A/N: Agh! Guys, I really love this chapter!
Chapter title comes from "Cry" by Kelly Clarkson :)
Still have no beta :( But I think I'm doing fine.
Dreams often seemed to be different in real life. The hazy feeling in your head leaves, and details become more vivid. You can die, too. However life always seems to be like one big dream...why not wake up?
Hermione wanted to wake up. She wanted this all to be a dream; a nightmare. But the world seemed to be moving too fast in sheets of black and masks of white. Green flares shot through, striking innocent Muggles dead in the chest. The sky deadened to a lead colour, while rain pounded down on the cobblestone streets. From a distance, Hermione could see the London Eye, swaying back and forth. This was not good. It was not good at all.
As the giant amusement tilted and sunk into the water, Hermione finally snapped out of her trance. She was a war veteran, she needed to do something.
Hiking Haley up higher on her chest, Hermione reached for her wand in her sleeve. It slid out and fell to the ground, clanking against the street. She reached down, her hand shaking, as she tried to pick it up. Her loyal wand almost seemed to slip through her fingers but finally she was able to get a steady grasp.
The chaos was everywhere and she didn't know where to start. Yes she did. Turning over her shoulder, she spotted a few Dementors attempting to give Kisses to some poor unfortunate souls. "Expecto Patronum!" she exclaimed just loud enough to conjure a silvery otter Patronus from her wand.
Instead of swimming over in the air, Hermione's otter instead charged to the Dementors quickly. It then proceeded to swim around them, making laps like in a community swimming pool. Two Kisses were ended prematurely, but one young girl with flowing blonde hair could not be salvaged. Hermione almost threw up at seeing her soulless face. She looked as if she could have been Haley.
"No, no, no..." Hermione shook her head and continued to run to try and do something. All the poor Muggles being attacked for no reason. Or was there one? What's going on? Where's the ministry? The Aurors? Hermione thought to herself.
"Stupefy!" she exclaimed as a Death Eater flew above her head. She heaved Haley higher into her arms and turned on her heels to face swarms of Death Eaters and Dementors coming at her. Haphazardly she threw an "Expecto Patronum!" and then a few "Stupefy" spells and one or two of "Expelliarmus!"
Panting heavily, Hermione raced around a corner into one of the alleys she was in earlier. Haley had suddenly became a distraction. She couldn't do anything more, there wasn't anything to do. In the mess of everything she hadn't looked back to see what happened. She couldn't; the destruction was too horrific.
Rain continued to pour down, little droplets falling off the bridge of her noise. Yells and sirens could be heard over the thunderstorm, bellowing out and echoing in Hermione's ears. She began to shake, tears streaming down her face. She should have known something was going on when she saw the fresh Chocolate Frog card. Usually magical folks in Muggle areas acted much safer. No, whoever left it wanted it to be found. It was a signal.
Hermione could not fathom how Haley managed to sleep through all of the destruction. The noise was enough to wake anyone up; it was practically a full circus. She herself had started to get sleepy during the film but now she was wide awake.
Tears continued to bore trails onto her face and she held Haley closer as an explosive completely obliterated the wall beside them. The two shook, and Hermione's knees fell to the ground, scraping them quite hard. She felt her knee cap pop and blood spilled out of her scarred calves. Her hands fell from Haley's back and she scrapped them bare onto the ground. They began to bleed profusely but she pulled back a stray piece of hair and grabbed Haley again.
What am you doing? Hermione thought, shaking her head, beginning to think rationally again. You're a bloody Gryffindor, not a Slytherin! You don't back away from an attack, you go into the fight! Are you a war veteran or not?
Hermione stood up shakily, blood dripping down her legs onto the damp ground. With as much strength as she could, she cast a Weightless Charm on Haley and crawled out of the alleyway. Shots of spells kept brazing her head, and around the fair lay bloody bodies or soulless faces.
Quickly, Hermione twirled her wand through her fingers to firmly grip it. "Expelliarmus!" she exclaimed, pointing the spell at a wand-happy Death Eater. "Expecto Patronum!" That was, of course, towards Dementors.
She was just about to raise her wand again when it flew out of her hand. She felt herself hit with a spell and she fell backwards, Haley turning heavy in her arms.
