Mudblood & Me | Completed

Chapter 30 - They wouldn't hurt her, would they?

Hermione's POV

Draco had been gone for a while, I knew he wouldn't find out what he needed to immediately. He would have to regain their trust after being gone for so long and that could take a while, days or weeks or longer but I couldn't bear the thought of it being much longer than that. I needed to find Willow and bring her back home, where she was safe with me. Who knows what they were planning to do, they have no empathy, they wouldn't care about killing a baby, especially if it was to prove a point. They would know it wouldn't hurt Harry directly, but through his two closest friends. It would weaken him, and make him more likely to surrender to Voldemort.

I was now in the house alone, Draco was at Malfoy Manor, Sirius and Willow were who knows where, Ron had gone out to do who knows what and Harry and Ginny had left to go and find a horcrux as he finally knew where one was. I decided to wait in case Draco returned soon, but the hope of that was slowly disappearing. He, at the earliest, probably wouldn't return until tomorrow, so I was here alone with nothing much to do but think about what could happen. I decided to make myself some food so I went down to the kitchen, I opened cupboards looking through them, for something I could cook. I heard a shuffling behind me, I whipped round, pulling out my wand. The sight of the wrinkled house elf took me aback, I had forgotten that Kreacher existed, let alone that he was still wandering about the house. He was obviously still mumbling about a mudblood being in the noble house of Black. But I ignored that, I was well past caring.

"Kreacher," I said, he ignored me. I raised my voice. "Kreacher, what are you doing?" I asked. This time he actually turned to face me, his face twisted in disgust. It was strange how the family had managed to even poison the house elf against muggleborn witches and wizards.

"Kreacher is serving the house of Black, Kreacher is doing as mistress Black would ask." He said, shuffling past me, making little grunts and murmurs as he went past. Then a thought hit me, he was always here, shuffling about. He seemed useless but I knew that he noticed everything, he must have known what happened. Considering Sirius was his master, a son of the noble house of Black, I'm surprised Kreacher hadn't mentioned anything but then again Sirius was a traitor to his family, blasted from the family tree, Kreacher probably saw him as nothing more than a wizard who he had no love for. I heard the front door open, I left the kitchen quickly, Kreacher would still be there in a minute for me to ask. It was Ron, his ginger hair was damp from the rain and it clung to his pale, freckled face. He barely glanced at me as he closed the door, he had forgiven me but I suspect it still hurt him, that I had left him, twice, for his biggest enemy.

"Where have you been?" I asked, he had left without a word, I had only heard the door slam behind him as he left. He looked at me as he took off his dripping coat.

"I went out for a walk, is there not something you could be doing?" He said, with barely restrained frustration.

"I just had a thought, Kreacher would have been here when they were taken, he must know what happened we just need to get him to tell us." I said, watching him. His eyes lit up, as he relaxed a bit, returning to his normal self. Losing his earlier frustration quickly.

"For the brightest witch of our age, you can be really slow sometimes." He said, with a small smirk. I smiled at the friendly jab, which I had strangely missed, like I missed our easy friendship but I doubt that would be as easily salvaged and that was my fault.

"Well, it was me who thought of it, not you. So I think that title still works just fine." I said, smirking as I turned away but I still caught a glimpse of a red flush across his cheeks. I heard his footsteps behind me as we went to the kitchen, as I suspected, Kreacher was still shuffling about doing nothing. "He definitely won't tell me, you have slightly more of a chance." I said, pushing Ron forward into the kitchen. He stumbled over his long limbs before regaining his balance, shooting a glare at me.

"Was that needed?" He asked as I just laughed in response. He went round the table to face Kreacher.

"Kreacher," He said, the house elf turned to him, I could see the reluctance but he wouldn't deny a pureblood wizard, even if he was a blood traitor. "Do you know what happened to Sirius and Willow?" Kreacher seemed to withdraw, as though he was scared of something but after a moment, he did respond.

"Kreacher saw some men arrive at the house, pureblood wizards, they were dressed in black capes and silver masks. They broke into the house, mistress would be so angry, and knocked out Master Black and took the halfblood child. They didn't even notice Kreacher watching, Kreacher didn't see where they went though." He said, before turning away and going back to his mumbling.

"Definitely Death Eaters then." I said, Ron turned to face me nodding. He came to stand by me, I felt I needed to voice the worry gnawing at my insides. "They wouldn't hurt her, would they? Not a child, they wouldn't." I asked, looking up at him, holding back tears. He looked away, which was all the answer I needed, he thought they would too.

"We will get her back before anything happens." He said, his worry turning to steely resolve. But knowing Ron as well as I do, I could see the cracks in it. He too was scared, for Willow, for his family, for himself. At least I knew my parents were safe, sent far away where they could not be hurt.