The Royal Tragedy

Chapter Two: Moving In

Chapter Two: Moving In

Hermione and George spent the rest of the day, and most of the next packing and joking around. Hermione couldn't remember a time she had laughed so hard or so many times. George had been perfect, keeping her mind from wandering where it shouldn't, distracting her from the real reason her apartment now looked so bare, covered in more boxes than belongings. No one had bothered them, left them to it.

It wasn't until the evening before she had to leave. George had gone to bed, and night was slowly falling. Hermione was once again in her armchair, watching out the window at the city below. It was a clear night, and Hermione was once more drowning in her thoughts. She hadn't even noticed the owl approaching her window until its claws were tapping against the glass pane. Absentmindedly, she opened the window, letting the owl in and onto the perch beside her. It wasn't until her eyes noticed the red envelope that she felt her heart stop.

With shaking hands, she untied the letter from the owl's leg, barely blinking before it flew away, back out of the window. Hermione could feel the lump growing in her throat. She hadn't recognized the owl, but she could think of a short list of people who would want to send her a Howler. Hermione didn't know what to do. What could she do?

Gather up as much Gryffindor courage and broke the seal. The envelope flew from her hands hovering in the air. Even before the words sprung out, Hermione was in tears. She didn't know what to expect, but she couldn't stop it. It was now a case of letting it start and finish, and hope that no one heard the horrible things that poured from its bleeding mouth

"HOW COULD YOU? RON LOVED YOU, AND YOU JUST DECIDED TO BREAK HIS HEART LIKE IT WAS WORTHLESS! HOW COULD YOU BE SO CRUEL? I THOUGHT YOU WERE MANY THINGS HERMIONE BUT I DIDN'T THINK YOU WERE A HEARTLESS GOLD DIGGER. I HONESTLY DON'T KNOW WHAT MY BROTHER SAW IN YOU.

"TO BREAK HIS HEART THIS WAY WAS PATHETIC AND COWARDLY. DID YOU EVEN TRY AND FIGHT IT? OR ARE YOU JUST CONTENT TO LEAVE US FOR THE MONEY AND THE GLORY? IS BEING WITH A DEATH EATER BETTER THAN STANDING BY YOUR FRIENDS? WELL, IF YOU THINK FOR ONE MOMENT THAT I OR ANYONE ELSE WILL WANT TO BE AT YOUR WEDDING, THEN YOU CAN KEEP THE INVERTATIONS TO YOURSELF. YOU HAVE BETRAYED US, AND..."

Hermione watched with blurred vision as the red envelope burst into flames. She sat frozen, the familiar voice of Ginny now burning her ears. She knew they would be angry; they had every reason to be, she understood that. But this? Hermione didn't know what to think. Slowly her head turned to face George, his wand still raised at where the Howler once was.

"Don't listen to her. She's not right."

"I hurt him George." She whimpered, her body pulling in on itself. She was trying to make herself smaller than she already was.

"You didn't do it without reason. You had no choice, and don't you dare blame yourself for his pain. There is nothing you can do to stop this, and if there was, you'd have found it. It was either this or prison. Kingsley announced that, and they should have known." George was now by her side, crouching down and rubbing his hand comforting along her leg. He seemed to be the only one content with still being her friend, the only one who saw that she didn't want to do this, but she had no choice. He understood that. And that was why Hermione was thankful for his presence, glad he had refused to leave her alone to pack, and refused to let her go through this alone."

"Your amazing Hermione. Amazing and Strong. Don't let them tell you anything different." He stood back to his feet, leaning down to place a platonic kiss to her forehead, before reaching out his hand to help her stand. "And sitting here all night isn't going to do you any good."

He yanked her with him to her kitchen. It was the only room with everything still intact. Everything Hermione had in here was worthless to her at Malfoy Manor, but not to George, who had begged her to let him keep her apartment for himself. Hermione had been against it at first. She just wanted to forget this place existed, it wasn't like she'd be able to move back in, Malfoy Manor was going to be her prison for the rest of her life. But after seeing George's puppy eyes, and getting him to agree to let her pay half the rent, she agreed.