A/N: Almost at the end! Here's chapter 23.
Disclaimer: I own nothing belonging to the world of Harry Potter.
Chapter 23 - Crumbling
Fire coursed through Ron's veins, the heat of his rage distracting him momentarily from the painful wound in his thigh. Logic told him it was Hermione that stood before them – their former friend and ally. But their friendship had crumbled to pieces.
He had always wondered about her soft-spot for Malfoy. Harry had known more than a year ago that he was working with Voldemort, but Hermione treated his suspicions with disdain. Her attitude had made him jealous at the time, but he could see now hers was more than a school girl crush.
The bump in her stomach proved that. His fists clenched, wondering how she could possibly carry the child of the boy who had tormented her and called her Mudblood. He had defended her then, had eaten slugs rather than hear someone insult her.
And this is how she repaid them. By betraying them all. Ron clenched his wand even tighter. He couldn't hurt her, even now, but he could hurt Malfoy and that would be enough…
His arm raised automatically, but immediately Harry's hand cut him off. His scowled at his best friend, but Harry gave him a look that brokered no arguments.
"They can be leading him to us right now, Harry," Ron said pointedly. "Malfoy can't be trusted."
"I don't trust him," Harry agreed, and Ron took could not help but take pleasure in the crestfallen look on Hermione's face. "But I still trust Hermione."
"Harry! Come on!" Ron snapped. "How else would he know about the Hor…" Ron trailed off at Harry's dark look. "How do we even know it's her? Maybe he has the real Hermione locked up somewhere?" As much as Ron did not want to see Hermione hurt, he would rather know she was locked up in a dungeon somewhere than have betrayed them.
"Hermione, how did you get to all your classes in third year?" Harry asked.
"With my Time Turner," Hermione replied. Ron noticed Malfoy's head flick towards her in surprise, apparently she could keep some secrets.
Harry's scar burned, it had been throbbing dully since they had left Hogwarts. He wanted to share Ron's rage, to lash out at Hermione for all they had been though. But he knew Hermione would have chosen to share that burden in an instant, they were the ones who chose to go alone. She had always told him he didn't need to win every battle on his own, and Harry wondered if it was finally time to take that advice.
"Wait here," Harry told her. "Ron," he said jerking his head toward the kitchen. Ron followed him morosely.
"We need her," Harry said.
"I know," Ron conceded angrily, "But we don't need him. I don't trust him, and I don't trust her at the moment either."
"We don't have time for trust," Harry said. "I'm terrified of putting my trust in the wrong people, that's what got my parents killed! But we've already lost Moody, the Order won't last long without him. We got the Horcrux at Hogwarts, but at what cost? The longer we wait the stronger Voldemort gets. More people will die because of our doubts. I say we hear them out. I want to hear Hermione's side of the story."
"Fine, but I don't know how much help she's going to be in her condition," Ron replied.
"I'm worried about that too. She'll be in more danger, maybe more than even me, if Voldemort knows that she is pregnant with a child that could fill the hoax of a prophecy. But maybe they have information that can be useful to us," Harry said at last.
Harry rubbed his scar, before turning away and heading back to the landing. He couldn't quite grasp that Hermione was pregnant. It was completely foreign to him, to see her like that. He felt as betrayed as Ron did, but he loved Hermione and he would protect her and her baby, even if it was a Malfoy.
Hermione had removed her cloak and was sitting on an armchair by the fireplace by the time they returned. Malfoy was crouched in front of her, whispering. Her trust in him was obvious, and Harry felt a wave of guilt wash over him. She wouldn`t need to trust Malfoy if they had been there for her.
She looked up the moment she heard them, and Harry got his first good look at her. Her eyes were rimmed in red, her hair disheveled, but she looked healthy and her stomach protruded from her shirt. Her robes were more fashionable than the ones he was used to seeing her in and she held herself differently too, she sat tall, her gaze direct – like a Malfoy.
Then Harry`s stomach lurched as he saw the black mark etched into her arm. He stopped abruptly, and Ron stumbled behind him. His eyes were glued to the Dark Mark that adorned her.
'No,' was all her managed to get out. Hermione's eyes widened as she realized what he had seen.
"It's not like that, Harry," she said quickly.
"Bloody hell," Ron gasped, "You little-"
"Do not finish that sentence Weasley," Malfoy snarled, moving to stand next to Hermione, his wand already in his hand. Ron drew his wand as well, and Harry didn't move to stop him.
"I'm a spy," Hermione said moving between them, "for the Order." There was silence, and in an instant Harry knew it was the truth. Hermione was too good to truly aid Voldemort. But she was smart enough to know the value of a good spy. Harry sat down on the couch, and watched as Malfoy urged Hermione back into the armchair. It was hard to imagine him being so attentive, but it seemed he only had eyes for Hermione.
