Fallen from grace

Chapter Eight

Hermione woke up the next morning before the rest of her dorm mates and went straight down to the Great Hall for breakfast as she hadn’t eaten the night before, but she also didn’t want to wait around in the common room for her friends acting as if nothing happened yesterday. There weren’t many students in the hall and the few that there were had huddled together in groups seemingly for comfort and protection.

She took her time over breakfast thinking she didn’t have much to do today there was no point in rushing to get to class or read and do homework for her subjects it was a truly depressing thought for Hermione. While she was mulling over her dark thoughts Harry, Ron and Ginny took their places at the table around her; as soon as Ron sat down he started shovelling the food onto his plate and impossible as it seemed to Hermione at even greater speeds into his mouth.

“Urgh! Ron, Mum would kill you if she saw you eating like that are you even chewing that piece of bacon or just inhaling it?” Ginny looked completely disgusted with her brother’s eating habits as did Harry and Hermione and anyone who cared to look.

Hermione put her cutlery down and was about to rise from the table when Harry started to elbow his girlfriend at the same time as grabbing Hermione’s wrist and pulling her back down to the table. “Look I think we all need to talk things out were all were upset yesterday and hurt each other without intentionally thinking about what we were saying or doing. Don’t you all agree?” Harry said looking at his two friends and his girlfriend.

Hermione was looking down at the table not wanting to look Ron or Ginny in the eyes as she still felt so betrayed by the pair, Ron only briefly slowed the consumption of his food to let out a small grunt of acknowledgement of the whole conversation.

At Harry’s persistent not so subtle prodding under the table Ginny sighed and turned to face Hermione, “Mione I am sorry about the things I said yesterday I didn’t mean them I just waned to hurt you because I was hurting and I felt that you kept attacking us and were not standing by me or our family, I am truly sorry will you forgive me?” During her apology Ginny felt it was unfair that Harry was the one making her apologize first as she didn’t really think Hermione deserved one for not sticking by the Weasleys’ and defending Fleur the whore from the tri-wizard cup.

Hermione was still hurt but hadn’t thought or meant to harm Ginny at all yesterday she thought she was a true friend a sister almost just like Harry was her brother, Ron was a different matter altogether at the moment and didn’t really bare thinking about. There was no real gap of silence as she almost immediately looked to Ginny, “I am so sorry that I upset you I should have been a better friend to you yesterday I mean your brother was hurt and with what went on the castle, I mean I just didn’t think. I will accept your apology if you accept mine you are like a sister to me Ginny.”

There seemed to be no real pause in her tirade even for air as she apologized, Harry nodded and the three of them turned to Ron to see what if anything he had to say. “mmph I .. sphmm”!

“Ronald Weasley do not talk with you mouth full that was horrible, I can’t believe we were raised in the same household none of the other men in the house eat like you, what are you thinking, or are you thinking at all before opening up your trap.” Ginny at that moment in time sounded just like Mrs Weasley and Ron just stared at her slowly gulping down the food he had in his mouth as if making certain the next time he spoke nothing was going to be seen half chewed.

Hermione and Harry looked at one another and laughed at the situation and before Ron had a real chance to speak Hermione interjected “I accept your half chewed food filled apology Ron and ask you never apologize to me again while eating as I don’t think I could watch as pieces of egg and sausage fight for survival in your mouth it was horrendously disturbing.”

At Hermione’s comment Ginny broke down in to laughter as well, “What it’s not that funny I mean when I am upset or need to think things over I need to eat to do it and I …” The laughter of the three doubled at his comment as tears started to leak down their faces from the mirth Ron just huffed and back to his plate.

It took awhile but the three managed to calm down after many odd looks from the student body and teachers surrounding them wondering what could have caused them so much mirth in at such a mournful time.

When they had calmed they felt a wave of sadness wash over them as Dumbledore’s death was brought to the forefront of their thoughts; why they laughed so hard forgetting all the danger that had been and was building outside of the walls was confusing.

“I think he would want us to keep laughing like that even when things get really dark and scary, not to cry too much of the loss of him in this life.” Hermione voiced watching as Harry seemed to be drawn in to a dark mood.

“I think your right Mione,” Ginny said nodding as her lines of thought were similar as she watched Harry start too shut himself off. “I think we should try to see Hagrid today I mean he is going to have taken this very hard a mean remember when he thought Buckbeak was going to die.”

