Chapter Text
Narcissa stumbled as she heard Hermione’s question. Finding herself supported by a sturdy pair of arms she stuttered, “Excuse me?” She was seriously worried that she had just listened to some crazy idea about developing a potion to help squibs reach their magical potential.
Hermione helped her steady herself and asked again, “Do you think it’s possible to develop a potion that could boost the magical core of a squib?”
The two started towards Narcissa’s quarters, giving her a moment to gather her thoughts. She now knew that this was all a smoke screen in an attempt to hide. “Do you realize what your asking? Something like that has never been attempted. This would change the world.” Entering her quarters, she saw that Hermione immediately went to spread her research over the coffee table and took the time to think about how she was going to approach the situation as she gathered her notes. Squaring her shoulders, she said, “Before we get into all of this, I was hoping to speak with you darling.”
Hermione was only half listening as she replied, “Mmm… What about?” Feeling the cushions sink beside her, she looked up and saw the concern written all over her face. Trying not to panic she said, “Narcissa?”
Gently taking Hermione's hand, Narcissa made sure every little nuance was non-threatening as she said, “I came to check on you when you were in the bathroom, and the door was cracked…”
Hermione dropped her head and in an almost whisper asked, “What did you hear?” Granted most of what she said was in her head, she recalls mentioning a thing or two aloud.
Cupping the brunette’s face with both hands, Narcissa forced her face up so that she could look into those captivating warm chocolate eyes. “You are not a monster. Far from it as a matter a fact. I have never met someone whose heart matches their outer beauty. You don’t have it as together as you let people believe, and I want you to know that I have no plan to leave your side. I will be there for as long as you will have me. If you want to talk, I’m here. If you need a shoulder or someone to hold you, I’m here.”
Hermione was shell-shocked for a moment, and it took a warm kiss from Narcissa to bring her back. Not ready to address any of her issues at present, Hermione abruptly stood and said, “I’m sorry, I…” before all but running from the room with Narcissa attempting to follow closely at her heels.
Taking off after her, Narcissa reached the open door, and when she looked down the hall, she saw Hermione’s swiftly retreating. She tried to call after her, but the brunette was already around the corner, and her heart dropped with the sight. Quickly sending a Patronus, she ignored the mess on the table and fell onto the sofa, lowering her head into her hands and feeling thoroughly crushed.
Moments later Harry came running into the room and was quickly followed by Fleur. “What happened?” Harry asked as he ran to Narcissa's side while pulling an old piece of parchment out of his pocket. As Harry spread the parchment about, Fleur sat beside Narcissa and put an arm around her shoulders trying to support her and offer what little comfort she could.
With Harry scowling at the map for any sign of Hermione, Narcissa turned her attention to Fleur and began to explain, “We had stopped off at her quarters so that she could gather a few things. One thing led to another, and we ended up on her bed. I tried to take her shirt off, but she kept stopping me. I didn’t want to push her and told her that if I couldn't have all of her, then I would rather wait. She went to change, and when I got to the door to check on her, I found that it was ajar. She said that perhaps she was a monster.” Narcissa forced herself to breathe. What the hell was happening to her? Her relationship was still a fledgling; why did this hurt so much?
Sensing Narcissa’s unsaid worries, Fleur said, “You share a connection with Hermione, some type of bond. That is why it feels as if you have been stabbed.”
Narcissa just stared at Fleur, knowing that the French Veela was holding back a crucial piece of information. “When she joined me, she was acting as if nothing happened. As we were walking back to my quarters, she attempted to distract me with a potential research question.”
Harry looked up and asked, “Why wouldn't she let you take off her shirt?”
Fleur gave a small shake of her head to Narcissa before looking over to ask, “Any luck finding her?”
Harry slumped his shoulders and replied, “None. She is either in the Room of Requirements or has left the grounds. Why are you trying to change the subject.?”
“I’m sorry Cheri, that is not for me to tell.” Fleur softly replied.
Before Harry could say anything, Narcissa interrupted, “We need to find her and let Minerva know what has happened along with her guard. She may not be happy about it, but with Mr. Weasley and Alexis around, we will need all the help we can get.”
~Page Break~
Hermione ran through empty hall after empty hall, not sure where her final destination was. Her world was rapidly spinning out of control and honestly had no idea what to do at the moment. Before she realized it, she was pacing in front of the come and go room asking for a place for her to think, a place where she felt safe. How did everything get this messed up? For some reason, she was under the impression that this year was going to be normal. Ron was never to see the light of day, and she was slowly beginning to heal after all Alexis put her through.
