AN : This chapter might contain scenes that occur in 'Arabia' as I called it. No specific area is mentioned and what some characters might say may come off as offensive, but I ask you to take it lightly as it thickens the plot!

With that said, onto some reading!

Last chapter on Circa Mundi :

"Well, well, well … Fancy meeting you here, Granger!" came a familiar drawl.

Merlin… Think of the devil, and he shall appear!

Chapter 8

"You…. I've … You've got to be kidding me Koskela," Hermione said as she glared at her partner.

Jackson froze upon hearing the words, quickly picking up on Hermione's anger as she usually never used his last name and normally reserved it for situations when she was either pissed or really needed his attention.

Draco lifted an eyebrow at the pair as he made his way to the remaining available armchair in the sitting area where they were.

"Hermione, you've got to underst-"

"Granger," Draco cut abruptly.

The witch slowly turned her head to look at him, the look of pure shock and surprise still clear on her face.

"For your partner's defense, he didn't know we had history when he called me."

"Hermione, let me explain," pleaded Jackson.

Without even sparing a glance at her partner, Hermione suddenly stood from her seat, almost knocking out the table that held the drinks, and stormed out of the room.

"I think I'm starting to regret my proposal," let out Jackson with a deep sigh as he sat back further into his armchair and stared at the floor.

"You've pretty much always been on Granger's good side, have you?" asked Draco.

"We very rarely fight or butt heads, only when we see different sides to one of our leads on a project or sometimes, when we need to choose our next course of action."

"I don't think you need to worry. She has a hot temper, always had, always will."

"But what I don't understand is why she seems to not be able to stand a minute in the same room as you?"

"Like I said, we have history," came Draco's sullen reply.

Jackson looked back up to the other wizard questioningly.

"It's a long story that I might tell you one day, preferably with another fire whiskey or two in my body."

Jackson laughed and then averted his eyes back down to the floor.

"Let me fix this situation," Draco said. "If I can't find Granger however, how about we meet at the restaurant upstairs in an hour?"

The man in front of him nodded in defeat and without uttering another word, Draco made his way towards the doorway Hermione had escaped to.

The blond looked all over the hotel in the following minutes. The pool area on the third floor was full of people and it took him awhile to analyse the room and come to the conclusion that Granger wasn't there. He then returned to the lobby and walked around for some time, seeking her out. He even asked the people that stood at the reception desk if they had seen the brown-haired witch, to which the men laughed and pointed behind Draco, mentioning most of the women present had brown or dark hair.

His patience wearing thin, Draco then decided to explore the outside areas of the hotel to clear his head and tried thinking of where the infuriating witch could be. Making his way along a stone-covered path to the east of the exit, he suddenly narrowed his eyes in the direction of a bench a few feet in front of him.

There, Hermione sat in silence, her legs curled up underneath her as she stared at her own hands. Draco slowly approached her so as to not upset her further. He even went as far as sitting a few inches from her on the bench without even a reaction from her part.

"If you've come to brag about the fact that I didn't agree to any proposal but that my partner called on you, you can turned around and leave me be Malfoy."

The wizard said nothing for a while as he looked at her. She hadn't even moved an inch as she talked to him and she kept on staring intensely at her hands.

"Granger, I … I'm sorry," he declared.

Hermione's reaction was instantaneous. She snapped her head in his direction and looked at him with wide eyes.

"Repeat that," she whispered.

"You heard it the first time Granger. But you know what? For the sake of a possible truce between us, I'll say it again and you better take a mental vocal note because I won't be saying it again. I – am – sorry."

It took a few seconds for Hermione to react to his words. His features actually looked in a somewhat pain as he voiced his apology and she smiled at finally hearing his admission out loud.

"Good."

"Good? What does that even mean Granger?"

She laughed at the expression on his face. "I've been having a hard time believing Harry when he keeps on saying you've changed. But the fact that you actually just said that out loud gives me hope that maybe you aren't as bad as you make yourself out to be."

"I don't consider myself as being bad anymore Granger. Only you seem to be stuck on that idea."

"Well, maybe if you showed me another side of you instead of always snapping at me and being sarcastic and arrogant all the time."

"I've already told you! Give me a chance!" Draco exclaimed, raising his voice.

Staring into Draco's deep blue eyes, Hermione remembered what Ginny had told her the day before.

