Hermione had been petrified once before. Frozen in place as the world carried on around her. Not fully conscious as she watched the time pass. This felt different. Staring into Malfoy's eyes she didn't feel frozen, she felt like she was falling. Being pulled into the dark, empty, abyss that latched on and dared her to jump.
"Apologies. Had a bit too much fun this afternoon," Blaise said, breaking the silence. He helped Draco right himself, shuffling on his own feet in a way that revealed his statement wasn't a complete lie. "Told you that muggle dust was a bad idea."
Draco's eyes were locked on hers, not more than a small tilt of his head in acknowledgement of Blaise comment.
" Hermione ," Anthony whispered gently from her side.
A crack appeared in Draco's stare at the sound of her name. It was something between recognition and agony. It reminded her to breathe. There was only a moment before the crack was filled with hatred as he acknowledged who it was that stood beside her.
"You're fucking dead, Goldstein," Draco growled.
He stepped forward and Blaise grabbed tightly onto his arm. Blaise hissed something into his ear and Draco's murderous gaze landed on Hermione again before he closed his eyes. When Draco looked up, it felt again like oblivion.
"If you two are finished…" Arthur instructed, walking to the small table and taking a seat at the head.
Draco stormed to the other side. He leaned against the wall rather than taking a seat. He didn't move with grace like he once did. Every step he took was a threat. Each movement he made seemed unpredictable instead of effortless.
Blaise sauntered over and sat down casually. Molly placed a hand on Hermione's shoulder, urging her and Anthony to the seats on the other side. Hermione forced her body into motion, sitting down while watching Draco stare down his nose at them.
As Anthony sat, his chair screeched as it was kicked out from under him, and he tumbled to the floor.
Blaise smirked mischievously, and the side of Draco's mouth turned up just the slightest amount.
"Oops," Blaise mumbled.
" Mature ," Anthony complained from the floor.
Looking closer at Blaise, his eyes were sunken in more than they used to be, and the whites of his eyes were bloodshot. His shoulders looked leaner and the intoxicating glow his skin always used to carry had dulled. There were new scars on his face and neck that could have easily been healed if he'd treated them properly.
"Behave, boys," Molly said with her voice that didn't allow for nonsense.
"You have one minute," Draco said.
"These… games have gone on far too long," Arthur said firmly next.
" Games ?" Draco challenged Arthur. "Is all I've done for you a joke?"
"We should not have pushed this," Molly whispered.
"Hermione and Anthony are the only other ones that are fully aware of your involvement. We haven't been able to make any sort of progress with you two disagreeing on every course of action," Arthur explained, gesturing between Hermione and Draco.
Draco was fuming. "Then stop listening to others and just do what I say."
"Stop giving stupid commands," Hermione snapped without thinking.
Draco flinched at the sound of her voice. His eyes stared somewhere on the wall straight ahead. The ring on his finger was spinning. Draco turned it quickly with his thumb over and over again like he always did when he was struggling to maintain control.
"Was I unclear in the conditions of my cooperation, Molly?" Draco deflected again. He spoke to Anthony next, nearly baring his teeth as he spoke. "I warned you, Goldstein, of what would happen if you ever entered my home again."
"Your conditions are hardly relevant anymore. It's been nearly three years and all parties involved have clearly moved on. It's time we move past it as well," Arthur replied.
"Moved on?" Draco repeated, voice dripping with threat. "Is that what you call what happened Goyle? To Nott?"
Hermione watched as Blaise flinched. She wanted to scream that she had nothing to do with Theo, but that wasn't true. It was her insertion into their life that killed him. It was her design and lies that killed Goyle. Draco was clearly not blind to their blood that still stained her hands. Not any less than she was.
"I'm so sorry," Hermione whispered to Blaise, so quietly she half hoped he wouldn't hear.
Blaise's agony was clear on his face, but he gave her a gentle shake of his head and bumped his shoe against hers under the table.
"I was referring to you four," Arthur kept on. "Unless I'm mistaken?"
No one spoke up to confirm or deny. Anthony had the least emotions invested, good or bad. Hermione suspected that he was there only because of how much Draco and Blaise hated him.
Draco looked at Molly, raising a brow. "Well?"
Molly and Arthur looked relieved, quickly shifting the focus to whatever the meeting was intended for.
"We had several members being held in Azkaban. We need to get them out," Arthur said.
"It's their own fault for getting caught. Consider them dead," Malfoy said plainly.
