Chasing Reality

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After catching up, redirecting Hermione and walking endlessly through the foyer, they finally made it to his study.
Hermione was worn out and had a tight grip on her stomach.
"Stupid Slytherins and their massive houses." She mumbled to herself.
Draco just rolled his eyes. Blaise's study was an even bigger room and Hermione contorted her face in irritation.
On one side of the room, large shards of glass hung on the wall. Eight of them to be exact.
"Let's take a look shall we?" Blaise cast a spell and the images rewinded, one at a time. All seemed normal.
"Wait!" Draco said at last while viewing the sixth one, as Blaise stopped the incantation.
It showed a man fiddling with something in a small bag.
The man turned around to check the corridors, oblivious that he was being watched.
"Barnabas Pryce." Hermione grimaced.
"Who?" Draco asked, puzzled.
"The minister's assistant." Hermione answered.
"Why would he do this?" Blaise asked.
"Merlin knows." Hermione said.
Just then, a house elf entered with three mugs of butter beer and a copy of the Daily Prophet.
She laid it on the table and bowed to her master. Blaise bowed back, like a true gentleman and smiled. The elf skipped out of the room.
"Looks like we've made front page Granger." Draco said.
"You have been for the past few days mate." Blaise interjected.
Hermione casually turned the page not wanting to acknowledge the fact that they were now wanted criminals.
And another headline caught her attention.

"Time Turner Stolen From Department Of Mysteries."

"What're you gawking at Granger?"
Draco joined her to stare at the paper.
She turned to him.
"Where's my purse?!" She asked alarmed.
"Uhhmm...in the room you were resting." Draco said, not understanding her sudden restlessness.
She ran to the room, not caring that her stomach wanted to spew its contents out onto the expensively polished floor.
She heard footsteps behind her.
Hermione entered the room and started rummaging through the purse, letting out a relieved sigh when her hands rested upon the cool glass trinket.
"What is wrong with you, woman?" Blaise asked. She held up the object.
"Only the the head of the department has this. It lets us know if there was even the slightest attempt to break into the artefact chamber. Anything illegal u know? It would turn red if there were any. Only the minister's, my assistant's and my hands can open the room. The time turner is gone. And I didn't steal it."
"Your assistant took it then." Draco concluded.
"I'm a little lost. What does that have to do with the murder?" Blaise asked wryly.
"Such a powerful object could be devastating in the wrong hands. Something's wrong. First, the minister's assistant kills someone and then my assistant steals a time turner?" Hermione held her hand to her head and collapsed into the chair.
"Look, just forget about it for some time. We'll discuss it tomorrow." Blaise said.
"Let's go back to the study." Draco joined in.
They made it back to Blaise's study and each settled comfortably in an armchair.
"How's my house?" Draco asked.
"In perfect shape last time I checked. They've posted a few Aurors outside. But I fear the blokes might turn the place upside down when they investigate. Saving the best for last I guess." Blaise informed.
Draco grimaced.
"I've put enough wards to hold them off for a while. How's my mum?" He sounded more concerned.
"I couldn't visit her. There was a lot going on. I'm sorry mate." Blaise apologised.
"Don't worry about it." Draco shook his head.
Hermione could see that he was deeply troubled about the fact that his mother was out there, in the middle of all this chaos, completely vulnerable.
"She'll be alright. She's a strong woman." Hermione tried making him feel better.
Blaise pointed a finger at Draco and then ran a across across his throat while Draco's back was turned towards them.
Hermione knew she shouldn't have said anything.
She had no brain to mouth filter whatsoever.
"I know that." Draco said a little hotly.
Hermione didn't say anything to that.
"Alright you two. It's been a long day. Let's make you some dinner and get you to your rooms." Blaise decided.
Draco and Hermione nodded. They finished off their butter beer.
Hermione lagged a bit behind as the two best friends caught up on each other's lives.
It was a bit sad for her to watch.
Even in times of such trouble, Draco trusted Blaise to help them out.
She wished she could run to Harry and Ron the same way. But she couldn't. And it broke her heart.
"I think I'm going to go ahead and sleep. I'm not hungry." She said, trying to hide the tears in her eyes.
"Granger, you haven't eaten all day." Draco countered.
"I'll just eat something for breakfast." She walked ahead and into her room,
and took a swig of her sleeping draught. Nobody needed to see her sorrow.
But Draco did.
He saw the tears in her eyes. And he saw the concoction she had just consumed.
It brought back old painful memories, instilled in his brain not too long ago.