid, but he hadn't survived this long and in so many similar situations by being lax and assuming the best of others.

They gained the security checkpoint without incident. Hermione took the lead here, conversing with the woman behind the counter, passing their bags through, and exchanging muggle money and their false identification cards. Draco kept his hands in his pockets, his thumb running nervously back and forth over the handle of his wand.

"Alright, now we just go through the machines over there," Hermione pointed off to the right where another line of muggles stood, waiting to have their carry-on bags inspected. Draco watched them all carefully so he'd know what to do.

"We really do have to take off our shoes?" he asked with an eyebrow raised. He had thought that surely Granger had been joking.

She chuckled and shook her head, waves of brown hair cascading about her shoulders with the motion. "Yes, Draco, we do. Come on."

With a frustrated sigh, he followed her once more. He hated feeling out of his comfort zone, particularly when the person he had to rely on for knowledge was Hermione Granger. This was almost unbearable, but at least his frustration and need to pay strict attention was keeping him from thinking about the airplane he'd soon be boarding. He had discussed with Potter, at great and heated length, that it made much more sense to apparate to various locations, or at least fly by broom across the sea – it wouldn't have been the first time; but Potter had insisted that this was safer and easier.

It had taken Draco many internal reminders that Potter was indeed his boss to make it through that, for lack of a better word, discussion.

Grey eyes missed nothing as he watched Hermione place her small bag in a bin that was pulled through a large machine on rollers. A rather rotund man sat behind a screen of some sort, his eyes trained on the contents of the bag. Draco saw a frown cross his face. Yes, he was sure that the man had no idea what the wand in her bag actually was. Before anything else could happen, Draco gripped his wand, still in his pocket, and aimed it slightly up towards the man, whispering, "Imperio."

With a slight nudge of his thoughts, Draco convinced the man that nothing was amiss and that he and his partner could go on through. He didn't even think Hermione had noticed, though she did turn to give him a quizzical look. He only shrugged in response. Really, she should have just been thankful that he was still going through the motions of taking off his shoes and walking under the strange metal contraption. He should have just told them all to let them pass, that they were dignitaries of some kind. What a pain in the arse.

Eventually, they made it through everything with no incident and took a couple of seats in an alcove of sorts as they waited for their flight to board.

Wide, brown eyes glared at him.

"What?"

"You used magic on that man, didn't you?" she hissed.

"I don't know what you're talking about."

"Oh? So, the fact that he didn't even mention my wand in my bag had nothing to do with you?"

"He probably thought it was a sex toy."

A part of him was slightly mollified when his partner turned a fairly bright shade of red. "You're a git, Malfoy."

"Oh, back to Malfoy, now? I was getting rather used to you calling me Draco."

"Shove off."

"Now, now, Granger. No need for a temper."

They spent the rest of the wait in silence.


"Flight 217 – London to New York City, now boarding."

"That's us."

Draco had been watching all the people walking past, studying their expressions. Most had barely looked around them, and judging by their apparel, they were businessmen and women of some sort or another; they were probably so used to flying in airplanes at this point that the concept didn't even cause them to bat an eye. A few children clung to the skirts of their mothers as they walked through the massive boarding area. There were several other adults who looked none-too-pleased at the looming state of being airborne. The pasty skin and beads of sweat on their faces didn't necessarily make Draco feel any better, though.

When Hermione nudged his arm with her elbow, his eyes snapped up to her face as she rose from the chair, reaching down to grab her carry-on bag.

"What did you say?" His voice was only slightly higher-pitched than normal.

"Flight 217 – that's our flight. It's our turn to board."

He had lost track of how long they had been sitting there, waiting. A quick glance to the clock hanging above their heads on the opposite wall informed him it had been at least an hour. Surely he should have calmed down at least a little in all that time, but instead of coming to terms with what he was about to do, he only felt more nervous – if that was even possible.

It took another nudge from Hermione for Draco to realize he still hadn't moved.

"Malfoy, let's go. We've got to board."

Clenching his jaw, his teeth clicking together, he pushed off the armrests of the chair he had been occupying and grabbed the briefcase that was his carry-on luggage. Maybe he should have brought some sort of calming draught. His legs were slightly stiff from sitting in the uncomfortable chair for so long, but he was glad of it. At least they weren't as jelly-like as they would have been otherwise. This way, he walked steadily over towards the podium, trailing after Hermione like a nervous puppy. The woman glanced at their tickets and nodded them on through a small door that led onto a walkway…that led to the plane.

