Out of Hand by relativelypositive

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter and I make no money from the use of J.K. Rowling's characters.

Chapter 35

Well, that's one way to get some peace and quiet. Maybe just quiet.

Draco sat on the floor with his back to the counter. He'd pulled Hermione's limp body into his arms.

Poor kid. She'd been pretty beat up already, and now she had a lump on her head.

And Draco thought that when she woke up he'd force-feed her. She felt fragile, delicate. Dinky.

They hadn't gotten lunch and it was now dinnertime, but as far as he knew no one was cooking. Had she had breakfast in the infirmary? He hadn't, and he couldn't remember if she had or not. He guessed yes, since Pomfrey would be watching those things.

He was betting the twins or Potter knew how to cook. If he or Blaise were in charge of cooking, then everyone would be stuck with sandwiches. He couldn't cook, but he could assemble.

Hermione would make a seven-course meal. Then figure out a way to get it done in three.

Draco could think all the random thoughts in the world, but it didn't change the fact that Greg had the Dark Mark. And right now he was in Voldemort's presence. Did the Dark Lord know Greg had left Hogwarts with himself and Hermione?

It was too soon. Greg was too young. They were all too young to be dealing with this crap.

Draco realized he had formed the fantasy of saving all his friends from that fate.

He had been saved. He'd thought he had time to save them, too.

Who else? Was he too late to save the rest of his friends?

"They must have gone downstairs."

Draco was about to get the Weasleys' attention when they started talking about him.

"Malfoy looked devastated, don't you think?"

"You see his face when 'Mione revealed Goyle's Mark? Thought he'd throw up."

"Was it revulsion? He said he would've been a Death Eater if he hadn't gotten with Hermione. What does that mean? Would he have been forced if he didn't want to? Or would he have just accepted it? Or does he believe in blood purity?"

"We were born into a family of Order members. Can you imagine being born into a family of Death Eaters? I'd see Hermione as salvation, too."

"Wait, you think that's why he suddenly decided he wanted to stay in the engagement?"

Draco found his arms involuntarily squeezing Hermione. His eyes were tearing up. He couldn't remember the last time that happened.

She was his salvation, and so much more.

"I don't know. From what I can tell, he never really fought it."

"Lucky bastard. He goes from terrifying, possibly forced servitude to a creepy homicidal reanimated snake man to a hot wife whose future is so bright the Pureblood supremacists are scared she'll take over."

"He gets to kiss Hermione whenever he wants to. I no longer believe in karma."

"Awww. You're so jealous! That's adorable."

"Like I haven't heard you moan her name. The walls are thin, man."

"Reminder to Silence myself duly noted."

"Seriously, what do you see happening here? Malfoy and Hermione have bounties on their heads. Mum went to get the Grangers today. They're staying at the Burrow until further notice."

"There's plenty of room here."

"Yeah, but do you really want Mum to know about the Warren yet?"

"No! Point taken."

"Realistically, we should send Harry and that Zabini kid back to Hogwarts. More children missing will bring more attention. Plus, it'd be easier to smuggle two around than four."

"Should we obliviate that one?"

"Zabini? Dunno. Think he'd let us check his arm?"

"Doubt it."

"Fred, can we keep her safe? Our wards are so odd no one could ever make sense of them let alone break them, but Malfoy is a part of this and he could conceivably turn on us."

"I don't think he will. He's like…he's like a cross between Bill and Percy. He's a proper jerk, but he's also smart and adventurous. I kind of want to date him."

"You're not my type," Draco finally interjected. Not very Slytherin of him, he knew, but he wanted to ask the boys a few questions.

"Shit!" he heard one twin exclaim.

"Bugger!" said the other one.

They both rounded the counter and immediately dropped to check on Hermione.

"What happened?"

"She smelled that box right there," Draco nodded to the Shimmering Silver Salt Drops. "Went down fast. Hit her head. You should put a warning on that."

One of the twins grabbed the box, turned it over, and presented it to him.

"'If accidentally inhaled, no worries. You'll wake up eventually.' What kind of warning is that?"

"Honest. She'll be fine. These are the opposite of smelling salts. Instead of waking you up, they put you out. It's a sleep aid and a practical joke."

