"Kingsley, please!" Minerva followed after the Minister, trying to talk some sense into him. "You can't be serious! Do you even have an inkling of what she had to endure during the past year? Kingsley!"
"Minerva," the tall wizard turned around, finally giving up on his hope of getting rid of the formidable woman by simply ignoring her. "I don't like this either but my hands are bound; the Wizengamot has made their decision. Narcissa Malfoy is to stay with-"
"Please tell me this is a joke!" Hermione Granger was fuming as she pushed a letter into the Minister's face.
He sighed, knowing what the piece of paper said without having to look at it.
"It is not. Herm-"
"Oh no, don't you 'Hermione' me! Didn't you hear a single word of what I told you last week? She just stood there, staring at me! And now I'm supposed to…" she trailed off, the anger ebbing away and making place for another emotion. One that left Hermione feeling tiny and helpless. "Please don't make me do this," tears were trailing down her cheeks as she begged the wizard to tell her that it wasn't real, that it was just a cruel joke. "I can't…"
"Now you see what you've done?" Minerva McGonagall glared at the Minister, moving her right arm around Hermione's shoulder and leading her away.
They sat down on a broken pillar, the old witch rubbing soothing circles on the young woman's back.
"Professor, I can't-"
"Shhh, I know, Hermione. I know. I would gladly offer myself in your stead but I have to think of Hogwarts... The school needs me now more than ever and I can't-"
"I know," Hermione sniffed, wiping at her eyes. "I…"
A shadow fell over the two witches and they looked up only to see the object of Hermione's distress standing above them.
Narcissa Malfoy looked pale – too pale to be alive – and dark shadows lay under her eyes, speaking of the horrors she must've witnessed at the Wizarding Prison. She wore the same dusty robes she'd worn when the aurors had taken her away six days ago and if Hermione wasn't fighting with her own nightmares, she would've laughed at how disheveled the Lady Malfoy looked.
"I am sorry, I shall come back later…" she whispered upon taking in the scene she'd stumbled into, feeling that she was the reason for the girl's pain and tears. The auror who had brought her realized too late what was about to happen, lost at the sight of seeing their war heroine so broken.
So when Narcissa took a few steps away from the pair sitting on the pillar, she suddenly cried out in pain and fell to her knees, clutching at her neck.
Hurriedly, the auror jumped into action, roughly yanking the blonde to her feet and pulling her back towards the two witches.
Hermione and Minerva were watching wide-eyed, trying to make sense of what had just transpired before their eyes.
"I am sorry you had to witness this, Ms. Granger, ma'am," the young man apologized to the shocked witches, his cheeks flushing with embarrassment.
"What was that just now?" Minerva was the first to recover, motioning towards Narcissa Malfoy who seemed to be fighting with tears, her hand rubbing at her neck, her lips pressed into a thin line.
"Oh, you don't know?"
Both Minerva and Hermione shook their heads.
Without a warning, the eager auror pushed the blonde witch forward and into a kneeling position in front of the new headmistress and the 'golden girl'.
Narcissa's face didn't show her inner turmoil at the humiliation; she remained calm and unfeeling, only closing her eyes so she wouldn't have to see the looks on their faces.
"Was that really necessary?" Hermione's brows furrowed together in anger at the man's display of power. This was no way to treat anyone, especially not a person one was responsible for.
The man raised a disbelieving brow at her but didn't say anything. Instead, he motioned to Narcissa Malfoy's neck. There, close to her left ear, was a small symbol. Hermione gasped as she recognized the black crooked cross for what it was. They'd branded her with a rune. With 'Nauthiz'. It was one of the runes from the old nordic rune alphabet and meant 'constraint' or 'force'. And currently, currently it was glowing like the embers of a fire, red and angry.
"You didn't!" Minerva McGonagall breathed out in disbelief. "This is barbaric! There is a reason runes aren't used like this any longer! Have you learned nothing from our ancestors! Branding people like cattle!" The enraged woman jumped onto her feet, poking a finger into the cringing man's chest. "Who did this?"
"I.. I don't know… please, ma'am. The Wizengamot ordered it… I was just the one to retrieve her from Azkaban and..."
"Out of my sight!" she yelled, pushing on his chest and sinking into a crouch next to the still kneeling Narcissa, closely inspecting the rune.
It was now completely black, once more reverted to its original state. Obviously, the rune only allowed its bearer to move a certain distance away from the one it was bound to. Hermione.
"Well, this complicates matters..."
Two hours later, Hermione and therefor Narcissa still hadn't moved. Hermione was still sitting on the pillar while the blonde was sitting next to it, her eyes closed and her back leaning against it. None of them had spoken even a single word.
"I am sorry," Narcissa's voice startled Hermione; it was unexpected and softer than she'd ever heard it.
