TWENTY-FOUR
Friday, 15 April 2005
It was Hermione's sense of sound that returned first. All she heard was the faint sound of someone humming from a distance. As she focused on it, it increased as though the person were getting closer. As they did, nostalgia coursed through her. There was something almost familiar about the sound; not the tune itself, but the voice. Wanting to see, she tried to open her eyes. They wouldn't budge at first, as though her lashes were glued together. But she persisted and when they finally cracked open, she was able to make out a halo of long blonde hair and a flash of pale blue eyes. She was only able to catch a glimpse for a second before a searing headache slammed into her, forcing her eyes closed once more.
Something soft brushed against her cheek, but she still flinched from surprise. "You're alright, Hermione."
Her mind ached as she combed through her thoughts in attempt to identify the voice. She tried to shift her body, but found that nothing responded. Her lips parted then and a whimper of fear escaped.
"You nearly died." The voice was gentle and serene as it spoke. The only thing Hermione was able to determine was that it was feminine. "They weren't sure if you would make it, but I told them you would. You're stronger than they give you credit for." There was a slight chuckle. "You always were."
There was a sound of rustling followed by a few other sounds Hermione didn't have the ability to identify at the moment. She tried once more to move and this time, her body responded minutely. Another frustrated whimper left her lips as panic started to form knots in the pit of her stomach.
She forced her eyes open and dealt with the headache as she waited for her vision to clear. She wasn't able to turn her head to look around, but there was a certain familiarity to the room she couldn't quite place. It was dark, the only light she recognized as wand light hovering above them. When the other person returned, Hermione felt something move below her and wondered what she was lying on top of. A gasp of surprise left her throat and her vision blurred with tears as the woman leaned over her. She recognized her instantly.
"Luna…" she breathed.
Luna smiled down at her; the light in the room casting strange shadows across her face. "You're safe here. You can rest."
Hermione tried to get her lips to move, but there were too many questions trying to be asked at the same time that her tongue refused to cooperate. But Luna seemed to understand.
"You're at Grimmauld. A few of us made it out, but we regrouped and went back for Draco and Ginny."
At the mention of Ginny, Hermione couldn't help but give a choked sob. Luna's hand appeared at Hermione's face as she gently brushed away her tears. Her smile never wavered as she continued her tale.
"Bellatrix was casting Draco out when the building started to collapse. He refused to leave until we found either of you. Once we did, we brought you back here." She paused to dry her hand and moved out of sight for a second to reach for something. "He's recovering too; once he's better, I'll let him in. I can't tend to both of you if he's making a scene."
News that Draco was alive and in the same space as she was was reassuring and it helped her relax a fair bit. But there was still someone else she wanted to ask about, but wasn't sure if she should. Luna seemed to be prepared for that too.
"The Dark Lord survived too."
Hermione closed her eyes at that, unsure if it was relief or fear that knotted her stomach at that bit of information.
"I have some potions for you to take."
Hermione attempted to nod, but wasn't sure if her head moved at all or not. She took the potions one by one, losing count of how many Luna had given to her. By the time Luna was telling her that was it and demanded she get rest again, Hermione was already drifting off into sleep once more.
Saturday, 16 April 2005
Draco had woken up just as the first rays of the early morning sunlight curled around the edges of the curtains. He ignored the pain in his temples as well as the ache in his body. The potions Luna had pumped him with had done a sufficient job of healing him for the last twenty-four hours, but there was too much to do to lay in bed for another full day. He had been Crucioed before; he could handle the pain. He welcomed it as a reminder.
A reminder that he hadn't just failed Hermione again, but he had failed Ginny this time too.
He could still hear the shriek his aunt had emitted when the ground began to shake beneath their feet. She had been carrying out her orders of taking Draco up to the ground floor entrance to toss him in the street like a common Muggle. They had just stepped outside when an explosion from within had taken everything down. As she disappeared inside to save her precious Dark Lord, Draco was all but helpless as he sat and watched the rubble settle.
He was lucky when Neville, Luna, and George showed up. Luna shoved potions down his throat so he could at least get to his feet. In combination with the adrenaline coursing through him, he was able to follow in after them and look for survivors. He wasn't surprised that Riddle and his aunt were nowhere to be found.
The four of them had used their magic to sort through the rubble in a frenzy of wand movements. It was George that stumbled upon the girls first, but he had noticed Ginny before Hermione. The sound of his scream made Draco wince even now as he thought about it again. His own heart had broken at the sight of her lifeless body lying next to Hermione's. Where Neville had fallen to his knees beside George clinging to his sister's body, Luna had pointed out to Draco that Hermione was still breathing, but she was weak.
Luna Apparated George and Ginny first before coming back for Neville. When she came back for Draco, he had already knelt beside Hermione and gathered her into his arms. Luna told him she had brought the others to Shell Cottage a moment before she took him and Hermione to Grimmauld. She followed him as he carried her to the room opposite the one he used and laid her down on the bed. No sooner was she out of his arms did Draco collapse from his own pain.
As he wove in and out of consciousness, Luna had set him up in his own room and informed him that she was tending to both of them. That if he didn't stay in his bed to rest, she would drug him and force him to stay. Whether it was his belief of that or his exhaustion, he had collapsed back against the pillows and slept.
