Draco spend considerably more time absorbed in the book Hermione had given him than indented. And then he had gone over to the book shelf and pulled out a few more.
So much information.
Why did wizards not know this? The magic they could do if they utilized this information… Healing spells that actually functioned with cells and not just an injury? Potions, intentionally, triggering different areas of the brain. Cerebellum for movement, thalamus and cerebral cortex for pain. If he had known that earlier…
Well the potion still would have taken as long, because there was no record of how the different plants and animal parts affected different parts of the brain.
The possibilities were endless.
Had they been intentionally blind? Could they not see or did they simply not want to?
No, not they, we. 'I am a wizard, and a death eater' Malfoy thought forcefully. If anything this new knowledge made it even more important to break the statute of secrecy. Ruling the muggles without this knowledge would be disastrous. Gods, this was confusing. He needed to know more.
Looking up through the window over Hermione's bed Draco was surprised to see that it was dark outside. How long had he been in here? And why hadn't Hermione come to get him.
She had his wand. And he had just let her walk away. Stupid, careless.
In a slight panic Malfoy strode quickly out of the room and back down the stairs, but he paused once he reached the last step. A muggle television was playing in the corner, and on the couch facing away from him were the Grangers. Mr. and Mrs. Resting together on one end, with Hermione laying across this expanse, feet in her mother's lap, clearly fast asleep.
It was a soft moment. One that should probably be on some greeting card somewhere, and Draco couldn't make himself interrupt it. Walking as quietly as possible back up the stairs, he grabbed a couple books out of Hermione's room, and made himself comfortable in the guest room.
The room itself was small and simple. But the bed was exceedingly comfortable. And the lamp on his bedside table gave off a soft yellow light, rather than the hash white he usually expected from electricity. He didn't know how long he read before falling asleep, but it couldn't have been too long because he vaguely heard Hermione gently knock, before opening the door.
Malfoy kept his eyes closed, feigning sleep. Small soft footsteps paused near the bed, gently clicked off the light, and then walked out, door shutting behind them.
Hermione had found it hard not to laugh when she had walked in.
Draco had left a mess, books everywhere. Typical. For such a particular person, he was quite fond of leaving messes. Hermione had a couple of things planned to show him today, but she hadn't wanted to interrupt the reading. It was far better to let him explore on his own. After his crash course in the atom bomb and basic muggle science, anything that she had to show him would serve to emphasize what he was already beginning to understand rather than break new ground.
The next morning Hermione woke up even earlier than she usually did. Confused, she heard voices coming from downstairs, usually her parents had already left for their jobs by now. Going downstairs and peaking her head around the base of the stairs she saw Malfoy, staring transfixed at the television, which was currently playing a cooking show.
"Up already? Have you eaten?" Her words sounded slightly awkward, even to her own ears. How was one supposed to great a Malfoy after he slept at your house?
"How do muggles get anything done with one of these in their home?"
"Ha, it is a growing epidemic. Cereal?"
"Love some."
Malfoy finally turned around, grinning at the sight of Hermione in her pajama pants and over large T-Shirt, hair pulled back into a hasty ball on the back of her head. She followed his eyes and merely smirked back. Malfoy of course looked pristine in silk green pajamas and I simple white fitted shirt.
"If I hadn't seen how you were laying last night I would think a Malfoy never looks rumpled."
Draco glared back. "A Malfoy never looks rumpled."
Hermione gestured to the table, getting out bowls and milk for the cereal. Draco slouched over, looking entirely too comfortable in her muggle house.
"So I had a couple things planned for yesterday, but, if you don't mind we can just do them today, and go to wizard London a little later in the day. Really you have more information now I think than I really intended, but, what I have planned should… reinforce some of the things you read yesterday."
"Like I said, at your lead, captain."
"Right, so, I probably should have asked this earlier but, you don't know how to ride a bike by any chance do you?"
"Why do I need to ride a bike, Granger…"
"Well, yesterday my parents were here, but now they have gone, so there is no car. And really I haven't driven enough yet for it to be entirely safe anyways… The tube is only a twenty minute bike ride from here."
