A/N:Happy Friday everyone!
We're down to the second to last, only one more! I think this has been the most excited I've been for posting a chapter; it's the one I've worked the hardest on AND that gave me the biggest issues (you'll see why). I'll be including an end author's note so I don't spoil :)
As always a huge thank you to WordsmithMusings for alphabeting. She had this to say about the chapter. "This was a stunningly gorgeous chapter that covered so many feels and emotions. Your writing is breathtaking, gut-wrenching and so full of power and imagery. I have no doubt people are going to be reading and rereading this chapter more than any other (except maybe the smut one ha)."
So, with that mind, enjoy! (:
Chapter Sixteen:
Thump thump thump.
Hermione cracked her eyes, giving out a small hiss at the bright morning sun that filtered through the room. She snapped her lids shut and pulled the blanket over her head, burying further against the warm body beside her.
The warm naked body.
She smiled to herself, reaching a hand out to gently trace the faint scars lining Draco's torso. His fingers found hers, twining them together. He pulled them up to his lips and pressed a kiss against the back of her hand.
"D'you hear something?" Sirius muttered, wrapping an arm around Hermione's waist.
Thump thump thump. There it was again, a faint pounding.
"Do you think it's at one of the muggle houses?" Hermione asked, lifting the blanket from her head to sit up. The light still burned her eyes a bit, and she rubbed at them to glance at the clock. "Merlin, it's nearly noon!"
There was the sound of a small explosion from downstairs, and the blast vibrated the floorboards beneath them. The three of them jumped into instant defence mode, brandishing their wands and scrambling to cover their bodies.
Hermione had just wrapped the blanket around herself when there was a hard knock.
"Will you open the damned door?" Kingsley called.
Hermione, Sirius, and Draco shared a disconcerted look as they dropped their wands. Was there an emergency? Sirius reached over to open the door, and Hermione braced for their bonds to snap tight. The familiar pull of the ropes yanked at her arm, but... Wait—
"What the fuck do you all think you're doing?" Kingsley shouted as he stalked into the room. A crumpled Daily Prophet wrinkled in his clenched fist, and his angry glare turned surprised at the state of them all.
Draco and Sirius were still stark naked, and Hermione was half-covered with a sheet. No doubt love-bites and nail marks littered their skin. Her hair was sure to be a disaster.
The shock on Kingsley's face only lasted a moment before it turned incensed. "I don't know what game you think you're playing, Hermione, but it ends now."
He shoved the paper into her hands, and when Hermione looked down at its words, she began to shake.
Relationship all but confirmed? Golden girl Hermione Granger and Ex-Death Eater Draco Malfoy spotted again!
Dear Readers, can this be true? Through reliable sources, we have discovered Narcissa Malfoy, Mr Draco Malfoy's mother, was recently placed into emergency medical care. When a reporter was sent to investigate the story, what a surprise it was to discover that Mr Draco Malfoy and Miss Hermione Granger had just gone inside.
Hermione's stomach clenched. She knew now this had to be Rita, a repayment for her time trapped in that jar. The article went on with an interview from that star-struck receptionist when they first went. There were even quotes from a few people who claimed to have been in the waiting room.
Ever since, they had someone stake out St Mungos, waiting to see if they would return. And they had last night, like fucking idiots. There they were, picture clear as day, sneaking past that boy at the reception desk, hands clasped. Too busy to notice a flash going off from outside the hospital.
"What were you doing?" Kingsley bit out.
Hermione glanced up from the newspaper and tried to squash down the panic rising in her throat. "We saved Narcissa. I made her a potion."
"You—" Kingsley looked ready to burst. "You went there without permission, in plain sight, to give her a bloody potion? Do you realise the work my staff are doing right now to stop these articles?"
"Would you rather my mother have died?" Draco asked, narrowing his gaze.
Sirius crossed his arms beside Hermione and glared at Kingsley too. Together he and Draco made a wall between her and Kingsley.
