A/N- Holy crap this chapter is massive. Also stuffed full of stuff. Oh and there's definitely another chapter after this one because ending it here doesn't work. Let's see what else...there are notes at the end about some things that happen in-chapter because I wanted to avoid spoilers in the A/N.
But things I can say without spoilers, Draco gets cheeky, Severus is generous(!), Amelia is more than she appears, and Moody is one hell of a trainer. Oh and I broke up the fight scenes between the groups but they're all happening at the same time, not one after the other. So you'll probably notice some overlap.
Happy reading!
Albus Dumbledore did not like this so-called plan of Hermione Nott's. He believed more Order members were necessary and he certainly didn't trust the Malfoy boy. However Harry was adamant that the plan go as is and Albus certainly had to protect him. Harry simply wasn't ready yet to face Voldemort. Everything was not yet perfectly in place as he saw things happening. Dumbledore needed more time. But who knew? Maybe this little mission would at least get rid of some Death Eaters, including the Malfoy boy.
Severus Snape stepped out of the room for a bit to talk to Amelia privately. "Be careful," he told her. "I…I know how strong you are, of course, but this is not an ordinary situation Amelia."
"I caught Bellatrix once, Severus," she told him. "I can do it again. And I have no qualms about taking her life."
Snape nodded. She cupped his cheek, "You are the one I'm worried about. Voldemort will be outraged to see you. Especially when he knows you don't have the mark any longer."
"I will be more than happy to let Albus die at the hands of Voldemort instead of me," he responded.
She smiled, "So generous of you Severus."
"I am known for my generosity," he joked, making her laugh softly.
Draco Malfoy pressed Hermione further into the alcove as his lips attacked hers, mumbling a question between kisses, "Promise me you'll be careful?"
"I promise," she responded, very much understanding Draco's sudden need to snog her. "Draco I promise. You're not the only one who has changed since the end of last year," she reminded him, fighting back a moan as his thigh slipped between hers and he applied deliberate pressure. "I'm at least twice the fighter I was then. My father and then Moody have made sure of that."
"I still worry," he whispered.
"Just like I worry about you," she hugged him and felt his demeanor change. She knew he was struggling to hold it together and his emotions were becoming a roller coaster as the battle drew nearer. "Promise me you'll survive the fight, Draco."
"I promise," Draco wrapped his arms around her tightly to return the hug.
"Promise you'll still love me even if I kill your father?"
Had she worried about that? "Nothing could make me stop loving you," he told her. "Absolutely nothing."
"We're going to go end this war and stop Voldemort," Hermione said slowly, "and then we're going to come home, clean up, and pass out in our beds and life will go on. You will get a happily ever after."
"Does that make you Princess Charming?" He teased.
"Maybe," she winked, leaning in to kiss him softly. Draco returned it, feeling much calmer than he had when they'd snuck out of the library for a bit of privacy. Hermione was always so soothing. It was kind of amazing how she could calm him down with just a few words and some simple gestures.
"Does that make Theo my fairy godmother?" He joked.
Hermione burst into laughter, leaning into him to smother the noise. Draco grinned. It was silly but taking some of the edge off with laughter was rather comforting. When they returned from Malfoy Manor, win or lose, things wouldn't be the same. "You're a git," she informed him when she'd calmed down.
"Fully aware of that," he smirked. "I love you. And I don't need you to get revenge for me. I just need you. So please take care of yourself out there."
"I will," she kissed him, "and don't worry about me out there. You need to keep your uncle and Remus and Arthur safe. And if anything happens to those elves I will hurt you," she glared at him before her eyes softened, "I love you Draco."
He hugged her tightly. The thought of not seeing her during the upcoming battle scared him a fair bit, in all honesty. But Moody had been putting them through the wringer and they were all better duelists than they had been before. He had to trust his girlfriend could do this. And he did have to focus. He was an integral part of this mission and he wanted to make her proud. Prove to her that her faith in him, her blind trust, was deserved. This was his chance to do good and redeem the Malfoy name he wanted her to take one day. Draco couldn't let her down.