"Absolutely not!" Hermione shouted.
Draco looked bored. "Who got captured?"
"It doesn't matter. We don't leave people behind," Hermione insisted.
"If prisoner's escape, those who were on guard will need to be punished ," Draco said darkly. "So, I'll ask again. Who inside Azkaban is that important?"
"If you are asking us to choose between the lives of Order members and Death Eaters, I think the answer is simple," Arthur argued.
It was always so simple for them. Their punishment no doubt would be death. Would Draco be the one to carry it out? Hermione hated how she hesitated. Hated that she was the only one in the room that did. Did they not see what they were asking of him?
There was so much hostility between Arthur and Draco, it was no wonder Molly always met with him alone.
"There are underground tunnels that empty into the sea. I will have one open for you the next three days. Make it fast," Draco said, agreeing faster than Hermione thought he would.
"How are we supposed to get through the tunnels?" Arthur asked, scrawling down notes. He turned his head slightly, giving Molly a pleased grin that made Hermione uneasy.
"Only a short amount is filled with water. Granger can swim it easily," Draco ratted off quickly. He spun his ring around his finger rhythmically.
Arthur looked over to her in surprise. "You a fair swimmer, Hermione?"
Hermione's lips parted slightly as she failed to answer. Draco's eyes flicked up to hers, and he raised a brow in question. She shook her head subtly, and Draco shared a silent exchange with Blaise. Hermione waited for one of them to out her. There was no reason for her not to share that she was an animagus, just that it felt like the only thing that remained sacred.
Hermione cleared her throat and nodded. "I can do it."
"Then we're done here," Draco said suddenly, pushing himself off the wall.
He moved to the door, black robes trailing after him as he casually walked out. Arthur and Molly gave him a wave and started whispering to each other.
Once he was out of sight, Hermione was up and chasing after him, narrowly escaping Anthony's grasp as he tried to stop her. The others all shouted their protests. Telling her to stop and trying to call her to heel.
"Get 'em, Granger," Blaise goaded as she passed.
She made no effort for stealth. Draco turned the corner and Hermione knew he could hear her. He passed through a doorway, throwing the door shut behind him but Hermione hit it back on its hinges and followed him in.
Draco kept his back to her. He ran his hand through his hair, only once, before turning around. Half of her was surprised he didn't disapparated on the spot.
His arms hung by his side in a way that made her nervous of what they would do. His fingers twitching like a curse would fly from them any moment. Lean as he was, his height still towered over her. The blonde fringe covering his eyes was longer than it used to be, and it casted a shadow over his face. The rims of his eyes were red, similar to Blaise's, but Draco's color looked more a result of unrest than any substance.
There were footsteps approaching from down the hall. Hermione waved her hand toward the door, and it slammed shut.
" Colloportus," Hermione casted aloud. Mostly so she could test the strength of her voice. Fists started to pound on the other side before quickly giving up.
Draco stared over her head at the locked door for a few more seconds before letting his gaze dip to meet her own.
"Care to share what you were thinking entering my house?" Draco said, his voice flat and disinterested. It pissed her off.
Hermione crossed her arms. " Our house."
Another crack. This one let through a flicker of surprise. Good. It was strange to look at Draco. This Draco. Something between a shell and a ghost of the one she used to know.
"Is that so?" Draco said, attempting to sound cavalier and failing miserably.
If there was any doubt that he knew about their predicament, it was gone then. When she didn't reply, he huffed a humorless laugh. Even that felt deadly. Waves of dark magic kept rolling off him and lofting to her, and it made her feel dizzy.
"It's a cruel, cruel, world. Isn't it, Granger?" Draco said, his voice low.
"It wasn't always," whispered Hermione.
Hermione wanted a better look of him, but he was in full uniform. The layers of black robes didn't allow sight of more than his head, neck and hands.
""Have you told anyone?" Draco said, distracting her from her staring.
Hermione shook her head. Even if she wanted to, she didn't know how she could explain it.
"Does Zabini know?" Hermione asked.
"Nothing gets past him, does it?" Draco said, like some inside joke.
It took all her control not to hex him. When she felt her eyes start to sting, she fought, pushing the emotions down and building her dams higher. No more tears would fall from her eyes. Not for him.
"You should have told me," said Hermione. Her voice was gloriously cold and strong.
It was like a storm suddenly rolled in. Without thinking, Hermione backpedaled as Draco took large swift steps towards her.
