Disclaimer: I don't own Harry Potter. Depressing, but true.
From SharpestSatire: "If only I could dispel the feeling that you're about to throw Draco off a cliff or something..." Don't worry! It's not a cliff! No, but seriously, when I decided to write angst, I wanted to really do it up. Mostly because I tend to slide into smutty humour when I'm being complacent, so it's taking a lot of discipline for me to steer this back into turmoil. It would be all too easy to throw them into a closet and let them shag like bunnies for the next four chapters... But... Uh... Now I'm thinking about them shagging like bunnies. What were we talking about again? ANYWAYS. The story. Right. We're inching towards the end now. I think. Okay, honestly? I can't decide. I've got four more chapters ready to go, but let's just see where my brain takes it this weekend. Reviews in exchange for a chapter tomorrow! Lots of interesting stuff coming up!
xo
Galfoy
It had been two weeks to the day since Hermione had given him a chance, and Draco had never been happier in his life.
He walked into the kitchen with a relaxed smile on his face, and Hermione grinned at him from where she was standing at the counter, prepping the meal. Her hair was loose and wild, framing her face to show the fierce beauty he had come to adore in her. It was still damp at the tips from her morning shower, curling as it dried.
His father sat at the table, calmly reading a rather large and musty old book. The Order had finally gotten him a proper prosthetic, one that functioned like a leg and not like a metal pole. It had taken them long enough, but Draco was just thankful that it had happened at all. The Order had certainly seemed a lot more open with the Malfoys since Lucius gave them so much valuable information on the Dark Lord, but Draco suspected Hermione was responsible for the final push that made them track down a prosthetic after so long. Lucius had been able to move around more quickly since, and seemed more comfortable in general. Sometimes the trio nearly forgot that they were hiding out in the middle of a war. The house was a little haven. A haven for damaged people.
Draco marvelled at how much things had changed since they first came to stay here. He didn't recognize his life anymore.
The nights with Hermione were unlike anything he'd ever experienced with a woman. They had gone from superficial chatting to sharing their deepest secrets - something that Draco hadn't allowed himself to do with anyone, let alone someone he was interested in romantically. Every night was like an emotional exorcism, some nights harder than others, some downright painful to discuss. He had done some horrible things in his life. And yet, with everything he confessed to, she exposed something hidden as well. Draco felt like he knew her intrinsically now - like he could sense what was on her mind before she said it out loud. Being with her was like an emotional balm... He felt calmer, more sure of himself, and less angry than he'd ever been. It was a revelation to see how perpetually furious he had been before without really realizing it. It felt good not to be quite so tense anymore. It felt good to let go.
Even the physical side of things with Hermione was great. They had agreed it was too early for sex, as tempting as it was. Instead they sated themselves with intense snogging sessions and as much groping as they could get away with. And he was actually liking the pace. Whenever they decided to take things further, he knew it would be incredible, and well worth the wait. It was a totally unfamiliar approach for him, but it worked.
Hermione served up the poached eggs and potatoes onto three plates and everyone tucked in.
They were mostly done eating when they heard it. A light 'pop' sound coming from the fireplace. Hermione's head snapped over to the floo and her eyes narrowed.
"That's weird," she said. "I've never heard it do that before."
Draco and Lucius stood up to investigate. They tinkered with it a bit, but nothing appeared to be out of the ordinary.
Hermione shrugged. "I'll get Harry and Ron to look at it when they stop by later," she said. "Maybe something's funny with the system."
Draco and Lucius were playing a game of chess after lunch and Hermione was reading when the sound happened again. A light 'pop' echoing through the fireplace, followed by silence.
"What in Merlin's name is that?" she frowned.
"Would you like me to contact Headquarters and let them know there might be an issue with the floo? Perhaps Mr. Potter and Mr. Weasley can come a little sooner if they know there's a problem," said Lucius.
"Actually, that would be great Lucius. Thank you for the offer. Better to be safe than sorry. Merlin knows it's the only way in and out of here... I don't want it going funny on us."
