Author's Note: Hello there! Happy Valentine's day! Hope you all enjoy this next chapter, I think most of you were looking forward to it!
Exile Chapter Eleven
The following Sunday felt like it came quicker than Hermione Granger had anticipated. She barely had time to think through her plans and activities in the wizarding world, and as a person who found peace within well thought out plans, this bothered her. What made her most uneasy, however, was that she did not know what to expect from her visit to Narcissa, or what kind of trouble it would put her in if anybody found out that she was establishing contact between an exiled man and his mother. Hermione, although she did not like to rely on it, was very good at improvisation and quickly adapting her plans to fit the current situation. Come Sunday, it was what she had to do.
Her first challenge was getting rid of Ginny and the rest of her friends. She had made plans with Ginny to go out into town, and as she had been outwardly excited about the idea, it would be hard to cancel. Thus, Hermione decided to stop by the Weasley's first, and go from there.
They had all greeted her with the same enthusiasm upon her arrival at the Burrow, and Hermione allowed herself a good half hour to stop and chat and catch up on anything the Weasleys deemed important enough for her to know. Hermione asked about Harry's whereabouts as he was usually there, but Ginny informed her that he was at work.
"I'll get my purse and coat, and then we can go to Diagon Alley, I'll only be a minute." Ginny told Hermione, getting up off the sofa and walking to the stairs.
"Oh no, actually Ginny, I came here to tell you I won't be able to go after all." Hermione said quickly, making the red haired girl stop in her tracks. Ginny turned to face Hermione with a curious and dejected expression.
"Why not?"
"Well, things came up and I actually have to go to the ministry to get some things sorted out." Hermione lied, keeping her face calm. Hermione was not a good liar by any stretch, but being in a disguise really helped her skills.
"Is it about the exile, has Draco tried to escape?" Ginny responded, her eyes alarmed with shock and excitement.
"No, no. Nothing like that. Just some confidential work papers I forgot to do. Things of that nature. Might take a couple hours, but I promise next Sunday I will go with you." Hermione said, lying again. She hadn't been lying about her promise, however.
Ginny smiled at her friend, putting on an understanding and passive face, but on the inside, Ginny was heavily disappointed. She had been looking forward to spending time with her friend one on one, shopping and talking their Sunday away. But Hermione had things to do, and Ginny tried very hard at that moment to be understanding.
Five minutes later Hermione was outside, walking to the apparition point. She quickly thought about the best place to start looking for Narcissa Malfoy, as she did not know where the Malfoy Manor really was. When she had been brought there her seventh year she had not been able to see her surroundings to judge the location and so now Hermione had to do some investigative work. She thought Diagon Alley would be the best place to start, and thanked Merlin she was in disguise so that nobody would recognize her walking around.
Hermione landed outside the Leaky Cauldron and quickly entered the bar, earning no greeting from anybody inside. Usually Tom the barkeep would greet her, but she was unrecognizable in her muggle disguise. She headed for the back of the bar, where she pushed open a door to reveal a brick wall. There, she tapped the correct bricks in the correct order, and the brick wall peeled back before her eyes, revealing Diagon Alley. Suddenly Hermione was eleven again, watching a new world unfold before her eyes for the first time in a long time. She had not seen Diagon Alley for weeks, and was glad to know it was still the same colorful, busy place she had come to know and love. She stepped forward before the brick wall could become a brick wall again, and entered the alley.
At first, Diagon Alley looked welcoming, and quite charming to the eye. Families walked quickly following their excited children, groups of teenagers pressed their noses against the glass windows to look at the new Mercury broomstick that had just come out. (Word was it was five miles faster than the Firebolt). Friends sat at tables eating delicious foods, couples walked hand in hand with no particular hurry. It was a pleasant place. But if one looked closer, and stopped to observe for a mere minute, other things began to be apparent. The black hooded figures lurking by the shadows, keeping away from the public for their own safety. A man wearing a silver bracelet being kicked out of a store. Two women keeping their hoods over their faces so as not to be seen or attract attention. And the very families that followed their children around, walking faster to catch up with their child so they could pull their child away from the hooded figures. Everyone made faces at them, or made no eye contact at all. Suddenly there was an ominous undertone to Diagon Alley that Hermione had forgotten was ever even there.
