Hello lovely readers. As always thank you all for your reviews, follows and favourites. I've had some lovely thoughtful reviews this week and I feel like I haven't had enough time to write responses which are equally lovely so I apologise to you all. Your reviews really do make my day and keep me writing. Big thanks to Planless for her editing of this chapter.

I hope it's ok - writing action scenes is not my forte (I'm more of a lover than a fighter!) so I hope it's reasonably clear what's going on!

It was a week before Lucius was summoned. A week during which Hermione became increasingly nervous. A week during which surely Voldemort must have regained his strength. Nevertheless her plan was laid and she would see it through.

She was dressing for dinner when Lucius knocked on her bedroom door. Only Lucius would knock. The house elves came and went as they pleased with little consideration for Hermione's modesty. Lucius entered at her behest and politely averted his eyes from her half dressed form. Hermione almost smiled at his archaic manners. Only a few hours before he had thrust his erect cock into the back of her throat and now he would not even look at her as she buttoned her blouse. Under different circumstances it would have been amusing but she knew even before he spoke why he had come to her.

"I am being summoned."

For a moment she simply stared at him. Panic clawed at her throat. She couldn't breathe. Then she calmly retreated to her safe room. With steady fingers she began to undo the buttons she had just fastened.

"I'll be ready in a minute."
Lucius nodded. "I will wait outside."

She hurried, concerned that he would go without her. She was aware that the mark caused him pain when he was summoned and she had no desire to add to his suffering. She pulled on her jeans, reaching into the pocket and rubbing at the galleon she found there. Then she exchanged her silk blouse for a cotton top and black hoodie. Slipping her wand up her sleeve she glanced around the room which had been hers for the last month. She would probably never see it again, because whatever became of her after tonight, Malfoy Manor would no longer be her home. She dampened down the strange melancholy that accompanied her realization and joined Lucius in the hallway.

"Can we wait a little longer?" She placed a hand on his arm. "It will be easier if we arrive last."

He nodded, giving a small gasp of pain and then gritting his teeth. Hermione withdrew her wand and disillusioned herself. Then they stood in silence, waiting. Finally Lucius spoke.

"I believe the others will have arrived by now."

Hermione nodded before she remembered that he couldn't really see her.

"OK." She placed her hand on his arm once more.

"I wish you would tell me your plan."

She could hear the carefully concealed tension in his voice.

"It is better that you not know." She said softly, tightening her fingers against his forearm and unconsciously moving closer to him. She felt him sigh against her.

"Very well."

He touched his wand to the dark mark and the familiar squeeze of apparition took hold of her.

They landed in the hallway of the Black house. Hermione had not noticed before that it bore more than a passing resemblance to that of Malfoy Manor. Her naturally scholarly inclinations caused her to notice the similarities in shape and design of the staircase and the dimensions and layout of the hallway even as she looked around in fear. Lucius had pulled his cloak over her as he apparated and, disillusioned as she was, she was almost invisible in the dimly lit hallway. Even so she felt exposed and vulnerable. Luckily, they were alone.

Their stance had altered mid-apparition and Hermione now found herself with both arms wrapped around Lucius' narrow waist, her nose resting against his broad chest. She allowed herself to savour his warmth for a few heartbeats before she pulled back reluctantly.

"What now?" He asked quietly.

Hermione took a step back, finding his hand with hers.

"You do your thing, I'll do mine." She tightened her fingers. "Lucius?"

"Yes?"

She hesitated. "You could go back to the Manor. Nobody would know - I don't want to risk hurting you again."

She remembered his barely healed burns with a shiver. His face formed into a frown.

"I am perfectly capable of taking care of myself Miss Granger, and you as well on occasion, I might add."

It was her turn to sigh. "Very well."

She stood up on her tiptoes and pressed her lips against his. He kissed her back, but only for a moment.

"Goodbye, Lucius."

"Wait!" His fingers clutched hers, preventing her from leaving.

"What?"

"Obliviate me again."

She looked up into his grey eyes. "Are you sure?"

His expression did not falter.

"Yes, do it now."

His palm briefly caressed her cheek and he turned away from her to climb the staircase. Hermione sent a whispered 'Obliviate' after him.

