Hermione woke again in a daze. Her head felt like it was hit with a Reducto curse as she moved onto her side, her whole body felt as if it was torn apart. It was quiet in the room, a stark difference from when she had first woken up crying. She cracked an eye open and it focused on the pair of identical redheads slumped in the seats by the left side of her bed. She cracked a smile as Fred's bangs flew up and down as he snored. George was sitting farther back but his hands had fallen off the arms of the chair, one sat in his lap while the other dangled off.
"They refused to leave you," the whisper startled Hermione as she looked at the foot of the bed where Harry stood. The marauders' map in one hand, his father's invisibility cloak in the other. She moved to shift back to her original position, Harry moved to the right side of the bed to help her sit up. "I'm so sorry, Hermione. If I would have known they didn't have Sirius, you wouldn't be hurt right now."
"Is he alright?" Her voice was raspy from the incident earlier that day.
"You saved him," Harry said dropping into the open seat at her bedside. "He wouldn't have even been at risk if I had just listened to you. You knew it was a trap."
"Harry, there is only so much one can know for certain during war. I knew that even if there was a chance that Sirius or anyone else was in trouble, you would go to them. It is who you are Harry. It's what makes you the Chosen One."
"But if I had—" Harry tried to rebut but was cut off.
"We can not live our lives in if's and but's. If tonight was anything to go buy this will be a long and exhausting war. People will die on both sides of the line. Harry Potter, as much as you try, you will not be able to save every individual soul from death. It is a worthy goal but you'll be setting yourself up for failure." Hermione sighed as she reached a hand out to grasp Harry's. "Everyone that fights for the Order, knows the risks they sign up for."
"What about you? Did you know what you would be giving up when you decided to learn those dark spells." Harry asked clasping her hand in his fully. "Why didn't you tell me, you were experimenting with dark magic."
"I didn't want to see that look," Hermione said with another sigh. "The disappointment and judgment. I learned to keep us safe. You and Ron are like brothers to me. As the years went on, the more danger we encountered. I needed to be able to protect you two. "
"Dark magic is not the way to do it," Harry said pulling his hand away from hers.
"I did what I believed to be the right thing. It saved Sirius, didn't it?" She asked.
"But you took a life while doing it." He hissed.
"And there won't be a day that I don't mourn the death of someone's soul even if it was the witch that tortured Neville's parents or would love to see every witch and wizard, like me dead by her hand." Hermione spat. "Death is not something to relish in but to mourn."
"That's what is different from you to all those dark witches or wizards," A voice said from the doorway, where Ron stood with his arm's still covered in bandages. "They see harming and killing someone to be a game, almost like a sport." He moved to sit on the edge of the bed before turning to look at his brothers, who were still sound asleep despite Harry and Hermione's argument.
"I put a privacy spell up," Harry confessed, turning to Hermione. "I didn't want to wake them up and risk them kicking me out. I wanted to make sure you were okay with my own eyes."
"They haven't let you in," Hermione questioned.
"Nope," Ron said with a chuckle. "I even heard them refusing to let Dumbledore in to see you. They ripped into us once they found out how injured you were."
"They are good friends to have," Hermione said smiling at the twins.
"How could you tell them and not us?" Ron asked. "We are your best friends."
Hermione looked from Ron's hurt face to Harry's, who looked as if someone had just harmed Hedwig. She had two paths she could take, either confess to the lies she had been holding for all these years, or add even more to it. For once it was an easy choice, she had wanted to get these secrets off her chest for years now.
"They were the first ones who confronted me about it. After that I couldn't hide the truth from them." Hermione fidgeted with her hands. "It all started when we left the Express after our first year…"
It took her quicker than she had expected to explain her parent's abandonment, her magical adoption, her abuse of the time turner, and finally her practicing with Viktor for the first time. Ron only made a few comments about how the enemy had corrupted her, which she rolled her eyes to. They settled into a tense silence as she finished her tale.
"How could you keep this from us," Harry
exclaimed.
