Chapter 16

Draco paced the halls of St. Mungo's. His footsteps echoed down the empty corridor, the only sound to break the infinite silence. When would they update him on Hermione's condition? Each time a healer or medi-witch passed him, he turned to them expectantly only to have them sweep past him. It was frustrating not being able to do anything to help her. To save her.

He should have had an update by now.

Each time he sat down or tried to relax, his mind replayed the scene. Hermione had looked dead. She had been so still on the slab. There had been so much blood. Even now, his clothes were soaked with it. But he wouldn't leave to change. Not while she needed him. He could still remember his relief when he felt her pulse. He had immediately taken her to the hospital, leaving Potter and Weasley to deal with Perry.

He was about break down the bloody door to check on her, when he heard someone running down the corridor.

"Where is she?" Potter asked, panting. "How is she doing?"

"They're working on her right now. They won't let me in the room," Draco said, running his hands through his messy blond hair. He probably looked like a mess right now. He didn't care.

He sighed. "She's fine. She has to be."

"What if we were too late? There was so much blood."

"We weren't too late," Harry said, reaching out to grab his shoulder. "She's going to pull through this. She's the strongest person I know."

Draco nodded and looked away, not wanting anyone to see his tears. "What happened to Perry?"

"We have him in custody. He's not going to get away with this. He's looking at a lifetime in Azkaban."

"It's too bad they don't administer the Dementor's Kiss anymore," he sneered. "Where's Weasley?"

"He's dealing with Perry right now, making sure that nothing goes wrong while we transfer him to Azkaban," Potter said.

They took a seat in the waiting room and waited for news. It seemed like everyone else trickled in and out quickly. What was taking so long? Couldn't they just give her a blood replenishing potion and be done with it? He tried to take a deep breath to calm himself.

"Mr Malfoy? Mr Potter?" a healer said, stepping into the waiting room.

Draco leapt up and rushed to the man in lime-green robes. "Is she okay?"

"It was touch and go for a little while, but Miss Granger managed to pull through. If you had brought her in a minute later, she wouldn't have made it," the healer said. "She's resting right now. She's been through a traumatic event, but I expect her to make a full recovery."

The two wizards followed the healer to Hermione's room. Draco hesitated when he reached the door. After a questioning look from Harry, he pushed the door open. Hermione looked tiny in the bed. It took all his effort not to haul her out of this sterile room and back home where she belonged. Draco took a seat next to the bed, carefully taking her hand in his. It was tiny and softer than he expected. He wanted her eyes to flutter open, but they stayed closed.

He loved her.

"I'm going to check in with Ron to make sure there were no problems," Harry said, giving his shoulder a squeeze before leaving the room.

As soon as the door shut, he turned back to her. "Please don't ever scare me like that again. I thought I lost you," Draco said quietly. "I love you, Hermione Granger. Please come back to me."

He kissed her hand and held it with both hands.

Hermione woke up in a brightly lit room. Giving her eyes a second to focus, she was surprised to see Draco asleep, his head resting on her bed. He looked exhausted. Hermione ran her fingers through his tousled hair.

"You're awake," he mumbled before sitting up.

"I'm awake. I'm not sure how I'm alive, but I'm eternally grateful," she smiled.

He looked away for a moment. "I thought you were dead when I found you."

Hermione turned her arms and was relieved to see that they were unblemished (the mudblood scar was still present, unfortunately). She thought for sure that she was going to die, could still remember the bite of the blade on her skin. "What happened to Perry?"

"He's in Azkaban while he waits for trial."

She released a breath. "What was he trying to do? He gave me a potion when he captured me and it's all a little fuzzy."

"The bastard was trying to resurrect Morgan Le Fay using a dark ritual. He seems to think that she could heal anything, even bring back the dead," Draco scoffed.

"How would he be able to resurrect her?"

Draco explained the ritual in detail. "Apparently he's convinced that he had her blood, but we'll never know for sure. Potter made sure to destroy the cauldron and the book so that it doesn't fall into the wrong hands."

"Destroying evidence is illegal."

"I don't think he cares. The chance of some other maniac killing thirteen people to resurrect someone is too great."

Silence fell between them. It seemed surreal that they had made it through the case in one piece. She swallowed the lump in her throat as she remembered the taste of terror, the feeling of life spilling out of her. This had been her closest brush with death. Hermione never wanted to feel that way again.

"You're safe. I won't ever let anyone hurt you again," Draco said, kissing the inside of her wrist.

She bit her lip. "You can't promise me something like that."

"I just felt so powerless when you were taken. I should have done something to stop it, should have dodged his stunner that day we ran into him-"

"Shhh," Hermione whispered, threading her fingers through his, "We can't change the past. It happened and if we get caught up in it… I want to put this behind me and move on with my life."

"You say that like it's so easy."

"It won't be. If I see another knife in my lifetime, it'll be too soon. I know we haven't talked about it, but I'm hoping that you'll be by my side."

Hermione looked down at her hands. The only thing she wanted to do when she was captured was to tell Draco how she felt. But now that they were here… It was terrifying. The last time they talked about their relationship, they had agreed to hide it. What if he didn't feel the same way?

