Adult-FanFiction.org : Harry Potter

Covered in Crimson	By : ckllsdam Category: Harry Potter > Het - Male/Female > Draco/Hermione Views: 13989 -:- Recommendations : 3 -:- Currently Reading : 2
Disclaimer: I don't own anything in the Harry Potter Universe and I make no money from this work of fanfiction. The plot, however, is mine.

Chapter List
- 21
- 22
- 23
Previously:

�So, our mutual ignorance of news aside, we still both think that someone knows we�re here, and we still don�t have any clues as to why they�ve not come to retrieve us.�

�The most likely explanation for that is that they�ve been otherwise occupied, to borrow your phrase.�

�What could keep someone busy for two whole days when they know that a violent rapist and his victim are alone together somewhere out in the woods, Granger?�

�Good question, Malfoy.�
�What if my mother did send us here, but someone else found out that she wasn�t dead? Someone who wasn�t happy about it? If that happened, and she was captured or actually killed for real, we�d probably be shit out of luck here.�

�Don�t borrow more trouble than we already have, Draco,� Hermione cajoled. �If we were at Malfoy Manor, wouldn�t your father have been able to protect her?�

�If he knew she was there, but only to a certain extent. My aunt had the run of the place, and the Dark Lord used it as a base of operations for years, as I told you earlier. If my mother was supposed to be dead and was maybe even working against the Dark Lord, her life wouldn�t be worth a single Knut if he found her miraculously alive at the Manor.�

�So you�re saying that if she�s the only one who orchestrated our trip here, and for some reason she�s been incapacitated, we�re likely to be on our own for a good while longer.�

�That is indeed one possibility.�

�Not one I�m terribly happy to entertain, thank you very much,� she replied.

�Wouldn�t be my first choice either,� Draco confirmed.

�Well, that�s only one scenario. I can imagine a half-dozen other possibilities, though none of them are particularly heartening.�

�Then I suppose I can be grateful that little Miss Sunshine won�t be blowing any smoke up my arse,� Draco whined morosely.

Ignoring his taunt, she continued, �At some point, we may need to think about a strategy beyond surviving in place, Malfoy.�

�Yeah, my brain went there too. But neither one of us is in any shape to travel, and it�ll probably be three or four days before either one of us might be up to that. Don�t forget that we don�t really know exactly how far we are from a town or city.�

�The phonebook said ��

�I know what the phonebook said, Granger. But did you stop to think that just because the phonebook is for Surrey, that really doesn�t mean that we are actually in Surrey?� he interrupted crossly.

�Uh, no. I guess I hadn�t thought of that,� she admitted, embarrassed that she had made the mistake of assuming. �You�re right, of course. I know my parents have phonebooks for places where we have lots of friends or relatives, but aren�t close at all to where they live. I can�t believe I made such a stupid mistake.�

�Don�t beat yourself up too much, Granger. I made the same leap. I only thought about the alternative just now, when the prospect of walking a few dozen kilometers in sub-freezing weather hit me square in the face.�

�I still can�t walk across the room, so yeah, travel is kind of off the agenda for a few days,� she agreed.

�So we should be prepared to stick around here for as much as a week if someone doesn�t come to retrieve us in the meantime.�

�I think that�s the most prudent course of action, yes.�

�If that�s the case, we�re going to need to make some decisions, Granger.�

�I know you mentioned the sleeping arrangements earlier. What else do we need to decide?� she prodded.

�Food rationing, general heating issues, how to deal with our various health issues, and planning some way to get contact with the outside world are just a few that come to mind,� he listed, ticking the fingers on his hand with each point made.

