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For the love!

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CHAPTER 49.

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Molly Weasley clutched her heart with her right hand as her left held the door with all her might lest she fell.
Tears streamed through her eyes along well formed tear stain paths. She soon steadied herself and managed to move her arms to envelope the woman standing at her door.

Hermione had wet eyes the moment Molly had seen her. And now, being embraced by the mother figure she couldn't help but think that coming here was a good decision.

"Don't you dare disappear on us ever again Hermione. Gave us the fright of our lives. Do you know how worried we were?" She scolded her like she did her children. "Oh dear but just look at you. Looks like you never fed yourself while you were away. Come along dear, I've just baked some sweet bread. This is why you shouldn't have gone away."

Hermione laughed weakly and let her mother-in-law lead her by the hand toward the kitchen.

Hermione looked around happily in the home she practically grew up in. She absolutely loved the kitchen in the Burrow. It was a happy place and definitely had been Ron's favourite place too.

Over the years, the children had moved out and so the Burrow was unusually quiet, but come Sundays, Molly had everyone over and it was like the old times again. Except for Ron. Hermione had been sent invitations for Sunday meals very often. But as usual, she stayed hidden. She had really missed this place.

With fresh tears in her eyes, she swept her gaze and it finally landed on Molly. She smiled weakly and hugged her again but this time she soon burst into tears.

Molly patted her back lovingly and whispered soothing words in her ears. "Sshh love. It's not right that you react this way after so long. Ron would've hated to see you this way because of him."

Hermione nodded against Molly's shoulder. "I can't tell you how glad I am that you are back." Molly said. "Don't go running away again?" She almost pleaded.

Hermione smiled. "I cleaned all the furniture and set up the house yesterday. I don't think I'm going anywhere after doing all that work."

Molly laughed.

"Thank you." Hermione said earnestly. "For keeping my house. I know you must be going there regularly."

"I had to keep it in good shape for you. I knew you'd return soon." Molly said confidently.

"I'm here for good now. No more running away." Hermione said firmly.

"That's like the Hermione I know." Molly smiled. "Now how about some lunch?"

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"Harry!" Ginny yelled. "Harry!"

"Sweet Salazar woman!" Draco entered the living room looking ghastly with barely a few hours of sleep. "Quit yelling."

Ginny grinned. Although her motive behind yelling for Harry was actually to call him, she was quite glad that it served a double purpose. She had finally managed to get a reaction from Draco. Ever since Hermione had left, he had retreated into a shell. In spite of many reassurances from her and some from Harry, he believed that he was responsible for her running away which had caused all the progress he had had with her to go to waste.

He used to leave the flat for hours together, in search for her and return late at night. Harry and Ginny barely saw him. He was probably avoiding them. He hated the pitiful looks he got from them. And so, running away like Hermione had seemed quite inviting.

"Oh when you find out what I know you'll be yelling your voice box out too." Ginny smirked.

Draco grunted in response, clearly not interested as he operated the coffee maker.

"Fine." Ginny pouted. "Be that way. Maybe I should skip telling you and just find Harry to share my news with."

"By all means." Draco said gruffly as he downed the bitter liquid in one large swallow.

"Harry!" She yelled again.

"Merlin Gin. Give a bloke some time off." Harry said as he entered the living room in his towel, his raven coloured hair dripping on the carpet.

"Potter! You're dripping on my carpet." Draco drawled.

"You heard the woman." Harry shot back. "A few drops of water on your carpet are better than 2 torn eardrums."

"As sexy as you look in a towel dear husband, just for that snarky comment I'm not going to reward you." Ginny pouted. "It's amazing how you both hear me yelling but none of you want to ask me what it's all about. Maybe I'll just go find Katherine."

Harry sighed as Draco got up to retreat into his room again and Ginny made a big show of opening a letter from her pocket and reading it.

"What's that?" Harry asked curiously.

"Why? A letter of course." Ginny said.

"I can see that. Who is it from?" Harry persisted.

"Maybe it's a letter that tells us about someone we're looking for." Ginny played around.

Draco stopped in his tracks the moment she said that. He turned around and looked at Ginny. Harry was looking at her too and with 4 eyes boring holes into her, she retreated a few steps and held the letter in her hand a little higher.

"It's mum. Hermione's back." Ginny said.

"Back?" Draco asked dryly.

"Yes. Back." Ginny said. "The reason we can't find her anywhere else is because she's returned home."

Harry slapped his right hand onto his forehead. "How stupid of us. We checked almost everywhere and never bothered to check the one place Hermione was sure we wouldn't."

"She's back home?" Draco repeated as if he was having a hard time registering that. "She went back to England? "

"How did she do that?" Harry mused. "We were tracking all international forms of travel."

"But we expected her to go someplace new. That's when any movement on her part would have alerted us." Draco explained. "But since came from England, she would have already had the permit to go back and so we never came to know."

