AN: You all are so amazing! Here's an another early update!
Chapter Nine: A Flight and A Fight
Tense times followed Hermione in the weeks to come. She battled endless questions from her roommates and questioning stares from her classmates. Her teachers stumbled on what to call her until she informed them, rather rudely, that her name would remain the same. Meal times were akin to sitting in a fishbowl, so she spent even more time in the library, not that she could find solace there. Then the entire school went on edge with Dumbledore's mysterious disappearance and Umbridge's ascension to the position of Headmaster. But there still were bright spots to be found in the midst of chaos. Neville had successfully produced a Patronus charm and was making in-roads with a boy he fancied in Ravenclaw.
However, most of the school still whispered behind her back about her newly-found lineage. It was evident even during their DA meetings. While Hermione spent most of her time with Harry teaching various offensive and defensive charms, she felt the weight of their collective stares as she moved from student to student. Her fellow members itched to ask her about her blood status, but after the hoopla with Marietta, none sought a repeat performance of the Great Hall incident. Cho and Marietta had been unsurprisingly absent from their meetings since.
Rita Skeeter did not help matters either. Weekly features on Hermione's love life clogged the front pages. If one believed the Prophet, she was arranged to be married to three students from Hogwwarts, one from Durmstrang, and her father constantly vowed vengeance on the Muggles who had kidnapped and brainwashed her.
"You okay?" Ginny approached Hermione as she lingered behind a particularly difficult meeting with Dumbledore's Army.
Hermione sighed and eventually nodded. "I guess I have to be, right?"
Ginny offered a grin. "You know this place. Give it a few and the gossip mills will move on to the next big thing."
"Except this is not some source of entertainment," Hermione complained. "It's my life. One I didn't choose by the way."
Ginny nodded, her lips pursed into a frown that rivaled her mother's. "Same deal with Harry, you know. But we'll be here for you, just like we are for him. My mum's been writing – she made me promise to ask 'how you're doing and to continue to treat you as before'." The red-head laughed as she repeated the phrasing verbatim. "As if that would change? She's also invited you over to the Burrow this summer."
Hermione smiled, finally deciding to leave the Room of Requirement. As she walked with Ginny, she speculated, "A bit of normalcy would be appreciated. I'm just worried about my parents. I always had a subscription of the Prophet sent to my house. They read the paper the day it came…" She shook her head. "It's just not how I wanted them to find out. Fortunately, Professor Dumbledore allowed me to floo-call them from his office."
"How did they take it?" Ginny wondered.
Thinking back to the day, Hermione replied, "They were surprised, of course. But they mainly wanted to know how I was doing with everything. I told them I was okay. There's no need to worry them any further with trivial school matters. But I'll suspect we'll be able to speak more when school dismisses. And thanks for the offer to visit, Gin. Maybe I can stop by with Kingsley sometime."
"Sure thing. Take care, Hermione. Or should I say, 'Emmeline'?" The red-head laughed as the two parted ways; Ginny for the pitch and Hermione for the library.
The weeks lengthened into months, and as Ginny predicted, a new normal settled over the castle as students prepared for upcoming exams, graduation, and general end-of-the-year activities. Soon it became old news that she was a pureblood with the Malfoys as god-parents, and though most of their friends weren't ready to forgive and forget old grudges, no one jumped at the sight of Hermione Granger (she refused to change her name) and Draco Malfoy occasionally talking.
One unusually warm day in May found Draco walking with extra swagger towards her favorite place to study outside of the library: a grassy patch just a stone's throw from the shores of the Great Lake. Draco held his sweater vest in one hand; his oxford shirt and tie was loosened around the collar. Her throat grew dry as the teen walked closer. She blamed the breeze for shuffling his platinum locks just so. Huffing curls out of her face, Hermione returned to her book, pretending to read and ignored his overconfident stroll.
He did not announce himself as he sat next to her in plain sight of other students.
Hermione was pleased to note that Draco had also kept his word to a tee. Not one Slytherin teased nor harassed her about her newly-found identity. In fact, most the ambitious snakes went out of their way to either be kind or neutral to her. She chalked it up to Kingsley's standing in the Ministry and that he was a former snake himself.
