The Unity of Opposites
Chapter Thirty Seven
Homecoming
The smile on his face could be considered glorious, but yet so calm, almost forming another's features on his familiar face. The tall body of the man she once considered a lover somehow looked extra-terrestrial, with long arms resting on his side, hands hidden in the pockets of those ridiculous pants she had said he once liked and wore all the time. Without even noticing it, his eyes looked yet another idiotic clothing she insisted he loved, a handmade sweater with the capital of this vessel's name - he hated those clothes, the itching, warm and perfectly boring clothes that family was owning. There were times he wondered who would be brave enough to stop that woman from knitting - was that how mothers behave? And if so, would he mother do the same for him?
His eyes rose and scanned her body as he was still on top of the staircase, watching her from above, questioning the fragile woman, her breakable self, her challenging eyes - she had nothing to do with the woman that came here yesterday. Gone was her calm eyes, her peaceful aura vibrating everything in its past - there was only the love she was feeling for the man that was not here, and the love she had for the vesseled man with the mind of a murderer. The smile on his face widened even more when he took his hands off his pockets and her whole body tensed. He wanted to hurt her, he wanted to make her pain, suffer as much as he when he was locked inside the cell she put him - but it was not the time yet as the realization of him being in the flesh of the man who dared to put his hands around her naked skin and offer her any type of pleasure simply triggered the disgust in her eyes and the satisfaction in him.
He took his hands off his pocket, holding a flask. He opened it, the lid fell down the stairs and rested between her feet. With a bothered sigh, he emptied the new polyjuice potion he had made the day before, filling the last few stairs with liquid and throwing the flask behind him, hearing it falling down as well. He shrugged and hid his hands behind his back, finally realizing how easy it would be now that she is here, how easy it would be for this to end. ''What gave me away?'' his whispering voice made her shiver and as if there was nothing else in the room for her to remember where she was standing, she looked at him with hurt eyes and a fast beating heart, fearing for what he might have done to her friend.
''Where is Ron?'' she dared to take a wide step forward and see the familiar face up close. ''Where is he?'' she tightened her jaw, mimicking the very hateful action of men who tried to defeat her.
''What gave me away?'' he took a step down, now seeing her brown eyes more clear. She was breathing in and out fast, maybe faster than she intended to, reminding herself why she risked everything and came here.
She didn't want to answer, she didn't want to say how good he tricked her, how slow her mind linked everything that was offered wide and in plain sight - she just kept her lips pressed together, watching him stand there as if he was drinking up from her ridiculous action, but true to his forever enigmatic self, he only stared at her, knowing she cared much about the people in her life and she will do anything in her power to save them. ''Too many things.'' she said at last, fearing of what he could have done to Ron. Her precious Ron. The man who needed her help and she just didn't offer it, being blinded of his actions and not the screams for help. A guilt made her stomach ache. She wanted to throw up, she wanted to take Ron and leave. How could she be that fool?
''Tell me.'' he took another step down and she took a step back.
''You said cookies.'' she spoke with a shaken voice. ''Ron would never say cookies.'' her tongue ran across her lips and she met his eyes. ''You asked me about Kingsley and the Nehone case. Ron never knew it.'' he took another step down.
''You see, this kind of things is what keeping us strangers, Hermione.'' he smirked and took the last step down, standing in front of her once again. ''But this is hardly all, right?'' his eyes were begging her to speak, but she had lost in the familiar eyes of Ron, now looking at her with the most sickening way. Her stomach tightened more, as if a hand had curled around it.
''You understood me.'' she tried to catch her breath, knowing what he needed to hear. ''Ron would never understand with such maturity the nature of our break up.'' she spoke in a whisper and he frowned, leaning down, watching her face from better.
''You are scared.'' he noticed and he straightened his back, feeling bothered.
''Where is Ron?''