“Yeah your right hopefully no one will mind us going out on to the grounds, I don’t what we can say to cheer him up though, any ideas Ron?” Harry turned to see Ron washing down his food with a quick swig of pumpkin juice.

“I don’t really know but I think the fact that we will see and were thinking of him will make him happy, he may have some news from the you know?” whispering the final part of his speech and giving the other three a meaning filled look although it wasn’t necessary they had all cottoned on to the idea the moment he said it.

So the four left the great hall and made their way to the entrance hall, they were stopped by the aurors’ and asked to sign a piece of paper which was enchanted so that they could monitor when people left to go out to the grounds and when they returned, even if it was a different entrance than the one they exited.

They made it to Hagrid’s small cabin with no real conversation carrying on between the four of them just a brief couple of statements of little importance such as the weather and the like. As soon as they knocked on the door Fang’s booming bark could be heard through the thick oak door “Alright boy, calm down” The door swung open and Hagrid looked out at the four teenagers a shocked that they had been allowed to leave the castle especially Harry. Instead of telling them off as he knew he should do he broke down in to tears and lent down to pull them all in to a giant wet hug.

“Hi Hagrid we just came to see if you were alright we were worried you would be lonely down here,” Hermione stated gently thinking that if she said anything louder she might make the half-giant loose his composure more than he had already. His hair and beard looked wilder than usually, his eyes were red from crying and tear stains were evident on his face.

Taking a large red and purple stripped hanky which was the size of a pillow case proceeded to blow his nose rather loudly and forcefully, “Arr ya shouldn’t h’ve come to see me, I’m alright see you lot should be safe up the castle though. But I’m glad to see ya though come in and take a seat.” Hagrid backed in to the small gamekeepers hut with a huge sob, letting his four guests follow in after him each successfully battling there way past Fang who was intent on slobbering on them as much as possible.

The four teenagers moved in to Hagrid’s small living space and all took up a seat on one side of his table Harry, Ginny, Ron and Hermione all squeezed onto the bench next to one another leaving the opposite side for Hagrid and his girth. Hermione blushed as she brushed up against Ron trying to sit down although this went completely unnoticed by Ron who just proceeded to tell Ginny to move her arse over a bit as he could barely breathe.

As the four teenagers squirmed around trying to get comfortable Hagrid made himself busy making five cups of tea and digging around in his tins of food for some cakes or biscuits. Soon the five steaming cups of tea were on the battered table in the hut and plate of what looked like Hagrid’s homemade ginger nut biscuits, no one had spoken a word since Hagrid had sat down no one wanting to break the calm silence that had enveloped them and none of the guests dared to reach out for a biscuit that would likely break there jaw if they tried to consume one.

“It’s morrow ya know his funeral?” In the end Hagrid broke the silence the other four occupants in the room all looked up in to his face and shook there heads, “Gunner be buried ‘ere in the grounds tho’ no one is ever been allowed ‘hat honour. Only place dat would be right don’t ya think?”

“Kept in the place he loved the most, definitely a good choice, but I didn’t think the funeral would be so soon, I thought that it would be a couple more days at least. As students we are allowed to attend aren’t we?” Hermione hoped that they would allow all the students who wished to go to Dumbledore’s funeral in.

“Well even if the Ministry won’t allow it I still plan being there, hang what those idiots think and say.” Harry was still so angry at the Ministry for all the past deeds and couldn’t see a time in the future where he would ever feel any differently.

Hagrid cut him effectively short though “Oh no ‘arry all who wish to come students as well are allowed no sanctions at all on this he was a well loved man who” He started to break down and Hermione gently leant across the table and gave his hand a gentle squeeze of reassurance with both of hers.

Ginny couldn’t help but think that Hermione was always such of a goody goody it was sickening to watch sometimes and be around her she was glad Ron was dating Lavender at the moment as at least they could talk about clothes and boys together unlike Miss bookworm.

“’hank’s Mione, we will all miss him, we have lost a truly great, kind and powerful man to those death eater scum.” Know this was something Ginny could reason with and talk about.

