CHAPTER FIFTY EIGHT- The Order of the Phoenix
"Now, what we must remember is-" McGonagall started to say before Fred or George Weasley interrupted with, "Uh…Professor, may I suggest we take a break and let some people have a shower? And maybe some medical attention." He nudged his head towards Hermione who was clutching onto her stomach and trying to focus.
"I suppose we can get started without you four. Why don't you all excuse yourselves for a bit? Mrs. Malfoy, we have potions for your pain and perhaps we can have one of the Mrs. Weasleys take a look at you when they arrive," McGonagall said. "I will be the one to tend to my wife, thank you professor. We won't be long," Malfoy said.
Malfoy helped Hermione up and let her lean on his arm as they followed Harry and Ron out the door. "Mrs. Weasleys?" Hermione asked. "Yea, my oldest brother Bill got married. Fleur Delacour, remember her? She was the champion from Beauxbatons. Part Veela…Very pretty," Ron said getting distracted. "After Bill had an incident with a werewolf Fleur took to healing pretty quick and Mrs. Weasley was always good at fixing minor injuries," Harry answered for Ron. "Hermione will be fine in my care. We will see you back in McGonagall's room shortly," Malfoy said picking up Hermione who was slowing down and carrying her into one of the bathrooms.
"You're not watching me shower," Hermione said. "I never said I was going to, Granger. But can you even stand?" Malfoy asked setting her down. Hermione attempted to stay on her own two feet but her legs started to tremble. "That's what I thought. You get undressed while I find us some clothes," he said leaving.
Slowly but carefully Hermione removed her clothing that was falling to rags. Reaching up and turning the water on was hard but she managed to crawl into the little shower, sit down and close the curtain. The water swirled in a murky brown around her and she smelled like a wet dog.
"Well look at that," Malfoy said surprised when he returned. Hermione poked her head out to see a bathtub had magically appeared in a corner of the bathroom. He ran the water and poured a small bottle into it. "What is that?" Hermione asked. "I think it's a cleaning potion. Appeared on the side of the bathtub. I'm putting you into the water" Malfoy said when the tub was full.
"No you're not! I can sit here just fine," Hermione said. "You'll feel better afterwards. It'll only take a sec-" Malfoy started. "No! I said no. Please, just let me sit here," Hermione said frustrated. Tiny tears started to come to her eyes and she didn't know why. "You're tired and you're in pain… You will feel so much better. Let me help," he said.
"I won't look… Just allow me to help," Malfoy said. Something was different about his tone. He didn't sound mocking or cruel but genuinely sad. Hermione finally agreed to let him lift her out of the shower and he placed her gently in the bath. "You try to relax and I'm going to shower over here," Malfoy said removing his ragged robes and stepping into the shower.
Hermione did feel much better in the water and hated that Malfoy was right. When ever he was right she felt irritated and mad but knew that was silly of her. "How is your head?" Hermione asked while she let the potion dissolve the dirt on her skin. "Better… It's my arm that is killing me," Malfoy said.
Once the two were clean and stopped smelling like the grave Malfoy wrapped a towel around her and got dressed. "The Room of Requirement seemed to know we needed robes as well as a bath. Look what I found," he said handing her clean robes of deep green. "Can I help you dress?" Malfoy asked. Hermione said no and asked him to leave the room while she changed. Dejectedly he listened for once and waited for her outside the door. It would have gone faster with his help but Hermione was tired of feeling weak as a child.
"Come on, let's have a look at you," Malfoy said leading her into the main living hall. The voices of the nervous students stopped when they entered and Hermione sat down at the large table. "What are you lot starring at?" Malfoy sneered as he went for the potion cabinet. The younger students fled imminently after Malfoy's remark and the older students went back to their duties.
"Let me see your stomach," he instructed. Hermione was embarrassed but moved her robes. Her body wasn't the same after having a child and knew she looked beaten up. "I don't think I can help what is going on inside… You haven't fully recovered from Isola's birth let alone what else you've done to yourself. But I can help your broken ribs," he whispered handing her potions.
Once the two were all clean and bandaged up they returned to McGonagall's room. "You smell fresh as a daisy, Malfoy," Ron remarked. "I see you've fixed your broken nose. It'd be a shame to have to do that again," Malfoy threatened. McGonagall tutted at the boys and filled them in on what they had planned so far.
The Slytherins turned out to be more beneficial to the Gryffindors than anyone had originally thought. Malfoy was able to provide information on Death Eaters and their tactics while Hermione supplied curses and strategies favored by most of her Slytherin housemates and the cunning minds behind those spells.
It was dinnertime when there was a commotion of noises in the main hall. All eleven bodies bolted out of McGonagall's room (with a slow Hermione in last place) to see what caused the sound. Malfoy stood with Hermione in the back of the crowded room, towered over most of the heads, and acted as Hermione's eyes. "What's going on?" she asked.
"The Order has finally arrived it seems. Took them long enough," Malfoy said. Too many voices were speaking at once and no one could be heard clearly until Ron shouted, "OI! Out of the way! MOVE IT!" When everyone stepped aside and quieted down Hermione saw some of the people she recognized carrying a girl a few years older than her onto the table.
"Tonks has been hit. She's unconscious," Remus Lupin said frantically. Her old professor started throwing dinner plates off the table and kicked students out of their chairs. Hermione saw a swish of silver hair stand over the young girl as well as an older woman with red hair Hermione knew to be the Weasley boy's mother. "She'll be fine Remus, calm down," Mrs. Weasley reassured him.
"Molly, please help her. Do something," the old Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher pleaded. The room was now crowded as can be with the Order having returned and McGonagall said, "All students seventeen and younger to their dormitories! That is an order!" Obediently the younger students left leaving more elbowroom for the adults.
"Where is Kingsley? Fletcher? Where are Arthur and Charlie?" Harry asked. "Hogsmeade is no longer safe. We can't use the tunnel anymore. Fletcher is dead. They got him like they got Moody and Mr. Clearwater," a man with long red hair and deep scars across his face answered. "Arthur and Charlie went with Oliver Wood and Percy to London… Let's hope they'll be here soon," Molly Weasley said while she stopped the bleeding on Tonks' head.
Once the room had calmed down and Tonks was stable the attention turned to the two Slytherins in green robes keeping quiet in the corner. "What are they doing here?" The man with long red hair asked. "They're fine Bill. They came with Harry and I. It's true what's been said about them. They're here to help us," Ron said.
Bill Weasley walked over to them and extended his hand for Malfoy to shake. "If what has been said is true, then I am genuinely sorry. Welcome to the Order of the Phoenix," he said. One by one the other members came and offered their hands in welcoming the two Slytherins to join the Order of the Phoenix.