A/N: I apologise for my delay in updating. You know how life is. Here's a gift in the form of another chapter. Thank you for your patience.
Also, I'm still quite unsure about my story telling abilities, going into extraneous detail or not keeping in a character I have set for someone, you know. That kind of thing. Any feedback welcome.
"Oh joy," she thought "Here we go." As she saw Malfoy approaching her. They were to meet up in the Ministry then take the International Floo Line to Marbella, Spain where they would then travel via Muggle transportation into Gibraltar. He came to stand beside her.
"Hello." he said, seemingly calm. She didn't know what she was expecting. 'Morning Mudblood. Have to spend the next while with your dirty blood.' Or a stony, haughty demeanour. But she got neither. Just mild indifference. "Hello." She responded, just as indifferent. She didn't feel angry or scared next to him. She didn't really feel anything toward him. She was no idiot, she saw his reluctance during the war, and in Malfoy Manor, even to identify them when Bellatrix was throwing a fit.
Draco Malfoy had been removed from the room when it had started, taking two other Death Eaters out to the back garden and leaving their unconscious bodies there. He had come back in when there was a pause in her screams and Bellatrix's shouting, clearly hoping it was over and that she was either dead or unconscious. She had looked up at him, lying on the floor in a heap, her limbs heavy and unmoving as she had been thrown down forcefully. Her eyes full of tears of pain and her breathing ragged and shallow.
They made eye contact and he visibly grimaced and quickly looked away as he made his way back over to stand next to his parents who also looked less than satisfied. Her line of sight was broken when Bellatrix moved back in front of her and started howling at her again. When the Cruciatus Curse hit her body this time, she was sure she was too weak to convulse and seize, but she was proved wrong when she screamed as though her throat would rip open.
The pain stopped. Her head was laying on it's side in exhaustion and she had full view of the Malfoy Family. His parents looked down upon her, she did not try to plead to them with her eyes. They were just as trapped as she was. Draco had his back turned, he was facing the fireplace, his posture tense. She could barely pay attention to anything anymore, so she did not hear the next question that was barked at her or hear the incantation. But just as before, she felt the pain hit her and her body distorted on the floor as she screamed like the fires of hell were surrounding her. She did see his reaction though. At the sound of her scream he jumped, his arms held firmly at his sides, fists clenched, his knuckles white. His head was bowed and his shoulders were so tensed she could almost not see his neck. He did not move for as long as he could. Only when Harry and Ron came for her did his posture change.
She didn't let this memory show on her face. She just began walking toward the Floo Lines. She musn't have been paying much attention to where she was going because she managed to clumsily knock into someone. She looked up.
Ron.
Malfoy had continued walking, not expecting her to stop. A couple of feet away, she noticed him look back. Her eyes were drawn back to Ron as he spoke. "Um... Hermione," he began,"I... I'm not sure how to say this... Um... Harry told me I should see you..."
"It's okay, Ron. I already spoke to him. He told me you didn't want a misunderstanding of feelings and neither do I." She really did not like the idea of having this conversation within earshot of Malfoy, but he didn't seem to respond to anything, politely pretending he was not listening. "We're not going back to where we were, we're not starting again, it wouldn't work, we know it wouldn't." Ron sighed, seemingly both relieved and offended at her bluntness.
"Okay... well, I suppose I'll let you on your way then," he said, glancing back at Malfoy. He began to walk away, but before he could Hermione pulled him into a friendly hug. "Let's not try to be awkward." She smiled. "I'll talk to you again when I get back." He nodded and smiled back.
Arriving in Marbella, Hermione used her Muggle money in cash to buy a cheap car to make the journey in. Untraceable to both Muggles and Death Eaters. Malfoy eyed up the car suspiciously. "I would assume you don't know how to drive." She said. "I do," she smirked, a little smugly. "Don't worry, Malfoy. I'll keep you safe."
