Viventibus Mortem


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VII The Plan

"What do you mean you are in love with a mudblood?!" Lucius Malfoy yelled at his son as he sat behind the desk that belonged to Hermione's father.

"Just what you think it means," Draco's voice was above normal indoor levels, but not quite yelling like his father was. "I'm going to ask her to marry me," he admitted to his father.

"And have half-blood children?!" Lucius Malfoy bellowed. "I cannot, I will not, allow any half-bloods in this family! Malfoy's are purebloods and you will have a pureblood heir!"

"I don't care about blood!" Draco was shouting at him now. "I don't care what you want any more! I cared before and ended up with this!" Hermione could imagine him shoving his dark mark in Lucius's face. She quietly made her way upstairs to see Ayame standing at the top looking down at her.

"You would think they could discuss that in their own home," he said quietly. "They might as well move in with us." Hermione collapsed in his arms in tears. "What's wrong little lion?" He whispered her family's endearment to her while holding her tighter to himself as she trembled and the yelling continued downstairs in her father's study. He allowed Hermione to pull him into her bedroom and set up silencing charms while he waited patiently for her to explain.

"I don't know how to say this without being blunt," she whispered. Ayame looked down at her worriedly.

"What is it little lion?" He asked softly. Hermione sobbed quietly into his chest while telling him her theory for Lucius's cure, how she delivered antidote than what happened after, and finished with Madame Pomfrey's diagnosis of her current state.

"What do I do Aya?" She whispered. "He is obviously going to tell me to terminate it and I already know I can't do that." Ayame held her tighter while she sobbed. He felt like going downstairs and knocking the elder Malfoy down a peg or two but then the reason for his actions would then be known.

"You don't worry about that," he said quietly while calming himself. "I'm going to be here for you, always," he promised her and himself again while he held her tighter and gently rocked her until she fell asleep. He quietly made his way downstairs to grab the cordless landline.

"Is Hermione back yet?" Draco asked Ayame when he entered the kitchen.

"Yes," he answered grabbing the phone and turned to leave. "Her food poisoning will last a bit longer," he added. "She's already been to see the Healer at Hogwarts," he said before turning to leave again, then put the phone down and grabbed the keys to the car instead. "Would you keep an eye on her?" Ayame asked. "I'll only be gone thirty minutes." Draco nodded and turned back to his tea and the house elf sitting across from him.

"What do you think Thyme?" He asked the old elf, one of the three Malfoy family elves to survive the collapse of the Manor out of the hundred or so they previously had.

"I's be thinking nothing bad about my masters," he answered. Draco just smiled at him.

"You're a good elf," he said quietly.

HeArT*hEaRt

Ayame drove for nearly ten minutes before parking the car near the closest telephone booth. He looked across the street at the red structure before taking a deep breath and locking the doors after he exited the automobile and crossing the busy intersection carefully. He picked up the reciever and hesitated to dial the operator but finally did so after convincing himself that this was the right choice.

"I would like to make a long-distance call," he said to the operator. "Please connect me with Hatori Sohma in Japan." He waited for five rings, fighting with himself not to hang up after every ring.

"Hello," a voice answered.

"Tori-san!" Ayame half-heartedly sang into the phone.

"Ayame!" Hatori suddenly sounded alert. "What are you doing in London? Do you know how mad Akito-san is! Do you know how long we have been looking for you?!" Ayame covered the phone before releasing the deep breath he had taken.

"I think I might be going home soon Tori-san," Ayame announced happily.

"What do you mean you think?" His cousin asked. "You are going to come home even if we have to drag you!"

"Akito-san has no more authority over me!" Ayame said in an icy voice, dropping his happy façade. He heard Hatori take a sudden deep breath.

"Y-you've-"

"Yes," Ayame interrupted him. "I'm no longer cursed."

"How do you know for sure?" Hatori asked.

"Never mind that," Ayame rolled his eyes. "Can I count on your honour that you will not run to Akito-san with what I am about to tell you?" There was a pregnant pause before Hatori answered.

"You have my word," he decided.

"I plan on bringing home a young woman who has a secret that is bigger than ours," Ayame hesitantly announced. He heard Hatori take another breath.