When he arrived in Malfoy Manor just ten minutes after eleven o'clock he felt the presence of Voldemort in the house. You always felt the presence of Voldemort when he was near, dark mark or not. It was a shiver down your spine, the hairs standing on the back of your neck…it always served to unnerve you, that presence. Draco had never felt comfortable living in the house once Voldemort had moved in. Draco's elves and Dobby all popped in quietly as he quickly adjusted his personal fireplace's wards to make sure that his uncle Ted could enter safely. Then he turned his attention to the house's wards to check if there was anything to alarm people to the presence of Harry Potter, Albus Dumbledore, or Severus Snape.
He doubted there were such alarms up, as Lucius had only come home Christmas Day and before that there was no blood-related Malfoy living at the manor. His mother could not work the wards of the manor being a Black by birth but Lucius had shown Draco how to work them before he'd gone to Azkaban. Draco carefully put up anti-apparition wards, keying them to the Dark Mark. That way if things got bad in the battle they could all flee but the Death Eaters couldn't chase them. That had been Moody's idea and he'd shown Draco how to do it before Draco had flooed over.
Leeta and Kreacher both popped back in, having vanished to check on the people in the house. He looked at them and whispered, "Is everyone asleep?"
"Yes Master," Leeta beamed. "They is all asleep in they's beds and I is telling elveses to go hide. All the flooses is already off except yours."
"Brilliant," Draco smiled. "Okay Winky, go tell Hermione they can start coming through."
"Winky does," Winky bowed and vanished.
Hermione was not surprised to find that Draco's bedroom was very large and very green. "You Slytherin you," she teased, pulling him to her and kissing him. While she knew Leeta wouldn't let Draco floo in and be hurt, she still had been worried that their plan could fail at this key point and if Draco died because of her plan…that would have crushed her. All of this was meant to keep Draco safe, after all. She'd promised Theo she'd keep him out of Voldemort's clutches. Sending him into them had been deeply disturbing to her.
"I'm fine," he assured her. "And soon this will be over and our biggest concerns can go back to my jealousy and Theo's desire to imagine you an innocent virginal princess."
"That sounds delightfully normal," she smiled. Draco savored seeing her smile. Over the past four hours he'd seen far too little of it and he loved seeing her smile.
One by one people began to arrive and moved toward their teams. Leeta and Kreacher would occasionally pop out to make sure the rest of the house remained silent and asleep. After twenty minutes, everyone was there and the groups had formed, "Okay when everyone is in position, the house elves will appear and enter the rooms, throwing the darkness powder," Hermione said. "Then outside those rooms, they will launch the fireworks."
"Kreacher has already placed the swamps by the front doors and activated them," Draco said, "and Leeta did the same in the back of the house. There's no escape for the Death Eaters."
"Now everything has to go to plan. We need them all caught off-guard. Be careful and take no prisoners. Even a caught off-guard Voldemort and Bellatrix will be hard opponents."
Draco carefully opened his bedroom door and slowly the groups dispersed, moving to their assigned areas as quietly as possible.
Loud explosions from within shook Malfoy Manor to its foundation when the elves launched the fireworks. Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy sat bolt upright in bed completely blind. "What's going on Lucius?" Narcissa asked. "I can't see anything!"
The blonde wizard groped around for his wand. He found it just as the darkness faded. Hermione Nott glared at them but it was Andromeda who spoke first, "Hello Cissy."
"Andromeda?" Narcissa gasped, "What are you doing here?"
"I met my nephew this summer," Andromeda said, ignoring her sister's question. "And in spite of yourselves and every effort you made to do otherwise, Draco is a good young man. Your actions are why I'm here. You tried to take Draco's life and his choices from him. I think it's time you felt some consequences for that."
Narcissa grabbed her wand, "And I should be afraid of you?"
"Me? No," Andromeda shook her head. "You should be afraid of her," Andromeda indicated Hermione, "You might have been masturbating to the joy of the Nott and Malfoy families uniting but my little sister, that was your undoing. But for her you might have had your good little soldier rather than the son who happily switched sides just to get out from under your roof."
Lucius growled, "That little traitor! When I see him I'll…" he was cut off by a powerful blasting curse just inches from his cheek…
"Before he died Julius Nott taught me many unique Nott family curses. My father was a very powerful wizard, Lucius," Hermione said. "And he put family over ideology, something the Malfoys would do well to learn. Abraxas is very lucky he's already dead. You, however, are not. Not yet, anyway. You really picked the worst time to break out of Azkaban."
