Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Breaking the Chain	By : RynStar15 Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 42453 -:- Recommendations : 5 -:- Currently Reading : 4
Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, that belongs to the glorious J.K Rowling. I don't make any money off of this writing, I simply twist her world for my own pleasure.

Chapter List
- 14
- 15
- 16
Draco's head reeled. She knew his name. How did she know his name? The beautiful witch smiled at him.
"I am Alvida Eynon, I have waited for you for a long time, Draco. You took longer than I'd anticipated so I have been on the lookout, but you hardly needed my assistance it seems."
"No," he croaked. "I needed it. I was spent, I had nothing left. Thanks for, you know..." He gestured helplessly towards the unconscious men scattered on the ground.
"It was the least I could do. You have incredible power and it will come to good use. But you must use it in the correct way, Draco. To have that much power can go to one's head. Keep grounded."
He nodded. He knew he'd gotten carried away, the orally-eviscerated man lying on the ground not five meters away evidence to that cold fact. But the thought of those men touching Hermione again had unleashed that part of him she'd so nearly tucked away.
He bent over Hermione's form, feeling her blazing forehead again.
"Can you help her?" he ground out. Her breathing was so shallow...
The witch kneeled next to him and placed her hands over Hermione, a golden glow emitting from her palms, her eyes closed. When she withdrew she sighed. "I will do what I can for her. She must live to carry out her destiny. We must hurry for I fear if we tarry much longer her life will be out of my hands to save."
Hermione Levitated off the ground without Draco having to do anything, a good thing too because he was incredibly weak and didn't think he could carry her. He stumbled to his feet and nearly jogged after Alvida who once again seemed to simply skim the ground rather than walk on it. She was much younger than he had imagined, hardly much older than Sari and Milo, possibly late 30's. And much more beautiful than he could ever have thought. He had pictured some old hag leaning over a steaming cauldron who would strike them dead as soon as they walked in. Alvida, however, had already known who he was, the stone he had worked so hard to protect useless in his pocket.
She led them through a narrow path in the woods he would have never seen and to a small cottage in a clearing. She hurried him through the door into a many roomed house that looked much bigger on the inside than it had on the outside. She swept passed him and preceded after a floating Hermione into a back bedroom where she laid her gently on a soft bed. With a wave of her hand Hermione was unclothed and Alvida looked her over, taking in her bruises and cuts from the river, the large blood-stained bandage covering her side, the mangled body that he had revered two long nights ago.
"Draco, please fetch me some boiling water from the cauldron in the living room. You will find a rag next to it as well."
Draco hurried to do her bidding, nearly tripping over his feet in his haste. A cauldron of boiling water that he swore he had not seen there before sat over the crackling fire, a small bowl next to it on the ground. Grabbing a ladle from the mantle he scooped some into the bowl. It took forever it seemed, every time he went to put more in there was less than there had been.
He was way too tired. Now he was the one hallucinating.
Finally, the bowl was filled and he hurried back down the hall to the room, handing the bowl to Alvida who dipped the rag into the water and slowly began to clean the cut.
Draco nearly toppled over as all the blood drained out of his head.
The cut. It was gone. Replaced by an ugly scar. It was puffy and red but the gash, the pus, the black rotting skin had disappeared.
"H-how did you..."
"It was an ancient curse, one that the Tracker's use often. It cannot be healed by regular magic, only those who know are trained in the art of Arsa Leigheas. My grandmother taught me after my mother died. It is an old art that I fear will be lost in a few generations."
When Alvida finished cleaning the dried blood, she covered Hermione with a large coverlet. With a flick of her wrist a potion was in her hand and she was administering it to Hermione. If she could get the potion that easily then she could have done the same with the water... She had obviously just wanted him out of the room. He felt a bit miffed but she had healed Hermione, that was all that mattered.
"Will she be alright?" he asked nervously. The cut was gone but still...an ancient curse?
"She has lost a lot of blood. I will give her a Blood Replenishing Potion and she must take what I am giving now her twice a day for three days to help rid her body of the evil toxins of the curse. I will give you the supply. Make sure she takes it or everything I have done will be for naught."
He nodded. "When will she wake?"
