Chapter 7
Draco stumbled out of the fireplace as Hermione kissed him and giggled. "You're going to be the death of me," he joked, kissing her again. "I think it would be a good way to die."
With a wave of her wand, the lights came on and Draco could see the frown she wore. "You're not allowed to die," she stated. "I'm forbidding it."
They heard a mirthless laugh and turned toward the sound of it. "She says that to everyone," Ron informed him. "Don't think you're special, ferret."
Hermione stood in front of Draco as his face reddened with anger. "I only say it to people I care about," she stated. "I'm sure it'll make him feel better to know I've never said it to you. What are you doing here?"
Ron shrugged and rested his feet on the coffee table despite the scowl Hermione wore. "Well, I was at dinner last night, you know our usual Sunday night family gathering, and Ginny let it slip that you got married. I thought Mum was going to have a heart attack," he explained. "Thought I should come to you to find out if that was true. Guess it is."
"Ron, I need to know that you'll keep this a secret," she implored, stepping closer to him. "You know what it's like when the reporters find out anything about us. Draco and I would really rather this stay private."
Getting to his feet, Ron smirked. "Can't imagine why you wouldn't want people to know, Hermione," he replied facetiously. "I mean, you married a Death Eater who spent seven years torturing you, who stood aside while someone else tortured you. I wouldn't want that getting out either."
"Why do you care what she does?" Draco wondered, deciding he had held his tongue long enough. "She's not with you anymore. You saw to that by shagging my fiancee."
Ron glared angrily at him. "Stay out of this, Malfoy," he sneered. He turned his attention back to Hermione. "Merlin, think about how your parents would feel. Death Eaters killed them. How do you know he wasn't one of them?"
Pursing her lips, Hermione crossed her arms over her chest. "I want you to leave now, Ronald," she stated evenly. "I don't want you to come back here uninvited ever again."
With a huff, Ron stepped into the fireplace and left. Hermione sat down and stared at Draco. "I didn't know," he told her, feeling guilty. "I swear, Hermione, I had no idea they were even dead."
She nodded. "It's not exactly something I talk about," she said bitterly. "Ever."
He sat down beside her, but made no move to touch her. "I'm sorry," he murmured. "You know, if you ever decide you to want to talk-"
"We, um, I knew we were about to start the hunt for the horcruxes," she said. "Before I left for the Burrow as I did every summer, I knew this time was different. I knew I had to do something to protect them, so I erased their memories. It was the only thing I could think of, and I thought they'd be safe. When the war was over, I thought I'd just find them and reverse the spell. I went home to pack a few things, and found them on the living room floor. There was...blood everywhere, dried blood. They'd been tortured before the Death Eaters Avada'd them."
"Do you have any idea who did it?" Draco wondered.
Hermione nodded angrily. "There were Y's carved into their arms," she told him. "It was Yaxley."
Yaxley, one of the more prominent wizards in the Dark Lord's service, was known to mark his victims with a Y. The branding had led to his arrest and subsequent conviction for multiple counts of murder. With the Dementors expelled from Azkaban, the more dangerous and notorious criminals had been sentenced to death. Yaxley had been the first to be executed.
"I testified against him," Hermione continued. "I was there when he died. Then I spent the next two years trying to move on. Ron saying what he did just now dredged it all up again. I'm sorry I dumped all of that on you."
He put his arm around her shoulders. "Don't be sorry," he told her. "Don't ever be sorry for feeling the way you do. And don't feel like you can't tell me things. I'm here to listen whenever you need me."
Hermione nodded and rested her head against his shoulder. "That goes both ways, you know," she replied.
Smiling, he kissed the top of her head. "Yeah, I know," he whispered. They sat in silence until he asked, "Is it okay that I still kind of hate him?"
Lifting her head, Hermione laughed. "No, I think it's fine," she replied. "We get to hate the people who broke our hearts. Just for a little while."
"And then we forgive them?" he guessed.
She shrugged. "Or we ignore them until they go away," she suggested.
"Merlin, if only," he muttered beneath his breath. She shot him a curious look. "Weasley will always be in your life. You're still friends with Potter, and if the papers are to be believed, he's still dating Weasley's sister. You can't escape him."
Hermione frowned. "Are you telling me that I shouldn't be friends with them anymore?" she asked.
Draco shook his head. "No, of course not," he replied. "I'm not gonna be that guy. They've been a big part of your life for so long. There's no way I would ask that of you."
"Then what?" she wondered.
Sighing, he got to his feet and ran a hand through his hair. "I don't know, Hermione," he said exasperatedly. "Maybe all I'm saying is there's no way to avoid him. Maybe your only choices are to forgive Ron or cut ties with his family completely."
"I don't know if I can do either of those," she admitted. "The Weasleys are the only family I have left. I can't lose them too."
"I don't know that there's really a third option," he replied. "I'm sure it doesn't help, but for what it's worth I'm your family too."
Getting to her feet, she wrapped her arms around his waist. "It does help," she told him. "Um, I know it's still a bit early, but I'm tired. Do you still want to stay tonight?"
He nodded, wrapped an arm around her shoulder, and led her from the living room. "Which way is your room?" he asked.
