A/N:
I hope this chapter tells you a little more of what you need to know.
Thank you to my reviewers and Clara I hope this answers your questions!
Enjoy and Review:)
Hermione's eyes scanned around for Malfoy. She was sure he'd came down to the small town since she had seen him entering a bookshop earlier. Biting on her lower lip, she wondered if he was avoiding her.
"Hermione."
Turning, expecting the blonde haired beauty she felt a little deflated as she came face to face with Ron. "Oh, it's you." She smiled as she wrapped her coat around herself.
"Were you expecting someone else?" He asked leaning against the wall with a small smile.
"Oh, no." She said looking to where Ginny and Harry had disappeared. "Do you think they'll be back soon?"
Ron shrugged. "Probably not."
Hermione sighed. She wanted to head back to the castle and snuggle up against Malfoy near a fireplace.
"Cold?" Ron asked taking off his outer robe and wrapping it gently around her.
The smell of cinnamon and sweat made her think of the night she had been out with Ron, celebrating the victory of most of the death eaters being put to the dementor's kiss.
Hermione let her head fall onto Ron's shoulder as his right hand gently squeezed her hip. Was there anything more perfect than this?
"Drinks, for everyone!" Ron shouted causing a cheer around the bar.
Hermione looked around, everyone was surrounding them and cheering. Hermione lost count of how many people had congratulated her.
Suddenly the room grew quiet. Hermione looked to see Harry with Ginny in tow. Everyone started bowing or shaking his hand. Pushing through the crowd Hermione embraced Harry.
"We did it." She smiled as she released him.
"I know, it's over." He said as Ron came up and took ahold of Hermione's hand.
"Harry." Ron said patting him on the shoulder.
Harry turned around and smiled. "Another round on me!"
Everyone cheered and the bar went back to being loud and joyous. Hermione spent most of the time with Ginny chatting about the upcoming school year and how the trials had went. Hermione hadn't been able to accompany Ron and Harry to any of the meetings since she had went to find her parents. Ron had filled her in on how most of the criminals had pleaded for their lives, saying they'd been under the imperius curse.
"The Malfoy trial was probably the worst." Ginny said throwing back a shot of something Hermione was unfamiliar with.
Hermione had recalled Ron saying that The Malfoy's had pleaded for their lives, that Harry had been their savior. "I heard they begged for mercy."
Ginny looked at her weirdly and shook her head. "No, only Narcissa did, for her husband and son."
As Ginny told her about the whole thing Hermione's eyes landed on Ron, how had he been so heartless?
As the night grew longer more and more people left the bar until it was only Ron, Harry, Ginny Hermione and a few stragglers. Hermione leaned against Ron as Ginny told them that they should go back to the burrow since Molly would most likely make a large breakfast. All agreeing They started to leave.
"Oh." Hermione said stopping. "Let me use the restroom."
When Hermione came back she was confused by the scene in front of her. A tall Draco Malfoy was glaring down into Ron's face as Ron tried to push the blonde back. Hermione ran over, whipping her wand out.
"I can put you back right where you came from." Harry had snarled.
"Go ahead." Malfoy growled.
"I saved you." Harry hissed. "You should be thanking me."
"Thanking you?" Malfoy laughed. "You put me in that position, you caught me and told them to lock me away for the murder of Dumbledore."
Hermione stopped a bit confused. Harry hadn't put him there had he? Ignoring Malfoy she shoved her wand into his chest.
"Leave them alone." She said calmly.
She watched as he backed up, something flashing in his eyes as he turned and apparated.
"What was that?" Hermione asked. She looked to Ginny who was grasping at Harry.
"That gits just mad his father died. Good riddance I say." Ron said spitting at the spot Draco had preoccupied.
Hermione pushed Ron's roaming hands off of her thigh. "I said no." She whispered shifting away from him.
"Come on." He said nuzzling her neck.
Hermione ignored him as she thought about what Ginny had said. How could she be with someone who treated others that way? Did she want to loose her most sacred possession to someone who hurt people that were already suffering?
"Hermione?"
Looking up into the warm brown eyes she smiled. "Yes?"
"You looked lost, you ok?" Ron asked placing a hand onto her shoulder.
"Fine."
Looking across the way she noticed Malfoy coming out of the bookshop, a scowl on his face. She felt Ron wrap a protective arm around her.
"He's back? Gin never mentioned anything."
Hermione looked to him then to Malfoy, who was acting like he hadn't noticed her. "It didn't seem important."
"Not Important?" He asked sounding worried. "Did you forget what his kind did?"
"His kind?" Hermione asked glaring at Ron. "He's just the same as us."
"You know what I mean, it's dangerous for you and Gin to be around him."
