What Lies Within

"She's a traitor to The Dark Lord." "She just ran off and went into hiding with Malfoy." "If she is found The Dark Lord wants to kill her himself." Arthur Weasley heard comments like this whispered through the Ministry several times a day. At first he wasn't sure who they were aimed towards until he heard it, he heard her name "Sophie Hill-Malfoy."  There was a death threat on his children's best friend. It made his blood run cold and sent a chill down his spine.

"Should I tell them?" Arthur asked his wife the night he heard Sophie's name officially come up. "I know the three of them aren't particularly pleased with her for being part of Dumbledore's death but clearly she wasn't part of it and they want her dead because of it."

"They need to know. We should get her here, Draco too. They need proper protection but she will never come if she believes the children blame her." Molly answered wisely. Arthur agreed completely and gave a nod. He stood from the kitchen table and walked over to his wife, pressing a soft kiss to her cheek before heading upstairs to his youngest son's room where the trio were currently at. Harry had arrived the day before after they all rescued him from his aunt and uncles home.

"What is it, dad?" Ron questioned when his father stepped into his bedroom. Hermione sat on Harry's bed and the two boys sat on Ron's bed beside the window.

"I need to talk with the three of you," He went and took a seat on the edge of the bed Hermione perched on. "Sophie is going to be killed." As soon as the words left his mouth Arthur knew he should have worded it better. He saw the looks of shock on their faces. Hermione gasped beside him, bringing her hand up to her mouth. "I've heard around the Ministry from some of You-Know-Who's men that she is a traitor. She did not do as he asked, which seems to have been to get information from you, Harry, about our plans this last term."

"She was supposed to betray us?" Harry questioned, letting those words sink in. He tried to think back to their conversations this past year. A moment between the trio and Sophie and her husband at the start of term popped into his head. "Maybe her being friends with you will put her in danger, Potter." Draco's words played out in Harry's head. They knew then that her life was in danger but never once did she ask what Harry's plans were to defeat Voldemort. She never betrayed them even with her life in danger. A wave of guilt flooded over Harry as he thought about how cruel he had been to her and all of the terrible thoughts he had filled his head with since that night.

"She has gone into hiding with Draco. No one knows where they are - they have disappeared. If they are found though, she and possibly him, are to be killed by You-Know-Who himself." Arthur goes on, sighing. "Your mother and I think we should get them to come here, or at least her. She needs our protection now more than ever." The trio all agreed immediately, knowing no matter how they had felt in the past about her and her husband she hadn't been on the bad side after all. She had defied Voldemort even with her life in danger.

"How will we send her a letter? We don't know where she is." Ron questions, a deep frown set between his bushy eyebrows.

"I think I will be able to get a letter to Narcissa who may be able to get it to them using someone we have on the inside. We haven't spoken to them since the incident but perhaps they will still help us." The trio all gave nods so Arthur got up and left them to it.

"What about Draco?" Harry questions after the door is closed and Mr Weasley is gone. "Do we trust him? He is the one who got the Death Eaters in the school in the first place."

"Only to keep Sophie alive." Hermione finally spoke for the first time since Mr Weasley had come into the room. "Besides, Sophie put a lot of work into fixing it as well. Malfoy was only wanting to protect his wife. I think we can trust him as well. I don't think she would come without him anyway." The two guys agreed and the three began writing letters to their friend. Each of them decided to write one, letting her know that all three of them wanted to protect her and forgave her, knowing she was infact on their side.

The next morning Mr Weasley took their letters, as well as one written by his wife and him, pleading with her to come, to work with him. Harry was worried that it was either too late or she would be too mad with them for doubting her to come. Or maybe that Draco wouldn't let her come.

"Well?" Molly asked Arthur as soon as he walked through the door that evening. Harry perked up in his chair in the living room, as did the others turning to see Mr Weasley smile.

"Perchance Narcissa was in the Ministry today and I was able to hand deliver the letters to her. She had come on favor for her husband, needing a word with a former friend. She said she does know where they are, that they are safe, and that they will get the letters tonight." He explained. The trio felt a flood of relief sweep through them. They had all voiced that morning that they worried the letters would fall into the wrong hands but they knew Narcissa would do anything for her son and daughter in law.

"Is she sure they are safe?" Hermione questioned, still needing reassurance.

"She saw them this morning. She is secret keeper of their location. They are doing well, she said. They have ventured into a few muggle towns around them to pass the time and spend time as a married couple." Hermione smiled, happy that her best friend was alive and okay, safe with her husband and away from Voldemort.

Meanwhile, Sophie was in her cabin making dinner for her husband, his mother and herself. Narcissa had gotten word to them that she would be stopping by again even though she had been there that morning. She claimed to have something for them.

"Lovely to see you." Sophie greeted when she opened the front door a little later, welcoming her mother in law inside.

"What is it you have for us, mother?" The three of them took a seat at their large table, digging into the wonderful meal Sophie had prepared.

