Chapter Twenty-Two

The Secret Portkey


Two days later Hermione was leaning on the window sill of her room with five parchments in her hand.

They were the letters she had tried to send to Draco. Dark had returned a few hours later, shaking her head as if she couldn't find him and with the seals intact.

Hermione frowned, crumpling them up and throwing them on the floor.

He had probably used an undetectable spell so that no one could contact him.

Why? She couldn't understand anything.

Hermione snorted in despair, turning to the hanger where Dark was.

"I need one last favour," she whispered, stroking the feathers on her back. "Could you take these to Draco's friends?"

Hermione held out three small pieces of parchment and the owl cocked her head to the side, holding them in her beak. She hopped up and spread her huge wings, swooping through the window and disappearing into the distance.

Hermione watched her fly away as she chewed on her lower lip.

She gasped at the thought of them. How had it not occurred to her before?

Hermione ran down the stairs, throwing a handful of Floo powder onto the fireplace and stepping through the green flames.

Soon after, she emerged from the fireplace of the only pub connected to the Floo Network in Westbury. After greeting the landlord, she walked through the small village to the hill where Malfoy Manor stood.

The Muggles couldn't see it, but she could make out the imposing stately building in the distance.

Once there, Hermione touched the gate with her wand and waited.

Minsy soon appeared beside her.

"Miss?"

"Hello, Minsy."

She held the elf's hand, stepping through the metal gate as if it were made of smoke. Minsy didn't let go until they were at the front door.

"Does Miss need anything?"

"Don't worry about me, Minsy. You can go back to whatever you were doing."

She nodded, disappearing with a crack.

Hermione took a deep breath, opened the doors and stepped into the manor.

"Hello? Narcissa?"

No one else seemed to have noticed her arrival except the elf.

Hermione hesitated, not quite sure if it was a good idea to go into the manor alone. Whenever she had been there, she had always had Draco by her side.

Her heart skipped a beat when she heard footsteps down one of the corridors. Lucius appeared seconds later, pausing at the sight of her.

"Miss Granger," he murmured, walking slowly towards her. "To what do we owe this wonderful visit?"

Hermione narrowed her eyes. Lucius' sarcasm had never appealed to her.

"Where is Narcissa?"

He arched an eyebrow, a gesture that made him look even more like his son.

"I'm afraid she's busy right now."

Hermione pursed her lips. She would have preferred to talk to her a thousand times over, but if she had no other choice...

"Have you heard from Draco?"

"Not for a couple of days, though he promised to come to dinner tomorrow," Lucius commented as his brow furrowed. "Why?"

He looked worried. Hermione sighed and held out a hand with the letter she had found two days before after she woke up.

"He's gone," she murmured, fighting back tears.

The lump in her throat was more painful than ever. If he hadn't said anything to his parents, it meant he was really gone.

Lucius' face contracted, but he picked up the piece of parchment and opened it, reading it carefully. His expression darkened until, once he finished, he looked up and Hermione took a step back when she saw the anger in his eyes.

"I see," he said, handing the letter back to her and folding his arms. "So my son has finally abandoned you."

Her heart stopped.

"What?"

He clicked his tongue, avoiding her sad look.

"I guess the attacks purebloods are receiving have been too much for him and he's decided to go into hiding."

Hermione lifted her chin.

"Draco wouldn't do that."

"My son is a coward, Miss Granger."

"Not anymore," she muttered, clenching her fists. "He would never leave me."

Lucius snorted, rolling his eyes.

"This is your fault," he hissed angrily, leaning closer as he glared at her. "Draco would never have left if he still lived here with us. The magic in this manor can protect him and he knows it."

Hermione held her breath. So far she had been holding back, but the urge to send that man to hell was almost uncontrollable. She slipped a hand into her pocket, brushing the outline of her wand with her fingers.

Lucius noticed and sneered at her.

"You are the one to blame. If he doesn't come back..."

"Lucius!"

They both jumped at the voice of Narcissa, who was coming down the main staircase looking very grim.

"What are you saying to Hermione?" she asked, frowning as she reached him. The woman turned to Hermione and her face softened. "Are you alright, dear?" she added, taking one of her hands in hers.

Hermione nodded, offering her the letter. Narcissa read it beside her with her arm around her shoulders.

When she finished, she looked back at her husband and her blue eyes narrowed.

"Enough, Lucius," she hissed, tapping her heel on the marble floor. Lucius stiffened and his sneer disappeared. "Tell Hermione what you really think."

Lucius wrinkled his nose, averting his gaze to the nearest window.

"Do it," Narcissa demanded in a deep voice.

He sighed and fixed his grey eyes on Hermione.

"My son would never leave you, Miss Granger. His feelings for you are too strong."

She didn't know if he was being sincere, but his words eased some of the pressure she had been feeling for days in her chest.

"If Draco has left, he must have a very good reason for doing so," Lucius added quietly, walking over to them and picking up the letter to read it again.

After that, he nodded in Hermione's direction and turned away.

