Chapter 31 : All right again.

It felt awful. Just waiting without knowing how it went. Draco had spent his day wandering around Potter's old and mouldy house, hectic and worried. Hermione had gone to Saint Mungo's with Brown, after a very quick breakfast and practically an hour of getting ready between girls. Draco hadn't seen much of them but from the little he'd caught, Brown had been trying to cheer her up and occupy her mind by talking constantly.

Hermione had looked a bit nervous, though he knew she had the ability to hide her feelings from her friends, and Draco hadn't had the opportunity to try to reassure her, or ask her how she felt. He'd been given about three seconds to peck her mouth very quickly before she disapparated, under Brown and Blaise's childish sniggering of course.

It was now almost dinner time and he still hadn't heard from her, and even if he was aware that his impatience was unreasonable – surely a family couldn't catch up on four years in just a few hours – he couldn't help but worry about in which state she'd be when she'd come home. If she came home at all. He had refrained using his parchment about twenty times and couldn't help but wonder why she wouldn't just update him.

Maybe Lovegood had decided to keep her for the night. Maybe she'd snapped again. Maybe her parents had been unforgiving and had argued with her. Draco frowned, he'd met them. Her father hadn't seemed to be the kind of man to be unforgiving. Her mother though …he couldn't guess.

Maybe things had gone well after all. He snorted. Things never happened how they predicted, they weren't lucky, for each good thing happening, a bad one happened to balance it out. Their lives seemed to work like that.

"Would you quit pacing around already?" Blaise's voice made him snap out of his thoughts, he'd been pacing around the lounge like the nervous wreck he was.

"Shut up." Blaise rolled his eyes.

"Sit. You annoy me."

"You've annoyed me since we met and I don't order you around."

"Oh edgy. Quit worrying, Blondie said she'd call if anything happened."

"It's nearly seven thirty Blaise. She's been there all day!"

"It is, but she hasn't seen her parents in years."

"Right." Draco resumed his pacing as Blaise sighed and stood to leave the room. Once he was gone, Draco rubbed his face in his hands and sat at the window desk. He retrieved his parchment from his pocket and flattened it before staring at it.

"Still no news?" Draco jumped. What was the weasel doing there? He frowned and redface rolled his eyes: "Lavender sent her patronus at the office. We thought we would wait here."

"Ah." Draco returned his gaze to his blank parchment, disappointed to see nothing there.

"Don't take it personally. She didn't even tell me." Weasley said, slumping on the armchair. "She never speaks about them you know? Even when we … err … back then, she just buried herself in healing books and spent her time working on them. I asked but … she never wanted to speak about it. I learnt things were moving forward only when she burned the kitchen." He sounded bitter. As if he'd wished she'd talked to him. Draco didn't know what to say, the only thing that came to mind was bragging about the fact she'd confided in him. Which surely wasn't a wise idea. It would be petty. Plus, the weasel seemed to speak more for himself than for him. After a minute though, he turned on the armchair to face Draco, resting his arms on top of the backrest.

"She won't write tonight Malfoy."

"How would you know?" He smiled which only made Draco wish to hit him.

"I may not be her first choice for confidence but I know her by heart. She'll need time for this. Time alone."

"You don't know. She didn't even tell you." It went out as a sneer and the weasel didn't appreciate.

"I was trying to be nice there if you didn't notice. Zabini told me you were a wreck and I went up to … never mind. It's useless …" He scolded, standing to go. Draco sighed:

"Wait. I didn't mean to be … you know … I can't help it …" Weasley only gave him a frown that said he could continue. "I'm just worried is all."

"Well I'm worried too."

"I know. Sorry?" The red-haired man chuckled and came around the armchair to sit facing Draco, probing his elbows on the desk.

"No news is good news right?" He asked, apparently unconvinced by his own words.

"I guess. You really think she won't write?" Asked Draco, and the weasel shrugged.

"Well … not to me for sure. She seems to come to you now … So, maybe? I don't know."

"Mm." Draco rubbed his face once more and stared back at his parchment. Nothing.

