Chapter Ten: Tea Time

Hermione and Draco's heads separated so quickly, it was as though they had been electrocuted. Hermione looked flustered as she tried to fix her creased shirt and tried to focus her attention on the door.

"I'll be right back," Hermione whispered, not even turning to look at Draco. She was about to run out the door when Draco did something she didn't expect.

"Hermione," Draco looked into her her eyes as he held her hand, "I've always been a good guy. I just never knew it," Hermione stuttered, trying to say something, but words could not come to her lips, "until I knew you."

Hermione did the only thing to keep herself from kissing him again and left the room.

While running down the stairs Hermione was able to catch a bit of a conversation between Harry and his uncle in the kitchen. She saw the reflection of a red head in the living room.

"Ron, what's going on?" Hermione asked as she walked into the room.

"Well if you're down here, then I assum you heard enough," Ron said as calmly as possible, though Hermione could tell that he was a bit nervous.

"I'll be right back," Hermione said before heading to the kitchen.

"Those ruddy owls are going to be the end of your staying here!" That was Mr. Dursley.

"I'm leaving here after my birthday anyway, Uncle Vernon!" And there was Harry.

"But that ruddy well doesn't mean that you can be as...abnormal as you are? People will know what you are and that I'm associated with you!" Oh that Vernon Dursley sure did know how to piss her off!

"Harry, Mr. Dursley," Hermione walked into the kitchen before Harry got too angry.

"GET OUT!" Vernon yelled.

"Excuse me, but no sir. I do not want to be rude, but I have held my tongue to you for the past few weeks, my entire time here to be exact and for once I think I will speak my mind." Hermione inhaled deeply. "Sir, you-"

"Don't bother Hermione." Harry stormed towards her and grabbed her arm, bringing her to where Ron was. "I'll talk to you later Uncle Vernon!" Harry called over his shoulder.

"Harry, what's going on?" Hermione asked.

"I just got a letter from the ministry." Harry's eyes looked cold. "Scrimegeor wants me to come to a meeting."

"Just say that you're busy, or that your family needs you to protect them, or-"

"Hermione, I'm not stupid," Harry snapped without thinking. "Oh, Hermione, I am so sorry."

Hermione sighed. "Whatever Harry. Just tell me what the note said?"

"He says that so I can't elude him he's coming to pick me up personally," Harry sneered.

Hermione and Ron looked at each other. They hadn't seen Harry this upset in a while.

"Don't worry, you'll get through this, mate," Ron patted Harry on the back/shoulder, "you always do."

"Yeah," Hermione put her hand on harry's shoulder to join Ron's. "You're the Great Harry Potter. You can get through anything."

"Yeah, that's right," Harry turned around, his face reddening. "I can get through a whole day without Volvemort haunting my every thought! I can get through a whole year without having my heart broken! I can get through a whole summer without knowing that all that is to come is all my fault! I CAN GET THROUGH ANYTHING!" Harry's nostrils were flaring and he inhaled deeply.

"HARRY POTTER!" The boys turned to face Hermione, wio also seemed quite upset. "How dare you tihnk those things? How dare you even be sarcastic about the situations! You are not the center of all that is wrong in the world, so don't you dare even think it!"

This was going too far. Harry was always full of such self hatred anytime something bad happened. The entire time Hermione had known him, he always felt that he had to do with everything.

"She's actually right Harry," Ron said quietly. "You broke your own heart. Mind you, if we weren't already best friends, I'd be your's right now for doing what you did, breaking up with Ginny for her safety and all, but you did it. You also aren't the only one who's thoughts You-Know-Who haunts. To tell you the truth, this is just like when we were in our fifth year, staying at Grim-Sirius's house."

Harry was taken aback by this. Why was Ron bringing up Sirius?

"You have to face it, man. It wasn't your fault, he wanted to come. Not to mention the fact that you have to face that he's dead. What I'm saying now, though, is that this is just like when you thought that you were the one who bit dad and just locked yourself in our room, refusing to speak to anyone."

"Just sitting there in your self pity," Hermione spat out.

This took both boys by surprise.

"Okay, Hermione, what's with you?" Harry asked. "First you come this close to yelling at and insulting my uncle, then you go and take your anger out on me. What's up?"

