*** 22 – In A Fog ***

The next week was spent planning Liz's reintegration into the mad world of Muggle science. It was decided fairly early on in the planning process that Blaise would get Liz first, and then Draco a few days later so as not to arouse suspicion.

Dumbledore also thought that it would be a good idea if Liz were to leave Grimmauld a few more times so that it would give 'Blake' a chance to find and follow her before approaching her. This plan was very detailed, and every move was carefully laid out and discussed before it was made.

What seemed to shock the house most was the fact that Ron had been placed in charge of the mission. Apparently this was a rarity in the house, or so Liz was told. The day after that had been decided, Liz overheard Remus discussing the matter with Dumbledore in a positive light after having been asked about it by Molly. Dumbledore and Remus were comparing the plan to a game of chess, and Liz suddenly knew without a doubt that Ron was the right man for the job. He had started teaching her how to play Wizard's Chess in some of the little free time they had, and she'd been most impressed by his skill. He slaughtered Harry every time they played. If anyone could plot out this insane plan of hers, it was Ron.

Liz had spent all of her free time lately training with many members of the Order. She was still working on spells with Ginny, Tonks and Luna, but Potions, Herbology and Flying Lessons had been put off. Instead, she was now studying Muggle combat with Draco and Kingsley. They wanted her to be ready for any fight.

Liz had also been taking lessons from Dumbledore and McGonagall as well. While Harry, Neville, Ron, Remus, Arthur and Molly planned out how Liz would be monitored once she was inside the facility, Dumbledore and McGonagall wanted to make sure that she'd survive without her wand. As such, they'd been training her with both wordless and wandless magic. They'd both been impressed by how well she'd picked it up again, and how strong she still was. As Dumbledore had predicted though, she was always stronger when Draco was close by. He'd mastered these types of magic years ago, and was always willing to help them.

Also, every night before she went to bed, Liz and Harry journeyed to the attic in the hopes of getting her Patronus spell up to snuff, since it was the only one that could not be done unless the caster had a wand. While she was improving, she was nowhere near where she needed to be. She kept at it though, never letting her lack of a Patronus discourage her.

Finally, a whole week after Liz had first suggested the plan, it was announced that it would be put into action the following day. Blaise would approach Liz at the local market, and suggest that they meet for coffee the next day to catch up. At that time, he'd apparate them both to the new facility. Liz would be there for two days on her own before Draco joined her there. She'd be closely monitored by Dumbledore's magic (how, he wouldn't say) until the time when she and Draco were put together (which would be suggested early on by Blaise) to help Liz 'remember her magic'. After that, they'd only be able to communicate by Patronus, which would be incredibly dangerous. Harry, Ron, Ginny, Draco and Liz weren't sure about communicating through their minds like they did in the attic that day, as they weren't sure about possible side effects that could be noticed by the scientists. So while they had been practicing off and on while Liz was out and away from Grimmauld (to see how far apart they could be and still communicate), they decided not to use this power while Liz was away unless it was an absolute emergency.

Draco had also been sent outside of Grimmauld Place to begin his reunion with Blaise. Because Blaise had helped Liz escape from the last compound, she'd go with him easily when he asked. Draco would play a little hard-to-get with Blaise, again so it wouldn't look too suspicious.

Liz reflected back on everything she'd learned as she was approached by 'Blake' in the market for the first time. 'Blake' had been visiting his family in London, and enjoying his freedom. Liz had been 'travelling' since their escape, and was heading to Italy after she'd finished in England. They'd hugged each other goodbye, promising to meet again the next day.

Liz returned to Grimmauld with her stomach in knots. She knew that she had to do this, and she wanted to, but she was still really nervous. She'd feel better once Draco got to the facility, but even then she'd have to pretend that she didn't know him. This wasn't going to be easy. She entered the house and was immediately pulled into one of Molly's famous hugs. The older woman could see how Liz was scared about it all, and whispered words of comfort as she held her close. Liz clutched her gratefully. While her fears hadn't subsided in the least, she felt better knowing that everyone was willing to support her.

