Hello Love

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟗 - 𝐅𝐞𝐚𝐫 & 𝐋𝐨𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠

To say that Hermione was angry was an understatement.

It was peculiar how her fluttery feelings that she thought she harboured for that slimy insufferable man, had instantly disappeared. He had genocided all the butterflies at once and she felt like she could murder him on the spot.

Of course she would never really cast a killing curse, she knew that casting it would split your soul, like it had done to Voldemort. That after using the curse, you would never be the same again. You had to mean those kinds of curses. They weren't named unforgivables just because it made them sound terrifying.

She tried to calm herself, her hands were resting against the kitchen island. She opted to just apparate to the apartment, but there was a small chance she would run into Ron. She didn't want to see him, not now, not ever. It was enough, she had enough. She wasn't even going to analyse her thoughts any longer, it was too tiring and frankly a waste of her time.

When she calmed down she looked around the cottage. So he bought it for emergencies? Was she an emergency to him? She scoffed, she hardly thought so, he took pity on her, that was worse. Merlin's beard, she wondered why she even slept with him, she actually started to regret it.

He was the enemy after all, a Death Eater and an insufferable, arrogant prick. It would never change and it infuriated her. Maybe she should scourgify her tongue.

There was a crack! outside the cottage and Hermione turned around. Back inside strode Malfoy with an arm full of potions. She raised her eyebrows, where did he get so many potions? No, nevermind that, what was he doing back here?!

'Why are you back again?!' she hissed, but he simply ignored her and walked into the kitchen to deposit the potions in a cabinet. He turned to look at her for a moment, then his eyes were directed to the floor.

He gave her a look of contempt that Hermione wanted to slap off his face. 'Haven't cleaned it up yet I see.' he said, clicking his tongue. She was about to hex him to smithereens, a nasty curse is what he deserved! But as she drew her wand, he quickly shouted an expelliarmus! and her wand clattered to the floor somewhere behind her, as it was violently yanked out of her hand by the spell.

She was about to protest again, but he went back to ignoring her, and simply vanished the mess on the floor.

'Malfoy-' she started angrily.

'Have you decided if you want to stay here for now?' he asked her suddenly, interrupting her rudely. He didn't seem curious if she was, it was an inquiry at most and she scowled.

'No. I'll stay at my office.' she said clearly offended by his tone. It might've sounded haughty but she didn't care, it was Malfoy after all.

'Delightful.' he said coldly, his silver eyes were piercing hers like knives. 'Don't let me keep you.'

She was about to grab her wand from the floor to apparate when a silver orb floated into the cottage. She froze, it was the same style of patronus that interrupted Bill and Fleur's wedding three to four years ago on the first of August. The day she had to go in hiding with Harry and Ron to find the remaining horcruxes. These kinds of patronusses weren't corporeal, they existed only out of a floating blue orb and the one inside the cottage right now utterly terrified her.

'Death Eaters infiltrated the Ministry,' started the voice of Kingsley, Hermione's breath hitched in her throat. 'They ransacked your office. Three people are hurt, one of them is your secretary. Do not attempt to come to work tomorrow. It's not safe, wait for my owl.'

The message repeated itself again before it dispersed and disappeared.

She stared open mouthed at where the message just had been. She was horrified, it felt as if Voldemort was back, as if the war was starting all over again. She had been trying to find the remaining Death Eaters, and there had been rumours going around that they were regrouping to start a rebellion, but this... Now it got too close for comfort. She was too late, she failed. Now they were back, it was happening again, they would-