Chapter 24: Adding to the House

Another week and a half slip away with little incident. Mrs. Malfoy is seen even less than before after the confrontation with Draco. Ron spends most days muttering to Harry about quidditch or playing wizarding chess with Harry, Luna, or Mr. Lovegood. Mr. Lovegood wanders mostly, but the vacant look in his eyes has been replaced with immense sadness.

Luna and Harry tend to always be found together, between easy conversations and stolen glances, Hermione was happy that they had found something good through all of this. Still, Hermione's getting antsy. She's asked Luna six times if they can start yet, only for her shake her head and say 'just a bit longer.'

Draco and Hermione continue as they had at Hogwarts, rotating between passionate debates and comfortable silence spent reading, only with more snogging involved.

It's the rare morning when it's only Harry and Hermione in the library. She's interrogating him slightly about Luna, however he's sidestepping the question. Draco walks in with long, hurried strides. A hand pushes itself through his hair once more.

"We need to talk," he gasp out. Harry looks back and forth between Hermione's confusion and Draco, before standing and heading to the door.

"You can stay," Draco says without even looking away.

"What is it?" Hermione says, grabbing his hand and pulling him over to the couch. He seems to be going into some sort of shock and his hands are cold.

"Are you-" she starts to ask.

"Tracey," Draco cuts her off. "Tracey contacted me."

"Okay," she draws the sounds out, not understanding.

"She...er…she needs a place to go," he says. "Her family...they're dead." His face goes a little paler.

"Oh Draco," she says, wrapping an arm around him.

"She's hiding, but it won't be long…" his voice trails away. His wild eyes snap to Harry standing awkwardly. "Please let her come here," he begs.

"Er…" Harry looks to the witch for help.

"What was her alliance in the last war?" Hermione carefully asks Draco. He looks to her, the wild fear subsiding.

"Her family was neutral," he says. "They attempted to stay that way and it was fine at first. But then when the war dragged on and the first year passed, neutral wasn't acceptable anymore. Her parents were stubborn. Her mom's a muggleborn you know, well...was. They killed her parents and then gave her the option to pick a side without them. She was so...angry. She tried to fight, but she was captured. Death would have been kinder but the Dark Lord wanted to make an example of what happened if you refused, and that there were things that were far worse than death. I'm glad she doesn't remember." A shiver went through his body.

"Where is she now?" Hermione whispers.

"I'm not exactly sure, I just know she has nowhere to go and not long…"

Hermione looks to Harry, his eyebrows low and lips pulled back from his teeth is disgust. His eyes meet her for a moment and he nods.

"Send word that she can come here. I'll meet her and bring her," Hermione tells him. He crushes her against him, before standing up. He nods to Harry before he leaves.

"Everytime I think I've seen the depth of evil," Harry says as he slouches down next to her, "I find there is something worse that Voldemort has done." She smile sadly at him.

"That sums up the last war," she replies. He looks at her.

"How did you survive?"

"I had you," she replies. "But this time will be better. This time we'll be able to protect more people and stop it before it happens." Harry nods, but rests his head against the back of the couch and closes his eyes anyways.

"Luna said you should be fine as long as you get out by 10:30," Harry says nervously.

"That shouldn't be a problem," Hermione tells him. "It shouldn't take more than ten minutes."

"I should go instead," he suggests for the fiftieth time in the last 24 hours.

"We've been over this," she says, pulling on a light jacket over her T-shirt and jeans. "It would be too dangerous for you go. I'll be fine." She tuck her hair into a bun then cover it with a black fabric hat. Hermione throws her arms out to the sides.

"Muggle enough?" she asks. Harry nods solemnly.

"I don't like that you're going alone."

"Harry, enough. Nothing is going to happen."

"Okay."

"I've got to go." Harry hugs her tight and then lets her go. Draco steps forward.

"You know the questions?" he asks. She roll her eyes.

"Stop, both of you. I am prepared and everything is going to be fine," she snaps. "I'll be back with Tracey in no time." She pecks Draco on the lips and steps back, wand in hand.

"Be careful," Draco warns. She nods and disapparates.

Hermione appears in a dark alley in London. She casts a couple hurried charms to disperse the leftover magic from the apparition as not to be tracked, then stows her wand. With hands in her jacket pockets, she strolls out of the alleyway. She walks eight blocks-doubling back a few times to make sure she wasn't being followed as well as a few detection spells-and walk into a small cafe. Hermione pays for a scone and settle down in the corner.

The cafe is busy, as it should be at 9:50 in the morning. Hermione's eyes shift over the people, looking for small ticks that they don't belong, don't quite fit in. Even with a couple shady characters, everyone is perfectly muggle.

The door chimes as it opens again. A girl with brown hair pulled back in a messy ponytail and dirty jeans walks in. One hand is balled into a fist at her side while the other clenches something in the pocket of a coat that is too big for her. The tension in her shoulders doesn't relax as she scans the area. When her eyes land on Hermione, she releases a slow breath and takes uncertain steps in her direction.

"Tracey," Hermione stands and motions to the seat across from me. Tracey moves the seat so that she can see most of the room before sitting and glances around the room once more.

"So umm...he said you would take me somewhere...safe?" Tracey starts.

"Yes," Hermione replies. "I just need to ask you a couple of questions and then we can go."

"Okay."

"What animal do you fear the most?" Tracey squirms at the questions.

"Snakes," she answers softly. Hermione nods.

"Who was your favorite Hogwarts professor?"

"Flitwick."

