The Aftermath
"Professor Dumbledore!" Hermione cried as she burst through the doors of the Great Hall, panting and trying to catch a breath. It was dinnertime, and Hermione had practically run the whole way back to Hogwarts. She had a stitch in her side and her legs burned like hell, but she just didn't care.
Harry and Ron, two of the very few people remaining at Hogwarts for the Christmas holidays, looked up at Hermione in shock. One moment, they believed she had been kidnapped by Malfoy, and the next she was barging through the Great Hall, demanding to see Dumbledore.
"Hermione!" Harry and Ron exclaimed, standing immediately. Hermione ignored them, however. Instead, she marched through the Hufflepuff and Ravenclaw tables right up to the front of the Great Hall, where Dumbledore sat eating his dinner along with his fellow professors. For some reason, he did not seem as shocked to see Hermione as Harry and Ron did. McGonagall, on the other hand, did.
"Miss Granger!" She cried, standing up from her table and rushing over to the other side. She pulled Hermione into a tight embrace. "Thank goodness you're all right! We've all been so worried!"
"Minerva," Dumbledore said gently. "If you don't mind, I'd like a word with Miss Granger."
Hermione smiled gratefully, always in awe that Dumbledore seemed to know exactly what she was thinking every time.
"Of course!" McGonagall cried, wiping away her tears of joy. "Shall I inform the Ministry-"
"Not yet." Dumbledore answered, sharply. "Wait until I am finished speaking with Miss Granger."
"Of course, Albus." McGonagall said, smiling at Hermione as though she were her long-lost daughter.
Hermione followed Dumbledore out of the Great Hall, completely avoiding the eyes of Harry and Ron. She followed him into the spare classroom nearest to the Great Hall and paced across the room as Dumbledore gently closed the door.
"Miss Granger, what happened?" Dumbledore asked, getting straight to the point.
Hermione took a deep breath. She had been practicing her story the entire way. "It's not what anybody thinks!" She cried. "It's completely the opposite, actually. Draco and I were in my hotel suite and then Will walked in and saw us together and he flipped out and he pointed his wand at himself and then cried the Avada Kadavra curse. And then he just… died." She finished, lamely. All of this had been said rather quickly, and Dumbledore did not look too convinced. Inside, Hermione was stupefied. How could she have come up with such a stupid story? In her head, it sounded alright, but out loud? No one would kill themselves with an Unforgivable Curse just because they walked in on a girl that they've known for a week with another man. Least of all, Will. But Hermione could not tell him the truth. Yes, Dumbledore was understanding, but certainly not this understanding. Draco had killed someone for absolutely no reason, and for that he did deserve a life sentence in Azkaban. But Hermione could not bare that if it happened.
"Where have you and Mr Malfoy been for the past twenty-four hours?" Dumbledore asked, surveying Hermione like he always did.
"Draco knew that we would be blamed for it." Hermione answered, remembering what she had rehearsed in her head. "And he didn't want to risk being thrown into Azkaban. So, we fled. But then Harry sent me an owl that said that everyone knew that I was innocent and Draco forced me to return. He knew that no one would believe the true story. I'm supposed to keep my mouth shut but I don't believe that someone should be on the run for a crime that they did not commit." Hermione could not believe that she was lying flat-out to a teacher's face. Not just any teacher, either. The Headmaster. Unbelievable.
"Residents and employees of the hotel say that they heard screams." Dumbledore said, staring at Hermione.
"That was Draco and Will fighting. They were both extremely angry with each other, Will more than Draco, of course." Hermione answered. She hated lying. And she sounded so… conceited. As if two boys would fight over her. Whatever.
"A young man died yesterday, Miss Granger." Dumbledore informed, continuing to study her as though analyzing whether she was lying or not.
"I know." Hermione said, looking at her feet. "I know. But Draco is not responsible. Please, surely you can do something-"
"I will inform the Minister for Magic of your rendition of the story." Dumbledore interrupted. "Surely they cannot convict a boy who is innocent. Hopefully I can get this all cleared up. Until then, please stay out of trouble, Miss Granger." Dumbledore did not sound convinced at all, though. Hermione did not even realize what a horrible actress she was. All she cared about was Draco's quick and safe return.
"Yes, Professor." Hermione replied, heading for the door.
"Oh, and Miss Granger?" Dumbledore called after her.
She turned around. "Yes, Professor?"
"It's wonderful to have you back." Dumbledore said, smiling with that infamous twinkle in his eye. Hermione knew what he meant. She was certainly not going back to Belle Strait. She would continue the remainder of the school year at Hogwarts, then perhaps attend Belle Strait when she felt completely ready to make the commitment. Grinning slightly for the first time since she had laid eyes on her ring, she closed the door gently behind her.
……………………………..
"What happened?" Harry and Ron demanded, cornering Hermione as she approached her dormitory.
