Smokey Haze

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter or anything else that is not mine.

A/N: I wrote this first chapter a long time ago. I liked the thought of the story I had in mind but wanted to finish some other stories first. But now I just want to get it going. I am still working on the others; one of them is posted here. You know I get excited at the idea of posting, then when it comes time to I want to chicken out. I just get a little nervous, silly I know. Anyway please let me know if you want me to keep going with this. Reviews mean so much to me and I know you hear that maybe a little too often but it’s true. I don’t like to waste space or my time if not a lot of readers care so please review. Be kind, constructive criticism is always welcome, harshness is not. Also if some of my facts are wrong let me know so I can fix it along with any errors. (Not including characterizations, they are staying they way I intended them to be. If they seem to be cannon to you, then good. If not, well I am sorry but I’m sticking to it.) If you would like me to email you let me know I would love to do so. Thank you so much!!

Sorry the summery is terrible, it will change after a few more chapters. i just don't want to give to much away.


Chapter One

Smokey Haze


“Mental? He’s just so... frustrating!” Hermione mumbled to herself fuming over her latest argument with Ronald Weasley.

Hermione pulled her coat tighter around herself shielding her body from the harsh cold winds of winter. There lay on the ground was a surprising two feet of snow. Although it was mid December and London is known for being quite cold in the winter, one just wouldn’t find so much snow at once. A flurry here and a light dusting there, but rarely were there ever more than that. She was grateful that the walks and roads were now clear. She might have not ventured out if she had to toddle though it.

Hermione walked along a deserted street for everyone was snuggled up close with their loved ones and wouldn’t dare battle with the snow and the bone shattering winds that it seemed to have brought with it.

“Can’t believe him!” She mumbled again. Hermione and Ron had been arguing over the best place to move the Order’s new more permanent place of meeting. He had called her idea of staying at her home ridiculous and called her Mental, Mental! They had been meeting, mostly residing, at her family’s new home in Muggle London. Ever since the situation with Snape and Dumbledore they had moved there just in case Snape had informed Voldemort about Sirius’ house and the whereabouts of Hermione’s parents’ old place of residence. Harry was sure that he had. He had no reason to not believe it. Snape had killed Dumbledore, so he was so obviously on that side. The risks were just too high. The Order just didn’t want to take the chance. So The Grangers moved and so did the headquarters for the Order.

Then as Hermione was about to go for a long mind-clearing walk to get away from him for a while, Ron had said she shouldn’t go out alone. That she was unable to take care of herself and she needed to take someone along with her to protect her. The Nerve!

Hermione exhaled slowly and decided that she should start heading back to her parents’ house and turned down an alley to use as a short cut. Truth be told, it wasn’t safe for her to be out. She was a muggle born and if a death eater just so happened to be out and about he’d surely recognize her. Although she herself was in muggle London it wasn’t uncommon anymore not to run into a death eater. They had been attacking more and more lately leaving residents fearful and confused. It was getting harder for the ministry to cover up the messes that were being created.

Hermione was so deep in thought that she didn’t hear footsteps turn the corner and run up right behind her until they were a few feet away. She turned to see whom it was and moved quickly for her wand. She wasn’t fast enough. He hadn’t noticed her yet, for he was to busy looking behind him as he ran straight into her. She only caught a glimpse of light blond hair and a flaring black robe right before their bodies collided with an “umph”.

They spun around as they fell leaving Hermione on top when they landed on the freshly shoveled pavement. Hermione face retorted in shock as she momentarily stared down in the face of one Draco Malfoy. He quickly flipped her over on to her back and covered her mouth with a hand. He then looked back and grabbed her by her coat yanked her up and dragged her behind a dumpster and some boxes.

“Shhh,” He snapped before she had a chance to react. She was about to anyway when she heard footsteps come running up to where they were.

“Great, where did he go?” One man with a deep raspy voice said.

“I don’t know but he’ll met the same fate as his father soon enough.” Said another man with a voice that reminded Hermione of nails on a black board, high and screechy.

Hermione glanced over at Draco when the man mentioned his father and noticed that his face fell even more than it was.

“Well the Dark Lord shall be pleased that Lucius Malfoy has been disposed of. We’ll get the young Malfoy eventually, he can’t run forever,” The first man said. Hermione and Draco heard the two men disapparate.

Draco and Hermione sat there for what seemed like a few minutes. Hermione kept glancing over at Draco trying to get a read on his emotions and what he was going to do. He had dropped his head in his hands and hid his face. ‘He must not have known about his father.’ She thought.

