Chapter 41
Ministry of Magic
For the first time in a long time...she was alone. Her soul was her own. But she knew that a part of her would always carry pieces of the Being from the sands. She would've cried at the loss...
Yet she couldn't. It wasn't over yet. If what Luna said was true, she was the only one that could stop him. Decision made, she pulled away from Severus but the loss was only physically since he held firmly to their link between them. One that hadn't weakened when her soul had ripped itself apart from the Being.
"Annihilate him and free us all from him. He is nothing. Just a regular wizard. One that wants to control us all. Let go of the flame. Let it devour him."
The fires blazed brighter at his words. She felt the burning race up her arms and withheld a wince. Even the cursed fire could hurt her. But Riddle's voice rose above the flames and over the fighting happening behind them. She looked up at him. He was standing a few feet from her. She expected rage but only saw death.
He wanted her dead.
She wanted him dead.
o0o
Severus stepped further back and observed. His lover moved forward slowly...almost playing to tune that only she could hear. One that matched the flow of the fire. He slipped out of her mind gently. He wasn't strong enough not to react to any pain she might feel but he knew what he could do which was to protect those she loved and called her own. Because the price had been paid but he didn't trust the simplicity of it.
Paranoia played in his mind as he circled and swept past a group of people that belonged to his former Master.
Within seconds, bodies dropped.
Blood was spilled.
But his heart...was elsewhere.
o0o
Harry grunted with agony as his arm went numb. He watched in incredulity as Hermione faced off Riddle. Too much had happened in a span of seconds that he was still playing catch up. He was barely able to stand up. But he had heard part of what Luna had told. Hermione had changed it all with her decisions. He didn't want to acknowledge it but deep down inside…
He was bloody glad she was the one.
She had always been the one. From the start and it was shameful of himself to admit it but he was giddy with happiness that he didn't have to finish it all. He wasn't the Chosen One anymore. He was just Harry. Harry Potter. Hermione Granger's best friend.
The burden wasn't his anymore.
But he knew what if felt like to carry it after so many years. He wouldn't let her shoulder it all by herself. He would have stepped towards the flames but a hand on his uninjured arm stopped him. It was Luna and she was gently shaking her head. She had a split lip and a bruise forming on her temple. But she wasn't alone. Theodore Nott stood at her back.
Luna tightened her hand when he would have shaken her off. "You can't go to her. She must do this alone. She wants to do this."
"She can't possibly want to do this on her own."
Nott spoke up next. His voice was filled with quiet menace as he dispatched off a wayward follower. "He is concentrated on her. If he turns that attention to you, her concentration will be off and somebody that's not him will get hurt. Don't stand in the way, Potter. This isn't your battle anymore. She is here for one reason only. To save us."
Luna's rich laugh drew many eyes. The mad girl was staring to the right of them and she laughed again, pointed with her free hand.
"She's not alone. She has her shadow. He won't let anything touch her. We have to stay back. We can't let anyone sneak up on her while she is busy. One little thing can change the outcome. From the looks of it, we should keep going as we are. Anything could go wrong."
o0o
Adrian squawked in surprise as somebody pinched his arse. He turned to glare at his...friend. Marcus reached back again but Adrian knocked his hand away.
"If by chance you don't realize it we're in fact fighting right now. Can you please not distract me by tweaking my arse, you bloody log."
"That is not what you called me a couple of nights, Adrian."
The sound that escaped his mouth was a damn near girly squeal. One that forced Marcus to turn his head. They had been fighting back to back at first but many of the followers had been detained or otherwise taken down by the time they had made their way around the cursed fire.
Adrian opened his mouth but shut it with a snap as he dived forward, knocking both of them down. But he hadn't been fast enough.
Pain filled his mind and something wet slid down his face as he gazed down at a horrified Marcus.
He lifted a hand that trembled but dropped it inches from his friend's face.
Darkness summoned and he answered.
o0o
Hermione brandished her wand and wandlessly deflected his weak attempts at calling the fire to him. Yet for some reason, he wasn't attacking her. Why? That was soon answered as he stepped to the side, away from the others so that now they stood at the mouth of the Atrium.
Alone.
"Why do you fight for them? What have they given you in return? Think of the things you could accomplish at my side. With me."
