Hermione sat gracefully in the desk chair which she had turned to face the rest of the room. She focused and collected her thoughts. Finally, she was about to get some real information. She was quite eager to know what made a guy like Draco Malfoy turn to his school nemesis for help.
'That is, if he's being honest.' Hermione reminded herself.
"Well? Get on with it!" prompted Draco.
"Right, okay. How long have you been thinking about coming to Harry for help?" asked Hermione.
"What does that have to do with anything?" questioned Draco.
"I want to assess your character." answered Hermione.
"Granger, you already know I'm a bigoted git who'd rather be anywhere but here. Can you just get to the point?" Draco snapped, rolling his eyes.
"Fine." huffed Hermione, "Where did you and Snape go after fleeing the school last June? Where is he now?"
Draco stared at the ceiling for a good thirty seconds before facing Hermione and answering. "We went home, to my house. I haven't seen Snape since that night. By the next morning he was gone."
"Where do you think he went?"
"I don't know. The Dark Lord probably gave him a job to do. Your guess is as good as mine." Draco responded.
Hermione frowned. She had been hoping Malfoy would have a bit more insight than that. Then again, assuming he was right and Snape was somewhere on Voldemort's orders, it wasn't very likely that kind of information would be broadcast for everyone to hear.
"So Snape just told you about Grimmauld Place that night?"
"Basically, yeah."
"Kind of out of nowhere, isn't it?" said Hermione, skeptically.
"I think he meant me to tell the others." Draco supplied.
"And did you?" asked Hermione worriedly.
"Don't you think that if I had, someone besides me would've shown up already?" shot back Draco.
"I suppose so." said Hermione, visibly relaxing. "But why didn't you say anything?"
"Please, I was just the baby of the group." scoffed Draco, "The stupid kid who had just failed in carrying out a direct order from the Dark Lord. I'm damn lucky I didn't get killed for it. No one was going to listen to me after that. Even if that meant losing a chance to get the Chosen One."
Hermione noticed the way his nose still wrinkled in disgust at Harry's fame. The jealousy that intensified in his eyes at a title he felt Harry hadn't earned. It was clear to Hermione that Malfoy still felt his pure blood and social standing should've gotten him more than it had. More than a kid with a scar on his forehead and dead parents anyway.
"Is that why you left?" asked Hermione after a minute, "You feared for your life?"
"Hardly."
"Then why? I don't understand why you came to us." said Hermione.
"It's not to say I wasn't scared. There were times this summer when I thought I was dead for sure. But you and I both know that that alone is not enough to even make me consider coming here."
"Continue." prompted Hermione.
"I came because my mother asked me to." said Draco.
"Your mother! Why would she want you to come to us any more than you would?" exclaimed Hermione.
"It's simple really. A member of my family with whom we have previously been estranged sought us out. My parents and I. She came to us, practically begging us to join the light side, started spewing lines about the importance of family and hard times. My mother agreed." replied Draco.
"Are you going to tell me who it is or do I have to balance a beach ball on my nose first?" cried Hermione.
Draco smirked. "Well that would be a sight wouldn't it? But not quite the same as seeing dear Aunt Andromeda clasping my mother's hands insisting she do the right thing."
"Andromeda Tonks is your aunt?" asked Hermione. Surprise was written all over her face.
"Yup. Sisters with my mother and Bellatrix." said Draco.
"So why agree now? I always assumed your parents were very clear about where they stood." said Hermione.
"Oh they were." Draco responded, "Blood is thicker than water, Granger. Supporting the Dark Lord was supposed to be good for our family. It's proving to do more harm than good. Why continue to support him when he's a hop, skip and a jump from killing us? It's gotten to the point where we can stay on his side and probably die or change sides and have a chance at living. My parents see that."
"They do?" asked Hermione skeptically.
"Don't get me wrong, they're still the two most prejudiced people you will ever meet but they've been backed into a corner. They'd prefer to sacrifice their beliefs if it means surviving this thing." responded Draco.
"And what about you? Where do you stand when it comes to muggleborns?" asked Hermione.
"That Granger," said Draco as he sat down on the edge of his bed, "is something you already know the answer to. I think I've made myself abundantly clear on that front."
