Draco Malfoy Must Die

Chapter 49 - Everybody Hurts Sometimes

When Harry, Draco, Neville and Hermione arrived in the large drawing room of Bones Manor there was already a degree of panic. It was only worsened by the state that Hermione was in. The second they were on solid ground Draco put Hermione down on one of the large sofas and shouted, "SOMEONE GET SUSAN HERE NOW!"

Remus looked up from where he was looking after Lilly, "What's happened?" he asked quickly.

"She's been poisoned, I don't know what kind of venom it is," Draco said, his hands were shaking and he was barely holding back tears, "It's slow acting, and it's already been at least an hour! Get Susan please!"

Remus simply nodded and went to the enlarged mirror at the other side of the room.

"Get some cold water," Harry said as his eyes found Hermione's pale, shaking form, "And do we have any Basilisk venom? It can counteract all other poisons, what happened to Hermione's bag?"

"Harry-"

"She hid it in the forest," Lilly said shakily, "Underneath a tree, I know where. I'll go and get it."

"Are you well enough?" Harry asked her gently.

Lilly nodded, "I'm fine, it's just shock," she said as she made for the door.

"Be careful Lilly," Harry said over the noise of everyone else.

Lilly gave him a small nod and disappeared out of the door.

"Harry-"

"And Draco, do you think you could-"

"HARRY!"

Harry turned around to Neville, "Neville! Now is really not the time! People are dying here, look at Hermione!"

Neville's face was pale, and he was bleeding heavily from his right arm. He swallowed and mumbled a cleansing charm to remove all of the blood, "Look," he said weakly.

Harry's face fell and Draco had to grab the fireplace to keep himself upright.

"Is that..." Harry tried to ask, trailing off before he could finish the question.

Neville nodded numbly, and Draco felt sick as he stared at the mark on his best friends arm, the bite mark.

They were silent as Remus made his way back over to them, with Susan hot on his heels, "She's here."

"What's going on?" Susan asked, her immediate focus on Hermione.

"Poison," Draco said quietly, "I don't know what, slow-acting he said...Lilly is getting the Basilisk venom."

Susan looked up with a frown, and Remus was frozen to the spot as he looked at Neville's arm, "Neville is that a werewolf bite?"

Neville sat down as the world began to spin. Draco stood behind him, gripping his good arm firmly, as some latent gesture of support.

Harry nodded, "He was bitten as we left..."

"But he wasn't in werewolf form," Susan said weakly, "Was he? It's not night time yet."

"Greyback wasn't in werewolf form when he bit me," Draco said darkly, "And look at how I turn out every full moon."

"What's going to happen to me tonight?" Neville asked quietly, so quietly that only Remus and Draco picked it up with their wolf-hearing.

"I don't know," Remus said honestly.

"At least you don't have to wait for the best part of a month to find out though," Draco said in an attempt at optimism.

"Basilisk venom!" Lilly panted as she dashed into the room with Hermione's bag and sank into the sofa next to Neville. Her eyes caught the bite and widened, but Harry shook his head at her and she did not say a word.

Susan swallowed hard and took her eyes off of Neville. She knelt by Hermione's side and mumbled diagnostic charm after diagnostic charm. She went through every single slow-acting poison she knew of until she eventually identified it.

"It's in her blood stream," Susan said, "And her lungs...and her stomach...Remus, help me please!"

Remus nodded, he was pale, and exhausted with the full moon barely 4 hours away, but he was determined to do his best to help those he loved.

"I need a phial, a jug, a lot of pure dittany, a bucket and as much doxy venom as you can find," Susan rattled off, "This is very bad...it's Streeler venom."

"Streeler?" Draco asked, his panic now clear to everyone in the room. Remus set about collecting the items that Susan had asked for as she measured out some Basilisk venom into the one jug she did have.

Susan nodded, "It has slowed her heart down so much that her organs are starting to shut down. I have to get it out of her system somehow, but it's spread through her blood stream..."

