Chapter 9 3/4: Abandoned

After Draco finished eating his breakfast outside, he felt calm enough to speak with Hermione again. Having something in his stomach actually had helped and now he wanted to apologize. He half expected her to apologize first, only because it seemed to be more of her nature than his.

When he returned to the tent, she was nowhere to be seen, but he noticed her curtains were shut. He walked over to the front of her bed, thinking about speaking to her, but eventually decided to step away, deciding it was best for her to rest.

He assumed even after their fight, that their truce and agreement about the two full days without potion remained. Draco opened the larder to find one tin of green beans and decided this would be the best time to find that Muggle store he had been to years ago.

It did not take long to whip up two more vials of her potion for her legs, as he had kept detail notes in one of his journals. He placed them on an edge of her bed that was outside of the curtain, in a spot where they would not roll off.

When she wants to come out, she will see them there. Satisfied with that thought, he grabbed his wand to Disapparate.

An hour later, Hermione slowly awakened. Her legs were still not working, and she figured she would have to call for Draco's help. I hope he's in a better mood...

Sliding open her curtain, she glanced around the tent, but he wasn't anywhere to be seen. "Draco?"

No response. She was a little frustrated, but she reminded herself that she could not expect him to be at her beck and call.

Just then, she noticed two vials on the outside edge of her bed. He remembered… now I feel like a git. All he has done is save me, mend me, allow me to interrogate him, and apparently, put up with my nightmares. Okay, from now on, I'll be on my best behavior… unless HE acts like a git, in which case, I'll totally fight back… She took one of the vials and drank it down. The taste of the cherry vanilla filled her with more guilt. I need to say sorry and thank him now… I actually LIKE talking to him when we aren't ready to kill one another, which was what, for all of two minutes? Okay, I need to find him. Perhaps he's still pouting outside and expects me to approach HIM...

After exactly three minutes, Hermione was able to get up. She retrieved her purse added the new vial, vowing to keep it near at all times. On her way over to it, she checked the back of the tent to see if Draco was there. When he was nowhere to be seen, she decided to look outside. Again, Draco was nowhere in sight.

Did he take a walk? I had to have been sleeping for at least an hour. Would Draco go on a walk for an hour? Slowly, it dawned on her, He was fairly upset… and he left those vials near the bed... did he leave?

Hermione began to circle the tent, and wondered if it was safe to shout for him outside. Would that attract snatchers or Death Eaters? Are Death Eaters even looking for us this far away from England?

Walking back inside, she decided that he would not have left without his bag. Checking near the kitchen island, she saw that it was gone. All his items were gone: potion, tools, cauldron, all gone… and there was no note.

He left. He has left me. Alone. With my portkeys and wand!

As the panic was building up, she suddenly felt a sharp pain in her toe from kicking a kitchen stool on accident. She pinched her eyes shut from the sharp pain and she sank down in defeat. As the pain subsided, she stared at the tent entrance. If he was going to return, there would have been a note, right? Quickly standing again, she combed every surface in the kitchen, but they were all empty, not a single sheaf of parchment in sight. Her hands fell on the counter surface and her head slumped. I have finally done it: I've even managed to scare off Draco Malfoy. He probably would choose being a Death Eater over spending any more time with me. This is why I can't ever get a boyfriend! I'm too much, too hard on people! I'm the last person anyone wants for company! Hermione dragged her nails over the scalp of her head and closed her eyes…I mean you lose some sleep, that doesn't mean you just LEAVE. Ugh! He could have at least said goodbye! But this was probably easier. Of course he would take the easy way out. Maybe he really did only save me to have a connection to the Order.

Just then, Hermione had a thought and she sat up, Everything is gone from here, but I didn't check the bathroom. He always left his cologne and toothpaste in there.

She nearly ran there without thought, but grabbed her purse to take with her when she realized that if Draco was gone, she only had two more vials left in there to use. Realizing how important the potion actually was, she felt a twinge of regret for being so rude to him about it.

She thrust open the bathroom door and to her immense relief, the items she was hoping to see were still there. She crossed to the sink and picked up his cologne. He left this here. Does this mean he didn't leave? Maybe he has extras or just forgot them?

While Hermione was snooping around the bathroom, a noise came from the other side of the tent. She was sure it sounded like footsteps, and they were getting closer. Someone was here...

Then she heard a voice, "Accio grocery bags."

