Chapter 33: Burdens to Bear
"So where did you pick up the blonde ponce?" Fred asks over breakfast.
"And she called us stowaways," George adds. Draco rolls his eyes beside Hermione.
"And don't think we missed who was in your room last night," Fred says.
"Last night? Try every night," Ron winks at Hermione and she sighs.
"Could we not discuss this in front of his mother?" Mrs. Malfoy asks with a slight smirk. Draco blushes slightly and his witch covers her face with her hands while shaking her head.
"I'm tired of telling the story," Hermione says into her palms. "You tell 'em Harry." Harry swallows his food before turning to the waiting twins.
"Hermione is courting the blonde ponce, or at least snogging him so he helps us out sometimes and lives here with him mum and the rest of us," Harry delivers with a straight face. Luna and Tracey laugh loudly and even Mrs. Malfoy smirks. The twins shrug and keep eating. The laughter is what they need at the moment, just to feel like the world isn't crushing them, to feel like even if they survive, everything hasn't already been lost.
Draco hands Hermione a book and settles onto the couch as well in the library. She's only a page in when Harry pops in.
"I was going to talk to Luna about visiting Dean and his family," Harry says. "Did you want to come?" Hermione nod sadly. Draco sighs.
"I don't think that is necessary," Draco says, staring at the wall.
"Why is that?" she asks. Draco sighs again and drags a hand through his hair.
"They...didn't make it," he says softly.
"What?" Harry asks. "How? When?"
"Last night," Draco huffs, shoulders slumping at the revelation. "There was an attack." Harry's eyes narrow slightly at the blonde.
"And how do you know about it?" Draco's hand runs through the blond locks again.
"Luna," he says simply.
"But she didn't say anything," Harry replies confused. Draco looks at Harry.
"After you guys portkey'ed away, she started crying, going on about how she sentenced them to die," Draco says, watching Harry carefully. Harry leans against the wall, looking at the floor as if watching the scene play out. "Finally got her to tell me about the other attack, one on the Thomas family. Said their was nothing that could be done, no way to save them, but she still…" Draco shakes his head.
"I've got to talk to her," Harry says, turning to leave. Draco is up and at his side before he can exit. He grabs Harry's arm.
"You're not going to be a prat to her and tell her how she should have told you or some dragon shite like that right?" Draco asks, fiercely. Harry rolls his eyes and give Draco a hard look. The blonde nods and lets him go.
Draco settles back onto the couch with Hermione.
"Is Luna going to be alright?" she ask. Draco shakes his head and looks to the empty doorway.
"I don't know," he says. "She was pretty upset last night. Cried almost the whole time, until she said you guys were heading back and then she cleaned up and went to her room. I don't think this is the first time either." Hermione allows a small tear to slide down her cheek for their youngest housemate and the strongest of them all.
"Magic always takes something," she whispers. "The price for her gift is knowing all the people she cannot save. And no one can bear that burden for her."
"It's worse than that," Draco says. "She has to watch us die in her visions, watch all the worse case scenarios over and over again. And yet know that she can only watch. She can not be there to help or warn, she can only watch and hope the end goes in our favor."
Hermione burrows into Draco's arms. That is too much for anyone.
Draco and Hermione are the first ones to sit at the dinner table. They watch as Luna walks in, tucked into Harry's side with his arm securely around her. He kisses the top of her head before they both slip into their chairs. Luna smiles at Hermione and she returns it, but she still sees the the shadow of a haunted look around the young witch's eyes.
"I think I will have that cup of tea actually," Hermione says when she and Draco are settled into bed
"You're kidding me," he moans.
"I really don't want to make you get up," she says, "but what am I to do? My healer said I can't make it on my own." Draco sighs. "I mean, unless you think I could with some crutches?" He rolls his eyes. He mutters, but a pair of crutches appear beside her. She kiss him lightly.
"Thank you," she says and heads to the kitchen. When Hermione stumbles in the door, she finds Mrs. Malfoy standing by the counter with a cup in her hand.
"Oh," is all she manage.
"Miss Granger, please sit," she invites. "Is there anything I can get for you?" Even in a nightdress and robe she looks regal.
"I was just going to have a cup of tea, but you don't have to-"
"Nonsense," she says with a wave and sets about making tea. She sets the cup before the muggle-born and takes the seat across the kitchen table. They sip their tea quietly for a moment.
"You have had quite the influence on my son, Miss Granger," she says. 'Where is this going,' Hermione thinks desperately.
"I feel he has influenced me as well," she replies. Mrs. Malfoy nods.
"I'm sure the war had changed you both as well." Hermione shrugs. "He's been a different boy this year, or that should really be man. He changed as if overnight for me."
"The war was hard on everyone," she consoles.
"Do you know what happened to my family during that time? What he went through?" Mrs. Malfoy asks.
"Some, but not much. There were only a couple of run ins where we crossed paths. Most of what I know now is from him," she replies.
"Will you tell me about it?"
"Why?" Hermione asks. "I don't mean to be disrespectful, but why does it matter so much? What does it matter now?"
"My husband is dead. Before, Draco adored his father, but now he casts him away. Lucius hadn't been the man I married for many, many years. I am exceptionally proud of the man Draco has become, but I don't understand it. His views now, his methods and even allegiances are at such odds with who I knew. I can see that he is still my son, but I must wonder what he went through for those years I have no recollection of," Mrs. Malfoy explains.
"After Mr. Malfoy was locked up, He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Names tasked Draco with killing Headmaster Dumbledore," Hermione starts. Mrs. Malfoy pales at the thought. "If Draco failed, he said he would kill him and you. He also wouldn't break Mr. Malfoy out of Azkaban until it had been completed. These were both punishments for Mr. Malfoy losing the prophecy.
"Draco did his best, but was not a killer. In the end, Snape stepped in as you had asked him to protect your son. Dumbledore had made the same request of Snape as well. From then on, things went from bad to worse. Draco was expected to go on raids, to torture and murder. If he didn't, You-Know-Who would harm you. He held that over Draco's head constantly.
"I don't know a lot of what went on in that time, except that it was bad. Mr. Malfoy was constantly trying to get back into You-Know-Who's good graces to no avail. Your family was as much prisoners of your manor as those held in the dungeon. You thought only of getting your family through the war in those days.
"When the boarders got magically sealed, the whole area became chaotic. Mr. Malfoy had become cold to his family as climbing the Death Eater hierarchy was his only ambition. It was among this that he died. Draco was no better off, but had resented the man for not taking better care of you and for putting you both at the mercy of that madman.
"Things only got worse from there. Draco doesn't speak much of that time, preferring vague answers. From what I gathered, you were very unhappy and treated much like a common house elf in your own home. That was the worse for Draco. He hated the killing and the torture. He despised the animals he was to call comrades. But watching you waste away, that was the worse.
"When he came back, sparing you that fate was his only goal. That he could do that and not have to bow to that sadistic bastard, well that was a dream-one he never really thought possible." Hermione sips her tea after completing the tale. Mrs. Malfoy's hand reaching out and touches the other witch's, bringing her attention back to the woman before her.
"Miss Granger, it breaks my heart that Draco and you had to live through that horrible time. I could never thank you enough for making sure that my son and I had another option this time around." Hermione smiles at the woman and Mrs. Malfoy smiles in return. The elder witch stands and nods once before heading back to her room.
Hermione drinks the rest of her tea and think back to the last timeline. She pray that they can avoid most of what occurred as well as getting a different end result.