With Darkness There'll Be Light

Nine - Bleed Just To Know You're Alive

As the days ticked on, Ginny was getting progressively worse and Hermione was getting progressively pissed off. She became stronger through her anger, practicing kick-boxing that Lavender had taught her just mere weeks ago. Ginny was lifeless, her eyes bland, hallow and uncaring. Hermione didn't know what to make of this…but there wasn't much she could do without her wand. So she fed the younger girl and that was all there was to do.

Hermione wished with all her might that they'd be rescued…but her hopes dwindled as she marked the days gone by on the stone wall with a loose pebble. They'd been there for at least a week, maybe longer. She couldn't tell how long they were there before she'd awoken, and Ginny was no help.

A picture flashed through Hermione's mind as she gobbled up soup that day. Draco Malfoy.


Why the hell was she thinking about him? She'd done everything she could to avoid him all these years and here he was cropping into her mind. He'd hurt her really badly in school, until about seventh year when he completely changed. She didn't trust him; she didn't trust the old Malfoy or the new Draco. She didn't know why. He became an Auror, like she, Harry and Ron. He had gone to Auror classes with her, she'd ignored him, irritated only by his presence. Hermione, playing psychologist one day, analyzed her feelings of animosity towards him and came up with one answer.

She liked him.

That, above anything else, made her the angriest and that was why she avoided him at all costs. He'd changed, she knew this, she'd noticed. His outward appearance only got more "studly" as Lavender and Ginny once said; his inward appearance changed for the good. This scared her, and it intrigued her.

But no matter what he did to get her attention, she always ignored him. She could tell he was angered by this, but she didn't care. All she knew was that the feelings she had for him were going to go away whether she liked it or not. She'd stop liking him, and it'd be easiest if he didn't invade her eyesight.

He tried, she could tell, to get her to at least speak with him, but on every occasion she flat out refused. He probably figured she still held a school grudge against him. Oh, if only it were that simple.

In the gloom of the cave, she waited, with no company to keep her sane. And she thought about him…and she missed him.

Hermione's eyes closed for a second and she felt very faint. She knew this moment would come soon, she just didn't know how soon. Fainting didn't seem like the best option, but there weren't that many other options to choose from.


Beside her, Ginny let out a tiny moan of pain.

Hermione was in agony, she could feel herself going slowly insane. She had nothing to do but wait, wonder and slowly die. She hated this and she wanted out.

Picking up a ragged pebble, Hermione sliced her arm, watching as the red liquid flowed from the cut. "You bleed just to know you're alive…I'm still alive. Briefly." She sounded detached from the world and oblivious to the tiny prick of pain coming from the cut. She watched as little drops of deep red fluid trickled to the floor.

"Hermione," muttered Ginny, her head moving back and forth. "Hermione."

Hermione went to her side, momentarily back on earth. She felt her forehead, "What, Gin? What is it?"

"They're coming, Hermione. They're coming." Her eyes flew open, the brown completely gone, replaced by inky blackness.

"Who's coming? GINNY!" Hermione shook her friend slightly as Ginny's eyes closed once more and she lost consciousness again.

Hermione slumped against the cave's icy wall. "I can't take much more of this." She let the ragged pebble drop from her fingertips and she closed her eyes at last, allowing sleep to fall over her.

*

The Fellowship were nearing the secret hideout just as the sun came up. Luckily, for them, they had been cloaked in darkness up until now, so that there was no way Voldemort's army had seen their approach.

"Alright," whispered Draco urgently, as the hideout came into view.

"That's it?" Gemma asked, staring at the structure before her. It looked like nothing more than a sand mound in the desert, but Draco knew better. He'd been told about this place by his father, when Draco had still been in "the inner circle" of Death Eaters. He knew this was the place.

Appearances, Draco knew better than anyone else, can always be deceiving.

"Yeah," replied Draco without pause, he had no time to dilly-dally with explanations. "Now, the guards will be switching soon so be on alert." The Fellowship ducked behind a very large bush. It was odd how in the desert there was so much flora around them. Draco knew this was magically done so that the hideout was covered, although it looked more conspicuous WITH the shrubbery.

Seamus and Harry got down on their hands and knees and went as fast as they could to the other side of the building. Fred and George followed, they'd take the other two guards over there. Justin and Gemma scooted to the left, to get directly in front of their two guards and Draco and Ron (paired together for no reason anyone could comprehend) stayed put.

The coldness that threatened to overcome every fellowship member was practically blinding, but they all saw through it. It was easy enough to stun the Dementors; they may have been evil, large and dead, but they were quite stupid. This worked to the Fellowship's advantage.

At least until something went wrong.

While Ron, Draco, Fred, George, Seamus and Harry were all dressing in the long black cloaks the Dementors wore, Gemma and Justin were fighting for their lives.

