Sold-Chapter 36-Good Byes

By Marmalade Fever

As Harry and Lucius set themselves up in another room to discuss battle plans, Hermione and Draco A began perfecting the needed wand movements for the trans-dimensional summoning spell, to send them back home. Meanwhile, the other two sat silently around the simmering potion, occasionally stirring it exactly one-quarter turn counter-clockwise.

"So," Draco said after a long pause, staring across the cauldron at Granger, "how do you suggest we stay hidden from our younger selves?"

"Well," she said, at last, pushing a strand of hair behind her ear, "I was going to suggest we use Harry's cloak… with a good engorgement charm… but now…" she grimaced, "maybe a silencio and a disillusionment charm? I doubt they'll be paying attention to what's behind them… too distracted."

"For our sake, I hope you're right," Draco commented. "I don't want to be on the receiving end of your wand, no matter what your age." Granger blushed, slightly.

"I'm sorry about your mother," she said softly.

"Don't be," Draco said, forcefully. "She's a demented, old bat… She was absolutely bent on getting a grandchild… and… and…" his voice faded into a muffled sob.

"And she was your mother," Granger said, understandingly. "There's nothing wrong with mourning over your loss… it proves you're human."

Draco looked away, trying to blink away a stubborn tear that had escaped his eye. "Doesn't matter," he said. "We're changing the course of history. Soon enough, she'll be back… right as rain and stubborn as an ox."

Granger tentatively placed a hand on his shoulder. "I'm glad I got a chance to finally know you, Draco Malfoy." Draco looked up and was just about to cup her face with his hand when the potion let off a violent puff of steam. "It's done!" Granger announced, standing up and leaving Draco's side, his hand still poised in mid-air. He silently cursed at the potion's choice of timing. Granger ladled some of the potion and sniffed it. "I think that will do quite nicely." With that she set the ladle back in the cauldron and marched out of the room, a skip in her step. Draco collapsed backward onto the floor, silently throwing a small temper tantrum.

"So close!" he moaned, scowling. A minute or so later, she returned.

"We're having dinner in the kitchen," she announced. "Why are you on the floor?" she asked, raising an eyebrow. She offered him a hand and he stood on his feet, not quite meeting her eye.

"No reason," he replied, as she led the way into the kitchen. He noted gleefully that she hadn't dropped his hand. Things were looking up.

The other Hermione was just levitating a large bowl of pasta onto the table as they entered the room. "You really need to go shopping," she commented. "I really had to scrounge to find anything decent to cook with. The only cheese I could find was an especially moldy piece of havarti, and that certainly doesn't go with spaghetti, now does it?"

"Um," Draco began in reply, having never gone grocery shopping in his life, nevertheless tried cooking anything. His counterpart sent him a wink.

"I'll go get Harry and… er… your dad," he said, sweeping off to find the other two men. Draco, Granger, and Mrs. Malfoy sat down at the table to wait. In a minute they all sat together and began to eat.

"Well," Hermione Malfoy said, as they'd finished off the last of the meal, "I guess this is it," she said, somewhat sadly.

Her husband nodded. "Herms and I are going to skip off back to our own dimension in a bit."

Granger looked sullenly down at her plate, blinking. "It was wonderful to meet the two of you," she said through a crackly voice.

Potter looked around and cleared his throat. "Yeah, and we're going to get going as well," he said, gesturing to himself and Draco's father.

"You've come up with a plan, then?" Draco asked, looking skeptically between the two.

"We have, indeed," his father replied. He gave his son a cheeky grin. "Don't worry, Draco. Even if we fail, you'll be fixing it in the end." He drew out his wand and twirled it between his fingers. "Who would have ever thought…" he muttered, "that I'd be setting out to defeat my own master…"

Draco and Hermione Malfoy stood. "Well," Draco A said, "it's been fun."

"Take care of Evander," Granger said, standing up to give the couple a hug.

"And Lily," Harry commented, his hand grasping at the locket that dangled from his neck.

"Good luck, old man," Draco A said, grasping Draco B's shoulder. Then, conspiratorially, he whispered, "You'll get her in the end."

"Cor," Draco commented, "I'm not a second older than you!" Then, quietly, he added, "I hope you're right."

The two Malfoys stepped further away from the table, exchanged a look, withdrew their wands, and, with a violent flash of light, were gone.

Potter and Draco's father stood. "We'd best be leaving, too," Potter said, pulling out his invisibility cloak and resetting the charm he'd used to make himself appear as a stranger, should his cloak fail him.

"What are you going to do?" Granger asked, after blowing her nose.

"Well," Potter said, "Lucius here is going to get us in, acting all obedient-like, and then," Potter smirked in the most evil way imaginable, "you get the picture." He paused before adding, "And be sure to give us a head start before you use that potion. A couple hours should suffice." He smiled genuinely.

Granger stood and approached her friend. "Oh, Harry," she murmured, wrapping him in a tight hug and not appearing to ever want to let go. "Take care of yourself." Draco felt his heart drop into his stomach as he watched the two.

"I will, Hermione, I will," Potter said, giving her a brave smile. He kissed her forehead. "I love you, and I always will."

"I love you, too, Harry," Granger said, violently wiping at her tears. Draco felt extremely sick.

"And Malfoy," Potter said, pulling himself away from Granger and stepping closer to him, "take care of her, will you?" he asked.

"Of course," Draco replied. Then, as Potter shook his hand, all feelings of jealousy seemed to subside.

"Good," Potter said, clenching his teeth.

"Good bye, son," Lucius said, giving Draco the closest thing to a real hug that the old man could muster.

"Good bye, Father." A minute later and Draco and Hermione were he only ones left in the room.

"I hate good byes," Granger muttered, wiping her tears away.

Draco smiled at her wryly, "Well, you don't have to say good bye to me," he said.

"Don't be so sure," she said, sitting down at the table. "Our memories… remember?"

"You'll… miss me, then?" Draco asked, not quite believing his ears.

"Of course," she replied.

"Come on," Draco said, offering her a hand. "Let's get our mind off things. Game of chess?"

Granger gave him a genuine smile. "Sure," she said, and she allowed him to place an arm over her shoulder and lead her into the living room.

A.N.: One more chapter and an epilogue left! Or, at least, that's the plan. They have the slowest moving relationship I've ever written… Good grief, Charlie Brown. (Lol, I went to the Charles Schultz museum a couple days ago.)