He raised his eyebrow at her and watched her closely as she opened the drivers side door and sat in her seat, adjusting it and putting her seat belt on. He followed suit and sat in the passenger side, struggling to pull his own seat belt on. "You need to be gentler. They're designed to stop the body moving forward in the event of a crash." She briefly considered helping him, but decided against it. As she started the engine up, Malfoy jumped at the sudden movement and vibration of the car. Hermione smirked again as they got on their way. She always felt a little guilty enjoyment at introducing magical people to Muggle devices, especially when they seemed vaguely threatening. Like the first time she introduced Ron to a blender. That had nearly ended in disaster. Malfoy's knuckles were white on his lap as his fists were clenched tight, obviously nervous in this new contraption.
"Don't worry, Malfoy. I'm a good driver, I won't get us killed."
"You can't even fly a broom, Granger." He said through strained teeth.
"Really, Malfoy? Do you really think I would have gotten this far in our careers, still not being able to fly? I'm average."
He looked over curiously. "So forthcoming about your drawbacks?" He spoke tightly. "How refreshing."
"If you're referring to my time at school, killing myself to be top at everything, I still try. If I am able to do well, I do well. I don't stress as much as I did, but I was young back then. People grow. I am different than I was in school. I am fully aware that I am not the best at flying, I am average. I know, however that I am a good driver." She looked at him, smirking again.
"Keep your fucking eyes in front, Granger!" He nearly screamed, panicked and tensing in his chair. She rolled her eyes. "Oh, relax. I'm not going to get us killed." She was sure the mirth at his distress was quite evident in her voice. "What about you, Malfoy? Are you seriously saying you are the exact same person as you were a few years ago?"
He didn't respond. "Exactly. Even if time did not change people, war definitely changes people. For better and for worse."
Though Hermione didn't let it show, she was dreading this mission and the one in the future. She understood, of course that if they were as good as each other then it would be a logical choice to pair them, but she didn't think it could end well. She did not know Malfoys methods, but she knew he was a coward in school and cowardice usually does not suddenly disappear. She sighed. She supposed she would have to wait and see how he performed on this mission. She glanced over at him. He seemed to have relaxed a bit more, probably comfortable with the speed, having been an accomplished Quidditch player in his past. He suddenly looked over at her, catching her in the act. She quickly looked back out of the wind-shield but felt his gaze linger on her, more than likely sizing her up in the same way she had been doing to him.
After a pause that felt like forever, he spoke up. "I'm not who I used to be, Granger. And for what it's worth, I apologise for all the shitty things I put you through in school."
In her surprise, she turned to look at him again, for an extended period of time but noticing him tensing, quickly turned back, looking out into the road. "Thank you, Malfoy." She said sincerely. "I apologise for slapping you in Third Year." He laughed. Hermione felt herself smiling at the sound. It was a sound she had not heard coming from him before and she found she liked it.
After arriving, they had purchased separate hotel rooms in the Muggle part of Gibraltar. While Muggle Gibraltar was small, the Wizard part was even smaller, and in an extremely small community, word of two strangers suddenly turning up would travel fast. Besides, it was better to keep as under the radar as possible in the search for these Death Eaters. Using the information they had acquired, they were able to pinpoint the location the enemy was probably hiding out in. It was a small home located just within the Wizard boundaries, which is where Hermione and Malfoy found themselves lurking behind it in the early hours of the morning.
Hermione had her back pressed against the rear wall of the house, keeping an eye out for any unwanted presences as Malfoy took down any wards that were in place, of which there were surprisingly few. They were near the sea, so the wind routinely whipped Hermione's hair into her face, almost blinding her, until she wrestled it aside, only for it to obstruct her view again a minute later. She huffed irritably and she could see Malfoy smirk at the sound. He unlocked the small window and beckoned her in. She started to crawl through the narrow opening in front of Malfoy and as soon as her head entered through the window, she heard uproarious laughter coming from the next room. It seemed they had at least been smart enough to put a Silencing Charm around the house. Looking down as she carefully avoided touching anything, she came to find they were in the kitchen. It was almost pitch black, but she refused to light the way with her wand. No need to draw unwanted attention. She turned back to find Malfoy slithering his way through the small gap. She hadn't expected him to make it easily. He was much taller and broader than she was, but he managed it with a deftness that she found surprising. He left the window open behind him. A clever tactic in case they needed to make a quick escape if things went south. She cast her usual spells to make sure she'd be getting no surprises, like the Kelpie mission and started to creep around the kitchen to the door.
