The morning was crisp and cool, Draco watched her walk out of the lake, the water glistening as it clung on to her pale skin like little diamonds sparkling in the sun.
They had spent a week together walking in general silence. Draco had tried asking her questions but she would barely answer them unless it was yes or no. He had pushed her too far one day.
"Silencio! I fucking warned you Malfoy. I have told you on numerous occasions to shut the fuck up but you wont listen. Maybe this will teach you that you are not superior, that you are not in charge here." She left him like that for 2 days, so now he did not talk unless he had too. Oh but he watched her, it is amazing how much you can learn without actually asking questions and Draco had learned a lot.
She didn't sleep much but when she did nightmares plagued her almost every time. The one that seemed to terrorise her most was about her parents, Draco wasn't sure what happened to her filthy muggle parents but from what he could gather Granger may have been there when they died.
She would scream, oh how she would scream. It made Draco shiver not because he felt sorry for her, no because he liked how she screamed. The screams she made were - terrifying. She would scream for her parents, for whoever was hurting them to stop. It was thrilling to watch her face contort in anguish and upset. It made Draco smile with glee to see her like that.
Another one that seemed to torture her was Potter dying, she would whimper and cry out in her sleep for him. Draco stared down at her as she thrashed about. She looked so vulnerable, sad and broken. But once she awoke the dark emotionless Granger mask was slipped back on. Ironic really, death eaters wore masks to hide their identity but Granger wore her dark mask to cover the fact she still might have some good left in her, that she still felt things other than pain and loathing. Maybe the old Granger was alive in there somewhere buried deep within.
She walked closer to him and Draco could see various scars all over her body, some looked deep and jagged looking and some were precise as if there were meant to be there, almost like an artist had taken a knife and used it to draw the lines on her body.
Despite her scars she had filled out since Hogwarts, for a mudblood she was rather pretty, if she had been a pure blood woman she would have been a lot of men's top pick for a wife. Brains and beauty were hard to come by in the pure blood society but alas she was just some filthy mudblood. But deep down she was still a woman and Draco knew how they worked. He would bide his time and when an opportunity presented itself he would get under her skin and get her to trust him, to care and then he would silence her forever. Vengeance would be his. Her blood would flow. A manic smile spread across his face, oh how her blood would flow.
He's watching us again.
Hermione continued swimming in the lake, the water felt good on her skin. It also helped her channel any frustrations into the water. The week with Malfoy had been tasking to say the least. Bombarded with question after question for days, she finally had enough and snapped casting silencio on him and leaving him like that for two days. She eventually undid the spell but only at the insistence of the wolf. It is the most the creature has spoken since they left the compound. Having Malfoy close by seems to keep the beast happy and at bay for the most part.
The two days of silence had been pure bliss for her, apart from the noise of his boots trudging through leaves and stones there was no talking from him, no endless questions or snarky remarks. Hermione got to enjoy the blackbirds singing, the noise of bees buzzing about the flowers and even the breeze making the leaves rustle and dance around them as they walked through the forest.
The morning after Hermione had silenced Malfoy she sat alone outside the tent enjoying the silence while Malfoy huffed inside. She caught a glimpse of something brown through the trees only to realise it was a stag, they both stared at each other. Both captivated by what was in front of them. She sat perfectly still, the breeze blowing wisps of her hair around her face making her feel itchy and ticklish but she did not move a muscle. She was transfixed.
The stag that stood in front of her moved closer, he was magnificent. Tall and lean, his antlers huge and intimidating. His brown eyes never looking away from her, it was almost like they knew each other. He reminded her of Harry's patronus.
Harry.
Flashback.
Harry sat in front of her, her hands clasped in his. She could feel his heart beating fast, feel the clamminess of his hands. His green eyes staring at her. Adrenaline coursing through both of them. She chewed her lip anxiously.
"I promise you Hermione, once all the Horcruxes are destroyed and Voldemort is dead this will be over. We will have won, the good guys always win. I will not let anything happen to us. You are like a sister to me, you are my family. Would I ever lie to you? We have gone through too much for you to get rid of me now. I love you Hermione, always."
