An Outlandish Affair

Chapter 11

Hermione and Draco spent the rest of the afternoon foraging, filling both apron pockets and her satchel as well as his sporran with smaller bits, not returning until the sun began to set. She showed him how to tie bundles with the right amount of plants and how to cut them so they could still regrow. They thankfully found plenty of dittany, some leaping toadstools, a bush full of lacewing flies, and even a small patch of horklumps. It was a decent haul, all things considered, and Hermione was quite pleased.

The afternoon was eerily reminiscent of the day her and Ron had spent together doing the same things, but Hermione tried not to dwell on it. Draco was pleasant company when Lucius wasn't around. His tongue only rolled up on itself once when she had tried to ask him more about Hogwarts, so they tried to keep it strictly to small talk after that. Apparently military plans weren't off the table though, and he elaborated on the next steps for the army.

"Father plans to move tomorrow, we've got to get the whole army down near Leeds by mid December, ye see, and it takes a bit o' time to move this many men," Draco explained while he stuffed some toadstool caps into a jar for Hermione.

"What's the plan once we all get down there?" Hermione was nervous to activate the tongue bind curse again, but she couldn't see how a further explanation would hurt.

"We're heading to Clifton Moor, I believe it's on the outskirts of Penrith so it's a bit northwest of Leeds," he continued as he put the full jar into Hermione's satchel. "I dinna ken much more beyond that, father doesna include me in the real plans aside from helping to move the men."

"You said mid December, will it really take us a month and half? Are we walking all the way?" Hermione was slightly intimidated by the thought. She wasn't necessarily in bad shape but walking for a month and a half seemed undoable.

"No, my lady, I will find a horse for ye somewhere," Draco snickered at her reaction. "I'm sure some lonely lad would give up his ride for a bonnie lass like yerself."

It was Hermione's turn to blush. The way he said a bonnie lass played like a record on repeat in her head.

"Well thank you, but no one needs to walk all that way for just my comfort," she mumbled into the bouquet of plants in her hands.

"Ye're haverin', of course ye'll have a horse," Draco insisted, a look of sincerity in his eyes as she looked up and met his gaze. They maintained eye contact for a touch longer than was normal in an everyday conversation until Hermione finally broke it, blushing even deeper. She looked up at the horizon, it was a beautiful orange-pink color and the sun was just about to dip below the mountains for the night.

"We should head back, we wouldn't want your father getting suspicious that we're up to no good," she sighed. She didn't want to admit it but she had enjoyed the day quite a bit.

I should not be enjoying his company, Hermione thought sternly to herself as they packed up the last of the jars. I need to get home to my Ron, I cannot get attached to Draco, I am here to help and then I will find my way home.

"Ye look like ye're about to have an apoplexy lassie," Draco suddenly commented, looking at her with some scrutiny.

"Oh, no, I'm fine, really," Hermione brushed off his comment but his use of the nickname lassie had triggered another memory, of another name someone had called her.

"Draco, what's a sassenach?" she asked, changing the subject abruptly.

"Oh, well I guess literally it translates to something like outlander, but usually it's more of a derogatory way of saying outsider," he explained to her somewhat sheepishly.

"Well that explains why he was so mad as soon as I opened my mouth to speak," Hermione said. "I guess it makes sense that the English aren't well liked right now."