A/N: Yakshamesh! I apologise to all my lovely readers for making you wait ages for this chapter. I have had to run the pub I work at and I've had no time for anything else. Hopefully this chapter will be okay enough to make up for the wait. I haven't had a chance to read through it though so it probably has loads of typos. Try to ignore them Till next time, here's hoping you like my chapter. In my country I get execute for bad writing, chenqui!
Chapter 13 - Many Meetings.
`You!' cried Harry starting forward.
`I see they haven't cut out your eyes yet then,' said Malfoy. Harry noticed his voice lacked its usual bravado, but this didn't stop him lunging for the traitor, all thoughts of wands forgotten.
`Harry, no!' yelled Hermione. She took a firm grip of his cloak, which was enough to yank him back.
`Hermione, what are you doing?' Harry yelled into her face. `This piece of filth killed Dumbledore!'
`No he didn't, and you know it,' said Hermione. `Snape killed Dumbledore, not Malfoy.'
`He did enough,' said Harry. `He let those Death Eaters into Hogwarts, he nearly killed Ron twice. He's just as bad. He's rubbish because he couldn't do it properly but I'm still going to kill him for trying.'
`Harry, please,' said Hermione passionately.
`Hermione get out of the way,' said Harry reaching into his cloak.
`Put it down, Harry,' said Hermione swatting Harry's arm as it made for his wand.
`You should listen to her, Potter,' said Malfoy, his voice oddly strained without its usual coolness. `Wouldn't want to have a girly little catfight, would you?'
`And you can shut up too!' said Hermione rounding on Malfoy. `The only reason I'm trying to stop Harry is for his sake, not yours. He isn't a killer - he isn't your father.'
`Don't you mention my father,' said Malfoy rising.
`Or what?' said Hermione coolly. Her own wand was raised and pointing right and Malfoy's chest, at the point where his heart would be if he had one, thought Harry. Malfoy eyed Hermione's wand with a degree of caution, his mind fighting a fierce battle about what to do next. Harry thought he saw the instinct for a fight but after taking a long look at Hermione's wand he appeared to think better of it and sat back down.
`You've got one hell of a cheek to turn up here,' said Harry angrily. `I think it's time you explained yourself.'
`What I do is none of your business,' said Malfoy.
`You want to be a Death Eater, you know and are related to Death Eaters and you're an evil piece of scum. That makes you my business. I want to know what you are doing here.'
`And if I don't want to tell you?'
`Then I'll force it from you,' said Harry, slightly perturbed by the hint of a quaver in Malfoy's voice.
`Oh yeah, how?' said Malfoy.
`Well for a start I know where that foul Snape kept his Veritaserum,' said Harry. `How hard do you think it would be for me and Hermione to subdue you and drag you up there?'
`Still need the Muggle to do all the work for you, don't you?' said Malfoy with a sneer.
`Right, that's it!' said Harry striding forward.
`No!' said Hermione, stepping in front of Harry. `And you can put that down as well.' She had turned back to Malfoy who had managed to get his wand out now.
`Don't try and tell me what to do, Mudb-'
`Expelliarmus!'
Harry had taken about as much of Malfoy as he could stand for one day. The force of the spell had thrown him off the rock he was sat upon and he was now flat on his back on the path leading to Hogsmeade. Harry shook off Hermione's protests and raced over to Malfoy, his wand pointing at his prostrate body and he wondered which curse would hurt the most. Then Malfoy spoke and for the first time ever Harry thought he sounded scared of him.
`P-please, Potter, don't' Malfoy begged. `Don't k-kill me.'
`How dare you beg for mercy!' Harry cried. `Did Dumbledore get mercy? Did Sirius? Why should you, you dirty filth!'
`I made a mistake, I didn't know what I was doing, I was scared,' stammered Malfoy desperately. `I'm s-sorry. Please - please, Harry.'
This last word, more than anything, stunned Harry. Malfoy had never used his first name before, and never spoken in this way. There was something in it which made Harry lower his wand and step back. Hermione moved forwards and took over.
