"Let me have a look."
Parvati pulled the book from Hermione's grasp. It was a ledger for those the Order assisted with relocation.
Hermione shifted her focus back to the class in front of them. They were practicing wandless techniques- attempting to summon a feather from several meters away.
"Imagine the command coming from the palm of your hand, even as you speak the spell. Your magic needs help to know where to go when you are without a wand," Hermione instructed.
A few cast the spell louder, waving their hands in an effort to get the feathers to move. Practice and repetition was the most prudent part of the training.
"I don't believe she used her real name," Hermione replied.
She folded her arms across her chest, leaning to look over Parvati's shoulder. The girl - Emery - was proving impossible to find.
"The dates should be the same- Does Arden sound like a girl's name to you?" Parvati asked, looking closer.
She wrote down the details of the log on a separate piece of parchment they kept tucked between the pages.
"Did you know her?" Hermione watched Parvati close and lock the ledger.
Parvati paused for a moment. She glanced at Hermione once before looking back up towards the trainees in front of her.
"Just in passing. Our families were invited to a lot of the same events," Parvati said.
"I always forget you were part of the whole pure-blood society," Hermione teased.
"Extended. Very far removed," Parvati mocked. "Never could quite make it into the Sacred Twenty-Eight club."
"You're not missing much," Hermione jested looking forward as well. "Is that why you're keen on finding her?"
A feather flew from one side to the other and everyone cheered and clapped the successful witch on the back. Hermione and Parvati offered their praise as well and the group got a new surge of motivation to practice.
The smile faded slowly from Parvati's face, and she brushed her fingers down the spine of the ledger she had tucked under her arm.
"...People go missing all of the time. This seems different," Hermione said.
Hermione waited patiently, not wanting to make any assumptions or appear like she was passing judgment.
"They're twins," Parvati finally mumbled.
Hermione looked over. Not wanting to interrupt.
"It's the dream. Isn't it?" Parvati muttered. "It is what we have been suffering all of these years for. A chance at a miracle. A small one, I know but-"
"It's not small," Hermione insisted and Pavarti smiled, sadly. "I am sure Avery is still at the Doolin house. We can go today and see if anything in the entry stands out to him."
Parvati's face hardened. "You are supposed to be off-duty today."
"So are you!" Hermione shot back.
"Yes well, I produce miracles in my free time."
"How ironic, me too."
Parvati laughed as she walked over to the group to help them individually. "Such a little angel ."
" Oh my god ," Hermione groaned. Her face caught on fire and she would be eternally grateful Parvati couldn't see her. "Don't even call me that again!"
There was a group of four girls in the sitting room at the bottom of the stairs when Hermione headed inside for breakfast. Hermione waved as they all gasped. She would never get used to how afraid people were of her.
The tell-tale sound of the hissing of low voices had Hermione adjusting her hearing. Not that she was intentionally trying to snoop but, as Blaise mentioned, some habits are difficult to break.
"I saw him this morning."
"Both?"
"Only Malfoy. Not that Zabini is ever too far."
"I never thought they got on much in school."
"They make quite the team now," one girl replied, a more suggestive tone to her voice.
Hermione stopped before entering the kitchen. If she were smart, she would cover her ears and walk away.
"Do you think he'll remember me?"
"It's been years ."
"So?" The girl replied, tentatively. "He still seems so… withdrawn. It must have been so lonely, carrying such a large burden alone. All of that responsibility. Maybe he needs a friendly face."
"Was he all that friendly when you met him last?"
"Hush, you. It was still nice."
Hermione hurled herself through the door, doing all but covering her ears so she wouldn't have to hear any details about what it was.
The door slammed against the wall and Astoria jumped from where she was sitting, pressed against Neville.
"Morning, Hermione," Neville chuckled.
"Hi."
Hermione turned to look at the door. Her feet tapped nearly in a circle as she tried to decipher which location was worse. There was a ball in her throat and she wasn't sure she could speak without her voice breaking.
Hermione decided to walk to the stove to get a serving of scramble. It was a mixture of eggs and vegetable scraps from the evening prior, but it looked safe enough for Hermione to stare intently at as she scooped.