"Soon, I hope. Her body needs rest. The fever should ease soon as well, if I wasn't too late. We will see." Alvida gave her the rest of the potions that had appeared on the bedside table and motioned for him to follow her out of the room. He was reluctant to leave Hermione but Alvida, sensing his hesitation, said "There's nothing more we can do for her. I will know if she wakes."
If...
The elder witch led him back into the living room and sat, conjuring a tea tray with cookies. She poured them both tea and handed Draco his. He took a sip and the warmth washed over him, sliding into every pore, caressing his bruised skin, massaging his abused muscles. He drank more greedily and the kettle came up to refill his cup. His entire body relaxed as if sighing in relief.
"Feel better?"
"Much. This is great stuff," Draco said breathlessly rubbed his knee. The swelling and pain was gone as were his bruises and cuts, his stiff muscles now humming in delight.
"Do you have the stone?" Alvida asked.
Draco nodded, reaching into the pouch at his side but she stilled him with a raised hand.
"As Milo explained, it is now yours. You and Hermione are now Eripio, you will need it to find other protectors such as yourself.
He stared at the witch stupidly, his mind feeling thick and muddled. "How do you know so much about us? How do you know who we are?"
Alvida sat back in her chair, her eyes on him as if pondering his question.
"Your and Hermione's arrival here was foretold long ago in the stars. You might say I am a Seer, but that would not be correct. I do not sense as Seer's do, I cannot predict the future. I merely read what the fates foretell. You and Hermione have been in my dreams since I was a little girl. I have looked so forward to meeting you two, I am sorry that the circumstances are less than perfect."
Draco shook his head, trying to clear it and follow what she was saying. "Sari said the same thing. What do you mean about my and Hermione's arrival here being 'foretold?' I mean, it was a complete accident we ended up here at all-"
Alvida smiled, giving him an intriguing but not unkind look. "Come, now, Draco. You understand the art of Divination. You know of Prophecies. I read yours long ago. It was no accident that you two arrived here."
Suddenly much more exhausted than he had been before, Draco scrubbed his face. "But why? Why bring us here? What good could it possibly do other than to try and get us killed?"
She smiled again. "It is not something I can explain to you. It is something you must learn for yourself. I know you are tired of hearing it, but you will understand soon enough."
He sighed, trying not to be frustrated, but he knew enough about Divination to understand that it was not always best to know everything. He was eager to learn more, however.
"So is there anything you can tell us?"
"What would you like to know?"
"You don't mind if I interrogate you?"
Her wide red lips curved almost seductively, the kettle coming to refill his empty mug once more. "Not at all."
Draco stared at the floating kettle and thought of the powerful magic she'd used to heal Hermione. "Aren't you afraid of the Tracker's sensing your magic?"
She laughed, a full bellied musical sound. "I do not fear them. They are merely minions for the prejudice law of the land. My dwellings can only be seen by those whom I wish to see them. We are safe here, I assure you."
Sure, so safe that you'll be burned alive here less than twenty-four hours from now, Draco thought, not able to meet her eye.
She caught his eye as if knowing where his thoughts were headed. "Do you know...?" he asked.
"Yes. Tomorrow night my walls will be breached."
"But you're not going to do anything about it? You're just going to sit here while you are burned to the ground?"
"I didn't say that now, did I?"
"But isn't that the reason you sent the Time Turner to France? I mean, did you already send it?"
"I sent one to France, yes."
Draco's heart stopped. "There are more?" he asked tightly, hardly daring to believe.
"Only one more."
"So we can get back? You can send us back?"
At this her knowing smile left her, a strained look replacing it. She sat forward and took his hand in hers.
"Draco, I want you to listen to me. This Time Turner is not perfect. It will be worked on for centuries to come; I have merely put forth the layout. It is not like the one you have resting in your pouch there. You can only go once. One place, one time. If it does not work, I do not know what will happen. You two shall be the first people to try it if you so wish to do so."
"Well, I mean we have to try, don't we?" he said, uneasy at the thought of being thrust into another different time, stuck there as well. He didn't fancy another venture to find another way home. He'd had enough time traveling to last him a lifetime. "It's our only chance to get back, isn't it?"
He could feel that she was holding something back and a sympathetic look lined her features. "I will not sway your minds nor hold you back from anything you wish to do. You have a choice. You can go back to your former life, to the sorrow, the killing, the pain, or you can stay here with Hermione. You two will be free from the ties of responsibility that pull you apart. You can be together with no one to say otherwise. This is your choice."
