Draco blinked his eyes rapidly, turning over what Potter had asked of him in his head. Not only would Draco be able to see Granger again, but she would be living with him. And that would give the small chance that she could, somehow, fall in love with him and break his curse.
"Yes! Yes, absolutely!" Draco exclaimed a little too excitedly. The pale boy cleared his throat in embarrassment as Potter looked at him oddly.
He replied, raising an eyebrow, "Are you sure? It's asking a lot, and it would be quite a burden."
"Not a burden at all," Draco smoothly answered.
"Then it's settled?"
"Yes. She can move in as soon as possible."
Potter slightly nodded, and then shifted his eyes to the sleeping Granger. His face read of exhaustion, and while staring at his best friend, his expression turned to guilt. "I wish I could take her with me."
Draco's eyes narrowed. "But you just said-"
"-I know, I know. It's too dangerous. But I still wish I could." Potter began to stroke her hair the way a father would. "You know, without her, Ron and I would've been dead a long time ago. She always kept a level head and knew exactly what spell to use every single time. I used to complain that she was too much like a mum, but that kept us not only alive, but together."
Potter's eyes then began to swell with tears and his voice started to crack. "I know she will kick and scream when I tell her she can't come with me. But I just love her too much to let her. She may hate me, but I all I've ever done was done for her safety."
Draco watched Potter's shoulders shake as he softly wept. Normally, he'd start laughing and then call Potter a nancy for being soft. But it struck Draco at the level of love Potter had for Granger. He was putting her under Draco Malfoy's care, knowing that he'd rather have her come with him. Not only that, but Potter knew Granger would resist. Still, he chose to keep her away with someone he despised for her own protection. Potter loved her enough to let her go.
Potter deeply inhaled and exhaled as he took off his glasses to wipe his eyes. As he rubbed his face in his sleeve, he began to chuckle. "I've never thought I'd live to see the day where I cry in front of Draco Malfoy, and he isn't making fun of me for it."
Draco smirked. "Well, I've never thought I'd live to see the day where I'm cursed to resemble a flesh-eating monster."
"Not like you didn't already," Potter snorted.
Draco started to say a snarky riposte but Dumbledore entered the Hospital Wing at that moment. Both of the boys looked up at the exhausted Headmaster walking toward them. "Give Miss. Granger some rest. She will need it," he said as he motioned Potter and Draco to him.
Both of them looked back at the sleeping girl as they walked to Dumbledore. It would be one of the many times Draco would look at her and one of the last times Potter would for a very long time. When they approached Dumbledore, the old man said, "We must meet in my office."
When the three held their meeting, they discussed the matter of Granger staying at Grimmauld Place. Dumbledore suggested that she stay there until the war ended. However, Potter had none of it.
"Absolutely not," the dark-haired boy said sharply. "I thought we agreed that when we've destroyed most of the horcruxes-"
"Things change," Dumbledore interrupted.
Potter folded his arms as he narrowed his eyes at the old man. "I need Hermione by my side when I face Voldemort," he hissed.
The Headmaster raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Mr. Potter," he coaxed, "this is the best option for Miss. Granger. And isn't it in your best interest to keep her safe?"
"Well if there's one thing that Hermione has taught me, it would be that I should never have to go at anything alone."
"Mr. Potter-"
"Besides," Potter threw his hands in the air, "Voldemort would be weak enough by then-"
"Potter-"
"-and I'm sure he'd be worrying about things other than Hermione-"
Draco watched as the two bickered, shocked that Potter was completely lacking propriety as he argued with his superior. He kept talking over the Headmaster, desperately clinging to the small hope of Granger going with him. But Draco knew that Potter knew that the best decision was for her to stay in hiding until the war ended. He had already admitted that to Draco. But perhaps Potter hadn't admitted it to Dumbledore, or even himself, yet.
Eventually, the Headmaster stood up and towered over his desk. He didn't say a word, but his commanding presence silenced Potter. Dumbledore then said lowly, "Mr. Potter, you, of all people, should know that we must make sacrifices for the ones we love to keep them safe."
Potter lifted his hand and grazed the lightning bolt scar on his forehead with his fingers. Draco watched as he closed his eyes, perhaps remembering the night when his mother gave her life for him. She made the ultimate sacrifice, and by comparison, Potter leaving Granger behind was a small price to pay.
A sudden image of Isabella, her eyes puffy and her cheeks stained with tears, came to Draco's mind, and he could practically hear her say, But he loved me enough to leave me behind. He loved me enough to let me go. Can you imagine that love?
Draco blinked with confusion at the memory. He shook his head out as Potter put his hand down and sighed. "Fine. But I don't want to be the one to tell Hermione."
Dumbledore exhaled and replied, "Mr. Potter, I believe you're the only one who can."
