TWENTY-SIX
Sunday, 17 April 2005
"What do you mean she's gone?"
Neville was turning as red as his house colors while Theo simply narrowed his eyes as he waited for further explanation. Luna continued to sit in the arm chair across the room, staring at nothing in particular and remaining silent. Draco had already hinted to Theo that Hermione wouldn't be staying, but apparently his friend hadn't thought he was serious.
As it was, he had barely woken up in the room across the hall and realized that Hermione was gone already when he felt the wards activate signaling he had guests. He had taken his time to summon his clothes from his room and dress before joining them downstairs. Neville, still clearly not okay from laying one of his oldest friends to rest, had barely touched the food Luna had put out for them. Theo, on the other hand, had scarfed it down as he had breakfast the previous morning.
The moment they saw him, Neville had stood up from the couch and asked if he could see Hermione. It was then that Draco had opted to go with the truth; that she wasn't there anymore. He didn't have to elaborate that he had talked her into returning. Even now, as he thought about it, his stomach lurched with nerves. He hoped what he sent her back to wasn't worse than what she had left.
"We finally get a hand on the most valuable piece of leverage and she's gone?" Neville snapped. "What'd you do; let her walk out?"
His jaw clenched as he gave a deceptively casual shrug of his shoulders. "Yes."
Neville turned away to look at both Theo and Luna as he balled his hands into fists at his side.
"MACUSA is planning a counter-strike. It won't be long before Riddle starts trying to extend his reach overseas. I wouldn't be surprised if he has something in place already. Phase Two has already started; he's been decimating countries and adding them to his regime faster than he ever has before." He reached up to rub at his chin as he spoke. "We have an actual chance at making a real strike against him."
"He doesn't have the lab anymore," Theo stated, his eyes taking in every minute move that Draco made. "Without his main source of weaponry and intelligence, he would be continuing his expansion blind. We could have used-"
"Granger was never going to be used as leverage," Draco reiterated, his voice dangerously low.
"Why the hell not?" Theo snapped, getting to his feet. For a second, it surprised Draco; he had never seen his friend this angry. "She clearly plays a pivotal role in the Dark Lord's life and I'm willing to bet he would do anything to get her back. He would have agreed to whatever deal you'd have asked. Draco, he-"
"He would have destroyed us like Granger destroyed the lab," Draco argued. The pair stood nearly face-to-face with one another and seethed quietly before Theo turned away from him. "Letting her go was a show of good faith; a momentary peace offering. It won't last, but it will buy us enough time to strike with MACUSA on our side. We might actually have a chance at a successful strike this way."
"I think-" Neville started.
Draco carried on as if he hadn't spoken at all, ignoring the sour look that followed the interruption. "If she had stayed; if we had kept her prisoner to use as leverage, the Dark Lord's focus would have been on finding her. As everyone has been so quick to point out, he would have gone to any lengths to do so and he would have destroyed us completely." He took a deep breath to combat the skip of his heart. "With her going back, it'll calm his rage. He'll simmer down and go back to whatever he was planning, giving us the time we need to strike."
Neville leaned forward, his eyes glued to the coffee table as he asked, "Did she say anything before she left?"
Draco recognized the look on his face; sheer grief, guilt, and hope. He swallowed hard as he shook his head. There was nothing of their conversation that either of them would understand. It only brought another pang of loss to his heart as he thought of Ginny. If she were here, she would have understood. She would have been able to help him get the point across to Theo and Neville.
"Her heart's in the right place," Luna said, her voice jarring from having been silent for so long. "A pretty cage is still a cage," she quipped, looking directly at him.
Neville and Theo both gave her apprehensive looks, ones that were shroud in doubt, but neither of them said anything.
"I'm having Karina come to Devon tomorrow so we can put the last pieces of the plan into place. I expect the both of you to be there."
Knowing that they were being dismissed, they disapparated.
Draco looked over at Luna who looked as though she were more comfortable than ever. "How long are you staying?"
"Until I know you're not going to do something stupid and rash."
Draco couldn't help but snort as he moved towards the exit. "I guess you'll be here awhile then."
She simply grinned at him as he passed and said, "I suppose you're right."
Monday, 18 April 2005
Hermione had spent the rest of the day seated on her throne beside Riddle. When she walked into the room, everyone cast looks of surprise her way and she could hear gasps and whispers as she approached the dais. She ignored them all. If Riddle wanted to explain her absence, she would let him. Seeing as how no one questioned it, he didn't even bother to bring it up. As usual, the only person who seemed to object to her presence was Bellatrix.
Charlie was nowhere to be seen and she wondered if he was on assignment elsewhere or if something had happened. Had he heard about Ginny's death and gone off the deep end? Were his wife and daughters okay? She made a mental not to ask Riddle later as she took her seat and forced herself to pay attention.
By the end of the day, they had exhausted all their options and Riddle had dismissed them for dinner with plans to reconvene the following morning. She had watched him through their meal, but he barely spared her a glance. He hardly looked at anyone. Afterwards she had gone straight to her room, desperate for a good night's rest that wasn't induced by potions. Riddle had joined her, but retained his silence as he laid on his side of the bed and left her to hers.
