Draco hurried from the room and out of the doors of that horrid whore house before Theo could even think to find his shirt.
He ran up the stairs two at a time till he reached the door of his flat. He whispered the necessary incantation and slipped the key into the lock that appeared. Storming for he and Hermione's bedroom, he started rifling through the lot of her things.
"It has got to be here SOMEWHERE!" He shouted. Think like Hermione. He had just about given up when his eyes landed on a silvery box Hermione's mother had given her as a girl sitting at the top of their closet. Anxiety started to course through his blood as he slowly inched toward it and pulled it down. It was dusty, as if it hadn't been touched since they moved in. Engraved upon it was that of a sparrow, and quote;
"The meaning of life is to find your gift. The purpose is to give it away." – P.P.
Breathing heavily, his palms began to sweat, he opened it slowly. Forgetting for just a moment why he was holding it, he delicately moved things aside, finding a picture of the young witch twirling and waving in her Gryffindor robes. Her smile, and that button nose. A silent sob escaped his lips, and set it aside. "Ok… I know you have it…" Beginning to search again, he didn't have to dig very long before he found it.
"Shit." His thoughts were disturbed as he remembered he didn't close the door that Theo had just scrambled through.
"Bloody hell, what the hell was that all about?" Theo asked, catching his breath. "And what, where, why do you have that?" Gesturing to the piece that was sitting in the palm of Draco's hand.
"I mark the hours, every one, nor have I yet outrun the Sun. My use and value, unto you, are gauged by what you have to do." Draco quietly read from the tiny necklace. "It's Hermione's time-turner."
"I know what the bloody thing is, but why do YOU have it?" Theo retorted. "And how? They were all destroyed!"
"Well, Hermione had it third year for classes, she returned it at the end of that year but it seems Dumbledore never returned it to the Ministry. After he died, McGonagall found it and gave it to Hermione in case it was needed while she, Potter and Weasel were out gallivanting through the forest."
"Right. So what idea do you have in that pointy little head of yours that was so important you couldn't wait till I was finished with my shag?" He demanded, crossing his arms.
"First of all, Theo, you really should stay away from Honey's. It's fucking disgusting. Secondly, I said I'm going to save Hermione. Did you not hear me? Or was there no blood getting to your brain during that conversation of ours?"
Scowling now, Theo retorted, "Oh sod off, Draco! I heard you just fine. How do you plan on saving Her…?" He asked, skipping over saying her name.
"I'm going back to Hogwarts to have a chat with... Well, me." He replied smugly.
"When?"
"Sixth year. Just before we ended up getting together. Before everything changed. I'm going to give her hell instead of falling for her and I'm going to make sure she's safe in the end of this. And I'm going to make sure he, I, finish Bellatrix off before Aurors or anyone else gets the chance to."
Theo sat pensively, taking it all in before saying "I'm in."
Draco looked dumbfounded and paused before registering what Theo had just suggested. "What? No. Are you mental?"
"Really? You obviously need my knowledge on the thing, that's why you came to find me isn't it? I was the only one besides Granger to be using one of those in school." After a few moments he added "And you want to go back five years. That's pretty dangerous, Draco. I'm not letting my best mate go it alone."
The blond wizard sighed, and tried to hide his tearing eyes and nodded before his best mate walked to the kitchen searching through his cabinets, finally finding what he was looking for.
"Here, take this. You probably need like twelve of these at this point but we'll pretend this'll do." He tossed the Pepper-Up Potion to Draco, who downed it immediately. "We go first thing tomorrow." Theo said.
"No. We have no time to waste—" Draco began.
"No, you need to sober up a bit more and get some sleep. It doesn't look like you've slept in that bed since...she made it last. You need to have your wits before journeying back so far."
Draco shuddered when Theo wouldn't say Hermione's name but he agreed. Thinking of his wife made him realize that she would not take kindly to him being reckless. "We leave at dawn" Draco whispered before heading to his bed to spend one last night wrapped in his wife's scent.
"Yeah...I'll just see myself to the guest bedroom, eh, mate?" Theo shouted sarcastically after him.
Draco silently latched the door behind him and turned to face the bed. Theo had been right, he hadn't slept in that bed since… Since the very last morning they had been together. And what a morning that had been. He smirked to himself. Hermione Malfoy, needy girl. Draco set the time-turner down atop of the dresser, and slowly treaded to Hermione's side of the bed. He eased onto the blanket, crinkling the fabric beneath him. "I'm so sorry I let you down, Hermione." Reaching out to her pillow, grazing his fingertips over it. Lying on top of the covers, he cuddled the pillow under his arm, breathing in her scent, dampening the material with his tears. "I am so sorry my love." Staring at their wedding picture on her bedside table, of him dipping her, and pulling her back up to caressing her soft cheek, he took it and held it while he fell into a deep asleep.
XXX
For the first time in days he woke without so much of a dream. He stared up at the ceiling and rolled his eyes at the sound of clanging in the kitchen. Someone is here to kill me. Better off dead anyway. He thought to himself, but quickly remembered his plan and that Theo had slept over. He groaned and rolled out of bed.
"Lumos" Draco muttered groggily. He stepped toward his closet and using the light from the tip of his wand, found a suitable pair of robes and a cloak with a bigger hood than he had on the one kept by the door, grabbing the necklace, and folded the picture of their wedding day, placing it into his pocket.
Taking one more glance at the room, one more breath of her air, he mumbled, "Nox."
He walked out to the kitchen as Theo was finishing up making breakfast, the smell of eggs lingered through the air. A little upset that Theo was using the dishes he hadn't touched since Hermione had last put them away, his stomach growled at the aroma of the food.
"Eat. Now. You don't know how much difficulty we'll have trying to get our next meal without concerning folks around here." He gestured around them. They both silently seated themselves and tucked in. Not a word was spoken till they were both finished.
"You sure you want to do this?" Theo asked breaking the silence.
Draco stared at his plate. "I'm not sure much of anything anymore to be honest. This though, I know it's what I have to do."
Theo puckered his lips, and moved to the chair beside his friend. "Draco. I'm not one for fairy tales, or happy endings. But you, and-." Still dismissing Hermione's name, he patted Draco's back. "The two of you had a love like no other."
The latter wizard clenched his jaw. Obviously he knew that. Hermione was everything to him. Gods, he would tear the moon from the sky and give it to her, if she had asked for it. She wouldn't have though, because then she would come up with some muggle scientific explanation as to why that wouldn't be a good idea. Those were the reasons why he had loved her so. Loves her.
"Alright, you ready to go?" Draco asked, dismissing what Theo had said.
"As ready as I can be, it's so bloody early" He replied while looking out the window at the rising sun. Draco chuckled before slipping his cloak on and pulling out the long chain of Hermione's time-turner.
He then paced around the table and motioned to place the chain around Theo's neck as well before Theo stopped him. "Woah woah, hold your snitch there, seeker. We can't do this here are you crazy? Someone else lived amongst this residence 5 years ago. We can't get killed before we even make it to Hogwarts!"
Draco sighed, "That makes sense. Where to, then?"
Theo didn't respond, but instead tapped Draco on the head with his wand. Draco felt the familiar sensation of a cold egg being cracked upon his head and then saw Theo lasso his wand around his own body. Disillusionment charms. When he looked up, Theo was calling from the door. "You coming mate?"