Thank you for reading! I don't own any of Harry Potter! Please let me know if you enjoy! Updates every Saturday!

—

With the Granger mansion burning to the ground behind them, Draco, Crabbe, and Goyle walked a short distance out into the cobblestone drive and apparated away into the night.

Draco was more than surprised when they arrived back at Malfoy manor only to be greeted by a large party waiting for them in the grand dining room.

Those in the Dark Lord's inner circle were seated around the high-backed chairs that lined the outer edges of the intricately-carved, ebony table.

Draco's parents were there, as were Crabbe's, and Goyle's as well.

What particularly struck Draco though was that at the head of the table sat-

"And is it finished then…...Draco?" Lord Voldemort asked with a dangerous sneer.

Draco glanced at his mother and father for a brief moment.

The looks of silent terror on their faces horrified him.

Draco was careful to keep his expression unreadable as his grey eyes flickered back to Voldemort and he nodded, "Yes…...it is. It's finished now, my lord."

"Excellent work, son of Lucius." Voldemort replied with a snake-like grin, "Let us celebrate tonight! The boy has led his first successful raid! He can now proudly sit among our ranks in his own right!"

Voldemort's declaration was met with applause from around the table before he turned back to Draco and nodded as he ordered, "Sit down, Draco, eat and talk with us. Regale us with the story of the evening and leave no detail out! Tell me, did the mudblood girl scream when you took her life with a single stroke of your wand?"

Draco smirked to hide his nausea at the disgusting mental images that Voldemort's comments brought into his mind as he walked over and sat in the extra chair that the Malfoy house elves quickly brought into the room.

Voldemort dismissed Crabbe and Goyle with a grimace of disgust and a single, fleeting wave of his pale hand, sending Draco's accomplices away.

Draco felt the invisible loads on his shoulders lighten ever so slightly.

Good, Crabbe and Goyle were gone.

That meant that he wouldn't have to worry about them refuting him, at least not at the table, not in front of his captive audience.

Outwardly, Draco kept his smirk but he secretly wanted to scream as he looked around the black table and saw all of the eyes that were on him, waiting and watching, eager to listen to how innocents were slaughtered like pigs.

As Draco sat there, he could feel Voldemort's stare boring into him, attempting to needle into his mind and read his innermost thoughts to determine the true validity of his forthcoming statement.

Draco's aunt Bellatrix had taught him occlumency a couple of years ago, and for that, Draco was robustly glad.

If Draco hadn't been able to learn that rare skill, then he, Lucius, and Narcissa would have been murdered that very night, along with the Granger family that he had worked so very hard to keep safe.

"Go on, Draco, don't be shy." Voldemort urged with a forbidding undertone in his voice, "Tell us about your accomplishments this evening, give us your story of victory."

Draco bravely let his grey eyes meet Voldemort's as he grinned and replied, "We sent the servants screaming as soon as we burst into the house."

That was not necessarily a lie.

Draco continued, "The estate was in poor taste, you know the way muggles decorate….Crabbe and Goyle enjoyed destroying the house and its contents but I knew that I had a much more important task to complete."

Voldemort grinned wickedly at Draco, eager to hear more as the entire table listened with great attention as well.

"I dashed upstairs and checked the rooms until I found them. They were all cowered together, like rats, clinging to each other. It took a single blast to dispatch them all." Draco finished with the best sneer he could manage and it was indeed genuine.

Draco wasn't sneering about the Granger family though.

Draco was sneering at Voldemort, enjoying his clever trickery of his family's dark master.

Yes, Draco had dispatched the Granger family that night, but he had done so with a Portkey, not the Killing Curse.

Draco vowed to do everything he could to stop Voldemort from discovering the true meaning behind his words.

—

Hermione and her parents finally ended their journey in a soft bed of leaves as they came crashing down with a soft thud.

Mr. Granger was on his feet first and he instantly rushed to assist his two ladies as he pulled them up and brushed the debris off of their fine dresses.

The woods the Grangers had landed in looked eerie and ominous as the family glanced around, noticing the scraggly trees, and the unsettling fog that hung in the air.

By turning his head, Mr. Granger noticed a thatched-roof cottage not far from where they stood and he looked back at his daughter as he pointed to humble dwelling and asked, "Is that where Lord Malfoy means for us to go?"

