The Symmetrical Transit (Dramione)

Four

Day Ten; 11:22am

"What do you mean, he's dead?"

Hermione glanced at Malfoy and then back to the man standing in the doorway. That wasn't what she had gotten out of the strange hand gestures he had been doing, but then again, she hadn't gotten anything at all.

"Alec Kaiser?"

"Yes, Alec Kaiser," Malfoy bit.

The short man nodded, clutching the shirt over his heart. He dropped over letters and accents of words they would never piece and connect to anything they could understand.

"I'm sorry...we don't speak Ukrainian. No Ukrainian." Hermione tried, but they had already been through this, along with Malfoy and her both running through all the other languages they knew that he might as well.

The man then lifted his hand and crossed himself, and Hermione knew that Malfoy had been right. "Thank you. Thank you, sir."

Hermione did a little bow to show her appreciation, though she wasn't even sure if he understood why she was bowing. Malfoy stood rigid beside her, and she thought he might try to scalp the man at any moment.

"Let's go." He didn't pay her any attention. "Ma-- Let's go."

She gave four hard yanks on the back of shirt before he complied, shoving her with his forearm to get her away from him. Turning on his heel, he marched down the steps and driveway. Hermione smiled at the man in the doorway before turning as well.

"He's lying."

"He is not lying."

"Kaiser is our only connection to a Horcrux. A piece of the Dark Lord's soul "I really wish you would stop calling him that."

"--do you think that the people who have information about it are going to be very forthcoming?"

"Maybe that's why he's dead."

"What?"

"Maybe he had information about it, but wasn't supposed to. I mean, he's a Muggle. Or at least living in the Muggle world, so it's not like he's a Death Eater or something. And you would know if he was since that's...you're among them. So maybe this Alec guy...maybe he just knew too much?"

"Knew too much," Malfoy repeated, like he were tasting the words. "We should go to the local library. Look up information on him--" "That's a great idea. I'll read, you translate," he snapped.

"No, you dolt. But you can use a translation spell. Or have you forgotten how to use your wand?" He had a lot of nerve, snapping at her when she was the only one thinking clearly.

He growled at her. It was the fifth time he had done it since they first boarded the bus. He turned and stalked off, muttering something about Muggle air and pollution having abject effects on the brain.

3:33pm

The light outside, gradually dimming until it was now glowing faintly, hit the dust in the air around them through the cracks in the blinds. There was someone nearby whispering in a gentle lull of Ukrainian, and more annoying individuals bickering loudly in the stack over. Malfoy's silent and unmoving presence directly behind her was starting to grate on her nerves, though she wasn't exactly sure why. The computer in front of her hummed softly, and provided absolutely nothing that looked to be useful.

Malfoy didn't trust Muggle objects. This was evident by the way in which he eyed the computer, like it might try to steal his soul as soon as he blinked. He watched her for a few minutes in what she would peg as weary curiosity before moving on with himself. Due to his obvious distaste for it, Hermione volunteered herself for the task of looking through old newspaper articles about Kaiser, while Malfoy maintained his distance and browsed through any documents he could find in the library records. Which wasn't much, considering he was back over her shoulder in less than a quarter of an hour.