19

"Yes, I said pendulum. The letters spell pendulum." Hermione was lying underneath him, her ribs crushed, her eyes watering from the dust that the horses kicked up.

Draco rolled off her and sat by the roadside, running his hand absently through his hair. He went over and over the letters in his head. Two were missing, and one they couldn't remember, but he guessed they could spell pendulum when put together. "What does it mean?" he finally asked.

"It means we have to make it swing. Think about it, Malfoy. Every single time we've gone into the clock, the hands were at twelve. They've never said anything else, no matter what time it was. That first night when we went inside, you noticed that the pendulum didn't swing. I recall you saying something about it!"

Draco tried to remember what he said, but it seemed like years ago, even though it wasn't. "Now that you mention it, it is strange. I mean, how is the bloody thing chiming when the pendulum isn't moving?"

Hermione shook her head in bewilderment. "I haven't the slightest idea how it works. McGonagall said that Dumbledore had the Unspeakables from the Department of Mysteries make the clock. Who knows what kind of magic is inside."

"Well, there has to be Time Turner dust in there for us to be able to travel through time," Draco said. "How else could it happen?"

Hermione stood up and wiped the dirt from her backside. "In fifth year, during the Battle at the Ministry, we accidentally destroyed all the Time Turners." She began to walk back and forth, thinking. "Perhaps they swept up all the Time Turner dust and used it for the clock." Sighing, she continued, "Whatever, it doesn't really matter, does it?" She stopped pacing and looked down at Draco. "What matters now is figuring a way to keep that clock in one place long enough for us to get that pendulum swinging!"

"Exactly how the fuck are we going to do that? We've tried before to stay inside, and well, you know how that turned out!"

"First things first. We need to go to town to get some supplies." She held out her hand and helped Draco to his feet.

"Town? How do you know there's a town nearby? Is it because of that carriage?"

She gave him a bright smile. "That, Malfoy, was not a carriage, it was a stagecoach."

His eyebrow lifted, and for the first time in a long time, he seemed excited. "A stagecoach? Like in the Old West?"

Hermione thought for a second that Draco was going to dance a jig on the spot. "I take it you like the Old West?"

"Hell yeah! Shootouts and poker games, saloons and hangings! What's not to like?"

"How is it that you know about the Muggle history of another country?" she asked, waving her wand at him.

"Books."

"Books?" she said with a tiny laugh.

"You're not the only one who can read, Granger."

"I never insinuated that you were illiterate, Draco." She waved her wand, and he was suddenly wearing different clothing.

"Then why are you laughing?" He looked down at his new attire. "And what the bloody fucking hell am I wearing?" He was dressed like the men of the Old West, hat and all. He took it off his head, examined it and put it back on. "I've seen pictures of men dressed like this and always wondered how it would feel." He patted his hips and scowled.

"What's wrong?" Hermione asked, amused. "Let me guess... no pistols?"

Draco shrugged. "Well, it would make the outfit complete!" He held up pretend pistols and made shooting sounds.

"If you think I'd let you carry around a Muggle weapon, you're crazy!"

"You think I couldn't twirl them around, shoot a bird at 50 yards and put them back in the holster?" He acted it all out as he described it, making Hermione laugh.

"I don't know about that. I'd just be afraid that you'd shoot your damn foot off or something. Muggle weapons are not toys, Draco. They kill."

Hermione waved her wand over herself and was soon dressed in the womanly clothing of the 1870's. The dress was a blue gingham with a tight bodice and sleeves. The skirt flared out from her tiny waist and was gathered at both sides with tiny bows. White frills peeked out from under the skirt, and on her feet were black walking boots. She adjusted the fashionable bonnet on her head and said, "Ready?"

They walked for maybe half an hour before they came to the overturned stagecoach. They slowly and cautiously made their way over and looked through the windows. No one was inside, but there were clothing and valuables strewn about. The horses were nowhere in sight. It was strange.

"I wonder where the people went?" Hermione asked, scanning the brush on the side of the road. "I hope no one's hurt."

"Look!" Draco shouted, holding up a handful of American greenbacks. "Money, right?" He folded it all up and stuck it in his boot.

"We can't just take that! That would be stealing!"

"Ever heard of finder keepers, Hermione?" He dug through the carpet bags and piles of belongings. "Oooh! What's this?"

He sounded so excited that Hermione knelt down next to him. "What! What did you find?" Her smile quickly turned to a frown, and she stood back up, watching him, and then, she rolled her eyes.

"A mirror!" He pulled out a handheld, expensive looking, mirror from a pile of ladies undergarments. "Damn, I look good in this hat, don't I, Granger?" He moved his head this way and that, admiring himself.

When he blew himself a kiss in the mirror, Hermione lost all patience. "For the love of God, Malfoy! You can snog your reflection some other time! We have things to do!"

