All of Harry Potter and anything related to it are the sole property of J.K. Rowling.
(All titles are from songs I believe suit the overall story, if not the chapter.)
* This Chapter contains snippets of the original chapter from Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows.
Grimmauld Place, Still August 1997
Hermione's Point of View
Those first few days after the wedding were a blur of fear, discovery, and determination. We were no longer the three innocent schoolchildren from not so long ago, but soldiers in a war that was bigger than us. I thought I had already known what to expect after the trip to the Hall of Prophecy and the death of Sirius, but seeing so many people terrorised in one place made everything so much more frightening than ever before.
When I had taken us away from there, I took us to the first place to come to mind, a place where Draco and I had had a thrilling, if mortifying, dalliance just days before. My parents had not been so pleased with us at all after that outing. Tottenham Court Road was a busy Muggle street in the heart of London, and I had thought we would have been safe from the Death Eaters there. There were so many people, so many distractions, I thought we would blend in, that we would be unnoticed. But I had been wrong—so terribly wrong. We had had to fight our way out of a café when two Death Eaters, Antonin Dolohov and Thorfinn Rowle, had attacked us.
Following that, we went to Grimmauld Place, the Black family home and former headquarters of the Order of the Phoenix. It was here that we discovered the true identity of R.A.B. - Regulus Arcturus Black, Sirius' younger brother. The locket that Harry and Professor Dumbledore had risked their lives to retrieve from a concealed cave on the evening of Professor Dumbledore's death turned out to be a fake. The real one had been taken by Regulus, leaving behind a note bearing his initials as a mark of his defiance.
Harry had summoned Kreacher, the House Elf that now belonged to him by way of his magic being tied to the ancestral home he resided in, who recounted to us the story of how Regulus had ordered him to take the locket and destroy it. It was a tale of courage and self-sacrifice, a stark contrast to the pureblood fanaticism that the Black family was known for.
Regrettably, the large town house that Harry had inherited had been ransacked and burglarized by a wizard he had met once, to his knowledge and only briefly. Harry had been incensed that anyone would exploit Sirius's death in such a manner, and instructed the decrepit old House Elf to locate the wizard and bring him to us at any cost.
It was through this that we learned that the hateful toad, Dolores Umbridge, had the real locket in her possession, and we began devising plans on how to retrieve Slytherin's necklace. I was glad to have something to engage my mind because there were only so many times I could search for clues in the children's book Professor Dumbledore had bequeathed me.
It was a collection of fairy tales called 'The Tales of Beedle the Bard'. I had recognised the story book at once because Draco had bought a copy so he could read it to Aiden. This one, however, had a small hand-drawn symbol inside the cover that I knew was not in the copy Draco had. The symbol was a circle with a line and a triangle inside it that I knew I recognised but, oddly, couldn't precisely recollect when I had seen it. It was frustrating me to no end, as I usually had a very good memory.
I was also glad to have something to occupy my time because I was sick of walking into the old, gloomy rooms and having Ron and Harry stop talking. The whole time since we had arrived at Grimmald Place, I had noticed that Ron and Harry kept having secretive conversations that they clearly didn't want me to know about. They also both watch me strangely at times, as though they were waiting for something to happen, but for the life of me, I had no idea what it could be.
It was our thirteenth night in Grimmald Place, and all day the two had looked as if someone was dying. They had barely spoken to me, and when they did, they sounded nervous and tense. I had no idea what was bothering them, but I was determined to find out. Kreature prepared dinner for us in the kitchen, serving pumpkin juice with the meal. He had been surprisingly helpful since Harry had promised to destroy the Horcrux, and Harry had been better with him too, now treating him with kindness and respect. Kreature had even cleaned up the house a bit, removing some of the dust and cobwebs that had accumulated over the years.
I had just finished a mouthful of roast potato and reached for my juice, hoping to wash down the dryness. I took a deep drink and immediately regretted it. The juice was sickeningly sweet, as if someone had poured honey into it. I grimaced and set the glass down, wondering why it tasted so different from usual. I didn't think much of it, though, as I looked at the two across the table who were still avoiding looking at me or each other.
I decided the time had come to put an end to this and find out just what was wrong with them, when a strong feeling of lethargy overcame me. I swayed in my seat, and my eyelids drooped, my head becoming very heavy. Horror filled me as I realised they had drugged me. Just before I passed out, they both lifted their heads and looked at me with guilty expressions.
"Sorry, Hermione, but this really is for..." Ron was saying apologetically before I heard no more.
Ron's Point of View
Blimey, things were weird. Not that it was anything new when Harry was involved, but it was happening with Hermione too now, and that was just wrong. Luna had told me Hermione was dating someone, and I had been chuffed for her because I had realised I fancied Luna a lot, which shocked me to bits. I mean, I had known Luna for ages, and I had always thought she was the loony mate of my little sister. I guess I was a bit gutted at first too, but I got over it fast. I reckoned Hermione and I had a thing for each other, but I guess I was wrong. She had moved on, and so had I.
