Baton Rouge

- 13 -

Day 2 - Tuesday

Draco tiptoed out of the apartment. He didn't want to wake Granger who had finally managed to fall asleep. He'd been keeping watch all night, and now Draco was suffering the consequences.

Completely bleary-eyed, he decided that a walk in the Londoner morning mist would do him good and provide some necessary distance. He had already suspected that going cold turkey with Granger would be hell, but he hadn't bargained for her to actually need the same treatment as a seriously ill person.

He had been sitting next to his own bed for almost half the night, ready in case of an emergency. At some point she had dozed off and he had taken the chance to retreat back into the living room and allow himself a few minutes of rest. However, it hadn't last very long. Just a few minutes later he had heard a whimper coming from the bedroom and immediately jumped up again.

Aside from the cold sweat she hadn't got rid of all night, she had been constantly spasming and writhing in pain. In addition, he had stood up with her several times for the rest of the night to accompany her to the bathroom because she had felt like throwing up - which she hadn't been able to. He'd even had to help her walk. And that Granger of all people had accepted this help so willingly had shown him that she really needed it. The proud Gryffindor he once knew would rather have chopped off her leg than let him know how helpless she was.

His face darkened as he walked the streets, which were still deserted. The sun had just begun to rise and he had ventured out of the house well before the upcoming rush hour.

Draco had been eager to leave the apartment, at least for a few hours. While he wasn't sure if it had been very smart of him to leave Granger to her own devices in her condition, after last night he just hadn't had the strength to endure situation all day. Especially because he knew that he had to come back to her. And then the whole thing would start all over again, because one bad night was certainly not enough.

Why did he even care how the Mudblood was coping with the drug withdrawal she'd brought upon herself? Draco quickened his stride, sucking in his breath to calm himself, and finally reached the Ministry's visitor entrance. Apparently it became an unpleasant habit to enter his workplace this way.

Draco was angry. Especially with himself. After all, it was his own fault. Not only had he burdened himself with Granger's presence for an entire week, he had also taken her pills away. No wonder he had to pay for it now.

Merlin, he probably deserved it. No other wizard he knew would have been so stupid as to willingly put himself through all this fuss. But now he was already in the middle of it and, if he was honest with himself, he just couldn't bring himself to throw Granger out right now. He was sure that, as a customer, he would have had an opportunity to rescind from the Baton Rouge contract early. But inside he strived against it, because he knew exactly what Granger had to expect then. Even though he shouldn't fucking care.

"Good morning, darling." Blaise appeared out of nowhere in an outrageously good mood as Draco entered the Ministry's atrium. "Any news from the Granger front?" he demanded, and Draco rolled his eyes. He would have liked to tell Blaise that it was none of his bloody business.

"I don't want to talk about it," he muttered, not quite as rudely. As usual, Blaise ignored his bad-tempered words and strolled undeterred towards one of the golden elevators.

"She seems to be really pissing you off. You look like shit." He gave Draco a sideways glance.

He indeed seemed to look like shit, otherwise Blaise wouldn't have been able to resist the other comments that were probably on the tip of his tongue.