Suddenly Hermione awoke with a start, her heart racing. She reached for her wand but it wasn't there. However she fell back with a start when pain shot through her left knee, paralysing her. Haley was no longer on her chest and when she looked around herself, she saw she was all alone lying in a medical bed. The room was grey and empty, and one corner was blown in. She recognized it as the alley where she was last. But now she sat inside the building.
Hermione had failed, how had she failed? Was she not who she used to be? Had she gotten weak? And Haley? Where was Haley? What was she doing now? Malfoy would kill her-no plummet her into the ground. First things first, how had she gotten here?
That question was quickly answered when a small door in the corner of the room opened, and two grown men walked in. One wore deep purple robes and a flat hat on the top of his bald head. Pierced through his left ear was a single golden hoop. He towered over the other man, a slender, knobbly-kneed, raven headed man with dirty round glasses. He was twirling his wand nervously in his hand while the elder man stood with his broad shoulders tall in a serious manner.
"Harry!" Hermione called out to her old friend. However her voice cracked and spoke softly. That didn't stop him from hearing. Almost immediately Harry Potter turned his head to see Hermione awake and well.
"Hermione!" Speedily, Harry jogged over to the bed, his sweater sleeves widening and covering his fists of hands. He wiped away obvious sweat that had dripped down his forehead and rolled his sleeves back up.
Kingsley Shacklebolt, the present Minister of Magic, stalked over to the bed. He didn't speak in his deep voice yet, but in his eyes it looked as if he had something on his mind. His shoulders moved slightly as he shifted his weight from his left side to his right.
"Where's Haley?" she asked right away as Harry took deep breaths to try and calm down. His face shone red and worried. "Where's Haley?" she reiterated, getting irritated and impatient. She felt her tears continue to fall down her face, brazing her lips. She wondered if she had cried being unconscious, or if it were medically and magically impossible.
"Who?" Harry asked, until he remembered the young girl they found in Hermione's arms. "Oh the girl? She's being washed up right now." He pointed behind himself and then crossed his arms. "Who is she anyway?" he asked.
"She's Mal-" Hermione started but stopped. Maybe telling Harry who was her father wouldn't be such a grand idea, given the event that just happened with Death Eaters. "She's one of my students."
Harry nodded and didn't question anything. Instead he just stared at Hermione, his best friend, and studied her. Her face had bits of dried blood of different shades that indicated it wasn't just hers. Her nose was crooked as if many people – in a rush to save themselves – ran on top of it, snapping it in two. She was lucky her neck was not in the same state. Her hands were still bleeding nicely but once the Healer returned her skin would be new. Her knee however, was a different story. Harry hadn't looked, but the Healer had explained something about how the knee cap had become disconnected and outside of the body. He hadn't wanted to know more information. They could put it back in place, but she'd have to wear a knee brace for a while.
When they had found Hermione and the young girl, they had been floating in a pool of blood. Some was Hermione's, others came from multiple slaughtered and unrecognisable bodies. Her calves had been scarred down to a layer through some tissue and spilling blood. Kingsley had stepped in to help her, but Harry had already bent down, knee deep in blood, muttering "Vulnera Sanetur" over and over. The skin on her calves was now scar-less thanks to dittany, but the inner pain still stayed.
Kingsley harrumphed and stood a little straighter if that were at all possible. Hermione and Harry both turned their attentions away from their thoughts and waited. "Something is amiss," he stated in his deep, spine-tingling voice. "Someone wants revenge over Voldemort. Someone who does not blame Harry. Someone who wants nothing but power or destruction. Something is wrong. Nothing adds up." He directed this small speech at Harry. Then the Minister turned to Hermione. "The Ministry was attacked, the Auror Office specifically. There were about 10 Death Eaters. No one knows how they got in. All we know is that they retreated to the coast and continued to attack this Muggle area. You were included, Miss Granger.
"By the time we arrived, most of the Dementors had fled, but there was still the Death Eaters. Harry and I and the rest of the Aurors rounded up as many as we could. The ones captured however...no one recognized them. Almost as if they were under Polyjuice. But no matter what, they seemed to be staying in that state. Unrecognisable." At the last word, all the strength in Kingsley's voice seemed to die off in a loss of hope.
Hermione was lost for words. Revenge? Who would want revenge? All of He-Who – Voldemort's closest followers were either dead or rotting in Azkaban at that very moment. "Do you-Who would-What?" she stuttered, unsure what to think.