It wasn't long after Luna had a go at me in the Great Hall when I had made a prat of myself over Hermione that I began to wonder. Luna had said how other people had fancied me. I was stunned to hear that. I didn't think I was handsome enough like Bill or strong like Charlie or daring and charming like the twins could be with girls. Even Percy the pillock had got a girlfriend, but he was really smart, and I knew some girls liked that too.
That day, Luna had mentioned that some people wear funny hats to get people's attention, and once I thought on it, I remembered that Luna had made a special hat to cheer me on when I played my first Quidditch game and had come over to our table to wish me luck. Then I remembered other times and realised Luna laughed at more of my jokes than anyone else's and backed me up in a lot of discussions. Somehow, I had missed it all at the time, but once I noticed it, I found I liked it.
I also realised I fancied Luna a lot in the looks department. All that long blonde hair and silvery eyes were gorgeous, and the only thing that I thought put anyone off was the strange things that came out of her mouth.
I thought I was lucky, though, because I had also seen how bloody brave she is and smart and funny. After all that stuff with Dumbledore and then the Horcrux in the RoR, I started looking for Luna in the castle and found she was hilarious and fun to hang out with. I had thought about her a lot when I got home, too.
Then, when I got to escape the chaos of the Burrow on one of our old brooms, I had spotted her in the small, wooded area between our houses. I started meeting her there every day just to chat and ask her what she was up to. Most of it went over my head, but she was so easy to be around and the most peaceful person in the world. She made me feel calm and relaxed while also making my heart pound hard in my chest when she looked at me and smiled.
When I had told Hermione about my feelings for Luna, I hadn't been sure what she was going to say. I mean, she had hated my relationship with Lavender, and for a bit there, I thought I was going to lose one of my best mates, but she had been brilliant. I knew Hermione had hung out with Luna more this past year, but I hadn't realised just how close the two had got. It was a right pleasant surprise, that was.
What was more worrying was when Hermione had told me she got hitched. I just couldn't work out why my super sensible and clever friend would do that, even if she did say she loved the bloke. I tried to tell myself that maybe it was because of the war. We all knew that was part of the reason why Bill and Fleur were getting married now, but at least they had been going out for nearly two years, and we all knew her. Hermione wouldn't even say who she was going with, and that struck me as odd. I was glad when she said I could tell Harry because I honestly didn't know what to make of it.
It was late when Harry got back to my room, and I wasn't too chuffed because I knew he had been off in Ginny's room. At least I knew they couldn't have done too much because Hermione was also kipping in there, but I didn't like the idea of my baby sister snogging any wizard, even my best mate. Still, it was better him than anyone else, and like I knew, nothing more than snogging had been going on, and I couldn't fault them for that, I supposed. I was itching to snog Luna; I just didn't know when I would get the chance.
When Harry had snuck back into my room, he had been sheepish and happy, but his mood changed right away when I told him Hermione's news. He looked scared and angry and started mumbling things about Dumbledore under his breath, which I couldn't hear but frowned at because it seemed to have nothing to do with this. Then he had turned to me and said he thought she must have been under a love spell or potion or something and might have been for most of the last year. He even tried to persuade me at one point that that might have been what was wrong with Hermione being ill, but I pointed out that Madam Pomphrey would have spotted that.
He would not let go of the idea of the Love Potion, though, and the more he spoke, the more I thought it was a good chance. I mean, who else would marry someone for no reason and then keep them a secret? Harry was sure there was no reason good enough to keep a secret like this if she was doing it of her own free will. He also seemed to be angry at Hermione, which I was gobsmacked at, but when I asked, he said it was something he wanted to look into by himself first. I was used to Harry wanting to do things like that now, so I just went along with it, knowing he would tell me sooner or later.
The day of the wedding was stressful at first because all the witches were bloody mental and frantic, as if they didn't have most of the day to get everything ready. When the time came for the guests to start showing up, all the wizards in the house were thankful to get away from them, but they had calmed down a lot by then.
I didn't get a chance to see Luna before the wedding, but I was chuffed to see her at our table after it and made a beeline for her. She looked brilliant in her yellow dress robes, but I was always rubbish at smooth talk and mucked it up. Luckily, she didn't seem to care. I took her out to see where the gnomes liked to hang about and was gobsmacked when Luna pulled a plate with a bit of cake out of a charmed pocket. She made the plate and cake bigger and made it look like wedding cake. When I asked her what she was up to, she showed me all the places the gnomes had already been trying to wreck the tent.
She reckoned they were after the wedding cake, so she came up with a plan. She put the cake down on the ground, and then we kept quiet for a few minutes until more than a dozen of the little buggers came from all over and dived into it. Hardly a minute later, the whole thing was demolished scoffed by the greedy blighters; they all wobbled around and then keeled over.
I thought at first they were done for, but Luna said they were just stunned. She pulled an empty potions phial from her pocket then and went over to collect what looked like the drool of one of the ugly things that loved messing up my mum's gardens.
When that was done, she floated them into the gardens so they wouldn't get trodden on by careless guests. It was then that she smiled beamingly at me, and I knew I had to risk everything and tell her how I felt.
