A Hundred Storms
Chapter Thirty-One: Taking Chances
I just wanna start again
And maybe you could show me how to try
Maybe you could take me in
Somewhere underneath your skin
- Taking Chances, by Celine Dion
Hermione choked down her Pumpkin Juice as best she could, feigning indifference to the furious whispers around her. If she thought the muttered speculation was bad her first day back to school, it was nothing, nothing compared to the buzzing in the Great Hall at breakfast today.
Hermione looked out from under her eyelashes at Draco. He was still staring at her as thought she had grown a beautiful set of ram's horns out of the sides of her head and Hermione couldn't help but wink at him, just to throw him off.
"What the hell are you playing at?" Draco demanded in a low voice only Hermione and Blaise could hear.
"I told you I have no intention of letting you be a pariah alone," Hermione replied with what she hoped was a nonchalant shrug. "Besides, I happen to technically be without a House. I wanted to see what the view was like from Slytherin table."
"That's shite Granger and we both know it," Draco said furiously. "Stop trying to turn me into one of your bloody Gryffindor charity cases."
Hermione let her cool demeanor falter just a moment. "I'm not," she said softly. "You don't think everyone at my table isn't whispering about me? At least you have Blaise here. Neville and Ginny are glaring at me like I cast the Dark Mark above Hogwarts. I didn't do a damn thing wrong and neither did you. If people are going to talk I might as well give them something to talk about."
Draco's sharp features softened so slightly Hermione wasn't sure she could really put faith in her eyes. He put his hand over hers at his side at the table.
"Thank you," he told her.
Hermione smiled and flipped her hand over so they touched palm-to-palm. She closed her hand around his and gave it a squeeze.
"There's going to be hell to pay, Granger." Draco told her. "You ready for that?"
Hermione could not help but grin. This was the fight she was born for. Finally. Finally she understood. This was the fight she wanted more than anything else in her entire world. For the first time in a long time she finally felt like that woman she had striven so hard to be once upon a time.
"Granger?"
"I'm sitting here, aren't I?"
Hermione shivered as she looked around the grounds and took in all the black umbrellas. Coupled with a rain shielding charm, the funeral-goers kept quite dry on this appropriately dismal day. She had arrived on the Malfoy Grounds just minutes before at a designated Apparation point. She arrived alone, her owls to Harry and Ron the day before had gone unanswered. Hermione allowed herself a moment to take in the small gathering in the Malfoy graveyard about one hundred yards away. Like the manor, the private family cemetery was enclosed by tall wrought iron gates, forbidding in their own right. The cemetery grounds were easily made up of several acres and was home to dozens of mosoleums and statues.
Hermione shivered. The last time she had been in a graveyard had been Christmas Eve the previous year. It never ceased to amaze her at what time had wrought for her, and yet she coudn't decide it she felt thankful or just very, very tired.
Last year Ron had left her and Harry was at her side. This year she crossed a graveyard alone to the burial of a man who had thought it nothing to murder her and her family.
Brightest witch of her age.
Hermione searched the somber gathering. It didn't take long before her eyes fell on the two blonde heads that stuck out amongst the black. Draco was only a few inches taller than his mother, who was elegant and proud at his side in dark robes that set off her light hair. Together they made a striking family without their patriarch. Hermione hesitated for a moment, apprehension creeping into her veins over meeting Narcissa Malfoy under such different circumstances.
Just then, as though he could feel someone watching him, Draco looked up from his conversation with his mother and met Hermione's eyes. With a slight nod and a pat to his mother's hand he met Hermione halfway and led her back into the throng of the highest of Pureblood society.
Hermione had fought her way out of the nest of snakes before. This time she marched into it.
Draco deftly slipped her arm through his as though they were entering a ball. Hermione stifled a very inappropriate giggle and pursed her lips in a thin line. They approached the Malfoy matriarch and Hermione pressed ever-so-slightly against Draco for the comforting warmth.
"Mother, let me reintroduce you to Hermione Granger," Draco said smoothly.
With this Hermione couldn't help but smile faintly. Narcissa Malfoy, to her credit, answered with her own secret smile.
"Pleasure," Narcissa said with surprising warmth. The older woman extended her hand gracefully and Hermione let go of Draco's arm to take it. Narcissa clasped Hermione's hand in both of hers and looked at the younger witch steadily. "Thank you for coming, Miss Granger. I know this must be difficult for you."
Hermione was oddly surprised how warm Narcissa's hands were, and how easily Narcissa touched her, as an equal. Hermione shook her head once in acknowledgment, understanding the unsaid words.
"I hope you will join us after for a small get-together," Narcissa Malfoy pressed on. "I've invited a few close friends back to the Manor for refreshments after the burial."
Again Hermione nodded. "That would be lovely," she managed to get out in a voice she hoped wouldn't shake. "Thank you."
Narcissa released Hermione's hand and nodded, almost to herself. She turned to speak to another woman beside her. Hermione only noticed then that the woman was Pansy Parkinson. To Pansy's credit, she had kept silent during the exchange between Narcissa and Hermione and continued to keep a respectful gaze on Narcissa as Hermione turned to Draco.