"What kind of secret?" He asked.

"I cannot disclose that," Ayame answered. Hatori let out a disbelieving laugh. "If I tell you I would literally die."He heard the phone fall from Hatori's hand.

"Is she in trouble?" He asked apprehensively. "Is she in some gang?"

"No," Ayame answered. "Nothing like you are thinking. If she wants you to know her secret she will tell you, and if she goes along with what I am planning I will be announcing to the family that she is going to have a child." He heard the phone drop again.

"Are you serious?" Hatori hissed. "You impregnated this woman!"

"No," Ayame answered. "She's like a little sister to me," he smiled. "I want to take care of her because I love her as a sibling."

"Won't Yuki be jealous," Hatori stated wryly. Ayame could practically see Hatori rolling his eyes.

"I just have to run my plan by her and see what she thinks," Ayame said. "You are not to tell anyone anything other than she is expecting."

"If she is pregnant and you plan on living with her Akito-san will want to see you both either way," Hatori said knowingly. "It will not be pleasant."

"I know, but I want to delay seeing Akito-san as long as possible," Ayame frowned.

"We won't be able to protect her," Hatori warned.

"I am not worried about that." Hatori could hear the smirk in Ayame's voice and that made him worried. "She can protect herself just fine, and I should warn you...she has the temperament of a lioness." Ayame could practically see Hatori shiver and silently laughed the whole drive home. He quietly entered Hermione's room to see her lying awake with tear filled eyes.

"No more tears little lion," he whispered, lying next to her and wiping the tears from her eyes and the trail of water they left behind, away. "I have a plan," he said quietly. Hermione looked up at him hopefully. "It has a lot of holes right now," he warned, "but it will work." Hermione nodded and continued to listen. "I know you can change your passport and identification with magic. I want us to go to Japan."

"What?" Hermione asked, alarmed. "But your family..." she drifted off.

"I will go back to my family for you if you come with me," Ayame whispered.

"Akito will try to harm you again," she looked worried. Ayame just smiled and gave a small laugh.

"You don't worry that he will try and harm you?" He chuckled and pulled her closer to himself. Hermione draped her arm around him. "You're my precious little sister," he whispered. "I am worried he will try to harm you or have your memories erased," he unconsciously held her tighter. "Akito-san will just know of your...condition and that we will be living together. You take your time thinking about this and tell me when you come up with something better," he smiled. Hermione shook her head.

"I think that is a good plan," she said softly and looked up at him worriedly. "But is it the best plan?" Ayame just smiled down at her.

"I'm not worried about that," he chuckled. "We will slowly gather everything you need and leave soon," he said gently.

"I will talk to Kingsley," Hermione said quietly. "He is the only one that can help me with this plan. I want it to work," she said determinedly. "Kings can make up 'official' documents that will allow me to work at a muggle or magical job."

hEaRt*HeArT

Please forgive me for doing this, but I needed to get away. I realise now what a mistake it was to move back into the home where I lost the two people who meant the world to me. I should have listened to you all when you said I should wait at home while we all fought to defeat Voldemort. I fear that has made everything worse. Please remember that I love you all and I thank you with my whole heart for being there for me when I needed you. I say this to each and every one of you...I love you. Please do not look for me. I promise to write.

Hermione J. Granger

Lucius found the letter, with a sticking charm applied to the parchment, stuck to the library doors of Hermione's home five weeks later. Draco alerted the Order of Hermione's flight while his father sulked inside the library. Everyone saw a side to Kingsley Shacklebolt, whose actions even scared the wizard himself, as he ordered Aurors to track her whereabouts in every corner of England, France, even the States with the help of the American Ministry. Severus and Lucius used up every single favour and every contact in their search for the young witch. Still, after two months of continuous searching, not even a needle in the proverbial haystack could be found among the thousands of straws.


I was, and still am, a little anxious about this chapter...

I keep thinking about this Korean song, What Should I Do? By a singer named Jang Geun Suk. I heard it a while ago whenever I reread this chapter I think of it..

youtube DOT com /watch?v=CpTTX-47f5k

Thought I would share it for whoever wants to take the time to listen...