"No Hermione, I do not know how to ride a muggle bike."
"I guess you'll be learning more today than we thought!" Hermione grinned brightly, but Draco scowled.
Hermione was quite disappointed when Draco had caught on to riding her old bike with only a few stumbles, and not even a single crash. Soon enough he was racing past her, egging her on, a light in his eyes similar to the one that appeared when he flew.
"I mean, it's not the same of course. Doesn't really compare to the speed of a broom, or the adrenalin from the height. But it's something."
"Some people jump them, do flips in the air."
They had just reached the entrance to the station and Hermione was quite glad to be walking the bike now instead of riding.
"On these?" Malfoy clearly deemed the plastic and metal insufficient to be flying through the air. Yet somehow he trusted a broom made of wood.
Hermione simply smiled and shook her head. After locking up the bikes she paid for their tickets and directed Malfoy to the platform.
"Our time is rather more limited than I was planning on," She shot a pointed look in Malfoy's direction, but he seemed completely unaffected "but based on your interest yesterday, I thought we would go to the science museum. I had a few other ideas, shooting range, libraries, that kind of thing. But, well… What do you think?" Hermione wasn't quite sure why she was nervous about this, but it seemed like Malfoy was actually interested in learning, and she didn't want to mess that up somehow. They were waiting on the platform, and Malfoy seemed to be enjoying taking in the cold, industrial view.
"Hmm… So you feel I respond better to theoretical learning than practical?" Hermione raised an eyebrow to show her confusion and Malfoy continued "Most people would feel a practical demonstration would be more effective, shooting a gun, feeling the power behind it. But instead, you are taking me to a place with more facts and figures."
"Oh, well, I just…" Why had she decided on the museum of all places? She had been shooting with her parents before, and even knowing what she was getting into the force behind the gun had startled her. Maybe that would have been better? "We can always go to the range, I just-"
"No, no, I wasn't complaining. Merely curious. I agree with your decision. I do not need a practical demonstration to grasp the concepts. Though many would" He seemed rather self congratulatory about this but Hermione immediately thought of Ron. He might get something from reading about how a gun worked if he managed to do so without falling asleep, but, shooting it would tell him much more than words ever could. She was the opposite. Once Hermione got used to shooting the guns she enjoyed herself enough, but after getting home she had immediately set about researching the different guns she had used, and how they worked, and what they were used for. That had been much more instructive to her. It seemed Draco was the same.
He had been watching her face as she followed this train of thought, and laughed when she glanced back, realizing she was being watched.
"I always made fun of Gryffindors for being so bad at hiding what they are thinking, but I find I rather enjoy watching your face switch from thought to thought."
The ride into London went very smoothly. Hermione had been a bit worried about how Draco would react to the many characters that were found on the tube, but he appeared to take it all in stride.
She noticed his eyes widen when he saw the young man get on, dressed in what appeared to be a women's summer dress, combat boots, and a long golden wig on his head, puffy hot pink coat in hand.
"No wonder muggles never notice when wizards don't get their clothes right."
And he definitely stared for longer than appropriate when a business man got on, gesturing wildly, apparently talking to himself. Hermione had quickly pointed out the cell phone in his hand, explaining its purpose.
The museum itself had always impressed Hermione. She had been there many times with her parents, but every time she felt a sense of awe as she walked into the giant building, larger than an airplane hanger, holding so much important history.
Hermione remembered the first time she had gone, it had been with a school class, and was probably the only time Hermione had been scolded by a teacher. Unable to contain her excitement she had run from one display to the next, reading the plaques as quickly as she could, effectively leaving the rest of the class behind. She hadn't even noticed them calling her name as they looked for her.
Draco's face mirrored the awe she had felt that first time, though he appeared to be controlling his exuberance much better than 8-year-old Hermione had. Slowly walking around the building Malfoy read each plaque carefully. And Hermione kept silent, watching Malfoy learn.