She pushed her feelings and thoughts aside quickly in order to keep on track with her plan. She figured her best bet was to talk to somebody who would know Narcissa Malfoy, or her whereabouts. She spotted a young woman across the street, sitting in the dark shadows made by the buildings and Hermione decided she would be her best bet. Hermione crossed the street and casually walked in the young woman's direction. The young woman, seeing someone walk in the direction she was sitting in, began to panic. Before she could get up to run away, she heard the other woman tell her to stay where she was, that she needed to ask her something. The young woman froze, heart fluttering wildly.
"Please, I just need to ask you something, I'm not going to do anything." Hermione reassured the young woman again. Hermione couldn't help feeling that there was something familiar about this woman. Hermione watched as the stranger's features relaxed gradually. The woman would not make eye contact. Hermione decided to proceed and ask what she needed to know. "Do you know of a Narcissa Malfoy?"
The woman shook her head a little too quickly. Fear began to become prominent in the woman's posture and Hermione once more began to reassure her.
"She isn't in trouble or anything. Neither are you. I don't work for the ministry. I just need to talk to her." Hermione said, crouching down at eye level with the young woman to communicate the fact that they were equals. This posture allowed Hermione to look into the woman's eyes and see her face, and instantly recognized her from Hogwarts. It was Pansy Parkinson. Hermione quickly masked the shock that took over her features before Pansy could see. Hermione was only glad that Pansy did not recognize her at all. However now Hermione had the upper hand, because she knew that Pansy Parkinson definitely knew Narcissa Malfoy and where she lived.
Pansy did not speak. Instead she turned away, refusing to give away information that might endanger anybody she knew. Unbeknownst to Hermione, Pansy had changed drastically with the silver bracelet law. She learned to bow her head in shame, to become embarrassed about who she was, and what her blood was. Pansy was constantly living in fear, since that day a year ago when a mudblood wizard decided to take advantage of her. She had lost her mother and father after they had committed suicide because they could not manage to live in a world where purebloods were not on top. She resented them for doing that, and a new hatred for her own blood surged from that. Because of that she had trust issues. Pansy Parkinson was truly broken. The only people she had made good, strong ties with were the Malfoys, and after Draco left she even went out of her way to get food for Narcissa, as Draco would not want his mother out all alone and vulnerable. It was the least she could do after the Malfoys offered her their home after her parent's suicide.
After much silence, Hermione decided she was not going to earn Pansy's trust by simply speaking to her. She looked around, making sure no one was looking at them, and stood up, telling Pansy to please stay where she was, that she would be only a minute. Hermione then headed into the store next door, and bought the largest bowl of soup she could find, as well as some bread to go with it. There was no line, so Hermione simply paid and left, relieved to find Pansy still there.
"I'm on your side." Hermione told her, looking around once more to make sure no one was watching, and gave Pansy the bowl of soup and bread. Once the smell of warm soup entered Pansy's nostrils it was hard for her to reject the food. Her hands immediately stretched out to the warm bowl, and she began eating it with a spoon Hermione had supplied her with, ignoring the scorching burn on her tongue. Hermione waited patiently, watching Pansy eat the soup like a wild and starving animal, slurping and swallowing every single second, until several minutes later, the bowl was empty. Pansy attacked the bread next, stuffing it into her mouth until she almost choked.
"Careful, there." Hermione warned her. Pansy merely made eye contact with Hermione for a second before stuffing more bread in her mouth. Once done, Hermione waited several more seconds before asking again. "I know you know where Narcissa is, please I need to talk to her."
"Why." Pansy demanded.
"Because, it's important."
"Nothing is important to her anymore." Pansy stated as a reply, her eyes scanning Hermione's hands for more food.
