**Disclaimer: I do not own any part of Harry Potter the amazingly talented JK Rowling does…I just enjoy playing with her characters.
**Please let me know what you think!
Chapter 12:
What do you know about horcruxes?
Draco stood leaning against the counter as the sausage sizzled in the pan next to him looking utterly perplexed. Horcruxes he thought, horcruxes? He felt as though he'd heard the term before but couldn't recall where. "I think I've heard the term once…maybe twice but I have no idea what it means" he admitted. Usually he didn't like feeling ignorant or inferior with magical knowledge but Hermione was his mate…he could be honest with her and not feel shame.
He was surprised when he felt her nervousness subside and raised a questioning brow. "Why are you relieved?" he asked. "What the hell are they?"
"I'm sorry," she blushed "I was just glad that your father hadn't taught you about them" he scowled, thinking she was pleased to know something he didn't about dark magic. "It's not because I want to know more about this or hold it over your head Draco" she said clearly interpreting his thoughts. "It's because it's the darkest magic in existence." His blonde eyebrows nearly disappeared into his hairline at her declaration. Confusion and concern flitted through both his mind and the bond as he wondered what sort of mission they'd been given…especially if it revolved around dark magic.
"Then why the bloody hell are you studying them? What kind of mission did Dumbledore give you?" he ground out as his wolf growled at the potential danger she was putting herself in, again.
Hermione felt a flare of anger intermixed with worry bleed across the bond and decided to explain quickly, "We're hunting them…not making them. Please, let me explain" she pleaded as she gripped the book tightly between her hands. She watched Draco clench his jaw before nodding for her to continue. "Horcruxes, are objects where a wizard has hidden a piece of their soul in order to escape death."
"That's not possible" Draco stated flatly. "You can't split your soul…let alone take it from your body without damaging yourself significantly" he argued, never having heard of such magic before.
"True, the individual would suffer damage to their humanity, primarily their personality and psyche. I wish I could say it's impossible Draco, but it's not. Horcruxes are very real…"
"If that were the case then why don't more people make them?" he asked in irritation. He felt if immortality was a possibility more people would make these hidden objects.
"Partly because of the side effects and partly because the process of splitting the soul includes murder" she retorted. Draco's eyes widened a fraction as he listened to her explain about Harry's lessons with Dumbledore and the reason as to why they were hunting the horcruxes.
"That's why he was able to come back…why he's so…inhuman" he said in disbelief. After listening to her extensive explanation, he understood why the knowledge had been kept secret and why she'd been hesitant in informing him.
"Unfortunately, yes" she nodded and bit her lip waiting for the onslaught of questions.
"That's what the three of you have been up to…why Potter hasn't come into the open to fight him…" he sputtered as the pieces began to click together. Potter, Weasley, and Hermione weren't hiding to save their skins, they'd been working on a way to make the Dark Lord vulnerable and able to die…permanently. "You said there were seven…how many are left?" he asked after he'd processed everything she'd said.
"Harry destroyed the diary in second year with basilisk venom and Dumbledore destroyed the ring…but I'm not sure how. There are very few things that are capable of destroying them, which I can explain later, but that leaves four outside of he-who-must-not-be-named. We have the locket, though we had yet to destroy it before we were separated, then there's Hufflepuff's cup, something of Ravenclaw's, and the snake" she answered sufficiently as though it'd been an exam question.
"Nagini? Really? I always thought he had control of her because he's a parseltongue?" he said and a shiver ran down his spine as he recalled the horrific image of the snake consuming professor Burbage's lifeless corpse.
"That certainly helped" she agreed, eyeing him warily as fear and disgust trickled through the bond. "Are you alright?" she asked with concern.
"Yes, fine…I…" he stopped abruptly as he caught sight of her pursed lips and arched brow. "Damn bond" he muttered before exhaling sharply and diverting his gaze. "The snake terrifies me, I've watched it…" he swallowed hard as he tried to find the right words "well let's just say I've seen enough that she haunts my nightmares regularly." Hermione's eyes softened in understanding as he frowned and added "You know this bond is going to be difficult to get used to, right?"
"I don't know…I kind of like it" she admitted. "I like knowing how you really feel" she said as her lips quirked up into a smile. At the sight of his grimace she crossed the room and wrapped her arms around his waist as he turned to remove the sausages from the pan.
He sighed and shook his head as he cracked eggs into the skillet. "I get that it's hard Draco…" she began, sensing his frustration.
