Escaping

…

Harry and Cho made their way up the stairs, laughing at Tonks' constantly changing nose. It was almost familiar, being with her again, quite different from the feeling of impending doom he had been feeling for the past few months. Being with her was almost like being…normal. As they walked towards the bedroom, Cho noticed something sparkling on the floor.

"Hey," she said, picking it up. "Look."

Harry inspected the earring, looking at it closely. He remembered Tonks' pig nose, and he suppressed a chuckle. He remembered Hermione, and how she was missing an earring—he looked at the door in front of him and peered lightly. Inside was the sleeping figure of Narcissa Malfoy. He looked at Cho, who looked confused, and handed her the diamond earring.

"I'll follow," Harry said, hiding his sense of panic. "I just need to speak with Lupin for a moment." He rushed down the rickety stairs, Hermione's strange behavior still plaguing him at the back of his mind.

…

"It's not wise, what you did." A cold, calm voice said. Draco straightened up and clutched his wand tighter. The sun had just set; the moon was peeking from behind the clouds. He'd ran as far as he could away from Knostville, and it led him to an abandoned warehouse in the middle of a clearing. "I'm almost disappointed in you."

"Professor Snape." Draco replied, taking a step back. "He asked you to kill me?"

"Oh, heavens no." Snape answered. "He wants you alive. Apparently, you're useful now. Been living with the mudblood Granger, have we?"

"Don't call her that!" Draco found himself saying before he could stop himself. A second later, he found himself thrown down on the ground.

"What's happened to you, Draco?" Snape said, looking down on him. He was concerned, he admitted; young Malfoy was his student for six years. Hearing him defend the mudblood was both disappointing and frightening.

"Do what you must," Draco spat, "but I will never talk. I refuse to be my father."

"Have I taught you nothing these past few years?" Snape replied angrily. He clutched Draco's robe and pulled him close to his face. "You must not show weakness." He whispered, with the concern of a frightened parent. Almost as instantly, he threw Draco to the ground and summoned two more death eaters.

"Dolohov," Snape said as one death eater apparated with a loud pop, "and Kruff." As the other one followed. "Inform Fenrir that I have the boy, tell him to stop all search parties." Dolohov looked at the figure on the ground, his once pale and pristine face dirtied with blood and dirt. "I shall bring him to the Dark Lord." Snape said, as if reading Dolohov's thoughts. They bowed deeply, and disapparated.

"I promised your mother I'd let no harm come to you." Snape mumbled lowly, as he paced. He closed his mind, tight, afraid of the Dark Lord penetrating the thoughts he was harboring towards the boy. "Narcissa was always a mother before a death eater."

"Where is she?" Draco asked in a low growl. Snape glanced at him coldly, and resumed his to his pacing. He must protect the boy somehow. He must—

"Severus." A voice, devoid of any warmth, greeted him. Draco need not look up, he knew whom it was. His only wish was that Granger wasn't foolish enough to go after him.

…

Hermione followed the two loud pops she heard, which lead her deep into an unfamiliar place. She had been searching for Draco for hours; she tried inquiring from nearby houses, she tried going inside abandoned ones (not effective—the charms placed upon the homes were too powerful) and she'd searched the vicinity of Knotsville. It was then that she'd found a rough patch of dark green; she took this as a good sign and carried on.

She didn't even know why she was following Draco. They'd hated—no, even hate was too soft a word—each other for years. There was something in his short stay with her that made her forget everything he did. She would not admit it to himself, but the portrait helped in turning her extreme detestation for him into something more human—almost compassionate. He was quite handsome; too…she shook her head of the thoughts.

She found herself behind a big crate, looking at Draco's hunched body, ignoring the impulse to run to him and make sure he was alright. She breathed a sigh of relief when Snape seemed determined to protect him.

"Where is she?" He asked in a low growl. Even in his pitiful state, Draco never let go of his pride.

She's safe, Hermione wanted to say, the Order has her. Surprise came to her as she saw Lord Voldemort's figure materialize before her eyes. Her legs seemed to have failed her, and she clutched the crate for support.

"Young Malfoy." Lord Voldemort said in a disturbingly calm way. "You have given us quite the difficult time."

Draco would not reply. "My Lord—"

"It is not you whom I am talking to, Severus." Voldemort told him threateningly.

"I apologize, Master." Severus bowed, and backed away. Hermione could tell that by the look of his face, he was still figuring out how to get Draco out of there.

"I understand that you have been living with that filthy mudblood for the past days, I am correct?" Lord Voldemort asked. Draco replied with a blank stare. "Answer me, boy!" He bellowed. Draco's resolute will seemed to please him; he had taken immense satisfaction in torturing information out of wizards. "If you do not wish to go willingly, then I must employ force. Young!"

A tall, dark wizard appeared and bowed deeply to the cloaked figure. "What are your orders, My Lord?"

"Bring Narcissa here." He said plainly, and Hermione saw Draco's eyes widen in shock. A second later the death eater Young was gone; then he was back, holding a woman with a wan complexion and a pointed face.

"Mother!" Draco lurched forward towards her and held her tightly.

"Draco, you are alive!" Narcissa said, holding Draco just as tightly. A force then threw them apart; Draco found his wrists bound and his wand in Young's possession. Narcissa was beside Voldemort, his wand looming dangerously near her. Hermione could not understand, Number 12 Grimmauld place could not be penetrated! Unless, unless there was an attack, but surely she would have known by now. The only reasonable explanation would be that this woman was not Narcissa Malfoy.

