Chapter 25
Soundtrack- Andrew Belle's "The Enemy" and "Power" by Isak Danielson
It all happened in less than two seconds.
Draco snarled as he grabbed Granger, pulling her hard against him, covering her body with his own. She clung onto his shoulders, nails digging into his flesh like claws. He reached out to grab the sheet from the bed, making sure it covered her body before throwing himself to his feet in a swift movement.
His wand was within reach, but it had been a while since he tested out his Seeker reflexes and he just hoped luck was on his side as he struck out for it. His fingers barely brushed against the dark handle when he was slammed back against one of the posts of the bed and felt a deep pain in the back of his head.
"Draco!"
Darkness.
Thick, black, and heavy.
He could hear something, very far away…. Granger. It was her voice, hauntingly echoing in his head as he tried to pull himself from the daze.
A different voice. Deeper, angry, and loud. Draco tried to find something to hold onto, but there was nothing here. Nothing but the darkness.
He had never been stunned before. Once his father had hit him so hard he fell over and heard a resounding thunk as his head bounced off of the floor. He had woken up with his mother screaming at his father, holding him to her chest. It was a close comparison to this.
But that was a long time ago and he wasn't a little boy anymore.
"What are you doing here? How did you get in?"
He could barely make out the outline of Granger's messy curls and Weasley somewhere in front of her. He was holding up something, something small but tucked it back away in his robes before Draco could blink the bleariness from his eyes.
"Him?!" Weasley was shouting at her. Draco groaned in protest. "This is your someone?! HIM?!"
"Ron, don't!"
"Get out of the way, Hermione. I'm going to kill-"
"Stop! Stop! You don't understand!" Granger was pleading with Weasley and Draco fought against the weight pushing him back down into the darkness.
"Grang-" he breathed out. "Granger-"
Her hands were on his chest. Warm. Soft. He could smell cinnamon and vanilla and he followed it up towards her.
Big brown doe eyes were looking down at him.
"Granger," he croaked again.
"MOVE!"
Granger's head turned sharply over her shoulder, caramel curls messy and twirling with movement. "Ron, just listen to me!"
Draco blinked, trying to keep his eyes from closing again. Had Weasley stunned him non-verbally? He could barely turn a turtle into a teakettle without muttering the incantation under his breath. How had he been able to-
"Hermione, get away from him! He's got you under some kind of enchantment! He's probably dosed you with a love potion!"
"No, it's not what you think!"
Granger had her shirt back on and was trying to reach for her jeans while pointing his wand at Weasley. His heart gave an extra thump. Now was not the time for this but, holy shit, he just found a new kink- Granger using his wand, especially Granger using his wand against someone else. Oh the possibilities for that in the future…
Draco pushed himself up and reached for her. Weasley trained his wand on him as Draco's arm snaked around Granger's waist and pulled her back against him.
"You piece of shit," Weasley snarled at him, but did not dare approach them with Granger aiming Draco's wand at him.
Draco's head was still pounding but he managed a nasty smirk and jerked Granger hard against him, making her gasp a little. "Well done, Sweetheart," he kissed the side of her head. "Now give me back my wand and I'll take care of this."
Weasley was the last obstacle in his way before he could take Granger with him. Where they could finally be together. No one else.
Draco reached for his wand, but Granger held fast to it, pulling it away from him. "No!"
What? Draco scowled. The fuck did she mean no?
"Please, just…" she sucked in a quick breath. "You can't- can't hurt each other."
"He can't hurt me, but I sure as hell can hurt him," Draco growled and went for his wand again. Granger quickly leaned away, moving it out of his reach. How did everyone get so fucking fast all of a sudden?
"HE'S A FUCKING DEATH EATER!"
Draco looked down at his outstretched arm. The black brand stood out sharply against his pale skin, shadowed by the faint outline of a bruise around it.
Shit.
"Ron-"
Draco looked up in time to see another stream of light hit him in the chest and the next thing he knew he was lying back on the bed again and Granger was on her feet, completely clothed, and shouting at Weasley who looked like his head had been replaced with an overripe tomato.
Fuckkk, his head hurt. The world was moving slow around him or maybe he was the one moving slow. Either way, he didn't think he could take a third stunner.
Draco started to sit up again and saw that his trousers were on him and so was his shirt was lying open on his chest exposing the ugly white scars. He hated that Weasley had seen them. He didn't want anyone to ever see what a mangled mess he was now. Well, anyone but her. When she touched them it sent jolts through the scar tissue, burning in a strangely pleasant way.
"You KNEW?!" Weasley shouted. "You knew and you didn't tell me or Harry?! He must have you enchanted!"
"I told Dumbledore! He told me not to tell anyone!"
What? She… she told Dumbledore?
"He's not what you think! Not anymore! You have to listen to me!"
Draco managed to get upright again despite his pounding head. He wanted his wand back. Weasley wouldn't fucking stand a chance once he was armed. He looked around and saw Granger's wand lying half hidden beside a stack of old textbooks. Draco glanced up just to make sure Weasley wasn't looking and going to stun him again and met his furious blue gaze.
"You cursed her didn't you?!" Weasley shoved Granger aside and started towards him, "You imperius'd her and made her… you made her-" he stopped talking and breathing heavily, looked down at Draco in disgust. "You sick fuck."
"He didn't!" Granger pulled on Weasley's arm. "Ron, stop it!"
Draco felt something dark and scaly rise up in him, spitting and ready to strike. He leaned towards Weasley, sneering nastily at him and hurt him the only way he could at the moment. "I didn't have to curse her to get her to fuck me. Believe me, she wanted to."
Weasley was so red he looked like he might explode and Draco readied himself for another stunning spell to come at him when the asshole's fist landed heavily on his cheek instead.
"Ron, NO!"
Oh, he was going to fucking pay for that. Draco could taste blood in his mouth, but as he turned back for a third time he saw Weasley had turned around and had Granger by the shoulders and was shoving her back down the path.
"Get off of her," Draco growled, ignoring the pain radiating in his head and swung his legs off the bed to stop Weasley from touching his girl. He spat blood onto the ground. Fuck his wand. He'd do this with his bare hands. "Get your filthy blood traitor hands off of her."
Weasley glared at him. "Harry didn't mean to do this, but I want you to know that I do."
"Ron, no!"
"Sectum-"
Granger threw herself in front of Draco. Thank fuck Weasley's new speed allowed him to pull his wand away at the last minute, sending the curse flying at the bed instead of Granger. Draco wrapped his arms around her, holding her tight and shielding her as the bed they had just shared turned into a shredded white mess of fabric and feathers.
"How could you use that spell? It nearly killed him before!" Granger said admonishingly, heading for Weasley again and pushing her twisting curls out of her face.
"That's what I'm hoping for!" Weasley shouted red faced as feathers softly fell around them.
Draco pushed Granger behind him slightly and took a step forward. "Think you can take me? I didn't get this mark because it's pretty, Weasley," he hissed venomously. He was going to hurt Weasley. He was going to hurt him bad. He was good at that.
"No!" Granger tried to stop him as he started forward. If he could get close enough he could disarm Weasley through force. Once he was wandless, he'd be easy pickings. "You can't! He's taken felix felicis, that's how he got in, he's lucky!"
Shit. So that's why all of this was happening. Coils constricted around Draco's chest making it hard to breathe. This could ruin everything. Adrenaline shot into his hands and legs, tightening the muscles there.
"That's right," Weasley's freckled face twisted. "Saw you on the Map. Disappearing. Harry gave it to me along with the felix because-" he looked at Draco. "He saw Malfoy coming in here right before he had to go with Dumbledore."
"Go…" Granger whispered and then started breathing faster. "They… they've gone after one?"
Weasley gave her a sharp nod. "Asked me to find you and tell you to watch out. That he thought Malfoy was going to make his move tonight. When I saw you come in here I thought Harry must have found you and told you and you went looking for him."
Draco had enough of this. He didn't understand half of what they were saying and cared even less to try. All he cared about was getting Weasley out of the way and getting Granger out of here.
"And when I found you this fucking Death Eater had cursed you and he was-" Weasley's brows hung low over his eyes, revulsion clear on his face.
