"I was incorrect" She swallowed her pride as she confronted the Healer.
"You were incorrect?"
"I believe an old grudge may have caused me to overreact. The ward needs someone who can and will push into the minds if needed. I believe Mr. Malfoy would not hesitate to do so if the case needed it." She gritted her teeth. No, the git wouldn't care at all. The Healer nodded and looked at her, she raised her head slightly higher and met the man's eyes. She could practically feel the disbelief radiating off him.
"I will broach the subject with the board" He answered moving her down the hallway.
"Has anyone come forward for him?" She asked as they reached the door of the man. It had been two weeks since he was found, and no one had been found since. The Aurors were getting restless and while she had felt reprieve that her workload was diminishing instead of increasing she could sense something wasn't right. Harry and Ron had been in and out of her office, nervous energy had filled them all.
"We have not had anyone come and no matter what we tried he has not improved. I'm afraid we've placed him on care at this point. He's been admitted until someone comes forward." She bit her lip and nodded in response. "The memory ward was filling up and has now stopped and while this is a good thing…"
"It may not be, we are aware." She said peeking into the room. The man's eyes flicked towards her for a moment and held, the blank stare almost looked through her. For a split second, she thought, however...
"Miss Granger, if there is nothing else" She stared at the man for a bit longer, before nodding to the Healer and following him back to the front of St. Mungos.
"Hermione!" she flinched but smiled. Harry came walking up to her, without touching her, their step synchronized as they made their way to the ministry stairs. "I'm sorry for the other night. I haven't gotten a chance to tell you this" He said and she nodded in return.
"I shouldn't have run out," She replied
"You do that a lot you know," He sighed smiling slightly. "Apologize when you don't mean it." She halted her steps and he followed suit.
"I never apologized for leaving," She bristled "I'm not sorry I left. I just shouldn't have run out."
"No, I guess you didn't,"
"What is the point of all this Harry? Why today, why is it today that you decided we needed to have this conversation? Did I walk 6 steps to the right instead of 5? What was it?" She asked throwing her hands up. While they were far from ignoring each other, and had many conversations she could always tell by his eyes when he was brewing. The green became darker and a line appeared on his forehead between them, the tension was visible before he even opened his mouth. She looked and saw this now. Knew that something had set him off and when it came to her, it always revolved around one thing.
"I read the report. I've been looking into them due to the silence, seeing what we missed, the healers and researchers and all of the specialists that have been brought into this, and low and behold when I got to the most recent one, the final one I may add, a name appeared that I hadn't seen in quite some time." He looked at her expectantly and she could feel her pulse increasing. "It seems all the documents signed by M belonged to someone we both know."
"Draco Malfoy, he works there, I am aware." She deadpanned.
"How long have you known?" he asked through his teeth.
"I would say about a week longer than you." She replied and he shook his head.
"I don't believe you." He said matter of fact. Her breath stopped. He could have smacked her and she felt like it would have been less painful. She knew Harry had been keeping an eye on her. He had throughout the war, always questioning her moves, doubting her intentions. It had almost gotten them killed a time or two. But he never admitted it, always kept his doubts to himself as far as she knew.
"I haven't seen or heard from him since putting him away. We all received the same office note that he was out and that was it." She hissed back at him, feeling her world getting smaller and smaller.
"I can't believe you." He said shaking his head "Not after that night. Not after you were there." He took a breath and dropped his shoulders for a second before meeting her eyes. "I'm asking to have you removed from the cases, I don't know what I am going to tell them as a reason, but I don't trust him and I don't trust you. I thought you should know." He turned then and walked away. She bit her tongue and took a deep breath. This was her work, this was her passion and she knew that he would get his way. There was no point in arguing it, the wizarding world would do anything Harry said. He had his power that way, after ending the war. She held her head high and followed, walking quickly to her desk and she shrunk her paperwork and notes that littered the desktop, filing them into the small bag she carried and walking back out without saying a word as her heart crumbled in her chest.