For his part, Kingsley at least looked rather shaken by the triple glares he received. He snatched the Prophet from Hermione's hands and tucked it under his arm. "Sometimes sacrifices must be made for the good of the Ministry."
The silence stretched into appalled stillness. Who had Kingsley become? This wasn't the same man that fought with the Order.
"That's it," Sirius growled, voice low and gaze sharp. "Get out of my house."
The hairs on Hermione's arm stood on end as the windows shook. The air tinged with the scent of metal—a reminder of the ancient magic that lurked beneath the floorboards, its loyalty forever tied to the Black family.
Kingsley stepped closer to the door, retreating. "I don't want to take away your freedom, but I swear I will lock you all in this house if I must." He stared only at Hermione. "Break the bond; that's an order." Kingsley swept from the room with a cool breeze, the sounds of wood and plaster sliding back together to repair what no doubt was an exploded front door.
"Can you believe that absolute fucking arsehole!" Draco shouted. His eyes were molten with rage.
Hermione's thoughts whirled. She saved Narcissa. She had worked endlessly to figure out how to break their bond. Kingsley should have been grateful. Proud.
Emotion began to overwhelm her. A weight settled in her chest, and tears filled her eyes. The entire time she had been taking the blame from everyone, allowing herself to be the one held responsible. Hermione tried to be positive about it; she never once got upset! All she wanted right now was to be alone, and she couldn't even have that. Her eyes were shut tight as she willed away her tears, and Hermione felt the familiar tug of the bonds on her wrists as she pulled away from Sirius and Draco.
Sirius noticed the change in her demeanour, the way she folded into herself, trying not to cry. "Draco." He inclined his head and turned his back to Hermione, and Draco followed suit.
Privacy. They were giving her privacy the only way they could.
Hermione pulled out her wand to cast a quick Muffliato before letting her sobs release as she crouched on the floor. It was the first time since this all began that she let her emotions go, let herself feel everything. It only lasted a minute, and when she was done, Hermione leant against Sirius' legs, reaching up to grab Draco's hand in hers.
"Thank you," Hermione whispered, voice raw.
"It's been a lot for us. And now that we've figured out a way to break it, emotions are sure to be high." Draco replied, kneeling down to tuck a curl behind her ear. "Everything will go back to normal, but not quite. We'll still be bound, but in a different way."
"I'll just be happy for the chance to use to loo alone again," Sirius muttered, gently stroking the top of her head.
They all laughed; the sad moment lifted like coming above water for air.
"Did you see what Greengrass said?" Draco smirked. "She told the reporter to fuck off."
Hermione smiled. "At least she respects us."
Sirius hummed. "So, what now?"
Hermione shifted on the ground and turned to move and stand up, the bonds snapping tight again, except— "Look."
It was what she'd seen earlier when Kingsley came. They were fainter.
Instead of the bright blue light that had accompanied the snapping of the rope, it was dulled—barely brighter than candlelight.
Draco reached out to skim his fingers across the soft glow. "What does this mean?"
"That it works," Hermione whispered. "The ritual we have to perform will work."
Sirius gripped her hand tightly, Draco doing the same. They even reached across Hermione to take each other's hands, forming a completed circle.
"Well," Sirius said with a grin. "Let's get started."
Her heart beat out of her chest in an ancient rhythm as she stared at the men across from her. Her men. Draco and Sirius.
They stood naked in a chalk circle. The library had been emptied for their ritual site, the room where they had spent most of their time together. It seemed fitting.
Symbols and lines surrounded them on the floor as they knelt down to meet each other. Hermione drew her first rune over their hearts with white paint on her fingers. Wunjo, kinship. They both placed their own on her, then on each other.
This time, when Sirius pulled her into a passionate kiss, she was a little more familiar with his lips. She learned his taste; she learned that he gripped her tighter when she would bite his lips.
