If I owned Harry Potter and co I would no longer have to work. Sadly this is not the case...

~3~

Hermione felt sick as she looked around her childhood home. It had been utterly destroyed, everything in it reduced to rubble. The walls desecrated with vulgarity and insults, none of which she hadn't heard, but seeing them dripping in blood down the walls hit a bit closer than hearing them spoke tauntingly in the halls.

Tears dripped down her face as she moved further in. The only consolation she had was that her parents were still in Australia. Though the Dark Mark was gone long before she arrived, there was no way she could have mistaken it for anything other than what it was. A personal attack on her.

The muggles hadn't known how to explain it, but she did. They'd been looking for her family, and when they'd been unable to locate them, destruction and chaos was the next best thing. Furniture had been destroyed, photos desecrated and as if that weren't enough, Ancient Runes had been carved into the walls, runes of death and fear.

When she'd arrived, the officer in charge of the investigation had asked her if she knew what they meant. Of course she knew, runes was one of her favorite subjects, she couldn't tell them that though. Instead she'd shrugged and said, "they look like those symbols in the Egyptian pyramids don't they?" He'd taken a second look, agreed with her and proceeded to ask other worthless questions. She didn't blame him, he was doing his job after all, but she'd truly had enough of the morbidity of standing in the ruin of her once happy home.

In the middle of a question she'd turned on her heel and strode briskly from the house, only deviating once, with a pained glance she detoured into the study to retrieve a photograph from the fireplace the only one still intact. Her face was perfectly composed when she retired to the lawn, well as long as you didn't look into her eyes to closely.

The detective joined her on the lawn once he'd understood the reason for her hasty departure. He resumed his questioning, stopping in shock when she interrupted him. "We fought the last time I saw them." Her eyes were sad and the elderly man was entirely sympathetic.

"They wanted me to come home for the holidays this year, but I ... I have to stay at school. I'm head girl see, it's my duty to stay with the students who are unable to return home..." she was rambling and she knew it, but guilt was eating her inside.

"Granger!" The unmistakable shout distracted her from her pity party and she turned quickly on her heel.

"Draco? What are you doing here?" He strode to her quickly, his large hands coming to rest on her shoulders as he took in her appearance.

"What do you think I'm doing here you daft girl? Are you alright?" He glanced over her head at the uniformed officer eyeing him in interest. "The Headmistress told me what happened..." his voice was low, soothing and she cocked an eyebrow in interest.

"She just told you did she?"

"Well... I may have made a scene at dinner..." he smirked. She rolled her eyes at him before a clearing throat caught her attention.

"Oh, Detective Nottingham, my apologies, this is a... one of my..."

"Draco Malfoy, sir, her school partner." The detectives eyes sharpened at the name Malfoy before turning back to her in disbelief.

"So you attend Hogwarts then?" he finally asked.

Both students stared at him in shock. "You would be Lucius son?" Draco nodded, eyes narrowed on the man in front of him. "And how does your Death Eater daddy feel about you associating with a Muggle Born?" the formerly gentlemanly detective sneered.

Draco finally recovered his smirk as he said, "Ah you must be the infamous Academius Nott, former Slytherin and first Nott to turn Blood Traitor."

Hermione smacked him in the ribs and said, "Behave yourself Draco."

"Me? Did you hear what he said? He doesn't even know me!"

She nodded. "Yes, you're right, but after years of throwing your name around to get what you want, surely you realize there is a stigma that comes with it?"

"Well... yes, of course..." She hugged his arm gently.

"Thank you for coming Malfoy..." she turned large sad eyes up at him and he nearly whimpered with the need to comfort her.

"Oh Granger," he muttered, pulling her against his chest where she finally allowed her mask to crack just a bit. His hands ran soothingly over her back while his eyes remained narrowed on the exiled wizard.

"It's my fault..." she muttered. "Payback for the Ministry and all..."

He laughed, though there was very little humor in it. "Check your ego Granger, not everything is about you."

She pushed away, but he just tightened his embrace. "Oh really? So Voldemort's troops just randomly attacked a modest home in a small town?"

Nott took a step back at the loathed name. "Granger," Malfoy cajoled. "He randomly attacks everywhere."

She shook her head. "Don't Malfoy. They... they drew runes on the walls. It was a Fehu, Raidho, Hagalaz and Sowilo, all... all of them Merkstave..."

"Hermione," he said quietly, tightening his embrace.

She leaned back, looking up into his eyes. "They're going to find me..."

His silver eyes narrowed at the thought leading him to growl out, "Over my dead body." Her eyes grew wide as she stared up at him.

"Draco," she said simply, lifting her fingers to rest on his cheek. He nuzzled into her, pressing a kiss to her palm. He'd forgotten that her parents were murdered just hours before, forgotten that they were in a muggle neighborhood, with a wizard that he didn't know and certainly didn't trust. Everything faded into the background as his lips touched her for the first time. It took entirely too much effort to regulate his breathing as her taste lingered on his lips. His control was slipping fast, and he almost lost it completely when she leaned up to press a kiss to his jaw.

He stepped back, breathing hard and fighting for control as his instincts demanded he claim her. "Are you done here?" he finally asked.

She turned to the detective who'd been watching them curiously. He nodded slightly, "If we need anything further I will contact the Headmaster."

Now it was Hermione's turn to study him curiously. "You mean the Headmistress?"

"What?"

"Professor Dumbledore was murdered by Deatheaters. Professor McGonagall is Headmistress of Hogwarts now." Draco clarified.

"But... how... when... what?" The former Nott was dumbfounded.

"You should really catch up on current events. After all, they do trickle into the muggle world as well..." she gestured towards her parents house, her lip trembling slightly and Draco moved swiftly back to her side, wrapping an arm around her and pulling her close. He led her away, deeper into the shadows, where he could dissaparate without being seen.