"Er... Luna, listen... There's something I need to ask you," I said, scratching my neck as she tilted her head to watch me. "You know, we've been hanging out a lot lately," I said nervously.
"I remember. You were very kind in helping me and Daddy with those dirigible plums that we couldn't reach. Did you notice that they suited your colouring perfectly?" she asked.
"Er, yeah," I said again with a frown. "You see, Luna, I, er. I think I really like you, and I was wondering if you'd be my girlfriend. Maybe this is a bad time with the war and all that, but I just..." I said hastily, the words tumbling out of me.
"I like you too," she said softly before I could finish, and took a step closer to me.
"You do?" I asked with a grin and took a step closer to her too.
"Yes, of course. You're very brave and loyal and funny. And you have very nice freckles," she replied, smiling.
"So, will you be my girlfriend?" I asked, hoping she would say yes.
"Yes," she said again, gazing at me with her dreamy silvery eyes, "and I would like very much if you would kiss me, Ronald Weasley."
"I would like that too," I told her, but added, "you could call me Ron if you wanted."
"Why would I want to do that? You are much more interesting than just a plain name like that, but I suppose I could call you Ronald if you wish. You have such a lovely name, Ronald. It sounds like a lion's roar."
"I'll take that," I said, grinning like a fool at the compliment.
"Will you kiss me now?" she asked. I nodded and did, and it was amazing. Even in this, Luna was unique. She was different from anyone else I had ever met, and made me feel things I had never felt before. Blimey, snogging Luna was loads better than snogging Lavender ever was. I shoved aside the nagging doubts that had crept up since the whole Lavender fiasco, determined to do better this time. To be more careful. Luna made me swear that we would dance a few times, and I said yes, just because I really liked the way she felt against me and wanted to have more of that.
I felt a bit awkward going back to the table, thinking my mates and Krum would take the mickey out of me, but everyone acted like nothing weird was going on. Maybe for them that was true, but I felt as if I was in a dream, and everything about Luna was wonderful and exciting.
I couldn't stop smiling at her, and I liked the little quirk on her lips when she looked back at me, her smile mostly in her eyes. I liked that she seemed to want to keep her real smiles for when we were alone together. Everything was just better; the food tasted amazing, and so did the drink, and I swear I danced perfectly with Luna in my arms.
She even let me snog her once on the dance floor, but it was nothing compared to the one we shared outside in private. I had a dance with my mum, who was shocked that I had snogged Luna but didn't seem too bothered about it today.
Later on, I got into a chat with Harry and the twins about different Love Potions, but the twins got worried when Harry told them about the tattoo on Hermione's arm. They said they'd look into it but gave Harry a strong Purging Potion they had on them for some reason and told him to only use it if Hermione didn't notice anything wrong after thirteen days. They reckoned that if she wasn't getting dosed with something regularly, then all Love Potions would wear off after that long. They didn't know what to think of the glowing tattoo, though, and wondered if it could be something worse than a Love Potion.
I wasn't keen on the idea of drugging Hermione, but I hated that someone was messing with her, and I wanted her to be okay. I knew she'd forgive us when she was back in her right mind.
For nearly two weeks since the wedding, Harry and I had been expecting the moment when she would flip out when she realised what had happened to her, but instead, she had nicked off to the bedroom she used to share with Ginny, and Kreature had told us that he had seen her sobbing the day before. At first, we thought maybe it was happening; she was sorting it out, but she just came down and looked happy and just crack on with studying various books or helping to sort out plans since we finally had our first target.
Most of the time, she would act normal, but then she would get a weird look on her face and nip off for a few minutes, and it happened every few hours most days. Harry and I had even both woken up at night a few times to see her sneaking upstairs. When we asked Kreature to keep an eye on her, the House Elf didn't mind at first until he said she was dealing with personal female stuff; then he had got much more reluctant, and Harry and I had left that part alone then.
Another thing was the silver locket around her neck that she always clutched and looked all gloomy and faraway when she did. It was really giving us the creeps, and so we had Kreacher nick it from around her neck one night, and we tried to crack it open. We couldn't, though, because it was charmed shut, and Kreacher said he felt afamilial ward on it, meaning only someone of Hermione's lot could open it. We had him put the necklace back, but we were now worried that maybe it was also making whatever spell Hermione was under worse, and we didn't want to scare her off by just nicking it.
When the thirteenth morning came and nothing changed, Harry was sure we had to use the potion the twins gave us, and I couldn't argue with was just too bloody secretive and looked too miserable most of the time.I missed Luna and all that, but I didn't have to leave the room to sob every few hours, if that was what was going on. I mean, how long do girl problems really last? I was certain it wasn't two weeks, and even my mum didn't cry that much.
Harry called Kreacher one of the times Hermione went upstairs and told him what was going on. The little House Elf still didn't give a toss about Muggle-borns, but he was much more keen to help Harry now that he was working on helping him keep his promise to Regulus Black. He took the potion and swore to use it at dinner that night.
Harry and I both felt so rotten we could hardly look at Hermione for the rest of the day, and her constant sighs told us she knew something was came, and Harry and I sat at the table like a couple of sodding statues, looking down at our plates.
