I imagine everyone is wondering what's going on. So many updates haha! I suppose we're all stuck inside so we may as well make the best of it. Enjoy this next chapter I know it's a little shorter than expected.
Review and let me know your thoughts.
Everybody stay safe!
Much love3
Draco's Point of view
Later that night when the cold gets too much I go back into the house. I can't put it off any longer. My mother sits in the same armchair and I squeeze in the patio door as her small, curious eyes watch me. I sigh, making my way into the kitchen. I stare into the plastic bag of food I got at the store. Some sort of panic caused me to buy four large bags of porridge, figuring it'll last longer. I take out the peppermint tea, feeling in my pocket for the remaining money. It's not much but it's all I could find in the house last night. I throw the few muggle pounds down on the countertop and stare at them, counting the coins. £9.57. That's it. That's all the money the three of us have to survive who knows how long here. I grab it again, angrily and slide it back into the pocket of my robes and turn on the kettle.
My mother turns, eagerly towards me at the unfamiliar sounds.
"What's that?" she asks, her voice low and curious.
"A kettle. I'll make you the peppermint tea, okay?" I say. She doesn't respond but I'm glad for the noise coming off the kettle. It cuts a little bit of the awkward tension in the air.
"How do you know how to do that?" she asks and I turn around, watching her looking at the appliances around the kitchen. I suppose I'm not too surprised. I didn't know much about them until this past year when Blaise and I learned from squatting in so many different abandoned muggle residences.
"You pick it up," I reply, turning back around as the kettle finishes.
"Hmm," she muses. I put the teabag in the cup and pick up the kettle. I adjust myself so my mother can't see how much my arm shakes under the weight. It would be a good idea to eat soon. I put the kettle back down with a thud and pick the cup up. Its warmth brings my awareness of how cold my fingers got while I was wasting time outside.
I hand my mother the tea and she thanks me with an awkward smile. I turn around and stare at the mess in the sitting room. I look over it once more before I flick my wand. The room whizzes for a moment before slowly everything rights it's self-back together. The television comes back together before flying back across the room onto the stand. The pictures find their holders in their frames and sit neatly on the wall. The pieces of paint and wall chippings that lay beneath the hole in the wall fly back up and the mark is gone in a flash. When everything settles, I sit down on the couch and stare at my reflection in the television, noting my mother's silhouette watching me from behind.
I hear her sip on the tea behind me and the noise is the only sound in the house. I'm not sure whether Granger is asleep of halfway across England at this point. Either or I don't care. I clench my teeth together trying to push that thought away. I've spent the last few hours outside, pacing around in the cold and I know god damn well that she didn't leave that bedroom.
"Draco?" my mother calls, pushing through my trail of thoughts.
"Yeah?" I say, somewhat reluctantly.
"Your father is going to be worried," she implores and I bow my head forward into my lap. I can still hear Blaise in the back of my head telling me to sit up straight. That people were watching. That people used to look to me for how to act. Nobody is looking at me anymore. That much is sure.
"What do you suppose we do?" I ask, sardonically, pushing into my temples.
"Walk back into the manor like nothing happened? Did you see how quickly Bellatrix turned on me before I had even done anything?"
"Don't talk about her like that," she says roughly.
"Mother, she was willing to kill me the second I stepped out of line. I'm sorry for what you had to do, okay? I am. But do you think father is just going to welcome us back with open arms?" I ask, doubtfully. How can she not see this? How can she not see the situation we're in?
"I think if we talk to him he'll understand that it was a mistake. He's a smart man, son. He'll understand that it was just a momentary lapse of judgement. We can leave her here and the two of us can go back?" she suggests. I scoff.
"Is that what it was? A momentary lapse in judgement?" I ask, turning to glare at her shocked face.
"People make mistakes, Draco."
"Yeah. I know that. But I didn't make one there," I admit and my mother's eyes enlarge.
"What are you saying?" she asks, her voice shaking. I stand up from the chair as my mother sinks lower into the armchair.
