To Get Back Life


Thank you to –

Londonmalfoy,
Draco's-Loyal-Longing,
Louiebugooey,
Mysteriouscharm,
Danish Pastry 28,
Swtndreamypnay,
Countrybutterfly,
Song of Rain

A/N – well all I can say about The Half-Blood Prince (don't worry I won't say what happened in case anyone hasn't finished it yet) is bloody hell! I did not see that coming! The sneaky bloody bastard! But it was great wasn't it? Let me know your views I want to hear other points of views too.


Chapter 8
Covering Tracks

The first night was the easiest of the trip for Draco and Hermione as no one was yet looking for them; they quite happily rented a room in a run down little pub with no fuss whatsoever. It was after that when things became difficult.

As soon as Lucius and Narcissa woke the next morning and found the beds of both their son and their slave empty they knew what had happened. The law officials were alerted immediately, although much to the displeasure of the Malfoys' as they had to rat out their own son, a horrible blemish on the family name.

--

"So what are we going to do?" Hermione asked the one question Draco was trying to answer himself as they continued their journey the next morning.

"I'm not too sure." He sighed and carried on thinking up long and complicated schemes.

"What do you mean you don't know? You said you had it all planned out!" Hermione yelled the fear at the pit of her stomach rising.

"Hush! You're drawing attention to us." Draco quelled her quickly before adding "And I said nothing of the sort."

Hermione merely tutted, causing Draco to give a happy smirk before speaking again. "We'll need to change our appearance, can't use Polyjuice though, wouldn't be able to buy the ingredients without raising suspicions and it'd take way to long."

"We used Polyjuice against you once." Hermione told him happily, her mind turning back to happier times and a serene look crossing her face, much like the Luna Lovegood seemed to wear at all times.

"You what?" Draco asked, taken aback.

"In the second year near Christmas, we needed to see what you knew about the Chamber of Secrets." She told him with a smirk that could have rivalled one of his own.

"But we were twelve! Polyjuice potion isn't taught until N.E.W.Ts! How did you manage that?" He asked her incredulously.

"Well it wasn't that hard as long as we followed the textbook word for word."

"Never any risk you not doing that now Granger, but how'd you get the ingredients not like a shop would want to sell those sorts of ingredients to Hogwarts students."

"No I guess it would have roused some suspicion, I stole them from Snape's store cupboard." She told him unable to keep the gloating tone from her voice. "Stupid git." She added regarding the ex-potions master.

"You stole from Snape? Wow you're bloody braver than me!" Draco praised and a new respect for her was formed, Hermione smiled back at him relaxing slightly.

"We could use muggle disguises." Hermione said suddenly and it took Draco a while to form the link between this suggestion and the previous conversation. "They'll expect us to be using Polyjuice and be a completely different person, but it's amazing how a good wig and a pair of sunglasses can change you."

Instantly she then took control grabbing his wrist and leading him out of the magical streets and into Muggle London. He did not question her as to where they were going or if she was sure that her quickly thought out plan would actually work, he knew that she knew her way around muggle towns better than he and that by the way she spoke out it, it seemed she knew what she was talking about.

They soon arrived outside a small shop and Hermione confidently pushed the door open and walked inside, Draco followed although a little more nervous. He felt wary of places that he did not know.

--

Hands already filled with goods Hermione walked back over to him and instructed that he tried a few things on. He did so, self-consciously at first feeling embarrassed when she laughed but joining in when he saw how stupid he looked in the mirror. After various attempts they decided that black hair looked the best on him, or next best if he could have not have his blond hair he insisted. They decided that the shoulder length almost yellow blonde wig looked most realistic on Hermione and they went to buy their purchases.

"Hermione! We've no money for them." Draco realised as they queued behind a couple of schoolboys buying fake guns and cowboy hats.

"Don't worry about that, here hand me five Galleons." She instructed and he did so as she pulled out her wand he had been able to steal back of his parents before departing.

Discreetly she tapped all five of the coins with the tip of her wand, not needing to say the spell words out loud to make the spell work effectively, and with a brief shimmer the coins not sat on the palm of her hand were those of muggle currency.

"How'd you do that?" Draco asked her, not being able to keep the shock and admiration from his face.

"Something I made up, it's better than waiting for ages for them to change it at Gringotts." Hermione shrugged, but it was obvious that she was pleased with herself.

"But it's counterfeiting." He hissed so no one else would hear.

"No it isn't there's still the same value of money here it's just the appearance that's been changed. It's like in Transfiguration; you cannot create something new but change the appearance of what is already there, it's the same basis really."

He had no time to reply as Hermione stepped up to the counter to pay for the goods, explaining that they were for a play when the woman asked why the wigs were needed. He was glad that she was there, never would he have thought of using wigs, nor we he have been able to overcome the problem with the money and if the woman had asked him why he needed them he would have snapped at her. He then felt a quick stab of jealousy; he was the Slytherin it should be he who was the sneaky one.

