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Aftershock: Part Eight

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Hermione couldn't control her emotions while watching Molly and Draco. The pain radiating from both of them was too much. George must have felt it too, because he stopped trying to get away from her and between his mother and Draco. Hermione was surprised to learn that it had been Draco to find Pearcy's allegiances, but she shouldn't have been. Finding traitors had meant being able to see past the old assumptions of what a Dark Wizard looked like, so the only solution had been to find someone who hadn't made the old assumptions.

It was Fate's own cruel humor that the one to do so was Draco Malfoy. Cruel to him, cruel to the Weasleys, cruel to everyone. Molly and George walked off, and Hermione let them go. Looking at Draco, through her blurry vision, Hermione had to admit that she had always loved him, even when she was convinced that his good qualities had been figments of her imagination. She had even loved the snarky bastard actually sitting in class, admired his quick wit with insults, his ability to see beyond people, usually for weaknesses, but it was the same skills that she used. She had prided herself that she was using them for good, but even she had to admit, that wasn't the view that the teachers had taken.

Now, unable to speak, she threaded her arm around Draco's and pulled him away from the crowd of lookers who were trying not to look. It was a testament to his own emotional state that he let her pull him. They needed to get away from people. She needed to talk to him, try anything to get that haunted, pained look out of his eyes. At the same time, she knew that nothing would ever remove the scars that he was living with.

~*~

Draco didn't realize where they were going until Hermione pulled him through the door of the Leaky Cauldron. They passed through the dining room and to the stairs leading to the guest rooms. So this is where she's staying. The thought was inane, but preferable to the others running through his head.

Molly Weasley had shaken him. He had known that she could, but to actually experience it, finally, was more than he had imagined. To be given the great gift of forgiveness, and yet chastised for his past behavior in the same breath, was somehow fitting. It took all of his willpower to snap himself out of that painful mental fog, and actually look at Hermione. She was still crying, but getting it under control, and pulling tissues out of a box on the nightstand. She offered the box to him, but he declined. He wasn't crying. It would somehow be selfish to cry.

"So, what now?" He asked, assuming that she had a reason for dragging him to her room.

Hermione shook her head, "I just needed to get away from the eyes, and I didn't want to leave you behind."

Warmth spread through Draco, and now he did feel tears prick his eyes, but blinked them away. She cares The thought was fleeting, but helped Draco pull himself further out of the fog. He shook his head, ruefully. The way he was feeling, someone would think he'd lost a brother or son rather than the Weasleys.

Draco felt his expression crumbling, and tried to stop it. She had offered the outlet for his emotions, by offering tissues, she had implied that it would be alright to cry. Now he wasn't sure that he could stop himself. He shook his head, trying to hide his emotions from Hermione. Turning away from her, he looked around the room, becoming more engrossed with the everyday items and untidiness of the place than he would have normally been.

"Draco..." her voice was quiet, uncertain. He knew that she was as hurt by the past events as he was. Maybe more, after all, she was closer to the primary sufferers than he was. He didn't know how to comfort her, even if he could do it without losing himself in his own emotions. He felt a hand on his shoulder, the touch as uncertain as her voice had been.

He turned to look at her, feeling as if he were drowning, not wanting her to see, and desperate for her to see, all at once. It was overwhelming. Her eyes widened as she saw his, and he knew that he wouldn't be able to hold the emotions back.

Draco Malfoy cried like he'd never stop, clinging to a crying Hermione as they both vented pain and sorrow that defied any other expression.

~*~

As soon as Draco left, Hermione began composing a letter to Dumbledore. None of them but Harry were ever on corresponding terms with their old headmaster, but no one but he could get Draco out of London. And Draco needed to be out of London, or he'd continue stewing in his own guilt until there was nothing left.

She had seen it in his eyes, he was already suffering for what his father had done. To be accused for no reason other than his name would only hasten the crushing of his spirit.

She outlined all of this in her letter to Dumbledore. If she could convince Dumbledore, than Dumbledore could convince the Ministry. Hermione hoped that leaving London would take some of the haunted look out of Draco's eyes.

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End Part Eight

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next up: the last part. Finally!