When Harry and Ron were found missing the next day it was as if the entire house was thrown into grief, each inhabitant dealing with it their own way.
Molly was the first to find out about their absence. She was going to call them for breakfast but when no reply came she entered her son's bedroom only to find a solitary note from her youngest son saying, "I love you, Mum. Please don't worry. Be safe." This threw her into a whirlwind of denial as she constantly cooked Harry and Ron's share of their meals, convinced that this was all some joke and that they would be coming home in time for dinner.
The Order went through anger. They had constantly badgered the Gryffindor girl about the whereabouts of her two best friends. She told them of course of all their plans like Harry told her to after they left, but she couldn't give away where they were because she didn't know it in the first place. When all information was gotten out from her, the order turned from an angry group of inquisitors to an angry group of pissed off adults scolding a child.
However, Draco, and this surprised Hermione, had taken the disappearance of Harry and Ron the hardest. Aside from the depression that he had felt at the loss, he was also hit by overwhelming guilt.
The first night Draco asked Hermione where the two boys were, the girl told him that they were going to be gone for a while but to not worry because they'll be back. This seemed to slightly appease the four-year-old because he nodded quietly in acceptance and went into his room.
On the third night of Harry and Ron's absence Draco was becoming quite agitated and could not control himself from voicing out his concerns.
"It's because I ate his pancakes isn't it?" Draco asked Hermione miserably
"What are you talking about?" the witch furrowed her eyebrows in confusion
"Ron! He left because he hates me for eating his pancakes!" Draco cried in frustration
"Draco I don't think—" She started to say slowly
"I promise not to eat them anymore just tell him to come back" Draco pleaded
"What on earth—this kid has some serious problems." Hermione thought to herself. She took a deep breath and she explained to the Slytherin that Ron definitely did not leave because of his missing pancakes and that their absence had nothing to do with him.
On the seventh night Draco had finally lost it.
"Draco, please listen to me. They're going to come home, I promise" Hermione pleaded with the difficult four-year-old
"NO! STOP LYING TO ME! They're never going to come back. They left me just like mother and father left me here!" the Slytherin shouted back
"Draco—!" Hermione said sternly, about to reprimand the boy for shouting at her but before she could Draco had run up to his room and lock himself in. He didn't talk to anyone the whole day or come down for any meals.
It was dinnertime when Hermione tried to talk to him again. When there was no reply when she knocked, she cast an Alohamora on the door and walked in. The sight of an empty bed made her heart jump with panic. She was about to run downstairs to alert Molly and the others when she caught sight of Draco's closet slightly ajar. She walked right up to it and peered inside. Sure enough, she found the four-year-old seated inside just staring at the floor. The Slytherin did not acknowledge her presence even when she sat down next to him.
"Draco, why are you in the closet?" Hermione asked gently
She didn't expect the boy to reply—which, is why it surprised her when he shrugged and said, "Small spaces make me feel safe"
Hermione nodded, "Like a secret place you can go to where no one can ever hurt you"
The little boy looked up at the Gryffindor, "I'm sorry Hermione"
The witch smiled down at the Slytherin as she stroked his hair, "It's okay, Draco. You're just a kid. I understand how difficult it must be for you right now"
Draco didn't say anything more and the two enjoyed each other's company in silence.
The next day Draco was determined to never let Hermione out of his sight as he constantly shadowed her wherever she went in the house. Hermione didn't mind so much as he followed her around the sitting room when she read, the kitchen as she helped molly cook or the study when she needed to brew potions. She only grew worried when Draco had started following her to the bathroom. She would find Draco just sitting outside the bathroom door waiting for her to come out when she was done with her bath. It wasn't long before the Slytherin established his permanent space in Hermione's bed, leaving his own bedroom abandoned.
"Hermione" Draco said quietly as he and his guardian lied under the covers face to face one night. Hermione had always built a makeshift tent with their blankets for him—his small space of comfort. She muttered a spell and soon the blanket-tent was basked in with a soft yellow glow.
"Yes Draco?"
"Why does everyone leave me?"
