Chapter 17
Hermione stepped out of the shower and wiped the steam off of the mirror above the sink. Her stomach dropped looking at her face. The bruise over her left eye extended much further down her face, covering most of the left side of her face in an angry bruise. Her eye lid was swollen, giving her face an asymmetrical look. She felt so ugly. Not that she had ever felt like a true beauty before, with her bushy hair and buck teeth, but she hadn't ever felt this ugly before. Her cheeks were hollow and her hair was lank. She turned away from the mirror, forcing herself to stop being so vain. Who cares what I look like. It isn't important. her mind turned to things that were important, as she found a comb and started forcing it through the knotted mess that was her hair. She was anxious to speak with Seamus. Hopefully he would listen to her before reacting rashly to Draco's presence. She felt a level of confidence that Seamus would be accepting of her, which was soothing, but Draco was an uncertainty. She tried to put her self in Susan and Seamus shoe's. All of Susan's family were killed by Death Eaters, or Voldemort himself. Seamus had been there, fighting along side them at Hogwarts against Death Eaters. And now here she was, bringing a Death Eater into their home. She had no idea what either of them had been through after she had last seen them. She felt woefully cut off from the world, constantly being on the run.
She found a clean pair of robes folded outside the bathroom door, so she she put those on. They were warm and smelled like clean linens. It felt so good to be in clean clothes again.
"Draco," She said, poking her head into the guest room. "You can take a shower now,"
Draco was sitting on the edge of the bed. When he turned to look at Hermione she saw that his eyes were rimmed red.
"Draco?" She asked tentatively. He stared at her for a minute, before sighing deeply and standing up. He walked passed Hermione into the bathroom, and shut the door. She heard the sounds of the shower starting.
What's up with him? She wondered placidly. She decided to find Susan, talk to her a little more.
Hermione walked down the stairs, willing her self not to look at the photo's hung on the walls. She didn't need an excuse to let negative emotions take over. As she reached the bottom of the stairs a mouth watering smell hit her nose. Susan's cooking! Thank Merlin! Hermione realized, happily.
"Smells really good," Hermione said, walking into the kitchen.
"Oh! You scared me," Susan said, jumping a little. "And thank you. You look...you look really thin, and so does Draco so I figured I would whip something up. Seamus owled to tell me he was running late, but he should be home in about an hour. I contemplated owling him back to say there was company over, but thought better of it. I think I should tell you that we hang out with Ernie Macmillion and Hannah Abbott sometimes, and although we have been through the conversion program at the Ministry, we all secretly wish things were different. We might not be as brave as other Orders members, but we still have hope. We just did what was best at the time."
Hermione mulled over what the witch had said. Was Susan saying the Order had allies? Hermione sure hoped so.
"The less people that know we are here, the better. It could be extremely dangerous, being associated with us at all. They will kill Draco as soon as they see him. I don't know what they will do to you guys, if they catch you harboring us, but I do know you will probably lose everything. This beautiful house, your jobs, maybe even be separated from each other."
Susan looked away. The timer on the oven dinged, and Susan opened it, pulling a roast out. The sight of it made Hermione's stomach leap. She couldn't remember the last time she had had a roast. A shower and a hot dinner. I'm getting spoiled, She mused.
"Hermione? Where is Ron?" Susan asked carefully, not meeting her eye.
"Ron was captured by Death Eaters. I have no idea what happened to him after that," Hermione answered truthfully. It hurt to say. She felt guilty, for not trying harder to get to him, and wondered where that put her on a moral scale. They had discussed, at length, the importance of resurrecting Harry. Neither of them believed Voldemort could be stopped by any one else. They had agreed to do what was necessary for the better of the world. Even if it meant letting go of the other one, for as long a was needed.
"I'm so sorry, Hermione," Susan responded, voice low. She had a sympathetic look on her face. Susan had lost everyone to them, after all. She knew how it felt. "Not to sound callous, but how do you know Draco is..is trustworthy? I trust you. But it's hard to wrap my head around..ya know?"
"I know. It's odd for me, too. But he saved my life, and Luna's too. The Order promised him protection, and I mean to keep that promise. He gave the Order a lot information, as did his mother. I was suspicious of him at first, but we were attacked by Death Eaters and he killed one of them. He fought along side us," Hermione explained, hoping Susan, and Seamus when she told him, would understand.
"Luna is alive? I hadn't been sure. Wow," Susan said, eye brows high on her face.
"She was captured. I don't know her status now," Hermione answered, feeling hollow. Please let her be alive.
Susan didn't respond, instead choosing to busy her self working on dinner.
"Can I help at all?" Hermione asked the busy witch, feeling a little useless.
"No, thank you, but please have a seat if you'd like. I can fix some tea." Susan nodded to some kitchen stools leaning against the breakfast bar.