She shouldn't have been astonished to hear such things from him. But from what she had been told of young Riddle was that he had perfected the art of persuasion. He had been able to get what he wanted at first with pretty words. Did he think he could try and succeed with her? Did she look daft?
"I owe you no answer. I don't wish to drag this out."
"May I know the name of who wishes to kill me?" His voice could cut paper. Hermione repressed the urge to just annihilate him outright. But she wasn't that far gone. At least not yet. Not physically.
"If I remember correctly...I'm somebody you wanted to use against Harry Potter."
Something flashed in his cold red eyes. He didn't show any other betrayal of emotion but did casually ask, "The mudblood. The little friend that followed Potter around like a harlot. I didn't forget about the weak link. I was going to save you until the end."
Harlot? That was almost laughable. But she knew it hadn't been meant as a joke. She continued to humor him and mentally prepared herself. He was expecting a physical attack from the look of his stance.
Hermione lowered her shields and with a strong pull of magic, crashed through his mental shields. It was the only way. The right way to fight him. Being unpredictable gave her a fighting chance.
The instant she was in, all of her other links broke.
Her vision darkened. Fire blazed hot, even in her mind. So she used it. She invited it in and burned him from the inside out.
But the thing about such cursed fire...It also liked to turn onto the one that called it forth.
o0o
Horror washed through Dimitry as he stared at the large beast made of fire. It rose in a burst of flames, surrounding Hermione and Riddle. Nobody could get in. Nobody could get out. He would have rushed forward but a clear voice shouted across the Atrium. He looked to the side and saw Luna Lovegood standing between Potter and Nott.
"Nobody must go in. You'll die and she'll die too. You can't. The warning doesn't just come from me. They knew some would try," Luna looked to her left, drawing Dimitry's gaze. He realized that he hadn't been the only one ready to jump in. Lupin and Gabriel Black were both standing close to the other side of the flames, wands ready. Luna shook her head at the others but didn't look away from Dimitry. "She must do this even if it kills her."
Something clenched tight around his heart as he turned back to the flames. They seemed to grow taller and more powerful with each second that passed. He took a step back but his soul urged him to go forward.
His eyes smarted but it wasn't because of the heat.
His words came out strangled, "I promised her father I would protect her."
o0o
The Death Eaters were secured. Or at least reduced to piles of frozen bodies. They should have been taken away already but the defenders stood, faces full of tension as a bigger fight took place within the circle of blighted flames that had swallowed up Hermione Granger and Tom Riddle. That was something that needed more attention.
The girl had taken away all of his control. This was not how it was supposed to go.
He stood alone, within feet of them. But for the life of him, he couldn't move.
Albus tightened his hold on his wand and went as if to lift it.
But Severus was suddenly in front of him.
o0o
Severus kept himself still. He couldn't kill Albus Dumbledore in front of so many people. But he would if he took another step forward. He would kill anybody that got in the way. He gazed hard at the man in front of him. Severus wasn't a fool. Albus WAS a great wizard. Powerful enough to scare Riddle. He was also the one to take down a Dark Wizard from another time. Severus didn't have that kind of background.
A fight between them would be ferocious. There would be no clear outcome. But one thing he knew for sure was that he wasn't alone.
Dimitry came to his right and Potter stepped up to his right.
Albus on the other hand only had Mad-Eye. Severus raised an eyebrow and spread both arms out.
"You won't win, Albus. Stand down."
"She messed everything up. The prophecy was clear on who could defeat him. The only one that can do it is not her," he turned his back to them and faced the silent crowd. "Hermione Granger is not the Chosen One. She has gone too far and somebody has to stop her. She is a danger to us."
The whoosh of flames ripped apart the silence that followed his speech. Nobody in the crowd had a chance to react to it. Severus turned around just in time to see a silhouette encased in flames.
The smell reached them seconds later. Burning flesh. A few gagged. Others bent over holding their stomaches.
There was something on the floor. Something that was being consumed. Slowly. It was bare. But smaller than it should have been.
Severus stiffened when he saw the state she was in. Her clothes were barely hanging on to her body. Nudity wasn't the reason for his concern. It was the scorched skin that was aflame. He was no fool. The fire wasn't killing her but that didn't mean it wouldn't kill him if he crossed to her. She would only get angry if he got himself hurt that way.
