It has been two days since the embarrassing incident, the temperature at hogwarts had become colder, Hermione had became more silent, and was not in her nature not to participate in class.
Draco had mysteriously went out of hogwarts that sunday night, everyone had thought that maybe Hermione had driven him to drop out. Hermione thought that was real too. She became depressed, she hadn't visit the hogsmeade, and her trust issues started to build up once more.
It was already monday and now that Draco was not around she had no choice but to roam around the corridors alone, and spend most of her time with Moaning Myrtle when she's having insomnias.
Hermione had gotten pale, dark circles around her eyes, and her usual bushy hair back from her first year at hogwarts was back. Despite of this however, she still manages to perfect all of her quizzes, the only difference it had made is that she doesn't actively raise her hand when she knows the answer.
It was also hard for Hermione to walk down the halls without Ginny whenever she's practicing for quidditch. Whispers and gossips could be heard, but Hermione tried to shake those off as much as possible. She never wrote Harry or Ron a letter addressing to this matter, but Ginny had already known that it was time she gets Ron and Harry into this mess as well. So that very same day after Ginny's quidditch practice, Ginny sent Harry and Ron a letter saying that they should come immediately.
Harry and Ron waited along the courtyard to see Hermione. And luckily when she was heading to the library, she saw the two waiting right outside. "Hermione," Harry called.
She sheepishly smiled, as she walked over to her two bestest friends.
"Hey, what are you guys doing here?" She asked.
"We came for you of course! We're worried about what happened. Ginny told us everything in her letter. Something about you and Malfoy?" Said Ron. But she remained silent.
"Well I guess you three are old news. A new rumour spread around saying that I cheated on Malfoy back by going out with Mclaggen. Can you believe that? You know I haven't been out of hogsmeade yet. Now I've always wanted to be left alone" she sighed, as the three of them sat down under the tree.
"Well what did Mclaggen say?" Harry asked.
"He's an arrogant toe rag of course he supported that rumour" she scoffed.
"Where's Ginny by the way?" Ron looked around. "I don't know--"
And speaking of the devil, Ginny made her way along the open hall near the courtyard, pulling a girl by her ponytail, crying for help but couldn't speak. Everyone gasped.
Harry, Ron and Hermione stood up, seeing Ginny looked furious as she walked up to them. "Hey Ron, hi love"
"Who is that?!" Hermione pointed at the girl who basically dropped on her knees crying silently.
"Oh, this is Olivia. Olivia, meet Hermione. Draco's girlfriend!" She smiled with a hint of threat written on her face.
"Ginny, what the hell, that's a fifth year!" Hermione's eyes widened.
"A fifth year bitch, that's what she is. Okay, Olivia. You tell us right now what you did truthfully or you'll regret this day" Ginny warned, as she took a counterspell of silencio.
Olivia sat down at the grass, crying. "I'm sorry, I'm so sorry"
"Tell them what you did!"
"Ginny, stop it! She's only fifteen!" Said Ron.
"Oh I'm sorry, was there an age restriction for being a gossiping snitch?" Said Ginny sarcastically. "Now tell them what you did!"
"I'm sorry," Olivia repeated. "I.. I-shouldn't have-done-that" she starts sniffling between her words. Hermione kneeled down to her, tidying her hair up and pushing them out of her face.
"There, there. Now take a deep breath" Hermione instructed, "exhale. Calm down. She won't hurt you anymore," said Hermione; Ginny rolled her eyes. "Now shh.. tell us what happened? What did you do?" She asked calmly.
Olivia looked up to Ginny who still looked mad at her. She wiped her tears away and finally spoke.
"I... I made the rumours. I started it. About Draco and Astoria. I knew Astoria. And she had always loved Draco. So I tried to get them back together by spreading this rumour. And... when I found out you were dating him, and that Cormac talked about you, I.. I made that rumour too. So Draco would break up with you-- I'm sorry! I'm so so sorry!" She sniffled.
Hermione was speechless. "Hold on, Ginny, How did you find out?" Harry asked.
"Easy. I was at the bathroom stall, when she came in along with her petty little friends, talking about Hermione and how everyone believed her lies she was spreading around."
"But wait, she's a fifth year, how could you spread something like that so fast?"
"Olivia's famous because her family is rich and she's got loads of friends to pass it on. Even Michael Corner asked her out. Didn't he, Olivia?" Ginny asked, and Olivia nodded.
"W-why? Why did you do it?" Hermione frowned, Olivia couldn't look her in the eye.
"Astoria... I've known her ever since we were little. We were very close. But then I found out that she was anonymously cursed, and she's dying, I thought that maybe I could bring Draco back to her life and marry her"
"Olivia, darling... this isn't a fairytale, and we don't live in one. You don't force a taken man to be with someone he doesn't love anymore, okay?" Said Ginny, sarcastically smiling.