Stepping through the doors, she walked into a private study that was a replica of the one she used when she was Head Girl. Quickly making her way over to the fireplace and noticed a fresh bottle of Bourbon waiting for her and thought, ‘Bless those elves hearts.’ Drinking deeply, she settled herself next to the roaring fire and started to trying to sort everything out. How did her ordinary life become so unhinged? Why did Lex try to come walking back into her life now? Was it because she still had feelings for her or was it because of that horrid article in the Prophet?
Thinking about the article then turned her thoughts towards Ronald Weasley. She knew that Kingsley’s hands were tied, but what was the Ministry’s angle? What was there agenda? Why are they pushing this now? What tale did he spin to get released? He may have fooled the others, but he couldn’t fool her or Harry. After everything he did and said, he deserved to be either locked away for the rest of his life or sent through the veil.
She refilled her glass and sighed heavily as she leaned back in her chair while the rest of her mind turned towards Narcissa. Narcissa was a bit of an enigma. For the first time in a long time, she opened herself up to another. No matter what she tried, she was unable to keep her walls up. It only took the blonde a few hours to work her way beyond all her defenses. Every instinct was telling her that she could trust her, that this woman was the complete opposite of all the other women she had slept with. So why was she unable to share this one thing? “Why can’t I get past this? How was she going to get past this? All I can do is keep asking the same questions, and not be any closer to an answer.”
Hermione was so absorbed within her own thoughts, she never heard the door open. The intruder slowly made their way over and softly called, “ ‘Ermione?” Noticing the brunette hadn’t moved a muscle, Fleur continued on her path and asked, “Can I help you with anything mon ami?”
Hermione watched out of the corner of her eye as Fleur took a seat in the chair next to her and murmured, “I don't even know where to start.”
Fleur placed a gentle hand on Hermione's arm and replied, “Let me send word to Harry that you are safe and still in the castle. Hopefully, he will be able to calm Narcissa. She is beyond worried about you.”
Hermione dropped her head slightly as she felt a single tear trickle down her cheek. “Why is it so hard to share this? Why is it so difficult for me to get past this?”
“You are overwhelmed, and anyone who expected otherwise is clearly around the bend,” Fleur replied. “You have never been one to open up about certain things. If I can be honest with you, I still don’t understand why you haven’t shared this with Harry. He is asking questions, and I can’t skirt around the issure for much longer. Now, would you care to talk about what happened with Narcissa?”
Hermione continued to stare into the fire. “I don’t think I can do this Fleur,” she mumbled into her glass. Leaning back in her chair she added, “Perhaps life would be simpler if I was alone. At least then I won’t have to worry about others seeing the type of monster I truly am.”
Fleur muttered a curse in French before sending a Patronus to Harry. While waiting for him, she said, “Harry will be joining us in a moment. Once he arrives, you are going to tell him everything. If you decided against it, then I will have no problem telling him everything while smacking some sense into you. With that said, you are not a monster, and you also need to not only trust Harry but also stop over analyzing every little detail. You are worthy of loving another and being equally loved in return.” She let Hermione continue to stare into the flames in silence, knowing that trying to speak to her right now was pointless. One thing was evident, the young witch was attempting to destroy her relationship before it even started.
The door finally creaked open, and Harry squeezed into the room. Seeing the worried look on his girlfriend’s face, he made it across the room in about three giant strides. Harry lifted a brow as he observed Fleur’s concern and Hermione’s closed off nature. He kissed Fleur’s cheek before taking a seat next to her and saying, “Lovely weather we're having. Can I ask you something Mione?”
Hermione continued to stare as she replied, “Hmmm…”
Thankfully he was used to this part of his dear friend and decided to be as blunt as possible when he asked, “Why are you so intent on destroying your relationship before it has truly started? Why won’t you tell me the truth about what you went through and why you were too afraid to take off your shirt?”
Hermine froze the moment he asked. There was no way of avoiding them. Shaking her head, she replied, “I’m not…”
“Bullshit Hermione. I never took you for a coward, not after all you’ve been through and all that you’ve seen. I took you for my sister who was supposed to be the brightest witch of her age.”
This was a tough pill to swallow for Hermione, who was utterly shattered and unhinged by his words. She made no move to acknowledge him, instead withdrew even further from reality and deeper within herself, locking herself up tightly behind the walls of her impenetrable fortress. Fleur smacked him beside the head and gave him a hard glare as she said in a tone just as icy, “I sent for your help, not make her withdraw even more. Even though neither of you will speak about it, you both have something in common. Perhaps you should have led with that instead of being an insensitive git and completely heartless. If my memory serves me right, and we both know it is never wrong, you had the same problem.” Fleur softened her features and tone as she warily continued, “Tell her the truth. I know you care for her, and sometimes needs someone to be blunt, but in this instance, you were wrong. Now, tell her about your back or I will. This is why she doesn’t talk to you about some things.”
