Author's Note:
I would love reviews! I am trying to take into account where the readers want the story to go so please make suggestions! You can also check my original pieces on u/967214/p-m-e-black. My tumblr is .com. Feel free to message me. Thanks.
Chapter 16-
There standing in Hermione's bedroom was the woman with the white hair. The two large men beside her, were holding Kingsley, wands at his throat. Hermione's mouth went dry. Ron wasn't trying to kill her and Draco, he was trying to defend Kingsley.
The minister stood there as the white haired woman smiled devilishly. He was wandless as the two burly men held his arms tight.
"Kingsley!" Hermione whispered. The minister didn't say anything, just looked back and forth at the younger wizards. Draco's hand held tight to Hermione's as they backed up against a nearby wall.
"Drop your wands." The woman spat as she held onto Kingsley's weapon. Hermione looked around cautiously at her friends as Ron and Harry placed their precious wands on the ground.
"You mudblood, drop it!" The white haired woman said as she glared at Hermione. Hermione glanced at Draco and her friends, hoping that they were understanding what her eyes were telling them.
"Catch!" Hermione screamed as she threw her wand at the woman.
"DAISY!" Hermione shouted as Draco, Ron and Harry bumrushed the three startled older wizards. Daisy suddenly appeared with a pop. The little elf swayed on her feet, her large bulbous eyes looking at Hermione in disbelief.
"Please take the minister to the manor then come back for us!" Hermione asked. The little elf nodded and grabbed Kingsley by the hand and with a crack was gone.
No sooner had the little elf disapparate did she reappear, pulling Draco, Hermione, Ron and Harry with her.
Everyone arrived at the manor safely. Daisy made to walk away from the group of wizards when Hermione ran to catch her.
"Daisy! Wait!" The elf turned around slowly in her spot.
"Thank you! You saved us!" Hermione smiled and bent down in front of Daisy. Daisy wouldn't look at her in the eye.
"Daisy?" Hermione didn't understand why the elf was trying to avoid her eye contact.
"Miss...My master will be..." Daisy looked as if she were on the verge of tears. The little elf looked back and forth from Hermione to the minister. Hermione felt horrible as she watched the she-elf hold back a torrent of tears.
"It'll be alright Daisy. Lucius isn't here. He cannot harm you." Hermione said as she kneeled down on the floor. She looked around cautiously toward her friends. Ron was staring daggers at Draco while Draco's piercing gray stare was directed to her.
"Hermione!" It was Ron's voice interrupting her conversation with the elf. Hermione took a deep breath as she pulled herself up to stand. She stood close to Draco, her hand brushing against his cool skin.
"Thank you Ron…" Hermione began to say as she looked at the red head. Ron's gaze was fierce and full of what she perceived as hatred.
"I wasn't doing it for you! I was trying to save Kingsley!" The venom dripped from her ex's voice as he ground his teeth.
"I understand that you are upset…" She tried to take a step toward her friend but Harry placed himself in front of her.
"Just let him have some space Hermione." Harry said quietly, his hands on her shoulders. Hermione was thankful at that moment for Harry's now tranquil nature.
"No Harry! I don't need space!" It was Ron's turn to step in between. Draco immediately pressed up against Hermione protectively. She watched as his lip peeled back in a snarl like a dog baring his teeth.
"Back off Weasley!" Draco hissed, his gray eyes becoming dangerous slits.
"Go to hell Malfoy!" Ron spat, his hand balled into a fist. Hermione pushed herself between the two, her back to Draco's chest as she tried to push him back with her petite body. She felt his cool hands snake around her waist as if daring Ron to come closer. She was his property now if that wasn't already obvious to the freckled wizard.
"Ron...listen...I...I didn't plan this…" Hermione could feel those damn tears building in her throat again. She hated being a girl sometimes. She felt like she cried over everything.
"Well you certainly didn't do anything to stop it now did you!" He yelled, his eyes still boring into Draco's.