You have to give them a chance … You won't know until you try…

The witch tried to make out her own thoughts, an internal debate going on in her head.

"Okay," she said oh so quietly.

"Okay, what?" Draco asked her, his voice back to its normal level.

Hermione rolled her eyes at him. "Okay, I'll give you a chance Malfoy."

The blond smirked at her and she shook her head.

"Screw up one time though, and my earlier threat of the psychiatric ward just might resurface!"

"Tell you what Granger. Let me come along with you two on this trip, I'll show you I've changed since Hogwarts, and you'll even benefit from my great knowledge of the culture and history here!"

She scoffed and tried to mask her disbelief.

"AND, I might just even be able to help you with the runes you've found in Egypt!"

"How- How do you know that we found runes! That's-"

"I've told you before, I have my ways. Anyhow, at the end of this trip, if you still deem my presence to be that unbearable, then I swear to never cross paths with you and your team again."

She stared him in the eyes again after hearing his offer. He had to be quite confident in his own proposition if he promised to never see her again, considering they worked around a similar field of work.

Narrowing her eyes at him once more, she nodded slightly.

"Great, if that's settled then, we should go back in and join Jackson," Draco mentioned as he stood up and threw his hands in his pockets.

"He's been waiting for us this whole time?"

Draco started walking, Hermione finally standing up and following him. "We had agreed to meet at the restaurant for a late dinner after I'd found you."

Hermione snorted as she joined his side, the two walking in perfect sync.

"Confident much, Malfoy?" she taunted.

He smirked again and kept on walking.

She shook her head and allowed him to lead them to the restaurant in silence.

Well, the confidence is still as present as ever, she thought to herself as she stole a side glance. And his good looks.

She bit the inside of her cheek to refrain from thinking about Malfoy's looks anymore and focused instead on the tile on the floor.

Why is it that my hormones go crazy every time I'm in the presence of this wizard!

THUMP!

Hermione suddenly felt herself falling backwards as her foot caught in a crack on the floor. Strong arms than grasped her and pulled her upright again.

"Uh … Thanks?" she muttered into Malfoy's chest.

Of course, he had to save me from plummeting to the floor again!

Draco's firm hands were still braced on either side of her as the feeling of free-falling finally left her.

"You alright there Granger?" he asked, much too close to Hermione's likeness.

She breathed in his cologne and felt light headed. Suddenly snapping out of her daze, she took a step back and shook her head.

"Just dandy!" came out her squeaky reply as she made to step around him to try and mask the blush that had crept onto her cheeks.

Malfoy chuckled deeply at her unusual behavior and lead her into the restaurant as they both looked around for their partner.

A few glasses of wine later, the trio sat at the far end of the classy restaurant that was at the top floor of their hotel. The view from the fourteenth floor was grandiose and Draco felt more like they were on a friendly weekend trip together then a business outing. The group had eaten through a six course meal and were now enjoying dessert while Jackson retold stories from his and Hermione's past expeditions.

"I'm telling you, she was NOT into me!" Hermione repeated for the third time.

Both men laughed at her tone and she huffed at them while reaching for her glass of wine.

"You see Draco, I like to believe Hermione is a bit blind when it comes to noticing someone's interest in her. Especially when it comes to other women!"

Draco laughed again and Hermione narrowed her eyes at him. Jackson had told him of their trip to Panama the year before where a local woman had been very forward in her affections towards Hermione.

"Do you want me to remind you of the time in Russia where that grandmother kept hitting on you?" Hermione threatened the other wizard.

Jackson immediately froze and his face turned red.

"No! That's quite alright!" he quickly uttered.

Hermione tried to stifle her laughter at his reaction but in the end, she burst out laughing, remembering the old lady's very tender ministrations when she had been tendering to Jackson in the hospital bed he had stayed in for two days.

Draco couldn't help but groan at the shiver than ran through his spine as the witch in front of him laughed. He had never seen this side of Hermione before and as he looked at her, he berated himself mentally for being a twat to her all those years. The witch was clearly a natural beauty and her intelligence poked him in all the right places.

Maybe in another dimension, they could've been good friends?

Damn his father and his grudge against non-Pureblood people.

"Maybe we should call it a night?" Jackson said as he downed the rest of his wine.

Hermione stifled a yawn and nodded, her eyes blinking furiously, trying to shake the sleep from her vision.

"What floor are your rooms on?"

