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"Okay, now you're being ridiculous." Draco shook his head, crossing his arms over his chest. He could honestly say he had never been in such an insane conversation before. He had hoped he never would caught in this situation before and yet, here he stood. Ginny Weasley stood before him, crying into her hands. If there's one thing he hated more than anything in the world, it was tears. From anyone, really. They just always made him uncomfortable. It had nothing to do with who they came from or what the problem was, they were just so awkward. "No, really, Weaslette, can you-" Draco had always been taught that tears showed weakness. It was a concept his father never forgot to remind him. When he was younger and fell off a broom or when he was punished for speaking out of turn.
Ginny Weasley cried every day for the first year that Hermione Granger was gone. It went from full on wailing to not showing up to work. Then, she was fine. But every now and then, Draco saw her eyes and they were so red. And she had smears on her makeup. He had enough. "Oh for Merlin's sake, you didn't kill her! Hermione Granger is very much alive! You know that!"
"I might as well have carved her name into the headstone myself!" Ginny shook her head, looking up at the blonde. She paced the floor, "I had to beg them to stop the investigation. I convinced them that she was gone. I planned the funeral. Do you realise how that makes me look to those two? To Harry and Ron? " She sat back against the desk, frowning, attempting to wipe at her eyes. "I should've known better. Harry- you should see how he looks at me. Some days, he can't even do that. It's like he's this shell. We have these frozen conversations. He hates me." She frowned. "And don't even get me started on Ron."
"I don't think they hate you." He leaned against her cabinets, knowing it couldn't be possible. "They're just a little miffed. A little angry, but they'll get over it. After all, they didn't find one girl just to lose another." Draco watched her, brows furrowed. "Look, I- I apologise. For what I said before. I didn't mean it."
Ginny chuckled dryly, shaking her head. "Oh, yes, you did. And you were right. If we had looked harder, well, we would've found her. Maybe it would have taken us a few days or months, maybe another year but…not four." She blinked and wiped at her eyes, looking down at her mascara-smeared fingers. "Merlin, look at me. I'm a mess. I can't go see her looking like this."
Draco straightened at this, intrigued. "You're going to go visit her? To-today?" His eyes were wide with interest now and Ginny shifted, uncomfortable with his gaze, nodding. "I'm going with you."
"I'm sorry, what?" She blinked, unsure if she heard correctly. "You want to come along with me? Why would you want to do that?"
"Well this is my biggest case. I've been working on it for years. I know everything about her and just because she's here doesn't mean the case is over. There's still that piece of shit that took her. Who I will make sure to find….but I haven't seen her since I found her and I would like to know how she's doing." Draco straightened himself out, hands in his pockets.
"Sorry, I'm confused. Wouldn't Daphne inform you of all that?" Ginny rose a brow, crossing her arms and looking up at him. She tilted her head. "I mean, she's supposed to be your best friend."
"She is my best friend. And she does inform me, but it's different. I'd like to see Hermione in person" Draco shifted on his feet. "I know it doesn't mean much coming from me. Seeing how I was a git to her all those years during Hogwarts, but it's important that she's better. As her auror, I want to make sure she's okay."
"She's being taken care of, Malfoy." Ginny looked confused. "By the more than capable engaged duo. Daphne and Neville have their best people on the case. You don't have to worry."
"I don't think you understand, Ginevra." He pushed away from the cabinets, narrowing his eyes at her. "I'm not asking for your permission. I'm going to check up on her. Now that I know I can. I'll be informing Daphne about my visit and if you'd like, we can walk to St. Mungo's together. If not, then I will see you there." He moved to the doors, pushing it open. "You know, you should probably clean this place up. It's quite the mess."