"If it's running out, I can request kitchen duty to do a new batch," Neville said, casually.
"Might not be a bad idea," Hermione replied, pleased that her voice had returned somewhat to normal.
She sat across from them and started forcing the food down. Neville stood and Astoria rose with him. Hermione tried not to react as he pulled her to him and kissed her lips gently.
Hermione couldn't help but stare. It was so different than when she had seen her kiss Draco. There was no performance or questioning in it.
It struck Hermione then. That she had never seen Astoria be kissed. It made her feel guilty. How much did she let herself hate her when she was already getting so little?
"Bye, Hermione," said Neville, pulling her from her thoughts.
Hermione waved and turned to see Astoria sitting in front of her. Both of them had food remaining on their plates. It would be too telling for either of them to get up and leave.
"I'm sorry," Astoria said, under her breath.
Hermione's eyes flickered to hers.
"I know how this must look," Astoria swallowed nervously, her wrists daintily resting on the table. "My interest in Neville."
"Are you embarrassed to be with him?" Hermione asked.
"No! Not at all," Astoria defended, frantically. "I just- I know what people must think. I was promised to Draco, and now I'm pursuing one of the only available wizards of the Sacred Twenty-Eight in the Order."
Hermione held back her surprise the best she could, but a small scoff still escaped her. " No one here will think that of you. Or anything like that when it comes to Neville."
Astoria's voice started to weaken. "Not everyone is as kind as you are."
Hermione felt a plague of guilt and couldn't look her in the eye. Why did Astoria have to be so nice?
"I don't know what I am doing," Astoria continued, whispering her confession. "My father is meant to do the contracts but he's dead. Daphne gave up everything to ensure I would marry into a good family. I messed everything up. I'm not as clever as Daphne. It takes me twice as long as everyone else to complete the lessons. They all know how weak I am. I'm not brave or smart. I'm weak . I'm…"
Astoria looked down and her face scrunched, and she choked out a full sob. " I'm just a Hufflepuff ."
Hermione bit her lips and put a hand on Astoria's shoulder as she started to quietly sob.
"Astoria, come on," Hermione said gently, hoping her chuckle came across as encouraging instead of amused. "You are incredibly brave. Our houses- they're not selected based on what we do best, but what we value most. You are every bit as clever as any Slytherin, but you care about people more than getting ahead. That's probably the most important thing the world needs right now."
Astoria sniffed, wiping her eyes, still beautifully sad. "I know what everything will think if I marry Neville. That I'm still a believer in the old way. Everyone will hate me even more."
" Nobody hates you," Hermione insisted. "And wow... Is it that serious?"
Astoria sighed, defeated. "I'm nearly twenty, Hermione."
"…Okay?"
"I was meant to be betrothed two years ago," Astoria stated like it was common knowledge. "And if it's not Neville, I don't know who would consider me for their wife."
"Well…" Hermione started, treading carefully. "You could just not marry him. Or anyone. I mean, if you don't want to."
Astoria opened her mouth to refute, before closing it again. Her face relaxed and her eyes grew slightly larger. She sat back, letting her posture fall and leaning against the back of the chair.
"Huh."
Hermione laughed gently, and Astoria smiled.
Footsteps approached and Hermione turned in time to see Parvati walk in.
"Ready?"
"Patil! I need a word with-"
Draco trailed in after Parvati, stopping in his tracks when he saw who occupied the room.
Astoria gasped- even the sharp intake of breath sounded soft and pretty. She hesitated for a moment before jumping up and rushing over to him.
"I knew you weren't really a gigantic git," Astoria stuttered.
Draco flinched when Astoria threw her arms around his neck and pulled him in tightly for a hug. His eyes looked over her shoulder, straight to Hermione's. She should have received some sort of award for the smile she mustered.
Draco tentatively put his arms around Astoria, patting her back with a mixture of what a teammate or grandfather would do. Astoria pulled back and Draco's eyes finally left Hermione to survey her, like he expected her to have some sort of injury or ailment.
"You're alright?" Draco said, looking at her thoughtfully.
Astoria pursed her lips together. A silent warning passed between them. It reminded Hermione of the exchanges she had witnessed of Daphne.
