A/N: Hello! Here is Chapter 14. Wishing everyone Happy Holidays and a very Happy New Year! See you in 2015...or maybe sooner if by some chance I get a lot a writing done in the next few weeks :)
Disclaimer: I don't own any material from the Harry Potter series.
Chapter 14 –The Greater Good
Harry stared in disbelief at the cover of The Daily Prophet. It was the first copy he managed to get his hands on in months. It was hard to keep up with the happenings of the Wizarding world when he was on the run looking for Horcruxes. He was hoping to get something more substantial than a feature on Malfoy's wedding. Harry unrolled the paper under the invisibility cloak and almost dropped it in surprise.
Even though he had not seen her since the summer, Harry recognized Hermione's face at once. Her hair was done up and there were lines around her eyes that were not there when he last saw her, but it was definitely Hermione. He looked at the picture again, struggling to find another reason for her to be there. The caption cleared away any hopes he had left. Draco Malfoy and his beautiful bride, Hermione Granger, were wed at Malfoy Manor.
Harry felt responsible immediately. Hermione was being punished for being friends with him. He examined the picture more closely. Apart from her tired eyes, she seemed unharmed. He knew it was only a matter of time before people he loved were used against him. He wondered, not for the first time, if he had done the wrong thing by taking Ron with him. If Ron had stayed behind with Hermione, she probably would not be marrying Malfoy now.
As he trekked through the forest, Harry felt a growing sense of dread. Showing Ron the newspaper was not something he looked forward to. They had discussed the Marriage Law and what it meant for Hermione. Ron made the choice to let her move on with someone else. But neither of them could have predicted this outcome.
With a little difficulty Harry managed to find the tent. Ron was haphazardly packing their clothing. Since they had retrieved the locked it was time to change locations again.
"Any luck in town?" He asked straightening up with a pair of maroon socks in hand.
"I found a copy of the Daily Prophet," Harry said. Ron dropped the socks and reached for the paper in Harry's hand. Harry knew Ron was constantly looking for information about his family. He handed him the paper knowing that nothing he could say could prepare Ron for the front cover. Harry watched silently as Ron's eyes took in the picture of Hermione. His mouth was set in a grim line, and his face was slowly turning red.
"Malfoy!" he snarled. "She married Malfoy. How the bloody hell did this happen? How could she choose him of all people?"
"Ron," Harry said, "maybe she had no options. That's what He does. He takes the people you love and uses them to get to you." Ron sat down on the mattress running his hands through his hair. Harry looked away as he rubbed his eyes. After a long silence, he picked up the paper again and tossed it onto the table.
"She may not have a choice," Ron said quietly, "but she looks happy. She looks happy with him Harry."
"Did it ever occur to you," Harry said, trying to keep his temper, "that if she doesn't go along with it something could happen to her. Can you imagine what You-Know-Who would do to her if she did not smile for the cameras."
"Do you honestly believe that?" Ron said. "Because the Hermione I remember would have chosen to fight back."
"All I'm saying is that maybe we should hear her side before we jump to any conclusions," Harry said evenly.
"And how do you propose we do that?" Ron snapped.
"She's married now," Harry said, a plan forming in his mind. "Which means the tracker on her should have been removed. Maybe it's time we get her back."
Hermione awoke to an empty bed. She sat up and looked around the small room. They were staying at a small inn in Bulgaria. According to Voldemort it was their honeymoon, but really it was Hermione's first official Death Eater mission. Sort of. It would be if she was able to do anything useful. It was their second day there, and so far all Hermione was allowed to do was wander through the shops nearby and collect a couple Bulgarian newspapers for Moody.
She saw a note on the desk and picked it up, hoping that she was not limited to another day alone in the small Wizarding town in Sofia, Bulgaria's capital city. Hermione was in luck. Draco was out getting breakfast for them and when he returned they would be going to the Bulgarian Ministry of Magic together. Hermione hopped in the shower quickly. She wanted to finish changing before Draco returned. Things had been a little awkward between them since they slept together and it was making Hermione more self-conscious than usual. She was just pulling on her socks and trainers when Draco entered carrying a tray with tea, eggs, beans, and toast and marmalade. Hermione's stomach growled at the sight.
