Chapter Nine
London, 1st March 2004
Harry didn't think Hermione had been home yet since arriving from L.A. She was wearing an Auror training suit that was far too big on her slight frame, and her hair was a frizzy mess obscuring her face. Hermione's head was resting on her crossed arms on the table and Harry thought she may be asleep. Harry hesitated, leaning on the door jamb watching her rest, not wanting to disturb her.
"Are you going to watch me all evening?" Hermione looked up. Her eyes were red and puffy and she looked very pale, but there was unmistakeable love in the way she regarded Harry. His heart went to her.
"Why didn't you tell me?"
Hermione huffed, blowing a stray curl away from her eyes.
"And what would you have said? 'Oh, Hermione, I'm so happy you fell in love with a runaway Death Eater! I always thought you'd make a lovely couple!' Yeah," she scoffed, "as if..." She looked at Harry and her voice trailed off. Harry's eyes were as wide as saucers.
"You are in love with Malfoy? Merlin, Hermione! I thought-"
"So what were you talking about? I thought you had realised-"
"No, no, you can tell me anything. I just… I spoke to Shacklebolt. I got the idea that this was more like an unfortunate fling. I didn't understand-"
"Yes, because I would give up my career for a shag. Honestly, Harry." Her eyes welled up. "Have you heard any news? Nobody is telling me anything. I'm out of my mind with worry."
"Sorry, not much. Last I heard Hannah had been released from hospital, bar the formalities. A Ministry escort will be bringing her in sometime tonight."
"And Draco?" Hermione looked away.
"Still in a magically induced coma, as far as I know. The curse cut deep. It did a lot of damage." Harry looked at her with pity. "Sorry, Hermione." She shrugged her shoulders tiredly.
"At least he's alive. You can't imagine… he was dying in my arms, Harry. I thought… Gods. Can't he be transferred to St. Mungo's?"
"International medical transfers are tricky. It could do more harm than good. Kentigern is a first-rate magical hospital, Hermione. He'll be well looked after… I can't believe I'm reassuring you about Malfoy. Are you going to tell me how that happened?"
"I will, I promise, but not now. I'm barely holding it together, Harry. I don't think I could bear to talk about it."
"Come here, you." Harry opened his arms and Hermione melted into a comforting embrace, breathing in his familiar scent. It calmed her down immediately. "You can always talk to me. About anything, you know? I love you, Hermione. You are the only family I have." Harry kissed the top of her head, tightening his hold. "We'll sort this out. You'll see."
London, 2nd March 2004
Hermione woke up with a start. She was soaked in sweat, her heart beating wildly. She wiped her eyes dry and swallowed back a sob.
Taking her wand from under her pillow, Hermione cast a quick Tempus. 3:57 am. She threw back her duvet and went to the kitchen to make herself a cup of tea, realising it would be impossible to go back to sleep.
The dream had been a vivid recount of that evening and very distressing. Draco lying in her arms, unconscious, bleeding. Dying. Winston screaming at her to please do something, and Paolo's ragged sobs. Her panicky attempts at casting Healing Charms, hands shaking so badly her wand wouldn't respond. Winnie's frantic call to the Ministry on a Muggle phone, of all things. The American DMLE and their Containment Squad and the Magical Emergency team… She had been shoved away unceremoniously, witch and wizard-medics taking over. Draco had been Disapparated to Kentigern Hospital for Magical Maladies within minutes of that first phone call, and Hermione hadn't seen him since.
Hermione let her tears flow, going over the events of that evening like she had already done a thousand times. She could still hear Draco's voice, so low and gravelly and full of desire.
Touch me.
Something gripped her insides and squeezed so tight she thought she would break. It was all Hermione's fault. She had been the only Auror there, the one expected to keep a clear head. The one in charge. She should have been alert and focussed, but instead she had got so completely lost in him, and it might cost Draco his life. Hermione felt her throat constricting to the point of suffocation and took a few gulps of air, trying to fend off the panic attack she could feel looming.
