Lucius made them wait another week before calling them once again. Harry
and Draco were sitting with Lupin, Ron and Snape in Dumbledore's sitting
room when it came. Hermione had been put on partial bed rest once the
potion was finalized, and she and Ginny were ensconced in Hermione's
bedroom - presumably talking pregnancy and babies. The men sat around the
fire in Dumbledore's quarters discussing the same two topics, with
Quidditch and sex thrown in for a good measure - talking about anything but
the trials that lay ahead.
Mid-conversation, Harry and Draco both jumped and clutched their forearms.
"It's time," said Snape briskly. "Let's gather our things and alert the rest."
Quickly, robes were donned and crates of vials shrunk, owls sent and words of encouragement murmured. Hermione pulled Snape aside for a moment, fear in her eyes. He drew her to him in a gentle hug and sighed, dropping a hand to caress their daughter. Faith returned his touch with a series of thumps and kicks.
"This will all be over soon," he said. "Faith will never have to worry about Death Eaters or the Mark in her lifetime. If I don't make it home, Hermione, I want you to know that it was worth it - to know she is safe."
"Come home to us," she said.
"If something goes wrong, I want you to be happy, to make Faith happy, remarry, have lots more babies. Don't waste your life mourning me," he said urgently. "Promise me, Hermione. I stopped living when I thought I had lost you all those years ago, promise you won't do the same thing. Live and love for me. Promise me."
She shook her head.
"No, you have to promise to come home to us," Hermione insisted.
"I will do everything in my power to come home," he said.
"And if you do not, I promise to try and live and be happy," she said.
Crude vows hastily taken, the pair kissed deeply until a throat being cleared nervously brought them back to reality.
"We have to go," said Draco pointedly.
And with longing looks to Ginny and Hermione, Harry and Snape joined Draco in the walk to the gates and their apparition point. Soon, the classroom was full of Aurors and other Ministry officials. Ron, Dumbledore, Lupin and Arthur Weasley huddled in a corner with the enchanted parchment that would show them when the vials had been consumed - and when the time was right for the attack.
At Malfoy Manor, the Death Eaters were waiting anxiously for their latest fix in the ballroom. Snape and Harry had produced many vials of the original narcotic for desperate Death Eaters over the past two weeks. The men practically fell upon the Hogwarts trio as they appeared in their midst. Quickly, vials were brought back to their regular size, handed out and unceremoniously drunk. Soon, many of the Death Eaters were twitching in pain and Lucius had pinned the three with a vicious and furious glare.
It was time.
In seconds, the room was full of Aurors and the rest of the 'la resistance'group - the ones who weren't expecting, that is. Wands were pulled and more than half of the Death Eaters fell to full body binds and Petrificus Totalis easily. The other half put up a fight. Enraged by the pain and their betrayal by Snape once again, the Death Eaters ferociously attacked the Aurors - despite the fact that their energies were being weakened by the calming solution. The Hogwarts trio pulled their wands and stood with their backs together, dropping as many Death Eaters as they could with curses and a variety of hexes. The three inched themselves to the doors of the ballroom as the battle raged - eventually escaping into the rest of the manor house.
They were looking for Lucius. But, before they could continue the fight, they had something they needed to do first. Pulling the two boys into a cloak closet, Snape handed them each a vial of the Mark potion minus the narcotics but plus a powerful painkiller.
"You won't feel a thing until morning," he whispered. "Then you'll feel the burn just like the rest of us."
They nodded and drank deeply, ridding themselves of the Mark forever. It had only been two weeks, but it had been long enough, thought Harry. Long enough.
They left the safety of the closet and moved downstairs to Lucius' dungeons and his study. Lucius stored his Dark Arts books, potions and other objects in his study - and something told Snape and Draco that was where they would find him.
They did.
Draco took the lead, entering the dark room and advancing on his father, who was frantically gathering up valuables and stuffing them in a satchel.
"Going somewhere, Lucius," hissed Draco, brandishing his wand.
"Draco, my dear boy," Lucius replied, his eyes wild and angry. "My son, you must help me. Where is Snape?"
"I'm right here, Lucius," drawled Snape, entering the room with Harry. "What can I do for you, Lucius?"
"You can burn in Hell is what you can do. You did this," said Lucius, his smooth voice dripping venom. "I don't know how you did it, but you have destroyed everything. You're going to pay for it, too, Snape. You'll pay for turning my son against me most of all."
"I told you he was my mentor, *Father,*" smirked Draco. "What did you expect?"
