A/N: For some reason on all my fics... my scene breaker (---) isn't there anymore so now it's really confusing... I know. It seems like I'm skipping around... but really there should be a little bar there... so I'll figure something out. =( So, when reading... if you feel like the story just skipped to a different scene... it probably did. Don't be confused!! =D

20. The Plot Thickens

Hermione sat in her parent's living room, chewing on her nails like she used to when she was a child... and felt like she was going to be in trouble.

"So... what you're saying is that you were really sick and you had surgery... and you didn't bother telling us?" Hermione's dad began after she had spilled the beans about everything.

"Well," Hermione started. "I didn't want you to worry... I'm fine now though."

Jean made a rather loud snort in dissatisfaction. "The fact still remains that you didn't tell us, Hermione... and stop chewing your nails. That's disgusting."

Hermione sighed. "Please don't make a big deal about this, okay? I'm telling you now, aren't I? Please, I'll answer any questions you have, I promise... just don't be upset with me."

"What was the surgery for?" Al shot at her.

"I had an, er... chemical imbalance in my brain. It was making me see things and say things..."

Jean threw her hands up in the air. "So my only child had brain surgery and didn't tell us? I need a drink. Al? Martini?"

"Scotch."

Jean nodded and disappeared in the kitchen.

Hermione groaned inwardly and held her face in her hands. "This is so not going as planned."

"Why caused you to have this 'chemical imbalance' in your brain?" Al asked, ignoring Hermione's discomfort.

She froze because she realized that the truth was going to be more difficult to get out than she had expected. "Well, you see... I went to this ball with Victor Krum..."

"...the guy you dated your fourth year?"

"Yes." Hermione nodded and continued, "Anyways, we were at this ball and some Death Eaters..."

"...I thought they were all gone?"

"No, not all of them apparently," Hermione snapped, hating being interrupted. "Well, Death Eaters came for some reason and mayhem broke lose... and I got into a duel with Draco's ex wife and..."

"...you dueled with his ex wife?!"

"DAD! Would you please let me finish?"

"Yes, yes... I'm sorry... go on..."

"Well, we dueled and I smashed into a crystal ball display..." Hermione paused, expecting her father's reaction. Nothing came so she continued. "And apparently the crystal balls are bewitched and cursed to create disillusionment and such... and some of the shards got in my blood stream and then that's when the hallucinations started." Silence. "And that's it." Silence. "And now I'm here."

Silence.

"Here you are, Al. Scotch on the rocks." Jean handed him the glass after she emerged from the kitchen, a martini in her other hand, completely oblivious to the silence engulfing the living room.

Silence.

"Please say something, Dad," Hermione pleaded.

Al looked down at the contents of his glass and then brought it up to his lips, tipping it back to let the contents pour down his throat. "What else is there to say, Honey? You're alright, aren't you?"

"Well, yea, but..."

"...and obviously you didn't want us to worry, right?"

"Well, no, but..."

"...so really there's nothing more to discuss. You're fine and you don't want us in your life as a means to save us from worrying about our only daughter..."

"Dad."

"Hermione."

"It's not like that."

"Then what is it like?" Jean piped up.

Hermione sighed. "I don't know."

"We're just not a part of your world anymore... are we, Hermione?" Al asked softly.

Their daughter shook her head, tears filling her eyes. "I'm sorry... I just can't... you can't know everything. It will be too much."

"For whom?"

"I...I..."

"Your father and I have dinner plans tonight, Hermione... We don't have to have this conversation now, but honey? Please make an effort to include us. We love you and I'm pretty sure we can handle everything you throw at us."

Hermione nodded. "I'll try."

"That's all we ask." Jean squeezed her hand and walked Hermione to the door. "I love you."

"Oh, I love you too mum!" Hermione squealed and wrapped her arms around her mother. "I'll come by more often, I promise."

"We would like that very much," Jean cooed and sent her on her way.

HP-HP-HP-HP-HP-HP-HP -----(the scene breaker =D)

Hermione walked through the threshold of the creepy manor, her heels clicking proverbially on the eccentric marble flooring. It wasn't like she had remembered. It was lighter and more... normal looking.

"Hello?" she called out.

