Unofficial Portkey Archive

Harry Potter and the Triptych

Author: Vickles

Disclaimer: The characters blatanly refuse to divorce JKR for me, and now some of them are not returning phone calls. I swear I heard mutterings of "restraining order"…. Why don't they see how much I love them?

~*~

Chapter 15: An Unwelcome Guest

~*~

"Just shut the door, Harry," Ron said from behind him as Harry stared dumbfounded at Draco Malfoy's still body, "Just shut the door and we can pretend this never happened."

"Oh, for goodness sake, Ron! We can't just leave him there!" That's Hermione, Harry registered in his head. He turned around and looked at his two friends and Tonks, and could tell that they were waiting for his instructions. Since when did I become the one who gives instructions?

"Well, honestly, Harry, it's your house," Hermione replied to his thoughts impatiently. Harry let her snappish tone go, knowing that it was her way of working past her shock.

"Let's pull him inside. When we close the door we can levitate him," Harry pulled Malfoy's surprisingly heavy body inside the house. Once inside Tonks levitated him, which seemed to worry Hermione a bit, clearly thinking of Tonks' clumsy tendencies, but as she was about to say something Ron put a hand on her arm, stopping her.

"Do you really care if she runs his head into a wall?" he asked quietly. Pausing to think about it, Hermione shook her head, and the three of them followed Tonks and Malfoy up the stairs.

"Hey, Potter! Where do you want me to put him?" Tonks asked.

"Take him into me and Ron's former room," Harry answered and Tonks turned into the room as they approached it. Once she had gotten Malfoy on the bed, Tonks conjured ropes and secured him to the bed as Hermione removed his wand from his pocket and placed it discreetly with her own in her wand holster strapped to her hip. Hermione then did a quick once over, checking him for any serious internal injuries, then did a spell on his right arm.

"He just seems to have been beaten quite badly, nothing totally serious," Hermione said after a few moments, "From what I can tell he's fractured his arm, but I already healed that. It also looks as if he hasn't eaten in a few days. Evil or not, Harry, we should get him some food if we expect to get anything out of him."

Harry shrugged, not particularly liking the idea but not minding it either, "Okay. Dobby?" he called. The little house elf appeared in front of him at once, but his smile soon disappeared.

"What is it?" Hermione asked, crouching in front of Dobby.

"M-master Malfoy!" Dobby exclaimed, turning to Harry, "What is Master doing here, if Dobby may ask?"

Harry shrugged, "That's what we'd like to know."

Dobby narrowed his eyes at Malfoy and then returned his gaze to Harry, "May Dobby leave, Harry Potter, sir?" They all nodded and Dobby left.

"Right," Harry said after a moment, mentally smacking himself, "I forgot for a moment that he used to work for the Malfoys."

"No problem, I'll go get the food for the bugger, then. Be right back," Tonks said, sensing that they needed a moment, then left the room.

Once she was gone, Ron turned to both of them, "Okay, I'm calling a Triptych meeting."

"A Triptych meeting?" Harry asked and Ron nodded.

"All members of the Triptych please meet me over here right now," he told them in an official voice. Exchanging a glance, Harry and Hermione followed him to the back corner. "What are we going to do with him?" Ron asked once they we in a huddle.

"He's staying here," Harry replied, not thinking about it.

"Why?" Ron asked.

"Because Dumbledore told him to," Hermione said to Ron in an `I'll tell you later' sort of voice, "But, Harry, I don't think that Malfoy was seeking your help. He didn't seem to expect that we'd even be here."

"I don't care. He's here now, which means he's staying, like it or not. Besides, I want to know why he left Voldemort and why he's here." Just as he said this, Tonks came in with a plate of sliced bread and a glass of water.

"It's what we give prisoners or people we're interrogating," she told them as she set it on the table beside Malfoy's bed, "Gives `em what they need and puts `em in their place. Do you want me to revive him?"

"Yeah," Harry said and Tonks did immediately.

