Thank you to everyone who reviewed: . .Me, MoonlitRose731, Aid4, Vannah6642, Karhomarie, Jedi SteelWolf, Fanficfan826, Bloodred 321, LovEToReadit, Aikello, Jen7, alluringmango, defe, KayleASS, ChildofBrisingr, .co, mmiller0000 , Horses8, lady alegria, AnayaR, Iminesia, mega700201,Kotodashi Kyoshi, frizzy-wizzy-oringina, Ayr, SectumSemprae, Starearth, Ambearlamb, LillsBills, Thaxiuh RotcehM and guests "Who" And "D"

AUTHORS NOTE: Remember ten chapters ago when I said you should read the short children's story "The Happy Prince" by Oscar Wilde? Well you don't have to read it in order to understand this chapter at all…..But you might get more out of this chapter emotionally if you have read it. Just thought I'd give you a heads up.

Chapter 33: The Statue

Narcissa had been casting healing spells for hours and nothing seemed to be working.

Then, a thought came to her through the muddled emotional haze that was clouding her mind.

The curse drew its power from the dark mark.

So if the dark mark wasn't there...

Narcissa swallowed. The idea of tampering with the dark mark made Narcissa feel sick to the stomach.

If you do this there is no going back, she thought.

I don't care, she answered. There is nothing I wouldn't do for my son, nothing I wouldn't risk.

Narcissa took a deep breath and turned her wand towards Draco's arm. Her hand trembled.

"Deletrius," she cast at the Mark.

A black blast threw Narcissa backward and a ghastly black smoke like snake rose up and hissed at Narcissa.

"Narcissssisssa..." The Dark Lord's voice echoed in Narcissa's mind. "What do you think you are doing?"

"I am trying to save my son," she answered back.

"Sssssooooo, you thought that removing my mark would help?"

Pain lanced through Narcissa's head and she let out a cry of pain.

"Yes," she cried.

"I will come to you ssssoooon, until then do not try that again..." his voice was dark. "Or you will regret it."

"But my lord he doesn't have much time..."

A great wind blew through the room leaving Narcissa laying on the floor.

Hermione cried for an hour before she took the potion Snape had given her. Her eyes hurt from the tears, throbbing inside their sockets. The same pulse and pain echoed at her temples. Her chest hurt, partially from thinking of Draco and partially from everything she had been through with Bellatrix.

When the effects of Snape's potion started kicking in she let herself be taken into the blissful oblivion of sleep.

When she woke hours later the effects had worn off and she felt stiff and sore.

Please tell me it was all a dream, she silently begged even though she knew that wasn't the case. She had been holding on to Draco as her hope for so many days now that the idea of loosing him was not only gut wrenching for the loss of a person she cared for but also for the loss of all her hope.

She thought back to a time when his death would have just meant she would escape. She remembered the fleeting thought that his death would mean she would have nothing to hold her back from running away and escaping. Memoriy of that thought made her feel a deep rooted guilt.

How could you have thought something like that, she asked herself.

It was because I didn't know him, she answered back, not like I know him now.

Now Draco was so much more than her captor.

He was more than her protector now too.

He was...a part of her.

Everything that they had been through together and for each other had made it so that they were connected more than just through the bind. A piece of Hermione's heart belonged to Draco even if she wasn't willing to admit it to herself.

Hermione sat up groaning as her back cracked like popcorn.

You need to go to him...maybe there is something you can do...

Hermione went to the stairs and made sure no one was watching and then she healed her own wounds with the wand she had tucked under her clothes.

She listened carefully unable to hear a single sound in the house.

It must be the middle of the night, she thought.

That's good, it means no one will see if you go to him.

Taking a breath and mustering her confidence she went over to the wall and gently tapped om the three bricks as Draco had shown her uttering the incantation. One by one the bricks shifted away revealing the hut in the middle of Draco's wardrobe oasis. She stepped inside and walked over to the bar as she had seen Draco do before. She tapped on the top and a little piece of the bar came up.

None of his potions were labeled.

How the hell am I supposed to know which one to take?

Use your brain Hermione, she told herself. She uncorked on and took a sniff. She didn't recognize the smell and so she recorked it and put it back. The second one she uncorked smelled like the salve he had given her to put on her wounds. She set that one aside. The next smelled familiar and she put a dab on her tongue. It was definitely the healing potion he had given her most often. She took it down and then began to rub the salve on the cuts Bellatrix had made.