She didn't know what she expected to come of this. She didn't know what conclusions Malfoy would draw, and she knew it was crazy to expect him to change his entire life over this information. But, as she watched him read, long deft fingers tracing the edge of the plaque following the path of his eyes, she couldn't help but imagine it. Him leaving the blood purity nonsense behind. Being able to feel those hands on her. Her eyes traveled up his body. Those arms around her waist, those thoughtful lips…
Hermione hadn't realized she was staring and jerked her eyes back to the plaque in front of them when Draco met her eyes, her stomach doing wild twists inside of her. Even if Draco believed all of the things she was showing him, even if he changed his mind, what was there to be done about it? Voldemort was practically his house guest. And was holding his mother basically as ransom for some task. Draco couldn't just leave.
She began to feel guilty about showing him all of this, trying to convince him. The only thing it could possibly do was make things more difficult for him. Gods, would it be better to simply let him be?
"I don't think I could make your expression change more quickly if I was casting a switching spell on your features. Are you doing alright Granger?" This time Malfoy had been staring, but Hermione hadn't noticed. She shook her head and smiled.
"My mind was just wandering down its own path. What about yours? What do you think?" Her arm gestured in front of them, taking in the building of muggle technology and science.
"Honestly? I don't know what to think." His brow was furrowed, and he certainly seemed to be distracted, as though he was just thinking out loud "It's mostly just building on what I read about yesterday but… I just don't know Hermione." His face was serious, confusion clearly etched in the lines around his eyes, but suddenly it broke, and he gave her a large if somewhat strained smile "You've certainly given me a lot to think about."
Not knowing exactly what to make of the quick change of mood Hermione paused, mouth slightly open to speak, but not knowing exactly what to say. Malfoy smirked and gently pressed a finger against her chin, effectively shutting her mouth for her.
"Hmm, I recall offering you a picture once when you were staring at me. It seems maybe I should have actually given you one. Possibly you'd find it easier to focus now, were you able to stare at my face all you wanted in private."
Hermione clenched her teeth together tightly but still couldn't seem to think of anything to say. The words were mocking, but Malfoy had stepped forward while saying them, and by the end, his mouth was right by her ear, and his words barely a whisper, and she remembered back to when they had first played the little game.
"But now it would seem we are getting the wrong kind of stares." Malfoy stepped back, gesturing to the right with his head to where a security guard was eyeing them, as though waiting for them give him an excuse to kick them out. Hermione blushed at the realization that they were being watched, but Malfoy grabbed her hand and pulled simply her in the direction of the exit.
Walking out of the building, they were momentarily blinded by the bright winter sun and chilled by the cold breeze. Malfoy didn't let go of her hand as he started walking in an apparently random direction.
Hermione cleared her throat, for some reason Malfoy's hand on hers seemed to create a lump there, and she was sure her voice would skip if she tried to speak without getting rid of it. "Where are we going?" her voice only a little higher than normal.
"I thought we might find somewhere to eat, it is almost one."
Hermione hadn't realized they had been in the museum for that long, but at the reminder, she realized how hungry she was as well.
While walking Hermione attempted to keep an eye out for somewhere to eat. Not knowing whether she wanted to find somewhere quickly, or prolong their stroll a little bit. The longer they walked, the more Hermione couldn't stop thinking about Malfoy's slim fingers, wrapped around hers. Their arms brushed against each other every few steps, and even with the layers of clothes between them, Hermione could swear she felt the heat from his skin. Her heart was pounding, like before a test, but worse, because she at least could prepare for her tests. This was being thrown into a pool without knowing how to swim. She kept glancing at Malfoy through the corner of her eye. He had a small smile on his face but otherwise seemed totally unaffected.
Totally unaffected. He was holding her hand, and seemed totally unaffected by it! How dare he… She was over here flailing, mind going a mile a minute, and he was just walking calmly next to her. That seemed quite unfair. Hermione would not let it stand.
