antidote ✞ dramione

part six

_
after a few hours of paperwork draco told hermione it was best to interview marcus' family and friends sometime after saturday, given the fact that he was a sacred twenty-eight member and even though he may not have the mark he could be in touch with alecto and whoever. so, without having much to do and hermione wanted to put off ginny's interview with harry—as he was the last known person to be seen with the redhead—hermione proposed they call it a day.

so the two parted ways—hermione giving draco her address and house number just in case something popped up and he did the same although hermione knew where malfoy manor was. instead of staying at home, hermione hopped on a bus and took it to the closest stop from her parents house.

after eighth year hermione finally had the opportunity to go to australia, find her parents and reverse the memory charm she placed on them. her parents were initially angry as they had hermione promise them to never turn her magic on them, but after much tears, explaining and glasses of wine (which hermione wasn't allowed to touch at the time) her parents finally understood the reasons. it took a little while for hermione to gain their trust again but in the end they were family, so they were back to acting as if nothing happened soon enough.

after ringing the doorbell hermione waited for a moment until her mother opened the door. helen granger opened the door and her face brightened when she spotted her only daughter.

"hermione!" helen exclaimed, pulling her into a bone-crushing hug. "i didn't expect you! why didn't you call ahead?"

hermione pulled away from her mother and closed the front door behind her. "last minute decision," hermione admitted, following her mother into the kitchen. her father sat at the table-for-four near the back of the room, a cuppa in one hand while a letter was in the other. "hey dad."

david granger glanced up from his letter before breaking into a wild smile. he sat down both the letter and his cup, pulled off his glasses and stood up to give hermione a hug even though the table and chairs got in between them. "hermione! what a lovely surprise!"

"nice to see you too, dad," hermione chuckled, pulling away from her father to take a seat at the dining table opposite her father. "and sorry for not calling ahead—things have been progressively getting worse in the wizarding world."

"another murder?" helen asked sadly, sitting down next to david. hermione nodded slowly. helen gasped and gripped david's arm. "oh dear, who?"

hermione licked her lips and she let a tear fall, wiping it away just as fast. "lavender, mum," hermione whispered. "first it was ginny and now it's lavender—who knows who's next?"

"those aurors still haven't found a link?" david asked, shaking his head. "it's been, what, a month since the first victim was found?"

"actually, the case is now in my hands," hermione told her parents, whose eyes went wide. "me and a colleague, we're heads of this investigation."

"t-that's completely dangerous!" helen shouted, covering her mouth. "you'll get killed!"

hermione shook her head, smiling reassuringly. "i won't, mum, promise. me and my colleague found the link between the victims."

"can you tell us? or is that confidential information?" helen asked, sharing a look with david.

hermione bit her lip and shook her head. "i'm sorry, but it's probably the only solid information we have along with one of the parties involved. i can't have it leaked otherwise the murderers might switch up their tactics," hermione told them softly. "but rest assured that i do not fall into the category."

"but those murders are, what's it called?" david paused. "death eaters, right? death eater related?"

hermione nodded her head. "yes, definitely. we already have a suspect, probably a second one too."