"You look worse than I," Astoria replied.
She wasn't wrong. Hermione would wager that Draco hadn't had sustenance or sleep in days by how he appeared. His face was so hauntingly beautiful rather than bright and boyish like she remembered.
"Well?"
Everyone in the room turned to look at Parvarti, who watched the whole exchange- arms crossed- like a trainwreck was occurring in front of her.
"What did you need to talk about, Malfoy?" Parvati replied, sharply.
"Nothing," Draco said.
"Well enough to chase me down."
Draco glanced at Hermione as he walked over to look out the window.
"Zabini will want to see you, Tori," Draco said.
Astoria opened her mouth to reply but Parvati cut her off by simply holding up her hand. Draco turned his head to glare.
"I was looking for Granger," he admitted.
"Hm," Parvati replied, unimpressed. "We were just leaving."
"Where?" Draco snapped.
He looked at Hermione as she stood and walked around the table. Purposefully taking the route to pass in front of Draco. Hermione sighed, looking up at Draco and then over to the others.
"I'll meet you in a minute," she said.
Astoria opened the door to leave, only to bump into the two of the girls Hermione had passed them morning trying to enter.
Hermione was going to vomit or hex someone. Preferably not in that order.
"Morning!" the taller girl chimed.
The girl's eyes were locked on Draco. When she looked over to see it was Astoria holding the door, her smile fell and she became visibly more nervous.
"O-oh… Sorry. We didn't mean to intrude," she apologized to Astoria.
Hermione felt a large hand against the small of her back. Draco subtly pulled her closer, turning his back towards the door and leaning down to speak in her ear as the girls had a polite exchange.
"You're leaving?" Draco asked, quitely.
Hermione nodded.
She let her eyes flick up to Draco's but most of the time they were looking at the other girls towards the door- who were very similar and appearance and stature to one another. Lean, long limbs with silky, blonde hair. She looked nothing like them.
"Do you have to?" Draco muttered.
His fingers grabbed the fabric of her shirt on the small of her back. Hermione unconsciously shuffled on her feet and Draco's arm surrounded her tighter, lifting her slightly as his stare weighted her down.
There was movement to their side as the girls looked over what was for breakfast. Hermione didn't miss how one of them glanced over at Draco frequently, and took a generous step back. Draco's arms instantly reached for her again.
"Good Morning, Malfoy. I hardly ever see you around," the girl chirped at Draco.
His gaze flicked over to her, nodding once affirmatively. "We have much to do."
"Of course! I only meant-"
"Will you excuse us?" Draco interrupted. Quite rudely.
" Draco ," Hermione chastised under her breath.
He grabbed her hand and pulled her towards the door and out into the hallway. The door closed behind them and Hermione cast a quick silencing charm.
"Don't even think about it," Hermione said, taking a step back as he encroached on her personal space.
"What am I thinking, Hermione?"
She crossed her arms. "I wouldn't dare venture a guess."
Draco lifted a hand, fingers tracing gently across her jaw, and kissed his thumb against her lips. He tilted her head up and moved his mouth over hers, but she turned her head to the side. He hesitated, lips brushing her cheek instead of the lips they were aiming for. But he pressed closer, kissing her cheek slowly once, and then twice.
She felt his lips brush against her ear and she let her eyes fall closed.
"You aren't meant to leave today," Draco whispered, quietly.
"Why do you care?"
Draco huffed and stood straight. He pushed his hands into his pockets and looked at the wall right over her head.
"I had Shacklebolt delay my teams' departure date to tomorrow morning," he said.
Hermione tried to hide her disappointment. Draco reached out and pinched her cheek gently, so it must have shown on her face anyhow. He pulled his hand back quickly. Like he didn't think the gesture through before it was too late.
Hermione released her charm. They started walking towards the main sitting room, Draco keeping little distance between them.
"Why won't you tell me where you are going?" Draco said, startling her slightly.
"We're just checking in on someone at the Doolin house," Hermione replied.
"Where are we going?" Blaise interrupted from around the corner.
Hermione rushed to Parvati. The two Slytherins followed on her tail.