"What does that mean Susan?" Draco asked desperately.

"It means I'm not qualified enough to heal her," Susan said, fear shining in her eyes.

"You have to at least try!" Draco said, tears spilling freely, "I can't lose her, I can't!"

"I know," Susan said, gripping Draco's hand as Remus rushed in with the items Susan had asked for, "And I will do everything that I can but I'm not a qualified healer, Draco!"

"But I am," Remus said calmly, "I trained as a healer but I could never practice because of my condition. Don't bother with that mixture, Basilisk venom isn't going to help here. The poison is only in her blood stream, her organs are shutting down because of that. We have to focus on getting it out."

Susan didn't question him, she just watched him. Remus picked up the phial and measured a fairly large dose of doxy venom into it. He then transfigured it into a syringe, as Susan had done with Harry.

"This is far more complex than the poison of Nagini...Harry could have survived that without medical help, once his heart was restarted it would have left his body...this has taken hold in the worst way," Remus said, more to himself and Susan than to anyone else but the others were all listening and crowding around their friend.

"Do something!" Draco exclaimed, "You have to be able to do something, Remus!"

"A bezoar," Harry said quickly, "It cures most poisons."

Remus's eyes widened, "Yes! Draco, the potions cabinet downstairs, go!"

Draco didn't need to be told twice. His girlfriend's life was at stake and he was an emotional wreck. He had just killed his Father after all. He darted down the stairs, grabbed the bezoar and ran back up, thrusting it into Remus's hand when he skidded back into the drawing room.

Remus held Hermione's mouth open and literally shoved the bezoar down her throat. She choked and spluttered and thrashed against him but he forced it down. The bezoar gradually dissolved into her blood stream and as it did so her shaking began to ease.

"What's happening?" Draco asked, his entire body shaking with fear.

Remus placed his hand on her pulse point, "Her heart rate is returning to normal..."

He pressed his ear against her chest, "And her breathing is less laboured...it worked. The poison is leaving her system."

"Good thinking Harry," Remus said, breathing a sigh of relief, "A bezoar...that was a stroke of genius. Your Mum...she would be proud."

Harry could only nod, he had stunned himself to be honest. Draco half sobbed, half laughed and launched himself at Harry. The Gryffindor was beyond stunned as Draco clung to him, "Thank you," he said, "Thank you, I don't know what I would do without her."

"I know," Harry said, patting Draco on the back awkwardly and catching Lilly's eye over his shoulder.

She smiled weakly at him, and when Harry eventually managed to pry Draco off of him he sat down next to her on the sofa and said, "Are you alright?"

"I am fine, honestly," Lilly said softly, "The cruciatus curse hurt a lot more than I thought it would and I crumbled under the pressure so quickly...I never told them anything but I begged them to stop and I never wanted to give them that satisfaction."

"I know," Harry said, putting his arm around her, "But you didn't tell them anything and you are alive. Merlin Lil...I was going insane, running around here screaming about how I had to get to you, about how I had to get you out. I levelled a small forest in the Brecon Beacons because I was so angry."

Lilly looked in his eyes, and without asking she knew that he had come for her. Not for Hermione, well probably for all of them. But it had been her he was worried about, her he loved. The psychological games that Bellatrix and Lucius had been playing with her were instantly forgotten. She could only nod, and when she did find her voice she whispered, "I'm fine Harry. Neville needs you more than me."

"I heard that," Neville said from the far side of the large room.

Harry looked over at his friend, "What?" he called.

Neville raised his voice slightly, "I heard every word Lilly just said, as clear as day!"

Draco glanced up from the spot where he was kneeling by Hermione. She was still unconscious and Neville looked terrified. Draco spent a moment dithering between his girlfriend and his best friend and eventually got to his feet. He walked over to Neville and sat down on one side of him, while Harry took a seat on the other side.

