A/N: TW - Physically Abusive Behavior
Breaking Point
The morning after the graduation party, Hermione sat down to breakfast with Harry and Ginny, still feeling shaken from her argument with Ron the night before.
"So, what happened last night?" Harry asked, pouring himself a cup of coffee.
Hermione sighed, not sure she was ready to talk about it yet. But she knew that Harry and Ginny were her closest friends, and they deserved to know the truth.
"Ron and I got into a fight," she said, taking a sip of her tea. "He's upset that I want to start my own business and concentrate on my inventions. He thinks I should be focusing on our relationship instead."
Harry raised an eyebrow, looking concerned. "That's not like Ron. He's never been possessive before."
Hermione nodded. "I know. That's what makes it so confusing. And he was so angry, Harry. It was almost like he was a different person."
Ginny, who had been listening quietly, let out a loud snort. "Different person! Yeah, right," she said, her eyes flashing with anger. "He's always been like that. It's just that now he's showing his true colors."
Hermione looked at Ginny, surprised by the intensity of her reaction. "Ginny, what do you mean?"
Ginny slammed her fork down on the table. "I mean that Ron has always been a selfish git. He's never cared about anyone else's feelings, just his own. And now he's trying to hold you back, Hermione. It's not right."
Harry nodded in agreement. "Ginny's right. We're all proud of you for getting your masteries, Hermione. You should be able to do whatever you want with them."
Hermione felt a sense of gratitude towards her friends. It was nice to know that they had her back, no matter what. "Thank you," she said, feeling a small smile creep onto her face. "It means a lot to me."
Ginny, however, was not done. "And the way he was gripping you, Hermione? That was just… creepy. Creepy and wrong. I can't believe I'm related to him."
Hermione couldn't help but laugh at Ginny's fierce protectiveness. "I know. It was pretty bad. But I don't think he meant it in a bad way. He was just upset."
Ginny snorted again. "Upset my arse. He needs to get over himself."
Harry cleared his throat, trying to lighten the mood. "Well, I'm just glad that you're okay, Hermione. And if you need anything, you know we're here for you."
The conversation was interrupted by the sound of an owl tapping on the window. Harry went to the window and opened it, letting the bird in. It flew over to Hermione and dropped a letter on the table in front of her. Hermione looked at the letter, surprised to see that it was from Narcissa Black.
"What does she want?" Ginny asked, looking over Hermione's shoulder.
Hermione shrugged. "I'm not sure. She's asking for a business meeting to discuss my inventions. She says she's interested in what I'm doing."
Harry spoke up. "I think it's a good idea to meet with her, Hermione. We've all gotten to know her pretty well since the war. She's not like Lucius or Bellatrix, Hermione," he said. "She's different. And she's been through a lot."
Hermione nodded in agreement. "I know. And she's always been kind to me, even when she didn't have to be."
Ginny, who had been listening to their conversation, chimed in. "I still can't believe you're meeting with her. I mean, she's a Malfoy."
Hermione sighed, feeling frustrated. "She is actually a Black since the divorce. And Ginny, we've been over this. Not all Slytherins are bad people. And Narcissa has done a lot to make up for her past mistakes."
Ginny raised an eyebrow. "I suppose. But I still don't trust her."
Hermione smiled, trying to ease the tension. "Well, you don't have to come with me, Ginny. It's just a business meeting."
Ginny rolled her eyes. "Fine, fine. I'll stay here and keep Harry company. But if you're not back by lunch, I'm sending a search party."
Hermione laughed, feeling grateful for her friends' support. "I'll be back before you know it."
As Hermione owled Narcissa back to confirm the meeting, she couldn't help but feel intrigued. Hermione had always sensed a deeper intelligence and complexity to the woman. If she was completely honest with herself, deep down inside she had always been drawn to Narcissa, both physically and intellectually, even when the woman was at the height of her pureblood arrogance. She wasn't sure what Narcissa wanted, but she was excited to find out. And she had a feeling that this meeting would change everything.
As Hermione arrived at the coffee shop, she was surprised to see Narcissa waiting for her at a table in the back. She had expected a more wizard-y setting, like Diagon Alley or Hogsmeade.
But as she approached the table, she realized that Narcissa had chosen a cozy little coffee shop in downtown London. It was filled with muggles, and the walls were lined with bookshelves filled with old, tattered volumes.
Narcissa looked up as Hermione approached, and a small smile crossed her face.
"Hello, Hermione," she said, gesturing for her to sit down. "It's good to see you. I hope you don't mind meeting here. I've always liked this place."