Draco and Blaise stayed close, one on either side of her. "Zabini and I will accompany you. I need to be seeing to the marked members there."
"No, you're not," Hermione said.
Parvati wasn't too fond of Draco this morning and she was already on edge. Not to mention Draco would probably call their effort futile if he knew they were looking for someone last seen years ago.
The boys started walking towards the apparition point and Hermione could do little more to apologize to Parvati than mouth sorry .
Draco and Blaise lead the way to the Doolin house. Hestia greeted them at the entrance, looking at the boys with skepticism that irked Hermione.
"Good day," Hestia called.
"And to you. Is Avery around?" Hermione asked.
"Yes, just inside. Is something the matter? The boy has hardly caused any trouble," said Hestia, gesturing them inside.
"We just want to speak with him," Parvati insisted.
"Zabini see if you can find Mac," Draco asked and Blaised walked to the back of the house. "Is there anyone that has been giving you trouble, Jones?"
Hestia snorted. "Not since you left."
"Brilliant," Draco replied. "Find us before you leave, Hermione."
Draco walked away further into the house. Hermione watched until he was fully out of view.
"Come, this way," Hestia said.
The residents and Order members at Doolin house appeared much more at ease with each other. Avery seemed a bit nervous and once they were alone in the small sitting room, Hermione caught him staring at her from the corner of her eye.
"Is Young Malfoy staying?" Avery asked.
"Probably not. Draco is leading the efforts to take down Voldemort's compromised sites. He departs again at dawn," Parvati answered.
Avery sighed. "The Dark Lord will be targeting him. It would be better if he lays low- like we are- until his rage subsides."
"It's not subsiding ever. Not this time," Hermione interjected. She couldn't ignore the grim expression on his face. The last time she was there, she didn't catch on that Avery had care for Draco. "Was there something you needed to speak with Draco about?"
"Young Malfoy-"
"Just Malfoy is fine," Hermione said.
Her voice wasn't threatening or cruel, but it was firm enough that he knew not to question.
"Okay. Malfoy ," Avery started again, clearly nervous. "If he may remember anything about my sister, I'd owe him."
"That's very brave but completely unnecessary," Hermione said.
"Does the name Arden mean anything to you?" Parvati mentioned.
Avery sat up and nodded rapidly. "Yes. That was what my parents were going to name her when they thought we were both boys. Where is she?"
"We can't be sure."
"If it is a waste of time I'll waste my own. I know she is alive. I can feel her. She's all alone," Avery spoke directly to Parvati. It was clear her friend was having difficulty finding her words, but Avery didn't seem like he needed her to say them out loud to understand. "I'll trade you. You tell me where you think she is, and I'll tell you something you really want to know."
"Anything you have pertaining to the war would have been discovered during your interview," Hermione speculated.
"Wars are won with secrets, Granger. Those who want to survive it learn how to hide them," Avery said.
Hermione and Parvati exchanged a look. The only reason they would hold back where she was would be if he posed a threat to Emery's safety. It was safe enough to assume she wanted to be found.
"If what we found is correct, she was relocated to Bulgaria. Not America," Parvati revealed.
"Can I get a message to her?"
"We don't have any contact. Not outside of when she left the Order's care. It's safer that way," Hermoine said. "Now, what is it you want to share with us?"
"Can I search myself?"
"Avery."
"Right, fine," Avery swallowed looking away from Hermione to Parvati. "I'd prefer it just be us two?"
Hermione didn't protest and left them to it. It didn't take long to find Draco and Blaise. The former Death Eaters that surrounded them were all young, most if not all still of Hogwarts age.
Draco's eyes found hers, and he nodded at her discreetly before returning his attention to the young girl in front of him.
The girl whispered, looking around the room nervously and leaning in closer. Hermione tried to listen in, but the surrounding noise muffled their voices. Draco replied calmly, waving over a boy and continuing their conversation.
"Hiya, Hermione," George chimed from beside her. "Your boys have caused quite the stir this afternoon."
"They're not my-" Hermione cut herself off and George looked menacing. "Where's Blaise, anyhow?"
"Dunno. Let me know when you find out so I can steer clear," George said.
