A/N – I cannot believe that we are at the end. This is the final chapter before the epilogue, and I am just incredibly grateful for every interaction I have had with all of you. From those who have been with me since the first chapter to new readers joining today, and everyone between—thank you. Find me on Tumblr at curlykay.
Epilogue will be posted 7/19
Due to the off week for updates, the first chapter in a series of oneshots and drabbles from The Binding universe will be posted in its own story next Sunday. The first one is titled "The New Peahen at Malfoy Manor" and features Charles! I'm also posting a new oneshot today, Theo Nott's Infallible Guide to Wooing Witches. It's a humor/smutty Head Boy and Head Girl Dramione :)
April-May
After the trio escaped, Narcissa slipped around the Manor seamlessly, placing herself in the room during every important discussion without attracting attention. Even though she had been doing it for years, Draco had never noticed. Once the dust settled, she stopped by his room to give a brief confirmation that 'everything had been handled' and that Dobby informed her the trio was safe.
For the first night since he arrived at the Manor, he slept.
The second half of his Easter holiday consisted of stress-filled days and numb nights. After Bellatrix lost her hand, she became even more erratic and mistrusting of her fellow Death Eaters. Though Draco avoided interactions with the Dark Lord at all costs, his displeasure permeated the Manor.
Between missions, the Dark Lord attempted to bestow a golden hand to Bellatrix in place of the one she lost 'in service to him'. However, the hand rejected Bellatrix and seared her skin, burning trails up her forearm.
The charmed stone in Hermione's necklace contained large amounts of protective magic. It had originally been created for his great-great-grandmother, who had been kidnapped as a child and never lost her paranoia. The spells placed on it were ancient and inflicted damage equal to the intent of the attacker. Since Bellatrix intended to mutilate but not kill Hermione, the stone reacted in turn.
By the time he returned to school, the world felt one minute away from falling apart, and Hogwarts grew gloomier by the day. Dementors had been added as 'extra security' for the by one, the other members of the D.A. joined Neville and Michael in the Come-and-Go room, cutting down on the number of friendly faces within the halls. The room foreshadowed the need for additional living space and was prepared to house all of the D.A. if need be.
The three Slytherins—Draco, Theo, and Blaise—opted to continue living in the Head Dorm and dungeons. As children of Death Eaters—excluding Blaise's mother—they were granted a certain level of trust by the Carrows, which they used to full advantage.
Since Theo planted the memory of Alecto's 'true intentions' to usurp her brother in the eyes of the Dark Lord before Christmas, the twins had been completely disjointed. Previously attached at the hip and strategizing against the students, they now sat silent on opposite sides of Snape during meals and eyed the other distrustfully.
It had been months since any new propaganda was posted on the castle walls and even longer since they escalated their torture techniques on the students. The torture had been a fun competition between the two to pass the time, and they seemed to lose the taste for doling out extreme pain to the students.
Directly following the meeting with Theo, Amycus began pulling students out of his class and questioning them on Alecto. Blaise and Draco went prepared with information and their own false memories incriminating his twin. When word spread to Alecto that Amycus was rallying against her, she turned on him. Both classes led by the Carrows became a cat-and-mouse game with the students, where they both believed themselves the cat but were really the mouse.
Pansy took on a new role as coordinator of their miniature healing facility, making sure to glamour injuries onto each student after they were healed to make the Carrows believe they were still injured. She gave no reason for her change of heart, but after months of struggling, the D.A. was grateful for every ally.
Following the Easter holidays, several students went into hiding with their families, including Ginny Weasley. She sent a quick one line message to Neville to let him know that her parents would not let her return. At this point, Death Eaters were attacking anyone who stood against the Dark Lord, including Pureblood families. The Weasleys were infamous Blood Traitors and her father's vocal love of Muggles placed a spotlight on the family.
Down two leaders in the D.A.—Ginny and Luna—Neville offered the open position to Draco. After he realised that the rest of the D.A. backed the decision, he took his role alongside Neville with pride. Every remaining member of the D.A. trained with Draco for battle or Theo for healing.
Usually, they would be focusing on the upcoming end of year examinations, but the students and Professors of Hogwarts seemed to come to an unspoken agreement about classwork. With war looming, they each allowed the other slack in their respective duties as student and Professor.
It was difficult to ignore the inescapable truth that a battle was coming and they were left without Harry Potter. No one but Draco knew the trio was alive and well, hunting down pieces of the Dark Lord's soul. Many students speculated that Harry had gone into hiding for his safety.
Every night since they had reunited at the Manor, Hermione came to him in his dreams. She was always wearing the same clothing as that fateful day over Easter, always covered in Bellatrix's blood. In each dream, no matter what he did, the moment he tried to touch her, she disappeared from his arms.
His stomach dropped whenever he recalled the moment he saw her crumpled on the floor of his dining room, her clothes soaked with blood. For the briefest moment, it looked as though she was dying. Even the mere thought had blinded Draco; he felt as if his soul would never recover from the pain he had felt.
The Manor would never look the same to him.
After she had disappeared with Dobby, Draco reached for her through their bond constantly, needing the reassurance just to get through the day. He knew that with his mother's help, they were one Horcrux closer to defeating the Dark Lord.
They were one step closer to uniting Draco with the other half of his own soul.
A little over a month after Easter, Hermione was back at Hogwarts.
When the trio arrived, Draco and Theo were preparing the latest batch of healing potions; since the holiday, they had been building a stockpile—one they hoped they would never have to use.
The look on Draco's face the moment he felt her said everything.
