The Sweetest Thing

chapter 8

"Yes, I mean no one has actually gotten hurt, but all seemed menaced by the events. There are no physical evidence of anyone making all of this happen and yet a whole department can't be imaging these things happening to them. Also, I was there the night Malfoy and Hermione was all out of it after work, and even Neville had problems staying alert that weekend. Didn't he say, Pavarti broke up with him because she thought he came to visit her drunk that night?" ," That's right mate! But how will we know if its a poltergeist or not?"asks Ron. "Well, that we still need to work out." I say to Ron, we were now waiting for an open fireplace in the lobby of the ministry so we could use the floor network home.

"Here's where Mionie would say, she thinks we should go look for the answer in the library" we both laugh at his comment "Well it's not really that bad of an idea. She might even have a book at home that could help." Hermione has a two bedroom flat, but she had converted the one bedroom into a personal library. Ron and I initially made fun of her for doing that, but now I'm thinking its rather brilliant on her part. "Great, you should go by her place and ask her." Ron says.

" Why me?" I say a bit more nervous then I thought it would come out. I wasn't planning on seeing her again until I talked to Ginny. "Come on Harry, I don't want Daphne to worry about why I'm late after work, and you'll just be going home to an empty house anyway. I'm sure she won't mind you stopping by." , "what if she has company over?" I say in the hopes he'll not push for me to go over there. "Then you make sure Zabini is still being a gentlemen, you know how Slytherins can be." Ron says with a bit of a snort before stepping into an empty place.

"Anyway, see you tomorrow mate. Say hi to Mionie for me, and stay out of her underwear draw this time." He laughs at my red face and says he's destination. He was gone before I could protest any further. A few people who overheard our conversation were now looking at me in shock. "What? He was just joking!" I say, getting into the fireplace, I decide to first go home. I have to make sure Teddy is fed and tucked in at least. Also, I'm already getting suspicious looks thanks to Ron, I'm not gonna have them hear me going over to Hermione's place straight away. Might end up in the Daily Prophet again. Who am I  kidding, they're probably writing the story, somewere already.
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Hermione POV

I was just enjoying my dinner, with a glass of wine. Its nice to just be by relaxing on my own, after a whole day of not getting a moment to myself. I sigh as I hear the sound of someone coming in through the floo network. 'Who can this be?' I think to myself, it has to be someone I know, who's fireplace is connected to mine. I was really looking forward to an early night. "Hey Hermione! Hope I'm not bothering you or anything" I hear a familiar voice call out t me.

"I'm in here!" I call out, Harry is not the worst person to show up unannounced on a evening I wanted some peace. At least I know if I tell him I kind of need rest he'll be understanding enough to leave. Wonder why he's here though, he's been 'busy' lately, felt like he was avoiding me. Maybe I was just imagining it. "Hi, Hermione."he says with smile that says I come in peace but I need a favour. I sigh and return his smile "Evening Mr Potter. What brings you here?" He laughs at my formal greeting. "Well Miss Granger, I was hoping you could help me with a little research." He says with one raised eyebrow. "Research, hey? And why would you come to me for help with your research?" I ask him, now slightly intrigued. "Because, your the smartest person I know, and the only friend I know with her own library...."

As Harry and I go through some of my books on ghost and unexplained phenomenon, we had been at it for at least an hour, I don't mind though, helping Harry look for answers almost feels like we back at Hogwarts. 

"Harry, here's something you can use," I hold up the book I was reading to him. "Seeing the unseen, there's a whole chapter on trapping unseen entities in here." He takes the book and scans the page "Looks interesting, I'll have to go through the entire chapter though to be sure. Thanks a lot Hermione." He says while gathering the books he'll be taking home with him. I shoot him a smile that he returns and we walk back to my living room.

" You know, " Harry says "while going through some of these books, I'm toying with the possibility that some of what's happening is due to left over dark energy from the war, I mean I've gone through the interviews Ron did, and it sounds like most of the heavier incident have happened around people that have fought in the war, in some way." "That is a possibility I suppose. Magic always leave traces and dark magic does as well, leaving negative energy behind, of course." I say while pouring Harry and I some wine, he picks up his glass and takes a sip, nodding his head in agreement, before continuing " I was also thinking maybe there might be dark traces left on ..." He takes a pause and looks me in the eye "on Draco. He still has the dark mark you know that can never be removed. I'm not saying he's involved, or that he's intending for it to happen, but some of the more violent stuff like the explosion happened in his presence."

"As much as I want to protest, I'm inclined to agree with you. I mean the dark lord did take residence in his home for the last years of the war, torturing people, invade their minds, even Draco's. He once told me that he had spend a whole week reading books on gardening because the dark lord would roam his thoughts and dreams, twisting every good memory he had into his own vile ones. I can see how stuff like that can  have a lasting effect on that person and on their body."

The memory of Draco's face the day he had told me that story brought a bit of sadness in my heart. People often disregard the trauma that wizards like him had gone through, because they were ex-death eaters, or found themselves on the wrong side of the war. I've always tried to commend Draco for doing he's best to live a better life, regardless of his past and its moments like these that I realise that he still needs a lot of help, help that he might not even realise that he needs.

Harry moves closer to me on the couch we were sitting on and gives me a hug, I guess my emotions had played across my face again. Although Harry is one of those people that just gets me in a way that let's him know when I'm in need of some comfort.

"You really have gotten to care about the ferret over the years, hey." He says and I can hear he's trying to make me laugh in the dry way he always does. " we'll get to the root of all of this and make it right. I hate to admit it but he's grown on all of us. I guess its that year he had dated you. As much as we hatted it, he did all he could to make you happy, Merlin knows, the man even went to Azkaban for a week, for you" he says. "That wasn't either of our faults. It was that bloody Rita Skeeter making up crap to sell papers. " I said. "Well point was, the way he handled himself that years, and how he treated you, made me feel like maybe I could give him a chance." I smiled hearing Harry say this, he was one of the few people who had been willing to give Draco a chance back then, I knew it was for my sake but it didn't matter, and hearing him say that he actually warmed up to him filled my heart with joy.

"Thanks for that Harry." I finally say, and he smiled back.