Chapter Three: Betrayed

Hermione stared at the ministry parchments that littered her desk, she had no wanting to do them, not to even touch them. She heard her floo chime as someone arrived, she didn't bother to look up and quickly pulled her work towards her even though her mind was clouded with all sorts of thoughts. The thought of Ron no longer made her cry, it stunned Hermione when she first found out that thinking about Ron couldn't make her cry. There was silence in the room between Hermione and her guest.. The latter probably surveying her, trying to figure out what they should say, or not wanting to disturb her and not talking.

“ I know your not working.” There grim voice broke the silence. Hermione coughed slightly, due to the dust in her office then turned around to face the Weasley, his face was scarred, but not like his eldest brothers face. These were scars from Auror work. These were scars from capturing death eaters and other dark people and creatures. This made George more different, more himself. And he was the only one in the whole of the ministry with one ear. Hermione then hiccuped.

“ And I know your supposed to be working.” She retorted angrily. George raised his eyebrows slightly waved his wand causing a chair to appear, turned Hermione's chair to face his then sat down.” I do-can't.. I can't talk with you Mr Weasley, it's not a matter I can choose in. I just can't do this.” Hermione felt the tears starting to come to her eyes, but she forced them to retreat. She had to be strong now. George continued to watch her before he broke the awkward strangled silence again, ignoring what she first said.

“ Can't? Can't or won't.. Because your to scared to face the truth, and since when did we move on to surnames. Miss Granger.” He emphasized the last to words with his icy cold voice.” We used to be friends, you were going to be my sister in-law.. I want.. Heck.. I don't want, I NEED to know what happened in America, I want to know why Ginny and Harry loathe each other, won't talk to each other unless it is a very important situation were they can't avoid it. I need to know Hermione, I've felt losses before. Your not the only one that has, and you can't retreat inside yourself and hide from the world.. I know I sound cruel, but you need to move on, love another or don't.” George managed to calm himself down slightly.

“ I can't talk about it George, and you don't need to know what happened to Ron.. Alright? That's my business, if you want to know so badly why don't you go pester Harry and Ginny?! Why me? And you want to know why they aren't talking, they aren't talking because there being complete idiots blaming themselves for Ron's death, and the whole fault is really mine. I'll never be able to love again, his death has changed me completely.. I'm a changed person, as is everyone else.” Hermione snapped.

“ Hermione! Don't ever say that again, Ron's death should not be on your conscience. And.. Hermione, I thought Harry was joking when he said you were taking this far to seriously, but don't get me wrong.” George quickly added as Hermione looked up horrified.” This is serious, but not life threatening. Hermione, my mum is constantly telling Ginny and I to go check up on you.. She worries for you like crazy, just come stay the night at the Burrow.. That's all.” George's tone turned in to almost pleading.

“ I.. I.. It was my fault Ron's death was MY FAULT! And I.. I can't go. I can't go to the Burrow.” Hermione planted her face in her hands tears starting to flow freely.” I know.. I know, the Burrow is like my home. But I'm staying with someone else currently. And, and.. Oh. I just can't. And why are you suddenly changing the subject from Ron? You think that I'll st-start crying more? You think I-I'm not strong enough to h-hold in my-y feelings?” Hermione glared at the red head that was sitting across from her.” Now I have work to d-do.. And so do you.” She turned her chair away from him and started working again, but noticed that he hadn't moved or else he had mastered moving with out a sound. But no, his heavy almost sigh like deep breaths were still there barely audible.

“ Her-Granger... I'm sorry I caused you this trouble, next time I won't try and help..” George stood up. Hermione turned to face him again, slightly scared at the anger that showed on his face.” I'll let mum know your staying with someone else, but if you ever stop staying with them the offer still stands.” George walked past her with out a second glance, his black, mud and blood stained robes whipping around his ankles as he did so. Hermione watched him leave feeling betrayed by everything and everyone...