"One more thing, Lucius," his steps faltered at the sound of Narcissa's voice. "If you speak to Hermione like that again, our marriage is over."

Lucius gasped in shock, turning around and staring at his wife with wide eyes.

"Cissa!"

She shook her head.

"She is our son's girlfriend and you must treat her with respect," she murmured with a threatening note in her voice. When she turned to Hermione, she was smiling again. "Come with me, dear. We're going to have some tea and a walk in the garden, I think we both need to relax."

She nodded, glancing sideways at Lucius as she let herself be led by Narcissa towards the back door of the manor. He was still frozen as if he couldn't believe what his wife had said.

Hermione sighed heavily as Draco's mother opened the door and let her out first. The sky was overcast with clouds, but the gardens of the manor were as beautiful as ever.

Her mood improved just by being there.

Narcissa clung to her arm and smiled as they passed under an archway filled with roses.

"Are you feeling better?"

"Yes, thank you."

"Ignore Lucius," she said, waving her hand impatiently. "He hasn't been able to accept that Draco is in love with you yet, but he won't treat you like that again if he knows what's good for him."

Hermione laughed softly.

"Thank you, Narcissa. You're always so kind to me."

At the end of the path was a small glass table with mugs, a teapot and some pastries on it.

"You're already part of the family to me," Narcissa assured her, squeezing her arm affectionately before releasing her. "You make Draco happy and that's all that matters."

Hermione blushed as she sat down. Narcissa tapped the teapot with her wand and it rose into the air, pouring tea for them both.

"He loves you, Hermione. And I'm sure he'll come back to you as soon as he can."

Hermione nodded, biting her thumbnail nervously until she saw Narcissa's gaze fixed on her. She lowered her hands to her lap and snorted.

"Why would he leave like that, without warning anyone?"

"I don't know," the woman admitted, letting out a long sigh. "But he'll have a lot of explaining to do once he comes back."


Draco was sitting in one of the dining room chairs with his head resting on his arms when he heard a groan.

He looked up, blinking several times to clear his mind. Hermione's parents were waking up.

He hid his wand in a pocket and walked over to them, crouching down beside them.

"Careful," he murmured, helping her mother until she was sitting on the sofa. "How are you feeling?"

They both looked very confused.

"What happened?" asked the man, wincing and holding a hand to his temple. "My head."

"This helps with the pain," Draco said, offering them both a cup of hot tea.

He watched him suspiciously as he drank.

"Who are you?"

"I remember! You were at the door!" the woman shouted, pointing at him with a trembling hand. "And then you did something weird and we fainted."

Draco pulled out his wand, holding it between his fingers.

"That! I remember seeing you holding that stick!" she added, looking at her husband with frightened eyes.

"This isn't a stick," Draco muttered, shaking his head.

"What is it?" she asked quietly.

"A wand."

Hermione's father frowned.

"You're insane," he stood up, tugging at his wife's arm to pull her away from him. "We should call the police."

Draco was still staring down at his wand and not moving, trying not to scare them even more.

"Your Muggle phones don't work."

When he looked back at them, both of their faces were pale and their eyes were filled with fear.

"I'm not here to hurt you," Draco added with a sigh.

"Then what do you want?" the man asked, hugging Hermione's mother protectively.

"To help you remember."

His answer surprised them.

"Have we forgotten something?" she asked, confused.

Draco looked down at the cups of tea. They'd both had some, and the calming potion he'd added was what was keeping them from screaming and trying to escape.

"You lived in England until a few years ago," he explained, pointing to the sofa so they would sit across from him again. "And you had a daughter."

"A daughter?" the woman repeated, glancing sideways at her husband as they sat down. "Do we have a daughter, Wendell?"

Draco grinned.

He had just inserted the first two memories into their brains an hour before, and it seemed to be making them hesitate.

Though having to keep them unconscious so they wouldn't feel the pain made it more complicated than usual.

"Wendell?" the man repeated in a raspy voice, turning his head to stare at Draco. "Is that my name?"

Draco shook his head and his grin widened.

"This is going to be quicker than I thought," he muttered, sighing through his nose. "I should have suspected as much."

They were, after all, the parents of the smartest witch in Britain.

"I can't let you out of here until we finish all the... sessions. Once you have all your memories back, I'll leave and I won't bother you again," he added, trying to be as honest as possible.

The woman's face hardened.

"What if we don't want our memories back?" she asked under her breath.

"There's a daughter of yours living in London, Mrs. Wilkins. Do you not want to know if I'm telling the truth?"

Draco had to hold back his laughter as he saw the same curiosity he'd seen a thousand times on Hermione's face spread across her parents'.

Finally, she sighed and looked down at his hands, watching him twist the wand.

"First, I want you to explain what that wand that you have is."

Draco nodded.

"All right," he held it up, letting them both get a closer look. "Do you like magic, Mr. and Mrs. Wilkins? Because if the answer is yes, I have good news for you," golden sparks flew from the tip and he heard them both gasp. "Magic is real."


