Safe

Chapter 6: Dreams

Monday. One week since... that happened.

Draco knew that he'd have to take Granger and run that day. Even if Granger did take refuge in the back library, they would find her. They always did. He had looked for her wand, and even searched for it in the jacket pockets of the dead Snatchers who had brought her, Potter, and the Weasel last week. it bothered him to no end that he felt protective of Granger, and he wanted to keep her from harm as best as he could. He did not know why he felt that way, and that's what nipped at him.

Granger came into his room that morning while he was busy packing a bag for their escape. She seemed confused for a moment, but recovered quickly when she realized why he was throwing necessities into a bag.

"Do we really have to leave?" she asked.

Draco set his hands on either side of the bag he was packing, and craned his head to look at her. "Yes. Tonight would be fitting. Seeing that you have nothing to pack, I figured I could snatch a few of my mother's cloaks. She'd know where they are."

Granger nodded abstractedly, staring at his bed. "Where do you propose we go?"

Draco shrugged and shook his head. "I've no idea. Do you have a certain location in mind?"

"I was thinking" - oh great, she's thinking - "Bill and Fleur's place?" At his bewildered look, she elaborated. "The place where you said Harry and Ron were. After they broke into Gringotts."

It sounded like a good idea to him, but then he thought of one flaw. "Don't you think Potter and Weasley would murder me if they saw me bringing you to them?"

She groaned frustratingly. "That is a good point, but I think they'd behave if I told them what you've done for me."

"No, they won't," Draco laughed. Granger only frowned. He ceased his laughs. "Any other place in mind?"

She started pacing the room, and Draco had to stand straight in order to watch her walk. "I would've said Hogwarts, only if Death Eaters weren't running it." Started pacing again. "There's Diagon Alley?"

He shook his head and ran his hand through his hair. "Death Eaters."

"I'd say Gringotts," she continued. "But that's probably being watched after Harry and Ron's break-in-"

"I have it!" Draco exclaimed, causing Granger to stop walking. "What if we still went to Hogwarts, but just chose a specific room that only we would know of?"

Her hazel eyes widened in admiration. "That's brilliant! The Room of Requirement! Of course."

Draco smirked. Granger smiled. "Now, aren't you glad I'm here?"

She rolled her eyes and went to the door leading to her library. "Can we bring books for the journey?"

He frowned at her. "You're not serious, Granger. Books?"

"You know me."

He looked upward with an expression of annoyance. "Okay, fine. Six books. That's it."

...

He had ordered Godfrey to bring food that he and Granger could take with them when they went to Hogwarts. The elf did, and Draco loaded the food into a separate pack. Draco, relieved that he and Granger would finally be safe, set the bags by his bedroom door to remind him that they were full.

The rest of the day, Draco made excuses to his father and aunt about where he'd be headed off to. He said that the Dark Lord gave him a private mission, and he was going to be gone for an unknown length of time. The "private mission" part made sure that Lucius and Bellatrix would not run off to the Dark Lord, asking him where Draco was going. And if they did? Probably death, or a search party sent after the young Malfoy to kill him.