Lucius raised his wand toward Hermione only to have to duck as the canopy of the bed dropped toward the occupants. The Malfoys rolled out of the bed to protect themselves and were faced with Theo Nott's glare, "Raise your wand toward my sister again. I don't know half of what you did to Draco over the years but I know enough to want you dead. Although between us I'm not sure which of us will grant you a merciful death."
"Certainly not me," Hermione said before casting a very painful Nott family curse at Lucius. The blonde contorted on the floor in pain. The spell went on for a minute before she let up, "I will give you what you never gave Draco. A chance to fight for your life. The odds are not in your favor, but then neither were Draco's," Hermione glared at Narcissa Malfoy. How Andromeda came from that same family was a mystery to her. "So in the end, I guess you could say that you have the same miniscule chances Draco had to escape your vile clutches. Though in fairness, Draco got away and you will not leave this room alive."
"Did you miss me?" Severus Snape asked Voldemort.
"Probably not as much as he misses his snake," Harry offered up. That was part of the strategy. Keep Voldemort unsure of who to attack first. Between Snape, Harry, and Dumbledore it would be a hard choice for the wannabe dark lord in who he should attack first.
"Who knew I would have Dumbledore coming to me to die," Voldemort gazed at the old man who was his nemesis, "I will enjoy this, Albus. So very, very much."
"I won't let you harm Harry," Dumbledore said, stepping in front of Harry. Snape was silently thanking the gods. Maybe they could get rid of both of the 'arrogant fuckers' (as Theo had so lovingly christened them) after all. Although Severus still agreed with his godson. Those two very well could easily screw even that up.
"We'll see about that!" Voldemort snarled, pointing his wand at Dumbledore and casting a curse.
Neville had not expected taking on Bellatrix, her husband and her brother-in-law to be easy. However it was very clear that Azkaban had not been kind to the males of the Lestrange family. Rabastan and Regulus were actually very easily dispatched, which was just as well since Bellatrix was very strong and quite crazy and it required multiple casters to keep her on the defensive. Neville understood why Blaise was in this group. He might come off as mellow and laid-back but Blaise was quick when it came to casting spells. Molly Weasley meanwhile was a force unto herself and Fred and Bill were no slouches either.
But Neville was most impressed with Amelia Bones. Her slight stature did not highlight how fierce she was in battle. Watching her battle Bellatrix he understood how she came to be head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. Amelia Bones was very, very strong. She cast deadly curse after deadly curse and showed no fatigue and no sign of frustration. She was perfectly composed and the perfect counterpoint to the deranged witch she was battling.
Hermione realized instantly as she dueled Lucius Malfoy that he was not good with defensive spells. Lucius was a vicious attacker but weak on his defense. She moved into the offensive, casting various deadly spells one after the other before using the one that Draco had used on Moody in class, "Liquefacio!" The shock on Lucius Malfoy's face as she said the curse he'd taught Draco was priceless. She heard the scream from Narcissa and instantly felt the force of a shield charm as a spell from the evil witch was stopped before it hit Hermione. She looked at her brother, "Thanks Theo."
"One down, one to go," he said.
"I'll be the defensive one now. You go on the attack," Hermione said. After dueling Lucius with several powerful spells in a row she needed to recharge a bit.
Harry was pressed into a corner of the room watching Dumbledore and Voldemort duel. The magical forces with which both were casting had forced the other four people in the room back against the wall. Kingsley was with Harry while in the other corner Severus Snape and Mad-Eye Moody were pressed into the wall. "Are they ever going to stop?" Harry asked Kingsley.
"I think they cancel each other out," Kingsley observed. "They seem even when it comes to power."
"So what do we do? How do we end the stalemate?"
"I don't know," Kingsley answered, wincing at the repercussion of yet another powerful hex from Voldemort blasting off a shield from Dumbledore.
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"Albus should be dead by now," Moody observed.
"I think it's the wand," Snape said. "Voldemort wanted Albus' wand. Said it was the wand of legend."
"I think we need to make sure Voldemort doesn't get the wand then," Moody winked at Snape.