Draco gave himself one more look and threw the mirror over his shoulder where it landed in the bushes. "I don't see anything else of use," he said, scanning the area.

They set off again, Hermione clicking her tongue in distaste when he took out the money and counted it.

"What?" he asked. "Still angry about me pilfering?" He smirked. "Get over it. I've done worse."

"I know you have! It's just that, well, what if that person needed that money? What if they have a sick child and were on their way to town to buy medicine?"

"I can't think about that. I have to take care of you, protect you. You and that baby are the most important things in my life, and if I have to steal or kill to see that no harm comes to you, then so be it!" He tilted back his hat and wiped the sweat from his forehead with the back of his hand. "We may need this money to buy whatever it is that we need to fix that damn clock."

Hermione knew he was right. They probably were going to need the money, but it still made her feel guilty. "How's your ankle? Does it hurt much?"

"Not at all. You're going to make one hell of a Healer when you grow up!"

Hermione chuckled. "You know, I never gave a serious thought to being a Healer until I knew that I really was going to be one."

Draco rolled his grey eyes. "Well. I still have no interest in being one. Why do you suppose I will choose it as a career?"

"Maybe you love me so much that the thought of me going to St. Mungo's every day, working alongside gorgeous, rich Healers, made you decide to just become one. That way, you could keep an eye on me. I might have an affair."

"Like you'd cheat on me! Honestly, that is just ludicrous!" he laughed. "Look at me... I'm everything a woman could want!"

"I'm surprised that you can walk upright with that big-ass head of yours! I've never seen anyone with a bigger ego than yours... except for Professor Lockhart."

"Whatever happened to that wanker, anyhow?"

"He tried to use Ron's wand to erase his and Harry's memory, and it backfired and Obliviated him instead. We actually saw him at St. Mungo's a few years ago."

"He was a fake and a phony if I ever saw one! I never understood why no one could see that."

"He was a nice guy, Malfoy. A little bit stuck on himself, but other than that..." Her face was turning red, and she looked everywhere but at Draco.

"You thought he was sexy, didn't you, Granger?" Draco said in a sing-song voice. "Admit it! You sat in class thinking about that man ripping off your clothes and bending you over your desk, didn't you?"

"I did not!"

"Oh, paaaleeeze!"

"Would you just shut up? We're here."

The town was bustling with activity. People walking, riding, talking, and shopping. Draco wanted desperately to go into the saloon and play cards, and Hermione had to actually physically hold him back. He looked so wide eyed and curious about everything. She was amazed that he didn't pee in his pants.

"I've been thinking," she said as they walked past a General Store, "about how to make the clock remain here long enough to fix the pendulum, and there's only one solution."

"Yeah? And what's that?" he asked, watching the wheel at the lumber mill spin around.

"We have to shoot it."

Draco's head slowly turned in her direction. "What! Are you out of your mind, Granger?"

"It's the only way!" she pleaded. "Unless you have another idea!"

He thought for a moment and could come up with nothing. "I can't believe we are going to break it just to fix it!" He suddenly remembered something. "That clock was hit with the Avada Kedavra curse and nothing broke, what makes you think that shooting it with a Muggle weapon will do anything?"

"I don't know that it'll work, but it can't hurt to try."

"Oh, yes, it can! What if we break it so badly that I can't fix it and we get stuck here for the rest of our lives?"

"Who said YOU were going to fix it?" she asked with a smirk. "Maybe I was planning on doing it."

Draco leaned up against the mill's wooden fence. "No offence, Hermione, but I'm a man, and everyone knows that men are better at fixing things than women, and don't forget that I fixed that Vanishing Cabinet last year by myself."

"You have a point. I'm not very mechanically inclined. I'll shoot and you can fix it."

"Absolutely not! I'm shooting it."

"No, you're not."

"Yes, I am, and that's my final word!"

"Your final word!" she bristled. "Who the hell do you think you are?"

"I'm Draco Malfoy."

"So?"

"That means that you have to do what I say... or else."

"Or else what?"

He grabbed her and kissed her hard on the lips. "Or else I'll never kiss you again."

"Oh no! Whatever shall I do without your kisses?" She feigned anguish, holding her heart.

"Do you really want to find out?" he teased her.

She leaned in and kissed him, pulled back and seemed to think about it. "You know, I think I could live without it."

Draco frowned, his sunburned face getting even redder. "You are not going to shoot that clock, if I have to tie you to a tree and..."

Hermione laughed lightly. "Draco, I was joking. You can fire off all the shots you want. In fact, I'm rather curious to see what kind of aim you have. I'm betting you couldn't hit the broad side of a barn!"

"We'll just see about that!"

Hermione wondered where she could possibly go to buy a gun. Maybe they sold them in the General Store. "Give me the money, Draco. I'm going to go to that shop over there to see about getting a rifle or something."

