Thank you to everyone for continuing to follow this little adventure!
I like receiving your kudos and comments!
I may have got a little carried away, so here is a long ol' chapter of Draco's adventures in Muggledom.
Thanks to my Beta Paz
The dizziness was definitely getting better; he didn't feel like vomiting all over the floor and his limbs were responding faster than the previous time jump.
'And here we are again,' he thought dully, rolling out of bed to drop to the floor in a dramatic heap. He lay there for a few minutes, arms and legs flung out in all directions. His mother would say that he was sulking, but he believed that 'contemplating life' was a more fitting description.
He sighed as he rolled onto his stomach and gingerly pushed himself to his feet. The dizziness was definitely getting better. A few more jumps back in time, and he probably wouldn't even feel it at all…a bit like apparition.
Even though he had told Hermione that they could do it, and joked about going mad, he was actually worried about it. His family didn't exactly have a good broom record with this sort of thing, just look at auntie Bella. He shivered at the thought. But she was brilliant, and once they had it figured out they would be fine.
"Dobby?" he called tentatively.
The elf appeared in front of him, twisting his hands together and looking apprehensive. "Master Draco Malfoy calls for Dobby?"
He inwardly grimaced at Dobby's reaction; his father was cruel to all those he believed to be inferior to himself, which was mostly everyone. Well, this time Draco wouldn't be stupid enough to do that.
"Yes Dobby, I need you to go and fetch someone for me please."
Dobby had frozen and his eyes were bugging out of his head comically. What the hell was wrong with him?
"I have the sands of time stuck in my body and they are connected to a Miss Hermione Granger. Now if you use your magic you can follow the path and bring them here."
"Dobby shouldn't…Dobby should get Master Malfoy..."
"What? No Dobby! Listen, use your magic and look in my body for the sands of time, please do this first and don't call my father!"
Dobby was giving him another strange look, but held his hands up and began moving them in strange patterns again. Draco relaxed slightly, that would have been very bad if his father had been called. 'My father won't hear about this' he giggled to himself.
Dobby's hands snapped back, drawing out the spinning particles the elf's swift movement and Draco watched with amusement as Dobby's eyes bulged further from his sockets. He was moving around Draco when he suddenly tapped the thread connecting him to Granger.
"Master Draco Malfoy was right, and this is connecting the master to Miss Hermione Granger? Will Dobby be waking the miss up? It is late for Dobby to be bringing Miss Hermione Granger here."
"What? No It's alright she'll…" his voice trailed off as he had a thought. "You know Dobby, that is a very fair point. It would be rude to drag Granger here in the middle of the night."
Dobby sighed as though relieved, and Draco grabbed his dressing gown - black silk of course - and pulled it on tight. "Okay Dobby."
"Master Draco Malfoy Sir?"
"Lets go to her," he reached out his hand and took a hold of Dobby's shoulder as he gave the helper an encouraging smile. "Wouldn't do to drag a lady from her home in the middle of the night, now would it? Lead the way!"
Dobby made a strange little whining noise, but Draco was a bit excited. He'd never actually been to a muggle home before. What a perfect opportunity! He was practically grinning when he and Dobby vanished with a pop.
To say Hermione was surprised to see him was a bit of an understatement. She gaped open mouthed at him as he gave her a jaunty wave. "Morning Minister! Thought I'd just pop in anmuuuuuuu-"
Her hand smothered his mouth and she was shushing him whilst glancing at the door.
"Shushhhhh, shut up Malfoy! My parents might hear you!" She hissed through clenched teeth. "What are you doing here anyway?"
He raised an eyebrow at him and pointed to her hand, which was still pressed firmly on his mouth. She frowned at him and slowly took her hand away a warning expression on her face.
"As I was saying earlier," he whispered dramatically, "I thought I'd pop in and see how the other half live, as it were." He sniffed haughtily and looked round her room, barely concealing his curiosity. "I've never been in a muggle house before, and Dobby reminded me that it would be rude to drag a Lady from her house in the middle of the night."
At his mention of Dobby, Hermione turned around and begun introducing herself to the house elf. The poor sod looked overwhelmed and confused. Draco smiled fondly at the interaction before turning his attention back to Hermione's room.
Books, and they were everywhere. He shouldn't have been surprised really, but it was a rather small room, no bigger than his mothers walk in closet. Every surface was suffocating in books. The walls were covered in single shelves that looked as though they had been added on as needed, and even then that wasn't enough. She had vertical stacks across the floor; her desk however was completely clear and organised. He snorted a laugh at that, and his gaze fell on her Hogwarts trunk. The lid was thrown open and the inside was so neat and tidy, that if he hadn't seen the desk he wouldn't have believed she had packed it from the chaotic state of her room.
Smiling to himself, he went to her bedroom door and poked his head out into the hallway. There was a door directly to the right that looked like some sort of a bathroom, but it was the staircase that surprised him. Directly to the left of her door was a banister that prevented you from falling down into the entrance hall, the stairs curved round the walls leading down to a beautiful wooden floor where he could see a baby grand piano on an ornate rug.
Looking ahead he could see the hall reaching further into the house with what looked to be another three rooms and a hall leading off to the left. Making the decision to have a good poke around Draco went to leave the safety of Hermione's room, only to be forcibly yanked back by the collar.
"Where do you think you are going?" She hissed at him. She was looking slightly panicked with wide eyes.
"Just having a look round Minister," he said cheerily. "Must say it's not like I'd thought it would be."
"Yes not all muggles live in hovels. Honestly Draco, you can't wander around my house! What if my parents see you? How will I explain having a boy in my house?"
