I'm sad. I didn't get any reviews for my last chapter. That's about the saddest thing for any writer. Do you guys not like it? Please don't be afraid to tell me it's crap in a review, so long as you tell me how I can improve. I want your opinions.
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"World War II Germany? How did I get here? I was going to the common room!" Hermione wailed. Draco grabbed her, clamped a hand over her mouth and dragged her into the shadows. He was obviously listening for something, but Hermione was merely enraged at the fact that he would dare touch her. She could think of nothing else until she saw them. Three German soldiers were walking cautiously down the other side of the street, a German shepherd on a leash in front of them sniffing the ground and occasionally looking around.
"Don't make a sound," he whispered in her ear, removing his hand from her mouth. She nodded in silence. Were they looking for survivors? Jews, maybe? She had read The Diary of Anne Frank, and she knew what these people did to Jews. Of course, she knew that they would be just as brutal to any English people who happened to be in their ruined city in the middle of a war. Spies were everywhere. Finally, the soldiers rounded the corner and went out of site. She let out a breath she didn't know she was holding.
"Let's get out of here," Draco whispered from the shadows next to her.
"And go where?" she hissed. It was true. They knew no one, had no contacts, spoke very little German, and had never been in a war so extreme before. What were they supposed to do?
"Look, somehow, we've got to get to England, or at least Switzerland. Somewhere not controlled by the Nazis. They'll kill us," he said.
"No, really? I thought they'd want to invite us over for tea and scones," she scoffed. He shot her a glare and continued.
"This late in the war, they already control most of Europe, and it won't be free for another year, at least. The Allies don't even invade Normandy until June of 1944, and Germany doesn't surrender until spring of 1945."
"Thanks for the history lesson. At least you aren't completely stupid."
"Look, we've got to cooperate to survive, okay? I don't like you, and you don't like me. We both know that, now let's get over it and get to England, right? We can resume hating each other there," he finished. She glared at him, but she had no choice but to go along with what he said.
"So where do we go from here?" she asked. He began picking a path through the rubble of the demolished city.
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"Okay, Malfoy, we're out of the city. I think it's pretty safe to stop skulking in shadows and walk like normal people. Maybe if we don't act like we're guilty of something, we'll seem less suspicious," Hermione said when they had finally gotten out of Frankfurt. It was the twilight before dawn now, and small streaks of orange were just beginning to grace the sky.
"You may know a lot about spells and stuff, Granger, but when it comes to World War II, you must be pretty dumb. See this road we're on? Don't you see just how flat and wide it is? Or would be if it weren't pock-marked with craters from explosives? It's a pretty busy thoroughfare during the day. We can't stay on it much longer after daylight, because we have no idea who we're going to encounter, right? So stop whining. I'm trying to find a place to hide out during the day," he snapped. They'd been up all night, and they hadn't eaten since what must have been yesterday afternoon in the Great Hall. He was tired and hungry and all of her complaining was really getting on his nerves.
"Hey!" she said, suddenly seeming excited.
"What?" he growled. She scowled at him.
"I was merely going to say that I see a little hut up ahead and off to the left. It's down in that little valley by a clump of trees. It looks abandoned," she said. He looked to where she was pointing and saw a run down little bundle of sticks that may have passed as a hut at one time.
"Well, we can check it out, I guess," he conceded. They turned and began walking down the hill.
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Okay, I'm really starting to get some ideas for this story, and I may actually do an outline for once to try and figure out the order that I want it written. It's coming to me in bits and pieces, and I really like what it could be. Please, guys, give me suggestions and comments. I love hearing what people think of my writing!