Hermione prayed that the rest of the Order of the Phoenix would approve of her decision to put a False Memory charm on her parents like Harry and Ron did. Their acceptance made her breathe a little easier knowing that at least a few people accepted her actions. Harry called an emergency meeting for the Order using the Dumbledore's Army coin. Members would feel a burn in their pocket from the fake galleon, under the Protean charm, and know that they were being called to the Burrow for a meeting.
Harry went to go talk to the Healers as Hermione went to her room to pack. She snickered at herself, and thought that she shouldn't ever unpack at this point what with constantly changing where she stayed. After Harry and Hermione found Ron and told him, the trio Apparated to the Weasley's home. Molly was surprised to see them, and asked urgently what was going on.
"Mum, we'll tell you later," her son said dismissively.
"Why? This is my home and I am your mother so I have every right to know!" she snapped, pointing sharply at Ron.
Harry stepped in. "Mrs. Weasley, please. We want to wait for everyone to be here first. I promise everything will be explained once the meeting starts."
"Oh yes, the meeting!" she exclaimed, throwing up her arms. "Thanks, by the way, for the mere minutes warning in advance! Do you know how much I have to cook to feed the whole Order? I'm not a miracle worker!"
The fiery-haired woman then trudged her way into the kitchen.
"Do you want help?" Ron called out to his mother.
There was the booming sound of pots and pans being slammed onto the stove. "NO!" she yelled back.
The three then sat down in the living room in silence. Hermione was at the edge of her armchair, staring nervously at the front door. At any moment, members of the Order would come clambering in through and she had a bad feeling that once she announced that she altered her parents' memories, the meeting would become an interrogation.
A part of Hermione hoped that most of the Order would be on missions that made it so they couldn't attend. But the hope slowly diminished as groups of members made their way through the threshold. First, it was Arthur Weasley, nodding and smiling a greeting to them before joining his wife in the kitchen. Next, the twins appeared and sat with them and started to make conversation. Hermione then watched Charlie, Bill, Fleur, Remus, Tonks, Moody, and Kingsley all appear at once. It seemed like the living room was shrinking as members piled in, and Hermione felt it becoming increasingly stuffy.
Molly then came in and hushed her guests. Once everyone paid attention, she announced with exasperation, "Right, go get your breakfast."
An excited whoop emanated from the crowd and then they all made their way into the kitchen. There were mutters of gratitude to Molly as everyone sat down in front of a bountiful plate of food. Hermione took her place next to Harry near the end of the table and noticed the chair at the head was empty. She then realized that the one Order member she actually wished was there was absent.
"You weren't going to start without me, were you?"
The room turned to look at the entrance of the kitchen. Professor Dumbledore stood there in his travelling robes, his eyes twinkling. Everyone immediately stood up from their chair to welcome the leader of the Order.
"No, no don't stop on my account," he said kindly, sitting on the empty chair.
The members sat down again, at ease, and resumed their breakfast.
"What brings you here, Professor?" Arthur asked from across the table.
"A meeting was called, was it not? And of course, I couldn't miss Mrs. Weasley's cooking."
Molly blushed from the other side of the kitchen and nodded her thanks.
Hermione felt a little disappointed. Dumbledore wasn't the member she was hoping for. Why wasn't he here?
"Professor, isn't Aiden a member of the Order of the Phoenix?" she asked the old man.
Harry and Ron looked at each other with an alert expression. She eyed her two friends in puzzlement.
Dumbledore then said methodically, "Technically, Aiden is not a member. He only works for me."
"But shouldn't he be? I mean, he's under orders from us."
"He's under orders from me, not from the Order, to protect you."
"Well, I'm here aren't I? If he's supposed to protect me, then he's doing no good if he's not with me."
Dumbledore raised his eyebrows. "I suppose you are correct."
And that was all he had to say on the matter. Hermione turned to Harry, and he had a look of consternation on his face. He quickly tried to conceal it by turning back to his food when she looked at him. Her eyes narrowed at the dark-haired boy. He was obviously hiding something from her, and it was likely something about Aiden. But what could it be?