"Go," Theo insisted. "If they're back at the castle, then she needs you."
"But—"
"He doesn't want to see me." Theo's eyes darkened as he turned back to the cauldron. "I can't let this last batch of Blood-Replenishing Potion go bad. If they're back, then that means there's a war coming to us, and we will need everything we have. Go on, don't keep her waiting."
Draco did not need to be told twice; he ran out of the makeshift potions room in the dungeons. Even before he felt the burn of his ring or his D.A. Galleon, he was sprinting down the corridors of Hogwarts as quickly as his legs would move. His lungs burned and screamed for air as he rounded another corner, taking the stairs two at a time and following the Pull in his chest, all the way up to the seventh floor where he felt her.
She was visible from a distance, just a speck at the end of the corridor. The sight stole the breath from his lungs, and he was sure he had never felt like this before.
"Granger!" he called, his voice thick. "Hermione!"
Then she turned, her lips curling into a wide smile as she broke out into a run, a haze of blue rushing towards him, the two desperate to pull together. They collided and she threw herself into him; he nearly knocked her over as his arms wrapped around her waist and encircled her. Crushing her small frame with a tight hug, he felt her body shake against his, her chest trembling with emotion.
He leaned back just enough to look at her face, to see that she was real, that she was finally here in his arms and safe.
Letting out a half-laugh, half-sob, she smiled at him and, for a moment, he thought he could die happy if that was the last sight he ever saw, if she was the last thing he ever touched. If this moment was the last moment he had, at least he had it with her.
"We're so close," she promised, tucking her wand away, her hair and clothes equally messy but beautiful. "Your mother got the cup, sent it to us through Dobby and used Elf Magic as her cover—it was brilliant, really. We were able to destroy it at Shell Cottage. We came back because there are only two left and one is in Hogwarts."
Tightening his grip on her, Draco asked, "What do you need?"
"It's a diadem, the lost diadem of Ravenclaw. I was just talking to the rest of the D.A. and Luna—"
The sound of a clatter drew their attention away and Draco looked over Hermione's shoulder at the entrance of the Come-and-Go Room. Harry was standing there, his face contorted in a look that made Draco's stomach churn. Harry had dropped a plate of food he had been holding.
"When?" was the only word Harry said, but it dripped with betrayal.
Hermione pulled away from Draco and he nearly groaned at the loss of warmth from her body.
"Harry." Hermione's voice cracked. "I'm—I'm so sorry."
Ignoring Draco completely, Harry's jaw tightened, his hand clenching his wand as he stared at Hermione. "Even aft—even after Dumbledore?"
She remained silent, frozen in panic.
"Before Dumbledore? How long has this been going on? How long have you been lying to me?"
Draco could feel Hermione's anxiety radiating off her as she shook her head frantically, her curls bouncing as she moved toward Harry. "You don't understand, Harry. I wanted to tell you every day, but I couldn't, I had to lie to protect him—protect you—I couldn't—" she rambled at a frantic pace, a flood of words rushing out as she tried to explain.
"You couldn't," Harry echoed coldly, his lip curling into an ugly sneer. "You know, I'm so fucking sick and tired of people making decisions for me and lying to me to protect me. I can't believe I trusted you to be any better."
"Harry—" Hermione sobbed his name. "I never wanted this to happen. I hated having to choose."
"But you did. You chose him."
She exhaled a shaky breath, anxiously twisting her hands but not denying his accusation.
"Why don't you two deal with the diadem together? Ron and I will figure out the rest." Harry's voice was emotionless and empty.
"I'm sorry, Harry."
"I'm sure you are; you looked truly conflicted about it just a minute ago. You knew I lost Theo over this and how much that fucking broke me. I will never forgive you." Harry turned his head away, raising his hand to his temple. "I can't even look at you."
"Harr—" her broken word bounced through the corridor as Harry turned his back on her, retreating into the Come-and-Go Room without a backward glance.
Hermione crumpled, falling into herself on the harsh stone ground. "He hates me," she mumbled in shock, her voice an eerie monotone. "I knew he'd be upset, but he hates me."
Knowing it would never be enough, he sat next to her, holding her as she remained motionless.
"I'm so sorry," Draco whispered, brushing her curls back and dropping kisses on her temple. "He just needs time. I promise he will forgive you but, for now, he needs you to be strong—okay?"
Just then, he saw a flash of grey out of the corner of his eye. "Hermione." He carefully pulled her to a standing position. "We need to focus. The diadem? What do you know?"
With a slight shrug, she looked down. "We don't know much of anything. The others said Ravenclaw's diadem has been lost for centuries. It's no use asking around; no one alive today has seen it in person."
Glancing over his shoulder, he turned back to her. "I don't think we need to worry about that. I know someone who might be able to help."
"Helena!" He started moving down the empty corridor, Hermione following close behind him. "Helena, we need your help."
After a pause, Helena's ghost drifted out of the wall and settled in front of the pair.
"Hermione, meet Helena—"
"—Ravenclaw," Hermione finished with wide eyes. "I've read about you. The books never mentioned that you live at Hogwarts."
With a sniff and upturn of her head, Helena replied, "I keep to myself. Are you the witch he spoke of?"
Draco took Hermione's hand in his and gave a slight squeeze.
Eyeing him with a smile, Hermione nodded. "Yes. We are trying to locate something of your mother's, something lost."
"You are Muggleborn. I have heard the conversations in the corridor about you."
Hermione's face scrunched in confusion. "I fail to see how that—"
"—and you are with him?" Helena enquired, puzzled. "With his family?"
"Yes," she finally replied. "I am."
