Very important note: Guys, are you ready to fully understand Hermione? I hope so.
I'm calling these next chapters 'Hermione's interlude'. I started writing this story thinking about how Harry and Hermione are halves of a whole, so, naturally, this is about both of them.
I'm giving you Hermione's insights on everything, since the start.
I know some might hate it, and others love it, but it felt right doing this. You'll see how the process of falling in love was different for her and you'll get a lot of things, understanding clues along the way. But worry not, these flashbacks are mixed with the present, this way we get to see what's happening right now - just after she gave the order to arrest him - while she remembers everything.
I wrote this as one big chapter that I'm dividing in eight parts. Yes, sorry, eight.
Since I know how it sucks to wait for an update, while we're at this interlude, I'll update twice a week. Each chapter picks right where the last one ended. I do hope the two chapters/week is enough to keep you guys from wanting to murder me, hahaha.
Be ready because a lot is about to be revealed, but also layer by layer, so, you might not understand something on this first chapter or on the next, but it'll be explained till the end of the interlude, don't worry.
I do hope you enjoy because it was a blast writing this.
And attention to the dates! If you feel lost, just remember that the flashbacks will follow a chronological order.
(Also, I read your reviews and I'm really curious to know what you'll think of Hermione after all is revealed, so, don't forget to tell me!)
.And the title refers to the song: Coraline - Måneskin. Which is perfect and describes Hermione from head to toe (except the hair color, but let's just ignore it)
HERMIONE'S INTERLUDE
March 24th, 2006
Ministry of Magic
She leans with her back on the opposite wall of his cell - not as barren as the one Vernon Dursley was in, but not luxurious either, it has a comfy bed and a magical space for his necessities. Hermione is under the Invisibility Cloak, her arms crossed - but one of her hands squeezing the black stone of her necklace - while she watches Harry sleeping. It's not a peaceful sleep. He keeps grunting and moving, mumbling things. She could take a few steps forward to listen to what he's saying, but she finds it physically impossible to move.
What happened is still hammering her head and body, making her tremble. She feels weak and dirty and broken.
Hermione closes her eyes. Her heart hurts.
It's all really over now.
For a long time she knew what she had to do, but now that this is a reality, it feels surreal. The moment she asked him if he had killed Lucius, she immediately wanted to take the words back. But she couldn't.
And-
She opens her eyes, looking at him.
Inevitably her mind takes her to the very first time she watched him in a fretful sleep. Just after he had saved her life.
October 31st, 2005
St. Mungo's
Everyone else left but Hermione said she would stay until he woke. Asmo didn't like her decision but she insisted and, making a face, he finally went home.
She narrows her eyes at the sleeping man in front of her.
Harry D'Angelo.
Hermione sighs, resting her chin on her closed hand.
It's unbelievable that this stranger took a bullet for her. He saved her life. And now her mind is reeling. Hermione has no idea what to think. Her reaction when she understood that he was actually bleeding atop of her was not… common.
She felt desperate. Truly desperate. She could see his life leaving him and her whole body was reacting to it, wanting to help, wanting to save him. It felt like an instinct, like something she was meant to do. In a blur she acted, calling the healers and levitating him to them.
Yelling. Crying.
Hermione could tell her father was watching closely. The same as Asmo and the others. She knows she never acted like this, but-
She sighs, her eyes going back to the Italian.
Hermione bites her lower lip.
He's handsome. Incredibly and ridiculously handsome. The moment she saw him entering the Atrium, her heart skipped a beat. For a brief second she was fascinated, taken by his dark - and wet - hair, by his strong, lean body and obvious tan. But nothing compares to when she got closer and looked into his eyes… it took her breath away. And as she talked with him she observed all his features, his thick eyebrows, his strong jaw, nice nose and mouth. He's very masculine, but even so, there's a softness to his smile, - and what a breathtaking smile - a gentleness to his voice.
She gulps, clearing her throat, trying to steer her mind from this particular topic. She has a boyfriend. And she loves Asmo-
But, again, her eyes fall on D'Angelo's left hand. Of course she noticed he's not wearing a wedding band. Which surprised her a lot. She tilts her head to the side. His hands are… strong. And beautiful.
Come on, Hermione.
She chastises herself, shaking her head and snorting a bit. She can't remember the last time she felt so immediately attracted to someone. Which is odd. She knows D'Angelo is dangerous, even maybe in more ways than she expects, but… she liked him. Instantly.
He stirs on the bed, mumbling something. She perks up, narrowing her eyes.
Who are you, D'Angelo?
Hermione can tell he's hiding something. Yes, he was very careful when talking to her. Discreet. But the moment he chewed the inside of his cheek, she knew he had a secret. Her father made her study these kind of things, nervous tells. It's easy for her to read a person when she needs to, and she has to confess that she's extremely intrigued by her new Auror.
When he learned her name, something passed through his eyes, Hermione is sure it wasn't a nice feeling, so, the way he clearly almost got himself killed to save her makes her wonder. Doubt.
And she hates having doubts. Hermione likes to be sure of things. It's the way she functions.
But now, because of a personal request of her own father, she has a huge question mark as an Auror walking around the Ministry under her orders.
She makes a face at that. She needs to talk with her father. Ask what he knows about the D'Angelos. She remembers hearing this name once before, at a dinner in the Manor when the counselors were there and her father was talking about opposing voices. It was clear that the D'Angelos hate the way the Riddles run things in England.
Which brings even more questions. Why is he here? Hermione would never leave her home to live in a place where she disagrees with the laws and to be under the orders of someone she considers… vile. At least she wouldn't do that without having a very good reason to.
So, she's sure D'Angelo has a reason. He must. And she'll discover what it is.
If he thinks he can fool her, he has a surprise coming his way. He has no idea who he's messing with.
He opens his eyes in a jolt, moving forward and calling her name. Hermione blinks a few times, startled.
Then she takes his hand.
March 24th, 2006
Ministry of Magic
She looks down.
The day they met. When she had no idea what to expect. When she was clueless about how much she would come to love this man.
And now I just lost him forever.
But she has to come to terms with this. She can't go on suffering about this whole thing her entire life. It was for the best, the only solution she came up with-
The coin turns cold inside her pocket and she takes it to read Chiara's message.
How is he?
Hermione sighs. In a crazy turn of events she became Chiara's friend. But even so… she knows Harry will marry Chiara. She knew from the moment she decided she had to betray him. And it cuts her open. She gulps.
Angry
She answers.
Because that's it. She looks back at Harry. He's sweating, having a nightmare, and she has to stop herself from going to him. Stop herself from putting her arms around him and spreading kisses all over his face.
She lost the right to.
