As Hermione and Theo sprinted through the castle the array of sounds indicated that they were now completely thrown into battle: the blasting of the castle walls crumbling to a heap from ricocheted hexes, the crying wails of those who had been on the receiving end of skin slicing curses, loud thunderous roars from the creatures who had joined in for the fight, but it wasn't until their feet landed on the bottom staircase that Hermione and Theo were able to take in the full scene below.
Heart pounding and palms sweaty, they both paused for only a moment to see the disastrous state of the battle below. Hermione could hardly keep her eyes on one thing before being knocked breathless by the next. Large, towering trolls swung their weapons, knocking entire groups into the hard lining of the castle walls. Light streamed across the courtyard, joined colors painted the scene in shades of bright blues, yellows, red, and greens. Her lungs felt as if someone was gripping them tightly once she noticed the blur of familiar red hair dueling down below.
"Ron!" She knew the moment she shouted his name that there was no use, as she could hardly hear her own voice amongst the raging sounds of war. She held her breath and released it the moment she saw him struggle to his feet, George was at his side in an instant and they were off once more.
"Come on!" Theo said as he wrapped his hand in hers, pulling her along beside him.
Hermione was so focused on moving as quickly as she could that she was nearly knocked onto her back when Theo thrust his arm out in front of her shoulders, shoving her backward as a bright jet of green light knocked into the corner wall they were tucked behind. They both took a deep breath and lunged forward, Theo casting a stinging hex as she shielded them from several bursts of light spiraling down on them. She felt her shield weakening. She glanced down the opposite hall and reached for Theo's arm.
"This way!"
They hurried along the empty hall way, only pausing at the sound of a group of students rushing towards them, McGonagall at the led.
"Miss Granger! Mr. Nott!" She exclaimed frantically, urging the group of students ahead as she paused to call after them, "Go on. To the infirmary. Off with you!"
She turned back to Hermione and Theo as the children ran faster down the hall.
"I'm assuming you two are assisting Potter with whatever it is Dumbledore left him, yes?" She asked, slightly out of breath. Hermione had never seen the woman look so fierce. The focus in her eyes was enough to make her shiver, it reminded Hermione of a perched eagle, prepared to descend on her prey.
"Yes Professor." Hermione said quickly, attempting to catch her breath. "We need to get to the girls laboratory, 2nd floor. Quickly!"
"Very well. Take a left up ahead. There are a few stunned Death Eaters the opposite way that may have others coming behind them. There is a blank tapestry, lined in silver, just around the corner. Do you know the one?"
Hermione frowned, unable to think of much of anything as another blast sounded over head, causing each of them to duck and rush deeper into the hall.
"I know the one." Theo said quickly. "Leads you past the DADA office, behind it is the hidden staircase."
Hermione took a moment to glance at Theo as her brain scrambled to remember such passage. It clicked another moment later, as she pictured the hidden path on the Marauders Map. She frowned at him, wondering how it is he would know such a thing, as that particular 'hidden stiarcase' leads directly to the Gryffindor tower, specifically the boys dormitory—
She felt her gaze narrowing on him suspiciously thinking that maybe Harry was to blame for the Slytherins awareness of said passage— Theo noticed her starring and just shrugged.
"Precisely, Mr. Nott. Across is another entrance to the laboratory, just tap the third stone from the floor twice to reveal the entrance. Myrtle may very well be there when you do... You'll need her to guidance to access the entrance. Oh— and mind the vanishing step, Mr. Nott." McGonagall said with a faint whisper of a smirk on her thin lips. "—stay alert!"
"Thank you Professor!" Hermione said quickly and before she knew it her and Theo were off again.
It was strange to be able to hear her own footsteps along with Theo's echoing along the halls when only moments ago the sounds of battle were ringing so loud she could hardly think.
"Wait here." Theo said as they came to the end of the corridor. He poked his head around and then disappeared deep into the hall.
Hermione waited anxiously for a few moments, scanning the halls around her. She could faintly hear the rumbling of battle, there was a long howl piercing the air and she knew it must be midnight.
Relief flooded through her at the sound of Theo's faint whisper telling her the coast was clear. She shoved from the wall and moved quickly to his side where he knelt on the floor before a seemingly empty wall. Behind them hung the blank tapestry with silver lining.
"Who is it! I'm not letting anyone in!" A feminine voice shrieked from the other side, "—I can practically smell all the blood and I'm dead! What's going on out there?'
