Despicable Souls

Chapter 4

Hermione could hardly appreciate having the window seat on her last-minute flight to Australia, too anxious thinking about her soulbonds and staring down at a letter with the names of four wizards.

Draco Malfoy
Theodore Nott
Charles Weasley
Blaise Zabini

She's had one boyfriend in her lifetime, and now she was destined to have four.

Her research so far said soulbonding was ancient magic; something that was not created in a laboratory or within the Department of Mysteries.

Their magic was truly meant for each other.

The only bond she couldn't wrap her mind around was Malfoy. How could they be... together? There was too much history between them... right? But thinking about Malfoy brought her back to the drawing room with Bellatrix Lestrange... and how he knew they were soulbonds.

And he'd done nothing.

Hermione spent the rest of the flight practicing occulmency and eventually, the trembling in her hands lessened.

Several hours later, jetlagged and overwhelmed with paranoia after being on the run for so long, she was standing in front of the residence to Monica and Wendell Wilkins.

She triple checked the address on her scrap of parchment before slowly approaching the mahogany-red door, her body filling with trepidation with every step that drew her closer to her parents.

The spare key sticking out of a potted plant on the stoop just like they "hid" it back in London gave her hope that she could get her parents back... that she hadn't done irreparable damage.

Hermione grabbed the spare and slowly inserted the key into the lock.

Something was whispering to her to not open the door; to leave. That she won't like what she finds.

Ridiculous.

She turned the key and opened the door.

***

Diagon Alley was a bloody nightmare.

Nosy and scornful eyes followed her as soon as she stepped foot onto the familiar cobbled street.

She could care less about the whispers, but the blatant staring set her teeth on edge.

The last time she'd been in Diagon Alley was her sixth year... spying on Malfoy shopping in Borgin & Burkes.

She shook her head, resigning herself to spending the remainder of her time at Flourish and Blotts.

Gringotts had been a waste of time.

The goblins claimed she didn't have a vault but refused to open one for her. Malfoy had to have done something... or perhaps they were still holding a grudge for breaking into one of their oldest and most protected vaults before escaping on a dragon.

Oh well.

Hermione glanced at the Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes shop, the bright colors a beacon amongst the other businesses, and kept walking.

"Oi, you really weren't going to pop by to say 'hello'?"

Her eyes widened as she spun around, looking up into the hazel eyes of George Weasley on the joke shop's stoop.