They walked past a small break between buildings, less of an alley way, more of a cut out path, no more than six feet wide, and Hermione took a deep breath and turned on her Gryffindor mind - which really, she thought, was more like just turning off her mind altogether.
She pulled Malfoy off the side walk and into the not-alley way. Turning to face him she put on hand on his shoulder, pushing him back against the wall, and kissed him.
She hadn't meant to be quite so violent about it, but the second she made her decision, it was as though all of her nervous energy exploded out of her. Her lips found his rather roughly, and he did not respond right away. Just as Hermione thought that maybe this had been a bad idea, his lips melted under hers, pressing back and matching her pressure.
Hermione hadn't quite known what to expect. Kissing Malfoy. But she was sure she wouldn't have been able to imagine anything better than this. One hand was in her hair, pulling her closer to him, the other found her waist, under her coat. His warm hand separated from her skin by only a thin layer of fabric from her shirt. His tongue lightly touched her lips and without thought, her mouth was open to him. Soon the interplay of their tounges, exploring mouths, overrode any thought Hermione had.
Malfoy pushed forward suddenly, spinning to press Hermione against the wall instead of himself. Her gasp had broken their kiss, but Malfoy seemed to take this opportunity to begin trailing hot, wet almost-bites down her chin, her neck, the wind chilling her skin wherever he left a trail.
Hermione had done this before, had done much more than this before with other boys. But she was so completely absorbed by this in a way she hadn't been before. Maybe it was because it was Malfoy, because it was so 'bad', but she didn't care to think too hard about that right now.
Malfoy bit particularly sharply at the spot on her neck, just below her chin and she unconsciously let out a small moan. Correctly interpreting that to mean 'continue' Draco flicked his tongue out roughly in the same spot, pressing and sucking. Hermione was pressed against the wall, but at this, she couldn't help but press her hips forward. Her fingers found Draco's belt loops and hooking her fingers, she pulled him more firmly so that he was pressed against her. A low growl seemed to slip out of Draco's mouth, pulling back, he looked directly into her eyes and she felt hers blood begin to pound, heavy and loud as she felt Draco's erection between them, hot and hard, but she only tugged harder on the belt loops, pressing against him more completely, extracting another moan of pleasure from Draco.
Draco wasn't sure how long they stayed there, kissing, tasting, pressing. But they were startled out of their own little alley world at a sudden wolf-whistle from the street beyond. Glancing to the road he saw a small group of men, presumably on a lunch break, had stopped at the entrance to their hidden path to observe them. Draco threw a finger up in their direction, having broken away from the kiss with his most Malfoy of stares, but they just laughed and continued on their way.
"Well, um… Lunch?" Hermione seemed almost as out of sorts as Draco felt. Funny, considering that she was the one who initiated the whole thing. He couldn't stop thinking about the feeling of her lips and hands and god…
He couldn't keep the grin from creeping onto his face, and it was definitely ruining the effect of the smirk that he was trying to put there.
"Hungry, Granger?"
"Yes." Apparently, choosing to ignore the insinuation. "Quite."
They walked out of the alley together, and headed down the street, almost as though there had been no interruption. Except Draco's shirt was now untucked, and Hermione's hair was even more wayward than usual. Not to mention the fact that Draco's head was spinning. Without thought he raised his fingers to his swollen lips. God Hermione was good at that. He was half surprised. She put off such a prim and proper air, so put together and reserved, but the girl which he had just been kissing.. w=Well, prim and proper weren't exactly the words he would use to describe it.
"How about here?"
"Sure." Malfoy hadn't even looked at where he was agreeing to eat before he said it. It was one of those places where you order at a counter instead of your table, the type of place his parents would never be caught dead in. But it smelled like fries, and Draco wasn't exactly in the mood to complain about anything at the moment.
After ordering the food Draco lead them to a table, grimacing at the squeaky plastic seat as he sat down. It was slightly awkward, neither of them quite knowing what to say. Draco would have been more than happy to occupy their mouths in another way. But, considering the table between them, and the children happily eating only a few feet away he decided against it.
