This Bitter Earth

TWO

Soundtrack- Highly Suspect's "Lydia"

Chapter 2

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Draco appeared in the middle of the street with a small pop. His hood was pulled up around his face to hide his telltale white blond hair. He didn't think anyone had followed him, but he wasn't taking any chances, not tonight.

He stared at the house in front of him; strong red bricks, wide white windows, and a door shrouded in midnight shadows. Draco glanced around him one last time, making sure he had not drawn any attention before taking long strides right up to it.

He stood on the stoop for a moment and tried to soften his breathing. This was her house. Granger's house. This was where she played as a child, where she learned to read. Where she received her letter from Hogwarts and left this world behind to come into his.

Now he was going into hers.

"Alohomora," he whispered and was surprised when the lock turned and opened. Certainly Granger would have placed a special protection charms on her own home in order to keep out unwanted guests... Unless...

She knew cloaking her house in magic would leave a trace, even if they were protective enchantments. If anyone was looking for Muggleborns in hiding and came sniffing around, her magical wards would call to them like a fucking beacon.

"Clever little witch," Draco smirked. He pushed the door open and placed a heavy black boot inside her Muggle home.

It was... nice enough, he supposed. Clean, at least, but it was nothing like his own Manor. There was nothing wrong with it, it was just... Muggle. Switches on the wall and wires lining the floorboards. A picture hung on the wall of a flock of birds flying out of a tree, but their wings didn't flap and the flock did not swarm. They hung there, mid flight- unmoving. It was... unsettling.

Granger didn't belong in a place like this.

He moved deeper in and illuminated the tip of his wand with a sharp flick. There was a large box-like thing with a plate of glass over it... he thought he heard people at school say it was called a 'tell-vision', a way for Muggles to get information and entertainment. He prodded it with his wand and nothing happened. Draco glared at it and turned away.

There were pictures lining the mantle, a smiling man and a pretty woman. Draco let the light from his wand linger over them, looking for her, but she did not appear in a single one. He paused at a blank frame wondering if it was common for Muggles to leave pictures out of their frames or if this one was missing.

Missing... Granger.

Draco turned at a sound from upstairs and swiveled his wand around, ready to throw a curse if needed, but the house remained silent.

There was an accent table behind him next to the stairs. Keys, a wallet, and a hat sat on top of a stack of mail. A folded piece of paper caught his eye and he opened it. Printed were tickets to... Australia?

He knew there was talk of some Muggleborns leaving the country or going into hiding and the departure date was set for tomorrow.

"Good thing I'm here tonight then," he muttered to himself and tossed the papers back down on the table. Granger wasn't going to Australia. Granger wasn't going anywhere but back with him. Where he could keep her safe.

He had taken too long already, he needed to find her and fast. Draco placed one boot on the stairs and the thud of it made him cringe. He pointed his wand down at his feet and cast a nonverbal silencing spell then quickly made his way up the stairs, glancing at the pictures on the wall where she was once again mysteriously absent.