Review offering insight to the story:
"Well Amanda, dare I say you've done it again. I mean this chapter was just; it was just so emotional and 'real'. You have every reader hooked and on the edge of their seat, waiting, speculating and imagining what has happened to Hermione...you have the power to make it seem real, to make us feel the emotions Draco is...I mean I cried, because I could basically feel my heart being ripped in two for him. Point is, your a great writer, you know that, I know that, all of your readers know that but still, still you surprise us time and time again, making us appreciate your writing more each time. I think that Lucius has something to do with it; I don't know whether he plotted it or he simply knew and didn't do anything, but it would be strange for him to have a hand in her kidnapping. More over the fact that she didn't fight with the cloaked figures suggests that she knew one of them at least, maybe she recognised their voice or something, I don't know but cloak + mask, screams Lucius Malfoy (In my mind at least). I like the way you wrote Neville and I adore little Winnie. I love this story more and more every time I read a new chapter, so I guess the only thing that I can say now is, 'I hope you can update soon!'" - CrystalizedHeart (Mel) of FanFiction net.
Thank you to the following reviewers: hanvu, GuiltyNotInnocent, sarahyyy, Zarroc, J-R-R13, sweetgirl123, XxstarrlighttxX, livelife-loveHGDM, WitchAllonby, AnaDry, mrs.draco.malfoy2010, likeaginsu, Parcheezie, Danielle, ProperT, PoIsOnIvY, MsRisa, gem, Steelo, Galleon-to-Galleon, Jester08, blondiexoxo, bugaboo107, Anonymous, wasu (x2), dragoneyes5000, Natural-181, kanga, soph, angelqt1231, Dragonmaster Kurai, Lee Swain, MigratingCoconut06, Toxxic-hugs, sodabug, mskiti, pstibbons, niic smiles, BlackDemonAngle, Pheydre, xmisundazt00d, quiet-mg, dontfeartheunexpected and especially gryffindork.2007, xthirdalixious (Miyuki), CrystalizedHeart (Mel), SeanEmma4Evr, laugh.live.learn (Rachel) and galloping-goose (Zeus).
Secret Life
Chapter Eight
Harry found himself sitting in the back veranda of the Parkinson estate. He thought it better to get the person with the least information out of the way, rather than put Ginny and Mrs. Weasley in front of Ron's anger. He was still steaming over their knowledge of Hermione's secret life. In Harry's opinion, it seemed logical that they knew what they did. Ginny and Hermione had been very close friends, Ginny being Hermione's first real female friend. And Mrs. Weasley was like an adopted mother to Hermione, so it was only right.
Parkinson though, she was a big question mark in Harry's mind. She had been cruel to Hermione in school, calling her scathing names behind her back, and she hadn't exactly been on their side during the War. Well, that wasn't fair entirely, she hadn't been on anybodies side. She chose to just let them battle and wait to see who came out the victor. As far as Harry knew, she was still as conniving and snide as ever, so her friendship with Hermione was a mystery. Malfoy, not so much. After all, they were both Slytherin's and had previously dated during Hogwarts. Harry immediately had the word "mistress" run through his mind and didn't immediately throw the idea away.
A house elf came out to ask them what they'd like to drink and he wondered if Hermione had any issues with Parkinson having them as servants. He then remembered that Hermione had passed a law on house elf rights and thought better of it. Perhaps Parkinson was paying the small creatures handsomely, not that he would put it past a pureblooded Slytherin to just feign ignorance over the new law.
When she entered the back area she was dressed in a long dark dress that cut open at her mid thighs and draped beside her dramatically. He was momentarily distracted by the sight of her long, attractive legs peeking out at him, but got his head back on his shoulders soon after. He lifted his gaze to hers, noticing that her crystal blue eyes still held a suspicious edge to them. She flounced into her chair, making nary a sound of surprise. Lifting a glass of pumpkin juice, she leaned back in her seat and stared at them expectantly. Her long, flowing blonde hair slipped past her eyes, brushing her cheek, but she pushed it over her shoulder with a long, pale hand, her nails lightly grazing her supple skin.
Harry felt himself gulp, wondering about the weird attraction he suddenly felt toward the tricky Slytherin girl before him. He immediately straightened up, trying to look stern and businesslike. "Parkinson," he greeted, nodding shortly.