''He is sleeping in Charlie's room.'' he smiled and sighed. ''You know Hermione, when you came the other day, I am not going to lie, I feared! I told myself I was done!'' he put a hand on his chest, feeling the vibration of his laughter to his fingertips, ''But then you just sat there and talked about your precious Draco Malfoy, I - I felt a connection!'' he seriously looked at her, offering a charming smile, ''I thought we were friends.'' he whispered in a way that made her eyes close.
''What did you do to him?'' she asked with a low voice, not knowing now much longer she will take it.
''You already know, don't you?'' he snorted and took a lock of her hair in his hands. ''Tell me what I did to Ron.'' he whispered and she felt her stomach aching even more.
''The lull.'' she spoke in defeat, moving her head away from him. He encouraged her to talk, whispering good girl in her ear. ''You sent the poor man to distract us, you created an illusion to Ron's cell, taking his place - ''
''Hermione, Hermione, Hermione. You used to be smarter.'' he walked behind her, raising the hand she was wearing Draco's ring. ''I took his place later. Much later.'' he confessed and she frowned, feeling his lips on the back of her hand. ''When your godson was born, I found him drunk on his bed, hours after you left with the heir from the hospital.'' he put a hand on her waist, forcing her to follow his rocking moves. ''Poor lad, he believes he has a chance with you.'' he kept forcing her to move along with his body, running his fingers on her torso. ''I sang him the lull and he fell asleep.'' he made her turn around, placing his head next to her, ''You see Hermione, I am not cruel. I only want what it's been taken away from me, and then some.''
''Johey?'' she spoke the name of his lover and he stopped moving. He pulled back, taking his hands off her. ''I will help you.'' she said at once and he looked at her suspiciously. ''I will.'' she promised, but his jaw had tightened even more. ''If you promise me not to hurt him like you did with his father, I will help you Damien.'' she spoke with a shaken voice again, fearing of what he might do to her now that she knew something personal about his life.
''Smart girl.'' he forced a smirk, forgetting the words he had spoken earlier. ''But, I need him, not you.'' he confessed and met her needy eyes. ''Consider your life gifted, Hermione, because for the sake of his, you can keep your life, even if I want to take it, so very bad.'' he pressed his lips together and took a step back, seeing the light bathing the kitchen.
''I know how to make a Time Turner. Isn't this what you want?'' she rushed to talk, feeling his anger boiling. ''The girls you killed, either worked in the Enterprise or their families had some kind of relationship with the Malfoy Family, isn't this the reason you killed them?'' she took a step towards him, making him take a step back. ''They failed to give you the Time Turner.''
''I hate failure.'' he ran his fingers through his hair, feeling the potion wear off, some hairs started to darken.
''Calluna is difficult to handle.'' she watched the ginger hair turned back to black and her heart pounded in her chest. ''It can backfire if you treat it wrongly. I can help you with the Time Turner, it would be much easier.'' she tried to reason with him, his natural hair revealed on top of his head, as well as his green eyes.
''I hate bargains!'' he yelled and watched her lips sealing. With a sudden move, he gripped her neck, bringing her closer. ''What do you want?'' he asked, her cheeks starting to turn purple, her eyes filling with tears and popping red vessels. He pushed her away, letting her body fall on the floor.
''Unspell Ron.'' she said at once, taking a big breath only to lose it in coughing. ''Let me heal him.'' she spoke between coughing, rushing to take huge doses of air. ''And leave Draco alone.'' she looked at his angry eyes, but this time her heart calmed down.
He leaned down, watching her red eyes losing some tears. He grabbed her head, forcing two fingers in her mouth. ''If you fail me,'' he took her tongue out, hearing some sobs from her, ''I will cut your tongue,'' he smiled at the way her eyes looked at him with panic, ''And then I will find that pathetic fucker you call your lover and I will skin him off as many times as necessary until his screams deaf you.'' he whispered and pushed her head back, watching her barf.
