To Get Back Life
Thank you to –
Danish Pastry 28 – I was thinking the exact same thing about R.A.B, it would make an interesting twist and I've never like Snape much either. It will be interesting to see what happens to Draco in the next book I don't think either side will like him very much.
Kristen (x2) – thanks for sharing your views, hopefully there will be a bit more from Draco in the 7th book I want to know what happens with him too.
Londonmalfoy – The whole character that Draco portrayed will open up a lot of new plot bunnies for writers until book 7 comes out, at least it wasn't him who killed Dumbledore (if he's dead)
Countrybutterfly – the ghost thing will explained at some point, I promise but probably not for a few chapters. Regarding HBP I guess there are some clues looking back now but I didn't pick up on them so it came as a total shock to me.
Onigiri Momoko – I know sorry, it was late when I wrote this and I've been feeling really depressed lately so I thought I should just churn one out quickly before you all loose interest. I'll try to be more careful in future.
Hazelocean
mysteriouscharm
lightning8star
Pip08
Chapter 9
Getting Closer
Early the next morning Draco and Hermione woke, both remembering a dream they had had about the other and feeling embarrassed by it, they silently ate breakfast and set off to their next destination. They flew by broom from London to Harlow where they stopped for lunch. The sheer terror of flying made Hermione briefly forget all about Draco kissing her the day before and the dream she had had with him in so at the table she started a conversation.
"If you could do anything before you leave what would it be?" She asked before she took a bite out of the huge sandwich sat on a plate before her.
Draco was silent for a while as he thought of the answer, "I would tell my father where to stick it and I'd kill Voldemort for having Cassandra and her family killed." He said, but then thought about it and added, "Well maybe not if I was leaving, more like if I had immortality."
Hermione smiled and Draco stopped thinking, all he could do was stare at the woman opposite him. The urge to lean over and kiss her once more took over him and he did his best to overcome it by asking. "What about you? What would you do?"
"I'd find Ron and Ginny." Hermione said firmly, "Or at least find out if they're dead or not. I want to be able to get on with my life and I can't not knowing, if they're dead I'll be able to greave for them and if they're alive I'll be able to be happy that they too survived."
"I could help you know." Draco said thinking of everyone he had befriended who knew about or had connections with safe houses. "I could ask some people if he's been seen, get the word out you're looking for him. Maybe he thinks that you've given up, or maybe he's out looking for you too and just hasn't found you yet."
Hermione smiled at her new friend's consideration. "That would be nice of you, thank you."
Draco nodded thoughtfully, "I'll send an owl out tonight. You would happen to have a picture of him anywhere would you?"
After rooting around in her bag for a short while she finally found a picture she had been carrying with her and handed it to him.
"You should have gotten rid of this you know, it's something they could identify you from." He joked, pretending to scold her.
"Well it's lucky I didn't then isn't it, but what about Ginny?"
"If we find Ron he may be able to give us some ideas to where she is, she may even be with him, you never know but I'll ask about her in my letter too."
They decided as the day was very cloudy, perfect conditions to fly undercover, to continue flying until the evening. They made it all the way to Coventry before nightfall where they found an old half pulled down building to sleep the night in.
The next morning Draco woke early and sent a letter with an owl he found as he has promised Hermione to a woman he knew in Manchester whom could possibly help. He then packed up all the things in his bag and got out the brooms ready for more travelling when Hermione up. He sat on a pile of broken bricks and watched her sleep, curled up into a tight ball to keep her body warm.
Finally her eyelids fluttered open and she sat up, smiling as she saw Draco looking down to her. "Where to today?" She asked as she starched her arms above her head and yawned loudly.
"I think we should make it to Derby today, if the weather's cloudy again." He told her as he tossed her an apple out of his bag.
--
They made it to Derby by four that afternoon, it took a while, as it was quite windy so whenever the clouds were blown away they would have to stop and wait for the skies to cover again before they could continue. Once at their destination Hermione dragged him to another wig shop where they changed their look completely, Draco with shoulder length strawberry blond hair and Hermione with short spiky brown hair and a fake stud through her eyebrow.
"Remind me again why we have to do this?" Draco grumbled as he itched at the lining of the wig rubbing against his scalp.
"They are Purebloods, they think Muggleborns are inferior and Muggles are scum, they will not both to even think that Muggles would ever have any way of going in disguise. This means that they'll be expecting us to use magic so will be checking for those types of spells being cast to investigate. If we don't use magic it will make it harder for them to find us. And stop itching we're getting funny looks." She slapped his hand away from his head and glared at the woman who had been frowning at the sheer force that Draco was using t scratch under his hair.
When he reached his hand up to scratch again she grabbed it and held on to it so he could not be tempted to itch. After a little while of walking with hands cupped together, their fingers moved so they were instead laced and gripping the other's hand tightly.
--
It took them a further week to make it to Manchester and to Draco's friend's safe house due to the clear weather. There had been many close shaves where either Hermione or Draco or both had been recognised, but luckily they were able to get away or distract the person before they became sure of their identities.
"Draco!" Abigail exclaimed as she threw open the door "It's so good to see you! It's been far too long. Just look at you you're just skin and bones, we'll have to feed you up!"
Draco shushed his fired quickly as both he and Hermione hurried inside hoping no one had heard her. Hermione was shocked at how much Abigail was like Molly Weasley as she fussed over Draco, making comments on various things.
"Abby, this is my friends Hermione."