"No, I knew I'd have to go through this one day…but you have to understand I've been raised my entire life to mask my emotions because if anyone could read you it gave them power over you" he tried to explain as lectures from his father rang in his ears. He would admit being bonded to Hermione felt amazing…but he was use to his feelings being private.
"I can understand that logic if you surround yourself with people who would use anything to exploit you…but I personally believe my emotions give me power. The unforgivable curses are the perfect example, you have to have true emotion behind them in order for them to work. It's how wild magic works too…unbridled emotion makes you lose control and can send powerful waves of magic through the air. Finding a balance is best, but when I'm fighting, I think of my loved ones to boost my power." Draco turned and folded her into his arms as she whispered "Can you tell me that you wouldn't fight harder for me?"
"I think you're the only person I'd fight that hard for" he said honestly as he nuzzled her neck.
The next two and a half weeks passed in a blur of love making, research, and spell practice.
Hermione had attempted to head into town alone the day before the start of the full moon cycle, to stock up on food and other necessities, but Draco refused to let her go alone. She wasn't sure if it was because of the bond, the war, or because the full moon was upon them. Deciding not to argue with him she allowed him to accompany her because he was already on edge and convinced he would hurt her…no matter how many times she tried to reassure him.
Christmas eve fell the day after the full moon cycle and Draco had noticed how withdrawn Hermione had become after they'd been to town. Lights, wreaths, ornaments, and trees decorated the little community of Upper Flagley and though her eyes had initially brightened with excitement it was quickly replaced with melancholy.
After he had finished putting the groceries away, Draco found her curled into the corner of a couch with her head buried in a historical tome about Rowena Ravenclaw. She was wearing jeans and her favorite white knit jumper with her hair pulled back haphazardly. Draco sat down and pulled her feet into his lap, he found that the closer they were to the full moon the harder it was for him to keep his hands off of her.
"Hermione?" he said interrupting her reading.
"Hmmm?" she halfheartedly responded. He sighed as he reached out, plucked the book from her grasp, and closed it. "Draco!" she cried with indignation.
"I want to talk to you" he said seriously as he met her irritated gaze with one of determination. She huffed and crossed her arms, infuriated by how often they had to discuss her safety. All she could feel through the bond anymore was his fear and concern over her and it was driving her absolutely spar.
"We've already discussed this" she growled, "you are not going to hurt me, Draco. I refuse to lock myself or you away for three days. You are just going to have to get..."
"That's not what I want to talk about" he interjected even though he still held concerns about hurting her in his wolf state.
"Oh..." she blushed slightly at having assumed and instantly lashing out. "What did you want to talk about?"
"I know you aren't concerned about the next three days, but I do know something is bothering you…ever since we went into town you've been…" he paused looking for the right word "down. What happened? Did I miss something?" She clenched her jaw and looked down at her hands, she knew he'd notice and had hoped he'd chalk it up to the full moon. But of course, he had to be more intuitive than that.
"It's nothing really…just me being silly" she said in attempt to avoid discussing the depression she felt. The entire year had been nerve-wracking and strenuous…and she knew it was ridiculous to feel such a way about something so trivial when there was a war going on.
"I don't believe you" he retorted. "If it were nothing, you'd have already moved on but when I mentioned it you seemed worse than before." Hermione pursed her lips in irritation and cursed the bond for the first time. "Hey if I don't get to hide my feelings, you don't get to hide yours" Draco said with a small chuckle. "Come on Hermione, tell me what's upset you." She sighed and looked past him through the window at the snow-covered ground.
"When we're here it's easy to forget, but in town I remembered it was nearly Christmas" she began and looked down at her hands again. "At first I got excited because it's our first one together…but then I remembered there wasn't anyone else to celebrate with. Not that being just with you is a bad thing…but Christmas is my favorite time of the year and my mum and I usually bake cookies and sing Carol's as we decorate the tree. And they'd always wait for me to come home to do it." She paused to wipe a few stray tears from her eyes "I remembered that that won't happen this year…that…" she broke off gasping for breath as she tried to suppress the sobs.
Draco pulled her onto his lap and wrapped his arms tightly around her as she continued. "T-this year they…they don't even kn-know I exist" she stammered out before breaking down into tears. "And to make matters worse I don't even know if my best friends are alive…Draco, I'm sorry but I just don't know what to do anymore," her voice resonated with defeat as she clung to him for reassurance. "We keep researching the same things and aren't any further along than we were three months ago. And I know we'll have to try and go back soon…but I'm scared to find out what's happened…and with Christmas, I want to do something with you but I feel like I'm betraying my parents in doing so…" she murmured into the crook of his neck before falling to pieces once more.