She looked at the fireplace again with a frown, her eyebrows knotting together as if she was turning something over in her mind.
"Everything okay, Granger?" said Draco. He didn't like it when she looked concerned. It made him want to pick her up and squirrel her away in bed.
She shook herself out of her thoughts and smiled at him. "Just fine. It's probably nothing. The wards are active, so I guess I shouldn't be worried about a random sound."
Draco nodded and went back to the game while his father ambled over to send the message. He wasn't terribly worried... Potter and Weasley could take care of the quirky floo when they arrived for their little check-in. They had been busy lately, dropping hints at some big event that was going to happen soon, but not giving any more details than that. Draco still got his back up around those two, but if they were closer to taking down the Dark Lord, he supposed he could listen to them drone on every few days.
Besides, general annoyance aside, he and Hermione still hadn't told the Wonder Duo about their relationship. It would have to happen soon, that much was clear. Not that it was ever much of a question, but it was quickly becoming apparent that this was no fling. Draco was admittedly dreading their reaction. Hermione loved them and respected their opinions, Merlin knew why. Would they sabotage things? Would she change her mind about him? Gods, that would destroy him. She was everything to him.
He hadn't quite told her that yet, either.
Lucius sat back down in front of him and the game continued.
It was nearing suppertime and Harry and Ron still hadn't come by. Hermione had shot the occasional worried look at the fireplace, but seemed to relax more and more as she organized her kitchen drawers. Perhaps the sound had been nothing after all.
Draco and Lucius were sitting on the couch discussing a book they had both read. Draco was getting annoyed with his father for playing devil's advocate, and was arguing back with his usual snark. He was just about to launch a stinging rebuttal when a louder 'pop' boomed out of the fireplace, followed by a glowing green light. Everyone went quiet.
Hermione was by his side immediately, her wand out and her eyes wide with fear.
"That's not normal," she said, her voice shaking. "I've got a bad feeling about this."
As soon as the words left her mouth, all hell broke loose.
The living room in front of the floo was suddenly swallowed by darkness. Draco heard Hermione cry out and he couldn't feel her beside him anymore. Before he could jump to his feet, he was hit with a spell and was frozen to his seat. Judging by his father's rigid form beside him, he had been paralyzed too. Panicked fury swallowed Draco whole - somebody had broken Hermione's wards. Somebody had gotten in.
Where the fuck was the Wonder Duo when you needed them?
Just as quickly as it came, the darkness cleared.
Wolf was standing in front of the floo with a deranged grin on his face. He had dark blue bruises on his cheeks and a long cut on his jaw that was healing badly, the flesh dark red along the opening. He was holding Hermione's wand as well as his own, and she was scrambling to her feet on the other side of the room, having been blasted over there seconds earlier. Her forehead was bleeding and she looked extremely pale. Her eyes darted towards Draco's, and he saw her whimper when she realized he was frozen in place. The Malfoys watched the scene helplessly.
"Hello Hermione," Wolf purred. "You look beautiful, as always."
"Wolf?" she gasped, sounding every bit as scared as she was. Draco's heart was screaming for her. An Imperioused servant of the Dark Lord in her house... A hacked floo system... It would be a miracle if any of them made it out alive.
"Wolf," she said again, more calmly, trying to hide her shaking hands. "How did you get through my wards?"
"Ah, princess, you forget that I had the pleasure of holding you captive for some time. It was a valuable opportunity to search your mind for all your little security tricks. It still took some work, but eventually I was able to break through. You are a clever one, but then again, I've always known that. I apologize for my absence these past couple of weeks, but I had some business to attend to with my host. Now we can make up for lost time."
Draco didn't like the affectionate way he was speaking to her. What he assumed was a mild crush looked like more of an obsession on Wolf's part. Worst of all, Draco couldn't do a damn thing to protect her.
"Your host? Are you talking about the person who cursed you? So it was you who kidnapped me!" she seethed, tears welling up in her eyes. "Wolf, you were my friend! I trusted you!"
