chapter fourteen: consequences

Harry stared at Hermione for a moment, then looked to Ron, and then back at Hermione again. "Am I missing something? How on Earth could this be Hermione's fault?"

Hermione cast her gaze downward at her hands and had just opened her mouth to speak when there was a sudden woosh of wind in the fireplace. Draco stepped out, coughing and brushing off his clothing. "Geesh, Weasel, how long has it been since you cleaned out the fireplace?"

He was greeted with three sullen stares. Draco held up his hands in surrender, taking a step back. "Whoa–sorry. Your fireplace maintenance is your own business."

"Draco, please, sit down." Hermione said quietly.

Harry straightened indignantly. "He has no right to be here now, Hermione. This is between us and the Weasleys– "

"It concerns him, too." Ron said flatly.

Harry looked at him in surprised but closed his mouth. If Ron was willing to support Draco's right to be there then there must be some reason for it. Draco shot him a brief, triumphant look and then seated himself on the ground. "So, what did I miss?"

"Mr. and Mrs. Weasley just announced that they're getting divorce," Hermione informed him, still staring down at her hands.

Draco stared at her in open shock, his usually cool, unflappable demeanor gone. He glanced over at Ron. "Your mum and dad? But...they're like the Cunninghams!"

Ron frowned at him. "The who?"

"Muggle stuff," Harry informed him briskly, trying not to reflect on why Draco of all people would be making a pop culture reference. He turned to Hermione. "So now that we're all caught up, would you mind explaining what is going on?"

"Dumbledore said there might be consequences for my coming back," Hermione reminded him. "But until now, I didn't quite connect it all together. Think about it, Harry. All of our worst fears are coming true. My parents told me they didn't want me. Ginny walked in on you and me kissing. Dumbledore is leaving Hogwarts, just as you always feared. And now, Mr. and Mrs. Weasley are divorcing, which I'm guessing is one of Ron's deepest fears."

Harry took a moment to process all of this. Of course. Why hadn't he recognized it sooner?

"But why is this happening?" Ron inquired. "And why to us specifically?"

Hermione shrugged. "I'm not quite sure, Ron, but I think it's affecting the people I love the most, for whatever reason."

Beside her, Draco stiffened but remained quiet.

Harry tentatively reached out and took Hermione's hand. "Even if this is a side-effect of your resurrection– which we're not completely sure of– that doesn't mean it's your fault. You didn't cause this, Hermione."

She laughed, but there was little humor in the sound. "Didn't I, Harry? This never would have happened without me. If I hadn't died in the first place...if I hadn't come back...you would all be happy now."

With that said, she rose abruptly to her feet and raced out the back door. Harry started up after her, but Draco held up a hand. "Let me field this, Potter."

Something about Draco's expression kept Harry from arguing. He watched as they left, a disquieting sort of feeling starting in the pit of his stomach. "Malfoy really cares for her, doesn't he?" he realized aloud.

"Yeah," Ron agreed, with a decided lack of enthusiasm. He was quiet for a moment, then he shook his head. "This whole thing must be bothering him pretty badly."

Harry frowned. "What do you mean?"

Ron shrugged. "Well, think about it. All of the people Hermione loves the most are experiencing their worst fears. Draco hasn't. Must make him feel pretty left out."

"I don't know about that, Ron. He's probably pretty happy that he doesn't have to watch his worst fear come to life." Harry countered. "Besides, it's probably better this way. I doubt we'd want to see Draco's worst fear come to life."

Ron laughed. "Yeah, it would probably be something like him forgetting to wear his clothes. And no one wants to see that."

Harry started to laugh along with him, then frowned. "No...no, I think it would be something deeper than that. Something like hurting someone he cared for, like..."

"Hermione." Ron finished for him.

They stared at one another for a moment and then rushed out the door.

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Draco caught up with Hermione at the edge of the Weasley's property. She was leaning up against the fence, her face morose as she stared up into the sky. "I'm trying not to pity myself too much," she said as he approached, "but it's been rather hard lately."

He stepped up beside her. "Go ahead, if you'd like. Nothing wrong with a little self-loathing." She smiled ever so slightly. Encouraged by this, Draco turned to face her. "But while you're sitting there feeling sorry for yourself, keep something in mind for me, won't you?"

Hermione looked to him, frowning ever so slightly. "What?"