Nothing.

She sighed and eyed the bar in the corner by the fireplace. She shrugged and made her way over to it, pouring herself a glass of Fire Whiskey and throwing herself onto the couch. It was actually quite comfy... and after the emotional day she had with her parents, she found herself falling asleep...

HP-HP-HP-HP-HP-HP-HP

"Well thank you for your time."

"Not a problem."

"And you're sure it's all good now?"

"Her test results just came back today, and they are clean. Stop worrying yourself, Malfoy."

"Easy for you to say, Weaselette... you're not bloody in love with her."

Ginny began laughing. "You are the only man I know that can make falling in love sound so horrible."

"What? I didn't say it was horrible... I just... I'm not used to... ah, never mind."

She crossed her arms. "What? You aren't used to being civil and caring about someone more than you care about yourself?"

"No."

"Well, get used to it... Hermione has a way getting in your head and setting up permanent residence."

Malfoy smiled slightly. "I think I already know that."

Ginny smiled back. "Take care of her, Ferret. If she's ever hurt by you, there's an Unforgivable with your name on it... just saying."

"Oh, I know..." Malfoy replied as they nodded at each other and parted ways.

Malfoy apparated back to his Manor, tired and hungry. He really hoped his house elves had prepared a meal for him. As he opened the front door, he heard the sound of shattering glass. Immediately he withdrew his wand... expecting the worst. Mum's here... Draco thought as he inched toward his living room.

Almost immediately his wand lowered when he saw a certain bushy haired witch sleeping with a shattered glass next to the couch. He cleared the glass away with a flick of his wand and gently shook her, waking her up.

"Hm? Oh hi," Hermione breathed and smiled sleepily up at him. "You're late."

"No, you're just early," he answered with a smile tugging at his lips.

She blinked several times and wiped the sleep from her eyes. "I told my parents today."

"How did it go?"

Hermione shrugged and sat up, motioning for him to sit next to her, so he did. "I'm indifferent... It could have gone better, but it also could have gone much worse."

"Good to hear," he cooed and kissed her forehead. "Are you hungry?"

"Famished."

HP-HP-HP-HP-HP-HP-HP

The plates were all left out on the table, the dinner debris still left out. Clothes were on the floor, the fireplace was left unattended and two young people lay wrapped up in each other's arms on the floor by the sofa.

Hermione kissed Draco's nose. "Tonight was fun."

"Why? Because we shagged on practically every surface of this house?"

She blushed. "Maybe."

He laughed. "Oh, Merlin I love you."

"I love you too."

HP-HP-HP-HP-HP-HP-HP

Astoria was livid. No, she was beyond livid... she was literally teeming with annoyance and anticipation...and rage. She never wanted this. She only wanted to keep her daughter and ex-husband safe. This whole 'plan' wasn't even her idea. It seemed like a stupid plan to her, actually... bringing back the dead Death Eaters with the willing blood of a Pureblood Death Eater... she knew that there was no way Draco would concede and give his blood willingly and she also knew she would never get him back...

"Ugh!" Astoria screeched and threw dirty plates into a makeshift sink.

Narcissa peered at her from across the room. "Something wrong, dear?"

"Yes! Yes something's wrong! There's no way Draco is going to help us out. He's not all about the Pureblood rule anymore, Cissy! He's all about world fucking peace and he's shagging a Mudblood to boot! Can't you just give this up?!"

Narcissa's face contorted disgustingly. "I still can't believe my son is slumming with the likes of her."

Astoria rolled her eyes. "Do you even have a plan? I mean, come on... those 'bodies' are rotting faster than you can say Flobberworm Mucus. The spell only lasts six months."

"There's a plan."

"And what is it?"

"The Mudblood, of course."

"What?"

"We take away the one thing he cares about and force him to willingly give his own blood... for her... and then we have our Death Eaters."

"You said no one else was going to get hurt..."

Narcissa smiled. "Don't be so daft, woman. What did you think was going to happen? That all my little Death Eaters were going to come back and no one was going to pay for what happened to our great Dark Lord?"

Something snapped inside of Astoria then... her world came crashing in on her and she felt utterly helpless. Please figure this out, Mudblood, Astoria thought.