Malfoy barely lifted his head as he opened his eyes, taking in his surrounding, "Oh Bloody Hell," he sighed, dropping his head back on the pillow and wincing.

"You said that already," Harry told him, crossing his arms, "Why did you come here?"

Malfoy kept his mouth firmly shut, only opening it to give a demand, "Let me go."

Harry shook his head as Hermione walked over and stood beside Malfoy's bed, "It's not happening." Harry watched Hermione transfigure the lamp into a chair, sitting on it and lifting up a slice of bread, holding it close to his mouth.

"Eat it," she told him, "We know you haven't eaten for days."

Malfoy looked longingly at the piece of bread, but resolutely kept his mouth shut and Hermione sighed, "Just eat it."

Malfoy simply continued to stare at the ceiling, stubbornly taciturn.

Hermione rolled her eyes rather obviously, "Okay, Malfoy. You can choose to be a stuck up prat about this, but let us look at some facts. You have not eaten in days and you want this bread, or, at the very least, your body does. We are not letting you go anywhere and with your hands strapped to this bed the only way you will be able to eat this is if I hold it for you. Now, I may be a Mudblood and we may hate each other, but the truth is that you do not have many options. Whether you knew that we'd be here or not, we all know that you came here because you need help, and whether we want to or not, we are giving it to you. So here are your choices: You can eat this bread from my dirty Mudblood hands or we can leave and come back tomorrow when you will again have the exact same choice. Am I making myself clear?"

Malfoy did not answer, but apparently she had been quite clear indeed for, after he gave her a nasty scowl, he grudgingly took a bite of the bread, and then another one. Ron and Harry watched with shock as Malfoy ate the whole piece from Hermione's hand. Hermione cleaned off her hands briskly and turned to Harry in a businesslike manner, "Do you want me to wait until I give him water or any more bread?"

Harry nodded; something about what Hermione had done suddenly telling him how he needed to handle this, "But just leave the plate there." Hermione watched as Harry's face became unreadable to her, taking a form that she had never seen before as he turned back to Draco. Looking at Ron's expression, she could tell that he noticed the change in Harry's air as well. "Why are you here?" he asked again.

"Let me go," was the only answer Malfoy gave.

Harry did not flinch, but simply repeated his question, only to receive the same answer. This went on five more times before Harry turned to Hermione, "Give him some water and then meet us downstairs," he then addressed Malfoy, "Welcome to this room, your new prison. When that changes is based entirely on you." With that, he followed Ron and Tonks out the door, closing it behind him.

"Yeah, right, Potter," Malfoy muttered as Hermione conjured a straw for the water. He turned to her, "How the hell am I supposed to go to the bathroom, Granger?"

Hermione simply shrugged, holding the straw to him lips. It took no more than a minute for him to finish a glass. Malfoy leaned his head back on the pillow, "I give him two days until he cracks."

Hermione looked at him crossly, "I wouldn't count on it." She walked to the door, "I suppose one of us will see you in the morning to give you breakfast." She shut and locked it and then walked down to this kitchen.

"Okay, what was that?" she asked Harry when she came in, the three of them standing and leaning against the counters, drinking butterbeer.

"What was what?" Harry asked as he reached into the fridge and then handed her one.

"You weren't you for a minute there," Hermione told him, "You were like…like…"

"An Auror," Tonks finished with a grin.

Harry looked at her in disbelief, "Really?"

"Oh yeah. It's this weird thing, really. You cannot quite explain it, and even most Aurors do not have it, but when it's there, you just rather get this air about you. It's like…"

"What you say is the law and anyone who disobeys will be killed on the spot," Ron commented.

Harry shrugged, clearly embarrassed by the attention, "I don't know what you guys are talking about."

"I've seen guys using it at work. Remus does it when he gets into a mindset about something in the Order or at the Ministry. About Malfoy, though, I want to know how the little bugger found his way here," she said, returning to the subject at hand.

"I don't know, but we definitely need to recast the Fidelius charm on this house. We've been putting it off for over a month now, I suppose it only makes sense that something like this would happen," Hermione told them grimly.

