A/N: As a disclaimer, I know nothing of pounds or what a fair hotel rate would be in England. So please bear with me, and if anyone has any suggestions I'd love to hear them (just put it in a review)! Oh, and anyone who wants to read the contract in full, it is posted on my profile.

Chapter 2: The Contract

"I'm not sitting next to him," Ron declared when they were back at the car.

Hermione felt like slapping him. She closed her eyes for a second to get her temper under control and finally turned to Harry. He wouldn't look at her either, seeming to agree with Ron's sentiments. "You two are bloody ridiculous," she grumbled. "Malfoy, you can sit up front with me."

"Up…front…" the blond repeated. "What exactly is this thing?"

Hermione couldn't believe what he was asking. "It's a car. You don't know what a car is?" Malfoy shook his head. "Well…it's like…it's like a train, but this size, and less…private," she told him. "Pull on the handle, and the door will open. Get in." He did, jumping when the door swung open.

Before getting in, Hermione laid her head on the top of the car. "This is hopeless," she muttered quietly before getting in. Her two best friends refused to acknowledge that Malfoy was there, except to be childish, and he was completely clueless about muggle contraptions. "Now, you see that strap over your shoulder? You buckle the silver part into this thing," she tapped the latch. He followed her directions.

Hermione turned to the boys in the backseat. "Where are we going now?" she asked.

Ron widened his eyes as if this question was completely unexpected. Harry shrugged. "I don't know," he said. "In fact, I don't really care. Somewhere quiet where we can sit down and work out this contract. A place where we can stay a few days. In fact, we're going to need to get in touch with the Order. Think their headquarters are still where they used to be?"

Hermione frowned. "How do you not know? You own the place and told…him…that they all could use it."

"Right. Okay then. Someplace close to that, so I can…" Harry's face folded with sadness.

"It's okay, Harry. If you don't want to go I will. Or if you just want company you can take Ron," she offered.

Harry smiled at her grimly. "No. I think this is something I have to do." Hermione nodded understandingly. He hadn't gone back there since Sirius had died.

"What about me?" Ron piped up.

"I'm sure we can find something for you to do, Ron," Hermione told him and then turned to the front. She buckled up and started the car.

The drive was less than three hours, but it felt like more. Ron was asleep again in the backseat, while Harry brooded out the window. Malfoy said nothing the whole way but looked at everything with wide eyes. Occasionally she would point out something and explain it to him, but still he said nothing and eventually Hermione turned on the radio to keep her company, since no one else would.

At length they stopped in front of an average-looking hotel. "Wait in the car, I'll see if they have rooms for us," Hermione said.

The inside was clean, if not elegant, which made Hermione glad. She walked over to the man behind the desk. "Hello," she said pleasantly.

"Hullo. Did you need something?"

"Yes, I did. I was wondering what your rates were."

"How many beds and how big a room?"

Hermione paused and thought. They had magic with them, after all, so they could easily change the rooms to be more fitting. "A regular room, with only one bed."

"Seventy pounds a night, then," he said.

"Do you have two rooms available?"

"Yes we do, miss. For how long would you be planning on staying?"

"Three nights," she said. "Will that be a problem?"

"Not at all."

Hermione smiled sweetly at him. "Now I have a really big favor to ask you. You see, I really like one of my friends, but he's a bit of a snob. So I was planning on sharing a room with him in the hopes that maybe I could win him over. But when he comes in here, he'll ask for a third room for him to sleep in." She tried to look as pathetic and sad as possible. "So if you could please tell my friends that you only have those two rooms available…?"

The man looked uncertain. "Miss, I really don't…"

Hermione trembled her lower lip and tried to make her eyes to fill with tears. They didn't, but it would seem she had managed to look pathetic enough. "All right, but don't be asking for any more favors, please, miss."

"Thank you so much, sir," she said shakily. Once her back was turned on him she allowed herself a victorious smirk before heading outside.

The boys were, needless to say, aghast. "I am not staying with him," Ron said immediately.

"I insist on speaking with this man," Malfoy demanded. "I will not be sharing a room with anyone."

Harry looked at Hermione curiously, as if he knew what she'd done. "Malfoy, maybe you should pick whom you share a room with," he said slyly.