“Yeah I hope Snape and the Ferret and his entire family suffer and burn in hell for what they have done to the wizarding world.” The room turned a little shocked at the venom with which Ginny spoke, seeing this she decided to bring up some memories of all the past misdeeds of Malfoy and his Father, followed by a character assassination of Snape.

It only took a second before Ron joined in helping his sister, Hagrid soon followed and Harry although at first tried to defend Malfoy’s actions in the tower they were drowned out. In Harry’s dark and upset state of mind the theories of the Malfoy’s and in particular Draco started to taint his thought to revenge and suffering. It wasn’t fair that Draco had everything he ever wanted just handed to him on golden platter because of his father who by all rights should have been in Azkaban after end of Voldemort’s first reign of terror.

Hermione initially had tried to stop and change the subject of the conversation trying to defend Draco as subtly as she could but as Ginny seemed determined to keep driving it back to the same topic Hermione instead became lost in her own thoughts. She truly did sympathise with Draco and the task he had to carry out this year she knew he was mean to her and tried to single her out on purpose because of her blood and friendship with Harry but she thought it was just the actions of a spoilt boy copying what his father had said to him.

She knew that in the last year his grades had been dropping and that she didn’t have to work as hard to stay top of all her classes, he looked like his was eating less and sleeping less, clearly upset and distressed about the threat that had been placed on his family. If she had been in Draco’s position she didn’t think she would have been able to much different he would have been terrified about telling anyone they would have just informed the Ministry that they knew who was the newest and youngest death eater in the Dark Lord’s ranks. Who would believe he would want help and redemption, he would be judged a Malfoy through and through.

It upset Hermione that everyone in the light always talked about tolerance to each other but they never extended that to people who they believed to be working for or supporting you-know-who; Snape was never looked upon kindly by anyone in the Order, really she couldn’t really blame him for being bitter about that towards the people around him. No Draco did what he thought he had to do to protect his family and from what Harry said the other night he may have accepted the order’s offer for help if he had been given that little bit more time.

Thinking about Draco and his family in turn lead her to think of her own Mother and Father and how to protect them from the war as they are most likely going to be targets due to her. She needed to get them safely out of the country and not tell anyone else about it just in case that information was leaked out. Her parents weren’t going to want to leave her though; they didn’t even understand the threat of Voldemort; however that was her fault for not explaining everything that had happened to her and her friends while they had been at the school.

Hermione didn’t want to upset or worry her parents too much, they didn’t understand the magical world although they were very supportive of her they were still afraid of the unknown. She was brought out of musings by Ron’s loud whoop of delight at being told by Hagrid that were going to be going home the morning following the funeral.

It just brought a new wave of sadness over Hermione that their time at Hogwarts was being cut so short and the next school year their final year had been put on hold due to all the safety issues and the political un-rest. Hogwarts should have been the best time in their lives but its innocence and beauty was being tainted by the growing darkness in the wizarding world.

The five of them left the castle around midday to go to the great hall for lunch Hagrid accompanying them to the castle’s main gates where they all resigned the enchanted piece of paper.

“Come have some lunch with us Hagrid I am sure the other students will want to see you, as well as the teachers.” Hermione pleaded to the half-giant she didn’t think he had been in the castle much since the incident and she knew he was taking Dumbledore’s death hard.

“Yeah come on mate, I mean Professor, can’t go around on an empty stomach now can you.” Ron was already itching to get to the great hall for more food he had been looking at Hagrid’s biscuits for the last couple of hours and while he knew that it would be unwise to eat one it made him think about eating all the more which made him more hungry and cycle continues round and around.

“Naw you go in I still ‘ave things I need to take care of I’m sure I will see ya all at dinner though. Now watch your back around the Slytherins all of you!” Hermione just rolled her eyes at his last statement which didn’t go unnoticed by Ginny unfortunately; Hagrid proceeded to go back down the grounds loudly sobbing in to his hanky the four of them waving him off before they were shooed inside by the auror’s.

The rest of the day held a small amount of excitement as people started to flock to Hogsmeade and Hogwarts for the funeral, Seamus’s mother even appeared and tried to take him home almost by force in the end conceding he could stay for the funeral but the minute it was over he was going home as Hogwarts was no longer safe.