"Come have a drink with us downstairs. It's useless waiting like that."

Lavender had spent the day pacing. She'd watched the family reunite in crying hugs and screams, and then, Hermione's mother had shut the door to her face. She'd stayed at the back of it all day while they'd argued loudly. It had been hell, having to hear and not being able to do anything.

Hermione had gone against Looney's recommendations when her mother had asked, or more demanded of her to explain herself. Hermione had definitely inherited her seriousness from the tight-faced woman. Thank Merlin she'd also inherited her father's caring. That woman reminded Lavender of one of her old aunts, strict and unpleasant, always lecturing her.

Good thing they were muggles though, they hadn't silenced the door. Lavender had been able to hear most of what had happened there and apparently Hermione had had to explain everything that had happened since before the war.

Lavender had sent her patronus to Harry, telling him where they were, just in case. What she'd heard had almost made her snap. While Hermione's father had been forgiving and understanding, her mother had been cold and nasty.

Hermione had only emerged from the room at seven thirty, her eyes swollen and teary, her voice broken. Lavender had almost burst into the room to scream but Hermione had stopped her:

"Please don't. She just doesn't understand."

"She's your mother for Godric's sake!"

"I know. She … She'll come around. She's in shock."

"And you're what? Perfectly fine? She doesn't even know half of it and blames you right away!"

"Well it's my own fault anyway. No, listen. I did this, I will bear with the consequences. And please Lavender, please, do not worry the others with it. I didn't tell anyone but Blaise and Draco and I don't want Harry or Ron coming here and … What?"

"I sent a patronus to Harry." She cringed. Hermione didn't really look angry though, more lost.

"Oh …"

"You didn't say … I'm sorry."

"No, it's alright. Just … don't tell them it went like that …"

"What do you want me to say?"

"That it's fine. I'll handle it."

"But it's not."

"It will."

Lavender didn't argue. Hermione looked so depressed it broke her heart and awoke instincts that were better asleep. Looney reappeared then, with a disapproving frown that looked strange atop her wide eyes. She led them both to a bedroom and told Hermione that she would stay for the night.

Lavender then watched the lunatic blonde force a sleeping draught down Hermione's throat. Good thing she was emotionally drenched, Luna had no idea what could happen to her if she'd done that on a regular day.

When she left them alone, Lavender was about to ask but Hermione cut her:

"You should go home Lavender. Thank you for staying all day … I'm just going to sleep now."

"It's nothing." She said, grabbing her hand. "You sure you don't want me to stay?"

"Yes, thank you.""

"Alright … I'll pick you up in the morning then."

"Okay." She yawned. Lavender left her then, albeit reluctantly. But, still angry, she took a decision she would probably regret later. She went back to the seventh floor.

Harry watched Malfoy down his fourth drink. The blond abomination was more worried than himself and Ron combined. It was … worrying. The fact that Lavender hadn't come back yet was too. Harry was starting to fidget.

"Here I thought this would lead to another of your butterbeer bullshit. I was wrong. You're all annoying." Whined Zabini after a moment. Harry only sighed and the troll continued: "You know it would be all over the news if she'd blown up Saint Mungo's. I don't see what the worrying is about."

"I don't care about Mungo's. It's Hermione …" Ron answered.

"She a big girl. She can handle it." Harry agreed with Zabini, but he somehow doubted it. He remembered all too well a time where the case of Hermione's parents had caused a lot of nasty things. Ron was apparently thinking the same as he explained:

"Right. But you haven't seen her when she had to drop healer's training."

"What happened?" Malfoy's frown was so deep he looked like a goblin.

"She caught Nott, after only two month in Auror's training."

"And? What …"

"She set her mind on something else. She worked until she looked like a ghost. We've never argued more than at that time. It was … Horrific. She didn't sleep, nor eat … And she blew up a fair amount of things on her way to Nott."

"Err …"

"So … It's why I hope everything went fine. But I doubt it, if it had she'd have come home or updated us by now. If it hasn't … Well, we might not see her for quite some time."

