Chapter 10 - Friends that Come and Go
Ginny opened the door completely and stared at her, surprised. "What are you doing here, Hermione?" was her dry salute.
Hermione looked a little taken aback by her reaction, but, nevertheless, she hugged her friend. "Thank God, Ginny! I was so afraid I wouldn't find you here! You don't know how much I..."
Ginny motioned her to come in and closed the door. She gave her a cold look. "What are you doing here? Taking a little walk around the best neighborhood in Paris?"
Hermione's smile faded a little. "I was looking for you," she said, looking at Ginny's narrowed eyes. She hadn't changed very much, even though all she had been through. She was still gorgeous and glamorous. She was dressed in a dusty robe, but on her, it looked like a top designer piece. However, there was something different in her eyes. They were cold and hard. Ginny had never been very sweet, but at least with Hermione, she had been friendly. Now, she was staring at her as if she was the worst of all plagues.
Ginny was having mixed feelings at that moment. She couldn't deny the relief she felt when she heard Hermione's voice and saw her standing there. She was the only friend she had ever had, and meeting with her, after four years, was... But still, she was embarrased. She was living in a dump, for Christ's sake!
"Is that your baby?" Hermione asked suddenly, noticing the boy in the wooden box. He was awake, and was staring at the stranger with wide black eyes.
"My dear friend, does this place look like a Kindergarden to you?" Ginny asked coldly. Inside, she was wondering how the hell Hermione knew she had a child.
"What's his name?" Hermione asked, looking at the baby excitedly.
"Daniel. Are you interested in any other details? He is the son of General Viktor Krum," she added, leaning against one of the rusty walls.
Hermione eyed her friend. She was serious and cold, but her eyes showed fear. She thought of a frightened mouse chased by a cat... What had those monsters done to her? What had happened in La Sante? She turned to look at the baby. He was so serious and quiet...
"Hi, Daniel, cuchi, cuchi," she said, tickling him softly.
"How did you find us?" Ginny asked.
"Draco Malfoy helped me," Hermione answered, still focused on the baby.
"And who might that be?" the red-headed asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Don't you remember? We met him at your house. That afternoon, when... Harry Potter brought him along."
If Ginny noticed that Hermione's voice changed slightly when she mentioned Harry's name, she didn't show it. Instead, she frowned. "Now that you mention it... I think I remember that Harry went to my house with a blond guy."
"That's Draco," Hermione pointed.
Daniel shifted, uncomfortable, in his box. Ginny hated the fact that Hermione could see where her son slept. But Hermione didn't seem to care, and was too busy trying to entertain him. After a lot of funny faces, the boy smirked. Hermione laughed at her success.
"Can I hold him?" she asked, turning to look at Ginny.
Ginny had never let anyone to hold Daniel besides her. Not even after his birth, when she was still weak after the complicated delivery. She approached to the cradle and picked him up, hugging him protectively. Hermione smiled, and caressed the boy's cheek.
"So..." Hermione started. "How have you been?"
"How do you think?" Ginny said, pacing.
Hermione remained silent for a while. She was tired of Ginny's attitude. But after all, she was an unexpected guest... And Ginny had probably suffered a lot...
"I'm sorry, that was a stupid thing to ask."
Ginny gave her a look. "Come on, let's take a walk," she said.
Hermione followed her through the dirty street until they reached a small park. Ginny was holding Daniel, who had fallen asleep. It was almost winter, but the breeze was very refreshing and the day was warm and inviting.
"Ginny..." said Hermione, softly, "Do you want to talk about what happened in La Sante, about Viktor Krum or the Liberation?"
Ginny was aching to tell Hermione everything... She wanted to trust her... But she was so ashamed of everything that had happened that she couldn't bear it. How could she put in words the horrors she had lived in La Sante and the life she had had after, with Krum?
"What do you want me to tell you? La Sante was crowded with FOS agents. Krum was my lover. And you certainly don't need me to describe my present life."
That was enough for Hermione to shut her mouth, until they reached a small cafe. Hermione had a quick flashback of the time she went with Harry to one of those places, after she had told him about the Weasley's disappearence. She invited Ginny to eat something.
When they sat down, Ginny finally let Hermione hold Daniel. The baby sat on her lap happily and grabbed a piece of bread. Ginny was starving. However, she ate very little. She didn't want Hermione to think she was impressed with a plate of food.
