"How horrified do you think they are?" Hermione murmured, lying back in the enormous bathtub as she suppressed the urge to groan. The water felt better than she could ever have imagined so she tried to ignore the internal voice that reminded her it had been over a year since her last bath and that if the Order decided not to take them seriously, it might be longer than that until her next one. Despite what Dorea had said about her being family, she wasn't naive enough to believe that that would definitely hold firm in the face of Hermione's accusations against the supposed Leader of the Light.
Draco snorted, "I imagine pretty horrified. I predict that Great-Aunt Dorea is imagining all sorts of depraved things we're up to in here. Although I'm going to be honest Granger, I don't think I have the energy to do anything other than lie here."
Hermione laughed, "You say that like you'd consider it if we weren't so fucked."
He arched a brow and waggled it, "Interesting turn of phrase, Princess. You mean you're not unbearably turned on by the emaciated, filthy look?"
Hermione was laughing properly now, "Sorry Ferret. Put on a few stone and I'll think about it."
He poked at her bony hip, "Liar. I'm a Malfoy, why wouldn't you want me?"
She looked at him pointedly, "I think you might have answered your own question, Malfoy."
His smile turned predatory, "Liar." he growled, making her shiver before he lent down and kissed her, "You love me."
She sighed, snuggling closer to his bony body, "Unfortunately, I do. I love you more when we're not fucking starving and covered in months worth of dirt though."
"So shallow Princess," he murmured, pulling her closer as he allowed his body to relax for the first time in what felt like years.
Hermione hummed, "You love me anyway."
"So I do." he agreed, reaching for his wand. "I'm just setting an alarm." he explained at her questioning look. "Ten minutes and then we get clean and dressed and start horrifying Dumbledore's little birds."
She sighed, not really ready for what was coming, before she nodded, cuddling back into him, ignoring how much it hurt when their bones collided, "Fine. Ten minutes."
The knock came just as Draco was attempting to work the matts from her hair with more conditioner than most people used in a month. "Are you alright?"
Stifling a laugh and ignoring Draco's pointed smirk she replied to her…grandmother. "Fine. We'll be out in a moment, my hair is putting up a bit of a fight."
"I know some charms for that, you know?" The woman ventured.
Rolling his eyes at the way Hermione's eyes lit up, Draco began rinsing. "They're mostly out, Princess, but don't let me keep you from new charms."
Dodging her hand as she hit him was difficult in the confines of the bath but he still tried, laughing slightly as he failed miserably. Pointedly ignoring him she rose from the bath with exaggerated dignity and moved towards the towels left for them.
"Gods I'd forgotten how clean feels." she groaned, wrapping one around her, waiting until he copied her to open the door.
Dorea barely contained her horrified gasp. Now clean, it was easy to see the toll the war had taken on their bodies. More scars than she could count littered their skin, bones were clearly visible and neither of them looked in any way healthy. It was worse than she had realised, their clothes and the dirt having hidden many of the marks. She tried not to think about how they'd gotten them or how new many of them looked.
"I've left you some clothes out in a room. I assume you wish to share?"
"Yes." they replied firmly, following after her.
"We can….adjust them so they fit." she said faintly. "I'll wait outside, Once you're dressed we can tackle that hair."
Hermione nodded, reaching for the first set of clean clothing she'd touched in months. The jeans gaped like she was a child playing dress up, sighing, she moved to stand in front of the mirror, waving her wand until they resized enough to stay up before moving to grab the top and doing the same, Draco mirroring her movements beside her.
"Huh. I think I like you in seventies fashion Princess."
Her eyes travelled down his body. "You're wearing jeans." she said dumbly.
He snorted, "Yes, I don't think I like me quite so much in seventies fashion."
Grinning at him, Hermione deliberately ogled him."I don't know. I think I quite like it. Although it would definitely be improved with some leather, up for it?"
Draco choked on air. "You keep looking at me like that Princess, and we won't be leaving this room. Nosy Great-Aunts and unreasonable amounts of protruding bones aside."
Hermione just laughed,knowing he was in no way serious as she pushed past him to open the door, allowing Dorea to enter.
"Right, let's try this." she began the moment she was allowed entry, sweeping her wand in movements so quickly, Hermione had no hope of following. Her hair dried, falling in silky, tangle free curls down her back.
"Wow. Will you teach me?"
"Tomorrow." Dorea ventured. "We were hoping you'd agree to stay, at the very least for tonight."
Hermione shot a look at Draco. "Where exactly are we?" he asked, casting his eyes around the room.
"Potter Manor."
"Ah." he replied slowly, "It's up to you Princess."
Hermione looked longingly back at the bed before she straightened her spine. "Let's see how tonight goes before we make any decisions." she said finally.
Both Dorea and Draco nodded, the latter moving to take her hand. "Ready to face the birdies, Princess?"
"Not in the fucking slightest," she grinned, "Lets go."
Rolling his eyes and muttering about stubborn fucking Gryffindors, he followed her out, Dorea trailing behind them, not sure at all what to make of her new granddaughter and what she assumed was her great-great nephew. Even Sirius hadn't prepared her for this.
