::35::
The trip itself from the place they'd gotten stuck in was much like a using a portkey. It took no time at all to leave, which Harry appreciated. Seeing their flat—and the way Draco had called it home—made him feel much more peaceful than he had in a long time.
Of course, it could have been the sheer exhaustion—he wasn't sure.
"I've got to go to the centre," was Draco's immediate response when he saw the door to the flat in front of him—and most importantly, that Harry was still beside him.
Apparently to the blonde, their safe arrival at home was enough for him to declare the emergency over—not the fact that he was exhausted, hadn't eaten, and was in fact doing the opposite of what his health needed him to do. Harry could find this endearing at times, and perhaps with all that had happened, foolish endearment was all he could muster up.
"Not until you've had something to drink and eat," responded the man, "Not that we have anything but bread, but you're still eating something."
"It'll take a minute," argued Malfoy.
Harry ignored this and dragged him inside. "You take much longer than a minute with your goodbyes, so pardon me if I don't feel inclined to trust you on that." Secretly, though, the warmth in his chest flared up again—he would have never suspected it at Hogwarts, but Harry had to admit that Draco Malfoy was probably the person that had helped the centre's residents the most, in the shortest amount of time.
Not wanting to argue further and waste more time, the Slytherin pulled one slice of bread out of the bag hastily, and took a bottle of water in his other hand. He all but shoved it in his mouth, washing it down as quickly as he could with the water.
"Draco," Harry said, looking somewhat amused by the reaction, "What about a shower? Some sleep? You've been up all night, you know what they said about—"
The blonde rolled his eyes. "Yes, Mum. I'll be right back, Potter. Besides, you have to find those Gryffindorks of yours—you reckon they've gotten themselves lost, too?"
"Shit," he swore at the reminder, "I really should find them. Do you think they've told anyone yet?"
The taller man shrugged, and said, just as he was closing it. "Only one way to find out, isn't there?"
"Draco," Harry repeated again. "Be back in twenty minutes."
In other situation, it would have warranted a snide remark or an argument—or he would have pretended not to hear it altogether. But Draco paused, the words and the sudden new meaning they had echoing in his head.
He turned back, surprising the other man as he turned toward the kitchen for toast, and leaned in to say, "I'll see you in twenty, Potter."
Harry nodded, but after the door shut, he found himself unable to shake the smile off his lips; even the threat of the Ministry knowing about their little detour couldn't keep it away.
::36::
Sneaking into the library was much easier than it should have been. He was no less thankful for it though, because Draco did not have the energy for more than one child and despite everyone's advice to not have favorites, Connor was the one he wanted to see.
The boy looked up from his book. He regarded him curiously for a moment, and then said, "They said yesterday was your day off and that you had an appointment and that's why you didn't come see us."
Before Draco could begin to explain, he continued. "But I heard the real story." His eyes were aglow with excitement now, and he leaned in, "What'd you find, Mr. Malfoy? I won't tell anyone, I promise!"
The blonde man was quiet for a moment, settling beside him easily, before speaking. "First of all, I need you to promise me something else too."
Connor nodded quickly, as if nodding faster would get him share the answer to his question faster.
"Never, ever go anywhere without your wand, and never ever go without telling someone and bringing someone with you. In fact, I don't ever want you wandering—"
The boy rolled his eyes, as though he'd heard the same lecture before—which he probably did. "If I promise to make you the person I bring with me, will it be okay?"
Draco paused. "I think I can live with that arrangement for now."
"So what did you find?"
Despite how tired he was, and the fact that he hadn't showered or even changed his clothes yet, Draco realized that telling a story to Connor was probably the best thing about surviving—not just the strange mishap he'd just been involved in, but the war and everything else.
It all came down to this moment—that it was all worth it.
::37::
Having just arrived from the Malfoy Manor, Hermione planned on immediately telling Ginny about what she had found with Ron back at the centre before making any other decisions. More than one child was peering out the window.
She tried to pull him inside, but Ron looked at them and sighed, prepared to brave his wife's lecturing.
"I need to drop you off at the centre, Hermione, I've got to go back to work. The globe might be there, it's the best chance we've got—"
The woman shook her head. "You're taking me with you, then. I don't care what your co-workers say. Or that it's after-hours." She looked up at the sky, realizing that the time had gone by quickly—it was late morning, though it felt much later to her.
Ron grimaced. "Security's tight enough. I can do this myself, really!"
"And have you disappear too? Have you forgotten that no one else—aside from your sister and her fiancé—knows about this yet? You need me." Argued the bushy-haired woman heatedly.
"Yeah, Weasel, you need her," drawled a very familiar voice from the doorway, where Draco Malfoy, the man who had caused the very mess they were in, stood—and was very much alive.
The two stared at him in shock.
"Harry wants you to meet him at the flat." He pointed to the window beside him, "Since we have an audience here. I'll be there in a moment."
It wasn't at all true, but the last thing Draco wanted was for those two to spill the truth to the kids. Not even Connor knew the whole story.
Rather than sputter at him angrily, as Ron was about to do, Hermione took his arm and escorted him there quickly by disapparation—which turned out to be good timing, because by the time his mouth caught up with his brain, all that was in front of him was a door—Harry's front door.
Hermione found herself somewhat anxious about the truths that could be behind it.
….
This, I hope, is the end of the oddly cut chapters—it was hard to find a way to get them to flow right, hence the varying lengths.
Thanks for reading!
-B.