"What did you say?" the Headmistress repeated.
Hermione and Draco were standing in front of her. It was Sunday morning and after a night's rest, the Gryffindor had woken up with the peace and quiet she had been longing for the day before. The memory of Draco's shoulder on which she had rested her head helped to make her feel... better. She wasn't embarrassed by it. The Slytherin had insisted on accompanying her to talk to McGonagall.
"We need permission to go out quite often..." the brunette repeated. "To leave, a little further than Hogsmeade. If… If possible."
"Young lady, you are asking to be put in a situation that does not apply to the students at all. I have to refuse. The eighth year curriculum is crucial to your success at school, I cannot allow absences that would cause you to miss classes."
"Professor," the blonde man intervened, "we are not planning to miss any classes. If possible, it would only be on weekends, and only when we have completed all our respective responsibilities and duties."
"I realize that you and Miss Granger are achieving excellent results, but you are the Heads of this school. Hogwarts needs you, or these positions would not have been created."
Hermione peered at Draco. This wasn't going as well as they thought. In fact, they had expected having to insist, but they were hoping to break through. "We do not want any special treatment," Hermione added hastily. "I know our request seems far-fetched, but please, I implore you to trust us and why we need to leave."
"Miss Granger," warned McGonagall, "unless you can explain to me what is so urgent that you must leave the castle on weekends, I must refuse. This decision is final."
The Lioness closed her eyes for a moment to clarify her thoughts. Was she supposed to talk now to the Headmistress about… well, everything? Didn't McGonagall have enough to deal with already? Besides, if she told her what was going on, while avoiding details that might get her removed, maybe she would be able to help in some way, even if Hermione had no desire to involve anyone else. She finally opted for simplicity and escape.
She cleared her throat. "It's about my brother, Professor," she confided. "I found his watch in Hogsmeade, but he was wearing it the day he... left us. And I'd like to meet the person who sold it. He's an old acquaintance, you see, and all I want to do is to find out why it happened. Why he died and why it was stolen, and if these two events are connected."
Draco pursed his lips, secretly crossing his fingers behind his back. His partner had decided to confess only part of the truth, purposely omitting the full context of the attacks and the odd words that had been spoken to her.
McGonagall's wrinkled face softened and compassion replaced the severity of her features. "Thank you, Miss Granger, for your frankness. May I ask why Mr. Malfoy is involved?"
The Slytherin opened his mouth to answer, but Hermione beat him to it.
"Erm, it's not just him, Professor," she formulated. "Blaise Zabini is very intrigued by this story, because his mother was robbed this summer on the same night Sam was... robbed. And killed. He's looking for answers, too."
"I understand, but I asked about Mr. Malfoy."
"If you don't mind, Professor," Draco said, "I'd like to offer my help with this investigation because I'm with her twenty-four hours a day, and I'd like to make sure she continues to… fulfill her responsibilities as Head Girl while I offer my help. Blaise is also involved in this and I find it hard to walk away from a difficult situation that involves... my friends."
The Slytherin coughed, his throat suddenly dry after his last words. Here, in front of the Headmistress of Hogwarts, he had just given official status to his relationship with his partner, in front of himself, the old witch, and Hermione. The latter, in fact, sketched a faint smile. A small handful of butterflies fluttered in her stomach.
McGonagall's eyes lit up with an amused glint as she stared longer at her Head Boy. Then she turned her attention back to the brunette. "If I understand correctly, that would be you, Miss Granger, accompanied by Mr. Malfoy and Mr. Zabini?"
Hermione nodded and bit her lip hesitantly. "Erm... and Ginny Weasley, Professor," she added, looking pitiful. "At least, only to go and talk to whoever sold the watch. But I might as well tell you that Harry and Ron are aware of the story and will probably want to get involved somehow, eventually..."
McGonagall stiffened visibly. "You three..." she sighed. "It's always been you three."
"Yes… Ma'am"
"But today, I am... pleasantly surprised that Slytherins and Gryffindors are working on the same... project. Even if it's not a school project."
