Disclaimer…yes finally I own it…or I could be lying…okay I am lying :)
A.N. Thank you my lovelies for your reviews as usual. I am always so bowled over by your response to Devil's Deal and I really can't ever put into words how much I appreciate that. The bad news is that my hard drive crashed and I lost all of my stuff...everything :( inclusive of my story notes etc. of course I was very disheartened and demotivated to write but the good news is that I have motivated myself and I am truly going to try from now on to give you a new chapter every 1-2 weeks. There you go…a New Years present...
Devil's Deal
Chapter 13 – Determined Diligence
She walked toward the desk, throwing her cloak and bag haphazardly unto a footstool as she passed it. She noticed that beside the parchments that were strewn across the table, there was a small platter of sandwiches and a pot of tea. Smiling, grateful to Jinky and the other house elves for their consideration. she sat down and ate one while she looked for the notes she needed.
Undoubtedly the house elves were relieved that she was here, doing the best she could to help their Master and she remembered their smiling faces when they had found her in the study three days earlier. Since then they made sure that she had something to eat and drink whatever time she came from the Ministry at nights but they never intruded on her work and she knew she could trust them to keep the secret.
Finally she found the jottings that Draco had made and she opened the text she had brought with her to verify the information. So far the work on the counter potion had been going far better than she could have anticipated. She had been able to distinguishing the possible ingredients of the potion due to information of the parchments Draco had translated, however some of the potion's ingredients were unheard of… even to Hermione and therefore a huge task lay in not only finding out what the ingredients were but also were it could be located.
She knew from the office grapevine that the Potions department were working assiduously on the counter potion but had not been very successful as yet. Having been in the Ministry for a few years well Hermione was pretty sure that this was due to the narrow-mindedness and sometimes conceit of the Heads of certain departments. She had been witness on many occasions to her colleagues' unwillingness to receive help, much less to give help and even in a situation as critical as this Hermione knew that that the Head of Potions was still not going to relent and ask for some outside advice. Hermione however had no such qualms and she smiled as she continued with her research because she knew just the person who could help her identifying those difficult ingredients.
The next day dawned brightly and Hermione felt invigorated seeing the sun's luminous rays touching the snow covered greenery around her as she made her way down a much trodden garden path. Everything always looked so full of vitality here and she knew the owner of the garden loved taking care of her plants and herbs almost as much as she loved taking care of her husband. As expected Hermione found her friend with her hands immersed in dirt as she very carefully finished transplanting one of her botanical treasures.
"Hello" Hermione greeted her quietly, walking into the large green room.
"Hermione, what a pleasant surprise!" Luna exclaimed with a large smile and then almost instantly her expression became concerned.
"Is everything alright?" Luna asked her as she wiped her hands clean.
"Yes, of course" Hermione answered reassuringly, knowing where Luna's concern stemmed from. Although so much had happened to her since four nights ago when they had gone to the game, Hermione had been much to busy to see any of her friends and in fact hadn't even gotten the time to respond to Ginny's invitation to come out for drinks with them last night.
"As I'm sure this isn't a social visit, what brings you here?" Luna said after a moment, walking over to her with a serene expression on her face and Hermione knew that it made no sense beating around the bush with someone as perceptive as Luna.
"I need your help" Hermione told her, withdrawing the list of potion ingredients from her cloak pocket. Wordlessly Luna took the list from her, her eyes quickly scanning the parchment.
"Where did you get this?" Luna asked her and then smiled shaking her head.
"Nevermind, forget I even asked" she continued causing Hermione to reach out and touch Luna's hand in a silent expression of gratitude.
"Are you familiar with these?" Hermione asked her when Luna resumed her reading, feeling relief rush through her when Luna nodded her head.
"I know most of them but there are three here that I'm not familiar with" she told Hermione "don't worry though because I do know someone who can probably tell us about them".
"Really" Hermione couldn't quite keep her enthusiasm at bay.