"There's nowhere else I'd rather be."

"Sir, you wanted to see me?" Harry said, knocking on the door.

Hendry looked up from his desk. "Mr Potter, shut the door and take a seat."

He took the offered chair. Harry wasn't sure why the head of the DMLE wanted to see him. Did he know Harry destroyed the potion and the grimoire? It had been a spur of the moment decision, but not one that he regretted. The book had been filled with incredibly dark magic that should have never seen the light of day.

"I wanted to congratulate you on capturing Perry. I admit I had my doubts about handing the case to such a young team," he said. "But you proved yourselves quite capable. Let's hope this is the last time we have to deal with a serial killer."

"Thank you, sir, but I respectfully disagree. I do not believe this is the last we'll see of such evil."

"Fortunately for you, the Minister also agrees. He would like to offer your team the opportunity to investigate complex crimes on a permanent basis."

Harry looked up at him at a loss for words.

"Do close your mouth, Mr Potter. Let me know their decision in a week. I believe a week off is in order, don't you?"

"Yes, sir."

Harry recognized the dismissal and stood up. Just as he reached the door, Hendry spoke up. "It's a good thing that book and potion were destroyed. I shudder to think of what would happen if that ended up in the wrong hands."

He was about to answer, but Hendry returned to his paperwork. Harry left the Ministry with a smile on his face. The case had taken its toll on him, but for the first time in a long time, he felt like he had made a difference. He just hoped the rest of the team agreed to stay on.

The moment that Perry had been tossed into his cell and his report was written, Ron returned home. It was too early for Pansy to be awake so he showered before slipping into bed with her. Pansy turned around and squinted at him through tired eyes. "Ron? Is everything okay?"

"We caught him, Pans. We solved the case."

"And Granger?"

He smiled. "We got to her in time. She's recovering at St. Mungo's, but she's going to be okay."

"Thank Merlin," she mumbled, wrapping her arms around him. "I'm so proud of you."

Her breath slowed and he knew that she had fallen back asleep. He was too wide awake to attempt to sleep, so he contented himself to hold Pansy. This case had been one of the hardest things he had done, but he was good at it. Working with Harry and Hermione was surprising in many ways. For the first time, he saw how flawed Harry and Hermione were. Maybe it wasn't fair to judge them on the past few months. They had both been going through a lot of personal changes. But it was still surprising. Maybe seeing them more accurately would make the trio stronger friends in the long run. Merlin knew, Ron was no longer jealous of them.

His tiredness finally caught up with him and he closed his eyes, deciding that he had thought deep enough thoughts for the night. The emotional range of a teaspoon, his arse.

Hermione looked up when someone knocked on the door. She had been in the hospital for a few days now and was looking forward to going home. Her room was full of bouquets from friends and coworkers, wishing her well. Ginny stood in the doorway looking unsure whether or not she would be welcomed in. She waved the girl in and sat up in bed.

"Hey, how are you feeling?" the redhead asked.

"I'm feeling good. I should be released tomorrow," Hermione said.

Ginny stood awkwardly beside the bed. "I'm so glad you're safe," she said. "I'm sorry I was so awful to you since Anthea died. When news broke out that you had been kidnapped, I kept replaying our last conversation… I was being selfish and unfair."

"You have nothing to apologize for. We were both grieving. I also could have handled it better. If Anthea was here, she'd be shaking her head at us."

"She was the glue that kept us together. I miss her," Ginny said sitting down. "There's something that I wanted to talk to you about. The Kenmare Kestrels have offered me a contract and I've decided to accept."

"Gin, are you sure?"

"This is the best thing for me right now. I've been stuck in the past and with Anthea gone… I just need a fresh start."

Hermione smiled. "I think it's a great idea. Ireland is beautiful."

"I'm going to miss you."

"I will too."

Ginny gave her a small smile before walking out of the room. Hermione relaxed in the bed. She was going to bring up the topic of moving out but with Ginny leaving… It was perfect timing. Hermione had lived her life in fear since she was stalked and she refused to continue acting like a victim. She needed to take back control of her life. And that started with living on her own.

It looked like her and Ginny both had some healing to do.

Hermione adjusted her dress for the millionth time. Pansy had invited the team over for dinner to celebrate solving the case. It would be the first time that she had seen the Slytherin since the article came out. Pansy was known for holding a grudge, but hopefully, she had already forgotten the whole ordeal. The sound of Draco's arrival interrupted her fretting. With a sigh, she grabbed her bag and met him in front of the fireplace.

"You look beautiful," Draco said, pulling her in for a kiss. "We could always miss dinner."

She smiled and pulled away. "As much as I would love to, I think it's time to clear the air with Pansy."

"Your flat looks different without the Weaslette's things."

"Her name is Ginny," Hermione said, rolling her eyes. Trying to get him to abandon his childhood nicknames was a losing battle. "She moved out this morning."