"Please wake up, mother! What world are you living in? You're so brainwashed from years of listening to father that you can't even make up your own mind about the world anymore? You're just this outer shell that's jam-packed with these rehearsed lines and ideologies. Do you not have your own opinions?"
My mother's face turns completely blank, taking on a paler shade than my own.
"Son,-
"Please wake up, otherwise there will be nothing left of you when this war is over," I say, glaring down at her. Her hands shake and she tightens her grip around the cup of tea, mulling over.
"Please don't talk to me like this," she pleas and a small part of me wants to stop but I can't listen to it right now. I'm so angry at her for so many reasons that I can't even begin to explain them. They're inexplicable.
"I was always going to leave anyways, mother. I was always going to leave this behind me. I mean did you really want me to step into my father's shoes? Did you really want that life for me?" I ask. Her eyes dart around nervously.
"It's what you were raised to do?" she responds.
"Yeah, until I got old enough to understand that there was more than just this shit. You should have figured this out by now," I explain.
"Is this because of her?" my mother asks, unbelieving. I sigh, running my hand through my hair again.
"Did you think I was just going to stand there and let her die? I've known that girl since I was eleven years old!" I exclaim.
"That's not the reason," my mother retorts loudly. I look towards the hallway and hope Granger isn't listening in at the keyhole or anything.
"You don't just do that for a girl you happen to know. She's a Mudblood! What does she matter to you?" My mother barks back and I can feel the conversation getting heated now.
"I don't want to talk about her," I say, sighing again.
"Well, this is all because of her, Draco. It's why we're all here because of that girl. I can't just not talk about her. What happened? What did she do or say to you to make you act like this?"
I throw my hands out in front of myself in aggravation.
"She didn't do or say anything to me, mother! I made my own choice okay! You're not listening to me at all!" I scream, not caring anymore whether Granger is awake or not. Let her wake up. Let her come screaming out of the room about the noise or something stupid like that. Let's all just lay it out on the table now.
"I just don't understand why you would risk everything for that girl. A girl you hardly know," she expresses, looking down into her palms.
"I know her better than I know you," I say slowly, reserved. My mother's face turns to stone almost, frozen in this shocked, hurt expression.
"I am your mother, Draco!" she retorts.
"Yeah, I know," I say, not taking back my words. My mother nods her head slightly, mulling over the conversation. We sit in this stale silence with only the clock ticking overhead.
"So, she got in your head?" my mother eventually puts forward. I smirk a little feeling completely done with this whole conversation.
"I got you out too, or did you forget that?" I say, instead of answering her question.
"I didn't ask for that," she replies. I exhale loudly and turn around towards her on the chair, completely fed up with this conversation.
"So you wanted to stay there with him? After everything, he's done to you? After everything, he's put you through?" I shout.
"You don't know him as I do?" she argues back. I stand up abruptly, pushing my hand deep into my pocket and picking out her wand. I throw it across the room at her and she flinches as it hits her chest.
"Then go home!" I yell across the room at her. She sinks lower into the chair, disappearing into the blankets she has bundled at her lap.
"That's what you want, isn't it? To go back?" I ask.
"I don't see any other options," she replies and I shake my head with a final nod towards her.
"Fine," I snarl. I grab my wand out of my pocket and head down the hallway.
Hermione's Point of View
A bang jolts me awake as Malfoy comes charging in the door. I sit up onto my elbows as he turns the light on overhead. It flashes so brightly that it blinds me for a moment. I put my hand up to block it as I try to blink my sight back into focus.
"Get up!" Malfoy shouts and I start to panic thinking the house has been compromised. I watch as he looks around the room frantically searching for something. I listen trying to distinguish any sounds that aren't his but I don't hear anything from the kitchen.
"Draco!" his mother shouts suddenly. He stops for a moment and turns towards the sound of her voice before turning back towards me. He picks up my coat on the chair and throws it at me.
"Put this on," he orders. I stare at him for a moment before he glares at me and I shove my arms into the coat, leaning out of the bed. He comes around and pulls the pillows I was just lying on up from the bed. He grabs my wand that was hidden beneath them.
