Chapter 22

"You two are perfect for each other." Titus went on, snarling at them. "My stupid brother married that blood traitor Slytherin girl and had all of those pesky children, Tallulah included. I knew she would turn out just as odd as both of them. Bringing Mudbloods and Blood-Traitors together in friendship?" Titus tutted in obvious disgust.

Draco glared at Titus before he flew backwards against the wall. Draco was momentarily shocked when Hermione grabbed his hand and made a run for the passage. Draco heard Titus growl behind them.

"Go on, I'll hold him off. Say my name in your head over and over once you are through and I'll run. I'm faster than you so go. Now." Draco whispered hurriedly to Hermione.

She momentarily glanced at him worriedly before nodding and letting go of his hand and sprinting off down the tunnel.

"Saving her precious mudblood skin are we?" Titus asked as he emerged from the small rubble the stunning spell had caused. "How sweet."

"You seem to be under the impression that we are fond of each other? Hate to break it to you, actually I don't hate to, but Hermione is still an insufferable, know-it-all, Gryffindor." Draco stated firmly.

"Ah." Titus said with a smirk. "Since when was she Hermione? First name basis are we? What happened to the Gryffindork and Mudblood part of that list of things she is? Going soft on the bushy-haired, bucked tooth beaver are we?"

"Actually, her hair stopped being very bushy in third year and it's just curly now." Draco said but mentally slapped his head. "And her teeth haven't been bucked toothed since fourth year when I accidentally hexed her instead of Potter."

Titus smirked the famous Malfoy smirk. "When I said I knew all thoughts that went through your heads, I mean all thoughts." Titus pushed, willing for his descendent to remember a more recent thought that had passed his brain.

Obviously the younger Malfoy had as his cheeks coloured. He was about to say something when he heard a familiar voice echo in the back of his head. 'Draco'. It was Hermione. He then created smoke with the tip of his wand and ran down the passage.

He cast spells at the ceiling behind him so that the tunnel caved in. Eventually, he made it out on the other side and levitated a few pieces of the ruble to fill in the gap and put various items of furniture in front of it.

"Are you alright?" Draco asked the brunette next to him who was deathly white. She didn't respond but looked at him in slight confusion. "Hermione?"

Draco Malfoy just asked if I was alright and called me by my first name. Hermione thought in wonder. Who is he and what has he done to the real Draco Malfoy?

"Yeah. I guess I'm fine." She said and smiled at him. "What about you? It wasn't my psycho relative planning on harming or potentially killing me."

Draco let a smile tug his lips for once in front of her and he gave his first proper smile at her. "Suppose I'm okay, all things considering. Firstly, I'm sick. Second, I'm injured and suffering severe blood loss. Third, I'm in a state of shock. Fourth, my psycho relative just tried to kill both you and me." He said with a chuckle.

When he looked back at Hermione, he noticed her hair looked lighter and almost completely straight. It looked...tame? He wasn't sure what the best word to describe it was.

Hermione also noticed that her hair had transformed and she couldn't help but think, mission accomplished.

Draco was also a little surprised to feel that his illness had gotten a little better. Hermione had had to make him smile. It had worked. She had made him give his first ever proper smile to somebody other than his family.

It seemed a little sad to an outsider that Draco had never smiled except around his mother and possibly Dobby back when he had worked with his family. It felt...strangely nicer then when it had done at the Manor.

It was either something about; his Manor that was gloomy; Hermione that was cheering; whatever this random house was that allowed people to mind read like Voldemort and force people to forgive each other and not let them out until they have done so.

Draco suspected it may be a mixture of both. But he would never admit out loud the one about Hermione. He already knew that Titus and possibly Tallulah already knew about this but he surprisingly, didn't exactly mind. As long as she didn't find out and nobody at school found out if they got back before the War, he was fine.

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