(3)

Hermione sat on a short wooden bench in a narrow corridor. With her legs and arms crossed, she counted down the minutes Draco Malfoy was in the room across from her view. It was late, but there were a few trained healers working into the night at St. Mungo's. A young short stoutly woman approached them the moment they had walked into the hospital. Draco was whisked off into that room and Hermione hadn't seen him since. That was fifteen minutes ago. And so help her Merlin, she was becoming impatient.

The more she thought about the situation she found herself in, the more she shook her head in puzzlement. The more she realized the fact that Draco Malfoy was alive and not a figment of her imagination, the more she wanted to just scream at the world. No wizard came back alive unless they were a ghost, or a created object such as a portrait. Other than that, you couldn't connect with the dead. Sure, Harry was able to glimpse his parents on his third contact with Voldemort, but they were spirits; not real, live, moving, opaque humans.

Earlier when Draco was having chest pain, as she decided to call it, she had been far too concerned with his health than how it was possible for his vitality. But now, as she sat alone outside in the corridor, she rehearsed a few questions she wanted answered about his mysterious return.

Finally, the door she had been staring at in such a deep concentration opened and out came the healer with a clipboard in hand. She gestured Hermione to stand up.

"Well it appears that your husband is in perfect condition Mrs. Granger. You have nothing to worry about," the healer stated.

"H-husband?" Hermione stuttered with a look of horror painted on her face.

"Yes, your husband." The healer retorted back without noticing Hermione's facial expression. "Could you tell him to come and sign some papers before you both leave, he's never been registered here before and I'd like to keep track of my patients," the healer continued, unaware that Hermione's eyes were about to pop out and then left her standing there flabbergasted.

"It's not very lady-like to gawk," Draco said with a devilish smirk as he fixed the collar of his shirt. She figured that he had to remove his top to get a full check-up in that room.

"Did you tell that healer you were my husband!" Hermione asked angrily and without waiting for an answer asked, "Why would you say such a thing?"

"Do you honestly think I would tell her who I truly was?"

"If you were so keen on keeping your life a secret you wouldn't be here right now, would you? Someone is bound to recognize you and then, it will be all over the Daily Prophet like wild fire that Draco Malfoy isn't really dead at all!"

"You asked me to come, if I remember correctly."

"But you didn't have to, did you?"

"It was the only way," Draco said sternly as though he was speaking to a child who couldn't possibly understand his motives.

"What was the only way? To get me away from that stupid forest? What exactly are you hiding there Malfoy? What could possibly be so important that you couldn't stand the thought of me spending another minute there?"

"I prefer not to answer," he simply said.

Hermione's eyes widened in the sheer audacity Draco had to not answer any of her questions. Draco raised his eyebrow, with his dead straight face, almost beckoning her to lash out at him in frustration.

"Why wouldn't you answer?"

"Because I don't have to answer anything to you. Anyway, you've wasted my time so I must go," he placed his cloak on and brushed back his messy hair.

"You're intolerable! Why are you leaving?" Hermione asked curiously, "where exactly are you going to go? I never got the chance to even thoroughly ask you this. Where the hell have you been for so long? How did you manage—?"

"I told you that it is none of your business!" he said menacingly as though every ounce of tolerance had left his body and gone out the window. He tucked his wand into the waist of his trousers. Before she even knew what he was about to do, Draco evaporated into thin air.

"Malfoy!" Hermione yelled a second too late and like a four year old child who had her toy taken away from her, she stomped her foot in irritation.

How could he do that to her?

But what did she really expect from him? He did stay true to his word and got a check-up. Did she think he would stay around for a chat over tea or something? Hermione shook her head, in reply to her thoughts. Of course, what he did with his life was up to him and she had no business meddling in it. And even though he had done what she asked, it was only fair that she didn't go back into WaterMose. Staring at the spot that he had apparated from, she gave a sigh.

Even though she knew all of this, something told her to not give up. She was going to get to the bottom of this, if it was the last thing she ever did.

---

Hermione entered her common room through the fireplace and instinctively dusted off the ashes and dirt on her maroon robes. Harry stepped into the room from her left at the same time while carrying a small cake-like box and his briefcase.

"Oh you just got in?" Hermione asked, noticing his cloak was still draped around his shoulders.

"Uh, yeah," Harry responded as he placed his things on the coffee table. "You've just got back too?" Harry asked in return.

Hermione simply nodded and proceeded to sit down on the arm chair across from Harry. He picked up the box, opened it and handed it over to her. She peered inside and saw a stack of chocolate chip cookies. She took one and quietly nibbled on it.

"Hagrid said it was for you and Ron, I already had my share at the hut." Harry stated than opened his briefcase. Hermione didn't respond as she watched Harry intently. He took off his cloak, revealing his broad shoulders. He was still on the slim side but he had grown to his full height, almost as tall as Ron. He loosened his tie and unbuttoned the first two buttons. When had he grown to dress so professional? When had he tamed his unruly hair? He had, somehow, remarkably slicked back his hair giving a full view of his scar. In such a short period of time, Harry had changed from someone who had a dim future to someone who didn't have their past haunting them. With that worry-free expression on his face, Harry looked truly handsome. With his black dress robes he even looked...mysterious; almost everything she looked for in a guy. What are you thinking? She thought to herself. Hermione quickly averted her eyes. She was not about to set her interests on Harry; her best friend since she was merely twelve years old.