"Okay, but who are you lot going to use as Secret Keeper?" Tonks asked as they walked over and sat at the table.

"Harry, of course," Ron said, "I mean, it's his house."

"No, we shouldn't use me," Harry replied, "All I would need is one off night and Voldemort invading my mind for the whole charm to become completely useless. I think Hermione should be it."

"Me?" Hermione asked, "Well, I suppose that does make sense, since my mind is less penetrable because of the Triptych, but perhaps we should have someone who doesn't live in the house."

Harry turned to Tonks, "Do you think Remus would be willing to do it?"

"I could talk to him. Off the top of my head, I cannot think of a reason why he would not do it, but I suppose it is polite to ask. Everyone would have to leave the house at the Charm is being cast, which means we'd need to find something to do with Malfoy, Jr.," Tonks pointed out.

"Speaking of Malfoy, what do you suppose made him leave Voldemort's ranks?" Harry asked.

"I reckon it was his dad that finally did him in," Ron replied, "I always knew Lucius was gay." This was followed by a fit of snorting laughter from Tonks, and Harry and Hermione's drinks simultaneously spit from their lips, only causing Tonks to laugh harder. Ron simply smiled innocently, "You laugh, but I am one hundred percent serious. I swear that before second year in Diagon Alley he tried to make a pass at me."

"Ron!" Hermione wheezed as she nearly fell out of her chair, "S…stop…it's too…funny."

Harry laughed, trying to regain his composure, "Now there's a scoop for Rita Skeeter. I bet he and Voldemort are in it, together. Chamber of Secrets, indeed."

"Oh, goodness, poor Ginny!" Tonks giggled, "And we all thought that the only thing she suffered from was brainwashing!"

"Tonks!" Hermione gasped, then swatted Harry and Ron as they both convulsed, smacking the table. Hermione tried to bring the group back to focus, "You know we are supposed to be having an important discussion."

"You are absolutely right, Hermione," Tonks said as she and the guys wiped the tears from there eyes. "Tell me, what is left to be discussed?"

"What are we going to do with Malfoy?" Hermione asked them, "We can't keep him strapped to the bed…" Ron muttered something in Harry ear causing Harry to snigger momentarily until a cross look from Hermione shut him up, "He has to be able to go to the bathroom, since I don't fancy cleaning a soiled bed and there is no way I would make Malfoy do it."

"Just leave it to me," Tonks told Hermione, "I can put some wards up like we use at work. Malfoy will be forced inside the room and adjoined bathroom, sound good?"

"Perfect. Do you want to go do that now before you get going? I imagine we've held you over quite a bit longer than you expected to stay," Hermione pointed out.

Tonks smiled, "Yeah, I'll go do it. When I get home I'll talk to Remus and we can come back in the morning, bring McGonagall if we can."

"That'd be wonderful. Thank you, Tonks," Hermione said as Tonks left the room. "Now you two, there's one last thing. His meals."

"What about them?" Ron asked.

"Well, he needs three of them, and there's three of us, so I say we split it up equally. I'll bring him dinner."

"And I'll bring him lunch," Harry added, immediately following Hermione's statement. They looked expectantly at Ron, who sighed.

"I guess I'll be bringing breakfast, then," Ron droned with a sigh, "Bloody hell, there is something horribly wrong with the universe when I have to get up extra early to feed Malfoy."

Harry nodded, "Then again, something's horribly wrong with the universe when Malfoy comes knocking on your door and proceeds to pass out."

Ron let his head fall to the table, "Bloody wanker."

~*~

"Harry?" Hermione asked timidly as he got into bed next to her.

"Yes?" Harry replied.

"Are you…Has Malfoy being here put you in a foul mood?" Hermione quizzed, pulling her knees up to her chest under the blankets.

Harry laughed, "A bit, yes. Why?"

"It's just," Hermione sighed. He was not going to be happy to hear that she had kept something so important from him. "It's just that there's something I have to tell you but I would hate to be going into it with you in a mood, to be perfectly honest."