`Don't try and get up,' she said. `Harry's right. There had better be a good reason for you being here. Now talk.'
`I-I had nowhere else to go,' said Malfoy. `When I agreed to help him I thought it would be easy, just like being in school. But its not. Its not at all. If you fail at something you don't get detention or a Howler; your life is at risk. I could handle that but I didn't think my mother would be drawn into it. I didn't want her to be…'
His voice tailed off and Harry watched him intently, trying to work out if this was all an elaborate game.
`What happened to her?' asked Hermione.
`It started with a few threats,' said Malfoy. `They said my father had failed, I had failed and that my mother would probably do the same. That she was too soft. They found out that she made Snape do the Unbreakable Vow.'
`The Unbreakable Vow?' said Hermione. `Between your mother and Snape? For you? Why?'
`She didn't want me to be a killer,' said Malfoy, sitting up. `She made Snape promise to do it if I didn't, or couldn't.'
`Then he didn't have a choice,' Hermione mused.
`You don't get it, do you?' said Malfoy. `Snape is a traitor. To both sides. He's only out for himself. Some of my father's friends think he's after the Dark Lord's throne. Oh he had a choice alright, and he took his chance when it came. He's just as bad as the Dark Lord himself.'
`That still doesn't explain what you are doing here,' said Harry.
`I thought my mother would be safe,' Malfoy continued. `But then my aunt Bella told the Dark Lord about the Vow, and he went after my mother. I took her away and I'm trying to find somewhere she can be safe. He's nearly caught us a couple of times. Then I remembered what Dumbledore had said - on that night - and I thought-'
`Well you thought wrong!' yelled Harry. `You had your chance then! Instead you let him die. You've got no chance.'
`That isn't for you to decide,' said Malfoy. `That's for the Order-'
`I'm in the Order!' said Harry. `And there is no way I'm being part of any protection for you.'
`I'm not asking for myself,' said Malfoy. `My mother is innocent in all this.'
`Ha!' said Harry. `Innocent? Her husband is a killer, her son was going to be one, I'm not seeing the innocent thing, sorry.'
`She hasn't done anything,' said Malfoy.'
`Not doing anything about you and jailbird daddy is just as bad as being part of it herself,' spat Harry. `If you've got on the wrong side of Voldemort and you're an enemy of the Order and the Ministry then you're really in trouble. You're on borrowed time. I for one hope that time expires very soon.'
`Harry, you can't just deal out death and judgement,' said Hermione. `No-one can. Aren't we trying to save everyone who Voldemort want to destroy? Doesn't that put Malfoy and his mum under our protection? Everyone deserves a second chance, Harry.'
`I can't believe you're saying this,' said Harry. `After all the things he's done, after all the nasty things he's said to you. You still want to help him.'
`Yes,' said Hermione simply.
`Well I wont,' said Harry flatly.
`Yes you will,' said Hermione. `Because you're a good person and it's what Dumbledore would have wanted you to do. And it's what I want you to do.'
Harry swore and stormed a few yards away. What he hated the most was that Hermione was right, as always. He had no choice but to give Malfoy a chance, or risk going down the same road as Voldemort. But wasn't Dumbledore always too trusting? It cost him his life and as much as Harry admired him he didn't want to make his mistakes. The debate, he knew, was pointless. If Hermione asked him to jump off Hogsmeade Bridge naked he would, he couldn't deny her this either.
`Get up, on your feet,' Harry commanded as he strode to Malfoy. `Where is your mother now?'
`We're hiding in a Muggle village just past Hogsmeade,' said Malfoy.
`Then go and get her and bring her here,' said Harry. He stepped in close to Malfoy again. `But let us be rightly clear on this, I'm helping you against my better judgement, against every fibre of instinct in my body. You have just one chance between you. If either you or your mother steps out of line, shows any indication of being a Voldemort spy or of having any sort of link to him, I'll kill you both. I hope you understand because I tell you this just once. I have every reason in the world to do it so don't push me.'
