"What was erased?" I say it more to myself than to them.

Potter looked through my memories, obviously looking for something. Maybe it was the accident that he was interested in finding, but I doubt it. He cut through it before I had even made it to the top of the stairs. They were looking for any sign of Goyle.

Goyle knew me, but I didn't know him. Just like my flatmates will never know Draco knocked them unconscious, but I will.

Draco and the others are too wrapped up in their bubble to notice me. When I stand, I turn to look at them. Potter's eyes dart over, and he leans back, almost alarmed that I am standing.

"Something was erased, wasn't it?" my voice is loud to try and penetrate their spell.

Potter waves his wand and the buzzing stops. All four of them stare at me.

"Well?" I ask, looking between them. "A memory was taken, right? Just like you did to my flatmates?"

Weasley looks at Draco with disgust, and Draco sighs, "that's what we suspect, yes."

"What happened to me?" I ask, looking around them. "A wizard did something, right? Goyle, I assume?"

"We don't know," Draco shakes his head.

I stare at them, looking around for anyone else to provide an answer, but they are all quiet. Weasley looks like words might burst out of his mouth though. My eyes turn to him, hoping he will look at me and then see me and speak. He's too focused on glaring at Draco.

"Memory charms don't show up on diagnostic charms, even ones more complex than those that I know," Granger explains. "We needed to see if we could find a crack in a memory."

"Muggles are good at filling in gaps, but wizards notice things that muggles explain away," Draco continues. "Potter could feel the crack but couldn't place it."

"It's less like finding a hole in a balloon and more like tasting," Potter explains. "A hole in a balloon has air shoot out of it. You know where the hole is. It's like, I can taste that something is off, but I don't know what it is or how to find out."

I figure they were looking for something that's been tampered with when Potter went scratching his way through all my memories. I don't know when it happened though.

"What did he hide?" I ask, looking around them all. "What did Goyle do to me?"

I can feel my panic climbing in my throat. Each breath is more jagged than the last, so sharp they slash into my throat, and I can feel my windpipe swelling. I take a few steps backwards, so that way I can sit on the bed. If I don't calm down, my body is going to take over and I will be running out of here barefoot just as I did last month.

"It's not about what you did, but what you knew," Draco explains. "Goyle wouldn't have switched from focusing on me to coming after you if it weren't important."

"What?" I ask, looking around. The idea that he took information from me is much less unsettling than the thought that someone might have touched me, touched my hair, and then tore it from my head. "I don't know anything."

"Does she know about the war, then?" Weasley looks angry. He reads something on his face. "Merlin, you really told her nothing then. What do you expect us to do, Malfoy?"

"I did mention it, but no details," Draco grits his teeth. I wait expectantly. He looks up at the ceiling, mutters something to himself either a spell or a prayer, and then speaks. "There was some fighting in Brighton back in 1997. You must've heard something you weren't supposed to hear. Goyle either wants to prevent us from extracting the memory or get the memory himself."

"Either way, if he and his friends get to you, they'll kill you," Potter finally says.

I nod my head. They think this happened over a year ago, perhaps longer.

"So, how long am I supposed to hide?" I ask.

"We don't know," Granger says.

"At least until Goyle and his friends are apprehended," Potter explains. "Potentially longer."

"This is bloody mental," Weasley speaks up. "I just think-"

Draco flashes a wand at Weasley. His eyes are dark and heavy, glaring at the ginger. The room goes quiet.

"If you-"

"Shove off, Malfoy," Weasley pushes Draco's chest.

Malfoy casts the quiet charm once more. Their voices become a muffled fuzz. They really cannot seem to stop shouting at each other. Granger is trying to talk down Weasley, while Potter keeps glancing over at me. He offers me an uncomfortable smile.

"Can you not?" I shout over what noise ought to be happening. "For five minutes, can you just not."

Granger dismisses the charm, and Draco pulls it back up. Weasley is getting quite livid now. Potter even seems to be growing frustrated with Draco. I want to stand up, but my feet have gone numb. If these are the people Draco trusts the most, Lord have mercy on me.

After a minute, Weasley's face is still beat red, but Draco scowls and the spell ends. They all look around.