A glimmer of hope lit up in the eyes of the two Heads. They let her continue.
"I understand the situation, Miss Granger, despite my misgivings. I don't want to prevent you from getting answers to an incomprehensible and tragic event like the one you experienced this summer. I'd like to grant you a conditional leave. And I won't repeat it."
She paused for a moment to give them a serious look. "Miss Weasley is the only one in the names you mentioned who is not in eighth year. Although she shows exceptional resourcefulness, I will only allow her one absence, when she accompanies you to visit your acquaintance. I can allow Mr. Zabini, Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley to be absent only at weekends, but never for more than one day, and I apply the same rule to you two. Eighth years already have many privileges, and I would not want this exception I am making to be noticed. I ask you to be absolutely discreet, and to always let me know when you plan to leave."
Hermione swallowed and nodded vigorously. "I am truly grateful, Professor, for your flexibility and understanding."
McGonagall nodded in welcome and took a quill in her hands only to fiddle with it. "I would like to ask you how you plan to travel."
"By Apparating, Professor," Draco replied. "From Hogsmeade."
The Headmistress pursed her lips and nodded. "I have faith in your endeavours, Miss Granger and Mr. Malfoy. You are bright, resourceful and astute. I have no doubt that you will come to grips with the questions you face. And I'm proud of the development of your... relationship."
"Thank you very much," Hermione replied, blushing a little. "So, I'd like to inform you that I was planning to leave today to visit this... old friend. With Draco, Blaise and Ginny. If you don't mind, of course."
"I'll allow it. Remember my terms. Be back for your classes tomorrow."
At eleven fifty, Hermione put on a black woollen jacket, a scarf around her neck, her boots, took her small beaded purse and left her dormitory. Draco had already gone to meet Blaise to tell him they could leave today and had stayed with him since.
She hurried down to the Hall. To her surprise, her partner, Blaise and even Ginny were leaning against the wall and the two of them were talking in low voices whereas Draco kept his arms crossed, a bit apart from them. When Draco saw her arrive dressed in Muggle clothes that fit her perfectly, he felt some kind of fascination. Her beautiful brown curls fell over her shoulders and bounced in time with her steps. She looked empowered. Her cheeks were a little less hollow than when he had seen her on the train in September.
"What were you doing?" exclaimed the young redhead when she saw her. "We've been waiting for five minutes!"
"We said noon, didn't we?"
"You're here, so let's go," Draco said.
They stepped through the door and then walked on, getting further and further away from the castle grounds, and becoming just four small dots on the horizon.
Hermione talked with Ginny the whole way. Draco and Blaise occasionally exchanged words. The weather was mild, not too hot and not too cold. Winter was approaching and if they were lucky, it wouldn't rain. The path to Hogsmeade was beautiful in autumn ; the leaves were colourful and the wind lifted the grass from the plains.
"Can we make a little plan or something?" Blaise suddenly called out to the girls who were walking a little further ahead.
They swung around and stopped for a few seconds to give the Slytherins time to catch up. "What kind of plan?" asked Ginny.
"Well you know, we're going to see a fucking stranger. We don't even know if he'll be there or not. What do we do if he attacks us?"
Draco, who had remained silent, gritted his teeth. "Watch me. I'm more than ready."
"Nothing's going to happen," reassured Hermione. "At least I don't think so. I know Duncan. He's gotten weird, it's true, but we're able to talk properly."
"Even if he's able to talk," Draco spat, "all suspicions point to him regarding the stolen watch..."
"I'm sure there's an explanation... It's probably a misunderstanding."
Draco wanted to laugh, but he held back. It was terribly naive, he thought, to ignore the obvious. There was no way that stealing someone's watch was a misunderstanding. But the more he thought about it, the more a growing sense of respect replaced his judgment over Hermione. She wasn't being naive. She was being brave. She was willing to accept the possibility that a cruel action like a theft might be the result of a misunderstanding. She did not seek to accuse first.