ΛVΛ
There was a small bother in his mind, but he blamed it on the equally small agonized feeling for her well being - the idea of her alone in the Ministry somehow made his steps widen more. He wanted to believe she was home, but something was telling him she wasn't. He tried to keep a calm mind, blaming his overprotected self. The need to see her face and hold her in his hug burned his insides and created an anxious heartbeat, a kind he had never felt before in his whole life. He wanted to blame the Law Department, but he couldn't.
The Law Department, he thought and curled his lips, it was not something he enjoyed, not only for the ruthless people crowding it, but most importantly the way it was ordered. No spare space had been left unused, not even an empty corner so one's eye can rest. Long paintings and longer decorations were placed everywhere - it almost made his stomach hurt.
People's eyes were resting on his back, scanning up and down his tall, dressed in black suit body, when others were envy looking at the Malfoy emblem on his chest, shining more and more with every new step he was taking. He turned left to the corridor, watching the closed door of her station. He frowned, watching the late hour and asking himself if she had already left without him - the empty entrance room where the desk of her secretary was, had an enchanted slot for letters. He wondered if she gave her the time off she mumbled about earlier that day, but a shadow inside her office made him reach his wand. It was a taller than Granger's figure, and a much more muscular one. He walked closer to her office, taking the wand out of his pocket and curling his hand around the knob, opening wide the door with her name on it.
''Easy there soldier.'' Steele's voice sounded amused by Draco's threatened eyes. ''It's just me.'' he threw his hands in the air, frowning as his wand didn't fall down.
''What are you doing here?'' he asked him and looked behind him, the empty hallway of her station made him think the very worse. ''Where is Granger?''
He shrugged and scanned her desk in search of the paper she might have destroyed. ''How should I know?'' he put his hands on his waist, watching the suspicious face of Draco. ''I wanted to see her about a personal matter.'' he lied through perfect grin, watching his narrow eyes. ''What? You don't believe me?''
''No.'' he shook his head, pointing him with his wand.
''Consider your doings there Malfoy.'' a warning tone had shaped his voice, making Draco tighten his grip around it. ''I am not your enemy.''
''You were looking for something, weren't you.'' he wanted to ask, but he couldn't as the eyes of the man he once thought of as a friend were hiding something he had never seen before. ''What happened?'' the previous anxiety he was feeling had now turned into a perfectly shaped panic, making his cheeks burn.
''I think your girlfriend figured it out. I think she went to find Nehone.'' he stood still in front of her desk, watching him glance around the room and feeling his frustration rising faster with every passing minute. He shook his head, too many times, feeling small sweat drops running down his spine and forehead.
''No. She wouldn't go without me.'' he tried to fool himself, but he knew he shouldn't have done it - he knew she went. He could practically feel it in his bones. ''I have to - I have to find her.'' without noticing, his wand fell from his hand. A sudden pain had made him look his dressed with the family ring hand. There was a pain vibrating his whole body as small doses of agonized fear and constant panic burned his whole finger, replacing the burned flesh with a new one, only to burn again. It took him a while to understand the pain, it took him a while to focus on Steele's screaming face and hear his yellings as his blowing ears were only echoing one simple question, where is Granger?
He knelt on the floor and held his wrist, feeling the burning hotter and hotter by every passing minute and he yelled too, like a wounded animal on its way to death, feeling his whole chest burning with heat signals. Pieces of his burned flesh were falling down on the mosaic floors, creating a small pile of smelling skin - the image of his skeleton finger reappearing nerves, muscles, blood and flesh only to be burned again, made him yell more, finally starting to understand it was Granger's pain and not his. A weak smile curled his lips, knowing she was wearing the ring now - his voice broke at once, his mouth dropped open and if it wasn't for Steele to wrap his arms around him and hug his falling body, he would have cracked open his head for the second time this week.
