RING OF FIRE

By Alexa Johnson

Summery: Voldemort is finally dead, but not everyone is celebrating. His shadow still looms over the wizarding world, and a long kept secret is finally brought to the light. A Draco/Hermione romance. AU. No slash. Rated for language, adult themes/situations.

Note: I am sorry this prologue is so short—it's really means as just a small teaser for the future, as I wanted this story to focus on the lingering effects of war and post-war trauma (and romance of course!) rather than the actual war itself. This is also the first Draco/Hermione I've ever attempted, and am a little nervous about trying to pull it off! But I hope it works, and I hope you all will enjoy it!

Standard Fanfiction Disclaimer Applies

Prologue

Harry Potter had finally killed Lord Voldemort, but not everyone was celebrating.

Minerva McGonagall found it hard to be glad when all she could see and smell for miles was death and suffering. She and Auror Kingsley Shacklebolt had been put in charge of a team of Aurors and remaining Order members and had been assigned the task of going through the dungeons far below Malfoy Manor. While Minerva was of the opinion that trying to find survivors in this dreadful place would be much like trying to find a needle in a haystack, she knew it was a necessary, if painful, job. As it turned out, there hardly were any prisoners alive, and those that were that unfortunate were so far gone and beyond help that the only thing the Light Team could offer them was a quick, merciful death. She had quickly lost hope of finding any survivors that were salvageable, and felt her anger rise. If only they had kept Lucius Malfoy and the other Death Eaters in Azkaban when they had the chance, maybe…

"FUCK!"

The startled shout from Kingsley drew Minerva out of her unpleasant ruminating, and she shook herself to come back to the present. Whatever he had seen had to have been horrible, more horrible than what they'd been seeing, and Minerva felt what remained of her heart drop out of her onto the cold cobbled floor.

She had a hard time imagining something that could be worse than what they'd seen.

"Minerva! You'd better come down here, quick!"

She followed the shrill, panicked sound of his voice, which sounded very much unlike Kingsley, she realized. Whatever it was must've traumatized him badly, since part of what made him one of the best Aurors on the field was his remarkable ability to appear calm in practically any situation. Maneuvering her way through the pockets of Aurors and Order members, she finally reached Kingsley's side, where he was standing before a cell away from the rest, in the darkest part of the dungeon. The part for traitors. It was definitely not Severus—he had been discovered a short time ago and had been fortunate enough to escape with his life, only to emerge in the final battle to duel with Lucius, where…

But Minerva viciously cut off this train of thought before it could finish.

Who else could it be?

And then she looked, and swore her jaw must've fallen to the ground in shocked disbelief. The figure was chained to the ceiling, feet a few inches above the ground, and hardly recognizable beneath the blood and the dirt. But Minerva knew immediately who it was, and almost broke down right then in relieved sobs. She could not believe she had allowed herself to forget—but then they'd all thought he was dead, and even now he was too still, too mangled, too…

Kingsley had stepped in the cell, hurried over to the battered, limp body, and checked for a pulse. He turned to stare at Minerva, eyes wide as small moons.

"Merlin's beard…he's alive…"

TO BE CONTINUED

Like it? Hate it? Intrigued? Let me know in a thoughtful review! More to come soon in a guaranteed huge chapter!