He lifted his face and shifted his body leaning the back of his head against the side of the dumpster. She couldn’t help but cringe at the thought of touching the nasty thing. Here he was leaning completely against it while she tried to keep her distance.

She was staring at the brick wall when she heard him sniff. Her head shot in the direction of him. He sat up more and rubbed his cloak along his face, as if to wipe something off.

“Are you alright?” She couldn’t help herself. It was as if it slipped out before she even had the chance to think about it.

“Why are you still here?” He asked bitterly, never looking in her direction.

“I don’t know,” She answered. She really didn’t. Why was she?

Hermione started to stand up looking around for anyone else, making sure it was safe for her to step out from behind their hiding place. His arm shot up grabbing her long coat, fisting it tightly in his hands.

“Where are you going?” He snapped. She looked at him oddly.

“Sorry, I thought by your attitude you wanted me to leave,” Hermione answered annoyed.

He let go of her coat as if it stung his hand at the touch of it. He snarled and looked away.

“Whatever just tell no one you saw me, Granger. No one,” He bit.

“I’ll tell whom ever I like, Malfoy,” She met his tone as she stepped out from behind the dumpster and began to walk away.

“Whatever, mudblood,” His voice seemed to abnormally soften. This made her stop. She wasn’t sure if it was the word ‘mudblood’ or if it was the way he sounded that made her do this. But she did not appreciate being called a foul name like mudblood.

She walked over to a pile of snow picked up a hand full and launched it at him after she packed it tightly. It hit him hard on the shoulder.

He sat there momentarily in shock then stood up angrily. Hermione stepped back a bit, but stopped herself before she moved anymore. She refused to show she was scared. He stormed towards her fast.

“How dare you disrespect me you filthy little mudblood!” He said voice full of rage.

“Hard not to considering I have none for you. Respect that is,” She said flatly still holding her ground.

“I’d watch it.”

“Whatever Malfoy, I do not fear you,” She said rolling her eyes before she began to turn away from him. He grabbed her by the arm turning her back to him and grabbed both shoulders and pushed her into the brick wall.

“You should mudblood. You know why?” He held her tightly against the wall. She looked at him strangely and shook her head.

“Why is that?” She stammered out trying to keep her composure.

“Because you don’t want me to make you feel like the dirty filthy slag I see you as,” Her eyes widened as he pressed himself against her body. He lent down and whispered in her ear. “Would you?”

“No. Malfoy get off me,” She said trying to push him off, but it was useless. She couldn’t budge him. She couldn’t even break free enough to reach for her wand.

“That’s right Granger, wiggle, I love it.” She froze. “Yes, I believe you would like it. Wouldn’t you? Being touched by someone like me.”

“No, I wouldn’t. Now please get away from me!” Hermione struggled against him ignoring his previous perverse comment.

“What- if I don’t? What- if I don’t want to? What- if -I don’t think you want me to, stop that is?” He said as he ran his hand along the side of her body. His breathing became staggered. “Do you fear me now?”

“Malfoy,” She breathed meeting his eyes. He let go of her slowly.

“Whatever mudblood,” He whispered right before her hand reached his face with a searing slap.

“Don’t ever touch me,” She fumed.

“Like I was going to do anything. What would I want with you anyway?” He sneered holding his cheek.

“Go to hell Malfoy.”

“Too late, already there,” Draco leaned onto the wall next to where he had her pushed up against. “My life is gone. My home is gone, destroyed. My family… I have nothing,” He said miserably.

Hermione stood there for a moment then turned to leave, but stopped. Out of all the times to feel sorry for him.

“Where are you going to go?” She asked hesitantly, turning around to look at him. He looked up briefly and shrugged.

“I don’t know,” He said quietly.

“Well, you… the … you could come with me. Dumbledore’s offer still stands,” She said softly. She was unsure if she should have said that. She really didn’t know if the order would let him in. Harry did tell everyone what had happened that night on the tower. But that didn’t mean much.

He looked at her strangely for a moment.

“How do you know about that?”

“Harry was there, he heard and saw the whole thing,” He looked down at the ground. What would it hurt by telling him? It didn’t matter who knew. Hermione was unsure of what he would do next.

“That explains a lot,” He said more to himself then looked back to Hermione. “What makes you think they’d let me in?” he said haughtily laced with doubt.