Changing the subject, Dumbledore asked, "So, Harry. What brings all of us here today?"
Harry glanced at Hermione and answered, "Well, that is for Hermione to say."
Hermione then realized that the room was completely still again. She looked out at the kitchen and everyone was staring at her, waiting for her to speak.
"Go on, Miss. Granger," Dumbledore assured.
She stood up and faced the room. Her mind went blank, and it took her half a minute to even begin a sentence. "So, you all know about the attack on my parents and-"
"Which was swiftly resolved," interrupted Moody.
Hermione was slightly taken aback. "Er, yes. But-"
"Zey were taken to Saint Mungo's, no?" Fleur now stated.
"Again, yes-"
Bill now interjected. "So they are safe now."
"Well, no! That's why-"
"Hermione, your parents are in good hands," Remus assured.
She couldn't retort; others in the room talked over her.
"So why are we here then?"
"Zis was pointless!"
The kitchen was soon abuzz with loud conversation. People were complaining about the senseless meeting while others resumed eating. Either way, no one paid any more attention to Hermione. Her attempts to speak were futile and she was feeling insignificant. She wished Aiden was there; he'd understand and listen to her.
If only she could make them understand. If only they could know why she did what she did. Maybe with clarification, the blow would be softened. And then the horrendous image of herself in a Death Eater mask slaughtering her parents came back to mind.
She could feel anger bubbling in her stomach. It began to rise up into her throat and she shouted, "I cast a False Memory charm on them!"
Sound evaporated from the room and Hermione felt naked as more than a dozen pair of eyes stared at her in shock. But she refused to let her embarrassment show. She had to speak her mind. "I did this because the Death Eaters will not stop coming after me and they will execute an even more calculated plan than last time to get to my parents. So, the False Memory charm has them believing that they are an ordinary married couple moving to Australia. They will be out of harm's way there."
"Miss. Granger," Moody started in a gruff voice. "You just said that Death Eaters will not stop coming after you. They will follow your parents around the globe if they have to and therefore risk the spread of Voldemort's influence and terror."
"Once they are in Australia, wards will surround their home and they will be given magical protection," Hermione responded seamlessly, feeling more powerful now.
Tonks now chimed in. "How are we going to get them out of St. Mungo's, let alone to Australia? They are still Muggles and now they have no knowledge of the magical world."
Harry countered this time. "I've talked with the Healers. They said that when the time comes for the Grangers to check out, which will be by the end of this week, they will be careful to dress in Muggle doctor attire and keep any magical item out of sight. When they reach the door, a member of the Order will then accompany them to their home to pack and then to Australia."
Arthur shot his arm straight up. "I'll gladly volunteer! I've always wanted to go on one of those large, metal birds."
"An Aeroplane?" Harry and Hermione said simultaneously.
The rest of the room looked at them, bewildered at the name of such an odd Muggle contraption, as they chuckled softly together.
"Back to zee task at 'and," Fleur hissed. "Where are zey going to leeve?"
Kingsley Shacklebolt broke his silence. "I have a summer home near Newcastle. It is out of the way and completely warded up. The Grangers should live comfortably there."
Hermione looked at the man with as much thankfulness as she could muster.
Dumbledore then spoke up. "Well then that settles it. The Grangers will be escorted to Australia by Mr. Weasley and they will take up refuge in Mr. Shacklebolt's summer home."
"Is the meeting adjourned?" asked Tonks.
"Since we are all gathered, I believe we should take this opportunity to get an update on the Horcrux hunt."
The atmosphere suddenly became tense as all heads turned toward Harry.
Harry cleared his throat and stood up. "Right, well we were able to acquire Hufflepuff's cup and destroy it. We believe another Horcrux is hidden in Hogwarts but we don't have any ideas on what it could be. And as for the locket, we still don't know who R.A.B is."
Ron then piped up from his chair. "So we have three Horcruxes destroyed; the diary, the ring, and the cup."
"We're gaining up on Voldemort. At this point, he'd have a lot more to worry about than hunting Hermione," Harry noted not-so-subtly.