Harry seemed torn between wanting to know what she had to tell him and reassuring her that he was not in a mood, as she had called it. He turned and faced her, placing a hand on her knee as he scooted closer, "Hermione, my bad feelings are all directed towards Malfoy at the moment. Now, depending on what it is that you need to tell me I can't promise that this won't change."

"Alright," Hermione took a deep breath, "I figured out how to open your mum's diary."

"You did?" Harry's eyes lit up, but Hermione pushed on.

"I figured it out four nights ago."

Harry drew back, "You what?"

Hermione figured that she might as well tell him everything. "Do you remember when I woke you up in the middle of the night and told you I had been using the loo?" Harry nodded. "That's when I figured it out."

Running a hand through his hair, Harry took a calming breath, clearly trying to control his temper, "Why didn't you tell me and Ron? We were just sitting and making fools of ourselves and you knew the whole time."

"Ron knows. I told him last night."

Harry stood and crossed the room, putting some distance between them, "You told Ron first." He stated it so simply, so clearly controlled.

"I'm sorry," Hermione said, unable to look at him, "I meant to tell you first, but you know how Ron's gotten lately. He can read us likes books, and he could tell something was eating at me. I could have tried lying, and I did, but he saw right through it."

"Yeah," Harry said, crossing his arms over his chest, "Yeah I've noticed that you and Ron both possess that peculiar power lately."

"Mine's different, you know that, and it isn't nearly as consistent as Ron's has been. Look," Hermione crossed the room to Harry and put her hand on his neck, as she looked him in the eye, "I am sorry I didn't tell you until now. There is no excuse. Besides the fact that we should always be honest with each other, that diary belongs much more to you than it does to me."

Harry sighed and sat back on the bed, Hermione with him, "Why didn't you want to tell me?"

"I didn't want to tell you because I was afraid that you'd want to read it," Hermione admitted.

"What would be so horrible about that?" he asked.

"It's her diary, Harry," Hermione told him, taking his hand in his, "I mean, on one level, sure, it might be the greatest chance you get to really know your mum. Then again, on the other hand…" she struggled for a moment, thinking of how to word it.

"On the other hand…" Harry prodded gently.

"I've kept a diary, and I know that my mum has kept diaries. I love my mum, and I'd like to think that I know her pretty well considering how much I see her and vice versa. But, Harry, there are things in my diary I would never want my mother to know, and I'm sure it's the same with her. There are things in my diary that I would not want my children to read, because I think that as parents, people make an image of themselves to their children. I know you never really had this Harry, but all kids grow up thinking that their parents are perfect, and that they can do anything. Then, at some point, we just realize that they are people, and that they can mess up, just like everyone else.

"I'm not saying that you think your mother is perfect, or that she necessarily has a bunch of dark secrets. Diaries tend to contain our thoughts in our very moments of weakness and vulnerability; even as Gryffindors our courage sometimes fails us. There is no doubt in my mind that your mother was a great woman, but she, like all the rest of us, was human. I would just hate for you to read that and lose the respectable image that you have of her in your mind."

Harry stared at Hermione for a moment, then patted her hand tenderly, kissing the back of her palm and smiling a little, "You're making it really hard for me to be mad at you, you know that?"

"That wasn't my intention," Hermione told him, "I simply wanted to explain to you why I withheld the information."

"Well," Harry sighed, "I hate to tell you this, but you worried over nothing. To be quite honest, I've thought the same things over the past few days and do not plan on reading it."

Hermione looked up, "You don't?"

Harry shook his head. "At some point, I may have to ask you to read it, though. There may be information in there that we need, and I know I can trust you to know what's important and what not to tell me."

Hermione nodded and they both scooted back into bed under the covers, "So, are we okay now?" she asked as they faced each other.

"Yes, I just wish you'd have told me first."

Smiling, Hermione touched his cheek, "Are you jealous of Ron?"