"Letters." Narcissa answered simply. "From Potter and his friends." Sophie's eyes widen. She was anticipating it to simply more news of death and destruction rippling through London. There was a lot of that recently. "Weasley asked me to bring them to you when I was at the Ministry this morning." She reached into her cloak pocket and pulled out four parchment envelopes with her name scribbled on the front. She grabbed for them and recognized Harry, Hermione and Ron's handwriting, as well as Mrs Weasley's. She feared what they would say. Would they be filled with hate and disgust? Threats maybe - disappointment?

"Excuse me." Draco watches his wife as she clambers up from her chair and rushes from the room, the envelopes clutched tight against her chest. Draco moved to follow but his mother grabbed for his arm, pulling him back into his seat. He frowns at her, looking into her grey eyes that matched his.

"Give her some privacy. She will come to you when she has finished." Draco nods, knowing that his mother was right.

As soon as Sophie was closed up in her and Draco's bedroom, she curled up in the chair beside the window and contemplated which letter to open first. She finally decided on Hermione's knowing that if these letters were harsh and hateful hers would be less so since she had known everything before.

Sophie,
I'm hoping that this letter doesn't get to you too late. Mr Weasley has gotten word through whispers at the ministry that Voldemort is looking for you and that you and Draco have gone into hiding.

I am so sorry for how things have been. I know you must be scared, as am I. I worry everyday that you are safe and what the future holds for you.

Harry forgives you. He understands now that you and Draco did what you had to do and that you didn't betray us. He knows now that you didn't get information as asked of you. He understands now that you aren't the bad guy in all of this.

Sophie, come here. Come to the Burrow and stay with us. We can keep you safe, the Order can protect the both of you. Please, just consider it.

Love always, Hermione.

By the end of Hermione's letter, Sophie had tears streaking down her face. They forgave her, they wanted her to come stay with them. Before thinking about it much more she ripped open Ron's letter. She decided to keep Harry's for last - still slightly afraid of what it said.

Sophie,
I don't know how else to say this apart from simply I'm sorry. I had so much hate towards you this past year and it wasn't right. My dad learned the truth of what you did and I just want to say that you're brave for going against You-Know-Who for us. That is true friendship and I hope you know I'm sorry for doubting you.

We want you to come stay with us. You probably think you and Malfoy are safe wherever you are but he can still find you. Come stay at the Burrow. We can protect you better.

Love, Ron

Sophie wipes at her wet cheeks and moves on to Mrs Weasley's letter next.

Oh, Sophie. I am truly sorry for all that you have been through. I thought being forced to marry young was horrible but to know you had been dealing with all of this at the same time hurts my heart. I wish that there was something I could have done, I should have found a way to protect you better.

We are hoping you and Draco will come stay with us. We can protect you better than wherever the two of you are at. We just want the two of you safe and we believe that is with us. Please do consider it.

All the love, Molly Weasley.

Reading the words of a woman who had been almost like a mother to her since 1st year, taking her in every summer as if she were her own, made her cry the hardest. They blamed themselves for not protecting her when that wasn't the truth. They had been saving her over the last 6 years and she was so thankful to them for that.

She knew it was time to read Harry's so she slowly, with shaking hands, pulled out the letter and opened it up. She took a deep breath and began to read.

Sophie,
I don't even know where to begin with all that I have to say. I'll start with an apology, I guess. I'm sorry for doubting you and Draco this past year. You were just doing what you had to do to stay alive and you still went against Voldemort because you didn't want to betray us. I'm so thankful that you were strong enough to do that but I also wish you hadn't. You've put your life in danger, Sophie. I would rather you betray us then die for it. I would have told you everything if I had known what you were going through. I am not worth you dying over.

I want you to come here. You and Draco. I despise the guy still but I know you would never come without him so I'm willing to live in the same house as him for you. I want to know you are safe and the only way that will happen is if you are under the same roof as me. Please come.

If you say no, I will find a way to get to you and bring you here myself if I have to. You aren't safe out there. I care for you so much. I want nothing but for you to be safe.

Much love, Harry

Right as Sophie read Harry's sign off the bedroom door opened with a soft creak and her husbands blonde hair peaked in. He eyed her, trying to guage if he should enter or not.

"Come in." She instructed and held up the four letters to her husband. He walked into the room fully, walking towards her.

"My mother has left." He told her. She nodded as he reached for the letters. She scooted back on the chair and patted the space between her legs. As he arranged the letters to prepare for reading them, he sat down. As he began to read, she folded against his strong back, resting her head on his shoulder and pulled her legs up on each side of him. He leaned into her touch subconsciously as her arms wrapped around his torso. They sat in silence while he read one letter after the other.

"I didn't realize just how badly they wanted to kill you." He muttered, feeling a deep sense of dread in the pit of his stomach as he finished. He turned in the warm circle of his beloved wife's body just enough to make eye contact with her as she lifted her head from his shoulder.

"Draco..." She starts, peering into his grey eyes. "I want to go. Both of us." She watched as he takes in her words, letting them roll around in his head as he thought about it. Would he agree to go? Would he fight her on this? Would he want to stay but send her there? She couldn't be without him, not now.

"Okay." Came his answering whisper.