"No. I, I understand." Hermione contradicted. Ron and Harry exhanged looks. "But Hermione--"
"No, it's fine." She nods, standing up, she took her hand out to help Olivia stand up. "Hermione what if she's lying?" Ron asked.
"I don't think she'll ever want to lie in front of Ginny." She sighed. "Besides, Astoria needs him more than I do," Olivia finally looked back at her, but this time, she felt regret.
"So what, you're just gonna let him marry her?!" Ginny asked.
"Yes" Hermione said plainly.
"Go get some rest, Olivia you've had enough" said Hermione, she slowly nodded, running back to the common room.
"Hermione what the fuck?" Ginny snapped back at her. "Don't you guys get it?! Isn't this the reason why Draco left hogwarts? Why he's gone? Let's say I didn't let him marry her, it's still too late now."
"Astoria loved him first when I couldn't." She continued. "And she deserves him more than I do."
then, Professor Mcgonagall just so happened to catch them talking to Olivia and saw her crying. She demanded detention for both Hermione and Ginny, and also a finaly warning to Hermione before she loses her position as head girl.
"Potter, Weasley, don't you too have works to do?" Said Professor Mcgonagall. "Yeah, and we were just about to leave. Bye love," Harry kissed Ginny's cheek. "I am very dissapointed in you, Granger. I hope that this never happen again or so help me I shall take out your position as a prefect--- Ms. Weasley where do you think you're going?!"
"You said I have works to do?"
"I meant Mr. Weasley, not you Ginny. You have an extra detention from me. Except on wednseday because then you'll have to compete. But don't think this is a joke, you two; now follow me"
That very night, Ginny and Hermione was forced to help Filch take out the halloween decorations and the jack-o-lanterns down at the exit of hogwarts.
When they were done, Hermione went over to Mcgonagall, overhearing their conversation between Professor Slughorn about Draco.
Once Professor Mcgonagall left, she confronted Slughorn. "Professor? Can I have a word with you?"
"Oh sure, Miss Granger, what is it?"
"Well, I was wondering if you know something about Draco. About where he is?" She asked.
"Oh, dear. I promised Mcgonagall just a few moments ago not to tell anyone about his temporary leave--"
"Temporary? So he's coming back?"
"Er, well, yes. Yes he will. One night ago he asked me if he could go to the Greengrass family to send his condolences."
"C-condolences?"
"Yes, I'm afraid someone very close to him had died. Before he had even go, he asked me if there was any potion to relief her curse. Sadly, neither do I know what curse afflicted the poor girl. Pity" Slughorn frowned.
Astoria's dead? She said to herself."D-do you know where they are now?"
"I'm afraid I don't, Miss Granger. Why? You're certainely not going to follow him, are you?"
"I want to. I mean, I'd like to give my condolences too." Said Hermione.
"Do you happen to know Miss Greengrass?"
"I might have. For a short period of time." She pursed her lips.
"Well I'm sorry but I don't think Mcgonagall can allow you to leave without a valid reason. Now if you will excuse me, I need to get some sleep."
Hermione quickly packed up her things, sneaks out of the dorm, when suddenly Pansy, the slytherin prefect caught her trying to leave.
"Granger? What are you doing? What is that?"
"Pansy, shhh. I'm going to look for Draco"
"Oh God is this what love does to people? It feels like Blaise and I are doing it all wrong" she said sarcastically.
"You're Draco's friend right? Do you happen to know where he is?"
"He's at Astoria's village probably. It's called nunquam amavit. You can take the floo network or just apparate--"
"Oh my god thank you, Pansy!" She hugged her tightly. "Okay, okay, you can let go of me now or else Filch will catch you,"
Hermione did exactly what Pansy told her to do, until when she finally left the gates of hogwarts, she took a sharp inhale and apparated to the village.
"Hermione's missing!" Ginny exclaimed, after finding that her bed is empty, and she wasn't anywhere around hogwarts. Hermione didn't even bother leaving a note.
When Mcgonagall heard about this, Professor Slughorn quickly thought that she was out to follow Draco. Now that Slughorn technically saved Hermione from losing her position, Slughorn took immediate responsibility on it and blamed himself.
"This is why we should not tell anybody about Draco, Horace!" Said Mcgonagall.
"Well, I don't think they'll go to a dangerous place. It was only a funeral after all"
"A funeral at a graveyard, yes. But the last time students who went to the graveyard, someone died!"
"Oh... this is entirely my fault. I am so sorry, Mcgonagall. But you shouldn't punish either of them, going to a funeral is a symbol of respect for the dead after all"
~
Hermione had successfully apparated to nunquam amavit, though knowing that it was already dark outside, she still needed a place to stay. She booked herself to spend the night on the villagers' inn before she heads out right after she places her stuff back in her room.
