Chapter 30: The truth beneath the surface

Ron stood at the edge of the room, emotions swirling in his head like a storm he couldn't control. Confusion, frustration, anger—he felt all of it at once. He didn't want Hermione to leave the magical world, but he also desperately wanted her to leave Draco. And now, hearing Helen whisper to Richard, asking if they had made a mistake, he didn't know what to feel anymore. Should he be happy that Hermione might stay in the magical world, or upset that her parents were starting to accept Draco?

Ron's eyes stayed locked on Hermione's parents, even as his heart pounded in his chest. He heard Richard reply quietly, "I don't know. He seems to care about her, doesn't he?"

"Yes," Helen replied, her voice tinged with surprise. "This isn't how I imagined a Death Eater would act. Do you think he has actually changed?"

"I hope so. For Hermione's sake, I really hope so," Richard said, his tone uncertain but softening. He glanced back at Hermione, who was leaning on the couch, her face pale but calmer now. "He seems to care about her."

Helen nodded slowly. "He looks like a good person."

Richard raised an eyebrow. "We haven't even seen his face yet, Helen. How can you tell?"

"You know what I mean, The way he acted, the way he conjured up that Muggle straw… His frustration, his worry for her—it all seemed so genuine," she replied, her voice growing more thoughtful. "His actions spoke volumes."

Ron's heart sank as he watched their conversation unfold. His plan was unraveling right in front of him. He didn't even have the energy to feel angry anymore—he just felt… defeated. But something held him in place. He couldn't leave. He had to see what happened next.

The room was filled with a heavy silence until the Floo network flared to life again. Draco Malfoy stepped through with Daphne Greengrass behind him, her healer's robes flowing as she stepped into the room.

Harry, Ginny, and Hermione blinked in surprise.

"You remember Daphne Greengrass, don't you?" Draco asked, gesturing toward the raven-haired healer. "She's a healer now."

Daphne wasted no time, walking briskly to Hermione's side and checking her pulse. She waved her wand in a series of diagnostic spells, her expression calm but focused. After a few moments, she nodded. "It's nothing serious," Daphne said. "The stress has taken a toll on you, but you'll be fine. I'll give you a potion to restore your energy and minimize the effects of stress."

She pulled a small vile from her bag, She gave a drop of a light yellow potion to Hermione. Within a few minutes, Hermione started feeling better. "Make sure she takes one drop of this potion before bed for the next three days," she instructed Draco. "If she's having a particularly bad day or feeling overwhelmed, she can take another drop during the day. But if she's feeling fine, there's no need. Do you understand?"

Draco nodded firmly. "Got it."

Daphne smiled and gave Hermione a gentle pat on the shoulder. "You're going to be just fine," she reassured her. "Just rest up. If you need anything else, let me know."

"Thank you," Hermione said, her voice grateful. "I really appreciate you coming."

"Me too," Draco added.

Daphne smiled at the group before turning to leave. "It was good to see all of you again," she said, nodding toward Harry, Ginny, and Hermione. "Take care." And with that, she disappeared through the Floo network, leaving a sense of calm behind her.

With her strength returned Hermione managed to sit up on the couch. Draco sat down beside her, watching her with concern etched on his face. "How are you feeling now?" he asked softly.

"Much better," Hermione said, giving him a weak but genuine smile. She leaned into him, wrapping her arms around him. "Thank you for taking care of me."

Draco pressed a kiss to her temple. "It's the least I can do," he whispered, his hand gently rubbing her back.

But just as Hermione started to relax, a throat cleared behind them. She froze, realizing they weren't alone.

Ginny, Harry, and Hermione turned around, their eyes widening in shock. Hermione's parents were standing right behind them, looking equally stunned. But the biggest shock of all came when Draco turned around, smiled warmly at them, and said, "Helen, Richard! What are you doing here?"

Helen and Richard were taken aback. They exchanged glances, their earlier anger and suspicion fading into confusion. Helen blinked at Draco. "You're… you're the Death Eater?" she asked, her voice filled with disbelief.

Draco's smile faltered as his eyes widened in realization. "Oh my God," he muttered, standing up quickly. "You're Hermione's parents."

"Yes," Richard replied, his tone almost friendly.