"We will be in one of the other sitting rooms," Draco answered before Hermione could ask. "Mother has had the wing, ah, well, there's a certain portion of the Manor that has been closed off for the time being. I hope that's alright."
Hermione smiled faintly up at him. "Thank you," she said softly. "That wasn't nearly as disastrous as I had imagined."
"My mother is a remarkable woman," Draco agreed. "But speaking of disaster..." Draco looked over Hermione's shoulder towards the Apparation point from which she had come from.
Hermione turned to see what had caught his attention. Two tall figures in Auror robes were crossing the path Hermione had just taken.
"Harry...Ron..." she breathed.
"Those two decided to crash my father's funeral?" Draco asked incredulously.
"I told them I would be here," Hermione answered him.
True enough, Harry nor Ron looked nervous or out of place. Nor did they seem disrespectful or angry in any way. Both took long strides, their wands concealed somewhere beneath their robes.
In a matter of minutes the two men joined Hermione and Draco amongst the small gathering.
"You came," Hermione stated. "I thought you were ignoring my owls."
"We were not sure if we could," Harry admitted. "We convinced the more senior Aurors that a presence would be prudent, considering the profile of this..." Harry lost his sentence.
"Funeral," Hermione supplied. "It's a funeral, Harry."
"Right...right," Harry ran a distracted hand through his hair. "In any case, the press alone are enough to keep at bay. Did you notice the crowd outside?"
Hermione did notice the people gathered outside the gates. She had hoped they would act with decorum, but the press were wildly flashing their cameras at anything that moved inside the Malfoy grounds. Hermione knew the property was guarded by a magic that did not allow for outsiders to come on to the private property.
"I did," Hermione said. "How did you two get in?"
"Malfoy's still on probation," Ron finally spoke up. "That allows Aurors a presence whenever they feel the need."
"Good to know," Draco said gruffly.
"Thank you," Hermione told them, hoping they caught the double implication. "I know you didn't have to."
"We both got the owls you sent," Harry went to explain. "We also read the paper. We're sorry they've targeted you again, Hermione."
Hermione observed Ron. She could tell he was struggling. She could tell it was Harry who formulated this plan to protect her, to rescue her if need be. Hermione felt her heart swell for her two friends. She knew this sort of difficult encounter was easier on Harry than in was on her old lover.
"Thank you," Hermione said again. "I was afraid I was going to be the only Gryffindor here. Blaise and Pansy are over there, by Narcissa. I was wondering if I was going to have to transfigure my umbrella into something Luna may deem appropriate."
At this both Harry and Ron smiled, imagining Luna's ridiculous Gryffindor hat into something more umbrella-shaped.
By now Narcissa has noticed the newcomers and turned once again from her conversation with Pansy to play the gracious hostess.
"I had no idea I was to expect Ministry representation today, Narcissa said by was of greeting with a charming smile. "I hope you do not expect trouble?"
Hermione heard the question Narcissa had not asked- were Harry and Ron there to gloat?
"Hermione had the foresight to ask for a presence to make sure the crowd outside stays uunder control," Harry lied quite smoothly. While it was true Hermione had asked them to come, it was more for her own benefit and sanity than for their peace-keeping abilities.
Narcissa accepted this with a small bow to her head. "For that, then, I thank all of you. This is as omber event that should not be marred by a circus of journalistic voyeurs. It's terribly distasteful. My dear Lucius is probably already rolling in his burial casket at the thought. Please accept, as Miss Granger already has, my invitation to join us for refreshments following the ceremony."
Harry nor Ron could think of something reasonably clever to respond with, so Harry simply nodded, accepting the invitation for both of them.
As before, Narcissa smiled and nodded to herself, as though in congratulations for some secret job well done. It was then that the funeral director called for the attention of the small gathering.
Before Dumbledore's funeral, Hermione had never attended the final goodbye of someone who belonged to the Wizarding world. She had been morbidly curious as to how a funeral ceremony would go, how different it would be from the Muggle ones she had attended. In the past year she had been a guest to more funerals than she had ever desired. Saying goodbye to Fred was one of the hardest things Hermione had ever done in her young life, possibly only eclipsed by holding the tiny body of Teddy Lupin when they said goodbye to his parents.
The main thing Hermione took away from her year of funerals was the fact that no wizard funeral was the same. Some wizards and witches followed one or more of the various Muggle religious traditions, but most held their own family values and traditions. The Malfoy's, of course, were a family of tradition.
Ironically, the burial of Lucius Malfoy was one of the closest Hermione had witnessed to Muggle tradition. The funeral director talked about the life of the deceased, his accomplishments, his enjoyments, the family he left behind. The director was skilled, managing to gloss over the many sins of Lucius Malfoy with flawless discretion. Hermione found herself amazed that the man being discussed was the same man she had known in his life.
The gathering was small, with perhaps twenty people in attendance. She knew Blaise and Pansy, and assumed the two older couples near to them were their parents. The rest of the gathering were individuals and other couples unknown to Hermione. Perhaps they were business associates and other acquaintances Narcissa deemed prudent to allow rights to view the ceremony. Hermione kept a wry smile to herself when she realized that many of Lucius's closest friends were locked far away in Azkaban.