Pressing her lips together, she flinches remembering the way he looked at her when he realized what she'd done. It was the first time he looked at her that way. Similar to the way he looks at her father. It completely broke her when he said he would learn how to hate her. And then Pettigrew was there and it was obvious for Harry that he knew what Hermione had done.
She grits her teeth, trying to stop the tears running down her face. The coin turns cold again with another question from Chiara.
How long should we wait?
She takes a deep breath and answers:
Five days
She knows Harry will be kept there for at least a week. Hermione needs to put on a show about interrogating him and such. But it's okay for Matteo and Chiara to arrive in five days.
She squeezes the black stone of her necklace.
This was by far the hardest thing she ever did in her life. This betrayal.
She cries silently. She needs to be strong for what's to come.
Harry's hate. Her wedding to Pettigrew.
She feels the coin again:
And how are you?
Hermione brushes her tears away. It's nice having Chiara by her side. She answers:
As expected
A total and complete wreck.
Harry moves more violently and actually sits on the bed, waking up. He says her name loud and clear. It's a whine. Hurt. So much hurt in one word. She presses one hand above her bleeding heart, watching him.
I'm so sorry.
He runs his hands through his hair, standing up and taking a few steps inside the cell. He's shaking his head, biting the insides of his cheeks. Hermione muffles the sound around her with a spell. And she lets herself cry a bit harder, sobbing.
"Fuck." He says out loud, palming his open hand against the wall. Then he leans his forehead on it and sighs. "Fuck, Hermione. Why?" His voice is low but she hears it nonetheless. "Why?" He asks again. She closes her eyes, her heart squeezing inside her chest.
For you, Harry. For you.
And as the minutes tick by, she understands even more the situation.
How utterly over and broken they are now.
Which takes her back to the start. To the day when her father practically ruined them before they even had something.
November 4th, 2005
Ministry of Magic
She's fretting inside her office. Asmo is there with her, he's ranting about the meeting they just had with her father. D'Angelo is still talking with the Minister.
Hermione looks down and sits on her chair. She knows Asmo wants her attention, but she can't quite give it to him. She keeps going back to the moment D'Angelo arrived at the floor. To the way he looked at her when he saw her clapping in the crowd. It was… she can't find a word for it, but it shook her.
She found herself wanting to be closer to him, still not believing that he had taken a bullet for her.
Her eyes fall to her drawer. She kept the bullet the healers took out of him. Hermione has no idea what possessed her. No idea why she did that. But well…
And then she blushed when talking to him - again - for fuck's sake. She doesn't remember the last time she blushed when talking to a guy. Maybe in Hogwarts.
But there's something about D'Angelo. Something that calls to her. A magnetic pull. An… understanding. She frowns to herself, not sure if that's the word. But it truly surprised and impressed her the way he so easily noticed that she was nervous before walking into her father's office. How could he tell? Most people never read her emotions, at least not after meeting her two times.
And the way he promptly defended her as Head Auror just now-
"Hermione!" Asmo is standing in front of her, his hands on his hips. He looks furious.
She blinks. "What?"
"What planet are you on?" She shakes her head, dismissing his words and her thoughts of D'Angelo.
"I'm right here." She turns to fully look at him, her hands seeking his, squeezing gently. "Don't worry about the meeting, love. We just need to find whoever did this." She says firmly and he grunts, coming closer to her.
"You gave D'Angelo all the credit-"
"Because it was due to him." She cuts him, her eyes narrowing. "You know that."
He scoffs. "Whatever." Then he takes a step back, pocketing his hands. "It surprises me that you're not considering him a suspect just because he took a bullet for you. If anything that's even more suspicious."
Hermione snorts. "I highly doubt he had anything to do with what happened."
"Why? We don't know him. We have no idea who he is, what he's doing here, what he wants." Asmo says firmly. "Have you asked your father about him already?"
"Not yet. I will, though. As soon as his talk with D'Angelo ends."
"Okay. Good. I don't like him being here. I'm sure he's a Muggle worshiper. Just like all Italians." He's gritting his teeth. Hermione restrains herself from rolling her eyes. She's had enough of this subject. "I need to go. I'll try to get in touch with the Prophet, for us to give a statement." She nods and kisses him back when Asmo leans to her.
Hermione watches while he leaves the office. It's obvious that Asmo will use anything to annoy D'Angelo and make him lose control or act on an impulse. That's a trait of her boyfriend's personality that she doesn't like very much. Amongst a few other things.
Shaking her head, she decides sending a memo to her father. They need to talk.
Hermione closes the door behind her when she enters the Minister's office.
She saw D'Angelo at his desk when she was coming up. He looked focused on whatever he was reading and she couldn't help wondering what him and her father talked about.
"So," Her father says, "please, Hermione, I don't want to treat you like that in front of others, but they need to know that you being my daughter doesn't guarantee you the spot as Head." He gives her a pointed look. She waves a hand in front of her.
"I know. How are things for you? After three days?"
"Madness." He lets out a breath and sits, motioning for her to sit in front of him, extending a glass of water to her. "This could ruin me as Minister." He takes a sip on what Hermione is sure is mostly Firewhiskey. "But I won't let it get to that point. We need to talk."
"About D'Angelo?" She asks with a raised eyebrow, crossing one leg over the other.
"Exactly. Tell me your first impressions of him."
"Driven. Smart. Pro active. Powerful. And hiding something." She says, obviously not mentioning handsome, strong, charming… kinda of cute.
"Do you think so?"
"I'm sure." Her father nods. She sips on her water. "Is it true you requested him to come?"
"Yes and no. You see. Matteo D'Angelo, his grandfather is… a nuisance. This man has already spoken awful things about me in the past and he continues to do so. I've had already heard about his grandson. Harry D'Angelo is loved in Italy. Loved by their Minister and their people. So you can imagine my surprise when I discovered that he was volunteering to come here." He gives her a pointed look. "D'Angelo gave their Minister the idea of this transference and I pretended not to know about it, requesting him." Her father shrugs. "Regardless, he's the best." Hermione presses her lips together.
"You knew he was Head Auror?" She asks.
"I knew." He frowns. "He didn't mention it to you?"
She shakes her head, clicking her tongue. Annoyed. "No. I can't see why he would hide something like this. But if he did, there are surely other things he's also hiding."
"Of course. His presence here doesn't make sense. I don't know what he wants, but I'm fairly sure that… he's dangerous." He lowers his voice, thinking. A chill runs down Hermione's spine. She knows very well what her father does with those he considers dangerous. "So, I need you." She gulps. "I can't harass him or send him away now, it would make our terrible relations with Italy even worse, and to be fair, I'm curious about him. I want to see how far he'll keep up whatever charade he's playing." Her heart is already beating pretty fast. "We'll use our binding obedience for this." She doesn't react.
"Don't you trust me, father?"