"It's me you want!" Draco screamed. "Don't hurt her!"

But it's not her, Hermione thought, as if she was relaying the message to Draco, it's not her. Your mother is safe with us. That is not your mother; it's an impostor. She repeatedly said this in her mind, hoping that Draco would use his ability as a legilimens and hear her thoughts.

"Ah, it is apparent that Narcissa isn't the only woman here." Lord Voldemort said, and before Hermione could run away, she was flying in his direction, her wrists bound, her wand in Young's possession. Draco looked surprised, angry and almost fearful that she was here.

"Don't listen to him!" Hermione shrieked. "That's not your mother, Draco, she's safe, she's—"

"Crucio!" Voldemort bellowed, and a piercing pain hit Hermione. Draco bent forward, determined to get to her, as tears streaked down her eyes and her bound body contorted in many different directions. Draco looked at Snape with horror, half expecting him to stop this.

"My lord!" Snape said, and the bond was immediately broken. Hermione lay on the ground, motionless. "Why torture the girl? She is of no use to us; we need to procure the information from Draco now."

Draco thought of plans and ran them through. He needed to get her out of there, and, if what she was saying was true, he needed to get himself out of there, to see his mother. John Young had their wands; he needed them to apparate.

"My Lord, I think—"

"I cannot penetrate into the boy's mind! His thoughts are clouded by his concern for the mudblood!" Voldemort said, and looked at Hermione, as if fascinated and disgusted by her. Draco implored Snape's help once more; he promised to keep him safe. Hermione stirred beside him, it gave him a small glimmer of hope.

I need a distraction, Draco's stare seemed to say. You promised me my safety.

Then make one, Snape replied, his glare powerful. But this is the last time, Draco—

Draco screamed as he charged at Snape, who seemed to have knocked John Young down, which caused him to let go of the wands. Lord Voldemort was surprised, and, shoving the fake Narcissa to the side, prepared to cast a spell on Draco.

"Avada—"

"My lord! We need him!" The fake Narcissa said, clutching her robe in horror. Her pale blond hair had turned into a menacing shade of black; Bellatrix Lestrange was turning back into her natural form.

This distraction bought Draco the time he needed, Lord Voldemort looked back at the impostor, as he grabbed the wands, his hands still bound behind his back, and leapt to Hermione. He needed to disapparate, to get her out of there. He knew he had to have contact, but that seemed impossible at the moment, so he acted on the first solution that came to his mind. He bent down and kissed her, passionately, and thought about Knotsville. There was darkness and a loud pop, and they landed on the front steps of Janella's house.

Hermione opened her eyes, wide in shock, as they hit the soft and wet grass. Something about the kiss was confusing and strange and yet, familiar. The impact drove them apart.

"Hermione!" They heard distant voices say, and almost immediately, they turned their heads towards the door, both scared and relieved, and was glad that it was only Tonks. Hermione and Draco shared meaningful looks.

"It's the Malfoy kid!" Tonks said, speeding up. She first attended to Hermione, and with a flick of her wand, the rope that bound her arms were loose. Lupin followed immediately, surprise evident on his eyes as he gazed upon a bloody Draco, his wrists tied and carrying two wands.

"Don't hurt him!" Hermione said protectively, stepping in front of Draco. "He, he—"

"We know, Hermione." Lupin said. He helped Draco up to his feet, and loosened the bonds on his hands; the wands fell on the ground. He picked them up and handed one to Hermione.

"We need to get you two out of here, you still are moving targets. Tonks, get them back home. I shall destroy the fireplace and follow shortly." Lupin gave Tonks an affectionate look, and she nodded immediately.

"Come on, in here, you two." Tonks said. "Normally we're supposed to travel individually but," Tonks looked outside worriedly, "I think we can forget that for now." She grabbed a handful of floo powder and recited the name of the place. As the green flames engulfed them, Hermione held on to Draco's hand.

…

"Remember when you saved my life?" The auburn-haired woman asked playfully. Her husband, clad in emerald silk, laughed gaily.

"It was nothing, really." He said, with an air of arrogance so common to him.

"Smart, is what I would call it." She replied, smiling.

"I never thought the bond of a kiss would be powerful enough." He looked at her, lightly caressing her hand, his emerald ring still present in her fingers. "I was just lucky, I guess."

"The kiss didn't do it," his wife said, a tone familiar to wisdom and knowledge, "it was the emotion behind the kiss."

"Why am I not surprised that you'd know this?" He laughed gently.

"I researched it that night we returned to Grimmauld place."

"You did?" He asked, his pale blonde eyebrow cocking at her.

"Naturally," she replied, blushing. "I was young, I was thirsty for knowledge—"

"—for my kiss, more like it—"

This earned him a slap on the arm. "Draco!"

"I'm wrong, then?" He coaxed.

She smiled, answering his question as she put her lips to his, holding him tightly. She lay down on his chest, content. The warm fire cackled, and the light did wonderfully, enhancing the features of Draco Malfoy's young and beautiful wife.

"Hermione?"

"Hmm?"

He looked down at her, her face was solemn and content, her lips parted in a soft grin. He kissed her forehead and held on to his wife, looking at the portrait hanging above the fire. He would have to tell his children that their great aunt Janella wasn't a foolish seer, after all.

FIN

…

THANK YOU TO ALL OF YOU WHO REVIEWED! I had a fantastic (and long) time writing this fic. I hope you liked it! Have fun in reading the Deathly Hallows. :)