Chapter 17
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot.
The following day, Ron visited Hermione again. He brought her some fruits, like she was sick and bedridden. But Hermione just smiled. She knew it came from her mother, who obviously thought she was sick that's why she can't go home yet. Either that or her mother was exaggerating the way she missed her daughter. But still Hermione was glad her parents missed her. After her talk with Draco the day before, she realized now more than ever how much she loves her own mother. She also realized how much she missed her.
"Thanks for dropping by, Ron," Hermione said, leading Ron to the living room, and putting the basket of fruits on the table.
"Don't thank me, it's your mother who insisted that I visit you here," Ron replied.
Hermione made a sad face. "Does that mean you won't visit me without my parents' persistence?"
"I was just joking Hermione!" he said, grinning. "I do miss you a lot and I'm glad I'm acting liaison between you and your parents."
Hermione smiled. "So how are they?"
"The usual," he said. "Worrisome and adamant. I kept on telling them you are okay but they insist that I do my best to bring you home. Last night they were actually talking about not trusting me because I might have joined sides with you."
"But which side are you on?" Hermione asked.
"I'm not taking any sides, Hermione. I just want you and your parents to be finally be okay. That's what I'm doing. I'm h-e-l-p-ing," he replied.
"I know that. And I'm sorry if I pulled you into this mess. I promise to make it up to you once I get myself out of this," she said, forcing a smile.
Ron shook his head. "Forget about me. First, think about how you're going to come to terms with Harry."
Hermione flinched as she heard the name, nonetheless, she was worried. "How is he?"
"Not much improvement," Ron said. "He still has refused to talk. But I swore I saw him walk out the Quidditch field the other day. Maybe he has come to his senses and has decided to continue living his life, though I'm not really sure."
"I just hope he'll be ready to talk to me by the time I get home," Hermione responded.
"What about you, are you ready to talk to him?" Ron asked her.
"Uh, no?" she said reluctantly.
"Well, all I can say is that the both of you should settle your affairs as soon as possible. I'm not the only one affected, also your parents and Draco," Ron told her. "Wait, where is Draco?"
Hermione stood up and picked up the basket of fruits. "He wasn't here when I woke up, and he still hasn't returned."
"Do you know where he went to?" Ron asked, following Hermione to the kitchen.
"He left me a note that he just went somewhere and settled something important. Though he didn't leave any details. I'm guessing he went to the manor and tried if he can free his mother again," she answered.
"I still can't believe he has rejected being a deatheater," Ron said, leaning by the fridge.
"You won't believe anything if I told you how much Draco has changed," she said, smiling.
Ron sighed. "I guess it's just hard to believe all these changes. Maybe someday I'll get used to it. Eventually," he said.
"I hope so."
"Look, Hermione, I have to go. Mum's waiting for me at the Burrow," he said, walking back to the living room.
"Oh, okay," Hermione replied, "Please say Hi to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley for me."
"Sure," he answered.
Hermione watched as Ron disappeared out of thin air. She then looked out the window and saw that it was almost evening. She began to worry when suddenly someone knocked her over, which caused her to fall on the floor.
Hermione looking up and saw that it was Draco. He was lying on top of her, their faces close to each other. "Hermione, I'm sorry!"
Draco stood up and reached a hand out to her. "Where did you come from?" she asked him.
"I was hiding from my father," Draco said, breathing heavily. "He almost caught up with me near the manor. Everywhere I apparated to, he followed me. Until I remembered my apartment."
"But that's what's bothering me," Hermione said, brushing off the dirt from her back. "I thought no one could apparate inside this apartment. Didn't you cast a protective charm on it?"
"I thought so, too," he replied. "Until I remembered I alone could."
Hermione nodded. She sat on the couch, cheerless as she realized what might have happened. "I guess it didn't go well."
Draco sat beside her. "I tried but no, it didn't work," he told her. "I tried casting several breaking charms we learned from Hogwarts, but none of them worked. The last one backfired on me and transported me to the garden, where several traps were situated. Luckily I knew how to dislodge all of them. And that's when I met Lucius, while I was dodging one of the traps."
"I'm sorry," Hermione said, patting his back.
"I'll just come back some other time," he replied, looking exhausted.
Hermione stood up and went to the kitchen. "Ron came by and brought some fruits," she called out. "I can prepare you some mangoes."
"No, thanks, I think I'll just sleep," Draco replied.
With that, Hermione heard his footsteps descending the hall, and the sound of a door closing swiftly.
Hermione heaved a sigh, hoping tomorrow will be better.