Hermione tried to hide her agitation for the ghost who had just poked her head through the wall. But Theo stepped forward, surprising Hermione with how calm he seemed.
"It's just me, Myrtle. How are you? Must be frightened by all the noise."
Hermione glanced sideways to see Theo giving the ghost a very obnoxiously charming smile, his eyes holding a particular allure that would stop anyone in their tracks— unless that someone were Hermione Granger. She huffed in annoyance.
"Theo. We don't have time—"
"Oh Theo!" Myrtle whined, cutting Hermione's agitated whisper off and suddenly the ghost was out in the hall with them, placing her head on his shoulder, sobbing. "It's been awful. I'm terrified to leave my toilet. It's all so violent sounding out there and I just didn't know what to think—" As if just realizing Hermione was standing with him, Myrtle straightened and glared at her, "What's she doing here?"
Hermione opened her mouth to shout at the foolish ghost for wasting their time, but Theo was quicker, waving a hand loftily in Hermione's direction, his fingertips almost brushing her cheek as he did so. Hermione had to repress the urge to shove him.
"Oh don't mind this one. She's just a bit scared, same as you. Though who can blame you? Must be miserable being in there all alone..." Theo stepped closer to the ghost and Myrtle almost appeared to be blushing, if ghosts could blush, that is. Hermione wanted to gag. "Actually, I was hoping she and I could get through and perhaps join you in the laboratory. There's something we need inside."
Myrtle sighed. "Of course you didn't just come to see me. People never come just to see me... it's always something to do with them—"
"That may very well be true, and for that I am truly sorry Myrtle, but as always, getting to see you is certainly an added bonus. I know I always enjoy our brief encounters, few though they may be, they certainly are..." Theo lowered his voice before adding, "...memorable."
Hermione didn't think that horrible lie could have possibly fooled anyone, but she may have been overestimating the ghosts desperate need for attention.
Myrtle inhaled a shaky breath, sighing dreamily as she inched closer to Theo's fluttering eyelashes and then looped backwards into the stone wall behind her, disappearing as a latched door appeared moments later.
Theo shot Hermione a proud smirk. Hermione lifted one brow as he shoved the door open and bowed, allowing her to step through first.
"After you, you're royal bushy-haired-ness."
Myrtle was giggling at Theo's remark as Hermione huffed again, shoving herself through the small door with Theo following after her. The door, once shut, evaporated until it was stone once more.
She was so concentrated on climbing the seven or so steps quickly that she nearly fell face forward— where the forth step should have been there was nothing and her foot dropped down as she tumbled forward. Theo's hand clamped around her elbow, balancing her just as quickly and nodded at the steps below them.
"Vanishing step." Theo smirked, "Forgot to mention."
"Somehow I doubt that."
"The world is ending, Granger." Theo said with a playful glint in his eyes. "Who knows how many more laughs I'll get. It doesn't hurt that you make it so easy."
"Oh, well then by all means—" Hermione grumbled as they ascended the rest of the steps. "—laugh away."
Once on the platform of the bathroom Hermione took in the familiar room. The large marble sinks sat near the middle of the room as moonlight trickled in through arched windows. The scattered burst of colorful lights from the battle outside seemed to jolt them both back into action. Hermione hurried to the sinks an das her eyes began scanning for the correct one, her heart sunk.
"Oh no. Oh no, oh no, oh— how could I have been so thoughtless." Hermione muttered to herself. "I forgot that we needed Harry to get in!"
"Why on earth would you want to go down there?' Myrtle was asking as she hovered behind Theo, who promptly ignored her.
"What do you mean we need Harry?"
"You need to speak Parselmouth to unlock the Chamber—" Hermione brought both hands to her eyes covering them in frustration, "—oh, how could I have been so stup—"
Hermione was abruptly cut off as the sound of the unfamiliar language slipped from Theo's tongue, sounding almost exactly as it did whenever Harry spoke it, perhaps with even more ease.
She turned to stare at him, wide eyed, as he watched the sink begin to shift into separate pieces until it revealed the tunnel, the and the narrow slide dipping down into darkness.
"But— How— How did you—" She sputtered lamely.
Theo smirked over at her. "Did you know, Granger, that Purebloods parents— particularly a one Theodore Nott Sr.— place restrictionists on their children's academic curriculum?"