Seamus and Blaise herded in a couple of young members, urging them towards Draco as they came to stand beside them. Seamus put a friendly arm around Hermione's shoulder, leaning into her lazily. Blaise shot a wicked grin to George before turning to stand opposite her and Seamus.
Blaise wet his lower lip, face lit with amusement. "Got yourself a deathwish, Finnigan?"
Seamus raised a brow. "How's that?"
"No matter," Blaise shrugged.
"Granger doesn't scare me. Big pigmypuff, this one," Seamus sang.
He pinched both her cheeks with his other hand and made an exaggerated kissy face towards her. Hermione cast a silent stinging jinx and Seamus yelped and yanked his hand back.
"Argh, friendly fire!" Seamus laughed.
"I can't say I'm too fond of Finnigan's leisure use the word fire ," Draco drawled.
He stood slightly behind Hermione, keeping little distance between them.
"My reputation proceeds me."
"That bridge had withstood a thousand years before you blew it up," Blaise added.
Seamus shrugged, arm shifting around Hermione's shoulder. " Boom ."
Draco tugged on the back of Hermione's shirt, pulling her toward him. She gave herself about an inch to move but didn't allow herself to yield any more to his silent demand.
"These kids need to get moved to the Potter house. They are beginning to feel ostracized," said Draco. "Weasley, get Molly to admit them."
"It's hardly been a week," George snorted.
Draco ignored George before looking at Zabini. "L'avez-vous demandé, Jones?"
Blaise nodded. "Elle a dit que nous ne pouvions en prendre que cinq."
"Oi! Sod off, Parselmouth," Seamus joked.
"We'll take those four and Burton. He needs more supervision," Draco proposed to Blaise who nodded in agreement.
His hand gravitated to hers, brushing his fingers along the inside of her palm. Subtle enough that no one but the two of them would notice so long as Hermione could maintain her composure.
"You'll return with us?" Draco asked. "It will be better to integrate them with you there."
"I have to wait for Parvati," said Hermione. "It could be a while. You shouldn't wait if Molly is expecting you now."
Draco pushed his hands into his pockets, taking a deep breath through his nose.
"Don't worry, Malfoy. We'll join you," Seamus said nudging him with his arm. Draco didn't budge. "Pansy's been all over this one for us to play nice with you."
"Where is Pansy?" Blaise asked.
"Visiting with Ron and Isla," George answered.
"We've got a plan, lads," Seamus beamed. George muttered a hex under his breath. "Let's get this lot to Potter Manor before Granger or Patil find us a different job. I've got three bottles of Oglen's and five years of war stories to share."
Blaise perked up before he looked at George and winked. "I got a few stories Weasley might find interesting."
Draco stayed behind as the others followed Blaise to notify the members that would be moving. The former death eaters gravitated towards him instead of George and Seamus, but their discomfort visibly dissipated when they started talking.
"It would do us all well if you demonstrated cooperation. Seamus and George are well respected. Their favor goes a long way with others," Hermione muttered to Draco.
"I could give two fucks what anyone thinks," Draco replied.
"You'll have to when you're out on a mission and have to rely on someone else to save your arse!" snapped Hermione.
Hermione nearly yelped at the quick, sharp pinch on her bum. Her lips pressed together tightly as her cheeks heated. Draco strolled away, joining the others as they readied the excited young members to leave.
It was after nightfall when Parvati finally concluded with Avery. They spent hours mapping out where his sister could be, and the potential contacts she had in the country to provide her aid.
"Anything we should know?" Hermione asked as they walked across the front lawn to the entrance of Potter House.
Parvati nodded. "Voldemort appears to have an interest in the Isla of Man . Specifically the Calf of Man . When we extended the boundaries to include them last year apparently he went mad. Afterward, he started bunkering down at Hogwarts. Only leaving when absolutely necessary."
Hermione furrowed her brows. "It couldn't be that important. That area is a secular zone, but marked people can still enter. Voldemort would only have to forgo his magic."
Parvati puffed air through her lips. "Rather sure magic is the only thing keeping him alive."
There was music and chatter coming from one of the sitting rooms Hermione and Parvati entered. Seamus and George were drinking, animated telling a story to several of the younger members who were still well in their teens- including the new arrivals.