Despite his decision, Draco couldn't seem to keep his eye from flickering to Hermione's lips each time she took a sip from her drink. Hermione, for her part, seemed to find the wall just to Draco's left very interesting as her eyes kept darting there every time Draco tried looked at them. This just would not do. Malfoy did not want Hermione to start overthinking this, and, if anyone was going to overthink things - it would be her.
"You're quite good at that you know."
"Yes, um, sorry, what?" Malfoy smirked, he had an idea what she had been so distracted by.
"You're first reaction when someone tells you that you're good at something is to say yes?"
"No, I just… What are you saying I'm good at?"
"The kissing. And the staring at the wall. But mostly the kissing." Draco was pleased to see that even though she blushed and looked back at the wall, Hermione was clearly fighting to keep a smile off of her face as well.
"Yes, well. You aren't too bad yourself." She was still staring at the wall slightly to his left, but there was a definite grin on her face now.
"It would seem potions is just one of our shared talents." She finally looked back at him and he smirked as she cleared her throat.
"Yes, well, I am a woman of many talents." She had adopted his cocky tone, but the slight deepening of her blush gave her away.
"So it would seem. We should conduct a few more experiments, just to be sure."
"Yes, it is always important to be thorough." Her grin was infectious, and Malfoy's cheeks were starting to ache from smiling so much. Heaven knows it was not his typical look. What was this witch doing to him? The thought that no one had made him smile quite like this before made it feel like a stone had dropped in his stomach. After today, after they tested their potion…
No. No reason to think about that now. They both knew who the other was. They both knew that what had happened earlier… it was like a moment out of time. A moment to not think about war, and ruling, and vanishing cabinets, and mothers in pain. It was like they were a moment to each other. A moment of being an actual teenager. A moment to just think about themselves, no one else. But, they both knew that the moment couldn't last forever.
Malfoy looked over at the girl across from him, curly hair back flying in every direction. Cheeks still pink from the cold and pleasure of a few minutes before, eyes sparkling as she looked at him teasingly. Like they were in on a secret joke together that no one else quite understood.
Merlin, tomorrow was going to be hell. But today, today was his moment in heaven, and he would do what he could to enjoy it.
"So, what else do you have to show me?" Hermione was thrown temporarily, her eyes going wide. Remembering her last comment Malfoy laughed before clarifying, "to show me the power of the muggles?"
Blushing again Hermione pulled a sheet of paper from the bag she had brought with her. "Well, I had a list of possible things, but, we still need to go to Wizard London, and I am just not sure exactly what we have time for. The trip to the Leaky Cauldron from here is about another hour I think…" she looked down at the list thoughtfully before looking back up at Draco "Is there something specific you are interested in. I feel like I really haven't shown you all that much, but with only a day it was difficult to plan anything too ground breaking."
Draco looked back at Hermione, not quite enjoying being pulled back into reality. "Hermione, I've learned more in the last two days than the entire first two years at Hogwarts. I am not entirely sure where that information will end up fitting in my head. But, it is a considerable amount of information." He looked around at the small lunch crowd spread out in the small restaurant. "Muggles are much more… complex than I expected. But, I don't know exactly what that changes for me. I need to think. And organize."
"So, not house cats?"
"No… Not house cats. But, that doesn't mean I think they are lions." Malfoy laughed as she rolled her eyes, but quickly sighed in frustration, unable to let her believe there was a possibility of her getting her happy ending out of this. And maybe partly to remind himself.
"Hermione. It doesn't really matter what I think or believe about muggles. At the end of the day, I'm not going to switch sides." So much for getting his day in heaven. Hermione looked more confused than mad.
"How could you say that? You would keep supporting a cause even if you thought it was wrong? Turn your head and close your eyes to the harm the people you support are causing? That's cowardly even for a Slytherin." Her anger had been made clear at her tone, but it was nothing to the anger Malfoy felt at her words, like a slap in the face.