When her back hit the door, each of his hands landed on either side of her head and she went still.
"You don't fucking patronize me about things that should have been told," Draco hissed down at her.
Hermione lifted her chin. "Never been a fan of the truth, have you?"
"Wouldn't know. I haven't any experience with it."
Draco looked down at her and Hermione wanted to duck away and run. She pushed herself further into the door, creating as much space as possible between them.
"It was a bold move bringing your boyfriend here," he whispered, darkly. "I won't be as kind to him next time."
God, he was so close. If she were to arch her back the slightest bit, her chest would press against his. His breath was hot as it brushed against the sensitive skin of her cheeks.
"Anthony is my friend," Hermione snapped. "And you're pathetically dim-witted as ever for thinking otherwise."
Draco hissed, sucking air through his teeth and pulling his left arm from the wall. He flinched as he was summoned again and pulled the arm to his chest. Any emotion on his face disappeared, and Hermione felt her arms reflexively reach for him as he turned to walk away.
"Zabini!" Draco called through the door.
Hermione moved to the side, releasing the charms on the door and it swung open. Arthur and Molly were standing just down the hall from where Blaise was already approaching.
"I don't care for surprises, Molly," Draco scolded. He moved to the side so that Blaise could enter the room. He grabbed Blaise's arm, looking Hermione in the eyes. "The tunnel will be open tomorrow night. Don't do anything stupid."
With a crack they were gone.
The dark magic in the air left with them, and Hermione found it easier to breathe. Looking around, they were in a bedroom. The furnishings were old, solid wood that looked heavy. The walls were bare of any tapestries or wall hangings. It wasn't anything she imagined a Malfoy property to be. She heard the others enter the doorway and turned to face them.
"You brought us here to antagonize him," Hermione said.
Molly had the sense to look remorseful, but Arthur kept strong. "We hoped he would listen better to you. Given your history. He's been difficult."
"Has he not always?" Hermione countered. She didn't like being used as a pawn. Especially without her consent.
"The past year or so, he's been slipping. Dark magic it… it changes a person," Molly tried to explain. "We thought maybe seeing you would help."
Fools .
"It didn't," Hermione bit.
"Maybe not how we expected. But he's never agreed to help us breach Azkaban before. This could be a very good thing," Arthur said, factually.
No good could come from pushing Draco. Molly had said so herself to Hermione. She didn't know what she meant then, but the way he was acting- she was shocked he could pull off any sort of deception to his Dark Lord.
"What is this place?" Hermione asked.
"This was Severus' house," Arthur answered. "Draco inherited it after he died. It's where we meet with him. No one is supposed to be able to get in and out without his permission…"
"I already have access to all Draco's properties," Hermione said to appease him. Arthur sounded worried. As if the house may not be as secure as they thought.
Arthur sighed relieved. "Did Draco grant you access to them all before you left Malfoy Manor?"
"Something like that," Hermione muttered. She looked at Anthony who seemed more annoyed than she was, and it made her smile. "Looks like I can admit entry to others as well."
Molly spoke thoughtfully, "That is curious…"
"Don't dwell on it," Hermione said. Not wanting to get any closer to having to explain the reason why. "I can't imagine what Snape would think of us using home against his Dark Lord."
"Snape was loyal to Dumbledore. Always," Arthur said, surprising her. "We found some of his memories. Malfoy is keeping them safe until this is all over and we can clear his name. We would do it sooner, but we don't want to put it in Voldemort's mind that someone close to him would betray him. Might be bad for Malfoy."
Hermione wanted to argue. Snape killed Dumbledore for god's sake. But Draco had also done terrible things and, as much of a selfish bastard he was, she never doubted his loyalty to helping the Order.
"How can you be sure?" asked Hermione.
"Severus had fallen in love with a muggleborn," Molly said. "He swore himself to Dumbledore to protect her."
"I never knew Professor Snape to have a partner?" Anthony asked.
Molly shook her head. "No. But he was still changed. He fought for her to the end."
Hermione thought of the street outside. How the home was hiding in the middle of an abandoned muggle neighborhood. She wondered if they'd met around there. If the woman had ever been to Snape's house and if she would get confused if she could never find it again. What if no one knew to tell her he died?
"Whatever happened to her?" Hermione asked.
