Chapter 7
Harry moved over to sit on the arm of the couch, behind Hermione.
"Someone *please* tell me what's going on." She pleaded to Ron, and every other person around them. Ginny was still clinging to Hermione, softly sobbing. Ron looked up at Hermione and the look in his eyes made the pain she felt for the family deepen. "What is it Ron? What's going on?" The suspense was killing her.
"Percy," Ron said.
"What about him?" She heard Harry behind her, his voice as worried as her own.
"Got a letter from mum," he said. She just noticed the parchment in his hands. Ginny moved off of Hermione, and sat in a chair of her own. Fred moved over to her, and hugged her. Hermione moved closer to Ron.
"What's it say Ron?"
"Per- Percy's been-" He faltered. Hermione could not stand seeing her best friend in such pain. "He's been murdered Hermione." Her breath caught in her chest, and tears were filling her eyes. Pain was coming over her now. Not pain of a cut or a bruise, but pain that was settling in her stomach, eating away at her insides.
"H-how?" Hermione said, letting her tears fall.
"Death eaters," Fred said from Ginny's chair. "Percy was home on a visit from London. The first night he was there, Death Eaters broke into the house in the middle of the night." George stepped up, now finishing Fred's tale.
"One death eater tried to get mum. Avada Kadavera killed Percy when he stepped in from of mum, trying to protect her. A second later, Dumbledore arrived, and the Death Eaters fled." Hermione had her hand to her mouth now, caught in surprise.
"Why the Burrow?" she said aloud.
"No one knows why." Ginny squeaked.
"Oh, Ron," Hermione pulled Ron into a hug. He buried his head on her shoulder, and sobbed. She sat there and held him until he regained himself.
"Sure we made fun of him," said George.
"Yeah, we poked a little fun," said Fred.
"But that didn't mean we didn't care about him," Finished George.
"I'm so sorry," Hermione said. "How is Mrs. Weasly taking all of this?"
"Oh she's in a right state," Said Ron, breaking away from Hermione, "Crying hysterically, barley able to relive the innocent for Ministry records." Ron wiped his nose on his robe's sleeve.
"Dad was at work that night, he had to stay late." Fred said. "Mum was home with Perce."
"Did Mrs. Weasly recognize he attackers? Voices possibly?" Harry spoke.
"Well, we all know Malfoy's a definite suspect," Ron spat. "You said so yourself Harry. Isn't Mr. Malfoy a Death Eater?"
Harry nodded. Hermione's throat tightened. Malfoy. . . Draco's father, attack the Weaslys'? Seem like something Malfoy senior would do, but Draco. Draco couldn't have been apart of it. . . could he?
"What did the other death eater look like?" Hermione said to Ron.
"Mum said all she remembered of their appearance was that one was short and one was tall." "Malfoy senior and junior?" Hermione whispered without knowing it, "No."
"Malfoy!" Ron stood suddenly. His face turned red. "I'm going to beat that little bastard to a bloody pulp when I get my hands on him."
"Ron!" Hermione cried, "You don't know if it was Draco," Oops. Said it first name. Not good. Luckily, Ron didn't notice, and no one else did either.
"But mum said-"
"Could've been Wormtail," Harry said, remembering the short man he met last year, when he was tied to a gravestone. The man that brought Voldemort back to life, and cut Harry's arm to do so.
"Right," said Ron, calming down, and sitting down, "Right."
"Malfoy was at school anyway Ron." Hermione said to him.
"How would you know?" Ron snapped. 'Good Question,' she thought.
"I see him in the hall everyday, after Arithmancy." Good, true answer. No lies.
"Right," Ron said again. The room fell into an eerie silence. Every now and then Ginny would sniffle. Hermione had a deep urge to talk to Malfoy, to see if he knew anything about the attack. Though, she couldn't see him getting involved with his father like that. She just couldn't see it.
Hermione stood, and excused herself to her dorm. She decided to write to Draco. Send him an owl right away, because she couldn't wait until dinnertime. She scrawled a quick note, saying that they needed to meet tonight under the main staircase again. Then she left the common room, telling the saddened group she'd be back, and she had something to take care of. Harry tried to follow, but Hermione insisted he stay with Ron and the rest of the family.
She opened the Owlry door, and wandered around the room, looking for the right owl. Deciding on Hedwig, who was sitting on a low perch, Hermione tied the letter quickly to her leg. "Take this is Draco for me Hedwig," She whispered, as the snowy owl stepped on her arm so Hermione could take her to the glassless window. "Make it fast okay?" She gently stroked the owl, and then sent her off, and out the window. She sighed and watched the grounds, relaxing with her own thoughts.