"Um— no." Hermione said still frowning at him as he lowered himself into a spitting position near the tunnel entrance.
"Specifically, restriction of any subjects including creatures or other breeds they deem beneath them or unworthy of studying; creature languages such as Parseltongue, Mermish, Gobbledegook included..." he shot a smug grin over his shoulder, "So, naturally, I learned them all."
Hermione blinked down at him, momentarily baffled at the wizard before her.
"Well, most of the basics anyway...embarrassed my father at a few of the gatherings he hosted. He stopped introducing me to potential recruits for the Dark Lord after awhile. Did you know that 'Hello' in Mermish sounds a lot like 'cock-suck-me-please' ? — Lady Yaxley spit her wine all over my fathers velvet curtains. It was my proudest moments as the sole heir of the house of Nott if I do say so myself."
"But that's— that's practically impossible without—"
"Determining the complicated statistical technique while also deciphering the most commonly-used phoneme to be able to translate them to the English language?"
"Well, um... Yes."
Hermione knew because she had read every book on Parsletongue, Mermish, and Gobbledegook she could find in the Hogwarts library. She knew how difficult and time consuming it would be to be able to study the languages at length they way it seemed Theo had— certainly more than two years for each language, possibly more. The only witch or wizard she knew who with such ability was Dumbledore, but he was a brilliant wizard and lived far longer than most, so it wasn't nearly as surprising.
Perhaps the most shocking of it all was that Theo was telling her he hadn't even been required to learn it, he simply did it out of spite for his father. Rebellious learning. It was comically absurd.
"Mind shutting your mouth Granger, you look entirely to impressed and it's giving me a complex. Merlin's balls, Is it really so surprising for a bloke to acquire a hobby or two?"
"Linguistics is not a hobby, Theo. It's a profession. Where on earth did you ever find the time?" She asked sitting opposite him eyeing the dark expanse below. She glanced up to see him frowning.
"Spent a lot of time alone in Nott Manor escaping from my father." His voice was a tad lower then. "I suppose I needed to pass the time. Also helps that I have a photographic memory."
Hermione gave him a soft smile. "Well, it was certainly useful and time well spent." She took a deep breath. "Let's get this part over with, yea?'
He nodded. "I'll go first."
She watched as he straightened his shoulders and paused, giving her a very meaningful look.
"If I die on the way down, tell Harry... he has a very beautiful cock."
Hermione let out an audible gasp as he shoved from the ledge and disappeared into the tunnel. She shook her head, suppressing the rising evidence of mortification from her face.
"He's right you know." Myrtle supplied, giggling above her. "I've seen it. Surprisingly not small at all and regal looking, really—"
"Oh— just— do not— that's so— I did not need to know that! Goodbye Myrtle!"
Hermione shoved off the ledge, no longer carrying if the darkness swallowed her whole, so long as she didn't have to listen to Myrtle speak ever again.
,!,!,!,!,
"Do you feel that?' Draco stopped abruptly as Harry followed closely behind him. The feeling of his magic whirling around inside his chest made him pause. He felt the wand in his hand begin to vibrate gently against his palm. His eyes darted around the dimly lit room, cluttered with stacks and stacks of forgotten or hidden items. This room had once been his haven for months, he was familiar with the sounds it made and the amount of magic swirling about, but something was different. Something felt... off.
He was reminded of the binding magic placed on him at the age of thirteen, the age an heir took claim to all that he was to inherit. There was a ritual and blood-binding contracts. His father's blood sealing his son's future with a single drop. That was the only time he felt his magic pulse within him as it was now. It was strange and wonderful and confusing. Draco tried to place the source of said magic, and felt his breath hitch as his vision began to play tricks on him.
There was a flash of an image, a very brief image, of long white-gold hair on a pale face, silver eyes and a firm set mouth floating towards him, almost like a mirage, or a hallucination. Draco blinked and then it was gone.
Father?
Draco took a tentative step forward, and then he sensed the whirling magic grow stronger, humming through his core and buzzing in his finger tips.
And then he heard his father's voice:
Use it well, Draco...
"What is it?' Harry asked, following Draco's gaze drift down to his pocket. Draco placed his hand over the heavy item that had not been there moments ago. Just as he went to reach for it the sound of laughter echoed around them. Draco abandoned the heavy weight in his pocket and lifted his wand, moving to stand near Harry.
The cackling laughter erupted again and Draco's mouth went dry.