I heard Hermione thank Kreacher when he served the food, but it wasn't until she started to drink the pumpkin juice that Harry and I looked up at her. The betrayal and hurt on her face was awful to see.
"Sorry, Hermione. But this is for your own good, you know," I said to her, feeling guilty as she collapsed. "Do you reckon she'll be alright?" I asked Harry, hoping he had a clue.
"Fred and George said she should sleep it off for a few hours and might feel a bit queasy when she wakes up, but they don't know any Love Potion or spell that can't be cured with the Purging Potion," he told me, sounding guilty.
"Should we levitate her to her sleeping bag or something?" I asked him, looking at Hermione lying on the table, her nose almost touching her food.
"Master Harry and blood traitor Weasley eat. Kreature will put the m... Muggle-born in her bed," Kreature said, snapping his fingers, and they both disappeared.
"Well, at least he's stopped calling Hermione a mud-blood," I said, annoyed.
"Yeah," Harry said with a weak laugh. Then we both cracked up. Not because anything was funny, but because we felt like a weight was off our shoulders for a bit and we needed to let it out. We ate then, feeling a lot better, and looked forward to having our mate back to her normal self.
We didn't get to relax for long when we saw Hermione was in a bad way. Harry was going mad with worry and had no idea what had messed up, and I was no better. She puked twice in her sleep and nearly choked, and she was burning up. Even Kreature said she shouldn't be like this, and we couldn't do anything but watch her as she had horrible dreams. We couldn't even get her to wake up!
Hermione's Point of View
We knew the time had come. We couldn't deny it anymore. They were coming for us, and there was nowhere left to hide. Draco and I lay down on a field of white, and for a second, I noticed the whole world was a solid, hard white. But I was scared and looking into the eyes of my equally scared husband.
Aiden appeared between us, already sleeping, and I felt a tear roll down my cheek that Draco reached over and brushed away.
"We will always be together," he told me, and I nodded. I pulled the three gold coins from my pocket, just knowing somehow that someone I trusted had given them to me for this very reason.
"I love you, always," I told him. He leaned over our son and kissed my lips softly before taking two of the coins in his hands. I watched with horror as he slipped one in Aiden's mouth and then put the other in his own, just on his tongue.
Not wanting to be left alone, I quickly placed my own coin on my tongue and then took Draco's hand in a strong grip. I didn't want to be separated, ever. I got sleepy and noticed Draco's eyes getting heavy too. I gasped when Aiden faded from existence, but Draco didn't react.
I tried to calm myself and accept the inevitable, knowing that when it happened, we would all be together again, but suddenly Draco's hand dropped away from mine, and my panic surged back. I tried grabbing for it, but I could barely move, and the bit of hand I could touch was so cold.
It was then that the true horror set in. I realised I had been tricked somehow. Someone had taken my family from me and left me helpless to defend myself against the enemy I knew was almost upon me. I was so tired, and I couldn't move, but what was worse was the knowledge that I was now going to have to face eternity without my love or my baby.
I jolted awake, trembling with fear, and looked around in panic, certain I was going to see Draco and Aiden dead on the floor. The nightmare was still fresh in my mind, and I couldn't shake off the feeling of dread and loss. I felt sick with worry and only wanted the ability to be able to touch them, to assure myself that they were healthy and, more importantly, alive.
I was about to call out to Jomny just to find out where they were, still feeling disoriented, when I heard arguing voices coming from down in the kitchen. I finally noticed I was lying on the couch in the parlour of Grimmald Place, tucked into the sleeping bag I had been using since we got here. Harry and Ron thought it was better if we all stayed in close proximity to each other, and I had been spooked enough at the time to agree.
I wondered how long I had been asleep, and pushed myself up. I felt a wave of dizziness that made me grimace, and noticed my mouth tasted horrible, like metal and bile. I was also starving, something I had been careful not to allow myself to become because of the effects of the magical breast pads.
The argument grew louder, and I cringed, feeling a headache as well now, but knew I would have to go see what was happening and confront the pair who had poisoned me. I was quite sure I knew what had been in my pumpkin juice now, and I even somewhat understood their reasoning.
Yet I had no idea why they had waited so long to act. Then my mind sprang into action, and I realised that yesterday had been the thirteenth day since we had arrived here. The silly boys had overlooked that I had been in their presence a day longer than that.
Still, I decided I needed to explain to them exactly why I knew I wasn't under a Love Potion. The pain of childbirth, just like any intense pain, would break a spell like that. I also hoped they accepted the existence of Aiden. I even hoped they would want to be part of his life, maybe as his uncles.
Before I went in there, though, I knew I would need to use the bathroom and decided I would use the horrible little water closet down here that I tried to avoid at all costs. It was narrow and dark, with only a toilet and sink, and the walls and floor were covered in cold tiles of a green so dark they almost looked black. The only light source came from two floating enchanted candles that scarcely lit the area below them. The small room made me feel claustrophobic, even though I had never suffered from that.
