This here comes in on Hermione's part, right where she realizes what she's done. But will she take what Harry and Ginny throw at her? Read along to find out.
I don't own Harry Potter.
Enjoy!
Prince Manor, 12:47 p.m.:
"You ready Harry?" Harry had been pacing around the den for nearly twenty minutes, waiting on Kingsley to give him and Ginny the ok to come over.
"I've been ready since this morning." He was eager, no he was dying to see and hear what Hermione had to say and if she had anything to say at all. Did she know they were coming? Did she agree to meet to explain herself?
"Well relax, Kingsley said around one."
"I know but still…"
"Harry you'll need to be calm either way, remember if what McGonagall said was true then Hermione could be an emotional wreck right now." Harry glared a little at Malfoy.
"She should be."
"Harry…"
"No, Ginny I'm not gonna forgive her so easily. She betrayed me, if she needed help she should've just said something. I mean she was like my sister, I treated her better than Ron did and this is how she repays me?"
"Harry you know she couldn't have done anything without endangering you." Ginny tried to walk up to him but Draco stopped her.
"Harry." Harry stopped feeling Sev's hands on his shoulders. "Relax alright?" Emerald eyes met onyx black, and Harry started relaxing under their gaze. He held Sev's hand in his own, and then the floo went off.
"You can come through, come to my office floo." Kingsley's head disappeared and the chimney grew larger enough for all four to step in. Severus took a handful of powder, and in a flash of green flames they found themselves in the Minister of Magic's office. Kingsley sat at the edge of his desk and shook all of their hands.
"Where is she?" Severus.
"Minerva's bringing her, should be any moment." On cue a knock came at the door, and McGonagall walked in with a rather messy Hermione. Her face was red and blotchy from crying, her hair looked disheveled, and her eyes seemed sunken with dark circles underneath.
"Ms. Granger." Minerva led her to a chair, and she didn't even look up or towards Harry and Ginny.
"Hermione." Ginny called her but she didn't look up. "We heard what happened, and we wanted to talk to you in person." She still didn't look up. "Look Hermione I know this must be hard for you, but it may get better if you just talk to us." Hermione didn't say a word.
"Forget it Ginny, she's exactly like Ron. Let's her pride overcome her brain and shuts out those who may actually care for her." Harry turned away, and didn't bother to see Hermione glance at him.
"Maybe so." Draco nodded. "After all she dated him for what, almost two years now? Maybe his pride's rubbing off on her." Harry looked back and Hermione still hadn't given him a glance that he could see.
"Hermione please say something." Ginny tried to touch her hand but she moved it away sharply. Harry sighed and looked at the others.
"Give us some privacy please?" Kingsley nodded, and Minerva, Draco, and Severus left the three alone in the office. "Now we can talk plainly, so I don't have to hold back." He took a deep breath, and walked directly in front of Hermione. "I cannot tell you how disappointed I am Hermione."
"Harry…" he looked at Ginny. "Easy."
"No Ginny, not this time." He looked back at Hermione. "McGonagall told us everything, how Dumbledore forced you to become his slave, how he threatened to kill your parents if you didn't do as he said, and how Ron abused you, and Molly and Percy abusing you, talking you down making you take money from my vaults which you returned only days after receiving it." That made her head snap up.
"W-Wh…" he stopped her with a hand in the air.
"Yeah, like I said McGonagall told us everything. And I have to say that…well I'm sorry that you didn't consider me someone you could actually confide in. You know I could've helped you, I am a master of Occlumency now so I could hide your secrets if you'd told me."
"You don't understand." He turned to her sharply.
"Oh I understand, I understand that the girl I once considered a best friend and a sister to me decided to keep secrets from me and try to sell me and Ginny out in a marriage to make us miserable and let the Weasleys take all my family's money. I also understand, that you failed to realize that I would've done anything to help you, and yet you sold me out." He held his hands out at his sides.
"He's right Hermione." Ginny spoke up. "How could you do this to us? You knew I only loved Harry like a brother and friend, yet you tried to help my parents force me into a marriage contract? When Harry and I are already married to two wonderful men?"
"It's not right."
"What? Me and Ginny being in love with Draco and Severus? Is that wrong Hermione, that we're happy?"
"No!" Hermione about stood in her seat. "How can you possibly be happy with them, regardless of what they did in the war they're Slytherins! Slytherins are not trustworthy Harry!" Harry gave a smirk and crossed his arms.
"Really? That's funny because, my grandmother was a Slytherin, and her husband was a Gryffindor. In fact her name was Dorea Black, and she married Charlus Potter. She was also Sirius' great aunt, and she wasn't disowned from the Blacks because Charlus was in fact pureblood but also had high standards; granted she never saw her family again, but still Slytherin and Gryffindor couple."
"That's irrelevant." Harry laughed and shook his head.
"Far from it Hermione, here's another little couple for you…Septimus Weasley and Cedrella Black." Hermione and Ginny's eyes both widened. "It's true the Weasleys and the Blacks are related through marriage though Cedrella was disowned, so that makes Ginny and Sirius distant cousins. They two were a Slytherin/Gryffindor couple."
"How did you find all this out?" Ginny asked looking astounded.
"I checked it out on the Family Tree last year, just after the war. I almost couldn't believe it myself, but I knew it would come in handy." He smirked at Hermione. "What now Granger?" Hermione seemed at a loss for words.
"It…it's not right."