Remus was glancing over, he was clearly thinking about offering his own advice. But at the moment he was still fixing up Hermione and he had to finish that job properly before he began another. He tore his eyes away from the boys and instead looked to Susan who looked distraught and afraid as she watched Neville carefully.

On the far side of the room Draco said, "So your hearing is better?"

"Much better," Neville said.

"And your eyesight?" Harry asked, "Any sharper?"

Neville nodded.

"Do you feel...different?"

"Stronger," Neville said, he pressed his fist against the wooden arm of the sofa as hard as he could and left an indent, "Much stronger."

"Do you feel angry?" Draco asked.

"I feel scared," Neville said, showing how vulnerable he was at the moment. He caught Draco's eye, "What happened to you on the first moon?"

"It's like I told you the morning after," Draco said honestly, "I couldn't use wolfsbane so I fought for dominance and lost. Hence why I woke up in the state I did. I didn't remember it at all until I woke up naked the next morning and the memories all flooded back in blocks."

"Did it hurt?" Neville asked quietly, "The first transformation?"

"Honestly?" Draco asked.

Harry felt out of place as Remus approached the three of them, so he subtly slipped away and took a seat by Hermione's side. He took her hand in his own and tried not to look at those at the far side of the room. They were talking in whispers, so he could not hear even if he wanted to.

"Tell me the truth, Draco," Neville said, grabbing Draco's hand and gripping it, "Did it hurt?"

"Like hell," Draco said honestly, "It felt like it ripped my whole body apart. It hurts like that every time I transform without wolfsbane."

"But it does get easier with every moon," Remus promised as he took Harry's vacated seat.

"Will I be like you or Draco?" Neville asked, his eyes filled with fear.

"It's hard to say," Remus admitted, "I was bitten by a werewolf on a full moon and Draco was bitten by a werewolf in human form weeks before a full moon. You were bitten by a werewolf in human form on a full moon...you may be more of a wolf than Draco but I do not think you will quite be a full wolf."

"So I can't use wolfsbane yet," Neville said, "Just like Draco."

"I am afraid so," Remus said, "And I am also afraid to say that you will certainly change in some form. You will have to spend the night with Draco and I in the old outhouse, but..."

"If you transform enough you'll fight us," Draco finished, "For dominance. I mean if you have any sense you'll leave Remus alone because he's clearly our alpha. But you'll fight me."

"Can I hurt you?" Neville asked, his eyes flitting between Draco and Remus.

"If you're strong enough...if you transform enough...you could..." Draco cut off, and Neville's eyes widened in horror.

For the first time in a very long time Draco saw Neville fighting back tears as the Gryffindor said, "Draco, if I...I could never live with myself if I..."

"I will be on wolfsbane tonight," Remus said, grabbing Neville's arm to calm him down, "Draco will not be, because he has not been taking it this week. But I will be there to intervene if you and Draco try to fight Neville. You won't hurt anyone, not badly anyway. Draco and I still hurt each other on full moons, even when we both take wolfsbane. It's in our nature."

"You'll be fine," Draco promised, gripping his friend's hands, "You won't be alone for one moment of it."

Neville nodded and swallowed a lump in his throat. He looked over Draco's head at Susan who was quietly conversing with Harry as they sat on the floor keeping watch on Hermione.

"She'll come to terms with it," Draco said softly, "Like Hermione did."

"Or she won't," Remus said, "You have to be prepared for both eventualities I am afraid. My first girlfriend was tough like Hermione, she coped with it well. Dorcas even tended to my injuries after the full moon, and she never asked where the blood on my clothes came from. My second...she couldn't hack it...and Dora is an angel. But not everyone can handle a life of slander, shame and poverty Neville."

Neville nodded, trying very hard not to tune in on the conversation that Susan was having with Harry. But the harder he tried not to listen the easier it was to listen...

"He's still Neville, Suse."

"Is he?"

"Of course he is. Draco hasn't changed, has he? He still loves Hermione more than anything on this earth."

