Chapter 24
James was the first to shout, Draco and him were shaking in rage and fear, he couldn't believe that that monster followed them in life and death. Was it a menace to them? Were they in danger?
He didn’t remember a single conversation dead or alive about Voldemort’s life before becoming the darkest Wizard to ever live, he went to Hogwarts, was a Slytherin, that’s it, they didn’t tell him anything more. How was that little girl capable of raising the evilest man to ever live, someone who destroyed, quite literally, all of their lives?
He was pacing and rubbing his face, Draco was standing straight and working his jaw, Fred stared at Ariana, waiting for more information, Regulus was casting silencing spells. They somehow knew this before Draco and James.
James sighed, he wanted to be with Hermione, he lost time with his bitchiness, and now the one who could give them more time with her asked for two simple things.He sat back down and a glass of firewhiskey appeared in his hand. Thank Godric for the Manor.
“You asked us for our trust and to give Merope a chance, I want to hear what you have to say. Draco please sit down” James said after drinking a healthy gulp of his drink.
“Merope was the youngest daughter of Elvis Marvolo Gaunt, she was the last of the line and descendant of Slytherin, like me she was invisible in the eyes of society, her father and brother abused her and rejected her for her lack of magical talent, she would hide herself from her family in a cupboard. They didn’t love her, didn’t educate her and the times she escaped into the nearby town she was mocked by muggles for her appearance, dirty, lanky, crossed eyed and greasy hair.
She….made very grave mistakes, unforgivable mistakes and she’s paying for them, she’s been paying for them for a very long time. She died giving birth to Tom, the person she loved the most, and the doll is here not only as a comfort to her but as a reminder of the power she has to hurt someone even from innocence. Her brain never developed properly, that is why she looks like a little girl.
Hers and little Tommy’s job at night is collecting the souls that don’t deserve to stay here and need punishment before moving on, that is why you cannot touch the doll”
“How are those souls different from ours?” asked Draco with a somber look
“Those souls don’t have anyone who loves them, those souls don’t regret their actions nor accept their death. the Sisyphus tasks that you have imposed on yourselves come from regret and are necessary to heal, and it’s not their case” Ariana hesitated in telling Draco about his mother’s fate.
Silence reigned, the four of them taciturn
Draco broke the silence “Is she a danger for us or Hermione?”
“If you don't touch the doll no”
“What about when Hermione leaves and we stay?” Regulus asked making the air grow even heavier with tension and sadness
“If you don’t touch the doll no”
“And if….”
James was interrupted by a tense Fred
“Just don’t touch the Voldydoll and we will be fine, right Ariana?”
The corners of Ariana’s mouth moved a little at the name and she nodded.
“Right…” sighed James “They won't hurt us and we have all to gain from this deal, I’m in. Draco, we need to talk about what your plans are with Hermione but even if you don’t want her please accept this deal, I want this time with her, We want this time with her” he asked for confirmation from the others.
“It’s a no-brainer for me, even if I’m not near her. If I can see her, look at her just a little longer I’ll do it. I gave my life for her. I'm ready to give away my eternity just to have a chance” Draco said passionately.
The other three exchanged looks, they needed to help him and James.
“We accept your terms Ariana, at nightfall you’ll have Hermione’s answer. Draco, care to show me the stables?” Regulus said standing up and leaving the room, his experience will help young Draco.
“I’ll see you all later then” Ariana left after them.
Fred threw his arm around James’s shoulders and declared “You and I need to get something out in the air and you are buying the drinks”
Two tumblers and a bottle clicked on the tea table.
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She would have feared a heart attack if she wasn’t already dead.
The Library was breathtaking, literally, she gasped so hard that it induced a bout of coughing.
Three stories high, open plan and as wide as the house looked like from the outside. There were high windows in every wall and the skylight was of stained glass showing forest nymphs in a bacchanal, it was so light and out of this world.
She sat with Mery helping her with her penmanship.
The girl looked so changed, she made her take a bath, easier than Teddy’s bath time.
Hermione had filled the tub with bubbles and enchanted the foam to look like magical creatures, helped the little girl wash and brushed her hair and taught her how to brush her teeth, the room was equipped with lovely robes her size and now we were looking at a little duchess.
Hermione took the time during her caring for Mery to think about her situation. She came to terms with her might be dead status, and her bonded and their future, it was hard and it hurt her a lot to think about it, but the reality that there was no solution to her problems, the only way out was to continue, she needed to solve Draco’s task fast and maybe let him be.
It was so confusing, she felt and saw in his eyes a stronger connection than when she met the other guys but maybe his regret, his pain, his reservations were stronger.
She’ll let him come to her and see what happens. She gave him a lot of time it was almost nightfall and they may have to go back to the gazebo if they didn't solve this fast.
After Mery’s full makeover the girl took a nap. They ate something that the house delivered to their room, visited the stables and fed the peacocks. The peacocks part was tricky, they approached Hermione to attack her, something she wasn’t very fond of and they avoided Merope like the plague, maybe because of Voldydoll, but Mery was very sad about it.