Looking furtively around her to make sure she truly was unobserved she scurried in the opposite direction from Lucius making her way down a narrow staircase which she had been told would lead to the servants quarters. A door at the bottom opened out onto a shabby, stone flagged corridor. When she came to the second door on the right she knocked quietly, her fingers once more delving into the pocket of her jeans. The door swung open and Cho Chang flung her arms around Hermione's neck.

"Cho!" Hermione's throat felt as if it might burst as a wave of emotion swept over her. She remembered Harry's crush on Cho, their awkward flirtation, their 'wet' first kiss and she embraced the other girl tightly almost as if she were embracing Harry once more. Tears were running down Cho's face but she was gently pushed aside as a pair of male arms took her place.

"Neville?" Hermione stuttered. "But you're dead."

"Just horrifically wounded actually," Neville corrected her, loosening his grasp a little. "Thanks for killing that bloody snake though." He shivered. "It's good to see you Hermione."

"It's good to see you too." She looked around, feeling a little self conscious now as she realised that her tearful reunions had been witnessed by several people she did not know. As well as Neville and Cho there were Bill and Fleur along with three stony faced men and one equally stony faced woman.

"Hermione." Bill stepped forward to hug her briefly and Fleur smiled. "This is Sue and Jacob Davies, Adam Flint, and Augustus Crags. They're part of the resistance." He turned to the suspicious looking group. "This is Hermione Granger."

"Aye, we know who she is," Adam Flint spoke with a thick Scottish drawl. "How do we know we can trust her, though? She looks remarkably well for someone who's been living in Malfoy's dungeon."

"I haven't been living in his dungeon," Hermione answered calmly, "I've been living in his house." And sleeping in his bed she added silently.

She couldn't help the flicker of shame that washed over her though as she looked at the grim little company in front of her. They were all gaunt and thin, their clothing ragged and their eyes hinting at desperation. They reminded Hermione of how she and the boys had looked during their months on the run. Their appearance was a stark contrast to her own. She was neatly groomed and well fed, used to sleeping in Egyptian cotton sheets every night. She glanced down guiltily at her wedding ring.

"Did he hurt you Hermione?" Neville's voice broke through her reverie as he hovered over her protectively, shooting Flint an icy glare.

Hermione shook her head.

"No, he didn't. Malfoy has fallen from favour." She eyed up Flint. "Marrying me, a mudblood, is the worst possible humiliation he could imagine. He helped me kill Nagini and he gave me this." She drew her wand.

"That was Draco's!" Neville said in surprise. "He hexed me with it enough times for me to recognise it. Where is he?"

"Dead." Hermione answered flatly, "So is Narcissa. Malfoy won't give us any trouble. Now, who else is up there?"

"Yaxley," Bill answered. "Voldemort, Bellatrix, both Lestrange brothers, Rowle, Mulcibar, Nott and Rosier and three others we don't know. Voldemort's still hurt, hasn't left his bedroom as far as we know."

"How do you know that?"

"One of the Black house elves is a spy for the resistance." Sue Davis spoke up. "Apparently she nursed Narcissa as a baby, and when she died she refused to recognise Bellatrix and came to us."

Hermione processed this bit of information with interest. She knew how valuable an ally a house elf could be. Without Dobby she and her friends would never have escaped Malfoy Manor the first time.

"Pippy smuggled us in here." Neville told her. "She couldn't do it before now, though. She tried but the anti-apparition wards wouldn't let us in. We had to wait until you told us Malfoy had been summoned."

"It's better this way," Bill said grimly. "The whole inner circle is up there now, we can take them all out in one fell swoop."

Hermione could only admire his optimism.

"So what's the plan?"

Flint looked impatiently from Hermione to Bill.

"Do you have it?" She asked him quietly.

Bill nodded and withdrew a shabby looking purple beaded bag from his pocket. Hermione took the worn fabric carefully, dampening down the surge of emotion its sight caused. She drew on her occlumency shields, packing her feelings away to be processed at a later date. She reached into the bag feeling around inside, ignoring the curious stares of her companions, until her fingers closed around a familiar wooden frame. She slowly drew Phinneas Black's portrait from the bag.

