April 27th

Side-Along Apparition was an unpleasant experience when one wasn't filled with alcohol and more food than two people should eat in a meal. When it was done completely without warning, the side-effects were exponentially worse. Hermione's stomach churned and threatened to empty the entire length of the journey that felt longer than just the few seconds it truly was. Unable to get away from the person taking her away from the street in Aberdeen she'd been in just moments before, she tried to focus on keeping her supper inside her body. At least it gave her the opportunity to dwell on something other than the fact that she was well and truly fucked.

Her assumption that the Resistance didn't have a big presence in Aberdeen was likely incorrect. Or, one of her former comrades saw her sitting at the bar of the crowded pub. Possibly her arrival via the Muggle train was noticed by an interested party. Maybe it was the large amount of alcohol she consumed, but she wasn't all that concerned about her capture. Her time on the run was bound to come to an end eventually. Perhaps she could look forward to the ending of her misery in just a short time. Antonin always liked to accuse her of harboring bleak and fatalistic thoughts at every turn. He was an intelligent man for all of his brashness and fury.

When her feet landed on a hard surface again, Hermione's legs became wobbly and unable to withhold her weight. With the sound of the midnight hour chiming away on some ghastly obnoxious mantel clock, the witch fell to the ground flat on her arse. The hand belonging to the mysterious person released its grip lest they tumble to the ground as well. As she laid on the hardwood floor feeling the room around her spin, she thought that surely there was a less ignoble way to go.

"If you feel the urge to vomit, please attempt to keep it off the rug. It's priceless."

She knew the voice… very well. Rolling her eyes because she should have known that he would be the one to find her, Hermione tried to sit up to stare Draco Malfoy in the face. When it became clear that she was indeed in great danger of ruining his rug with the remnants of her greasy meal, she stopped all attempts to move. Closing her eyes, she willed the room to cease its spinning. Her kidnapper didn't say another word. Only stomped away to another room to open a cupboard before stomping back.

"Drink this."

Hermione pushed away his offering. If it was what she expected it was, she didn't want it. Sober-Up potion was vile and cheated her out of the temporary bliss of lowered inhibitions and fearless thoughts. She desired the oblivion that came with too much alcohol. Perhaps if she was lucky, she might even poison herself entirely or choke on her own vomit. At least then she wouldn't have to wake up the next morning to worry about how she was going to waste the rest of her meaningless life.

Draco wasn't in the mood to argue with her. Instead of agreeing to her wishes, he knelt on the floor next to his captive, forcibly opened her mouth with one hand, and poured the potion down her throat with the other. The moment she sputtered and threatened to spit the disgusting fluid from her mouth, he was there to hold her mouth shut until she swallowed. Almost instantly the effects of the liquor dissipated. Hermione pushed the wizard's hands off of her to continue to lay on the floor, stewing in her own anger and disappointment. Why did he even care what she did or where she went? What was so important about her that he bothered at all? She couldn't understand his motivations for anything. She wished he would disappear forever and leave her alone.

"While it is clearly evident that you don't care what happens to you or anyone else for that matter, the entire Resistance is out there looking for you right now, Granger. Every single member is aware that you were almost caught by Will last night in London and the Resistance is much bigger than you've ever dreamed."

She didn't want to hear his lecture. Of course she knew that she was in constant danger. It had been a part of her life for more years than not. Only a short period of time while she was married to Antonin and living in Hogsmeade while her master ruled with an iron fist did she not worry about her safety for even a single moment she was awake. With the Dark Lord and her husband on her side, she never feared what might happen, who might hurt her. It seemed impossible that anyone could get to her in that situation. Once outside of the covering of their protection, however, she was back to being the same terrified Muggle-born who didn't understand the frightening world she was living in.

"It took me several hours to get that drunk. I don't appreciate you taking that away from me."

"Just be thankful that I am the one that found you and not someone else from the Resistance."

With the room no longer spinning, Hermione sat up. Draco extended a hand to help her to her feet which she immediately refused. She had had quite enough assistance from him for one night. Maybe in a little while she would see the logic in his statement and appreciate him taking her away from the dangerous streets of a Muggle city, but in that moment, she was still annoyed.

She didn't recognize where they were. Certainly she'd never been there before. A well-appointed living room filled with large, comfortable-looking furniture, it was a space that just begged for inhabitants to laze around and enjoy relaxing. Everything looked very expensive, but not in the overly showy way that she remembered from her uncomfortable visits to Malfoy Manor over the years. It resembled more of an upscale loft flat than anything else. Was this the home that he'd offered to her only days earlier? If so, she might have been a little too quick to refuse.

"Why did you bring me here?"

"It's unsafe for you to be out there wandering around. The Resistance is…"

"…after me. Yeah, I know. Got a little too close to Wood last night for comfort."

"This is not a joking manner, Hermione. You are going to stay here until we can come up with a plan that won't get you killed."

The vehemence with which he made his declaration surprised Hermione. She wasn't used to him showing any amount of passion about anything. Even in the most stressful of moments, he'd always been levelheaded and cool to the point of irreverence. The manner in which he used her first name was surprising as well. Their friendship had certainly developed to the point over the months that they were able to use the other's first names when they wished without it feeling too out of character. It was was easy to fall back into old habits when they were annoyed. But, this was different. For the first time in years, probably since the day they were in the Room of Requirement running from Vincent Crabbe's ill-mannered Fiendfyre, she could tell he was rattled.

"Why do you care so much what happens to me, Draco?"

She didn't mean to ask the question. Truthfully, it seemed inappropriate. Everyone was entitled to their own private feelings and thoughts. As soon as the question slipped from her tongue, she wished she hadn't asked. Instead of immediately answering, the wizard ran his hands through his pale blond hair and sighed. A war was going on within himself if his countenance was anything to go by. Finally, after several awkward moments of tense silence, he spoke again.

"I shouldn't care about you or what happens to you. You're nothing but trouble."

It wasn't the first time she had heard those words used to describe her. Likely, it wouldn't be the last. She knew what kind of baggage an association with her brought upon an unsuspecting connection. Instead of being offended, Hermione almost felt pity for the man. Certainly his life would've been much easier if their paths never crossed.

"When the Resistance first asked me to track you months ago, I did so with no hesitation. Wasn't even worried that it would ever become anything more than just a simple mission."

"And now?"

Hermione wasn't sure that she actually wanted to hear the answer to her question. It might be more than she could handle. Almost as if he could read her mind, Draco's reluctance to answer became even more evident. Finally, he sighed again.

"I never would've imagined that I would care. Maybe I should've just let the Resistance capture you on their own. Then my life wouldn't be so complicated now."

He didn't give her an opportunity to respond before he was storming out the front door to his opulent flat. The slamming of the door behind him rang in Hermione's ears. For several minutes she stood staring at the way out, analyzing his words and hoping that he would come back.