Hermione was dead on her feet.

They’d been camping in the forest for almost two weeks following finding the real horcrux in the Ministry and the subsequent escape. She’d been unable to shake off Yaxley when he’d grabbed her until they’d landed on the doorstep of Grimmauld place – essentially allowing him to enter under the fidelius charm – and given him a shove before disapparating.

Ron had splinched himself terribly and she was grateful for the foresight to pack a small medical kit in her bag – though now they were running dangerously low not only on dittany but on blood replenishing potion.

An hour or so ago she’d received word in her two-way journal that they’d secured a meeting with Kingsley and to apparate to the manor. She’d left the campsite with the excuse to apparate to a town close by to find some food. But as she turned on the spot and landed in the familiar entryway, tears sprung into her eyes as she saw Draco standing in front of her.

His grey eyes widened at the sight of her, dirt covered and already thinning.

“Oh love,” he said, pulling her into his arms. “Let’s get you cleaned up.”

“I can’t, you know I can’t,” she answered. “It would be too suspicious.”

Draco nodded, pressing a chaste kiss to her mouth.

“Summon your robes and mask.”

She transformed into her Death Eater robes right before Draco apparated her to a small cottage in France that they’d been using to meet with Kingsley - the same cottage her portkey would take her to if needed. The cottage was bright and airy with frothy flowers that hung over the roofline and wide picture windows.

It was strange, as they entered the small cottage that housed only a few rooms, to see Kingsley so comfortable in the company of his enemies but stiffen with distrust as she walked into the room.

“Kingsley, this is Couteau,” Draco said softly by way of introduction.

They had agreed to not reveal her identity right off the bat, lest Kingsley panic and run off.

“The oath has been made,” Lucius said calmly, rising to come to Hermione’s other side. “He has agreed she will be granted immunity in exchange for her help, as well as will listen to all she has to say.”

Kingsley nodded; his face wary as his brown eyes – that held none of their usual warmth when they looked at her – moved over her robes and mask.

“What you must understand,” Lucius continued, knowing that the moment Kingsley heard her voice he would be able to place her. “Is that my daughter – yes Kingsley she is my adopted daughter and Draco’s intended – chose this path in order to protect Draco and try to bring peace between muggleborns and purebloods. It was not an easy road for her to travel and after recent… events…” Lucius gave her shoulder a squeeze while Draco gripped her hand tighter. “She knew she could not continue in this fashion. Therefore, she comes to you with all her knowledge and future intel.”

Kingsley was eyeing the three of them with a mixture of confusion and anxiety as he processed Lucius’ impassioned speech.

“You-Know-Who’s second in command is a muggleborn?” Kingsley asked, staring at Hermione so hard she was surprised her mask didn’t shatter.

“She is, and a brilliant one at that,” Draco answered, unable to stop himself from smiling.

“Darling,” Lucius said, squeezing her shoulder once more. “Are you ready?”

Hermione took a deep breath, trying to prepare herself to lose the trust of a wizard she’d come to admire quite a bit. She knew once he found out who was behind the mask there would be no going back, no running from the sins of her past.

With a stiff nod, she pulled her wand from the inner pocket of her robes. Kingsley jolted, his own hand going to his wand, but before he could retrieve it she vanished her robes. Leaving Hermione standing, dirt stained and worn, in her muggle jeans, shirt, and flannel.

Kingsley gaped at her for a long moment, his eyes growing wide in shock.

“No…” he whispered. “This is a terrible joke… it’s… it’s polyjuice.”

“Hello Kings…” she said just as softly. “The day you came to see me… to tell me my parents were killed… you handed me this.”

From her beaded bag she withdrew the still cracked photo of her and her parents on a sunny beach in Brighton and showed it to him.

There were tears in the wizard’s eyes as he looked at her and she knew they were tears of angry betrayal. She had betrayed him – all of them.

“It was you… who told Him about the night we moved Harry.”

She nodded.

“I’m so sorry, Kingsley…” she breathed. “I didn’t… I was just trying to survive.”

Kingsley scoffed, sliding a large hand over his face.

“Survive? Hermione, you’re a bloody death eater! ” he cried. “You’ve betrayed all of us – Ron, Ginny, Harry . Your friends – your family.”

She put up a hand.

“Stop, right there.” Gesturing to Lucius and Draco she continued. “ This is my family. The Malfoys took me in when no one else would. They kept me safe. They loved me. They trained me to make me strong. I learned occlumency with Narcissa – occlumency that has kept the Dark Lord from knowing what Harry, Ron, and I are doing. Skills that kept you alive while we were on that thestral.”

Kingsley shook his head in disbelief.

“Did you kill him?” Kingsley asked in a dead voice.

“Who?” she asked calmly.