�Okay. All good thoughts. We should probably decide the maximum time we�ll stay here until we�re ready to travel to try to find help.�

�I�d say one week. I think that would be enough time for any potion residual to leave my system, so that ought to minimize any of the headaches or � what did you call them? DTs?�

�I think the time frame is probably realistic. But don�t underestimate how debilitating the DTs will be, Draco. They often put people in hospital, I�m sorry to say.�

Draco let out a frustrated breath. �Somewhere in that vastly overstuffed brain of yours, is there any knowledge about how to speed up getting a potion out of someone�s bloodstream?�

�Well, absent an antidote, which we obviously don�t have here if it even exists, there is one theory. It�s really quite simple, but if you�ve been taking this stuff for as long as we think, I�m not sure it will be enough. The poison is probably deeply in your entire system � muscles, soft tissue, organs, bones, you name it - not just your blood.�

�I�m game to try, even if it helps a little. It�s better than doing nothing at all, I�d reckon.�

�It�s water.�

�Water?�

�Yes. Drink as much water as you possibly can. At least a full glass every hour.�

�And I�ll just piss the stuff out, huh?�

�Pretty much.�

�Greeeat. At least I�ll have clean kidneys,� he drawled sarcastically.

�You asked.�

He smirked in reply, but actually rose from his seat to get a glass of water from the kitchen. When he�d drained the vessel of its contents, he set it on the counter and returned to the sitting room. �One down. Several dozen more to go.�

�Let�s tackle food rationing next. We have a reasonable supply of food, if not much variety. Would you prefer to have a couple of smaller meals each day, or one slightly larger one?�

�Doesn�t matter much to me, but I�d think that it would be better to keep our energy levels more constant than to have big spikes, so I�d vote for two smaller meals.�

�I agree. When we prepare dinner for tonight, let�s divvy up the food for the next seven days and lay out the menus to make sure we get at least a little protein every day.�

�Sounds reasonable. But isn�t the SPAM the only thing that�s kind of like meat?�

�Yes, but beans have protein too, so we can alternate it we�re likely to run low on one or the other. I don�t remember how much of what we have, so we�ll deal with that later.�

�Okay, fine by me. What about heat?�

�Well, we haven�t had any success with getting the furnace started, but I�m not going to give up on that just yet. I swear there�s something I�m forgetting, but it just won�t come to me.�

�We at least have the fireplace, but it really only heats up this room and the kitchen. That�s not going to help all that much for sleeping.�

�We�ll come back to that one later. But for basic heat, keeping the fire stoked is our next best bet.�

�There�s still a little more wood in the cabinet, and a decent stack outside on the porch, but it won�t be enough for a full week if the weather stays as cold as it�s been for the last few days. I�ll have to go out and look around the cottage to see if there�s another stack of logs somewhere else.�

�I can�t think of any other approach, so that will have to do for now.�

�What about sleeping arrangements?�

�What if I sleep in the bed with most of the blankets and you sleep out here on the sofa?�

�That would be acceptable if the sofa wasn�t so damn short. It�s fine for a kip, but I had to hang my feet over the arm to fit. I�ll be completely useless if my body�s all twisted up like a pretzel after a night or two of that. You�re a lot shorter than me. What about you sleeping on the sofa and me in the bed?�

�Not comfortable enough with all the injuries I have. Like you said, it�s okay for a kip or hanging around, but not great to sleep on.�

�But you were going to make me sleep there anyway?�

�Yes.�

�Okay, just so we�re clear on that.�

�If you�ll remember, Malfoy, my physical condition is significantly less healthy than yours.�

�Yeah, I remember,� he mumbled.

�So where does that leave us?�

�Neither of us can really use the smaller bedroom. It�s just way too cold in that room. I think there may be a crack in the window or something, because the draft in there is awful.�

�I hadn�t noticed in particular, because everything seemed so cold. I was, uh, unclothed for most of the time I was in that room, so I thought that was the reason.�

�You were naked?�

�Yes, I told you that before.�

�No, you didn�t.�

�Yes, I did.�

�Well I certainly don�t remember you saying that.�

�I told you. I didn�t dwell on it, but I know I told you.�

�So you were naked while you were tending to my, um, injuries?�

�Yes. I thought it was more important to try to help you than to go searching for clothes. I did that afterwards.�

�Oh.�

�What�s the big deal?�

�You were naked! That�s the big deal!�

�Didn�t know you�d noticed.�

�Swine!� she screamed, then threw one of her pillows at his head.

He ducked, though it wouldn�t have mattered. It was a soft pillow. �Hey. I was a gentleman.� Mostly, he added mentally.