"Careful not to knock anything." she whispered as quietly as she could.
"Yes thank you, Granger. I'm not a bloody newbie." he whispered back.
"Well all right, I was just making sure, for Merlins sake!" She turned away from him and started to move toward the source of the noise. Moving as lightly as she could, she tried to feel if there were any parts of the wooden floor that would squeak beneath her. It was an old looking home and more than likely hadn't had any renovations done in a long time. She was about to turn around to tell Malfoy where he wasn't to step, but she found him mimicking her motions exactly.
Hermione crouched with her back against the kitchen wall separating her and the Death Eaters. There was a strong flickering light coming from underneath the door and a smell like burning wood and alcohol. Another loud burst of laughter came. She couldn't make out anything they were saying though. Looking up at Malfoy, she signaled she was going to open the door a crack. He nodded in return. Reaching up and pulling the handle at a painfully slow pace, she pulled the door open a fraction. Unfortunately just as she did this a strong gust of wind blew through the open window and knocked over a vase containing some rotten flowers. Hermione watched almost in slow motion as it fell, whipping out her wand as fast as she could she aimed a levitating spell at the falling object. Her spell shot across the room but only caught the flowers. The vase shattered on the floor with a deafening crash and the room inside went silent.
Hermione held her breath, ready to curse the first person who walked through the door. Malfoy had a different idea, it transpired. As she heard someone get up and move towards her, she felt her wrist being grabbed and silently was dragged into the shadiest corner of the room, just behind the corner of the wall. Malfoy pushed her up against it and covered her with his own body, leaving her staring at his chest and smelling his scent.
"Oh you have got to be fucking joking." She thought as she tried to push him off of her. He stayed exactly where he was, peeking around the corner. She tried to twist around to see back into the kitchen with him, while still trying to move away. He pushed her back, his hand on her shoulder. The kitchen was suddenly thrown into light as the person who came into the room began searching for the source of the noise. Hermione stopped struggling, staying as silent as she could. Any more noise would draw them to her and Malfoy. They were behind a corner at least.
"Who left the bloody window open?!" a slurred voice called back into the room. Hermione recognised the voice and knew Malfoy did too. Amycus Carrow. She had been searching for him and his sister for ages and this is where they were? She'd finally managed to find them on some low level mission to test their partnership? Ridiculous.
She heard the window slam shut as she was still forced to stare at Malfoy's chest. A crunch was heard and it seemed Carrow had stepped over the broken vase to make his way back to the other room, grumbling as he did. As soon as he left the kitchen, Hermione shoved against Malfoy again, successfully pushing him away from her this time. "What do you think you-" Her protests were silenced as he placed his hand firmly over her mouth and shushed her. Fire lit up in her eyes and she had to try very, very hard not to shout at him. She ripped his had away from her mouth. "Did you just sh-" He placed his hand back over her mouth more firmly this time as he shushed her again. Her nostrils flared and she felt the anger rise up in her and was surprised it didn't explode into him. She was not above using dirty tactics when she was treated in a manner like this, and promptly dug her nails into the back of his had and licked his palm for good measure. He pulled his hand away from her mouth with a silent gasp of pain and surprise and glared down at her as he wiped his hand off of his pants.
"What the fuck, Granger? Are you trying to get us caught?!" he whispered furiously.
"Me trying to get us caught?" she whispered back sharply "What about you? I'd have the whole room stunned and on their way back to England by now if it hadn't been for your bloody trying to act like some kind of... of... MAN!" Neither of them had noticed the room the Death Eaters were in had become silent again.
"Oh bloody hell, all you Gryffindors are the same! Always ready to charge in without any thought for a method or a plan!" the kitchen door was wide open now, light flooding back into the kitchen, soon blocked by a figure entering.
