Young Master of Death

Two

As Hermione picked up the daily prophet, she realized that she was slightly hungry. Maybe she would go to the leaky cauldron and pick something up for her and Ron, and maybe Harry as well. She felt it would be rude of her to only get something for herself and Ron, even though Harry probably wouldn't eat it, it would still be there for him if he came out of his room. She shook her head; when he came out of his room, she corrected herself. She needed to think positively, even though it was hard to in such a depressing situation.

She stepped inside the Leaky Cauldron before the sound of chaos and commotion was heard and she immediately looked around, trying to figure out what the problem was. She suddenly saw a big group of people yelling and shouting, circling whoever was in the middle. She frowned in confusion and concern before making her way over, hunger forgotten.

The man behind the counter didn't seem to care as he tiredly rubbed at his eyes, looking like he was trying to fight off sleep. Hermione scowled at the obviously lazy man before stopping a few feet away, next to a girl with a particularly angry look on her face as she shouted with the rest of the people. Hermione tried to see who was the reason for such turmoil inside the circle but she couldn't make it past everyone, and she was shorter than most people so she couldn't look over their heads. She turned to the angry-looking girl.

"What's happening?" she questioned and the girl stopped shouting for a minute before replying.

"Malfoy dared to show his nasty face." She sneered. "Honestly, what did he think was going to happen? He was a death eater, on you-know-who's side, surely he didn't think nothing was going to happen, setting foot in here. Obviously, it would cause an uproar." The girl said before she turned away from Hermione, yelling some more.

Hermione's eyes were wide and she suddenly found more reason to push through everyone. She hadn't heard anything about Draco Malfoy in a while; a few days after the war he and his family had been written about in the daily prophet, but that was about it. She knew Lucious Malfoy had disappeared, seeming to have vanished in thin air, she didn't think even Draco knew where he was. And she also heard Narcissa had to have her manor enchanted by the ministry to notify them if any dark spells were used, but she didn't think any punishment had happened to Draco, thanks to Harry, who had defended them from being sent to Azkaban. A lot worse would have happened to them if he hadn't done that.

She forced some magic into her hands as she pushed herself through the angry crowd, finally making her way close to the middle. Sure enough, she saw a stressed Draco, yelling back at someone before trying to hold up his hands in defense as the person he had been shouting at tried hitting him in the face.

Hermione frowned, sure she hadn't liked Draco throughout all her years at Hogwarts, probably because of all the times he had called her a mud-blood, but she didn't think he deserved to be yelled at and harassed by a crowd of people, especially when he had been forced to become a death eater during the war. She knew he hadn't really wanted to. These people knew nothing of what really happened but they still threw themselves at him and shouted at him, even violently harassing him. It left a bitter taste in her mouth.

She suddenly made her way into the middle of the circle before grabbing onto his shoulder and apparating them away from the loud, angry crowd. The two of them stood outside of Grimmauld's place, it had been the first place that had come up in her mind when she had thought of somewhere safe for them to be.

Draco whipped his head around confused by the sudden change of location before he saw Hermione. His eyes narrowed in confusion and suspicion.

"Granger?" He questioned and Hermione nodded her head, looking sheepish.

"Sorry, I know that was unexpected, but..." She trailed off, not knowing what to say. "I felt bad." She settled for. Draco scoffed, before looking around once again.

"Where are we?" He asked, frowning when he realized they were in front of a muggle apartment.

"Grimmauld's place, the home where the Black's used to live," Hermione said, looking up at it. Draco stared at it in confusion.

"They lived in a muggle apartment?" He asked in disbelief and disdain. Hermione couldn't hold in a laugh at the disgusted look on his face.

"No." She shook her head, smiling. "Do you want to come inside and see? Ron and Harry are inside as well, we've all be staying there for now, I don't think you'll see Harry though." Hermione said, her smile fading into a look of worry. Draco noticed.

"Why?" He asked, curious. What happened to precious Potter? Hermione shook her head.

"He's asleep." She lied, flicking her eyes away from him and Draco scoffed, rolling his eyes.

"You're a horrible liar, Granger." Her face flushed with embarrassment.

"Are you going to come in or not?" She changed the subject, but Draco saw through her. Now his interest was piqued. What had happened to the golden boy?

Draco nodded. "Sure, I'm quite curious as to what kind of place they would live in. I certainly didn't picture them, a pureblood family, living anywhere near muggles though." Draco replied. He assumed he would just have to see what happened to Potter on his own, he was quite curious. Maybe he would be able to find him inside. He hoped he would catch Potter in some ridiculous outfit or awkward situation so he could hang it over him and taunt him.

"Okay." Hermione said.

Ron was more than surprised when he saw Draco with Hermione, the last person he was expecting to see inside Grimmauld's place, that last person to see with Hermione.