CHAPTER TWENTY

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"Excuse me?!" Hermione shrieked, jumping back and looking at him with wide eyes, "what do you bloody hell do you mean my flat is gone? It's a flat! It doesn't just up and go!"

Her screaming must have alerted Neville of Harry's arrival, because before Harry had a chance to reply they both turned their heads in the direction of the stairs, where the thuds of hurrying footsteps could be heard descending. Hermione was shaking by the time Neville burst through the door and, after frowning at Harry, he rushed to her side and guided her to sit down. Harry, watching them, did not make a move and merely dragged his hand through his hair, sighing deeply.

"What's going on?" Neville asked, rubbing Hermione's leg, "what's happened?"

"I'm so sorry," Harry gasped, stepping forward before falling to his knees in front of her, "there was a fire and-"

"What?" Hermione whimpered, covering her mouth with both hands.

"Hermione, your entire flat was absolutely destroyed," Harry sighed and Hermione, her mind full of everything that she had just lost, sobbed and Neville immediately pulled her toward him, "we tried to save something, anything, but it's all gone."

"Ev- everyth- thing?" Hermione stammered, crying out and burying her face in Neville's shoulder when he nodded.

"How did this happen?" Neville asked, obviously trying to hide his anger, "and why? If Hermione had been there…"

"She'd be dead," Harry confirmed, gulping audibly as Neville held Hermione protectively, her whole body was trembling, "we don't know how, but we're now treating this as a serious threat to Hermione's life."

"No shit," Neville muttered, hissing as Hermione's nails dug into his chest, "Harry, I know you don't want to hear this, but you have to question Ron about this."

"Ron wouldn't-"

"Ron wouldn't what, Harry?!" Hermione shouted, roughly pushing away from Neville and standing from the sofa, glaring at Harry as she began to pace the floor in front of the fire, "we thought Ron wouldn't cheat on me, but guess what? He did. We thought he wouldn't be so fucking spiteful as to humiliate me in front of hundreds of fucking people, but he bloody well did! So what, Harry, what the hell would Ron not do?"

"Herm-"

"I swear if the next words out of your mouth are in his defence, you can get the hell out of this house," Hermione hissed, pointing to the floo, "because clearly, the man has something against me and suddenly, my life is in danger and he should damn well be a bloody suspect!"

"Look, I know you and Ron don't see eye to eye any more-"

"Oh just stop, Harry," Hermione sighed, rolling her eyes, "seriously, when are you going to admit that you might not know him as well as you think you do?"

"He's been my best friend since we were eleven, Hermione," Harry exclaimed, standing himself and turning to face her as Neville kept a watchful eye on them both, "I think I know him well enough to know he wouldn't burn your fucking flat down!"

"Did you know that he was shagging someone behind my back?" She asked, snorting when he sighed, shaking his head, "did you know of this pathetic plans at the wedding?"

"Of course I didn't! Do you think I would have let him do that to you if I'd known?" Harry asked, his voice full of hurt, but Hermione ignored the pang of guilt that hit her at the sound.

"Then how can you be so sure he wouldn't do this?" She asked, raising her eyebrow, "or that he doesn't know something about it?"

"There's no evidence-"

"He was at her flat the week before it was ransacked!" Neville cried, obviously having heard enough as he jumped up to stand beside her, "at a time long after he was welcome. That's suspicious, Harry, whether you want to see it or not."

"Of course it's suspicious," Harry sighed, turning to Neville, "but it's not directly linked to the break-in or the fire!"

Whether it was directly linked or not, Hermione was a hundred percent positive that Ron had been at her flat with zero good intentions. Even if it turned out, as unlikely as it was, not to be connected, she wanted it investigated and she wanted to know why he would randomly show up.

"You're never going to be able to investigate this case without bias, are you?" Hermione sighed and Harry frowned, obviously not understanding.

"You're always going to protect Ron, is what she means," Neville told him and Harry opened his mouth to reply, but closed it again in silence, "in that case, I'm going to Kingsley on Monday to ask for a new lead investigator."

"What? No! You can't-"

"We can, Harry," Hermione sighed tiredly, stepping forward and putting her hands on his shoulders, "listen, I love you, you know that. You're the only family I have in this world, but if it's ever come down to siding with me or Ron, it's always been Ron who has your devotion."

"That's not..." Harry gasped, frowning at her as she nodded, "I haven't... Hermione…"

"That's how it always goes, Harry," Hermione shrugged, stepping away and returning to Neville's side, "and if that's how it's going to be even now, when my life is at risk, then I can't have you putting me in more danger because of your dedication to someone I believe should be a suspect."

"You're both my best friends," Harry sighed, scratching his neck, "I can't just choose between you, it's not fair."

"No, it's not," she shrugged, smiling sadly, "but you've done it before and you'll do it again, Harry. Honestly, I'm kind of used to it, as pathetic as it makes me."

"I'm sorry-"

"I know," she said, holding her hand up to stop him, "now, it's late and I'd like to go to bed. I'm sure Ginny is missing her husband, too."

"But-"

"We'll come and see you on Monday, Harry," Neville said loudly, picking up the floo powder and holding it out for him in a clear dismissal, "go home."

Once Harry had left, having not muttered another word but just frowning at them both before he disappeared, Hermione turned into Neville and allowed herself to cry. She felt awful at having just been like that with Harry, but she had spoken nothing but the truth. From first year, when Ron had been awful to her and through third year and their many falling outs, it had always been the same. Harry would stand by Ron, even if he knew that Hermione didn't deserve it and she knew that even now it would be no different. It broke her heart, knowing that she had just essentially forfeited her best friend, but she looked up to Neville and the soft, proud smile he gave her lifted her spirits, if only by the smallest amount.

"Did I do the right thing?" She whispered and Neville nodded, brushing the hair from her face with both hands.

"I think so," he sighed, kissing her forehead before pulling back slightly to look at her again, "he can't see past his friendship with Ron. We need someone who isn't tied to either of you, but I think I know just the person, someone away from the ministry altogether."

"You do?" Hermione frowned and Neville nodded, smiling.

"What do you remember about Ernie Macmillan?"