The other boy hiccupped.

She was led around a table, and through a side door. She walked slowly in her heels.

Home. They would head home now.

She could rest.

She could take off the heavy dress and heavy necklace.

The four of them turned into an alcove — someplace familiar.

"Muffliato."

The pale-haired boy turned to her and took her face in his hands.

"Granger."

She stared into his grey eyes. They were endless.

"Granger."

She wondered who he was talking to.

He leaned forward and pressed his lips to her temple, his fingers running down her jaw.

He was warm. He was soft. She felt light.

And like breaking the surface — like she'd been drowning under still waters — Hermione gasped for air. Her body was heavy with jewels, and her knees buckled. He caught her.

"Draco—" Images flooded through her, choking off her oxygen. Hot tears rolled down her cheeks as she sobbed, heaving.

Her vision blacked. When it cleared, she was leaned back on the wall, Draco enveloping her in his arms. Her breaths grew sharp again, and she struggled as she thought of Avery's hands in Ginny's hair and Harry's shattered glasses and the boy's limp body—

Draco held her jaw in one hand and tipped something inside her mouth.

The effect was instantaneous. Her heartbeat slowed. Her muscles released. Her lungs expanded. She met Draco's concerned eyes and took a deep breath. His jaw trembled, and he tucked a curl behind her ear.

Behind him, Blaise averted his gaze. "Giuliana" was watching with her fingers pressed to her lips, tears shining in her eyes.

A few more heartbeats, and a throbbing pain started below her left eye, stretching quickly around the back of her head. Hermione whimpered as the pain pressed against her skull. She screwed her eyes shut, and then Draco was pouring something down her throat for pain relief.

She gasped, her lungs stabbing her with every tight breath.

"You did very well, Granger," said Blaise, after a few minutes had passed. "It was eerie."

She nodded, her tears pouring silently down her cheeks as the pain ebbed.

"Draco—" Pansy hesitated, her voice thick. "We should leave soon."

All of the things she had to bury in order to survive the evening rose up, pressing on the back of her eyelids. Hermione blinked her eyes open, her vision focusing on Draco. He nodded at her once, and his mouth was hard as he tugged her to stand.

He'd gotten the fang from the Chamber of Secrets. The Polyjuice plan had worked with Blaise. And now they were headed to Romania.

While Hermione tested her legs again, Blaise stepped up to Draco. "Make it count, Draco," he said lowly. He pushed something small and wrapped in a handkerchief into his hand. "This cost me more than my vineyard."

"And you're sure it works?"

"The man who sold it to me made an Unbreakable Vow, so— yes. It'll take you through the Romanian border."