Author's note
As always reviews much appreciated.
Chapter 11-Temporary insanity.
All was chaos, but amid the wails of women; Draco pieced together what had happened. His lunatic aunt had killed Weasley.
He tried desperately to get Hermione to speak to him, he hoped against hope that she hadn't meant what she said but something had happened, something had stretched that bond between them to near breaking point and she would not acknowledge him.
Hermione needed to be clean; she stood in the shower watching the water turn a muddy pink as the remnants of Ron's life washed away. She stood there until the water ran cold and still she did not feel clean.
The cacophony of noise in her head wouldn't go away. That accusing inner voice that told she had betrayed Ron in every way that mattered and he had still died for her. Draco had wanted to comfort her but she couldn't bear to look at him because all she saw, reflected in his face, was her guilt.
"Hermione," she heard Ginny's gentle tone, "are you alright in there?" Hermione didn't answer but she turned off the water and stepped out to dry herself. It didn't matter; she would never be clean again. She had seen Ron's note on her pillow; 'Jezebel', he had known about her and Draco and yet he had still saved her life. That curse was intended for her. Hermione had seen the malice in Bellatrix's eyes. Ron had simply got in the way.
Eaten up with guilt Hermione sat on the bed, her knees pulled up to her chin and finally cried.
Harry had never seen Hermione react like she did that day. Malfoy had seemed to understand that he needed to give her space. But when she had sat for the best part of a week in a catatonic state Malfoy seemed unable to take it any longer.
"Hermione," he dragged her to one side after a breakfast where Hermione had done little more than push her food around her plate, "talk to me," he pleaded.
Harry knew that Draco meant well and he couldn't for the life of him understand why Hermione was responding to his Slytherin house guest this way. The last thing she had done before they left the house that day was to think of Draco's wellbeing and safety and now?
Then Harry recalled something that Ron had said, he had called it a 'lover's goodbye,' was there something between Hermione and Malfoy? Harry wondered. He wasn't sure but he knew something was off.
"Why?" Hermione rounded on Malfoy in responses to his request. Malfoy looked like he had been stung.
"I don't understand what have I done?" Malfoy asked her bewildered.
Harry could see Hermione ire rising. She gripped Malfoy's arm and with a 'pop' they disappeared.
'Shit', was all Harry could think. Hermione clearly wasn't stable and he had no idea where she had just apparated Malfoy to or what she intended to do with him there. Alarmed he went to look for Remus.
Hermione hadn't taken Malfoy far at all. They landed in the green space outside Grimmauld Place, Draco stumbled as they landed taken by surprise by Hermione's side along apparation.
It was reckless, they were outside the wards that protected The Order's headquarters but she needed to talk to him in private and the garden or either of their rooms were out of the question.
"Are you insane," he rounded on her trying to hold down his breakfast. It was not that he was angry with her but rather he was concerned for her safety.
"You," she began pushing into his chest with a deliberate staccato movement, "cost Ron his life."
"How…what?" Draco spluttered.
"He knew!" she screamed at him, "Ron knew."
Draco reached out to her, he didn't understand but he knew Hermione was upset. That was a mistake; in her distressed state Hermione was humming with raw magic the contact hit Draco like a billion volts. Draco flew across the park, landing in a comatose and crumbled state pressed to the iron railings that enclosed the green space.
Hermione's conscious brain could not compute what she had done. She stood staring at Draco's prone body, he wasn't moving. Her brain had become too emotionally traumatised to cope. Her subconscious took over leading her on auto-pilot to apparate back to safety, back inside Grimmauld Place leaving Draco on the ground and vulnerable in the now pouring rain.
"Hermione," Harry greeted her with relief as soon as she appeared but the relief was short lived as he realised she was alone.
"Hermione, where's Malfoy?" Nothing she didn't respond Harry tried again, "Hermione where's Draco?"
Nothing, not even a flicker. By now Remus had joined him already aware of what had transpired earlier. Remus tried;
"Hermione, look at me," Remus coaxed, "do you know where Draco is?"
Hermione looked up and met Remus' eyes.
"He's dead isn't he?" she asked. There was an audible thunk as Harry's head slipped back in despair hitting the wooden cupboard door behind him. His brilliant friend seemed to have succumbed to temporary insanity. She didn't seem to be aware of where or when she was.
"Yes Ron's dead." Remus reminded her but this seemed to only increase her agitation.
"No, no," she cried out shaking her head.
Remus tried to calm her but she remained agitated.
"Hermione what is it? can you tell me?" Remus continued to press in his gently fatherly tone.
Nothing, again she didn't respond but continued to ring her hands in agitations. Harry tried again.
"'Mione, do you know where Draco has gone?"
"He's gone," she told him appearing a little more lucid.
"Where Hermione, where has he gone?" Remus asked worried the younger Malfoy had done something stupid.
"Draco Malfoy is dead, I killed him." Hermione announced forcefully.
Preternatural silence descended on the room.
The shocked silence that had descended on the room seemed to grip and squeeze the air out of their lungs. No one spoke. Finally after what seemed like forever Remus asked what they had all been wondering.
"Where did you leave him Hermione?"
Hermione's eyes seemed gentler, calmer now that she had said what needed to be said.
"In the rain," she told him. Harry sighed and shook his head in disbelief. Remus pressed on;
"Is he in the garden? Can you take me to him?"
"Yes," Hermione held out her hand to Remus like a small child and they apparated away.
Harry stared at the space where his friend had sat a moment before. To Harry she seemed broken, Hermione had coped with so much yet this seemed to have destroyed her. What had happened between Hermione and Malfoy? He wondered and why had no one noticed. He was snapped out of his reverie by Ginny wrapping her arms gently across his shoulders.
"Harry what happened?" She asked her voice hoarse and concerned. Harry shook his head;
"I have absolutely no idea," he told her honestly feeling the weight of responsibility once again heavy on his shoulders.
