When All is Lost, One is Found

Author: Rinoaebastel

Chapter 135: Tears from Treachery

Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter and gain no profit from this fanfiction other than writing practice. JK Rowling owns Harry Potter.

AN: This story may contain scenes taken from the Harry Potter movies and books, but it's not exact dialogue, just rewording of dialogue or omission. It is not marked.

His vision returned to seeing his living room. Hermione was still sitting in front of him, but her head was lowered and she was breathing hard.

"It was too much for you," he said. "We should've waited to do that."

She lifted her head and shook it. "It's fine." He reached up and caressed her cheek with his fingers before cupping her face, leaning in and giving her a light kiss on her lips. He pulled her into his embrace and leaned back on the couch, taking her with him. When he started running his fingers through her hair, he felt her hiccup against him. Her fingers twisted in his cloak.

Then the tears came.

"I...I thought he was my friend. Ho—How could he?"

He wrapped his arms around her tighter as she sobbed against him. He knew no words he could say would comfort her. She would have to learn with time and come to terms with the fact that he was never a true friend.

And he fucking hated it. He hated that she had to go through this. Of all the people in the world that he knew, she deserved this least. Not only was she in physical pain, but her friend's betrayal added to that pain.

He didn't care if he were drunk, or jealous. There was no reason to harm her just because she'd chosen another wizard. For a moment, he wondered if the boy would be angry if it she were with someone else. There was a time that he didn't know who her lover was and he still appeared displeased.

Yes, Weasley would've done this no matter whom she'd been with. It puzzled him that he could be so unlike his parents.

With every sob she made, the desire to murder grew stronger, but through his life, he'd learned that there were fates far worse than death. He had the power here in this school to make the remainder of Weasley's stay completely miserable. If Minerva decided to let him stay.

Hermione moved and he relaxed his embrace somewhat. Her sobs had quieted but he could feel the tremors still periodically shooting through her body. She lifted her eyes to look at him. He reached up and wiped the tears on her right cheek.

She had needed to cry out the betrayal she'd suffered, but he knew she would likely never be over it. One never got over such a thing, but it does get to the point where it doesn't affect your life and you can look back and see that it wasn't much lost. The memory is there forever, the pain is not.

She moved up his body and gave him a quick peck on the lips before wrapping her arms around his neck and hugging him. He returned the hug without hesitation.

"I...I should've been more careful."

"Never blame yourself for an attack like this," he said. "You trusted him because he was your friend before."

"I knew he was acting weird, I should've gone somewhere else. In a shop he wouldn't have followed me into or something. Or told someone."

"Not even I suspected he'd be so disgusting to attack you like that," he said. "And you know how low my opinion of him is. He should've left you alone immediately, and he should not have touched you when he knew you didn't want him to."

She nodded. "I— I still can't believe he would... He was always an idiot but this! But he was drunk and his brother's death hit him ha..."

"That is no excuse," he said. "He attacked with an unforgivable curse. And worse, he attacked a woman he claimed to love."

"You're right," she said and pulled away slightly so he could see her face once more. She smiled slimly. "I'm so glad Malfoy was there. I can't believe he helped me, but how did he know to bring me here?"

"I spoke with him a few weeks ago, before I proposed to you," he said. "I told him that I'd chosen you as my witch. It's a tradition for godparents to announce if they have a serious relationship so the person can decide if he or she wants to continue having them as a godparent."

"And it went well?

"As you can see, it did." He kissed her forehead.

She rested her head under his chin and let a long sigh escape her. They remained in that same position, in a quiet silence under the eyes of a phoenix and a little owl that had taken up residence with him.

AN: Hope you liked it and let me know what you think. See you on Wednesday.