Chapter Twelve: There, There Little Ducks
Hermione was standing in the mist, the light of pre-dawn just starting to break through the quiet landscape. She was watching Hogwarts gates from the relative comfort of her wards; the ones that she had used during the war with Voldemort. It was nearing the time when Cresswell said that he would be there for the changing of the guards and Hermione was on edge, hoping that she wasn't walking into a nasty surprise.
A slight movement, a large black shadow, approached the gates. For a moment, she panicked. Death Eaters at Hogwarts was her first thought before she shook herself out of it. That was a different time, a different war. Once the two pops of apparition sounded through the valley, Hermione held her breath and left the safety of her spells.
"Miss Granger?" Cresswell whispered.
She materialized out of the shadows as if she were Snape's apprentice. She was, but they didn't need to know that.
"Bloody hell!" Cresswell exclaimed with surprise. "Give a bloke some warning next time. Step on a stick or crunch the gravel like a normal bloody person." He complained.
"I'll keep that in mind." She deadpanned.
He motioned into the shadows, bidding his own contingency of people to step out. In seconds, she was enveloped in a bone-crushing hug, a wide smile on Seamus' face.
"Granger, a sight for sore eyes, I can tell you!"
The people were still streaming out of the shadows and Hermione narrowed her eyes.
"I thought you were bringing me, two young girls and six prisoners. What's this?"
"This is my sister, Isolde. Cresswell's sister is next to her with the blond hair, her name is Emily. The little girl holding her hand is Penny Marchbanks. The boy clutching the back of Penny's cloak is Derek Flint and his brother, Frank, stands behind him. They are all children being targeted by the muggles. We need to give them a safe haven. The rest are your prisoners. Fifteen, straight off the trains."
Hermione nodded her head, brows furrowed with deep thought.
"Seamus, why are you with the hunters?" Hermione asked. It didn't add up. Seamus was a known Potter sympathizer and most of their allies for the war were against the pureblood hunting. If he was so against it, why was he participating?
"Someone needs to be on the inside the same way Snape was in the ranks of the Death Eaters."
Ah. Another Snape admirer. She could commiserate.
"Are you comparing yourself to Snape?" she finally asked, holding her grin in check. She could just imagine Snape's reaction to becoming a hero to Gryffindors everywhere.
"Perhaps." He grinned. Hermione shook her head, a fond smile on her face.
"Trying to be a dashing spy? Fine. Who am I to burst your bubble." She snickered at his protests before continuing. "I will be here at the same time next Thursday. If you have children for me, they also come with the agreed number of prisoners."
"Yes, Ma'am."
"The second I think anyone is going to turn traitor, I bail, and then I rain Armageddon on the traitors. I will offer no mercy, no quarter."
"Understood." Seamus pulled her a little away from the rest and lowered his voice. "Did Malfoy ever make it to you?"
She nodded and he chuckled.
"That sneaky bastard slides out of tight spots time and time again. I hate to be impressed with a Malfoy and a Slytherin to boot but there you are."
"I'll tell him that you send your salutations." She grinned back at him.
They walked back to the group as Hermione summoned an old pool noodle from her earlier hideout.
"Portus." She murmured making it glow blue for a moment. "Everyone a finger, please." She made sure that the children were all connected and noticed that the prisoners were staring at her in unconcealed adoration. She looked back to the children. "Three, two, one."
They were tugged into the disorienting pull of the portkey as it took them from the outskirts of Hogsmeade village to the inner ornamental gardens of Malfoy Manor.
Narcissa was standing in the center of the terrace surrounded by house elves. The Flint boys started to cry and ran to her, clutching at her robes. She was the only familiar face they had seen since their parents were taken and imprisoned in the camp at Redcar. Narcissa pulled them into her, a fierce maternal fire burned in her eyes as she glanced up and smiled at the girls. They were obviously afraid, having heard tales of the Malfoys. Narcissa's smile started to falter as Hermione walked to the girls and squatted next to them.
"Isolde, Emily, and Penny, this is my good friend Narcissa. She is going to take care of you while you are here."
"She is a bad guy," Penny whispered. "My daddy said all Malfoys can't be trusted."
"Do you know who I am?" Hermione asked her. She could feel the prisoners milling behind her. They were tired, hungry, and safe for the first time in months but they were trying to give the children time to adjust.
"Hermione Granger," Isolde said confidently. "You went to Hogwarts with Seamus."
"That's right. Do you think I am a bad guy?"
The three girls shook their heads.
"Do you think you could trust me when I say that Narcissa is a good person and she will treat you very well?"
They nodded their heads. The Flint boys looked at the girls and smiled.
"Mrs. Cissy always gives us cookies after lunch if we are good. If you are nice to her, she will give you cookies too!" Derek leaned away from Narcissa and whispered loudly.
Isolde walked up to Narcissa and took her hand. She was stiff and trying very hard to be brave, her lower lip trembling. Hermione didn't blame them. It wasn't that long ago that these children were in hiding from another war. Soon, she would have Hannah Abbott there to help Narcissa with the children. Snape was sending her to the Manor next week. Eventually, they will be comfortable but trust takes time.
Hermione watched as Narcissa led the kids into the house. The house elves had refurbished the whole second-floor family wing for the use of the children and those still to come. High voices peppered Narcissa all the way down the hall and it was the first real smile Hermione had seen on Narcissa's face since she arrived.
Hermione turned around and looked at the men and woman from the trains. They were in slightly better condition than Narcissa and Blaise had been in when they came to the Manor. She looked from face to face, her heart lodged in her throat. She blinked rapidly, clearing the tears from her eyes.
"You have not been released by the hunters. The men that brought you to me are working with me to save as many innocent people as possible from the Muggle camps. The lines of war that were drawn before, are gone. We are no longer choosing sides between Dumbledore and Voldemort. It is much more complicated than that. We must come together and save each other despite once being enemies. We are all witches and wizards and we must protect our own. The Muggles fear us and abuse us. We are still humans and everyone deserves the right to life and everything that entails. It is what separates us from animals; our compassion.
Not everyone believed in the Statute of Secrecy but now that we don't have that safety net, we are hunted. Even some of our own people have turned against us. As powerful witches and wizards, we should have banned together in the beginning of this mess and protected the Muggle-born children. We as a nation and culture should have protected the innocent children who had no means to protect themselves. We are paying for our complacency now.
There is a resistance group fighting against those who would put us all in camps. They fight to free them even now. What we are doing here is no less important. I own this business and every time I hire someone, they go on a no-seize list. Those that are assiduously hunted, like the Malfoys, are kept under Polyjuice. They use aliases for protection. However, we have a new source of leniency. Every child that I take in and protect, three new names are put on a separate list. It is a list of prisoners that were released to me for a work program instead of going to the camps. You all have been added to Granger's List."
Hermione looked into the reverent faces of the prisoners and blushed. She watched as the House-elves led them into rooms, making sure they were cared for. Draco walked up behind her as the last wizard was led into the Manor. Once they were alone, he rubbed her arms and pulled her back into his chest. She snuggled into the warmth of his body, relaxing, knowing that Draco would take care of her.
"You are amazing, Hermione. I believe that I would follow you anywhere, woman. Especially, if you gave me inspirational speeches like that." He turned her face to his and captured her lips, sliding his fingers into her hair, letting his thumbs caress her cheeks. Her heart jumped into her throat and heat pooled in her center. Fireworks exploded behind her eyelids and she wondered if she would have missed out on dating Draco if this war hadn't happened.
Draco took a step back, letting his hands drop from her face and caressed her arms, threading her fingers with his own. Smiling, he tugged her into the manse after him.