Chapter 13

A/N: Hello readers! Another chapter! I'm almost positive it's been more than a week since I last posted. Sorry about that. I kind of forgot...

Thanks to everyone who reviewed and to irianaceleste for betaing!

~Frosty

Guns and wands restored to their hiding places, Hermione and Draco sat opposite Cassy's mother, who insisted that they call her Daisy, in an all-night restaurant. It just seemed wrong to let her sit on the ground in a dirty alley while she had been shaking and fighting off tears over the kidnapping of her daughter.

Draco was the one to mumble, "If we're going to be staying up all night, I'm going to have to drink some of that bloody caffeinated sludge."

His hands were now wrapped around a steaming mug of said sludge. He'd taken a few sips while staring out the window, but eventually decided that choking it down wasn't worth the little bit of caffeine.

"I'm not exactly here for the ambiance of this run-down cafe," he said impatiently. "Tell us your story so we can all get some rest."

Hermione shot him a look of reproach for being so rude, but Draco ignored it.

Daisy, who had been staring out the window with an attitude similar to that of a hunted animal, didn't seem very offended anyway. In fact, she almost seemed to appreciate his bluntness.

Besides the waitress sitting at the front counter, half-asleep, they were the only ones in the cafe, and so we free to speak without fear of being overheard.

"I've always been able to see things," Daisy explained as she sipped at her own coffee. "But I've never been very good at it. I can see maybe two days into the future if I'm lucky, and it's almost never helpful images. It was a stroke of luck to see you two coming out of that pet store after seeing a flash of the two of you with Cassy. I just happened to know where that pet store was and staked out the place until I saw you."

"How exactly does Apollo come into this story?" Hermione asked since her partner was clearly uncomfortable with the way Daisy's eyes kept clouding over with tears when she talked about her missing daughter.

Daisy sighed. "I'm not much of one, but I'm still a seer. As such, I'm under his authority. He thought that meant that I'd sleep with him without question, but I have Cassy and don't want gods having anything to do with her life. I've read the stories and know the trouble they cause."

Hermione had read the stories as well. Apollo had never had much luck with women, despite being a god. He always seemed to get rejected. For someone with such a large ego, Hermione understood how this didn't go over well. After all, Apollo had been the one to make it so that despite her accurate visions, no one would believe poor Cassandra. And all of this just because she wouldn't have sex with him.

"I'm sorry you had to go through that," Hermione said, genuinely sympathetic about the bad hand fate had dealt this woman. "And don't worry; we're going to find your daughter."

Daisy was unimpressed by Hermione's promise. She was too polite to say anything, but she may as well have. Her thoughts were clear on her expressive face. "I'm not going to sit on the sidelines and let you magical people ruin everything I've worked for. I'm going to help with the search for my daughter. You people lost her once; I'm not going to let you lose her again."

Poised to say something that would probably make an enemy of Daisy, Draco flinched when Hermione kicked him under the table. She spoke over his grunt of pain, knowing that they couldn't afford to chase Daisy off to try and take on the gods on her own.

"It's against Ministry policy to allow civilians – especially ones without magic of their own – to come along on investigations such as this." Hermione didn't bother mentioning that those were Auror rules. They were actually breaking a few laws just by sitting down and talking about the Ministry with a Muggle,

Daisy didn't need to know that, or that they were breaking protocol on top of laws by going in alone against Auror wishes to try and find Cassy. They would be in enough trouble as it was if they were ever caught. If they hadn't been uniquely qualified for the job, Hermione wouldn't even be risking the time in Azkaban.

At least she and Draco knew about the gods, something that gave them an advantage over the Aurors, who would be going in to a quarrel beyond their understanding completely blind to what was happening. Really, they were protecting the Aurors while giving Cassy a better chance of being found.

Like any good mother, Daisy wasn't easily swayed to leave her child's safety in the hands of someone else. "You can argue with me all you want, but I've already seen that you're going to allow me along."