"Draco that's not true"
"Yes it is." He replied softly, "First mother and father. And now Ron and Harry"
"Draco, I want you to listen very carefully okay? Remember all those storybooks I've been reading to you? On how the Hero always has to defeat evil to protect everyone else?"
The boy nodded and Hermione continued, "Well this is just like that. We're all in a story right now and Harry is the hero. Right now they're out there fighting the evil so that we won't have to. Do you understand?"
Again the little boy nodded, "Are mother and father helping them too?"
Hermione frowned as she thought of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, "Yes, your parents are very brave" she decided to lie.
Draco sniffed, "You won't leave me, right Hermione?"
"I won't"
"Promise?"
"I promise" She smiled at the boy. She watched him blink uncomfortably before wiping the back of his hands frantically at his eyes.
"You know Draco, if you want to cry you should just do it. It must be painful to keep it in like that" Hermione frowned at the boy
"I can't" the Slytherin said weakly
"Why not?"
"Because father says, Malfoys don't cry" Draco's voice was cracking.
Hermione looked at the boy with pitying eyes. All these months she, Harry and Ron had spent with Draco they would have never guessed that he had suffered this kind of burden on him. It was almost cruel to make a toddler hold back his tears. Hell I cried when I watched The Lion King.She frowned even more when she realized that maybe that's why he had never cried when he first found out that his parents had just left him. He was probably feeling horrible for being abandoned but he never let on.
"Well, what do you say, for tonight, we'll pretend that you're not a Malfoy" Hermione smiled at the little boy
Draco blinked up at her with watery eyes, "But then who would I be?"
"You'd be Draco. Just Draco. A sweet, kind hearted little boy who likes potato chips, Quidditch and wizards chess" Hermione cooed, "Would you like that?"
The Slytherin couldn't bring himself to answer and he nodded as Hermione scooped him up in her arms. He buried himself deeper in her embrace as he sobbed until he couldn't anymore.
xxx
"Hermione? I'm off now. Tonight's the night. Shackelbolt will finally be able to take me to Arthur and the boys. Tonks will be standing guard tonight" Molly spoke from the doorway of the Gryffindor's bedroom
"Tonks? I thought the order told her to stay out of missions for a while. She did just give birth"
"Ah, well, you know that woman," Molly laughed airily
Hermione smiled at the woman who had been like her second mother. Molly had been the last Weasley, save for Ron, who was left at number 12 Grimmauld Place. The Weasley clan was divided into different safe houses: Ginny was in Hogwarts; Percy, Charlie, Bill, George and Arthur were left at the Burrow under protection; and Molly had decided to stay with Ron when he wouldn't back down from engaging missions for the order.
Hermione walked up to the woman and embraced her, "I'm sorry Molly. And I'm glad they're finally able to take you home. I'm sure you miss your family."
"It's quite alright dear," Molly said, "I hope you don't feel like I'm running out on you Hermione. I just can't stay here knowing that Ron…"
They stood there in silence in each other's embrace, "It's alright Molly, I understand. You take care now okay?" The Gryffindor whispered.
She really couldn't blame the Weasley Matriarch from wanting to run away from this place. Of course she had offered to take Hermione and Draco with her but true to her nature, Hermione had refused saying that she still had things she could do for the order. Draco refused to leave without Hermione.
They pulled back from each other and Molly gave Hermione's arm one last squeeze before turning away. The Gryffindor turned to the little boy who sat on her bed looking worriedly at her.
"Draco, is everything alright?" Hermione asked as she lay down beside him. Draco immediately huddled close to her.
"Something doesn't feel right, Hermione" Draco whispered, "Like something bad is going to happen"
A jolt of fear suddenly shot through Hermione, which found her reaching for her wand that she now kept under her pillow. She held it tight. There was something about a child saying things like that that made the hair at the back of neck stand up.
"It's probably nothing, Draco" she tried to sound happy
The Gryffindor felt him nod his head.
"Hermione?"
"Yes, Draco?"
"I know I keep asking, but when is mother coming back? I really miss her."