"She married another," Molly said. Her voice was choked with emotion and Hermione wanted to apologize for asking. They probably knew each other and from the way she spoke in past tense, she could deduce she was no longer around. "When she was very young. Severus knew. And he still chose to change."
"Why would he change sides in a war for someone who didn't want him?" Hermione asked, disbelieving.
"We don't just love people if we can keep them. That's not really love now, is it?" Molly said with a smile.
Maybe. Maybe not. But when it came to love, Hermione didn't trust herself to know what to believe in anymore.
The tunnel was opened, just like Draco said it would be. As she scurried through the corridors of Azkaban, she couldn't help but feel like he was near. So much more than ever before. The guards were already unconscious on the ground. Other than an unlocking charm, she didn't have the need to use any magic. The dementor's patrolling outside seemed distracted by something going on in a different wing. Hermione was relieved. Casting a fully corporal patronus was more difficult than it used to be. The only hiccup in the event was that no one was strong enough to disapparate, and Hermione got splinched traveling everyone away.
Hermione slept off her injury for the better part of the next several days. She would only really stir when Pavarti entered or left their shared room or tried to urge her to eat. The moment she woke up on the third day and felt fully lucid, she rushed out of bed, afraid to be left alone with her thoughts for too long. There was chocolate waiting for her outside her door and she ate it gratefully. The moment she swallowed it down she started to feel better.
"Good morning," Pavarti quipped as she walked into the living room of the safe house. The sun had already set and most residents of the house had turned in.
Hermione fell ungracefully into one of the chairs, dust puffing up around her that made her cough. "How are they holding up?"
"Could be worse. Parvati has them on sleeping draught til the end of the week," Ron said.
Hermione turned her head to look at Pavarti. "I hate this house."
"It's ghastly," Pavarti agreed. She had her head laying on the armrest of the couch where she laid down. "I can't believe Wealsey brought Isla here."
"She doesn't mind," Ron grumbled half-heartedly. He stood quickly and dropped a dusty pillow on Pavarti's face. "I should get her out of here for a bit. Fancy a walk?"
It felt good to stretch her legs after many days bedridden. There wasn't much surrounding the dingy safehouse. The dirt road would fare well to run on in the morning and relieve some festering anxiety. Hermione had shared very few details about her reunion with Draco with Ron and Parvati since they arrived in the middle of her healing. Mostly just dazed mumbles of his name. Hermione suspected Parvati put her on the sleeping draught until she healed just to help her from saying something revealing in front of the wrong people. Parvati really was a better friend than she deserved.
Clouds moved in to cover the spring sun and Hermione crossed her arms with a shiver. Isla held onto Ron's hand as they walked, mostly just listening to everyone else speak. Their steps started getting slower and Hermione looked over to see silent tears falling down her face.
"Is something the matter?" asked Hermione, gently.
Isla inhaled a shaky breath. "It's all so hopeless."
Hermione looked around the remains of what was once a quant muggle town. It was completely destroyed. No sign of happiness or joy. There was hardly a reason for it to exist anymore.
After a moment, she snapped out of it. Hermione's eyes went straight to the sky to find dementors approaching. Isla was now dropping to the ground, Ron trying to hold her but she refused to bear her own weight. Even Ron and Parvati's movements seemed like they were giving up.
The only other time she had seen this many in one place was when she watched them descend on Sirius from across the lake in third year. Her necklace started trembling, and Hermione knew there were too many for them to fight. She pulled Pavarti by the wrist, hurrying over to where Ron held Isla and apparated them away.
The room they were in was dark but clean, and it took Hermione a moment to get her bearings. A retching sound echoed off the floors as Isla vomited.
"Dementors." Hermione groaned, holding her shoulder which had just hardly healed.
"Breath, it's alright," Ron said soothingly, holding back Isla's red hair.
"We have to go back," Parvati insisted. "Will the dementors be able to get to the house?"
"I don't know. They seemed to be going in the other direction," answered Hermione.
It took Hermione a moment to realize she had taken them to Grimmauld Place. Somehow, the condition of the House of Black improved significantly since the last time they were there.
"Don't move," a voice threatened from the doorway.
" Expelliarumus ," Hermione casted as she turned, catching the wand as it flew to her and pointing it back at its owner.
"Andromeda?" Ron said, sheathing his wand.
Quick acknowledgments were exchanged. A nod from Parvati that showed they had all crossed paths in the past.
Hermione walked forward quickly, returning the wand. Andromeda was an ally to the Order, but not a member. Andromeda examined her thoroughly before snatching her wand back.
