A/N: So, the last thing I need is to start a new story, but things happen, my muse throws an idea at me and stubbornly refuses to cooperate until she gets what she wants (hence the delay on Monsters and BbtL). I have been trying to work on those chapters so I can update but my muse is being vey insistent about this so if I appease her maybe she'll let me write them. It isn't obvious now, but this is a Bellamione story (as if I would write anything else). It'll be more evident in the next chapter.
Anyway, some of you will be my loyal readers, and some will be new, but whoever you are, thank you for your support and I hope you enjoy.
I want to sleep, but I hear voices
(calling out)
I hear them calling out to me
(oh)
This winter kiss has left me poisoned
(left me here)
and I will never be the same again
Winter Kiss, Young Guns
"How dare you let them block my testimony!" Hermione shouted at Kingsley.
"Hermione, please understand, there was nothing I could do," he said, attempting to calm her down.
"You and I both know that's bullshit. You didn't want to. You wanted to give them something so that you could keep their favor. The person who needed the most help, and you let them abandon her so you could keep your support. You're supposed to be better than that, Kingsley, that was the whole point!" Hermione refused to let herself be calmed by the large, peaceful man.
He opened his mouth to speak, surprised to find that he didn't have words. He sighed heavily. He knew she was right, she knew she was right, there was nothing to do about it. He hadn't tried to push Hermione's testimony through because the Wizengamot had made it clear they didn't want it. They wanted someone to blame. They needed someone to blame.
"There's nothing I can do now, the decision is made. It's irreversible."
"I don't think you want to do something about it," Hermione accused.
"Hermione. You do so much amazing work running the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, and I admire your sense of justice, but you're going to make a lot of enemies if you continue to push as hard as you are. You have a lot of public influence, but that can only get you so far," Kingsley murmured, bringing a hand to his temple.
"This system is broken," Hermione hissed, stomping out of Kingsley's office.
Hermione watched the cloaked, skeletal figures descend upon the prone form of Bellatrix Lestrange, tearing her soul to pieces in turns. It was a gruesome sight, one she wished she didn't have to watch. Ron wrapped an arm around her waist, pulling her into his side against her will. She pulled away delicately, not appreciating- or wanting- the comfort he tried to provide. Harry stood on her other side, his green eyes fixated on the scene. Several Aurors were present as well, their wands drawn in case something went wrong. Andromeda was there too, holding Teddy against her chest, preventing him from seeing. Narcissa and Draco Malfoy stood some distance away, a group of Aurors to the sides and behind them. Narcissa was trying to hide the tears in her eyes, constantly fiddling with her robes and hair. Draco watched stoically, his jaw clenched tightly and his posture rigid.
"This is barbaric!" Hermione finally exclaimed, her face reddening, "She's done horrible things, but no one deserves this!"
"Hermione," Ron tried, placing a hand on her shoulder.
"Don't," she hissed, glaring at him.
"Hermione," Harry tried, leaving his hands shoved in his pockets, "She tortured you. She killed so many people. It's for the best."
"You of all people should understand how terrible this is, Harry. It nearly happened to you. This," Hermione gestured to the scene in front of them all, "This is wrong. It's essentially a lobotomy! If that isn't legal in the Muggle world, then why is this legal here?"
Harry and Ron shared a helpless look, both feeling a little lost. They weren't sure what to do to calm Hermione down. They hadn't expected this type of reaction after everything Bellatrix had done, especially to her.
"Hermione, your friends are right, it's for the best," Andromeda said gently, "She can't hurt anyone this way."
"That's not for anyone to decide! What about her? She needed help and the entire world let her down! There are better ways to go about this," Hermione insisted.
The three shared a look, feeling a little guilty but nonetheless decided. The slight scene drew Narcissa and Draco's attention. Narcissa felt a brief lick of shame as Hermione defended her sister. She hadn't tried to stop this, to stop anything that had happened in the past twenty years, and here was Hermione, barely an adult, fighting for the life of the woman who had tortured her. She had done nothing to save her sister, just as she had done nothing when Andromeda had been banished. It hadn't been her place to act, but she should have made it her place. If she had, maybe things would be different. Maybe Andromeda wouldn't hate her, maybe Draco would have a normal life, maybe Lucius wouldn't be in Azkaban, and maybe Bellatrix wouldn't be receiving the dementor's kiss.
With as much poise as she could muster, she started toward the group.
"Mother, are you sure?" Draco whispered, placing a gentle hand on her arm.
"I'll be okay, Draco," she whispered back with a soft smile.
As she approached the group, Aurors close behind, she caught their attention. Harry and Ron gave her a look of barely disguised distrust, and Andromeda kept her features schooled into a perfectly neutral expression. Hermione's eyes burned with curiosity, her brow still slightly wrinkled in frustration.