The crowd stirred a little as the director invited the funeral-goers to step up to say a word about the deceased. Narcissa stepped forward immediately and Hermione reached out to squeeze Draco's hand. Draco returned the gesture without missing a beat. Hermione looked over and gave him a smile before focusing her attention on Narcissa Malfoy.
"First, my son and I would like to express our deepest gratitude to each of you for your attendance today," Narcissa began her own eulogy. "I understand many of you are here in support of myself and Draco, and for that I thank each and every one of you. My husband and I were married nearly two decades. The years he gave me were full of both joy and terror, love and terrible indifference. He gave me many beautiful and precious gifts over the years, the greatest of those being our son Draco. My husband had a cruel streak, I will not insult you to say otherwise, but his love for his family led him down a path upon which I lost him along the way. My Lucius was not a perfect man, but he was mine and I will miss him every day. My only hope now is that he has found peace, as I hope our world will following his death."
The small crowd was silent following Narcissa's soliloquy. Hermione felt the cool air hit the trail of tears that ran down her cheeks and she shivered. She felt Harry place a gentle hand on her shoulder and wondered what a strange picture they must be. Hand in hand she stood with Draco Malfoy, with Harry Potter silently offering her what comfort he could.
The director asked if any others would like to say a few words and was met with no response. He then welcomed those who wished to lay something of meaning on the casket to approach. Narcissa stepped forward again but instead of a flower she delicately dropped a rather simple looking necklace. Next a man with a flat, upturned nose not unlike Pansy's came forward and placed a worn-looking piece of parchment atop the casket, close to Narcissa's necklace.
"I'm not familiar with this tradition," Hermione said quietly to Draco.
"I'm not surprised," he replied, also keeping his voice down. "It's an old Pureblood tradition. Not many families do it nowadays. Items that had meaning to the...deceased person from those who knew him in life are buried with him. It's supposed to signify the link between magic, life, and death when we go beyond the veil. If the departed person has something linking them to the world of the living, they say that the magic never really leaves their spirit.
"That's a lovely thought," Hermione said with her eyes filling with tears once more. "May I?"
Draco only hesitated for a moment before nodding. "Of course," he told her. "Please."
Hermione waited for one of the unknown individuals to step back into their place before she strode forward. She knew she was probably breaking about a hundred Pureblood rules of etiquette simply by existing, but she was there for Draco, not Lucius. She was there to forge hope for the future, and to quite literally bury the past.
Out of the air Hermione conjured a perfect Peace Lily, the brilliant white petals nearly glowed against the dismal English rain. Gently, gently, Hermione guided it to lay quietly atop the casket. There it would remain, perfect and beautiful, until the end of days. She then retreated back to her place beside Draco.
"Thank you," Draco whispered to her.
Hermione didn't miss the catch in his voice.
Continuing with his seamless control over the preceding, the director concluded the ceremony and the groundskeeper levitated the closed casket of Lucius Malfoy into the same mausoleum that was home to his own parents.
Hermione watched with morbid fascination as the marble sealed itself once the casket settled inside. She realized then that centuries of Malfoys were probably laid to rest on these grounds. One day Draco would be. The cycle of life and death was never ending and never changing. Eventually they would all return to the Earth.
Hermione turned to Draco and looked up at his face, he had been watching the tomb seal itself with the same sort of blankness she had grown to expect from him when emotions ought to be running high.
"Are you alright?" She asked him.
"Yes," he replied curtly. "Are you sure you're comfortable..."
"Yes," she answered. "I'm not leaving your side today."
Draco's lip twitched. "I'm happy to take you up on that."
"You're cute when you think you have a choice," Hermione joked lightly.
Before Draco could retort, his mother was upon them again. "Let us do go in, shall we?"
Hermione turned to Harry and Ron, who were looking on the exchange between Hermione and Draco in mild alarm. "Will you two still come?" she asked them.
Harry nodded and elbowed Ron lightly, who nodded after the prod. "Of course, Hermione," Harry replied. "Whatever you need."
"Erm," Draco was now looking past Ron, towards the Apparation point. "Who invited the toddler to this incredibly uplifting event?"
Ron and Harry turned to see who was coming, but Hermione answered him first with some surprise. "Draco, that's your aunt. Don't you recognize Andromeda? That toddler is your second cousin, Teddy."
(A/N)Sorry this was so long in coming. It felt like I couldn't get the ball rolling, and then when I finally did I kept thinking of things I felt needed to be included (Harry and Ron appearing, the flower, Teddy...) This chapter doesn't feel like anything actually happened, but still a lot transpired that will help the rest of the story. A BIG thank you to everyone who has reviewed, my little story here is almost to 300 reviews! I want to start slowly wrapping things up from this point, but I can't tell you how many more chapters. I hope to get another one out in time for my birthday on the 30th this month, it feels appropriate :) If you're on Tumblr you can find me there as arielxwriter, I enjoy reblogging everything Dramione and ranting about writing. Thank you for reading and please review! I love to know what you think!