"Tenth," Hermione and Draco both said simultaneously. They looked at each other in surprise and Hermione laughed again at the coincidence.

Maybe it's the wine, thought Draco as he smiled towards her. She had been awfully friendly since the third course but then again, they had drunk quite a few bottles since their arrival at the restaurant.

"Aw, you guys get to have a great view! I'm stuck on the seconds floor," Jackson whined as he stood from the table.

Hermione made to get up but stumbled on her feet. Draco was quickly by her side and took hold of one of her arms.

"I'll escort you Granger."

She struggled in vain to get out of his hold but Draco only grasped her harder. Merlin, that woman was quite the ditz when she had a few glasses too many.

"Stop struggling Hermione," he told her softly. The witch froze at the sound of her given name on his tongue, and she instantly sobered up. Looking into his piercing eyes, she nodded numbly and stopped thrashing around his arms.

Jackson bid the two a good night and left the restaurant, leaving Draco to help Hermione to the corridor. Sometime later, he managed to arrive to their floor and asked her what room she was in.

"1022," she said sleepily into his side. He had his right arm hooked around her and the hand that rested on her ribs now rode dangerously close to her breast as she moved to make herself more comfortable in his arms.

Draco groaned softly and helped her to her door. Upon arriving to her room, Hermione sighed happily into Draco's strong hold and thanked him. He helped her unlock the door and as they entered the room, Hermione managed to get out of his arms and took a few steps further in.

"Thanks Draco," she uttered as she struggled to get out of her blouse. Her back was to him as she took off the garment and made to unhook her bra.

She must think I've already left, he thought as he looked at her through shocked eyes.

Blinking furiously, he shook himself out of his daze and mumbled a reply before quickly leaving her room, softly closing the door behind him.

The next morning, Hermione was abruptly woken up by a pounding on her hotel room's door. She groaned when she looked at the time and concluded the wine from yesterday had made her sleep in far later than she had intended to.

"Hermione! Get your lazy ass up, the plans have changed!" came Jackson's voice from the other side.

Groaning again, she yelled a quick, "Yeah, yeah, I'm coming!" and made to dress herself as fast as she could. Picking up her wand from the nightstand, she waved at her face to charm a bit of makeup on and quickly pulled her hair on the top of her hair in a lazy bun.

As she burst out her hotel room a few seconds later, she was met with the confused face of her colleague and an undecipherable look on Malfoy's face.

"What," she spit out angrily at the two men.

After blinking a few times, Malfoy's lips slowly turned into a smirk as he nodded at her chest.

"Your shirt is on backwards."

Hermione let out a small gasp and looked down. Indeed, in her haste to dress, she had probably twisted the words to the charm and her shirt had put itself on backwards. The resulting image it currently offered though was a nice show of Hermione's lacy bra as the back of her blouse was a sheer, see-through material. She blushed deeply and muttered a few words and within seconds, she was finally dressed more decently.

"So, um," Jackson started awkwardly. He very willingly went through the change of plans for the day's events as the trio walked down to the part of the hotel they had been seated at the day before.

"Ok, just so we're clear. You mean to tell me a car is sent for us and we have to meet up with your contact, in an unknown territory, which could very well mean a trap for us, also, be blindfolded for most of the ride so we don't know where they're taking us? And only when we arrive to the unknown, super top-secret location, will your contact be able to give us information pertaining to our research?" Hermione resumed the earlier explanation of her colleague.

"That about sums it up, yeah," he replied nonchalantly.

"Granger, we're wizards, don't forget. If they mean us harm, we'll be sure to let them know who we are," Malfoy reminded them.

Letting out a sigh, the witch finally conceded. "Fine. But if anything happens, I'm blaming you Jackson!"

The other wizard smiled back at her and let them all out by a side corridor. Moments later, they stood in a small parking area where Jackson had been told to wait. The sun shown bright and it was a very hot day. Unfortunately for Hermione, that meant her patience wearing very thin as she hated humidity and overly high temperatures.

"Did your person even hint at any global direction we were going in?" she asked Jackson.

Malfoy stood a few paces to their right and was occupying himself by kicking around small rocks that lay on the ground.

"No. Apparently it's an added security measure for him. He's not exactly the type to like being in the spotlight, if you know what I mean. All very shady, these people are," Jackson replied.

Without so much as a glance upwards, Malfoy took to their conversation, all the while keeping his eyes focused on the tiny rocks. "Smells fishy, if you ask me."