Dinner was a quiet affair as was the time in the lounge that followed, and Liz wanted nothing more than to stay here where it was safe, but she knew that she couldn't. She retired to her room fairly early, hoping to get a good night's sleep before the big day.

But sleep would elude her that night, and she tossed and turned for three hours before sighing angrily and getting back up. Hoping that a cup of tea would relax her overworked brain, she quietly slipped her new robe (one that Molly had insisted on buying her the previous week) on over her t-shirt and shorts, and tiptoed down the stairs.

As she appraoched the kitchen, she saw a faint light underneath the door. Apparently she wasn't the only one who was having trouble sleeping. On instinct, her hand went to the pocket of her robe and her fingers wrapped themselves around her wand. After training with it so much over the last few weeks, it had become habit to bring her wand everywhere she went now. Liz didn't think that it was some stranger in the kitchen, but with everything going on, she refused to take any unnecessary chances.

Holding her wand at the ready, she slowly opened the door to the kitchen. She released the breath she didn't realize she'd been holding when she saw the familiar, tall figure leaning against the counter.

"Couldn't sleep either?"

She lowered her wand. "Too many thoughts in my head."

Draco chuckled at her admission. "So it's business as usual then," he commented, sipping from his cup.

Liz tried to fix him with a glare, but his innocent and amused smile prevented her from doing so, and caused her to giggle softly. At that moment, she was thankful for the darkened shadows of the room. While she could now pass off her flushing cheeks as an after-effect of her laughter, there would have been no such luck beforehand when she had first noticed that he was clad only in pyjama pants.

"Tea?" he offered. She nodded and conjured herself a mug to match his. He poured her tea, and she quickly added in a bit of milk and some sugar. "I still don't know how you can drink it like that." He admitted.

"Habit," she replied, sipping quietly. "It's just the way I was brought up." She realized her mistake about her past immediately, and her eyes widened. She could see his eyes darken, but he said nothing about her slip. "So why can't you sleep?" she asked, trying to salvage the situation.

"Just couldn't stop thinking about what's going to happen over the next few days."

"Nervous?"

"I just hate having to leave Isabel. I feel like I'm neglecting her lately."

"You know that's not true."

"I know, but I still don't like it. I'd love to leave all this behind and just be with her."

"I don't blame you at all," Liz replied, moving to lean on the counter next to him. "All of this chaos lately really makes me appreciate how quiet life was back in Canada. Nothing ever happened there."

"Sounds like heaven," Draco whispered.

She turned and gave him a soft smile. "I didn't think so at the time. I kept wishing for something to happen." Liz took a deep breath before continuing, afraid to make the coming admission, but wanting to be honest. "I sometimes wish I'd stayed home instead of going to the park that day."

The stricken look on Draco's face nearly broke her heart. Silence permeated the room for a few seconds before he spoke. "You regret being here?"

"No," she replied instantly. "I wish that neither of us had to go back to those horrid scientists. I wish that I'd never left the house after that fight with Harry, for they'd never have found me if I'd stayed put. I wish that I'd never been shot. I wish that I'd never tried to escape from that other facility. I wish that I'd run home the day I met you rather than into the school." Her voice had gotten higher, and she felt tears falling down her face as she made her final admission. "I wish I'd never been taken from the hospital in the first place." Her voice now dropped down to a whisper. "It's all my fault."

She felt him take the mug from her shaking hands and set it on the counter before enveloping her in a tight hug. He held her shaking shoulders and gently stroked her hair as she sobbed quietly into his chest. He said nothing, but she felt everything he wanted to express. Her arms were tight around his waist, and she allowed his warmth and comfort to calm her aching heart.

After a few minutes, she felt calm enough to speak. She stayed where she was and breathed deeply. "I believe you about my past, but it's hard to let go of the only life I've known. All I know is my home in Canada, and it kills me to know that it wasn't real. Maybe if I'd been different when I was younger here, they wouldn't have taken me and put us through all this."

