a/n: this is going to be a novel length fiction full of murder, coffee and plot twists! This will not follow in the same vein as my other fanfics so i hope you're ready for wild ride! Warnings will be posted for each chapter as they are written!
warnings: explicit violence, mild language
suggested songs: hozier- work song, james bay - hold back the river, florence and the machine - over the love
"So this is how the world ends not with a bang, but with a whimper."
-T.S. Elliot
Malfoy Manor August 27th 10pm
He's dead, he's dead, he's dead. Finally Draco was free. But he's got to go, got to pack somethings and get the hell out of here. Screams erupted from the the drawing room, it's Bellatrix. Draco knows he's no match for his aunt so he takes the steps two at a time to the manor's second floor. There's footsteps echoing in the marble hallways and he's sure it's Bellatrix's boots. He grabs a duffle bag and stuffs some clothes in the bag, there's no food to pack so he'll have to figure something out. The door to his room is blasted off and immediately he's got a shield charm up but it falters under the brute strength of Bellatrix's curse. "Now, now nephew. Where do you think you're going in such a hurry? Your father is dead don't you need to set your affairs in order?"
"Get away from me Bellatrix." Draco snarls.
"Not so fast." She hurls the cruciatus curse at him and he's too slow to block it. His knees go weak from the pain and he's sure that every cell in his body is screaming for death. Sweet death. But Bellatrix doesn't oblige. She laughs high and cold, a bitter sound. She releases the curse.
"Did you kill him?" She questions in a deadly soft tone.
Draco's got to get get away from her. He can't be at her mercy. The window is open. He thinks he could jump down. So he makes a run for it. He runs at the window and vaults his legs out into the air. He lands and there's a sharp pain in his ankle but he can walk, furthermore he can run. So he runs for his life but Bellatrix doesn't give chase. She lets him go. He feels it as he leaves the heavily warded manor and it's like he's breathing for the first time. The air tastes clean and the stench of death doesn't haunt him. He knows he's not in the clear so he begins apparating around places in Wiltshire he's familiar with, never really staying in one place.
New Forest August 28th, 1997 midnight
Fall in Scotland was similar to spring, cold and wet. Maybe in another lifetime Draco would have worn his dragon hide boots to keep warm but he had fled with only the clothes on his back when he had left he apparated to New Forest. Lucius and Narcissa had never been much for camping but Blaise had always loved the outdoors and New Forest wasn't far from Wiltshire. This was the only safe place he knew. He had to send a patronus and conjuring any happy memories just now would be next to impossible. Heart thudding in his chest he willed himself to feel happy, forced it from his being, a corporeal horse emits from the end of his wand and he speaks to it, "Deliver a message to Granger, tell her I want to defect and that Lucius is dead." The horse patronus galloped away through the forest to find Granger and what remained of the Order of the Phoenix.
None of the old places were safe, he couldn't reach out to Theo or Blaise or even Crabbe and Goyle. There's nowhere to run to, just this forest between him and absolute desolation. He manages to find a few dry leaves and sticks for a fire. As soon as he's got a small flickering flame the wind gusts up and the clouds pour down on him. He's just about sitting in the mud, where there was a dry spot a few moments ago. He can only stay here one night they'll be looking for him and he'll have to go on the run.
He's barely finished the thought when there are two loud cracks signaling someone's apparation. But there's no time. Rowle is on him in seconds and Rabastian is there too. Draco's firing off hexes at them as he pulls himself out of the mud. He hits Rabastian with a body bind curse and misses with the cruciatus curse aimed at Rowle's head. Rowle charges forward and while he's a few inches shorter than Draco he's definitely stronger and Draco is knocked to the ground. Draco hits his head on a tree root as Rowle tackles him and is knocked unconscious.
When he wakes up sun is beaming through the trees and there's a soft female voice in the air.
"Malfoy, Malfoy? Can you hear me?" She says as she dabs what looks like essence of dittany on his arm.
"Granger?" He rasps.
"I got your message and your patronus led me back to you. I hope you haven't changed your mind?"
"No. I'm surprised I haven't been sassed though."
"I can arrange for some sass if you wish?" But there was no levity in her voice as a matter of fact she deadpanned the words. "I think we need to get you somewhere safe. Sit up and I'll sidealong you to somewhere we can treat your wounds. You look beat to shit, you're lucky you didn't puncture a lung. Your ribs are mostly broken."
So that's why it hurts when I breathe. He mused to himself. The pain was excruciating but she was here and that was more than he had hoped for. She takes his arm and pulls him up, his head swims with pain and he feels something wet on his head. Maybe mud, maybe blood. The sensation of apparating sidealong in this condition was the other side of pleasant. They land outside 12 Grimmauld Place. Draco staggers and nearly falls over. Hermione catches him and hefts some of his weight onto her shoulder. Unsteadily, she takes out her wand and unlocks the door, half carrying his lanky frame in. She puts him down on the couch in the front living room; Hermione hurries out of the room to get bandages and more dittany.
