Chapter Six
Hermione
She arrived at work the next morning and began to sort through the documents she was going to examine today. She was just getting to a particularly interesting section concerning the legend of King Arthur (definite wizard influence there) when Draco passed by her office.
"Hey, Malfoy" she called out.
He paused and stood in the doorway of her office. "Yes, Granger" he replied.
"How's the apartment? Everything still where I left it?" she teased. He gave a halfhearted smile.
"I wouldn't dream of moving a thing" he said, hand on his heart. She could see in his face something was wrong.
"Malfoy, are you alright? You don't look well" she told him.
"I'm fine Granger. I didn't sleep well last night, but I'll be able to hang in there today". He gave her another half-smile and went to find Angelina.
Later that morning, while she was still examining the King Arthur document, there was a tentative knock on her door. "Come in" she called. The door opened and standing there was the last person she would have expected today. Ron Weasley. He also worked at the Ministry, as an Auror-apprentice. The Auror offices were located on one of the upper floors of the building, so their paths never crossed.
"Hey Hermione" he said, "Can I talk to you?"
"Sure Ron, come in" she said, pleased to see him. He shut the door behind him and sat in the chair in front of her desk.
"How are you?" he asked
"I'm really good Ron. How are you?"
"Really fantastic" Ron said. "I wanted to talk to you about something Hermione. Before you heard it somewhere else".
Worry creased her forehead as all manner of horrible scenarios flashed in her mind. "What's happened Ron? Is something wrong? Harry? Ginny? Your parents?" her voice rising with each name she listed.
"No, no nothing like that, really" he assured her. "It's just that, well…" he trailed off.
"Oh come on Ron, out with it!" she urged him.
"Alright, here goes" he took a breath. "Lavender and I are getting married."
Hermione was nonplussed. She and Ron had only broken up a year ago. She had just seen Ron three months ago at Harry and Ginny's wedding, and he had said nothing about even dating anyone, let alone getting close to Lavender again.
"Wow", she said, "That was fast?" she intoned the last phrase as a question.
"Well, yeah, I suppose" he said, blushing to the roots of his red hair.
"Uh, Ron. Is she…." Hermione let that last word unspoken.
"Bloody hell, no Hermione! What kind of man do you think I am!" He looked insulted.
"Well I'm sorry! It has just happened so fast!" she replied.
"We just got back together and kind of picked up where we had left off. Seems like the time to take the next step's all" Ron mumbled the last words.
Hermione got the distinct impression that this was all Lavenders' idea and Ron was just along for the ride. She could have pressed him for more details, but Ron's love life wasn't her concern anymore. "I'm happy for you Ron. Really" she said.
"Thanks Hermione. You will come to the wedding, won't you? he asked.
I probably won't even get an invitation if Lavender gets her way, she thought. But she said, with a genuine smile, "I wouldn't miss it for the world."
"Great!" said Ron. "I better be getting back upstairs. Loads of training every day."
"It's an important job" she said, very seriously, considering the times both their lives, Harry's too, had been saved by an Auror.
She got up from her desk and walked him to the door. She opened it and stepped out in to the hallway with him. She gave him a big hug and whispered in his ear, "Congratulations again, Ron. I wish you and Lavender all the happiness in the world."
He leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Thanks Hermione. You know, you're still my best friend". And he left to return to the elevators. Hermione walked back in her office, smiling at the thought of Ron and Lavender marrying. She closed the door behind her.
Draco
Lack of sleep was an understatement. True, he hadn't had any nightmares last night. But the other dreams. Merlin's ghost. They were almost as bad. Her face filled every dream he had had last night. He kept waking up to reach for her, but of course she wasn't there. He finally gave up around 3am, and just decided to stay awake. Now he was paying. Even with strong coffee, he still wanted to nod off. Reviewing boring old parchments wasn't helping any.
He completed cataloguing another box. It was ready to go to Hermione's office for her examination. He heaved the heavy box off the table and started through the "Hall of Documents" towards her office. Halfway there, he saw her door open and she walked out with someone. When he realized who it was, he almost dropped the box. The Weasel! She hadn't mentioned him once in the last couple weeks. He assumed they were broken up. But no, there he was holding her and kissing her cheek. Wow, he thought. Have I ever misjudged this whole thing. He suddenly felt like he had taken a Bludger to the stomach. He placed the box of documents on the nearest table (not caring that the parchments he carried were from the reign of King Harold Harefoot, and the table was full of documents catalogued to the reign of King Henry III). He found a side door from the hall and left without a sound.