"How did you get in?" Andromeda asked, looking past Hermione to Ron. "You shouldn't be here."
Isla was quietly crying. Apparation was always difficult for muggles. That, along with the distance they traveled took a toll.
Ron looked between Hermione and Andromeda, hesitating to answer. Small footsteps came towards the room and little Teddy popped in from behind his grandmother.
"Oh, Teddy! I told you to stay put," Andromeda scolded him.
Quickly, she scooped him up and entered the room – the small lounge on the third floor if she wasn't mistaken. They had slept a few nights in the room on the couch when the rest of the house was full. Andromeda set Teddy down on the chaise while waving to Ron to move Isla to the couch.
"Hermione apparated us here. We stumbled upon a murder of dementors," Parvati explained, clearly having an established relationship with Andromeda.
"Why here? Of all places," Andromeda questioned, now looking directly towards Hermione.
Hermione didn't have a good answer. Truth be told, she was still thinking of Sirius. There was no knowing how well Andromeda felt towards her late cousin, however.
"We came here a lot when Harry was alive," Hermione admitted. "It was the first place to come to mind."
A pop echoed from the lower level of the house and Andromeda stepped up quickly, exchanging looks with Ron.
"I'll keep Teddy," Ron said.
Andromeda nodded, walking quickly towards the door. "Stay here."
Hermione walked over to Teddy, kneeling in front of him. His hair was sandy brown with delicate waves on top. There were freckles dusting his cheeks and his eyes were a stunning amber.
"You have your father's eyes, little Lupin," Hermione stated, and he eased a little bit. "Sorry if we gave you a freight."
"Is she ill…" Teddy said, looking at Isla, who was still far too pale.
Hermione quickly cleaned the sick off the floor. "She'll be alright. Just had a bit of a rough trip, that's all."
"I'm feeling better already," Isle forced with a warm smile towards Teddy.
Muffled voices started to carry up the staircase and Hermione naturally attuned her hearing. One of the voices snapped, nearly shouting, and Andromeda barked back, clearly not intimidated.
Hermione lost her balance, throwing a hand to the floor to ensure it was still there.
"Don't, Hermione."
"Who's here?" Hermione replied.
The shake of Ron's head confirmed what she already knew. And the next moment she was on her feet.
"Hermione," Ron chased after her.
At the staircase the voices traveled more freely, and Hermione gripped onto the rail as she tried to comprehend the words they were saying.
"If you want to protect Teddy," Andromeda said with authority, "then perhaps you should start with not committing violence in his home!"
"This is my house. And it will remain that way until I decide otherwise," Draco snapped back. "We had an agreement, Aunt Andromeda. The Black estate is for Teddy. Not for the Order to exploit. Clearly this is a lesson they will have to learn the hard way."
Hermione felt like she was fighting to regain consciousness. Parvati must have walked up to her because she felt her firm hand on her shoulder as Ron made his way down the staircase.
"That is not what is going on here," Andromeda said.
"You sent me a patronus saying that someone had broken into the house and now that I am here, you want to defend them? They're dead. All of them."
"You stop that, young man. They are no threat."
Draco's anger was rippling through the air. The kind Hermione learned was fed by fear and nearly impossible to defuse.
"The fact that they got in is a threat. That should be impossible," Draco hissed. "Teddy deserves to be safe. No matter the cost. He's the only one left that I've actually managed to keep safe!"
Heavy steps traveled towards the staircase and Hermione felt petrified in place. Her hands unmoving as then clenched the railing. Alternatively, Ron's steps raced down the last few stairs to head him off at the same time.
The footsteps scratched to a halt.
" Weasley ," Draco growled, nearly shaking the walls. "How the fuck did you…"
Silence rang through the first floor of the house. Isla was entertaining Teddy back in the study, and Hermione could hear the occasional giggle. Ron kept stepping forward until he was out of view of the stairwell.
"Malfoy," Ron said confidently in greeting.
Hermione strained her hearing as far as she could. Were wands drawn?
Draco was the one to speak next, in a faint whisper that also sounded like a threat. "Where is she?"
Ron said nothing and Hermione wanted to curse him. The feeling was starting to come back to her limbs, and she released her grip from the stairwell. A thought crossed her mind that she was paralyzed with more than fear and that one of her friends had actually hexed her but in that moment she didn't really care.
