Hello again dear readers!

I've been posting daily since I first published, but I will be going on vacation for a week, so I hope this chapter satisfies you until the next! Don't forget to please leave a review!

Enjoy :)

Chapter 10 – London Pursuit

The following day was spent immersed in research, their determined efforts to unearth clues on what Voldemort may have used to create a horcrux, or how many he had created. They went back to Abraxas' journals, scouring them for anything that can prove helpful.

"Here," Draco said, his finger tracing a passage. Hermione approached to read along.

April 16th, 1943

Riddle's been overconfident lately, for a half-blood orphan that is. You'd think the son of a filthy muggle would respect his superiors, but he dared challenge Rosier to a duel, which ought to be interesting. Maybe he is more Gaunt than Riddle after all, despite his fine looks, merlin knows how cursedly hideous the Gaunts are.

"So, his mother was a Gaunt…that's why he can talk to snakes." Draco said "The Gaunts are a pureblood family descended from the line of Salazar Slytherin himself, and that's why the parseltongue trait passed down to him."

Hermione added "And his father was a muggle, Tom Riddle Sr. I'm assuming? Since he's Tom Riddle Jr."

Draco nodded "Most likely…this is a very important lead." He looked at Hermione and asked "I imagine muggle hospitals keep birth records, correct? I cannot go looking for information at St. Mungo's without raising suspicion. Besides, with a muggle father, especially at the time, his mother was surely disowned or forsaken by her family, which makes it more likely that he was born in the muggle world."

Hermione nodded "Yes, it is far more likely that he born in a muggle hospital or orphanage." She beamed and looked into the blonde's eyes "Draco, we finally have a solid lead!"

He smiled at her "Indeed. I need to go to muggle London as soon as possible to begin my search. Where do you reckon we can get a list of hospitals and orphanages?"

Hermione shook her head "Draco, you will stick out like a sore thumb in muggle London. You have to take me with you – "

"Absolutely not. We can't risk it." Draco firmly stated, avoiding her demanding eyes.

Hermione crossed her arms, a determined expression on her face. "Draco, we can't afford to waste time. If we want to find out more about Tom Riddle's past and potentially locate the Horcruxes, I need to go with you. I know my way around the muggle world."

Draco sighed, realizing the validity of her argument, but he hesitated. "It's dangerous, Hermione. We don't know what we might find, and I won't put you at unnecessary risk."

Hermione took a step closer, her eyes locking onto Draco's. "We're in this together, remember? We can use glamours to change our appearance and transfigure your clothes into something more akin to muggle fashion. We'll be careful Draco."

Draco met Hermione's confident gaze, a swirl of conflicting emotions evident in his stormy eyes. He couldn't ignore the reality that their journey into the muggle world might expose them to unforeseen dangers.

"I don't want anything to happen to you," he admitted, a rare vulnerability slipping into his voice.

Hermione reached out, placing a reassuring hand on Draco's arm. "And I don't want anything to happen to you either. We're a team, Draco. We face the unknown together. Not to mention, I happen to be more than capable of holding my own – you know, the brightest witch of her age and all. And if we find ourselves in a tight spot, rest assured, I have the most powerful wizard of his generation right by my side to protect me." She playfully batted her eyelashes at him, and he responded with an amused roll of his eyes.

Draco paused for a moment, pondering the risks and acknowledging the undeniable truth of Hermione's abilities. Eventually, he acquiesced with a nod. "Fine. But we must exercise caution and adhere to the plan. No unnecessary risks and heroics, Princess Gryffindor."

A small smile played on Hermione's lips as excitement washed over her. "Agreed. Now, let's get everything planned for tomorrow. We need to blend in seamlessly to avoid drawing any attention."

Over the next few hours, Draco and Hermione practiced casting glamours and transfiguring his clothing, adopting a more inconspicuous muggle appearance. Draco's once immaculate platinum hair transformed into a casually styled dark brown, complemented by a simple ensemble of jeans, a navy sweater, and a dark winter jacket. His eyes shifted to brown, his nose broadened, and a touch of facial hair graced his altered face. Meanwhile, Hermione sported short, straight dirty blond hair, vivid green eyes, a lengthened nose, more defined cheekbones, and slightly fuller lips.

As they stood before a full-length mirror, Draco couldn't help but marvel at the successful transformation. "Well, we certainly blend in with the Muggle world now."

Hermione chuckled. "Indeed. Let's keep our focus on the task at hand. We'll apparate to a discreet location in Muggle London, head to the public library to gather information on hospitals and orphanages, and then proceed from there."

After meticulously reviewing their plans multiple times, Draco and Hermione dispelled the glamours and retired to bed, preparing for a well-deserved night's rest before their impending adventure. Sleep proved elusive for Hermione, her excitement about leaving the cottage for the first time bubbling beneath the surface.

The following morning, they swiftly enjoyed breakfast, reapplied their glamours, and transfigured Draco's clothes to mirror the day before. Hand in hand, they stepped outside the cottage into the crisp snow.

"I still can't believe the amount of power you have to be able to apparate us across Europe to the British Isles. I'm starting to get jealous." Hermione remarked, looking up at Draco, who let out a laugh.