The look on Draco Malfoy's face was priceless. It was a mixture of shock and disgust and horror, and under normal circumstances Hermione would have found it amusing. Then he sneered. "Joy, I get to pick between bloody hero Potter, the cheap Weasel who probably can't afford his own room, and mudblood Granger." He actually shivered in disgust, which made Hermione want to slap him. Instead she folded her arms over her chest.

"Can we go somewhere else?" Malfoy said at last.

Hermione shook her head. "Not if you want us to make arrangements for your mum."

"Bugger. I pick Granger then."

Hermione scowled, giving Harry a dark look as she opened the trunk of her car and pulled out their luggage. "Wait…Malfoy, you don't have any bags?" she asked.

"Of course I do. There is such a thing as a shrinking charm," he snapped.

She rolled her eyes and opened up her trunk of books, selecting a few and putting them in her other trunk. The hood clicked down and Hermione made sure the car was locked before they headed inside.

Predictably, the first thing out of Malfoy's mouth was "Are you sure you don't have another room?"

Hermione looked pleadingly at the man and he swallowed. "No, sir. No other rooms, only got the two left, see."

"Bloody hell. You're sure. None of your other customers have suddenly dropped dead and left another room open?" Malfoy said hopefully.

The poor man's eyes opened wide. "I most certainly hope not, sir. That would be awful for business."

Malfoy sneered. "Indeed. Fine, we'll take your two bloody rooms. Perhaps I can get Granger to sleep with the other two. How much did you say the room was?"

"Se—Seventy pounds, sir."

"Pounds?"

Hermione pushed Malfoy out of the way. "I'll pay for our room," she said, pulling out her wallet and handing over the money.

"You will not, I can pay for myself," he said indignantly.

"Malfoy, you currently have the wrong type of currency. When you get the correct currency, I will allow you to pay me back for your half of the room. Until then, you will allow me to pay so that you don't make a fool of yourself," she said.

He scowled, but acceded. Hermione's heart was pounding and she didn't let herself have the victory. The man behind the counter handed over the keys, leaning close to Hermione as he did. "I'd steer clear of that one, if I were you. He's trouble."

"Thank you for your concern, but I've got a handle on him," she replied, glancing behind her shoulder at Malfoy. He was leaning against the wall with an air of disdain.

Hermione waited for Harry and Ron to be done paying for their room and then the four of them trooped to the elevator. She almost expected Ron and Malfoy to say something but then remembered that there was an elevator in the Ministry of Magic.

Their rooms were on the second floor, and right next to one another. Ron and Malfoy went into their respective rooms, but Harry caught Hermione's eye and they lingered in the hall. "What are we going to do with Malfoy tomorrow?"

"There's only one bed!" Malfoy screeched incredulously. "Bloody hell. Granger, you're sleeping on the floor," he called.

Hermione sniggered at Malfoy, then turned her attention back to Harry. "I don't know," Hermione answered truthfully. "Someone has to stay back to keep an eye on him, and I'm not going to leave Ron alone with Malfoy."

"Why is there only one bed?" Ron complained from inside Harry's room. Harry grinned at Hermione, then sobered. "You don't trust him?"

"No more than I'd trust Voldemort," Hermione whispered back. "Well, maybe a bit more than that. But not much. I'll trust him a lot more once we've got that stupid contract done with."

"Can't we just say we've got it all arranged with his mum and then make the contract and get his mum to safety afterward?"

Hermione frowned, then shook her head decisively. "No. We uphold our part of the bargain and he will uphold his. Are you taking Ron with you tomorrow?"

"I don't know yet. I almost want to go alone, but he'd be glad to see his family again, and I don't want to make you have to watch both of them."

"Okay. Well, wake me up in the morning with whatever you've decided. It sounds like I'm staying here. Malfoy and I will work on terms while you're gone, and you and Ron can check over it afterward."

"All right. Thanks for everything, Hermione," Harry said. "Goodnight." He went into his room and began to shut the door.

"Oh, Harry! Just so you know, you can use a doubling spell to make a second bed. I tried to get us cheaper rooms by only having one bed in each, figuring that we could always alter it. If you have any trouble, come get me."

