Ch.8: Malfoy
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Not exactly what she had planned but she would take the vote either way. He was safe from her for now.
Gratitude could change overnight.
Hermione reached over and picked up the large single bar of chocolate that somebody must have hid under the dangling grapes that were almost spilling out from a basket of fruit and handed it to Remus.
"You once told Harry that chocolate helps. You always did carry some around so I decided to try that too. I wasn't one to eat it a lot but the boys always seemed to want some." she said as she opened it and handed the man a good chunk of it.
Remus took it and ate it in one bite. He nodded. "It does help."
Hermione shifted aside as Tonks stepped up to them. He would be fine now.
She finally turned around and once again debated on killing somebody. If it wasn't one person...it was another. She had a long way to go but she was already tired of it.
Standing at the entrance of the hallway stood Severus Snape. But that wasn't who she itched to strike. It was the two figures behind him that drew her eye.
Narcissa Malfoy and Draco Malfoy. Both were dressed as if they had somewhere to be. Both of them were wearing black, Malfoy was actually wearing something similar to what he had taken to wearing in her 6th year.
Malfoy took one long look at those that were in front of him before locking eyes with Hermione.
She raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms as several mouths began to protest the present company. The distrust was obvious. She looked away from Malfoy and noticed the lack of reaction from James Potter and Harry.
That was interesting. Really interesting.
She looked back at the three Slytherins. Snape wasn't giving any of the members any answers and Dumbledore wasn't even looking at them.
Hermione swept a few hairs away from her face and motioned with one hand.
"What is this? Why have you brought them?"
He had never been one not to sneer at her tone or questions and he didn't disappoint this time either.
"They're my answer to your question, Miss Granger."
That wasn't what she wanted to hear. "From where I'm standing, the answer screams kill them and get me out of the vow this woman is demanding of me. Or am I wrong, Narcissa?"
They never expected to hear their first name. She raised an eyebrow as the blond woman shot her a look full of surprise.
Malfoy stiffened but otherwise showed no other reaction. Snape turned his head to the side, his eyes not leaving Hermione.
"What is she talking about, Narcissa?"
"I-It wasn't something I really thought of until last night when he-how does know? I thought you said she would accept us, Severus!"
The woman reached for her son as the Order began to demand their own questions.
Hermione made her way back to the window, making sure to keep Dumbledore in her sights the whole time.
He would sacrifice anything for the greater good. No price was too high. Somebody like that didn't deserve her trust. They didn't belong at her back. It was better to keep a person like that in one's sights at all times.
James Potter and Harry both moved, trying to get close to her.
She didn't like that. She was blocked in a little too much. She gestured for Harry to move and he scowled but did so.
James Potter shot her a small smile and followed his son.
Once at the window, she turned around. Having her back covered let her breath a little easier. Now she had a view of the whole room.
Ron was glaring at the trio of Slytherins and kept his arm around his mother. The cluster of Weasley's was the closest to the Slytherins and was staring hard at them.
Of course.
If Lucius Malfoy had been just as cowardly and cruel as he had in her world, he would have messed with the Weasley's for years before dying.
Alastor wasn't looking at them. He was staring right at Hermione. She really admired the man. He had become a great friend before he had died. She wanted that friendship back.
Kingsley wasn't looking at anybody. He was actually playing with his robe, pulling at it this way and that. A strange man even here. But no less powerful.
She let the silence build, she wasn't going to talk over anyone.
One by one, they turned to look at her.
She glanced up and met piercing black eyes.
"She was planning to ask you to make an unbreakable vow. One that ensured her son would live even if he failed. It would end badly for you either way. But in the end, she was only making it easier for another person." she said. But that wasn't all. The others deserved to know the full truth.
"Dumbledore already knew Riddle would test you. He also knew he would ask somebody else to kill him so he decided to kill two birds with one stone. Help Malfoy with his task and gain the full support of Riddle. But nobody would ever know. At least not until after Riddle was killed." she stated, her voice low but even.
Snape deserved to know at least that much.
Because Dumbledore didn't think Snape's soul was worth saving. All for the bloody greater good.
Dumbledore whirled on her. Power once again touching her skin.
Hermione lifted her upper lip and seethed inside as she glared in return.
"Calm the fuck down! You wanted them to know so don't turn around whenever you are surprised at what I tell them. Nothing is safe. I lost all respect for you from the instant I found out why you were keeping Harry alive all these years! He is not yours to control or send to be slaughtered at the right time! Nobody is!"
She was right up in his face now. But she wasn't done.
"You use people too much Dumbledore. They eventually will learn who you really are. You weren't bad until you began sacrificing people left and right for the greater good. Not anymore, Dumbledore. But if you disagree, duel me. Right now."