There were whispers how he was to become Minister years ago, but did not accept the position due his grief regarding the double loss of his wife and daughter. Now with his newly-found daughter in the all the papers, the flames of politics were fanned even more. According to the Prophet, Fudge was doing everything he could to convey that the Ministry, under his guidance, was strong as he tried to undermine a prospective Shacklebolt campaign. Hermione found it intriguing, but ultimately thought it all rubbish. Nevertheless, she made sure to read the articles to stay on top of comings and goings. Draco had been instrumental in helping her identify names she did not know.
Suddenly, she caught a peculiar smell on the wind. Lifting her head from her book, she traced the odor to the blond sitting beside her.
"You reek …" Hermione announced suddenly as she leaned over to sniff his shoulder. "Draco!" she admonished, as she finally placed the distinctive scent. Pavarti and Lavender oftentimes came back to their dorm sporting the same eau de parfum.
Draco wiggled his brows suggestively to which she frowned. "O.W.L.s are starting soon and a man has to relieve stress somehow. And Pansy has always been willing."
"Ugh, that's disgusting," Hermione shook her head and looked away, a flare of something unfamiliar sharply hit her gut. Unsuccessfully, she tried to shake the mental image of Pansy and Draco engaged in extracurricular activities. Switching topics, "By the way thank you for earlier, after lunch." She referred to the incident involving Marietta and her gang.
The red-headed Ravenclaw must've been mightily embarrassed after being publicly humiliated earlier that winter, for she was often trying to catch Hermione alone for 'payback'. Hermione had been leaving the library earlier that day when Marrieta and her henchwomen advanced upon her; though Hermione would have taken the witches on her own, it was the sight of Draco, Crabbe and Goyle siding next to her in defense that had sent the witches scurrying.
Draco smirked as he looked out at the lake's surface. "You get one free pass, Granger. Then you're on your own."
"Liar," she called him on it, as she marked something on a piece of parchment. She didn't have to look at the blond to know that he was lying.
"You could thank me in other ways, you know."
Hermione made a face to her book as the tips of her ears heated. She slid narrow eyes from the text to him. "Why on Earth would I do that?"
He greeted her with a wicked grin. "Get your mind out of the gutter. I know you've heard the rumors, but I wasn't propositioning a sexual favor."
Eyes wide, Hermione flushed. "I wasn't thinking about that." Only she had been. His sudden arrival and distinctive smell, mental images about him and Pansy ardently making out, and other thoughts made her blush as she stuttered to regain course. "R-right." She pushed a curl behind her ear and sat up straighter. "Then what were you thinking about?"
Draco regarded her for a moment, deep in thought before he offered, "The semi-final between Slytherin and Ravenclaw is this Saturday. If we win," he leaned forward conspiratorially. "Wear our colors in the final."
Scandalized, Hermione scoffed, "But Gryffinor's playing in the final! I couldn't possibly."
"Half your family is in Slytherin," he countered arrogantly. "And you said yourself the Hat would have put you there if you hadn't been spirited away by Muggles. What, are you scared?"
If there was one thing Hermione Granger wasn't, it was scared. She twisted her lips as she considered the ramifications of such an arrangement. "And how exactly is this payment for your generosity?"
He stuck his tongue in his cheek as he regarded her. "I always wanted to see you in the green and silver," he kicked his legs out as he leaned back on his hands. "Consider it a personal favor." He enunciated the word, no doubt looking to cause her to blush in embarrassment. She would never live it down from Ron and the others. Neville was secretly dating a Ravenclaw boy, so he would in all likelihood he would be sporting another team's colors anyway, but still...
She rolled her eyes as if it weren't big deal, though she had an inkling it would be. "Fine. It's just a silly game."
"Good," he stood then, leaving her to her work. He must've known she wouldn't be pleasant company as she sought to finish her essay. "See you this Saturday."
As the day in question arrived, she would have rather spend the time preparing for O.W.L.s but Ginny needed someone to go to the game with so she could study the opponent. Since Harry was no longer on the team, Hermione agreed. Neville, unsurprisingly, offered to go too, though Hermione suspected he had other reasons.
So, the three settled amongst the eagle's nest as the last semi-final of the year commenced. Ginny vigorously took notes, pointing out maneuvers Hermione knew nothing about, while Neville ditched the girls for his date elsewhere in the stands. That left Hermione alone to wince at every crash, or close call that occurred meters above her head.