ΛVΛ
She woke up feeling the heat from his body warming her back. Her hand curled around his forearms as he had locked her in his hold, never intending to let her go. She smiled to herself, feeling his arms tightening more and more around her and some giggled sounded. ''I cannot breath.'' she complained between laughs, hearing his vibrated voice saying he will never let her escape. She laughed more, kissing one of his arms and closing her eyes, wanting to continue her sleep, ''Draco?'' she called him feeling his warmth slowly disappearing. She opened her eyes and saw her hug empty. She turned around, to see his face fading away. ''No!'' she yelled, feeling cold marble against her flesh. She could see her breath escaping from her mouth, creating small clouds. She was freezing. ''Draco!'' she yelled again, trying to find him in the darkness, feeling her legs unable to move. She yelled, but there was no voice coming out of her mouth, only groans and a high pitch buzz making her ears hurt and her body curl like a baby's in the mother's tummy -
He gripped her hair, pulling her towards him. Tears traced down her cheeks and her irises returned back to normal, making him smile a bit. ''You used to be unbreakable.'' he whispered when she sobbed, tightening his grip more. ''You used to feel nothing.'' his breath made her shiver, her hand found the cold floors, trying to keep her balance. ''What happened to you, baby girl?'' he pushed her down, and she hit her forehead, feeling dizzy.
She let out some sobs, feeling the small throbs from the fall. She coughed and forced herself to sit sidesaddle, watching him stand in front of a tall table. Some shines made her eyes close and notice the new room she was in. Steel blue walls holding heavy artwork with paintings and small statues, big, tall windows with thick glass that was making it impossible to see or be seen - ''It's beautiful, don't you agree?'' he stepped aside, revealing the shining Stone inside a holder with numerous cracks and she closed her eyes again, only taking a small glance of the vintage coloured and shaped furnitures.
''You can't tame it.'' she said, watching her hands being turned purple from the coldness of the room.
''I bet you know why.'' his voice sounded bothered, maybe a bit angry too, but she couldn't understand it at the moment, as her attention was on her cold limbs. ''I hate heat.'' he confessed and narrowed his eyes when she looked at him. ''Do you want to know why?'' he walked to her, placing one knee down, bringing his face closer to her. ''I had a cousin, Silas, who once tried to - ''
''Drown you in hot water.'' she finished his sentence, meeting his wicked gaze. ''I met your father, Damien.'' her heartbeat started to fasten when he tightened his jaw.
''My father died - ''
''In my arms. I was there.'' the look on his face changed strangely fast and he slapped her with the back of his hand. ''He told me everything.'' she put a hand on her cheek, but made no pained sound. ''Do you want to talk about what you really want now?'' he stood up with an anger on his face, feeling his patience run thinner by the minute.
He found himself standing in front of his beloved possession, watching its radiating shine forming its own sun, ''And what is that Hermione?'' he asked, breathing in and out calmly, reminding himself how little she worths.
''You want his place. Silas's. You want to stop the fall of the Nehone Family, you want - ''
''I want what is being taken away from me!'' he yelled, losing whatever patience he had. ''I want what it is mine!'' he furiously turned around and watched down on her. ''I want what those fools thought I didn't deserve!'' he angrily walked towards her, gripping her from the jaw, pulling her face towards his, his nails scratched her skin. ''Don't you dare of believing you know me! Don't you dare of thinking you understand me!'' he pushed her aside, following her lying body. ''You just happened to cross paths with me, don't you ever forget that!'' he walked away from her, finding one of the wands he had placed in perfect order next to the holder.
She held her upper body on her hands, her left cheek bruised where his thumb was placed only to be covered from some blood drops. ''What - what is being taken away from you?'' she tried her best to keep the calmness in her mind, focusing on the task she had to succeed.
''Everything.'' he spoke through gritted teeth, breaking the wand in half and throwing the two pieces aside, caring little about it.
She found herself standing, not realizing how she actually did it, but she walked towards him, her head high, even if her body was shivering, her mind focused on one simple goal, keep Draco alive. In front of her there was one table with the Stone in the middle of it, all the others were covered in sheets. She looked at his direction, an opened window framed the sunflower field surrounding the house. Steele was right - she painfully smiled to herself, remembering the heated conversation they shared when he returned from Dovedale - the memory made her frown, she was in Dovedale, wasn't she.