Draco was at a loss for words as every worry and fear she'd kept bottled inside came pouring out. He too had always had Christmas with his family but it was a cold ridged affair where they attended balls, indulged in an elegant holiday meal, and retired to their own rooms separately. Gifts were given only to show off as they were meaningless and rarely anything fun. Outside of the broomsticks he'd been given, his parents usually only bought him clothes or books in order to prepare him for adulthood. Clearly his mates' Christmas's were filled with love and laughter.
Draco was reluctant to say anything that would make matter's worse, so he simply held her close and stroked her hair until her tears subsided. It wasn't until he felt her breathing even out that he realized she'd fallen asleep.
After laying her on the couch and covering her with a thick blanket he went to make dinner. Standing over the stove, he tried to think of a way to comfort her and bring back the sanguine light in her eyes. This was their first Christmas together after all and he wanted it to be special…no matter where they were.
The next morning Draco woke early and snuck out of the house. He knew it was a full moon day so he only had a few hours of daylight to carry out the plan he devised the night before. His wolf was angry with the idea of leaving their mate behind, alone and unprotected. He seemed to think it didn't matter that they could feel her sleeping through the bond he needed to be by her side.
After arguing needlessly with the wolf for several minutes Draco made his way into town. He stopped into a local store in search of a small Christmas gift he had in mind for Hermione. He knew she wouldn't expect anything, but this was something he'd wanted to buy her. Once he'd made his purchase he hurried from the store and down the street to an open lot in search of a lush green Christmas tree, wreath, and garland. Making his way into a deserted ally he shrank nearly all of his purchases and slid them into his pocket. To avoid suspicious inquiries, he chose to drag the tree back to the house and was once again grateful for the wolf and his immeasurable strength.
As he headed up the path, he felt Hermione's pleasure in having woken to his morning note.
He'd told her he'd drawn her a bath and requested she relax while he sorted breakfast. She had no idea he'd risked going into town with his wolf so close to the surface. But he figured she would be proud of him for not losing his temper or snapping at the sales associates when they attempted to over-charge him.
Stopping on the porch Draco pulled out his wand and transfigured a rock into a tree stand before levitating them into the house. He set the tree up in the corner next to the fireplace before enlarging the rest of his purchases. Using a temporary sticking charm, he hung the garland around the living room and the wreath upon the door before rushing up to the second bedroom to hide Hermione's gift.
Hermione laid comfortably in the deep transfigured tub when she heard the front door open. Through the bond she could feel that Draco was both nervous and excited about something. She wondered what he was up to and strained her ears in attempt to figure it out. Unfortunately, his wolf tendencies gave him the unfair ability to move around silently so she couldn't hear more than the rustle of his coat and the sound of a pan being slid into the oven.
Grumbling under her breath she closed her eyes and tried to relax in the steaming bath. Minutes later they fluttered back open when the bedroom door creaked open. Draco stood leaning on the door frame dressed casually in a steel grey knit jumper and jeans. His grey eyes were already threaded with gold as they lingered on her body and sent heat to her core. "Do you want to join me?" she asked softly, hoping he'd agree. Draco quirked an eyebrow as his wolf hummed in agreement and urged him to go to his mate.
Join her...take her, he urged as his heartbeat accelerated in excitement. They could sense her yearning through the bond, imploring him to claim her then and there.
Not yet he said to the wolf, fighting the urge to climb into the tub.
"Breakfast's nearly ready" he said, his eyes remaining locked on hers as he avoided looking in the mirror. He knew she wasn't bothered by the scars but for him they only served as a reminder of his failure and the life he used to live.
But it brought you to her, his wolf growled, irritated with his self-loathing.
True, it brought us to her, Draco agreed as he softly smiled at Hermione.
"Breakfast sounds amazing, I'll finish up and be right down" she replied, mirroring his smile. Idly she wondered what he was up to, seeing that this was the first time he'd passed up an opportunity to shag her.
Draco nodded before giving her another appreciative once over and heading back downstairs. He sat back on the couch and took several breaths in order to settle his nerves. Breathing in deep he could smell the pine tree and garland, the burning wood, the quiche baking, the snow falling, and Hermione's lingering jasmine and vanilla scent that enveloped him everywhere he went.
His heart pounded with anxiety as he patiently waited for her, hoping she would appreciate what he'd done. This was the first time he'd endeavored in bettering the life of someone else. He'd grown up in a cold house with apathetic traditions, trained to be self-reliant and unfeeling. But being with Hermione made him want more than that…to be more, for her. In the three weeks they'd been mated he felt happier than he'd ever recalled and though they were on the brink of rejoining a war, their temporary home was filled with love and affection.
