A/N: Hello again! I know, it's another chapter--lol amazing huh? Well I promised that there would be at least one more chapter by my birthday and seeing as it's now 42 minutes into my birthday, here's my gift to you! This chapter is probably very confusing to some and I apologize but please dont shoot me just yet. I promise everything will be explained in the final chapters! Enjoy and see you soon!---Kai
Chapter Twenty: Alone
Hermione landed easily (having gotten the hang of the whole portkey experience awhile back) in the middle of Grimmauld Place's living room. She had left her husband there, alone, with his father. She set the book down on the table in the center of the room that had been redone into a make-shift meeting room. Shaking slightly at the realization that she had no clue what might be happening with her beloved and the way they had left things before the mission, she left the living room in search of Molly, who she was supposed to check in with when she returned.
"Mrs. Weasley! Molly, where are you?" Hermione called through the silent house.
"Hermione, is that you?" Molly Weasley came down the stairs slowly, staring at the girl with wide eyes. "How did you get back so soon? Is everything alright?" The older witch had noticed the distraught look on the young woman's eyes.
"Draco…" Hermione said, crumbling with emotion.
The elderly woman gathered Hermione in her arms, motherly, and caressed her tangled curls. The two women stayed like that for awhile until they both heard the familiar swoosh sound of people coming out of the fireplace. Hermione composed herself as much as possible before the two followed the sounds into the living room to hear the briefing on the next part of the mission.
Almost everyone appeared to have returned, some worse off the others but in one piece none-the-less. It seemed that Tonks was missing as was Charlie Weasley and Mundungus Fletcher. All the Weasley's immediately embraced Hermione when they saw her come through the door to the living room. The members quickly sat down, waiting for Lupin to start the briefing.
"Well, the good news is, the mission tonight was a success! Hermione has the book!" The room broke out in applause and cheers but Lupin held up his hands to quiet the room.
Hermione was sitting to Lupin's right, her eyes downcast and her fingers drumming slowly on the cover of the book that only she can touch. Everyone's eyes darted from her back to Lupin and back to the book she was resting her fingers on. The other members continued to discuss what to do next but Hermione's mind was on her husband and his whereabouts. It took almost half and hour for anyone to notice because it was the first time anyone mentioned Draco.
"Hermione, where's Draco?" Lupin suddenly asked, interrupting his own words.
Hermione blinked back a few tears that were threatening to escape. "He's with his father."
There were shocked gasps and disbelieving shudders around the table. Perhaps they took that the wrong way.
"No, no. I don't mean he's with his father willingly. They were dueling, Lucius had ambushed us, and I went off behind Draco to the door blocking the room where the book was. I wasn't paying attention to the fight between the two until it was too late. Lucius got to me and," She gulped hard. " and attacked me but I was able to hold him back with my powers. I got into the room and had just activated the portkey when I looked back down the hallway and saw Draco lying face down on the stone floor and his father dragging him into a side room. It's all my fault. If I would've just stayed by his side and helped him then he wouldn't be stuck there against his will and probably dead by now."
Hermione's composure began to fail again as she said those last words. Surely Lucius wouldn't be as cruel as to kill his only son….would he? Yes, yes he would. And Hermione felt that by leaving him there alone, she had just signed her own husband's death warrant. After a few moments of silence for Draco's situation, Lupin cleared his throat and continued with the discussion.
"Alright, well this changes things a bit. Hermione, we will have to find you another guard that will stay by your side through the battle and help you in any way necessary."
"No." Hermione said, barely loud enough to be heard.
"You cannot…wait, what did you say Hermione?" Lupin started but suddenly looked at the young woman.
"I said no. There's no one else I want with me. Ron is hurt and in the hospital barely alive because of me. My own husband is, Merlin only knows how he is right now, because of me. I am not going to allow anyone else to be hurt because of me. This is my fight now."