She eyed him warily. �Why do I get the feeling you�re not sharing everything there is to tell?�

�Dunno. The point we were getting to is that there is probably a cracked window or something that makes that room unusable. We should probably just close the door and not go back in there at all,� he suggested, desperately trying to divert her attention to other topics. He decided not to mention the damning blood stains on the floor.

�Hunh. Don�t think I don�t know what you�re doing, but there are other issues to deal with for now, Malfoy, so I�ll leave it.�

�So does that mean we�re going to share the bed again?�

�How did you reach that conclusion? Are you delusional? I don�t want to share the bed with you again, Malfoy. It was traumatizing enough to wake up next to you this morning; I�d rather not have to repeat that.�

�It was traumatizing because it was a surprise. I�ll bet it wouldn�t be nearly as bad if you knew I was there when you fell asleep.�

�Don�t kid yourself, Malfoy. If I didn�t know better, I�d almost think you were looking forward to the prospect. We may have reached a d�tente of sorts because we really don�t have a choice, but it doesn�t mean that I�m terribly happy to be here with you.�

�Now you�ve hurt my feelings, Granger. I�ll start to think you don�t like me anymore.�

�Sarcasm, Malfoy. I know what�s behind that, remember?�

�Yeah, I guess,� he replied, chastened. �Sorry. I guess I was just trying to ease the tension.�

�Let�s just keep going. We�re better when we stay pragmatic.�

�Agreed. But we still haven�t figured out what to do for sleeping arrangements.�

�How about we come back to that one later? What was next on the list?� she prompted, growing irritated at his constant harping on the topic.

�Um, I think it was dealing with our various injuries and health issues.�

�Right, well since we have no medical supplies, there�s very little we can do but rest.�

�And we already discussed my water therapy,� he snorted, shaking his head at the absurd simplicity.

�Which you have already begun,� she confirmed.

�I, uh, hate to ask, but are you, um, okay? Has the bleeding stopped?� Draco inquired, his face coloring once more with embarrassment.

�I�m pretty sure it has. I�m still very sore all over, and it hurts to take really deep breaths, but I�m feeling a little better than I did yesterday.�

�Good.�

�I don�t think I have any other internal injuries.�

Draco groaned softly. �I hadn�t thought of that. I�ll add it to my list of things to hate myself for.�

�Don�t, Draco. I�m just being realistic. At some point, I�m going to need to see a Healer, but I don�t think there�s anything that�s life-threatening going on here. You took care of the biggest problem, which was the bleeding. I just need to get as much rest as I can for now, especially if we�re going to try to leave here in a week.�

�Yeah, about that � I�ve been thinking that it might be better for me to go find help alone so that you don�t have to go trekking for kilometers on end in your condition.�

�I�m not too thrilled with the idea of being here all alone.�

�But I�ll be able to travel much faster without you, and can get help back a lot sooner,� he argued.

�That may be true, but it�s a little early to make those decisions now anyway. Let�s see what develops in the next few days before we reach any conclusions,� she hedged.

�Fair enough.�

�What was the last thing?�

�Contacting the outside world,� Draco reminded her.

�That could be more complicated than meets the eye.�

�Why do you say that?�

�Well, we obviously don�t have any Muggle communication devices here, and without our wands we can�t send patronus messages. I doubt that we�ll be getting an owl visit, and the fireplace is clearly not connected to the Floo network.�

�I think all of that is fairly well established,� he agreed. �So what else would add to the complications?�

She looked up at him with reluctance and hesitated before she spoke.�The fact that we don�t know what�s going on out there right now. We�ve had no news, obviously, and there�s a possibility that I didn�t want to tell you about, but with everything we�re discussing, I think I have no choice. It wouldn�t be fair to either of us if we try to make decisions without knowing. I should have said something before, when we were talking about the possibility of leaving here. I�m sorry that I�ve kept it from you.� She took a breath and looked at the floor as she continued. �There were plans in the works that could have had a significant impact on the conditions we�ll find once we get back to Wizarding London.�

�What kind of plans?� he nudged.

�I�m not prepared to discuss that with you right now. Just that things could be very different when we return, for better or worse.�

�So the Order was planning a final offensive?� he guessed.