"So what are we doing at the Ministry today?" Hermione asked as they tucked into their loaded plates.
"Do you remember Aleksandar Markov?" Draco asked.
"He was from their Department of International Magical Cooperation right?" Hermione asked. "The black haired man with the beard?"
"That's the one," Draco said. Hermione could tell he was hiding a smile behind his goblet. "I am going to be discussing the application of a Muggleborn registration with him."
"Muggleborn registration?" Hermione asked, trying not to display her anger.
"The Dark Lord wants to register all Muggleborns to ensure that they are in fact magical and not imposters," Draco said slowly. Hermione just nodded. She noticed that whenever Draco was doing something he did not agree with he would make sure to state that it was Voldemort's idea (and not his).
"What do I need to know about the registration before the meeting?" Hermione asked.
"Actually, you won't be at the meeting," Draco said. Hermione suppressed a sigh. She knew they still did not trust her fully, which made sense, but she needed to find a way to get into those meetings. "You are going to be taken on a tour of their Ministry headquarters and there are a couple areas the Dark Lord wants you to pay careful attention to." Draco continued to outline the areas Hermione was supposed to watch out for as they finished their breakfast and made their way out of the inn.
Once they left the inn, Hermione began to wonder where the Ministry entrance would be. She recalled going through the telephone box in her fifth year to enter the Ministry of Magic in England. She followed Draco as he led here down the paved road. It was a peculiar shade of yellow and made Hermione feel like she was literally following the yellow brick road.
"I wonder why the pavement is yellow," Hermione mused aloud.
"The Austria-Hungarian royal family gave it as a wedding present to the Tsar Ferdinand," Draco replied. Hermione hid her surprise at his knowledge of such an obscure and Muggle fact. "The pavement runs through the heart of Sofia starting at the President's office," he added. Hermione was wide-eyed as she took in the sites of the city. They were surrounded by museums, restaurants, and government buildings and she was aching to visit some of the historic buildings there.
Draco pulled Hermione away from the hustle and bustle of the main street and pulled her down a quiet avenue. They had only walked a few paces before Draco pulled her down onto a bench beside him. There was a bronze statue on the bench with his hand outstretched. Hermione watched curiously as Draco slipped his wand into the statues hand. Hermione's mouth opened in surprise as the statue winked at them, and before Hermione realized what was happening the bench tilted and they slid off it and into a dark hole that opened next to them in the pavement.
When Hermione could see again they were in the lobby of the Ministry itself. Unlike the crowded atrium Hermione was expecting, this was a quiet room with a receptionist desk and a large sign that was directing visitors. Hermione watched in some fascination as it warned visitors to be on the lookout for a rogue snitch in the Department of Magical Games and Sports. Draco approached the petite witch at the desk and Hermione watched from a short distance as she nodded and pointed to the left.
"Hermione," Draco said, once he returned to her, "I'm off to the meeting. You are supposed to wait her and a ministry representative will meet with you shortly." Hermione could tell he was distracted so she merely nodded. His lips curved into a small smile, and he cupped her cheek in his palm. Hermione turned into his hand without a second thought. He kissed her briefly before departing in the direction the witch had pointed out to him.
It was not long before a short, bumbling wizard approached Hermione. He introduced himself as the junior undersecretary to the Minister. Without another word he commenced the tour. Most people would have found it dull, especially given her guide's monotone voice and endless supply of useless facts, but his dull demeanor did not lessen Hermione's fascination at the opportunity to visit a foreign ministry.
Draco tried to conceal his frustration as he waited for Hermione in the lobby. At the wedding the Bulgarian representative showed some interest in the legislation, but now they were backing out of the idea completely. Draco was positive the Order somehow convinced them not to consider the proposal. They had said monitoring Muggleborns so closely was fanatical. It was true, but the way they said it made Draco positive that someone had given them information about the Dark Lord's true purpose.
