Massive thanks to my Sensational Beta Lil' Bird for being picky and uplifting.


My eyes were still open as I moved my lips against hers, so I could see her eyes instantly widen with shock and panic. Sensing she was about to start processing what was going on, I raised my hands, with arms still burdened with shopping bags, and placed one hand on her hip and threaded the other through her newly shortened hair.

She continued to be stiff for a few seconds, and then seemed to melt against me, molding her body to mine, wrapping her arms around my neck and responding to the kiss with equal enthusiasm.

I nearly forgot why I initiated the kiss, as I was lost in her soft lips and sweet smelling hair.

Soon, the need for air was too great and we drew back from each other. I remembered my purpose and glanced around.

"What was that about, M-Drake?" She asked, looking at me curiously.

"Hera, I'll explain soon, just follow me," I said, taking her hand and dragging her back the way we had come.

She protested, then glanced behind her to see what I had been looking at, then stiffened. I knew she had seen the group of Hogwarts students down the street from us. It seemed to be a small mix of students from our year, including the Patil Twins, Lavender Brown, a few Ravenclaw Girls and Tracey Davis, a Slytherin girl; all of whom I'd just successfully hid our faces from.

Hermione quickened her pace to catch up to me, and we walked as fast as we could away from the shopping plaza without attracting attention.


We walked and walked, trying to get out of the town without being seen. We reached the city limits, with all of the suburbs in front of us. I knew we needed to stop soon, as Granger was trudging along, barely managing to keep pace with me.

As we walked through the sunny suburbs, Granger leaned her head toward me and whispered, "I have a terrible idea."

"What?"

"That man up ahead, he left his car running to get the mattress he just unloaded into his house. At the rate he's going, I'd say it'll take him at least five minutes to get back. I say we snag the car."

I stared at her a bit, "seriously, they put you in Gryffindor? You want to steal a car?"

She huffed, "yes, just until we get out of the suburbs to the woods, we can hide in the woods. We're too exposed here, and we need to put distance between us and the city.

I stared at her a bit more, thrown by Granger's non-goody two shoes actions.

Eventually, I shrugged. "Sure, we can't just keep walking forever."

Granger crept up to the open driver's door, while I sauntered up to the passenger's side, climbing in and making myself comfortable. She sat, adjusting her seat, and drove us away.

Her driving was dismal. I clutched the door as she flew around a corner and swerved wildly to avoid a dog.

The Death Eaters seemed like nothing compared to the imminent threat of death her driving put us under.

Soon enough we left the suburbs and were nearing the woods and country area beyond, and so I was able to relax a bit more on the relatively straight road she still took too fast.


After a few more minutes of reckless driving, we had reached the edge of the woods. Granger and I hopped out of the car and hightailed it into the woods. The sun was setting and it was going to dark soon enough, and so we did not want to be wandering unknown woods at night.

We eventually reached a small clearing and set up camp. The tent was easily raised and soon enough, we were once again housed in that too small tent.

I lounged on the bed, idly watching Granger sort through her clothes and place them systematically in my little expanded coin purse, which had been housing everything we had so far, barring the sparse contents of Granger's purse.

She was once again decked out in Slytherin pyjamas, as we had fled the town before she could buy new ones. I didn't want to admit it, but for some reason I was enjoying seeing Granger decked out in my Slytherin garb. I refused to think about why, because then I'd end up thinking about the kiss we shared earlier which should have been a ploy to hide our faces and identities from a group of people that could blow our cover, but ended up being something that we both enjoyed far too much.

Granger finished up with her organizing, and turned to turn off the lamp, then stumbled her way over to lie beside me on the still-too-small bed.

After all the catching up on my sleep I'd done that day, I was much less tired this night than I had been the previous night, So I was awake, unable to get to sleep, lying beside a too close Granger, who was also lying awake.

Every once in a while she shuffled around, trying to get comfortable and reminding me of her presence. The bed was too small for us to lie not touching side by side, and Granger, who was not against the wall like me, was clearly uncomfortable so close to the edge of the bed.

I sighed after her fourth wiggling around, and decided to do something about it.

"Granger, lie on your side," I huffed.

Even in the dark, I could see her confused look. I gestured at her to lie on her side with her back to me and she reluctantly followed my instructions.

I mimicked her posture, lying on my side, facing her back, and rested my left hand on her waist, pulling her slightly towards me to give her more room from the edge of the bed.

Thus I was essentially spooning her on the too small bed. Granger was clearly uncomfortable, but I could feel her slowly relaxing over time, until she was sound asleep in my arms.

I didn't know what fresh hell the morning would bring, so I tried not to think of anything, putting all thoughts out of my mind, including the one that I was much too comfortable with Granger in my arms.