"Miss Granger!" The mustachioed wizard glowered at her. "What on earth is the meaning of this? I've been abandoned for months. You know my portrait at Hogwarts is covered?"

"I didn't know that Headmaster," Hermione said contritely. "I'm truly sorry."

Black only harrumphed at her.

"What are you doing now?" He asked, looking around carefully, "and what on earth are you doing in the butler's pantry of Black House?"

Hermione gave a sigh of relief. At least the old wizard still remembered the house.

"Headmaster, You Know Who has taken up residence in Black House. He has killed Narcissa Malfoy." She felt a stab of guilt at the look of pain that crossed the portrait's face - of course, he and Narcissa were somehow related, although she was hazy regarding their exact connection. Perhaps she could have broken the news a little more kindly.

"What of Bellatrix?" he asked quietly.

"She still stands at his side."

"What do you need from me, Miss Granger?"

"We need to know how to get into the master bedchamber." Phinneas raised an eyebrow.

"And what makes you think there is an alternate route into the master bedchamber, Miss Granger?"

Hermione shrugged, "If Hogwarts is anything to go by there's always a secret way into the most important rooms."

"If there's not we'll soon make one." Flint fingered his wand and looked around as if looking for something to blow up.

"Now, now, young man!" Headmaster Black gave him a glare. "More haste, less speed, as the muggles would say. Your propensity to be correct all the time does you credit, Miss Granger."

Neville nudged her in the ribs and smirked. Hermione glowered at him.

"Are you going to help us or not Headmaster?"

"Of course I'm going to help you, girl. There's a passage which leads from the scullery three doors down and comes out behind the panelling in the master bedroom, I had it put in myself."

This time Hermione nudged Neville in the ribs to stop him from voicing whatever smart comment he had been about to let loose with.

"Thank you, headmaster."

She turned to Bill who nodded gravely.

"Right then. Flint, Crags, Sue and Jacob, you go back up to the entrance hallway and set off the diversion. Take out as many death eaters as you can. Pippy will go with you."

At the sound of her name a tiny house elf appeared in their midst with soft crack.

"Don't put yourselves at unnecessary risk. You'll be disillusioned and hidden so you should have the upper hand initially. As soon as that ceases to be the case, Pippy will get you out of there and back to the safe house."

"As if," Flint muttered. "We're not leaving you to all the fun, Weasley, we'll see you up there."

Bill shook his head but didn't argue with the other man.

"What's the diversion?" Neville asked.

Bill gave a genuine smile and pulled something from his pocket which he resized with a flick of his wand. Hermione could only smile too when she saw the box of fireworks emblazoned with Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes.

"That should work," Cho said. "Remember the day Fred and George set those off during our OWLS?"

Hermione and Neville both nodded, smiling nostalgically as Bill passed the box over to Crags.

"How will we know when you're in position?" The older man asked.

Cho reached into her pocket and withdrew a galleon.

"Take this. It's enchanted with a protean charm and Hermione has one too. When we're ready to go yours will get warm."

Crags looked sceptically at the coin but nodded.

"All right then." Bill looked around the group. "Neville, Cho, Fleur, Hermione and I will be waiting in the secret passage outside the master bedroom. As soon as we hear the death eaters leaving we burst in. Neville, your job is to secure the door."

Neville nodded.

"The rest of you remember that although he's unlikely to be alone in the room, Voldemort is our primary target, let's try and take out that bastard once and for all."

The others all nodded and the diversion party looked to be about to leave.

"Wait!" All eyes turned towards Hermione and she bit her lip, colour suffusing her cheeks. "I need you all to promise that you won't hurt Malfoy."

The responses of the group were not encouraging, ranging from vague understanding from Cho and Neville to outright hostility from Flint and Jacob.

"Sorry girly, I know you were Harry Potter's best friend and all, but if that bastard gets near the end of my wand I'll take pleasure in blowing his head off." This came from Flint.

"Are you sure he's on our side, Hermione?" Bill ignored Flint's outburst.

Hermione felt herself nodding vehemently, a little surprised at her own certainty. "He won't hurt us."

"Then we'll try to avoid him but it's going to be tough once the curses start flying."

"Why don't you put him in a body bind?" Neville said pragmatically. "Like you did to me in second year. Hit him with it as soon as we get through the door, then he's safely out of the way until the fighting's over."