The Headmaster next to her gave a heavy sigh. "Harry- "
"Please, Professor! We need her- "
Dumbledore stood up with a commanding countenance. "Will you all please excuse us?" He then ushered the trio outside of the kitchen and into the living room. He closed the door behind him and swished his wand around, putting a Muffliato charm on the rest of the Order in the kitchen.
He then calmly walked toward them. "Harry, we agreed that Hermione is to remain in hiding until the War ends," he said in a low voice.
"Professor, we would be making loads more progress with her," Ron disputed.
"Be that as it may, you two know that you are asking this for selfish reasons. You would like Miss. Granger to accompany you just because she is your friend."
"She's more than a friend! She's family!" Harry barked.
"If she meant that much to you, you wouldn't want her to leave the safety of Grimmauld Place."
Hermione watched the three of them argue as if she wasn't there. Their heated words grew into white noise as she wondered why she wasn't passionately fighting for her cause beside her friends. Four months ago, she would have jumped at any chance to go hunting for Horcruxes. But now, she seemed indifferent to the idea and staying at Grimmauld Place made… sense. And she didn't know why.
"Then let's ask Hermione what she thinks on the matter," Harry offered in a confident tone.
Hermione bit her lip as she looked at Harry. He fully believed that Hermione would go along with him and protest her imprisonment with an ex-Death Eater. His possible reaction to her truthfulness almost made Hermione lie and say that she insisted on hunting Horcruxes, but she refrained from it. "I agree with Dumbledore."
"What?!" Ron and Harry bellowed, their eyes bulging.
Dumbledore seemed surprised as well. "What is your reason, Miss. Granger?" he asked with suspicion hanging on his words.
"It's much too risky for me to leave now. I would be putting them in danger," she said. She left the other reason, whatever it was, unspoken.
She saw Ron and Harry looking at her like she just stabbed them in the back. It made her heart ache. She had to compromise. "So, I propose that when they destroy another Horcrux, it will be safe enough for me to go with them. If more than half of them are gone, surely Voldemort would be weak enough by then and, as Harry said before, he'd have a lot more to worry about than hunting me."
She then turned toward Dumbledore. "Is that acceptable, Professor?"
The old man exhaled deeply. "I suppose so."
"Thank you, Professor!"
He gave a short nod and then returned to the kitchen to adjourn the meeting. Hermione went to follow but Ron held her arm back. "My room. Now."
Harry and Ron stormed up the stairs as Hermione followed with trepidation behind them. She knew that they were going to ask for an explanation for her not wanting to go with them. Hermione was at a disadvantage because she didn't really know, herself. Possibilities of excuses raced through her mind when they reached Ron's bedroom. She sat on the bed as the boys closed the door and placed a Muffliato charm on everyone downstairs. They then towered over her and, once again, Hermione felt like she was on trial.
"What?" she asked, shrugging her shoulders in nonchalance, trying to act daft.
Ron crossed his arms. "Hermione, you know that you can't even act stupid if you tried."
"I don't know what you're talking about."
"Why did you side with Dumbledore?"
She sighed. "He is the head of the Order-"
"Oh, come off it," Harry interrupted. "I saw for myself how you defied him not five months ago. You treated the idea of staying at Grimmauld Place like the plague and you would've come with us in a heartbeat. What's changed?"
Hermione knew that Harry was right and she knew that she couldn't deny it anymore. In a split second, she changed her tactic. "Honestly, I don't want you to get hurt because of me. If I'm with you, you will become even more of a target. Just look at my parents; I wasn't even with them and they were still attacked. I don't want to be responsible for anyone else, especially you two, almost being killed."
She was telling the truth… well, half of it at least. The other half remained unknown to her but she hoped that it would be good enough for them.
Hermione felt relief as she saw them soften. She stood up and pulled them both in for a hug. "I love you," she whispered.
She felt their arms wrap around her back tightly. They stood there silently for a minute, and Hermione felt like they were eleven again without a care in the world.
"Okay, enough of this," Ron said with a chuckle as they pulled away. "I'm up for a little Quidditch. You two?"