"I think her son is still important to her." Hermione countered back. She watched as Pansy's eyes met hers, frozen and questioning.
"Who are you?" Pansy whispered.
"That's not important. Can you tell me where Narcissa is?" Hermione said, her voice more urgent and impatient.
"Come with me." Pansy said, extending her thin and bony hand to Hermione, who took it and was immediately pulled by an external force, apparating away to Malfoy Manor.
Pansy and Hermione landed right on the front door step of Malfoy Manor. Hermione recalled the last time she was there, that they could not directly apparate inside the gates. She figured all the enchantments that once protected the regal manor were now gone, taken by the ministry, most likely.
Hermione felt a weight collapse by her side, and turned quickly with her arms outstretched to catch the fallen Pansy, who had collapsed in exhaustion. Hermione was concerned about Pansy's condition, her mind back at the ministry, making plans to protest and remove the Silver Bracelet Law. Once Hermione had gotten Pansy back up to standing, and making sure Pansy could now support herself, she let go and let her stand on her own. Pansy knocked three times upon the large wooden doors of the Manor, and Hermione stood listening to the sound of the wood echoing on the other side. Time ticked by. Hermione turned her head, surveying what once were lavish green grass and bushes, with white peacocks. It was now patches of dead overgrown grass, with lifeless bushes and untrimmed hedges. The manor looked more like an abandoned haunted house than someone's home. Hermione thought of Draco Malfoy and was at least glad he had a neat apartment to himself. Exile was the best thing for him, compared to living in those conditions.
Hermione's head looked forward once she heard soft steps approaching the door, and the creaking sound of wood. The door opened an inch, and brown eyes peeked through, spotting Pansy, and then opening all the way. Narcissa Malfoy could now be seen. Narcissa spotted Hermione however, and stopped, looking to Pansy for an explanation, fear and betrayal in her eyes.
"She brings news of Draco." Pansy uttered quickly and quietly as if not wanting to be overheard by anyone. Immediately, Narcissa Malfoy's features softened and new hope shone in the older woman's features upon the mention of her exiled son's name. Without questioning further, she opened the doors all the way, and beckoned both visitors inside her abandoned manor with trembling excitement and tears in her eyes.
Hermione could not stop herself from surveying her surroundings. There was no light, no heat, inside the manor. Everything was dark and dusty, and there were spider webs where there once should have been golden fixtures. There was no furniture, only two shabby chairs and a small table, which looked on verge of collapsing. That was all that was left of the Malfoy legacy. Hermione's attention was then suddenly redirected to Narcissa, who now sat on the chair, wiping her eyes, unable to sustain her sobs.
"I-I apologize." Narcissa excused herself once she had regained composure and no more tears fell down her cheeks. "I just miss my son very much. Not a day goes by when I do not think of him. I hope he is okay. Is he okay? Please… tell me. Does he miss me? He's not—there's nothing wrong… is there?" Narcissa Malfoy forced herself to stop asking so many questions to her new visitor. There were so many more in her mind, however. And she wanted to ask them all at the same time, but she could not. She wondered who this young, dark haired, green eyed woman was. Why was she here? How did she know Draco? Did she know his situation? Why did she decide to come here? And Draco? Was he happy? Was he healthy? Was he warm? The questions never stopped.
"Mrs. Malfoy, your son is perfectly okay. He misses you very much, which is part of the reason why I'm here, I guess." Hermione told the woman honestly. In the darkness of the manor she could not make out Narcissa's features well, but Hermione could see the woman looked thin and worn out both physically and mentally.
"And who are you? Why should I trust you? How do you know about Draco?" Narcissa questioned yet again, looking from Pansy to her visitor. Hermione found herself scouring her mind for a possible explanation of who she was and why she was there without revealing her identity. But something in Narcissa's eyes told Hermione that the woman would not rest until all her questions were answered in great length and sufficiently believable. "Well?" Narcissa pressed impatiently. Hermione found herself with no other option.