She saw a tear drop onto her dirty arm and whipped her face.

Draco couldn't die. There had to be some way. She looked over at Draco's books and began to pull them off the shelf. She spent several hours searching and could not find even one mention of the curse Snape was talking about.

Maybe Snape lied to you.

Why would he lie about that?

Because he's evil- he killed Dumbledore.

But he made the unbreakable to protect Draco and look out for him.

That doesn't mean he's good.

A chime sounded.

I have to see him, thought Hermione and she went outside into the oasis.

The sky was still dark. She could see the first hints of sun coming up in the one corner. Was the sky in here in time with the sky outside?

There was no walkway across the water now and so Hermione jumped in and swam across to the other side. She was thankful for the water washing away the blood. She was thankful for this place and for Draco thinking of her…

She paused.

How long had Draco known about the curse?

Hermione blinked wiping the water away from her eyes. Draco had kept it from her and had worked on a way to keep her safe. That's why he had made the doorway. That's why he had shown her his oasis... He had prepared... for this.

"Draco Malfoy you great git," she sobbed. If she had known they could have worked together, she would have had more time to find a cure…She collapsed in the sand and cried again.

"You're turning into a regular watering pot," she told herself and wiped away her tears.

She had every reason to cry though: everything was wrong.

Heading to the door she peered through the small hole. She could see Draco laying on the bed. His body was covered in small black veins.

"No..." Hermione breathed almost silently.

There was something about actually seeing him laying there so still and so hurt that made everything in her chest squeeze tight.

Narcissa was there beside him. Hermione watched as the witch cast spell after spell. Healing charms and counter curses one after another.

Narcissa's hair was unkempt and hanging around her face. Her eyes were red and dark circles hung underneath.

She loves her son, thought Hermione.

She's killing herself trying to save him.

It was obvious that Narcissa was pouring every ounce of magic she had into keeping Draco alive and trying to save him.

Hermione debated stepping out and helping Narcissa, but she couldn't bring herself to move.

If she stepped out now she would give away Draco's secret and there was a chance that Narcissa wouldn't even let her close.

No, she had to wait. Eventually Narcissa would fall asleep of have to go to the washroom, then Hermione could go to Draco. Hermione took a breath. She would come back then.

Hermione cast a small charm making a little bird. She told it to sit and wait silently for Narcissa to fall asleep and then to come to her and let her know when it happened. The little bird let out a chirp and Narcissa looked to the window and the rising sun. She rubbed her eyes.

"Draco," Hermione heard the older woman say. "Draco my darling, please, fight, please."

Hermione felt her heart break for the older woman and it took everything she had to pull herself away.

Hermione walked back through the oasis. This time she tapped on the dock with her wand and was relieved when it listened to her and extended out over to water and to the island. She went inside the hut. Memories of being there with Draco, of sitting on the couch and leaning into him swept through her.

She wanted to go back to that moment.

Instead she went back to the cellar. Where she came face to face with Greyback.

Narcissa was still bent over Draco when the Dark Lord came into the room.

"My lord," said Narcissa bowing. "Thank you for coming."

"Of course," said Voldemort. "How could I not for one of my most loyal families?" he smiled and Narcissa felt the cold she always felt in Voldemort's presence.

"Save him please," she begged.

The Dark Lord looked at Draco's form. He was pale and thin and covered in black veins.

"Who cast this curse?" asked Voldemort.

"Ronald Weasely," answered Snape stepping out from behind the dark Lord and moving over to the side of the bed.

Draco looked much worse letting Snape know the end was near. It was already remarkable how long the young man had lasted. He was still alive, most were long dead this long after the curse being cast.

"Potter's friend."

"Yes," said Snape.

"Is it the Deatheater's bane?" asked Voldemort.

"Yes," said Snape.

"Then there is nothing I can do," said Voldemort shaking his head. "It appears young Draco's time has come."

"It feeds off the mark," said Narcissa grabbing hold of the Dark Lord's arm. "If you removed the mark perhaps…"

"Silence woman," he flung her backwards. "How dare you suggest such a thing!" he bellowed. "My mark is permanent, my mark is forever as I shall be. It is an honor for Draco to die with my mark on his flesh. His loyalty will be remembered."