He shrugged off his coat and held it out for her. He wanted to take her away from here but knew he couldn't.
His face might be blank but his heart was galloping fast. There was so much he wanted to say. But now wasn't the right time. It never seemed to be.
"It's okay, my love. I know. Soon it will just be us two."
o0o
Hermione breathed past the rancid smell of death and walked towards Severus. He was holding out his coat for her. She hardly cared that she was showing a lot more of her skin than she had ever had before. The old her would have blushed and run away.
Hermione shared that tidbit with her love. She wanted to soothe his ire and worry. He struggled silently all the time so she knew she would have to give him some time to get a grip. The old fool behind him wasn't helping.
She left the front of the coat open. The soft material still felt rough against her scorched skin. Severus moved to the side so that she now stood front and center. She looked to her other side and met the eyes that unlike Severus, radiated coldness. Pure frost.
She reached out and caressed his face. "Dimitry. Father. I'm okay. Hold it all in until we are done here. There is much to be said but calm down. I'm okay. I'm sorry for worrying you thus."
The frost cleared. Not all the way. But probably enough to allow a semblance of control. She finally looked forward. Albus Dumbledore stood right in her line of sight. The older wizard was glaring at her. She raised a tired eyebrow.
"Now I'm here to defend myself. What exactly did I do that was wrong? As far as I'm concerned, I just killed Tom Riddle. What could be wrong about it? The killing part? Sorry, I was fighting for my life so when push comes to shove…"
Dumbledore struggled. He did. She could see the fight. The scramble to make it all make sense. To make more trouble. But he wasn't her concern.
She noticed the looks of the others that didn't belong to her. Her eyes found Amelia right away. The woman was standing by Percy and Remus. They flanked her. For very obvious reasons. She was in the middle of all the Death Eater bodies. Auror's were too busy staring at Hermione to be of much help. Hermione ignored the old fart and made her way over to Amelia.
But she didn't get far.
A figure on the floor twitched up and another one to her side jumped her, wand out. Hermione growled and slid back, leg sweeping out to topple both bodies. Her leg protested the movement. She hissed as several burns on her body pulled. Severus bodily shoved the body that had jumped her from the side. Dimitry had his wand pressed to the throat of the one that had risen. She calmly stood back up, wincing inwardly from the strain.
Severus was glaring at...Mad-Eye Moody. The fool had been the one about to attack her. He limped on his already fucked up knee and her kick hadn't helped. She stared at him.
"That was unnecessary. But you aren't mine to deal with. Severus, let him go. Amelia will deal with him. Dimitry, love, make him sleep. They didn't do anything. Pretty much failed."
Both men listened. Of course they added their own twist to it. Dimitry kicked the man's ribs and zapped him with his wand. Severus used wandless magic to shove the limping man away from them. Amelia watched this with mild exasperation.
"Auror's take the Death Eaters to Azkaban. They will stay there for their trials. As for Moody and Albus, take them to the courtroom. We'll not waste any more time."
It was on the heel of those words that many others began to come in as the Auror's did as they were told. The Wizengamot members and the Order began to trickle in. Hermione didn't look at them. She was already searching for her own. Her brothers. She whirled around, seeking them mentally.
But they weren't here.
"Adrian! Marcus!"
Silence.
Her distress must have escaped her otherwise calm facade. Severus also searched. Dimitry stiffened. Amelia glanced back and forth. Hermione turned sharply to Harry. He had been standing behind them with the others. He was holding his left arm and pain pinched his mouth as he stared at her.
"Where are they, Harry?"
"They disappeared with Zeph."
As long as Zeph was with them, they would be okay. Hermione mentally tried linking up with the Dimitry but found herself unable to. She gasped. The only ones that heard her where Severus and Dimitry. They both looked down at her. She shook her head.
"Go find them, Dimitry. I need to know they are okay."
He nodded and walked towards the fireplaces that lined the Atrium hall. Hermione couldn't linger. There were too many people injured and more people kept coming. Many gave her a wide berth but that wouldn't last.
Hermione clutched her wand as pain raced up her back and peered over at Amelia.
"Things will probably be busy in the next couple of days. Contact me the usual way whenever you need me as a witness. As of right now, I'm the only that can tell you everything there is to know. Plus evidence if you need it. But otherwise...I'm done."