*** The Burrow

“ Well... I don't care if she's staying at someone else's house, she can come here for dinner.. She must be starving from the ministry food. Arthur says it's hardly enough to get by, and Ginny says that Hermione eats there.” Molly Weasley quickly looked up at George in worry as she said this.” And you would know what the ministry food is like, it's a good thing Angelina knows how to cook.. Or else I'd have to force feed you food. Your so stubborn. Just like-...” Molly stopped, almost saying Ron and Fred. George patter her shoulder comforting his mother.

“ Merlin! She only eats that food? What is becoming of the bright, smart Hermione Granger we knew? I mean by Merlin's beard she better be over here soon.” Percy gasped. George started laughing.” What in the name of Merlin is so funny? Hermione is killing herself, and so are you Mr Auror. It's a dangerous job.” Percy turned to glare at him.

“ It's just that not long ago you were always saying. GEORGE THAT'S A SWEAR DON'T EVER SAY THAT!” George laughed harder, but immediately sobered up as Ginny came skipping down the stairs with a pretty green dress on.” My my, Ginnykins.. You visiting Harry or something?” He asked shocked, Ginny never dressed up ever.

“ Mm.. That smells good mum, and no I'm not visiting Potter.. Going on a date with Dean.” Ginny pushed some of her hair which was still black out of her face before hugging her mom.” Hope to see you all around.. And no George you are not going to be my chaperone.” Ginny added with a snap as George started to stand. Quickly she grabbed her fur coat and left before George could say anything.

“ Dean Thomas?! I'm gonna murder him..” Charlie muttered darkly staring at his black coffee in front of him expressionless almost. Percy and George raised a eyebrow at him each.” What? I don't like him, Ginny doesn't like him.. Mum don't give me that look. She doesn't like him, it's so obvious she loves Harry.” Charlie sighed.

“ Then why may I ask is she dating Mr Thomas again?” Molly glared at him as she started chopping up potatoes and putting them in to the brass pot on the stove full of boiling water, and soon to be potato pieces. George, Charlie and Percy groaned in frustration.” What? Is there something I don't understand?” Molly's eyes narrowed slightly.

“ Yes.. Ginny is only dating Dean Thomas because she thinks Harry doesn't love her, and she's being a blind fool about it.. Both of them and Hermione, they all blame themselves about Ron's death.” George finally let it out, he'd been wanting to tell them ever since he got home, ever since he heard, but he also didn't want to tell them. All three of them, his mother and two of his brothers stared at him in shock.” It's true, Hermione told me this.. But all of them refuse to tell me how or why Ron died. It's like denying Charlie information as to who killed Fred or how he was killed.”

“ I'd be spiffing angry if you guys did that. I'd like.. Flip out on all of you, how come you haven't?” Charlie gazed at George with new found admiration, but the look on his face was to much for Percy and George they started laughing.” Can we please get of the fact that I'm making myself look like a fool and get back on subject?” Charlie rolled his eyes.

“ Truthfully, I almost did flip out on Hermione, It's a good thing I didn't.. A really good thing, she was still at work when I talked to her. But it didn't look like she was working.” George got up off the stool, his mother cast him a glance meaning. Where are you going young man. But was to busy in the kitchen cooking dinner to actually say it.” I'm gonna tell Hermione to come over for dinner stop by Weasley's Wizard Weezes then go to my apartment, pick up Angie and come right back over. Actually, get Hermione with Angelina before I back home.”

“ Stay safe little- George. And no I don't mean little George, can you do me a favor and drop by Bill and Fleur's, and tell them to come over? I gotta go pick up Harry, Teddy, Penelope and Simon.” Percy also stood up, grabbed his own coat and handed George his.” I know you don't like being a messenger but I gotta do that.”

“ It's alright.. I've gotta go tell my boss that I was detained with family matters also, and Bill said that he was in the Auror office for some weird reason.” George chuckled slightly then headed out the back door of the Burrow, walked past the well trimmed hedges right to the end of the barriers then apparated away...