Shit. Draco had known things wouldn't be fine. He'd felt it. Maybe he should go there. Right, take her in his arms and try to reassure her. It was all he seemed to do these days. Try to make her feel better. Here he'd thought donating to Lovegood would make her life right again. He stood, and started to the door.

"Where are you going?" Redface asked. If he told them, they'd go with him but she hadn't told them at all. He decided to lie.

"To bed." And he strode off. She hadn't written to him, when she'd promised to do so when things weren't good. Draco had known it was a word she wouldn't keep. She was too selfless to bother him. It was unnerving. Or maybe she didn't want him there. They'd only exchanged a few kisses after all, he didn't even know if she considered them a thing.

He knew he did though. He loved her. She had no idea of course, but she hadn't denied being his girlfriend when Blaise had pointed it out that morning. She had even initiated everything between them. Right, he'd go there, and show her how much he cared. Whether things had gone bad or not, he would be there for her. Good, now he was a proper romantic idiot. Thank Salazar he still had his last name to scare people away.

He grabbed his cloak and quietly made his way to the front door. Then, he disapparated to Saint Mungo's. Arriving there, he remembered that her parent's room was at the seventh floor, and strode there quickly. There was almost no one in the wide lounge, and fortunately no healer. He received a few questioning looks but ignored them, and walked to the door Lovegood had forced him through the other time. He heard voices before he could knock.

"See? I knew she lied to us Albert."

"She was only trying to spare our feelings Darling …"

"By lying to her parents. After wiping our memories for four years! We've been locked in this loony place for three years!"

"You think it's what she wanted? You're her mother for Godric's sake! How can you not see she was only trying to protect you?" Brown? What was she doing in there alone?

"It's none of your business. I don't even know you …" Hermione's mother seemed beyond pissed off. She had the same tone Hermione had when she was really angry, though she wasn't yelling.

"I know Hermione. She's like my sister. She's been my family for the years she's been left an orphan and trust me she never meant for any of this to happen."

"It was reckless!"

"And she was only seventeen when she faced the most dangerous dark wizard the world's ever known! Her one mistake had terrible consequences I can give you that, but she didn't mean for it to happen!"

"Jean honey she was only a kid …"

"And she didn't trust us! She never told us anything about it! This god forsaken magic has ruined our daughter! She's risked her life and been discriminated! She almost got herself killed!"

"She's safe now. Magic has nothing to do with this." Brown sounded more surprised than angry.

"Oh but it has. Have you seen your face young lady? What happened to you?" Draco winced.

"Err …"

"Right. You fought a war too. A war no normal human knew about."

"Normal? What do you mean by normal?"

"I mean normal people who aren't playing at killing others with a stick of wood."

"Oh my …"

"We're going to take our daughter back from this world. She'll be safe." Draco almost answered himself. Like Hermione would be safe in the muggle world, defenceless.

"She'll never accept that. Don't you know her? She lives to help. She's even got project to become a house protector."

"Good, she can protect our house and become a lawyer or …"

"You're delusional. I know that you can't really understand everything we've told you, but you can't expect Hermione to leave our world."

"If she's truly repentant, she will. For us."

Draco had heard enough. Whether this woman was her mother or not, he wouldn't let anyone play with Hermione's guilt. He entered the room.

"You won't force her away from us." He warned.

"Mr Malfoy. This conversation is private." Said Hermione's father calmly, examining Draco closely.

"I don't care. The only reason you can remember her today, is me. I donated so you were cured. Because I thought it would make her happy again, but if I'd known her own mother would plan on ruining her life I wouldn't have."

"Ruining her life? Don't you think her life is ruined already? I remember you now, Mr Malfoy. You are one of the people who discriminated her." Jean Granger had that knowing and piercing look she'd arboured the first time he'd met her. She remembered. Which meant Hermione had talked about him to her parents during school. He didn't know what to say. She was right. He'd been awful to her.

"He's done nothing but repent to her ever since. He's a good man." Said Brown, her eyes fierce, as if she were ready to attack. Draco had never imagined Brown liked him. He smiled at her as Mrs Granger answered:

"Right. But I can't be sure of that. It's your word miss Brown and I don't even know you."