"Not my fault, sweet girl," Wolf said in an eerily seductive voice. "And for the sake of accuracy, Bryce kidnapped you under my orders. I simply popped in to pay you a few visits."
"The beatings? The torture?" she asked, angrily. "Was that you too?"
Draco saw Wolf grimace and twitch. "Only partly. I'm afraid my weaker side was not very enthusiastic about those activities."
"Your weaker side?" she said, looking puzzled. "As in, the real Wolf? The one not under the influence of the curse?"
"The same," he said with a shrug. "The 'real' Wolf, as you call him, has been an absolute nuisance. Gave you so many drugs you couldn't even feel the pain of the torture. What's the point in that, I ask you? He also helped you escape before I was able to regain control. No matter... Bryce was punished for not being able to stop him."
"The real Wolf was the one who sent me through the floo?" she asked, astonished. "And you... You killed Bryce? Just because he wasn't able to stop you?"
"Not me, Hermione, did you not listen to a word I said?" he snapped angrily. "Bryce wasn't able to stop my weaker side. My weaker side isn't me. He is merely an annoyance. He didn't want me to force my way back into your house either, but as you can see, I am the one in control here."
He broke out into another sick smile. The entire conversation so far had taken place with Hermione a safe distance away from Wolf while the psychopath talked. To Draco's horror, Wolf began to take slow steps towards Hermione as he fingered her wand.
"My weaker side was too cowardly to take you for his own, Hermione. I won't make the same mistake," he said, his voice a low rumble.
Hermione took a few jerky steps backwards until she was against a wall. Draco saw her eyes scanning the room, looking for anything she could use as a weapon.
"My weaker side would have wanted to woo you, court you, win your love. I'm not concerned with such things," he continued, step after step, walking like a predator.
She scampered around the corner towards the hallway as Wolf continued to approach. His long legs were carrying him towards her at a frightening speed.
"My weaker side would never fuck your pretty body and then dispose of it, but that's exactly what I'm going to do, my love. Just because my host wouldn't let me keep you for my own doesn't mean I can't have some fun before you die."
Draco thought the term 'seeing red' was just a figure of speech, but he could have sworn his vision went bloody with rage as he sat on the couch, locked in his own body. Unable to stop Hermione's rape. Unable to stop her murder.
He wanted to die.
Wolf was right in front of Hermione now, and she was backed against the door of the spare room. She shot one last panicked look at Draco before Wolf turned the handle and pushed Hermione inside.
Please let me die.
Please let me die.
Please let me die.
Draco couldn't live with himself if Hermione was harmed. He had wondered for a split second why Wolf hadn't just killed him and his father when he broke through the floo, but it was clear almost immediately. He wanted them to hear what was happening to her. He wanted them to feel helpless. He probably knew how Draco felt about her - everyone seemed to have picked up on it. The man was a monster.
His thoughts were cut off with the sound of Hermione screaming and sobbing.
Please let me die, Draco thought as his heart shattered.
Hermine started thinking of potential weapons the second her wand flew out of her hand. She had no idea what was going to emerge from the darkness, but she knew it was going to be bad. She needed something to defend herself with, something to defend Lucius and Draco. Oh God she was worried about them... Would they be hurt? Depending on who was coming out of the floo, they could be a bigger prize than her. She couldn't let that happen. She needed a weapon.
Her brain started listing off possibilities even as she was thrown through the air.
All her knives... In the kitchen, and the sharpest ones were taken away because of her night terrors anyway.
She had a ceremonial dagger on the wall of the library, but it was really a decorative thing. Plus it was too far down the hall.
The living room was full of plush, cozy things. None of them would work unless she got close enough to smother the intruder. But what if there was more than one intruder?
Wandless magic? She could try, but she hadn't practiced for over two years now and she might end up hurting Draco or Lucius accidentally.
Fuck, why didn't she have a backup plan for this? She had put too much faith in her wards. She had been too confident. Now they might all pay with their lives.