"Soon, darling. Now hush now and let's to sleep"
The four-year-old fell into peaceful dreams however, the same cannot be said for the Gryffindor princess as Draco's words haunted her in her restless sleep.
xxx
"Hermione! Hermione!" someone whispered frantically shaking her awake
"Hnnr…Draco…?" Hermione stirred in her sleep
"Hermione please. I'm scared," the boy cried silently
"What—"
And then she heard them. Voices—voices that did not belong to this household. She looked at her wand still clutched in hand and realized that it had been glowing red. They're here. The voices stopped and soon they heard footsteps moving under them accompanied by opening doors and creaking cabinets. There was a loud thud and the little boy jumped on Hermione's lap.
"Shh, Draco. Listen to me. Go put on your shoes and whatever clothes you can find. Quietly though." Hermione soothed the boy even though her own strength was wavering.
Draco whimpered and shook his head.
Hermione cupped his face to make him look at her, "Remember what I told you when Harry and Ron left? Well right now, those evil people are here. We have to be our own heroes right now. We have to be brave like Harry and Ron…and your mum and dad" She added hesitantly
The Slytherin stared at her with eyes wide with fear before nodding as he carefully lowered himself to the floor in search for some clothes that he may have discarded in the room.
Hermione too was up on her feet and dressed herself with whatever she could get her hands on which was rubber shoes and a cardigan. She grabbed the bag that had been hanging on her door—it was days like these that she was thankful for her paranoia that sent her obsessively packing up emergency bags. One minute later the two found themselves together again by the doorway.
Hermione picked Draco up who was now wearing one of her sweaters, as they were the only ones he could find. He was still wearing his pajama bottoms but at least he had shoes on. He tightened his hold around Hermione's neck, both of them feeling the terrified beats of their hearts.
"Alright Draco. I want you to close your eyes. No matter what you hear. Don't open them unless I tell you to. And keep as quiet as possible," Hermione instructed as she pulled the sweater's hood on his head, "It's best if we keep you hidden for now"
With one big gulp Hermione raised her wand and the door to her bedroom clicked open.
The halls were dark save for the few candles near the staircases. The Gryffindor cast a silencing charm on the creaking floorboards as she headed towards the stairs. Get to the escape route. Those were the instructions they were all given in case of an attack. Unfortunately, this escape route was in the ground floor where the Deatheaters were now going around searching for them. Normally this arrangement would have been just fine if the witch had noticed the warning signal the minute it activated. It would have given her the five-minute window to get herself towards the exit before any intruder could make their way in.
Hermione was halfway to the stairs when shadows danced upon it. Her heart dropped to her stomach as she backed away carefully. The shadows grew bigger and she broke into a run.
Where do we go? We can't hide in the bedrooms we'd be sitting ducks. The Gryffindor's courage was failing her. When she reached the opposite end of the hallway she was just about to burst into tears. Dead end. She tried the door to her right. Locked. She tried the door to her left. Locked. They didn't seem to open to Alohamora. She backed herself up on the wall and pressed against it.
From there she saw the solid figures of three Deatheaters appear at the end of the hallway. She thanked the dark because she knew they couldn't see her from there…not yet anyway. She watched them approach, stopping at every room to check. Ten doors down. Nine. Eight. Where was Tonks? She was supposed to be on guard. Seven. Six. Any nearer they'll surely spot us.
She quickly cast a Disillusionment Charm on her and Draco. Maybe they won't see us. Hermione watched in horror as the Deatheaters emerged from door number six, ready to move forward to the next. She gripped her wand, aiming it towards the three. At least I go down fighting. Three...two—
Then suddenly the wall behind her disappeared and a pair of hands clamped over her mouth and around her waist, pulling her and Draco backwards.
A/N:
Here's another chapter! The bad news is, this chapter kind of ended with a cliffhanger—as you might have already noticed. The good news is, I might post the next chapter tomorrow. Or the day after that. (I actually have chapters five to seven already lined up but I get too distracted by random crap to edit them)
Hope you guys don't find the pacing of the story too slow. And if you do, well, let me know :)
&& to Rose Granger and Adrian Cliffhunt, thanks for leaving me a message for every chapter. You guys are too nice haha.
& to Laser Lance 720, thank you for that insightful review.