"I'm Hermione Granger." Hermione said, earning shocked gasps from both women. Pansy was in such shock she sat on the floor, clutching her chest and staring wide eyed in disbelief at Hermione. Narcissa Malfoy merely straightened up, her eyes in shock. Narcissa wondered if the Granger mudblood was there to arrest her, and to see if whether or not Draco had tried to communicate with her. Hermione however, thought it best to continue before anyone jumped to conclusions. "When Draco was exiled, I got put on his case. My assignment is to watch him, and make sure he does not try to escape and remove his silver bracelet. I was placed under special polyjuice potion, so that I could go undercover as a muggle and watch him closely. This is the truth." Hermione paused in her explanation to study Pansy and Narcissa's reactions and gauge how she was doing.
"I believe you." Narcissa said stiffly to Hermione's surprise, looking at her from head to toe. Narcissa knew very little about Hermione Granger, other than the fact that she had been regarded as the "brightest witch of her age" and that she was a self-righteous, mudblood know-it-all, who had a strong moral compass. Narcissa knew that if Hermione was here, she was here for honorable reasons, not to arrest her or attain information. Which meant that her son was truly okay, and that Hermione Granger, was here to help. "How is my Draco? Is he happy?" Narcissa asked the witch.
"Draco only just starting to adjust to the muggle world. For a while he refused to use anything muggle, or eat anything muggle. He only just started talking to me—"
"You interact with my son?" Narcissa interjected.
"Well, yes. It's my job to keep tabs on him and also… he's very alone. I wanted to keep him company." Hermione replied honestly, feeling as though with every word she was figuratively stabbing Narcissa Malfoy with knives. Hermione felt that Narcissa would not want her talking to her son because of her blood status.
Instead, Narcissa Malfoy thanked her.
"I just want Draco to be happy. I don't care how he finds it. Living like this has taught me that much. I would give my life to be with him. I would give my life to be in his place." Narcissa explained in response to Hermione's questioning look. "I am glad my son got out of this horrid life. I only hope he appreciates it."
Hermione only regarded Narcissa with a puzzled and relieved look. No words came to mind. It was unlike Narcissa Malfoy to talk this way, and the change of heart took Hermione by pleasant surprise. Narcissa Malfoy, continued to explain, feeling that it was both necessary and a relief.
"You must think me bonkers to be talking like this. But my family has been through a lot of unfair situations and hardships and in the end I just want peace. I don't care how it comes about. My family has been through enough. We only ever did what kept our family safe and together." Narcissa explained, referring to her husband's allegiance with Voldemort in the recent past. "We joined him out of fear, out of pride, and self-preservation. Toward the end we saw it was not best for us Malfoys to stay on the Dark Lord's side, but it was already too late. We could not escape. So we did what we could to survive. And now we are here. Betrayed by our own world, and denied our own birthrights. I know you must feel that purebloods are simply egotistical snooty rats but we felt entitled to our world, and we felt the need to protect it when it was being taken from us. And now it is not our world any longer. We have been betrayed and left to rot. And to keep my family safe I realize that we must keep our heads down and take what we can to get by. My husband is currently rotting in Azkaban, unable to see his wife and son ever again. And I am here with no one but Pansy for company while I scour for meals. Of course I would be glad that Draco escaped. The ministry thinks it as punishment but really it is just a second chance. I am only sad I cannot see him live happily."
Hermione stayed silent for a long time, unmoving. She looked at Narcissa differently now, as a mother, who did what she had to do, who wants nothing more than her son to live and be happy. When Hermione was younger Narcissa Malfoy was simply a pureblood elitist, walking with her nose in the air and an air of superiority. For the first time Hermione realized that perhaps the Malfoys weren't such bad people, and that perhaps they didn't deserve everything that happened to them simply because of how they thought the world should be. They were people as well, after all. Hermione did not fail to realize that Narcissa never mentioned a change of opinion, or a realization that muggleborns were just people too. She still thought the same way about Hermione, and looked at her the same way. Narcissa had only developed a tolerance, an acceptance for people like Hermione.