"I don't know, Father." Hermione shrugged with a pout, "He's given me this necklace and a broken heart. I have little else besides that now."

Others may have thought that Lady Granger's words were full of dramatic flair, but behind her, her mother frowned as well.

As grateful as the Granger family was to have made it to safety, it still didn't erase the fact that they were profoundly….lost.

Their home had been destroyed, their possessions were no more, the place where their fond memories lay was gone….

Hermione had held onto dreams of marrying in her childhood home, of raising her own children there one day, of at least visiting the bedroom she had occupied as a girl once she was old and gray, but those dreams had been ruined.

A strange echo sounded from somewhere nearby the trio and Mr. Granger took his two ladies by the hand as he nodded, "Come along, then, my loves. If the cabin isn't meant for us, perhaps whoever resides there will be able to offer us some assistance."

Hermione and her mother cautiously clutched onto Mr. Granger's arms as he led them up to the modest cottage and knocked on the wooden door.

The family stood there for a moment and when no answer came, Mr. Granger knocked again.

When another silent pause settled over them, Mr. Granger gathered his courage and turned the doorknob to the cottage.

Hermione and her parents blinked as the door opened with ease.

As soon as Mr. Granger sat foot inside the building, the fireplace at the front of the living area roared to life and the door closed on its own, safely locking the family within the hidden walls of the discrete dwelling.

Although it lacked the grandeur and elegance of the Granger estate, the cottage was somewhat cozy and welcoming.

The furniture was rustic but well-made, with a loveseat and two rocking chairs by the fireplace, situated around a small rug on the wooden floor.

Behind the living area, there was a quaint table and chairs, a wash closet, which was rare for the time period, and a short case of wooden stairs that Hermione quickly discovered led to two bedrooms.

On the table, there were three plates and three cups.

Hermione walked over and picked up a cup as she thought about how badly she longed for a well-brewed cup of tea.

Her eyes widened in surprise when warm, steaming tea filled the vessel in her hands.

"How does that work, dear?" Mrs. Granger asked her daughter as she looked on from across the room.

Mrs. Granger had no magical capabilities, but she had seen a few of the things her daughter was able to do and the subject intrigued her.

"It must be some sort of charm…?" Hermione surmised as she thought very hard about grapes and a fresh cluster appeared on one of the plates.

She looked up at her parents with a relieved sigh as she informed them, "I don't think we'll have to worry about meals while we're here."

Mr. and Mrs. Granger gave their daughter wry smiles in response before Hermione sat down at the table and asked, "I can only wonder how long that will be?"

Mrs. Granger frowned but Mr. Granger tried to remain positive as he nodded and spoke, "The most important thing is that we're all safe and we're all together. Perhaps Lord Malfoy can help smuggle us out of the country. We can start over somewhere new…...I have plenty of business contacts in Germany."

"I don't want to go to Germany, Father…" Hermione replied in a hushed whisper as tears of frustrated angst gathered in her amber eyes.

Mrs. Granger rushed over to lay a hand on her daughter's shoulder as she reassured her, "There, there, darling, lift your spirits, my little love! When it's safe someday, we'll return! There's no need to weep!"

"Mother, I-" Hermione started to reply, but her father cut them both off as he announced, "Hermione…...there's a letter here for you."

Hermione sniffed as she looked over and watched her father lift a sealed envelope from the mantle over the fireplace.

Lady Granger dried her tears as her father walked over and handed the parcel to her, allowing her to take it from him and slit the envelope open with a fingernail.

Hermione's brown eyes narrowed in concentration as she read over the letter:

Lady Granger,

I hope you and your family find your temporary accommodations suitable. I apologize for their quaintness, this was the best and most secure solution I was able to find on such short notice. I'll be by as soon as I can for a visit.

Sincerely,

Your Rescuer

Draco had thoughtfully left his name off of the letter, in case someone tempted to trace the origin of his signature.

As Hermione read over the letters on the parchment, a light shone through the darkness of her despair.

Lord Malfoy would come for a visit when he could…..she had been frightened that on top of losing her home and her possessions, she may never see him again.

It made Lady Granger smile through her tears to know that if Lord Malfoy could help it, that wouldn't be true.