Darkness Before The Sun Rises
Chapter 1
Green eyes fluttered open and rested upon Hermione's. Hermione gasped in relief at seeing those familiar eyes shine back at her. "Don't cry 'Mione." Harry croaked. "It doesn't suit you." He tried to smile, and did, though the pain it caused was visible in the lines etched on his face.
"Hold still Harry, I am going to try and heal some of your wounds. Okay?" He only nodded as Hermione set about trying various incantations that took medi-witches years to learn, but for her only about sixteen months. Wound after wound started to heal but some wouldn't. Dark magic she presumed. It was supposed to be forbidden but that didn't stop those on the dark side from using it. "That's all I can do Harry? Does it feel any better?" She grasped a hold of his hand in reassurance.
"Yes." He whispered, trying to hide the fact that the curse that knocked him down was still penetrating throughout his body, making it feel as if tiny nails were pricking his skin. He wouldn't tell Hermione that though. He didn't want her to worry. "I'm fine dear, just fine." He reassured.
Over the years, Harry had grown and matured into kind and amorous wizard. He had given his life for those around him, even for those that seemed to hate him, but he did it because he loved his world. Ron and Hermione were always there for him, never running away scared when Harry had to battle some villain. Ron would always joke around and refuse to be serious, making things very light-hearted. Hermione was always the down-to-Earth type girl and would watch out for the two head-strong boys. Ron was his best friend and Hermione, well she was his best friend as well, but she was once more, as his girlfriend for one unforgettable year and now she was more of the sister he had never had..
"Was it Voldemort who hit you?" She questioned, looking around, noticing more bodies strewn about the ground.
"No. His would have killed me. He's not here tonight, just his cronies. " He stroked her hand in a rhythmic pattern that he knew would help ease her.
"How do you know Harry?" She looked around once again, as if searching for someone.
"I would have felt it, remember? My scar?" Realization dawned upon her face, followed by a look that he knew all too well. Hermione was mentally slapping herself for the dumb question that she should have known the answer to.
"Hermione? Where's Ron?" Harry asked, looking frantically about.
"I don't know. The last I saw him was over by the lake. He said he'd be fine." She looked about her for Ron but he was nowhere to be seen. The grip of fear grasped at her being; the coldness of it seeped through her mind as she thought of Ron. Where could he be? Could he be dead? She was panicking, something she had once taught herself not to do in instances such as these. "Harry, you don't think…"
Harry cut her off before the inviolable thought could cross her mind. "No! He's fine, just like he said he'd be. Don't think of that Hermione, don't you ever think that." As friends, they had agreed to never think the worse of each other's fate until certain and undeniable evidence surfaced that would sway them to believe otherwise.
"Okay Harry. I won't, I just hope he's okay." She responded nervously, while tending to the wound on his shoulder that would still not heal.
"He will be, Hermione." He attempted a weak smile through the pain escalating through his shoulder as each second passed. He wouldn't voice how much the wound hurt, nor how it seemed to worsen as each second passed. He couldn't cause her to worry any more than she already had that night. Instead, he grit his teeth and hoped that it would eventually dwindle away like all the other injuries he had received in battles such as these.
"My lord, the forces are advancing wonderfully, just as our - I mean - your plan said they would." Lucius Malfoy announced to Lord Voldemort himself.
"Very good Lucius. What about Potter? What's the news on the boy?" His dark, penetrating eyes pierced through the dark hood he wore into the eyes that looked back at him. If Lucius hadn't been a follower for years, those eyes would be the only thing that could frighten him.
"Reports say he is injured and with that filthy mudblood, Granger, my lord." Lucius replied in a monotone voice, the same one he and all the other Death Eaters used when in the presence of their Dark Lord, and one another.
"Brilliant. Just where we wanted him. What about the other one? Ronald Weasley?" Voldemort questioned, looking over the battlefield as sparks continued to illuminate the night sky.
"There has been no news of the younger male Weasley in hours my lord." Lucius responded, bowing slightly to Voldemort.
"How odd. Well, tell the sources to find out!" Voldemort roared at Lucius, who rushed off to find out any news he could procure.
"Soon, Potter, you will be mine!" His laughter rang until the early hours of the morning.
"Master Malfoy?" A small house elf knocked on the large wooden door obstructing her path to her owner's room. "Master Malfoy, sir. Dolly has your food sir." With that, the door was opened for the old female elf, who slowly made her way into her master's room. "Is everything to your liking sir? If not, Dolly will return with anything her master desires." Dolly gave a deep curtsy that pained her old bones, but she would never allow for her master to see the pain bore into her face.
"No Dolly, everything is fine." The master promiscuously thanked in his own way, not exactly saying it, but being somewhat kind and dignified in the same stature. "Have you any word of the battle, Dolly?" He asked inquisitively.
"Yes sir, but only what us house elves have heard sir, though Dolly is not sure if it be safe to repeat it." She looked around, afraid for even answering that she had news for her master. She was afraid that if she were to speak what she had heard from the Death Eaters down stairs, they would find a way to punish her.
"Dolly, no need to worry. I am your master, not they. Now tell me what you have heard."
"Only very little sir. Word has it that Mr. Potter was wounded by some Dark Magic and is being tended to by a Miss. Granger. The Dark Side seems to have the upper hand in this fight. Many have died tonight sir, especially…. on the other side." He nodded in understanding. By the "other side", Dolly meant the side he secretly fought for. Not physically, but in his heart he supported that side wholeheartedly, and nothing - not even his father - would change that.
I hope that you all liked this first chapter. I know it is a little short, but trust me the next ones a quite a bit longer! I have three more chapters that are waiting to be put up. It would be nice to receive a few reviews. They (the reviews) let me know that I am doing something right when it comes to my writing. Just let me know how I am doing. The reviews you all leave will also keep me motivated when writing. :D
Also, I would like to thank my wonderful Beta Reader! She knows who she is. :D