Seamus' face was red and George's eyes were slightly puffy. Looking at the bottles of Oglen's there was only about three-quarters of a single bottle remaining. There were other unmarked bottles lying empty on various other surfaces.
"Oi! Granger and Patil are back!" Seamus rang.
"Bloody hell, Granger. Malfoy and Zabini know how to put them away," George slurred. "Not as terribly unpleasant as I imagine either. Still gits."
"Giant knobs."
"A good laugh at times."
"Zabini anyhow. Malfoy is only ever funny unintentionally."
Matthew stumbled into Hermione's view, a large smile on his face. It was nice to see everyone relax a touch after the seemingly endless sieges.
"Hey, Granger," Matthew smiled, boyishly. "Missed you tonight."
"Don't let McGongall see you. We usually try to keep these sorts of extracurricular activities to the less prominent safe houses," Hermione cautioned, playfully.
" 'm more worried about Miller. He won't be taking it easy on us tomorrow," Mathew replied. "Second scariest Tom I know."
Hermione laughed. "Proper first for me."
"He asked about you. Mentioned he hadn't seen you in ages…"
Her eyes widened, and she fought the urge to blink too rapidly. Fuck . That was really the last thing she needed right now.
"Did he linger long?" Hermione tried to keep her question casual.
She couldn't help the flopping in her stomach at the thought of Draco and Miller in the same room.
"Kipped down rather early," Mathew answered. "You and I could chat. Maybe. If you'd like, I mean?"
Hermione opened her mouth to speak but closed it before she could find the words.
"I'm rather tired, myself."
"Right! Of course. Stupid question…"
Mathew pushed his hair back and looked down to the floor. A better friend would have felt worse about turning down his invitation. When did everyone get so bloody brazen anyway?
"Did Malfoy retire?" Hermione said.
She looked around, no sign of Draco or Blaise. Not so much as a half-drunk glass for them to come back to.
"Went outside for a smoke…" George answered, offering Hermione a glass that she politely declined. "Been gone for ages. Might have passed out somewhere."
"Excellent."
"I'll take you up on the drink," Pavarti said, falling next to Seamus.
Hermione left, walking towards the mudroom that led to the back garden. The chatter faded with each step and there were no lights on in the hallways or outside. Each room she passed was dark and vacant.
There was a fumbling noise that came from the servants' kitchen. She quieted her steps, inching closer until she could push the cracked door open.
Blaise was leaning heavily against the counter, his head rested against the upper cabinets behind him and his eyes closed. Draco had one hand supporting him and the other holding a glass collecting water pouring from the sink faucet. He swore under his breath as Blaise rocked on his feet and water started to spill over the edge of the cup. The ground at their feet was covered in water and shards of glass from a failed attempt.
Hermione approached slowly. "Is he alright?"
Blaise startled, standing up tall before losing his balance. Draco dropped the cup, shattering in the sink, and caught Blaise.
"Would you fucking help me out here, Zabini?!" Draco hissed.
Hermione hurried to the cupboard to grab another glass. She filled it with water as Draco attempted to right Blaise again, who was hardly conscious enough to stand on his feet.
She lifted the cup to Blaise's lips, but Draco snatched it from her hand. "I've got it."
Draco wouldn't even look at her. She was close enough to smell whiskey on his breath and took a step back as he tried to get a better hold on Blaise.
Blaise rolled forward, pressing his body against Draco's and sloppily pushing his hands up his shirt.
"Stop that. It's only me. It's Malfoy - Zabini!"
Draco pulled Blaise's arms from where they had wrapped around his waist, steadily but without the extra support Blaise began to stumble.
Draco caught him, pulling back sharply and losing his own footing, slipping down to the floor—Blaise landed between his legs and his back to his chest with a thump.
Hermione reached for Blaise's hand. "Let me-"
"Just go!" Draco barked. His arms held Blaise to him possessively. "He's my friend. I know how to take care of him! We don't need anyone else."
Hermione's jaw ached from clenching it so tightly. Draco, he looked properly sloshed. Blaise looked an inch from death. He groaned, his head falling back on Draco's shoulder and his Adam's apple protruding out.