Draco wrinkled his brow. "All of yours and Sari's talk about the prophecies and our destinies…if we don't go back, how will we fulfill them?"
Her features looked pained and he knew she knew something he probably didn't want to know. "It is true the prophecies have been made, but you still have a choice. You have your free will."
"But, if we don't go back…what will happen with the war?" he asked slowly.
She smiled again sadly at him. "It is not something I have been foretold. The Dark War rages on even now without you, whether you return or not it will have an end one way or the other. The only thing I do know is that should you and Hermione return to your destiny, there will be much sorrow before it is fulfilled. I feel it would be unfair to allow you to return without telling you."
Draco took his hand back and stood up, for the first time since this whole thing started, without an ounce of pain. He paced. What was she saying to him? Why was she putting this in his head? On his shoulders? He had never once thought about the possibility of not going back. Of course they had to go back, this wasn't their time, they had obligations, people counting on them...
He stopped pacing, staring outside the window into the night, knowing it wouldn't be night for much longer. The trees undulated in the breeze, their leaves bright orange and yellow and red, several detaching from their homes and floating slowly down to rest with those who had also found a sanctuary on the forest floor.
They could be like those leaves, he and Hermione. Both belonging to different trees, they had been ripped off and united on the ground where they could be together without the difference of their origins to separate them. They could stay there, together, happy, in a simpler time. Here, they could be together, nothing to hold them back. He wouldn't have to worry that his love for her would bring her death, wouldn't have to worry what his father might think, or that the Dark Lord had sent him to kill her in the first place. He wouldn't worry about losing her in the battle to come or about breaking her heart when he left her, as he knew he must do when they, if they, returned.
His hands came to his hair as they always did when he was frustrated or unsure. Why couldn't they stay? What was so wrong with wanting a better life, for taking that chance when it was offered to them? He could make her happy, he knew, if he were rid of his shackles of duty. He could wake every morning beside her and kiss her eyelids, her hair, slip inside her as she woke, treasure her body and her heart every single day for the rest of their lives. They could live close to Sari and Milo, learn this new time as they did, and Hermione would love being close to them, he knew she'd grown fond of them in their short time together. He could get used to the damnable hose, he thought with a grin. It would be worth it to see Hermione wrapped prettily in dresses, knowing he only had to slip his hands beneath to find her warm and wet and waiting.
He would love her every single day and they would be without fear.
But if they didn't return, the Dark Lord might win. Milo had said Hermione was a vital instrument in the war, they needed her to take the sick bastard down. And he knew in his heart neither of them could live with that guilt haunting them every day.
But what if she never knew? What if he didn't tell her…?
He hadn't even heard her rise but Alvida was there, her form silhouetted behind him in the glass, a sad smile on her face.
"Talk to her about it."
"She's awake?" he asked excitedly, whipping around.
She nodded and Draco tore down the hallway to her room with his heart in his throat, Alvida's voice only stalling him for a moment.
"The rooms have Silencing Charms, you will have your privacy. Please, take your time."
He nodded his thanks, unable to speak, then ripped open the door and looked down at Hermione's tiny form all but swallowed up in the massive bed where she was just beginning to stir.
"Draco..." she whispered, not yet noticing his presence.
"I'm here," he said breathlessly, rushing to her side, sitting next to her on the bed, one of his hands grasping hers and the other one coming up to stroke her face. It was warm, but no longer hot. The fever had broken. She was awake, she was alive, she'd survived…
She looked around confusedly, her eyes glassy, her lids heavy. "What...what's happening? Where are we?"
"We made it; we're at Alvida Eynon's cottage. She saved you, saved us."
"Saved...what do you mean?" she tried to sit up but he pressed her back. "What happened? How did we get here...?"
"What's the last thing you remember?"
Hermione lifted a hand to her forehead, rubbing it as she thought back. "The river, I was in the water, it was freezing, I couldn't think... I couldn't find air, I was drowning, and then I hit my head..."
"Do you remember anything after that?" he asked, wondering if she recalled talking about Wormtail and Nigini….
"No, everything went black. I don't even know how I got to shore…did I?" she looked up at him.