The Black family home had that effect on me. It was a gloomy and oppressive place, full of dark magic residue and unpleasant memories. The absence of a proper bathroom on this floor also made me realise that this could not have been the residence of Lord Black, who would have been expected to hold balls and other functions. This was just a large family home with little space for guests, and the Black family had once, not so long ago, been a very prominent and influential family. They had a vast and ancient lineage, but they had also been notorious for their pureblood fanaticism and their involvement in the Dark Arts.
I had been quick in the toilet, and without a mirror or my toiletries, I dismissed my appearance at all for the moment. I entered the cavernous kitchen to hear Remus saying, "It will be like me; I am convinced of it; how can I forgive myself, when I knowingly risked passing on my own condition to an innocent child? And if, by some miracle, it is not like me, then it is better off, a hundred times so, without a father of whom it must always be ashamed!"
I gasped at what I was hearing and felt for Tonks and how she must be feeling now. She loved him so much, and she wanted their child more than anything. I had seen how worried Remus had been at Harry's party and recalled Tonks saying no one besides herself had been happy about her pregnancy. Yet, I was still shocked to see what the young metamorphmagi must be dealing with. To witness the reason to how alone she was feeling and remembering the times I had felt that way.
I wished I could reassure Remus, to ease his pain and fears, to make him see that he was not a monster, but a brave and noble man. However, I was unsure how to go about it or what words to use. He seemed so convinced that he had doomed his child to a miserable life and that he didn't deserve to be a father.
"Remus," I said softly from the doorway, and they all looked at me with varying expressions. Ron shifted awkwardly in his seat at the long wooden table, Harry looked furious, and Remus looked deranged. "Don't say that—how could any child be ashamed of you?"
"Oh, I don't know, Hermione," Harry said with heavy emphasis as he stood, the rage evident in his voice. "I'd be pretty ashamed of him." Remus looked as though Harry had slapped him. I didn't fully understand what was happening here, but I didn't like what I was surmising from it.
Harry leaned over the table towards Remus, pushing a Daily Prophet nearer to the older wizard, and said, "If the new regime thinks Muggle-borns are bad, what will they do to a half-Werewolf whose fathers in the Order? My father died trying to protect my mother and me, and you reckon he'd tell you to abandon your kid to go on an adventure with us?" Remus and I both paled at that, but thankfully, Harry's eyes were fixed on the last marauder.
"How... how dare you?" Remus got out through his own rage. "This is not about a desire for—for danger or personal glory—how dare you suggest such a..."
"I think you are feeling a bit of a daredevil," Harry taunted. "You fancy stepping into Sirius's shoes…"
"Harry, please stop this," I pleaded, but he just continued to glare at Remus's furious face.
"I'd never have believed this," Harry continued. "The man who taught me to fight Dementors—a coward." Without warning, Remus had his wand pointed at Harry. A loud bang echoed through the room, and Harry was flung across the kitchen. I shrieked in shock as Harry collided with a wall and fell to the floor. Remus then began to move towards the doorway, where I remained standing.
"Remus..." I started to say sadly as he went to pass, but then he stopped to look at me before turning to glance back at Ron. A heavy knot had formed in my stomach. I felt like Remus, and I were in the same boat just now.
Hadn't everything Harry had said about abandoning a child just what I had done, and if Harry felt this strongly about leaving a child behind, there was no way I could tell him about Aiden. That made me feel awful too. I knew I had originally intended to keep him a secret, but the few minutes I had thought I would be telling my best friends about him had felt liberating, and right. Now I was back to secrets and lying, and I hated it.
"I forgot to mention, the twins asked me to give you a message," he told Ron. "I haven't got a clue what it means, but they said, 'Don't do it; it won't work.'"
"Oh, right," Ron said weakly, his eyes shifting to me with a guilty look. I pursed my lips a little, understanding perfectly what the message meant now, but it was too late. Remus looked back at me and gave a polite nod but didn't look back at Harry, who was still glaring at him from his spot on the floor. We all remained silent and still until we heard the front door shut a moment later.
"Are you going to shout as well?" Ron asked, while Harry got up off the floor and moved back towards the table even as he checked over his glasses for damage.
"I should but I don't really see the point," I said stepping further into the room, feeling miserable and sick still. I rubbed my forehead where my headache was located and felt cold despite the warmth of the room from the fire in the large fireplace on the far wall. Harry, I noticed, came to a stop by the long wooden table and simply scowled down at it.
"Sorry for making you sick. We didn't leave your side all night, making sure you were alright," Ron told me, sounding apologetic and sheepish. I just sat down and nodded tiredly.
"So, you actually married him?" Harry muttered towards the table sounding defeated and still a little angry. Both Ron and I frowned at him.
"I told you I was," I said with confusion.
"Yeah, right," he said with a touch of sarcasm that shocked me even more. Even Ron looked surprised by the response. However, when Harry just continued to stare at the table, Ron looked at me and shrugged.
"Harry, mate. Don't go off on Hermione. Not after the cock-up we've done," Ron said to him, and then gave me a small smile of apology. "Honest, though, Mi, you have been acting off. And that necklace you cling on to seems a bit suss."