Amelia released a heavy sigh. "I know that was what we agreed on. I wish you would stay but I understand. Go. I'll send word later when things have settled."
o0o
Hermione left the others to find there way back. She didn't want to wait any longer.
But her body had other ideas. She collapsed once they cleared the floo, her knees giving out. Severus and Harry caught her. She grimaced. This wasn't the way she imagined ending a war. She grabbed Severus and he hissed when something wet slid down her arm, making her slippery under the coat. A wound had opened. Yet her injuries weren't important. She looked over Harry's shoulder but she didn't see anybody.
"Adrian!"
"Marcus!"
The silence that followed choked her. She made a pathetic sound and Severus tightened his arms around her. Harry let go of her and ran further into the villa. Severus picked her up and followed him. Hermione smelled the potions before they arrived at the room her boys usually occupied.
Zeph was the first one she saw. She was working over somebody that lay in front of her. She was sweating and her usually calm demeanor was anything but. Dimitry and Xeno where passing potions to her but otherwise stayed back. Hermione pushed away from Severus.
"Let me down. I need to see."
He set her down gently. She staggered but didn't fall. She slowly stepped up to Zeph and glanced over her shoulder. Adrian lay peacefully on his side, facing away from her. But what tightened her stomach was the large amount of blood that was around his head.
He lay half on Marcus, who spotted two large bandages around his neck. They were already bleeding through. Marcus didn't look up at her but instead spoke in a low rough voice that even to her ears...hurt.
"He pushed me out of the way but it wasn't just one person firing spells. If he hadn't moved me in time...I would have lost my head. The arse took the burnt of it."
Even the curse word was said with such feeling that Hermione couldn't hold back the sting of tears that blurred her sight. Hermione reached out and gently touched Adrian's arm. A feeling like no other touched her mind and she rocked back in her heels. Severus came up and supported her back as she gritted her teeth. Her body was making its demands. But she had to help him first.
She could still do more than those potions would ever do. She didn't know how she knew that but it was a fact.
"It's all I have left to give," she murmured out loud, her voice breaking at the end as a rush of power filled her as her blood dripped down her fingers over his open wound.
No sooner had she said that when something bright shot out of her chest and slammed down into Adrian.
o0o
Harry sat on the stairs in front of the villa. The others were inside. Concerned. Hermione and Adrian had been sleeping for the past three days.
They were healing slowly. Too slow according to the Healer that had come by on behalf of Amelia Bones.
Unlike his arm. It was healing at a normal rate. He had lost feeling for almost a whole day after the battle. Now he could move his fingers and flex the muscles on his upper arm. But unlike his right arm, his left just didn't feel the same. It probably would never.
But that was fine. Everybody had suffered their share of wounds.
He breathed in deeply and rested his back against the wooden railing. The door to the villa opened and the scent of lilacs touched his nose. There was only one person who smelled like that.
Like a warm hug.
Dimitry's wife, Zeph, came into view. She was limping slightly. She had fallen under a surge of Death Eaters while she had tried to save Sirius. She was also healing like the rest of them.
She now lay down a tray filled with warm chocolate and a large slice of sweet bread. Harry nodded his thanks and took the cup. She leaned forward and pulled out a thick scarf from out of nowhere. She wrapped it around his neck and patted his cheek.
"It's snowing, Harry. Don't get sick. Come in soon, okay."
"I just needed some time alone before I have to go back. I just don't want to leave while she's…"
"I know. We know. But we'll send word to you if and when she wakes. Aiden is recovering a lot faster because of her. So they won't be long now."
But a week passed and they still slept.
o0o
News of the woman who defeated Riddle was rampant. Many wanted to talk to her. Many wanted to see her so they camped out in the Atrium. The only public space they could wait.
But days turned into weeks and no word came of her. They only knew her by the description given by the witnesses. The woman who defeated the Dark Wizard. Tom Riddle. There was no question of his slaying. Everybody that had been present had seen what had been burning at the woman's feet.
Some still had nightmares of it.
Of course, some said it was all lies. That if she had used the cursed fire...it should have killed her too. It should have disintegrated the body. There shouldn't have been anything left over. The people said that. Others didn't care who or how. They just wanted to know if they were safe, truly safe.
Safe from the monster.
Albus Dumbledore was given the option to retire respectfully. He took it.