Blaise was sipping tea in the drawing room of his manor when the flames in the fireplace roared and rose, changing to emerald.

It was so unexpected that he almost dropped the cup.

A few seconds later Draco emerged from them, shaking out his clothes before stepping out of the fireplace.

Blaise raised his brow at the sight of him in Muggle clothes.

"Bloody hell, Draco. You scared me."

He gave him a smirk as he looked around.

"Is Pansy here?"

"She's asleep in my room," Blaise commented, finishing his tea in one gulp.

Draco's grin widened.

"I'm happy for you."

"Thank you," Blaise replied, standing up to hide a blush. "Can you explain to me what the hell the letter I received a few days ago meant?"

He turned around at Draco's sigh.

"That's what I came for," he said, having walked over to the drinks cabinet and waving his wand to open it. "I think we need a drink."

Blaise snorted, plopping back down on the armchair and accepting the glass that floated over to him.

"My portkey," he murmured, watching Draco with interest as he sat down next to him. "Are you using it?"

"It works perfectly," he said, nodding. "It activates when you turn it three times. You're a genius, Blaise," Draco added, giving his friend a sincere smile.

Blaise twisted his lips.

"You're the only one who knows it exists. If you get caught, you'll end up in Azkaban."

"I'm not going to get caught," Draco assured him, taking a sip of his whisky.

Blaise leaned his back against the armchair, pulling a parchment from his pocket.

"We all received a letter from Granger today asking if we know where you are," he commented, twirling the piece of paper in his fingers as he watched his reaction.

Draco tensed at his words.

"And what did you reply?" he asked, avoiding his gaze.

"Nothing yet," Blaise replied, shrugging one of his shoulders. "I wanted to wait until I had this conversation with you."

Draco clicked his tongue, downing his remaining whisky and setting the glass on the table.

"What are you doing in Australia, mate?"

The one question he couldn't answer.

"It's better if you don't know," he replied, letting out a weary sigh. "But I'm doing it for her."

Blaise nodded. He knew that, whatever it was, Draco was doing it for Hermione Granger.

"And what was the big favour you wanted to ask of me?" he said, referring to the letter that was hidden in a drawer in his desk.

"Two favours, actually," Draco replied with a smile. He looked at his friend with pleading eyes before continuing. "No one can know where I am, Blaise. You have to pretend not to know about me."

Blaise rolled his eyes.

"I'm very good at lying."

"That makes two of us," Draco muttered gravely, pursing his lips. He hated not being able to tell Hermione the truth, but it had been part of his job from the beginning. "The other favour is a little more complicated."

Blaise arched an eyebrow, waiting for him to explain. Draco's grey eyes drifted up to the dark curls that fell over his forehead.

"I need your hair."

"My hair?" Blaise repeated, quizzical.

Draco nodded.

"And quite a lot of it."

"What for?" Blaise asked with a frown. "Don't tell me, I think I know."

Draco smirked. Few people knew that he had been brewing three cauldrons of polyjuice potion in the last month, and Blaise was one of them.

"I want to be near Hermione and help Potter, but they can't know I'm here."

Blaise narrowed his eyes.

"So you're planning to impersonate me."

Draco folded his arms and Blaise snorted, pointing between the two of them with a hand.

"What if someone sees two Blaises?"

"I'll let you know when I'm going to be in England so you don't leave the manor," Draco explained, pulling a small vial from his pocket. "It'll only be a few weeks, Blaise."

His friend shot him a look of hatred, but he plucked out some of his hair and opened the vial, tucking them inside.

"I'm sticking my neck out for you."

Draco nodded, tapping his shoulder gently.

"I know, and I can never thank you enough."

Blaise closed the vial and held it in one hand, scowling at Draco.

"This will be the last favour I ever ask of you, I swear," he added softly.

Blaise sighed.

"All right," he agreed, handing the vial back to him. "I hope I don't regret it."

Draco chuckled.

"I'll be careful," he glanced at the large family clock hanging on the wall and snorted. "I must get back to Australia before dawn."

Blaise watched his friend as he pulled something out of his pocket.

"Where does the portkey leave you when you use it?"

"In the same place I activated it," Draco said, carefully opening the piece of cloth where he kept the coin. "That's why I came so late. I couldn't risk Hermione being awake and seeing me appear in our study."

Blaise nodded. It was better that he activated it from now on in his manor, where he was only in danger of running into him. His mother had gone to Italy when the war started and still lived there, though she came to visit once a month.

"Are you sleeping?" Blaise asked as he took a closer look at his friend's face.

He looked exhausted and there were dark circles under his eyes.

"Not much," Draco admitted, sighing again.

"You need to rest, Draco. You won't be able to help anyone if you're not okay."

He gave him a small smile as he began to spin the coin.

"You're right," he murmured, looking into his eyes. "See you soon, Blaise."

Blaise nodded.

"Be careful."

Draco spun it a third time and the coin glowed.

"You too, and take care of Pansy," was the last thing he said before he disappeared.