"He didn't! He wouldn't! Draco wouldn't hurt me-"
Good girl. God, he fucking loved her.
"You're not thinking straight. He's done something to you, he must have!" Weasley's eyes narrowed dangerously at Draco.
"Oh I've done lots of things to her."
"Stop!" Granger cried as Weasley started towards them. "Both of you stop this!" She swiveled the wand between them. "Ron, you have to listen to me- Draco's not a Death Eater anymore!"
"What?!" Draco and Ron both said at the same time.
Granger's mouth fell open as she turned back to Draco. She looked just as shocked as he felt at the moment and he could tell she wasn't making up some ruse to try and fool Weaselbee; she believed what she had said.
Draco's blood stilled in his veins. It curdled and turned to acid, eating away at his muscles and bones.
"Granger, what the fuck are you talking about? And give me back my wand!" Panic was starting to snake through him. Hers felt… different and he wanted the familiarity of his hawthorn back. It knew him. This one… didn't.
"You… you're going to… leave it." Her voice got softer as she spoke and he could see her mind working furiously behind her deep eyes. "Right? Draco?"
"We're going to leave," Draco clarified. "You said so. You said-"
"Oh my God." Her eyes went wider than he had ever seen them. Oh my God, you… you're a Death Eater."
Okay, he thought he was the one with a head injury, not her. Honestly, what in Salazar's bloody name was happening tonight?
"I fucking told you!" Weasley yelled.
Draco took a step towards her, brows pulling together. "Granger, you know that-"
"You never wanted to… to change." Her voice was oddly hollow.
"Change? What the fuck are you-"
Oh… shit.
She thought he was defecting. That's why she had said she was proud of him. That he was- Oh fuck! Then she wasn't planning on leaving with him. She hadn't chosen him over Potter or Weasley and in fact, she was protecting that fucker with his wand right now.
No. No fucking way he was letting this happen.
"Give me back my wand, Granger."
She shook her head, tears brimming in her eyes and her messy, just fucked curls falling around her face.
Draco glanced around and saw her lighter wand still beside the books. He dove for it and latched onto it like his life depended on it and hell, maybe it did because Weasley was more than willing to fight to stop him. That was fine, Draco didn't plan on fighting fair anyways.
"Draco…" Granger's said his name like a plea as he turned back around. "Please…"
A million shards of lightning struck his chest making it seize up tightly. It wouldn't relax. He couldn't breathe. Granger was looking at him so innocently, so sweetly, and in so much pain.
His wand was trembling in her hand the same way his heart was in his chest. She had gone to Dumbledore and told him. She had never planned on leaving with him. Someone had poured ice water down his throat, down his spine. For one bright, beautiful moment he had everything he wanted and… he hadn't. She… she had only said she loved him because she thought he had turned.
If she knew what he had just done, she'd be cursing him right along with Weasley. Draco gripped her wand tighter. This couldn't be real. This couldn't be happening. He looked into her big doe eyes and shook his head in disbelief. He was losing her all over again and it felt… cold. It felt like dying.
No.
He wasn't about to lose everything, not when he was so close.
He shot a blood red stream of light at Weasley but somehow the fucker threw up a shield charm in just the nick of time. Fucking felix felicis bullshit.
The curse shot off into one of the large stacks of rubbish, making a few things fall down, clattering loudly to the floor. Granger jumped out of the way of a dresser drawer and ran into Weasley. Her body pressed against his for a moment and Draco felt like he could spit venom.
He surged forward, reaching for her, but Weasley raised up his wand stopping Draco in his tracks. He glanced from Weasley to Granger; she looked so small and lost right now, like it wasn't just the drawer that was crashing down around her.
"Don't bother trying to convince him of anything. He's a Death Eater. He's a purist. He's a Malfoy." Weasley said his name like it was rotten.
"But- he doesn't want to be!" She turned her big chocolate eyes on him and Draco's brows pulled tight. "You don't have to do this. You don't have to be like them. Just-" she gulped down a breath and her eyes slid down his arm. "Give me my wand and we can-"
"This is the only way!" Draco shouted, panic starting to shoot through his limbs. Why couldn't she see that this mark, the curse it was, was also the only thing that could keep them safe?
"It's not, Draco. We can do this. You can do this." Her voice was soft and pleading. "Say it. Say you love me-"
He didn't want Weasley here for this and Draco bristled before he answered in a low voice, "You know I do."
"And you don't want that life anymore."
He felt like he hit an invisible wall. A wall separating him from Granger.
"Say it, Draco. I've always said what you needed to hear and this- this is what I need. Say you don't want to be a Death Eater anymore and the Order can help you. Say it. It's all I want. You're all I want."
Draco blanched. Was she serious? He could keep them safe. He could keep them together. The Order would just get them killed.
"You don't know what you're asking of me," he said in a pained voice. Betraying his blood, his family… he had done all of this for them. After everything, everything he'd gone through, everything he'd done... Could he?
"See? He won't do it, Hermione." Weasley was standing right next to her. And this time Granger didn't move away. "You'll never be anything but a Mudblood to him."
Oh fuck him. Draco's anger rose up like poison, seeping into his bloodstream and soaking into his brain. Then Granger took a few steps closer to him and touched the hand holding her wand gently.
"I know you don't want this. I know you. Please, I'm begging you-" she gasped, as if it was too painful to speak.
The lightning struck in his chest, sending painful jolts into his heart and through his veins. She looked so small and fragile and he took a step forward, wanting to pull her into his arms and hold her and tell her it was all going to be okay and he would… he would do what he had to in order to keep her. Whatever he had to.
Is this what it would take? Betray his Master and turn Blood Traitor? He'd paint a larger target on his back than the one she had on hers. How could he protect her then?
But how could he not? Granger had just come back to him, he couldn't lose her again. Wouldn't lose her again. He had said he wouldn't hurt her this time. Draco looked deep into her big doe eyes. He wasn't going to. He wasn't going to let anything happen to her, no matter what it took.
"Granger, I-"
"Draaacooo…" A scratchy voice echoed form one of the paths around them. Everything stopped. Time. His heart. The world. It all froze and then all moved too quickly for Draco to do anything to stop it.
"Who's that?" Granger asked breathlessly.
Goddamn it. He should have known she wouldn't wait. He should have known that his mental aunt would have been too excited at the prospect of raiding the school to not rush in as soon as she got the note telling her that he was ready and wanted to accept her offer to help.
He had called on her because he knew he couldn't do it on his own and that Bellatrix wouldn't let him back out. But she was supposed to have goddamn waited until he gave her the all clear once it was after hours. All of that felt like a lifetime ago. Like it was a different person who had done that.
But it wasn't. It was him. But she had changed everything for him. She had brought light into his dark world and without it, without her, he had gotten more lost than he had ever been before. But she was here now, standing in front of him and he wanted nothing more than to grab her hand and run with her. Out of the darkness and into her light.
Draco hardened his expression into a mask, trying to hide the maelstrom raging inside him. "Go."
"What?" she squeaked.
Bellatrix couldn't find her here, not Granger. He knew the horrors his aunt was capable of and he was not going to let that happen to his girl. He had said he would do anything in his power to make this up to her and he would. Anything. Everything.
"Go with Weasley." The words tasted bitter and foul in his mouth.
"Draco-"
He pushed her back towards Weasley, shoving her hard into him. It didn't take any time for Weasley to reach out a lanky arm and grab her to start pulling her away. Draco's blood was poison in his veins as he looked into her large innocent eyes, so beautiful, so pure. And he wasn't. He was branded and scarred by dark magic and there was no hiding or getting rid of it now. No matter how much he might want to.
Bellatrix's voice rang out again, singing his name playfully.
"Where's your nephew, Bella? I thought you said he was waiting on us." He didn't know the voice, but it had the familiar aristocratic drawl he had grown up hearing.
Then a deeper, gruffer voice spoke. "I think I can smell something over this way."
Fuck, he knew that one. Fenrir was here too. Granger had never been in more danger in her life. She had to get out of here, now.
Granger looked down the rubble-strewn path and then turning back around to him with trepidation growing in her eyes as the rest of her face paled.
"You bastard." Weasley at least had the decency to have stopped shouting. "Here?!" he fiercely whispered. "You brought them here?!"