"Potter," she replied, her voice soft and purr like. "Weasley," she added, glancing at him with a slow nod.
Ron frowned, but inclined his head in greeting.
"We're here to talk to you about Hermione Mal-" he was hoping to catch her off guard by using Hermione's married name, but Parkinson was too quick for that little ploy.
"Granger, yes I know," she said, sighing. "Sad thing. I hear she's gone missing recently, what a pity. What will St. Mungo's do without their resident celebrity?" she asked bitingly.
Ron frowned, letting out a heavy sigh. "D'you know where she is?" he asked, abrupt and gruff.
"Me?" she asked, her mouth slowly curling with amusement. "And why would I know where Granger is?" she queried, lifting a carefully manicured brow. "Why, we hardly know each other," she said with a sardonic grin.
Harry couldn't help the annoyed growl that escaped his throat. "Don't play games, Parkinson. Malfoy told us you were friends with him and Hermione," he told her, glaring.
She tapped her chin, her eyes turning off with mock thought. "Malfoy, Malfoy, he sounds familiar," she said, taunting them. "I'm not sure. Do refresh my memory," she asked, smirking.
Grumbling, Ron pinched the bridge of his nose, clenching his eyes shut. "You were at his wedding to Hermione, you meet with them on occasion, you're good friends with the both of them," he offered, his voice tight.
"No, not ringing a bell," she said, fluttering her eyes to annoy them. She pursed her lips, wrinkling her nose and shaking her head slowly. "So, of what help can I be then, hm?"
"Look Parkinson," Harry growled, resisting the urge to shout at her, "We know you're friends with them, we know they're married, and we know that everybody was sworn to keep it a secret. But, she's missing, so you're just going to have to break that vow and talk to us."
"About what?" she asked, her formerly teasing attitude disappearing and being replaced with a cold look of vicious sadness. She rose from her seat, pressing the palms of her hands down against the table and leaning forward to stare at them with dark anger. "You're here to learn about their past, aren't you? You want me to give you reason to suspect Draco's done something to her, don't you? What did you expect to learn when you came her?" she asked, looking back and forth, her blue eyes like ice. "Listen up, and listen closely, kiddies, because I won't repeat myself. I've been a loyal friend to Draco and Hermione for over nine years now. I met Hermione while she was doing her apprenticeship at St. Mungo's. She helped me out with a minor problem and she kept it secret." She lifted her chin haughtily, glaring at Harry, "And despite what you might think, I have never had any kind of sexual relationship with Draco behind Hermione's back," she spat. "We've been good friends for a long time now and if I knew anything about her whereabouts, you can believe that the information would've been passed on to Draco immediately. Obviously, I know nothing," she told them, her tone barely raising but still having all the edge of a man holding a razor sharp knife to their throats. "Now, if you have any questions that are pertinent to finding Hermione, I'd be glad to answer them," she said, resuming her seat and crossing her arms.
Harry, feeling as if he'd been put in his place after acting naughty and out of place, cleared his throat and sat forward. "First of all, it's our job to explore every possibility. While you and most everyone else might think Draco and Hermione had the perfect marriage, things happen behind closed doors. There's a possibility that you've seen something that didn't seem big but was. We just want to make sure that perhaps Malfoy hasn't done something to her and is unwilling to admit even to himself that it happened," Harry told her, his voice dark and menacing. "Don't try and lecture us on anything that has to do with our jobs, Parkinson, we want her back just as much as anybody."
"Oh really," she replied, flippantly. "Because from what I know, you've been a wavering existence in her life for quite some time now. You see her, what? Once every few months?" she asked, mocking him. "I see her, Draco, and their little girl at least twice a month. And I never went through a War with her," she reminded, digging into them again. "There are some of us who know her far better than you. You know Hermione Granger, remember that. Because she's Hermione Malfoy now, and while she's still a lot like how she used to be, there are parts of her life that she never shared with you, and for good reason."
"For what reason?" Ron asked, loud and anxious. "Explain this to us, because I'm havin' a bloody hard time tryin' to figure it out. We were her best mates since first year, so what the bloody hell happened that made her turn us away?" he asked, shifting forward and staring at her angrily.