"Hey!" I call as he shoves it into his pocket.
"Put on your boots!" he orders. I frown back at him as I shove my feet into my boots and stand up, trying to steady my head. My body still feels half asleep, half-dazed from not eating in so long.
"Malfoy, what's going?" I ask as he takes my arm and pulls me out of the room and down the hallway.
"What are you doing?" Narcissa asks when we come into the kitchen. I turn towards where she's still sitting, wrapped up in blankets by the door. But now the blankets are falling off the edge of the chair like she means to stand up. I turn in confusion and look up at Malfoy. He's glaring menacingly down at her.
"Malfoy?" I ask, disorderly, wiping the sleep out of my eyes. He looks down at me and tightens his hold around my wrist.
"We're leaving," Malfoy says, more to his mother than to me. Her faces squeeze together and she swipes furiously at her eyes, trying to hide the few tears that are falling.
"We are?" I ask, meekly, the room fulling coming into view now that my eyes have finally adjusted to the bright lights in here. The sitting room isn't in shambles anymore and everything is neatly back together.
"Don't do this son, please reconsider and come back with me," Narcissa pleas, extending her hands out towards Malfoy. He steps back, pulling me back with him.
"You want to leave? So, leave! Go back to that fucking house if that's what you really want to do. But we are done!" Malfoy screeches so loud I have to lean away from him. The noise assaulting me. I feel so dizzy that I have to lean back against him again to keep upright. My knees feel incredibly weak.
"Don't say that Draco please!" Narcissa begs, tears streaming down her face. I look between the both of them in utter bewilderment. What the hell is going on? What happened while I was sleeping?
"Malfoy, what the hell is going on?" I say, trying to pull my arm out of his grip but he tightens his grip, sliding his hand down so his fingers rest in my palm. A rush of heat comes to my cheeks as it reminds me so much of a long time ago. His fingers resting in my palm like this. I turn away, rubbing my cheek against the top of my shoulder in an effort to stop the heat.
I look over at Narcissa and she's staring at our hands, noticing Malfoy's fingers resting in my palm. She nods slowly, standing up straight.
"I understand," she says with a vicious tone, still staring at our hands.
"No, you really don't," Malfoy comments curtly back, frowning.
"Here," he says, grabbing a box of peppermint tea bags and chucking them across the room at Narcissa. They hit her in the chest and fall open onto her lap.
"I'm sure he'll be waiting at home for you. Better bring them with you!" he says cruelly.
"Malfoy stop!" I shout, pulling on his hand roughly. He doesn't even acknowledge me. Narcissa rubs at her face, wiping away the tears.
"Please Draco, it doesn't have to be this way," she pleas one last final plea.
"You don't see it any other way and neither do I," Malfoy explains, pulling my arm as he moves towards the door.
"I'll make it easier for you. We'll leave first. Once your back they'll search your memories and find this place. We'll be long gone by then," Malfoy explains.
"Son!" Narcissa calls as Malfoy opens the door, letting in the cold night. It comes bursting in the door, biting at my ankles.
"Not anymore," Malfoy whispers under his breath as he pulls me out the door and up the yard. I turn back towards the little house, looking in through the kitchen window but I don't see anything.
"Malfoy, stop!" I shout, pulling my hand out of his more successfully this time.
"What happened?" I ask as he steps a few steps ahead, staring into the darkness.
"She wanted to go back. So, we have to go, come on!" He beckons for me to follow and I stare ahead confused. Not sure what to do. Whether or not I want to follow this man. Whether or not that is the best choice for me but there is no other choice really. What else can I do?
He turns back towards me and in the dim light from the moon, I can see his eyes are rimmed red.
"Are you coming?" he asks, extending his arm out towards me. I look back at the house once as a breeze rips through me. I pull my robes tightly around me as I ascend the hill up to him. He sighs a little under his breath as he falls into step with me.
"Where are we going?" I ask. I feel his hand on my wrist again and it's so warm against the cold air.
"Away from here," he says in a defeatist tone. I nod as he takes his wand out. Just as he mutters the spell that will apparate us away from here I hear him utter a panicked cry as we zip away suddenly.