"Well," Draco says. He looks between them all. "You have half a dozen safe houses in England. Surely you can put us up in one."

"They're all housing Order members," Potter says. "We can put you up with your aunt, she-"

"Are you sure there is nowhere else?" Draco asks. "I'd rather only you three know. Well, I'd rather Weasley not know, and Granger too if it had been avoidable, but I will settle for you three. If you cannot help us, I'm just going to make an unauthorized portkey and hide us somewhere else. Abroad."

Potter opens his mouth for a second and then closes it.

"Harry," Weasley warns. "You are not about to say what I suspect."

Potter sighs, "Ron, his face is on the damn tapestry. Really, it's more his house than mine."

"Absolutely not," Granger shakes her head. "You're not going to give him access to our headquarters!"

Potter ignores both of them. He's thinking. His eyes go to my face and his skin tightens.

"Let's take her, and then send him somewhere else," Weasley insists. "We can keep her safe."

"Yeah, sure Weasley. I'll just also give you every coin in my family's vault too, down to the knut. What a stupid fucking suggestion," Draco practically snarls.

"Well, I'm not wrong," Weasley argues. "We can protect her from Goyle just as easily if you aren't around. Actually, your presence is only going to make things harder. I think all of us would rather not be around each other anyway."

"You and Hermione don't own the damn place, and while I value your opinion, you won't have to live with him," Potter says. "It makes me the most sense, anyway. We know that they will be safe with us."

"Ginny is going to have your head in," Weasley manages. He rubs the stubble on his chin.

I would rather not be away from Draco. These people are strangers, and they seem very hesitant to help him. Who is to say they aren't going to do something to me in the house if we are ever apart for even a second? At least, he seems quite adamant not to leave me alone with them.

"We should apparate now," Harry says. "I'll take Malfoy. One of you lot take Jane."

"She got sick after apparating less than two kilometres. Getting here was worse. As far as I recall, the Black home is in London," Draco shakes his head. When Weasley looks at him puzzled, Draco sighs, "what, you think I never went there as a child for Christmas?"

"The pressure from apparating might cause more damage to the crack anyway," Granger points out. "I imagine a portkey would do worse, honestly."

"We can't take the Floo," Potter adds. "We came in through the Three Broomsticks, and I do not imagine Madam Rosemerta will just be pleased to see Malfoy."

"How far did you apparate to get here?" Weasley looks at Draco. When Draco doesn't answer, Weasley rolls his eyes. "I'm not trying to find out where you've been hiding. I just figured that if we need to apparate a short distance so I can get access to a flying car or some other mode of transportation, then so be it. Unless you are suggesting we walk to London."

Draco sighs, "about fifty kilometres."

"There's a train station a shorter distance from here than that," Granger says. "It's for muggles, but Ron and I have been. We might stick out in our clothes, but it's our best bet."

I look at Granger. She is about my size. I walk over to my duffle bag and pull out a jumper for her. I hadn't brought another coat.

"You can wear this," I offer. "It might be cold, but you can layer underneath it."

She offers me a sort of smile.

Potter and Weasley look expectantly at Draco. He rolls his eyes, before grabbing his trunk. He digs inside it and throws two jumpers and some trousers at both Weasley and Potter. He offers them one coat, which won't work for the pair of them, but it's better than nothing.

"They're not going to fit properly," Draco says. "Weasley is far too tall."

"I'm sure we can transfigure them," Granger explains.

"Mum had to do it with my robes," Weasley adds.

The silence that follows is thick. It is entirely possible that this is not going to work. At least, it seems like they are committed to trying to get me out of here but would still rather not help Draco. I don't know how much I need to keep hidden. Perhaps Goyle and his friends are everywhere, but equally likely they don't want to be spotted in this magical village with a muggle.

"Well, we're going to get rooms at the Three Broomsticks," Potter finally says. "We will be back here early tomorrow."

With them sparing glances at me and glares at Draco, they leave. I feel my chest relax.

~~~~~

Little bit of an explanation, but the next chapter will have a lot more detail about what is going on. Let me know what you think in the comments! Hearing from you makes this all worth it.