He listened as Hermione finished in the tub and stepped out to get dressed. His senses were on high alert, setting him on edge because she was out of sight. Forcing himself to stay seated, he took several more calming breaths and concentrated on the sound of her milling around their room. As she began descending the stairs, he stood to meet her at the bottom step.
Before her feet touched the bottom landing, he scooped her up in his arms and kissed her like he'd just gotten back from war. Calmness swept through him when she embraced him and wrapped her legs around his torso. "You could have joined me in the tub ya know" she said as she pulled back breathlessly.
"No, if I had I wouldn't have been able to surprise you" he said before pressing another kiss to her lips.
"Surprise?" she asked before peering through the archway behind him. Her breath hitched at the sight of the greenery decorating the room. Draco watched as tears sprang to her eyes and felt the convergence of sadness and elation through the bond.
"I listened to what you said yesterday and you're right. This is our first Christmas together and I know it's not ideal but I didn't want to skip it because of the war…I hope that's okay" he added as she blinked the tears from her eyes and awarded him with a soft smile.
"I never knew you could be this sweet" she whispered as she tightened her arms around his neck, pulling herself flush with him. "Thank you, Draco" she said and kissed him thoroughly. Internally he smirked, pleased that he'd brought a smile back to her face.
"Want to decorate them?" he asked as he led her into the room. Her eyes lit up as she contemplated the various colors she could use. Before he could say anymore she raised her wand and began gliding it over the room. Blue, silver, and white ornamentations covered the greenery before she flicked her wand and added several everlasting icicles. She bit her lip in concentration as she stared over the decorations, feeling that she'd missed something. Draco chortled before raising his own wand and adding a luminous gold star to the top of the tree and a red skirt to cover the base.
"Perfect" she said as a contented smile graced her lips. Draco moved forward and wrapped his arms around her waist while he admired her detailed spellwork.
"Yes…it is" he whispered before trailing his lips down the side of her neck, grumbling at the tight collared knit jumper she was wearing. Reaching up he made to pull her collar to the side but she smacked his hand.
"Don't you dare, you'll ruin my sweater" she chastised.
To Draco's horror he whined when she twisted from his arms and made to walk into the kitchen. Stopping mid-step, she turned back to him with a raised brow "Don't" he warned, not wanting her to say anything about his damned wolf's need to hold her close.
"Did you just…" she began to ask as she bit back a smile.
"It's not funny, my bloody wolf doesn't like having you out of arms reach" he growled as he moved to stand next to her.
"You weren't like this last month" she admonished.
"We weren't mated last month…" he supplied trying to hide the fact he'd wanted her even then. She looked inquisitively at him and stepped backwards a few steps…smirking when he followed her. "Stop, it's not funny."
"Mated or not you were able to keep your distance last time and this morning" she pointed out.
"Last time we weren't mated and if you recall I nearly attached you when my wolf got free…this morning I had other plans but I had to fight the wolf the entire time to keep my distance. It's not easy and honestly I'd just rather have you in my arms" he said with a smug smile as he caged her against the counter.
"Draco…" she sighed as he nipped her mark through the knit fabric of her jumper. "If you keep doing that breakfast will burn" she groaned as he trailed kisses up her neck. He growled when she tried to pull back and buried his head into the crook of her shoulder. Hermione whimpered as he assaulted her mark, sending tingling magic down her spine and across her chest as he nuzzled her. The lingering magic was euphoric, making her eyes roll back as his hands wandered down her body. The acrid smell of burning food snapped her to her senses and she pushed him away "Dammit Draco" she growled as she grabbed the oven mitts and pulled out the quiche. Luckily only the edges were burned and the center was still edible.
"Forget the food" he said huskily in her ear. Draco wanted nothing more than to throw her over his shoulder, take her upstairs, and ravish her until they both collapsed from exhaustion.
"Hmmm, I don't think so, you had your chance this morning" she teased. "Now, I want to eat breakfast and get a bit more research done before tonight. I'll not have you distracting me, that book I'm reading has quite a bit about Rowena. We need to concentrate on the Horcruxes…" he looked dejected at her statement "look…" his gold threaded silver eyes gazed intently into hers "we both know by tonight your wolf is going to be overly zealous. I can almost guarantee that if you wear me out now he won't care and you'll end up hurting me." Her statement brought a flicker of fear into his eyes and he swallowed hard.
"I should stay in the spare..."