It was easy to spot Draco flying about the pitch seeking the golden snitch. She had to admit, he flew masterfully. Suddenly, she was whisked back to New Year's when he had skillfully up-ended her broom; her heart begin to increase in tempo.
But suddenly two of Ravenclaws' beaters knocked into Slytherin's seeker and all three plummeted to the ground. Hermione shot out of her seat, racked with alarm, and waited for the sickening impact when solid earth met soft flesh. But a single broom emerged from the falling pile of limbs, and the entire eagle's nest groaned as Draco emerged victorious, snitch in hand. Hermione sat down in her seat, relieved yet disappointed, as the Slytherin side of the stadium erupted into cheers. Draco circled the pitch in a victory lap, and stopped just over her head as he held up the snitch triumphantly.
Their eyes met and she sarcastically clapped and inclined her head in acknowledgement, biting back a smile.
Two days later, she received a package by owl during breakfast. As she opened the wrapping to reveal a rather-worn looking green and silver scarf, Ron and Ginny stormed off, while Harry sat there looking betrayed. Turning around on the bench, she saw Draco's smile lift a bit higher at the corner. He dipped his head in acknowledgement as she turned, trying and failing to explain the situation to her friends.
The following week, she was the only lion sporting two scarves, one green and silver tucked neatly under her trusty gold and red. She had more than a few stares to fend off as sought not to die from heat exhaustion.
"He has Padfoot in the place where it's hidden."
It's funny how a simple phrase set in motion an extraordinary course of events that had Hermione leading Umbridge through the Forbidden Forest to the agitated centaurs and part of Dumbledore's Army rushing to the Department of Mysteries to rescue a captured Sirius. In the time it took to travel from Hogwarts to London, practice within the safe Room of Requirement became a tangible matter of life and death.
Harry had no sooner grabbed the prophecy, after finding that Sirius had not been taken, before they were surrounded by Death Eaters masked in ivory and bone. Hermione jumped as they Apparated in pairs around the teenagers. Their opponents fired successive jets of light that shattered wave after wave of glass spheres containing other prophecies. Bits of glass fell into her curls as Hermione and the others fired back and blocked the aggressive onslaught; Dumbledore's Army tried to fight back, but they were woefully outmatched by older, more experienced wizards. Harry backed their group towards the door that led to the outside hallway, before turning and urging them to run.
Whether by design or not, they split up as they reached the outside corridor, a dark tunnel that held no torches. Hermione waited with bated breath for her eyes to slowly adjust to the dark. Every second she could not see was a second that left her defenseless as she gripped her wand with slippery hands. Her ears and nose became her best defense as other senses overcompensated for the reduced visibility.
Rubber soles of worn trainers ran swiftly ahead.
A thick layer of ozone indicated she was surrounded dark magic.
A heartbeat that beat wildly out of control.
Then, a flash of red hair whizzed in her peripheral. She couldn't tell if it were Ron or Ginny being chased by a hooded shadow a few meters ahead as she steadied her wand. She prayed she wouldn't hit her friends as she gave a verbal warning.
"Ron! Look out!" Hermione screamed as she threw a hex at the masked-assailant. Her target quickly Apparated before the spell could hit them. But unbeknownst to her, they had Apparated to her blind spot.
The Death Eater lifted his wand to curse her from behind. Then an explosion of magic collided on her left, enough to warm the left side of her body. The collision was bright, all-consuming yet brief. When it subsided, the Death Eater who tried to curse her lay on the ground, as her savior strode to her purposely. By now, her eyes had adjusted to the dark as the Death Eater waved a wand in front of their ivory mask to reveal… her god-father, Lucius Malfoy.
Breath caught in her throat as her heart froze and plummeted like stone. Riveted to the spot, she tried to reconcile the relaxed wizard at New Years with the man before her now. He dressed like death itself and sneered as he approached. She lifted her wand to eye-level.
"You should not be here," Lucius hissed in an exasperated whisper, not fearing the wand currently pointed to his chest.
Hermione's wand did not waver, though disappointment framed her face. "And yet you are." She was grateful Lucius had saved her from an unknown curse that could have caused undue injury, but she still shook her head at her god-father. "Why?" She genuinely wanted to know.
Lucius lowered his wand and ignored her question. He spoke quickly in a hushed tone, as if he were expecting something, or someone. "There is not much time, Ms. Granger. When this is over, get Narcissa and Draco to Crestmoor. Tell her to keep it secret, keep it safe. Do you understand?"