"Yes...my old teacher is even more versed than me in some things, I'm sure he would help me" Luna told her while walking toward her writing desk." I'll just owl him and then we can get started on the rest of the ingredients" she finished and Hermione smiled feeling as though a burden had been lifted of her shoulders, she couldn't remember the last time she felt this at ease, knowing that she was just that much closer to achieving her objective.
"Right, of to my library then" Luna said when she had finished owling the note, her stride brisk as she walked back to Hermione and then they made there way to the house.
"I knew the day would come when your plants would make you forget me" Harry announced a few minutes later walking in to the library where Luna was busy showing Hermione a text.
"Herms, what are you doing here?" Harry asked without preamble after his initial surprise at seeing her.
"Can't I just visit?" she responded with a slight smile
"No, there must be some other ulterior motive" he stated but Hermione knew he was just having a bit of sport.
"Harry you have no tact" his wife chided him but Harry just shrugged off her comment as he walked over to first hug Hermione and then slide an arm around Luna.
"I must get that from my wife" he teased her with a mischievous grin and Hermione laughed at Luna's disgruntled expression.
"But back to the point..." He began but was rudely interrupted by Luna
"Oh for Merlin's sake I'm just helping her with something" Luna told him by way of explaining Hermione's presence causing Harry to look at her strangely.
"That's nice.. but what I was really going to say was that your aunt refuses to begin breakfast without you so, would both of you please come with me." He told them seriously but Hermione could hear the amusement in his voice. Obviously he wasn't that curious about Hermione's unusual visit.
"You sound awfully alot like Ron" Hermione told him.
"Didn't you just hear me say that I'm helping her" Luna asked him and there was no mistaking the exasperation in her voice. Both Harry and Hermione looked at her a bit askance especially as Hermione had never heard Luna speak like that to her husband. When Harry just continued to stare at Luna confusedly Hermione decided to do something.
"I wouldn't mind having breakfast Luna" Hermione told the angry looking witch which instantly caused her face to revert to its normal serene expression.
"Oh Hermione I totally forgot that you might be hungry" Luna said apologetically "of course we should have breakfast and then get back to this work" she finished with a smile, closing the text and starting out of the room.
"What have you done?" Hermione asked Harry in a whisper as they followed Luna to the parlour.
"Nothing, I swear" he whispered vehemently although his concerned gaze was directed to his wife's back.
"Well apologize anyway" Hermione advised him with a glare, walking into the room. She greeted Aunt Margery with a kiss on the cheek before sitting next to the older woman.
"Hermione dear, as usual it's a pleasure to see you" Aunt Margery told her and face wreathed with a welcoming smile.
"How is the search for a husband progressing?" Aunt Margery asked before Hermione could have responded to the greeting. Harry who had just taken a sip of pumpkin juice nearly choked while Luna looked sympathetically at Hermione.
"Well it hasn't been going anywhere because I've been busy at work" she told Aunt Margery praying that she would just drop the topic.
"Working? Hermione its time for you to be concerned with getting married, having children, not working! Merlin the priorities of you young people simply astound me" Aunt Margery rolled her eyes and Hermione had to bite back a laugh.
"I just don't know what these times are coming too and oh my...I absolutely forget to tell you all this important news I read this morning!" Aunt Margery suddenly exclaimed, interrupting her own tirade. The three other occupants were more startled than concerned at Aunt Margery's outburst especially as they were accustomed to the erratic way her mind worked.
"It's the reason why I wanted Luna to join us" she told Harry urgently.
"You're never going to believe it" she told them as they looked at her expectantly
"If it's about Dhiaran I'm not interested unless it is about what is going on in the war" Harry said, his voice sounding firm but Aunt Margery ignored him.
"It's the worst article ever since the war in Dhiaran and you have to agree that there have been many. Yet have you noticed that they don't report on the war but rather about that darling boy Malfoy...and" Hermione heart's quickened at the mention of Draco's name knowing that Aunt Margery was speaking the truth. As she had expected, the papers were having a field day with Draco's involvement in supplying the Ministry the information and the stories had been more ludicrous with every passing day. The only upside to this was that if he had been injured or killed in Dhiaran she was sure they would have published a story, so she guessed that in this case, even stupid news was good news.