"I have seen his ancestors walk the halls of Hogwarts through the years. They were not nice men," Helena continued stiffly. "Especially to Muggleborns."
Draco's grip on Hermione's hand tightened.
"I would give my life for him."
Helena eyed Hermione for a moment, judging her sincerity before her face relaxed. "Perhaps there is hope for his line after all. After all, he is the spitting image of my Pictor." Her eyes skirted down to their clasped hands and back up. "Even if I trust you, I'm afraid I cannot help you. My mother's diadem is not to be used for a courtship trinket."
Before Helena disappeared behind the nearby arch, Hermione exclaimed, "The war is here!"
Helena stilled, hovering in place.
"The war is here, and Voldemort is coming tonight. We need the diadem; we need it to defeat Voldemort. He's done something to it with vile, dark magic, and we need to set things right to win the war."
A moment passed and Draco's heart sunk, waiting for her refusal.
"I stole it." Helena's voice wavered. "The diadem bestows wisdom upon the wearer. My mother—she was brilliant and impossible, and I sought to be better than her. I thought that if I were cleverer that she would see me as her equal instead of a child. I was wrong."
"Where is it?" Hermione asked, her tone eager. "If you stole it, surely you must know where it is?"
As her discomfort grew, Helena appeared to struggle with the words. "I hid it outside my mother's reach—a hollow tree in Albania where she would never think to look."
"How did he find it then? Voldemort?"
"I did not know…he was flattering and—and persuasive…"
Realisation hit Draco and he dropped Hermione's hand. "It was you. You told him where to find the diadem and then he took it from the tree. That's how he made the Horcrux. But where—"
"—Harry said Voldemort was at Hogwarts to get the Defense Against the Dark Arts position, just after he would have created his Horcruxes," Hermione interrupted, thinking aloud. "He was with Dumbledore in his office, looking to steal the Sword of Gryffindor while he was there. He's obsessed with the school. It has to be here."
"Where?" Draco looked between the ghost and Hermione. "Where would he hide such a thing? Students explore every part of the castle; they know every hidden tapestry, secret door, and stairwell. It should have been found decades ago."
Hermione grabbed Draco by the shoulders. "Godric, Draco. It's been in front of us this entire time! Where did we spend a hundred hours last year? Somewhere we said we could've been lost for days without knowing our path to the Cabinet?"
"The Room of Hidden Things," he breathed out. "Thank you, Helena! We will fix what he broke—I swear!"
"I can't believe it's been here all this time." Draco stared into the massive room in front of them, taking in the towering stacks in the distance. "Just think of all the time we spent here and had no idea."
"We weren't looking. How would we have known?"
He conceded with a nod, rolling up his sleeves and eyeing the nearest pile. "Should we begin?"
After about twenty minutes of digging, he heard her call out.
"Draco!" her hand waved in the air, barely visible over the mountain in front of her. "I've found it!"
Navigating through the narrow pathway, he made his way over to Hermione, passing the old Vanishing Cabinet and suppressing the chill down his spine at the sight.
In her hands, she held a platinum diadem with an oval sapphire set in the middle. "How do we know it's the right one?" Draco asked, eyeing the object.
"It's a Horcrux," Hermione confirmed. "It's dripping in dark magic, just like the others."
The nonchalance in her voice stirred a feeling of discomfort; the knowledge that she had been in the presence of dark objects for extended periods of time over the past year made him uneasy. He had not been there to protect her.
"Okay, what do we do now?"
Hermione paused, thinking. "We have to destroy it. There are a few ways... the Sword of Gryffindor—which Griphook took after we destroyed the cup at Shell Cottage—or with Basilisk venom."
Draco felt a sinking feeling in his chest. "Where are we going to get Basilisk venom?"
"Well, Harry said he—"
A deafening bang shook the room as the entire main wall of the Room of Hidden Things collapsed into a pile of rubble. Draco saw the flash of red light and dove in front of Hermione on instinct, shielding her with his body. His brain hardly registered the pain as he focused on protecting her, throwing up defensive spells to block the incoming attackers. Blood dripped down his leg and pooled in his sock and shoe.
The Carrows climbed over the debris. "Ain't this a surprise, Alecto?" Amycus snarled. "The Malfoy heir is a Blood Traitor with his own personal Mudblood. I'm sure the Dark Lord will give us a great reward for that information. I wonder if Lucius knows."
Fumbling in his pocket, Draco retrieved a round ball that he tapped once with his wand before throwing it at the Carrows. He pulled Hermione behind the nearest pile of artifacts for shelter, covering her with his body. A flash of light blinded them as he shielded her. Moments later, the room was filled with silence and he took a cautious look around at the Carrows.
Alecto and Amycus were now a greyish hue, frozen in place and immobile, their wands outstretched as they looked down at the ground where the artifact had been.
"I have to be honest—Theo and I weren't quite sure what that was going to do," Draco admitted.
"Did you just turn them into stone?" Hermione's voice was fuzzy in his mind as he blinked slowly, looking down at the wound that he had ignored until this moment.
A gash trailed from his hip down his thigh, the pain coming in waves.
"Draco?"
"My pocket"—the words fumbled on his lips as spots grew in his vision—"the vial."
And then everything went black.
Draco's eyes fluttered open. He was dazed, and it took several moments before he recognised his surroundings. His head was resting in Hermione's lap and she was watching him with tears in her eyes.
"You're okay," she breathed out, as if she did not believe her own words.
"You found the vial." He gave a weak smile, sitting up on his own.
