Chapter 7:Sanctuary

I awoke the next morning, alone. The bed felt unbelievably empty without him. I burrowed my face into the pillow that still smelt like him. I was disgusted with myself, I had let myself go. I had fallen for Draco Malfoy. I had become weak. I heard the soft crackle of paper from beneath the pillow and extracted a note.

Hermione,

I've had breakfast delivered to you. I'll be back at 4pm to take you out- as I promised. I hope you slept well, I did.

Yours

Draco.

I stroked the "Yours" wishing that it was real, that he was mine. I hadn't deluded myself into thinking last night had meant anything for him. I was just a source of comfort, comfort he didn't particularly ask for. His kindness towards me, although unexpected was the most precious gift I had been given. I hope I hadn't ruined the friendship we had built through my petty weakness.

I sat up slowly and caught sight of the clock on my bedside. It was already 2:30 pm I had really slept half the day away. Before me was a table piled high with food. Croissants, pastries, bacon, eggs, toast and four types of juice. After a wonderful brunch, feeling satisfied and full I decided to take a shower.

The hot water ran over my cold skin, warming my muscles and calming my body. I decided to wash my hair, the scent of camomile shifting through my curls. I stepped out of the shower and dried myself quickly. Returning to my room I extracted the black velvet skirt and emerald vest Draco had bought me months earlier. The weather outside was pleasant with a clear blue sky and warm orange sun. As I pulling on the skirt and fastened it into place the door opened.

I cast a look at the clock 4:00 pm, exactly on time. He strolled into the room looking decidedly happier then he looked last night. His blond hair was wavy, probably from all the wind and he wore a dark blue, snug shirt. He looked more beautiful then I had ever seen him. His grey eyes appraised me with such a warmth and tenderness that I felt myself colouring.

"You look nice in that green" he complemented. I smiled at him as thanks. "Shall we?" he motioned to the door. I pulled the black cardigan from my bag and pulled it over my shoulders. He smiled at me again, making my heart hiccup.

He walked behind me, so close that occasionally his hand would brush mine, sending waves of electricity through my body. As we neared the hotel door he pulled me into a nearby deserted doorway and turned to face me.

"We need to keep a low profile understand?" I nodded in agreement. "so..." he started drawing from beneath his cloak a vaguely familiar mud like liquid.

"Pollyjuice potion?" I enquired. He nodded before withdrawing some fine blond hair from his pocket. Dropping it into the bubbling liquid, almost immediately the potion stopped and turned a dark shade of purple. He handed me it.

"It's safer this way" he promised. I wasn't going to protest, us being out together was very dangerous. I took the potion and gulped it down, it tasted oddly of blackcurrant. Within seconds I started to feel a slight bubbling beneath my skin. My head tugged slightly as my hair grew and turned a startling shade of white blond. I grew about an inch, my body thinning and lengthening.

"How do I look?" I asked when the bubbling had stopped.

"A little like me" he smirked.

"Oh great..." I murmured sarcastically. He laughed quietly at that.

"It was the point, now I can pass you off as one of my many relatives if in the unlikely situation we see anyone we know" he smiled at me, before offering his arm. I looped mine around his, our pale skin almost matching for once. He led the way down the stairs towards the front door.

"So whose identity did you steal for my benefit?" I enquired.

"A charming girl I met this morning, she and her mother were heading back to Scotland today and she had so many pretty hairs I didn't think she'd mind me borrowing a few" he told me quietly. As he lead me through the front door. The smell of the sea hit me, all salt and sand. The warm summer breeze whispering past me. I sucked in the fresh sea air.

"How do you like it?" he asked quietly.

"It's marvellous; I thought I'd die before seeing the sea again. I'm very glad to be wrong" I answered as he set off down the road, with me in tow. The town was indeed beautiful, the beaches covered in dark sand. The hills a beautiful grass green. The sea was a vivid sky blue today. I had forgotten just how big the sky was after being inside for so long. We passed the relics of a castle, baron atop a plummeting cliff face. He walked us along the shore front. Me a little ahead, my bare feet slipped into the cold water.

