Chapter 22

Hermione put away the groceries as Draco explored her house. As he put it, "You snuck around my house, poking around in my things. I get to do the same."

She had answered, "Yes, but I don't have any deadly traps around my house."

He had just laughed and headed for the living room and staircase.

Hermione didn't know what to think at this point. Their relationship was just so strange.

How could she have loved him, even before he had changed his mind about his death eater values? Was it because she knew he would change? Wasn't that the number one worst mistake girls make when falling in love?

But he did change. She had decided to believe in him, and so she had to believe that he was telling her the truth. She couldn't imagine it had been easy, him telling her she had been right before.

She had told him she loved him. But did he love her? Is that what was he was saying, by explaining he had changed because his ideals didn't allow them to be together? What the hell is love, anyways? Can it really be pinpointed into one corny line of dialogue?

She shook her head. Thinking too much. Too philosophically, too.

Suddenly there was a loud "pop" in the room, and she swirled around. She didn't know who she had been expecting, but this was not it.

"Hey, Hermione!" Ginny said, plopping down at the kitchen table. She sighed. "It's only been a day, but I feel like it's been forever. I'm so tired…"

"Ginny! Here, I'll get you something to drink…" She reached into the now full fridge and poured them both some juice.

"What brings you here, of all places?"

"Just…needed to get away from some things, and Harry said you'd be here." She said, drinking her juice and avoiding eye contact.

"uh, huh…" Harry had told her what, exactly? That didn't matter right now. Ginny was there at the battle yesterday, too. Ginny had lost a lot. And she seemed exhausted, dark circles under her eyes. "Are you ok, Ginny? How is…everyone?"

"There's…several funerals, tomorrow. It'll be in the Prophet, but I wanted to let you know."

Hermione felt a heavy lump in her throat. She knew that if Ginny cried, she would lose it, too. "I'll be there… I wasn't here earlier, but I'm sure an owl dropped my copy of the Prophet in a bush somewhere. I'll dig around for it."

She was silent for a minute. Would it be too much to ask when Fred's was? To say the name? Probably. She should just hope she could find her Prophet later.

She sat down by Ginny, and sipped at her glass.

"Harry's got a lot of things to stress about, you know." Ginny said, changing the subject.

"I know, everyone wants to talk with him. It's not like he's not used to that crap, right?"

Ginny nodded. "It's just day one and he's already sick of it." She looked up. "It's funny how someone so famous can hate publicity so much."

Hermione laughed. "Yeah, he's always been like that. It's just one of the things that makes him such a good guy. He's not full of himself, that one."

"Most of the time." Ginny added, grinning.

"So…now that it's all over, are you going to get any of his scarce time?"

Ginny's grin grew. "That's part of why he's frustrated. He defeated the scariest dark wizard of our time yesterday; he's earned a break. He wanted to just stay at the Burrow…to hang out with me for awhile, but then the reporters came!" She sighed. "I don't know when this will all calm down, but we won't be seeing much of each other until then. I swear their tailing him!"

"I'm sure it'll never blow over, not completely. He's going to be in history books! But everyone should stop badgering him soon enough for interviews…"

So, she wasn't the only one with a complicated dating scenario. She had forgotten about poor Ginny, waiting and worrying about whether her love and her brother were going to come home alive. And now, she had to wait for some alone time with Harry…

"So, has Harry…said anything about me?" Hermione asked, carefully.

Ginny gave her a look, raising an eyebrow. "YOU are another of his stressors, my friend. Look, I know he can be a bit pig-headed…he is a boy, afterall…but you two need to make up. He won't tell Ron why he came back so upset this morning. So I had to deduce that it was something to do with you."

Hermione pressed her lips into a thin line. "I have no problem with Harry. It's the other way around."

"What do you mean? What stupid thing did he do? You shouldn't take any of it to heart, he's had a very stressful time…"

"I know! I was there. He went through even more than me, I know. But I'm stressed too! I have things to worry about, too! And he is not helping! She said, her voice rising.

Ginny grabbed her hand. "Hey, it's ok, Hermione. I'm sorry…I'm not taking sides…I don't even know what's going on…"

"What's going on?" Said a voice from behind Hermione, at the kitchen doorway.

Ginny jumped up, nearly tripping over her chair as she dug out her wand.

"Ginny! It's ok! He's supposed to be here!" Hermione said, jumping up with her hands out in a gesture urging Ginny to put away her wand.

Draco hadn't even gone for his. Hermione suspected he was getting used to having people point wands at him. He looked slightly bored, in fact, the sunglasses placed up on top of his head.

For her part, Ginny put away her wand after Hermione's panic. "If you say so."

"I do…" and with that, Hermione explained all about the trial, and about how Draco had saved her before (leaving out large…compromising chunks, of course).

"So…if he goes out in the wizarding world, he'll probably have an angry mob after him." Ginny said calmly, back to drinking her juice.

"I'm much more popular now, huh?" Draco commented.

Ginny looked skeptical. "So, your saying you didn't commit any crimes?"

"No." Draco said quietly.

Her face softened. "Ok, he admits he's a bit guilty. But he doesn't deserve Azkaban?"

"No!" Hermione said. "I mean…he didn't hurt people because he enjoyed it. He wasn't given a choice."

Ginny nodded. She gave Draco a calculating look. "Yeah, you don't seem like the evil type. Occasionally cruel, in the way most Slytherins…er, kids our age can be, but not a torturer. I don't like you. But Azkaban…" She thought about it. "I'm no expert on law, but I trust Hermione's judgment. Just don't screw up and piss her off, cause she's the only ally your likely to maintain."

Draco sighed, and to Hermione's surprise, sunk into one of the chairs at the table with her and Ginny. He saluted her lazily and said, "Got it. Couldn't agree more."