Ahead, her friends yelled for help as the cracks of Apparition signaled the arrival of others; possibly more Death Eaters, possibly back-up, she could not tell. Hermione's hand trembled as she lowered her wand. Curiosity drove her to seek more information, but time was woefully short. She was disgusted with the man her father called a friend, but she nodded indicating she would do as he said.
"Farewell, Ms. Granger. I apologize our brief time together has come to a close." He backed away, the ivory mask reappearing on his face. "If you're wise, you'd leave now."
"I'm sorry, too," she spoke beneath her breath. Raising her wand again, she stunned the man as he retreated. "I can't let you hurt any more of my friends."
Turning about, she bound the Death Eater Lucius had halted mid-spell and leaped over her fallen god-father to join her friends. She would only make it a few paces before she came across Luna's pale body, and the Death Eater beside her. Rushing to her knees and temporarily forgetting her magic, Hermione placed two fingers to the witch's neck. She closed her eyes in fervent prayer as a miniscule heartbeat pushed against her hand. Whipping out a galleon she had charmed with a Portus spell, she placed the portkey on the witch and sent her to St. Mungo's hoping it was not too late. Palpitations gripped her chest from varying level of emotions that racked her and made her senses useless.
Up ahead, Harry was firing at someone. She stood to her feet ready to help him give chase when a pinch hit between her shoulder blades. With a gasp, her world went black.
Fortunately she was revived what seemed like instantaneously, meaning she had not been killed, but it took several seconds to gather her bearings. A foreign wand pushed savagely into her neck and she could see Harry, Ron, Neville, and Ginny held by Death Eaters across a vast room centered by a single stone archway.
"Why, hello 'ittle baby," a husky vibrato whispered into her ear. Sudden cackling laughter had Hermione pulling away sharply. "Drop your wands!" Escaped Death Eater Bellatrix LeStrange shouted to the room.
Hermione and her friends were caught. Each was held captive by a Death Eater, their wands trained squarely on the teenagers about the room. Dumbledore's Army had no choice and clangs reverberated off the wall as pieces of wood met stone.
The mad witch turned to Hermione. "Now let's play a 'ittle game." She screwed the wand tighter into the soft flesh of Hermione's throat, causing her to whimper. "I don't believe we finished where we left off…"
"Let her go, Bellatrix!" came a shout from above.
Finally, finally the Order of the Phoenix had arrived. Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Alastor Moody, Tonks, Emmeline Vance and Kingsley Shacklebolt appeared in a whirl of Apparition; both Hermione and Bellatrix were knocked to the ground by the force of their arrival.
And the battle raged on.
A variety of colored lights illuminated their shadows. Ordinarily, it would have been beautiful to behold, but to a wandless Hermione it was a deadly sight. She crawled on her knees to where she'd last seen her wand. She would be no good without one in hand and valiantly searched for the piece of wood as the life of her friends and father hung in the balance.
Bellatrix LeStrange, on the other hand, quickly learned that Kingsley Shacklebolt had been the wrong wizard provoke. The Auror was already strong, but his anger made him ferocious. Rather than attack her with magic as they rolled away, the wizard sought her neck with his bare hands as he tried to physically overpower the escaped convict.
Grabbing her wand, Bellatrix quickly Apparated before Kingsley could effectively pin her to the ground. She cackled as she appeared a few meters from him and fired her strongest Crucio. "Are you trying to kill me?" she feigned faux-shock as she fired curse after curse at him. She interrupted her barrage of spell-fire to turn and fire a curse at the crawling Hermione a few meters away.
The younger witch rolled out the way as the curse blackened the stone, but was now further separated from her wand.
Kingsley replied ominously as he readied his dueling stance, "The thought struck my mind."
And the two squared off. Seeking shelter lest she was struck by a wayward spell, Hermione watched the powerful way Kingsley commanded magic as he spun here and there. He was effectively untouched by the mad witch, and steadily advanced towards her wordlessly conjuring spells even Hermione did not recognize. Inspired to learn those spells and his dueling techniques, Hermione proudly watched her father expertly duel. He never wavered and nor blinked; his focus was squarely on the witch who had threatened his daughter.