"I know Hermione is happy with him. I think your daughter's happiness should be all that matters."

"With him? What …"

"Come on Jean, don't you understand? This young man helped cure us for her. I don't think taking her away from the people who are arguing with us for her sake would be wise."

"Wh …"

"Stop. These young people are only here for Hermione. I believe miss Brown when she says that she didn't mean wrong. Don't you know our daughter? She was only trying to protect us. It went wrong but as I understand it, and according to Minerva and Luna, what happened is a first. She should have been able to restore our memories, right?"

"Right. Magic is intricate sometimes, no one could have predicted what happened." Answered Draco, after all he'd studied the recipe too.

"I don't blame her Albert! I blame this magic for the dangers she had to face!"

"It's in her nature. Even if you managed to guilt her into leaving our world her magic would still manifest itself." Explained Draco.

"Like when she was younger?" Asked Mr Granger.

"Exactly. Before we're eleven and allowed to school we already have magic in us. We can't put it at bay." Nodded Draco, having calmed down a bit. Hermione's father was definitely an understanding man.

"Remember the day she set the carpet on fire darling?" Blondie chuckled at Albert Granger's words:

"It's not the only thing she set on fire since then."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, I don't know if I should tell you … Malfoy?" Draco shrugged. They needed to understand after all.

"Right, em …" Continued Brown. "She was so shocked when she learned that you were being cured that she set a whole room on fire. Without her wand."

"Oh my …"

"Your daughter is an exceptional witch. Her magic is grandiose and it would be a shame to force her to let it go." Added Draco. He suddenly felt a bit proud to praise Hermione.

"She's caring and fair. She only did what she thought was right. Blaming her magic won't help." Tried Brown with an encouraging half-smile. Draco couldn't agree more.

"What do you advise then?"

"That you forgive her and let her live her life free of the guilt. She's torturing herself enough." He answered.

"Which is exactly what I was willing to do. Jean? Would you try?"

Harry didn't really believe in Malfoy's sudden tiredness. Maybe he was going to try to write to her and wanted some privacy. After a while, where Harry had listened to Zabini and Ron's joking and Quidditch conversation quietly, he stood to go check if the ferret had been given some news. It was now eight o'clock and they still hadn't heard neither from Lavender nor from Hermione. He stopped in his tracks when a wavering and weakly shining otter patronus entered the room.

It was so weak that Hermione's voice was blurry, as if it came from a broken radio.

Everything's alright. I'm staying for the night though, it's been a very long day and Luna insisted. Lavender will pick me up in the morning. I'll see you then. Love you all.

"Why is her patronus like that then?" Ron's question was rhetorical. Something was wrong.

"Let's get Malfoy and go there." Answered Harry. Zabini and Ron followed him right away.

Hermione had sent a patronus, hoping that Draco wouldn't try to write to her on the parchment. She wouldn't be able to lie to him and it was why she hadn't written. She didn't want him to worry or come around. She needed to be alone, to think the day through. Though she felt so tired she might do that in the morning. She fell asleep thinking Luna had tricked her and doubled the dose of potion.

When she woke up, yawning, she snapped up in the bed. Someone was holding her hand. Draco. Draco was there, and he was fast asleep in the visitor's armchair. His hair was in total disarray and his head bent at an odd angle. He'd come.

When she hadn't even written to him, he'd come. Merlin she was so grateful for this man. Just the sight of him warmed her heart. Damn she'd become mushy. She was turning into Lav-Lav. This couldn't be good. She squeezed his hand and watched him stir with a small smile. The hell to mushiness he was so handsome. And apparently angry.

"Why didn't you keep your word?" He lectured as a greeting. She winced and he continued: "You promised you'd come to me when something was wrong."

"I didn't want you to worry."

"I figured. You stubborn little thing." She frowned. Banter?

"Because your presence here is not proof that your are as stubborn as I am? I sent a patronus last night, saying I'll be back in the morning."

