Flashback.
Hermione was in the middle of her sixth year at Hogwarts and had returned home for the Christmas holidays. She planned to spend a few days at the Burrow, but not until after New Year's Day. Now, she was wandering around a mall with her brother, looking for the best Christmas presents for their parents. Samuel always had extravagant ideas, but Hermione was there to keep him grounded with their realistic budget.
They spent their whole year at Hogwarts - for Hermione - and at the Ministry - for Samuel, so the Christmas holidays and the summer were really the only time of the year when they could go into the Muggle world and act like Muggles. The holiday atmosphere was magical in the shops and malls: Christmas music that Hermione knew Ron would only frown at hearing the words, decorations on the high ceilings and beams, a huge Christmas tree in the centre of the mall, next to the escalators. The shops were crowded, and the frenzy of gift hunting was palpable. The parking lots were full, and just trying to find a free space could take twenty minutes. The trick was to spot a person or couple coming out of the mall with bags in their hands and follow them to their car and wait for the space to open up.
Today was the 20th of December. They were both often last minute in terms of buying presents, as Hogwarts exams were finishing late, and Samuel's holiday leave at the Ministry didn't start until six days before Christmas. The song that was playing over the mall's speakers was "Frosty the Snowman". Hermione unrolled her scarf and let it fall to either side of her neck, hanging down to her thighs.
"Okay, tell me again what Mum likes," Sam said from about three feet in front of her.
"Bloody hell, you're walking fast!" complained Hermione, trying to catch up to walk beside him.
"We're on a mission, speed is the key to success."
Hermione looked down at the list in her hand. "Um... scented candles, new cushions, a tray for the spices, tickets for—"
"And Dad?" interrupted Sam.
"Um... An electric razor, new slippers, a Bluetooth speaker, new kitchen knives, a gift card from—"
"Right. Do you think we can get them both a big gift?"
"We can try, but they both have very different tastes."
Sam walked into a shop with a right turn, and a muggle lady stationed by the front doors greeted them cheerfully and told them all the major discounts inside. Hermione and Sam walked into the shop and began to walk between the tables and shelves where many kitchen items, dishes, serving trays, electrical appliances in many colours and models were displayed.
"Oh!" exclaimed Sam, pointing to a large box, placed a little higher than him on a wall shelf. "Thirty percent off!"
Hermione bit her lip. "You really think they'd want a waffle grill?"
Sam turned to her and rolled his eyes dramatically. At the entrance to the shop, the lady was giving him sidelong glances.
"What are you suggesting?" he asked his sister.
Hermione looked at the various items around her and pointed to a golden tray with six elegant, well rounded wine glasses on it. "This?"
"The tray or the glasses?"
"The glasses! It's a set of eight, and they always complain when we have guests that we don't have the same set of dishes for everyone..."
Sam pointed a finger at her and squinted amicably. "Not bad, lil' sis!"
"They're twenty percent off," said Hermione cheerfully.
"Great! What do you say we give them both that, and get them a little present each?"
"Agreed."
They paid for their purchase and continued walking through the mall. At one point Hermione was drawn to a jewellery display and stopped right in front of it, examining all the glittering jewellery under the glass.
Samuel sighed, but walked over anyway, and started looking as well. "Really, rings, Hermione? I didn't think you were such a diva."
Hermione blinked several times, admiring the detailed ring designs: the biggest, the most expensive, the simplest, the most elegant, the most classic, the most intricate.
"Don't you ever think about it?" she whispered, without looking up from the display.
"About what?"
"Getting married."
Samuel said nothing for a moment, continuing to let his gaze wander over the various jewels on velvet trays. "Sometimes," he admitted after a moment, a little more seriously.
Another silence. "You?" he asked.
She shrugged, but the answer came quickly to her lips. "I think so."
"You know, smart as you are, you have all the choices in the world! You could end up with anyone. Why not someone rich? I'd like some wealth in the Granger family…"
At the mere mention of a rich husband, she visualised Draco Malfoy's arrogant face for half a second, but the mere thought of a cold wedding in a dark Manor made her shiver and the thought evaporated.
"All the rich men I know are jerks," she muttered.
Sam said nothing, but Hermione looked up. "Oh, no wait,' she blurted out. "Not Harry. Harry's filthy rich, did you know?"