"Hello darling nephew... or should I say traitor?"
Draco tried not to think what Bellatrix being in this room meant...
Had Voldemort sent her to retrieve the Horcrux before he and Harry could find it? His heart was pounding like a drum in his ears as she slowly stalked towards them, her black eyes settling directly on him. Draco's mind quickly worked through the several opening paths surrounding them, calculating which one would allow them the safest and furtherest away from Bellatrix. The other Death-Eaters seemed to be hovering near by, two rows back to on her right, waiting for Bellatrix to make the first move.
"Oh," Bellatrix continued, grinning maniacally, "—and you've delivered us Harry Potter. The Dark Lord may be pleased with you after all..."
Bellatrix stopped mid stride then, eyes widening in horror. Draco tensed as he realized where her heated gaze landed, his own fingers tightened around the wand in his hand. The smug look on her haunted features turned cold and ravenous before she began shouting.
"IS THAT MY WAND?! YOU— YOU STOLE MY WAND?!"
Draco was more aware of his Aunt's ticks than she gave him credit for. He spent several tireless lessons dueling, observing her, every movement he watched closely to know when she was about to attack.
He was already shielding the space around him and Harry as a bright red light darted through the air. Draco reached for Harry's arm, gripping tightly and yanking him along the path he mentally mapped out moments earlier among the disarray of the room. They both began sprinting, dodging the falling debris as the three Death Eaters chased after them, shooting curses to cause the stacks of clutter tumbling all around them.
"Remind me to murder Theo for making me take this bloody wand." Draco grumbled as they paused to catch their breath. He glanced around nervously, his eyes landing on the opposite end of the room where the entrance was. "We need to get out of this room."
"Not until we have the diadem." Harry said firmly.
"Fuck—" Draco grunted, glancing at the clear path to their safe exit before turning back to Harry and nodding. "—yeah, alright."
"Dracooooo." Bellatrix's voice was getting closer now.
"Come on!" Draco said, gripping Harry's arm and pulling him deeper into the stacks. They moved stealthily, avoiding any of the shattered mess with surprising agility.
Had Harry not been so completely focused on finding the diadem and not making a sound he would have been impressed with how deliberate Malfoy managed to sneak about the room, possibly even admitting how lethal of an Auror he would make.
Harry paused then, causing Draco to stop in his tracks. He whirled around to see Harry lifting his hand upward, fingers curling in the air as if reaching for something, shutting his eyes.
"It's close." He whispered, opening his eyes. "I can feel it."
Harry began moving towards whatever he 'sensed' and Draco quickly cast disillusionment charms over them both, hoping they would hold for long enough to find the diadem. Harry stopped after several winds and turns, pressing this fingers to his forehead and wincing. Draco followed where Harry was tilting his gaze to the left and quickly moved to the trunk he was pointing at. He lifted his wand and summoned the trunk, placing it down and kneeling over it.
"Keep a look out." He commanded and Harry shifted his stance, wand raised.
Draco fumbled with the latch and then lifted his wand when that didn't work.
"Alohomora."
Draco frowned when the trunk did little more than jiggle.
"Hurry!" Harry whispered over his shoulder. Bellatrix's voice was ringing out over the room, followed by low grunts of laughter from the other Death Eaters.
"Draaaaacoooo. Come out, come out, where ever you are." Bellatrix sang. "I don't want to hurt you. I just want to plaaaaaay."
Draco tried several more unlocking charms, severing charms and then relented into trying something a tad more drastic.
"Bombards Minima!"
The truck flung open, the top flying off the hinge. There was a loud hissing sound that pierced the air, coming from the sparking silver laying within, causing them both to cover their ears from the sheer force of it.
"They're here! Over here!" One of the man's booming voice came from their right, following by a burst of light hurdling towards them. Harry was ready this time, his wand already blocking it and sending an equally powerful hex right back.
Draco reached for the diadem and watched as the hooded figure flew backwards in the air, crashing into a glass mirror several yards away.
"Not bad." Draco muttered before shoving the diadem in Harrys hand and then began pulling him towards the entrance. "Now let's get the hell out of here—"
Draco's voice was suddenly cut off by the feeling of his entire body being lifted into the air. He struggled against the magic pulling him higher and higher. Below him Harry was searching for the caster of the spell. Draco felt his body begin to fall rapidly until he felt the stinging pain shock through him as he landed on his side his head knocking into one of the sharp edges of the clutter beneath him. His ears were still ringing as he forced his stiff arms to lift his weight. He was shaking and with every movement he felt the pain corse through his bones caused by the fall. He tried moving his shoulder and immediately heard a popping noise and let out a loud grunt.