"What plan, Malfoy? There's four Death Eaters in there. Nothing I haven't handled before. On my own, I might add!"
"And just how do you know there's only four in there?"
Before Hermione could respond, she felt a wand at her throat. It was not Malfoys. She looked over and met the eyes of Amycus Carrow. He smirked gleefully at her. She rolled her eyes and looked back at her partner. "Oh well done, Malfoy. Now look what you've done!"
"Malfoy?" Carrow turned his wand so it was now under the chin of Draco. "My sister will be so delighted to see y-"
He didn't get to finish his sentence, as Hermione shot him with a silent stunning spell and carefully levitated his body and set it softly on the ground so as to not make any noise. She looked back at Malfoy as she walked toward the open door. "We'll finish this later."
"Yeah, whatever." He sneered, following her out. She and Malfoy walked into the well lit room, and shot a stunning spell each at one of the Death Eaters, leaving Alecto Carrow the only conscious one standing in front of the fire with her wand on an end table just out of reach. They both pointed their wands at her at the exact same time.
"I didn't expect Amycus to be heading this little resistance," Malfoy mocked. "He was always shockingly stupid."
Alecto looked at him with venom in her eyes. "What an unlikely duo," she spat. "Never thought I'd see you two together. A coward blood traitor and a Mudblo-"
Malfoy shot a singing jinx at Carrow's leg. She cried out as it started to swell but she remained standing. Hermione looked over at him. His face was twisted in fierce anger. Surely he couldn't have gotten so infuriated at the use of the word Mudblood, could he?
"You see," he said, trying to get his anger under control, "My partner here, doesn't appreciate that word very much and I take a bit of exception to you calling me a coward, Alecto. I'll have to ask you to not do it again, or I'm afraid I don't know what might happen."
She growled in anger. "How dare you raise your wand to me, you filthy blood traitor! The Dark Lord should have gotten rid you when he had the chance. There will come a time again when everyone will know the right to hold a wand lies only with the Purebloods and we can exterminate all you COWARDS and filthy Mud-"
Malfoy and Hermione both shot a stinging jinx at her other leg at the same time, Malfoy using a lot of force and looking absolutely livid. Alecto collapsed to the floor. She looked up at Hermione as though she wanted to rip her throat out with her teeth. "Well you were warned." Hermione spoke, mimicking Malfoy's attitude. "It is very impolite."
As Alecto Carrow opened her mouth to throw more insults around, Hermione stunned her. "Enough of that drivel." She stepped over her like she was a pile of putrid dirt on the floor and pulled her special Floo powder out of her pocket. Throwing it into the fire, it led straight to a secure holding location to keep the Death Eaters before their hearing. After relieving the four of them of their wands, Hermione and Draco levitated them through. After closing the line they looked at each other. "I can handle myself." Hermione said, almost defensively, crossing her arms as they turned to go back to the hotel they had booked for the night, leaving through the front door this time. "I'm sure you can. But we needed a plan, and I wasn't about to go barging in without any idea what I was doing."
"I knew what I was doing! Plus that doesn't mean that you get to dictate what I do on a mission as if I'm some child fresh out of training! Might I remind you that I have consistently scored above you, both in Hogwarts and in our yearly reviews!" They apparated together to alley behind their Muggle hotel where there would be no prying eyes and headed in, still arguing.
"You don't get to dictate how a mission goes any more than I do. The same way you don't like I made a decision for you, you had just made one for me. We're supposed to be partners, so stop acting like you're on solo missions. And I wouldn't be so sure about scoring above me either, by the way."
"Oh really? And how would you know that?" She made her way up the stairs to their floor in front of him.
"How would you know that I apparently scored lower than you?"
"I've checked the results." They stopped outside a room door.
"Well check them again." He said, entering the room and closing the door in her face. It was only then she had realised she had unconsciously walked him back to his room, and now had to make her way back to her own, almost the whole way across the floor. She let out a frustrated sigh and stomped her way over.
Damn straight she'd check the results again.
