Disclaimer: Harry Potter does not belong to me.
Draco Malfoy was much the same as Hermione had remembered him- physically at least. Tall, slim but fit, blonde, annoyingly attractive. He was much more amicable and had yet to irritate her. At least he was a familiar face in an unfamiliar place.
"Where exactly are we?" Hermione asked as she walked alongside Draco. He had called for a mediwitch to attend the young man Hermione had found, whose name she'd learned was Fenton Cray. He had been a Slytherin, two years younger than Ginny in school. Now the two were walking along the halls, Draco leading her somewhere further into what she had figured out was a manor.
"We're on the outside of muggle London. This is the Zabinis' winter estate," he told her, glancing to his right.
"As in Blaise Zabini?"
"The very one."
Hermione's brow furrowed. "Is the whole estate full of former Slytherins?" She asked.
Draco chuckled. "Not quite, but almost. It is the home of the Snake King after all," he told her, stopping to turn and look at her.
She quirked a brow, matching his stance. "Oh?" She queried. If he was looking for a reaction, he wasn't going to get much of one.
"And where pray tell, is this man no one has seen?"
Draco waved his hand. "Around. Busy most likely," he said. "Judging by your tone, you're not too impressed by what you hear of him."
She shook her head slightly. "No, I just...He kills them rather than capturing them. What makes him better than Voldemort at that point?"
"He's not killing for sport, Granger," he replied, his brow furrowed and tone harsh. "We aren't children anymore and the violence has been going on too long. Clearly only capturing the Death Eaters hasn't been enough. We have to stop them. For good. Besides, these aren't men and women who are going to suddenly see the errors of their ways. They're brainwashed, Granger. Without their leader, without Voldemort, they don't even have a goal. You may not have noticed, but it's not just muggles and muggleborns they're targeting anymore."
She hadn't realized it, but Draco had been stepping towards her and she stepping backward until her back hit the wall. His eyes held a flicker of anger in them. His last words hit her like a knife plunging into her heart. She felt the tears well in her eyes as she thought of Ron.
"Before you ask why he stays in the shadows and not with the Aurors or the Order of the Phoenix," he sneered, "it's because they're sloppy. They don't plan well enough. It doesn't work out."
"I know that!" She shouted suddenly, shoving him away from her. His words were too true. She thought of the mission that took Ron away from them, away from her. It had been sloppy.
"I know that," she repeated, softer this time. The Aurors and the remaining Order members were too brash. They didn't run through every possibility before deciding on a plan of action. The result of this had been the loss of too many people she cared about. It was part of the reason Harry had been asking her to stay at Grimmauld and not go on the missions.
The way Draco looked at her made her wonder if he was going to apologize for upsetting her, but then he nodded his head. "Good, then perhaps you'll rethink your impression of him," he said shortly, beginning to walk again.
Hermione stared after him for a second before following. They walked in tense silence for a few minutes before she asked, "Where are we going?"
"I'm showing you to a room. We're not connected to the Floo and it's much too late to take you out to the apparation point," he responded.
"I couldn't possibly-"
"Granger, there's no debating this one. You'll need to stay here for the night."
His tone made it clear that she wasn't to continue the discussion. Well, he'd at least have to let her contact Harry.
The room was larger than her whole flat had been when she'd lived alone. It had a walk-in closet and a grand bathroom attached. The wooden floor was covered partially by a deep red shag rug, one that she knew would feel wonderfully soft between her toes. The dresser and vanity in the room were made of oak. She ran her fingers across the top of the dresser, reveling in how beautifully made it was. Glancing through the open door, Hermione could see how pristine the bathroom was, with marble tiling and soft lighting. It would be wonderful for relaxing baths.
"This is a beautiful room. Surely it's too much for me to only be staying one evening," she said, turning to look at Draco who still stood in the main doorway.
He shrugged. "I'll let you settle in. Someone will be by in the morning to take you to the apparation point," he said.
Her brows scrunched as she frowned. For some reason, it bothered her that he wouldn't be back. "It won't be you?"
That irritating smirk bloomed across his lips. "Sorry Granger, but I've got a busy day tomorrow," he told her, before stepping into the hall and shutting the door.
She looked around the room again. The bed looked incredibly comfortable. As she neared the bed, she kicked off her shoes and discarded her cloak, letting it fall to the floor beside her boots. Normally she wasn't so messy, but the bed looked too inviting to take her time getting ready to lay down. As she snuggled into the pillows, laying on top of the thick comforter, she glanced at the wand holstered to her thigh. Her fingers wrapped around it and she removed it, hugging it to her chest. It had been a long while since she'd slept with her wand tucked in her hand, but she figured it may be the best choice given her current location. Sure, The Snake King and his followers seemed to be on the same side as the Order and the Ministry, but that didn't necessarily mean Hermione was safe where she was.
The bed really was as soft as it looked and laying in it made her realize just how tired she was. As her eyes drifted closed, she realized she hadn't asked Draco about contacting Harry. Using all the energy she had left, she pushed herself up out of the bed, swiping at her tired eyes. She moved to the only window in the room and lifted up the glass. Casting her patronus, she sent a short message to Harry telling him she was safe and would be home in the morning. He wouldn't be happy that she left out details like where she was or who she was with. He'd have a thousand questions when she got home to Grimmauld. With a sigh, she closed the window and went back to the bed. It didn't take long for her to fall asleep once she rested her head amid the pillows.