"But Hermione is scared of him, she's scared of his anger around the full moon. Sometimes she thinks he will hurt her."

"How do you know that?"

"She told me...at Christmas."

"Look the thing with werewolves is that their worst traits are amplified around full moon time. Draco always had a temper, you know that. If I was a werewolf I'd be a nightmare too, but Draco has never hurt Hermione and he never will, I'm certain of it and she is too. If she thought anything else she wouldn't stay with him, I can promise you that."

"What if it changes Neville too?"

"You can't know that it will."

"But what if it does and what if I don't like who he becomes?"

"Susan you're being old-fashioned and prejudiced. You said yourself that you love Remus like a Father and he's a werewolf. It's hard in the first couple of years to adapt, but they don't change as people! That's a stupid idea, it's people like you treating them differently that makes them change, that makes them grow bitter and angry."

"I just don't know if I can handle it Harry...it's a big change."

"It's one you make when you love somebody. I would love Lilly if she was a werewolf or a vampire. I'd love her if she was blind, or if she was deaf. I love her however she is, and if you don't feel that way about Neville then you have a lot to rethink."

"Neville, don't do this to yourself," Draco said quietly, giving his friend a shake.

Neville wiped the tears that had fallen away with frustration, "Do what?"

"Listen to things like that," Draco said, "It will only make things harder."

"It's hard enough anyway!" Neville remarked, looking out of the window as the sky began to darken.

"I know," Draco said firmly, "I know how hard it is. I barely survived it, the whole thing made me want to die rather than become a monster but you got me through it. You told me I wasn't a monster, you are the reason that I'm still a good person despite all of this and I'll be damned if I don't do the exact same for you!"

Neville smiled weakly, "Well I appreciate the thought but if I try and maul you to death tonight I doubt you'll be saying that tomorrow."

"Neville, you're the calmest person I know," Draco said honestly, "I'm a grumpy, angry bastard so of course I'm a dick of a werewolf. I'm sure you'll be different, you have more self-control than me, that's for sure."

Neville nodded and said, "I'm scared...that much is true but I'm scared because I don't want to hurt anyone and...because Susan...well she isn't Hermione."

"No, she isn't," Draco agreed, "But Hermione is a pretty rare woman. She's an advocate for house elves, half-breeds and muggle-borns, I'm not surprised she's so okay with what I am. A normal person would struggle with it, and that is their right. This is as hard for our other halves to cope with as it is for us."

"You sound like Remus," Neville said, amusement finding its way into his voice despite everything.

Remus chuckled and said, "Then I suppose my good influence is finally rubbing off on you Draco."

Draco snorted and said, "Maybe," rather unconvincingly.

Remus smiled slightly and put his arm around Neville, "Come on down to the old outhouse with me Neville. I'll show you around, prepare you a little better for tonight. Draco can join us in an hour or so, he needs a bit of time to sit with Hermione though."

"Okay," Neville said, getting to his feet and letting Remus lead him out of the room.

Draco watched them go, feeling sick with anger and guilt. For some reason he felt like this was his fault, like Neville had become a werewolf because he had come to save him. He could feel it all bubbling underneath his skin when he reached Hermione, who was still fast asleep and who had Harry by her side.

"Draco," Harry said in an undertone, "Could we have a word, in private?"

Draco frowned and glanced at the dark-haired boy, "Sure..." he said.

Harry nodded sharply, "Come on then," he said, walking towards the door and expecting Draco to follow him.

They weaved their way downwards until eventually they reached the old cellar. Harry opened the door, ushered Draco in and shut it behind him. The Slytherin was just beginning to wonder what on earth was going on as he stared around the musty old cellar, when Harry finally spoke.

He placed a silencing charm on the room, and locked the door. Then he lit the old lamps with his wand and turned to Draco, "Are you alright?"

"You brought me down here to ask me that?" Draco half-laughed, "I'm fine, Potter."

"You just killed your Father Draco," Harry said calmly, "Are you alright?"