Potter slowly nodded. He looked at the floor, deep in thought. All of a sudden, his body jolted as if remembering something he had forgotten. "Wait-" Potter turned his head to Draco. "To Hermione, you're not Draco Malfoy. To her, you're just her live-in protector who looks like a mutilated beast."
Draco rolled his eyes. "Was the last bit necessary?"
Potter ignored him. "You need a new name."
Dumbledore chimed in. "A new identity."
A new name. A new identity. A clean slate. Draco stared at the floor. After awhile he murmured, "Aiden."
"Aiden?" Potter and Dumbledore asked unison.
"Aiden," Draco repeated.
Hermione glared at the back of the man who refused to look at her. His hood was up, and his body was facing the fireplace, completely blocking out the mayhem that was happening behind him. He seemed familiar to her. She was concentrating to recall a name, a face, -anything. But mostly she was concentrating on this trivial thing to tune out the painful confrontation in front of her. She was trying ignore the solemn face of Headmaster Dumbledore and the guilty face of her best friend, Harry Potter.
Not an hour before, she woke up in the Hospital Wing feeling sluggish. She groaned as she touched her head, feeling the bandage and the cool touch of the salve it was dipped in. Hermione felt a goose-egg and a cluster of scabs on her forehead. The last thing that she remembered was a body colliding with hers and then her head scraping, and smacking the ground, and then darkness. A plethora of questions ran through her mind. How did she get here? Why was she here? How long was she out? But the panic left her when she saw the one person who could calm her walk into the Hospital Wing.
"Harry," she whispered his name, wondering if she was suffering from the side effects of the salve and seeing hallucinations. But when he said her name back to her, she knew it was real. Tears instantly spilled from her eyes as he walked to her bed. When he pulled her into a bear hug, she began to cry into his shoulder. They stayed like that for awhile. Just holding each other.
Eventually, Hermione released from the hug and began to scold him. "You are a mess! You clearly haven't shaved in months, and your hair is atrocious," a giggle bubbled from her throat, "and of course your glasses are cracked."
He simply smiled at her, and she felt herself fill up. She had an empty space lingering in her for a long time and only Harry could've filled it.
Hermione then asked him about everything. She asked about the horcruxes, the Order, and when she asked about Ron, she learned that he was holding down the fort at the Burrow. She saw how Harry scrunched up his face when she simply shrugged when he told her that Ron was away.
"What is it?" she asked.
"Nothing, it's just odd how subtle your reaction is to Ron's absence."
"Well, I am going to see him soon, right?" she replied without a care in the world.
Harry blinked rapidly in confusion. "What do you mean?"
"That's why you're here! To take me with you!" she responded with a bright smile. But it faded as she watched Harry look down and then away with a scornful expression.
She raised her eyebrows, and leaned forward to catch his fleeting eyesight. "That is why you're here. Right?"
Harry then stood up and held out his hand. Hermione took it and he led her outside of the Hospital Wing. Hermione blinked, and she was then apparated with Harry to Dumbledore's office. The Headmaster stood at his desk while a strange-looking man that faced the fireplace stood in the sitting area. Harry walked over and stood by Dumbledore.
Dumbledore waved Hermione over and she cautiously moved forward with her arms crossing her chest. She asked him, "What's going on, Sir?"
He replied, "Let's start from the beginning."
Both Dumbledore and Harry tag-teamed in explaining everything to Hermione. They started from when they received news that there was a planned Death Eater operation to kill her a month before, and they were camping out in the Forbidden Forest. They explained that when there was the Death Eater sighting in Hogsmeade, they couldn't do anything about it because it would've tipped off the Death Eaters already there. Harry told her about the letter he received from Dumbledore telling about it and he came to Hogwarts to make sure she was safe. He then explained the events that occurred the night before and how she was knocked out.
Hermione sighed. "So I guess you're keeping me here, aren't you?" she asked, looking down at the floorboards.
"Not exactly," Dumbledore responded.
Hermione looked up with a quizzical look. "So what, then?"
Harry and Dumbledore glanced at each other. Harry raised his eyebrows and then Dumbledore nodded, signaling for Harry to do something. Harry turned back to Hermione and began speaking. "Hermione, know that we want you to be safe."
"We believe that this is the best option," Dumbledore added.
"And know that I do what I do because I love you," Harry said. Hermione thought that Harry and Dumbledore were acting like they were approaching a dangerous animal. Their behavior reminded her of when Remus Lupin turned into a werewolf. She remembered how she approached him when he first transformed: cautiously, slowly, and not making any sudden movements. Professor Lupin? she had gently called. An instant later, he was mindlessly attacking her and her friends. She wondered if that was how Harry and Dumbledore saw her at the moment, as a werewolf about to pounce if not approached carefully. The question was why.
