THE COVER UP

DISCLAIMER: I don't own any part of the Harry Potter universe and I am grateful to be able to borrow them for a short time.

I am VERY sorry! I forgot to post this chapter! I thought I did. I'm really sorry for the delay. I'll do better, I promise. I'm so sorry about the delay that I'm not even going to ask for reviews. I'll be happy to receive them but I'm not asking. I hope you enjoy!

"We're so close to being done. I would say that another hour or so will see it done." Liam told them when he came back.

"Thank Merlin. I'm ready to have this over."

Mina took his hand and gave it a squeeze for comfort. The break was over and Mina quietly put the bind back on him. "I'm going to wait for a bit before I put the numbing on unless the pain gets to be too much. That way we have a bit more time before we have to take it off. Maybe even enough time to finish today."

Draco nodded his head in agreement and Liam started to work.

During the break Liam had spoken with the artist that arrived to let her know that he was working behind the screen with a client and not to bother them. It was a tough cover that he was working on and the client had a lot of pain. The co-worker agreed to keep people away from the area until they were done and Liam turned on the music to its near maximum volume, leaving instructions to turn it down when their next client arrived.

When Liam said he would be done in half an hour or so, Draco was more than ready for the numbing spell. "Thank Merlin. Granger, hurry up, this really hurts." Draco said through clinched teeth. Liam continued working while Mina put the numbing spell on his arm. It was obvious when the spell took affect because the lines of pain that were showing on Draco's face smoothed out. It took longer than the half an hour that Liam predicted but Draco made it through. In the end he decided it was well worth it.

Where there had been an ugly skull with a snake coming out of its mouth, now there was an amazingly real looking western style dragon in jade green with silver eyes. The dragon was positioned crouching on its back legs as if about to attack or defend. The entire design was in a ¾ profile. It had its wings spread out behind it with a wand in one clawed hand and a 'closed lotus' symbol in the other. Its mouth was closed in the traditional Japanese way and Liam had managed to make its eyes not menacing or violent but wise and calm. The dragon's tail was long and weaved around and rested, relaxed at the dragon's feet which were positioned at the bend in Draco's wrist. There was no sign of the Dark Mark at all.

Draco was admiring the dragon and realizing he would never have to see the 'ugly' again, the dragon had already started to do its job by giving Draco a small amount of peace.

"Draco? What do you think?" Mina asked.

His eyes stayed on his arm not hearing what was going on around him.

Liam cleaned his arm up, "Have a look at in it in the mirror." Liam prompted.

"Huh?" Draco finally looked up at the voices that were trying to get his attention.

Liam pointed to the mirror, "Go look." Liam was proud of his work and amazed at what he saw in the young wizard's face. He would lay money that the young man had not shown that much emotion in a very long time, if ever.

Draco tried to stand, but he couldn't move his torso or arm, "Mina, you forgot to release me…again."

"Oh Merlin, sorry!" She muttered the counter curse to the body bind and removed the numbing spell.

Draco practically jumped out of the chair to stand in the front of the mirror despite the pins & needles he felt as the feeling in his body came back. He just stood there, looking. Finally Mina wanted her question answered, "Draco?"

"It's gone." Anyone with ears could hear the emotions those two words conveyed. He turned from the mirror and pulled her into a strong hug whispering, "Thank you. Thank you so much."

She was smiling as he squeezed harder and harder until she started laughing, "Drac, I can't breathe."

"Sorry," he said as he released her. He stepped over to Liam and shook his hand. "This is the most amazing thing I have ever seen. Thank you so much!"

Liam chuckled, "I'm glad. Now, keep it covered until it's healed. Should take about…" he was cut off.

Very quietly so the other people in the shop didn't hear she said, "I'll place that slow acting healing spell on it. It will heal faster than left alone. With that much to heal, I'd say it should be completely healed by tomorrow night." She just stood there looking at the two men.

"Well, get to it! And I want to take a picture of it. Mind if I put it in the advertisement?" Liam asked.

"Actually, yes, I do mind." This startled Mina and Liam. "I love this but this is mine. I'm doing this to put my past behind me. I don't want everyone who sees the advert and then sees me to associate me with Dark Marks."

