*Hello, all! :3 We're back for another installment of Escape! Not late this time! :D Though... I have some things to say at the end of the chapter. But take your time reading anyways!*

Chapter 12

Draco wondered vaguely if he were in heaven. Then he reconsidered the question and wondered if he was in hell. However, the cool, damp soil beneath him, and the wet leaves surrounding his body didn't seem to match either description.

Slowly, he opened his gray eyes, the shining specks of gold and silver dulled by exhaustion and confusion. In front of him was a small pond, and the trickling of a stream could be heard, along with sweet birdsong and the croaking of frogs. The soft morning glow gave everything a more gentle feel, and Draco felt at ease. It felt... familiar and safe. Happy.

There was something right next to him giving him warmth, a bundle of comfortable heat in his arms. He didn't have the willpower to look down and see what it was, and he felt much, much too tired to do so.

He wanted to go back to sleep, just a little bit longer. So he let his eyelids droop down, taking him into blissful rest.

Two boys sat in the middle of a murky forest, glumly casting protective spells, wishing for the tent they'd lost when Hermione (and her precious bag) had fallen. There was a small make-shift lean-to next to them, poorly built and unlikely the provide protection from the elements, but they were too sucked into their grief to care.

"I can't believe- I can't believe-" mumbled Ron, too lost in shock to cry. His vision was filled with the sight of a warm-hearted brunette, with curly hair and a cheerful smile. "Hermione. Hermione," he droned, as if repeating her name would bring her back.

"We should have noticed. Helped her," said Harry, painfully, closing his eyes, trying to block the image of Hermione falling, falling, too far down to save, far too late to rescue. "Instead we didn't even know until she fell."

Harry and Ron had climbed off the dragon's back after it landed, carefully sneaking away before it became hungry. They were now glumly preparing a sorry meal of tiny fish they had accioed from a nearby creek and a strange green plant they'd found in the woods.

After some consideration, they'd decided to wait a night before returning to Bill and Fleur's. Just Hermione's name seemed to choke them up, how could they tell everyone that they'd let her die? Harry most definitely was not ready to face anybody but his best friend, who shared the horror with him.

The terrible sensation at the pit of your stomach when you see in slow motion, and know you'll be too late, can't even wish to hope, and yet can't stop yourself from trying. And having that brief feeling of hope torn away all over again. And both boys understood it perfectly.

Ron struggled to light a small fire, his hand shaking as he aimed his wand at a pile of sticks and leaves, missing several times before he finally managed to hit it. All he could think about was how Hermione would tease him if she saw how much trouble he was having with such a simple spell, giving him a light shove and a short 'you should know this, Ron, you've know it for blah, blah, blah' lecture. (short in Hermione standards, usually lasting around fifteen minutes.)

He could almost see a faint outline of her, sitting on a mossy log nearby, staring off into the distance, thinking as usual, planning their next move. Which was the other huge blow. What would they do without their planner? The bossy know-it-all who was their mother-type figure, making sure they all got out okay?

Not this time you didn't, Hermione... Ron thought, the scent of burning fish choking him. But he didn't care. Why did you have to fall? You should have said something earlier, I should have been there for you...

Delicately, Harry removed the charred sticks of speared fish bits and leaf from the fire, handing it to Ron. His green eyes were dull with grief as he lifted it, vapidly saying, "To Hermione, who will always be our best friend, wherever-" He had to choke down tears at this point. "Wherever she may be."

"To Hermione," echoed Ron, tapping his poor excuse for a shiskabob against Harry's, the two exchanging the smallest of smiles, imagining a grinning brunette with her untamable curls sitting between them. "We'll miss you. But we'll finish what we started, for you if for nothing else."

"Amen." Harry and Ron were silent after that- what did you say after your final farewells to a person who couldn't hear you? Who was so close, and now so far...

Hermione yawned as she woke up, wondering what was constraining her arms, curling them across her chest. Whatever it was, it was warm, comfortable, and made her feel protected. Maybe it was an angel. Those were traits she'd always associated with them.