"What next then?" Hermione asked as they left the shop, it seemed that Draco was in charge once more.

Draco thought silently for a while before speaking, "We need to get rid of anything that can be recognised as out own, watches, necklaces and the like. I'm sure my parents won't take long in finding out what I've taken with me. And I'm sure they recorded anything they let you keep when you were at the far- at Hogwarts." Draco blushed, not able to talk about what Hermione had been through without feeling immensely guilty.

"So we'll find a place to hide them?" Hermione asked wracking her brain as to a place where they could safely keep things without anyone finding them. Nothing came to mind apart from her Gringotts vault, but that was no good nether of them would be able to get to their vault without being caught.

"No, I think we should sell them. First off it will get us some extra money which is always good and secondly, think about it, if they're looking for these items and they see someone else with them on then the scents off us for a while and once they realise they're tailing the wrong person then we'll be long gone." Draco explained, talking slowly as though he was working it out for himself at the same time.

"Good thinking." Hermione grinned and they set off towards the pawnshop in order to get rid of the things that would identify them.

--

That night was spent sleeping rough on the streets of Muggle London. Hermione did not mind she was used to it from the time she had been on the run before the safe houses and before they farm and slavery. To Draco however it was a new experience and not one he would happily repeat if he could manage it.

When they woke they found a small diner and entered to use the bathrooms to get changed into some of the spare clothes they had shrunken to fit into their bags and to have a wash. Once they were both feeling significantly cleaner they sat down to drink luke-warm coffee and nibble on the crusts of toasted drowned in melted butter.

"When we get to France I want to find him." Hermione said decisively.

"Who?"

"Ron, he's not dead, if he were it would have been in the papers, he was Harry's best friend so it would go down well with the deatheaters and scare the remaining wouldn't it?"

"But don't you think he would have written to you if he was safe?" Draco asked, not wanting Hermione to get her hopes up, as he knew too well the feeling of disappointment.

Maybe he couldn't. Or maybe he thought he would uncover me if he did so he's waiting for me to contact him." Hermione thought out loud, "I should try writing to him again."

"Again?"

"Yes I used to write a lot when he first went missing but there was never any reply. The owl must not have been able to find him."

"Come on," Said Draco, draining the last dregs of coffee in his cup and standing up. "We need to get going." It was quite obvious that he did not want to peruse the matter and Hermione dropped it.

Soon enough they were back in Wizarding London, wigs on and Draco wearing a pair of thinly black-rimmed glasses.

"Look at that." Draco hissed out of the corner of his mouth and Hermione turned to look at where his eyes were signalling to. Upon the wall there were pinned two pieces of parchment on one there was a picture of Draco and Hermione's face was printed on the other, in big bold lettering one word screamed out at them: WANTED.

"Let's hope no one notices us then, I don't suppose that it will be a nice welcome." Hermione muttered back as they pressed on.

Although the circumstances were bad Hermione felt quite pleased; Draco was wanted too, that meant he had to be telling the truth about not ratting her out. If he had done so voluntarily then he would have been rewarded not arrested.

This happiness was only short lived as a coldness swept over like a wave, she looked around wanting to see where it was coming from and soon spotted the flowing robes of the Dementors drawing closer. Draco saw them too but could not do much about it, there were many purebloods around the street he couldn't simply throw his chain around her neck too and she had no time to find her own out of the bag. He was at a loss until a spark of inspiration flashed in his mind. Turning quickly towards her he pushed her against the wall and kissed her, surreptitiously sliding the chain over her head too. He did not stop kissing her until the Dementors had passed, when he believed it safe he slipped the chain off her again and pulled away.

"So you see it is not a matter of not being proud of your roots but a matter of survival." He said to her, as he continued to walk, regarding her argument for not wearing the amulet he had given her.

Hermione said nothing, but out of the corner of his eye he saw her pull the chain from her bag and place it in her pocket instead. He could see that her cheeks were flushed but whether it was from being scolded by him or kissed by him he did not know.

--

"Potter! Come out come out where ever you are!" Called an eerie, taunting voice called out through the dark room, only every third candle lined against the wall was lit in the Astronomy tower of Hogwarts casting the room in a dull glow.

Voldemort entered the room just in time to see a pale white glow vanish through the opposite wall. "Very well boy if you wish to be stubborn so be it, I was only coming to tell you it appears that we will be able to kill your friend after all, she's run off with the traitor Malfoy boy. Maybe she'll join you here when we catch her, she'll be so pleased to know you're still lurking around."

The tall thin man turned and walked away, slamming the door firmly at the bottom of the stairs. For a few seconds the room was still until through the wall a ghost appeared, a young man, tall and his hair messy. You could no longer see the raven black of his hair or the shocking emerald green of his eyes, but the glasses were still fixed firmly upon his nose and on his forehead there was a faint silver line in the shape of a lightning bolt. This was unmistakably Harry Potter.