As he struggled to right himself he was vaguely aware of Harry dueling a blur of black a few yards away. Harry fell to the ground and Draco quickly righted him. They both swayed a bit before Draco managed to gain his vision back.
"Watch out!" Draco shouted, diving sideways and knocking them both behind a large stack, barely avoiding the hex hurdling into the stacks behind them.
Draco lifted his wand, "CONFRINGO!"
The curse landed on the shoulder of the still masked Death Eater, causing his arm to rip right off his body. Draco heard the man let out a painful wail and fell to his knees, his wand hand still in use and casting hexes and jinks sporadically all around causing the stacks to begin to shake all around them. A bust of bright light shot from the tip of the Death Eater's wand and Draco knew the curse the moment the fire began to encompass one of the stacks.
"Fiendfyre!" Draco shouted to Harry as he shoved himself to his feet. Draco was about to do the same when he felt cold fingers gripping him around his neck, long nails digging into his skin, cutting off his ability to breath.
"I want. My wand. BACK!" Bellatrix shouted the last word and ripped the wand from Draco's grasp, shoving him forcefully his knees, her grip now viciously latching onto his already dislocated shoulder. She yanked his head up to force him to look forward, placing her wand beneath his jaw. "Ah- Ah- Harry Potter, I wouldn't if I were you."
Draco tried to catch his breath as his eyes landed on Harry. He was standing a few yards before them his wand aimed in their direction, the entrance just behind him. The heat of the fire was moving closer. He could feel it roaring and growing with each passing second.
"GO!" Draco grunted out. "JUST GO!" He tried again, but was immediately silenced as Bellatrix wand sent a curse straight into his throat.
The torture curse latched on to his neck, tightening his airway, he could focus on on nothing except the hot, sharp pain forcing its way down into his chest, settling there and expanding throughout his veins, bones, and across every inch of his skin. He felt as if someone where slicing their way through him from the inside out and back again, short, sharp cuts— one after the other— repeating and repeating— endless torture— Harry's form faded out of sight and then he could see nothing.
"STOP!" Harry's voice was a muffled whisper in the back of his mind. There was a loud blasting noise and then another. Bright lights of spells being sent towards where he slumped against his Aunt.
He heard Bellatrix cackling behind him, but her words didn't come out right. Harry was shouting something back at her. Draco focused on the dulling of the pain, the release of the curse only lasted a second before it returned with full force.
Draco knew it was coming this time. He was prepared. He forced his entire magical core to focus on his labyrinth, desperately hoping some part of it still existed, some part of it could help end his agony. Instead of relief, the pain only deepened until he was sure he was going to pass out.
Then the whirling force of magic curled inside his chest, the same sensation he felt earlier and he heard his father's voice in the empty hallow of his mind:
Use it well, Draco...
"RENNERVATE!"
Draco's eyes fell upon a panting Harry Potter, his face sweating with determination as he shoved something off of Draco's body that had fallen on him.
"COME ON! GET UP!" Harry shouted, forcing Draco to his feet. Draco swayed as blurs of the room came into focus. The stacks were falling all around them now, shaking and trembling, stack after stack. The fire was no longer at the back of the room but close enough to feel it's warmth. He glanced down to see Bellatrix shifting in the fallen debris, there was a weighted desk covering her lower half.
Draco stumbled backwards, dodging the clutter and forcing his stiff legs to move forward. He kept his eyes on the back of Harry's head, limping along after him. A large stack fell into their path, causing them both to stop abruptly.
"REDUCTO!"
The collection of scattered mess exploded into a million bits around them, Draco managed to lift a shield just in time before shards could get to either of them. Behind them the stacks continued to rumble and shake, threatening to encompass them if they didn't find another way out.
"This way!" Draco croaked, regretting it almost instantly as he felt he effects of his Aunt's curse still lingering in his throat. He led Harry deeper into the stacks until they found another clear opening. They both sprinted forward and as Harry lifted his wand, shouting another blasting spell the doors to the room swung open with an alarming force.