He held her tightly for a few seconds more before pulling back. He stayed close enough, though, so that her hands still rested lightly on his waist. His hands left her back and found their way to her tear-stained cheeks, and his thumbs gently brushed away the water marks. Draco stared deeply into her sad eyes as he spoke. "This is not your fault." His tone was gentle but firm. "We had no way of knowing who they'd take. To be honest, everyone figured Harry would be the first on the Ministry's list for protection. I don't want you thinking that way, and I know I'm not the only one. This was something that had to happen. Now we have a chance to ensure that it doesn't happen to anyone else, and we wouldn't have gotten here is you'd stayed here with us. I hated the time away from you, but all that matters is that you're coming back to us. Even if you never regain your memories, you will always have a home here."

His impassioned speech sparked a warm feeling deep inside her, and it soon travelled to the rest of her body. She felt incredible comfort at his words, but the new feeling was overpowering everything else until she finally received the message in her brain. Staring into his brilliant silver eyes, she saw them darken as they had when they'd been dancing close the week before. Her tears had stopped, yet he didn't remove his hands. Liz's mind was screaming at her and for once, it was screaming the same thing as her heart.

Throwing caution to the wind, she raised herself onto her tiptoes and gently brushed his lips with her own. The brief touch between them sent shivers flying through her entire body, and she was immediately addicted to the feel of his lips on hers. She kissed him softly again, and felt him start to respond to her touch. His lips were like velvet as they caressed hers, and she uttered a quiet sigh against them. She could feel the tension in his body, and knew that he was trying desperately to maintain control on his emotions. She could feel her own dissolving but she was too enthralled with him to care. Liz's hands snaked around his waist again and she pulled herself flush against his body as she boldly grazed his lips with her tongue.

She felt him shudder as the dam broke inside of him. One of his hands was instantly at the small of her back and the other buried itself in her long hair as he kissed her hungrily. His tongue slipped past her parted lips and began carefully exploring every corner of her mouth. Her entire body felt like it was on fire from the passion of the kiss. She let out a soft moan as the hand in her hair tilted her head back to give him better access to her mouth. Liz removed her hands from his waist, and brought them up his bare front. She felt his sharp intake of breath as she let her fingers trail along the contours of his muscles. When her hands finally found their way to the back of his neck, she tangled them in his short hair as he continued his assault on her mouth.

Liz was dizzy with the feelings that swelled inside her, and she soon felt her knees go weak. She tried to bring herself closer to him, desperately hoping to not faint from the bliss she felt, but knowing that she would soon fall. Draco seemed to sense this, and Liz suddenly felt pressure on both sides of her waist. In a split second, Draco had lifted her from the floor and sat her up on the counter, positioning himself between her legs. She let out a squeak at the change, but followed it with another moan as he pulled himself against her once more and allowed his hands to freely roam her back as he kissed her again. She felt the heat of his hands on her spine through her silk robe, and the sensation was like nothing she'd ever felt before.

Her face was higher than his in her new position on the counter, and he was now looking up slightly in order to continue kissing her. He tore his lips from hers, and she gulped in glorious air to try and clear her fogged mind. Her relief was short-lived though, as his lips immediately began feasting on the smooth plane of her neck. He slowly trailed fiery kisses down her throat to her collarbone, and back up to nibble on her earlobe. She whimpered with desire and kept her grip on him tight, holding him fast against her.

He returned his mouth to hers, and kissed her hard again. She returned the kiss with everything she could muster, and felt his hands move back to her waist. Liz barely registered the sash on her robe being undone, but felt it when he slipped his hands inside and around to caress the sliver of bare skin on her back.

A tiny voice in the back of her mind started shouting as loud as it could, trying to penetrate the passion-filled haze in her brain. She finally heard its message, and slowly, regretfully, started to break the kiss. Her grip on his neck loosened, and her kiss became less fevered. Draco took the hint, and brought his hands back to her sides as he slowly pulled back. With one last, tender kiss, the two broke their lips apart, and rested their foreheads against each other's as they tried to catch their breath.