"May I speak with you privately, Miss Granger?" she asked, pouring grace and respect into her request.
Hermione cast a look at her friends and Andromeda, ignoring the slight shaking of their heads as she responded, "Sure."
Narcissa held out her arm, waiting for Hermione to grab it. The fierce young witch looked confused for a moment before she realized the purpose of the gesture. Gingerly, she placed her fingertips on Narcissa's bicep, allowing the blonde witch to guide her away from her group.
"First, I'd like to extend my sincerest apologies for what happened to you. For what I allowed to happen in my home. I cannot express the extent of the shame I feel having been a bystander throughout the war, but especially during that moment," Narcissa paused for a moment, organizing her words in her head, "And second, I'd like to thank you for defending my sister, even though she has done terrible things to everyone, including yourself. My sister was a complicated person, she gave up everything for us, and she paid the highest toll to keep us safe and happy. She has done many unforgivable things, but I am grateful that you believe she should have been helped instead of condemned."
"I- Thank you. I fought this every step of the way, I want you to know that. People aren't born evil, and everyone deserves a proper chance. I tried so hard to fight for hers. Even though she," Hermione couldn't bring herself to say the word, "Even though she hurt me, that doesn't mean I should respond in kind. I'm sorry you have to lose her. Losing family is always difficult."
"I'm always struck by how kind you are, Miss Granger. It means a lot that you would fight for her when I was unable to bring myself to do the same." Narcissa cast a sad glance at her sister, watching the dementors swoop over her, taking another piece of her soul.
"Hermione, please. I'm not a fan of titles," Hermione mumbled, trying to keep her gaze averted for the time being.
"Very well, Hermione. You are so young, and yet, you have so much wisdom and humility. I wish I had the fortitude to always stand by what I thought was right when I was your age, but I fear I am a product of my upbringing. I know I am in no position to request anything from you, but it would mean a lot to me if you would sponsor Draco. I understand if you wish to refuse, and I will not hold it against you, but he is not evil, just misguided by those he trusted. As was I," Narcissa said softly.
Hermione felt her cheeks color at the praise, managing to say, "I'll think about it."
"Thank you, Hermione. Even considering it shows more compassion than most." Narcissa nodded her head to Hermione, delicately extricating herself and taking up her previously vacated spot next to Draco.
Hermione turned to return to Harry and Ron, catching a glimpse of the last piece of Bellatrix's soul being torn away from her. She felt a sinking feeling in her stomach, as if something a long time ago had gone completely wrong. The sadness that overtook her was inexplicable, an emptiness she had never experienced before in her relatively short life. She had heard stories about Bellatrix from so many people, comparing her brilliance to Bellatrix's. Not for the first time, she wondered about the circumstances that led up to this moment.
"What was that about?" Ron scowled, sending a nasty look toward Narcissa and Draco.
"Nothing," Hermione mumbled, averting her eyes from the unmoving form of Bellatrix, "I need to speak with Kingsley."
Hermione shouldered past her friends, feeling uncertain about what the future had in store. Such a brilliant, if damaged, mind was rendered useless and it didn't sit well with her. She had tried so hard, but her testimony had been blocked, and she had been unable to do anything about it. In truth, Bellatrix's fate had been decided by the Wizengamot before her trial had begun, and if she had testified for rehabilitation, their decision would have been controversial, something the Ministry didn't want to deal with.
Navigating the Ministry of Magic was still foreign to Hermione, her mind wandering so much she often found herself in an entirely unfamiliar area. Today, she was lucky enough to end up where she wanted to be, something she was grateful for. She knocked softly on the heavy door, the sound louder than she had intended. The door swung open, revealing Kingsley attempting to create some semblance of order on his desk.
"Hermione, how are you?" he asked, pausing long enough to give her a cursory glance.
"I've been better. I just watched the," Hermione trailed off, gesturing uselessly with her hands. She couldn't bring herself to say it.
"Yes, I know you were against that, and I am sorry you had to witness it. Where are my manners? Please, sit," he said distractedly.
Hermione hesitantly sat down opposite him, worrying her lip between her teeth. "Kingsley, what would sponsoring Draco entail?"
At her question, he paused his organizing to fix her with an incredulous look. "Well, you would either have to live at Malfoy Manor or he would have to move into your place for at least a year, and after that, you would have to meet regularly until he's deemed suitable to reenter society. You would be required to perform evaluations of his behavior and demeanor, and to report monthly to the Head Auror and Head of War Crimes. At least one Auror will be present at night, and at least two should you travel in public. He would not be allowed a wand until you make the recommendation and it is approved by the Head Auror, and the Head of War Crimes, and even then it will have very limited capabilities, for a time. You will also still be expected to complete your Ministry duties."
She mulled it over for a few more moments, contemplating the idea from every angle she could think of before finally announcing, "I'll do it. I'll sponsor Draco Malfoy."
