A Revised story
I own nothing and nobody
Hermione was sat in the front garden of her parents' house. It was a beautiful day, but to Hermione it was not something she noticed. After going to Australia to find her parents, she returned to England two months later bringing with her the news that her parents had passed away in a car accident. Of course she blamed herself, no matter what anyone said, and the others had plenty to say. She couldn't deny the logic of their arguments, not Hermione, but matters such as this are not simple.
Over a period of months Hermione found her relationship with Ron deteriorating. Ron is not the most patient person on earth and eventually the words, 'pull yourself together Hermione' were heard yelled across the garden of the Burrow. Also heard were Hermione's sobs and the sudden pop of apparition. So this is where she found herself, in her parents' garden thinking of all the things that could have been.
She heard the sound of someone apperating behind her but could not bring herself to lift her head. 'Please don't let it be Ron', she thought, in a despairing tone. 'Hermione', said the male voice behind her, 'Hermione, I heard what happened at the Burrow'. Hermione closed her eyes and concentrated on Harry's voice. It had been a while since she had seen him, avoiding him really. He reminded her of the reason she sent her parents' way. 'Harry', she said, plastering a fake smile on her face, 'It's good to see you'. 'Don't give me that Hermione', Harry said, 'I'm the last person you want to see, I know that', he said, coming towards her. He stopped just in front of her and put his warm hands on her cheeks. 'Look Hermione, I know you are still healing and I didn't come here to nag you or get you to go back to the Burrow'. Hermione look at him surprised, 'why are you here Harry?' Harry looked at her, holding her face in his hands, 'I need you to come back with me to Spinners End Hermione, to my parents' house', 'We've got a problem Hermione, a big one, and it's to do with Draco Malfoy'.
They apperated into the front garden and Harry pulled Hermione towards him. 'Look', he said, 'Draco Malfoy is in my front room ok? So I just want you to hear him out'. Hermione looked at him with a doubtful look on her face. 'Look Harry, I realize you and Draco may have settled some things but he still regards me as the lowest of the low'. 'What about Ron? maybe you and Ron can deal with this?'.
'Hermione this just isn't like you, aren't you in the least bit curious?' Harry shook his head and looked down to the ground. He wasn't sure of how to deal with this new unsure Hermione in front of him. The confident girl, sure of her abilities had disappeared over these past months and Harry had no idea how to get her back.
Draco Malfoy was looking out of Potters window. He was watching the exchange between Potter and Granger. He had seen Granger on a few occasions since the last battle but he could not remember her looking this tired. Potter seemed to be practically pulling her towards the house. The issue of blood purity was long gone as far as Draco was concerned, ever since seeing Granger being tortured by his Aunt. His father now being held in Azkaban and his mother under house arrest for the foreseeable future, Draco was now in the position of trying to hold the Malfoy estate together. And this seemed to be his purpose, until his visit yesterday to see his father.
Hermione entered the room behind Harry, avoiding eye contact with Malfoy. 'Potter', Malfoy said, inclining his head slightly. Draco looked at Hermione, 'Granger', he said, 'you look…..well'. Hermione looked at Malfoy then. She looked for any sign of his familiar sneer but there was none. 'As do you Malfoy', she said.
'Let's get on with this then Malfoy', said Harry. 'Can you tell Hermione what you've told me and let's try and make some sense of things.
'Right Granger, you'd better sit down, you look as though you're going to fall down anyway. What the hell have you done to yourself?' , 'Whatever I've done is no concern of yours Malfoy', Hermione snapped back. She sat down on Harry's shabby sofa, 'just bloody get on with it'. Draco smiled slightly, 'temper temper Granger', he said.
Harry looked between Malfoy and Hermione. Her face was flushed and her eyes blazed, it reminded him of the Hermione of old. He smiled quietly to himself.
'Yesterday I went to visit my father in Azkaban, and I noticed immediately something was wrong with him', he paused, 'he was agitated, at first I thought it was because mother wasn't with me but then I realized that it wasn't that'. Draco clenched the back of the chair he was standing behind. 'He was scared, terrified of something, I asked him to tell me what the hell was going on, what had made feel like this'. He looked straight at Hermione. 'He told me that there was going to be a new Dark Lord, that he was going to be killed for being a traitor, and he knew this because of the visitor he had that morning'. Hermione leaned forward, 'who was the visitor Malfoy?'.
'Apparently Granger, that visitor was me'.