She forced her thoughts to turn to Hannah. Hermione had trusted the girl with her life. Literally. A hundred memories ran through her mind. Assignments, missions, coffee and scones in the Ministry's canteen. A shopping trip to Diagon Alley. Finnegan's wedding and skipping drunkenly in the rain. She remembered Hannah holding her tight just after the Battle, when they realised Ron would never wake up, Harry kneeling by his side, too broken and grief-stricken to offer any comfort. Hannah held her for hours, until Hermione had run out of tears.
What did I miss? How didn't I see it?
Was she trying to help Hermione? Did she hate Malfoy? It didn't make any sense. Why would she do this? Hermione needed to know. She would go to the Ministry in the morning and hope that Shacklebolt still cared enough for Hermione to grant her a meeting with Hannah.
"You have five minutes."
Hermione observed the girl sitting in the interrogation room through the one-way glass. Hannah's head was bandaged and she looked pale, but she was calm and serene. The manacles chaining her to the floor were too big for her small wrists, and Hermione felt a lump in her throat at the sight. She took a deep breath and walked in.
"Hannah." She sat on the opposite side of the table. Hannah looked up, her face expressionless.
"Hi." She didn't say anything else, her eyes drifting to a random groove etched on the surface of the table. She traced it absentmindedly, over and over.
Hermione watched her do it for a while, collecting her thoughts. This scenario was so wrong. She cleared her throat.
"Are you going to tell me why?" Hannah lifted her eyes, focussing on Hermione.
"What do you want me to say?" Her fingers strayed back to the groove. Hermione felt a pang of annoyance.
"You fucked up, Hannah. I want to know why you did it."
Hannah bristled furiously, an unexpected surge of magic crackling through her like electricity."
"I fucked up? That's rich coming from you! I wasn't the one sleeping with the enemy!"
"Hannah, Malfoy is not the enemy. Not any more. You know as well as I do that his crimes relate solely to the war. He deserved to be brought to justice. What he didn't deserve was a Diffindo to the chest."
"Says you!" Hannah laughed bitterly. "Talion Law, Hermione. He killed, he dies. You have grown soft and complacent and you are blinded by your love. You have forgotten, haven't you? I haven't."
"I've killed too. And so have you, Hannah. Should we all give our lives as retribution?"
"We had to kill or die! He had a choice!"
"No, he didn't. He killed under threat of death, and not only his own."
"Don't twist things to suit you, Hermione! I'm not just talking about the Muggle he killed. You know very well what he did. That night he chose, and every single death that followed falls on him as much as on the rest of the Death Eaters!"
"What sort of crazy logic are you applying here? How can you compare? He was only sixteen!" Hermione felt her eyes fill with tears. "He was a child, Hannah! They are not the same person, the child you knew and the man he is now."
"Spare me the waterworks, Hermione. Ron had been seventeen only two months before the Battle. Have you forgotten him? Lavender? Colin? Terry? Padma? Shall I go on? The list of dead children is long."
Hermione paled. "I haven't forgotten. But it doesn't make him responsible for the whole war. And it doesn't give us the right to slay him."
"In your opinion. I find it debatable."
"In all justice, Hannah! When have we become vigilantes? What gives you the right to be judge, jury and executioner? How does this hatred make you better than him?" Hermione took a deep breath. "No, don't answer that. It doesn't matter."
Hermione got up, ready to leave. She had got her answer, such as it was, and she felt like crying.
London, 3rd March 2004
Hermione tried to summon the strength to get ready, since Harry was to arrive within the hour to collect her. The meeting with Shacklebolt was due to take place in just under two hours, and Hermione was fighting to keep her anxiety at bay. Thank Merlin for Harry. He had agreed to help her win Shacklebolt over, and Hermione was sure it wasn't out of love for Malfoy. But Harry loved her unconditionally. And in Malfoy's case, he begrudgingly agreed with her that he deserved a chance. Possibly.
She was trying to wrestle her hair into a ponytail when her Floo activated.
"Hermione! Are you there?" She ran to her sitting room.
"Winnie! What's happened? Is he all right?"
"There you are! I'll never get used to the Floo." Winnie's face looked up at her from the embers. "Holy crap, you look like shit, Hermione!" She couldn't help laughing.
"Always so articulate, Winston. Tell me about Draco."
"He's coming to. They brought him out of the coma about an hour ago. The Healers say he should make a full recovery, but it was touch and go for a while there, you know? He's still pretty much out of it and he keeps mumbling your name. You have to come, Hermione. He needs you here."