Hermione nodded. For once, she was in agreement with the Slytherin.

The team didn't get the chance to continue their talk as a luxurious black sedan rolled up to them and stopped right in front of Jackson and Hermione. Malfoy finally lifted his head and squinted at the vehicle. The window that was facing the duo slid down, revealing a chubby man sitting behind the driver's wheel.

"Koskela? Jackson Koskela?" he asked in a thick Arabian accent.

The wizard in question nodded and stood closer to the car, leaning down so he could see the driver better.

"Get in. Quickly now, boss waiting."

Jackson nodded at the burly man and the opened the backseat door for Hermione. The small witch scooted in, marvelling at the cool air that came out from the ventilation slots in the car. Jackson followed suit, taking the seat to Hermione's right and Draco came in from the other door. It seemed none of them were taking a chance sitting in the front passenger seat, not that they would have even if it had been offered by the driver. It didn't take long for the large man in front to change gears and will the car to put itself into drive.

The man drove them through a few streets, taking many rapid turns, most probably trying to play with their sense of orientation. They hadn't been gone for ten minutes that the car stopped again on the side of an empty street. The foreign man in front turned around and threw them the blindfolds they were meant to put on.

Hermione turned to look at her usual partner and narrowed her eyes at him. From the strangely silent man that was driving them, to the hundred turns around the city, to the blindfolds they now had to put on, something didn't feel right.

"Boss waiting. Put on now," the driver anxiously let out.

The small witch huffed and put on the soft material over her eyes. The men on either side of her were clearly doing the same as she felt their respective arms wiggle around the tiny space.

She felt the car start up again as the driver probably confirmed the blindfolds had been put on and she felt the vehicle whirring down the roads even faster than before.

A sharp turn suddenly made her slam into a large chest on her left, Malfoy's she remembered, and she struggled to get back to her own place. She fumbled around for a grip on something to get back into her sitting position and accidentally brushed her hand up Malfoy's inner thigh.

"Granger," he groaned in a low tone.

It wasn't angry. It wasn't a warning tone.

It felt more feral than anything.

She had never heard him growl in such a way and it was playing tricks on her mind.

"Um, yeah, sorry Malfoy," she blurted out.

Jackson remained oblivious to the whole episode, staying silent in his own seat, lost in concentration at trying to remember the route in his mind.

Still, after regaining her previous position, Hermione couldn't help but shake the smell of Malfoy's cologne from her nose. As she had slammed into him, she had gotten a deep whiff of his smell and it was intoxicating.

The blindfold.

It was playing tricks on her mind.

That was the only reasonable explanation behind her thinking of Malfoy smelling good.

That, and also the humidity.

The rest of the drive was short as the trio in the back suddenly felt the car coming to a stop. Awaiting directions from the driver, they remained seated.

"Ok for blindfolds off."

Hermione let out a sigh of relief at finally regaining her vision. Both of her partners opened their doors and got out of the car and suddenly, a hand was extended back into the compartment. She lifted an eyebrow at the arm and slowly reached for the hand that helped her out and onto the pavement.

"Uh, thanks Malfoy," she let out softly.

He nodded at her and the smallest of smiles seemed to tug at his lips.

"In, now," the driver said with a firm voice.

The trio looked around quickly before following the man. They stood in a narrow alley, wide enough for them to walk around the car without being squeezed up to the walls on each side. On one end there was a large wooden door, the direction they were walking in. The alley seemed to give way to a street on the other end as Hermione noticed a few cars whirring by.

"Tell lady this way," muttered the driver angrily towards the two wizards. Jackson's brows furrowed together and Malfoy bellowed for Hermione to follow them closer.

When they approached the large door, the large man let out a few sentences in his native language and then turned back to face the group.

"You go in now."

Jackson nodded towards him and made to push the door open. The air inside the room they entered was heavy with humidity and the lights were low. Another man stood inside, standing even taller than the driver, shoulders wider. He motioned for the three to get in and go on into a corridor that faced them.

A shiver ran up Hermione's spine as Malfoy stood closer to her, whispering in her ear as they went through the dark hall. "Still smelling fishy to me."

The witch nodded her accord silently and stood on alert, her hand hovering an inch over the pocket that held her wand.

Suddenly, the already dimly-lit corridor became even darker as the few lights on each wall went out. Panic struck the trio and they fumbled to reach out to each other in the dark.