As a child without a wand, it had been easy enough to assume that the little girl in a cave of magical creatures under a magical shop, but her mother was another story. If Hermione and Draco took her to the Ministry for protection, her memory would be erased and she'd probably be sent right back home, especially since the divine threat against her wasn't one that the Ministry recognised.

Both thinking the same thing, Hermione and Draco shared a look. Taking on people in need of protection wasn't something their job entailed – in fact, they could lose their jobs for doing such a thing. Yet it looked like they were about to take on their second target of gods in a very short period of time.

"We can take her to the Manor," Draco murmured, leaning close to Hermione so that Daisy couldn't hear. "Our safe house has been compromised already – not that any mortal magic can keep out the gods anyway. She'd be as safe there as anywhere else."

They both turned to the woman staring at them with slight distrust.

"Daisy, have you ever heard of Disapparation?" Hermione asked while Draco went up to the front counter to pay for their coffees.

The Muggle woman was understandably wary about Apparting. She'd been so scared during the actual process that Hermione had several crescent-shaped puncture marks in her arm from where Daisy had gripped.

"That'll happen the first few times," Draco said as Daisy threw up in the bushed lining the Manor's front gate. "You don't really get used to it, but you get better at keeping the food down." He was already through the gate and halfway to the Manor by the time Daist stood up straight, wiping her mouth.

"Is he always so..."

"Unpleasant?" Hermione finished for her. "He's short on sleep right now and it's been a hard day for all of us. But, yes, surly and rude is his natural state."

Daisy, someone who had spent a lot of time avoiding a god and his dangerous magic, was understandably distrustful of Draco and Hermione. She'd had an especially difficult time getting over her introduction to the Manor's House Elves. Hermione was sure the poor elves' ears would recover from Daisy's high-pitched screech eventually.

Over breakfast the next morning, Hermione kept an eye on Daisy. She was a little worried about the other woman.

Daisy though, was preoccupied with staring out the window. When a crow landed on a tree out on the grounds, she very nearly dove under the table.

"He's looking for you with the crows, isn't he?" Hermione asked.

Eyes never leaving the view of the grounds, Daisy nodded. "They're his spies. I don't think he know I'm here though, so he's probably spying on you two as well."

"You knew this, Granger?"

Hermione frowned at Draco's annoyed tone. "Crows are known to be associated with Apollo. According to legend, they've worked as his spies for a long time. I tried to tell you, but you told me to be quiet."

Nibbling at her breakfast, Hermione watched Draco remember that he had in fact prevented her from explaining her theory about the crows.

"I wrote to the Auror department last night and they told me that Auror Smith is still in the hospital." Hermione said crisply. "I'm going to pay him a quick visit this morning to see if he remembers anything more about his attackers."

"Why would you do that?" Daisy demanded. She was clearly eager to get out there and scour the countryside for any sign of her daughter.

"Someone attacked him to kidnap Cassy, and I doubt it was Apollo because he survived the attack. I want to question Smith to see if he remembers anything more about his attackers. If we can find whoever's working with Apollo, they might lead us to your daughter."

"I'm not going," Draco said. Hospitals were horrible enough without the addition of that wanker Smith. It wasn't like Granger needed backup there, so he was perfectly happy to stay at the Manor and allow her to do the questioning. In fact, his presence would probably only impede her questioning. It was almost guaranteed that Draco would lose his temper and say something that either got them kicked out of the hospital or offended Smith enough to make the man clam up and stop answering questions.

She could tell that her partner wasn't exactly pleased with her visiting Smith, but he understood the necessity. As a reward for his understanding, she leaned down and gave him a kiss on her way out of the room.

"Keep an eye on Daisy," she whispered before pulling away from him.

Sometimes it amused Hermione to watch the way the hospital staff tensed up at her presence, only to relax again when they realized that Draco wasn't following behind her with a scowl. The rest of the time their attitude just served as a reminder that Draco still had unresolved issues. She hoped his promise to try and behave better while in St. Mungo's would hold.