"Indeed," Severus said, pointing his wand at Dumbledore, "Expelliarmus!"
Dumbledore had barely registered that his wand had left his hand before he heard Voldemort cast, "Avada Kedavra!" Albus Dumbledore fell to the floor, dead. Harry was shocked. Why had Snape…then Voldemort spoke and it clicked, "Ah Severus. I always knew I could count on you," Voldemort said. "Thanks to you, my nemesis is now dead and Potter is next." Voldemort looked at the wand that previously belonged to Dumbledore sitting in Snape's hand. "Give me the wand and he'll be dead in an instant."
"Or I keep the wand and kill you," Snape said, standing and pointing the desired wand at Voldemort.
"I am immortal you fool!" Voldemort yelled at him.
"Yes, your horcruxes," Snape nodded. "They're all gone. The diary? Lucius gave it to a girl to unleash the basilisk and Harry there destroyed it. The ring? That was destroyed by Albus. The locket? That cup? Both gone by my wand." Severus was enjoying taunting the bastard he'd been forced to serve for over twenty years. This was a nice turning of the tables. He would be forever grateful to Hermione for letting him take his power back in this moment. "Nagini was killed by a house elf earlier tonight. A house elf wanting to prove her loyalty to Draco and her hatred of you," he added, twisting the knife as he mentioned Draco's name. "And of course the last one, Harry Potter. Destroyed, most helpfully I would add, by you. That was why you couldn't kill him. That was what the prophecy meant. And in your haste to kill him, you hastened your own death."
"Potter?" Voldemort's head whipped to look at Harry in horror but when Severus had ceased talking he grinned, "That's not all of them. You missed one!" Voldemort stood tall, "You fool! Kill me now and I will still return to crush you."
"DOBBY!" Harry yelled. Dobby the house elf appeared with a sapphire diadem on his head. Harry took the diadem from the elf, "You mean this? Is this what you want?"
"How do you…"
"Hermione was right to start S.P.E.W.," Harry said. "You blood bigots highly undervalue house elves. Just as you do potions masters," he added as he pulled a vial of basilisk venom, harvested by Snape from the basilisk in the Chamber of Secrets, from his pocket. Kingsley opened the vial with a tap of his wand and Voldemort was unable to even raise his wand in defense as Moody and Snape kept their wands on him. He could only watch as Harry poured the venom onto the diadem and it hissed, cracked, and finally exploded, burning Harry's hand in the process (though he didn't notice). "So that's all seven horcruxes, gone."
"Severus please," Voldemort begged. "Please…"
"I have waited so long for this moment," Snape said. "Let me tell you a story, my lord," he mockingly added, "about a witch who learned she was pureblood last summer. Who's newly discovered brother asked her to help his friend. The witch who was raised by muggles who outthought and completely manipulated the dark lord who wanted to enslave that friend of her brother's. Hermione Granger put a plan into action. Make you think that Draco was becoming a spy. Sell the story hard. And she did. Sure, you added your own twist by isolating her from Potter to get to him but that didn't matter. Hermione had your number from the beginning. She had Draco and me play to your ego and lead you on a dance. She is the witch who worked out how to destroy the dark mark on my arm and she is the witch who planned this attack on the manor."
Moody was elated to see Voldemort showcasing fear, dread, and horror. It was so satisfying after all the good aurors he'd lost at the bastard's wand. "For all that you rail against muggles," Severus continued, "muggle thinking, logic above all else, and more Slytherin cunning than you've ever displayed in your life have unknowingly brought you to your knees and signed your death warrant." Snape didn't even hesitate, "Enjoy hell you coward; Avada Kedavra!"
Voldemort fell over, dead. Moody drew his wand, "Fiendfyre!" The ex-auror kept the spell up until Voldemort's body was no longer even ash.
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"Dobby please take the headmaster's body back to Hogwarts and place him in his bed," Kingsley said. "That way it is safe until we can give him a burial."
"Yes sir Mr. Kingsley sir," Dobby said, taking Dumbledore's body and vanishing.
Harry looked at Snape, "Was all that true? Hermione started seeing Malfoy just to save him from Voldemort?"
"Voldemort always hated the truth," Snape said. "Giving it to him before he died seemed poetic."