Harry nodded and closed the door. Hermione went into her own room, where Malfoy was lounging on the bed. "Look, Granger. One bed. You can sleep on the floor."

"How kind of you," she said sarcastically, then pulled her wand out. She made sure there was room for a second bed, and then said, "Gemino bed!"

The bed beneath Malfoy wiggled. He jumped up and off of it as it stretched to double its regular size and then broke into two. Hermione grinned in satisfaction, then pushed the beds apart. Malfoy stood up and brushed himself off, giving her a disgruntled and annoyed look before he stretched out on his bed once again.

Hermione ruffled through her trunk and pulled out her pajamas. She changed in the bathroom, and then brushed her teeth and went out to find Malfoy in the same position he had been in earlier. "Aren't you going to get ready for bed?" she asked, pulling her current book out of her trunk to read.

Malfoy shrugged and then got off his bed. He opened his trunk, which was at the foot of his bed by now, and pulled out a pair of pajama pants. Without even going into the bathroom, he stripped off his clothing down to his boxers and then pulled on the pants over them. Hermione tried not to stare, but she was completely appalled by his actions. "There is a bathroom, you know," she said, peeved. She tried desperately to not look at his Dark Mark.

"What, go in there right after you? I don't think so, you probably got germs all over the place."

Hermione clenched her jaw but refused to rise to the bait. Instead she turned to her book and forcibly immersed herself in it. Malfoy laughed, but she paid him no mind, even when he tried to say something.

The light disappeared. Hermione blinked in the darkness, then groped around for her bookmark. "Malfoy, what the hell did you do?"

"I told you, I'm ready for bed, so it's time to sleep now."

"I was reading," she said through clenched teeth.

"Yes, but I told you two times. You should be thankful I told you at all. It's not my fault you weren't listening to me," he said as petulantly as a child.

Hermione took a few deep breaths and then put her book down on the floor beside her bed. "Fine. Good night, Malfoy. And I hope the bedbugs bite you all night long."

He was silent, for which she was thankful. Just as she was falling asleep, she heard him ask, "Will you really keep my mum safe?"

The seriousness of it broke Hermione's heart. "We will, Malfoy. I promise you. Harry's going to go and talk to some people tomorrow about taking her into hiding."

She closed her eyes on the darkness, but then Malfoy made her open them again when he asked, "There were more rooms, weren't there?"

Hermione's mind raced, but then she decided it would be better just to tell him the truth. "Yes. But we don't trust you in your own room right now. After the contract has been dealt with you can be free to have your own room and even to come and go. But right now…"

"You don't trust me. I get it. I've given you very little reason to. Good night, Granger."

She heard him roll around in his bed, but didn't manage to sleep until after she'd heard his soft snores in the dark.

--

"Hermione!" Someone was pounding at the door. She groggily rolled over and nearly fell out of bed. Blinking, she realized that the blinds shut out any light whatsoever. She almost made to open them, but the knocking was so insistent that she grumbled and staggered across the room.

Hermione stubbed her toe on Malfoy's trunk and cursed. "Don't touch my stuff, Granger," he snapped from his bed.

"Whatever, Malfoy," she responded, finally making it over to the door. She swung it wide. "Yes?" she growled. And then, "Oh, Harry, it's just you."

"Sorry for waking you, but it's almost ten, and Ron and I were about to leave now," he said, looking at her uncertainly.

Hermione's eyes were wide. "Ten? How could I possibly have slept that long? Urgh!" She calmed down a bit and rubbed her eyes. "Okay. So you're taking Ron with you?"

"Yeah. But…Hermione, do you think you could point us in the right direction."

"Sure, Harry, sure. Just give me a minute." She tottered back into her room, giving Malfoy's trunk a large enough berth that she hit her hip on the dresser instead. When Hermione returned to the door she held a street map. "We are…here," she said, pointing. "And where you want to be is…" Hermione looked at the map closely, squinting. "Somewhere in this area here. So just follow the map in between."

"Thanks, Hermione," Harry said.

Hermione smiled. "No problem. Now if you'll excuse me, I'd like to shower."