Startled silence.
The others had at one point, all stood up, only to stare at their leader in disbelief.
When the old fool didn't answer her, she gestured with one hand to the crowd.
"When the truth had gone out, it was too late to hold you accountable. People thought you were a hero for dying at the hands of a Death Eater but you only sentenced Snape to a lonely existence until Nagini killed him. You ruined so many damn lives. I can't have you in control when I don't trust you. Some of them don't trust me either but better me than you."
Dumbledore took a step back, his face now carefully blank but his magic betrayed him. It crackled around them.
"I'm doing what I can. With all that, I know and will know. I was doing the best I could."
"It wasn't enough, in the end, Dumbledore. You left the castle to be protected by students and what was left of the Order. I saw so many students and teachers dead because you left the greatest burdens of all to one boy."
His body lost its helpless facade. He took a step forward, his robes brushing her boots. His eyes gleamed behind his specs.
"So he did have more than one."
Hermione nodded. She looked at their audience. And her eyes landed over the famous scar on Harry's face.
"He has seven in total."
Dumbledore reached for her arm and pulled her forward.
"What are they? Where are they?"
"Let the girl go, Albus. We have our own questions as well but that doesn't mean we are allowed to physically demand them from her. Let her go." Kingsley ordered.
She had seen him move a second earlier and for all of his bulk, he moved fast. He now stood a foot from them, his face awash in rage.
Dumbledore stared down at her for a second longer before letting go of her. He took several steps back until she could see the rest of the crowd once more.
The Order was staring from the old man to her, clear distrust and anger on most of their faces. Most of it was directed towards the older wizard.
"Explain to the rest of us, Miss Granger, what you two were discussing," Kingsley said. His voice was tightly controlled but Hermione wasn't fooled.
He probably wanted to curse at Dumbledore and demand his own questions. But he was showing good restraint. Exactly what Dumbledore should have done instead of manhandling her.
"Right before Dumbledore died, he revealed something to Harry. That something was so great that Harry, Ron, and I went on the run right before our 7th year. To protect what was left of the Order we didn't tell them. I obliviated my parents, Ron left his family in hiding, and Harry mentally fought Riddle on his own," she responded, turning away from them to face the window, she shook her head.
"We ran and hunted 7 Horcruxes."
Only a handful of people gasped. Moody made a sound but she didn't turn around.
"For those that don't know what a Horcrux is...it is a way to contain fragments of one's soul and prevent their own death. The first known person to do this or even make it was Herpo the Foul from Ancient Greece."
She glanced over her shoulder, meeting Kingsley's eyes.
"Dumbledore has suspected for a while now but didn't actually know how many there were. One of them was destroyed in Harry's 2nd year," she turned her head to look at Harry. "Did you stab Riddle's diary with the Basilisk's fang?"
Harry wasn't looking at her. He was glaring at the old man. His father was too. It was eerie to see. She still couldn't believe James was alive. She didn't even know what she should call him. Potter sounded like Snape saying it and James...was too damn familiar to use.
Hermione snapped her fingers as she turned back around to face the room. "Look at me, Harry, did you stab it or not?"
He didn't look at her. But he still answered her even as his jaw ticked. "Yes. I stabbed it. I brought back the Diary and eventually gave it back to Lucius Malfoy. I freed Dobby that way."
"That was one Horcrux. He was trying to get a physical body but needed Ginny to complete the process."
Kingsley's face tightened. Moody came closer and Snape was rubbing his left forearm. Ron had gotten up and now moved closer, his face full of distrust as he glanced at Dumbledore.
Hermione stiffened as a sudden thought penetrated her mind. The Harry she had known hadn't been able to not connect with Riddle. She didn't know if this could do the same.
But she couldn't panic. While the Order was busy questioning Dumbledore about his prior knowledge, she willed Snape to meet her eyes.
He must have felt her intense stare because he immediately shifted those blank eyes of his to her. She politely brushed against his mind, getting a glimpse of obsidian.
Something cold pierced her mind as she willingly dropped her own Occlumency shields.
"Just like you told Dumbledore before, stay out of my mind."
Hermione would have rolled her eyes. But what she needed to know was a lot more important.
"Has Harry been taught Occlumency? He could feed information to Riddle…"
Hermione didn't have to finish the thought. But Snape wasn't stupid. He did what he had done with Lily Potter. One life in exchange for everything he had to offer.
"What I wanted to say before, Miss Granger is that I want protection offered to Draco. Narcissa will obviously follow her son. I don't trust Dumbledore to keep them safe."
Their connection was cut as James Potter stepped in front of her. Hermione scowled.
"If I hadn't seen Dumbledore do that before I would have mistaken the long look between you and dear old Severus."