"Again how's it not right? Ginny and I are happy with our husbands, and they care for us. In fact the men both passed their little trials in front of the Ministry to prove they only did what they had to in the war, under Veritaserum no less."
"Hermione regardless of what you may think, Harry and I are happy more than you can ever imagine. You were always bright, but obviously not bright enough to realize who were your true friends before any of this came down." Ginny said that directly in Hermione's face, and she looked away.
"Speaking of true friends, let me ask you something Hermione. When we first met, did I ever once make fun of you for being so nosy? Did I ever once call you Mudblood? Didn't I always stick up for you when you were teased by Malfoy and his cronies? And didn't I always come to your aid when needed?"
"Same with me Hermione." Ginny and Harry started circling Hermione, both smirking down at her. "Wasn't I always a good friend? I never made fun of you for being so smart, in fact I was there for you when Ron accused you of associating with Krum during the Tri-Wizard tournament. I sat with you and comforted you, then I gave Ron a good punch for that. I even helped you through fifth year when you were cornered by Umbridge."
"So what Hermione?" Harry stopped and bent down to her level. "Weren't we your true friends, or were you just using us to keep yourself alive?" Hermione looked at him hard, and then her face broke down into tears and she covered her face. Harry stepped back and Ginny stood next to him watching her sob uncontrollably on the floor.
"I-I…I…" she looked up with the tears running down her face. "I'm sorry…I'm sorry please…please forgive me!" she got on her knees and wept at their feet. "Please…I always considered you friends…but when Dumbledore threatened my parents I didn't know what else to do!" she grabbed Harry's legs and sobbed more.
"Hermione…" Ginny.
"I know I should've come to you, I know you could've helped me but Dumbledore and Ron wouldn't leave me alone I didn't want to endanger you even more. I wanted to tell you so many times, but I couldn't!" she looked up at them with bloodshot eyes.
"Ron hit you multiple times, did Molly or Percy ever hurt you like that?" Harry already knew the answer, but he needed to hear it from her.
"Y-Yes…" she nodded frantically. "They hurt me…called me names, kept saying if I didn't do what they said they'd tell Dumbledore…please Harry…Ginny…please please forgive me!" she clutched at both of their legs, and Harry could now see the real Hermione, a scared, frantic young woman worried for her family than herself.
"Hermione…" Ginny bent down and held Hermione. "I can forgive you, but it will take some time." Hermione looked up at Harry pleadingly, and he nodded.
"I can forgive you in time I suppose, but understand this Hermione…no matter what you or anyone else thinks, me and Ginny are happy with Severus and Draco. Nothing's going to change that…not even one of your little lectures on the laws of nature." He helped her stand and grabbed some tissue from Kingsley's desk. "Clean your face." She took it and blew her nose.
"I'll go get the others." Ginny got up and opened the door, letting Minerva, Kingsley, Severus, and Draco whose lips she kissed, inside.
"We're done here." Harry sighed. "I'll see you around I suppose?" Hermione looked at him confused.
"You still…want to see me again?"
"Only after you come to your senses, and get yourself back together. I know most of this was forced on you, but you could've come to me or Ginny when you had the chance." She looked down, but nodded and went to Minerva.
"Take me to them, please." McGonagall nodded and led her out of the room. Harry walked over to Severus, and held his hand.
"Thank you Kingsley."
"Yes thank you." Ginny.
"You're welcome, I assure you we'll be arresting Dumbledore first thing tomorrow morning." They nodded at each other and left back to Prince Manor.
Meanwhile, at Hogwarts:
Dumbledore was furious, he had just received a letter from the board of governors to step down as Headmaster of Hogwarts and keep his distance from Harry Potter and Ginny Malfoy. He also was given a letter from the Minister stating that he come to the Ministry first thing in the morning, right after his little spy Hermione Granger had left with Minerva.
'The little bitch must've talked.' He crumpled both notices in his hand and threw them into the fire. His two meal tickets were gone, and his best spy was gone from the school. He had to act soon, even if it cost every last bit of his sanity he had to get back at the two brats for ruining his chances of wealth and power.
And all he needed was their location.
"Sir?" Ronald Weasley came in through the door.
"Unless you have some good news for me I suggest you leave Mr. Weasley."
"As a matter of fact I do sir." Dumbledore turned to Ron, seeing he had nothing on him. "I was in the common room, you know just thinking about how my sister and Potter have betrayed us, and then it dawned on me. Remember when Malfoy and Snape talked about living with Ginny and Harry in their homes?"
"Yes, so?"
"So…I remembered Snape mentioning he said Harry would be living with him at 'Prince Manor'. Then it hit me again, we've had Hermione looking in the wrong places. It's obvious they'd never go to Potter Manor or Snape's old home, so they have to be in the Prince's home." Dumbledore's eyes widened in realization.
"That is true, Prince Manor has far better wards than even Hogwarts. That's why we never found them…" he thought for a moment.
"Should I get Hermione then?"
"That girl is no longer in this school Mr. Weasley." Ron's eyes widened. "Professor McGonagall left with her this morning."
"That bitch! She talked didn't she?"
"I don't know, but we have more important things to worry about now. Contact your mother, we'll be plotting a way to get back at those traitors soon enough."
"Yes sir!" Ron smirked and left quickly. Dumbledore turned back to his desk and thought of ways to get one of the fools out of hiding…and one included taking dear old Severus Snape.
Tell me what you think!
Next one has a little twist and turn for everyone, right when Dumbledore's about to be arrested.
R&R
Later!