"No wonder." Ginny said. "Okay let's not waste any more time then. Let's get going. We need to see her."

Harry and Ginny got up to go pack but Draco stood there, transfixed.

"Draco?" Ginny placed a hand on his shoulder. "Come. Let's go home."

"Home?" Draco scoffed. "That place hasn't been home in a long time Ginny."

"But it is now." Ginny said quietly. "She's back. And you both need to resolve your issues."

"She didn't want to resolve anything." Draco said. "That's why she ran away."

"But she went and met mum." Ginny retorted back. "She would have known that mum would tell me for sure that Hermione visited. And I would tell you. If she wanted to stay away, she would have."

"She's not running away from you or her old life anymore Ginny." Draco said. "It's me she's avoiding."

"So you won't come back?" Ginny asked.

Draco shook his head. "I'll come. But she said she's going for good. I don't think she wants to see Me."

"We'll see about that." Ginny said. "Get your stuff. We need to leave today."

"I'm not sure." Draco replied. "I think I need a few days..."

"Draco Malfoy! I'll be damned if I don't take you back with me today." Ginny bellowed. "I am done with all the childish behaviour around here. First Hermione runs away and you make a mess of yourself trying to look for her. Now that we've found her, you say you need more time? Bull shit! I can't risk you running away to some godforsaken place too. You're coming with us today and it's final. "Ginny puffed.

Just then Harry emerged from one of the rooms. "What's final? Don't get so excited Ginny love, you're panting. Okay I just sent an owl to the travel ministry. Our portkey is being set up as we speak. We should be expected to leave within a couple of hours."

"See? Now it's all done. You have to come." Ginny said, looking pointedly at Draco.

Harry looked at Ginny and Draco quizzically. "Of course he has to come. Why would you assume otherwise?"

Ginny glared at Draco and Draco sighed and reluctantly walked to his room and shut his door.

Harry raised his eyebrows at his wife but she just shook her head and retrieved her wand from the dining table and set up anti apparition and locator wards around the flat.

"Ginny love? What's wrong?" Harry asked.

"Just making sure Draco doesn't disappear on us before we take him to Hermione." Ginny replied.

Harry looked confused but let it be. Whatever it was, he was sure that Ginny could handle Malfoy.

Ginny went about packing all her things and she even packed some of Hermione's things that she thought was needed. Then she went to meet Katherine to tell her about the news. Katherine was extremely relieved to know that they had found Hermione but was sad that she was losing her mentor. Ginny gave her her address and Katherine promised to visit once things between Draco and Hermione settled.

By the time Ginny returned home, the portkey had been sent and there were only 10 minutes remaining before it got activated.

"Blimey Gin. I thought you'd never return." Harry said nervously. "Malfoy's just not coming out of his room. I tried telling him that the portkey will be set soon but he won't say anything."

"Oh he'll come with us all right. Don't worry." Ginny assured him.

Harry shrunk the entire luggage and was munching on a muffin when Draco walked out of his room. He had showered and his unkempt beard had gone. He was clean shaven again and he looked healthier than he had in days.

"Finally." Harry muttered.

"Draco, good. You're in time. I trust you've packed and shrunken your luggage?"Ginny asked. "I spoke to the landlord and I've settled everything for both the flats. Come now, we barely have any time."

Draco look dazed as Ginny pulled his arm and the three of them held the umbrella that was serving as the portkey. The handle of the umbrella started glowing, signalling that the travel would commence in a minute.

Ginny clutched Draco's arm tightly with one hand and held Harry's hand in the other. Soon a strong wind blew and the three of them left the flat in a twirly haze of compressed air and reached another place that Draco did not recognize. It looked like a kitchen. He presumed it was the Potter's home.

Harry helped Ginny on her legs and proceeded to get a chair for her. Draco's head was swimming slightly too from the travel. He looked around the kitchen. It was a typical kitchen, warm and cosy. Everything his home wasn't while growing up.

"Umm." Harry said. "We thought we could all come here. This is our house. You're welcome to stay here for as long as you like."

"Yes Draco." Ginny piped. "You can stay here. I know you've not been here in long."
Draco looked around and then sat down on a dining chair next to Ginny. "I have a house here Ginny." He said.

"I know." Ginny replied. "But Merlin knows what condition it may be in. You've not lived here in three years. Besides, we would love to have you here."

"But Ginny... It's hardly needed." Draco said.

"Please Draco?" Ginny pleaded. "Till you speak to Hermione. Then you're free to make a decision about where you want to live."

"Fine." Draco gave in. "But I'm not sure about speaking to her. I'll stay here till my house is made liveable."

"We'll see about that." Ginny said determinedly. "Now! Who would like some tea?"

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I know, I know... I cant even begin to say how mad things have been..

I'm trying to update this story as soon as i can!

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