"You lied to us Hermione! You told us you were looking for your parents! I sat around the Burrow hoping and praying that you would come back safely. You have no idea how it killed me not knowing where you were! And here you go…shacking up with him! WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU!" Ron was now screaming in Hermione's face. Hermione couldn't handle it any longer, the tears finally began to overflow onto her cheeks. Draco watched as the first tear landed on her skin and that was all it took. He was determined that no one was going to make her cry again. With one crack, Ron was on his back, Draco above him with Ron's shirt in his clenched fist. Draco had his balled hand up again ready to strike another blow.
"NO! Please!" Hermione cried as she flung herself on top of Draco. Draco snarled down at the red head as he watched the tired man beneath him struggle against him. He had busted Ron's lip open, crimson blood staining his teeth as he glared at the slytherin.
"You ever make her cry again I swear I will kill you!" Draco ground out just before Hermione's soft hands wrapped around him trying to pull him away. Harry and Kingsley stood silently watching the display at a safe distance. Harry had grown enough in his maturity that he knew better than to get involved in love triangle dispute.
Finally Draco stood as Hermione pulled his hand into her own.
"Please...he...he's gone through enough." Hermione whispered, choking back her emotion. Draco turned and looked at her carefully, placing his hand gently on her pink tinged cheek. With Harry's help Ron stood up and placed a hand to his bloodied lip.
"That's funny coming from you Malfoy. All you ever did was make her cry! You're...you're a traitor Hermione!" Ron said it the last part so quietly Hermione almost had missed it. She bit her lip as she watched the tall red head turn his back toward her. Harry looked at Hermione with pity.
"Let's go Harry. There's no need to stick around here for her anymore." Ron said as he began to walk toward the front door of the manor. Hermione felt Draco's fingers intertwine with hers, a slight squeeze reassuring her that he was still there.
"Ron…" Harry began to protest. Ron whipped around, staring at his best friend as Harry struggled to make a decision to stay or leave.
"It's alright Harry. Go...I'm fine." Hermione answered. She didn't want to make Harry choose between her and Ron. She knew what that was like when Ron had done it to her. She nodded her head as Harry looked at her again. And then the two gryffindor men disapparated from the manor.
Hermione turned to look at Kingsley. The tall dark man had his head low, hands clasped in front of him.
"Minister?" Hermione mumbled as she moved forward toward him. Kingsley looked down at Hermione and grimaced.
"Draco move away from her." Kingsley kept his head down. Draco shot a look at Hermione questioningly.
"Kingsley, I can't let you take him…" Hermione began to protest as she put her hand up to guard Draco.
Suddenly Kingsley's hand shot forward and grabbed at Hermione, pulling her from Draco's grip. Draco was so startled he stumbled forward. Hermione's wand was now at her throat, her head back as Kingsley's hand wrenched it by the hair. Hermione's eyes went wide, not knowing what had happened. She looked carefully at the hand holding her wand only to notice something dark right under Kingsley's sleeve.
"Back away boy." Kingsley said in a garbled voice as he drug Hermione backward toward the large marble fireplace. Draco put his hands up as he moved unconsciously toward Hermione.
"Kingsley?" Hermione gasped out, her wand tip digging into her throat. How did she always manage to have a wand at her jugular?
"Shut up you stupid girl!" Kingsley yelled, pulling her head back more viciously.
"Let her go." Draco said, his voice dark and low.
"Don't you see...don't you understand?" Kingsley mumbled out, his eyes widening. Draco narrowed his eyes as he watched the minister's face begin to recede and slightly change.
"I said let her go!" Draco announced more sternly. Kingsley's face seemed to almost bubble, his dark skin turning a sickly shade of mustard yellow. His bald head now had slightly sprouted hairs in all different directions. The tall man held fast to Hermione's petite frame as his body and face began to morph and change.
Draco's eyes went wide as he saw the transformation finally complete itself. The person who was Kingsley was no longer the minister. The polyjuice potion had definitely timed itself out.
Hermione's mouth dropped as she looked up into her captors eyes only to see that they resembled the one's looking at her from across the room.
"Father?!"