The fight for Hermione
(Draco’s POV)
Theo and I walked swiftly through the Ministry, the weight of the situation bearing down on me. Every step I took felt heavier, more deliberate, as if I was trying to outrun the storm that was inevitably closing in. I knew we had to speak to Harry—we had to get him on our side—but a sinking feeling gnawed at me. I didn’t know if he’d believe us.
I glanced at Theo. His expression was calm, but there was an edge to his posture, like he was waiting for something to break.
“You sure about this?” I asked, my voice low. “I mean… potter’s still close to Ron. I don’t know if he’ll take our side.”
Theo shot me a sidelong glance. “We have no choice, Draco. She needs help. If potter won’t listen to us, then we’ll make him listen.”
I took a deep breath, my resolve hardening. “We don’t have time to waste. Let’s just get this over with.”
We made our way to Harry’s office, the corridor stretching endlessly in front of us. When we reached the door, I knocked sharply, heart hammering in my chest. It was almost as if I was waiting for Harry to tell me I was wrong, to tell me I’d misunderstood everything. But that didn’t matter. Hermione was in trouble, and I wasn’t going to stop until she was safe.
“Come in,” Harry called from behind the door.
We entered, and Harry looked up from his desk, a faint frown pulling at his features. When he saw us standing there, Theo and me, his face hardened, like he was bracing himself for something. Maybe he knew why we were there. Maybe he didn’t. Either way, I could tell he wasn’t in the mood for confrontation.
“What’s going on?” Harry asked, sounding a bit too nonchalant for my liking.
I didn’t waste time with pleasantries. “It’s about Ron,” I said, my voice tight. “He’s been abusing Hermione, potter. We need your help.”
Harry blinked, his gaze flicking between Theo and me as if he hadn’t heard me correctly. He didn’t look angry. He didn’t look concerned. He just looked… confused, like we were the ones who’d lost our minds.
“Abusing her?” Harry asked, his voice flat. “Malfoy, I don’t know what you’re talking about. Ron’s my best mate. I’ve known him my entire life. He wouldn’t do that.”
Theo stepped forward, his jaw set. “We’re not making this up, potter. We’ve seen it. Hermione is scared, and Weasley’s been hurting her.”
Harry ran a hand through his hair, looking like he was trying to process everything. But his gaze was distant, as though he couldn’t fully comprehend what we were saying.
“Look, I get that you two don’t like Ron much, but this is—this is just too far.” Harry’s voice was almost dismissive, like he couldn’t take it seriously. “Ron’s been through a lot. We all have. He’s not perfect, but… abusing Hermione? That doesn’t sound like him.”
I felt a cold rage bubbling inside me. “I don’t care if it sounds like him, potter. The reality is, it’s happening. We saw it, and it’s getting worse.”
Harry folded his arms, still not giving any sign of belief. “You two don’t know what you’re talking about. Hermione hasn’t said anything to me. She hasn’t said anything to anyone.” He shook his head, almost as if he was trying to convince himself. “Ron wouldn’t do that. Maybe you’re just misinterpreting things.”
“Misinterpreting?” Theo’s voice was dangerously low, his words laced with frustration. “You think we’re making this up? You think we’re lying? Ron’s been manipulating Hermione for months, potter. He’s isolated her from everyone, made her believe she’s worthless. He’s hurting her. And you’re just going to turn your back on her?”
Harry took a deep breath, and for a second, I thought he was finally going to understand. But then he exhaled, and his next words hit me like a punch to the gut.
“I’m not turning my back on anyone. But Ron is my family. He’s been through a lot. He needs support, not more accusations.”
My heart sank. “You’re taking his side?”
“I’m not taking anyone’s side,” Harry said, his voice rising now. “I’m just saying, you’re making some pretty serious claims, and I’m not going to just buy into them without hearing both sides. And until I hear Ron’s side, I’m not going to do anything.”
Theo and I stood there in stunned silence, each of us processing Harry’s words in a way that felt like a betrayal. He wasn’t listening. He wasn’t even trying to understand.
“This isn’t about sides, potter,” I finally said, my voice tight with barely controlled fury. “This is about helping Hermione. You’ve got your head so far up Ron’s arse that you can’t see what’s happening to her. If you won’t help us, then we’ll figure it out ourselves.”
“I’m not saying I won’t help,” Harry replied, but there was an edge to his tone now. “But I need to think about this. I can’t just take your word for it, malfoyMalfoy. Ron is my friend.”
Theo stepped back, his shoulders stiff. “If you change your mind, you know where to find us.”
We turned to leave, but I couldn’t shake the feeling that Harry had just sealed Hermione’s fate. If Ron was controlling everyone around her, how was she supposed to get away? How was she supposed to be safe?
The door shut quietly behind us as we made our way down the hallway, each step heavy with the weight of everything we still had to do. But at least we were doing something. At least we weren’t backing down.
The corridor felt endless as we walked away from the office of the Head Auror. The weight of his dismissal hung in the air like a thick fog, and for a moment, I couldn’t breathe. How could he just brush us off like that? How could he not see the danger she was in?
Theo didn’t say anything at first, but I could feel the tension in his posture. His jaw was set, his eyes dark with frustration, and I knew he was just as pissed as I was. We had come to the Head Auror for help, for understanding, but instead, we were met with loyalty to a man who was in the wrong.
“Doesn’t he get it?” I muttered, my voice sharp. “He’s so blinded by his ‘brotherhood’ with Weasley that he’s refusing to see the truth.”
Theo didn’t respond right away, but I could see his fists clenched at his sides. After a few beats of silence, he spoke, his voice calm but heavy with anger. “He’s too deep in it, Draco. We can’t change his mind. All we can do now is make sure she’s safe.”
I nodded, though it didn’t do anything to quell the fire burning in my chest. I had no idea how we were going to fix this, but we couldn’t just let it go. She had reached out to us, and now we were the only ones standing between her and the cruelty of him.
“I don’t care if Potter believes us,” I said, my voice low and dangerous. “I’m not going to let her go back to Weasley. Not after everything we’ve seen.”
Theo’s eyes softened just a little, and he placed a hand on my shoulder. “We’ll figure it out. One step at a time. We can’t let our anger control this.”
We walked in silence for a while, the weight of the conversation pressing on us, and my thoughts kept returning to her. I could see her face —again pale, bruised, terrified. I knew what Weasley was capable of, and I had no intention of letting him continue to tear her apart. But I also knew that if we were going to help her, we needed to be smart. I couldn’t just go charging in and risk making things worse.
As we reached the Ministry exit, I hesitated, wondering if we should go back to the flat, check on her again. But something told me to hold off. I didn’t want to overwhelm her. She’d been through enough today, and I didn’t want to add more to her plate.
“We’ll give her time,” Theo said, breaking the silence as if reading my mind. “She’s not alone, Draco. We’ll be here when she’s ready to make her next move.”
I nodded. “Yeah. We need to protect her, Theo. I don’t care how long it takes. I won’t let Weasley hurt her again.”
We were about to step out onto the street when I stopped, feeling a sharp pang in my chest. “What if she can’t get away from him? What if she’s too scared to leave?”
Theo looked at me with a mix of sympathy and resolve. “She’ll leave when she’s ready. But we’ll be there to help her, Draco. She won’t have to do it alone.”
I took a deep breath, trying to steady the whirlpool of emotions threatening to overwhelm me. “I just hope it’s soon.”