Her brother looked at her with a deadpan expression. "You want to marry Harry Potter?"
Hermione laughed. "No!" she exclaimed. "I'm not there yet anyway. I've got a lot of years ahead of me before that happens."
"You know, when it happens - because I'm sure it will - I'll have to approve of your fiancé."
"Approve him?" the brunette repeated.
"Not everyone can marry not just Hermione Granger, but my little sister. It's a big responsibility."
"No one will want to marry me if you scare them or else!"
"I won't scare them away. I promise."
Three years had passed since the graduation ceremony at Hogwarts. Hermione, Draco, Blaise and Ginny had moved into the house that Narcissa had given them, an elegant villa in Westminster, with iron gates and a long white flagstone driveway that led to the entrance. The driveway was lined on both sides with small shrubs and bushes that bloomed in spring. Harry and Ron visited regularly. The interior was nothing like Malfoy Manor, even if the size competed with it. The decorations were more modern, less antique, and they had each put their own personal touch on the communal rooms, such as the living room and the kitchen.
It was Draco and Hermione who got the master bedroom after all, while Blaise and Ginny got another room away from them. Each room had its own bathroom. Each couple needed their own privacy. With reason. The adjustment had been a little complicated from the start, but they had established rules to ensure that everyone found a compromise. And all decisions that affected the house had to be approved by each of the tenants.
They had celebrated every Christmas at the Westminster house, New Year's Day at the Burrow, and Easter at Ravona and Narcissa's house. Arthur and Molly had welcomed Draco and Blaise as old friends of the families, even if the exchanges were a bit casual at first – according to Ginny – or cautious – according to Blaise. But the Weasley parents were happy to see that their daughter had been happy with Blaise for several years now, and were patiently awaiting their engagement, not without dropping heavy hints to Blaise at family dinners.
Hermione had bought a car with the money she had saved at work, having refused to let Draco pay for it. Even though their house had a chimney that they could use to get around with the Floo Powder, Hermione loved to go on car trips 'like a Muggle'. She and Ginny regularly went out in the car. The funniest thing had been the first time Draco and Blaise had gotten into the car - Draco in the passenger seat and Blaise in the back seat with Ginny - and tried to adjust to all of the car's vibrations and engine noises. Draco was holding onto the handle above his window, even though Hermione was driving very slowly. After several trips, everyone had gotten used to it, and the brunette had tried to teach her boyfriend how to drive. So far without success.
Hermione's parents, thanks to Narcissa's invaluable and tireless help, had recovered all their memories after six months of therapy. Hermione told them everything that had happened, and together they began to visit Samuel's grave every month. The young witch made sure to look at the back of the grave every time she passed by, reading the names of Ivana, Willem and Clive, and silently thanking them. They had over the course of the past few years, been giving extra money to Willem and Clive's family. Fergus had returned on the field three months after his work partners died.
Draco was finishing his year of practice as a Healer at St. Mungo's. His final exams were three weeks away, and he spent all his evenings sunken comfortably on a couch in the living room, his nose in a huge medical book. Blaise, on the other hand, had finished all his psychology courses at Oxford and had discovered the valuable technology that was the Internet. Hermione had installed a Wi-Fi network in their house, and had spent many hours helping Blaise understand how everything worked — how to browse the web, how to access electronic documents, how to use his online school website. After a few weeks, he was surfing like a pro, impressed by the blue screen that lit up his face when he did his homework until the early hours of the morning.
Hermione had started her career at the Department of Magical Law Enforcement at the end of the summer following her graduation. She had had to start at the bottom rung, which she didn't like for a while, but she completed all her tasks with such thoroughness and efficiency that her superiors were impressed with her work and quickly moved her up the ranks. She had been the Mission Deployment Operations Coordinator for over a year – Blaise had nicknamed her MDOC for a while – and had often crossed paths with Ron, now an Auror, during that year. Then she had started working on her own personal bill while still employed. She had worked every night for months putting together the outline of her project, taking care to list her funding options and realistic goals. She had organised several charity events at Westminster House, helped by Draco and Narcissa, where she sought to talk about her project and solicit financial support. Parents of young wizards were not difficult to convince.