Draco's fingers on her backside raked trails of fire down her skin, and Hermione pulled from Sirius to twist her head and kiss Draco behind her. His scarred torso pressed to her back as his calloused hands circled her breasts.
Sirius moved his fingers against her, pressing in and—oh—
She must have said that out loud as both men chuckled. Hermione's brain barely registered more than the feel of Sirius' fingers pressing into her and Draco's teeth on her shoulder.
To steady herself, Hermione gripped Sirius' shoulder with one hand, the other reaching around to dig into Draco's arse. He gave a satisfying hiss in her ear as her nails bit his flesh.
Hermione smirked, and Draco nipped her ear in retaliation. "Don't let yourself go too soon, Granger. We still have more runes to draw, and I distinctly remember something going wrong with that last time."
She scowled at him, and he gave a soft laugh. With shaking hands, Hermione reached down to collect her discarded paint.
She drew another rune across from her first on Sirius' chest. Algiz, divine protection. He held her eyes with a heated glance where she sat atop his lap as he removed his fingers from her, slowly, reluctantly. Hermione could see in his eyes how feebly Sirius reigned in his desire.
Turning, Hermione reached to draw it on Draco, too. Following the same pattern as before, Draco and Sirius took turns running paint-covered fingers on her and then each other. There were only two more runes left, but they had to join before that. They could only draw them when they were together as one.
"Are you ready?" Hermione asked Sirius as she settled further down his lap. His cock was close to pressing inside her if she just shifted down a little further...
Sirius let out a breathy chuckle that brushed across her skin. "Shouldn't I be asking you that?" Fingers spread across her back as Sirius pressed a kiss between her breasts. "Yes, I'm ready."
His hands shifted to her hips, moving her down bit by bit, feeling him. Hermione's skin broke out in goosebumps, and her hands gripped his shoulders as he seated fully inside her.
"The rune, Granger," Draco whispered into her ear behind her. He pressed the jar of paint to her hand.
Hermione took a deep breath and steadied herself. The paint stuck to the skin of Sirius' pelvis as she drew the third rune. Gebo, divine interaction. Sirius did the same to her, his fingers trailing hotly. She was thankful they used enchanted paint, or the other runes would have been smeared long ago.
Draco's hands rubbed soothing circles into the base of Hermione's back, moving up to push her down against Sirius. Their lips met in a heated kiss as Sirius gave a shallow thrust inside her and fuck—the tip of Draco's wet finger pressed against her arse. Hermione let out a low groan and bucked into him; she was still a bit tender from last night, but the pain subsided as Draco gently worked her, using a spell to soothe her aches.
"Think you're ready for me, Granger?" Draco muttered into her ear. She could hear the smirk in his voice.
Hermione shifted up against the now multiple fingers buried inside her, Sirius moving in time with her thrust. "Think you're ready, Malfoy?"
Draco took the challenge, nipping her shoulder and swiftly pulling out his fingers. Hermione let out a soft sigh at the loss, but it was soon replaced by a groan as his lubed cock replaced them. He slid in without pause, buried in her arse before Hermione could take a full breath. Sirius moved slowly inside her cunt that now spasmed at the change in pressure.
Merlin and Morgana, Hermione would never get over this feeling. The wholeness she felt in that moment as both men pressed fully into her. Her men.
"Rune," Sirius muttered beneath her.
Hermione collected the paint she'd discarded nearby with shaking arms. Draco wasn't any better off; his large hands trembled as they wrapped around her to draw a matching one.
"Hold on," Hermione muttered breathlessly once he finished. "How am I meant to draw on you?"
Draco shifted and then let out a soft laugh. "Well, that does seem to be an issue. How well can you write without seeing?"
"Don't be ridiculous! This is important." Hermione chided, letting out a soft squeak when Sirius bucked beneath her. She gave him a glare that made him grin. Ass.