Mad-Eye retired to an isolated cottage.
Kinglsey took over Dumbledore's Ministry Position while Minerva McGonagall took over Hogwarts.
100 Death Eaters put away. Over 50 missing or otherwise presumed dead by magical creatures.
Narcissa and Draco Malfoy left for the states.
Lucius Malfoy mysteriously dies after a visit from a "cousin".
Pureblood Families were given regulations and were asked to pay for damages caused by their actions. Only a few of them were pardoned.
The cure for Werewolves presented by Severus Snape, Potions Master.
Amelia Bones, Minister of Magic, pardoned several Former Death Eaters. They had helped in the defeat of Tom Riddle.
Orders of Merlin Postponed till further notice.
o0o
The low but deep voice of Severus teased her senses first. He was arguing with... her father? Charles Granger sounded mad. Her father's voice filled the air next.
"We have to take her to muggle doctors. They might find something!"
"They won't. They don't have anything that we don't have. She's just resting. She is...changed. She needs to sleep it off."
"It has been over three weeks. Almost a month. What if she doesn't…"
Their voices faded in and out.
Adrian's voice was next. He sounded...sad. Almost as if he was weeping. Or almost there. Something brushed her face gently.
"Wake up. I was the one injured so why am I awake while you're still sleeping. It has to be sleeping. I won't believe otherwise. So wake up. Everybody is concerned. Please wake up. I promise not to get hurt again so please…"
o0o
March 13, 1996
Villa
For once there was no other sound but her breathing. She knew she needed to get up. But she felt feeble. She forced her eyelids to open. It was dark.
Even with the window covered she knew it was well into the night if not the early hours of dawn. She didn't try to sit up. Not right away. But she did look around but she knew she was alone. If she tried hard enough she could hear whispers coming from the closed door of their bedroom. Probably the living room or even the kitchen.
She didn't see any sign of Severus. It wasn't odd since he didn't sleep much.
Moving her arms didn't feel too bad so she slowly and gradually pushed herself up. Nothing hurt but her muscles did protest. She leaned back against the pillows that looked fluffed to their potential and rubbing her eyes tiredly.
Keeping her eyes closed, she searched her mind and tried to make sense of everything. She remembered the conversations that happened around her while she slept.
From what she gathered so far was that she had been sleeping for weeks. Merlin knew how many. She moved her legs. They didn't hurt but they did feel weak. She shook her head. She knew that more than just resting and sleeping had happened. She checked inwardly for signs of change.
Her soul was her. That she knew. Her magic was her own. Her body was her own. She looked down at her body as she pushed the covers away.
The scars were still there. Some of them peeked out from under the nightgown she wore. The one on her arm that was usually dark green was faded. The color still there but not as intense.
Yet, she couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right. It was probably something mental. Not physical. She ransacked her mind and found it.
There were only three people she was linked to. Every other link was gone. She quickly down at her thigh where the symbol others had worn was...gone.
So she had no mental link with them anymore. That was mildly upsetting. But deep down she had known that it wasn't her magical power that had allowed such a thing. Legilimency was something she had only practiced before the mark. Once the mark had come into play she had only practiced on the enemy.
She swung her legs off the side of the bed and pushed herself onto her feet. When they didn't collapse on her she gingerly put all her weight on them. It was fine.
She reached for her wand that somebody had laid on the nightstand and she was good to go. But she had to stop once before reaching the restroom to catch her breath by an armchair in front of the fireplace.
Opening the bathroom door was a bit easier. It was dark so she used her wand to set up spheres of light. They danced in front of her as she leaned against the counter.
The mirror reflected a very tired looking woman. Her hair was a mess. Her face was pale but not gaunt like she had expected it to be. The slight tan she had sported before was gone. Her hair was a mess of curls. But it was shorter than it had been before. It barely reached her shoulders now. The cursed fire must have done it…
With slow movements, she took off the nightgown and turned around. The scars were gone. The ones that had marked her. The ones that had crossed her back from shoulder to hip. They were gone. She quickly turned around and leaned forward. Her eyes were almost normal. They weren't as bright as before. The gold in them were tiny flicks here and there but the brown she had possessed before was there once again. So many things were odd but she could live with them.
Now she had to face the others. But not before making herself more human. A shower would help.