"I can respect that," Liam said, "but how am I going to show what good work I do?"

Mina rolled her eyes, "Boys!" she whispered before saying louder, "Excuse me? You don't need to use his tat. You already drew one to show us. The photograph of his arm doesn't show who he is. Use it and then you can do different designs to show what can be done. Just don't use this particular dragon."

"And the brain comes into play again." Liam joked. "Now, the fee. Normally for the time and work I've put into this it would be about $3300AUD. But with the use of your arm in the advert and Mina teaching me those spells, I think $1200AUD is a good price."

"Liam! Really? That seems like a lot." Mina questioned.

"No." Draco said from behind her. "You didn't research it?" He asked her when she turned to look at him. He smirked, "Because I did. That's more than reasonable with one proviso." Liam raised he left eyebrow. "I want you to figure out a way to cover Mina's scar."

The eyes of the other two were opened in surprise. "Draco, Liam and I've talked about this, the scar can't be covered." Mina said as she was holding her left arm.

"Why not?" Draco asked.

"It bleeds, a lot. Every time the gun touches any part of it blood spits out and for a long time." Liam told him.

"So what? This," he pointed to his new tat, "couldn't be removed either, so we went around it. Are you telling me that between the three of us, and with the," whisper, "spells," normal voice, "you made, we can't figure out a way to put a cover up on them up? With a design you like? Bullocks!"

Mina was surprised he cared that much about how she viewed her scars. "It's fine. I don't need…"

Draco approached her and pulled her into a hug, "Mina, you never wear anything but long sleeve shirts. You hide your arm from view, even your own view. You helped me get rid of 'ugly' to help me move on, let's work on a way to get rid of your stumbling block so you can move on as well."

Mina wasn't a crier. When she cried there was usually a very good reason and this was one of those times. Her arms went around Draco's middle as she cried into his chest.

Liam just sat back and watched the young people. Ever since he and Mina became friends he had wanted her to come to grips with what she had gone through with the war and with her parents; he was worried about the young woman. Looking at the two hurt people in front of him, he knew they would both be alright. They had found a friendship that wouldn't be easy but it would last and they were both better for it.

"Alright, enough with the mushy stuff you two." Liam said. "I want to show this bad boy off." He took the screen down, "Mikey! Come check this out." He hollered over to another artist who was working at the front desk.

"What?" Mikey walked over.

"This is what we started with," he showed Mikey the photograph of Draco's Dark Mark. "Bad right?"

"Horrible! What moron did that mess? I hope it's nobody we know." Mikey commented.

"It's not, but this guy did a lot of them. Check out the cover up." With that Draco held out his arm to show the man.

"Crickey! That's amazing. Mate, that rocks! Best cover up I've seen!" Mikey exclaimed as he examined Draco's arm very closely. "Absolutely perfect!" He paused, "It's so good it actually looks like it's moving sometimes." The three people around him looked at each other with knowing looks and half smiles on their faces.

Liam pulled Mikey's attention away from the tat, "Ok, so I'm going to advertise about this cover up. If anyone contacts us regarding this tat, let's call it a…Dark Mark," he faked thinking about what to call it as he pointed to the photo of the Mark, "I'll talk to them. I'm going to be the only one doing these cover ups, understand?"

"Yea, sure, Mate, if that's what you want. That's no problem." Mikey said and headed back to the front desk because a client had come in.

"You two staying tonight?" Liam asked the pair.

"Not sure. I'm trying to convince Mina to see her family while we're here." Draco answered for the both of them.

"We're staying." Mina flat out stated. "I don't know if we're going to see my family or not, but I have to teach you those other things we talked about." Mina didn't want to say what she was teaching him in case someone was listening.

"I forgot about that. Well, if we're staying, I think I need a tour."

"You want to see muggle Perth?" Mina asked but she lowered her voice on the word 'muggle'.

Draco shrugged. He is a Sytherin after all and was hoping to get information about Mina's parents from Liam and then head in their direction. If Draco was any judge of character, Liam had been keeping tabs on the former Mr. & Mrs. Granger to make sure they were safe. "Mina, why don't you get your mobeela thing and you can take me around town."

