A/N: Writing this directly after the last chapter so sorry if I can't give everyone adequate thank you's, but if you guys have still kept reviewing, then it's safe to say that I completely love you. Thank you guys for following this story and experiment thus far, and I hope I continue to keep you guys happy.

Disclaimer: All JKR, not mine.

Chapter Seven: The Battlefield

Draco felt rather than saw the first attack on Malfoy Manor. The only one in that group that knew silent Apparition was Hermione, so the appearance of the rest of the Order of the Phoenix was punctuated by cracking that sounded a lot like a thunderstorm. Draco supposed it was a thunderstorm, after all. They had come for his broken peace; the promises he gave Hermione that his aunt and mother didn't let him keep. He still refused to accept his entire responsibility in this clusterfuck of a mess he had created, but he felt it, deep in his chest. This was his fault. And he was going to pay now.

As soon as the sound started, all sound stopped. This was a sneak attack, he concluded. And how convenient that they all showed up at the changing of the guard, when Rodolphus, the weak link, was stepping up to his place.

Draco hoped he was already dead. That would serve Bellatrix right. As quietly as possible, Draco slipped into the hallway and down to his and Hermione's training room. No, his training room. He couldn't have her in his mind today, or it would cost him his life. He knew there was at least one man out there with his death on his mind, and he would not give Ronald the satisfaction of dying by his hand.

No, if someone wanted him dead, it would have to be her.

~DM&HG~

Hermione had been allowed the first strike. She had left Rodolphus Stunned at his post, and against her will hoped that no one would come back to finish the job. She didn't want any part of murder, not unless it was Bellatrix.

She wasn't sure if it was the ability to use magic that elevated her emotions, but she felt her hatred of the woman coursing through her veins like fire. She had claimed Bellatrix as her own, knowing that if it came down to it, she would also have to claim Draco. She didn't intend for him to die here, which was why she had sent him the letter. She hoped he was somewhere long gone by now, because if he wasn't, Ronald would claim him first.

And Draco would have to be on his guard.

When they reached the drawing room, Hermione motioned for the group to split. Harry went one way with Ginevra, Ronald alone, and Theodore with Hermione. She crept slowly toward what she knew was the privy council chamber, knowing that if Bellatrix was lurking anywhere, it would be where she thought she held the most power.

She was not wrong.

~DM&HG~

Harry clutched Ginevra's hand tightly as they crept through the dark hallways of the Manor. This wasn't right; everything was too quiet. Ginevra clutched his hand in the dark. He turned his head only a fraction toward her so he could see her face.

Her wide eyes told him that there was someone at the end of the hall that he couldn't quite see yet. Her potent, pent up magic had already alerted her. He gave her a nod and crept a little ahead of her. He felt her wrist come to rest on his shoulder, her wand out, and heard her whisper "Protego."

He smiled and attacked.

~DM&HG~

Ronald stalked through the halls of the Manor, not bothering to be quiet. He wanted a fight, he didn't care who it was. Mostly, he wanted Draco's hide. He had seen the way Theodore looked at Hermione, the way he was clutching her hand when he found them in the garden, and it set his blood boiling once more. Why were these snakes slithering around his flower?

A movement caught his eye and he pointed his wand at it. His anger was so thick that it blew up without an incantation. Ronald brushed off his clothes of rubble and continued down the hallway, blowing holes in the walls as he went. If anyone was listening, they'd find him soon enough.

~DM&HG~

Bellatrix knew where she could be found; she knew who would come looking for her. The second Hermione and Theodore entered the drawing room, spells were flying at them. Theodore rushed to put up a Shield Charm, but Bellatrix's spells were too strong and it quickly disintegrated.

Hermione leaped behind a chair and paused, her eyes closed, listening for the footfalls of Draco's aunt. Silence had fallen once more. Somewhere to Hermione's right, the silence was only slightly disturbed. She leaped at the chance, firing a Stunning spell at the sound. She missed, and it ricocheted off the wall toward her.

Bellatrix was on the other side of the room, Hermione could see that now. The disturbed silence was nothing more than a sound she had procured to send Hermione in the other direction.

