Cry Salvation

Found

Hermione left Number 12 Grimmauld Place without letting anyone know she was going. She was in search of the mystery man who had been following her and her friends for weeks, but suddenly stopped. She knew the stalker was Draco Malfoy, but didn't know why he was following them. Theories of his reasons came but they were quickly tossed away in search of a better one. She found his conduct completely baffling and she was one of the smartest students in her class at Hogwarts School for Witchcraft and Wizardry.

The night air was cold and breezy so she pulled her cloak around herself more tightly. Street lamps lit the Muggle street in a sickly yellow glow, lightening her path. Without realizing where she was headed she found herself heading toward the nearby park. The street was eerie, it was so empty and almost devoid of life, but her. When she reached the entrance to the park she stopped and looked inside.

The dark park was more eerie than the street if that was possible. The park had only a few street lights scattered throughout making half the park lit by the sickly yellow light, but the other half cast in shadows. As the trees' branches swayed in the breeze the shadow seemed to move creating the feeling of people moving inside. The breeze sent a strong blast and Hermione pulled her cloak closer around herself, but took a firm step forward into the park.

The silence seemed almost deafening to Hermione as she walked. She felt as if something unknown to her was pulling her to the center of the park. When she reached the very center there was only a small circle without trees, but with two benches and a picnic table all of which were empty. But no sign of Draco. Thinking quickly and quietly to herself she decided on a nice, simple spell.

"Accio invisibility cloak," she whispered into the silent night. She really wasn't certain it would really work; she wasn't even sure he was out here let alone using an invisibility cloak to conceal himself. But to her surprise, she saw the unique flickering silver light of an invisibility cloak flying towards her, landing in her outstretched hand.

Draco sifted as a rush of cold wind made him shiver. He attempted to pull his invisibility cloak tighter around herself, but only found that it wasn't there. He was fully awake and alert instantly, and his eyes flew open. He saw her almost as soon as he opened his eyes. She looked as thought she had come from a dream... a link to the wizardly world.

Hermione Granger stood less than ten feel away from him and was staring right at him, holding his invisibility cloak. She only looked mildly surprised at his presence, which was quite the opposite he felt about her presence.

Hermione watched him in silence as she forced an expression of mild surprise and as blank as she could make it. She was only mildly surprised that her simple spell had worked so well. Quite honestly she thought Draco was slipping since he was only using an invisibility cloak as a way to protect and hide himself.

Scrabbling to his feet, Draco asked forcefully, "What the hell are you doing here?"

"Looking for you," Hermione said, her facial expression never changing.

Draco just stared at the woman with bushy brown hair and cool brown eyes. Looking for me? he thought to himself, but said, "You saw me following you..."

Hermione nodded. "Yeah."

"For how long?"

She shrugged. "About three weeks."

He cursed, but she didn't even blink. He now decided to stand in silence, observing her. She stared at him stright in the eye, never wavering, but staying silent. Finally, sighing, Draco relented, "Well, why are you looking for me?"

Hermione could do nothing but shrug. To be honest, she didn't know why she was looking for him. Or how she found him, at that. She was just being drawn, to look behind her, to the park, to him. "Because."

Draco sighed. He knew he wasn't going to get a direct answer, even if he kept asking, and decided to try again. "What do you want?"

Hermione bit her lip for a moment. "I don't really know. All I know is... that you're here and I should be asking for questions."

Suddenly, as if just realizing she should, she raised her wand and whispered to spells in quick consecution.

Draco didn't have time to even grip his wand harder when it went flying from his hand into hers. Next thing he knew, barely a minute later it seemed, ropes flew out of her raised wand and circled him, binding him tightly. He still met her eyes with only a small glance down.

"Sorry," she muttered. "I had to. You're still..." she trailed off for a second. Something about things didn't feel right, but she finished, "dangerous."

"Okay," Draco said honestly. He knew she had to. He wouldn't have expected less from her. She had to be careful; he was a known Death Eater. But now he was wandless and she wasn't, and he felt extremely vulnerable.