"I'm not being ridiculous, Granger," Draco replied. "You know I can't pull out; the instructions specifically said so. You might be able to twist a little—"
Hermione huffed and sat up, twisting against Draco's scarred chest. She managed to draw Inguz across Draco's pelvis, the same as Sirius. Only one Rune left.
"All done for now, kitten," Sirius whispered, taking the jar from her hands and setting it aside. He pulled Hermione back down to him, and his lips pressed to her jaw, hands roaming her body. Coaxing her back to that place she'd been in before. Draco's fingers circled her waist, digging into the soft flesh. He leveraged against her to move her hips in a slow, steady rhythm.
Hermione let out soft moans against Sirius' lips as Draco moved her against both of them. From the deliberate pace he set, she could feel every inch of them inside her; it sent shockwaves down her spine that fired across her skin.
"That's it. Good girl." Sirius repeated words of praise into her ear between kisses across her skin. His hips began to thrust upward opposite Draco's movement, burying his cock deeper inside her.
Gradually, they began to increase their pace until they were nothing more than sweaty, writhing bodies, moaning in ecstasy. Hermione felt the familiar pressure of a building orgasm; her legs shook with the effort of moving against both men. Sirius held her steady as she ground against him in her seek for release.
Draco wrapped an arm around Hermione's throat, pulling her back to his chest. She arched toward him, sucking in a sharp breath at the feeling this new position brought. Sirius pressed further inside her and fuck his thumb slid over her clit—
"Come for us, Granger," Draco muttered into her ear with heated breath. "I can feel how close you are."
His fingers met Sirius' on her clit, both of them roughly rubbing against her. Hermione jerked, but Draco's arm around her throat held her steady as they both thrust shallowly inside her. Hermione could do little more than moan and buck against their fingers as they chased her over the edge. Spots blinked behind her eyes as she shut them tight, rocking and crying out as she fell over it.
Draco pressed a rough kiss to the back of her neck before letting her go. Hermione collapsed forward atop Sirius, who wrapped her in his arms and rubbed soothing circles into her back. Her body convulsed with the afterwave of her orgasm.
Sirius gripped her face and pressed his lips to hers as both men began to move. Hermione could do nothing but hold herself steady and kiss Sirius back. Her brain still reeled from the pleasure, and it could barely keep up with the feeling of being so utterly filled.
"So perfect," Sirius whispered against her lips. "Just like that, kitten."
Hermione began to wind tight again as Sirius coaxed her mind back into her body. Her nails bit into the tattooed skin of his arms, and she let out a cry as Draco and Sirius began to move faster. They were close; their thrusts turned careless, chasing pleasure and losing rhythm.
Sirius came first, his teeth biting into the soft flesh at the juncture of her neck with a loud grunt. Hermione was sure it would've pierced skin if he had fangs, and no doubt it would leave a very visible mark. Draco gave only a few more short thrusts before he came too, a breathy moan leaving his lips as he bucked and twitched inside her. They all slowed their movements, riding out the pleasure. A thrill ran through Hermione as they pulled out—slowly—and she felt their come drip from her.
They all collapsed to the ground, catching their breath and stretching out their limbs. Hermione laid between them and stared at the ceiling.
"Is that it, then?" Sirius asked what they were all thinking.
"One more rune and then the spell," Draco replied breathlessly. Hermione could see his pulse jump in the vein at his throat.
Sirius handed them their paint jars, and they all sat up to write the final rune. Ehwaz, partnership. It seemed like cosmic irony that the rune that damned them all was now part of saving them. Hermione made sure her lines were perfect.
Draco and Sirius took turns drawing it on the centre of Hermione's forehead, completing the diamond of runes on her body. Hermione went next, giving them each a soft, swift kiss. This was it. Everything they'd done since bringing Sirius back had built to this moment.