"No, don't even think about it. Your wolf can barely stand being across the room let alone down the hall. I'll be alright…" she promised as she reached up and stroked his cheek. "Come on, let's eat" she said turning to take the pan to the table. Draco sighed and dropped the argument, closely following her with the plates and cutlery.
They spent the rest of the day snuggled on the couch reading about the Hogwarts founders. Hermione sat with her feet on the coffee table while Draco was sprawled across the couch with his head in her lap.
As she read the text before her about all four founder's she leisurely ran her fingers through Draco's platinum blonde hair. He closed his eyes and reveled in her tender touch as the book he held rested open against his chest.
Just as he began slipping into unconsciousness, he heard Hermione huff in frustration. "What's wrong?" he mumbled as his golden grey eyes flickered open.
"We aren't getting anywhere" she growled as the sun dipped low in the sky, casting shadows across the room. "Every book is the same in describing the founders and their few items." Draco sat up and leaned over her shoulder "Slytherin's locket, which we have" she flipped through the pages as she spoke. "Gryffindor's sword, which we know he never got ahold of; the lost diadem of Ravenclaw, which it's been lost for hundreds of years so we know that can't be the object he has…and Hufflepuff's cup, we know this is one but no idea where..." Draco's eyes widened as he stared at the ornate golden cup pictured before him. A memory flickered into his mind and Hermione's words were lost on him.
"You're sure this is one?" he asked her seriously.
"Yes, Riddle took this and the necklace from that old witch. I told you this already…" she trailed off as he snatched the book from her hands to examine the photograph.
"You did…but I've seen this. Hermione, I saw the dar…him give this to my aunt. I didn't know this is what it was, I wasn't supposed to even know about it." Her eyes went wide as she stared at him.
"You saw the cup? Why didn't you say anything last week? Why…?"
"This is the first picture I've seen of it…I didn't realize what it was he gave my batty aunt" he snapped in irritation that she thought he'd withheld information from her.
"There's no reason to snap at me" she quipped, knowing his wolf made him edgy and a swinging ball of emotions. "Please just tell me what you remember."
"I was in the library at the manor…hiding" he admitted, refusing to meet her eyes. "Aunt Bella came in with him, they were speaking in hushed tones and obviously thought they were alone. Hardly anyone used the library…which is why I hid there…" he paused recalling the fear he felt as he watched them from the floor between the shelves. "Anyways he said he had a request of her because of her loyalty…blah blah…and he pulled out the box telling her to protect it with her life. When she opened it, she held up this cup" he gestured to the picture. "I'm positive it was this cup. She told him she'd put it in the safest place she knew…" his gold threaded eyes locked with her intense brown "…her Gringotts vault" he nearly whispered.
They stared at each other for several long minutes, each of them understanding exactly what this meant. They'd found a horcrux…but it would be nearly impossible to retrieve it. Draco ran a hand down his face as Hermione stood and began pacing the floor in front of him. "You're sure? One hundred percent certain that's where she put it?" she asked after several contemplative moments.
"Yes, I'm sure" he bit out, irritated at her lack of confidence in him and the fact that though they knew where it was there was no safe way to apprehend it.
"I'm sorry, I believe you but this…this is the break through we've needed" she trailed off in thought as she bit her lip and ran her hands through her hair. "I need to tell Harry and Ron…we won't be able to break in without them" Draco's head snapped up at her words.
"You can't be fucking serious Hermione! Do you have any idea how dangerous it would be to break into Gringotts? It's not ran just by goblins anymore; dark wizards guard the doors and that's not to mention the security measures placed by our vaults!" he bellowed and stood as fury overrode his senses. She was going to endanger herself again, this time dragging him into the fray because he wouldn't be able to let her go alone. The thought of her being hurt or dying twisted his insides.
"What do you mean by our vaults?" she questioned as he stepped towards her protectively.
"I mean the Lestrange vault is in the deepest part of Gringotts, alongside the oldest wizarding families…including the Malfoy's. It's impossible to get past all of their traps and spells without being caught. I won't let you do this. I can't lose you…" his voice went up an octave as panic flooded into her and gold shone brightly in his eyes once more. She glanced out the window and saw the sun had gone down, realizing his wolf would be right at the surface fighting for control. Swallowing her pride, she backpedaled to keep the wolf placated, knowing he was unreasonably overprotective and dangerous when angry.
"Okay…" she held up her hands in surrender, knowing it was best not to argue with him right now. "We won't go…we won't go Draco" she said softly as she reached up and cupped his face. "I'll stay here with you" she whispered before ghosting her lips over his, calming the tremors in his shoulders.
"Stay" he breathed before he wound his hands into her hair and roughly kissed her.