Their spells came fast and hard, and Hermione was almost thrown onto her back when one of Bellatrix's spells came dangerously close to her arm. She rolled to a cover place to protect herself and pulled herself into a crouch again. Her arm was bleeding; she could feel the wetness sliding down her shoulder to settle in the crook of her elbow.

Where was Theodore? She found him, still hiding behind a couch, sending small, inconspicuous spells to the furniture and the walls around them, trying to send pictures falling on Bellatrix to stun her. A flurry of anger hit her until she realized that Theodore was leaving the opening for her. She claimed Bellatrix, she would have to take her.

She stepped out from behind the couch, knowing she wouldn't be hiding again.

~DM&HG~

Harry's quiet spell hit Lucius almost before he realized they were there. He toppled over, Stunned, his eyes still open. Ginevra smirked and kicked him in the leg, looking for evidence of consciousness. When she found none, she Transfigured roped and tied him up.

"There's no reason that he should come back to find us later," she said to Harry's questioning glance.

They continued down the hall, knowing that if Lucius was guarding a door, they would only come upon more Soldiers.

They were not disappointed.

~DM&HG~

Ronald had been searching for someone, anyone to attack for almost half an hour, and even though he was sure he had blown up almost an entire wing of the castle, no one came to investigate the sounds. Frustrated, he let out a growl and blew up another part of the Manor, this time an expensive looking couch. But then again, everything looked expensive, he thought bitterly.

He came upon a door and shoved his way through it roughly. If no one was going to find him, he was going to find them.

The room was covered in cushion material, two doors on either side of the room. He entered one and found sets of training clothes, approximately the size Draco Malfoy would wear. He gagged indulgently, quickly exiting the room. He went to the next door to investigate.

It was another dressing room of sorts, but these clothes looked a little different. They were…shorter? No, that wasn't it. Suddenly, he caught sight of a tell tale accessory: a comb he had given Hermione to wear in her hair.

This was Hermione's dressing room. For…training? Curious, he started rifling through the clothes, finding nothing of interest. Why would Malfoy have a dressing room in a training room for Hermione? Women dueling was almost unheard of, except, of course, during wartime. But…if Hermione was supposed to marry Malfoy in the name of peace, why would she need to train?

He wasn't sure what to think, but he knew he didn't like it.

He distantly heard the door to the training room open, and whirled around, wand up. Slowly and carefully he eased the door open. He just barely caught a glimpse of Draco Malfoy's blond head as he ducked into the other dressing room.

Now was his chance.

~DM&HG~

"Aw, little Mudblood has come to play," Bellatrix cooed in her maddening baby voice. They were facing each other now, wands in dueling position, waiting for the other to break concentration. Hermione ignored her, but her magic bubbled up. She struggled to hold it back.

"Does it hurt your feelings, knowing that Draco already has another girl waiting for him?" Bellatrix asked. Hermione's fingers tightened around her wand, and she had to close her eyes when it sparked.

Bellatrix used that opening.

"Crucio!" She shouted. Hermione fell to her knees, her jaw clenched tightly. She struggled against the fire that ground her bones. Finally, after almost thirty seconds of almost painful silence, a scream wrenched itself from her throat and she fell to the floor, convulsing.

Theodore watched desperately from his hiding place. Hermione had claimed Bellatrix, the headstrong girl; he was powerless to help unless she asked. But it looked like she wouldn't be asking any time soon.

~DM&HG~

Hermione's scream alerted the other Soldiers to the invasion. They were up and assembling before Harry and Ginevra could attack. Harry raised his wand, and Ginevra grabbed his hand and pulled it down. She gave him a wink and pointed her wand at Anton Dolohov. Very quietly, he heard her whisper, "Imperio."

His body went momentarily rigid before it relaxed back into his normal posture. Harry watched, astonished, as Dolohov turned to Amycus and Alecto Carrow and said "We should split up. Cover more ground that way."

The others murmured their assent, and the Carrows followed Dolohov straight down the hall to Harry and Ginny. She nudged him with her elbow.

