Failed Conversations
Hermione Granger was about to tear her own hair out.
It had been, an incredibly frustrating few weeks for Hermione. Between preparing to search for the Horcruxes, Harry suddenly abandoning his Malfoy obsession, and being dragged out of bed by Ron, to run to the Slytherin dormitory to abscond on a wild adventure to Italy, Hermione was more than a little stressed.
So when, after a few days at Grimmauld, Draco Malfoy showed up, a good few inches taller, and something off behind the eyes, Hermione just accepted it.
Harry had told her and Ron about seeing Malfoy at the Death Eater meeting in his dream, but wouldn't tell them about why he cared so much, or why he had to bring Zabini of all people with them.
And Hermione hated to admit it, but she didn't mind Malfoy as much as she used to. It was obvious to anyone who wasn't Ron that Malfoy had changed, Hermione couldn't say why or how, but he had.
She was sure Ron would be able to figure it out if only he stopped to look, he was the best of them at that sort of thing. He always knew the right words to say, when it mattered.
Malfoy had told her about the first wizards, and Hermione still couldn't figure out why. She'd spent days pouring over every book about Fae she could find, learning all sorts of folklore, and lots of what looked to be creation myths like the one Draco had told her, but nothing factual. She almost dismissed it all as a cruel prank, but something about Malfoy's face nagged at her. She couldn't let it go.
So Hermione went to the only person she could think of.
She braced herself, before walking up and tapping Luna's shoulder softly, "So sorry to bother Luna, but do you have a moment?"
Luna smiled brightly, "Oh of course! Have you given any thoughts to the wrackspurts lately?"
"No, I haven't," Hermione grimaced, "But I had a question for you."
Luna blinked, "About what?"
"Faeries." Hermione blurted out, her cheeks going red. It all sounded like some childish nonsense, a muggleborn girl wanting to believe in fairytales now that she knew magic was real.
But Luna just bounced on her heels, clapping her hands, "Oh! You've noticed! I thought I was the only one who knew!"
"Knew what?" Hermione asked, surprised.
"About Draco!" She responded, before lowering her voice, "Though I don't think he'd be too pleased if we went around yelling about it, come with me!"
Luna grabbed Hermione's hand, pulling her out the door, towards the courtyard.
"Luna? What are you talking about?" Hermione pressed, so close to the answers she needed.
"Well, I only know because my father's a Malfoy," Luna said, seemingly unconcerned for the way Hermione began to choke, "Only distantly related to the main line, you see, he swore it all off ages ago, but he was still raised to be aware."
"Aware of what, Luna?" Hermione barely resisted shaking the small girl, she didn't have time for family histories.
"Of the fair folk, and their rules." Luna answered, "The Malfoys are the closest thing we have to the First Ones."
Hermione stared, "You mean, Malfoy isa Fairy?"
Luna looked startled, "Oh no! They don't like that name, they're Fae, or Fair Folk, or-"
"What?" Hermione growled, tugging a hand through her hair, "That makes no sense! Everyone says the Fae disappeared!"
"They did," Luna said, growing like it was obvious, "But they had to leave some people behind, to make sure we didn't mess things up too badly."
"And Dark wizards-"
"Dark is subjective." Luna replied, with the cadence of something quoted.
"Dark wizards are part Fae?" Hermione breathed, thrilled to finally get somewhere.
"Not at all," Luna corrected, ignoring how Hermione threw her hands up, "Just the really old ones, like the Malfoy's," She tilted her head, "and the Black's I suppose, that must be why Draco's so obvious."
"Let me get this straight," Hermione squinted, "You're saying Malfoy is a Fae, and that's why he's so strange."
"Oh, he's no stranger than any of us." Luna smiled dreamily, "Anyways, I've got class, it was lovely talking to you Hermione, watch out for your nargles." And like that, she walked away, leaving Hermione gaping after her.
Alright, Malfoy was a fairy, sure! Why not!
But this? Malfoy strutting into the room, making himself right at home with that insufferable smirk, already knowing about the Horcruxes? No. Hermione couldn't do it. It was absurd.
"How do you know about the Horcruxes?" Harry asked, standing up.
Malfoy raised his eyebrows, "I live with the bastard, you think I wouldn't be able to tell if his soul's been torn to shreds?"
"You can sense that sort of thing?" Hermione interrupted, leaning forward.