Hermione looked around, taking in the warm atmosphere. "No, it's fine. Thank you for inviting me. I'm intrigued to hear what you wanted to discuss."
Narcissa waved her hand dismissively. "Of course. I wanted to talk to you about your inventions, Hermione. I've heard that you're planning to start your own business, and I think that's a wonderful idea."
Hermione nodded, feeling a sense of relief. "Yes, I'm happy to talk about them. But I have to ask, why are we meeting in Muggle London? I didn't know you were familiar with the muggle world."
Narcissa smiled wryly. "There's a lot you don't know about me, Hermione. But to answer your question, I've always had a fascination with the muggle world. I never believed in blood purity or any of the other nonsense that my family espoused."
Hermione looked at her in surprise. "Really? I had no idea."
Narcissa leaned forward, her eyes sparkling with a hint of mischief. "Well, there's a lot that you don't know about me, Hermione. But I have a confession to make. I actually have a flat a few blocks away from here. It's my secret escape."
Hermione's eyes widened. "A flat? In Muggle London? Why?"
Narcissa took a sip of her tea, her face a mask of serenity. "It's a long story, Hermione. But let's just say that I needed a way to escape from the cruelty of my family home, later the brutality of my marriage to Lucious, and then when Voldemort took over Malfoy Manor, it was a way for me to breakaway from the darkness that consumed everything around me."
Hermione listened to Narcissa's story, feeling a sense of sadness and admiration. She had assumed Narcissa had only recently moved away from rigid beliefs in blood purity and disdain for muggles. But apparently, Narcissa was different.
"I had no idea," she said softly. "I'm sorry for what you've been through."
Narcissa shrugged her shoulders. "It's in the past now, Hermione. Anyway, I wanted to share that with you because I think it's important for you to know that some of us believe have always believed in something more than blood purity."
Hermione nodded, feeling a sense of gratitude towards Narcissa. She realized that there was much more to her than she had ever imagined.
"Thank you for sharing that with me, Narcissa," she said, feeling a sense of respect for the older woman. "I appreciate it."
Narcissa smiled, her eyes crinkling at the corners. "Of course, Hermione. Now, let's talk about why I wanted to meet with you."
As Hermione and Narcissa settled into discussing her inventions, Narcissa brought up a topic that surprised Hermione.
"I heard from Draco that some of your inventions deal with both mind and time magic," she said, looking at Hermione intently. "Is that true?"
Hermione hesitated for a moment, feeling a sense of wariness. "Yes, it is. But why do you ask?"
Narcissa leaned forward, her eyes shining with intensity. "I have a theory, Hermione. And I need your help to investigate it."
Hermione's curiosity was piqued. "What theory is that?"
Narcissa took a deep breath, about to bring up a topic very sensitive to the young Gryffindor. "It has to do with my sister, Bellatrix."
Hermione started to panic, but took a few breathes trying to center herself. "She tortured me, Narcissa. How could you possibly think I would want to help with anything to do with her?"
Narcissa nodded, her expression serious. "I know. And again I apologise what she did to you and my own inaction."
Hermione waved her apology away having already come to terms and understanding about what had happened at least as far as Narcissa was concerned.
Narcissa continued "Hear me out, Hermione. I have reason to believe that my sister wasn't in control of herself when she died. That an outside force was driving her actions."
Hermione looked at her in disbelief. "What do you mean? How is that possible?"
Narcissa took a deep breath and looked away for a moment, composing herself. "At the moment of Bellatrix's death, I was standing nearby. As a natural legilimens, I heard her thoughts. They weren't what I expected. Instead of shock or fear, her thoughts were confused and disoriented. I sensed a dark magic, something that I had never felt before. It was like a presence, a malevolent force that was controlling her. It wasn't Bellatrix anymore, Hermione. It was like she was possessed and in the moment right before her death it's control was broken."
Hermione looked at her in disbelief. "Possessed? Controlled? By what?"
Narcissa shook her head. "I don't know. But I do know that something happened to Bellatrix that changed her. In her youth, Bellatrix was very different. She loved and cared for Andromeda and I. She didn't buy into our family's bigoted blood purity beliefs. In fact, she helped secure the flat in order to provide a safe place for the three of us."
Hermione listened to Narcissa's words, feeling her sense of curiosity grow. She had been imagining Bellatrix as a one-dimensional villain, but obviously there was a lot she didn't know. If one thing was true about Hermione Granger it was, she hated not knowing things.
Narcissa went on. "She had plans to help Andromeda run away with Ted Tonks. She was going to defy our family and their beliefs to help her sister be happy. But then something happened, Hermione. Something changed her. And I don't know what it was."