Hermione calmly pulled her wand out. " Get out of my face. I was asking something crucial before you decided to butt in like a kid left out of a joke."
James Potter, for all his teasing, wasn't smiling. His face was hard and his eyes cold.
"The others have been asking you questions. I only thought it was fair we know what you were just discussing with Snape."
Hermione turned her head and met Harry's green eyes. She completely ignored Harry's father.
"You'll have to do something for me. For all of us."
He caught on to what she didn't say. "It's the dream, right? He can see through me to you."
If he only knew. But if she was correct, he had to be killed by Riddle himself to get the Horcrux inside of him destroyed.
Hermione reached for her beaded bag and searched for the charmed bracelet she had made for Harry a few days before they had been taken to Malfoy Manor.
She hadn't been able to give it to him before.
"Wear this until you learn how to practice Occlumency perfectly. I'm not sure how long the charm will hold out but nevertheless, wear it. If I see you without it, I'll knock you out. I don't know if he knows exactly how strong his end is but you can do the same to him. But it's not time to find him just yet."
He took it from her and slid it on without question. Hermione tied up her beaded bag once more and paused as Kinglsey cleared his throat.
"How does the connecting work? Why can that happen between the two?"
Hermione briefly glanced at the man before sweeping her eyes across several faces.
"The night Lily Potter died, something happened between Riddle and Harry. I can't say yet what or why right now since any of you can be captured and tortured for information..." she shook her head as a few protested. "It happened before so I know the kind of things they do to a person."
Severus Snape spoke up, his voice flat but holding an underlying emotion that let her know he somehow knew what she spoke of. Of course, he did. He had probably seen his own share. And done them too.
"You speak like if you really were tortured...for information, Miss Granger."
Hermione couldn't help the bitter laugh from escaping. She pulled off Ron's sweater, taking off the right sleeve first and pausing a second before pulling the left one-off. Harry's shirt covered her left arm all the way to the elbow but left the scar naked.
It was still red. It hurt.
She stroked the skin under it, careful not to actually touch it. She read the crimson word and her stomach curled.
Those closest to her stared with horror and many of them drew closer, getting up from their chairs, to take a closer look. She hated the pity she saw. The last ones to see it was Snape, Narcissa, and Malfoy.
Snape kept his voice even, showing no emotion as he inspected the wound. "It's cursed. Who were you tortured by, Miss Granger?"
Hermione looked directly at Narcissa even as Malfoy stepped in front of her, trying to block Hermione's view.
"Bellatrix Lestrange did. At one point, we were captured and taken to Malfoy Manor. I was separated from the boys while Lestrange tortured me for over an hour. Lucius, Narcissa, and Malfoy watched her. Before you ask, no I didn't say anything. I was too busy screaming to say much."
Narcissa pushed her son away and reached for Hermione. "I can try to heal you. I only ask that you give us a chance. Riddle is as good as dead as long as you are the one leading this group. I will take a vow if that is what it comes to. I have to protect my son, Miss Granger."
"I know. If Snape hasn't already told you, I'm not the same Hermione Granger your son or anybody knew. I'm from a different world where the war has been won. But know this, betray me in any way or form...and I'll kill him for it." Hermione promised.
Her eyes flickered to Malfoy's. He was still looking at her arm.
The look in his eyes was almost empty but his fist gave him away. They were fisted tightly, his knuckles white even against his pale skin.
Hermione took a step back and reached down for the sweater once more.
"Before I go any further, I need to know what you all will decide. I can do everything else on my own," Hermione stated as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a small ball of glass. It was fragile and almost looked like a mini crystal ball.
"If I drop this or even crack it open, it will disperse across the room within seconds. Only I will be left standing, giving me a chance to escape. Even if one of you decides to warn Riddle...well the substance in it will work like a charm. Certain keywords will make you dizzy and forget what you were going to say."
Kingsley and Moody didn't react. Dumbledore stiffened. Snape glanced at Dumbledore.
Hermione's eyes moved from one person to another. "I don't want to use it but I will if I have to."
She closed her hand around it. "What will it be? Do I stay or do I go?"
….o0o0o0o0o0o…
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Omg, thank you for all those comments! I really do read all of them with a smile on my face.
Thank you a lot. Really.
FYI, I like the idea of Harry and Hermione together but only because it was better than Ron and Hermione. Will it be that pairing here? Maybe. Maybe not.
Moonystars14: I don't have a set schedule as of right now but I might in the near future. For now, expect 2 to 3 chapters a week.
ForsakenKalika: I find myself shocked. I feel like you know exactly what I'm trying to convey.
Sorry if I missed any questions. But once again, thank you all for your support.
Vanee
