Heya guys!
Here's the next chapter. I just want to thank everyone who's reviewed the last couple of days. I've read them all and they've been so nice to hear so thank you.
Here's the next chapter I hope you like it and please review and let me know!
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Hermione's Point of View
They flood in, one by one, into the cramped hallway, bumping and huddling together. Lupin and Tonks stand at the front of the group, staring with their mouths hanging slightly open. Gaping, they look at Malfoy with a look that would only fit watching a strange creature they haven't seen before. Measuring him and his movement, trying to understand his nature.
"Hermione?" Lupin says, unsure. I look down at myself not realising how in tatters my clothes. How much I've let myself go or how much I haven't cared about that in so long. I run an anxious hand through my hair that is stuck against my scalp with grease. It's been a while since I've looked like the girl who set out with high hopes a year ago. Each tick of the clock has seemed to add to my dishevelled appearance.
"Lupin," I say, smiling back at him. He turns his attention to Malfoy and I feel Malfoy shuffle nervously beside me. I step a little in front of him when Lupin raises his wand towards him. His face turning sour.
"What's going on here?" he asks, pointing his wand straight at Malfoy.
"It's okay, he's with me," I say as a silence falls over the group. I lean across and take Malfoy's wand from his hand, trying to make them understand. The crowd shifts back in a strange shock. I search their faces trying to understand. Suddenly Ginny steps forward from the back and takes us both in. Tears start streaming down my face at the mere sight of her.
"Ginny!" I cry as her own tears start to fall. She pushes through the crowd and starts to run towards me but Lupin grabs her by the arm and pulls her fiercely back. I watch him with concern as he moves around the couch. Malfoy grabs my wrist and pulls me back.
"It's okay," I whisper to him. Lupin moves forward towards me and turns his wand on me this time.
"Lupin, I don't understand, It's me," I say, pleading.
"What was the last thing I said to you before you left that night?" Lupin asks, pointing the wand in my face. I search his eyes to see is he serious. The wand moves dangerously close to my face. The tip almost touching my nose.
"You said 'Take care of Harry. He's the last hope we have'," I explain. Lupin weights this up for a moment before lowering his wand. I leave out a deep breath I had been holding in. Lupin turns his attention to Malfoy and then back to me again.
"What the hell is going on?" he whispers, low enough so the others can't hear. But he's cut off as Ginny pushes past him and flies into my arms. I wrap myself around her and squeeze until we both can't breathe. When Malfoy notices that people are looking at us he drops his hold on my wrist and I wrap it around Ginny's neck tightly.
"I've missed you so much," she sobs into my hair.
"I've missed you too," I assure her. I pull on her so tightly, trying to morph her into me. I hadn't realised how much I had missed her until this second. She pulls back a little, pushing the hair out of my face and steals a glance at Malfoy. I can't help feeling the sudden tension in the room. Everybody is watching ever little movement. Everybody is watching Malfoy.
"Come on," Lupin says, pulling me ahead. "We have to get out of here before anyone else shows up," he explains.
"He can't come with us," he adds. I pull out of Lupins grip, slipping under his arm. He turns, confused. I walk back to Malfoy.
"I'm not going anywhere without him," I explain, standing beside him. Silence fills the room. They tilt their head at me. I am now the strange creature they watch.
"Hermione," Tonks pleas, stepping forward.
"I'm not leaving him here," I clarify. Malfoy grabs my wrist again and leans into my ear.
"Just go, Granger. I'll be fine," he whispers.
"No," I shout at him and he looks away awkwardly.
"What did you think was going to happen, Granger?" he whispers again. The members of the order lean forward, trying to hear what's being said. Ginny stares between us apprehensively.
"Look," I say, turning towards the group. "I'm not going anywhere without him," I state, my tone final.
"Hermione? He can't come with us. You understand that right?" Tonks expresses with sincere eyes.