Hermione immediately shook her head. "I think you know my answer, Ronald."
"Right. Harry?"
"I also think you know my answer, Ronald," Harry replied, imitating Hermione's tone of voice.
The redhead grinned.
"I'll go get others," he announced, bounding excitedly out of the room.
"You sure you don't want to?" Harry asked.
"Harry, you know that I can't fly a broom to save a life."
He gave her a smile and she returned it. But Hermione sensed a hint of skepticism lingering in his eyes. A creeping in her stomach told her that Harry probably knew that Hermione wasn't being entirely honest about her reason to stay in hiding. She felt an accusation coming on. But instead, he simply turned out of the room without another word.
Hermione ended up watching the match from a soft patch of grass in the clearing beside the burrow. It was the twins plus Charlie against Harry, Ron, and Ginny. Casting an Amplifying charm on her voice, she attempted to commentate the match.
"Harry has the… er… Quaffle. Wait! Now George… or is it Fred? … has it. And he shoots and Ron blocks it! Er, wait no. It went through."
"You're worse than Luna!" Ron hollered from his broom, feeling frustrated from his missed block.
"I'm no Lee Jordan but maybe you should focus on your keeping skills instead of my commentary!"
Everyone, except Ron, was laughing so hard that when Ginny hurtled the Quaffle through the other team's hoop, Charlie, acting as keeper, didn't even notice.
The game went on through the day and night, and it seemed like Summer at the Burrow again; sweltering but untroubled days spent playing and relaxing without the threat of Voldemort hanging in the atmosphere. Harry, Ron, and Hermione spent the rest of the week at the Burrow and tried to steal away some time together before she had to return to St. Mungo's to see off her parents and the other two had to continue their suicide mission. They tried to cram in as many Quidditch matches, Exploding Snap games, and laughter filled meals as possible before Saturday evening arrived.
At nights, she would relive the terrible dream. She thought that she would've been numb to it by now, but it somehow incited a whole new level of fear every single time. Hermione would scream until Ginny shook her awake and the whole house came rushing into the girls' bedroom.
It got to the point where she would refuse to sleep, not wanting to disturb everyone but mostly because she didn't want to go back to that hell. She tried, but exhaustion would always win out in the end. But right before she'd drift into unconsciousness, a memory of Aiden would come. And then, no nightmare appeared. She would wake up feeling rejuvenated, but slightly taken aback that an image of Aiden repelled the dreams. As odd as it was, it worked.
On the last night, the Weasleys stood outside in the dusk lighting of the front garden and gave goodbyes to the three of them. They then walked forward until they were outside of the anti-Apparition zone and magical barrier. Ron gave Hermione a bear hug and stepped away with misty eyes.
"Meet you at the check point?" he asked Harry, speaking swiftly to mask the lump in his throat.
Before the dark-haired boy could answer, Ron Disapparated before his tears could spill.
Harry then took Hermione in his arms and held her tightly. During the embrace, Harry whispered, "It's about Aiden isn't it?"
She pulled away instantly and gazed at him with confusion. "What's about Aiden?"
"Why you don't want to come with us."
Hermione rolled her eyes. "Don't be stupid."
"I'm not."
The sun setting behind him cast shadows on his face, hiding his expression. But from his tone of voice, Hermione could tell that he was being serious. But why would he be so concerned about what she thinks about Aiden? He wasn't really expecting her to care for him… but what if she actually did? And how would Harry know?
She glowered at the ground.
He then took her face in his hands and placed a small kiss on her forehead. "It's alright," he said with a smile. Her ears were turning pink and she suddenly felt sheepish. It reminded her of when she was in grade school and her parents asked about a boy that she had a crush on.
Harry stepped back and took out his wand. "You are still coming with us when we destroy the fourth Horcrux?"
"Of course," she cried out.
He smiled one last time and then Apparated with a "pop".
Lucius was buried at the other side of the island. His grave was not marked by a headstone nor a statue but by a bouquet of white roses. Draco accompanied his mother in placing the flowers and mourning him. She did this weekly.