***The Ministry of Magic

George half skipped out of the Auror's office, till he realized that he had to go talk with Hermione again. He slowed down to a walk and stepped in to the elevator. It took a while for him to get the the floor Hermione was on.” Seven isn't it?” He muttered to himself nervously, not wanting to get in a yelling match with his sisters best friend. He didn't want to get anywhere near yelling. Several wizards and witches cast him wary glances as he got off the elevator. He approached Hermione's door then entered and was surprised to find her laughing and talking with... Blaise Zabini and Draco Malfoy. He cleared his throat surprised.

“ George!” Immediately Hermione's laugh and smile faded away.. He hadn't seen her smile in ages.” Er.. Sorry about earlier, I just uh.. Lost it, so um.. What do you want this time?” Hermione tried to ask this nicely and was aware she sounded rather odd. Blaise and Draco exchanged looks of surprise but said nothing. George finally spoke again.

“ Hey Hermione, my mum says that uh.. She says that your coming over for dinner.. Bill, Fleur, Harry, Charlie, Percy, Penelope, Simon, Teddy, my parents and myself will all be there, Ginny's off on a date with Dean Thomas.” Hermione noticed George's eyes clouded over with anger briefly at what he had last said. Again Blaise and Draco exchanged looks of surprise. Hermione had a sudden urge to slap them both.

“ Right, um.. I'll come on over. I'll just have to stop at Malfoy Manor and get changed out of this boring robes..” Hermione only realized that she had just said were she was staying after she said it.” And I love any excuse to go see Simon and Teddy, there so cute.” Hermione changed the subject quickly with a tiny laugh. Blaise muttered something that made Draco laugh.” What?” Hermione and George rounded on them.

“ Nothing.” Blaise tried and failed to sound innocent through his laughter. Hermione's soft expression turned in to a glare which made him wince slightly.” All I said is that Draco and I were cuter. So can you stop glaring at me already?” Blaise decided to give in realizing that this would have gone on forever. George whispered something to himself about him doubting it.

“ Maybe.. I'll have to compare you guys with each other and then I'll decided, but I'll give you a fair warning, Teddy can make himself look like a smaller more innocent cuter version of you.” Hermione laughed. George stared at her in surprise.. Hermione Granger, talking and laughing with not at Blaise Zabini and Draco Malfoy, plus she was staying at Malfoy Manor.. He badly wanted to know what had happened.

“ It's impossible to be as cute as me, and you know it Hermione. Blaise and I better get back, I have to talk with Xenia before some business tonight.” Draco teased picking up his coat trying to contain his laughter. Blaise couldn't, he walked out laughing.

“ Er.. George could you excuse Draco and I for a second please?” Hermione asked nervously. Knowing that George leaving Draco and her alone together was the last thing that he wanted to because she was just like another sister to him. George glared at Draco then left.” Um.. You know last night.. Um, well.. Just forget about what happened then please? I lost control, I do sometimes.” Hermione stared at her hands twiddling her thumbs, then looked up to face him. Draco looked at her for a bit then nodded and left. She let out a sigh of relief after he left, grabbed her own coat and quickly finished up some work as she waited for George...

***Flashback to the night before (four nights after she arrived at Malfoy Manor)

I walked by one of the living rooms and heard sobbing come from it, I peeked in curious and was surprised to see Hermione crying almost silently to herself, I stood there for a minute not knowing what to do, I hated seeing people in distress. Especially Hermione, finally I plucked up enough courage to talk, or maybe even ask her what the problem was/is.” Do you want to talk about it?” I walked over to her and put a arm around her shoulder.

“ No!” She almost yelled, then cried harder.” Just go away.” I stood up and started to walk away, not surprised at how she acted.” It's about Ron.” What she said next startled me. I turned back to face her, and walked back to Hermione and sat down next to her, rather confused.