Draco tried to feed Blaise what was remaining of the water. When his lips didn't move, Draco poured the water over his head. It didn't make him so much as flinch. Hermione went to the sink to fill another glass. Even in the darkness, Blaise's skin was visibly paled and wet with sweat.
"Hermione." Draco's voice was frail and alarmed.
He scooted himself and Blaise to sit straighter. Hermione crouched in front of him to see the shallow rise and fall of Blaise's chest. Breath coming too quickly and short. He choked enough for sick to escape his mouth and Draco tilted his head so it would fall out of his mouth instead of back into his throat.
Hermione summoned a bottle of detox potion, helping to hold Blaise's head to the side as his entire body started to convulsion.
"The last time he shook he didn't wake for two days," Draco rasped, holding Blaise's trembling body tighter.
The vial appeared and Hermione uncorked it immediately and poured the contents into his open mouth. Draco rubbed his fingers along his throat and repeated the motion until they could see his throat working to move the liquid down.
Hermione ignored the roaring in her ears. The shaking in her hands was only partially hidden by the dark of the night. Death had lurked around Hermione enough times to know what it felt like when it got too close. The way the air would shift before a crack in the void would appear and the people she cared about would slip into a place she could no longer reach them.
Blaise gasped slightly, his brows furrowing and Hermione waited for him to exhale fully before pouring more into his mouth.
"Drink, you fucking arsehole," Malfoy threatened.
Blaise never opened his eyes but managed to swallow the next mouthful on his own. As discreetly as she could, Hermione ran her sleeves over the wetness on her cheeks before pouring another dose into Blaise's mouth for good measure. Next, she held the vial up to Draco's lips, well enough remaining to set him right.
"He may need more," Draco said.
Hermione capped the vial, setting it to the side she thought would be easier for Draco to grab. She watched, the horror of the last few moments releasing its grip on her heart enough for the dark spots to dissipate.
"This was more than just drinking, Draco," Hermione whispered.
Her own voice was thick, but her crying was the last thing any of them needed. At the risk of Draco pushing her away, she rested her hand on his knee that was bent and helped support his arms that held Blaise upright. Draco closed his eyes, resting his head against Blaise's absentmindedly.
"One of the kids gave him something. A powder I think. I'm not sure I didn't ask," Malfoy growled. "I'll fucking kill him."
"It was probably the amount, Draco. Or that he mixed it with alcohol," Hermione said. "A malicious substance or poison would have had more rapid effects."
Draco sniffed, tightening his hold on Blaise. One arm across his chest and gripped onto his shoulder. The other around his waist and locking the other arm at his side. It looked practiced, and Hermione's heart broke when she knew it wasn't the first time they found themselves in this position.
"Let's get you upstairs."
"No one can see him like this," Draco said, rejecting the idea. "You go. I'll lock the door behind you."
Draco rolled his shoulder, slightly readjusting Blaise's head with the motion. Hermione looked at him in question, wanting to reach him.
"He needs his head tilted to the side. If he gets sick, he'll choke," Draco mumbled.
Hermione grabbed Blaise's head gently. He reacted, groaning and resisting now. Like he was only asleep instead of deathly intoxicated. When she pulled her hands back, Draco looked at her like he was seeing her for the first time since she walked into the kitchen.
"I can protect him," Draco declared.
Hermione's heart broke all over again. "Okay."
"I- he's never had that shit before. He knows better than to trust that fuck face ever again."
Hermione nodded, pushing up to her feet. "You should really get him to bed."
"If someone sees him like this they'll think he's weak. They'll try to kill him if they believe they can."
"He can't go on like this, Draco."
You can't.
"I can protect him," Draco repeated his own words slurring with the whiskey.
Hermione looked them both over, Blaise was fast asleep, color returned to his face, and breathing normally. A quick diagnostic charm showed that all his major organs were functioning properly. To be safe, she gently tickled her fingers against the bare skin of his neck and he flinched reflexively.
She pushed to her feet and walked to the door, when she turned back around, Draco's head was leaning against Blaise's- holding him tightly even as he slept.