But Bellatrix would never duel fairly. She Apparated across the room, her laughter trailing behind her like a twisted wail. She appeared near Moody and another Death Eater. "Daddy come to protect his baby? So sad you weren't there the night it was needed…" Bellatrix cursed Tonks who tried to approach from her side. "But I'm sure Lucius has told you all about that."
Hermione swiftly swung her gaze from Bellatrix to her father. Kingsley's footing slipped and wide eyes met his daughter's across room.
Bellatrix watched the confusion play out between father and daughter. "No?" she laughed. "Ever the coward … Lucius?" she sing-song-ed, seeking the Death Eater in question, but none replied. "Come out and tell your darling god-daughter the truth. Tell them who killed Marie Shacklebolt."
"NO!" Kinglsey's shout bellowed across the galley, as he fired the Avada at Bellatrix. But she disappeared in a cloud of black before appearing right in front of Hermione.
"Lucius and Antonin had a job, you see," she raised her wand to Hermione's nose, continuing where she'd left off.
Hermione's vision tunneled to Bellatrix's face, completely ignoring the wand. She studied the striking woman's features right down to the beauty mark beside her nose.
Bellatrix laughed, her eyes glittering with insanity. "Poor baby. Have I made you mad?"
"Bellatrix, let's go!" A voice called. The battle had turned. Sirius had one Death Eater bound and Remus had taken down another beside him. There were more Phoenixes than Death Eaters as the teens had found their wands and joined their fellow Order members in battle.
Bellatrix snarled to the witch beneath her wand, before pulling it away and Apparating to the door. She followed the others out of the Death Room.
Harry called for them to give chase. Led by Sirius, the others quickly followed suit. Stunned that she'd come close to death twice that night, Hermione stood to tired feet as Kingsley joined her. Father and daughter brought up the rear and joined the rest of the Order in the main lobby as Voldemort attempted to possess Harry's body. Hermione physically became ill as she watched her friend valiantly struggle against the invasion. But Harry was strong enough to beat him back and with the arrival of Dumbledore, Voldemort finally stepped out of the shadows.
The rest unfolded in a spectacular show of strength, will, and magic.
At its conclusion, Dumbledore battled Voldemort into temporary defeat, Sirius and Harry embraced in a fierce hug, as the rest sought help for the injured. Aurors rushed forward to restrain the Death Eaters left behind. Bellatrix LeStrange was not one of them.
Kingsley ordered his men into tactical formation as they surveyed the tattered halls of the Ministry for hidden followers of Voldemort. But it was he who found the masked man lying on the ground injured, his flowing pale hair tinged with blood.
Dropping to one knee so he could physically remove the mask, Kingsley observed the slack face of one Lucius Malfoy. Kingsley wordlessly revived the unconscious wizard. The man came to with a gasp as he took in his surroundings from the floor. He saw the Auror and deflated at the sight. The battle was over, but Kingsley was not finished, not by a long-shot.
Grey eyes met chocolate brown ones, as neither moved to speak first.
Kingsley stood, his wand limp in his hand. "Is it true?" he whispered, unable to speak the rest of the question.
"No," Lucius rushed out quickly. "I could never." Though he was injured, he sounded truly horrified at the thought. Lucius turned his away; he could no longer bear to look at Kingsley. "Though that does not absolve me entirely." He waited for his friend and former Housemate to respond.
"You were there," Kingsley accused, as anger simmered beneath the surface.
Lucius was quiet for a heartbeat, then softly answered, "I was there."
Kingsley turned away from him then. He bit his lip in effort not to yell out in rage, or worse, Avada the wizard as he lay on the floor. Cold sweat beaded at his temple - he could do it and end the man now.
"And you never thought once to tell me?!" he shouted as he gripped his wand. Kingsley turned to face man. "After all these years?"
Wizards from the DMLE approached and lifted Lucius roughly from the ground, taking little note of his injury. Lucius held his head as high as he could, garbed in his Death Eater robes, but he had one last thing to stay. He tipped his head forward. "The memories," he offered. "Take them." His once-proud voice broke.
Kingsley reared away in disgust. He had no desire to see the night his wife was killed, but Lucius begged. "Please, you have to see. I did everything in my power to protect her, to protect both of them! You need to know the truth."
"Do not think because you have suffered with guilt, that I will absolve you of your sins, Lucius." Kingsley stepped back and lifted his hands in surrender, a sign that his friend's condemnation was one of his own making. "This is out of my hands."
"Please, Kingsley! Take them," Lucius begged.