"Tell me more about Draco's new life." Narcissa asked gently and politely with much curiosity.
Hermione did just that. She explained the muggle life to Narcissa, talked about everything and anything she had seen Draco do, and talk about, not leaving out a single thing. Narcissa listened to it all with interest and an open mind. Hermione explained muggle terms, and the way muggles did certain things to make her story clearer. She talked about the first time she met Draco, what he said and did, what the inside of his home looked like, how often she talked to him, what Draco said to Hermione over tea the other day, how he missed his mother and was confused about what to do. Hermione mentioned that he was denying his own happiness because he did not want to tarnish the family name. Hermione said anything that had anything to do with Draco Malfoy, and Narcissa did not stop once to interrupt. Hermione ended up talking for an hour straight.
"…And then I decided to cancel my plans and come here to tell you this, because he really is having a hard time and I don't believe he deserves to be separated like this." Hermione finished, bringing her story to a close. Her mouth felt dry from talking so much without pause, but she hadn't minded, since this was a one-time deal.
"I really appreciate that, Hermione." Narcissa said genuinely, smiling a small smile. "Are you really doing this out of the goodness of your heart?" She added skeptically. It all came down to the kind of person Hermione Granger was. Wherever Hermione saw injustice she sought to correct it either on a small or grand scale, no matter who the victims were or the risks involved.
Hermione only nodded, hoping Narcissa would believe it. Narcissa did believe it, only because she knew Hermione's righteous reputation. It also was a personality trait that was found in many Gryffindors. Narcissa thought Hermione a fool for taking such a risk. It was a risk a Slytherin would never take unless the lives of family or oneself were at stake.
"I really should be going; I have to take my polyjuice potion in a couple of hours." Hermione announced. Narcissa nodded, rising off her unstable chair. Pansy rose as well.
"Thank you for coming." Narcissa said. "May you do me a favor?"
"Yes." Hermione said quickly without thinking.
"May you tell my son that he should uphold the family name by being happy and thankful that he has left this world? Tell him I approve of whatever he decides to do. And tell him I love him, and that I miss him." Narcissa replied, her eyes misting over with tears threatening to spill once more.
"Mrs. Malfoy it will be hard for me to do that," Hermione said shaking her head. "It would reveal my cover there's no way I can—"
"Please. Please." Narcissa pleaded, lifting a thin hand to wipe her eyes.
Hermione caved in. The scene was truly heartbreaking, and there was no way Hermione could refuse a mother's desperate wishes.
"I'll try. I promise I will try."
"Thank you. I can't thank you enough." Narcissa replied, relief and gratitude filling her voice. Narcissa gestured to Pansy, who beckoned Hermione to follow, and Pansy led Hermione out the door, and down the steps. The sun had already gone down and a chill had settled in that made Hermione shiver. So much time had elapsed within the manor without realizing it. Hermione and Pansy came to a stop. They had reached the apparition point.
"That's okay, I can apparate out on my own." Hermione said quickly as Pansy made to grab Hermione's hand. Hermione did not want the poor girl to collapse again. Pansy simply nodded and stepped away, and Hermione nodded once in thanks and was sucked into the darkness the next second.
Once in her apartment, Hermione collapsed face down on her sofa, expelling out all her air until she had none left in her lungs. What did I get myself into? She repeated in her head. What did I get myself into? Not only would she feel like the world's worst person if she did not relay Narcissa's message to Draco, but now she had to figure out how to do it without exposing herself and raising suspicion from Malfoy. Hermione felt something furry and wet touch the fingers that were hanging off the side of her sofa, and she turned her head to the side, to see her cat Romeo sniffing and licking her fingers in apparent consolation. She moved her fingers in order to stroke her cat's head, making Romeo purr immediately.
Hermione sighed. This time she had definitely bitten off more than she could chew.
A/N: Hope you all enjoyed! Please don't forget to leave a review if you liked it! I'm very busy the next several weeks, but however if this gets a lot of reviews I will make some time to write the next chapter and post it soon!