"Then I'm staying here," I say. A few members of the order turn and mumble amongst themselves as Malfoy runs a frustrated hand through his hair.
"Why?" Lupin asks complete and utter disbelief in his voice. Malfoy sighs.
"Because without him. I would be dead now," I explain. The group gasps a little before whispering to one another, mulling this information over. I feel as if we're in front of some grand jury, deliberating over our lives.
"Granger," Malfoy pleas.
"No," I warn him as he pulls on my wrist again. A movement that isn't missed by the order. I'm not going to leave him here. I'm not going to just abandon him to fend for himself when he's public enemy number one right now.
"Hermione, Look-
"I can vouch for him!" Ginny says suddenly, pushing past Lupin again.
"What? Ginny!" Tonks calls, confused. She steps in front of Malfoy and he looks at her, pained.
"You don't even know him," Lupin warns her.
"Hermione trusts him so therefore I do. There's a lot that ye don't know. There's a lot I never told everyone because Hermione asked me not too before she left," Ginny explains and I blush slightly. Malfoy runs another frustrated hand through his hair. The tension in the room is disconcerting at best.
"Just bring the boy, Lupin. We can sort this out back at the safe house. We've been here too long," Kingsley ushers Lupin. He looks worried before he finally nods, grabbing my shoulder and pulling me forward. I grab Malfoys arm and pull him along with me as the group moves awkwardly out the door. A few members casting murderous glances behind at Malfoy. He keeps his head low, not noticing any of them. I end up receiving the blunt end of their glares.
Outside parked in front of the house are two large black Jeeps.
"Cars?" I question, turning towards Ginny.
"Less conspicuous to move amongst the muggles," she explains.
"Slower too," Kinsley sighs.
At the end of my front gate, I turn and look up at the house once before I feel Lupins fingers curl around my upper arm tightly. He pulls me towards the second car. Malfoy follows behind.
"No, I want to talk to her alone. You go in the other car," he practically spits. Malfoy sniggers back at him, starting to square up.
"Stop it!" I say, pushing on Malfoy's chest as he pushes forward. Lupin, in turn, pushes against my back.
"What you thought you were just going to have your way all of a sudden?" Lupin shouts at him.
"Enough, Lupin!" Kingsley shouts as he ushers Tonks and Ginny into the first car. I take strength from her reassuring eyes before she disappears into the dark jeep.
"He stays with me," I say to Lupin who furrows his brows together, angrily. He stops pushing and turns towards the jeep.
"Let's go!" Kingsley says, hopping into his own Jeep. I grab Malfoy pulling him past Lupin and into the Jeep with me. Lupin reluctantly follows, shutting the door with a loud thud. The car starts up with a deep rumble. It's been such a very long time since I've been in a car. Malfoy looks completely out of his element and if we weren't in such astressful situation I might even laugh.
"Don't worry, it's safe," I whisper up at him. He scoffs, not taking his eyes off of Lupin. We sit beside one another on the seat facing Lupin. The jeep is set up more like a taxi than an actual passenger car. Where the two seats are set up facing one another, rather than in a row.
I am too tired to pay much attention to the tension in the air between Malfoy and Lupin. The gentle hum of the jeep on the road is almost melodic. I can feel my eyes drawing heavy. I fight as hard as I can against it but eventually, the gentle hum grabs me and pulls me away into sleep. My head lulling to the side to meet a soft rest.
Draco's Point of View
Granger's head drops slowly to the side as it comes to rest on my shoulder. I drop my shoulder down a little as I slide down in the seat. She readjusts her head on my shoulder and I hear her breath grow quieter as Lupin seems to turn more furious. I glower across at him and try to keep the smirk off of my face.
"Wipe that fucking smirk off of your face, Malfoy," he spits. I smirk fully this time as his eyes turn murderous.
"Just because she vouched for you doesn't mean you're off the hook!" he whisper-shouts at me.
"I didn't say anything," I feign ignorance.