"You better leave right now, Weasley. Or your mother will have more sons to mourn."
"Fuck you, Malfoy!"
There was a shuffle that ended with a thud against the wall.
"You have fifteen minutes," Draco snarled.
A crack signaled Draco's exit only a moment or two before Hermione reached the landing. She was panting from both the effort and the rage and she shoved Ron back into the wall he'd just stepped away from.
"You cursed me!" Hermione yelled. "How dare you!"
"Do you not see how unstable Malfoy is? You really think now is the time to set him off," Ron defended himself.
"Oh, because he's such a welcoming, warm, bundle of fucking Hufflepuff when you're around?" Hermione yelled back.
"He's unpredictable. He's been unhinged for years," Ron insisted. "We don't have time for this. We have to get Isla somewhere safe and then get back to help."
Somehow, Hermione had already forgotten. How bad would the attack be? Would Draco be there? If she had just been able to see him, she would know by his robes what kind of task he was up to before arriving.
"Draco is right." This time, there was no understanding in Andromeda's voice. "Teddy has lost so much. He deserves a place where he is safe, and we have that here. Draco does not even come here unless I call for him. I will not jeopardize that."
"I would never put him at risk," Hermione said.
Andromeda remained firm. "Perhaps not intentionally."
Ouch . Hermione, eyes started to water. It never mattered what her intentions were. When it came down to it, she failed more than succeeded when it came to protecting people. Draco was right to keep Teddy from her.
"Go alert your travel companions," Andromeda instructed Ron and he reluctantly went back up the stairs.
She took a few steps towards Hermione, and she hated to admit the feeling of intimidation she couldn't shake. The Black women were powerful. Undeniably.
"You are a strong witch. You disarmed me before, without even your own wand in your hand. Clever and bright beyond measure as well. If rumors are to be believed," Andromeda said, looking her over. It made Hermione's skin crawl. The exposure felt as if she stood in front of her nude, in both mind and body. "Yet you are so, very weak."
The way she said it like an apology rather than an insult made it sting more.
Andromeda had lost so much more than she had. Her husband and daughter. They were gone in a more permanent fashion than how Draco was gone to her. If pain was all that she was left with, so be it. It was the only proof she had that it existed, and no pain was as tortious as feeling nothing.
"Go on," Andromeda said. Her voice was soft but still firm. "The muggle girl can stay here until you know it is safe. Just this once."
The dementor's traveled only a few meters past the safehouse. The charms kept them hidden from view, but they lingered about, detecting the weakened people within but unable to find them. It was the dead of night before they got rid of them. It wasn't until Hermione led them away alone and traveled back in her animagus form that they made their way south.
Hermione returned to Grimmauld Place hours later alone to fetch Isla. When she arrived, it wasn't into the sitting room but to the ground floor. Andromeda walked from around the corner out of the kitchens, her robes tied around her like she was ready for bed.
"How'd you fair?" asked Andromeda, quietly.
"Better than we hoped for. Sorry I took so long," Hermione replied quietly, sure that Teddy would already be asleep at that hour.
Andromeda nodded approvingly. "Isla is in the library keeping herself busy. Go on. I was about to bring up tea."
Hermione made her way to the stairs. It was strange to walk about Grimmauld Place and see the blank walls, deserted of portraits. Andromeda was clever. Sirius was never able to figure out how to remove them. The door to the drawing room on the first floor was closed. Hermione looked over her shoulder, the sound of Andromeda in the kitchen traveling up the stairs, before opening the door and walking in.
There was no light in the room, and Hermione left the door cracked to let enough light in to make the tapestry visible. The branches stretched all around the walls of the room and Hermione followed them until it reached where her name appeared next to Draco's.
The branches that connected them were different from the rest. It was like the threads were woven loosely, waiting to either be pulled tight or unraveled. She could see how the hair and face resembled her own enough to know it was her, but felt like looking at an imposter.
"Lost?"
Hermione jumped, spinning around immediately to look into the dark room. It was Draco's voice that startled her. He was sitting on the floor, back resting against the wall. The dim light that creeped in from the cracked door to expose the silhouette of his body.
The shadow's shifted as he lifted his hand, pulling a bottle of whiskey to his lips. There was only the smallest amount remaining in the bottle and it sloshed around glass at his erratic movements. His legs were stretched out lazily in front of him, and as her eyes adjusted she could see how disheveled his hair and clothes were. There were black robes in a pile next to him, and the top of his shirt was unbuttoned and the sleeves pushed up unevenly on each arm. Hermione wished the room was the slightest bit brighter, if only to get a glimpse of him in front of her eyes instead of far back in her memory where he was starting to fade.