Draco awoke at knock on his door from Snape and a sleepy message that the shower and bathroom would be free in a moment and breakfast would be on the table in about three quarters of an hour. Draco took his time to take in his surroundings and become fully alert; slowly yawning and stretching his tired body feeling the effects of the first decent nights sleep in a long time.

His room he noticed wasn’t that large at all and was furnished with the most hideous wallpaper he had ever seen of large purple flowers that had faded over time but were still too vibrant for his liking. The wallpaper was peeling off in a couple of places with water damage staining the paper and the wall behind it a rusty brown. The curtains though really were the focal point of the room a thick course woollen material that was the most awful shade of burnt orange and clashed with everything else in the room.

He had a battered chest of draws for clothes on one side of his room near the door and at the end of the bed a small very rickety looking desk. He wondered if his mother was ok and if father had gotten out prison as had been hinted at in the revel the other night, he hoped it would cheer his mother up she had been so distressed since Lucius had been incarcerated.

While waiting to hear that Snape had gotten out of the shower he put away a couple of his things from the trunk his mother had sent pushing it under the bed when he was finished , placing the packages and letter from his mother on his desk ready to be read later. Draco organised his clothes from the previous night and prepared what he was going to wear today. He was a neat and tidy person by nature he liked his appearance to neat and tidy and area he lived in to be the same, he had hated living with Crabbe and Goyle sometimes as they were such slobs but useful none the less and good for a laugh sometimes.

He was brought out of his inner musings and housekeeping from a another muffled message from Snape that the bathroom was now free, walking to the door he noticed the little switch on the wall that controlled the muggle light, he decided he would give it a try and see if had the same effect for him as it did for Snape. He amused himself for a couple of minutes and went to wash up.

As he strolled down the hallway to the kitchen the smell of fried bacon pleasantly wafting out of the room his stomach growled. Both he and Snape sat down to a lovely couple of bacon sandwiches before the talk of work came about.

“Today we need to a thorough clean of the lab and start on some of the longer and more complicated potions today; I think we will both have to have notebooks to let us know where the other one is in the brewing of the potions just in case we called to other business. We will also have to have a think about the power amplifying potions the Dark Lord wants and come up with some ideas.”

Draco just nodded savouring the last little bit of bacon sandwich he had left, he didn’t really have anything to add or say to what his Godfather had just said. “Good the other problem is food and cooking, I now know from your fascination of light bulbs that you will have no idea how to cook in a muggle kitchen.”

Draco nodded in affirmation “Well I will have to go in disguise and get us some supplies and stock up on food that you can just eat without any preparation or make into a sandwich, as these potions will take up most of our time and we will probably be up at strange hours trying add ingredients.”

Draco just nodded again not really knowing what to say “are you mute today boy or just struck dumb?” He didn’t wait to hear Draco’s answer but just strode out of the rooms in whirl of black robes.

Draco just huffed in annoyance and followed him down to the potions lab to start work for the day. The two of them worked efficiently in tidying and setting up two work stations in the cellar; Draco couldn’t use his wand though in case his magic was tracked due to underage wizardry so was left with the tasks of hefting caldrons and scales about the room.

When they had their two work stations set up they decided to start on polyjuice potion and lots of it and a powerful healing potion to start with. Draco got to work on the polyjuice potion and the two worked in concentrated silence for an hour or so only the scribbles from notes they were making with their quills could be heard.

As there was a lull in the Snape’s potion for a moment he decided he needed to talk to Draco about the next task, “Draco my boy, are you alright to talk at the moment?”

“Yeah sure Sev, as long as you don’t mind me paying most of my attention to this caldron,” Draco had barely lifted his had to turn to look at the man sat at the desk next to him.

“No not at all, I won’t bother you for long as I want to go and get some food while I can today and I don’t want to delay going to the blasted muggle food shops any longer than necessary. This potion I think is going to be tricky but I think if we look to old magic and incantations we might find something, I think we may need your mother to raid the Malfoy library for most of them though.”

“Err why not just use a Filix Felicis for important missions?” He was slowly adding a drop of toad essence and stirring clockwise at the same time so didn’t see Snape’s brief look of shock.

“No to unpredictable may not give them the luck they need to complete certain tasks and a pain in the arse to make just right, addictive as well. No I think a little research first and then more ideas, is it alright if I give you list of books we may need and for to send it to your mother to find them or would you prefer I write to her?”

