After 2 years of a secret relationship; they’ve finally been caught. With the war still raging on- while Draco is still a Death Eater and becoming a spy for the Order after his parents were both murdered by Voldemort- a relationship sparked. They would meet at Hermione’s parents’ home, her childhood home, the one before she obliviated them then sent them off as the Wilkins to live in Australia. They have been a secret for 2 years. No one knew; not Harry or Ron or anyone in the Order. Especially not Marcus Flint, Theo Nott, or Blaise Zabini- some of Draco’s…friends? It was better this way. None of them would understand.
Hermione had a good excuse as to why she left on the same day and time every week. “Just going out to get more supplies for the camp” is what she always told them. They asked no questions and let her do her thing, because who would question the brightest witch of their age? On the other hand, no one cared about Draco’s whereabouts, he would just…leave. Then be back for the Death Eater meeting the next morning as if nothing happened. No one cared, until one did. A very suspicious Death Eater with the name Marcus Flint. A nosy son of bitch he was. He had gone to the ministry (that Voldemort had taken over) and looked at Draco’s travel records. There were trackers in the Dark Mark, not that anyone checked them. To his shock, he ended up in a muggle neighborhood.
***
His wand drawn; Flint walked warily into the muggle house that he was sure Draco was in. Cautious to make any sound he cast a quick Silencio over himself. He was surprised by his thoughts of how nice the muggle home was, though it was empty. Or so he thought; as he turned to leave, he heard voices up the stairs. As quietly as he could he ran up the stairs and noticed that the first door on the left was cracked. Before he had even a minute to think of what he was doing, he was barging into the room.
“Enough with the secret Mal-” he trailed off from his accusation because he was purely astounded at the horrified witch in Draco Malfoy’s arms. He was…holding her? Draco moved in front of her, wand raised high. “Hermione sodding Granger,” Marcus said with a low chuckle. “The mudblood.” He said this with all seriousness in his voice.
“Watch your mouth Flint” Draco warned. Wand still raised at the young wizard.
“Or what, hm? You’ll call your mudblood on me?” he asked, “your mudblood and her fucked up Order.” He stopped his sentence. He hasn’t always been the smartest in the room but saying the words out loud; it’s like they basically figured them out themselves.
“Flint” Draco tried. Hermione is still behind him. Her wand was drawn but not yet pointed. She wasn’t sure how this scene would play out yet.
“No.” Flint said in disbelief.
“Marcus” He tried again. Maybe saying his real name would result in this interaction not ending in a fight. But before he would even get the next word out of his mouth, he heard Marcus shoot a spell at him. In which he deflected almost easily. So much for not fighting.
“You traitor!” the young wizard said, now furious.
Draco was now in a dueling position and with a quick “Flipendo” out of his mouth, they were now throwing curses and hexes at each other. Hermione was about to join in but with a solid “Don’t” out of Draco’s mouth she took a step back and continued to watch the two wizards’ duel. After a few moments though, she decided that she would not play sitting duck. Would she be Gryffindor if her stubbornness and courageousness didn’t get the best of her? The answer is no. With her wand still drawn, she raised it and then became dueling the Dark Eater in her childhood bedroom. A place where she once would come for comfort and solitary: to read and write letters to her friend. A place that was a symbol of her childhood. Now the room was only a silhouette of how innocent and easy life used to be.
She had underestimated the strength of the wizard in front of her and began to stumble. With a quick head turn, Draco turned to check on his witch beside him. A slight movement but enough time for Flint to hit Hermione with a mean stinging jinx that sent her flying back withering in pain. She has been through much worse pain, but damn this still hurt like a bitch.
“Granger!” he shouted as Draco ran to her forgetting about the duel. Hermione was more important.
“I’m fine, Draco” she managed to get out. Her body still stinging. Draco opened his mouth to respond to her lie but was interrupted.
“Just wait until the Dark Lord hears of your traitorous ways with the mudblood.” He snarked as he began to pull up his sleeve and point his wand at his mark, letting his guard down for a moment. Draco rose from where he was crouched down near Hermione, wand raised. Marcus looked up at Draco with his wand still hovering over his forearm.
“Avada Kedavra!”
Marcus’ eyes were wide before the green curse hit him. Then they were unseeing as he fell backward. Draco stood still, unmoving, wand still raised at the now space a man stood that he used to call…. friend?
“Draco.” The stinging now calming down from her nerves
No answer. “Draco” all she sees is his back. He looks as if he was hit with a body-binding curse standing. She walks over to where she can see his face. A singular tear shed from his right eye. She cautiously lowered his arm and took his wand. It was as if he wasn’t there. She put her hand gently on his face, he closed his eyes taking in her touch. She used her thumb to wipe away the tear as she waited for him to speak.
“He was a friend” he started, so softly she could barely hear him. “As fucked up as it sounds… he was…. a friend” he repeated sounding as if the words were choking him.
Moving her hand from his face to his upper arm, slightly rubbing it gently. “I’m sorry that you had to be the one to do it.” As ruthless as it sounded Hermione didn’t know what to say. They’ve lost many friends in this war, but Marcus Flint was a Death Eater, he killed members of the Order. She felt no pity for the man. She, however, felt for Draco; he shouldn’t have been the one to do it.
“We have to go.” He says removing himself from her touch. As much as she wanted to argue she knew he was right. “I am almost certain he called for-“ and before he could finish his sentence he was interrupted by a loud bang downstairs. “Flint!!" called a familiar voice. Quincy Nott. Draco knew that voice anywhere; he despised that man.
“Sodding idiot calls for backup in a dammed muggle house,” said an unfamiliar male voice. Draco couldn’t place it, had to be one of the idiots no one really cares about. “Flint!” he called “How do you call for backup and are nowhere to be found?!”
“We have to get out of here,” Hermione said suddenly looking anxiously at Draco.
He moves from the middle of the room to the window, slowly pulling back the curtain to look out of it. “I know” he started “but we would have to get the apparition point and there are two wizards out there.” Hermione’s brows furrowed and her eyes were moving around the room. Draco loved this face, her thinking face. But before she could get a thought out he stopped her with “We’ll leave through the window, I take the two wizards and you run” There was a bit of finality In his voice. Trying to let her know there was no room for arguing, but he knew his witch better than that.
“No. I’m not leaving you” she says shaking her head.
“You go. Run for the apparition point and leave. Go back to Order and win this war.’
“Once they figure out it’s you, they won’t kill you Draco. They will take you back to you-know-who and-“
“You have to leave Hermione!” he quietly yelled at her.
“I’m not leaving you!” sharing her frustration that he would ever suggest that. She takes a deep breath and softly says “Never”. She closed the gap between them and gingerly cupped Draco’s face with her hands. He softened at her touch….always.
“Go live that fairytale life you always told me we’d have, granger. You deserve that perfect love story when this is all over. I can’t give that to you. You know I can’t” his words desperate as they left his mouth.
“It’d be a shite fairytale. No princes or princesses or castles. Just war” she said looking up at him as tears formed in her eyes “Plus, who wants that perfect love story, anyway” she added with a teary chuckle. “It’s naïve, and childish, and cliché”
“You deserve better than me, Granger. If you stay, you’ll lose everything.”
“Without you Draco, I have nothing to lose” she confessed looking deep into his eyes. With that, he bent down and kissed her. The kiss was full of love and desperation for one another. They knew that they had each other and that was enough. With a slow pull away Hermione whispered “Let’s go.”