While clutching her purse in one hand and clinging tightly to Draco's cologne bottle in the other, Hermione leaned out of the bathroom door to take a peek, already thinking up the best possible weapon she might have in her purse. When she finally had a look at who it was, she stood up straight and walked out of the bathroom, simply standing there in shock. It was Draco, and she could not help but think that he had never looked so good. She was utterly elated that he was there at all, but tried her best to hide it.

Her movement from the back of the tent made Draco jump. He tilted his head, wondering why she was looking at him like she had seen a ghost. "Granger, why are you holding my cologne?"

Hermione turned bright red but ignored his question. Her embarrassment quickly turned into annoyance, "Where were you? I thought- I thought you had…"

Slowly, she became aware of the grocery bags. Still in a state of mingled shock and relief, she walked over to them.

Draco was confused at first, but quickly made the connection, She thought I had left her for good.

Something about how worried she was made him feel warm inside, that she would react that way to his absence. "You worried I'd leave you, Granger? After that little spat? You're not the easiest person to be around, that's for sure… but as you can tell, neither am I."

Hermione was back to being embarrassed and could hardly contain it. She remained still as he went back to unpacking groceries with his wand, food floating out onto the countertop.

It was difficult to decide what to do next. Their history was such that they never really 'made-up' after a fight; it would just linger on, festering until the next confrontation. Draco saw that she was still frozen, possibly embarrassed by the look of her reddened cheeks. Why is she gripping my cologne?

"Do you like my cologne? I mean, if you are interested I can make you some of your own..."

He was trying to lighten the mood, but it only caused her to walk away to the bathroom. Moments later, she returned without the bottle and only stared at the groceries. Raising his eyebrows, he began to wonder if maybe she was still mad at him from earlier.

"Sorry it took a while, I had to go to the mainland to find an open store. Look, I got you some sweets, cherry lollies, and some chocolate."

Draco handed her to sweets in hope that it could represent an act of peace between them. She walked up closer to receive them.

He got me sweets. Draco Malfoy has gone out to a Muggle store to get us supplies and bought me sweets!

Hermione looked down at the brightly colored packaging. A multitude of feelings crept into her: maybe it was the intense relief of having him back when she thought he had gone, or maybe it was all the selfless gestures he had made lately. Either way, she had no idea what had come over her when she stepped closer to him, placing the sweets down onto the counter, and put her arms around his waist to give him a hug.

Draco stood there in shock. Hermione Granger is hugging me.

He stalled for a second, but then wrapped his arms around her to reciprocate. It felt so natural, his entire body relaxed as he became engulfed by a feeling with no name, one that he had searched for his whole life. If this is all it took, I would have gotten her sweets ages ago.

He could smell her shampoo, cherry vanilla, and the aroma was so enticing that his head nearly came to rest against hers when she started to move out of the hug.

"Sorry, I just-...I just wanted to thank you for all the nice things that you've done." She stepped back and collected herself, straightening out her shirt. "Thanks for the sweets as well."

He smiled, wanting to say something meaningful and deep, but it did not feel right, so he opted instead for a different direction.

"I saw all of those sweets at the store, but I didn't really know what kind you liked, so I thought to myself, I should go get a bucket-full. " He stared at her with raised eyebrows to emphasize the bad joke.

Hermione let out a short giggle, as it was unexpected. She liked that they already had an inside joke, even if it had caused the spat in the first place. But mostly, she liked that he had thought of her at all, especially after she had shouted at him.

Satisfied that he had made her laugh, Draco continued, "Ha, but I couldn't find a bucket and people were beginning to stare at me. I've never gone into that store, so it took me awhile to find things."

"Well they were probably staring at your platinum blond hair and thought you were some movie star."

"Yeah? Not many Muggles with this hair color, only the stars?"

Hermione smiled and looked up at his hair, wanting to run her hands through it, even just to make a joke, "Well, there are, but not many."

Draco smiled, "Well the way I was walking around, I'm sure I appeared clueless. They probably thought I was high on drugs or something."

Surprised by his turn-of-phrase, Hermione laughed a bit too loud for his comment, but she had never heard of Draco say anything pertaining to Muggle drugs before.

Leaning back against the counter, he wrinkled his nose, "What, did I say that wrong too? Don't Muggles get high on drugs?"

He said it in such a way, that it sounded like an older person who had used a phrase outside of their generation. It just set Hermione laughing even harder.

"No, it's not that you said it wrong exactly, it's just I have never heard you say anything like that at all... and, okay, also you said it a little funny."