Draco was the only one that saw a flash of light before bags were lowered quickly onto each of their heads and they were suddenly being pushed deeper into the house they had stepped in. Jackson struggled in vain to get away from his captors, each of his arms being strongly grasped. Draco tried to kick away while he was being led by the shoulders and Hermione remained deadly quiet, to the point where her partners started wondering if she was even with them still.

After being pushed along for a few seconds, the three were roughly sat on each their own chairs and the bags on their heads were removed.

This room was wider than the first they had walked into and the lights shone brightly around the room. Hermione's fluttered opened and she moaned as she adjusted her sight. Taking in her surroundings, she noticed quite a few men stood at the other side of the room as well as behind them.

They were surrounded.

Didn't Jackson say his contact was a trusty fella?

She huffed and stood her chin out at the apparent leader of the group. A tall man sat in front of them, a large wooden table separating him from the trio. They were the only four people in the room sitting, all the other men standing around here and there, two still grasping at Jackson's arms as he kept on struggling.

"Who are you people?" Hermione dared to ask the man in front of her.

He sneered at her and whispered something to the minion that stood closest to him.

"Why do you mean us harm?" she insisted. "We only want information!"

This time she was met with silence. The leader of the group took a deep breath and shook his head, slowing turning to address Draco.

"You speak for this woman?" he demanded with a thick accent.

Hermione's brows instantly furrowed together in a mix of confusion and anger. How dare he completely ignore her! Jackson cocked his head to one side, trying to make out the meaning of the other man's question.

Draco simply nodded and responded a few words in the country's language.

"Simple security precaution," the Arab replied in English once again. "I understand you must be Koskela?"

Draco shook his head and gestured in the direction of Jackson. "I am only here as his partner. Jackson here is the one who's been meaning to ask you a few things."

"We would like to inquire about the Lupici," Jackson said tentatively.

All of a sudden, the room seemed to be in an uproar. Some of the men protested loudly at Jackson's use of the gang's name, others left the room quickly, while another part of the group grasped at their guns and arms more firmly, wide-eyed and looking around the room.

"Sheesh, it's as if we just told you Voldemort is back from the dead," Hermione whispered a bit too loudly.

"Control your woman, wizard, or we will be forced to control her for you," the leader bellowed suddenly. As he spoke, silence came back to the room and the other men finally settled down.

Hermione's eyes were as wide as saucers at this point. She refused to be ignored in such a way. As she flexed her jaw, trying to quickly think of a witty response, Draco elbowed her from his seat.

"Don't say another word Granger. These people are dangerous, we need to follow their instructions lest you want to return to England in your grave," he muttered to her. As he spoke the words, Hermione looked at him and was surprised to see a trace of concern in his eyes. She let out a sigh and nodded, turning back to the man facing her on the opposite side of the table.

"Why do you search such information?" the Arab asked in his deep voice.

Jackson remained silent for a while before answering. "We have… A score to settle with them." He had chosen his words wisely but was not completely sure he had correctly answered.

Three men then came closer to the table, slowly aiming their arms towards the trio.

"What, dare I ask, sort of score, to settle?" the leader drawled.

"They … We … They have something of ours," Jackson stuttered lamely, a thin coat of sweat starting to form on forehead.

Draco rolled his eyes. He could guess how these men usually did their business and the way their current conversation was going, it was safe to assume they weren't going to get any information before soon.

"We've had a bit of a misunderstanding with them, is all. They took something of ours and we simply wish to meet with them to ask for it back. Nicely," he added, unsure of this group's current alliance with the Lupici.

The leader looked back at Draco and pondered his words for a few seconds. He leaned back in his chair and waved his hands to signal his minions to lower their arms. The three 'bodyguards' reluctantly followed his orders and stepped back from the table.

"I tell you what you want to know, but my words come at price. Surely, this is why you have brought the lady friend?"

Hermione took a sharp intake of breath at the words' hidden meaning. Surely, they didn't think she would give herself up without a fight? And more so, as a token of exchange for some information. What century did these people live in?

As Draco stood slowly from his chair, a few men closed in on him again, some of them their fingers already grazing their triggers. The tension was heavy and Hermione wished everything would soon be over. No matter how many times she had faced danger before, during her days at Hogwarts as well as on her expeditions, she still didn't like flirting with death in any way. And this was some heavy flirting.