Draco saw a flash of curly brown hair and stood up quickly. His face fell when she turned the corner and he saw Viktor Krum next to her talking animatedly. She was laughing, Draco noted with a scowl. Draco clearly remembered them together at the Yule Ball and to add insult to injury Krum had also openly dismissed Draco's friendship.
"Viktor, you remember Draco Malfoy," Hermione said as she approached him.
"Yes," he said, frowning. "I did not think you were friends with Herm-own-ninny."
"I'm her husband," Draco said forcing his face into a smirk in a poor attempt to conceal his jealousy.
"It was really nice to see you again Viktor, but I'm afraid we must be going," Hermione said stepping away from him. Draco felt as if a weight had been removed from his chest as Krum walked away in the direction of the Department of Magical Game and Sports.
"So what are our plans for this afternoon?" Hermione asked lightly, once they were out of the Ministry and back on the Muggle streets of Sofia.
"I was thinking we could stop for lunch" Draco said, leading to a café in the Muggle part of the city. He could tell she was surprised.
"Are you sure this is a good idea?" she asked quietly. "The Dark Lord…" she trailed off.
"He wants us to keep a low profile while we are here," Draco said, though that was not the only reason he brought her here. He needed her to understand that he was not a prejudiced as she thought. She didn't push the subject and Draco found that when they were away from Hogwarts and Death Eaters they had an endless amount of things to talk about.
"What's a root canal?" Draco asked, interrupting the story she was telling about her parents. She answered and Draco cringed in response. He really was grateful he was not a Muggle.
"I think I'd rather suffer a Cruciatus Curse," he said. Hermione laughed and he felt a strange feeling in his chest. He reached across the table and took her small hand in his own. She did not pull it away and it made Draco bold. As she continued her story, he stroked her palm and played with her fingers enjoying the feel of her soft skin. He only pulled his hand back when the waitress arrived with their food.
"Since it looks like the Ministry here is rejecting the Muggleborn registration," Draco said, his voice lowered, "I was thinking about buying a safe house here." He concerned about the Dark Lord's reaction the Bulgaria's rejection, but he had not worked too hard to persuade them because he had his sights set on a couple of properties.
"I'm a little nervous about the Seçkinler," Hermione admitted reluctantly. Draco was not surprised that she had heard about the small elitist group. It was a small society, and since the government was still rejecting any anti-Muggleborn legislation they posed only a small threat. But Draco wanted to choose a safe house where Hermione would face the least amount of risk.
"Do you have any other ideas," Draco asked her as he returned to his lunch.
"What about France?" Hermione asked. "I went there with my parents a few years ago and it was beautiful."
"My parents have a house there," Draco replied, "which make communicating with them easier. Also the Dark Lord has had little success there, so we should be able to remain undetected if necessary." It meant that Draco would have to find a way to get to France as soon as possible, but since he did not have to go check out any properties in Bulgaria now it also meant he had the afternoon to spend with Hermione.
They decided to visit the National Theatre and the nearby gardens. Draco felt more at ease than he had in months. Things with Hermione were progressing. He held hand all afternoon, and kissed her at every chance he got. The memory of her rejecting him was fading, and now the only time she pulled away from him was when a crowd of tourists were walking towards them. She made up for it later when the coast was clear and she pushed him up against a trellis. He could feel vines poking at his back and Hermione's hands on his chest as she kissed his neck.
That was how they spend a couple of blissful days. Visiting churches and museums and monuments and enjoying the escape from reality. Draco could see the difference in Hermione, she was more relaxed than he had ever seen her and Draco felt more drawn to her than he imagined possible. He had been attracted to her during Christmas Break, but it was more than that now. There was a familiarity between them now that he did not have with anyone else.
It was a dull grey morning when Draco finally received word from the Dark Lord. He was supposed to arrange another meeting with the Bulgarian Ministry in six months' time. He also had another stop for Draco and Hermione to make before they returned to school. Draco frowned at his instructions. It was not a place he would want to take Hermione. But the Dark Lord was very particular about the mission and with what he was and was not allowed to tell Hermione.