Malfoy nodded and moved away before Apparating. A few minutes of awkward silence passed before he re-materialised with his mother at his side. In spite of himself Harry felt a shard of resistance melt away at the sight of her. When he'd last seen her she had been haughty, proud and arrogant. Now she look tired, weary and as scared as Malfoy had suggested they were. He couldn't help doubt it though; they were just too bad to be wholly believed. It would take a lot, Harry thought, to convince him totally but for now he would give them the benefit of the doubt. He turned and marched them back up to the school where he would call on the wisdom of Headmistress McGonagall to decide on the next step.
* * *
Later that evening Harry and Hermione were sat in the living room at Grimmauld Place trying to unwind after what had been quite a trying day. Hermione had her nose buried in the Daily Prophet, tutting and snorting and occasionally reading out snippets about Harry and the war effort. These were largely embellished propaganda and Harry felt he may have found them amusing had his head not been filled with other thoughts.
For Harry was brooding. He was obsessing over the meeting with Draco Malfoy outside Hogwarts and the story he had told. There was enough truth in it to be believed; Harry was familiar enough with Voldemort's ways to know he held little value for anyone, even his closest allies. He was equally able to believe that Bellatrix Lestrange would give her sister over to Voldemort if she thought it would elevate her status with him.
He mulled over how long it would take Voldemort and his cohorts to realise the Malfoy's were now under the protection of the Order. There was also Lucius Malfoy to think of; how would he react to his son changing sides? Would them being under threat by Voldemort be enough to sway Lucius to not give them away, or would he follow Bellatix's example. Either way they were hidden now; McGonagall had taken them to her office and banished Harry away. As he sat on the old chair at Grimmauld Place he wondered where they were now and what sort or protections would keep them out of Voldemort's clutches.
`Shows how much they know, doesn't it?' said Hermione suddenly.
`What?' asked Harry, confused.
`Haven't you been listening to me?' asked Hermione.
`Were you talking?' said Harry. `Sorry I was miles away.'
`That much is obvious,' said Hermione smiling. `Thinking about Malfoy I bet.'
`This whole thing is really vexing,' said Harry.
`Vexing?' laughed Hermione. `I'm sorry, I must have missed the part where we went back to the nineteenth century!'
`Shut up,' said Harry throwing a cushion at her.
`No wonder you never played Chaser,' said Hermione as the cushion sailed a few metres past her head. She got up and walked over to Harry, sitting herself down in his lap before starting to rub his temples.
`Mmm,' Harry purred. `Please adjust my eyebrows.'
`You're really tense, Harry,' said Hermione. `You need to relax. There isn't any point dwelling on this. It's out of your hands now.'
`Oh really?' said Harry. `Anything this directly to do with Voldemort involves me. I can't believe I had to help Malfoy, of all people.'
`I thought what you did was very good,' said Hermione. `Even if you don't forgive him you were able to put that aside. You always did have moral fibre.'
`Yeah,' snorted Harry. `Look where that got me last time. Last place and looking like an idiot.'
`Aww it was just your saving-people-thing,' teased Hermione. `It's cute.'
`Cute? That's one word for it,' said Harry. `Stupid is one I prefer. Not that I'm the only one who has that complex.'
`Really? Who else has one?'
`You do.'
`I do not have a saving-people-thing,' Hermione protested.
`Okay, well maybe not a saving-people-thing,' said Harry. `But you do have a saving-me-thing. Anyone threatens me and you whip your wand out faster than Jesse James. You had your wand on Malfoy so fast today I thought I had blacked out and missed you doing it.'
`Ah well,' said Hermione. `Like I said before, someone has to look after you. Lets face it you're pretty useless on your own.'
`Hey!' said Harry tickling Hermione. `I'll have you know I'm very capable.'
Hermione didn't answer but instead just snuggled in. They sat like that for several minutes before Hermione finally spoke again.
`I thought we could go out tomorrow,' said Hermione. `Get away from it all for an afternoon.'
`Sounds good,' said Harry. `Where do you want to go?'
`Lunch with my parents.'
Harry jerked his head back to look at her. `What?'