"Nothing, I-I'm just not feeling well," Hermione replied shyly. She wasn't going to let the guys know what had just happened upstairs.

"Come on, Hermione, you can tell us." Ron took her to the couch by the hand and sat down beside her with Harry sitting on the coffee table in front of her. "Are you okay?"

"I'm fine. Just a little tired." She gave them a weak smile. "I just can't wait for all of this to be over so we can go back to lead-well, not leading our normal lives." She giggled.

"Yeah, I can't wait to see what it feels like to not know that at this very moment, Voldemort could be plotting how to kill us." Harry laughed softly.

"Well don't worry guys. It'll all be over soon." Ron took both their hands and looked them each in the eye.

Harry's face lit up. He knew that with his friends by his side, Voldemort will be gone form their lives forever.

"Mr. Potter?" The three looked at the fireplace where a large man stood. "It's time to go."

"Minister, wouldn't you rather conduct your meeting here?" Hermione suggested.

"I am sorry Miss Granville,"

"Granger."

"Granger, but this is a most important meeting and we will need the most amount of privacy." The minister walked over to Harry.

"Sir, he is going to tell us what goes on in the meeting," Hermione said. Ron didn't want to say anything in case he took it out on his father. "This would just save us the trouble of getting the less bias version."

"Fine, then how about I tell you a bit of what will be discussed, Miss Granger." Hermione glared at Scrimegeor. "Would you happen to know of the whereabouts of a Draco Malfoy? Or perhaps you know what it feels like to kiss him."

Hermione gasped. Ron looked ready to pounce on Scrimegeor. Harry was just frozen, looking at Hermione with a disbelieving expression on his face.

"I-I'm sorry sir, but how would you know of Malfoy's whereabouts? He is not here, and if he was we would have killed him by now. He isn't exactly a welcome person, especially in our presence." Hermione said strongly.

"We have been watching this house for several weeks now. One night ago at aproximately seven-twenty-two in the evening, a Mister Draco Malfoy was seen entering Number Four Privet Drive. The next morning he was seen leaving, approximately ten minutes after yourself, Miss Granger, then seen in your sompany uppon returning here."

"You've been spying on us?" Harry asked, finally finding his voice.

"Well how else would we know of Mr. Potter's plans for He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named?" Scrimegeor smiled a cocky smile. "Now Mr. Potter, would you care to acompany me to my office?"

"No."

"Be that way," the minister pulled out his wand and conjured up a throne-like chair facing the couch. Harry had toturn his head to face him, but refused to. "Have some tea." He poured a brown liquid from a teapot he had conjured up into a teacup, also conjured.

"I'm not stupid," was all Harry said before standing up and walking up the stairs. He and Malfoy had some things they needed to discuss.

"My, my. What manners!" Hermione and Ron just glared at him (Scrimegeor).

"Well can you possibly blame him?" Hermione huffed. She stood up, towering but a few inches above Scrimegeor's head. "You barge into his home! You accuse me of doing something as disgusting and wrong! Why on Earth would I want to kiss Malfoy? Plus you accuse us of harboring a fugitive! (A/N is that the right word?) The same fugitive Harry watched kill his-his-his friend!" Hermione pointed at the door leading to the entrance hall. "Get out. NOW!"

"Well i can see that birds of a feather fly together Miss Granger. Children just don't know respect anymore." CRACK And he was gone.

Hermione let out a sigh of relief. He was gone, for now, but now was now and that was all she needed. Taking out her wand, she pointed it up at the ceiling, screwed up her face, and a bright orange light flew from her wand.

"Ron, please look out the window," she said in a sickly sweet voice as she walked to the Entrance Hall and looke dout the door.

Sure enough she saw at least five men and women appear out of nowhere, looking aorund curiously at each other.

"NOW LISTEN HERE! I DON'T CARE IF SCRIMERGEOR SENT YOU, BUT IF YOU DO NOT STOP FOLLOWING AND WATCHING US, THERE WILL BE SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES!" Hermione slammed the door shut and heard several 'Cracks'. She walked beck into the room where Ron was to ask him if he saw anyone.

"What's going on with you and Malfoy? And I want the truth."