Hermione talked about Beauxbatons and Daguerre most of the time. Finally, she gathered the courage to ask something that had been on her mind since she had learned about Ginny.
"It must be terrible... being punished by the FOS, and then by Gryffindor's allies... Aren't you angry?"
Ginny sighed. "Yes," she admitted. "But that anger is nothing compared to what I feel towards the bastard that betrayed my father and turned him in."
"Do you have any idea of who might have been?"
"No, but I will find out, even if it takes me my whole life to do it, and I mean that with the most sincerity I have left," she said with determination.
"And what are you planning to do now?" Hermione asked, looking at Daniel.
"Well, right now I can't do much... I'm working in a store, but that woman doesn't pay very well at all. If I could save something, I could rent another apartment and take Daniel out of there, but everything I earn is spent to keep surviving like this..."
"Ginny, you can't go through this alone..."
"And what do you want me to do? Ask my parents for help?" she asked in a cold way that surprised Hermione.
"What about your brothers?"
"I couldn't stand if they find out how I'm living, Hermione. It's too embarrassing. I don't want them to know I lived with Krum, or that I have a child..."
"Not even Ron?" asked Hermione. She knew that Ginny had always been closer to Ron than to the rest of her brothers.
Ginny took a sip of her water and tucked a strand of red hair behind her ear. "I guess that little report you read didn't tell you everything, after all..."
"What do you mean?"
"Ron is dead."
Hermione blinked in disbilief. Ron Weasley... dead? She couldn't believe it. That nice, funny guy she had met a couple of years ago?
"How did you..." she mouthed, because the words didn't come out.
"Krum told me... He was killed in action, the report said. Two years ago." Ginny's eyes were fixed in the table. Her voice was flat and it was hard to guess what she was feeling.
Hermione ran a hand through her hair. Ron was dead. Ron was Harry's friend... More than that, he was his partner... They worked together... Could it be...? But no, that was impossible. He was sending his reports in on time, every single one of them. She wanted to ask Ginny, but she was too afraid of the answer.
"I could lend you some money," Hermione said, deciding to change the subject.
"Very generous of you, Granger," Ginny said, avoiding her look.
"Don't be ridiculous, Ginny. We've known each other for years. You're my best friend. I want to help you. How much do you need?"
Ginny thought for a while. She didn't like charity. She hated the fact that Hermione was talking to her as if she actually needed anything from her. Maybe if she asked for something difficult, she would put her back in her place. "300 Galleons," she said finally. She had noticed Hermione's outfit. She couldn't be more than a secretary by the looks of it.
Hermione earned seventy galleons a month. She had some money saved, but it wasn't enough, considering she had to pay her own rent. However, withought even doubting it, she nodded.
"I'll bring them tomorrow to your house."
* * *
Hermione wasn't very fond of asking money from other people, but it was the only way she could have three hundred galleons by tomorrow. She sent owls to Lady McGonagall and Remus Lupin. She didn't explain why she needed the money, but she attached with the letter a signed contract that she would return every single knut back to whomever she owed. Draco didn't have any money to lend her, which wasn't a surprise at all. She went to the Gringotts bank in Paris, and after about ten interviews with different grumpy goblins, she was able to reunite the money before night fell.
She had promised Draco she would go out with him that night, to thank him for his efforts in the search of Ginny. But Draco wasn't planning to go out. He led her to his hotel room.
"What are we doing here?" she asked, trying to keep her voice cool. "I thought we were going to have dinner..."
"We are," Draco said, smirking, "I've ordered room service. I thought that, maybe, you wouldn't be in the mood to go out."
'Yeah, right' Hermione thought, feeling very uncomfortable all of the sudden.
"Sit down, chiquita," Draco motioned to a chair he had put in front of a small round table with a lot of food. 'Chiquita' was the nickname he had chosen for her, since they had met again in Spain... Hermione didn't like it very much, but she wasn't going to complain. Draco was her friend, after all, and had helped her a lot through these hard times... Actually, it was the only person Hermione had now, since Ginny didn't seem too keen in recovering their lost friendship, and her parents were dead; and Harry... 'Stop thinking about him,' Hermione scolded herself.