"Of course I do. But you know me, Hermione. I have to be one hundred percent sure of things." He opens a creepy smile. One that she hates.
Hermione gulps and closes her eyes. "Okay. Let's do it."
And she prepares herself for the cold sensation that's about to invade her body and soul. This binding obedience is some kind of old magic that her father uses on her since forever. It's a thing that can be shared between children and their parents. But it was long forgotten - and prohibited. However, her father has a fascination with it.
When Tom does this, there's no escape for Hermione. She can't fool or disobey him. She has to be loyal to his wishes.
"I want you to find out what Harry D'Angelo is hiding. I want you to get close to him and be sure that he's not a threat to me." He then murmurs the spell, a drop of his blood on his wand to seal it.
She takes a deep breath. It hurts. Whatever it is that's happening inside her.
"I'll do it." She says, binding herself. The pain goes away.
"Do you have any requests?"
Hermione opens her eyes and wets her lips. Only when she got older he began allowing her to have a say in these things.
"No time limit." She says fast. "And I'll do things my way. I don't want to be questioned." Her voice is steadier than she thought.
She sees her father narrowing his eyes. "Very well. Conceded."
Hermione nods. And she feels the slight burn behind her ear, the mark of the spell, of old magic.
"Now, off you go." He dismisses her. And she strides out fast enough.
March 24th, 2006
Ministry of Magic
She takes a few steps forward, not resisting the pull to him. Harry still has his forehead against the wall, his hands on both sides.
And she's crying. She doesn't think she'll ever stop.
On that day, when she made that binding obedience contract with her father, she had no idea how much Harry would mean to her. It never crossed her mind that she would fall in love. It was laughable to think that she would want to give up on her entire life to just be allowed to love this man.
She presses her lips together.
It could be worse.
Harry could be dead. Or taken by her father, locked away in a dungeon… being subjected to experiments. Or living on the run forever.
Of course it hurts. But she did what she had to, and, thinking about how things will play out, this was the only way of saving him. Even if she knows he'll never forgive her. Never love her again.
But it's fine. It's fine because he's safe.
She gulps, taking another step closer to the bars of his cell. From this distance she can see that he's crying too. Silently. Shaking a bit.
It cuts her open.
Hermione opens and closes her mouth. He can't know what she truly did. He must keep thinking that she's just like her father. The Riddle he despises.
A lot will be easier if he hates her.
She steps away from him, her back again against the wall. Their love was suffocating her. Knowing what she was about to do, knowing that she would never be free to be with him- it-
Biting her lower lip, she lowers her head. She lost count how many times she already repeated the memory of him asking her to marry him. She imagines what would have happened if she had said yes. But she must stop. This is torture. She must let him go. He deserves to be happy.
What about my happiness?
She looks up at him. She'll never be happy again. Not without him. But she accepts it. It's the price she's willingly paying.
Harry sighs and brushes his tears away, letting out an outraged grunt. And he goes back to the bed, lying down with his stomach up, his hands behind his head. Hermione knows he's plotting something. His face is contorted into blankness and he's chewing the insides of his cheeks again. She can't help smiling a bit - it hurts, it fucking hurts - because different from most people that she knows, when Harry is thinking hard, he has no expression. He kinda of freezes for a second, his only motion the biting. He'll hurt himself.
Hermione tilts her head. He makes a face at his own thoughts. He probably imagines Matteo will hear about this and do something. And he's right. But Hermione is ready to be the perfect daughter and show her father how much she loathes the D'Angelos.
She would groan in frustration if she had the strength to.
But her mind keeps taking her back.
November 8th, 2005
Hermione's house
She swirls the glass of wine in her hand and the liquid sloshes inside. She's reading a few articles on Harry D'Angelo. Interesting stuff.
In an hour he'll be there for them to practice the Traditional.
Hermione scoffs. She still doesn't know what she was thinking when she offered to teach him. For starters it doesn't make sense because they won't be dancing together at the Ball, so, it doesn't matter- but when she saw him talking with Sally Black-
She presses her lips together.
It was odd.
It took her a few minutes to understand but… Hermione was jealous. Of a man she barely knows. And she felt the same jealousy again today inside her office. The way he was talking about being the perfect match for Sally made her heart skip a beat. Inexplicably the familiar sting of jealousy, that slow burning anger, took over her… as if D'Angelo was hers.
"Yeah, right." She says to no one in particular, sipping on her wine and shaking her head.
She may be regretting her offer.
Hermione is not an idiot and she knows herself way too well. She admits that D'Angelo is like a walking dream to any sane person that feels attraction to men… and she feels attracted to him.
Very attracted.
Drinking more wine she tries sending these thoughts away. Only because she finds him attractive and handsome- and because she was jealous-
"Stop." She says out loud, sighing. "Am I going crazy, Crookshanks?" She asks the sleeping cat.
He doesn't answer, of course.
Hermione tries focusing again on the article she has in her hand.
It was a bit hard finding something worth reading. Most stuff about him comes from Italian teen magazines. Their only concern is how handsome he looked that week or the other one. But she can't say she got nothing from these magazines. One of them had a huge picture of D'Angelo and an absurdly gorgeous blond woman. Chiara Ferri. She wonders if that's the girlfriend he left in Italy. Probably. The magazine doesn't explain their relationship, just states that they were spotted together after rumors of a separation.
Hermione made a mental note to also do some research on the Ferris.
However, apart from these silly magazines, there are some that actually talk about his deeds as Head Auror. He's kind of a big deal. Hermione is sure their Ministero misses him. And she feels a bit lucky that he's under her orders now. Yes, she wants to discover his secrets, but at the same time… she's excited. He was Head. He knows how much responsibility the position carries and it's kinda of nice having someone like him to share a few thoughts… it's like a breath of fresh air the way he doesn't agree with her on everything.
She raises the article before her eyes. This one has a photograph of D'Angelo and his parents. Bianca and Marcello Donatto. She squints at the picture. And frowns. They have nothing in common. Like, at all.
Was he adopted?
Hermione cocks her head. Her father said he found D'Angelo familiar. Why? There are barely any pictures of him on these articles. She makes a face. That's odd.
Now that she thinks about it, D'Angelo is indeed familiar and the answer why is at the back of her mind. Hermione closes her eyes, trying to remember… this feels important. "Come on." She says to her own memory, raking through things, searching her brain.
But it's faint. And lost. She shakes her head, a bit irritated. Doesn't matter. She'll remember eventually.
She looks back at the picture. He's indeed so very handsome. She rolls her eyes, putting the article down. Apart from his deeds as Auror, there aren't any other news or informations on him. To be fair, all the D'Angelos seem to be pretty discreet. Glancing at the clock - he'll be there shortly - she decides that if she wants to know about him, she'll have to ask. Even if he seems hesitant each time they talk, D'Angelo doesn't strike her as a big liar.