Hermione was anxious when they entered the massive grounds of Durmstrang Institute. The ground was snow-covered and it crunched beneath her feet as the made their way to the arched entrance. The castle was much smaller than Hogwarts and Hermione did not have to crane her neck to see the tallest tower. Draco walked slightly ahead of her, in deep discussion with the new headmaster.
Hermione recalled what Viktor said about the school only lighting fires for magical purposes and soon found that he was right. Hermione pulled her cloak around her more tightly. While the thick walls of the castle blocked out some of the cold and wind, she could still see white clouds of air escape from her mouth.
They were shown to their room and the headmaster informed Draco that dinner would be served promptly at six o'clock. Without another word, or even a glance in Hermione's direction he excused himself. Hermione sighed in aggravation.
"Ignore them," Draco said scowling. "They don't admit Muggleborns to Durmstrang so he is taking your presence rather offensively. I've already warned him that, as my wife, you are to be treated as well as any Pureblood."
"But I'm not a Pureblood, Draco," Hermione replied. She had drawn an armchair near the fireplace and set a fire herself. "It shouldn't matter," she added quietly.
"If they saw you do magic then they would see that it doesn't matter," he answered. She heard him rustling around in his their trunk, and with a sigh she joined him to change out of her travelling clothes. She put on a dress Narcissa had given her. It was a dark blue dress with long sleeves. Hermione wore the black heeled boots she wore at one of the photo shoots for the wedding and slipped her wand there, so it was hidden by the length of her dress. Even in long sleeves, Hermione was cold, so she put her cloack back on and fastened it at the neck.
Dinner was served in a hall half the size of the Great Hall at Hogwarts. It seemed even smaller with the absence of the enchanted ceiling. The hall was filled with short rectangular tables with built in benches. Most tables were already filled with students who grew silent at the sight of Draco and Hermione. Hermione could hear the whispers that followed them as they made their way to the headmaster's table where Hermione was ignored for the rest of the evening.
The next morning they were scheduled to sit in on a Dark Arts lesson. The Professor was an older man, over fifty Hermione would guess. His hair was slicked back and streaked with grey, but his eyes were sharp as a sparrow's and showed none of his age. Hermione and Draco sat at the back of the class as the fourth year students filed in. Hermione flipped through the various course outlines the teacher had provided them. She knew Durmstrang focused on the Dark Arts, so she was not surprised to see whole lessons devoted to cursed objects, hexes, and the Unforgivable Curses.
Hermione thought she did a good job hiding her true emotions. It was despicable, she thought, to teach these things to children. It was no surprise that Voldemort was interested in this school. Hermione's composure was tested near the end of the lesson when a student was caught scratching into their desk with their quill. The professor called him up the front of the class and Hermione's stomach knotted in nervous anticipation. The student did not seem surprised, in fact he began rolling up the sleeve of his robe as the professor opened the top drawer of his desk.
He returned to the front of the class with a brown leather strap. Hermione realized what was coming, and forced herself not to look away as the strap came down repeatedly on the boy's forearm. Hermione was glad she had not looked away because as the teacher made the final strike he looked directly at her and she could tell he was searching for some sign of weakness. Hermione could not stop the smirk that grew on her face. Did this man honestly believe she would get squeamish over a strap? She would love to see the expression on his face if he ever saw her wielding her whip.
After the lesson, she breezed past the professor without a word. She wanted them to know how it felt to be ignored, and to show them that they would not bring her down. The headmaster was waiting for them at the door, ready to resume their tour of the castle. While they waited for Draco to finish talking with the professor, Hermione heard students whispering as they entered the hall. She was not too surprised to hear her own name in the school gossip, but she was surprised at the number of glares she was receiving from the female students.
As they traveled through the halls the gossip followed them and Hermione finally found out the source of the female ire. Apparently someone had found out about her relationship with Viktor Krum. Hermione was able to ignore the comments. Even at Hogwarts people had wondered how she had caught his eye, and they were not nice about it either. Hermione could vividly recall the article Rita Skeeter had written about her and Draco's contribution to it. Her anger at him over that was petty and long dissolved, but she still felt a little smug every time he scowled at the mere mention of Krum's name.