He could see it now through the windows. It was huge, white, and looked far too heavy to be capable of staying in the air. Pale fingers clasped tightly to the handle of his briefcase as he forced his feet to keep the forward motion going.

His first glance of the interior of the plane didn't help. It was long, but not very wide, and it was already nearly filled with people. No one paid them any mind, though, as the stewardess pointed out their seats. Draco barely heard her. It was much easier to focus on the bushy brown hair in front of him to find his way than to attempt to comprehend human speech at this particular moment. He felt like a fool. He had been through much more dangerous situations than this and had come out on top. He had survived a frantic battle, a wizarding war, and more nefarious encounters with dark wizards than he could ever possibly count.

And yet it was this muggle vehicle that made him almost unbearably nervous.

Hermione stopped in front of him, her arms reaching up to open an overhead compartment into which she shoved her bag.

"Here, give me your briefcase."

It took him a moment to unlatch his fingers from the handle, but he finally did so and passed over the luggage, surreptitiously wiping his hand off on his slacks so she wouldn't notice the clammy sweat on his palm. A loud click sounded when she pushed the compartment door shut again and then sidled her way between the two rows of seats, situating herself beside the window.

When Draco hesitated before sitting down next to her, she looked up at him. A frown turned down the corners of her lips and furrowed her brow, but there was a gleam of amusement in her amber eyes.

"Did you want to sit by the window?"

Scowling, he threw himself into the seat beside her, pulling down the armrests to either side and pressing the back of his head against the headrest. "No, I don't want to sit by the window, Granger." His voice was perhaps a bit icier than was necessary for the answer to such a question, but he couldn't find it in him to care. He kept his gaze fixed steadily ahead, breathing a soft sigh of relief when she eventually looked away, her face moving nearer to the window as she looked out at whatever there was to see.

A few moments passed filled with the various noises of the other passengers. The shuffling of feet, the moving of bags, the softly-spoken conversations, and the slight whine of a child who wanted candy but was being denied. Hermione shifted in her seat, eyes moving over the workers who were walking briskly back and forth on the landing strip. One boarding station over, she saw the transport vehicle carrying another plane's luggage to the airport. Beside her, Draco was absolutely frozen with tension. She knew it wasn't the most polite thing, but she couldn't help but feel the slightest bit of vindication. After years of tormenting her for being a muggle born, she finally had the upper hand on him because of it.

She hadn't expected him to be so utterly afraid of flying. Though she had read several texts on wizards using muggle devices, she had found them almost over-the-top, more instructional manuals than anything else; and though it was common knowledge that a lot of wizards, particularly purebloods, held high disdain for using anything muggle-related, she hadn't expected Draco Malfoy to actually fear this mode of transportation.

When their stewardess stood up at the front of the plane and began to go over the safety precautions and standard procedures should anything untoward happen in-flight, Hermione chanced a glance over to Draco. His grey eyes were bright as he stared at the woman, briefly flicking up towards the ceiling as she went over how to use an oxygen mask. She didn't think it was possible, but as their flight attendant began to discuss the emergency exits and the floatation devices, his ivory skin paled even further. A glance at his hands told her that he was gripping onto the armrests for dear life. She lifted her hand, hesitated for only a second, and placed it on his arm. The strain of his muscles from his tight grip was evident.

"Malfoy…Draco…it's going to be fine, okay?" His head turned towards her, those piercing grey eyes focusing their intense gaze directly into her own. She had never before seen eyes that were so capable of expression and yet could, in an instant, turn blank and unreadable. "I've flown several times and nothing has ever happened."

He didn't look too comforted by her words, but he nodded. His gaze dropped to where her hand was still on his arm and she swiftly jerked it away, folding them in her lap instead. The flight attendant had stopped talking, the instruction to buckle seatbelts causing a series of soft clicks to echo through the plane as everyone did so. Draco looked at the contraption for only a moment before sliding the pieces together and clipping it shut.

"Oh! Here, this will help when we take off." Reaching into her pocket, Hermione pulled out a pack of Drooble's, unwrapping two pieces and handing one to Draco.

"Bubble gum? Why?"

"When we take off, the swift ascension will cause your ears to pop." She held up her own piece before popping it into her mouth. "The motions your jaw makes while chewing gum will help your ears un-pop quicker. It just makes it more comfortable."

A blond eyebrow lifted, but Draco did as she suggested.