She could remember what had happened vividly, the fear, terror, everything. The frenzied glow in Draco's eyes as he tried to save her, and the horror in the silvery mist as he fell himself. His gentle fingers grabbing her wrist, pulling her tight against him as their tears mingled, a last farewell to the world.

Heaven is a strange place... mused Hermione, half-awake. It feels a bit wet... And the air feels cold. Isn't heaven- well- heaven? Perfect?

Blinking open heavy lids, she immediately closed her eyes once more as the midday soon glared at her with all its intensity, blinding her temporarily. Once her eyes adjusted, she made out trees and a little pool of water, scattered boulders and a bright blue sky.

She also saw a head of wispy, silvery blond hair, the strands unkempt and dirtied by soil. Draco's face was relaxed and open in sleep, and he was smiling, evidently having a good dream. Her caramel eyes trailed down his body, taking in the pale, exposed skin of his neck, his flowing robes, his arms- Draco Malfoy's- wrapped tightly around her. She was too tired to care really, but the sight still made her think twice, wonder if she was hallucinating.

After all, she'd fallen, fallen so long, and was obviously most definitely dead, right? And Draco had fell too, tumbling right after he into the empty darkness, and had died as well. Her idea of life after death did not involve being held in Draco Malfoy's arms- and she doubted his involved her.

But maybe, whispered a voice from the deep recesses of her mind, both of you are alive. Is that too impossible to believe?

No, it wasn't, but Hermione needed to know why. She wanted to have the knowledge. How did she and Draco escape the clutches of death? Wingardium Leviosa was out, it couldn't take a person up that far, apparation too- Hermione had lost her wand, and Draco would have had to have the ultimate amount of concentration. Which, she mused, had to be impossible while sinking into the abysses of Gringotts.

She was aware of a low groan, like how Harry would groan when he woke up, and her eyes met shining pools of gray, which looked at her in amazement.

"Hermi- Granger," breathed Draco, staring with a wondering look in his eyes. "Where are we? Is this heaven?"

"I was hoping I could ask you," confessed Hermione, feeling awkward since both of them were awake, even though Draco hadn't seemed to notice their positions. Though she wasn't ready for him to let go of her anytime soon... "I think we're alive. Soggy leaves do not belong in my heaven." She paused, considering something. "You can call me Hermione," she added as an afterthought. "I don't mind."

He nodded, looking around. "If we're alive, that means Potter and Weasley saved us, right? Dammit- now I owe my life to Weasel King."

"They're not here. For one thing, they'd have pried you off of me." She gave a small wiggle, which caused both of them to laugh.

"You better not be complaining. Many girls would kill to be you right now," he teased, squeezing her tighter, a smirk on his face. "Then who saved us?"

"I don't know. If someone did, then they've disappeared. They're not here now, that's for sure." Hermione squirmed out of Draco's grip. "And as enjoyable as it may be, perhaps we should get up and figure out what happened, and how to contact Ron and Harry."

"Well, for starters, do you see my wand? I don't think it's in my robes," said Draco, standing up and patting his pockets. "I remember holding it while we-um- fell though."

"You better not have lost it," hissed Hermione, scavenging through the leaves, desperately trying to find the missing wand. "Otherwise what'll we do?"

"This place looks... familiar," commented Draco strangely, looking around the woods with a glazed, nostalgic film over his eyes. "It looks just like the woods I hid in as a little kid..."

"Are you telling me we're near MALFOY MANOR?" asked Hermione urgently, struggling to keep from yelling.

"Um, yes?" Draco dodged the girl as she stepped forward with a furious gait. "If this is the forest I know though, it's outside the wards. Proof being that we have not been slaughtered by Death Eaters in our sleep."

"But we will if we don't find your wand, and we will if someone feels like having a midday stroll!" fretted Hermione, who was now pawing at the ground where Draco had laid.

"Relax, Hermione," assuaged Draco, slipping his tongue across those foreign syllables that felt right at home out of his mouth. "No one comes here. I'd only ever come to escape home for a little bit. Just calm down."

"I will not calm down, Draco Malfoy!" Hermione felt the smoothness of wood underneath her fingertips. "Hah! Your wand! Now we can apparate out of this place!"