"Draco… what have you done?"
Granger was breathing fast, her chest rising and falling as she slowly shook her head as if somehow, something was going to change. But he could slowly see the disillusionment seep into her chocolate brown eyes as the hope faded from it. Draco swallowed, unable to say or do anything to stop it.
"You promised…" she whispered, voice breaking. "You didn't mean it did you? You were never going to…"
Draco felt like his bones were cracking inside of him as his body and his mind went to war. "Granger, I'm sorry! It was before! I… I'll fix this. I'll fix all of this. Just go. Run. Hide. I'll come for you."
Granger glanced over her shoulder at the path leading towards them, coffee curls trembling. She turned back and took a step towards him. Draco could hear Bellatrix laughing and the sound of objects clattering and breaking. Weasley grabbed onto her hand again to pull her back. Draco made no move to stop him.
He let his cold gaze rest on Weasley's for a moment. "Take her."
He cast his eyes down, unable to stand the look in her eyes any longer. He had never hated himself more.
Ron pushed the door open quickly and he and Hermione spilled out from the Room of Requirement. The sun had gone down long ago and the torches only offered small pools of flickering orange light against the inky darkness that hung heavily from every corner and crevice of the corridor.
Hermione's lungs weren't working properly. She breathed in deep, heavy breaths of cool night air, but none of it was working to clear the swirling, storming cloud of confusion churned up by her rushing thoughts.
Draco let Death Eaters in. Draco let Death Eaters in. Draco was a Death Eater. Draco was a liar. Draco was…
"Hermione, we need to go. We have to tell someone-"
"Wait-" She looked back at the door, but it had already changed into a cold, grey wall again.
"You aren't serious," Ron's face fell. "Hermione, he's one of them."
"He's…" Not. A Death Eater. A liar. Draco.
"Have you lost your mind?!" Ron was shouting again. The lion in her chest growled. He was always shouting at her now. Ron spun her around, blue eyes wild as they searched her face for any hint of reason.
Hermione glared back at him. He didn't understand. He didn't want to understand. He just wanted to see Draco as a Death Eater and… and he was. Good Godric, he was. Her insides clenched tightly and she looked up at the high ceiling above her as if some answer was going to come down and explain everything was just a big misunderstanding and Draco was going to walk through the door and take her in his arms again and it was going to be like before.
She blinked slowly, her lashes brushing against the tops of her cheeks.
The ceiling remained cast in murky shadows.
"You've got to wake up from whatever he has you under. Hermione," Ron grabbed her shoulders tightly. "I need you with me."
"I'm not under any spell or taken any potions, Ron!" she said, exasperated. "I know this is hard for you to understand right now, but-"
"So, you… wanted to? You let him-" Ron's expression shifted into one of confused disgust. "You were mad that I kissed another girl so you fucked Malfoy?!"
"This isn't about you!" Hermione yelled back. Ron blinked in surprise. "I'm sorry you found out that way, I really am, but this isn't because of you. I made this choice because I wanted-"
"How could you?! You know who he is, what he is. After everything he's done! To me and Harry and… Hagrid and Neville and everyone! He called you Mudblood for years and you still-" Ron was fuming, shaking his head making the torchlight dance across his fiery red hair. "I thought you were better than that."
She had always known Ron would never understand, but that didn't help any with the feelings of complete helplessness she was lost in right now. "Ron it wasn't-" She tried to find the right words, but failed.
"Serious?" He sneered. "Yeah, I'd fucking say so. After all, he wanted you gone as soon as his real friends showed up."
"Stop." Her voice shook with that one word. Ron was being incredibly harsh, but he wasn't as far away from the truth as she would have liked. Everything was crashing down and she hadn't even had any time to pick up the pieces.
"He doesn't love you."
Hermione closed her eyes tightly.
"He was lying to you. He was using you."
"Please."
"Hermione," Ron took her hand in his and she opened her eyes to see him looking at her with unexpected concern on his freckled face. "He's a Death Eater."
That was the truth. That was real. She could go back and forth on everything else, but Draco was, and always had been, a Death Eater.
"I- I know." She cast her eyes down.
"It might not have been magic, but it wasn't real. Hermione, it wasn't real."
Ron pulled her into a strong hug, wrapping his arms around her tightly before pulling back and resting his hands on her upper arms. This small, but comforting gesture was almost more than she could bear. She felt so alone right now; Draco had… had done what he did and how could they ever be together now and Ron knew everything and he was so mad at her but then he was also here with her and Draco was in there with them and-
"You're my best friend and I need you for this. Are you with me?"
Her chest shattered into tiny fragments, slicing up everything in her on their way down.
Her eyes fluttered and she let out a weak breath. "Yes."
Ron pulled the Map from his pocket. "McGonagall is on the third floor. Let's go."
They rushed through the castle, Ron leading her on as they jumped down stairs and ran along corridors. The shadows seemed longer tonight for some reason, broken up by flaring torches of burning light. Hermione was trying to piece everything back together, but it was all so broken. Draco wasn't a cold blooded killer, she knew that. He hadn't even wanted to take the mark and his attempts on Dumbledore's life had been half-hearted; probably more to cover up the fact that he didn't want to do it than to actually try and kill their Headmaster. He had been so happy with her tonight and smiling and his eyes had shone so bright when he told her he loved her again.
Then why had he done this? If he really loved her he wouldn't have brought Death Eaters into the school. He wouldn't be trying to kill Dumbledore. If he loved her, he'd be with her right now. But he wasn't. He had told her to go so he could join in with the other Death Eaters.
"Professor!" Ron shouted and Hermione saw Professor McGonagall at the end of the hall.
"Mr. Weasley!" she said, surprised to see him and Hermione rushing towards her. "What is the meaning of this?"
"Death Eaters-" Ron gulped down a breath and glanced over at her quickly. "In the castle. There's Death Eaters in the castle."
Hermione had never seen Professor McGonagall unnerved like this before and it scared her.
"What? Where?" she asked quickly.
"Seventh floor." Ron stood up straighter and gripped his wand tightly.
Hermione could practically feel the tension coming off of Professor McGonagall. "As quickly as you can, tell me what's happened."
Ron recapped efficiently, leaving out the Map, the felix, and finding Hermione and Draco together. He said they were patrolling and heard them in the Room of Requirement, trying to find a way in. Hermione sent up a silent prayer of thanks. She knew he must hate her right now, but he was protecting her, and by extension, Draco too.
Hermione glanced over at him and bit her lip. Why?
"I know Harry and Dumbledore have left. Is there any way you can get word to them?"
Professor McGonagall blinked once and Hermione was sure she was wondering how Ron knew all this, but then she gave a quick shake of her head. "No. But there are members of the Order here tonight in the Headmaster's absence. Remus, Tonks, and your brother, Bill."
"Bill's here?" Ron asked, his voice taking on a nervous edge.
"Yes. How many Death Eaters have arrived?"
"I'm not sure exactly, but I heard at least three-" he glanced over at her then turned back to McGonagall. "Four different voices. I would assume more though, don't they normally attack in groups of seven?"
Hermione tensed, readying to hear his name, but again Ron left Draco out. His expression was tight and set. The felix. The felix must have been prompting him to hold his tongue. What other reason was there?
"Y-yes," Professor McGonagall blinked in surprise. "That's right."
"Then you'll need more fighters."
"You are students-"
"We're all you've got."
Both McGonagall and Hermione were taken aback at Ron's sudden burst of confidence and assertiveness. Hermione knew he had taken the liquid luck, but instead of making him foolhardy, it seemed to be making Ron more… Ron. Like how he had been playing chess below the castle in their first year or how he had guided her through the Department of Mysteries. Decisive and direct.
"Hermione and I want to fight. We were in the D.A., we're Prefects, and we've been at Harry's side for years. He told us to help tonight and he's taking his orders from Dumbledore. I'm sorry Professor, but we're not going to run and hide."
"Ron's right Professor," Hermione finally found her voice. "We are both of age now and you're not in any position to turn down help. This could be it, Professor, this could be the start of the war."
