CHAPTER 19 - The Ring
June 2004
The first thing Hermione wanted to do as an engaged couple was discuss in detail the magic behind Draco's butterflies. She wasn't satisfied until she had mastered the spell herself. Draco also explained that Theo was the one who had helped him deliver the butterflies to her desk throughout the day.
"That was nice of him," Hermione said.
"He complained incessantly," Draco grumbled.
"I'll send him an owl thanking him later." Hermione cupped Draco's face in her hand and kissed him softly. "It was the perfect proposal, thank you."
"I still can't believe we're going to be married," Draco admitted.
"I know. I'm going to be a Malfoy. It's so strange."
"Will you really change your name? I thought you'd want to keep Granger."
"Yeah, I do, especially since I'm sort of the last one. Maybe I'll hyphenate. Hermione Granger-Malfoy. Sounds weird, doesn't it?" Draco nodded.
"Maybe I should just change my name to Granger and we can forget the whole Malfoy thing altogether."
"Yeah, your parents would love that," Hermione quipped.
Draco remembered the ring then, but before he had a chance to bring it up Hermione stood up quickly, "I have to tell someone, is that okay?" She looked back at him and hesitated. "Or maybe not, we're newly engaged, I should stay here with you, shouldn't I?"
Draco waved her off.
"Go, we have plenty of time. Go tell Potter and Ginevra. But maybe not the Weasel, unless you're in the mood for a lecture, or a duel? Or maybe he'll just combust, not sure on that one." Hermione's face fell and Draco felt bad for teasing her. He knew their relationship was strained because of him and regretted bringing the Weasel up.
"Yeah, not today. Maybe I'll have Harry tell Ron for me. That can be his engagement present." She forced a smile back on her face and bent to give Draco a quick kiss. "It's going to be fine."
"I know Hermione, go." Draco watched her leave through the Floo and stayed on the couch for a few moments, cursing Weasley under his breath before he returned to his office to work on his next book.
He'd had a meeting with his publisher the day before to discuss the idea of writing a book of fairy tales. The publisher confirmed what Hermione had said, that there wasn't much competition and the book would likely sell well. As long as it was published under a pseudonym, of course. Draco didn't care about that, he just wanted the money and was already halfway through the first draft, assuming he could use a lot of the story he'd written for the proposal.
He found it easy to turn the dark stories into fairytales, and it was probably because he'd done a lot of escaping into his mind during the war, rewriting his awful reality into something more palatable.
Hermione wasn't gone for very long since Harry and Ginny had been heading to Andromeda's and she didn't want to keep them. When Draco heard her return, he went back to the sitting room but paused in the doorway when he saw Hermione chewing her lip as she stared disappointed at the fire. He crossed his arms and watched her, but soon he ran out of patience. "Well?"
The sad look on Hermione's face disappeared and she crossed the room and hugged Draco. "They were happy and said congrats. You didn't tell me you asked for Harry's blessing. That's so cute."
Draco rolled his eyes. "It wasn't like that. I just wanted to make sure he wasn't going to put up a big fight."
"I still think it's cute. Oh, and Harry said he needs to talk to you on Auror business related to your father and the situation in France." Draco's eyes narrowed and Hermione shook her head. "And that's why I said it could wait until tomorrow. He'll stop by right before work."
"Fine." Hermione looked back at the fire and Draco realized what had her upset. "Is there anyone else you want to tell?" Hermione let out a sigh and shook her head.
"I think I'll tell everyone else later, maybe all in one go. Ginny and Harry are the only ones who'd be truly happy for us anyway." Draco was sad for her and pulled her in for a comforting hug.
"It's only because Harry and Ginny are the only ones who have really gotten a chance to know you. Oh, wait," Hermione's eyes brightened, "they aren't the only ones." She let Draco go and ran up the stairs to their bedroom and Draco followed her, curious. She pulled her Muggle phone out of her nightstand and plugged it in.
Draco looked back at her confused, but she wasn't paying attention to him. She was pounding on the buttons on the phone, then she held it up to her ear and smiled when she heard a voice on the other end, but her smile turned quickly to a frown.
"Oh shoot! It's the middle of the night there, isn't it?"
Ahh, the Wilkins, Draco thought. He leaned back on the bed and watched her talk animatedly with her mother, glad that she was able to call her parents on this special day. Monica seemed okay with being woken up for this and he could hear her excited tone through the phone.
"Well I don't have one yet, but as soon as I get one, I'll send a picture," Hermione said, looking away from Draco.
Draco's heart dropped. Right, the ring. Usually witches would go showing off their engagement rings, it was a source of pride. And he never expected when he proposed that his future wife would have nothing to show for it. He should have bought her a ring as soon as they started dating. He still regretted not buying more for her when he'd had free access to the Malfoy vaults.
Draco didn't notice Hermione's conversation had ended until she sidled next to him on the bed. He started running his hands through her curls.
"I'm sorry you don't have a ring to show off. I talked to my publisher and they think I can sell a few volumes of fairy tales. You were right, of course, they should sell well. But, well the story I sent you today, it's yours, so I understand if you don't want me to share it, I can write another. It'll just take me a little longer."
"Draco, I don't need a ring, please drop it. But of course you can sell the story, but maybe make the references to me, Harry, and Ron less obvious."