"Now let's go help the others," Kingsley said, picking up Voldemort's wand and snapping it in two, "This is all the evidence we need. This battle is not yet over."
"Right," Harry nodded. He could think about that stuff later. They had more important things to do right now.
It was Andromeda who got the last shot at Narcissa Malfoy, who was clearly better at defensive spells than her husband. Hermione felt relief when Narcissa fell. Draco was free. Draco, downstairs having just watched Remus Lupin kill Fenrir Greyback, felt the moment his parents were dead. He felt the wards of the manor shift to him and immediately he had an idea. He grabbed the arm of Greyback and cast a spell he'd seen his father use once. Though he cast it in reverse. Rather than welcome those with the mark to the manor, the wards of the manor would attack anyone bearing Voldemort's mark. Judging from the subsequent screams it was mission accomplished for Draco's quickly thought up idea. "Follow the screams," he yelled to Remus and Ted. "The wards will keep the cowards stationary!"
Amelia Bones was unsure what exactly had happened to make Bellatrix scream in agony and clutch the mark but it told her that likely Voldemort was dead and/or the Malfoys were dead and Draco had adjusted the wards. She pressed her advantage, "There will be no Azkaban this time Bella. You'll be dead."
"You couldn't kill me then you can't kill me now," Bellatrix taunted.
"I can," Neville said, casting the spell Theo had taught him, "Deleo!" Bellatrix was struck right between the eyes and subsequently burst into millions of pieces which vanished out of existence. "Thank you Nott family archives," he said afterward.
Molly Weasley checked everyone out for any wounds before they heard screams throughout the manor, "I think Draco did something," Blaise said, "this way."
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They made their way to the landing leading down to the first and up to the third floors to see Fleur transformed into a Veela and hurling fireballs at a werewolf. "Bloody hell Bill," Fred cursed, "remind me to never piss off your fiancée."
"Remind me never to piss off my fiancée," Bill responded, his jaw dropping as Veela-Fleur incinerated the werewolf only to launch a screech and hurl two fireballs at another one. Molly meanwhile was very impressed with her soon-to-be daughter-in-law. Perhaps she'd misjudged her.
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Judging from the noises above them it sounded like the other two groups were on the move to Draco and Snape's groups, who had merged near the library, "Where now?" Moody asked Draco.
"The dungeons. Leeta said there were prisoners down there. Have you seen Pettigrew?"
"No," Harry shook his head. "Can we find him somehow?"
"Maybe," Draco looked at Leeta, "any ideas?"
Leeta shook her head, "He is here. Maybe others is finding him." That seemed reasonable to Draco and Harry and Draco led everyone to the dungeons.
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"And this is for being a pervert and sleeping in my brothers' beds with them for years!" George yelled, sending a blasting curse at Pettigrew that launched him headfirst into a porcelain toilet.
Theo had to hold it together to not laugh. George Weasley was funny even when he was battling Death Eaters. He focused on Mulciber while his sister was fighting Macnair, "Looking good there sis!"
"Well killing Death Eaters is a family business," Hermione responded before casting a spell that beheaded the executioner with his own axe. "I'm just trying to make Daddy proud!" It was gross how many Death Eaters were living in the manor. She was so glad they'd got Draco out when they did.
Theo sent Mucliber into a painting of one of Draco's more despicable ancestors, "Oops I'll have to apologize to Draco for destroying the painting of that arsehole."
"I'm sure he'll be devastated," Hermione laughed as she sent a blasting curse toward the Carrow twins, a suit of armor knocking Amycus unconscious. "That one's alive Amelia!" She yelled upon seeing the head auror.
"So kind of you dear," Amelia called back before sending Alecto into a wall. The second floor looked quite destroyed between Fleur's Veela abilities and the frequently cast blasting curses from the teens. She had learned from Severus that Draco wanted to destroy the mansion once it was his; she was fairly certain that Theo, Blaise, Hermione, and Neville were happy to start early on Malfoy Manor's destruction for him.
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Down in the dungeons they didn't find any Death Eaters but they did find several prisoners, including a few nearly nude and very terrified muggles. Kingsley, Arthur, and Ted took care of the prisoners while the others moved back up to the first floor. Draco exited the dungeons to see Hermione send Rookwood into the chandelier over the main entryway, the chandelier crashing to the floor. He smiled, relieved. She was alive. Harry watched the look on Draco's face and realized that even if Hermione and Draco really had started out as a way to keep him from Voldemort, that didn't mean their relationship wasn't real.
