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Chapter 4
Hermione sat in her office, taking in deep breaths meant to calm her, while she stared at the pictures she dropped on the floor. She didn't know how to react. She felt the emotions coursing through her, but she couldn't grasp onto a single one and allow it to take hold of her mind.
Her mind couldn't grasp what it just witnessed in those pictures. Picking them up again, she was about to look through them, when a soft knock sounded on the door.
Rushing to stuff the contents back into the envelope, she gave up and fumbled with her top drawer, calling out, "Come in!" Hermione slammed her drawer closed as the owner of the soft knocking came into the office. At the last second she remembered the mess in her trash can and cast a quick and quiet scouring charm on it to eliminate the remnants and the odor, not wanting to let anyone know she had just finished vomiting.
She looked up with her face and neck flushed, and was not expecting the person standing before her. Narcissa gave her a radiant smile. "Hello, Hermione, I hope I am not intruding. I hadn't heard from you, and thought I would see if you would like to get lunch with me."
"Erm.. Yes, I suppose that would be nice. I didn't realize it was nearly time for lunch already, I lost track of time." She responded.
"Are you alright, my dear? You're flushed. Have you fallen ill?" Narcissa asked with concern etched across her beautiful features.
Sighing Hermione frowned, "No, I'm not ill. I'm not sure why I trust you with this, but I need someone to talk to and I just feel drawn to you, like I can speak with you about anything." She reached into her top drawer to pull out the envelope and the note that came with it.
"Of course you can trust me, Hermione. I have asked you a favor, and not a small one might I add. I have asked you to keep secrets for me, so I would hope you feel you can come to me as well. Now what do you need help with?" Narcissa asked, reaching out or what Hermione was holding.
After a hesitant second, Hermione handed over the note to Narcissa. She read over it twice, noticing there was not a closing signature, and looked up expectantly toward Hermione. "What is this? Do you know who sent it to you?"
No, Narcissa, I haven't the faintest idea. They enclosed pictures though."
"Let me see them, dear, why didn't you include them when you handed me the note?" Narcissa asked.
With an exasperated sigh, Hermione reached into the drawer again, retrieving the pictures. Slowly, she handed them over to the older woman, cringing and closing her eyes until she heard the audible gasp that escaped from Narcissa's lips. "Hermione! This is outrageous! You.. Your.. What are you going to do?
Hermione opened her eyes, and laid her forehead on her desk, collecting herself before looking up at Narcissa again. "I don't know Narcissa. I had no idea about this. I should have known! How could I not have? Should I go to the Minister?"
"There isn't even question as to whether or not you should! Go immediately! Better yet, why don't we call him here?" Narcissa didn't wait for a response, and gracefully walked over to the floo, grabbing some floo powder and tossing it into the fireplace. She stuck her head in and called the Minister's office. "Minister Shacklebolt? Could you come to Hermione's office immediately please?"
As soon as she stepped away from the fireplace and went back to her seat, the Minister came through the floo, walking into the office. Seeing the grim looks on the womens' faces, he immediately looked concerned. "What's going on, ladies? I had no idea you two were friends. Is something wrong?"
Hermione looked at Narcissa and shook her head, indicating she couldn't speak at the moment. "Sir, we have recently crossed paths again, and decided to build a friendship of sorts. Hermione here received a missive this morning that is quite concerning and needs to be addressed by you immediately. It looks to be that her husband has been participating in extracurricular activities."
"I mean no disrespect, Hermione, but why would that involve the Minister? You two are not married, so if he is cheating, there's nothing I can do."
Again Narcissa spoke up, "It looks like man in question, isn't only cheating. It looks like he's going out into muggle London and finding women to have sex with, but also using unforgivable curses on them."
"Now Narcissa, that is quite the accusation! You can't just call me in here and start saying these things based off of a letter Hermione received."
"Sir, there wasn't just a letter, pictures were included. They clearly show him actively having sexual relations with the women. Other pictures show him standing over women, while they writhe on the ground. If you recall, my sister, Bella, was quite fond of the cruciatus, so I know what it looks like when one is placed under the curse. These women were very clearly cursed." Narcissa replied with a distasteful sneer.
Taking the pictures from Narcissa, Minister Shacklebolt began looking at them. Realizing how bad the pictures were, he grabbed for the chair behind him. He didn't finish looking before he was setting them back down on Hermione's desk.
"Hermione, you know I have to bring him in for this. This behavior is completely unacceptable; I can't even believe he would do this. This is what we fought against in the war, and yet he's partaking in it willingly. I'm going to get a couple aurors to go with me to collect him, it may be easier." Getting up from the chair, he picked up the pictures and with a grimace placed them into their envelope. After putting the envelope into his pocket, he went to the floo and called for the auror department, quickly disappearing.