When they arrived in Hogsmeade, they turned off the main street to be out of sight. They stopped and all looked at Hermione.
"Give me a minute to visualise Penshaw properly," she said. "It's been a long time since I've been there..."
She closed her eyes. Ginny looked at Blaise and Draco and they all waited. Then, after a short while, she opened her eyes again and held out both her hands. "I'm ready."
Ginny grabbed her right hand and Blaise her left, and Draco grabbed Blaise's hand. He had only held his partner's hand once before, and that was at the Ball. He wondered if they would get the chance sooner or later due to a random circumstance like this. Maybe on the way back, if he'd strategically place himself to be closest to her.
Hermione apparated, dragging the two Slytherins and the redheaded Gryffindor with her in a whirlwind. The sensation of having their belly buttons pulled out gripped them violently. They arrived at Penshaw with a loud crack. Immediately they all dropped their hands in a daze. Hermione felt nauseous, but managed to control herself and lifted her head, taking a deep breath of fresh air.
"I'll never get used to this..." muttered Blaise, a hand on his heart.
They were facing a large stone fountain depicting a wizard and a witch, back to back, wand raised. White brick buildings with coloured roofs were scattered here and there, giving the village a lively and colourful look. Shops displayed their wares directly on the pavement, and wizards and witches wandered about. All around, on the skyline, they could see plump trees and hills. The air was rich and spicy.
"First things first," Draco said. "Is there a bar here?"
"I don't know," replied Hermione. "Probably. Definitely a pub, at least."
"Which way to Cloverhill Avenue?" asked Ginny.
"Follow me."
Cloverhill Avenue started at the left of the fountain. It became a path, was very long and meandered slightly between the forest trees. The beaten earth was strewn with stones and dead leaves piled up where they stood. Hermione touched the leaves that framed the path with her fingertips, speckled with small drops of sunlight that filtered through the high tree tops. When a board nailed to a tree trunk indicated the house's address, the four students turned and walked off the avenue path.
A minute later, the house was facing them. A step in the floor was broken, the windows were dusty. The house was not very wide, but rather high...and no light shone inside.
"Charming!" Ginny snorted sarcastically as she noticed the state of the house.
"It wasn't like this before," Hermione murmured softly, frowning. "It used to be cozy."
"Maybe he stole this house," Draco sneered bitterly.
"This is very secluded for a house," Blaise said, squinting.
"Stay here," the brunette instructed Draco and Ginny. "I don't want the four of us barging in his front door. I'll let you know when he's comfortable." She didn't wait for their response, knowing that they would protest, and pivoted towards the house. Blaise walked towards her, giving Draco a surprised look.
"Great," spat the blonde. "Stuck with Freckles."
Ginny rolled her eyes and crossed her arms.
Blaise and Hermione walked to the three steps of the porch and climbed them one by one, careful not to fall into the hole in the second step. The boards under their feet creaked as they walked towards the closed door.
They stopped in front of it. Hermione knocked three times and they waited a few seconds before she knocked a second time. There was no answer.
"He's not here," said Blaise.
"Or he's not able to answer... Or he's sleeping?"
Blaise looked at her, waiting for some confirmation that she was joking. "You're kidding, right? Mia, I'm sure no one's home. Look at the fucking house! It's been abandoned for a long time! Open the door."
"We can't just walk in," Hermione snapped. "It's illegal!"
"There's no one in there. It's not illegal if there's no one!"
"It doesn't work like that. We should wait and come back—"
Blaise took hold of her arm, without squeezing, and shook her lightly. "What's wrong, Mia? W're here. You said you wanted to get this done as soon as possible. We can't even leave Hogwarts every day. Do you really want to wait until next weekend?"
The Gryffindor swallowed and resigned herself, despite her reluctance. She tried to turn the door handle, but it was locked. Of course it was. "Alohomora," she said, waving her wand at the handle.
The lock clicked and Blaise quietly opened the door, which gave a hellish squeak as it swung on its hinges, wand clutched in his hand.