Hermione's plan was to set up the very first Mental Health Office in England at Hogwarts, and eventually around the Wizarding World, and to train suitable people to deal with distressed, grieving, and depressed students. The events of Voldemort's reign and the Battle in 1998 had left many wizards and students with scars and damage, and not everything had been repaired. Many still needed counselling.
The first time Hermione spoke clearly about her plan to her friends around the dinner table, it had only been a year since they had graduated. Blaise had immediately lit up.
"You know, after my studies in psychology, we could be partners..." he had said.
Hermione had dropped her fork. Blaise was serious. It was a brilliant idea. Draco was also planning to work as a Healer in this 'clinic', where he could give treatment to students who were injured by suicidal attempts or accidents related to their mental illness. Gradually, everything was falling into place and becoming more concrete.
Hermione had already accumulated a lot of funding, thanks to her partners, Draco and Blaise, but also Harry, Narcissa, Ravona, George Weasley, Fergus, Madam Pomfrey, and a multitude of anonymous donations. She had requested a meeting with the Department's administrative council in order to officially submit her bill. The meeting was a week away, and she was spending all her spare time putting everything in order, copying her notes - which she thought were all too drafty.
Everyone was busy. Life was flying by, and no one really had time to think too far ahead.
It was July 15th 2002, while Draco was deep in a game of chess with Ginny, while Blaise was listening to a Muggle film on the huge plasma screen above the fireplace, that they heard over-excited squeaks in the second living room, which was only used for the Floo Powder. Hermione had just arrived, and she had missed dinner.
"Guys, guys, guys!" she exclaimed, her voice high-pitched and bouncing between the walls.
Quick little steps clattered against the floor and a few seconds later Hermione appeared, red-cheeked and breathless, and stopped in front of them. Her arms carried folders full of documents and other paperwork she had used for her presentation. Her eyes were shining. Draco jumped to his feet.
"So?" he asked.
"They accepted!" she shouted. "They agreed! Hogwarts will have its own Mental Health Office! Hogwarts will have its own Mental Health Office!
Ginny and Blaise let out excited exclamations at the same time as Draco lunged towards his girlfriend and hugged her tightly. Ginny knocked over the chess set but no one paid any attention. No one paused the film, and the scenes continued to unfold without interruption, buried by the sound of their exclamations.
When Draco released Hermione, she intertwined her own fingers together but held out her index finger to point at Blaise.
"You can be the first psychologist at Hogwarts!"
She then pointed at Draco. "And you can be the first Healer especially for students in distress! I'll be taking a grief counselling course in the next few months, but anyone can consult Blaise on any matter or problem…"
"Oh my God," blew out Blaise, a hand against his forehead. "I'm going to get paid to analyse people! It's a dream come true."
"That's amazing!" smiled Ginny, clapping her hands.
"The office will be in an adjoining part of the Hogwarts infirmary," Hermione explained, still excited. "It won't be open just now. But everything should be set by next summer! We'll have an opening ceremony the day before school starts."
"We have to celebrate now!" exclaimed Draco. "Freckles, wanna call Harry and Ron? We'll meet at the usual bar. My treat!"
"And my booze is paid for!" exclaimed Blaise, dumbfounded. "This is the best day of my life."
Ginny ran to the room where Hermione had arrived, and made her call into the magic fire.
The six of them were gathered in a wizarding bar in London, each with a glass of their favourite alcohol in hand. They had toasted Hermione's project implementation, Draco's exam success, Blaise's graduation, and the start of Ginny's professional career as a Holyhead Harpies Chaser. The celebration was joyful, and the atmosphere was festive.
Harry told stories during his time at Hogwarts, and Ron kept his missions confidential. They were both still single, although they had each had a girlfriend for a while several months ago. It hadn't lasted, but they weren't currently actively looking for a witch by their side.
After a while at the bar, Ron raised his glass against all odds. "Never have I ever failed an exam!"
He was the first to take a sip, followed by Blaise and Harry.
"Never have I ever pretended I couldn't read," Draco said.
Harry glared at him, knowing that the question was specifically directed at him. The memory of his second year, ten years ago already, when he had Polyjuiced himself as Goyle and infiltrated the Slytherin common room, came to mind. He had forgotten to take off his glasses.
He didn't drink.
"You're bluffing!" exclaimed Draco, pointing accusingly at him.