"You stopped caring," Pansy told him, her voice smooth and malicious. "While you two were becoming Aurors and saving the world, you left her behind to start whatever life it was she wanted. She didn't want to be an Auror, so you let her have her career, whatever it might be. I bet you only recently found out too, didn't you?" she asked, nodding slowly as she smirked at them. "So she moved on, she started the normal life that you left her to have. And while you were out hunting Death Eaters and destroying evil, Hermione was making a name for herself. She was healing people and creating a family for herself. So don't blame this folly on anyone but yourselves," she told them scathingly.
"Draco happened upon a time in her life when she was just getting used to her skin. When she was becoming her own person, rather than a part of a trio that had disbanded and left her behind. He woke her up from the life of being the brain in the Golden Trio. And she welcomed him in her life, because he truly cared. He didn't just want her around to help with homework or to be the genius behind everything." She shook her head, staring at each of them as if they were dolts. "He wanted a real life with her, a family to call their own. And while you two were gallivanting around the world, expecting her to be the same old Hermione, she moved on. She married a man she loved, she had a little girl, and she made a real life for herself. She is happy!" she told them, nodding.
"You make it sound as if we held her back her entire life," Harry accused, frowning.
"Did I?" she asked, tipping her head to the side and cocking her brow at him. "Imagine that."
"Oi! Hermione and us were great friends," Ron told her, gruffly. "We had fun! We didn't always get along with her ideas about house elves and such, but we still hung around," he said, nodding quickly.
"Draco takes an active interest in her Right Activism," Pansy reminded, grinning. "I bet you didn't even know she did that until recently. Ask any of her friends, any of the ones Draco named, and they can tell you all about her. They can tell you her favorite book, place to go for coffee, things about her husband and daughter, and the place she most loves to be in the whole world."
"Hogwarts: A History," Harry told her, nodding firmly.
"Er, Madame Puddifoot's?" Ron said, sounding more questioning than anything.
"Uh, Malfoy's... cooking? And Rowena's... cuteness?" Harry offered, feeling foolish.
"St. Mungo's? No! Hogwarts! NO! Her mum's and dad's place," Ron suggested, looking anxious as he shifted in his seat.
Pansy rolled her eyes at them, shaking her head. "Wrong, wrong, wrong, wrong, and wrong again. Her favorite book used to be Hogwarts: A History, but she's moved on to more interesting reading. Her favorite book changes month to month. It's whatever one her and Draco read while they lounge on the couch after she finished work; a ritual of theirs. Her favorite coffee place is where her and Draco met just before they started dating. She never buys anything there, but instead gets him to, because for some reason they always mess up her order, but never his. Her favorite thing about Draco is how he listens to her and really takes what she's saying into consideration, rather than pretending he cares and then putting up with her incessant talk about whatever insightful thing she's read that day. Her favorite thing about her daughter is how innocent and loving she can be. How she brightens her day every morning with a smile." She stopped, inhaling shakily and lifting a hand to press to her quivering mouth. "And her favorite place in the entire world, is..." She swallowed, inhaling sharply, "is her house. Because it's where she gets to spend the best time of her life. With her husband and her baby girl." Standing up quickly, Pansy shook her head. "If you'll excuse me, I seem to have something in my eye," she said, a poor excuse in Harry's opinion. She fled from the veranda, walking quickly into the house.
"Wow," Ron muttered, shaking his head. "Parkinson's a little..."
Harry knew what he meant, there wasn't even a word to describe the woman. "Yeah," he agreed, nodding shortly.
"She proved us wrong though," Ron said quietly. "We didn't know any of those answers. I'm starting to think... Well, maybe we really have been ignoring 'Mione. I mean, we do hardly ever spend time with her anymore. We never write her while we're away on assignment either, and y'know how she is about writin' to each other," he reminded, sighing morosely.
"We did kind of leave her behind too, and I don't know about you, but whenever I came back, I expected her to be the same old Hermione," Harry admitted, grimacing with annoyance at himself. "It was just that when we were away training to become Aurors, I never really thought of what she'd be doing while we were away."
"Definitely not shackin' up with Malfoy, that's for sure," Ron muttered. "I mean, I guess I could understand if we came back and she told us right off that she got married or had a kid. But, we had to find out like this! And that's just not fair. It's not right." He shook his head, frowning as he crossed his arms.