When she returns he's going in and out of consciousness from the pain and she slips him a bit of pain potion.
"Want to tell me why you want to defect? You've only been loyal to your father's cause for your entire life."
"Yeah, I told you my father's dead."
"Who killed him?"
"Why would I tell you?" Draco snarks
"Oh I don't know maybe because I just saved your life?" She bites back
He winces, "I'm fine Granger."
There's a knock at the door and Poppy Pomfrey enters along with Professor McGonagall. Professor McGonagall, never really a fan of Draco's was a little shook up to see him like this, two dark purple almost black bruises on his eyes, and his leg jutting out at an odd angle. Hermione steps back and lets Madame Pomfrey fix him up. Professor McGonagall meets Hermione with a stern look and beckons her to go to the kitchen.
As soon as the door is shut Hermione sighs with relief. "Tell me what is going on Miss Granger."
"I got a patronus at around midnight last night from Malfoy saying he wanted to defect and that Lucius Malfoy was dead. I wasn't sure whether or not to believe him so I told Harry I was going to find Malfoy in the morning and if I wasn't back by noon that I was in trouble. I think he really wants to defect. Someone almost beat him to death for it. We should have Moody use legilimency on him and get any useful intel out of him. If he really does want to defect then we'll have to keep him on a short leash."
"Miss Granger I would prefer it if you didn't run off to find Death Eaters at dawn. We will have to see about Mr. Malfoy. In the meantime I'd like you to go back to headquarters."
She's tempted to refuse, to say she wants to stay and find out what Malfoy is up to but out of habit her eyes fall to the floor and she nods. "Yes Professor McGonagall."
"I will keep you updated on anything significant regarding Mr. Malfoy." McGonagall said with a knowing look.
"Thank you professor." Hermione nodded and opened the door to the kitchen.
Malfoy was whimpering as Madame Pomfrey fixed him up. She wants to roll her eyes and tell him to get over it, but he was really hurt so she quietly slips out of the door. She casts a last look at the building, sighs and apparates to the burrow.
The Burrow August 28th, 1997 10am
She arrives with a faint pop just outside the wards of the burrow. She spots Harry looking longingly at his Firebolt just outside and she comes up to him and pats his shoulder. "As soon as Moody wards the field you can fly again Harry."
"I know but being here is like being in a pressure cooker. Mrs. Weasley still doesn't know that I'm leaving and I don't think she's going to take kindly to it. I don't even know how to start telling her."
"I think you're going to have to dive in head first and just see how she takes it." Hermione said, shrugging.
"I know."
"Are you sure I can't convince you to let us come with you?" Hermione pleads.
"Absolutely not. I can't endanger your lives anymore than I already have."
Hermione shakes her head, "Ron and I would gladly die for you, but I understand."
Harry seemed nervous, "How did that thing with Malfoy go by the way? You were only gone for an hour so we figured it was no big deal."
"Oh! Well I found him in New Forest he was pretty beaten up but he's sticking to his guns, he wants to defect."
Harry looked pensively at Hermione, "But Hermione he's a Death Eater…"
"I never said it made sense. It's going to be a bit until we see him again I think Moody is going to give him veritaserum and probably use legilimency on him before he's cleared, if he even passes Moody's tests."
"I don't like it Hermione. He's a right foul -"
"Trust me Harry any name you can call him isn't half as bad as what he calls me-" But Hermione's cut off by Ginny slipping out of the house.
"Oh hi Ginny!"
"'Ello!" She says giving Hermione a warm hug. "Could I talk to Harry for a minute?"
Hermione nods and steps inside the house, and even though it's only late morning ( she hadn't even had coffee yet ) the house was a flutter with activity. Mrs. Weasley had a great batch of pancake batter and a hot griddle. She'd charmed a spatula to flip the pancakes and a ladle to pour the batter. "Oh Hermione dear!" Mrs. Weasley exclaimed.
"Good morning Mrs. Weasley!"
"Could you get the kettle on for tea and coffee?" Mrs. Weasley asks.
Hermione nods and nearly runs into Ron. A flush colors her cheeks. "Morning Ron."
"Morning 'Mione. Want me to do the kettle for you?"
The flush in her cheeks deepens slightly. "Yeah sure, Ron, thanks."
He lowers his voice to a whisper, "So what was with that business this morning with Malfoy?"
"Oh nothing, we'll know more when Moody talks to him."
Ron nodded and set up the giant kettle to hang over the fire.
