Chapter 8
Inside the office waiting room, I see her clearly- G!
"Ginny!" I say hastily.
She stands wearing green scrubs and holds a clipboard. She looks at me from an open door, gives me a faint smile, then looks back at her clipboard.
"Lestrange?" She calls out. Sitting in the waiting room is a half dozen girls in pink. A girl stands and walks towards G. I recognize the girl from years ago at the Academy. We were in the same year. She failed the Primary exams. I hadn't seen her in almost a decade. I can't recall he name, but I know it isn't Lestrange. G escorts the familiar girl in pink through the door and deeper into the office and out of sight.
I stand, confused. G acted just as she did on the last night I saw her at the academy. Like she didn't even know me. But why? She drew me that map- didn't she? My mind races as I begin to doubt, but my thoughts are interrupted.
"Ahem," a core woman clear her throat loudly at me. She sits behind a glass window, "Do you need to sign in?"
I snap to attention, "Yes. Hermione." I say.
The core woman squishes her face together, "Aw! I see you! Malfoy." She marks on a paper.
"I'm not married," I correct her, "I don't have nay last name."
"Oh, yes dear." The core woman says, "I have the name as Draco Malfoy."
And then I realize- Lestrange. Rodolphus Lestrange. He's an Elite that graduated four years before me. The appointments are made under the households we live in.
I take a seat with the other girls in pink. I don't recognize any of them. I look for reading materials. There aren't any. After what seems like half an hour, I am called.
"Malfoy?" G reads form the clipboard. I reluctantly stand, rolling my eyes at the thought of my doctor's appointment being under Draco's name.
I follow G down the hallway.
"G, why are you acting like this?—" I ask in a hushed tone.
"Shhh!" She quickly hushes me as she opens a door to an exam room, "Take off your clothes including your underwear, put on the gown, and the doctor will be with you shortly." She says in a clinical tone. I step in and she closes the door behind me. I'm alone.
I do as instructed. I am in complete awe at G's behavior. Who drew that map? Harry? He couldn't possibly. And I saw him at the Academy. He would have told me! I sit on the exam table waiting.
Within a few minutes the doctor, a short man with jet black hair walks in. Following closely behind him is G and Chief Surgeon Fudge- the head of Meridian's Medical division. I stiffen at his presence. What is a Collective member doing here?
"Hello…" The doctor says looking at the clipboard, "Hermione." His voice is horse, "I am Doctor Thicknesse. And you met our Nurse, Ginny Weasley. And supervising today's visit is Chief Surgeon Fudge from Meridian's Collective."
My mouth hangs agape. Is Fudge going to watch me examination? I think to myself.
Almost reading my mind Dr. Thicknesse says, "He is just here for the inquiry portion of today's appointment."
"I'll take it from here," Fudge says with a commanding tone, "Hermione, is it? I just have a few questions before your examination. You are to answer honestly. Do you understand?"
"Yes." I say. These are the questions Draco warned me about.
"Are you living with your partner Draco Malfoy?" he asks. The question makes me cringe.
"Yes."
"And do you understand the purpose of your partnership?" He asks.
"Yes."
"And have you engaged in intercourse with Draco Malfoy?" he asks. I look to G who looks away.
"Yes." I lie.
"And do you engage in intercourse without protection of any kind?" he asks.
"Protection?" I repeat, an idea coming to my mind. Quickly I snap my attention back, "Yes."
"To clarify your answer: yes, you engage in unprotected intercourse? Or yes, you use protection during intercourse?" he asks sternly.
"Yes, I engage in unprotected intercourse," I repeat, almost robotically.
Fudge stares at me a moment. And then he turns to Dr. Thicknesse, "That's all I need for now." He says and exits the room.
The for now hovers in the room with me.
After Fudge leaves it's a standard exam. After the exam, a blood sample is taken by G- who continues to not speak to me. I exit the same way I came, the SUV still waiting for me out front. I get into the back seat. Draco stares at me.
"Everything go well?" he asks.
"Yes." I reply.
"Good." He replies harshly.
On the car ride home I find myself thinking of the riddle again. The sun is beginning to set. I am running out of time. What is a place with no purpose? I think to myself. Nothing comes to mind. All I know is the Academy. I need the map!
As soon as I am back at the house I dart to my room. I go to the dresser and pull out the map. I spawl it open on the bed. There are so many buildings in Meridian City. I trace a finer along the labels. "Art Museum"? No. Doesn't fit. There is no blood blade or death in an art museum to my knowledge. "Hair Dresser"? No. Wrong.
And then my finger traces over a small building, "Butcher- Closed." It's labeled. Yes! Only death is here. The blood blade. So cold. But this is what once was. This place has no purpose now. It fits! There hasn't been meat in Meridian city in years. All the livestock became sick and had to be slaughtered to ensure the illness would not spread to the citizens. The Butchers shop- a place once cold and filled with animal carcasses- was now empty. Purposeless.
I examine the map further. I draw out the best path for me to take. It's easily six miles away by the main road. But I chart out a shorter, more discreet path through the woods. I can't walk along the street because I'd risk being seen.
But I am bound to be seen. The Butchers' Shop isn't in the middle of the city, but I will need to walk along a somewhat busy street to get to it.
I go to the dresser and pull out my old red coat. The weather is far too warm for a coat, but it will cover the pink dress in case I am spotted. They will think I am a Primary working in the city at night. Do Primaries have night jobs in Meridian City? I ask myself. God, I hope so.