Percy was dead. Simple, but so complicated. She wasn't going to lie to herself; she was going to miss the uptight boy. Even if he was a little grumpy, and a little bit of a know-it-all at times, she still loved him like a brother, just like the other Weaslys. A tear made its way down her pale cheek, and her vision blurred more, as new tears filled her eyes. This was the worst pain ever, she decided also. Even though she hardly knew Percy, he was still a family member to her. She mopped away her tears and headed back down the owlry staircase, to Gryffindor Tower. Lost in her own sadness, in her own pain, she didn't even realize where she was going. Autopilot.
"Hermione," She heard her name coming from underneath the main staircase, which she was about to climb.
"Draco?" she sniffed.
"Yeah, come here," He said urgently. She did so, following him to the door to their place. He opened it for her with out a word and she wandered into the corridor, not wanting to go any farther. She pressed her back to the cool stone wall and sniffed again.
"I got your owl," He said, "Well, Potter's owl, but your letter."
She just sniffed.
"I'm telling you right now Hermione, I had nothing to do with it." He stepped toward her, putting his hands on her shoulders. "Look at me, please?" When he saw the hurt in her brown eyes, he was taken aback. She bit on her bottom lip, trying to keep the tears in. She didn't want Malfoy to see her in such a pathetic state. Rolling her eyes to the ceiling, trying very hard not to cry, she sniffed.
She was trying not to weep in front of him, and he could tell. He pulled her into a hug, and she just held onto him, resting her head on his shoulder. Her arms were around his neck and his were around her waist.
"I'm so sorry Hermione," He whispered in her ear. "I wish I could talk to Weasly about it, but he'd probably punch me."
"Yes, he would." Hermione said, not moving from his arms. It made her heart swell to know she had someone to lean on. "He thought you were the second death eater. But I set him straight."
"Did you?" He said, with a tiny chuckle.
"Yes." Then she let it go. She knew somewhere inside her that Malfoy wouldn't call crying pathetic. Especially if she had a good reason to. She cried on his shoulder, while he rubbed her back in comfort, and whispered words of comfort also. After minutes of crying she broke away from him, her crying episode over.
"Thank you," she said, with a slight forced smile.
"Anytime," He smiled at her. Dare she do it? Felt like the right moment to. She moved her hand to the back of his head, and into his hair. Bringing his lips to meet hers, she kissed him. They stood there for a moment, and she broke apart smiling. They went back into the darkness underneath the staircase, and stood there for a little while.
"Bye," He said, and softly kissed her on the cheek. Then he left. Leaving Hermione to skip back to Gryffindor Tower, only to become saddened again by the group sitting around the fire.
Harry moved over to sit on the arm of the couch, behind Hermione.
"Someone *please* tell me what's going on." She pleaded to Ron, and every other person around them. Ginny was still clinging to Hermione, softly sobbing. Ron looked up at Hermione and the look in his eyes made the pain she felt for the family deepen. "What is it Ron? What's going on?" The suspense was killing her.
"Percy," Ron said.
"What about him?" She heard Harry behind her, his voice as worried as her own.
"Got a letter from mum," he said. She just noticed the parchment in his hands. Ginny moved off of Hermione, and sat in a chair of her own. Fred moved over to her, and hugged her. Hermione moved closer to Ron.
"What's it say Ron?"
"Per- Percy's been-" He faltered. Hermione could not stand seeing her best friend in such pain. "He's been murdered Hermione." Her breath caught in her chest, and tears were filling her eyes. Pain was coming over her now. Not pain of a cut or a bruise, but pain that was settling in her stomach, eating away at her insides.
"H-how?" Hermione said, letting her tears fall.
"Death eaters," Fred said from Ginny's chair. "Percy was home on a visit from London. The first night he was there, Death Eaters broke into the house in the middle of the night." George stepped up, now finishing Fred's tale.
"One death eater tried to get mum. Avada Kadavera killed Percy when he stepped in from of mum, trying to protect her. A second later, Dumbledore arrived, and the Death Eaters fled." Hermione had her hand to her mouth now, caught in surprise.
"Why the Burrow?" she said aloud.
"No one knows why." Ginny squeaked.
"Oh, Ron," Hermione pulled Ron into a hug. He buried his head on her shoulder, and sobbed. She sat there and held him until he regained himself.
"Sure we made fun of him," said George.
"Yeah, we poked a little fun," said Fred.
"But that didn't mean we didn't care about him," Finished George.
"I'm so sorry," Hermione said. "How is Mrs. Weasly taking all of this?"
"Oh she's in a right state," Said Ron, breaking away from Hermione, "Crying hysterically, barley able to relive the innocent for Ministry records." Ron wiped his nose on his robe's sleeve.
"Dad was at work that night, he had to stay late." Fred said. "Mum was home with Perce."
"Did Mrs. Weasly recognize he attackers? Voices possibly?" Harry spoke.
"Well, we all know Malfoy's a definite suspect," Ron spat. "You said so yourself Harry. Isn't Mr. Malfoy a Death Eater?"