"That's what I said when Kingsley told me his prediction," Harry commented. Hermione's forehead scrunched together.
"Prediction?" she questioned, looking back at Kingsley. "You mean you're just-just guessing?" she exclaimed, her voice going high. He only nodded. "That could be absolutely false, though."
Kingsley gave a small shrug. "It could. But I am quite wise if I do say so myself," he gave a small smile that caused a chain reaction of the same action. "Being wise, I do need help figuring things out. What you, Hermione, don't know, is that even after You-Know-Who was defeated, the Aurors never stopped looking for clues, trails, that he could return. Maybe not himself but through someone else."
Hermione shot her head at Harry. "You knew about this and you didn't tell anyone?" she questioned a bit angrily.
He gave a small shrug as if it were no big deal. "Auror's code, Hermione." That shut her up. She didn't have enough energy to fight back.
"Anyway," Kingsley started up again, "The rest of the Ministry, minus myself, is completely in the black. The Auror Department has been, of course, trying to find and imprison any remaining Death Eaters. By last spring we thought we had them all. Apparently we were wrong..." he drifted for a moment before returning. "We did find something strange however. I cannot tell you exactly what it is, Hermione, but if it is exactly what we think it may be, or close, then we have something to worry about."
Hermione was in awe. She was still in pain, but it had numbed as she took in all the information. She sat for a moment, letting in sink in. "Who's 'we'?" she finally asked. Kingsley appeared confused. "You keep saying 'we found something' or 'we have something to worry about' or 'what we think'. Who is we?" she repeated.
"The Auror Department of course. Every Auror and Auror in training we have." Kingsley replied, clasping his hands behind his back.
Hermione wrinkled her face, her nose crinkling as if she just smelled something repulsive. "Why didn't you tell me?" she asked confused. Harry and Kingsley shared a strained look. Harry's sort of said, 'I-Told-You-She'd-React-This-Way' while Kingsley's said, 'It's-Fine'.
Harry cleared his throat. "Hermione, I don't know if you realise this, but um, you aren't an Auror..." Hermione crossed her arms.
"I was offered the position!" she exclaimed.
"But you turned it down," Kingsley reminded her.
"To go to America," Harry added.
"Just because you were proffered the position of an Auror doesn't mean since you said no you can still know classified Auror information, Miss Granger. No matter if you're a war veteran or not." Kingsley stated, his voice turning back to deep and a bit rough on the end of words.
Hermione gave a long sigh. "If I'm not supposed to know, why are you telling me now?" she asked, confused on the whole thing. They didn't want her to know but they were telling her...and where was Haley? Washing? Washing where? She needed to be safe.
"Because this is becoming a real problem now. Ron and I are going to tell Ginny and the rest of the D.A. later." Harry explained. "This is no longer speculation. Someone or something wants revenge. This had to be the first attack. We don't know how long until a second one. But Hermione," he started. Subconsciously her eyes had drifted to the cold floor from all the thoughts running through her head. Hermione looked up when her name was called, her hair falling lightly onto her bottom lip. "I ask you one thing. Do not worry. Do not plan. Do not contact me or Ron. Act like everything is normal and fine. Continue to live life. If something unexpected comes up, that's when I want you to jump in and join. Until then, please relax and don't worry."
Immediately Hermione's eyebrows shot up. Her eyes gave a message of complete disbelief. "I'm not important to this?" she started, her voice raising. "If I wasn't with you during the war you would have died, or it would still be going on! I'm a useful asset! I can't just sit around and 'pretend' like everything is fine!" she yelled, her voice going haywire.
"No Hermione, that's not what I-" Harry started but she interrupted.
"What you meant, I get it! But that's what it is!" She screamed, her hurt voice echoing off of the ceiling. The sound of herself screaming quite meanly to her friend affected her. She never got mad at Harry. At once Hermione quieted, and then let a few tears fall. She didn't know what was going on with herself, getting upset over nothing.
"The medicine," Harry said to Kingsley. Those were the last words he uttered before racing out of the room to grab the Healer. Hermione kept heaving and sobbing until she made herself sick. By the time Harry returned, she had a pillow on her face, drowning out the sobs and trying not to get sick again.