"Do you want me to come with you?" He could barely tear his eyes away from the doors of the saloon. Loud piano music was drifting from the establishment, and drunken men were shouting and picking fights with one another in the street.

"Yes. I think you should," she said, eyeing him suspiciously. It would be just like him to run across the road to the saloon as soon as she turned her back. Who knew what kind of trouble he would get himself into in there? "You look way to curious, and you know what they say about curiousity."

Draco looked at her with sad puppy dog eyes and a pouting lip. "Come on, Granger! I just want to observe. I promise I won't move from this spot." He gave her his most innocent, pleading face.

Hermion, against her better judgement, gave in. "Fine. You don't have to come, but please do me a favor and stay right here. Do not, under any circumstances, go anywhere near that saloon! Those men look mean and drunk, and there is no telling what could happen to you." He didn't respond. "Draco!"

"Huh? Yeah, all right! I won't go anywhere! I promise!" he said to her unbelieving face.

Hermione frowned and headed across the road to the store, looking back over her shoulder to make sure he stayed where he was.

As soon as Hermione was out of sight, Draco made his way to the saloon. What did she know? He knew he could handle any situation that came his way. He was a Malfoy, and besides, he had a wand.

As he made his way across the dusty road, he was cut off by two men on horses. He heard one of them say something about robbing the bank, and he paused.

"What the hell are you looking at?" one of the men said, looking down at Draco from his horse. His face was filthy, and the smell wafting from him was enough to make Draco want to hurl. The man spit a stream of foul tobacco juice from his mouth, hitting the tip of Draco's boot. Draco looked up and saw the man grinning at him, his rotten teeth flecked with tobacco.

"Nothing." Draco said. 'You disgusting fucking pig!' he added in his head. He tipped his hat at them and continued across the road, stopping in front of the saloon. He heard the men laugh and watched as they made their way towards the bank.

Curiosity got the better of him, and he decided to follow them. He had read all about bank robberies, and here was his chance to see one for real. He trailed behind them, trying to look inconspicuous while staring straight ahead like he had some place to get to.

The two men rode their horses up to the bank, and one of them, the filthy guy with the nasty teeth, jumped down and handed the reins to the other man. He grabbed a rifle from the saddle and looked around.

Draco ducked behind the building and peeked around the corner.

"I'll be quick, Jake. In and out, and if anyone gets in my way, I'll blow them in half!" He and Jake laughed, and then Mr. Black Teeth walked up the steps into the bank. Jake nervously glanced around, one hand on the pistol in his holster, the other holding tightly to the horse.

There was shouting, and then a loud shot rang out, a woman screamed and then was silenced by another blast. Draco's heart was thumping, and adrenalin was racing through his body. Jake dropped the reins, pulled out his gun and headed for the door of the bank. Draco jumped out from his hiding place, tackled the robber and forced the pistol from his hand. They struggled, rolling around in the dirt, swearing and hitting each other.

Draco elbowed Jake in the head and managed to get to his feet. He kicked the thief in the bridge of his nose and shouted, "Stop right there, or I'll blow your fucking brains out!" He pointed the gun at the man, who was lying on the ground, bloody and pissed off.

The door to the bank suddenly burst open, and without thinking, Draco turned and fired off a shot, hitting the other robber in the chest. The man spun comically on his heel and fell off the steps, landing in the dirt. A large sack of gold and paper money flew into the air and wafted down around his dying body.

Hermione stepped out of the store, supplies loaded in her arms, and beheld all hell breaking loose. People were scattering in every direction, and the Sheriff streaked by on a black horse, narrowly missing her. She dropped the goods she had just purchased and ran to where Draco was suppose to be waiting for her.

"Draco!" she called, trying to be heard over the noise. He was nowhere to be found, and she started to panic. She followed the crowd, fearing the worst. She should have known better than to leave him alone in an alien Muggle world. "Draco!" she shouted again, and the crowd scattered in every direction as another gunshot rang out. Hermione knew something was terribly wrong, and she rushed through the throngs of fleeing terrified people, praying to whatever god there was that Draco was not dead.

Draco stared in shock at what he had just done. He had really just killed a man, and he was certain he was in serious deep shit if the authorities showed up. He started to lower the pistol with a shaky hand when the man on the ground grabbed his leg. Draco jumped and impulsively fired a shot into the man's head. Blood and brains flew up, splattering him in the face. People ran screaming as Draco turned, his mouth hanging open in horror. He took a step, ready to make a run for it, when suddenly there was a rifle pointed at his back.

"Drop it son, or I'll shoot," the Sheriff said.

Draco tossed the gun on the ground beside the now faceless Jake and put his hands in the air.

Hermione broke through the crowd and stopped dead. "I leave him alone for ten minutes and look what happens!"