Draco smirked, then he shifted and pulled his mother's ring out of his pocket. "I told you I had a ring but was pretty sure you wouldn't want it. Here it is." He held the ring in his outstretched palm. Hermione picked up the ring tentatively.
"You were right, I hate this absolutely giant, gorgeous ring. It would probably weigh me down too much."
"There's a charm to make it feel weightless once it's on. And to keep it clean and ensure it fits any finger."
"Among other charms, I'm sure. It's almost pulsing with magic. Where did you get this?"
"It's my mothers'." Hermione dropped the ring back in his hand and Draco laughed. "Yeah, that's what I thought."
"She gave it to you?"
"I didn't steal it," he retorted. "That's what the lunch meeting was about. She was...apologizing, I think. And she gave me that. But, I'm not sure I can trust her. I think she's trying to lull me into complacence for some future plan of my father's. It's so hard to tell with my parents."
Hermione felt a pang in her chest at the look of sadness in Draco's eyes. "But she said something about not doing everything my father says. I don't know what that meant."
"Do you know what the magic does?" Hermione picked the ring up again and started examining it, looking for an inscription.
"She said there's a protection spell and...uh...a fertility spell." Draco watched Hermione's eyes widen and she looked back at him questioningly.
"But you're an only child, and so was your father, right?"
"And his father. You're right," Draco looked back at the ring. "Maybe it stops after one? Or after a male child is born? Anyway, I think it's safe. I tested it with every spell I could think of, then had Potter take it to the Auror office and scan it with his dark magic detector."
"Harry tested it too?" Draco nodded.
"It's obviously laced with magic, but it doesn't seem to be anything dark or dangerous. My mother has been wearing it for thirty years. It's not the magic I'm worried about, it's that fact that it's a Malfoy family heirloom. Believe me, I understand if you don't want to wear it."
Hermione looked at the ring for a little longer, then put it on her finger. She felt it grip around her finger, then it became weightless, like Draco said it would. A warmth started to spread from her finger up her left arm. She looked back at Draco and he was looking at her warily.
"I'm not ashamed of being a Muggleborn and you shouldn't be ashamed of being a Malfoy." Draco raised his eyebrows, ready to point out the issues with that comparison. "I mean it, Draco. Maybe all that pureblood supremacy can end with our family. And a few generations down the line the Malfoys will be known for all the good they do."
"Malfoy means 'bad faith' in French, that may never be a possibility," Draco felt the need to point out.
"Well it's a good thing we don't live there then," Hermione responded, unphased.
"You won't hurt my feelings," Draco was still eyeing the ring warily, but he couldn't deny it looked beautiful on her, and it's not like he had anything else to offer her.
Hermione shrugged. "I like it, and I don't mind having a piece of your family on me. You're not all bad. And I'd like to think your mother is trying to make amends and has no ulterior motives." Draco shook his head, still unsure.
"Yeah, I know, you're cute like that. One of the many reasons I adore you, Hermione." He placed a kiss on her nose and she giggled.
"Are we finished telling people tonight?" Draco asked.
Hermione jumped up and went to grab her phone. "Let me take a picture of this and send it to Monica." She held her hand out and took a photo, then pressed a series of buttons on the phone before putting it back in her nightstand. "Okay, done. Do you want to eat?"
"No," Draco leaned back on the pillows and wiggled his eyebrows suggestively. Hermione snorted and rolled her eyes.
"I just proposed to you, Hermione. In an incredibly romantic way and I've given you a very rare, expensive ring. If that hasn't earned me sex, I'm not sure what else I can do."
"Fine."
"No need to sound so thrilled about it," Draco muttered sarcastically, picking himself off the bed and walking to the door. "I understand if you're not in the mood…"
"Come back, of course we can have sex." Draco crossed his arms, staying put in the doorway. "Please?" Hermione added, knowing that's what he was waiting to hear.
"Well you don't need to beg…" Draco caught the pillow she threw at him, then smiled and threw it back at her before joining her on the bed.
A few days later Hermione awoke and found Draco gone. She smiled as she read the note he'd left on his pillow explaining that he was on a run with Harry. She never would have guessed a few months before that Draco and Harry would meet together on their own accord, but ever since their trip to Hogwarts, those two had seemed easier around each other.
Draco had even told Harry about the proposal ahead of time, which Hermione found really cute, though she knew better than to say so to either of them. Boys, she thought as she rose and started the shower.
After a few minutes the water from the shower was still cold and Hermione sighed. The water heater must be acting up again. She'd have someone come look at it later. She picked up her wand and went to cast a warming charm on the tap, but the spell wouldn't come. She shook her wand and tried again, but nothing happened.
"Lumos," she muttered, and a faint light appeared. Then she tried to turn her hair black, and that spell worked fine. She went back to the tap, but the warming charm still didn't work. How odd, she thought as she turned her hair back to brown. Hermione turned off the tap and decided to forgo the shower.
Hermione and Ginny were eating lunch at Hermione's desk. Ginny had stopped by to sign some forms for the upcoming Quidditch tournament and surprised Hermione with sandwiches from her favorite Muggle deli.
"Do you still hate this department?" Ginny asked.
"I don't hate it," Hermione said defensively.
