Disclaimer: As I zoned out during classes this week I realized that I don't own Harry Potter…
Author's Note: I'm SO SORRY! I'm sorry I haven't updated for like a week! School started on Monday so I've been busy with that! Enough of my rambling, I'm sure you wanna read and not "hear" me "talk" . Hope this makes up for lost time…onward we go!
And just to let everyone know I added something in the last chapter, nothing major. Ryn just says something when Malfoy comes out of hiding…nothing to change the plot or anything..
525,600 Minutes: In Truths That She Learned, or in Times That He Cried-
-Chapter Thirty-One
Hermione forgot about her pain, and her head left Malfoy's shoulder as she watched Lucius Malfoy's body fall to the ground, as stiff as a statue. Lucius' face was contorted in a surprised look as he unwilling lay on the ground. Hermione then turned her attention to the direction the spell had come from to see a very happy and smirking Ryn. She looked from Ryn to Lucius and back, and Hermione could tell that Harry, Ron, and Malfoy were doing the same thing.
With another flick of Ryn's wand, Hermione felt the invisible force binding her to her friends disappear. She heard Harry, Ron, and Malfoy quickly get up from the ground and tried to do the same, but though twice. The minute she tried to stand Hermione felt all of the pain from the two curses coming rushing over her and she doubled over on the ground. Not a second after that happen did she feel two warm, and familiar, hands holding her shoulders.
"You alright?" the comforting voice of Malfoy asked. She shook her. "Can you stand?"
"Does it look like I can stand?" her instinctive sarcasm, that she used when she talked to him, kicked in.
She heard him give a quiet chuckle. "Let me help you up." without even letting her protest, Malfoy guided Hermione into a standing position.
Once she was standing, Hermione turned her attention to Ryn, who was making her way around the group and towards Godric's Hollow. Hermione was so wrapped up in watching Ryn, that she failed to notice that Malfoy had yet to remove his hands from her shoulders.
Suddenly Ryn stopped, and turned towards the four teens. "WELL!" she yelled, anxiously looking around. "Come on!"
Hermione, Malfoy, Harry, and Ron all looked at each other before turning back to Ryn, none of them taking a step forward.
"Oh," Ryn said sighing, "I'm not going to hurt you, you know." Again, Hermione, Malfoy, Harry, and Ron looked at each other and then at Ryn, still not moving.
Ryn let out a frustrated groan. "Here are you're wands, see?" she reached inside her robe pocket and took out four wands, throwing them at the teens.
Hermione caught her wand, and was about to point out that Lucius had her wand, but Ryn interrupted her.
"Well! Let's go! Voldemort and his goons will be along shortly, we don't want to get caught, now do we?"
Without having much of a choice, the four followed, though Hermione didn't get that far. She took her first step towards Gordric's Hollow, but almost fell over, only being stopped by Malfoy, who caught her gracefully.
"Need any help?" he sure was acting calm and collected given the current situation.
Hermione sighed, knowing that she did, and unwilling nodded her head. Malfoy smirked a little and picked her up, carrying her into Godric's Hollow.
Hermione felt hopeless. They were all in danger and she could do nothing. The only thing she could do was stay still in Malfoy's arms as he ran forward, following Ryn, Harry, and Ron.
Their short was run was quickly over with as Ryn stopped in front of a house that was almost destroyed. A side of the house was completely missing, the windows were broken and the doors were missing, the paint was faded and peeling away, and part of the roof was caved in. It looked haunted.
Hermione saw Ryn turn towards Harry and whisper something in his ear, then do the same thing for Ron. Her head began to wonder a million different things, all beginning with why they had stopped in front of the house. Her question was soon answered as Ryn approached herself and Malfoy. Ryn first whispered something in Malfoy's ear, then bent a little lower to Hermione and whispered, "Ryn Tonks can be found in number thirteen Godric's Hollow."
Hermione looked at Ryn with a puzzled expression as the older woman stood up to her full height. "Think it." Ryn said, reading Hermione's confused look.
Hermione did as she was told, and even though she should have guessed what would happen when she did, nearly fell out of Malfoy's arms. As soon as she finished the sentence in her mind the house before them looked like it was gong back in time. The side that was missing rebuilt it's self, the caved in roof went back up, the windows were fixed, doors appeared, and the paint became full and bright. Soon a beautiful green house was standing before her.
She saw Ryn, then Harry, and Ron walking through the front garden gates of the house and felt Malfoy follow.
"Well, come in." Ryn said, standing in the doorway as she held the door open. Hermione and Malfoy walked in first, followed by Harry and Ron. Immediately Harry and Ron turned back towards the door and pointed their wands and Ryn. Malfoy set Hermione on her two feet, but the girl quickly grabbed his shoulder for support as the pain was still to immense to stand on her own. Malfoy put his arm around her waist to steady her, and she put her arm around her shoulder. With their free hands they pointed their wands at Ryn.
"You can put those down." Ryn said, as she closed the door not even looking at them.
"How do we know we can trust you." Hermione said as strongly as she could.
"I took you this far didn't I? I stupefied Lucius, didn't I?"
"So." Harry said.
"So, you'd think you'd be able to trust me."
"How can we after the stunt you just pulled."
"Because, you just," she paused looking for the right words. "Have to."
Hermione gave a snort. "After everything that's happened this year? Give us one good reason why." Hermione said through clenched teeth. Partly because she was furious and partly because she was in pain.
"Well, I would." said Ryn, calmly. "But you haven't given me a chance to explain myself, now have you?" Silence filled the room. "Glad you see it my way." Ryn said smirking.