"Please," Narcissa begged. "Let his loyalty be remembered while he lives."

"You do not know what my mark is Narcissa. You never took one yourself," he sneered at her. "And I will not remove my brand once it is burned into my Deatheater. Draco is mine. Forever."

"You said Will not," said Narcissa standing. "Not CAN not!"

"I will not therefore it DOES NOT MATTER," said Voldemort.

"IT MATTERS IF YOU CAN SAVE MY SON AND ARE CHOOSING NOT TO!"

"Cissy," Bellatrix reached for Narcissa. "Calm down."

"I WILL NOT!" Cried Narcissa and she drew her wand.

Snape stepped in front of Narcissa and Bellatrix stepped in front of the dark Lord.

"My lord," said Bellatrix. "She is not in her right mind, he is her only son. He is my nephew, surely you can be compassionate."

"I will be," said Voldemort. "For your sake," He looked down at Bellatrix. "This one time only." And then he vanished.

Narcissa screamed and slapped Snape.

"You promised, you promised to look out for him."

"I did everything that I could," said Snape.

"Cissy, it's going to be alright," Said Bellatrix

"My son is dying. Nothing will ever be alright again!" Narcissa turned back to the bed and Draco's sleeping form. "Get out, all of you."

"Narcissa…" Lucius began

"GET OUT NOW!"

The room emptied leaving Narcissa alone with her son.

She would never forgive them.

Not the dark Lord for refusing to remove the mark.

Not her sister for not understanding.

And not Lucius for getting them mixed up in this in the first place.

She lay her head down by Draco's side and wept.

No...

Hermione's blood ran cold.

She was here in the cellar with the man who had tried to rape her.

"And where did you go little girl?" Greyback's growl sent shivers down Hermione's spine. She held her wand tightly behind her back out of view.

He had seen the passageway.

Hermione couldn't let him keep that memory, if she did it would make everything Draco had done to try and save her totally worthless. She couldn't let that be.

She didn't bother to answer Greyback and instead lifted her chin and face him strait on.

"I've been waiting," he said coming forward. "For them to put you back down here," he smiled a sharp and wicked grin. "I even left a little something here to let me know when that day came just so I wouldn't miss it." He picked up a small statue and smashed it against the wall. "Won't be needing that anymore," he said grinning.

"You need to leave now," she said, having every intention of obliviating him the second he turned around if he did.

"I am not going anywhere," said Greyback. "And neither are you."

"Draco will kill you if you touch me," she said with conviction.

"Draco is upstairs dying a painful death. There is not one to stop me."

Greyback came forward.

"There is me," said Hermione and she lashed out with her wand. "Stupify."

Greyback deflected.

"You little bitch, where did you get that wand?"

"From one of your dead friends no doubt," said Hermione.

Greyback snarled and lashed out with his wand. The curse was clumsy and Hermione parried it. Light shot around the room as they fought. Hermione was at a disadvantage not using her own wand. Still, this wand served her well enough. It help up for her power, not like the one she had broken cursing Draco.

Her distraction at the memory made her slip and she missed parrying one of the attacks. The spell hit her shoulder and she let out a cry of pain.

Greyback took that moment to launch himself forward at her and Hermione went down to the ground. Her wand went skittering across the floor.

She pushed with everything she had and Greyback went flying off her from the force of her wandless magic. She scrambled across the floor and grabbed hold of the wand just in time to turn and see Greyback launching himself at her again.

She raised her wand and yelled.

There were no words to the spell only fear and anger and strength. A great light came from her wand and Greyback flew backwards slamming into the wall. He was clearly dazed. His wand dropped to the ground and he shook his head trying to clear it.

Hermione stood and brushed herself off then she went to Greyback and grabbed his wand from the ground beside him and quickly backed away.

What do I do now?

"I will kill you," said Greyback. "You wait and see, but first I'm going to have you and fuck your little cunt until you beg for death."

"How many women have you done that too before?" Hermione found herself demanding.

"I don't keep count," he smiled wickedly. "But I always have the hunger for it."

He's a monster…

"You will never get the chance to do that again," said Hermione and then she did something she had never thought herself capable of.

Hermione Granger uttered the killing curse.

Snape came back several hours later to check on his dying pupil. He found Narcissa sitting there, utterly ragged from exertion.

He went to Draco and cast a quick spell checking Draco's vitals.