"Hermione Granger! What an honour to meet you my dear!" Abby shook Hermione's hand firmly, "I'm afraid Ron nor Ginny have been seen, I asked everyone I knew but no one knows where they have been." She said to the pair sadly. "But we can't give up, if they're out there we'll find them. Now come and eat, then you can have a nice sleep."
This comment sent Hermione right back to when she had been staying with Maddy. She wondered how she and Joe were and if he had been moved on yet. She hoped with all her heart that he had and that both of them were still safe.
--
Two weeks later they left Abby's safe house, it was the first cloudy day they had had, and set off flying for Leeds. The only reason Hermione would go near the broomstick was because she knew if they did the whole journey by foot it would take too long and they would be found by Deatheaters or Dementors and Draco had promised that if she fell he would catch her. Seeing as how Draco had saved her life twice already in the short time she had known him she trusted him to live up to his word.
Once in Leeds they had very descriptive directions to their next safe house. They found it with ease and a woman with long blonde hair tied back in a braid answered.
"You are the new arrivals I presume?" She asked and continued before either of them had even a chance to open their mouth. "Follow me."
Hermione and Draco had to jog to keep up with her quick pace of walking as she led them to a fireplace. "In there." She commanded and they didn't hesitate to follow instructions. With a wave of her wand the woman, who hadn't even bothered to give her name, caused the fireplace to spin one hundred and eighty degrees so they were on the other side of the wall.
They stepped out and almost immediately the fireplace spun back leaving the wall blank. The room they were now in was empty save for furniture and even that was a little sparse. Two mattresses were over by one wall with blankets thrown on top. There was a small table with two wooden chairs pulled up to it. Two empty pewter plates were atop the table with chipped china mugs and cutlery. Pushed far into the other corner was an old cast iron tub, one handle rusted and broken.
"Home sweet home eh?" Draco sighed and flopped down onto on of the mattresses. Hermione quietly sat down on one of the chairs. "What's wrong?" He asked her sensing her unease with the surroundings.
"Just not had too many good experiences with these places yet." Hermione whispered, eyes brimming with tears as she remembered the incident on the train and being captured by Voldemort and taken to the farm.
"Hey! Don't cry we're going to be fine." Draco said and stood up walking over to wrap his arms around her, she lent her head on his chest and he stood still. They stayed like that for a long time the only thing moving were the slowly falling tears down Hermione's cheeks.
When she finally stopped crying Draco took his arms from around her shoulders and lay back down on the mattress. This time Hermione two went to lie down on the one next to him. With a quick flick of his wand the lights went out and the room was cast into darkness. Both lay there thinking of the other, unable to sleep as their faces crowded each other's mind.
"Hermione?" Draco whispered breaking the silence.
"Yes?" She whispered softly back turning to face him, trying to make out his face in the dark.
"Can I tell you something and you'll promise you won't get angry?"
"OK."
"I think I like you." He admitted, glad it was dark, as he didn't want her to see him blushing. He waited for a few seconds but she made no response. "Are you mad?"
"How can I be mad when I think I like you too." She whispered back and he could tell that she was grinning.
With no further words they pushed back the blankets they had been covered with and Hermione climbed into Draco's bed. She snuggled into his chest and he wrapped his arms around her, pulling the blanket back over them both so they would stay warm. She then moved up a little further and tilted her head towards his, he smiled before he lent down and kissed her soft pink lips. As Hermione's hands ventured under his t-shirt he pulled back slightly and grinned. "I think we should get some sleep Hermione."
She nodded and with one last kiss she moved back down so she fitted comfortably into his arms.
--
After three days of never having to leave that small room they were told by the snobbish woman who had answered the door they had a place in a safe house in Harrogate. They were both sad a t the prospect of having to travel again as they were still getting to know each other but were glad that they were getting closer to Scotland.
"Why is it in Scotland anyway?" Hermione asked as they walked along, Draco's arm around her waist and his hand in the back pocket of her jeans. "Wouldn't it make more sense to have it somewhere like Dover, somewhere that's actually close to France?"
"Why? The magic works just as well at the other side of the country and t means that there's less chance of all the Muggles going to and from France finding us." Draco explained with a shrug.
"Yeah I guess so."
They walked on in silence for a while until Hermione stopped.
"What's wrong?" Draco asked, thinking she had seen a Deatheater or Dementor.
She said nothing but pointed across the huge field they were walking through.
"What?" Draco asked again following where her finger was pointing but seeing nothing more than an old half smashed bridge.
"Don't you recognise it?" Hermione asked excitedly and when Draco shook his head she exclaimed. "It's the Hogwarts Express rail track! Look around don't you recognise the surroundings?"
Draco did so and found himself shocked that he actually did. He found it strange to be looking at it all from a different angel, having only ever seen it from the train window before.
By the time he snapped out of his memories he found himself standing alone, Hermione quite a way away walking toward the remains of the bridge. He quickly ran to catch up with her.
"Where are you going?" He panted as he grabbed hold of her arm and pulled her into him to stop her from walking any further.
"If we follow it it'll take us to Hogsmade, that's got to be near to Scotland. Think about how long it took us to get from King's Cross to Hogsmade station, think about the cold weather. It all adds up!"
"But Hogsmade is near Hogwarts, that place will be swarming with Deatheaters and Dementors." Draco protested.
"Never mind we'll deal with that when we come to it, but for now we can get to Scotland quicker!"
With a sigh Draco admitted that Hermione's plan made sense, even if it was dangerous. They began to walk towards the path that had taken them to school, taught them magic and started all of the things they were in now.