Hermione inwardly sighed. She did not feel like discussing it, especially not with Harry. All she could think of was Draco. How could he just desert her like that? Leave her in the middle of nowhere, not knowing when or if she would ever see him again. Did he not care for her at all?
"Turtle Snout." Hermione said to the portrait of the mermaids. If there was anything at Hogwarts that she did not miss, it would certainly have to be them.
The brunette mermaid giggled. "Nope. Try again."
"Shit." Hermione muttered under her breath. Of course they'd have changed the password.
"What happened?" Harry repeated.
"Nothing." Hermione answered, slouching against the wall beside the portrait and dropping her head into her hands.
"Bullshit!" Harry cried. "Where is Malfoy? Is he dead? If not, I'll kill him myself-"
"Shut up!" Hermione cried, hysterically. "I don't want to talk to you, Harry! In case you don't remember, we weren't on the best of terms since I left!"
"Harry, get lost." Ron ordered, immediately.
"Excuse me?" Harry said, glaring at Ron.
"Well, obviously she doesn't want to talk to you." Ron pointed out.
"whose side are you on?" Harry demanded.
"Right now, I want to know what happened, okay? I'm not going to find out if you don't get lost. So, go."
Harry continued his long, menacing glare at Ron. Finally, he said, "Fine. Whatever. I don't care." Turning around, he stalked down the corridor and turned out of sight.
Ron turned to face Hermione. He did not say anything. Instead, he pulled her into a deep embrace. "I'm so happy you're alright!" He exclaimed. "I was so worried! I mean, yeah, Malfoy probably wouldn't have done anything to you. But still, anything was possible. Imagine if you… if you died. That would have been unbearable! It's just good to see you!"
Hermione smiled, despite herself. "It's good to see you too, Ron. But I'm not going to tell you what happened, and I'm not going to tell you where Draco is, so if you don't mind-"
"Hermione!"
Hannah Abbott climbed out of the portrait hole to the Head Boy and Head Girl dormitories and immediately pulled Hermione into a tighter embrace than Ron's.
"Hey, Hannah." Hermione smiled. "What are you doing here? It's Christmas Holidays. You should be at home with your family."
"I'm new Head Girl. It's my duty to stay for the holidays. But forget that! What happened to you?" She cried, almost in tears at the sight of Hermione. They had never really been friends, but Hermione was Hannah's boyfriend's best friend, and Hannah still liked Hermione a lot.
"Just… things." Hermione said, lamely. "But I'm alright, honest."
"You probably want to lie down, don't you?" Hannah asked, completely dropping the subject of her whereabouts. "The password is Quentin's Gift."
"Quentin's Gift?" Hermione asked, curiously.
"Some sort of underwater treasure." Hannah whispered. She jerked her thumb at the mermaids. "They're choice, not mine."
"Let's go." Ron pushed, sliding his arm around Hannah's waist and leading her away, giving Hermione one last sympathetic look before turning the corner and disappearing from sight.
Hermione sighed. Draco had seldom every held her waist like that in public, or held hands with her, or do any of the things that normal couples did. There was just never time. After Draco's plan was exposed, things went so downhill. But then he actually came to Paris to salvage their relationship. He wanted it to work. And then out of nowhere one wizard dies while the man of Hermione's life leaves her for what could potentially be forever. A tear slid down Hermione's cheek.
"Quentins Gift." Hermione said, repeating what Hannah had told her.
The mermaid glared at her. Obviously she had not wanted to allow entrance to Hermione, but since she knew the password, the mermaid did not have a choice in the matter. The portrait swung open, and Hermione climbed inside. The dormitory looked almost the exact same as it had when she'd left it.
Hermione collapsed on the sofa, extending her hand and examining the gorgeous ring on her finger. The ring that Draco had given to her. Oh god, Draco, Hermione thought to herself, feeling a strong surge of tears coming on. Please, please come back. I don't think I can live without you.
………………………….
"Come on, Hermione." Ron pushed. "Eat something. It's been a week since you've been back! You can't starve yourself!"
"Yeah, Hermione." Hannah agreed, pushing some chicken towards her. "You've got to eat. It's New Years! The time to celebrate the birth of a brand new year. For all you know, this could be the best year yet."
Hermione poked at her chicken. I doubt it, she thought. She, Ron and Hannah were eating dinner in the Great Hall, luckily not in the company of Harry. Ron's rude dismissal towards Harry had caused a rift in their friendship, but with Hannah and Hermione to keep him company, Ron was not complaining. Harry had been a completely different person every since he'd fallen in love with Hermione, anyway.
And still, there had been no word from Draco. Not one. Hermione had absolutely no idea where he was at the moment; for all she knew, he could have been in the Caribbean, lounging back and drinking Daiquiris while on a beach surrounded by gorgeous, model-like women. Of course he's not, Hermione told herself. He's on the run.