As if with finality, she abruptly stood with the book and walked swiftly from the room, not looking at anyone. The members simply watched in shock as the normally composed young woman walked away from them. Hermione went up to their room and shut the door, magically locking it behind her. She set the book down on her desk and immediately went to sit on the edge of their bed. She glanced around the room, never before realizing just how empty that room was with nothing but a small wardrobe, a desk and a full size bed. She couldn't believe that there was a chance that he husband could be dead right now.
No, he isn't. Hermione thought to herself. I would feel it if something that bad happened.
She now needed to decide what she was going to do. There would be no way the other members would allow her to leave the house, let alone by herself. She wanted to go back and try to find her husband but she knew deep down there was nothing she could do at the moment to help him. She just prayed that Lucius would be merciful to his son and that Draco would figure a way back to her.
Back in Wilshire, Draco awoke with a pounding headache. He peaked open his eyes and almost jerked fully awake when he saw his surroundings. He was lying on his back in the middle of a black and silver, king size bed. The entire room was shrouded in black, silver and dark greens with silver serpent accents everywhere. Draco knew immediately where he was--Malfoy Manor, his old bedroom. The only thing he didn't know was how he got there. It was late, he could tell by the darkness that flooded the room and the chill that he remembered eerily.
Draco slowly slid off the bed and tried to remember how he had got there. His thoughts were interrupted, however, when the door burst open and his father strode determinedly into the room.
"Well, look who finally decided to wake up." Lucius sneered at his son.
Seeing his father made Draco spring up and go into action. He jumped in front of his father.
"Where's my wife? Where's Hermione?" Draco asked sternly, his hand reaching for his wand only to come up empty handed.
Lucius chuckled. "Looking for this?" He asked wickedly, twirling his son's wand in his hand. "Like I would allow you to keep it in the state you are in. A few changes need to be made first before it shall be returned to you."
"What changes are you talking about? If you think for one moment that I'd ever turn my back and do anything you say, well you are more delusional than I thought old man." Draco spat at his father.
Lucius smirked and, before Draco could do or say anything, he pointed his wand at his son and said,
"Memoria Damnum Dormio."
Draco slumped to the ground, in a deep sleep, his last thoughts of his beloved Hermione fluttering in his mind.
"Sleep well my son," Lucius said more quietly then Draco had ever heard him speak as he levitated his son onto the bed once more. "For tomorrow you're new life begins."
Hermione awoke with a start, the vivid memory of her husband being dragged away by his father flooding her mind. How could she have just left him there? Who cares about her stupid mission rules--this was her husband! She continued to curse herself over and over until she collapsed on the floor in a torrent of tears. She sat that way for a good while before being interrupted by a knock on the door.
"Yeah?" Hermione said, standing up and wiping her face as much as possible.
The door cracked open and a red head stuck itself in. "Hermione, are you alright? Mum told me what happened." Ginny Weasley's voice said quietly.
"Oh Gin…" Hermione cried, her voice cracking. Ginny ran into the room and the two enveloped each other in a fierce hug.
The two girls tightly embraced each other, Hermione holding on as if Ginny was the only thing she had left in the world. Both girls cried onto each other's shoulders softly as the pressures of the war and of the awful things going on as they clung to each other.
"I'm so sorry, 'Mione." Ginny said, as she pulled away.
"Thank you Gin. I just don't know what to do. I feel so alone now."
Draco awoke the next morning, the sunlight pouring through the windows as he blinked his eyes to adjust them to the new light. His mind ached. He tried to remember his dreams but there were only fragments to find left. He still wasn't entirely sure how he had ended up in his old bedroom but for some reason, he felt as if it was right were he was supposed to be. At the same time, however, pieces of him were screaming that something was out of place, something was missing.
There was a loud crack as a house elf appeared at the foot of his bed, armed with a tray of food.
"Master Draco, Master Lucius has ordered me to bring this to you. He says that you will need your strength and to meet him in his study in one hour." The elf told him timidly, setting the tray down on the bedside table.
Draco nodded his head unsurely. "Very well. You are dismissed, Mipsy." He said as if it were second nature, though his voiced echoed a deep ridden uneasiness.