A surge of warmth coursed through her whole body. She smiled, all of a sudden feeling like she could take on the world.
"I'll go as soon as I can. Harry and I are going to talk to Shacklebolt this afternoon. You know Draco will be transferred straight to the Ministry the moment he's well enough to travel. I need to work out a deal to keep him from spending the next ten years in Azkaban, Winnie. That's my priority right now. It's good that Paolo and you are looking after him. Now that I know he's going to recover, I'll be fine."
"Right. Good luck with that. You know that if you can't get a good deal you can both abscond to my house, don't you? The Bahamian Government doesn't have a Magical Extradition Treaty. Handy, huh?" He laughed and Hermione laughed with him, feeling lighter and happier than she had in days.
"So, let me see if I understand." Shacklebolt turned to Hermione. His impressive height and larger-than-life presence were enough to intimidate anyone. Not Hermione, though. "You are suggesting that we let your Death Eater toy boy off with a slap on the wrist and a spot of house arrest. Is that it?"
"Basically. And I doubt he qualifies as my toy boy. He's only nine months younger than me."
"Sorry, Hermione. No deal."
"I don't think you are seeing the bigger picture here, Kingsley." Harry chipped in. "Malfoy was almost killed in cold blood by a Ministry employee-cum-vigilante. And he's been sleeping with another very famous Ministry employee. How long do you think it will take him to figure out how to use these facts to his advantage? The Ministry's reputation would be seriously damaged."
Kingsley was livid. "Are you threatening me, Harry?"
"Merlin, no! Kings, I'm only pointing out the obvious. And besides, I have to agree with Hermione that some extenuating circumstances should be taken into account. He was a child after all, and in fear for his life and those of his parents. And he did try to help me in his own way when he could."
"He's been running for six years."
"So, what would be your best offer?" Hermione was getting impatient.
Kingsley thought hard for several long minutes.
"Two years of strict house arrest. Five further years under a monitoring spell. Thirty three per cent of his assets-"
"Done." Hermione said.
"I haven't finished. And I want your word that you will not enter into a relationship with Malfoy during the time of his confinement. No contact at all for the next two years."
Hermione blanched. "Merlin help me! But why?"
"If I'm agreeing to this it's to preserve the Ministry's reputation, nothing more. And your entanglement with a known Death Eater, one who many will think got off lightly, would be a scandal of cosmic proportions right now. In a few years, nobody will care. So. Do you accept my conditions?"
Hermione shot Harry a pleading look. "Unfortunately, what Kingsley is proposing makes sense, Hermione. I'm so sorry."
"Are you crazy, girl?" Paolo's voice sounded one octave too high. "Drake is going to go berserk! And you want Winnie and I to tell him? What have we ever done to you, Herms?"
"Calm down, Munchkin. Look here, Hermione." Winston's face appeared in the embers next to his boyfriend's, almost merging with him. "Don't you think it would be prudent that you explained things to him? He might take it slightly better if at least he gets to see you!"
Hermione looked miserable. "I can't! Kingsley made me take the Vow!"
"You took the Unbreakable Vow? Bloody Hell's bells, Hermione! There's no escaping that one! It can't be broken!"
"I'm aware, Winston. Hence the name."
"Right! There's nothing for it then. We'll call you in an hour."
It was the longest hour Hermione had ever experienced. Maybe because she entirely spent it looking at her fireplace. At last, Winnie appeared on her Floo, looking rather miserable.
"How did it go?"
"Ah, Hermione! There you are. Listen, I'll have to call you tomorrow. I'm in a bit of a hurry, you know?"
"That bad, was it? What did he say?"
"No, really, I'll Floo-call you tomorrow. He'll have come down by then."
London, 4th March 2004
"Winnie? What did he say?"
He looked at her for the longest time. "I'm sorry, Hermione. He asked me to tell you 'whothehelldoyouthinkyouare to sign his life away and seal it with a Vow. That if youthinkhe'sgointo-"
"Winston! Slow down! I can't make out what you are saying!"
"That if you think he's going to wait around for you youhaveanotherthingcoming. And he said you could gotohell and to bid you goodbyeandgoodriddance." Winnie took a deep gulp of air after delivering the sodding message.