They came to a sudden halt in one of the corridors. The Headmaster drew their attention to a symbol carved into the stone wall. Hermione recognized the sign immediately. It was a distinctive mark: a triangle, a circle, and a straight line. She had seen it before, sketched into Dumbledore's copy of The Tales of Beedle the Bard. Hermione listened attentively as the Headmaster briefed them on Grindewald's time at the institute. From the corner of her eye she saw Draco sketch the symbol in his own notebook. He also seemed more alert than he had been at previous stops on their tour. Hermione wondered if this is what they came here for. What did Gellert Gindewald have to do with Voldemort's plans?
Draco laid awake listening to Hermione's soft, even breathing. He felt guilty for slipping her a sleeping potion, even if it was a mild one. But he knew she would follow him if she caught him sneaking around at night. He dressed quietly, not taking his eyes off her sleeping form. Sharing a bed with her had become torture since their wedding night. Hermione seemed reluctant to have sex with him again. He had tried his best not to hurt her, but it was her first time and he knew the next time would be better if only she would be willing to try again. His ego took a major hit from her hesitation, but he was trying to respect her wishes.
The halls were dark and empty. Draco had no trouble melting into the shadows and no one saw him as he made his way to the Headmaster's office: the one part of the castle that had not been shown on their 'tour.' Draco smirked to himself as he picked the lock. Did Kristofferson really think it was that easy to evade them?
Draco was glad he had learned to pick locks manually. He did not want to set off any of the protective spells around the entry and he did not want to leave behind any traces that he had been there. He knew the office was empty, but he checked out all the rooms just in case. The Dark Lord had ensured that the Headmaster would be occupied this evening, so Draco would have as long as he needed to find what he was looking for.
It did not take him long to find the student files. They were locked away in filing cabinets along the back wall of the office. He knew what years Grindewald had been enrolled before his expulsion and thankfully the files were ordered chronologically. He found the thick, yellowed file and tucked it inside his cloak. Next to it was a notebook with Grindewald's name scratched onto it along with the symbol that he had engraved on the wall. Draco scooped that up too and quickly made his way back to his room.
As he crept through the halls he found he was less worried about getting caught, and more worried about leaving Hermione alone. He almost regretted giving her the sleeping potion. It made her vulnerable in a place where she needed to be alert, but Draco could not risk her following him. He was relieved to find her still sleeping peacefully. Draco let out a breath he did not realize he was holding and changed for bed. He pulled Hermione close, breathing in the scent of her hair, and feeling content he fell asleep.
Draco held the scarf out for Hermione and they held it together in front of them. Kristofferson waited near the door silently. It was really not necessary for him to see them off, but Draco suspected that he wanted to ensure that they really left, especially after he went through the trouble of procuring them a portkey. Seconds later the room started spinning and Draco felt himself landing hard on a grassy hill. He managed to stay upright and caught Hermione as she stumbled.
"Where are we?" she asked as she took in their dreary surrounding. "Based on the climate it looks like we backtracked towards Bulgaria." Hermione looked at him questioningly and he felt a twinge of guilt.
"I received new orders from the Dark Lord," he said evasively. He could tell she was still suspicious. "Nothing too ominous," he lied, "he just wanted me to scout out this fortress as a possible meeting location." He watched her eyes travel down the hill and over the iron gates. Her mouth formed the words 'Nurmenguard: for the greater good' and Draco cursed himself for drawing her attention to it. It would not take her long to figure out the true reason for their visit.
"The Dark Lord ordered me to go alone," Draco said, "so if you don't mind waiting in the village." He gestured down the other side of the slope to a small and slightly grungy Wizarding village. He watched her retreating figure down the hill before turning in the other direction. He moved briskly. Although he felt bad for lying to her, he was relieved that she did not have to enter the prison with him.
