Here's the next chapter - hope you enjoy it, please leave a review with your thoughts - they make me so much more motivated to write knowing there are people actually enjoying this!
-HermionesPolyjuice xo
Chapter 13
Hermione burst into their flat and immediately disappeared the thick, black, oppressive smoke, coughing loudly. Once the air had cleared somewhat and she could actually see she looked around the small flat, unable to find Draco anywhere. She was beginning to panic, her heart in her mouth as she searched the house. But to her relief she finally spotted the distinctive silver hair bent down over the toilet.
"Draco?" she asked, standing at the door of the bathroom. "Everything OK?" Draco slowly turned his head to look at Hermione and her heart skipped a beat as she looked at him. His face was ghostly white, shining under a layer of sweat. His eyes were small and bloodshot and his lips were trembling.
"What happened?" Hermione questioned. Her answer, however, was Draco twisting his head and violently throwing up. Hermione summoned a damp cloth and passed it to him once he finished retching.
"Thanks," he muttered, taking it gratefully and wiping his face.
"So, potion issues then?" Hermione asked with a snigger as she saw the colour return to his face, relieved.
"Granger, zip it," Draco growled before turning back round and emptying his stomach once more into the toilet. Hermione summoned another towel and handed it to him.
"What happened?" she asked once she was sure he was done.
"I don't even know. One second it was fine, the next it was exploding black smoke," Draco groaned, resting his head on the bath. Just by looking at him, Hermione knew he was very ill.
"Right, well you're going to bed for at least the rest of the day," Hermione said sternly, raising her eyebrows at him. Draco let out a moan, which Hermione took as a yes. She helped him to his feet and down the corridor to his bedroom and into bed. She closed the curtains and hadn't even made it out his room before she heard a snore. She smiled to herself, glad that he was asleep and resting. She headed back to the living room and examined the molten mess in the middle of the room that was meant to be the potion. Crouching down next to it, she reached out and was surprised to find it a sticky goo, not something she ever experienced when she was attempting it back in May.
[-||-]
"Remus! Teddy! How lovely to see you," Mrs. Weasley exclaimed excitedly. "Would you like a cuppa? I just put the kettle on."
"Sorry, Molly. I've got some important stuff to do back home and Harry's busy, would you mind looking after this rascal for the afternoon? I'll come pick him up after tea," Remus explained.
"Yes, of course. Come here, Teddy," Mrs. Weasley said eagerly taking the little boy she considered her own grandson.
"Thanks, Molly. I owe you," Remus said and after planting a kiss on his son's head he hurried back to the fireplace and flooed back home. He immediately headed straight to his office and picked the piece of parchment that had sent joy through him up from the table and reread it.
Remus,
I hope you and Teddy are doing well. My hut-mate and now have moved on from Germany. We're now staying in Romania, which is quite interesting. He eventually found out about me, but him knowing is actually the best thing, I don't feel so alone anymore. He's offered to help with the Wolfsbane (I still hadn't managed to make it until we moved earlier this week) but he seems to be struggling with it just as much as me. Are we doing something wrong? We're following the recipe word for word and just have no idea what's going on. Our most recent attempt made a black smoke and turned the cauldron into a sticky goo – I mean what is even going on? Can you give us any tips because I feel so bad when I keep asking you for some of your own stock?
Missing you lots.
Love,
Hermione
A black smoke? A sticky goo? Remus hadn't experienced either of these issues, and he certainly hadn't heard of those problems. He turned to his extensive library, found just the book and began to read, hoping to be able to find answers for Hermione.
[-||-]
Hermione almost let out a shout of excitement when she saw the tawny owl return to her window the following day. She noticed a rather large package attached to its leg. She opened the kitchen window eagerly, shivering a little as the cold wind swept inside. The owl flew in and landed on the side. Hermione untied the package and letter. She rummaged around for a suitable treat for an owl, excited to turn to the package.
Once the owl was fed, Hermione carried the package and letter to the couch and sat down. She put the package, which she could now tell was a book, and turned to the letter.
Dear Hermione,
Teddy and I are doing well, but I know I'd be doing better if you were nearer than the other side of Europe. How are you coping with everything? I'm glad you've managed to feel you can confine in someone else, it will only make everything easier when you're back. Everyone misses you, I'm beginning to get the feeling they know that I know where you are and keep getting questions, but I'm not giving anything away so don't worry.