Harry nodded. Hermione's throat tightened. Malfoy. . . Draco's father, attack the Weaslys'? Seem like something Malfoy senior would do, but Draco. Draco couldn't have been apart of it. . . could he?
"What did the other death eater look like?" Hermione said to Ron.
"Mum said all she remembered of their appearance was that one was short and one was tall." "Malfoy senior and junior?" Hermione whispered without knowing it, "No."
"Malfoy!" Ron stood suddenly. His face turned red. "I'm going to beat that little bastard to a bloody pulp when I get my hands on him."
"Ron!" Hermione cried, "You don't know if it was Draco," Oops. Said it first name. Not good. Luckily, Ron didn't notice, and no one else did either.
"But mum said-"
"Could've been Wormtail," Harry said, remembering the short man he met last year, when he was tied to a gravestone. The man that brought Voldemort back to life, and cut Harry's arm to do so.
"Right," said Ron, calming down, and sitting down, "Right."
"Malfoy was at school anyway Ron." Hermione said to him.
"How would you know?" Ron snapped. 'Good Question,' she thought.
"I see him in the hall everyday, after Arithmancy." Good, true answer. No lies.
"Right," Ron said again. The room fell into an eerie silence. Every now and then Ginny would sniffle. Hermione had a deep urge to talk to Malfoy, to see if he knew anything about the attack. Though, she couldn't see him getting involved with his father like that. She just couldn't see it.
Hermione stood, and excused herself to her dorm. She decided to write to Draco. Send him an owl right away, because she couldn't wait until dinnertime. She scrawled a quick note, saying that they needed to meet tonight under the main staircase again. Then she left the common room, telling the saddened group she'd be back, and she had something to take care of. Harry tried to follow, but Hermione insisted he stay with Ron and the rest of the family.
She opened the Owlry door, and wandered around the room, looking for the right owl. Deciding on Hedwig, who was sitting on a low perch, Hermione tied the letter quickly to her leg. "Take this is Draco for me Hedwig," She whispered, as the snowy owl stepped on her arm so Hermione could take her to the glassless window. "Make it fast okay?" She gently stroked the owl, and then sent her off, and out the window. She sighed and watched the grounds, relaxing with her own thoughts.
Percy was dead. Simple, but so complicated. She wasn't going to lie to herself; she was going to miss the uptight boy. Even if he was a little grumpy, and a little bit of a know-it-all at times, she still loved him like a brother, just like the other Weaslys. A tear made its way down her pale cheek, and her vision blurred more, as new tears filled her eyes. This was the worst pain ever, she decided also. Even though she hardly knew Percy, he was still a family member to her. She mopped away her tears and headed back down the owlry staircase, to Gryffindor Tower. Lost in her own sadness, in her own pain, she didn't even realize where she was going. Autopilot.
"Hermione," She heard her name coming from underneath the main staircase, which she was about to climb.
"Draco?" she sniffed.
"Yeah, come here," He said urgently. She did so, following him to the door to their place. He opened it for her with out a word and she wandered into the corridor, not wanting to go any farther. She pressed her back to the cool stone wall and sniffed again.
"I got your owl," He said, "Well, Potter's owl, but your letter."
She just sniffed.
"I'm telling you right now Hermione, I had nothing to do with it." He stepped toward her, putting his hands on her shoulders. "Look at me, please?" When he saw the hurt in her brown eyes, he was taken aback. She bit on her bottom lip, trying to keep the tears in. She didn't want Malfoy to see her in such a pathetic state. Rolling her eyes to the ceiling, trying very hard not to cry, she sniffed.
She was trying not to weep in front of him, and he could tell. He pulled her into a hug, and she just held onto him, resting her head on his shoulder. Her arms were around his neck and his were around her waist.
"I'm so sorry Hermione," He whispered in her ear. "I wish I could talk to Weasly about it, but he'd probably punch me."
"Yes, he would." Hermione said, not moving from his arms. It made her heart swell to know she had someone to lean on. "He thought you were the second death eater. But I set him straight."
"Did you?" He said, with a tiny chuckle.
"Yes." Then she let it go. She knew somewhere inside her that Malfoy wouldn't call crying pathetic. Especially if she had a good reason to. She cried on his shoulder, while he rubbed her back in comfort, and whispered words of comfort also. After minutes of crying she broke away from him, her crying episode over.
"Thank you," she said, with a slight forced smile.
"Anytime," He smiled at her. Dare she do it? Felt like the right moment to. She moved her hand to the back of his head, and into his hair. Bringing his lips to meet hers, she kissed him. They stood there for a moment, and she broke apart smiling. They went back into the darkness underneath the staircase, and stood there for a little while.
"Bye," He said, and softly kissed her on the cheek. Then he left. Leaving Hermione to skip back to Gryffindor Tower, only to become saddened again by the group sitting around the fire.