They hadn't seen much of the guys, or Ariana for that matter, during the rest of the day. Regulus would find them once in a while and hugged Hermione as if charging his body with her warmth, Draco watching from the distance, same behavior from Fred and James respectively.
Regulus had once mentioned that being away from her was hard for him sometimes, maybe because he and Fred had a closer relationship with Hermione they needed a regular fix.
James and Draco kept their distance but looked at her as if wanting to tell her something. She'll wait for Draco; he deserved her patience and James will have to work for it. And work he did, Fred told her not to worry about Draco’s task, that James was on it and that he promised not to let her down.
Fat chance. She wants to give the bloke a chance but it was already after Mery’s second nap o’clock which feels like 36 hours since they got there and she hadn't seen head or tails of this ‘solution’.
So she was now investigating in the Library, surveilling Merope’s calligraphy exercises that the girl didn’t ask for but Hermione felt very necessary until Ariana entered the room like a hunted erumpent
“ I left them a while ago but I didn’t know they’ll end up like this” said Ariana without further explanation “come Mery let’s visit the horses outside” she took Merope by the hand and dragged her to a side door
“HONEY WE’RE HOME!!” yelled a very red in the face James Potter being held up by an also red Fred.
They were followed by two very smiley, very swaying Slytherins.
Regulus broke away from the group and threw himself on Hermione’s lap, his face nuzzling her belly and his body draped over the couch and armrest
“I’ve missed you Lovely, I’ve been miserable away from you, remembering sad times and disgusting family members, don’t ever let me be a sulking sad sod like Draco again”
“Oi!”
“Are you all drunk?” she said, hiding a grin at Regulu’s antics. She was so grateful he felt free enough to enjoy love and ask for it.
“Different degrees sweetheart but we were sharing matters of the heart and …” Fred gave her a long, deep kiss bent over her.”...James and I were talking about our families and we got a surprise for you”
“Oh?” Hermione asked, relishing in his smoky taste “Did you find a solution?” she asked the four of them.
Someone groaned on the armchair next to them, she turned to find Draco staring at her with half mast eyelids “I wish I could kiss Granger” he said, his eyes widened when he noticed he had said that outloud and that everybody was looking at him, his face already pink went vivid red but a hiccup came and went, making him forget his embarrassment.
Regulus and Fred were giggling like Lavender on Valentine’s day.
James sat down on the left space of the couch and turned to speak with Hermione.
“We found the Key to solve the meestury” James slurred.
“Okay?” asked Hermione, waiting for them to get on with it.
“We will tell you but we ave ciirteinn conditionsss”
“And what are those?” she asked with narrowed eyes.
Regulus sat up pecked her nose and said, ”we want alone time with you”
Hermione looked confused, “ all of you?” she asked, looking weary at Draco and James.
“Yup” answered Regulus very eloquently.
“Regulus and I, get to be with you, take turns to spend the next two nights with you” Hermione was going to interrupt “Just for those nights” Fred continued over her “We are not controlling what you do or who you do it with or when you do it. You can say ‘no’ to all or any of our conditions, obviously. It’s more like an invitation… maybe?”
Fred did well in backtracking that fast, Hermione had been very close to feeling offended at the least.
“But for those two nights we would like you to spend them with me and Regulus respectively”
“And Draco and I…” started James
“I want to take you on a date,” said loudly a proud Draco, “Please Granger, can I take you on a date?”
Hermione stared at Draco and then at James who was clearing his throat, “Yes , Well I’m not as presumptuous as to ask you for a date, but I’d like to spend some time together”
Hermione was hesitant, but in a good way, they were all coming together and accepting her and apparently the bond too. But she feared there wasn’t enough time. “ Are those your conditions?”
Regulus held her face and kissed her “ That and also for you to accept staying with us a little longer. We made a deal with a fearsome goddess of death to let you stay just a while longer, to stay with us a little more, those are our terms” he said softly pleading nuzzling his nose with her, Fred stepped behind the couch and kissed her shoulder lovingly
Hermione was speechless, more time with them? The possibility hadn't crossed her mind. She was on a mission that was basically not to die, which she did… and didn't .... Then the mission was coming back home, to her life, Harry, Ron, their friends, her job, her familiar, but she also didn’t expect to find…everything down here.They were everything, lovers and family, friends too. She had so little time with them …
.
But what of the people who were waiting for her? Did they need her ? Could they wait a little longer? How long has it been in the overworld? Surely they could handle a couple of days more or a month without her, just a little longer.
“What did this ‘goddess of death’ say exactly?”
“She said” started Draco “She asked for us to give Merope a chance and to trust her that she’ll do everything in her power for you to have a good life when you go back to your life”
“To trust Ariana with my future and she offered to give us more time together?” Hermione confirmed if she had heard right, if Ariana’s work was to be her guide here, and she was her way out and to top it all she found a possibility for her to stay and still be happy when she came back home….
“Yes, yes I accept,” she said enthusiastically.
A pulse of magic moved from them and away, sealing the agreement. She smiled at all of them.
“So, What is this idea for the house to stop crumbling down?” she asked with raised eyebrows at a swaying James who seemed to be the leader and the one with the idea. He smiled so brightly it was blinding, he took her hand and kissed it.