"What's the news?" Luna finally asked and there was no mistaking the edge to her voice. Hermione looked over at Harry who had a see-I'm not the reason for her strange behaviour-look on his face. Thankfully though Aunt Margery didn't seem to sense Luna's agitation and leaned toward them as though to impart a secret.
"There is proof that Draco Malfoy is working with the other side" she confided to them with a scandalized whisper.
"And this is different from the other stories ...how?" Harry asked exasperatedly and Hermione herself was a bit disappointed by Aunt Margery's statement.
"Because the Ministry released the name of the person who is heading the war in Dhiaran" she waited a dramatic second until she had their complete attention before she continued "...his name is Afonos Raminov"
"Never heard of him" Harry stated almost immediately.
"It sounds familiar" Luna responded her face thoughtful
"What is his relation to Thalia?" Hermione didn't feign ignorance, feeling her chest tighten painfully as she waited for Aunt Margery's answer.
"He is her father" Aunt Margery told them but her concerned gaze was focused on Hermione.
"What!" Harry exclaimed
"Are you sure?" Luna asked sounding horrified but for Hermione the news was too much to take, she was shocked motionless. If this was true...then Draco and Thalia? She got up swiftly catapulted by a sense of urgency.
"Hermione what's wrong?" Harry asked worriedly, getting up when he noticed she was walking toward the door. She turned, her hand already on the doorknob to see Luna stand also and place a restraining hand on her husband's arm.
"Let her go" she told him quietly and then smiled at Hermione with pure understanding. She barely nodded to Luna before leaving the house and apparating to the place she hoped would give her answers.
Her knocking was answered by Pansy almost immediately and she watched as Pansy's friendly smile turned to concern on seeing her expression.
"What's wrong?" Pansy asked her, moving to let Hermione past her. Hermione waited until Pansy had closed the door behind them before speaking.
"Please... ask me all the questions you want later but right now I need for you to answer my questions" Hermione gently implored her sounding unlike her normal assertive self. It didn't take Pansy a moment, nodding to Hermione and waiting for her to speak.
"Is this thing about Draco and Thalia true?" she finally asked when she could put her thoughts together. The look of shock that appeared on Pansy's face would have been comical if the situation wasn't so dire. Whatever she had expected Hermione to ask her it definitely hadn't been this. But then as she started to understand what Hermione was asking she answered immediately.
"Hermione, I can't believe you would think that nonsense" Pansy declared vehemently, her expression changing to anger in a heartbeat.
"I know that you mightn't consider Draco to be the best person in the world but surely you can't think that he'd be involved with those murderers, especially after all he has done for Ron and me." Pansy told her emotionally and there was no mistaking that she was prepared to defend Draco at all costs.
"No... that isn't what I meant...I want to know if its true that Thalia's father is Afonos Raminov" Hermione clarified, her heart thumping loudly in her chest, she had never, not even for a second think that Draco was a double crosser. Pansy looked at her for timeless moments as though trying to figure out why Hermione was so concerned or even cared about this information, before telling her.
"Yes" Pansy answered evenly, but her face belied her confusion as she saw Hermione's horrified expression.
"I don't..." she didn't even know what to say because her brain was refusing to think and put the pieces together.
"Sit down Hermione" Pansy gently told her while guiding her to the settee. Her curiosity over Hermione's questions forgotten in her concern for Hermione.
Hermione knew there was something important that she was missing, a link that was there that would bring everything together. Her heart was filled with dread, gripped with unexplained terror. Draco, Dhiaran, Thalia's father...Thalia... and then it all fell into place, her blood running cold as she remembered the first time she had seen Thalia. That night when Thalia had hugged Draco in the foyer, on the same night that Lucinda was born and then Draco had left the next day only to come back and start research on Dhiaran. She remembered Thalia's worry in her office the day when she had found out that Hermione was researching on Dhiaran. She had been afraid that Hermione knew about Dhiaran...afraid that she knew that...
