Chapter Three
"-Pilot fish, but the question is-"
"Who's controlling it?"
Hermione steps towards the group as she finishes The Doctor's sentence. He turns to her, nodding as she steps towards the rails. She watches as the supposedly-robots (If she had heard right) disappeared in a flash of blue.
"Who are you?"
The Doctor is baffled, she can tell. So she turns to him and blinks before answering,
"Hermione, Hermione Granger."
The Doctors eyes widen, flashing in recognition and she frowns, how would he-
Hiiiiisssss
The Doctor half-collapses, groaning in agony. His eyes turn to Rose,
"You woke me up too soon, I'm not ready. I'm still regenerating. I need, I need-"
Jackie crouches down,
"What do you need? A sandwich, some soup? A coffee? A pain killer? Paracetamol?"
Hermione rolls her eyes,
"He needs rest. For now. Bring him back in."
He loses consciousness as they pick him up. When he's on the bed, Rose turns to Hermione,
"How did he recognise you?"
Hermione shakes her head,
"I don't know."
George steps behind her,
"Isn't it obvious, 'Mione? Of course he knows who you are!"
Hermione shakes her head at him, frowning.
He leans down and puts an arm around her shoulder,
"It's time we told them. Besides, if we don't, The Doctor will."
A slight panic enters Hermione's eyes and she tries to move around George, but both him and Mickey hold her back.
Mickey rubs her arms affectionately,
"Whatever it is, 'Mione, our opinion of you won't change."
Rose and Jackie nod, agreeing with him. Hermione turns to George, tears in her eyes,
"George… This is my family. I-I can't tell them, I just can't."
George nods.
"I'll do it then, 'Mione. Okay? But they need to know. They deserve to know."
Hermione nods and watches in despair as George leads her family out of the room and into the lounge. She sits on the edge of The Doctor's bed and clutches one of his hands in hers,
"I can't do it, Doctor. I need them. I-I don't have anyone else. And it's okay for you, Rose loves- Well, loved you. She won't turn away from you. Not even after you've changed your face. But she's only just come back to me, I've not seen her since I was fifteen. I don't even know her anymore. What if she can't accept it? What if they hate me? I can't lose them. Dear God, I can't."
She rises from her seat and begins pacing,
"I was tortured! Tortured for information I didn't have! I wasn't strong enough and it still haunts me now. When they know I'm not strong, they'll turn their backs on me. Like Harry and Ron did. They'll know I'm a murderer. That I killed."
She turns to The Doctor, her voice a meek whisper,
"I used magic today. With my wand. I suspect the ministry is tracing me as we speak. I've been missing for a while, but I'd bet you already knew that, huh? Tell me, Doctor, will they send me to Azkaban? Will I turn out as batty as B-Bellatrix?"
She laughs slightly then leaves the room and leans on the wall outside the lounge, listening to George tell their story,
"… She's been through too much for anyone to handle. But she won't ever ask for help. In her seventh year, her and the two guys went searching for Voldemorts' horcruxes. Bits of his soul that needed to be destroyed-"
She walks into the room, her head held high. She looks at everyone. Jackie looks distressed, Mickey interested, and Rose is blank.
"I went with them. We camped out in a tent. Some days we had no food. Nothing but eachother to rely on. We listened to the radio every day, waiting for news that someone we loved had died. It got tense. And one day, one of the guys left. We argued and he just left. It crushed us."
George turns to Hermione, anger in his eyes,
"Ron?"
She nods before continuing her story with a shaky breath,
"I went with Harry to Godrics Hollow, and we were attacked by a snake. I broke Harry's wand trying to get us out of there. So he ended up using mine. We lived on our own for a while. Then Ron came back. I've never forgive. him for leaving."
She looks around.
"There was a war. So many people lost their lives. (She thinks of Fred, of Lupin and Tonks and Colin Creevey.) It was awful. But we won. George and I left the wizarding world and now here we are."
George turns to her, his eyes narrowed,
"Tell them about your torture. Tell them how you screamed for help that never came. Tell them how that woman-" He spits, "Carved the word 'Mudblood' into your arm. Tell them about the Cruciatus curse and how you were under it for three hours. Tell them, 'Mione."
She looks around the room, her eyes as wide as everyone elses. Jackie jumps out of her seat and pulls Hermione into her arms,
"My baby girl, oh my baby."
Hermione pats her back awkwardly.
George opens his mouth, his voice softer this time,
"Hermione suffers from post traumatic stress disorder. It's why she froze up today, Rose. Hermione and I are close because we need eachother. I lost my twin. My other half, and it tears me apart. But Hermione helps me, she just helps."
Jackie pushes an arm out and pulls George into the hug as well,
"Oh my boy, I'm so sorry."
When they separate, Mickey walks up to Hermione,
"Y-You should have told us, 'Mione. We could've helped."
She gives him a half smile,
"I'm fine, Mick. I always am."
Rose snorts and Hermione turns to her, her eyes wide as Rose looks between the members in the room,
"You can't seriously be honest here? SHE HID THIS FROM US!"
Hermione bristles,
"What was the alternative? Watch you DIE? Have you hunted?"
Rose growls,
"You could've told me! I could've helped you!"
Hermione glares,
"No offence, Rose, but you're a muggle! They'd have killed you on the spot! I was keeping you safe!"
Rose shakes her head,
"Oh yeah, 'cause you're some 'amazing witch' right? Prove it! This is probably all a lie!"
Hermione stands straight. Her eyes never leaving the blonde girl,
"I can't. I can't prove it to you, I can't make you believe."
George, who is stood stiff behind her, lets out a bark before yanking her arm up and pulling the sleeve up to her elbow, revealing the ugly scar 'Mudblood' for everyone to see,
"Don't hide it, 'Mione. Let her see. Let her see what happened."
Rose looks at it. She stares. Jackie bristles,
"Rose Tyler! You apologize right now!"
Rose shakes her head,
"I'm going for a walk."
She storms out of the room, leaving everyone behind. Hermione goes to follow her, but George puts a hand on her shoulder,
"I'll go. Stay with them."
When George leaves, Hermione breaks down and cries for the first time in a long time.
Meanwhile, Rose is running through a street, desperately ignoring the red head behind her.
"Rose! Wait!"
It doesn't take him long to catch up to her, and he pulls her to a stop,
"What's wrong with you?"
Rose lets out a snort,
"What's wrong with me? WHAT'S WRONG WITH ME!? HA! She never came to me!"
George's face goes red with anger,
"She never came to you? That's what this is about?"
Rose nods slowly,
"Where the hell have you been, exactly, Rose? Since moving in with her, I've never seen you. You ran off with your precious boyfriend and never saved her a thought, did you? You've no idea what that girl has been through."
Rose falls to her knees,
"But, George, I've been to so many different places, I've seen so much. I could have helped. She needs me."
George laughs, its hard and empty of amusement,
"Rose, the thing you have to realise, is that Hermione doesn't need anyone. Sure, she wants people, but she hasn't needed anyone in far too long. Let it go."
Rose sobs, turning away from him,
"I know she needs me, George, I know she does." Her voice cracks and her body begins to shake as she cries, feeling useless as she recounts Hermiones' story in her mind. The thought of her sister in everything but blood going through that much pain tears her apart inside, and Rose imagines a million different ways that she could have saved her.
George sighs, stepping towards her slowly. He looks at the blonde girl and he is struck with an image of Luna crying after the battle, nursing her injured side, searching for her father, and with very little hesitation, his arms wrap around Rose and pull her close, locking them in an embrace filled with misery and comfort.