Auror Smith wasn't in the same kind of room as Draco was usually placed in. For the safety of himself but mostly the other patients, Draco was always given a single room. It helped that his mother had donated a children's wing to the hospital after the war. Hermione suspected that this was a heavily weighing factor in the hospital's decision to continue to heal Draco despite his horrible behaviour.

Smith appeared to be asleep on the bed, but the man in the second bed in the room mouthed 'he's faking.' She thanked him with a smile and yanked the curtain the divided the room closed to give them what minimal privacy it provided.

"Smith," she said, "I have some questions for you and would really appreciate if you'd stop feigning sleep and answer them."

With a sigh, he opened his eyes. "I was hoping to get a little more sleep, but if you insist." He then looked at her expectantly, waiting for the questions.

Caught in his gaze for a moment, Hermione mentally fumbled for the questions she'd wanted to ask. Had Smith always had such a mesmerizing stare?

That wasn't right.

Hermione furrowed her brows and tried to sort out why she was suddenly so attracted to someone who had been so unappealing to her in the past. She shook her head and forced herself to asked questions.

"Have you remembered any more details about the people who attacked you?"

He pursed his lips and tapped a finger against them, drawing her attention to her mouth. Not even Draco had ever managed to have her so completely transfixed with just one simple movement, and she loved him! Smith didn't even have nice lips. They were much too thin, making his mouth just a slash in his face, especially when he had them all pressed together in annoyance. Still, she couldn't look away.

Hermione knew that something was horrible wrong when not even the thought of the man she loved did anything to dispel her sudden strange lust. Unfortunately, the knowledge that something was wrong did nothing to dispel her fascination with the Auror in the hospital bed.

Once he was sure that her attention was where he wanted it, Smith spoke, "I can't say anything else comes to mind."

"That's unfortunate," Hermione murmured. Was she leaning towards Smith? What in the world was happening?

Bored, Draco lounged in one of the Manor's larger sitting rooms while Daisy sat in a chair with her eyes closed, desperately trying to have a vision that would give her a hint as to her daughter's location. He knew it was futile to try and force a vision, and the seer had to know this as well. Since trying made the woman feel like she was doing something for her daughter and stopped her from being teary and desperate, so he allowed it without comment.

He tilted his head back and stared up at the ceiling, wondering how Granger was faring with her questions. Not well, he imagined. There was something off with Smith.

Daisy gasped and turned to stare at Draco with huge eyes just as a House Elf popped into the room.

"There is a Smelly Potter here to see Miss Hermione," the elf said.

"I told you not to call him Smelly Potter anymore. If Granger hears, she's going to kill me."

The elf bowed her head and twisted her hands nervously. "Loopy will punish herself immediately."

"Not necessary," Draco said quickly. There was an annoying little voice in his head the sounded suspiciously like Granger yelling at him at the mere suggestion of his House Elves punishing themselves. "Send Potter in, I'll see what he wants."

The elf nodded and disappeared, making Daisy jump once more. She was used to associating with immortal deities, but a little elf with the habit of suddenly disappearing and reappearing was something to be alarmed about. Draco would never understand Muggles.

Speaking of Daisy... He looked over to the woman, who was still looking at him with those wide eyes of hers.

"What?" he snapped, irritated that she hadn't just said what was on her mind and needed to be prompted. She was too meek, unlike Granger, who would tell him exactly what she wanted to. Draco hated meek people. They couldn't speak their minds and were forever taking offense at the things he said, even when he was just being honest.

"Your girlfriend and that Auror..." She paused, clearly trying to think of a way to phrase what she was trying to say. Maybe it wasn't that she was meek and just that she didn't want to say what she had to tell him. "I didn't see my daughter, but I had a vision... You need to get to the hospital."

Not needed to be told twice, Draco jumped from his seat. When someone who saw the future – even as imperfectly as Daisy – told you to be somewhere, you went. He passed Potter in the hallway.