Harry pouted, "Maybe a little. I mean, I had no idea that anything was bothering you but he did, and that's my job, isn't it?"

"Maybe," Hermione said, "But I think that you do your job just fine."

"Why do you say that?"

Hermione shrugged and smiled, "Because at the end of the day yours are the arms I want to be held in."

"Oh," Harry pulled her close as she buried her head in his chest. He turned out the lights and kissed her gently on the forehead, "How's that?"

"Wonderful," Hermione told him, stretching her neck and kissing him gently. Harry exhaled softly and began to kiss her back when suddenly he stopped. "What is it?" she asked him.

Harry sighed, "I can't do this right now."

"Why?" Hermione asked, puzzled, only causing Harry to sigh again, clearly irritated.

"Malfoy's in the building."

"Right," Hermione replied, seeing how that could be a bit of a mood killer, and then looked back up at him, "Can you still hold me?"

Harry looked down at her and smiled and, for a moment, she got the feeling that he had forgotten Malfoy existed, "Always."

~*~

"Merlin I hate that stupid bloody horse-wanker," Ron said when he entered the kitchen the next morning, causing Harry to choke on his sausage.

Hermione patted Harry on the back until he quit coughing, "Please enlighten me, Ronald. What exactly is a horse wanker?"

"Er…" Ron thought about this as he scooped eggs onto his plate, "One who wanks horses?"

Hermione made a disgusted sound as she went back to reading her paper and Harry laughed, "So I suppose you didn't get any information out of Malfoy as you gave him breakfast, then?"

"Of course not," Ron said, "Wouldn't even talk. By the way, why do we have to watch him eat if we don't have him strapped to the bed anymore?"

"Because he'll open up eventually," Hermione answered, "It's just a matter of when. The more time we spend around him the shorter amount of time it will take. Harry will try some more at lunch and I'll try some at dinner."

"Try some what?" Came Remus' voice from the kitchen door as he and Tonks walked in. "Hopefully not Tonks' cooking, you'll be sick for days."

Tonks smacked him on the shoulder, "You said you liked it!"

Remus smiled and gave her a chaste kiss on the cheek before taking a seat next to Harry and Hermione as Tonks sat by Ron. "So I hear you have a new guest," he said after a moment.

"Is that what we're calling him now?" Ron asked, "Because I thought horse wanker was more accurate." Tonks snorted as Hermione threw a roll at Ron, which he then thanked her for with a cheeky grin and proceeded to stuff in his mouth.

"Right," Remus said, choosing to move on, "And the fact that our guest has arrived has brought up some security issues?"

"Definitely," Hermione replied, "And we think you're the best candidate for Secret Keeper, as I'm sure Tonks already told you."

"She mentioned it, yes. Are you three sure about this?"

The shared a quick looked before Harry answered him, "Yes. We think it would be better to have someone outside the house and someone a bit lower profile than the three of us."

"Alright, well, I'll get in contact with McGonagall since I'll need her help with casting the spell. We can probably have it up by this evening or tomorrow afternoon at the latest, but you three will have to leave the house while it is being set up. Any idea where you can go?" Remus asked.

"Well, the Burrow's the last place we'll be wanting to go if we want to keep Malfoy secret, so that's out," Ron said.

Harry and Hermione stared at each other, thinking, before Hermione spoke to Remus, "How about my parents' house? They have no contacts in the wizarding world so we don't have to worry about them telling anyone, and it will only be for a few hours, am I right?"

Remus bit his lip, "No more than two or three hours. If I can get in contact with McGonagall you can go for dinner tonight. Is there anything else?"

"Just one thing," Harry said, "Do either of you know how to transport a prisoner?"

"I do," Tonks said, sitting up. She looked at Remus, "How about you go and try to get a hold of McGonagall while I explain it to them? I expect she's setting up the school right now."

"Good idea, I'll be back as soon as I can," Remus bent and gave Tonks a quick kiss before Disapparating.

"Now," Tonks grinned, turning to them, "You wanted to learn about transporting unwilling subjects?"