Harry nodded and waved at her before disappearing into his own room. Hermione turned on the shower and took it hotter than she usually did, mostly for the sake of waking up.

Malfoy was asleep again by the time she came out. At this, Hermione rolled her eyes but didn't, in fact, mind. She opened the blinds a little bit and took out a roll of parchment to begin working.

"Shut the damn light off," Malfoy grumbled after a while.

Hermione raised an eyebrow that he couldn't see. "That's the sun, Malfoy," she responded tartly. "I don't think anyone shuts that off. It's almost eleven, so wake up. We have a contract to write."

"Why don't you write the bloody thing and I'll sign it once my mother's safe," he said, pulling the blankets over his head.

Hermione frowned. "You really don't care what's in this contract?"

"Not particularly."

Shaking her head, Hermione went back to her paper. Near noon, Hermione threw back the blinds all the way. Malfoy spluttered into wakefulness. "What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?" he growled. He tried to glare at her, too, but the sun was bright enough that he was blinking rapidly to make his eyes adjust. Hermione couldn't help but laugh about it a bit.

"Waking you up. I drew up a contract, and I want you to look it over before the boys see it."

"Don't need to," he said. "Now turn the bloody light off."

"Malfoy, for all you know I could have written down that if you don't walk around naked your hair will turn blue."

He looked at her with wide eyes and then gave her a murderous look. "You wouldn't."

"I'm just pointing out that it's a good idea to look over a contract before you sign it," she said.

"Fine, fine, I'll look over your damn contract." He sat up in bed and looked at her expectantly.

Hermione went back to her bed and sat with her back against the wall and began to read. "In exchange for the safekeeping and hiding of Narcissa Malfoy, and Lucius Malfoy when he is free from Azkaban, the terms are thus. I, Draco Malfoy, promise to not meet with Lord Voldemort unless under the express permission of Hermione Granger or Harry Potter. I will not communicate with any Death Eaters—"

"What about my father and my mum?" he asked.

"I'm sorry?"

"My parents," he said through clenched teeth. "Am I not allowed to speak to them as well?"

"They're both Death Eaters?" she asked, amazed.

"Yes."

Hermione frowned over the paper, the looked up at him. "I'm sorry. I don't think I can do that. To do this I was keying it into whoever wears the Dark Mark, and I'm not sure I can make any exceptions."

"Damn you, Granger!" Malfoy snarled, jumping out of bed. Hermione thought he was mad at her, but then he ran his fingers through his hair and she realized he was just upset.

"I'm sorry, Malfoy. You can still speak to her and write to her before you sign. And if you want, you can dictate letters to me for her and I'll send them off for you."

"Yeah, you'd like that wouldn't you?" he snapped.

"Malfoy, I really am sorry. If I knew another way, I would do it so you could still communicate with your parents, but I really don't know. You must remember that I'm just as old as you, with just as much schooling. Sure, I may have read a lot, but I don't write contracts every bloody day. I don't know the absolute best ways to get them to do what I want them to!" she growled, beginning to get angry. This wasn't her fault.

The blond looked at her for a long minute and then lay back down on his bed. He clasped his hands in front of him and said, "Continue."

Flustered, Hermione continued to read. "I will not communicate with any Death Eaters. If I do either of the aforementioned things, my fingernails will turn black."

"What?"

Hermione looked up calmly. "Your fingernails will turn black. You know how girls paint their nails. I didn't want to do something as blatant as with Marietta Edgecombe, but something that you wouldn't be able to hide easily either."

Malfoy seethed but did not question her. Hermione went on. "Furthermore, I will not speak to anyone about what Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley, and Harry Potter are doing. If I do this, I will lose my eyesight." Malfoy's jaw clenched, but he didn't argue. Hermione was grateful. "I will not go beyond three kilometers of either Hermione Granger or Harry Potter, nor will I try to undo any of the punishments inflicted upon me for breaking this contract. For breaking either of these rules, the only thing I will be able to say is "I'm sorry"."

Hermione smiled and Malfoy snorted. "Fat chance of that," he said. "Anything else?"

"I will only allow Hermione Granger to undo any of the punishments put upon me for breaking any part of this contract. Lastly, only Harry Potter or Hermione Granger can declare this contract null and void," she finished. "And that's it."

