Welcome back lovelies! I know it has been ages and ages since I updated. School is out and I really want to get this fic finished. There are just a couple chapters left and I hope to post at least one a week until this fic is complete.
Let me know what you think.
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Draco knocked lightly on the door to Hermione's wing of the house. He was greeted by Ella's large eyes and smile.
"Master Draco! Come in! Mistress is readys!" Ella grabbed her Master's hand and pulled him enthusiastically into the room. It was hard not to be swept up into her joy for life. Ella stopped him in front of the fireplace, pushing him down into one of the armchairs there. She then took off into the bathroom, keeping the door open as little as possible to prevent her Master from peeking.
Draco settled back in his chair, chuckling lightly to himself as he heard Ella's squeaky voice through the door followed by Hermione's musical laugh. Ella peeked her head out and smiled at Draco, walking the door open.
The sight of Hermione took Draco's breath away.
He long mahogany mane was tamed and fell around her shoulders in a sea of waves. Her face was accented in the perfect places with shimmering gold and lavender makeup. A lavender dress hugged her chest, falling away at her waist into a flowing Grecian skirt. The bodice of the dress accentuated Hermione's thin waist and well-formed breasts, a dark scrollwork pattern breaking up the beautiful fabric. Ella had been right. Hermione was something to be joyful about.
"Is everything alright Draco?" Hermione asked after minutes of awed silence.
Draco nodded his head and stood, crossing the room to his witch. Sweeping her up in his arms, he planted a deep kiss on her lips, reveling in the sigh he coaxed from Hermione.
"You are too beautiful for words." He whispered, staring into Hermione's eyes.
She smiled lightly back at him, playing with one of the buttons on his shirt. Looking down at his chest she sighed again, unhappily this time. "Let's just hope the Dark Lord agrees with you."
With that one phrase reality crashed down around the couple's ears. Draco pulled back from Hermione, leaving one hand lingering on her arm. "Yes. Let's hope. Now come, we have to greet our guests."
The pair made their way down to the Grand Hall. The room was bedecked in silver and black. A large sitting area was set in one corner with long drapes separating it from the rest of the Hall. On one end of the room a raised stage was home to a string quartet. Behind the stage, a long black table was stretched against the wall. Chairs lined the table with a large throne-like piece in the center. Smaller circular tables lined the walls and the back of the Hall. A dance floor took up the majority of the floor. The entire space was lit with hundreds of black and silver candles charmed to glow in silver.
Hermione hated it. It was a sign of everything that was to come. Perhaps the only part of the dark that she liked was that it would hide her disgust for the Dark Lord and everyone else in the room. Draco placed a soothing hand on her exposed back, smiling at her reassuringly before moving through the Hall to the receiving room in the back corner. Guests would be arriving soon and he didn't want anyone to catch them unawares on such an important night.
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A few hours later the party was in full swing. Death Eaters moved about freely, laughing and bragging about their most recent raid. Trophy wives hung off their husband's arms, staring haughtily at one another. At the head table, Voldemort was seated watching the revelry, Draco and Hermione to his right, Lavender and Neville to his left. Other members of the highest rank flanked them, chatting amicably with one another.
With a touch of the knee and a quick nod, Draco excused himself and exited the room, apparently to receive more guests. Reaching across his vacant seat, Hermione placed a hand on the Dark Lord's forearm. He looked at her with an eyebrow raised.
"My Lord, would you take a walk with me?" Hermione asked with a charming smile, making sure to allow him a good shot of her cleavage.
"Of course dear Hermione." Voldemort replied, running a finger down her jaw. Lavender glared across the table at Hermione as she and the Dark Lord walked around the table to the exit of the Great Hall. They did not go unnoticed. From a dark corner, a pair of hooded eyes watched them leave.
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Across the room, Draco observed his lover leaving with his Master. It tore at his heart to let her leave with him, but he had little to no choice in the matter. They had to do what they had to do. Hearing the clink of a spoon on a glass, he turned towards the head table with the rest of the group.