They left through the floo. Draco caught her when she arrived and she smiled. Hermione inspected the living room. It was filled with pictures of the two of them on various holidays and vacations. A Chudley Cannons blanket was neatly folded on the black couch, making her smile. Harry came from the kitchen and pulled her in for a hug. Draco disappeared down the hallway.

"How are you feeling?"

She smiled. "I'm feeling a lot better. They still aren't sure what potion Perry gave me, but there seems to be no lasting damage. Just a touch of amnesia."

"He's refusing to talk. Hendry says that the evidence is overwhelming, so we won't have any trouble convicting him."

"I can't believe the case is really over."

Before Harry answered, Ron walked towards them and gave her a quick hug. "Dinner is ready. What trouble are you two getting into now?"

"Don't look at me, Harry's the troublemaker," Hermione laughed.

"I distinctly remember a few situations where you started it," Harry said as they walked towards the dining room.

Ron leaned towards them. "Pansy's been cooking all day. My mom's been teaching her how to, so please tell her that it's good."

The smell of Parmesan chicken wafted towards her when she entered the dining room making her stomach growl. There was an Italian salad with arugula, roasted peppers, and onions. It looked amazing. But there was not a knife to be seen. Only forks. Hermione felt her heart squeeze at the effort they had all gone through to make her comfortable.

"Draco just told me about your fear of knives. I hope you don't mind that I've taken the liberty of slicing everyone's chicken," Pansy said as they all took a seat at the table.

Hermione sat between her and Draco. "Thank you. It means a lot."

Pansy nodded. The salad bowl was passed around the table while an awkward silence lingered. They dug into the food. It was just as delicious as it smelled. Hermione wasn't sure if it was uncomfortable because she was here. She should have talked to Pansy before dinner. Or visited her before. Maybe sent a letter? Draco put his hand on her thigh and she smiled at the gesture.

"I have an announcement to make," Harry said clearing his throat. "Working this case with all of you has had its challenging moments, but there's no one else that I would rather work with. Each of you has brought your expertise and strengths to this team. If you're interested, Hendry has made us an offer to make this team permanent."

"So we would work exclusively on solving cases dealing with serial killers?" Draco asked.

"We would also be given high profile cases."

Hermione leaned in. "What do we do if there aren't any cases for us to solve?"

"If there's one thing we can count on, it's that there will always be crime," Ron laughed.

"I think you guys should do it," Pansy chimed in. "Granted I've only seen Ron throughout the case, but looking at all of you, you seem more fulfilled and settled since I last saw you."

The group let Pansy's words sink in. The case had demanded a lot from them. They had to learn how to work together as a team and how to catch a serial killer. This had been the first time Hermione had worked an active investigation. They had all been out of their comfort zone, but they had solved it. And now they were a stronger team for it.

"I'm in," Hermione said. "I would miss the field work too much if I went back to my old job."

"I never thought I'd hear the day you'd want to spend less time with books," Ron said.

She glared at him before resting her head on Draco's shoulder. "As long as I don't get kidnapped again. That's an experience I could do without."

"I'm in too. They'll pair me with an insufferable idiot if I return back to the Aurors," Draco said as he tossed an arm around Hermione.

"I guess that means I have no choice but to accept the offer," Ron said.

Hermione looked around the table. She had never planned for this career move, but already she could see how it could benefit her. There was only one last thing to do before she could feel completely comfortable. When everyone was done eating, Hermione helped bring the dishes back to the kitchen. With a flick of Pansy's wand, the dishes started to wash.

"I wanted to apologize," Hermione said the moment the two witches were alone. "I'm ashamed of my past behaviour. I wasn't over Ron and I was angry at you for that. I hope you'll give me a chance to make it up to you."

Pansy breathed a sigh of relief. "It was difficult knowing that you two were working together. I was scared that he was going to go back to you."

"Never. You bring out the best version of Ron. I've never seen him this happy. I'm truly happy for you two."

"When Draco told me that he had feelings for you, I wasn't surprised. You'll be good for each other," Pansy said with a smile.

They weren't going to become best friends overnight, but Hermione hoped that they could at least be friendly. They were going to see a lot of each other now. They joined the men in the living room. Draco wrapped his arm around her when she sat next to him on the couch and she saw Ron do the same to Pansy. She was scared that Harry felt like a fifth wheel but a glance at him showed that he was happy too.

The group was laughing at one of Ron's jokes (Draco pretended not to find it funny, but his twitching lip gave it away) when a Ministry owl pecked at the window. Harry stood up to get it and looked up at them with a smile.

"Looks like our vacation's cut short. The Undersecretary's wife was just found murdered in their home and Hendry wants us to come in," Harry said.

The group quickly stood up, thanked Pansy and scrambled into the fireplace, ready to start their next case.

The End

Ah! I can't believe this story is finally finished. This was my first time writing a crime story. There was a lot of learning involved, but it was fun! Thank you so much to all my wonderful readers. Your encouragement meant the world to me. If you have any feedback, I'd love to hear it!

If you want to know when I post a new story, sign up for author alerts! I'm working on a pretty big Sirius/Hermione story right now but I'm sure my muse won't let me abandon Draco and Hermione for long.

Thank you again 3