Chapter 5 - Finding Our Way
Draco and Hermione walked upon the dirt road, the sun blazing in the sky. The cabin had been located next to a graveyard, with nothing humane in sight. Only trees and fields of tall grass existed all the way into the horizon.
"It's so hot," Hermione groaned, her face and body full of sweat. Draco was no different, the sweat running into his scars making them sting and burn.
Draco nodded, Hermione only staring at the ground she walked on. His mind ticking, searching for an idea to at least make the day go faster. "I have an idea."
She looked at his face, her eyes seemed to have been sunk in. "What?"
He pointed his wand to the horizon, "accio broom."
"You're calling your broom? But, what if we are half-way around the world!" She didn't want to believe this would work, and then again, she hoped it would.
"I've seen people call things from miles and miles away. It might take a little bit, but - OUCH!"
Hitting him in the head and falling to the ground was a broom.
"Wow, you were right," Hermione seemed interested.
"Yeah," he rubbed his head, "that didn't take long, which means Hogwarts must be that way," he pointed, "and not so far since it only took about a minute or two."
Draco took his broom and positioned it under him, "come on, Hermione."
"But..."
"But, what?" Draco looked at her.
Hermione looked down, tying her hair back with an elastic. "I'm afraid of flying."
He looked at her, giving her that same look of 'weird', "would you prefer walking for hours in this heat?"
She shook her head, "even so, I don't know how."
"Granger, I am controlling it, just get in back of me," he quickly grabbed her wrist and pulled her to his back.
She slowly put her leg over the broom, Draco feeling her shivering.
"Relax. You're with me. You'll be fine," he said gently. "Put your arms around my waist."
She obliged, one of his hands meeting hers, squeezing, and returning to the broom.
"If you need to, close your eyes."
"Okay," Hermione replied, squeezing his waist.
With her agreement and strength around his waist, the idea of flying came into his mind and pushing off the ground led them to taking off. Draco felt her grip tighten twice as much as they flew over the trees. She placed her head on the back of his shoulder, her eyes tightening shut.
Speeding ahead, Draco felt more of a breeze, cooling both him and Hermione. After minutes in the sky, Hermione opened an eye to peek, and realized she could touch the clouds if she so wished. Taking a deep breath, she loosened her arms and allowed one to reach to the closest puff or condensation. Feeling the slight cool wetness, she reached around him.
"Are you alright?" He had to increase his voice because of the current speed.
Hermione nodded, her head against his shoulder again, allowing him to understand. When she lifted her head once more, she saw the dark cloud in the horizon. "What is that?"
"I don't know, we'll see soon."
And in moments, a familiar castle stood under the cloud of smoke: Hogwarts was burning. The historical school was on fire.
Both pairs of eyes opened more, Hermione's grip tightening once again.
"No." Hermione could barely make the small word out.
Draco stopped the broom a fair distance away from the fires. Glancing down, the grasses were covered with bodies. "Hermione, we need to see if anyone is still alive."
Hermione had just noticed the unburied graveyard, also. She couldn't respond to him in words or movements.
Allowing the broom to glide down, they landed on the ripped up grass and dirt. So many bodies lay covering the ground, some of the faces being familiar but not any able to be named off the top of their minds.
"Tinah Laurent," Draco said softly, Hermione not able to hold back her tears. She saw the robes of Slytherin covering the girl's body.
Hermione walked forward, turning over every body she would pass. Remembering the sound of Bellatrix's voice before falling into the darkness, she hoped Harry had managed to survive.
Searching the fields, faces of students, professors, ministry worked, and followers of Voldemort lay, some split into pieces. Hermione finally gave up and fell to the ground, covering her face in pain. Draco immediately locked her in his arms, rubbing from her neck to her lower back.
Hushing her to calm down, he held his tears in. "There was nothing we could have done, Hermione. We were trapped, and could have been like these people right now."
She sniffled, "I still should have helped."
"How could you when you were thrown in?"
"I don't know," she seemed to think it over again, "I don't know." She dropped her head lower.
Draco clung to her, allowing him to stand and pull her to stand with him, "Hermione, we have to go." He found her hand and lead them back to the broom.
Positioning the two and then the broom, both looked at the castle and silently said good-bye before taking off back into the sky.
Landing at the site where the Order of the Phoenix had taken place, Hermione waved her wand and whispered the old code. Watching the wall move with the windows and door popping open, Draco watched in interest.
Opening the door, voices were heard from what seemed like a few floors above. Hermione drew her wand, as did Draco; they quietly and slowly entered the house, glancing around to find anyone.
"They're coming from up there," Draco whispered low enough to be considered mouthing words.
Hermione nodded.
He motioned his hand to follow him down the hall on the same floor. It would be best to search every floor rather than just where the voices were coming from. When nothing was found in the kitchen or dining room, the two tip-toed up the old stairs, the voices growing louder.
The voices were definitely familiar, and as Hermione lead them to the door, she peeked in the door that was cracked open to see Remus Lupin and his wife, Tonks. Hermione stood and pushed the door open.
"Hermione!" Tonks immediately jumped to her, hugging her tightly.
Lupin smiled, putting his hand on her shoulder, "we thought you were dead, Hermione."
