Chapter 17 - The Final Chapter.
Breathlessly Draco and Hermione darted from wall to wall of the mansion. Draco thought it was probably safer to sneak in through the servants entrance, and then work their way up to the owlery.
"Here, hurry!" Draco held Hermione's wrist gently in his own hands as they carefully climbed the steps to the house. Hermione looked sadly at Draco. His own parents did this to them. How awful it must be to live in a gilded cage. Draco eased the heavy oak door open and they squeezed into the Mansions outhouse. A few servants stared in shock and a couple bowed as Draco hurried past.
"Young Master Malfoy. Your parents requested that we inform them immediately when you returned to the house!" A young maid yelled. Draco ignored her and hurried on. Great, now the servants would be hindering what he had hoped was a brief rescue mission. Onwards and upwards they struggled with mounting urgency, as every maid or serving boy who saw them called to them saying his Father was looking for him. They ducked in and out on doorways and often tried to stick entirely to the servants passages. Neither of them spoke, they didn't really want to talk about what had happened out in the grounds. All that mattered was finding Mephy and getting the hell out. Then what? Draco moaned as his head ached with troubled thoughts.
After what seemed like hours they eventually arrived at a small wind of stairs. Quickly they climbed them, and Hermione gasped as she saw the Malfoy's owlery. It wasn't as big as the one at Hogwarts, but it was infinitely more intricate. Owl holes peppered the polished black walls and made it looked like Swiss cheese. Black perches criss-crossed upwards into the vault ceiling, and every single owl was shaded the colours of the night. This owlery must be cleaned daily, as there was no built up of waste or a terrible odour like the one at Hogwarts. Draco cupped one hand to his mouth and he yelled into the fluttering confusion above.
"Mephy! Mephy! Where are you?" He called, but there was no sign of her.
"Looking for this?" A sly voice, Draco's Father, echoed from behind them. They whirled about and found he blocked the only exit. In his hands was the limp body of a small and sleek black owl. Draco mouthed noiselessly. Lucius tossed Mephy's dead body onto the ground and she skidded to a halt at Draco's feet.
"You Monster!" Hermione yelled, tears streaking her face.
"Indeed. I was rather hoping my son would return to us alone." Lucius dusted his hands and looked at his son. "Still, no matter. The girl can meet with an accident now, and a small memory alteration will be in store for you, my son."
"Father!" Draco held tightly to Hermione. "Why? We will break this string! I promise!"
"I think not. We have another meeting tonight Draco. The council want you to attend. You are after all coming of age, where the illustrious career of a Death Eater stands before you. Imagine, them finding that foul impure mud blood here! Shame would be brought upon our name and you shall never be a Death Eater."
"I…I don't….." Draco stammered. He wanted to be a Death Eater so badly in his youth. To be like his Father, serve his Dark Lord, and rid the world of the un-magic mud bloods. That was before he was tied to her. Hermione. She was so different to what he had believed muggleborns to be. She was, special to him.
"What's this?" Lucius spat angrily at his son.
"I don't want to be a death eater anymore Father! You are wrong about Muggle borns! She's special to me, I…………….. I lov……….."
A blinding light shot suddenly from Lucius's wand was scored a cut across Draco's cheek. Draco fell back in shock, and Hermione screamed as she was pulled down with him. Her wrist burned with a thousand agonies but her heart was burning even hotter. Was Draco about to say…. No…. it couldn't be.
"Don't you dare say it! No son of mine!" Lucius roared as he send a shot like a bullet through Draco's leg. Blood seeped onto his robes, staining them a darker shade of black.
"Stop it! Stop it NOW!" Hermione screamed louder than she felt she ever had before. "Why are you so horrible to Draco? Why is his pure blood so damned important?"
Lucius turned to stare at Hermione, his eyes wide with a psychotic anger. "Because, you foul little shit, we are the pure bloodline! We share the same blood as the Dark Lord, and with his blood alive in the family vain then he may never truly die! Great things never die, you however shall perish!" And another shot of deathly light fired from his wand directly at Hermione.
A scream! A burst of sound and a flash of light that swelled to fill the entire room. Hermione gasped, blood splashed her face, and Draco slumped on top of her, a burning hole through his chest.
"NO!" Hermione's eyes darted over Draco, she held him in her arms as blood gushed freely over them both. "Why did you do it? You cant leave me now!" She cried, bitter tears scorching her face. Lucius gaped horror struck, never in a thousand millennia did he think his son would leap in front of his wand, and to save a dirty wretch of a muggle born?
