Chapter 3 “ An Adjustment
Harry and Hermione looked around the room they were in and then at each other. They had just finished dinner and Dumbledore left soon after. They blinked as they took everything in from their conversation earlier.
Hermione was the first one to speak.
“Are you ready for this, Harry?”
Harry let out a forced breath and looked out the window. The full moon allowed a better view of the neighborhood.
“I’ll believe it when I see it with my own two eyes. What about you?”
She shrugged. “I trust Dumbledore. He hasn’t let us down yet. Anyways, it’s getting late. I should show you to your room. I am exhausted.”
Harry laughed. “’Hermione, go to bed. I know where my room is. You showed it to me earlier.”
He gave her a brief hug and they bid their goodnights. He walked into his bedroom, fully intending on simply grabbing a towel for his shower when something caught his eye.
It was green.
How “Slytherinny” of her. He snickered. He knocked on her door, hoping she wasn’t asleep yet. She answered, “It’s open.”
Harry had a green towel in his hand. “Did you do this on purpose?” He had a half smile on his face but she looked confused. “What did I do on purpose? I’m not sure I follow you.”
“The room and towels, they’re GREEN. Slytherin green, like Malfoy.”
Hermione covered her mouth in surprise. “Oh, I’m sorry, Harry! It was decorated long before the whole Malfoy thing came into play. I swear. Mom went shopping last week and just asked me for a color idea, that’s all. Forgive me”
She gave her biggest, most pathetic pout, batting her eyes with a whimper.
Harry rolled his eyes, “Night, Hermione.” and with that he closed the door lightly. A minute later she heard the shower and someone singing slightly off-key.
Over the next couple of weeks, Harry and Hermione grew closer. Harry came to know her exceptionably well, and began referring to how she liked to do things as “Hermione-isms.”
One night, Harry was attempting to help Mrs. Granger place silverware on the table when he noticed his friend walking a few paces behind him, flipping the knives in the opposite direction. He groaned and when Mrs. Granger left the room turned to face her.
“Hermione, would YOU rather set it?” he asked in an annoyed tone.
Hermione flinched. “Sorry, Harry. I was just trying to keep my mind occupied.”
THUD!
She stopped and looked at him, dropping the knife in her hand.
“H-Harry, did you hear that?”
Harry scanned the room, at the same time fumbling for his wand. “It sounded like it came from your back porch.”
She looked at him with wide eyes. Harry didn’t seem to want to move from where he was standing.
Hermione shook her head. “It couldn’t be… there’s no way…”
Both of them walked very slowly to the door, trying to convince themselves that their hunch was wrong. Harry consciously kept Hermione behind him in a protective gesture.
Harry let out a nervous laugh. “Surely Dumbledore would have given us some sort of warning or a sign.”
She added, while standing behind Harry, “Maybe it’s the neighbour’s dog or a stray animal.”
He wiped his now sweaty palms on his pants and slowly opened the door, revealing the sound of the noise.
“Well, Hermione, you were close.”
On the steps in front of them, in a tangled mass of blond hair and dried blood, was one Draco Malfoy.
Harry and Hermione took a step back when they saw their fellow student, former enemy and current assignment lying on the steps below.
Draco looked to be unconscious. Harry tapped him with his foot, not yet confident enough to touch him. Hermione shuddered, grabbing hold of her best friends’ arm.
“I think he is still breathing. Now what?”
He stood up a bit straighter and let a breath out that he was holding. “Now we do what we were asked, I suppose.”
Raising his wand in front of him, he let out a reluctant Levicorpus and led Malfoy’s unconscious body into the room designated for him.
Harry and Hermione stood outside of the bedroom which contained a sleeping Draco. The door was cracked open so they were able to keep an eye on him.
Harry ran his hand through his hair and glanced at the witch next to him.
“Okay, so now what?”
Hermione took another peek into the room and replied, “I suppose we should contact the headmaster, but how?”
Harry motioned towards the desk next to them. “You don’t happen to have a writing implement in that desk, do you?”
She nodded and he shook his head. “I know, I know… silly question. Look who’s house I am in.”
Opening the drawer, she produced a quill and some parchment. After a minute or so, she had a note scribbled and showed it to Harry.
Professor “
We are at a bit of a crossroad with the extra credit assignment you gave us for the summer. Would it be acceptable to ask for help? We don’t want to get a failing grade seeing as it is such a major project.
- Hermione and Harry
They agreed that if it were to be intercepted they would not be discovered. After Hedwig took the letter, they cautiously entered Malfoy’s room and sat on either side of him.
“He looks awful, Harry. I almost feel sorry for him.”
They spent the next hour discussing security issues and who would get first watch. Once everything was settled, they tried to relax with a Muggle card game called Cribbage. Hermione wasn’t paying much attention as Harry put the first of two pegs into the “home” area on the small wooden board. They both looked up when they heard a groan coming from the lump in the guest bed.
Both teenagers quickly took their wands out, ready if Draco tried to hurt them. Hermione cleared her throat.
“Malfoy,” She shook his arm and shoulder. “Malfoy, can you hear me?”
There was a slight grunt followed by a muffling sound as he tried to rub his eyes. He jerked his hand away at the feeling of pain that lifting his arm had caused. Both of his eyes were swollen. He tried to blink, looking around.
“Wha”? What the hell are you doing here, Granger?” After a moment, he mumbled, “Wherever here is.” He tried to find his wand in his robes but found himself too weak to even lift his arms much and lay back down.
Hermione flinched at his harshness and tried to retain some sort of composure as she spoke.
“You are at MY house, Malfoy.
“Yeah, and you look like you’ve been regurgitated by a Hippogriff,” added Harry, “It’s almost an improvement.”
Draco shook his head. “I should have figured if she was here, you or Weasel would be with her. Someone really needs to wean you guys off one another. It’s just not healthy.”
Hermione ignored the last comment.
“So what happened to you anyways? Where is Professor Snape?”
Draco ignored her right back and made no effort to answer her, and instead focused on his current situation.
“How is it I ended up here, I think is the more pressing question? The Order gave each of us a portkey which would deliver us to a safe house if things got bad.”
Harry couldn’t resist. “Malfoy?”
Draco looked up at him, “What?”
“Is this a house?”
“Yes.”
“Are you safe?”
“Ask me in an hour.”
Hermione leaned in close so that Draco could hear her whisper in his ear. “Welcome to your Safe House, Malfoy.”
He looked at her and gave an involuntary shiver, swallowing loudly. He was about to make a comment when they heard a voice.
“I see young Mr. Malfoy has arrived safe and sound? Thank you Hermione and of course, you too, Harry.”
The teens turned around and Draco craned his neck the best he could to greet the headmaster. Fawkes was perched on the window ledge. Dumbledore’s timing couldn’t have been better.
They were ready for answers.
Safe Haven by NikkiSue
Chapter Notes: I am sooo sorry that this took so long to update! I submitted it and did not realize I needed to label it with with an "Alternative Unvierse" warning so here it is in all it's glory with its improved warning in place. My beta goddess, Rita Writer saved my hide once again so thank you to her as well as my cousin, Loralie who gave imput as well. Also, don't be afraid to comment, it's good for the soul!