Ginny snorted. "You're going to need to get better at lying if you want to be the Minister for Magic. Ask your fiancé for lessons sometime."
Hermione ignored the jab, then finished her bite before speaking.
"I thought it would grow on me, but it hasn't. I only have to stay here through the end of the year. And I know the experience is good for me." She shrugged and took another bite, then added once she was finished chewing, "I get to see you every so often, so it's not all bad."
A drop of sauce from Hermione's sandwich fell on her skirt and she swore, then grabbed her wand to clean it.
When she waved her wand, nothing happened. She sighed and turned her wand on a nearby parchment instead and transfigured it into a cloth. Then she tried to wet the cloth with her wand, but again, the spell didn't work.
She huffed and dipped the cloth into her glass of water and started wiping the stain away. Ginny watched the entire scene in fascination. She had never seen Hermione struggle with spells.
"What just happened?" Hermione waved her off.
"My wand's been acting up."
"Has that ever happened before?" Hermione shrugged.
"It did a bit, when I was trying out new wands right after the war. But this one has always worked fine for me."
"Maybe it's not the wand, maybe it's your magic," Ginny suggested.
"That's unlikely, there aren't many things that can interfere with a wizard's magic."
"There's one thing I can think of," Ginny grinned back at Hermione. Hermione froze, then put her sandwich down and glared at her engagement ring.
"Nooooo." Hermione said under her breath. "No no no no no no no no no."
"What? Why do you keep looking at the ring?"
"Draco said there were fertility spells on this," Hermione waved her hand with the ring in front of Ginny, who rolled her eyes.
"Ugh, of course there are. Anything to get that male heir…"
"I know what you were insinuating before. Pregnancy can mess with a witch's magic. Do you think the spells on this ring could counteract my contraceptive charms?"
"Charms? As in more than one?"
"Of course, two charms and a potion." Ginny snorted.
"Merlin, you're so thorough. I'm lucky if I can remember one." But Hermione wasn't listening anymore. "Hey," Ginny said quickly, trying to snap Hermione out of her reverie. "It's a quick test, we can go to the loo and do it now." Hermione nodded silently, then stood and walked slowly toward the washroom.
A few minutes later Ginny checked her wand for the results. "Negative." Hermione let out a huge sigh of relief.
"Thank God."
"What?" Ginny crossed her arms, "Do you think Draco would be upset?"
"I'm not sure upset is the right word."
"Well have you talked about kids?" Hermione looked down at the ground, avoiding Ginny's gaze. "Hermione, you're going to get married. You need to be on the same page about children."
"You're right, I'll talk to him about it tonight." She sighed then added, "And I need to stop by Ollivander's sometime this week too."
Hermione was too nervous to Apparate home that day with her wand acting up, so she walked since their fireplace wasn't connected to the Ministry. She'd visit the Floo office the next day and remedy that. When she got home, she heard Draco in the kitchen and her resolve to talk to him about children faltered. What if Draco didn't want kids? Would she be okay with that?
Instead of going to the kitchen to meet him, she went to the sitting room and sat on the couch, then started trying spells. Everything worked fine until she tried to cast her Patronus. All she could get out of her wand was silver smoke.
Hermione tried to ignore the rising panic in her chest. It was probably just the wand, she kept telling herself, maybe it was damaged without her realizing. She turned and saw Draco's wand on the side table and hesitated for a few moments before picking it up. She knew she should ask before using it, but she was embarrassed to admit she was struggling with magic. She strained her ears and could still hear him in the kitchen, then tried to cast her Patronus again.
This next attempt was worse than before. Did that prove it was her and not the wand? Or maybe Draco's wand didn't match her well. She'd never tried using it before. She placed it carefully back on the table, then finally went to greet Draco, ignoring the uneasiness settling in her stomach.
The next day, Hermione and Draco were sitting on the couch reading when Hermione's wand acted up again. Draco watched her wave her wand and was confused when nothing happened. There was something wrong with her, he'd noticed her struggling with magic for the past few days, but she was trying to hide it from him.
Hermione blushed when she saw Draco watching her, then stood up. "I'm going upstairs to get my book; do you need anything?"
Draco shook his head, then realized she'd been trying to summon it, but had obviously been unsuccessful. He wondered again what could be wrong with her? He tried to remember the reasons for someone's magic to fail and was reminded of the time she'd lost her magic because of that terrible powder, but she didn't seem ill right now.
Then it hit him, there was a common cause for witches to struggle with their magic, but that couldn't be happening, could it? "Hermione!"
She turned back from the hall and faced him.
"Are you…" But he couldn't put his thoughts into words. His mind was racing and his chest was tight, and he was trying to place the feeling. His healer told him to do this when he was overwhelmed with emotion. Was this panic? No, not panic, it wasn't a negative feeling, just - fast, and warm, and intense. Excitement. That was the feeling, excitement and hopeful anticipation.
Hermione was biting her lip. "Your magic is acting up," Draco continued. "Why is that?"
"It has been coming and going," Hermione said in a soft voice. "Ginny thought I was pregnant." She studied Draco, curious to see what his reaction would be. But he just looked back at her expectantly. She was relieved that he didn't look upset.
"I'm not," Hermione continued, and Draco looked back at her confused. "But, uh, we haven't talked about it. You know, kids. And if we're getting married, we probably should."
