Her Faithful Shadow

Lady Countryrose

Ch. 21

At dawn's early light. All the Death Eaters were taken out. Each one of them were too tired to push themselves off the ground. Only to find that they were deathly out powered by Earthland's mages.

"How," Lucius Malfoy mumbled on the ground before Hermione's feet. "That you've out powered...us...again?"

Hermione does not have the energy to even shrug her shoulders. Just stared blankly at the once powerful man. Making him quiver as he laid. As she turned to leave, he reached out and grabbed her ankle.

"Wait," he panted. Causing Hermione to turn to look at him. "What changed you? You, with your bright brown eyes."

She slipped her foot from him. Giving herself some distance from him. "People like you, changed me. People who took my childhood away from me…"

She felt Cobra come next to her. Wrapping an arm around her shoulders. Bringing her close to him. Allowing herself to lay her head on his shoulder.

"Riddle...he wanted us to come here… Only to get a flute," Lucius grumbled from his spot on the ground. "There isn't any flute, is there?"

"There was," she simply told him. Knowing that there was nothing else to give him. "Why the flute?"

"Thinking it would restore his body," he chuckled without any humor to his tone. Shaking his head. "Legends...children stories…"

Lucy hissed from where she stood. "Children's stories do have a bit of truth in them. But the flute that you wanted, wouldn't bring that man back. Only to destroy the world that you wanted to change…"

The long platinum haired man groaned. "Why am I not surprised." His voice sounded tired and slightly distant. "He would have brought down Hell's fire, in order to take the world with him…" His head turned to a younger looking version of himself. "Why are you here, son?"

"Standing for something that is better than what I was told." Draco's voice sounded cold and precise. Something Hermione had hated him sounding, even back in their school days. "Doing what some would say, the right thing to do, father."

Lucius nodded tiredly on the ground. "I should have had your courage, Draco." The man coughed before blinking his eyes. "Life would have been better...if more of our family… Were more like...you."

After a moment of a staggered breath. The man known as Lucius Malfoy was no more. Only to be survived by his son. Who looked like he wanted to be somewhere. Somewhere far from where he was at that moment.

Hermione limped her way over to him. Placing a hand on his shoulder. Which nearly caused him to hiss and shrugged her off. Only to fight with himself to stay and hear what she had to say.

"No matter what anyone has ever said, Draco. You are not your father." Causing Draco to look up at her, with a slight harshness in his light gray eyes. "Remember that you are your own person and everything will be alright." Her eyes found

their way to Sirius. "Even your own cousin had found his own way."

Draco's own eyes found them towards the man. With a huff leaving his lips. "Yeah, but I'm not going to find myself in jail for twelve years. Where everyone thinks I've killed my best friends." His voice was low, where only Hermione had heard him. But he turned to her with a kind smile. "I don't know if turning into a dog would solve anything."

Hermione hit him across the back of his head. "Now that's the Draco I know." Shaking her head in amusement. "I don't know if I should allow you to go back."

He tilted his head. "My mother still needs me." Reminding her that his father is dead and gone. Leaving Draco the man of the house.

Hermione looked over her shoulder to see Lucy leaning against her green-haired man. Noticing that the rest of their friends looked beaten from the massive beat down with the Death Eaters. She felt someone wrapping an arm around her. Only to see Harry Potter next to her.

"Time for me to go, Mione." A couple of tears leaked out of his eyes. He pulled her closer to him. "It was fun, but I need to get back to Gin."

She nodded her head. "I never really got a chance to ask. How did the war go?"

He glared at her for a moment. Seeing that it wasn't truly heated. "As it had done here. I fast Voldemort, fought him and lived. He is gone, and the world has lived on. Ron," he shrugged his shoulders. "After you left, he wasn't really the same. But lived on, by helping George with the shop, and then fell in love with Lavender Brown."

"Is...he happy?"

Harry smiled, "He is. To be honest, Hermione, I don't think the two of you would be happy together. You're too smart and need to have someone to understand you. While he requires someone to mother him, even his own wife."

Hermione nodded her head. "I'm going to miss you, Harry Potter. My friend, my brother," tears leaked out of her eyes even more. "All but blood…"

"All but blood," he echoed. He then turned to Cobra with a glare. "You take care of my sister, or you'll won't see the light of day…"

Cobra raised his arms in the air. "Not planning to." He then turned to the rest of the assembled warriors. "Who else is going?"

Lucy looked sat towards Hermione. Seeing that most of her assembled keys, were going to be leaving her.

"I'm staying," stated Sirius with a smile. "Someone needs to stay and help out around here."

"Right you are, Sirius," stated James, as he rushed over to do a one arm hug with him. "Right, my Lily-flower," he asked the red-headed woman, who walked towards him.

With a slight heated glare. "Someone needs to keep an eye on you," she turned to the next person next to her. "Right, Remus?"

"Sadly…"

Hermione chuckled at her key warriors. She then looked to the four founders of Hogwarts. "Thank you for all of your help. I release you of your value. You may return to Hogwarts."

Salazar Slytherin smirk at her, before looking towards the man near her. "I would have been honored if you were in my house, Erik Cobra," he purred out. "If you were in our world, that is…"

Cobra smirk, "If only you were the teacher in her time, Slytherin." Before the man in green and sliver armor had vanished with his weapon from Hermione's side.

Rowena Ravenclaw smiled towards Hermione. "I would have enjoyed you in my house, dear." Before she faded out. Hufflepuff and Gryffindor nodded towards her before they faded out, as well.

"Bye, Granger," Draco faded out as well.

Harry hugged her one more time, just as he disappeared from her arm. Causing her to cry. Where Cobra came and hugged her. Allowing her to feel his love for her, while she was missed her friend again.

Lucy waved for everyone around them, leading them back to the temple. Where they would be staying for another night. Before they were to head back home. Giving Hermione some time to grieve for her loss.

She felt the rest of the group following after her. Only to find their belongings and fell where they had laid before. Each one of them exhausted from their ordeal.

Hours later, Hermione and Lucy found their way under the temple once more. Returning the armor that they had taken. Once they were out of the underground, Cobra and Freed helped to place the slab stone, hiding the set of stairs.

"Do you think that this place will be needed again," asked Lucy.

Hermione shrugged her shoulders. "It's hard to tell. If it wasn't the Death Eaters wanting to raise Voldemort back from the dead again. I wouldn't be needing to come back to Earthland. So, I really don't know."

Cobra grabbed a hold of Hermione, bringing her closer to him. Growling at nothing that was causing his distress. At least nothing living. "Don't think about it," he growled out deeply.

Lucy smiled, seeing the spark in Hermione's eyes. Seeing that at least someone cared about her being in Earthland. "You know, once we're back home. We're going to have to go on some jobs together." Lucy giggled, seeing the shock look on Hermione face.

"What do you mean," she asked, seeing the lost look in her eyes.

From that moment, it was then that the group of Fair Tail wizards explained how they found work. Causing Hermione to ask many questions about her new world. Making Freed writing a list of books for her to read about the world around them. Once they had returned, the Guildhall, where he would lead her to the library.

Laxus grumbled loudly, "Anyone up for any sparring?"

Many within the group had said, "I…" Leaving behind Lucy, Hermione, Freed, Evergreen and Bickslow. Where Lucy, Hermione and Freed were talking, while the other two had fallen asleep where they lay.