"Why don't you start at the beginning?" Harry suggested. Night was falling, and he was exhausted. He knew Ron must be too, with the gashing wound in his thigh, but no one would be able to rest until this was settled.
"I was tasked with marrying Hermione," Draco started, drawing a glare from Ron. "Voldemort saw her potential, and that you had left, so he wanted to take advantage of it."
"Once I knew Malfoy was going to be my arranged match," Hermione said, picking up where he left off, "Moody asked if I would spy for the Order. I agreed."
"It was…challenging," Hermione said slowly, and Harry knew she was leaving out how difficult it truly was for her. "I needed to make the transition believable, so that Voldemort would trust me enough to speak freely in front of me. That way I could deliver more valuable information to Moody. I think Draco was the only one who really suspected what I was up to. Most of the Death Eaters thought I was too weak, because I was young, and a girl, and a muggleborn. So we kept up the charade, we both needed to convince them that our relationship was organic or we'd die."
"But the Dark Lord kept pushing," Draco said quietly. "It wasn't enough that we were married. He wanted her to be an active Death Eater. He marked her."
"Were you already…" Harry trailed off gesturing at her stomach.
"No, I found out I was pregnant after receiving the mark," she replied. "That's when we knew we couldn't keep up the charade. If Voldemort knew I was with child… So we ran."
"Why not go back to the Order?" Ron asked, speaking for the first time since Hermione had revealed her mark. "If you were spying for them, they could have protected you."
"They couldn't protect Harry," Hermione looked to Harry when she answered, and he felt a chill go through him. Would his parents have chosen not to trust the Order if they had known it would have lead to their deaths? All of a sudden he felt bonded to Hermione's unborn child through their shared, tragic, circumstances.
"They are using the Manor as their headquarters," Malfoy said, and Harry felt his scrutiny. "The Dark Lord is wasting resources on this prophecy, it would be a good time to strike. His mind is distracted, and his followers are divided."
"Why would you help us?" Harry asked. "You're a Pureblood. You've turned your nose up at muggleborns for as long as I've know you."
"People make mistakes," Malfoy said stonily. "My child won't be a Pureblood. I don't want him or her to be treated the way I treated people. You have no reason to believe me. But the Dark Lord has damaged both of our families. Our goal is the same. You matter to Hermione, so one day I hope to earn your trust. But for now, all I can do is offer my knowledge of the Manor and the Death Eaters."
"You don't expect us to buy that?" Ron scoffed.
There was a maturity in Malfoy Harry hadn't seen before, and he wasn't quite ready to buy it either. But he could not deny that Malfoy would be an asset if Voldemort was at the Manor. Harry had only been there once, briefly, he would not be able to strategize an attack there without inside information. He ran a hand through his untidy hair.
"We aren't taking down Voldemort tonight," Harry decided, rising. "Why don't we all get some sleep? We can regroup in the morning."
Ron stormed upstairs without a word, Hermione watching him sadly. Her eyes met Harry's and without thinking he closed the distance between them. She squeezed him so tightly it hurt. The bump in her stomach pressed against him and a ring shimmered on her finger, reminding him how much had changed.
"I'd never betray you, Harry," she whispered. "I'm so sorry you thought I had." Harry's gut told him to believe her, but his head was still wondering how Malfoy knew about the Horcruxes. He glanced past her, at the man in question, Malfoy was trying to make himself scarce – quietly examining the Black family tree. If Hermione hadn't told him, how had he known?
Hermione could almost see the gears turning behind Harry's green eyes, and wondered if he finally realized that he could count on other people. On her.
She turned away, blinking back tears. Damn pregnancy hormones. She took a breath before grabbing Draco's hand and leading him to the landing. She couldn't speak, not yet, and he didn't press her. So silently, she led him to the room she normally slept in at Grimmauld Place. She had barely crossed the threshold, hand still entwined with Draco's, when she heard a door slam down the hall.
Hermione closed her eyes, exhausted from the day's events. "That was Ron, wasn't it?" She asked, not opening her eyes, just breathing in the familiar must scent of the room.
"Yes," Draco replied slowly, and Hermione could tell he was measuring his words to avoid an insult. "I can almost understand his anger, if I had been the one to lose you I don't imagine I would handle it all that graciously."
Hermione snorted and opened her eyes, to find Draco grinning at her. "That was terribly cheesy."
"He's had a bit of a shock," Draco said, glancing down briefly – too quick for Hermione to tell if he meant their baby or the skull etched across her forearm. "And his temper is renowned. Just give it time. Right now we need to focus on keeping you safe and bringing an end to the Dark Lord so we all have a better future to look forward to."
"They haven't agreed to accept our help yet," Hermione pointed out.
"They will," Draco said, and he was so confident that Hermione began to feel slightly better.