Finishing her glass of wine, she stands from the couch and heads to the kitchen, stopping at the counter. She's a bit… nervous about this dance lesson. They'll touch and get real close. Not to mention the whole thing with the Patronus. She's curious about his. She wonders if it's in some way compatible with hers-
Hermione widens her eyes at the thought. Don't be ridiculous. She doesn't even believe in all this bullshit about Perfect Harmony and such. She shouldn't. Because if she does- She and Asmo already danced the Traditional a few times and it never happened and if she plans to marry him it would be nice to know that he's the perfect partner. She squints. Maybe this whole Harmony thing is a myth. Since she was old enough to understand, Hermione herself never saw a couple display it. And her father hosts Balls every year.
Shrugging, she heads back to the couch, fetching Crookshanks, talking to him. "I expect you to scratch him." She kisses the cat's head playfully. "Just because I'm the only human you like."
The cat stares at her. And she laughs.
It will be fine. The lesson will be fine. And it's a good way for her to get closer to D'Angelo. After all, she needs to.
November 9th, 2005
Riddle Manor
She sighs. Her mother is talking about some Pureblood family that had dinner with the Minister yesterday. Bellatrix keeps complaining about the way they were too harsh with Tom. It was a tense night and Hermione understands her mother's need to talk about it. Bellatrix hates when her husband is on the edge. They usually fight a lot and deep down Hermione doesn't care anymore. She already said to her mother that she should divorce her father, but it's like talking to a wall, so, she gave up.
"Are you listening?" Bellatrix asks.
They're sitting in the enormous kitchen, at an isle, cups of steaming tea in front of them. Some house elves are preparing lunch. Hermione has her eyes on them. She avoids coming to the Manor and the elves are one of the many reasons why. It angers her that the Minister himself treats such amazing magical creatures the way he does. Tom mistreats them. Incessantly. Every chance he gets. And they already had a few fights over this. It's just not right. They're just as magical as any Pureblood family… as any Half-Blood and Muggleborn.
She gulps, looking down and then back at her mother.
"Not really." She says sincerely. "But to be honest, mum, these stories are always the same." She sips on her tea and Bellatrix shakes her head, opening a smile.
"Tell me what's on your mind." Bellatrix narrows her eyes. "It must be something about your father. You always come here on Ministry hours when you want to talk about him."
Hermione nods. "In a way. We sealed a binding obedience some days ago."
"What?" Bellatrix widens her eyes, making a face. "He promised me he would never do that to you again, Hermione." Shaking her head, Bellatrix swears under her breath. "You should have said no."
Hermione snorts. "Yeah, right. As if." She drinks her tea to keep her from saying a few other things. "He's worried about our new Auror."
"Ah." Bellatrix says, shaking her head. "Of course. The man who saved your life. Your father should be kissing his feet, to be honest."
Hermione chuckles, picturing the scene. "He wants me to discover D'Angelo's secrets." Her voice is very low. She swallows hard, her heart beating a bit faster. She's thinking about what happened at their dance lesson.
"And you think he has any?"
"I do."
Bellatrix leans on the marble, her eyes heavy on Hermione. "And what's the plan? Get close to him and give him Veritaserum?"
"No. I don't wanna do that." She shakes her head. "I respect D'Angelo. I mean, he was Head Auror in Italy and he's extremely powerful. I can tell by the way he casts his spells." She keeps shaking her head. "He doesn't deserve to be fooled that way and I don't have a plausible reason for that. Can you imagine his grandfather? Matteo D'Angelo has a huge sway at the Ministero there. It would be idiotic doing this. D'Angelo just got here."
Bellatrix is looking at her strangely. "You're right. What are you going to do then?"
Hermione shrugs. "I guess I'll be… his friend." Bellatrix looks down, biting her lip and taking the cup of tea to hide a smile. "What? Mum, come on."
"What? I didn't say a word!" She's laughing.
"But you're thinking it!" Hermione says in a faked anger.
"Okay, okay." Bellatrix stops laughing and takes Hermione's hand, squeezing gently. "This man saved you life, honey. He took a bloody bullet for you. Almost died in the way. Look, I'm more than glad that he did it, honestly. So, I do get why you're… fascinated."
Hermione widens her eyes. "I am not!"
"You are!" Bellatrix says.
Hermione grunts, holding her head with both hands, her elbows on the marble. "Fuck." She says under her breath. "It doesn't help that he's obscenely handsome." She mumbles and Bellatrix laughs again.
"I knew it."
Taking a deep breath, Hermione says, "Mum, something happened between us." She gulps, not sure if she should be sharing this, but Bellatrix is paying attention, looking at her with loving and understanding eyes. "I offered to teach him the Traditional and we had a lesson yesterday." She presses her lips together. "It was so strange." She's almost whispering. "I felt so comfortable with him… so at peace that- my Patronus acted oddly." She tilts her head. "You know it never comes close to another person unless it intends on attacking them, but with D'Angelo… the snake wrapped itself around his arm while we-" She stops. She's resisting. Talking about it makes it real. Her mother is waiting. "I don't know what we shared, but I really wanted to kiss him. Like really." And it was painful realizing that she shouldn't. Couldn't.
"What stopped you? Thinking about Asmo?"
Hermione shakes her head, making a face. Asmo was the last thing on her mind. "I barely know D'Angelo." She says, stating a fact. "But I never felt this way. I mean," She rolls her eyes, "I was jealous of him, mum."
"Oh, dear." Bellatrix sighs. "Sirius told me Sally is very interested."
Hermione groans, closing her eyes. "Yeah, they'll probably marry."
"Maybe." Bellatrix says. "I think Sally still loves Longbottom."
Hermione looks down. "She certainly still hates me for it."
"You should explain things to her, Hermione. She never knew the entire truth of what-"
"Doesn't matter. I don't need her forgiveness or anything like that. We were friends before and she assumed the worst of me." She narrows her eyes, really angry now.
"Okay, fine." Bellatrix says. "So, D'Angelo. What are you going to do about him?"
Hermione takes a final sip on her tea. "Nothing, it's just a silly attraction. And I love my boyfriend. The only thing I want from D'Angelo are his secrets, so, for now, I'll try to keep him close." She winks at her mother.
And giving her a kiss, Hermione heads back to the Ministry.
March 24th, 2006
Ministry of Magic
She needs to get out of there. Hermione has no idea for how long she's been staring at him, crying and… feeling the pain.
Harry is sleeping now. He stopped mulling over whatever he was thinking and gave himself up to exhaustion. This time he seems calmer, breathing evenly and actually getting some rest.
Something she should be doing. She looks at her watch. It's already 4am.