The young witch looked at the Pureblood and found that she was staring at her hands in her lap. "I never wanted for this to happen. I… I am sure they would be willing to... to send me back to Azkaban."
"No," Hermione responded, her voice firm. "You won't. Go back, I mean. I will… deal… with the situation."
Narcissa nodded, her eyes still trained on her hands, her long and slender fingers.
"Would you like to see your children?"
Her head snapped up at her words, blue eyes finally meeting brown. Hermione could see the shimmer of hope in them.
"I… Yes, I would love nothing more."
Hermione stood up, expectantly looking at the older witch. "Let's go then."
Together, the two witches made their way through and out of the destroyed castle. On their way to the gates they earned many stares; it was strange to see such different women walking next to one another, let alone so close. How could they know that both of them were scared of the rune on the blonde's neck? Scared of straying too far away from the other and walking unnecessarily close as a result…
"Your son has gone back to Malfoy Manor," Hermione began once they'd left the castle grounds. "I will have to apparate us."
Narcissa nodded, holding out her hand. The girl hesitated for a few moments but eventually grasped the older woman's hand, both of them feeling the spark that jolted through their bodies at the touch.
Closing her eyes, Hermione held onto both her wand and the cold hand in her own, she concentrated on the Manor. Seconds later, they were gone.
Due to the strong blood wards active around the Manor, Hermione had only been able to apparate them to the front of the gates.
Now the two of them stood in front of the tall brass gate, unsure of what to do.
Narcissa had noticed how the Gryffindor had tensed up upon their arrival, how tightly she now gripped her wand and how quickly she'd pulled her hand away from her own. Hermione Granger was scared and uncomfortable. She didn't want to be here, much less set foot into the house.
"Winky," Narcissa called out, quite sure that the elf would hear her Mistress' summons. And she wasn't disappointed.
A moment later, the tiny elf stood in front of the two witches, beaming up at her Mistress.
"Mistress has returned! Winky is so glad to see you! Master Draco will be so happy-"
"I haven't returned, Winky," Narcissa stopped the eager elf, giving her a small smile. "Would you tell my son to come into the garden? And tell him to bring Delphi, please."
"Of course, Mistress." And with a quiet plop, the elf disappeared once more.
"I thought you might prefer to stay outside of the house, in the garden…" Narcissa explained as she found Ms. Granger questioningly eying her. "After what-"
"Yes. The garden will be fine," Hermione interrupted her. She wasn't ready to talk about that night. Maybe never would be. Narcissa could see the way her shoulders slightly relaxed and silently nodded to herself. It had been the right decision. It was nice enough of the girl to even let her see her family… she wouldn't thank her by dragging her into the house. Not to mention that Narcissa had never considered it as a home either…
She opened the door – knowing very well that Hermione would be severely burned if she tried to – and waited for the girl to walk through before she followed her, closing it behind them.
They'd only walked a few steps when Draco came running towards her, having set Delphi down on the ground as soon as his eyes fell upon his mother.
"Mom!" Draco pulled Narcissa into his arms, strongly holding onto her as she wrapped her own arms around her son. "How? Why-? I don't understand... and why is Granger with you?"
"They have agreed to release me from Azkaban," Narcissa said as she moved out of his embrace and crouched down to pick up a happily giggling Delphi. "But only under the condition that I stay with Ms. Granger until my hearing and the Wizengamot's final verdict."
She pressed the child against her chest and kissed the top of her head as Draco sent a thankful look towards Hermione. He was grateful for what she was doing for his mother.
"So, how long will you be staying?"
"I-"
"We can stay a little while," Hermione answered, watching how Mrs. Malfoy smiled and began to blow raspberries onto the little girl's cheeks and chest.
Draco nodded and led them to a set of benches next to a beautiful well.
Together with Hermione, he observed how his mother interacted with Delphi, how she tickled the child and playfully splashed her with water. She looked tired and worn but, and he felt like jumping into the air at that, relatively unharmed from her stay at Azkaban.
"Mother, could I talk to you for a moment? Alone?"
Narcissa nodded. She picked up Delphi and followed after her son, only to gasp in pain.
She'd forgotten.
Quickly, she set Delphi down and took a few steps back towards Hermione, clutching at her burning neck. She panted as wave after wave of pain flooded her body, struggling with tears, barely hearing the exchange of words between Hermione and her son. She got the gist of what they were talking about though.
"I'd forgotten about it... branded her… Nauthiz… only... couple steps…"
"That's barbaric! …who... and they're … good ones?"
"I know, Headmistress McGonagall said the exact same thing. She was furious. I am sorry, Draco. I really am. I didn't ask for this nor did Kingsley."