Gesturing to the empty glass next to them, she nodded. "Do I want to know why you had Blood-Replenishing Potion on you?"
"Theo and I were making a couple fresh batches today. I snagged one when I felt that you were back in the castle. Didn't know I'd need it but figured it couldn't hurt to have on me."
"Then you really are okay?"
Looking down at himself, he inspected his newly-healed wound. "You did a great job. I don't even think that will scar," he complimented, mending his ripped trousers. "I'm okay."
Letting out a sigh of relief, she turned and smacked him on the arm. "Don't you ever do that again! Do you know what this would've done to you if it had been across your chest? Or neck?"
"You're safe and that's all that matters."
"No—that's not all that matters. You matter."
Both their gazes met on the diadem, which had fallen to the ground and bounced several feet from them during the skirmish.
"What was your idea for Basilisk venom?" he asked with a grimace.
"Harry said he would try to go back into the Chamber of Secrets and see if he had any luck, but no one has been down there for years…"
Standing up, Draco took a step towards the diadem. "I don't know how we are going to get—" His breath caught in his throat as he hesitated. "Where did you say the Sword of Gryffindor is located?"
"It's with Griphook."
"Then how do you explain this?" he questioned, staring at the hat which sat atop the nearest pile.
It had not been there a moment ago.
Just within the hat, a metal hilt embedded with rubies glinted in the light. He retrieved the sword, holding it up in the air, turning it and inspecting carefully.
Hermione's mouth fell open as she stared at him with wide eyes. "Draco—"
"It must've appeared for you," he mused.
"But—Draco it—" She took a deep breath. "It didn't appear for me."
Tilting his head, he lowered the sword, looking at her questioningly.
"It appeared for you," Hermione said.
"But it couldn't have," he began to argue. "It can only appear to—"
"—a true Gryffindor." Her eyes were filled with fresh tears. "You sacrificed yourself for me. You joined Dumbledore's Army and have given every ounce of yourself for the fight. You're courageous, and you have nerve and determination and everything you need to be a true Gryffindor."
"It made a mistake." He nearly dropped the sword in shock. "Is this because of our bond? Because you're in Gryffindor and our magic is joined?"
She shook her head. "I don't think so. This is all you."
They turned back to the diadem.
"Are you ready?" she asked.
Balancing the sword in his hand, he tested the weight. A chilling voice filled the air, emanating from the diadem which rested on the ground before them.
Draco Malfoy, son of Lucius and Narcissa Malfoy, I have seen your soul and I know you as my own. There is darkness in you that calls you to the void. It is in your blood. No matter what you do, you will never deserve her. Without you, she would have the chance at true love, at a happy life. You have trapped her in a world she cannot escape from, a world she never wanted.
Draco's entire body trembled as the words pierced his soul and twisted his insides, knocking the wind out of him.
"Don't listen to it, Draco!" Hermione's voice broke through the cloud of darkness that had formed in his mind, but the Dark Lord's voice grew louder and drowned out her pleas.
You are the son of a Death Eater and a Death Eater is all you'll ever be. It is your destiny, you will never be good—
When he swung the sword, the impact of the blade split the diadem in half, releasing a horrifying screech that rang in his ears as the smoke released around them into the air.
He dropped to his knees; the sword tumbled out of his hands with a clatter as metal hit stone. "It's not true. I can be good." His head fell into his hands. "I am good."
Joining him on the ground, Hermione wrapped her arms around him, brushing away the tear that slid off his cheek. "I'm so proud of you."
The sword and hat faded into nothing on the ground next to them.
"I'm so proud of you," she repeated, the words sinking into his soul and lighting him up from within.
"What now?" Draco's voice felt tight.
Looking at the charred remains of the diadem, a chill swept through the room as Hermione replied, "There's only one left—the snake. Then it's the end."
"The Dark Lord never goes anywhere without Nagini," Draco thought aloud. "Theo and I have been setting something up for the past few months that will hold his followers back long enough for you to kill the snake. You've got to trust me, I have to go find Theo. We can't afford to wait any longer; the Dark Lord will be here any moment now that Harry is in the castle."
"What are you going to do? Your parents will be here…" her question faded away with uncertainty.
"I'll worry about that later. I'll find Theo and then I'll come to you. I won't leave you to fight alone—never again." Dropping a quick kiss to her forehead, he turned to leave. "I'll be right back. Don't do anything too Gryffindor while I'm gone."
Winking, she called out, "Same goes to you!"
Groups of students gathered in the Great Hall, and the younger ones were led out of the castle by Professor McGonagall in preparation for the battle. New arrivals were entering the castle every moment, answering Neville's call to arms. Pansy found herself standing in the middle of the crowded room, watching the chaos around her.
Blaise rushed past her and over to the area by the Head table where Luna Lovegood was standing. He picked her up and spun around, his arms holding her so tight it looked painful. Pansy was just close enough to overhear their reunion.
"Did they hurt you? You were gone so long; I was losing my mind without you." Blaise set her down and pressed his lips to her forehead, closing his eyes and continuing before she had the chance to answer. "I'll fucking kill them. I'll kill them all for this."
Luna's hands drifted up his chest, over his shoulders, and down his arms as she hummed softly under her breath. He leaned his temple against hers and inhaled, her motions visibly calming him.
A cluster of Slytherins formed near Pansy, the tension in the air around them palpable.
"What do we do now?" Daphne wondered, looking around at her classmates.
Pansy noticed the looks of hesitation on the faces of her peers and it infuriated her. Before she could convince herself otherwise, she found herself climbing onto the top of the table and pointing her wand in the air, shooting off red sparks.