Draco's eyes flashed red, as they did when he transformed. His wand sparked in his pocket as he said, "No, I'm not alright! How dare he torture Hermione in front of my eyes? How dare he let that bitch carve what she did into her arm! She's not a fucking mudblood, she's the purest person I bloody well know! She didn't deserve that, she doesn't deserve any of this! He deserved it for everything he's ever done to her, to all of us!"

Harry remained silent as Draco took a breath and punched one of the concrete walls, it clearly had no effect on him because he didn't even flinch afterwards but the wall looked worse for the wear, "And Neville!" he exclaimed as his claws fought their way out. He hissed in pain and shut his eyes tightly, "Why did he have to get bitten? He doesn't deserve this! I did, I've never been a good person! Being a werewolf is my punishment for every bad thing I've ever done but Neville is good! He is a genuine good person and the last thing he deserves is to become the monster that I am! When has he ever done anything to harm anyone? He's always just been there for all of us all of the time! Even when I was a dick to him for all those years at school the second I needed him he just welcomed me back because hes that kind of guy! And you! You swanned off with Weasley all of the time, you never cared about Neville, he was always just in the background! But when you needed him he was there, he's always there for everyone! AND NOW HE'S A FUCKING WEREWOLF! How is that fair? What part of that makes any sense?"

"Merlin Draco, who are you dating again?" Harry asked, sitting down on a dusty old beer keg, "Neville or Hermione?"

"Oh fuck off Potter!" Draco spat.

"You aren't a monster you know," Harry said ignoring his previous insult, "And Neville isn't either. Neither of you are monsters, and you are a good person. Hermione would not be with you if you weren't Draco, she's the goodest of good girls and an excellent judge of character."

Draco shook his head, "And she nearly died because of me! And Neville is a werewolf because of me! If I hadn't said his name we wouldn't have gotten captured and Hermione wouldn't have gotten tortured! You and Neville wouldn't have come to save us and he would be fine! It's all my fucking fault Potter! ALL OF IT! And that bastard deserved what he got! HE DESERVED IT!"

"He did," Harry agreed, "But that doesn't make it any easier to come to terms with, does it?"

Draco's breathing had gotten heavier, more laboured. His eyes were burning as tears stung behind them and he could feel his anger turning to pain.

"No," Draco half-shouted, half-sobbed, "Because I killed my own Father and he was a terrible one but I killed him with my bare hands," he looked down at his hands which were no longer bloody but shaking badly.

"He was right, I am a monster, what kind of person does that?" Draco asked quietly, tears now running freely down his face.

"The kind of person who had a terrible Father," Harry said quietly, "And none of this is your fault Draco. Being captured...that was as much my fault as yours. I should never have riled you up on a full moon, I got you angry enough to say his name and I think I said it too. And Neville...well he would have done the right thing in any situation, whether he was saving someone he didn't know or you. It's not your fault, none of it is."

"Killing him was," Draco whispered.

"No," Harry argued, "You can't control the claws, I know you can't because I've seen you struggle to control them. Look at you now for Merlin's sake! He said the wrong thing, he riled you up and your body reacted. He killed himself Draco, you were just the weapon he used."

Draco swallowed hard, and shook his head, "How do you know when someone deserves to die? I wished it for years...when he used to curse me and hit me with that fucking cane of his...when he used to imperius my Mother to make her do his bidding I prayed that he would die! But now he's dead and it's my fault and I don't feel any better for it! I don't feel like I have closure, I just feel like a monster!"

"You weren't the only one who killed today," Harry said quietly, "I know how you feel. That chandelier that crushed Bellatrix Lestrange didn't fall on its own. It had a little help...a severing charm."

"Yeah but Potter she was a rabid dog," Draco said darkly, "You were putting her down, not killing her."

"And the difference between her and your Father is?" Harry countered, "They were both murderers, and Merlin knows what else your Father was. He nearly killed an 11 year old girl when he gave Ginny that diary, it's because of him you had a shit childhood, he killed muggles, he tried to kill Hermione!"

