Runaway

by Jiwwy
 
 

Chapter 7
Popcorn and False Snogs
 

“Hermione, we’re home!”

Hermione looked up from the television. She and Draco had settled on the couch and, with minimal

awkwardness, she’d settled her head on his shoulder and they ate popcorn and watched cartoons
and music videos. Actually, he ate the popcorn, and he ate a lot of it. He seemed to like it almost as
much as cereal.

Anyway, at the second they heard the back door in the kitchen open, Hermione jumped to the other

side of the couch and motioned to the dozens of kernels surrounding Draco in a little popcorny pen,
and he shoved all of them in his mouth. When it was safe, she called, “Hiya, mum, living room!”

Lorelei came in with a smile. “Did you kids have fun?” Draco nodded, mouth full and cheeks poofed

out, wishing he’d have just put the kernels back in the bowl. “Carl only had one other appointment
and said to come and check on you two.”

“We’re fine, just been watching the telly,” Hermione motioned to the screen, where a group of

cartoon babies were trying to get to a cookie jar. “I think we need more microwave popcorn.”

Lorelei leaned up against the couch and noticed Draco’s large cheeks. She laughed. “Hungry, are

you Neville?”

Both the kids looked dumbfounded for a bit before remembering that was Draco.

He munched the popcorn for a while and finally answered, “No, ma’am, we’ve been eating cereal.

It’s good.”

Hermione smiled and looked away.

“That’s very nice, Draco!” Lorelei smiled too. “Now, do you remember anything yet about before?”

He shook his head.

Lorelei bit her lip. “One of my patients today was a doctor, she said there wasn’t a really certain cure,

just either bump your head again or treat you like you were treated before. But we can’t do that now,
because we don’t know how you were normally treated before.” She shook her head as if to clear it.
“Well. Do you guys want dinner, or are you full on popcorn and cereal?”

Draco looked at Hermione for the answer. She shrugged. “Dunno about him, but I’m fine.” Draco

nodded in agreement.

“Okay then, I’ll go and make dinner for your father and I. Tell me if you need anything at all, Neville.”

Lorelei got up and moved into the kitchen.

As soon as she was gone, Draco looked at Hermione hopefully.

“No.” She said immediately.

“You didn’t even let me ask! … You didn’t even know I was going to ask you anything!”

Hermione kept her eyes on the babies. “What were you going to ask.” She stated, more than asked him.

He looked at her sideways. “I was going to ask if you’d treat me like you did before.”

“Oh.” She looked back at him the same way and leaned against the armrest of the couch. “I can’t do

that, Draco.”

“Hermione, this is my memory here.”

“And this is something I’m not going to do. I can’t treat you like that now.”

“Like what?”

“Draco, when we knew each other in school…” she sighed. “Let me put this as nicely as I can- you

were the most annoying, insensitive bastard I’d ever met.”

He stared, and then nodded once, slowly. “Oookay.”

“That’s nicely,” she reminded him. “And. As I know now… you aren’t. I can’t treat you like that

anymore,” she repeated.

“… Oh.”

She took some popcorn, not looking at him.

“So. I’m not a bastard now?”

“As much as Harry or Ron would hate to hear it, no. You’re a really nice guy, Draco Malfoy.”

“… Thanks, Hermione. I suppose.”

She finally met his eyes and smiled. How long will she be in there? Draco mouthed. She giggled

and shrugged, and he moved closer to her side of the couch.

***

Ginny sighed happily and leaned back in the huge recliner. After a long evening of shrieking, squealing,

and Barbie dolls, Halie was put to bed at ten. Reluctantly, to say the least.

Brooke Bennet looked up from a muggle fashion magazine through bored-looking, heavy-lidded eyes

at Ginny’s sigh. “Try living with her,” she mumbled.

Ginny cracked a smile and watched the front cover of the magazine. Huh, the girl on the front wasn’t

moving at all.

(A/N: Ginny has been to Hermione’s, but according to ME, all the pictures in Hermy’s house move too. *nods*)

“What, don’t they have magazines in England?”

Ginny tore her eyes away from the girl. “Well, erm. Not that one. I don’t think.”

“Here, I’ve already read the whole thing.” She threw the magazine to Ginny, who stared at it for a few

seconds, then opened it. The pictures captivated Ginny. The images were frozen, yes, but they all seemed
to still show stories. About halfway through there was a section without stories, it was just pictures. She
liked one especially, a girl leaning over a counter, smiling at a boy. The boy had messy black hair and
strong cheekbones. The girl had soft auburn hair and a pretty smile (They were both dressed very trendily).

Ginny’s heart jumped at the similarity between the boy and Harry. And the girl… Ginny smiled serenely

to herself.

Brooke stared at her. “What are you looking at?” The blonde stood up and knelt next to Ginny’s chair.

“Ah, I know, he is cute isn’t he.”

Ginny nodded without saying anything when a sudden realization came over her… She was in America.

Without money or an owl? What would happen if Hermione didn’t get their letter? What could she even
do when she got it?

“Hey, are you alright?” Brooke arched an eyebrow at Ginny, who’d leaned back in the recliner and started

breathing heavily.

“Mmhmm.” Ginny mumbled, but she’d gone pale too.

“Are you tired?” Brooke shrugged her shoulder a little as if all this being nice was making her uncomfortable.

“I… I guess.”

“Okay then, come on, get up, you’re sleeping in my room… In here, come on.”

Brooke herded Ginny into the room while Ginny was still thinking about whether she was tired or not. She

finally decided, okay, she was, after Brooke got a cot out of the closet and set it up. In a few minutes there
was a he, lumpy comforter over Ginny and a soft little pillow under her, and a few minutes after that she
was asleep.

***

“Fred, George, Ron? Time for breakfast,” Nancy peeked her head in the room. Fred snorted loudly and

rolled off his cot. Nancy smiled softly at the boys. They were really very sweet. She’d given them two cots
and a bed, but they’d insisted on three cots, she supposed one of them didn’t want to be one up on the
other brothers. (Really though, Ron had taken on the twins in a pillow fight, saying they were both all the
same anyway so he should get the bed because he was different. The twins thought this was an outrage
and quickly showed him his place, but then decided they would never decide between who should get
the bed).

(A/N: WHAT!? My family has a lot of cots TOO!)

“Oy Fred, look at Ronny!”

Both the twins awoke right away and laughed heartily at Ron, who shook his head with sleepiness.

“Wha- what’s wrong, ’zit a fire, a flood, Charlie?”

The twins cackled and held up a mirror (strategically placed, it must be said) to Ron, who had lipstick

kisses all over his face.

“Ron, where have you been? I mean, we knew you liked Brooke but you hardly know the girl!”

Ron blushed scarlet so that the kisses were brilliantly camouflaged. “I- I- I didn’t! I didn’t do anything!”

He stared, horrified, up at Nancy, who stared back. “I swear!”

Fred held up a wand where Nancy couldn’t see. “They’re not gonna come off for a good twenty-four

hours, I’d wager.

Ron pushed him over.

***

Harry didn’t get much sleep the next few hours. Finally at about six in the morning he fell asleep, but

was woken around eight by Hedwig. She didn’t have anything in her talons.

 
 
 

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