"HURRY!" Harry shouted, lurching forward. Draco took one step forward but couldn't take another, his right leg remained stuck in place. He tried again and felt the pull of magic on his leg. He glanced over his shoulder and saw his Aunt, her dress tattered and torn, blood dripping from a gash along her collarbone as fire roared behind her.
"GO!" Draco shouted to Harry. "Don't be a bloody hero twice, Potter! JUST GO!"
Harry hesitated. He glanced over Draco's shoulder to where Bellatrix was closing in on him, her wand holding Draco in place. He sent a series of hexes at her that she blocked with effortless ease, the grip on Draco's leg only strengthening.
"GET OUT OF HERE POTTER!" Draco shouted, ignoring the gripping pain on his throat. Another stack fell around them, debris landing between Draco and Harry, forcing Harry to back away quickly, completely out of the room now. Draco turned around to see Bellatrix lurching forward, the grip on his leg had loosened from her dropping her focus and he twirled out of her reach. He felt a stinging pain tear across his leg where the grip had once been, slicing through his skin.
"DRACO!" Harry was trying to force his way back in. Debris and falling clutter blasted in from the entrance.
"I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!" Bellatrix growled at Draco, forcing herself up. "I'M GOING TO KILL YOU TRAITOR!"
Use it well, Draco...
Time moved too quickly then. Draco was aware of the continued debris falling around him, smoke curling into his lungs as the fire raged towards them. He was aware of the crazed, blood-lust filling his Aunt's eyes as she lifted her wand, pointing it directly at him as she shuffled towards him. He was aware of a loud blasting noise behind her and Harry's ruffled form emerged and a bright blue light left his wand, but what he was most aware of was the feel of cool silver against his fingertips as he shoved his hand into his pocket.
"AVADA—"
His magic whirled furiously like a tornado as he gripped the heavy silver and Bellatrix's came hurdling towards him, the killing curse curling off her lips and dying as ice seemed to consume her from the inside out, leaving her body frozen like a statue. Draco's fingers wrapped around the cool silver and he shoved it forward as her body continued to descend upon him, sharp silver plunged deep into her chest and her wide blinking eyes went blank.
,!,!,!,!,
They were standing at the end of a long, dimly lit chamber. Towering stone pillars entwined with statue serpents, stretching to the ceiling that was lost in the darkness above. The green tint of the gloomy atmosphere filled the place, reminding Theo a bit of his father's cellar where he kept his darkest artifacts. Theo was no stranger to dark magic, he could feel it buzzing around them as they strode deeper along the tunnels. The only sound accompanying them were the echos of Hermione's and his own shoes sloshing through the murky waters dripping from the pipes.
"What a charming place to keep a pet... Tom Riddle, the insightful nurturer. Who knew?" Theo mumbled sarcastically underneath his breath, shivering from the strange cold chill that creeped across the back of his neck. Hermione didn't seem to be in the mood for jokes, clearly as unsettled with going deeper through the tunnels.
"I think it's this way." Hermione whispered, taking a turn through a slightly brighter tunnel. Theo followed along after her, ducking to fit beneath the dip in the cave and stretching to his full height once on the other side. He froze in place as his eyes landed on the open chamber, pausing momentarily to take in the massive and dangerous corpse curled around circular chamber.
He shivered again, this time voluntarily.
He turned to say something to Hermione, but clamped his mouth shut as he noticed the witch wasn't there. She was already moving quickly towards the beasts mouth. He hurried to her side, kneeling beside her as she examined the sharp teeth protruding from the large snakes jaws. Theo stuck his head in slowly, glancing down the dark entrance of its mouth.
"Cozy." He commented.
"Would you like to do the honors?" She asked, eyeing the long teeth with mild repulsion. Now that Theo focused on it, there seemed to be a certain stench of death wafting around them.
Theo reached for the cloth she handed to him and quickly extended his arm towards the fang nearest to him and curled his hand around it, tugging it forcefully— and wincing as yellow fluid poured from it's hinges, covering both his and Hermione's shoes in the ghastly smelling fluid. They both stepped back quickly and then glanced at one another.
"That's not going to eat through our clothes and start eating our flesh or anything right?" Theo asked.
Hermione glanced down at her pants and then back at him. "No? But if you start to feel something itching between your legs later, don't blame it on the Basilisk."
Theo was in the process of turning on his heel when he glanced over at Hermione, a small smirk tugged on the corner of his lips.
"Was that an attempt at an lewd joke, Granger?"