"Very well." Professor McGonagall relented. "But I want you in only an auxiliary capacity. Clear the halls, tell anyone you see still out to get back to their common rooms immediately. Alert any staff or ghosts you see along the way, but do not cause panic. Tell the other prefects to stay in their common rooms and look after the students there."
"The Library," Hermione said quickly and they both looked at her. "It's full of fifth years studying for their O.W.L.s."
"Yes, Miss Granger, thank you." McGonagall nodded and pulled out her wand. "If they are on the seventh floor we will try and keep them there, blockade it. If they get past us, I want you out of the way. You are students, not members of the Order and therefore will return to Gryffindor Tower once you are done."
Ron did not answer, but only stood resolutely with his chin raised up and blue flames in his eyes.
"You're not going to do that, are you Mr. Weasley?"
"No ma'am, I am not."
Hermione bit her lip. Could she do it? Could she fight him? His dark wand sent a jolt into her palm. Draco had said he was going to fix this. Maybe… maybe he wasn't siding with them. He told her to run and hide, but she was a Gryffindor and that wasn't an option for her, especially not if he needed her.
"We- we're going to fight whether you want us to or not." She held McGonagall's gaze steadily. "We're not going to abandon our school or our-" she glanced at Ron who was watching her carefully. "Friends."
McGonagall sighed and pursed her lips. "I don't have time to argue, you know the risks. I'm counting on you to help keep Hogwarts safe."
McGonagall hurried away and Hermione felt a strange sinking feeling in her as she watched the older witch disappear from view. She had faced Death Eaters before, but this felt different. Maybe because she might look up to see shining silver eyes in a metal mask. How was this actually happening?
Hermione took a deep breath.
"Are you okay?" Ron asked, his voice deep and soft.
"No." Her voice shook. She was many things right now but okay was not one of them.
"I know I was harsh. I'm sorry."
"Everyone's sorry, but no one is willing to change because of it."
Ron paused for a moment. "I have though. Not having you as my friend when I was with Lavender changed things for me. Made me… see you differently. I don't want to lose you. But, seeing you tonight…"
"Made you hate me," she added bitterly. She knew it was coming. Might as well face it now.
"I don't hate you," he said, a bit of red creeping behind his freckles. "I'm not happy with you and I don't understand…" his red brows furrowed together. "Why- why him?"
Her throat was closing up. "Ron-"
"You know what? I don't want to know. I don't want to think about him and you and what he-" He stopped talking suddenly as his face flushed scarlet.
Hermione felt the blood drain from hers. Ron hadn't just found out, he had found them. In bed. How long had he been there? What had he heard? Seen?
"Why didn't you tell McGonagall about D-Draco?" She whispered his name.
Ron looked down at her, blue eyes strangely dark. "Because he needs to pay for what he did. And I want to be the one to do it."
Hermione's mouth fell open in horror. Ron had already tried to curse him with Sectumsempra tonight. The image of Draco's jagged white scars flashed in her mind quickly followed by the memory of his deathly pale face in the hospital wing. She didn't want to think about what would happen if Ron turned his wand on Draco again.
"We can talk about this later. Right now we need to get to the Library." Ron looked away from her. Something had changed between them, she just wasn't sure what. "Ginny's in there."
"You're not supposed to be here," Draco threw up a mental wall, blocking out the image of Granger's cinnamon eyes looking back at him as Weasley pulled her away. His chest contracted painfully.
Bellatrix pouted her thick lips. "You invited us to a party. And I want to play."
He fought the revulsion churning in him as she grinned her mottled teeth, flicking her tongue in between them. Fenrir loped behind her along with Rowle whose large frame was taking up half of the pathway alone. Draco could see his uncle Rabastan under a dark hood and two other Death Eaters already masked. He had thought it would be just Bellatrix, maybe Rodolphus. He hadn't expected her to bring a squad of them.
"He's not here. Dumbledore's not even here," Draco said quickly. He had to get them out and fast. He had to fix this. For her. Anything for her.
"What do you mean not here?" Bellatrix's playful tone dropped. "You said-"
"I said to wait!" Draco snapped, feeling his blood move quickly into each of his fingers, twitching around the handle of… Granger's wand. He still had Granger's wand. He held it tighter, wishing it was her. He took three quick breaths and pulled himself back under control. "I said to wait until I gave the word-"
"Don't take orders from pretty boys like you," Fenrir growled, pushing past Bellatrix and looking around. "Where the bloody hell are we anyways? Anyone else here?" He sniffed. "I smell something… sweet."
Granger.
"No. No one else is here." He slammed more mental walls in place, making his face a mask and refusing to look over at the ruined bed beside him. "Now go back, I'll let you know when-"
"Backing out?" Fenrir chuckled. "Pussy."
Draco felt dark anger rearing up in him again and Granger's wand rebelled against his hand.
"He's not backing out of anything," Bellatrix snipped. "I trained him myself! Draco is going to bring honor back to his family, my family!" She turned back to Draco, reaching out and patting his cheek. Her long nails were split and peeling. "Aren't you, Draco? Going to make Mummy and Daddy proud?"
Granger had been proud of him. He swallowed the bile rising in his throat at his aunt's touch and raised his chin up out of her reach.
"I told you, it's not time yet. Now leave before someone finds out you're here."
"What's this?" Rabastan leaned down and picked up… fuck. He picked up Granger's light pink bra, holding the strap on a single finger. Draco's whole body hardened like he was made out of stone. Rabastan smirked as he looked over at Draco. "Looks like you started the party without us."
Draco whipped her wand through the air, summoning the bra into his hand where he quickly pocketed it. He didn't want Rabastan's hands on it. He knew what kind of man his uncle was. Fenrir gave a low wolf whistle as Draco sneered nastily at them. Her wand had pulled against him, but he held it firmly. Two pieces. He had two pieces of her now. And he would get the rest back too.
Rabastan gave a dark laugh. "So that's why you want us gone so bad. Got yourself a little girlfriend and not ready to leave her behind, eh? Just like your father back when we were in school. Remember, Bella? He was all over-"
"Shut up," Bellatrix hissed.
Rabastan ignored her and kicked over the dresser drawer as if he was expecting to find someone under it. "Don't worry, son, there will be plenty of cunt waiting for you once you've-"
"I'm not your son," Draco snarled.
"That's right," Bellatrix said slyly and turned back towards him. "Your daddy is counting on you. Ready to get him out?"
"I told you," Draco said, trying to keep his hands from shaking. He hated that they were talking about his father. Hated that it was his father's fault he was in this mess and had this bloody mark on his arm that made him one of them. He hated it. He hated them. It surged through him, sickly hot like a fever. He wanted them gone. Gone from here, gone from his life. "Dumbledore's not here-"
"But we can get him here," Bellatrix smiled sweetly, baring her stained teeth. "Set off the Dark Mark above the school and Dumby will come running from wherever he's scampered off to."
Draco's heart was pounding in his chest. They weren't leaving. They had come for a reason and they weren't leaving until it was done. He couldn't fight them all. He couldn't outrun them either. If he tried to do anything but what they wanted him to do they would turn on him and probably break out anyways. He had to fix this, but how?
His flame of hope of a new life with Granger was extinguished as reality crashed over him like a stormy wave. He had said anything. He had said everything.
And that's what he'd do. He'd damn himself if it meant saving her.
He looked deep into the black pits of Bellatrix's maddened eyes. Her smile faded as a ornately carved silver mask slid over her face. "Time to make your bones."
Hermione dodged out of the way as a jet of light shot past her. The corridor was alight with curses and hexes, hitting shielding spells, walls, and every now and then a body. Hermione's arms were burned where curses and jinxes had brushed over her. One Death Eater was down, taken out by a curse that had rebounded off of a wall and quickly crumpling to the floor in a heap not to be moved.
It had taken too long to clear out the Library. Ron was yelling at a group of Ravenclaws who refused to be moved when Hermione sought out Madam Pince, urgently explaining what was happening and she ushered everyone left into the Restricted Section, locking the gate behind her.
"Move back, out of sight, but touch nothing!" she screeched at the mass of students huddling under the faint blue candles. Hermione glanced into dark stacks a second longer before following Ron back out into the corridor. Ginny, Luna, and Neville were already waiting for them.
"What are you doing here?" Ron yelled. "I told you to get back to the common room!"