"Yes, you have." agreed Hermione quietly.
"So is that it?" wondered Draco, standing up again, "Have you found out everything you wanted to know?"
"No. There's still a few things I'm not sure about." said Hermione.
"Hermione, did you get lost up here? Everyone's wondering where you are." Ron appeared in the doorway.
"They're here, already? I was just learning more about Malfoy's situation." answered Hermione.
"Yes, they're here already. You do know they're late, right?" asked Ron, raising an eyebrow.
"Of course I know!" exclaimed Hermione, "It was my food they let get cold. It's practically dinner time now!"
"Well, come on then. Everyone's waiting for you." said Ron. He eyed Draco warily and left.
"I guess we'll continue later." said Hermione, "You can come down too if you want."
"Yeah right. Because I'm not enough of a pariah already!" snapped Draco.
"We said we'd be civil." Hermione smirked, "Wait till Mrs. Weasley gets a hold of you! She'll be feeding you till hell freezes over."
"Not today, Granger." said Draco. He held out the untouched plate to her, signaling her dismissal.
"Whatever you say." said Hermione. She took the plate and left.
Barely even in the hallway and Ron was beside her. "So, what'd he say?"
"Honestly, not what I was expecting." Hermione replied.
"Do you believe him?" asked Ron.
"I can't be sure but it'll be easy enough to see if he's lying." answered Hermione, "Now let's eat. I'm starved!"
Back in the kitchen Hermione was overwhelmed with 'hellos' and hugs from the Weasleys as though they hadn't seen each other for months. A sign of the times when even going to Diagon Alley was dangerous.
"Where are Tonks and Lupin?" asked Hermione.
"Oh they had some Order business to take care of. They're sorry they couldn't make it." said Mrs. Weasley.
They sat down and ate heartily. When they had finished, Hermione, Mrs. Weasley and Ginny took to cleaning up while the others went to the living room. Hermione and Mrs. Weasley cleaning by hand along with Ginny because she was not yet of age. Hermione didn't mind. When her hands were busy and her mind was focused on the task at hand, she didn't have as much time to worry about Harry or the daunting task of finding and destroying Horcruxes.
"So strange that Draco Malfoy's here, wouldn't you say?" remarked Ginny.
"Yeah, that's an understatement." agreed Hermione.
"That poor boy." commented Mrs. Weasley, "He should never have been put that position. If Severus hadn't betrayed us, Dumbledore would still be here and we could've gotten Draco and his parents to safety much sooner!"
"You think Malfoy would've accepted help back in June if things had gone differently?" asked Ginny.
"Of course he would've." said Mrs. Weasley assuredly, "I don't think any of us can really imagine the strain he was under. It's like I've always said. Children under seventeen have no business fighting in the war. I'm quite sure he was eager for someone else to take the reins."
"And Snape did take the reins." continued Hermione, "We all know the rest."
The three women finished cleaning in silence. During that time Hermione wondered how Draco's parents would've reacted to Dumbledore hiding them from Voldemort. Probably, they'd have put up a big fuss first. Not unlike the Dursleys who, from Harry's description, had agreed and then changed their minds more times than he could count. Part of her wished she could be as sympathetic as Mrs. Weasley but she just couldn't. She couldn't be indifferent like Ron or hopeful like Harry. Draco had made choices. He said so himself. If Draco honestly didn't know Voldemort was a sadistic bastard who only truly cared about himself, then he wasn't just prejudiced. He was unbelievably unobservant. It was his own fault.
After they'd finished cleaning, Ginny went to find Harry while Mrs. Weasley and Hermione went to the living room. Almost as if it were akin to breathing, the conversation was about the war. More shops than ever had been boarded up in Diagon Alley and disappearances were becoming more and more frequent. Hermione found the discussion depressing and after only a few minutes ventured upstairs to once again, go over the things to bring on the journey she was undertaking with Harry and Ron.
Hermione passed Harry's room where he and Ginny were talking in low voices and Draco's whose door remained closed. She entered the room that she sometimes shared with Ginny and made her way over to her bed where she had left her beaded bag. While going through book after book, she wasn't overly surprised to find that this wasn't helping the heavy atmosphere.
"Wow, it looks like a library threw up in your room."