Hermione woke up early, after a surprisingly restful night. Just knowing Harry and Ron were nearby lifted a burden she had carried for months. They headed to the kitchen, and Hermione was surprised to find Harry and Ron already up – and waiting for them. Harry stood when she entered, and Hermione braced herself for his decision.
"Look Hermione, I'm sorry I doubted you," he began, and ignoring Ron's grunt, continued, "but the bottom line is you're one of my best friends. I trust you. And I know that we need your help to defeat Voldemort." Hermione felt the restriction in her chest ease. "I also know that Malfoy is now a package deal. Married or not, you wouldn't have brought him here if you didn't trust him, so that's good enough for me."
"We are entering this at a huge disadvantage, what with Ron's injury and your pregnancy. So we need to lay our cards on the table, any information that could be helpful." Harry was looking at Malfoy here, and Hermione could see him sizing Draco up. "I'll start, since you already know about the Horcruxes-" Ron grumbled something under his breath, which Hermione tried to ignore.
"I actually didn't know about the Horcruxes until you confirmed it," Malfoy interjected.
"Liar!" Ron burst, his patience finally snapping, "You said-"
"I lied," Draco corrected. "I took a guess, and your reaction confirmed my suspicions. Why would Hermione need to come to me for information on Horcruxes when she had access to both the Hogwarts library and the one at the Manor. To be honest, I'm surprised how easily you believed she would let that secret slip." Malfoy was smirking, but Hermione could see the remorse in his eyes. A small part of her mended in that moment, knowing he truly felt sorry for what he had done to her. Ron was turning purple.
"I shouldn't have lied, but the Dark Lord was at the Manor," Malfoy explained.
"I remember," Harry answered, "it's hard to forget when your childhood enemy tries to save your life. I always wondered..." Harry trailed off, rubbing his scar suddenly.
"We need to hurry," he said, once the pain had clearly subsided. "Why did you suspect he had Horcruxes?"
"I've been around him long enough to know he wants to live forever," Draco said. "There are only so many ways to become immortal. We all know what happened with the Philosopher's stone, and I saw him drinking that unicorn blood in the forest too. He was weak, but somehow managed to stay alive. Aunt Bella used to tell stories about people who tried to make Horcruxes, they were terrifying, so she only did it when my parents weren't around. But they stuck with me. Enough for me to suspect that maybe, the Dark Lord had succeeded where so many had failed."
"Did she know?" Hermione cut in. "That he had made them?"
"I don't think so," Draco replied. "Aunt Bella was always loyal to him, but she didn't become instrumental until his return."
"Well, he did succeed. Six times actually." Harry explained, and Hermione watched Draco's eyes widen in surprise. "So his soul is now in seven pieces. We've defeated all the Horcruxes but one, and the bit of him that's left in his body."
"So what are we searching for?" Draco asked. Ron gave Harry a pointed look at this.
"I can't tell you that," Harry said, conceding. "I appreciate your help, but I can't take that risk. All I will say is that, at this point, with so many destroyed, Voldemort is keeping this last Horcrux close to him. It will be where he is. So we can defeat them both at the same time."
Draco nodded, accepting the caveat easily. And Hermione appreciated his cooperation. "There should be some books here on the Manor, my mother sent them as a gift one Christmas. We can use the information there to create so blueprints for a plan of attack." He left them, and Hermione was once again grateful that he seemed to understand exactly what she needed from him right now.
"It's Nagini," Harry whispered to her, "Dumbledore said..."
"I remember what he said, Harry," Hermione said softly. "I may not have been on this journey, but I thought of you both every single day." Ron finally looked up, but Hermione could not tell if all was forgiven. She was not sure she could forgive him yet either. But they were back together, and it was enough.
The manor loomed above him, his stomach clenched, knowing what Voldemort had done to his home and birthright. The legacy that should one day be passed down to his child. He guided them along the back of the property. He could sense magic in the air, but it felt distant, he suspected the Dark Lord had put wards up on the manor.
Draco felt a ripple of cold air as it send shivers down his spine. He grimaced as he felt Hermione's intake of breath behind him.
"I guess there went the element of surprise," Ron muttered darkly. Draco wanted to kick himself for setting of the alarm so quickly. He could already hear voices assembling.
"This way," Draco hissed leading them through the foliage and darting across the lawn to the side of the manor. He raised his wand in a slashing moment across his hand allowing blood to seep from the cut. He passed his bloody palm along the stone and watched in satisfaction as the stones melted away forming an archway.
The passage was short and within a moment Draco felt the stairs leading into the elves' quarters. He opened the door exiting the passage, manoeuvring through the panicked elves without a word. He could hear Hermione behind him, trying to calm them, and direct them out of harm's way.
Potter was hot on his heels, and as soon as they entered the main corridor Draco could see spells already flying. One glance around told him, they were not alone. The fight had started without them. He saw a flash of red hair, and knew the Order had come too, how they had known was beyond him.