�Something along those lines, but I�m not going to say any more about that now.�

�I get it. You don�t trust me, and with good reason. But we all know that this war can�t go on forever. Something has got to break in one direction or the other soon or there won�t be any wizards left at all, no matter what their blood status is,� he stated firmly.

�You�re right about that, at least. When the tallies are added, it wouldn�t shock me to know that we�ve lost nearly half of the witches and wizards in Great Britain,� she agreed sadly.

�So the bottom line, if I�m getting your inferences correctly, is that either one of us could be in for some major trouble if we head out on our own,� he concluded.

�I�d say that�s it in a nutshell.�

�Then we definitely need to re-think the idea of going out for help.�

�That�s kind of where I was heading. At the very least, we need to do it together, if it comes to that.�

Draco nodded his head reluctantly. �Agreed. It would be foolhardy to go out there alone and get ambushed or captured by someone that would put either of us in a worse situation than we�re in now.�

�Is there anything else we need to negotiate for now?� she prompted.

�Except for the sleeping arrangements, nothing comes to mind.�

�I�m not ready to have that discussion just yet. Leave it for later,� she answered pointedly.

Draco shrugged, apparently willing to let the topic rest for awhile. Her reluctance was understandable, but they would need to confront the issue before long. Freezing to death was not an idea he relished, particularly when a little cooperation could prevent the problem completely. He recognized that her fear was not unwarranted; his brutal treatment of her, regardless of its origin, should make her wary and cautious around him. His internal struggle and heartache over his horrific behavior was not something she could see � or trust. The handful of relapses he�d had made him frightened of what atrocities he might still be capable of committing. The question he couldn�t answer was the one that really burned between the two of them � Has the potion�s influence diminished enough that he was truly in control of his own actions, or would another compulsion overcome him at any time?

She was snapping her fingers.

�Hello! Earth to Draco!� she called.

�Huh?�

�Are you still with me?�

�Sorry, I guess I was thinking, and I didn�t register a word you said,� he explained.

�Apparently. Whatever it was must be pretty intense; you looked like your brain had vacated your skull for a minute,� she prodded.

Draco twisted his lips into a half grin-half smirk. �Nothing to worry about, Granger. I was just thinking about how logical and sensible you are.�

�Did you actually just pay me a compliment?� she teased.

�I guess I did. Even when I despised you for being a know-it-all swot, I could never deny that you were smart. Anyway, what were you saying?�

�I was asking if you were getting hungry. It�s been several hours since we ate, and my stomach is starting to cramp and grumble. I was hoping that maybe we could have a little dinner.�

�Oh, sure. I think that�s a great idea. Do you want me to fix something for both of us?�

�I think that would be good. I still don�t think I can stand on my own. I wish I understood why I�m still so weak,� she observed.

Draco cleared his throat to hide his discomfort with her pronouncement, and turned his head to hide the flush that he knew was staining his cheeks. �Uh, I�d guess it�s because of how much blood you lost, Granger. That would have to leave you a bit feeble.�

�You�re probably right. We�re so accustomed to using blood replenishing potions that it feels particularly odd to not have that immediate healing.�

�And if I�d had a wand, I could have sealed your wounds much more quickly and effectively.�

�What�s done is done, Draco. I didn�t say it to make you feel bad again. It was a simple observation. I just wish I could help you more, especially with simple things like cooking.�

�Don�t sell yourself short, Granger. You may not have helped physically, but without your instructions and coaching, we�d have been sunk. You saw how clueless I am about Muggle stuff. I�m pretty useless here without you,� he admitted.

She let out a breath that registered as a single rumble of laughter. �If I didn�t know better, I�d think you�d never been in a Muggle building before.�

�Well, I have, but I�ve never had to actually do anything. And if I did, I always had a wand, so there was no reason or opportunity for me to learn about any of the things I saw. I will admit that I�ve never been in a Muggle kitchen before, except to walk through it. I had no clue what any of those machines were.�

�That was apparent. Well, I guess it�s not a bad thing that we�re here together, then. Between the two of us, we�re probably just about functioning as one whole, normal person,� she concluded.

�I must confess that I never thought I�d see the day when I could appreciate you being a Mud�ggleborn. Sorry,� he stumbled over his gaffe.