`Is that a problem?' asked Hermione, sitting up.
`Er, no, I don't suppose,' said Harry awkwardly. `But do you think that's a good idea?'
`Why wouldn't it be? They haven't seen me for a while and they are worried about me, what with things being as they are. And I want them to meet you. Its only fair they see whom I'm - how did Ron put it? - shacked up with. Don't you want to?'
`What? No, it isn't that,' said Harry. `I just won't know what to say. I'm no good with things like that. I'll make an idiot of myself.'
`Of course you won't,' said Hermione brightly. `Just be yourself and they'll see how nice you are and everything will be fine. If we're to be as serious as we are then at some stage you have to meet my parents. They want to know who you are.'
`How do they know anything about me?' said Harry.
`Well I did talk to my parents when I went home from school, you know. They know who you are and what you've done since we've known each other. And I write to them every week so they know what's going on between us.'
`You've said what we're doing?' said Harry, horrified.
`Oh yeah,' cried Hermione sardonically. `I'm going to tell my mum and dad that!' No, I mean I just told them I have a serious boyfriend, that's all. Is there anything wrong with that?'
`No, of course not,' said Harry. `Sorry, I don't mean to freak out. It's just a bit of a surprise that's all.'
`If you want me to cancel it, I will,' said Hermione.
`No, I don't want that,' said Harry. `I'd like to meet them. Just don't dump me if I make a fool of myself.'
`I don't want you to change the habit of a lifetime for my parents, Harry,' said Hermione smirking.
`I'm going to have you in a minute!' said Harry.
`Only if you can catch me,' said Hermione with a wink before she jumped up and ran from the room, Harry hot on her tail…
* * *
The Muggle High Street was brimming with afternoon shoppers. Though nowhere near as packed as a London street this was still a veritable throng of people. Harry and Hermione weaved their way through the crowd on the wave of people moving in their direction. Occasionally Hermione would yank Harry's arm to the window display of a clothes shop, or drag him to watch a street entertainer or stop suddenly to buy a Big Issue (anything to help the homeless). It was only after she had caught him ogling the lacy lingerie in the window of one shop that Hermione stuck to her course and tried to keep Harry's mind on other things.
`Now remember, my parents are dentists,' said Hermione.
`Meaning what?' said Harry. `I should try and order Colgate for lunch?'
`No, silly,' laughed Hermione. `Just don't mind them if they start going on about teeth. They both love what they do. They can bore you to tears about it.'
`Don't worry I've had to listen to lots of rubbish over the years, I'm good at blocking it out.'
`Like what?' said Hermione.
`Your lectures, Ron's jokes, Divination,' said Harry. `I'll be a good audience, don't worry.'
`I only lectured you for your own good,' said Hermione sniffily.
`That'd be you saving-me-thing again, yes?'
`Exactly.'
They stopped outside a little grill restaurant that was small enough to be a café but was too well furnished to be one. Hermione led the way across the place to a table at the back where he parents were already sitting. They both rose as they reached the table, embracing Hermione in turn before facing Harry.
`Mum, dad, this is Harry,' said Hermione. `Harry, this is mum and dad.'
`Hi,' said Harry.
`Nice to meet you, Harry,' said Hermione's father shaking Harry's hand. `A firm grip. I like that.'
`Hello, Harry,' said Hermione's mother. `We've heard so much about you.'
`All good I hope,' said Harry awkwardly.
`Oh yes,' beamed Mrs Granger. `Hermione has never said a bad word about you.'
`You haven't been around her much then,' said Harry smiling. Both Hermione's parents chuckled.
A waitress came over. Harry ordered an orange juice, feeling it best not to order anything that might rot his teeth. Hermione asked for a mineral water and began chatting animatedly to her parents about what was going on as Harry picked up a menu. It was when she mentioned Horcruxes that Harry felt he had to interrupt.
`Er, Hermione,' he said. `I don't think this is the place to talk about this sort of thing.'
`Harry, I don't think we're in any danger here,' said Hermione. `There isn't anyone about.'