"It is quite alright," Narcissa straightened up, tightly holding onto Delphi who looked rather frightened. "I alone am responsible for this mess I find myself in. If I'd-"
"No, mother!" Draco sharply interrupted her. "You didn't do anything wrong! He was threatening me, all of us.. What were you supposed to do? And this?" He pointed to her neck where the rune was still emanating a red glow. "No one deserves this. I will-"
"You will do nothing, Draco. Nothing. Do you hear me?" Narcissa set down the baby and cradled her son's head in her hands. "I am certain the trial will be soon and then this'll be all over. Until then, I will stay with Ms. Granger."
"But-"
"No buts. I don't want you to garner any attention to yourself. Their focus is elsewhere right now but if you give them any reason... Please, Draco. Listen to me just this once."
Draco turned his back to his mother, throwing his hands into the air in frustration. Finally, he turned back around.
"All right... But that doesn't mean I have to like it. And what happens with Delphi while you're 'indisposed'? Will you take her with you?"
"I, uhm… I have to confess I haven't thought about that. I-" she looked at the brunette witch, the question clear in her eyes.
"I don't mind whether you take her with you or leave her with Draco," Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "I should tell you that we are leaving the country for a couple days though. I have something I need to tend to in Australia..."
Narcissa nodded, knowing she had no choice but to follow the young woman wherever she wanted to go. She wondered what Ms. Granger wanted to do in Australia... Well, she'd obviously know soon enough.
"Would you mind watching after her a little longer then, Draco? Until we get back?"
"Of course, mother. Winky's been a great help. We'll manage."
"Well, I suppose things are settled then." Narcissa bent down to Delphi once more, kissing her chubby baby cheeks and stroking through her wondrous hair. "I will be back soon my sweet. Do you hear me? I will be back. I love you."
She got up to her feet again and drew her son into a parting hug before nodding at Hermione.
"We'll leave for Australia tomorrow," the girl announced, letting both Narcissa and her family know. "We'll spend the night at my parents' house."
"All right. Draco, can you send Winky with a few of my clothes? She'll know what to pack. I'd really love to change out of these... rags."
The wizard chuckled at his mom's scrunched up nose. He'd wondered when she'd address the situation of the state of her robes. "You call that rags? You should have seen what Weasley had to wear to the Yule Ball back in our fourth year.."
Hermione couldn't help but grin at that statement. Ron's dress robes really had been something else. Her redheaded friend still suspected that they'd once belonged to his great-aunt Magda.
Narcissa merely raised a brow at that.
"All right, all right," Draco sounded amused. "I'll notify the elf."
"Good."
The unlikely pair left behind the Manor and soon appeared outside of Hermione's home.
Narcissa entered the house after Hermione and let her eyes wander. They were standing in a hallway, right in front of the stairs leading up to the first floor where she was sure one would find the bedrooms. To her left, a door led into a white country-style kitchen, the evening sun making it glow in soft shades of pink and yellow. To her right, another door led into the rather spacious living room; it was adorned with comfortable looking, dark brown leather sofas, white and green cushions, and several ceiling-high bookshelves. It looked inviting, nothing like the living room back at the Manor.
She closely studied one of the family portraits on the wall. It was a beautiful memento even though it didn't move, showing a middle-aged couple together with a slightly younger Hermione.
"Where are your parents if you don't mind me asking?"
"They're in Australia."
"Oh. So we're going to visit them?"
"Yes, something of the sort," Hermione said, dodging the question.
Narcissa felt that the girl was uncomfortable so she fell silent again. After a while of quiet, she spoke. "You have a lovely home."
"Thank you."
"This is... this is somewhat awkward?"
Hermione dryly chuckled. "You can say that again. – Are you hungry?"
"I uh… If you wouldn't mind, I'd like to change into something clean first?" Narcissa looked down on herself, taking in the dust, the grime, and the splatters of blood.
"Sure, the bathroom's right upst-" Hermione stopped in the middle of the sentence. "Oh…"
"Oh."
"I uh, I guess I'll just have to come with you." The young witch started her trek up the stairs, all the while mindful of not waking too far ahead.
"This is the bathroom," Hermione opened one of the doors to their left and was surprised to find a small suitcase sitting next to the tub. "Well, I believe your house elf had already been here. I'll just wait outside, you know, if you'd like to shower or something?"
"That'd be nice."
"All right."
"All right." Narcissa walked into the room and closed the door behind her, leaning against it for a few seconds, taking deep breaths, not knowing that Hermione was doing the exact same thing on the other side.
AN: Thank you guys for the awesome reviews - you've turned me into a bundle of joy. A very productive one at that. Can't believe I already posted chapter 3 and such a long one at that.
So, who wants to go to Australia? And what do you think about the rune? Let me know.
3catsdog Ooh yes, I am looking forward to writing that scene!
ReigningQueenOfCrime Good questions, every one of them. They'll be answered in one of the coming chapters. Promise.