Chapter 9
"I think she's afraid they'll drag her back," Draco admitted. The four friends were seated around the kitchen table, dinner finished, as they discussed the previous day's events.
Theo scoffed. "They can't just force her to return."
"Granger's loyal," Adrian argued. "If Potter and Weasley give her a good enough reason she'll go right back to them."
Marcus, who until now had been silent, shook his head. "She's not going back," he said. "Drake, you saw the look in her eyes when she told us about her parents. She blames magic for the death of her parents, and I see where she's coming from. She feels safe here."
Theo thickly swallowed past the lump in his throat. "Yeah, but when she finds out that we were involved, or supposed to be involved, she'll never speak to any of us again," he said solemnly.
Adrian frowned. "But the two of you weren't actually there," he pointed out. "She can't hold you responsible for what happened."
Across from him, Draco rubbed his jaw as if remembering the time he'd been hit by the spirited witch. "They were supposed to be there. For as logical as Hermione is, when it comes to her family, I doubt she'll see this reasonably," he replied. "It wasn't all that long ago that she thought we were out to get her."
"So, then we don't tell her," Adrian decided.
Theo rose from the table and moved to the sink to begin washing the dishes. "And if she finds out on her own somehow?" he wondered. "What if Potter and Weasley corner her? They probably know what happened to her parents. Ade, you said they're Aurors. The Ministry probably knows exactly who partook in that raid."
Draco brightened as an idea occurred to him. "Then we don't let them see her," he stated. Beside him, Marcus groaned. "Think about it, she doesn't want to see them. If the four of us keep her busy often enough, we should be okay."
Pushing his chair back, Marcus rose. "That's the dumbest idea I've ever heard."
"Where are you going?" Adrian inquired when he pushed open the kitchen door. Marcus gave no reply as he continued on his way. "You think he's going to see Hermione?" Neither man needed to reply; they all knew the answer was yes.
Hermione smiled as she hung the last ornament on her tree. For the first time in half a decade, she felt the urge to decorate for the holidays, and she had the Slytherins to thank for improving her mood. Despite the beliefs the four men had been raised with, they had willingly accepted her into their family with open arms.
The front door opened as she stepped back to evaluate her work. Her head turned momentarily, and a smile lit her face. "Well, this is a surprise," she said when she saw Marcus. "Just getting off of work?"
He shook his head as nervous fingers pushed through his dark hair. "No, I had tonight off," he replied. "The place looks nice."
"Thanks. You guys kind of inspired me," she said. "Would you help me put the star on the top? I can't reach."
She handed him a delicate, gold star. He turned it over in his hands to find an inscription on the back - Henry, Jean, Hermione, 1979 - it read. Quietly, he stood in front of the tree and easily slipped the star on to the highest point. "From your first Christmas," he guessed.
She nodded, her eyes transfixed on the ornament. "It was in my parents' storage unit," she told him. "My parents married on Christmas Eve, and the star was a wedding gift. My dad had it engraved just after I was born."
"It's beautiful," he murmured, reaching for her hand. Instinctively, Hermione moved closer and leaned against his side. "I guess you won't need to sleep beneath our tree now."
She frowned doubtfully at him. "Do you not want me to come over for Christmas?" she asked.
Shaking his head, he turned so they were face to face. His free hand rose to cup her soft, warm cheek. "Of course we want you there," he replied, smiling softly. "I want you there." Leaning down, he gently brushed his lips against hers for only a second before pulling back.
Hermione's eyes were closed, her breath heavy as if he'd just ravished her. Opening her eyes, she smiled at him and wrapped her arms around his neck. "I'm sorry," she whispered.
His arms tightened around her waist. "What for?" he asked, pressing a kiss to the top of her head.
"The way I reacted towards you at first," she continued. "I was so sure you were going to hurt me, that the whole lot of you were still Death Eaters. If it hadn't been for you, I'd still be alone."
His resolve slipped as she kissed him. It had been his sole intention to tell her the truth she deserved to know. Then he saw the way she lit up when he entered her flat. Her brown eyes were always full of excitement when she was around them, and it was something he wanted to see for the rest of his days. Telling her the truth about Theo's and his involvement in her parents' death would change it all.
"You know we will never hurt you," he promised. "You're one of us now, Hermione; a part of the family."
Tears shimmered in her eyes as she nodded. "Did you come over just to tell me that?" she asked, pulling away just enough to dab away the moisture before it could fall down her cheeks.
Shaking his head, he pulled out of her embrace and distanced himself from her. "There's something you need to know," he said, looking away from her. He couldn't bear to see tears in her eyes, especially when he was the cause. "It's about the night your parents were killed."
Hermione listened without speaking as he told her about Theo's and his involvement that night. He told her how they had purposely gone to a different location to wait it out, knowing that killing innocent muggles was something they couldn't bring themselves to do. She said nothing when he told her of their punishment at the hands of Voldemort. Finally, his story finished, he apologized profusely.
The tears had dried in her eyes and her lips set into a straight line. "Thank you for telling me," she finally said. "Um, if you don't mind, I have some work to do that I brought home from the shop, so I should get started on that."
"Hermione," he pleaded, taking half a step forward.
Holding up a hand to silence him, she shook her head. "It's fine," she replied. "I'm fine. I appreciate you telling me what happened."
Understanding that she wanted him to leave, Marcus said goodbye and let himself out. It was only after the door clicked shut that she let herself cry.