"You did not need me to add my family's dysfunction on top of everything you already have to deal with by living with the Dursleys. You both were my first real friends. I didn't want you guy's to know even my parents didn't want me." Hermione wiped at the few stray tears that had escaped down her face. "I didn't want to go back to being Know-it-all Granger that no one liked. You two are my family, I love you two like my very own brothers."
Ron started to awkwardly pat her back while Harry stood to give her a gentle side hug. She loved the two of them to the world and back, but they were never good a comforting her when she was upset. That always fell to Neville or the twins.
"We have put up with you and your crazy study schedules and bossiness for five years now. No way are you getting rid of us that easily. Life wouldn't be the same without you hounding after us to keep up with our studies or yelling at us for having the emotional range of a teaspoon." Ron joked.
"Can't forget her constantly correcting us when we say, Snape. 'It's Professor Snape,'" Harry joined in.
Hermione rolled her eyes at the two, before smacking Ron in the shoulder but missed Harry as he dogged from her swatting hand. Hermione settled back into her pillows, still laughing as Ron moved towards the end of the bed, and Harry plopped back into the chair. It was nice having such an easy friendship with the two boys. As much as they all had their issues, they always would support each other till the end.
"I should get back to my bed before Madam Pomfrey senses I am not where she ordered me to be," Ron muttered. "I swear she has an alarm set on the bed's."
"I should go too before your bodyguards wake up," Harry said with a small laugh lifting the map from Hermione's bedside table.
"Everyone's rounds should have ended two hours ago," Hermione informed Harry with confidence. She had memorized the professors and prefects patrol schedules since the first week of the school year.
"But if I didn't look, I wouldn't see that Malfoy is still outside the hospital wing," Harry said showing her and Ron the map. Right outside the entrance to the hospital wing, were the footsteps of a pacing Draco Malfoy.
"Has he been there all night," Hermione asked.
"Saw him when I came in to visit," Harry confirmed.
"Maybe he wants revenge over his death eater father getting arrested." Ron joked.
"Or over his aunt," Harry said with a glance over to Hermione.
"If he wanted revenge he would have come in to confront us already." Hermione mused, "How about we ask,"
Hermione swung her legs out of bed but struggled to stand. Harry and Ron rushed either side of her to support her.
"Maybe we should wait," Ron suggested looking over at the twins still asleep. "We don't want them to wake up without you here, they will go nuts."
"I'm not letting them control my actions. I do not do well with people thinking they can control me." Hermione muttered. The trio quietly exited her small private room and tipped toed past the three occupied beds of Ginny, Neville, and Luna. The twins had assured Hermione when she had first woken up that everyone was recovering, she had been the worst injury. Luckily, Malfoy was facing away from the three as they exited the hospital wing. His hair was a wreck, his uniform shirt was wrinkled and untucked. A piece of parchment was clenched in his hand. As he turned around he spotted the trio and stopped his pacing.
"I—" Malfoy started before clenching his jaw.
"What do you want Malfoy," Ron asked, "If this is some attempt at revenge, we don't have time for it."
"It's not," The blonde pureblood mumbled before walking straight towards Hermione, stopping only a few steps from her. He held out the parchment. "He plans for me to get the Mark."
Hermione carefully took the parchment that she could now see was a letter.
My Dearest Dragon,
I hope you are staying safe. The house is crowded during this time. I have been told you'll be getting a special surprise during the summer. It will be such an honor. Are you spending a few weeks at one of your friend's family estates this summer? We will have to discuss further plans after the Express arrives.
Stay safe,
Your loving mother.
"A special surprise," Hermione asked.
"The dark mark. The houseguests would be the Dark Lord and other death eaters. He'll be upset that father got discovered and arrested." Malfoy ran his hands through his hair, pulling slightly. "She has not personally met me from the Express since my first year. I think something is wrong."
"Why would we care Malfoy. Just a few days ago your father was slinging dark curses and hexes at us, wishing to kill us." Harry hissed. "Why should we care if your pureblood mother is in trouble."
"Just forget it," Malfoy said snatching the letter back from Hermione.
"Wait," Hermione called out. Shoving away from the boy's and slowly walking towards Malfoy, where he had stopped at her call. "If you are worried why come to us. You've hated us since we first met."
