Help or Harm?
Malfoy took another bite of his hamburger.
"These muggles have some weird food." He said chewing it slowly to really get the taste.
I was sitting across from him at a picnic table in a park. We had ordered sandwiches from a vendor on the other side of the park and stopped at this table to eat them.
"Weird good?" I asked.
He swallowed. "I don't know." He said and took another bite.
I watched his face change as he tasted the meat, buns, vegetables, and sauces all at once. For a second I saw him, eleven year old him. Scared and worried and unsure instead of cocky and mean and hateful. When I looked at his twenty-one year old self I saw fear behind his eyes again, but it was different.
"Why weren't you at the cafe?" I asked, taking a bite of my own burger. "I waited forever!"
"I was." He said between bites. "They kicked me out. So I decided to check out a few muggle stores. See if they had anything interesting."
"That reminds me, how did you pay for these?" I held up my burger.
"Muggle money isn't that hard to come by." He said finishing his sandwich.
I looked at him carefully, hoping he would go on.
He glanced at me and laughed at my puzzled face. "No, I didn't steal it!" He said.
I had thought that maybe he'd pulled an Analiza.
"Muggles drop it all over the place." He continued, smiling.
Seeing him smile like this was weird. It wasn't fake and it wasn't a smirk or a sneer like I'd seen so many times. A real smile looked good on his face and sounded pleasant in his voice.
I chewed the rest of my sandwich slowly and watched a small game of football that had broken out behind Malfoy. My eyes followed a preteen boy in a red sweater as he strategically kicked the ball between the feet of his opponets and made a goal between two trees. I tried to ignore the fact that I knew Malfoy was staring at me, but I could feel my self blushing.
I wiped my mouth on my napkin and crinkled up the paper as I tried to avoid his stare.
"So, how are you going to help me?"
He looked around and leaned forward to rest his arms on the table. This close I could smell his cologne. It smelled like mint and cucumbers and musk. I felt suffocated by it.
"I think I might know where your parents are." He whispered.
"Where?!" I shouted.
His eyes got wide and frightened. "Shhh!" He hushed urgently.
"What?" I said frowning and watching him.
He looked around again and then settled his eyes on mine. "I've been doing some digging in the ministry." He said and glanced around again. Then he leaned in closer and said, "Digging that could get me fired or even put in Azkaban for."
I blinked at him and nodded, not sure what else to do. Malfoy had been risking himself for me? I wasn't sure what to think.
"I found a file that mentioned your parents."
"Are they okay?" I asked getting excited. "What did it say?"
"The file says they're fine. They were witnesses to a fight between two wizards and had to be obliviated." He looked around again.
Obliviated? Again? Would it even work to restore their memories now? I swallowed to keep myself from crying. At least they were alright.
"The report says they were in Australia at the time." He continued.
I sat there for a second and let myself really understand it. I could tell that Malfoy was trying to decide whether or not to say something because he was watching me carefully and would slightly open his mouth only to shut it again.
Australia. I could go to Australia. I could find them there. I started nodding without really meaning to. "Thank you." I said standing up and grabbing my trash. "Thank's for the help."
Malfoy stood up as I started to walk away.
"Granger!" He called, but I kept walking. "Hermione! Where are you going?"
Suddenly he was beside me, jogging to keep up with my fast pace.
"To find my parents." I said. I threw my trash in the green rubbish bin next to the side walk and headed to the alley across from the cafe so I could aparate.
"Wait. Now?" He asked as I crossed the street and he followed.
"Yes, now." I said turning into the Alley and heading for the back. "I appreciate your help. I really do. Thank you, again."
"Hold on." He grabbed my arm so I would stop walking.
He spun me around and I was too shocked to resist. His hand was soft and warm, but I was afraid of it and instinctively pulled away. Goosebumps rose where his hand had been, cold from the sudden lack of warmth.
"I'm not done helping you yet." He said.
"What?" I asked holding my arms across my chest to keep warm. "Was there something else in the file?"
"No. I'm coming with you." He said firmly.
I was dumbfounded. I just looked at him and he looked at me for the longest time. People on the street right outside the alley honked and yelled at each other. Groups and couples walked by. The bell in the cafe could still be heard ringing. And Draco and I stared at each other.
Finally I just said, "I need to pack."
I pulled out my wand and just before I aparated I felt Draco grab my hand. I jumped at it, but I was to far into the aparation to stop.
We landed just outside my apartment building because the landlord used a charm to keep people from aparating inside. Draco let go of my hand before I could angrily shake it off.
I checked my watch. 10:30. Analiza was probably still asleep and would be for at least about an hour or two. I opened the door and walked up the stairs to my apartment. Draco didn't say anything but I could tell he was following me and I really didn't care.
I unlocked the door quietly so Analiza wouldn't wake up. Draco awkwardly followed me in and shut the door behind him. I went to my room and flicked my wand at my closet, making my suite case fly out and onto my bed. Then I made clothes fly out of my dressers and toiletries from the bathroom into the open bag.
I watched as my things nestled into the suite case and I made sure I wasn't forgetting anything. Malfoy stood slightly behind me and to my left. I didn't turn around to look at him, but I could feel him there.
After my suite case was packed, I shrunk it down to a size small enough to fit in my purse. Then I grabbed my purse and swung it over my head and put the suite case in it.
Suddenly I heard a voice behind me that wasn't Draco's.
"Holy shit!" Analiza stood in the living area right outside the door. She had on tight jeans and a low cut tank top but her hair was a mess and her makeup was smeared. She was gawking between Malfoy and me.
"Great!" I huffed and headed out of the room toward her.
"Mione brought home a guy!" Her speech was slurred and thick like she had a hard time talking.
When I got right up to her and grabbed her arm I could smell alcohol on her breath. I started pulling her to the kitchen.
"Is he your boyfriend? He's hot!" She whispered sending a wave of bad morning breath into my face. Then she looked up at Malfoy and shouted, "Your hot!"
"Ana! Stop!" I hissed at her.
I made her sit down in a chair at the small table under the window in the kitchen.
"Have you been drinking?" I asked.
"Ya." She said. "But that was last night! Or. I think. It was some time that started with a nine." She waved her hands above her.
I rolled my eyes at her. "Okay." I said. "Let's get you back to bed." I heaved her up and wrapped her arm around my shoulder as she started zoning out.
We stumbled to her bedroom and it didn't help that she was wearing heels still. I took out my wand and cleared the bed so there wasn't so many clothes on it. Then I let her flop into it by her self and I took off her heels for her.
"Mione!" She whispered with her eyes closed.
"Ya?" I leaned in so I could hear what she said.
"I love you 'Mione. Your the best." She said.
"I love you too." I said picking a blanket off the ground and tossing it on her.
Then she started crying and whispering about all the people she loved so much and before she could get too worked up, she fell asleep.
I went to the kitchen and left her a note telling her I would be gone and that she shouldn't worry and that she should tell Ginny and Ginny could tell Harry and Harry would figure out a way to get me time off from work. I taped it to the icebox because I knew she would eventually make her way there.
Once Draco and I were outside again he finally spoke to me.
"Can we go to my apartment to pack my things?" He said.
I didn't look at him and I didn't say anything. If I said yes I would be allowing him to come with me, giving into him. But if I said no it wouldn't matter because he would probably still come with me anyway and I would wind up sounding rude and hateful and mean and I didn't want to be like I remembered him being.
Out of the corner of my eye I saw him sigh and take out his wand. I took a deep breath and shot out my hand without really meaning to. I grabbed his shoulder just before he aparated. I felt his muscles tense and he looked at me in shock. I ignored him and kept looking forward. Then we were gone. What was I doing?