Thirty minutes later, she stood in front of the door that led out of the bedroom. She had dressed in a soft green thick dress that had been a gift from Adrian long ago. It seemed appropriate to wear it now.
The hallway was dark but not cold. Her feet made no noise as she slowly walked towards the sounds of conversation. The living room proved to be empty. The fireplace was off but the warmth of the room echoed of it's raging fire that must have burned out hours ago.
She turned left and stopped when she saw Severus and Adrian. They were both standing by the sink. Zeph and Dimitry were sitting down around the table talking in low tones. It was only the four of them. She noticed their stress. Lines of it marked all of their faces. She wanted those marks gone.
She cleared her throat.
"I'm not dead but it sure feels like I am."
Something broke as all four turned to her. She only caught sight of said teacup falling before Zeph was there. A different type of heat invaded her senses as she was swallowed up in another set of arms.
It was Dimitry. His aftershave hit her nose.
"You horrid girl. You made my wife cry." Dimitry said, his arms hugging her tighter. Zeph chuckled. "He cried too. Don't let him play it down. The man was a reck and a bear to live with. Please don't do it again."
"I won't. I can't promise it but I'll try my hardest not to do so again. Dimitry, I might be horrid for it but it's not like I had a choice."
He grunted but let her go with a kiss on the top of her head. Zeph leaned forward once more and kissed her cheek. "He just missed you. We all did."
Both of them stepped back until she could finally see past them. Severus stood a foot away from her, body clad in all black. She smiled and jumped forward or at least tried to. He caught her around the waist and her feet dangled off the ground. He didn't smile but the tension slowly eased from his shoulders. She met his lips halfway.
They were warm and the taste of chocolate touched her tongue.
It could have been hours later but probably only seconds when they parted. He rested his forehead against hers and they stood like that for a minute more. They didn't have to talk. One of the remaining links was with him. And all she had to do was open it.
The surge of emotions warmed her heart and mind and she kissed him again.
They drew back when things were becoming a little too heated for the present company. With a lingering kiss to her lips he sat her down and he nodded with his head as he took advantage of their open link.
"Talk to him. He hasn't been himself and Marcus isn't here to take care of him right now."
"Where's Marcus?"
"He's back at Hogwarts, he's picking up his stuff. He doesn't plan to go back so he decided to go while the students slept. Also, he needed some space to clear his mind."
She nodded and slipped past him. Adrian was staring out the window above the sink. He had his hands fisted against the top of the sink as his back bowed out. The others stepped out, leaving them alone. She walked up to him and slid her arms around his slim waist. His back was rock hard with tension.
She rubbed her cheek across his back and rubbed his stomach with slow strokes, easing the tension there.
"I'm okay."
"But you weren't. It's been weeks, Hermione."
"I know. I could hear while I was sleeping."
Adrian trembled once. "That wasn't just sleeping. It was because of me…"
Hermione chuckled darkly. "I wasn't because of you. It didn't help my cause when I decided to give you the last of my otherness since it was the only thing that was keeping me up then. It was certainly not you"
Confusion in his voice. "What do you mean?"
"The body of a human can only take so much. Mine lasted quite a while. The Sphinx took back what it let me burrow and that meant resting while it happened. My magic and my body are stable but weak right now. But you weren't the main cause of my long sleep. So banish any thoughts that say it is."
The relief in his body could be seen. He hung his head for a few seconds in silence. He must have been beating himself about it this whole time. She kissed his shoulder and let go of him so he could turn around and face her. He did so slowly, his head still hanging down.
"Look at me."
He did. But his eyes still wore a haunting despondency that refused to let him go. She cupped his face. "I'm okay. I will get be better and we'll put all of this away soon enough. But I do have a question."
"What is it?"
"I don't have many close female friends near my age. Or a sister that can stand with me."
"Pardon me?" Clear confusion pushed the pain back.
"Will you be my maid of honor?"
He choked.
...o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o0o...
I got a new Laptop so I finally had the chance to upload. Anyways, thank you for reading and leaving me awesome feedback. Thanks for the support. Please let me know what you think. I will be uploading two more chapters. Or it might be more but I'll let you all know soon. It's been quite a long journey for us all, hasn't it? I have another FanFic planned out and have several chapters ready to upload. It will be another Hermione fanfic but a different ship. More info to come soon.
Vanee