"Look, Her." Draco whispered, and his eyes flickered to the string. It was fading! Hermione sobbed uncontrollably, willing the string never to fade. "Do…. Do you think this was the sacrifice Mephy meant?" He coughed, smiling weakly. His eyes swam in and out of a blurred focus, he saw Hermione before him, she seemed to shine like an angle. The sting faded completely, and Draco fell still.
"No……………" Whispered Hermione, and she placed a single soft kiss upon the pale still warm lips of Draco.
"My son." Lucius babbled and he stared at the now still body that was once his only son. His only heir. "The bloodline, gone! By my own hand! I shall kill you now dirty muggle born! But not before I make you suffer and not until you beg me to snuff out that useless life of yours!" He pointed his wand and shouted "CRUCIO!"
An explosion of pain snared each of Hermione's nerves and she coughed and beat the floor with her fists. Compared to the agonising torment inside of her smashing her broken wrist against the cold stone was nothing. Lucius advanced, his wand still aimed at the little witch on the floor. About him the entire owlery shuffled and hooted alarmingly, the noise rose and rose in Hermione's ears, a screaming, the angered excitement of the owls, the keening piercing laughter. Was that screaming hers?
"Beg me to kill you now filth, and it shall all be over!" Lucius flicked his wand and the intensity of the pain swelled. Hermione would never beg this foul man. He killed Draco. She would rather die than carry on living now, but she would never beg. With all her might she lifted her head to stare death in the eye. Despite all her agonies Hermione couldn't help but gasp at what she saw. As she lifted her eyes she was met with the sight of hundreds of midnight black owls descending upon Lucius like a deadly swarm. Claws slashed, beaks tore, wings beat upon him. Malfoy howled and his wand broke the spell. Hermione's darkness fell away like somebody has lifted a heavy blanket from over her. She watched in horror and clung to the still form of Draco as she saw Lucius blast randomly at the buzzing mass of angry owls. He killed a few, but many took their place, and with a final blood curdling shriek Lucius fell dead to the floor. The owls swept away, but a few remained to collect their dead. The largest, stained in blood, hopped over to the dead Mephy and picked her gently up in his claws. Hooting sadly the owls all flew out of the owlery and into the sky. Hermione understood, they had killed Lucius because he had killed Mephy.
Silence echoed about Hermione. She was totally alone now. The string was gone, but she didn't care. Bending low Hermione buried her face in Draco's blood clotted robes and sobbed.
****
Epilogue.
Dappled shadows danced over the bright green lawn, birds skittered excitedly through the sky and all seemed peace. Hermione stood in her bedroom, back in her own home in the muggle world and gazed at the world outside. It was now the summer holidays. So much had happened. The last few months had been a confusion, both mystifying and frightening. She had to cope with emotions on a scale she had never felt before.
"Are you alright?"
"I think so. How about you?"
"I cant believe he's dead."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be.." Draco stepped from the corridor and into Hermione's room. He took her hand in his "My Father, he was already dead to me in many ways."
Hermione smiled and stroked Draco's face with her hand. It had only occurred to her, after the string was gone, she could use magic again. It took all her strength and will to cast a powerful healing spell, so much so she passed out. She only awoke when a maid found them both passed out on the bloody floor, and Lucius Malfoy dead beside them.
The Ministry came right away, the Manor was seized, Narcissia was taken to Azkaban and Draco was homeless and now and orphan.
"You can stay with me. If you want." Hermione had said shyly. Draco couldn't refuse, and soon he found himself for the first time ever living in the muggle world. To say 'culture shock' would have been the understatement of the year. But Draco was happy in his strange new home.
Even with the string gone these two became inseparable. And they both agreed that the magical string had been the blessing of a lifetime, for it had taught them how to love each other. And it was here they found true happiness.
The End.
**~**
Dear all! Hurrah! I have now finished the 'Odd Couple'. I'm so so sorry (Gomen gomen) for such a long break from my writing. Christmas here with my family and the new year has been crazy! I want to thank every single one of you, who reviewed my stuff ( I read them all because they make me so happy!) and who have e mailed me too. Thankyou! Writing this fanfic has been a real joy. And yes! How can I introduce poor Draco to the muggle world and stop here? I have plans for a sequel in the future. Draco coping with living in the Muggle world? Omg, I wonder what he would think of London? I'll have Hermione take him to all my fave places ^_^ I'll also be churning out a ton of short stories too (this one was long, ne?) as they are what I really love to do. Harry Potter and Final Fantasy mostly ^_^
If you enjoy my writing, I hope you will take a look at any new stories I write.
Thankyou so much again. And Slytherin Forever!! He he he!