Ginny furrowed her brows, looking around the place as he stepped out, straightening herself. She waved her wand, watching as everything went back to its proper place. She picked up her mirror, fixing her hair and makeup before sitting to send her fiancée an owl. If Draco Malfoy was tagging along, its best it wasn't a surprise. Ever since Draco and his team, which included Ginny, had found Hermione in the middle of nowhere, Harry Potter had taken to mostly ignoring the Weasley girl. The three Sunday mornings and Wednesday dinners since Hermione had been rescued saw the couple completely civil as they visited the Burrow. Harry had made it clear that he did not want to disturb Molly with their problems, so they smiled and laughed and held hands and kissed….at least until they apparated home. Then it was silence. Silence as they undressed for bed or because Harry took the moment they arrived to head out into his study. He usually stayed there unless he was at work or visiting Hermione at St. Mungo's.
Draco was actually the first person beside Ron who knew that there was a problem in the Potter-Weasley household. Ginny tried everything to apologise. Of course she felt terrible, Hermione was like a sister to her, but back then….back then she just truly didn't believe Hermione could still be alive. She had lost all hope. Ginny closed her eyes as she finished her letter, walking out to the secretary she shared with a few other aurors. "Please send this to my husband as soon as possible." She held it out for the girl, turning on her heel to head back into her office.
"I thought he was your fiancée?" Ginny stopped in her tracks, closing her eyes. "Never mind, I'll do it right away." She took a breath and straightened out her jacket, walking into her office without answering.
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Daphne hadn't even made it down the hall when the lights went out on the floor and she paused, tensing. "Lumos." She muttered, heading down the hall, careful of her surroundings. At the moment, there had only been one security on the floor. She turned her wand towards where he should be standing and found him on the floor, unconscious. She bit her lower lip, "Hermione?" She called out gently as she entered the room where the girl had been held for the past three weeks. She heard a gasp coming from her feet and she pointed her lit wand at the noise. "Oh, gods." She moved to the floor where the nurse lay, a pen sticking out of her neck. Immediately she realised the girl would not live the next five seconds. Just as she was ready to cast a charm to slow the blood flowing from her wound when the nurse's hand found hers. She held a paper in it. Daphne grimaced, noting she did not know her name, taking the paper as the light left her eyes and the girl passed on, her body going limp. It was as she was surveying her that she realised the girl's wand was missing. The hair stood up on the back of her neck and she knew she was in trouble.
Daphne took her wand up as she stood, pocketing the parchment paper. She had barely registered the spell coming towards her, moving out of the way at the last second. Her blood ran cold as she threw up a barrier, hoping it'd stall Hermione's attacks, sending a stunning spell at the patient. "Hermione, stop! Please!" she cried out, watching as the spell missed the former Gryffindor by an inch. She was only able to catch a glimpse, but the girl looked terrifying. She stood in the doorway, looking completely unfazed and yet completely determined. Daphne attempted to disarm her with no luck, watching the spell redirect to the wall, causing a loud crash.
Hermione's eyes flashed and she sent another spell her way. A pink flash had the girl strengthen her shields and she instinctively held one hand over her stomach. She knew that curse. Daphne upheld the barrier, straightening back up. She threw another stunning spell at the witches' feet, watching her dance out of it's path. "Reducto!" Daphne covered her face as her shields shattered around her like glass, the force of the sell knocking her back. She hit the floor with a loud thud, pain shooting up her back. Tears pricked her eyes. "Expelliarmus!" Her wand flew from her hand and she watched in horror as the witch walked into the room, her eyes bright. Daphne shuffled back, covered in the nurse's blood now completely.
"Hermione. Please." She lifted her hands up in surrender. "Please don't do this. I'm trying to help you. I only want to help you." Her eyes closed as she felt her back hit the wall and instantly the cold feeling of a wand pressed up against her chin. With a simple Locomotor spell, Hermione had Daphne fully standing and on her feet. "I don't know what happened to you in there, Hermione, but I only want to help you get through it." A few tears streamed down her cheeks and she shook her head, forcing herself to look into the cold, dull eyes of Hermione Granger. "Let me help you."
"You can't." Hermione frowned and pulled back the wand, a spell on her lips when a bright, red light was sent her way and she crumbled to the ground, unconscious. Daphne looked up at her savior, a sob escaping her lips as she ran into his arms.