Narcissa looked at Hermione intently. "I hope that you can help me lay my ghosts to rest, Hermione. Together, we can figure out why Bellatrix changed. And who or what was responsible for her actions."
Hermione was silent for a moment, her mind racing as she tried to think of what could have changed Bellatrix so drastically. "I don't know, Narcissa. It's a lot to ask. Why do you think I can help with this?".
Narcissa looked at her, her eyes intense. "Because you're brilliant, Hermione. You're one of the brightest witches of our age, and you have a mind for magic that few can match. And I think that if anyone can help me figure out what happened to Bellatrix, it's you."
Hermione felt a sense of wariness, mixed with curiosity. Bellatrix had been a terrifying figure and the idea of delving into her past was daunting. But there was also a sense of intrigue, of wanting to know more about this woman who had been such a mystery.
"I don't know if I can help, Narcissa," she said finally. "But I'm willing to try. If it means helping you find some closure, then I'll do what I can."
Narcissa smiled, a small glimmer of hope in her eyes. "Thank you, Hermione. I appreciate it more than you know."
Hermione was lost in thought as she sat at the dinner table with the Weasley family. She had just come from meeting with Narcissa and was still processing everything they had discussed. She was snapped out of her thoughts as Molly Weasley turned to her and asked, "Now that you've graduated, Hermione, when can we expect you to move in with Ron?"
Hermione hesitated for a moment, trying to find the right words to say. She had been dating Ron for three years, but the idea of moving in with him just didn't feel right. "Actually, I just bought an apartment in London," she said finally. "I'll be living there and setting up a lab to work out of."
Ron's reaction was immediate and hostile. He slammed his hand down on the table and glared at her. "What do you mean you bought an apartment?" he said. "You were supposed to move in with me! And now you're setting up some love den to cheat on me with that Slytherin whore, Narcissa Malfoy!"
Hermione couldn't believe what was happening. Ron's outburst had completely blindsided her, and his accusation that she was cheating on him with Narcissa was beyond ridiculous. As Ron continued to rant and rave, Hermione began to piece together what must have happened. She had a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach that Ron must have followed her to her meeting with Narcissa.
Before she knew it, she was on her feet and yelling at Ron. "How dare you accuse me of cheating on you with Narcissa!" she said, her voice shaking with anger. "I was having a business meeting with her, and that's all it was. And even if it was something else, which it wasn't, you don't own me! I am my own woman, Ron, and I will not let you treat me like this!"
The entire Weasley family was staring at them now, the atmosphere tense and uncomfortable. But Hermione didn't care. She had reached her breaking point with Ron, and she was done.
"I can't do this anymore, Ron," she said, her voice steady now. "I can't be with someone who doesn't trust me and doesn't respect me. We're done. I'm leaving and I don't want to see or hear from you again."
Ron's face twisted in anger, but Hermione didn't back down. She grabbed her bag and turned to leave. Hermione's heart was pounding in her chest as Ron grabbed her and prevented her from leaving. She struggled to break free, but he was too strong. And then, he slapped her hard across the cheek, knocking her to the ground and drawing blood. The pain was excruciating, but what was even worse was the look in Ron's eyes. He was like a man possessed, and Hermione knew she was in real danger.
Before Ron could move any closer, Harry and Ginny were on their feet, their wands drawn and pointed at him. They were ready to defend Hermione, no matter what.
And then, just as Ron began to move menacingly toward Hermione, someone called out "Stupefy". Ron fell to the ground, his eyes closed and his body limp.
It took Hermione a moment to realize what had just happened. Mr. Weasley had stunned his own son.
The Weasley family was in an uproar, and she could see the horror and anger on every one of their faces. George looked like he was about to murder Ron, and Fleur, Bill's wife, was struggling not to turn into her Veela form and tear Ron apart limb by limb.
Mr. Weasley apologized profusely. "I'm so sorry," he said, his voice shaking. "Harry, Ginny, please help Hermione leave before Ron comes to. The rest of us will deal with him."
Hermione was still in shock as Harry and Ginny helped her to her feet and guided her out of the room. She could hear shouting and commotion behind her, but she didn't look back. All she could think about was getting away from Ron, and making sure she was safe.
It wasn't until she was outside, in the cool night air, that Hermione realized she was crying. She felt violated and humiliated, and she couldn't believe that the man she had been with for three years and friends with since she was 11 years old, was capable of such violence.
But even in the midst of her pain and confusion, Hermione knew one thing for sure: she was done with Ron, for good.