Frowning, Kinsley took a handkerchief out of his inner jacket pocket and transfigured the cloth into a vial. He halted the men who held the Malfoy Lord by the arms and placed his wand to the Lucius' temple. "This doesn't change a thing," he whispered for the man's ears only.
"I have lived with all of my demons for nearly two decades," Lucius replied as Kingsley twisted his wand ready to pull the memories forward. "This is not the way I wanted you to find out, but I am at peace that you will know the truth. All of it," he confessed, ready to accept his condemnation.
Kingsley pulled luminescent stands from Lucius' temple and deposited them in the vial, before stoppering it. "Take him away," he ordered to the Aurors with a nod. He watched as Lucius was further bound, stripped of his personal possessions, and led away. The two men did not break eye contact until Lucius was pushed around the corner.
Back in the lobby of the Ministry, Minister Fudge was immediately surrounded by reporters from the Prophet, and other outlets; flashbulbs clicked in rapid succession, eager to capture the official response to the epic battle between Hogwarts' Headmaster, finally driven out of hiding, and the now-confirmed-to-have-returned Voldemort.
While Harry and Dumbledore fielded reporters, Kingsley located Hermione, pocketing a small jar. "What is that?" he indicated to the jar she stuffed into dusty jeans.
"Rare beetle. I need its wings for a potion," she answered quickly, her voice stern. She allowed Kingsley to pull her to the side. Once sufficiently removed from the clamoring throng, he held her face in his hands, similar to when they first met.
"Are you alright?" he asked gently, searching her face for the truth.
The adrenaline had waned enough for Hermione to speak, though her voice wobbled. "Yes, I'm fine." In truth, Kingsley knew she had to be processing all that had occurred just now. He knew he was.
Kingsley frowned as he took in the small cut on her cheek. "I know better than to ask why you came -"
"He saved me," Hermione interrupted his attempt to lecture on the dangers of rushing in an unknown situation. "Lucius," she clarified.
His hand stiffened on her soft cheek as he thought of the friend who had almost cost him his daughter. But Hermione lifted a gentle hand to the one that had stilled on her cheek. "Earlier, there was a Death Eater … it was close, but Lucius saved me."
"If what Bellatrix said is true, then it is not the first time he has," Kingsley spat, feeling the vial of memories weigh heavy in his jacket pocket. He vowed to review them as soon as he could, no matter the pain they might bring. He wavered on whether to share them with the young woman before him. Sighing, he continued, "I found him unconscious just before the lifts. He will be brought to Azkaban. I don't know if there will be a trial."
Hermione pulled on Kingsley's hands then, her face dropping into one of worry. She led him further away from the pool of reporters and the others. "We have to hurry then. Lucius said we had to get to Mrs. Malfoy and Draco." She pulled Kingsley toward the Apparition point beyond the Ministry lobby, but he slowed their advance.
"What did he say? Why the hurry?"
"Lucius said we must get Mrs. Malfoy and Draco to Crestmoor. I'm pretty sure it's under a Fidelius Charm." She pleaded with her eyes. "Voldemort has escaped without the prophecy, and I've no doubt he will move to punish the Malfoys. We have to hurry; this may be our only chance."
But Kingsley was full of anger and hurt. "Maybe we should let him," he whispered cruelly as Hermione paused beside him in shock. "I lost your mother. I nearly lost you. And the Malfoys have been involved in this mess since the beginning."
Hermione shook her head in disagreement. "No, Lucius has been involved," she explained. "I know you can't possibly want harm to come to Draco and Mrs. Malfoy, no matter Lucius' sins. It's because of them that we've found each other again."
She looked so much like her mother then, stubbornly brilliant in her reasoning and logic. He closed his eyes for strength before opening them with renewed vigor. "Alright, quickly then. We can move them while we still have the night."
The historic battle was only minutes old as father and daughter Apparated to the Manor, ready to spirit away the remaining Malfoys to safety.
an: Personally, I always felt the Battle at the Department of Mysteries was one giant cluster you-know-what. The Order had to come to some teenagers' rescue because one irrationally fell into Voldemort's trap. Oh the joys of being fifteen/sixteen! Anywho, we start to really diverge from canon in the coming chapters. Coming up, Hermione and Draco have an eventful summer, while Hermione learns more about Marie in a visit to her mother's estate in France.