Kingsley blinked in surprise, quickly composing himself. "Very well. I will inform the appropriate people. I'm sure it won't be long before the media catches wind of this, are you sure you want to do this?"
"I'm positive," Hermione asserted, her face hard.
Kingsley nodded, looking for a particular piece of parchment. While he did so, he conjured his patronus, instructing it to deliver a summons to Draco and Narcissa. Hermione sat in silence while she waited, watching Kingsley rifle through his office. By the time Narcissa and Draco arrived, he had given up the search and summoned it to him. Narcissa and Draco glanced at Hermione in surprise when they entered, feeling a little better about the subject of their summons. Hermione provided a small, polite smile, moving her chair over to make room for the two purebloods.
"Hermione has just informed me that she would like to sponsor Draco," Kingsley began slowly, "She will report regularly with accounts of your progress, and only upon her recommendation will your reinstatement of a wand and reentrance to society be considered, and it will be at least one year before she will be able to do so. For that period of time, she must either stay at Malfoy Manor or you must stay with her."
"She is more than welcome at Malfoy Manor, if she is comfortable with that, of course," Narcissa said, silently praying Hermione would be so she wouldn't lose Draco, too.
"The only place I have is in Muggle London, but I've been staying at the Burrow," Hermione mumbled, "So I'll have to be."
"At night, one Auror will be present, and two will accompany you whenever you leave the property," Kingsley continued.
"As long as it's someone impartial, Kingsley," Hermione said.
"I will do my best, of course," he complied.
"Is that everything?" Draco asked, feeling antsy.
"Just one more thing. A contract for the conditions that everyone must sign."
Narcissa delicately received the parchment from Kingsley, reading it with an arched brow before signing it. She passed it to Draco, the young man signing below his mother's signature after skimming it. He handed it to Hermione, who took one look at the words on the page and signed her name without appearing to read it. She handed it back to Kingsley, her heart fluttering in her chest, confirming that this was the direction she needed to take to set things right. If asked, she wouldn't be able to describe the feeling, and all she knew was that a semblance of "this is how things need to be" washed over her.
"One year from today," was all Kingsley said, effectively dismissing the three.
"Hermione, you have no idea how much it means to me that you would sponsor Draco," Narcissa whispered when they were outside.
"I know I've already apologized for everything, but I really am sorry for how I treated you, and I wish I had been able to go against my beliefs and done what was right," Draco said, rubbing the toe of his shoe against the polished floor.
"You did in the end. You both did. When it came down to it, you did what was right, and that matters more to me than everything else," Hermione said, leading the way to the floos. She had resolved to tell everyone when she collected her belongings, hoping she wouldn't face too much criticism.
"We can send a house-elf to collect your belongings," Draco offered.
"No, it's fine. I'll have to tell everyone and I'd rather do it in person so I don't get a bloody howler. May as well get it over with," Hermione mumbled bitterly.
"The blood wards are no longer in place, you should be able to apparate directly to the Manor," Narcissa informed her.
"I think I should go with you before I go to the Burrow. It's been a while since the last time I was there," Hermione said softly.
"Shall we, then?" Narcissa asked gesturing to the floo.
Hermione grabbed a handful of powder, hesitating before stepping in and announcing her destination. Green flames consumed her, and as she stepped into the foyer of Malfoy Manor, she couldn't help the small sneeze. Catching her bearings, she involuntarily froze as she looked around the room, her eyes drawn to the place Bellatrix had pinned her down. She couldn't help the surge of fear, the desire to run, as she stood immobile in the middle of the room. Draco and Narcissa appeared shortly after she did, both stopping and standing just behind Hermione, eyes glued to the floor. They all stood in silence, vividly remembering what had happened here. Hermione took a slow, controlled breath, trying to banish the memories she had. She knew this is what she had to do to get things on track, to fix what she felt was wrong. Doing this was the key to changing course so things happened the way they were supposed to. Hermione didn't know how she knew this, but she did, and she steeled herself for the struggles she knew were to come, prepared to face whatever came her way.
"Draco will show you to the guest wing. You may pick a room there, they are all unoccupied," Narcissa finally said, shaking them out of the past.
Hermione nodded, unable to tear her eyes from the spot as she followed Draco wordlessly. He led her, in silence, of course, through the corridors of the manor until they reached what Hermione presumed was the guest wing. Her eyes scanned the doors, walking up to one and considering it until deciding against it and moving on. Draco waited patiently as she did this for several minutes, finally choosing one after having stood in front of it for what felt to him like several minutes. She placed her hand on the knob, seeming to contemplate her decision again before twisting it and pushing open the door.
"Best not to let my mother hear you speak like that," Draco chuckled from the hall at Hermione's muffled swear.