Hermione started crying, hugging Tonks tightly, "no, Snape opened some kind of portal and I was pushed." Hermione wiped her eyes as Mrs. Lupin pulled away. "The portal obviously opened some kind of dungeon because when I fell, I found Draco." Hermione turned around to see Draco outside the door.
Lupin glared at him while his wife just gave him a blank stare.
"Draco," Hermione held out her hand, but he stood there fearing the elder's would hurt him.
Lupin watched the blonde man, seeing the fear in his eyes and posture. "Draco, we're not going to hurt you. Come in."
Hermione's hand still open for his, he gently walked forward and grabbed it. With their hands joined, Mr. and Mrs. Lupin silently questioned what had happened in the darkness of the imprisonment.
Hermione saw the questioning looks, but didn't want to open a debate. Instead, she asked, "where is everyone?"
Lupin looked at his wife, "we're all hiding, Hermione. Harry and the Weasley's are hidden in a specific location, and we should get you there as well."
"What about you?" Hermione asked.
"We aren't afraid of them. We have our own hiding place, but no one can tell where each other's is in case we get caught. We are the only others who know about Harry's," Nymphadora Tonks-Lupin responded slowly.
Hermione looked at Draco, his eyes filled with sadness, too. She squeezed his hand, and he did the same in response.
"Hermione," Lupin started, "Draco... please come here."
The two walked slowly towards the married couple.
"Hold onto each other tightly, you don't want to let go," Remus Lupin stated, holding out his arms to his wife and Draco. Draco wrapped his other arm tightly around Hermione's waist as the older man quickly said, "Phoenix feathers," opening the portkey which brought them into a kitchen.
"Arthur, Molly!" Lupin shouted quietly enough.
Around the corner came the Weasley parent's, who found Hermione instantly. Molly rushed to her, hugging her and kissing her cheek.
"We were so worried about you! They'll be so happy to see you, too! And," she recognized Draco, "it's good to see you, too, Draco." Hermione could read his face, it was obviously weird to be in the same room with people you hated throughout school. And now you were wearing the tattoo recognizing you were a follower of one of the darkest wizards in all history.
Hermione grabbed Draco's hand again, "I'll find my way upstairs, Molly."
"Alright, dear. Harry, Ron, Ginny, and Luna will be up there."
"Thanks," she pulled Draco to the spiral stairs in the corner of the living room, walking up.
As they walked past the third floor and up to the fourth, Hermione stopped to face Draco, "are you alright?" She put her hand on his cheek, but rather than allowing it, he moved his face away not allowing himself to look at her. "Draco." She sternly said quietly.
"Granger," he quietly responded, "it is very weird for me to be here. Don't take it personally, I just haven't liked the Weasley family or Potter because my Father never did." He wiped his face, "it's obvious to figure out why."
Hermione nodded, standing up and continuing to walk to their floor. The first room on the right seemed to be empty with no sounds. The next room was also quiet, it was the room on the left that contained the sound of familiar voices. Hermione pulled Draco into the second door on the right, closing the door as quietly as possible.
She let go of his hand, and walked to the bed allowing herself to fall back.
"Granger?" Draco asked in a lower voice than the past few days.
Hermione stood silent for a moment, "Mal-foy... are we going back to last names, now?" Hermione sat up and folded her arms. "Have you forgotten the last few days, Draco?"
Draco took a deep breath and immediately almost flew to her. His legs pressed against the mattress and stood in between her legs. As he gently shoved her upper body onto the mattress, his lips meeting hers more harshly than all the times before. And as he laid next to her, one of his hands slipped inside her dirty shirt, tracing up her stomach to the under wire of her bra. Just as easily, his hand stooped under the wire and under the soft cup, gently stroking her left breast causing her breathing to quicken. But as soon as he had started, he stopped and kissed her forehead.
"I figured we might have to play the game, Hermione."
"What do you mean? Pretend to hate each other still?" She looked at him, trying to regulate her breathing.
He nodded softly.
"If we hated each other, why would you be here with me?" She asked, raising her head to kiss his soft lips. "I don't want to pretend, Draco. And if they have a problem with US, then that is their problem. Ron, especially."
Draco couldn't keep his eyes off her, brushing a few strands of hair to the sides of her face and kissing her forehead. He stood, "you're right. No pretending."
He grabbed her hand and pulled her to stand with him.
"Ready to face them?" She asked him.
Draco didn't know what to say, only breathed.
"How about I start the shower for you so I can get them to calm down first?" Hermione smiled slightly.
Draco smiled, too, "that seems like a better idea."
She walked him to the bathroom around the corner, starting the shower. The bathroom was decorated in blue, green, and white. The rug underneath her feet almost seemed like a soft rope. When Hermione turned around to tell him it was ready, she found his body naked, directly behind her.
Hermione's face filled with blush, entitling him to smile more and hug her.
"What's the matter?" He teased lightly.
Hermione shook her head, not able to say anything. Kissing her forehead, he pulled away from her.
"Go say 'hi' to Potter and them, I'll be quick."
Hermione nodded, still covered in blush. As she walked out of the bathroom, she heard the water from the shower crashing over his body.
Turning the corner and opening the door, four pairs of eyes immediately found her.