“I don’t. But what else do you have to lose?”

“I don’t think so Granger. Just being around you this long has wreaked havoc on my health. Besides being around Potter and that Weasel doesn’t look to be a great time.”

“Fine. Good luck on fending for yourself. Live on the streets with muggles and who knows what else while you spend hour after hour trying to flee those who so obviously want you dead. When you’re hungry make sure you get your meals from trash cans rather from the dumpsters, they’re fresher,” She stated and began to walk away.

A few seconds of silence he spoke up.

“Granger wait,” He said annoyed. She couldn’t help but feel triumphant. She turned back in his direction.

“Will they not turn me in? They’ll help, they’ll help me?”

“I don’t know, but I don’t think they would turn you in or away. Besides I have an advantage right now.”

“What’s that?”

“Well if you come with me you’ll find out. So… shall we?” She asked.

“Fine, but when I get annoyed by any of them, which I am sure wouldn’t take long, I’m gone.”

“Whatever, are you in or not?” She asked impatiently.

“Whatever, lead the way,” He said sarcastically. They walked down the alley and onto the street.

“It’s not too far away from here,” She stated.

They walked for a bit before they approached a figure lying on the ground. Draco stopped and walked toward it.

“Malfoy, don’t. It’s just a homeless person,” Hermione whispered.

“I know what it is, Granger. I’m just checking for something,” He said bending down and moved the blanket covering the sleeping man.

“Malfoy!” She quietly warned.

“Shhh, you want to wake it?”

“It’s- he’s a person, Malfoy we don’t refer people as ‘its.’”

“This Granger is the lowest form of a muggle. Ah here we are,” Draco said as he lifted a flask and stood up. “Just what I was looking for,” He started to undo the top.

“Malfoy, gross you’re not going to…” Hermione started to complain as Draco lifted the homeless man’s flask to his lips and swilled the contents. “…And you did.”

“Care for a taste?” He asked holding out the flask to her.

“No, no thanks,” She said disgusted. “We really should press onwards.”

“Your loss,” He said as he took another swig. With another disgusted look she turned around and started to head in the direction of her house.

After a few more minutes Hermione noticed something eerily familiar in the sky. They were still a few blocks away but she knew exactly what it was above.

“The dark mark! My house!” Hermione shouted as she began to run. Draco tried to keep up behind her. She didn’t stop until she stood in front of her badly burnt home. All that was left was its frame and two bedrooms that once were her and her parents bed rooms. Everything in them was left untouched from the magic she had placed on them. She was about to run into the debris, but Draco grabbed her arm.

“It’s not safe. The place looks as if it will crumble at any moment. In fact by the looks of it I am surprised it still standing at all,” He stated as he looked at the smoky haze and remains of the house.

“Where is everyone? What happened here?” She asked herself more than anything looking around for anyone but couldn’t even see so much as a body. From what She could tell no one was there.

“Well it seems pretty obvious don’t you think Granger? I thought you were smart.”

“Not now Malfoy. The Dark Mark is here that means someone was killed,” She said frantically.

“Not necessarily.”

“Malfoy, I read in-” Draco lifted the sleeve of his arm cutting her off.

“I think I would know,” He said as he revealed the same mark that hovered above them only the one on his arm was not green or moving.

“Oh.”

“Sometimes it’s a warning; a symbol of destruction, an attack, whether someone was hurt, killed or not. It mostly symbolizes that they were there to strike fear. I’m not saying that no one was hurt but that it just doesn’t mean that someone was.”

“Alright. But where would they all have gone.”

“Fled maybe, or taken captive. Don’t know what to tell you. But it seems that either everyone is burnt so badly there’s nothing left or they just aren’t here anymore, took off, or taken off,” He said. They stood quietly for a couple of seconds.

“Well we should probably go before the ministry arrives, if they see you here…” She said sadly trying not to cry as she looked around to see if anyone one else was there watching. No one was even looking out of their windows. “We should just go.”

Hermione accioed her trunk and a few more of her belongings. She shrunk them and put them into her school bag.

“Where are we going to go?” He asked looking around making sure the ministry wasn’t anywhere in sight.

“Not sure, but anywhere other than here. Let’s go,” She said taking one last look around before she grabbed Draco.

“What are you doing?” He asked alarmed.

“I’m apparating us,” She said simply.

“Have you ever done this before, doing two people?” He asked nervously as she concentrated.

“No,” She said right before the popped out of site.

TBC...