Dramione - The Sweetest Dream

Chapter 47

Draco and Hermione watched as the breakfast dishes were washed in front of them by a simple spell. Narcissa sat on the ground in front of the fire, her hair disheveled and her eyes still puffy and swollen.

"Where do you think she is?" Hermione whispered to Draco as she leaned against the wall. Draco shook his head.

"I don't know. But I do know that I'm going to find her." Draco began to pace the kitchen, shaking his head and clenching his fists. "I can't believe Belatrix. She was family, who kills their own family?" Draco was stopped as Hermione reached out and grabbed his hand. He stopped in his tracks and looked at her. Hermione moved towards him slowly and wrapped her arms around his back, and felt Draco collapse on to her, resting his head on her shoulder as they embraced.

"We'll find her," Hermione whispered. "But we need to go to Knockturn Alley." Draco pulled away and looked at her with a confused stare.

"Why?"

"The Draconite," she sighed. "She got it at Borgin and Burkes. They gave it to her, they have to know something about it." Draco twirled a strand of Hermione's hair around his finger and tucked it behind her ear.

"You're brilliant," he said as he leaned in to place a soft kiss on her forehead. "I don't think mum should come," he whispered as he looked at his mother staring at the flames mindlessly. "She's too fragile. I know she's trying to be strong, and she is considering," Draco swallowed a lump in his throat, "but she just needs time." Hermione nodded her head.

"We'll say we're running errands, or that I need something for Crookshanks." Hermione wrapped her hand around Draco's and gave it a squeeze. "You go and tell your mother we're leaving, I'm going to pack a few essentials."

Draco and Hermione met at the front door. Hermione carried only a small beaded handbag.

"Ready?" Draco asked as he reached his hand out to Hermione. She shook her head.

"We can't apparate in and out of Hogworts."

"Don't you remember? The spell died with Dumbledore." Draco held his arm out again. Hermione nodded and wrapped her arm around his, only to feel the familiar stretching and nauseating pressure. When she opened her eyes, the Leaky Cauldron stood before her. Before she could make it to the front door, she was doubled over and vomiting on the pavement.

"Sweetheart," Draco placed his arm around Hermione's back and held her hair away from her face. "Are you alright?" Hermione stood up and nodded her head, wiping her mouth on her sleeve.

"I'm fine," she insisted as Draco stared at her with worried eyes. "Let's go now, shall we?"

The smell of dust and mulled wine enveloped Hermione as she walked into the Leaky Cauldron. She and Draco walked quickly into the back of the pub and out the back door until they found themselves staring at a brick wall. Hermione pulled out her wand and tapped on the brick three up and two across from the dustbin. The bricks began to rearrange themselves into a small opening in the wall, growing into a large archway, revealing the cobbled streets of Diagon Alley. Draco and Hermione looked at each other, clasped each other's hands, and made their way towards Knockturn Alley.

Walking down a dark and dank street, Draco and Hermione found themselves standing in front of Borgin and Burkes. Draco kissed Hermione softly on the lips, and then bent down to plant a sweet kiss on her belly. Taking their wands out, they walked into the shop.

Hermione and Draco looked around the empty store. There were bones scattered about the store, cursed jewelry, and terrifying masks that lined the walls. Hermione walked up to the front desk and called out.

"Hello?"

All was silent until the sound of a chair scraping against wood and boots dragging along the floor came from a backroom. An older man appeared at the front desk. He had a permanent scowl written across his face and brown hair streaked with grey.

"Malfoy," he nodded his head. "Who's your guest?" He jerked his head in Hermione's direction with a disdainful look in his eye.

"Mr Borgin, this is Hermione Granger." Draco wrapped his arm around her. Mr Borgin cringed and looked away with disgust.

"You mean the Mudblood that helped Harry Potter!" He yelled. Draco wound his arm back and muttered a curse word under his breath as he punched the old man in his quivering jowl. Mr Borgin's face turned purple with rage as he retrieved his wand from his back pocket and pointed it at Draco. Before he could get a full incantation out of his mouth, Hermione yelled,

"Expelliarmus!" She caught the old man's wand in her hand and pointed hers at his throat. "Now, listen. You gave Belatrix Lestrange a Draconite,"

"I don't know what you're talking about," the old man blustered.

"Like hell you don't," Draco yelled. "Now, tell us everything you know about that stone." He pointed his wand as close to Borgin's neck as possible. Finally he shook his head and scowled.

"Fine. The Draconite is over eight thousand years old. It was originally thought to give one the powers of telepathy. But that's all rubbish," he waved his hand dismissively. "It does, however, turn one's skin into stone, creating an impenetrable barrier between that person and any force. It defies the laws of magic."

"How do you destroy it?" Draco asked in an unwaveringly strong voice. Borgin scoffed.

"No one has been able to! This Draconite has existed for thousands of years. You don't think people have tried to get rid of it before?"

Draco and Hermione looked at each other, their wands still raised to Borgin's throat. Hermione looked at the man with a mistrustful stare.

"There's more," she said firmly. "What else has she done? Why did she want it?"

"I can't say," Borgin held up his hands as Draco pushed his wand against the man's throat. "She made me swear to it! She'll kill me, or worse, if I say."

"We need to know," Hermione said in a firm voice. "We can destroy her if you just help us. Then we can guarantee your safety." Borgin wiped his dirty hands across his forehead and sighed.

"She wanted to turn it into a bloody Horcrux."