Draco nodded and waited for her to keep talking, hoping she'd lead this conversation, since he had no idea how to start. But Hermione was staring back at him, evidently expecting him to speak next. He took a big sigh. "I want them."
Hermione looked surprised. "You do?"
"Not immediately. I want to figure out the money thing first."
"Right, of course. But...uh...one day?"
Draco smirked. Hermione looked extremely relieved by his response. "You thought I didn't want children?"
"Well I know you don't really like Teddy," Hermione said, a bit embarrassed, but Draco nodded in agreement. "Or any of the other Weasley grandkids."
Draco shrugged, not offended by her assessment. "I'll like mine."
"Ours," Hermione smiled back at him.
"So I'm assuming you want kids too?"
"Yeah, one day."
"Well that's settled." He smiled again, then teased, "Was that so bad?"
She shook her head and hugged him.
"So back to the magic, what do you think is going on?"
"I don't know," Hermione shrugged. "I'm going to Ollivander's tomorrow to see if it has to do with my wand."
Draco pulled his wand out of his pocket and handed it to her. "Try mine." Hermione blushed.
"I already did, yesterday. It didn't help." Draco didn't look upset though, he was just thinking, trying to recall any other reasons for a wizard to struggle with their magic. Hermione put Draco's wand on the table and turned to go back upstairs but Draco shook his head and pulled her back.
"What were you trying to summon?" Draco asked.
"The book on my nightstand. I'll just go get it."
"I've got it." He reached toward his wand, but before he picked it up Hermione's book came flying into the room and hit Draco in the side before falling to the ground. Draco bent to pick it up and stared at it curiously.
"Did you cast a spell?" Hermione asked, also staring at the book in Draco's hands.
"No, but I was thinking of it."
"Has that happened before?"
"No," Draco looked back at his wand, which was still lying on the table, untouched. "My spells have been coming easier but this-"
He cut off and Hermione was surprised to find a look of horror come across his face. "Take it off!" He was glaring at her ring.
"What?" Hermione looked down at her ring, confused.
"Now!" Draco crossed the room, then tore the ring off her finger and threw it violently into the fire. Unsurprisingly, the ring remained intact, glittering innocently at them from the embers.
"What's going on? Tell me what you're thinking." Draco continued to watch the ring, then turned back to her, speaking urgently.
"We need to see Potter, send your Patronus." Hermione reached for her wand, then they both seemed to realize instantaneously that if she couldn't summon a book, she likely wouldn't be able to cast a Patronus.
"Nevermind," Draco muttered, already holding a handful of Floo powder. "I'll get him. I'll be right back."
Before Hermione could ask another question, Draco was gone.
"So explain this again," Harry raked his fingers through his hair as he paced around the sitting room. "You think Hermione's magic is being transferred to you?"
"I've already been through this twice, Potter," Draco growled from his spot on the couch. As he watched Harry pace around the room, he was reminded of how intimidating the git could be when he wanted to and was secretly glad Harry was on his side this time.
"There was a relic referenced in the book Hermione and I found in the Malfoy library that didn't match any of the dark objects we found in the house. It was a ring with a binding spell that worked to transfer the witch's power to her husband. I remember it because Hermione lectured me endlessly about witch's rights after we finished the translation."
Draco looked over at Hermione on the other end of the couch, but she was still silently staring into the fire as tears streamed down her face. She was looking at the ring, which was still in the fireplace, and was hoping Draco was wrong, but something deep inside her knew he wasn't.
"But your mother has been wearing it safely for years," Harry said.
"I know," Draco sneered. This was the part that hurt the worst. He'd expected something like this from his father, but his mother had tricked him. He'd been so desperate to believe she really loved him and finally wanted him to be happy.
"It wasn't just hers. It's been passed down in my family for centuries. It must have been warded, or maybe the magic had to be activated to work…" Draco stood and walked to the fire, glaring down at the ring.
"I was so stupid, I could feel the fucking magic, but I fell for my mother's lies." Draco looked back at Hermione, but her eyes were still unfocused.
"But we both tested it, there wasn't an ounce of dark magic on that ring," Harry argued.
Draco shook his head. "I know, I have no idea how this got through all our spells."
"I do," Hermione finally spoke up and the two men looked at her curiously.
"Don't you remember, Draco? We talked about this." Draco shook his head, unsure what she was referring to.
"This was the only relic in that book we couldn't find in your house, and after we translated the passage we realized why. It's because it wasn't made with dark magic. The magic is based on love. As long as the witch willingly enters the marriage then her husband isn't stealing her magic. If that were the case, it would be dark. She's giving it to him, like a gift." Hermione's voice was flat and she was staring intently in the fire. Then she looked up at Draco and he was heartbroken to see the sadness in her eyes.
"The ring couldn't be found with any dark magic detectors, that's why none of Harry's detectors worked then in helping us locate it in your house. And they didn't work a few weeks ago either."
Draco swore, then approached Hermione and tentatively placed a hand on her shoulder, "I'm so sorry, Hermione. I completely forgot about that. I should have recognized the ring for what it was immediately."
Hermione chuckled darkly. "It was two years ago Draco, don't be ridiculous. And you'd never suspect your mother to just hand you a relic. I didn't suspect it either." She cupped his face in her hand. "Please don't blame yourself."
