A Wonderful Fortuitous Love

56. Gone and Found

“They’ve promised that dreams can come true, but forgot to mention that nightmares are dreams too.”

- Oscar Wilde

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They did not come to any sort of definite decision on what should be done, but Draco thought more of an understanding. Granger not longer screamed at him over the matter, but merely nodded, and so he took this as acceptance.

She wondered over to the table in a dazed sort of way, her face pale, hands shaking and mouth moving over silent words that would never be spoken. He suspected maybe words of encouragement, to convince herself that this was the right way. And it was. The mere thought of Granger going in his place sickened Draco to the core, to the point where he just could not think of it. This was the best possible way to do it. Only that did not mean he wasn’t scared. A part of him acknowledged deep down that this meant he would die in a few precious hours. But Draco could never bring himself to think of this for long. If he thought too much, he may back out, or maybe hyperventilate. And so he did not think, and rather sat with Granger at the table. If he did not know she would seriously injure him for it, he might have made some arrogant comment about the irony of things, that he for once was the certain one and she so unsure.

Draco kept his thoughts to himself, and together they tried planning tactics. The first idea was to use the tracking spell, have Granger cast it on his wand before they Apparate to the park. A decent plan had been evolving when she came to the realisation that Draco’s wand would surely be taken away from him at some point, and even if that didn’t happen, as unlikely as it was, when Granger approached, his wand would light up as in response to her nearness, alerting the Death Eaters. She would only end up walking into a trap.

After this was realised, little progress was made in light of their disappointment. Draco watched the clock. 10:37. 10:42. 10:48. 10:55. 

On 11:04, there was a light knock on the door. Granger’s eyes widened in alarm, but Draco only shook his head. It would not be anybody dangerous. They had said the park. That was where it would be.

He opened the door and saw a face that had once never failed to surge a negative reaction out of him, one that almost always made his own twist into an icy mask. Now… now Draco Malfoy merely stared right back at Harry Potter, whose eyes had taken up a dull faded green.

“Is Hermione here?” he asked without bothering to add the familiar cold edge.

Draco also could not find the energy to look angry or annoyed. He stepped aside to permit the man through. Granger jumped from her seat instantly and ran to Potter, wrapping her arms tightly around him.

“Hermione…”

“I know, Harry,” she said brokenly into his chest. “I know.”

A flicker of something that resembled jealously stirred within Draco, a slight envious feeling that Potter’s presence alone could have Granger springing to her feet like that. A moment ago she had been lifeless, now she was holding onto Potter as though afraid he might disappear.

Apologies were exchanged – Potter, naturally, taking on the blame for Weasley’s capture and Granger also managing to somehow blame herself. He thought they would have kept going back and forth as to whose fault it was if it weren’t for the quick glance Granger did at the clock, and she changed the subject to more pressing matters.

It was obvious that Potter had arrived only to tell Hermione what had happened to Weasley, so to hear her already talk plans and ideas of how to save their redheaded friend clearly surprised Potter enough to shut him up, listening closely to her every word as she retold everything that had happened to lead them to this point. The surprise eventually wore off, and in several places he tried to interrupt, particularly when it came to Granger’s grand scheme involving the Polyjuice. Then once she got to the part of Draco himself being willing enough to go, Potter’s eyes sparked with doubt, to confusion, to fascination. He glanced over at Draco like he was some kind of rare species, and Draco turned away in response.