Thanks, Moogoo and Cat18 for your reviews! Moogoo, I will try to slow down the story a bit. I have a lot in mind for it, and I'm going to try to make my chapters longer than normal (for me). Well, enjoy!

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The shack was really just an eight by ten room with a ratty old cot in one corner and some pots and pans in a tub under the only window. The room was covered in a fine layer of dust, and there were holes in the ceiling and walls, while the floor was just dirt.

"It's probably just an old hunting cabin some villager stayed in sometimes. It doesn't look like it's been occupied in a while," Draco said, peering around.

"Well, for once I'm sorry to say I think you're wrong," Hermione said. She pointed to the floor. "If you look, the dirt has been disturbed and there are small prints in it. The bed isn't dusty at all, really. Malfoy, someone has been living here."

Draco cursed. "Look, we can't keep going like this. We're both tired and hungry, so we've got to stay here, at least for a few hours. Maybe they won't come back. How about if you go out, get a big stick that you could use as a club, and stay here. I'll go try and find something to eat while you wait. When I get back, we can take turns eating and sleeping, right?"

"Okay. I don't really like the idea of splitting up, but I guess it would be alright," she agreed.

"Good. Go get your stick and come straight back here. If anyone tries to come in, you wait by the door and bean them as hard as you can upside the head. Knock them out if possible. This is a hit first and ask questions later situation. Do whatever you can to stay hidden," he warned. They had left the shack together and were walking towards the little wood. After he finished his lecture, though, he left her alone and went to find some food.

Hermione looked around. The woods, which had seemed green and pretty in the early morning light, had now taken on a sinister and forbidding look. With every step she took she expected a German soldier to jump out from behind a tree and grab her. Once, a rabbit darted in front of her and she almost screamed. She grabbed the first sturdy looking branch she could find and ran all the way back to the shack.

Once inside, she found a little wooden stool with three legs and set it by the door. She sat down and leaned against the wall, her stick in one hand, trying to calm down. She watched as a small spider skittered across the floor. She was so tired...

When she opened her eyes again, a small girl was standing in front of her, her stringy brown hair falling around her small face, large brown eyes gazing at Hermione with a look of pure curiosity. Her dress, which must have been a pale pink with small flowers, was now a dingy brown with stains and a few tears. The sleeve was hanging loosely off one of her tiny shoulders. She was filthy had no shoes.

"Hallo, where's your mum?" Hermione asked, forgetting she was in Germany momentarily and that this little girl probably didn't speak any English. She was right. The little girl just continued staring, but took a small step back. Maybe she thought this stranger was going to hurt her.

Just then, Draco walked in. He froze when he saw the girl, and then rounded on Hermione. "Where did she come from?" he hissed. She just looked at him and shrugged. "I thought I said no one was to enter this place. Are you as deaf as you are annoying?" he snarled.

"She's just a little girl! She can't be much more than six, and she's obviously alone. What can she do?" Hermione snapped.

"She can tell an adult that there are a couple of English kids living in this shack. They can follow our trail from here. My gosh! And they say that you're the smartest kid in school?" he shook his head in dismay.

"Look, I'm sorry. I fell asleep and when I woke up, there she was. What was I going to do, hit a little girl with a club? I don't think so, Malfoy." she growled.

"Fine." He reached into his robe and pulled out his wand.

"No! What are you going to do to her?" Hermione grabbed his hand. He just shook her off.

"Relax, I'm not going to touch her," he frowned. He placed the tip of the wand at his throat and uttered some sort of incantation Hermione didn't recognize.

"What did you just do?" she asked. He ignored her and bent down so he was at eye level with the girl. He began speaking to her in German and she looked at him with bright, intelligent eyes, occasionally nodding or giving short answers. Finally he stood up.

"Her name is Elsa. She's six years old and her parents are dead. They were harboring Jews and refused to surrender them to the Nazis. Her mother hid her and told her not to make a sound. She ran away after the soldiers left and she's been living in this shack for a while. She knows how to find food. I think we should take her with us. She has no future here."

"How...how did you do that? You don't speak German. What was that spell you used on yourself?" Hermione was still hung up on the fact that he knew something she didn't. Draco actually smiled.

"You aren't the only one who reads spell books sometimes, Granger. My family travels a lot and we have to communicate when we're abroad. So is it okay with you if we bring her with us?" he said, nodding towards Elsa.

"Oh. Uh, sure. I guess that's okay, but I'm not going to take care of her by myself, got it? You have to help. You can't just wander off whenever the mood hits you," she said.

"Hey, so far, I'm the one who's been saving our butts. If it hadn't been for me, you probably wouldn't have left Frankfurt. You'd have been caught by those Nazi guards." Hermione didn't know what to say to this. It was true, after all.

"Fine. Did you get anything to eat?" she asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah. Here, cook these or something. I'm going to sleep for a while." He tossed his scarf to her, and she opened it to find some herbs, berries, and a few small apples.

"Wait," she said, just before he could lie down. He looked at her. "Teach me that spell so I can talk to Elsa," she requested. He stood up and walked over to her, getting out his wand. "No, I said teach me, don't do it yourself. I want to learn it."

"It's a very tricky spell, Granger. If you mess up even the tiniest bit, you could end up with anything from no voice to no throat. Just hold still," he commanded. He placed the wand gently to her throat and muttered the words. She felt a strange tickling at the back of her throat, but otherwise, nothing changed.

"Did it work?" she asked.

"Talk to her," he said, pointing to Elsa.

"Hi, Elsa, I'm Hermione," she said. Elsa just looked at her. "Aw, crud. It didn't work," she groaned.

"Hello," Elsa whispered from behind her. Hermione turned around at the sound of the gentle, tiny voice and smiled.

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Okay, how was that guys? Please, please, please review! I'd like to get more response to this story, even if it's just a couple words.