With a final glance at him, she sighs and heads to the elevator. Each step is heavy. Hurtful. It was the last time she allowed herself to feel - to love Harry.
Now she must forget everything.
Tomorrow she needs to be a new Hermione. The one her father expects her to be. The one that's going to marry Asmodeus. The Head Auror that many fear. She has no other choice. It's her life.
How it was going to be before Harry, anyway.
But the thought saddens her to a point of inertia. She feels hollow and just to imagine what she'll do, just to think about having to interrogate him-
Hermione stops at the elevator, bracing herself. She feels nauseous. The moment she leaves there's no going back from this. She could just turn back and wake Harry and explain everything. Tell him she had to do this. Explain that she loves him with all her heart, ask for forgiveness-
But they can't be together.
She can't do this.
She steels herself and enters the elevator.
It's done.
March 25th, 2006
Hermione's house
She's been awake for an hour. But Hermione is having a hard time getting up and leaving the bed. She barely slept. She got home around 4am and thanked every entity that Asmodeus wasn't there. Then she took Crookshanks in her arms and curled into bed, still crying.
Like always, but so much worse this time, she had an awful nightmare.
The images keep repeating themselves. Legs. She can see legs in her nightmares. Of people she doesn't know because she can't see their faces. They all wear a white mask that covers them entirely. And the screams. She hears screams. Darkness and light. Strange things. Terrible things. In all her nightmares she wakes when a black and red demon comes running to her.
However, this time, she didn't wake right away. She kept running from the demon and suddenly she was facing Harry. And his total lack of love or affection towards her was the reason why she woke with a yelp.
It's almost 7am.
Almost time to be at the Ministry again and face the others. But she has a nasty headache and her face must be swollen from how much she cried.
Grunting, she sits. Holding her head with both hands, looking at the floor.
There's a hole in her chest. A hole that will never be filled again. The place where the love between her and Harry was resting peacefully. He made her feel safe and sure, but mostly loved and now-
Now there's nothing left. It's like her own heart was taken from her chest and she wonders how she's going to keep living, keep breathing, keep existing.
"Pull yourself together." She murmurs. "You made a choice. You need to be strong."
But she's so tired of being strong.
The few moments she could be vulnerable were with Harry-
Hermione bites hard on her lower lip and then she actually screams to the ceiling. Crookshanks leaves the bed, startled.
But she finally stands up, decided, heading to her bathroom. She takes a shower and then uses a spell to conceal away any sign that she cried her eyes out. After donning on her uniform, she drinks a simple potion for her headache, and when she's ready to leave the house, Ginny apparates inside her living room.
The two say nothing for a moment. Hermione gulps. Don't cry, don't cry, don't cry.
"Tell me I woke up with brain damage and what I heard is a lie." Ginny says, her voice low.
Hermione inhales sharply. "It is not." She says firmly. "He's a murderer, Gin. His place is inside a prison-"
"Don't!" Ginny raises a finger. She looks furious. "What the fuck are you doing, Hermione? How could you?"
"He killed your father-in-law." She states, very surprised by Ginny's reaction. And Ron's will be worse. "And he confessed to it-"
"Because you tricked him! Hermione!" She scoffs. "SHIT! I thought you were better than that! I thought you-" Ginny stops, shaking her head. "I can't believe this. No. What are you hiding? What's your secret agenda? What were your real reasons for doing this?"
Hermione presses her lips together. "I'm following orders." She says through gritted teeth.
"I can't believe you're sentencing the man who saved your life, more than once, and who I saw you desperately cry over last week because he was about to die from a werewolf bite, to death! How that even makes sense? You should have let him die, then!"
Hermione crosses her arms. "I don't have time for this. I need to be at the Ministry-"
Ginny steps closer to her, her eyes sharp. "When you grow a conscience and feel the need to open up about this, I'll hear you. Ron will hear you. But until then… forget I'm your friend."
"I had no idea you were so close to D'Angelo."
Ginny makes a face of clear disgust. "Now he's back to being D'Angelo? Why do you sound so much like Asmodeus? Why are you still following your father's orders? And you know what? Yeah, I'm pretty close to him. There's a lot you have no idea of, Hermione."
Hermione tilts her head, her heart beating faster. What's she talking about? Could it be- "Regardless-"
"Don't count on me to interrogate him or to be part of this."
And without another word, Ginny is gone.
Hermione sighs, two fingers against her temple. Then her fingers squeeze the black stone from her necklace.
She remembers the first time she talked with Ginny about Harry.
November 10th, 2005
Ministry of Magic
She's not happy with how things are with Asmo. She knew that choosing D'Angelo to go with her on this mission would be a motive for them to discuss again. And the way he just left her office is a hint of the nasty fight that's coming later. But she doesn't care… not that much.
Only Ginny remains inside the office and Hermione raises her eyes to look at her friend. She has an expression of mischief.
"What?" Hermione asks, sighing.
"Well, since a certain Italian arrived we haven't had the chance to talk properly. I think now is a good moment." Ginny smiles and sits on the couch, raising an eyebrow. Hermione snorts. "I mean, we have eyes and we can clearly see how handsome he is…" She trails.
"Gin." Hermione warns her.
"Don't tell me you don't see the way he looks at you."
Hermione purses her lips. Of course she does. He looks at her as if he wants to unravel her. Bit by bit. And she wonders if she's looking at him the same way. "Yeah, sure, with his eyes. Like any other human being."
"Such beautiful eyes, huh?"
"That apparently are destined to be inherited by his children with Sally." She's unable to hide the slight bitterness in her voice.
Ginny chuckles. "Does it bother you? D'Angelo and Sally?"
Hermione makes a face, not really getting what Ginny is saying. "Why would it?" She asks, serious, her tone a bit higher than usual. "For all I care they can have their babies and such." She waves a hand in front of her, swallowing hard, the words actually bothering her. "I'm glad she moved on from Longbottom, to be honest."
Ginny looks down. "Yeah. I mean, if D'Angelo can make her forget this whole thing, I'm up to it. I like him, he seems nice. Sally said he's surprisingly funny."
Hermione gulps, clicking her tongue. "Asmo hates him."
"Oh, really? Hadn't noticed. Maybe he can also see the way D'Angelo looks at you." Ginny provokes.
Snorting, Hermione says, "Please. He's just angry because the man was Head Auror in Italy and he has a lot of knowledge that can help me. And I really want to take him with me to interrogate Lucinda Summers, I get a feeling that he'll be helpful."
"I understand, but from what I just saw, I think a fight is coming." She's talking about Asmo.
"Indeed." Hermione sighs, standing from her chair, not wanting to talk about this anymore.
Ginny gets her cue and stands too. They embrace friendly, walking side by side before reaching the door.
"Excited about the Ball?" Ginny asks.
"Not really."