"Thalia was the informant" Hermione whispered raising stricken eyes to Pansy. She only absently noticed how Pansy's hand stilled, the glass of water she had been getting for Hermione only half filled. She turned to face Hermione and her glance was filled with a good amount of shock.
"What are you talking about Hermione?" Pansy asked urgently, her face looking utterly worried and it was only then that Hermione realized she had spoken aloud. Perhaps she had hesitated a moment too long in answering as she didn't know where to begin explaining things to Pansy but even if she had been about to reveal all, Pansy's scared words stopped her.
"Please don't lie to me, tell me what you know about Thalia?" Pansy's voice was disjointed and there was no mistaking the fear in her eyes. It wasn't so much as what Pansy said that heightened her awareness but rather how she said it. In that instant, as though guided by a sixth sense she realized that not only was she right about Thalia but she was certain that Pansy already knew about this.
She easily recognized the look on Pansy's face, having seen it countless times on her friends' faces whenever they knew that one of them was in trouble. Pansy was worried about Thalia's safety and Hermione also realized that she was trying to protect the other witch. It was this thought that finally drove Hermione to start speaking as she wanted to let Pansy know that she was still her friend and not the enemy.
"Pansy, I've been helping Draco with the research on Dhiaran" she told her steadily, her voice sounding quite assured now. At first Pansy was shocked into silence but then she started to look relieved to hear this and somehow Hermione Knew that questions were starting to form in her mind.
"I can't tell you how all of this started but I swear on my life that I'm speaking the truth" she continued, not giving Pansy a chance to voice her concerns. There was no way she would ever tell any of her friends of the bargain that she had made with Draco as it would surely hurt them too much. Pansy and Ron would believe it was there fault and Harry, Luna and Ginny would think that they had failed her. They would probably never be able to understand that she had accepted the circumstances which had lead Draco into her life or that she was immensely thankful for it.
"I believe you Herms... but Thalia, how did you figure that out. I know Draco wouldn't have told you about it" Pansy asked her and for some reason she felt hurt at the words. It was almost as though Draco hadn't trusted her enough to share that information with her even after all that had gone on between them.
"He didn't but ..." Hermione shrugged unable to put her thought processes into words.
"But...you're Hermione Granger" Pansy told her with a smile and Hermione knew the words were meant as a compliment causing her to smile alittle in response.
"I'm not worried about you knowing, in fact I'm so happy that one more person shares this secret. I didn't know what to do when Thalia told me a few days ago" Pansy told her as she sat down next to Hermione.
"Thalia...not Draco told you?" Hermione asked unable to suppress her curiosity.
"Draco would never tell us that, especially since Thalia told us that he had sworn to keep her secret. It was she who told Blaise and I about her role ,as well as the other things about Dhiaran which is why..." Pansy looked at her directly before continuing "I'm very surprised, to say the least, that he was working with you" Pansy finished, but her gaze was curious and not accusatory or disbelieving.
"I won't insult you by lying to you so I'll just tell you that it's ...complicated" Hermione said evenly and there was no mistaking that she wasn't about to reveal anything more especially since Draco had told her that he didn't intend for anyone to know about them. Hermione could see the internal battle that Pansy was fighting, it was obvious that although she wanted to ask Hermione more about her dealings with Draco she also wanted to respect their privacy. They sat in silence for some moments before Pansy sighed loudly apparently having made her decision.
"It always is complicated with Draco but I'm happy that he shared this with you" Pansy told her sincerely "and I'm so grateful that you're helping him" she finished, giving Hermione a brief hug. Hermione didn't smile though as her mind was occupied with a new type of worry since she became certain that Thalia was the informant.
"Pansy, I know she is your friend but I have to ask anyway...is there any possibility that Draco could be walking into a trap?" she asked trying to suppress her worry.
"No Hermione, Thalia would never betray Draco like that and especially not for her father" Pansy replied instantly but Hermione wasn't completely convinced. Some of her misgivings must have been apparent because Pansy started to explain further.