Draco reached into his back pocket and slipped out a tiny bag. As he set it on the table in front of him, he whispered a spell and the bag instantly grew in size.

The Arab's eyes zeroed in on the token and he motioned for one of his followers to open it. The blond wizard sat back and stayed silent while the bag was opened and a few bars of gold were dropped onto the table.

"You travel more prepared than I thought," Hermione whispered to him. This time, the other men in the room didn't notice. Draco smirked.

The guns that were pointed at him lowered and the leader clapped his hands together.

"Pleasure doing business with you, my friend."

Draco nodded at him and turned his head towards Jackson, urging him to ask his questions before any of them were shot dead.

"Would you happen to know what the Lupici were up to recently? We've heard of a, project of theirs in Egypt?" Jackson asked.

"Indeed. They were to search for certain dark object, as you wizards say, but they found something quite interesting instead."

Jackson swallowed and took a deep breath, willing himself to stay level-headed and not give themselves away.

"Are they planning on doing anything with their findings?"

"That is none my concern, and should not be of yours."

"Do you know if they plan on staying there any longer? I simply mean that, if we were to meet with them, we would have to know of their location."

The Arab raised an eyebrow questioningly as he stared at Jackson. Moments of silence passed and one of the henchmen from the right side of the room bellowed something in his language.

"I've heard they were travelling to Ethiopia next, but my sources are not hundred percent reliable."

Draco coughed and threw a dirty look towards his partner.

"They are to leave Egypt soon, then?" Draco asked. "To go to Ethiopia, correct?"

The tall man nodded at him and made to take hold of his gold. "That is all I tell you today. You leave now. Ahmed will escort you back outside," he said while raising his left hand. Another burly man stepped towards them, one of his hands firmly grasping the gun that sat in his belt.

"Follow, now," he urged the trio.

Hermione sighed impatiently, more than happy to be leaving their 'meeting'. Jackson stood quickly and made to get ahead of her while Draco kept at her back, both of them standing closer then when they had first entered the house.

Just as they were leaving the room, he heard whispers in the far back of the room and suddenly, he tensed, reaching in front for Hermione's hand. The small witch looked at him with confusion as their skin made contact, questioning the sudden gesture.

"Take Jackson's hand. Subtly," Draco mumbled.

Her face scrunching up in uncertainty, Hermione did as he said and slowly slid her hand into Jackson's. When her partner's eyes looked back at her in question, she shook her head and raised her other hand at him. Jackson didn't seem to understand but didn't question her any more as he turned to look ahead of him while they were being led out of the dark corridor from earlier and into the parlor at the front of the house.

Their escort suddenly stopped and whirled around to face them. He drew out his shoulders and made to stand more menacingly towards them. "This meeting secret. You leave and not say word to no one."

Draco and Jackson nodded each of their heads and the trio made to exit. Once more, Draco heard the man whispering to himself in his native tongue and pushed Hermione and Jackson ahead forcefully.

As soon as they were out the door in back into the alley, he fished around for his wand and closed his eyes to concentrate on the feeling of disapparation, only to realize something was off.

"Wards," he uttered gravely. "They have wards on the place."

"What are you on about?" Hermione questioned him. "And pray tell, why are we holding hands like a bunch of preschoolers?"

"They're onto us. I heard them, before we left the meeting room," Draco answered while leading them down the alley and towards the street. The two followed him without saying a word.

Hermione had already seen Draco panicked once before, when they had been in Hogwarts of course. But years had passed and for a grown man to seem this desperate to leave a certain place, she couldn't help but worry.

"What's the plan," Jackson suddenly said. Getting back into his role as Hermione's partner, he seemed to find the courage he had earlier lost while talking with the Arab man.

"Well, it was to apparate out, but that's out of the question. We need to run," Draco replied drily, taking them down another street and into a more crowded area of the city.

The three ran for a few seconds but it wasn't long before they understood they were being followed. As they turned a corner abruptly, Draco rammed head first into a strong built mass of arms and shoulders and chest. The trio stumbled and fell back, Jackson being the only one that had the reflex to reach for his wand as they met the pavement.

"Here!" the man they had bumped in yelled at his back in a thick accent.

Jackson was standing in less than a blink of an eye and he threw a Protego spell just as the man in front of them pulled his trigger. The fired bullets blasted off his shield but the man kept on firing.