When we drop down to the earth I land on my feet but Malfoy falls forward, sending his wand out ahead of him. For a moment I see it before a herd of people walk past, disappearing it from view. What the hell? I look around at the tightly packed four-story shops dotted along the narrow alleyway. We're in Diagon Alley. I break out in a cold sweat on my back. Everything slows down to a snail's pace. Malfoy takes out my wand from his pocket and I grab it from his hand and he looks at me with the most pained expression I have ever seen. The herd of people move past us but not before a few people stop and stare. I watch as their expressions take in Malfoy. Shock clearly etched into their faces. A few women scream, grabbing their children and hurrying away. Why the hell did he bring us here?
I turn back towards him and I can tell by his expression that he hadn't meant too. That would make sense of the panicked sound he made just before apparating. We have to get out of here and fast. I dart forward disappearing into the crowd of people, pushing them harshly aside as they stand gaping at Malfoy. I forgot how easily recognisable he is with that hair. A crowd is starting to form. I push through them searching for his wand. I spot it under a rather heavyset man. I lean down, grabbing it from under his boot and he loudly chastises me. I don't even pay him a second thought as I push back through the crowd that has swarmed around Malfoy.
When I reach him I drop down as quickly as I can beside him and his expression when I emerge from the crowd and meet his eyes is hard to read. It looks like relief. I grab his shoulder and we apparate away. Away from the glaring eyes of Diagon Alley.
"Malfoy? What the hell was that?" I ask when we arrive. He stands up, brushing off his knees and stares around the house in confusion.
"I fucked up," he admits, staring around the house. "I thought about Diagon alley at the last second. I don't know why," he adds, sitting down on the couch again in frustration.
I feel uncomfortable seeing him sitting there. Seeing Draco Malfoy sitting on the couch I had sat on for nineteen years.
"Where are we?" he asks, taking in the room.
"My house," I explain. Malfoy shoots up from the chair as if someone has come charging in the door, realisation dawning on him.
"Granger what the fuck?" he asks, looking around the house frantically. There are apparition wards in my house. There has been since the start of the war and anyone who apparates into the house sets off an immediate alarm that goes straight to the order. Most people know this information. I move towards him, taking his hand in mine and he looks down at it before meeting my gaze.
"What are you doing?" he asks, squeezing my fingers.
"You were right," I admit, heating rising in my cheeks.
"I did want to die because I'm tired of this. I am tired of being in this war, just like you. But I can't just throw in the towel like you. Harry needs my help, Malfoy," I say, pleading with him to understand why I have to do what I have to do.
"You've killed me, Granger. You may as well have driven the stake through my heart yourself," he curses.
"Nothing is going to happen to you, trust me, okay?" I beg to which he runs his hand through his hair in aggravation.
"You saw how they reacted to me in Diagon Alley, Granger. You really think they're just going to leave me off with a pat on the back?" Malfoy asks incredulously, rolling his eyes. "You're not that naïve, are you?"
"We can still go," he pleas, pulling on my hand. "We can go away somewhere, anywhere else. Somewhere abroad even until this is over. We can just go and forget all about this," he begs. I want to cry all of a sudden at how desperate he looks. His whole demeanour is worn out and tired. I try to imagine all the things this boy has been through. Whether they're better or worse than my experiences in this war.
"Malfoy I can't hide from this. As much as I want too. I just can't." I explain, solemnly. He bows his head for a moment, staring down at his shoes.
"I don't want to do this, Granger. Goddammit! Why did you do this?" he sighs. I hear sounds outside and Malfoys head darts towards the door. He pulls on my hand as a last resort. He turns towards the back door, taking a few steps towards it as if contemplating making a beeline for it.
"Stay with me," I whisper before the door comes crashing open.
"We don't know each other anymore," he admits, staring towards the door as people file into the hallway.
"Yes, we do."
He searches my eyes for a moment as a few members of the order come around the corner into the sitting room. Whatever he finds there I might not ever know but he moves away from the back door and stands beside me.