It wasn't much longer before the plane began to taxi. Though she pretended to be interested in watching the scenery start to slide past, Hermione was much more concentrated on the male next to her. If Draco was going to have a full-scale panic attack, she was going to have to do something about it. She had never considered the flight to be the first hurdle they'd have to cross. She had expected the issues from the actual mission; after all, she wasn't one-hundred percent sure how to act exactly like Pansy Parkinson. She had not expected to have such issues with just the transportation to the United States.

The airplane began to pick up speed and, as if in direct correlation to the event, Draco began to chew his gum faster and with more force. His body was completely stiff next to her, his eyes shut tightly. She felt more than heard the soft gasp as the plane tilted, angling up towards the sky as they lifted off the runway and finally moved into the air. Bright brown eyes focused on his hands; his long, pale fingers were gripping the arm rests so tightly it was a wonder he hadn't broken them off yet.

It didn't take any time at all for the plane to reach altitude and level out. "Draco," she said softly, in a much gentler tone than she had ever expected to use with him. "We're fine. We're up in the air, steady, and it's all okay." Honestly, she felt like she was soothing a frightened, wild animal instead of talking to a grown man.

A grown man. That thought gave her just a moment of pause. Until now, she hadn't noticed that she was still thinking of Draco in terms of who he had been in Hogwarts – the supremacist, bigoted, and immature git. Turning her body slightly in her seat so she could more easily look at him, she studied him, trying to see beneath the cold wall he kept up as a defense. The fear of flying had opened the tiniest crack, but try as she might, she couldn't pry it open any further. She knew he had lived through many horrible things; they all had, but not once had she entertained the idea that he might have been subjected to worse things than others.

Hermione had witnessed the way his family had gone on trial after the Battle of Hogwarts. She had stood at Harry's side in the court rooms and watched as the fates of those who had been supporters of Voldemort were sentenced. Lucius had saved his family in some small way; the information he had been able to offer up had been enough to keep them all out of Azkaban, but they were hated by just about every single witch and wizard. Those who had always supported Dumbledore hated them for what they had done before Voldemort's defeat, and the remaining Death Eaters hated them for betraying that snake-faced man in the end. What a lonely life that must be, to have no friends on either side.

"Why are you staring at me, Granger?"

Despite the paleness of his skin, the voice was strong and sure – and it had taken her by complete surprise. Draco's eyes were still closed, and she had thought her observations had gone unnoticed.

"I'm not staring at you. Don't be absurd."

Even to her own ears, her voice sounded defensive. Frowning, she turned back towards the window, her eyes alighting on the clouds.

"You were."

Oh, couldn't he just let it drop?

"I was not, Malfoy."

When she looked back over at him this time, his eyes were open, the bright grey shocking in intensity.

"You were. Why?"

Scrambling for any excuse, Hermione blurted out the first thing that came to her head, "I was making sure you weren't going to be sick or pass out." At least it wasn't a full lie. "That would have been horribly inconvenient."

Now that the motions of the plane were almost completely unnoticeable, Draco seemed to have his arrogance snapped back into place. The arch of his eyebrow as he raised it said as much. "Mhm," he sounded thoroughly unconvinced. Had she just been feeling sorry for him? What a waste of time.

"Stuff it, Malfoy. It hardly matters, regardless. Can we just pass the flight in silence, please?"

She was already regretting this decision. If they made it out of this alive, she might just kill Harry Potter herself.

"You want to spend the next seven hours in silence? Coming from you, Granger, I find that hard to believe."

Brown eyes snapped up to silver, blazing with indignation. "Are you implying that I don't know how to be quiet?"

"And the smartest witch of our year strikes again."

"If you are my only option for conversation, I would rather be a mute."

There was a glimmer of satisfaction in her chest as she watched Draco's eyes widen just a fraction. Her voice had been absolutely clear and full of conviction. Good. Maybe that will get through to him.

Setting his jaw, he turned his head looking forward again. Crossing her arms over her chest, Hermione turned attention back out the window. These seven hours were going to be hell. She was sure of it.


A/N: Hello, my lovely readers! First off, I am SO sorry it took so long for me to update. I have been getting closer and closer to having my Associate's Degree Program complete, and it's been taking up so much of my time. Also, sorry this chapter is a bit shorter than the others have been. It just felt natural to end it here. Thanks for reading (and reviewing)! Hope you're liking it so far.

-Running