One More Year

Chapter Twenty-Six

Draco had barely registered the curse flying between them, missing his ear by mere inches, before instinctively turning and pushing Hermione away from him. She tumbled to the ground, rolling behind a statue trying desperately to gain cover, while frantically trying to untangle her wand from her robes. She finally managed to extract it as another curse shot by her. She glanced hysterically around searching for Draco. The castle was dark, with only the eerie glow from the candlesticks lighting the hallway. She finally caught a glimpse of Draco, hiding behind the staircase for cover, wand drawn, while their unknown assailant continued to attack them, curse after curse firing by them.

Hermione crouched low, hiding from her attacker. Whoever was shooting at them, was not letting up, with curse after curse being shot towards them in quick succession. She hazarded a glance at Draco who was crouching behind the staircase helplessly, unable to even attempt to defend himself. He looked towards Hermione ensuring she was alright. She nodded at him reassuringly. She frantically recalled that Draco couldn't get into any fights this year and worried about what would happen to him, even if the fight was in self-defense. But the worry was in vain, the curses were coming too rapidly and there didn't seem to be any possibility of him even trying to utter any spells in retribution.

Hermione took a deep breath trying to calm her shaking hands. This area of the hallway was completely silent. Even the portraits were completely barren. Whoever was attacking them must have been very proficient at non-verbal magic. The silence stretched on, with only the sound of the spells crashing into the walls echoing around them. Hermione could feel her heart racing, the fact that their attacker had not spoken, had not even taunted them first, was making her mind race.

She looked around again. Most of the spells seemed directed towards Draco, with a few errant spells shooting harmlessly between their hiding spots. She leaned out trying to shoot a few curses back towards their attacker but without seeing where they were, they were useless. Hermione strained her ears, trying to make out any approaching footsteps. When a sudden sob came from the hallway.

Their attacker was female.

The cry made Hermione pause. Instead of trying to shoot another curse, she decided to call out, "what do you want with us?"

The shooting paused for a second before another sob echoed through the hallways.

Hermione peeked out from behind the statue, wand drawn, ready to unarm their attacker when she saw Susan, dull hair astray, sunken expression, sobbing, tears running freely down her face.

"Susan, stop! What are you doing?" Hermione cried, Draco's eyes widened in disbelief towards Hermione. He trying glancing in the direction of Susan but the quick shot of a curse had him diving back down for cover. 

"Hermione, get out of here!" Susan yelled back weakly, firing wildly towards Draco.

Hermione and Susan had been friends since their first year at Hogwarts. In all that time, Susan had always been kind. Even now, while Susan was trying to attack Draco, her voice held no malice and the tone gave Hermione pause. Hermione could have disarmed her, all of her attention was focused on Draco, but instead Hermione lowered her wand and started slowly to stand, while Susan continued to shoot. "Susan," Hermione said gently in a soothing voice, which she hoped wasn't shaking. "What's going on? Draco hasn't done anything to you." Draco was looking towards Hermione, frantically shaking his head and motioning for her to take cover.

A sob escaped Susan's lips, "yes he did!" she cried.

Hermione stood tall facing her. "Susan, nothing Draco could have done, could warrant you attacking him. Let's just talk about it. What did he do?"

Susan paused, looking at Hermione with glassy eyes, wand still pointing in Draco's direction. "He needs to pay for what happened Hermione," she whimpered. She looked broken. Draco made to rise and Hermione shook her head almost imperceptibly towards him and he stopped.

"What for?"

"Last year, my father and sister were murdered by Rodolphus Lestrange." Hermione knew most of her family had been murdered, she didn't know the details and recalled with a start that his trial was this week. "He's getting the dementor's kiss for his crimes." She lowered her wand slightly and Hermione stood in the open and started hesitantly walking towards her, Draco shook his head frantically urging her again to take cover, but she ignored him, continuing to walk towards Susan. "I was there Hermione, I listened to the entire trial. You-know-who killed my aunt and uncle and cousins and then Rodolphus killed my dad and sister. She was only eleven, she hadn't even started Hogwarts yet," she choked as she tried to continue speaking. "During his trial, Rodolphus said that the reason my family was killed, the reason that my little sister was tortured and murdered, was because of his father," she shrieked, motioning towards where Draco was still hidden. "She was a child Hermione, and his father," she pointed towards Draco, "had her murdered!"

Hermione continued towards her, eyebrows drawn, hands upright in a peaceful gesture. "Susan, I am so sorry. I know you must be in so much pain. But hurting Draco won't bring you any peace."

"His father was released! His father told you-know-who and Rodolphus that our family was a threat and needed to be killed and he's not even paying for his crimes. He gets to go free and live in his mansion while I never get to see my family again, never get to see my sister again," she choked, before suddenly regaining her composure and stating in a deathly calm voice that terrified Hermione. "I want his father to understand what it's like, to lose someone you love."

Hermione took the last few steps towards her speaking softly, "Susan, I know you're angry and hurting, but if you attack Draco you become like them. Those evil people who killed your family for no reason. You're not them. You're good and nice and kind and I know it's hard to remain that way after everything that happened, but you can't let them destroy who you are."

Susan lowered her wand, crumpling to the floor in a heap, crying uncontrollably, her body shaking convulsively. Hermione fell to the ground with her, wrapping her arms around her and holding her tightly. "She was just a little girl Hermione. She was nice and funny. She loved everything purple. She could put a smile on anyone's face. She was so good at magic, we were convinced she'd be in Ravenclaw and she didn't even get the chance to go. How could someone hurt her, she was a child. I wasn't there, my mom and I had gone out together. Why weren't we there? Maybe I could have stopped it. My mom doesn't speak anymore. She just sits staring at walls. She had to be admitted to St. Mungo's because she won't eat. I go and hold her hand and she just stares. She doesn't even recognize me. Why wasn't I there?"

Hermione rocked her slowly back and forth, tears leaking from her eyes. Draco approached and slowly put a hand on Susan's shoulder. "Susan," he said quietly. "I'm so sorry. I know nothing I will say can bring them back. I didn't know your family or your sister, but they sound like wonderful people. I think they would want you to try and move on. Attacking me or anyone else is not what they would have wanted."

Susan just sat there, staring forward in silence. Unable to speak further. The three of them sat in the hallway, looking like statues. Hermione holding Susan. Draco with his hand resting comfortingly upon her shoulder. All three of them miserable. Gradually, Hermione slowly helped her up and they both supported her, as they walked her towards the hospital wing. Hermione covertly waving her wand as they left the hallway, removing all traces of the destruction that Susan had caused. Madame Pomfrey would be able to give her something to sleep and hopefully provide her with the support she needed. They turned her over in silence to the nurse, providing her with as little information as possible. This was not their tale to tell.

Draco and Hermione slowly returned to her bedroom in silence. "Is it true?" she asked after they were safely ensconced in her room. 

"No Hermione, my father never would have done –" he paused, running his fingers through his hair with a bewildered expression on his face. "I don't know. I don't think it's true. I don't want it to be true. But I don't know."

Hermione nodded, turning away from him and climbing into bed with her back towards him.