The bonds on their arms were nothing more than a faint light, and as they all grabbed their wands, whispering the first words of the spell, Hermione felt it. She felt the snap as they broke and disappeared from their skin, morphing to a thin light that pierced her chest. It created a triangle between them all, shooting through Sirius and Draco just the same. It connected their souls. The runes on their bodies began to glow in faint orange light.
"Vis vinculum creatum," Sirius raised his wand, the wand that shared its traits with Hermione's and Draco's. Perhaps this was always meant to happen.
They stated the final words of the spell, and a blanket of light escaped their wands, surrounding them in warmth. Somewhere in the distance, a steady drum began to beat a pounding rhythm, but—no. No, it wasn't a drum; she could faintly hear the erratic heartbeats of Draco and Sirius. Hermione felt the tug on her soul to theirs, a calling that went deeper than her very being.
The light that pierced their chests slowly faded into nothingness, but the feeling remained.
It was over.
No one moved; they all sat stunned on the floor, still a bit too shocked to do more than take it all in.
"Now that's it," Draco said to Sirius, breaking the tense silence.
Sirius stood on shaking knees, taking a slow step back from Hermione. No bonds showed as he moved, and they both braced as he hit the distance that would've caused it to snap tight.
But nothing happened. No bond glowed around their wrists, no shackles kept them together.
Hermione let out a shocked laugh, and Sirius walked farther away, a triumphant yell escaping his lips as he stood at the other side of the room over ten feet away.
"It worked," Hermione muttered, tears brimming her eyes. Thank Merlin.
They tested the ability to be far from each other, all walking to opposite sides of the room: almost ten feet and no pull, no tug on her arm. Hermione turned and let out another relieved laugh. And yet... something heavy settled in her chest. Everything was about to change.
"Okay," Sirius breathed, his voice light. "Okay, so it worked. Now what?"
Hermione Accio'd the robe from across the room, and the men did the same as she shrugged on the garment. Her hands shook when she tied the waist. "I—" her voice warbled. "I suppose we need to tell Kingsley."
She kept her head tucked, trying to keep the burning tears from falling down her face. Why was she reacting this way? She should be happy that this was over, happy to go back to how things were. But instead, the only thing Hermione felt was sorrow nestled deep inside her.
"Kitten," Sirius walked forward and hooked a finger under her chin, circling a strong arm around her waist to pull her into a solid embrace. "Don't be upset, Hermione. This is a good thing."
He was right. Of course, he was right. Hermione blinked, and a few tears fell down her face. Sirius brushed them away with his thumb as she nodded. "I know. I know."
Draco stood behind Sirius, his hand clenched at his side and a hard set to his jaw. Hermione pulled slightly from Sirius to reach out a hand to Draco.
He stepped back from her reach.
"I need to check on my mother now that this is done," Draco said flatly. Hermione dropped her hand to her side as something curdled in her stomach. She'd thought... No. No, she shouldn't have thought anything. Hermione glanced down at his flexing hands. The urge to reach out and lace their fingers together overwhelmed her, but it seemed he didn't want that anymore. Their souls were bound, but that didn't mean they had to stay with each other. Draco would still be able to marry and have children with someone else.
Sirius pulled Hermione back against him. "I think we should all take a few days for ourselves. It's been weeks since we've had space."
It seemed Hermione was being stabbed from both sides. Sirius wanted alone time too. Shouldn't she want that as well? Why did the idea of going back to her empty flat alone make her want to cry?
"Sure," she forced out. If they wanted space, who was she to argue? They'd been through hell the same as her and deserved to have their privacy back. "I think I'll just go to Harry's and tell him, and then um..." she cleared her throat as she held back a sob. "I'll tell Kingsley tomorrow." She was too emotional right now to see Kingsley. But Harry. She needed Harry.
"Okay," Sirius muttered as Hermione pulled from his embrace. She turned to walk from the room, sorrow panging in her chest as she waited for the familiar tug of their bonds, only for nothing to happen.