"Well, none of you could, but yes, I can." Malfoy replied, causing a muscle in Ron's jaw to twitch.
"Oh yeah? What's that supposed to mean?" He snarled.
"Exactly what I said, Weasley." Malfoy snarled right back, making Zabini rest a hand on his shoulder, to comfort him, or hold him back, Hermione couldn't tell.
"Because you're not human." Hermoine interrupted, she needed confirmation before she could do anything else.
Malfoy snapped his head to look at her, eyebrows raised, she noted that Zabini didn't look the least bit surprised.
"Well, I guess they don't call you the cleverest witch of our generation for no reason, when'd you figure it out?" He grinned, not looking upset at the sudden exposure.
"What?" Ron cried, spinning to look at Hermione.
"He's not human, Ron, he's a Fae." She said bluntly, "And I figured it out a few days after we spoke in the library."
Malfoy nodded, "Quick, well done."
Ron went red, "When? You spoke to Malfoy and didn't tell us?"
"It's not like I owe it to you, Ronald" Hermione frowned, something going sour in her mouth, "I don't need to report my conversations back to you."
"You do if they're with Malfoy! Harry does!" He cried, throwing his hands into the air.
Harry went red, and Malfoy raised an eyebrow, expression cold, though he didn't speak.
"Not anymore, haven't you noticed?" Hermione challenged, "He's not said a word to us about Malfoy since he went after him."
Harry was now staring at Malfoy, who just sat, perfectly composed. And Hermione couldn't help but notice what was probably the most obvious difference between the Malfoy she knew, and the Malfoy here.
The Malfoy Hermione knew would strike back immediately, and leave no insult unpunished. He was loud in his hatred, constantly smirking and snarling.
The Malfoy in front of her was quiet. He clearly took offense to what her and Ron were saying, but he bit his tongue, something Hermione had never known him to do.
It made her uneasy. Why was he so quiet?
"I believe I have the solution for that, as well." Malfoy said, leaning his head onto his hand, looking entirely comfortable.
"Malfoy-" Harry tried, but he was cut off.
"What, Potter? Don't want your friends to know the whole story?" He sneered, something familiar coming back into his expression.
Ron snapped his head to look at Harry, and Hermione couldn't blame him, "Harry, what's he talking about?" She asked, fear growing in her.
"It doesn't matter!" Ron claimed, shaking his head, "He's trying to turn us against each other."
"Tell them Potter." Malfoy commanded, ignoring Ron.
"I-" Harry stuttered.
"Go on, unless you're scared." Malfoy snapped, rising to his feet.
Zabini looked between Harry and Malfoy with a grim expression, but didn't intervene.
"I can see this is getting nowhere. I know when I'm not wanted, but when you find the first Horcrux, and it's already gone, don't say I didn't warn you." Malfoy spat, turning and stalking out of the room in a whirl of black robes.
Zabini lingered in the doorway, "Tell them, Potter, and then come and find me."
Then he too left the room, leaving Harry, Ron, and Hermione staring at each other.
"Well, Harry," Hermione sighed, "Tell us everything."
"I- Well- you know-" Harry said, wincing.
"Oh come on, mate, just spit it out. It can't be that bad." Ron waved his hand, sitting back.
"I used a dark curse on Malfoy and almost killed him." Harry blurted, wrapping his arms around himself.
Hermione stared, "What?"
"Well I'm sure-" Ron started.
"He was already bleeding, and just standing there, and he started laughing- and I just-" Harry forced out, his face twisting in guilt and grief.
Ron grimaced, but walked over to put a hand on Harry's shoulder, "Mate, he's a dark wizard, it was self defense."
"I killed him." Harry cried, looking up at Ron angrily, "He died, in my arms. I had to call Snape-"
"Professor Snape was there?" Hermione asked, incredulous, this was getting stranger every second, but the sadness and guilt on Harry's face was too real to be an elaborate joke.
"Snape had to do CPR, because his heart had already stopped, and he was asleep for ages, and then he started-" He cut himself off with a choking noise, "He didn't deserve that."
Ron looked to Hermione, who could offer no help. How had Harry kept this from them?
"Why didn't you tell us?" Ron asked, speaking for both of them.
"He told me not too." Harry replied, looking down at his hands.
Ron scoffed at that, but didn't say anything further, he just sat down heavily on the couch.
Hermione mimicked him, flopping back.
This was going to be a long few months.