But it was too late for that. Draco turned away from her.
"Well there is good news," Harry said. "We can finally lock your father up again. We've been tailing him for months, trying to catch him doing something illegal in France, and we were close, but this, this has to be illegal."
"It probably isn't," Hermione said. "Most of those ancient laws are still in place," she continued in her flat voice. "I remember bringing it up when I worked in that office. But my boss at the time said there weren't enough resources to go after old, unused laws when we have plenty of current legislation to work on."
Neither Draco or Harry knew what to say, so they nodded politely, then Hermione went back to staring at the fire.
"But why now?" Harry asked and Draco looked back at him, confused by the question. "You're not married yet, just engaged."
Draco let out a sigh, then mumbled, "We consummated it, so technically, per the old laws, we are married."
"Ew."
"Grow up, Potter."
"Right, and uh, how long since, you've been, uh, married?"
"It was the same night I proposed, so what was that? A week ago?"
"Didn't waste any time," Harry muttered under his breath.
"You should talk," Hermione grumbled, focusing back in on their conversation. "I know for a fact you and Ginny-"
"Please don't finish that sentence," Draco cut in.
"Yeah, please," Harry said, blushing now.
"Can you two focus back on our problem?" Draco asked. "How did you manage to get anything done during the war?"
Harry narrowed his eyes. "Well, do you have any ideas for next steps? Do you want to go to the Manor and look for that book? I can accompany-"
"No, I had something else in mind."
"Okay, what do you need?" Harry looked eager to jump into action.
"The sword, the one that can destroy horcruxes," Draco said. "Hermione had a theory that the relics were like ancient horcruxes and maybe they can be destroyed in the same way."
Harry's eyes widened and he looked back at Hermione. "Why didn't you tell me? You could have avoided that entire project at the Manor."
"That's why I didn't tell you," Hermione crossed her arms defensively, but she felt lighter. Maybe she'd been right. Maybe breaking the spell would be as simple as using the sword to destroy the ring.
"And you think that will work?" Harry directed his question to Draco. "You think once the ring is destroyed the spell will break and Hermione will get her magic back?"
"I have no idea," Draco turned to Hermione. "What do you think?"
"It's worth a shot." She finally stood and went to Draco's side and he placed a comforting arm around her waist. "It's not like we have any other ideas," she said as she glared down at the beautiful ring.
Draco was right about the sword of Gryffindor being able to destroy the ring. It sliced through the heirloom easier than any of the horcruxes. But unfortunately, Hermione's magic didn't return. It seemed the spell was already in place and would have to be undone a different way. Hermione had been disappointed when the sword didn't work, but she remained hopeful they'd find a way around it somehow.
Draco had considered returning to the manor for the book on relics, but he assumed his father would have hidden it by now. Then Hermione had the idea to try a different pureblood estate, reasoning that this type of spell was probably common at the time and not unique to the Malfoys.
Draco went straight to Theo, the only pureblood he was on good terms with, and Theo had agreed to help and opened up the Nott Manor library for them.
Draco had connected their house to Nott Manor using the Floo, but unfortunately Hermione didn't have enough magic to travel through the Floo alone. That's when Theo started bringing the books to her.
He'd bring a new stack each day, then take the pile she and Draco had looked through the day before back home with him. This had been their routine for two weeks now, but they still hadn't gotten anywhere.
There was a glimmer of hope a week ago when they found a book of relics similar to the Malfoy one and Draco and Hermione had smiled at each other and quickly set to translating it. Their hopes had grown further when they found a similar relic, this one a bracelet.
But once the passages about the bracelet were translated their hopes were crushed. It only talked about activating the spell and there was no mention of how to reverse it. That book had been their best shot, and once it was proven worthless Draco had fallen into a dark depression.
He still read through the books Theo brought over, but he barely ate, slept, or spoke. Hermione knew he'd already lost hope and was just going through the motions, so she tried to stay strong for both of them.
Now she was taking a break from reading and staring into the fire, trying to ignore the emptiness that had settled into her chest once the magic finally left her for good. Harry was on the other side of the room, pouring through case reports at the table.
Harry was dedicated to punishing Lucius for doing this to Hermione. She knew the reports he was searching through now were related to the uprising of dark wizards in France. Harry was sure Lucius was involved and was committed to finding proof so he could throw him back in Azkaban.
Harry and Ginny had been a constant presence, helping them research, and mostly keeping them company. She appreciated it, since Draco had turned into a ghost and spent most of his time upstairs, preferring to research alone.
Hermione thought he stayed away as a favor to her, assuming she wouldn't want to see the person currently using her magic, but she really missed him and wished he would stop trying to hide. She didn't push though, since she knew seeing her unable to use magic was extremely hard for him. He'd still been working on getting past the guilt from the war, and now this?
Both Hermione and Harry looked up when someone arrived through the Floo. Hermione started when she recognized Ron but didn't have the energy to stand and greet him. She didn't even have the heart to be worried about his presence here and simply nodded toward him absently.
Ron came to sit next to her on the couch and mumbled something she didn't hear, then rubbed her back comfortingly. She just nodded and let him give her a quick hug, then watched him walk out of the room.