Hermione couldn't speak. She stared at Winnie, who waited and waited just staring back.
"Hermione, don't take it to heart. You know he'll come around. He's just hurting right now-"
"So am I!"
"Give him some time-"
"Give? I've given him enough! My last four years! My life! My career! My… my heart. I'm not giving anymore. Tell him he can go stuff himself."
"Hermione!"
"Winnie, Paolo and you have been wonderful and I'll always consider you my friends. So don't take it personally, but I can't deal with this now. Look after him, will you? He's going to lose his mind caged up in that house for two years. Visit him often, ok? He'll need his friends."
"Hermione." Winnie's voice faltered. "Please don't be a stranger. You know we love you, girl! And so does he."
"Got to go, Winnie Bear! Be good!"
Hermione closed her Floo connection. Malfoy had made her decision easy. She straightened her back and walked to her bedroom to pack.
Kotosh, near Huánuco, Peru, 3rd April 2006
The archaeological site of Kotosh was, as far as Hermione was concerned, the find of the century. It contained rests of a magical settlement dating back to the Archaic Period, somewhere around 2300-1200 BM. There were enough artefacts to keep Hermione happy, but what held her captivated right then was the possibility that they had found remnants of several wands. The small pieces of wood were understandably much deteriorated, but if Hermione could extract and identify even the smallest fragment of a wand's core, the repercussions for Magical History would be staggering. They would prove beyond a doubt that wands were in use two thousand years before Merlin. No one had ever been able to ascertain whether Magick had even existed that far back. If Hermione was correct and this were indeed wand fragments, it would prove not only that Magick is older than everyone thought, but that it possibly evolved on Earth at the same time as Muggle life.
The field campsite consisted of a total of eight mud huts that served as living quarters for the team and two large mud brick storage units, where the findings were cleaned, catalogued and stored. Hermione walked to her little hut carrying a tray with several samples. She pushed the door open with her foot and walked inside.
After thirteen months working here, Hermione had transformed the little place into a cosy residence. Thanks to complex Extension Charms the hut now had two decent sized bedrooms –one of which she had made into a full laboratory- a kitchen diner and a full bathroom. It was haphazardly decorated, but the overall effect was homely and welcoming.
Hermione walked into her laboratory and set the tray down, humming quietly to herself. As she picked up the first sample, she heard her Floo activating. She smiled, remembering how hard it had been to get the permits necessary to connect her fireplace to the network. Thank Merlin for Harry, who always had a way of making things happen and who, if Hermione was correct, was probably waiting to speak to her in her sitting room Floo.
"Coming!" She shouted laughingly.
She kneeled in front of the hearth expecting Harry, but it was Winnie who greeted her.
"Hermione! It's been ages! Girl, you look lovely!"
"Winston, how nice to see you!. Tell me, what exactly do you want?"
"What do you mean? Can't I just want to see my friend?"
"If that was the case you would have made some rude remark about my appearance."
"Hm. Listen, darling. You realise his confinement is finished, don't you?"
"Winnie, please. You know I don't want to talk about Malfoy."
"Hermione, he needs to see you."
"Won't you at least consider it?
"I'm going to close the connection now, Winston. Give my love to Paolo."
"But-"
"Later!" Hermione closed her Floo. She went back to her laboratory, humming again tonelessly, and trying to still the galloping of her heart.
Kotosh, near Huánuco, Peru, 17th April 2006
"Harry! I haven't heard from you in weeks! How are you holding up?"
"I'm good. Busy. You know how things are. Hermione, listen, um, I just wanted to tell you that Malfoy has been here to see me. Several times."
"Harry, not you too! Won't you all realise I don't want to know?"
"You need to sort things out. The terms of the Vow have been met. There's nothing stopping you any longer-"
"I couldn't give a monkey's about the Vow! I'm on the verge of a mayor discovery. I love my job. Life here is uncomplicated. I'm happy, Harry. I… I don't need the heartache"
"So, shall I tell him next time he comes that you don't love him any longer? Just so that he can move on and stop pestering me, you understand."
"Oh, for the love of Morgana! What's wrong with the bunch of you? When have you all turned match-makers? I'm sorry, Harry, but I am very busy. We'll have to catch up another time."