Disclaimer: I own nothing except the plot.
The following day, Ron visited Hermione again. He brought her some fruits, like she was sick and bedridden. But Hermione just smiled. She knew it came from her mother, who obviously thought she was sick that's why she can't go home yet. Either that or her mother was exaggerating the way she missed her daughter. But still Hermione was glad her parents missed her. After her talk with Draco the day before, she realized now more than ever how much she loves her own mother. She also realized how much she missed her.
"Thanks for dropping by, Ron," Hermione said, leading Ron to the living room, and putting the basket of fruits on the table.
"Don't thank me, it's your mother who insisted that I visit you here," Ron replied.
Hermione made a sad face. "Does that mean you won't visit me without my parents' persistence?"
"I was just joking Hermione!" he said, grinning. "I do miss you a lot and I'm glad I'm acting liaison between you and your parents."
Hermione smiled. "So how are they?"
"The usual," he said. "Worrisome and adamant. I kept on telling them you are okay but they insist that I do my best to bring you home. Last night they were actually talking about not trusting me because I might have joined sides with you."
"But which side are you on?" Hermione asked.
"I'm not taking any sides, Hermione. I just want you and your parents to be finally be okay. That's what I'm doing. I'm h-e-l-p-ing," he replied.
"I know that. And I'm sorry if I pulled you into this mess. I promise to make it up to you once I get myself out of this," she said, forcing a smile.
Ron shook his head. "Forget about me. First, think about how you're going to come to terms with Harry."
Hermione flinched as she heard the name, nonetheless, she was worried. "How is he?"
"Not much improvement," Ron said. "He still has refused to talk. But I swore I saw him walk out the Quidditch field the other day. Maybe he has come to his senses and has decided to continue living his life, though I'm not really sure."
"I just hope he'll be ready to talk to me by the time I get home," Hermione responded.
"What about you, are you ready to talk to him?" Ron asked her.
"Uh, no?" she said reluctantly.
"Well, all I can say is that the both of you should settle your affairs as soon as possible. I'm not the only one affected, also your parents and Draco," Ron told her. "Wait, where is Draco?"
Hermione stood up and picked up the basket of fruits. "He wasn't here when I woke up, and he still hasn't returned."
"Do you know where he went to?" Ron asked, following Hermione to the kitchen.
"He left me a note that he just went somewhere and settled something important. Though he didn't leave any details. I'm guessing he went to the manor and tried if he can free his mother again," she answered.
"I still can't believe he has rejected being a deatheater," Ron said, leaning by the fridge.
"You won't believe anything if I told you how much Draco has changed," she said, smiling.
Ron sighed. "I guess it's just hard to believe all these changes. Maybe someday I'll get used to it. Eventually," he said.
"I hope so."
"Look, Hermione, I have to go. Mum's waiting for me at the Burrow," he said, walking back to the living room.
"Oh, okay," Hermione replied, "Please say Hi to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley for me."
"Sure," he answered.
Hermione watched as Ron disappeared out of thin air. She then looked out the window and saw that it was almost evening. She began to worry when suddenly someone knocked her over, which caused her to fall on the floor.
Hermione looking up and saw that it was Draco. He was lying on top of her, their faces close to each other. "Hermione, I'm sorry!"
Draco stood up and reached a hand out to her. "Where did you come from?" she asked him.
"I was hiding from my father," Draco said, breathing heavily. "He almost caught up with me near the manor. Everywhere I apparated to, he followed me. Until I remembered my apartment."
"But that's what's bothering me," Hermione said, brushing off the dirt from her back. "I thought no one could apparate inside this apartment. Didn't you cast a protective charm on it?"
"I thought so, too," he replied. "Until I remembered I alone could."
Hermione nodded. She sat on the couch, cheerless as she realized what might have happened. "I guess it didn't go well."
Draco sat beside her. "I tried but no, it didn't work," he told her. "I tried casting several breaking charms we learned from Hogwarts, but none of them worked. The last one backfired on me and transported me to the garden, where several traps were situated. Luckily I knew how to dislodge all of them. And that's when I met Lucius, while I was dodging one of the traps."
"I'm sorry," Hermione said, patting his back.
"I'll just come back some other time," he replied, looking exhausted.
Hermione stood up and went to the kitchen. "Ron came by and brought some fruits," she called out. "I can prepare you some mangoes."
"No, thanks, I think I'll just sleep," Draco replied.
With that, Hermione heard his footsteps descending the hall, and the sound of a door closing swiftly.
Hermione heaved a sigh, hoping tomorrow will be better.