"Ah you're looking much better," Dumbledore twinkled at them when they re-entered the room, the look Hermione shot him was deadly, making him falter slightly. He'd barely convinced the Order to stop asking him questions, he wasn't sure he could deal with more insolence. "I ah…unless I've gravely misunderstood, you can help us?"
"We can," she agreed. "We just haven't decided if we will yet."
"Now see here, young lady!" a woman protested from the back, "You cannot seriously be considering not helping?"
Hermione stared her down, Draco guarding her back, his eyes flicking around the room ensuring there was no immediate threat. "You are?"
"Morag Mckinnon."
"Ah. Well Madam McKinnon, we can be considering not helping because as I've already said you lot fucked it all up and left it for a group of children to fucking fix. So…we either do this our way, and I mean our way, not some half arsed version to keep us fucking quiet, or we do this without you." she paused, her eyes closing briefly before she turned to look Dumbledore straight in the eye. "We lost fucking everything and almost everyone. Draco and I are the last ones fucking left because you gave us nothing to go on. The secrets you kept….the things and people you manipulated…..I wont allow it again. So I mean it. Our way, without fucking question or you can fuck off."
"Such language." Someone muttered. "I've never heard such disrespect."
"Respect is earned," Hermione snarled, leaning back into Draco's touch where he tried to soothe her.
"Then you'll have to earn ours." the person replied mulishly. "And it starts by showing some to your elders!"
"Right, well that answers that," she said with a sigh. "We'll be in touch when it's done."
At that she turned and began to move from the room.
"Hermione! Wait." Dorea looked frantic. "Please."
Hermione shook her head. "No. I quite literally watched almost everyone I ever loved die. We were hunted, caught, tortured, amost killed, starving and living in goddamned fucking tent because that twinkly arsehole decided not to give us any fucking information. So no. We're ending this; I will not allow the same thing to happen again." she turned, pinning the man that had spoken with her gaze, her eyes seeing people who were no longer there before she continued "So you sit here in this comfortable room, safe in the knowledge that you're doing something for the war effort, even if you're fucking not, because the Great Albus Dumbledore cannot be wrong and I must have misunderstood. And when your time comes, think of this. He knows far, far fucking more than has ever told you. In our timeline, he sent three teenagers on a fucking horcrux hunt without telling them anything, not what he thought they were, not where he thought they were, not how to destroy them. We were barely of fucking age and had been told not to involve anyone else. We trusted him and look where it fucking got us. He let his spy kill him as a mercy because he was already dying without telling anyone he was in on the plan. He claimed it was to save a boy from doing it because he was trapped but despite that boy begging for a way out, he still decided to keep him living in a home with a fucking madman, witnessing things that no one should fucking witness. Remember that he allowed an orphan to remain in an abusive home, insisted on it until he was of age, all to fulfill a fucking prophecy. Remember that he allowed one of your own to rot in Azkaban for twelve years, without trial, despite knowing he was innocent. Remember that he knew there was a mole in the Order but didn't insist on magical means of keeping information private. Know that he allowed countless people to fucking die because we are all expendable as long as his grand plan is executed in the way he's decided is right."
The silence was almost deafening, many of the faces looked horrified. Dorea, Minerva and Lily all had tears streaming down their faces, all of the Order unable to tear their eyes away from the child soldier condemning the man, that up until that night, they would all have sworn was their best chance at ending this war.
"I'm sorry." Edgar Bones whispered, unable to tear his eyes away from hers. "I….Merlin. I'm sorry."
Hermione froze before tilting her head, her eyes meeting the man who vaguely reminded her of Susan. "Are you?"
"Yes," he sighed, "I…I am willing to listen if you would reconsider."
Hermione shot a look at Draco, who shrugged slightly. "It's your call, Princess."
She shook her head, "It's yours too", she murmured back.
"It'll be easier with more people."
"Assuming they listen."
"Yes, assuming they listen. We need the rat anyway."
Hermione's eyes widened. "So we do."
"What safeguards have you in place to ensure someone isn't spying on you?" Draco asked the room, knowing there was none, knowing they knew there were none given that Hermione had just pointed it out. He also knew they needed to hear their elected leader confirm it.
"Everyone is here because they believe in our aims, Mr Malfoy." Dumbledore replied slightly patronisingly.
Draco snorted, "Yeah all except the spy, who's feeding information back to Voldemort."
Several faces paled.
"There is no spy." Dumbledore hastened to assure them.
"Isn't there?" Draco asked idly as if they were discussing the weather. "Forgive me, but last time I checked, we have far fucking more of an idea of that happened in this war than you." his voice turned colder. "She meant what she said. You listen or we walk and you let people die. Because despite not wanting to, we will not be here to ensure their safety and we both know that any information we leave will likely be ignored." Albus looked momentarily stunned before he gave the briefest nod.
Hermione turned to face the Order before looking back at Draco for reassurance. He tightened his arm around her waist and she began, "Right, I want Peter Pettigrew, Severus Snape and Regulus Black."
"Don't you think it's a bit early, Princess?" Draco murmured.