Draco nodded and pushed himself off the counter, "Okay, Okay, Granger, you've had your fun. I bet you're loving that I am doing everything the Muggle way. Let's eat, I'm hungry..."

Hermione was still smiling from their banter and eventually calmed herself while they both picked out foods from the supplies Draco had bought.

Seeing that she was about to put the food on the table, he asked, "Do you want to go outside to eat? It's really nice out."

Smiling, Hermione looked up at him and nodded.

"Great, it's a date."

Hermione's heart jumped. Did he just call this a date? Or does he mean-

He was already ahead of her on his way out of the tent, so she hurried behind to follow him out, feeling like she needed to clarify what he had meant.

"Don't take that the wrong way, Granger," he chided, as if he could tell what was running through her mind, "stop thinking and let's just eat."

But there was no stopping her thoughts, so she continued to think. How did he KNOW? He wasn't even LOOKING at me! Maybe he clarified, just in case, because he also found it confusing. Why is he always one step ahead of me? Okay, we're JUST... friends… sort of... Calm down and go outside and eat. With. Your. FRIEND. You can do this! A second later, she inwardly deprecated, Ugh, I'm a disaster. I mean, I just hugged him, he probably thinks I'm pathetic!

They did not stray too far from the tent, sure to stay within the wards, and settled on a soft area of grass. They sat near each other and started eating their dinner, quietly enjoying the scenery.

It felt like ages ago, when Hermione had woken up in Draco's arms in that very spot. She remembered what he said about her tent that first day, and so she smiled to herself and looked up at him, and then out to the distant ocean. "Nice place you've got here."

Draco glanced up at her and then looked toward the ocean as well, a big smile slowly spreading onto his face. He understood her reference immediately and enjoyed the connection. He was also proud that she was enjoying his chosen location as much as he always had. In fact, Draco was certain this place had become more beautiful with his present company.

Once lunch was finished, Draco proposed they take a walk around the area. He had been there before, though it had been a long while, and thought he recalled a small lake not too far from where their tent was. Hermione readily agreed, but their walk was cut short as the air began to get noticeably cooler and they could see rain clouds appearing. Their newly found friendship had them slightly befuddled as to how to behave, since they had never been this amiable towards each other before.

Once they had returned to the tent, Draco set his potion's lab back up and started to re-organize, determined to make another batch of Hermione's special potion, just in case.

Hermione sauntered over, watching him place things in specific spots, "So, I noticed that when I get, well- scared or agitated, my legs begin to tingle and they stop working. Is there anything you have that could fix that?"

Draco grinned, "You mean something that would get Hermione Granger to relax? I don't know if there is a potion in the world for that!"

Hermione smiled sarcastically, "Hey, I already know I can be a bit of a nervous wreck, you don't have to remind me."

"Nothing I can't handle, Granger. The best I can add is something that'll probably make you sleepy. I wish I had more ingredients here to work with."

A little disappointed, she responded, "I hate to surrender to being asleep all the time, but I suppose if it helps me overcome this curse, maybe I should just commit to it."

Draco shrugged, "Alright, one leg-fixing-sleepy-cocktail comin' right up."

Hermione smiled softly; she liked this side of Draco, still sassy but more friendly. She wished she could rewrite their past with this energy between them instead of what it had actually been. After all, they were both passionate about learning, and probably could have been friends. On the downside, they both were determined in their own ways, which they would have to work on.

Not wanting to distract him, Hermione walked over to rummage through some books on a small shelf by the couch. The collection was hers, and she had probably read all of them six times each, at least. She stared at them, wondering which would be able distract her best. The light drumming of rain against the canvas of the tent made her glance wistfully at the empty grate of the wood-burning stove. "This would be a perfect time for a fire."

Draco looked over, "Did you say something?"

"I was just thinking out loud. It's raining and this would be a perfect time for a fire. It's a wood-burning stove."

"Oh yeah, I was wondering what was needed for that. I mean, I thought of using a fire-making spell, but it requires a fuel source to keep burning for any length of time and I didn't see any wood anywhere."

Hermione nodded in agreement.

Draco made an internal reminder about gathering some later. At the moment, he was focused on adjusting the potion for Hermione and almost had it complete. Turning to add a final ingredient, he reached up for it on the highest shelf in the kitchen. He paused when he noticed Hermione's wand. He had placed it up high so that she would not see from her sightline, but he was still surprised she had not found it sooner. Staring at it, he weighed the pros and cons of giving it back. After all, she had been worried when she thought he left, and he did feel guilty for making her feel defenseless.

