Thank you to everyone who reviewed! It always makes me feel good that my writing is appreciated, as any writer knows. Sorry to anyone who wrote a signed review this time, but for some reason, FanFiction hasn't been forwarding on my reviews, so I haven't been able to reply. Well, as promised, here's chapter 11!
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As Hermione and Draco stumbled down the stairs, the old wizard in the kitchen turned to study them with a pensive gaze. Hermione unconsciously stood up straighter and attempted to iron the wrinkles out of her slept-in skirt with her hands. Draco couldn't quite meet his gaze but stared at a point just over the old man's right shoulder.
"Hello. I presume that you must be Mister Malfoy and you, my dear, must be Miss Granger," Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eye.
"Er...yes, that's correct," Hermione said, extending her hand which he shook.
"No need to be surprised, Faye told me everything already. It's nice to meet some fellow countrymen, excuse me, and woman. However, I must warn you, it will be very dangerous once we are in London. Are you positive that London is where you want to go? It's safer in the country. All of the children have been evacuated from the cities, so you would have to stay hidden or use an aging spell, which could be very dangerous. You wouldn't want to end up looking like me, now, would you?" the old man chuckled, but they could sense how very serious he really was.
"We've thought about the risks, Professor, and we have decided that it can't be any more dangerous than what we've already experienced," Draco said without realizing his slip. Dumbledore, however, looked at him very sharply at the word professor.
"I don't believe that I ever said I was a professor," Dumbledore said.
Draco, suddenly aware of his mistake said, "Oh, of course. Sorry, you remind me of one of my old professors back at school. I didn't mean to offend or anything."
"No offense taken, I actually am a professor at a private school," Dumbledore said, still peering at Draco over the top of his half-moon glasses.
Hermione shifted uncomfortably from one foot to the other, causing Dumbledore to shift his attention to her and regard her carefully with his hawk-like gaze. After what seemed like an eternity to the two students, Dumbledore finally coughed and turned to Faye.
"Well, I suppose that they want to get home right away, so shall we get started?" he said.
"I guess so. Minerva is okay with this, right?" Faye questioned. Once again, Draco and Hermione exchanged a look.
"Of course. She said no one ever visits the place anymore, anyway, so it should be safe. So far, it has escaped any damage from the bombings. Are you ready, my boy?" he asked, brushing off any further questioning and turning to Draco. Draco didn't know if he should be excited about finally getting back to England or afraid to see the state it would be in upon his return. He only nodded.
Faye walked over to Hermione's side and instructed her to hold on to her waist and not let go until Faye told her it was okay. Dumbledore told Draco it was okay to just hold his arm, but he should not let go under any circumstance. And thus, with two loud popping noises, the four disappeared.
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Hermione had never been side-alonged before, and she thought the experience quite unpleasant. It felt like being squeezed through an empty paper towel tube. The feeling seemed to last forever, and she wondered just how fast they were traveling at that moment. Just when she felt she couldn't take it any more, it stopped.
"It's all right, dear, you can let go now," Faye said, releasing Hermione.
As Hermione stepped away from the lady, she took in her surroundings. They were apparently in a very old house which didn't appear to have been lived in for quite some time. The only light came from a large picture window at one end of the room, filling the house with a heavy sense of loneliness. All of the furniture was covered in dust sheets, and the once plush carpets had a moth-eaten look. The paintings on the walls were probably worth quite a bit of money, but they, too, were covered in dust and grime.
"Where are we?" she asked, turning to Faye.
"We are in the house of one of my dearest friends," a voice said from behind her. She turned to see Dumbledore and Draco standing in the doorway. "Sorry, but we arrived in a different room. It's been a while since I was last here. Minerva McGonagall is now a teacher at my school and lives there year-round, like most of the other teachers. She has no reason to come back here usually, and since she has no family, the house has been uninhabited for many years now. It's a pity since it used to be quite nice, but it has at least given us a safe place to apparate to," he explained.
"So what part of England are we in right now, sir?" Draco asked politely, turning to their old headmaster. Hermione couldn't help but notice that he seemed much more polite since this whole fiasco started than he had ever been before. He actually seemed rather kind.
"We are about a day's journey Northwest of London. Unfortunately, Faye and I will not be able to stay with you, but I have a map which should help you on your way. It will show you exactly where you are and how far you are from your destination. Once you are in London, please use extreme caution. Some of the people can be just as dangerous as the air raids." And with that warning, he handed them the map and he and Faye once again disappeared.
"Well, that wasn't something I was expecting. Dumbledore! I can't believe that we're only a day away from London! Aren't you excited?" Hermione gushed and turned to Draco. He stood there and just looked at her with an unreadable expression on his face.
"Yeah, I guess. We'd better get going if we're going to get there, though," he said, and exited through the doorway he'd come in from. Hermione trotted after him. Faye had been kind enough to heal her ankle in Antwerp.
They wandered through the mansion, trying to find a way out. They dusty corridors and gloomy silence sent chills up Hermione's spine. The old house seemed so sad, but she felt that if she listened hard enough, the sounds of happy children and loving families could almost been heard as memories from the past. But as quickly as she thought she heard such things, the sounds would disappear and she was left once again with nothing but the sight of Draco's retreating back.
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Finally, they found the kitchen and were able to leave through a door which led them out to a heavily overgrown garden. They were able to see the gate from where they stood, though, and were soon out in the countryside.
It was early afternoon, and for once, the weather was absolutely beautiful. Hermione felt absolutely giddy with relief to be back in her home country once again, even if they were in the wrong time. She jogged down the dirt road in front of Draco until she reached a patch of little wild flowers. Immediately, she dropped to her knees and inhaled the fresh scent before scooping up a handful and beginning to weave them together.
"What are you doing?" Draco asked, walking up behind her.
"Making a crown of flowers. I haven't done this since I was a little kid!" she exclaimed in an ebullient tone. Draco just stood there, watching the girl. When she finally finished, she placed the little circlet of flowers atop her head and laughed a merry, bubbling laugh and clapped her hands for joy.
"I'm so happy! Draco, how can you stand there looking so serious when everything is starting to work out?" she asked, peering at him. He'd never seen her look so happy and beautiful than she did at that moment. Wait, did he just think she was beautiful? Well, she was. Draco suddenly felt different inside...as though something were expanding within his chest. It was a wonderful feeling, and it made him want to take her hands and dance with her, but he resisted the urge.
Instead, he stepped up close to her, wrapped one arm around her small waist and placed his other hand on her cheek, tilting her head back. She looked at him in wide-eyed wonder just before his lips descended on hers in the deepest, most heartfelt kiss she had ever experienced. Draco filled the kiss with all the passion and intensity he felt, and was pleased to feel Hermione wrap her arms around him and return the kiss.
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Well? There will only be one more chapter, so please review! I didn't get the ten reviews I wanted for the last chapter, which makes me sad, but like I said, I won't stop writing this story, either. Review, even if it's a flame!