I calculate if I run part of the way and walk at a brisk pace the other part, it will take me about an hour. Draco normally goes into his room around 10pm, so that will work perfectly. I will sneak out then. I just hope he doesn't come to my room in the middle of the night like last night. But if he does, I need to cover my bases. I quickly pen a handwritten letter and place it on my pillow, "Went out for a walk -H".
If Draco does discover I am gone tonight, the letter will hopefully avoid him calling the Meridian Police and reporting me as a runaway…hopefully. But the again, maybe he would jump at the opportunity to get rid of me.
Before long it's 10pm. I can't hear any noise coming from outside my door. Draco must be asleep. I creep out of my room slowly. My red coat is tucked underneath my baggy pink dress. I tiptoe to the back door. Once safely outside I put the coat on. It' far too warm for a coat, but I must wear it.
I've committed the map to memory. I focus on every step. I can't lose track of where I am or how far I've walked. Luckily, I can see the city lights in the near distance. They act as a general guide.
Before long I am out of the woods and on a main street. I walk hastily, knowing this is where I am in the most danger of getting caught. I am only a few blocks away. There isn't a single car on the street. Once I reach the Butcher's Shop I push open the front door. To my surprise it is open. I walk in.
Already waiting for me is Harry and Padma. I can't control it, I burst out into tears. Padma rushes to me and embraces me.
"Are you ok?!" She asks me, tears now streaming down her cheeks.
"Yes. Yes. I'm just so happy to see you." I choke out, hugging her tightly. Then I embrace Harry.
"I knew it was you, who sent the message!" I say, relieved.
"Me?" Harry says as he releases me from a hug, "We thought it was you."
"I didn't send the message—" I start, but the front door swings open causing us all to jump.
"You really should lock this." A familiar voice comes from the entrance, "You never know who can just walk in." We look. Standing just inside the door is G.
Padma and Harry beam with laughter.
"It can't have been you!" I say, confused. G locks the door behind her.
"Hermione?" Padma questions me.
I start to explain my skepticism, "That night at the academy. You acted so cold,"
"My father was there." G replies.
"And earlier today, at my doctor's appointment, you wouldn't speak to me!"
"Fudge has eyes on everything in that office," She says matter-of-factly, "If I'm going to get information, I have to act the part. That's why I took that job in the first place."
"So…you don't….I mean, you aren't…We're still…?" I feel myself becoming emotional again.
G walks over to me, "Hermione, I would never abandon you!" And she hugs me.
"The riddle was clever," Harry says, "I'm impressed."
"And the map, too. Thank you," I say.
"Listen, I called you all here today for more than just a reunion. Something is going on in Meridian." G starts.
"You're telling us," Padma scoffs gesturing to me and Hermione.
"Right," G corrects herself, "I've been spying on my father, and on Fudge and Dr. Thicknesse every chance I get. I just stand silent in every room I can, hoping they get used to my presence like a piece of furniture in the room and talk openly around me."
I think of G at the office. He blank, detached stare. It's all an act!
"That's genius, G," Harry says, "Has it worked?"
"It's only been a few days," G says, "But what I know is that there is a lot of pressure coming from the President and the Commander for this new system to be successful. They fear if this first year doesn't reap results there could be protests and an uprising."
"And the system being successful means….?" I already know the answer, but I have to ask it.
G shrugs, "Babies."
"So everyone needs to just not get pregnant," Padma says, "Seems easy enough."
"You'd think that, but," G fidgets with a stand of her short hair. She's uncomfortable, "But many of the girls don't really have a choice in the matter. I'm in all of the doctor's appointments…so…"
I think to the Poker night. To Gabrielle and Cho and Lavender. G must have seen their bruises. And witnessed the evidence of their abuse.
"Protection," I say to the group, "I thought of it earlier today t my appointment. If we are all on birth control, there can be no babies."
"We are testing for that," G says.
"What do you mean?" Padma inquires.
"Your blood tests," she says, "We are screening for any drugs that can impact, harm, or prevent a pregnancy."
"So, the girls can't take birth control and many can't choose to abstain….what other option is there?" Harry thinks a loud.
And then the idea comes to me, "The men!" I turn to G, "Do any of the men have appointments?"
"No. Just the women." She says.
"We give the men the birth control!" I say with a smile, "That won't come up on any test!"
"But Hermione, majority of the men will not take it." G says, "Most of Elites are serious about conceiving."
"It's true," Harry adds, "We've been incentivized. Offered larger house, promotions, and money if we are among the first to comply."
"All of Draco's friends are disgusting. They have plans to repick new women next year—" I start.
G quickly interrupts me, "Draco is inner circle. He and his friends don't need more money or promotions. They want play things."
Her words are true. Draco, Blaise, Crabbe, Goyle- they are already the elite of Elite.
"Then we must think of a way to slip the birth control to the men without them knowing," Padma says, "But time is our enemy. We need to first make enough of it!"
"Padma's right. We don't need the full the plan now. But we need to start synthesizing it," I say, "G, can you make it at the doctor's office?"
"Even if there was a lab, you know I am not capable of that." She says defeatedly.
I turn to Harry. He scowls, "The Military Lab has the ingredients and chemicals….but it's maximum security and surveillance. I couldn't brew a single batch without them discovering me within the hour."
"The Academy!" Padma says with a smile, "Chemicals aren't as tightly monitored there. And there is no surveillance in the labs."
"Are you sure about that?" Harry asks.
"No, it's true!" G says, "Remember when I started that chemical fire? And they had no idea of determining who was the culprit?"
"Then that's perfect!" Harry says, "But how do we get into the Academy?"
"We don't!" I say. Padma and I look at each other at the same time. We are thinking the same thing, "Neville." We say at the same time.