"Stop telling me everything that he did!" Draco screamed, "I know what he did! I know how fucking bad a person he was but he was my Father! You have no idea what it is like to be the reason your own Father is dead, my Mother will never forgive me!"

"Won't she?" Harry asked coolly, "Because the way I see it she was as much a victim of his abuse as you were."

"He's dead," Draco sobbed, "He's dead, and I killed him! I loved him once, I admired him, I wanted to be him! He wasn't all bad all of the time, there were flashes when he really did seem to care, but now he's gone."

Harry sighed and glanced at the desperate boy, "Draco, I do know how you feel because maybe I didn't kill my parents but I am the reason they are dead. They both threw themselves in front of killing curses for me! And do you know what? When you used to bully me in 3rd year for the way the Dementors made me react, that was what I heard. I heard their screams, their final moments, I heard them sacrificing their lives for mine! So yes, I do know how it feels to be the reason your parents are dead!"

"I...I'm so sorry," Draco said tearfully, "I mean look at me! Look how selfish I am, how can I not know that about you? Why is Hermione with me? I never understood, not before I was bitten and especially now, why? Just why?"

"Because you love her so much you are willing to sacrifice everything for her," Harry admitted, "You killed your Father tonight to save her. And that is something you are going to have to come to terms with, and it won't be easy. But you saved Hermione tonight too, we provided the distraction but you got her out of there and gave Susan and Remus the information they needed to save her life."

"Is that enough to outweigh what I did?" Draco asked, his shoulders sagging as his anger dissipated.

"I think it is," Harry said, "And I think Hermione will understand too. But if telling her isn't something you think you can handle, I'll do it when she wakes up."

Draco nodded numbly, "I can barely admit it to myself, I can't tell her. I can't stand to see the disappointment on her face when she realises that I really am a monster."

"You are not a monster, Draco," Harry said again, "You were pushed to your limit by a wicked man. I killed a woman in cold blood and yes she was a bad person, she is the person I blame for Sirius's death but I don't feel like I have closure or like I've gotten revenge. I just feel sad, like I've stooped to her level. You didn't mean to kill your Father, and if he hadn't insulted you, you would have stunned him and we would have left. What happened to him was his own fault, you have got to stop blaming yourself. It's a horrible, lonely path that only leads to self-destruction, trust me."

"I do, Harry," Draco said quietly, perching on the edge of an old wooden box.

Harry nodded, "You good?"

"Shit," Draco said loudly.

"What?" Harry asked, jumping a little as the loud noise echoed around the cellar.

"I get this feeling, normally around 10 minutes before I transform," Draco said, "I can feel my body starting to change...it happened earlier and then the claws and the fangs...well you saw it."

Harry nodded, "I suppose you should head over to the outhouse then," he said somewhat awkwardly.

Draco pushed himself to his feet, "I should, but can you-"

"I'll stay with her all night," Harry promised before Draco needed to finish the sentence.

Draco nodded, and Harry brought down the silencing charms and unlocked the door. He yanked it open and the bright light from the entrance hall upstairs flooded the dim room. Draco paused and turned around, "Are we actually friends now? We never said anything, but it was obvious we were just putting up with each other for Hermione's sake."

"To begin with, yeah it was like that," Harry agreed with a smile, "But there are some things you can't go through without becoming friends and I'd say storming Malfoy Manor, saving our mutual best friend/girlfriend and killing You-Know-Who's right hand man and woman, is one of those things."

Draco actually chuckled, despite everything, "I'll see you in the morning. Look after her for me."

"Of course," Harry said, "Try not to get mauled by Neville," he added as Draco began to head upstairs.

"I'll do my best!" He called down after him, making Harry laugh.