Then the darkness cleared, and there stood Wolf. She cried as he chatted about his crimes, horrified that her friend had been turned into a ruthless killer. She needed to get out of there. She had to lure him away from Draco and Lucius. She had to buy herself some time.
She began to stumble towards the hallway as her brain fought frantically for a solution.
Wolf said he would rape and murder her, and her brain went into overdrive. She would not die that way.
An idea hit her like a freak thunderstorm. It was a stretch, but it might just work. She backed up against the door to the spare room. She looked at Draco, frozen on the couch, and hoped she would see him again. She couldn't imagine what it was like for him to have to watch this, unable to act.
Wolf was so close she could smell the tobacco on his breath. He turned the handle and pushed her inside, his eyes raking over her body.
Think Hermione, think. Make this work.
He looked around the strange spare room, housing only her medical supplies and some odds and ends from Anthony.
"There's no bed in here princess, but we can use the floor. I'm not picky." He grabbed her by the waist and tore open her shirt in one powerful movement. She screamed. He was far stronger than she expected. How was she going to manage this?
His fingers tore open her bra and he fondled her roughly as she struggled.
"Oh Hermione, you have no idea how long I've wanted this..." he groaned. She thought she might actually vomit as he grabbed and prodded her, eventually muffling her mouth with his hand to quiet her screaming. She bit him and he smacked her harshly across the face. She heard a 'crack' and tasted blood. Her nose was broken - she could feel it.
He pinned her against the wall and wrenched open the front of her jeans, sliding his fingers between her legs, underneath the fabric of her knickers. She sobbed and struggled harder, revolted that he was touching her there. She had to get out of this! He forced his index inside of her and she shrieked.
"Not wet yet, princess?" he rasped. "I can change that. Take off the rest of your clothes," he ordered, stepping back.
This is your chance.
She pretended to trip as she took off her jeans, sending her closer to the dresser in the far corner. Exaggerating her movements as she got up, she dragged herself along the floor as she slowly got to her feet, peeling off the few layers of clothing she had on.
Closer. Closer.
She was down to nothing now, standing in front of the dresser and shaking like a leaf. Gods, this was humiliating. He was looking at her like he was going to eat her whole. She prayed to every deity she could remember. Please let this work.
"Wolf?" she said timidly as he began to unbutton his pants, his hardness fully visible as it strained against the fabric. She knew she didn't have much time.
"What?" he grunted as his belt came off.
"Could you relay a message to your... Your weaker side for me? You know... As a last communication?"
He didn't look pleased, but nodded anyway.
Her hands were behind her back, resting on the dresser, and she slowly raised them higher from their hidden position.
"Please tell him... " her voice broke. Even in this situation, it was hard doing this to her friend. He was under that curse somewhere. He would never have done this to her.
"Please tell him I'm so sorry," she said, looking him straight in the eye. He looked confused, his hand frozen at the top of his pants.
She grasped the edge of the bucket holding the Curse of the Flame, the black oily contents sloshing around inside. The curse was deadly strong to begin with, but this one was Voldemort's own. She may not have a wand, but she had Dark magic in physical form at her disposal. She had seen what it had done to Draco... It would have killed him if it had been left untreated. It may very well kill Wolf.
She couldn't worry about that now. Survival came first.
The contents flew out of the bucket directly onto him. Black liquid seeped into his skin the second it hit him, and Wolf's face went from a expression of sick perversion to one of immesurable pain.
He screamed and fell to the floor, convulsing as the curse attacked his body, thrilled to have a host again. The last of the liquid disappeared from sight, and she knew it was swimming around inside him now. Invisibly setting him on fire. Torturing him.
Hermione grabbed an old towel from the hamper, picked up the two wands, and bolted out of the room, wrapping her naked body as she ran.
Sobbing and hysterical, she lifted the spell on Draco and Lucius, and collapsed into Draco's shaking arms. Both her and Wolf's cries echoed through the house.