“Oh umm, no I need to write to her so err I will later yeah.” Snape agreed and let the boy continue on giving him instructions to watch his potion and not to let it boil over while he was shopping and just in case he was gone longer than he thought he would what the next step was.


The morning of the funeral was bright and sunny as Dumbledore’s personality had been during his life. The funeral was moving and several people made speeches about what a great wizard was but also a good man and loving friend. The Minister of Magic Rufus Scrimgeour also made a small speech which just enraged Harry to no end that he would dare to even grace Dumbledore’s funeral with his presence let alone speak.

Hermione was beside her self at the funeral, she thought that she had kept such a good reign on her emotions over the past couple of days that she would be able to make it through the funeral, she was wrong. She was sitting next to Ron who at a small subtle nudge and nod from his brother Charlie, who was sat next to him took her in his arms and comforted Hermione to the best of his ability.

When Ron took her in his arms she thought that everything just fitted perfectly, she knew he and Lavender weren’t a couple anymore and she thought that he must have realised that she had feelings for him and he had the same ones for her. As the funeral came to a close Rufus Scrimgeour tried to approach Harry again and convince him to play the role of the ‘chosen one’, Harry refused and disappeared in a foul mood with Ginny trailing after him.

“Harry wait up a moment,” Harry slowed and turned and waited to for Ginny to catch up to him, “Are you ok?” Ginny questioned taking his hand.

Harry looked at her incredulously, “of course I am not alright Gin, Dumbledore is dead, and Voldemort is on the loose as well as those bastards Snape and Malfoy. How am I meant to be ok?” He was breathing hard at the end of his outburst tears forming in his eyes, he tried to get Ginny to let go of his hand but she was stubbornly refusing.

“It’s ok to be upset at all of this but we will work out what to do together and we will bring you-know-who down don’t you worry it’s your destiny.” She tried to take Harry in her arms and turn his head to face her and kiss him, he just shook her off.

“I can’t do this Ginny, it’s too hard at the moment, I need..”

She cut him off feeling a little hurt that he would push her away but decided he must be too upset with funeral, it didn’t matter though they were together and nothing else mattered to her. “Don’t worry Harry I understand.” At this Harry looked at her stunned that she would be so understanding of the situation he was in.

“I mean when you calm down and get some air after what the Minister just said and the funeral we could go up to the old DA room and spend some time alone just the two of us.” As she said this she pressed her front against Harry’s side, while Harry just went bright red, he felt as if he was going to burn up at what she just suggested.

“Ginny you don’t understand that’s not what I meant, we can’t be together anymore Gin it’s not safe for you to be associated with me and I don’t want to see you get hurt because of it. I may not defeat him nothing is set in stone concerning my future and I don’t want to be a part of that uncertainty.”

She was shocked and hurt to say the least, “Harry I love you I want to be there for even if it means facing you-know-who, I don’t care, I want you nothing and no one else.” She had broken down by the end of the speech it to great heaving sobs while Harry seemed to be struck dumb as of how to handle her in this situation without hurting her further.

“I love you to, I don’t want anyone else either but I don’t want to have to be constantly worrying that you will be a major target because you are my girlfriend. I really need to concentrate on a plan to defeat him and then we can come back to what we have with no worries or looking over our shoulders in fear, don’t you agree?”

As he said this he took her in his arms and Ginny started to calm down and could understand the position he was in and that he cared about her so much that he didn’t want her to be used as a way to get to him. “Ok Harry for now we should do what you just said but I want you to know that I want to help you as well in any way I can.”

“I know you do, but I just want you to be safe plus your mum would never let you do something so dangerous and neither will I.” He tilted her chin up so he could look in to her eyes, Ginny didn’t understand why it was alright for Hermione to go on adventures and help Harry and Ron.

Ginny decided that although she didn’t like the idea she would go along with it and at every chance she could try to change Harry’s mind, she also thought that something needed to be about Hermione just in case she tried to get Harry for herself. “Ok Harry but one last kiss before we put our relationship on hold.”

Harry nodded a little nervously and the two embraced one another for what seemed like hours to Harry and not long enough for Ginny, as they broke apart Harry told her he needed some time alone to think and that she needed to get back up to the castle; Ginny was pleased to note that Harry was reluctant to leave her and several times looked back at her.