The Healer, Healer Francis, held a small cup in his hand. "Miss Granger, please take the pillow off your face and sip the potion. I don't want to forcibly give it to you again." Again? Hermione thought. Oh, when I was unconscious.
With the last bit of energy she had, Hermione lifted the pillow off of her face and drank the potion. It tasted like a cross of pumpkin juice and eggplant. It wasn't very good, but before she could further analyse it, she was out.
When she awoke, sunlight was breaking through the glass as a natural alarm clock. The first change Hermione noticed was that her left leg was elevated in a sling. A navy brace was around her kneecap which looked as good as new. Her hands, though still a bit painful, looked perfect from the outside.
"Mummy..." came a small voice from the side of the bed. At first Hermione was confused on who was calling her Mummy, but then she remembered her promise to Haley. Afraid of her condition, Hermione took caution to the wind when she turned to meet Haley's eyes.
At first glance, there was nothing wrong with Haley, she sat like a old, dusty porcelain doll. But looking closer and observing her eyes, you could see the pain erupting through her body. Her eyes watered and her face did not smile. Although she was sleeping during the explosions, she must've seen the aftermath.
"Haley...are you okay?" Hermione asked, immediately starting to worry, she did not want Haley to be upset and get hurt and then tell her father, Draco. She didn't need to be yelled at for being a careless babysitter, which she was.
The young girl, who was wearing what looked like a flour sack dress, shook her head. Hermione's stomach dropped.
"Where do you hurt?" she asked worriedly. Haley pointed to above the left side of her chest. "Your..heart?" she guessed. Haley nodded. "Why does your heart hurt?"
Haley had been hiding her right hand behind her back until then. Hanging limply from her clutch was a raggedy doll that seemed to be 50 years old. The left arm, however, was unattached, resting in Haley's left hand.
"The nice lady with fire hair gave it me dolly but it broke. Now me sad." Haley pouted her lip. Hermione shook her head, quite confused. Haley wasn't physically hurt?
She recognized the doll, it had once been the youngest Weasley's. "Ginny!" she called. Quickly the young engaged ginger scurried in. "Come here please," she whispered.
"What is it ?" Ginny Weasley asked, bending down to eye level with her best friend. Hermione bent into Ginny's ear so Haley wouldn't hear.
"Does she," she motioned to Haley, "have any injuries or recollections about what happened?" she asked. If Haley didn't remember anything, Hermione wouldn't have to worry as much. Of course she'd still have to explain to Draco what happened. Her guilt could not keep her in the clear.
Ginny shook her head. "When we got her from you, she was still sleeping. There were quite a few cuts and bruises on her, but she didn't wake up until after the Healer treated her. Is that Malfoy's daughter?" she asked curiously. Hermione nodded in response.
"So, she knows nothing?" Hermione double-checked. Ginny nodded.
"Nothing."
"And soutenu! Good job, Haley!" Hermione cheered from the small lounge seat. She was going over the combination she had taught in class. Haley had caught on quickly and had a great memory. Hermione felt her eyes well up. Ever since she had returned from the temporary hospital, she wanted to cry after being through such an ordeal. However with Haley around 24/7, there was no possible way that she could.
"Thanks Mummy!" Haley smiled, twirling and then jumping into the air excitedly. Hermione sighed and glanced at the clock. It was almost noon. Draco had been scheduled to return at 12, and she was anxious.
"Now Haley," she started. "Your father will be home soon. You can't call me Mummy any more, I'm Miss Hermione again, okay?" Haley, tired from the simple routine, gave a strained nod.
11:55 read the clock. Hermione bubbled her lips. She didn't know what else to do with a four year old girl. In almost lightening time, she remembered something.
"Haley, do you want to go up?" she asked, standing up slowly and bending over to eye-to-eye view with her. The Malfoy daughter widened her eyes and smiled with her mouth open, hopping up and down.
"Yah, yah, yah, yah!" she exclaimed, bending over. Hermione, using strength from her right knee, lifting the little girl up. She sped around the house, zooming her around and around. Haley squealed in delight, pretending to be a broom.
Draco stood outside of his cottage when he heard the familiar sounds of Haley's excited squeaks. He was about to grab the knob and open the door when he stopped and instead crept over to the window. Through the kitchen window, he spotted Haley in the air, hoisted by...Granger?