Her brain was sluggish from all the reading and poor sleep, so it took her longer than normal to realize that this was the first time she was seeing Ron since she'd gotten engaged to Draco. She'd imagined a lot more yelling, then alarm bells started going off in her head. She stood from the couch and Harry looked up at her, he'd been lost in his report. "What?"
"Ron!" Hermione went to the kitchen, where she assumed Ron had gone, but it was empty. Harry was in the hall, looking at her curiously. "Ron's not down here," she explained.
Harry cursed under his breath.
"Draco…" Hermione moved toward the stairs, but Harry held her back.
"I've got it," he rushed up the stairs and Hermione sighed, then went back to the couch, bracing for the shouting she knew was coming.
Ron carefully opened the bedroom door but the room looked empty. He stepped in and almost left when he heard something in the bathroom. He peered inside and saw Draco leaning against the wall with his knees pulled up and his head buried behind his arms.
Draco's head snapped up and Ron swore at the sight of his former childhood bully. He looked terrible. Worse than Ron had ever seen him, and that was counting the time in sixth year when he'd been plotting to kill Dumbledore.
Draco was thin and haggard. His hair was messier than Harry's and he looked like he hadn't showered or slept in days. His skin was grey and his eyes were sunken in. The sight reminded Ron of the times Nora would fall asleep with her makeup on and woke up with it smeared under her eyes.
Then as Ron watched him, he noticed something extremely odd. Draco was disappearing and reappearing every few seconds. Ron couldn't help but blurt out, "Why are you blinking in and out?"
"Fuck off, Weasley," Draco said, then he lifted his hand to slam the door. Ron saw a look of disgust flash across Draco's face as he performed the spell easily, without a wand, and his heart dropped.
When Harry first told Ron what had happened to Hermione, Ron had been livid with Draco. Of course, this must have been his plan all along. But Harry had made Ron consider Draco's side.
"What if your family didn't want you to be with Nora? So they'd cast this terrible spell on her to slowly drain her of magic? It would break your heart, watching her grow weaker and weaker each day, would it not?"
"Yes, but-"
"Let me finish," Harry had cut him off. "But to make things worse, what if the magic was making you stronger? How fucked up is that? Not only do you have to watch the person you love most get weaker, but to know that you were the one stealing her magic? Can you imagine what they must be going through?"
Now that Ron had seen Draco, he knew Harry was right. Ron had thought Hermione looked bad, but Draco was completely broken, and Ron couldn't blame him. It was a terrible fate, something Ron wouldn't wish on anyone, not even Draco Malfoy.
Ron sighed then opened the bathroom door again and walked inside, hoping Draco wouldn't try to use his new enhanced magic to hex him. "I want to talk to you."
"I told you to fuck off," Draco's voice was rough from disuse. "Believe me, there's nothing you can say to make me feel worse, so just go."
"I don't want to make you feel worse," Ron said and Draco looked up at him, perplexed, before he disappeared again. Ron sighed and asked when Draco reappeared, "Uh, can you control that?"
Draco took a deep breath, "The magic tends to bubble over if I don't use it," the look of disgust was back. "I just do this to use it up, but what I really want to do is blast everything in sight."
Ron nodded and straightened his spine, trying to hide the fear that he was feeling at the thought of talking to an unstable Draco Malfoy who currently possessed an unprecedented amount of power.
"I came to try to cheer you up." Draco looked back at him, impassive, so Ron continued talking. "Hermione and Harry are incredible. And I know it seems like things are hopeless, and there's no possible way you're going to find a cure for this fucked up spell. But the three of us have been in situations like this before, and we managed to make it out all right."
Draco cocked his head, still stunned that Weasley was trying to make him feel better. Ron kept talking.
"One time Harry fought a basilisk with no wand and his only weapon was the Sorting Hat, did you know that?" Draco shook his head.
"Well all of a sudden a giant sword fell out of the hat and Harry managed to kill the snake. That's how we first found the sword, it hadn't been seen for centuries before that.
"Then, well I'm sure you've heard about Gringotts by now." Draco nodded, this story he knew. "Well we had no plans on how to make it out alive. There were hundreds of goblins descending on us, but all of a sudden Hermione gets this idea to free the blind, decrepit dragon."
Ron sighed. He couldn't tell if any of this was sinking in with Draco, but he kept talking, realizing that he needed to hear this pep talk too.
"Then there was your house. You were there for that one. That was hopeless, then Harry manages to summon Dobby, the one creature able to find us and Apparate in and out of there. I guess I'm just trying to say that those two will find a way to save the day, just give them time, and try not to lose hope."
Draco snorted and looked down at himself. It was clearly too late for that.
"He's right." Draco and Ron's attention was pulled to the doorway where Harry was standing with his arms crossed. "Though you're understating your role in everything Ron." Ron shrugged and blushed slightly. "And we never had Malfoy's help before, and he's fairly clever."
"Cleverer than Weasley," Draco muttered under his breath.
"But not me?" Harry asked innocently.
Draco raised his hand and cast a quick silencing charm, but Harry still laughed quietly and Draco couldn't deny that he felt slightly better. Harry left then, eager to report back to Hermione that Ron and Draco were getting on (sort of).
Draco stood and stretched out his stiff legs as he considered Weasley's words. These Gryffindors were incredibly resourceful, and Potter had managed to kill the Dark Lord. Maybe there was something to Weasley's reassurances.