"Is that a good idea?" voiced Draco, uncertain. "We're both tired-" Hermione's stomach growled. "-hungry, and have no idea how we got here. What if we get splinched?"

"But Harry and Ron are probably worried to de-"

"I'm sure they prefer you whole, Hermione. And heaven knows what bodily injuries Weasley would inflict on me if I let even a single bit of you get hurt?" he joked. "And I've never been the greatest apparator."

"But you're not- bad, are you?" asked Hermione. "I mean, I'm good at it, but I couldn't apparate you with me without my own wand." Which I lost, she thought.

"I've never apparated someone with me. And I'm behind in practice. I spent summer holed up in Malfoy Manor. I haven't done apparition for almost a year." Draco hesitated before continuing. "Also... My wand feels different. It won't respond properly to me."

"What do you mean?"

"You wouldn't have noticed- but I realized the spells I did were coming out wrong from time to time, and when they came out right, they weren't powerful enough. It also- feels weird." He carefully took the polished wand from Hermione, weighing it in his hands. "It works, but it's like it's trying to go against me."

"Do a spell," commanded Hermione, determined to make it work. After all, she didn't want to be stuck in the middle of nowhere... "Let me see what you mean."

Draco lazily pointed the wand, and with a swish and flick, a leaf rose in front of him, the dead brown foliage hovering for a few seconds before drooping back down to earth. "I should be able to hold that spell for as long as I desire. Even if I don't say it out loud. But it only lasts a few seconds."

"I read a book on wands once. There was something about allegiances in there." Hermione paused, mulling over the information retained in her memory. "Wands don't want to obey their previous masters after an allegiance shift. I think it's technically Harry's wand now, because he disarmed you."

"Are you kidding me?" Draco looked to the black wand in his hand and then to Hermione. "Are you saying there's nothing we can do?"

"It'd involve Harry, but he's not here right now." Hermione plopped herself onto the ground. "Let me try it. It should act equally to both of us, but it might be better for me, seeing it focused its allegiance shift away from you. Reducto!"

A small sapling next to her snapped cleanly in half, soft green leaves rustling as it hit the ground. "How does it feel?" asked Draco. "Your spell looked pretty good."

"It's like you said. With my own wand, I can cast it more powerfully. This one is fighting against me. I think we can both handle simple spells with this, but I wouldn't risk Side-Along apparation." Hermione frowned, looking grumpy.

"What's wrong?" Draco's silver eyes misted with curiosity and worry. From what he'd seen so far, Hermione's frowns were never a good thing.

"Don't you get it? Now we have to walk until we find someone we can trust, and can get us to either Harry or Bill and Fleur's." She sighed as the comment sank in. "I hope you're up for hiking, Draco."

*Review Replies first!

Somnus Verus: Is that a good thing?

wolvesdrinktea: That's why it's in there. ;D

forbiddenluv: I'm glad you think so. :)

Maia: XD Thanks!

Okay, I've decided what I'm doing for NanoWrimo. A half-Nano fanfiction for Code Geass. Also... I'm also in that stage of writing a story where I've kind of lost interest in writing it completely. DX I know, I'm a terrible writer, but it always happens! I just want to hit myself! Every time I come up with something new I just abandon whatever I was working on. I've been trying my hardest to write 'Escape', but it always comes out so awkward and just- ugh. I have like- one or two (I don't even know anymore) chapters in back-up, but after that, I'm not even sure what I'm going to do. I just dug myself into a hole and I can't figure a way out. Sorry guys, but that's where I am right now. :( I promise to try my hardest, but I can't ensure you that this will be completed. (heck, none of my fanfictions are finished. 'cept one, but that was a stinking two-shot.) So... this is an awkward moment to break off, but yeah. Hopefully I'll be able to update for two or three more weeks, but don't count on it. I'll tell you when I'm sure though. Sorry.*

*I've decided to stop writing this. I've had no inspiration, and Chapter 13 isn't even finished. Apologies, but don't expect a new chapter. Sorry.*