"As I told you before Draco and Thalia were together until our parents forced this betrothal on us. At that time Ron and I weren't ready to fight against it but Draco did try" she paused as though carefully choosing her words before continuing " You see, he loved Thalia and she loved him and he wasn't going to allow anything to stand in their way" Hermione felt her heart literally hurt by Pansy's words, it wasn't easy hearing that the man you loved, loved someone else.
"But being part of this aristocracy is always a hell that cannot be understood. We are expected to obey our parents at all times, those same parents who are never around, who are more concerned with attending parties than tucking there children into bed, whose idea of love is having their assistant buying a gift for our birthdays and hosting a huge birthday party but just for social appearances" There was no mistaking the bitter hurt in Pansy's voice and Hermione gentle placed her hand over Pansy's.
"That's how our life was, cold, emotionless and the only persons who could understand us were each other because we all shared this. I can't begin to tell you how much times I cried, wishing my mother would comfort me and I know the same is true for Blaise but Draco, he was different. He tried to excel at everything to get his father's attention but even that didn't get him more than a few words about upholding the Malfoy name. I'm not telling you this so that you'll feel sorry for us, I just want for you to understand that our life wasn't a bed of roses as everyone thinks, most of the times we ended up sleeping on the thorns." Pansy told her and Hermione nodded her head, she could now understand why Draco seemed so comfortable being alone, because that was the way he had spent his life.
"Ron was my happiness and Thalia was Draco's. I knew about there relationship but no one knew about mine...except for you" she told Hermione with a smile as she tried to blink back the tears. Hermione just sat quietly absorbing the information from Pansy trying not to let her hurt show.
"The first time that Draco truly stood up against his father and in fact everybody was for her...actually no, the first time he did that was when he told his father that he didn't believe that anybody was a ...mudblood and I guess he also went against them when he gave the house elves their freedom" Pansy said and her smile was bright as she remembered the incident.
"But those things were between him and his father, standing against them for Thalia was something even worse than that. Not because Thalia didn't come from a prominent family but because Draco and I had been intended for each other since I can remember and of course countless business transactions had been forged because of this, between our families. His father threatened to disown him but he didn't care, he even threatened to hurt Thalia, Draco told him he would protect her and so it continued. But Thalia she didn't want to see Draco and even me suffering, so she put an end to their relationship yet I know her real motivation was to protect Draco from his father and, I am ashamed to say it but also, from mine" Hermione thought back at the lenghts Pansy's father had gone to get to Ron and Pansy and she knew that he hadn't cared if they were killed so long as their status in society was upheld. She shuddered at the thought and could well imagine Lucius Malfoy, doing something similar and maybe worse.
"Draco didn't want it to end but Thalia told him that if he persisted she would leave and he would never see her again. I know he hadn't given up and he was still waiting for her but then she didn't come to see him for more than a year and that was the first time that I saw Draco devastated. He tried to go but he couldn't get to her and then later on, his mother... on her death bed made him promise that he would accept the betrothal. I know he wouldn't have accepted if Thalia had given him any indication that she would be with him, but she hadn't so that was how we officially became betrothed." Hermione listened intently to Pansy's words, knowing that she was hearing about the Draco who she had only seen glimpses of when they were intimate.
"However it was only after we had made the announcement that we found out what Thalia had been going through. All the while when we had thought she had left Draco she had really been fighting her own battle back in Russia. Her father... again because of his status in society wanted for Thalia to be with Draco, but she refused knowing what would happen to Draco if she continued being with him. Her father had her locked in a cell in their dungeon for a year without the use of her magic to force her to go back to Draco, but still she didn't do it" Hermione gasped at Pansy's words, imagining the kind of terror Thalia would have had to endure in order to keep Draco safe. There was no doubting Thalia anymore because her actions bespoke of her genuine love for Draco.
"When Draco found out which was just after our betrothal, he set out to destroy Thalia's father not even thinking about his own safety. It was Thalia who came to him and begged him before he could do anything to leave them alone because her entire family would suffer, not just her father. Thalia is very close to her mother and four sisters which is why she continued to stay in Russia after she was released from the dungeon but I honestly don't know how she deals with her father. Thalia's father doesn't know that Draco is aware of what he did so when Thalia came here he probably thought that the way would be clear for Draco and Thalia to reunite. Draco is very influential in the wizarding world which is why Thalia's father would prefer to have him as a friend rather than an enemy."