Hermione had settled down on the couch with the book Dumbledore had bequeathed her, The Tales of Beedle the Bard. She had just got comfortable when Draco approached and handed over her wand.

"Here."

Hermione was taken back. "You trust that I won't hex you and run?"

Draco crossed his arms, "Well, I think you would have before, for sure. Anyway, I figured you'd want it to fix that hair of yours."

Hermione gasped at the affront and swung her book at him for a good hit. Snickering, he dodged her blow and quickly shuffled away.

"That wasn't too bright of you to insult a witch after you just gave her wand back!"

Draco, safely back at the counter, shouted back, "Well, that just shows how brave I am I suppose."

"Well aren't you quite the Gryffindor?"

Draco winced and shook his head in disapproval.

"Don't worry, Draco, I won't tell anyone your secret."

It was fun to banter with him, and Hermione really did not want it to end. She admitted that it felt a lot more like flirting, though she did not have much experience with that. When he did not respond, she looked back and found that he was focused on his notes, but grinning slightly from her comment. She sat back, facing away from him while blankly staring at the page her book, Did he just give up? Maybe he's too focused on his potions. I should leave him alone.

She was taken aback when he suddenly appeared beside her on the couch, plopping down next to her. A moment later, she found herself more surprised that he was actually sitting next to her.

He presented her with a couple of vials. "Here you go, Granger. I added a hint of blue coloring to be able to tell which is the sleepy potion."

Hermione was once again impressed; he always seemed to do something clever, and she was not used to being with anyone who was this assertive.

"Thanks, I really appreciate that."

Draco could see that she was intensely admiring the three little vials. She looked as if she had just received a Christmas present, and it made him feel good. He had already admitted to himself that any praise from her was worth a lot more to him than she probably knew. If Hermione Granger thought something was brilliant then he figured he was doing something right.

He leaned in slightly to peek at the book she was holding. "Beedle the Bard, huh? Needing a good bedtime story?"

Hermione put the vials in her purse for safekeeping, then glanced down at her newly recovered wand, and responded, "Well, you don't know this but this book was a gift from Dumbledore. He stated in his will to give to me."

Confused, Draco moved in a little closer to have a look, but she, in turn, handed it off to him.

"He gave you a children's book?"

Hermione explained, "Well, yes. See, on this page someone's drawn a triangle, circle, and line: these represent the Deathly Hallows from the Tale of the Three Brothers. The brothers collect certain items from Death: the elder wand, the resurrection stone, and the cloak of invisibility. But, the story isn't actually a fairytale. We... Ron and Harry and I, think it's real. There's an elder wand that Harry saw in a vision. He thinks it was Dumbledore's and You-Know-Who probably has it. It's very powerful."

Draco examined the symbol, but then had a flashback. "I disarmed Dumbledore that night..." His words faded away as he glanced at Hermione, then back down, clearly ashamed of that event. He had no wish to remind her of his past.

"Draco, it's in the past. You didn't kill him. I actually can't imagine the position you were in, but you chose not to."

Draco was quiet. She was far too forgiving. All of that night's events came flooding back, every instance plaguing his mind over what he could have done differently. He was young and scared then, and perhaps he still was.

Seeing that he had withdrawn deep into thought, Hermione felt like she needed to finally say something. "You know, you and Harry have a lot more in common than you might think. You're both great wizards and you're both constantly put in these suffocatingly dark situations. The big difference is that Harry was lucky to have people wanting to help him. People made him a hero before they even met him. You on the other hand… Well, no one thought to help you. Everyone assumed you came from privilege and had all the help you needed."

Draco stared at the worn armchair across from them, eyes trained on a loose thread he wanted to yank out. He could not fathom how Hermione even had those thoughts toward him, or anyone for that matter. She was right though, he would be a different person had anyone supported him from the other side, the side that made more sense now.

Draco could sense that he was taking too long to respond. He could feel her eyes on him, thinking, always thinking. But the subject was still too fresh for him to discuss, and he was not in the mood for pity. What he needed was to start again, to clarify their past.

"I'll be right back."

Hermione watched Draco walk away with regret. Oh great, I said too much. He's not ready for my opinions, why am I so-

Interrupting her thoughts, Draco returned and sat next to her again, handing her a crinkled envelope.

"Here, it's… your letter."