Hermione pursed her lips. "Maybe."
"Cheeky cheeky." Theo shook his head fondly. "I like you. I guess I'll let you stick around after all."
Hermione rolled her eyes, grumbling sarcastically, "Now I've managed to make all my dreams come true..."
Theo decided to not comment on her sarcasm.
She kneeled down once they were far enough away from the Basilisk and reached into her bag. She placed the golden cup on the ground between them and inhaled a deep breath. "Ready?"
Theo cleared his throat and then nodded. Hermione stood to her feet and moved to stand behind him, her wand held tightly by her side.
"Remember— once you make contact move away as quickly as you can. Each ones different so there's no telling what will happen."
"Right—" Theo nodded again, gripping the fang tighter in his grasp. "—what's destroying a piece of the Dark Lords soul without a little thrill and excitement, eh?"
Hermione waited and prepared herself for the worst. She watched as Theo lifted the fang over his shoulder and then dropped his hand with so much force that it sent the golden cup spiraling across the wet floor on contact. Hermione reached for Theo, helping him to his feet as they hurried backwards away from the swirling black and green smoke rising from the shattered Horcrux.
"RUN!" Hermione shouted.
Theo turned on his heel without hesitating, sprinting after her as the sound of a thousand screams echoed around them. The entire chamber seemed to come to life, water rising all around them, dark and angry currents surging it forward, chasing them. Theo glanced over his shoulder to see the blur of smoke shifting into the shape of a giant snake's mouth, sharp fangs coming to life and closing in on them.
The screams continued to rise in volume, shaking the walls and piercing the air around them. He saw Hermione trip in front of him and quickly pulled her to her feet and shoved her off the platform into one of the dark tunnels, just barely missing the crash of all consuming water as it splashed into the floor, leaving a giant hole in the ground where it landed. The stone floor around it began vibrating with dark magic, pulling everything within the chamber into it. Theo pulled Hermione to her feet.
"WE HAVE TO KEEP GOING!" He ushered her through the tunnels, not knowing which way to go through the heavy darkness. He could heard the screams echoing behind him, getting closer. Theo glanced behind him to see the floor was disappearing into darkness. The chamber was going to swallow itself from the impact from the Horcrux. He turned down another tunnel, grabbing Hermione's hand and yanking her with him. His heart stopped as his eyes found a slither of light peaking through the shadows. He shoved his feet forward, faster, and faster until he could no longer feel the burning in his limbs or the heavy weight of Hermione as she seemed to go limp at his side.
"HERMIONE!" He pulled her up to see her eyes fluttering close. "SHIT— SHIT— SHIT— SHIT—"
He glanced frantically in the darkness, the floor seemed to be disappearing all around them.
"THEO!"
Mrytle's high pitched voice echoed from the left and without another thought he tossed Hermione over his shoulder and wadded through the damp tunnels.
"THEO— THIS WAY—"
Suddenly, there was a bright light radiating from Hermione's skin. He didn't stop to examine it, but the glow managed him to see something else in the distance. Across the tunnel, a few yards ahead he could just make out the transparent ghost hovering in the small hole.
He felt the heat of the glow radiating under Hermione's skin as he held onto her tighter, shuffling forward until he could see the entrance to the bathroom again. He pulled out his wand just in time to lift Hermione's body safely to the platform above. His knees began to shake form the ground collapsing in on itself beneath him and quickly climbed the shaking walls. His foot slipped as he struggled to find his footing and hung in suspense. His hands were cramping from where they were barely keeping him from falling into the darkness below. He could feel his fingers slipping with how much he was sweating, his fingernails bending as he dug them into the stone. With one final effort he used the last of his strength to pull his weight up, his shoulders straining and trembling as he heaved himself up. His hip scrapped the side of the jagged edge, tearing through his clothes and leaving a trail of blood in it's wake. He felt his body collapse against the cool tile and with the last of the working part of his brain sent a barrier spell over the gaping hole, sealing the entrance. He tossed his head back against the cool tile, breathing heavily, as the sounds of the stone crumbling began to fade beneath them.
"Is she dead?' Mrytle's very calm and slightly disinterested voice pulled him out of his minor shock enough to realize that Hermione was laying completely still next to him. He crawled over to her quickly, his eyes scanning her body for whatever injury caused her to go unconscious. Her body was warm and glowing? He thought he had been imagining it in the tunnel, but it was actually glowing!