After her second helping to the cookie box, Harry looked up at her, concerned. "You okay? You're so quiet."

"I'm just tired from my search."

"That reminds me," Harry said and took out a parchment from his stack, "these need to be signed if you and I are going to continue to work on this case. Percy said he wants them on his desk, first thing." Hermione took a hold of them and briefly read through.

"This is a contract, Harry. Why do we need to sign a contract?"

"Percy is planning to hold us accountable for any damages or problems we cause during our search. He wants nothing demeaning leading back to him."

"That pompous ass! He's acting as though what we are doing is illegal. Wait until he wants his name all over the newspaper when he hears that we solved the case," Hermione said angrily. She quickly flipped through all 5 sections of the contract and stared up at Harry. "You do know that I'm not going through with this."

"What'd you mean?" Harry asked.

"I mean, I will not sign anything until I get my lawyer to look it through for us. I'm sure there's some fine print that we would look over and we will regret it. I don't trust Percy."

"Always count on you to make sure every thing goes accordingly," he said jokingly as he collected the contract back into his briefcase. "And if it makes you feel better, I don't trust him either. By the way, did you find anything remotely interesting at the woods?"

"No," Hermione said quickly.

"You do know that we could try looking at the bodies again," he suggested.

"I really prefer not to. Speaking of bodies, Harry you were there when they took Draco Malfoy out of the heaps of concrete, right?" she asked, sitting up right from the chair.

He looked taken back by her question that it took him a while to formulate an answer, "yeah, yeah I was there. Why?"

"Are you absolutely sure that Malfoy was dead, when you saw his body?"

"Hermione, he was beyond dead. I don't think human skin can turn any paler than he had."

"Was his ribs, his chest, anything around that area broken?"

"I don't know. I only saw some wizards taking him away, as well as a few others. But why? Why are you asking me this?"

Hermione laid back against the chair, in thought. "No reason. Just...curious."

"Oh come off, I don't buy that one bit. It's been four years, what made you think of him?"

"Really. It's nothing. He crossed my mind. That's all." She stood up from her chair and began to walk towards the door to the common room. She wasn't about to tell Harry she had seen Draco. Not only would she sound like a lunatic, she didn't want Harry laughing at her. This Draco Malfoy business was something she had to deal with alone. If Draco thought that he was going to boss her around and not –at least- provide some answers to her burning questions, he had another thing coming.

"I see," was all Harry could muster and slowly focused his attention elsewhere around the room. She stood there watching him and wondered if he was going to further interrogate her. When they stood silent for another minute, Hermione said, "I'm going to head to bed, good night," and turned to leave.

"Good night," he replied.

---

Hermione made her way through the corridor and turned left to a narrower hallway with two doors. One led to the bathroom and right across from that was the one that led to Ron's bedroom. She knew it was rather late, but she had to ask a favor before she went off to bed. Without knocking, she unlocked the door to his room and was taken aback by what she saw.

"Oh my—"

"Merlin!" Ron exclaimed, turned to the side and dived for his bed sheets to take cover, "don't you know how to bloody knock!"

Hermione couldn't reply; her voice appeared to have gotten caught in her throat. She stared at the strawberry blonde, pale woman lying right next to Ron half naked. It didn't take long for her to register who it was.

"I'm so sorry! I didn't know that...oh God! How embarrassing...I'll just leave you two to it. I mean...I'll see my self out. Sorry," she stuttered darting her eyes away from the sight before her. Her face was completely burning in mortification. She should have knocked. Just because she knew Ron for so long did not entitle her to walk in on him. Not even when she already had seen his manly parts before. That still didn't justify what she had done. Quickly as she could, Hermione walked out, closed the door behind her and ran down the hall.

"Hermione! Wait!"

She halted to the sound of Ron's voice. But without turning around she waited for his footsteps to reach her.

"I'm sorry," she replied.

"Turn around," he commanded. When she did she noticed he had his bed sheet wrapped around his waist.

"You didn't have to come chasing me, I'm sorry I disturbed you."

"It's okay. I want to apologize to you for seeing me like this."

"You have nothing to apologize about."

"I do!" Ron exclaimed, "I had no right to be sleeping with another girl so soon after our break up. I'm sorry."

"Ron, with all due respect, I don't care who you sleep with or how soon," she said with a blush. Of course, that was a complete lie. She did miss Ron's company and was a little surprised with his sudden interest in Luna Lovegood but she had no right to interfere with his relationships.

"Are you sure?" Ron asked skeptically.

"Yes. Now go on, don't keep Luna waiting."

Ron nodded his head and turned to leave but quickly turned back around again with a questioning look, "why did you barge in for in the first place?"

"I need a favor from you," she explained, "I need you to get me the password to the file room from Percy."

"He would never tell me. And besides, what do you need that room for? Don't you have everything you need for this case?"

"Yes but I just need it for further analysis. Could you please beg him?"

"But why can't you do it?"

"He would never allow me. I sort of offended him last week when he was giving me attitude and I mentioned a few things I shouldn't have said."

"Oh Merlin, don't—don't tell me you mentioned Penelope? I told you not to say anything about that! He's a sensitive git, you know."

"I know! I know! Which is why I'm asking you to do this one little favor," Hermione pleaded.

Ron brushed his red dangling hair back and said, "Oh all right! But you owe me."

"Thank you!" Hermione squealed and jumped on him in a tight embrace.


To my reviewers: thanks for the comments, I appreciate it.