Pansy walked back in, looking more collected and resuming her air of superiority once more. She slid back into her chair, looking back and forth between the frowning Aurors. "Any other questions, then?" she asked, lifting her brow with query.
"When was the last time you saw Hermione?" Harry asked, his voice rough.
Leaning back in her seat, she lifted her chin, her eyes squinting as she thought back. "A couple weeks ago, I believe," she replied, nodding slowly. "Mm, yes, we went shopping for baby clothes," she told them.
"When is she due?" Harry asked quietly, feeling a sinking sensation in his gut.
She stared at him a moment, her mouth pursed tightly and her eyes unsure. "Early October," Pansy told him finally, sounding airy and unconcerned. "She was ecstatic when she found out she was pregnant again," she admitted, a soft ring in her voice.
Harry was taken aback by just how pleasant and happy Pansy looked for a moment, but her shields came up almost immediately and she was back to looking indifferent and bored. He forced himself not to focus on any good qualities and instead question her like he would any other suspect or witness. He kept getting sidetracked though, his need for knowledge about Hermione's past was getting the best of him.
"And you have no idea why she's gone missing or who would want to take her?" Harry asked, lifting a hand to scratch absently at the back of his neck.
Pansy sighed, frowning as she slowly shook her head. "There are many who want Hermione Granger gone, I mean think of what she's doing. Her career as a Rights Activist is putting a lot of pressure on old customs. Older pureblooded families have been crying out about her last few laws. I don't even know what it is she has in store for us all next, but I'm sure it'll be something that changes the way purebloods think." Shrugging, she turned away. "Then, of course, you have to think of what kind of danger you two put her in. Her being part of the Golden Trio obviously makes her a target for things." Tapping her chin, she scowled, "But there's also some who meet all of those qualifications aren't there? Someone who's pureblooded, set in their ways, dislikes the Golden Trio and all that it stands for. Hmm..." She looked off, her eyes becoming hazy with thought before she snapped out of it just as quickly. She reminded him faintly of Luna Lovegood for that moment.
Standing up, she picked her glass of pumpkin juice from the tabletop. "I have to be going. I doubt you have any more important questions." She began walking to the door, before stopping and turning to them slowly. "I can tell you don't entirely believe me about how little you know about Hermione now. Ask them. Her friends. Ask them any of those questions and you'll see." Without waiting for a reply, she turned back to the door. "I'm sure you can find your way out," she bid goodbye.
Sighing with irritation, Harry rose from his seat and began making his way off of Parkinson property. When he reached the outer gates, he turned to Ron, wondering if he was ready to go to The Burrow to ask Mrs. Weasley for the destination of Ginny and Blaise's home. Ron paced, grumbling under his breath and glaring at the large estate behind them.
"Well, what now?" he asked, his tone clipped and angry.
"We should talk to Ginny," Harry told him, sighing with exasperation.
"Fine," Ron replied gruffly.
Before Harry could think, Ron had apparated away, so he followed suit, mildly annoyed. They arrived on the outskirts of The Burrow, the apparition wards still set away from the actual home for safety reasons. Crossing the grassy field, they walked in through the back door, only to find Ron's mum running around in a hurry, making food and muttering about her children under her breath. Harry couldn't help but grin at the scene, feeling at home almost immediately.
Molly turned then, her eyes widening as they settled in on her boys. "OH!" she cried, looking terribly excited. "Ron, Harry!" she exclaimed, hurrying over to grab them in a hug. "Are you hungry? Tired? Sit down, I'll fix you something to eat. Or do you want to rest? No, you can sleep after you eat," she told them, ushering them into chairs.
"Er, well, you see Mrs. Weasley," Harry started, but stopped when he saw Ron licking his lips and looking far too interested in food to think about going to his sisters. Unfortunately now was not the time to be focusing on their stomachs, so Harry gathered his courage and told Mrs. Weasley he wouldn't be eating. "We need to go to Ginny's," he told her firmly.
She looked flustered by his words, immediately stepping back and looking away. "Ginny's? Now why would you want to go over there? You know she's living with her boyfriend right now. I'm not sure they're equipped for company at the moment. Perhaps we should let them know you're here and you can go by later," she suggested, going back to her cooking and taking up an expression of being far too busy to talk.