The Lioness breathed in and put one foot in the house, then a second. As soon as she entered, she muttered "Homenum revelio". Nothing. They were alone. Before going deeper into the house, she returned to the porch and waved to Ginny and Draco further down. They immediately made their way towards them, and Hermione went back inside.
This house brought back happy memories, but it reminded her of the broken heart she had experienced. Draco and Ginny arrived and entered the house without a word. It was dark. The air was heavy, the smell was strong, the light was coming into the kitchen through the window panes with the curtains not drawn. Ginny came over and took Hermione's hand in support.
"All the furniture is here," Hermione remarked. "It was as if the whole family had moved out, leaving only the furniture."
"And there's nothing left in the cabinets either," Draco noted as he closed a kitchen drawer.
"It's been so long," whispered the pretty brunette, ignoring her partner.
She let go of Ginny's hand and walked quietly through the kitchen. "It's exactly as I remember it," she continued.
"What exactly are we looking for?" asked Blaise suspiciously.
"A clue... I don't know, actually. I just thought of what to do if he was there."
"You really expect to find a clue in this godforsaken place?" Draco said in a deliberate tone. "What exactly do you expect to find?"
All four of them glanced around, scanning the few pieces of furniture, looking at the chairs and the windows. Hermione did not answer her partner. He was right. Suddenly she looked up and thought of something. "But of course!" she exclaimed, walking briskly towards the staircase that led upstairs. "I know where to look!"
She had quickly forgotten her discomfort at having entered a house that belonged to someone else. The others had followed her and were looking at her strangely.
"Uhh..." Hermione continued quickly, thinking briskly. "Blaise! Blaise, come with me. Ginny, search with Draco in the kitchen and living room."
"But you said that—" Draco began. But he paused, for Hermione was already noisily climbing the stairs two by two. Draco looked at Blaise for a moment, who had remained motionless, then shrugged and followed the Gryffindor upstairs. The loathsome feeling that he was being excluded came back to taunt Draco.
"Fuck!" he snarled. "Are they joking? Just because it might be 'their' thief, they're the ones doing everything together?"
"Come on..." Ginny urged the furious Slytherin without looking at him.
"How do you expect us to find anything if we don't even know what we're looking for, Freckles?"
"We'll know it when we see it!"
So they went into the living room, the few dusty armchairs sitting in the middle of the room. The fireplace was dim, with ashes spreading over the floorboards. The carpets were dull.
.
"This was Duncan's room," Hermione told Blaise.
They were in a small room with flowery tapestries that were peeling off the wall here and there. A large bed sat in the middle of the room, its head touching a wall. All the objects were there, as if no one had touched anything. The room was only furnished with a wardrobe, a bed, a chair and a — dusty — window. There were cobwebs in the corners of the walls.
"There won't be much to find, you know," sighed Blaise, looking at the empty bed.
"I was just hoping to meet Duncan when I came here," she admitted. "And… talk."
It was so weird to be in that house. She hadn't been there in over two years. She hoped to find something that would give her a lead. She began to cough, as the air was so thick with dust.
"We shouldn't stay here," Blaise advised, looking at her friend who was breathing quicker. "Too much dust."
"No, wait," the Lioness groaned, holding his wrist, "just a minute."
She walked quietly over to the wardrobe, opened the two small doors and heard a sharp squeak. She looked inside. A few trinkets she had seen before, at most. There was nothing. Nothing suspicious. So she closed the doors in disappointment. Then she opened the bottom ones without waiting.
Inside were a few pieces of male clothing that Hermione recognised, some folded and some rolled into a ball. She was about to close the doors again when she saw a small frame with a photograph of her. The picture was animated and showed Hermione in her witch's robes outside the doors of Hogwarts, smiling and tucking her hair behind her ears. It was her fifth year. A black question mark had been drawn over the photograph. The Gryffindor felt awkward. She replaced the frame where she had found it, confused.
"Er, Mia?" Blaise called behind her. "Come over here."