Ron was still looking at him expectantly. "What do you want now Weasley? Isn't your speech over?"
"Yeah...uh...can you take a shower? You look like shite." Draco rolled his eyes.
"Fine, now leave, since I'm assuming you don't want to watch." Now it was Ron's turn to roll his eyes.
"Also when all this is done, you should let Hermione come to dinner with me again." Draco narrowed his eyes.
"I have no idea what you're talking about."
Ron looked a little embarrassed.
"Wow, she never told you? I was sure you were the reason she cut them off. Uh, well we used to go to dinner every week, just to catch up. Then after you got back from Australia she stopped them, said she wanted to work on her relationship. And - well, I get you're engaged, and I don't really care to try to break you up or anything. I just want to see my friend again."
Draco shook his head. There must be more to this story, otherwise why else would Hermione have hidden this? Weekly dinners for over a year? This was the type of the thing that would have upset him before, but he didn't have the energy to care now.
"Fine Weasley, if we get Hermione's magic back and she wants to go to dinner with you, I don't fucking care. Take her out every night if you must."
"Okay, uh, I'll leave you alone then." Ron opened the door and was almost outside when Draco called him back.
"Weasley."
"Uh huh," Ron popped his head back into the bathroom.
"Thanks. And uh, sorry I almost killed you in sixth year."
"Whatever Malfoy, just try to stay strong for her. It'll be easier for her to remain composed and put that giant brain to work fixing this if you can hold your shite together better."
Hermione was laying in bed reading when she saw Draco appear in the doorway. He was leaning against the door frame, as if he was waiting to be invited inside.
"Can I come in?"
"I never kicked you out, you're the one who decided to leave."
"I know." Draco crept inside and sat on the bed across from her, pulling his legs up and crossing them in front of him. Hermione put her book down and sat up. She started tracing her hand along his jaw. He closed his eyes and she moved her fingers to his hair, relishing the feeling of touching him again.
The week before he'd started sleeping in the spare bedroom. He'd said he didn't want to hurt her with a random burst of magic, but she knew that was a lame excuse. He could avoid those by using up as much magic as possible before going to bed. He was just avoiding her, though she didn't know if it was meant to be for her benefit or his.
When she finally pulled her hand back, he leaned his forehead against hers and they sat in silence for a few moments. She could hear him taking slow, deliberate breaths, then could almost hear his magic crackling on the surface of his skin. She looked up and saw that his skin was glowing with a faint, silvery gleam that reminded her a bit of Veelas.
"Draco, you need to use your magic, otherwise you're going to explode."
"I hate using it."
"I know, but I don't mind, I want you to be safe. I've been, I've been so worried about you." Tears started streaming down her face and Draco wiped them away with his hands.
"Fuck. You're the one who lost your magic, and you're worried about me? Weasley was right."
"What did he say?" Hermione perked up, suddenly curious. Harry had only said he was trying to cheer Draco up, but hadn't given her any more details. Primarily because he was silenced and didn't want to write it all out. It had taken Harry, Ginny, and Ron to remove the charm because Draco's magic was so strong.
"He told me I had to be stronger for you. Then he gave me a Gryffindor-y pep talk."
Hermione sighed. "You've been acting like this is all your fault, and it's not. You need to eat, and try to sleep, just- please take better care of yourself."
Draco's eyes welled with tears and she pulled him into her chest, hugging him tightly. He turned invisible and she closed her eyes and focused on his warmth under her arms. She knew this was the primary way he dealt with the extra magic, by making himself disappear. But the symbolism of the gesture wasn't lost on her and each time he did it she thought of the shadow prince from his story and her heart broke.
But she didn't protest, since she knew this was a relatively safe and effective way to use the extra magic.
When Hermione opened her eyes, Draco had reappeared and she stared into his haunted, grey eyes.
"I need you to promise me something."
"Anything," his voice broke.
Hermione traced her hand along his Dark Mark and he looked down at it and waited for her to speak.
"Promise me you won't hurt yourself."
Draco's breath caught in his chest and he looked away from her. Did she know that was all he wanted to do? Maybe she'd guessed because of all the time he spent sitting on the bathroom floor. He'd tried distracting himself, he'd tried flying, he'd tried potions and whiskey, but nothing had stopped the rising panic at the thought of what would happen if they couldn't fix this.
The only reason he hadn't already severed his arm was because he knew how disappointed she would be. And he wanted to be strong for her. So he'd punished himself in other ways.
He'd stayed up all night until he was delirious, refused food until his stomach roared with hunger, and even avoided the comforting feeling of a bath and clean clothes. He knew it was illogical, but he had to do something.
Draco looked back at Hermione and she was looking concerned again. She was asking a lot, probably more than she knew, but he owed her this, didn't he? He nodded back.
"I need to hear you say it, Draco."
"I promise." But she wasn't satisfied and waited, "I promise I won't do anything to harm myself."
"So you're going to start eating again? And taking care of yourself?"
Draco nodded again. "Yes."
"We're going to figure this out."
"And what if we don't?" His voice came out raspy, dreading asking this question, but he had to know.
"We'll figure that out too."