She wasn't surprised when she had woken up on Monday to find herself alone. She took her time in the shower and then getting ready for the day. Instead of going to the dining room for breakfast, she wandered the halls to Narcissa's room, but just as she went to knock on the door, Lucius was coming out.
"My lady," he said, inclining his head, though his voice was stiff.
He opened the door wider for her, inviting her into the suite of rooms, but as he turned to take his leave, she placed her hand on his forearm. Her scar was visible and she saw the way his eyes flickered over it before he turned his head in disgust. Whether it was at the word itself or the fact that she was branded, she didn't care enough to know.
"What I have to say should be said to both of you."
"The Dark Lord-"
"Will not fault you for being late if you arrive as my escort," she said, giving him a wry smile as she let go of his arm and stepped further into the room.
Lucius hesitated for a moment, but closed the door and followed her inside. Narcissa came around the corner and she inclined her head softly at the sight of Hermione.
"I'm sure you both know that Draco is not only part of the Resistance, but their leader."
Lucius and Narcissa exchanged a glance as he moved to stand beside his wife.
"I'm also sure that you both know he was at the lab when it was attacked."
Lucius' face was grim, indicating that he had in fact known this already. It made Hermione wonder if he knew what all had happened there too. Narcissa on the other hand, for as stoic a person as she was, looked about ready to crumble to the floor.
"He made it out. It was he who cared for me while I was away. It was he who let me go."
"My lady-" Lucius' tone was low in warning as he glanced behind her towards the door.
"Riddle already knows," she informed him with a casual roll of her shoulders. "I just thought the two of you would like to know that your son is alive and well and I…" she paused to swallow hard and shove her desire to cry deeper down. "I appreciate his kindness."
Narcissa was across the room and pulling Hermione to her in the span of a single heartbeat. "Thank you," she whispered as she held Hermione tight.
Hermione simply nodded and waited until Narcissa stepped back. Without saying a word, Lucius consoled his wife with a caress of her cheek and then left the room with Hermione in tow. Whether he had wanted to stop and eat, he didn't say as she skipped breakfast and led him straight to the throne room. Riddle barely paid any attention to them as someone offered a different approach in finding a solution to their problem.
Hermione let her thoughts wander as one by one, the people in the room offered different versions of the same solutions Riddle had shot down the day before. In doing so, she kept coming back to the fact that all of their solutions had to do with wiping out the Resistance. None of them were focusing on the bigger picture in trying to expand the territories under Riddle's control.
"What about a peace treaty?" she asked, interrupting Dolohov.
All eyes fell on her, including Riddle's.
"If you want to take over the world, why not just tell them that. Be up front about it; own your ambitions." She held his gaze, speaking only to him as if the room weren't full of people. "Ask for a momentary peace while you summon their leaders to a single place to discuss peace. It will be easier to present your case in one go; to show them how successful your leadership has been to the countries you've amassed so far. If they agree to your terms, then you don't have to sacrifice anymore magical blood."
"And if they do not agree to peaceful submission?" Riddle asked.
"Then take them out. Without their leaders, they will scramble for a new one," she replied, getting to her feet. "I believe you already have your methods for wiping everyone out in place like you have with the other nations. It won't be any different than Phase Two as it is now. Just faster."
She saw the way his eyes brightened and the smile that tugged at the corners of his mouth as she turned and strode from the room. Whether he liked her idea or not, she had given it to him. Whatever took the heat off of the Resistance was fine with her. With a sigh of relief as she left the room, she went to the library where, once settled with a book, she summoned a House Elf and asked for lunch.
She was still in the library when Riddle found her later that night. She hadn't bothered leaving it for dinner either and knew that this would be one of two places he would look for her. The elves had kept the fire in the hearth burning brightly and she had used it to read for most of the day, but shortly before Riddle joined her, she had moved to one of the windowsills so she could let her mind rest as she stared down at the grounds.
He stood at the opposite side of the sill, leaning back against the wall it connected to so he could stare at her. "I sent out the correspondence shortly after you left," he informed her. "I requested their responses in no less than a week's time."
"If they decline the invitation?" she asked, keeping her attention on the hedge maze below.
"I strike."
She nodded and closed her eyes, letting her head rest on the wall she was curled up against.
"You continue to impress me," he said, moving to stand behind her. He reached down, drawing her to her feet so she was facing him. She looked up, knowing he wanted eye contact. "Just before we were separated, you were telling me how I was not treating you as my equal and you were right."
She stiffened at that, but continued to hold his gaze.
"I know you could have used your magic to break free of me at any time, but you chose to stay. Just as you chose to come back to me." She shivered slightly as the tips of his fingers ghosted against her arms on their way up to her face. "Not only did you return, but you gave me the perfect solution to my current problem. Our current problem," he amended as he cupped her face. "I apologize."
Her lips parted in awe then; just as they had every time he had apologized to her in the past. Each time she thought it would be the last, but he continued to surprise her by saying them again and again. He let one hand trail back down to twine with hers, his thumb stroking over the ring. For a moment she held her breath, waiting for his anger before she remembered he couldn't see or feel the ring Draco had given her.
"Perhaps with time you will believe me."
As he leaned in, his lips brushing over hers, she whispered, "Perhaps."
With no reason not to, she surrendered to him.