They made their way back to the other two groups to join in the fighting and soon the battle was won. Draco called the manor's elves and had them search for any hidden people while Fleur and Molly helped Arthur and Ted with the prisoners who'd been locked up in the dungeons. "We did it," Hermione smiled, tugging Draco into her arms, "Are you okay?"
"No injuries," he said, gazing around at the destruction. He'd reactivated the fireplaces for Amelia and Kingsley to access the Ministry of Magic. "You?"
"I'm safe," she said, "and I feel better. Although there's a portrait of Abraxas that somehow got incinerated. I'm not quite sure how that happened," her tone indicated she knew exactly what happened and wasn't sorry at all for destroying his grandfather's portrait.
Draco grinned, "Well I suppose I'll have to live with never looking at or talking to him again. What a tragedy."
She pressed her head to his shoulder. Casting all that magic was quite exhausting. "Who killed who?" She asked quietly.
"Voldemort killed Dumbledore and Severus killed Voldemort," he answered. "Now he's really free."
"Good," Hermione smiled. Severus deserved that freedom. "Voldemort and Dumbledore can keep each other company in Hell."
"I thought you didn't believe in the muggle concept of God," Draco questioned.
"I do for the bad stuff," she grinned into his shirt. Draco chuckled and squeezed her to him.
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After a few moments of silence Hermione spoke again, "You can bring your elves over to Nott Manor while Malfoy Manor is rebuilt."
"Thanks," he said. "I want to alter the plans. Uncle Ted says he knows an architect who's a halfblood and can help."
"Oh?" Hermione looked up at him, curious why he'd need a halfblood architect.
"I want a home theater," he grinned. She laughed.
Amelia approached everyone, "Kingsley and I will need copies of your memories for now. We can do any necessary questioning later."
"Certainly," Snape said, pulling his memory of the event out and placing it in the vial Kingsley held out. One by one memories were collected and placed in vials which Kingsley placed in a strongbox. "I think we can send the teens off to bed, can't we Amelia?"
Amelia took in the exhausted appearances of the six teens still in Hogwarts and the exhausted forms of Fred and George, "You all go back to the manor, get cleaned up, and get some sleep. I'll see you at breakfast."
"Okay," Hermione sat up, having not left Draco's side since the battle ended. "Fred, George, you can stay tonight. We always have extra rooms made up."
"Thanks love," George kissed her cheek, "are you sure you don't want to go for a ginger? I mean, Malfoy's still Malfoy even if he is the wealthiest bastard in England now."
Hermione shook her head, "Sorry George. Gingers don't do it for me."
"I'm willing to change my hair color," he offered.
Draco rolled his eyes, "She's not desperate."
"No if she was desperate she'd go for Ron," George countered.
"Eww," Hermione's nose wrinkled. "too far, George. That went too far."
"Yeah I realized that as I said it," he shuddered in disgust, "my apologies."
"Let's go home," Theo said, "I want a shower."
"You're all welcome to stay at the Manor tonight," Hermione said to the adults gathered.
"Thank you dear but I can't leave Ron and Ginny home alone," Molly said. "Percy was keeping an eye on them for me." Hermione pitied Percy. Ron and Ginny fought horribly with one another.
"I'd be happy to accept that offer," Andromeda smiled.
"Just call for Winky when the manor can be closed up again," Draco said as he moved toward the fireplace.
Upon arriving in Nott Manor Hermione really started to feel the fatigue set in. It was nearly four in the morning and so much had happened she wasn't entirely sure she'd even begun to process it. Which immediately had her seeking out Draco; if she wasn't really processing it yet she doubted that he was. "Come on," she tugged him upstairs without a backward glance.
Neville looked at Theo, "Are you going to say anything?"
"He just lost his parents," Theo shrugged, "I doubt they're going up there to shag. Frankly I'd be more worried if she didn't want to keep him close after what we just did."
"Who knows what Draco's dreams will feature after tonight," Blaise said, heading upstairs.