"You don't have too. I can't see it written all over your face," he retorts. I roll my eyes at him, turning my attention out the window. I quickly throw my eyes back down to the floor instead. The feeling of watching everything whizz by outside going in the wrong direction makes me feel nauseous.
"What the fuck is going on?" Lupin finally asks. I've been watching it brew on his tongue for the last five minutes.
"What she said," I retort, unwilling to have this conversation now.
"And what did she say? That you saved her life? Now, why would a Death Eater like you do something like that? You barely know this girl," he asks. I smirk again.
"Better answer me now, Malfoy. Because when I ask you again later it won't be this pleasant," he explains. I roll my eyes at him.
"She was captured and they brought her to the Manor. I got her out," I say summarising. By Lupin's expression, he's doesn't quite buy this.
"Yes, but why? Why would you do all this for her? Why would she vouch for you? After everything bad you've done. One right doesn't make it all okay."
I can feel the stigma stronger than ever before. So unbelievable that she would ever stand beside me. I let it wash over me for a second before I look down at her sleeping face. She twists a little, her hands falling lose onto her lap.
"Potter asked me to get her out so I did," I say, hoping this might placate his nonstop questioning.
"Harry? You saw Harry? Where was he?" Lupin rushes.
"At the Manor. He and the weasel were captured with her," I explain. I look at him confused.
"Have you not heard from him?" I say, sitting up a little.
"No, we haven't heard from any of them in over three months," Lupin explains, wringing his hands together.
"Don't tell her that," I say. Lupin laughs.
"She's going to have to find out at some point," he explains, looking out the car window.
"Look can we just cut the questions for now? I'm sure whatever you have waiting back at wherever we're going is going to be more fun for you anyways," I say, knowing full well that they're going to pump me with veritaserum until I have to hold my head up to keep it all down.
"I'm just trying to understand," Lupin clarifies.
"Yeah well, I doubt you'll be able too," I respond.
"You're right. I probably won't," He answers. "Of all the people to save from the other side. You're the last person who deserves it," he adds. I look at him and see that he truly believes it. I turn my attention out the window because feeling nauseous is better than seeing that confirmation in his eyes. In strangers eyes. Someone who never knew me. I clench my fist but quickly unclench it again as the clenching causes my shoulder to move and in turn Grangers head lulls forward. I grab the front of her head before she can slide all the way down onto my lap and push her head back up to rest on the top of my shoulder. She snores quietly. I look at Lupin and he's shaking his head at me in disbelief.
"How did she get like this?" Lupin asks after another ten minutes of awkward silence. He just can't let this car ride be peaceful, can he?
"Like what?" I ask, looking her over.
"Like that," he says, pointing to her arms and stomach.
"She's so thin. So frail. I barely recognised her at the house," he comments. I look down at her properly this time. I remember noticing it the first time I saw her in the forest but it's just what I'm used to seeing now. You grow accustomed to people looking like death. It's almost scary to see someone not look like that. I know I look for worse than her but I'm sure Lupin doesn't give a shit about that.
"Some of us have to do the groundwork," I explain. Lupin frowns back at me.
"Don't pretend like anything you were doing was anywhere near the kind of work she did. She held those two boys together," Lupin barks back.
"Yeah, and look what it's done to her. She wanted to die that night in the Manor. Did you know that? She wanted to die because she was so fucking tired of this war. Is that how it's supposed to be, huh? Kid's dying for something that they don't truly understand," I bark back.
"She knew what she was getting into," Lupin retorts, folding his arms on his chest.
"Did any of us know what we were getting into?" I ask and Lupin sighs.
The jeep slows suddenly as we pull up to a street lined with three-story townhouses.
"We're here," Lupin says, more to himself than me. I look out the window, noticing all the windows facing out towards the car. I pull my hood up and Lupin rolls his eyes back at me.
"Come on," he says. I move my shoulder out from under Granger's head.