"But Draco is fighting against him!" Hermione broke her silence, her voice shadowed with concern.
"Yes which is why I'm particularly worried about Draco, I know that now her father will be targeting him especially since I'm sure he has realized that Thalia has betrayed him to Draco" Pansy told her and they shared a look of anxiety. Merlin she prayed even more for Draco to be safe.
"What abut Thalia, is she with Draco?" Hermione forced the question out past the lump in her throat.
"No, Draco would never risk Thalia being in danger again, he has her set up in a safe house but even we don't know where it is" Pansy said but her eyes were trained to Hermione's face.
"You're worried about him" she stated and Hermione looked at her steadily before answering.
"I've never been this worried in my life" she finally confessed truthfully and she could see the understanding dawning in Pansy's eyes. In that one statement she had revealed to Pansy that her relationship with Draco was more than simply 'working together'. She waited anxiously for Pansy's response, feeling relieved and yet anxious that she had been able to tell someone. A stunned silence followed her declaration.
"Hermione, Draco is very dear to me, he always has been. You wouldn't know this, but the reason he didn't break the betrothal contract, even after I went with Ron was because he was giving me his protection. If he had let me go, my father would have been able to do anything that he wanted to us. He also wanted to ensure that if things didn't work out with Ron that I'd still have something to come back too. For that and a million more reasons I will always be indebted to him. I don't know what your relationship is and I won't press you ...although I want too...but I am happy that he has someone like you" she said and there was no mistaking the sincerity in her voice of her expression.
"We aren't really in anything right now and then there is Thalia" Hermione unconsciously voiced her thoughts aloud, wishing them back as soon as the words were out.
"Blaise asked me recently if I would be pleased if you and Draco got together" Hermione could feel her face flame under Pansy's scrutiny, she had forgotten that there was already someone who knew they had been interacting.
"I told him he was crazy to even harbour the thought but I guess that I owe him an apology. He did mention that I hadn't noticed the way Draco looks at you and just to placate him I promised that I would pay more attention in the future... but I still thought that Blaise was mad" she told Hermione with a grin before continuing
"Things have changed between Thalia and Draco and although I haven't seen whatever Blaise has seen I have noticed that Draco's eyes don't linger on her anymore" Pansy told her seriously and Hermione was just about to question her further when she heard a voice calling to Pansy.
"That would be Ron" Pansy told her, getting up to open the door that lead to the patio "if you want, you can leave through here" she said and Hermione smiled at her gratefully. She really wasn't in the mood to be around anyone, not with her emotions so raw.
"Thank you" she said hugging Pansy and walking out the door.
"Hermione...to answer Blaise's question... I would be very pleased" were Pansy's last words before Hermione apparated.
She walked into her house both lifted by Pansy's words as well as feeling defeated by them. Pansy had basically told her that she would accept it if Hermione and Draco got together which was more than she could have hoped for. Yet it seemed pointless now after hearing of the tragic love that Draco and Thalia shared and probably still share. The actions on both their parts proved how serious they had been about each other and love like that just didn't go away. If she had been in that situation she too would have tried to do everything that she could to protect him, even right now she was willing to do that. It was strange that a seemingly cold, distant man like Draco could fuel such dedication and passion from different women but yet she knew she was affected by Draco as Thalia was. At the end of the day though she didn't care if he came back home and never spoke with her again or even if he decided to be with Thalia because although both those things would absolutely crush her...he would still be safe at home. With that thought she picked up her quill intending to find out from Luna if she had received a reply from her teacher.
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A.N. Honestly you will be getting another chapter soon. Please excuse all and every spelling mistake, grammatical errors etc. because I'm typing in word pad. I hope to get at least Word sometime soon, keep your fingers crossed. Anyways I hoped that you're still enjoying the story and keep safe until next week.
Thanks for the review.