"We know she's living with Blaise," Harry told her, watching her expression closely. He was surprised to see just how many people were willing to pretend they had no idea Hermione and Draco were together. Hermione's parents, Patti Longbottom, and Pansy Parkinson had each avoided speaking about anything unless they were sure that Harry and Ron actually knew about the relationship. And even then, Parkinson wasn't exactly the easiest person to talk to. He had to wonder if Mrs. Weasley was as willing as the rest.
Molly stopped kneading the dough she had beneath her fists and lifted her eyes. "Oh?" she asked, her voice unsure and quiet. "And what all do you know?" she queried. She resumed her cooking, still looking harried and without time to speak to him about such matters.
"We know that Hermione married Malfoy and you been keepin' it quiet all this time," Ron shouted, rising from his chair with a red face. "And she has a daughter! And a baby on the way! But did my own mother think to tell me? NO!" he bellowed, looking incensed as he shook his head wildly.
"Now Ron, it wasn't my place to tell you," she replied, sighing as she slowly walked toward him. "It was up to Hermione and I couldn't go about blabbering her business, now could I? If she didn't want you two to know, then she had valid reasons. So I kept her confidence, it was the right thing to do," she said, nodding her head briskly. "Now, what is it you want to be doing over at Ginny and Blaise's? She's been in a right state since Hermione's gone missing. Her and Blaise both. I don't want you two upsetting them more."
"Upsetting them?" Ron yelled, his brows lifting up into his hairline. "Are you bloody well serious?" he asked, loudly.
"Ronald Weasley, you will not use that language in my presence," Mrs. Weasley replied, her tone crisp and final.
"Yes mum," Ron replied, looking immediately remorseful for his act of defiance.
"Now," she said strongly, "If you want to go to Ginny's, all you have to do is floo over. There's a connection to the Burrow. Just say, "Zabini Manor," and it'll take you right there," she told them, nodding her head over. "In fact, I'll come with you. I think she has Rowena with her today," she told them cheerily.
Sighing, Harry and Ron rose from the table and followed her over to the fireplace. Molly went first, followed by Harry, and lastly Ron. He was a little worried that Ron would lash out irrationally at his sister and they'd be distracted by a messy fight before they could ask her anything important. Before he could ask anything though, Molly rushed over to her daughter and embraced her adoringly, prattling on about how long it had been since they'd visited.
Ginny looked over her mother's shoulders, sighing as she spotted the two Aurors looking at her. Harry looked over to see Ron scowling with his arms crossed and his foot tapping with annoyance. He himself found that he was was frowning deeply and had a furrowed brow. He told himself not to look so angry, as it wouldn't get them anywhere and his posture eased up on being so rigid, but his mouth stayed set in a grimace.
"Aunty Ginny," called a soft voice.
Everybody turned to see Rowena walk into the room, her mouth turned down in a frown. Ron let out a smothered chuckle as he caught sight of what Rowena was wearing and even Harry had to suppress a grin. She certainly liked colour, as she was wearing three clashing, bright ones together. His amusement drained away quickly however, when he saw the look of sad desperation on the child's face. She made her way over to her aunt and pulled on Ginny's hand.
"Can I go back to daddy now?" she asked, her voice quiet and pleading.
"Not yet, Rowena, sweetie," Ginny replied, patting her hand reassuringly and looking up to her mum with unrestrained hope. "Look, Grandma Weasley is here. Don't you want to visit with her?" she asked, looking back down at the little girl with a small smile.
Rowena looked up at Molly, reaching out and taking her hand too, but shook her head. "I just wanna go home," she told them, letting out a soft sigh. "D'you think daddy is with mummy?" she wondered.
"No dear, I'm afraid he's not," Molly replied, her tone quiet and upset. "Your dad is with your uncles."
"Will they find mummy?" she asked, lifting her soft eyes to question them.
"Soon, dear," Molly assured, glancing over at the two men by the fireplace. "Have you met my boys?" she asked the small child, leading her over to Harry and Ron. "These are Ginny's brothers and your mum's good friends," she told her, smiling over at the two Auror's.