"Another Traditional with Asmo. Maybe this time it will happen." She hints about the Perfect Harmony.
"I highly doubt that, but well." She shrugs.
Ginny stops her. "Hermione. Are you sure about Asmo?"
"What do you mean?"
"About marrying him. He'll propose, won't he? We're all just waiting for it to happen."
Hermione stills. "I think he will." She tries imagining how it'll feel. "And I'm going to say yes." Mostly because… her father approves Asmo.
"Okay. You love him, right? He makes you happy and all that stuff?"
Hermione tilts her head, smiling. "Why such questions?" She hates these questions… because she's not sure about the answers. "Of course I love him, Gin. And I'm happy, yeah." She shouldn't doubt her own words.
Ginny squints but finally nods, agreeing and smiling.
Hermione's house
She walks to her room, stomping her feet on the floor. Hermione is still fuming from what happened at Lucinda Summers'.
A squib. She can't believe it.
But what's really making her mind reel is… D'Angelo. She keeps replaying what happened. From the moment they stepped inside the house to the moment she stayed outside looking at the spot he was standing before apparating away.
It infuriates her how she wanted to touch him while they were there. It infuriates her how protected and safe she felt when he clearly stood in front of her in a protective stance - something she personally thinks ridiculous.
And the exhilaration she felt when their left hands touched is what makes her truly mad. She tried ignoring it. This tingle. It's different and powerful. Strange. She never met D'Angelo before, how can they share something like this? Does he feel it too? Or is she imagining things? She's sure her magic felt different when they casted spells with their hands together.
What does it mean?
Hermione sighs, sitting on her bed and trying to calm down. She closes her eyes.
Immediately she feels bad about the girl.
Hannah seemed sweet and Hermione's heart squeezed inside her chest when she said she admired her. If it wasn't for her unnatural sense of duty, Hermione would have talked with Hannah about whatever she wanted to know.
She realized from the start that Hannah was a squib. There was no other plausible explanation for the girl to be home. And it heaved on her. She knew from the moment they stepped inside the house that she would have to take the girl into custody. It was only natural the way Lucinda acted. A mother knows no boundaries when it comes to protecting their child.
And D'Angelo. When he understood, he-
Hermione looks down, inhaling deeply.
He was ready to defy his Head Auror. He wanted to protect the girl.
Hermione was insanely attracted to him in that moment. She wanted to kiss him, badly.
When he took that bullet for her she… doubted his action. But now she's sure he's just inherently good. Kind.
And she has no idea why he's there. In London. Hermione knows they're not the kindest. Not the fairest. Not the good guys. Not really.
"What's your secret, D'Angelo?" She murmurs.
The way Lucinda Summers called him a 'traitor of his blood' remains with Hermione. The woman meant something with that. And D'Angelo was a bit shaken by the words.
She needs to think about this. About the tingle. About these words.
And about how she wanted to kiss him. She makes a face at that. She shouldn't be feeling this. She has a boyfriend. She-
Hermione shakes her head. It's ridiculous to deny the jealousy she felt - again - when he said he was going to have dinner with the Blacks. It seems that things with Sally are getting serious and it… irks her.
She falls backwards, lying on the bed, her arms open. "Fuck."
D'Angelo has been occupying her mind more than she's ready to admit. Way more. And then there's Asmo already doubting the way she's acting and how she's favoring-
Nothing good can come out of this. Not really. And deep down she knows she should stay away from D'Angelo, but how is she going to discover his secrets if she doesn't talk to him? She needs to do this, she binded herself to her father, she promised she would.
So, yeah, okay, she needs to be close to him.
But she doesn't need to keep thinking about him. Or being jealous of him. Or hurt because of the way he looked at her today outside the house. Or angry that he refused her help with the Traditional because he'll dance with Sally.
What if they have the Perfect Harmony?
Her heart beats faster at the thought. She doesn't like it. At all.
And she wonders how close they already are. Are they fucking? Hermione puts a hand over her face. She hates the idea and she grunts, extremely frustrated.
She never cared this much about someone else's life. She doesn't understand what's happening, why it bothers her, why he's taking over her mind and seizing her sanity… slowly, but consistently.
Hermione always internally bragged about the way she can hide her feelings and emotions. She does it well. It's often impossible to tell what's going through her mind. And she never expresses how she feels. It takes a lot for her to do it, only if it's eating her from the inside out. Which almost never happens.
So, it's incomprehensible why she's thinking about going to stand in front of Grimmauld to see what D'Angelo and Sally have.
"I've lost my mind." She says.
But… she needs to watch D'Angelo-
Deciding and not minding how crazy it is, she takes her wand and apparates to the Muggle street.
It's already dark and she imagines that D'Angelo will be there shortly. She hides between two houses across the street, in the shadows, putting up a charm capable of making her kinda of invisible. She can see the place where Grimmauld, 12th stands.
And she indeed waits only a few minutes.
D'Angelo appears, coming from the shadows. He has a bouquet of roses in his hand and Hermione presses her lips together. He looks insanely good.
She smiles at the way he searches for the house. He has no clue of what's happening, but then Sally is there. Hermione holds her breath at the smile he opens to the other woman. They talk in an embrace, their heads close. She can't hear what they're saying, but it looks intimate.
And then they kiss.
Hermione was definitely not ready to see that. It flares the jealousy inside her and without thinking, she moves her wrist and sends off a car alarm.
They separate.
She blinks many times, questioning herself.
It takes her minutes to move. When she does, they're already inside the house. And her heart is beating fast, her head pounding. She doesn't remember feeling this way… ever.
Shaking her head she decides going back home.
March 25th, 2006
Ministry of Magic
She strides to her office, avoiding the stares and glares. She knew some would side with her while others would think her action vile. She doesn't know how the news got around so fast, but it doesn't surprise her. The Ministry is a gossip den.
Hermione sighs when she enters the room and heads to her desk, sitting. She's shaking. Her father called for a meeting inside his office in ten minutes. She knows all the counselors will be there. And Ron and Draco and Ginny. Her friends that she loves with her heart. And she has no idea how she'll deal with everything.
Things will be tense until Matteo and Chiara arrive. Only Hermione knows they're coming. The others have no clue of what's happening and they surely think she's handing Harry's head to her father, to Azkaban, to death.
She closes her eyes. Just the thought makes her shudder. She feels nauseated by it.
Never.
She would never do that to him. It may seem the contrary but she's saving his life. Giving him another chance. A better one.
Leaning back on her chair she thinks about the only person that's happy. Asmodeus.
Hermione grits her teeth. She hates him. He's the main responsible for all of this. And she has to smile to him and pretend everything is fine in front of the others. She'll have to marry this monster.
Shaking her head she tries sending away these thoughts. There's no use in mulling over this now, it won't do her any good.