"Like HELL!" Ginny shouted back, sticking her face in Ron's and balling her hands into fists at her side.
"It's not safe out here-"
"FUCK SAFE!"
Hermione's eyes darted nervously between them. Ginny was just as obstinate as Ron and Hermione couldn't see any way they were going to convince her to stay out of this one.
"I'm not letting those Death Eaters be Harry's welcoming party when he gets back. You can't stop me, Ron, so don't even try." She tossed her coppery hair back over her shoulders and squared them.
"If they really are Death Eaters here, then I'm fighting," Neville said, pulling his wand out of his pocket. "You can't tell me what to do and don't even try and think about jinxing me this time, Hermione."
"McGonagall doesn't want-"
"We're part of Dumbledore's Army too," Luna said, blinking her dreamy eyes. "We have as much right as you do to stand up for what we believe in."
Ron glanced over them quickly, his eyes resting a second longer on Hermione, clear and blue but… worried.
"Fine, but all of you take some of this." He pulled out the vial of felix felicis from his pocket and passed it to Ginny. When Luna handed it to Hermione, she lifted it to her lips, but with a wild thought she kept them closed, only pretending to drink the last few drops that were in the vial. Godric knew what tonight held in store for them and someone might need a little bit of extra luck.
They were running along the seventh floor corridor when Nearly Headless Nick told them the Order was in the hall outside the Astronomy tower and Ron led them off again. It wasn't long before the sound of shouting, spells, and screams filled the air and Hermione froze as she looked at the scene in front of her.
"Bill!" Ron shouted and dove into the madness. Hermione cast a shield charm around herself as a jet of light came towards her and then lost sight of Ron in the fray.
There was a large Death Eater spouting off curse after curse, throwing them wildly around him and creating a sphere of chaos in the hallway. A painting exploded off of the wall and went crashing to the floor. Luna was sending off strange lilac sparks she didn't recognize as any known spell, teaming up with Tonks as they faced off against a masked Death Eater with thick dark hair around a cold mask. Ginny was trying to sneak up to him; every spell was just barely missing her. When she got close enough she took aim, but one of the spells hit the wall next to her, sending shards of stone raining down around her.
Hermione dashed forward, but stopped short when she saw black curly hair bouncing up the stairs on the far end of the hall, heading to the top of the Astronomy tower. Neville was chasing after Bellatrix, a furious expression on his face. Then suddenly he was thrown back like he had hit an invisible wall and his body slid along the dust-covered floor, displacing a few chunks of stone. He did not move.
Her heart was thundering in her chest and she shot off a few defensive spells and ducked behind a large stone brazier that had gone out. Draco's wand functioned surprisingly well. It hadn't submitted to her, but it worked for her, with her. It seemed to almost liked being used, as if it was happy about it. Every time she sent a spell flying she could feel it pushing for more, stronger, magic to run through it. It was powerful, but needed a steady hand to wield it. It needed control.
She looked around the hallway, but couldn't see Draco's white blond hair at all. Maybe he wasn't here? Her heart bloomed. Maybe he refused to fight with them or… or maybe something had happened to him in the Room of Requirement. Oh no… please.
Had he tried to fix this? What had he even meant by that? Obviously whatever he had tried to do hadn't worked because the Death Eaters were here and… and he wasn't. She glanced around the brazier to see if she could get any hint of what might have happened to him. One of the Death Eaters wasn't wearing a mask and his long face was covered in thick, dripping blood. Oh God… there was a body under him. It didn't have blond hair, thank Godric, but it did have... red. No...
He lifted his face up and sniffed the air and strikingly yellow eyes narrowed in her direction. He had seen her. Hermione aimed her wand and sent a non-verbal stunning spell at him, but he jumped to the side with an athletic grace she hadn't expected him to have.
He took a step in her direction, smiling an awful, bloody smile. Her hand was steady when she raised Draco's wand again.
"Sweet…" he growled.
Then he was blasted backwards towards the stairs and Lupin stepped in front of her.
"How's that for sweet?" he snarled, looking almost feral in his fury. It wasn't a full moon, but Hermione recognized a bit of his wolfishness come out in him as he faced off with the bloody Death Eater.
The Death Eater got to his feet, scrambling up the stairs and away from the battle. Lupin took off after him, but once he reached the third step, he was shoved back just like Neville had been.
The stairs… Hermione looked up at them. Whatever was going on was happening at the up the stairs, at the top of the tower. But there was something stopping people from climbing them, some sort of barrier. Was there a password to get past it? She didn't have time to think about it any more as she threw up a quick shield charm to stop another wayward curse, Draco's wand buzzed happily with the use.
It was chaos. Complete chaos and it took all of Hermione's brainpower and skill to just stay afloat. She wasn't sure how long they had been fighting, but she had scratches on her arms from falling bits of stone and her hair was wild, falling into her face. As she reached up to push back a few unruly curls her eyes went wide at the sight in front of her.
Snape was running down the hall, black robes billowing behind him and Draco was right on his heels. She stopped breathing. Fallen locks of pale blond hair covered his forehead, sticking to it, but still stood out brightly against the deathly pale shade of his white skin. His brows were pulled tight in deep concentration and his eyes were storming like a hurricane as they focused in on the opposite stairwell at the end of the hall.
He was with Snape, a member of the Order! Were they fighting together? Is what he meant about fixing this? But as she watched neither of them seemed to care much about the battle going on around them and only setting off spells they needed to in order to get people or rubble out of their way, her light colored wand held tightly in his large hand. But she noticed that no one was sending curses at them, not Order members and not Death Eaters. They all let them pass, let them through.
She leaned out from her protected spot behind the brazier, holding Draco's wand out in case she had to cast a shield charm. There was something different about Draco's expression, something… dark.
Something was wrong.
Draco paused as they reached the stairs and looked like he might turn back for a moment, but then Harry appeared, jumping down the last half dozen steps and into the hall, his face almost as white as Draco's. And Hermione's blood ran cold in her veins.
Harry had been with Dumbledore. Harry had been at the top of the tower. Draco had just come down from the tower. Snape had come down from the tower. Dumbledore had not come down from the tower. Certainly they would not have abandoned Dumbledore if there was still a fight up there and Harry looked furious.
They felt like different strains of thought instead of one cohesive one, but they were all rushing down every nerve ending in her body, chasing each other, racing, and not letting her think anything else. Draco. Harry. Dumbledore.
"SNAPE!" Harry bellowed and began to tear down the hall after him. Hermione met Ron's eye from the other end of the hall. He looked from her to Draco's poised form at the top of the stairs leading down into the castle and then back as Draco disappeared, following Snape down.
Hermione gripped his wand in her hand and stepped out from her protected spot.
"NO!" Ron shouted, but Hermione was already dashing towards the stairs. Her Gryffindor courage fired up, filling her with brazen recklessness as her dodged spells and jumped over a torch still burning on the ground.
She could hear someone behind her, but didn't stop to see if it was friend or foe. If it was an Order member then she didn't have to worry and if it was a Death Eater then she needed to keep moving anyways. It didn't matter. All that mattered was Draco. She had to get to Draco.
She slowed when she got to the fourth floor. There was no sign of anyone here and it was strangely quiet. Too quiet. She could hear her heartbeat in her ears and her quick breathing as she tried to catch her breath. Her arms and legs tightened like coiled springs in the suppressive silence.
"Draco?" His name echoed down the corridor, bouncing off of the walls.
Hermione took a few steps forward. A nervous tightness took hold of her and her blood felt too thick in her veins and her limbs moved too stiffly and her mind raced too quickly, seeing shadows move where there was only- stillness. Empty. Nothing.
She was alone. Completely alone. And there were Death Eaters in the castle. It was like one of her nightmares come to life. Panic gripped her tight, warring with the boldness that had driven her down here and pumping adrenaline through her.
"Harry?" she called out a little softer and took a few more steps down the corridor. Her heart was in her throat when she tried again and whispered, "Draco?"
"Hello, Sweetheart."
Large hands grabbed her and pushed her roughly, pulling back a tapestry and shoving her against the cold stone wall. Darkness surrounded her as the thick tapestry fell back and she looked up into shining silver eyes.
"Thank Salazar," he breathed out and collected her quickly into his arms. They were strong and wrapped around her like she was made to fit in them. For the briefest moment everything else fell away and she breathed in his sweet mint and soft parchment scent, letting her body mold into his and oh God, it felt so good.
"Draco-" she gasped, wrapping her arms around him as well and feeling the strong muscles she had come to know tighten at her touch.
He grabbed her face, turning it up towards him and looked her over. His thumb brushed some dirt off of her cheek gently. "What are you doing here? It's not safe! I told you to hide, I told you I'd come for you, but… you came to me, didn't you?" Draco's eyes shone. "That's my girl."
"Draco, what's happened? You were on the tower with Harry and-"
"Shh, don't worry about that," he said in his low voice, relief relaxing his ashen face and letting a small smile pull on his lips. He brushed his fingers into her hair, running them through her curls. He pulled up her hand in his, kissing a few of the scratches on her skin. She saw a faint tint of red smear over his lips. "It's over. It's all over, Granger and-"
"What did you do?"
His eyes hardened slightly at her tone of voice. "You think I-"
"Where did Harry and Snape go? Where's Dumbledore? Is he still on the tower?"
Draco blinked and in that small instant, his face carved into impassivity. "No."
Hermione narrowed her eyes, trying to figure him out. It wasn't a flat out lie, it was one of his special twists of truth. That didn't make it any better. She pressed her fists against his chest, pushing him back a little and she saw him glance down at his wand in her hand, hunger gleaming in his grey eyes.
"Granger, I will tell you everything," he said seriously as he turned them back up to her. "I swear on Salazar's watery grave, but right now," he pulled the tapestry back a little and orange light pooled inside. "We have to go."
Hermione planted her feet on the ground. "I'm not going anywhere until you tell me-"
"Dumbledore's dead."
The world stopped spinning, or maybe she was just spinning the opposite way? Hermione's legs started to give out from underneath her.
"Shit, Granger!" Draco's arms were around her again, holding her up. She could feel the pattern of her wand pressing in between her shoulder blades. "I've got you," his voice was as soft as velvet and Hermione wanted to sink down into it.
"I've got you," he repeated, softer this time. "I won't let you go."
"Stop-" she gasped, pressing her fists against him, trying to push him away, but she seemed to lose the strength in her arms.
Dumbledore. Dumbledore was dead. And Draco was on the tower and Dumbledore was on the tower, but Dumbledore wasn't there anymore and Draco was here and-
"Look at me." Draco was pulling on her face, trying to turn it up to him, but Hermione pulled it away, refusing to look at him, to acknowledge what he said was true. "Granger, look at me."
"No," she whimpered. "Draco, no. Stop."
"I can't," he pressed his head against hers. "It's too late for that now, but it's not too late for us." His hands tightened around her.
Not too late? After what he'd done? She had forgiven him for a lot of things, many of them she shouldn't have, but this… Something spiked up in her suddenly and violently and Hermione reacted instinctively. "STOP! Let GO of me!"
Her body bucked and fought against his hold, pushing them both back out from under the tapestry and into the corridor.
"Shit!" Draco stumbled back, obviously surprised by her quick movement. Hermione thought of the liquid luck in her pocket and now wished she had taken it when she had the chance. She quickly moved into the dueling stance Harry had shown her last year in the D.A. and raised up his dark wand in front of her.
"What did you do, Draco?" She put as much fortitude in her voice as she could and it still shook slightly.
He was still. So still he was more of a statue than a man. The only sign of life was the dark storming in his eyes. Slowly it spread over him like a shadow of a cloud. "I meant it when I said I'd do anything for you. I did what I had to. I did what I could."
She didn't want to hear this. She didn't want to think about what he'd done and she didn't like that he was naming her as the reason. Her eyes began to blur as a line of water gathered in them.
"It just wasn't enough."
What? She blinked to clear the water from her eyes.
"But I'm not going to let that happen to you."
Draco had her wand raised and pointed in between her eyes. Her breath and heart caught in her throat, choking her. She couldn't think, couldn't feel, couldn't do anything but look down the end of her own wand turned against her. Her eyes went impossibly wide.
"Imperio."
It felt like sinking into a cool pool of water on a hot summer day. All the little aches and pains from the battle upstairs faded. The scratches and cuts on her arms felt like nothing, like they weren't even there. A calming hazy mist floated through her mind and she felt herself floating along with it, accompanying, but not in control.
Come to me.
Hermione was moving. She was in his arms. Draco gave her a quick kiss on her forehead and she looked deep into his rain grey eyes, the only things that she could make come into focus. Her body shaking, fighting against the hold on it and something deep in her trying to break free, like a lion in a cage.
"You've got to relax. Just listen to my voice. Don't be nervous." It was the low, commanding tone he had often used with her. It was easy, so easy, to follow it. She knew that voice. She knew those words. Hermione nodded and saw him flash her a crooked smile. "Good girl." Come.
It was hard to keep up with him. His legs were much longer than hers to start with and she kept missing steps, thinking the floor was going to be there when it wasn't or dragging her feet when she didn't pick them up high enough. Draco was practically gliding next to her, his arm wrapped around her, keeping her close to him. He moved them quickly, guiding them through passageways, staying off the main corridors and taking side stairs, keeping them out of sight.
"Draco…" her own voice sounded very far away and she wasn't sure she had actually spoken because a strangely long time seemed to pass before Draco answered her.
"Just a little farther, Sweetheart. They blocked the seventh floor so we're just taking a detour. That's all."
Oh. Okay. Just a detour. That was fine. It felt fine. Everything felt… great, actually. It was like the feeling Draco normally gave her but magnified a hundred times. Hermione felt the cool mist swirl in her mind and breathed it in, letting it fill her. Mmm, minty.
"You're doing so good," Draco cooed. "My beautiful, brave girl."
Tell me you love me.
Hermione spoke without thought, looking up into his grey eyes. "I love you."
The lion in the cage roared and Draco made a happy humming noise deep in his throat.
They were outside. She could see the stars, sparkling like small white diamonds in the dark sky. They seemed farther away than usual though and Hermione almost tripped when it took her too long to look away from them.
"Careful, now. We're almost there." Draco's arm was strong around her, pushing, pulling, and protecting her. "In fact," he paused for a moment and plucked his wand from her fingers, which didn't try at all to hold onto it. He took his time, letting his hand travel over her body as he brought it back.
"What's this?" he murmured and Hermione felt his long fingers dip into her pocket. She blinked and Draco was holding out the almost empty vial of felix felicis in front of her. "Well, well, well… You know, winning this would have changed my life. But you did that for me instead." He turned it upside down and she watched, mesmerized as the thick golden liquid fell in fat drops onto the ground.
"Don't need luck anymore though." He tilted her face up to his and swiftly brought his lips down on hers. Hermione barely had a chance to react before they were gone again. "I've got everything I need now."
They moved on again. Draco was pulling her faster, harder, and the dark grounds seemed to move by her in a blur as they made their way across them. The night was unseasonably cool and Hermione felt the cold start to nip at her. She normally wore a jacket or a sweater, but tonight all she had was her thin t-shirt which didn't do much against the chilly air. She huddled closer to Draco, but he seemed to almost be draining the warmth from her.
There were trees up ahead, tall and dark.
"Where…" she said softly.
"It's going to be good, you'll see," Draco said in his velvet voice. "It will take some getting used to, but you'll be happy. With me." He squeezed his arm around her. "Only me. That's what you said you wanted, isn't it? Only me? That you didn't want to leave me? Now you never will."
Yes, but not like this. She gasped in some of the cold night air, trying to clear her head, but Draco's heavy fog rolled back in, shrouding it.
"I'm going to take care of you, protect you. I couldn't save him, but I can save you. Keep you safe. I'm going to be so good to you, Granger. I'm going to treat you like you should be treated. I'm going to dress you like a queen and then fuck you like a slave."
Hermione shivered in the cool air.
"You like that?" he chuckled. "I knew you would. I know everything you like because it's what I like too. You're perfect. We're perfect. And now we're going to be together."
There was shouting in the distance and she felt Draco's muscles tighten, his body almost too solid against her compared to the mist she was floating in.