"No….not if we show them. I think we should be ok."
"They believe it now."
"Not with the information we have."
Draco sighed, "I think you underestimate how paranoid my Godfather was."
"Are you doubting my ability to prevent them speaking?"
Draco huffed out a laugh. "Never, Princess. You were taught by the best."
Hermione snorted, "I surpassed the best several years ago."
"You cannot be serious. One of those is a known Death Eater and the other a suspected one." Moody growled.
Hermione hummed, "Ah, well, I'll confirm for you then. All three are Death Eaters."
"No!" A collective howl went up from James, Remus and Sirius and Hermione's face briefly softened.
"I'm sorry. Truly. But yes." her eyes hardened, "And I've a long overdue appointment with Wormtail so I'm afraid I really am going to have to insist."
Minerva shivered at the hate that took over the girl's eyes. Whatever Peter Pettigrew had done, this girl was going to make sure he regretted it. And despite not wanting to believe it, the look on Hermione's face forced her to confront the fact that she was telling the truth. Beside Dorea, four devastated teenagers looked lost, their faces showing varying degrees of disbelief.
"I don't believe you." Sirius stated firmly.
Hermione's eyes met his before she sighed. "No, I imagine you don't. But tell me…how much has he been saying about Remus' order to infiltrate the packs? How often has he been cautioning you to be careful? And Moony. How often has he been reminding you about Sirius' family? Dropping little hints of concern?" Both boys paled further. "Yeah. That's what I thought."
"Why Severus?" Lily asked quietly.
Hermione tilted her head weighing up how truthful to be. "Has anyone got parchment?"
Startled by her avoidance, Lily blinked before Dorea produced a piece.
"Thanks." Waving her wand over it in several complicated patterns, Hermione handed it back. "I need everyone to sign it before we go any further."
"Why?" Charlus asked curiously.
"Because if any of this information leaves this room I'll know who it was." Several eyes widened.
"And if we don't want to sign it?" Morag McKinnon asked.
"Then we'll modify your memory to remove us from it and allow you to leave."
"You cannot just modify people's memory!" she spluttered.
"I've done it before. I have no urge to be hunted again quite so soon." Hermione replied coldly. "If nothing else, I'd at least like a few weeks of actual food and a real bed before we begin again; I will protect Draco and myself from it for as long as possible. So, yes. I can."
Paling, the woman signed the parchment before passing it to her neighbour. Hermione kept a close eye on it as it made its way round the room until it stopped at Dumbledore. She allowed the silence to fall as he hesitated. "What if I need to speak to someone about this?"
"Then you clear it with us first."
He hummed, "You do not know everyone or their importance."
"With all due respect, Professor, Draco has already pointed out we know more than you. Anyone you believe to be that important, as long as you explain why and, assuming we agree or it doesn't contradict something we know for sure, we can have them sign too so they can be told."
Dumblefore didn't look pleased but he signed anyway. Draco reached for the parchment, stowing it in Hermione's handbag.
Taking a deep breath, Hermione turned back towards Lily, "The reason I want Severus is that he spent almost his entire life working as a spy to bring Voldemort down. He deserved far, far better than he got. We owe him our lives more times than I want to count. He knew about our relationship long before anyone else, it was…dangerous and he helped us keep it hidden. He's Draco's Godfather and the closest thing to an Uncle I've ever had. I really fucking miss him, even if he is a sarcastic arsehole." she trailed off looking at the stunned faces of the assembled Order.
"Oh." Lily replied softly. "Do you think he'll listen?"
Hermione shrugged, "I don't intend to give him a fucking choice." she growled. "I'm well used to beating that stubborn man into submission, I don't intend to give up on him now."
Draco snorted, "Well, if anyone can manage it it'll be you. He's said for years you're his biggest fucking weakness because you refused to allow him to scare you. He had no idea how to handle you."
She laughed, her face fond. "Yes well….lets hope the younger Severus is less stubborn than the elder….or you know, we're in a room with no breakables."
"Hold on…we're talking about the same person. Severus Snape? That greasy little git who's up to his neck in dark magic?"
Hermione froze her gaze hardening as she looked at him. "Padfoot," she growled, "You are one of my favourite people, even if you are an impulsive arse but you ever insult Severus Snape in my hearing again and I will hex you impotent for the next year." Sirius paled, sensing she wasn't joking. "The rivalries stop now. You are of age. Adults. School houses do not define a person. You bullied him mercilessly from the moment you laid eyes on each other. And I will not allow it. Its time to fucking grow up. You don't have to like him but you do have to be fucking civil, am I clear?"
"He called Lily a mudblood." James said mulishly.
"And you and Sirius had him strung up by his ankle, scorgifying his mouth and threatening to remove his trousers for no other reason than you were bored. He apologised. Repeatedly. Did you?" James and Sirius paled. "Exactly."
"What do you want with my brother?" Sirius asked instead.
"He had a change of heart um…later…this year? We're hoping to speed that up by a month or two. He's…important and I'd quite like him not to die."
"He dies?" Sirius asked, stricken.
"Padfoot." she sighed. "You all die."