~*~

"Get up, Malfoy," Ron said, shaking Draco's shoulder as Harry and Hermione entered the room behind him.

Malfoy sat up on his bed that he appeared to have been napping on, "What?"

"We're going on a little vacation," Harry told him, and then turned to Hermione, "You can go ahead."

Hermione nodded and cast the spell, magically binding Malfoy to Ron so he could not get away. They were not connected visually, just so that Malfoy would remain in the same area as Ron at all times. "We better get going so they can get started," Hermione said.

"Right. They know we're coming?" Harry double-checked and Hermione nodded.

"I stopped by earlier this afternoon. They're very excited."

"Excited?" Ron asked, glancing at Malfoy, "Why?"

"I told them Malfoy was a friend from school," Before Malfoy could come up with a remark she went on, "Let's just go." With that, she Disapparated and Harry, Ron, and Malfoy, unwillingly, followed suit.

They arrived in the familiar estate and were immediately greeted by Hermione's parents. "Hermione dear!" Mrs. Granger exclaimed as she gave Hermione a big hug, "It's so nice of you and your friends to come visit us."

"No way…" Malfoy said as he stood between Ron and Harry.

"Malfoy," Harry warned through clenched teeth.

"You actually…

"Malfoy."

"…brought me to…"

"Malfoy."

"A filthy Muggle house?!"

"Malfoy! Shut up!" Harry turned to Draco with his hands raised, unknowingly sending him five meters into the corresponding, thankfully bare, wall. After impact, Malfoy immediately fell to the ground, conscious but stunned.

Harry turned to Hermione and her parents, embarrassed. "I swear I didn't mean to do that," he told Hermione, who, like everyone else in the room, was rather shocked, "I'm not even entirely sure how it happened. Do you have any idea?"

Hermione looked at him, walking across the hall on instinct and making sure Malfoy was okay. Once she was certain that all of his bones were intact, she walked back to Harry. "You know, I appreciate you defending my family's honor and all, Harry, but next time perhaps make as little movement as possible."

"Is that what happened?" Ron as, coming towards them, "Harry pushed Malfoy without touching him?"

Draco got up and walked towards them, still keeping his distance. Harry glared at him. "Apologize to them," he commanded.

"That's really not necessary," Mrs. Granger tried to say but Hermione held her hand up, knowing that Harry would not back down.

Appearing torn between defying Harry and keeping himself from being beaten, Draco sighed and turned to the Grangers, "I'm…" he struggled, "sorry."

"Thank you," Mr. Granger responded. "Now, how about you all follow my wife into the den. Harry, could I have a moment?"

"Yes, sir," Harry said. Hermione tried to hang back, but Harry silently told her to go ahead, which she finally did. Mr. Granger led Harry over to a pair of chairs on the side of the foyer.

"I'm not stupid, Harry," Hermione's dad said once they were seated.

"I never thought so, sir," Harry told him, "I'm pretty sure that would be impossible, Hermione being as incredibly smart as she is."

"It's good of you to notice that. Tell me, Harry, what are your intentions with my daughter?" Mr. Granger asked, staring intently at Harry.

Harry thought for a moment, "That's a broad question to try and answer, Mr. Granger. Do you mind me asking how much Hermione has told you?"

"Me? Nothing," the older man answered, "But my wife has brought to my attention that you two are together. Why are you with my daughter, Harry?" Harry chuckled a bit, which, understandably, irritated Mr. Granger some, "What is so funny?"

"I'm sorry, Mr. Granger, I do not mean to disrespect you at all it's just that, quite frankly," Harry had to stifle his chuckles so he could speak, "there is no real reason that I'm with Hermione, and I'm pretty sure she'd tell you the same. We care a lot about each other, of course, but as far as `choosing' to become more than friends?" Mr. Granger nodded along and Harry laughed again, "To be totally honest I don't think either of us had a choice." Harry, never having given it much thought before, began to laugh harder at the revelation.