She rose her hand to run it through her hair, but her attention caught on the ring she was wearing. The big emerald stone matched perfectly with her purple hand. A small guilt hugged her whole body and she found herself hugging her torso. She didn't want to call for help, but the idea of Nehone not falling for the plan she created warn her otherwise. If she wanted to be honest with herself, she needed to finish it on her own, feeling the end of the Nehone case as a closure to her past life, and an empowering shake for her ego.
''I will need some things to make the Time Turner - ''
''Do you honestly believe I would let you help me? You?'' he turned around to see her still hugging her torso and freezing. He took a step, closing their distance and put a hand on her face, feeling the cold skin under his touch. ''Sweety, I was in a cage when you were living your life, opening your legs to every little wimp you care to find - ''
''I want to help you - '' her voice gone as he laughed.
''I only need you here till he shows up.'' he took her hand, admiring the ring on her finger. ''And when he does,'' he tried to take the ring off, but he failed. He looked at her, then the ring, having a frown on his face. ''Why can't I take it off?'' he asked and she mimicked his expression. She took her hand back, trying herself to take it off, feeling it tightening around her finger with every push she was making.
''I don't know, probably from the cold.'' she said in a small voice, frowning more and more with every new try, until she sighed in desperation, watching him feel angrier than before. ''Draco is not coming.'' she told him, hiding the fear in his words. ''I am your only hope - ''
''Pray to your Gods, he has the rest of Primis's book when he comes, or else,'' he took her hand, admiring with disgust the ring on her finger, ''you don't want to see how messy this room will be.''
ΛVΛ
People around him were talking. There was Steele's voice sounding rather stressed and full of fear, there was Kingsley's voice sounding rather bothered and anxious - he wanted to open his eyes, but he couldn't yet - they were arguing about something and Draco felt as if they were his parents, fighting over one of his childish injuries. His thumb touched the base of his ring, feeling his skin as cold as his regular temperature, as softly as the rest of his royal fingers. He sighed, making them stop talking. Steele might have pushed Kingsley out of the room they were in, hearing the door closing behind them. He opened his eyes to see her familiar office. The muscles of his legs were sore and he wondered why - he was covered with Steele's leather jacket, and he had to actually put some effort and uncover himself, feeling it heavy. The signature scent of his cologne mixed with the smell of cigarettes managed to relax him a little, filling his heart with a forgotten safety. He wondered how he was wearing it - ''You know what fate he is facing!'' Steele's voice made him pay attention to them.
''How will you deny him to find her?'' he heard Kingsley voice, and he frowned. He cowardly stepped closer to her desk, soundless and not even bother to breath, wanting to hear them talking. ''He is in love with her, he will follow her even if he is - '' Draco tightened his jaw. He looked at her desk, not even knowing what he needed to find.
''You stay with him, I will go find her.'' again he frowned. There was silence between them, making Draco think they might come back to her office, but he saw Kingsley's shadow moving closer to Steele.
''Nestor.'' the tone of his voice caused Draco to freeze. He held his breath, but the Minister was not talking - he guessed his gaze might be held a meaningful shade, and he wished he was there to see it. His eyes left from the door in search of something that might point out her whereabouts, especially now that he couldn't feel her anymore. A cold wave hugged his shoulders and told himself to be calm - he couldn't afford to lose his calmness, not until he finds her - then he will give her a piece of his mind. ''You cannot save everyone.'' Draco's eyes rose to the closed door.
Steele might have grabbed him by the collar of his robes. He wanted to go outside and see why they were behaving as such, but his eyes focused on the bin - a wrinkled ball of paper was calling his name and a smirk appear on his pale face. He grabbed it and tried to stretch it, watching the nonsense writing - ''He is like a son to me.'' his voice sounded hurt and Draco watched his partner's shadow with widened eyes. ''Even if there is a small fucking chance for him to live, I'll make sure he has it.'' Draco rushed to hide the paper in his pocket and apparate, seconds before Steele opened the door and see the office empty.