Harry then said, "We need you to stay at Grimmauld Place until the war is over,"
That was when Hermione turned her head to the back of the man in front of the fireplace. That was when she went numb. The frantic sounds of apologies and explanations from Harry became muffled as she tuned them out. Hermione did not expect betrayal to feel like this.
Staring at the odd man was a good distraction, but it began to fail when Harry stopped talking and started to wait for her response. The silence brought welling of tears to Hermione's eyes, and she bit her cheek. She refused to let them spill. Not in front of Dumbledore, and especially not in front of Harry.
Quietly, Hermione finally spoke. "Am I that much of a burden?"
When silence answered her, she turned her head to Harry and spoke again. "Am I that useless? Am I just a grueling responsibility to you, so you lock me up to just sit and rot?"
Harry walked toward her and reached for her hand. She snatched it away and continued. "Is that the only thing I'm good for anymore? Sitting, and waiting for the Boy Who Lived, the chosen one, to save the world and rescue me?!"
"No! Hermione-"
She stuck her finger in the air, yelling, "You have no right to dictate what I do with my life! Just because you're Harry Potter doesn't mean you can determine my safety! I'm sick of sitting on my arse and doing nothing, while Muggles- people like my family- are being killed every single day!"
Dumbledore stepped in. "Miss Granger! Please, this really is the only option we have. Being in hiding is the only way to protect you and the people around you." He then gestured to the man at the fireplace. "Aiden will be staying with you along with his tutor and housekeeper."
"Who-?" she asked, peering at the man apparently named Aiden. He turned slightly, and as he did, the sleeve on his right hand slightly rolled up. Hermione gasped as she caught a glimpse of a tattoo she recognized. The man jumped and turned back to the fireplace. Hermione whipped her wand out and shouted, "He was the one that hurt Millicent! This man is a Death Eater! "
Dumbledore quickly stepped in front of her wand, putting his hands up. "He was a Death Eater! But he has changed his ways and he works with me now. He didn't hurt anybody."
"Remember the last time we thought someone had 'changed'? " she seethed, her heart skipping a beat as the memory of Draco Malfoy pulsed through her mind.
Harry then came up and put a hand on her shoulder. "Hermione, he can be trusted. I trust him enough to stay with you and protect you," he softly said.
Hermione slowly lowered her wand. She then shrugged away from Harry's grasp on her shoulder. "I'm still not going," she growled.
"Miss. Granger, you must," Dumbledore said.
"But-"
"It's a direct order from the Order of the Phoenix. You are compelled to follow through," Dumbledore interrupted with a booming voice. "You will leave in three days time. I suggest you go to your room and start packing your trunk."
Hermione snapped her mouth shut, and she fought down a sob coming up through her throat. She looked at Harry, silently begging her best friend to step in and change his mind. To give in, and just let her come with him, despite the danger. But he simply stood there, silent. Hermione then turned and slowly walked out of the office, tears stinging from behind her eyes.
Hermione sat on her bed staring at her packed trunk. It was filled to the brim with every personal item she had, but she still felt like there was something missing. Perhaps not a certain item, but a certain feeling.
It was the day she would leave Hogwarts. The day she would lose her freedom. Who knew how long the war would last? It could take months or even years to defeat Voldemort. For all she knew, Grimmauld Place was going to be her permanent home for a long time.
Inferring that Harry would be getting her soon to leave, she stood up to change out of her school uniform, something she'd never have to wear again. She put on dark jeans, boots, a sweater, and a coat. She then slipped on a wool beanie and began wrapping a scarf around her neck. As she wrapped the scarf, Ginny suddenly walked into her room.
"Are you ready leave?" the redhead asked as she closed the door behind her.
Hermione huffed. "I think you know the honest answer."
Ginny sat on Hermione's bed solemnly. Hermione almost forgot that leaving would impact Ginny as well. With Harry and Ron gone, Hermione was the closest friend she had at Hogwarts. Ginny would soon be practically alone.
"I talked to Harry," Ginny stated.
"Did you talk or snog?" Hermione jokingly asked.
Ginny giggled. "A little bit of both." She then looked down at her hands. "He told me about how you reacted."
The memory made Hermione wince. Is that the only thing I'm good for anymore? Sitting, and waiting for the Boy Who Lived, the chosen one, to save the world and rescue me?! "I didn't mean a word of it. I was just-"
"He knows."
Hermione winced again. She felt horrible for what she had said, and she felt even more horrible because, deep down, maybe she did mean it a little bit. Harry Potter was just too good and proud for his own sake. Harry's love for his friends always kept him from seeing insight. She knew that he really was just trying to protect her, but preventing her from helping him was just plain stupid and prideful to her.
The brown-eyed girl sighed deeply. "Tell him I'm sorry."