"How could you live with me, watching me use your magic every day while you have none? Surrounded by people who are using magic when you can't? There's no way you'll be able to stay with me."
"We're not at that point yet, Draco."
"We're getting nowhere with the research."
"It's just slow, and we both know why. You're a researcher. These things, small exceptions to rules, they are never captured in the official record. They're remembered, and passed around as stories. That's why I've started looking through diaries, that's where it will be. Not in the texts. Please Draco, don't give up yet."
Draco shook his head, then dropped her gaze. "I don't have your strength."
"No, just my power," she teased, but Draco's face fell and tears started to fall from his eyes again.
"Sorry, I was joking. I know better, just - will you come here?" He leaned into her and she started stroking his back.
"I'm pathetic, I should be comforting you," he mumbled.
"We're comforting each other." Draco leaned back, then started twirling her curls around his finger.
"I love you."
"I know, I love you too."
"You really think we'll make it through this?"
"I do."
"Why?" He saw a fiery determination come into her eyes.
"Because I refuse to live in a world where Lucius Malfoy wins."
July 2004
After another few days with no progress, Draco decided it was time to go back to Malfoy Manor. He coordinated with Harry to find a time when Lucius would be gone. Harry knew Lucius had a meeting with some of the Aurors to discuss his involvement in France and Draco chose that time to visit his childhood home.
Part of Draco wanted to confront his father, especially with his amplified power, but he knew it would be easier to search the Manor with him gone. He could punish his father for what he'd done after Hermione was cured.
Draco went straight to the library but wasn't surprised when none of his summoning spells worked to find the book. He tried a few other spells Hermione and he had worked out, but it seemed his father had been thorough. Then he changed tactics, about to look for diaries from that time period when his mother appeared in the doorway.
"Your father moved a number of books to the vaults," Narcissa said, walking slowly into the room. She hitched her breath when Draco turned toward her. His appearance reminded her of the troubled state he'd been in at the height of the Dark Lord's reign.
Draco stopped looking through the books and glared at his mother. Then he approached her slowly and noted the sadness in her eyes. "What did you hope would happen? That I'd leave her?"
"So you did it? You proposed?"
"And a few weeks later her magic was gone. You knew that's what would happen if I used the ring." His mother looked away from his hateful gaze.
"You belong with us Draco, in our world," her voice was weak and there wasn't much conviction behind her words.
"It's the same world!" He wanted to shake her and force her to understand. "How could you do this to me?"
"It's for your own good."
"Stealing the magic from the woman I love? How is that for my own good? I already was unbelievably guilty for how I treated her, how our family treated her, and now I have to feel her power every day as I watch her live in the magical world without it. What is wrong with you, Mother?!"
"Draco-"
"I will never forgive you for this." Tears started to fall from his mother's eyes, but Draco didn't have the energy to care.
"Tell me the counter spell," he commanded, and his mother recoiled at the harshness of his tone.
"There is none."
"How do I know you're not lying again?" His mother didn't answer. "What kind of mother does this to her son?"
"We have a duty, Draco, to our bloodlines." Narcissa's tears were flowing much faster now, but the sight of them just made Draco angrier.
"Fuck our bloodlines!" his mother winced and all the glass in the room shattered.
"I was happy! Finally. Now, what am I supposed to do? She's my only shot at a normal, peaceful life. And if I can't undo this, she'll leave. Then I'll be a miserable, yet extremely powerful, wreck. Is that what you wanted?"
His mother stayed quiet.
"Either way the bloodlines will die out because I will never marry anyone else. You'll have to Imperius me, Mother. Is that your next move?"
"Of course not, Draco," she reached for him, but he stepped away from her grasp and the windows and doors slammed shut. He was losing control. Draco made himself invisible and watched with a twisted satisfaction as his mother's eyes widened in alarm.
"Don't touch me," Draco spat, reappearing next to the door. He waved his hand and the door swung open. "We're done. I'm -" his voice broke and he paused to swallow back tears. "I thought you loved me."
"I do, Draco, I love you more than anything."
"No mother - not more than anything, I see that now." He marched back to the entrance and she chased him down the hall, calling his name but he ignored her.
"Draco please, you have to understand-" Draco silenced her.
"I will never understand why you did this. And this is it for us. Goodbye. For good."
As he turned to the door his eye caught a familiar image in the portrait across the hall. It was his great aunt and uncle, the same ones who had tried to harm Hermione.
Draco thought now was a good time to punish them for that indiscretion, and it would feel good to test the limits of his new power. He knew you could cast a spell on the subject of a portrait, but could you kill them? They were already long dead.
Just then, his mind cleared as he remembered his conversation with Hermione from a few days ago.
"That's it," he muttered to himself as he turned to leave, completely forgetting his plan to destroy the portraits. He Apparated home, then immediately Floo-ed to Nott Manor, feeling lighter than he had in weeks.
Maybe Hermione was right after all, maybe there was still hope.
AE's A/N: I feel like this is the perfect spot for me to remind you I promised this story would have a happy ending. Please don't lose hope!
Thanks again to my beta-reader Chloe . Ray! Please let me know what you think, I love reading your comments. Look me up on Tumblr (Alexandra-Emerson) to see a few drabbles and aesthetics for all the chapters or to send me any questions you have about the story. I hope all is well, stay safe!