Once Hermione realised how Draco had traced her so fast, she was going to go ballistic on Harry. That was for sure. Harry had known the repercussions of his betrayal but he also knew how hard it was to convince her to stay safe. He might be known for his hero complex but Hermione was no less when it came to being a bullheaded Gryffindor.
The devious idea of putting the charm on the DA coin had been Draco's, of course. That kind of cunning needed a streak of Slytherin genius.
He had apparated in an alleyway, a few paces behind Hermione. He decided to shadow her in stealth. If she found out he was behind her, it would have led to another fruitless argument. With a few spells, he had glamoured his nose, hair and jaw into a Weasley-like appearance. It was his go-to disguise anytime he had to suddenly go undercover. The red hair was so starkly different from the Malfoy blonde that rarely had anybody put two and two together.
Funnily enough, he realised he was not hiding from the people around him but from the very person he was protecting. Now that was a new one even for him. He had long stopped giving a shit about what people had to say about him. He never thought he had redeemed himself nor did he consider himself better than the rest. It wasn't the case anymore. He simply decided to focus on what lay ahead in his own life including the task at hand. Bothering with what strangers had to say didn't exactly make him a good Auror, after all.
Hermione had stopped briefly in front of Flourish and Blotts to peer at the New Arrivals and then made her way towards Chez Joy. It was a small upscale bistro that had been opened by a French couple, in memory of their daughter whom they had lost in the War. Even Draco wasn't immune to the effect that Joy's photo had on him as he crossed it at the entrance. A happy 11-year-old Joy was beaming at the camera and showing off a cake that she had baked. She had just joined Hogwarts.
He stared at it for a moment and then collected his thoughts and found himself a seat close to where Granger was now being seated opposite Mr. America. You could threaten to Avada Draco and he still wouldn't be able to tell you the bloke's name. They were already making conversation and seemed rather comfortable. It didn't seem like it was their first date.
Draco felt bored out of his mind. There was only so much pretence a man could do while reading the Daily Prophet and sipping on a cuppa. He finally decided to try and solve the crossword while he kept an eye on the patrons around him. From the corner of his eye, he could see that Granger was now holding hands with the man. The way they were mooning at each other, he wouldn't be surprised if rainbows shot out of their ears and hearts popped in their eyes. It was sickening really.
An hour had passed and he had finished two cups of coffee and a giant croissant sandwich. They didn't seem to be moving from here anytime soon and he could feel his bottom go numb in his chair. He was at the end of his crossword when he had an odd feeling. He looked around as casually as possible and nothing looked out of place. Many patrons had come and gone, a few were relaxing with their friends, and a little girl was near Granger's table talking to her. She seemed to be under ten years old. Draco was terrible at guessing any kid's age, but what he could tell was whether they looked old enough for Hogwarts or not. This girl was definitely too young for it. Something wasn't feeling right so he kept a careful eye on the girl. She handed something to Granger which she took with a loving smile as she thanked her. Ronal McDonald also seemed to be pulled into the conversation and was also handed something which he took graciously. Once she said her goodbyes, the girl skipped her way behind the counter and then quickly scurried out the exit.
That was odd. The Wizarding World was safer than the Muggle World but not safe enough for a kid to roam around unaccompanied. None of the adults in the cafe seemed to be her guardian, and neither did anyone show any sign of recognition. What if she was lost? He couldn't let her get away. Moreover, Granger seemed safe for now and could take care of herself for a few minutes. He quickly dropped some cash on the table and dashed outside to find her. He spotted her a few buildings ahead of him, still unaccompanied. As he made his way towards her, she took a sharp turn into a dark alley. That couldn't be safe!
Draco broke into a run but by the time he made it to the alley, all he caught was a glimpse of the kid apparating away. Children weren't even allowed to have a wand, let alone know how to apparate! She was very much alone when she vanished. Shit. Hermione! The kid was an impostor! What had she given to Granger?!
He darted back to the cafe to see Hermione leaving the Bistro arm in arm with her date. "Granger!"
Hermione whipped around, extremely confused as to why she could hear Malfoy but not see him. It took her a minute before she realised that the tall odd-looking red-haired man was none other than Draco Malfoy prancing around in disguise. He was running towards them through the crowd while screaming her name. Annoyance took over and she decided it was best if they continued their date elsewhere. "Let's apparate to the theatre?" The plan was to catch a play before calling it a night. Rowan had just unwrapped the candy the little girl had given him, he nodded as he popped it in his mouth. By the time Draco made it to the couple, Rowan had dropped to the floor. "Rowan?!" Hermione said, alarmed. "Rowan?" asked Draco, checking for his vitals. Hermione looked extremely panicked and confused. "GRANGER, DO NOT EAT WHATEVER THE KID GAVE YOU!"
The two of them laid him down on the side of the pavement and Draco quickly ran a few diagnostic spells. Hermione kept trying to make Rowan vomit while staring daggers at Draco in between.
"I had to make sure you were safe whether you wanted it or not. Disguising myself seemed to be the easiest way..." Draco said while checking Rowan's vitals. "Your boyfriend is fine, just seems to have eaten whatever was given to you and fainted. Some potion is probably hidden in the candy. I'll call for someone from St Mungo's to come and pick him up while I get you home."
"I am not leaving him here like this! Look what happened because he wanted to go out with me! The least I can do is not leave him here on the roadside." She said as she shuffled closer to him. "Okay, we'll wait but you aren't leaving my sight anymore. I am serious." His eyes looked like solid steel as he glared at her with determination. She sighed and agreed.
"You should give me whatever the impostor gave you. I'll get it examined for the potion, in case we need an antidote." She left Rowan's hand to dig through her bag for the candy. She pulled it out of the bag. It looked similar to the one Rowan had had. Malfoy moved next to her to inspect it closely. As Draco reached for it, the wrapper moved magically in a split second to reveal a bright blue gumball and the moment his bare skin made contact, they felt the familiar tug of a portkey behind their navel.