The gate was rusty and creaked loudly when Draco entered the premises. It was cold and wet and Draco's nose was overwhelmed with the scent of mould and hay. The rotting smell only intensified when Draco entered the prison itself and he grimaced. When he finally reached the cell in the tallest tower he was met with an unimpressive sight. A frail body lay huddled on the ground in the small patch of light let in by the window. For a moment Draco feared he had come too late, but then he noticed the rising and falling of Grindewald's chest.
Draco was not sure how to proceed. He had expected more of the renowned Gellert Grindewald, but he felt much more confident in the presence of the old man before him. Draco was startled out of his thoughts when a surprisingly strong voice spoke from within the cell.
"I knew you would come eventually," Grindewald said. "Even here, in this damned cell, I hear the whisperings about a Dark Lord more powerful than anyone can imagine. But that's not all I hear. It is also said that your fear Albus Dumbledore more than any other."
"Dumbledore's dead," Draco finally said. The image of his crumpled body was seared into Draco's brain. Grindewald had fallen silent at last. Draco did not bother to correct Grindewald's assumption about Dumbledore. It was not his place to point out that the Dark Lord feared Potter far more.
"Then why did you come here?" he asked at long last. Slowly Draco retrieved the notebook he had stolen from his cloak.
"I want you to tell me what this symbol is," he said.
Hermione fought the temptation to follow Draco into the prison. She made sure she did not look back once until she was out of sight. She walked through the village quickly, searching for a post office. She found one at the end of the lane. It was small and cluttered, but it would do. She paid the shopkeeper for a quill and a spare bit of parchment, and once he returned to the back of the shop she turned to the blank sheet. She would need to be discreet in case it was intercepted, but she also needed to send it before Draco returned. She was fairly satisfied with the finished product:
Dear Professor McGonagall,
I am writing to inquire about school work missed while on my honeymoon in Bulgaria. I must say the magical history here is astounding.
I admit I was anxious For my wedding (The event was as elaborate as you could imagine!) especially with me marrying someone of a Greater blood status than my own. But I see now that it was only pre-wedding jitters. I hope all is Good at Hogwarts.
Hermione Granger Malfoy
Professor McGonagall knew her handwriting well, so Hermione hoped she would be able to decipher her message. She sealed the scroll and attached it to an inconspicuous brown owl and sent it on its way. She left the shop and decided it would be best to meet Draco in the pub closest to the hill.
Hermione entered the dimly lit pub and went straight to the bar. The barmaid was a pretty witch probably a few years older than Hermione.
"Can I get a butterbeer please," Hermione asked. The woman nodded and filled a mug up for her. Hermione pulled a galleon out of her pocket and handed it to the woman.
"It's only a sickle miss, and I 'aven't got any change," the barmaid said.
"You can keep the change," Hermione said and watched the barmaid's blue eyes widen in surprise. "I was just hoping you could do me a favour in return." The woman pursed her lips.
"Maybe you'd best take your business to the tavern down the street," she began.
"It's just something small truly," Hermione interjected quickly. "I was supposed to meet a friend here ten minutes ago and I don't want him to know I was late. He probably won't ask you, but if he does I would really appreciate it if you did not tell him I just got here." Hermione said this all very quickly, not sure if it was a good idea or even necessary.
"Alright," the barmaid agreed, "but I'd rather you not ask anymore favours." Hermione agreed readily and took her butterbeer to an empty table near the back of the cluttered bar. She quickly downed half her butterbeer, earning some strange stares from a short elderly witch and a wizard with a long brown beard.
Not long later Draco entered the pub. After spotting Hermione he headed to the bar and ordered a firewhiskey from the barmaid. Hermione watched anxiously, and as Draco returned the barmaid subtly shook her head. Hermione could not help but smile at him as he returned. She knew it took a great amount of trust from Draco for him to believe that she had not followed him so easily. Once they had finished their drinks they prepared to Apparate back to Hogwarts. Hermione held onto him tightly as they Side-Along Apparated, sincerely hoping that the bond they had forged would not crumble once they returned to school.
Coming Up in Till Death Do Us Part:
"I thought I'd surprise you," Draco said hearing the anger in his voice, "but I received a surprise of my own when you weren't in your office."