The next morning, a rough banging on the front door woke Hermione. She almost jumped out of bed and struggled to put on a robe. The banging continued, sounding impatient. How long could this person have been here? Not long obviously, since they were still knocking.
Hermione rushed to the door and opened it. Without bothering to wait for an invitation, Malfoy walked inside, leaving his parents in the doorway. He settled himself down on the couch and, suddenly, grinned at Hermione.
Shocked and confused, Hermione waved Mr and Mrs Malfoy inside. They nodded at her and stood awkwardly next to the couch.
"What do you want, Malfoy?" Hermione asked.
Malfoy's grin widened. "I see you just got out of bed."
"It's six-thirty AM on a Sunday morning," Hermione said. "And I would've stayed in bed longer if not for you!"
Malfoy leaned forward. "Don't take everything so personal, Granger. You're so defensive." He glanced at Mr and Mrs Malfoy and sighed. When he looked back at Hermione, his expression was weary. "We came because Father believes you need more guarding. Apparently I'm not doing my job right."
"Well obviously not," Hermione agreed. "You live right next door to me and you couldn't even tell that someone had broken into my flat. You didn't even hear us screaming spells."
Malfoy huffed. "I thought you didn't want extra help."
"I don't."
"I apologize Ms Granger," interrupted Lucius Malfoy, "but your desires are irrelevant. Draco's job was to watch over you, and since he seems incapable of doing so-"
"Father," Malfoy muttered.
"-we will see if someone can help him succeed in keeping you alive," he finished, ignoring his only son.
"No!" Hermione protested. "I don't want anyone else!"
Malfoy smirked hugely. "See Father, she doesn't want anyone else."
"No, that's not what I meant!" Hermione said. "If you replaced him with someone else, that would be wonderful, but I do not want another person helping 'watch over me!' If that's what you came for, I'm sorry but I won't have it!"
"You do not have a choice," said Lucius firmly.
"Just because I agreed to have your son, it doesn't mean I'll have someone else!" Hermione said.
Malfoy chuckled from his seat.
"What?" Hermione demanded.
"I always knew a fight between you and my father would be priceless," Malfoy explained. "But when you're wearing a robe-" He didn't finish and instead kept laughing.
"If you will not agree to have help," conceded Lucius, "then will you agree to have at least one meeting per week at the Manor?"
"Why would we need meetings?" asked Hermione.
Malfoy snorted. "Brightest with of your age, eh? Doesn't seem like it to me. Strategy, Granger. Voldemort's only getting stronger and we can't allow him to reach full strength. Scarhead obviously couldn't kill him, so who knows what he'll do? He has all his servants, at max strength he'll wipe out the whole of the Wizarding World! No sneaking out and hiding this time. He learned from when he missed Potter. Once he's fully healed, he'll come after you himself, no Death Eaters will do it for him." As he spoke, the sarcasm disappeared, leaving in its place thoughtfulness, frustration, and maybe a bit of fear. Tiny creases appeared in his forehead, his almost invisibley blond eyebrows pushed together. It struck Hermione that he genuinely believed in ridding the world of Voldemort. She had a sudden desire to push his hair back and smooth out the lines above his eyes with her fingers, but it was gone as quickly as it came. When he stopped speaking, he stared at Hermione with an intensity that made her uncomfortable. She suddenly found herself blushing, and she looked away.
"But why do we have to do it at the Manor?" Hermione asked. "Why not somewhere else?"
Narcissa spoke for the first time since their arrival. "If Lucius and I are constantly missing, it will arouse suspicion. Draco can, obviously, come and go as he pleases, as he has his own flat. But Lucius and I live at the Manor, it would be very unwise to be leaving every week."
"Then we spread them out," Hermione suggested. "Random days, no pattern."
"We might miss important information that way," countered Lucius. "Consider this, let's say we meet on a Wednesday, and we decided to meet again Saturday of the next week. There's ten days for something major to happen, but if we keep it at regular seven-day intervals, we are less likely to miss something."
Hermione nodded uncertainly. "Lucius, it's not that I don't trust you, but- Everyone at Malfoy Manor, every seven days. Something is bound to happen."
"Every other week then?" said Malfoy. "I'm not suggesting a meeting every other week. We could meet at one place one week, the Manor another, and switch back and forth."
"That's not a half-bad idea, Malfoy," conceded Hermione. Malfoy snorted.