He hurriedly ate down his breakfast and showered, dressing in simple black silk robes that were hung in his wardrobe. Something about the feeling of them struck him as off but he shrugged off the feeling and went to meet his father.
Arriving across the vast manor at his father's study, he knocked twice on the door to signal his arrival and was answered with a leisurely sounding "Enter". Entering the study, he found his father sitting at his desk, reading something from a small piece of parchment. An open bottle of scotch sat on the side of the desk and Draco's wand lying off the center. He crossed the familiar room and sat down in the large, leather armchair in front of the desk.
"How are you feeling this morning, Draco?" His father asked, a small hint of actual curiosity in his voice but did not look up from the parchment he was reading.
"A bit out of sorts to be honest, Father." Draco replied.
Lucius sat down his parchment and looked at his son. "Out of sorts, how?"
"It's peculiar, really. On the surface I feel normal but I keep having these strange feelings that something or someone is missing. I'm sure it's nothing, though."
"Hmm." Lucius simply answered, stroking his chin in thought as he reclined in his chair, never taking his eyes off his son. He continued to do this for a few more moments before sitting up in his chair again and speaking.
"Yes, I'm sure it's nothing. On to other topics, I've called you here this morning because I needed to go over the latest news from the inside sources."
"Inside sources?" Draco interrupted, slightly confused.
"Of course." Lucius responded as if this was the sort of thing he was asked all the time by his son. "You didn't think that we'd go into battle without someone on the inside giving us news about the Order's actions did you?"
Something sparked in Draco, a warning jolt of sorts, but he shrugged it off and nodded nimbly. "Of course not, Father."
"Anyway, as I was saying, apparently according to our source, the Order has been successful in obtaining the artifact that we had been guarding. Our Lord, to say the least, is not pleased."
The tiny jolt went through Draco once again as his father spoke. He couldn't put a finger on it but something definitely seemed wrong with this picture. Why was he here speaking to his father about Voldemort's plans? Wasn't there somewhere else he was supposed to be? Something was definitely not right about the situation at all but yet, Draco could still not put his finger on it.
"He has asked that you take on a very important mission in the upcoming battle, for he feels that this will be the final one." Lucius said sternly, locking eyes with his son as if searching for something deep within Draco.
Draco felt overwhelmingly confused for some reason but simply nodded his head. "Of course, Father. Whatever our Lord wishes."
It almost felt as if it wasn't really him speaking but yet that it was at the same time--peculiar feeling in deed.
Lucius eyed him once again before continuing. "His orders are for you to tail the Mudblood, the heir, during the final battle. Find out where she is, what she is doing. But under no circumstances are you to interfere in any way. Do not let her know that you are there. We have been told by our source that she will be with the other Order members at Hogwarts two nights from now. This is where you are to be. Are there any questions?"
Draco shook his head dutifully. "No, sir. If it's as our Lord wishes, I shall obey."
"Good. Now, you are dismissed. You are to report to Hogwarts at 5 pm tomorrow evening. Severus is expecting you in his secret room in the dungeons."
Draco nodded and left the room. As soon as the door closed, he felt another overwhelming jolt of warning. Something was going on. There was definitely something that was not right about all this. Why did his heart race when his father mentioned the Mudblood? Why did he almost feel angry at this situation? He walked subconsciously to his bedroom and fell back on the bed, his mind racing with questions that he could not answer.
Ginny had left after a few hours, leaving Hermione in a quiet house with no one to talk to and nothing to keep her company but the horrid thoughts running plaguing her mind. The final phase of the mission was to take place in only two short days at Hogwarts. Hermione needed to be there in order to fulfill her goal--bringing Harry back to her. That's where she would face Voldemort once again, for the last time, and she had a sickening feeling that something bad was going to happen.
The silence and the worry overwhelmed her and exhausted her and she fell into an unsettling sleep, plagued by terrifying dreams.
She had one sickening feeling that terrified her the most….for the first time in her life, she was really and truly alone….
Memoria Damnum Dormio (latin) loosely translates to Memory Loss Slumber