Rowena nodded, looking up at them inquisitively. "Mummy said you were both real brave and that you helped her lots when she was growing up. She said that you and her had lots of adventures," she told them, nodding.
"Did she?" Harry said, kneeling down so he was eye level with the young Malfoy.
Rowena nodded, stepping forward and letting go of Molly and Ginny's hands. She reached out, placing a hand on both of Harry's shoulders. "You're Harry," she told him, nodding. "I 'member, not only 'cause daddy told me, but 'cause you have the scar. Mummy told me you had really beautiful eyes too, like your mummy," she said, sighing. "I have my mummy's eyes too."
Harry nodded, smiling lightly. "And her nose," he told her.
Rowena smiled briefly before becoming somber again. "Daddy said he'll find my mummy, but he's not feeling well. He's been real sick and I don't think he should go out." She stared into his eyes, hope shining out through them and piercing Harry's heart. "Will you find her? Daddy's not without mummy and I need her. She's the only one who can read my books the right way and I miss how she used to tell me every morning, she'd say, 'Winnie, be good for daddy and always think twice. Don't do anything that will hurt you or others. Love yourself and love others, because the world needs more of it. Now give mummy a kiss and go watch cartoons with your dad, pretty girl.'" She frowned, her face falling down in such morose sadness. "You saved the world, d'you think you can save my mummy?" she asked, hopefully.
Swallowing, Harry nodded. "Yeah, of course. I'll find her, I promise you," he told her, his voice a bit strangled as he made his vow.
She leaned in, a bright smile covering her features as she wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly. "Mummy always said that you would protect her no matter what. She said she could trust you with anything and if I ever needed help and daddy wasn't around, all I had to do was look for you," she told him, squeezing him lightly before stepping back and kissing his cheek.
Before Harry could reply, the front door burst open and Blaise hurried into the living room, barely sparing Harry and Ron a glance. Ginny turned toward him, her expression worried and her feet practically running to get to him. "What's wrong? What happened?"
"It's Draco," Blaise said, inhaling deeply. "Sorry. Ran across the field," he explained, shaking his head. "He collapsed. There- There was this yelling coming from upstairs, so me and Nev went to help him. He was on the floor, out cold. But we're sure it was him screaming." He shook his head, his arms reaching out for his girlfriend. "By the Gods Gin, he sounded terrible."
"What caused it? Is he okay? What happened?" Ginny wondered, shaking her head in confusion.
"Well," he began but then stopped. He noticed the audience then and shut his mouth. Instead of continuing on, he broke away from Ginny and walked over to the scared form of Rowena Malfoy, standing with tears milling in her eyes and her chin shivering.
"Where's daddy, uncle Blaise?" she asked, holding her arms out for him to pick her up.
"It's okay, brat," he told her affectionately as he hauled her up into his arms and smoothed her hair down. "Your dad is okay, he's just... sleeping," he told her, glancing over her shoulder to stare meaningfully at Ginny. "Nev went to pick up Patti. They're meeting us back over at the house, so we have to go now."
Ginny nodded, hurrying out of the room to get ready to leave. "Somebody should alert the Grangers," she called back to them.
"I'll go," Mrs. Weasley offered, nodding shortly before she backed out of the room. "We'll meet you over at the house," she assured, turning away and hurrying out of the den to get to the front property.
Blaise glanced over at Ron and Harry wearily, cradling a now quietly crying Rowena in his arms. "Uh, what are you doing here?" he wondered, apparently deciding blunt was the way to go.
"We're here to talk to Ginny," Harry replied.
"Yeah," Ron said roughly, glaring at the Auror in front of him. "You know, my baby sister who you forgot to tell me you were dating!"
Blaise rolled his eyes, lifting his shoulder in a dismissive shrug. "Is this really the time for that conversation?" he asked, frowning. "My best mate had a breakdown, one of my closest friends is missing, and my goddaughter is currently crying her eyes out. Ya think you can put this little shout fest off until things have quieted down a bit?" he asked exasperatedly. Without waiting for an answer, he strode out of the den to meet Ginny in the hallway.