Harry stared at the now cold Floo for a while before he got off his knees, brushing the soot off his trousers. He turned and looked at the blond man who seemed lost in thought by his window.
"You heard her, Malfoy. She doesn't want to see you."
"But she wouldn't say she doesn't care for me, either. Please, Potter. Tell me where she is."
Harry searched his face for something, although he didn't know what. Malfoy looked back in earnest, not even a smirk marring his features. Harry sighed. "I don't know. Give me some time to think about it."
Kotosh, near Huánuco, Peru, 5th June 2006
Hermione wasn't having a good day. A mud wall they were clearing in section C had collapsed as they kneeled beside it searching for more fragments to analyse. She was dirty and wet and her hair was a horrific mess of soil and knots. She walked briskly to her little hut, eager to jump in the shower.
She pushed her door open, and made straight for her bedroom, shedding her muddy clothing as she went and walking naked to the bathroom. Great. No hot water. Hermione sighed. A cold shower wasn't too bad, normally; but today she had been looking forwards to getting rid of the cold that seemed to have seeped into her bones.
After towelling and combing her hair, she put on an oversized t-shirt that had at some point belonged to Harry, not bothering with underwear, and took her wand to light the stove and boil some water. A cup of tea was just what she needed to get rid of the wretched cold.
While the water boiled, Hermione went to light a fire. She was waiting for it to crackle into life when the feeling of being watched overwhelmed her. With her wand poised to attack, she turned around; and then her heart stopped.
"Granger, you are slipping. Had that been my intention, you would be dead ten times over."
He was leaning casually against the wall on the far corner of the room closest to the door, twirling his wand between his fingers and watching her with an expression between amusement and hunger. Hermione lost her ability to breathe.
Two years. Two bloody long years without seeing him, trying her damnest not to think of the way his hair fell softly over his eyes, of that patrician drawl that turned her insides to mush. Two years of desperate longing, of trying to convince herself she was better off without him, that she didn't care for him that much, anyway. Two years of building up walls and they came crashing down within two seconds. She couldn't find her voice.
The kettle whistled.
Hermione was rooted to the spot. The seconds stretched and the kettle kept screaming and she still couldn't seem to make a move. She watched as Malfoy sauntered to her kitchenette and turned off the stove. He started opening cupboards and took down a teapot, cups and saucers. He put a handful of tea leaves in the pot and added water, spilling it in the process. His hands shook as badly as her wand had a few minutes ago. He was nervous, she realised. Probably just as anxious as she felt, in spite of his offhand behaviour and his nonchalance. Something unlocked within her at the realisation and a spark of amusement tugged at her lips.
"What are you doing here?"
"What does it look like? I'm brewing tea."
"Don't be such a smartass, it doesn't suit you."
"Sugar?"
"Oh, for the love of Circe! I don't want your stupid tea! We need to talk. And I definitely need something stronger. So please, be of some use and grab the bottle of bourbon I have under the sink."
They drank in silence for a while, sitting on the floor in front of the fireplace, Hermione still holding her wand. And then, without any warning, Draco kissed her.
It took her by surprise, a kiss that was clumsy and needy and completely wonderful. He tasted of bourbon and something familiar, and she kissed him back, losing herself in the feeling. His hand tangled in her hair as the other went around her waist, drawing her towards him until there was no distance between their bodies. Hermione straddled his legs. She felt her anger slipping away as desire roared loudly in her ears.
His mouth left hers to kiss down her neck, nipping and soothing with his tongue random patterns on her skin. He pressed into her heat, his need obvious. His hand travelled under her shirt and he moaned when he found her bare. His fingers caressed down the turn of her rump and up into her wetness. Hermione cried out against the curve of his neck as her hips jerked forward, seeking more contact with his fingers.
"Draco." She sounded breathless. He lifted his head and looked at her, cheeks flushed, eyes dark and slightly dazed. She raised her wand and his eyes widened.
With a murmured spell and a flick of her wand, their clothing was gone. Draco sighed a sigh of relief, then whimpered when she ground against his erection. "Please, Draco," she begged, no longer caring as her need overtook her. Her nails were digging into his shoulders and she dove for his mouth then, teeth clashing and tongues meeting and he rammed forwards uncontrollably. His breath caught and she cried out, and they looked at each other, their bodies still.
