Catharsis

Chapter Four: Breathe

Ten days after the war

"Hello, Miss Granger, Athena Davies. It's truly a pleasure." The auror was a witch Hermione hadn't met before, and she held out an elegant hand, grasping Hermione's in a firm shake before leading them into the room. She continued speaking as she moved towards the large desk before the back wall, gesturing to the empty seats in front of it as she did. "After hearing of everything you've done for us... Well, I'm honored to meet you. I also know this will likely be difficult for you, Miss Granger, so if we need to pause at any time, please just let me know."

Athena's strawberry blond hair was pulled back into a soft braid, glowing golden in the sunlight streaming through the window behind her, and her wide green eyes were staring at Hermione earnestly from her soft, pretty, freckled face. She seemed kind, genuine. She had the kind of grace that made others in her presence comfortable almost immediately.

That was likely the reason they had chosen her for this.

Kingsley stood leaning against the pale green wall behind where the auror sat at his desk, allowing her to conduct the questioning while he remained silent.

It wasn't an interrogation, they had said, and had assured her they just needed any information they could give her about what she had seen in the Manor while she was there.

They were struggling to round up the lesser known supporters or those who had gotten away, and wanted to be sure they were pursuing every avenue to bring his followers to justice.

Kingsley had done everything he could to make her comfortable for this, even going so far as to conduct the interview in the Minister's office rather than one of the dedicated interrogation offices floors below.

Athena had sat in Kingsley's chair, while Hermione, Harry, and Ron, sat in the plush, conjured seats on the opposite side of the white marble desk. She waited until Hermione was seated comfortably, and had nodded in understanding before shuffling a sheath of papers before her until she found the item she was looking for.

"Ah, yes, here we are... So it says here you were... taken, late October of last year?"

"Yes, that's correct. Harry, Ron, and I were looking for Voldemort's horcruxes," the auror still winced at his name, "and I had been found. Harry and Ron were still safe, and my family was... threatened–"

"And it was Mr. Malfoy who threatened your family, yes?"

Hermione blinked, "Well, yes..." The auror wrote something down on the parchment in front of her.

"But he thought he had to, to protect his own family."

"His own family, who were supporting He-Who-Must-Be-Named and assisting with the murder of muggles and muggleborns?" Athena looked up at her, and Hermione saw a flash of the fierce, inflexible will that she had recognized in the other aurors she knew, shine through the demure facade.

Maybe she wasn't so genuine after all.

Hermione could feel the low, simmering heat of her anger begin to flare up within her.

"His father was. His mother... he was hurting her. Lucius. Draco was trying to protect his mother. And his mother was trying to protect him. They had realized that Voldemort was wrong long before I got there, but they were trying to survive."

The auror stared at her for a moment before setting down her quill. When she began speaking, it was in a gentle, cautious voice. The kind people used when they were approaching wild animals or someone disturbed. "Miss Granger, I don't mean to upset you but... there is a phenomenon where prisoners fall in love with their captors, I believe the muggles call it-"