Hermione had requested to speak with Will's parents, as well. A couple days earlier, they had come down to Hogwarts to hear what Hermione had to say. They were very sympathetic towards her, and still extremely distressed by their son's death. They hugged her and told her how happy it was that at least one of them had made it out of their alive. Hermione could not bare their kind words, but she nodded and managed to get through the meeting in one piece without breaking down and spilling the truth.
"Miss Granger?" Dumbledore asked as he entered the Great Hall, spotting Hermione at once. "A word, please?"
Hermione stood up so quickly that Hannah flinched. She then followed Dumbledore into the same empty classroom that they had been in only a week before.
"Well?" Hermione asked, impatiently. "What did the Ministry say?" She had been asking Dumbledore this question twice a day for the last week, and every day the answer was the same. "Still no word, Miss Granger". "The Ministry needs time, Miss Granger".
"The Minister for Magic does not believe your story." Dumbledore informed. "And nor, I'm afraid, do I. I apologize, Miss Granger, but people will do anything in the face of love, including lying to save their loved one's life. I cannot do anything if Mr Malfoy did kill William Tompkins, and even if I could, I wouldn't. A life has been lost, and for that I do not sympathize with its cause."
Hermione looked away, ashamed. She wanted to yell at Dumbledore and tell him that her story had been the truth. That Draco had not killed Will, and the Ministry and Dumbledore should just go to hell. But she couldn't, because she knew that Draco had in fact killed an actual person. Deep down inside, Hermione could no longer fight for Draco, purely for the fact that it would just be an insult to Will's memory.
"I do, however, believe that you are innocent." Dumbledore continued. "And it is confirmed that there will be no charges pressed against you. I know that this is not what you wanted to hear, Miss Granger. I'm sorry. I have also spoken with Cornelius Fudge. He was very persistent on meeting with you, but I've convinced him that you are of no use for Draco's whereabouts."
Hermione nodded, feeling a wave of hot tears about to escape.
"I must get back to my office." Dumbledore said, almost uncomfortably.
"Bye, then." Hermione said. Dumbledore gave Hermione one last sympathetic look before leaving the classroom and shutting the door gently behind him. The moment the door closed, Hermione broke down into tears. She fell to the floor, clutching her stomach but not even bothering to try and stop the tears flowing down her face and into her wavy, brown hair. She may never see Draco again. Ever.
………………………………..
"Hermione, what are you doing?" Ron asked. He and Hannah had just returned to the Head Boy and Girl common room, where Hermione was supposedly doing her homework. Ron was still Head Boy and Hannah was still Head Girl; Dumbledore felt that Hermione needed time before becoming burdened with her Head Girl duties. Ron and Hannah, however, still allowed Hermione to work on her homework in their common room. It had been two weeks since New Years, and nothing with Harry had changed. Hermione wanted to spend as less time as possible in his presence, so she took refuge with Ron and Hannah before curfew rolled around.
Hermione had been scribbling away on a piece of parchment at one of the two desks near the fireplace; her tongue stuck out of the corner of her mouth and her eyebrows furrowed furiously. Obviously she was concentrating very hard on something, but it did not look like homework to Ron. That determined expression was familiar, somehow…
"Spew!" Ron cried, snatching away the parchment and reading the title. "Bloody hell! I thought you'd given up on that ages ago!"
Hannah giggled. "Hermione, you've seriously got to let that go. House-elves do not want freedom, and they certainly don't want S.P.E.W."
"See, that's where you're wrong." Hermione replied, all-knowingly. Then she rethought what she had said. "Okay, maybe you're right. But eventually, you'll be wrong. House-elves do want to be free, they're just too frightened to stand up for themselves. You mark my words, I'll have them free. They will be free."
"Hermione, they don't-" Ron began.
"They will be free!" Hermione cried. Her eyes began to well up and burn as she fought so hard to keep the flow of tears from escaping. "They have to be! They have to be free." Tears began poring out of her eyes. Free. That was all that she wanted for Draco. But it wouldn't happen. Not now, not ever.
"Hermione." Hannah said, gliding over to her and sliding an arm around her shoulder. Hermione dropped her head onto Hannah's shoulder, crying nonstop. "Just… just let me do this, okay? Don't criticize me. Help me. All I want is help."
Ron nodded, feeling a deep surge of sympathy for Hermione. "Definitely. Of course we'll help you."
Hannah nodded enthusiastically. "We'll force those house-elves to see what they're missing!"
Hermione smiled gratefully. Neither Ron nor Hannah liked Draco, but they certainly seemed to understand Hermione's feelings for him. Perhaps it was because of their own relationship, but either way they were being so supportive that all Hermione could do was grin and allow Hannah to squeeze her tight, finally feeling loved for the first time since… Shaking her head slightly, Hermione sighed. For the first time since Draco.