"Your punishments are stupid," he told her before getting under his blankets again.

"Once you sign this you won't be able to undo them, no matter how stupid they are," she said. "Anyway, I wanted them to be noticeable, if not all of them hinder some."

Malfoy shrugged and was already asleep again. Hermione frowned down at the contract in her hands and then pulled out her wand to do the spells. When she was done, she pulled the curtains mostly closed, leaving only enough light for her to see her book through.

--

"Why am I only mentioned once in here?" Ron asked.

"Do you really want Malfoy bound to within three kilometers of you?" Hermione asked.

"Why can't I give him permission to deal with Voldemort, though?" he asked.

"Ron, you haven't wanted anything to do with him since he came along for this trip, so why are you complaining now?" she snapped. She knew he was jealous, and just wanted him to stop complaining.

Ron scowled and sulked, but Hermione ignored him and turned to Harry. "Does that sound good to you?" she asked.

He perused it again. "I don't think you missed anything. Sounds good to me. Now we just have to wait for the Order to get Malfoy's mum, and we'll sign it."

--

The next morning, there was a pounding at the door. Hermione was careful of both Malfoy's trunk and the dresser this time and pulled the door open. "What now, Harry?" she asked.

But it wasn't Harry outside her door.

Mad-Eye Moody sauntered in, dragging Narcissa Malfoy. Even being pulled along obviously against her will she managed to look dignified. "Got the Malfoy you asked for," he said.

"Oh. Thanks—"

Hermione was cut off by a shriek from Narcissa. "Draco! Draco, are you all right? Did they do anything to you?"

"Mum?" he said groggily.

"You won't believe what they did to me! Somehow that one"—she gestured at Moody still standing in the doorway—"snuck into our Manor in the middle of the night and pulled me out of bed. Did all sorts of magic so I couldn't get away or alert anyone else." She turned to glare at Moody.

"Thanks, Moody. Harry and Ron are just next door, if you want to get them."

He looked around the room then walked out. Hermione hung around in the doorway while Malfoy talked to his mum.

"But how could you?" she asked in a hushed voice.

"I had to, mum. They promised to keep you safe. I know…" Malfoy paused, and Hermione was ashamed of herself for eavesdropping, but she couldn't help it. "I know you wanted me to follow in you and father's footsteps, being a Death Eater and all, but… he offered to keep you and Lucius safe, which is something the Dark Lord could never promise me."

Narcissa slapped her son. "How dare you speak so of him. After all he's done for you." Her voice was quiet, deathly.

Malfoy looked at her sadly, shaking his head. Moody entered with Harry and Ron, and his eyes turned to them. "Will you keep her safe?" he demanded.

Moody nodded reluctantly. "You may…she may try to run away to the Dark Lord again, so you might want to put spells on wherever she's staying."

"Draco!" Narcissa hissed at him. Moody walked up and pulled her to her feet.

"Don't make her a prisoner, though," Malfoy implored. "Set her up nice, just make sure she stays there. It might be good to have a secret-keeper…"

"Harry already talked to us about this," Moody informed him.

Malfoy stood up and kissed his mother on the cheek. "Please be happy, mum. You know I hate to see you sad."

Narcissa scowled but wrapped her arms around her son. "You're a disgrace, but I suppose your heart is in the right place," she said grudgingly. "Will your father be joining me?"

"Once he's out of Azkaban," Malfoy promised, looking at Moody. Mad-Eye nodded at him, and Malfoy seemed satisfied.

"Love you, mum. Oh, and if you write to me, address it to Granger here, and she'll give it to me. Part of a bloody contract I'm signing," he said.

"Yes, dear. Goodbye, Draco."

"Goodbye, mum."

Hermione stood back to let Moody and Narcissa pass. Moody gave Harry a nod in passing and he muttered a "thank you."

Hermione went to the dresser, where she'd left the contract. She looked over it once last time and then handed it to Malfoy, along with a quill. "You sign first."

He gave her an unreadable look and then leaned over to sign the parchment on his nightstand. Hermione signed under him, and then Harry signed last.

--

If you want to
I can save you
I can take you away from here

--Michelle Branch, "All You Wanted"