In only a few seconds, three more Soldiers had been Stunned and detained.

Harry turned to his wife incredulously. "I didn't know you could use Unforgiveables."

Ginevra gave him a steady look that shook him. "They aren't unforgivable when they're going to save lives," she said. Harry realized then that he had married possibly the most dangerous woman he had ever come across.

He gave her a swift kiss and led her through the dark to find another one of the Soldier groups.

~DM&HG~

At the sound of Hermione's scream, Draco tore himself from the dressing room and back into the training room. Ronald watched him run, marveling at his absolute panic, before he called him back.

"Going to finish her off?" He called.

Draco froze but didn't turn around. "I wouldn't do that, Weasley," he said. "I'm going to help her."

"Yeah, because you really helped her when you broke the treaty."

"I didn't break the fucking treaty, Weasley, this is all a huge mistake," Draco said, finally turning around. "I made a comment to my aunt and she went ballistic. Why would I send that crazy bitch to break an engagement anyway? Don't you think I would be sadistic enough to watch her face when I dumped her?"

He meant the question hypothetically, but it didn't seem like Ronald cared. "I think you're sadistic enough to make her love you and then rip her heart out," he snarled. "You don't need to see her face when you do it."

Draco shook his head firmly. "She doesn't love me, Weasley. You should be glad about that. Maybe you have a chance again."

Once again, he meant the statement…hell, he didn't even know. Sarcastically? Hypothetically? He didn't mean to provoke Ronald, he just didn't feel like answering for crimes he hadn't even fully justified yet.

A curse flew just over his head and Draco felt his patience wane. Hermione, somewhere, screamed again, her voice breaking. "Can't we fight later, when Hermione is safe?" He pleaded. Ronald gave him a suspicious look but lowered his arm.

"Lead the way," he said.

~DM&HG~

Hermione couldn't see, couldn't feel. She didn't even realize she was still screaming. It wasn't until her voice broke and faltered that she realized the noise that was puncturing her ears was her own voice. She dissolved into tears. Bellatrix had stopped the spell. Faintly, she could see Theodore, trying to behave the way Hermione wanted him to, behind the couch. Very delicately, she tilted her head toward Bellatrix, and then back to him.

She conceded Bellatrix to Theodore. With one nod, Theodore jumped up from behind the couch.

"Sectumsempra!" He shouted. Bellatrix's maniacal laughter stopped as the blood splattered sickeningly against the floor. Her face, already pale, was slowly gaining the color of Draco's grey eyes. She gasped, clutching at herself, and fell, slipping in her own blood. Theodore ignored her and ran to Hermione, who was barely conscious.

Suddenly, Bellatrix's choking and spluttering sounds stopped. Hermione felt herself slip closer to unconsciousness, but Theodore nudged her gently.

"That's not a good idea, Hermione," he said. "If you close your eyes, you might never open them again.

A loud crash made him look up from her body. Draco was holding onto the wall, barely staying upright, his face paler than usual. He looked from Bellatrix to Hermione, both in similar prostrate poses on the floor. He knew Bellatrix was dead, but Hermione. Hermione looked like she was well on her way to joining her.

With a strangled cry, he tried to go to her. Theodore had her head in his lap; Draco didn't even want to think about what that meant. Ronald grabbed his arm.

"Don't even think about it," he said.

"Bella?"

Draco didn't have to turn to know his mother had entered the room. He held out his arms for his mother and caught her as she slid into him, sobbing for her sister.

"Draco," she said between sobs. "Draco, you have to get us out of here," she said. "Kill them."

Draco, shocked, looked down at his mother's stricken, tearstained face. Belatedly, he knew that this is what Hermione looked like when he broke the treaty. His eyes slid up to Ronald. Turning his mother over to the Order would do a lot to get him back in their good graces. He could just, push her over to Weasley and solve all of the problems right there. But she was his mother.

Ronald gave him a look that clearly said "give it your best shot." And even though it hurt more than it should have, Draco Disapparated, holding his mother.