"I never said I couldn't read! I was still wearing my glasses and you asked me how long I'd been wearing glasses, and I told you it was to read. You told me you didn't know I could read. You said I couldn't read."
"Burn!" shouted Blaise.
The group laughed, and Draco grumbled under his breath.
Harry shot back with a crooked smile. "Never have I ever been slapped by Hermione and secretly loved it."
"Harry!" Hermione hissed in outrage.
Draco, his eyes fixed on Harry, was the only one to take a sip. Everyone around the table had already been slapped, big or small, by Hermione, but only Draco had liked it.
"Never have I ever thrown books through Moaning Myrtle," Blaise said.
Ginny rolled her eyes and took a sip of her alcohol. "Never have I ever been caught having sex!"
Hermione blushed, and Draco was silent, but both took a sip. Harry and Ron began to ask questions, while Blaise and Ginny laughed. It had indeed happened during their first month of living in the Westminster house, and it was after this event that certain rules had been established.
"Never have I ever kissed a Slytherin!" said Ron, raising his glass.
Hermione and Ginny were the first to take a generous sip from their glass, and soon Draco and Blaise were taking a sip each, before looking at each other with round eyes.
"Why did you drink?" hissed Blaise.
"I looked at you to tell you not to drink! You're the fucking analyst! You should be able to read my eyes!"
Hermione frowned. "Pansy?" she guessed.
But Draco, before he could stop himself, shook his head in displeasure. "It happened once," he muttered.
"Malfoy!" spat Blaise. "We agreed never to talk about it!"
Now all eyes were on them, unsure of what was going on. Hermione was confused. "What happened?" she asked.
"We were drunk," Draco grumbled.
"STOP SAYING DETAILS," warned Blaise.
Ginny looked at her boyfriend. "Is that what I think it is?"
Blaise didn't answer right away, but eventually he nodded. "Probably."
The redheaded witch laughed loudly and Hermione leaned towards her. "What, Ginny? Tell me!"
"Our boyfriends kissed once!" Ginny retorted, amused by the embarrassment of the two ex-Slytherins. "They wanted to win a bet and they were drunk. It was just smooch."
Draco and Blaise cringed at the same time, and soon everyone's laughter was rattling their glasses and even the chairs they were all sitting on.
For the next year, Hermione, Draco and Blaise worked tirelessly to get everything in order. Hermione attended her grief counselling course and spent every Sunday with her parents, except when she was urgently unavailable. The Granger family had recovered since Samuel's death. Her father was no longer popping pill after pill. Her mother cried a lot less and had taken up painting, where she used colours and improvised brushstrokes to express what she felt. Her paintings were soon noticed by her close community and soon many people wanted to buy them from her.
In the last six months before the grand opening, they often met at Hogwarts in the Infirmary Wing, discussing with Madam Pomfrey the best layout for the Office. It was agreed that the Office would be best placed not directly in the Infirmary, but by connecting two rooms that were part of the same wing and could lead into the Infirmary. The Infirmary and the Office would thus remain close to each other.
Five months before the opening, Ministry employees specialising in building alterations and architectural design had come to configure the Office. Hermione had already raised enough money to pay them, but most of them were doing it as a favour to the witch of the golden trio that had brought down Voldemort.
Three months before the opening, Hermione, Draco and Blaise were summoned to Hogwarts on a more regular basis for information and administration meetings with the teaching staff, including McGonagall. All had to be able to understand the Office's mission and be able to offer it to students they deemed might need its services.
Two months before the opening, the magical newspapers began to show more interest in the project, which had been so effectively implemented. Articles appeared in the papers here and there, detailing the progress, informing all wizards of this promising new resource for students. At this point, those familiar with the project were already calling it the MHO - the Mental Health Office.
A month before the opening, at the same time as the Hogwarts letters were being sent out to old and new students, a letter was also sent to parents informing them of the MHO at Hogwarts, for those who didn't know yet. Hermione received many letters that week praising her initiative. Several parents even confided in her, ink on parchment, telling her that their child was not the same since the war against Voldemort, or that they didn't talk as much, or that they had become more sullen, or that they had seen a friend die and was having regular nightmares. Hermione and Blaise responded with empathy and care, promising to approach their child as soon as they entered Hogwarts.