�Old habits die hard, Draco. I won�t hold it against you,� she allowed, meeting his embarrassed visage with a gracious smile.

�Well, us yakking away in here isn�t going to get us fed, so let�s put your brain together with my hands and figure out a meal,� he said, hoping to shift the topic away from his numerous failings and onto practical matters.

�Fine idea, Draco.�

He was staggered when she raised her arms in an obvious invitation for him to lift and carry her from her spot on the sofa into the kitchen. He�d known she�d need the help, but it just felt like such a child-like innocent gesture, that it had taken him entirely off guard. He knew it wasn�t about trust � not really � but it was clear that she was relying on him willingly. His chest felt hot and constricted, and he couldn�t resist the urge to rub the heel of his palm against his sternum. It was a humbling moment for the confused young man. He swallowed thickly and approached the woman, bending his knees slightly for leverage to elevate her.

An hour later, they had managed to sort through their food supply and plan meals for the next seven days, and had prepared and consumed a supper of pan-fried SPAM, creamed corn and stewed tomatoes. The cooking vessels and dishes had been sterilized with boiling water, and Draco had guzzled two more glasses of the cold liquid. When Hermione had watched him with uncertainty, he�d told her that he�d drink a couple of liters an hour if it would help rid his body of the poisonous potion that had infected him for so long. Her warning about kidney shut-down with too much water consumption had moderated his position, as had two trips to the loo in just over forty-five minutes.

Nightfall had now settled upon the cottage, and Draco had turned on overhead lights to chase away the dark shadows. The early March date led him to guess that it was about half six, or possibly seven o�clock. There were still a couple of hours to go before either of them would be sleepy enough to think about retiring for the night, especially considering the rest they�d both taken that afternoon. When silence accompanied the darkness, Draco wondered if they would just sit there staring at each other, or if one of them would try to fill the quiet with conversation. What did they really have to talk about, beyond their current predicament? Draco considered. They had exhausted most of the topics that needed to be discussed, with the exception of the sleeping arrangements issue, and Granger had made it clear she wasn�t eager to revisit that matter until absolutely necessary. He figured that would be about five minutes before bedtime. So that left topics of an optional nature, or no conversation at all. How uncomfortable would that be? Draco snorted mentally. Either scenario, for that matter.

Granger was once again perched as comfortably as possible on the sofa, while Draco sat in the armchair near the fireplace. They had already endured about fifteen minutes of that awkward hush, with no sound but the crackle and hiss of logs burning in the grate. With the little that Draco truly knew of her from their Hogwarts days, he was still not surprised that Granger was the first to break the tentative peace.

�Draco?�

�What?�

�You don�t have to answer this if you don�t want to, or if you can�t remember, but I�m really curious about something.�

�Ask away, Granger.�

�Was there a specific reason that you tried to kill me three times? Did I do something in particular that provoked you?�

He leaned forward in his chair, resting his elbows and forearms on his knees, and peered up through his blond fringe at his treble victim. �Yes, and no, in that order.�

�And?�

�And what?�

�Would you care to elaborate?�

�Not really.�

�Why not?�

�Granger, are you really asking me to do this now? Please, I don�t want to try to remember. My headache just started to lessen about twenty minutes ago, and I�m not anxious to have it return any time soon,� he answered, with just an edge of pleading in his tone.

�Oh, okay. Sorry. I wasn�t thinking,� she demurred. An embarrassed flush crossed her cheeks as she turned away. She had the look of a puppy scolded for missing the training paper at his rebuff.

�Can�t we just talk about something else? I want a break from all this, just for a little while,� he offered.

�Oh, um, sure. What would you like to talk about?�

�Damned if I know,� he joked, a half-grin tweaking his lips.

She barked a laugh, and confessed, �Well, if I really tell the truth, that�s what I wanted too. The silence was crushing me. If I can�t read, I like to talk. Doesn�t mean I�m not curious about what I asked you, but if we�re going to be here for a week, it can wait until your system has less of that crap in it.�

�Yeah, what I wouldn�t give for a great book about now,� he agreed.

�You like to read?� she exclaimed, her surprise evident.