Draco reached out and tucked a strand of her hair behind one ear. "You were wrong when you said we'd be happier without you here. We wouldn't be happy. We'd be miserable. And hey, this might seem miserable now, but it's a better kind of miserable, because you're here. Remember that."

Eyes shining with tears, Hermione leaned forward and embraced him. "I'm so glad you're here," she said simply.

For a moment they stood that way silently. And then Draco cleared his throat. "Sometimes I wonder."

Hermione frowned. "What?"

"Sometimes I wonder." Draco repeated. "I mean, you say you're glad to have me around, but you sure don't act that way sometimes." He took her by the arms, pushing her back so that they were face to face. "Do you think I don't see the way you look at Harry?"

"Draco, you're hurting me."

He laughed at this. "Well, how does it feel for a change, Granger?" He shook his head, letting out a frustrated burst of air. "What do I have to do to get your attention, anyway? Haven't I been nice enough? Haven't I supported you enough? That's not even in my nature, but I do it for you. And yet it's still Harry this and Harry that. When are you going to realize that I'm the better man?"

Hermione was struggling to be free from him now; he could see the fingermarks he was leaving on her skin. "Draco, you're really scaring me now."

Abruptly, Draco released his hold on her, pushing her down to the ground. "Maybe I've been going about this wrong," he mused, standing over her. "Maybe I should stop trying to be the fuzzy, cuddly Draco that I think you want me to be. That's not what you want, is it Hermione? Not really. You want the pain."

He grabbed her by the hair, pulling up roughly, ignoring her gasp of pain. For a moment, he merely smiled at the fright in her eyes. And then suddenly, there was a flicker of something in his eyes and he released her, rubbing at his face.

Hermione fell away from him, crawling backward in an attempt to put distance between them. She paused about seven feet away, noting the anguish written clearly on his face. "Draco...?"

"Hermione," he said shakily, "run."

She rose obediently to her feet and ran back toward the house. In a matter of seconds, she heard Draco behind her, rapidly closing the distance. She felt another burst of speed driving her legs, but it wouldn't be enough. He would catch her at any second...

Glancing behind her, she bumped into something tall and firm. It took her a moment to realize it was Ron. She clutched at his arm desperately, glancing over her shoulder. "Ron, there's something wrong with Draco..."

"I know," he assured her, pushing her behind him. He pulled out his wand, studying the trees around them uncertainly. It was early in the morning and the sun was not yet completely up, casting far too many ambiguous shadows. "Malfoy? Come out and we won't hurt you."

There was only silence, during which Hermione fervently wished that she hadn't forgotten her own wand up in Ginny's bedroom. And then there was a blur of movement as Draco jumped out from behind a tree, tackling Ron to the ground. Before Ron could react, Draco reared back his hand and punched him in the face, hard.

"Ron!" Hermione screamed, starting toward him.

Draco intercepted her before she could get there, his eyes filled with murderous rage. "You'd go to just about anyone else besides me, wouldn't you?" he accused, throwing her down to the ground once more. Hermione's head hit the base of the tree with a hard thunk. Ignoring this, Draco stood over her, his features pulled back in a sneer. "Well, not anymore. If you don't want me, you can't have anyone."

An angry yell broke through the yard, and Harry jumped out, tackling Draco to the ground. Draco snarled and pulled out his wand, holding it to Harry's throat. "Well, well, if it isn't the Boy Who Lived. Personally, I never really thought the name suited you all that well. Perhaps we should change it to the Boy Who Died Like the Pathetic Worm He Was." He pulled back ever so slightly, his eyes glinting. "Avada– "

"STUPEFY!"

Draco stopped mid-word, his features suddenly rigid. With a moan, he slumped to the ground. Breathing heavily, Harry pushed off his lifeless form and sat up to see Ginny standing there, a determined glint in her eyes.

"Ginny," Harry breathed, "thank goodness you were here. Malfoy wasn't acting like himself– he was under a sort of trance because..."

"I know." Ginny returned. "I was listening in the hall." She moved over to Hermione, crouching down beside her and examining her head.

Harry frowned, half-crawling toward her. "Is she all right?"

Ginny stood back up, her face impassive. "A few bumps and bruises. Nothing that Madam Pomfrey can't fix."

"Madam Pomfrey...?" Harry repeated, frowning.

"We're going to Hogwarts," Ginny informed him matter-of-factly, "to make things right. To change things back to the way they're supposed to be."