The Talk
Hermione slowed her walk the closer she got to 12 Grimmuald Place. Every reason that she could have had to go look for Draco Malfoy flew through her mind, but reach seemed as impossible and unlikely as the next. Hermione only knew one thing for sure, she couldn't tell them the truth. She didn't even know the truth herself.
Reaching her destination, she opened the door silently to make sure she didn't awaken the portrait on the wall of Mrs. Black. Thankfully, the portrait remained silent as she went into the house and stole up the stairs in search someone to talk to. She didn't know who she was looking for, but she knew it had to be someone she could trust. The door to Ginny Weasley and her own room was ajar. Getting closer to the door, she heard Ron, Ginny, and Harry's hushed voices.
"Ron, neither Harry or I know where she went!" Ginny was whispering, exasperated. "Now," she said almost dangerously, "get out and leave us alone!"
Hermione stifled a laugh. She could imagine what they had been doing that Ron had interrupted. Slowly, she pushed the door open. Harry and Ginny were sitting on Ginny's bed while Ron was standing in the middle of the room with his back to the door. Ginny and Harry both looked surprised when she came in, but quickly recovered.
"There she is," Ginny said firmly to Ron nodding in Hermione's direction. "Now, leave us alone," she repeated.
Ron turned around and grinned when he saw Hermione. "Hermione," he said with relief in his voice. He started to walk towards her, but she put her hand out to stop him.
Surprised, he stopped. "I need to talk to you guys," she stated quietly. "Well, I suppose I should tell everyone... Oh, Merlin's beard, what am I suppose to do?"
Her cryptic talk might not had made sense to her friends, but if their expressions were any indication, it had left them quite curious at what she was talking about. She swung around, heading for the door again. "Where is everyone?" she asked wildly. For some unknown reason to even her, she was becoming hysterical.
She felt someone's arms wrap around her, so leaned back on to his chest. "Hermione," Ron said softly, smoothly. "Tell us what happened..."
He left his voice trail off into a soft whisper. Hermione felt a bit calmer, which surprised her. Ron ever had that effect on her. Quite the contrary actually, he had the ability to infuriate her like no one else. She took a deep breath, turning to her friends. "Guys," she said slowly, guilty, "I need to talk to everyone. Not just you guys, everyone."
Harry jumped to his feet. "Sure, fine, okay," he rushed, grabbing Ginny's hand and pulling her to her feet. "Let's go get McGonagall and Lupin, at least."
Hermione supposed it was the fact she was acting so unlike herself that made her friends quickly agree and be so prompt. She couldn't help herself, she knew she was in for a lot of yelling. She knew she shouldn't be have went to talk to him alone. She knew it in her gut, but somewhere else inside her had known no one else would have listened to him.
A few minutes later most of the Order of the Phoenix was gathered in their dining room which also served the purpose of a meeting room. McGonagall, Lupin (which Tonks standing behind him with her hand on his shoulder), Bill (still bandaged from his wounds), Fleur, Mrs and Ms. Weasley, and the real Mad–Eye Moody sat around the table with their full attention on the four teenagers that had called the meeting.
Obviously tiring of the silence, Lupin said, "What is it, Harry?"
Harry quickly denied the responsibility of calling the meeting, "It wasn't me; it was Hermione."
Hermione folded her hands nervously in front of her, not looking up at the adults who now turned their attention directly on her. "I guess I should start from the very beginning," she said quickly. No one said a word, waiting for her to continue. Quickly, fumbling slightly for no real reason, she told the story of seeing Draco following them and then going in search of him. Quite predictably everyone chastised her for going on her own, even called her reckless. She took the verbal chastising without complaint. Once they had stopped yelling at her and their looks had gone slightly softer, she made her point. "And I said I'd come and talk to the Order of the Phoenix, to see if I could convince you all to give him refuge."
The outrage was immediate. No one, not even the rational McGonagall, would hear of Draco Malfoy being brought here.
Knowing it was low, almost below her, she said the words she'd hope she wouldn't have to, "Dumbledore offered him refuge. Dumbledore was willing." She took the silence that followed to look each of the members in their eyes as daring them to say something to contradict Dumbledore's memory.
Very reluctantly McGonagall said, "If Albus... was going to. And Harry confirms he was going to, then I see no reason why the boy shouldn't be brought here under our protection. But–," she stressed, looking into Hermione's eyes piercingly, "Only if Miss Granger is willing to watch him and take the blame for anything he does. Wrong." Slowly the rest nodded their agreement, looking at Hermione with unblinking eyes.
"Fine," Hermione said in a shaky voice.
"And," Lupin added, "he takes the Ververitaserum truth potion."
Hermione nodded, agreeing for Draco. "I'm sure he'll do so without complaint."
"Fine," Lupin said reluctantly. "Someone must go with you to fetch him."
"I will," Tonks volunteered. She sounded almost eager to go, to leave the headquarters for even a few minutes.
"As I," Fleur said softly.
Bill and Lupin looked like they would object until they looked at the women's faces. Ginny smiled, "I'll go with them."
Mr. Weasley said to say something, but was interupted by Mrs. Weasley. "Oh, Author, let her go. He is wandless. And they know how to reach us quickly if they are in danger."
With that, the four girls left in search, again, for Hermione's mystery man.