"Deal and, ah, Drac, it's called a 'mobile' not a mobeela." Hermione was thrilled to have an afternoon in Perth. Subconsciously she was hoping she might see her family.

She left to get her mobile phone and Draco turned to Liam. "Where's her family?"

"What do you mean?" Liam hedged.

"Save it, mate. I bet you put some sort of tracer on them so you can keep an eye on them. Where are they?"

Liam shook his head, "Don't tell Mina. I don't know how she'll react. Their office is just 10 blocks from here. She hasn't been working since the baby was born but he's there. She meets him most afternoons for lunch; which is now over." He said as he looked at the clock that stated it was now 2:20pm.

"Even on Saturday?"

"Yep. Their dental practice is closed on Sunday and Monday."

"So at 3 or 4 where are they going to be?"

"Mate, it's a trace thing not a 'know the future' thing. I have no idea where they'll be. I know he's at their office until at least 6 most nights."

"Ok, do you have a photograph of him?"

Liam was surprised the young man would think he had a photo but he retrieved the photo.

Draco's Sytherin came out to play again as Liam retrieved the photo and passed it to him. He was a little surprised when it didn't move. "Well, we will just have to see about meeting at least him while on our walk. Won't we?"

"Won't we what?" Mina asked coming down the stairs.

Draco quickly hid the photo and turned to face his friend, "We won't get lost, but I don't think he should expect us back too soon. It's a weekend without the kids for the first time in a month." Draco was excited about every aspect of this particular day. Liam gave him a 'don't hurt my girl' look before Draco escorted Mina out the door.

"Ok, what's first?" she asked as they left the shop.

"Food. Those snacks were fine, but I'm hungry and I know you haven't eaten all day."

"Yes I did." She defended.

"Coffee and one piece of toast this morning does not count as eating. You must be hungry also, so lead the way to food!" He smiled at her as they turned and headed to a nearby café.

After eating they wandered around Perth looking at things, laughing and shopping for muggle trinkets for several hours. They were on their way back to the shop when Draco spotted her father walking down the street. He arranged for Mina to 'accidently' bump into him on the street. Actually, he bumped into her, as if he were falling, which sent her into the former Mr. Granger sending them both to the ground.

"I'm so sorry, sir!" She exclaimed before she saw who it was. When she recognized her father as the man beneath her, she blushed a deep red with eyes as round as saucers.

"No harm, miss. Are you alright?" The stranger asked.

"Um, rrr, yea. I'm fine. Thank you. I'm sorry, my clumsy friend," she turned to glare at Draco, "fell into me."

He was studying her face, "You look familiar but I can't place why. I have a great memory for faces and a really really bad one for names." He continued to look at her and she started to blush. He shook his head, "I'm sorry, I'm Robert Wilkins."

"Oh, Jean Granger and this," she pointed to Draco, "is Draco Malfoy. Again, I'm sorry."

Before the other man could speak up, Draco did, "Wilkins? Jean, didn't you tell me you played with a little child, a baby wasn't it, about 6 months ago at a café? Last name was Wilkins I think. Could this be the same family?"

Mina was staring daggers at Draco as Wilkins suddenly remembered, "YES! That's right. My daughter adored you. After you left, she cried for over an hour. You charmed all three of us. How lovely to see you again." Wilkins was all smiles and laughter.

"She is a very cute baby. Hermione was her name correct?" Mina asked.

"Yes. You have a very good memory for names. My goodness."

Draco was heard from again much to Mina's disappointment. "We're leaving tomorrow and where just headed to dinner. Would you and your family care to join us? It would be nice to spend our last night here with some new friends." He oozed charm and Mina wanted to kill him, slowly.

"That is a wonderful idea! Michelle would love it. Did you have a place in mind?"

"No, we don't, being that we're new here and all. Do you have a place you can recommend?" Draco oozed again.

"Let me call Michelle and see if we're doing anything tonight before I make any plans." Wilkins chuckled.

Mina & Draco stepped out of ear shot for a heated whispered conversation, "Malfoy, I am so angry with you right now! I could kill you!"

"Mina, you need to do this. You need to take the charm off. If they can't take what you did for them, we can put the charm back on."

"What about ME?! How can I get them back and then lose them again?! You bastard! What about me?" She was shaking and barely holding herself together.