It was amazing to feel the sun on my skin and the sea over my feet. So much I had given up on feeling, I was sure I'd never take simple pleasures for granted again. He looked on at me, with a faintly amused expression on his face. I was acutely aware of his beautiful eyes on me but promised not to look behind me, at him. Instead I stared out at the sea, soft waves billowing on the surface.

We walked along to a small sea side town; he took my arm again, taking me through the small cobbled side streets. It was a beautiful picturesque town. Children played in the streets. Couples held hands as they wondered home. Old ladies nattered in little coffee shops. It was oddly peaceful, a stunning place where nothing bad could ever happen.

"I have a surprise for you" he smiled. Taking my hand in his he turned left into a tiny street of shops. The nearest was an old bookshop, the sign creaking quietly in the wind.

"Come in with me" he whispered. We wondered into the shop together. The smell of musty old books hitting me. The books were piled on old rickety tables and seemed to have no order to them.

"Mr Malfoy?" a gravelly voice asked from behind me. I turned to see an old man, his watery blue eyes magnified by huge glasses. To my surprise Malfoy went up to the man straight away and embraced him warmly.

"Mr Weston, it's been too long"

"Indeed, it has. Almost two years since I last saw you" the old man looked at Draco with unconcealed affection in his eyes. His eyes then alighted on me, staring curiously in the corner.

"Who is this lovely young lady you've brought with you?"

"That is Mrs Charlotte Malfoy" the old man shuffled my way and took my hand in his.

"Charming to meet you Mrs Malfoy" he smiled at me, shaking my hand. Draco looked on fondly.

"It's good to meet you too" I answered shyly. He smiled at me kindly before turning back to Draco.

"Here for more books are we sir?"

"No my dear friend, I am here to buy Mrs Malfoy's some new books. She does love to read" he twinkled at me, smiling cheekily.

"Oh! How marvellous! Of course, your wife would be a reader, like yourself" the old man cried, turning to beam at Draco. Draco did not correct his mistake merely looked at me.

"She is nothing like me, she is far my superior" he said softly, his eyes growing unbelievably gentle. I blushed scarlet and turned myself towards the books, praying he hadn't seen my blush.

I stayed in the company of books for a quarter of an hour, only the soft conversation of Mr Weston and Draco and the soft cries of sea gulls to break the trance. I picked my books carefully and watched as Draco paid for them. With a final goodbye to Mr Weston he took me back out into the sea air. He held my hand loosely as we passed along streets. Stopping only once in a nearby clothing store to pick up some new clothes he had bought me.

We then wondered toward the restaurant section of town, he picked by far the nicest restaurant in town and we were seated. The seats were red velvet, hanging lanterns fell from the ceiling, tiny red candles inside the glass cases, making the room twinkle like a hundred stars hung alongside us.

"Why didn't you tell Mr Weston we weren't married? I thought I was meant to be your relative!" I asked as we were seated.

"I wanted to see your face" he smiled, his face mocking but his eyes intense with a strange emotion I couldn't decipher.

"I can't keep up with you, Malfoy" he flinched at the reintroduction of the old name. "I don't know what you want from me"

"Why do I have to want anything?" he sounded frustrated. "Why do you always have to analyse things?"

"Because I need to understand what's going on!" I answered hotly.

"Why? Why can't you just let what happens happen? You always have to find fault in things" he sighed. I turned my face from him, the truth was I wanted to know how he felt about me when my emotions were so mixed up and confused. Maybe he just liked the power he had over me, but sometimes he would look at me and I would think... No! It was impossible, it could never be.

The candle nearest me flickered in its glass case and i heard him sigh softly.

"Let's not fight, today has been too nice" Draco smiled over at me, his hand resting lightly on mine. I nodded an agreement and the rest of the evening was spent in laughter and smiles. We ate beautiful food and drank the finest wine, and he looked at me with his tender grey eyes; twinkling in the glimmering flame light.

We walked back along the shore, the sea an inky blue colour and when the cold night wind nipped at me he shrugged out of his jacket and draped it around my shoulders. He kept a good few feet from me but tonight I felt as close to him as I had ever been. As the moon loomed over us, making the water the silver of his eyes and I breathed in the cold salty air. I felt, just once. That maybe everything would turn out okay.