"Now, where to begin. I- well you see, it's" she sighed. "There's really no reason why I shouldn't just come out and say, there's no use of beating around the bush. I'm a double agent-"
"Even I could have told you that!" Hermione exclaimed.
"You didn't let me finish, Hermione" Ryn said calmly, and Hermione's face went pink. "I'm a double agent for your side, our side." she paused, trying to put her thoughts in order. "When I became a member of the Order Dumbledore asked me to be a spy. Since none of the Death Eaters hardly knew me, and because of my family history.."
"Why couldn't Tonks be a spy?" Harry asked, still uncertain if she was telling the truth.
"Because, every one of Voldemort's followers knows Tonks betrayed our family and switched to Dumbledore's side. So I did."
At the beginning of the summer, Voldemort needed a spy."
"I thought that was Snape's job?"
"It was, it is. But Voldemort began to wonder were Snape's alliances lie. So he asked me to do it, because of my sister. He figured that if one person in the family was a traitor to their blood, who was to say that another wasn't. Now, it's not like I couldn't have exactly said no, you don't say no to the Dark Lord." Malfoy snorted at this and Ryn smiled in response.
"Anyways. So I became a double agent. I found out things from Death Eater meetings and told them to the Order-"
"But wouldn't Voldemort ask you to get information on the Order?"
"Yes, and he did. I would tell him things he already knew, or tell him irrelevant things, and then tell him that it was all I knew."
"But wouldn't Voldemort be able to tell that you were lying? Isn't he a Legalimens?"
"Right you are Harry. But I happen to be quite good at Occlumency myself." Ryn looked rather pleased with herself.
There was silence for a few moments as Hermione, Harry, Malfoy, and Ron lowered their wands. "So," Ron started, sounding a little confused. "All that stuff that just happened."
"I staged it. Because I knew-"
"That my Father was going to be there."
"Exactly."
Again there was silence. "Well, come in, come in." Ryn said moving from in front of the door and into the entrance way, making her way to another room. "Who knows how much waiting we have to do."
"Waiting for what?"
"The signal."
Once in what looked like an elegant family room, Ryn told Malfoy, who was caring Hermione again, to set Hermione on the couch. Hermione was relieved to feel the soft cushions beneath her. "I'm going to go get something to ease your pain, Hermione. I'll back shortly." with that being said Ryn walked from the room in the direction, of what one could have guess was the kitchen. Once she left, Malfoy sat on the couch beside Hermione's stomach.
"Where do you think we are?" Ron asked, as he sat in a chair opposite Hermione.
"I dunno." Harry said, walking around the room. He had a far off look on his face, like he was in a dream and he occasionally brushed his hand over an object or two.
"Harry, what's the matter?" asked Hermione, she couldn't remember a time seeing Harry act like this. It was like he wasn't even in the room.
"It's- stupid…forget it." he said, standing by the fireplace, facing the mantel.
"You're the one being stupid Potter, now you have to tell us."
"I don't have to tell you anything Malfoy!" Harry said, still keeping his back to Hermione, Harry, and Ron.
"Harry, please."
"I dunno, it just feels like. I've been here before." he said with a sigh.
"Been here before, but mate how could you have?"
"That's just it, I don't know."
"You don't think-" Hermione started to say, a thoughtful expression on her face.
"Think what Hermione?"
"Well, your house. The one you lived in with your parents. It was in Godric's Hollow, wasn't it?"
"Yeah, bu-"
"Here we are!" Ryn said, coming back into the room with a few potions on a tray. She set the tray down on the coffee table near the couch, and knelt down. "Now, you need to take three sips of this one." she handed Hermione a steaming hot glass of a green liquid. Hermione took it and too three sips, regretting the next one more than the last. "Three sips of this one." she handed Hermione an ice cold glass of pink liquid. Hermione took the three sips and was glad to find that it wasn't horrible tasting. "And six sips of this one." she gave Hermione a glass of potion filled with a liquid that looked the color of what you would get when you mixed green and pink together. Hermione took it, it was warm, and it wasn't horrible tasting, but it wasn't good tasting either.
After a minute or two, Hermione began to feel the pain in her body lift as the potions took into affect. It was like waves were washing over her body, coming in and then taking the pain out to sea as they left. She gave a sigh of relief as she finally felt pain free.
"Better?" Malfoy whispered, only loud enough for her to hear.
She gave a soft smile. "Much."
"Find something interesting Harry?" Ryn said, snapping Hermione from her ravine. Ryn was watching Harry with interest, as the young man continued to walk around the room, pausing here or there.
"Yeah. I have this strange feeling that I've been here before."
"You're strange feeling is very much accurate."
"It is? But.." his words broke off.
Ryn smiled. "Welcome home Harry."
Author's Note: There you have it. What do you think? Let me know!
Queen of Duct Tape: Freshly Febreezes Cheez-Its and dead chickens? Now that's a new one, the chicken that is…lol…You'll find out about Hermione's wand soon enough! Very soon, might I add…Thanks!
Mouse10: wow! Such a long time! Great to know that my story got your attention! Thanks!
Otomeyuugi: Insane and extremely addicting? COOL! Thanks!
Exploded Toilet Bowl: S'all good about you now updating for a while, I love hearing from whenever you can! Glad you like! Thanks!
BoarderKC: Wow, I don't know what to say! Thank you muchly! I can't believe my writing reminds you of J.K.'s….wow…what you said really meant a whole bunch! Thanks again.
Well, a big thank you to everyone! You all are amazingly awesome! And I love hearing from you! Especially the last chapter, you reviews were totally great! Thank you all muchly!
I don't know when I will update again, with school and band. Might be tomorrow or Sunday, might be in a week….we'll have to see..
More to come soon
Your humble author,
The Lonely Goatherd