Not wanting to be left behind, Harry and Ron followed them out. After crossing the large expanse of front yard, to which Ron constantly groaned about the lack of importance, they apparated over to the browney-red path leading up to Hermione and Malfoy's house. Harry noticed Neville sitting in the porch swing, his head bowed and his hands covering his face.
"Nev," Blaise's voice called out while he hurried his pace, still rubbing Rowena's back as she cried out for her dad. "Unexpected company," he warned, his tone telling.
Ron and Harry exchanged a look before they caught up to the two Aurors. Neville smiled at them, giving away no sort of discomfort. "My Patti is in with him now. I don't think it was anything too serious. He was definitely still breathing," he assured, nodding quickly. "Draco's a fighter. He'll be all right after a rest or so."
Harry and Ron nodded, unsure how to reply. It wasn't as if they were really there out of concern for Draco's health. It was more out of curiosity to what it was all three men were doing hanging out. Were they discussing something of importance? What had caused Malfoy's sudden breakdown? Were they hiding something from them?
Blaise shifted Rowena to his other side before walking inside and into the kitchen, motioning for Ginny and Neville to follow him. Harry and Ron looked at each other, deciding not to listen in on the conversation. They'd find out soon enough exactly what it was that happened earlier that day, and if it was any importance to the on-going investigation of the whereabouts of Hermione. They decided to sit on the porch swing, silently pondering what had happened that day.
Not long after the silence was punctured by the arrival of Bill and Elizabeth Granger coming up the path, with Mrs. Weasley hot on their heels. They didn't stop to exchange greetings, instead hurrying inside to find out what had happened. Harry shook his head, listening to the worried chatter of the now full house, everybody concerned for Draco Malfoy's health. It seemed so unusual he didn't know how to react.
"This is weird," Ron muttered, shaking his head and leaning forward.
"Yeah," Harry sighed, crossing his arms over his chest. Whatever had happened over the last eight or nine years, he had obviously not been invited. There were no memos sent out telling him that Draco Malfoy had grown to be a good person that a lot of people got along with. There was no warning that when he came back, he'd find that the things he thought were set in stone, were in fact quite bendable. Hermione wouldn't always be the single, book obsessed, brainiac he expected her to be. Malfoy wouldn't always be a smarmy git, who cared nothing for anybody else and only for himself. Neville Longbottom wouldn't always be a scared, bumbling, chubby boy, whose fear of bullies like Malfoy overshadowed any of his Gryffindor courage. Ginny Weasley wouldn't lust after him his entire life, hoping to one day marry her idol, Harry Potter. And Pansy Parkinson wouldn't always hate the likes of muggleborns, detesting the idea of ever being acquaintances, let alone friends with somebody who wasn't pureblooded.
A/N This update is a day earlier than I expected and I was going to put up an interlude, but I felt seeing what Harry and Ron are doing (careful there are clues in this chapter) was a little more important. Someone recently asked how long this story was going to be (niic smiles) and I believe I told her it was going to be about 20-23 chapters. Somewhere in there. Currently I have ten chapters written and seven interludes already finished which brings us to seventeen, at least. Where I'm at however, there's at least three more chapters to go and I believe it'll be done at 22. So, I hope that clears that up! I'll be posting again in 5-7 days!
Oh, and hey, is anybody else getting super excited for the OotP movie coming out in July. I'm seeing trailers for it all over and just the other day I went to see Pirates 3 and the music came on while I was in the lounge area and I swear me and my best friend were looking all over, excited. I literally got chills, I was so excited. I felt like a total nut, but I have a mild (or serious and rather obvious) obsession with Harry Potter, lol. I know of a lot of writers/readers of HP fanfiction that got into it only for the movies and haven't actually read the books. Is that any of you? Or is it the opposite way? No love for the movies? Personally, I own all four HP movies so far and, it's very obvious that I'm a HP movie fanatic. Not like dress up in HP gear and head out to the movie with a British accent crazy, lol, but I do get very excited and want to hit the theatre as soon as I can without hitting rushes of people and sitting in the worst seat ever. The last book has been preordered for me and my roomate, so the day it comes out we've got it immediately. And we usually buy our movie tickets like a week early to make sure we can get in. lol. Anyway, I was just wondering how everybody else is feeling about the July release of Ootp. -grins-
Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review, it's greatly appreciated!
Much Love,
-Amanda