�Of course I like to read. The Manor has one of the largest private libraries in all of Europe. I grew up around books.� He watched her shake her head in apparent amazement.

�Well, that doesn�t surprise me, about your library. I�ll bet it�s quite impressive.�

�A swot like you would have orgasms just walking around in there,� he teased.

�Watch it, Malfoy, unless you never want to have one again,� she warned.

�And just how do you think you�d accomplish that, with no wand and barely able to crawl?� he smirked, crossing his arms over his chest.

�Empty threat, of course. Just wanted to emphasize my displeasure at your tone,� she admitted, shrugging with a ghost of a grin. �Besides, I�ll just save up all my hexing for when I get my wand back.�

�After everything I�ve put you through, I�ll even give you one free shot � as long as it�s not the Avada Kedavra,� he amended.

�Hmm. I may have to hold you to that,� she agreed. �What kind of books did you like to read when you were a kid?�

�I always loved a good mystery. Something I could noodle through and figure out. How about you?�

�I liked mysteries, too, but my reading taste is very eclectic. I like sci-fi, and romance, and biographies too.�

�What�s �syfy�?�

�It�s short for science fiction,� she explained.

�And that means��

Hermione took a breath, opened her mouth to speak, closed it again, and took another breath. She was struggling mightily to figure out how to explain the decidedly Muggle genre to this truly blue-blood wizard.

�Granger?�

�I�m thinking.�

�Obviously not terribly successfully.�

�It�s just that science fiction is so hard to explain to someone who doesn�t know the Muggle world,� she said, her face still scrunched up with deliberation.

�I�m not stupid; give it a shot.�

�I know you�re not stupid. You�ve done very well in adapting to this situation,� she complimented, waving her hand to indicate their environs.

He lifted one eyebrow in anticipation. �So?� he prompted.

�Well, it�s usually about space travel, and beings from other planets, and very often includes very advanced machines and weaponry. There are often deity themes, and socio-political commentary is fairly de rigueur.�

Draco�s open-mouthed gawk told Hermione everything she needed to know about his level of comprehension. �Granger, I understood the individual words, but� what the fuck are you talking about?�

�Maybe it�s better we leave science fiction discussions for another time. It�s exceptionally, uh, complicated to put all of those concepts together at once when you�ve had no exposure to them,� she mollified his ego.

�It actually sounds fascinating, but I�m not sure my brain is in any shape to process all of that properly right now, regardless of my own vast stores of native intelligence,� he added with mock imperiousness.

�I honestly think you�d like it, if you could get past the Muggle elements,� she encouraged.

�Well, that won�t be today, no matter how you look at it,� he concluded.

�Fair enough. I�ll be that there were lots of fascinating things in your family�s library, though. What�s the thing that stands out most in your memory?� she wondered.

Draco laughed loudly and genuinely. When he recovered his senses sufficiently to speak again, he said, �The truth is that my father always kept the darker texts in a separate wing under heavy security, so I never found those when I was growing up. But I will never forget the day that I found his extensive � and I mean massive � collection of wizard�s porn.�

�Oh, no!�

�Oh, yes! I was about twelve years old, and let me tell you, that was one hell of an education. He found me sitting in the library, surrounded by the stuff, and I got my hide tanned with hexes for snooping. His collection disappeared after that, and much to my disappointment in my teenage years, I never saw it again.�

�I must admit, I don�t know quite what to say to that,� Hermione commented as a smirk of her own creased her face. �It seems that you were a pretty normal teenager.�

�Yeah, for a while anyway,� he answered quietly, his sadness overtaking their amusement at his pre-teen adventure. �How did I get so screwed up?� he asked rhetorically.

�I wish I knew, Draco. With everything that you�ve been through, I truly wish I could do something to help erase all that from your past.�

�Regardless of how much I was taught to hate you and your kind, Granger, I can�t deny that you�re not what I thought you were. You didn�t deserve what I did to you.�

�And you didn�t deserve what was done to you, Draco,� she retorted. �It�s unimaginable.�

�But that�s really not true, Granger.�

�What do you mean?�

�Well, someone obviously was able to imagine it, because they caused it to happen,� he stated simply and logically.
- 21
- 22
- 23
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Covered in Crimson