When Hermione woke up, she was aware of one thing, pain. She groaned and rolled onto her side where there was a warm body. She threw her arm over said warm body, and snuggled into its chest. She was very tired and very sore, but she was lucid enough to be confused by the warm fuzzy jumper she was cuddling into. Draco Malfoy did not wear jumpers.

"Draco?" She mumbled sleepily.

"Nope," Harry's voice replied softly, "I'm replacement Draco, it's a full moon night, remember?"

"Hmm," Hermione hummed, "I forgot. Why aren't you with Lilly?"

"Because Lilly didn't get poisoned and try her best to die yesterday, you did," Harry said matter of factly.

Hermione pried her eyes open and shifted slightly, resting her head on Harry's chest, "What happened?"

"Do you remember getting captured?" Harry asked.

Hermione didn't nod because her head felt heavy and sore, "I remember Pettigrew dragging Draco and I into the drawing room...and I remember her writing into my arm..."

Harry frowned as Hermione pulled up the sleeve of her top on her left arm. He had only focused on the fact she had been poisoned, he hadn't seen the word carved into her arm. It had been cleared up and there was a bandage over it. But Hermione ripped it off, hoping that it would have healed and disappeared. She was sorely disappointed because all she was met with was an oozing scar that still read, "Mudblood".

"What is that?" Harry whispered angrily.

"I guess we match," Hermione sighed, reaching down and grabbing his right hand where the scars still shone and read, "I must not tell lies".

"That's not funny Hermione," Harry said darkly, "Is that how she poisoned you?"

"It must have been," Hermione admitted, "I don't remember. After she carved it, everything started to spin and everything went black...how did we get out?"

"Neville and I had a plan, Remus helped too," Harry said, still looking angrily at the scar on her arm, "Dobby got Lilly out of the cellar, along with Dean, Ollivander and the goblin. Then Kreacher took Neville and me into the drawing room. We got into a big fight..."

Hermione frowned and looked at him, "Is everyone alright? Did you all come back?"

"Everyone came back," Harry promised, "But no one is alright. Lilly is still in shock after the torture, and Susan thinks you'll need the best part of a month to recover. Draco is...struggling with a few things and Neville...well he's-"

Harry cut himself off as a loud howl sounded from outside, and a yelp of pain followed. He frowned and finished, "He's a werewolf and he's been fighting Draco all night...I'm surprised it hasn't woken you up yet."

Hermione's face paled, "Oh my God, it wasn't Draco who-"

"No, Draco didn't bite him," Harry said with a shake of his head, "It was their new guy, the replacement Greyback. It happened as we were leaving."

"Is Draco alright?" Hermione asked as a loud yowl floated in the window.

"He'll live," Harry said honestly, "Remus is breaking it up when things get bad but they'll both be hurting tomorrow, that's for sure. And...I need to talk to you about something serious, if you're up to it."

Hermione's frown deepened, "What's wrong?"

"You know how I said Draco was working through a few things?" Harry asked, and Hermione nodded very slightly. Harry sighed and continued, "When we were at the Manor he cornered his Father to try and get him to tell us the poison he had used on you so we could heal you. He refused to say and things escalated..."

"What are you saying, Harry?" Hermione asked weakly.

"He killed him," Harry said, "Lucius is dead."

Hermione gasped in horror and brought her hand to her mouth. She stared at Harry in disbelief and shook her head, "No...no he isn't capable of that."

"You're right, he isn't," Harry said honestly, "It was an accident. In fact it was Lucius's own fault. I saw it all with my own eyes and I would never lie to you, you know that."

"I know," Hermione whispered, "But I have to know how it happened, Harry."

"He sort of went part-werewolf," Harry admitted, "I don't know if it was the torture...they used the cruciatus curse on him a lot and for a long period of time too. I wouldn't have been able to withstand it Hermione, it was that bad. But something made him click, and he half turned, he got the fangs and I could see him struggling to keep the claws in. The thing with them is that they are huge and they extend when he's angry or upset, he's not quite able to control them yet."

"Get to the point Harry," Hermione said quietly, the fear in her eyes was mounting.

"He grabbed Lucius and was asking him, well begging him really, to tell him what poison he had used. Lucius was adamant he wasn't going to tell Draco, so Draco put his fist against his back and threatened to kill him if he didn't say. But I could tell he wasn't actually going to do it, Lucius kept riling him up and then he called him a monster. There was this flash of anger in his eyes and the claws came out and went...straight through Lucius...he died almost instantly and Draco grabbed you and got you out. That's what happened, exactly as it happened."

"How is he?" Hermione asked, looking to the bright moon shining outside.

"Tearing himself apart," Harry said honestly, "He blames himself for getting you captured. He blames himself for the fact you got tortured and for the fact that Neville is a werewolf, and for the fact he killed his Father."

"It wasn't his fault," Hermione agreed, "He can't control himself...it's the one day of the month he can't control himself. If it had been any other day..."

"I know," Harry said, "But he's scared Hermione. He thinks you're going to leave him, he thinks you won't be able to live with the fact that he killed someone...but if that were the case you would have to stop being friends with me too."

"Of course I'm not going to leave him," Hermione said, narrowing her eyes at Harry, "And what does that mean, exactly?"

"Bellatrix Lestrange is dead too," Harry said, guilt and anger flickering in his eyes as he caught Hermione's.

"What did you do Harry?" Hermione asked weakly.

Harry frowned and tore his eyes away from hers, "She was standing underneath a chandelier and I used a severing charm on it. But you don't understand Hermione, I saw what she had done to you and to Draco! I could only imagine the state of Lilly, and she is the reason Sirius died! She is the reason Neville's parents are shells in the crazy ward of St. Mungo's! She deserved it! In fact she deserved worse! She deserved a slow, painful death like the way she killed her victims!"

"You're right she did deserve it," Hermione said softly, gripping Harry's hand in her own, "But does justifying it make you feel any better?"

"No," Harry said honestly.

"Good," Hermione said firmly, "Because that means you're still human, it means you're a good person. If you can feel remorse and regret, you are not him. You know that, don't you?"

"Yeah, but that doesn't make it any easier Hermione," Harry said, looking towards the window himself, "I still ended somebody's life and I'll have to do it again. I needed to know that I could...I was scared it would come time to kill him and I wouldn't have it in me."

"Harry," Hermione said gently, "I know this is hard for you, but if you want to be an Auror you have to learn that some people have to die. Sometimes you have to kill one person for the greater good of everyone else. I know it was Grindelwald's ideal, but it's true, sometimes one person has to die to end the suffering of many."

"I know," Harry said darkly, "And that's why I've been thinking that after the war I don't want to be an Auror. This war has taken enough of my soul as it is..."

"I thought it was what you had always wanted to do," Hermione said.

"It was the only thing I thought I would be good at," Harry corrected her, "And that book of Skeeter's has me thinking. The only other person we know who defeated a dark lord didn't become an Auror after, he became a school teacher."

Hermione smiled slightly, "And you'll make a fantastic one, I'm sure."

Harry managed to return her smile a little, but it felt forced, "I wonder how many more people are going to have to suffer before this war is over."

"Too many," Hermione said, "But we are getting there Harry. There are only two horcruxes left, three if you include..."

"Me," Harry said quietly.

Hermione nodded, talking about it made her too emotional, "And look at it this way. I know you are struggling to come to terms with what happened and Merlin knows how Draco is coping. But You-Know-Who lost his two most loyal followers tonight, that's as much of a blow as losing two of his horcruxes."

Harry began to nod his agreement, but then his eyes widened, "That's it, that's the connection!" he exclaimed as he jumped to his feet.

"What connection?" Hermione asked, bemusement shining on her face.

"His loyal followers and his horcruxes! He gave the diary to Lucius for safekeeping before he was defeated! He probably gave the cup to another follower!" Harry said excitedly, "The cup, Hermione! The Lestrange's have it!"

TBC :)