Things happened then at lightening speed, but when Draco thought about it in later years, it would replay in his mind in slow motion. Lucius roared, whipped out his wand and took aim, lobbing curse after curse at Snape, Draco and Harry. Most were easily deflected by the trio, the few that landed on flesh were easily countered by a quick mutter by Snape. The four seemed hesitant to launch a deadly strike, however, until Lucius turned to Draco and spat:
"What is the matter, Draco? Can't even cast a simple killing curse? I see you've been hanging out with your mudblood loving friends for far too long. You're soft. You couldn't even enjoy yourself at our last meeting! I was ashamed of you then, as you cried while you took your Muggles life. I'm ashamed of you, now. You're a coward, Draco. Just like your little friend, Snape, here. None of you have the courage to complete Salazar Slytherin's great work or reap his rewards. You are weak."
With that tirade, Lucius raised his wand once more and pointed it at the trio. They raised their wands in a defensive mode and waited - none of them wanting to cast the fatal curse. It was only a split second before Lucius opened his mouth and cried:
"Avada Kedavara!"
Draco cried the same words at the same time, as Harry and Snape yelled defensive spells. A horrible green light bounced around the room, blinding Draco momentarily before he was knocked unconscious. When he came to some time later, his father lay before him on the floor - dead and lying stiffly face up with his icy blue eyes open wide. Draco moved to his father and pried his wand from his hand, snapping it. Draco looked behind him to where his mentor and classmate had stood. Only one dark haired man was there - and he was lying on the floor motionless and not breathing. The other was nowhere to be seen.
"Please don't be dead, please don't be dead," whispered Draco. A quick examination of the bloody and bleeding man left Draco convinced that he was in fact, dead - or very near to it. He grabbed the body and rushed outside to apparate back to the safety of Hogwarts and to Poppy Pomfrey's expertise. "Please don't be dead, please don't be dead."
Quickly moving through the gates of Hogwarts and rushing to the main doors, Draco did not realize he was being watched with horror by the pair of wives that had been left behind. The two women at the top of the Astronomy Tower quickly took in the messy black head of hair being cradled to Draco's shoulder, the deathly white hands and the massive amount of blood, which was disturbingly visible even from a distance. Ginny swayed and nearly passed out as both women realized that one of their men was either dead or gravely injured. One of them could already be a widow. Ginny began sobbing uncontrollably, as Hermione gently held her and began guiding her to the Hospital Wing.
"Please don't be dead, please don't be dead," whispered Hermione, as she clutched Ginny to her side. "Please don't be dead, please don't be dead."
Mid-conversation, Harry and Draco both jumped and clutched their forearms.
"It's time," said Snape briskly. "Let's gather our things and alert the rest."
Quickly, robes were donned and crates of vials shrunk, owls sent and words of encouragement murmured. Hermione pulled Snape aside for a moment, fear in her eyes. He drew her to him in a gentle hug and sighed, dropping a hand to caress their daughter. Faith returned his touch with a series of thumps and kicks.
"This will all be over soon," he said. "Faith will never have to worry about Death Eaters or the Mark in her lifetime. If I don't make it home, Hermione, I want you to know that it was worth it - to know she is safe."
"Come home to us," she said.
"If something goes wrong, I want you to be happy, to make Faith happy, remarry, have lots more babies. Don't waste your life mourning me," he said urgently. "Promise me, Hermione. I stopped living when I thought I had lost you all those years ago, promise you won't do the same thing. Live and love for me. Promise me."
She shook her head.
"No, you have to promise to come home to us," Hermione insisted.
"I will do everything in my power to come home," he said.
"And if you do not, I promise to try and live and be happy," she said.
Crude vows hastily taken, the pair kissed deeply until a throat being cleared nervously brought them back to reality.
"We have to go," said Draco pointedly.
And with longing looks to Ginny and Hermione, Harry and Snape joined Draco in the walk to the gates and their apparition point. Soon, the classroom was full of Aurors and other Ministry officials. Ron, Dumbledore, Lupin and Arthur Weasley huddled in a corner with the enchanted parchment that would show them when the vials had been consumed - and when the time was right for the attack.
At Malfoy Manor, the Death Eaters were waiting anxiously for their latest fix in the ballroom. Snape and Harry had produced many vials of the original narcotic for desperate Death Eaters over the past two weeks. The men practically fell upon the Hogwarts trio as they appeared in their midst. Quickly, vials were brought back to their regular size, handed out and unceremoniously drunk. Soon, many of the Death Eaters were twitching in pain and Lucius had pinned the three with a vicious and furious glare.