"This is the necklace my parents got me for my birthday last year," I reminded him with a gentle smile even as I took hold of it again.
"Oh," he said, and the sheepish smile came back making me laugh a little and his smile to grow.
"Can we please just move past this now?" I asked. "I really need to eat something," I added feeling a little dizzy.
"Blimey, right, sorry about that. Let me whip up something for you," Ron insisted as he got up and started for the stove, much to my surprise. Yet before he could even reach for a pan, Kreature popped into view and started preparing to cook. Ron stopped in his tracks and looked back at me with confusion on his freckled face, and I knew I had the same look on mine. "Er, thanks, Kreature," Ron said awkwardly when he looked back at the old House Elf.
"Kreature lives to serve," he replied without turning to look at anyone.
"Right," Ron remarked blandly and turned back to the table. That was when I noticed Harry looking at me and his eyes were less then friendly.
"That's not the same necklace your parents gave you. That one was gold," he said accusingly and making me frown at him again.
"It still is. It has simply been changed to white gold," I told him.
"Why?" he asked me.
"To better suit my wedding ring," I admitted and looked at my bare finger.
"And what about all this sneaking around you've been up to? And the crying when you think no one's watching?" he asked, his voice carrying that unmistakable tone of accusation that I was getting fed-up with even as it confused me.
"First of all, I have not been sneaking about and I cried once so how you know about it, I have no idea," I snapped at him. He was glaring at me with animosity, his arms folded over his chest as he stood by the table.
"You reckon I'm an idiot, do you?" Harry growled at me, and I frowned even further but my heart was now pounding hard as I began to suspect he had worked out who I was married too.
"Harry, that's simply not true," I said with worry, while Ron interjected almost simultaneously, "What are you on about mate?"
"Hermione has a reason to keep secrets; that's why she's not having a go at us," Harry said, not taking his accusatory eyes off me. They really did look like the colour of a killing curse just now.
"What?" Ron said, puzzled. "Hermione can't keep secrets."
"I would have believed that too once," he said, still glaring at me, and I swallowed hard, feeling hollow inside at the implication. "Tell him, Hermione. Tell him what you've done."
"I… I…"
"Need a hand, do you?" Harry asked, sounding unusually cruel. "What if I remind you that I witnessed a very interesting conversation before Dumbledore's death?"
"Yeah, you said he and Malfoy had a dodgy chat. So what?" Ron asked, sounding and looking irritated as he looked over at Harry across the table. I panicked, drawing my wand on Ron.
"Stupefy," I said. Ron collapsed immediately onto the hard wood in front of him. Harry drew his own wand, brought it up, and pointed it at me, but I lowered my own and looked at him with sadness and guilt.
"So, Dumbledore was wrong. You've betrayed us," Harry said with contempt.
"No," I breathed with a shake of my head, hurting for both of us. "But you must understand. Ron can't know. Not now. The Malfoys and the Weasleys have a blood feud between them."
"Bullocks!" he spat, and I winced.
"You don't have to believe me, but it is true. You can ask Ron about it later. I wouldn't be surprised if Kreature could confirm it," I told him, sadly.
Kreature was suddenly by the table. "The great House of Malfoy and the House of the blood traitor Weasley have been at odds for centuries, oh yes," Kreacher croaked with a twisted smile, as he snapped his fingers and plates of food appeared. "The Weasleys got what was coming to them, oh yes, they did," he added, while Harry frowned deeply at the old House Elf's words. I was appalled as well by his obvious glee at the downfall of Ron's family.
"This day fucking sucks already," Harry muttered angrily as he looked across the table at where Ron was laying but lowered his wand. Harry made a face that could only be called a sneer when he looked back at me. It looked wrong on his face. "So, tell me, Hermione, what does it take to betray your friends? Maybe you and Pettigrew can compare notes?" He asked me, and I gasped.
"That was horrible, Harry! And I have never purposely betrayed anyone, and I certainly have not betrayed you in the way you are insinuating," I hissed at him. We both met eyes with anger in them. "Why did you trust me to look after Hedwig or even disappear on your own if you thought I had betrayed you?" I asked him with hurt and confusion.
"BECAUSE I DIDN'T WANT IT TO BE TRUE!" he screamed at me. I jumped, startled.
I swallowed guiltily, my eyes softening as I looked at my best friend who had suffered so much over his life and just wanted to make something easier for him. "I will take any oath you require if that is what it will take for you to trust me now," I told him. He continued to study me but then sighed.
"Dumbledore said he believed you didn't betray anyone," he reluctantly conceded. "Of course, I had no clue who he was talking about then." He gave a snort. "I was so blind. The number of times I saw your name and Malfoy's on the map in the same corridor. But it was the corridor that led to the Slytherin common room. The other thing was how often he watched you. But I didn't figure it out because not only did I trust you so completely, but apparently, you're a brilliant actress and acted like you never noticed anything."
"No." I shook my head, tears welling in my eyes now. I was furious but also hurting badly.
"Now at least I know why you got over Ron so suddenly," he told me.