"I was already here, I missed it."

"Oh."

"And we fixed the mess with your half-wolf err … sister?"

"Wh … What?" He chuckled. What the hell was he talking about?

"Give me a minute." He said, stood, pecked her mouth so quickly she wondered if he really had, and left the room, blushing slightly. The mess? They'd fixed the mess? What had he done? What had Lavender done?

The door reopened to let her parents in. Draco gave her a small smile, staying out of the room, and closed the door after them.

Draco went in the waiting area. The weasel, Potter, Blaise and Brown were there. Lovegood had passed them a couple of time but said nothing, she'd smiled at the ceiling. Completely nuts.

Draco and Brown had been about to go check on Hermione after their argument with her parents when the three men had joined them, stating that something was wrong.

They'd of course been loud and Hermione's parents had come out of their room. They'd all had a talk. When they had finally left the poor muggle couple alone, it had been late and Hermione had been asleep for long, but her parents had agreed to start on a clean slate with her. He'd done everything he'd been able to.
Weasley, whom Draco had felt grateful for and regretted it the instant, had offered they'd go home, and leave Draco with Hermione, so he could explain to her everything first thing in the morning.

Draco had been so surprised he hadn't even thanked him. Which he wouldn't do anyway.

Now, they were waiting for the family to emerge from the room. Which they didn't seem to be willing to do.

Eventually they did, after what had felt like an eternity. Hermione was the first one to go out and all Draco could see from then. She was smiling.

Draco had seen her smile before, he'd seen her real genuine smiles. But none had ever been this happy. Her eyes were sparkling with joy, and her freckles seemed to be dancing. She'd cried but he knew she had from happiness. Something foreign swelled up in his chest and he realised when she jumped in Brown's extended arms that it was happiness too.

Hermione's life was right again. She was happy. And now that Brown had let go of her she only had eyes for him. He knew he was smiling like a bloody idiot. He could hear Blaise's mocking sniggering. He could see the weasel's angry frown from the corner of his eyes.
He didn't give a damn. All he cared about was the freckle at the right corner of her nose. She gave a quick glance at the others and seemed to decide that she didn't care either. She practically ran to him and threw herself in his arms. Her mouth landed right on his and he wrapped his arms tightly around her middle, lifting her up in the air. She kissed him, a thousand pecks, while babbling:

"Thank you, thank you so much." He shushed her and she tangled her hands in his hair. He almost confessed his love on the spot.

Hermione spent the next day with her parents. She'd insisted, with the other's support, for them to be released. Luna eventually surrendered and accepted, under the strict condition that they came for a check up every other day. They moved back in their old house right away.

On Sunday night though, she remembered about the lecture she was supposed to give the seventh-years and started panicking.
Her father sent her away to work, he knew his daughter well, and Hermione ended up at Grimmaud place. Draco helped her, and Merlin he was smart. He even called Neville whom came around to give her a hand too.

On Monday, she gave a lecture Minerva later congratulated her for and she agreed to give one every month.

On Tuesday she went to the ministry, Draco's hand gripping hers tightly, and spoke with Kingsley.

On Wednesday she started on her new job as ward maker.

On Thursday she warded Blaise's place. She ended up thanking him for his support, to which he answered by giving her a huge grinning hug, before offering they went in the bedroom for her to express her thankfulness freely. She hit him.

On Friday she started on warding a public wizarding library that would soon open in Diagon Alley.

On Saturday she received an owl from Molly, that clearly stated that if she missed another Sunday brunch she would end up beheaded. It also said that she had better come with the Slytherins or she'd face her wrath.

On Sunday she went to the Burrow. Draco followed reluctantly, Blaise with an ugly scowl. With all that, she'd forgotten about the report being published and rendered public.
Ginny was all tears and apologies when they arrived, Hermione was no better.

On Sunday night, Draco ended up in her bedroom. He used the fact that he'd had to bear with the Burrow for an excuse.

On Monday evening, as Hermione got ready to go have dinner at her parent's, while Draco was adjusting his tie to join them, she realised that her life was right again.