The straining made her eyes start to burn and she turned back to the tapestry, blinking heavily before studying it again.
"It's so simple when you think about it," Malfoy said, his voice flat and seemingly unbothered. Hermione looked over her shoulder at him, brows pushed together in question and he huffed a laugh through his nose. The light from the doorway lighting up most of her face. He could see her plainly as he stayed lurking in the shadows, unmoving.
" The wards are confined to the person not the family ," Draco recited, leaning his head back against the wall with a small thud. "There is only one way for two people to become one. Do you know how that is, Granger?"
Draco lifted the bottle to his lips again and took several long gulps until there was nothing but drops remaining. Hermione turned slightly to face him. When he left, he told Ron he'd be back in fifteen minutes. Had he been there all that time? Sitting alone in the dark just to make sure Isla didn't get left behind. She doubted Andromedea knew he was there, she would have at least mentioned it when Hermione returned.
"Don't look so grim, Granger," Draco said darkly. Hermione's eyes trailed down to his hand that laid across his stomach, his ring spinning around his finger. "You're not suck with me forever. We can undo it."
Hermione's eyes flew back up to meet his, a small gasp escaping her lips. "What? No. The marriage rite is permanent." The words bit out of her, harsher than they should have.
"It is, when done properly. But we missed a crucial step. I'm sure a smart girl like you can figure it out. It's the same for muggles," Draco taunted her.
Hermione thought over what she could remember George and Pansy's wedding and lips parted slightly. "The vows."
Draco chuckled, it was so breathy and nearly sounded like a groan towards the end.
"The vows." He said in confirmation. "You should have seen my face when I found out. Odbert at least did me the favor of waiting until we were alone to tell me. I swear the fucking goblin has had it out for me for years. Took way too much pleasure in it."
"Astoria knows?" Hermione asked, suspecting as much. They had gone to Gringotts together to finalize their contracts. Draco probably asked her not to mention it.
"Not unless you told her. Standards and formalities can only be addressed with the owners of the vault. Astoria would only be able to access them once she was my wife. Bad luck for her, I already have one."
Hermione turned back around to look at her name. That's why it was different. Everyone else was woven in permanently while she looked like she could be removed any moment. Pulled out and thrown away from the Black-Malfoy name without leaving so much as a stain.
"I'm sorry. Astoria's name was supposed to be here," she let herself voice out loud. It was always supposed to be her.
Draco groaned, every sound more slurred and heavy as the moments passed. Hermione should really go before either of them said anything that they would regret. "Astoria's a nice girl. She should be with someone who can love her."
Hermione looked at him over her shoulder and wished she could see his eyes. Or at least the way his fringe must be handing over his head as it leaned slightly forward.
"Don't say that. You are capable of love, Draco," Hermione said softly.
"No," Draco growled. He leaned his head back against the wall, and Hermione could just see the bump his Adam's apple made in his neck. "No. I had my chance."
Hermione's face heated and she turned back around. This wasn't the way they were supposed to have this talk. If they ever did. Every time she imagined it in her mind it was never this quiet. Her chest ached and she rubbed her palm across it just for a moment to try and calm it. Her mind reflexively tried to push her emotions back, but Hermione urged herself to stop, knowing she could take it for just a little longer.
Andromedea pushed the door open to the kitchen and Hermione took a few quick steps towards the door. She grabbed the handle ready to exit before turning around to look at him one more time.
"If… why didn't you?" Hermione asked. From what she could tell, Draco didn't even move. For all she knew, he was already passed out on the floor. It gave her the courage to speak more plainly. "If we can take it back, why didn't you?"
Silence filled the space between them as Hermione stared at the shadows that outlined Draco's form. His head was still tilted up, eyes staring at the ceiling. Or they would be if he was still awake. With his lack of response she turned around, unanswered, and reached to open the door.
"How could I?" Draco whispered through clenched teeth. Like the words forced themselves passed his lips when he refused to speak them.
She wanted to turn around and look at him, but Andromeda's steps reached the top of the stairs. Hermione exited the room and hurried over to help her carry the tea the rest of the way. Isla was asleep, and Hermione woke her gently before traveling them both home.