A/N- Romy and Becky, I hope you like your appearance! And everyone, thank you so much for the reviews!!! Enjoy!
**********
It was quiet at the house, for there were no words spoken between Harry and Hermione after Ginny left. He was leaning against the wall, looking at her while she was avoiding his gaze. Every time I see her I long to hold her; but not while her tongue accused me falsely.
"Just go and get your things Hermione," he said, and she went into the backroom.
**********
When Harry got off the floor at Malfoy Manor, Hermione was already standing and straitening out her clothes after the floo ride.
"I told you there was no need to follow me," she said.
Harry gave her a fake smile. "Yea, well aren't you smart," he said, rather sarcastically.
Hermione looked at the door that would lead her to Ginny and Draco. Part of her wanted to go through, the other part wanted to stay where she was.
"Thanks for… following me Harry," she said quietly, still not looking at him.
"Don't mention it," and you could still hear sarcasm in his voice.
She didn't like this. She didn't want them acting like strangers. She despised it, yet at the same time… didn't.
She knew Ginny would be in here soon; she knew Ginny was just giving them some time alone.
"Hermione," he started, causing her to look back at him. He took her hand, and she still felt a little electric jolt shoot through her when he touched her, which she hated. "Don't always think the worst of me. Nothing I've done has been wrong."
"Harry, that's the whole problem."
"You have a problem because I haven't done anything wrong?"
"No. The problem is that you won't admit that you've done anything wrong," she said, her cheeks growing hot.
"Do you want me to admit to something I haven't done? Do you want me to lie to you?"
"It won't make any difference," she said. "You've been doing just that for a while now." Although she said that in anger, it was filled with deep sadness. And her eyes were filling with tears.
"I would never lie to you Hermione," he said, looking straight at her.
"Harry, it's yourself you lie to… and you believe them."
"You used to think the best of me," he said as he let go of her shaking hand.
"There was a time when you were the best."
That was one of the most painful things she ever said to him, and it hurt her to say them. She never enjoyed hurting him, but their conversations were now filled with those kinds of comments; from both of them.
With his eyes still filled with pain, he took his turn to move his eyes across the elegant room, until they landed on her again.
"Don't be alone in the store tomorrow, okay? Things can still happen in the daylight."
She nodded.
"You know where you can find me if you need me." This time, he leaned over and kissed her on the cheek. "Good night, Herm."
She swallowed. "Good night."
As though Ginny knew they were done talking, the redhead opened the door slowly, and stepped into the room.
"Hey Hermione, Hey Harry," she said as she stayed close to the door.
Harry nodded back at Ginny with a very small smile, and with one last look at Hermione, he stepped into the fireplace; while Ginny and Hermione stepped outside the door and into the hall.
Ginny looked at Hermione with tears in her eyes, and then hugged her. "It's just not fair… poor Parvati and Pansy," she whispered.
"I know," Hermione replied.
They were still hugging when Draco came into view, who also didn't look to good.
"Hey Hermione," he said.
"Oh Draco… Is there any news of any kind?" Hermione asked as she and Ginny broke apart.
"No…" he sighed. "You heard about the cocaine I suppose."
She nodded. "Yea, well I can't see that being the reason… How's Blaise doing?"
"He's in shock. He wasn't even supposed to work tonight."
Ginny wiped her eyes. "We better turn in. Hermione, you can sleep in the green room down the hall. It's going to be a long night…"
**********
Hermione was on her back on the green room bed. She had a lot of confusing thoughts running through her mind.
Why was Harry so persistent on protecting her? After the two months of separation, it was hard to believe he still loved her; especially when he tried so little to work things out. Though she knew Harry was always the one who wanted to protect people, it still confused her for some reason.
She didn't hear where he went after he flooed away. Did he go and find Cho? Did he go and comfort her for she was also lonely?
That thought just made her feel sick, and she rolled over onto her side and cried herself to sleep, hoping that Harry didn't have angry thoughts of her as he fell asleep, but tender thoughts… the ones he used to have.
**********
Lavender Brown was awoken by the sound of her house-elf.
"Miss Lavender! Miss Lavender," Koba squeaked.
Lavender squinted as she yawned and slowly raised her head from the pillow.
"Koba? What's wrong?"
"There's a man downstairs to see you."
"A man? What man?" Lavender asked a little more awake.
"I don't know. His head is in the fire."
Lavender got up from her bed and put on her blue robe. She was not happy with be woken up at 4am. She walked into her living room, and sure enough; there was a man's head in her fireplace.
The man's eyes started to look hopeful when he saw her. "Lavender, you gotta help me!"
It took her awhile to figure out who this man was, and then she remembered. It was Marty Hackens, owner of Marty's Place.
"What is it Marty?" she asked, starting to walk back and forth to keep her feet from falling asleep.
"I am in desperate need of a lawyer. You've gotta come down to the Ministry. They're questioning me about Pansy's murder- Lavender, I don't have anything to do with it, and I did not give her any muggle cocaine… I didn't even know about it."
Lavender stopped walking. "Pansy Zabani? But it was Parvati who got killed, not Pansy."