A icy cold shower washed over Justin and he could feel himself lose all consciousness. Beside him, Gemma screamed out, sending a jet of green sparks in the direction of Draco and Ron.

Draco heard the scream, saw the spark, and rushed to their side, Ron running alongside him.

Gemma, presumably, did all she could to ward off the approaching Dementors, but they advanced on Justin, kneeling down beside his cold and lifeless body.

When Draco and Ron got there, it was too late. Gemma lay beside her fallen fellowship member, crying. Draco sent his Patronus in the direction of the Dementors (who were moving in on a stunned Ron) and they collapsed in a heap of blackness.

Justin's eyes stared up at the sky, right through Gemma as if she weren't even there.

"Oh, my God," whispered Draco, dropping to the ground beside Gemma. "What----"

"They killed him, Draco," Gemma's tears were blurring her vision and sliding down her cheeks at an alarming rate. Ron looked on, stupefied, but not by magic; by sadness.

Tears welled up in Draco's eyes, but he didn't cry. "They didn't kill him, Gemma…They performed the Dementor's Kiss…"

"I couldn't stop them! I was cold all over! I saw…I saw my family being burned at the stake! I, Draco…I'm…I'm so sorry! I killed him! I killed Justin!" Gemma crumpled over onto Justin's unmoving body.

Draco grabbed Gemma strongly by the shoulders, a tear escaping his eye that he didn't even try to hide from view, "You did NOT kill him, Gemma. Those monsters did. You did everything you could…they're strong. It's not your fault. You weren't prepared enough..." Draco shook his head, "Don't blame yourself. It'll only make you go insane faster." Draco wiped at his eyes, removing the threatening tears.

Ron slid to the ground, his hand on Gemma's shoulder. "Gemma…I'm so sorry."

Gemma continued to cry, heart wrenching sobs, this time she leaned over onto Ron and embraced him. Ron patted her back awkwardly.

Draco took his WW out of his pocket and dialed Harry's number.

"Draco?" Harry said into his phone.

"Harry…Justin is down."

"WHAT?" Harry demanded. "We're nearly inside, get going! We have to move fast, the switch is happening in sixty seconds."

"HARRY," said Draco forcefully, "JUSTIN is DOWN."

There was a pause, and some crackling over the line. "Draco," came Harry's faraway voice. "You have forty seconds."

"I can't leave him, he'll die if we don't get him some help," snapped Draco, angry that Harry wasn't even bothering to care that one of his men was down.

"He's as good as dead," replied Harry, his voice cracking…he was probably crying. Harry sniffed, "Have Gemma…have her put him behind that bush where we were. Have her stay with him…if she thinks she can handle it. I don't think she'll be any good in battle right now."

"Alright," said Draco, his voice stronger now. "Alright."

"Twenty seconds," came Harry's voice before they heard a tell-tale click…he'd disconnected his phone.

Ron and Draco pulled Gemma and Justin's body behind the bush. Draco gave Gemma strict instructions not to move, Gemma was too much in shock not to listen.

Ron and Draco pulled the Dementor cloaks behind them and rushed to their post. They had two seconds remaining.

The switch happened on time, and soon the Fellowship (minus two) were inside the building.

The group all ended up in the same room, it was dreary and cold, like a jail cell. Everyone took their hoods off.

"Won't the Dementors notice that we were missing two?" Fred asked, panting and out of breath.

"No, I took care of it," muttered Harry, wiping his glistening forehead. "I used magic…but I took care of it. I sent the bodies back to England, to the Ministry. They'll take care of them."

Draco nodded solemnly, "We should try and find Hermione and Ginny."

Ron stared at him suddenly, "You---"

"I what, Ron?" Draco asked hotly.


"Nothing," replied Ron hastily. "Let's go save my sister and best friend."


Harry nodded squarely, "Helmets on." He pulled the cloak over his head, and everyone else did the same.

"Will Gemma be okay?" George asked worriedly.

"No," answered Draco truthfully, "But she'll live."

Seamus shook his head, "That was her first time really seeing death…at least of someone she liked, maybe loved."

"Finch-Fletchley and Moon had a thing?" Draco asked incredulously.


Seamus shrugged, "Your guess is as good as mine, Drac." Draco raised an eyebrow at the use of a nickname. "My best friend is dead. I have no time for animosity…especially towards you." Seamus wiped his eyes, Draco hadn't noticed he'd been crying until that moment.

Draco clapped Seamus on the shoulder and went to stand behind Harry. "We'll split up," said Harry, quietly. "If there's an emergency, use the special distress signal."

Everyone nodded and followed Harry out of the room. They ended up in a very long, very dark and narrow corridor.

"Jesus," muttered Draco. "It's a fucking maze."

"The trouble has just begun," stated Harry numbly. "Let's go. We don't have much time."