"My fellow Death Eaters," Lavender began, "Many years ago today, we won the Battle of Hogwarts. I was simply a child then, foolish and naïve. Now that I am lucky enough to be among the upper echelons of our little society I can see how truly amazing it is to be a Death Eater. We are the elite in this world. We are-!"
No one saw the curse before it was too late. Lavender was just barely able to jump out of the way before the bright green curse blew past her. Screams filled the room as helpless women ran for the door. Death Eaters drew wands and turned towards the source of the spell. Everyone was surprised to see a regal looking Bellatrix Lestrange with her wand pointed towards the head table.
"Oops. I missed!" She shouted out, laughing maniacally. Suddenly, dozens of wizards and witches pulled off invisibility cloaks behind the deranged former Death Eater. The room lit up like lightning as spells and curses flew either way. Knowing that this could ruin everything, Draco cast a silencing charm on the entire room, and then jumped into the fray.
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Upstairs, Hermione was leading the Dark Lord to her chambers. Opening the door to her wing of the house, she glanced seductively over her shoulder at him. Moving through the chambers to her bedroom, she took a deep breath, sensing he was following her. The Dark Lord closed the door as he entered the room, waving his hand over the lock to keep anyone from entering.
Hermione stood facing the fireplace, the flames silhouetting her as she slowly unzipped the side of her dress and let it fall to the ground. Underneath, she wore black lingerie, garters, and stockings. The Dark Lord hissed in pleasure. Making her way to his side, Hermione steeled herself in her mind. It repulsed her to touch him, but she had no other choice if she wanted to end this.
Grabbing his hand, Hermione led Voldemort over to the bed. If she was going to do this, than she wanted to do it fast.
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Downstairs Draco was shooting spells left and right. It was a precarious position – looking like the Dark, being shot at by the Light, but shooting at the Dark. He had to be careful or he would be discovered. Suddenly, he felt a tug on his pant leg. He looked down quickly, careful not to take his eyes off the battle raging in his Great Hall.
"What Ella?" He snapped at the little house elf, desperately wishing she was gone somewhere safe.
"Mistress Hermione has started her plans. Now is your turn." Ella popped away, clearly terrified at what was happening around her. Following his elf's lead, Draco made his way to a secret exit behind the high table. He moved down the dark passageway, headed this bedchamber and his love.
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Behind Draco, Bellatrix was laughing maniacally as she shot spells directly in front of her. She wasn't sure how she had found the Resistance. The few days after Hermione had sent her to the Nunnery had been a blur. She had been turned away after a few days, scorned when they saw the tattoo on her wrist. To them it was an abomination to God, and she could not stay with them. Bellatrix had wandered the streets alone, eating rats and hiding her want I nher sleeve. She had at least enough sense to realize that she had to stay hidden to that extent.
She had been discovered of course. Her wrist revealing who she really was. The Resistance had kept her in chains for a long while, questioning her about the Dark Lords plans. When they realized she was no longer in allegiance with him, she was released. The Resistance had been intercepting Death Eater mail and received the invitation to Draco and Hermione's ball. They had planned their attack separate of the plans already in place, unaware that Hermione and Draco were on their side.
Despite what had happened, Bellatrix was overjoyed to be fighting again. The Death Eaters around her had been her tormentors and her friends. But one had always been cruel to her – Lavender Brown. Bellatrix was cutting down others to reach the other woman, intent on destroying her as she had destroyed Bellatrix.
Lavender's eyes met Bellatrix's with a force of hate that would have knocked a lesser woman back. Bellatrix charged forward, wand brandished, ready to take down her most hate enemy. Spells flashed between the pair, causing the air around them to spark. A resounding crash sounded and dust fell from the ceiling. When the air cleared, Lavender lay on the ground, mouth ajar and eyes staring, dead, at the ceiling.
Bellatrix gave a twisted grin, glad to finally be free of Lavender Brown.
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I didn't want to post Voldy business with Hermione. Cause ew.
More to come soon. I am working on the new chapter as we speak.