“ Uh.. um, I'm sorry about what happened.” This was definitely classified as kinda odd, if not awkward. Hermione Granger is crying on my shoulder and telling me about her ex-late-boyfriend. I tried not to think about his and my dads reactions if they knew.

“ That's not really the r-reason.. Well maybe it is, at least part of it. Do you know what it's like to love someone who loves someone else, and who dies loving the other person? Do you know what it's like to finally think you have everything you had ever wanted and then have it taken away from you.. From some stupid American girl?” Hermione looked at me through her tear filled soft brown eyes. They were tinged with anger by the looks of it... I swear girls can be so confusing sometimes! Someone should write a book on how to understand them.

“ I've... I'm in love with someone that loves someone else, I've had everything I ever wanted and then had it taken away from me in less then a day.” I sighed with a small amount of frustration that had been building up inside of me over the past few days. Life was unexpected and annoying.

“ You Draco Perfect Malfoy, lost all you ever wanted?” Hermione scoffed not believing me, again, I couldn't blame her for this. I was quite a jerk to her, Ron and Harry in school and always acted like I ruled the world. Something which I now regret and wonder why I was such a arrogant idiot.

“ I lost my parents, I almost lost what little sanity I had left, I lost my sense of good and evil, I was completely empty and when I finally I broke through my stupidity. Everything I had was gone, all lost, and I just stood and watched it happen.” I watched Hermione as I rambled on with out even really noticing it. And when I did I looked away from her and down at my feet.

“ I'm so sorry.. I never knew what happened, I'm.. That's.. Death eaters are worse then I believed them to be.. I never thought that they could have done that.. I'm sorry.” Hermione sounded a tiny bit horrified, as she remembered reading in the Daily Prophet about the murder at Malfoy Manor.

“ Never mind about my past, It doesn't matter anymore, But you said Ron loved someone else other then you? That makes no sense.” I did not like anything that had to do with what happened to me and the people I knew as friends. Death eater scum..

“ Yea some girl named Ane Pine-White... She was supposed to be helping us against the death eaters that had escaped to America, used love potion by the looks of it on Ron.. Or he never really loved me, then back stabbed us all and murdered Ron.. And it's all my fault because I could have stopped her!” Hermione's grim look returned.” She betrayed us, betrayed him. He betrayed me.. And it's all my fault, it's all my own fault that Ron died, that Harry and Ginny don't love each other anymore. It's my fault this all happened, I betrayed myself.”

“ It's not your fault Hermione, you can't take all the blame, it wasn't really anyone's fault other then this Ane girl..” I felt a sudden fury rise inside me. Pine-White, why didn't she tell me?! Why did she do this? What did she think she was going to accomplish?

“ Well.. Maybe you should take some of your own advice.” Hermione said as she stood up brushing the dirt and dust off her robes which had collected there as she sat.

“ What do you mean take some of my own advice?” I wanted to know what in the world she was talking about, there definitely should be a book which explains girls..

“ You'll figure it out sometime Drakikins Malfoy.” Hermione gave me a odd look, and she called me.. I am going to murder her in her sleep! NO ONE CALLS ME DRAKIKINS!

“ I will find you and kill you someday for that Granger.” I rolled my eyes drastically, Hermione continued to watch me with that strange look of hers, leaned over kissed me on the cheek, then smiled for the first time I had seen her do in ages. After she left I decided I had to go talk with Xenia about her twin sister Ane...

***Draco talking with Xenia

“ There you are Draco, I came to say good bye.” Xenia looked at me with a brief smile.

“ Xenia, when was the last time you talked with your twin Ane?” I asked.

“ Not since she married Alex White, I didn't even talk to her after he died. Why?” Xenia suddenly became suspicious and cautious.

“ I need to talk with Ane, can you please figure out some way for me to do that?” I'm kinda glad that Xenia hates her sister.

“ And do I get something in return for talking to the trash?” Xenia glared at me. With out a second thought I kissed her full on the mouth then left leaving her there stunned. The look on her face was priceless.....