"This is huge," Hermione breathed, stepping back into the hall, "Are they all like this?"
"That's actually the smallest one," Draco smirked.
"You're kidding," Hermione said dryly.
"Of course, they're all the same size," he laughed.
"It certainly beats the dungeons," Hermione commented, sending him a mirthful look.
Draco snorted, leaning against the wall. "Did you want a full tour before you get your things?"
"I think I should just get the screaming match over with," Hermione said, brushing her hair away from her face.
"I'll be sure to show you the library as soon as you return," Draco offered with a knowing grimace. He remembered the howler Ron had received in their second year.
Hermione gave him a grateful look, turning on her heel and apparating to the Burrow. She was greeted by a chorus of surprised exclamations, waving off the questions for the moment. She was too disoriented and the decision she had made suddenly sunk in as she prepared to confront Harry, Andromeda, and the Weasley family.
"I've come for my things," she announced, squaring her shoulders and standing tall.
She tried not to flinch as the volume in the wayward building doubled from the incredulous shouts and yelled questions filled the air. She waited until they all fell silent, eager for her explanation.
"I'm sponsoring Draco Malfoy for rehabilitation," was all she said.
Predictably, the room erupted again, everyone yelling over each other and the words becoming incomprehensible. Once again, Hermione stayed quiet, unwilling to waste an explanation when she knew they were too busy to listen.
"If you'll let me finish, this will all be much more efficient," she said when the noise finally died down again, "I'm sponsoring Draco for rehabilitation because it's the right thing to do, and I want to, and, as such, I am moving to Malfoy Manor for at least a year because those are the terms. My work at the Ministry will continue, and I've requested that neither Harry nor Ron be assigned to me because I don't feel like they're capable of putting their feelings aside. I've come for my things and to tell you in person and when you're ready to talk about this logically, you may owl me."
Hermione weaved through the gathered people, making her way up the crooked, twisted stairs to the room she shared with Ginny. She could hear a set of footsteps behind her, too light to be anyone but Ginny. A small smile formed on her face and she turned when she reached the landing, waiting for the younger witch.
"I'm sorry about Bellatrix. I know you were fighting hard for her, for what she did for you three. And I'm glad you aren't letting those stupid old farts ruin your goodness. Draco will do really well with you. I assume I'll be seeing him at work?" Ginny said when she reached the landing, leaning against the wall.
"Thanks, Gin. And yeah, he'll have to come with me to the Ministry when I go in. I'll need to figure something out for him to do so he doesn't feel useless or in the way. And thanks for having my back," Hermione said, leaning heavily on the wall next to Ginny.
"I'm sure we'll think of something. What kind of second in command would I be if I didn't have your back?" Ginny elbowed Hermione playfully, "Youngest witch to run a department in history, and you choose me to help you. You couldn't have made a better decision."
Hermione laughed softly casting a sideways glance at the fierce redhead. "You'd make a better Auror than Harry and Ron, which is why I had to steal you away as soon as you finished training. Couldn't risk damaging their egos and I need competence for my department to run as smoothly as it does."
"They were still pretty jealous," Ginny whispered with a smirk.
"They were, weren't they?" Hermione chuckled.
"To this day, I've never seen my brother so red," Ginny said between fits of laughter.
They doubled over from the force of their laughter, doing their best to stifle it. Every time they composed themselves, they would catch a glimpse of the other and start all over again. Shaking her head, Hermione pushed off the wall, heading the rest of the way to Ginny's room. Even though she hadn't been on the run for three years, her belongings were scarce. With a simple wave of her wand, they packed themselves into her bag, the charmed object landing in her outstretched hand.
"See you at work, 'Mione," Ginny said, giving the witch a quick hug.
Hermione nodded, returning the hug and turning on her heel as soon as the embrace was broken.
"So, this is the most important room in the manor to you," Draco said, pushing open the oak doors leading to the library, "And I know if I'm ever looking for you, to check here first, because you're probably never going to leave.
Hermione's mouth fell open at the expanse of books ahead of her. She exhaled in awe, immediately forgetting she wasn't alone as she began running her fingers lightly over the spines. Her fingers tingled with latent magic, stopping and pulling out a book that gave her a particularly strong sensation. Standing there, she pried it off the shelf and opened it to the first page, losing herself in the text. At Draco's soft chuckle, awareness flooded her system, and her head snapped up, an apology on her lips.
"I knew you'd like it, but I didn't think you'd forget to sit down. You can help yourself to anything in this room, but I don't think anyone would be able to stand between you and this room, even if they were stupid enough to try," Draco smirked before she could say anything.
Hermione chuckled, settling into a chair and getting comfortable before she delved into the book's pages. She flicked her wrist in the direction of the fireplace, causing flames to crackle to life and illuminating the room in an orange glow. She was already too lost to the world to notice it.