Hermione turned and walked over to Blaise, who was bent over the desk facing the half-open window. Several yellowed envelopes lay untouched on the desk, all addressed to Duncan MacMiller at the house address. She recognized some of them, which she had sent herself shortly after his graduation, when she'd been worried after not hearing back from him. Nothing had been opened. The other letters were all inscribed with the same calligraphy on each one, which confirmed to Hermione that they had been sent by the same person.
She grabbed her own letters and didn't even bother to look at them any longer before stuffing them into her purse.
"Should we open the others?" Blaise asked.
"The answer is no, of course," Hermione snapped. "Imagine if he came back and found his letters open!"
Blaise shrugged his shoulders. "If we take them all, he'll never know he received them..."
"Are you kidding?"
"No I'm not. Duncan isn't here, Mia. I don't think he's coming back."
"You don't know that!"
"Aren't you curious? We're in DM's house! Maybe he's not your thief, our thief, but we have to check, right?"
"But these are not letters that will confirm whether—"
"Mia."
The Gryffindor, for the second time, resigned herself and grabbed a letter and tore it up. Blaise leaned over her shoulder to read along with her. It was a short letter, in fine, slanted handwriting:
"I haven't heard from you in three months. If you don't want me anymore, you should have been more clear.
A.J."
Hermione sighed and put the letter on the desk. "Well, that didn't do much."
"Come on, one more."
The Lioness tore open another envelope.
"Duncan,
Today's the day I stop looking for you. You've been missing for a year. You know, love disappears when it's not watered. Don't even bother answering me.
A.J."
Frowning, Hermione grabbed another letter.
"My love,
I know I never told you about all this, but I wanted to. For everything we have been through together is worth telling. You never knew what I really thought. When I started my last year at Hogwarts, I had a crush on Samuel Granger. I knew you knew him because you were dating his sister. But as soon as I saw you, it was like my mind came alive. You charmed me. You were handsome, kind and gallant. How could I fall for another Ravenclaw when I was already with Sam, the perfect Gryffindor?
But as soon as you kissed me, trapped in the sixth floor alcove, I felt alive.
Our little sneaky kisses kept me going for months. I thank you for that. You can probably imagine that I felt a little ashamed. After all, we were both dating a Granger, and they didn't know about it. Because, you said, she was just a "convenience". I noticed that you became darker and more distant, but I gave you the space you wanted. I think you felt guilty and I understood. Finally, once the last day of Hogwarts arrived, you dumped Hermione. I, to be honest, hadn't thought of doing the same with Sam yet. I still had some love for him because I couldn't forget him, but you were more than that.
And I hope we'll always be together. Because I love you, Duncan. It's only been two weeks since we graduated, but I don't want to lose you. But don't get me wrong, I think we have to be honest with the Grangers when the time comes. There's no point in hurting them any longer. Not now, just give me time to find the words...
Write back,
AJ."
As she finished reading, Hermione looked up with eyes clouded with rage. She had finally realised that AJ was Angela Jenkins, her brother's girlfriend. She dropped the letter to the floor and put a hand over her heart. So that was it? That was why Duncan had grown increasingly distant with her. This was why he was asking personal questions about his brother; because he wanted Angela? That's why he'd hurt her so much; he was a coward. A real bastard who had cheated on her.
Blaise was frozen. He hadn't expected this at all. And strangely enough, even though it had never happened to him, he felt a pang in his heart when he saw that this letter was bruising his friend's heart. He kept his eyes open to make sure she didn't lose control of her magic, but nothing happened. He sighed, shook his head and decided to pull her to him for a hug.
"I don't even want to read the others," Hermione spat.
"He was a complete arsehole. Come on, let's go downstairs."
He slowly pulled himself away and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. Hermione picked up all the letters from the desk, and stuffed them into her purse with her very own. She would have time to examine them later. They went down the stairs. At the bottom they saw Draco and Ginny looking around.
"Come on, let's get out of here," Blaise ordered them.
