Draco felt a sob building in his chest, the brilliance that normally emanated from Granger had disappeared. It left in its wake a simplistic smile and a vacant expression. Rage followed the sob, chasing it round and round. This was his fault.
Kneeling before her, he grasped her hand gently when she offered it to him.
"We're leaving?"
He looked up at her, her question shocking him.
"Yes, we are leaving," he replied. "I need you to be as quiet as possible though. Can you do that?"
Her face perked up, she covered her mouth with a hand. She whispered from behind it, "I can be very quiet."
Draco's heart clenched, but he gave a light smile. "Come on."
Holding onto her hand he stood, pulling her up. Once she stood with him he picked up the trunk and leaving the room. They started down the stairs, reaching the landing of the third floor without a problem. They paused on the landing of the second floor once they heard voices from behind the closed landing door.
"Where has that boy gone now?" The scowl in Lucius' voice made Draco shiver.
They stood, frozen while waiting for a response.
Nausicaa's voice floated through the door, "Your son has taken with a fever. I have already sent him to bed for the night," her voice took on a harsh tone, "He is not to be disturbed."
Lucius scoffed, a scuffling sound reached his ears. Rage curled in his belly, his father had been known to lash out when angry. Heat splashed his cheeks when he heard a throaty laugh from both of his parents. He pulled Hermione along down the last flight of stairs. They stepped onto the manicured lawn, the moon pulling from behind the trees. Draco cast a last glance at the manor, random window lit from within. He said his goodbyes and hurried along to the wooded area.
A tight hand on Hermione's he looked back at her, she had not said a word since before leaving the room. Her eyes were wide, drifting slowly. She caught his gaze and split into a brilliant grin before her eyebrows pulled together and she lifted a single finger to her lips. Draco nodded once sharply, returning to moving through the wooded area until he found the edge of the property. Trissa had already arrived, a small knapsack slung over her thin body. She stood up sharply when Draco entered the glade. He pulled the address his mother had given to him from his pocket.
"I need you to take us here," Draco read off the address, then nodding when Trissa asked for permission to grab his pant leg, she also grabbed Hermione's leg and together they disappeared with a crack. Draco swore when his face, elbow, and ankle slammed into the ground and Granger fell on top of him. The trunk had landed beneath him, perilously close to his groin.
"Granger, get off of me," he growled.
When nothing happened, he called Trissa over. "Get her off of me."
"Of course, young master. Miss Granger, you needs to be getting off of the young master now."
Granger finally moved, her feet coming close to his head as she stood. Draco caught a whiff of her socks, recoiling in disgust. He mentally calculated how long Granger had been trapped in his house without a shower and shuddered.
"Trissa, get her showered. I will leave some clothes you can change her into outside the bathroom door." Draco pushed himself up; taking a quick look around the safe house his mother had sent him to. They had landed in a tiny kitchen, to the side an eat-in dining room. To the opposite side Draco found an equally small living room, a large couch dominating one wall. Through the living room Trissa lead Granger down a short hallway that held only three doors. Trissa took opened the closest one, leading Hermione inside.
Standing, Draco placed the trunk on the table, returning it to its original size. Opening it he pulled what he needed, mainly clothes that could be transfigured and a robe. Folding them neatly he left them outside the bathroom door before returning to the kitchen. He closed the trunk with a clack and began to search the cupboards. Every door he opened held a surprise, one cabinet held food while another held dishes.
Loud noises from the bathroom drew his attention away from the cupboards. Hermione skipped into the room, bed clothes covered with his robe. Trissa followed behind, drenched.
"She would not let Trissa wash her hair sir. Would not. Would not. Would not!"
Draco cut her off, "Go and get me what I need, I will wash her hair. Then clean the bathroom Trissa."
Hermione grinned at him; face as dirty as an urchin. Draco grabbed a kitchen chair, placing it up against the sink.
"Sit down."
She did as requested and stared at Hermione thinking of how to go about this. Trissa deposited bottles of soap as well as a few dry towels on the counter before leaving to clean the bathroom.
He looked it all over, "Now how am I going to do this?"
Hermione piped up, "Like you are supposed to."
He lifted an eyebrow at her, looking down at her.
"Alright, I suppose we should get to it then."
Draco had her lean back, wetting her hair, lathering it and rinsing as the instructions on the bottles said to do. As he was rinsing her hair he heard Hermione humming.
"What is that song?"
"My favorite one!"
"What is it called?"
Her eyes took on a faraway look as he applied the second bottle to her hair.
"My favorite."
Draco rinsed her hair again, before wetting a rag and washing her face, before having her sit up so he could dry her hair.
"Trissa."
She appeared with a crack.
"Clean up the kitchen and make some food for us."
Draco missed any response she might have given as he ushered Hermione down the hall. Draco checked both rooms before deciding on housing Granger in the larger of the two. Pulling back the sheets of the large bed, he helped her sit. Hermione quickly adjusted herself sitting with her back to the head board.
"Story time?" She questioned hopefully.
Draco rolled his eyes, even like this Granger was still Granger. He glanced around the room, finding a small bookshelf that he pulled the Tales of Beetle and Bard. Draco fingered the well-worn pages until he found a familiar name, his own, if fact. The sloppy script must have come when he was first learning to write. A powerful emotion swept through him, unidentifiable. Pushing it away Draco settled onto the bed, a fair amount of space between them.
Hermione wiggled her way closer, her head lying gently across his shoulder. Draco winced at the stab to his heart he refused to examine and began to read. He read to her until her head slipped from his shoulder, instead curling down onto her pillow. Draco pulled the blankets up over her shoulders, leaving the door cracked as he left the room. Draco collapsed into the couch, head dropping back, arm covering his face.
Something internally shifted, the box of emotions he normally kept locked shut sprang open. Tears leaked down his face, sobs wrenching his chest. He curled down into a ball, knees hanging off the end of the couch. Draco sobbed for hours, every emotion he had ever pushed away forcing its way through his body. A simple clock on the wall read one o'clock when Hermione screamed. Draco rushed up, tripping over the small coffee table. She continued to scream, as he slipped down the hall, bursting into her room. Wand out, he searched for a culprit. Finding nothing unusual he moved to Hermione's side.
He sat carefully on the edge of the bed, Hermione's face buried in her hands.
"Hermione?" He questioned softly.
She looked up sharply, before throwing herself into his arms. She nearly knocked them onto the floor; Draco got a foot underneath him and pushed himself back onto the bed. She sobbed herself out within a few minutes, pulling back to look at him. Her dark eyes widened, hands fluttering to his face.
"Why are you crying?"
Her simple question alerted Draco to the fact he was still crying. Draco just shook his head, unable to speak.
Hermione scooted over in the bed, patting the empty space gently. "You stay here so I can protect you."
Draco went to stand up, but Hermione's grip on his arm was nearly bruising. She stared at him, almost trying to tell him something with her eyes.
He sighed, "Fine."
Hermione laid down, rolling towards him. Draco laid back, careful to keep his dirty shoes off the bedspread. They laid together in silence, post crying exhaustion creeping through Draco. As his eyes were drifting shut he thought to ask why she screamed.
"The girl in my head wanted out, and it scared me."
Draco's eyes slid shut, the strange answer forming dreams of an ever-extending hallway and Hermione being trapped behind the last door.
A/N: You guys are great! Have two chapters instead of one!