"Granger's not here, wait in the sitting room," Draco called out as he passed the other man. "The kid's mum is in there, maybe you can get some information from her." He wasn't really trying to be helpful, but Granger had probably intended that Draco watch Daisy and would be miffed if she returned to find that Daisy had been left by herself with the House Elves that made her so nervous.

Hermione wasn't like Harry, with an iron will that could resist the Imperius curse, but she was plenty stubborn. Usually, that would be enough resist almost any temptation, but Smith inspired something in her that there was no resisting. Her eyes wouldn't even move away from him no matter how hard she tried.

She was definitely leaning towards Smith. It was like he was a magnet and she was unable to get her body to stop dragging towards him. Her breathing was quicker than usual and her hands itched to touch him. Hermione had been attracted to men before, but never had her lust been so all-consuming without even touching them.

It was strange though that her thoughts were still perfectly clear. Draco could make it difficult for her to think coherently, but this lust didn't do that. It was like it was only affecting her body while in her mind she was free to uselessly fight against whatever had a hold on her.

She fought valiantly, but her brain just couldn't win against the press of her body's wants.

In transfiguration, there was always one student who thought that the animals there to be changed into inanimate objects were for their cruel amusement. Changing a bird into a throw pillow made it hard to understand that the bird was alive.

Once, Hermione had saved a bird from her one of her fellow classmates who watched with rapt attention while a scared bird battered its wings against the bars of a shrunken cage. As he watched her, Smith had the same look that her classmate had worn while watching the bird struggle.

Hermione was the bird.

"What's wrong, Granger, finally scared of me?" he asked when she was so close that their lips brushed as he spoke. His eyes were filled with the cruelty that before he'd only allowed her glimpses of.

She was unable to answer.

Kissing the man was almost a relief at first, but it quickly became clear that the kiss wasn't enough. She climbed into the bed, straddling his hips as she pressed her breasts against his chest and buried his hands in his hair. They needed to be as close as possible.

Draco was briefly stalled at the Healer's station when the woman behind the desk refused to tell him where Auror Smith was roomed. If he had been more polite in the past, she probably would have been more willing to divulge the information. Unfortunately, his reputation proceeded him. She probably thought that he was there to stab Smith, possibly light him on fire.

Luckily, Draco had brought his coin pouch with him and the Healer behind the counter was willing to forget her grudge for a small fee.

He raced through the halls, worried that something could be wrong with Granger. Smith had acted strange and spoke out against Granger in the past, what if he'd done something to his partner?

When he finally found the room number, he stopped and looking inside before just bursting in. Fingering his wand, he leaned to the side get a look in the room through the window. There was a curtain drawn to divide the room, but Draco could see Smith through a crack in the curtains.

Granger was on top of him in what was clearly a consensual embrace on the surface.

His fists clenched as he watched, getting more and more furious. Something wasn't right. Granger didn't even like Smith, but if he went in there, he'd be sure to kill the injured Auror. Remembering his promise to avoid scenes in the hospital, Draco held himself back and watched even though it tore himself up to do nothing.

As abruptly as the kiss had started, the strange compulsion that made Hermione attracted to Smith disappeared and she was free to start thinking with her brain against instead of her hormones.

After a kiss like that with Draco, she would have felt hot and bothered, but that certainly wasn't what she feeling just then. Hermione was almost certain that she was going to vomit. She shoved herself off of Smith so quickly that she nearly fell onto her butt, only managing to catch herself at the last minute.

Breathing heavily and red faced, she glared at the smug looking Smith. "What did you just do to me?"

He grinned. "Exactly what I was told to do."

Hermione punched him.

"Good girl," Draco muttered out in the corridor. His partner was on the warpath, right where Draco wanted to be.

If he was in the same building as Smith for any longer, he was definitely going to create the scene that Granger feared he would. Killing an Auror would not only get him permanently banned from the hospital, it would get him thrown in Azkaban.

Abruptly, Draco turned away from the scene in the hospital room and headed towards the exit. He needed a drink.