The best she can do is focus on the meeting that's coming and the probable interrogation she'll conduct later.
She wants to cry.
She's not quite ready to face Harry's hatred so dead on.
November 11th, 2005
Hermione's house
She enters the house and stops at the small foyer, panting. Hermione just went out for a run to vent a bit. Whenever her mind is working this fast, she needs a moment to calm down, and there's nothing better than a long run.
Letting out a heavy breath, she heads to the shower. A lot happened today at the Ministry and now, finally, she can think a bit more clearly.
Lucinda Summers and her daughter are being transferred to Azkaban in two hours. And the only reason why Asmo is not there yelling with her is because he's supervising this.
However, this time he would be right in his anger. Hermione still has no idea why she threw him to that wall. But she lost it. She completely lost it when she saw him trying to punch D'Angelo. It was a strong need inside her - to defend him, protect. She makes a face while she turns on the water. Of course D'Angelo is capable of protecting himself, but-
She doesn't know what to think. There's a pull between them. Something. It feels mostly physical, an attraction. But also… more. It's inexplainable. She loses all rational thought when they're close. Today, again, she wanted to kiss him. She wondered how it would feel to press her lips against his and wind her arms around his shoulders, run her hands through his hair-
"Oh, shit."
She palms the tiles of her shower, her head under the cold water. She's breathing hard and it's not because of the run, but because she's imagining how his strong hands would run her body, squeeze her flesh and-
Taking a deep breath, she steers her thoughts to what really matters. Lucinda Summers' interrogation.
Her emotions and feelings are all over the place regarding this woman and the whole thing around her and Hannah. Hermione can't lie to herself, D'Angelo's words hurt.
The truth hurts.
Hermione doesn't agree either with sentencing them to a Dementor's kiss. It's ludicrous. They did nothing wrong. Hannah is just a girl and the mother was blackmailed into taking part in what happened at the Fair.
Narrowing her eyes, she dries herself. The man who threatened Lucinda… he played his cards well. A mother in this situation wouldn't refuse to do whatever he asked of her. And she wouldn't risk alerting the authorities.
And the fact that D'Angelo is right about everything gives her a headache. Mother and daughter don't deserve this. Even if Lucinda is hiding something, it doesn't matter.
Lucinda is a Pureblood. Her husband was a Pureblood. And even so, Hannah is a squib.
The older she gets, less sense her father's rule makes to her.
Hannah can't be held accountable. Neither her mother. And this is making Hermione anxious.
The way D'Angelo looked at her when he left-
"He'll do something stupid, won't he, Crookshanks?" She asks her cat, that only yawns. Hermione dresses herself all in black, ready for… combat. "I guess I'll help him. I mean, he was right, this is not sitting well with me and it won't be the first time, right?" She crouches to pet the cat. Crookshanks purrs. "I still can't believe that you like him." Hermione makes a face and sighs. "Well, who am I to judge? I think I like him a bit too." She says in a low voice, her heart beating slightly faster.
Then, she's up and ready to help him save mother and daughter.
March 25th, 2006
Ministry of Magic
The elevator's ride seems eternal. Her throat is dry and she's dizzy.
She fears meeting Sirius, Remus, Molly… her mother. Especially her mother. At least Narcissa is not here. Since Lucius' death, Draco's mother resigned from the position.
Hermione squeezes the black stone of her necklace. It hurts. All of this. She's broken inside.
But taking a deep breath, she holds her head high. These first moments are going to be the worst. Eventually, things will calm down. Then, later, Harry will be set free and things will find a way of going back to normal.
Not that things have been normal for the past months, but well.
She exits the elevator and walks slowly to the office.
And she presses her lips together. Sirius is sitting there in one of the chairs outside the office around her father's statue. He sighs when he sees her, standing up and coming closer. There's a wildness in his eyes, some hurt and anger.
"Tell me this is not for real." He says in a low voice, his words very similar to Ginny's.
Hermione gulps. Sirius, more than anyone else, saw how completely crazy and desperate she was because of the werewolf bite… but no one other than Matteo and Chiara can know the truth. They need to think that she hates Harry.
Because that's the only way Harry will hate her too.
"It is." She says.
"Hermione."
She looks into his eyes. "Sirius. What do you want me to say? D'Angelo is dangerous." She hates herself. "I could tell he was hiding something and my father was also sure." She hints. "As Head Auror I need to do this. It's my duty." She uses this card. They all know how serious she is about her position. They have no idea she would gladly forfeit it for Harry. "You should be happy that we found Lucius' killer." She says sharply.
Sirius opens and closes his mouth two times, narrowing his eyes. She can tell he wants to say something important, and she holds her breath, unsure. She knows he and Harry got pretty close. And she's not sure she can handle… whatever it is that Harry said about her to Sirius. Not to mention that Sirius had the Perfect Harmony with Eleonora. He knows how it feels. How it is.
Sirius won't buy this betrayal. At all.
"You're right." He says finally, clearing his throat and pocketing his hands. "Sure. If he's responsible, he needs to pay."
Hermione wets her lips. She's cold inside, nervous. "Has my mother arrived?"
"She's inside with Remus and Molly." She nods. "May I ask what are your plans? I mean, are you going to investigate him further?"
Tilting her head, she says, "We're going to discuss this at the meeting."
And before Sirius can say another word, Ron, Draco and Ginny exit the elevator. Hermione gulps. Draco greets her normally, but Ginny goes past her.
Ron, however, stops in front of her.
It hurts even more. Her best friend is… disappointed.
"Can I have a word with you before the meeting?" He asks. Sirius is walking to the office with Draco.
She only nods.
November 12th, 2005
Ministry of magic
She wants Asmo to stop talking. Her mind is not ready to deal with him. She knows he has a lot to say. After the way she threw him at the wall and what happened yesterday, the way Lucinda and her daughter vanished under his nose…
She needs to say a few harsh truths to him about how he failed as Auror, the same way she needs to show concern about what happened and behave outraged.
But truth is-
Her mind is taken by Harry.
She keeps thinking about everything they shared. And it's a bit overwhelming how much it all scares her. Hermione opened up a bit to him yesterday. She asked him to sleep there with her. She- she talked about a few insecurities regarding her father...
Something she never, under any circumstance, does. Ever. The only person with she dares talking about her father is her mother.
But with Harry, she feels… safe. Protected. Capable of talking about anything. And that's insanely scary.
It is also scary how much she wants him.
There's no use in trying to deny. She wants him. And he wants her, doesn't he? The way he looked at her. How he ran his finger on her scar. How close he pulled her by the waist and how he enjoyed her caress.
Again she felt jealous of Sally and-
These are dangerous waters. Complicate.
She glances at Asmo. He's sitting on her couch, talking, venting. Furious.
