The Road

Confrontation

Hermione had mere moments to secure Ron before he could cast a curse on Draco. She temporarily petrified Ginny, whose curse nearly left her lips, and let her fall against the couch. Harry set a temporary silencing charm on the room and disconnected the Floo gate, something they should have done before it was too late. She lifted the silencing spell on the two of them as Harry finished securing the room, whilst Draco slowly put his arms down. She glared at him with daggers and couldn't find the words to speak before Ron screamed.

"HERMIONE! HARRY! WHAT ARE YOU DOING?!"

"HOW COULD YOU!"

"HE'S THE ENEMY!" These words flew across the room, and she could only hope Harry's silencing charm was strong enough.

Hermione felt tears form in her eyes and was at a loss for words until Harry stepped forward and violently shoved Draco in the chest. "What are you doing here?! We had an agreement!"

"What bloody agreement are you on about?!" Ginny yelled.

"What the hell is going on here?!" Ron also yelled.

"Please let us explain," Hermione finally found her words.

"Oh please do, but the minute you release me from these binds I'm going to kill him!"

"Ron, please," she stifled a sob.

"He betrayed us, Hermione! Why does it seem like you're helping him?!" Ron questioned then turned his head to Harry, "And you! Where are you in all of this?! Why are you helping a criminal?!"

"If I may speak-" Draco interrupted, who seemed impossibly calm through all of this.

"How dare you speak to me! Coming into my home!" Ron screamed at Draco.

"Ron!" Hermione found the courage to raise her voice, "Enough! If you won't hear us out I'll have no choice but to-"

"To what?!" Ron interrupted, "Obliviate me?! What is it with you two anyway?!" He snarled, but noticed the look Draco was giving her. Ron darted his head back and forth between the pair before saying, "No....no...Hermione, this can't be real. He's fooled you!"

"He hasn't," Harry interjected, "Ron, you have to believe us."

"Believe you?! Then you're both fools!" Ginny yelled, looking at her husband as if he had three heads.

Harry looked nervously up the stairs with the faint sound of footsteps a few floors above. "Hermione," he told her, "Outside, now."

Harry reached for Ron and brought him outside, who was now mumbling incoherently. Hermione reached for Ginny but the redhead stopped her and said, "If you'll release my legs I'd gladly walk," in a tone as venomous as a snake.

Hermione eyed her wearily, but felt that if she couldn't trust her with this, then she couldn't trust her with the whole truth. She released the binds on her legs and Ginny stood curtly, then walked towards the open door. Hermione was left alone with Draco, who looked sternly at the retreating redhead before turning his head to her. Before he could speak, she stopped him with her hand, "I don't want to hear a word out of you until we have explained everything to them. They will not believe a thing you have to say and for good reason." Her words stung him, she could tell by the look on his face, but she was in no mood to give an apology and he was in no place to ask for one.

_______

For the first half of her story, Ron had to be silenced as he refused to listen. But as she reached the end of what brought them here, he stopped trying to speak and Harry silently lifted the charm. Ginny sat quietly, while shooting skeptical looks over Hermione's shoulder at the blond-haired boy leaning against a tree.

As Hermione finished speaking, Ron turned his head to Harry and said, "It doesn't explain why he's here now." It was clear he was not going to speak to Draco directly even after the telling of what happened. Harry then looked to Draco who stepped forward from the tree, and spoke, "She trusts you. And whoever has her trust has mine."

Hermione breathed heavily at this and looked over her shoulder to meet his eyes. She turned back to Ginny and Ron who were looking at the two of them like they were daft. And yes, maybe they were.

"Release me," Ginny said to Harry, "Please." Harry obliged without much thought, clearly trusting his wife not to do anything rash. Her binds vanished and she rubbed her wrists thoughtfully before looking at the two of them. "I'm not going to pretend like any of this makes sense. It doesn't and all of you know it," Ginny said, "But then again nothing about our lives has made much sense, right?" She looked at everyone now, including her brother, who looked down at the ground and away from his sister's gaze.

Hermione offered a small smile but it disappeared when Ginny then said, "But the risk is too great, Hermione. And that's not just for him, but for you and Harry as well."

Hermione heard Draco shuffle his feet behind her, and she could already feel the knowing look he was giving her. "Please, Hermione," Ginny begged, now standing, "I love you as a sister and I would give anything to have you home with us again. But I'd rather have you be in another country together with....him, than be here but in prison."

"Ginny-" Hermione started.

"And you!" Ginny interrupted and turned to Harry, "I know you would do anything for your friends but haven't you realized the risk in all of this?"

"This is what Hermione wanted," Harry emphasized, "And I wasn't going to let her do this alone."

"So what happens to us then?" Ginny said, and Hermione could hear the crack in her voice, "When you get put in prison for aiding a criminal. What happens to the two of us then?!"

Harry couldn't find the right words to say, and as a result Ginny marched back towards the house with tears in her eyes.

"Ginny," Hermione called out to her.

The redhead whipped her head towards Hermione and snapped, "I'll keep your secret, Hermione. But I need you to think very carefully about what happens next if this doesn't pan out the way you think it will." And with that, Ginny marched back into the house without another word, but with Harry quickly following in her footsteps.

"Release me too," Ron finally said in a quiet voice.

"Ron I-"

"I don't want to hear anymore, Hermione," Ron stopped her, "Please."

Hermione released his binds and Ron stood instantly as if he had been on the edge of breaking his binds the whole time. And without one word and a heated glare at Draco, he too retreated into the house. She finally let go of the breath she had been holding and turned to Draco, fully prepared to yell at him in frustration but instead fell into his waiting arms and sobbed softly into his shoulder.