The Inevitable

Chapter 8 - Regroup

Hermione sighed after apparating into the manor foyer. She dropped the bags that were in her hands to the floor. With another heavy sigh, she bent down and pulled the heels off her feet. After both of her feet had been freed, she dropped the retched shoes beside the bags. They hit the floor with a thud. She walked over to one of the small chairs stationed by the fireplace. Plopping down into one, she took a deep breath and closed her eyes.

This was how Draco found her after he had heard the first thud. Her head hung back and her hand rubbed her temples. Hearing footsteps, Hermione lifted her head to see him staring at her. She raised her eyebrows as if to ask what he was looking at. Draco could have said a number a things, but he quickly realized it wasn't anything he really should say out loud. He wasn't entirely sure why he was thinking those things period. How could he just tell Hermione Granger he thought she looked beautiful even when clearly stressed? He was shocked at himself for the thought. He had admitted to himself she was more than a muggle born after watching her dance at the Yule ball, but he never let his thoughts go further than that. At least, not his conscious thoughts. He hadn't told anyone but Blaise about the dream he had a few months later. He had dreamed they were laying in the grass by the black lake. It was nothing romantic, but they just laid there and talked for hours. She laughed at his jokes, smiled at him, and acted as if he were the only person on earth she cared to listen to. No one has ever willingly done those things unless it was out of fear. The only people he could think of even remotely coming close to that were Blaise, Theo, and his mother. He was quickly shaken from his thoughts when she spoke.

"Pansy said your tux is on the way...apparently none of you guys had to go try on anything." She sounded exhausted.

"Tux for what?" He asked confused. She huffed as she stood to her feet.

"For the wedding...you're in it sweetheart," she said sarcastically as she bent over to grab the bags on the floor.

"Sweetheart?" He asked with a laugh. It felt nice to just have normal conversations with her.

"I've had a long day Malfoy...plus I've learned some new information. It has nothing to do with us getting back to our time, but it's important." She picked up the bags. When she started walking to the door, Draco stopped her. "What?" Without a word, he grabbed the bags from her hands and walked away. She stood a little in shock watching his back as he made his way to the stairs. She knew he had been raised to be a gentleman, but he had never been very gentlemanly to her.

"Are you coming Granger? Or are you going to stand there looking dumbfounded?" She shook her head and quickly followed after him. Entering his room, well their room technically, she sat on the bed enjoying the comfy mattress below her. "Weren't you supposed to just be going to get a dress for this wedding we are supposed to be in?" He asked taking the bags to the closet.

"Yes and no...apparently I had to get one for the engagement party we have to go to. Pansy said my wardrobe was dull and needed help." She snorted laying back on the bed. She took notice of how it smelled of him. 'How do I know what Draco Malfoy smells like?'

"Well...she wasn't entirely wrong," he commented coming back into the room.

"Hey!" She said sitting up to glare at him. He chuckled making her realize he was poking fun at her....what an odd moment.

"So what's this information you have? I have a couple things to tell you to." She motioned her hand as if telling him to go first. "I tried to get the timeturner my father has had for years to work...it didn't. I was hoping we could try that instead of breaking into the ministry." The only thing that made sense was for them to get a timeturner and return to Hogwarts. Once there they could turn it back and get back to their time. Problem was, timeturners were a legal mess.

"I didn't think it would work...broken timeturners aren't a regular problem in the wizarding world. I'm assuming once one is broken, it's just...dead."

"That's really all I had to tell you...what did you find out?" He asked as he sat on the edge of the bed.

"It's a lot," she sighed. She moved back to where she was laying against the headboard and made herself comfortable. "Firstly, it turns out it's not just Pansy I've become friends with. Daphne and Astoria were at the shop too." Draco raised his eyebrows in shock.

"That's...interesting."

"Yeah it is," she said noticing the strained look on his face. "What?" She asked.

"Nothing," he said quickly causing her to squint her eyes at him.

"Honesty is what we need to cling onto Malfoy, if we start lying to each other, we will never get home."

"It's just odd...I'm-" he repositioned himself to face her, "Astoria and I...we have a marriage contract." She wasn't sure why, but her heart ached slightly at that notion. It didn't make sense...she barely even liked him as a person, maybe more so now, but she didn't love him. Maybe one day she does, according to the future they were trapped in, but right now...right now they were just acquaintances.

"Purebloods are weird," she said deciding to ignore the feeling in her chest.

"Don't tell anyone I said this...but I agree. Marriage contracts are sad and ridiculous." She choked on air causing her to fall into a fit of coughs. "Okay Granger, I said it, but don't act like I just killed your bloody flea infested furball." She stopped coughing and pointed her finger at him.

"You better leave Crookshanks out of this." When his mouth turned up into a small smile, she couldn't help but feel warmth. Their eyes met causing Hermione to look away and clear her throat. "Anyways, apparently we fuck like rabbits-" it was Draco's turn to fall into a coughing fit. Hermione couldn't help but giggle noticing how red his face had gotten. "Alright there Malfoy? Does the idea of fucking a muggle born prude scare you?" When he turned his head with wide eyes, Hermione let out her laughter. She couldn't help herself. Flustered Draco had become her favorite. "I'm sorry," she said between gasps. "I'll move on." Draco only nodded clearing his throat. "The reason we do, apparently something had happened. The war happens, the one we've all been afraid of....it comes and something happens to us. They didn't go further into it because Pansy wouldn't let anyone. All I know is we were trapped in a room, something was happening and you couldn't get to me. They said that was the reason you barely let me out of your sight." Draco thought over her words. He knew the war was imminent, but as to being locked in a room with her in trouble? Confusion creased his brow.

"That sounds...strange." He didn't know what else to say. Hermione looked down at her hands.

"We have to figure out how to stop this war...at least how to help the right side win." Draco's mind flew into overdrive. What was the right side? How could he look her in the eyes and tell her he was a death eater. More importantly...why did her reaction to that matter so much to him?

"I'm not sure how much we can do being stuck here," he said quietly trying to act as if he wasn't having an internal battle.

"I'm not sure either," Hermione replied. All year Harry had been going bonkers about the oncoming war. She had tried to keep his emotions at bay and avoid the topic altogether. However, anyone who knows Harry Potter knows he is not one to be easily deterred. She looked to Draco only to see him nibbling at his bottom lip. A part of her knew he was on the opposite side of this as she was. He was a pureblood...not only that but a member of a sacred 28 family. There was not a chance in hell he wasn't apart of the dark force Voldemort had been amassing. His father was at the department of mysteries when Sirius died. In her heart she hoped this future was proof he could and would change.