`Voldemort could have spies anywhere,' said Harry. `He probably knows hiding amongst Muggles is the best way to evade him. And he is as bad to them as wizards. I just think that you might want to be a bit careful with what you say.'
`But surely, Harry, you don't think this evil wizard could be here?' said Mr Granger. Harry thought he could detect a trace of incredulity in his voice, as though he didn't quite appreciate who he was talking about.
`I don't think he is here,' said Harry. `But I do know a few things, one of which is that he desperately wants to kill me and anyone else who opposes him. Secondly, he can appear here from hundreds of miles away in a split second. There are no wizards around to confront him but me and Hermione. There are hundreds of defenceless people around that he would have no problem with killing in order to get to me. With that in mind I think it best to keep to subjects a little less dangerous.'
`Oh my,' said Mrs Granger, as though suddenly realising how much danger Hermione was really in. `And what is being done to stop him.'
`I'm working on a strategy that has already had some success,' said Harry. `Others are as well. I won't say anything more. I just think that in this environment we'd do well to talk about less hot topics. You never know who's listening.'
`Harry, you're frightening my parents!' hissed Hermione.
`I'm sorry,' said Harry quickly. `I didn't mean to.'
`No need to apologise,' said Mr Granger. `I'd rather know the truth. I take it that Hermione is safe with you?'
`As safe as anywhere,' said Harry. `This is an incredibly powerful enemy. Safe is a relative thing but I won't let anything happen to her.'
`That's good to know,' said Mr Granger. `Not that we could do anything about it. Quite stubborn is our Hermione. She has always done her own thing. Just tell me you won't take any unnecessary risks.'
`Not with her, I won't,' said Harry.
`Enough of all this morbid talk,' said Hermione in a vain attempt to restore normality. `Shall we order?'
The afternoon was strained after that. The conversation topics ranged from Hermione telling her parents about Bill and Fleur's wedding to them telling her the latest stories from their dental practice. It all had something of a hollow feel to it, though, and Harry stayed as silent as he could as he blamed it on himself. He answered the questions posed to him politely and tried to take an interest in the tales of dental work the Grangers told. All in all, though, Harry was glad when it was all over and they parted.
Hermione was in a foul mood as they walked towards the park where they would Apparate home. She strode on in mutinous silence with her arms crossed and a stern expression on her face as Harry hurried to keep up. She Apparated without a word and was through the door of Grimmauld Place before Harry had even crossed the little square outside. Once they were both in the kitchen Harry confronted her.
`What is it?' he asked.
`What do you think?' she asked. `You just made my parents think I'm on the verge of being killed, do you want a gold star for that?'
`Well its true.'
`Yes, maybe, but some things are better left unsaid,' said Hermione angrily. `You have no tact, do you?'
`You were the one talking about it,' said Harry. `What impression did you hope to give? Tried to make your parents believe that it wasn't as bad as it is.'
`Is that so wrong?' said Hermione. `Is it wrong that they don't worry about me? That they can sleep easy without knowing all of this?'
`Don't you think they'd want to know? That they ought to know, maybe. You're just lying to them by not telling them what's going on.'
`You think it's that easy, do you?' said Hermione who was angrier than Harry had ever seen her. `You don't know, you just don't get it. You don't know what its like to have parents putting pressure on you, to have them breathing down your neck, to have them going on at you all the time. You just don't know what its like to have parents.'
`No,' said Harry. `No I suppose I don't, do I?'
Hermione froze looking totally horrified as she realised what she'd said. `Oh, Harry - Harry I'm so sorry. I didn't think, I didn't mean-'
`No you didn't think,' said Harry. `Unfortunately I'll never get a chance to know what pressure you're under. But you seem to perfectly comprehend how easy it is for me, how I have so much support for the burden I have to carry. But don't let that bother you, Hermione, you just focus on not having your parents tutting at you for get. In the meantime I have a life or two to save, and maybe take a few on the way.'
With that he stormed out, leaving Hermione on the verge of tears and feeling that he had never been hurt more in his whole life.
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