I do not own Harry potter
By the time the last flash of cruses flew, the once proud arena now acted as a devastating battle field. Hundreds were slaughtered and laid askew upon the damp ground. Those that survived wailed as they were either tortured or out of sheer fear to their fate to come. The mistress walked easily among the rest that were left. As she approached a particular man holding his now dead wife in his arms, she knelt down to his side.
"Why?" The man mumbled in his obvious distress. His green, watery eyes speaking to her tattered soul in volumes. She didn't sway to mercy in his gaze, no. She instead met it with recognition and understanding.
"Do you have children?" Her voice was low but strong as he shook his head no. "We were newly married. Barely a year together, this was supposed to be a vacation for us." His sobs once more racked the field and the mistress signaled for two of her followers.
The man was hauled to his feet and now stood before the mistress. He didn't even fight, seeming to have all will leaving his body. The woman studied the man under a careful eye, easy to not give away her thoughts at first. He looked back at her just as blankly. They stood there for about 10 minutes until he finally relented and his emotions took over. The more he thought about the day's events, the angrier he became. Before long, an unhealthy snarl left his mouth and he tried to lung at her. That was the reaction she was waiting on. She smiled at his struggles and took his onslaught of words.
"You bitch how could you! I swear I'll kill you for this! I'll kill you!" It was beautiful to the mistress, his outburst. So full of fire and conviction, all she had to do now was steer it in the right direction.
"I know what you are going through. To have something so precious taken away from you and to be so weak."
"Then why?!" he bellowed. She stilled her back and stood even straighter before gracing him with a response.
"Because I was treated with the same manner as yourself. So full of expectation and life. Starting to move on and find myself after dark times. Then I was shunned, cast aside by the ones I called friends, by the so called 'light' side. Then something was taken from me. Brutally and without care. I was made this way, to see the world for what it truly is and I wanted everyone to open their eyes." She paused, when she knew she had his full attention she went on.
"So daft this world of ours to put things in a black and white perspective. Never reading between the lines to snuff out the various forms of evil. I took action and control of my life. Now you can too. The ones that love us will always betray us." The man stilled with his lunging motions and though on her words.
His eyes traveled to her and took the time to really travel over her. To the outside glance, she was anger and hate. Evil bred in the purest of forms. To him, she was sorrow and vengeance. Yes, this woman was broken and torn into a pile of bones, then rebuilt into fury and power. Her troubles made her gain the power she now held and caused the vision to become so a beautiful destruction. He felt pity and cast his eyes downward.
"Save your pity, I do not need it nor will it aid me in any way. What I require has more depth than that." His eyes rose to meet hers once more. "And what is that?"
The mistress steps closer to the captured man before uttering lowly, "Believers."
The mistress turns her back on the man leaving him a moment to soak in her words. "The world is sick, it's become lazy and lines have blurred between 'light' and 'dark'. When I was with the 'light', I was a tool, a means to an end for their twisted sense of morality." She turns to face the man once more.
"Well, I quickly got out, but not before I was punished for being who I was." The ominous statement left to dry in his mind. By now, the man was released; too enamored with the tale the Dark Mistress was feeding him.
"Don't you see, I am just waking up the world so it learns from its mistakes. I took from you and others, so you all could stop pretending that you were in a perfect world. So you could stop believing you were in safe." Her footsteps towards him fell with a heavy crunch but their eyes never strayed from one another.
" Nowhere is safe. Not the 'light' or the 'dark'. If you join me, I will open your eyes and help you learn the true colors of this world." The man stood still, pondering on the newly given proposition for a moment. He had nothing left; this woman had suffered like he now is suffering. Whatever turned her to this, to unleashing such anger was brought on by someone close. He was just a sheep, and she was asking to be his Sheppard.
He looked to her out stretched right arm before looking deep into her eyes, and offering his arm in return. Once he did, she quickly drew her wand to his arm and began to draw invisible lines. He screamed from the burning flames that filtered under his skin. The Dark Mistress held strong and didn't relent until she had finished his arm. Dark lines bleed through to just under the thin lay of his skin. He looked are his newly forged tattoo in awe. A great lion, made of bone with a dead crown of roses and thorns adorn its head. In the brush, a serpent with a blood stained eye. When he looked to his mistress once more, she had her hand stretched forth once more but this time with a cut in her hand. The blood slowly traveled down it. This is it, no going back. A new future for him and those like him. The man cut his own hand and placed in tightly within hers. A faint glow shown around their joined hands of a dark red and ash grey before fading away.
"What are your orders, Mistress?" The Mistress smiled lightly at the declaration before answering him. "We need more Believers." Is all she said in parting.
When everyone arrived back at the manor it quickly turned into an uproar. The older members of the order yelled to try and quiet the younger one's on going argument. Seamus's voice was the loudest of all freely giving out 'I told you so'.