"You can tell him yourself."
Hermione snickered. "You know I'm too proud for that."
"I know," Ginny smiled and then paused. Her smile was replaced with a somber expression when she spoke again. "He really wants the best for you, and he's trying so hard. Please, for once, give in and forgive him."
At that moment, there was a knock at the door. "It's him. Time to leave," Hermione grumbled.
Ginny stood up and pulled Hermione into a hug. Nothing was said. They just stood there, knowing that it would be the last time in a long time they'd see each other. After they pulled away, Ginny gave a soft smile to Hermione as she opened the door. Harry appeared at the threshold and she planted a kiss on his cheek and then went downstairs.
Harry then met Hermione's eyes. She was about to apologize. She was about to run into his arms and cry into his shoulder. She was about to rekindle what relationship she had left with her best friend. But she didn't.
"Ready?" the dark-haired boy asked.
She nodded, and then moved past him with her trunk in hand, refusing to look at him.
Hermione found that she, herself, was too much like Harry; her pride spoke first before her mind. But this time, Hermione's pride kept her silent.
Draco felt his palms clamming up as he stood in the master bedroom of Grimmauld Place. He had moved out of there to leave the space for Granger. He asked Isabella to decorate the room as much as possible before Granger arrived. At the moment, he was tapping his foot impatiently as the housekeeper was hanging the last of the fairy lights in the bedroom.
"Hey, hey, hey, enough with the tapping, roadrunner!" Will complained next to Draco. "Or should I say, Aiden?" the blind tutor then snorted and began laughing. Draco rolled his eyes. Ever since he told him about his new name, William thought that it was the funniest thing in the bloody world.
"I mean, come on!" William exclaimed. "Aiden?! Sounds too noble for you,"
Draco scoffed. "Honestly? Will you get over it?"
"Sure, thing," the tutor held in his laughter, "Aiden." and then immediately started busting up again.
Draco growled. "Are you done yet, Isabella?"
"Yup!" She stepped down from the step stool and stood by Draco to get a panoramic view of the room. The sheets were replaced on the king-sized bed with plush blankets and pillows. White roses stood in a vase on a nightstand beside the bed. Fairy lights were strewn about and paper lanterns were interspersed throughout the room. There was a wooden bookshelf stacked with books, and beside it there was a hammock-like swing strung from the ceiling.
"Okay Martha Stewart, how does it look?" William asked Draco facetiously.
"Perfect," Draco replied.
"Really? Don't you think the white roses are a bit ironic?" Isabella asked.
"No, no. It's good. It makes it look like an actual girl's bedroom."
William guffawed. "Yeah. An 'actual girl's bedroom' does sound better than 'prison cell'."
Draco's hands clammed up even more after what William said. Draco was extremely nervous, especially after how Granger reacted when she learned she'd be staying with him. She'd be staying against her own will, and with someone whom she thought of as an evil Death Eater. It was going to be painstakingly difficult to get her to trust him, let alone fall in love with him.
Suddenly, a knock echoed from downstairs. "I'll get it!" Isabella exclaimed. Draco jumped and hid behind the railing at the top of the stairs.
"Hello! I'm Isabella," the housekeeper greeted as she opened the door. Granger only nodded at her as she trudged in with her trunk, slamming it on the floor. Draco's heart sunk. She was angry, though he expected nothing less.
Potter then slowly walked into the foyer. Granger shot him an annoyed glare and then scoffed as he stood beside her. Potter just looked at her with a sad expression. Draco could sense the tension from all the way up on the second floor. It was practically tangible.
"Where is he?" Potter quietly asked Isabella.
"You can go," Granger deadpanned, refusing to look at him.
Potter turned to her. "Well, I'm not going to just leave you here-"
"Yes, you are! Isn't that why we're here? To leave me here with some stranger! No, excuse me, a Death Eater?!"
"As Dumbledore said before, he's not a Death Eater anymore. And he's here to protect you."
"Bullshite. And I can take care of myself!"
Isabella stepped in, trying to ease the conversation. "I'll let you say goodbye-"
"There's no need," Granger hissed at Isabella
There was a moment of silence, and then Potter asked Granger, "How am I going to know you're okay?"
She whipped around to face him. "You're not. The deal is I give up my life, my whole life: school, friends, everything. And in return, you don't come see me, don't write me, don't do anything," she turned back around. "just stay away."
Potter became desperate."Hermione, please. I don't know what else to do-"
"You can leave," Granger bit back over her shoulder.
He took a step toward her but Granger stepped away, not looking back. Potter then nodded at Isabella sadly as he dragged himself out the door.
Once the door closed, Granger shouted to the foyer, "So I'm here, okay? Aiden, or whoever you are, you come near me and I hex your arse into oblivion!"