Draco and the redheaded witch didn't seem to understand anything, but Blaise nodded sternly to let them know they were done. Ginny widened her eyes and rushed out, followed by the two boys who hurried on.
Hermione was already outside; she hadn't waited for them to speak to her, she had stormed out and was pacing around outside the house. She was very angry. But also very sad. She had had enough of all this. It was just too much. It had done absolutely nothing for them to come here. No one had been able to confirm whether Duncan was the DM selling the watch. All she'd learned was that he'd cheated on her with her now dead brother's girlfriend.
She heard footsteps behind her. She turned sharply and saw her best friend's bright beautiful brunette sighed and hugged Ginny, hoping to find comfort. Hermione hugged her tightly, closing her eyes, holding back from drawing her wand and lashing out at the trees around her to uproot them. Ginny didn't know what Hermione had seen, but right now she needed to be comforted.
A few seconds later, the two Slytherins were right in front of them.
"That was a load of rubbish!" she exclaimed as she pulled away from Ginny. "It didn't do anything! We came all this way for nothing!"
"What happened?" asked Ginny in a small voice.
Hermione reached into her purse and pulled out the last letter she had read from Angela. With a quick movement she shoved it into her best friend's hands.
"Absolutely nothing helped us to know if he was a thief! The thief!"
Draco thought at that moment that something around her was going to break. He didn't want her to lose control here and now. He needed to calm her down. He looked at Blaise to convey his thoughts and Blaise looked back at him. Ginny finished reading the letter and looked up in confusion and disgust. Draco snatched it from her hands and read it greedily.
A deep sense of contempt rumbled inside him as he read on. He didn't need to ask to know who fucking AJ was. By all means, he tried to remember exactly what Duncan looked like and visualize himself casting some crazy spell on him that would cripple him for the rest of his life.
"That...that bitch!" Hermione snapped, still reeling.
Draco expected any second now that her magic would begin to act out. He cast an alarmed glance at Blaise, who was frowning. Draco realised that his fist was so tight that his nails were digging into his palm. He shook off the blurred figure of Duncan's face and took a deep breath through his nose.
Hermione felt as if her brother's memory had just been defiled, even though he had died years after that letter. She had really thought Samuel had good taste in women, but all she could see was Angela's face mocking her. She felt like breaking something and wished she had broken the branch with her bare hands.
"Granger, I don't think we should stay here," Draco urged, folding the letter. "We'd better get back to the village."
"But we haven't found out anything!" she burst out.
Ginny tried to take her hand to calm her down, but Hermione suddenly pulled away. "How do I know who sold this watch?" she shouted hysterically.
"Hermione, calm down..." Draco gasped, his hands held out in front of him, palms up. "Listen to me. Look at me."
He wondered if he should tell her at this point that she was risking letting her magic act out, but he resigned himself. Still steaming with anger, she took a few quick breaths before locking her amber eyes with his. The softness of the grey ocean swayed her gently like a boat in the middle of a sea that rose with the rhythm of the waves. Slowly the water calmed and the force of the storm inside her faded. She blinked and allowed herself to be mesmerized by the gray cradle of his gaze that sought to probe her.
Draco, relieved to finally notice the calm returning to his partner's features, allowed himself a small smile. "I think we all need a drink."
"The cold night takes us to a place to escape the chill
Tucked up somewhere in the woods on a hill
Wake up feeling the cold in between our toes
Is there a way back? Nobody knows."
Hollow Coves,The Woods
oOoOoOoOo
For those who have reached this point in the story, thank you very much for going on reading. It is a form of support and encouragement for me. I'm dying to hear your impressions and opinions so far. I hope to continue to write chapters that will captivate and entangle you in my delusions!
Precious thanks to my betas who reviewed this chapter, enchanted4life and Wise_Owl26. Despite all your busy lives, you are sticking with this adventure and I couldn't ask for more.
Precious thanks to my alpha Angelina who has such great ideas and is willing to be part of this project every day.
Love,
Axiomea