"I am not a coward." His voice had slipped into its dangerous whisper, and he knew the emotion was clear in his eyes but he continued anyway "You have no idea what I am doing, or why I am doing it. You think you have the answers… Guess what Hermione, the good guy doesn't always win, the dragon cannot always be slain, and the 'fallen' can, and will, reject your 'redemption' no matter how righteous you think your cause is."
Malfoy had expected for Hermione to be even angrier at his proclamation, but she only seemed sad.
"Your mother…" It was barely above a whisper, and Draco was pretty sure she hadn't meant to say it out loud, but he had heard and it made his heart start pounding. What did she know? If the Order knew about his mother, they might know about his plan. If they knew about his mother they could make things so much more difficult.
He pictured a game of tug-of-war, with his mother in the middle, painfully pulled between the Dark Lord and Dumbledore, and him relegated to the sidelines no matter how he tried to help. Now they could be pawns for two power hungry crackpot wizards instead of one.
"What did you just say, Granger?" His voice was low and slow, but the tension in it was almost palpable. He placed his hands flat on the table between them to stop them from shaking. Hermione only shook her head slowly back and forth, as though trying to deny she had said anything. A few muggles were glancing at their table worriedly, wouldn't that just be the cherry on top? Muggle police being called on him.
"Follow me."
She followed without a word, and they went back into the chilly breeze. Malfoy didn't know where they were, but he walked quickly, making Hermione almost jog to keep up. Eventually, they came across another alley, much larger than the one they had occupied earlier, but with a few boxes and bins, they could stand behind, away from muggle prying eyes.
"I need you to tell me exactly what you know about my mother. I will know if you are lying to me." Though Draco had only started learning over the summer, his legitimancy was sufficient to break into the mind of someone with no occulmency training - which he assumed included Hermione. It was a huge invasion of privacy, but he had to know what she knew. For now, he would just open her mind enough to see if she was telling the truth.
Time or the cold, or both seemed to have brought Hermione back to her senses. "I am not one of your Slytherin soldiers Malfoy," she was getting almost as good as he was at spitting out a name. "You do not get to shout directions at me and expect me to obey."
She looked at him more closely and after pausing for a second continued "You also do not need to attempt to intimidate me to get me to do something for you. Asking is generally considered more polite."
Malfoy's anger was subsiding, but his anxiety was not. Instead of replying he just raised his eyebrow at her, not accepting the reprimand, but not continuing with his forcefulness either. This seemed to be enough for Hermione, at least for the moment.
"I don't know much. Anything really. I just know that your mother is being held, and punished somehow until you complete a task for Voldemort." She held up a hand to stop Malfoy from asking the next obvious questions. "No, I don't know what your task is. No, I don't know any details about your mother's punishment, except I'm assuming, the Cruciatus Curse. And finally, no, I"d rather not tell you how I know this, but no one else of any importance knows."
Malfoy looked at her, searching her face. He knew she hadn't lied outright, but half truths were a lot more difficult than lies to sense. "How long have you had this information?"
"Around the time we started working on the potion together."
"And why have you not said anything about it to me?"
"Did you see your reaction just barely?"
"Fair enough…" Malfoy's heart was slowing down, marginally. It seemed nothing much had changed with this information. Except that Hermione had known his motivations all along. He wanted to know how she had found out, but, that didn't make too much of a difference, and he didn't want to push it too far except… "Can anyone else find out? The same way you did I mean?"
"No, impossible. Unless there are some time turners left hidden somewhere."
That was a relief. And an odd observation to make. What did Hermione know about time turners? A question for another time. Malfoy's head was spinning with too much information, and he deflated slightly.
Hermione was still a little annoyed at Draco's behavior, but it was hard to be angry when she knew the reasons behind it. And especially while he was standing there looking like a man going to his death.
"Let's get to wherever it is you decided on in wizard London, get the potion taken care of, then maybe after we will have a few hours to kill?" She would love to relax for a little bit, but, she didn't know exactly how long it would take to get everything sorted with the potion, and it was always better safe than sorry.