Draco poured some wine in her glass. Hermione didn't enjoy drinking, but she thought it would be rude to reject what he had prepared so kindly, so she accepted. They made some small talk during dinner. Half past eleven, Hermione was feeling a little dazed and stood up.
"Everything was great, thank you Draco," she stated, walking towards the door.
"Hey, wait," he stooped her, grabbing her arm gently. "Where are you going? The fun is just starting..."
She was perfectly aware of their closeness. Draco's gaze was studying her, and she felt the urgency to run... But he was her friend... Draco caressed her cheek, and Hermione backed away immediately.
"Draco..." she muttered. Her knees were weak, and the room was a little blurry. She shouldn't have accepted to drink that wine...
"Come on, don't be afraid," he said, gently, embracing her. He kissed the top of her head and chuckled softly. "This is what I like about you... Your virginal attitude... Making me wait..."
Hermione was starting to have a headache... Virginal? Why did Draco imagine that she was a virgin? But she didn't have the strength to correct him. Of course, telling him that, would have meant he would ask about her partner... And talking, or thinking about Harry was the last thing she wanted to do right then. Too late. She realized that Draco was now bending over to kiss her...
Hermione closed her eyes, and opened them again, trying to focus her mind... A pair of green eyes were looking back at her. Harry's face. Harry's glasses. Harry's hair. He was the one bending over to kiss her and she accepted him immediately. But as soon as their mouths touched she snapped out of her daydream and realized it was Draco - not Harry - the one she was kissing. She tried to pull back, but now he was kissing her more forcefully, leading her towards the king sized bed.
Why was she letting him go on? Why couldn't she find the strength to fight against him? What would Harry think...? 'Harry has nothing to say in this... He left you. It's time to move on, Hermione. Do it for yourself. You'll never get over him if you keep rejecting every guy that comes close to you...' her mind was screaming.
Draco was now kissing her neck. A rush of disgust came over to her, and she almost felt like throwing up. With the last strength she had, she pushed him away and stood up, almost tripping in the process.
"I'm sorry, I can't do this..." she muttered, moving to the door.
Draco had fallen flat on his butt, and was staring at her from the floor, with a mix of anger and confusion in his grey eyes.
"You can't leave..." he said, trying to stand up, "Why are you doing this to me?"
"I'm sorry," she said again, grabbing the knob of the door. She really was. Draco was a nice guy... But Harry was still too present in her heart.
"If you walk out of this room, we're through, do you hear me?! We're through!" he yelled.
Hermione wiped a tear from the corner of her eye and shut the door behind her, leaving a very upset Draco Malfoy behind.
***
The next morning, she went to Ginny's apartment very early. Ginny was about to leave for work so she didn't invite her in. Hermione handed her the money.
"Wow... I didn't think you would actually make it," Ginny said, staring at the three hundred galleons in her hands. She felt bad for the way she had thought the day before... Hermione had actually given her the money... How come she was in that situation? Four years ago, she was the rich girl and Hermione was just a poor muggle-born who hardly had money to buy a decent robe. And now, she was receiveing charity from her... If Ginny hadn't been in such a desperate situation, she would have never accepted her help.
Hermione just nodded. She wished her friend would stop treating her in such a business-like way.
"I'll pay you back," Ginny said.
"Don't worry about it. Just pay me when you can," Hermione said. She wanted to hug her friend, let her know that she was still there for her as she had been in the past, but she was too afraid of her coldness.
"Well... I guess I'll see you again," the red headed said.
"I'm going back to Spain today," Hermione said. "But you can write me anytime you want... Or maybe you should move there too..."
"Right. Well, goodbye."
***
When Hermione got back to the hotel, she found a note in her beside table.
"Chiquita,
I'm really sorry about what happened yesterday. I guess I wasn't myself, I shouldn't have rushed you... Anyway, I hope you won't shut me out of your life and will forgive this blockhead you have for a friend.
See you back at Madrid.
Love,
Draco Malfoy"
Hermione smiled. That was her friend.
That same afternoon, she went back to Madrid, feeling a lot better. She had accomplished the two missions she had: finding her parents and Ginny. Her parents were dead, and that still was something she couldn't cope with, but at least she had been able to help her friend...
A/N: I know you are all wondering about Harry's whereabouts. Don't worry, you'll know soon and also the reasons why he hasn't showed up until now.
I'm sorry for "killing" Ron. And I hope you are able to understand Ginny's attitude.