The Order of the Phoenix managed to recover the body from the Malfoy Manor and return it to Narcissa. She insisted on burying the body herself and Draco winced at the thought of his mother digging her husband's grave, which they now stood in front of. Draco peered at her from the corner of his eye and noticed the stony look on her face. She could've been a statue. He wondered if he wasn't there then she would be weeping or talking as if the dead could listen. But she stood and stared at the roses, keeping whatever thoughts she had inside her mind.
Narcissa then gave a goodbye to her son and walked back to the house on the edge. Draco didn't leave though. He still felt like he hadn't finished something.
The pale boy stood awkwardly in front of the grave. He didn't exactly know how to mourn. Should he have been crying? Paying respects? Reciting a poem or whatever? It hadn't really hit him that Lucius was gone and killed by the very thing he made his family worship, no less. Draco hadn't ever really regarded his father as a father-figure. He was more of an overbearing and ever-present burden that hung over Draco's head. He did not go to his father for comfort or advice. He'd go to his father for approval, but he did not ever receive it. But this only pushed Draco harder; he trained harder in Quidditch, excelled in school, and he even bullied more Muggle-borns and mastered Dark Arts. Even then, his father's pride never came. To Draco, it was like a hunger or thirst that could never be satiated; Lucius always demanded more from his son.
So when he was tasked to kill his Headmaster, Draco felt like he could finally prove himself and receive what he deserved not only from the Dark Lord, but his father as well. But when Draco lowered his wand, all hell broke loose. His first thought was not the daunting fact that Voldemort would punish him, nor the reality that he had broken ties with half his family, nor that he had just lost everything. His first thought was worrying that his father would severely disapprove of him.
And that day, in front of his grave, Draco fell to his knees and howled in anger. He wasn't angry at Lucius…he was angry at himself. How could he let himself be controlled his entire life by someone like his father; a sniveling, cowardly, bigot. He believed that Muggles and so called "Mudbloods" were the scum of the Earth, when he was the real scum. Draco looked up to him and wished to grow up to be like him. How could he have been so bloody naïve? Lucius was a monster and a murderer who blindly followed the darkest wizard of all time out of fear.
But Draco got what he desired, didn't he? He became exactly like his father, and that was why he had been cursed to resemble his inner self; a beast. Draco looked down at the white roses beginning to bloom on his arm and noticed how similar they were to the roses on Lucius' grave. He realized that his abominable appearance then reflected his father as a beast too... It takes one to know one.
"I HATE YOU!" Draco roared, ripping and throwing the flowers. "I will never again become like you! You can't control me anymore!"
Draco lost track of time but the sky was dark and glittering with stars. It felt like a cactus was clogging his throat by the time he left the grave. Though it was painful, Draco felt like he had finally confronted his father after seventeen long years. He had felt more liberated than he ever had before.
He Apparated back to Grimmauld Place with his trunk in hand and walked heavily inside. He was about to pass Hermione's library when a dark silhouette coming from inside caught his eye. It was sitting on the window seat, the moonlight illuminating its lines. It turned and faced him and Draco immediately recognized the glint in her eyes.
He spoke hoarsely. "Hermione?"
She held loosely onto the rusty chains on either side of her as she rocked herself on the swing set with gentle pushes of her feet. The derelict artifact of her childhood creaked slightly and she made sure to stop swinging every time movement increased from inside her house. She had to remain silent because, after all, to her parents she would be a stranger and, technically, she was trespassing. Hermione knew the risks. But she wanted to be with them till the very last moment. She just couldn't let them see her.
Moving her parents from St. Mungo's to their home was almost too quick and too painless that evening. They weren't overly suspicious and whatever answers they received from questions asked was accepted without any protest. They were told that they were both injured in a mountain biking accident and they suffered brain damage which resulted in minor cases of amnesia. Hermione believed that this story was too farfetched but luckily she made the Wilkinses extra gullible when she cast the False Memory charm.
What made Hermione worry was Arthur. He tended to get overly excited when he posed as a Muggle, and she hoped that he would act as normal as possible.