He returned to his apartment, but of course, she was everywhere here even more so than at the Ministry. As depressing and cold as it was, the Manor seemed more inviting to him right now than this place.
Hermione
After lunch, Angelina stopped by Hermione's office. "Have you seen Draco?" she asked.
"No, not since this morning. Why?" Hermione asked back.
"Well, he was here and he had a box of parchments he was working on. Now I can't find him or the box he had".
Hermione said, "He mentioned that he wasn't feeling very well this morning. I think he was worse than he let on. Maybe he went home to get some rest. I'll stop by his flat this evening and check on him."
"Alright" Angelina said. "If he's ill, give him my best." She turned to go back to her work.
"I will" said Hermione.
After work, Hermione left the Ministry and apperated to the hallway outside Draco's apartment. She could have just apperated inside, or gone in through the Floo, but she hated invading anyone's privacy like that unless she had no choice. She knocked on his door and called his name. She listened for footsteps, or coughing, or something, but the apartment was silent. She considered knocking harder, but thought he must be sleeping. He did say that he hadn't slept well the night before. If so, then she didn't want to disturb him. She pulled a notepad and pen from her purse and wrote a quick note:
"Malfoy,
You left work early, so I came to check on you. I hope you're alright. If you need anything, let me know. I make great chicken soup!
Please take care,
Granger"
She knew he wouldn't understand the chicken soup reference, but thought it would be fun explaining it to him. The idea of eating something he would consider so foul when you were sick would be amusing. She slid the note under the door, and disapperated to her apartment.
He didn't come to work the next day. Or the day after that. And he didn't get in touch with her either. By Friday, she was worried. She stopped by the Leaky Cauldron at lunch, hoping that he wasn't there. Please don't be drinking again, she thought over and over. She went into the Cauldron and waved down Hannah Abbott. "Hannah, have you seen Malfoy recently?" she inquired.
Hannah looked surprised. "No, actually Hermione, I haven't. Last I saw him was when he was here with you on Saturday."
"Thank you so much Hannah." Hermione was so relieved she almost hugged the Cauldron's owner.
She went back to work, but of course, could think about nothing but Draco. Around two o'clock, she souldn't stand it anymore. She almost ran from her office. Privacy be dammed, she thought as she stepped onto the elevator and went up to the main lobby of the Ministry. She pushed her way in front of a witch waiting to use the closest Floo.
"Sorry!" she gruffly apologized, "Emergency situation". She grabbed a handful of Floo powder, flung it into the flames, yelled "Draco Malfoy's house" and leapt into the green fire.
Together
She had expected to see the familiar living room of Draco's flat. Instead she hit a hard, cold marble floor on her side. She stood up, rubbing her aching shoulder and looked around. She had emerged from a huge, ornate marble fireplace. The room looked about the size of a ballroom and seemed to be decorated in shades of gray. There was furniture, but it was pushed to the walls and covered with white sheets. The room seemed clean, she saw no evidence of dust, but it definitely wasn't being lived in. She called his name, "Draco!" and began to walk about the house. As she walked into the next room, she realized where she was. She would never forget this place. Her left forearm started to ache slightly and she absently rubbed it. Malfoy Manor. That's where she was. Draco must have come here for some reason, and when she tried to Floo to him, she ended up here. He was considering this place his home again. Why?
She continued to move through the huge house, most of the was furniture covered, and she felt that no other living being could possibly be here. The place was so cold, and dark. Even the air seemed wrong in here, heavy and bitter. She entered a room that must have been a parlor or sitting room. There were a few small settees and tables placed around the room, and a large cabinet just inside the doorway. She saw no one in the room, and turned to leave,when she heard a noise behind her. She back to the center of the room and saw a house elf standing there. She approached the elf. "I'm looking for Draco Malfoy" she said. "Is he here?"
The elf looked at her for a second and then cried, "Filthy mud blood! Violating the sanctity of my lady's parlor! Oh, the filth!"