"Well I hope now that you will finally get your head out of your arse and see what I've been saying all along!" Harry just sat still nearly in the fetal position. His mind filled with flashes of his childhood day at school to the events that last couple of hours and back again. "You're blindness almost killed us, Harry!"
"Stop it, Seamus! Can't you see the condition he's in?!" His red-headed counterpart defended him against the raging man. "It's ok sweetheart. It's over. Come back to me."
The soft murmurs of her voice helped little by little and the woman was ever thankful that her children were not here to see their father like this. As she whispered to her comatose husband she silently damned the woman that caused this. First her brother now her husband; she would not stand another assault on her family.
"Leave him, he's about as useful as a pile of boar dung." No sooner than the insult left his mouth did he have to deflect a nasty hex thrown by none other than Draco.
"Watch your tongue, Seamus. Be careful of how you speak to my brother." The pale man stood his ground strongly, the chill in his voice leaving no room for argument.
"Draco that is enough. We shouldn't be raising our wands towards one another. Both of you stand down." Minerva called to the fuming men. She couldn't believe the fierceness in which Seamus had spoken about Harry, nor could she believe the deep level of protectiveness in which Draco showered him in. The blond man indeed did calm down but only after the temperamental Gryffindor sat.
A pregnant pause coated the already tight room before the savior came back to himself. "Seamus is right, he's right. I've let my pride keep me from seeing what has been practically shoved down my throat." Ginny helped her still trembling husband to his feet as he addressed everyone. "It could have killed us today and has killed others."
The last part trailed off, heavy tears escaping grass green eyes. "Harry, you can't beat yourself up over it. You've always wanted to see the best in people; even your worst enemies." Luna spoke, the last part aimed with a smile towards Draco.
The slytherin ghosted a hint of a smile to the woman but returned his watchful gaze back to the calming Irishman in front of him. Harry turned his head towards the pregnant woman on borrowed strength and replied, "It doesn't excuse my lack of sense." The minister took this as an opportunity to step in to excuse himself, having somewhat been in agreement with Seamus.
"I must go to the ministry to tend to defenses and other political matters before it gets out of hand. I'll owl when I can with updates." With a light pop the man was gone.
"Well, are we going to sit and sulk or are we going to discuss what we need to do in light of this new attack?" Fleur's soft but firm voice rang out to her fellow man. The youngest red-head could hardly stop the scowl at the sound of her sister-in-law's voice. After all these years she still couldn't take to the French woman. Her older brother leveled her a disapproving look quite akin to the one she was giving his wife. He never did understand why his mother and sister had such a dislike of his beloved. "Fleur is right, we can't sit and stew. What's first?"
"That's easy; we take down the bloody wench." Harry flinched at Seamus's words but bit his tongue all the same.
"You forget that this is not only a woman that is heavily protected but also a woman that has bested us all in dueling all her life." The room reluctantly agreed with Neville. Dean leaned forward towards his skeptical friend his ire barely hidden, "But we still have to act before she kills anyone else! We've bested Voldemort and Voldemort's best; we can surely take out Hermione and her deranged lot!"
"Even as powerful as he was Voldemort had restraint and a purpose. He killed with strategy. We now face Hermione, who is brilliant as it is with a wand, but now we face Hermione without common morals. You're telling me that you want to take on a woman that just used a stadium full of families as target practice? I'd rather have tea with Bellatrix thank you." Neville pointed out the flaws of Dean's plan.
"I agree with Neville and Dean. Yes we should engage but we must figure out how to do so with delicacy."
"I'm more inclined to agree with Mr. Longbottom. Ms. Granger seemed adamant with causing as much pain and despair. If I'm correct it was aimed at Mr. Potter?" Minerva gave her diplomatic suggestion with an apologetic look to her once student. Harry gave a shuddered breath as everyone turned to him for clarification. "About six and half years ago Hermione and I were having our usual weekly tea. She seemed a little subdued but hopeful all the same.
Memory
"Everything alright there, Moine?" Hazel eyes met emerald before she plastered a fake smile on.
"Top shape, just thinking is all, Harry." The man poured himself a cup of hot herbal tea, and then took his seat next to his obviously struggling friend. "It's alright to tell me anything. You know I'll help you as best as I can." The kind smile of his face made a flicker of guilt pass through her eyes but was quickly schooled.
She knew he saw it but didn't comment on it. People really didn't give the man enough credit for his acute ability to read people. "Have you ever been so sure of something just to be driven in the complete opposite direction?"
"Hello Hermione, my name is Harry Potter. The boy whose life is continuously driven in different directions." Both share a good laugh at the man. The room settled back down then Harry really took stock of his friend. A few silent tears fell into her cup and it was clear he truly misread the question.
"Hermione, I don't know what is going on between you and Ron, but we are friends. Not just me and Ron, but you as well. Don't feel like you can't come to me if it involves one of me best mates. I'll still knock sense into him if he doesn't treat you right"
"Thank you, Harry. I suppose I should get going." He stood and walked the sad woman to the door. Before she left though, he tried to reach her one last time.