The Great Hall fell silent and looked to her in surprise.
"The war is coming to Hogwarts." As her eyes swept around the room, Pansy tightened her grip on her wand. "You will have to pick a side. If you are unable to fight, Professor McGonagall will help you leave the castle. For the rest of you, as not only your Head Girl but as your peer, I want you to stand up for what is right. They will not push us aside like we are children. We are meant for more than this. I want you to fight with us, for your school, for your world, for your future."
There was a cheer and rallying cry from a cluster of D.A. members, raising their wands in the air in support of her words.
The nearby group of Slytherins shared uneasy looks and she turned to address them. "I know there are some who, like myself, have family outside. Now is the time to create your own path. You are more than the misguided beliefs of your parents. If you aren't willing to disavow the Dark Lord, then get the fuck out of Hogwarts. You'll read about your failures in the history books."
After her declaration, a few Slytherins stormed out of the Great Hall but more remained than departed. Pansy took a wobbly step down onto the bench and a hand reached out to assist her.
"Thank you, I was—" Pansy accepted the hand and looked down before almost tripping as she breathed out, "Ron."
Ron gave her a lopsided grin, his hands settling on her waist as he lifted her and placed her back onto the stone floor. "That was brilliant, you were brilliant!"
His heat of his hands burned through her blouse, scorching against her waist and, when he let go, her chest deflated with disappointment at the loss of contact. "You're back."
Despite the dozens of times she had imagined what her reaction would be when she finally saw him again, Pansy was left searching for words.
"I'm back. We have a real chance of winning this, Pansy."
The sound of her name on his lips caused a chain reaction of shivers down her spine.
"I've had a lot of time to think since I left with Harry and Hermione." The hopeful look in Ron's eyes killed her.
She hesitated a moment before asking, "About?"
"You. Us. Everything, I suppose. We've been camping—you would've hated it."
A laugh escaped her lips and caught her by surprise, making him grin in response.
"We're getting ready to fight, but I had to come and find you. I knew I'd never forgive myself otherwise. I had to let you know that you're wrong."
Pansy blinked. "What?"
"You're wrong. When you broke up with me, you said you couldn't give me what I need, what I deserve." Ron shook his head, taking her hand in his. "You're exactly what I need. What I deserve. I tried to move on, Pansy, I really tried, but nothing makes sense without you."
"Ron, I—"
"I'm not finished. I've thought a long time about this moment and what I would say to you." His hand squeezed hers. "You were wrong when you left, because even if you said we shouldn't, I want you to know that I did it anyway."
"What did you do?" she whispered the question, desperate for his answer.
"I did the idiotic thing and fell in love with you."
Pansy remembered nothing else from that moment but the feeling of his lips on hers, and she knew she would kiss him until the end of the world.
By the time Draco entered the clandestine potions lab in the dungeons, Theo was just vanishing the last of the mess in the room. He tucked a large package of fresh potion vials into his extendable bag.
Draco's words came out like vomit. "They're coming, the Death Eaters, dark creatures, the Dark Lord, all of it. Harry is so close, Theo. The Dark Lord is going to come at him with everything he has."
Theo's fringe dipped in front of his eyes as he looked over to Draco. "Is it time?"
"It's time."
Using Draco's map as reference, the pair ran around the levels of Hogwarts, carving runes in a specific sequence directly into the stone walls of the castle just as they had practiced.
Protection.
Shield.
Endurance.
Life-force.
After each symbol was carved using the blade from the Nott vault, they used the same knife to cut into their palms and drip their offering of blood onto the rune. Once they had each rune in place, the pair made their way to the heart of Hogwarts and knelt on the ground with their palms against the stone.
Reciting from the ancient tome in front of them, they activated the runes and felt the power sweep through Hogwarts. The stone around them hummed with rejuvenated magic, a pulse came back to the school as it fortified itself, ready for battle.
The castle shook with the impact of another attack from the outside, the ground rumbling beneath them.
"I have to go to the Hospital Wing—" Theo half turned to leave and then hesitated. "The bridge, Draco! We didn't get the bridge. If they break through—"
"Don't worry, I'll get it. You need to go; they need you more than I do. I'll be there soon!" The second half of Draco's words were lost as he sprinted down the corridor.
Turning another corner, Draco retrieved the scroll with the spell that he and Theo had found for the bridge. Magical buildings and structures were bound with a conductive beam that allowed magic to pass through the rest of the structure. If he did not complete the spell to destroy the load-bearing component at the base of the bridge correctly, it could be repaired by Death Eaters before the end of the battle and open the castle up to an immediate attack.
"Up to the tower windows! You have your orders from Draco; it's just like we practiced. Make sure to prioritise the dark creatures first. They have the biggest potential for damage. Then, go after any masked Death Eaters," Neville instructed as the group of students in the hall split.
"Neville! Mate, I need your help." Draco waved his hand, gaining Neville's attention.
As he jogged over to Draco, his face spread into a wide grin. "Aren't you a sight for sore eyes? What do you need?"
"I have a task—two-person job. We're blowing up the bridge. You in?"
An excited gleam flashed through Neville's eyes. "Lead the way!"
After the bridge had been destroyed, Draco and Neville split up, Draco running to the grounds and Neville making his way to the Hospital Wing to meet Theo. As the wards began to break down, the frequency of clashes against the exterior of the castle increased. With a wave of his wand, Draco charmed his hair black to disguise himself from the Death Eaters in the courtyard.