"Wake up, Granger," I say, shaking her slightly. She yawns loudly, brushing the sleep out of her eyes and stares around awkwardly, unsure of her surroundings.
"I didn't mean to fall asleep," she whispers, embarrassed.
"Don't worry about it," I say, not paying much attention to her as I watch Kingsley flick his wand towards the houses. The townhouses stare moving, revealing another house in between them. Kinglsey turns around and looks into the jeep at us.
"Come on," I say to Granger, pushing her towards the door. "Let's get this over with," I sigh. The girl weasel pushes through the crowd once we're outside the jeep. I drop my hand from Granger's arm just as she laces her fingers through hers.
"Are you okay?" she gushes, brushing back Granger's hair behind her ears.
"Yeah, Ginny. I'm just a little hungry is all," Granger replies.
"Mum is inside and I'm sure she has dinner for us," she says. I wonder am I involved in that formation of the word 'us'. I doubt it. Lupin pushes me ahead as Granger walks ahead. I try to let it go. Here is not the best place to start a fight. As much as I didn't want to be here. Where else was I going to do? She asked me to stay. She asked. Nobody else. That's all I have to remember. Lupin pushes again.
Once inside the door of the townhouse, the sound of shouting fills the air. But it's not angry or malicious. It's light and airy and almost joking. The second thing I smell is a burst of food. Home-cooked food, boiling away in a kitchen I can't see yet. Granger turns to me with the biggest smile on her face but I can't mirror it. She might be happy to be here but I can't say that I am. I am not welcome here the same way that she is welcome here. In fact, I'm not welcome here at all and Lupin has made that pretty clear.
"Upstairs," Lupin says, grabbing my arm and pushing me towards the staircase. Granger reaches her hand out to me but Lupin pushes it away.
"Malfoy," she calls after me, reaching out. I keep my hands by my side as I turn towards the staircase. What did she expect? That we were all going to have a home-cooked meal and laugh about old times in Hogwarts. This is always how it was going to go. Why does she look so shocked?
"Hermione you go into the kitchen and grab something to eat. Take care of yourself while we take care of this, okay?" Lupin says. Granger pushes harder through the crowd.
"It's fine, Granger. Just go," I say and she stops pushing, her eyes turn to mine, almost begging. I look away and take a few steps up the stairs. Lupin watches our interactions closely.
"Come on, Hermione. Let's go get something to eat. I'm sure they won't be long," the weasel says, casting her eyes down at turns but not before she grabs Lupin's arm.
"He helped me!" she says, squeezing his arm fiercely for a moment before Ginny pulls her away.
"We'll see," he mutters under his breath. I take off up the stairs and don't look back down when I feel her eyes following me.
At the top of the stairs, I wait for Lupin who follows slowly, rubbing his arm where Granger grabbed him. I smirk to myself as he points down the hallway. I take off towards the room, pushing the door open. Inside the room the sudden lack of sleep and food properly hit me. In the corner of the room, leaning almost statuesque against the fireplace is Severus Snape.
"Snape?" I call, unsure whether or not my eyes are deceiving me. He turns around towards me and eyes me suspiciously.
"Malfoy?" he asks, equally unsure. Lupin comes into the room and shuts the door. The room feels overly cramped with the three of us in here.
"What the fuck is going on?" I ask, turning towards Lupin.
"Kingsley called you, yes?" Lupin asks, taking off his coat and leaning it across an armchair.
"Yes, what's this about?" Snape asks, his eyes darting between Lupin and me.
"You work for the order?" I say, half to myself in disbelief. Snape disregards my question.
"Did you bring it?" Lupin asks but Snape shakes his head.
"We used up all the Vertiserum on that prison you brought in last week. I haven't gotten a chance to brew anymore," Snape informs him.
"So," Lupin says frantically. "Can you brew one now?"
"Yes, I could. But I don't think we have one lunar phase," Snape says sarcastically.
"What?" Lupin asks.