"Both of them. But I'm not the only one down here. They got about 20 other people here, most of them drinkers and drugies. Let's just say I'm not the only one who will need a lawyer."
Lavender said a quick goodbye and went back upstairs to get dressed.
**********
Lavender 'popped' into the Auror Headquarters offices 10 minutes later, and Marty hadn't been joking. There were 20 or more other people there, mostly all men, getting questioned.
She turned around and was staring at man with red hair. Ron Weasley.
"Hey Lavender," he said with a smile.
As always, whenever Ron flashed her his smile, her stomach did little cartwheels.
"Hey to you too," she said back.
"So," he said, crossing his arms in front of his chest, and tried to look serious. "What are you doing up at this hour young lady?"
Lavender glared at him. "You do know you're a git, don't you?"
Ron just smiled.
She shook her head. "Anyways, I'm here for the same reason everyone else is here. I heard people are in need of a lawyer, and what is it about cocaine?"
Ron's smile faltered slightly. "Oh, that… Well, they found it in Pansy's house, and think there's a connection."
"That makes sense," she said, thinking out loud. "So they're just bringing in anyone who saw her today… Do they still think it's a muggle?"
"Yea… some of these men here are muggles. We're gonna have to erase this part from their memory," grumbling as he said this.
She smiled, and looked over to see Kelly Young, Pansy's best friend coming towards her. She turned back to Ron. "I think my job is calling," and she walked off towards Kelly, who's eyes were red and swollen.
"Oh Lavender, thank God you're here."
"Kelly, what are you doing here?"
"For questioning. I told them all I knew, but they won't let me go yet." Kelly was shaking and on the verge of tears, trying to take deep breaths.
Lavender put a hand on Kelly's shoulder to comfort her. "What did you tell them? What do you know?"
"Nothing… well, nothing about the murder. But I know she bought the drug this- well, now it would be yesterday. She bought it off a guy she knew, just on the streets of Hogesmead. But I swear I didn't know what it was until later."
"You know the guy?"
"No, never saw him before in my life. He looked like a muggle, but he could've been a Squib. He was tall, mid twenties, had dark buzzed hair, mustache, a sliver earring on the left ear… Oh, I can't think anymore!" Kelly said, looking down.
"It's okay Kelly… it'll be okay."
"Should I have come to you first, Lavender?"
She shook her head. "No, you did the right thing. Just stay here, I have to go and talk to Marty."
Kelly sat down, along with others. Lavender noticed that a lot of them were muggles, and some of them were staring around the place with a look of 'awe' on their face. Soon they're gonna have a 'dazed' look, she thought with a chuckle.
Lavender made her way over to Marty and saw there was fear in his eyes.
"I told them I wasn't going to say anything till you got here," he said.
"Well, I'm here." She sat down. "Was Pansy in the bar tonight?"
"No, not tonight… But she was there this afternoon. She was pretty shaken about Parvati's murder."
Lavender looked away for a moment and pressed her lips together, trying not to break down in tears. She still didn't want to believe her friend was dead.
She turned back after a moment. "Did you see Pansy talking to anyone?"
"Just some girlfriends. And if you mean men… no. She could be a little wild at times, but I've never seen her with any men except Blaise."
"Marty," she said slowly. "Is there any reason to believe that she got the drugs from you?"
"No way! Lavender, I sell booze, not muggle coke."
"Alright." She stood up and looked around for an Auror. "Fred!" she called as she saw Fred walk into the room.
"Hey Lavender. I guess Marty got a hold of you."
She nodded. "You want to question him?"
"I sure do."
"Then let's get this over with," and they followed Fred into another room. This is going to be a long night, she thought.
**********
Auror's were all about now; looking for the killer, using the description Kelly Young gave them. Since Kelly told them she thought the drug dealer was a Squib, it made sense that he would use a gun and sell cocaine.
Romina 'Romy' Melling walked around a corner in Hogesmeade, when a figure of a man caught her eye. The man was pretty tall, with dark hair that was buzzed. The man was just setting his suitcase on the ground. But the man looked just the way Kelly had described.
"Excuse me sir," Romy called.
"What?" the man replied, looking slightly annoyed.
"Can I ask you a few questions?" she asked, already walking over to the mystery man.
"About what?"
Romy didn't answer, but holding her wand, she whispered a spell, and the man's hands were tied behind his back.
"What? What is this?" the man yelled as he tried to free his tied hands.
"Jake, Becky, I've got something," Romy yelled over her shoulder.
A man and a woman sprinted towards them. "What is it, Romy?" Becky asked.
"Look, he fits the description. Look in his suitcase."
Becky and Jake opened the suitcase and searched. Sure enough, there was at numerous packets of cocaine, and at least 4,000 dollars in muggle and wizard money.
The man looked outraged. "What the bloody hell do you think you're doing?!"
"You sir, are under arrest," Romy said.
"For what?"
"Oh take your pick- possession of drugs or murder."
"Murder? Hey, I didn't kill anybody…is this about that Longbottom lady?"
That was as close to a confession as Romy needed. "Get back to headquarters and tell them we've got our man!"
**********