Ginny had listened intently as Fleur explained why she intentionally had been left out of meetings and all communications for months now.

"I would like to say thank you for all the information you have given us over the past year it has been very helpful. But we thought it was best you didn't know," the blonde ended. Her voice soft and sad.

"You're telling me, you knew? You all knew what that bitch was going to do? You condoned this Fleur?" her voice began to rise and Fleur placed her hand on the young witch's wrist.

"Please lower your voice." She hissed looking around.

Ginny looked around the small café and was relieved she didn't draw attention to the small booth where they sat.

She rubbed her eyes with her free hand, "so, this is Hermione we are talking about. This is our friend, she's innocent in all of this and so was her child."

She was on the verge of tears and Fleur regretted telling her. Maybe Neville and the others were right Ginny along with Hermione had grown comfortable in their new accommodations with their husbands. She reckoned it was time to cut her loses.

"Fleur, has there been any plots against my life?"

"No and there were none against Hermione, at the time, or at least none that Neville agreed to," she sighed, "it was more of an opportunity; it was more about the Dark Lord than it was about her, I can assure you that was the case. She's collateral damage, just like everyone else."

Ginny closed her eyes. She wanted to pretend this was all a bad dream, that somehow she heard incorrectly and that her once close friends weren't capable of plotting with a mad woman to kill a friend.

She leaned forward, "so was nothing she did to move the Order forward, her sacrifices, good enough? Have you all forgotten? All the times she kept Harry and Ron alive." She hissed the last part.

The older blonde leaned in as well, "Ginny let me be clear, the Order is no more, Harry is dead. He's not coming back, we all were mistaken, he wasn't the Chosen One and as for Ron," she hesitated wrestling with whether or not to tell the woman her brother was alive.

"As for Ron, he's no more," Fleur could see her one time sister-in-law was on the verge of tears. She patted the woman's closed fist and started to rise from the table.

Ginny reached out and grabbed her arm causing Fleur to still.

"Is this what we have come to? Plotting against friends with Death Eaters and killing children? We are no better than them if that is the case."

She pulled her arm away, now she was starting to get angry. After everything, after all this time it was clear Ginny didn't get it.

"Ginny, or rather Mrs. Snape," she spat out.

Ginny bristled at her married name being used but remained quiet.

"This is why for months you have been kept out. We did what was needed to strike a blow to that maniac. As for Death Eaters many of them make up the Resistance now it seems even they have grown disgruntled and frustrated. This is our reality now! You are still a baby wanting everything to be perfect and living in the past while lying in a traitor's arms. The Order played it safe last time, maybe if they had been more aggressive during the early stages of his rise they could have stopped him at the onset before he became what he is now."

Ginny wanted to lash out at the woman in front of her to make an argument but she couldn't. This didn't feel real.

Fleur continued. "You asked about Hermione's contributions, yes, in the past, they were more than enough. But she has changed I am sure you can admit that yourself. We all have. This will be our last meeting. You two are too close to them now."

She stood, "I still love both of you, but everything is so different now. Goodbye."

Before Ginny could respond the woman stepped around the gate and into muggle London she lost her in the sea of pedestrians.

She paid the tab and left her eyes downcast as she walked the street people rushing past her.

Once at home she hid away in the library missing dinner. Severus found her staring out the window her magic vibrated all around her and he could feel her turmoil.

"Ginevra." he spoke softly.

She turned and faced him before breaking out in sobs. Severus rushed to her and pulled her into an embrace, her head resting on his shoulder.

"They knew," she blurted out between a sob.

"They knew? Ginevra?," he pulled back to look at her.

"Fleur, Neville, the Resistance, they knew what Bellatrix was going to do and they..." she trailed off and looked at him, "they let it happen."

He sighed, he wasn't surprised, they had all been good kids, he could admit that but war did change people often times bringing out their worse

"If that is the case, then..."

"I know, stay away. If they so easily turned the tables with Hermione then I am a target as well, right?"

He nodded, "yes, you are collateral damage."

She chuckled, "you sound like Fleur. Collateral damage."

"That's how this works, Ginevra. When you have an agenda to execute no one is off limits, it seems your friends learned that the hard way."

"If I ask something will you be honest?"

