Recharge
Hermione awoke groggily, her head fuzzy from the potion she had taken last night and from her attempts of fighting off Draco’s legilimens. She stretched her body, her arms flexing until they hit the bed’s headboard, and her feet stretching until they grazed something warm. Uttering a small yelp, she nearly flung herself off the bed before turning and seeing the back of Malfoy’s blond head.
It suddenly dawned on her that it was she who had asked him to stay, and she remembered how he had found her after her nightmare. “Oh!” A quiet gasp left her mouth, and he stirred slightly, nuzzling his head deeper into his pillow.
Hermione could’ve watched him all day with a quiet fascination: watched the way his chest rose and fell with every breath, the usual arrogant smirk wiped from his face and replaced with something that could’ve resembled peace, and the way his pale hair—by which she was now sure he was taming with magic—was almost curling.
Instead, humiliation filled her—she should’ve known that if anyone knew how to occlude or knew what her vials were made for, it would be him. That and oh, Merlin, she had practically let him break down her occlumency walls.
Slipping out of bed, she made her way around Draco’s side of the bed and slipped out of the door, quietly closing it behind her. The hallway was quiet, and the curtains that were drawn last night were now open to let the early morning light through. Hermione padded down the stairs, quiet as she found her way back into the kitchen. Cricket stood atop a bench, pouring coffee into a mug that had a picture of the Eiffel tower on it. “Milk, Miss Hermione?”
“A dash, please.” Hermione spoke sliding into a chair and resting her head against the counter. “I’m sorry if I woke you last night Cricket.”
“Oh no Miss Hermione, Cricket is always up and about. I is also take naps in between my works.” She said happily spooning sugar into Hermione’s coffee.
Hermione yawned and accepted her coffee with thanks, her eyes still drooping. The coffee was a warm welcome, her head feeling considerably happier.
“Well, well, well!” Came Theo’s voice as he strode into the kitchen. “Fancy seeing you here darling!” A bedraggled-looking Malfoy came in behind him, once again stopping to lean against the doorframe. Hermione tore her eyes from Malfoy in his rumpled state, his navy pyjama pants riding low on his waist, and his grey eyes still looking half asleep.
Theo pulled a chair up beside Hermione, who groaned and closed her eyes. “You would not believe who I found in your bed this morning Hermione.” He said, a shit eating grin forming on his face.
Cricket slid another two coffees onto the counter.
“Is that so Theo?” Malfoy asked intrigued, and Hermione heard him slide another chair to her left, and he reached over her perched head to grab his coffee.
“The most handsome man, if you ask me.” Theo said smugly.
Hermione snorted.
Malfoy leaned towards her until his hair was brushing against her shoulder. “I don’t think you get to decide if that man was handsome or not if you’re currently wearing my curtain, Granger.”
She moaned, refusing to open her eyes—she had completely forgotten. The frenzy that had come over her while packing had led her to decide that packing vegetables was a good idea (which ended up working out since they had been out of food last night), and had her forgetting that she needed clothes to sleep in.
Since she’d rather die than ask Malfoy for clothes, she had simply transfigured the curtain that was in her room to fit around her body as a nightgown.
“I think it looks dashing.” Theo sighed. “I hope you packed other clothes—we can’t take you out to town in transfigured clothes.”
“I have other clothes.” She murmured. “I just forgot my pyjamas.”
“A pity; I’m sure Draco would’ve gladly lent you some.”
Hermione could feel the smirk forming on Draco’s face. “Perhaps.” She gritted out.
“A good thing you did well during Transfiguration.” Draco said leaning away from her to drink his coffee. “Oh, and if you want to come with us, we leave for the farmer’s market within the hour.”
Hermione shook her head. “I’m going to start some extracting potential some locations from the case files.”
“Everyone will be here tomorrow for the meeting, right?”
“Yes, we’ll meet the rest of the team then.”
Theo’s head was on the counter, his eyes lazily flitting between Hermione and Draco. “I’ll be off to get ready then—meet you down in the foyer Draco.”
Draco nodded and finished his coffee. He slid off the stool and handed the cup to an anticipating Cricket.
Hermione watched Cricket for a few more minutes by herself before slipping back upstairs and beginning her work.
***
She leaned against the bark of a tree to catch her breath—the walk to town had been longer than what she anticipated, and the risk of a Muggle seeing her Apparate was too great. After a few hours of connecting the papers from the Auror’s office, Draco and Theo had emerged from their grocery run; Draco had gone straight to his room and Theo had stayed in the kitchen to put away the groceries. Deciding she didn’t want to further upset the upset house; Hermione slipped out of the front door and began her visit to the Town of Beccles.
She walked down the wide pathway that travelled down the center of the town, passing various onlookers that peered at her for longer than she liked. After passing the docks, she decided to sit by a shallow beach, her feet bare with the waves licking her toes. Hermione decided that this would be a long enough walk for today—after she was done laying on the beach, she could slip into an alley way to Disapparate.
She closed her eyes and continued deeper into the town.
***
Hermione arrived home exhausted and slid straight into her dinner chair without bothering to freshen up. It appeared there was a slight tension in the air between the two boys. She narrowed her eyes at them.
“Long day Granger?” Draco asked with a small sneer on his face.
“Clearly not as long as yours.” She clipped back.
“Now, now, no attitudes at the table.” Theo murmured, sipping his soup.
“And how was everyone’s day?” She piped.
“Well, other than the regular employee calling us Death Eater scum—” Theo started and Hermione choked on her soup.
“What?” She exclaimed. “It’s been years, and you Theo weren’t even one to begin with! Draco defected for Merlin’s sake; Narcissa saved Harry’s life.”