She walked up the stairs mindlessly, changing and collecting her clothes. Hermione pushed her thoughts into a little box that she locked tight so that she wouldn't cry. If she thought about how upset she was over Draco and Sirius wanting to separate—fuck. A few tears rolled down her cheeks. She roughly wiped them away and walked from the room.
"You'll be back, yeah?" Sirius said from the sitting room. Hermione stopped on the landing to listen; he must be speaking to Draco.
"Not today," Draco replied. "There are things I need to do." She heard the brick shift as the Floo opened.
"Why do you try so hard to fight it? You have her, Draco. She's bound to you, and still, you refuse to accept it."
"I just..." She heard the shuffle of shoes on the floor. "I just wish she would've chosen me. Don't you feel the same? Doesn't it hurt to know that she isn't bound to us by choice but by necessity?"
Hermione started down the stairs, her steps heavy. She had to tell Draco that it was her choice, their choice. There was no one else she would have bound herself to.
There was a sharp tug on something inside her chest as the familiar sound of the Floo roaring to life echoed from the sitting room. Hermione finally met the ground floor, but she was too late.
"I'm sorry, Hermione," Sirius sighed as she entered the room. "Draco left."
She could feel his absence. It was an odd sensation, like a piece of something inside her was missing. A hollow spot that she could sense. Was this the soulbond?
"I suppose I should too." Maybe being away from Grimmauld would be good for her. She hadn't seen much else besides these ageing walls for weeks. Hopefully her house plants were still alive.
Sirius lit a cigarette, and Hermione noticed his hands were shaking and that he refused to meet her gaze. "Can you feel the emptiness? When Draco left, it was like he took something with him."
"That's the bond," she replied softly. "I imagine it'll happen when I leave, too."
Sirius finally moved his eyes up to hers. They were bloodshot like he was holding back tears. Hermione felt the same pain, but she could do little more than walk and breathe.
Grey eyes followed her as she took a handful of Floo powder and stepped into the fireplace. Would he beg her to stay? Would he ask her to come back? She wanted him to. Sirius would only need to say one thing, and Hermione would stay forever.
But he said nothing as she called out Potter Cottage. He said nothing as she tossed the green powder to the ground. As the flames consumed her, the hollowness Hermione felt doubled.
She fell to the plush carpet of Potter Cottage and finally released the hold she had on her emotions. Everything crashed around her. The abandonment she felt from Draco, the emptiness she felt from leaving Sirius. Sobs spilled from her lips, and every ounce of sorrow poured from her eyes. It felt cathartic in a way to finally let go; she cried for more than just their separation. She cried because she knew this feeling would never go away. She cried because as much as she hated to admit it, Draco was right. She hadn't chosen them; they'd been forced into it. But what he didn't understand was that now, Hermione would choose them a hundred times over.
She couldn't help but wonder if it would get better or worse with time. Perhaps she could learn to master the pain.
"Hello?" Harry called from the hall. Hermione hastily wiped at her face as he walked into the room. "Oh!" he jumped upon seeing her. No doubt surprised to find her alone. "Hermione—you did it?"
Hermione sniffed, "Yes. We did it. Kingsley came by this morning and gave us quite the pep talk."
Harry knelt beside her and pulled her into a tight hug that instantly had her sobbing once again into his chest. His comforting embrace only doubled the agony she felt. This was more than just some soulbond. Hermione loved them.
"What happened?" Harry mumbled, stroking her curls as he sat with her on the ground.
Hermione took a steadying breath and told him everything. She told him how Kingsley came that morning to yell at them about the Prophet article and how he found them. She told him basic details about the ritual, sans the graphic bits. And then Hermione told him what Draco had said and what she overheard.
"I agree that you could all use some time," Harry placated. "Take a day to yourself, take a nice bath or read. Draco's always been a solitary creature; it probably killed him not to be able to have alone time."