**~**
Breathlessly Draco and Hermione darted from wall to wall of the mansion. Draco thought it was probably safer to sneak in through the servants entrance, and then work their way up to the owlery.
"Here, hurry!" Draco held Hermione's wrist gently in his own hands as they carefully climbed the steps to the house. Hermione looked sadly at Draco. His own parents did this to them. How awful it must be to live in a gilded cage. Draco eased the heavy oak door open and they squeezed into the Mansions outhouse. A few servants stared in shock and a couple bowed as Draco hurried past.
"Young Master Malfoy. Your parents requested that we inform them immediately when you returned to the house!" A young maid yelled. Draco ignored her and hurried on. Great, now the servants would be hindering what he had hoped was a brief rescue mission. Onwards and upwards they struggled with mounting urgency, as every maid or serving boy who saw them called to them saying his Father was looking for him. They ducked in and out on doorways and often tried to stick entirely to the servants passages. Neither of them spoke, they didn't really want to talk about what had happened out in the grounds. All that mattered was finding Mephy and getting the hell out. Then what? Draco moaned as his head ached with troubled thoughts.
After what seemed like hours they eventually arrived at a small wind of stairs. Quickly they climbed them, and Hermione gasped as she saw the Malfoy's owlery. It wasn't as big as the one at Hogwarts, but it was infinitely more intricate. Owl holes peppered the polished black walls and made it looked like Swiss cheese. Black perches criss-crossed upwards into the vault ceiling, and every single owl was shaded the colours of the night. This owlery must be cleaned daily, as there was no built up of waste or a terrible odour like the one at Hogwarts. Draco cupped one hand to his mouth and he yelled into the fluttering confusion above.
"Mephy! Mephy! Where are you?" He called, but there was no sign of her.
"Looking for this?" A sly voice, Draco's Father, echoed from behind them. They whirled about and found he blocked the only exit. In his hands was the limp body of a small and sleek black owl. Draco mouthed noiselessly. Lucius tossed Mephy's dead body onto the ground and she skidded to a halt at Draco's feet.
"You Monster!" Hermione yelled, tears streaking her face.
"Indeed. I was rather hoping my son would return to us alone." Lucius dusted his hands and looked at his son. "Still, no matter. The girl can meet with an accident now, and a small memory alteration will be in store for you, my son."
"Father!" Draco held tightly to Hermione. "Why? We will break this string! I promise!"
"I think not. We have another meeting tonight Draco. The council want you to attend. You are after all coming of age, where the illustrious career of a Death Eater stands before you. Imagine, them finding that foul impure mud blood here! Shame would be brought upon our name and you shall never be a Death Eater."
"I…I don't….." Draco stammered. He wanted to be a Death Eater so badly in his youth. To be like his Father, serve his Dark Lord, and rid the world of the un-magic mud bloods. That was before he was tied to her. Hermione. She was so different to what he had believed muggleborns to be. She was, special to him.
"What's this?" Lucius spat angrily at his son.
"I don't want to be a death eater anymore Father! You are wrong about Muggle borns! She's special to me, I…………….. I lov……….."
A blinding light shot suddenly from Lucius's wand was scored a cut across Draco's cheek. Draco fell back in shock, and Hermione screamed as she was pulled down with him. Her wrist burned with a thousand agonies but her heart was burning even hotter. Was Draco about to say…. No…. it couldn't be.
"Don't you dare say it! No son of mine!" Lucius roared as he send a shot like a bullet through Draco's leg. Blood seeped onto his robes, staining them a darker shade of black.
"Stop it! Stop it NOW!" Hermione screamed louder than she felt she ever had before. "Why are you so horrible to Draco? Why is his pure blood so damned important?"
Lucius turned to stare at Hermione, his eyes wide with a psychotic anger. "Because, you foul little shit, we are the pure bloodline! We share the same blood as the Dark Lord, and with his blood alive in the family vain then he may never truly die! Great things never die, you however shall perish!" And another shot of deathly light fired from his wand directly at Hermione.
A scream! A burst of sound and a flash of light that swelled to fill the entire room. Hermione gasped, blood splashed her face, and Draco slumped on top of her, a burning hole through his chest.
"NO!" Hermione's eyes darted over Draco, she held him in her arms as blood gushed freely over them both. "Why did you do it? You cant leave me now!" She cried, bitter tears scorching her face. Lucius gaped horror struck, never in a thousand millennia did he think his son would leap in front of his wand, and to save a dirty wretch of a muggle born?