"Go, quick! I'll cover you!" Jackson yelled as he stunned the man.

Draco turned around and fumbled to get back to his feet. He took a sharp intake of breath when he looked back at Hermione. Her right wrist stood out at a weird angle, probably broken during their fall and she was blinking madly to shake the dizziness from their sudden incident.

With no time to spare, he took the small witch into his arms and ran madly in the other direction. As he rounded a corner, he heard Jackson yelling out more spells to keep the man's apparent backup away from them.

"Malfoy, let go!" Hermione struggled in his arms. Her sudden movement caused him to lose his balance and they fell once more to the floor. In a heap of tangled limbs, they managed to get back up and kept on running. "Jeez, I'm not a damsel in distress. I can handle myself, it's only a broken wrist!"

Draco rolled his eyes while keeping the quick pace of their run. "You're hurt Granger, we need to get out of here quick."

"Oh! What about Jackson?" she suddenly made to go back, turning around on her heels.

Upon hearing her, Malfoy whirled around and grabbed hold of her other wrist.

"We need to think about our safety first. Jackson will be ok on his own."

Struggling once more to get out of his hold, Hermione stopped running and pulled in the opposite direction.

"Always thinking of yourself first Malfoy, so typical of you."

He turned around at her words and his eyes narrowed. As soon as he set eyes on her however, a blast was heard close to them and he stepped on his ego, willing her to follow him again.

"No comeback? Still a coward, I see," she taunted him while they started running again.

Silently fuming, Draco led them through a crowd and towards a small alley he had just spotted. He roughly pushed Hermione into the small space, with barely any space to move around in.

"I was actually trying to save you, Granger," he whispered angrily at her while they both caught their breath. "We should rest for a minute before going again."

"We need to help Jackson!"

"He'll handle himself! Damn it, witch, you're going to get us killed! I'm sure this isn't the first time you've gotten yourselves into such a situation!"

"What would you know!"

They both stared at each other, daring the other to speak while they respectively started breathing properly again.

"I don't, Granger," Draco muttered as he stood closer to her. He leaned his face closer to hers so his lips grazed her ear, making his words clear as he spoke. "You don't let anyone in."

"Maybe I don't want anyone in Malfoy," she responded in a whisper of her own. In a turn of events, she was suddenly out of breath again but for another reason. Draco's close proximity was once again playing tricks on her mind.

He sighed deeply and took a step back. "We should get going." He turned to get out of the alley.

Hermione shook herself out of her trance and made to follow him but ran straight into his back when he stopped moving.

"Gnelt drank!" she heard from the outside of the alley as she felt rather than saw Draco moving.

A second later, she was being roughly pushed up on the wall, Draco's hands on either side of her head, gliding up her wild mane as he lowered his lips to hers. Without realizing what was happening, she poured herself in the kiss and threw her own hands around his neck, responding to his embrace in way that surprised her.

A shiver ran through her spine as he felt him shift them so that her back would be facing the street. And then she gasped as his hands worked lightning quick to untangle themselves from her hair and slide around her back to her butt. She felt her feet lift from the pavement as she was raised into the air, her legs coming around Draco's middle in reflex. He slowly licked his tongue around her lips and she deepened the kiss, inviting his own tongue to dance with hers languidly.

All too quickly, the kiss was over and Draco loosened his hold to set her back on the pavement.

"What … What was that for?" she asked, confusion thick in her voice.

"They were running right by the alley, had to hide," he shrugged as he ran a hand lazily through his hair.

Hermione blinked as she looked at him. Her heart was pounding madly in her chest.

"Come on, they should be gone by now," Draco said as he stuck his head out of the alley, looking both ways before reaching for her hand again.

This time, Hermione mutely let herself follow him around the crowded streets, still in the daze that their kiss had induced.

Author's note :

1- The Gnelt Drank is a very rough translation from Armenian that means "Find Them". I hadn't chosen any particular country for this as I didn't wish to insult any particular part of the world (Please remember, this if Fanfiction!)

2- This chapter was once again longer than expected! Props to all of the Authors who write action daily, I know it wasn't anything big but I struggled to write out the last scenes.

3- I tried to make Hermione a bit softer towards Malfoy and hope it doesn't come off as being too fast but this is how I might picture them getting around to being 'friendly' with each other. Maybe a bit more, who knows ;)

Let me know what you thought in the reviews below!

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