Hermione knew Harry was right. It was logical that the first thing they'd want to do was take some time apart. But, it still didn't stop anguish from settling in her stomach.
"Do you want me to tell Kingsley?"
"No." Hermione clenched her jaw, and a weight settled in her stomach that grounded her feelings. "I have some things I need to personally discuss with the Minister."
It had been exactly thirty-three hours and nineteen minutes since they'd broken the bond. Not that Hermione was counting. She'd just happened to think of it.
The first two of those hours had been spent with Harry, who helped her sort through her feelings of Sirius and Draco. She'd discovered quite a number of things about herself. Firstly, she was in love with two men. Two men that were vastly different, yet uncomfortably similar. Then they weeded through the guilt she felt about the bonds. It had been her fault from the start, but as Harry reminded her, Hermione Granger can make mistakes, too. It happened to other Magi, as those journals proved.
The next two hours were spent crying in every room of her tiny flat—which wasn't many; she only had four. She tried to take a bath, but that only reminded her of Sirius and Draco. Then she tried to read, but the only thought flitting through her mind was Sirius and Draco picking on her while reading Bridgerton.
Hermione still caught herself on occasion bracing for a tug on her wrists when she stretched too far. Laying in bed had been quite a challenge without the familiar warm presence of her men beside her. Sleep didn't come for her for many hours, but in that time, she finally figured out what to do about Kingsley.
He was her current target as she walked through the Ministry's Atrium to the lifts. Hermione received a few odd stares; no doubt people wondered why she was suddenly back without Draco beside her. She ignored them all as she stepped into the empty lift and plummeted to the Minister's office. She ignored his receptionist as she stepped straight through to his office.
Kingsley glanced up from his papers and waved the squawking secretary away.
"It's broken," Hermione stated, pulling the book Fred and George gave her from her bag.
"Excellent," Kingsley said, his eyes returning to the paper before him. "We've already prepared a basic article to send to the Prophet to release."
Hermione gripped the book tightly, her knuckles turning white. She didn't know what reaction she expected, but it certainly hadn't been nonchalance. "And I suppose I made some kind of statement?"
"You did; it was short and to the point." He flicked his wand, and a sheet of parchment floated before her. "See for yourself."
Official Statement from Unspeakable Hermione Granger:
"I worked on a classified assignment to investigate Sirus Black's death that included direct involvement with the Veil. I hired Draco Malfoy as an outside consultant, and due to a small error, I created a harmless type of bond. The bond lasted for only a short week before we were able to reverse my mistake."
Hermione's stomach twisted. Lies. It was all lies.
She stepped back from the paper and let out a laugh of disbelief. A calm rage boiled beneath her skin; blood thrummed in her ears. "Aren't you even curious how we broke it?"
Kingsley held up his hands. "No, no, that is quite alright. Based on the way I found you all yesterday morning, I'd rather not know. As long as it is done."
Hermione sputtered in disbelief. The absolute audacity of the man before her. He was truly the reason she was in this mess, if Hermione really thought about it. She had been perfectly happy in the Department for Magical Creatures until every proposal went ignored or outright refused. And that had been Kingsley's fault. He had forced her from her desired career path—forced her out of the spotlight and into the shadows of the Department of Mysteries.
"You are—" Hermione began, her brain firing sentences so fast she could barely grasp one to say. Everything she'd repressed thus far came boiling to the surface. "You are a shit Minister! Everything I've done for the sake of your stupid fucking Ministry! Everything I've endured so that the public thinks you're the one that fixed everything!"
Hermione's chest heaved, and Kingsley stared at her with widened eyes at her outburst, but she couldn't—wouldn't—stop now. "And not to mention the way you've treated Sirius and Draco! Sirius was stuck in the Veil for years, and what does he see when he comes back? A Ministry that doesn't give a fuck about him! A Ministry that parades itself as good but behind closed doors denies a man the right to send his father a letter all because his name is Malfoy!"