"Well, you didn't quite make it yourself," he admitted sheepishly, suddenly embarrassed as her eyes glistened and she smiled.
"You saved me."
He looked away self-consciously. "Nothing you haven't done for me. Suppose it was my turn."
She reached up and cradled his cheek. "Thank you," she whispered, her eyes brimming with love and admiration. "And we're with Alvida? You got us here? How on earth…?"
He told her everything that had happened since he pulled her from the river, leaving out the part about making a man regurgitate his own digestive tract. And the rabbit.
"Why didn't you tell me?" he growled when he'd finished, feeling that same anger he'd felt back in the forest bubble forth.
Tears of shame welled up in her eyes. "I didn't want you to worry. We had to get to Alvida and after everything that had happened...I didn't think it was this bad. I just didn't want to be a burden."
He cursed harshly. "Didn't want to be a 'burden?' Fuck's sake, Hermione, what do you think you were when I had to Levitate your arse through the woods? You weren't a burden when I had to stay up all night to your screaming while I went out of my mind with worry? Hermione, if I hadn't gotten to Alvida soon enough, not only would she be dead, but you would be too. You could have died, do you not understand this? Do you have any idea how close I was to losing you? Do you have any idea what you put me through by keeping this from me? Your damn stubborn pride nearly killed us both!"
Guilt assailed him as he watched tears leak down her face. But she had to know, had to understand the pain he went through nearly losing her. She had to know that sometimes it was alright to be weak, to ask for help. However, the words died in his throat when she spoke.
"I'm sorry, Draco," she whispered brokenly. "I'm so sorry I caused you so much trouble. I could have ruined everything, I put you in danger, you could have been killed. It's all my fault, I know, and I am so, so sorry..." She looked up at him with a look so full of shame it stuck him to his core. "Can you ever forgive me?"
He snapped. "Bleeding hell, Hermione!" he bellowed, tearing to his feet, unable to look at her pained expression any longer. "When will you ever get it through your head?"
He watched her jump from the corner of his eye at his harsh words, the tears ceasing as she cringed against the headboard. He continued pacing, his voice rising the angrier he got.
"The whole world does not rest on your shoulders! You don't always have to be responsible for taking care of everyone all the time. Life will not cease to exist if you need help from someone else. We all need it at some point! I sure as hell needed it at the gallows! Can't you learn from my stupid mistakes? My pathetic blunders in trying to kill Dumbledore on my own? My selfishness in thinking I could get home on my own without your knowledge? Why do you always have to be the best, be the one with all the answers? You're only nineteen, for fucks sake! You can't do it all; no matter how much you try. You're going to kill yourself thinking this way. How many times has this happened? How many times have you been near death because you believed that you had to do it all? How many times have you made yourself sick trying to find all the answers? Because here's one for you; not everything has an answer. Is that too much for your Know-It-All brain to take? Can you wrap your mind around that?"
Draco panted, his anger coming out in bursts that he couldn't contain. Why couldn't she understand that she wasn't responsible for the world? Why did she have to be so...so...Hermione all the time?
She opened her mouth and he could see the words she was starting to form and cut her off, his voice as dangerous as the emotions roiling inside him.
"Don't you dare say you're sorry," he growled. "You're always sorry! That's another thing, sometimes you don't have to be sorry, sometimes things just happen and they're not always your fault. Do you realize that you just tried to apologize to me for me yelling at you?"
She looked shell-shocked, as if she'd been slapped across the face. Well good, apparently the stubborn witch needed it.
Looking down at her hands she mumbled "I don't know what to say."
He sat down next to her, grinning. "Really? You, not knowing what to say? Are you going to faint?"
She smiled weakly. "I suppose not."
Placing his index finger under her chin he tilted her face up to look at him. "Hermione, I wasn't trying to upset you. You just don't know what it's like watching someone you care for slipping away without being able to do anything about it. I don't know how else I can make you understand that you don't always have to be the hero."
Draco thought of the prophecy and of Alvida's offer. If Hermione never knew how much actually did rest on her shoulders...would she consider staying here with him? "You can't save us all, Hermione. It's not your duty to save the world and everyone in it. You are human, just like the rest of us. You hurt and you bleed and sometimes you have learn to pass the torch onto someone else." He paused to look into her eyes, to will her to feel what he did.
