Hehehe... I forgot to update yesterday (the 2nd one). Gah.
Anyways, I'll update now before I leave cause I barely have any time

Yeah, short chapter but I couldn’t make it any longer without it sucking... even more...
Yeah, I’m kinda off with ideas right now, it might show
Anyways, enjoy. I’ll have a better, longer chapter coming up next... chapter 25 is long, and chapter 26 is the end.
~Sarah

Chapter 24
Leaving

“What? That’s not possible, I never met any Death Eaters throughout the summer,” Harry responded indignantly as he walked ahead and pushed through the bramble.

“They saw you. They all knew you were up to something, so they started tracing you. They must’ve found you and put under the Imperius Curse to get you away from whatever you were searching for. They couldn’t kill you; that would’ve been too obvious and the Dark Lord... well you know. But they meant you... wow,” Draco concluded, now lost in thought as he, Hermione, and Harry left the forest.

“What has happened? I mean, here and through the past few months... depending on how long it has been. What day is it?”

“Either February 14th or 15th. It depends on how long we were out,” Hermione responded. She looked around and noticed the open expanse. “Can we Apparate now?”

“Where to? We can’t go back to the grounds because of that stupid spell,” Harry injected.

“Go into Hogsmeade then,” Hermione responded simply. “It’s not that far.”

“For you, it might not be,” Draco said flatly.

“I can hop, you know,” Hermione snapped.

“It’s still a far ways...”

“I’ll see what I can do,” Hermione cut in. She was then let down on her good foot, and she wobbled on the spot momentarily. “Thank Merlin they took those heels...”

“Yeah, thank goodness you only pair of shoes are gone,” Draco pointed out sarcastically.

“Well... yeah, that to,” Hermione said, somewhat flustered.

Without further word, Draco took her hand and Disapparated. Within moments, they were standing outside of Madam Pudifoot’s, which was the store closest to the end of the road. Moments later, there was a distant, yet evident, pop of Harry’s Apparition. Hermione looked over her shoulder, balancing against Draco’s shoulder, and saw Harry in front of Zonko’s Joke Shop further down.

“This isn’t time for games!” she called down to him.

“It’s the only store I could think of next to Honeydukes!” he hollered back.

With another pop, he disappeared, but reappeared by her side. Grudgingly, Hermione put her arm around Harry’s shoulders as well and the three of them headed down the darkening path towards the looming castle ahead.