"It was hardly sudden, and Ron and I were never together. I owed him nothing," I said firmly, and he conceded that with a nod.
"But I have to now lie to one of my best friends to cover for the other," he said bitterly.
"All I'm asking is that you don't reveal who I'm married to for the time being. I never intended to keep this secret forever."
"How could you do this?" he demanded. "Was anything you said to us in the last year even true? Were you ever even sick?"
"I have never lied to you. I may have omitted some things, but I never outright lied," I told him. He regarded me for a minute angrily and then looked back down at the table with a scowl on his face.
"It dawned on me, the day as I was emptying my trunk for the first time in six years, that I don't even know the spell to mend a small wound—a serious flaw on my part. Right away, I thought, 'I will have to ask Hermione to teach me that one'," he said with a displeased look as he met my eyes again. "There are ways Ron and I truly lack magical knowledge; I know that. But know this, Hermione. If I didn't need your help, you wouldn't be coming with us. So yeah, Hermione, I want an oath from you," he said. I brushed away a tear that spilled over. My stomach felt tight and hollow.
"Are we still even friends?" I asked him, my throat dry.
He looked back at me and said, "I don't know. I never imagined that anything could come between us, but I reckon marrying a Death Eater might just do that." I opened my mouth to comment, but he swept his hand through the air, stopping me. "Don't try to deny it. I've seen the Dark Mark on his arm, and I know who let the Death Eaters into Hogwarts. And he's the reason Dumbledore couldn't defend himself. And those are only a few of his crimes."
"He…"
"NO!" He roared, making me jump again. He raked his fingers through his jet-black hair in agitation as he looked back at me. "You do not get to defend him now." He sighed, shook his head, and said, "You have also put me in a tight spot with the Weasleys. If this blood feud truly exists as you and Kreature seem to think it does, know I'll stand by them if it comes to that." I nodded solemnly, swallowing hard. I had anticipated that, and I had to assume he knew now where I would be standing if it came down to a choice.
"We'll just do our best then, until this is finished," I said to him quietly. We regarded each other again for a moment, and I felt more composed now that I knew our positions. I was hurt that things had come to this, but I wasn't going to let it crush me. He finally nodded and glanced at where Ron was slumped on the table.
"I'll keep your secret for now, and I'll check with Ron if what you said about the blood feud is true. I wish I could say I'd tell him if it wasn't, but we've got bigger things to worry about right now. We need to find the Horcruxes, and I don't think Ron and I can do it without you," he said, his eyes on Ron the whole time.
"I understand," I said, just watching him not looking at me.
"Fine, let's get this over with then," Harry said, his voice devoid of emotion, but then finally looked back at me expectantly, the anger and hurt still evident on his face. "Make your oath before I rennervate Ron." I nodded and held my wand up next to my head, pointing at the ceiling.
"I, Hermione Jean Malfoy," I said, and I saw Harry grimace with distaste at the name, but I persisted, "swear on my magic and my life that I will be your true friend and ally until we destroy all the Horcruxes. I will not betray you or abandon you. I will stand by your side and fight with you. This is my oath to you, and I will keep it until our mission is done." My wand emitted a white glow, the light expanding from it before it started to fall and envelop me. When I was fully surrounded by the light, it retracted and vanished into me. Harry nodded his satisfaction and turned back to Ron.
"Go upstairs for now. I'll sort out Ron, and to be honest, I am so bloody angry I just can't stand the sight of you," he told me, and I winced, the words hurting my heart.
I got to my feet and said, "That's quite alright. At the moment, my opinion of you isn't exactly favourable either," and turned away. I left the kitchen and made my way upstairs to the bedroom I had once shared with Ginny.
The room, though slightly dusty and bearing the weight of time, still held a comforting familiarity. The faded wallpaper, the creaky wooden floorboards, and the old, slightly lopsided bed. I had been using it as a place to change clothes and freshen up in the attached bathroom. The bathroom, generous for an ensuite, was functional, with a chipped sink and a mirror that had seen better days. Despite its age, it offered a sense of privacy and normalcy amidst the chaos of the reality we were living right now.
Once I was secure in the room, I called out to Jomny for the first time since I had parted from my family. A few moments later, longer than it had even taken him, he popped in front of me.
"My Lady," he beamed at me with his large, dark blue-green eyes, and I beamed back, bending down to hug him. As always, he was surprised by the action but quickly hugged back with his long, thin arms. "We's have all missed you, My Lady," he said softly.
With a loud cracked Kreature popped into the room and croaked at the same time, sounding furious and insulted, "Why is there another filthy House Elf in the noble House of Black?"
"I'm sorry, Kreature. This is my House Elf, Jomny. He won't be here long. I just require his assistance with a personal matter," I told the ancient-looking House Elf. The two regarded each other for a few long, silent moments until Jomny bowed his head.
"Jomny will respect your rule here," he told him, making me raise my eyebrows in confusion. Kreature popped away with no further word.
"I'm sorry about Kreature," I told Jomny as I moved over to sit on the bed.