After dragging himself out of bed and exhausting more energy than he was sure he had just pulling on a pair of trousers, he stole across the hall into Hermione's room. She was lying in the exact same spot on the bed he had laid her down upon. She looked peaceful at first glance, but the closer he got, the more he studied her, he saw that wasn't true. Her brow was creased ever so slightly and she twitched on occasion as though she was fighting something.
He brought his hand up and brushed a few of her curls away from her face before cupping her cheek against his palm. She whimpered as she leaned into his touch. He stilled, fearing that he had woken her up, but he relaxed when her eyes remained shut. A part of him wanted to slip into her mind and ease her fears; to tell her it was alright and give her a peaceful rest. But the other part of him was afraid at what he would see.
Either way, his internal debate was cut short as a gentle hand settled between his shoulder blades. His hand fell away from Hermione's face, making her shiver, and he turned to see Luna. She beckoned him with a tilt her head to follow her out into the hall and after a glance back at Hermione, he went.
"Did she cause the explosion?" he asked as Luna pulled the door shut behind them.
"That's my guess," she replied. "She nearly burnt out her magical core." The way her eyes searched Draco's was unnerving. He could never tell what she was thinking. "Her core; her magic is different."
Draco gave a slow nod as he debated how much he should tell her. "It's up to her to tell you about it," he settled on.
Luna simply hummed as she brought her wand up and waved it at him. He stood still as he recognized the thrum of the diagnostic spell she performed. "You should still be resting," she murmured after a moment.
"Luna-"
"Take these," she said, pressing vials into his palm. "I already made breakfast so be sure to eat it. I'll keep you updated on Hermione," she stated before slipping back into the room and closing the door.
Draco stared at it for a moment before turning and making his way downstairs. He was actually surprised at the sight of Theo already seated at the table, digging into a plate of food as though he hadn't eaten in days. He said nothing as he fixed his own plate and joined his friend. "Any word from Blaise?" he asked.
"Just that the Dark Lord pulled through," he said, not even bothering to swallow first. "Said he's more like how he was before the Battle of Hogwarts."
Draco nodded, but remained silent.
Theo's eyes drifted up towards the ceiling as he took a drink of his water. "He's looking for her."
"He knows where she is," Draco stated.
Theo dropped his gaze to stare at Draco. "Something you want to share with the rest of us, Mate?"
Draco sucked at his teeth as he kept his focus on his plate. "No."
"Draco-"
"I said no, Theo," he interrupted, his voice gruff. "The less you know, the better."
Theo slammed his fist onto the table, but Draco didn't react. He just took another bite of his eggs and stared at Theo as if waiting for the tantrum to run its course. "Last time something happened to her, he Apparated across countries to get to her. Countries, Draco. That kind of love-"
"He doesn't love her."
Theo's eyes narrowed for a moment before he continued. "My point is that he will hunt us down to get her back. It's a miracle he hasn't already busted down your wards." He sighed and sat back in his chair, dragging his fork through the remains of his breakfast. "If we're going to use her as leverage, she should be moved to another safehouse. One that isn't known to be burned already."
"We're not using her as leverage," Draco said, his tone conveying that that was not up for discussion.
He could tell from the fire in Theo's eyes that he wanted to argue, but he let it go. Though the topic he moved on to was one that almost made Draco want to discuss the former instead. "They're laying Ginny to rest this afternoon."
Draco was completely unprepared for the pang in his chest as well as the way his vision blurred. The memory of her body in George's arms made his fork slip from his fingers. It should have been him. If it wasn't for that godsforsaken deal Hermione had with Riddle, he would bartered to save her. Ginny deserved to be here; to be the one eating breakfast and licking her wounds. Not him.
But even as he felt himself spiraling with grief, he forced it all to the back of his mind. Before it got out of hand, his mind went blank and his vision cleared. He picked up his fork and resumed eating as though he hadn't been about to lose it a moment before. Had the pain not lingered in his heart, he might have even believed nothing was amiss.
"When you're finished here, go to Shell Cottage and help them with whatever they need. I'll be there later."
Theo nodded solemnly as he slid out of his chair. He gathered his plate in one hand while the other came up to settle on Draco's shoulder for a moment. "You can be sad about it, Draco. We all know you cared for her."
"Not until the Dark Lord is dead," he returned, shrugging away from Theo's touch.
Theo sighed, but didn't say anything as he set his plate in the sink before charming the area to clean everything up. Draco saw from the corner of his eye that Theo was debating on whether or not he should say something else, but before he made up his mind, the hoot of an owl drew their attention to the lone kitchen window. Theo went to it and let the bird in. It perched on the counter and continued to make noises while Theo undid the scroll tied to its leg. His eyes went wide as he looked at the seal.
"What?" Draco asked, pushing himself up.
"It's from the American Ministry," he said, tossing the scroll over to Draco.
He tore into it quickly and unrolled it. There wasn't much in the way of text, but the message was received loud and clear. With a wave of his hand, an ink and quill set appeared on the table. He turned to hunch over the table so he could lay the parchment down and pen his response. Finished, he rolled it back up and set the owl off to return to sender.
"What did they want?" Theo asked.
Draco rubbed at the stubble along his jaw in disbelief; his fingers twitching with phantom pain in the process. "A meeting."