Draco's mouth trembled when he glanced at Hermione's arm which was lying limply on the floor. He couldn't bare to look at it, not when it spelled out the single word she had always been referred to by the Death Eaters: mudblood. She was unconscious, vulnerable even as she lay on the floor like the trash the Dark Lord seemed to think she was. The memory of hearing her screaming when his deranged aunt had carved the word into her arm played through his head like a short horror movie.
"Go on Draco," a cold voice whispered over his shoulder. "Just one spell and she could die. Die and shed her filthy blood." Voldemort smiled faintly at the thought of Hermione's death and took the wand in Draco's hand into his own hand. He stroked the hawthorn wood. There was an evil glint in his eye that frightened Draco when he built up the courage to look at this man that could kill anyone without so much as a drop of pity. How could I kill her? Draco thought. She was the light that brightened up this dark room he stood in even though she lay unconscious. She was beautiful, intelligent, witty, determined... and he loved her so much.
"Draco, what are you waiting for? Would you like Nagini to do it instead?" Voldemort asked him. "Now that I think about it, wouldn't that be better? Her death wouldn't be quick, yes, but it would make her suffer more..."
"N-n-no, I, I'll do it, my Lord." Draco stuttered, when the thought of Nagini's sharp teeth sinking into Hermione's neck flashed into his mind. He summed up the courage to take his wand gently from Voldemort's hand and point it at Hermione. He walked over to her and looked down at her body. He was breathing hard, thinking about what he was about to do.
"AVADA KEDAVRA!" he screamed and flipped the wand at himself. He was thrown to the back wall of the room and died instantly. This woke up Hermione from her state of unconsciousness. Her eyes opened and she looked up at the ceiling above her. The past events came to her mind and she screamed," Draco!" When no reply was heard, she frantically got up and surveyed the room with her eyes. Her eyes stopped at his body, and a scream stuggled to come out of her mouth. She strode over to him and pressed her hand over his chest. When she felt no heart beating, she started to shake his shoulders, trying to urge him to wake up. "Draco... stop it. This isn't funny, wake up!" His eyes remained closed. Tears started to fall onto his cold cheek.
"Nagini, there she is..." someone hissed. She hadn't had time to register the presence of the other person in the room, for she heard something slithering over to her. She saw a long snake flick its tongue at her from a couple of feet away. She whimpered and tried to think of a way to get out of the room. Her wand was in Harry's possession ever since his wand was broken by Nagini who had surprised them with a visit in Godric's Hollow.
"Nagini.. darling, I couldn't get you a purer dinner, but go ahead, she's all yours," Voldemort spoke in a soft, almost motherly tone, to Nagini. He emerged from the dark hallway, staring intently at Hermione. His words were understandable and they frightened Hermione. She started to get up and take backsteps towards the door behind her. Her hands grazed the doorknob. Nagini was an intelligent snake who realized her victim was about to escape, so she lunged at Hermione. Hermione threw one hand in front of her face and throat. Nagini's fangs sank into Hermione's hand and for one second, Hermione was ready to die, ready to give up. But she wasn't dumb. She twisted the doorknob with her free hand and ran out of the room, the snake still holding onto her. A hot white burst of pain shot through her body and she screamed in an effort to get somebody's attention.
"Hermione!" a ginger-haired boy screamed. Ron Weasley was sneaking towards the door Hermione had just come out of with Harry Potter after they successfully escaped from the basement downstairs. Their original plan was to sneak to the room, free Hermione and apparate to Fleur and Bill's home, the safest home they could go to now. However, seeing that Hermione had escaped, Ron stopped shortly along with Harry.
"CONFRINGO!" Harry yelled at the snake, and the spell was casted at Nagini. Nagini burst into flames and disappeared into a heap of ashes at Hermione's feet. The blood flow had slowed down. Ron ran towards toward her, seized her by the shoulders and whispered, "Episkey." The blood didn't go away however, the pain she felt minutes ago was relieved. They walked over to Harry and linked hands wih him. In a matter of few seconds, they apparated out of the Malfoy Manor. Three pairs of feet landed a couple yards away from Bill and Fleur's home. No words were exchanged between the trio as they headed towards the safe house. However, two words were murmured repeatedly by an exhausted Hermione. "He's dead... he's dead... he's dead..."