As soon as he was gone, Hermione let out a sob, burying her face in her hands. "How could I have missed this? He was my best friend for all these years, and then my boyfriend! I knew he was awful toward me, but I assumed it was because our relationship was coming to an end. I never would have thought he could do something like this. Oh Merlin, it's my fault! I should have seen this! I should have known!"
Another sob had Narcissa moving around the desk. She reached for Hermione's elbow, gently tugging her out of her chair and embracing her in a hug. "Shh.. You didn't know. None of this is your fault. Some people can't handle war, or the things that come from it. You were mere children when you had to sacrifice yourselves for the sake of the wizarding world. You shouldn't have had to do that, fighting a man's war, as children. He obviously has things he wasn't able to accept, but that is no excuse for his behavior, and that definitely doesn't put the blame on your shoulders. Didn't he leave you and Harry behind at one point because he couldn't handle it? That goes to show that he is most certainly weak minded, again, not your fault. Do you understand?"
She took a step away from Hermione, but kept her hands on her elbows and looked her in the eyes. Hermione looked up at her, and nodded, "Yes, Narcissa. Thank you. I suppose I just felt like maybe if I had done something, anything, differently, he would have been a better man. I understand though, and you are right, it isn't my fault. He is responsible for his own actions. I'm just in shock that he would do such an awful thing to those women. I hope Minister Shacklebolt finds him. I can't even fathom the idea of going home and facing him now."
"Let's get lunch at the café in Diagon Alley and we can discuss living arrangements until the situation is handled and you feel safe once again." Narcissa suggested to Hermione while walking toward the door.
Before leaving her office, Hermione cast a quick charm on her face to remove any evidence that she had been crying. She didn't want anyone questioning her before the Minister even had a chance of finding Ron and bringing him in, and she especially didn't want the Prophet to find out, nor did she want Ron running off.
She and Narcissa casually walked through the Ministry until they reached the floo network. They decided to take the floo to The Leaky Cauldron, since the café wasn't far from there.
After they both purchased their lunch, sandwiches and tea, they found a small table near a window at the front of the café. "I have a lovely townhouse in London, not far from the Ministry, that you can stay in until everything blows over. I would be more than happy to let you use it, Hermione." Narcissa told her after she finished her sandwich.
"Oh, Narcissa, I couldn't possibly think to impose. I could probably get a room at The Leaky."
Taking a sip of her tea, Narcissa said, "Hermione, I could not possibly let you stay at The Leaky. Please, accept my offer and stay at my townhouse. It can stay between you and I. Lucius may ask because he will feel you enter the wards, but he won't say anything either. Do not worry, my girl, we will take care of you."
She smiled at the older woman's kind words. "Thank you so much, Narcissa. This really means so much to me. I need to figure out how I'm going to go to my apartment to pick up some of my things. I do not want to come across Ron while I'm there.
"I will arrange for a house elf to go pick up your things. Now don't even attempt to argue with me, I know how you feel about house elves, but please know that ours are very well taken care of now. After Dobby, Lucius vowed that all of our house elves would have the proper care, and would never be treated with malice again."
Completely shocked by Narcissa's confession, Hermione's jaw dropped. Blinking a few times, she remembered to close her mouth. Looking at Narcissa, she said, "I had no idea. I just assumed.. I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have been so judgemental. Thank you, I would appreciate if you would have one go to my apartment for me."
"It is no trouble at all. I will have Rosie tend to your needs. I'll ask her to stay at the townhouse for you and be your personal elf as long as you need her. I'm sure she'll adore you, and you her. "
"Thank you again, Narcissa. You truly don't know what this means to me." Hermione said.
Both women stood and began leaving the café. They both walked toward The Leaky Cauldron, discussing dinner that evening. "Please come to the manor for dinner tonight. We would love to have you. Don't worry, I have completely remodeled since that awful night with Bella, and Lucius knows nothing of how our relationship came about. Don't worry yourself that dinner will be awkward. I will see you at five thirty this evening."
Nodding her head in agreement, Hermione hugged the woman she was thinking of as a close friend now. Proceeding to the floo to head back to her office, she gave one last smile and disappeared from view. She couldn't believe the day she was having, and decided to finish quickly with her work and head to the townhouse. She needed some rest before dinner.
Walking into her office, she noticed she had a note waiting on her. Picking it up she found it was from Narcissa.
Hermione,
I have spoken with Rosie and she has agreed to go to your apartment and also to help you with anything you need. When you floo to the townhouse simply call out Malfoy Townhouse London and you'll step out into the living room.
Narcissa
This chapter is longer than the last and I hope that I didn't throw you guys off too much ! My muse decided it wanted to take a different route than I originally had planned. But I like it, so I hope you do as well ! Please continue to review; I love reading them !