"You're Hermione's parents," he repeated with a wide smile, glancing at Richard and Helen with warmth. Hermione, however, stood frozen, glancing between her parents and Draco. The confusion was evident in her expression. Her parents were smiling. Draco was smiling. And none of this made sense.

"Do you… do you know each other?" Hermione finally asked, her voice thick with bewilderment.

Draco chuckled, rubbing the back of his neck as if recalling an old memory. "Well, yes. We met five years ago when I was in the Muggle world."

Richard quickly added, "He saved my life."

Helen chimed in, her eyes wide with disbelief. "I can't believe you're the big bad Death Eater," she said, laughing softly. "Now I feel like an idiot for making such a big deal out of this."

Hermione's mouth dropped open. "Wait. What?" Her voice was filled with disbelief as she tried to piece everything together. " Draco saved your life? But how?"

Richard smiled at his daughter, placing a gentle hand on her shoulder. "Remember the hit-and-run accident I had years ago?"

Hermione nodded slowly, still trying to process the sudden turn of events. "Yes, the one which I only found out about a month later."

"It was Draco," Richard continued, looking at Draco with gratitude in his eyes. "He was the one who found me and drove us to the hospital."

Hermione stared at Draco, her eyes wide with realization. "You did that?"

Draco shrugged a hint of modesty in his expression. "It wasn't a big deal. I just did what anyone would do."

Helen stepped forward, wrapping Draco in a warm hug. "I'm sorry for all the things I said. I trust you, Draco, and I'm so glad Hermione's marrying you. You're a good man."

Richard nodded in agreement, giving Draco a firm handshake. "Years ago, we thought you'd make a great partner for her. We just never introduced you two because, well, we didn't know you were a wizard."

Draco chuckled at that. "I made a pretty good Muggle back then, didn't I?"

Helen smiled. "If you'd used magic, I'm sure we would've noticed something was off. But you didn't. You blended in perfectly."

"Well, I had no choice," Draco replied, grinning. "At that time, I was stripped of my magic. They took my wand, so I lived like a regular Muggle for five years."

Hermione blinked in shock. "You were stripped of your magic?"

Harry, standing nearby, couldn't help but laugh. "And you survived five whole years without magic?"

Draco grinned back. "Yes, Potter, I did. Survived it, and dare I say, even thrived. You should try it sometime." His words were lighthearted, but they carried the weight of his experiences.

Hermione laughed along, shaking her head in disbelief. "I don't know if I could pull that off. You might know more about living like a Muggle than I do!"

Draco chuckled. "It's not like I had a choice," he said with a shrug. "But yes, they turned me into a regular Muggle. And after I got used to it, I actually enjoyed it. In fact, even after my rehabilitation ended, I stayed in the Muggle world for a while. I didn't come back to the wizarding world until… well until my father died."

Hermione tilted her head, her curiosity piqued. "Why?"

Draco sighed, his gaze softening. "I just liked being treated like a normal person. Here, people look at me with suspicion or hatred. But over there, I was just another guy. No one knew about my past. I wasn't Draco Malfoy, the Death Eater. I was just Draco."

Richard chuckled, patting Draco on the back. "Well, just another guy," he said with a playful grin. "I need help fixing my phone. My Facebook app has gone haywire."

"Oh, you probably need to update it," Draco replied easily, taking Richard's phone and navigating through the apps.

Harry, Ginny, and Hermione exchanged confused glances, but it was Hermione who finally asked the question that had been bubbling in her mind. "What's a Facebook?"

Draco, Richard, and Helen burst into laughter at Hermione's genuine confusion, while Ginny snorted at the absurdity of the situation. Harry just shook his head, grinning.

As laughter filled the room, Ron stood off to the side, watching the scene with a heavy heart. He had expected to drive a wedge between Hermione and Draco, but instead, he felt more distanced from her than ever. The warmth and camaraderie between Draco and her parents was something he hadn't anticipated. And with each laugh, with each smile exchanged, Ron felt the last remnants of hope slipping away.

Unable to bear it any longer, Ron quietly opened the door and stepped out, the sound of laughter following him as he disappeared into the night, feeling a deep, unexpected sadness settle in his chest.