Hmm, a friend of Kreacher's, she thought. Nothing she hadn't heard before. From the doorway behind her she heard a voice roar, "SHUT UP KECHEK! If I EVER hear you say that word again, I WILL present you with clothes. DO YOU UNDERSTAND?" It startled her and she spun around. It was Draco.
Kechek apparently did understand, and, just like Kreacher (certainly a relative, Hermione thought) he walked away, muttering under his breath.
Hermione was in shock. He looked terrible. He was usually so meticulously groomed, but this, she thought. This was wrong. He was unshaven, his clothes looked like had been sleeping in them. She could see his bloodshot eyes from where she stood.
"Draco" she whispered, "What happened?" She slowly walked towards him.
He walked over to the cabinet by the doorway and opened it. It was full of crystal cut bottles that contained liquids of every color. He chose one at random, grabbed a crystal tumbler and filled it. "What happened? Now, there's a good question Granger. What did happen? I saw you with the Weasel, that's what happened".
She looked at him in surprise. He saw her with Ron? What did that have to do with anything she wondered. She only said, "Ron?"
"Yes Granger, Ron The Weasel Weasley. You know, you should have said something to me about you and him. All the time we spent together and not ONCE did you even say his name! Better be careful, or someone might think you didn't want me to know you two were dating." He took a long gulp of the drink and tried to walk to one of the small sofas that wasn't covered. He couldn't walk a straight line, but he made it there. He sat heavily on the sofa, slammed his elbow on the armrest and buried his face in his hand.
She understood now. She understood everything. She moved slowly to the sofa and sat beside him. "Draco" she began, keeping her voice even and low, "I didn't say anything about Ron, because we aren't together. We broke up over a year ago. He came to my office to tell me that he's going to marry Lavender Brown." She watched him closely, but said no more.
"Wh-" he started. "Then why did you hug him? He kissed you!"
"Ron will always be special to me, Draco, but like a brother. I was happy for him, so I hugged him. That's all that there is between me and Ron now".
Draco seemed to moan slightly. "I've ruined it all, haven't I?" he said.
Hermione sat and thought for a moment. She approached him so carefully. Gently and slowly, like she would a frightened bird. She was so scared that if she moved too fast, he would fly away and she would never see him again. As gently as she could, she removed the crystal tumbler from his hand and set it on the table in front of them. She lightly took his hand in hers. Now was the time, she knew.
"Draco, do you know why I came to the Wizengamot the day of your sentencing?" she asked him.
"Yeah, leniency, Dark Lord, my parents, no choice, whatever" he scoffed at her.
"No, Draco. That's not why I was there. That was why Harry and Ron asked me to go there that day." His hand dropped from his face and he looked at her.
"So, you were there to gloat in case Potter and Weasley got it wrong? Thanks Hermione" he spat and turned to look out the window.
"No, Draco. I was there because of something I saw here, in this house."
He whispered so slightly, "No". He hated thinking about what he had seen here, and even more, hated the thought of her remembering it for even one moment.
"Yes, Draco. I saw you that day. I saw your face. And I knew, I knew that no matter what happened, no matter who won the war, no one, not the Dark Lord, not the Wizengamot, would ever punish you as much as you were going to punish yourself. And I was right. The nightmares, the drinking, isolating yourself. Bellatrix may have tortured me for an hour, but you have been torturing yourself for years. Draco," she breathed. He wouldn't look at her.
She slowly moved closer until she was right next to him. He was trembling. So close, she thought. She placed her lips on his scratchy cheek. He felt her soft lips and her warm, sweet breath as she whispered his name right against his skin, "Draco, look at me".
She softly placed her other hand under his chin and turned his face to hers. She looked in his eyes. She would have once described them as icy, but all the ice had melted. She saw deep blue pools of emotion, spilling over and down his face. "Draco" she whispered, "I forgive you." He shuddered. "I forgave you a long time ago". He looked into her eyes now, liquid brown and beginning to fill with emotion of her own. "You need to forgive yourself."
With those words, something inside him broke, shattered into a million pieces and fell away. Something else welled up in its place, something warm. Love? Hope? Joy? Yes.
He lowered his face into her neck and began to sob. His arms came around her and he held her so tight. Her arms held him the same. And they knew, there in that moment, they would never let go.
Author's note –
I hope you liked it! I don't know if I will write anymore, I just had this story stuck in my head and it would not leave until I kicked it out! Thanks for reading!