"Granger."
Stop.
One voice was in her head and the other in her ears. Hermione's body halted so quickly she almost tumbled over. Draco held onto her like she was nothing, like she was everything.
"This way, pet." Left. Move. "We need to get away from-"
"Draco!"
"Fuck me," Draco muttered viciously.
"What are you doing? Get over here! The gate is-" The voice… she knew that scratchy voice, but couldn't place it in the fog. "Who's with you?"
The haze in her mind swirled thickly as Draco turned them around. Hermione leaned heavily into him, his tall frame and strong arm the only things keeping her upright. There was something in the sky… moving… slithering…
"Drac- Draco," she breathed out his name.
"Hush." Quiet.
The fuzzy outline was coming into view; twisting… curly. "Draco," the scratch voice said softly in an impressed whisper. "Did you catch one? An Order member? Well done!"
Draco's body was as hard and cold as marble against her. The figure was getting closer and the lion started to roar, pacing in its cage as the cool mist in her mind swirled thickly. Draco leaned down, pressing his mouth against her ear and hissed. "Listen to me carefully, Granger and do exactly as I say. Stay down. Stay quiet. Stay safe. I will come for you."
I will come for you, Hermione, I promise.
She felt something slide into her back pocket, thin and hard. Her wand. He was giving her back her wand.
As soon as his fingers left it, he shoved her roughly away from him. She landed hard in a wet puddle, mud splashing up over her hands, arms, and face. She sucked in a large breath and the fog in her mind rolled back.
Her lungs filled with the cold night air and it was cold. Much colder than she realized and her now wet clothes weren't helping. Everything was swirling around in her brain as it all came back too fast and too jumbled for her to make sense of it. As she gained control over her body again, every scrape, cut, and burn flared to life. Hermione winced sharply, her wrist- oh God, her wrist. It was shooting pain up her arm and she looked down to see it bent strangely under her.
Her vision swam and then everything came into sharp relief. Draco was standing over her, Bellatrix was a few yards away, and the Dark Mark was hovering in the sky overhead. Hermione's eyes went wide watching it. The serpent was slithering through the clouds as if it was trying to reach the top of the Astronomy tower.
"No," Draco growled and his voice jolted something in her. He was standing over her, towering menacingly. "She's nothing," he spat. "Nothing but a filthy Mudblood."
He slammed his boot down in the puddle, splashing mud over her and onto her face. Bellatrix laughed wildly, throwing her head back and her curly hair fell shaking down her back. Draco lifted his boot and pressed it into her chest, pushing her back until her curls were soaked in the cold, dirty water.
Draco sneered down at her, grey eyes gleaming with malice as he pushed her down. "Not fit to lick my boots."
The pain in her body was nothing compared to the cracking in her chest as her heart splintered and shattered. What was he doing? Why was he saying this?
Bellatrix was jumping up and down gleefully and clapping her hands. Hermione was gasping for breath, Draco's boot pressing heavily into her chest. His eyes were as hard as granite, but for just a moment, barely half a second, they flashed with as much pain as she herself was feeling herself.
"Bella! Draco!" Hermione's head turned slightly as another dark robed figure appeared in the distance. "They're on us! Move!" The dark haired wizard shot a spell over his shoulder and then started off running again.
"Draco," Hermione gasped, trying to fill her chest. "Don't… don't do this."
"Listen to her beg!" Bellatrix cackled. "Make her do it again!"
"Shut up!" Draco barked, his eyes like iron. "Shut your mouth."
He lifted his boot and Hermione tried to breathe, but her chest was bruised from his weight.
"Need me to show you how it's done?" Bellatrix skipped a little closer.
"NO!" Draco shouted, rounding on her. "No," he said a little more calmly, stepping in front of Hermione again, blocking Bellatrix. "I already had one quarry taken away from me. This one is mine."
Bellatrix's face broke into a wide smile, showing off rows of rotten teeth.
Hermione turned back to Draco, his face a blank marble mask, but his silver eyes shone brightly against the dark night around him. He pointed his wand down at her and Hermione felt another crack in her chest, breaking her heart.
"You…" her voice shook with emotion. "You said you w-wouldn't hu-hurt me."
Draco's lip curled over his straight white teeth and then gave her a knowing smirk. "I lied."
Hermione took a fistful of mud and flung it at him, hitting him in the face. It splattered across his white face, marking him with the same filth she was drenched in.
"Draco! Now!" Bellatrix called from the path and Hermione heard shouting coming from the direction of the school.
He leaned down over her, silver eyes shining strangely for a moment before he said, "This isn't over."
A blast of light hit her chest. Hermione was knocked back into the mud and water again.
She opened her eyes and saw his boots moving across the grass quickly. Bellatrix threw her arms around his neck and planted a smacking kiss on his cheek in a parody of a loving gesture before guiding him off with her.
"The Dark Lord will be pleased with what you accomplished here. Not the original plan, but resourcefulness is a fine quality. One of the many that the Dark Lord possessives himself!"
She pushed herself up, closing her eyes tightly and bracing herself against the pain in her wrist. Gasping loudly she made it up and opened her eyes but… Draco was gone. Disappeared into the dark night.
She staggered forward, chest aching and sore from his boot or maybe whatever spell he had knocked her back with. Making it to the path to the school gates Hermione saw Hagrid's hut billowing white smoke and beyond that, people were starting to gather around the outside of the school. She looked down the path to where the school gates led out onto the road to Hogsmeade.
The grounds were dark and quiet. They were gone. He was gone.
Hermione wrapped her arms around herself, trying to keep her body in one piece as it broke apart. She was on her knees, muddy water dripping from her curls as she cradled her wrist against her chest.
"HERMIONE!"
Arms wrapped around her, almost knocking her over. "Shit, Hermione, is that you under there?" Hands pushed back muddy curls and wiped the dirt from her face.
Harry. Harry was here and holding her and she was collapsing in on herself. He held onto her, his own hands shaking on her shoulders and she could feel him breathing heavily, painfully. He had lost Dumbledore tonight. He had lost the closest thing he had to a guardian because- because of Draco.
Because she had taken too long to tell someone about him and she had believed him when he said he changed because it was what she wanted. It was what she wanted more than anything so she had been willing to believe anything he told her, anything he wanted her to. And she had let him. She had let him lie to her.
"Harry, I'm so sorry!" she sobbed. "I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry, I'm so sorry." She repeated it over and over. She repeated it until the words ran together, until they didn't make sense anymore. Until they were taken over by the sobs that already had hold over her broken body.
Hot rays of burning daylight streamed down on Hermione as she made her way with Ron, Harry, and Ginny down to the Lake for Dumbledore's funeral. It was slow going as the crowd coming from the castle was large and already the seats were beginning to fill up. Ginny was holding tightly onto Harry's hand, offering him a small bit of comfort. Hermione's heart went out to him. Harry had known so much pain and loss in his life and every year it only seemed to grow heavier on him. She knew he took every death in his life as a personal responsibility and Dumbledore's was no different. Although he wasn't the one who was responsible for that.
Hermione felt guilty when she heard that it was Snape who had done the deed and not Draco and a sudden rush of relief washed over her, leaving her gasping in disbelief. He hadn't done it. He hadn't killed him. But not for lack of trying. And Dumbledore would still be here right now if he hadn't brought the Death Eaters that night. He might not be a murderer, but he was far from blameless. Then again, so was she.
It seemed that most of the wizarding community in Britain had come to pay their respects not to mention magical creatures like the merpeople and centaurs had gathered, singing their songs and giving arrows in salute to a life well lived; a life that should not have ended so soon. A wizard in black robes stood at the front of the crowd that had amassed and began speaking. From their seats in the back it was hard to hear, but Hermione didn't mind missing out on the speech about what a great man and wizard Dumbledore was. Her own thoughts and feelings ran much deeper than the list of achievements they were surely reading out at the moment.
Dumbledore had sat across the desk from her and told her how he believed in Draco, how he thought he could be saved and only needed a second chance in order to prove himself. Dumbledore's belief in Draco and helped Hermione come to terms with her feelings for him and gave her the courage to go to him, tell him the truth and try to… try to save him from a fate he had never wanted to be saved from.