"Granger!" He placed his hands on her shoulder, shaking gently, when he saw no cuts or blood. "Granger! Granger! Wake up!"
"I think she might be dead." Myrtle sighed. "Oh well. You'll have to move her body. I'm not sharing my bathroom with her—"
"OH SHUT IT WILL YOU!" Theo shouted at the ghost and lowered his ear to Hermione's mouth. He sagged in relief as he felt the faintest breath on his skin.
"THAT'S THE THANKS I GET!" Myrtle was crying, but Theo hardly paid attention as he focused on Hermione's face. She was wincing now. Her eyes slowly fluttering open.
"Oh— for fuck's sake Granger." Theo sighed, lifting her head gently with his left hand. "Pick a better time to pass out why don't you?"
Theo stopped talking immediately as he watched the veins near her neck and along her arm begin to pulse with the same bright light from the tunnel, vibrant and unnatural.
"Theo—" she croaked, "—somethings— somethings happening— the curse—"
Theo struggled to hold her head up as her entire body began to shake.
"What do I do?" He asked frantically. He tried to remember what Draco did when her curse began to take over her veins. "Fuck— What do I do?"
Hermione's entire body shot forward, and that's when Theo realized that the curse wasn't curling in black ink beneath her skin, it wasn't consuming her veins, but leaving them, illuminating on their path towards her forearm. It never did that before.
"I think—" Hermione gasped as the brilliant light seemed to glow along every inch of her skin where her veins connected. There was a warm tingling of magic radiating off her skin and Theo watched as the bright light seemed to flow through her and out her forearm in waves, pulsing and pulsing, flashing in spurts with every wave, until there was nothing left. Where her scar once lay carved into her pale skin there was nothing but smooth porcelain. The jagged letters, just like the floor of the Chamber, disappeared before his very eyes.
"I think it's gone." She whispered in amazement, blinking down at her forearm. She wasn't shaking anymore as she traced her fingers over her skin, as if she was waiting for them to return at any moment.
"Bloody hell." Theo muttered, watching as she checked the rest of her arm and smiling to find it completely clear too.
"It's— It's gone." Hermione laughed in disbelief and looked up at Theo. "Theo— it doesn't hurt anymore. It doesn't hurt. I don't— I don't know how, but— but it's gone. It's really gone!"
Theo hardly had time to register that Hermione had flung herself towards him, her arms wrapping around his shoulders and pulling him into a gripping embrace. He allowed his shoulders to relax after a moment and curled his arms around her, shaking his head in disbelief too. As soon as he got over his shock though he couldn't help but smirk.
"Damn, I'm good."
He half expected Hermione to be glaring at him when she pulled away, but instead she was smiling, tears flowing down her cheeks.
"You're quite heavy you know." Theo added as the moment stretched and began to feel a little too 'rainbow and butterflies' for his liking.
Hermione shook her head. "Come on. Let's go find our boys."
"Our boys." Theo repeated, helping her to her feet. "Our boys, hm... I like that."
Hermione glanced down at her arm again, frowning in confusion.
"Don't know why you're so surprised." Theo said as they found the hidden passage and descended the stairs and stopped a the hidden door that appeared as Theo touched his wand to the third stone from the bottom. "I'm fairly certain by now that you're invincible, Granger."
Hermione smiled at him. "Yeah..." She nodded, slightly breathless and squared her shoulders, a determined glint flooding behind her brown eyes. "Yeah. I'm feeling pretty invincible." She nodded to the door, lifting her wand before her. "We're going to win this. I can feel it. Harry was right."
Theo tried not to wince at the thought of Harry and nodded, giving Hermione his most confidant smile. "Let's go remind him, shall we?"
Hermione nodded and Theo shoved the door open and they sprinted through the castle, closer and closer to the sounds of battle, in search for their boys.
,i,!,i,!
A/N: Hello! Hello! I am still here. I haven't abandoned you all. I apologize for the wait and promise to push out the next chapter by the end of the week! Thank you for everyone whose still here. I am so grateful for every review I've received even as I haven't been updating as regularly. Your reviews have helped me force myself to focus on pushing out the rest of this story for you all as quick as possible so keep them coming! Life has been HELLASTRANGE and I'm just trying to survive and all that jazz... so your patience is appreciated 3 Hope everyone is well and happy and thriving and stuffffff!