The halls were filled with the sound of students groaning and the shuffle of feet as they carried one another to the makeshift healing stations set just inside the entrance of the castle. Draco ran faster at the sight of injured fighters; the battle was at full force, and he knew Hermione would have gone outside to face the first wave of Death Eaters.
"Bloody Gryffindors," he grumbled under his breath as he ran out into the grounds.
Explosions and spells shooting through the air illuminated the night sky, a blend of colours flying past him as the sounds of battle and screaming filled his ears.
Chaos erupted as he saw masked figures in the distance weaving through the crowd, looking for signs of Harry Potter. He hoped that concealing his signature platinum blond hair would be sufficient enough to mask his identity from the Death Eaters that had occupied his home for the last two years.
He had to find Hermione.
His pulse raced from a rush of adrenaline, his head pounding as he squinted. His eyes scanned through the clusters of bodies battling in the courtyard.
Students were paired up in groups of two and three as practised in the D.A. lessons, dueling the dark creatures and Death Eaters with skill, using each other as backup and working in the formations they had learned. Theo and Draco had designed the battle strategy to maximize the impact of a novice dueler against an experienced one. Two or three students working in practiced synchronization could distract, disarm, and bind an adult Death Eater who underestimated their abilities.
"Watch out! Weasley, behind you!" Pansy shrieked and, with a sweep of her wand, she cast a blasting hex, knocking back a werewolf who had been charging at an unsuspecting Ginny Weasley.
Ginny turned with her wand extended, her eyes wild as she looked down at the unconscious werewolf at her feet. "Thanks!" She gave Pansy a grin of appreciation before turning back to the battle.
Draco navigated through the groups, dipping his head low as he spotted Bellatrix dueling with her non-dominant hand. Her dominant arm was covered in sickly burns and open sores, the damage caused by her body rejecting the golden hand still unhealed. Bellatrix was even more feral than usual; her cloak was shredded and she cackled with a deranged look in her eyes as she spun with her arms extended, shooting off curses without regard for direction or target.
A familiar voice caught his attention and he stopped dead in his tracks. "Left! Two Acromantulas!"
"Amelia?!" He whipped around to follow the flash of light that accompanied the declaration.
Amelia Williams was fighting valiantly, blood trickling down her forehead from an open wound and a series of visible burns across her chest, her uniform singed. Her wand was trained fiercely in front of her and she was flanked by the two Slytherins that Draco had punished a few years earlier.
"Incarcerous!" Amelia called out as thick ropes appeared from her wand; the Acromantula in front of her was quickly bound by her spell, wiggling on the ground and fighting against the ropes.
Catching his gaze, Amelia winked at Draco. "Hermione taught me that one last year," she told him with pride. "She's over by the stairs."
Draco pulled her up into a hug, squeezing a squeak out of her. "I am in the middle of a battle!" she protested but hugged him back. "What did you do to your hair? I don't like it."
"You shouldn't be here." Draco's forehead scrunched with worry. "You're injured! Take a break and go to Theo for healing."
With a roll of her eyes, Amelia shrugged off his concern. "It's practically a scratch. Why are you still here? Your witch needs you!"
Draco huffed and Amelia smirked before turning back to the battle, a shine of determination in her eyes.
Neville had warned Draco that he put out a massive call to anyone available to come join the fight. The courtyard and castle were filled with both current and former students, members of the Order, professors, house-elves, centaurs from the Forbidden Forest—anyone and any creature who was willing and able to fight against the Dark Lord.
Continuing his trek through the grassy area, he cast a quick shield and sprinted towards the stairs, searching for a head of bushy curls in the distance. Jumping over rubble, Draco weaved through the makeshift path, following the Pull in his chest.
Just behind the stairs, Hermione was battling a masked Death Eater by herself, her wand poised in the air and her feet in a dueling stance. They shot spells back and forth, the light flashing by and illuminating her face as she blocked the curses. He could hear their fight as he sprinted to her.
"Impedimenta!" she flicked her wand with precision, a turquoise light bursting out from the motion.
"Protego." The Death Eater lazily deflected her spell with a flick of their wand.
As her arm retracted, he saw her wand fly away from her hand and bounce on the ground. She had been disarmed.
The world slowed around him.
"GRANGER!" Draco shouted, his voice hoarse; honey brown eyes clashed against stormy grey and his hand extended as he tossed his wand to her.
In a single motion, her eyes widened in recognition, she caught his wand in her right hand, and spun back towards her attacker, her hair whipping around her face. "STUPEFY!"
The force of using Draco's wand broke through the Death Eater's shield, and the hooded figure fell.
Draco snatched her vinewood wand from the dirt and ran to meet her. Magic hummed from the wood into his hand, trailing up his arm.
"Fucking hell, Granger. Why didn't you wait? You didn't listen to me!" He was still shaking from the terror that had consumed him just moments before.
"Now we are even, I suppose," she quipped, taking his hand in hers. "I'm okay, love. I was never worried. I have you."
A loud thump shook the ground beneath them as a giant made her way towards the castle. "You couldn't have just taken the island," Draco grumbled as he beckoned Hermione closer.
Sharing a silent nod, the pair stood back to back, firing off spells at a rapid pace, knocking down as many dark creatures and Death Eaters as possible.
"Deprimo!"
"Petrificus Totalus!"
"Protego!"
"Expulso!"
"Incarcerous!"
"Stupefy!"
Golden sparks rained around them as they moved in tandem, their backs pressed firmly together as their magic danced in reunion. It swirled around them, flowing from their shared wands through to their core. It built as the battle continued, swelling and moving with a life of its own as they fought their way across the courtyard to the centre.