"You'll Apparate as close and as inconspicuously to the Manor as possible," explained Malfoy. "From there, we'll sneak you in. Once the meeting is over and done with, we'll sneak you back out so you can Apparate home."
Hermione nodded in understanding.
"So it's settled, then," finished Lucius. "We'll meet at the Manor and your flat. Tuesdays at eleven pm. We'll begin at your flat in five days."
For the next month, things were a routine. Monday through Friday: go to work, go home, make dinner, go to bed. Tuesdays at eleven: go to work, rest at home for an hour or two, meeting and dinner, back home and in bed around two thirty am. Weekends: relax at home or go somewhere with Ginny, Pansy, Astoria, and occasionally with the spies.
Sometimes Malfoy would drop by her flat to see how she was, and Hermione would invite him in to eat. She suspected he was more interested in the food than in her well-being, but she didn't complain. When she was at home, she was alone but Malfoy's company made her feel less so. At first he came once a week, then two to three, until eventually Hermione came to expect him almost every day. They did, on occasion, talk, but most of the time they ate in silence. It was comfortable, not hostile and awkward like it used to be.
Soon she came to trust him, and she tentatively told him her side of their years at Hogwarts, to which he responded with smirks, the rare smile, and his own tales. He was still aloof and somewhat unreachable, but no longer cruel as he was in their younger years. Hermione had even started to consider them friends, though she wouldn't say it aloud. After a while of visiting, there was frequent, albeit timid, laughter.
Hermione's routines and her friends were comforting, assuring her that everything would be fine in the end, that Voldemort would not reach his strongest. She found it easy to believe because now, instead of one spy, they had an entire group. She wasn't sure exactly how many there were, but it was enough.
But she knew the peace wouldn't last. It couldn't, not when Voldemort was involved.
The Order and former Hogwarts students followed Lucius down the now-familiar staircase to the exit. They were used to it now, after doing it multiple times. Malfoy walked confidently down ahead of them, making loud conversation with Death Eaters when they crossed his path. Hermione and the few people who had attended tonight's meeting were hidden under a Disillusionment Charm. Soon, though, Hermione began to grow impatient. This meeting had taken longer than they usually took, and it was nearing three AM. Furthermore, Malfoy seemed to be stopping more and more often than usual too. Greatly irritated, she glanced back at Harry. He shook his head and rolled his eyes. She looked forward again only to whirl around. She could see Harry! She could see him clear as day! The spell was wearing off.
She jabbed Lucius in the arm. He turned and his eyes widened slightly. After leading the group to a room, he tried to push them in. "Go inside, now!" he hissed.
"Oi, Lucius!" came a voice from behind. Lucius shoved the rest of them inside roughly. "What was that?" The voice asked from outside the door.
"Nothing of your concern," Lucius answered smoothly. "What exactly are you doing wandering the halls of my home at such hours? I would expect you to be asleep, considering how the Dark Lord treats you."
"A'ight, A'ight," said the man who had approached Lucius. "Just wonderin'."
Hermione sat on a sofa, intensely aware of every sound on the other side of the door. What in the world could they do now? They couldn't leave, they were unhidden and trapped. It was impossible to recast the charm. One look at everyone screamed they weren't about to do any complicated magic. Would they have to stay the night here? Again, they couldn't, there were too many Death Eaters wandering around. She looked around the room in fear. Friends, people she considered family were in here. Had she put them in danger?
The door opened, and it took all of Hermione willpower not to shriek. Malfoy stepped inside, his stance and physical state leaving no doubt to the mind. He met Hermione's eyes, his jaw clenched. He had been running. Quickly, it appeared, and from something. "They've found us out," he said. "They know you're here, all of you."
A/N: Finally! No more problems with the computer, I promise you that! I had it fixed two days ago, but I've had rehearsals for a concert and I haven't been able to update. (Concert's tomorrow and Wednesday, wish me luck!:D) Also. . . Please don't hate me after the next chapter. I've had it written for ages because it literally just sprang into my mind. Feelings are good for the soul, right? So, um, I hope you still love me after the next chapter. Remember, everything happens for a reason. Also, I apologize for the shortness of this chappie. -BaF
PS: I've started using Wattpad because it's easier to use, especially when you do most of your writing on your phone. (Like yours truly.) I'm also Bananas_and_Fandoms there, and I have the first couple chapters of Indispensable up. Once I get it caught up (about a week from now) I'll be updating first on Wattpad and then on here. It's just much easier(: Plus, I'll be posting an original story soon, so if you're interested, look me up!(:
