44. Stole
Hi all,
So the most amazing thing happened today. I woke up at some horrid hour of the morning, went to do the opening shift for work and then just came home, sat down and wrote out my whole next chapter. This is a big deal for me people as these days it usually takes me a week or two to get through a chapter with all the thinking and the writing and the proof reading etc. So be proud! Anyway, sad chapter this chapter. Some of you might want to cause my physical bodily harm after reading some of your reviews about the last chapter but bare with me. I promise I have a plan! It written out IN PEN and stuck on my wall. Have a little faith in me. Haha. Anyway, I hope you like it (well no I hope you don't cos its sad but I hope you appreciate it for what it is).
Straight
xx
Now we'll never never never know
Oh no no no
Yeah their lives were stole
xxxxx
For the second night in a row Hermione found herself awake into the early hours of the morning, tired but unable to sleep. Perhaps it was because of the impending departure or perhaps it was because of the huge argument she'd just had with Draco. Whatever the reason, she was sitting on the couch in the library having been condemned to spend the night there. The room was stuffy and overly warm but Hermione barely noticed, sitting cross legged on the couch Hermione was busily writing a letter. Carefully, she wrote, paused, re-read, corrected and wrote again. Finally satisfied, she signed the letter and sealed it in an envelope.
With a sigh, Hermione carefully closed up her ink pot and placed her quill and the letter on the side table next to the couch before laying down and pulling the blanket up around her despite the room's warmth and hurriedly wiped the tears from her eyes- her conversation with Draco replaying in her mind again and again-
"I'm so sorry Draco, I can't"
"Can't? What do you mean you can't? Hermione I love you! I want to marry you!"
"I know. I love you too but I can't marry you right now Draco, I just can't"
"I'm not asking you to marry me tonight. I'm asking you to take this ring and promise to marry me one day"
"Draco please – stop pressuring me. I love you, isn't that enough?"
She felt her eyes stinging with tears as she looked into his eyes and saw just how much she'd hurt him. Slowly, he shook his head,
"No… its not enough"
He begun to turn away and lie down but the flood gates broke and Hermione felt the tears run down her face. She made to reach for him,
"Draco please" she cried
"No Hermione" he said snatching his arm back.
"I love you"
Draco turned to glare at her, "So you keep saying and yet you won't marry me – why Hermione, why not?!"
"I can't" she said so softly he barely heard her.
"WHY NOT?!" he screamed.
Hermione said nothing, instead she just reached for his hand,
"Don't" he snapped, "Don't touch me. I can barely look at you"
With a swift punch to his pillow, Draco lay down and extinguished the light with his wand.
He'd been so angry that Hermione knew there was no way he'd ever calm down while she was still in the room so she'd just left because she needed him to forgive her, he just had to.
Suddenly, there was a huge thump from the floor above and the sound of many footsteps running down the hallway and the sounds of the doors slamming. Only a short time later the door to the library burst open and Harry and Ron rush inside. Ron looked distraught but Harry, confused,
"Hermione? What are you doing on the couch?"
She ignored this,
"What's going on?" she demanded, more footsteps were coming down the stairs.
Harry moved over to the couch and took Hermione's hand,
"Pavarti and Neville are dead" he whispered.
"What?!" Hermione hissed, panic struck.
"Ron got a letter from Lavender" Harry begun to explain but Hermione got up from the couch and rushed over to Ron who stood still and colourless.
Carefully, she pulled the letter from his grasp,
Ron,
Pavarti and Neville are dead. We've all been hiding together in an abandon muggle building. I left for only an hour this morning to find food but when I got back they were dead. Ron I'm so scared, I can't stand it. Please, please, I know you're in the Order of the Phoenix – please come and get me. I'll do whatever they want but I think I'm in danger here.
Lavender
At the bottom of the letter she'd scrawled the address.
"We've got to go get her" Ron muttered, feebly.
"And we shall Mr Weasley. I shall assemble a team to go and fetch Miss Brown immediately" Spoke Dumbledore as he entered into the room followed by the rest of the Order.
The rescue mission discussion began but Hermione couldn't focus. Pavarti and Neville were dead and Ron was shaking so badly that Hermione could feel it all through her body. She was taking deep breaths trying to stop herself from breaking down. Her focus, however, was brought swiftly back into focus when she heard,
"Blaise and I will go and get Lavender"
"No!" Hermione heard herself say.
She wasn't the only one.
"Blaise no!" Ginny cried.
It'll be ok" Blaise soothed Ginny but he also looked to Hermione and she knew he meant to soothe more then just Ginny.
A quick glance at Draco told her that he wouldn't even look at her.
"We should go too" she said to Harry.
"No!" he hissed, "No! We need to stay here"
"But Harry -"
"No Hermione" he said firmly, "Don't volunteer, just stay quiet"
"So that's all set then. Arthur and Severus shall accompany Mr Malfoy and Mr Zabini to go and fetch Miss Brown and bring her back here. Alistor and Kingsley shall begin investigating into the two murders and Molly and myself shall go to inform their families"
A flurry of movement surrounded the room and then suddenly only Ginny, Tonks, Harry, Ron and Hermione were left standing in the middle of the room.
"I just can't believe it" Ginny sobbed, "I can't believe they're gone"
Tonks ushered Ginny over to the couch and wrapped her in the blanket Hermione had previously been using as a part of her bed.
"Come with me" Harry murmured as he left the room.
Still confused, Hermione took Ron's hand and lead him from the room and up the stairs.
Xxxxx
The address lead the group to a run down at old muggle warehouse in a dilapidated industrial area.
"Wands out boys" Arthur ordered, cautiously.
"No sudden movements when we enter in there. No one needs their heads blown off by a hysterical, out of control, teenage witch" Severus warned.
"Alohamora" Arthur cast, wand pointed at the large warehouse door.
Slowly, and carefully they opened the door and moved inside,
"Lavender?"
xxxxx
"Harry what are you doing?" Hermione demanded, pulling Ron inside the boys bedroom.
Harry reached under Ron's bed and pulled out the knapsack.
"Don't you see Hermione? This is our chance. We've got to go now while the house is basically empty. Come on, grab your cloak"
This was all moving so fast. Hermione glanced at Ron who was still bone white.
"Harry I don't think we should go now – I mean – Lavender"
"Hermione we've got to go now. Please grab your cloak and Ron's too while you're at it. GO!"
Unable to think straight, Hermione moved across to Ron's closet and grabbed his cloak. Harry was right she supposed, the timing wasn't perfect but it probably never would be so really they had to go now.
"Here Ron put this on"
She forced his cloak onto him and did the top button up. Then, rushing, she moved down the hallway raising her wand as she went,
"Accio letter"
She had to pause for a moment at the doorway to Draco and her room when she spotted the little black box still sitting on Draco's bedside table. She felt the breath seize in her throat. That ring – why hadn't he put it away? She was brought back to reality, however, when her letter suddenly flew into her hands. She looked down at it and sighed before moving over to her closet and grabbing her warmest cloak.
"Oh Merlin" she mumbled to herself.
With a flick of her wand the bed was made and Hermione placed the letter on Draco's side. Then, on a sudden impulse, she grabbed the black box and from within it grabbed the ring and slipped it onto her finger. It was a perfect fit and it sparkled so beautifully in the sunlight.
"Hermione!"
Once more brought from her thoughts, Hermione pulled the ring off and suddenly decided she wanted to take it with her so she transfigured the black box into a gorgeous silver chain and slipped the ring onto it before fastening it around her neck and hurrying back to the boys room.
When she got back Ginny was standing in the room with her hands on her hips. She took one look at Hermione with her cloak and turned accusingly to Harry.
"I knew it! You're leaving aren't you?!"
Harry shook his head, "Of course not Ginny. We're-"
"Yes" Hermione interrupted, "Yes we're leaving"
Harry looked at her outraged while Ginny just looked angry.
"You can't" she said, furious, "You can't just up and leave. Not when everyone here has been working so hard to help you"
"But that's just it. Nothing is getting done! We go out and we learn abut vampires or we save a damsel in distress but none of that is getting us any closer to Voldemort. He's still a million miles away"
Ginny frowned, "Harry you know that's not true. Everything the Order does is to learn more about what Voldemort is up to so that we can be prepared as possible when we take him down"
"Damn it Ginny!" Harry yelled, "People are dying! There is no more time! Now we're leaving and if you try to stop us I'll stun you"
"Harry!" Hermione hissed, "Stop!"
She turned to Ginny and put a hand on her shoulder,
"Ginny I know you're scared. We're all scared trust me but you and I both know the final battle has to come down to between Harry and Voldemort. There was never any denying that but the problem is that Harry's ready now. Vampires, Giants, Werewolves – they mean nothing to him because at the end of the day none of them will cause him any harm – Voldemort's orders. So the way I see it – Harry's leaving, not you, me or Ron can stop him but I'd sure rather be with him then have him out there alone. I'm his best friend – I've got to go with you and you know feels the same way. I'm sorry Gin, I really am but please, just let us go"
During Hermione's explanation, silent tears had begun to stream down Ginny's face.
"But Draco-" she sobbed
"Draco will be fine" Hermione said firmly, "He survived without me before and he'll do it again"
"We've got to go" Harry rushed quietly.
"Ok, ok. Come on Ginny"
With Harry holding the knapsack and leading Ron, Hermione followed with Ginny down the stairs and into the kitchen. There she sat her at the table and quickly poured her a cup of tea.
"Now don't stress out Gin. Just drink your tea and we'll be long gone by the time you've finished. You work hard on looking after that baby ok? I love you Gin, we all do. Stay safe"
Hermione turned and headed towards the kitchen door, eager to get back to Harry and Ron who were waiting in the hallway.
"Hermione?"
She turned slowly to face Ginny once more,
"You'll be the baby's godmother won't you?"
Forcing a smile onto her face, Hermione nodded.
"I'd be honoured. Goodbye Gin"
Unable to stop her own tears anymore, Hermione turned and quickly rushed from the kitchen and into Harry's awaiting arms.
"Its just a band-aid 'Mione" he whispered into her hair, "Lets just get it over with quickly and rip it off fast"
She nodded and turned to take Ron's hand,
"Come on Ron" she whispered.
Taking Harry's hand in her other hand the three of them stepped out the front door of Grimmaud Place together and apparated away.
Xxxxx
Brown had sobbed all the way back to Grimmaud Place. She'd barely been able to hold the parchment with the house's address on it in order to allow herself to read it and therefore become a part of the secret keeper's charm. When they finally could allow her into the house though, Draco and others were stunned by the silence of the household.
"Ginny" Blaise moaned, panicked.
"She's in here" Arthur called out from the kitchen.
Draco and the rest all followed him in to find Ginny sitting, pale faced, at the kitchen table holding what appeared to be a cold cup of tea.
"Oh Merlin" she whimpered, "They're gone"
"They're gone" she whimpered, "They're gone"
"Who? Whose gone?" Severus demanded.
"Harry and Ron and Hermione" she breathed, "They're gone"
Draco felt as if he'd been kicked in the stomach, as if his heart had fallen through his stomach. He didn't even need Mr Weasley to ask 'where?' to know what Ginny meant.
"They've gone to find Voldemort. Hermione said it was Harry's destiny and her and Ron wouldn't let him go alone"
"We've got to inform Dumbledore immediately, we must go after them" Arthur said, obviously terrified.
But Severus merely shook his head,
"Arthur you're talking about Hermione Granger. The brightest witch Hogwarts has ever seen. They'll be untraceable, cloaked under protective spells by now and we won't be able to find them until they want to be found"
xxxxx
The forest was dark and damp, strange noises could be heard on the wind as a cruel cold breeze swept between the trees. Harry had pitched the tent in a small clearing that lay so deep in the forest it was unlikely anyone would stumble upon them accidently and in any case Hermione had put up so many charms to hide and protect them that Voldemort himself would have trouble finding them.
Inside the tent, Hermione had forced some food down Ron's throat and tucked him into the bottom bunk – he was still in shock about Pavarti and Neville's deaths but she hoped with some sleep he might snap out of it and start grieving like the rest of them. Harry sat outside the mouth of the tent reading the Marauder's Map.
"I miss Hogwarts" he said as Hermione joined him.
She nodded, "Is that why you chose to camp in the Forbidden Forest?"
"I think so. Hogwarts was my first real home. I guess I just wanted to be close"
They stared out into the dark wilderness before them,
"Ron's going to freak when he realises where we are"
Hermione gave a soft chuckle before turning serious once more,
"Harry I've got to show you something"
With Harry's attention on her, Hermione pulled the ring on the chain out from under her top. Harry's mouth fell open as he examined a the ring.
"You're engaged?!"
Smiling a cold smile, Hermione shook her head.
"How could I promise him that when I knew we were leaving? It would only give him further reason to try and find me now. I just couldn't do it to him Harry"
With a sigh, Harry wrapped his arm around her,
"I'm sorry you've had to sacrifice so much for this war 'Mione. You deserve all the happiness in the world. I'm so sorry"
xxxxx
Dear Draco,
There is little I can say to you to ease your pain. I know this and I am sorry. I'm so sorry I hurt you, I'm so sorry I've made you doubt my love for you but I do love you and I promise the pain I've caused you I'm feeling also.
I need to explain before I do this crazy, crazy thing and flee with Harry and Ron. From the first day I met Harry it became my destiny to fight alongside him in this war. I've never had another choice really. I know you would have protected me, I know you would have moved heaven and hell to keep me safe but at the end of the day no one could protect Harry and so I could not just sit by and let him fight this battle alone.
So Harry, Ron and I must leave. We've accepted our fates but if you can protect the rest of the Order including you and Blaise then we will. No one else needs to die, no other families shall be torn apart if we can help it. Please forgive me, I'm not abandoning you, I'm protecting you.
Despite your anger I know you still love me and its for this reason I am begging you to not try to find me. Accept that I'm fulfilling my destiny and know that you must discover what part in this war you are fated to play in this war and do so.
And, if you'll still have me at the end of all this, and I survive this war, I will marry you. I'll marry you the day the war ends, a month later, a year later…whenever you want. You are the love of my life and I will never love anyone as much as I love you and I just hope you know that.
I love you. Forever.
Hermione.
