Chapter Two: Decisions

The die is cast.

—Julius Caesar

Hermione's heartbeat had increased dramatically, causing the blood to pump furiously around her body, as she tried to approach a rational explanation as to why Draco Malfoy was there and what she should eventually do with him. In the long run, it would be far easier just to hand him over but something was conveying her; suggesting that she should take another approach.

She then realised that during her thoughts, she had failed to recover herself from her fallen position and quickly stood up, blushing as she did so, even though nobody was present other than the unconscious youth. She could hear someone treading harshly on the stairs and this pushed her into a new state of awareness.

Hermione quickly reached down and pulled the cloak over Draco's body. She didn't understand what had compelled her to do such a thing but it was too late to take a second thought, as the police officer she had been speaking to previously, waltzed into the room.

His eyes hovered over her for a second and peered up from her crouching position. 'Are you alright, Miss?' he asked her tonelessly. 'I tried calling but you didn't respond,' he added.

Keeping her foot on the edge of Draco's body, so that she could respond if he moved. Hermione stood up once again. 'Oh, sorry officer,' she said slyly, rubbing her neck. 'I must not have heard. I was just checking under the bed for the dog. Looks like it's not here,' she added thoughtfully.

The police officer surveyed the room and nodded in agreement. 'I think it would be best if you went home; looks like the dog has either gotten out or a family member has taken it with them,' he offered her the explanation politely but Hermione could tell that her stay at the house was now over.

She smiled in response. 'Of course, Sir,' she then thought it would be a good idea to continue the discussion that she had indeed been after a family dog. As she stepped forwards, following the police officer, she muttered an incantation under her breath and hid the wand behind her back.

As she carefully walked down the stairs, slow enough to be cautious but not to seem suspicious, she bit on her lip as the officer and she approached the bottom of the stairs. Careful to keep the wand hidden, she allowed herself to be shown out of the front door, weaving herself and the invisible other, through a crowd of police officers who had now gathered.

She sighed in relief as nobody had been aware of the presence. The magical link that her wand was giving was her only reason for thinking that Draco was still travelling with her.

As the officer showed her out onto the street, she smiled for a second and was pleased of an excuse to turn her back away from him. She began to walk backwards. 'I live just over here, opposite,' Hermione began carefully making sure not to gesture with her wand, 'if you happen to see the dog, feel free to bring him over,' she added.

Hermione watched as the officer half nodded at her and disappeared back into the house. It was obvious that he wasn't interested in her anymore. Wondering how long it would take for the alarm to be raised in the magical world, Hermione slammed her door shut and pattered around in the air.

Her hand came into contact with Draco's body and she pulled the invisibility cloak off of him, careful to keep the levitating charm in force. She wondered what could have caused him to fall unconscious, as she began to levitate him up the stairs and towards the spare bedroom beside her own.

She opened the spare room door and pulled herself and Draco into the smallest bedroom of the house. It was a plain room. Whitewashed walls with a green boarder, a single bed took up the whole stretch of the room with a black and white bedspread and there was a small window with white and green curtains. Just below was a bedside cabinet with only a fan and a clock on the surface. The floor was also green; a scratchy carpet.

Hermione sighed as she tucked her wand into her pocket and stared down at the slumbering teenager. 'What were you doing?' she whispered suspiciously.

Hermione wondered what on earth had possessed her to take on such a task as this. She understood fully that she should not have removed him from the house and began to come up with reasons as to why she had done it. If anyone from the Ministry of Magic asked, she would tell them it was to make sure no muggles found him.

'You've turned me deceitful,' she hissed, staring at the unresponsive person on the bed. 'This can never be good.'

Hermione shoved his cloak under the bed and hoped that if he awoke without her being in the room, he would not look there for it. Then the terror of what he would say to her sank in. She knew he hated her and exactly what he and his friends were capable.

She stepped back and scanned him again, almost as if searching him for his wand. She bowed her head and shook an image out of her head. 'Don't you dare move,' she muttered and turned to leave the room.

'Don't worry, I can't,' he informed her through gritted teeth.

Her heart skipped a circulation and she paused in her tracks, taking in a huge gulp of air. Turning smoothly on her heals; she looked back over Draco, whose eyes were now wide open. Dull and expressionless.

'Have you been leg-locked?' Hermione asked stupidly, regretting it moments later and noticing a huge red lump that was gradually appearing on his forehead. She could tell that he was feeling sick from the pale green tinge in his cheeks.

'Full body bind, actually,' he muffled again.

Hermione spared a moment t wonder why he wasn't insulting her or her home. 'Where's you wand?' she asked him forcefully but with her words struggling to find themselves.

'Right trouser pocket,' he winged through his teeth and she could not help but giggle in her head. Moments later she was pretty glad she hadn't done it out loud. She bent over him and sure enough, there was his wand. She plucked it from his pocket and put it in her own.

Draco only half glared at her as she muttered the counter spell. 'Don't move,' she said, putting her wand into the pocket with his.

Draco grinned slightly. 'Like that would stop me,' he began to sit up and instantly sunk back down onto the pillow, making retching noises. 'Bloody, Bestia,' he moaned, rubbing his head.

'Don't you dare throw up,' Hermione said, eyes widening as she watched him.

'I can't really help it,' he sighed, rubbing his throat.

She went to smack his hand away, as she would do to her friends Ron or Harry but quickly countered her movement. 'You're going to make yourself feel worse,' she informed him and was sure that he grinned. 'You're trying to!'

'Ah,' he clutched his ears, 'are you on helium or something m—' he stopped himself from speaking and there was a period of awkward silence.

Hermione shook her head. 'Do you want a drink of water,' she offered with a lack of kindness in her tone of voice. She wondered whether this was what insanity felt like. She was sure Harry and Ron would never speak to her again. Well, they didn't have to find out.

'I'd rather have a firewhiskey,' he informed her, almost grinning.

'And I'd like the bed to still be clean in the morning,' she responded back.

As Hermione turned her back on him, she saw him grin. She was certain of that and a sudden thought struck her. She wondered whether he actually remembered who she was but reality forced her into thinking that there was no forgetfulness in his presence. Shaking her head slightly, she pressed her hand against the two wands.

'I've gone mad,' she muttered. 'Mad.'

Chapter Three: Believing In Goodness

There is nothing either good or bad, but thinking makes it

so.

—William Shakespeare