Apparently having heard him from the next room, Hermione walked in, Ron peeking from the doorway. "Harry, what on Earth are you doing, laughing at my father?" She looked at him as if he was certifiably insane.

Harry waved his hands as he laughed at the oddness of the situation, "I'm not laughing at him, Hermione," Harry put a hand on his middle as it began to hurt form the laughter, "It's just that he asked me why I'm with you…" Hermione began to catch on and giggled a little while Ron smirked from the doorway. Harry stood from his chair and walked a few steps to Hermione, still chuckling, "Do you know what I told him?"

"What?" Hermione asked, her eyes twinkling.

"I…I told him…" Harry realized how confused Mr. Granger must have been, "I told him that we didn't really have a choice!"

Hermione laughed, turning to her father as she rested a hand on Harry's shoulder, "He's absolutely right, Dad," she giggled and went on, "We're like magnets!" This made both of them laugh even harder.

Ron shook his head as he watched from the doorway, "And people say that Luna's crazy."

Later, after things had calmed down and everyone had eaten dinner (including a reluctant Malfoy), Remus Apparated in to the den where they were relaxing, smiling. "How did it go?" Hermione asked.

Remus simply cleared his throat and spoke officially, "The home of Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, and Ronald Weasley is at Number 12, Grimmauld Place."

A little mini applause was given from the couches where they sat. "So can I take our guest on back, then?" Ron asked.

Remus nodded and Ron stood, Malfoy and Harry along with him. Harry turned to Hermione, "You want to come back a little later?"

Hermione smiled, "Just an hour or so. Thank you."

Harry nodded and said goodbye to the Grangers, returning to Grimmauld Place with Ron and Malfoy quite soon. As Ron took Malfoy back to his room, Harry bid him goodnight and headed to his and Hermione's bedroom, changing and lying down on the bed, unexpectedly tired. He was just dozing off when Hermione popped in. She changed quietly, trying not to disturb him, and carefully got in next to him, facing away. Harry was going to simply let her fall asleep when he realized that she was trembling just slightly. Reaching out, he pulled her close to him and enveloped her in his arms, kissing her temple, "What's wrong?"

She shrugged a little, "Nothing. I just didn't realize how much I miss them, that's all."

Harry smoothed out her hair as he gently ran his hands through it. "But you usually don't see them often, with school and all…" he said, trying to understand why it was troubling her.

"I know," Hermione replied softly, then turned around, burying her head in his chest, "This is just the first time that I don't know when the next time I'll see them will be. Every time I leave them I feel like it might be the last time."

He pulled her closer, "I'm sorry."

She nodded, "I know, it's okay. I just…let's just stay like this. I feel really alone all of the sudden."

"Okay," Harry whispered in her ear.

"Thank you."

That is when Harry realized his answer to Mr. Granger's question. He was not with Hermione because they did not have a choice (though it was probably true it was not why). He was with her for moments like this, to help her in her times of weakness, just as he knew she would help him when his time came. It was all about give and take, but mostly give, because that is what it is all about. That is what love is all about.

Harry smiled to himself as he held Hermione's sleeping body in his arms, picturing the look on her face when he would tell her.

~*~

Sunday passed by quickly. Taking advantage of their day of rest and exhausted from the intense training that they had began the previous week, the three teenagers slept in a bit. (Actually, Ron got up to feed Malfoy, then went back to sleep.) After lunch, they decided to do some experimenting to help with their essays for Gretta. Figuring out what triggered their powers proved to be a tricky process, and they often got the feeling that the answer was right in front of them and that they simply were not looking properly. Once a couple of hours had passed they each went and worked on their theories. Around seven o'clock they gathered in the kitchen for dinner.

"So, is Malfoy's tray ready?" Hermione asked as Harry and Ron tucked in.

"It's over on the counter," Ron told her, pointing at the plate of bread, a piece of meat (or at least that's what it looked like), and some vegetables. They had decided that Malfoy could get other foods for dinner so that he would not suffer from malnutrition, but that didn't mean it had to taste, or look, for that matter, good. "Good luck getting him to say anything." Harry nodded in agreement.