"It takes 28 days to brew," he informs him and I smirk slightly to myself.
"Fuck," Lupin sighs, slumping down in the chair.
"There are other ways, of course," Snape draws on, eyeing me. I roll my eyes at him, knowing exactly what he means. What is he playing at with this? Is he testing me or something? So he can see where my loyalties lie.
Just before I was cast out from the manor at the start of the war, Snape and I finished our Occulmency lessons. If that's what he's hinting at right now he's testing me. Not for Lupin's sake but for his own neck. I glare at him, unsure.
"Such as?" Lupin asks.
"I don't know if you know this but I am trained in the art of Occulmency," he explains. "I can see inside his mind. See every thought he's ever had, see every person he's ever spoken too if I should wish too."
"Okay," Lupin says, rolling up his sleeves. He grabs my shoulders and pushes me into the chair he was just sitting in.
"Where did you find him?" Snape asks, circling the chair, eyeing me.
"The alarms went off at Hermione Granger's residences and we went investigating. That's where we found them," Lupin explains. Snape smiles a wicked grin.
"Them?" he questions, eyeing me with a raised eyebrow. I roll my eyes at him.
"He was with Hermione," Lupin clarifies.
"Was he now?" Snape retorts mischievously. Lupin eyes him curiously. I scowl up at him. Is he taunting me or something?
"What kind of information are you looking for?" Snape addresses Lupin.
"He said that he saved her life. I need to know if that is true and whether or not he's a treat to her or anyone here. Any other information you think is necessary too, don't hesitate," Lupin says. Snape smirks down at me at this information.
"Well let's see what kind of man Malfoy is now," Snape says taunting. I roll my eyes again. Snape prepares himself for a moment.
"Legilimens," he murmurs, flicking his wand. Before it starts I already know what he's going to search for. Snape wants to see will I close off the memories he already saw a year ago in Hogwarts. The one's Granger and I shared there and the ones I saw in the Pensieve. What does it matter to him anyway? He already knows them. He's seen them before. But he's testing me, way more than Lupin is. So when it begins I pull down all my walls, leaving everything open.
I feel the familiar intrusive feeling like a worm moving through my mind, picking and prodding at different memories. I stand in the Manor again, facing Bellatrix. I see her drop to her feet as I grab Granger, pulling her up into my arms as I disapparate with my mother. I see the English Channel outside Blaise's grandparent's house and my mothers pained expression as I throw the tea bags at her, pulling Granger behind me out the door.
When Snape starts to search backwards I try my best to disassociate from it but I can't force myself too. I can't force myself to compartmentalise my emotions either. When the memories appear before my eyes from a year ago at Hogwarts my chest tightens. Snape runs through them all quickly. Our last night together before the night on the Astronomy Tower. Even the last time we spoke before we both disappeared for a year. He jumps back to recently and watches as I warn Granger in the woods about the Death Eaters coming. I see Potter then warning me to get her out of the Manor. Snapes flies through them all, searching for anything different or anything out of place. Something small that I might be hiding. But he won't find anything.
When he finishes I cough a little, flying forward to lean over the chair. It's been a long time since I've done that and I've forgotten the toll it takes. Snape sighs a little, not as frustrated or worn out as I am.
"So?" Lupin beckons eagerly.
"I have to correlate his memories with that of the Granger girl to make sure they haven't been planted there by someone far more undesirable than Mr Malfoy here," Snape explains.
Hermione's Point of View
"Slowly," Ginny says, pushing my wrist down, setting the spoon flying back into the soup.
"Ginny, I'm fine," I lie, picking the spoon back up.
"If you eat too fast you're going to throw up. So please, take it easy. You need this food to stay in your stomach," Ginny says. I sigh, knowing she's right. I take a spoonful of soup into my mouth and put the spoon down, waiting for a minute. She smiles in return. When the bowl is half empty Molly comes around with the pot and tops up the bowl.