"Always."

"You were in the Order you knew me before all of this, was I being a baby about everything? You know."

He thought a moment before responding.

"No, I don't think you were being a baby, naïve, yes. You along with..." he paused, "Harry, Hermione, and Ron along with all of the others were grossly naïve when it came to the Dark Lord and how far he was willing to go."

She sighed, "is it okay if I met with Hermione tomorrow?"

"You don't have to ask. Anytime."

"Thank you," she smiled at him, "I think I'll stay in here for a little while, if that's okay?"

He rose, "of course."

Severus kissed her on the forehead and left her to her thoughts. He exited the library glad that she was aware of the truth and understood how grave the situation was for all involved and that the harsh reality check was delivered not by him but by Fleur.. Yet, he was sad for her, this further shattered what bit of innocence that remained.

Ginny sat across from her friend in the private study happy and confused. Her happiness came from the fact that her best friend had made a full recovery and seemed to be doing well. Yet, she was confused on talks of another baby and rekindling, love?

"Hermione?"

Hermione placed her mug down smiling brightly, "yes, Ginny?" She stopped smiling and grew concerned when her friend didn't immediately respond.

"Is something wrong Gin? Is it Severus?"

"No, ummm, I have to ask, are you in love with him? Are you really in love with that monster?" Ginny fumbled with her hands below the table.

Hermione looked offended and scowled briefly before her lips upturned into a glowing smile.

"He's not a monster, Gin. I've seen him, the real him. The other night we rekindled something, excuse me for being cliché but it was magical, maybe it was love. I have made him love, Ginny."

Ginny could see the excitement in her friend's eyes, she became sick to her stomach. This wasn't Hermione, not the real one.

"You should think about putting out one fire before rekindling another."

Hermione looked confused, "what are you talking about?"

"In hospital, the draughts they gave you are notorious for making people talk in their sleep. Why do you think I stayed by your side day and night Hermione? I didn't want someone to hear you say the wrong things. Lucius. You would repeat his name often. I was curious so I extracted some memories and watched them. I saw and heard everything between you and him. From what I saw those emotions were real, that raw magic that happened between the two of you were real."

She looked affronted and her breathing increased. Her eyes narrowed and Ginny could tell she was furious.

"How dare you? What gave you the right to invade my thoughts? "

"I did it for your protection. I have never been a fan of the man but Hermione he really loves you. Lucius, he is willing to risk everything for you and what you just ignore him."

"I want you out," she hissed and stood. Ginny didn't move.

"Hermione, there are things you need to know the Resistance knew what Bellatrix was going to do and they didn't stop her. "

"No, Bellatrix acted alone. We all knew she was mad, insane! They wouldn't do that to me and definitely not to my baby."

"No Hermione, she came to them and told them what she was going to do and they didn't stop her, they didn't even tell me!" Ginny began to plead.

"You're just jealous Ginny! You have always been a jealous brat! A baby, no wonder Dumbledore or the Order never let you do anything!" She shouted through tears.

Ginny stood abruptly knocking over her chair.

"You've changed Hermione, being with him has corrupted you...he's destroying you from the inside out! You're so brilliant that you're stupid! Don't you see! I have no reason to lie to you! The friends of our Hogwarts' days are no more this war has harden them! They will stop at nothing until they bring him down even if it means getting rid of you."

Hermione now had her hands on her hips eyes closed as she took everything in.

She huffed, "why would they...how could they?"

Ginny could see that the sister she always wanted was hurt. She chose to remain silent.

Her eyes fluttered open and they had taken on a different hue. It unnerved Ginny.

"I don't believe it, Tom always said you had to watch those around you. You're trying to make me paranoid, I want you out Ginny." She pointed at the door.

Ginny was hurt but decided she would not fight her friend.

"I'll go, when you crash back to earth from what ever high your on I'm not guaranteed to be there waiting to pick up the pieces. Because with him you will crash and burn, you always do." She didn't need to elaborate on the him, they both knew of whom she spoke.

Ginny grabbed her cloak from the floor and turned to leave. She stopped and turned to her friend, "He came to see you a few times, as much as he could I reckon. Lucius, I mean, never saw your husband."

She left slamming the door behind her.