"Hey, do you happen to know the Greengrass family? Like, where do they live?" Hermione asked the old man at the front desk.
"Oh, I do. In fact, everyone in this place does. Astoria Greengrass was famous for being cursed. A few months ago, she received an unknown package given on her doorstep. Upon opening it, was a beautiful necklace. But it was said that when her finger had made contact with the item, she quickly flew up in the air!"
Hermione gasped, almost as if she had remembered something like this happened before. "Yeah, poor girl. She never talked about it to anyone, and pretended like it never happened! But then her cursed was exposed just last month when the family took her to st. Mungos. This story was spread across the village, hence upon the family's popularity and well, my granddaughter had told me this. It was a big mistake for her not to tell her family right after the incident instead of hiding it, it's too late. Now she's..." the old man sighed.
"I'm so sorry to hear that.."
"My granddaughter... she was very close to Astoria. She'd always come here and say how much she envied Greengrass and had always thought about wanting to be her."
"She must be pretty nice then," Hermione pursed her lips. Just then, the entrance door rung open, Hermione turned around to see Olivia, crying and running to the old man who works at the front desk. Hermione's eyes widened.
"H-Hermione? W-what are you doing here?"
"I'm going to give my condolences to Astoria. I suppose that's why you're here too?"
"My, what a small world!" Said the old man.
"Yeah, it sure is" Hermione nervously chuckled.
Hermione and Olivia decided to go together over to the Greengrass' mansion, both of them were carrying flowers when the door swung open to see Astoria's sister, Daphne, all in black.
She quickly recognized Olivia so she let them in. Upon arriving the rather large living room, they two sat down to have a small talk, also telling that her body is already put down on the local graveyard.
"I don't mean to offend, but do you happen to know where the necklace is?" Hermione asked.
"Oh yes. We found it. Astoria had to bury it in our backyard. The healers have finally discovered that it was an opal necklace bought from borgin and burkes. Terrible place." Said Daphne.
"Where's the necklace now?"
"We handed it over to the ministry of magic to destroy it. Now if you two would want to visit my sister, follow me," she said plainly, standing up, as they both took a carriage all the way to the graveyard.
"Has Draco Malfoy visited yet?" Hermione broke the silence.
"Yes. We sent him an owl a few days ago and then quickly heading here."
"Did he tell you where he went?"
"I'm afraid we are not that close." Daphne pursed her lips. "Here we are,"
The three made their way to the cold gloomy cemetery, until they have reached her tombstone, filled with lots of flowers and candles around.
Hermione and Olivia dropped their flowers down, stayed for a moment, and then left. Once Hermione was back down at the inn, she automatically thought Draco would be back at hogwarts by now. I guess it's time to say my apologies to him. She said to herself.
Luckily by the next day, the knight bus managed to come around to stop by the village, so instead of apparating, and the fact that it often makes her sick, she decided to take the bus to hogwarts instead.
"You must be Hermione Granger!" Said the conductor. "To hogwarts ey? You also skipped your classes. Just like that Malfoy boy--"
"You know about Draco?"
"Yeah, he was also here at nunquam amavit when he said he wants to go to leaky cauldron,"
"Leaky cauldron? What's he doing there?" She asked with a puzzled face, starting to over think every heartbreaking sceanario she could think of.
"Shh, I don't question why people go to the inns" he smirked.
Hermione's heart dropped. "T-take me to leaky cauldron"
"All right. Ernie! Leaky cauldron for another school rebel!" And the bus quickly flashed with speed.
Once they stopped over at london, Hermione quickly entered the leaky cauldron to look for Draco. But he wasn't there.
"Excuse me? Have you seen Draco Malfoy?" She asked the man behind the bar stand.
"Ah, yes he stayed the night yesterday, saying that he was off to buy something at perries?"
"Perries?"
"Yeah that one muggle place with that big tall tower thing. He showed me a picture of you and him, ya know"
Hermione's face flushed pink. "W-what's he doing in paris?" She asked herself, and exiting the inn.
Once she left, she was thinking twice if she wanted to come visit him there or just give up since he wasn't telling her anything, beginning to why he never told her he's going out of hogwarts to see Astoria, or why he stayed at the leaky cauldron, or why on earth is he at paris.
She sat down the curb, letting out a frustrated sigh, and taking out Draco's note from her pocket to read it again.
She had given herself too much trouble in just one night, but then she stood up, grabbed her luggage, closed her eyes, took a deep breath, and apparated to Paris.
~
Vote & comment!
How far can you go just for love? I know this is sweet but if I was Hermione I'd go back to hogwarts but oh well, love makes you do stupid things sometimes. If not sometimes then all the time.
And holy fizzing whizbees thank you for the 20k reads and 1k votes wowowowow u guys are so great! ♡
Still doing dedications & easter eggs and as always see you in the next chapter! x