Hermione glanced at Bill who nodded.

"That's not a bad plan. Knock him out for his own safety."

"Ok." Hermione nodded and squeezed Neville's hand. "Thanks, Neville."

He squeezed back. Hermione drew in a deep shaky breath.

"Alright, Headmaster." Hermione raised Phinneas' portrait so he could see around them. "Where to?"

The passageway was dark and slightly musty smelling. Hermione followed closely behind Bill, the muted 'lumos' cast by his wand the only light they dared to use. As they climbed the narrow staircase which ran parallel to the main stair she tried to calm the tremor of her hands. After years of planning and months of preparation she was about to come face to face with Voldemort with a wand in her hands. She was absolutely terrified. This was not how things were meant to have played out. Killing the Dark Lord had always been Harry's job and it was only now that she had any inkling of the burden that task had placed upon her friend. No wonder he hadn't always acted in the most rational of manners.

Finally the passage came to an ending behind some wood panelling. They crowded together and Cho carefully reached into her pocket, bringing out her old enchanted DA galleon. She, Hermione and Neville exchanged a nervous smile as she tapped her wand against it signalling to the group downstairs that they were in position. Hermione drew in a deep breath and was grateful when Neville squeezed her hand in his sweaty palm.

They could hear voices, she realised. Despite the muffling of the heavy oak panelling Voldemort's sibilant tones were distinctive. Hermione thought she heard a woman's voice as well. She strained her ears for Lucius' clipped drawl but she didn't recognise it. She would not allow herself to think of him now. She could only hope that she would be able to neutralise him in time to keep him out of harm's way. Her obliviate would mean he would react with genuine surprise when they burst through the wall and she could not predict his response. She had to knock him out before any of her friends perceived him as a threat. She took a deep calming breath, gently pushing her emotions to the back of her mind, fingering her wand and focusing on her magic.

They all jumped as the passageway shook with an ear shattering explosion. Exclamations of surprise came from the other side of the wall, there was shouting, another explosion, Voldemort's voice raised in anger and then the sound of hurried footsteps and the door banging. Their time had come. Bill looked around at his group, catching each of their eyes before giving a sharp nod to Cho who levelled her wand at the wood panelling in front of them.

"Reducto."

The wall blew outwards with an impressive blast almost rivalling the ongoing explosions from below stairs. They all blinked at the sudden influx of daylight before the curses started flying through the rubble. Hermione was vaguely aware of Neville identifying the door and securing it before she was almost knocked off of her feet by a red flash of light. She rolled across the floor taking in the scene around her. Fleur and Bill were fighting Bellatrix, Neville and Cho Yaxley, Rowle, Nott and Rosier were bearing down on their group. Her eyes immediately sought out Lucius and she had her wand trained on him before she found her feet. She could not even allow herself to acknowledge the hurt in his eyes as she cast her non-verbal petrificus totalis at him and she barely had time to observe his rigid body falling to the ground because Voldemort was standing in one corner already hurling another curse towards her. She rolled again, gaining her feet and instinctively shielding herself as she sent a volley of non-verbal stunners towards him.

The noise of the room was immensely distracting as she tried to focus on her opponent. She had never been the best at duelling. As she had told Lucius so long ago she had excelled at magic because of knowledge and practice not raw power. It was obvious to her that she was no match for Voldemort, even in his apparently weakened state but surely all she had to do was hold him back until one of her stronger friends came to her aid. She was shielding wandlessly whilst firing hexes at him, his own repeated curses bouncing off her shields but every attack left her feeling a little weaker, her defences a little more battered. She could focus on nothing but the black clad figure before her, his red eyes glowing as he fired curse after curse at her in a fashion that was almost nonchalant.

Suddenly she felt the touch of his mind against hers. She slammed the door of her safe room, ignoring his incursion, focusing only on their physical fight. His mental onslaught was nothing like she had experienced before. He ripped through her mind like a tornado tearing down her defences, ignoring her false passages, intent only on gaining access to her fortress. She dropped to her knees, the effort of maintaining her mental and physical shields almost more than she could take. He was at the door of her safe room, she pushed him back but it was not enough and before she knew it he was inside. He saw her, saw everything, the months of darkness, her occlumency, her wandless magic, her slipping into Lucius' bed, Lucius giving her Draco's wand. She was powerless to keep him out and as he overwhelmed her defences she was no longer able to fight him. She knelt on the floor, her head almost split open with agony, only able to shield as his curses continued towards her.