"How long will she be out?"

"Couple hours at the most. If she doesn't wake soon we'll use the antidote."

"Antidote? Like she's been poisoned?"

"True love's kiss, of course!"

Draco started to sweat and must have looked just as alarmed.

"Jeez, Malfoy! We're just fucking with you!"

He took another deep, calming breath.

"So what's the antidote?"

"Smelling salts, Malfoy! Truly, very few things we create are intentionally lethal."

That statement sent a chill down his spine.

While he found them quite amusing, and somewhat terrifying, he needed to get down to business.

"Bounties on our heads? Tell me about that."

"We heard it in the crowd when we were skulking around the Greengrasses. Dead or alive. You preferably alive, her preferably dead."

XXXXXXXXXX

Hermione felt like she had been sleeping on a car ride. Oddly bumpy and not at all restful.

She opened her eyes to find everyone in what must have been the dining room. Malfoy was holding her in his lap and eating beans and rice one-handed.

"But that won't work!" she could hear Harry argue. "It would just make Hermione a bigger target!"

"It would be a done deal, though!" Blaise argued back.

"They could still kill her and pull him back into the fold."

"What if they made an heir?"

"Another person to kill."

"That's just wrong."

"Think like a serial killer, Zabini. It'll help you figure it out."

"What's a serial killer?"

"Person that kills a lot of people one at a time, spaced out over time."

"I didn't know there was a name for that," Zabini said uncomfortably.

"Think your mum qualifies, do you?" Draco asked.

Hermione thought Zabini would get mad, but he just laughed.

"It's kind of nice to know there are others out in the world. It's not just her."

"Are you serious?" asked Harry. "You're glad there are deranged killers out there?"

"Not glad, relieved. Anyway, if there was a new little Malfoy running around, I think Narcissa would…not switch sides, but possibly become neutral."

"Hermione would never go for it. She'd have to miss school," said Fred.

"She'd still go. She wouldn't let a little pregnancy get in her way," countered George.

Hermione felt her senses returning in full as her indignation rose.

"How about we not plan to impregnate me while I'm sleeping, hmm?"

She extricated herself from Malfoy's hold and unsteadily sat in the next chair while glaring at the boys.

"Sorry, Hermione, we're just talking through our options. Fred said you'd be awake soon," Harry said.

"How are you feeling?" asked George. "Any shortness of breath? Jiggly eyeballs? Longer fingernails? Incessant need to jump up and down?"

"No," Hermione laughed, then realized the twins were seriously studying her. "Were you expecting those things to happen?"

"Ummm…no?"

"Fred!"

"Not all of them."

"There are side effects?" Malfoy asked menacingly.

There was a moment of silence.

"No?" Fred answered timidly.

"I feel fine, so let's talk about what happens next. But first, someone pass me the rice."

"Well, we thought you could live in the Warren indefinitely, but that would interrupt your education, so we didn't think you'd go for it," said George.

"I think we should all go back to Hogwarts," suggested Harry. "With the heightened security and Dumbledore there I think it's a safer place than it was when we left."

"But everyone knows Hogwarts," Zabini said. "If it were infiltrated there'd be no place to hide."

"Who said anything about hiding? If we go back to Hogwarts, it will be to resume our lives. If we get attacked there, even with the extra precautions, we'll have to fight back."

"Could we go back to our regular lives right now? We probably could, Potter, but Granger couldn't. And Draco would be in just as much danger."

"Hogwarts is under a lot of scrutiny right now. The newspapers are watching, as is the Ministry because of the protesting and possible curriculum change. Does that make it more or less likely to be attacked if the Death Eaters know Hermione and Malfoy are in there?" asked Fred.

"Let's not take the chance," Malfoy said. "Hermione and I should not go back until a safe solution is found. We have been exceedingly lucky so far. I am still shocked that my father did not murder Hermione with his bare hands this morning."

Deep down Hermione knew Malfoy was completely serious, but she didn't want to believe it. That he was certain his father would kill her terrified her. Hermione had already been struggling with the vague possibility that she was a target, but it was harder to deal with knowing certain people would kill her on sight.

Malfoy continued, "If he can't find her he can't kill her."

A/N:

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