Theo closed the floo and grabbed Neville's hand, "Come on then. I had to watch Hermione duel Lucius Malfoy. I need some cuddling time."
"Well if I have to," Neville teased, squeezing Theo's hand. "But I want to shower first so either you have company in your shower or you let me clean up first."
"I like company," Theo smiled.
Harry shook his head as he walked up to his bedroom. Things in Nott Manor were certainly always interesting. He hoped he could stay there that summer too. It was so much better than the Dursley home and he really wanted to get in the pool he'd seen outside. According to Blaise the pool was amazing.
After a quick shower to clean up Hermione tugged Draco to her bed, "Come on then," she said. "We both need sleep."
Draco crawled into bed and placed his head on her chest and his hand on her stomach, "I love you," he said, his eyes closing as he felt her fingers run through his still slightly damp hair.
"I love you too," she said, already feeling her eyes grow heavy, "good night Draco."
"Good night Hermione," he smiled.
The eight teenagers slept until noon. By the time they'd made it downstairs, the mail had run and the paper had arrived. A smirking Remus Lupin handed Hermione the newspaper when Draco questioned why Snape looked so put out. Hermione stared at the headline, "Dark Lord Destroyed!" She continued reading, "Late last night and early this morning a rag-tag group of would-be heroes entered Malfoy Manor to take on and destroy the wannabe-Lord Voldemort, whose real name was Tom Marvolo Riddle. This group included Draco Malfoy, Hermione and Theo Nott, Severus Snape, and Blaise Zabini. Also included were Neville Longbottom, the Boy-Who-Lived Harry Potter, Arthur and Molly Weasley, Fred and George Weasley," Hermione looked up, "They mention everyone in the group. I'll skip that part."
She took a breath and continued, "Albus Dumbledore was also present, though felled by Voldemort after a wayward spell knocked his wand from his hand." Draco and the rest of the boys all snorted, knowing the truth of what happened. Hermione ignored them as she continued, "Severus Snape stood against Voldemort alone afterward and successfully defeated the dark despot. Also killed in the fight were Bellatrix, Rabastan, and Rodolphus Lestrange, Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, and Peter Pettigrew, who was declared dead by the Ministry of Magic almost twenty years ago but was actually an unregistered animagus who went into hiding after the first fall of Voldemort."
"Who knew the Prophet could tell the truth?" Harry asked.
"Hush," Hermione scolded him before resuming, "Memories of the battles were all collected by head of the DMLE Amelia Bones and her aurors Kingsley Shacklebolt and Nymphadora Tonks," the snort from Draco at his cousin's first name was understandable. Tonks would be outraged they used her hated first name, "This reporter had the privilege of viewing several memories and Severus Snape was a true hero and deserves the Order of Merlin: First Class." Well that explained Snape's disagreeable demeanor. Hermione handed the newspaper to Draco, "After that it goes on about Dumbledore's death, who will become the new headmaster, and there's some gushing about Draco that is unnecessary given the size of his already inflated ego."
"Hey," Draco whined, eagerly looking for the praise in the article.
"That's pretty fantastic though," Theo said, sitting down at the table. He was starving.
"We're heroes," Blaise smirked, "the girls will be falling all over me."
Hermione rolled her eyes at Blaise as she sat down at the table, "Blaise you're ridiculous."
"That's why you love me," he countered.
"No I think I just tolerate you," she teased.
"Draco mate run away from her while you can," Blaise stage-whispered to Draco as the blonde sat down at the table next to Hermione.
"Sorry mate, I love her," Draco said. "And come on, Hermione deserves the best and we both know that I am the best."
Theo rolled his eyes before smiling as lunch appeared. "Brilliant, I'm starving. Let's eat." Everyone sat down to eat, the teens pondering who could become headmaster with Dumbledore's death and just how much Hogwarts would change.
Second A/N- Okay just wanted to say, I liked the visual the movie used when Molly killed Bellatrix, so I decided to use that same unknown spell that Molly used (though it was likely a reducto) and make it a Nott family curse taught by Theo to his boyfriend since the Longbottoms don't seem like the type to pass down curses to use against opponents in duels and the Notts most certainly are. Plus I got to make up a name for the curse shown in the film and I like that. And by make up, I mean use the Latin form of delete.