Narcissa looked up at him as Lucius crept into the room behind him.

"He has hours at most," said Severus answering her unspoken question.

"Are you sure?" asked Narcissa not wanting to believe the words and at the same time knowing Snape meant what he was saying.

"Yes," Snape nodded. "He has lasted much longer than most already," he sighed and then continued "Most succumb within the first twenty four hours, by my count he is close to forty eight."

Narcissa looked down at her son. If she looked long enough she could see the small incremental growth of the veins darkening and climbing through his body. The pink swelling around them made Draco's skin seem puffy and swollen even though he himself looked thin and frail.

While she cast spells she could halt their progress, but she could not work around the clock and every breath between spells gave seconds for the curse to grow.

And she could not remove the dark mark.

What is there left that I can do? She asked herself and then it came to her.

Narcissa stood. There was something left that she hadn't tried. Something that had been in her family for generations.

"Stay with him a moment would you Severus. Do what you can." Snape nodded tightly. Lucius was sitting in the corner healing spells were not his forte and Narcissa was not about to let him try on their son while he was on the edge.

She walked down the hall to her bedroom and went to the vault she kept hidden behind her grandmothers portrait. Her mother looked down at her.

"You've come for my necklace haven't you?"

"Yes," answered Narcissa. "It is for your grandson."

"Very well," she said swinging open. "At least it will stay in the family."

Narcissa opened the vault and pullout out the small jewelry case therein. She opened the old leather box and looked down at the diamond encrusted necklace. The diamonds alone were worth nearly half a million galleons. It was the piece in the center which glittered and caught the light that held the true value though. Inside the small dandling glass pear rested two Phoenix tears. She carried the necklace back to Draco's room.

"No," said Lucius getting up. "You can't use those!"

"And why not?" demanded Narcissa.

"Its a curse not an injury," said Lucius. "There's a chance it won't even help and those tears are worth more than five years investments put together."

"Fuck your damned investments!" yelled Narcissa. "This is our son. If there is even a chance that they will buy him an extra hour. A second awake so that I can tell him one more time I love him then it is worth every single penny."

"But-"

Narcissa lashed out with her wand as Lucius went to protest.

"If gold is all you want then gold you shall have, but not my love or my boy. Get out."

Lucius scuttled out of the room his eyes wide with fear.

Narcissa knelt by her son's leg.

"You know he is right," said Severus. "Phoenix tears can save from the brink of death any injury, I don't know their effect on a curse like this-especially one attached to the dark mark."

"Are you telling me you are sure that they won't help?" asked Narcissa looking Snape straight in the eye.

"No, I'm just trying to make sure you know there is a chance that they may do nothing."

"I understand that," said Narcissa and tears filled her own eyes. "But he is my son. I need to try."

Severus nodded and Narcissa twisted the stem of the glass pear jewel and then she poured the two tiny tears onto the wound.

There was a shimmering and the black hole that had been ooozing black closed itself up. The black veins however did not move or dissipate. The swelling around them went down.

A moment passed and Draco's eyelashes fluttered. He blinked up at his mother his breathing ragged.

"Mom?"

"I'm here Draco. I'm here darling," she said clutching his hand.

Draco shivered.

"I'm so cold," he murmured.

Snape cast a charm and the room heated drastically.

"Draco darling," Narcissa smoothed the hair over his forehead. "I love you. You know that."

"I know," Draco coughed. "I love you too mom."

Tears leaked from the corners of Narcissa's eyes.

"Please stay with me," she begged.

Draco gave a weak smile.

"I'm trying."

"You're my everything," she kissed his hand and Draco's eyes fluttered closed again his breathing going even.

Narcissa looked to Snape.

"You bought him a few hours I''m guessing," he said. "But I can't be sure. The tears healed all the swelling and the wounds but the curse remains and its only a matter of time before the swelling returns."

"It was enough," said Narcissa. She lay her head down on the bed next to her son, tears sliding silently down her face. "It was enough."

Draco could hear them talking.

He could hear his mother's agony.

And he could do nothing.

As she wept next to him Draco slipped into a dream.

Draco was a golden statue, shining brightly in the sun. He sat high on the hill looking out towards the city. Everywhere he looked there were people who needed help and it tortured him because he was a statue he could do nothing.

Fred was wandering around unable to see. The redhead was missing both eyes. Somehow it hurt Draco more than he would expect to see Fred that way. He felt his heart ache inside his golden chest.