"A fresh sup dear. It'll warm you right up," she muses, rubbing the back of my neck and it feels nice. It feels so nice to be taken care of by someone else for once. The entire last year I have spent taking care of both Harry and Ron. It's nice to have a change.
The clock chimes at six and I stare up at the ceiling, not hearing anything.
"It will be okay," Ginny assures me, catching me looking up. I stare around the room at the other Order members, huddled together at the top of the table, away from Ginny and I. They're talking about me, I can feel it. I don't blame them it's a strange situation.
"Thanks for speaking up back there," I say, turning towards her. "Word's can't describe what it's like to see you again, Ginny. I've missed you so much," I say, a tear slipping down my cheek. She catches it with her index finger.
"Don't cry, Hermione. It's okay now," she smiles. I nod, taking another spoonful of the soup.
"That was pretty intense back there," Ginny exhales.
"Yeah."
"Everybody was a bit shocked when you took his wand. Tonks was talking about it in the car. I think that's why Kingsley let him come here," Ginny gossips.
"What do you mean?" I ask, turning towards her, eyeing Tonks talking at the top of the table.
"He just gave it to you Hermione," Ginny clarifies.
"And?"
"You don't just give your wand to anyone," she explains. That explains why they were so shocked. But I hadn't thought of it in that way, I guess.
"Thanks for vouching for him," I say. Ginny smiles sadly at me.
"I know what he meant to you a long time ago, Hermione. I can't say that I know him the same way that you do, at all. But I know enough to know that he's not this monster everyone thinks he is."
"Thank you," I say, grabbing her hand and giving it a little squeeze.
"Hermione?"
"Yeah," I say, taking another spoonful.
"How did this happen? Why are ye together?" Ginny asks.
The door to the dining room opens and Lupin enters, making his way to the end of the table. He comes up right beside me but I look past him trying to find Malfoy but I don't see him in the doorway.
"Where's Malfoy?" I ask him when he gets beside me, standing up from the table.
"He's fine," Lupin assures me. Ginny pulls me back down into the seat.
"Snape wants to confirm Malfoy's story so he needs you to correlate it," he explains.
"Right now?" Ginny frowns.
"Not now Lupin. Let the girl eat," Molly demands from the top of the table, a washcloth over her shoulder and the soup pot tightly in her hand. Lupin sighs but agrees.
"Where is he?" I ask nervously, but the room falls quiet. The clock ticking loudly overhead as Malfoy steps slightly into the room, looking around awkwardly. His face set in his usual stoic expression.
Some of the Order members who hadn't been at my house are seeing him for the first time. A few drop their forks, letting them clatter loudly against the mahogany table. They turn to him and again they look at his like a strange creature emerging from the dark. The tension is palpable.
"You'll have some soup," Molly pipes up at him and some people turn their glares at Molly. She either ignores them or simply doesn't notice them. Malfoy looks around the room at their murderous glares and nods at Molly with a tremendous amount of inelegance.
I look at their faces watching him, the same way I used to watch him not too long ago. Before I really knew him and what he was like back at Hogwarts. This creature they're all afraid of. A bad dog that has been known to bite when provoked. His eyes scan the room before landing on mine. I don't see this strange creature they're all afraid of. I feel my body naturally relax when his eyes are on mine. I know that Lupin is talking somewhere to my right but I can't hear what he's saying. The room melts away as I search his eyes. He relaxes a little and his eyes open up like the book I just to read. I see it all there in him. That he is okay and whatever happened in that room isn't as bad as my imagination thought it was going to be. That doesn't mean that it's over by any means. But it's over for this very moment and for that I'm grateful.
I can't help it when a small smile breaks out on my face. Malfoy runs a hand through his hair and rolls his eyes at me, smirking back. But when his feign arrogance fades away all that's left on his face is a small, genuine smile. I don't see the strange creature everyone else see. Something else comes to mind instead.
Sweet creature.