A high-pitched cry rang out and, at the same time, Hermione and Draco realised that Amelia was on the ground, her arms covering her face and her wand several feet away. A masked Death Eater towered over her, taunting her. "The little girl isn't so brave anymore, is she?"
In reflex, Draco and Hermione extended their wands and yelled in unison, "PROTEGO!"
There was a single beat of silence before the Earth shook and the force of their conjoined magic knocked them off balance. Draco watched with awe as their shield rippled around them and through the courtyard in a large circumference. One by one, dark creatures and Death Eaters were knocked out by the force of the spell, collapsing to the ground.
Their magic had a devastating effect on the Dark Lord's followers but bypassed everyone fighting on the side of the light, as if it could sense their intention.
"Amelia!" Hermione pulled her up to a standing position. "Why are you alone?!"
"Hello to you too." Amelia raised her brows, glancing around at the hundreds of unconscious bodies littered around the grounds. "Can I ask why you didn't do that earlier?"
"Amelia Marie! You didn't answer my question," Hermione chastised, her hands on her hips.
"Tomas was cursed. Alexander took him to get help and I didn't want to stop fighting."
Shaking his head in disapproval, Draco waved a finger at her. "You know better than that. You could've died!"
"Like you'd ever let that happen." Amelia gave a half shrug. "Plus, then you'd have to name your kids after me. It would be disrespectful to my memory. I'd haunt the shite out of you."
Hermione gasped and Draco followed her line of sight to Harry, who was climbing over an overturned statue, his stare glued on the group of Death Eaters at the edge of the forest. His wand was tucked away and he had an odd look in his eyes.
"Harry?" Hermione's voice was shrill with panic. "What are you doing? Harry?"
Without acknowledging her question, Harry turned to Draco, looking steadfast and resolute. "Take care of her, Draco."
"Harry—" Draco's pulse skipped, recognising the look on Harry's face. He had seen that look back at him in the mirror a hundred times before.
It was a man who was accepting his fate.
Harry's head dipped low, his eyes shielded by his messy fringe. "Hermione, I want you to know it's okay. I get it now."
"No, Harry, I was wrong. I was a bad friend; I shouldn't have lied to you. It was awful and I'm a terrible person, I couldn't—"
Finally looking up at her, Harry shook his head, his gaze shifting between Draco and Hermione. "Sometimes good people do bad things for the greater good. I understand now." His finger tapped against his thigh as he blinked rapidly, looking to Draco. "Tell Theo…tell him that I was wrong. Tell him that love is enough—his love has always been enough…tell him that I—" Harry's jaw clenched and unclenched. "I suppose he already knows."
With a final glance back at the castle, Harry pulled on his Invisibility Cloak and began to walk the path across the courtyard, directly into the path of the Dark Lord.
"No—Draco—we can't, I have to—" Hermione fought Draco as he held her against his chest, watching as Harry's figure disappeared behind the cloak, just a shimmer of him visible as it swayed in the breeze.
"You have to let him go, Hermione." Draco hardly recognised his own voice. "He knows what he's doing."
"He can't! He's alone! He's never done this alone!" Hermione broke free from Draco's hold and began to sprint through the yard, navigating around unconscious bodies and wreckage. Draco ran after Hermione with long strides, catching up to her just as she ran into view of the small group of Death Eaters who had been outside the blast radius of their conjoined spell. The remaining Death Eaters surrounded the Dark Lord. Harry had dropped the cloak and stood there in front of the crowd, his hands at his sides and his wand tucked away.
He was surrendering.
"Harry Potter. The Boy Who Lived." The Dark Lord raised his wand, a gleam of victory in his eyes.
A flash of green erupted in the darkness, and everything went quiet.
Hermione's scream of heartbreak broke through Draco; it was followed by gasps and cries of members of the light around them.
"He can't be—"
"Did you see?"
"Oh Godric, we're going to die!"
"No! HARRY!"
Bellatrix bared her teeth in a snarl of glee.
"The boy…is he dead?" the Dark Lord asked, his red eyes fixed on Harry's unmoving body.
Hermione's pitiful whisper shattered through Draco, her hands clutched him, her nails digging into his arm. "Why would he do this?"
A thousand thoughts flashed past Draco's mind as he processed the scene in front of him, watching as his mother approached Harry, kneeling on the earth next to him, her cloak obscuring part of his body.
"She never…" Draco's eyes flicked back and forth. "Even when Mother is gardening, she's never on the ground, says dirt is for peasants. She uses her wand."
"What?" Hermione's body shook next to him. "Harry's dead and you care about dirt?"
Narcissa's head tilted ever so slightly, so subtle that Draco nearly missed it. He had seen that expression a thousand times during their lessons.
She was using Legilimency.
"But how—" As realisation swept over him, Draco's breath caught in his throat. "Because he's not dead."
"What are you talking about?" Hermione's tear-filled eyes glistened with hope.
There was a quick flash of white as she slipped her hand from Harry to under her cloak.
He thought back to the look in Harry's face—accepting of his fate. What was Harry telling her?
"It's always supposed to have ended this way." Draco froze. "The sister prophecy."
Narcissa returned to the Dark Lord and knelt on the ground at his feet, her cloak billowed around her and covered her body. "It is done. The boy is dead."
"I don't understand." Hermione was hysterical, tugging on Draco's arm to get him to look at her. "Draco, what are you saying?"
"The final blow at the last hour to the one who has never known love—" Draco recited, watching as his mother bowed her head and her hand slipped under the fabric of her cloak.
"But—"
"Twice befallen by the love of a mother."