"Ready, Elizabeth?" Draco asked with a smirk.

Hermione smirked back. "Ready, William."

As Draco apparated them to in a quiet alley next to the Leaky Cauldron, they quietly and discreetly ventured into Charing Cross Road. Draco, eyes wide with awe at all the bustle and hustle that was Central London. Hermione smiled at him as she led him through the crowd of busy people and cars until they reached the Leicester Square Underground Station. She giggled at his hesitance to enter and dragged him in. They bought passes and headed down to wait for the train.

"I've never seen so many people in one place at a time" Draco exclaimed, his noise crinkling "And what's that awful smell?"

Hermione laughed "Welcome to the London tube, it's smelly, it's crowded, but it's very quick and efficient."

A couple of minutes later, Draco flinched as the train rushed in through the tunnel and halted in front of them. Hermione shook her head amusedly as they pushed through the crowd and into the train car.

"Hold on tight!" she warned as the train started again at full speed. A few minutes later, she ushered for them to get out of the train.

"This isn't actually our stop, we are here for a transfer, but I think you will find where we are very interesting." Hermione said, grabbing Draco's hand as they climbed up the stairs, finally reaching what she had hinted at. Draco's eyes widened "This is King's Cross, isn't it?" he said, an edge of excitement in his voice.

Hermione smiled, nodding "It's crazy to think how these worlds exist simultaneously and in the same physical place, yet seem to be on different planets at the same time. Now come on, we have to head back down for our transfer to Euston!"

Finally, Draco and Hermione left the Euston Underground Station and walked to the British Library. As they walked inside, Draco was taken aback by the sheer grandeur of it, and Hermione smiled sadly, remembering coming here frequently with her parents. "You know, this is one of the largest libraries in the world…it even contains the Magna Carta, which was-"

"I know what the Magna Carta is, Elizabeth" Draco interrupted her, but looked at her with a kind smile "I may not be used to this world, having not ventured into it physically, but I have read a lot about Muggle history. Besides, when it comes to this specific subject, it is very much intertwined with my own family's history."

Hermione looked at him confused "What do you mean?"

Draco hunched down to whisper in her ear "Hermione, don't you know that one of the rebel barons at the time was a Malfoy?"

Hermione's eyes widened with disbelief and her hand flew to her mouth "No!"

"Yes!" He said, a playful smile on his face "My ancestor, Atticus, was very instrumental in helping the Archbishop of Canterbury draft the whole thing, if you know what I mean."

"You must be joking!" Hermione stared at him, dumbstruck. "Are you seriously telling me your ancestor is behind one of the most important documents in human history?"

"You're welcome." Draco smirked as he grabbed her arm, ushering them further inside the grand library and towards one of the help desks. There, Hermione asked if they could have access to a computer connected to the world wide web to do some research. The librarian obliged and also wrote down some website links for them to use in their research for hospital and orphanages, and explained how the library's computer directory worked for them to look for physical records.

Once in front of the computer, Hermione took a few moments to explain to Draco what the machine was and how it worked, then, they began their search for the locations of hospitals and orphanages that were active in the 1920s. They managed to get the names of some places online, but then used the directory to search for more. With Draco's arm around her, they navigated the narrow aisles, searching for any historical records that might hold the key to Tom Riddle's birth.

Hours passed as they meticulously combed through dusty archives, uncovering snippets of information about various muggle institutions. Draco's frustration grew as he realized the enormity of the task.

Hermione, sensing his frustration, placed a comforting hand on his shoulder. "We might not find everything in one day, Draco. Patience is crucial in this."

He sighed, acknowledging her wisdom. "You're right. We'll press on."

Their search led them to a forgotten corner of the library, where they stumbled upon a collection of archived records. Hermione's eyes lit up as she pulled out a dusty ledger.

"Draco, look at this," she exclaimed. "It's a list of orphanages that were active in London since the first world war!"

Excitement coursed through Draco as he looked at the pages, "We need a copy of these."

Hermione nodded as she dragged him towards a photocopier to make the necessary copies. After that, they asked the librarian for a map of London, and they started pinning the locations of the orphanages they would need to visit.

"It's still 2 PM, we can probably make it to one or two orphanages."

As the day progressed, Draco and Hermione navigated the bustling streets of London, blending into the crowds seamlessly with their expertly crafted disguises. The first orphanage on their list turned out to have closed down some time in the late 1980s, and the second held no record of Tom Riddle. With time allowing them to visit one more, they eventually stood in front of Wool's Orphanage, a quaint building in a quieter part of the city. They approached cautiously, checking each other to make sure their glamours still held before entering.

The matron of the orphanage greeted them with a bored look. Draco and Hermione explained that they were working on a university research project, and asked if they could see records related to children born around the 1920s. The matron seemed skeptical at first at their unusual request, but then led them to a dusty room filled with aged documents.

As they sifted through the records, Draco's eyes widened when he stumbled upon a familiar name. "Tom Marvolo Riddle," he whispered, pointing to the entry in the ledger. "This is it."

Hermione, heart pounding with anticipation, scanned the information. "Born on December 31, 1926 in Wool's Orphanage. Mother: Merope Gaunt. Father: Tom Riddle Sr. Yes! We've found him!"