I'm surprised that 2 of you are struggling with the potion – I know it's hard but even as the brightest witch of the age I would have expected you'd cracked it by now. I've attached a book that I know helped me with a few alterations to the potion to make it a little easier without taking away from its effectiveness. One thing that I did notice, which I'm not sure you know, is that the use of a pewter, copper and silver cauldrons cause issues and that using brass or gold (especially gold) can prevent a number of problems so if you're not using one of them maybe give that a go?
Let me know how you go.
Remus
Hermione re-read the letter twice more before she put it down. The cauldron, that must be what was causing the problem. She picked up the book and thumbed her way through it to the page on cauldrons. Satisfied that Remus was telling the truth she jumped to her feet. She needed to get a new cauldron, and she needed to get one that day. She grabbed her bag and just before she ran out of the house she peeked into Draco's room to check on him. He hadn't taken too well after the potion problem the previous day but seemed to be doing better. Fortunately, however, he was still sleeping.
Hermione wrote a hurried note on a piece of paper, left it along with potions and food on Draco's bed side table and hurried out of the flat. She knew there was a magical community nearby, but she was in no mood for exploring to try and find it. So she walked briskly down to the end of the road and down the alley. She cast a quick glamour charm over herself, still not wanting to be recognised by anyone in London, and after double checking no one was near her she disappeared with a pop.
Hermione landed down a similar looking alley just off Diagon Alley. If it hadn't been for the bustling street ahead and the distinct sounds of English floating down the gap between the buildings Hermione would have thought she hadn't left Romania. She fixed her hair and wandered out of the alley as if that was perfectly normal. she joined the crowd and started her way towards Potage's Cauldron Shop.
As she walked, she took in the hustle and bustle around her and was surprised to feel an overwhelming sense of loneliness. She missed having so many people in her life. She spotted a number of people she recognised and found it hard not to say hi as she crossed paths with Neville Longbottom just outside the cauldron shop. Hermione was in and out with her new cauldrons, having decided to pick up one of both brass and gold just to be on the safe side.
Hermione was making her way back to the alley to apparate back to Romania when she was stopped in her tracks, and major sense of guilt forming in the pit of her stomach. She had just spotted Fred Weasley hobble out of his Weasley Wizard's Wheezes shop, carrying a large box stamped with the shop's logo. He looked thin, and although he sported a large smile on his face Hermione could see the worry and fear in his eyes. It was then that she truly realised that everyone was going through their own battle, regardless of whether it was visible or not, and she knew that the Weasley's and Harry were facing an additional one not knowing exactly where she was.
"Sorry ma'am," a voice came from behind her as someone walked straight into her back, waking her up from the reverie.
"Sorry, my fault," she answered giving the older man a smile and setting off at a brisk walk, the consuming feelings of anxiety threatening to boil over the top of her. She had to get back to Romania, she had to get away. And she needed to get away now. She practically ran the last few metres to the alley and ducked down it. She stood there, her back pressed against the cool stone, the tears threatening to spill. She had been doing so well recently, keeping her emotions in check, for most of the time at least. She angrily pressed the heels of her hands into her eyes, annoyed but more so confused how seeing Fred had made her so anxious and upset. Once she had calmed down she focussed her thoughts on the alley back in Enisala and disappeared with another pop.
[-||-]
It was a few days before Draco made a full recovery, what had made him quite so ill still flummoxed Hermione, but she was relieved when he walked into the living room late on Sunday evening asking if she wanted to order pizza.
Half an hour later the two friends found themselves sitting on the floor, munching their way through greasy pizza.
"Looks like you gave the potion another crack then," Draco said nodding towards the cauldron that was simmering around.
"Yes, I set a letter to Remus to ask his advice and he responded telling me we need to use a gold cauldron. I popped out the other day to Diagon Alley to pick one up," Hermione explained, taking a sip of wine.
"You didn't say you had been to Diagon Alley," Draco said, raising his eyebrow at her.
"You had other things to worry about, like getting better. It was no big deal. I went, I bought a cauldron, I came back," Hermione said, purposefully not telling him about her near anxiety attack.
"Hmm…you're not telling me something, Granger," Draco retorted. Hermione knew she was in trouble when he resorted back to her surname.