"Expelliarmus."

She heard the cool voice behind her but at first could not quite make the connection with it and the sight of her wand disappearing from her hand. She turned her head in horror to see Lucius standing amongst the wreckage, her wand firmly in his grasp.

"Lucius."

She scrambled to her feet reaching towards him, Voldemort momentarily forgotten. She was seized from behind in a choking grip and felt the tip of a wand press against her temple.

Everything in the room became suddenly still. Hermione's eyes darted frantically around her. Cho, Neville and Fleur lay crumpled on the ground. Bellatrix stood on the other side of the room her hair wild and her chest heaving, a look of demented satisfaction in her mad eyes. Yaxley had Bill in a choke hold, blood dripped from his temple and his wand lay on the floor at his feet. Rowle was leaning against a table, clutching his ribs. Avery was on the ground by the door and Nott was carefully picking himself off the floor, rubbing at his head. Slowly Hermione's gaze returned to Lucius who stood, not a hair out of place, regarding her calmly.

"Luciusss." Voldemort's voice hissed in her ear, "You were right all along. What was it you said about catching flies with honey?" His grip tightened around Hermione's neck. "Did you really think he would help you girl? That a Pureblood wizard such as Luciusss would ever care for a mudblood like you?"

Hermione drew in a wheezy breath her eyes never leaving Lucius', desperately looking for some small hint that he cared for her, that he would help her. He looked away as if bored, flicking a piece of lint from his cuff.

"Of course she did," he said dismissively, "The silly chit thinks I'm in love with her." His grey eyes met hers once more and Hermione almost wept at the scorn in them. Voldemort laughed in her ear, the sound was chilling.

"Foolish child." He spoke almost tenderly. "Luciusss told us you would try something tonight and he was quite correct. We didn't expect you to deliver us the resistance as well, though, what a lucky co-incidence."

Hermione's eyes met Lucius' once more. "But I obliviated you," she said almost to herself.

Lucius shrugged carelessly. "A simple shield charm, my dear. You really should be more careful."

"I'm sorry, Bill." Hermione looked over to her friend. Her last friend, who was going to die because of her. "I'm so sorry."

"It's alright, Hermione." Bill's eyes blazed with hatred. "We should never have trusted this piece of death eater scum." He broke off as Yaxley cuffed him hard across the head. Lucius sneered.

"Enough!" Voldemort's cold voice reverberated through Hermione. "Luciusss, I believe your wife has outlived her usefulness. You really are most unfortunate when it comes to matrimony. You will do the honours, of course."

"Of course My Lord."

"Miss Granger, does the brightest witch of her age have any final words for us?"

Hermione stared up at Lucius' raised wand. Her head ached, her eyes stung from the dust. Voldemort's arm almost prevented her from breathing. She looked into the eyes of the man she had come to care for more than she had ever thought possible. There was no hint of warmth there, no suggestion that she had ever been more than a means to an end for him. It occurred to her that Lucius Malfoy had manoeuvred himself right back into position as Voldemort's right hand man.

She had wanted to say something then. To pour scorn on Lucius, on Voldemort on their whole sick, twisted world, to vomit out her disgust and hatred until there was nothing left but bile. As abruptly as it had come the urge left her. She was suddenly purged of emotion. She was alone, everyone she loved was dead. She could no longer remember what or who she had been fighting for and it no longer seemed to matter. She looked Lucius straight in the eye.

"I have absolutely nothing to say to you."

Then she forced herself to continue to look at him, because she would not meet death with her eyes closed and she would not make what he was about to do any easier for him.

"Avada Kedavra." He said the words almost tenderly and the jet of green light shot straight towards her. She felt a crushing weight across her shoulders as she fell to the ground.

A/N I'm aware that I've ended on a slight cliffhanger! I'm (a little bit) sorry about that. I've got a busy weekend ahead of me but the next chapter is written I just need to pick at it. I promise it will be posted no later than Sunday evening.