When he spoke again his voice was small, crumbling beneath his admission. "I was terrified out there. I didn't know how to help you, I didn't know what to do or where to go. You had always had the answers and the second you weren't there, I fell to pieces. I had no idea what I was doing. You always told me what to do, showed me the way, saved my ass when I fell. It was pretty terrifying to realize that I've never had to be the one to carry the burden, to take the lead. As it turns out, I'm horrible at it," he smiled to ease the tension in her gaze. "I guess I need to work on being more responsible and you need to work on being less."
She laughed softly, sniffing, her eyes not meeting his. Finally, he did the one thing he'd been aching to do for endless days and he bent down and kissed her. Softly, gently, he pried her lips apart and she made a small sound in her throat. She tasted salty from her tears, her lips warm and plaint beneath his. She returned the kiss and he pulled back before he got too worked up, shaking his head at how easily she could drag him under with just a single kiss.
He leaned his forehead against hers, sighing. "I thought I'd lost you," he whispered, his eyes closing against the memory. "When I pulled you out of the river...you wouldn't move, you didn't breathe. You were gone, just like that. If I hadn't remembered… I don't ever, ever want to feel that way again." He clutched the back of her neck tightly as if his hold would keep her from ever leaving him again. Her arms went around him and she comforted him, crawling into his lap, every naked inch of her. He held her tight, his soul needing the comfort of her own, much stronger one. When she shivered he chuckled and pulled the blanket back over her. She looked down.
"Why am I naked?" she asked blankly.
"Alvida had to check you over. That gash was not your only injury."
She nodded and he knew without looking that she was blushing at the thought of the witch seeing her naked.
"You have a beautiful body which I sure she would have admired if she wasn't so intent on saving your life," he murmured into her hair. Her arms tightened around him.
"Thank you," she whispered. He knew she was talking about more than just his reassurance.
"You're welcome." She looked up at him, her brown eyes glittering.
"Guess I'm not the only hero around here," she said, smiling.
He snorted. "You didn't see me. It was a pretty pathetic rescue. You make it look a lot easier than it really is."
She laughed and he couldn't help it. He kissed her again, this time with more vigor, thankful she was alive and here with him. They could think about the future later, but for right now, all he wanted to think about was getting her underneath him as fast as possible.
Placing one arm under her knees and the other under her back he lifted her and placed her back onto the bed properly, laying her down where he could see every luscious inch of her. Alvida had removed the bruises and marks he hadn't been able to and she was as pristine as before other than the red scar he was certain she would carry the rest of her life. She shivered beneath his gaze and her nipples pebbled, the little mounds so delectable he could not resist. He feasted, growing hard at the sound of her sharp intake of breath.
"Draco..." she moaned, arching up to him and gasping as his right hand found its way to the apex of her legs, his left cupping her breast as his mouth moved to the next. "Draco, we shouldn't be doing this..."
"Why not?" he muttered around her nipple, which he refused to give up for nonsensical conversation.
She shivered from the vibrations his mouth made on her. "B-because...Alvida. We have to talk to her...unh!...Draco...really...this isn't, ah!"
His fingers had slid their way into her throughout her little one sided conversation and he worked her, his fingers pumping in and out of her, her clenching wetness causing him to come undone. He needed to be inside of her, he couldn't wait much longer, but he didn't want to hurt her. She was still new to this; still so incredibly, irresistibly tight. So he took his time preparing her, switching from her breast to the sweet spot on her neck which always made her groan in delight, working her clit with his thumb while she moaned and shook beneath him.
"We…we're in her house, we- oh, gods! She could walk in, Draco it's not proper, mmph! W-what if she finds out?"
He laughed softly at her half-hearted reasoning as he moved to her jaw, her body undulating against him. "I'm sure she knows what we're doing."
"What?" Hermione cried shooting up. Draco chuckled and pushed her back down.
"Relax, I'll explain it later. Do you really want me to stop?" he breathed, kissing her again while his fingers hooked against her g-spot and she writhed, her fingernails digging into shoulders making him growl with want. She shook her head, delving into his mouth and reaching down to his aching member, caressing him through him damnable hose. Draco ripped off the offending material with a curse and with Hermione's help, disposed of his tunic as well.