"It is not, he's been pleasant all year."
"Pleasant?" Ron asked his eyes narrowing as he looked at the back of Malfoy. "He's no good, he can't be pleasant."
"Really? Because I thought you couldn't be cruel hearted." She said crossing her arms over her chest.
Rolling his eyes Ron sighed. "What are you on about?"
"You were down right evil to his mother."
"Did he tell you that? You don't believe that git do you? Come on he's known for lying." Ron said pointing towards Draco.
Hermione scowled at him.
"Please don't be upset." Ron said tilting her chin up.
She could see his face inching towards hers but she felt frozen. As his lips pressed into Hermione's she felt sick. His kiss was cold and stiff. She was used to kisses full of warmth and passion. She pulled away and looked down to her feet.
"What, what is it?" Ron asked pulling her face up.
"You're with Lavender and I…."
"I'm done with her." Ron said. "She was just after my money."
Hermione shook her head. "But I…"
"You're not seeing someone are you?" He asked titling his head to the side curiously.
Hermione stared at him. Did she say yes or no? "No." She said shaking her head. "I just need time."
"For what? Have your feelings changed? Mine haven't."
Hermione resisted the urge to laugh. His feeling had changed during their relationship, she had noticed the signs. Shaking her head she moved back. "We should wait….give us a little more time to…be apart."
"Apart?" He asked looking as if he'd been denied the Quidditch Cup.
"Yes, I…have a lot of school work and I just…wait, ok?" She said handing him back his robe.
Ron nodded as he took the coat.
"See you around?"
Ron nodded and Hermione turned around and made her way to the her cloak onto her trunk Hermione plopped down on her bed and fell onto her back. She was exhausted. Hermione closed her eyes and let sleep take her.
Waking up early was something that came natural to the bushy haired witch. Creeping out of a bed with a male in it, did not.
As Hermione made her way into the bathroom she noticed Ginny in her room, picking out her outfit for the day.
"Morning." Hermione smiled as the young woman turned around.
"Morning." Ginny said looking back down to the two outfits.
"Can I ask you something?" Hermione asked as she stepped into the room and shut the door.
"Shoot." Ginny said tossing the lavender shirt onto the floor.
"About last night…Malfoy said something that just hasn't left my mind."
Throwing the black mini skirt onto the floor Ginny walked over to her closet. "What was it?"
"He said…Harry put him in prison." Hermione said glancing at the new pile Ginny had emerged with.
"Yeah." Ginny said as she pulled out a white long sleeve. "What's the question?"
"It's not true, is it?"
Ginny shrugged. "Well…yeah." Ginny set down the brown sweater onto the bed and turned to Hermione. "Ron never told you?"
Hermione shook her head.
"Well, I guess a few weeks after the war ended Harry, Ron, Lupin and my father along with other officials found the three Malfoys hiding in some house. They let Narcissa go since she saved Harry. They then asked Harry what to do with the other two and he said to take Lucius since he had been Voldemort's right hand man and to take Draco since he murdered Albus and got Snape killed."
Hermione looked down to her feet. "But Harry knew…"
"Knew what?" Ginny asked as she tossed three more shirts onto the floor.
Shaking her head she excused herself. She needed to find Harry.
As she picked at her breakfast she kept looking to the door, waiting for Harry to emerge. She just couldn't wrap her brain around why he would put Draco into Prison after knowing what they had. Draco had been forced and Albus had basically planned his own death.
Hearing Harry's laugh Hermione bolted into the next room.
"Harry, a word?" She asked as she walked outside.
"Hermione, you alright?"
Hermione shook her head. "Did you put Malfoy into prison even though you knew he was innocent?"
"He was hardly innocent."
"He was!" Hermione nearly screamed. Taking in a deep breath she narrowed her eyes at him. "You knew he was forced into those things, he was just as innocent as you and I."
"Come on Hermione." Harry groaned. "He would have killed just like his father, I saw a way to end him and his line and I took it. Wouldn't you have done the same? After all he was cruel to you, I had to see he learned that he couldn't mess with you or any of my friends."
"Revenge. You saw a way to exact revenge. I thought better of you Harry."
"Hermione, I did it for a better future. I hoped that when I let him out of jail he would change, be more grateful. By the looks of last night I was wrong."
"What did you expect? Ron embarrassed his mother. If you or I were in the situation he's in we'd do the same!"
"Except I haven't got a mother thanks to his kind."
Hermione could see she wasn't going to win. Something in Harry's green eyes told her that. Sighing she shook her head. "Agree to disagree."
Nodding Harry made his way back into the burrow.
Opening her eyes at the sound of people making large amounts of noise she groaned and grabbed a light sweater. She couldn't sleep here and she knew a place she could.
