All the beta-love to martee98.


Chapter 7: So close and yet so far.

She sat next to Neville, fuming. Pecking the wizard on his cheek with an abrupt move, she slammed the note on their table. "Can you believe this?"

Neville chuckled, "No, I have no clue. And dear Hermione, have you made your choice for breakfast yet?"

"The ferret had the nerve to come into my house, not make himself known and leave this note."

Neville nodded slowly, "And?"

"AND? Neville, how can he do this to me?" She was on the verge of pulling out her hair.

"Do what exactly 'Mione?"

"Disappear without a word. Again."

Neville shrugged, what Draco was doing didn't raise any red flags, "He wants you safe, according to his note." The waitress finally placed a steamy dish of English breakfast with bacon, sausage and eggs down in front of him; his belly was growling from hunger. "Why don't you? It's not your fight."

"Neville, C'mon, not again. Look, I learned yesterday from Pansy that he was absent for nine years."

The wizard's eyebrows disappeared under his fringe, "That long?"

"Ah-hum, in a rediscover-yourself-trip. He comes back and bam! Someone hits him in the gut." Neville answered her with his mouth full of beans, "So?"

"Neville, don't pull a Ron-move, please."

"Sowwy."

Palm against her forehead, "What would you do if it was say, Seamus? Or Dean?" taking a bite of her buttered toast, "Would you stay passive and tell me it's not my fight?"

"No, but they aren't Draco Malfoy."

"You have Draco Malfoy pre-war: the ferret who bullied you on your first broom lesson. Then you have Draco Malfoy war-version, the teenager forced to restore the cabinet, opening the passage to Voldemort's team-of-losers. Lastly, you have Draco Malfoy end-of-war, who willingly offered his wand to Harry, who then killed Voldemort with it. The Draco who could have rat us out at the Manor when we got caught by the snatchers." Another bite of her toast offered Neville some room to think.

"You've made a strong point Hermione."

"Exactly, I punched the face of pre-war Draco. And I don't regret it; he had it coming for a long time. But I don't stand-by idly watching a man - forced into malevolent actions; be hunted down as if all the sins from Egypt are his fault. Pansy told me they threatened his mother. Put yourself in Draco's place and tell me what you would have done?"

"You are driving a hard bargain."

"Still waiting for your answer, my dear friend." Her fingers tapped on the table, a smug smile on her face. She knew she won the battle.

"What's your plan?"

"I don't have one, because he keeps escaping through my fingers. Last night he slept in my bed."

Neville's eyes went round, "What?"

"This morning I got up and noticed a dent on the other side of the bed. One who wasn't there the night before. I make my bed every morning, in case you've missed it. And the pillow smelled like him."

"One day, you nurse him. The next, you memorised his body odour?" He rested his chin on his palm, "Tell me, dear sister, how long is it since you've dated?"

"Neville, what the hell?"

"You feel lonely, don't you? I haven't told you yet; there's this new teacher at Hogwarts, a certain David…"

"Oh no you don't, don't you dare. No blind dates for me, drop your idea right this second, and hear me Mr. Longbottom!" Her finger wiggled at his face in a very warning way.

"You are an attractive witch who should be married and have two point five children by now. Malfoy falls into your life, literally and you name yourself his protector. We are talking about Malfoy."

"I don't hate him, Neville. I never did. He enraged me to no end, yes, drove me nuts. Agreed," She didn't like to admit things with no label at this point, "I…"

"You don't need to answer to me. It's your life, your heart, but I would hate to see you hurt. You're my sister, remember? I want you to have a happy life, not a lonely one." His cutlery was set back on his plate with a loud bang, "My fear is you'll get involved in his mess, get injured and in the end not be worthy of the effort because he's an ungrateful git."

"What if he isn't the person we used to know? What if he's become a better human being?"

"All that I say is in vain, isn't it? You've made up your mind, and you will not rest until you've saved the injured soul." They sighed together, smiling simultaneously.

She shook her head, "I'm afraid it's too late, to stop now."

"I have no Ministry connections I can tap into aside Harry, but he's in the game already. I'll inquire here and there; see if something comes up from my side of things. In the meantime, I implore you not to make any rash decisions. Draco's asking you to stay away for a reason. I am doing the same, Hermione."

She hugged him tight, "I can't promise."

They ate their breakfast in light chit-chat, about the newest wave of young students, how McGonagall was handling being Head-Mistress, or how the reparations to the castle developed. Neutral subjects to avoid returning to the elephant in the room.

-oOo-

After breakfast she made a beeline to Blaise's office, not bothering to wait for a green light to enter, "Have you thought about my proposal?"

"Good morning, Granger. Did you bring coffee?"

"I'm not your servant. Your best friend visited me this morning. Or should I say, he stayed over for the night?"

Blaise clutched his chest, to stop the fit of a cough, "I beg your pardon?"

"You heard me right, Zabini, your friend slept next to me after he made me run in the rain in search of his very person. Now tell me again, you don't know how to contact him."

The wizard sat back with a sigh, slightly pale, "Why didn't you tell me what you told Pansy?"

"I didn't know how far I could trust you. You see, I'm clueless about who's trying to hurt him. Pansy was honest with her answers, and I returned the favour. Do you have tea?"

Summoning a house elf, he ordered tea for two with biscuits, "Staring at you is a very grateful Slytherin, for all you did for our mutual friend." He raised a finger, to wait a moment, while he used some spells to ensure privacy, from the moment the elf served them tea and left, "Now, I was honest when I said I don't know where he is. I only have a mobile number."

She sipped before answering, "Can you share the number?"

"He's not listed in the white pages, you know?"

"It can be traced."

"Under which pretences, Granger?"

"I'll come up with an excuse. You must agree he needs help, even if he's too stubborn to ask for it?"

"He knows well enough I want to help him. He however, shoves all my offers aside. By the way, may I point out that you are thinking like a Slytherin, miss Gryffindor?"

"Your point?"

"None, just a statement. How do you plan to find him with this tracing of yours?"

"I'll use my connections to narrow down the location of his mobile; we need to find him and-"

"Then what Granger? He's a target, and unless you find who's the culprit, you'll only bring his problems to your doorstep."

She waved her arms open, hand palms up, "Don't give me the speech, Neville beat you."

"How's Longbottom involved?"

"Draco developed a fever, and I asked Neville's help to lower it. Healing Draco was a combined effort."

"My friend's list of gratitude just became bigger, full of Gryffindor's no less. My respects, cara. Maybe when this is all behind our arses, your idea of a school reunion is not as farfetched as I first thought."

He pulled out his iPhone, turning the screen to her on a specific contact, sizing her up. She picked her own up, copying the number in a quick move, labelling it 'git'. She turned her screen to Blaise, who chuckled, "Fitting."

She decided to return to her department, but he held her back, "Granger, what you did for him. You didn't have to, but you still did. And I owe you one, Hermione, for eternity." She nodded, touched by his sincerity.

-oOo-

Inside her office, she couldn't resist. iPhone in hand, she sent a message,

If U thnk Ill fllw ur ordrs U r srsly mstakn Git U hv my nmbr now&my adrss

Followed by a second one.

Ill stop whn Ur safe

Two minutes passed and her mobile buzzed, it read.

Stubbrn Wtch :)