"Good, we just have to be sure," Hermione says.

"What about you?" she asks. "How do I know you are who you say you are?"

"Ask anything you wish," she replies.

"Er...who was with you when you were petrified?" Hermione's eyebrows knit together.

"Penny Clearwater," she says. Tracey nods.

"Can we go now?" She looks around the room again anxiously. Hermione pulls out a piece of parchment and mumbles to it.

"Read this." Her eyes glance over the page and then look back at the muggle-born witch. Hermione stows the parchment away after clearing it. She stands and motions for Tracey to follow her. The clock reads 10:05 am.

They duck into an alleyway on one side the cafe with an apartment building on the other side. Once concealed behind the dumpster, Hermione takes her arm and pops them away. On the top doorstep of Grimmauld Place, Hermione knocks three times. Draco pulls open the door.

"Who are you named after?" he asks Hermione.

"My Grandma Jean," she answers and he lets the witches in. Tracey throws her arms around Draco and immediately begins sobbing. Motioning to the kitchen with her head, Draco follows Hermione to it, pulling the upset witch with him.

Hermione sets about making tea as Draco whispers comforting words to Tracey.

"Thanks," Draco glances at his witch as she sets the two cups of tea and a calming draught on the table. Hermione nods and walks away, allowing the ex-Slytherins some privacy for the difficult conversation.

Two hours later, Draco watches as Tracey rests in her new room, the calming draught allowing her to seem peaceful. Years of practice had kept him from shaking with rage and growling as she told him what had happened. She needed to confided in him, to tell the tale to lift the burden on her soul. She needed to cry as she told him how her parents were tortured. Needed to tell him how she was tortured when she didn't immediately flock to idea of joining the maniacs. The Dark Lord hadn't sent his best, he'd sent some of his cruelest. They weren't there to recruit, they were there to punish, and it made Draco angry. So angry.

Tracey had needed to say all that, so Draco had listened and masked any feelings that weren't a comfort to the witch. Yet now, as he watches her sleep, face still puffy and red from crying, fury runs through his veins. When the overwhelming anger feels like that alone might break him, he seeks Hermione out in the library.

"How is she?" she asks, looking up at him. He sighs and sits down next to her.

"Sleeping."

"I don't think she's done that since...it happened," she ventures carefully.

"No, she was too scared she would be found," he says. "I leant her a shirt to sleep in, but we'll need to do something as far as clothes. She has her wand, her father's coat and a necklace that her parents gave her, but she didn't have time to pack."

"We'll take care of it." Draco nods.

"I didn't know the details before," he sighs. "About…" Hermione touches his hand. He shakes his head and pulls her closer.

"It'll be okay," she tries to comfort.

"No," he replies, "it will never be okay. But we will make them pay for everything we can never get back." The steel in his voice fills her with confidence that maybe they could do just that. Then again, they may be lucky to win the war. Justice is a whole other thing.

Luna smiles as Tracey sits down across from her at the dinner table. Tracey nods back, but sinks a little into Draco's side who seated beside her. From what Draco had told Hermione, the friendship between them was similar to Harry and Hermione's. Draco didn't particularly hang out with Tracey as much, but he viewed her a little sister and helped her navigate the Slytherin politics that her half-blood upbring didn't prepare her for, protecting and defending her when necessary.

Though the part that Tracey would always feel indebted for was how he took her aside the first few years and taught her what she needed to stand on her own two feet, an essential part of staying safe in the Slytherin house. A protector might not always be there. It must have been hell for Draco when he wasn't able to save her from her fate before. His panic yesterday morning making perfect sense.

"What the hell is that?" Ron shouts when he enters the kitchen.

"What did you say weasel?" Draco bites back dangerously.

"Is this becoming a bloody shelter for recovering Death Eaters or something?" Ron yells, waving his hand at Tracey and Draco.

"Ronald," Hermione snaps. They had forgotten to tell him about our new housemate in the rush to get her to safety, but Ron rushing to judgement was wearing on nerves in the cooped up house.

"Better recovering Death Eaters than vermin like you, weasel," Tracey snaps, standing up red faced. "Did your mum kick you out because they could afford to feed another useless prat with no manner?"

"Leave my family out of it," Ron says.

"Why? You make your stupid accusation but you can't take someone telling you the truth? Get your facts straight, I have never been a Death Eater, I will never be a Death Eater. Unfortunately for you, you will never be more than a talentless oaf who's lucky if he can tell one end of his wand from the other. Your lack of intelligence makes me want to ask if you were dropped on your head as a child, but your face is evidence enough that it met the ground in a detrimental incident." Tracey finishes looking indifferent and collected, with a slight smirk.

Ron fumes, staring daggers at the brunette. His hand twitches before going for his wand, only for Harry to drag him out of the kitchen, claiming he needed to calm down. With Ron gone, Tracey shrugs and sit back down. She looks around and smiles.

"What?" she asks innocently. Draco burst out laughing.

"It's good to have you here, Trace," he says. "Really livens up the place." He winks and she gives him a genuine smile.

"So...dinner?" she asks. Laughter goes around the table and Kreature places the dishes on the table, beaming as he does so.

"So Tracey," Hermione starts, "have any embarrassing stories about Draco?" She smiles mischievously at the girl and Tracey returns it.

"Do I? Oh yeah," she replies.

"Watch it Davis," Draco cuts in. "I have more on you if you really want to go that route." Tracey rolls her eyes and mouths 'later' to Hermione. Draco turns back to his food sighing, which only makes both witches laugh again.