Hermione finished her grief counselling course three weeks before the opening and finally, two weeks before the opening, everything was prepared and ready.
Draco did not return to Chiswick Cemetery regularly. His memories of the place were not happy and it had taken him a while to get used to the elm tree again. He could still picture Mackie's body slumped against the trunk, dead and warm.
He decided to go alone for the first time. Hermione was at the Ministry all day, and Blaise and Ginny were each away or busy with their own business or work. No one was there to ask him where he was going.
He apparated neatly into the centre of the graveyard with a gnawing nervousness in his stomach. He walked between the rows of gravestones, and stopped in front of Samuel Granger's. He bit the inside of his mouth, standing silently in front of the stone, his hands deep in his pockets.
"Hey," he said in a low voice, a little awkwardly.
He paused, as if giving Samuel time to respond, and then spoke again.
"I promised you all those years ago that I would take care of your sister. I think I did a good job at it. As best as I could. But I was wondering if—"
He swallowed, not knowing why he felt so nervous in front of a motionless tombstone. "I was wondering if you would allow me to take care of her as my wife. I can't promise you that I won't spoil her, but I can promise you that I'll do everything in my power to make her happy and to support her during her difficult times."
Draco bit his lower lip and reached into his pocket, the ring between his index finger and thumb. The same ring that Harry had helped him choose a few weeks before graduating from Hogwarts and had kept carefully hidden all these years, knowing that the time would eventually come.
He was looking at the ring as he continued to speak, not sure who he was talking to.
"I can't imagine myself with anyone else. I can't imagine ever being without her. She makes me a better person – all versions of me, even the worst – and I dare to believe that I'm helping her become the best version of herself, no matter who she wants to be."
Draco's grey gaze fell on the gravestone. "I know you can't answer me, technically, but I wanted to at least let you know my intentions."
He put the ring back in his pocket and remained silent for a moment. The wind played in his hair for a few seconds.
"I wish I could have met you, Sam," he admitted with a smile. "If you're anything like your sister, I think you and I would have gotten along just fine."
With that, Draco gave the stone a final nod and Disapparated, convinced once and for all of his decision.
On August 31st, the day before the school year began - the day of the ceremony - the Great Hall of Hogwarts had been spectacularly decorated. It looked like a Ball was being held there. There were elegant and glowing decorations, high round tables, waiters circulating with silver trays on which champagne flutes were placed. Narcissa had contributed generously to the organisation of the ceremony; everyone knew her talent for such events.
The Great Hall was packed with Ministry staff, Hogwarts alumni, former and new teachers (including Harry), parents, friends and donors. For the occasion, Hermione wore a long black dress that hugged her figure, and several witches complimented her on her hair's classic up-do. She had slightly aged since her graduation four years ago, but her features had matured and become even softer. She turned every head. She weaved her way through the Great Hall, passing from hand to hand, thanking everyone for their presence. Draco and Blaise tried to follow her, but were very often stopped by old witches who greeted them by pinching their cheeks. A film of sweat covered Draco's forehead. He had never felt so nervous.
After a moment, Kingsley Shacklebolt took his place on the elevated stage at the front of the Great Hall and invited all the guests to raise their glasses in Hermione's favour. The brunette was red with embarrassment and honour. Draco stood beside her, puffed up with pride.
Hermione was invited to the stage to give her speech. She began by thanking everyone present once again and naming her partners, sponsors, and advisors one after the other, making sure to include short jokes that made everyone laugh. She really charmed the crowd.
"This project started to grow on me when I realised in my last year at Hogwarts," she said, "that sometimes it's okay not to be okay. It's okay to have trouble moving forward, to be momentarily paralyzed because we are too sad. Or because we are lost. But no one should have to go through these moments alone. And I was lucky enough to be surrounded by friends who became like my family and who helped me find the answers I was looking for. I didn't get the answers I wanted, but we can never choose what answers we'll get."
She blinked a couple of times, scanning the crowd, trying to catch every familiar face she saw. Harry. Ginny. Neville. Ron. Fergus. Narcissa. Blaise. Draco, just ahead.
"Many of us here lost someone," she continued. "The thing is, when it happens, something inside of us… shifts. Changes. We become this piece of parchment that's been crumpled up and some of us try to flatten it out all over again, like nothing happened. The thing is, that parchment will now always be wrinkled – if you don't use magic, that goes without saying."