Hermione turned away, she needed to change. Her shoes were muddy from the forest and there was some blood on her sleeve from Malfoy. She heads up the stairs, saying hello to Remus as she passed him. She was sharing a room with Ginny and she decides to borrow one of her scarves for the day. The fall chill hadn't quite seeped in yet but it was definitely cooler. She opts for jeans, ballet flats and a long sleeved maroon t-shirt. She neatly pulls the scarf around her neck and retreats from the room.
She looks out the window before heading downstairs and spots Ginny and Harry kissing outside, good for them but they better not be caught, she thinks.
"Breakfast is ready!" Molly calls up the stairs.
"Ok!" She opens the window and sticks her head out. "Oi! You two! You don't want to get caught by Molly!" They break apart and Ginny smirked up at her while Harry's face was reddening with embarrassment.
Hermione rushed downstairs to help Mrs. Weasley with the food. When all was said and done they sat down and had a very enjoyable breakfast and Hermione imbibed in a third cup of coffee instead of her usual two. About halfway through the meal the clank of Moody's wooden leg could be heard. "Sorry I'm late. Had some business to attend to at Grimmauld Place" Moody offered.
"No trouble Moody!" Mrs. Weasley said shuffling a generous stack of pancakes onto his empty plate.
"Is everyone here?" He asked.
And indeed everyone was there. The entire Order of the Phoenix was assembled in Molly Weasley's kitchen.
"Yeah I think so," Harry finally said.
"Good. Draco Malfoy has decided to defect and we've locked him up at Grimmauld Place for the time being but I'll need Shacklebolt and Lupin to come with me after breakfast we've got to interrogate him. I've got a bit of veritaserum we can use on him as well. He says Lucius is dead but I don't know if I believe him."
Hermione decided not to bring up the fact that he'd nearly been beaten to death for leaving since it didn't seem prudent. But she wanted to know what they were going to get out of him so she decided to try to listen in on the conversation at Grimmauld Place, if she could get away.
Grimmauld Place August 28th, 1997 noon
Lupin, Shacklebolt and Moody arrived feeling ominous. But when they opened the door Malfoy was snoozing on the couch, apparently exhausted from his run in with Rowle and Rabastian. "Lupin give him a shake." Moody said testily. Remus frowned but obliged his superior. Lupin shook Malfoy's shoulder roughly and he woke with a fright.
"Come to interrogate me?" Malfoy bit out.
"Sonny, we don't let any old riff raff into the Order of the Phoenix and at this rate you're going to be returned to the Death Eaters by dusk if you keep it up so I would advise that you answer our questions sincerely and without any lip."
Malfoy rolled his eyes. He knew they were too pure hearted to do that.
"So ask away." Malfoy started.
"Ah, but first a little serum how about?" Moody countered
"Whatever tests you want to do is fine with me."
Moody took out the veritaserum and poured two drops down Malfoy's throat.
"Is your name Draco Malfoy."
"Yes."
"Are your parents Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy?"
"Yes."
"Are you a death eater?"
"Yes."
Outside the window of sitting room Hermione apparated with a soft pop and saw they had already started. She had to know what they were saying and pressed her ear to the window.
"What intelligence can you offer us?" Moody said, not noticing the slight head of bushy hair in the window.
"I can give you the names of Death Eaters, hideouts and safe houses. I know the plans the Dark Lord has for Hogwarts this year as well."
"Is that so laddie?" Moody said incredulously.
"I can't lie!" Malfoy said exasperated.
Moody grunted and nodded. "Why did you send your patronus to Miss Granger last night?"
There's a few moments of silence but Moody speaks before Malfoy can. "Lupin can you go check outside the door?"
Hermione ducked but Lupin had already stuck his head out and saw her. "Hermione what are you doing here?"
"Oh! Well…" She stammers. She was a horrible liar and it wasn't doing her any favors right now.
"Wanted to see what Mr. Malfoy has to say for himself?" Lupin laughed lightly. "Don't we all? C'mon Hermione you know you can't be here right now. We've only just started so I can't tell you how it's going to pan out but it seems he's sincere."
She nods, eyes falling on the cement before her. "Sorry Remus, I'll be going now."
"Thank you Hermione, I promise I'll tell you what the upshot is when we get back."
The Burrow August 28th, 1997 7:30pm
A ragged and careworn Lupin slips in the door at the headquarters to the Order of the Phoenix. The first person he sees is his wife, "Honey have you seen Hermione?"
"Oh yeah she's in the living room with Harry. I think she's trying to convince him to not go alone, you know he told Molly today that he's going horcrux hunting alone? We're all scared for him." Tonks said. Her hair was a dark burgundy today.
"Oh for Merlin's sake!" Lupin sighed. "Well Moody will be here in a few minutes so could we get everyone in the living room I have an announcement to make and it's going to be difficult."
"What on Earth are you talking about?"
"Draco, Draco Malfoy."