That was why Kingsley was so scared of the articles showing the bond. He was scared of the public finding out that the steadfast Ministry was made of nothing more than fragile glass. Kingsley had once said he wanted to change things, and while he had improved the lives of many, it wasn't enough. He'd become complacent, scheming behind closed doors—a true politician. Dumbledore had been the same, and Kingsley had admired him... Perhaps a little too much.
"Well, here's your fucking book back." Hermione marched up to his desk and slammed the book down atop his papers. She leant down and levelled Kingsley with a glare. "You might want to change the password to the Minister's library."
She turned and walked back to the door; her heart beat erratically in her ears as her body buzzed with adrenaline. Stopping with a hand on the knob, Hermione turned back to glance at Kingsley. She felt nothing more than gratification at the astounded look he gave her.
"Oh, and in case you're not following, I quit."
The door opened and slammed behind her with a satisfying bang. She could hear Kingsley call her name behind the closed door as she stalked to the lifts. Her ears buzzed; short gasps left her lips. Fucking hell—she had just berated the Minister. And she quit her job.
The lift pulled out of view just as Kingsley rounded the corner, his breathing hard and face set in an angry glare. But he only made it two steps before the elevator's doors closed and shifted back to the Atrium, depositing her in an empty corridor. Quickly she walked to the Floos; she didn't want to speak to Kingsley anymore. It was likely to turn into something that would result in a fight that she did not want to have. Her mind was made up; she couldn't work for this place anymore, not after everything she was put through.
Hermione collected a handful of powder and stepped into the fireplace on autopilot. She was too lost in her thoughts to catch herself before saying, "Grimmauld Place."
Ahe tumbled to the dark wooden floor, scraping her knee on the rough surface. "Shit!" How could she have been so stupid? Sirius didn't want to see her; they all wanted space. Maybe he wasn't home, maybe—
"Hello?"
Fuck. Hermione sighed and stood, spelling the soot from her clothes with a wave of her hand. She fluffed her curls and fidgeted with her clothes, and—Merlin, she was acting like a nervous school girl.
"It's me," Hermione called. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean—" the sound of heavy footfalls vibrated on the stairs. "—to come here."
Sirius stood before her, half-dressed and breathing hard. A thread snapped tight inside Hermione at seeing his face, like it felt right to be here, to see him. Was that the bond?
Sirius shoved wet locks from his face and gripped the unbuttoned trousers he must have just slipped on. "No, no, I'm glad you're here. I missed..." He took a breath like he was contemplating what to say next.
Say it. Hermione thought. Please say it.
"I missed you."
Hermione rushed forward and collapsed into Sirius' arms. He cradled her against his bare, tattooed chest as she sobbed. She cried for her job, for her now lost future. She cried for the way Kingsley treated her. But mostly, Hermione cried in relief at being wanted.
"I missed you too," she told him, pulling him into a dizzying kiss that tasted like her tears.
Sirius led her to the nearby couch without breaking their kiss. She fell atop him, her legs straddling his lap as their hands roamed each other. It felt right and good, and Hermione never wanted to lose this feeling again, even for a day.
But... there was still something missing.
Hermione reluctantly pulled from his lips and leant her forehead on Sirius' as she caught her breath. His hands cradled her face, and his thumbs trailed against her cheek.
"We need Draco," Sirius muttered, voicing Hermione's thoughts. "It doesn't feel right without him."
Hermione let loose a sigh of relief and nestled her head against Sirius' shoulder. "I know."
A/N: So, there we have it. It's broken! I can't wait to hear all your thoughts about the bond breaking, about Draco's reaction(which threw a wrench into my entire end storyline and I had to completely rework it. But I think you'll all be very satisfied!), AND Hermione finally speaking her mind and telling off Kingsley!
I will be editing Chapter Seventeen this weekend, hopefully posting by the middle or end of next week before or after Thanksgiving. I'm so excited for you all to read it! :)