"I… gods, Granger," he murmured. "I'm sorry, all right? I wanted you and you left me and I lashed out." Hermione laughed, and the small friction it created made him whimper.
"You are such an arse, Malfoy." She ground her hips in a circling motion and his eyes fluttered closed. Hermione raised his chin with her wand. "Look at me."
Draco did, cheeks blushing and lips parting as Hermione started moving on him.
"If you –ah… ever behave in such an asinine manner again, I swear –oh, fuck! I swear I'll hex you six ways from Sunday. Don't stop… Ah, Merlin, Draco! No more second chances, you hear?"
Draco rose to his knees and pushed her backwards, cradling her head, and then he was lying on top of her. "Oh, gods, I needed to be inside you," he murmured. "I won't require another chance, Hermione. Oh, fuck, I can't…" He rammed into her hard and she felt an unbearable pleasure twisting her insides. She slid her arms under his, clutching at his shoulders for leverage as he increased the pace of his thrusts. She was still holding her wand tight.
Hermione clenched hard on him and he cried out. His pace was becoming erratic and she knew he was very close. "Oh god, oh god, Hermione, I need to come, I can't hold it!"
"Don't! I need to feel you. I want... Let go, Draco."
"Will you –gods, fuck! Lower your wand, Hermione! I can't come at wandpoint… gods, don't stop!"
His arms were shaking badly, and Hermione tilted her pelvis, changing the angle. He slammed into her roughly, his pace quickening, moaning deeply at the new sensation. She reached down between their bodies and touched herself gingerly. Her walls tightened harshly and she cried out, her rhythmical contractions triggering his felt his world imploding and snapped his hips forwards hard and fast. With a hoarse cry he tumbled over the edge.
Later, as their breathing eased and their heartbeats settled, he held her flush against his body. "I'd never come at wandpoint before, you know?" he panted. Hermione chuckled.
"There is always a first time." She cupped his cheek and gently kissed his lips. "Happy birthday, Draco."
Providence Island, 22nd October 2006
Hermione exited the wretched Nassau Airport feeling none the worse for having flown there from Miami. As far as she was concerned, private jets were the way to go. Not that she had noticed much, busy as she was during the short flight.
"Drake! Herms! Over here!" Hermione smiled when she saw the two boys waiting next to Winnie's shiny blue Mustang. "Come on, we've been waiting for ages!"
It felt like coming home.
Palms House was just as beautiful as she remembered. They had a light lunch laid out for them, and they all took their usual places around the table.
"I want to thank you for lending us the Albatross," Draco said. Hermione smiled, twining her fingers with his.
"Yes, I have to say, she's the most beautiful yacht in the world. I'm rather fond of her."
"My pleasure," Paolo said. "You could have her for more than a week, though. There is no rush, you know." Draco chuckled.
"Thanks, but Granger needs to be back in Peru next week. And I've decided to lend her a hand-"
"Granger?" Winnie looked at them, puzzled. "But I thought-"
"She'll always be Granger to me." Draco looked at Hermione and smiled, and her heart melted for the millionth time.
The Albatross sailing away into the sunset was a sight to behold. Winnie slipped his arm across Paolo's shoulders, hugging him tight as they both watched the ship from the dock.
"About time they got their shit together."
"U-huh!" Paolo said. "Took them long enough. You know, Winnie, I was thinking, the Andes is an awfully uncivilised place to live, don't you think?"
Winston raised an eyebrow. "What do you have in mind, then?"
"Well, if you don't have anything planned for tomorrow, we could go have a look at a couple of state agents." Winnie laughed hard, and Paolo bristled. "It's not such a bad idea, you know? No need to laugh!"
Winnie kissed him soundly. "I've already arranged a viewing for them in a week's time. There is a lovely property for sale in my street!"
Paolo smiled, tightening his arms around Winnie's waist.
"Great minds think alike, and all that. That's one of the reasons I love you, you know."
"Good. Let's go home and I'll let you tell me all the other reasons. In minute detail."
Paolo chuckled, starting towards the house. Oh, yes. Life was good.