It was time.
In seconds, the room was full of Aurors and the rest of the 'la resistance'group - the ones who weren't expecting, that is. Wands were pulled and more than half of the Death Eaters fell to full body binds and Petrificus Totalis easily. The other half put up a fight. Enraged by the pain and their betrayal by Snape once again, the Death Eaters ferociously attacked the Aurors - despite the fact that their energies were being weakened by the calming solution. The Hogwarts trio pulled their wands and stood with their backs together, dropping as many Death Eaters as they could with curses and a variety of hexes. The three inched themselves to the doors of the ballroom as the battle raged - eventually escaping into the rest of the manor house.
They were looking for Lucius. But, before they could continue the fight, they had something they needed to do first. Pulling the two boys into a cloak closet, Snape handed them each a vial of the Mark potion minus the narcotics but plus a powerful painkiller.
"You won't feel a thing until morning," he whispered. "Then you'll feel the burn just like the rest of us."
They nodded and drank deeply, ridding themselves of the Mark forever. It had only been two weeks, but it had been long enough, thought Harry. Long enough.
They left the safety of the closet and moved downstairs to Lucius' dungeons and his study. Lucius stored his Dark Arts books, potions and other objects in his study - and something told Snape and Draco that was where they would find him.
They did.
Draco took the lead, entering the dark room and advancing on his father, who was frantically gathering up valuables and stuffing them in a satchel.
"Going somewhere, Lucius," hissed Draco, brandishing his wand.
"Draco, my dear boy," Lucius replied, his eyes wild and angry. "My son, you must help me. Where is Snape?"
"I'm right here, Lucius," drawled Snape, entering the room with Harry. "What can I do for you, Lucius?"
"You can burn in Hell is what you can do. You did this," said Lucius, his smooth voice dripping venom. "I don't know how you did it, but you have destroyed everything. You're going to pay for it, too, Snape. You'll pay for turning my son against me most of all."
"I told you he was my mentor, *Father,*" smirked Draco. "What did you expect?"
Things happened then at lightening speed, but when Draco thought about it in later years, it would replay in his mind in slow motion. Lucius roared, whipped out his wand and took aim, lobbing curse after curse at Snape, Draco and Harry. Most were easily deflected by the trio, the few that landed on flesh were easily countered by a quick mutter by Snape. The four seemed hesitant to launch a deadly strike, however, until Lucius turned to Draco and spat:
"What is the matter, Draco? Can't even cast a simple killing curse? I see you've been hanging out with your mudblood loving friends for far too long. You're soft. You couldn't even enjoy yourself at our last meeting! I was ashamed of you then, as you cried while you took your Muggles life. I'm ashamed of you, now. You're a coward, Draco. Just like your little friend, Snape, here. None of you have the courage to complete Salazar Slytherin's great work or reap his rewards. You are weak."
With that tirade, Lucius raised his wand once more and pointed it at the trio. They raised their wands in a defensive mode and waited - none of them wanting to cast the fatal curse. It was only a split second before Lucius opened his mouth and cried:
"Avada Kedavara!"
Draco cried the same words at the same time, as Harry and Snape yelled defensive spells. A horrible green light bounced around the room, blinding Draco momentarily before he was knocked unconscious. When he came to some time later, his father lay before him on the floor - dead and lying stiffly face up with his icy blue eyes open wide. Draco moved to his father and pried his wand from his hand, snapping it. Draco looked behind him to where his mentor and classmate had stood. Only one dark haired man was there - and he was lying on the floor motionless and not breathing. The other was nowhere to be seen.
"Please don't be dead, please don't be dead," whispered Draco. A quick examination of the bloody and bleeding man left Draco convinced that he was in fact, dead - or very near to it. He grabbed the body and rushed outside to apparate back to the safety of Hogwarts and to Poppy Pomfrey's expertise. "Please don't be dead, please don't be dead."
Quickly moving through the gates of Hogwarts and rushing to the main doors, Draco did not realize he was being watched with horror by the pair of wives that had been left behind. The two women at the top of the Astronomy Tower quickly took in the messy black head of hair being cradled to Draco's shoulder, the deathly white hands and the massive amount of blood, which was disturbingly visible even from a distance. Ginny swayed and nearly passed out as both women realized that one of their men was either dead or gravely injured. One of them could already be a widow. Ginny began sobbing uncontrollably, as Hermione gently held her and began guiding her to the Hospital Wing.
"Please don't be dead, please don't be dead," whispered Hermione, as she clutched Ginny to her side. "Please don't be dead, please don't be dead."