"I'm sorry," he panted, visibly struggling to calm his racing heart. "I was out of line."

Liz shook her head and tried to settle herself down. "I started it."

"But I let it get out of hand."

"I wasn't exactly passive during this exchange."

He let out a soft chuckle. "Man, I'm never going to win with you, am I?"

"Maybe if you're lucky, but I wouldn't count on it." They both laughed at that, and he helped her down from the counter. She drew him into a hug, and felt her breathing finally return to normal. "How am I ever going to pretend I don't know you when we get to that facility?"

"You have to," he whispered hoarsely into her hair. "It won't be for long though. Just start falling for me once I get in there."

"Too late," she mumbled, and he smiled against her neck. She now knew how her younger self must have felt. Draco was irresistible to her, and it had taken every ounce of her willpower to pull back from his kiss. She was suddenly very worried about their approaching visit to the scientists' new facility, and how she'd have to stay away from him.

"You'll do fine," he assured her, changing his position so he could kiss her forehead. "You'll be brilliant, you always are."

"We'll see," she whispered. He looked her straight in the eye, and she felt the love and confidence he was trying to express. Once more, she had to fight with herself to stop her lips from attacking his again.

"Come on," he said, reaching for their forgotten tea mugs. "Let's finish these in the lounge." They made the short journey between the rooms, and settled themselves on the oversized couch by the window. They chatted about Isabel as they drank their tea, neither noticing that their bodies drew closer to each other until they were actually touching. Draco sat properly on the couch, albeit low enough so his head could comfortably rest on the back, and laid his feet on the coffee table in front of him. Liz was cuddled against his side, one arm laid across his waist, her legs curled near her body on the couch. His arm was casually on her waist, and her head nestled itself in the crook of his neck. Gradually, their discussion quieted as both fell asleep, content in the other's arms.

It was Remus who found them on the couch in the morning. He and Tonks had woken early to start the coffee for everyone in the house when they'd found the discarded kettle. Curious, they checked the adjoining rooms, and Remus soon discovered the pair in the lounge, still wrapped in each other's arms. Draco woke when the door opened, but didn't move until Remus had left the room with a happy smile.

Only when they were alone again did Draco gently wake Liz with a kiss on the top of her head. She snuggled closer to him as she woke, breathing in his scent. Soft words were spoken between the two until they were fully awake, at which point they joined Remus and Tonks in the kitchen to help with breakfast. The two senior Order members said nothing, but kept shooting the young couple knowing smiles.

Liz didn't notice any of it. Looking back later on the events of the day, she barely registered chatting happily with everyone at breakfast, she could hardly recall saying goodbye to her friends (with the exception of Draco, whose warm embrace and soft kiss on the cheek stayed with her the rest of the day), and could only vaguely remember meeting Blaise at the coffee shop. All she could think of was the wonderful night she'd spent wrapped in Draco's strong arms. She could still feel his kiss on her lips, his hands on her back. It had wiped all the fear from her mind.

It wasn't until Blaise grabbed her arm and apparated away that she truly remembered what was going on. All thoughts of Draco were violently pushed from her mind when she opened her eyes and found herself next to Blaise in front of a tall gate that guarded a large grey building. She could see large, lush trees within the property, but the fence surrounded everything. Liz felt her stomach knot as she realized that there were several men waiting just inside the gate. Her eyes widened in panic, and she struggled against 'Blake's' firm grip. Her efforts were futile, as she soon found herself being held and pulled towards the building by two of the men. She glanced around, scared, and saw three dark, cloaked figures flying around the property. She suddenly felt cold and sad, and her eyes widened even more as she recognized them. Dementors. Fear enclosed her heart as the man trailing behind her spoke.

"Welcome to your new home, Miss Granger."