Hermione took a breath before turning around. "Malfoy, this would be under the category of heckling."
"Just stating the obvious, Granger." said Draco.
"Since you're here, how about we finish our little interview?" suggested Hermione. They both knew it wasn't a question. She quickly packed up the books and put the small bag around her neck.
"You're the boss." Draco consented.
But Hermione never got the chance to ask. They were disrupted by the sound of blasting noises coming from downstairs. So strong were the noises that the resulting vibrations caused the whole house to shake. She and Draco both lost their footing and fell over quite surprised.
"Where is he? Tell us now!"
"We know he's here! And while we're at it, give us Malfoy too!"
Hermione gasped. Death Eaters! She wanted so desperately to blame Draco for their appearance but that didn't make much sense. The Death Eaters were clearly here for him as well as Harry. Not to mention anyone who stood in their way. If not for anyone else, Hermione knew Draco would never compromise his own safety by telling the Death Eaters where he was running to. She knew then his story didn't need much verification.
'It's always been Snape.' Hermione thought angrily. Whatever Snape had been doing, wherever he had gone, he had found another way to tell the Death Eaters about Grimmauld Place.
"Stay down." Draco mouthed.
She could do that but then there would be one less person to defend the house. Resolved, Hermione stood up.
"What are you doing?!" Draco's voice rose exponentially as he jumped up with her.
"What do you think? I'm fighting!" Hermione retorted.
"Are you completely mental? They will kill you on site! You're a muggleborn!" exclaimed Draco.
"Great, thanks for reminding me. I'm also one of those stupid, noble Gryffindors. You know how we like to die fighting to protect others." Sarcasm flooded Hermione's words.
Without waiting for a response, Hermione tore out of the room. Downstairs was total mayhem. Jets of green and red light were shooting in various directions and people were diving behind furniture dodging them. Hermione caught sight of Rookwood and Dolohov as two of the Death Eaters in question. There were probably at least three others. Realizing she had the element of surprise, Hermione fired a stunning spell at Dolohov who collapsed instantly.
"Hermione, watch out!" called Harry's voice. From where, Hermione couldn't quite discern. She ducked just before Yaxley's killing curse hit her.
Hermione crawled behind one of the armchairs. If only Tonks and Lupin were here. An Auror and an ex-Defense Against The Dark Arts teacher would've been an immense help. She peered over the back of the chair and saw Ginny fighting a masked Death Eater. Immediately Hermione sent a shield charm at Ginny and a stunning spell at her opponent. A few seconds later she saw a couple other masked Death Eaters sneak past the battle and head upstairs. Hermione snuck after them.
Hermione moved cautiously. Tiptoeing down the hallway she heard voices coming out of her room. Draco and the two Death Eaters were arguing.
"The Dark Lord is not pleased, Malfoy!" said one.
"Blood traitor!" spat the other, "No better than a pathetic mudblood!"
"No worse than the Dark Lord's puppets, eh Carrow? Maybe you're willing to die for the cause but I'm quite happy living, thank you very much." Draco retorted.
"We are loyal to our Master! He will reward us! You, on the other hand, have signed your own death warrant!" said Carrow.
"I was on his hit list before I even got the Dark Mark. Loyalty to him wouldn't have gotten me anywhere except six feet under!" exclaimed Draco.
Hermione chose this moment to attack. "Stupefy!"
The Death Eater whose name she didn't know fell. Carrow however was quicker to react. He whipped around and cried, "Impedimenta!"
Hermione was thrown off her feet where she hit the wall and slid unceremoniously to the ground. At almost the same moment Draco stunned Carrow and ran over to her and knelt down beside her.
"Granger, you alive over here?"
"Hmm, whaa?"
"I guess that's a yes."
"Not for long." Yet another Death Eater came into the bedroom, ominously brandishing his wand.
"We…need to…dis..disapparate." Hermione murmured. She was finding it extremely hard to stay awake.
She felt Draco take hold of her arm. As she began to feel the awful pull of apparition she also heard the Death Eater fire a spell at her and Draco. She didn't hear what the spell was but she hoped they managed to get away before the spell could reach them. That was her last thought before losing consciousness entirely.
A.N. Reviews make the fanfiction world go round!