A deafening screech filled the space around them; the snake which had been at the Dark Lord's side swayed back and forth as black smoke funneled out of it.
Nagini fell with a lifeless flop, a massive Basilisk fang jutting out of her tail.
"Inevitable."
Before Draco could respond, Harry had leapt up into a dueling position, retrieving his wand from his back pocket. Narcissa and Lucius Apparated to either side of him, their wands raised at the Death Eaters, followed quickly by the remaining members of the Order, forming a protective circle around Harry.
A burst of shock rippled through the crowds, cheers, and screams of "HARRY!" filled Draco's ears.
Harry turned to the Order and Malfoys. "Please, don't intervene. I need to do this on my own. It has to be like this, it has to be me." His gaze drifted back to the Dark Lord. "There are no more Horcruxes. It's just you and me, Riddle. Neither can live while the other survives."
The Order moved in a formation while Narcissa and Lucius cast a barrier around the area, expelling the Death Eaters from the centre until all that was left was Harry and the Dark Lord, circling each other. The Dark Lord's chest rose and fell rapidly as he looked between Harry and the Malfoys, the gravity of their betrayal evident on his face.
Draco strained to hear their conversation and felt Hermione taking shallow breaths next to him, her nerves radiating off her skin.
He held his breath.
"Avada Kedavra!"
"Expelliarmus!"
The collision of their spells triggered a thunderous roar, the light clashing between wands. The silence that followed hung heavy in the air.
As the Killing Curse rebounded, the Dark Lord stumbled, his eyes rolling to the back of his head before he collapsed. His corpse settled on the ground where Draco's mother had been kneeling just minutes before.
Draco tumbled forward, catching himself as someone pushed past him. Theo broke through the crowd, his clothes splattered with the blood of those he had healed. Harry's head turned and the moment he saw Theo barreling towards him, his face lit up.
"Theo—"
"You arse!" Theo sobbed. "You complete and utter arse!" As he pushed against Harry's chest, Harry captured his hands, lacing their fingers together. Harry squeezed his hands, trying to calm him. "I can't believe you! You were just going to sacrifice yourself and you didn't even say goodby—"
Harry cut the rest of Theo's thought off with a kiss, his anger melting away from Harry's touch.
"I love you too. I should've said it when—gods, I was such a git." Harry grabbed at Theo's shirt, pulling him flush against him. Theo's hands moved without hesitation, clinging to Harry as if it were their last moment before the world fell apart beneath them.
"You left." Theo's voice cracked. "You left me."
"I'll never leave again," Harry swore, his thumb trailing across Theo's jawline. "I understand now. You once told me you couldn't stop what was coming—neither could I." Steadying himself, Harry looked at the destruction around him and back at Theo. "Tonight may have been my fate but you were right, you're my destiny."
Theo's eyes closed and he pressed his forehead to Harry's. "I love you. Even if you're a bloody pain in the arse."
"I'm your bloody pain in the arse."
"I feel ill," Ron's face twisted, his grip on Pansy's hand tightening. "Harry and Hermione will never forgive me for this. In seven years of friendship, we have always told each other everything. They're going to feel so betrayed that I've kept this from them."
"Ron, they're your best mates. It's going to be okay," Pansy assured him as they approached the crowd that had gathered at the edge of the Forest. "It was my fault that you hid our relationship, so let them blame me. One secret won't break a friendship."
Ron froze, coming to an abrupt halt.
His eyes were stuck on the couple in front of them, Hermione threw her head back with laughter and Draco dipped her down, placing a kiss on her lips. Not ten feet away, Harry and Theo were wrapped up in each other's arms, their foreheads pressed together as Theo played with Harry's hair.
"Looks like you weren't the only one with a secret," Pansy offered. "At least you won't have to worry about them being upset with us."
Ron watched the scene before him in shock, one hand resting on his forehead. "Bloody hell."
"It's over." The words felt foreign on Draco's tongue. "Hermione, it's finally over."
A mass of curls blinded him as Hermione leapt into his arms, wrapping her legs around his hips and her arms around his neck, holding on tightly. His hands gripped her thighs as she kissed him again and again, inhaling him like he was her last breath.
He felt a wand tap his hair, turning it back to platinum blond.
"Much better," she teased.
Her chest pressed against his and he could feel her heartbeat.
"Oh, my beautiful, brave, ridiculous witch." He choked back tears with a laugh. "It's finally over. I've missed you beyond words."
After a year of being broken apart piece by piece, Draco finally felt whole again.
"Still your everything?" Her voice quivered.
"My everything," he agreed, emphasising each syllable. "I'm never letting you go now. You know that, right?"
She nodded, her curls bouncing along her shoulders with the motion. With a grin, she said, "If you'll recall from the day we discovered the binding, I am a Gryffindor."
"Famously loyal and stubborn," he provided, his fingertips brushing away a tear from her cheek.
"So, you're pretty much stuck with me at this point."
She laughed and the sound warmed his soul.
The world started and ended with a touch of her lips.
Stunned silence spread through the castle grounds and was swept away into the night air, replaced with the sounds of family, friends, and lovers in tearful reunion and shared grief. Scars both visible and unseen were forever carved into them, transforming them overnight.
Hand-in-hand, the students of Hogwarts walked the path back up to the school, the remains of their childhood scattered throughout the grounds. Draco and Hermione followed behind the others, their bound magic singing in harmony at their reunion. Just like Draco's story, the pair knew they would never again have to say goodbye.
Over the destruction and rubble, the sun began to rise, bringing the hope of a new day, one where the two sides of the Wizarding World would finally be united as one.