Hermione and Ron left the funeral after saying a quick goodbye to Bill and Fleur, together they aimlessly wandered the castle’s halls, but what Hermione was so pleased about was that Ron had been holding her hand the whole time they had been walking. Ron was still not really sure of his feelings of Hermione but as she wasn’t pulling away from he was happy to keep holding her hand.

Ron’s thoughts were turned to the upcoming war and his doubts and insecurities about himself not being good enough for what lay ahead scared him ‘what if he didn’t make it through the war’, ‘what if he never got his dream job as professional quiditch player’, ‘what he died a virgin’.

The last thought was truly chilling for him he didn’t want to die if he had never had sex; he looked down at Hermione who was quietly walking beside him. He thought that she wasn’t too bad looking normally and when she bothered to scrub up she looked really good, like at the Yule ball in forth year. Yeah he was the best she could hope for really so she wouldn’t say no to him when he put the moves on her.

Now to get her attention and get the first stage of going out together completed, “Mione I have been thinking a couple of things over since Dumbledore’s death and I wanted to say before its too late that I like you.” At her slightly confused glance at him he tried again “I mean that I really like you more than a friend if you know what I mean?”

She did know what he meant but she couldn’t believe that he truly felt the same way and had found the courage to voice his feelings as well she was floored by it, “Ron I have felt the same way all year.”

Ron smiled down at her, he hadn’t realised she had, had it so bad for him all year, if he had gone out with her he may have been able to have gone further than he had with Lavender already. “Good so I think we should kiss now.” He proceeded to pull her to him and kiss her.

Hermione had hoped for something a little more romantic but that was probably asking for pigs to fly where Ron was concerned, it wasn’t the kiss she was hoping for either, as soon as his lips has touched hers he proceeded to lick at her slobber all over her there was no finesse to it all.

When Hermione had imagined their kiss is was in the moonlight with Ron just sweeping down holding her to him looking into her eyes with love and adoration not ‘we should kiss now because I told you I liked you’. He was meant to then lean down and capture her lips in a heated kiss. It would have started off slow with gentle kisses and then he would lick along the seams her lips asking for entry or even nipping at her bottom lip until she gasped and plundered her mouth.

As Hermione thought about all of this Ron proceeded to leave wet kisses along her jaw line going down to her neck, maybe it was a bit too romance-ey novel kissing but something a little better than a sucker fish.

As Ron got to her neck he decided that he should leave a hickey because he thought that Mione would love everyone to know that she wasn’t a prude anymore she had a boyfriend. Just as he was about to though Hermione made a squeaky noise and tried to push him away.

Ron looked up puzzled, at Hermione’s flushed face but quickly spun around startled to see Professor Flitwick looking at them with a slightly amused look on his face. “Sorry Professor, we didn’t mean to ..”

“It’s ok Miss Granger just don’t let me catch you doing that in the hallways again, maybe you should go back to your common room and keep an eye on the younger students.” Was the Professor’s high pitched reply, he then continued past them back to his rooms.

“That was lucky don’t you think Mione, now where were we?” As Ron said the final statement he leered down at Hermione and pulled her to him once again.

“Ron stop it,” she pushed him away again “I don’t want to get caught again, and we do need to go check on the younger years as we are prefects.” She took Ron’s and started towards their common room.

Ron was annoyed at her but thought that he would probably need to get her in room alone so he could work his magic then she wouldn’t stop him, “Lets go to the Room of Requirement instead and we can continue what we started with no interruptions,” wiggling his eyebrows suggestively.

Hermione let go of his hand “Is that what you used to do with Lavender?” She was hurt that he thought that he could kinda ask her out in his own awkward way and then expect her to spread her legs for him within in minutes literally.

She stormed away from him in tears, leaving him at complete loss as to whether to follow her or let her cool down and then talk to her, he mulled it over and decided that he was hungry he would look for food ask another blokes opinion before searching her out.

Well another Chapter done Yeah Chocolate reward for me! Longest Chapter so far so hope you all enjoy it!Leave me a review if you do and your feeling kind or if you don't like it tell me why but not too mean this is my first fanfic ever. Thank you very much Scarlet Wicth Extreme for your lovely review of the last chapter chocolate for as well.

Pickles