"Magic..." he whispered, spreading his arms out and wiggling his fingers. Huffing, she just rolled her eyes at him. Okay, time to try a different tactic. "Look Hermione, we're probably going to have to repeat today anyway right? Come on, show me around." He nudged his shoulder with hers and tried his most charming smile.
"Urgh stop that, it looks weird on an eleven year old. FINE…come on, follow me and keep quiet, you too Dobby." He did a little jig on the spot before tiptoeing after her, shortly followed by Dobby, whose ears were practically quivering in excitement.
She led him down the hall a short way before veering off to the left and leading him down the stairs. He quickly checked out the hallway to the right as he passed it, and nearly laughed out loud when he saw it had a bookshelf that spanned the entire length. Obviously a love of books ran in the family. He quickly caught up as she pointed out a stair and mimed jumping over it. He was surprised that even muggles had false steps like Hogwarts, but he followed her instructions.
A short while later he was sitting in the kitchen. She had carefully shut the door and turned on the main light that flared brightly before she swore and dimmed it quickly. He couldn't help himself, he was staring at everything, the whole room was fascinating. There were weird contraptions on the gleaming surface tops, black marble if he was right, that looked shiny and he wondered what each one was used for.
Dobby had been placed on a high stool next to him, by what Hermione had referred to as the breakfast bar. They must have looked an odd sight sitting together, him in his black silk robe, Dobby in his Pillowcase. The grin still hadn't dropped from his face.
Hermione was walking around the room, muttering things to herself like "can't believe this" and "where is the bloody thingy?" She filled up what he assumed was some sort of strange muggle teapot before putting it onto its mat and flicking a switch on the side. She then climbed onto the worktop and pulled three mismatched mugs from the high cupboard. She carefully shimmied back to the floor before turning back to him and Dobby.
"Tea or Coffee?" She said as she gazed at them expectantly.
"Tea is fine, right Dobby?" He nodded exaggeratedly at the elf, who copied his movement in a shell shocked sort of way.
Nodding, mostly to herself, Hermione opened a different cupboard this time and took out a tin, from which she added little bags to the mugs. He nearly had a heart attack when she opened another door and a bright light flooded the room, he could feel the cold radiating from it. Another wide-eyed stare was shared with Dobby, who looked just as perplexed as him.
"Sugar?"
"Yes dear?" This got him an eye roll and a small snort of laughter, anything to lighten the mood.
"I mean, you wally, did you both want sugar in your tea?"
"Yes please. Dobby?" Silence from the elf. "Uh, Maybe some for Dobby too?"
A few minutes later he was sitting with Dobby and Hermione in an entirely different room, clutching his mug and thoroughly enjoying himself. The tea was pretty good - chalk one up for the muggles - and Hermione was explaining about the fridge and the kettle. All in all he was quite pleased with his little adventure into muggledom.
Dobby was sitting on a plush chair, with his legs dangling over the edge. He was sipping on his tea and his face was creased up with happiness. Poor little sod had never been treated like a person before. He felt guilty for a moment before remembering that he was practically brainwashed as a kid and he could make that change, now that he had a second chance.
"Look Draco, I think I have had an idea."
"Go on," he sipped his tea and waited for Hermione to get her thoughts together.
"Dobby said that the time sand was using our bodies like the hourglass…" she paused and smiled at the elf before continuing, "I think we need to find a way to stop the sand flowing from you to me and back again."
"So what? You want to put a plug in it or something?" He did an over the top shudder and narrowed his eyes suspiciously at her.
"Ha ha, no. I was thinking more like we do a test with Dobby here and see what affects the sand. Whether being closer of further apart stills it or makes it move quicker."
"If you wanted a hug minister all you had to do was ask."
"Stop joking around!"
"It's my coping mechanism." Glancing at Dobby, he motioned with his free hand some of the movements the elf was doing earlier. "Give us a hand Dobby?"
Before he could blink Dobby had placed his mug on a small table and was dancing around where he was seated on the Granger's sofa.
He stood once the glittering dust was floating around and walked as far away from Hermione as he could. She appeared to be gazing intently at her arm, eyes following the movement of the sand probably. Then started one of the strangest hours of his life. Hermione had him walk from room to room, closer then further. He had to do different poses, hold still for a certain amount of time, jog on the spot, etcetera… etcetera. He was actually growing rather tired by the time she let him sit back down again, and his tea was cold…
She took his and Dobby's mugs out to the kitchen and came back a few minutes later with new ones. He thanked her quietly and sat there, eyes drooping as he sipped on his tea.
"Judging from the movement of the sand, I think we should probably be touching and it will stop the flow." She had paused and was watching him with a strange look.
"Knew you wanted that hug," he yawned his words out. "What?" She was still looking at him weirdly.
"Nothing, it's just…you look adorable." She was giggling now. "Like a little sleepy kneazle kitten, all blinky and yawning." She snorted loudly, shaking over her tea. "Oh my gosh, if everyone could see you now!"
He found himself laughing along with her. "What are you saying Minister? I'm very impressive and intimidating!" He drew himself up and puffed out his chest. Admittedly the effect was almost immediately ruined by a huge yawn, causing Hermione to burst out in loud laughter.
"Hermione? Is that you sweetheart?"
They both froze.
Wide eyed, Hermione began making shooing motions with her hands at both him and Dobby. They both quickly jumped up and grabbed at each other. Before they vanished Draco saw Hermione let go of her mug. It hit the floor just as they cracked out of existence.
Clever witch…
He found himself standing back in his room with a smiling Dobby. It took a moment to realise that he still held his cup of tea in his hands. Shrugging slightly he took a sip and headed to bed.
He had a full day to look forward to tomorrow. Hopefully it would be the last time he would have to ride his first train to Hogwarts.