"I just got a little panicked that's all. Honestly, Draco, it was fine," Hermione responded with a sigh.
"OK, well as long as you promise me you talk to me about anything," he said taking a large bite of pizza. Hermione looked over at her friend and nodded. It still threw her every time she realised she had become such good friends with Draco Malfoy. He really had taken the wanting to change to heart. He was already a much better person than he had ever been, not that that was really hard.
"I have a good feeling about this batch, I think it's going to be the one," Draco announced a while later after he had walked over to take a look at the simmering silver potion.
"Really? I do hope so," Hermione responded excitedly.
"Yeah, it doesn't look any different than it has at this stage, but I'm hopeful," Draco said sitting down next to Hermione on the sofa.
"Well, that's all I can ask for," Hermione said with a smile, untucking her legs so there was space for him to sit.
"You know there's plenty more space on any of the chairs," she added, disgruntled that she had adjust her position.
"Yeah, and?" Draco smirked. Hermione just rolled her eyes and turned on the TV. The duo sat in silence, watching some poorly translated Romanian sit-com.
Hermione didn't even remember moving to lie against Draco, her head now resting against his chest with his arm wrapped around her shoulders and fiddling with a lock of her hair. She did know, however, she was comfortable and feeling the safest she had since before the war. There was something about this new Draco that intrigued her and there was something else about him she just couldn't put her finger on. It was frustrating her that she couldn't work would what it was but at the same time it was exciting knowing they had even more of a journey to go on together. Her heart fluttered a little at that thought but she just shoved it to the back of her mind.
"Do you really think it's going to work?" she asked as she flicked through the channels a while later.
"Yeah, I think I do," Draco almost whispered. Hermione didn't say anything but Draco could sense the smile that was radiating across her face. Something that happened between him and Hermione. Never in a million years did he think they were friends but as he sat there, playing with her hair he knew they were more than just friends. What it was he wasn't sure but there was something. He had never felt so comfortable with someone, not even when he had been sauntering down the halls of Hogwarts flanked by Crabbe and Goyle. He was happy. He was probably the happiest he had ever been, and he was beginning to think it was mainly because of the incredibly talented witch currently leant against him.
They sat there for a good few hours longer, Hermione changing channels each time she got bored of whatever they had been watching. He knew it was getting late, and he knew he needed to go to bed soon. He was still ill, not as bad as he had been 3 days ago but he wasn't 100%. But there was pull stopping him from going to bed. He didn't want to leave. He was quite content sitting there for a while longer.
"Draco?" Hermione asked, a long while later.
"Hmmm," he responded.
"Can I ask you something?" she questioned.
"Yes, you can ask something else," he replied with a smirk.
"Why did you stay?" she asked so quietly that Draco had to strain his ears to make sure he caught what she said,
"What do you mean?"
"When you found out what…what I am, why did you stay? I would have thought you'd run," Hermione said, twisting around so she was looking Draco straight in the eye.
"Honestly?" Hermione nodded. "Honestly, I don't know. There was a part of me that did think I was mad for not leaving you but there was an even stronger part of me just not letting me. I wanted to be with you. I wanted to stay with you, for you. You needed help. I figured it out a couple of weeks after I first arrived at the hut but because you hadn't said anything I didn't ask. I didn't want to push you. I knew you would tell me when you were ready. But until then I had to stay to be with you. The thought of leaving you by yourself killed me a bit inside. I couldn't bare the thought. So I stayed and now I honestly think it was the best decision of my life. I couldn't be in a better place right now, well apart from being poisoned by your stupid potion, but I just knew I had to stay." Draco slowly filtered out until he sat there in silence. The tears began to threaten Hermione's eyes but she managed to keep them at bay and smiled at her companion.
"Thank you for staying," she whispered, turning around and snuggling back against him. "I'm so grateful that you did. I don't think I'll ever be able to repay you."
"I'm so glad I stayed, and I wouldn't change it for the world," Draco muttered quietly. He squeezed her arm comfortingly and planted a kiss on the top of her busy head as she put the remote down satisfied on the cooking show now playing. Oh, how the tides had changed between the pure blood and muggle born. But how they had changed for the better, for the both of them.
(A/N: hope you enjoyed it, don't forget reviews = love!)