Harry sighed heavily and gave Fleur a small nod before going to kneel in front of his sister. “Have you ever wondered what my life was like before we met on the train? I'm sure you put a few things together, but never said anything because you had no actual proof.” He paused and saw that he held Hermione's complete attention. “The first time I found out when my birthday was, I was seven years old, and my Uncle took his belt to me after tying me to the railing. I had to learn at an early age not to cry out or show any emotions, that only made things worse.”
Hermione continued to gaze into the fire, and Harry patiently waited for her to digest all that he said. After a few minutes, Harry went to pull away when he thought she wasn’t going to reply, only to be stopped by her hand that shot out like a snake and gripped him tightly. She tried to open her mouth to respond, but nothing came out, and all she could do was shake her head. Why was this so hard for her? Harry was family, they told each other everything…well, almost everything. Perhaps she was attempting to avoid the future as he accused.
Knowing exactly where Hermione's mind was headed he said, “You are no more a monster than I am a freak. My relatives tried to beat it out of me, and I actually thought Freak was my name until I started school. I’ll show you mine if you show me yours. Once we're finished with that, we can tackle everything else together. One step at a time.”
Things seemed to run smoothly after that and Fleur decided to leave the two of them while they finished hashing things out and check on Narcissa, whom Fleur was positive was beside herself. Hermione waited for her to leave, still feeling completely overwhelmed. “You may think I’m a coward, but the only people who have seen my back are Fleur and her.” Taking a deep breath, she shuffled to the edge of her seat and gripped the bottom of her shirt as she gathered her courage. She watched Harry take off his shirt and stand completely still so she could get a close look at all the lashes and buckles marks that have been etched into his back.
Harry turned around slowly and saw that Hermione was already standing. Before she lost her nerve, she quickly discarded her shirt and turned. Harry went to take a step forward and was brought up short when he saw her wand. Before he could ask anything, she gave it a flick and removed the glamor she had covering her back. Making sure not to make any sudden movement or sounds, he took a soft step forward so that he could get a closer look.
Long gashes crisscrossed basically from head to toe. It also looked as if she was burned at some point, and based on the scar tissue, it never healed properly. How could he have missed this? Putting a soft hand on her shoulder, he asked, “Do they still bother you?”
Hermione took a shaky breath and replied, “Occasionally. My skin is usually very tight after I wake in the morning, but it’s worse during the winter. Do yours bother you?”
Harry watched Hermione quickly don her shirt and turn while waiting for his answer. Following her lead, once his shirt was over his head, he said, “Not anymore. At one point, I felt the same as you. Have you thought of developing a potion to remove the scars? I do not doubt that you would be able to create something. I’ll even help you test it.”
“I’m not even sure where to start,” she mumbled while chewing on the bottom lip.
Harry chuckled, “I find that hard to believe, what with you being the brightest witch of our age. Why not enlist a certain Potion Mistress? For all we know, she may have already developed something.” Seeing Hermione shake her head he added, “You are overthinking everything again. Look, I can understand your reluctance, but Narcissa isn’t Alexis. She has already proven that she is different, now you just need to give her a chance. Do you remember what I was like before I started dating Fleur? I had my own fears to overcome, which you are already aware of. Listen, the point I’m trying to make is that if I never opened myself up, then I would have never met the love of my life.”
Hermione sighed heavily, knowing that Harry was one hundred percent correct. “I know your right Harry, but I can’t help but feel uneasy with everything that has happened today.” Suddenly remembering the unread letter, she fished into her pocket and drew it out with a shaky hand.
A blind man could see how uneasy just touching that letter made her. Harry scooted closer and said, “I have this feeling that Alexis attempting to come back into your life the same moment as Ron’s release is all tied together, and I know Fleur feels the same way. We may all still be a bit paranoid from the war, but something doesn’t feel right. Do you mind if I check the letter for any charms?” Hermione put the letter on the table that just appeared and waited for Harry to finish his study. After a few minutes, he leaned back with a scowl. “It would seem that your letter has a few minor compulsion charms on it that should have made you not only want to read it but follow through with whatever the sender wanted.”
Hermione frowned at this. “I have no urge to read that letter any more than before. I do agree with your and Fleur’s assumptions, something weird is going on.” Hermione nibbled on her lower lip as her mind turned over the possibilities.
“We need to talk with your guards, maybe have all your mail examined for the foreseeable future. Another thing, why weren’t you affected by the charm?” Harry asked as he tapped a finger to his lips. The more they talked about everything, the more bizarre their questions became. Looking up to meet her eyes he asked, “Shouldn’t we open it? It looks as if the charms have been specifically tailored to your magical signature.”
Hermione leaned back in her chair and rubbed her hand over her tired face and said, “We should meet up with the others first. I only want to hear the contents of that damn letter once.”