"Draco!" She cried, hugging him tightly. His arms wrapped around her, holding her close. "You saved me. I was so sure she was going to kill me." She buried her face in his chest as he rubbed her back, shushing her. "She killed the nurse." He looked around her at the floor as the lights came back on and Neville ran in, Harry following close behind.
"Daphne!" Neville took a step forward, registering all of the blood over his fiancée and she immediately slinked from Draco's arms to his, sobbing. "You're shaking. What happened? Are you hurt? Who's blood is this?" He held her in his arms as Harry stepped into the room with Draco, assessing the girl on the ground. He shook his head at Neville. "She- did she kill Maggie? What did she do to you, Daphne? How did this happen?" Daphne opened her mouth to speak, but shook her head, completely shaken up. Neville led her to a seat as Draco and Harry worked on magically binding Hermione to the bed. Neville reached into his pocket, producing a calming draught with a patient's label on it. "Take this. You need it right now."
Daphne took the vial, hands shaking so fast she almost dropped the potion. She downed it quickly and closed her eyes, feeling it's effects fall over her. She wiped at her eyes, handing the vial back to Neville, but refusing to let go of his hands. At this point, a few more healers were appearing. She watched as Draco ran his hand over his face, relaying some instructions to Harry before heading over to her. "Daphne, we're going to need an official statement." She blinked, looking at his clothes. They were covered in blood. For the first time, she had the chance to fully assess herself, realizing the amount of blood she was covered in. No wonder Neville was so frightened. She looked up at her best friend and he seemed to understand, without having to hear a word. "I'll let you get cleaned up. We'll deal with all of this, Longbottom. Just get her out of here and clean. I'll be sure to pass by your place in an hour or two to get the statement, alright?"
Daphne nodded, looking over at her fiancée. It was when she stood that the shooting pain went up her back and her eyes widened. "The baby."
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Neville had performed the spells five times already and Daphne was still not having it. "Neville, please. Just one more time."
"Daphne, love, we've already been to see your obstetrician. She gave you the same information that I'm giving you. You're fine. I know it was scary. I know it hurt, but the baby is okay. You both are." Neville gripped her shoulders gently, but she looked at him with wide, tear-filled eyes and he sighed. "One more, Daphne. Then, I'm taking you home." He waved his wand, watching a few shimmering lights appear and gloss over his partner. He waited a few seconds and a green light appeared above Daphne's head. He nodded, waving his hand in another direction, watching a white light appear over her stomach. "You see? You're absolutely fine."
"No, that's just it! I'm not fine! I am not fine, Neville." Daphne placed her head in her hands as he grabbed their things, leading her out of the supply closet and into the hall. She turned to him. "Look at me, I am covered in blood. In my coworker's blood and I never even knew her name." She pinched the bridge of her nose as tears threatened to fall. She placed her hands on her hips, watching him. "I never knew her name, Neville. We have one of the highest risking jobs in the Wizarding world. And I'm barely a person about it. I was nearly killed today. My baby and I- another second and we would not have made it out of that room."
"But you did, Daphne." Neville gripped her hands in his. "You are okay. Even if you're not fine, you're okay." He frowned, looking at her blood-stained hair. He brushed some of it from her face and took a step forward, pressing a kiss to her forehead. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry I was such a prat earlier." He whispered. "I know you did what you had to. I was being selfish. I'm sorry I yelled. I don't know what I'd do without you." She smiled slightly, her arms wrapping around his waist. "Home?" She nodded and he took her hand, leading her towards the floo networks on the lower floor. He pushed past the group of healers and aurors watching over Harry and his team, gripping his fiancée closer to him.
Draco watched them leave and sighed, turning to look at Hermione, who lay bound to the bed. Her reinforcements were stronger this time, having been bound by several different aurors. He shook his head. "Merlin, Granger. What the hell happened to you out there?"
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A/N: Hope you enjoyed! Please Review! I know the story seems like there's a lot of Daphne and Neville going on, that's intentional. I want there to be a focus on several of the relationships and how they all happen around Draco and Hermione. We'll be seeing more of Ginny/Harry and Ron and his significant other as well. I hope you enjoy this story! Please review! They're awesome :)