"Hello Mr. and Mrs…er… Wilkins," the red headed man started shakily. "I am taking you home to pack. I am your… er…Re-Al-Tor. Your current home has sold and I will be accompanying you to your new home in Australia."
Whatever doubt was on Hermione's parents' faces was instantly erased at the word "Australia". She observed the scene through the open door from a chair in the waiting room and breathed a sigh of relief as they slid themselves into the backseat of the car. Arthur closed their door and caught Hermione's eye, giving her a warm smile and a thumb's up. The redheaded man plopped himself into the front seat and then they drove off.
Hermione bolted up from her seat and sprinted outside. She watched the car grow smaller as it moved farther down the road. Soon, the car and her family were gone. Just like that.
And she should've left them alone. But she didn't.
So here she now was, sitting in the backyard of her old home watching the yellow lights gleam from the windows. Hermione just wanted to be the daughter of the Grangers for at least one minute more.
One by one, the lights flickered out and soon the house was in darkness, blending in with the world around it. She listened for the tumbling of baggage and the exclamations of excitement emanating from the front of the house. She wished she could see it. She wished she could see the true bliss on her parents' faces, ignorant to the dark reality that were escaping. Hermione then heard the groan of the car engine get fainter and fainter until all the noises that were left to hear were the sounds of the crickets. And soon, the sounds of Hermione's crying.
It felt like a fist was squeezing her heart. She was now an orphan. Her parents had no idea who she was and how much they meant to her. They had no idea that they had a child with the weight of the Muggle world and magical world on her shoulders. Hermione no longer had a mother and a father to go to for support. The charm was not permanent but it could be. Who knew how long this bloody War would last? It could take years before Voldemort would be defeated and what if he couldn't be defeated at all? He would take over the world... Australia….
Her head began pulsing in agony as it came back.
...Suddenly they're silent... They lay in the fetal position on the carpet... Helpless, Hopeless...And Merlin forbid, Lifeless?
She fell from the swing and onto the grass.
...She turns back to the Death Eater...It reaches up and removes the mask...
She curled herself up.
...She is staring at herself...
The painful pulse branched out to the rest of her body.
...It speaks in her voice... "We killed them."
And then…
…She closed her eyes and she felt his breath on her. His body heat was emanating off of him and she almost wanted to step into it and invite in the comforting warmth. But she knew that if she did this, she would break into pieces right in front of him….
…All of a sudden, Aiden's hands grabbed both sides of her face and carefully maneuvered her to look up at him…
The nightmare was gone.
"I know that you won't accept it. But I am here for you. You don't have to pretend with me."
The pain was gone.
"I'm so scared," she sobbed into the fabric of Aiden's robes.
"That's okay," he coaxed, caressing a hand through her hair.
"No, it's not."
Aiden didn't immediately respond, letting Hermione soak his robes with her tears. "Yes, it is," he whispered.
She opened her eyes.
Hermione then became aware of the fact that Aiden had become her Sleeping Draught; memories of him became a way of repelling the nightmare and making a way for her to escape it. And why him?...
But she knew. Aiden was the one who broke her walls. He was the only person to ever see her completely vulnerable and let her know that it was okay. He had come to know the demons that lurked inside of Hermione and he didn't flee at the sight of them... he tamed them. Because of this, she felt the most real with him.
Harry was right. Her unknown reason to stay at Grimmauld Place was because of Aiden. Not because he had ordered her to come back, but because she wanted to. She missed Aiden; he had become her temporary home and she needed to go back.
Hermione Apparated to Number 12 Grimmauld Place and then sprinted inside. She ran to Aiden's bedroom door and knocked furiously. When no answer came, she let herself in to only see an empty room. Embarrassed, she went to take refuge in the library. What was her plan if she saw him in there? Hug him? Give him a handshake? How was she supposed to communicate to him how much he meant to her without sounding desperate? Plus, she didn't really know what her feelings for him consisted of. It was more than friendship but did she love him?... Impossible. But it was a feeling that could only be described in color; burning red.
She heard a rustle. Her head turned and he was standing at the entrance to the library.
