Trigger warning: slavery, racism
"Father, what are you doing??" Young Draco Malfoy asks, appalled. Lucius stops, his whip in his hand. The young girl lay cowering in the corner, her tears falling silently. She learned early on that loud crying only angered Master more.
"Draco, leave." He snarls.
"What did Hermione do?" He asks, ignoring her widening eyes. Lucius' glares at Draco.
"Go back to the cotton!" He snarls at the girl. She runs up and leaves, not before looking back at the young blonde boy. Lucius snarls at Draco.
"When did you learn the slaves names?" He asks quietly, too quietly. Draco looks at his hands.
"Lastnight." He mumbles. Lucius raises his hand.
"Speak up, boy!" He growls.
"Last night." Draco feels a stinging pain across his cheek.
"I'm gonna tell you this one last time," Lucius warns, "Don't ever befriend a slave. They are not of our kind and they are not people, understood?" Draco nods and runs out of the room.
*15 years later*
"Master, I would like to buy my freedom." Hermione says confidently. Draco drops his fork and it falls softly on his scrambled eggs. Narcissa looks at her sons face. Lucius throws his newspaper onto the table and stands up. The headline screams at Draco: Lincoln to free slaves; Don't we have any rights?
"And with what money?" He asks, his hand inching toward his cane. Draco sees the movement and frowns.
"Master, I've been saving up money from doing jobs and I've seen newspapers that say that-" Lucius' cane slams into the side of the young girl. A sickening crack erupts from inside her. Draco winces.
"Since when can you read newspapers?" Lucius sneers. Hermione glances at Draco but quickly glances back before Master can see.
"I got taught." Another cane to her side. Her brown skin comes open and she starts to trickle blood. Lucius grabs her roughly by the arm and throws her outside towards the shed. He grabs his whip and stalks outside.
Narcissa looks down at her eggs.
"Draco, go to your room." She says softly.
"Mother-"
"Go." By the look in her eyes, he knows she means something else. Her determined eyes bore into his steel gray ones. He looks at her and she nods.
***
"Tonight?" Someone whispers. The others nod and go back to singing there songs while their backs ache from bending down to pick the cotton. The person grins discreetly, her side burning in pain: tonight.
***
"Quickly!" Someone whispers. 5 of the slaves look back at the others, who have tear stained faces. Hermione grabs the hands of the other slaves and runs into the darkness; the weeds and trees slamming into them.
A yellow lantern bobs behind them. Hermione starts to panic.
"Hurry." She whispers. By the river, a house with a quilt outside has their lights one. She sighs in relief. Then, someone slams into her and pins her to the ground.
"I got one!"
"Run!" She screams, "Run!" The 4 others sprint forward and 2 people on horses gallop past her. The person pinning her sighs.
"Be quiet." They whisper. She relaxes at the familiar voice. Draco. The boy who taught her to read, to speak properly. The boy who showed her newspapers that say how slaves bought their freedom, newspapers that give her hope. The boy she fell in love with.
"Come with me. And stay quiet!" He quickly gets up and runs North.
"Draco.."
"Shush."
A few hours later, they reach the border of Viginia and West VA.
"A few more steps and you'll be free." He whispers, tracing a finger down her cheek. She relaxs into his touch.
"What'll you tell your father?" She asks.
"To Hell with my father. All that matters is that you're free." Her heart skips a beat and she wraps her arms around his neck and draws his face close to hers. His eyes close and he captures his lips in hers. She runs her fingers in his blonde hair and he runs his fingers down his back.
Hermione deepens the kiss and Draco groans. Slowly, ever so slowly, Hermione pulls back.
"I love you." With that final whisper, she runs into the rising sun and into her freedom.