The realization sent shivers down their spines. The matron, unaware of the significance of their discovery, stood by the doorway reading a magazine. Draco and Hermione, however, were lost in their thoughts, absorbing the gravity of the moment.

With the necessary information in hand, they turned to thank the woman, but then Draco quickly pointed his wand at her and whispered "Obliviate" before they quickly exited the orphanage.

Once outside and farther away from the building, Hermione glared at him, and he shrugged "We can never be too careful. Don't worry Elizabeth, I only wiped her memory of us."

Hermione sighed, but then smirked at him "Well I don't know about you William, but I'm absolutely starving, and I bet you've never had a burger."

Draco's eyes narrowed at her "No, Elizabeth, we said we would only be here for our mission, and then head straight back home. Don't make me regret I brought you here!"

Hermione scoffed at the angry blonde "Oh come on! Where's your sense of adventure! You're just scared of trying new food, aren't you?" she teased, shoving him playfully.

Draco grumbled, but the corner of his lips twitched in a reluctant smile. "Fine, but just this once. And I better not regret it."

They went back to the busier part of London and strolled down the bustling streets, their magically altered appearances still allowing them to blend seamlessly into the crowd. The air was filled with the scent of various cuisines as they navigated their way to a nearby burger joint. As they entered, the aroma of sizzling patties and chips enveloped them.

Hermione led Draco to a small booth by the window. The waitress, a friendly young woman with a warm smile, handed them menus. Draco eyed the unfamiliar items with skepticism, while Hermione eagerly perused the options.

"I'll have the classic cheeseburger with chips, please," Hermione said, handing the menu back to the waitress.

Draco, still unsure, hesitated before settling on a simple burger. The waitress, sensing their unfamiliarity, grinned at them. "First time here?"

Hermione nodded, her eyes sparkling with excitement. "Yes, we're trying something new today."

The waitress chuckled. "Well, you two make a cute couple. I'll be back with your order in a jiffy!"

Draco, catching Hermione's blush, raised an eyebrow and a smirk played on his lips. "A cute couple…well, she's not wrong about that."

Hermione blushed even more, and he couldn't help but laugh. "You're so adorable when you blush," he teased, grabbing her hand and planting a gentle kiss on it.

Before Hermione could fully recover from her embarrassment, the waitress returned. "Forgot to ask you lovebirds, did you want anything to drink?"

Hermione swallowed and attempted to regain her composure, managing to request two fizzy drinks. The waitress, with an amused expression, inquired, "With extra ice?" Hermione sank into her seat, completely red in the face at this point, and nodded as the waitress left again, leaving Draco in a fit of laughter.

"I like her!" Draco exclaimed, thoroughly amused.

"Oh, come off it!" Hermione retorted, which only fueled his laughter.

"Yes, dearest," Draco said, his laughter subsiding as he shifted the conversation to inquire about the various Muggle cuisines they had seen earlier outside. Their discussion flowed effortlessly as they awaited their food. Hermione couldn't help but marvel at Draco's willingness to step out of his comfort zone, even if just for a meal.

When their burgers arrived, Hermione took a moment to savor the first bite. A delighted smile spread across her face. "This is amazing! Go on, try it."

Draco, cautiously trying his own burger, raised an eyebrow in surprise. "Well, I suppose it's not terrible."

As they enjoyed their unexpected culinary adventure, the waitress returned to check on them. "How's everything?"

Hermione beamed at her. "Absolutely delicious! We might have to make this a regular stop."

The waitress chuckled. "Glad you like it. You hear that boyfriend? Now you know where to bring your girlfriend when she's craving a burger!"

Draco laughed and said, "Whatever she wants, she gets."

Hermione blushed again and tried to bury her face in the food, but Draco grinned and winked at her.

As they finished their burgers and chips, Draco admitted, "Alright, maybe trying new things isn't so bad after all."

Hermione laughed. "See? A little adventure every now and then is good for the soul."

Their impromptu outing, filled with laughter and shared moments, became a cherished memory. Little did they know that these moments of normalcy, in the midst of their mission, would strengthen their bond and serve as a reminder of the humanity they were fighting to protect.

With satisfied smiles, they paid the bill and wandered back outside. Exhausted by the day's many activities, Draco apparated them back to the cottage. Once inside, they each collapsed onto their armchair by the fire. As Draco rubbed his temples, he said "I can't believe we did all this in one day."

Hermione, equally fatigued, nodded. "But we've made significant progress. We know where he was born, and now, we can focus on finding out more, hopefully leading us to the horcruxes."

Draco leaned back, gazing at Hermione with admiration. "You were right, Granger. We make a good team."

She smiled; the weariness momentarily replaced by a sense of warmth. "We're not done yet. Tomorrow, we continue the search. We unravel more shadows until there's nothing left to hide."

With renewed determination, they prepared for another day of investigation, knowing that the key to defeating Voldemort lay hidden in the shadows of his past.

And here it is! What did you think of Draco and Hermione's outing to muggle London?

Let me know by leaving a review!

Until next time :)

Cleo26