Easing himself between her legs he lifted one of them to wrap around his hip and tucked one arm underneath her, holding her to him. She bucked up towards him as he rolled his hips against her, his length sliding against her sopping slit. She was already drenched, but it wasn't good enough, so he took back to her clit, capturing her cries with his mouth as she rose up, thrashing against his hands when his other hand dove back into her folds. She was close and in no time her body was stiffening beneath his ministrations and her head flew back, crying out as she shuddered and drenched his hands with her pleasure as he groaned and urged her on.
She came back to him gasping, her eyes bright as her claws retracted, instead coming to his sweaty neck to wind through his hair., her cheeks flushed with desire. He grinned, knowing she was as steeped as he.
Kissing her softly he attempted to slow his heart rate, her response incredibly stimulating. I love you, he told her in his mind, wishing he could say the words out loud, wanting her to understand what she'd done to him.
Though he couldn't tell her, he could show her. Watching her eyes he pushed himself into her centimeter by centimeter, easing in, pulling back out, and pressing in a bit more as she trembled around him. When he was sheathed fully inside her, her fingernails dug into his back, her hips raised to his and she kissed him, long and hard. He rocked his hips slowly against her, her warm grip squeezing his sanity from him. She fit him like a glove, no woman had ever felt this perfectly in sync with him, no woman had ever made him feel the way she did by simply gazing at him with those exotic depths. She quenched his thirst for love, releasing his soul which had been trapped away for longer than he could remember. His need for her consumed him and until his dying day he would never be close enough to her. She had changed him in ways he hadn't imagined, in ways he wouldn't have wanted two weeks ago.
Draco was so lost in her he could barely breathe, every movement and sound shot like an arrow through him. Her hips thrust against him with every stroke and he allowed the feel of her to swallow him completely. He rose up to his heels, angling her hips so that he rubbed against that bundle of nerves with every move, making her whimper in surprise as he went deeper, harder, each push hurling them towards oblivion, the room filled with their gasps and moans and heat.
Hermione mewled beneath him, his name falling from her lips as she begged for release. He whipped against her, dragging her there, watching her eyes roll and her muscles tense. The sight of her reaction thrust him over and he flooded into her, pumping his hips against her g-spot until she came with him, riding a tidal wave of pleasure, crying out into the night. He groaned like a dying man, bringing her to him for a frantic kiss as his movements slowed, easing their thrumming bodies.
Her head fell against his shoulder and she lay panting, gulping in air and he remembered how close to death she'd been not two hours ago and he was guilt ridden, pushing her into such a strenuous activity so soon. He pulled himself out of her and curled her to his chest, laying them back where she continued to breathe hard. He pulled the blanket up even though their bodies created enough heat to warm modern day London.
"I'm sorry," he muttered against her sweaty temple. "I shouldn't have-"
"It's alright," she cooed, reaching for his hand which he gladly gave, weaving his fingers between hers. "It was exactly what I needed. I just need to rest for a moment."
Draco grinned as her eyes closed and her breathing eventually slowed. He knew she had fallen asleep and he chuckled softly. Well, they'd done a good job of figuring things out now, hadn't they?
Draco enjoyed the feel of her body against his before reluctantly easing his fingers from her limp grasp. He rose slowly, trying not to disturb her, and tugged on his disgusting garments, wishing he could have a shower and be in his old clothes again. Glancing over at a soundly sleeping Hermione, he ducked out of the room smoothing down his hair and found Alvida hovering over the cauldron. She smiled up at him. Was this woman always smiling?
"How is she?"
"Better."
The witch's grin increased as she looked back to the cauldron. She definitely knew.
Draco scratched the back of his neck where he felt a blush creeping up and cleared his throat. "Look, we didn't mean to disrespect you or anything-"
"How can love be disrespectful? You have been through hard times, it is natural to find comfort in those you love." She rose and placed her soft hand against his cheek. "You must learn to seek solace when it is offered for it will help you through your darkest hours. Now come, you must eat."
She led him through the house to a kitchen where she began charming things to make a meal. Potatoes threw themselves into a pot over the fireplace which roared to life and began to boil water immediately. Carrots started chopping themselves on a rough wooden board, onions peeled in mid-air and joined the potatoes while a huge chunk of meat splashed into the water sending it everywhere.
