Venenatum
Sneak peak of Chapter 18, "Deep Within"
Present Day
“Where are we, exactly?” Hermione asked as she gazed out the window of the small cottage, “It’s like I’m seeing everything again for the first time.”
“We are along the northeast coast of Scotland,” Draco offered, “somewhere near Wick, I believe.”
“I don’t think you could get any further north than that,” observed Hermione dryly as she flicked her gaze briefly to Draco and flashed him a quick smile before turning her attention back to the picturesque scenery before her.
Draco studied the witch as she watched the sunrise. They had barely touched on what happened to her since they arrived. The only thing Hermione had told him was that it felt like she had just been pulled from a terrible, never-ending nightmare where she had little control over what she did. Everything in the last two years had been blurry and unclear, until Theo returned what he could of her mind to her. It almost sounded as though she had been Imperio’d. Her description left Draco feeling a whirlwind of hatred and sadness. Hermione had not had any real control over her life in the last two years because the Order controlled her with that fucking hex. Watching her look at the sky as though she hadn’t seen it in years threatened to crush the façade of control Draco was desperately trying to maintain.
“Indeed,” Draco replied lamely, not knowing what else to say. He wasn’t sure how much of anything she did remember over the last couple years, and damned if he would be the one to bring any of that terrible shit up and possibly upset her. That was the last thing he wanted. Hermione pulled her attention away from the window and looked at him carefully before sighing.
“Go ahead,” she said in an exasperated voice aimed at him.
“What are you talking about?” Draco asked as his eyebrows pulled together in confusion.
“I know you have a million questions running through that brain of yours,” Hermione said as she smirked, “go ahead and ask me some of them. I know you must be absolutely dying to know everything.”