Hermione paused once again, heartbeat hammering in her ears.
"Because grief changes who we are and how we think," she added. "We become a new version of ourselves the moment we lose a loved one. We learn to live with this… new person that we've become, but ultimately we learn to accept this new version of us and make room for it. It doesn't get any easier. But the times when you miss that loved one space out more and more. That's when you really learn what it means to live without them."
Hermione now felt her heart pounding against her chest. The crowd was silent, hanging on her every word.
"That's why I'm happy to set up a mental health office. Everyone who is going through a grief deserves to be supported and cared for. Anyone who feels anxious or unsure of how to move forward deserves to find a safe place to be heard. This is a new beginning for the Wizarding World, and I believe it is the first of many!"
The crowd applauded feverishly and passionately, and Hermione invited her partners, Blaise and Draco, up to give their speeches. Blaise spoke about his path in psychology and some of the things he had learned, including the positive impact he wanted to make in the students' lives.
When Draco finally went on stage, he was already sweating profusely. His heart was pounding against his chest, and he couldn't get it to slow down no matter how slow he breathed. He stood in the same spot where Hermione and Blaise had given their speeches, and looked down at his feet for a moment. The guests looked at each other, wondering if he was meditating, praying, or falling asleep on his feet.
In his pocket, the familiar shape of the ring twirled between his fingers. He didn't have a box. A myriad of questions flashed through his head like a shower of shooting stars, but he couldn't catch one to think about. He was a mess of emotions.
He took a slow breath and looked up at last, searching for Harry's eyes, though he did not know why. He finally found him, a little to the right, and the emerald-eyed wizard nodded with a big smile of encouragement. Harry knew.
Draco's eyes fell on Hermione, who had moved back a little further into the crowd. The sea of faces faded around her, and his eyes could no longer make out any figure other than hers. He knew her brown eyes by heart. To lock his gaze in hers was restful. A safe haven. And slowly, his heart calmed down and the frenzied beating subsided. He gained confidence. He gained courage.
Ginny, who had managed to squeeze her way through to Blaise, leaned towards him.
"He's going to do it, isn't he?"
Blaise whispered in his ear. "A Galleon she will say yes before she cries."
"A Galleon she'll cry before she says yes," Ginny retorted.
"You know what that means, don't you?" Blaise asked her quietly, examining her carefully.
She looked at him, before resting her eyes on Draco, still on stage. She took a sip of her champagne.
"We'll have to move out," said Blaise, and Ginny nodded, smiling fondly.
On stage, with his hand still in his pocket, a smile split Draco's face, and Hermione's eyes twinkled. Soon she mirrored him, and her lips curled upwards. And in that singular, solemn, intimate moment they shared, they both knew what was coming and what the answer would be.
Ginny won a Galleon that evening.
THE END
"Have you thought of an ending?"
"Yes, several, and all are dark and unpleasant."
"Oh, that won't do! Books ought to have good endings. How would this do: and they all settled down and lived together happily ever after?"
"It will do well."
J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Rings
oOoOoOoOoOo
You have reached the end of "In Very Cold Blood", after a long journey that lasted 6 months. I'm sure some of you have been here since the very beginning, and I can only thank you for your perseverance and patience.
But this story would not have been the same without the hard work of my three teammates. My two betas: ribbonofsunshine and Wise_Owl26 who made my writing smoother and with less mistakes. As you know, English is not my first language, so translating this story was a huge challenge for me. I wrote it in French first. I must also thank my alpha Angelina who supported me almost every day to discuss ideas, dialogues and scenes with me. To every author reading this, I do hope you find an alpha as competent and special as Angelina.
Now would be the perfect time to give me your latest comments, opinions and questions about IVCB. What did you like the most? Which chapter kept you up at night? Which scene made you cry, or laugh, or gasp?
One last favour I'd like to ask you, my dear readers, would be to recommend this now finished story to your friends, or on social networks, Dramione groups, Discord servers or elsewhere. If you enjoyed this story even a little bit, please spread the word! Make it well-known if you want to. I wrote it for fun, but if you think someone might like it, tell them about it.
Thank you for being there. I'd love to chat with you each one of you guys.
Love, Axiomea.