A Phoenix came and alighted on his shoulder.

"Hello," she said and Draco recognized the voice as Hermione's.

It was nice to have her here with him.

"Hello," he said back.

"You're a very handsome statue you know," she chirped.

"Yes, but I have no power. I can't move and I can't do anything. I'm trapped."

"And what would you do if you could move?" she asked preening her beautiful fiery feathers.

"I would make you happy," he answered honestly, because that's all he wanted now, Hermione to be safe and happy.

"And how would you do that?" asked the phoenix.

Any way that you wanted, I would give you anything that you asked for-anything that you needed or wanted.

"I would take the jewels in my eyes and give them to Fred so he could see."

"But then you would not be able to see," Protested the bird.

But you will be happy...and that is what matters.

"Take one then, and give it to him, he can have half of me."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, he needs it," said Draco. "He is in the dark and it will make you both happy to be able to see one another."

"Very well," said the phoenix with Hermione's voice and she plucked out on of Draco's eyes. Even though he was a statue somehow it still hurt.

The Phoenix came back as the sun set.

"Will you stay with me?" he asked.

"Yes," she answered and went to sleep beneath the shelter of his feet.

The next morning he saw Harry fighting Voldemort only instead of fighting with wands Voldemort was chasing Harry with a great sword.

"Hermione wake up!" called Draco and the Phoenix opened her eyes.

"What? What is it?" she asked.

"Harry needs help, he needs a sword to fight the dark lord. Give him mine," said Draco.

"But it is attached to your arm," said Hermione.

"Then take my arm."

"But you need your arm," she protested.

"I am only a statue and he is flesh and blood. He needs it more than me and you need your friend in order to be happy."

"Very well," she said and took his arm and the sword with it and even though he was a statue somehow it still hurt.

While she was gone Draco's legs began to tarnish and turn black. He felt the creeping of the dark taking over. He had little time left he knew, and he needed to make sure of one thing before he left. He needed to know that she was safe and happy.

When she returned he asked.

"Are you happy?"

"Almost," she said.

"Will you stay with me another night?" he asked as the sun set.

"Yes," she answered and she went to sleep by his feet.

Draco did not sleep that night though, he stayed awake all night watching over her.

As the sun rose Draco saw that Ron was laying on the ground on a distant field. There was a great spike through his chest and he was calling for help.

"Hermione wake up."

"What? What is it, what's wrong?"

"Ron..." Draco paused.

If you say this you will loose her.

Yes...but its the right thing to do...its what she would want.

"Ron needs you," it choked him to say it.

The Phoenix flew to Ron. Draco watched as she dropped her tears on the wound. She sat perched next to Ron for several moments and then she flew back to Draco perching at his feet.

"I cannot save him," she said and he saw her cry.

"Why?"

"The spike is through his heart. He needs a new one."

Draco looked at Hermione and before his eyes the Phoenix shifted and grew taller. It became the woman he loved. She was wearing a beautiful red dress which sparkled in the light.

He looked her in the eyes.

There was no one else in the world who had eyes like hers.

There was no one in the world who he loved like her.

"Will you be happy if you can save him?" asked Draco, his throat feeling tight.

"Yes," she answered. "I will be happy."

Time seemed to slow and Draco made his decision.

He took a breath.

"Then take mine," he finally said.

"What?"

"Take my heart, it is already yours."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes."

And with that Hermione reached into Draco's chest and pulled out his heart.

And despite the fact that he was a statue it hurt more than anything else he had ever felt before.

He watched as she walked away and used it to save the man she loved.

This time she did not come back to him.

He watched as the two of them walked off into the sunset hand in hand.

If he still had a heart in his chest it would have broken. Instead he was hollow.

Numb from the pain.

The black from his leg crawled up his body and the statue slowly crumbled into ash.

Unlike in the story of the happy prince where the sparrow and the statue ended together…his story did not end with Hermione.

When his dream was over, Draco was nothing.

Thank you for reading. I totally cried while writing the last part of this chapter. Literally tears coming down my face as I wrote it. I hope you enjoyed it as much as you could or maybe felt like it was cathartic.

By the way, the next chapter has something many of you have been waiting for...

Also side note: Deletrius was used after the 442nd Quidditch cup to remove the image of the Dark Mark from the sky.