"I may not know everything that happened at the Ministry, but I do know that you and your merry little group of idiots, just survived a trap orchestrated by the Dark Lord's inner circle. You all escaped will minor injuries, except for what it seems, you. His most crazed supporter is dead. You may think I am incompetent Granger but I can see how this war is going to play out and Slytherins are nothing if not self-persevering."
"You want an escape plan," Hermione assumed.
"I want my mother and me, to survive the mad man that my father signed our souls over too," Malfoy said clenching his jaw as his hand tightened to fists by his side. "I will not die on bended knee serving a mad man. Malfoy's are leaders not spineless followers."
"We need to go to Dumbledore," Harry demanded.
"That old man will never believe me. He'll think I'm just lying to become a spy." Malfoy reasoned.
"Are you," Ron questioned.
"Do you think I would be asking you three for help if I wanted to spy on you. There are much safer and well thought out way's to get the drop on you, like perhaps seducing your sister, Weasel. " Draco shot back at him.
"No," Hermione said blocking Harry and Ron from Malfoy. "He does have a point. This would not be the smartest action plan. I do think we need to go to someone, but I wouldn't go to Professor Dumbledore first."
"Then who do you suggest," Harry asked. "McGonagall?"
"As much as I trust Professor McGonagall, she would have the same belief that Malfoy is lying." Hermione hummed. "I'm thinking we go to someone who has as much stake in keeping Malfoy safe as Malfoy and his mother. Professor Snape."
"What," All three boy's exclaimed together.
"He is the last one who can be trusted." Malfoy hissed. "He's one of the top-ranking Death Eaters."
"I don't think it's a good idea," Harry agreed. "I know Dumbledore trusts him but he's a spy."
"He is trustworthy," Hermione said with a sigh. She had to believe it with everything she had seen from the past few years. Professor Snape had saved them from Professor Lupin during the full moon and had always tried to keep the trio safe, even if Harry and Ron couldn't see it over their prejudices. Fred and George had also said he was genuinely concerned over Hermione's actions during the battle. The twins also said they had a way to alert the Professor if Hermione woke up again. "I have a plan, but you three have to listen to me. Harry, you go back to the tower, Ron goes back to his cot, and Malfoy will follow me into the private hospital room. We can wake up the twins to summon Professor Snape. He has inside knowledge of how Voldemort works. He will know if it is possible to have an escape plan ready for Malfoy and his mother by the time the Express reaches London."
"But—" Harry tried.
"I don't think—" Exclaimed Ron.
"I do not trust—" Draco hissed.
"You either follow my instructions or you are out of luck Malfoy," Hermione said taking small steps to the hospital wing. She was getting exhausted being out of bed for so long. Madam Pomfrey would be yelling at her in a few hours for her level of exhaustion. She could her Ron grumbling as he followed after her, as well as Malfoy's expensive shoes stomping on the floor after her. Harry had caught up to her but had slipped the invisibility cloak over himself except for his head. She had a feeling he would never leave Malfoy alone with his two best friends. As long as he stayed hidden when Professor Snape came in, it should be fine.
Ron slipped into his bed just as Harry, Hermione, and Draco reached the door to her private hospital room. Harry huffed as he sat in the seat he had vacated earlier, while Malfoy leaned against the wall just inside the doorway crossing his arms. Fred's hair was still floating up and down with every snore, while George still had one of his arms in his lap and the other hung limply at his side. Hermione moved as she made her way to the bed and sat facing the twins. They had missed so much in the few hours they had been asleep. They would surely be surprised once they woke up. Hermione laughed as she grabbed her pillow and smacked them both in the face. What a wonderful wake-up call they would have.
Author's note: Hello everyone! Who else is surprised it only took me 4 months to post a new chapter compared to four years. I hope everyone is staying safe during this scary time. All of the reviews and follows have been wonderful and motivating to keep writing this lovely fic. Keep them coming! Let me know what you think will happen. I do not have a beta so excuse all of the spelling and grammar mistakes. I go over these as much as I can before I post but things still fall through the cracks. I hope you all have a wonderful time reading this!