The events of that night haunted her. The memories while she was under his control were a little hazy, but they were slowly coming all back. He had used an unforgivable curse on her, something she never thought him capable of. It made no sense for him to do that and then turn around and shove her away so easily. That was until she stepped back and looked at it as a whole instead of separate pieces.
She had always thought there was Draco and there was Malfoy. But that wasn't exactly true. He was both. He was a Death Eater and he was in love with her. And he had somehow interwoven those two parts of himself together, maybe to keep himself from coming apart entirely. By his own admission he was not a very good Death Eater, but Draco was the perfect example of a Slytherin. Sly, cunning, and determined to achieve his goals by any means. And what he had wanted was her.
She did believe Draco loved her, but it was how he loved her that was the problem. He loved her possessively, selfishly, and unflinchingly. So much that he convinced himself that it was acceptable to take her will away in order to keep her with him. He had told her, at the very start, that there were things he needed, wanted. And she had thought she understood, but she had no idea. None. Until now.
The look in his rain grey eyes as he laid on top of her in the white bed, melding their bodies into one and telling her how he loved her would not fade from her mind. It mixed with the cold, cruel granite that he had glared down at her and dug the heel of his boot into her chest, pushing her down into the mud. Keeping her down. Keeping her safe.
At least in his mind.
"He is a powerful young man, but terribly misguided. I believe that he thinks he is doing the right thing."
That's what Dumbledore had said about Draco and as always, he had been right. She looked out over the bright grounds, the summer sun shining down mercilessly, glistening on the cool waters of the lake. She hadn't slept at all last night, half afraid that he would be waiting there in her dreams for her again. Instead she had sat there and thought about everything he had said, everything he had done.
It had been for her. He had pushed her, called her names, and hurt her to save her. Bellatrix would have done much worse if she had known who Draco had been smuggling out of the castle. Where had he been taking her anyways? He had tried to keep her away from the Death Eaters too. Could it be that he had planned on leaving them after all? But then he could have just stayed with her in the castle. The Order would have… but no. He had many chances to turn back and all he had ever done was go deeper into the darkness. And this time he had tried to take her down with him.
Hermione blinked away tears that were forming in her eyes. Maybe she was wrong about him. Maybe it had been more lies. It didn't feel like lies though, but… after everything, could she be sure of anything anymore? Dumbledore had trusted Snape and was lying dead on the white marble table because of it. She felt the tears slip down over her cheeks. Dumbledore- who believed in Draco, who trusted Snape, who had always helped Harry, was dead. Gone. And like Draco, he wasn't coming back either.
White flames engulfed the marble table where his body lay and Hermione jumped in surprise. Ron shifted beside her and she thought she saw his hand move like it was going to take hers, but then it stopped and curled into a fist, pressing into his leg.
When she and Harry had made it back up to the school Ron had been there waiting on them in the hospital wing around Bill's bed. He rushed forward and roughly hugged Harry before turning to her and taking a second before he pulled her too into his arms. Hermione closed her eyes tightly as she held him back. Just so glad that he was alright and everyone had luckily made it through. She didn't think she could stand it to lose anyone else.
They rejoined the Order members around Bill's bed as Harry and Lupin talked about Snape and Dumbledore and… Draco. Ron had sat beside her, silent but not sullen. At first she had been afraid that he might say something, mention her and Draco, but he just stared ahead, brows heavy over tired eyes. She caught him looking at her only once, but the torn, troubled look in his blue eyes had been enough. He looked away and sighed, stretching his legs out and then glanced back at her, giving her the saddest, smallest smile she had ever seen. At least he didn't hate her for what she had done. Maybe Ron had changed or grown over this year because he had never been the forgiving type. But with the war looming over their heads it put everything into perspective.
She glanced at Ron who was staring resolutely ahead and bit her lip before looking down the row. Harry, Ginny, Neville, Luna; this was her family now. Maybe not the one she was born into, but hers all the same. She hadn't been born into the magical world either, but she wasn't going to let anyone take it from her just like she wasn't going to lose anyone else she loved. Not if she could help it.
The flames burned out and it was over. Dumbledore's body was encased in a pristine white tomb and sealed away against time. Slowly they stood up and people began to file out of their seats, heading back up to the castle or towards the drive towards Hogsmeade. Hermione wiped her eyes with one of her hands and looked over to see Harry with his head bent low to Ginny, talking softly.
"Come on," Ron murmured. "Let's give them a moment."
They moved a little ways off from Harry and Ginny and Hermione looked back up at the castle, her eyes tracing the tall stretch up to the Astronomy tower. What had happened there? Harry had said very little about what occurred, just that Draco had disarmed Dumbledore, other Death Eaters had arrived, and then Snape had killed him. She wanted to ask more, needed to know what Draco had said or done on the tower, but it wasn't the time. Harry was still grieving and she did not want to cause him any more pain by making him relive Dumbledore's death.
"Are you okay?" Ron asked as they walked over the thick grass of the Hogwarts grounds.
She nodded. "I think so. It's just a lot. How are you doing?"
Ron stopped and turned towards her, his expression tight. "I'm okay."
"Ron, I…" Hermione took a breath. "I think we need to talk about-"
"No," he shook his head, the summer sun reflecting brightly off of his copper hair. "We don't need to talk about any of that. I don't want to."
"Ron-" she started.
"I mean it," he said and moved a little closer to her. "It's over. That's all I need to know."
She felt strangely cold despite the late June heat. Her expression tightened a little as she blinked a few times. They should talk about this. But… maybe now was not the time. Dumbledore lay entombed before them and Harry was starting to move off, trying to break away from the crowd as it marched back up towards the castle.
But, it didn't feel over. It didn't feel done. In fact, it felt stronger than ever, like one of her veins had broken free of her heart and was straining to get out, get to him.
Draco.
He had made all the wrong choices, but for all the right reasons. Everything he had done he had done for the people he loved, cared about, and wanted to protect. Hermione looked out over the lake again. Draco didn't want to be a Death Eater or an Order member. He had taken her and was trying to leave with her, to go somewhere else. Away from all of this. With him.
And Godric help her weak soul, but a small part of her wished he had done it.
Harry came to find them a little while later. He had ended it with Ginny and Hermione saw the sad resolution on his face. This was what he had to do to keep her safe, even though it hurt. Was that so different from what Draco had done to her? Her heart was tired. It was tired from all the pain pumped through it, all the sorrow it had to hold, and all the hurt it had endured.
They stayed out by the lake for the rest of the afternoon. The train home was leaving tomorrow morning and normally she would want to head back up to the castle and spent the day packing; making sure she hadn't forgotten anything and that everything was folded and organized and fit perfectly into her trunk, but right now all she wanted to do was sit with her friends in solace.
The war was here. It had started that night on the Astronomy tower and there was no stopping it now. He had told her it was coming, he had told her everything. Maybe he hadn't lied, maybe she just hadn't listened to what he was really saying. Hermione sat in between her two best friends and thought about Draco. Where was he now? What was he doing? Bellatrix had said Voldemort would be pleased with him, but he had failed in his mission. Would he be punished?
Would he be rewarded?
There was only one thing she knew for certain about Draco and what he would be doing now that he was no longer bound to the school for his mission.
"I will come for you, Hermione, I promise."
The question was now, what she would do when he did.
Hermione bit her lip as the sun began to touch the far end of the lake, sinking quickly into the calm surface and the final rays of daylight burned on top of the dark waters.
A/N: Hey remember how I said this was going to be the last chapter? That… wasn't entirely correct. There is going to be an epilogue I'll put out sometime before I start the sequel. And it will be Draco's POV. I know this wasn't a happy ending, but that is simply because it is not the end, darlings and I am hoping to have This Bitter Earth starting in about a month.
I have to say, I never, in my wildest dreams, thought Daylight would end up like this. And to think I almost abandoned this fic in the beginning because of some bad reviews and feedback... Dear readers, you blew me away with every favorite, follow, and review. And to everyone who has said they binged through this recently and loved it, I am so glad you found it and I love reading your comments on the chapters as you go through them. I want to say thank you, from the bottom of my heart, for reading this and putting up with all my torturing of Draco and Hermione.
xx, Ik.