Hermione took a seat, and listened to see if she could here Draco moving around upstairs. She heard the shower still running, and hoped he was able to find some peace, if even just for a moment, and that he would the good sense to stay up their until after she told Seamus about him.
Susan had made some tea for Hermione, and worked at setting the table. About half an hour later, Hermione heard a door open somewhere in the house, and goose bumps broke out on her arms. Merlin, smile on me please!
Susan rushed out of the kitchen when she heard the door, too.
"Blimey, Suze, it's smells wonderful in here," Hermione heard Seamus say from the front room. "Whatcha cookin'?" His voice filled Hermione with a dep, deep nostalgia. How long had it been since she heard that voice? It brought her back to the griffyndor common room, to nights spent studying, and listening to the boys (and Ginny) discuss quidditch scores.
"A roast, dear. Listen, Seamus, we have company." Susan responded, and even from the kitchen Hermione could hear the nerves in her voice.
"Oh, yea? Who stopped by?" she could hear the rustle of cloth, as if he was hanging up his cloak, Seamus voice sounding completely casual.
"I'd rather just show you. In the kitchen," Susan responded, voice sounding closer. Hermione braced her self.
As Seamus walked into the kitchen, he didn't register Hermione at first. His eyes swept over her bruise before the rest of her face, and he just looked puzzled. Than the realization hit, and he bounded over to her in two steps, sweeping her into a crushing hug.
"Bloody hell, Hermione how the hell are ya? What're you doing here? How did yer face get like that?" He asked in rapid fire, not letting go of her. Hermione hugged him back, relishing the moment.
When they finally broke apart, Seamus studied her face closely. "You look like hell, Hermione, jesus."
"I know. I've been on the run for so long now. I'm ok, or as best as I can be given the circumstances. I was attacked by Death Eaters, that's how my face got like this," She answered, mentally ticking off on her fingers to make sure she answered all his questions. "Seamus, I need you to trust me. If you can't trust me, I have to leave." Hermione said to him, seriously.
"I-Of course I trust you Hermione! I may be back in society now, but I never gave up hope. Blimey," He said, concerned.
And so Hermione began telling him everything she had told Susan, careful to skate over parts she felt might be too dangerous to pass on. She told him about Draco's part in it all, too, and watched Seamus face glaze over with disgust at the mention of the youngest Malfoy's name. When she finished, Seamus was quiet for a long time.
"I want to do anythin' I can to help. When I thought the Order was finished, and any resistance was stamped out, I did what I had to do to be back in society, and so that I could be with Susan. I feel cowardly 'bout it, but what could I do? Take on a whole army by meself? But I will do anything to help," Seamus said to her resolutely. Susan was beaming at him, a look of love plastered on her heart shaped face.
"I'm glad to hear that, Because...well, because Draco is here too," Hermione said, ripping the third band aid off.
"WHAT?" Seamus nearly yelled, causing Hermione to recoil. Than he turned to Susan. "Where is he? Why didn't you tell me?"
"Shh, Shh Seamus. It's ok. Hermione showed up here with him and we felt it best he stayed out of your eye until you understood. I feared you would curse him as soon as you saw him," Susan said, stroking Seamus back as she spoke.
"Aye, I would have. Smart move, that." Seamus Told her, a little more good naturedly than Hermione expected. But then again, he's always been good natured.
"Well bring him out, I want to talk to 'im," Seamus said, pulling Susan close to him. Hermione got up from her seat to go retrieve him.
When she reached the top of the stairs, she saw that the guest bedroom door was closed. She was about to walk in, when she stopped her self and decided to knock.
"Yes?" She heard a muffled voice say through the door.
"It's me, Hermione, can I come in?" She asked, hand already on the door nob.
"Yes," Draco answered.
When she walked in, the room was dark. Draco was laying across the bed with a pillow thrown over his had the strangest urge to collapse into the bed next to him.
"Seamus is here, I told him you were here, and that your loyalties are with us now, and he wants to talk to you," Hermione blurted out, eager to get the meeting over with.
"Joy," Draco responded, sitting up. They walked down the stairs in silence. When they reached the kitchen door way, Hermione heard Draco take a deep breath in.
Seamus and Susan looked at them when they walked in. Susan's face was tense, as if she was afraid to see Draco, but Seamus face look composed.
"Hello, Malfoy," Seamus said, crossing his hands over his chest. Draco said nothing. "Hermione told me that you pushed Luna Lovegood out of the way of the killing curse? And Rescued Hermione from a death eater attack?" Draco nodded, face betraying none of what ever emotions might be racing through his mind.
Seamus rose out of his seat quickly, surprising Hermione, who instinctively reached for her wand. But Seamus didn't do anything that merited wands being drawn. He reached his hand out to Draco, and said "Thank you, brother. Glad to see you doing better in life, man."
Draco, looking so confused, reached his hand out and shook Seamus's back, a small smile forming on his face.