Chapter 12: Disengagement

The funeral was a week later. Hermione had convinced Draco to push the wedding back until after his trial, and unwillingly, he agreed. They had been busy all this week, trying to call up family and friends to deliver the news and to organize the funeral as well. As the funeral came closer, Draco could feel his stomach tying up in knots. He hadn't told her about the letter, which made him feel even worse. He wanted to tell Hermione the truth, but he couldn't figure out how. She had been so strong this week with the wedding being pushed back and her parents' funeral. He didn't want to add on to her struggles.

The funeral was beautiful, if funerals could be. All of Hermione's family and friends were there, sending their condolences and speaking of the good times they shared with her parents. Draco noticed how Hermione hadn't grieved since they arrived. He admired the fact that she was trying to be so strong, but she didn't have to be. When it was time to Hermione to speak, she was hesitant to get up. Draco had offered to speak for her, but she insisted that this was something she must do herself. She walked up to the podium, dressed in a black dress with black heels and her hair falling neatly by her shoulders. She looked like she wanted to break down and cry, but she held herself together as she began to speak.

"My parents were extraordinary people." She smiled. "They could put a smile on your face without trying to pull your teeth out." There was a small laugh from the audience. "For you all to be here today, it shows that my parents not only impacted me through their teachings, but also impacted others." She looked up to the crowd, but narrowed her gaze on Draco, who nodded in encouragement for her to continue. But her gaze didn't leave his eyes.

"I want you all to know that my parents' murder will not be in vein, and that their killers will be brought to justice. And I want their killers to know that there will be consequences for their actions. We will not live in a world where actions like these are ignored. Thank you."

Everybody clapped after Hermione's speech, but Draco felt his heart fall to the pit of his stomach. She returned to sit by him and rested her head in the crook of his neck. He wrapped his arm around her and kissed her forehead, feeling more uneasy by the minute. Hermione wanted him to give the Death Eaters what they "deserved," but he couldn't shake the feeling that he was equally responsible for her parents' murder.

/

When they returned back to the burrow, Hermione went straight to her room, not saying a word to anyone. She laid on the bed, took a deep breath and began to cry. She hadn't cried since the day she found out her parents were dead. She cried at the thought that she would never be able to go home and that she would never be able to see her parents again. She looked at her ring, the gold band and emerald shimmering in the sunlight. She thought of Draco- how her parents would have loved him, how they would start a family, and how no one would be able to take them away from their children because of the rings' enchantments. She removed her gaze from the ring as she noticed something in the corner of the room—a balled up piece of parchment. Had that always been there?

She got up and picked it up, unraveling it as she sat back down on the bed. As she began to read, she realized that the letter was for Draco…..from Bellatrix LeStrange. Her throat went dry as her eyes froze on one at particular sentence.

"We have targeted a muggle couple that we will be "interrogating" once we get there, to find the whereabouts of Potter."

Hermione stopped reading. He knew. Draco knew. She could feel the anger building up in her veins. How long had he known? When was he going to tell her? Or was he even planning to tell her at all? All these questions began swirling in her head and she felt like she couldn't breathe. How could he?

At that moment, Draco entered the room. He saw that she had been crying again and noticed the letter in her hand. He felt his heart thumping against his chest, but he tried to calm down. Maybe it wasn't what he thought it was.

"Hermione, what's that?"

/

"Hermione." he repeated her name as he knelt down in front of her. She didn't respond. He looked into her eyes, but there was something different about them. She seemed to be looking past him instead of at him. He grabbed her hands- they felt numb and cold against his. She seemed unemotional—indifferent. Something was wrong.

"Hermione, talk to me."

"You knew." Hermione spoke at a deadly whisper. She was now looking at him, or into him. Her brown eyes boring into him like fire. She removed her hands out of his and handed him the letter. He took it, immediately realizing what it was, and then looked at her again. Tears were now forming in her eyes.

"You knew, and you didn't tell me. You didn't tell anyone." Her voice trembled, she tried to keep herself together.

"Hermione—Hermione I—I had no idea that they were going after your parents." Draco stammered.

"IT DOESN'T MATTER DRACO!" She had finally exploded. The anger and the rage that she was trying to keep down pushed itself out. "YOU KNEW AND YOU TOLD NOONE!"

"I didn't think—"Draco tried to explain, but…

"What?" She laughed hysterically. "That they would kill anybody important? Unbelievable." She scoffed. "Do you understand that my parents are dead? MY PARENTS….my parents are DEAD Draco! And you had the chance to do something about it, yet you ignored it. I knew it. I knew there was something wrong with you that night, I just didn't know what it was. You haven't changed, you haven't changed at all."

"You don't mean that, Hermione, listen to what you're saying."

"What else have you been lying to me about? WHAT ELSE?!" She spat. She could feel her body shaking from the anger. "What did Mr. Weasley say?! What really happened during the war?!"

Draco stayed silent. He wasn't ready to face the truth yet. Especially not now.

