Serpent in the Lion's Den

9. Fresh air

The sun rose above the lake and casted rays through the hole in the tent Draco had previously made, causing both wizards to stir at the same time. After meticulously going over Draco's memories Hermione had settled into a dreamless sleep still curled up in Draco's arms and she woke to find him staring at her. Once he realised, she was awake, his arms recoiled back toward him and he stood up and left the room without a word, leaving Hermione sat up alone in the camp bed, the ghost of his touch still burning on her clothes and skin.

Both wizards stayed silent until the Slytherin came out from the tent after his breakfast had not been waiting outside his curtain, as was the morning routine he'd become accustomed to. He found Hermione packing a small bag that was not the one she'd produced everything else from and it only took the crunching of leaves under his boots for the witch to look up and begin to speak. Her voice wavered and her hands shook as she spoke;

"Malfoy, can we... talk about last night?" the witch stammered with obvious nerves. Draco rolled his eyes and brushed off her words with a bored shrug of his shoulders.

"Don't sweat it Granger, nothing happened last night apart from you nearly dying and me having to save you."

"You didn't have to Malfoy" Hermione jutted out her chin in defiance as he'd noted she often did when in an argument

"Funnily enough Granger, I have no clue where we are, I have no wand and I can't apparate, I thought you were meant to be smart" he sneered, purposefully leaving out his other reasons for staying behind

"Well why can't you apparate? I'm sure someone like yourself would have no problem in securing a different wand and as for where we are, I already told you we are in the Forest of Dean"

"That means absolutely nothing to me and again, I thought you were smart Granger, I can't apparate because Voldemort has his own trace on all his death eaters, if I apparate he can find me" Draco shouted and pulled up his sleeve to show the inky black mark scorched into his forearm. His fabricated smirk rose higher as the witch turned her face away so she didn't have to look at the mark. It represented prejudice and hatred towards her as a witch and it represented the Draco Malfoy who had bullied her for years, not the Draco Malfoy who held her close and smiled in his sleep as he hugged her tighter.

"Does it bother you Granger, my mark? Well sorry mudblood but it's not like it can come off" The word 'mudblood' didn't roll of his tongue as easily as it once had and Hermione's eyes still failed to meet his as she turned her back to him and muttered

"That's part of the problem"

"Say something mudblood?" Draco reached out to catch the Gryffindor's arm in the hope to turn her back round to face him but before he could reach the soft fabric of her jumper a voice broke through the wards

"That is quite enough Mr Malfoy, I would've hoped all this fresh air would lighten your mood."

The Slytherin turned to see the presence of Professor McGonagall walking through the wards as though she were talking a leisurely stroll through the Hogwarts grounds.

"What the-"

"Mr Malfoy I would choose your next words wisely, I just warned you about your language, just because we are not at Hogwarts does not mean you can lose all respect for your peers or elders."

Hermione smiled, she had missed the old witch, but her entrance had signified the age it had been, or felt like it had been, since she had been wandering the halls with her friends. Before the world had turned upside down. Her entrance also meant it was time for Hermione to leave, which made her heart feel heavy and her hands shake, she turned to the blonde wizard, taking a moment to relish in his silence and look of complete disbelief.

"Malfoy, I wanted to say earlier but I felt like we had to talk about... the other thing first" her cheeks blushed as she glanced at the older witch standing to her right, "but I have to go and take care of something, I'll be back by the end of the day."

The young witch turned to the Professor and the pair smiled at one another as Hermione plucked her bag from the floor as the Slytherin rolled his eyes

"So, you're off to God knows where, probably to Scarhead and Gingerdick whilst I'm being babysat, bloody brilliant"

"Mr Malfoy, I will not mention your vile language again" McGonagall snapped, her thick accent cutting through the air and she turned back to Hermione, her voice adopting a softer, friendlier tone, "are you sure you want to do this Miss Granger, if you wish I will take care of it for you."

Hermione shook her head and knuckled her eyes fiercely,

"Thank you, Professor but I have to do this"

McGonagall nodded with a sad understanding andstepped back. Hermione smiled, turned to look at the Slytherin completing thetrio, and apparated without another word.