Draco veered down the left hallway, dodging a flash of red. He kept his pace, manoeuvring the familiar halls with ease. Hermione's hand was warm and damp, but he tugged her along persistently, taking down any Death Eaters that crossed their path.
"Draco, wait," she called, "I don't see Harry." Draco looked back suddenly, pulling her behind a loose tapestry. Potter was nowhere to be seen. He cursed, and pulled her down again as another flash of light darted by them. He could see more Death Eaters arriving on the scene.
"We need to keep moving," he said. "This hallway has too many entrances, we can't defend ourselves here. Let's backtrack and hope we find Potter on the way."
They had barely gotten a quarter of the way down the hall, when Draco heard voices yelling behind them. He spared a glance backward, keeping his hand on Hermione's shoulder holding her down as it passed overhead. With a thunderous crack, the ceiling began to topple before them. Masses of stone fell blocking the path, and Draco felt his face sting in places where he had been struck with smaller pieces of ceiling.
Hermione moved first, stunning the Death Eater closest to her. Draco followed suit, his curses more menacing. He didn't know which Death Eater he brought down, but he did know he was screaming as he fell.
They cut through more Death Eaters. Draco led Hermione through a maze of corridors hoping to lose them, when they turned a corner and were out of sight, Draco pulled on a wall sconce, revealing yet another passage.
He closed it behind them before the Death Eaters could catch up. They both paused for a moment, breathing heavily. Draco could feel blood trickling down his face, but could not recall being hit. He noticed Hermione's torn robes a moment later, and the thin bloody line where her shoulder had been cut.
"Here," he said, running his wand along the scratch and watching as it stitched itself up.
"Where does this passage lead?" Hermione asked him, using her wand to light the way.
"It has a few exits," Draco said. "But I want you to take this passage here, on the left."
"Why?" Hermione asked sharply. "And where will you be going?"
"This tunnel leads to a fireplace," he explained. "It's connected to the floo network, and you can use it to escape if things go badly."
"I'm not running away!" Hermione snapped at him.
"I'm not asking you to. I just want you to stay here, where it's safe," he pleaded with her. "And if things go badly, get yourself and the baby out. Please, Hermione! The Order is already here. Potter's not alone. And I will go back to fight in your place."
"The Order is here, because I told them to come," Hermione said, her eyes filled with doubt. "We were so outnumbered, and still are."
"The Order is smaller, but its' members are all seasoned fighters," Draco said. "Most of these Death Eaters are new recruits, there may be more of them, but they are less skilled. Please, just stay here, and let me go?"
"Fine," Hermione said. "But watch out for Harry and Ron. And... be careful Draco." She pulled him close, and kissed him so tenderly it was hard for him to leave. But Draco knew he had to do right by her. Even though she shouldn't be fighting, did not mean he shouldn't be.
"Hermione," he whispered her name. "No matter what happens, know that I love you."
He left then, not waiting to hear her response. Afraid that she might not say it back. And afraid that she would, but only because she thought he would die. He jogged down a second tunnel, leading him to the second level and slipped out into an old linens cupboard.
The room smelled musty, and Draco took a deep breath trying to clear his thoughts. He was supposed to stay close to Potter, to guide him through the Manor. But Potter was gone. They needed to find the last Horcrux, because if the Dark Lord found Potter before it was defeated they were all dead.
He thought back to what he knew about Horcruxes, there were not Dark objects in the Manor that could have been one already, Draco knew. Whatever the item, it was something Voldemort kept with him. But Volodemort never travelled with anything except...Nagini!
Draco burst out of the cupboard, elated by his own deduction. He ran down the hall back to the room that had once been his bedroom. Everything was in disarray, as if it had been hastily searched. He tore through room, knocking over his own belongings until he found what he was searching for – his Nimbus 2001.
He mounted the broom, taking off through the window. Nagini had liked to linger in the tall grasses outside the greenhouse. He shivered now, thinking how close it was to the spot Hermione had always favoured. The fight had moved indoors, so no one noticed a lone flyer diving towards the Manor lawn.
Draco felt his senses sharpen as the wind rushed through his hair. As he got closer, he sensed movement in the corner of his eye. There she was, slithering away from him. He pulled up, and dove again towards her. He would only have one chance, he needed the element of surprised, but also a direct shot.
He met the snake's eyes for a moment before the flash of green blew it back onto the manicured lawn. It looked dead. But Draco slipped into the green house and put a knife across its head to be sure, then set the scaly corpse aflame.
He wondered if the Dark Lord could sense that his Horcrux had been destroyed. His last line of defence vanquished. Potter would need to know, Draco realized, and with that thought he headed back into his crumbling childhood home.
Coming up in Till Death Do Us Part:
He felt his skull explode and then nothing.