"Why sorry? Kreature is a good House Elf," he said, perplexing me. I had observed what I considered well-behaved House Elves, and Kreature was by no means a good House Elf by those standards. I let it go for now, as I had other things I wanted to talk about. "What can Jomny be doing for you, My Lady?"
"I call you here because Ron and Harry became convince that I was under a Love Potions influence. They gave me a Purging Potion last night," I explained, sadness and anger evident in my voice.
"Jomny must not be letting baby Aiden drink the bad milk," he said, grasping the situation at once.
"Yes," I agreed with a relieved sigh. "Will there be enough without all the milk that has to be thrown away for the twenty-four-hour period?"
"There is plenty, and Jomny is always making sure to swap the milk to a storage container and put in stasis for later use. Jomny has a system, so he knows what to use first," he told me proudly, and I smiled at him.
"Thank you," I said sincerely.
"But you must be feeling sick, My Lady. I will bring you a Nutrition Potion," he said and popped away before I could stop him. He was back less than a minute later.
"I hate these. They taste vile," I complained even as I opened it and drank it in one go, gaging after it was all down.
"You need food," Jomny observed. He frowned and shook his head and then popped away again. He was back quicker this time, so I knew he had simply gone to the kitchen. I wondered if Ron or Harry had seen him but honestly didn't care right now if they had. He put a plate with a full English breakfast on the side table as well as a glass of water. "You will eat all of that," he ordered me. "You need your strength."
"Thank you, Jomny," I whispered once more and felt sadness well up inside me, yet I refused to give into it. I moved closer, sliced into a sausage and took a bite, but it brought me no real pleasure. "Tell me how everyone is," I requested of Jomny, as I ate slowly.
"Everyone is well, My Lady, but they all miss you. Master is being strong for Aiden and keeps busy, but he finds it hard to be without you," he told me. I know he did not mean to make me feel guilty, but I did anyway. I wanted nothing more than to feel Draco's arms around me right now. Things had not turned out as I had hoped when I had first regained consciousness such a short time ago.
"How is Aiden?" I asked. His one-month birthday was just the day before, and I had found that particularly hard. I also rub my aching head still feeling shaken from that disturbing dream.
"Jomny thinks you would find him bigger. His clothes are already making themselves one size bigger, and he is drinking 110mls every four hours. He is also sleeping a good seven hours every night, which master is very happy for," Jomny informed me, and I broke down in tears, hiding my face with my hands.
I missed my baby, I missed Draco, I missed my parents and Jomny. And now one of my best friends, whom I had always regarded as a brother, despised me, and I knew the other would as soon as he learned about Draco and me. I felt awful, and if I were a selfish person, I would have abandoned Harry and Ron to deal with the Horcrux hunt on their own and never sworn that oath. But despite what Harry thought of me, my word still meant something.
"Please don't cry, My Lady," Jomny said, coming over to me. I felt him get on the bed next to me and wrap his arms around my waist. I turned and hugged him back.
"I miss you too, Jomny. I hope you know that. You are just as important to me as everyone else. And I was so scared for you when you bonded to both Draco and I," I told him through the tears.
"I know, My Lady," he said as he continued to hug me.
"Are you alright?" I asked him.
"Jomny is very powerful," he said sounding proud of that, so I was able to smile.
"Are they all safe? Do they know that the Death Eaters set fire to the house?" I asked, regaining my composure. I pulled away and wiped at my face, but Jomny pulled a clean handkerchief out of a pocket inside his tea towel-like clothes. "Thank you," I said, drying my face with the square of cloth and then blowing my nose.
"You're welcome," he said. "They are all safe, but Jomny doesn't know if they know that. Would you like Jomny to tell them?"
"Yes. They should know," I said and then fell silent, struggling to remember all the questions that had flooded my mind whenever I had thought of calling for him the last two weeks. He was the only link between me and Draco, and when I couldn't sleep at night, I often thought of all the things I would ask Jomny to convey to him, but now all I could think was that I wanted him to know how much I missed him and loved him.
"Jomny, I am going to ask you something, but I am also telling you it is not an order, only a request."
"What is it, My Lady?" he asked with a tilt of his head, making one of his bat-like ears brush down his arm.
"I just ask that you don't mention the potion mishap to Draco if you can avoid it. I hate the thought of hiding things from him, but I don't want to worry him," I said.
"Jomny will do his best, My Lady, but master will want to know much about this meeting," he told me.
"I understand. Can you wait for a bit with me while I write a short letter? I also need to give you my wedding ring to take back to him. I want you to tell him I will be expecting it back in the future, so he needs to take good care of it," I said, and Jomny smiled at that. We both knew that Draco liked it when I got a bit bossy with him.
"Jomny will, My Lady." I nodded and looked around and then realised I had left my bag in the parlour.
"Jomny, do you mind getting my bag for me?" I asked.
"Not at all, My Lady. You eat while Jomny gets it," he said. I smiled and cut into another piece of sausage. When he got back, I started the letter and made sure I mentioned the oath I had made. I really wanted to keep as few secrets as possible.
Author's notes: - Rkook1210, and Coni Salinas Rios, Thank you once again for reading.