This morning she knew she wasn't in bed with Asmo. But when she realized what she was doing, how she was hugging Harry and squeezing his abs - those fabulous abs - and how she was throbbing for him, soaking wet- Hermione presses her lips together. Fuck. She's sure he had a hard on.
Would they have fucked if she had taken the initiative? She can't help wondering. And then wondering how it would have felt.
Maybe I should end things with Asmo.
She frowns at the thought. She's really considering cheating. Or else she wouldn't be thinking about ending things with him, but-
No. She won't turn her life upside down because of D'Angelo. She barely knows him! And honestly, to end a long relationship with the man she's probably marrying to have sex with a foreigner that she has no future with is just-
Hermione wants to groan at this mess. She feels crazy. Off balance. It's like Harry is there to shake her foundations, to make her question everything she always thought settled. Hermione likes to plan things. She likes to know where she's heading. And with Harry- he just messes with everything.
He takes away all her certainties.
And what once she thought would be her biggest problem, she discovered she actually… enjoys.
It was exhilarating what they did last night. Liberating. She likes the way he makes her think outside the box and the way he makes her laugh. She likes his company. She likes talking with him and sharing informations with him-
And he saved her. Again. She thinks about her new scars. Scars she got with him. Probably the best ones she has now.
She sighs. This is all very confusing. Unexpected. One thing is to be sure of how good looking he is, another one entirely is obsessing over kissing him, enjoying his company and wanting to be with him-
"Am I boring you?" Asmo asks. He's standing in front of her desk, his hands inside his pockets. She finds herself observing her boyfriend. Asmo is not ugly. But he's not as handsome as Harry. Brown hair, black eyes, a beautiful body and face, but even so…
"Of course not. I'm listening."
He makes a face of contempt. "One of them broke my wand." He says in a low voice. Hermione sets her jaw. "I don't know when I'll be able to get a new one and-" He runs a hand through his hair, frustrated. Hermione stands from the chair and circles the table to hug him. She loves her boyfriend. I do.
He relaxes in her arms. "Hey. It happens, Asmo." She pulls back, looking into his eyes. "But you do know that I have to be a bitch about it, don't you? You failed in your mission. And it was very simple, just a transportation-"
"You can't be serious!" He exclaims, stepping back. "They were prepared, Hermione! Waiting! I'm sure it was D'Angelo! It's all there! What Lucinda Summers said and the way you told me he behaved. It's clear that he wanted to save mother and daughter! He knew about the transference and-"
"I don't think accusing a fellow Auror is the best way to deal with this."
"Stop defending him! Fuck!" He's almost screaming. Asmo narrows his eyes. "You know what? One of them was a woman. I held her from behind and I got a feeling of familiarity that confused me, but," He comes closer to her, Hermione is breathing evenly, not one bit shaken by what she knows is coming, "now that I think about it…" He presses his lips together with force. "Are you in this with him? Are you?" He yells the last words.
"Don't be ridiculous." She says in a dangerous voice.
Asmo laughs hysterically. "Oh, my, I think the Minister needs to hear about this! Hear about the way you're so fascinated with the Italian!"
Hermione sighs, tired. Asmo is jealous. This is all happening because he wants D'Angelo to go back to Italy.
"Why you keep wanting to have this conversation, Asmo? Why are you so jealous of him? Do I give you motives to doubt what I feel for you?" Her voice is getting higher. "You know what?" And she strides to the door, opening it and praying that D'Angelo has arrived.
Her heart skips a beat when she sees him there with Ginny and Ron. It flashes through her mind the way they woke this morning. But she clears her throat and calls to him. She needs to be clear about things in front of Asmo, and she's doing it now.
March 25th, 2006
Ministry of Magic
"You're my best friend." Ron begins their conversation with this phrase and she tries not crumbling down. Her wish is to spill out all the truth. "We've known each other since we were little kids, Hermione. We already dated. We had countless fights. But this friendship never wavered. Never changed. You know why?" She shakes her head. "Because I was sure of who you were. Sure of your kindness and good heart, sure of what to expect from my amazing best friend." She sets her jaw. Don't cry, Hermione. Don't you dare. She's ready to hear that now everything changed, that he doesn't know her anymore- "I don't know why you did this. But I trust you." Ron says in a low voice. She lets out a heavy breath, a tear running down her face. "Ginny does too. She's just a bit angry now. I am too. And Draco is very shaken, but-" He shakes his head. "I'm not an idiot. I know you feel something more for Harry." She widens her eyes. "Don't deny it." He raises a hand. She's dizzy. Oh, fuck, what's happening? Do they all know? Well, it certainly became obvious after the werewolf bite. "I'm sure Harry will understand this and forgive you too."
Her heart stops. That's exactly what she fears. She doesn't want Harry to forgive her. He can't. She doesn't deserve it. She doesn't deserve their love or forgiveness.
She lowers her eyes, crossing her arms, bracing herself. "I don't want forgiveness, Ron. I've done nothing wrong, just my job."
"You don't actually mean that."
"I do. I really do." Liar. I'm such a liar. "I hope D'Angelo pays for what he's done and I have to say that your reactions baffle me. I can't understand why you're all so eager to protect a murderer."
Ron blinks a few times, making a face. It's almost like she slapped him.
She's losing everything. Everything.
But it's all for Harry. And it's worth it.
"Maybe he's even responsible for the invasion at the Manor." Hermione continues. She knows he isn't.
"You think the way you got his confession was… noble?" She can already see him getting angrier, his ears turning red. How the hell do they all know what happened?
"I don't care about nobility." She says firmly. "I care about getting things done my way." She hisses to him, trying to own the part she'll play from now on.
"Like a true Riddle." He snorts.
She narrows her eyes. "Exactly."
Ron pockets his hands, snorting, looking down. "Wow, Hermione, I-" He chokes and she tries not reacting to some tears rolling down his cheek. "You really disappointed me."
And without another word, Ron heads to her father's office, giving his back to her. Hermione gulps, letting out a shaky breath. She brushes lonely tears from her cheeks and readies herself to face this meeting.
But a hand on her lower back stops her. She feels a chill run down her spine. Turning her head she sees Asmodeus. He's smiling.
"Hello, love." He says, a glint in his eyes. And he leans to give her a kiss. Hermione wants to punch his face. But she kisses him back. That's the price she's paying.
"Hey." She says to him. "Where were you last night?" She asks.
"Celebrating, of course." He cups her cheek with a hand. She makes a huge effort not to flinch. "My father was ecstatic with the news. Now D'Angelo will finally pay for what he did, and all thanks to you." He kisses her again. "I'm so proud of you."
Hermione would rather pluck her eyes out than having him say he's proud of her.
"Come, the meeting is about to start."
(…)