Hermione scoffed and got up from the bed, retrieving her wand. She wanted to hurt him, badly. She positioned herself on the other side of the bed. She didn't want to be near Draco. "You're still a COWARD! Was all this just an act?! You pretending to love me to protect yourself, while the Death Eaters continue to inform you of their dirty work?!"

"Hermione, for Merlin sakes, no! Are you mental?! I would never." Draco was flabbergasted. Was this what she had been thinking all along?

"Mental?!" She laughed again. "You are nothing but a HEARTLESS-" She sent a spell at him.

Draco pulled out his wand at the right moment, and deflected her spell. "Hermione, I need you to calm down." Draco was skilled at magic, but Hermione was far more advanced than him. She could cause significant damage while she was perfectly normal, and Draco didn't want to find out how much damage she would cause when she was angry.

"COLDBLOODED—"She sent another one, this one stronger than the last. This spell missed and hit the wall, causing George's clock to fall down with a crash. Draco knew what her next word was going to be, and he could feel the anger anticipating inside of him.

"Granger, I want you think about the next thing you're going to say." He said in a stern voice. But it was too late, as Hermione belted out the last word.

"DEATH EATER!" She shot another spell, and Draco deflected it with so much force that the spell bounced back to Hermione, almost missing her by an inch. Draco felt the rage surge through him. He felt his fist ball up and his heart rate increase. He was breathing heavily, his chest rising with every breath. How dare she still accuse him of being a Death Eater, after everything he had done for her?

"I KILLED DOZENS OF THEM, FOR YOU! TOOK A KILLING CURSE, FOR YOU! YOU—YOU—UNGRATEFUL LITTLE-"Draco stopped himself, for he was about to call Hermione the one thing he swore to never say again. Hermione's faced turned even redder, tears streaming down her face.

"SAY IT! SAY IT, DRACO! MUDBLOOD!" She pulled up her sleeve showing him the scar that Bellatrix had given her. Draco wouldn't look at it. "DO YOU REMEMBER WHAT SHE DID TO ME? AND YOU HAD THE NERVE TO PROTECT HER?!" She held her arm up higher so Draco could see it, but he wouldn't look at her scar. He remembered what happened that night at Malfoy Manor. How Bellatrix had tortured her.

"LOOK AT IT DRACO! LOOK!" She screamed. Her voice was cracking as she tried to get her words out. Tears were still streaming down her face. She looked heartbroken. It was like all the anger and emotion from this week was all coming out.

"HERMIONE, DAMMIT NO!" Draco lowered his voice. He tried his best to calm down. "I love you."

Hermione shook her head frantically. She looked hysterical.

"Hermione, you have to believe me. I didn't know. You have to believe me." Draco pleaded. He needed her to listen to him, but he knew that was a lost cause. But he still had to try.

Hermione's face was hot with fury. If it could, steam would be blowing out of her ears right now. Draco put his wand down—he didn't want to hurt her any more than he already had. He started to walk closer to her, hoping that she would put hers down as well. But she didn't, she kept it up, ready to hex him at any moment.

"Don't come near me." She said through gritted teeth.

"Hermione, listen to me." Draco took one more step towards her and then—

BOOM!

Hermione had stupefied Draco into the wall and stormed out of the room. Draco barely had enough strength to get up, but he managed to get on his feet and follow her out, clinging to his side while trying to call her name. His head was throbbing, but he couldn't focus on that now.

"HERMIONE!" He called out.

She ignored him and proceeded down the steps. Harry, Ron, and Ginny had all called after her as well, but she wouldn't stop. Draco passed the three without stopping as well, he had to get to her.

"Hermione, STOP!"

She continued to ignore him and Draco followed her out into the field, where she was in range of apperation. He only had a few moments before she would disappear. He had to do something.

"GODDAMMIT, I KILLED MY FATHER FOR YOU!" He yelled out.

Hermione stopped walking, but didn't turn around. Draco, still holding his side, stood where he was, knowing better this time not to walk towards her again. Tears were now running down his face. They stood there for a moment, and Draco took this opportunity to explain himself.

"At the battle, when I was fighting the Death Eaters, somebody stupefied me. I was so angry, I didn't bother to check to see who it was—"Draco began talking in short breaths. "and I shot a curse back, I wasn't even looking, I just shot it. I didn't know—I didn't know it was him. All I saw was his white hair, and I knew, I knew I killed him."

Hermione stayed facing the opposite direction. She didn't move or react. It was almost liked she hadn't heard him, but Draco knew she did. The question was: Did she believe him?

"Hermione, come inside please, let's talk about this."

They both stood there in silence. Draco then noticed Hermione doing something with her hands and dropping something on the ground.

"We have nothing to talk about." She said with enough venom to pierce Draco in the heart. She then disapperated.

Draco walked over to the spot where Hermione once stood, and noticed something gold glittering in the grass.

Hermione took off her ring.

He bent over and picked it up, putting it in his pocket. She was gone, and it was all his fault.

"FUCK!"