A tear ran down her cheek and she absentmindedly wiped it with her sleeve, the action spooked the stag and off he ran, away from her. Leaving her all alone just like Harry did.
Hermione walked out the water, the droplets running down her body, dripping onto the ground. The morning was cool, she could see her breath every time she breathed out, it looked like little clouds floating away as it disappeared into the crisp morning air around her.
She felt his eyes on her taking in her body. Her figure was a bit more curvy since their time as Hogwarts together, she liked feeling more womanly. It worked to her advantage if she needed to use her body as a distraction. She cast a quick drying spell over herself before walking past Malfoy not giving him a second glance as headed into their tent.
She grabbed a breakfast bar and checked their supplies. They needed to do a supply run, there was no way they would have enough to last them the rest of the trip. She thought about denying Malfoy food but she did not fancy having to listen to him bitch and moan or have to lug Malfoy's pale arse through the woods if he keeled over.
She was used to basic rations but she had a clear image of Malfoy sitting at a banquet table in his manor eating the finest food galleons could buy, probably on goblin made jewel encrusted tableware to add that extra look at me factor.
Hermione finished the breakfast bar, pulled on her clothes and braided her hair. She had learned in training from Fleur that having your hair braided made it less easy for anyone attacking you to grab you by the hair, so now when she was out on location she always had her hair braided.
She stepped out the tent and took in Malfoy's hunched figure over the fire. She had started it before she went for her swim, mainly to stop Malfoy from bitching about how cold he was. He always was a pampered mummies boy.
"We need to get some supplies, we do not have enough to last us until we reach our location. So let's pack up and get on our way."
"You do realise there is eyes everywhere? That they will be looking for me? What are you going to do just stroll around a town and do a bit of shopping? Are you that stupid?" Malfoy glared at her.
Hermione withdrew her wand out her holster and with a flick of her wrist transformed before Draco's eyes. Her once muddy coloured hair was now a white blonde much like his own and her eyes were now a sparkling green. She waved her wand over him.
"Get your shit packed and let's get going."
Walking through the small town the two of them looked like they were just a normal couple out for a hike or camping. They stopped in front of a shop and Draco did a double take, the reflection staring back at him had hair as black as the night and piercing blue eyes.
"If you ask me it is an improvement." Granger said snarkly.
Granger led them around the side of the shop, the alley was dark and filthy, it made Draco wrinkle his nose in disgust. It smelt heavily of stale piss and human faeces.
"Incarcerous."
Ropes wound there way around Draco tightly as he was bound to a pipe on the side of the building.
"Sorry Malfoy but no pets are allowed in the shop so you will have to stay out here and be a good boy." She smirked at him.
"Do not worry though the muggles will not know you are here." With that Granger flicked her wand casting another spells before she walked away out of view.
A sound came from further down the alley capturing Draco's attention.
"I wondered when I would see you." Draco turned and came face to face with the silvery white hair and the one grey eye of his father.
"Finally made it out the Manor I see, only took your only child to be taken captivate to motivate you to finally leave. Congratulations Father, I am almost touched."
Lucius Malfoy scowled at his only son as he leaned heavily on his cane. "Draco, that mudblood whore is still alive I see. What exactly are you playing at? The council will not be happy to hear she still breaths. Do I need to go back and tell them you aren't up to the task? Looking at you now it looks like you are just a mere play thing to her..."
Draco's eyes hardened as he stared intently at his father. "Do not forget who you are talking too. I have every intention of making good on my promise but I will not be rushed, vengeance cannot be rushed. Tell the council I will be back when I. SEE. FIT!"
Lucius paled taking a step back from Draco and visibly swallowed.
"Crucio" red light shot out of Draco hitting Lucius hard.
Lucius dropped to the ground on one knee, his cane clattering to the ground. The ropes on Draco disappeared. His hand wrapping around his fathers throat as he crouched down to his level. He squeezed hard.