Hermione simply smiled knowingly, "You two just don't know how to handle him."

"And you do?" Harry asked.

"Maybe, maybe not. Despite his exterior, Malfoy is still a person…"

"I wouldn't count on it," Ron muttered under his breath, causing Harry to snicker.

"And," Hermione continued, "I know how to handle people. See you two in a bit." With that, she headed up the stairs. Out of habit, she knocked before opening the door, finding Draco lying on the bed, staring at the ceiling. Silently she walked over and sat in the chair she had transfigured, setting his food on the small table beside the bed. Malfoy took the food, making no sound, and began eating the bread. With each passing minute, he seemed to grow increasingly uncomfortable, but Hermione merely sat there, observing. Finally, he set the piece of bread down and looked up at her, meeting her eyes for the first time, "Aren't you going to ask me why I came here?"

Hermione shrugged nonchalantly and shook her head, "No."

This answer did not please him. When she did not elaborate, he spoke again, "Why not?"

Hermione shrugged again, noticing that the act irritated him, "I find it a waste of my time, not to mention yours, to ask a question that I will not receive an answer to."

Malfoy paused, then went back to eating, this time cutting up the peice of meat and chewing it as he stared down at his place. After another unknown period of time he looked back up at her, swallowing, "Why are you still here?"

"I'm staying until you are finished eating so I can take the dishes, just like Harry and Ron," Hermione replied, finding the question odd.

He rolled his eyes as if impatient with her lack of understanding, "Yes, I know that, but Potter and Weasley set my plate on the table and then go wait by the door."

"So?"

"So why don't you wait by the door instead of just sitting there?" Malfoy asked, clearly vexed at this point.

Just to add to his annoyance, Hermione shrugged again and watched with pleasure as he gritted his teeth, "Because I choose to sit here. Am I making you uncomfortable?"

Malfoy stuffed some more food in his mouth, taking a drink of water, "Yes, in fact, you are."

Hermione did nothing, "Well that's a shame. I just hope it does not ruin your appetite. Your blood won't do us any good if you don't eat well enough."

Malfoy stopped chewing and swallowed it partially hole, "Blood?!"

She smiled at him, a big, cheesy grin, "Honestly, I don't know why Harry and Ron complained. This is almost fun."

Malfoy rolled his eyes and went back to his dinner. "I'm glad you're happy," he muttered sarcastically.

Hermione leaned back in her chair and tilted her head sympathetically, "You know this will all be over as soon as you decide for it to be. Perhaps you could tell me why you came here?"

"It's not happening," Malfoy said, happy to have finally cracked her, or so he thought, "If I stay silent long enough Potter will let me go."

In response Hermione looked at him as if she would an innocent and ignorant small child, almost surprised at his words, "Is that honestly what you think?"

"Yes," Malfoy said at he set his fork and knife of the now empty plate, then narrowed his eyes suspiciously, "Why?"

"It's just that…oh look, you're done!" She picked up his plate and stood, walking to the door, "I'll see you tomorrow evening!"

"But…" he sputtered as she opened the door.

"Bye!" She closed the door and headed back to the kitchen, smiling to herself all the way. Ron and Harry were still sitting at the table when she walked in, setting the tray down in triumph.

"What's with you?" Harry asked, grinning.

Hermione shrugged innocently, taking one of Dobby's scrumptious rolls and a nice big bite. She chewed and swallowed before answering him and Ron, "All I have to say is that I told you so. He'll be talking by the end of the week." As their jaws dropped, Hermione simply smiled again and dug into some mashed potatoes.

~*~

A/N: As always, a huge thank you to Lady Starlight, who ever so kindly takes time out of her busy schedule to make sure I don't royally screw this story up. All reviews are greatly appreciated! :)

EDIT: The line that Ron says "I always knew Malfoy was gay" was taken/inspired by ScienceBoy's funny review for Chapter 14. I cannot pretend to have come up with such a funny idea by myself.

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