"Hermione?" he croaked.
"Hello," she said weakly.
Aiden walked in and sat with her on the window seat. The moonlight streaming in emphasized the sharp lines of his jaw and illuminated his tattoos. It was, admittedly, alluring to Hermione.
"How are your parents?"
She felt the fist tightening its grip in her chest. "They're safe but they're not my parents anymore. I placed a False Memory charm on them which will be broken when the War ends."
Her eyelids fell and they became a dam for the tears behind them, threatening to spill over. The library was silent, and Hermione felt the pressure of the room tightening and it was becoming difficult to breathe. The dream was coming back and then...
His hand fell onto hers and caressed it gently. Aiden said nothing, but his simple gesture somehow ushered away the nightmare. Her eyes flew open and her breath flowed easily through her again. It was phenomenal to Hermione at how effortlessly he soothed her.
She looked into his gray eyes and the fist inside her was letting go.
"What about you? Where did you go?" Hermione asked.
She saw his jaw clench. "Well, I visited my mother. She's doing well but I learned that my father was executed by Voldemort."
Hermione gasped.
She immediately scolded herself. Why did she react so bloody blatantly? Death was something she should have been used to by now and she was feeling childish. But how exactly did one comfort another who had lost someone? What could she offer as consolation?
Hesitatingly, she intertwined her fingers with his. "I am so sorry," she whispered.
"Don't be. He was an awful man and a loyal servant to the Dark Lord. I've promised myself to never become like him."
So here they were. Comparing battle scars. Hermione noticed that they weren't so different; both of them had lost family and now all that they had were each other. No wonder Aiden tamed her demons… his own demons played so well with hers.
After a few moments of silence, Aiden asked, "Why did you come back?"
She raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
"I told you that I wasn't going to make you stay."
"I wanted to."
"But you were free! You were out of this shitehole!"
Hermione was taken aback by his outburst. Did he want her gone?
"Dumbledore's orders. But I would've come back even if I had the choice," she responded earnestly.
Aiden scoffed. "Why in the bloody hell would-"
"Because you're here, you arse!"
He was struck dumb and he pierced her with his eyes. She once again found herself in a dilemma. Like with Draco Malfoy in the office and with Aiden himself in her room, she wondered if he would kiss her. And, if he kissed her, would she kiss back? He was so close to her that she could see more clearly the intricate designs of the tattoos in his face. They curled around his forehead, cheeks, chin, lips… He wasn't grotesque. He was beautiful.
She crashed her lips upon his. Her stomach was screaming and her pulse accelerating. Hermione felt exhilarated yet terrified that he'd pull away. The thought frightened her so she jumped the gun and broke the kiss.
"I am so sorry," she said, standing up. "Goodni-"
Her goodbye drowned in her throat as Aiden reconnected their lips, holding either side of her face firmly. They both stood in that position, shocked, for a few moments until they melted into each other. Hermione clutched her arms around Aiden's waist, feeling his back muscles ripple. He held her head in one hand, her golden curls falling like water around his fingers, as he cupped her face in the other. Aiden's warm and inviting lips left her silently begging for more. Hermione slightly parted her own, inviting him in. And suddenly the kiss became harder and deeper. She was losing herself and all sense of time and space but she didn't care; in that moment, as long Aiden was kissing her, it didn't matter if the world was crashing down around her or the sun was swallowing the earth.
Aiden had lit a fire in her that she didn't even know existed. Passion was burning throughout her body and, at least in that dark room with the moon as their only source of light, she needed him. She needed his sheltering presence and the assurance that even the thought of him shielded her from nightmares. A small part of her felt bashful, yearning to retreat back into herself. But her demons persisted and demanded to be satisfied.
Like a flash of lightning, Hermione became aware of her surroundings. She pulled away and caught her breath. But Aiden still held her close, their foreheads lightly pressing together.
"Stay with me?" she asked.
He smiled. "As you wish."
Once more, Aiden led Hermione to her room. But he did not leave to go to his own room.
Needless to say, the nightmare never arrived that night.