Are you really that shocked? We’re in a small town—they don’t have the hustle and bustle of the seven Weasleys to admire every afternoon.” Draco added dully.
“Don’t bring the Weasleys into this—”
“Regardless.” Theo continued. “It’s fine. They’re just going to have to get used to the two of you being together and suck it up. Maybe hex a few people if you’re up for it, Hermione.”
“What does the two of us—?” Hermione paused. “What did they say about us?”
“Again, something along the lines of Draco being unworthy Death Eater scum.”
Hermione felt her heart sink a few inches. “You know that’s not true. They—the townsfolk and the Prophet—they’ll drag anyone they can get their hands on. Your mistakes are just out in the open and everyone, even people that didn’t fight during either of the Wars, seems to think they’re allowed to have input on how they feel about you. We were seventeen, and…” Hermione trailed off watching Cricket’s shocked face. She paused. “… And I forgot what I was going to say.”
“That’s sweet, really Granger, but it has been a few years since we’ve been dragged out into the public. Let Draco darling have his fun sulking.” Theo added, taking another spoonful of his soup.
“I went on a walk through the town—I only really spoke to one person on the beach. A student at the local high school that works by the docks. I tried to ask if there was any increased or strange activity of shipments in the last month but he said everything had been relatively normal. The town’s just increasing their supply as preparation for Winter.”
“What person?” Draco asked.
“A teenager.”
"Aren’t they supposed to be in school?”
“Don’t ask me.” Hermione replied. “I didn’t go to Muggle high school; I suppose they’d finish in the afternoon. Perhaps it’s an afterschool job.”
Theo hummed in response.
“Tomorrow we also have that team meeting at the end of the day; Harry and the rest of the Aurors that are here will be stopping by for dinner.” She swivelled to Theo. “You have to hide in your room—they’d kill us if they found out we haven’t filed that you were living here.”
Theo raised his hand in defence. “I’ll be silently playing with Pax.”
Did you find anything about the case so far? I can do some scouting tomorrow.” Draco supplied.
“I’ve found a few spots along the docks that they might be using for transference. I haven’t been able to link any potential holding locations."
“I’ll transfigure myself tomorrow and head down, then.” He replied finishing his soup.
“Good talk then, everyone. Hermione, if you’ll stay behind?” Theo questioned.
She nodded.
***
Long after Cricket had cleaned up and Draco had left Hermione and Theo were left lounging in their wooden dining chairs, debating the efficacy of yarrow in healing potions. It was only after Hermione let out a yawn did Theo begin to ask what he was looking for.
“You know, Draco wouldn’t explain to me how he ended up in your bed.”
She didn’t see much of a point of lying at this point. “I have frequent nightmares that I occlude for. I haven’t been very accustomed to occlusion yet so I’ve also been taking potions occasionally to battle the after effects. Last night I was simply tossing and turning in my sleep and Cricket called Malfoy. We had a small fight but I asked him to stay the night and just slipped out in the morning. Nothing else happened.”
“I see.” Theo asked, his eyes appearing to resist the urge to widen to saucers.
Hermione gave him a small grin. “Your turn to tell me about the shop employees today.”
“Touché.” He rubbed his forehead. “We walked in to a potions store and separated down a few aisles. A bloke came up to Draco and started asking him if he needed ingredients for You-Know-Who, asked him if he was hopeful that the Dark Lor—Voldemort, sorry, would come back. Not in a serious way either.” He added at her look. “He was absolutely egging Draco on, and after that, two more employees showed up and started asking Draco about you—if he had Imperious-ed you or if he needed to collect more ingredients for a love potion. It was after that that the rest of the Death Eater remarks were thrown, and Draco eventually stormed out. I had no idea any of it was happening until he walked out of the store.”
Hermione grimaced. “That’s awful.”
“If we were any younger, we probably would’ve started a fight.”
“I could fix it you know. Throw around the Golden Girl title a little.” Hermione suggested.
“Perhaps. I’m not sure how Draco would take it.”
“I’ll go into the store tomorrow—maybe I’ll take him with me, another time. See what the difference is like… tell the Prophet. They wouldn’t go write me if the interview came directly from me.”
“Wait until they have a second chance to redeem themselves.” Theo said quietly, and that was that.
Hermione stood to prepare for bed, but stalled looking at Theo’s face. “Is there anything I should say to Draco about last night?”
Theo shook his head. “He won’t need comforting about that, Granger. I suppose you just need to adjust to the occlusion thing—though I don’t recommend it. I remember when Draco would in seventh year and—” He broke off looking almost horrified that he was about to spill some small secret detail about his friend. “Never mind; just know it isn’t pretty and you’re better off seeing a mind healer about the nightmares.”
Hermione shrugged and gave him a small smile. “Perhaps. Goodnight, Theo.”
“Night, Granger.”
Hermione yawned as she padded up the stairs from the kitchen and walked into her room, carefully closing the wooden door behind her. “Lumos.” She whispered, pointing her hand to the lamps around the room. While Lumos was such as simple spell, Kingsley would have her hanged if he knew the extent of her wandless magic, of the wandless magic she had learned and used from the Death Eaters.
Freezing, she noticed a few clothes folded at the foot of her bed. She carefully opened them up; there was a Slytherin quidditch t-shirt, a grey cotton long sleeve, a plaid pair of pants, and pair of shorts that felt so soft Hermione could’ve sworn it was cashmere. She let out a loose breath; Draco had given her a few of his pyjamas to wear for the night. With her stomach in her throat, Hermione changed and slid into bed, praying the night went smoothly.