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Hermione woke with a splitting headache to find herself staring at a wooden ceiling. She could smell a fire, and roasting meat, and her stomach rumbled fiercely
in response. She could barely turn her head to look around. When she did, she spotted Egremon near a large hearth adding a log.
"Bloody hell, my head aches," she rasped. "Where's my husband?"
"Right here, my dear," said Lucius from somewhere behind her. Rolling over, she turned to see him sitting in a chair right beside her makeshift bed. Examining
it more closely, she saw that it was really nothing more than a great pile of furs.
"Where are we?" she wanted to know.
"We found a cabin in the woods," he explained. "As it turns out, it wasn't that far away from where we landed. I only had to carry you about the length of
a Quidditch field."
"That's good," she whispered. "How long have I been out?"
"Three days, my love," he said as he bent forward to stroke her hair out of her eyes. "You've had me quite worried. With all the poison in your system, we
weren't sure you'd ever wake."
"I see Egremon didn't leave us to our own devices," she said with only a slight disdain.
"If he were to return to Garamond now, what kind of greeting do you think he'd get?" Lucius pointed out, making Hermione roll her eyes.
"Why do I think he took you into that cave on purpose?" she whispered as she looked over her shoulder to make sure he didn't hear her. "Surely he knew what
you were going to find there."
Lucius laughed, and whispered back, "He probably did. But we're all in this together for now, so you'd better play nice. I don't imagine we should turn away
his help, since he knows what we're up against. And we're going to need you to help us with some of our Muggle skills. Since we've gone into hiding, using
magic is going to be a huge no-no."
"Ugh!" Hermione grumbled. "Just when I thought I could do whatever I wanted now that I'm not in school anymore."
Lucius chuckled and kissed the top of her head. "I'm sure you'll get over it, my dear. At least you haven't grown used to getting to do whatever you want. It'll
be much easier for you to adapt than either of us."
Hermione cast him a look that clearly said that she wouldn't be getting over it anytime soon, to which he laughed again. Then Egremon came to the other side
of the bed with a cup.
"Here you are," he said. "I've made you some broth to see how well you take it. I don't think you'll be ready to eat anything solid for a few more days, my
Lady."
"Thanks," she said, then realized she couldn't really sit up, either. "Will you help me, Lucius?"
"Of course," he agreed, taking the broth from the chef and sampling it before blowing on some for Hermione. "Not bad. Could use some salt."
"Not for her, at least not until we're sure she'll keep it down," said the older man sagely.
Hermione scoffed at this pronouncement. Of course I can keep it down, she thought. I've been through a lot worse brews than this.
"Oh ho," Egremon chuckled. "You wouldn't be so brave if you knew where we came up with that meat out in the middle of nowhere."
"What do you mean?" she asked around her fourth mouthful.
"Perhaps that's a discussion for another time?" Lucius commented dryly.
"What is it?" she wanted to know.
"You're drinking weasel broth."
Hermione tried not to choke, but not with disgust. She was trying not to laugh as she recalled how Draco had always called Ron a Weasel. But that thought
was followed by sadness on the part of her husband, who must surely still be stinging from his loss. She glanced at him, wondering if he knew what direction
her mind had gone, but he seemed intent only on getting something into her belly.
"Tell me what's been happening since I went into the cave," Hermione said. "I really don't remember much of anything."
"Do you remember Lord Voldemort and his Death Demons?" Lucius inquired with a sneer. "Good place for him, that."
"I think I'd rather he had stayed in hell," Hermione said. "Especially considering how many people died trying to put him there."
"Yes, and his story about the Leprechaun rings somewhat silly," Lucius added. "What the devil would a Leprechaun be doing in Scotland in the first place? They're
usually in Ireland."
"Oh, no, sir, not true," Egremon informed him. "A great many of them have immigrated here in the last century or so. I guess the potato famine affected them
as well."
Hermione grinned. "Yes, I believe I read about that somewhere."
"You would have, my dear," Lucius commented, making her blush.
"I'm not going to apologize for being a bookworm, if that's what you think, Lucius Malfoy," she answered hotly. "You knew what I was when you married me."
"Never fear, my darling, I'm just as much of a bookworm as you," he said as he wiped a spill off her chin. "If only we were back at Malfoy manor now, sitting
in our massive library and enjoying ourselves."
"You'll not be seeing that place anytime soon," Egremon told him. "Only, we really can't stay here either. We've got to figure out a place to go where no one
will recognize us."
"For Merlin's sake, man, I'm bloody Lucius Malfoy," he pointed out. "Where can we possibly go?"
"Perhaps—and this is just a suggestion—perhaps we should move to the Americas."
"Do we really need to go as far away as all that?"
"Well, it's certain no one would look for us there right away," Egremon pointed out.
"No, he's right," Hermione agreed. "The further we are from those bloody demons, the less likely they are to find us."
"Great," Lucius said. "Now all we have to do is make sure you don't cut yourself so they can track your scent, and we'll be all set. Tell, me, Hermione, how does
one get all the way to the States without the use of magic?"
"They fly, of course," she said as if he should have known.
"You mean, as in an aeroplane?" Lucius asked, looking horrified. "Do you have any idea how many people die each year in those bloody things?"
"Well, I suppose we could take a boat," she said, to which Lucius looked practically green.
"This aeroplane of yours is starting to sound much better," he commented. "I can't wait."
"Sit me up a bit and I'll feed myself so you can eat, too," Hermione suggested.
Lucius pulled a face. "I'm not very hungry at the moment," he said. "Perhaps I'll eat later, when they serve us a meal in flight."
Both Egremon and Hermione laughed hysterically. They just couldn't help it, considering the look on his face. With a disdainful scowl at the both of them,
Lucius turned and stepped outside, making the pair laugh even more.
"Well, who would have ever believed it?" Hermione commented then. "Harry and Ron would be ecstatic to know that Lucius Malfoy, ex-Death Eater and current
aristocrat, is afraid to fly!"
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