"You. Are. Weak. Father. You bring dishonour to our family, to the Malfoy name. You are nothing but a cowering old fool who was bested by a mudblood witch. You deserved to loose that eye, if you are not careful maybe I will let her take the other one too."
Lucius started turning a deep shade of purple as his eye started to bulge. Draco withdrew his hand and stood up tall. He stared down at his father, what a waste of fucking air he was.
His father coughed and spluttered as he stared up at his son in alarm. Draco enjoyed being the one in the power, as a child he spent too many times on the receiving end of his fathers wrath but now the roles were reversed and Draco fucking loved it.
"I suggest you leave. Now. Tell the council not interrupt me again or there will be consequences." Lucius let out a shuddering breath and disappeared with a crack.
Hermione walked around the shop stopping every so often to put items in her basket or her bag, did she feel bad for stealing? Not really. She needed the food and she did not have that much muggle money on her. It wasn't stealing it was survival. She looked around as she dropped another item in the small beaded bag.
A shriek down the isle had her staring at a rather flustered young woman trying to drag a rather stroppy looking toddler out the shop. Her eyes and the woman's briefly met and Hermione offered her a small smile in sympathy.
Hermione had always liked children, when she was home from Hogwarts for the holidays she would sometimes babysit her neighbours children. They always asked to hear stories about the wizard called Harry and his friends, the children thought the stories were made up by Hermione but they had no idea they were actually true and she was one of Harry's best friends.
She would never feel the joy of motherhood, once she was bitten by Greyback that had put an end to her having children. She remembered reading about werewolves when Lupin taught at Hogwarts and remembers reading how when females are bitten they cannot have children any longer due to miscarrying when they turned. Hermione felt great pity for them and now here she was one of those to be pitied.
Raindrops landed on her cheek as she stepped out the shop with her carrier bag in hand, she looked up at the sky and sighed. Hermione loved the rain, she loved the way it made the grass smell, she loved how it cleansed everything. As she rounded the corner back into the alley she saw a rather pissed off Malfoy staring at her.
"Take your time mudblood, it's not like I am getting drenched while tied to this pole like a fucking animal."
Hermione waved her wand and the ropes disappeared. Malfoy grumbled and huffed as he picked up his bag.
Another reason she loved the rain, because Malfoy seems to hate it.
Draco hated the rain, he hated trudging through the forest in the rain. His boots squelched underfoot as he followed Granger deeper into the forest. He could not wait to set up camp and change out of these damp sodden clothes.
"Stop!" Draco almost slammed into the back of Granger. She knelt down almost as if she was away to tie her laces.
"What the -" she turned and shot him a look just as she took a knife out the side of her boot and threw it into some bushes. A loud thud came and both her and Draco looked at one another as they quietly walked towards the bushes.
A snatcher lay dead on the ground, her knife sticking out his chest right where his heart was.
"One of yours I assume?" Draco shrugged. Chances are, yes he guessed the man in front of him could of been one of there's sent by the council but he could not be too sure.
Hermione leaned over the man, she had no idea who he was and quite frankly she didn't care. She took his wand and then retrieved her knife and without a second thought she wiped the blade clean and put it back in her boot, she then proceeded to pick up her bag and carried on walking.
Draco noticed how nonchalant she was about the fact she had just killed someone, she was so calm and collected about the whole situation like she had just stunned the man rather than killing him in cold blood.
Draco had a small chuckle to himself.
"What the fuck are you laughing at Malfoy?" Granger turned to look at him.
"You've changed. The Granger I knew from Hogwarts would never have killed anyone, let alone in cold blood and just leave them there. Like they are nothing."
Hermione laughed as she pointed to the nameless man who's blood was now seeping onto the forest floor. "He is nothing, means nothing and once the animals and bugs have feasted on his flesh he will become nothing."
"That's - very cold of you Granger."
"It's not cold Malfoy, it is a fact." She stared at him.
"We are all nothing."