Wow, he thought, she's actually doing a good job.
As if he was in a trance, Draco kept his eyes stuck on Hermione and his daughter. At first he was watching Haley spinning in circles. Yet by the time she had landed onto the ground, his eyes had travelled to Granger and her eyes. Her eyes held tears not shed, but happy while watching his daughter.
He observed her for 10 minutes, glancing up and down her body. It wasn't until the curiosity of the brace on her knee that took him back to the door. He hadn't remembered her wearing that before...what happened?
Not even knocking (it was his own house) Draco barged in. He stalked in to see Hermione giving Haley an Eskimo kiss.
"Ahem." he said and Hermione immediately stood up, blushing deeply.
"Oh, Malfoy, you're here." she said, looking at her hands. She felt incredibly guilty for being caught in the act of showing maternal love to his daughter. He merely grunted. "I guess I'll go now-" she started to leave when Draco stopped her in her tracks.
"Actually if you don't mind, I'd like to have a chat first." Draco said, gesturing to the stairs. "If you'll come with me to the study..." He didn't wait for her to say no, he just started going up the case. Hermione told Haley to practice the dance again and she'd see her the next day.
Upon reaching the study, Hermione caught Draco staring out the window. A far off look in his eyes shot bullets through her chest. He watched her face in the reflection of the window before turning around.
"What happened to your knee?" he asked, placing his hands into his front pockets.
Hermione's eyebrows shot straight up. "You didn't hear?" she asked. Draco shook his head. "You were in London, right?" he nodded. "And you still didn't hear." Again, he shook his head. "There was an attack. A Death Eater attack." she added.
Draco's eyes grew twice its size. "But there aren't any more! How-? Where-? But-" He couldn't finish any of those sentences.
Hermione just shook her head. "I know, I know. I couldn't believe it either, but I saw it with my own eyes. It was on the coast, by the London Eye, which now lies in the banks." She waited for him to say something, but Draco seemed too in shock to utter anything else. "I – Haley and I got caught in the attack. A wall exploded behind us and I fell, popping out my knee," she said pointing to her knee. "Eventually I was Stupified and woke up in an old building. My friends were there.." Hermione bit her lip, contemplating whether or not to tell Draco about what Kingsley told her. "Haley doesn't know anything." she added when she saw the worried look in his eyes.
Draco didn't say anything about Haley though. He was focusing on Hermione. "Are you alright?" he asked, looking at her forehead. He couldn't meet her eyes when she was looking back. He just couldn't.
Taken aback by the question, Hermione twisted her hands uncomfortably. "I could be better," her voice was strained though, because of the tears burrowed in the back of her eyes.
The air in the room became tight and almost non-existent. Hermione could hardly breathe. She glanced down at her shoes as she felt the tears threatened to bear.
"Cry."
"What?" Hermione asked, looking back up to meet Draco's gaze.
"Cry." he reiterated. "You'll feel better. I can see that you're holding it back. I've returned, you don't need to take care of Haley any longer. Cry."
Hermione crossed her arms. "I most certainly will not! I will not listen to you, you won't tell me what to do!" Her voice got caught however and her face became small. The tears could not be held back any longer. "I'll cry because I want to." Salty tears began to pour out Hermione's chocolate eyes and she couldn't hold it back. She cupped her mouth with her hand as her sobs echoed in the small room.
Almost on impact, Draco slowly made his way forward towards the crying Muggle-born in his house. He could not believe everything that had happened already, and he felt bad for Hermione, he did. He wouldn't admit it out loud but he felt bad for her.
Draco took his long arms and wrapped them around her small frame. She stood tiny compared to his timbering height. He pulled her face close into his chest, and let her tears stain his suit. He didn't care however. Hermione needed to cry, and he was there to be a comforter, whether pureblood or not.
A/N: Gosh you guys, I really hope you liked this chapter. I hope it isn't OOC. I tried really hard not to. But you know, the character are 24 now, they may act stranger :)
In reply to GoldenPheasant: I was in Finian's Rainbow :) I was Silent Susie! It was lots of fun!
And also:
Willowpelt12: Your review made my day. I had to share it with my friend and she was like, "That's the kind of review that makes you want to jump up and down and get up in the morning to write more to get more reviews like that." So thank you sooooo much!
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P.S. This is the longest chapter yet!