Kingsley’s face paled as he understood from her tone that she had killed enough that she needed clarification on which murder he was inquiring about.

“Dumbledore.”

Hermione crumpled slightly. She had been slowly coming to terms with his murder. There were parts of her that understood that she had delivered a devastating blow to the Order, but the rest of her couldn’t say she truly regretted it. Even when she’d come face to face with that ghostly, dusty apparition. She’d been sorry to take his life for the pain it caused others and damage it had undoubtedly done to her soul, but she would have done it again for the manipulation and pain he had put so many people through.

“I did,” she answered simply.

Before Kingsley could do anything more than exhale in a gust, Severus spoke up.

“Albus did not have long to live, Shacklebolt,” he said. “He had been cursed before the beginning of school term and had been given a prognosis of about a year, maybe less. He was aware of the plot to kill him and knew it would more than likely either be Draco or myself.”

Both Hermione and Draco gaped at Severus, clearly shocked.

“I made a vow with him that should Draco not succeed, I would be the one to kill him,” Severus finished in a subdued voice, steepling his fingers on the small table at which he and Kingsley still sat.

“He knew about Hermione?”

Snape pursed his lips.

“He had his suspicions, though he never thought she had taken the mark. I protected her, watched over her, and knew that eventually she would find her way back.”

Kingsley nodded thoughtfully, though she knew the nod was not one of acceptance, but one of understanding.

“There is no excuse for what I’ve done…” Hermione started, her voice earnest. “All I can do now is seek amends by how I choose to move forward. I am at your, and the Order’s, disposal.”

Kingsley gave her a long look before his voice took on a distinct ‘auror’ tone.

“What does it mean that you are his second in command?”

Hermione sighed, moving towards one of the cushioned wooden chairs and giving Draco a small smile as he pulled it out for her.

“Very little, unfortunately – even less after Harry got away the day before his birthday,” she replied, folding her hands over the table. “The Dark Lord is most interested in appearances. It pleases him to have the best friend of Harry Potter at his right side – there to influence and manipulate him into what he needs. But after…” She swallowed. “After my parents, I believe there is a chance to get back into his good graces.”

Kingsley gave her a horrified look.

“Did you kill your parents, Hermione?”

She shook her head, clearing her throat of the emotion that was caught there.

“No. They are safe and out of the way… They have no knowledge of me…” Her voice trailed off as her focus settled on Lucius for a small moment who gave her a compassionate smile.

“Thank Merlin for small enchantments,” Kingsley muttered. “What do you think he’ll ask of you next?”

Hermione thought for a long moment. She had not seen Voldemort since he’d asked her to kill her parents. Though she’d heard via Draco that he’d been pleased by the memory Lucius had provided. Even going so far as announcing to a large gathering of followers her commitment to his cause.

My blade is the sharpest of them all and wields only for me.

“Because I’m with Harry I’m sure he’ll ask me to invade his mind – I’m a legilimens as well as an occlumens – and try to find out Harry’s next plans. Even before I defected, I chose not to disclose our mission from Dumbledore. I just had this… instinct not to.”

“He’s distracted, however,” Lucius cut in. “I believe he’s been leaving the country for long periods of time. He’s searching for something.”

Kingsley’s eyebrows rose.

“I hadn’t heard he was leaving the country,” Kingsley mused, turning his attention back to Hermione and sliding a parchment across the table to her. “I believe you may be familiar with a two-way parchment?”

She nodded.

“After any meeting with You-Know-Who, I want you to write any information on this parchment that is spelled to appear on its mate,” he tapped the inner breast pocket of his robes. “I keep this on me at all times and it’s charmed so that only I may read it.”

“I understand,” she said, folding the parchment and slipping it into her bag.

Slowly, Kingsley rose to his feet and turned to her, a sad look on his face.

“I’m glad you’re finally on the right side of this, Hermione and…” He took a deep breath, trying to reign in his emotions. “I hope one day that I will be able to forgive you – to look at you the way I used to… But that day is not today.”

Tears pricked her eyes as she nodded at him, at a loss of how to respond. Kingsley did not appear to need one, however, as he slowly strode from the room and out the front door with Severus close behind.

Silence echoed against the walls for a long moment, before Draco took her hands in his.

“What do you need, love? How can we help?”

She sighed, turning to him.

“We need food, dittany, and blood replenishing potions,” she answered.

Draco nodded.

“Humph,” Draco said and the elf appeared with a pop . “Please retrieve some food, as well as dittany and blood replenishing potions.”

Humph gave a deep bow, before disappearing.

“Thank you,” she whispered, leaning to brush her lips against his.

“Of course,” he replied, one of his hands reaching to cup her face. “There’s… there’s something I need to tell you.”

Hermione’s heart dropped deep into her stomach.

“Pansy is gone.”