"Look, Her." Draco whispered, and his eyes flickered to the string. It was fading! Hermione sobbed uncontrollably, willing the string never to fade. "Do…. Do you think this was the sacrifice Mephy meant?" He coughed, smiling weakly. His eyes swam in and out of a blurred focus, he saw Hermione before him, she seemed to shine like an angle. The sting faded completely, and Draco fell still.
"No……………" Whispered Hermione, and she placed a single soft kiss upon the pale still warm lips of Draco.
"My son." Lucius babbled and he stared at the now still body that was once his only son. His only heir. "The bloodline, gone! By my own hand! I shall kill you now dirty muggle born! But not before I make you suffer and not until you beg me to snuff out that useless life of yours!" He pointed his wand and shouted "CRUCIO!"
An explosion of pain snared each of Hermione's nerves and she coughed and beat the floor with her fists. Compared to the agonising torment inside of her smashing her broken wrist against the cold stone was nothing. Lucius advanced, his wand still aimed at the little witch on the floor. About him the entire owlery shuffled and hooted alarmingly, the noise rose and rose in Hermione's ears, a screaming, the angered excitement of the owls, the keening piercing laughter. Was that screaming hers?
"Beg me to kill you now filth, and it shall all be over!" Lucius flicked his wand and the intensity of the pain swelled. Hermione would never beg this foul man. He killed Draco. She would rather die than carry on living now, but she would never beg. With all her might she lifted her head to stare death in the eye. Despite all her agonies Hermione couldn't help but gasp at what she saw. As she lifted her eyes she was met with the sight of hundreds of midnight black owls descending upon Lucius like a deadly swarm. Claws slashed, beaks tore, wings beat upon him. Malfoy howled and his wand broke the spell. Hermione's darkness fell away like somebody has lifted a heavy blanket from over her. She watched in horror and clung to the still form of Draco as she saw Lucius blast randomly at the buzzing mass of angry owls. He killed a few, but many took their place, and with a final blood curdling shriek Lucius fell dead to the floor. The owls swept away, but a few remained to collect their dead. The largest, stained in blood, hopped over to the dead Mephy and picked her gently up in his claws. Hooting sadly the owls all flew out of the owlery and into the sky. Hermione understood, they had killed Lucius because he had killed Mephy.
Silence echoed about Hermione. She was totally alone now. The string was gone, but she didn't care. Bending low Hermione buried her face in Draco's blood clotted robes and sobbed.
****
Epilogue.
Dappled shadows danced over the bright green lawn, birds skittered excitedly through the sky and all seemed peace. Hermione stood in her bedroom, back in her own home in the muggle world and gazed at the world outside. It was now the summer holidays. So much had happened. The last few months had been a confusion, both mystifying and frightening. She had to cope with emotions on a scale she had never felt before.
"Are you alright?"
"I think so. How about you?"
"I cant believe he's dead."
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be.." Draco stepped from the corridor and into Hermione's room. He took her hand in his "My Father, he was already dead to me in many ways."
Hermione smiled and stroked Draco's face with her hand. It had only occurred to her, after the string was gone, she could use magic again. It took all her strength and will to cast a powerful healing spell, so much so she passed out. She only awoke when a maid found them both passed out on the bloody floor, and Lucius Malfoy dead beside them.
The Ministry came right away, the Manor was seized, Narcissia was taken to Azkaban and Draco was homeless and now and orphan.
"You can stay with me. If you want." Hermione had said shyly. Draco couldn't refuse, and soon he found himself for the first time ever living in the muggle world. To say 'culture shock' would have been the understatement of the year. But Draco was happy in his strange new home.
Even with the string gone these two became inseparable. And they both agreed that the magical string had been the blessing of a lifetime, for it had taught them how to love each other. And it was here they found true happiness.
The End.
**~**
Dear all! Hurrah! I have now finished the 'Odd Couple'. I'm so so sorry (Gomen gomen) for such a long break from my writing. Christmas here with my family and the new year has been crazy! I want to thank every single one of you, who reviewed my stuff ( I read them all because they make me so happy!) and who have e mailed me too. Thankyou! Writing this fanfic has been a real joy. And yes! How can I introduce poor Draco to the muggle world and stop here? I have plans for a sequel in the future. Draco coping with living in the Muggle world? Omg, I wonder what he would think of London? I'll have Hermione take him to all my fave places ^_^ I'll also be churning out a ton of short stories too (this one was long, ne?) as they are what I really love to do. Harry Potter and Final Fantasy mostly ^_^
If you enjoy my writing, I hope you will take a look at any new stories I write.
Thankyou so much again. And Slytherin Forever!! He he he!
**~**