"Hermione, if you want something just go for it. You're a strong woman and deserve to be happy. Nothing should stand in your way, not even my block head best friend." The smile she offered him nearly blinded him. He knew she had been wanting to hold off on kids to better her career. He felt accomplished at figuring that that was what she and Ron fought about that had his friend so down. He would have to speak to Ron about the pressure he was putting on his wife.
Memory End
"When she left, I flooed Ron to set up a meeting with him. Thought it would help if we talked man to man. Well, Ron always did have a bad temper but the naked aggression he was showing I just chalked up to embarrassment."
Memory
"What's going on, Harry? You seemed quite mum on the details of this visit." Harry sighed but didn't beat around the tree.
"It's about Hermione." Immediately the red-headed man perked up. "What about my wife?"
"Well, as you know we had our weekly tea and normally it's spent talking about our latest marriage blunders; this time she seemed distant and disoriented." Ron relaxed a bit but with slight apprehension still.
"Yeah, she's been in a right good fit lately. I think she's just nervous about us finally starting a family of our own."
"That's just it, mate. She nervous but Ron, I don't think she's ready yet. You know Hermione has always wanted a career before she settles down with children."
The boy who survived was taken about as Ice blue eyes turned cold with anger before him. "She doesn't need a career; I can and am supporting us both. We aren't getting any younger and I would like to have some kids before I turn ancient."
"Just because you are ready doesn't mean she is ready, Ron. I mean when have you ever known Mione to sit home and just wait on anyone to dote on her?"
Ron banged cup on the table spilling a little of contents all the while raising his voice. "It's not your business to worry about my wife! Our marriage is just fine and I am handling it. Hermione doesn't need a damn career if we have plenty of money to spare! She's supposed to wait for me to come home and dote on her, just like I'm supposed to lead my household just like dad and mum! If I say we are ready for kids then damn it, we are ready for kids!"
The chosen one could hardly believe his ears at the nonsense his pal was spewing. He watched as Ron stormed to the fireplace and took his immediate leave.
Memory End
The room all had mixed feelings running through it. Some of understanding, others of understanding but the most prominent was the look of disgust on Fleur's gorgeous features. Harry understood the look because he felt it himself. Draco's face held stone still and blank as he could manage; but even he couldn't hide the flicker of sickness he felt at the story. Harry felt his wife's hand on his shoulder and took it gladly.
"I told Ginny about what Hermione and I talked about, then about what Ron and I discussed. I expressed the concern I felt of both of them and she suggested that I stay out of it. Hearing how Ron reacted only solidified her words to stay out. I told her that Hermione was clearly hurting and reaching out for help. She argued that she should trust her husband enough to talk to him and settle it like the married couple that they are. We fought for most of the night and eventually it lead to her leaving for her mum's."
Harry sighed deeply recalling the heated discussion that nearly ended his relationship with her. "It was a bad time that. I sulked for the better part of the week before one night Hermione flooed into my living room."
Memory
The man sat in his overstuffed armchair with a glass of fire whiskey clutched tightly in his hand. He looked at the smoldering fire it somewhat alike with his soul at the moment. He scoffed at his relation to it as he sipped his poison. Ginny was gone thanks to his stupidity and here he was alone once more. He prepared to throw the glass into the awaiting fair pit right before it burned green and in ran a sobbing Hermione Ganger-Weasley. He became alarmed and stood to catch her as she fell into his arms.
"Hermione what on earth is the matter?" He attempted to calm the distraught woman but to no avail. He could only hold her as she sobbed uncontrollably.
"Hermione please love, I need to know what is wrong" The woman did her best to answer her friend between chocked sobs.
"R-Ron, he's s-s-so angry." A brief flash of anger remembering that this is what got him in trouble to begin with. He studied his friend's face for a moment. Tear streaks ran a river down her reddened cheeks. He looked a little further but stopped so he wouldn't risk seeing anymore of the redness that continued down past her chin. Instead he sat her down on the near-by couch.
Hermione's breath was catching but the water was slowly drying up. Harry paused but hated what he had to do. "Look Hermione, I know this isn't what you want to hear but you have to go back and talk to Ron; settle whatever it is that is coming between you two."
Brown narrowed with disbelief. "What? No Harry you don't understand I can't! Not after-"
"Yes you can, Hermione. You're a strong woman and I'm sorry that Ron is being a git right now but he loves you and he will listen after he calms down." The woman steadily pleaded with him that she couldn't but he just kept strong. If he didn't he would cave and become involved again and that didn't bode well for him anymore.
"Hermione, I can't be involved anymore. Ginny left me because I wouldn't leave it alone. Please just, you have to try; I just want to stay out of it." The look that cast itself into the woman's eyes scared Harry to the bone. It was fearful, resentment, but most of all, excruciating.
Without another word the fair skinned witch stood and left the way she came, but just a bit more broken.
Memory End
This is my first time writing to this magnitude any suggestions would be nice. Thank you