Chapter 10
A/N: I know, it's been a while since I posted a chapter. I'm sorry D: I've been really busy with work and moving and stuff, so here's a chapter for y'all. Hope it sheds some light on the subject.
Hermione's POV:
Ever since I'd seen the Kindred Mark on Harry I'd been concerned. The book I was reading wasn't shedding much more light on the subject than A History of Magic had, and I needed to know more details on how the mark would affect Harry. I can't say I'm surprised, but I will admit I expected it to occur much later. After all, it's not hard to see the way he looks at Harry sometimes.
The fact of the matter was that after the war Draco had actually become a decent person. I still held my grudges, but I could see him trying to change, and I have to give him credit for that. After all, apologizing and thanking people isn't something the old Malfoy would have done.
Ronald wouldn't give up though. He still insists that Draco is up to no good, and I can understand why. Even after we'd saved his life in the Room of Requirement, he was helping the Death Eaters during the battle. We ended up saving him again, though he didn't know it was us.
I have different reasons for trusting Draco though. I haven't even told Ronald about it, but Draco saved my life during that battle. Whether or not he was just doing it to pay us back for saving him, or whether he actually turned over a new leaf I'll never know. It doesn't really matter though, because I wouldn't be alive if it weren't for him.
I shake my head and shut the book. Standing up I walk over to the corner of my room where I keep a personal Pensieve. Maybe reliving a few of the events from during and after the battle will help.
Placing the tip of my wand to my temple, I draw out the memory. Letting it fall into the Pensieve I watch as it swirls and slowly forms an image, before I take a breath and sink my face into the bowl.
Hermione's POV, memory, nearing the end of the battle.
I land softly, strangely so for the chaos I knew was brewing around me. Looking around I see myself in Dumbledore's office. I see myself, Harry, and Ronald over in the corner where the Pensieve was kept. We'd apparently just come out of it, after viewing Professor Snape's memories. Walking over to them I listen in.
"So, Snape was a good guy the whole time?" Says memory Ron, looking incredulous. "Blimey, he was a good actor."
"Of course he was Ronald," memory me says, "he would have had to be to trick Voldemort."
"But that means the whole time," Ron says, "the whole time we weren't trusting him, the whole time he was hated by everybody in the Order. All that time, he must have been so alone."
"Stop referring to him in the past," says the memory Harry, "He's alive, and after tonight he'll be able to tell his side of the story." He laughs, "Hell, he'll probably be rewarded for the things he did. He'll never be spoken ill of again, that's for sure."
Memory me frowns, and I know what was going through her mind. She was thinking about how Harry could be so cheerful, even though he'd just seen that he had to meet his death. None of us knew at the time that allowing Voldemort to kill him would destroy the final Horcrux, and all three of us were scared.
"But Harry," Ron says, in his usual tactless way. "You have to….well….you know. You have to die…." He stops, and I remember how it had looked like he'd been about to cry.
"Yeah," says Harry, "Somehow I always knew it would come to that." And his voice is completely calm. I remember how much that had amazed me at the time.
"I'll go with you," says memory me, and I watch as Ronald's eyes narrow. There's a bit I hadn't noticed the first time. I smirk.
A/N: So sorry to cut the chapter short, but I've been injured. I know y'all are expecting something, so here's a tiny little excuse of a chapter to assuage your curiosity. The largest problem is that I have a broken thumb, so working a keyboard is a pain in the ass. You have my sincerest apologies dear readers, and I'll update ASAP. I promise.