"Now, come on everyone! Stop making such a mess!" Alvida scolded the food. Draco snorted.
Alvida turned to him with an eyebrow raised. He wiped the smirk off his face under her penetrating glare. But that endless smile returned to her ruby lips and he relaxed. Gods, she could give a man a heart attack with that look.
"I don't have much company so I keep up conversation with my house."
Draco just nodded, not wanting to offend their savior.
She busied herself at the fireplace, pulling herbs from jars on the mantle and throwing them into the pot which bubbled pleasantly sending off an inviting aroma.
"Now, dispel those inquiries you still have about me. I can hear you thinking."
"I thought you said you couldn't read minds?"
"One doesn't have to read minds to hear the wheels turning in that busy mind of yours. Now, go on."
Draco chewed over the myriad questions he still had. "If you knew we were coming, why didn't you just meet us at Sari and Milo's instead of making us trek across the country trying to find you?"
Alvida straightened, wiping her hands on her dress unnecessarily.
"That question, I'm afraid I cannot answer. It is something you yourself must figure out on your own."
Draco's mouth nearly fell to the floor. "You're kidding me right now? Is this some sort of 'it was your destiny' bullshit? Hermione could have DIED! This isn't a game! We were two teenagers against an army of Trackers!"
"If I had for one instant thought you two could not have handled it I would have intercepted," she said, her voice calm despite his angry outburst. "There are other reasons, Draco. Reasons I cannot tell you now. You will understand soon enough."
Draco fumed. She knew. This whole time she had known they were out there fighting for their lives and she had done nothing. How many times had they been in trouble? They could have died at any moment, never gotten here on time. But you did, a small voice in the back of his mind said.
Shut up, he told the voice crankily.
"Ah, Hermione! So nice of you to join us! How are you feeling, my dear?" Draco swiveled towards the door. Apparently his shout had woken her.
"Much better, thank you," Hermione said nervously, a blush creeping prettily to her cheeks. She was wrapped in a blanket, her dress having disappeared.
"You would like some clothing, I'm assuming?" Alvida said cheerily. At Hermione's nod she pointed through a door to her right.
"There is a wash basin through here which I'm sure you'll wish to use. Your belongings are hanging up, I've cleaned them for you. And you as well, Draco. You may bathe when she has finished. Your clothes are in there as well."
"My-but I'm wearing my clothes..."
"I believe those dashing hose belong to Milo."
"Wait," Hermione said, her brow wrinkling. "Are you saying our robes and real clothes are in there?"
Alvida nodded as if it was the simplest explanation in the world. "Really, you shouldn't be leaving items like that around where anyone could stumble upon them. It might cause a bit of a stir. Your wands are in there as well. The bag you left in the forest was a little harder to track but I managed well enough."
"Did you follow us?" Draco demanded, rising in his fury.
"Good Heavens, no! No, I went out yesterday and brought them back here, Milo having sent word you had left them behind."
"I'm confused," Hermione said her hand pressed to her forehead as if a headache were brewing there. "How did you speak to Milo?"
"We have other ways of communication," Alvida said simply and left it at that. Draco glared at the mysterious witch as she showed Hermione to the wash room. When she came back she filled a plate for Draco and laid it in front of him telling him he wasn't to say another word until it was finished.
He realized he was still standing, his jaw and fists clenched in anger. This woman had saved their lives, but truth be told, they wouldn't have even needed saving if she'd found them when they'd first arrived.
His grumbling stomach eventually won out and he sat, turning to his meal silently. The food was delicious and he devoured three plates of it. When he finished he leaned back against his chair, stuffed, staring at Alvida who was sitting quietly across from him at the table with an eerily calm expression that reminded him all too much of Dumbledore.
Hermione was still the washroom so he waited patiently until she had finished. She came out, smiling in her robes and pale yellow tank top and jeans, her wand in hand. Her golden brown hair glowed, free of the dirt and grime. It flowed freely down her back in soft, wet waves and Draco longed to wrap his fingers in it, to bury his face in the strands and drown in the scent that was Hermione. Instead he switched places with her and went into the washroom to scrub.
~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~.~
A/N: Arsa Leigheas is Gaelic for "Ancient Healing". Hope you are continuing to enjoy their tale.
XOXO
RynStar15
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Breaking the Chain